United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit. TWIN PEAKS SOFTWARE INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellant v. IBM CORPORATION, A NEW YORK CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee 2016-2177 Decided: May 26, 2017

Before PROST, Chief Judge, LOURIE and STOLL, Circuit Judges. BRUCE JOSHUA WECKER, Hausfeld LLP, San Francis-co, CA, argued for plaintiff-appellant. ANDREW J. BRAMHALL, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, Redwood Shores, CA, argued for defend-ant-appellee. Also represented by ROBERT WILLIAM STONE, BRICE CLARK LYNCH.

Twin Peaks Software Inc. (Twin Peaks) appeals from a judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California that claims 1 and 4 of U.S. Patent 7,418,439 (the '439 patent) are invalid as indefinite following a claim construction order by the district court. See Twin Peaks Software Inc. v. IBM Corp., No. 3:14-cv-03933-JST, 2016 WL 1409748 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 11, 2016) (Order). Because the district court did not err in its claim construction or in concluding that the challenged claims are invalid as indefinite, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

Twin Peaks owns the '439 patent, which is directed to a virtual file system that links two or more file systems together and mirrors between them in real time, which is called a mirror file system, or MFS. See '439 patent, Title, Abstract. According to the '439 patent, the invention provides a new approach for mounting a file system on a directory and allows two file systems to be linked together and become a mirroring pair so that the previ-ous contents of the [same] mounted directory are not hidden, and once the MFS mounting is accomplished, the mounted file systems are under the management of the MFS. Id. col. 3 ll. 1617, col. 10 ll. 4451.

Twin Peaks asserted the '439 patent, including inde-pendent claims 1 and 4, against IBM Corp. (IBM), alleging that IBM's products using a technology called both Panache and Active File Management  infringe the '439 patent. Order, 2016 WL 1409748, at *1. Claim 1 of the '439 patent reads as follows:

1. A virtual file system which provides mirroring and linking of two file systems, comprising:

means for mounting components of each of said two file systems on a single mount point constituting a single root directory for the components of both of said two file systems such that each mounted component of one of said two file systems is linked together with and becomes a mirroring pair with a corresponding mounted component in the other one of said two file systems, each of said two file systems having an application interface data structure constituting a programming interface for management thereof and access thereto; and

a virtual file system configured to manage the linking and mirroring of the corresponding mounted components of each of said two file systems, and including a super application interface data structure containing an application interface data structure of said virtual file system, and said application interface data structures of each of said two file systems.

'439 patent, col. 18 ll. 3553 (emphasis added). Claim 4 of the '439 patent reads as follows:

4. A method for mirroring files and directories between file systems on a computer system or on two computer systems connected to each other via a network, comprising the steps of:

mounting components of each of two file systems on a single mount point constituting a single root directory to create a virtual file system in which each mounted component of one of said two file systems is linked together with a corresponding component in the other one of said two file systems, each of said mounted components being one of a directory and a file;

configuring said virtual file system so that each component of said virtual file system has a super application interface data structure containing an application interface data structure of said component in said virtual file system, an application interface data structure of a linked component in said one of said two file systems, and an application interface data structure of said corresponding linked component in said other one of said two file systems, said application interface data structure of said component in said virtual file system providing a mechanism for managing said component within said virtual file system and the corresponding linked components within said two file systems;

upon receiving a request to perform a write operation on one of said mounted components, using said application interface data structure of said component in said virtual file system to perform the write operation on said linked component in said one of said two file systems and on the corresponding linked component in said other one of said two file systems in real time in response to said request.

Id. col. 19 ll. 133 (emphasis added).

The district court held a claim construction hearing and construed, inter alia, the two limitations highlighted above, which we will here refer to as the means for mounting limitation of claim 1 and the mechanism for managing limitation of claim 4, respectively. The district court analyzed both of the limitations as means-plus-function limitations under 35 U.S.C.  112  6. See Order, 2016 WL 1409748, at *5, *11.

As for the means for mounting limitation, Twin Peaks argued that relevant structure is disclosed in various parts of the specification, including a portion that discusses the MFS mount protocol. See J.A. 12225 (citing '439 patent, col. 10 l. 32col. 12 l. 14). IBM responded that the specification only discloses the result of the MFS mount protocol, without disclosing how to achieve that result, and that Twin Peaks failed to iden-tif [y] any specific algorithm. J.A. 65152 (emphasis omitted).

The district court agreed with IBM. The court noted that, although the specification discusses the outcome after a system administrator implements the MFS mounting protocol, it only recites functional, rather than structural language and fails to disclose how to perform the command so that the two file systems mounted on a single mounting point remain available and unhidden. Order, 2016 WL 1409748, at *7 (emphases in original). As such, the district court determined that the means for mounting limitation was indefinite. Id.

Regarding the mechanism for managing limitation, Twin Peaks argued that the specification provides sufficient disclosure of the limitation by way of an example of the open operation and explanations as to how other operations follow the same procedure. J.A. 13031. Twin Peaks further submitted to the district court expert declarations stating that one skilled in the art would easily have been able to code these data structures and operations and providing the actual source code one skilled in the art would produce for the close, read, and write operations. J.A. 124042. IBM responded that the '439 patent discloses only one operation, i.e., open, out of 3040 operations, although the '439 patent notes that implementing certain other operations, e.g., write, would be different from the open operation. J.A. 65556.

The district court rejected Twin Peaks's argument and agreed with IBM that the '439 patent discloses insufficient structure of the managing function. Order, 2016 WL 1409748, at *12. The court determined that the specification discloses the code for one operation in the managing functionthe open operation (mfs_open), id.; however, the court noted that the open operation is a partial but inadequate guide for other operations and that [t]he specification fails to delineate the operations encompassed by the managing function, id. at *13. Therefore, the district count concluded that the specification failed to provide sufficient disclosure to render the bounds of the claim understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art and that the mechanism for managing limitation was indefinite. Id. at *1314 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).

Twin Peaks timely appealed. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  1295(a)(1).

DISCUSSION

On appeal, Twin Peaks challenges the district court's indefiniteness determinations of claims 1 and 4. We review the district court's conclusion of indefiniteness de novo, see Interval Licensing LLC v. AOL, Inc., 766 F.3d 1364, 1370 (Fed. Cir. 2014), and underlying factual determinations that are based on extrinsic evidence for clear error, Williamson v. Citrix Online, LLC, 792 F.3d 1339, 1246 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (citing Teva Pharm. USA, Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc., 135 S. Ct. 831, 84041 (2015)).

As an initial matter, the parties do not dispute that the means for mounting and mechanism for managing limitations are means-plus-function limitations governed by  112  6. Appellant's Br. 8; Appellee's Br. 27; see Order, 2016 WL 1409748, at *5, *11. If a claim contains a means-plus-function limitation, and the written description lacks structure for those means, we have held that the claim is indefinite and hence invalid. E.g., Biomedino, LLC v. Waters Techs. Corp., 490 F.3d 946, 95053 (Fed. Cir. 2007). Therefore, we proceed to attempt to construe the disputed claim term by identifying the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification to which the claim term will be limited. Robert Bosch, LLC v. Snap-On Inc., 769 F.3d 1094, 1097 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).

Twin Peaks contends that the '439 patent specification discloses sufficient structure for the respective means-plus-function limitations of claims 1 and 4. We discuss each limitation in turn.

I. Means for Mounting

Regarding claim 1, Twin Peaks argues that what the district court identified as a functional description of the means for mounting limitation is actually the structure corresponding to the limitation. Twin Peaks points to, inter alia, the '439 patent's disclosure of the mfs_vfs data structure, which is reproduced below:

Tabular or graphical material not displayable at this time.

Appellant's Br. 1920 (citing '439 patent, col. 11 ll. 614). Twin Peaks also points to the '439 patent specification describing that [t]he MFS mount operation sets up the data structure mfs_vfs to contain the vfs data structures and that [t]he MFS inherits all of the contents of the mounted directory into its mfs_vfs virtual file system data structure. Id. at 1922 (citing '439 patent, col. 10 ll. 5254, col. 11 ll. 4345).

Based on these disclosures in the specification, Twin Peaks contends on appeal that what constitutes the structure corresponding to the means for mounting limitation is a two-step algorithm of: (1) set[ting] up the mfs_vfs data structure to link two vfs structures; and (2) inherit[ing] the content of the two linked vfs data structures. Id. at 3637. With this understanding of the means for mounting limitation, according to Twin Peaks, claim 1 is not indefinite because some structure is disclosed and the implementation of the steps of the algorithm [is] to be measured by the understanding and enablement of one skilled in the art. Id. at 44.

IBM responds that, although Twin Peaks refers to multiple columns and figures of the '439 patent, it fails to identify any algorithm that is clearly linked or associated with the means for mounting function, and that all of the descriptions identified by Twin Peaks disclose the outcome of, or what results from, the MFS mounting function. IBM also contends that Twin Peaks is improp-erly relying on the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to fill in gaps in disclosure. Id. at 3536.

We agree with IBM that the '439 patent does not disclose a structure corresponding to the means for mounting limitation. Twin Peaks's argument focuses on the MFS Mount Protocol section of the '439 patent. Parts of the MFS Mount Protocol section, '439 patent, col. 10 l. 32col. 12 l. 14, do appear to indicate that a detailed description of the MFS mount algorithm or structure would follow; the specification states that the MFS mounting protocol provides a new approach for mounting a file system on a directory, id. col. 10 ll. 4445, and what the MFS can do to link up  two file structures and make them a mirroring pair, id. col. 11 ll. 3133. However, the means for mounting limitation is circularly described by referring to the very term mount and the results of various mount operations, rather than by disclosing the identity of the means for mounting.

Twin Peaks appears to argue that the MFS Mount Protocol involves multiple regular mount operations known in the art, but even assuming arguendo that that contention is accepted, the specification does not describe to what extent the MFS mount protocol involves the regular mount operations or to what extent the MFS mount operation is different from the regular mount operation. See Biomedino, 490 F.3d at 953 (holding that a bare statement that known techniques or methods can be used does not disclose structure); Med. Instrumenta-tion & Diagnostics Corp. v. Elekta AB, 344 F.3d 1205, 1211 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (noting [t]he requirement that a particular structure be clearly linked with the claimed function in order to qualify as corresponding structure).

Twin Peaks faults the district court for misunder-standing the MFS mount operation and argues that how the MFS mount operation is performed, rather than the result of it, is described by disclosing the data structure, mfs_vfs, and its contents. Appellant's Br. 39. However, Twin Peaks cannot, and does not appear to, argue that the corresponding structure of the means for mounting limitation is the mfs_vfs data structure itself, which the district court determined describes another element of claim 1 and is not at issue on appeal. See Default Proof Credit Card Sys., Inc. v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 412 F.3d 1291, 12991300 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (noting that the structure identified by the party corresponds to a sepa-rately claimed element and cannot correspond to the means-plus-function limitation in question).

Instead, Twin Peaks argues that the steps of setting up the mfs_vfs data structure and inheriting the contents according to the mfs_vfs data structure setup correspond to how the MFS mounting operation is performed. However, the '439 patent specification does not describe the MFS mounting algorithm as this two-step process or any other process. As discussed above, the '439 patent specification does not adequately disclose what algorithm or other structure corresponds to the means for mounting limitation. Biomedino, 490 F.3d at 952 (noting that structure supporting a means-plus-function claim under  112,  6 must appear in the specification and that the proper analysis asks first whether structure is described in the specification (emphasis in original) (citation omitted)). In arguing that the means for mounting limitation is a two-step process of setting up and inheriting steps, Twin Peaks pieces together disparate portions of the specification to conjure up a corresponding structure. We find that argument unpersuasive.

Lastly, Twin Peaks argues that a person of ordinary skill in the art reading the specification would understand what structure corresponds to the means for mounting limitation and could implement it because some structure is disclosed and therefore, omitting certain details is of no significance. Appellant's Br. 44. Twin Peaks cites our case law holding that, in some cases, disclosure of some structure can be sufficient, e.g., Atmel Corp. v. Info. Storage Devices, Inc., 198 F.3d 1374, 1382 (Fed. Cir. 1999), as supporting its proposition. However, the some structure in the specification that would be sufficient still should be some structure corresponding to the means recited in the claims so that one can readily ascertain what the claim means and comply with the particularity requirement of  2. Atmel, 198 F.3d at 1382 (emphasis added). Indeed, the interpretation of what is disclosed must be made in light of the knowledge of one skilled in the art, but the understanding of one skilled in the art in no way relieves the patentee of adequately disclosing sufficient structure in the specification. Id. at 1380; see also Biomedino, 490 F.3d at 952. Here, as discussed above, other than the post hoc synthesis of what the means for mounting limitation corresponds to as proposed by Twin Peaks, the '439 patent specification itself does not adequately disclose the corresponding structure of the means for mounting limitation, and that inadequate disclosure cannot be cured simply by relying on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art. Biomedino, 490 F.3d at 953 (The inquiry is whether one of skill in the art would understand the specification itself to disclose a structure, not simply whether that person would be capable of implementing a structure. (citation omitted)).

We therefore conclude that the means for mounting limitation of claim 1 is indefinite and that the district court did not err in so concluding.

II. Mechanism for Managing

Regarding claim 4, Twin Peaks argues that the district court misunderstood the claimed mechanism for managing, and according to the correct understanding, disclosure of source code for any file operations, much less for the entire set of file operations, is not necessary. Here, Twin Peaks points to, inter alia, a section of the '439 patent, entitled File/Directory Operations, and contends that the structure corresponding to the claimed mechanism for managing entails the MFS system intercepting the system calls through the mnode structure, which is reproduced below:

Tabular or graphical material not displayable at this time.

Appellant's Br. 22 (citing '439 patent, col. 12 ll. 4756). Based on this disclosure, Twin Peaks argues that the structure corresponding to the mechanism for managing entails a two-step algorithm of: (1) receiving file operations through the mnode structure; and (2) directing or routing the file operations to the underlying file systems accordingly. Id. at 4748. Furthermore, Twin Peaks contends that the '439 patent goes beyond what is necessary in disclosing the code for the mfs_open operation, which is reproduced below:

Tabular or graphical material not displayable at this time.

Id. at 23 (citing '439 patent, col. 13 ll. 2650); id. at 51. According to Twin Peaks, this disclosure of the mfs_open operation and the '439 patent's explanation that [a]ll other operations like mfs_read ( ), mfs_write( ), mfs_setattr( ), mfs_close( ), etc., follow the same procedure as described in mfs_open( ) are more than what would be necessary for one skilled in the art to understand the algorithm. Id. at 5254 (citing '439 patent, col. 13 ll. 5254). Therefore, Twin Peaks argues that the mechanism for managing limitation should be interpreted as a single function with a corresponding two-step process, and disclosure of particular file operations source code is not necessary; at any rate, the '439 patent discloses more than enough.

IBM responds that the district court correctly determined that the disclosure in the '439 patent is insufficient because the mechanism for managing function, although a single function, includes multiple file operations, the full scope of which are not disclosed in the specification. IBM also contends that the district court correctly found that the disclosure of the mfs_open operation and the accompanying explanation to follow the same procedure are inadequate. For example, IBM argues that the write operation source code provided by Twin Peaks's expert follow[ing] the same procedure is missing a key feature of the invention and demonstrates that inadequa-cy.

We agree with IBM that the '439 patent does not provide sufficient structure corresponding to the mechanism for managing limitation. To the extent that Twin Peaks contends that the mechanism for managing entails a two-step process of receiving and directing operations, we do not find that the '439 patent discloses such structure corresponding to the mechanism for managing function. Parts of the '439 patent specification mention that the linked and mirrored pair of file systems are under the management of MFS, e.g., col. 9 ll. 5657, col. 10, l. 14, col. 11 l. 18, col. 12 ll. 3537; however, the '439 patent does not describe the managing function as the two-step process proposed by Twin Peaks.

Therefore we must consider Twin Peaks's further argument regarding the '439 patent's discussions of the mfs_open operation and other file operations. We conclude that those disclosures also do not adequately indicate what structure corresponds to the mechanism for managing limitation. Referring to the code for the mfs_open operation and the instructions to implement other operations likewise, Twin Peaks contends that a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand and could implement other file operations by merely replacing operation names and using known arguments of known file operations.

Similarly to claim 1, Twin Peaks relies on our case law to suggest that as long as a structure sufficient for one skilled in the art is disclosed, i.e., critical or essen-tial structure, a structure to perform the entirety of the function need not be disclosed to satisfy the definiteness requirement for a means-plus-function claim. Appellant's Br. 10 (citing Creo Prods., Inc. v. Presstek, Inc., 305 F.3d 1337, 1347 (Fed. Cir. 2002); Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. v. St. Jude Med., Inc., 296 F.3d 1106, 1119 (Fed. Cir. 2002)). Emphasizing the interrelationship between enablement and definiteness from a skilled artisan's perspective, Twin Peaks asserts that [l]ogically, if one skilled in the art can build the invention and make it work, the scope of the invention must be understood as well, and that such logic necessarily follows from the test applied to determine definiteness. Id. at 1415 (citing Atmel, 198 F.3d at 1382). Twin Peaks's allegedly logical extrapolation, however, is misplaced.

[T]he quid pro quo for the convenience of employing  112,  6 is to clearly link or associate corresponding structure to the claimed function. B. Braun Med., Inc. v. Abbott Labs., 124 F.3d 1419, 1424 (Fed. Cir. 1997). The corresponding structure need not include all things necessary to enable the claimed invention to work, Cardiac Pacemakers, 296 F.3d at 1119, because enablement is a separate inquiry, and by engaging in functional claiming under  112  6, a patentee is entering into the bargain of limiting its open-ended functional claim term to what is disclosed and their equivalents, which may not be coextensive with the full enabled scope, see, e.g., B. Braun Med., 124 F.3d at 1425 (limiting the scope of the means-plus-function limitation in question to what is disclosed in the specification). Indeed, Twin Peaks does not appear to argue that the scope of the mechanism for managing is limited to the managing function only having the open operation and other file operations that are considered its equivalents. Instead, Twin Peaks urges that, because a person of ordinary skill in the art would be able to understand other operations and implement them follow[ing] the same procedure, the structure corresponding to the full scope of the managing function is disclosed. We decline to adopt such reasoning.

As discussed above, the '439 specification does not describe the mechanism for managing limitation as the two-step process proposed by Twin Peaks. Furthermore, as the district court noted, disclosure of the open operation is only a partial and inadequate disclosure of the file operations that constitute the alleged full scope of the managing function. We therefore conclude that the mechanism for managing limitation of claim 4 is indefinite and that the district court did not err in its conclusion.

Because we agree that the district court did not err in concluding that the two means-plus-function claims limitations are not supported by adequate structure in the specification, we also agree that the court did not err in concluding the challenged claims to be indefinite and hence invalid.

CONCLUSION

We have considered the remaining arguments, but find them unpersuasive. For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the district court is affirmed.

AFFIRMED

FOOTNOTES

. The '439 patent was filed before the effective date of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, Pub. L. No. 112-29,  3, 125 Stat. 284, 28593 (2011), and it is governed by the prior version of  112, see Fleming v. Escort, Inc., 774 F.3d 1371, 1374 n.1 (Fed. Cir. 2014).

LOURIE, Circuit Judge.
How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. Kindness is a gateway for all of us to connect and care for each other.  Morgan Freeman Whether its a supporting...

MAKING CONNECTIONS Editors note: The following random acts of kindness were emailed or called into County Press editor Jeff Hogan at jhogan@mihomepaper.com. The following acts of kindness experienced by County Press readers...

Ed-Tech students connect with community ATTICA TWP.  The Lapeer County Education and Technology Center (Ed-Tech) is a place where students can get a taste of the career opportunities that exist in their field of...
Couple hang themselves in face of families' objections

UNB, Dinajpur :

A couple reportedly committed suicide by hanging themselves with a single rope at Sakoir village in Biral upazila on Thursday.

Rakib Babu, 16, son of late Abul Hossain of Sakoir village ,and Purnima Rani Paul, 15, daughter of late Haripad Paul of Kirshnapur village, had been in a relationship for three years, locals said.

As Babu and Purnima, students of class X and XI respectively of Raghupur Dimukhi High School, belonged to different religions, their family members didn't accept the relationship and warned the duo several times, said officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station Imtiaz Hossain.

On Wednesday afternoon, they disappeared abruptly.

Later, locals spotted their bodies of hanging from a mango tree in the woods near Sakoir and informed police.

Police recovered the bodies around 12 pm and sent those to Dinajpur M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital for autopsy.
May's Conservatives maintain 14-point lead over Labour: Poll

Reuters, London :

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party has a 14 percentage point lead over the main opposition Labour Party ahead of a June 8 election, according to an ICM opinion poll published in the Sun newspaper on Sunday.

The poll put the Conservatives on 46 percent and Labour on 32 percent, little changed from the previous ICM poll on May 22 which put the Conservatives on 47 percent and Labour on 33 percent.

Other polls published since Monday's suicide attack in Manchester have shown May's lead narrowing.

ICM said support for the Liberal Democrats was at 8 percent and the UK Independence Party at 5 percent.

Prime Minister Theresa May is offering voters a retreat from globalization in one of the most significant developments in recent British political history, former finance minister George Osborne said on Saturday.

Osborne, who was sacked by May as finance minister after the June 23 Brexit vote, criticized May's plan to cut annual net migration to the tens of thousands and said her pre-election social care proposals were clearly badly thought through.

May rejected "untrammeled free markets" and promised to rein in corporate excesses in pre-election pledges earlier this month.



The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has pledged to nationalise water, mail and rail companies.

"Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are offering, in very different ways, a retreat from international liberalism and globalization," Osborne, who now edits the Evening Standard newspaper, told the BBC.

"And that's quite a development in British politics, and I think there are quite a lot of people who are uncertain whether that is the right development," he said.

May last year praised free markets and free trade in a speech to party activists but also said that she would be prepared to intervene where markets were dysfunctional or where companies were exploiting the failures of the market.

On his first day as a newspaper editor earlier this month, Osborne taunted May over her snap election strategy and "unrealistic" Brexit stance.

Once considered a potential future prime minister, the 46-year-old was dismissed last year by fellow-Conservative May after helping to lead the doomed campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union.




Eid telefilm Rongtuli O Nil Bhalobasha

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Swadhinata and Ekushey Awards winner actor Syed Hasan Imam, noted actress Sharmily Ahmed, popular face of the small screen Ziaul Faruk Apurba, Lux superstar Mehazabien Chowdhury and promising actor FM Joni worked together in an Eid telefilm titled Rongtuli O Nil Bhalobasha.

Before starting holy Ramzan shooting of the telefilm was done to maintain schedules from the senior actors. Directed by BU Shuvo story of the telefilm was written by Sezan Nur. Hasan Imam and Sharmily Ahmed played the role of parents of Apurba.

On the other hand, Mehazabien acted against Apurba and Joni in the telefilm.

Director Shuvo informed that there is something twists in the story of the telefilm. It will be aired on ATN Bangla in Eid-ul-Fitr.

While talking about the telefilm Syed Hasan Imam told this correspondent, Right now I can give time to acting in telefilm a little bit. There is lack of presence of senior actors. Joni has easily attached him with the senior actors in this telefilm.

Sharmily Ahmed shared her feelings by this way, It is really a nice story based telefilm. I hope viewers will enjoy the telefilm.

Apurba said, Earlier under Shuvos direction I worked in several numbers of plays and telefilms. Shuvo tries to work sincerely and cordially. I am lucky that I got the scope to work with two legendary actors by whom I worked I have developed my acting skill.

Mehazabien said, Against Apurba Bhaiya I have worked before only time. I have also performed with him in a music video. Those became popular among the viewers. Overall I think viewers will enjoy the telefilm.

As a newcomer, FM Joni also performed well. For this reason, he has engagement with acting now. Joni said, I am really grateful to Shuvo Bhai because he has been casted me for last few years in his works. I have tried my level best effort to portray my role properly. It will be really an example that as a newcomer Shuvo Bhai gave me such a break showbiz.


Traditional Iftar items flow city markets

A mobile court of Dhaka Metropolitan Police during separate raids in the city on Sunday fined Bombay and Alauddin Sweetmeats Tk 2 lakh on charges of selling and preparing sweetmeats in unhygienic condition. This photo was taken from the city\'s Chalk Baza

Reza Mahmud :

Ifter markets in the city's old part had a very good trading on the first day of the holy month of Ramzan.

Tens of thousands of the consumers flocked there to buy iftar items of their choice.

At Chawkbazar, the attractive items were different kinds of roasts, shahi jilapi, puffed rice, chickpea, shahi paratha, Koel bird kabab, suti kabab, jali kabab, piazu, potato chop, halim, nut juice, matha and other traditional items. The sellers were singing chorus to attract customers.

A large size of jilapi named 'Badshahi jilapi' drew attraction of all. Khalid Hasan, who introduced it, said that the size, scents and taste of the jilapi bought the name 'Badshahi'.

The largest size of the jilapi weighs 2.5 Kgs, while the smallest one is one kg in weight. "The Mughal emperors ate such jilapi," he said.

"If any one gives advance order, we may prepare larger than this in size," Khalid said.

Generally jilapi of other kinds is sold at Tk 150 per kg, but the Badshahi jilapi's price is Tk 200 per kilogram.

According to seller and buyers, the beef suti kabab was sold at Tk 600 per kilo, the red meat items were selling Tk 750 to 800 per kg, koel bird roast at Tk 60 per piece and chicken roast Tk 200 to 250 per piece.

Apart from these, the fruit traders decorated their shops with mangoes, lithci, apple, malta, date, banana, guava, papaya, water melon, pineapple and other fruits.

Though the iftar time was 6.44pm, customers swarmed into the old Dhaka Ifter Markets even before the Asr prayer. The shop owners set their items in three rows beside the historic Chawkbazar Shahi Masjid.

"It is our long tradition to break fasting with items like shahi jilapi, kabab, date, puffed rice and others," said Abdul Aziz, a businessman from Chawkbazar in the city.

Some buyers alleged price hike and adulterations in food items.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon accompanied with two Executive Magistrates Mamun Sardar and Ilias Hossain visited Chawkbazar Iftar Market.

The mayor and the magistrates examined the Ifter items if there was harmful colour and adulterated foods. The mayor warned the traders not to sell adulterated food items.

He said, the drives by mobile court will continue through the whole of Ramazan.

Besides, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) also conducted a drive against harmful chemicals in fruits at Badamtali ghat in the city yesterday.

Executive Magistrate Md. Anisur Rahman led the drive. RAB-10 Commander Additional DIG Zahangir Hossain Matubbar, who took part of the drive, told the journalists that such drive will continue to check food defilement.

On the other hand, Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute conducted a drive with the cooperation of Dhaka Metropolitan Police the same day. Mashiur Rahman, Executive Magistrate of Dhaka district led the drive. The BSTI drive fined Original Bombay Sweets Tk three lakh and Alauddin Sweetmeat Tk two lakh for mixing harmful chemicals in food items.

In addition, Executive Magistrate Tanjila Kabir led a mobile court in Gulshan-2 area and fined Lavendar Super Store Tk one lakh.


Blogger Rajib murder Full verdict released

Court Correspondent :

The 163-page full verdict in the case filed for killing blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2015 was published on the Supreme Court website on Sunday.

Before it on April 2, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court pronounced the judgment sentencing two accused to death, another to life term and six others to different terms of imprisonment. The High Court upheld the subordinate court verdict in the case.

After signed by two Judges, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain, the verdict was published on Sunday morning.

The convicts are Faisal Din Nayeem alias Dwip and Redwanul Azad Rana, while Maksudul Hasan Anik was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment.

On January 9, the High Court kept the verdict pending after hearings for 22 days on the death reference and appeal petition of the accused.

The hearing on the appeal petitions and the death reference of the accused began on November 7 last year.

On 15 February, 2013, Ahmed Rajib Haider, an activist of Ganajagaran Mancha, was hacked to death near his house at Mirpur's Palash Nagar in the capital. Later, a Dhaka court on December 31, 2015, sentenced two persons to death, one to life term imprisonment and six others to different jail terms for committing the murder.




Hamilton County EMS celebrated National EMS Week at its annual cookout at the Vulcan Recreation picnic area.

Here are the results:



2016 MEDICAL CALL OF THE YEAR

Sharon Smith, AEMT

David Sinclair, Paramedic

Lt.



2016 TRAUMA CALL OF THE YEAR

(Woodmore Bus Crash)

Mike Jones, Paramedic

Maggie Novak, AEMT

Robert Burnham, Paramedic

Linda Kilgore, Paramedic

Bob Bennett, Paramedic

Chris Harper, Paramedic

Derrick Truitt, Paramedic

Sam Conmuill, Paramedic

Alberto Gutierrez, Paramedic

Doug Evans, Paramedic

Trevor Wheeler, Paramedic

Chris Vanalstyne, Paramedic

Thomas Mundy, Paramedic

Stacie Liles, Paramedic

Terrance Turner, AEMT

Marc Puglise, Paramedic

Steve Scott, AEMT

Ken Fryar, Paramedic

Paul Bobenhausen, AEMT

Kevin Gebicke, Paramedic

Ivan Miller, AEMT

Tim Hixson, AEMT

Bob Williams. AEMT

Lt. Tony Sylvester

Lt. Billy Blea

Lt. Greg Allen

Lt. David Burdett

Lt. Brandy Rogers

Captain Wade Batson

Captain Eric Ethridge

Deputy Chief John Combes

Director Ken Wilkerson



2016 PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR

Michael Chaigne, Paramedic



2106 RUNNER UP

PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR

Charles "Scobey" Newman



2016 AEMT OF THE YEAR

Natasha Whitmire, AEMT
Petition dismissed Barapukuria graft case against Khaleda to continue

Court Correspondent :

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday dismissed a leave to appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia challenging a High Court order that cleared the way to continue the trial proceedings in the subordinate court against her in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case.

The four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed the leave to appeal petition filed by the BNP Chief.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the newsmen, there is no legal bar in the subordinate court to run the trial proceedings of the case following the Appellate Division order.

The High Court on September 17 last year, rejected the petition filed by Khaleda Zia challenging the legality of the trial proceedings in the case against her. Later, Khaleda Zia filed the leave to appeal petition with the Appellate Division challenging the High Court order. After hearing on the leave to appeal petition on May 18, the apex court fixed Sunday to pass its order.

ACC filed the case, accusing Khaleda and 15 others of causing a loss of Tk 159 crore to the national exchequer by awarding a contract for the operation of Barapukuria coalmine to a Chinese company abusing power.




8 killed, suspect incustody

Timesofindia.Com :

Eight people, including a deputy sheriff, were killed in a shooting in Lincoln County in the US state of Mississippi on Sunday.

Police said the suspect, 35-year-old Cory Godbolt, has been arrested and charges are being filed against him.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes Saturday night in the state's rural Lincoln County.

The sheriff's deputy was responding to a distress call when he was shot and killed by the suspect, media reports said. The identities of the victims have not been released.

While authorities said it was too early to speculate about the shooter's motive, Godbolt himself revealed in a video filmed by a local newspaper that his intention was to evade arrest and commit "suicide by cop".

The suspect had reportedly been talking with his wife and members of her family about the custody of their children when somebody called authorities. The arrival of the police apparently sent Godbolt on the shooting spree, during which he also shot and killed the sheriff's deputy. Mississippi governor Phil Bryant issued a statement calling the incident a "senseless tragedy" and noted the "sacrifice" made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," Bryant wrote in a Facebook post.

He also asked people to pray for those who lost their lives in the shooting.




JU closed sine die

Protest over deaths of fellows: Students vacating halls: 42 arrested students get bail

The students of Jahangirnagar University leaving their dormitories as the authorities asked them to vacate those immediately after its closure for an indefinite period on Sunday. The students burst into protests vandalizing the Vice-Chancellor\'s residen

Staff Reporter :

Authorities on Sunday closed the Jahangirnagar University (JU) for an indefinite period and asked the students to vacate their dormitories immediately.

The university authorities took the decision at an emergency syndicate meeting on Saturday following a clash between the general students in one side and cops-Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on the other.

The general students laid a siege and vandalized the Vice-Chancellor's residence on the campus, demanding punishment for the BCL activists who earlier attacked them while they were protesting deaths of two fellows in Friday's road accident blocking the Dhaka-Aricha Highway.

Both male and female students have already left their respective dormitories. The students, especially female, faced serious difficulties as many of them failed to go to their respective village homes due to lack of transports.

Meanwhile, 42 students arrested on Friday night from their respective halls got bail after they were produced before a Dhaka court in connection with a vandalism case.

Police arrested them while vandalizing the VC's residence protesting death of their two fellow students in a road crash on Friday. They were shown arrested in a vandalism case on Sunday.

During the incident, the university authorities called in the police to bring the situation under control. Police then arrested them. They were produced before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mostafizur Rahman Sunday afternoon. The court passed the bail order after their lawyer moved separate petitions seeking bail in the case.

When contacted Mohsinul Quadir, Officer-in-Charge, Ashulia Police Station, said

JU Registrar Abu Bakkar filed the case on Sunday morning accusing 50 people.

"The JU Registrar said the students assaulted teachers, vandalized Vice Chancellor's residence and created indiscipline on the campus in the name of movement," the OC said.

"The residential students were asked to vacate the dormitories by 10:00am on Sunday," said Syndicate member as well as Dean of Social Science Faculty M Amir Hossain.

Additional Police Super of Dhaka District Kazi Ashraful Azim said that a case was filed against some 50 unruly students for carrying out vandalism at the residence of the VC.

"Following the order of JU administration, police arrested some 42 students from the spot," he added.

On Friday Nazmul Hasan Rana, 24, a student of the Marketing Department and Mehedi Hasan Arafat, 24, a student of the Microbiology Department of JU, were killed as a bus hit a human hauler on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar.

Later, the students laid seize to the residence of VC and carried out vandalism there.

The agitated students also swooped on the teachers when they were trying to prevent them from vandalising the VC's residence, leaving at least 10 teachers injured.

On Friday the students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway protesting the killings.

On Saturday morning, students in large numbers started to gather on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at about 11.30am and staged demonstration.

Police also swooped on the students and started clubbing them. Being beaten up, the students also pelted stones targeting the law enforcers.

Police also lobbed of tear shells and fired several rounds of rubber bullets to disperse the agitating students.

At one stage, activists of the JU unit of BCL joined with the cops and launched attack on the agitating students injuring many of them.






Statue reinstalled in front of SC annex building

It's a mockery with people, says Ahmed Shafi: 4 arrestees get bail

Staff Reporter :

The statue of Lady Justice, which was removed earlier on Friday at the directives of authorities concerned, was reinstalled in front of the Supreme Court's annex building early Sunday.

Sculptor Mrinal Haque, who made the statue, supervised the reinstallation process.

Supreme Court sources said, the statue was reinstalled at the new spot so that it would not be visible directly from the nearby Eid congregation. Earlier, the court authorities re moved the statue amid massive protest from the progressive section.

In an instant reaction, Ameer of Hefajat-e Islam Shah Amhed Shafi on Sunday expressed his disappointment for reinstalling the sculpture of Lady Justice in front of the SC annex building.

"Reinstalling of the Greek statue of Lady Justice is nothing but a mockery with the people's religious sentiment," Ahmed Shafi said in a statement yesterday.

Terming the incident "very disappointing," he said, "We are stunned and speechless over the issue."

He called upon the authority concerned to remove the sculpture from the country forever.

Besides, different other Islamist organisations including Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Jomiatul Ulama, Jomiat e Olama e Islam and Islamic scholars also came down heavily for reinstalling the statue of Lady Justice.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to four people, arrested during protests against the removal of the statue of Greek goddess from the Supreme Court premises, in a case filed for obstructing the police from performing their duties.

Those who got bail are: Chhatra Union central committee general secretary Liton Nandi, its Dhaka College unit president Morshed Ali, its Lalbagh thana unit organising secretary Al Amin Hossain Joy and Udichi Shilpigosthi leader Arif Noor.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Moinuddin Siddique passed the order after the hearing of a bail petition filed by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain.

On Saturday, the four accused were sent to jail after sub-inspector of Shahbagh Police Station Mirza Badrul Hasan, also the investigation officer of the case, produced them before the court.

Zulfikul Islam, a Sub-Inspector of Shahbagh Police Station, filed the case against the four leaders and 120-140 unnamed people with the police station on Friday night.

However, various political, students' and cultural organisations were demanding reinstallation of the statue on the same spot after it was removed in the wee hours of Friday to appease a radical Islamist outfit, Hefazat-e Islami Bangladesh.

A writ was filed with the High Court, seeking removal of the statue from the Supreme Court premises on April 9, 2017. The Islamist organization Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh also demanded the removal of the statue on February 11 last.

The sculptor told the media that the reinstallation work began around 10pm on Saturday with the Supreme Court's instruction and completed around 12:45am Sunday with the help of around 30 workers.

"I do not like the new location of the statue. Thousands of people could see it from where it was originally located," he said.

Right leaning organizations say the statue at the Supreme Court, an adaptation of Greek Goddess Themis in a sari, goes against Islamic tenets.




Inu warns AL against `tie-up` with Hefazat

bdnews24.com :

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has warned the Awami League of serious consequences of any political connection with Hefazat-e Islam.

After the removal of a statue from the Supreme Court premises following the radical Islamist group's demand, Inu says "links with the organisation will be suicidal".

"Protect and preserve all the sculptures. Please foil the conspiracy hatched by the communal political groups led by Hefazati Tentul Hujur against sculptures," said Inu.

Hefazat chief Shah Ahmed Shafi is often called 'Tentul Hujur' by his critics because he once had compared women to 'Tentul' (tamarind).In a meeting with Qawmi Madrasa representatives, including Shafi, at the Ganabhaban on Apr 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised measures to be taken to remove the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court.

It was removed from the main building complex of the court and reinstalled in front of the annex building on Saturday.

JaSoD, a key ally of the Awami League, backed down from criticism of the move that has drawn howls of protests from other politicians, academicians, and secular activists.

Information Minister Inu, like Awami League leader Obaidul Quader and BNP leader Moudud Ahmed, said the government had nothing to do with the removal.

But speaking at a rally in front of the National Press Club on Sunday, the JaSoD president said that it was the government's duty to preserve all the sculptures, history, tradition, culture, arts and literature. He said, he hoped the government would perform this 'constitutional duty' to let everyone practise arts and literature without any hindrance.

He urged everyone to suppress strongly 'political plots by religious hardliners'. "Any transaction with Hifazat-e Islam, Tentul Hujur group, Razakars, and communal organisations will be suicidal for Bangladesh. It will harm the Liberation War spirit," he added.






Turmoil at Narcotics Control Deptt

Transfer of Inspectors, Intelligence officials allegedly made by underhand dealings

Sagar Biswas :

An abnormal situation has developed at the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) centring the posting and transfers of inspectors and intelligence officials, for which its Director General is widely blamed.



The turmoil has reached such an extent that the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 22 sent two letters to the DNC DG Salahuddin Mahmud asking him to explain in "what criteria" he had transferred the officials from one circle to another whereas there is no existence of "circle" in the DNC organogram.



The first letter asking for response from the officials concerned by May 25 categorically mentioned that such initiatives of the DG have "broken up normal procedure of transfer" of the organization.



In the second letter issued the same day, the Ministry wanted to know in what capacity the DG gave posting to Sub Inspector Md Sumanur Rahman as Acting Inspector at the Metro region again. Sumanur Rahman has been facing several cases for his alleged involvement in drugs trade and other crimes.



The DG, however, responded to the letter within the stipulated time. But the annoyed Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal summoned DG and Home Secretary of Security Services Division Farid Uddin Chowdhury to his Secretariat office on Monday for explanations from the two officials, sources said.



When contacted, Md. Atiqul Huq, Additional Secretary, Security Services Division (Office of Narcotics Wing) confirmed such summoning. "The Ministry has asked the DG to explain why he did not follow some 'ministerial instructions' on posting and transfer," he said.



The DNC DG, however, declined to comment despite repeated attempts by this correspondent to contact him.



The officials close to the DNC told The New Nation that the incumbent DG Salahuddin Mahmud who took over the charge on March 27 cancelled the transfer order issued by his predecessor Khandakar Rakibur Rahman on February 8.



President of the Executive Officers' Association of DNC Azizul Islam said: "The transfer order was issued by the incumbent DG in a hurry. So far we know the officials concerned did not follow any rules and regulations in issuing the order of transfer. It's the main reason behind the present turmoil at the DNC."



Several officials have allegedly been given lucrative postings, known as "prize postings", in the capital in exchange for money. As an example, Inspector Masudur Rahman was posted at Uttara circle on February 27. But the order was cancelled on May 2, just to be reposted at Uttara on May 16.



According to the office order, Md Ahsanur Rahman had been working as Deputy Director (Administration) at the head office for the last eight years. In the new transfer order, he again got posting as Deputy Director at Divisional Intelligence Office in Dhaka.



Another example can be cited here, Inspector AKM Quamrul Islam has been transferred to Ramna circle who was earlier in the Gulshan circle. Earlier, he was PS to the DG.



There are widespread allegations that when the government has announced zero tolerance policy against drugs, the DNC - lone reregulating body of intoxicating drugs and alcohol - has been playing a reverse role for the reasons best known to them.



Several officials of DNC are now directly or indirectly involved in drugs trade while several are shadow-owners of different bars. Most of the officials maintain lavish life style and their children are staying abroad for education purpose, it is also alleged.




Make sense of war on terrorism: Trust Muslims

Editorial Desk : Britains Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has said something boldly, but should lead us all to rethink about the war on terror followed and encouraged by the Western countries. The sight of the army on Britains streets after the Manchester suicide bomb attack is a clear sign that the UKs foreign policy and approach to fighting terrorism is not working, Corbyn has said.

The Labour leader said there must be more money for law enforcement, as he suggested Britains intervention in wars abroad had fuelled the risk of terrorism at home. According to him, many experts, including professionals in British intelligence and security services, have pointed to the connections between wars that British governments have supported or fought in other countries and terrorism back in the UK.

However, Corbyn pitched his intervention carefully, saying he was clear that terrorists were entirely to be blamed for their own actions but that governments must also examine the effectiveness of their policy decisions. He said that no rationale based on the actions of any government can remotely excuse, or even adequately explain, outrages like last weeks massacre, as he was speaking in Westminster.

So there is need for reasoning the methods of dealing with terrorism. One sided blame against Muslims as terrorists will not help to understand the methods of so-called Jeehadi terrorism. We said many times that condemning Muslims all over is wrong. The terrorists are growing in the Middle-Eastern countries, exploiting foreign intervention indulging in indiscriminate killings, torture and humiliation of Muslims. There is no denying that in the Middle-East the Western countries fought unnecessarily brutal wars. There was vengeance and hatred against Middle East Muslims. These facts cannot be ignored.

But that does not justify the madness of killing innocent people including children by Muslim terrorist groups. We have also been saying that terrorists are not practicing Muslims they are only using Muslim names for giving Islam a bad name. It seems absurdly simple for groups like ISIS to indoctrinate some angry and disgruntled young men into committing acts of butchering. If the West goes deep into the matter they will find most of the terrorists and mentally derailed are drug addicts.

If they want to establish Caliphate or Islamic State, how does it help killing people in the West and elsewhere? Our way of thinking is -- allow the people of Middle East to enjoy their democratic rights and do not humiliate the Muslims everywhere.

It is clear that these terrorists are anti-Muslim and they want Muslims to be driven out from Western countries. They cannot be normal Muslims. They are misguided by whom that the Western countries should find out.

ISIS is a big conspiracy against Muslims. Muslims are eager as others to see the end of madness of terrorism killing innocent men, women and children.

What we shall urge is not to use madness of terrorism to blame Muslims. Muslims are on the side of the West fighting so-called Muslim terrorism.




For those who visit Sonoma County regularly, such as for my workshops, another must see stop while in town is the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center.

Greeting card by Eric Wilder, a Kashaya Pomo Indian of Northern California. You can see more of his work at ericwildergraphics.com.

Among its many treasures, is a gallery of portraits by well known photographer of Native Americans, Edward Curtis, educational materials, many outstanding displays of Native American works, and a truly interesting museum store.

A display in the Precious Cargo exhibit, California Indian Cradle Baskets and Childbirth Traditions.

The museum staff is both knowledgable and open to spending time with visitors to answer their questions. Admission is free, but you can make a donation or purchase a keepsake in the Museum Store. It's definitely worth a visit.

The Museum Store is filled with artwork, gifts, housewares, smudge sticks, ointments, and more.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.
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
11/8/2022

After serving for five years in the U.S. Army, Oregon native Trevor Vickery traveled around the country, searching for the right school to use his GI Bill benefits. Once he discovered the extensive ... more
More and more Africans are falling in love with Chinese TV series and movies, as an increasing number of them are dubbed for broadcast into English, French, Swahili and Hausa.

Chinese TV series such as Beautiful Daughter-in-Law, The Young Doctor and The Ordinary World, along with movies such as Love is Not Blind and Miss Granny and The Left Ear, are all hits among African viewers. The most popular TV series are family dramas that reflect modern urban life in China, according to Zhang Junqi, chief executive officer of the Kenyan branch of Startimes, a digital television programming provider.

Zhang made the remarks during the 7th Africa Digital TV Development Seminar, an event organized to explore and discuss the development of Africa's digital television industry. The seminar was held in Beijing from May 22 to 23. TV and radio broadcast managers from 42 African countries and four Asian countries attended the event.

Chinese digital television enterprises have worked hard to promote the development of digital TV in Africa, providing high-quality television programs to African subscribers for low prices. Since setting up shop in Africa in 2007, Startimes has broadcast to more than 30 African countries and collected nearly 10 million subscribers, Startimes President Pang Xinxing said.

A Tanzanian villager named Mohammed Shamali confirmed that without the help of Chinese enterprises, he and his fellow villagers couldn't afford to watch all the programs they enjoy.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
CAIRO  U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth wrote another letter to Housing and Urban Development's investigatory arm, this time calling HUD's "negligent oversight" of the housing authority inexcusable and asking that their probe include an evaluation of HUDs interactions with the ACHA from 2010 to present.

In their letter to HUD Inspector General David Montoya, Durbin and Duckworth note that HUD recently conducted a financial assessment of the ACHA where it found that the local housing agency is insolvent and unable to pay its bills due to exposure from litigation claims and settlements, high utility costs, and the ACHAs governance and financial management practices.

While we believe that former ACHA officials should be held responsible for apparent abuses of power, fraud, and negligence, based on HUD's recent financial assessment it is clear that HUD shares responsibility for the gross mismanagement that created the current federal public housing crisis, they wrote in their letter dated Thursday to Montoya.

The newspaper also obtained a copy of HUDs financial assessment of the ACHA that is dated April 27. It states that the ACHA is insolvent and unable to pay its bills in the ordinary course of business and there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. (Going concern is accounting speak to describe, generally speaking, an entity assumed to be able to operate long enough to fulfill its commitments and obligations).

The report states that current projections indicate that the ACHA will likely run out of cash between April and May of this year, and lists as one of several options to be considered to explore the ACHAs options for filing for bankruptcy protection, and to develop strategies for winding down ACHAs public housing program. Those more serious options have been avoided at this point.

The 18-page report provides an analysis of many of the serious issues facing the housing authority, which HUD has served as the administrative receiver of since February 2016. Durbin and Duckworth refer to these concerns in their letter to Montoya.

The report, as well as assessments and evaluations conducted by HUD over the past six years, repeatedly highlighted concerns with the governance of the ACHA, including improper payments, conflict of interests, unauthorized use of funds, failure to comply with HUD policies and federal civil rights laws, and generous employment and benefit contracts, their letter states. According to the recent report, ACHA was designated as a troubled performer; in 2013, has failed HUD's physical assessment tool used to determine the habitability of public housing units since 2012, and has failed HUD's financial indicator every year since 2013.

Based on these findings, it is clear that HUD had knowledge of the mismanagement of the ACHA, misuse of federal funds, and the deteriorating conditions of ACHA housing. Despite HUD's claims that it repeatedly pushed local authorities to fix the well documented problems at the ACHA, it did little to intervene until it took over the ACHA in February 2016. At that time, the damage had been done and options to adequately address the situation were few.

HUD's negligent oversight of the ACHA is inexcusable and its actions warrant a comprehensive review to make certain that those responsible are held accountable and the necessary reforms are implemented to prevent this from happening at other housing authorities.

They conclude their letter by telling Montoya they await his timely response.

The sentiment expressed in the letter is Durbins strongest rebuke to date of the HUD officials who were charged with oversight of the ACHA. Just close to a year ago, former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, whom Duckworth defeated last November, wrote a similar letter to Inspector General Montoya calling for an investigation into why HUD continued to allocate millions in federal dollars to the ACHA despite documents showing HUD was aware of issues there dating back years.

Kirks office said at the time that a staff review found that HUD had allocated $20 million over a seven-year period to the ACHA, from 2008 to 2015, while correspondences between HUD  including its offices of Public and Indian Housing and Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity  and the ACHA cited serious deficiencies dating back to at least 2010.

In Cairo, many residents and city leaders have expressed as much frustration at the local ACHA managers as they have as those from HUDs Region V office in Chicago who they feel should have done more sooner to protect families and the ACHAs financial standing.

Up until the point of this letter, Durbin has been relatively complimentary of federal housing officials, applauding their February 2016 move to place the ACHA under administrative receivership, and for their contributions since that time in Cairo.

He previously said that HUD needed time to assess the situation after its takeover, and blamed President Donald Trumps call to slash federal assistance programs for the fact that the federal government was displacing families from Cairo rather providing funds to rebuild in the city. This is the first time he has offered an opinion suggesting that HUD may be as culpable for the housing crisis as the former managers of the ACHA.

Jereon Brown, HUDs deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, said on Friday that the federal agency has no comment on the letter. Im not getting into any political debate whatsoever, he said. Thats their (Durbins and Duckworths) opinion and the IG will put forth their opinion sometime in the near future. Thats between them and the IG and not HUD. The IG reports to Congress and not us.

To the broader question of why HUD did not act sooner, Brown said theres plenty of blame to go around. But HUD did act he said, noting that to the question of to what degree did HUD act, that letters were sent noting deficiencies and offering guidance, and voluntary compliance agreements entered into.

I dont know that the guidance was always followed, he said. For close to two years, the newspaper has outlined many of the ways in which the ACHA failed to follow that guidance and misspent federal funds while residents suffered in squalor.

Brown noted, as he has on several occasions, that placing a local housing under administrative receivership is a rare move, and taken as a last resort. HUD is responsible for oversight of more than 3,200 housing authorities nationwide that are generally managed under the jurisdiction of a city government. In Southern Illinois, most housing authorities operate via an independent board that is appointed by the respective chair of the county board in which it is located.

He said if the question is why HUD didnt move sooner to takeover the ACHA, the answer is that its got to be a dire situation before HUD actually puts it into receivership.

The federal government does not oversee each housing authority until we feel like the federal dollars being put into them are not being spent to really help the residents in the way that they should, Brown said, in a separate April interview with the newspaper. On Friday, Brown said that HUDs review of local housing authorities includes regular inspections and reports, and problem areas typically result in guidance and return visits to ensure the problem has been fixed.

Looking at the vast problems associated with the ACHAs Elmwood and McBride complexes, as well as others, its difficult to comprehend how they would have fallen into such disrepair only recently. Issues date back years and years, and calls for improvements have gone unanswered, many residents say. The financial issues also seem to stem back years, though grown much more serious since 2012 as the former executive director, and in some cases, board members, approved excessive spending in benefits, retirement contracts and travel for himself and others.

In further detailing the many issues facing the ACHA, the HUD financial assessment states that recurring deficit spending has caused it to deplete its cash reserves. The local housing authoritys total cash and investment balance decreased 87 percent  by $831,883  over the past five years, from $955,520 in 2012 to $123,637 in 2016.

Because the ACHA cannot pay its bills in the ordinary course of business, in March of this year, HUDs administrative receiver requested an operating subsidy advance equal to one months eligibility  roughly $140,000  which was approved. But while that aided the authority temporarily in meeting its obligations, it will result in no operating subsidy being advanced in December 2017, according to the report.

In effect, ACHA is spending its December operating subsidy allocated to cover its March bills and, therefore, will not have any subsidy left to pay its December bills.

In detailing its financial concerns, the report also cites a pending federal civil lawsuit against the ACHA brought by numerous residents of Elmwood and McBride Place, a resident rent strike in which close to $218,000 has gone unpaid by residents, and high utility costs paid to Cairo Public Utilities.

The report suggests that of rent owed by residents, about 65 percent of that amount is more than 90 days past due, and is not likely to ever be collected. Furthermore, it states, delinquent rents owed by residents of McBride Place and Elmwood Place  from which HUD will begin to move residents in short order because they are a health and safety risk  could be abated at a future date by court order.

On the issue of utility costs, the report states that the ACHAs total utilities expense of $197.04 per-unit month for 2015 was more than double the $86.78 per-unit month of its Public Housing Authority peer group. Contributing factors, according to the report, include excessive consumption due to deferred maintenance needs, obsolesces of the units and ACHAs isolated rural location.

Further, the report states that Cairo Public Utility charged the ACHA a higher base rate for electricity than the average price in Illinois. And it notes that CPU is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation that, as a municipal utility, is not regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission, and is therefore able to pass on most, if not all, of its costs to its customer base. Sill, Brown said Friday the ACHA is in talks with Cairo Public Utility about solutions to reduce the housing authoritys utility costs and that those conversations have been productive.

In its conclusion, the report offers the following options for consideration:

 Move the tenants out of the McBride Place and Elmwood Place developments as soon as possible using tenant relocation vouchers or any other relocation mechanism available to ACHA and/or HUD.

 Move the remaining tenants out of ACHAs other properties using tenant relocation vouchers or any other relocation mechanism available to ACHA and/or HUD.

 Prioritize the payments of financial obligations based on available cash flows. First priority should address the health and safety of ACHA residents, then utility providers to assure continuation of service at the properties, followed by payroll and other operating costs.

 Negotiate a suspension or reduction of monthly payments from ACHAs utility providers until the relocation effort is complete.

 Restructure and/or reduce ACHA staffing.

 Explore ACHAs options for filing for bankruptcy protection. Develop strategies for winding down ACHAs public housing program.

Of note, the report states that the listed recommendations are only suggestions to consider. Other options and other federal, state and local resources may be available to HUD to help facilitate the desired mission based outcome of providing decent, safe, sanitary housing in good repair to ACHAs current residents, it states.

Brown indicated Friday, as he has previously, that HUDs goal remains avoiding some of the more extreme options listed in the report. He said the planned demolition of Elmwood and McBride after residents have moved out, and ongoing talks with Cairo Public Utility about ways to lower utility costs may help stabilize the ACHA so it can continue to manage its other housing authorities, including the family site in Thebes, the high-rises that house seniors and people with disabilities, and the other scattered site developments, plus any additional housing it may take on to provide for those being moved.
Pan Jianwei, the leading physicist for the invention of the world's first quantum computer which outpaces conventional computers. [File photo]

The essence of quantum mechanics can be compared to the replications of the Monkey King whose body can be multiplied after blowing one of the hairs plucked from his body, said Pan Jianwei, the leading physicist for the invention of the world's first quantum computer which outpaces conventional computers.

Pan, also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made his remarks while addressing the School of Physics of Zhejiang University at the university's 120th anniversary ceremony on May 22.

Although, to the eyes of many, the science of quantum sounds remote and obscure, Pan's analogy of the Monkey King has personified the complicated theory.

Like the Monkey King who can multiply himself simultaneously, a quantum can exit at the same time in different spaces in the quantum world.

A quantum can transmit object information through the invisible channel of the quantum to far-flung areas within a short time frame just as the Monkey King travels more than halfway around the world in one somersault.

The operation in physics is called quantum superposition and quantum entanglement, said Pan.

The quantum entanglement can be described as the "Schrodinger's cat," which stayed in a box containing a little bit of radiation from which the cat would either die or survive. It had a 50 percent possibility of each in the ensuing one hour. As long as the box is closed, people cannot know exactly whether it died or not. However, in the world of quantum, its life or death condition can be overlapped, the physicist explained.

To confirm whether the cat has lost its life, people need to open the box - the moment being called an observation or measurement, he added.

"Quantum mechanics is based on personal behaviors, values and criteria, with which they can influence the world," Pan continued.

According to the physicist, Isaac Newton's gravitational mechanics determined by the initial conditions of the particles and the system with which they are interacted, is the theory of motion that can be calculated by the equation of f=ma (force equals to the multiplication of mass and acceleration).

"It separates individual fate from the power of personal endeavor," Pan said.

To further elaborate the theory, Pan made a metaphor between quantum physics and rolling dice. If a man plays the dice in Hangzhou, his friend in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, may know the exact number by looking at the dice in his own hands.

"The entanglement resembles the interaction among people. As a man in Hangzhou feels happy or sad, his friend in Hefei will soon become sanguine or depressed," said the scientist.

The science of quantum physics has undergone a huge transformation when it is applied to semiconductors, atomic energy, nuclear magnetic resonance, laser and Global Positioning System (GPS).

The quantum information technology guaranteed by consolidating security measures and strong arithmetic capacities is already a favorite among global scientists.

China has already established a wide spectrum quantum optical fiber line to facilitate the communication between Beijing and Shanghai with the utilities both for citizens and military troops as a result of its high credibility and resilience for extension.

On August 16, 2016, China launched the first Quantum Satellite -- Mozi, experimenting on long-distance connections between the earth and space. The quantum technology is expected to improve the accuracy and precision in the application of submersible positioning, medical detection and gravitational wave tests.
COLP  Colp finally has a new village president, according to Tammy O'Daniel-Howell, who now holds the seat.

When the final votes were tallied from the April 4 election, ODaniel-Howell and Bryan Riekena each received 11 votes. That meant the race for village president would be decided April 20 by a coin flip, according to Illinois statutes.

On April 20, ODaniel-Howell, a lifelong resident of Colp and then village clerk, won the coin flip.

Everything seemed to have been decided, and ODaniel-Howell should have been sworn in at the village boards regular meeting May 2, but that did not happen. Someone voiced concerns about whether or not she was eligible to take office.

The board tabled the swearing-in of village board members and other village officers, include the village president. A special meeting was scheduled May 18 for the swearing in of village officials. Again, the mayor did not take her seat.

After a nearly hour-long executive session, the village board took no action and had no discussion on the village president and whether or not ODaniel-Howell was eligible to hold that office. ODaniel-Howell, in her old position as city clerk, swore in the only village board member elected April 4, Marcella Clark.

The next day, May 19, ODaniel-Howell called Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes to question whether or not she could take the seat as village president. Barnes gave an opinion that she saw nothing that would disqualify ODaniel-Howell, as did the circuit clerk. ODaniel-Howell also checked with an official with the State Board Elections.

After receiving approval from all three agencies, ODaniel-Howell was sworn in by a notary pubic on May 22. Her first public appearance as village president was Saturday at the Colp Veterans Plaza Phase 2 dedication.

I would like to see the front of the old school restored and a story shelter built, ODaniel Howell said.

But she wants the old school to be used for more than a storm shelter. She also wants it to become a gathering place for Colp residents, adding that the churches who run a summer food program for children could use the space. It would also house a computer center and host dances for teens.
CARTERVILLE  The three new trustees elected last month to the John A. Logan Board of trustees, Becky Borgsmiller, Mandy Little and Glenn Poshard, all have different visions for how they want to serve the college.

What they have in common is a love for the institution, and a historical relationship with JALC that gives them an understanding of its past, and in differing ways, an insight into its future.

Borgsmiller just kept coming back to John A.

Becky Borgsmiller retired in 2007 after serving in a non-teaching professional position for the college for 25 years, but her roots at the college date back to the mid-1970s, when she was a student there. Borgsmiller also served as a student trustee during that time.

After graduating, she went on to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale to pursue a degree in psychology, but found herself missing her interaction with JALC.

I loved this institution, and I loved being on the board, so while I was a junior at SIUC I ran for a regular seat on the board here at John A., and I won, she said.

Borgsmiller said she served in that position for a year and a half before taking a job at Rend Lake College, at which point she was required to resign from the JALC board. Another year and a half later, a job opened up at JALCs Center for Business and Industry, so she returned to serve the college.

I grew up in Johnston City, and my husband was from Murphysboro, so Carterville was right in the middle for us. We will celebrate our 35th anniversary in December, so have lived here for 34 years and raised our son here, Borgsmiller said.

In the early 1990s, Borgsmiller returned to SIU Carbondale to earn her master's of science in community college administration and continued working for the college until her retirement in 2007.

Since I retired at a younger age than most, I was 50, I decided to take a part-time job at a local bank rather than rely solely on my retirement. And somehow that turned into a full-time job, she said.

Borgsmiller spent 10 years working for The First Bank and Trust Company of Murphysboro, first as a compliance officer, then as COO and then as vice president.

As I said throughout the campaign I never expected to be here today," she said. "I just turned 60 and I did not intend to take on something like this, but I am concerned about what is happening at this institution.

Borgsmiller said she is a data-driven, rules and numbers kind of person. When I worked here, I worked with the reports that we file to get funding from the state, so I have good experience with the nuts and bolts of what it takes to keep this college on the level.

She also said she feels its good for the board to have some new blood and some new ideas.

What I said to people is that I am going to ask the hard questions. Thats what I want to do. I want to be informed if I am going to make a decision. We are not always going to agree, but I have a good background. I have knowledge of the institution.

Borgsmiller said she believes that state funding will never return to the funding levels the college received in its heyday.

This means we have to take a hard look at perhaps some new revenue streams, at places we might be letting money slip through the cracks, she said.

Additionally, Borgsmiller said community colleges should be able to respond quickly, not only to the needs of the students, but to the needs of the employers in the regions and the needs of the economy.

We not only serve students, but we serve the community, she said.

Little makes leap from student trustee

Mandy Little graduated from JALC in 2012 with two degrees, the second of which, she said, she got by accident.

I got an associates in general studies, but got my associates in arts because I had the credit hours, and I thought a second degree could do nothing but help me in the future.

Like Borgsmiller, Littles first experience with the board was as a student trustee, a position she was elected to and held from 2010 to 2012.

Little said she told Tim McDaniel, the current student trustee, that he is in a unique position. My experience with regard to that position is still fresh. So I am here for him and anything he needs from a student perspective.

She and her husband, Gary, are from West Frankfort, where he is a full-time firefighter and deputy director for the Emergency Management Agency. As a young mother of two, Little said that until recently she saw few women her age are involved in public service.

But you are starting to see more and more people my age involved. Women are just starting to understand that they can be involved, just not at the sacrifice to their family. And that means setting priorities, she said.

At the time she attended JALC, Little was a nontraditional student who began her degree work at the age of 23. By age 25, she had graduated from SIU Carbondale with a degree in political science and a minor in communications.

At 30, Little is the youngest non-student member of the board; she said she feels she can be an advocate for the students, especially JALCs large nontraditional student population.

I want the students to know that they have a supporter. I want to empower their leadership skills, Little said.

Little also said that she stands by her belief that JALC needs to bring back faculty as fast as possible.

I want to be respectful of the teachers that are here, and I want to make sure they understand that they have an ally on the board. Even if I am the only one, I am still here.

Additionally, my position still stands that first and foremost this college is about education, and thats the way it should be. Anything that does not directly and positively impact their education has to be considered for sidelining, she said.

Little said that the current economic climate calls for thinking outside the box, and considers it a challenge to find out how the college might generate more revenue.

She said she would like to investigate a partnership between the college and local businesses that might encourage graduating students to stay in the region to live and work.

If we would make a scholarship contingent on residency after a student gets their degree, or contingent upon a student attending SIU to complete their bachelors degree, then we might be able to turn the additional monies they are associated with in the form of food, rent, tuition or taxes, for example, back into the district, she said.

Poshard seeks to 'be of service'

Glenn Poshard is a former state senator and congressman, former president of SIU and, with his wife, Jo, is the co-founder of the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children.

Poshard stepped into his role on the John A. Logan board soon after board member Bill Allstadt died. Poshard said he ran to keep the seat in the last election out of his love for higher education.

Given my background and my experience, I thought I could be of service to Logan at this time," he said. "I knew they had been through a tough time in the last several years because of the budget situation, and I thought that my knowledge might be relevant to the situation. 

Poshards nearly 40-year relationship to the college began when he was the executive assistant to the president of the college, Ray Hancock. In 1999, after his political career, he moved over to SIU to serve as vice chancellor for education. He later served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at SIU, and then went on to become the president of the SIU System from 2006 to 2014.

First of all, as president of SIU, I took a great deal of pride in keeping our financial situation intact, Poshard said. I was president of SIU for eight and a half years and during that time we went through a lot of financial challenges as a result of the state. They began cutting back on higher education back in 2006, so Ive had a lot of experience in dealing with cutbacks in state funding.

While Poshard was president of SIU, Bain Capital, a global investment firm, did a nationwide study of universities and colleges and they ranked SIU in the top 20 percent of the best financially managed institutions in the country.

I took pride in the financial management end of things, Poshard said.

We also had excellent ratings from the higher learning commission, and we kept our bond ratings up until the state started collapsing, he said.

When the state started cutting back heavily in 2009, Poshard said he worked with SIU to implement a series of steps that cut expenses at the university, a process he said is directly applicable to the current situation at JALC.

Serving on JALCs finance committee gives me a real chance to lend my experience in that area in particular. I have a lot pf respect for Brad McCormick, the CFO, who is a really fine person and has been doing a fantastic job in a very difficult situation.

Poshard said the college has done well in setting guidelines. I think Dr. House, and McCormick, Melanie Picard, and the administrators there have been exercising a plan of cutting back in the way that we should, but there is always going to be difficulty when you have to start cutting back personnel.

He said that when 65 percent of your budget is personnel you cant avoid those kind of cutbacks.

I think going down the road, its how we manage that personnel side of the budget now. If the state continues to do what they are doing, we will have to balance the budget, but that can be done in a way that is sensitive to the personnel side of things. But we need to remember that protecting our core curriculum and our core programs for the benefit of the student is the reason any of us are here.

Poshard said that another way he intends to serve the college is by fostering a stronger relationship between the college and SIU. I think there needs to be a very close working relationship between Logan and the university and that is something that I want to spend my time on, he said.

As he has served in multiple capacities at each institution, Poshard believes he is in the perfect position to guide a closer relationships between the two bodies.

Poshard also maintains close working relationships with legislators throughout the state and in Washington, in the Department of Education at the state and federal levels, and within the political system in general.

No matter what institution of higher education you are today, you have to understand Springfield, you have to understand the federal rules and regulations on things like Title IV, student financial assistance and vocational education, he said.

Poshard acknowledges the relationships with the federal and state government are complicated, but that his service in these arena should help simplify things for the college.

I feel like that is a strength that I have so at least in times like this I can be of assistance to JALC.
"Tracy and I can't thank the people of Southern Illinois enough for their support and their prayers. Our victory tonight sends a powerful message to out-of-touch politicians everywhere that we're unified and unyielding in the fight for our conservative values. Joe Biden's going to be held accountable for destroying the economy, ignoring the border crisis, and taking us from America First to America Last in two years flat. But none of this would be possible without the trust of voters from across our vast 12th District. Serving you is truly the honor of a lifetime."
MARION  Pepsi Mid America, along with Black-Diamond Harley-Davidson, presented Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois with a large donation Friday afternoon, May 26, at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois.

The donation of $14,035 was the proceeds from a motorcycle raffle sponsored by Pepsi. Black Diamond Harley-Davidson offered Pepsi officials a HD Sportster 883 Iron motorcycle at cost. Pepsi and Black Diamond sold tickets for $25 and limited the number of tickets sold to 1,000.

While the inaugural Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois was returning to Marion, a ticket was drawn for the motorcycle. The lucky winner was Charley Rodriguez.

Doug Deaton, director of marketing at Pepsi MidAmerica, explained that Nancy Brown met with officials at Pepsi to tell them about Honor Flight. Brown is vice-president of the board of Honor Flight of Southern Illinois. She asked them to help raise awareness and asked them to do a fundraiser.

Weve been blessed to be able to work with Black Diamond Harley-Davidson, Deaton said.

Ken Furry of Pepsi MidAmerica added that they did the fundraiser from idea to giveaway in less than 90 days. He added that Pepsi has good staff and good partnership with Black Diamond.

Were going to do it again, Daniel Nalley, vice president of operations for Pepsi MidAmerica, said.

Nalley said Pepsi would announce the second fundraiser for Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois during the concert Saturday evening at HerrinFesta Italiana.

Were proud to be a part of it ourselves, and well definitely do it again, Shad Zimbro, co-owner of Black Diamond Harley-Davidson, said.

Nancy Brown said it was a great donation that Pepsi MidAmerica and Black Diamond Harley-Davidson made to Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois.

Pepsi has been the biggest supporter in the area, and I cant say enough about them, Brown said. The entire population of Southern Illinois has been so generous.

Brown added that everyone has played a crucial part in the group being able to take its first group of veterans to Washington D.C. so quickly, not only donors, but also the volunteers, guardians, veterans and others. The group is raising funds for its second trip, tentatively scheduled in October.

They also have a new way for Southern Illinoisans to honor their veterans. For a $100 sponsorship, a veterans name can be added to a wheel chair for one year to honor a loved one, living or deceased, who served in the military. The wheelchairs are used during honor flights to transport veterans who are not used to walking, tire easily or have limited mobility.

The group also is signing up veterans, guardians and volunteers for future flights. Priority is given to veterans of World War II, the Korean War or those who have a terminal illness, but the group also takes applications from Korean and Vietnam War veterans.

For more information or to donate online, visit www.veteranshonorflight.org.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
The following guest view was submitted by regular letter-writer Daryl Ice of Benton:

First of all, I would like to say that I could be one of the most naive people that you would ever meet in your life. I see racial divides in our country after witnessing as a boy, in my pre-teen years, on TV peaceful demonstrators being mowed down in the South with firehoses, threatened with attack dogs and beaten with clubs because they simply wanted to be recognized as equal citizens with the same rights as other Americans.

Through these turbulent times, a joint effort resulting in the civil rights and voting acts were enacted thanks to President Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. Since King's philosophy was based on that of Mahatma Ghandi's change through peaceful resistance, I wonder what his reaction would be to today's unrest? My guess would be that he and Johnson would say to today's youth we've evolved to the point of electing and re-electing a black president, so thank your grandparents for their unwavering stance and use what they got you and move forward  not the opposite.

Being the gullible guy that I am, I thought this was all behind us.

During this same period of time, I saw friends and family sent to Asia to fight for something that they either didn't understand or were against because it didn't make sense to them, but they went out of loyalty to their country. So, after 10 years, I was sure that we would never be pulled into another seemingly endless conflict.

But, like Pearl Harbor, when the Twin Towers in New York were brought down, we were destined to respond. But instead of crushing al-Qaida in Afghanistan and ending it, we've expanded to other countries in the Mideast with no end in sight.

Once again, I bought the Brooklyn Bridge.

Now, to prove how easy I am to manipulate, I thought that no president in his right mind would ever fire someone who was investigating them while under a cloud of suspicion like Richard Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Wrong again!

If there is a connection to President Donald Trump and Russia coordinating a joint venture to undermine the 2016 election to tilt it in Trump's favor, the Watergate scandal would be comparable to a church picnic and would be borderline treason. Why does Trump refuse to submit his taxes? It's not because he's under audit as he claims. Ironically, one of his predecessors that I've spoken of  Richard Nixon of Watergate fame  showed his while being audited.

We know that for a period of 15 years, he paid no tax because of his inept business practices  which resulted in bankruptcy, so that's not it. His personal lawyers claim he has no major holdings in Russia and his tax forms would prove this. So why does he adamantly refuse to do so? Even I'm not that much of an easy mark to believe he has nothing to hide.

I'm going to end this column on a positive note. I'm in the process of buying a used car. The seller assures me that the little knock in the engine is nothing to worry about.
 Flash

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. sent condolences to Zbigniew Brzezinski's family on Saturday over the passing of the former U.S. national security adviser.

Zbigniew Brzezinski(L), the then US national security adviser, meets with Deng Xiaoping(R), the then Chinese Vice Premier, in Beijing, May 21, 1978.[Photo: Xinhua]

Brzezinski, former national security adviser to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, died at age 89 on Friday.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy calls the late statesman "an accomplished strategist and diplomat, and a long-time friend of the Chinese people," adding that his passing is "a loss for both China and the U.S."

"He made an important contribution to the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the U.S., and to supporting and promoting China-U.S. relations throughout his career," said the statement.

In May 1978, Brzezinski paid his first visit to China to lay the groundwork for the normalization of the relationship between China and the United States.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in 2009, Brzezinski said that the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and China, of which he was a strong proponent, was "more than just normalizing relations."

"We gave it a strategic significance which I think contributed to greater international stability," he then said.

Maintaining and developing a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the interest of both the Chinese and the American people, and the international community as well, the Chinese embassy said in the statement.

"With the joint efforts of both sides, we hope to honor Dr. Brzezinski through continued cooperation between China and the United States," it added.
TDS expanding broadband for Norway

MADISON, Wis.  TDS Telecom has begun expanding broadband to more than 3,800 locations in South Carolina thanks to funding from the Federal Communications Commission.

Construction has begun in the Norway Telephone Exchange, according to TDS

The FCC allocated an average of $1.4 million a year for the next 10 years to reach residents in some of the hardest-to-serve areas in South Carolina. The funding will also be used to maintain a voice and broadband network as well as building out to these locations.

Depending on location, most TDS customers in eligible rural areas will receive guaranteed broadband speeds of 25Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3). Under the agreement with the FCC, the remaining customers will receive broadband service at lower speeds of 10/1 and 4/1Mbps.

McMaster plans roundtable meetings

COLUMBIA  Governor Henry McMaster will begin holding a series of roundtable-style meetings with local business leaders across main street South Carolina to solicit and compile examples of regulations and red tape that make it unnecessarily difficult to do business in the State.

The series of meetings builds on the governors Executive Order 2017-09, which orders a transparent review of cabinet agency regulations that may harm business growth, by including the perspective of local main street business leaders from across the state.

Future economic prosperity requires that we keep South Carolina globally competitive. Periodically, that means identifying regulations and red tape that hinder any business owners ability to invest, expand, hire and profit, McMaster said. We need our local business leaders to provide examples of how the government is getting in their way, so we can provide them to the General Assembly.

Meetings are planned for Anderson on June 5, Florence on June 7, Sumter on June 8, Rock Hill on June 15, Beaufort on June 21, Myrtle Beach on June 22 and Aiken on June 23.

S.C. changes craft beer laws

COLUMBIA -- For the fourth time in seven years, the South Carolina Legislature has passed new legislation, signed into law by the governor, that fundamentally changes the craft beer scene in South Carolina.

S .114 allows craft breweries to donate their product to charities in an effort to support the many good causes across South Carolina providing help to our state's residents. It also allows brewers to participate in nonprofit events by pouring product and providing equipment.

S .275 allows breweries to sell liquor, which is particularly helpful to the brewpubs in South Carolina planning to distribute their product, most notably Hunter Gatherer in Columbia and Edmund's Oast In Charleston.

Both bills were sponsored by South Carolina beer hero State Senator Sean Bennett, R-Dorchester, and gained bipartisan support in both chambers.

In 2013, South Carolina passed the Pint Law allowing craft brewers to sell pints on premise. In 2014, the Stone Law was passed allowing breweries to sell food on premise. These two new laws continue a trend of South Carolina's lawmakers supporting the booming craft beer industry.

According to S.C. Brewers Guild Executive Director Brook Bristow, because of these laws, the state has gone from 8 to 41 breweries. "It's exploding," he says "in large part due to bipartisan support from legislators like Sen. Sean Bennett and Rep. Leon Stavirnakis."

"We just want to thank the legislature and the governor for supporting the hard working small business owners who are helping fuel the state's tourism industry," said Chris Brown, president of the SC Craft Brewers Guild and co-owner of Holy City Brewing Company.

"We've gone from being one of the worst states for craft beer to being one of the best," said Wesley Donehue of Frothy Beard Brewing. "If this trend continues, South Carolina will be one of the best states on the East Coast for craft beer. We'll bring in more tourists and create even more jobs. Let's continue the march forward."
 Flash

China hopes to jointly voice support for an open economy, free trade and investment, global and regional peace and stability with Germany, the European Union and Belgium during Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to Europe.

Li is scheduled to visit Germany and Belgium from the coming Wednesday to Friday, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao said at a press briefing on Saturday.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations. During Li's visit to Germany, he is scheduled to meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and attend the annual meeting between Chinese premier and German chancellor.

Li and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also be present at a China-Germany innovation forum, said Wang.

According to Wang, Li will attend the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting in Belgium, together with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and the two sides will exchange in-depth views on China-EU relations as well as regional and global issues of common concern.

Li is scheduled to attend a series of activities in Brussels, including a China-EU business summit, a China-EU dialogue on innovation cooperation, and activities marking the China-EU year of tourism, among others, said Wang.

Also in Brussels, Li will meet with Belgian King Philippe and hold talks with Prime Minister Charles Michel. Li and Michel will attend a new car exhibition by Geely-Volvo and witness the signing of a series of documents on bilateral cooperation.

"The economies of China and Belgium are highly complementary," said Li Chenggang, China's assistant commerce minister. He said the two sides have great potential for cooperation in many fields, such as chemical engineering, food, finance, microelectronics, bio-pharmaceuticals, environmental protection and bio science.

China and the EU share broad common interests and a similar stand on free trade and investment and global economic governance, said Wang, adding that this visit will contribute to enhancing strategic communication and coordination, increase political mutual trust and inject new impetus into relationships.
CLEMSON  Clemson University alumnus and professor emeritus Col. (Ret) Ben Skardon, a World War II hero and survivor of the Bataan Death March, will be featured on the CBS news program 60 Minutes this Sunday.

Skardon was the commander of Company A of the 92nd Infantry Regiment PA (Philippine Army), a battalion of Filipino Army recruits on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. He led his troops through some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the war, earning two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars for valor in combat, as well as a Purple Heart during the first four months of the war  an incredible array of awards for any one soldier.

On April 9, 1942, he became a prisoner of war with tens of thousands of his brothers-in-arms when American troops in that area of operation were forced to surrender to the Japanese. Skardon and his fellow POWs were marched 80 miles north by their captors in one of the most notorious war crimes in history: The Bataan Death March.

Skardon survived the march only to suffer three years in Japanese prisoner of war camps. He survived despite becoming deathly ill with malaria, beriberi, diarrhea and other ailments. Two fellow Clemson alumni, Henry Leitner and Otis Morgan, kept him alive by spoon-feeding him and eventually by trading his gold Clemson ring  which he had managed to keep hidden  for food.

Incredibly, as the tide of the war was turning against his captors, Skardon miraculously survived the sinking of two unmarked Japanese transport ships trying to steal him and other POWs away to mainland Japan, including the infamous sinking of the Oryoku Maru.

Skardon is an alumnus of Clemson University, which he attended as a cadet from 1935 to 1938 when it was an all-male military school. He returned to Clemson after the war and became an English professor, was named an Alumni Master Teacher in 1977 and taught until his retirement in 1985.

In 2006, at the age of 88, Skardon managed to add yet another remarkable chapter to his life when he became the only survivor to walk in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. He walked six miles, and has returned and walked 8.5 miles every year since but one. This year, at the age of 99, he completed it for the 10th time.

60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, producer Draggan Mihailovich and their team of cameramen and sound engineers followed Skardon on his walk last year and interviewed him in his home and at significant places on the Clemson campus.

The story first aired last year on 60 Minutes Sports on the Showtime cable network. This is the first time Showtime has allowed CBS to replay a 60 Minutes Sports segment on the popular Sunday night show  the oldest and most-watched news program on television  in less than their normally contracted three-year waiting period.
The South Carolina State University Senior Reserve Officers Training Corps is being recognized for its commitment to sustaining excellence in military service and leadership.

Also known as the Bulldog Battalion, the organization has been a source of military education and mentorship since 1947, equipping adaptive leaders with critical thinking skills and the moral character to lead the nation's armed forces.

It is the Bulldog Battalion's unwavering faithfulness to its obligations to serve and protect the nation and its citizens that has earned its designation as the exemplification of loyalty for the month of May as part of the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative.

Lt. Col. Folden Peterson, an S.C. State military science professor who directs the organization, said he was excited about receiving the honor.

"It gives our organization another opportunity to showcase our program to a much larger audience. Since July 1, 1947, when the War Department established an ROTC program at South Carolina State College, we've produced 2,123 second lieutenants for the armed forces -- not just the Army," Peterson said.

"We are also recognized as one of the largest producers of minority officers for the United States Army. The Bulldog Battalion currently sustains an enrollment average of 135 cadets per year," he said.

Peterson said it is the strength of a cross-enrollment agreement between S.C. State and other local institutions, including Claflin University, Voorhees College and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, that has contributed to the organization's overall success.

Under the agreement, students from other local institutions without an ROTC program are permitted to receive training at S.C. State and remain at the institution of their choice.

"The success is through the combined efforts of our partner schools. Our institutions have been interlaced through a cross-enrollment agreement since 1967. To date, our military alumni have served in every branch, or job specialty, and every component, including active duty, reserve and National Guard," Peterson said.

He added, "We've also served in every war since World War II because a few of our cadets served in the armed forces prior to coming to Bulldog Battalion."

Loyalty is perhaps best expressed in the oath of office that all members of the armed forces must uphold:

"We are bound to bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, our unit and our soldiers, which includes the cadets in our program. Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone."

Peterson said, "A loyal soldier is one who supports the leadership and stands up for fellow soldiers. The same applies to our cadets. This is one of several character traits embedded in our military education.

"Loyalty is not a negotiable requirement -- it's a necessity."

He said fulfilling obligations with a spirit of teamwork, respect, selfless service and moral principle are what is key to maintaining a culture of excellence within the organization.

"Because iron sharpens iron, our universities are aligned in the same manner, enabling our cadets to be some of the very best students upon departing their institutions at graduation," Peterson said.

He said the Orangeburg County Community of Character honor is a platform from which the organization can continue to cultivate its mission. He praised the OCCOC for its efforts to spread good character.

Peterson added, "We are honored to have received this recognition. We endeavor to develop more partnerships with our community and state. Through this venue and others, we are looking to expand the numbers enrolled in our program."

For more information on the S.C. State ROTC program, visit http://www.scsu.edu/armyrotc/newsletter.aspx and http://www.scsumilitaryalumni.com/.
Charles H. Johnson's widow says he would consider the dedication of a monument honoring all veterans who attended or worked at Claflin University a milestone accomplishment -- but not for himself.

Rather, she said her late husband would most certainly consider it an accomplishment for all the men and women he loved and respected so much at the institution where he was dean of student affairs for nearly 20 years.

Johnson launched the Claflin University Veterans Memorial project, and the school has since fulfilled his dream of a veterans memorial.

The Memorial Day dedication ceremony for the Claflin University Veterans Monument will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 29, at the James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel.

The monument is a tribute to all veterans of the nation's armed services who attended or worked at Claflin University. It lists the names of those veterans and provides a historical narrative of the university's ROTC program.

Admission to the ceremony is free and open to the public.

Dr. Vermelle Johnson said her late husband would be proud of the monument dedication.

"He was very intent on recognizing students. ... When he continued to see these young men and women go out and get such fantastic jobs in all the branches of the military, he just felt we needed to do something tangible to say, 'Thank you for the work that you do representing the institution and helping to make the nation safer and the world a better place,'" Mrs. Johnson said.

Claflin President Dr. Henry N. Tisdale said the monument is a "lasting tribute to and recognition of the brave men and women who are affiliated with the universitys ROTC program and have made enormous contributions to sustain the viability of our nation.

It is also a symbol of Claflins commitment to produce students who are actively engaged in matters impacting humanity throughout our nation and abroad, the president said.

Dr. Willie Frazier, a retired colonel who spent 30 years in the U.S. Army and is a 1975 Claflin graduate, served as co-chairman of the Veterans Monument Steering Committee.

Frazier said the successful coordination of the Army ROTC Cross-Enrollment Program with South Carolina State University was one of Johnsons most notable accomplishments.

He said it is exciting to finally have the monument honoring veterans dedicated.

Its just good to see the work come to an end on a positive note in terms of what we set out to do. I think its going to be something that well all be proud of," Frazier said. "Its been challenging, but very rewarding in terms of what weve accomplished."

Tisdale added, It is pleasing to see the support that was generated when this project began. The response was overwhelming, and I am confident the Claflin family will be tremendously proud of this successful effort to honor those who serve our nation with utmost dedication and devotion.

Claflins history with the military stretches back to 1967, when an agreement was signed between then-S.C. State College Dean Dr. Algernon Belcher and then-Claflin College Dean Dr. B.L. Gore to begin a pilot cross-enrollment program.

Under the program, students from other local institutions without an ROTC program were permitted to receive training at South Carolina State University and remain at the institution of their choice. Claflin is one of four institutions that currently has a cross-enrollment agreement with S.C. State.

With the pilot programs success, a formal agreement was signed in 1972 by then-S.C. State President Dr. M. Maceo Nance Jr. and Claflin President Dr. Hubert V. Manning.

To ensure that the program would remain successful, Manning had asked Johnson to continue serving as coordinator. Johnson became an adviser to the ROTC Program, which began with 13 students in 1967. There were 107 male and female students enrolled in the program by 1977.

Frazier has said previously that numerous students have gone on to successful military careers as a result of Johnsons mentoring and dedication to the program. To date, a total of 118 cadets have been commissioned as second lieutenants through the program.

Mrs. Johnson said the monument dedication will be a happy day for her.

It marks one of the big accomplishments that my husband left for us to do. I think he had no qualms or doubt as to whether we were going to go through with it," she said. "It will the culmination of a very big goal that weve worked on for some time."
Orangeburg County lawmakers say theyre reconsidering some of the details of school district consolidation, but not the concept.

"I am still committed to consolidation moving forward this session," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg.

"Change is not easy and I recognize that folks seem to like the way things are, she said.

State lawmakers are poised to approve a bill consolidating Orangeburg Countys three school districts into one.

The Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation held a public hearing on the matter Monday. The majority of speakers opposed the plan.

Cobb-Hunter said there will be long-term benefits from consolidation since every public school student in the county will have equal educational opportunity and access.

"As the costs to provide quality educational opportunities for children increase, smaller rural districts will have difficulty in meeting those costs," Cobb-Hunter said.

"I don't think there's anything I can say which will make opponents trust that consolidation will improve things, she said. I do believe that consolidation statewide is inevitable and coming sooner rather than later and I want Orangeburg County to have already made that decision when that time comes."

Speakers at Mondays hearing voiced concerns about school closures, class sizes, academic standards and special needs students.

Cobb-Hunter said she learned from the hearing that there is a need for greater clarity in the bill.

"I think the lack of specificity has enabled opponents to use that to their advantage," Cobb-Hunter said. "I now believe after hearing valid concerns about school closings, jobs, special needs students and existing school debt that stronger language needs to be added to make the intent of the legislation more clear."

Cobb-Hunter says she will ask the General Assemblys Legislative Counsel to review the comments presented during the hearing and incorporate the concerns into an amendment.

"I'd like to include language which allows for public input during the transition period," she said.

The bill would consolidate the three school districts into one beginning July 1, 2019.

Orangeburg Countys senators proposed a school board composed of nine people elected from single-member districts. The version being considered by the House calls for seven single-member districts, following the lines of Orangeburg County Council, plus two at-large seats.

Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Barnwell, said after hearing from the public, he would be in favor of going back to Senate plan for nine single-member districts. He believes that will allow more fair representation.

"I don't have a problem with that all," he said.

Hosey says he feels compassion for those who will be affected by consolidation.

"It is going to happen and no one is going to be ready for it totally, he said.

Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, said he has not changed his mind about the consolidation bill. He introduced it with Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.

Matthews believes consolidation will move forward in some form, although it will depend on how significantly the House amends the bill.

He says the public hearing revealed that some concerns are based on misinformation.

"We are not closing schools, we are not changing bus routes and we are not reducing class sizes," he said.

Matthews said more money will be placed into classrooms, which will help improve education.

"Most questions were not related to the bill. I would suggest they read the bill. They would find out most of the conversations I was listening to are really not true. Somebody is feeding them misinformation, he said.

Matthews said consolidation will mean savings and a more efficient school system.

"I don't see any way that it can harm," he said. "It can only improve."

Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, said the hearing reinforced the initial concerns he shared with other members of the delegation.

"One thing that resonated with me is that clearly people want to feel like they are being heard," Govan said. "They want to feel like they are not on the tail end of this process. 

They don't want to feel like we are pushing this down their throats."

The House bill would create a transition team to help guide consolidation. The team will include the chairmen of the three districts or their designees; one board member from each of the districts and seven members appointed by the Orangeburg County legislative delegation, including one parent and one representative of the business community. There is also supposed to be one non-voting representative of teachers and one non-voting representative of school administrators.

The three superintendents from the present three school districts will also serve as nonvoting, ex-officio members.

Govan sees a need for more parental and teacher involvement on the team. He also thinks a consultant would help the transition team navigate the consolidation process.

"This bill is being pushed too fast," Govan said. "It is like the cart before the horse. We need to do a better job of ensuring people have a better understanding of what we are attempting to do.

I think we have good reason to pause and try to get it right."

He is for putting the bill on hold. But he believes the bill will pass before lawmakers leave Columbia for the year.

"The votes are there to pass it," he said.

Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, said he will seek to change some aspects of the bill.

Ott agrees with Govan that more parental involvement is needed on the transition board. He said there also needs to be a closer look at school board district lines.

"I would like to get the opinions and thoughts of other delegation members before we move forward with that," Ott said.

The lawmakers agreed that the House bill does address many of the concerns voiced at the hearing.

"You will not have children being bused all over the place (or) school closures," Hosey said.

Hosey says he wants those with concerns to come together and narrow their concerns -- in writing -- and then present them to the delegation.

"It has to be done in writing so we can look at it and we can get back to them," he said.

Ott said a large amount of misinformation is circulating about the bill, especially among the people at the hearing from Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4.

He blames a lot of the opposition on letters and editorials sent out about the matter.

"This has not been or will be about the closure of schools and kids being on buses longer," Ott said. "That is not what this legislation is about. It was pretty apparent that a lot of folks adamantly opposed to consolidation were talking about things that were not actually about the plan."

The House version of the bill requires three public hearings and a referendum in the affected attendance area before any school can be closed. Attendance zones would remain the same through 2021-2022, unless a change is required by a federal court order.

Govan said the jury is still out on whether consolidation will benefit the countys students.

He said there are some districts in the state where consolidation has helped and others were multi-district counties are doing well.

He says that while smaller districts may struggle with providing resources, districts 5 and 4 are adequately sized districts for the economies of scale.

"The educator in me tells me we can make it something special if we take the time and do a good job of assessing the current and the projected future needs of our students," he said. "If we don't do it right, it could be a fiasco."

Govan said he didn't hear is a strong reaction for or against from District 5 or District 3" during the hearing.

"I feel the impact of consolidation will be felt more in these two districts than the other because of the needs, particularly in Consolidated 5. They have the oldest school buildings in the county, he said.

Ott acknowledged some people are skeptical about consolidation and its benefits.

"I am not saying anyone should believe and trust it. I ask people to continue to be involved with it. Consolidation will not be a silver bullet that will fix all education issues in South Carolina, he said.

Ott noted 14 counties out of the state's 46 have yet to consolidate their school districts.

"That is not a reason to do it, but at the same time we have to look at those stats and see why," Ott said. "This is not about trying to save money. This is about equity, this is about making sure all Orangeburg County students are given the same opportunities and making things more fair and efficient."

He thinks consolidation is a piece of the puzzle for improving education, but that parental involvement will be crucial in making it a success.

"If we consolidate and leave it at that, I think it would not change anything," Ott said.

The Senate has given the consolidation bill its three required readings, while the House has given it two so far. Lawmakers say theyll take up the issue when they return to work on the budget.

After the House approves the bill, the Senate and House need to reconcile the differences between their bills.
Bamberg Police Department

A 53-year-old Norway man was arrested at about 3 a.m. on May 21 and charged with disorderly conduct. The arrest occurred after officers responded to a Sparrow Court address in reference to a man outside an apartment with a knife.

The man complied with officers commands to throw the knife on the ground and to lie down on the ground, the report states.

According to the incident report, the suspect smelled of alcohol and he admitted he had been drinking too much.

He was arrested and placed in the patrol car. After being transported to the Bamberg County Detention Center, he became irate and admitted to having used cocaine earlier, the report states.

EMS was called in and determined the suspect's heart rate was too high. He was transported to the Regional Medical Center.

When officers interviewed the 26-year-old Charleston-Augusta Road woman who had called police, she said she had been seeing the man for a couple of months, the report states. She said she had invited him over for a drink when he pulled the knife out of his pocket. According to the incident report, the woman suggested they walk outside. She then locked the man out of her residence and called police, the report states.

In other reports:

A 37-year-old Bamberg Street man was arrested on May 19 and charged with disorderly conduct and drug equipment violations.

The arrest came after officers were dispatched to a Society Street residence in reference to a man yelling, Get him out of here! Get him out of here!"

The complainant told police the suspect became unruly while hanging out in the back yard of the home.

After officers were advised the suspect had dropped two items in the yard, they found what appeared to be a small ice pick and a plastic bag containing some small, pink pills, the report states.

The suspect was walking out of the yard at that time, and officers approached him as he headed toward Pentecostal Street. A strong odor of alcohol was coming from the man, the report states. A tissue the subject dropped was found to contain pills, later identified as Xanax, which appeared similar to those dropped in the yard.

He was placed under arrest.

A 51-year-old North Street man was arrested on May 24 and charged with disorderly conduct. The arrest came after an employee at a bank on Main Highway called police. The employee told officers the suspect had been knocking on the bank doors after hours.

When the bank employee described the suspect, the description fit a man who had been reported as being intoxicated and cursing at a secretary at a law firm on Main Highway about an hour earlier, the report states.

Officers located the man riding his bike on North Street. According to the report, he was slurring his words, cursing and getting louder as officers asked him about visiting the two businesses.

He was placed under arrest.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

"Once raised flag never falls!" was the motto of glorious independence movement in Azerbaijan in the beginning of the 20th century, which proclaimed the establishment of Azerbaijani Democratic Republic.

The words written gold in the national history by Mammad Amin Rasulzade, brightest and most prominent political figure of the time, were the major slogan while declaring Azerbaijan's independence on May 28, 1918.

On this day a temporary National Council of plenipotentiary representatives of the Azerbaijani people -- the true elite of the nation, was formed in Tiflis. It was the council headed by Rasulzade.

This historic day entered the history of the Azerbaijani people as a big and significant event. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), which established the first democratic, legal and secular state in the East, including the Turkic-Islamic world and in the Caucasus as a whole declaring the nations independence, demonstrated people's aspirations for independence.

The Azerbaijani People's Republic did not lag behind the traditional democratic republics of Europe in terms of its political system, the measures taken for the democratic state structure, as well as its goals and objectives.

The establishment of the ADR played an exceptional role in the subsequent approval of the country in the international arena. The leaders of the ADR not only proclaimed the independence of their homeland, but also managed to turn it into one of the recognized figures of the political world order.

The Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, throughout its activities, including during the uninterrupted 17-month operation, with its experience in the construction of an independent state, adopted by highly qualified legislative acts and decisions, left a deep and rich trace in the history of Azerbaijani statehood and, especially in the Parliamentary culture of the people.

The role of the ADR in the history of the statehood and socio-political thought of people is invaluable. The measures undertaken by the state for a short period left a large footprint in the history of the nation.

All citizens of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliation, were granted the right to vote. Thus, women gained suffrage for the first time in the Islamic world.

Although the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic lasted only 23 months, it proved that even the most brutal colonial regimes and repressions are not able to destroy the ideals of freedom and the tradition of state independence of the Azerbaijani people.

The Parliament of Azerbaijan conducted activities in a very complicated internal and international historical situation.

To prevent the approaching danger of foreign intervention, the government and the parliament of the ADR did a great job in order to achieve international recognition of the young republic by other states, including the great world powers. In this regard, the Parliament decided to send a special delegation headed by the Chairman of the Parliament Topchubashev, to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

A delegation of the best representatives of intelligentsia of the time included Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Alimardan bey Topchubashev, Fatali Khan Khoyski, Samad bey Mehmandarov and others. They devoted their lives to establish and immortalize the first independent republic.

ADR leaders played very important role in the foundation of ADR and in Azerbaijans history, some of them were killed, forced to emigrate and punished in many different ways for dedicating their lives to the idea of free, secular, democratic and independent Azerbaijan.

Mammad Amin Rasulzade

Mammad Amin Rasulzade, famous Azerbaijan statesman and public figure is one of the founding political leaders of the First Azerbaijani Republic. It was Rasulzade who took an active part in the formation of Democratic Republic and was its ideologist. Exactly during the existence of Democratic Republic national Army was established in Azerbaijan. Rasulzade was also involved in the establishment of the State University in Baku in 1919.

In August 1920, Rasulzade was arrested by the Soviets. It was only due to his earlier support of Stalin that Rasulzade was released and taken from Baku. For the next two years Rasulzade worked as the press representative at the Commissioner on Nations in Moscow. He was seconded to Finland. For the rest of his life, Rasulzade lived in an exile in Poland, Romania and finally after World War II in Ankara, Turkey.

Mammad Amin lived far from his native land, but his soul was always dedicated to his Motherland. Even last word of Rasulzade was: Azerbaijan, which he repeated three times.

Fatali khan Khoysky

The first prime minister and one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Fatali khan Khoysky made an immeasurable contribution to the formation and recognition of Azerbaijani statehood.

The paramount importance for him was the issue of preserving the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. At the time the main danger came from neighboring Armenia. He was against interference of other states in the affairs of sovereign Azerbaijan.

Subsequently, while holding the posts of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or simply an MP, Fatali khan directed all his forces to repulse the Armenian aggression and eliminate its consequences.

After the fall of the ADR and the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920, Khoysky was forced to move to Tiflis, where he was killed by Armenians.

Khoysky lived a short but bright life. He was one of the creators of the state, and the existence of today's Azerbaijan Republic was made possible by the activities of this great personality.

Alimardan bey Topchubashev

Alimardan bey Topchubashev was an outstanding public and state figure. He became well-known as the editor-in-chief of Kaspi newspaper, which was of one of the largest local publications. Then he was elected to the City Duma (Municipal Parliament of Baku).

In early 1919, the official delegation from the Republic of Azerbaijan headed by Topchubashov left for Paris to participate in the Versailles Peace Conference held at the end of World War I. There he played an enormous role in the de-facto Azerbaijani Republic by the Council of Allied Powers in January 1920. However, few months later the communist army took over in Baku, and Topchubashov was never able to return to Azerbaijan. He died on November 8, 1934 in Paris.




Tamkeen, Bahrains labour fund, and Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) have inaugurated a BD20 million ($53.03 million) portfolio to support medium and large enterprises.



The scheme, under the Tamweel+ program launched by Tamkeen earlier this year, provides Sharia-compliant financing, with Tamkeen supporting 70 per cent of the annual profit rate capped at 8 per cent on reducing balance.

The financing amount ranges from BD1 million to BD2.5 million.

The program also has several advantages, such as a long-term repayment period, in addition to granting enterprises the freedom to use the financed amount for investment and development or local and international expansion, including export and diversification of products and activities related to business, a statement said.

With the signing of this agreement, the portfolio of Tamweel+ reaches BD80 million.

Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi, CEO of Tamkeen, stated: "Tamkeen works hand in hand with its partners to achieve its objectives of meeting the needs of enterprises at their various stages of growth, in order to make the private sector a primary engine of national economy. We are pleased to expand our partnerships with banks, increasing the portfolio of Tamweel+ in cooperation with the Bahrain Islamic Bank.

Hassan Jarrar, CEO of BisB, said: "Our collaboration with Tamkeen through Tamweel+ program is part of our persistent efforts to support medium and large enterprises that represent a significant proportion of the institutions operating in Bahrain, being an important driver of the national economy. We will remain committed to providing the necessary support to various programs and projects in the interest of the country and the citizen that will attain the desired benefits for all parties and in different business areas, wishing success for all.



Tamkeen offers Tamweel+ in cooperation with a group of banks, in order to support medium and large enterprises in expanding their business and overcoming challenges by facilitating access to Sharia-compliant financing with competitive profit. The program was based on a study conducted by Tamkeen regarding the needs of private sector institutions in the kingdom, which revealed a gap in financing projects that exceed BD1 million.  TradeArabia News Service
Aleris Corporation, a leader in the production of rolled aluminium for critical surface applications, said it has signed an agency agreement with UAE-based MJ Building Materials Trading DMCC.



As per the deal, the Dubai company will be the exclusive deal for Aleris 55HX, a premium aluminium for architectural applications, in the Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.



On the new tieup, Johan Petry, the VP of Aleris Industrial Products, said: "Our 55HX is already a well-known brand in the European advanced architecture market, and it will grow further in the Gulf region thanks to this partnership."



"By combining MJ Building Materials experience in the region and Aleris know-how in architectural applications, we will strengthen our position in the Middle-East," he stated.



The 55HX is a premium material that has been developed to meet the requirements of the architectural space, said the company based in Ohio, US.

It can be used for inside and outside applications, including facades, wall cladding, ceilings and roofs. One of the projects where this material was selected is the facade of the eye-catching Rezo building in Paris, thanks to the following unique properties:



Flexibility: 55HX can be creatively shaped to adapt to almost any design

High surface quality, further improved after anodization to obtain superior UV, scratch and corrosion resistance while keeping its unique metal look

Colour uniformity across various batches, which provides consistency in color and gloss.



Modar Al Mekdad, the chairman of MJ Building Materials Trading DMCC, said: "Many ambitious high-end projects are currently being developed in our region and we see a lot of potential in the use of aluminium for architectural applications."



"Therefore, it is obvious for us to collaborate with Aleris, which provides high quality material. In particular, its 55HX meets all essential criteria for construction in the GCC region," he stated.



According to him, the 55HX is currently the only plain aluminium that meets the stringent fire requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 285).



A global aluminium rolling company with 14 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe and China, Aleris has become the supplier of choice for aerospace, automotive and high-end industrial applications, he noted.



With an extensive range of innovative aluminum solutions, Aleris has been recently involved in a few major international architectural projects, such as the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, the Grand Egyptian Museum or the new Riyadh bridge (still under construction), he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Students from GEMS CBSE curriculum schools in the UAE have scored outstanding results in the 2017 Indian board exams for Grade 12, a statement said.



GEMS CBSE schools have upheld their impressive track record with an outstanding 99.9 per cent pass rate in the board exams. Of the 1,515 students who appeared for the exam, 295 scored above 90 per cent. 255 of the students scored between 85pc and 90pc and 1,455 of students got above 60 pc.



Overall the following students topped in their streams at the GEMS schools:

 Science: Akash Kunnath Mani - 98 pc (Our Own High School  Al Warqaa)

 Commerce: Smeet Prakashkumar Shah 98.2pc (Our Own English High School, Sharjah Boys)

 Humanities: Hyfa Sunil Azeez 96.6pc (Our Own English High School, Girls)



We are extremely delighted that our boys did well and congratulations to the entire community of teachers and parents who made this possible. More specifically to Smeet Shah who has been working consistently to achieve the score of 98.2 pc. The fact that 29 per cent of our students scored more than 90 per cent also is worth celebrating, said Srivalsan Murugan, principal and CEO - Our Own English High School Sharjah- Boys Branch.



Michael Guzder, vice principal - Indian School, GEMS Education and executive principal, The Millennium School, said: We congratulate all our pupils on the excellent board results. They have once again proved their merit through hard work, commitment and dedication. We also thank our teaches who have invested into each student and put in long hours of preparation along with them. - TradeArabia News Service
While six world leaders of the G7 group of rich nations reaffirmed their commitment to an accord aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions, the US has refused to recommit to the agreement, a report said.



The United States of America 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., said a communique issued by the G7 Summit, which concluded yesterday (May 27) in Taormina, Italy.



Understanding this process, the heads of State and of Government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the Presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, as previously stated at the Ise-Shima Summit, it added.



The US said it will make a decision next week.



US President Donald Trump, whos at his first G7 summit  during his first foreign trip  tweeted: "I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!", reported BBC.



Trump, who once dismissed global warming as a "hoax", has previously threatened to pull out of the accord.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the discussion on climate change had been "very unsatisfactory", adding "we have a situation of six against one".



Trump had told members of his inner circle that the US will withdraw from the Paris agreement, the report said, citing the Axios news site, which quoted three sources.
Local and expatriate women achievers from diverse fields of business and technology were honoured at the recently concluded Emirates Women Award, an event highlighting the role of women in the UAE society, held in Dubai, UAE.



Dubai Quality Group, organisers of the event, concludes the 14th cycle of the awards, which was under the patronage of HH Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group and the patron of Dubai Quality Group.



The award ceremony was graced by Fatma Buti Al Mheiri, chairman of DQG; Ahmed Al Mulla, vice chairman of DQG; government officials, dignitaries, and business women from across UAE, and local media, said a statement.



The award aims at recognising and appreciating women in the UAE (both Nationals & Expatriates) for their outstanding contribution to the country, it was also a motivator, inspire and encourage the future generation of women to achieve their true potential by empowering their status in the society.



Al Mheiri and Al Mulla honoured nine winners professional and business women from various fields of business, it said.



The ceremony was opened with the welcome speech by Al Mheiri, who pointed out that The Emirates Women Awards has been adjudged as one of the most prestigious and transparent awards in the region which has enabled us to benchmark achievements of women.



The event is held annually to appreciate and recognise the active participation of women in the UAE society, which is highly encouraged by the wise leaders of the nation, she said.



Al Mheiri added: Today the Emirati women constitute two thirds of government employees and university graduates, and one third of the cabinet. Women are fortunate to live in UAE  a nation that transforms dreams into reality  giving women the right to dream and supporting them to turn their dreams into reality.



As Emirati women, we hold a major responsibility towards our homeland and society to uphold our great heritage and history, in order to build of its bright future in the coming years, she said.



The award allows for self-assessment personally and professionally, it is a journey of self-discovery and EWA will continue to provide support and motivation to every entrepreneur and professional in the UAE, Al Mheiri stated.



Today, as we celebrate by honouring these achievers, we hope that our message is successfully passed on to the future generation of women, to encourage them to follow and fulfil their dreams, goals and ambitions. I believe that we will witness more successful women in the future, venturing into new areas of business and conquering new heights, contributing their part to creating a community that aspire to be the best globally. And she thanked the jury for their efforts, fairness and transparency in selecting the best candidates, she concluded.



This years overall participation reached 110 participants which included 22 professionals and 88 businesswomen, said a statement.



The winners were selected and verified by the prestigious EWA assessment jury after conforming to all criteria and conditions of the award. The Jury Members & Assessors was headed by Dr Amna Khalifa and Dr Eisa Al Qaydi chief assessor and consultant, Emirates Women Award 2017.



The participants were judged based on their leadership skills, strategic and financial planning, career achievements, community contribution and innovation. The award was drawn into two main categories  business owners and professionals from government private sectors, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
Global technology leader Honeywell today announced that it is collaborating with Integrated Industrial Gases (IIG), Trane and Ashrae to deliver environmentally preferable refrigerant solutions to Saudi Arabia.



These organisations are experts in the refrigerants industry: IIG is the leading supplier of industrial gases and refrigerants in Saudi Arabia; Trane is one of the leading industrial air conditioner providers in the region; and Ashrae is the global society of air-conditioning and refrigeration professionals.



As summer begins, cooling technology becomes vitally important in countries like Saudi Arabia, where the average summer temperature is 45 deg C and can reach 54 deg C. This collaboration supports Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to reduce energy consumption in the kingdom and limit the environmental damage of greenhouse gases in line with global regulations.



Honeywells suite of Solstice refrigerants help users meet energy goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in applications such as air conditioning systems for vehicles, residential and commercial buildings, and refrigeration appliances.

Honeywells groundbreaking refrigerant technology is designed to help realise a more sustainable future, said Amir Naqvi, regional marketing leader, Honeywell Fluorine Products, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. As the Middle East transitions to more environmentally preferable cooling solutions, Honeywells hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) refrigerants are immediately available, near drop-in alternatives that offer superior performance and energy savings.



In order to effectively communicate the benefits of Solstice refrigerants, Honeywell has been holding customer roadshows in the region, which aim to educate new and existing users about this breakthrough, next-generation technology. Attendees can hear from experts at Honeywell, IIG, Trane and Ashrae, and participate in workshops hosted by industry experts, policymakers, contractors, consultants, original equipment manufacturers and sector stakeholders, who discuss in-market specific factors such as regulations and sustainability agendas within regional and national visions. More than one hundred people attended the most recent shows in Al Khobar and Jeddah, with the next roadshow taking place in Riyadh on September 21, 2017.



Rami Nasser, managing director at IIG, said: Were proud of our collaboration with Honeywell to bring its next-generation, lower-GWP solutions to the region to support Saudi commitment to sustainability. As we foresee a quick transition in the Kingdom towards the use of HFO refrigerants, Honeywells products will be the ideal solution for the changing regulatory environment in the region and around the world.



The refrigeration and air conditioning sectors are in the midst of a major transition towards environmentally-preferable refrigerants. Currently, the region is phasing out hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs) to limit the damage to the ozone layer caused by HCFCs. These are being replaced by hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). However, HFCs have high global warming potentials (GWPs), and have also become subject to phasedown regulations. Last year, 197 countries signed an agreement to the Montreal Protocol that established a timeline to substantially reduce the use of HFCs across the world.

To help offer customers choices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we introduced the EcoWise portfolio of products, which are designed to lower environmental impact with next-generation, low-global warming potential refrigerants and high-efficiency operations. said Johan Samuelsson, vice president and general manager for Trane MEA. We have received great feedback from our customers who are also interested in the Series E CenTraVac, the first large-capacity centrifugal chiller that uses an ultra-low global warming potential refrigerant, Honeywell Solstice.



Khalid Al Mulhim, chairman at the Saudi Chapter of Ashrae, said: Ashrae is always keen to share technical advancements in the a/c and refrigeration industry. We believe strongly in the importance of HFO refrigerant alternatives in phasing out high-GWP chemicals while providing a long-term, effective solution.



Honeywells presence in Saudi Arabia extends back to the 1970s with presence in 10 offices throughout the kingdom. Honeywell is leveraging its technological and innovative capabilities to help the advancement of renewable energy and sustainability through education, research, development, investment, commercialisation and adaptation.



Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice and Genetron brand names for a range of applications, including refrigeration, building and automobile air conditioning. Honeywell and its suppliers are completing a $900-million investment program in R&D and new capacity based on Honeywells HFO technology. TradeArabia News Service


Pure Gold Jewellers has secured the immediate release of 400 insolvent prisoners in Bahrain following the expansion of its Forgotten Society initiative to help debt-laden prisoners, the company said.

Firoz Merchant, founder and chairman of Pure Gold Jewellers, met with Shaikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Bahrains Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowment, recently to implement the programme in Bahrain.

Forgotten Society aids in the release of insolvent prisoners irrespective of their religion and nationality, and Bahrain is now the second beneficiary of the programme, after the UAE.

As the first phase of the programme, Merchant has pledged BD120, 000 ($350,000) annually to buy air tickets for indebted prisoners in Bahrain who have completed their jail terms but have no financial means to return to their countries, said the statement.

In co-ordination with the government authorities in Bahrain, he has secured the immediate release of 400 prisoners, the statement added.

Merchant said: The first batch of prisoners will be released as soon as possible, so they can reunite with their families. This will be our Ramadan gift. We also plan to extend our Forgotten Society programme to reach out to more countries. By helping insolvent prisoners, most of them victims of circumstances, we are able to give them a second chance in life.

Pure Gold Jewellers is an award winning jewellery retailer recognised for excellent customer service. It is now one of the fastest growing jewellery brands with 125 stores in the UAE, GCC, Asia and Asia Pacific. It is the only D certified World Diamond Mark authorised diamond retailer in the GCC region, the company said.  TradeArabia News Service
Euro Motors, the official importer of BMW and Jaguar Land Rover brands in Bahrain, has launched a range of exclusive promotions for Ramadan.



Customers looking to buy any BMW Modelthis Ramadan will be able to take advantage of five years service/100,000 km (whichever comes first) and five years warranty/200,000 km (whichever comes first). In addition to free registration, one year comprehensive insurance, and window tinting, the price reduction comes with zero down payment and only 1.99 per cent interest on all BMW Models this Ramadan.



Customers looking for a MINI to drive will enjoy four-years/200,000 km of free warranty (whichever comes first) when purchasing any MINI models this Ramadan. In addition to free registration, one year comprehensive insurance, and window tinting, the price reduction comes with zero down payment and only 1.99 per cent interest on all MINI Models this Ramadan.



Paul Yates, general manager of Euro Motors, said: At Euro Motors we are continually looking to add additional benefits to every purchase, giving our customers the best service and value for money. This Ramadan we have continued with our tradition of offering exceptional deals on all BMW and MINI models at our showrooms during this Holy Month.



The offer is valid throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan at Euro Motors BMW Group showroom in Sitra.



Customers who wish to own any of the available Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles will be able to do so by purchasing the incredible vehicles at zero per cent interest over five years.



Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover also offers customers a free 5-year Service Package, free 5-year warranty and 5 year road assistance, along with complimentary window tinting. Furthermore, the campaign offers exclusive discounts that present all available vehicles at amazing, affordable prices, making purchasing one of their masterpieces ever more appealing.



As Ramadan is traditionally the time of giving, we at Euro Motors are delighted to be able to share in the Ramadan spirit with our customers and reward them by offering the very best deals in the Kingdom. With an exquisite range of models to choose from and exciting value-added offers and deals on these models, Ramadan is the best time of the year to drive away in style and great value, said Yates. - TradeArabia News Service
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Many in the global workforce believe it is impossible and physically uncomfortable to live without apps, comparing them in importance to basic daily nourishment like eating, breathing and socializing, said a new study.



Work and personal apps are very integral in daily life, added the Application Intelligence Report (AIR) from A10 Networks, a secure application services company.



AIR takes a unique, easy-to-understand approach to examining the human and cultural side of technology trends  specifically, the interaction with applications and the growing security implications that result personally and for businesses and their IT organizations.



Based on research involving more than 2,000 business and IT professionals at companies from various industries around the world, AIR addresses the rise in use and significance of apps in our blended lives, in which lines blur between how the global workforce manages work and personal business through use of apps at home, in the office and anywhere in between.



Key findings of the study:



Apps -- digital oxygen sustaining daily life:



Apps as a basic human necessity: Half (50 per cent) of all global respondents consider apps to be as or almost as important as breathing, eating and drinking.



Evolution of our digital DNA: More than four out of five globally consider apps integral to their personal lives, with more than eight of 10 (86 per cent) citing either I cannot live without apps or it would be a struggle to live without them. The findings raise questions about how applications have evolved to the point where they are now part of our DNA.



Type vs. Talk: When given the choice of options over a 24-hour period, respondents would rather spend time with apps (10 per cent) than have the ability to use their voice (6 per cent).



Give me apps or give me darkness: The survey also found that access to apps on a smartphone was equally as important as the ability to have access to sunlight or outdoor exposure over a 24-hour period, when given a list of options that included time with family and friends, and access to food and water.



In an emergency: More respondents (45 per cent) would grab their smartphone on the way out of their homes  if given the choice of only taking one item  over a safe with important documents (36 per cent), their personal photo albums (12 per cent), or a desktop or laptop (7 per cent).



The weakest link  mobile phones or IoT devices? Laptops are perceived as more vulnerable than mobile phones, when compared to a list that also includes IoT devices like surveillance cameras, smart TVs and Internet-enabled cars  all of which are, to many respondents, unknowingly vulnerable as well.



The naked truth: In a stark test of whether physical or online exposure is more uncomfortable, more respondents said they would rather lose their pants in public than their mobile phone.



Leave your house or phone unlocked? More participants would rather leave their house unlocked for a whole day than leave their unlocked phone on a park bench for an hour, with 52 per cent choosing the former.



Attitudes toward app use and security:



Security a consideration  but only at first: Although over four out of five (83 per cent) either agree or strongly agree that they think about security risks when first downloading an app, after that, security becomes much less of a concern, as only one in four (24 per cent) think of security as the most important attribute, ranking behind performance (32 per cent) and ease of use (24 per cent).



App developers and security: More than two out of five (43 per cent) do not believe security is the top priority for third-party app developers. When it comes to their own company, only half (53 per cent) think their companys app developers have the skills to build safe business apps for them.



Taking risks: Even though they think app developers may not have security as their top concern  or have the proficiency to build secure apps at all  people still download apps and take their chances, as nearly half (47 per cent) still expect to be protected from cyber attacks by either their company or third-party app developers.



App apathy: The survey found a growing acceptance of the inevitability of getting hacked, as nearly one in three (29 per cent) feel cyber attacks are a fact of life, and one in five (21 per cent) just try not to think about it.



Security and work apps: Roughly one in three (32 per cent) surveyed think about security concerns when using personal apps. For business apps, security is even less of a thought, as fewer than one in five (17 per cent) surveyed cite security as a top thought when using them.



Cybersecurity behaviour and threats:



Identity theft  the new rite of passage: More than one in 10 respondents (13 per cent) say they have been a victim of identity theft. And by a wide margin, the younger the generation, the more likely the person is to be a victim of identity theft: Nearly one in five (19 per cent) in their 20s reported having their identity stolen globally, while only 2 per cent of those older than 50 cited the same. This finding raises questions about how many people do not know they have been victimized.



Getting hacked: One in five (20 per cent) respondents have had their mobile device or computer hacked. Almost one in three under 30 (31 per cent) has been hacked, although of those in their 50s, only one in 10 (11 per cent) said they are a hacking victim.



Digital theft is the new reality: Nearly three out of five (59 per cent) think having their mobile device hacked and personal information stolen is more realistic than having their car broken into or their home burglarized.



Careless digital behaviour: Younger generations are also more careless with their personal devices, as one in three (34 per cent) under 30 years old has lost their mobile device or computer, and one in four (24 per cent) has had their mobile device stolen at least once.



Passwords: One in 10 (11 per cent) said they never change their passwords for their mobile apps, while another three out of 10 (29 per cent) use the same password for the majority of their apps. Fewer than one in five (17 per cent) use a different password for every app.



Understanding the dependency on apps in our lives raises questions about the diligence we apply to protecting our personal information, said Neil Wu Becker, VP Marketing, A10 Networks.



This is important when considering use of personal and work apps with work-issued devices on corporate networks in the workplace. AIRs insight into behavioural tendencies with apps and the impact on personal and business risk is a topic that is not addressed enough. As a security vendor, we see a need to increase the volume on factoring in human behaviour with technology Investments. After all, the greatest security technology can be undermined by negligent behaviour, and we want to help our customers protect their solution investments, businesses, and employees, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced that all merchants and shopkeepers in Bahrain are required to stop their present practice of "double swiping" payment cards such as credit, debit, charge or prepaid cards, at their own point of sale (POS) and cash registers, from June 15.



Double swiping means a merchant or shopkeeper swiping a card for the second time at his or her point of sale (POS) or cash register, immediately after the card transaction is approved in response to the first insert/swipe of the card at a POS belonging to the card acquirer.



This practice of "double swiping" is widely considered as unsecure and hence, being discouraged by a number of countries, as well as card companies like VISA, during the last couple of years, said a CBB statement.



Over the years, the CBB has taken a number of measures to protect card transactions. Among these are the phasing out of the traditional magnetic stripe cards and adoption of the Europay, MasterCard and Visa International compliant chip embedded cards, as far back as 2010, since it is widely considered as the global security standard for card transactions.



Card transactions in Bahrain are now processed securely, using card information stored in chips. When a card is first inserted in to the acquirer's POS at a sales counter, the card transaction is completed after the necessary approval or denial. The customer immediately receives a transaction advice via SMS message, for both, local as well as international card transactions. Accordingly, a card transaction does not require swiping the magnetic stripe again on the shopkeeper's own POS or cash register, it said.



Merchants have been "double swiping" as a practice over the years, to collect card payment details and cardholders' personal data for internal accounting and/or marketing purposes. However, as this practice of swiping at a shopkeepers POS or cash register for the second time provides access to all payment card data, including sensitive information such as security code and personal data encoded on the magnetic stripe, it can effectively lead to card data compromise, the statement said.



Capturing or storing such sensitive card information in a shopkeepers computer system, has the potential risk of unintentionally exposing such information to malpractices and card frauds. Furthermore, it can undermine the efforts taken so far to enhance the security of card transactions by moving from magnetic stripes to chip cards. Hence, there is a serious need to stop this unsecure practice of double swiping and thereby protect cardholder data against possible theft and to ensure public confidence in card transactions, the CBB said.  TradeArabia News Service


Patchi, a leading luxury chocolatier in the UAE and the Middle East region, said it has started work on its new manufacturing unit in Dubai Industrial Park.



The 122,000-sq-ft facility will boast major production zones, stores, service areas and Patchis new hitech headquarters which will complement the companys ongoing growth and business in the region and across the world.



The ground-breaking was held in the presence of Saud Abu Al Al Shawareb, the chief operating officer of Dubai Industrial Park, Abdulla Belhoul, the chief executive of Dubai Wholesale City and Oussama Choucair, the chief executive of Patchi UAE.



Addressing the gathering, Al Shawareb said: "Patchis decision to build its new headquarters at Dubai Industrial Park is timely and will serve as its springboard for the Middle East market and beyond."



"The brands presence signals the status of Dubai Industrial Park as an ideal destination for manufacturers to establish and grow their businesses within an enabling and inspiring work environment. We are confident the new facility will allow Patchi to continue to register an exemplary growth trajectory and exceed consumer expectations," remarked Al Shawareb.



"We have a growing partner base of key players in the food sector and are committed to providing them with integrated offerings and a cost effective and efficient business ambience, while sustaining our leadership in the manufacturing industry," he added.



Choucair said Patchi was proud to have chosen Dubai and the UAE to build its largest and most innovative factory in the world.



"The new manufacturing plant will be one-of-its-kind with so many exclusive offerings aligned with the UAE Vision 2021, to be revealed at the opening that has been scheduled 18 months from now," he stated.



He also lauded Hussein Koleilat, the managing partner of Buildmark Contracting for implementing innovative design concepts to ensure the functionality of the project.



Patchi's new factory will enable the production of different varieties of chocolates to cater to a diverse market requirement.



The facility will also house 3,000 sq m of warehouse space to facilitate fast and efficient deliveries of Patchis chocolate products, said Choucair.



"We have full confidence in the UAE economy and we believe there is potential for Patchi to achieve great things here, especially with the support given by Dubai Industrial Park and the all the governmental entities that shape an ideal environment and infrastructure for investors. We are very proud to have our products made in the UAE" he added.



Integrating the highest quality of construction, sustainability and reliability standards in conformity with Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines, the facility when completed in end-2018 will include fully functional production zones, training center for chocolate professionals, service areas and management offices.



Earlier this year Patchi received a Halal certification from the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology. said the top official.



The accreditation makes the luxury chocolate brand the first chocolatier in the UAE to become halal certified, and the first halal certified manufacturer at Dubai Industrial Park, he added.



Patchi currently has more than 600 employees across 32 branches in the UAE and over 150 outlets in 23 countries around the world.-TradeArabia News Service
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Corniche has been honoured with the prestigious awards; Best Italian Restaurant for Villa Toscana, and Best Brunch for its Brunch in The Clouds, sealing its position as one of the top dining destinations of the capital.



Acknowledged as the ultimate dining laudation, the Fact Awards appreciates restaurants that are a hallmark of quality and innovation. St Regis Abu Dhabi Corniche has been recognised for housing the best dining outlets of the region, those that push the boundaries of excellence and for being a trailblazer in food trends and hospitality.



This year has proved to be very successful as a result of continuous commitment, expertise and efforts by our organisation. My team and I continue to strive to improve our services and facilities year after year as well as to deliver excellence by way of maintaining high level standards and were proud of the recognition received through these awards, said general manager, Moustafa Sakr of The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Corniche. - TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Duty Free was announced as one of the winners of the International Safety at a glittering gala held recently at Grosvenor House Hotel in London for the 60th Anniversary of the British Safety Council.



Dubai Duty Free was selected for demonstrating a strong commitment to keeping a safe workplace for its employees, customers and other stakeholders. The operation is one of the 531 organisations from Africa, Asia, India, Middle East, UK and from mainland Europe to receive this award.



Commenting on the award, Dubai Duty Free executive vice chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin said: "We are delighted to win the International Safety Award from British Safety Council. We believe that safety is everyone's responsibility and I commend our team for their involvement, cooperation and commitment in enhancing the organisation's safety culture and for making it a personal responsibility and priority at all times."



The International Safety Awards is an annual scheme designed by the British Safety Council to recognise and reward good health and safety management by organisations of all sizes and sectors around the world during the previous calendar year. These awards are non-competitive and are based on the organisation's individual occupational health and safety performance assessed against the judging criteria by independent panel of chartered health and safety processionals.



Dubai Duty Free operates an Integrated Management System in accordance with ISO 14001: 2004 and OHSAS 18001: 2007. The operation also performs regular audits on HSE Procedures and HSE Operational Procedures and conducted HSE Awareness Training for new staff during induction programmes. - TradeArabia News Service
Travellers could be the saving grace for high street, or brick and mortar retail, with the launch of a new peer-to-peer shipping platform - AirWayBill.



High street has experienced its toughest decade to date. With multiple outlets selling the same products, and the rapid growth of the online marketplace, traditional retail is facing oblivion.



AirWayBill could be the answer in supporting traditional stores, particularly those that sell hand crafted or bespoke items that are hard to obtain in residents countries or those businesses that cant afford the expense of setting up an online store.



AirWayBill allows shoppers to buy from anywhere in the world, and have it delivered to them at a fraction of the cost of a courier by making use of the unused space in travellers' suitcases.



Khaled Sehly, co-founder and managing director, at AirWayBill, said: As a regular traveller myself, Ive been asked many times to carry documents, or special items in to countries, as it was more expedient, and cost effective for me to do it, than handover the package to a courier company, he stated.



It was with this in mind, that we conceived the idea of AirWayBill; create a community of travellers and shippers, to move everything from the latest mobile phones, to health supplements, lost car keys, and even baby formula. It is a new way of getting an old job done; having travellers use their spare space to help move specialist items, while earning as they do so.



Having launched in early 2017 AirWayBill has a community of 35,000 users in its target markets; the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India and the UAE. It has its legal base of operations in Spain, due to the countrys, and wider European Union (EU) data protection laws. We wanted to make sure that our community is protected in terms of their information, our business models requires our community to place their trust in us, so we explored the legal framework to make sure we had everything covered.



When it comes to the shipment of items, and the acceptance by community members to carry either collections or shopping requests, the shipper has the right to refuse carriage if its felt that the item is unlawful.



Everyone should feel confident when using AirWayBill, confirmed Sehly. Shopping is one of civilisations earliest traditions, it supports millions of jobs around the world, both directly and through ancillary industries, so it has survived. The scope for AirWayBill is massive, in terms of geographical spread, and in terms of community building. Based on what weve seen so far, and the weird and wonderful things people are looking for, we know that we have a sound business model. - TradeArabia News Service


Four professors at the University of Wyoming expected their research on solar panels and solar car batteries to increase energy efficiency by about 4 percent. They were a little off.

Adding magnesium atoms to solar cells boosted energy conversion by an average of 300 percent, according to their research, recently published in Applied Physics Letters. At best, the magnesium addition increased efficiency by 700 percent.

While some states, like Colorado, have large solar fields supplying industry-scale electricity to homes and businesses, energy from the sun in Wyoming is largely relegated to individual homes and ranches far out on the prairie. That may change, as solar technology research moves away from institutions like UW and becomes more readily available for commercial use.

The Rock Springs Airport, long due for a makeover, received a grant from Rocky Mountain Power recently to install solar panels that could reduce the cost of electricity by between $150,000 and $200,000 in the next fifteen years.

From electric cars to off-the-grid living, increased solar efficiency could have far-reaching results, making discoveries like that of Jinke Tag, Yuri Dahnovsky, TeYu Chien and Wenyong Wang of UW a way to move the ball forward. The influx of renewables on the electricity grid is already changing the grids landscape, the way power moves and which sources win or lose in the future of electricity generation.

Their study could be revolutionary, they say, but its advantages are also mundane.

A farmer may need a water pump in a remote area to water his livestock, explained Dahnovsky, one of the studys authors and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. If theres no electricity, he may use solar cells to power the water pump.

Better solar technology has obvious ramifications in the electricity market, where building renewable generation, like wind farms, has fallen in cost. Solar is not yet a cheap resource for wide scale development, though as researchers find better ways of harnessing the suns power, its costs are also expected to drop.

Support for solar energy can be complicated in states like Wyoming, generally loyal to traditional fuel sources like coal and natural gas because the state produces large quantities of those resources and depends on their revenue. But in a bid for diversification and to take advantage of growing renewable industries, support for solar and wind power has grown in the state.

If solar development becomes cheap enough, it too may find a place on the Wyoming landscape, experts say.

For now, solar serves homes and communities in Wyomings rural areas, cut off from reliable electricity access.

The professors research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Basic Energy Sciences, via UWs EPSCoR program, which encourages nationally competitive research and diversity in STEM fields.
Former Casper Mayor Daniel Sandoval published an op-ed in the Star-Tribune last week attacking the current City Council for having a mob mentality.

Council is now as intellectually lazy as the mob, he wrote.

Sandoval covered a lot of ground, and you should really just read the whole thing. It angered a number of current Council members, though Councilwoman Amanda Huckabay seemed more amused than anything.

She unseated Sandoval in Novembers election and he called her out by name in his op-ed.

Huckabay and Councilman Chris Walsh signaled their need for attention right out of the gate, Sandoval wrote, and he blamed Huckabay for the dismissal of police chief Jim Wetzel.

You know what I have to say to that? Huckabay said before Thursdays budget session at City Hall. Cash me ousside, howbow dah?

It was a reference to 13-year-old Danielle Bregoli, who rose to internet fame after she challenged Dr. Phils television audience to a fight.

***

When will the budget session end?

Thats the question after Mayor Kenyne Humphrey extended last weeks three days of budget presentations to Tuesday  and perhaps beyond.

Several council members, like Dallas Laird and Jesse Morgan, want to see alternate spending plans presented and also want to bounce around ideas for saving money.

Though for the most part theyre technically public, Im not privy to all the internal discussions Council members have about the budget process. But from what I can tell, there may have been a communication gap between Interim City Manager Liz Bechers plan to present the budget and new Council members expectations.

Staff started working on the budget around four months ago and spent several hours this week going through the spending plans for each department.

Then Becher presented a list of items that Council might want to cut and asked members to take it home over the weekend to think about. The options presented by Becher could save over $1.2 million, including by scrapping a new fire station and outsourcing fleet maintenance.

But Morgan came to the budget sessions armed with ideas and questions  about potentially privatizing services or tweaking others to make them more efficient.

There was less room to have that discussion than he and others may have anticipated and whether that conversation begins next week could determine whether Tuesday is the last budget session or just the start of a series of talks before Council approves the budget in late June.

***

Currently, a person who drinks and drives in Casper can be charged with violating either a city ordinance or a state law.

City Council discussed Thursday decriminalizing DUIs under city ordinance as a cost-saving measure.

That still wouldnt make it legal to drive under the influence in Casper, but it could save the money spent operating the citys alcohol court.

Its still a crime under state law, said City Attorney Bill Luben.

In fact, Luben said, City Council could decriminalize the entire municipal code and push all cases to Natrona County Circuit Court  though the county might come looking for money to help pay for the additional cases.

The idea was brought up by Laird, who didnt want to decriminalize anything entirely but thought the municipal court could be scaled down.

Laird has battled with the city of how municipal court was sentencing minors charged with alcohol possession. He sued the city and the case is currently awaiting a decision from the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Luben said dissolving municipal court wouldnt necessarily save money because it generates revenue from charging fines, but he said the idea has been batted around for years.

I dont like that you said weve been discussing it for years, Laird said. Its time to do something. This court needs to be reformed.

Whether that will happen during the budget session or after remains to be seen, but its an important cause for Laird and this is not likely to be the last we hear of it.
Dallas Laird didn't know what to make of the TIF. And he didn't like it.

Could you pretend Im a sixth-grader? Laird asked Assistant Support Services Director Pete Meyers at a budget session on Thursday evening.

Meyers tried.

--Twelve-year-old, the councilman emphasized. Im a scout and Ive got to earn a merit badge by understanding what you just said.

Meyers tried again.

Tax increment financing, or a TIF, is a tool to fund urban redevelopment. A city identifies a geographic area -- in this case, the borders of Caspers Downtown Development Authority -- that becomes the TIF district. The city calculates how much sales tax revenue is being collected within that area the year the TIF is created. Then, in its simplest construction, any additional tax revenue collected in future years goes to the redevelopment agency.

For example, if the city collects $100,000 in tax revenue from sales in downtown Casper in 2017, that would become the TIF benchmark. If the city collects $110,000 in 2018, the additional $10,000 goes to the DDA. But if only $95,000 is collected, the city keeps all of the money.

The idea is to provide a low-risk way for cities to fund urban renewal and to provide an incentive for a redevelopment agency to boost economic growth -- after all, if sales dont grow, the agency wont receive any funding.

Why would we want to do that? Laird asked.

I dont know, Meyers said.

Meyers is part of the citys professional staff, meant to manage straightforward municipal operations but to seek direction from the elected Council for items like a TIF. He continued with his presentation. The DDAs request for a TIF was more complicated than the standard model and called for the city to guarantee an annual transfer to the agency.

So this is just kind of a convoluted, fancy way of shuffling money? Laird asked.

Laird has a slight build, a shock of white hair and thick stubble in the shape of a goatee. He sat at the far end of the conference table and was leaning all the way back in his chair.

Appointed by City Council on May 19 to fill the seat vacated when Todd Murphy resigned last month, Laird was brought on in part for his legal expertise.

The trial attorney has been practicing in Casper for decades. His website features a newspaper clipping: Lawyer Wins Acquittal in Murder-for-Hire Case Despite Video of Transaction.

And now he was cross-examining city staff.

Theres definitely money-shuffling that exists, and theres definitely risk for the city, Meyers replied.

Whats your recommendation?

Mayor Kenyne Humphrey jumped in: You dont have to answer that, she told Meyers.

If they cant say it to me in plain old English, then I always have my feelers blow up, Laird said.

He wasn't opposed to funding the DDA but preferred to consider individual requests on an annual basis rather than locking the city into a long-term commitment.

The TIF didn't pass.

Adjusting to Council

City Council members were eager to have a complete panel before discussing the budget this past week. But it also required a steep learning curve.

Toward the end of the meeting Laird complained about a homework assignment from Humphrey. She asked Council members to take a list of potential programs to cut and select which ones they would like to keep and which they would like to drop.

You have to spend five hours doing it, Laird said.

Welcome to Council, Humphrey responded curtly.

But despite his reluctance to go through the list of programs, Laird was eager to get his hands dirty.

For a Council novice, Laird played a major role in the budget process on Thursday, requesting that staff draft very brief summaries of drastic budget cuts to contrast with the proposed budget. Interim City Manager Liz Becher's plan features cost savings and consolidation but largely maintains staffing and service levels by spending around $5 million in reserves.

The other council members elected this year -- Amanda Huckabay, Chris Walsh and Jesse Morgan -- wanted something similar. They wanted options.

But Laird was the most forceful.

He balked at reading the proposed budget to come up with suggestions for cuts, arguing that his expertise paled in comparison to city staffs and that it would be simpler to provide him with a few sheets of paper summarizing budgets with different levels of spending.

I got three pieces of paper -- then I have to make a decision, Laird proposed. These decisions, truly, theyre not hard. Theyre easy.

Laird said he trusted city staffs judgment and wanted their recommendations on different budget options. But when Councilman Bob Hopkins noted that the proposed budget already represented staffs recommendation, Laird bristled.

"What youre saying to me is the easy way to do it, Laird said. I dont think this is easy.

Laird dominated the conversation on Thursday, employing theatrics to make a point that seemed to be this: Council shouldnt approve a budget that includes spending a large amount of the citys $20 million savings without understanding what would happen if it didnt spend those reserves.

At one point his phone rang, playing what sounded like Elvis Costellos Pump It Up.

Fire Chief Kenny King, who was sitting behind Laird, nodded his head to the music.

King became a foil.

Spending $5 million in reserves was alarming, Laird said.

When these guys hear an alarm, what do you do? he asked the chief.

Jump, King replied.

Do you guys prepare for fires?

Yes, sir.

Later Laird went back to King.

If the Rialto starts blowing -- you sit here arguing about how youre going to do it or do you have a battle plan?

Battle plan.

I dont think we have a battle plan, Laird had said earlier. I want to see a battle plan.

We have reserves, Becher said as Laird kept speaking.

At another point, Laird asked that a crystal ball be placed on the table next to the touchstones painted with Councils priorities -- public safety and sustainable funds and services -- which Becher said had guided staffs budget process.

A new guard?

Through Laird was the most vocal, a division emerged between the four newly seated Council members and those who had been through previous budget processes: Humphrey, Hopkins and Vice Mayor Ray Pacheco.

Longtime councilman Charlie Powell was absent from most of the meeting, and Shawn Johnson was not in attendance.

Staff presented a budget to me that was conservative on an already stretched thin organization, Humphrey said after the meeting. To ask them to blindly cut everywhere with such short time to even make those considerations, I dont think is a healthy way to get through the budget.

But the new council members were frustrated that the week of budget presentations didnt feature contrasting options or an opportunity for Council to ask staff to explain the pros and cons of specific cuts.

Morgan, who is known to meticulously prepare for Council meetings, had a list of questions:

Could the city save money by privatizing services like road maintenance?

Could the city reduce the $1.5 million subsidy for the Casper Recreation Center?

Could the Humane Society relieve some of the burden on Metro Animal Shelter?

Would Caspers reserves be better spent on direct efforts to stimulate economic growth?

Becher and Humphrey had told Council that after the three days of presentations concluded, Thursday evening would be the time for questions and new proposals for how to shape the budget.

But the meeting ran over its allotted time and as Humphrey tried to postpone the discussion until Tuesday, frustration bubbled over.

I think we need to call it a night because were totally not getting anywhere, Humphrey said.

This is supposed to be Thursday, Morgan replied. You made us wait for this particular day.

Laird said he needed to have the short-form summaries of budgets with massive cuts before Tuesdays meeting. He asked Meyers whether that was doable.

I think thats putting him on the spot, Hopkins objected. Im not OK doing that, Dallas.

Im here to be put on the spot, Dallas shot back.

I know you are, Hopkins said.

Ill put you on the spot, Laird said, before Humphrey intervened.

But Laird and the new Council members largely prevailed. Council will draft a budget summary showing what would happen if the city spent no reserves. Thats not quite what Laird wanted when he called for a 1929 budget -- a reference to the Great Depression -- but its close.

He was surprised they had not come to the budget session with a backup spending plan in place.

I dont think anybody said to them, Give me the bare-bones budget, Laird said on Friday.

Whether his push will actually lead Council to adopt a budget without the use of reserves -- which staff judged would require the elimination of 60 jobs or shuttering facilities -- is unclear.

Laird said there were leaky systems within city government that staff was protecting in the proposed budget for political reasons. But he didnt think staff was intentionally concealing those leaks.

In an interview, he pointed to people commenting on newspaper articles about the budget as evidence that projects like David Street Station might be superfluous. Moments later, though, he undermined their arguments.

If we did what all those people said, wed be living in caves, Laird said.

But, he said, it cant hurt to look. Thats what he joined Council to do: ask questions and make tough decisions.

For her part, Humphrey thinks that in the end, drafting new budgets will all be for naught.

Staff will come back with ways to save $5 million and I think Council will say, We dont want to do this, this and this, and we will probably be just about right back to where we were, she said.
On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Peoples Army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea. Within a week the North Korean Army was threatening to overrun the entirety of South Korea.

On June 30, 1950, the decision was made to deploy American combat soldiers from the Occupation Force of Japan to stop the North Korean onslaught. Task Force Smith, this initial American force in Korea, suffered a humiliating defeat with staggering casualties in early July 1950.

The debacle of Task Force Smith served as a harsh and cruel introduction to warfare on the Korean Peninsula. Since 1950, the ill-fated Task Force Smith has served as a poster child advocating for military readiness and preparation, even in peacetime, as our nations armed forces will at some time in the future certainly have to again be committed to conflict without notice.

With the U.S. Army woefully undermanned in the years since the end of World War II, the various state National Guards were urgently summoned into federal service. In Pennsylvania, the 28th Infantry Keystone Division was activated. Among its soldiers was 22-year old Sgt. 1st Class William Charles Cubbison, my father, a veteran of the Occupation of Japan, and an Infantry Platoon Sergeant with Company L, 112th Infantry Regiment of the Keystone Division. He was a full-time college student at Slippery Rock State Teachers College, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

After his discharge from the U.S. Army in the spring of 1948, he had joined the Pennsylvania National Guard to supplement his G.I. Bill. He was engaged to be married within a year of graduating college, when he shortly began to rue his decision. Instead of starting his senior year at college, he instead found himself on a military troop train, heading west to points unknown.

In the early morning of Sept. 11, 1950, near Coshocton, Ohio, less than 24 hours after they had left home, the Pennsylvania Railroads heralded passenger train The Spirit of Saint Louis barreled at full speed into the rear of Pennsylvania National Guard Train No. 4, transporting the 109th Field Artillery.

Thirty-three Guardsmen were killed and 278 injured, many of them new recruits, as their cars were crushed in the greatest single tragedy in the history of the 109th Field Artillery, a unit that has participated in every war the United States has fought, starting with the American Revolution.

Bill Cubbison found himself in Camp Atterbury, a former World War II encampment in the barrens of southern Indiana. The World War II barracks had been abandoned for four years and were in poor repair. Living conditions were austere, and the weather was unbelievably miserable. Years later, I was interviewing another Korean War veteran who discussed his training at Camp Atterbury. I mentioned that my father had also trained at Camp Atterbury and related to me how cold it was there.

The Korean War veteran responded, Did he use profanity?" When I replied that my father almost never swore, he emphatically replied, Then he didnt really tell you how damned cold it was.

During field maneuvers, Sgt. Cubbisons platoon impressed inspecting senior Army generals. Perhaps fortunately for the author, Sgt. Cubbison was retained at Camp Atterbury for the next two years as an infantry trainer.

Many politicians and journalists back in the United States considered the war in Korea to be a police action. To the men who fought the war in Korea, and to the men and women who cared for their wounds and injuries, combat in Korea was as intense, violent and dangerous as the Great War or World War II. Many of the combat soldiers were Army and Marine veterans of World War II, discharged in 1945 and 1946 and returned to civilian life and their families, who unexpectedly found themselves back in uniform.

When I interviewed one highly decorated World War II Marine, wounded multiple times in the Pacific, he grimly recounted that the day he was recalled for service in the Korean War was the single worst day in my entire life.

Wyoming contributions

The Veterans Administration estimates that roughly 6,900 Wyoming service members served in the Korean War. The preeminent Wyoming National Guard unit was the 300th Armored Field Artillery Battalion. The 300th Field Artillery was completing its annual summer training at Camp Carson, Colorado, when the Korean War broke out. It was soon activated for the national emergency, and completed its training at Fort Lewis, Washington. The battalion was deployed to Korea by troopship during January and February 1951.

Many servicemens experience in this war was miserable, often as a result of gross mismanagement by the U.S. Armed Forces. Robert M. Black of Worland enlisted in Battery C, 300th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, Wyoming National Guard, in 1947. The 20-year old farmer recalled that he joined the National Guard to have an extra night a week to go to town to pursue the young ladies.

Cpl. Black was called to active duty with the rest of the 300th Field Artillery and attended training at Fort Lewis in the fall of 1950. While preparing for deployment to Korea, he underwent hernia surgery. When he returned to active duty, rather than being sent back to his parent battalion, he was instead transported to Korea as an individual replacement. Once in country, he was assigned the 48th Field Artillery Battalion, a 105 mm towed division artillery battalion of the 7th Infantry Division. He actually traveled past his Wyoming friends on his way to his new unit, waving to them from his deuce-and-a-half, and never rejoined his comrades from the 300th Field Artillery.

The 300th Field Artillery served as a general support field artillery battalion, supporting various infantry and marine units, and Republic of Korea (ROK) combat organizations. During its service it was equipped with World War II-era M7 105mm self-propelled howitzers.

Between May 15 and June 8, 1951, the Cowboy Cannoneers fired an unprecedented 100,000 rounds of artillery. Most of the Wyoming guardsmen rotated home in early 1952, but the 300th Field Artillery remained in Korea through the fall of 1954, when it returned to the Wyoming National Guard. The battalion compiled an impressive record, earning two Presidential Unit Citations, one Meritorious Unit Commendation and two ROK Presidential Unit Citations.

In 805 days of combat the Cowboy Cannoneers fired 514,036 rounds of 105 mm field artillery projectiles. The battalion earned 12 Silver Stars, 38 Bronze Stars for valor and 183 Purple Hearts.

The United States would fight in Korea for three years, one month and two days  ostensibly under the guise of a United Nations (UN) mission. When the cease fire was eventually signed on July 27, 1953, between the United Nations, South Korea and North Korea, the war was locked in a stalemate, with both armies in nearly the same place that they had started in June 1950.

The war in Korea was fought by the United States with a poorly defined and confused mission, never really understood by American citizens at home or soldiers deployed overseas. The war was unpopular within the nation and was virtually ignored by politicians and voters alike. Today, historians refer to Korea as The Forgotten War.

In this neglected conflict, 36,574 American heroes sacrificed their lives, with another 103,284 wounded and 4,817 missing-in-action. Sixty Wyoming soldiers, airmen and marines made the supreme sacrifice.

On this Memorial Day, the Wyoming Veterans Museum urges you to step away from the barbecue grill and picnic basket for a moment and remember those men from the Cowboy State who fell in a war that is today all but forgotten.
RAWINS  The real product is the inmate.

Those are WY Brand Site Manager Paul Meteviers words, encapsulating in a sense the overall mission of the Wyoming State Penitentiary: a place where men and women go into as criminals and come out as neighbors.

The process by which that is accomplished might be found amid the quiet buzzing hum of sewing machines, manned by orange-clad inmates dutifully dedicated to the task of sewing, stitching and cutting cloth. They are all workers at the facilitys garment shop, one of two sizable industrial workshops that serve as the bulk of the Pens prison industries program.

Were really focusing on the soft skills, the hard skills, teaching them how to come to work, how to act in a work environment, how to act professionally with others, as well as some of the hard skills like working the equipment, the machinery, Metevier said. Give them something to go out with.

Metevier swells with pride as he talks about the Pens industries programs, manifest as a pair of print and garment workshops. He showcases two very different, but equally diligent, workplaces. The garment shop is enormous, with numerous stations and rows of tables bearing sewing machines and model clothing. Theres a decent amount of workers  inmates distinct in their orange clothes  sewing and stitching, measuring cloth and making cuts.

If not for the prison uniforms and the presence of uniformed supervisors, itd be indistinguishable from an ordinary workplace.

We run it like a business, Metevier said. Theyre not forced to be there. Were not going out and saying hey, youre coming to work in industries.

Theres an application process the prisoners must go through in order to be accepted onto the industries staff. They have to fill out a form and write a letter explaining why they want to do the work. Metevier said the Pen focuses primarily on high-risk inmates, hoping to target those most likely to repeat their crimes in the hopes of preventing them from doing so.

Were giving them real skills that they can take, and the ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism so they dont come back, he said, adding that they try to pick inmates with three to five years remaining on their sentences. That way we have some time to develop them before they hit the street.

The benefit is more than practical for the inmates; it also serves to boost their self-worth.

They take a lot of pride in what they do. In fact, sometimes I have to pull the reigns when we have tours like today, because theyll want to be involved and even sometimes sell the product that theyre making, Metevier said. We are under strict laws and regulation in how and who we deal with, because one of the things we dont do is compete with the local economy.

The economic impact of prison industries is determined by an advisory board that consists of business leaders from across the state. Carbon County Economic Development Corporation head Cindy Wallace serves on that board, and it was the leadership class that shed helped organize that was touring the facility the day Metevier spoke to the Daily Times.

Metevier showcased the various workshops, though the print shop seemed to be the real treat of the tour. Metevier told the leadership class that this was the job that inmates really vied for. The inmates worked quietly there, but they were relaxed, they moved about freely and spoke to each other and Metevier with a mutual respect.

Again, if not for the trappings of incarceration, itd be easy to think you were touring a commercial workshop. Certainly, the inmates looked rougher, more tattooed than your typical print shop workforce, but Metevier spoke to them as though they were employees. And when a member of the tour asked to see a finished product, several of those employees immediately leapt to fetch materials for Metevier to use.

You emulate what you want to receive, Metevier said. I believe that if you do that enough, they start to emulate what you want them to reflect. When you do that, most of them are very respectful, really polite. They are very proud and happy to be there.

Metevier said that he will show them positive feedback that their products receive, when he gets it. One of the shops they run is a braille shop, which would create printed materials that blind or visually disabled persons can read, and Metevier said that the workers there appreciate the impact their products have.

With the Braille shop, dealing with one of the girls who is going to the high school, her being successful is something that really motivates them, he said. They take ownership in it. Ive talked to some (of the inmates) and they feel its a way they give back to the community.

The capabilities of these shops are quite comprehensive, and the program is of benefit to the state on a financial level as well as on a correctional one.

We do jeans, release jeans, khaki pants for the officers, we do the (uniform) tops, weve reconditioned seat covers for seat vehicles to save the state some money as well, Metevier said. When you think of the inmate population, they are going to work one way or the other. So were putting them to work making something with a product. Were paying them either way and were making a product the state can use, and the state was paying that labor anyway, so were essentially getting things at cost. So (it saves) tremendous amounts of money.

Metevier has worked in corrections for some years now, working his way up as a uniformed officer, and has been doing industries work for four years, two of them at the Pen itself.

You get the largest impact to make a difference (working in industries), Metevier said. I do things outside in my private life, like search and rescue and sometimes we go feed people at the nursing homes around the holidays. This is an area in corrections where we can actually make a difference and a contribution not only to the public but to the inmates, who go out and stay out.

The Wyoming Department of Corrections reported in December that the success rate for felony probationers in 2016 was 66.8 percent, the highest since 2008, and that overall parolee success rates, defined as parolees who complete probation and do not return to the care of the DOC within three years of being released was at 71.3 percent. Misdemeanor success was 59.3 percent.
WASHINGTON  President Trump is considering overhauling his White House staff and bringing back top campaign strategists, frustrated by what he views as his teams inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Expanding teams of lawyers and experienced public relations hands are being recruited to deal with the drumbeat of new revelations about Moscows interference and possible improper dealings with the Trump campaign and associates. The disclosures dogged the president during his first trip abroad since taking office and threaten to overwhelm and stall the agenda for his young administration.

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late Saturday from his nine-day overseas journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to an unforeseen change in Trumps schedule.

After maintaining a limited social media presence throughout his trip, Trump on Sunday unleashed a furious flurry of tweets, lashing out at what he called the fake news media. He focused heavily on leaks  both those coming out of the White House and an intelligence leak blamed on Americans about this weeks deadly bombing at a concert in England.

On the bombing investigation Trump said: British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!

Trump also said that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies. He added that it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers.

Even when authorized, however, top officials in the Trump White House frequently request anonymity to brief reporters on background, meaning their names will not be disclosed.

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russias ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trumps longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates potential involvement. More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis-communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation, said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didnt completely subsume the presidents agenda.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries. The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls changes, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold.

Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

Lewandowskis return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with other staff members and Trumps adult children. Nonetheless, Lewandowski has the trust of the president  an advantage that many of Trumps other aides lack.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a home run, but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting. Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trumps first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Flynn was fired in February, with officials saying he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the U.S., White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Other major issues await Trump at home. He has signaled he will make a decision on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. And the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

On the policy front, he must defend his budget plan, and the Republican health-care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.
The Arizona Wildcats will have to play another day for a chance to get back to the Womens College World Series.

Arizona lost to Baylor 6-4 after a sixth inning that saw the Wildcats go from a 4-2 to lead to a 6-4 deficit. The Wildcats scored two runs in the sixth inning, on run-scoring hits from Mandie Perez and Mo Mercado, but couldnt hold off the Bears after that. The Super Regional rubber match will take place on Sunday at 4 p.m. The No. 2-seeded Arizona is looking to make its first WCWS since 2010.

The Wildcats went with Taylor McQuillin in the circle on Saturday night, and the sophomore lasted until the sixth inning before allowing a one-out double. After ace Danielle OToole entered, things only got worse.

After a strikeout, Jessie Scroggins hit an RBI single and then Sydney Christensen and Taylor Ellis hit back-to-back doubles, scoring three runs combined.

OToole (30-5) was credited with the loss after McQuillin lasted 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, with three strikeouts and a walk.

Baylor avoided Arizona star slugger Katiyana Mauga, walking her all four times she came to the plate.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some May 28 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.
You can live your whole life in Tucson and not realize its a foreign city.

Thats because youre not looking at it from the south.

Viewed from northwestern Mexico  Sonora and Sinaloa, mostly  Tucson serves as a sort of haven, just out of reach of the problems of home and close to the conveniences of the United States. Changes in government sometimes lead to people in politics heading north to cool their heels as new power arrangements are worked out.

Years ago, I reported on the 1999 escape of a newspaper owner in Hermosillo, who had to flee in the trunk of a car after the state police seized the paper and surrounded his house. He fled to his second home in Tucson and remained for years.

But lately, the border is not providing much protection for those who are seeking a sort of exile in the Old Pueblo or other parts of Arizona. The unfolding scandal involving corruption in the last Sonoran government led to the arrest last week in Tucson of the former second-in-command of Gov. Guillermo Padres administration, Roberto Romero Lopez.

This comes after years of investigation have uncovered what may have been laundering of millions in diverted public money here as well as the arrest of another former official hiding out in Arizona.

The Arizona-Sonora region has a lot of contact and communication, Gilberto Gutierrez, president of the PRI party in Sonora, told me by phone Friday, in Spanish. But at the same time its a region where there are two jurisdictions, two legal systems, each autonomous from the other.

These Mexican officials who have legal cases against them go to the United States, especially to Tucson or the other urban areas of Arizona, believing they wont be apprehended there.

Surprise! They have been, but not on criminal charges. Rather, U.S. immigration officials have arrested former officials in the Padres administration for living in the United States on improper visas, for overstaying, or that sort of thing. The intent is clearly to fulfill Mexicos arrest warrants, but an arrest for immigration violations can make it easier to remove them from the country without going through an extradition process.

Romero Lopez became an especially disliked figure in Sonora during the reign of Gov. Padres, a former mayor of the mining town Cananea, south of Sierra Vista. Like other members of Padres administration, notably the governor himself, Romero Lopez suddenly became conspicuously wealthy just a couple of years after assuming office.

Most important, though, was the ranch he bought near Hermosillo, where he tried to grow walnuts. Under his ownership, the bed of the Rio San Miguel was diverted away from the orchard to protect it, and that led to flooding that inundated a village downstream in June 2015.

Romero Lopez is being held at the Eloy detention center, but his wife, Monica Robles Manzanedo, who was also arrested here, is not listed among immigration detainees.

Another of the top officials in Padres government, Carlos Villalobos Organista, was arrested in the Phoenix area in April and is also being held in Eloy.

The connections to Southern Arizona and the use of this city as a haven apart go further back in this Sonoran corruption scandal. Documents obtained by the Mexico City newspaper Reforma say Tucson was one of the key cities where relatives of Padres moved money, allegedly public money that was diverted into private hands.

Citing documents obtained by Mexican federal investigators, the newspaper reported that between 2011 and 2014, Padres family members used a company called Dolphinus C.V. to move $8.9 million through Morgan Stanley accounts and a Wells Fargo private banker, Agustin Elias, working in the branch at 2195 E. River Road. Elias is not accused of any wrongdoing, and neither he nor the bank would comment.

The money moved around the world, to accounts in places like Holland and New Zealand, the documents say. It may have paid for some of the many thoroughbred horses that Padres acquired during his governorship and which he housed in newly constructed, air-conditioned stables at his newly purchased ranch.

The air-conditioned stables, when they emerged in the news, outraged many Sonorans, as did the news that Padres had built a massive dam on the property to create a reservoir for water to irrigate his walnut orchard.

Padres himself has been arrested and detained in Mexico. Before this scandal, he was a well-known and -liked figure in Sonora-Arizona relations, a bicultural figure who attended the New Mexico Military Institute and was the first member of the PAN, or the National Action Party, to win the Sonoran governors office. But the brazen corruption of his administration has tarnished his reputation and landed many members of his administration in the sights of a special anti-corruption prosecutors office.

None of this is to say that the many Sonorans who own houses up here or come to stay here are typically wanted or on the run. On the contrary, its a normal thing for people with enough money to buy a place in Tucson, as Margie Emmermann, former director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, explained to me.

It is something that is very prevalent for people in Sonora to have a home in Tucson that they use when they go shopping, she said. Arizonans have places in Rocky Point; Sonorans have places in Tucson.

But she, too, acknowledged it can be a place to lie low when there are problems back home, especially political conflicts.

Arizona and especially the Tucson area is a place people come to until things get sorted out. They either own a home, know someone who owns a home, or it is just a place that feels familiar to them, she said. When you want a safe haven, you go to some place familiar.

Thats Tucson  your hometown, a Mexican shoppers destination, as well as a haven for those who need to move some money or just lie low for a while.
Tucson police are investigating an early morning shooting on the south side of town that left one man dead and a second injured.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m., officers responded to multiple reports of a shooting in the 1100 block of East 32nd Street, near East Silverlake Road and South Park Avenue, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

Officers found a man lying in the street with gunshot wounds and a second man nearby who had also been shot, Bay said.

Paramedics were called while officers rendered first aid to the victims. The man who was found in the street was pronounced dead on the scene and second man was transported to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Bay said.

The name of the deceased man is being withheld pending next of kin notification.

Homicide detectives have learned that a large gathering took place last night on the block where the men were found, during which several people got into a fight in the street and shots were fired.

Detectives are in still interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, and the investigation is in the early stages.
The Golder Ranch and Mountain Vista fire districts northwest of Tucson are working to complete a consolidation before an August deadline, officials said.

Under the plan, the much larger Golder Ranch will absorb Mountain Vistas 19-square-mile district in northern Pima County, Marana and parts of Oro Valley, along with its employees, which means the smaller district will no longer exist.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2414 on April 10 restricting the use of a document thats necessary for fire districts to provide ambulance service. Anyone operating an ambulance is required to have a certificate of necessity, which is approved by the states Department of Health Services.

Golder Ranch has a certificate, but Mountain Vistas department has relied on private ambulance service since it was formed in 2008 after a merger of three smaller fire districts.

Under the previous law, a merger or consolidation of two districts expanded the boundaries of the certificate, but the new law no longer allows for that. In an effort to improve service to the community, Golder Ranch and Mountain Vista have fast-tracked to have the consolidation finalized before Aug. 9, which is when the new law takes effect.

Although the departments had been discussing the consolidation for about a year, the change in legislation has shortened the consolidation timeline, said Mountain Vista Fire Chief Cheryl Horvath.

Horvath and Golder Ranch Fire Chief Randy Karrer say the consolidation is the right step for the departments to take.

While American Medical Response, the ambulance service Mountain Vista uses, has provided excellent service and meets the standards set by the state, those arent necessarily the best practices to use on a local level, Horvath said.

In addition, as a private ambulance company, AMR isnt required to share its local performance results with the fire department.

While Mountain Vista is able to track ambulance response times through the 911 dispatch system, records kept by AMR are not made available to department officials.

Another factor in the consolidation is that as a large nationwide company, smaller districts likely dont mean as much to AMR as they do to local departments, Karrer said.

Its about the local communities needs, Karrer said. The consolidation will provide us with more local control. This makes sense because organizationally, we share very similar philosophies and we want to see the best service provided to our residents.

The consolidation also makes sense because the departments have worked closely for a number of years.

We currently run a couple of intergovernmental agreements with Golder Ranch, Horvath said. They take care of our IT services and our fleet, and we start off training together and we share the fire marshal services.

Because Mountain Vistas district is so spread out, it has been working with Northwest Fire District and Golder Ranch under whats called automatic aid, where the closest unit responds to the emergency regardless of district boundaries.

Were a small district, we dont have a lot of resources and were only two stations. Weve had these agreements with Golder, so it really seemed like the natural step to work toward a consolidation, Horvath said.

Mountain Vista has 54 employees to Golder Ranchs 192.

Founded in 1977, Golder Ranchs district is 222 square miles, has eight stations and serves 60,000 residences in Oro Valley, Catalina, SaddleBrooke and southern Pinal County.

Because Mountain Vistas district is 80 percent residential, with 38,000 residents, its unlikely that it will experience much commercial development in upcoming years, Horvath said.

While the department is in good shape financially for the next five to seven years, beyond that, the sustainability is in question, she said.

Its always better to make a move when youre in a good financial position, Horvath said.

No job losses are expected under the consolidation, especially since Mountain Vista runs a lean department, with only five administrative staff members who work 40 hours per week, Horvath said.

Its likely that people will move into different positions, but the consolidation is also expected to reduce the redundancy of administrative costs.

Aside from ordering more Golder Ranch uniforms and changing the name on Mountain Vistas fire stations and vehicles, there arent expected to be any significant costs associated with the consolidation.

Under the consolidation, Golder Ranch will also have more robust resources in special operations, since it will absorb Mountain Vistas hazardous materials and technical rescue employees, Karrer said.

While Mountain Vistas tax rate is $2.35 per $100 of secondary assessed property value and Golder Ranchs is $2.29, the consolidated rate will be $2.29, which means no change for current Golder Ranch residents and a slight decrease for Mountain Vista residences. For a home valued at $230,000, the consolidated fire district tax on the property would be roughly $526.70 a year.

Horvath and Karrer have been working closely with the labor unions on the consolidation process and department employees have also expressed support.

Because there are no personalities, politics or egos at play, the process has run smoothly, Karrer said.

Our (departments) cultures are very aligned, our labor groups are very aligned, said Were doing this together and everybodys very positive about it and excited, said Steve Lunde, North Tucson Firefighters Association president and captain at Golder Ranch.

Andrew Hatfield, the Mountain Vista union representative for the Northwest Firefighters Association, said his group is looking forward to the consolidation.

We fully support this and weve always been supportive of the departments working real closely together, Hatfield said. This really just solidifies the relationship that we have with our public safety partners.

Under the consolidation, Karrer will remain chief of Golder Ranch and Horvath, who has served as Mountain Vistas chief since last January, will be included in the senior level of command.

I need her leadership and her skills to make this work, because I cant do this without her, Karrer said. Shes brought a tremendous sense of not just ownership, but also leadership to Mountain Vista. She was able to really make that organization shine.

Because transparency and education are the primary focus of the process, the departments are holding public meetings in June and hearings in July. (See box for times and locations.)

Although the votes by the two districts governing boards take place July 17, and, if approved, the consolidation will be in place by the end of July, the district still has to get the state to approve the expanded certificate of necessity before the Aug. 9 deadline. However, Karrer isnt anticipating any problems.

This is no different than a boundary change under annexation, he said.

Horvath and Karrer believe the public will embrace the consolidation, saying that when first responders arrive at an emergency, people arent worried about whose logo is on the uniform.
Why I give

My father  Albert Mur, a truly good man  who is deceased, was a city kid and athlete in New York City. He used to visit a cousins farm in upstate New York in the summers. That was his summer camp. Helping with the animals on the farm and riding horses gave him the love of animals. When I moved back to town after being gone for 20 years, I decided that helping to send a kid to camp might have the profound influence that going to the farm had on my father. I know he is smiling when I make this donation.

 Randee Dickey
After nearly five decades of study and research about modern Mexican history, the publication of 28 books and countless articles, and too-many-to-count seminars and panel discussions, 75-year-old University of Arizona history professor William Beezley still has several books left in him.

But whos counting.

The Mexican government did, and in honor of Beezleys scholarly contributions to the critical study of Mexican history, it bestowed on him the highest recognition that Mexico confers to people outside its country. Wednesday night, Beezley received the Ohtli award in a ceremony at Tucsons Mexican consulate. Consul Ricardo Pineda Albarran conferred the award to Beezley, internationally known for his work focusing on the changes and challenges since the 1910 Mexican Revolution.

The government of Mexico awarded Dr. Beezley the Ohtli prize as a recognition of his countless works about the history of Mexico, its people, its culture and its traditions, which have been instrumental in bringing a better understanding between our two countries, said Pineda in a news release.

The award is a big deal. It is usually given to Mexican-Americans who have worked to forge closer ties between the two countries. The award has been previously given to Congressman Raul Grijalva, human rights activist Isabel Garcia and former Sunnyside Unified School District superintendent Raul Bejarano. Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild was a recent recipient.

Beezley, in a visit the morning of the award ceremony in his book-filled office on campus, said he was proud but modest about the award. He said the award is not just for him but also for the other outstanding scholars, on both sides of the border, who have to labored to understand Mexican history and culture. We all bring different appreciation of aspects of Mexican history and culture. Its that diversity of efforts that brings an appreciation, he said.

While Beezley and other historians have applied their magnifying glasses to the centuries of Mexican history and the far shorter history of U.S.-Mexico relations, their work, sadly, has gone unappreciated by the vast majority of Americans. Thats even so for the millions of people who live along the 2,000-mile border corridor.

In short, most Americans know little to nothing about Mexican history and now it relates to our history, and the collective ignorance is nothing to brag about.

Were becoming a Mexican-American culture, said the professor. Understanding Mexican and U.S.-Mexico histories are critical to understanding the dynamics of significant changes in our country, he added.

Whether the discussion is about immigration, trade, education, binational security, the environment or the economy, understanding those issues and how be resolve differences between the countries is highly dependent on understanding history.

Beezley, who was born in Albuquerque and grew up in Denver, came to study Mexican history while an undergrad at Chico State College in California. He went to the University of Nebraska for graduate school where he studied under Michael C. Meyer, a renowned Mexican historian who later came to the UA. Beezley eventually followed his mentor to Tucson in 1998.

In his career, Beezley has taught in Texas, North Carolina and New York, and has been a visiting professor in Mexico, Canada and Colombia. Some of his books include Judas at the Jockey Club and Other Episodes of Porfirian Mexico, Mexicans in Revolution, 1910-1946: An Introduction and The Oxford History of Mexico, which he co-edited with Meyer.

Beezley also appeared as an expert guest on more than 20 episodes of The Desert Speaks and In the Americas With David Yetman, two locally produced series for public television. Other books Beezley has in the works include an examination of Latin American culture and Mexican democracy.

Not bad for someone who had considered another field of study.

My plan was to be a botanist, Beezley said.

But the winds of Mexican history swept him away and hes never looked back.

Hes humble with the acknowledgment of his work. And being a historian, Beezley views the recognition, in a different way, like a rolling stone.

Who would have thought 50 years ago that Bob Dylan would have received a Nobel Prize and I would be honored by the Mexican government, said Beezley.
At least seven Tucson-area dogs may have been sickened by a potentially deadly bacterial infection that can spread to humans.

On Thursday, the Arizona Department of Agriculture confirmed four cases of the contagious disease leptospirosis in Pima County dogs, all from the last month. But reports from veterinarians and owners of dog-related businesses in Tucson indicate there are more cases than the official report, with seven local dogs known to be potentially affected.

No human cases have been reported here, say officials with the Pima Animal Care Center and the Pima County Health Department.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics if its caught early enough. However, in more advanced cases, dogs go into kidney or liver failure and may require other types of care, costing thousands of dollars.

The Sit! Stay! Play! dog day care in midtown chose to temporarily close last week after one of its dogs tested positive for leptospirosis and another dog began showing symptoms, owner Janet Galante said. As of Friday she suspected four dogs from her facility got sick from the disease.

The business held an impromptu vaccination clinic for clients Wednesday and some of the exposed dogs are taking prophylactic antibiotics under the supervision of their veterinarian, Galante said.

In Maricopa County, 65 dogs have been sickened with the previously rare leptospirosis since February 2016, said Craig Levy, an epizoologist with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

Because of what he terms a steady increase in the number of dogs diagnosed with leptospirosis throughout Arizona, state veterinarian Dr. Peter Mundschenk is recommending dog owners consider vaccinating their dogs.

Mundschenk also recommends that dog boarding and day care facilities consider requiring proof of a leptospirosis vaccination prior to accepting dogs.

No cases have been reported at the county-operated Pima Animal Care Center but the dogs there are being closely monitored for symptoms, said Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, director of veterinary services at the shelter. County officials say they could find no laboratory-confirmed occurrences of leptospirosis in the shelter dating back to 2000.

Wilcox is recommending all clinicians practicing in the Pima County area consider leptospirosis in their diagnoses during the evaluation of ill animals.

The incubation period of the disease can vary quite a bit  from four to 21 days.

Leptospirosis at Sit! Stay! Play! is unprecedented and an emotional issue. In the 15 years since shes opened, Galante has never before halted operations due to any illnesses in her client dogs. Sit! Stay! Play! is scheduled to reopen for vaccinated dogs on Monday.

So far, the sick dogs from Galantes day care have survived, though one nearly lost her life and was hospitalized for a week. That dog, a 5-year-old Siberian Husky named Sobaka, was scheduled to go home from a local animal hospital Friday. Still, the long-term effects from the leptospirosis remain unknown, her owner John Peterson said. He anticipated a veterinarian bill of about $5,000 or more.

Vaccine

A vaccine against leptospirosis is not included in the regular recommended core vaccines that dogs get at their annual checkups. Dog owners must specifically ask for the vaccine if they want it.

The bacteria that causes leptospirosis is spread in the urine of infected animals, including rodents, wildlife, pets and livestock. The Arizona State Veterinarians Office says signs of leptisporosis in dogs include drinking and urinating more than usual, redness in the eyes, depression, a reluctance to eat and sometimes a fever.

The Southern Arizona Veterinary Medical Association sent out a letter last week for its members to be on the lookout for leptospirosis, confirmed Dr. Kay Dennis of the Monument East Veterinary Hospital.

Since the early symptoms of leptospirosis are vague, it could be easily missed  particularly if veterinarians are not looking for it. The first dog to test positive from Sit! Stay! Play! had a delayed diagnosis of nearly a week despite visiting a veterinarian.

Its not really on our radar here, Dennis said of the disease. We have the wrong climate for it.

Sobakas diagnosis came two days after Peterson first noticed she wasnt feeling well and he took her to the vet.

Her vets were not thinking leptospirosis, Peterson said.

Peterson, an aerospace engineer, has been sharing Sobakas story on Facebook and with his work colleagues over the past week and says he knows of at least three dogs that have recently been vaccinated as a result.

Gina Ragonese panicked last weekend when her 10-year-old pug-poodle named Ella, who attends Sit! Stay! Play!, had an upset stomach. Suspecting leptospirosis, she immediately took Ella to the veterinarian, who conducted whats known as a SNAP screening test for leptospirosis and the result was negative. Ella has remained healthy and on Wednesday was vaccinated.

Dennis was one of three volunteer veterinarians who gave leptospirosis vaccines to dogs at Galantes business for five hours on Wednesday. Dog owners paid $25 per vaccine and their pets will need a booster for another $25 within the next four weeks. Prices of the vaccines vary by individual veterinary clinics and an exam is needed to make sure dogs are healthy enough to get vaccinated.

Longtime Sit! Stay! Play! client Janet Klipp had all four of her dogs vaccinated for leptospirosis, even though they dont all attend the day care. Im a better-safe-than-sorry person, she said as she held her Maltese mix Lexi for her exam with Dennis.

Klipp said she is grateful that Galante was so proactive and transparent.

Galante is now requiring a leptospirosis vaccine for all dogs that use her facility.

Rare in Arizona

Leptospirosis is historically rare in Southern Arizona because sunlight and dry weather kill the bacteria, said Dr. Polina Vishkautsan, an internal medicine specialist at the north-side Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson. Its more typically found in areas with more water and humidity, such as the U.S. South and Northeast.

In dry areas, the disease is often spread through a water source, she said, citing as an example a 2015 outbreak in dogs in Fresno, California that was traced to a dog park.

Like other local experts, Vishkautsan recommends dog owners in Pima County have individual discussions with their vet about vaccinating, particularly if their dog goes hunting, frequents communal areas, or has contact with wildlife or cattle.

An older version of the canine leptospirosis vaccine was associated with adverse allergic reactions. But the newer vaccines are considered safer for dogs, she stressed.

Now we dont see more vaccine reactions from leptospirosis than from any other vaccine, Vishkautsan said. I pretty much think that the vast majority of dogs should be considered for vaccination.

Still, the risk for disease in Tucson remains very low, she said. News of the sick dogs should be a reason for awareness, not panic, she added.

Most of the dogs do recover. If diagnosed and treated with antibiotics  and most require stabilization with IV fluids  the vast majority of them survive.

In rare cases, dogs will need dialysis, which is not available locally but is available in California. Its expensive, but the survival rate is between 80 and 90 percent, Vishkautsan said.

Human effect

In humans, leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including some which may be mistaken for other diseases, says the Centers for Disease Control. Some infected persons may have no symptoms at all.

Without treatment, leptospirosis in humans can lead to kidney damage, meningitis  inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord  liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

However, in Maricopa County, one study of 100 staff members at veterinary clinics found no humans had contracted the disease, suggesting humans are at low risk at least to the strain that was circulating there.

In the U.S., humans at highest risk for the disease include workers at farms, mines, sewers, slaughterhouses and dairies, and veterinarians. Pima County officials say they checked records back to 2000 and found no human cases here.

Its not usually people in Western countries getting it from their dog, Vishkautsan said. Because its such a serious disease in people we want to be vigilant, but we do not want to instill panic. We just want awareness. The bacteria does not stay in the environment very long.

Leptospirosis can affect a wide variety of animals, but Vishkautsan said shes not aware of the disease in other domestic pets. There is new information that cats can be carriers, but they usually do not get clinically ill, she said.

Arizona spike unexpected

Levy says the 65 dogs sickened in Maricopa County likely represent a fraction of the dogs that contracted leptospirosis. Thats because some dogs get infected but either have mild or no symptoms, yet can still be carrier shedders, shedding the bacteria in their urine.

Officials dont know exactly how the increase in Arizona occurred, but now that its here, the higher number of cases could continue.

We have travelers coming in and out of Arizona, with folks using dog day cares and boarding, Levy said. They intermingle, urinate and sniff  that is what dogs do.
Help India!

By Dr. Asma Anjum Khan for TwoCircles.net

Our mornings used to start with roosters crowing, loud gurgles of the old neighbour, and swoosh-swoosh of water flowing (If it is flowing from the taps for the few lucky Indians) or the sweet sweeps of large brooms cleaning the front-yards. Gone are those backward days. Now our Ache din start with screechy Good mornings from our phones as early in the day as is possible. Fuming at such important messages is made easy by the next missive on Vipasana from Baba Ramdev stable. Before you could even start work of the day, there are some 752 messages from the groups; you have been added to, without your consent because what is consent? In WhatsApp, Republic its an unnecessary word, a dystopian Republic where its dangerous to have questions and one where people eat drink sleep and make misery online.

Support TwoCircles



Among other virtues, WhatsApp has been known to lull your conscience to sleep, numb your senses (if you are getting hundred messages per minute during IST, that is a given.] and making any logical argument (rare yet possible in WhatsApp Republic) null and void. Despite such benefits [Add to it, its being free, we Indians love anything that comes free. We will buy a whole tree if you give us one lemon free with it] Mornings start with Good Warnings, oops, mornings and evenings end with compulsory Good night messages. In between I guess the Whatsapp Forwards Manufacture Unlimited factories work hard night long, creating some enlightened stuff for the common general innocent masses of the Republic, for the next WhatsApp Good Warning.

Now go back to your phone and check how many Whatsapp messages have been delivered to you, meanwhile?

Winner is a loser here.

WhatsApp originator Jan Koum, an immigrant, lived on a hillock where running water was a luxury. This man must have known the value and worth of hard work, and taking a cue from its founders, we see so many hard workers, day and night busy on his venture, yes, working hard, to bind India together through rumours of cow-mongering, child-lifting, loving the wrong person [Thou shall love under our supervision] and such like from Delhi to Kanyakumari. The WhatsApp factory runs like a well oiled wagon chasing a cattle transport vehicle.

We Muslims hit the target, when it comes to WhatsApp . But we are more interested in emotion-mongering. Though the old tradition of chain messages still exists( where you die, if you dont forward or your son meets with an accident) , we have moved on to videos that make us teary. In a tear hurry we forward them to all. Recently a video showing a Malaysian head of the family dying mid family-prayer went viral on Muslim Whatsapp. The sobs start after the family completes their prayer. Message says, its the height of piety. Our Muslim bros shed buckets of tears for this supposed death but have no idea what Rohingya plight is all about, whose features are not very dissimilar to the healthy Malaysians. mashaAllah!

We do share emotional pain of others. One must agree.

Recently, the Trump visit got primetime importance on Whatsapp Republic. But you see our perspectives are totally different. In one such forward, Trump is seen obliging King Salman and having water from his right hand. The Ummah was joyous! The Whatsapp Ummah was more over joyous. The tyrant US had been made to bow down to Muslims. The message said,

King Salman tells Mr. Trump to drink with the right hand and he immediately did it. But Muslims find it difficult to adopt this Sunnah. Why?

This why is mysteriously an enlightened entity here, if you get the drift of it. Its useless to ask whether any Whatsapp forward can be enlightened. There are two things to be learnt, of course from King Salman.

Dawah by practice:

Look, how King Salman is asking President Trump to be a good boy and drink in the Islamic way, from his right hand. This is called Dawah with practical demonstration.

The best dawah is through our virtuous balanced conduct, our humane ways of behavior. Imagine if our marriages were dowry free, everyone in the world, would be in awe of us saying, Muslims treat their women respectfully. Wow! But in the absence of that, distributing pamphlets and getting into long drawn out speeches, and cliched arguments, make people yawn.

Self-Preservation at any cost:

Dear ummah can try emulating the king. For this they would need to be Pragmatic, Practical and Professional, in their attitude and the way of handling the issues. Lets be like King Salman, who mends all fences, minds nothing else but shrewd business, and keeps in mind his and his peoples profit above everything else. King Salman did what was best for him and his people. This is called Self-preservation. It came expensive for him, around $110 billion arms deal. Try calculating it in Indian demonetized Rupees and chances are you will be asking for a glass of cold water.

But this Whatsapp Ummah is beyond any care, at last they had made Gold Medalist in killing Muslims take advice from the leader of the ummah . Never mind if the caretakers of the Kaaba, didnt (or couldnt) ask Trump to stop bombing countries in faith, or about Rohingyas or stopping the oppression at Gaza? Of the Palestinians, their brothers in faith and race?

Nope. They didnt. ( Or couldnt)

Lets learn from King Salman. Lets be pragmatic and think Self Preservation. If he being a billionaire, trillionaire or more can be self preserving, we should be more so. Lets come out of all our illusions. There is no global leader today worthy enough, deserving of our respect. We need to be on our toes to bring our people to prosperity of thought and living.

Also,lets understand, not every occasion is an occasion for dawah. Restraint and discretion are important civil values. Learn to hold your horses. Not every occasion is a good chance. The best dawah[call to Islam] comes through your virtuous conduct, behavior and character.

We see two kind of sharp reactions to Saudi Arabia on the social media. One is full of hatred towards its policies, second revering it as the true leader of the Muslims of the world because of their service to the two holiest places in Islam. The venom that spills over, among these faith-brothers is enough to put out your spirit for the rest of the week. Interestingly and generally most of the world takes Saudi to be a terrorist supporter but United States of America, takes it to be its buddy. Irony dies, err, closes its accounts on Facebook and Twitter, when some of us celebrate Saudi Kings as leaders of the elusive ummah while decrying US of A for its bombings and vile shenanigans in the Muslim countries.

Lets take care of our own basic issues first. Lets come out of all our illusions about anyone being our Savior or Messiah. No one, absolutely no one is coming to your aid or rescue if you find yourself in a situation. You have to help yourself. And help your fellow beings. Let Saudi do what it deems fit for its survival and good benefit, and let us stop fuming over its foreign policy nor expect it to come to our aid. Abusing or idolizing Saudi just wont do.

Also note, the House of Sauds are doing nothing for Islam and the Muslims, what they are doing is called, Self preservation.

Lets stop outraging or defending Aal e Saud and their alleged lack of brotherly feelings for the Muslims and take care of our own issues. We are the best people to do our job. Make your politics local. Be strong at the base. Think of your own profits first and say a little prayer. Lets learn to be politically savvy.

Next time your fingers crave for a WhatsApp forward, take a deep breath, go and talk to a friend in real, teach a child, help them speak a language, sketch a portrait, paint a picture or just listen to their dreamy child talk. Our future needs such basic work out for it to be bright. I have seen scholarly people discuss problems of the country sipping teas, sitting near open drainage, trash heaps and screaming horns of chaotic traffic. That indeed needs courage. We excel in our ability to, not see, the issues and problems staring in our face. Not seeing is not feeling. If we really feel our situation should change for the better in todays India, then we need to hold hands together. To become the source of strength for our youngsters can be the first step.

The author is a storyteller with a purpose. Her stories, essays and articles have been published in Indian and foreign magazines. Her day job is as a professor of English.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter

Washington: On Saturday May 27, hundreds of Kashmiri diaspora took out a protest rally in Washington and protested outside White House demanding United Nations  assured right of self-determination for the conflict-ridden region in India and Pakistan.

Support TwoCircles



Raising slogans of: Kashmiri Lives Matter Too Kashmir in Pain: India in Shame Indian Forces: Out of Kashmir Demilitarize Kashmir U.N. Implement Resolutions on Kashmir Stop Forced Disappearances and Torture in Kashmir, the marchers held candle light vigil on the sidewalks of the White House.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai who organised the march said that there is no freedom in Kashmir. Only death, destruction and oppression. He reiterated that the United States paved the way for freedom around the world. The United States can help the people of Kashmir achieve peace, freedom and self-determination.

Dr. Imtiaz Khan, President, Kashmiri American council supported dialogue process between India and Pakistan to settle the Kashmir dispute, but emphasized that the leadership of the people of Kashmir must be made integral part of the process. President Trump should listen to Mr. P. Chidambaram, former Home Minister of India who said on February 25, 2017 that India has lost Kashmir. Yashwant Sinha, former foreign minister of India said on January 27, 2017 that India has failed Kashmiris and Kashmiris claim that they have lost faith in India, said Khan.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood Choudhary, another speaker warned that the Kashmiri youth, who had laid down their arms to pursue their struggle by peaceful means, were again becoming restive and the prevailing tensions in Kashmir might explode and lead to a conflict. He urged the international community to resolve the Kashmir dispute for the sake of peace and stability in South Asia.
President Trump landed in Israel after a meeting with King Salman of Saudi Arabia. This is a first, no American president has ever visited Israel on his first overseas trip.

Donald Trump created history by flying directly from Riyadh to Jerusalem. To date, there has never been a flight from any Saudi City to Israel for the last seven decades. The Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his entire cabinet were at the airport to welcome Trump.There were a few who wanted to give the welcome a miss but the Israeli prime minister enforced their attendance.

In addition, in news is reported by CNN International it is now clear that Trump had no peace plan to discuss with the Israeli PM.

Trump in Israel

The Saudi Arabian visit was a first by itself as no American president had ever visited the Arabian nation immediately after taking office. The visit was successful from the financial angle as Donald could get a deal of 110 billion dollars immediately. This will keep the military industrial complex working and generate employment.This will go a long way to help the US economy.

In Israel Trump was accommodated at the King David luxury hotel in Jerusalem. He was given a bomb proof and gas proof room. Even with no peace plan up his sleeve,he achieved another first; no sitting US president has ever prayed at the holy wall which is extremely sacred for Jews.

No peace plan

Apart from notching some firsts, Donald Trump had no peace plan up his sleeve. He did meet Mohammed Abbas the prime minister of Palestine but he has nothing to show. Even his request to stop funding of families of hard-line terrorist in jail or killed went unheeded. His massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia has also created disquiet in Israel.

Donald Trump has realized that the Middle East is a tough nut to crack. With Hamas still on the warpath, the results of the US president's visit doesn't amount to much.

Trump stops

Trump has also not announced the shifting of the US embassy to Jerusalem, a campaign promise it appears he is now reluctant to keep. When he appointed David M Friedman as ambassador to Israel, it appeared this would be one of the first things he would do.

But he has not bitten the bullet and Israel will be wondering what they have achieved with this visit by the American president.

Saudi Arabia the gainer

The only country that is a gainer is Saudi Arabia which now will have the latest weaponry as part of its arsenal.This shows the strength of the Petro dollars. Israel is alarmed. One will recollect that military assistance to Israel is just 38 billion dollars spread over 10 years as announced by the Obama administration. This is an extremely small amount compared to what the Saudi's received.
US President Donald Trump has been pushing back leaders from Europe, Canada, and Japan as theyve been pressuring him to openly support and adhere to the Paris agreement, which was a landmark UN deal to reduce climate change signed by Trumps predecessor Barack Obama in Paris (hence the name) in 2015.

But Trumps been downplaying Americas commitment to the agreement, since he believes climate change is a hoax, as do most Republicans, despite irrefutable scientific proof. This was the Presidents first ever international trip whilst in office, and it was in honour of his first ever G7 summit, where a handful of diplomatic world leaders get together for a chat, this time in Italy.

Angela Merkel frustrated with Trumps stubbornness

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany whos had a multitude of troubles with Trump in the past regarding the refugee crisis and other problems, was left frustrated, as were a lot of the other G7 leaders, by climate change discussions with brick wall Trump. Merkel said that such conversations with Trump were very difficult and very unsatisfactory.

Merkel said that the summit was basically a situation of six against one, with every single other world leader at the summit disagreeing with Trump, and she said that there is still no sign of whether the US will remain in the Paris accord or not. The other six all communicated to the outside world following the summit that they were dedicated to the Paris agreement and had a strong willingness to eradicate global warming.

Trump didnt quite do that. Instead, he tweeted from Sicily on Saturday morning (the final day of his first international venture as President of the United States) that he will be making his final decision on the Paris accord no sooner than next week! So, in the meantime, we just kind of have to watch this space.

The US has the second most carbon emissions in the world

Trump was repeatedly told by the other world leaders that the United States is the country with the second most carbon emissions in the world, and that he would have to start taking climate change seriously and show some leadership and implement the Paris plan. But, alas, he ignored them all.

According to French President Emmanuel Macron, climate change progress has been made at the G7 summit, but not from Trump, who Macron apparently told not adhering to the Paris agreement would be a huge mistake that would relinquish ground to China. But, again, did Trump listen? Nope. Macron also stressed the importance of the US in particular sticking to the Paris accord, saying that it is essential for international equilibrium and the reputation of America. He said that discussions at the G7 summit showed him that climate change issues are not side issues that can be left to others.

Also, strangely, Macron praised Trump as a good listener, a pragmatic guy, and open to debate, which are three things hes never shown to us, so well just have to take Macrons word on it.

He refused to speculate about what Trumps final decision might be when he makes it next week as pledged.

Canadian Prime Minister didnt name Trump as irresponsible one

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, refused to call out Trump as the one who was ruining everything, despite the fact hes the only one not taking climate change seriously. So, when Trudeau said he wasnt going to name any specific country and then added, You cannot build a strong economic future unless you are protective and mindful of the climate, it was pretty obvious he was referring to Trump. But this is serious stuff. Its not just the seven G7 nations who committed to the Paris deal  its 195 countries! And theyll all be pretty mad at Trump if he sours on the commitment.

At the very least, Trump will be toning down Obamas promises. Obama promised he would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in America by 26-28% below the 2005 measurements by 2025. Trump will not be doing that. If he even sticks to the Paris agreement at all, it wont be the same Paris agreement that Obama signed. Itll be an alternative facts Paris agreement.
Jeremy Corbyn did what many have been fearful to do. While squarely laying the blame for the horrific attacks with the extremist perpetrators, he has done two things; he's brought the attacks and policing, security, and foreign policy issues right into the centre of the general election campaign, and, at the same time, he's expressed an opinion many have been afraid to voice: "The #War On Terror is simply not working,".

In the aftermath of the horrendous events in Manchester, questioning British policing and foreign policy may not be the most popular approach, however, in his interview with Andrew Neil on Friday, Corbyn calmly outlined his long-held views that British Foreign Policy may contribute to the rise of terrorism and added that British foreign policy was relevant in the overall handling of the #war on terror.

Corbyn's political opponents disagree

Theresa May, along with Boris Johnson, Sir Michael Fallon, and even the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, were quick to condemn Corbyn's remarks, accusing him of laying the blame for the attacks at the feet of the British and of failing to deal with the tragedy of the events in a sensitive manner.

Reacting to Theresa May's comments, the Labour Party issued a statement:

"Once again, Theresa May is not telling the truth. In his speech, Jeremy said "protecting this country requires us to be both strong against terrorism and strong against the causes of terrorism. The blame is with the terrorists, but if we are to protect our people we must be honest about what threatens our security."

Jeremy Corbyn has been involved in peace campaigns throughout his political career and has stated, he would only commit British troops to fight abroad if there was an unequivocal need, and only if a plan for lasting peace subsequent to the war existed.

Corbyn calls for increased police funding

Speaking at Labour's resumption of the election campaign, Corbyn called for additional resources for policing and law enforcement, emphasising that his government would make sure people "were not cared for and protected on the cheap". Referring to Theresa May's record as Home Secretary, he made sure to mention that she had overseen cuts in policing.

While some may criticise the timing of Jeremy Corbyn's questioning of British foreign policy only days after the atrocities in Manchester, everyone is familiar with his long-held views, and he could hardly have been expected to veer away from his own convictions at the height of the election campaign.

During the interview with Andrew Neil, Corbyn also mentioned that the head of MI5, the Commons select committees, and even Boris Johnson had shared his view that there was a relation between foreign policy and terror.
The Philippines and the USA have been allies for decades. All Philippine presidents, as a rule, followed the lead given by the USA. The election of Rodrigo Duterte changed decades-old Philippine policy. Duterte is an assertive man and he decided to follow an independent policy. He accepted an invitation to visit Russia.

The Philippine president began a five-day trip to Moscow to meet his "favorite hero" Vladimir Putin. President Duterte arrived in Moscow but had to cut short his visit because of trouble back home. In his absence, Islamic militants seized hostages in the eastern province.

Duterte declared martial law in the region and flew home. This news is reported by CNN International.

Duterte and Putin

Duterte has been critical of American policy and on a number of occasions severely lambasted the Americans. The Philippine President met Putin at an International Summit in November last year and accepted an invitation to visit Russia. Since then military cooperation between the two nations has increased and two Russian flotillas visited Manila. Military cooperation with the USA was scaled down. Duterte pointedly also visited the Russian warship docked in Manila port.

Duterte and America

The main aim of Duterte is to try and get precision weaponry, to use against Muslim insurgents.

He had turned to Russia after the US state department had halted sales of latest rifles for the police. According to Yahoo news, the president stated "I dont want anything to do with the US and I want them to stop telling me what to do. Ive never been to their country, and when they invited me to Trumps inauguration I declined because I was planning to visit Russia.

Duterte in Moscow

President Duterte arrived on Monday in Moscow and was given a ceremonial guard of honor.

A slew of documents was signed though Duterte cut short his visit because of trouble back home. Duterte is charting an independent policy. He has stated that the South China Sea problem could have been nipped in the bud if the USA was serious and had sent five aircraft carriers to the disputed waters. He feels the West does double talk.

He has stated "I have nothing against America (U.S President Donald) is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted. I want to deal with China and Russia because in the western world, its double talk." This was reported by Sputnik news. It will be interesting to watch Duterte's actions in the days to come.
Have you noticed its been getting a lot hotter lately? If not, polar bears certainly have, and its because US President Donald Trump has been refusing to adhere to the commitments laid out by his predecessor Barack Obama for cutting down carbon emissions in the US, which are the second largest on the planet.

Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University (fancy place) with a specialist expertise in climate change, enough to be the co-editor of Climate Change, a peer-reviewed climate change-based journalist, warns that if we lag, the noose tightens. Yikes.

Next week, Trump will make his final decision regarding whether or not hell even stick to the 195-nation UN treaty at all, and if he decides to pull out, computer simulations suggest that the Earths temperature could rise by 0.3c.

Scientists explain the consequences

0.3c doesnt sound like a lot, does it? Well, it is. Do you want a bigger number? Try this one out for size: if Donald Trump pulls out of the Paris treaty, America will emit three billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Scientists say this will melt ice sheets faster, raise sea levels higher, and bring on more extreme weather conditions. Round of applause for Trump, everybody.
British Airways experiencing major disruptions today following a "power supply issue"

Both domestic and international flights have been affected by yesterday's unexpected system outage, to the dismay of those travelling with British Airways across the world. Passengers have been left waiting around in airports, forced to spend unexpected large amounts of money on unplanned overnight accommodation at airports.

Thousands of passengers world-wide left stranded in airports

Reports describe a "harum-scarum atmosphere" permeating through UK airport terminals, with backlogs of planes, passengers and baggage causing chaos.

The airline has advised passengers to stay at home in a bid to ease the stress placed on airports due to overcrowding.

Travellers are emotional about the lack of guidance being provided by the airline. Unhappy passengers are taking to Twitter to express their feelings about the chaotic situation. Such passengers include an engaged couple, forced to postpone their Santorini wedding due to a large number of their guests (and three of their bridesmaids!) having been left stranded in Heathrow airport.

Suggestions have been made linking the technical difficulties with a cyber attack (with tensions particularly palpable in lieu of recent terror threats). However, British Airways adamantly maintains that no evidence to support this claim has been found.

Hello @British_Airways. None of your staff know what the heck is going on. Nor do your passengers. Can we have some info please? Chaos here  Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) May 27, 2017

@British_Airways you cancel my flight and tell me to go online to book. Online rebooking down and tell me to call. Phone lines full. Tks.  Duncan Cantor (@duncancantor) May 28, 2017

All British Airways flights departing from Heathrow and Gatwick today have been cancelled

British Airways has publicly apologised for the inconvenience caused, with a spokesperson stating that every effort is being made to resolve the issue swiftly.

However, with airline customer service having become a hot topic since the appalling treatment of a United Airlines passenger earlier this year - how much of an impact will this debacle have on the reputation that British Airways holds?

If you are amongst those affected by this issue, be aware that you are entitled to a certain amount of compensation by the airline.

EU flight delay rights - concerning flights from EU countries, or with EU airlines - entitle you to varying amounts of compensation, dependent on whether your flight was short-haul, medium-haul, or long-haul. This includes not only financial reimbursement, but in cases of delays that exceed two hours, also food, drink, and access to calls and emails. Stay vigilant!
After 100 Days in office, Donald Trump has already left a legacy in the White House that will go down as one of the most controversial in recent memory. With the latest economic news not being positive for the administration, social media users were quick to point out the irony.

Trump's Twitter backlash

When Donald Trump first announced his campaign for president, one of his big talking points was citing his history as a successful businessman. After decades of working in real estate, in addition to his other business ventures, the former host of "The Apprentice" produced a resume that was unlike any other candidate running for president.

During the 2016 presidential election, the economy was one of the most important issues to voters, which led to Trump's populist message being successful in winning key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Despite this, the president hasn't been able to keep true to his campaign promise, as the economy has not improved at the rate that he had planned during the election, As reported by The Hill on April 28, Trump's first three months in officer have produced record-low results when it comes to Economic Growth, which didn't go over well on Twitter.

First three months of 2017 saw weakest economic growth in three years: https://t.co/hrSMLxsU23 pic.twitter.com/bYk1vRLXKP  The Hill (@thehill) April 28, 2017

According to the Hill, the Commerce Department announced on Friday that the first quarter of 2017 has resulted in just 0.7 percent economic growth.

The number is the worst economic performance in the United States since 2014. Donald Trump's first quarter as president also pales in comparison to how former President Barack Obama closed out his time in the White House which resulted in 2.1 percent growth.

Twitter reacts

As expected, critics of Donald Trump were quick to mock and troll the president on Twitter over the latest news.

"Who would've thought?! No one wants to visit US and Int'l students are choosing other universities. Hate isn't good for the economy," one Twitter user wrote. "As well as the weakest person in the POTUS position in history. He must be removed," a tweet went on to read.

@thehill Who would've thought?! No one wants to visit US and Int'l students are choosing other universities. Hate isn't good for the economy.  M Coleen Barker (@MColeen75) April 28, 2017

@thehill Of course growth slowed, people were scared shitless of the trainwreck they installed as the leader of the free world.  Spurious (@spuriousorigin) April 28, 2017

@thehill Weakest president..smallest hands.

Non existent brain. It's a first all the way around.  Claudia (@theClaudiaInez) April 28, 2017

"Of course growth slowed, people were scared sh*tless of the trainwreck they installed as the leader of the free world," another tweet read.

"Weakest president..smallest hands. Non existent brain. It's a first all the way around," a follow-up tweet went on to say. "@POTUS Donald Trump what the hell is going on here? What happened to the biggest, the best, and the hugest ever?" one Twitter user wondered. The tweets kept pouring in as it was clear that those who oppose the commander in chief were pleased with the results of his rhetoric.
It's no secret that Donald Trump and the mainstream media don't see eye to eye. After 100 Days of being the White House, it doesn't seem like the media is willing to hold back their criticism anytime soon.

MSNBC on Trump

Ever since the start of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump has been on the wrong side of the battle with the media. It all started when Trump announced his candidacy for president and referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "murderers" and "rapists." The media quickly pounced on Trump, with critics calling him a "bigot," "racist," and a variety of other negative terms.

Since then, Trump's relationship with the press has only gotten worse, as he now calls any reports that push back at his agenda as "fake news." Since he was elected and sworn into office, Trump has been forced to deal with a constant stream of controversy that has been stuck in the headlines for the better part of 2017. As the president does his best to re-brand his administration after three months in office, the panel on MSNBC didn't seem to buy it while discussing the commander in chief on April 28.

(Deutsch's comments start at 4:00 in the above video.)

During the Friday morning edition of "Morning Joe," MSNBC contributor Donny Deutsch went off on Donald Trump, appearing to give the president a complement that turned into the ultimate trolling.

"Notice when he's (Trump) speaking now, hes speaking in much more hushed tones," Deutsch observed. " "There seems to be a much more nuanced, rational, restrained," he said.

The meds have changed: Morning Joe panel offers explanation for Trumps recent hushed tones https://t.co/mDRCDwA4jB pic.twitter.com/haRmTZlwPW  Raw Story (@RawStory) April 28, 2017

However, despite the slight praise, Donny Deutsch quickly shifted into troll mode.

"Theres still the political Tourette's," he said of Donald Trump, before noting, "we still get some of these ridiculous things." Deutsch did say he noticed a drastic shift in tone from the billionaire real estate mogul, wondering if Steve Bannon's diminished role in the White House was the cause, while adding, "the meds have changed!"

Moving forward

Though Donald Trump might be attempting to change how he is perceived by the media and the American people, it doesn't seem to be reflecting in a positive way in the polls.

According to the latest round of polling, Trump's approval rating is hovering around 40 percent, making it one of the lowest favorable ratings to start a presidency in years. Despite the negativity that has surrounded his time in office, like the growing Russian scandal, in-fighting in his own administration, and questionable calls on foreign policy, it doesn't appear as if Trump is willing to change is core anytime soon.
Scientists say that Global warming might reach dangerous levels even sooner if the U.S. doesnt follow through with its pledge to cut down carbon dioxide pollution. This is due to Americas huge contribution to the increasing temperatures.

U.S. President Trump, who once termed global warming as a Chinese trick, said in a statement on Twitter that he is yet to decide whether or not the U.S. will stay in the Paris climate change deal in which other G-7 nations have agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

U.S. to join the climate pact

Leaders of the G-7 nations, at a meeting held in Italy, urged President Trump to commit to the pact, but reiterated in their closing statement that the U.S.

was not in a position to join the consensus for now.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dissatisfaction in the talks, stating that it was unsatisfactory and very difficult. Italys Prime Minister hoped the U.S. made a decision soon and rightly.

In a bid to fully grasp the potential effect on the planet if the U.S. pulls out of the Paris deal, sources consulted with over twenty-four climate scientists to predict the possible outcome using a special computer model scenario.

Scientist predict rapid increase in carbon dioxide emissions

Scientists said it will make matters worse and reduce the chances of crossing a dangerous global temperature threshold. Estimations predict a yearly increase of over 3 billion tons of extra carbon dioxide.

This might in turn yield a rapid rate of ice melt, sea level increase, and more extreme weather.

A worst-case scenario was played out by an expert group using a computer simulation to predict the possible outcome if the U.S. does not curb emissions, while other nations follow through with the agreement. It showed that America would increase global warming by 0.3 degrees Celsius in ten years to come.

However, scientists have different views on the likelihood of that scenario.

Renewable energy to turn the tides

Due to the relatively low price of natural gas over coal as well as the growing promotion of sources of renewable energy, the U.S. is still likely to reduce its carbon pollution even if it abandons the pact, thereby reducing the effects, sources claim.

Others predict that other countries may follow in the U.S. steps to exit the accord, thereby causing more emissions. Though opinions may differ on the computer simulations, they all agree that the planet would undergo a more rapid and intense warming.
On Saturday President Trump came home to face a worsening political and legal crisis. His staff were trying to reign in the chaos created by media reports that his son-in-law, #Jared Kushner, has become a key focus of investigations into whether there was collusion between Trump's campaign and #Russia during the 2016 election and the transition.

Even though President Trump was away in Europe for the #Group of 7 summit in Italy, and before that meeting with Muslim leaders in the Middle East, back home a crisis was brewing as the fallout from FBI director James Comey's firing and the investigation into Russia collusion came into national focus.

G7 summit trip ends and Trump rushes home

Ending his nine-day trip, one of the most successful periods of his presidency according to his aides, the crisis back home had only grown in Trump's absence. He had a presidential trip to Iowa schedule for following weeks, one that the White House canceled; he was also was amassing a damage-control portfolio to expand the scope and breadth of the #presidents legal team. There were also plans to reshuffle his much-needed communications staff and the necessity of fighting a growing scandal has not only jeopardized his agenda but now threatens to sink and perhaps even take down his entire family.

Private legal meetings with political law experts

The #president's private legal team prepared to take meetings in Washington to deal with and strategize on various new questions about contacts between the Trump campaign and associates during the transition and the election periods, particularly in regards to Mr Kushner and the official representatives of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

According to sources quoted by the New York Times, Trump may even meet with Mr Kasowitz as soon as Sunday morning or afternoon. Trump's aides, meanwhile, have enlisted a collection of prominent DC lawyers, each of whom have vast and deep experience in #political investigations. The idea was that Trump would interview them in the hopes of having them join his legal team.

Kushner keeping a low profile

Mr Kushner, meanwhile, has returned to Washington thus cutting his trip with the President to the #Middle East short. He has been keeping a very low profile and has not being speaking to the press or to political aides, but according to sources he doesnt have any plans to step down from his current role as senior adviser.

Neither does he plan on reducing his duties to the #White House.

The media on Friday reported that there have been telltale signs that he is growing disillusioned with the #nonstop combat that has circled the White House, as well as the damage to his previously sterling reputation. He made no long-term commitment to remain in Washington by the president's side he told some friends, saying he and his wife #Ivanka Trump had chosen to review their life every six months, deciding whether they would return to their previously private life in New York.

The crisis however doesnt stop at Mr Kushners troubles. White House chief of staff, #Reince Priebus and chief strategist #Stephen Bannon also left the Middle East and Europe trip early to return back to Washington to deal with the political blast erupting over James Comey's firing from the FBI, as well as the Russia issue.

Reports surfaced in The Washington Post last week that Kushner had been in verbal contact with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, back in December. According to sources, they had talked about setting up a secret channel between Trump's transition team and Moscow to discuss the war in Syria and other issues. As well as appearing in the Washington Post, three separate people confirmed this information to The New York Times.
Mary Nguyen, 25, is claiming Delta Airlines kept Bunny, her 8-month-old German Shepherd pup, captive for 33 hours. The airline reportedly refused to release the dog unless she paid $3,000.

Nguyen reportedly contracted with the animal transporting company Pet Air Carrier and had already paid $3,000 to that company to ship her German Shepherd to Guatemala City, where her husband is currently living. The company is not, apparently, affiliated with Delta Airlines.

All documentation correct for the transfer

Nguyen is a student in Minneapolis and had to drive to Wisconsin to sign the paperwork necessary for the transfer of her dog to Central America on Wednesday.

However, when her husband tried to claim the German Shepherd at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Delta Airlines told him the required paperwork for transferring the dog internationally had been left behind in the U.S. Even worse, according to Nguyen, the airline called for an additional $3,000 to hand the dog over.

Delta Airlines allegedly held this dog hostage for 33 hours - New York Post https://t.co/fmm4fXdYFV  New York News (@NewYorkNews365) May 28, 2017

Airline had the correct paperwork the whole time

Nguyen told CBS that the airline had all the necessary documents on their computers, but refused to release Bunny without the hard copy they had left behind. Late on Friday the paperwork was finally tracked down by Delta Airlines and sent to Guatemala City.

However, Nguyen told CBS it took 33 hours, and many phone calls, to finally get their dog released.

Nguyen did say that the German Shepherd, which weighs 62 pounds, was a problem to transport due to her size. Reportedly, only certain aircraft can accept the large crate necessary to transport Bunny. She said United Airlines had refused to take the dog, but she was finally approved by Delta Airlines.

Delta Airlines to refund the cost of shipping the German Shepherd

CBS News was told by a spokesperson for Delta that they would be refunding the shipment cost to Nguyen. A Delta Airlines spokesperson told CBS News that the airline would refund the shipment cost. In their statement, Delta went on to say the airline knows pets are important members of the family and that their agents are working directly with the family over the incident.

Once the "hostage situation" was over, Nguyen posted on Instagram that Bunny had finally been released. She added that the dog had some open wounds and that they would be taking the German Shepherd to the vet as soon as possible.

Airline is second highest in animal deaths

According to a report by Market Watch, Delta Airlines has been in the news before for problems with transporting animals, with five animals dying and five injured during 2016, which is reportedly the second-highest rate among the top U.S. domestic airlines. However, they note United Airlines is number one on the list with nine animals dying and 14 injured during flights. Blasting News reported recently on the death of a prized giant rabbit on a United Airlines flight, while on its way from the U.K. to its new celebrity owner in the U.S.
US President Donald Trump has succumbed to pressure from G-7 leaders to support a pledge to fight protectionism, but declined to endorse the Paris climate change pact, arguing that he needed more time to make a decision,

The summit of G-7 most industrialized nations placed the U.S President against the leaders of Britain, Italy, Germany, France, Japan, and Canada on many burning issues. European diplomats were disappointed over repeated questions they had believed were resolved long ago.

Challenges of the summit

However, officials and diplomats at the summit maintained there was a range of agreement on areas of foreign policy challenges which include renewal tough economic sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine if Ukraine makes a request for the sanctions.

Paolo Gentiloni Italian Prime Minister said that they were satisfied on how things turned out at the summit but acknowledged sharp division with Washington on gray areas. We dont pretend this division. It was very clear in our discussion, he said.

Trump's achievements at the summit

Trump described the meeting as highly productive, adding that he had strengthened strong relationships between the United States and its partners and allies.

The US President, who has previously described global warming as a trick, was under intense pressure from the other leaders to respect the Paris accord of 2015 on reducing carbon emission.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was furious over Trumps refusal to endorse the most widely accepted global climate pact that was signed by 192 member countries, though President Trump had earlier tweeted that he would take stance next week.

The whole conversation about the climate deal was very tough or better put, unsatisfactory, The German Chancellor told reporters. There are no signs whether the US will stick to the Paris accord or not, she added.

Help for Africa

On a positive note, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was confident Trump would endorse the deal having heard from his allied partners in the G-7.

President of Niger Republic Mahamadou Issoufou called on the G-7 leaders to take drastic measures to end the Libyan crisis. Libya has become the point of departure for hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking for a greener pasture in Europe. He also condemned the leaders for not fulfilling pledges to fight poverty in the poorest regions of West Africa.

The final resolution was mere six pages compared to 32 pages last year. Diplomats said the leaders wanted a simpler document to enable them to reach a much larger audience.
The G-7 summit ended on Saturday in Italy without reaching an agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to consider whether the United States will remain in the Paris pact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The remaining six of the seven nations decided to continue with their commitment in implementing the 2015 Paris deal, which aims at reducing the rate of global warming.

The U.S. decision on the climate change and Paris accord is still pending

The final statement issued by the group after deliberating for two days in Taormina reiterated that the U.S.

was not in the position to reach an agreement on climate change and the Paris accord as they were still deliberating on it.

President Trump stated in a tweet that he would make a decision on the issue next week. This was announced on the last day of the Presidents first foreign trip following his decline to remain committed to the climate deal, resisting the mounting pressure by leaders of the international community at the summit.

The chairman of the summit, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, reiterated that the Group wasnt willing to change their position on climate change irrespective of the stands of the U.S.

Gentiloni also stated that climate was a serious issue and that he hoped the U.S.

would take a decision soon enough as their contribution was necessary for the Paris accords.

President Macro commends Donald Trump on his capacity to listen

The President of France Emmanuel Macro in a statement commended the U.S. president for his capacity to listen.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dissatisfaction on the climate talks.

Trump is yet to brief the media on Russia controversy since he began his 9-day-trip. Some of his senior economic and national security aide refused to respond to questions during a press conference held on Saturday.

The summit reached a consensus on trade

However, the summit was successful in reaching a consensus on the topic of trade.

They re-established a pledge to combat protectionism- this is the use of import taxes and regulations that give domestic producers an edge over their foreign competitors. This pledge has been in previous G-7 statements but was recently excluded after a meeting held in Italy by the groups finance ministers. The leaders made a commitment to keep an open market as well as say no to protectionism.
So far, both White House officials and the Russian Embassy decline to comment on recent accusations that Jared Kushner has been keeping an open and secret channel with Russia. Jared Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law, and one of the White Houses senior advisers was seeking to set up private communications with the Kremlin.

Kushner and Sergei Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador to Washington, had spoken about the possibility of coordinating a secure communications channel between the White House and Russia. U.S. Intelligence officials corroborated the above information via intelligence reports.

Communication with Russia

The Washington Post received a letter in December of 2016, anonymously, that annotated details of the first meeting. The letter suggested that Kushner offered to keep an open line of communication with Ambassador Kislyak. Officials reviewed the letter and indicated that it was consistent with their findings and understandings of the events.

There are allegations that Kushner told the Russians that he was very aware of the political sensitivity of their public meetings so he suggested a secure communication channel instead. Furthermore, prior to Flynns resignation from the National Security Agency (NSA), Kislyak, Kushner, and Flynn discussed arranging a meeting between a White House representative and a Russian contact in a third country.

No further details are available.

Kushner and Russia: 2016 campaign communications

A Reuters report indicated that Kushner had at least three undisclosed contacts with Kislyak during the 2016 Presidential CampaignKushners lawyer has stated that he has no recollection of those calls. Supposedly, there were two phone calls during the April-November 2016 timeframe with confirmations from seven U.S.

officials.

More currently, Ambassador Kislyak reported to his superior officials in Moscow that Kushner suggested the plan for secret communications during an early December 2016 meeting at the Trump Tower. These communications were intercepted by Russian communications specialists and reviewed by U.S. officials. Kushner actually suggested that they use Russian diplomatic facilities and Russian equipment in the United States.

.@MALCOLMNANCE on #Kushner allegations: No other administration in transition has ever had such communications with a foreign power #AMJoy  AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) May 27, 2017

Supposedly, Kislyak was shocked that there Kushner and the White House suggested using Russian communications equipment at its consulate or embassy. He stated that these actions have innate security risks for Moscow and the Trump Administration. The FBI closely monitors any Russian communications by keeping diplomatic facilities heavily surveilled. The NSA monitors Russian and other foreign officials overseas communication.

Kushner, Russia, and the FBI

This recent news comes amid recent reports that Kushner is under investigation by the FBI for possible collusion with Russia.

Russia is known for falsifying communications during their psychological operationsoperations used to confuse U.S. analysts and the public.

Kushners interest in establishing this secret Russian channel poses a problem: why is the Trump Administration eager to be more reliant on secrecy with Russia than using the already established U.S. government systems?
In an unprecedented move, the new South Korean government under President Moon Jae-In, approved its first civilian contact with North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after getting into office. President Moon's policy of gradual resumption of inter-Korean exchanges is the cornerstone of his campaign that led him to victory.

Why would South Korea still want talks with North Korea?

It is surprising to know that many South Koreans do not believe North Korea is hostile as the West tried to paint it. In a survey made in 2014, only 13% of South Koreans have negative feelings towards North Korea.

More than half of those surveyed believed that cooperation should commence between the north and south. This is the growing sentiment in South Korea today and it is growing after President Moon won the presidency.

President Moon's spokesperson, Lee Yon-Jin told the press that the government had green-lighted a request made by the Korean Sharing Movement to conduct humanitarian work in North Korea. The civilian welfare group wanted to visit the north and help the impoverished people affected by the stringent sanctions imposed by the United Nations. Yon-Jin also added that about 20 requests to visit the north were made and hopefully Moon's lenient policy towards Pyongyang will approve them all.

Why does Moon's administration continue to push a diplomatic conversation with Pyongyang?

Moon is an ardent proponent of Korean reunification. He isn't condoning the continued separation of the two Koreas, which many believe are being orchestrated by the United States. However, Moon believes that only an earnest policy of diplomacy is the only way to pacify the north.

Many do not share Moon's ideas, especially the United States, which is a stern enemy of North Korea. The White House is somewhat weary with the policy being taken by the new South Korean administration, but it will be bad for the United States if the two Koreas are united under terms which North Korea has proposed.

What are America's plans to halt North Korea's continued belligerence?

President Donald Trump had met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss expanding the sanctions already imposed on North Korea. This is in hopes that the added strain will break Pyongyang's resolve to maintain a costly and resource intensive nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Aside from this, the United States air force is in the process of conducting a test of its anti-ICBM capabilities that will ensure the safety of U.S. troops from attacks coming from North Korea. However, with the new regime in South Korea that slowly desires to unite with the North, the United States will have no way of stopping such an arrangement. It may seem that the days of U.S. influence over Asia is now numbered.
Syrian government forces have been gaining ground against ISIS fighters and have taken vast swathes of territory from the terrorist group. Assad's forces is backed by Russian forces and augmented by Iranian militia all cooperating to destroy terrorist locations in Syria.

What is the progress of Assad's army?

Despite the pressure imposed by the United States, especially after Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons, the Syrian army is doing well against the ISIS group. According to local sources, the Syrian army have captured the eastern countryside of Damascus and attacked Free Syrian Army position in Al-Aliyanyah, eventually capturing it as well.

The Syrian army had gained immense ground over its offensive against ISIS, even surpassing the achievements of the Syrian rebels backed by the U.S.

However, Syrian government forces have also downed a U.S. surveillance drone over the Zaza area in the process. No apology had been made by Assad's forces for the destruction of the American drone. They Syrian offensive also significantly damaged terrorist hardware in the fight and have weakened the strength of its forces. Syria's achievements might have inflicted the worse defeat for ISIS to date.

What is the reaction of the United States on Assad's victory?

The U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is focused on isolating the city of Raqqa for the planned offensive on June.

This is the main target of America's planned offensive aimed to destroy the heart of ISIS in one fell swoop. If Raqqa is captured, the SDF will gain the upper hand over ISIS almost instantly.

U.S. special forces have been deployed to train SDF men to make them efficient in battle. Alongside the SDF is the Kurdish army that will also participate in the attack on Raqqa.

However, as the Syrian government is successful fighting ISIS as well, the clash between Assad's army and the SDF may eventually occur. If that does happen, the fight against terrorism will halt and Syria will resort back to its civil war.

Also Russia is having a more hands-on approach on Syria, consolidating its position as a firm and active ally of Assad.

This will considerably strengthen the dictator's position, a position that the U.S. wants him out of. The Syrian civil war is a catastrophic failure of a nation divided by different political views. The end of this ruthless war may still be hidden beyond the thick clouds on the horizon and the death of thousands more is almost certain.
Both #France and Germany were unhappy with President Trump's stalling on the Paris Climate accord on Saturday. This followed on from three brisk days of debate and concern, when the Group Of 7 nations attempted to press the United States  and Trump's administration  into staying with the landmark climate accord.

Barack Obama had signed the greenhouse gas-curbing agreement in 2015 and it was hailed by all as a great solution to climate change. Since the United States is the world's top two polluters, and the world's biggest economy, many were glad that they had signed onto such a logical and sensible pact.

But Trump's recent indecision, and his delay on either signing or withdrawing, is both driving a sizable and frantic wedge between the US and the Group of 7 counties. This, as well as throwing the Paris accord into question. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a stern tone on Saturday to the media that the discussion with America were difficult. She described it as six countries being in opposition to one country, the US.

Also seeming to be unimpressed was #President Emmanuel Macron of France. He is a new president and might lack interntaional diplomacy experience, but he struck an authoritative tone on Saturday when he said that America needs to sign or face losing its sterling reputation amongst the nations in the international treaty. Trump is yet to make an announcement.
What will happen if #jared kushner is forced to step down from his role at the White House? What will become of him and his starry, famous, presently powerful wife #Ivanka Trump when they lose the prestige and power that the Trump presidency has afforded them?

Kushner's father was actually convicted of fraud when he was at college and went to jail. As the Washington Post reported on the weekend, Kushner took over the family real estate business, made some bad loans and bought some expensive buildings, to the tune of $1.8 billion. Then when he couldnt refinance, he used his newspaper, #The New York Observer, to try and dig up dirt on the uncooperative bank that wouldnt help him out with a re-finance package.

This is known as a no-no in most conversations about ethics and one wonders at the moral fiber of such an operator.

Kushner had also lived with a father who had been publicly shamed and taken down. It would seem of course Shakespearian that a similar sort of thing could happen to #Kushner but it's starting to look like a possibility.

It's already clear that Kushner was a shark in the shark-infested waters of New York real estate. Now he is trying to stay afloat in the thorny and infested backwaters of the Washington DC swamp.

This new #crisis now risks both the huge responsibility he has with the Middle East as well as his job and power at the White House under his father-in-law President Trump, as well as his reputation, something that may be more crucial for him to keep intact.
#Jared Kushner, according to sources, had a meeting with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak as well as Michael Flynn in December at Trump Tower.

#Michael Flynn briefly served as President Donald Trumps national security adviser but was then forced out when sources and the media revealed that he had essentially lied to Vice President Mike Pence and others about a telephone conversation he took with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Talking of the call, there were suggestions made in the meeting that the two countries set up a separate channel to discuss the situation in #Syria and other issues.

It is unclear who made that suggestion, but it involved Mr Flynn speaking directly with a Russian military official. For note, this secretive channel wasn't ever set up.

The issue has engulfed the national and international media since Trump has been on a ten day long journey to Europe and the #Middle East where he met with many different leaders and, according to his aides, lived out the most successful stretch of his presidency thus far.

The media erupted last week with the reports of #Kushner setting up a channel and getting Trump to have a secret line with Russia. As the Russian issue threatens to sink the Trump family and the Trump presidency, many are watching to see what happens next.
The former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, known for his uncompromising foreign policy stance, died this Friday at the age of 89, his family announced.

"My dad passed away tonight. He was known to his friends as Zbig, to his grandchildren as a leader and to his wife as the love of her life," Mika Brzezinski wrote on social networks. Brzezinski, son the of the Polish diplomat, was a national security adviser during Jimmy Carter's presidency (1977-1981).

Main figure in the US foreign policy

He was one of the key personalities of US foreign policy during several major international crises in that period.

The main foreign policy events during his mandate, in which he actively participated, were: normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China, signing of the Strategic Arms Restriction Agreement, the Camp David Agreement, the transition of Iran from the US allies to the anti-Islamic Republic of Azerbaijan, Europe and human rights issues with a view to reducing the influence of the USSR, financing and arming mujahedin in Afghanistan in response to the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, and the signing of the Torihos-Carter Agreement by which Panama returned control over the Panama Canal.

As the DPA agency reports, Brzezinski urged Carter to spend billions of dollars of military aid for Islamist militants fighting Soviet troops after the Soviet Union Forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Because of his uncompromising views on US-Soviet relations, the Soviet Communist Journal of Justice called him "the enemy of the detachment". Brzezinski was born in Warsaw in 1928, and as a kid, he moved to Canada where his father served as a diplomat. After the Second World War and the communist takeover of Poland, the family remained in the West.

Criticized Clinton and Bush

Brzezinski graduated from Harvard in 1953, and five years later became an American citizen. After engaging in the Carter administration, Brzezinski was an international policy consultant and lecturer in international relations at a number of institutes and universities. He published articles on the subject of international relations in numerous newspapers.

Occasionally he was critical of Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's foreign policy -- he particularly objected to Bush's "war on terror" and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In August 2007, he supported the election of Barack Obama for the United States president.
Jenelle Evans is usually in the media for something she has done wrong. From having three children by three different men to her history of violence and drug abuse, she is one of the more well-known "Teen Mom 2" stars. She welcomed her third child earlier this year with her live-in boyfriend, David Eason. The two are engaged to be married and recently built a huge home on property they own.

Jenelle's history with animals

The last few years have been rough for Jenelle Evans. 2014 was really when things got stirred up for her with the animal abuse accusations.

When "Teen Mom 2" cameras were filming, they caught Evans in a rage and yelling at her dogs. Actually, one dog belonged to Jenelle and one dog belonged to her then-boyfriend, Nathan Griffith. Fans were completely outraged. There was a lot of drama that went on over it, and several accusations that were thrown around. It is alleged that Evans kept the dogs locked in cages in the garage because she couldn't handle them. She also reportedly hit Nathan's dog, though nothing ever came of it.

Now that Jenelle Evans and David Eason are living at the home on the property they own, they have two dogs. These dogs allegedly live outside, though it is assured they have food, water, and a dog house to grab shelter when needed.

According to the Hollywood Gossip, Jenelle Evans is under fire once again for her treatment of Animals. After she shared a photo of the two dogs on Snap Chat, the critics came out in full force.

Jenelle Evans' dog looks injured

It appears that one of the dogs in Jenelle Evans' care may have a broken tail. It was noticed in one of the pictures she shared and people are harping on her to get it checked out.

There has not been a statement on the health of the dog at all, but there will likely be at some point. Jenelle doesn't remain quiet when she is being harped on about something she thinks she isn't doing wrong. There was also a photo where the two dogs were huddled up close to the house appearing to be cold. Evans was heavily criticized for not allowing the dogs inside her home as well.

Living life in the spotlight has not been kind to Jenelle Evans. She has made several mistakes over the last eight years, many of them documented by the "Teen Mom 2" cameras. At this point in life, she appears to be getting things together. Marrying David Eason is the next big step and she appears ready to walk down the aisle with the latest man in her life.
Netflix is taking an ambitious step towards a larger presence in the movie business with the release of "War Machine" today, starring Brad Pitt. The black comedy looks at American military misadventures in Afghanistan with a cynical point of view.

A true story

There's a true story at the heart of "War Machine," that of real life Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who became head of the war effort in Afghanistan in 2009, a move that would end his career ingloriously. Writer-director David Michod turned McChrystal into Gen. Glen McMahon, even though many of the details -- such as the Rolling Stone interview fiasco -- and peripheral characters like President Obama, are real.

Brad Pitt pays McMahon as an old-school soldier, a fitness nut, and almost a cliche of the macho warrior type who runs seven miles every day, and only sleeps four hours a night. He's not such a bad guy, really, and he's certainly not evil. But he is overly confident, and seems to believe in himself to the point of losing touch with concrete reality.

Back in Washington, support for the Afghanistan war effort is dwindling even as Brad Pitt's Gen. McMahon insists it is winnable. In real life, the Rolling Stone article "The Runaway General" garnered a National Magazine Award finalist for excellence in reporting nomination for writer Michael Hastings. The article details McChrystal and his aides as they diss President Obama and Vice President Biden, make homophobic jokes, drink copious amounts of liquor and end up dancing on tables during a European visit.

The portrait it paints is less than flattering, to say the least, and as one of the bureaucrats remarks, "Why is a general talking to Rolling Stone in the first place?"

Critical response

There is a whole stack of stellar talent in peripheral roles, like a subtly comedic Meg Tilly as McMahon's wife, and Topher Grace as a driven spin doctor for the general.

Reviews for "War Machine" have been mixed. The New York Times praises Brad Pitt's over the top portrayal of the general's overzealous belief in his own abilities, while CNN finds the performance a little too over the top, and the movie's pace uneven.

Ultimately, General McMahon's doom is that he thinks the war is winnable, and that he's just the general to do it.

He enters an Afghani village with a speech about how great things will be, detailing improvements like schools and roads for the people that they can have with American help, and their response is, "Please leave." It's a request he should have heeded.

The end of a career

On the ground, both the fictional and real life generals insistence on a strategy called counterinsurgency, which uses political as well as military strategy, wasn't producing results. In real life, McChrystal was fired from the role of commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan after the article came out. That is also General McMahon's role in the movie version.

But, will anything really change? As the movie ends, another general arrives to take his place.

"War Machine," starring Brad Pitt, is streaming on Netflix as of today, May 26, 2017.
In 2004, the Gambian National Assembly passed legislation that journalist Deyda Hydara was strongly against, and rightfully so, as the legislation was a new law which imposed extensive jail time for reporters that were convicted for what the Gambian government considered "defamation" or "sedition." For years, media outlets and journalists in Gambia had already been under attack without anyone being prosecuted. In fact, as Blasting News reported last year, Gambian President Jammeh said last year that he would not launch an investigation into the death of a protester, defying the United Nations and Amnesty International.

Justice for journalist

Some of the attacks against media outlets included arson which was already responsible for burning down the home of a correspondent for the BBC, Ebrima Sillah, who was also one of many journalists who had been critical of then President Yahya Jammeh. The BBC was also threatened and the offices of a Banjul-based newspaper called Independent had already been set on fire twice. Two days after the mentioned legislation had been passed, Deyda Hydara was leaving his office from the Gambian capital of Banjul at night when he was shot and killed by two assailants.

They perpetrators were not brought to justice until recently. On May 19, International arrest warrants were issued by a Gambian court for two ex-soldiers who are suspected of killing the journalist.

The names released of the suspects are former Colonel Kawsu Camara and Major Sanna Manjang who were apparently part of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's assassination squad referred to as "Junglers." The international warrant was issued by the principle magistrate Isatou Janneh-Mjie ordering the arrest of the two suspects wherever they might be as they are apparently not in Gambia.

Cleaning up after Jammeh

Deyda Hydara was co-owner of an independent newspaper in Gambia called The Point and had worked as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse as well as Reporters without Borders. The warrants are a result of the new President Adama Barrow who beat Jammeh in an election last year. Jammeh refused to leave office after decades of rule to the point where West African troops had to pressure him to give up power.

Jammeh is now living in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

President Barrow's effort to hold Hydara's murderers accountable is part of a bolder campaign to "clean up" Gambia's image. According to The Point, Gambia's Justice Minister Aboubacarr Tambedou announced in May that all of Yahya Jammeh's known assets in the country had been frozen. This also affects 131 properties that are under the former president's name. An investigation revealed that between 2006 and 2017, the former president had withdrawn D189 (4.1 USD) million worth of funds from the Housing Finance Corporation and Social Security. Barrow is also reportedly cleaning up the image of the country's tourism trade as well.
Nation 'clear and consistent' on regional sea issues, is 'strongly dissatisfied' with summit statement

Beijing expressed strong disapproval with the G7 Summit statement's comments on the East and South China seas, and it has asked the group to "stop making irresponsible remarks".

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed dissatisfaction with the leaders' statement, which said they "remain concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas". The two-day summit in southern Italy ended on Saturday.

"We are strongly dissatisfied at the G7 Summit gesticulating over the issues of the East and South China seas under the guise of international law," Lu said in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said China's position over the East and South China seas issues is "clear and consistent". It has always been committed to properly managing and solving disputes through negotiations with countries directly involved, and to promoting cooperation with them in various fields, he said.

It is also committed to working with these countries to maintain peace and stability in the East and South China seas and freedom of navigation and overflight in these regions, as well as the safety of regional seaways, he said.

"We hope the G7 and countries outside the regions will clearly understand the situation, observe their promises of not taking positions on the disputes, fully respect regional countries' efforts to manage disputes, stop making irresponsible remarks and play a constructive role for regional peace and stability."

The G7 Summit, in Taormina, Sicily, drew the leaders of the seven most industrialized countries as well as of the European Union.

The seven countries are the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Earlier in the week, the US Navy guided missile destroyer Dewey entered the waters adjacent to the islands and reefs of China's Nansha Islands without the permission of the Chinese government.

China dispatched two missile frigates to identify and warn the US naval ship to leave, and it condemned the incursion, reiterating its "indisputable sovereignty" over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters.

Jia Duqiang, a Southeast Asian studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy, said the situation in the South China Sea has "cooled off greatly", and China and ASEAN countries are working on a code of conduct in the region.

The remarks in the G7 statement reflect that some G7 members are intent on placing China in check by interfering in the East and South China seas, Jia said.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn
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.
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!
HA NOI  The Vietnamese Government has failed to downsize its large staff, with the number of officials continuing to increase.

Leading a National Assembly delegation supervising the administrative reforms from 2011-2016 to work with the Government on Saturday, NA Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu said that work to reduce the number of people on the State payroll had been very limited.

The statistics say that it (number of public servants) is not decreasing, he said.

The number of public servants nationwide was more than 3.56 million by December 31, 2015, and climbed to more than 3.57 million by February 1 this year.

Government officials wages also expanded by VN5 trillion (US$222.2 million) in one year, from VN405 trillion in 2015 to VN410 trillion in 2016, Luu said.

Home Affairs Minister Le Vinh Tan, on behalf of the Government, explained that new administrative duties and establishing new district and communal units resulted in the increase.

He also noted that 11 localities employed more than the quotas given by the ministry, resulting in a total of 7,951 extra officers by December 2016. The localities included Ha Noi, HCM City, a Nang, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, ong Nai and Long An.

The number of public servants at communal level and below, meanwhile, hit more than 1.9 million people by the end of last year.

A member of the NA supervision delegation, former NA Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Phan Trung Ly said that few Governmental agencies had managed to downsize. Most of the job cuts they reported were officials who were going to retire anyway.

Those who cant do their job, meanwhile, still get to stay in their roles, Ly said.  VNS
Bye bye banana? Hopefully not in Viet Nam

By Ruth Sinai

In late 2015, scientific publications and mainstream media sources reported alarming news for the 400 million people in the world who depend on bananas for their basic sustenance, as well as the hundreds of millions of others who love the mushy texture and sweet taste of this tropical fruit.

The news was best captured in the alliterative headline of a Washington Post report that read Bye Bye Banana.

It was the latest episode in an agricultural saga that began with the extinction of the worlds most popular banana some 60 years ago, and the looming threat currently faced by the worlds banana crop from a more resilient version of the same disease.

The fungus, known as Panama Disease, is believed to originate from Australia in the 1800s, and it virtually wiped out the Gros Michel banana in the mid-1950s and 60s. Some 99 per cent of todays market  dominated by brands like Chiquita and Monsanto  consists of its successor, the Cavendish banana, which is exactly why it is vulnerable to the same kind of deadly fate that befell the Gros Michel.

You basically have only one kind of banana on the market, what is known as a monoculture. There was no genetic variety with the Gros Michel, and thats why it disappeared. Were afraid the same could happen to the Cavendish. We have to develop a species that is resistant, explains Dr Ofir Meir, chief technology officer at Tropic Biosciences, a UK-based start-up founded last year to develop high-yielding and disease-tolerant commercial varieties of crops, specifically in the US$50 billion global coffee and banana industries.

Meir, with experience in R&D at seed giant Monsanto, and his colleagues, including the former head of plant R&D at Nestle, are hoping to pioneer the application of their innovative genomic project in Viet Nam, a major grower of both coffee and bananas.

We started thinking where would be a good target market to spearhead our technology, says the companys CEO Gilad Gershon, a biotech entrepreneur and retired major in the Israeli navy. In a way, it was a no-brainer. Viet Nam is the second largest producer of Robusta coffee in the world (after Brazil), and the Cavendish bananas actually originated in Viet Nam.

Splicing and dicing

What Tropic Biosciences is doing is known as genetic editing, the latest frontier in the world of genomic science, which holds tremendous promise for treating human and plant-based disease.

While still in its infancy, this latest chapter in science-nonfiction is a technique used to modify DNA with extreme precision. Unlike the process of genetically modified organisms (GMO), which involves introducing foreign genetic matter into organisms to modify their DNA, genetic editing makes cuts to specific DNA sequences in a plant or human cell, using enzymes called engineered nucleases.

Genome editing can be used to add, remove, or alter DNA in the genome and thus change the characteristics of a cell.

To my understanding, genetic editing is a modern technology for new varieties promising high yields, high quality and tolerance or resistance to drought, particularly for coffee which is the main cash crop in Viet Nam, says Truong Hong who heads the Western Highlands Agro-forestry Scientific and Technical Institute (WASI).

Hong, who met with the Tropic Biosciences team at the institute in ak Lak Province earlier this month, said it was his first introduction to the world of genetic editing. I would be very happy to work with them on problems faced by coffee growers, such as nematode causing root rot disease and the effects of drought in the dry season. I think growers will also like this new approach.

The company is currently developing several prototypes of products at its labs in Norwich, which were presented to Hong and his team, most notably high-yield and low-caffeine varieties of Robusta coffee.

We want to involve the growers in the research and development stage because we want to be sure of obtaining the best results, says Gershon.

The R&D team also met in Ha Noi with the Agriculture Genetics Institute to introduce the technology and their plans.

We are happy to explore the different alternatives for collaboration with local research institutions, says Gershon. One interesting candidate is AGI which has shown real interest in such collaboration.

Shining eyes

The growers with whom they met appear enthusiastic about testing the proposed coffee products.

We aim to come back in a few months and choose one or two leading growers to run the pilots with, says Gershon.

Were hoping to introduce these species here in cooperation with the institute and others, he adds. Everyone we met seems to want to try, to do. You talk to people and you see their eyes shining. Theyre go-getters.

The Government, scientists and growers are indeed thirsty for this kind of innovation in both coffee and banana growing, to enhance sustainable exports  94 per cent of the coffee grown is exported  and to build up expertise in this highly competitive, burgeoning field of genetic editing.

According to Nguyen Manh Dung of the Department of Processing and Trade for Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Products and Salt Production, although Viet Nam produces about 1.4 million tonnes of bananas annually, it cannot satisfy all its export demand.

Viet Nams preservation technologies have yet to meet international requirements, making it impossible to always keep the fruit looking good. Thus, relatively few Vietnamese products have been licensed to penetrate high-end markets.

"In the long term, studies and research on banana cultivation have to focus on generating banana varieties that are high-yield, high quality, are of better appearance and are also resistant to several dangerous diseases," Dung tells Viet Nam News.

Banana growers with whom the team met along with Pham Nang Thanh, the head of 3T, one of the countrys largest banana exporters, appeared excited, the visitors say.

The enticing horizon being offered by the genetic editing technique would also extend the green phase of the bananas, so that the fruit could be transported and stored for longer periods before ripening for sale.

The developers promise that the hot-out-the-lab prototype would not only protect bananas from the dreaded Panama Disease, it would also make them resistant to Black Sigatoka, a disease that damages the plant leaves and requires extensive use of fungicide to control. The resistant species would thus reduce losses and costs to growers and protect their health. Tropic Biosciences argues that this could result in a saving of $4-10 per tree annually on fungicides, translating to savings of as much as 25 per cent, not to mention a cleaner environment.

Growers could then use some of the savings to buy the disease-resistant, genetically edited plants, with the proprietary traits developed by the company.

The same business model would apply to the coffee crops, with the company promising that the new species would increase coffee extraction yields by between 5 and 15 per cent, reduce disease that results in annual losses of as much as 15 per cent of the coffee crop  and improve taste.

We started trying to develop a higher-performing plant. If you reduce the need for chemicals and enable more delicate cultivation, the taste also improves, says plant scientist Meir.

The gene editing community, which conducts much of its work under a tight shield of secrecy for fear its methods will leak, is careful to stress that its output is not the highly controversial engineering known as GMO.

Although there was no proof of any health threat from that, people felt uncomfortable about GMO because it introduced foreign DNA and cross-cropped species, so that regulators in different countries greatly limited its use, Gershon explains.

Gene editing appears more palatable, although the Food and Drug Administration is still conducting a review of its possible impacts. While bio-ethicists warn of slippery slopes of interfering with DNA, for example to edit embryo genes, scientists are forging ahead in the labs and plantations. VNS
By George Burchett

From 1965 to 1969, my family lived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

My family included:

- My father, Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett, born in Melbourne, Australia in 1911.

- My mother, Bulgarian journalist and art historian Vessa Ossikovska, born in Lukovit, Bulgaria in 1919.

- My brother Peter, born in Peking, Peoples Republic of China, in 1953.

- Me, George Burchett, born in Ha Noi, Democratic Republic of Viet Nam in 1955.

- My sister Anna, born in Moscow, Soviet Union in 1958.

We moved to Phnom Penh from Moscow, so that my father could be closer to the action: the war that was raging in neighbouring Viet Nam and that he was reporting on from the communist side, the Ho Chi Minh and Viet Cong side.

1965 was a turning point in the Viet Nam war. The US-backed Sai Gon regime was losing the war in the South. In March, the US started bombing the North and US Marines landed in a Nang, thus committing American combat troops to the war.

Before we officially settled in Phnom Penh, my father had twice crossed the border between Cambodia and Viet Nam clandestinely: on his way in and out of the liberated, Viet Cong-controlled zones of South Viet Nam which he was the first Western reporter to visit in late 1963, early 1964 and again in 1964-65. He told that story in his book, Vietnam: Inside Story of the Guerilla War, published in New York and then worldwide in 1965.

Most outside observers and Cambodians would agree that the years 1965-69 were, to quote distinguished American journalist and New York Times editor Harrison Salisbury, Cambodias halcyon days, a period of relative peace and prosperity.

Prince Sihanouk, Cambodias Head of State, had performed miracles of diplomatic acrobatics to keep the Kingdom of Cambodia neutral, while a cruel war was raging in neighbouring Viet Nam. All kinds of pressures were exerted on Sihanouk by the US to force him to join the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and become a US ally (or puppet) in its crusade against communism.

In May 1965, Sihanouk broke diplomatic relations with the US and closed the American Embassy in Phnom Penh. Relations were only restored in July 1969. Sihanouk was deposed in a CIA-backed coup in March 1970 and Cambodias descent into hell began.

Finding peace: Wilfred Burchett in the Liberated Zones of South Viet Nam, 1964-65. Photo courtesy of George Burchett

What is beyond doubt though, is that during our four-year residency in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was a haven of peace in a very troubled region. Sihanouk was playing a balancing act between the West, mostly France, the Soviet Union, the socialist bloc and China, for the greater benefit of his small, but strategically important country. The Soviet Union was building modern hospitals and educational facilities and staffing them with Soviet doctors and educators. France had a dominant presence in all fields: military, education, health, culture, etc.

In September 1966, General de Gaulle visited Cambodia and made his famous Phnom Penh speech in which he supported Sihanouks doctrine of neutrality and advised the United States of America to learn from Frances colonial experience and defeats and cut their losses and leave Viet Nam.

So, in 1966, Cambodias neutrality was supported by one superpower, the Soviet Union and a major independent western power, France, Cambodias former colonial ruler. In May 1966, Chairman Mao Zedong launched his Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which would plunge China into chaos until his death in 1976. In 1961, the Soviet Union and China had split along ideological lines and eventually became bitter foes. But both supported Viet Nams struggle against US imperialism and pledged friendship and solidarity. The official Soviet line at the time was peaceful co-existence and the Soviet Union was eager for the war in Viet Nam to end as soon as possible. China, on the other hand, seemed ready to fight US imperialism to the last Vietnamese. In 1966, much of progressive humanity was united in its support for Viet Nams people and their just struggle for peace and reunification.

Cambodia was peaceful and beautiful. Phnom Penh, with the bold modernist "New Khmer" architecture of Vann Mollyvann and elegant French Art Deco, was a neat and modern-looking city. To me, these are the happiest years of my life. Cambodian friends who survived the Khmer Rouge genocide agree. I remember blissful evenings at the sea-side resort town of Kep, near the border with Viet Nam. The shimmering mirror of the sea reflected the moon and in the distance, the rumble of bombs lit up the horizon. Heaven and peace on one side, hell and war on the other.

A lot of respect: "For Mr Wilfred Burchett, as a token of my faithful and affectionate friendship, my admiration, my esteem and deep appreciation for what he has done for the Khmer people." -- Norodom Sihanouk, 1972. Photo courtesy of George Burchett

There was a huge worldwide movement to stop the cruel war and bring peace to Viet Nam. Our house in Phnom Penh was always full of visitors from around the world on their way to or from Viet Nam: journalists, diplomats, peace activists, scientists, religious leaders, etc. And there were mysterious uncles from the jungle, who we knew had crossed the border from war to peace, to bring news of the struggle in South Viet Nam.

War and peace. At that time, peace seemed to be winning. There was not the smallest doubt in the Burchett family that Viet Nam would win. In 1968, my father wrote a book titled VIETNAM WILL WIN! The books title page states: Why the people of South Vietnam have already defeated US imperialism  and how they have done it  by the internationally famous Western correspondent whose first-hand dispatches from Vietnam have become a part of the history of our time.

The 1968 Tet Offensive shook US public opinion and turned it against the war. President Lyndon Johnson agreed to talks to end the Viet Nam War. They began in May 1968 in Paris. Hopes for peace were high!

But in November 1968, Richard Nixon was elected President of the United States of America and the peace talks were frozen.

In June 1969 we left Phnom Penh for Paris, where the action seemed to have shifted from war to diplomacy. In March 1970 Prince Sihanouk was deposed in a CIA-backed coup. South Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia, supported by US bombs. Thus began Cambodias descent into hell. And another five years of war for Viet Nam. Neutrality and diplomacy had failed. The US had extended its anti-communist crusade to another peaceful country.

Family snap: The Burchett family in their house in Phnom Penh in 1968. From left to right: Peter Burchett, Vessa Burchett, Wilfred Burchett, George Burchett, Anna Burchett. Photo courtesy of George Burchett

The American War against Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos ended in 1975 with the total defeat of US-backed puppet regimes in South Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos.

But the war of Cambodias Khmer Rouge against their own people  and their military attacks against Viet Nam would last until 1979, when Viet Nam put an end to the criminal Pol Pot regime and saved the Khmer nation from genocide. If ever there was a case for humanitarian intervention, that was it!

But instead of applauding Viet Nam, the international community  the US, its allies and China  denounced Viet Nam as an aggressor and supported the remnants of the Pol Pot regime in every possible way, thus prolonging the suffering of the Cambodian people and punishing Viet Nam with ostracism and sanctions. If ever there was a blatant case on international hypocrisy and double standards, that was it!

For me, Cambodia will always remain a symbol of peace and bliss  the happy days of my childhood. At the same time, it is also a manifestation of hell on earth: Pol Pots Killing Fields. Carpet bombing by waves of US B-52s turned the lovely, peaceful Cambodian countryside into a smouldering inferno. It drove the peasants mad, with pain, grief, anger and hatred, and prepared the ground for the Khmer Rouge nightmare, one of the greatest human tragedies of all time.

In Viet Nam too, peasants  men and women, young and old  had taken up arms to defend their families, villages and country against imperialist aggression. They too were bombed and exterminated in the most horrible ways. But when they won the final victory, they didnt turn their guns against their own people. There were no massacres, no blood baths, no genocide. The cities were not emptied, the countryside was not turned into killing fields.

I would like to end this essay on a positive, optimistic note. Unfortunately, it is hard today to be too optimistic, without sounding naive and foolish. Sabres are rattling in too many parts of the world for comfort: the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Korean peninsula, the East Sea, Africa, Latin America... Europe lives in fear of terrorist attacks and waves of refugees. It would seem humanity consistently fails to learn the lessons of history. The dynamics of war seem more powerful than the dynamics of peace.

To sustain some sober optimism, I must turn to Viet Nam. Viet Nam defeated two great powers in its struggle for Independence and Unity: France and the United States of America. In his 1966 Phnom Penh speech, General de Gaulle acknowledged the lessons of ien Bien Phu and drew the correct conclusions. Viet Nams heroic struggles remain an inspiration to people and countries around the world. Viet Nam always showed its solidarity with the fraternal people of Cambodia and Laos. They fought shoulder to shoulder against French colonialism and US imperialism for their independence and their right to choose their own path to the future, not dictated by foreign powers.

Our world is neither heaven nor hell, it is the reality we live in. The Cambodia of my childhood is an idyllic place which now only exists in my memory. But I cherish those memories of peace and happiness. At least I have them and they are precious to me. But what about children who only know the horrors of war, occupation, exile? What happens to their minds, their hearts, their souls?

The most fundamental human right is the right to live in peace, to not be bombed, occupied, terrorised. Those who violate this fundamental right, in the name of abstract concepts or geo-political interests  and we know exactly who they are  are the true war criminals. They must be stopped. But who can stop them? That is a question all of us should ponder.VNS

Hanoi, 13 May, 2017.
Tallgrass center

hosts field days

CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center will demonstrate the practical use of prairie on working farms at field days slated for June 20 and June 22.

The field days will focus on the applied use of prairie for water-quality improvement efforts and pollinator habitat. Discussion topics include stand evaluation, first- and second-year maintenance and weed control, and site-specific seed mix design. Additionally, research results comparing mowed and no-mow plots along with three different seed mixes will be shared.

Luze Farm Corp. will host the June 20 field day from 9 to 11 a.m. Participants should meet at the Luze farm, located at 5718 12th Ave., Dysart. Morning refreshments will be served.

Those attending the June 22 field day will meet at the Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farm Borlaug Learning Center, located at 3327 290th St., Nashua. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and will include a complimentary meal.

Field days are free and open to the public. Producers, landowners, farm managers, technical service providers, conservation agencies and professionals, and those interested in learning more about the benefits of prairie on working farms are encouraged to attend.

Participants planning to attend can preregister by contacting Ashley Kittle at 273-3828 or ashley.kittle@uni.edu by June 16.

HR award given

to area group

CEDAR FALLS  The Society for Human Resource Management awarded Cedar Valley SHRM its EXCEL Platinum Award for the chapters accomplishments in 2016.

The award recognizes accomplishments and strategic activities and initiatives that enhance the human resources profession.

NuCara acquires

Hammer medical

CONRAD -- NuCara Pharmacy & Home Medical, headquartered in Conrad, entered into an agreement to acquire Hammer Medical Supply.

NuCara entered into the home medical equipment and supply business in 1981 and Hammer Medical Supply in 1976.

Terry Flatt, executive vice president, who has been with the company for 31 years, will stay on as a stockholder and will assume the position of CEO of Hammer. Hammer Medical Supply will maintain its nine central Iowa locations under the Hammer name.

With the addition of the Hammer Medical Supply locations, NuCara now owns and operates more than 30 pharmacies and medical equipment & supply locations in five states.

Tractor Supply

donates to 4-H

WATERLOO -- 4-H youth from across Iowa will have opportunities to learn life skills this summer due to more than $825,000 donated by Tractor Supply Co. customers earlier this year.

Between April 26 and May 7, Waterloo-area Tractor Supply stores hosted a Paper Clover fundraiser to help send thousands of 4-H youth to county-level development programs, camps and leadership conferences.

The Paper Clover Campaign will return to Iowa Tractor Supply Company stores this fall from Oct. 4-15. Customers can participate in the 2017 Fall Paper Clover Campaign by purchasing paper clovers for $1 or more at checkout.

Credit union

donates to camp

CEDAR RAPIDS  Collins Community Credit Union, with a branch in Cedar Falls, presented a check for $1,835 to Camp Courageous, located in Monticello on May 21.

Through participation in the "Casual for a Cause" campaign and Community Action Committee, Collins employees are able to enroll in a $5 payroll deduction plan to wear jeans every Friday. These monies are then donated to organizations.
RICEVILLE  For the past 36 years, Bob Noble has seen many changes in cattle feeding and the beef industry as a whole.

The industry, he believes, is a noble profession.

Not every morning, but doing chores on Christmas morning is almost a religious experience, because you know you are taking care of nature and providing for humans, he said.

Bob, his wife, Jayne, and their three children live on the farm where Bob was raised west of Riceville.

The Nobles have fed cattle on the farmstead for the past 36 years. My dad, Harlan, was a general farmer with different types of livestock including milk cows, Noble said. The last 20 years Dad fed cattle.

Prior to returning to his home farm, Noble, who graduated from Oklahoma State, worked at one of the huge Monfort cattle feeding facilities near Greeley, Colo., which finished out about a 100,000 head of fat cattle a year.

In 1981, he returned home and began farming near Riceville. He is District 5 director of the Iowa Cattlemens Association and is a voting delegate for the Iowa Cattlemens Association on the marketing committee for the National Cattlemen Beef Association.

Over the years, he said obvious changes of technology include feeding with implants, additives and distiller products from ethanol plants.

In the 1960s, Noble said Iowa was the top cattle feeding state in the country, until the Russian corn deal in the 1970s.

Cattle feeding operations then moved to the higher plains and southwest, where Noble said producers used milo and sorghum to fatten their beef.

During that period, Noble said Iowa fell to 11th in the nation in beef production, but now its coming back because of the distillers byproduct. Iowa is now ranked fourth or fifth in the nation, according to Noble.

Distillers grain has brought cattle feeding back to Iowa, and packing plants are moving back, too, he said.

In the Corn Belt, Noble said one of the biggest problems for the cattle industry is public industry.

He feels livestock producers have been demonized because of some reports of animal abuse.

Most people do a very good job of taking care of livestock, he said.

To offset that, Noble said producers need to get their stories to consumers.

Noble once participated with a small packing company that labeled each carcass so customers could pull up an app to see the story of the cattle farmers who produced the beef. A restaurant owner told Noble the unique service impressed his clientele.

Marketing beef and buying replacement cattle has also changed, Noble said.

Packing company buyers used to travel from farm to farm looking for cattle to purchase, but today Noble uses a marketing service. When Noble is ready to sell cattle, the service is contacted and the representative works with various packing companies, striking the deal between the producer and the company.

When Noble looks for replacement feeders, he uses the same service. The marketing agent, who is in contact with cow-calf operations, will find the size and condition of cattle Noble requests and sets up delivery dates and times. Though the marketing service costs, Noble said it saves lots of time and travel.

Due to modern record keeping, the Beef Quality Assurance Program can visit farms to verify drug records, evaluate how cattle is handled, observe pen conditions and check for good animal husbandry.

It links the producer with the public, and puts a face to the steak they consume, he said.

While current U.S. trade talks with China seem promising, Noble cautioned China is resistant to using a non-hormone growth promoter, which is common in U.S. beef production. Noble said that is a major problem in exporting beef to China.

Noble said he is also concerned whether the government will continue to allocate funding for the Foreign Animal Disease Program. Bio-security is a big issue, Noble said.
CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls High School students had worked for weeks to redesign a metal step stool.

Junior Graham Carter and senior Kabeer Bhatia estimated they were about a third of the way through the project, which they had done using a computer-assisted design program. They had two weeks left before the deadline.

Were going in the right direction, theres just some things we need to fix, said Bhatia.

It was more than a grade in an engineering class that was at stake, though. They were completing the project for Kryton Engineered Metals, a business in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park.

The students are enrolled in the Center for Advanced Professional Studies, a career program launched by the school in January. They are among 13 students who attend CAPS at Viking Pumps downtown headquarters during a three-period afternoon block.

The concurrent course earns three high school credits and five Hawkeye Community College credits. The credits will transfer to the state universities as electives.

Cedar Falls is part of a nine-state network of about two dozen CAPS programs, a concept created in 2008 by the Blue Valley School District of Overland Park, Kan. Curriculum for the Cedar Falls program was developed in collaboration with Hawkeye and participating business. A total of 13 businesses are involved this year.

The business partners provided a variety of projects for the students to work on. Staff from some companies came and spoke to students or served as mentors on their projects. Kryton engineer Brett Clikeman mentored Bhatia and Carter.

We had a project that was on our actual job list that I thought might be suitable, he said, of the step stool redesign.

They wanted us to make it cheaper. They were losing money on it, said Carter. The company also wanted the stool to be more aesthetically pleasing, he added.

There were a lot of welds on it, said Bhatia. The stool, designed to be attached to an industrial machine, also needed to support more weight.

More than two months later, their design work was finished and a prototype had been built by the company.

They are go-getters, Clikeman said of the pair. They actually went through all the steps that I would go through in a project. I let them fail at certain things that I knew they would fail at just so they get to know the process.

On Tuesday, the students presented that final product to a Kryton customer.

The results were good enough that we are having them present it to a customer from the East Coast, Clikeman said prior to the meeting. I have fairly high hopes that it will be a green light.

Engineering was the only CAPS strand in Cedar Falls Community Schools inaugural year of the program.

We have a heavy slant toward engineering and the computer science end of things, said teacher Ethan Wiechmann. Still, he added, the big piece about this is the soft skills  like problem solving and team work. Those are needed in any profession.

Two students worked on a computerized job applicant tracking system for Omega Cabinets in Waterloo.

They took ownership of the project and really were able to wrap their heads around what I needed, said Kyle Roed, a human resources manager with the company. The students helped me understand some capabilities of technology to streamline that process.

Senior Bailey Butz, one of the students who worked on the Omega project, appreciates CAPS for the change it provides from the regular class schedule.

I like the fact that we meet outside of school in a professional setting, she said. Its more freedom, its more relaxed.

Butz also liked that they traded in their school-issued Chromebook computers for HP laptops, which provided more software capabilities for the students projects. We barely had any technology before, and now we have Photoshop, she said.

Grant funds through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa allowed for the computer purchases. The funds also help pay for a business liaison who makes connections to partner companies.

Prior to the Omega project, Butz and another student worked on photographing each class member for LinkedIn social media profiles.

Junior Griffin Unruh, one of three students building and programming a three-dimensional printer for Viking, said the experience of working on a project and facing a deadline was valuable for him. Help with creating that LinkedIn profile and a resume was another important aspect, along with the connections hes making to people in the business world.

I want to go somewhere into the business side of things, Unruh said, like sales or business administration. Hes also considering information technology as a possible career field. Unruh wanted to get involved in CAPS because anything with a professional background will be helpful when it comes to being accepted by a college, thats how I look at it.

Josh Schmidt, human resources director at Viking, predicted programs like CAPS will be important to cultivating the work force they and other local companies need. Along with hosting the program and providing projects, about a dozen employees have been involved with mentoring and speaking to the students.

I would say in retrospect its gone better than we expected, Schmidt said of the companys involvement. It has enhanced our culture here.

The students bring a fresh energy to our building every day, Schmidt added. Its provided opportunities for our employees to have an impact beyond their normal day-to-day duties.

For next year, 66 Cedar Falls students and nine Waterloo Community Schools students have enrolled in what will be three program strands with the addition of communication design and teacher education. Engineering will enroll 25, communication design, 26, and teacher education, 24. The district is working with Hawkeye on curriculum for both of the new programs as well as the University of Northern Iowa on teacher education.

Wiechmann said three more instructors have been hired for the program, which will now include a mix of morning and afternoon sessions. The Mill Race co-working space downtown will host the communication design strand and UNIs Schindler Education Center will host the teacher education strand.

Dan Conrad, the districts director of secondary education, expects the engineering course to be more focused on that subject next year while the communication design course could encompass computer science and information technology.

We wont really know until we get some projects on the books with our local businesses, he said. Were still working out the details with Hawkeye Community College in regards to college credit for the communication design and teacher education programs.

Clikeman said Kryton is planning to continue participating in the program.

I think it provides value to the community and it provides value to the company, he said, so who loses?

Meanwhile, Bhatia and Carter gained practical experience in design and engineering.

Im pretty proud of the work that they did, said Clikeman. They did a great job.

Weeks earlier, the students acknowledged they would feel some pride, too, if the customer does buy the redesigned step stool.

A lot of juniors and seniors in our school, they wouldnt get a chance to do this, said Bhatia. Its pretty unique.

Editor's note: A correction was made to this story May 31, 2017.
NAMI program set for June 6

WATERLOO  Kay Froehner will speak about Practicing Mindfulness as a Coping Strategy in a NAMI program from 7 to 8 p.m. June 6 at First Congregational Church, 608 W. Fourth St.

Froehner has a masters degree in nursing and educational psychology. She is a nurse educator and associate professor at Allen College, where she teaches mental health nursing.

NAMI Black Hawk County is dedicated to improving the lives of all people affected by mental illness. For more information, call 235-5263 or email namibh@qwestoffice.net.

Fundraising dinner planned

FREDERICKSBURG  The Fredericksburg United Methodist Church will have a beef noodle and chicken noodle Dairy Day dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 7, beginning right after the morning parade.

Cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 10 and free for those 5 and younger.

The meal also includes salad and dessert bars, rolls and beverages.

Proceeds from the dinner will go to the We Care fund, a community fund available to those in need.

Program to host presentations

WATERLOO  The Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Agings Elder Abuse Prevention and Awareness program will host four presentations throughout Northeast Iowa to raise awareness about financial exploitation of seniors.

Andrew Cederdahl, attorney for Iowa Legal Aid, will present information about financial exploitation, what to look for, what to do about exploitation and legal rights.

Presentations are set for:

Waterloo  10:30 a.m. June 9 at the Waterloo Senior Center, 2101 Kimball Ave.

Decorah  10:45 a.m. June 15 at Winneshiek County Senior Center, 806 River St.

Cedar Falls  11 a.m. June 27 at Cedar Falls Senior Center, 528 Main St.

There is no cost to attend. Reserve a spot by calling Shelby Bennett at 287-1181 or (866) 468-7887 or email sbennett@nei3a.org.

Church will host community meal

WATERLOO  First Baptist Church, West Fourth and Baltimore, will host a free community meal from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the church social hall.

Parking is available in the church parking lot. Call the church with any questions at 234-1537.

The free meal is held the last Wednesday of every month.
CEDAR FALLS  Twins tend to captivate, perhaps because the phenomenon occurs in less than 3.5 percent of births.

Cedar Falls High Schools Class of 2017 boasts nine sets of twins.

Being a twin comes with tons of questions, said Matthew Poppens, 19. He and his twin, Megan Poppens, 19, graduate today.

People ask this a lot: Whats it like to be a twin? I dont know; I only know what its like to be a twin. I dont know what its like to not be a twin, Matthew explained.

The number of graduating classes with multiple multiples has grown in recent years. In 2011, Valley High School in West Des Moines had 16 sets of twins, tying for the Guinness World Record for the most in the same grade. Highcrest (Ill.,) Middle School later took the title when it enrolled 24 sets in one grade.

Some have told Megan Poppens her class should have found a way to beat the twins record.

The bad thing is that Peet contributed none  not one set of twins  to our graduating class, she said, laughing. Thats been a long-standing joke.

The uptick in twins is due to birth trends, according to a 2017 National Center for Health Statistics report. Twin births increased 76 percent between 1980 and 2009. NCHS attributes this to more older women having children, which increases the likelihood of twins.

Of Cedar Falls graduating twins, four sets started kindergarten at Hansen Elementary School in 2004: the Poppens, Christian and Carina Hansen, Bekah and Tim Bass and Sara and Nathan Hoy.

Before this group, Hansen teachers said the most twins theyd had in one grade had been two sets.

A news story referred to the group as built-in pals. It was an accurate description, said Bekah Bass, 18.

Being a twin, you always had a friend to play with, she said. With (the other twins) at our school, we had a group who understood.

Christian Hansen, 18, was oblivious to the early media attention, as was his twin, Carina Hansen, 18.

We were so young then, I dont really remember a lot about it, said Carina. I remember (posing for) pictures, not questions the reporter asked.

Tim Bass, 18, said the twins frequently played together in those days. They enjoyed and appreciated being part of the group.

Once the twins reached seventh grade, they moved to Holmes Junior High School. Like many students, each twin developed friendships and identities beyond the those from early childhood.

(Junior high) was when we were split up into separate classes and different social groups, said Bekah. That happened with all the kids from Hansen, not just the twins. We all still talk to each other. Its just not like it was when we were in elementary school.

They still took comfort in seeing other Hansen twins in Holmes hallways.

It does feel different, said Christian. It feels like were closer  like we know them more.

While being known as a twin or singled out as part of the special Hansen group wasnt always desirable, Carina now cherishes the labels.

Being a twin was always such a part of my identity, she explained. With a twin, you have someone to go through everything with you, and that makes you closer to someone else whos a twin.

Sara Hoy, 18, added that the Hansen group may be especially close because they are all boy-girl twins. Of the remaining twins in their graduating class, three sets are same-sex fraternal twins and two sets are identical twins.

Another special bond these twins share is none have other siblings.

This is especially significant as they graduate, said Kim Cross, mother of Christian and Carina Hansen. For her, its important to share this milestone with the Hansen twins and their parents.

For all of us couples, this is it, said Cross. None of us parents have any more kids at home. This whole weekend, Ill probably be crying.

The twins started their last year of high school with at least vague plans about whats next. Most had considered venturing off to college alone.

By the time commencement drew near, they had firmed up school decisions. Six will attend college with a Hansen twin, four with their own sibling.

Nathan Hoy, 18, and Carina will strike out alone. Nathan is the state 400-meter hurdles champion, which netted a scholarship from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He hasnt selected a major. Carina will head to Luther College in Decorah, where shell major in biology and psychology.

Sara, Tim and Bekah will attend the University of Northern Iowa. Sara will major in social work and human services. Tim is undecided, and Bekah will major in sociology.

The remaining three are off to Iowa State University in Ames. Megan will major in kinesiology. Matthew will major in history and elementary education. Christian is undecided.

Theyre all certain commencement marks a new chapter  and a next phase in their identities as individuals.

In a lot of ways, we are going off on our own, Carina explained. Christian and I are close, and we have a lot of the same friends. But we have worked hard not to base our identity off being a twin.

Meanwhile, Sara and Nathan have different interests and social circles.

He and I havent had the same friend groups, so I dont think (the separation) will be as noticeable, she explained. It will be different, though, with him in a different state. It will be tough not having him there.

Nathan is the lone twin going to college outside Iowa, and he considered commencement weekend bittersweet.

This is it, he said, gesturing toward the other twins. It is sad  it really is.

The group looked to Friday mornings parade through Hansen as a pivotal highlight.

After commencement rehearsal, graduates loaded six buses, each destined for their respective elementary schools. With other seniors who had attended Hansen, the twins walked the schools hallways together, eliciting cheers and high-fives from teachers and current students.
Donald Trump may want to Make America Great Again but his just-proposed 2018 budget contains no plans to make rural America or the nations less fortunate great again.

In fact, according to the Trump administrations budget blueprint, American farmers, ranchers and down-on-their-luck citizens must achieve greatness with trillions less in government support so it and Congress can bestow a trillion-dollar tax cut on the already great.

Specifically, the 10-year Trump budget plan for the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposes to:

Slash crop insurance subsidies by 36 percent, or $28.1 billion, by capping subsidies at $40,000 and eliminating the Harvest Price Option, a program used across three-quarters of 2016 crop policies.

Lop $191 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a 25 percent hit aimed at reducing its 42 million beneficiaries.

Cut conservation spending by $5.7 billion.

Slice Agricultural Research Service funding 25 percent, or $360 million, and shutter 17 research centers.

Wipe out the $447-million Rural Economic Development Program.

Eliminate $263 million from the Agricultural Marketing Service to effectively shut down USDAs principle export promotion efforts, the Foreign Market Development Program and Market Access Program, just a week after USDA boss Sonny Perdue created the post of undersecretary of trade.

Require USDA to cut its discretionary budget by 21 percent, or another $4.6 billion on yet-to-be-determined program spending.

While almost everyone in Congress with a farmer or a SNAP recipient in their district  that would be 100 senators and 435 House members  declared the Trump budget dead before it sucked its second breath, its ag committee chairmen issued a fence-straddling, three-sentence joint statement that failed to mention even one USDA cut.

House ag boss K. Michael Conaway and Senate ag chief Pat Roberts, both Republicans, did rise like hungry trout to take the SNAP bait offered by the White House. Each promised to take a look at our nutrition assistance programs to ensure that they are helping the most vulnerable in our society.

Thats GOP aggie-speak for SNAP funding will be cut before we cap farm program payments or cut crop insurance subsidies, government commodity export programs, conservation efforts.

House Ranking Minority member Collin Peterson had a different take on Trumps budget proposal.

By all accounts, noted the Minnesota Democrat who is also an accountant, this budget is going nowhere on Capitol Hill, but it is still a statement of priorities and should be of concern to all rural Americans. Going down this path all but guarantees there will be no new farm bill.

Also astride that path is another massive Trump cut that would hit every rural community nearly as hard as any farm program cut: the White Houses plan to cut $800 billion in Medicaid spending.

Currently, Medicaid is the nations largest health care program with nearly one in four  or 74 million  Americans covered by it. Sixty percent of all Medicaid money goes toward care for either children or the elderly and nearly every rural nursing home and hospital depends on Medicaid payments to cover essential services that would otherwise be unavailable.

Moreover, 18 percent of all rural Americans were enrolled in Medicaid prior to the passage of Obamacare in 2010. Since then another 1.7 million rural Americans have received health care coverage under its expanded Medicaid program. That easily makes Medicaid the key lifeline between rural America and health care.

Despite these steep, program-gutting cuts to farm and rural programs  and, incredibly, the hokey, double accounting the budget proposal contains to make it balance  the administration sees its budget as a serious starting point to spending talks. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said as much May 23 when he noted Its my job to implement that plan.

In fact, no, its not.

Perdues job is to develop and implement sustainable farm and food policies to ensure all Americans have access to an abundant, safe supply of reasonably priced food and fiber.

That requires a builder, not a butcher.
Breaking news: I started this column a week before it was due and in the middle of a series of White House crises. It would have been easy to weigh in on SecurityGate, ComeyGate, TweetGate, or NameYourGate; easy, but, not very useful. Readers predisposed to liking what I write would respond favorably, and those predisposed to not liking my perspective would either ignore it or read it with disdain. I am not afraid of the latter, but it doesnt move the needle toward better discourse.

My last column was met with more controversy than most, but I stand by the premise that double-standards have infected our political system to a point where our truth is manipulated entirely by our political persuasions. Case in point: There is a large sign on 380 between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids that offers political commentary to passersby. During the Obama administration and Hillary Clintons run for president, the sign was consistently a vindictive statement about how they are liars, or crooked and destroying America. Today, in the midst of President Trumps highly questionable actions and statements, the sign is a message supporting the presidents refrain for American greatness.

There is nothing wrong with making that statement, but it reveals the sign makers can turn a blind eye to Trumps behavior, even if it contradicts what they stand for. That is partisanship, pure and simple. Without question, if former President Obama had slipped up in conversation with Russian diplomats regarding intelligence, the sign would have been a call for impeachment (at the very least).

And Ill cop to this: I offered an example of a right-wing bias only. Why? It isnt because left-wing bias doesnt exist, but I dont notice it as often. Thats my bias. If we want to truly establish American greatness we must begin to unravel our double-standards.

I dont want this column to simply be a retread of that premise; I want to build a bridge that we can cross together regardless of political differences. There is good coming from all of this. There is agreement evidenced as Trump supporters, Trump haters, Democrats, Republicans, independents, Christians and non-Christians have all drawn a line. People are saying, whether they agree on the solutions or not, that they have had enough; enough bureaucracy, corporatism, cronyism, enough of being disenfranchised by a system that is supposed to represent us.

One of the reasons I supported Bernie Sanders aligned with a reason many people supported Donald Trump; it wasnt an alignment of ideology (obviously), but we were all demanding a reset to remind Washington they work for us. That is what tells me that if we can overcome our own contradictions and cognitive dissonance a bridge can be built.

It doesnt mean that well see the world, this country or this state the same way, but it means we can embrace the fact we are all in this together.

And thats how we carve the path to a greater America.
This Memorial Day weekend, Iowans will gather at backyard barbecues with friends and family and celebrate the beginning of summer. It is important we do so, because one of the ways we sustain the American dream is by living it. Equally important, however, is that we take the time to recognize the weekends intended purpose  to commemorate service members and families who sacrificed their lives, or their loved ones, in defense of our freedom.

Since the mid-19th century, Iowas sons, daughters, neighbors and friends have donned our countrys uniform and traveled to far-away places to fight in support of American interests, sometimes never to return. They have served with distinction as soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and coast guardsmen in each of our nations conflicts, from the Civil War to the war on terror. Stories of Iowans bravery, selflessness and heroism are interwoven throughout Americas military history.

During World War II, the five Fighting Sullivans, brothers from Waterloo, fought bravely at Guadalcanal only to be killed tragically after their ship was struck by a torpedo near the Solomon Islands. Today, the Iowa Veterans Museum bears their name, as does an operational U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer.

In Korea, Army Sgt. First Class Junior D. Edwards from Indianola distinguished himself for intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty by three times charging an enemy machine gun firing at his platoon. On the third charge, he silenced the gun with grenades, saving his fellow soldiers, but suffered mortal wounds himself. For his actions, he posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

While flying a B-57 bomber on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War, Air Force Col. Donald E. Paxton of Cedar Rapids was shot down. He was missing in action for four years and presumed dead in 1973. Colonel Paxtons remains were not returned to the United States until 2000. He now rests in Arlington National Cemetery.

These stories remind us of the sacrifices Iowans have made in foreign lands for more than a century to help pave the way for peace and prosperity here at home. Still, our world remains a dangerous place. An aggressive Russia, expanding China, nuclear North Korea, nefarious Iran and relentless terror networks continue to threaten global stability. In President Ronald Reagans words, I dont have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world.

Another rare commodity is gallantry. Yet, generations of Iowans continue to put their countrymens lives ahead of their own in order to preserve that gift of freedom. As Army PFC Katie Soenksen observed, Being deployed is one of the hardest things to do. But being here makes me realize how good we have it in America. Katie, a soldier from Davenport, was just 19 years old when she was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan 10 years ago this month.

Every service member lost leaves behind a grieving parent, child, sibling, spouse or friend. These family members never forget. Neither do the uniformed comrades who served alongside the fallen. It is military tradition to set a missing man table at formal events. The table setting is symbolic  a single red rose signifying bloodshed, a slice of lemon for the bitter fate of the missing, salt sprinkled on the bread plate representative of families tears and a single empty chair for those who cannot join. We do this in remembrance of the price others have paid so that we may live in their stead.

So on this Memorial Day weekend, I hope you will enjoy spending time with loved ones. But, also take a pause. Remember those who gave their lives and remember their families. We can all be thankful for their sacrifices and grateful for the freedom and the future they have provided us.
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.
archives 11 Sep - 18 Sep (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (3) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (3) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (2) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (4) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (2) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (3) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (3) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (1) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (3) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (4) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (1) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (3) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (2) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (1) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (1) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (1) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (3) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (1) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (3) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (1) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (3) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (1) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (1) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (4) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (3) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (1) 30 May - 6 Jun (2) 23 May - 30 May (4) 2 May - 9 May (3) 25 Apr - 2 May (4) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (2) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (4) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (2) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (2) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (1) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (1) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (6) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (1) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (1) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (3) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (1) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (4) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (1) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (1) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (4) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (4) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (5) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (2) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (7) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (2) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (4) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (4) 31 May - 7 Jun (3) 24 May - 31 May (2) 17 May - 24 May (1) 10 May - 17 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (1) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (1) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (1) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (3) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 1 Mar (2) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (3) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (1) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (2) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (2) 5 Jan - 12 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (2) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (1) 27 Oct - 3 Nov (1) 6 Oct - 13 Oct (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (2) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (4) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (1) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (2) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (8) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (5) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (3) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (3) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (4) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (2) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (1) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (5) 26 May - 2 Jun (1) 19 May - 26 May (6) 12 May - 19 May (1) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (3) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (1) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (3) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (6) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (5) 10 Mar - 17 Mar (1) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (3) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (2) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (5) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (3) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (2) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (3) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (1) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (3) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (2) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (2) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (2) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (1) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (4) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (5) 7 Oct - 14 Oct (2) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (1) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (1) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (4) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (1) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (1) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (4) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (6) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (2) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (1) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (3) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (4) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (1) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (1) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (3) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (5) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (3) 27 May - 3 Jun (5) 20 May - 27 May (6) 13 May - 20 May (6) 6 May - 13 May (1) 29 Apr - 6 May (5) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (4) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (6) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (4) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (4) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (3) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (3) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (3) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (4) 25 Feb - 4 Mar (3) 18 Feb - 25 Feb (1) 11 Feb - 18 Feb (4) 4 Feb - 11 Feb (5) 28 Jan - 4 Feb (6) 21 Jan - 28 Jan (1) 14 Jan - 21 Jan (4) 7 Jan - 14 Jan (2) 31 Dec - 7 Jan (7) 24 Dec - 31 Dec (2) 17 Dec - 24 Dec (3) 10 Dec - 17 Dec (1) 3 Dec - 10 Dec (4) 26 Nov - 3 Dec (3) 19 Nov - 26 Nov (2) 12 Nov - 19 Nov (1) 5 Nov - 12 Nov (4) 22 Oct - 29 Oct (3) 15 Oct - 22 Oct (4) 8 Oct - 15 Oct (4) 1 Oct - 8 Oct (1) 10 Sep - 17 Sep (2) 3 Sep - 10 Sep (2) 27 Aug - 3 Sep (1) 20 Aug - 27 Aug (6) 6 Aug - 13 Aug (4) 30 Jul - 6 Aug (1) 23 Jul - 30 Jul (5) 16 Jul - 23 Jul (3) 9 Jul - 16 Jul (5) 25 Jun - 2 Jul (5) 18 Jun - 25 Jun (2) 11 Jun - 18 Jun (6) 4 Jun - 11 Jun (1) 28 May - 4 Jun (5) 21 May - 28 May (2) 14 May - 21 May (4) 7 May - 14 May (4) 30 Apr - 7 May (4) 23 Apr - 30 Apr (3) 16 Apr - 23 Apr (3) 9 Apr - 16 Apr (1) 2 Apr - 9 Apr (3) 26 Mar - 2 Apr (2) 19 Mar - 26 Mar (3) 12 Mar - 19 Mar (3) 5 Mar - 12 Mar (2) 26 Feb - 5 Mar (3) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (2) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (2) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (6) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (5) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (1) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (8) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (7) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (4) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (3) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (3) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (4) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (2) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (1) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (1) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (1) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (1) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (2) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (1) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (2) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (1) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (4) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (2) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (6) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (6) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (6) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (4) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (5) 29 May - 5 Jun (1) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (1) 8 May - 15 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (5) 24 Apr - 1 May (1) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (2) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (3) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (2) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (2) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (4) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (1) 28 Feb - 6 Mar (2) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (1) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (3) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (2) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (3) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (1) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (1) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (1) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (2) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (2) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (2) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (1) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (5) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (2) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (2) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (1) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (4) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (3) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (1) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (5) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (6) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (1) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (2) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (1) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (5) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (6) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (4) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (5) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (2) 31 May - 7 Jun (5) 24 May - 31 May (3) 17 May - 24 May (5) 10 May - 17 May (3) 3 May - 10 May (1) 26 Apr - 3 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (5) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (5) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (2) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (1) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (5) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (9) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (6) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (10) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (5) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (5) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (2) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (1) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (4) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (1) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (3) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (3) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (3) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (4) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (2) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (3) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (3) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (3) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (5) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (3) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (8) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (6) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (3) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (5) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (4) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (1) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (4) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (1) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (2) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (2) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (7) 3 Aug - 10 Aug (3) 27 Jul - 3 Aug (3) 20 Jul - 27 Jul (3) 13 Jul - 20 Jul (4) 6 Jul - 13 Jul (1) 29 Jun - 6 Jul (5) 22 Jun - 29 Jun (2) 15 Jun - 22 Jun (4) 8 Jun - 15 Jun (2) 1 Jun - 8 Jun (2) 25 May - 1 Jun (8) 18 May - 25 May (4) 11 May - 18 May (1) 4 May - 11 May (3) 27 Apr - 4 May (4) 20 Apr - 27 Apr (2) 13 Apr - 20 Apr (6) 6 Apr - 13 Apr (2) 23 Mar - 30 Mar (4) 16 Mar - 23 Mar (2) 9 Mar - 16 Mar (2) 2 Mar - 9 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 2 Mar (2) 16 Feb - 23 Feb (1) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (6) 2 Feb - 9 Feb (1) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (2) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (1) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 22 Dec - 29 Dec (2) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (2) 1 Dec - 8 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (4) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (4) 10 Nov - 17 Nov (1) 3 Nov - 10 Nov (4) 20 Oct - 27 Oct (2) 13 Oct - 20 Oct (4) 29 Sep - 6 Oct (1) 22 Sep - 29 Sep (2) 15 Sep - 22 Sep (3) 8 Sep - 15 Sep (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (6) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (7) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (9) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (6) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (4) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (3) 21 Jul - 28 Jul (8) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (4) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (5) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (8) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (8) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (7) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (7) 26 May - 2 Jun (8) 19 May - 26 May (7) 12 May - 19 May (5) 5 May - 12 May (5) 28 Apr - 5 May (11) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (6) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (5) 7 Apr - 14 Apr (6) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (7) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (4) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (4) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (6) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (3) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (3) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (5) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (3) 27 Jan - 3 Feb (6) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (1) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (6) 6 Jan - 13 Jan (2) 30 Dec - 6 Jan (2) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (1) 16 Dec - 23 Dec (3) 9 Dec - 16 Dec (2) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (1) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (3) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (5) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (2) 28 Oct - 4 Nov (6) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (9) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (9) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (4) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (2) 16 Sep - 23 Sep (2) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (6) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (3) 26 Aug - 2 Sep (3) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (3) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (7) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (4) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (8) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (7) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (7) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (7) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (7) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (9) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (10) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (7) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (10) 27 May - 3 Jun (6) 20 May - 27 May (8) 13 May - 20 May (8) 6 May - 13 May (11) 29 Apr - 6 May (6) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (8) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (5) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (11) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (5) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (9) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (9) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (8) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (8) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (7) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (7) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (5) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (7) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (4) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (2) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (5) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (5) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (6) 18 Dec - 25 Dec (4) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (5) 4 Dec - 11 Dec (7) 27 Nov - 4 Dec (7) 20 Nov - 27 Nov (7) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (3) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (4) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (5) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (9) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (3) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (8) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (5) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (11) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (6) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (6) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (7) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (3) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (9) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (8) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (11) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (8) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (9) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (11) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (9) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (9) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (7) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (9) 29 May - 5 Jun (5) 22 May - 29 May (8) 15 May - 22 May (9) 8 May - 15 May (4) 1 May - 8 May (6) 24 Apr - 1 May (6) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (10) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (8) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (8) 27 Mar - 3 Apr (8) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (8) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (12) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (7) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (7) 20 Feb - 27 Feb (11) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (7) 6 Feb - 13 Feb (5) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (8) 23 Jan - 30 Jan (10) 16 Jan - 23 Jan (10) 9 Jan - 16 Jan (9) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (11) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (6) 19 Dec - 26 Dec (7) 12 Dec - 19 Dec (6) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (7) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (5) 21 Nov - 28 Nov (4) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (7) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (6) 31 Oct - 7 Nov (6) 24 Oct - 31 Oct (5) 17 Oct - 24 Oct (5) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (7) 3 Oct - 10 Oct (2) 26 Sep - 3 Oct (4) 19 Sep - 26 Sep (6) 12 Sep - 19 Sep (7) 5 Sep - 12 Sep (10) 29 Aug - 5 Sep (8) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (5) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (6) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (6) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (4) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (13) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (9) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (9) 4 Jul - 11 Jul (8) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (9) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (11) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (11) 6 Jun - 13 Jun (11) 30 May - 6 Jun (9) 23 May - 30 May (23) 16 May - 23 May (12) 9 May - 16 May (12) 2 May - 9 May (10) 25 Apr - 2 May (7) 18 Apr - 25 Apr (9) 11 Apr - 18 Apr (10) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (11) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (9) 21 Mar - 28 Mar (6) 14 Mar - 21 Mar (9) 7 Mar - 14 Mar (2) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (9) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (7) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (9) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (9) 31 Jan - 7 Feb (6) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (14) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (9) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (11) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (10) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (10) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (8) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (6) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (9) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (13) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (10) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (14) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (11) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (16) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (13) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (12) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (9) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (11) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (14) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (19) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (13) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (12) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (15) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (15) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (16) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (14) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (15) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (20) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (10) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (13) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (21) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (15) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (20) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (10) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (13) 31 May - 7 Jun (13) 24 May - 31 May (13) 17 May - 24 May (15) 10 May - 17 May (16) 3 May - 10 May (11) 26 Apr - 3 May (21) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (17) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (20) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (16) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (19) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (17) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (23) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (22) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (21) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (22) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (25) 8 Feb - 15 Feb (25) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (21) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (23) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (19) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (35) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (23) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (27) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (28) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (23) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (22) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (19) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (22) 16 Nov - 23 Nov (19) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (15) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (17) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (10) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (12) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (13) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (19) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (14) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (17) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (19) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (22) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5)
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)
Rain and more rain

Grab a cup of coffee! I did and it is excellent this morning. I found a German brand of coffee on sale and it is really good. I am noticing German products appearing all over the stores. It seems that Germany no longer cares about following sanctions and are trying to garner back some lost sales in Russia. Cheap cheap cheap

Kinda just a thinking morning.

It looks like in the first week of June Sveta, Boza and I will go to the Tiny Russian Village. Sveta will stay one week, then leave for two weeks and come back for one week. Then we will come home to Moscow again

Bozas doctor goes on vacation for about a month and we will use that same period of time to go to the Tiny Russian Village. We have work to get done on Sammy the Volga, plant white lilacs, tend to the single rose plant (if alive still,) tend to our tiny pine tree, rebuild the back wall of the village home, close the village home down for the winter and let us all get fresh air and clean living

Svetochka wants Boza and I to stay the winter in Moscow and we love our little girl and will do as she wants. It is better for Boza to stay near his eye doctor and I still have lots of tests to run. I have to get a cat scan as I said in an earlier post and make sure that my brain tumor has not tried to come back. It is all good though

Want some interesting info?

I can get a CT done at my clinic I use for 7000 rubles. Okay that sounds high in number look of 7000, but convert to dollars. 7000 rubles = $123. and that varies according to the daily rate exchange

Seriously people; everyday I get shown how pathetic Americas healthcare system is cost wise. My complete healthcare is under Russian control, I just pay for my services, whereas Sveta gets it free. I am not saying that American healthcare is bad, I am saying that you pay way too much for the services provided and if you would travel the world, you would see how expensive healthcare is in America and you get the same services almost anywhere in the world

The truth is, Many times you get better service in a so called third world country! At much less cost

Dollar for dollar we are being ripped off in America

More info!

Oh and yes, the clinic is within easy walking distance to our home. Everything is within walking distance. Quality medical, quality dental and everything imaginable to buy for everyday life just around the corners. It is amazing, a world set up to ignore cars and caters to mass transit and walking as the mode of transportation

The real example of not nearby is for Boza, veterinarians are few and far between. Russians just have not gathered that their doggies need care also. Thus we have to drive to get Boza taken care of. I am telling you that if you were a veterinarian in America, you could come to Russia and make a fortune. Just like ranchers have done with beef, pork and chicken. The market is wide open for entrepreneurship in Russia and the freedom is how it use to be in America. many years ago

More info!

Russians have discovered salad dressings (or sauce as they call it.) The market has exploded with dressings for salads, steaks, chicken and what ever your fancy is. We just bought blue cheese dressing and have been using a mushroom dressing for awhile. But now they have so many flavors that I was jumping up and down for joy

10 years ago such a thing was impossible for Russians to imagine. You have sour cream and or mayo and that was that. Now the shelves are full of Russian made sauces and they are damn good

[contentcards url=http://www.nmgk.ru/en/business/consumer-foods/]

Mayonnaise no longer is the undisputed queen of sauces in Russia. Sour cream based sauces are taking over slowly but steadily. Also Russians have developed some wonderful ketchup

Well Boza had a good walk this morning.

At 6 a.m. Boza and I got up and went walking. We did not have any issues with other doggies and Boza was feeling okay. He did his doggy stuff and we came home to eat and take his medicine. He is sleeping under Svetochkas side of the bed and those two will sleep for several more hours. Svetochka is a bed bug on the weekends. She is up everyday at 6 a.m. and when a weekend comes she likes to sleep and sleep and sleep.  So does Boza. If mommy sleeps so does he

Well have a good day and I will watch it rain

WtR
CAMARILLO, CA, May 28, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County has added four new consultants to their team of 30-plus advisors providing free one-on-one consulting to local businesses to help area companies strengthen and grow their bottom line. The new advisors include Bruce Hazuka, business management; Erica Bristol, legal/compliance and intellectual property; Raja Subramoni, marketing; and Tony Alcock, entrepreneurship. The advisor services are provided through EDC-VC's Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (SBDC).



"With their business acumen and expertise in their individual fields, Bruce, Erica, Raja and Tony bring an even greater depth to our capacity for helping area businesses," said Ray Bowman, director of the SBDC of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.



Hazuka has served as a president, COO and CEO for numerous public and private companies in the healthcare and medical products sector. His experience, which spans more than 40 years, includes startups as well as established companies where he has managed manufacturing, marketing, sales, finance, and product development.



Bristol is an attorney and commercial mediator specializing in intellectual property, including copyright, trademark, trade secrets and patents. She also specializes in business contracts and transactions, and currently serves as a panel mediator for the United States District Court, Central District of California, mediating intellectual property disputes for the court. She is also a panel mediator for the Santa Barbara Superior Court and the California Association of REALTORS ' Buyer/Seller Mediation Program.



Subramoni has been a marketing professional for over 20 years and has extensive experience in brand management, product marketing and customer insights and analytics. A graduate of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, he has worked for several Fortune 500 companies including Procter & Gamble and Microsoft (Xbox) as well as T-Mobile, Sonos and REI. His specialties include technology, video games, telecommunications, B2C marketing, retail, and channel marketing.



Alcock's extensive technology experience started with 17 years at IBM where he ran IBM's West Coast strategic planning operation. Following his tenure with Big Blue, he worked with several high-tech start-up companies before founding two of his own companies and co-founding a third. In 2006, he owned and ran "YHC Magazine," a high-end monthly health publication. He recently published his first book, Life at the End of a Rope, which is borne of his experiences living aboard boats of all shapes and sizes.



The SBDC is funded by the SBA and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, jobs retained and business started. To learn more about SBDC's advisors and services, contact Alondra Gaytan at [email protected], or call 805-384-1800 or visit edc-vc.com.



EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade program, or other services available to small businesses through EDC-VC, contact Kelly Noble at [email protected] or call 805-384-1800 ext. 21 or visit edc-vc.com.



# # #
This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later!
May 28, 2017 | By Tess

Cadac Group, an information tech company that serves the Benelux region, has announced a new joint venture with Netherlands-based CAM specialist CNC Machineworks. Together, the companies will establish Cadac Group Digital Fabrication, which will consist of a new 3D printing fablab in Heerlen, The Netherlands called the Cadac Lab.

According to Cadac Group, the new Cadac Lab will have its grand opening on June 16th. At the event (which kicks off at 10am), visitors can expect to take a look at the digital design and production spaces that the center offers and will even be able to participate in hands on workshops.

The fabrication lab will be the home of numerous manufacturing technologies and processes, including a Haas VF-1 5-axis vertical machining center, a Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D printer, and extensive design tools and software.

More specifically, the fabrication lab will provide users with access to a variety of both integrated CAM systems (including Autodesk HSM and Fusion 360), as well as standalone CAM tools (such as PowerMill, PoweShape, and FeatureCAM). The Cadac Lab will also integrate systems for Internet of Things solutions, virtual and augmented reality (they cite the Microsoft Holosens, for instance), and generative design (such as Autodesk Within and Nastran).

At our head office in Heerlen, we have kitted out a workshop where our consultants and customers can try out their designs for feasibility and quality, reads the Cadac Group Digital Fabrication page.

The additive manufacturing and design lab, which has been certified as a Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC), can reportedly be rented out by companies or organizations who wish to use the facility to test their engineering parts and products using state of the art systems and technology. In this sense, the Cadac Lab is aiming to become a total solutions supplier for CAM-based mechanical engineering projects.

In addition to consulting and testing products, the Cadac Group Digital Fabrication initiative also offers training programs, as well as support for companies seeking to implement CAM and 3D printing technologies.

The grand opening of the new Cadac Lab in Heerlen will take place on June 16, 2017 and will feature a presentation by Professor dr. Jens Muller about the future of design and fabrication processes.

Cadac Group was founded 31 years ago and has specialized in the business of creating, managing, and sharing digital design information since.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

Maybe you also like:












May 28, 2017 | By Julia

While 3D printing is becoming increasingly established in the automotive industry as a valuable tool for prototyping, a growing number of car manufacturers are now looking to broaden those possibilities even further. Recently, German car company Volkswagen joined those ranks, launching a new initiative that will use 3D printing as a viable avenue for producing spare car parts.

Earlier last week, the Volkswagen Group announced a new pilot project in collaboration with the Department of Development and Technological Planning at Volkswagen AG: the goal is to produce the first sellable spare Volkswagen part exclusively using 3D printing.

The decision is particularly timely now, as many classic cars risk facing obsolescence due to irreplaceable and rapidly aging parts. Its becoming increasingly difficult to find and replace those parts, even for the original manufacturers themselves.

But according to Tobias Pape, a Purchasing Manager for classic Volkswagen parts, the solution is to be found in 3D printing, a technology which he says opens a wide range of new possibilities. 3D printing in the Volkswagen Group has been used so far only in the areas of prototype and equipment construction. Now we want to apply this internal know-how to the production of spare parts, Pape said.

In order to demonstrate and test the full capabilities of 3D printing, Pape and his team deemed that a spare part produced in this pilot project must meet three requirements: it must not be visible once installed; it must be completely safe; and it must be as small as possible.

The first piece selected was subsequently a Volkswagen Corrado adapter with leather upholstery, located between the regulator and the handle. An important yet small component, the Corrado adapter prevents the handle from damaging the interior leather lining of the door.

Reproducing this adapter was a real challenge, said Pape. Particularly because of the fine internal and external grooving, the gear requires an extreme level of precision. The highly rare piece was initially manufactured at Volkswagens Braunschweig plant, and is only as large as a 1 cent coin.

Gathering all the data, Papes colleagues at the Tooling Development department in Wolfsburg began producing prototypes with varying degrees of quality, but which retained some minor deviations. After a few solid attempts at re-adjusting and re-polishing, the result was still unsatisfactory. Finally, the team elected to taken another step back, and pre-treat the scanned data before sending it to the 3D printer.

This process is currently underway, while still incorporating diagrams of the original piece. The exact outcome remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Papes team has already learned a lot. Their biggest lesson? That carrying out series production using 3D printing technology requires, and indeed goes hand in hand with, a serious dose of classic engineering arts.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

Maybe you also like:












RSV infections spreading quickly, causing severe illness among kids

An earlier-than-normal and more virulent strain of RSV infections in South Dakota is causing severe illness in young children.
US President Donald Trumps son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former US officials said.

Those contacts included two phone calls between April and November last year, two of the sources said. By early this year, Kushner had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the

Trump campaign and the Kremlin, said two other sources  one current and one former law enforcement official.

Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynns connections with Russian officials, the two sources said.

While the FBI is investigating Kushners contacts with Russia, he is not currently a target of that investigation, the current law enforcement official said.

The new information about the two calls as well as other details uncovered by Reuters shed light on when and why Kushner first attracted FBI attention and show that his contacts with Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak were more extensive than the White House has acknowledged.

NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the presidents inner circle.

The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner did not remember any calls with Kislyak between April and November.

Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described. We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information, she said.

In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish a line of communication. Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials.

Before the election, Kislyaks undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving US-Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine how those discussions were conducted or exactly when they took place.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High 66F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low around 65F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
May 28, 2017

US President Donald Trump wrapped up his first foreign tour May 27. His most notable stop was Saudi Arabia, and his visit to the kingdom emphasized the similar visions of Washington and Riyadh. Many Muslim and Arab leaders were invited to Riyadh for a summit, which made it a significant visit that went beyond bilateral relations limited to two allies or countries sharing common objectives in the region.

A source from the Saudi Royal Court, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor that the visit and backstage talks were only part of a series of steps to remap the region and take radical measures on some issues. The source noted that Saudi Arabia is seeking to reposition itself in the region and redefine its ties, adding that the issue of Tiran and Sanafir  two Red Sea islands that Cairo ceded control of to Riyadh in April 2016  is one issue involved in this strategy.

For more than a year, Al-Monitor has been trying to find a satisfactory answer to the reason behind Saudi Arabia's asking Egypt to cede control of Tiran and Sanafir. Through Saudi sources in the Royal Court, Al-Monitor managed to connect with influential Saudi leaders and decision-makers and extract information and explanations that made the bigger picture behind this shift in Riyadhs stance in the region clearer. These connections also shed light on why the issue of Tiran and Sanafir came to a head in 2016, although it had been on the table for a long time.

The Saudi source said, The request that Riyadh gain control of Tiran and Sanafir was not a purely Saudi demand. In fact, this was an Israeli request that Saudi voiced. The source went on to explain the reasons and the link between the two islands, the Saudi changes and the Palestinian cause.

Saudi-Israeli relations are the main gateway to understanding the issue of the Tiran and Sanafir islands, the transformations in the region and the backstage deliberations over the Palestinian cause, the source added.

The source indicated that Saudi-Israeli security coordination precedes any diplomatic rapprochement, saying, The Saudi army signed a memorandum of understanding to train Saudi officers with the Israelis. The first training session in which officers participated took place in 2015 at the naval base in Haifa. Through the United States, Saudi Arabia sought Israeli cooperation to manage the [Bab el-] Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden to cut off Irans supplies to the Houthis. The source added, There are US and Israeli officers in King Faisal air base in Tabuk.

According to the same source, Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to buy and install the Iron Dome and the Hetz family of missiles through the defense manufacturing company Raytheon, which is a partner of the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. The memorandum was signed after US President Barack Obamas visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2016.

In addition to Saudis' fear of Iranian expansion in the region, there were indications of potential rapprochement and normalization of ties with Israel from former Saudi officials. This encouraged Israelis to ask Saudi Arabia to take control of Tiran and Sanafir from Egypt. Israeli officials voiced this demand to assistants of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud during the 2015 summer break he spent in the French city of Cannes.

But why is Israel suddenly interested in the two islands at this time?

The source said, Israel wants to complete control of the water in its border regions, especially those overlooking the Sinai Peninsula, following the deterioration of the situation there, and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Dead Sea project has been revived, and through it, there will be a water canal feeding the Dead Sea in Jordan from the Red Sea waters. Israel also wants to mark its territory and assert its sovereignty in this part of the territorial waters.

The source highlighted another aspect of the repercussions of transferring the control of the two islands and turning the region into an international waters zone in which Israel officially has the upper hand. A project is under study to build a railway line between Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel. He noted, This line will seemingly extend from Jordan to Israel, but covertly, it will establish better economic and trade ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Jordan is currently examining the possibility of a free trade zone between the two countries [Israel and Jordan]. Meanwhile, Israel is seriously considering building Ben Gurion canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to strengthen its ties with the Gulf countries through Saudi Arabia and to marginalize the role of the Suez Canal.

The source continued, Israel and the United States are asking to take part in controlling the two islands under alleged concerns about the deteriorating situation in Sinai, which directly threatens Israels national security. The source did not reveal the official Saudi response to this demand, but said that the Saudi intelligence apparatus does not seem to mind such a development.

The source noted that transferring control of the two islands would necessitate regional arrangements between Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan regarding the Gulf of Aqaba and the division of the Red Sea water resources, to be turned into international waters. But, first, the legal procedures must be settled. The Egyptian parliament must approve the maritime demarcation plan, which according to the source, based on Egyptian-Saudi deliberations, will not take more than a year. In April, Saudi Arabia had already reintroduced the two islands on its governmental maps.

The source tackled a final point that explains Israels insistence on Saudi Arabias regaining sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir as a requirement for its support for the kingdom and normalization of ties between them. As a matter of fact, the source said, In 2003, Egypt installed state-of-the-art surveillance techniques to track the movement of ships and naval equipment in the two islands, under the pretext of protecting its national security. When Israel expressed its disgruntlement, Egypt reiterated its claim [of protecting its national security]. When Egypt gives up the two islands, the surveillance installations will be dismantled, as it wont be concerned anymore. Al-Monitor could not get a confirmation or denial of this last point from an official Egyptian source.

Another source close to diplomatic circles in Washington and having good ties with Saudi Arabia told Al-Monitor, Trump asked Sisi for his personal suggestion about a possible reconciliation initiative between Israel and the Palestinians. In the proposal, Saudi Arabia and Egypt would draft a new agreement annexing part of the settlements to Israel, provided that Jerusalem has an independent status that Arabs and Israelis agree on. In return, Egypt would play an effective role in resolving the crisis in the Gaza Strip by cooperating with Israel. The source noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to ensure Egypt and Saudi Arabias approval, as he considers them the most influential states in the Arab and Muslim world.

The Saudi source commented on the news being circulated about a summer meeting to discuss the Palestinian cause, saying that a meeting draft has indeed been presented to some Arab states. The draft includes the names of the suggested attendees to an Arab Summit on the Palestinian cause. This would show who is ready to hold a joint summit with Netanyahu, with the participation of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II. The source emphasized the likelihood of Jerusalem presenting the biggest hurdle and complicating matters, since Jordan might not accept giving up its guardianship of the city in the new agreement. The source added that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will have to pressure Abbas to push the peace process forward and at the same time pressure Gaza.

Al-Monitors diplomatic source said that during his visit to Washington, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman met with members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee at a well-known hotel in Washington. They talked about peace with Israel, and Salman said that Saudi Arabia does not mind the Israeli presence in the region.

The source underlined that Israel wants the settlement of the strait problem and its repercussions and the Arab-Israeli diplomatic rapprochement to be part of the Palestinian cause resolution in the framework of restructuring Israeli-Arab ties, especially since the relations of Saudi Arabia and Egypt with Israel are at their best.

The source mentioned the famous Aqaba meeting held in November. During the meeting, Netanyahu clearly talked about reviving the land exchange process as a solution to the Palestinian problem. The source noted that this is part of Israels plan to resolve the Palestinian cause once and for all and rearrange its relations with the countries in the region.
May 27, 2017

Iran, Russia move closer over Syria safe zones proposal

Hamidreza Azizi explains that the Russian proposal for de-escalation or safe zones in Syria is not only the best approach for Moscow and Tehran to preserve their core interests in the country, but it could also act as a factor that brings the two countries even closer together.

Most critical to Iran, according to Azizi, is that the proposal legitimates Irans military presence in Syria. Since one of the key positions of both the Syrian opposition and its foreign backers has been objection to Irans military presence in Syria, the international aspect of the May 4 agreement and the fact that it names Iran as one of the peacekeepers could justify the presence of Iranian troops in Syria on the international stage. This is, in fact, the main reason behind the Syrian oppositions objection to any Iranian role in the process, Azizi writes.

By seizing the opportunity to play an active role in establishing and monitoring the de-escalation zones, Azizi continues, Tehran could enhance its international posture, proving that, as it has persistently declared, it is genuinely committed to preserving the cease-fire and facilitating the political process. Through this, the path would be paved for Iran to have an active role in any future political process on Syria.

The de-escalation zones, if effectively implemented, would also preserve Irans strategic access to Hezbollah in Lebanon, reduce the military costs of the conflict and provide a check on Turkish actions in Syria, according to Azizi.

Khamenei hails "Islamic democracy"

Alireza Ramezani writes that Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis decisive re-election was also a victory for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei views a high turnout as more important than the election of any one candidate, including [Ebrahim] Raisi  a judiciary official who had no experience in government, Ramezani explains. Indeed, Khamenei is now in a win-win situation, as the high turnout could suggest that the social popularity of the Islamic Republic is still high decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. On the other hand, his seeming support for Raisi helped the conservative candidate form a strong opposition backed by 38% of voters.

Moreover, the conservatives  who had failed to reach consensus on a single presidential candidate in past elections  have found a person who is potentially able to lead a far stronger opposition, Ramezani continues. The significance of an integrated conservative opposition is better understood when considering that Reformists and moderates already control a majority of seats in parliament. It also should be noted that Reformists swept the city and village council elections, which were held concurrently with the May 19 presidential vote. They gained control of local councils in Tehran and many other major cities, ending longstanding conservative dominance of local politics.

He adds, After the release of the results of the presidential elections on May 20, Khamenei hailed in a written message the high turnout as a clear sign that 'Islamic democracy' has strong roots in the country and citizens are deeply interested in this great gift of the Lord. Notably, there was no mention of direct congratulations to Rouhani. Instead, Khamenei urged the next administration to take care of Iranian households who are most vulnerable to economic woes."

The Sinjar fault line (continued)

Attention is focused on Sinjar, where the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) are accused of working with Yazidi groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), sparking fears of a Turkish military intervention and potentially complicating US and Iraqi military planning for Mosuls liberation.

Amberin Zaman reports, The PKK presence in Sinjar dates back to August 2014, when the group rescued thousands of Yazidis under attack by IS. Their precise numbers are unknown, but roughly 400 PKK fighters are thought to be entrenched in Sinjar along with the YBS [Sinjar Resistance Units] and female fighters from YJA Star, a Kurdish all-female militia that is also linked to the PKK.

Turkey has long demanded that the PKK withdraw from its foothold in the western part of Mount Sinjar and has threatened military action if it fails to obey, she continues. On April 25, Turkey matched its words with action when Turkish jets bombed YBS targets in Sinjar but mistakenly killed five peshmergas from its top Kurdish ally, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), instead.

Zaman explains, Even partial control of Sinjar offers the PKK strategic depth inside Turkeys Kurdish-dominated borders with Iraq. It also assures direct access to northeastern Syria, where the PKKs sister organization, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), controls a large swath of territory along Turkeys border with Syria.

"It was in large part to fend off such land grabs that in December 2015 Turkey deployed hundreds of its special forces to a camp in Bashiqa near Mosul, where Turkish forces were training Sunni Arab fighters loyal to former Ninevah province Gov. Atheel Nujaifi to participate in the battle to liberate Mosul. The move sent Turkish-Iraqi relations into a tailspin but Turkey refuses to budge and, according to Iraqi Kurdish officials who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of strict anonymity, sent in more special forces in the guise of aid workers but were forced to withdraw them under US pressure.

In this complex turf war, Turkey appears to enjoy the support of Massoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region who is also the leader of the KDP. Turkish troops provide a counterweight to the PKK and the PMU, who in Barzanis mind are working together to subvert his plans for independence, Zaman adds.

Ibrahim Malazada, reporting from Erbil, explains that the Sinjar fault line contributes to tensions between Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Abadi said, The peshmerga forces are supposed to return to areas along the border of KRG-administered Iraqi Kurdistan that they controlled before the battle to liberate Mosul began last October, while the rest of Ninevah province, including Yazidi areas, is to be liberated by Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, however, the KRG insists on the peshmerga liberating Kurdish areas in northern Iraq, including Yazidi ones.  [R]egional disputes with historical baggage as well as regional interferences point to the difficulty that Erbil and Baghdad will reach mutually acceptable understandings in the future. This makes a military clash between the parties a possibility down the line.

As for Washington, The United States has meanwhile weighed in using its influence over Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to get him to withdraw financial support for the YBS. At the same time, it helped persuade Haydar Shesho, the leader of an independent Yazidi militia, to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). But Washington has failed to deliver on pledges of financial and other support to Shesho and some of his fighters are now reportedly defecting to the YBS and the Shiite militias. In a further setback, Baghdad is said to have put the YBS back on its payroll, Zaman reported.

Egypt bans 21 media websites

Shahira Amin reports this week on the Egyptian governments ban on 21 media websites, including Al Jazeera, for supporting terrorism.

The action against Al Jazeera followed false statements about Iran and Israel attributed to the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, which Qatars foreign minister has attributed to a hostile media campaign.

Amin writes that while the majority of the websites blocked by Egypt are pro-Muslim Brotherhood news sites and were either founded by members of the outlawed Islamist group or are funded by Qatar, with which Egypt is at odds over the Gulf states sympathetic views toward ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. However, at least one of the blocked websites  the privately owned Mada Masr news platform  is neither linked to Islamists nor sponsored by the enemy Gulf state. Mada Masr is an Egyptian independent news portal founded in mid-2013 by a group of liberal journalists who formerly worked for Egypt Independent, an English-language newspaper that closed in April 2013. In a statement released May 25, Mada Masr informed readers that they could access the website through proxies and cached copies, defiantly vowing to continue to publish through existing platforms as well as our website.
May 25, 2017

There was a sigh of relief across European Union member states when Emmanuel Macron was declared the next president of France on May 7. The wave of right-wing anti-globalization and anti-EU that began with the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and continued with the election of Donald Trump as US president was stopped by the French electorate. The 39-year-old French centrist politician, a former member of the socialist government and who was the most pro-EU candidate, marched to his victory speech at the Louvre Museum to the tune of the EU anthem.

For the first time since the election of Francois Hollande in 2012, France was hailed in liberal circles across the world and by all governments interested in EU continued stability. Yet there were two noteworthy exceptions. Trump was probably not overjoyed on Macrons victory; only two weeks before the French election he tweeted that extreme right National Front Marine Le Pen was the strongest candidate on immigration and French border topics. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preferred a Macron victory over Le Pen, a candidate whose party has anti-Semitic roots, but according to a senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, Jerusalem is concerned with a strong French president espousing foreign policy ambitions who may want to set in motion a new French initiative on a two-state solution.

Following the May 20-23 Trump visit to the region, it is clear to Israel that the quartet framework of the EU, United States, United Nations and Russia will not be renewed. In fact, EU leadership in Brussels considers itself as part of the victorious side in these French elections and is planning to fortify a more independent European foreign policy in the weeks to come. A senior official close to Federica Mogherini, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, told Al-Monitor that Mogherini is in contact with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to advance a strong common European foreign policy on several files. The new man at the Quai dOrsay is an old hand on French security and foreign affairs. He served as Hollandes minister of defense, and he was very much in favor of a forceful and ambitious French intervention with the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS). In this context, he enjoys good relations with the leaders of the pragmatic Arab countries  Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. He particularly enjoys a close relationship with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

As Cabinet minister, Macron backed the two Paris conferences for a two-state solution and the French policy on the illegality of Israeli settlements. According to the EU official, Mogherini discussed with Macron the revival of these EU policies, especially now that the United States is proceeding on the Israeli-Palestinian issue with very little coordination with Europe. In his first speech as president, Macron emphasized Frances leading role in Europe and the world. He is a fervent supporter of globalization and therefore in favor of collective diplomacy.

A senior adviser to the French president on economic affairs told Al-Monitor that Macron, who to him is a brilliant operational conceptualist, will with time surprise the world with French initiatives on the Middle East. On foreign policy, Macron will want to be the world leader on climate change. These ambitions were reflected at the May 27 G-7 meeting in Italy, where he attempted to convince Trump not to abandon the Paris COP21 climate agreement.

According to Macrons adviser, the presidents first priority in the Middle East is the fight against IS and radical Islam and to strengthen civil society in Iraq and Syria. Another Macron priority is the unity of Lebanon, restraining Hezbollahs ambitions to fully control the country. The French president will also focus on upholding the Iran nuclear deal. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Macron aspires to engage with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, on a two-state solution based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and opposing the expansion of settlements.

Macron emphasized these views on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in a meeting he had in September 2015 with late Israeli President Shimon Peres. According to a former Peres adviser who was present at the meeting, Macron emphasized to Peres that he perceives himself as a staunch friend of Israel, he strongly opposes the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, and for Israels sake, favors a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines.
May 27, 2017

If every criminal has a back story, the horrific terror attack that happened May 22 in Manchester, England, was preceded by a sordid mystery novel combining depression, social ostracization, radicalization and multigenerational hate  exactly the kind of story the Islamic State (IS) seeks to prey upon and publicize.

As the investigation into British-born Libyan suicide bomber Salman Abedi continues, the question of whether Abedi was acting alone or affiliated with a larger scheme likely holds the key to unlocking his motivations and the geostrategic significance of his act. Was his crime motivated by his gang connections, his social marginalization or his familys long history within Libyas tight-knit activist Salafi movements? Abedis back story may represent a unique combination of these elements, but it fits firmly within a similar pastiche of other young people who, due to personal predilections and psychological problems on the one hand and familial and social connections on the other, fall easily into the radical Islamist milieu.

IS media was quick to claim responsibility for the attack, but there is scant evidence that Abedi was acting on IS' direct orders. That is not how terrorism in 2017 works  millennials are the me generation, prone to doing things their own way. IS is capitalizing on their initiative. While Abedis bomb-making technique matches IS trademark methods in previous attacks, the complexity of its construction, including a backup triggering mechanism, exceeds those of the past. In short, Abedi did not seem to be a novice making a bomb by following a YouTube video tutorial. This should come as no surprise given his multiple trips back and forth to Libya  where his family is widely associated with the Salafi jihadi movement. His trips provided ample opportunity for such advanced training and the ability to operationalize his prior contacts in Manchester.

Abedis parents fled to the UK as refugees in the 1990s after his father, Ramadan Abedi, was accused of membership in the anti-Moammar Gadhafi and al-Qaeda aligned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a claim buttressed by former Libyan security officer Abdel Basit Haroum and Ramadans reported close friendship with prominent LIFG leader Sami al-Saadi. The Abedis, like many other LIFG and Muslim Brotherhood members, fled to northern England as refugees, settling in a close-knit Libyan community south of Manchester in Fallowfield, where many prominent militants have hailed from, including Abd al-Baset Azzouz, a bomb-making expert known to lead an al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist network encompassing up to 300 militants in eastern Libya. The Fallowfield reputation for harboring terrorists did not end when many LIFG members, including Ramadan Abedi, returned to Libya to fight against Gadhafi in the 2011 Arab Spring, taking advantage of Britains relaxed travel policies to and from Libya. While Salman Abedis father and most of the family returned to Libya in a suburb of Tripoli, Salman and his brothers, Hashem and Ismail, remained in Manchester ostensibly to finish university.

Lacking parental supervision in Manchester, Abedi did not maximize the educational opportunities presented to him, completing only two years of classes in business management at Salford University before dropping out. Classmates recall a remarkably different Abedi than his rigid Salafi upbringing would suggest. They noted that he used to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana and was involved in a gang. During this time, a young man who was close to Salman and Hashem was stabbed in the neck for crossing into a rival gangs territory. A family friend in Manchester recalled that the two brothers, thick as thieves themselves, saw the murder as an act of anti-Muslim sentiment, possibly leading them to seek revenge and refuge in extremism. This belief was certainly an indication of their worldview: believing that true Muslims are constantly persecuted for their beliefs. It is mirrored in Abedis fathers view that his son is innocent and that his family is now being singled out for persecution due to its rigorous religious observance. Furthermore, the close relationships that hold together underground networks of terrorists are natural substitutes for the sense of belonging and fraternity in gang membership that appeals to young people such as Abedi and his younger brother Hashem.

Abedis classmates noticed an abrupt change in behavior that seemed to coincide with his return from a trip to Libya just prior to his leaving university; Abedi adopted Islamic dress, lost touch with former friends and devoted himself to religion. People at both his school and his mosque identified him as a potential threat after he voiced positive opinions on suicide bombings. These sudden personality shifts and pendulum-like swings between extremes are frequent characteristics of terrorists and indicate a level of mental and emotional instability and detachment from reality that frequently paves the road for manic and extreme behavior.

Abedis radicalization and his execution of the attack was likely facilitated by others in his community, and in Libya, even if he did not completely confide his intentions to his companions. The southern Manchester area where he resided has produced known IS operatives and recruiters, some of whom lived less than a mile from the Abedi brothers  attending the same local Didsbury Mosque, where Abedis father used to occasionally lead prayers. In particular, security sources are investigating Abedis relationship with two IS recruiters, Amir Khalil Raoufi and Raphael Hostay, both killed in Syria in the past three years and hailing from the same neighborhood.

Since the arena bombing, another male from the neighborhood has been arrested. German intelligence revealed that Abedi passed through known hot spots of extremism, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt, twice since 2014 and may have traveled to Syria, where it is alleged that he received paramilitary training. Proof of Abedis ties to an international IS network entrenched within Libya and the UK and with a history of connections to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan demonstrate that IS emerged from the seeds planted by previous waves of jihadi movements. IS is not a new phenomenon; it merely reconnects existing jihadi networks in a new way. This is crucial to remember as despite recent military setbacks for IS in the Levant and in the Libyan city of Sirte, the movement is able to fall back upon its base  pre-existing jihadi networks.

Although American airpower was reasonably effective in helping Misratan militiamen push IS out of Sirte in December, there is no doubt that IS has regrouped in pockets of Libyas ungoverned space and that Libyan territory constitutes the most easily accessible training ground for an attack against Europe or European interests, such as oil and tourism in Tunisia and Algeria. Such attacks took place in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and all were masterminded in Libya. If reports from the pro-unity government Rada brigade anti-terrorism force claiming that Hashem confessed his allegiance to IS and was conscious of his brothers plans are verified, this attack should be seen as a deadly warning for those who believe the battle against IS will be won with a traditional counterterror approach of bombs and targeted killings.

The communication between Tripoli and Manchester certainly provided the young men with a level of training and coordination that emboldened a 22-year-old to execute such a massacre and remain undetected throughout the planning phases. With such established networks linking northern England to Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, all it takes is one disgruntled young person, the internet and a passport to inflict worlds of suffering upon the West. These networks are even easier to activate when IS draws upon individuals already within the jihadi community  such as Abedi.

Those who support military-only solutions to the war on terror should be wary that for every IS militant killed in Libya, there are dozens of susceptible recruits and individuals already within the jihadi milieu reachable online and willing to inflict violence in Europe. Hence, the geostrategic significance of this attack is to present an urgent need to re-evaluate the whack-a-mole way the war on terror is currently being fought. Western nations must embrace holistic intranational solutions that strengthen systems of governance in places such as Libya and empower Muslim communities in the West and Middle East to fight the religious war within Islam themselves. The Donald Trump administration would be wise to rethink its complete dismissal of Americas traditional role in international diplomacy surrounding Libya. Appointing a US special envoy tasked with mediating Libyas civil war would be a good first step.

Lydia Jabs contributed to the research and writing of this article.
An Alabama School of Fine Arts student received an award this week from PBS to conduct cancer research.

Eric Cheng was selected as one of 100 winners of the Emperor Science Award, presented by PBS LearningMedia and Stand Up To Cancer.

The program, which is in its second year, was designed as a way to encourage high school students to explore careers in science-- specifically in cancer research.

The 100 winners will conduct research either in a lab or virtually and work with a scientist on a multi-week cancer research project. They will also receive Google Chrome computers and $1,500.

A representative from PBS said Eric was selected because of her "passionate essay detailing the need to find a cure for cancer."

Sara Schapiro, Vice President of PBS Education, said: "The students selected for this year's class are leaders in their schools and communities and it is our hope that through this unique opportunity they are able to tangibly explore careers in cancer research. I wish to personally congratulate them on all they have already accomplished and am looking forward to their future success."

Scientists reviewed nearly 800 applications, which were written essays about why scientific research is important to finding a cure for cancer, and what scientific field they would study if they could.

"It is so exciting to see in these applications the passion, interest and commitment of these students to pursue cancer research," Sherry Lansing, co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer, said.

"We hope that giving these students this opportunity and support may strengthen their resolve and hone their interest so that they might possibly become the next generation of researchers who will help more cancer patients become long-term survivors...Too many of these students had already experienced cancer in their families and communities and a few are cancer survivors themselves," she said.

Stand Up to Cancer is a program of a larger nonprofit organization aimed at raising money for research and making new therapies available to patients.

Winners of the award will also have the opportunity to enter the contest again next year.
The Birmingham Public Library spent $4,435 on a six-month national search for a new library director that resulted in no one being hired.

No outside search firm was conducted to perform the search, according to responses to a public records request to the library system from AL.com. The director would have been paid $127,192.

The search, which began in September 2016, netted three finalists who were interviewed by the Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees on March 14. The public was invited the meet the finalists at a gathering at the central library on March 13.

Board members have declined requests for additional information on why no one was hired, and when a new search will begin.

In a previous statement to AL.com, board President Georgia Morgan Blair, said: "The board was not able to reach a decision on the director and has decided to reopen the search."

The three finalists for directer were:

- Aaron Bluitt, who currently serves as the managing librarian of the Austin (Texas) Public Library. Bluitt has extensive experience in management and administration of library services, programs, personnel, and facilities. He has held positions at Duke University, the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, San Antonio Community College, Dallas Public Library, Austin Public Library, Oklahoma Metropolitan Library, and the Hawaii State Public Libraries.

Bluitt has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston, a master's of library science from the University of North Texas and a law degree from St. Mary's University.

- Sandra "Sandi" Vick Lee currently serves as interim director of the Birmingham Public Library. She has worked for the library system for 23 years. Lee began her career as a storyteller in the Children's Department at the Springville Road Regional Branch Library. She advanced to the Center Library to serve as the head of the children's department and public services coordinator. She also served as the eastern region and adult services coordinator before being named deputy director in the fall of 2015.

Lee earned a bachelor's degree from UAB and a master's of library and information studies degree from the University of Alabama.

- Lambert C. Shell serves as the director of the Roosevelt Public Library in Roosevelt, N.Y. His library career began as the youth counselor for the Queens Borough Public Library, where he also served as coordinator of youth enrichment service, director of programs and services.

Shell holds a bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of Bridgeport, and obtained a master's degree in library and information science from Long Island University at Post in Brookville, NY. Shell earned a doctorate in humane letters from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Conn.

The Birmingham Public Library is funded by the city of Birmingham. The library receives state aid on a per capita basis and grants from the federal government.
A Jefferson County sheriff's deputy is in the hospital after he was attacked by dogs while on duty.

The attack happened Wednesday in the 100 block of 16th Terrace N.E., said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. The deputy, identified by multiple Facebook posts asking for prayers as Deputy Ric Lindley, was sent to a home there to check on the welfare of a teen who had skipped school. The mother told deputies she had dropped her son off at school, but had seen him return home on a security camera.

Lindley knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. He went to the back of the home where he encountered two large dogs who attacked him, Christian said Sunday. He suffered bites to his legs and arms. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. The dogs were taken to be tested for rabies.

On Saturday, Lindley was admitted to the hospital again after developing an infection with a fever as high as 103. According to Facebook posts by family, he is expected to remain hospitalized for four to five days and an infectious disease specialist has been called in to evaluate the deputy.

Just two years ago, Lindley captured hearts across the U.S. when he was photographed holding a baby girl following a traffic crash on Interstate 20 near Leeds.

Within hours, the photo was shared thousands of times on social media, and made its way all the way to Hawaii. The photo reached more than 561,000 people on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page alone, not counting Twitter.

The former U.S. Army Green Beret said at the time he didn't understand the fuss. "I'm just a man. I'm not better or worse than anyone else,'' he told AL.com. "I'm just a Dad and a grandfather. That's about it."
A woman was airlifted to UAB Hospital Saturday night after she was shot in the head in Blount County.

The Blount County Sheriff's Office and rescue workers responded about 7 p.m. to the Jack's restaurant in Blountsville, said sheriff's Operations Officer Tim Kent. The victim, a white female in her 20s, bailed from a car in front of the restaurant and first responders found her with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

"She was awake, coherent and talking when she left,'' Kent said. A sheriff's investigator is en route to the Birmingham hospital to try to further speak with her.

Kent said investigators believe the shooting happened in Cleveland, and that it was drug-related. The victim was in the vehicle with the suspected shooter, and then escaped from that vehicle. He fled the scene.

The suspect was last seen driving northbound on Highway 79. Deputies have been to several homes to try to find him and the search remains active. "We theorize he got out of the area, but it will be just a matter of time before we have him,'' Kent said.

Though the victim was alert when she left the scene, Kent said they have not yet obtained an updated condition. This story will be updated if more information is released.
Authorities in Mississippi say a suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes Saturday night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto. The area is about 68 miles south of Jackson, the capital.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

It was not clear whether the suspect knew his victims before allegedly killing them.
Briefly after the revolution, Libya experienced a period of calm before it was plunged yet again into another conflict.

This week, fighting erupted between rival militias in Tripoli, shattering a period of calm that lasted since March. The UN-backed government lost more than 50 fighters.

Also, Egyptian air force planes continue to strike camps near Derna, in east Libya. The air strikes were a response to a deadly attack against Christians in Egypt that took place last Friday. The Egyptian president claims that the area hosts terrorist camps.

There are three rival governments vying for control of Libya. There are two governments in Tripoli. One of them is the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has struggled to exert authority following the 2015 peace deal. This is mainly due to the refusal of authorities controlling eastern Libya to recognise the GNA as Libyas official government.

Here is a breakdown of how Libya got to this point moving from a promising transitional government to a state of ongoing conflict.

The Uprising

Buoyed by the other revolts in neighbouring Arab countries such as Tunisia and Egypt, Libyas popular uprising against the authoritarian rule of Muammar Gaddafi began in February 2011.

What started off as protests against Gaddafis rule quickly descended into an armed conflict as security forces, loyal to Gaddafi, clashed with protesters, using warplanes to bomb them.

As protests entered their second week, almost 300 civilians were reported to have been killed.

The increasing number of civilian casualties led the United Nations to pass a resolution that designated Libya a no-fly zone. The resolution also called for the protection of civilians by any means necessary.

On March 31, NATO began carrying out air strikes as a result of the UNs proposal to protect civilians.

After the conclusion of the operation, a UN report found that 60 civilians were killed by NATO air strikes and 55 wounded. The report also states that NATO did not carry thorough investigations regarding air raids that killed civilians.

Libya, a country of about 6.4 million people, is mainly made up of Arab and Berber ethnicities. There are also nomadic tribes to the south, such as the Tuareg and Tebu tribes.

The country was ruled by Gaddafi for 42 years, making him the longest-reigning leader in the Arab world. He came to power in 1969 after a bloodless coup against Libyas King Idris I.

Libyas economy was heavily dependent on its crude oil industry. Before the popular uprising, the country produced around 1.6 million barrels a day. After the popular uprising, oil production plummeted to zero, but rose up again after the first elections.

However, when the conflict flared up again in 2014, oil production fell, especially after rival militias started fighting over key oil facilities. As of early 2017, Libya produces around 700,000 barrels a day, according to the National Oil Corp.

The countrys GDP was heavily reliant on Libyas oil industry, so it drastically fell after the uprising.





Eight months after the uprising, the internationally recognised National Transition Council of Libya, largely comprising loosely organised local armed groups that sprang up in towns such as Beneghazi and Misrata as a governing authority for the uprising, announced the liberation of Libya.

However, Libyans were soon frustrated with the interim governments failure to act.

The NTC had promised to fulfill a long list of needs, including a functioning justice system, a reconciliation process for officials who served the old administration, the disarming of militia, building functional national security forces, rebuilding destroyed areas and delivering basic services such as healthcare.

A great component of their failure was the stagnation of Libyas economy following the removal of Gaddafi. International advisers and foreign investors were reluctant to return to an environment where the government would not sign long-term agreements and could not guarantee security.

By July 2012, 2.7 million people registered to vote in Libyas first free election. The General National Congress (GNC) replaced the NTC after the elections.

Benghazi US Consulate Attack

In September 2012, a heavily armed group stormed the US Special Mission in Benghazi, and killed US Ambassador J Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Following the attack, the US and Britain withdrew some diplomatic staff from Libya, amid security concerns over a flare-up in political unrest.

TIMELINE: Three years after Libyas uprising

Elections of 2014

Frustration against the GNC was exacerbated by its refusal to step down after the mandate for their rule expired. Thousands of Libyans protested in Tripoli and Benghazi, demanding the interim government step down as promised.

GNC members had extended the mandate to provide a special assembly with time to write a new constitution, which they claimed was imperative to a stable Libya.

Libyas second elections since the popular uprising were marred by violence. The voter turnout was low. Instead of voting for parties, Libyans voted for members of parliament in an attempt to ease tensions.

The GNC handed power over to the newly elected House of Representatives (HoR), while a battle raged in Tripois airport. Libya could have stabilised after the popular uprising if the government didnt split into rivalling factions, said Nizar Krikshi, a Libyan political analyst.

With [General Khalifa] Haftars operation dignity, it became obvious that armed forces would be used to resolve the rivalry between the different political parties, Krikshi told Al Jazeera.

Who is Khalifa Haftar?

In May 2014, General Khalifa Haftar, a military defector from Gaddafis era, launched his campaign, Operation Dignity, claiming to protect Libya from terrorists. Forces loyal to Haftar fought against armed groups in Benghazi, and took over the strategic Libyan city.

Haftar defected to the US in the late 1980s. He returned to Libya after the downfall of Gaddafi and is currently fighting other forces for the control of Libya.

In the lead up to his operation, Haftar garnered support from local tribes and businessmen. He gathered former soldiers of the Libyan army to beef up his armed forces, and appealed to foreign support presenting himself as a key to Libyas stability, according to the International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT).

Some viewed his operation as an attempted coup similar to the one Abdel Fattah el-Sisi carried out in Egypt in July 2013.





The violence spread to Tripoli, where the newly formed Libya Dawn coalition, led by armed groups from Misrata and their allies, fought against Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) at the capitals international airport.

Armed groups from Zintan, who had controlled the airport since 2011, also took part in the clashes over the airport. Libya Dawn then gained control of the airport and Tripoli.

This victory set the tone for two opposing governments in Libya.

The GNC was reinstated in Tripoli while the elected HoR moved to the eastern city of Tobruk.

However, in November 2014, the Libyan Supreme Court ruled that the HoR was unconstitutional after the court found that the committee behind the election law violated Libyas provisional constitution.





Unifying Libyas two governments

A UN peace deal, the Skhirat agreement, was signed in December 2015 and attempted to broker peace in the country by proposing a unified government.

The deal put together a six-point plan to end the conflict. It proposed a one-year transitional period during which they could decide on issues such as disarmament, control of the countrys airports and the writing of a constitution.

At the time it was signed, a presidential council was expected to lead during the transitional period. The planned government was made up of a nine-member presidential council called the General National Accord (GNA), the elected HoR, and a State Council to serve as consultative chamber.

It fell on the presidential council to name a new government within a month, which a UN Security Council resolution promised to endorse.

A unified government was also seen as a way to end the rising threat of Islamic State group ISIL, also known as ISIS, in Libya. Western officials stated that the priority following the political agreement was to rebuild a national army to fight ISIL.

Who controls Libyas oil crescent?

A few months after Libyas tentative steps towards peace, Haftar and his armed forces launched a second offensive and took over key oil ports in mid-September 2016.

His forces fought off guards to gain control of the oil terminals at Ras Lanuf, Al-Sidra and Zuwaytania, and they finally secured Brega unopposed.

It was the first time Haftars forces, as well as fighters loyal to the GNA, clashed directly since the unity government started working in Tripoli in March. Haftars control of the oil ports is widely seen as a trump card for political negotiations.

Previously, the oil ports were controlled by the Petroleum Facilities Guard, an armed group led by Ibrahim Jathran and loyal to the Tripoli-based government.

Earlier this year, the Benghazi Brigade, an armed group formed of fighters exiled from Benghazi after Haftar seized control of it, took over two of the oil ports on their fight back to Benghazi.

The armed group managed to hold on to the ports for only a short period before Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) recaptured them.

INTERACTIVE: The Battle for Libyas Oil

The armed group managed to hold on to the ports only for a short period before Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) recaptured them.

The back and forth is an extension of the two-year military campaign Haftar has been fighting with his LNA forces against armed groups in Benghazi and elsewhere in the east.

The latest fighting around the terminals raised the prospect of a new escalation of violence and put at risk a sharp boost to Libyas oil production achieved after the LNA took over four ports in September, ending a blockade at three of them.

Though Es Sider and Ras Lanuf have been reopened for exports, they were badly damaged in past fighting and are operating well below capacity. Oil is Libyas key asset, and revenue from crude exports is vital if the GNA is to rebuild the economy and infrastructure of the North African nation.

Currently, there are two National Oil Councils (NOC), one created by the government in eastern Libya and based in Benghazi, and the other one in Tripoli. The NOC in Benghazi has attempted to gain control over oil operations but remains unsuccessful.

Haftars Allies

Haftar has sought out regional and international allies since he entered Libyas main political stage. Recently, he was seen with Russian officials, which spurred speculation about the possibility of Russias presence in Libya.

When Haftar briefly lost two strategic oil ports to rival armed forces, news reports suggested that Russia deployed private military contractors to facilities near Benghazi. However, this was denied by all parties involved.

While Russia increases its support for Haftar, other foreign sponsors have already provided outright military help or political assistance for the general. Relying on Egypt, the UAE and France, Haftar succeeded in creating a stalemate that has gradually eroded the UN-backed governments chances of controlling the country.

What are Libyas key armed Groups?

The Libyan National Army: Haftars armed forces, the Libyan National Army, also position themselves as the official armed forces of the elected House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk. It is reportedly made up of mercenaries and militias, along with military men from Gaddafis era.

The parliament in Tobruk gave Haftars army legitimacy, which is a crisis because during Gaddafis era, there wasnt a functioning institutional army, so the idea that Libya has a national army is not valid, Krikshi explained.

The Benghazi Brigade: Fighters exiled from Benghazi after it fell to Haftar in 2014 formed the Benghazi Brigade in 2016. Their declared goal is returning to Benghazi, so they continuously clash with Haftars forces. They recently captured two oil ports on their way to Benghazi, but quickly lost them to the LNA.

Previously, the oil ports were under the command of the Petroleum Facilities Guard. They took over the countrys main oil facilities in 2013 and attempted to sell oil, which according to the European Council on Foreign Relations cost Libya billions in lost revenue. They lost the oil ports to the LNA in 2016.





The Libya Dawn Alliance: This alliance fought Haftars forces and Zintan fighters in Tripoli during Operation Dignity in 2014. The group, which was made of different fighters including ones from Misrata, fractured soon after owing to internal tensions.

Al Bunyan Al Marsous: Misrata fighters make up the largest part of Bunyan Al Marsous, the coalition of armed forces that fought ISIL. Hundreds of them died before they declared victory in Sirte late 2016.

The proliferation of weapons in Libya and the different militias negate the existence of politically legitimate institutions that could run the country, Krikshi said, in reference to the abundance of different warring factions in the country.

The militias in Libya, even though they each belong to a different arm of government, only fight for their own agenda at the end of the day.

What happened in Derna?

On Saturday, Egyptian air force planes carried out six air strikes at camps near Derna, in the east, in response to a deadly attack against Christians in Egypt. The Egyptian president claimed that the area hosted terrorist camps. However, Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed reported that sources on the ground say that only civilian properties like houses, farms and vehicles have been damaged.

In the past two years, the Egyptian air force has carried out several strikes on Derna, notably in February 2015 and March 2016, which killed women and children.

While rival factions battled over the government, ISIL seized the opportunity to expand in Libya.

Derna was home to Libyan fighters returning from Syria who later formed ISIL in 2014.

The catalyst for the formation of ISIL was the return of fighters from Syria to Derna in 2014, according to a research paper issued by the Carnegie Middle East Center in March 2015.

Other armed groups coalesced around the returned fighters, who called themselves the Islamic Youth Shura Council.

They also launched high-profile attacks, such as the suicide bombing at the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli in January 2015 and public mass executions, such as the propaganda video purportedly showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians on what was believed to be a beach in Sirte.

The ISIL-affiliated faction then started to expand west. They arrived in the coastal town of Sirte on February 2015, where they paraded around in vehicles declaring allegiance to ISIL.

The coastal city of Sirte, about 450km east of Tripoli, is the hometown of former leader Muammar Gaddafis tribe. Since the 2011 uprising, residents of Sirte have felt angry and marginalised  especially Gaddafis tribe members whose relatives were killed and whose homes were ransacked.

READ MORE: How serious is the ISIL threat in Libya?

Sirte becomes the first stronghold that ISIL totally controls outside Iraq and Syria, and was reportedly home to the groups strongest presence within Libya.

Sirte is also geographically significant, with a seaport offering access to southern Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.

In May 2016, Pro-GNA forces began a campaign against ISIL in Sirte. A few months later, the US launched air strikes at the behest of the GNA. After seven months of fighting and hundreds of casualties, Sirte was retaken by GNA forces in December 2016.

ISIL fighters are still thought to be present in several parts of southern and eastern Libya but no longer control any towns.

Migrant Crisis

The end of Gaddafis rule also meant the end of his security apparatus, which previously controlled trafficking routes through Libya.

Following the 2011 uprising, security has disintegrated and warring militias now operate along the long and porous desert and sea borders, making money by ferrying humans, gasoline, food, drugs and weapons.

Owing to Libyas political divisions and the floundering economy, there are no facilities and desert patrols to tackle trafficking networks. There are also no funds for Libyas coastguard to monitor sea crossings.

More than 150,000 people crossed through Libya in each of the past three years.

Libyas proximity to the Italian island of Lampedusa and the closing of the EU-Turkey border has increased the flow of migrants entering Europe via the Libyan coast.

READ MORE: EU roadmap for Libya to stem flow of sea migrants

This year, around 26,886 migrants have crossed to Italy, over 7,000 more than during the same period in 2016. Since 2014, an estimated 11,221 people have drowned while taking the central Mediterranean route.

Recently, EU leaders agreed on a controversial new plan to stem the flow of migrants though Libya. They decided to give 200m euros ($215m) to Libyas fragile government, so that it could increase efforts to stop migrant boats in the countrys territorial waters.

The plan also includes a promise from the EU to help set up safe refugee camps in Libya and assist refugees willing to return to their countries of origin.

Aid groups opposed the plan, saying it ignores the political reality in Libya, where the UN-backed government has only a partial hold on the country.





Libya is not a safe place and blocking people in the country or returning them to Libya makes a mockery of the EUs so-called fundamental values of human dignity and rule of law, said Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF), which works in camps there.

Recently, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that African migrants were being sold in Sabha, one of Libyas smuggling hubs. The International Criminal Court has also decided to examine the possibility of an investigation into these markets.

Migrants are sold for $200 or $500 and are held on average for two to three months, Othman Belbeisi, head of the IOMs Libya mission, said in Geneva.

Migrants are being sold in the market as a commodity, he said. Selling human beings is becoming a trend among smugglers as the smuggling networks in Libya are becoming stronger and stronger.

READ MORE: Refugee child abuse rampant in Libya  UNICEF

What is the situation today?

By 2016, a revised national unity government was installed. The 2015 negotiations suffered delays owing to opposing factions, who still refuse to sign on the proposed government.

The council that reached the agreement is made up of nine members from Libyas rival factions and headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister-designate.

After the political reshuffling, Libyas current key players include the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Sarraj and based in Tripoli. The GNA includes the presidential council and since March 2016 has controlled ministries and government facilities in the capital.

The State Council, the advisory body of the GNA, is led by Abdulrahman Sewehli. Under the 2015 peace deal, some decisions are supposed to be agreed upon by both council and the HoR, which is supposed to serve as the unity governments legislative body.





However, the HoR in Tobruk refuses to recognise the cabinet put forth by the presidential council and continues to rule its eastern stronghold. It is also allied with Haftar and his Libyan National Army, which also rules from Marj in the east.

Recently, Libyas foreign minister announced at a news conference that Haftar will be appointed commander-in-chief of the Libyan army, on the condition that he accept the GNA as the governing authority.

The announcement was made a week after Haftar and Serraj met in Abu Dhabi. The meeting was intended to broker peace between the rival authorities, but no concrete document came out of the rare face-to-face conference.

However, both Serraj and Haftar released statements after the meeting promising to work together to end the conflcit in Libya.

Shortly after the meeting, 141 people were killed in an attack at an airbase in southern Libya that targeted armed groups loyal to Haftar. The attack could further escalate ongoing clashes in the south, as different militias and tribes vie for control of the smuggling routes.

The assembly tasked with writing the constitution has not yet completed the preliminary draft owing to constant setbacks.

The conflict in Libya could be traced back to the parallel governments of Tripoli and Tobruk, even all the talks of ideological clashes and tribal rivalry are just an extension of the different governments vying for power, Krikshi explained.
Ramallah  A recent plea deal for an Israeli police officer who killed a Palestinian teenager has highlighted a broader policy of leniency in Israel for offences committed against Palestinians, analysts say.

The police, the army, the investigative units, the public attorney and the judiciary are all in concert protecting each other  They see Arabs, whether an Arab citizen [of Israel] or Arab [in Palestine], as the enemy, lawyer and human rights activist Yamen Zeidan told Al Jazeera. We do not bet on the integrity of the judicial system, but that doesnt mean that we will stand with our arms crossed.

Israeli police officer Ben Deri  who shot and killed 17-year-old Palestinian teenager Nadim Nuwara in May 2014  was freed from house arrest in January after a surprise plea deal between the office of the Israeli public prosecutor and Deris lawyer. Under the plea deal, Deri will only face negligent murder and aggravated assault charges, instead of the initial charge of second-degree murder.

The victims family is now contesting the deal at Israels High Court, as it was reached without their knowledge, violating the states victim protection act. The court will hear arguments on May 29.

It is my duty towards my son to do all I can [to bring justice] and to have no regrets that I didnt do enough, Siam Nuwara, Nadims father, told Al Jazeera. I want to expose Israels charade courts and I want to exhaust all local court proceedings before going to international courts.

READ MORE: Israeli army among worlds child rights violators

The Nuwara familys lawyer, Feras Assali, said the charges against Deri were lowered amid intense public and political pressure spurred in part by the trial of Elor Azaria, the Israeli soldier who shot and killed an incapacitated Palestinian in the city of Hebron last year. Some Israelis have called for Azaria to be pardoned.

Nuwara expressed interest in eventually bringing his own sons case before a global forum, such as the International Criminal Court.

I began making contacts with international lawyers from abroad, and we are gathering data and evidence to present to the United Nations because these are our kids  we are doing this for our kids, he said. We are taking this step to prevent Israeli soldiers from killing our children.

Deri was honourably discharged from the Israeli police force in October 2014, without any disciplinary action taken against him.





Assali said that he does not believe the High Court will ultimately quash the plea deal, but the family members are nonetheless determined to present their arguments.

We will raise the victim protection act, which prohibits the discussion of a deal without the consent of the victims family, he told Al Jazeera, noting that he will argue the public prosecutor signed the plea deal under political pressure and a charged public atmosphere.

The Israeli chief prosecutor of the Jerusalem district did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment. According to Assali, the public prosecutors office justified the deal by stating that there was not enough data to support that Deri had fired his weapon with intent to inflict a fatal wound.

We are taking this step to prevent Israeli soldiers from killing our children. by Siam Nuwara, father of Nadim Nuwara, killed in 2014

An autopsy revealed that Nadim died from a single bullet wound to the chest. Defence lawyer Tzion Amir said that his client mistakenly fired a live round when he was thought he was firing a rubber-coated steel bullet.

However, Assali has rejected this argument, noting that it was not technically possible, as rubber-coated bullets would require a special gun attachment. He also cited evidence that at least three Palestinians were hit with real bullets during the same Nakba Day protest in the village of Beitunia. Nadim did not pose a threat at the time, Assali said.

The plea deal for Deri highlights a wide-ranging policy of leniency in the Israeli justice system with regards to offences committed by Israelis against Palestinians, experts note.

Human rights group BTSelem notes that Israel, with the exception of the Azaria case, has not investigated any cases since September 2015 in which Palestinians were killed in relation to stabbings or alleged stabbings. More than 300 Palestinians have been killed since a fresh wave of violence erupted in late 2015.

Data published by BTSelem on Palestinian civilian fatalities as a result of Israeli army operations between April 2011 and December 2015, meanwhile, showed that of 121 Palestinian fatalities, there was only one indictment and one conviction.

READ MORE: Report slams Israels military law enforcement system

Israel has also been criticised for showing leniency in cases of settler violence; one infamous example is the case of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, the Palestinian teenager who was kidnapped and burned alive in July of 2014. The Israeli perpetrators were eventually put on trial and convicted of murder, but when the victims family demanded that Israel demolish the homes of his killers  a policy that is standard practice for Palestinian attackers  the state rejected the motion, claiming it was an isolated incident rather than collective violence.





Hussein Abu Khdeir, the victims father, told Al Jazeera that in his motion to the court, he cited dozens of attacks committed by Israelis against Palestinians, pointing to a culture of incitement in Israeli society against Palestinians. The burning of the Dawabsheh family home in the summer of 2015 was another grim example.

The scope of human rights abuses committed by Israelis against Palestinians is alarming, human rights groups say.

Nisreen Alyan, an advocate with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, noted that it was very difficult to obtain indictments against Israeli officers because of the challenges in obtaining evidence from the police or the army. The situation is very difficult; the victim has to gather evidence and to do the follow-up, Alyan told Al Jazeera.

The Israeli NGO Yesh Din says that as many as one-third of Palestinian victims opt not to file complaints because they do not trust the Israeli police to carry out a thorough investigation.

And last year, BTSelem announced that it would no longer cooperate with Israels military law enforcement system because after 28 years of filing complaints, nothing has changed, BTSelem researcher Karim Jubran told Al Jazeera.
As the BJP government completes three years in office, Al Jazeera looks at the progress made so far.

In May 2014, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power under the leadership of Narendra Modi, with the promise of development for all.

Modi promised employment to millions of youth who join the job market every year, and to end corruption.

In the past three years, more jobs have been lost than created, while the rise of far-right Hindu nationalists poses a danger to the unity of this diverse nation of 1.3 billion people.

Did Modi deliver on his promises? Al Jazeera takes a look at the progress made in certain key sectors.

India spends a little under three percent of the GDP on education, according to the World Bank data. Although there are still about 300 million people illiterate, government expenditure on education has historically remained low. Countries such as Brazil and South Africa have spent at least six percent of their GDP on education since 2014.

According to the Indian Labour Ministry data, about one million people enter the workforce every year.

Prime Minister Modi had promised to create 10 million jobs in five years.

Job creation has crashed down to 135,000 during 2015-16, from 421,000 in 2013-14  the last year of the previous government.

Healthcare

India currently ranks 154 among 195 countries in the Healthcare Index [PDF]. Public health expenditure has remained stagnant at 1 percent. The doctor-patient ratio in India was about 1 to 1,700 in 2015, according to a report by the Medical Council of India [PDF].

Per capita health expenditure

The government expenditure on health remains low. As per World Bank estimates, the per capita healthcare expenditure in India is about $60. This sum is paltry when compared with indicators in 2014 from China (around $400) or Brazil (around $1,000).

Economic growth

According to World Bank estimates, Indias GDP has steadily increased over a decade, but income inequality has been rising rapidly.

The richest 1 percent of Indians own 58.4 percent of the countrys wealth, while in China 43.8 percent of the wealth is owned by the top 1 percent.

Wealth distribution

While wealth has been rising in India, the share of wealth fails to match the population share. According to the Global Wealth Report 2016, published by Credit Suisse Group, 96 percent of the adult population has wealth below $10,000. On the other hand, a small fraction of the population (just 0.3 percent of adults), has wealth over $100,000, which translates to roughly 2.4 million people.

Around 70 percent of Indias population resides in rural areas, where nearly 50 percent of the total workforce is employed. Under Modi, the agricultural sector growth was only 1.7 percent, which is less than half of the sectors growth in the past three years of the previous government at 3.6 percent.

Foreign Direct Investment

In 2015, India attracted $44bn in foreign investment or 2.5 percent of the world FDI inflows. In terms of yearly inflows, India still ranks far behind China ($250bn), Hong Kong ($181bn), Singapore ($65bn) and the US $380bn).
Some churches are employing technology and becoming less hierarchical to try to entice and keep young members.

Seoul, South Korea  On a warm spring Sunday morning, the rows of pews inside Seoul Anglican Cathedral were nearly full with congregants singing a traditional hymn accompanied by a blaring organ.

Among the attendees was Park Hyun-jung, a simply dressed woman in her early 30s, currently taking time away from her career to raise her children, aged two and six.

Park comes from a devout Anglican family and attended church regularly while growing up in Seoul. As she entered adulthood and the challenges of completing university, finding a job and marrying came to dominate her schedule, she started going to church less often. She now only goes two or three times a year.

Im so busy trying to raise kids and manage our household. I cant find time to do everything, Park said.

Her trajectory of straying from religion in early adulthood is increasingly common among South Koreans, and is reflective of a national trend towards increasing secularism, particularly among young people.

Experts say that young South Koreans are too wrapped up in a demanding education system and job market to spend much time on religious activities.

In many South Korean cities, there are more churches than convenience stores. Around 20 percent of South Koreans identify as Protestant, the largest group in the country, followed by 15 percent who identify as Buddhists, and nearly eight percent as Catholics.

The abundance of churches is a legacy of how people turned to organised religion, mostly brought by US missionaries, for structure and guidance after the 1950-53 Korean War devastated the country and tore apart families. But according to Statistics Korea, a government body, the percentage of South Koreans identifying as having no religion rose from 47 percent in 2005 to 56 percent in 2015. This falling religiosity is especially pronounced among young adults: a poll the same year by Gallup Korea found 31 percent of South Koreans in their 20s identifying as religious, down from 46 percent 10 years earlier.

READ MORE: South Koreas first black model

Updating styles of worship

When Park does attend service, she goes to Seoul Cathedral, a 126-year-old Anglican church located on a leafy property in the centre of Seoul.

Seoul Anglican Cathedral is one of a few houses of worship that, facing down the possibility of a slide into irrelevance, are making efforts to retain their young congregants, updating teachings and holding events modelled on typical TV talk shows, where instead of just discussing scripture, young people can speak openly about personal or spiritual matters and seek support from peers and church leaders.

At Young Nak Presbyterian Church, also located in central Seoul, to help retain congregants, church officials took inspiration from a TV panel discussion show called Yoo Hee-yeols Sketchbook. Religious leaders now host informal conversation events with churchgoers, allowing them to discuss personal or theological questions.

Some have pointed to smartphones as one thing distracting young South Koreans from religious observance. With this in mind, some young South Koreans last year organised a joint prayer event they called Uprising, which aimed to get young people off their phones and into an in-person prayer gathering.

Other churches have accepted the primacy of smartphones in how young people access information. SaRang Church, one of South Koreas biggest, developed a smartphone app with a searchable Bible.

Reverend Nak-hyon Joseph Joo, 49, vice dean at Seoul Anglican Cathedral, organises programmes for young congregants. The church has roughly 3,000 members, roughly half of whom regularly attend mass.

Joo says the church is constantly working to update its teachings to be relevant for young people, and to hold gatherings specifically geared to them. Joo argues that as many long-time members age and become less active in church activities; for the church to remain vibrant, it must continuously be attracting new and younger congregants.

READ MORE: Who is Moon Jae-in, South Koreas new president?

Dismantling hierarchy

Joo drew inspiration from Theology on Tap, a practice founded in the United States, whereby churches hold lectures and discussions in informal settings, usually restaurants or bars (the tap in the name comes from the lever used to pour draught beer).

On the evening of the third Thursday of every month, Joo organises a gathering at a coffee shop, where anyone is welcome, from church congregants and their friends to curious atheists, to discuss not just theology, but personal concerns, as well as social and political issues. Usually, around 20 people attend and participate in spirited conversations, or remain quiet with their beverage, if that is what they prefer.

The church also holds a 13-week educational programme on the basics of the Christian tradition and the churchs mission for new members, roughly two-thirds of whom are in their 20s and 30s, Joo says.

On the last Sunday of every month, he holds a special mass only for young people, where he invites the participants up to the altar, the most sacred space in the church, to receive the Eucharist. During that service, Joo gives a sermon without a lectern. He says he does this to undermine any sense of hierarchy within the church.

I choose to let the younger generation into this most holy place because they are the most important people for the future of our church, Joo said. He says that these efforts have made it possible for his church to buck the trend of falling numbers of young congregants.

Francis Jae-ryong Song, a professor at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, has conducted research into the phenomenon of churches attempting to retain young congregants, and argues that churches, like so much else in South Korea, are a competitive ecosystem.

Similar to how businesses compete for customers, churches compete to attract congregants, and larger numbers of worshippers are taken as indicators of health in a church.

Song says that so far, efforts to retain young churchgoers have not been highly successful, as they have not addressed core issues that many young Koreans find unappealing.

Many Korean churches have authoritarian structures and there is no interactive or democratic communication structure. This prevents young people from participating actively in the church decision-making process, Song said.

Song adds that the types of live conversation events some churches are using are vital in allowing young members to express themselves in a language they are comfortable using.

In his research, Song described a mismatch of language of faith between generations where church leaders still used old-fashioned manners of speech which alienate young people.

WATCH  101 East: South Koreas Gender Wars (24:59)

Unemployment and scepticism

Experts say rising youth unemployment, which OECD data shows is now at its highest point in South Korea since 2000, and young people feeling beset by problems to which religion does not provide any direct solutions, are major factors in the falling numbers of young people who identify as religious.

South Korea has a time-consuming process for young job seekers. Applicants often need to sit for tests and fill out elaborate forms. According to data from the Korea Employment Information Service, South Koreans in their 20s spend an average of 111 days looking before finding a job.

Young people nowadays are caught in this long cycle of studying hard to get into university, then having to get a good job. They also have technology and many options for leisure activities. All these things have brought young people away from churches, said Andrew Eungi Kim, a professor at Korea University in Seoul.

Kim argues that South Koreans are becoming less trusting of hierarchical institutions and that turning away from religion is part of this.

Young South Koreans are far better educated than their parents and are more likely to be sceptical of the claims religious leaders make, Kim said.

Furthermore, as unemployment can carry a heavy social stigma in South Korea, unemployed young people might avoid social settings, such as the church, where they are expected to mingle.

Joo says he regularly counsels young church members, many of whom are anxious about their careers or finances.

I dont tell them what is wrong or what is right in their life, I just listen to them and try to educate them about Christian tradition, he said.

Nevertheless, more South Koreans are feeling like churches, and religion generally, dont provide answers to their most pressing needs.

We cant offer practical assistance when it comes to jobs or financial hardships. All we can do is provide emotional consolation and try to encourage harmony, Joo added.

Kim Hyun-ah, 27, took time away from her own search for a job at a large conglomerate to attend the Sunday service at Seoul Anglican Cathedral.

I just come here because its an open-minded church. I like the atmosphere, she said. Kim says she finds occasional church attendance a boost to her spirits during a challenging time.

After the service she said she was planning to move to a nearby coffee shop to resume her online job search, saying: Its good to come here sometimes, but finding a job is my real occupation. And going to church wont help me with that.
More flights cancelled a day after computer system failure disrupts BA flights from Britains two biggest airports.

British Airways has resumed some flights from Britains two biggest airports after a global computer system failure, but thousands of travellers face further chaos with about 40 flights cancelled from Londons Heathrow airport.

About one quarter of Sundays flights set to depart from Londons key hub before 1pm (12:00 GMT) were cancelled as the airline battled to contain the knock-on disruption to schedules, with aircraft and crews out of position around the world.

British Airways said it was hoping to operate a near-normal schedule of flights from Gatwick, Londons other major airport, and the majority of its Heathrow services.

More flights left Heathrow as the day wore on, but most were operating with delays. Travellers also faced hold-ups at Gatwick, but no flights were cancelled.

The airline advised passengers not to come to the two airports unless they had confirmed bookings, with disruption expected throughout the holiday weekend.

Monday is a public holiday and many children were starting a one-week school holiday.

Some passengers were curled up under blankets on the floor or sleeping slumped on luggage trolleys. Several passengers complained about a lack of information from BA representatives at the airport. Others said their luggage had been lost.

Everyone is upset. There are people in tears, said Melanie Ware, who flew in from Los Angeles and was trying to get to Venice on her honeymoon.

We rebooked for Venice for tonight, which they also have cancelled now, she told Sky News.

So we have no way of getting out of Heathrow and they havent compensated us for anything. Were stuck and this is the worst honeymoon ever.

British Airways has ruined our honeymoon.

Possible cause

BA cancelled all its flights out of Heathrow and Gatwick on Saturday after the IT failure, which shut down all of the carriers check-in and operational systems and affected call centres and its website.

We believe the root cause was a power supply issue, said Alex Cruz, chairman and chief executive of BA, adding that IT teams were working tirelessly to fix the problems.

Full refunds will be given to customers who decide they no longer wish to travel, Cruz said.

While other airlines have been hit by computer problems, the scale and length of BAs troubles were unusual.

Delta Air Lines Inc cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed many others last August after an outage hit its computer systems.

Last month, Germanys Lufthansa and Air France suffered a global system outage which briefly prevented them from boarding passengers.
Laptop ban on all flights into and out of US could be part of a new security measure, Homeland Security Secretary says.

The United States might ban laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country as part of a ramped-up effort to protect against potential security threats, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Sunday.

In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Kelly said America planned to raise the bar on airline security, including tightening screening of carry-on items.

Thats the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if its a US carrier, particularly if its full of US people.

Washington imposed restrictions, in March, on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins on flights from 10 airports.

READ MORE: The Arab airlines using Trumps bans for marketing

Kelly said the move would be part of a broader airline security effort to combat what he called a real sophisticated threat. He said no decision had been made as to the timing of any ban.

We are still following the intelligence, he said, and are in the process of defining this, but were going to raise the bar generally speaking for aviation much higher than it is now.

Airlines are concerned that a broad ban on laptops may erode customer demand. But none wants an incident aboard one of its airplanes.

Whatever comes out, well have to comply with, Oscar Munoz, chief executive officer of United Airlines, told the companys annual meeting last week.

Airlines were blindsided in January when President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning entry for 90 days to citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, sending airlines scrambling to determine who could board and who could not. The order was later blocked in the courts.

In the case of laptops, the administration is keeping the industry in the loop. Delta Air Lines said in a statement it continues to be in close contact with the US Department of Homeland Security, while Munoz applauded the administration for giving the company a heads up.

Weve had constant updates on the subject, he said. We know more than most. And again, if theres a credible threat out there, we need to make sure we take the appropriate measures.

READ MORE: Was Israel behind US laptop ban on Mideast airlines?

Among the enhanced security measures will likely be tighter screening of carry-on items to allow Transport Security Administration agents to discern problematic items in tightly stuffed bags.

Kelly said that in order to avoid paying fees for checking bags, people were stuffing them to the point where it was difficult to see through the clutter.

The more stuff is in there, the less the TSA professionals that are looking at whats in those bags through the monitors can tell whats in them.

The TSA has begun testing certain new procedures at a limited number of airports, requiring people to remove additional items from carry-on bags for separate screenings.

Asked whether the government would expand such measures nationwide, Kelly said: We might, and likely will.
Security lock-down ahead of commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhats funeral cripples life in Kashmir on first day of Ramadan.

Thousands of people on Sunday defied a strict curfew across most of Indian-administered Kashmir to attend the funeral of a top rebel commander killed by security forces.

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, a senior leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, was fatally shot on Saturday in a gun battle with government troops in his hometown of Tral.





His death sparked widespread protests and clashes in parts of Kashmir, leaving one civilian dead and dozens of others wounded.

On Sunday, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, authorities imposed strict security measures, erecting barricades in Srinagar and other cities, as well as partially cutting telephone services to thwart further protests.

Still, thousands assembled in Tral to attend Bhats burial, shouting anti-India and pro-independence slogans.

People were walking on foot to take part in the funeral, 27-year-old Abid Ahmad, who traveled from Srinagar to Tral, told Al Jazeera.

But then we took alternate routes to reach there.

Suffocating restrictions

The lockdown in the mainly Muslim region crippled life across most of Kashmir.

Srinagars central mosque remained shut and devotees were barred from offering prayers on the first day of the Ramadan fasting period.

READ MORE: Kashmir anger at India award for human shield soldier

Restrictions have been put in place today so that mobs dont gather and incite violence, Shesh Pal Vaid, a police spokesman in Srinagar, told Al Jazeera.

The situation is under control.

Authorities cut off internet mobile and calling services on Saturday, just hours after a month-long ban on 22 social media sites like Facebook and Twitter ended.

It is very suffocating to have curfew on the first day of the holy month, Parvez Ahmad, a Srinagar resident, told Al Jazeera.





The phones are blocked and mobile internet is shut. Everything is shut.

He added: Its very disturbing. We dont know what is going to happen in the next moment and how much the situation would escalate.

Last year, nearly 100 protesters were killed after Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani was killed, triggering months of anti-India protests.

READ MORE: Mirza Waheed  Violence will not end Kashmir conflict

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the Kashmir valley, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The region has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety.

Several armed rebel groups are fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir, with tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, killed in the nearly three decades-old fighting.
Benghazi-based group says it has been weakened after suffering big losses, calls others to unite and continue fighting.

Libyas Ansar al-Sharia armed group announced its own dissolution on Saturday, saying it has been weakened by fighting in Benghazi.

The group had been clashing in the eastern city with forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar.

We officially announce to everyone, especially Libyans, the dissolution of Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, the group said in a statement published online.

The decision came on the back of heavy losses that wiped out its leaders and decimated its fighters, Ansar al-Sharia said, calling on other armed groups in Benghazi to form a united front and continue fighting.

READ MORE: What is it like living in Libya these days?

Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA) intensified earlier this month an offensive to oust Ansar al-Sharia fighters from their two remaining strongholds in Benghazi.

Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli, said the groups dissolution was not a big victory for Hafthars forces, describing Ansar al-Sharia as the smallest and weakest of all the armed groups fighting against the LNA.

Ansar al-Sharia is one of the armed groups that sprung up in Benghazi, Libyas second-largest city, in the chaos following the death of ex-ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The United States blames the group for the assault on a diplomatic compound in Benghazi in 2012 which killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Ansar al-Sharia overran the city in 2014, but lost its leader, Mohamed al-Zahawi, in clashes with Haftars forces at the end of that year.

At its zenith, Ansar al-Sharia was present in Benghazi and Derna in eastern Syria, with offshoots in Sirte and Sabratha, western Libya.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since Gaddafis ouster with rival armed groups and authorities vying for control of the oil-rich country.

Haftar, whose Libyan National Armys control key oil ports, is a dominant figure for factions in eastern Libya that have rejected the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in the capital, Tripoli.
We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands says the German chancellor, the day after a G7 summit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the US, Britains decision to leave the bloc, and other challenges.

Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Merkel suggested that the two-day G7 summit in Italy that ended on Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call.

G7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after US President Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days, Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.

OPINION: Angela Merkel is not the great progressive messiah

And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands, she said, according to the DPA news agency.

Merkel emphasised the need for continued friendly relations with the US and Britain and stressed the importance of being good neighbours wherever that is possible, including with Russia, but also with others.

But we need to know we must fight for our own future, as Europeans, for our destiny, she said.

The day after a divided summit

Despite the Trump administrations talk of an America first policy and ongoing criticism of Germany for its massive trade surplus, the G7 leaders in Sicily did vow to fight protectionism, reiterating a commitment to keep our markets open.

They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation on security, and on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over role in the conflict in Ukraine.

However, while six of the seven G7 nations agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement that aims to cut emissions and slow global warming, Trump said he needed more time to decide if the US would abandon the accord.





His administration has argued that US emissions standards are tougher than those set by China, India and others, and therefore have put American businesses at a disadvantage.

Backing out of the climate accord had been a central plank of Trumps campaign. Trump once proclaimed global warming a Chinese hoax.

Trump is wide open on whether to continue US support for the Paris climate accord, Defence Secretary James Mattis said in an interview aired on Sunday.

Im quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord, Mattis told CBS.

The comments from Mattis come after Trump tweeted on Saturday he would take a decision next week on whether to stick to or renege on the Paris accord.

After the G7 summit, Merkel called the climate talks very difficult, if not to say, very unsatisfactory.

Merkel also complained after the meeting that there was resistance during the summit to drafting language that would have called for more measures to help refugees.
A suspect was arrested after shootings at three homes that apparently followed a dispute with his wife and in-laws.

A man who apparently got into a dispute with his wife and in-laws was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that left eight people dead, including a sheriffs deputy.

I aint fit to live, not after what I done, a handcuffed Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, told The Clarion-Ledger, a local newspaper.

The shootings took place at three homes on Saturday night  two in Brookhaven and one in Bogue Chitto  about 110 kilometres south of Jackson, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said. The rampage began after authorities got a call about a domestic dispute, investigators said.

OPINION: Gun control in the US is not a fantasy

The dead included two boys, and Godbolt was being treated for a gunshot wound at a hospital, authorities said. They did not say how he was wounded.

Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said charges had yet to be filed and it was too soon to say what the motive was. Authorities gave no details on the relationship between Godbolt and the victims.

Suicide by cop was my intention

However, Godbolt himself shed some light on what happened in a video interview with the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road.





Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and members of her family when somebody called the police.

I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home, he said. Somebody called the officer, people that didnt even live at the house. Thats what they do. They intervene.

They cost him his life, he said, apparently referring to the deputy. Im sorry.

The slain deputy was identified as William Durr, 36. The identities of the other victims were not immediately released.

Godbolt said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets, he said. Suicide by cop was my intention.
As humanitarian concerns over Mosul civilians grow, Iraqi forces close in on ISIL positions despite strong resistance.

The Iraqi army says it hopes to capture the last ISIL enclaves outside Mosuls Old City in the next 72 hours, as fighting continued on the second day of a new push to drive the armed group from its remaining pockets in its stronghold in Iraq.

Security forces and their allies on Saturday ramped up an operation that began seven months ago, launching an assault from three fronts to close in on ISIL positions in the neighbourhoods of Shifa, Zinjili and Saha.





The head of the Iraqi operation said his forces are pushing ISIL fighters back, despite facing strong resistance.

The fighting is fierce, but our forces managed to kill a number of ISIL fighters, including four suicide attackers, Major General Maan al-Saadi, said.

The battle and the advances are continuing. I guess in 72 hours we will be able to take full control of these neighborhoods, and then we can say that we have besieged the whole Old City of Mosul.

At least 15 Iraqi forces soldiers were killed in the first day of the offensive, security sources said, adding that the armed group had deployed snipers, suicide car bombers and suicide attackers on foot.

More than 30 ISIL fighters were also killed in heavy clashes.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press news agency, two Iraqi military officers described the advance on Mosuls Old City as cautious and the clashes on Sunday as sporadic.

READ MORE: Iraqi artist depicts life under ISIL

The three neighbourhoods targeted in the latest offensive, located north of the Old City, are seen as the last areas that separate Iraqi forces from ISILs last bastion.

They have narrow streets and closely-spaced buildings, posing significant challenge to the Iraqi forces seeking to oust ISIL, also known as ISIS.

Military and political analysts expect that it could take several days for the Iraqi forces to gain hold of these territories, before making their final push for the Old City.

Separately, the Popular Mobilization Forces  Shia militia fighters that have official status from Baghdad -entered the fourth day of an operation aimed at clearing the main highway that links the recently retaken district of Qairawan to al-Baaj, west of Mosul.

The fighters are are planning to establish a secure strategic military line for their forces before they reach the Iraqi-Syrian borders in order to cut off ISIL supply lines and infiltration.

The start of the new push towards the Old City coincided with the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Residents in the Old City sounded desperate in telephone interviews over the past few days.

Were waiting for death at any moment, either by bombing or starving, one told the Reuters news agency, asking not to be identified. Adults eat one meal a day, either flour or lentil soup.

As the fighting intensified, the United Nations expressed deep concern for the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped behind ISIL lines.





Although the UN is not present in the areas where fighting is occurring, we have received very disturbing reports of families being shut inside booby-trapped homes and of children being deliberately targeted by snipers, Stephen OBrien, the UNs under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, said in a statement on Saturday.

The UN last week said up to 200,000 more people  half of them children  could flee Mosul as fighting moves to the Old City.

About 700,000 people, or a third of the pre-war citys population, have already fled, seeking refuge either with friends and relatives or in camps or neighbouring towns and cities.

In Erbil, east of Mosul, thousands of people have been brought to receive treatment, including many children.

I was trying to escape from the Old City at 3am and two bullets hit me, a young boy told Al Jazeera from an Erbil hospital. One ripped through my leg, the other in my groin.

Al Jazeeras Osama bin Javaid, reporting from Erbil, said the childs story is repeated hundreds of times in each hospital of the city.

Almost all children in this ward are from the embattled city of Mosul. Most of them have been wounded as they try to reach towards safety, but in densely populated Mosul, where bombs continue to fall and snipers continue to shoot, there is no place that is safe, he said.

READ MORE  In west Mosul, nowhere is safe for civilians

ISIL overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air raids have since regained much of the territory they lost to the group.

Iraqi forces launched the major operation to retake Mosul in October last year, fighting their way to the city and retaking its eastern side before setting their sights on its smaller but more densely populated west.

The battle has taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing hundreds of thousands to flee, while hundreds more have been killed or wounded.
Judge says fasting and ban on cigarettes tend to lead to frayed tempers and sharp tongues that are later regretted.

The head of Palestinian Islamic courts on Sunday told judges not to grant divorces over Ramadan, fearing the month-long fast could spark rash words that would be regretted later.

Judge Mahmud Habash said he based his ruling on the experience of previous years when he found that the dawn-to-dusk fast and ban on cigarettes, which began on Saturday, tended to lead to frayed tempers and sharp tongues.

Some, because they have not eaten and not smoked, create problems in their marriages, he said in a statement, and they can make quick and ill-considered decisions.

According to the Palestinian Authority, 50,000 weddings were celebrated in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2015, but more than 8,000 divorces were also registered.

Endemic unemployment and poverty are said to be major contributing factors.

There is no civil marriage or divorce in the Palestinian territories, where only religious courts have those powers.
Negotiations broke down over rebel order for fighters to step up attacks amid violence and martial law in the south.

The Philippine government on Sunday formally called off the latest round of peace talks with communist insurgents, after the parties failed to resolve a dispute over a rebel order for fighters to step up attacks.

We are maintaining the decision made not to participate in the fifth round of talks, chief government negotiator Jesus Dureza told journalists after almost 10 hours of closed-door consultations.

There are no compelling reasons for us to change the decision  which we announced yesterday, he said, adding that Manila was formally withdrawing from the round.

It was the fifth scheduled round of talks since the resumption of formal negotiations between Manila and the communists in August.

OPINION: Peace is still possible in Dutertes Philippines

They are meant to address such issues as a joint interim ceasefire, social and economic reforms and human rights issues.

The breakdown of the talks, held in a scenic Dutch seaside resort, came as fighting flared on Sunday between Philippine government forces and fighters linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in the south, with the death toll nearing 100 after almost a week of fighting.

Talks stalled on Saturday when Dureza objected to the communists telling their fighters to intensify attacks in response to President Rodrigo Dutertes declaration of martial law in parts of the country.





Dureza said on Sunday that the talks would not resume until there were indications of an environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace.

Asked whether this included the communists order to escalate attacks, Dureza said, It is a factor.

But Dureza, who is also Dutertes chief advisor, emphasised that it was not a formal withdrawal from the Philippines peace process.

Duterte declared martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he called a fast-growing threat from fighters linked to ISIL.

Communists rebels, who are active in wide areas of the archipelago, including the south, responded to Dutertes declaration by ordering their own forces to carry out more tactical offensives.

Chief rebel negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said the communist negotiators had recommended to our leadership to reconsider the order, but that takes time.

He said the NDFP, a coalition of several groups of which the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is among the most prominent, deeply regretted Manilas decision to shelve the talks.

The communist insurgency which began in 1968 in the poverty-stricken Asian country is one of the longest running in the world, and has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the military.
Tributes pour for Ricky John Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, who ex-offender killed as they defended girls.

US police have identified the two men killed by a white supremacist on a train in Portland as they attempted to defend passengers the suspect was bullying.

On Friday, Jeremy Joseph Christian  a 35-year-old who was known to authorities  stabbed to death 53-year-old Ricky John Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, after they stepped in to defend two girls Christian was bullying.

At least one of the girls was wearing a headscarf and is believed to be Muslim.

Christian is reported to have shouted Islamophobic slurs at the girls, as well as other hate speech.

Police said on Saturday that Best died at the scene and that Meche succumbed to his wounds at a hospital after Christian slit their throats.

A third victim, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher, was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Police say his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Heroes

The attack happened on the first day of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and sent shockwaves through a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal views.

Meches mother, Asha Deliverance of Ashland, Oregon, confirmed on Facebook that her son had been killed.

He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever, she wrote.

READ MORE: US anti-fascists: We can make racists afraid again

Dyjuana Hudson, a mother of one of the girls, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the man began a racial tirade as soon as he spotted the girls. Her daughter is African-American and was with a friend who was wearing a hijab, she said.

He was saying that Muslims should die, Hudson said. That theyve been killing Christians for years.

According to The Portland Mercury, Christian was a known local white supremacist, while his Facebook posts were reportedly replete with far-right themes.

In April, local reporter Mike Bivins filmed Christian at a march by the far right.

In the footage, Christian is draped in an American Revolutionary War flag and can be seen performing a Nazi salute and heard shouting Die Muslims. Die fake Christians. Die Jews, as police watch on.

Man engaging in hate speech and giving the Nazi salute at the end of the #Portland free speech march pic.twitter.com/8QRmmvTDAf  Mikeford Le Morte d'Michael Biziths (@itsmikebivins) April 29, 2017

Court records show Christian  who will face trial on Tuesday  served prison time for first-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping after a crime committed 15 years ago, when he was 20, and theft and weapons charges were dismissed in 2010.

The court documents did not say why the charges were voided.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, on his way back from London, posted a Facebook message condemning the attacks.

There is too much hatred in our world right now, and far too much violence. Too much of it has arrived here in Portland, he wrote.

INTERACTIVE: The rise of hate groups in the US

A memorial where the stabbing took place has been set up.

That people feel emboldened to come out and show their racism and bigotry in that way is horrifying to me. Its a gut check for everywhere  and absolutely for Portland, said Christopher Douglas, who stopped at the memorial.

Portland  floats in a little bit of a bubble of its own liberal comfort and I think the reality is sinking in.

Many on social media hailed the two victims as heroes as they promoted crowdfunding pages to support their grieving families.

Here are some reactions to the event:

Waiting for Trump to condemn the Portland terrorist attack. (Dont worry Ive got a good book or thousand to keep me occupied.)  dismantle the mpd (@anamariecox) May 27, 2017

After 23 years of honorable US Army service, Ricky John Best gave his life defending his fellow Americans against a nazi in Oregon.  Mike Breen (@M_Breen) May 27, 2017

The 2 killed in Portland were Ricky & Taliesin. Muslims are raising $. ALL of us can donate: https://t.co/2qel2Rnewe #Muslims4Portland pic.twitter.com/9ubvAyBf61  Valarie Kaur (@valariekaur) May 28, 2017

The surviving #Portland hero. Micah Fletcher, 21, won a 2013 poetry competition w/ a poem condemning Islamophobia. In hospital w/stab wounds pic.twitter.com/zxZt4L3flL  Tarek El-Messidi (@Elmessidi) May 28, 2017

Let us honor the two who died in Portland standing up to racial hatred by pledging to live our lives with as much courage and conviction.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 27, 2017

Man harassing Muslim women in Portland murders the two men who came to their aid. This is terrorism. Where was he radicalized? https://t.co/HhtBcTv2xw  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 27, 2017

Let's be clear: white supremacy is not a mental illness. #Portland  Women's March  Text WOMENSWAVE to 44310 (@womensmarch) May 28, 2017

Yesterday a white supremacist murdered two people in Portland. I don't want to hear any more about broken windows at protests.  Gregory McKelvey (@GregoryMcKelvey) May 27, 2017

https://twitter.com/DonCheadle/status/868483847494574080
At least 151 people have been killed in floods and mudslides as emergency teams rush to distribute aid to the displaced.

Flooding and mudslides have killed at least 151 people in Sri Lanka as emergency teams rushed to distribute aid to another half a million people displaced by the islands worst flooding in more than a decade.

Rescuers continued to pull out more bodies under enormous mudslides on Sunday, and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said 111 people were still missing.

However, Major-General Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the search and rescue mission, told the AP news agency that he does not expect to find any more survivors.

The situation is very dire, Al Jazeeras Minelle Fernandez, reporting from Matara in southern Sri Lanka, said. The water levels are receding, but very slowly.

The sheer scale and number of landslides as well as flooding around the country have stretched authorities, she said, adding that entire villages are still under water.

Soldiers took advantage of the lull in rains to clear access to most of the affected areas and the military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to distribute aid.

The government has appealed for bottled water, new clothes and dry rations for those displaced.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or completely destroyed.

One woman who had escaped a mudslide in Agalawatte, one of the worst affected areas in southern Sri Lanka, told Al Jazeera that her family was leaving their home: There are risks so we cant stay. We have to go. We have no choice.

Jaliya Wedarachchi told Al Jazeera that his guesthouse in Tangalle, 200km south of Sri Lankas capital, Colombo, had been swept away by floodwaters on Thursday.

On my land where six wooden cabanas used to stand, now there is only a big hole, he said.

READ MORE: The seasonal climate of Sri Lanka

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were children below the age of five years, and raised concern over stagnant flood waters becoming breeding grounds for dengue spreading mosquitos.

Senaratne said medical teams have been dispatched to the worst affected areas to prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases, and said cholera and diarrhea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

We have the expertise to deal with this situation, he told AFP news agency.

Sri Lanka has also sought international assistance, with India rushing a naval ship equipped with a medical team and other supplies on Saturday. A second Indian vessel was due to arrive in Colombo on Sunday, with a third expected on Monday, the government said.

The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organisation will support medical teams in affected areas.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.
President Armand Guebuza and ex-rebel leader Afonso Dhlakama bring an end to two-year conflict ahead of October poll.

Mozambiques president and the leader of the former rebel group Renamo have signed a landmark peace deal in Maputo, ending a two-year conflict that has rekindled memories of a brutal civil war.

President Armando Guebuza and Afonso Dhlakama, who came out of hiding on Thursday, signed the deal on Friday in front of about 100 diplomats and dignitaries.

The two leaders embraced prompting jubilant cries and clapping from those gathered, the AFP news agency reported.

For two years government forces and fighters loyal to Dhlakama have clashed, with the rebel leader accusing the state of reneging on a peace deal that ended Mozambiques brutal civil war.





Around one million died as a result of the 15-year conflict, which ended in 1992.

In the recent clashes, Dhlakamas supporters attacked buses and cars on the countrys main north-south highway, while government forces raided his bush hideout.

Dhlakama hailed the deal on Friday as an important step forward, but also accused the government of intolerance.

After the beautiful dream of two decades ago when peace seemed to be for always, we saw a systematic concentration of power in the hands of those in power  many are in this room, Dhlakama said.

He added that he hoped todays accord can bring to an end the one-party state.

Mozambique has been ruled by civil war victors Frelimo since independence.

The party is expected to handily win upcoming elections in October. There were fears that the polls could be marred by violence.

Dhlakama has lost every presidential election since 1994 and Renamo is struggling to retain its status as the biggest opposition party.

The peace deal will see Renamo fighters integrated into the military and the party given a greater say in election oversight bodies.
People in Mosul say the return of the ring game is another sign the ISIL threat seems to be fading.
OPEC+ group has agreed to its deepest cuts to oil production since the coronavirus pandemic, and the US is not happy.
This has been such a newsworthy week that I will deal only briefly with a few items which normally would be column-worthy so I can concentrate on the blow to the Democrats and Jihadists by the President this week and the revelations about the Obama administrations police-state tactics.

1.The Fourth Circuit Applies the Maxine Waters Doctrine on the Law

It was an amusing tell last week when Democrat demagogue Maxine Waters conceded it would have been fine if Hillary had been elected and fired James Comey, because he deserved it, but it was improper for President Trump to have done so. Its less easy to dismiss the blow to the rule of law and our constitution that the Fourth Circuit dealt this week when in a lengthy opinion they said the same thing about the travel moratorium: Okay if a Democrat did it, not okay if Trump did. This will head to the Supreme Court, which unless it decides we are to become a banana republic where decisions are based on the political appetites of the judiciary instead of the law, it will be overturned. If you like this opinion -- that is, to say if you are a Democrat -- remember the political tilt of the federal judiciary is in the process of being altered and this precedent will work against you.

2. The Democrats Quixotic Effort to Create Referenda on Trump Fails Again

In the face of declining support in federal and state elections countrywide, the geniuses in the DNC decided on a strategy seeking to pick up seats in special elections. These elections usually involve low voter interest and turnout, and the DNC reasoned if they pumped millions into these elections they could pick up seats. Their media buddies prophesied each time that this election was going to be a referendum on Trump. If so, hes continued to beat them time after time. This week it was Greg Gianforte who crushed their designated banner bearer. And he won despite a last-minute effort by a notorious political hack and provocateur; Ben Jacobs, previously with the Daily Beast, now sporting UK Guardian press credentials.

3. The Presidents Splendid Foreign Adventure

Nancy Pelosi was critical of the Presidents first foreign trip which began in Saudi Arabia, continued on to Israel, the Vatican City, Belgium, and Italy because it wasnt done in alphabetical order.

I am linking to the transcripts of his Saudi Arabian and Israel speeches. I urge you to read them in their entirety. If you read accounts of them in your paper or viewed them on television you will be in the dark about the earth-shattering shift in U.S. policy and the clarity this president brings to the issue of Moslem extremism and how to crush it, something distorted and concealed for at least the previous eight years of his successor and even longer in the Deep State with its Arabist slant. Compare the text, for example, with these reporters tweets:

Jim Acosta [CNN]@Acosta Trump rightly asked this part of world to stiffen spine in battle against terrorism. But where was the appeal to our collective humanity? Julie Pace[AP] Verified account @jpaceDC

Trump lavishes praise on "magnificent" Saudi Arabia, but stays publicly silent on human rights

When Bob Schieffer ventured praise for Trumps speech in Saudi Arabia, the CNN host accused him of normalizing the president. Cant have that on CNN apparently.

If you hope to have any understanding of what this president has to say you must simply go online and read the transcripts or watch the full video recordings. There are no reliable shortcuts, Im afraid.

The press, doubtless hoping the President would fail, did cover the Saudi trip. When it was obvious he did not bomb, but rather acquitted himself brilliantly, they cut short coverage of the Israeli portion of the trip . Why did they do this selective coverage? As my online friend Tom Lipscomb sagely observes: The Dems only believe what is real is restricted to what is covered by their press outlets. Obviously, they decided he was dashing their predictions and so decided that to cover the trip in depth would only underscore their error.

4. The Massive Illegal surveillance of Americans and the Justifiable dismissal of James Comey

Honest and full coverage of the foreign trip was not the only major event airbrushed by the media this week. Several online publications fill in the blanks about the massive, illegal surveillance conducted by the Obama administration over the eight years he was in office and the deceptive, partisan, and incompetent administration of the FBI under Comey.

If you hope to understand the massive, illegal surveillance and weaponizing of intelligence against citizens by the Obama administration, you need to read three online sources, Circa, Sharyl Attkisson and National Review.

This week Circa revealed that on October 26, just weeks before the election, the Obama administration finally revealed to the FISA Court it had been ordering illegal NSA searches of Americans for years:

The National Security Agency under former President Barack Obama routinely violated American privacy protections while scouring through overseas intercepts and failed to disclose the extent of the problems until the final days before Donald Trump was elected president last fall, according to once top-secret documents that chronicle some of the most serious constitutional abuses to date by the U.S. intelligence community. More than 5 percent, or one out of every 20 searches seeking upstream Internet data on Americans inside the NSAs so-called Section 702 database violated the safeguards Obama and his intelligence chiefs vowed to follow in 2011, according to one classified internal report reviewed by Circa. The Obama administration self-disclosed the problems at a closed-door hearing Oct. 26 before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that set off alarm. Trump was elected less than two weeks later. The normally supportive court censured administration officials, saying the failure to disclose the extent of the violations earlier amounted to an institutional lack of candor and that the improper searches constituted a very serious Fourth Amendment issue, according to a recently unsealed court document dated April 26, 2017. The admitted violations undercut one of the primary defenses that the intelligence community and Obama officials have used in recent weeks to justify their snooping into incidental NSA intercepts about Americans.

You can check the accuracy of Circas summation by reading the FISA court opinion.

Sharyl Attkisson, formerly of CBS, has prepared an extensive timeline of the Obama administrations surveillance and weaponizing of intercepted intelligence against opponents, reporters, and even Congress. There was a consistent pattern of surveilling and leaking information about anyone who opposed anything the administration did and punishing severely whistleblowers and reporters who tried to report wrongdoing.

It began on April 2009 within three months of Obamas inauguration with the leaking of a conversation Congresswoman Jane Harmon with pro-Israeli lobbyists. It grew to include FBI contractor Shamai Leibowitz, Tea Party and patriot applicants for special status with the IRS, Fox news reporter James Rosen, Sharyl Attkisson herself, former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Fox news reporter Mike Levine, ATF whistleblower John Dodson, CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus, journalists from the AP and New York Times, reporter Audrey Hudson, Senate intelligence Committee computers, Joint Chiefs of Staff James Cartwright, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and lawmakers and Jewish groups opposed to the Iran deal.

It was, Attkisson notes, not until this month that we learned from Circa that during the past election year 2016: the Obama administration vastly expanded the searches of NSA database for Americans and the content of their emails and phone calls: From 9500 searches involving 198 Americans in 2013 to 30,355 searches of 5,288 Americans in 2016.

Circa followed up its first account with yet another -- this one about how the FBI illegally shared the raw intelligence about Americans with unauthorized third parties.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, now under new management with President Donald Trump, confirms that the 654 unmaskings reported last year for fiscal 2015 was underreported by a factor of more than three times. The correct number was actually 2,232. So how does an agency entrusted with producing some of the nations most sensitive intelligence and secrets get its math so mixed up? Apparently, it was a case of providing statistics from the wrong category. [/snip] Transparency isnt any good if the numbers you expose arent correct. And there seems to have been a lot of downplaying of unmaskings so I think this a question worth exploring. Who approved the inaccurate number and was it an innocent mistake or part of a larger pattern, said a congressional aide directly involved in the investigations, speaking only on condition of anonymity because they were not approved to talk to reporters. Republicans want to question former Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who originally denied know about any unmasking of identities of Trump campaign associates. But after Circa reported she had in fact requested or read several intelligence reports with the names of Trump associates unmasked, Rice reversed course and acknowledged she had done so but insisted her intentions were national security related and not political. Rice turned down a request to testify before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing earlier this week. But expect GOP investigators to keep up their pursuit to put her under oath. The NSA is allowed under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to spy on foreign powers without a court warrant but the law prohibits the targeting of Americans for such surveillance. If the NSA accidentally intercepts Americans or information about them overseas, it is supposed to legally put the information in a virtual lock box. Circa also has asked the Trump administration to declassify and make public the total number of times Americans in sensitive jobs like Congress, presidential campaigns, journalism, the medical profession, the legal profession and the federal judiciary either had their names searched in the NSA database or their names unmasked in NSA intelligence reports.

After explaining the legal and technical aspects of NSA data collection and the handling of intercepted communications under the law, Andrew C. McCarthy looks at these disclosures and notes they create a new legacy for Obama:

The rules from 2011 forward were simple: Do not use American identifiers. Yet NSA used them -- not once or twice because some new technician didnt know better. This violation of law was routine and extensive, known and concealed. Clearly, this new scandal must be considered in context. The NSA says it does not share raw upstream collection data with any other intelligence agency. But that data is refined into reports. To the extent the data collected has increased the number of Americans whose activities make it into reports, it has simultaneously increased the opportunities for unmasking American identities. Other reporting indicates that there was a significant uptick in unmasking incidents in the latter years of the Obama administration. More officials were given unmasking authority. At the same time, President Obama loosened restrictions to allow wider access to raw intelligence collection and wider dissemination of intelligence reports. This geometrically increased the likelihood that classified information would be leaked -- as did the Obama administrations encouragement to Congress to demand disclosure of intelligence related to the Trump campaign (the purported TrumpRussia connection). And of course, there has been a stunning amount of leaking of classified information to the media. Enabling of domestic spying, contemptuous disregard of court-ordered minimization procedures (procedures the Obama administration itself proposed, then violated), and unlawful disclosure of classified intelligence to feed a media campaign against political adversaries.Quite the Obama legacy.

5. Conrad Black explains why he believes the Comey firing will prove to be a decisive victory for Trump and why the resistance is in its death throes

Like me, he thinks Comeys donning the mantle of an electoral college of one was a huge mistake and predicts the democrats are heading for the last round-up:

While Mueller and McCabe sort out the facts, the Supreme Court will toss out the attention-seeking antics of the West Coast flake-judges who gained their fleeting moment of gimcrack fame by challenging the presidents clear authority over immigration. The Democrats policy of obstruction will come crashing to ground, and the commentariat and White House press corps who are the real opposition now, will be afflicted by chronic glottal stops. The president will put through his health care and tax reforms and drive on. And the honeymoon, to which all incoming holders of great office are entitled, will finally begin. While the Clintons and Obamas wait to see if they are in danger of indictment, with no one of either family to lead the Democrats for the first time in 25 years, the once loyal opposition have sown and they shall reap. The president has evident draw-backs, but he is trying to do what he was elected to do. Trumps enemies right now are an abominable melange of snobbery, hypocrisy, and psychopathic partisanship. They will be weighed in the balance and they will be found wanting.

Like the Islamists who think they have supremacy over the Abrahamic religions which preceded them, the Democrats who imagined themselves to be the vanguard of an inevitable march of history have reached the edge of the cliff and Trump is there to kick them off it into the abyss.
As he flew off to Rome, the New York Times published a major report on President Trumps Middle East trip that it titled Trump Leaves Middle East With Hope for Peace, but No Plan for It. The article didnt reflect the title, for it went no farther than to say, What Mr. Trump did not do was reveal the least hint of what, if anything, was behind it, referring to his hope. The article later acknowledged that strict secrecy was a good thing.

Close scrutiny of the statements made in the last few days and the events leading up to this trip would strongly suggest that President Trump is right to be cautiously optimistic -- because he has a plan.

After relentless pressure from President Obama and Secretary Kerry, Prime Minister Netanyahu came close to accepting the Kerry framework based on the 67 ceasefire lines (with swaps) as borders and a divided Jerusalem. On Feb 24, 2017, the Times of Israel and the AP published a report on a secret regional conference that took place in Aqaba, a year earlier. In attendance were Netanyahu, King Abdullah, and Abdel Fattah al Sisi, among others.

According to a US official and an Israeli source familiar with the plan cited by Haaretz, the prime minister detailed five steps Israel could take to promote a regional peace initiative aimed at reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, and also asked for US assurances on a number of issues.

The plan, according to the two sources, included:

1. The approval of large-scale Palestinian construction and advancement of economic initiatives in Area C in the West Bank, where Israel maintains security control, the approval of infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip, closer coordination with the Palestinian Authority, including allowing entry of weapons needed by its security forces. 2. Positive public references by the Israeli government to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, also known as the Saudi initiative, including a willingness to negotiate the components with Arab states. 3. The support and active participation of Arab states in a regional peace summit, including dispatching senior officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Sunni states to a public gathering attended by Netanyahu. 4. Practical American recognition of construction in the settlements blocs, in exchange for a freeze outside those areas. 5. A guarantee by the then-Obama administration to bloc any moves against Israel at the United Nations, including the use of its veto power at the Security Council. According to Haaretz, Kerry initiated the summit after complex bargaining with both Israels regional neighbors and its internal political players. Details of the proposal, ultimately rejected by Netanyahu, and the secret meeting came from former senior officials in the Obama administration.

At that time, Netanyahu invited the Labour Zionists, headed by Isaac Herzog, to join his government, in order to overcome the resistance to the proposed deal by his own coalition. In the end, Israel Beteinu, headed by Avigdor Liberman, joined the coalition and that ended the initiative.

Netanyahu brought his plan to the attention of President Trump when he met with him in the White House on Feb 14th. In the press conference after the meeting, Trump proposed a regional solution and said that the U.S. would no longer insist on a Palestinian state. He ended by saying Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, This according to the NYT.

Trump then dispatched his Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, to Israel in the second week of March, where he spent four days in discussions with all the players. The message he carried was that his boss was serious about peace and so should the parties be.

This was followed by four days of intense talks in the White House between an Israeli delegation and the Trump people ostensibly on the question of settlements, but probably on the whole question of reaching a deal. Nothing conclusive was announced.

Four weeks later, Trump made his historic visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The logjam in negotiations that had existed for 50 years broke just prior to the trip.

Then in King Salmans remarks at end of Trumps visit he said,

We stress that achieving peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis is a just and necessary quest that requires joint sacrifices and sincere determination for the interest of all. [emphasis added]

Another first.

Ahead of Trumps arrival in Israel, the Israeli Cabinet approved a series of gestures at the request of Trump:

The measures approved earlier on Sunday include extended opening hours at the Allenby Crossing, new industrial zones for the PA, and increased Palestinian Arab construction in Area C. Israel will determine the nature of the construction, be it agricultural, industrial or residential.

Another first.

Perhaps the biggest first of all is that Mahmoud Abbas is now proposing to accept Israel keeping 6.5% of the territories rather than only 1.9% originally on offer. This means that Israel gets to keep Ariel, Maaleh Adumin, and Gush Etzion.

Arutz Sheva reported a few days ago:

 Olmert had offered to compensate the Arabs with Israeli land equivalent to 5.8 percent of Judea and Samaria, along with a link to the Gaza Strip. The rejected offer also included placing Jerusalems Old City under international control. This time however, Jerusalem, the most controversial aspect of previous discussions, is not mentioned in the proposal that Abbas is allegedly meant to discuss with Trump during his visit.

Thats a good thing.

These firsts didnt just happen. According to Secretary Rex Tillerson, Trump put Abbas and Netanyahu under great pressure to get them to move. He probably did the same to King Salman. At the same time, he made nice to all of them.

Thus the gap between the parties that was formerly considered huge now appears negotiable.

Mind you, Trump avoided any mention of Palestine, settlements or occupation -- all issues which have dominated discourse heretofore. Trump isnt working to reach a final peace agreement. Instead, he is looking to achieve peace so that the coalition of Israel and the moderate Arab states together with the U.S. can focus on terrorism and Iran.

Kushner, who along with international negotiations envoy Greenblatt has been tasked by Trump with relaunching the peace process, reportedly told Isaac Herzog, the leader of the Opposition, We are planning to move fast in starting a diplomatic process in order to reach a deal. To this end, Greenblatt will be returning to Israel in a few days for follow up discussions with all sides.

I envisage an agreement in which:

- Israel gets to build in eastern Jerusalem and in all settlement blocks and the Arabs get to build in parts of Area C.

- Jerusalem will remain under Israels jurisdiction.

- The PA and Israel will have the same rights in A, B, C as they now have due to the Oslo Accords.

- Security will continue to be a joint enterprise. Thus, the IDF will remain in the territories. This is good for Israel and good for the Palestinians.

- Saudi Arabia will normalize relations with Israel will continue to improve the Palestinian economy with the help of the US.

Netanyahus five point plan tabled in February 2016, is being implemented.

But Trump is not satisfied.

Israel National news reported on Friday, May 26, 2017,

According to Channel 10 News, in meetings held this week, Americans discussed with Israel elements of a potential final agreement with the PA. The Israelis made it clear to the Americans that Israel cannot compromise when it comes to security arrangements in the final agreement. The Americans are reportedly not satisfied with the measures towards the PA that were approved by the Cabinet this week, and want to see more confidence-building measures. The administration gave Israel a list of proposals for such additional measures, including what was reported on Channel 10 News earlier this week: A move which would redefine sections of Area C in northern Samaria as Area B.

Pro-Israel supports of Trump who believed him when he said he would not pressure Israel, are very disappointed. They are also disappointed with Netanyahu for stressing security rather than Israels right to the land and to Jerusalem.
It is an inconvenient truth that under international law, it's not illegal to win a territorial fight. Media rhetoric pummels hearts and minds and rallies a false cause, and the United Nations depicts the people of Israel to be a pariah, a hated "occupier," and routinely takes steps to sanction the occupier. The Middle East, an area of 8,804.395 square miles  equivalent to about ninety percent of the contiguous United States  considers Israel undeserving of the right to exist on the original, tiny 10,875 square miles unanimously granted by the League of Nations and upheld by the U.N.

International laws of war, declared or undeclared, are ignored. Ignorance prevails around the globe. Pertinent laws are eye-opening  not a seductive read, but easy to understand and necessary for discovering truth, whatever your moral imperative, which fails to replace law.

Is Israel an "occupier," and if the answer is yes, is the "occupation" legal according to international law? Consider the following:

1) Egypt has never held or claimed sovereignty (ownership) over the Gaza Strip.

2) Egypt has occupied (established authority over) the Gaza Strip.

3) Jordan has never been sovereign over the West Bank.

4) Jordan has occupied the West Bank.

5) Jordan claimed sovereignty over the West Bank but abandoned the quest after failing to convince Arab neighbors or any nations, other than Pakistan and Britain, of a legitimate claim.

6) Syria is sovereign over the Golan Heights, although Israel gained a portion of the territory in the 1967 war. That portion of the Golan remains under Israeli control. Syria accuses Israel of "illegal occupation" as Syria's own Iranian-funded military occupies Lebanon. Israel shares a border with Lebanon, from which Hezb'allah, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, attacks Israel, forcing Israel to respond to protect its citizenry.

The definition of a territorial "occupier" has existed, unchanged, since the early 1900s. "Customary" warfare law is settled law.

1. The purpose of the 1907 Hague Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land:

Hague Article 42, in part: The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised.

Hague Article 43, in part: The authority of the legitmate power having in fact passed into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall take all the measures in his power to restore and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety, while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country.

2. The Fourth Geneva Convention, August 1949: "After WWII this body examined "occupation" through a more focused lens and added to the Hague. The definition of occupation did not change. Hague remained and continues to be customary law. The Geneva purpose shifted from protecting the sovereign to protecting civilian populations."

Geneva IV: Part I, Articles 2 and 3, in part:

[T]he present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them[.] ... The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a High Contracting party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance.

The Gaza Strip and West Bank have no existing "legitimate power" and have been without sovereignty since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Israel is not illegally occupying the Gaza Strip today, nor did it between 1967 and 2005, when it handed the territory over to Hamas. Twenty-one Jewish housing settlements were dislodged. To maintain border security, Israel continues to control air traffic, seaports, and coastal fishing.

Syria is sovereign over the Golan Heights but in 1967 fired down on Israel from the heights of Golan's rocky plateaus. A few days later, Israel took that territory, eliminating one more security threat.

Conquerors lawfully exist under law but are charged with restoring public order if possible. International laws of war do not demand that land be returned after conquest. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have no legislative power, including authority to determine sovereignty over a nation or territory.

Moral imperative is our privilege but fails to replace law.

1981: Israel annexed the Golan Heights. 1988: The PLO, with Yasser Arafat's endorsement, declared a Palestinian State on the territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Neither occurrence is internationally acknowledged. The U.N. denies the Israeli annexation and accepts the Palestinian state. The U.N. position is a statement. The U.N. has no legislative power.

Hague is "customary law." Geneva IV is "conventional law." Cornell Law defines "Customary" and "International":

Customary International law results when states follow certain practices consistently out of a sense of legal obligation[.] ... Conventional international law derives from international agreements and may take any form that the contracting parties agree upon.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) endorsed Geneva IV and upheld Hague:

The Convention does not invalidate the provisions of the Hague Regulations of 1907 on the same subjects but it is supplementary to them.

Arab countries point to U.N. post-1967 war Resolution 242 as proof of Israel's illegal occupation. Resolution 242 does not mention Palestine but states the goal of a "just and lasting peace in the Middle East"  in part:

... respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every state [Israel included] in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

The Arab League did not successfully rally members to offer "respect" or "secure borders" to Israel. The Arab Peace Initiative was tempting to both sides, but Hamas refused to sign on. The Arab League acts as one. Hamas dominated.

Hamas, also an internationally recognized terrorist organization, was founded in 1987. Eight months later, a charter was adopted. Immediately after the preamble, the Hamas Covenant of 1988 (Constitution) says:

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.

Hamas has not renounced the Covenant but argues that its 2006 "Electoral Campaign Platform List for Change and Reform" (C&R) is the voice of Hamas.

2. Palestine is Arab and Muslim Land. 3. The Palestinian people are still in the process of National Liberation and have the right to use all means including armed struggle to achieve this goal.

Confirming my assertion that media shape their worldview with false rhetoric, relying on the public's moral imperative while willfully ignoring law when convenient, the C&R declares:

Culture and media play a vital role in shaping the mentality and thought of citizens, and building up the nation's personality.

The inconvenient truth of Israel's supposed illegal occupation: in all cases, Israel legally occupies.
No one is ever likely to mistake Donald J. Trump for a lyric soprano at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Yet Trump, the political performer, resembles a musical performer in his capacity to express himself, colla voce, freely taking the lead and having others follow his tempo and rhythm. In conciliatory style, President Donald Trump showed this as a rock star in his command of the stage in Saudi Arabia and at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He was equally central in his more confrontational behavior at the NATO summit in Brussels in May 2017, which was not greeted with applause, and at the G-7 summit at Taormina, Sicily on May 26-27, 2017.

Irrespective of any of his controversial utterances, Trump displayed his presence physically, in an assertive manner, if not in assault tactics, as well as in his remarks. While touring the new lavish glass NATO headquarters in Brussels, he shoved aside a fellow member, Dusko Martovic, prime minister of the tiny state of Montenegro, about to become the 29th member of NATO, in order to claim the spotlight according to the prearranged family photo with assigned positions of the leaders. Photos also show Trump engaged in what is possibly history's most intense, prolonged handshake with Emmanuel Macron, new president of France, with its formidable display of white knuckles and clenched jaws.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump was feted like royalty. Indeed, he was met at Riyadh Airport by King Salman. His trip was not only successful economically, in the $110-billion deal in U.S. arms sales and new investment likely to result in thousands of jobs, but also in political accord. Trump, following his speech on May 20, 2017, appeared to be successful in persuading Saudi decision-makers, who spoke of his vision, strength, and decisiveness, that they were pursuing the same objectives as the U.S. in dealing with counter-terrorism, the threat from Iran, and regional security. He carefully avoided in Saudi Arabia discussing troublesome issues such as deficiencies of human rights and discrimination against women, and, in Israel, the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

In stark contrast, Trump's welcome in the Belgium capital was cool, and this reception indicated that Trump is not beloved by most of the leaders of the NATO countries. In Brussels, he lectured his fellow leaders on the issues important for him while paying little attention to the issues stressed by the Europeans  climate, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, trade issues, and defense preparations against possible Russian aggression.

Trump's reluctance at Brussels and then at Taormina on May 26-27, 2017 to agree to the Paris accord of November 2016 on climate change is understandable due to Trump's emphasis on the importance of coal for U.S. jobs, a political dilemma and balancing act. Yet the contrast on the issue with his predecessor was too conspicuous. This became even more striking with the article by Barack Obama published in The Guardian on May 26, 2017, with Obama's assertion that of all the challenges in the world, "the challenge of climate change is the one that will define the contours of this century more dramatically perhaps than the others."

Trump was criticized most strongly for his failure in Brussels to mention in precise, explicit fashion the U.S. commitment to Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty of April 1949. This article commits all member-states to consider an armed attack against one member-state in Europe or North America to be an armed attack against them all.

This principle of collective defense was initially created to counter the risk of the expansion of the Stalin-controlled Soviet Union into Europe. It has, in fact, been invoked only once, by the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks. Presumably, Trump believed that the U.S. commitment to the article and to the treaty is so obvious that there is no need to mention it explicitly. Perhaps the European point of view embodies an old saying: if a commitment is so obvious that it does not need to be mentioned, it goes even better if it is mentioned.

Trump hammered home his thoughts on two other issues: the financial contributions of members to defense, and therefore indirectly to NATO, and the imperative fight against Islamic terrorists. The basic NATO agreement since 2006 was that all countries would contribute at least 2% of their GDP to defense purposes and therefore could contribute to NATO. Europeans were forewarned by Trump. In almost every one of his campaign speeches and continuing since he reached the White House, Trump has emphasized the general refusal to honor the 2006 agreement.

Trump is not the first U.S. official to criticize Europeans for their lack of allocating funds for defense purposes. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in 1954 warned of a "agonizing reappraisal" if allies of U.S. didn't make a more serious effort to approve the European Defense Community and necessary funding and agree on the commitment to European security. During the 2016 presidential campaign, both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton spoke of the need for Europeans to spend more on defense.

The 2006 agreement has been regarded as a guideline, a baseline, rather than a decree with penalties, and consequently states have rarely fulfilled their financial commitment. President Trump is not the first to complain that the U.S. has always been the main contributor, far more than its fair share of total capabilities.

The disproportionate U.S. contribution to NATO is understandable since other countries cannot afford some of the high-end military capabilities, aircraft carrier forces, ballistic missile defenses, electronic warfare, and global logistical capabilities. The NATO alliance therefore depends mainly on the U.S. for these long-range capabilities. Without them, most countries would not be able to mount an effective deterrent.

Nevertheless, the disproportion of the contribution to NATO for collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security has to be addressed, and Trump is correct in emphasizing this. Consider the current NATO military budget. Cost-sharing arrangements of the 28 countries in the common NATO-funded budgets in 2017 range from the lowest, Albania, 0.08%, to the highest, the U.S., at 22.1%. Budgets of this kind in previous years have supported operation costs in various conflicts such as Afghanistan, and also for training, exercises, and communications. A civil budget provides funding costs for NATO headquarters and staff.

The current contribution in defense of each country in 2016-17 runs from 3.61% by the U.S. to 0.44% of Luxemburg. The main cause of discontent by Trump and others is that only five countries adhere to the 2% agreement: the U.S., Greece, Britain, Estonia, and Poland. France contributes 1.78%, Germany 1.19%, and Italy 1.11%. Of the total amount of $2.052 million in direct contributions, the U.S. pays $455 million, Germany $301 million, France $218 million, and the U.K. $202 million.

Trump may have been too abrasive and clearly was undiplomatic in his lecturing to the leaders of the other 27 countries of NATO. But Europe today, if politically troubled and bedeviled by the issue of Brexit, is not poverty-stricken. It is able to reach compromises with the U.S. on the complex issues of trade and open markets.

It is appropriate for the European countries to heed the scolding of Trump and engage in burden-sharing for common objectives and priorities. It is also incumbent for them to join with the U.S. in what Trump, while in Saudi Arabia, called the fight of good against evil. Climate, trade, and relations with Russia are all important issues, but first with overwhelming priority is the fight against Islamic terrorists. That is NATO's first task.
If the Trump Administration wishes to succeed in achieving true peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors in Judea and Samaria, the U.S. must first recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and must demand a full stop to Palestinian terrorism and incitement against Israel. This makes all the difference between true peace and an empty agreement.

The Trump administration appears determined to finally achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). This attempt to broker true peace between Israel and Arabs living in Judea and Samaria (aka the Palestinian Arabs) is doomed to failure unless and until the peace process takes a radically different approach toward making peace.

If the Trump administration simply follows the strategy of the previous three administrations (Clinton, Bush, and Obama) it is doomed to also fail in achieving peace. The strategy of the previous administrations was to pressure both sides to negotiate and demand numerous concessions from Israel, from security concessions to transfer of land from Israel to the PA. Such concessions have often led to a significant deterioration in peace, with Palestinian terrorists attacking Israel. One such infamous example was the disengagement from Gaza where roughly 10,000 Jews were expelled from their homes. Shortly thereafter, Hamas took control of Gaza. Since then there have been three major military conflicts between Israel and Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

Therefore, if the Trump administration truly wants to see if peace is even achievable, they must take a very different approach than previous administrations. Otherwise, if the U.S. wants to achieve a meaningless declaration of peace signed by both parties on a piece of paper, even if it leads to violence rather than peace, they would simply be proclaiming peace, peace! while there is no peace. (Jeremiah 8:11)

To determine if peace is even feasible, the Trump administration must immediately recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel once and for all and move its embassy to Jerusalem. Israel will never agree to a peace deal that does not recognize Jerusalem as its capital. That recognition must also come from the PA prior to a peace agreement.

By immediately moving its embassy to Jerusalem, the U.S. would initially recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. President Trump could then send the following ultimatum to Mahmoud Abbas: in one year we will recognize a United Jerusalem as the capital of Israel unless the PA stops all incitement against Israel and Jews for that entire year. This includes all forms of encouraging terrorism. In addition, the PA must prevent all terrorist attacks against Israel. If they do not comply, the U.S. will stop all aid to the Palestinians forthwith.

PA controlled media, including television, radio, Internet, and print, all incite Arabs to murder Jews and Israelis. This is also rife in the Palestinian school system. The Jerusalem Post reports that over 200 U.S. government [i.e., Obama administration] approved textbooks used in hundreds of Palestinian UNRWA-sponsored schools teach Arab children to murder Israelis and sacrifice themselves to drive Jews out of the country. This incitement reaches to the highest levels of the Palestinian government. In September 2015, Mahmoud Abbas said, We salute every drop of blood spilled for the sake of Jerusalem. This blood is clean, pure blood, shed for the sake of Allah, Allah willing. Every martyr will be placed in Paradise, and all the wounded will be rewarded by Allah.

The PA must stop naming squares, streets, and institutions after terrorists and must remove all such names and references to terrorists immediately. (One of many examples of this practice occurred in 2010 when the PA named a square after a terrorist who murdered 37 Israelis in 1978. Another is the PAs frequently honoring the arch-terrorist Abu Jihad who was responsible for the murders of 125 Israelis, including naming a park after him.)

The PA must immediately stop all payments to terrorists in Israeli jails. In 2016 alone, the PA paid $140 million to Arab terrorists who had been imprisoned by Israel and another $175 million to the families of Arab martyrs. This accounts for a whopping 7% of the PAs budget.

The Palestinian Authority must ban all terrorists from running in Palestinian elections. Mahmoud Abbas should start with his own Fatah; after all he is the President of Fatah. The PA continued to show its support of terrorists with the election this month of Tayseer Abu Sneineh as mayor of Hebron, the largest Palestinian controlled city in Judea and Samaria. Sneineh is a terrorist convicted of the 1980 murder of six Israeli Jews, including two American citizens and a Canadian national. Sneineh was a candidate of Abbas Fatah Party!

Israel has already demonstrated its willingness to make peace through so-called confidence building measures including the 10-month building freeze in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank). Israel has already done its part. To achieve true peace, it is time for Palestinian concessions. For peace to work, President Trump should not insist on a transfer of Israeli territory to Palestinian rule as part of a so-called confidence building measure. That would be a path to failure.

President Trump called terrorists evil losers and in his speech this week at the Israel Museum said that we must drive out the terrorists and the extremists from our midst, obliterate this evil ideology, and protect and defend our citizens and people of the world adding that all decent people want to live in peace.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, during his Senate confirmation, said in reference to the PA: Its one thing to renounce [terrorism] and another thing to take serious actions to prevent it, adding that Palestinian leaders have to do something to at least interrupt or prevent [terrorism] before there can be any productive discussion around [Israeli] settlements.

President Trump stated that Mahmoud Abbas is ready for peace, saying, I had a meeting this morning with President Abbas and can tell you that the Palestinians are ready to reach for peace. President Trump should judge Abbas and the Palestinian leadership by its actions and regular incitement to violence rather than by statements made by Abbas in personal meetings with him.

Alan Dershowitz explains the reality on the ground when it comes to PA incitement to violence:

when the Palestinian Authority claims to reject terrorism, they reward the families of suicide bombers and other terrorists with large compensation packages that increase with the number of innocent victims. If the perpetrator of the Manchester massacre had been Palestinian and if the massacre had taken place in an Israeli auditorium, the Palestinian Authority would have paid his family a small fortune for murdering so many children. There is a name for people and organizations that pay other people for killing innocent civilians: its called accessory to murder. If the Mafia offered bounties to kill its opponents, no one would sympathize with those who made the offer. Yet the Palestinian leadership that does the same thing is welcomed and honored throughout the world.

If the Palestinians truly want a state, they must start by permanently and immediately stopping all incitement against Israel and Jews in every form. They must stop rewarding and encouraging terrorism. If they are truly serious about peace with Israel, they will stop their terror war against Israel. If the Palestinian Authority does not stop funding, inciting, and committing terrorism against Israelis, there can be no peace deal.
Negative coverage of President Trump has become as predictable as sunrise and sunset. Confirmed by a recent Harvard study showing 80 to 90 percent negative coverage from big media of Trumps first hundred days. Typical Trump-bashing topics include Russia, James Comey, White House staff and Trumps personal fitness for office.

These hackneyed topics are a news story to nowhere. Fake news contradicted within a day, typically based on anonymous sources, followed by the punch line buried deep in the story saying, there is no evidence.

Dont take my word for it. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the mainstream press is full of fake news according to a recent Harvard-Harris poll. Not just Trump supporters or conservatives, but across the political spectrum, including 53 percent of Democrats.

Much of the focus of fake news is the ongoing soap opera of supposed Trump-Russia collusion. Everyone in the know says there is no evidence, despite a year of investigation. Sometimes for a change of pace the media focuses on the arcane. Personal characteristics of President Trump that are somehow newsworthy, relevant enough to be discussed by a political panel on CNN.

First there was Trump eating steak, cooked well done, with ketchup. In my mind that is the only high crime Trump is guilty of thus far in his presidency. Not quite to the threshold for impeachment, but close. And worthy of a Washington Post article.

CNN joined the chorus with a story about Trump getting 2 scoops of ice cream with his chocolate pie while his guests get only 1 scoop. Underlying the story was that Trump is a selfish pig, demanding special treatment for himself while shortchanging his guests. The same CNN gushed over Obama taking his family and friends for shave ice in Hawaii. No word from CNN on how many scoops the former president ordered for himself.

The latest nonsensical story involved Trumps recent overseas trip. Rather than focusing on the historic nature of his trip, where he visited, who he addressed, and what he said, we are treated to stories of orbs, veils and handholding. One of the more interesting and absurd stories is whether the First Lady swatted the Presidents hand away when he attempted to hold her hand after arriving in Israel.

Johnny on the spot CNN called it the swat heard round the world. Complete with multiple photos and slow motion video, followed by detailed analysis from their political panels. Could it be a brief moment of acrimony between the two as CNN opined? The Daily Beast was a bit harsher, telling readers what this gesture really meant, Melanias swat proves she hates Donald just as much as America does. Yep. America hates Trump so much they elected him president. And would do so again if there was an election rematch.

Would the fake stream media have said the same about Barack and Michelle Obama? No answer needed.

As an example, how did the left-leaning New York Daily News cover two different First Couple affections?

Flash back to 2008 when Barack Obama secured the Democratic Party nomination. He and Michelle exchanged a fist bump. The Daily News headline was giddy, Barack and Michelle Obama's 'fist bump of hope' shows them silly in love. The newspaper described it as short, but sweet, an affectionate 11-second exchange, that emphasized Obama's youth and ability to transcend the stereotyped political gestures of campaigns past. How sweet. How magical. Hope and change.

Flash forward to last week. Instead of a fist bump, Donald and Melania Trump exchanged a low five, which according to the Urban Dictionary, is a celebratory gesture made by two people, slapping each other's lowered hands. Not a first for Trump. He did much the same with low-energy Jeb during the presidential debates.

How did the Daily News cover Donald and Melanias low five? With a much different headline than they gave the Obamas. Melania slaps away President Trumps hand on Tel Aviv tarmac at start of Israel trip. Going further they describe it as, the slap seen round the world. It was a rebuff because his wife of 12 years didnt comply with the unspoken command  and slapped his hand away instead. Unspoken is that Trump is a cad, a pig, a misogynist, a bully.

Good thing the Trumps didnt exchange a fist bump as did the Obamas. What might the Daily News headlines have been? Wife-beater Trump tries to punch Melania. Or First couple get in a fist fight on their first overseas trip.

The Australian news took it a step further with their headline, Melania Trump is not even pretending shes into this First Lady gig, knowing for certain that this is not what she signed up for, bemoaning her life shifted from long lunches and day spa visits in Manhattan to a fulltime position as a plus one. Really? Did they ask her? Would they have ever said this about Michelle Obama? Or Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady?

Instead ask those who know the Trumps. Rather than painting Melania as a forlorn Princess Di, a close friend of Melania confirms that she is "enjoying her life and new role." That the First Couple "are very happy" and that "their relationship is great."

But that doesnt fit the media narrative. The Democrat president is hip and cool. The Republican president is a troglodyte.

Alternatively, one can look to one of the more credible news sources, TMZ, which showed the First Couple holding hands in the Sistine Chapel. I doubt CNN will have a political panel discussing this photo.

Is it any wonder Americans are tuning out the network and cable news shows and not reading newspapers? An echo chamber of predictable and fake news stories which two-thirds of Americans acknowledge as bogus. The drumbeat damages America and creates a boy who cried wolf effect for the media. Someday they will have important and real news to report, which will immediately be discounted as more fake news.

If President Trump can take a break from Twitter, as he has during most his overseas trip, we should take a similar break from network and cable news. Rather than listening to endless discussion of First Couple handholding or presidential handshakes and shoves.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media frenzy over Jared Kushner talking to someone in Russia has reached absurd levels. The most heinous products of a hateful imagination are now being offered to the nations public as news and analysis. Based on nothing at all, accusations of treason are now being hurled at Jared Kushner, in a blood sport frenzy.

The fact that Jared Kushner has just returned from accompanying his father-in-law on a trip that restructured the power alignment of the Middle East to Americas advantage is a major part of the animus. That he, an observant Orthodox Jew who got his fiancee to convert, played a key role in moving the Saudi monarchy toward reconciliation with Israel and alignment against Iran is his greatest crime in the eyes of hysterical leftists. He helps the president contradict a litany of progressive beliefs that have become a catechism: Trump is an anti-Semite; he is too stupid and clumsy to be allowed access to the nations diplomacy; and Trump hates Muslims.

MSNBCs terrorism analyst Malcolm Nance, a former Navy cryptologist, has a track record of horrifying rhetoric:

But he managed to outdo himself on the subject of Jared Kushner, speculating that his alleged search for private communications with Russia meant he was planning to and over out nuclear codes, presumably to allow Russia to neutralize them and defeat the United States in a confrontation. This would be treason beyond that of the Rosenbergs, handing the crown jewel of Americas secrets to our enemy in order to defeat us.

Mr. Nance apparently still has his job at MSNBC.
Speaking at a conference on gun violence, public health expert Lawrence Wallack began by informing his audience that, just in the last decade, we've had 300,000 gun deaths.

That's about the size of Stockton, California, or Lexington, Kentucky, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he said.

Dr. Wallack spoke during a panel titled Battle Lines: Who is framing the gun debate?

Treating gun deaths as a public health issue is a convenient way for gun-control advocates to frame the issue. If guns are a dangerous product that results in death or serious injury, then they ought to be banned just like asbestos or defective laptop batteries.

Does this framing make sense? Not really. Very few people die because of defective firearms. In this sense, firearms are much safer than they were fifty or a hundred years ago. As Dr. Wallack explained later on, roughly two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides, and roughly one-third are homicides; accidents and unintentional deaths compose a small fraction of total gun deaths each year.

In other words, we have a problem with gun deaths because people use guns to kill themselves and others. The relevant public policy question is whether specific gun control measures reduce the number of homicides and suicides, not just homicides or suicides committed with guns.

Some researchers have argued that firearms make suicide more tempting and more lethal. However, the data doesn't support that. Japan and Korea have some of the worlds strictest gun laws and lowest rates of gun ownership, yet they have some of the worlds highest suicide rates. America has the world's highest gun ownership rate by far, and it has an average suicide rate.

Psychology Today -- not exactly American Rifleman or Guns and Ammo -- dismissed the link between suicide and gun ownership: There is no relation between suicide rate and gun ownership rates around the world. According to the 2016 World Health Statistics report, (2) suicide rates in the four countries cited as having restrictive gun control laws have suicide rates that are comparable to that in the U. S. Australia, 11.6, Canada, 11.4, France, 15.8, UK, 7.0, and USA 13.7 suicides/100,000. By comparison, Japan has among the highest suicide rates in the world, 23.1/100,000, but gun ownership is extremely rare, 0.6 guns/100 people.

The data on gun control and homicide rates doesn't support the claims of gun-control activists either. The U.S has a lot of guns, and compared to other developed nations a lot of homicide. However, this relationship doesn't appear to hold for other countries, and may in fact be the inverse. More importantly, homicide in America is demographically concentrated among young black males; non-Hispanic whites do not have a particularly high homicide rate.

Gun-control activists talk about gun-deaths, and they believe that if they reduce gun-deaths they have saved lives. They do this because they see the issue in product safety terms. Mayor Bloomberg sees gun-control as an extension of his crusade against smoking and sugary soft drinks.

For the five hundred or so Americans who die from unintentional gunshot wounds, the product safety model might make some sense. For the twenty thousand Americans who commit suicide with guns, it doesn't make much sense.

In gauging whether gun-control is effective the relevant question is what impact does gun-control have on the overall murder rate or the overall suicide rate. In terms of suicide the answer seems to be not much, and in terms of homicide gun-control might actually be counterproductive.
Unable to bring President Trump on big things - whether of colluding with the Russians to steal the election from Hillary Clinton, or find any evidence of profiteering in his business enterprises, the press is getting so desperate it's now resorted to nit-picking on small ones. Trouble is, even its nit-picks are all fake news.

Take President Trump's most recent trip to Europe. The New York Times blared:

Trump Appears to Push Aside the Leader of Montenegro

The Guardian howled:

White House photo caption omits husband of Luxembourg's gay PM

The Daily Mirror claimed:

Donald Trump 'caught pretending to listen' at G7 summit - after crucial mistake 'gives him away'

See the pattern? Problem is, none of these stories are true. The president of Montenegro said he wasn't shoved. The White House staff fixed the missing caption without any ado. White House Spokesman Sean Spicer explicitly denied the claim that President Trump was not wearing an earpiece to hear a translation of the Italian prime minister's speech.

And these were just the tail end of a string of such stories, coming at the end of President Trump's trip to Europe.

First, of what value are these nit-pick stories, even if it were possible that they were true/ What great triangulation can be achieved from these tiny snippets of largely irrelevant information? The answer is none, other than a reckless pursuit of Internet clicks.

Getting the story wrong doesn't seem to bother them because they are just going to keep on doing this sort of nit-pick reportage. They have the gas in the car and mean to drive that buggy over the cliff. There's so much fake news now that the inevitable response from their readers is that they're going to tune out.

That's a credibility blow. And the media is shooting itself down if it keeps on reporting this kind of tripe - fake, malevolent and petty.
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


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.
The candidates were selected based on their educational qualifications and performance in the NDP at Abu Dhabi Airports. The move to the ORAT team will give them the opportunity to engage in on-site training and experience to enable them play their role in operating the new terminal once it comes on line, the airport said.

The Abu Dhabi Airports board of directors invited the candidates to its most recent board meeting, which was held at the MTB site, in one of the piers.

Chairman, Awaidah Murshed Al Marrar, said: This move is not only significant for these young national elites, but also for us at Abu Dhabi Airports, as we know we can only deliver a sustainable aviation industry by empowering and training the youth of this nation to become their future leaders. We are building one of the largest airport terminals in the world, with the some of the most advanced technologies and services available, and we need the best people to run to ensure its success.

The ORAT programme is a detailed testing phase of all aspects of the airports operations, set out to ensure a smooth transition once the new terminal is opened.

With the MTB opening planned for 2019, Abu Dhabi Airports launched the operation of the ORAT earlier this year by creating 14 working groups that will look at the various functions of the airport. These groups are: terminal & landside operations, airside and ramp operations, aviation security, baggage handling, FM and support facilities, recruitment and training, logistics and contracts, airport management center, systems, process trials, relocation and transfer, fire and life safety, testing and commissioning coordination, and risk management.

The selected NDP graduates will join these various working groups, and more graduates will continue to join as the programme evolves and the opening of the terminal gets closer.

Abu Dhabi Airports launched the NDP in 2013 as an initiative to attract young UAE graduates to the aviation industry, and train and integrate them into the various airport professions. The programme runs for 18 months per cycle, and to date the company has attracted 92 joiners since the launch of the programme.


On behalf of African Parks, a conservation non-profit organisation that manages national parks and protected areas on behalf of governments across the continent, Intradco chartered two Etihad Boeing 777 freighters to transport the 19 black rhinos from Johannesburg to the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Upon touching down at Kigali International Airport (KGL), the rhinos were carefully transferred to trucks to continue the final leg of their journey by road, under police escort.

Ten rhinos travelled on the first flight, and nine on the second, along with the three vets and two attendants who accompanied them for the duration of their entire journey from Johannesburg to Akagera National Park.

The rhinos, which can weigh up to 2,500 kg each, were transported in special pallets which also contained their feed for the journey. The temperature on the aircraft is specified by the vet to ensure the animals do not overheat or become stressed.

The project to return the rhinos took place over the first two weeks of May, and represents a historical moment for the country after the species disappeared in 2007 following decades of widespread poaching.

The complex logistics involved in this remarkable homecoming required the expertise of Intradcos specialists who spent more than a year planning the journey with Etihad Cargo, who operated the flights.

Intradco worked closely with African Parks and the Akegara team to ensure all permits and clearances were in place including valid CITES documentation (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)  a requirement when transporting listed species such as black rhino.

Tom Lamb, Intradco project manager, accompanied the animals on both flights and travelled with the team for the five-hour drive to Akegara National Park where they were successfully released.

Commenting on the project, Mr Lamb said: It is a brilliant achievement to return the extremely rare eastern black rhino to Rwanda after a 10-year absence. There are only 1,000 left globally so moving two per cent of the world's population was a big responsibility and challenge, and an incredible project to be a part of.



It was a privilege to be able to accompany the rhinos on their homecoming and witness their release back into the wild. We would also like to thank Etihad Cargo for their role in operating the two flights and for their meticulous care and attention.

David Kerr, Senior Vice President Etihad Cargo, said: We are proud to play this integral role in returning an endangered species to its home. Last year Etihad Airways became one of the first airlines to sign the Declaration of the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products, known as the Buckingham Palace Declaration, as a demonstration of our support for preventing illegal wildlife trade  estimated to be worth up to US $20 billion today. As a key mode of transport for carrying this caught wildlife across borders, it is the responsibility of the aviation industry to take action to prevent this.

Jes Gruner, Akagera Park Manager, said: Together with the Rwanda Development Board and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, we have spent the last three years preparing for this historic event, ensuring that the park is safe for the arrival of the rhinos and for their long-term future so they can breed and thrive.



Akagera has transformed since African Parks assumed management in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board in 2010, overhauling law enforcement and reducing poaching to an all-time low in just six years, thus making it safe to bring these eastern black rhinos back home.




Employees from Etihad Airways and Airbus gathered at the European plane-makers Hamburg Finkenwerder plant in Germany, where the aircraft was officially handed over to the UAE national airline before commencing its delivery flight to Abu Dhabi.



The airlines award-winning double-decker A380s are the most customised aircraft of their kind in commercial service and feature unique innovations such as The Residence - a three-room living space for up to two guests, including a living room, a private shower-room, and a bedroom. The aircraft also boasts nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios, a Lobby Lounge, and 415 Economy Smart Seats.



Etihad Airways operates its fleet of Airbus A380s on flights from the UAE capital to London, Sydney, New York, and from 1 July, Paris.


"I was proud to fly the first flight of our LM-100J. It performed flawlessly, as is typical of our military C130J new production aircraft," said Wayne Roberts, chief test pilot for the LM-100J Program. "This new model will perform many commercial roles in the decades to come, like humanitarian service following natural disasters and others like nuclear accident response, oil spill containment, and firefighting. This aircraft will also enable remote area development such as mining and oil and gas exploration. This day marks the beginning of a tremendous commercial capability that only the LM-100J can deliver."

This first flight followed the same test flight route over North Georgia and Alabama that is used for all C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The LM-100J will complete initial production flight tests and then begin Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certificate update flight test requirements.

"This first flight is a source of pride for Lockheed Martin and serves as a proof-point to the ongoing versatility of the Super Hercules aircraft," said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions, and Marietta site general manager. "I'm continually impressed by the commitment to quality and relevance that our employees, industry partners and customers have invested into the LM-100J. Like its military counterpart, the LM100J is exceeding all expectations in terms of performance and capabilities."

The LM-100J is the 17th different mission capability developed for the C-130J Super Hercules and it is an updated version of the L-100 cargo aircraft, which Lockheed Martin produced from 1964-1992. Lockheed Martin officials submitted a Program Notification Letter to the FAA on Jan. 21, 2014, for a type design update to this aircraft, a civil-certified variant of the C-130J Super Hercules to be marketed as the LM-100J.

Through select design innovations, the LM-100J will perform as a commercial multi-purpose air freighter capable of rapid and efficient cargo transport. The LM-100J is an ideal airlift solution for delivering bulk and oversize cargo, particularly to austere locations worldwide. Like its military counterpart, the LM-100J will be able to support multiple missions, ranging from firefighting to medevac to VIP transport.


YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. Manvel Grigoryan, RPA faction MP, Chairman of the Board of Yerkrapah Volunteers Union, is confident that the Armenian people can maintain very well their victories, and the youth enjoys those victories, Grigoryan told reporters in Sardarapat Memorial on May 28, reports Armenpress.

Asked about existing social issues in Armenia, Manvel Grigoryan said: Problems must exist in order to be solved. Without problems no progress can be achieved.

He also commented on Nation-Army idea, stating that they welcome and support the programs put forward by Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia Davit Tonoyan assures that the Ministry has no difficulties in carrying out inspections at gas-filling stations, reports Armenpress.

We face no difficulty on launching inspections, just technical preparation works are required so that to start right operations. It would be correct to call it control, rather than inspection, the Minister told reporters.

He said the Ministry is going to control the work of gas-filling stations and will check what pressure of gas is provided to consumers.

The Minister also added that the work of gas-filling stations, where violations are detected, will be suspended until violations are eliminated.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An Artesia man was arrested Thursday in connection with a stabbing incident.

Officers with the Artesia Police Department were dispatched Monday to the 200 block of Dallas Avenue in reference to a stabbing incident.

Officers were able to make contact with the victim at Artesia General Hospital, who told them he had been in an altercation with a friend of his ex-girlfriends in the 600 block of South Second Street. The altercation subsequently travelled, ending up in front of a residence at 203A W. Dallas Ave.

The victim told police the individual with whom he was fighting ran inside that residence, and another man, identified as Jason Phillips of Artesia, walked outside with a knife.

According to the report, the victim told police he began walking away but was pursued by Phillips, who began to issue verbal threats. The victim said he noticed something shiny in Phillips hand and continued to walk away, at which point Phillips allegedly ran up behind him and stabbed him in the buttocks.

Officers interviewed Phillips, who told them he had kicked the victim in the buttocks outside the residence and ordered him to leave. After officers observed what appeared to be bloodstains on Phillips shorts and shoe and were given permission to take the items for further investigation, they determined the bloodstain patterns were consistent with the blood trail found around Second Street and Dallas Avenue and that sufficient evidence existed to take Phillips into custody.

He was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
In Chicagos new American Writers Museum: If the idea is to curate  to present to the world, in some official capacity, the Most Important People in American Literary History  then the battle is unwinnable. Theres no way were all ever going to agree. We see certain writers as canonical because we were always told they were canonical.
A friend from the military chapter of my life asked if I would republish a story that first ran on Memorial Day weekend five years ago. We present this with pleasure in recalling an extraordinary man and with renewed sadness at his loss.

Originally posted on Rifftides on May 30, 2011

There is someone I think of every Memorial Day, and many other days. Cornelius Ram and I were among a collection of young men who accepted the United States Marine Corps bet that we werent tough enough or smart enough to wrestle commissions from the Corps. It quickly became apparent to everyone, including the drill instructors charged with pounding us into the shapes of Marines, that Corky Ram would have no problem. He was a standout in the grueling weeks of officer candidate competition and then in the months of physical and mental rigor designed to make us worthy of those little gold bars on the collars of our fatigues. After high school in Jersey City, New Jersey, he had served a hitch as a Navy enlisted man, and then got a college degree before he chose the Corps. He was two or three years older than most of us, and a natural leader. He could tell when the pressure was about to cave a green lieutenant exhausted from a 20-mile forced march with full field pack or demoralized after a classroom test he was sure he had flunked. Corky knew how to use encouragement or cajolery to restore flagging determination. He helped a lot of us make it through. The picture above is how I remember him from that period. Unlike most of us who served our few years and got out, Corky made the Marine Corps his career. He served two tours in Viet Nam. Here is the official 5th Marines Command Chronology of what happened to him and another officer on his second tour in January of 1971, as the war was slogging to its demoralizing conclusion:

On 10 January Major Ram (2/5 XO) and Captain Ford (E Co., CO), while attempting to aid two wounded Marines, were killed by a 60mm surprise firing device.

Theres a bit more to the story. Major Ram, Executive Officer of 2/5 Marines, and Captain Ford (of Glen Rock, NJ), Commanding Officer of Echo Company, were overhead in a command helicopter when they spotted the wounded Marines in the open and in the path of oncoming enemy troops. The helicopter pilot, convinced that the open area was mined, refused to land in the vicinity of the wounded Marines and instead put down at a distance. Major Ram and Captain Ford exited the helicopter and began to cross the open area toward the wounded men. The pilot was right  the area was mined, and both Major Ram and Captain Ford died as a result. At least one of the two wounded Marines survived; he visited the Ram family several years later and described the circumstances.

Corky Ram was one of 13,085 Marines who died in hostile action in Viet Nam. I knew others, but he was the one I knew best. More than once, I have stood gazing at his name on the wall at the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington, DC. When Memorial Day comes around, he symbolizes for me the American service men and women who have died in the nations wars. What we and all of the free world owe them is beyond calculation.


The actress called Salman's nephews Arhaan and Nirvan, as 'The future Tigers', while they worked out together.

Mumbai: After a period of lull, Katrina Kaif is back, and back with a bang!

The actress has bounced back in style from the twin failures of Fitoor and Baar Baar Dekho and the delay of the Jagga Jasoos and everything seems to be falling in place for her now.

Jagga Jasoos is finally releasing on 14 July, and Katrina has also bagged films opposite all the three Khans, Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh, Thugs of Hindostan, Tiger Zinda Hai and Aanand L Rais untitled film, respectively.

Her arrival on the social media platform Instagram was also greeted by her fans and Bollywood stars in a very warm way.

The actress, though, is yet to begin the shooting of films with Shah Rukh and Aamir, but has kicked off Tiger Zinda Hai.

Her picture chilling with a shirtless Salman was loved by the fans and went viral immediately.

But it seems that the actress is not just bonding with him, but also with his nephews, that too after both returned to Mumbai after the Abu Dhabi schedule recently.

Katrinas dedication towards maintaining her fitness was recently evident in a video of her sweating it out in the gym, and this time, she had Arhaan and Nirvan, sons of Salmans brothers, Arbaaz and Sohail respectively, also for company.

The actress shared the picture on Instagram and captioned it interestingly, calling them 'The future Tigers.

With Katrina being a part of Salmans life since more than 12 years now, it seems that every person in the Khan-daan shares a good rapport with the actress, including this younger lot of Khans.
After going to Pakistan in the film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman Khan might be crossing the border and entering China in his latest.

Tubelight is said to be inspired from the film Little Boy and also depicts an intense emotional drama between two brothers. Sohail Khan plays Salmans brother in the film and will be shown joining the Kumaon Battalion to fight the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Salman, who plays a simpleton in the film, vows to get his brother back by all means. It is common knowledge that the Sino-Indian war was short-lived and ended with a ceasefire declared by China. So does the ceasefire have an important turn in the story and help Salman to enter China to bring his brother back? While Salman was reserved his comment, director Kabir Khan said, Yes, ceasefire did take place. A source close to the film reveals that Salman enters the Chinese territory and not only brings his brother back but also spreads the message of peace between the two warring. So, after entering the Pakistani territories in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman might be seen entering China.
The megastar decides to do what he is known for, acting, to divert attention from his 'political' career.

Rajinikanth will also be seen in '2.0' next year.

Chennai: Tamil 'superstar' Rajinikanth on Saturday arrived in Mumbai to shoot for his upcoming film 'Kaala Karikalan' (Kaala) scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The film considered to be a sequel to 'Kabali,' which released last year, would be produced by Wunderbar Films promoted by Rajinikanth's son-in-law and actor Dhanush.

"The shooting for Kaala begins tomorrow.. I am leaving for Mumbai.. You are doing your job, please allow me to do my job," Rajinikanth told reporters before leaving to Mumbai.

The actor also dodged a question on the reported comments made by his brother on his possible entry into politics.

Last week, the 67-year-old 'Kabali' star met his fans after a gap of eight years and had hinted of taking the political plunge when he asked them to carry on with their daily responsibilities, but "face the war when it comes."

Pa Ranjith, who had directed 'Kabali' would be weilding the megaphone this time too.

Ranjith's favourite musician Santhosh Narayanan is on board 'Kaala' also and the film is being made in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.

The film had earlier courted controversy with the adopted son of Mumbai don late Haji Mastan alleging the plot was based on his father's life.

The makers had, however, denied it.

Recently, Dhanush had released the title and the first look of the movie on social networking sites.
PMO asks Niti Aayog to chalk out ways to improve the implementation of the government schemes in states with considerable backward districts.

The Niti Aayog has been directed to visit states having a large number of backward districts and chart a new mechanism to manage the developmental work.

New Delhi: Having delinked the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF)  a scheme meant for correcting regional imbalances in backward districts of the country  from central funding, the government is now concerned about states capability of handling the developmental work in such districts falling under their jurisdiction.

The Niti Aayog has been directed by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) to engage with states having considerable number of backward districts and chalk out ways to improve the implementation of the scheme.

With the states bearing the financial burden of running the scheme, the PMO is concerned about the states performance vis-a-vis addressing issues related to backward regions falling under their jurisdiction. Therefore, the Niti Aayog has been directed to visit states having a large number of backward districts and chart a new mechanism to manage the developmental work.

Highly placed sources in the Niti Aayog informed this newspaper that to begin with, Maharashtra has been taken as a model state, with which deliberations will be held to discuss ways of improving development projects in backwards districts. A high-level team of officials will soon leave for Maharashtra to conduct the deliberations on maintaining the tempo of BRGF.

Sources informed that though the Centre cant help the states financially in implementing BRGF, the main aim is to provide some guidance and hand-holding so that state governments dont lose focus of the core aim of the programme, which is to correct imbalances by providing financial help to backward districts.

The BRGF was initiated by the UPA regime in 2007 to address regional imbalances in developmental process by providing financial resources to identified backward districts. Through these funds, the backward districts bridge the critical gaps in local infrastructure and other development requirements. This programme covers 272 districts in 27 states.
On May 23, the aircraft lost contact, following which a massive search operation was launched to track the jet.

The aircraft was later found in a heavily forested area about 60 kilometres from Tezpur in Assam, where it went missing on Tuesday. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: A ground search and rescue party, consisting of Para (Special Forces) and Indian Air Force Garuds along with the army, reached Assam on Sunday, where Sukhoi-30 jet crashed, and recovered the aircraft's Black Box.

On May 23, the aircraft lost contact, following which a massive search operation was launched to track the jet.

The aircraft was later found in a heavily forested area about 60 kilometres from Tezpur in Assam, where it went missing on Tuesday.

The Russian made jet took off around 9:30 am on a routine training sortie and went off the radar near the Arunachal Pradesh's Doulasang area, bordering China.

The Tezpur Air Force station is 172 km from the China border.

The aircraft was inducted in Tezpur air base in 2009. At present, Tezpur has two squadrons of SU-30 aircraft, each comprising of 12 to 16 aircraft.

Meanwhile, a Court of Inquiry has been instituted to investigate the cause of the accident.
The Union Minister further stated that there is going to be no leniency as far as tackling terrorism is concerned.

New Delhi: With Pakistan branding the killing of Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat as 'extra judicial', Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Sunday asserted that regardless of what the hostile neighbor says, India's approach towards the Valley remains clear and consistent.

Speaking to ANI here, Singh said, "Regardless of what Pakistan says, it continues to be in denial mode on whatever has happened over the years. As far as India's approach is concerned it is clear and consistent."

The Union Minister further stated that there is going to be no leniency as far as tackling terrorism is concerned.

Speaking of the return of normalcy in Kashmir, Singh said the youth in Kashmir are very keen that normalcy should be restored as soon as possible.

"Kashmiri youth are keen to be a part of mainstream development journey led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As they can see the enormous benefits which are now available to the youth in other states and they don't wish to be deprived of that" he added.

Saying that Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was 'martyred extra-judicially', Pakistan condemned the killing of terrorists by Indian security forces and said world powers must get New Delhi to stop targeting 'defenceless Kashmiris'.

The death of Sabzar Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani has triggered protests, shutdown and curfew like situation.

The Tral operation, in which Bhat was killed, was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

On Saturday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pakistan sponsored agents to spread terror in Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the holy month of Ramazan.

"In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command.
As long as there is stone-pelting, there cannot be dialogue. We cannot give them flower if they pelt stones, Shah said.

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah has ruled out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, but has insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

Asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat (separatists) too as was done by the previous NDA government, he told PTI, "Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to everyone."

The Agenda of Alliance sealed by the BJP and the PDP before they formed the government in the state talks about holding dialogue with all internal stakeholders.

"We have said that we will start dialogue once stone-pelting stops. As long as there is stone-pelting, there cannot be dialogue. We cannot give them flower if they pelt stones. They will have to understand it," he said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the performance of the state government, in which the BJP is a junior partner to the PDP, he said it had done very good work on developing

infrastructure and succeeded in bringing development to far-flung areas which, he added, had been connected in a strategic way.

For the first time, he has said, Jammu and Ladakh, two other regions in the state besides Kashmir, believe that they have got justice.

He also played down the current cycle of violence in the valley, saying the region has seen such hot situation in stretches of six, eight or 12 months earlier as well, before security forces controlled it.

"You cannot assess the situation in Kashmir by picking one stretch of six months. You will have to see the entire period from 1989 to May 2017. There have been many stretches of six months, eight months or one year when the situation has been hot before our security forces controlled it," he said.

Kashmir has been witnessing frequent clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.
Modi said that ultimately, all religions, faiths, ideologies or traditions give the message of peace, unity and goodwill.

New Delhi: As the holy month of Ramzan began on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation and prayed that it enhances the spirit of peace and harmony in the country which is "proud" to have people from all faiths and communities.

He hailed the fact that in India, believers and athiests as well as "those believing in idol worship" and "those opposing the idol worship" co-exist peacefully.

Modi said that ultimately, all religions, faiths, ideologies or traditions give the message of peace, unity and goodwill.

"Greetings on the start of Ramzan. May this holy month enhance the spirit of togetherness, peace & harmony across the world," he tweeted this morning.

Later, in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', the prime minister said, "I convey my hearty greetings to everyone in India and elsewhere in the world, especially the Muslim brethren at the advent of the auspicious month of Ramazan."

He noted that prayers, spirituality and charity are accorded the highest priority during the month of fasting.

"We Indians are very lucky that our ancestors have created such a tradition that today India and and its 1.25 billion people can take pride in the fact that people from all communities and faith are available here," Modi said.

"We have adapted ourselves to the myriad kinds of ideologies, different ways of worshipping and all types of traditions and imbibed the art of co-existential living," he added.

He expressed confidence that the holy month would be helpful in further strengthening these values of peace, unity and goodwill.
Maj. Gogoi was given the award for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

New Delhi: The Indian Army is facing a dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through innovative ways, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a human shield by a young officer.

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Gen. Rawat said the main objective of giving an award to Maj. Leetul Gogoi, when a court of inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy-infested state.

This is a proxy war and a proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations, Gen. Rawat said, in what were his most comprehensive comments yet on the issue. The Army Chiefs Commendation Card for Maj. Gogoi, who had tied a man to an Army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone-pelters last month, was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and even a few retired Army generals. A video of the incident led to a row, with many condemning it. Maj. Gogoi was given the award for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as Chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there, Gen. Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones. In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy... Then I could do what I (want to do), he said.

Gen. Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose the fear of the Army, then that country was doomed.

Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly Army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us, he said.

At the same time, he asserted maximum restraint was being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

Gen. Rawat said that as Army Chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of Army personnel in J&K and that he did so by giving an award to Maj. Gogoi. As Army Chief my concern is the morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battlefield. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have mala fide intent, I am there, he said.

Gen. Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Maj. Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the Army does not respond to a call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, the police and the Army will break.

That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the Army and other security forces, he said.

The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on at the court of inquiry into the incident involving Maj. Gogoi, and that is why he went ahead with giving him the award. I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for?

He said the armed forces had the right of self-defence and Maj. Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd, but he chose not to do so. Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone-thrower, and was only returning home after voting in the byelection when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeeps bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone-pelters of the consequences.

The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed, and it was incorrect to say that the whole of Kashmir had gone out of control.

It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. The Armys role is to ensure violence does not take place and the common man not indulging in this (violence) is protected, he said, when asked about a solution to the Kashmir issue.

He also emphasised the need to take harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.

The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young Army officer Lt. Umar Fayaz was killed by militants while he was on leave.

Asked if there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding that such initiatives had been taken in the past as well. Has a political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil..., he said.

To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a limited war with Pakistan.
The former RJD MP is lodged at present in the high security Tihar Jail in Delhi.

New Delhi: Based on the evidence, the CBI is all set to seek police custody, instead of judicial custody, of RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin in connection with the murder case of Siwan-based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, as granted by the special CBI court in Muzaffarpur recently.

Sources said, The CBI will now seek his police custody as he is an accused in the case. Shahabuddin is required to be interrogated in police custody not in judicial custody, as granted by the competent court.

If required, he may be subjected to the lie-detection test also, sources said, adding that the agency has enough evidence to prove that Shahabuddin had played an important role in the murder of the journalist.

The former RJD MP was on May 26 named as the 10 accused in the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan by the CBI.

The former RJD MP is lodged at present in the high security Tihar Jail in Delhi. The CBI is preparing to file a chargesheet in this case on the basis of evidence collected by the agency sleuths during investigation, sources said.

The case was handed over to the CBI in September last year after the slain journalists widow Asha Ranjan and his father Radhe Krishna Chaudhary repeatedly alleged that Shahabuddin was behind the murder.

The suspicion over Shahbuddins involvement deepened after names of two of his henchmen Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed surfaced.

Chargesheet against six accused has already been filed in connection with the case. Two of the accused Mohammad Javed and Kaif are currently on bail and Shahabuddin has been made the tenth accused in the case, sources said.

Local police had earlier claimed that the murder was the result of premediated conspiracy. Sources also claimed that the slain journalist had become a big threat for criminals because of his news reports against the deteriorating law and order condition in Siwan.

There are reports that the Siwan police had provided the CBI the CCTV footage of the area where the killing had taken place. Mohammad Shahabuddin was in jail when the journalist was gunned down in Siwan while he was returning from office on May 13, 2016.

Shahabuddin, facing more than 39 criminal cases including those of kidnapping and murder, was transferred to Tihar jail on February 18.
The Army also said that it killed an intruder on the LoC in Poonch district on Sunday.

Srinagar: About 1,300 candidates appeared on Sunday in the common entrance examination for the selection of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and other ranks in the Army even as the Valley was reeling under official curfew and separatist-sponsored shutdown, following the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahedin commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat.

The exam was held in summer capital Srinagar and Pattan area of north-western Baramulla district. The Army tweeted: Written Examination #IndianArmy JCOs & OR held at Srinagar & Pattan. 799 in Pattan & 493 in Srinagar appear today.

A defence spokesman said out of 815 candidates, who had applied for JCOs posts, as many as 799 appeared for the test at Pattan whereas in Srinagar, as many as 493 candidates reached the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre at Rangreth for the exam. Candidates defying shutdown call and choosing their future is a clear message, the spokesperson said.

In New Delhi, minister of state at the PMO, Jitendra Singh, said, The Kashmiri youth are keen to be a part of the mainstream development journey led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As they can see the enormous benefits, which are now available to the youth in other states and they dont wish to be deprived of that.

He added that the youth in the Valley are very keen that normalcy should be restored as soon as possible.

Mr Singh, who was reacting to Pakistans charge that Bhat was martyred extra-judicially, said regardless of what Islamabad says, Indias approach towards Kashmir remains clear and consistent.

Pakistan, condemning the killing of Bhat and other militants by the Indian security forces, also said the world powers must get New Delhi to stop targeting defenceless Kashmiris. Responding to it, Mr Singh said that there is going to be no leniency as far as tackling terrorism is concerned.

Meanwhile, the Army said on Sunday that a civilian working as a porter was killed while another received injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district on Saturday. It added that the body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility.

The Army also said that it killed an intruder on the LoC in Poonch district on Sunday.

Soldiers noticed suspicious movement on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector around 2.30 am. They opened fire killing one intruder whose identity is yet to be ascertained, the Army said.

In Uri area of Baramulla district, the locals have expressed doubt over the Army claim that the two persons it killed near the LoC on Friday could be militants or Pakistan army personnel. The Army had said that it had stopped an infiltration attempt backed by the Pakistan army along the de facto border and killed two members of a Pakistan army Border Action Team (BAT) who had crossed the de facto border and were very close to an Indian Army post located 600 metres from it (LoC). The BAT action against the Indian Army patrol along the LoC in Uri sector was foiled. Two BAT terrorists have been killed. The operation continues, the spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said in a brief statement issued here on Friday.

The bodies of the slain men were handed over to the locals for the burial. Srinagar newspapers on Sunday quoted the residents and the gravediggers as saying that the duo was very old persons possibly septuagenarian or octogenarian who could hardly be militants or soldiers.
Kashmir has been witnessing clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.

New Delhi: Ruling out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, BJP president Amit Shah said the Modi government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

Kashmir has been witnessing clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.

Playing down the ongoing situation in the Valley, Mr Shah said the region has seen such hot situation in stretches of six, eight or 12 months earlier as well, before security forces controlled it.

We have said that we will start dialogue once stone-pelting stops. As long as there is stone pelting, there cannot be a dialogue. We cant give them flower if they pelt stones. They will have to understand it, Mr Shah told a news agency. When asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat (separatists) too, as was done by the previous NDA government, Mr Shah said, Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to every one. Mr Shah said one cant assess the situation in Kashmir by picking one stretch of six months and one has to see the entire period from 1989 to May 2017.

The BJP chief also expressed satisfaction in the way the PDP-BJP government is functioning.

He said the state government has done very good work on developing infrastructure and succeeded in bringing development to far-flung areas, which have been connected in a strategic way.

Mr Shah said for the first time, Jammu and Ladakh, two other regions in the state besides Kashmir, believe that they have got justice.
The BJP thinks the Opposition camp will lose if it fields its candidate as some non-NDA parties will support the NDA candidate.

New Delhi: The BJP will start formal consultations with its allies and with the Opposition on the presidential polls, but only after June 15, when the third anniversary celebrations of the Narendra Modi government will be over. BJP president Amit Shah had earlier said his party will hold discussions with everybody, including the Opposition parties on the issue. The new President will be elected by July 25 and the ruling side is confident that the next President will be a nominee of the BJP-led NDA.

The BJP is of the view that the so-called Opposition unity over fielding a joint presidential candidate was exposed when only 17 parties attended the luncheon meeting hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

The Opposition parties want the government to build a consensus on the presidential candidate, else they will field their own candidate. Interestingly, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party did not attend the Opposition gathering.

The BJP thinks the Opposition camp will lose if it fields its candidate as some non-NDA parties will support the NDA candidate.

The BJP, sources said, feels that with the DMK attending the meeting, its arch-rival and Tamil Nadus ruling party AIADMK will back the NDA candidate. Also, efforts to woo the Shiv Sena by the Opposition camp will remain unsuccessful and its ally will not ditch the NDA on the presidential candidate issue, said a senior BJP leader. The Sena had supported the UPA candidate in 2007 as well as in 2012.

After some non-NDA parties like Jagan Mohan Reddys YSR Congress of Andhra Pradesh and Telanganas ruling TRS indicated their support to the NDA candidate, the BJP is confident that its candidate will be the next President of India.
The PM said all religions, faiths, ideologies or traditions offer the message of peace, unity and goodwill.

New Delhi: Greeting people at the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed confidence that the holy month would be helpful in further strengthening peace, unity and goodwill. The PM said all religions, faiths, ideologies or traditions offer the message of peace, unity and goodwill.

Greetings on the start of Ramzan. May this holy month enhance the spirit of togetherness, peace and harmony across the world, Mr Modi tweeted.

He also wished people on Ramzan during his Mann ki Baat monthly radio address on Sunday, and prayed that it would enhance the spirit of peace and harmony in the country that he said was proud to have people from all faiths and communities living in it. Hailing the fact that in

India, believers and atheists as well as those believing in idol worship and those opposing idol worship co-exist peacefully, the Prime Minister said ultimately, all religions, faiths, ideologies or traditions offer the message of peace, unity and goodwill. We Indians are very lucky that our ancestors have created such a tradition that today India and its 1.25 billion people can take pride in the fact that people from all communities and faiths are available here, he said.

Beginning his radio programme with Ramzan greetings, Mr Modi said: I convey my hearty greetings to everyone in India and elsewhere in the world, specially the Muslim brethren, at the advent of the auspicious month of Ramzan. He noted prayers, spirituality and charity are accorded the highest priority during the month of fasting.

The Prime Minister said India has adapted to the myriad kinds of ideologies, different ways of worshipping and all types of traditions, and had truly imbibed the art of co-existential living.
The face of the Bhim Army may be a young lawyer Chandra Shekhar, but sources said the brain behind the outfit is Satish Kumar.

Dalits are now being encouraged to send a message regarding any incident of caste discrimination and hundreds of dalit youth reach the site of the incident. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: The infamous Bhim Army, which reportedly provoked dalits to defend themselves in a violent manner in Saharanpur and triggered off casteist clashes, is apparently a growing organisation with a militant streak.

The face of the Bhim Army may be a young lawyer Chandra Shekhar, but sources said the brain behind the outfit is Satish Kumar, a dalit thinker from Chutmulpur village who has been underground since the violence.

Mr Shekhars name came to light when he clashed with some Thakur community youth in the AHP College in Saharanpur over the issue of a separate hand pump for dalit students.

Sources said Satish wants to build up Bhim Army on the lines of the Shiv Sena and instil an element of fear in non-dalits, especially, politicians and the administration. Mr Kumar has reportedly formed a WhatsApp group of dalit youth in several districts of western Uttar Pradesh and his one message percolates down to the rural interiors of the region within minutes.

Dalits are now being encouraged to send a message regarding any incident of caste discrimination and hundreds of dalit youth reach the site of the incident. He has also been asking dalits to learn how to defend themselves and that too, in a language that the upper castes understand.

Lathi ka jawab lathi, goli ka jawab goli, is the tag line of his speeches and messages. The aggression of dalits was more than visible in the recent clashes and this is a dangerous trend in the present social set-up, said a local senior journalist S.K. Dubey.
Congress vice-president goes to Saharanpur, meets affected families despite being told not to.

New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, which has been marred by violence between two castes. He met with dalit families affected by the strife.

The district authorities had on Friday refused permission to Mr Gandhi, citing volatile situation there. After BSP supremo Mayawatis visit to the area, fresh violence had erupted, leading to the death of a dalit youth.

However, Mr Gandhi managed to meet the affected families on Saturday. The administration tried to stop me at the border, but I walked till Saharanpur Chowki and managed to meet the families, Mr Gandhi tweeted.

The BJP government in UP wants to crush and isolate dalits. And it is using all its might to stop those who will stand with them, he said.

Taking on the BJP government at the Centre as well as the state, Mr Gandhi said: When they fail to deliver they divide and distract. But anger and hatred will not convert into jobs or solutions.

He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to create jobs as promised. The government only listens to suit-boot type people and not the poor.

Mr Gandhis visit comes barely a day after a show of strength by the Opposition parties in the national capital.Apart from Congress ally Samajwadi Party, BSP chief Mayawati also attended the meeting. It is understood that it was the dalit leader who pressed upon the parties to take up the Saharanpur issue in earnest.

Mr Gandhi was accompanied by AICC general secretary in-charge of UP, Ghulam Nabi Azad and state Congress chief Raj Babbar.

Mr Gandhi had come to Saharanpur from Haryana's Yamuna Nagar side up to Sarsawan town. The officials told him that prohibitory orders had been imposed in the district in view of the prevailing situation.

ADG (Law and order) Aditya Misra told reporters in Lucknow that no political leader would be allowed to visit Saharanpur till the situation returns to normal. It may be recalled that fresh clashes had erupted in Saharanpur after BSP president Mayawati visited the district on May 23.
The visit is aimed at boosting economic ties between India and the European countries.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his four-nation visit to Germany, Spain, Russia and France from Monday. The visit is aimed at boosting economic ties between India and the European countries.

Tomorrow, I will begin a four-nation visit, during which I will join various programmes. My visits to these nations are aimed at boosting Indias economic engagement with them and to invite more investment to India. I will hold extensive talks with Chancellor Merkel and we will hold the 4th IGC to further boost India-Germany ties. My Spain visit will be an important one, aimed at significantly boosting economic ties between our nations. I will be in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the India-Russia Annual Summit. I shall hold talks with President Emmanuel Macron in France, one of our most valued strategic partners, the PM said on Sunday.

In a statement last week, the ministry of external affairs said, The Prime Minister would be visiting Germany, Spain, Russia and France from May 29 to June 3. On May 29, Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, will host the PM at her official Meseberg Country Retreat where the two leaders would discuss issues of mutual interest. Later in the day on May 30, Mr Modi will pay a courtesy call on President of the Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Mr Modi will then leave for Spain on May 30 where he will hold talks with the Spanish leadership and will also call on King Felipe VI of Spain.

He will be in Russia on June 1-2, 2017 for holding the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit in St. Petersburg on June 1. It is the first time that the Annual Summit will be held in Russia outside Moscow, the statement said.
The district administration in Kushinagar asked the residents to have a bath before attending a meeting with the CM Yogi.

New Delhi: Tearing into UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the Kushinagar incident where dalits were asked to shower before meeting him, the Congress demanded a case be registered against the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and the officials under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. He also demanded an unconditional apology from the Uttar Pradesh CM.

The matter came to light when people belonging to Mushahar community alleged that they were given soaps and shampoo by the local administration ahead of Yogis visit. They were asked to take bath and clean themselves up properly before attending a function in Kushinagar.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that this country has fought hard against untouchability and such actions being meted out by the Uttar Pradesh CM are condemnable.

He asserted that Mr Adityanath directly practised untouchability in the way in which he gave instructions to the dalits that they must smell good before their meeting. They have insulted the entire community in that village but more importantly they have most importantly insulted the very concept of dalit in this country, he said.

The district administration in Kushinagar asked the residents to have a bath before attending a meeting with the CM Yogi. To ensure the instructions were followed, soaps, shampoo and perfumes were distributed among the villagers. The members of the Mushahar community were called to attend a vaccination programme for the eradication of encephalitis, a campaign started by the CM in Kushinagars Kasiya division.

Five children from the community were to be vaccinated under the campaign from the area.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had visited Saharanpur on Saturday after clashes broke out between two communities. Earlier, Mr Gandhi had visited the Hyderabad Central University where Rohith Vemula, a dalit scholar, committed suicide citing discrimination. Issues of dalit beatings in Una (Gujarat), attacks against the Ambedkar Periyar study circle in Chennai have been raised by the Congress.

Insiders say that the Congress is planning to launch a nationwide agitation against the government for unabated atrocities on Dalits. The agitation will culminate closer to the Monsoon session of parliament so that the issue can also be raised in both the houses of parliament.
The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is Tobacco  a threat to development.

A landmark Australian law on restricting tobacco use has been upheld at the World Trade Organisation.

Every year, on May 31, WHO and partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is Tobacco  a threat to development. Lets peep into the nitty-gritty of tobacco and its regulated consumption.

1 Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik and his company called Ruyan which literally meant just like smoke hit the headlines after the millennium due to his brand new invention. Some in China have called it the fifth invention  after navigation, gunpowder, printing and paper. What are we talking about?

2 A landmark Australian law on restricting tobacco use has been upheld at the World Trade Organisation. The news is a blow to the tobacco industry. The idea was first suggested in 1989 by the New Zealand Department of Healths Toxic Substances Board. What changes did they initiate?

3 This controversial ad prepared for ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) of New Zealand was banned due to its depiction of a tragedy. Two smoking cigarettes were used to create the tragic scenes. The text reads: Terrorism related deaths since 2001: 11,337. Tobacco related deaths since 2001: 30,000,000. Which original tragedy did it use?

4 The FIA, the world governing body of motor racing, banned tobacco advertising and sponsorship by cigarette makers. Recently this teams renewed collaboration with Philip Morris International Tobacco Companys bestselling product has angered the Anti-smoking groups. Which team are we referring to?

5 This Tobacco whistleblower was dismissed from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company while resisting the companys use of a potentially dangerous pipe tobacco additive. He won a $246 billion settlement for tobacco-related illnesses. His story is the subject of the movie, The Insider starring Al Pacino. Who is he?
Krishnamoorthy had gone to the court for attending the trial proceedings in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.

The trial court had earlier taken cognisance of the offence against the four accused, including real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal, under relevant penal provisions.

New Delhi: Two persons accused of threatening Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the chairperson of Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), in 2007 tendered an unconditional apology to her before a Delhi court on Saturday.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Sumit Dass posted the matter for June 6 for hearing after Ms Krishnamoorthy said she needed time to contact her lawyer before taking a decision on the plea moved by the accused  Praveen Shankar Sharma and Deepak Kathpalia.

Ms Krishnamoorthy, who lost two minor children in the Uphaar fire tragedy and has been fighting a legal battle for justice on behalf of the victims families for the last 20 years, had claimed in her complaint that she and her husband were harassed by the accused persons inside the Patiala House court premises on the evening of May 10, 2007, when they were emerging out of the court room.

Ms Krishnamoorthy had gone to the court for attending the trial proceedings in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. Mr Kathpalia and Mr Sharma were accused of passing lewd remarks against her and clicking her photographs.

The trial court had earlier taken cognisance of the offence against the four accused, including real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal, under relevant penal provisions.

However, later the high court first stayed and then quashed the case against the Ansals.

Meanwhile, the court directed the Ansals and five others to appear before it in an alleged case filed against them for allegedly tampering of evidence in the fire tragedy case.

Besides the Ansals, the other accused in the 2006 case were Anoop Singh, Prem Prakash Batra, Harswaroop Panwar, Dharamveer Malhotra and Dinesh Chandra Sharma. All the accused have denied the allegations against them.
The police said it may be the handiwork of some mischievous student.

The police further said that a team will visit the university on Monday and will speak with the college authorities. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Tension prevailed for a brief moment in the premises of Delhi School of Economics on Saturday late evening when a group of students allegedly saw ISIS slogans written on a wall in the Delhi University institute.

Following this, Ankit Sangwan, DUSU secretary and a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), filed a complaint with the police though no FIR has been registered yet. The police said it may be the handiwork of some mischievous student. However, it is still verifying the content. Mr Sangwan approached the police after a few students allegedly informed him about the writing on the wall.

I found I am SYN ISIS written on the wall, which means that an organisation like ISIS is to be supported, Mr Sangwan wrote in his complaint at the Maurice Nagar police station. He further alleged that other slogans such as Justice for Naxals, AFSPA, and Azadi were also seen painted on the walls of the department of social work.

I request you to not only take strict action against those responsible, but also paint these walls, said Mr Sangwan in his written complaint.

The Delhi police acknowledged getting the complaint. We have received the complaint, and we will look into the matter, said North DCP, Jatin Narwal. The police further said that a team will visit the university on Monday and will speak with the college authorities.
Gopal, a talented keyboard player, got a perfect score in English core, political science and economics.

All India topper of CBSE 12th Class topper Raksha Gopal flashes victory sign as she poses for a picture with her family in Noida. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Raksha Gopal bagged 99.6 per cent, the highest score in the Class 12 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) this year.

Raksha, a talented keyboard player and humanities students at Amity International School, Noida, got a perfect score in English core, political science, and economics. In psychology and history, she scored 99 out of 100 each.

I was expecting about 95 per cent, but 99.6 per cent was unimaginable, she said. She told reporters that she was expecting nothing more than a good result. The 2017 topper was surprised to find that she was barely two marks short of a perfect 100 per cent.

After her stellar show in the board exam, Raksha is keen on studying political science in Delhi University (DU). Lady Shri Ram, Miranda House, and Jesus and Mary are the top three DU colleges on her mind. She said that she will chart out her future plans once she enrols for higher studies.

Raksha said mock tests helped her perform better. She told reporters that she didnt take any private tuitions. Her father, Gopal Srinivasan, said that she has been a consistent performer, topping the last seven exams in a row. We never put any pressure on her. I always tell her to concentrate on her studies and not think about acing the exams, said Mr Srinivasan, who works as the chief finance officer in the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation.

Rakshas mother, Ranjani Gopal, said she was invested in ensuring that her daughter ate and slept well. Her sister Prerna, who studies bio-chemistry at DUs Institute of Home Economics, said she provided a supportive environment to her younger sibling. Raksha started her big day by visiting her school in Noida with her father.

Mr Srinivasan, who had a tough time lining up numerous press interviews for her daughter, said he was secretly hoping for a phenomenal performance from her. She did consistently well in her school exams. So, I was hoping that she will do great. She has a beautiful gift of expression, he said, adding, We gave her the freedom to plan out her timetable for revision.

With 99.4 per cent marks, Chandigarhs science student Bhoomi Sawant scored the second highest marks. Mannat Luthra and Aditya Jain stood third with 99.2 per cent in the commerce stream.

Last year, Delhi student Sukriti Gupta topped the Class 12 CBSE exams with 99.4 per cent. This year, the national capital improved on its last years performance. The pass percentage of Delhi students at 88.37 per cent is only next to Trivandrum (95.62 per cent) and Chennai (92.60 per cent). The all India pass percentage has gone down from 83.05 per cent to 82 per cent this year.

Meanwhile, girls outshone boys yet again in the CBSE Class XII examination results by a margin of over 9 per cent even, while the overall pass percentage dropped by over one per cent. The pass percentage for girls in the results was 87.50, while for boys it was 78 per cent.

However, the overall pass percentage dropped to 82 per cent from 83.05 per cent last year, according to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officials. The second position was bagged by Chandigarhs Bhumi Sawant who scored 99.4 per cent mark.

Mannat Luthra and Aditya Jain, also from Chandigarh, jointly bagged the third rank with 99.2 per cent in commerce section. Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar spoke to the toppers and congratulated them on their performance.

Trivandrum region recorded the highest pass percentage at 95.62 per cent followed by Chennai (92.60 per cent) and Delhi (88.37 per cent). This year, Delhis performance improved by nearly one per cent as the national capital recorded a pass percentage of 87.01 per cent.

Government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas performed the best with a pass percentage of 95.73 per cent, while the Kendriya Vidyalayas recorded 94.60 per cent success. Private schools pass percentage was the lowest at 79.27 per cent.

CBSE schools in foreign countries also recorded a pass percentage of 92.02 per cent. This year, over 10,000 students scored 95 per cent or above, while 63,247 students scored more than 90 per cent.

The CBSE has also opened a helpline number for counselling of its students post results. 65 counsellors will talk to students and parents on the helpline number between 8 am to 10 pm, a CBSE official said.
The deceased were Shubham Agarwal and Mahesh Bhaiya. Both were 19-years-old.

Family members of the two deceased however came to know about the incident when the cops of the Mandarmoni Coastal police station informed them. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: Two teenaged boys from Golabari, Howrah, died after they drowned in the sea at Mandarmoni on Sunday. The deceased were Shubham Agarwal and Mahesh Bhaiya. Both were 19-years-old. While Subham was a resident of Ramlal Mukherjee Road, Mahesh stayed at Mahadeb Ghosh Road.

Shubham was student at a private college in Bhowanipore. Fishermen recovered them in unconscious states after they drowned while bathing in high tide at around 7.30 am.

Shubham and Mahesh were rushed to Contai Sub-Division Hospital where they were declared brought dead. The two bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

Family members of the two deceased however came to know about the incident when the cops of the Mandarmoni Coastal police station informed them. Shubham and Mahesh left for Mandarmoni late on Saturday night, keeping their families in dark about their trip.

Shubham had told his family that he was going to spend the night at Maheshs place, according to sources. They were accompanied by their two friends Harshit Singh and Himangshu Sharma who are also from Howrah. The quartet reached the psot at around 4.30 am. When Shubham and Mahesh went to take dip in the sea, Harshit was standing on the beach while Himangshu had gone to have breakfast.
Mohammad Rasoulof, who was jailed for anti-regime propaganda, wins top prize.

Cannes, France: A movie by an Iranian who was arrested for his work in Iran won the Un Certain Regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, bolstering the countrys filmmakers reputation for defying the censors to make high-quality films.

A Man of Integrity, filmed in Iran but unlikely ever to be shown there due to censorship, is a tense drama about a man persecuted by powerful economic and political forces who refuses to bribe his way out of trouble.

Writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof, 45, was arrested alongside acclaimed director Jafar Panahi in 2010 and sentenced to jail. He is free on bail and has continued to make films that explore political and moral corruption.

Clutching the scroll he had just been awarded, Rasoulof said he hoped the prize would make things easier for him to make films in Iran. I love Iran, but its like an alcoholic father, sometimes it hits me, he said.

Rasoulofs win comes three months after Asghar Farhadi won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for The Salesman, also shot in Iran, and recognises him as a major force in international cinema.

International support has really helped all filmmakers and especially me, by stopping the pressure they were putting onus, Rasoulof said in an interview earlier in the festival.

Rasoulof said Iranian authorities had given him a permit to shoot A Man of Integrity but only after he signed a paper promising not to make it too dark.

He has not been granted permission to screen the film in Iran so, like his previous five features, it is unlikely to be seen there except via unauthorised copies.

Variety called A Man of Integrity a tense, enraging drama about corruption and injustice ... A scathing critique of contemporary Iranian society ... (that) manages to resonate on both specific and universal levels.

Un Certain Regard, a separate section from the main contest at Cannes, recognises younger talent and innovative filmmaking. The winners in the main competition, including the Palme dOr for best picture, will be announced on Sunday.
Robert Mueller has a wide remit and ample authority to fulfil his duties.

A dishonest judge perverts the course of justice  a dishonest prosecutor ensures that the course of justice doesnt even begin. Recent events in the US, concerning the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel for the Russia investigation, holds lessons for every country governed by the rule of law.

The situation could not be murkier. Respected by both Republicans and Democrats, the former FBI director was recently appointed by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein after President Donald Trumps dismissal of James Comey as FBI director had created a deep, nation-wide crisis of confidence. Attorney general Jefferson Sessions had to hand the investigation over to his deputy after it was revealed that he had kept suspiciously silent about his meetings Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Mr Kislyak was also responsible for Michael Flynns short stint as national security adviser being terminated by Mr Trump after disclosures of secret conversations with the ambassador  which he lied about  were published by the press. In conversations with then director Comey, Mr Trump sought pledges of loyalty and assurances that he himself was not under investigation, and capped it with a word of advice on the investigation into Mr Flynns alleged misconduct. Mr Comeys refusal brought about his dismissal.

There is a long and instructive tradition of the special counsel in the US. After Watergate came the Iran-Contra and Whitewater probes. President James Carter, secured the enactment of the Ethics of Government Act, 1978. It envisaged the appointment of a special counsel by the court to which he reported. The act lapsed in 1999, but the Department of Justice issued internal regulations enabling the attorney general to appoint a special counsel.

Robert Mueller has a wide remit and ample authority to fulfil his duties. He is specially authorised to investigate any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump. He can press criminal charges.

In the UK, the first Labour government fell in 1924 because it withdrew a prosecution for political reasons. The minutes from a Cabinet meeting on Aug 6, 1924, recorded: No public prosecution of a political character should be undertaken without the prior sanction of the Cabinet being obtained. It was rescinded in 1931. The independent Crown Prosecution Service came into being in 1986.

Institutions and procedures may vary, but the fundamental principle remains unchanged  political considerations must not be allowed to interfere with the course of justice. India adopted a legal system based on British law. Rulings of its Supreme Court affirm the independence of the prosecuting agency from governmental and political influence or consideration. But the reality is its direct opposite.

Prof D.H. Bayley, author of the definitive work The Police and Political Development in India, observed that a dual system of criminal justice emerged. The one of law, the other of politics  the rule of law in modern India, the frame upon which justice hangs, has been undermined by the rule of politics. Supervision in the name of democracy has eroded in the foundations upon which impartiality depends in a criminal justice system.

The pogrom of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 saw a near total collapse of the criminal justice system. Many a prosecutor turned defence counsel. There were, however, a good few notable exceptions and some important figures were brought to book.

However, nearly a quarter century after the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992, the prime accused in the conspiracy case are yet to be brought to book. One of them, L.K. Advani, became Union home minister, in charge of the Central Bureau of Investigation that was pursuing the case. Recently, there has been a spate of cases in which Muslims were falsely charged with terrorism and spent years in prison, only to be acquitted.

After 2014, the National Investigation Agency under the Narendra Modi government has treated Hindus accused of terrorism with kid gloves. There is no danger of India having a Robert Mueller any time soon. In no case can one rely on executive restraint. Restraint must be imposed by law, and the law must be inscribed within the Constitution. If the Constitution can establish a comptroller and auditor-general, why can it not establish the office of an independent director of public prosecutions?

By arrangement with Dawn
Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Ishaq Dar have arrived at a different point  theyve got a good shot at getting another five years.

And were off. They started a bit early, but now stuff is in place. Theres no big moves left to make. Let the election games begin.

The budget lost its relevance a while ago. Expenditures are artificially suppressed, revenues artificially inflated. By September or October, the numbers have usually already crumbled. Why do they do it this way? Uniformed or civilian, this party or that, the approach is the same. Because theyre not trying to change anything, just manage stuff.

But there is an intriguing twist this time round. Were into dictator territory. No government, and certainly no finance minister, has got this far with this kind of future.

By election year, its not just that an external crisis has forced governments into desperate spending. Its also that theyve been in a bad place politically. Pervez Musharraf in 2007, Asif Ali Zardari in 2013  they had to spend, spend, spend because they had to survive. And if they didnt survive, the mess was the next chaps to handle anyway.

Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Ishaq Dar have arrived at a different point  theyve got a good shot at getting another five years. Splash out budgetarily this election year and they are the ones who may have to clean up the mess next year. Cleaning up your own mess isnt the most appealing of things. So a kind of restraint has been visible. The quasi fiscal restraint has set up two very different opportunities for the next five years. If Imran Khan wins, hell inherit a macro picture that is relatively stable.

The immediate benefit is obvious: the PTIs finance team is vastly inexperienced and you dont want an inexperienced team coming in to handle a crisis. And if elections are held on time, a PTI government will also quickly have to turn to tweaking the budgetary priorities of the caretaker government that will have preceded it. In both scenarios, inheriting a stable situation would be good for the PTI because it would allow the new government to quickly set its own economic priorities.

The same applies if the N-League wins. And heres where it could get potentially interesting. The twin priorities of the Nawaz Sharif government this time round have been electricity and roads. Electricity was a two-pronged challenge: more electricity and affordable electricity. The N-League seems to have figured out the first part  ratcheting up the megawatts that the system can churn out  and given up on the second. Embracing the existing rickety financial state of the power system means giving up on affordable power. Allowing power producers to gouge means the State will pick up the difference between what the consumers cough up and what the producers demand.

The other priority, roads, are pretty much on auto-pilot now. With one-and-a-half of the core two-point agenda conquered and the other half jettisoned, if the N-League wins, what exactly will it do next? You may win elections on promises kept, but you cant govern by relying on past promises.

Elections are won on one or two issues and the issues need national relevance and wattage. CPEC could be it because its blingy and popular, but CPEC is also more roads and electricity.

The Nawaz dream remains an opening to India, but election year here segues into election year there  not really an opening. And an opening to Central Asia is one of the longer-term fantasies, but Afghanistan seems a mess for the foreseeable future.

Up and down the possibilities you can go  the possibilities that Mr Sharif could be interested in  and its hard to find a fresh and interesting agenda. More of the same is not exactly a rousing slogan for a historic fourth term.

We already know the vulnerabilities  the unending PTI assault; the Panama crisis; the possibility of slipping up in Punjab just enough to carry the N-League back into coalition terrain.

An agenda-less or stale-agenda government could be the trigger for a re-elected N-League government to find itself engulfed in crisis right away. And thats because a funny thing has happened over the past four years: Mr Khan has managed to separate political success from electoral success. Four years ago, it seemed like a long shot that he would keep up this pace of politics. Four years ago, it seemed like a long shot that he would stay relevant with the same style of politics. And four years ago, it seemed like a long shot that Mr Khan could end up with the same results as 2013 and still be a disruptive political force in 2018.

Now all of that seems real because Mr Khan has sustained a kind of politics that had seemed impossible to sustain. So whos to say he wont go for the jugular again if he loses the elections? A government without an agenda is a government vulnerable to attack. Mr Sharif shouldnt need to be reminded of that.

By arrangement with Dawn
Germany is Indias largest trading partner in European Union.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis three-nation visit starting May 29 is an interesting mix of destinations. He visits Germany for the Biennial Inter-governmental Consultancies (BIC), begun in 2011. In Russia, he attends the annual bilateral summit, combined with the 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 1-3, which is Russias premier economic conference for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of nine of the 15 former Soviet republics. The detour to Spain is a fresh foray to a nation rising from an economic crisis. Despite internal political uncertainty over a minority government led by Mariano Rajoy of the conservative Peoples Party, Spain, having been led by socialist governments for 22 of the 29 years till 2011, there are technologies such as renewable energy that beckon India.

Both Germany and Russia are vital for India to balance Chinas assertive rise and Donald Trumps uncertain ways characterised by friends and foes as being hugged and berated randomly. The world is unsettled and India is already late in crafting a counter-strategy, as Russia has already drifted towards China. India this year appears to have been, to wit Samuel Becketts play, Waiting for (American) Godot. The Prime Ministers current trip ameliorates that delay.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her third term and despite the tide of popular opinion against migration in Germany, and uncalled-for verbal slings from then candidate Donald Trump, has stuck to her guns on the admittance of refugees fleeing religious persecution or war. This was happening as Britain delivered its Brexit blow, Mr Trump rose to become US President and Emmanuel Macron held off Marine Le Pens xenophobic and anti-EU challenge in France. Ms Merkel now seeks a fourth term when Germany goes to the polls on September 24.

Ms Merkel has, meanwhile, shrewdly lowered the refugee influx and supported a ban on the wearing of full veils by Muslim women. In vital state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, that has one-fifth of German voters and the Ruhr industrial belt, likened to Americas Rust Belt that was denuded by industrial job losses, Ms Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) defeated Socialist rivals (SPD) led by Martin Schulz on their home turf in early May. With unemployment down to 4.1 per cent and record revenues and exports, the German economy is ticking healthily. Ms Merkel is expected to be re-elected and thus along with President Macron defend Fortress Europe.

Germany is Indias largest trading partner in EU. Both nations cooperate closely at G-20; at G-4, consisting of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to lobby for UN Security Council reform; and have a shared vision opposing unilateralism in international affairs, particularly by coalitions of the willing. Germany and India opposed Natos Libyan adventure despite the Security Councils conditional approval. Germany is the most populous EU nation with the strongest economy but is a reluctant power on the international stage, unwilling to shape the European role in the new world of anti-globalisation, xenophobia, Islamophobia and Chinese assertiveness. Unlike the United States, it ignores Chinas international conduct mindful of its commercial interests. However, as the Chinese move production to higher-valued products, it would start impacting German exports and markets. India, on the other hand, will remain a desirable and non-threatening partner much longer. Germany, like Japan, also has an aging population and will at some stage need more skilled immigrants.

The immediate challenge is the finalisation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, particularly because India terminated the bilateral Business Investment Treaty (BIT) after introducing a new model in 2015. Lower GST on luxury cars and SUVs may be a signal to Germans on India preparing for FTA finalisation as the automobile sector was a sticking point. The EU participated in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing, but did not sign the trade declaration. Germany perceives BRI, or OBOR, as it is known in India, as a trade enhancement device. That could facilitate a joint counter-strategy to what India dubs as Chinese power projection and likely debt entrapment of unsuspecting participants. Germanys direct investment in India tops Rs 53,000 crores. Its annual development assistance is Rs 7,000 crores. Germany has innovative vocational training models, geared of course to their industrial needs. Unlike the US, Germany excels in retraining laid-off workers, instead of simply putting them on the dole.

Prime Minister Modi, however, cannot simply ignore Chancellor Merkels remark after Mr Trumps election that her nation would choose cooperation based on common values of democracy and freedom, as well as the rule of law and the dignity of each and every person irrespective of his/her colour, race or faith. By opposing the rising tide of Islamophobia she showed her resolve to defend liberal values even at a possible domestic political cost. The unbridled rise of vigilantism and Hindutva evangelism in India could mar relations over the long term. She brilliantly balanced engaging President Trump in Brussels at the Nato summit, where he lectured US allies to raise defence spending to two per cent of their GDPs, with sharing the stage with former US President Barak Obama in Berlin in the shadow of the historic Brandenburg Gate, from where President Ronald Reagan had asked then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to pull down the Berlin Wall.

Ms Merkel is the quiet and diligent counterpoint to loud and abrasive leaders like Mr Trump, Marine Le Pen or even Theresa May. Mr Modi is more in the latter category at home. The space for manoeuvre has shrunk as Mr Modi threads his way through a world polarised between nationalists with myopic agendas and globalists with constrained domestic space.

In his fourth year, he heads out with a booming stockmarket at home and consolidated political power. Between Ms Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he can opt for the transactional or the strategic strategy. However, his time for diplomatic theatre is over. His interlocutors would seek content and vision.
The workers said they sold the drugs to an unidentified businessman, who in turn sold the merchandise to a suspected drug trafficker.

The workers said they sold the drugs to an unidentified businessman, who in turn sold the merchandise to a suspected drug trafficker. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Nairobi: Tanzanian police said on Saturday they have arrested two morgue employees in Dar es Salaam after they admitted to cutting open a dead mans corpse and stealing the drugs hidden in his stomach.

The two morgue workers admitted to cutting open the body a week ago to take the drugs, local police official Simon Sirro said in a statement, adding that the man had died of an overdose.

Drug traffickers regularly employ drug mules to transport merchandise by stuffing the drugs in small airtight bags which are then swallowed or inserted in someones stomach.

But the technique is hardly foolproof as the bags can be eaten away by stomach acid and cause an overdose -- which is what may have happened to the dead man.

The man, a Ghanaian national, was found dead in a hotel room in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanias economic capital, and transported to the morgue at Mwananyamala hospital, where the two employees worked, Sirro said.

According to police, the workers said they then sold the 32 drug capsules to an unidentified businessman, who in turn sold the merchandise to Ally Nyundo, a suspected drug trafficker.

Those two men were also arrested, police said, without identifying the drugs.

Africas east coast has long been used as a transit point for drugs bound for Asia and Europe.

The so-called Smack Track -- leading from Afghanistan to the Makran Coast of Iran and Pakistan and then across the Indian Ocean to East Africa -- is an alternative to the traditional opium trail via Central Asia and the Balkans.

The path was revealed in 2010 when police busted four Tanzanians and two Iranians with 95 kilogrammes (210 pounds) of heroin in Tanga, northern Tanzania.

In May, Tanzanian drug baron Ali Khatib Haji Hassan, who has been accused by the United States of being at the head of a global cocaine and heroin trafficking network, was extradited to the US.
Smuggler held with drugs polarised Australians with set up claim.

Convicted Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby, seen with her face obscured with a shawl, is escorted by officials in Denpasar on Bali island. (Photo: AP)

Bali, Indonesia: Indonesia on Saturday deported Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, whose trial and imprisonment on the island of Bali mesmerised her homeland for more than a decade.

About 200 police officers were deployed to secure her deportation in Denpasar, Balis capital, said Ida Bagus Adnyana, who heads Balis justice and human rights office. Corby signed a document to end her parole. She is completely free now.

Corby was escorted to Balis airport and was expected to take a Virgin flight back to Brisbane.

She was arrested in 2004, aged 27, after customs officers at Balis airport found 4 kg of marijuana inside her boogie board bag, sparking a media frenzy in Australia on par with US O.J. Simpson trial.

The drama was tailor-made for TV: a photogenic Australian beach girl who had apparently fallen victim to corrupt officials in an Asian country that had come to be viewed with fear and suspicion after dozens of Australians were killed in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Corbys insistence that the drugs were planted by baggage handlers was dismissed as lies by prosecutors. A court sentenced her to 20 years in jail, though that was later reduced.

In 2014, after nine years behind bars, she was released but had to stay in Bali until her parole expired on May 27 this year. She kept a low profile, living in a villa with a Balinese boyfriend.

In the beginning, polls showed majority of Australians believed she had been set up. Proving her innocence became a national cause, sparking Free Schapelle T-shirts and Boycott Bali banners. Her face took the place of celebrities on magazine covers, but she was not beloved by all. Some dubbed her a bogan  Australian slang that means white trash.

Her release from prison in 2014 was predictably chaotic, with Corby enveloped in a crush of cameras, one Australian journalist shouting, This truly is an amazing moment in history!

Indonesians, who called Corby Ganja Queen, were mystified by Australias response. To them, the case was clear-cut, and the Australian outrage both ridiculous and overly nationalistic. Under Australian law, she will not be able to directly profit from telling her story.
Police said CIA-backed force was target of attack.

A boy walks past damaged vehicles at the site of a suicide attack in Khost, Afghanistan, on Saturday. (Photo: AP)

Khost: A Taliban car bomber killed 13 people in Afghanistans Khost city on Saturday, in the first major attack at the start of the holy month of Ramzan that targeted a CIA-funded militia group.

The powerful explosion in the eastern Afghan city, which also wounded six people including children, left the area littered with charred debris, shattered glass and mangled vehicles.

It is the latest in a series of assaults on Western-backed forces as the Taliban step up their annual spring offensive and the insurgency expands more than 15 years after they were ousted from power in a US-led invasion.

A suicide car bomb in Khost province has killed 13 people, said interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. The target was a public bus station which was hit by the bombing. The victims were in civilian clothes and it is difficult to verify their identities.

But provincial police chief Faizullah Ghairat said members of the elite Khost Provincial Force (KPF)  known to be paid and equipped by the American CIA  were the target of the attack.

The bombing took place early morning when KPF members were heading to work, Ghairat told AFP. But most of the victims are civilians.

The KPF, estimated to have around 4,000 fighters, are believed to operate a shadow war against the Taliban in a province that borders Pakistan and are accused of torture and extrajudicial killings.

The brazen attack, claimed by the Taliban on their website, comes just a day after at least 15 Afghan soldiers were killed when insurgents attacked their base in Kandahar, in the third major assault this week on the military in the southern province.
Zhang said whole Cabinet should be made up of patriots and have higher familiarity of China.

Beijing: China on Saturday warned against attempts to make Hong Kong independent and asked Hongkongers not to take the promised high degree of autonomy as a licence to confront Beijing.

In a policy speech aimed at tightening Chinas grip on Hong Kong, Zhang Dejiang, ruling Communist Party of Chinas number three ranking leader, called on the former British colony which merged with the Chinese mainland on July 1, 1997 to enact national security laws.

In recent years there were... Attempts to turn Hong Kong into an independent or semi-independent political entity, breaking it away from the country, Zhang, who is also the Chairman of Chinas parliament, the National Peoples Congress, said.

One cannot turn a blind eye to such acts, and the (Hong Kong) special administrative region should steadfastly implement the constitutional obligation of national security under the Basic Law, he said.

He also said relationship between the central government and Hong Kong is that of delegation of power, not power-sharing.

Zhang said whole Cabinet should be made up of patriots and have higher familiarity of China.

The Basic Law says Hong Kong would be governed under the principle of one country, two systems and continue to enjoy its capitalist system and individual freedoms for 50 years after the handover.
Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summitted Mount Everest in 1953, the peak has become the pinnacle of any high-altitude climbers career.

Before Kami Rita Sherpa, Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa have achieved the feat.

Kathmandu: A 47-year-old Nepalese Sherpa on Sunday scripted history by becoming the third climber to scale Mount Everest for a record 21 times.

Kami Rita Sherpa stood atop the 8,848 metre peak, the worlds highest, at 8:15 am. Jiban Ghimire, managing director at Shangri-La Nepal Trek, said Kami Rita climbed the peak as part of the Alpine Ascents Everest Expedition.

He became one of the three climbers in the world to hold the record for most number of the summits on Mt Everest, Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association, said.

Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa are the climbers to have achieved the feat earlier.

Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summitted Mount Everest in 1953, the peak has become the pinnacle of any high-altitude climbers career. The final day of ascent goes over three prominent rocky steps on the north-east ridge at an altitude of more than 8,500m (27,887ft) in the so-called death zone.

Ten fatalities occurred on the worlds tallest peak this season. Nearly 300 people have died on Mt Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953.It is estimated that more than 200 dead bodies are still lying on the mountain.

Nepal has cleared 371 mountaineers to climb Mount Everest during the current season.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised what she called a very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory discussion with Mr Trump on the issue.

Taormina (Italy): US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would decide next week whether the United States would abide by the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting global carbon emissions. The unexpected announcement came as a summit of G7 leaders in Sicily ended in deadlock on the issue, with the US partners voicing frustration at the Presidents failure to commit to the deal aimed at stemming global warming.

The meetings final declaration reflected a stalemate between the US and the six other participating countries, who are all strongly committed to the Paris accord.

The United States of America 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, it stated.

Understanding this process, the (other participants) reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement... In this context, we all agree on the importance of supporting developing countries, the declaration added.

Mr Trump tweeted before the official G7 statement was released, saying, I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!

The US leader, concluding his first overseas trip in office, was due to fly home later on Saturday without giving the customary close-of-summit press conference.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised what she called a very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory discussion with Mr Trump on the issue.

Here we have a situation of six against one, meaning there is still no sign of whether the US will remain in the Paris accord or not, she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron struck a more positive note, saying the talks had been useful. I think there was progress and there was a real discussion and exchange of views, he said, voicing hope that Trump would decide to keep his country within the Paris framework.

Other delegates concurred that it was six against one at the gathering of leading democracies spanning North America, Europe and Japan.

Under Trump, who once called climate change a hoax perpetrated by China, Washington has resisted intense pressure from its partners to commit to respecting the global 2015 accord on curbing carbon emissions.
The report comes days after suicide bomber Salman Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester last week.

Children as young as eight and parents were among the dead after thousands of fans were targeted as they left the gig on Monday. (Photo: AP)

London: Armourers in the UK's Royal Air Force scrawled the message "love from Manchester" on a bomb meant for air strikes against the Islamic State terror group following the concert attack, according to a media report.

A photograph, which has been widely shared on social media, showed the message "love from Manchester" on a Paveway IV bomb loaded on a British jet carrying out air strikes from Royal Air Force (RAF) Akrotiri in Cyprus, The Telegraph reported.

An RAF spokesperson confirmed that the photo was genuine.

"The sentiment of the message written on the weapon is understandable and such writing has history in the RAF, so the individual concerned will not be taken to task," a source was quoted as saying.

The report comes days after suicide bomber Salman Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena last week, killing 22 people and 119 injured.

Children as young as eight and parents were among the dead after thousands of fans were targeted as they left the gig on Monday.

During World War II, army men wrote messages on bombs headed toward Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. Messages were also written on bombs after the 9/11, with notes coming from New York City police and fire departments.
Ravi Kumar, 27, died this month after summiting the world's highest mountain and becoming separated from his guide soon afterwards.

Kumar's body was spotted last Monday about 200 metres from the main route which climbers follow to the summit. (Photo: AP)

Kathmandu: Rescuers have retrieved the body of an Indian climber who died on Mount Everest and airlifted it to Kathmandu on Sunday, along with those of two others who perished last year.

Ravi Kumar, 27, died this month after summiting the world's highest mountain and becoming separated from his guide soon afterwards.

Kumar's body was spotted last Monday about 200 metres from the main route which climbers follow to the summit. Rescuers said its recovery was a risky operation.

"A team of at least eight rescue workers retrieved his body and brought it down to Camp 2 on Saturday," Tashi Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, the company overseeing the operation, told AFP.

"The body has been airlifted to Kathmandu."

His brother Manoj Kumar was waiting to receive the body as the helicopter landed at a hospital in Kathmandu.

"It was his dream to take our country's flag to the top of Mount Everest," Kumar said. "We are deeply sad, but also proud of him."

The bodies of Goutam Ghosh and Paresh Nath, two other Indian climbers who died last year but whose remains could not be retrieved due to bad weather, were also brought to Kathmandu.

All three corpses were found near the summit above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet) -- an altitude that marks the beginning of the "death zone" notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air as low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

The retrieval of corpses from such a high altitude is a controversial issue within the climbing community.

Some rescue companies refuse to do so, saying it endangers too many other lives.

"We do not risk the lives of the living to recover the dead," Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, one of the largest rescue firms in the Himalayas, told AFP.

"When it comes to recovering the dead there is an acceptable level of risk above which we do not go."

Six people have perished on Everest this season, including feted Swiss climber Ueli Steck who died during an acclimatisation climb in late April.

The bodies of four more climbers were found on Tuesday, though their identities remain unknown and authorities suspect they could be fatalities from a previous year.

At least 382 climbers have successfully reached the summit from the south side in Nepal so far this season, with another 120 doing so from the Tibet side.

Some are still waiting to make their final push to the summit before the monsoon arrives in early June, marking the end of the short spring climbing season.
It is not yet clear which requests have been granted, as well as an additional monthly family visits. Marwan Barghouti participated in the negotiations. Issa Qaraqe, president of the Palestinian Commitment to Prisoners Affairs, says, "The prisoners have suspended the strike after their demands were met."

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - The Palestinian prisoner's hunger strike, which had entered its 40th day, ended last night with an agreement reached after 20 hours of negotiations.

Issa Qaraqe, chair of the Palestinian Prisoners' Committee, issued a joint statement with Qaddura Fares, president of the Palestinian Prison Society (PPS), saying the "freedom and dignity" strike was suspended after a negotiation between some Palestinian prison guards led by Marwan Barghouti and the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) of Ashkelon Prison.

The declaration does not indicate which concessions have been granted. Qaraqe said today that the strike was suspended after "their requests have been accepted".

An IPS spokesman says the agreement was concluded between the Israeli State, the International Red Cross and the Palestinian Authority. The prisoners would be granted a second monthly family visit, the expenses of which will be borne by the Palestinian Authority.

According to the IPS, 1,578 detainees in total were involved in the strike, most linked to Fatah, the leader of the Palestinian National Authority.

The strike began on April 17, under the leadership of Barghouti, to seek better living conditions, medical care, family visits and the end of administrative detention. At the beginning of the month, his wife, Fadwa Barghouti, wrote a letter to the Pope asking for her intervention.

In recent days, the United Nations, the Red Cross and various NGOs had expressed concern over the health of strikers. Across Europe, meanwhile, and in some US cities, protests of solidarity were held.

Mahmoud Abbas on May 25 stated that he had "discussed in depth" the situation of detainees with Jason Greenblatt, US Special Representative of President Donald Trump for international negotiations. Speaking with Greenblatt, Abbas informed him of the details and hopes of "hearing his answer soon to the demands of the prisoners." Abbas also emphasized that the "world knows the demands of hunger strikers are right. Israel has no excuses to refuse them. "
At Regina Caeli Pope Francis recalls Minya's martyrs "killed after they refused to deny their Christian faith." A prayer for the "many young broken lives" in the attack in Manchester. The Ascension "reveals to us why the Church exists: it exists to proclaim the Gospel! And the joy of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel ". The World Day of Social Communications.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis expressed "closeness to my dear Brother Pope Tawadros and the entire Egyptian nation, which two days ago suffered another act of fierce violence." Yesterday in Genoa, the pontiff had already recalled and prayed for the victims of the attack at Minya, where - according to the Orthodox Coptic Patriarch - 35 people were killed. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State.

"The victims - continued the Pope after the Regina Caeli prayer in St. Peter's Square - include children, they were faithful on their way to a sanctuary to pray and they were killed after they refused to deny their Christian faith . May the Lord welcome into his peace these brave witnesses, these martyrs and convert the hearts of terrorists. " The Pope then added some words regarding the attack at the Manchester Arena, where a young Libyan-born British man blew himself up at the end of a concert where many young people were present. "Let us pray," said the Pope, "also for the victims of the horrific attack on Manchester last Monday, where so many young lives were cruelly broken. I am close to the families and to those who mourn for those lost."

Earlier, the pontiff focused on the sense of the Feast of Ascension, which in Italy and other countries is celebrated on the seventh Sunday of Easter.

"The gospel page (cf. Mt 28: 16-20), - he said - that which concludes the Gospel of Matthew, presents us with the moment of the definitive departure of the Risen Lord from his disciples. The scene is set in Galilee, the place where Jesus had called them to follow him and where the first nucleus of his new community forms. Now those disciples have gone through the "fire" of passion and resurrection. At the sight of the risen Lord, they bow to him, some are still doubtful. To this frightened community, Jesus leaves the immense task of evangelizing the world. And he concretizes this commission with the order to teach and baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost (cf. v. 19). "

"The ascension of Jesus to heaven - he continued - is therefore the end of the mission the Son has received from the Father and the beginning of the continuation of this mission by the Church. From this moment, in fact, the presence of Christ in the world is mediated by his disciples, by those who believe in him and proclaim him. This mission will last until the end of history and will enjoy the daily assistance of the Risen Lord, who assures us: "I am with you every day until the end of the world" (v. 20). His presence brings strength in persecutions, comfort in tribulations, support in the difficult situations that the mission and proclamation of the Gospel can bring. The Ascension reminds us of this assistance of Jesus and of His Spirit that gives confidence and certainty to our Christian witness in the world. He reveals to us why the Church exists: it exists to proclaim the Gospel! And also the joy of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel. We are all baptized by the Church. Today we are invited to understand better that God has given us great dignity and responsibility to announce it to the world, to make it accessible to humanity. This is our dignity, this is the greatest honor for each of us baptized! "

"On Ascension Sunday - he concluded - as we turn our gaze to heaven, where Christ ascended and sits on the right hand of the Father, we strengthen our footsteps on earth to continue our journey, our mission of witnessing and to living the Gospel in every environment with enthusiasm and courage. However, we are well aware that this does not depend primarily on our strengths, organizational skills and human resources. Only with the light and strength of the Holy Spirit can we effectively fulfill our mission of making Christ's love and tenderness known to others. We ask the Virgin Mary to help us contemplate the heavenly goods that the Lord promises us, and becomes more and more credible witnesses of his Resurrection, of True Life. "

Before the final greetings, the Pope recalled that today is World Day of Social Communications, which this year has theme as "Do not fear because I am with you" (Is 43.5). "Means of communication - said the Pope - offer the opportunity to share and disseminate news instantly in a capillary way: this news can be beautiful or bad, true or false, we pray for communication in all its forms, that it be really constructive, serving the truth by refusing prejudices, and spreading hope and trust in our time."
The USS Dewey passed through the 12 nautical miles in the Mischief Reef area in the Spratlys. It is the first case of "intrusion" in an area under Chinese control since the beginning of the Trump presidency. Washington claims the right to "freedom of navigation" in the area. The region is becoming a hub of conflict.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - An US navy vessel sailed in the controversial waters of the South China Sea, approaching an artificial island built by China in an area that Beijing - in violation of international law - regards it as "territorial waters ". Similar incidents had occurred in the past, but this is the first case of "intrusion" in an area under Chinese control since US President Donald Trump's establishment in the White House last January.

According to an anonymous source, relayed by the US media, in the early hours of today the USS Dewey passed through the 12 nautical miles in the Mischief Reef area of the Spratly Islands. In doing so, Washington wanted to claim its right to "freedom of navigation" in the area.

The exercise risks triggering Beijing's wrath, given that it claims exclusive control of the area. A further outbreak of tension in the area, at a time when Washington is looking for Beijings support to contain a North Korean military escalation in the region.

While China is an anti-Pyongyang-style ally, there are still strong oppositions between the two world powers on the economic and regional issues. In particular, the White House has repeatedly challenged the Chinese annexation of the islands  also contested by others including Manila and Hanoi - and called for a diplomatic resolution of the dispute.

In addition, the US government believes that Beijing is "militarizing" the South China Sea, a key route for civilian and commercial navigation. In response, the Chinese point their finger at the United States for the "growing" number of maritime exercises and the number of patrol vessels in the area.

Experts believe the region risks turning into a hub of conflict, with potentially catastrophic consequences globally.

Last week the skies of the eastern China Sea were the scene of the ninth episode of "war games" in the area: two Chinese Su 30 jets intercepted a US 135 WC jet  an airplane specializing in data collection on radiation - in flight in the area. The US pilot denounced the "non-professional" behaviour of Beijing aircraft that came too close endangering manoeuvres. A similar episode took place in February when a Chinese plane crossed a US intelligence by a few hundred meters.

The Chinese government claims most of the sea (almost 85 per cent), including sovereignty over the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands, in opposition to Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. The Philippines  which is seeking a non-binding international ruling at the UN court  together with Vietnam, is increasingly worried about Beijing's imperialism in the South China and East China seas.

For the United States, which backs the claims of Southeast Asia nations, Beijing's so-called 'cow tongue' line  which covers 80% of the 3.5 km2 - is both "illegal" and "irrational".
Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to be factors in rollover crash the injured two in south Bakersfield crash
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.
A man and a woman have been charged in connection to the shooting death of a man who was found shot at a Largo motel on Thursday night, according to Pinellas County Sheriff's Office on Saturday evening.

Angel Martinez charged with second-degree murder of Ricky Garland, deputies say

Larrisha Williams charged with child neglect for leaving young children alone in apartment, deputies say

RELATED: Deputies investigate fatal overnight shooting in Largo

Deputies were called out to the Andrea Cove Motel, just outside the city limits of Largo, where they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds.

The shooting occurred around 10:47 p.m. in the parking lot of the motel. The victim, identified as Ricky Garland, 47, was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Angel Martinez, 24, and Larrisha Williams, 23, were charged in connection with Garland's shooting, according to deputies.

Martinez was charged with one count of felony murder in the second degree and Williams was charged with two counts of felony child neglect.

Martinez, who had a handgun in his lap, and Williams, along with her two young children under the ages of 3 years old, were in a vehicle next to the parking lot of the motel on Thursday night when the two adults were having an argument, deputies stated.

While deputies did not state the reason, but they say Martinez shot Garland and then he fled the scene. When authorities arrived, they found Garland lying in the parking lot. He was transported to a hospital, where he died at 12:05 a.m., Friday.

On Saturday afternoon at 3:16 p.m., county detectives took Martinez into custody at the 22nd Avenue block of 19th Street South in St Petersburg without incident.

The sheriff's office stated that Williams left her two young children alone in the apartment on the night of the shooting.
LEIGH  After high school, Matt Wietfeld decided to buy a semitrailer.

The Leigh native got a job hauling feed for Wilke Farms and continued hauling 65 to 70 loads per week for Schwartz Farms, which bought out Wilke.

Around 14 years ago, Wietfeld and his brother Dan turned the operation into a business, Wietfeld Trucking. The years of hauling hog feed helped finance the startup, including buying more trucks and trailers and expanding into side-dump trailers and other equipment.

Over the last two to three years, the business evolved to include hauling milk and equipment, crop harvesting, spreading manure and construction work.

Wietfelds secret to success is pretty straightforward  much of the business' growth came through establishing personal relationships and delivering what the customer wants.

Try to be the best, said Kenton Kabes, a site manager whos been with Wietfeld Trucking for five years. Just do a great job and they'll want you back.

Around two years ago, the business purchased some tankers and started hauling milk for Malena Dairy just south of town.

We went to high school with those guys, said Wietfeld, referring to founder Mike Malenas children, Heather, Brent and Sean, who now run the farm. So they got a dairy and we started hauling their milk.

Those small-town relationships helped the Wietfeld brothers grow the business as they invested in more vehicles and drivers.

Most people that we work for we trust and have a relationship with, Wietfeld said. Weve know them our whole life.

Those connections also helped them find reliable employees.

A lot of the guys that we found, if (the Wietfelds) didn't know them we found them through a reliable employee, said Kabes.

Wietfeld doesnt see a lot of employee turnover.

Treat people with respect, that's the biggest thing, he said. We need everyone here to do their job to get this done. Everyone needs to do a good job and try to respect everyone. I think that goes a long ways.

Not that its an easy job.

For drivers hauling milk, theyre transporting two, sometimes three, tankers a day to Le Mars in northwest Iowa.

Manure hauling and spreading has grown to about 50 percent of Wietfeld Trucking's business. Theyre now spreading manure from Yankton to Hebron, said Wietfeld.

We started with one side-dump, now we've got five side-dumps and three (50-ton) spreaders," he said.

Most farmers want manure spread within a certain window of time, so Wietfelds guys are sometimes working at 10 or 11 p.m. to get the job done.

Hes found more farmers are switching to manure instead of commercial fertilizer since low commodity prices are squeezing their budgets. They've also found it's more effective.

Ninety-eight percent of the guys that are doing it are doing it again the next year because its working for them, said Wietfeld. So we're always having about the same repeat customers.

The most recent expansion for Wietfeld Trucking was in construction as Schwartz Farms adds more hog barns in the area.

The business currently has 15 full-time employees and one part-time worker, and Wietfeld is looking to hire more.

An added benefit to expanding the business is Wietfeld enjoys seeing how different farmers run their operations.

Some of the smartest people you ever meet are in livestock, he said. Everybody does it a little differently and they all have their reason, and that's what works for them.
A motorcyclist was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Citrus County on Saturday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Jesse Monaco, 21, died at the scene



Investigation is ongoing

At around 7:10 p.m., Jesse Monaco, 21, was riding his 2005 Honda CBR motorcycle on U.S. 19 northbound in the inside lane "at a high rate of speed," FHP said.

Elizabeth Bonne was driving her 2009 Mitsubishi Galant southbound on U.S. 19 in the left turn lane when she made a U-turn at a median and entered the outside lane, according to the FHP.

Monaco, of Citrus Springs, hit his brakes, traveled from the inside to the outside lane and hit the rear of Bonne's car, the FHP report said. Monaco was thrown from his motorcycle and died at the scene.

He was wearing a helmet.

The 49-year-old Bonne, of Homosassa, was wearing her seatbelt and suffered only minor injuries that did not require a trip to a hospital.

The FHP stated that alcohol did not play a part in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing.
A car crashed into a fire hydrant Saturday, causing the street to flood, according to St. Petersburg Police.

Vehicle crashed into fire hydrant

Water from the hydrant washed sand onto road

No serious injuries were reported



The incident happened at the intersection of Pinellas Way South and 1st Avenue South around noon.

Police said two vehicles were traveling east on 1st Avenue South when one of the vehicles crossed in front of the other.

The other vehicle traveled off the road and into the fire hydrant.

Water from the hydrant washed sand from underneath the sidewalks onto the road.

Police closed 1st Avenue South between 66th Street and Pasadena Avenue while crews worked to clean up the roadway.

No one was seriously injured, according to police.

Police have not said whether charges have been filed against either driver.
Enterprises may say they are committed to Microsoft's browsers, that they continue to define the venerable Internet Explorer (IE) as their employees' standard. But reality is different, an analyst argued Thursday.

"Microsoft retains a very strong relationship with [enterprise] IT," said David Michael Smith, of Gartner, in an interview. "Most enterprises still have a 'standard' browser, and most of the time, that's something from Microsoft. These days it's IE11. But we've found that people actually use Chrome more than IE."

Smith, who was wrapping up a rewrite and update of a 2015 research report on browsers in the enterprise, was adamant that, as Gartner at the time forecast, Chrome is the kingpin. "It's the most-used browser in enterprise" he said.

IE retains a sizable share -- Smith called it "a significant presence" -- largely because it's still required in most companies. "There are a lot of [enterprise] applications that only work in IE, because [those apps] use plug-ins," Smith said, ticking off examples like Adobe Flash, Java and Microsoft's own Silverlight. "Anything that requires an ActiveX control needs IE."

Many businesses have adopted the two-prong strategy that Gartner and others began recommending years ago: Keep a "legacy" browser to handle older sites, services and web apps, but offer another for everything else. That approach lets employees access the old, but does not punish them with a creaky, sub-standard browser for general-purpose surfing.

Under such a model, Internet Explorer has played, and continues to play, the legacy role.

For the second half of the two-prong practice, enterprises offer workers a "modern" browser, one that largely if not entirely disposes with plug-ins, hews to accepted internet standards and quickly renders pages and apps, typically by calling on the machine's graphics processor as well as its CPU.

[ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ] Chrome, said Smith, is now the "overwhelming choice" as the modern enterprise browser.

Microsoft hopes to change that with its Windows 10-centric Edge browser. Repeatedly dubbed "modern" by Microsoft, Edge can run alongside IE11 on the same device, a first for Microsoft. With IE11 and Edge, Microsoft contends, enterprise customers can wage the two-prong strategy of legacy and modern, all within Redmond's own ecosystem.

The problem with the plan is that Edge runs only on Windows 10, and since Windows 10 has yet to replace Windows 7, Microsoft's own modern browser is unavailable to most customers.

Smith wasn't optimistic that Edge would supplant Chrome, even when Windows 10 is widely deployed on corporate computers in the next few years. "Edge certainly will have opportunities" once Windows 10 is the enterprise-standard OS, "but I would say that Chrome has a lot of momentum, largely for the fact that it is so popular on the internet."

Smith's reference was to Chrome's surge last year into first place in the browser market, pushing aside both IE and Edge. As of April, analytics vendor Net Applications' estimated Chrome's global share at 59%, IE+Edge at 24%, or less than half. A year earlier, the rivals had been neck and neck at 41%.

And enterprises are happy with Chrome, Smith asserted. Although Microsoft's browsers retain the decades-old manageability advantage that kept so many enterprises locked into IE for so long, Chrome is no slouch. "Chrome has gotten to the point that it's manageable enough for most enterprises," said Smith.

Microsoft still relies on manageability as it beats the drum for Edge. Earlier this month, for example, Microsoft boasted of the group policies added for Edge with Windows 10's April "Creators Update" feature upgrade, aka version 1703.

But with a "good enough" set of group policies -- Smith estimated Google supports Chrome with around 300 policies, including ones that control how the browser is updated through the Google Update tool -- Microsoft's Edge, once Edge appears on most desktops, may not budge the usurper.

Not everyone is ready to write off Edge's chances, however.

"We really don't see Edge yet [used by our customers], because we really don't see Windows 10 yet," said Gary Schare, president of Browsium, a maker of enterprise browser management tools and formerly the head of product management for IE. But of the smattering of customers who have put Windows 10 on PCs, about half have assigned Edge as the modern browser. (The other half adopted Chrome.)

There will come an inflection point, Schare contended, when IE as a legacy browser will no longer be needed, and a single, modern browser will serve all needs. The true test for Edge, Schare said, will be when that inflection point is reached.

"I think the drumbeat about Edge is finally getting through to people," Schare said in an interview Wednesday. "Microsoft is clearly serious about Edge."

To Schare, Google's latest move in supporting Chrome in the enterprise -- a bundle that packaged Chrome, management templates and a legacy-capable add-on -- is evidence of the Mountain View, Calif., company's recognition that Microsoft, and Edge, remain a threat.

"Google doesn't want to see [Edge becoming the primary browser]," said Schare. "But at some point, Microsoft and Google will duke it out for the enterprise browser."
Health systems around the country are coming to grips with the problem of burnout among their doctors, nurses and other staff members. While the extent of the problem varies among health systems, the vast majority is experiencing the problem in some form and deploying strategies to address it.

Wellbeing strategies

The best strategies to promote wellbeing and reduce burnout address both the causes and symptoms of burnout. They identify ways in which the practice environment in a health system diminishes wellbeing and contributes to burnout. And, they dedicate resources to eliminate the ways that technology, operational processes, organizational design and organizational decision-making create hassles for doctors and nurses.

Organizations also address the culture of the health system to ensure that the organizational values doctors and nurses experience in carrying out their work are consistent with the values that they desire to bring to patient careincluding teamwork, open and honest communication, trust, compassion, empathy, caring and concern.

Finally, strategies to address burnout equip doctors and nurses with skills that allow them to manage the stress of their personal and professional lives. One effective approach is to train the skill of wellbeing to increase resiliency, focus and emotional health with the ultimate goal of restoring joy to the practice of medicine.

Reliable measurement

Health leaders are sometimes reluctant to spend time and resources to reduce caregiver burnout and increase resiliency because they are uncertain about how  or whether it is even possible  to measure the success of their efforts. With the reality of competing priorities and ever-tighter budgets, they appropriately want to know, before they invest, that they will get some return on their investment  that the work will yield meaningful and tangible results in areas that are important indicators of their health systems success.

The good news is that wellbeing can be measured. Scientifically validated measurement tools have been created by some of the most reputable organizations and experts in the field of neuroscience, positive psychology and organizational behavior. These instruments can establish a baseline for wellbeing and measure improvement on both an individual and aggregate basis.

An example of this kind of an assessment tool is the one developed by Life Cross Training, a Chicago-based company that is currently applying its wellbeing-training program in health systems across the country. Life XT developed its Human Assessment Tool in collaboration with experts at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Kellogg University and Stanford University over the past five years. The HAT generates an overall wellbeing score and breaks that score down into 13 discrete areas, including: resilience to stress, energy level, engagement, focus, emotional health, happiness, satisfaction with relationships and productivity. Scientifically validated across hundreds of thousands of users, this tool allows an organization to reliably and quantifiably measure improvement in wellbeing over time.

Extending the reach of wellbeing measurement

Much like an engagement score, a wellbeing score has value in and of itself. Even greater value comes from leveraging wellbeing scores to achieve other health system improvements. Clinical literature has established that reductions in burnout correlate positively with improvements in turnover and retention, patient experience, safety, error rates and clinical quality. So, the next step is to correlate improvement in wellbeing with the other metrics that are important indicators of health system success.

Health systems have already begun to make these correlations and are seeing positive results. For example, under the leadership of Ronald Paulus, MD, Mission Health System in Asheville, N.C., has adopted a comprehensive strategy to address caregiver burnout. Mission Health is working to improve individual wellbeing and is doing so in ways that are bringing positive results to their operations. Mission Health now knows that for every one percent increase in retention across their staff they save $7.5M. By correlating improved wellbeing with higher retention, they can quantify the benefit of wellbeing investments to their bottom line.

For health systems concerned about the need to score quick wins to persuade skeptics of the importance of wellbeing investments, the lowest hanging fruit is improved retention. With nurse turnover at an average of 19 percent across the nation and the average cost to replace a nurse at $59,000 targeting nurse turnover is an obvious choice. Physician turnover, while usually lower than nurse turnover as a percentage of the employed physician population, is arguably even more costly given the revenue impact of a lost physician. So, measuring physician retention is also an early candidate for demonstrating the impact of wellbeing improvement investments.

After targeting retention, the next likely area of focus is patient experience. Direct correlations between wellbeing improvement strategies and enhancing the patient experience are sometimes harder to make given the other noise that can affect the correlation between the two. But, with the right implementation approach, a reliable correlation is feasible. The importance of patient experience to reimbursement and competitive advantage makes this an obvious area to begin.

In order to get the maximum benefit from wellbeing improvement strategies, and to allow for easy measurement of results, health systems should also carefully consider how they implement their wellbeing strategy. Discrete operating units where a population can be easily defined and measured should be at the top of the lista floor of nurses, a clinical department or an ambulatory practice site are among the top candidates to start this work. Further targeting those units where engagement scores are lowest or turnover is highest will also maximize the likelihood of achieving early success and quantifiable ROI.

The case for moving forward

It is now clear that improvements in wellbeing can be measured, quantified and correlated to improvements in the areas in which health system leaders are being held accountablecost, quality, safety and patient experience. This makes wellbeing improvement not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do as well. Health systems should have confidence that they can measure and achieve ROI in wellbeing with the same rigor as their other investments.

Our health systems depend on peopledoctors, nurses, technicians, housekeepers. Each step in the care delivery process depends on an individual, a human being, to make it work. We have historically underinvested in the very people we depend on to deliver the results our patients deserve. Now, we are reaching a crisis point in our countrys health system. To underscore the magnitude of the problem and the gravity of this underinvestment, some of our best health system leaders recently called doctor and nurse burnout a public health crisis. Its time we begin to invest in our human capitalits the next great innovation for our health systems to pursue.
To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below
Nancy Soderberg played a key role in securing Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams his first US visa

A former Clinton aide who played a key role in securing Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams his first US visa has said it is time for a "generational shift" in the peace process.

Nancy Soderberg said the real change would come at least another generation after the conflict ended, but added Northern Ireland should be further along the road to compromise.

Stormont powersharing stalled earlier this year following a dispute between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein over a failed green energy scheme. Negotiations will resume after the General Election.

Ms Soderberg said: "By now, they should be further along and it is time to have a generational shift so that the leaders that take over are not so steeped in the past.

"It is very hard for the current leaders to compromise and move forward."

The foreign policy strategist was a former US deputy national security adviser who worked on the peace process during President Bill Clinton's first term in the 1990s.

She said: "When I was involved in the early stages, it was the women and grass roots who demanded change and it will take them to step up and say, let's move on.

"This society is still as divided as it was before, though not by violence, which is a major accomplishment."

She said peace was irreversible, but warned Brexit threw up new challenges.

Ms Soderberg was attending a conference in Armenia, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.

She said she always thought it would not matter whether Northern Ireland was part of Britain or Ireland because eventually integration of Europe would make that a non-issue.

"I never really thought it mattered as long as people had a chance at a prosperous life.

"I think that is what most people want, the chance of a good job, a good education, a good future for their kids."

She said it was hard for the current leaders to move.

"You never forget the past, but you don't want to be mired in the past and it is time to forge a more unified society where the peace walls come down and integration occurs and trust builds up on both sides and that is going to take, usually it takes a generation or two, the real change is after two generations.

"It is up to the next generation to step up."
A man was shot dead in front of his young son i n the car park of a busy supermarket, police said.

A lone gunman shot the 35-year-old father several times as he targeted him among crowds of shoppers outside the Sainsbury's superstore on the outskirts of Bangor, Co Down.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was lucky the youngster was not killed or seriously injured as well.

There were reports of a confrontation before the killer fired four to six bullets at his victim.

The victim was targeted next to a black SUV type vehicle on the edge of the supermarket car park and detectives believe that there may have been more than 100 witnesses to the shooting and the aftermath.

Superintendent Brian Kee, District Commander Ards and North Down District, described the murder as brutal, senseless and horrendous and warned of the psychological trauma the man's son has suffered.

"This cold blooded murder was carried out in broad daylight in front of families who were out enjoying this Bank Holiday weekend," he said.

"The recklessness of this murder is all too evident.

"It is beyond belief that the gunman shot the victim when he was out with his son. This young boy witnessed everything and he will undoubtedly carry that memory for the rest of his life. We are very lucky that we are not also dealing with the death of this child today."

It is understood the incident occurred at about 3pm in the packed car park of the supermarket just off the Balloo Link road.

The victim was wearing shorts and trainers.

After he was shot he could be seen lying on his back next to the vehicle which had been parked at the edge of the car park near the main road.

The front left passenger door of the car lay open while he was treated by a team of paramedics.

One eyewitness said medics worked on him for 45 minutes before he was transferred to an ambulance and driven slowly from the scene under a police escort.

Mr Kee said the gunman showed total disregard for the safety of the public, including other children, who were in the car park.

And he appealed for anyone who was in the car park to make contact with the detective unit in the coming days.

"We are keen to gather as much information as possible," Mr Kee said.

"At the centre of all of this we have a grieving family and local residents coming to terms with a brutal shooting in the heart of their community."

Management at the Sainsbury's shut the door to the store after the incident.

Mr Kee said l ocal police supported by specialist officers will maintain a presence in the area around Balloo Link to reassure people living in the area.

"We all have a part to play to ensure that the community in Bangor has the time to come to terms with what has happened here and to ensure that those responsible for this murder are brought to justice," he said.

Steven Agnew, Stormont MLA for North Down, lives about two miles from the scene of the shooting.

"It's very shocking that this took place in broad daylight on a busy shopping day with children and families present. A large number of people will have been shocked by this incident.

"Anyone who has witnessed or was nearby, undoubtedly, this will live long in their memory."

Alan Chambers, Ulster Unionist MLA in Stormont, said he was on the scene 10 minutes after the attack.

"It was clear to me that we could easily have been dealing with a lot more casualties due to the nature of the attack in which the victim was hit a number of times," he said.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire added his condemnation.

"Deeply disturbed by news of the shooting in the Sainsbury's car park in Bangor. Brutal act of violence that has no place in Northern Ireland," he said on Twitter.

Alliance North Down MLA Stephen Farry said the killing "sent shockwaves" through the town.

"This was a brutal incident, made all the more reckless and shocking by the fact it took place in a busy supermarket car park on a Sunday afternoon. Shoppers going about their regular business could have easily been on the end of this attack," he said.

Mr Brokenshire later urged anyone with information to go to the police

"The community in Bangor and all those involved will understandably be deeply shocked by this horrendous murder," he said.

"To shoot someone in a busy supermarket car park in sight of children and shoppers shows a brutality and recklessness that will not be tolerated.

"PSNI are doing all they can to bring to justice anyone involved. Help them, anonymously if need be, through Crimestoppers by giving information. There is no place for this in Northern Ireland."
An elderly couple have been found murdered in their own home. A 40-year-old man has been arrested

Police investigating the brutal murder of an elderly couple in their Portadown home have been given extra time to question the chief suspect.

The 40-year-old was arrested in the aftermath of the attack on Friday. On Sunday police went to court to apply for extra time to continue their questioning, which was granted by a judge.

Michael and Marjorie Cawdery - both aged 83 - were found murdered in their Portadown home. It's understood they had both been subjected to a savage knife attack.

Mr Cawdery was a retired veterinary researcher, and had a long and distinguished career in his profession.

Educated in Nairobi, at Portora Royal School and at Trinity College Dublin, Mr Cawdrey - along with his wife - had been directors of veterinary firm Cawel Ltd, which was dissolved in 2011.

He published many well-regarded research articles in a wide range of academic journals in his field.

Just a week ago, he had written a letter to the British Medical Journal, examining the impact of the Ransomware virus which infected NHS computers.

Read more
UUP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Tom Elliott on the campaign trail in Dungannon

The two main rivals in traditionally Northern Ireland's tightest electoral race are at odds over whether Brexit will prove the decisive factor this time round.

The razor-edge constituency that is Fermanagh South Tyrone was decided by a solitary vote in 2010 and just 53 in 2001.

Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott is hoping to retain a seat he wrested from long-time Sinn Fein incumbent Michelle Gildernew just two years ago.

Stung by that defeat, former Stormont minister Mrs Gildernew is determined the pendulum will swing back from orange to green come June 8.

The UK's most westerly constituency, which shares a winding section of the Irish border with four southern counties, voted 59% to Remain in the EU.

While acknowledging a similar vote percentage for Sinn Fein is highly unlikely, Remainer Mrs Gildernew believes people in the constituency are sick of being represented by an MP who voted Leave.

"Brexit is the key focus of this constituency in this election," she said, taking a break from chatting with farmers at a cattle market in Enniskillen.

"Almost 60% of the people of Fermanagh South Tyrone voted to remain in Europe and the incumbent MP voted to take us out of it and that has annoyed a lot of people."

Knocking on doors and talking with voters on a canvas 40 miles away in Dungannon, Mr Elliott dismisses the suggestion his Brexit stance will cost him his seat.

"I don't think it is a major factor," he said.

"I think most people accept that the United Kingdom has spoken, that Brexit is going to go ahead and we have to get the best deal from it.

"People are realistic enough to know all of that is happening and for any politician or individual to say 'we are going to stop Brexit, we are anti-Brexit, we're not going to allow it to happen' is living in a dream world, because it is going to happen.

"That is the reality and we have to accept that and we have to get on with managing that situation."

As he did in 2015, Mr Elliott will benefit from the DUP's decision not to run in a seat where consolidating the pro-Union vote is key.

For him the Brexit process does throw into sharp relief another difference between him and Mrs Gildernew - abstentionism.

"Unless you are at Westminster speaking to the ministers on a weekly if not daily basis then clearly you are not going to influence it," he said.

"It is frustrating that this election has been called only two years after the last. But I've done quite a bit in those two years - much more in representation terms at Westminster than my predecessor did in 14 years. That's the reality."

Mrs Gildernew, who is driving a campaign to secure speaking rights for Northern Ireland MPs in the Irish parliament, does not believe the House of Commons is where her voice needs to be heard.

"I worked in London and I have sat in the public gallery in Westminster and looked at the empty benches and the debates that didn't take into consideration the real needs of the people of this constituency," she said.

"Sinn Fein take our seats in Dublin, we take our seats in Belfast and we take our seats in Brussels - those are the three places where decisions are made that affect my constituents."

The other candidates running in Fermanagh and South Tyrone are the SDLP's Mary Garrity, Alliance's Noreen Campbell and Tanya Jones from the Green Party.
On the campaign trail today

Expand Close Jeremy Corbyn is visiting Scotland (Chris Radburn/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Jeremy Corbyn is visiting Scotland (Chris Radburn/PA)

Jeremy Corbyn will accuse the Scottish National Party of passing on Tory austerity as he takes Labours General Election campaign to Glasgow on Sunday. With Labour trailing behind the SNP and Conservatives in Scotland, Mr Corbyn is hoping to boost his partys chances of improving on their solitary seat north of the border in the 2015 election.

Whats in the news?

Expand Close Armed police officers outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the FA Cup Final (John Stillwell/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Armed police officers outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the FA Cup Final (John Stillwell/PA)

The slaughter of music fans in Manchester on Monday jolted the election debate on to a new course, placing the issues of security, extremism and community cohesion front and centre.

As polls showed the gap between the Conservatives and Labour narrowing, The Sunday Times reports that Tory strategists are returning to the core message of strength and stability as Britain negotiates Brexit.

The Observer reports of growing demands for the Prime Minister to face down anti-EU forces in the Tory party. Security experts have told the newspaper that full participation in security and intelligence co-operation with the bloc will be critical in the fight against terrorism.

The Sunday Telegraph reports a pledge by the Prime Minister to create a Commission for Countering Extremism with a remit to clamp down on unacceptable cultural norms.

Whos saying what?

Expand Close Prime Minister Theresa May (Stefan Rousseau/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Prime Minister Theresa May (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Britain is one of the worlds most successful multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural societies. But our enjoyment of Britains diversity must not prevent us from confronting the menace of extremism, even if that is sometimes embarrassing or difficult to do  Theresa May in an interview with the Sunday Express.

Im asking the people of Scotland not to take a gamble on your future. We dont have to accept the politics of division and austerity. Things can, and they will, change under a Labour government for the many not the few  from a speech Mr Corbyn will deliver to a rally at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow.
A fire rages following air strikes by the Philippine air force in Marawi (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Muslim militants gunned down 16 civilians in the fierce fight for control of the southern Philippines city of Marawi, the army has said.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said the dead include a group of four men, three women and a child who were found near a road close to the Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Police said eight other men were fatally shot and thrown in a shallow ravine in Marawi's Emi village. A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated the victims "betrayed their faith".

Brig Gen Padilla said 61 militants have been killed together with 11 soldiers and four police since Tuesday, when a failed raid to capture one of Asia's top militants triggered an attack on the city.
Donald Trump appeared to link large-scale immigration to the terror attack in Manchester yesterday, even though bomber Salman Abedi was born in Britain.

Speaking at Nato headquarters in Brussels, the US president returned to a subject that has been a mainstay of his first foreign trip - that of confronting extremism.

"My travels and meetings have given me renewed hope that nations of many faiths can unite to defeat terrorism, a common threat to all of humanity," he said in a speech during which he also berated those Nato members who had failed to contribute their fair share of the alliance's costs.

"Terrorism must be stopped in its tracks, or the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever."

During his election campaign, Mr Trump repeatedly called for tougher screening of immigrants to the US, even though the process for refugees from countries such as Syria or Somalia can take up to five years. The Muslim travel ban that he sought to introduce by means of an executive order, was based on his belief that migrants to the US, and other countries, were responsible for attacks in their new homes.

Critics of Mr Trump and his policy pointed out there was no evidence to support such a claim.

Despite this, Mr Trump linked the issue in his speech to Nato country leaders.

"You have thousands of people pouring into our various countries and spreading throughout, and in many cases, we have no idea who they are. We must be tough. We must be strong. And we must be vigilant," he said. "The Nato of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia and on NATO's eastern and southern borders."

Police in Manchester have said they are investigating what they believe is a network that may have been behind the attack that killed 22 people and injured more than 60. Abedi was born to parents who had migrated from Libya.
Shutterstock.com

Ramadan, which falls on the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is the most religiously significant time of year for Muslims throughout the world. It marks the month in which the Quranthe holy text of Islamwas revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in 610 CE.

This is a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims. During this time, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset, and strive to avoid thoughts and behavior which are considered to be impure under the tenets of Islam. Muslims believe that the spiritual rewards for this good behavior are increased during Ramadan.

This fast is broken each day with a meal shared amongst family and friends, and the end of Ramadan culminates in a three-day festival, known as Eid al-Fitr.

The origins of Ramadan lie in the life of Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam, and in the story of his encounter with the divine.

The First Ramadan

When Muhammad was forty, he began to spend time in solitude, thinking on questions which troubled him. To do this, he took on the habit of retreating to a cave within a mountain called al-Hira for a month at a time.

One year, around 610 CE, Muhammad went up to al-Hira on a day like any other, but he was soon visited by the archangel Gabriel, who took hold of Muhammad and commanded terrified man to read. Muhammad was so afraid that he refused twice before actually asking what it was he was supposed to read.

Gabriel replied with this.

"Proclaim! in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who

Created man, out of a clot of congealed blood:

Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,

Who taught by the pen

Taught man that which he knew not."

Gabriel then proclaimed that Thou art the messenger of God and I am Gabriel, and Muhammad fled the cave, thinking that he had been accosted by an evil spirit. He ran down the mountainside, and as he did, the angel, Gabriel, appeared in its true form in the sky above him, filling the entire sky, which had become green, which, incidentally, is where Islam gains its official color.

When Muhammad returned home, he told his family of what had happened, and when he sought the wisdom of a particularly devout Christian relative, he was told that he had been chosen as a prophet of God.

Shortly after, Muhammad began to receive further revelations from Gabriel, as well as from the realizations of his own heart. According to hadiththe stories about Muhammads lifeall holy scriptures were sent down during Ramadan, making these 30 days the holiest in this religion.

The Traditions of Ramadan

As one of the Five Pillars of Islamthe fundamental acts of Islamic worshipRamadan is rife with sacred traditions.

The beginnings and endings of Ramadan are ruled by the lunar cycles, and so the beginning of this holy month typically falls a day or so after the new moon. At this time, many Muslims decorate their homes with lamps, lights, crescents, and stars. Although make no mistakeRamadan isnt a time for celebration, but rather for spiritual reflection.

The use of lanterns is beautifully prevalent, with these lights being commonly hung at shops, homes, streets, and many other places. This tradition may have originated in Egypt, where, during the Fatimid Caliphate, Caliph al-Muizz li-Din Allah was greeted by lantern-holders to celebrate his rule.

The central activity of Ramadan is, of course, fasting. For the entire month, Muslims refrain from eating while the sun is shining, with the exception of those who are elderly, ill, or have any other condition which might preclude fasting.

This fasting must be intentional. The concept of niyyahwhich means intentionguides the fasting of Ramadan. Muslims must willfully dedicate their fast to Allah alone in order to achieve niyyah.

Each day, this fast is broken after sunset, often with dates, as the Prophet Muhammad recommended. Muslims gather their friends and families in what are called Iftar parties to eat in fellowship.

After breaking the fast, but before eating dinner, Muslims offer the fourth of their five daily prayersthe Maghrib prayer, and after dinner, they make their way to their Mosques to offer the fith daily prayer, known as the Isha prayer. The day will often end with a special voluntary prayer called Taraweeh, which is offered by the congregation.

The final ten days of Ramadan are considered some of the most holy. The 27th night is of particular importancethis is called the Night of Power. This is the night that Muhammad received his first revelation, and many Muslims spend this day praying and reciting the Quran.

After the 30 days of Ramadan have passed, the month concludes in a celebration, known as Eid-ul-Fitr, wherein Muslims gather to offer prayers of thanks. Delicious dishes are prepared for the occasion, and Muslims everywhere visit friends and exchange gifts during this time.

A Month of Faith

This isnt just a time for abstract reflectionRamadan has a real, practical purpose that creates real changes within those who observe it.

Ramadan is all about growing nearer to God. Physically carrying out tasks solely for God helps Muslims to feel that He is a reality in their lives, and bequeaths a sense of purpose and direction.

It is also about developing and strengthening powers of self-control so that, throughout the rest of the year, sinful desires and thoughts can be better resisted.

Finally, Ramadan is a great time to learn and practice charity, kindness, and generosity. Deprivation and fasting helps Muslims to remember the plight of those less fortunate, as well as those blessings that may normally be taken for granted.

Above all, those who observe Ramadan find themselves with a chance to truly contemplate their faith and rid themselves of those bad habits they have accumulated over the previous year. It is a time unlike any other in the Islamic calendar, a sort of reset button for the soul.

For Muslims, Ramadan was founded so that humankind could benefit from its customs to change themselves for the better, strengthening their bond with God and enabling themselves to make the world a better place.

Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com.
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.
YORK  On a cold, wintry afternoon, a trio of police officers joined paramedics at the home of another first responder, Patrick Hinds, a comrade desperate to save his son Zach from a drug overdose.

They all know these calls well, but Hinds had never been on this side. Hed been to the parking lots and quiet suburban homes, rushing to save unresponsive victims, but this time it was his home and his youngest son, slipping away with a familiar culprit: heroin.

On that January day two years ago, Hinds had been on the bottom level of his split-level Manor Street home, alone and likely perched in front of the television. He was home from his job as a police officer for West Manchester, the same township where he lives. His wife, Vonnie, was upstairs, preparing dinner.

Suddenly, their dog, Delilah, started causing a commotion, running down the hall toward 19-year-old Zachs bedroom door. The moment put Zach and his parents on a collision course.

Vonnie screamed for Hinds. He bounded up the stairs.

At 53, Hinds is into his third decade as a police officer. The stresses of the job seem to have left little impact on his personality  a wise-cracking, scruffy-voiced Pennsylvanian who gets his self-described gregarious nature from his mother.

The job, though, has left a physical mark. A light scar stretches across his right cheek, near a light blond mustache and beneath his blue eyes, the trail left by a bullet in 1995 during a standoff at a domestic call.

In those days, Hinds made mostly marijuana arrests. He saw crack and cocaine, too. Early in his career, Hinds couldnt help but think: Why do we as a culture have an insatiable desire to numb ourselves?

Life is hard, but are drugs the answer? he thought.

Then, heroin showed up.

He said he looked down at heroin addicts. He saw addiction as a character flaw.

I know in myself whenever some type of difficult situation came up, I always prided myself in the fact that you buckled down, Hinds said.

If you really want to get away from this stuff, you will. That was his thinking.

But now his son was passed out on the floor of his bedroom. The cop and the father had to face a reckoning.

He called 911. Hinds placed his son into a recovery position. He opened the bedroom window, letting in the cold, fresh air. Later in his career, he would revive two people with naloxone. But that afternoon at home, he had to wait for paramedics. Zachs friend was also unconscious in the room. Both had just shot up. Hinds screamed at his son, slapped his face.

Zach woke up. His friend had to be revived by paramedics.

My entire whole body was like I got hit with a live wire when I found the two of them in there, Hinds said. It was afterwards when you start thinking about it a lot more.

Hinds worked through the tough questions: How didnt I see this? Why didnt my wife see this coming?

Zachs overdose marked the culmination of years of heroin, drug and alcohol use. Hinds admits there was some denial on his part when it came to Zachs drug use. And after the overdose, there was embarrassment, too.

He and his wife started thinking if they just loved a little more, cared a little more, the problem might take care of itself. Hinds held on to the belief that his son would stop using.

The couples next eldest son, Aaron, was also battling heroin addiction. Vonnie had known about it for a couple of years, but kept it from Hinds.

A year after Zachs overdose, Hinds was again calling in the first responders: he called his police station to have his son Aaron arrested for stealing from them. Once again, heroin had the cops at the Hinds front door steps.

To Zachs dad, drugs were all but an afterthought growing up. Hinds knew he wanted to be in law enforcement so, shortly before graduating from high school in Perry County, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The jobs came with strict drug policies. One deployment, to Lithuania, opened him up to the destruction a war can leave behind.

The experiences left him thinking: when people complain in the United States, they have no idea how bad things can be.

On April 1, 1985, he got his first full-time job, a patrolman with West Manchester. He and Vonnie moved to York County. He enjoyed the public service aspect of policing. He could talk through problems with people.

His youngest took a different path.

Zach smoked weed for the first time when he was 11. His parents were away on vacation. Patrick, Zachs oldest brother, left soon after their parents vacation for the Marines.

In middle school, Zach progressed to hallucinogenics. By ninth grade, he was using heroin, at first with Aaron. As a junior in high school, Zach was facing criminal charges related to his drug and alcohol use. He broke into his high school, West York, after getting drunk one night.

Brothers Chadd and Patrick landed on careers in law enforcement  Patrick is a cop in Chambersburg; Chadd is out of the police academy and looking for work.

But Zach became the picture of the drug addict his father looked down upon. Now 21, Zach carries two sobriety dates with him. Shortly after his brothers arrest, he went into detox. He marks his first sober date as Jan. 23, 2016, the day after he went to a recovery house high on heroin. He was clean for about 15 months. On May 4, he said, he slipped up. He got high after work.

Zach has no problem talking about his years struggling with drug addiction.

If you had asked me if I thought I was hurting anybody but myself, I would have told you no, Zach told a group of York County 911 dispatchers last month. I didnt realize I have parents that love me. I have brothers that love me.

This is Zach today: touring York County with the nonprofit Not One More, sharing his story. Its one way, he says, to help stay clean. The idea that his story can help someone else is a motivation to continue talking.

But hes still learning. After his stumble earlier this month, he learned that he has to have the right intentions while approaching recovery. He cant be afraid of what it would be like if he wasnt clean.

He remembers when he was younger, getting thrown into a friends pool. He hit a volleyball net and got caught up underwater and couldnt get out. The only thing he wanted was air. Thats how it was when he was using: the only thing he wanted was to get high.

And thats how he views recovery: You have to go at it with the desperation of a drowning man.
It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a
WASHINGTON, USA: Thirteen years after dropping out of Harvard University to work on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday finally got his degree - well, sort of.

Zuckerberg returned to the university where he launched what would become the world's biggest social network, and basked in the spotlight by receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree and addressing the 2017 commencement.

His speech capped a nostalgic visit for the 33-year-old billionaire, which included a visit to his old dorm room.

"Mom, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree," read the caption of a picture he posted of him posing with his honorary diploma and his parents.

Facebook - now one of the biggest tech firms, with nearly two billion members worldwide - grew out of a website he created on campus. He left Harvard in May 2004, according to his Facebook profile.

In his address, which he said he'd been working on "for a long time," Zuckerberg urged graduates of his alma mater to "build great things."

He highlighted themes of equality, inclusiveness and opportunity, while urging students to be unafraid to take chances.

"I'm here to tell you that finding your purpose isn't enough," he told the rain-soaked crowd in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"Our challenge is to create a world where everyone has a sense of purpose."

Zuckerberg said he is from the same generation as the new graduates, and that the so-called Millennials will be facing a challenge of inequality, disillusionment and a loss of jobs to automation.

"It's our generation's turn to build great things," he said.

"Let's do big things ... not just to create progress but to create purpose."

Zuckerberg said opportunity is hindered by "a level of wealth inequality that hurts everyone" and that this is one of the social problems that need to be addressed.

"Right now our society is way overindexed on rewarding people who are successful," he said.

"There is something wrong with our system when I can leave here and make billions of dollars in 10 years while millions of students can't even afford to pay off their loans, let alone start a business."

Zuckerberg said this generation needs to find creative solutions to social problems.

"We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas," he said.

"Now it's time for our generation to define a new social contract. We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful."

Source: AFP
As Boiling Springs Sunday once again remembered those who have died in service, this years Memorial Day ceremony and flag raising honored Boiling Springs veterans WilliamT Murph Warnock and Mac Wilson.

Warnock, who died on Feb. 11, served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, according to his obituary. Wilson served in the U.S. Navy from 1953-57 aboard the U.S.S. Hornet. He died on March 26 this year.

The crowd who beat the thunderstorms in the early Sunday afternoon parade and ceremony, impressed area veterans in attendance.

Its a wonderful thing. I cant believe how many people have turned out for this, said Army veteran H. Robert Doc Davis Jr., 96, who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Davis is an esteemed Boiling Springs physician who retired in the 1990s and also was instrumental in the construction of the villages iconic clock tower, which bears a plaque honoring his efforts

Davis was accompanied on Sunday by his daughter, Ann French, of Monroe Township. I like to come here just to honor my father. This day means the world to him, said French, who grew up in Boiling Springs.

The ceremonys guest speaker was Ret. U.S. Army Col. Jorie Hanson of VFW Post 8851, whose military tenure includes four overseas tours spanning 6-1/2 consecutive years. In 2012, she retired to her native Boiling Springs, the best little town in America, continuing public service as a civilian. She currently serves as vice president of the Boiling Springs Civic Association and co-chair of Save the Lake, organized to raise funds to improve Childrens Lake and repair the dam.

Indeed, Save the Lake was well represented in Boiling Springs on Sunday. The parade featured a Save the Lake float pulled by state Sen. Mike Regans vehicle. At Second and Front streets, Isabelle Reed, 8, and brother, Alister Reed, 11, ran a lemonade stand during the parade to benefit the cause. The stand will be open on Memorial Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to their childrens mother, Elizabeth Angelozzi.

I love the beauty and the nature around the lake, Alister said. We live nearby so we can go there anytime. I think it would be awful to lose that part of Boiling Spring.

You can always see the ducks flying around and see people giving them bread, Isabelle added.

Mary Ingram currently lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina, but grew up in Boiling Springs. She was there for her first Memorial Day parade, she said, to honor her grandparents. Her grandfather, Ferman Landis, served as commander of VFW Post 8851 for 25 years. Her late grandmother, Dorothy Landis, was associated with the posts ladies auxiliary.

My grandparents and I used to come every Sunday to feed the ducks and we went over the hill to the zoo, Ingram recalled. I love it here.
Grace Echevarria was only 4 when she became the unintended target of stress-free gentle persuasion.

She was sitting quietly at the dinner table listening in as two female cadets regaled her older sister Rachel with stories of West Point and all its opportunities.

That was really the start of it all, said Echevarria, now 18, and a soon-to-be graduate of Carlisle High School. She is one of five members of the Class of 2017 heading for a service academy this fall.

It is believed this is the largest contingent of future cadets to graduate from Carlisle in recent memory. If that is the case, these high achievers are already making a name for themselves.

Fourteen years ago, the West Point Glee Club held a local performance prompting the Echevarria family to volunteer to take in two cadets.

As the story goes, career Army officer Antulio Echevarria II encouraged the young ladies to share their experiences as part of a strategy he had to get his eldest daughter interested in future military service. However, Rachel was not convinced by the tactic.

All that talk didnt work on her, Grace recalled. I remember it. I was fascinated. When she got older, Grace clued him in and the support began for a future career choice.

He never pressured me to do this, she said about her appointment. It was always my decision. My dad had a huge impact. He has always been somebody that I looked up to because of his intelligence and character. I always wanted to be a lot like him.

Part of tradition

All five students have in common the close-knit ties of growing up in a military culture where friends and fellow service men and women are akin to an extended family.

The five seniors are also continuing a legacy of service in the footsteps of fathers who faced similar choices and challenges, but came through to serve as career military officers.

Grace Echeverria, Andrew Bowlus, Henry Perry III and Samuel Haseman are bound for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where their fathers are alumni.

Bartholomew Winn is heading for the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis as Congressman Lou Barlettas top choice for that academy. His father, Stephen Winn, became an officer through the Air Force ROTC before serving as a fighter pilot and retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

We are extremely proud of them, Carlisle High School Principal Jay Rauscher said of the five seniors. He said each academy appointment is a reflection of their approach to education, their commitment to country and their willingness to serve. They are selfless.  They are just high quality kids.

Growing up an Army brat, 18-year-old Samuel Haseman saw in his father Mark (an active duty colonel) and other officers the kind of leader and role model he wanted to become. My dad set an example in terms of character.  How he deals with other people and his faith.

It makes me proud of our class, said Haseman. It says a lot about Carlisle High School. Its a great school and a great community. He plans to major in aerospace engineering.

Classmate Henry Perry wants to become an Army doctor. Im excited, he said about his appointment to West Point. Its a new environment  a shock to the senses. It really tests what you are made of. Im ready to start with a new fresh slate.

Answering the call

All five seniors must report to their service academy for basic training, which ends in mid-August about a week before classes begin. If all goes according to plan, they will graduate in 2021 as junior officers.

Each had received a phone call from the staff of a U.S. senator or congressmen confirming their appointment to a service academy. The son of an Army War College student, Andrew Bowlus was a new arrival to Carlisle High School when he started his senior year last August.

After the phone call, he celebrated by running through the Young Hall apartment complex shouting the good news. Climbing into his car, he turned up the volume on the music, and after calming down placed phone calls to family and friends. I was elated, recalled Bowlus, 18, a resident of Carlisle Barracks. I just feel humbled and blessed to be in this position because so many people did not get in.

I am looking forward to the challenge, the camaraderie and the experience of it all, he said. I was raised in the military culture and brought up Army. It just feels natural to go to West Point. I grew up hearing stories about it.

At first, Bowlus felt a bit nervous and was having second thoughts. Was the path to West Point one laid out for him or one he picked for himself? Eventually he came to terms with having a career as an Army officer, perhaps in military intelligence or cyber warfare.

There is where I was born, said Bowlus, who plans to major in electrical engineering. This is where I was placed. I should grow where Im planted.

A huge honor

For all five seniors, the path to an appointment began in January of their junior year with a preliminary application process. Having passed that hurdle, they were subjected to a stringent selection process that included physical testing, medical testing, interviews by a selection committee and the writing of several 500-plus word essays to their U.S. senator, congressmen and service academy of choice.

Essay questions included their leadership philosophy, their impressions of what it means to be an officer and details on why they want to be in command. What helped the five seniors was the sense that they were never alone.

Talking to other people who were going through the same thing has really been helpful, said Winn, who has aspirations to become a Navy fighter pilot. Applying to the academy is no easy thing. It was nice to see everything come to fruition and all of our hard work pay off.

Classmate Grace Echevarria has her sights set on becoming an Army surgeon. It is a huge honor, she said about her appointment. Its something I wanted for a very long time so its really awesome to finally be here and finally get to do it.  To just be a part of the long grey line.
Fifth grade at Hamilton Elementary  should it still exist in the year 2117  will be taught by robots in a seven-story metal school building equipped with walking televisions. Students at flying desks will arrive at school in their houses that transform into cars, and sit through classes that last all of one minute.

At least, thats what the fifth-graders in Sherry Manns class imagined when they wrote letters for a time capsule to be buried at Biddle Mission Park in Carlisle.

The time capsule is a joint project of Carlisles East Side Neighbors Association and the Sertoma Club of Carlisle. The capsule will be placed at the entrance of a labyrinth currently under construction at the park.

A hundred years from now, people are going to be opening this box and reading your letters, said Roger Spitz, as he tapped the nondescript gray box.

In a touch of reality, Spitz said that barring any dramatic medical advances, the children are not likely to be around when the capsule is opened but their children or grandchildren will be there.

Mann pointed out that as the children have their own families they will be able to show them the rock marking the spot of the time capsule.

You will be able to say you have something buried here, she said.

Mann showed the students some of the items that have already been collected for the time capsule, such as crystals representing the crystal plants that used to operate in town, a phone book, old cellphones, and material from organizations like Carlisle Events and Downtown Carlisle Association.

Items are still be accepted for the time capsule. Those interested in donating may contact Roger Spitz at 249-5079.
Childhood Obesity May Up Risk Of Depression Later -Study Wellness ians-Lekhaka

Is your kid overweight? Beware, being obese, especially from a young age may substantially increase a lifetime risk of major depression, researchers have found.

The study showed that being overweight at age eight or 13 was associated with more than triple the risk of developing major depression at some point in their lives.

Carrying excess weight over a lifetime (both as a child and as an adult) quadrupled the chance of developing depression compared to only being overweight as an adult.

"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 Deborah Gibson-Smith from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

"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," Gibson-Smith added.

For the study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity being held in Portugal, the team examined 889 participants, on whether the detrimental effect of obesity on mental health is due to life-long obesity or the result of being overweight in adulthood.

Carrying excess weight in childhood was found as a stronger predictor of subsequent depression than being overweight in mid-life.

Children who were overweight or obese at age eight or 13 years had more than four-times increased risk of lifetime major depressive disorder compared with children who were normal weight as a child but went on to become overweight as adults.

With Inputs From IANS

GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, May 27, 2017, 14:59 [IST]
PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2017

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Later today, representatives of the Oregon Ad Hoc Committee of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Oregon) will take part in a candlelight vigil for two men who were stabbed to death yesterday as they sought to defend Muslim train passengers from an attacker shouting Islamophobic and racist slurs, and for a third man injured in that incident. [NOTE: CAIR is in the process of forming a chapter in Oregon.] #PortlandHeroes

Video: CAIR Rep Ibrahim Hooper Interviewed on CNN About Killing of Men Who Defended Muslim Women https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8u1zQLlZ_E CAIR: Anti-Muslim Hate Turns Fatal in Oregon (Huffington Post)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/portland-attack-commuter-train_us_5929362ce4b053f2d2acaf56 CAIR Calls on Trump to Denounce Growing Bigotry After Two People Stabbed to Death in Oregon While Defending Muslim Train Passengershttps://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/posts/10154820359322695

The vigil, with the theme "In Solidarity We are United," is being hosted by Portland Indivisible Oregon D-3.

SEE: In Solidarity We are United Vigilhttps://www.facebook.com/events/1677996529174006

WHAT: Vigil for Victims of Hate AttackWHEN: Saturday, May 27, 6:30  8:30 p.m. PDTWHERE: Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue Transit Center MAX Station, 1410 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, Oregon 97213CONTACT: CAIR-Oregon Ad Hoc Committee Members Zakir Khan, [email protected], 626-419-0243; Seemab Hussaini, [email protected], 310-948-2040; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

Later in the evening (8:30 p.m.), there will be another prayer and vigil for the victims, followed by an interfaith Ramadan fast-breaking meal at: Muslim Educational Trust Community Center, 10330 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97223

A suspect apprehended following the attack is reportedly a white supremacist who has been photographed giving the Nazi salute.

SEE: Suspect in Portland Hate Crime Murders is a Known White Supremacist http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/05/27/19041594/suspect-in-portland-hate-crime-murders-is-a-known-white-supremacist

Several GoFundMe pages have been established for the victims and their families. Bilal Mosque in Beaverton, Ore., has set up a fund to help the victims' families. Select the category "Portland Heroes - Families of the MAX incident" at: https://us.mohid.co/or/portland/bma/masjid/online/donation

SEE ALSO: https://www.gofundme.com/tri-met-heroes and https://www.gofundme.com/tri-met-hero-recovery

Yesterday, CAIR's national headquarters called on President Trump to speak out personally against rising bigotry and acts of racial violence in America targeting Muslims and other minority groups.

Video: CAIR Calls on Trump to Speak Out Against Deadly Hate Attack in Oregonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdKguM0BmUQ

CAIR also urged local Muslim communities to step up security measures during the month-long fast of Ramadan.

CAIR is offering Muslim community leaders free copies of its booklet, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety." The booklet may be requested through CAIR's website: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html

Earlier this week, CAIR condemned the murder of an African-American Bowie State University student by a suspect who is a member of a white supremacist group on Facebook called "Alt-Reich Nation."

SEE: CAIR Condemns Murder of Maryland College Student by Suspect with White Supremacist Linkshttps://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14341-cair-condemns-murder-of-maryland-college-student-by-suspect-with-white-supremacist-links.html

CAIR recently released a report showing a 57 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents in 2016 over the previous year. This spike in anti-Muslim incidents was accompanied by a 44 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes during the same period.

SEE: New CAIR Report Shows More than 50 Percent Spike in Anti-Muslim Incidentshttps://www.cair.com/press-center/14322-new-cair-report-shows-more-than-50-percent-spike-in-anti-muslim-incidents.html

Last week, CAIR released an updated report indicating that the most prevalent trigger of anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2017 has been the victim's ethnicity or national origin. Eleven percent of incidents have occurred as a result of an individual being perceived as Muslim. A Muslim woman's headscarf has been a trigger in 8 percent of incidents.

SEE: CAIR's First-Quarter Civil Rights Update Shows Bias Incidents Related to 'Muslim Ban,' Federal Agencieshttps://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14336-cair-s-first-quarter-civil-rights-update-shows-bias-incidents-related-to-muslim-ban-federal-agencies.html

The Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La mision de CAIR es mejorar la comprension del Islam, fomentar el dialogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprension mutua.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational Subscribe to CAIR's Email Listhttp://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feedhttp://twitter.com/cairnational Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channelhttp://www.youtube.com/cairtv

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-oregon-to-join-vigil-for-victims-of-hate-attack-on-men-who-defended-muslim-women-300464915.html

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
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.




A West Virginia man faces DUI and other charges after police say his vehicle became stuck on railroad tracks and was struck by a train in Dickinson Township earlier this month.

State Police at Carlisle said they went to the 700 block of Pine Road in Dickinson Township at 8:53 p.m. May 13 for a report of a disabled motorist on the railroad tracks.

Prior to police arrival, however, the vehicle was struck by a train.

Police made contact with Randy Shull, 62, of Parsons Tucker, West Virginia, when they arrived and found that he was under the influence of alcohol.

Shull was charged with DUI general impairment, DUI highest rate of alcohol, careless driving and failure to abide by traffic control devices. Bail was set at $2,000 unsecured, which he posted.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 9 in front of Magisterial District Judge Susan Day.
A Washington state resident has been extradited to Cumberland County as part of an investigation into sexually explicit material being sent to a minor.

Upper Allen Police said Mark Townsend, 44, of Sunbar Street in Walla Walla, is in the county prison under $89,000 bail and that a preliminary hearing will be scheduled. Police said he is charged with obscene and other sexual materials and performances, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

Police said they were notified on March 28 that explicit material was being sent to a girl in the township through social media. Police said they identified Townsend as the adult who was contacting the minor and they obtained an arrest warrant.

Townsend was taken into custody by the Walla Walla Police Department on April 25, and he was extradited to Pennsylvania on May 22.
A Farmington man was arrested and charged after police say he was involved in a drive-by shooting in the area of Farmington Walmart Friday afternoon.

Sean Jeffries, 28, is being charged with assault in the first degree, armed criminal action, four felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon and property damage.

According to a probable cause statement, at 2:24 p.m. Friday, Jeffries and a friend saw a person they knew driving west on Maple Street in an orange Ford Ranger. Jeffries instructed the driver of Jeffries' dark blue Jeep Compass to follow the Ranger.

The Ranger turned onto Walton Drive and began traveling north, where the driver pulled onto a vacant parking lot east of Walton Drive. A man got into the Ranger and the Jeep being driven by Jeffries' friend pulled onto the parking lot on the east side of Walmart.

The driver of the Ranger went north through the parking lot toward Walmart Drive, with Jeffries' vehicle exiting the Walmart parking lot and crossing Walton Drive. The Jeep pulled behind the Ranger and Jeffries flourished a pistol and began firing multiple shots toward the driver.

With four shots being fired, Jeffries did not hit the victim with any of the shots, but one bullet struck and damaged the passenger rear tire of a parked vehicle. There were also multiple pedestrians in the area of where the shots were fired.

The victim sped away driving east through the parking lot toward Potosi Street and Jeffries went west toward Walton Drive.

Jeffries was arrested in the trailer park off Maple Street with the help of community members contacting police. The Farmington Police Department wants to thank the community for all their help in locating Jeffries.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/05/2017 (1995 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandons own Angelina Zhang is already earning top honours for her math skills, and shes just finishing up Grade 1.

Back in March, Zhang took part in the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest, a worldwide competition that attracts more than six million students from Grades 1 through 12 each year.

Not only did she earn Brandon Regional First Place for her age group  she also got the third-highest score in Canada.

Erin DeBooy/The Brandon Sun Angelina Zhang, a Grade 1 student at Ecole New Era School, got the third-highest score in the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest. This is the second year Brandon has taken part in the contest, which sees almost 5,000 students from Grades 1 through 12 compete across Canada.

Zhang said she didnt expect to do so well, considering this was her first time competing in the contest.

It was a lot of fun. I want to do it again next year, she said. I started reading when I was two years old and I started learning a lot of things, now my mom is teaching me about money and time.

Rita Yang, Zhangs mother, said she was also blown away with her daughters success.

I want the kids to participate  so they can taste the math. I want them to feel the fun of math, I know they are good at math but sometimes they dont find it fun. Yang said. So with this being Angelinas first year, she said she was a little bit afraid, so I told her, dont be afraid, just go and have fun, and she had lots of fun. She did really good.

Yang believes that Zhangs young introduction to reading has helped her with math, especially problem solving.

Early years reading really builds up your kids foundation, Yang said. She started reading really early, so by Grade 1 she can read the questions and understand them well, and that helps her solve the problems.

The Math Kangaroo Contest has been around since 1991, founded in France and based on an Australian model of a national competition  hence the name.

This is only the second year the contest has been held locally, according to Brandon University math and computer science professor Gautam Srivastava, and enrolment is slowly climbing.

Last year I started (the contest) here on the suggestion of the chair of the math department. We had just under 20 participants. This year we had just over 20 participants, so were slowly growing, Srivastava said. One of the main reasons I thought this would be a good idea to bring to Brandon is that kids can lose touch with mathematics, they dont think its a cool subject. If they have some fun with mathematics through these contests, maybe theyll love math  and if they love math then maybe theyll come to university and pursue it.

So far, Brandon has been bringing out the big guns. Zhang is the second Brandon student to hit the national stage, putting the city at two for two.

(Zhang) is in Grade 1, but she wrote a test that was meant for Grades 1 and 2  and she only got three questions wrong, Srivastava said. I wasnt expecting anyone to get the third score in Canada from here, but its always nice to see theres a diamond in the rough. Who would think that the third best score in Canada is going to come from Brandon? But it happened, and its really exciting.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Already have an account? Log in here 

We need your support!

Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/05/2017 (1993 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis are often referred to as hidden diseases because those suffering from them often appear healthy.

But beneath the surface lies a daily struggle.

It totally consumes your life, said Cathie Pardy, who was diagnosed with Crohns disease nearly 20 years ago. From the moment you get up  trying to get out of bed, because all your joints are stiff  to not being able to sleep because of the steroids that you might be on.

Submitted Cathie Pardy, right, poses for a #GutsyWalk photo with Carleen Easter. Pardy has been named the honorary chair of the Westman Gutsy Walk, taking place on June 4 at the Riverbank Discovery Centre.

The diseases inflame the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt the bodys ability to digest food, absorb nutrition and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. According to Crohns and Colitis Canada, symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating, fatigue, diarrhea and loss of appetite. It can be difficult to diagnose.

You deal with pain every single day, Pardy said. It affects everything you do  You have to cancel things on a moments notice, because you dont feel well.

Pardy has three grown children, and she recalls missing volleyball games and even a college graduation because of her health.

Over the years, Pardy has experienced some skeptics.

Its so deceiving. People see me and say, Are you really sick? she said.

Pardy has tried many drug treatments over the years, including some still in trial stages.

She has linked up with the Westman chapter of Crohns and Colitis Canada in an effort to educate the public on this prevalent disease.

I believe that the more people who know of and understand this disease, the more educated and compassionate people will be, Pardy stated on gutsywalk.ca.

Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis affect 1 in 150 Canadians, with more than 10,000 people suffering from the diseases in Manitoba.There is a particularly high density of sufferers in Westman.

To those who are recently diagnosed, Pardy has some advice.

Have a really good connection with your doctor, she said. And take time. If you need a day to rest, take it, and dont feel guilty  because your body needs it. I spent years and years forcing myself to do things so people wouldnt think I was sick.

Pardy has been named honorary chair of the Westman Gutsy Walk, a fundraiser for the foundation taking place at the Riverbank Discovery Centre on June 4 at 3 p.m.Walks will take place across Canada on the same day at more than 60 sites.

Visit gutsywalk.ca to get involved or donate.

Sandra Williams, a volunteer with the Westman chapter, hopes the event will raise awareness and get people talking about what is often a taboo subject. Williams two daughters were both diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at a young age.

Youre usually diagnosed between 15 and 25, she said. Most people dont talk about their bowels  We dont want people to live in isolation and we want the pain to stop, so we need to fundraise for the cure.

Last year, the Westman walk raised nearly $20,000, and the goal this year is to raise $28,000 towards a national fundraising goal of $3.6 million. Funds raised are invested in transformational research, patient programs and advocacy so that every adult and child can live life to the fullest, and ultimately, be cured.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/05/2017 (1993 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Personal and medical information of more than 1,000 Prairie Mountain Health patients are at risk after an internal website was hacked.

The regional health authority, in a statement Friday, said they do not believe the intent of the hack was to access personal information, but conceded they cannot exclude the possibility that identifiable personal details were viewed or copied.

The security breach may have jeopardized the personal details of as many as 1,176 clients in the northern portion of PMH and 453 PMH and affiliate employees, though the likelihood is low that personal information was compromised, the health authority stated

The hack was identified on April 5 this year, and each person affected has received written notification of the security breach, PMH said.

Anytime there has been a compromise of personal or personal health information, we remain concerned, PMH CEO Penny Gilson said in a statement. However, we carried out our best efforts to notify impacted individuals as soon as reasonably possible so that any necessary precautions could be taken.

The content of the letter, received by The Brandon Sun, stated the personal health information stored on the website included patient care reports for ambulance transports from 2013 to the present year.

Details like name, date of birth, personal health identification number, address and phone numbers were enclosed, the letter stated, as well as specifics about the emergency visit like the individuals health condition and treatment they received.

PMH believes the hack was intended to transmit a virus into files maintained within the website.

The information at risk was not stored in a way that would be easily extracted for further use by the attacker, Gilson explained, referencing that an entire database was not compromised. It was limited to select files only and would have required going through each individual file and transposing, in the case of client information, handwritten information.

A source at PMH, who did not want their name disclosed for risk of discipline for speaking, understood that fellow staff did not consider the hack a malicious attempt at stealing data.

They left a few faces, just to show they accessed it, the employee said, referring to the hacker allegedly leaving behind emojis as evidence.

PMH has taken containment and prevention actions as a result of the hack, the health authority said.

Laurie Thompson, executive director for the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, said any breach to a persons personal health information is troublesome.

Referring to the Personal Health Information Act, she said the legislation ensures the privacy of such sensitive information is respected and that any breach of that is obviously a concern.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
Aviva is eyeing acquisitions in artificial intelligence and big data as it looks to overhaul the insurance industry and transform itself into a fintech firm.

Chief executive Mark Wilson said the 321-year-old insurance giant had built a good balance sheet and was primed to use it to ensure the business remains a step ahead of its rivals.

Speaking at Aviva's "digital garage" in Hoxton, East London, Mr Wilson said the insurer's innovation projects had attracted calls from "big names in Silicon Valley" and helped seal a lucrative deal with Tencent, a 300 billion US dollar Chinese technology firm.

He said: "I don't mean billions, but we will do acquisitions if we find the right things, maybe in big data, maybe in platforms.

"There is nothing imminent, but we can do this because we have built a pretty good balance sheet, which we can now use."

Aviva launched the "digital garage", a technology hub for product development, in 2015 after ploughing millions of pounds into an innovation strategy that failed.

It led to the creation of Ask It Never, a feature which allows customers to buy insurance without filling in endless forms, and the MyAviva app, which puts customer policies in one place online.

Such has been the interest in the "digital garage" that Tencent, one of China's biggest technology companies, has bought into Aviva's Hong Kong business in a joint venture with Hillhouse Capital.

The move is part of a plan to digitally disrupt the Hong Kong insurance market by targeting customers through their smartphones.

"We do want to change Aviva into being a fintech," Mr Wilson added.

"It's quite weird because we have been getting all these inbound calls from the big names in Silicon Valley.

"I had a call from the chairman and CEO of one of the big ones last week, he called me up and I said 'why?' and he said because 'no one else is doing it."

The aim of the "digital garage" is to create an operation to "compete and cannibalise" Aviva's current business, but the move has been met with resistance, with Mr Wilson having to fire "two senior people" who tried to block the project at inception.

Since then, Aviva has bought the majority of Hoxton Square, an area inside London's Silicon Roundabout tech hub, and populated it with 250 data scientists and designers, with the aim of bolstering the workforce by the end of the year.

It has helped Aviva find a digital solution to the problem of making its vast customer systems "talk to each other", a task Mr Wilson was initially told was "impossible" and was likely to cost him 300 to 500 million over five years.

He said: "We went to one of our digital guys and said how can we do it and he said '16.5 million to do 80% of it in six months'.

"I wouldn't want to give the impression that it is simple and it is still ongoing to get it in the form we want, but now we have connected them all, it is what MyAviva is based on."

Aviva is spending 100 million a year on digital development, while its venture capital arm Aviva Ventures is investing 20 million each year until 2020 in tech firms that could disrupt the insurance industry.

The venture capital fund recently invested 4 million into Owlstone Medical, which has developed a breathalyser to identify certain cancers and illnesses at an early stage.

It has also taken a 5 million stake in Neos, an insurance start-up which uses smart home technology to protect homes from fire, water damage and theft.

Mr Wilson is focused on buying start-up firms to plug skills gaps within the business and said his need for technology specialists was now outstripping demand for traditional insurance workers.

He added: "The skills set we need has changed (...) I certainly don't need as many actuaries any more and I can't hire enough data scientists."
A man is receiving hospital treatment after a serious assault in county Carlow.

Gardai were called to the incident in Leighlinbridge at 8pm last night.

A man in his early 40's was rushed from the scene to St Lukes hospital in Kilkenny.

He has since been transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin, where his condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

A second man in his 30's was arrested and is receiving treatment for injuries at St Lukes Hospital.
Dublin shop owner Seamus Griffin is sharing his luck by donating a considerable sum of money to Pieta House after selling a winning Lotto ticket.

The owner of the Londis Shop in Westmoreland Street in Dublin, which sold Friday's winning Daily Million ticket, announced he is donating his 5,000 sellers commission to the charity.
A suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy in Mississippi.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes on Saturday night in rural Lincoln County.
Heidi said she sent in the usual form to provide feedback, but weeks later an official response told her to fill out a second form, signed by Andrew, to prove she was his carer, despite being listed as his next of kin.

After a medical emergency when he was incapacitated, his wife Heidi tried to give the hospital feedback, triggering a two-stage process Andrew dubbed "Byzantine".

Last year he spent 95 days as an inpatient at Canberra Hospital, and 250 days as an outpatient with ACT Health's Hospital in the Home service, helping manage his cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system.

She said she had a good understanding of the health system, given her dual roles as Cystic Fibrosis ACT executive officer and Andrew's carer, but was put off by the "multi-stage process" and feared others could be too.

Heidi said the extra step, which was not detailed on the original form, was unduly complex and sent a signal that the hospital did not value feedback and concerns could be easily dismissed.

"I was just trying to do the right thing, the way they ask us to provide feedback, but this extra stage seems to show that they're not that interested in getting feedback," she said.

"Surely the health directorate should be trying to make it easier to give feedback but it's like they're trying to make it harder, and we thought the focus should really be on continual improvement."

Andrew said they did not want to criticise any individuals, commending Hospital in the Home staff in particular, but he said he believed the "Byzantine process" for giving feedback could be improved.
A political party that wanted to forgive each Canberran one parking ticket a year if it won a seat in the 2016 ACT election has been deregistered.

Like Canberra was removed from the ACT's register of political parties on Friday at the request of the party, acting ACT electoral commissioner Ro Spence said.

Tim Bohm was the co-founder of the Like Canberra party. Credit:Rohan Thomson

But the deregistration was not because the party did not "Like Canberra", co-founder Tim Bohm said.

"One of the main issues we wanted to highlight was the need for high speed rail and we think we've done that now and it's a long time between elections so it's just easier to deregister now and refocus and regroup closer to the next election, if we do," Mr Bohm said.
The ACT's former tourism commissioner has warned plans for Canberra's new convention centre should be ticked off by ASIO and the Australian Federal Police, as cities worldwide heighten security in the wake of the Manchester bombing.

In a submission to an ACT parliamentary inquiry into the proposed convention centre made before the Manchester terror attack, former ACT tourism commissioner David Marshall said the federal government should also chip in to make certain the building was secure.

"I recommended the building should garner the support of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Defence Force and ASIO, to ensure it meets the specifications of safety and security for world leaders and dignitaries, in an age where such measures are sadly essential. This component of the building should be funded by the Commonwealth government," Dr Marshall wrote.

Dr Marshall told The Canberra Times the security of the building would be paramount to its future use and was where "the Commonwealth can make a legitimate contribution to the construction".
COLLINGWOOD 5.5 9.10 11.16 18.21 (129)

BRISBANE LIONS 4.3 6.3 10.6 13.6 (84)

Goals: Collingwood: J Elliott 4 D Moore 3 A Fasolo 2 D Wells 2 A Treloar B Maynard J Smith L Dunn S Sidebottom T Adams T Broomhead. Brisbane Lions: D Beams 3 D Zorko 2 A Smith D Rich E Hipwood J Barrett J Berry M Hammelmann R Mathieson T Cutler.

Best: Collingwood: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Elliott, Treloar, Moore, Goldsack, Grundy, Adams, Maynard. Brisbane Lions: Zorko, Beams, McLuggage, Hipwood, Mathieson, Mayes.

Umpires: Ray Chamberlain, Andrew Stephens, Robert O'Gorman.

Official Crowd: 32,750 at MCG.

Collingwood's game against Brisbane was a microcosm of their season. Good in parts, dominant in others, frail at times, and architects of their own misfortune at others.

Eventual 45-point winners, the Magpies were five goals up in the biting cold and rain approaching half-time. The Lions got a goal back on the siren from Matthew Hammelmann, but the contest had about it a sense of inevitability, which was only reinforced after the break when Darcy Moore booted the first goal.

Then Collingwood kicked six straight behinds and teased out in Brisbane minds the idea of the comeback as the Lions in contrast kicked four goals. It also teased out in Collingwood minds the frailty in their game all year.
CAPaD supports any move to wise decision processes that value everyone's participation to achieve the common good. We encourage him to consider a broad portfolio of citizens' engagement processes that build a new culture of ongoing partnership between elected members, citizens and public servants. We invite him to work with CAPaD and other groups to explore and test out what will work well for Canberra. At a CAPaD meeting in April we heard from 50 leaders of ACT community councils, residents groups and members of the public that there is considerable disenchantment in the community at the current process of citizen engagement and consultation. As a community group concerned with promoting real participation by the people in government processes, we look forward to an exciting phase of exploration and co-creation about what might work best here in Canberra as the government embarks on these new activities. There is no doubt that the trust and responsibilities in the relationship between parliamentary representatives and the general community can be greatly improved.

Peter Tait and Beth Slatyer, O'Connor For unfettered future Many Aborigines do need help and this is normally provided by numerous organisations. However, there are many more whites that need assistance, but there are no sole "white only" offers of help. Imagine what the backlash would be if there was an "only white" team in any sport or an "only white" employment agency. The Aboriginal industry feels they are discriminated against at every turn and are only too quick to put forward their arguments of the stolen generation etc and how they have suffered at the hands of non-indigenous people.

Under a lot of pressure, then PM Rudd stated that the Australian government of that time was "sorry" for the past actions. It may have been a long time in coming but should have been enough. Most of the present white population had nothing to do with the bad treatment of blacks at that time and should not have to keep bearing the crosses of mistakes made by their forebears. The Aboriginals want equality and fairness in all their dealings with the Australian population. That means we are all on an equal footing and there is no favouritism in law or any other respect. I hope the Indigenous conference presently being held at Ayers Rock comes to some sensible agreement on how they want to face their future in a fair and reasonable manner to all. Trevor Willis, Hughes

Laughter never stops The Senate estimates comedy show just gets better and better ("Taiwan ruins our dumbest argument against marriage equality", canberratimes.com.au, May 26). Taxpayer-funded advocate for the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Association of Christian Parent Controlled Schools, Salt Shakers, Focus on the Family, Lyons Forum, Endeavour Forum, Family Council of Victoria, Fatherhood Foundation, Australian Christian Lobby, Australian Family Association and Right to Life Australia, Senator for Tasmania and the very model of a modern member of the Liberal Party, Eric Abetz, took umbrage with SBS television boss Michael Ebeid for allegedly using his taxpayer funded position to engage in advocacy. Abetz is an undisputed master of parody. John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Rights of the fetus Your point, Rita Joseph of Hackett, ("The child can't choose", Letters, May 20) has already been answered  see "None better to decide than the mother", Gayle Davies, North Sydney, SMH Letters, May 18. As things stand in Australian law, a fetus is not a person until born alive. If a husband kills his heavily pregnant wife, and the fetus dies unborn, he is charged with one count of murder (or manslaughter) not two. Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor

In a froth over broth: stand tall and ensure you get full measure While doing my weekly shop at Belconnen, I witnessed a man order a large soup. When he questioned the amount of soup, he was told that it is corporate policy to only half fill the bowl. This seems like another example of big business dictating terms to the little person. The brave man took a stand against corporate greed and gracefully walked away. Bravo! When you order a coffee from a cafe you expect the coffee will be filled to the top of the cup.

Why should soup be any different? Dolores Whitehead, Dunlop Alienation fails In the aftermath of the atrocity in Manchester, it is emerging that UK anti-terrorism authorities had been informed of the danger posed by Abedi, the perpetrator, on at least five separate occasions in the five years prior to the attack. What happened to those warnings is for the UK government to assess and review.

I'd like instead to draw some attention to this detail: it is reported that the warnings were primarily raised by the local Muslim community. This reinforces a point made before to counter the rampant and blind Islamophobia promoted in some quarters: when you do alienate a community (for political and personal gain, in fact) campaigning on stereotypes, decontextualised and fake news, and bigotry, one of the actual outcomes is to lose all intelligence sources from within. A self-harming strategy to make those "lone wolves" truly undetectable, and one that only the most irresponsible would promote. Luca Biason, Latham Peace and tolerance

Whether it's Islamic militants bombing rock concerts, Jewish settlers claiming their "god-given" lands, the enforcement of blasphemy laws in Indonesia (or worse, Saudi Arabia), or the sectarian violence in any of the numerous places around the world where cultures collide (or even just minor doctrinal variations exist), any notion that religious belief is benign is just as ridiculous today as it would have been during the Crusades. Peace, harmony and prosperity can only be achieved through compromise, tolerance and understanding, but as long as people are convinced that there exists a higher, unquestionable authority with a documented history of divine violence, murder and genocide, the continuation of the long tradition of human suffering because of religion seems inevitable. James Allan, Narrabundah War no more The article by Greg Colton ("Sleepwalking in Iraq", May 26, p20) is a reminder of the futility of war.

Why then, are we allocating so many more human and financial resources to military defence and national security than to diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, trade and aid? When will we give priority to addressing the root causes ofwar before conflict leads towar? The time is ripe for a public debate on what more Australia can contribute to global peacemaking and preventive action, rather than waiting for the next call to arms. David Purnell, Florey The moving hand

Now that scientists have developed a glove that allows the wearer to operate the touch screen ("Keep warm, keep swiping, keep texting", The Guide, May 22, p5), perhaps they can invent a device that can generate electricity from an infinitely renewable source: human activity. A starting point could be with television reporters (particularly with a finance reporter on commercial television whose hands are in constant motion), who are used to having wires on their bodies, then concentrate on shop assistants who walk several kilometres during a shift. Ken McPhan, Spence Don't bank on it Adam Gartrell's statement "the big four banks have all ruled out funding for the (Adani Carmichael) mine" ("Just 7 per cent of voters want the government to invest in Adani mine: poll", canberratimes.com.au, May22) is misleading.

Adani is a Commonwealth Bank customer, the bank facilitated Adani's recent purchase of an unrestricted water licence for its proposed Carmichael coal mine and, unlike the other three big banks, Comm Bank has not ruled out funding mines in new coal basins. Patricia Saunders, Chapman Blame inevitable The Manchester bomber's beliefs would, of course, be rejected by the overwhelming majority of Muslims and he would not be seen as representing their views or belonging to their communities. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that all Muslims will be made to feel culpable about this stranger's deranged and horrific actions. The bomber was also (apparently) a Manchester United fan.

Should we expect a shameful, public apology from Jose Mourinho and the club? Richard Manderson, Narrabundah Generosity accepted It would be churlish not to appreciate the generous philanthropy of Andrew Forrest. He was surrounded by politicians who have all contributed to the likelihood the $400 million personal donation is probably a lot more than the federal government received in royalties, let alone taxes, from the companies involved. Early impressions are that not a lot, maybe nothing, appears to be devoted to anything associated with the "environment".

Chris Fowler, Bywong, NSW No place for weapons So, Terry Snow, the owner of Canberra Airport, is now Canberra's wealthiest man and our only billionaire ("Meet the Snow man, airport owner now worth $1 billion", May 26, p2). How unfortunate it is that our wealthiest man still accepts money from war profiteers and their promotions at our airport. Any economic necessity to accept advertising from whoever will pay is looking more and more tenuous. Is it really beyond Canberra Airport's capacity to replace weapons advertising with promotion of our beautiful city?

The Snow Foundation's philanthropy of $18.4 million over 25 years is commendable. The promotion of those who profit from the utter destruction and cruelty of warfare is not. Sue Wareham, Cook TO THE POINT BULL AT LARGE There is nothing wrong with being self-confident and looking after the welfare of his country, but when it crosses the border into arrogance then things change. And Donald Trump has crossed that border as he creates an environment similar to a bull in a china shop as he barnstorms through Europe.

D. J. Fraser, Currumbin, Qld CREDIT TO HOLT Thank you, Stephen Holt, for a masterful history lesson ("The other, forgotten 1967 referendum that delivered a resounding rebuttal to the Parliament", May 24, pp16-17). John Rodriguez, Florey SLEEPERS, AWAKE

Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying: "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them and do nothing." It is time world governments woke up and took a united stand against terrorists instead of placating them. Especially our Australian government. N. Timms, Bungundarra, Qld CARD TRICK I am surprised that designers of credit cards and membership cards do not put the card's name along the top centimetre of their card, as this is what is visible in most card wallets. It would make finding the card you want so much easier. Some do, but most don't. Brock Bryce, Canberra

RARE BEING The antics on May 25 of the Father of the Senate, that North Queensland wonder senator Ian Macdonald, recall the Paris police chief's remark about Inspector Clouseau: "He's an extraordinary man." Thos Puckett, Ashgrove FORGIVE GREEKS The Greek people are suffering from austerity measures, and Greece has a huge debt that it will never be able to repay. Greece's debt should now be forgiven.

Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic TURN OFF, DUTTON Peter Dutton doesn't like the ABC's Q&A program. Well, my advice to him is this: don't watch it. No one is forcing him to watch. There may be other things on TV that suit his tastes. Patrick O'Connor, Spence HANSON SUNSET?

I hope One Nation's stint in the Parliament is cut short by the latest scandals. There is no way we can cope with Pauline Hanson for six years. Mokhles k Sidden, Strathfield, NSW GETTING WASTED Why does this government waste so much on "saving money"? M. Moore, Bonython
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talk outside Waterfront Place in Brisbane. Credit:Felicity Caldwell The latest results show in March 2017, show 90.5 per cent of Southeast Queensland trains were running on time. A SEQ train service is considered on-time if it arrives within three minutes and 59 seconds of their scheduled time. QR aims to have 95 per cent of peak services arriving on time. So, if Queensland did allow someone else to run our passenger trains, would it really mean more than $3 billion could be saved by 2040, as Infrastructure Australia reported on Friday?

Queensland Rail needs to understand that their future is on the line here. Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow Or would it mean major job losses and a similar level of service, with a different coat of paint, as Queensland's Rail, Tram and Bus Union believes. Two years ago, there were problems with the new Melbourne Metro, which were reported by Fairfax Media. Interestingly, the private consortia running the Melbourne Metro received $1.18 billion in subsidies and $11.78 million in "incentive payments" in 2013-14, but there was criticism their trains were simply skipping stops to meet "on time" running targets. That was 2015.

Is it better now? Earlier this year, Fairfax Media also reported dumb, sexist and bullying behaviour from Melbourne Metro train drivers. Melbourne Metro says the problems are not widespread and its on-time running is improving, not worsening like Queensland Rail. Many questions should be asked about Queensland Rail and Transport for Brisbane, Brisbane City Council's bus division. In south-east Queensland are we  as commuters  satisfied with the performance of Queensland Rail in failing to have enough drivers to cope with expansion on the south-east Queensland train network?

Should Queensland have a stand-alone "Public Transport Queensland" which runs all buses, trains and ferries, similar to Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia? Are we satisfied  as commuters, with the job Queensland Rail and the Department of Transport did when the new rail line from Kippa Ring was delayed for months because two communications systems did not talk to us. Should we  as commuters  worry when Commissioner Phillip Strachan handed down an extremely critical report into an under-performing Queensland Rail on February 27, 2017? Is it time that a stand-alone transport operator also ran Brisbane City Council's bus operations? In August 2016, it was revealed that some Brisbane City Council bus services were taking 25 minutes longer to complete their runs than their timetables allowed.

Brisbane City Council' s deputy mayor and Public and Active Travel committee chairman Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane City Council would not change its Transport for Brisbane division, which runs Brisbane City Council buses. "Council has no plans to change its current contract arrangements for Transport for Brisbane, under which Council is a service provider to Translink," Cr Schrinner said. "Brisbane City Council has one of the largest and the most modern bus fleet in Australia, which is a result of significant investment in recent years. This financial year alone Council is investing $122.6 million into bus infrastructure and services." What about our CityCats, which are already run in a franchise agreement with Brisbane City Council? There have been complaints about CityCats colliding with rowers in 2012 and 2015 and staffing issues emerged in November 2015.

Cr Shrinner said Brisbane City Council's 10-year contract with Transdev to run the CityCat fleet expired in 2020 and they were happy with Transdev's performance. However, Queensland's two major parties were both virtually silent about the public transport report when it was issued on Friday morning. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk only answered questions about the ability of any savings  the $3.3 billion  being able to be directed to Brisbane's $5.4 billion Cross River Rail underground rail project linking Brisbane's north and south. "I'm starting to think about Infrastructure Australia not being really serious about considering our projects, that's the message I'm starting to get," Ms Palaszczuk said. "Once again we're changing goal posts," she said.

Transport Minister Jackie Trad was too busy with Adani Mine negotiations to answer questions about trains on Friday. She launched this response to Phillip Strachan's report into Queensland Rail's failings in late March. But there is a lot more to Infrastructure Australia's report, that was not discussed by the Queensland Government on Friday. Rail Back on Track  Queensland public transport commuter group  is clear that change is in the wind for Queensland Rail. "I've felt for some time that there is grave doubt for Queensland Rail's future," Rail Back on Track's spokesman Robert Dow said. "We really have a very serious issue now because we have very poor co-ordination between bus and rail particularly," he said.

Mr Dow believes Queensland Rail should be reshaped as part of a single public transport body, a Public Transport Queensland, which oversees all trains, buses, and ferries in different divisions. "The only way we think things can be progressed is if pressure can be bought to bear on the original operators," he said "I think this (report) is timely because it is following on from a disastrous period in service delivery from Queensland Rail," he said. Queensland Rail's figures show fewer trains arrived on time in 2017 than they did last year. In fact, Queensland Rail since October 2016 is repeatedly not meeting its own standards to have trains run on time.

Mr Dow said the public transport "franchise" debate was important, because there were several examples where franchising public transport services was working; the Gold Coast's light rail project, Brisbane's City Cats and Melbourne Metro in more recent times. "Queensland Rail needs to understand that their future is on the line here," he said. "If there is a change of government at the next state election, we are pretty confident the LNP would move to franchise Queensland Rail," he said. "And I'm pretty sure they will take on Brisbane Transport (Brisbane City Council's transport arm) as well." The Queensland Opposition's public transport spokesman Andrew Powell was unwilling to comment on Friday despite several attempts by Fairfax Media.

Fairfax Media pressed several times until we got a message. "On this occasion we've decided not to comment on the IA report on rail," it said. "Thanks for the opportunity." Loading So many questions, with so few willing to debate.
If anything, serious is an understatement. The loss of half of the reef's shallow water corals is a global-scale catastrophe. It may have potentially serious ramifications in the years ahead for about 70,000 people who rely on the reef for their livelihoods.

This figure was given preliminary endorsement by Russell Reichelt, the chief executive of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. He noted there had also been an increase in cover in the south in recent years, but added: "It is difficult to say this without sounding like I don't think the problem is serious. I certainly do."

Professor Hughes, who regularly surveys the reef, last week stunned his Twitter followers by saying 49 per cent of shallow corals had died after two summers of bleaching.

As claims and counterclaims swirl about the health of the Great Barrier Reef, it can be difficult to know what to believe. A good starting point is listening to Terry Hughes, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and listed last year by the journal Nature as one of the 10 people who matter most in science.

It is linked to inflated water temperatures that scientists have tied to escalating greenhouse gas emissions. As The Age revealed, an expert panel advising the government on how to implement its plan to protect the reef says it must be re-drawn to include a focus on cutting. We agree. So far the Turnbull government has demurred.

This is indicative of a broader disconnect in the government about climate change. It says the United Nations process that led to the Paris accord is the best place to address the issue, including protecting the reef from it. Yet the best evidence suggests the emission reductions targets pledged in the French capital are nothing like enough to achieve this goal.

Of course, Australia alone cannot tackle climate change. But it can hardly expect other countries to do what is necessary if it doesn't itself. Its emissions target of a 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 is a step up from previous commitments, but not enough for Australia to play its part in addressing the problem. Malcolm Turnbull and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg have acknowledged the target will need to be increased, and analyses have suggested more could be done at relatively little cost. It is hoped that will be included in the review of climate policies currently under way.

The review must also address the more glaring issue: the lack of a coherent policy that can deliver even the current targets. When the government abolished the carbon price scheme in 2014, it put the "direct action" emissions reduction fund at the centre of its own response. Three years on, $2.23 billion has been spent from the budget for little obvious impact. An analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office commissioned by the Greens found meeting the 2030 target using the fund alone would cost more than $23 billion  an unrealistic figure in budget-constrained times.

The government says the analysis is also unrealistic as the fund is only part of its response to climate change. But the other policies Mr Frydenberg cited  a National Energy Productivity Plan, reducing hydroflurocarbons, and a renewable energy target that ends in 2020  are complementary policies, not a central measure to drive change. And it continues to support emissions intensive projects, such as the proposed Adani coal mine.
Every residential development built on state-owned land under a NSW Labor government will have 25 per cent of its dwellings designated affordable housing, the opposition has pledged.

For privately-owned land rezoned for development, 15 per cent of homes would be designated affordable housing, it says, in a further bid to help low and middle income earners rent or buy in the surging Sydney property market.

Under the plan, publicly-owned land identified for development would be placed on an Affordable Housing Land Register.

This would then be handed for fast tracking to UrbanGrowth NSW, which would be refocused "to prioritise the development of affordable, social and mixed housing".
Quite a few studies have been done about the media leaning left. As it turns out there are reasons for the left leaning media. 1) Geographical explanation: The big guns of the mainstream media reside in New York, Washington and other metropolises, where liberals live on top of other liberals. 2) The Crusader explanation: People are called to journalism because they have a sense of mission--of discovery--of scooping and exposing light in dark places. These journalists/writers have been influenced by scandals in government and business. There is a phrase in journalism that goes something like this. Our job is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. 3) The Education explanation: Young people are fired up--ready to conquer. Hiring practices begin with elite universities and experienced journalists who have earned recognition through their persuasive OPs---all of which came from their university professors and classes. Educated people believe in causes that stem from justice, fairness, truth, and decency. As a journalist they can bring some of the injustices in this world to the surface--expose them and hopefully correct them.

AND that takes us right back to the Crusader.
Schapelle Corby's family has toyed with media as a frenzied cat-and-mouse game played out across the state.



Media followed cars, staked out homes and swarmed hotel footpaths as they tried to follow Ms Corby's first moves upon her arrival back in her home city after being charged with trafficking drugs into Bali almost 13 years ago.



Ms Corby's tricks on the media started before she left Denpasar, Bali, on Sunday when she changed her flight at the last minute.

As several members of the media sat on the Virgin Australia flight, Ms Corby jetted home to Brisbane on the Malindo Air flight that left just 10 minutes earlier.

Ms Corby travelled with her sister Mercedes and upon their arrival at Brisbane International Airport at 5.09am they managed to slip past the pack of waiting media and were whisked away by a convoy.

While half the convoy travelled south towards Logan another went to the Sofitel Hotel in Brisbane CBD.



Mercedes Corby arrived at the home of her mother Rosleigh Rose at Loganlea but there was no sign of Ms Corby, leaving media guessing as to where the convicted drug smuggler was hiding.
London: Members of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi's network are still potentially at large, British interior minister Amber Rudd said on Sunday, after the terrorism threat level was lowered because of significant progress in the investigation.

Police said they had arrested a large part of the network behind the bombing, which killed 22 people at a concert hall, with three more men were arrested over the weekend as police continued to close in on the group.

Asked during an interview on BBC television whether some of the group were still at large, Ms Rudd said: "Potentially. It is an ongoing operation. There are 11 people in custody, the operation is still really at full tilt in a way."

Greater Manchester Police said on Sunday that they had arrested a 14th person in connection with the attack. The 25-year-old man was detained in the south-west of the city on suspicion of terrorism offences. Police were also searching another address in the south of Manchester.
London: Britain's security minister has accused internet giants of being "ruthless money-makers" who have deceived the government over tackling terror online.

Ben Wallace told Britain's Sunday Telegraph that data encryption is allowing jihadist cells to emerge unnoticed.

He attacked "completely duplicitous" social media companies for flogging users' personal information to questionable companies but refusing to help terror investigations.

Mr Wallace went on to demand that the firms spend more of their "billions" on automatically taking down jihadist videos that are radicalising Britain's youth.
French President Emmanuel Macron says his now famous white-knuckle handshake showdown with US counterpart Donald Trump was "a moment of truth"  designed to show that he's no pushover.

Macron told a Sunday newspaper in France that "my handshake with him, it wasn't innocent."

Macron added: "One must show that you won't make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but also not over-publicise things, either."

Macron's office confirmed to The Associated Press the veracity of the president's comments in Le Journal du Dimanche.
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.
The U.S. Air Force plans to maintain its fleet of Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolts close air support aircraft and the Lockheed Martin U-2 high altitude spy plane, shelving plans to phase out these cold-war era platforms. The strategy change acknowledges the need CAS and ISR capabilities, particularly to maintain and preserve present operational capabilities against insurgencies in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, in parallel of developing new capabilities for future operations against much more sophisticated and capable enemies.

The Air Force confirmed Tuesday that it plans to maintain the majority of its A-10 Warthogs in coming years, despite previous plans to phase out the entire A-10 fleet, replacing the armored flying gunslingers Close Air Support (CAS) capability by fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighters and new, off the shelf light attack platform.

An Air Force official said the A-10 fleet was being kept indefinitely, but in the future, some A-10 aircraft could be retired as other aircraft become operational.

The U.S. Air Force also dropped plans to begin retiring the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane around 2019. The Pentagons budget request for fiscal 2018 does not include any funding request or time schedule for the U-2 retirement. As a result of additional spending in the recently enacted 2017 budget and the proposed 2018 plan, the Air Force has more resources to maintain both the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned platforms intended to replace the U-2 and the manned spy plane. We plan to keep that platform well into the future. Its a capability that we need and we also need the capacity as well, Said Maj. Gen. James Martin, the Air Forces deputy assistant secretary for budget. We need both [platforms] to meet the demand of ISR, Martin said.

Budget uncertainty in previous years played a role in recent recommendations to retire the U-2, the general said. The U-2 retirement could save about US$2.2 billion, the Air Force estimated last year. But the world changed in August 2014, Martin said, in an apparent reference to the start of the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than...
NJ Weedman got a license to sell NJ legal weed. He almost said no.
THE GULF

The Making of an American Sea

Jack E Davis

Liveright Publishing

Illustrated; 592 pages; $29.95

For those who live distant from it, the Gulf of Mexico made its most vivid appearance on the national stage for all the wrong reasons: the biggest accidental oil spill ever to occur in offshore waters. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout poured 4.9 million barrels of crude into the gulf, damaged beaches and coastal estuaries, and poisoned marine life up and down the food chain, from algae to dolphins. The burning drill rig and underwater plume of hydrocarbons was a media sensation, an unfolding crisis replete with stunning pictures and a herculean mobilisation of humans and technology.

In Jack E Daviss sprightly and sweeping new history, The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea, the spill is both culmination and footnote to five centuries of restless human energies. The largest gulf and 10th-largest body of water on earth, it began forming 150 million years ago, after the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea. Its depth and breadth have fluctuated over the ensuing eons: Its northern tides once lapped shoreline in present-day Illinois. In its current configuration it touches more than 3,000 miles of mainland coast along five American states and six in Mexico, and supports a commercial fishery worth three-quarters of a billion dollars in landings revenue annually.

In Daviss hands, the story reads like a watery version of the history of the American West. Both places saw Spanish incursions from the south, mutual incomprehension in the meeting of Europeans and aboriginals, waves of disease that devastated the natives and a relentless quest by the newcomers for the raw materials of empire. There were scoundrels and hucksters, booms and busts, senseless killing in sublime landscapes and a tragic belief in the inexhaustible bounty of nature. A few artists and eccentrics fought to preserve the ecology of the place and sometimes succeeded. Whereas the West was re-engineered to account for a shortage of water, the Gulf of Mexico was re-engineered to account for a surfeit of oil.

It was the rumour of gold and silver that caused the first Europeans to probe gulf waters. Many met with shipwreck and starvation, even as a native culture thrived along the coastal estuaries, feasting on that bounteous supply of seafood. Despite their complex communication networks and endlessly renewable source of protein, the natives were destroyed in the blink of an eye. Mostly it was the newcomers pathogens that did them in, although some were victims of an attitude that viewed them as artless and lazy for not exploiting their material abundance for purposes of commerce.

Although the gulf region harboured no gold, it possessed astonishing riches of bird life. Davis, the author of An Everglades Providence, recounts one of the bloodiest crimes committed against wildlife in modern times, the slaughter of plumage birds for feathered hats in the 19th century. The killing got so out of hand that the gulfs population of snowy egrets dipped below the population of the endangered American bison. Five million birds annually fed the hat business, leaving the gulf with a mere 10 percent of its previous number of plume birds by the beginning of the 20th century.

Likewise, oyster beds were scoured and permanently damaged, and shrimp populations were hit hard by the introduction of innovative seafood-harvesting methods like the seine net. New laws and a dawning environmental consciousness helped curtail the worst abuses of commercial fishing, but in Daviss reckoning, one practice in particular changed the gulf forever: the pursuit of tarpon. Sport fishing brought waves of tourists to the water, all of whom required hotels, restaurants and waterside pavilions for dancing, drinking and swapping tall tales of grappling with the great silver monsters of the sea. First railroads and later highways conveyed sporty types to and from the gulf.

The 20th century accelerated the changes. On the gulfs eastern shores, developers dredged and filled marshes and estuaries in order to sell a slice of spoiled paradise to Northern transplants. On the western side, industry took hold with the discovery of oil in 1901 at Spindletop in Texas, and oil soon became a major gulf resource. By the end of the century 181,000 wells had been sunk on- and offshore in Louisiana alone, and more than 70,000 miles of pipeline right of way had been secured to transport oil and gas through the states marshes. Denuded of its wetlands and mangrove forests from Texas to Florida, much of the coastline started slumping into the sea.

It is a sad story well told  although I should confess I began the book sceptical of being entertained and edified by 592 pages about a body of water that has come to be used like a sump for the wastes of industry. My doubts proved unwarranted. Davis has written a beautiful homage to a neglected sea, a lyrical paean to its remaining estuaries and marshes, and a marvellous mash-up of human and environmental history. He has also given us the story of how a once gorgeous place was made safe for the depredations of the petrochemical age. How it was made safe from petrochemicals is a book I look forward to reading.



2017 The New York Times News Service
Members of All India IT Employees Association (AIITEA) are planning to organise a united front of IT employees associations to hold talks with Karnataka government to resolve various problems, including layoffs soon.

"We are planning to organise a united front of IT employees associations to hold talks with Karnataka government to resolve the problems including layoffs soon," AIITEA President Syed Muqueemuddin told PTI in Bengaluru.

The decision to bring all associations under one roof was taken by AIITEA in a meeting, he said.

"I have begun contacting members of other associations like FITE (Forum For IT Employees)," he added.

The FITE is a forum of IT employees and has presence in nine IT hubs, including Chennai, Pune and Bengaluru.

FITE is in the process of approaching the labour commission in Bengaluru to submit a petition to stop the alleged "illegal terminations" happening at Cognizant.

The body had already approached labour commissions in Chennai and Hyderabad, alleging that the US-based firm is illegally terminating thousands of employees by forcing them to resign.

After bringing all the fora under one roof, the chiefs of several associations will decide on holding deliberations with Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Labour Minister Santosh Lad, on problems faced by IT and employees, including layoffs, Muqueemuddin said.

During the talks with IT and Labour Ministers, the united front will urge the government to hold an open house discussion by inviting all the stakeholders including IT captains and employees.

"The open house meeting with all the stakeholders will give opportunities to air their grievances, which will give the government a sense about the problems faced by IT and employees," he said.

Replying to a query, Muqueemuddin said he would like the meetings to begin by next week.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge had earlier asked the affected IT employees to lodge a complaint with the labour department.

In an interview with PTI recently, Kharge had said the government would look into the matter and provide legal assistance if the affected or laid off employees approached it like their counterparts had in Tamil Nadu.
The woes of Tata Teleservices continue to mount with its net worth eroding by Rs 11,653 crore at the end of the financial year ended March 2017, on rising losses and interest payments.

The company announced a loss of Rs 4,617 crore for FY17, compared to a loss of Rs 2,023 crore in FY16. This is a bad for its promoter, Tata Sons, which will have to keep investing in the companys equity so that it can meet its liabilities, bankers said. But, the companys debt stood reduced almost five per cent from Rs 30,192 crore in FY16 to Rs 28,766 crore in FY17.

Because of the price war in telecom spurred by the entry of Reliance Jio, the Tata group companys turnover declined to Rs 9,419 crore in FY17 from Rs 10,588 crore in FY16.

The Tata group company is not the only one which struggled during the year. Aditya Birla Groups Idea Cellular also reported losses of Rs 400 crore, compared to a profit of Rs 2,728 crore in FY16. Sales and profits of the top two players, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, also declined during the year (See chart).

Bankers said they were not worried about Tata Teleservices debt service coverage ratio of 0.18 as Tata Sons always stepped in with funds to pay bank loans. The Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) fell to Rs 1,341 crore in FY17 from Rs 1,700 crore in FY16.

Jios launch, in fact, has triggered a consolidation among the current telecom players. Vodafone India, the country's No.2 telecom company in terms of revenues, and Idea Cellular have announced a plan to merge their operations in India, thus becoming the country's No.1 player. Bharti Airtel, Indias No.1 player, has merged smaller player Telenor with itself. Reliance Communications is awaiting the Supreme Courts approval to merge its wireless telephony business with Aircel, thus reducing its debt by half.

The rising losses of Tata Teleservices may be a dampener for a suitor to buy or merge the company.

But, for the Viom stake sale and tax credit received from the government of India, things could have been worse for the company, said an analyst with a ratings firm. The company sold part of its stake in the telecom towers company, Viom Networks, for Rs 2,800 crore, which helped meet part of its liabilities. Tata Sons was expected to invest another Rs 2,000 crore in the current financial year into the company, bankers said.




California-based Zoho Corporation, a software firm with major development operations in Chennai, has recently integrated its offerings under ManageEngine, the comprehensive information technology (IT) management software, and Zoho.com, an operating system for business, to address the changing market requirement. Raj Sabhlok, president of Zoho Corporation, tells Gireesh Babu about the company's plans in terms of its product offering, its rationale for abstaining from inorganic route, among others. Edited excerpts:
Nearly 800 Kashmiri youths on Sunday appeared in the common entrance exam for selection of junior commissioned officers and other ranks in the Army amid unrest in the Valley following the killing of militant .

"Defying bandh call from various inimical factions, 799 candidates appeared in the common entrance examination held at Pattan and Srinagar today," an army official said.

He said 16 of the 815 candidates, who had passed the physical and medicals tests held earlier, did not turn up for the written exam.

"It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls, for choosing a brighter future," the official said.

Authorities in Kashmir on Sunday imposed curfew-like restrictions in many parts of the valley to maintain law and order in view of the protests following the killing of Bhat, a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, in an encounter with security forces.
The Indian Army is facing a "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through "innovative" ways, Army Chief Gen has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' by a young officer.
Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, the militant who succeeded Burhan Wani as Hizbul Mujahideen's commander in Kashmir, was slain by security forces on Saturday in an encounter in the Tral area of the state's Pulwama district.
An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir.

An Army official said today that, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in the death of one army porter and injuries to another".

The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.
Marquee names in the investor community and hospitality industry, both within India and overseas, are busy doing their math this summer on whats the best price for the Taj Mahal hotel, popularly known as Taj Mansingh, in Lutyens' Delhi. Business Standard spoke to top investment bankers and consultants to get a likely price tag for the luxury hotel, which is going under the hammer very soon.
A petition has been filed in Pakistan's Supreme Court seeking the immediate execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav if he fails to get his capital punishment overturned.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), through an interim ruling, has stayed Jadhav's execution till the time the case pending with it reaches its logical end.

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition on Saturday through Advocate Farooq Naek, a leader of opposition Pakistan People's Party and former Senate chairman.

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav, who has been accused by Islamabad of being an Indian spy.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the alleged Indian spy if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and subversive activities.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhav's trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and that he had had consular access as was demanded by India.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition mentioned that Jadhav's mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the ICJ constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention.
Tata Steel employee Hemant Gupta, who was steadily progressing towards the summit in his Everest expedition, conquered the Mount Everest Sunday morning.

The 27-year-old Hemant completed his B. Tech in Metallurgical Eng & Material Science from IIT Bombay in 2011 and joined Tata Steel as a management trainee (MT) in Tata Steel's new plant in Kalinganagar Orissa.

As an MT, he had undertaken the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) Outdoor Leadership Course in Uttarkashi Himalaya. His first tryst with adventure came through his successful completion of the one month Basic Mountaineering Course from the Mountaineering Institute in Manali.

TSAF then included him in the Chamser Kangri Expedition during which he reached up to 21,100 ft. His love for adventure made him join the Adventure Programme Dept. in September 2013.

Since then he has climbed Mt Aconcagua (22860 ft) - the highest peak of America (one of the seven summits) in 2015, Mt Bhagirathi II (21310 ft) in Gangotri region, climbed Island Peak (20,400ft) in Nepal, Mt Kanamo (19,600ft) in Spiti Valley.

Payo Murmu, another employee of Tata Steel, who was also on this expedition with Hemant was not able to make the final attempt towards the summit due to inclement weather. Both the mountaineers are expected to be back at the base camp by tomorrow.

At the start of the expedition, Bachendri Pal, Chief, Adventure Programme, Tata Steel had said, "Everest has always represented the epitome of challenge of human endeavour, of leadership, of knowing one's strengths and weaknesses, of being humble in one's approach and of testing one's capabilities.

"All the skills learnt not only help one in surmounting mountains in Himalaya but also in their real life, thereby making them better individuals benefitting them and the organisation or community they work for.
Liaquat Ali, of Meerut, had a flourishing business as a cattle trader, supplying animals to local slaughterhouses, including some prominent meat exporters. But, for the last few months, his business has dwindled.

If the crackdown on illegal abattoirs by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was not enough, Fridays notification on the sale and purchase of animals from markets might leave Ali with hardly any option but to shut up shop.

An old, infirm animal, be it a bull or a buffalo (called kanda in local parlance) fetches somewhere around Rs 30,000-50,000 in local markets. Who will buy them now? he asks.

The Union ministry of environment and forest has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, and those purchasing animals from these markets would have to provide an undertaking that they would not be slaughtered.

After criticism from various quarters, the government on Saturday clarified that the new law was to protect beasts and not to regulate cattle trade for slaughterhouses, and said it would examine representations. However, the governments statements have not helped soothe frayed nerves.

D B Sabharwal, secretary general, All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association, told Business Standard: We want the government to remove buffalo from the definition of cattle under the new rules. The associations other major recommendation is not to include lairage in the definition of mandi. A lairage is a place where animals are laid for resting before slaughter.

Indias buffalo meat export in the financial year 2016-17 was worth $3.5 billion, and domestic consumption of buffalo meat is estimated at $2 billion.

Some of the provisions in the notification are not practical, say industry experts. Aspi Dinshaw, vice president, All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association, said, One provision says animals that have irreparable, severe injury or are terminally ill or have even died naturally cant be sold for leather or flayed but such carcasses should be incinerated. Incinerations are costly and consume high-voltage power which most villages dont have.

The UP leather industry, estimated at Rs 20,000 crore, was already reeling under pressure due to a supply shortage of raw hide following stringent action and subsequent closure of illegal abattoirs in the state under the new political regime. UP has 50% share in the $5.3 billion leather exports. The new law will hurt the leather trade further. For example, the Kanpur cluster depends 80% on buffalo hides.

Agri-economy expert Sudhir Panwar said, The direct fallout of the notification would mean the closure of unlicensed tanneries and slaughterhouses. It could also result in increased instances of stray animals as farmers and dairy owners would abandon their animals if they are unable to sell them.

Rafeeque Ahmed, president of All India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association, said the move would disrupt an established system where all cattle, including productive and working draft animals and those meant for slaughter, were traded.

The ban also comes at a time when the Centre has set a target of $20 billion revenue for leather industry in the next three years.

An industry official said, If the new law is implemented both in letter and spirit, within three months, the leather business will go to countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, where all kinds of new leather clusters are coming up, and to Pakistan and China. No buyer is going to wait even for a month; they will go to another country.

Tamil Nadu, another key exporting state, does not depend on buffalo hide, which accounts for only five% of the total hide used by the leather industry in the state. It sources hides locally, mostly goat and sheep, and also imports.

Kerala and some other states are exploring legal options as animal mandis are state subjects. However, legal experts say the new rules are issued by the environment ministry to stop cruelty on animals, making states case complex.

Meanwhile, Kerala-based slaughterhouse Meat Products of India (MPI) will be inaugurating the countrys largest meat-processing unit in Ernakulam, with central government funding, in a couple of days. The new facility would require around 6,000 cattle a month, and the company is worried about how to procure cattle after the new rules.

R S Sodhi, managing director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which sells Amul brand dairy products, said there was no ban on farmers selling old cattle or even buying new ones for dairying purposes. However, slaughterhouses have to approach the farms directly. This rules out the middlemen. Farmers can always buy and sell cattle for dairy and agricultural purposes, he said.





But, there is a catch here. There are around 5,000 animal mandis in the country where auctions take place and its easy for farmers to go get the best price. Dinshaw said, There are 50 odd conditions for maintaining mandis including building sheds, ensuring fodder and other facilities including water and lights. Who will make these investments now?

And, if a farmer approaches slaughterhouses directly to sell unproductive cattle or milch bovines to dairies, buyers are expected to provide documents establishing his or her identity and also farmland ownership, pointed out executives of private dairies from Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

Dairy farmers, too, will face the problem of selling old cattle for new. Usually, milch animals have seven to eight milk cycles and they are not very productive towards the end of their life. Farmers dont usually wait to get them unproductive as during the last few cycles, animals productivity falls and they sell them to buy new. That might not happen now.





The immediate impact would be more availability of milk as farmers will keep cattle till they are productive. However, in the long run, the cost of production would increase for the dairy farmer as he would be forced to maintain less-productive cattle," said the head a leading dairy cooperative who did not wish to be quoted.



Rajesh Bhayani, Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Sohini Das, Virendra Singh Rawat and TE Narasimhan contributed to this story
Constructive criticism is important in a democracy and is essential for an informed and consciously formed nation, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during the 32nd edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' address.
This past week, the Indian Army honoured with a Commendation Card for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir. The recognition comes barely a month after he tied a supposed stone-pelter to his jeep, using him as a human shield to prevent violent protesters from attacking his vehicle. Major Gogoi was responding to a call from an officer who had informed him that around 1,200 people had cornered his polling booth and were trying to burn it with petrol bombs during a by-election in Budgam on April 9. Defence and strategic affairs expert MAROOF RAZA talks to Dhruv Munjal about the armys decision to award the officer amid a public outcry, and if the force has let itself down with the handling of this situation. Edited excerpts:

How do you view the Indian Armys decision to felicitate Major Gogoi with the Chief of Army Staffs Commendation Card? An inquiry into the incident is still on.

It hasnt been often in recent memory that the army has formally encouraged an officer to take such a step. Mostly, senior generals have been cautious while taking on the political establishment. This is a drastic change and I see it as a good one. As far as the timing of the award is concerned, yes the inquiry is underway, but Im sure the broad contours of the inquiry findings must have been conveyed to Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Army Staff. Perhaps that is why they went ahead with the announcement of the award.

There are many who feel that there was a clear violation of human rights in this whole episode.

Those posing such concerns should question the pretext of human rights. The soldiers were cornered and there were several lives at stake; this was clearly an act of self-defence. And those raising worries about human rights should come out and offer alternative solutions to what Major Gogoi couldve possibly done. Keeping the situation and the sensitivity of the place in mind, the right thing was done. Moreover, no one is bothered about the human rights of the soldier, or the difficulties he endures. In the US, cases of conflict trauma have been found in more than 50 per cent of the personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Indian soldiers go through something similar.

Others believe that the army has let itself down in the handling of the human shield incident, and also lost the moral upper hand that it always held in Kashmir.

No one  the Kashmiri politicians in particular  has the right to question the morality of the Indian Army. These politicians are ungrateful people who have never supported the army in anything it has done. If they feel that the army showed restraint all these years, did they acknowledge its efforts even once? You never hear them saying a word against Pakistan, either.

More importantly, people blaming the army for this moral letdown have an extremely superficial understanding of conflict. Most of them have very little idea about national security. If the army has indeed held the moral high ground in Kashmir for the past so many decades, then that hasnt really solved the problems that afflict the state.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has stated that Indian forces must be allowed to take calls in war-like zones such as Kashmir, and not be dictated by what politicians say. Isnt that dangerous?

There was much need for what the defence minister has said. What the army needs is clear instructions in such precarious areas and that cannot come from politicians. Also, this will help boost the morale of the troops stationed in Kashmir, and offer great encouragement.

This past week, the Indian Army released footage of it destroying Pakistani bunkers in Nowshera along the Line of Control. Are such publicised assaults the new normal now?

There is a clear plan being followed by the Indian government. It wants to take on Pakistan by going public with all the information and evidence it possesses, which is the right way forward. This also shows that the Indian Army has been given a free hand. And, the people who are questioning the government and the army for publicised attacks had a problem when no evidence was released for the surgical strikes conducted against Pakistan last year. Im certain that video evidence of that assault exists as well, but is being held back for strategic reasons. With these attacks, we are trying to dispel the myth that the Pakistani army can actually cause some problems. They are, in fact, quite inept.
PHILOMATH  U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden began his Benton County town hall Saturday with a moment of silence for two men who were stabbed to death Friday in Portland.

They had intervened when another man yelled racial slurs at two women who appeared to be Muslim, including one wearing a hijab, news reports say. The good Samaritans, as Wyden called them, were then fatally stabbed.

Let us remember these heroes and how they made the ultimate sacrifice standing up for a truly, truly sacred set of principles, respect for all and freedom, he said.

Saturdays town hall in the Philomath High School auditorium was Wydens 821st town hall in an Oregon county. About 200 people were in attendance. Wyden, who has been a United States senator for Oregon since 1996, strives to make an annual visit to each county in the state.

Many constituents asked the senator about health care. One man sang a song about health insurance, which was met with applause. Wyden said he would fight a portion of President Donald Trumps budget proposal, which calls for cutting more than $800 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years.

It damages Americans and Oregonians from cradle to grave, Wyden said. Were gonna stop this.

One woman asked what she could do to stop a House bill meant to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Wyden suggested she encourage friends or family members living in other states to contact their undecided senators and representatives.

Audience members asked about other programs the proposed federal budget would cut or eliminate, such as the National Energy Technology Laboratory, which has a site in Albany. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy, the national laboratory system conducts energy and environmental research.

Im going to fight this with all of my strength, Wyden told the woman, who was worried the lab will close. I think a lot of us understand how important the work youre talking about is.

Wyden suggested the woman provide his staff with specifics about the damages that would be caused by the proposed cuts.

An Oregon State University student told Wyden he was concerned about a funding shortage for the 2020 census, which could lead to an incomplete census. The senator suggested the student rally his fellow students and other university students throughout the country in a movement to properly fund the census.

One man asked Wyden what was being done to combat the lack of accountability in the Trump administration. The senator replied that he is sponsoring a bill, the Presidential Tax Transparency Act, which would require any major-party candidate for president to file a copy of his or her income tax returns.

The disclosure of tax returns it the lowest ethical bar for presidents, Wyden said.
Prime Minister on Sunday announced his four-nation tour of Germany, Spain, Russia and France beginning tomorrow, which is aimed at boosting India's economic engagement with these nations and inviting more investment.

In the first leg of his six-day trip, he will first visit Germany, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).

He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Modi said he and Merkel will "chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science and technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine.

Describing Germany as a valuable partner, the prime minister said, "German competencies fit well with my vision for India's transformation."



In Berlin, Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties.

"I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership," he said in a Facebook post.

On Tuesday, Modi will travel to Spain for an official visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades.

He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy.

"We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism," he said.

The prime minister said there is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties.

"We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism," he added.

He will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner in the 'Make in India' initiative.

"I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership," he wrote.

From Spain, the prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

"...I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016," he said.

The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries.

On June 2, Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where India is the 'guest country'.

"In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders," he said.

At the beginning of his visit, he will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad.

He will also visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.

"I greatly look forward to my visit to St. Petersburg in this special year for the bilateral relationship as both countries celebrate the 70th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations," Modi said.

In the last leg of the tour, he will visit France from June 2 to 3, for an official meeting with the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.

"France is one of our most important Strategic Partners. I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest," Modi said.

"I would be exchanging views with the French President on important global issues including UN Security Council reforms and India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council, India's membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance," he added.

France is India's 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways.

"I am committed to substantially strengthening and advancing our multi-faceted partnership with France," the prime minister said.
The situation in Kashmir remained tense but under control with authorities imposing curfew-like restrictions in most parts of the valley on Sunday, fearing that the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat would spark trouble in the state.

Barring a few incidents of stone pelting in Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Sopore, the situation across the valley remained peaceful, a police spokesman said.

In Pulwama, the spokesman said a group of miscreants threw stones at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Tahab.

Police and security forces used "maximum restraint" while dealing with the situation at these places and stone pelters were dispersed, he said.

He said restrictions were imposed to maintain law and order in view of protests following the killing of Bhat and another militant in an encounter with security forces in Soimoh area of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday.

In Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in seven police station areas  Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma  as a precautionary measure.

Restrictions were also been imposed in Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Sopore town in north Kashmir, officials said.

They said restrictions on the assembly and movement of more than four people, under CrPC Section 144, were imposed in Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.

At least 30 people were injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in various parts of the valley following the killing of the two Hizbul Mujahideen militants.

A civilian was also killed allegedly in cross-firing between militants and security forces during the encounter yesterday.

Bhat was buried this morning at his native Ratsuna area in Tral where hundreds of people had gathered.

The funeral remained peaceful, the officials said.

Meanwhile, normal life elsewhere in the valley remained affected due to a two-day strike called by separatists to protest the killing of the two militants and the alleged use of "brute force" against protesters.

The separatist trio  chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik  also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday in protest against the killing.

Malik was arrested from his residence here today, while Geelani and Mirwaiz were under house detention.

The authorities suspended mobile internet services in the valley, while the outgoing call facility on prepaid numbers has been snapped as a precautionary measure.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was on Sunday arrested from his residence in Srinagar in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk this morning.

The JKLF chairman had on Saturday visited the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral on Saturday.

Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of "brute force" against the protestors.

The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.
Zika, the dreaded virus which had most of the world worried last year, had reached India in 2016 itself, and the first confirmed cases were reported from Ahmedabad, in Gujarat.
In the wake of three cases of Zika virus being reported in Gujarat, the state goverment on Sunday assured the citizens by saying that the cases were old and those afflicted by the diseases were cured. It added that the state was taking preventive measures against the spread of the disease and that there have been no reports of new cases in the reagion so far.
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.
The Delhi governments notification to declare 89 rural villages of 95 as urban areas will help to operationalise the land pooling policy in the national capital and pave the way for affordable housing for the mid-segment and economically weaker section.
The government is in favour of exiting totally if a suitable investor is available, says finance and defence minister Arun Jaitley. When 84 per cent of the aviation market can be run by private airlines there is no reason why it cannot go to 100 per cent, the minister noted at Dialogue@DDNews, a series of interviews with the ministers of Narendra Modi-led government to mark the completion of its three years in office. The programme is expected to be aired today.
Leading automobile and tyre makers are reaching out to dealers with an assurance in the run-up to the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST). Dealers, who are the front-end of these businesses, have been told that any loss arising out of the transition to the would be taken care of by the manufacturers.
The Narendra Modi-led NDA government within first three years of coming to power has all but fulfilled its poll promise of giving farmers a support price that is 50 per cent more than cost of production of a crop, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah has said.

The (MSP) paid to farmers for their crops is now 43 per cent more than the cost of production if the cost of land is excluded from price calculation, he told PTI in an interview in New Delhi.

No government, he said, can meet the Swaminathan formula for calculating the cost of production as it includes cost of land, which is mostly inherited by farmers and whose value has gone up many folds over the years.

The BJP had swept the 2014 Lok Sabha election on the promise to fix agri MSP at 50 per cent more than the cost of production, among others.

This price recommendation was first made in 2006 by the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by the eminent agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan.

"There is a dispute on one issue. Swaminathan calculated the formula (on MSP) by including the land price, which can never be possible to implement," he said.

He argued that land price cannot be computed in the total cost of production of agri-produce as farmers in most cases have inherited farm fields from their forefathers and the cost of that land is now in crores.

"That price cannot be taken into account and no government can give. Keeping aside this component, we have reached up to 43 per cent," Shah said.

Land cost, farm experts said, comprises roughly about 25- 30 per cent in the total cost of production of agri-crops. If land cost is excluded, MSP of most crops is more than 50 per cent of the cost of production at present. They are of the view that the Swaminathan recommendation is not based on economic logic.

The government fixes MSP of 25 crops. It is the price at which it procures rice and wheat from farmers for its buffer stock. It is also the price at which it buys commodities when mandi rates crash so as to protect farmers' interest.

Shah emphasised that the government has given "big hike" in the MSP of agri-crops, especially pulses, that helped the country achieve a record output to 22.14 million tonnes in 2016-17 crop year (July-June), reduced dependence on imports and contained price rise.

Total foodgrain production too reached an all-time high of 273.38 mt in 2016-17, pushing farm growth to 4.1 per cent and injecting fresh blood into the country's economy, he added.
The mid-valley is holding one of the nation's biggest parties for the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, and Linn-Benton Community College is bringing the balloons.

Specifically, about an hour before the eclipse begins, the college's Space Exploration Team will launch one helium balloon, about the size of a refrigerator, into the atmosphere.

The launch will take place from an Oregon State University research vessel roughly 50 kilometers off the Oregon coast. The goal: obtaining the nation's very first pictures of the moon's shadow as it begins to cross the sun.

LBCC's balloon will be carrying a payload of cameras, modems and equipment to accomplish the goal. The Space Exploration Team will be monitoring its speed, direction, altitude and the most critical part: the video feed, which NASA will stream live via its website, www.nasa.gov.

That's if everything goes just right. So to have the best shot at everything going just right, team members have been sending up practice balloons from the campus track through much of the spring. They plan another half-dozen or so between now and August.

Last week's mission had to be scrubbed: too much cloud cover to meet the Federal Aviation Administration's 50-percent-clear rule. The one before that went pretty well, except for the payload lodging in a 90-foot tree when it came down.

And this particular Saturday, May 27, came with its own complications. Liftoff went perfectly, right at noon into a cloudless sky, but the ground station wasn't receiving communication from the payload to allow it to be tracked.

"We can point it by hand, it's just not as accurate," said Levi Willmeth, the Space Exploration Team club president, adding wryly: "As long as it doesn't move, we're in great shape."

For several minutes Saturday, the balloon stayed nearly directly over the college, allowing team members to align the receiving antenna manually. When it flew too high to be seen, adviser Parker Swanson, a computer science instructor at LBCC, tracked it via ham radio signals relayed to a website he could monitor on his phone.

Once launched, the payload can be recovered in one of two ways: Either the balloon flies so high and expands so far it eventually pops (usually somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 feet), sending the payload parachuting to earth, or the team sends a signal to the payload to cut itself free from the tether. This can be done either through direct communication with the payload or by programming in a particular time to cut loose even if communication is lost.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, the payload and parachute came down about 12 miles northeast of the college, in a field near Freitag Road just south of Mill Creek. The balloon popped earlier than expected  rose too far, too fast, the group figures  and the parachute tangled on the way down, resulting in a rougher-than-expected landing.

Luckily, said team member Dawson Riethmayer, only the casing and part of the cutdown equipment had some damage. The rest of the materials were more or less unscathed, "which is amazing, to be honest," he said.

No matter what problems occurred Saturday, the launch will be considered a success, Riethmayer said. The collected information will show both what went wrong and what went right. "Either way, it's still great data."

LBCC is among 54 schools throughout the nation planning to live-stream the solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

It's a project sponsored by the Oregon Space Grant Consortium and is part of the NASA eclipse ballooning mission, organized largely by Montana State University. Willmeth, Swanson and others from LBCC spent a week at Montana State last summer learning about the project.

It's not the first time the LBCC Space Exploration Team  strictly an extracurricular club  has worked on a major project with NASA.

In 2015, team members designed and built an experiment to travel on a NASA sounding rocket and measure cosmic rays. Another rocket experiment last year, designed in cooperation with OSU's physics and engineering department, wasn't as successful but did lay the foundation for future advanced physics experiments on longer-duration balloons.

The connection with the federal aerospace research agency has led to prestigious opportunities for three current or former LBCC students.

Willmeth, who graduated from LBCC in December 2016 and is now a senior at OSU, is traveling this summer to Fairmont, West Virginia, for a NASA internship testing software for drones and satellites.

Brianna Smith-Sparks, a 2015 LBCC graduate and former Space Exploration Team member who graduates from OSU next month, landed a Pathways position at Johnson Space Center in Texas starting this fall.

Delphine Le Brun Colon, who will graduate from LBCC this June, will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, on a NASA internship testing RS-25 engines for the Space Launch System.

It's projects like these that help inspire the next generation of scientists, Willmeth said.

Explained Swanson: "Our job here at the college is to ignite minds."
After abolishing the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) last week, the Narendra Modi government is close to announcing the next big wave of liberalisation in foreign direct investment (FDI) norms. This could include allowing in multi-brand retail beyond only domestic food products, putting single-brand retail on automatic route in entirety and increasing the limit in print media from 26% to 49%.
Beleaguered mango exporters from Uttar Pradesh are worried about a new stringent certification norm in key Gulf markets. The state's mango exporters are already facing a substantial drop in mango production this season due to hailstorms and unseasonal rains.
State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) plans to raise Rs 9,000 crore through various instruments, including follow-on public offer (FPO), to fund growth during this fiscal.

The decision in this regard was taken by the board yesterday.

The board approved raising of additional capital funds up to Rs 9,000 crore up to March 31, 2018, comprising of Rs 6,000 crore by way of equity capital through various modes at suitable stages and Rs 3,000 crore by way of additional tier I capital instruments, BoB said in a statement.

Bonds will be issued in India or overseas in suitable tranches, it said.

Under the Basel-III norms, AT-1 bonds come with loss absorbency features, meaning that in case of stress, can write off such investments or convert them into common equity if approved by the RBI.

AT-1 bonds, which qualify as core or equity capital, are one of the means of raising capital by public sector that require Rs 2.40 lakh crore by March 2019 to meet global norms on capital adequacy (Basel III).

Stock prices on the mend, various have announced capital raising plan from the market which as per the Indradhanush road map has been pegged at Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

As per the scheme, public sector banks need to raise Rs 1.10 lakh crore from markets, including follow-on public offer, to meet Basel III requirements, which kick in from March 2019.

This will be over and above Rs 70,000 crore banks will get as capital support from the government. Of this, the government has already infused Rs 50,000 crore in the past two fiscals and the remaining will be pumped in by the end of 2018-19.

For the quarter ended March 2017, BoB reported a profit of Rs 154.72 crore as provisions for bad loans witnessed a significant decline.

The bank had reported a huge loss of Rs 3,230.14 crore in the same period a year ago.

The bank's total income rose to Rs 12,852 crore in the March quarter, from Rs 12,789 crore in the year-ago period, BoB said in a regulatory filing to stock exchanges.

The provisioning declined to Rs 2,622.97 crore, from Rs 6,857.66 crore in the year-ago period as gross NPA ratio moved up marginally to 10.46 per cent from 9.99 per cent.
Dr. Jitendra Singh visits North East Organic Showroom-cum-Restaurant at Dilli Haat

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, made a visit to the recently launched North East Organic Showroom-cum-Restaurant situated at Dilli Haat, INA, here today. The Showroom-cum-Restaurant is managed by theNorth Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited, NERAMAC Ltd., a CPSE under MDoNER in its flagship brand, ONE (Organic North East). The initiative has also been supported by a mission for NER by both Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, NERAMAC has always worked towards promoting Agri-Horticulture produce of North East Region. It has played a key role in socio-economic development of Farmers and small Agri-preneurs of NER by undertaking various activities in the region. People in other parts of the country are yet to be introduced to the rich and healthy organic produce of the North-Eastern Region and once this happens, they would spontaneously come looking for it. This will not only give a boost to trade and business, but also help in enhancing Farmers income of NER, he added. Dr. Jitendra Singh further said that in the absence of organised Mandis in most parts of the North East, one of the priority activities of NERAMAC should be to act as a Lead Aggregator of agri-horti produce in NER, particularly when 80-82 per cent of the Agri-horti produce from the region happens to be organic in nature. NERAMAC is committed in giving market linkages to the farmers and Agri-peneurs of NER, which has been the major obstacle in the socio- economic development of the farmers of region, he added.

The North East Organic Showroom-cum-Restaurant at Dilli Haat will showcase exotic and healthy products from all the eight states of North East Region, where people can purchase goods directly at the best price available. The concept of such showroom is to promote healthy food available from NER for increasing health conscious population of the country.

Dr. Singh also said, The showroom gives a great platform for Entrepreneurs, Agri-preneurs & Farmers of North East who can showcase and sell their organic produce. We are confident that organic food processors & farmers of North East will benefit from this outlet. With the new brand ONE (Organic North East), all the North Eastern farmers come under one common brand and this increases their bargaining power to a great extent to get premium rates. The outlet will not only help the Farmers and Food Processors of North East to increase their income but also promote the culture and traditions of North East and boost tourism."

The showroom-cum-restaurant at Dilli Haat is just the start. DoNER Ministry also supports that the project will expand in entire Delhi NCR and all other major metros like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore on franchise basis.
Manufacturers of airport security equipment have a message for travellers who fear they will have to give up laptops and tablet computers on flights: They have a solution.
on Sunday trashed GMB unions claims that the airlines decision to outsource IT (information technology) jobs to India was responsible for the meltdown on Saturday. We will never compromise the integrity and security of our IT systems," BA said on the unions claim.


Europe can no longer completely rely on its allies, German Chancellor said on Sunday, pointing to bruising meetings of G7 wealthy nations and Nato last week.
British Airways GMB union has blamed the airline's 2016 decision of outsourcing information technology (IT) jobs to India as the reason behind cancelling all Saturday flights from London's two biggest airports.

The GMB union said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the problems, the Guardian reported.

The GMB union said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff last year and outsourced the work to India and blamed cost cutting for the travel chaos.

"This could have all been avoided," said Mick Rix, national officer for aviation at the GMB union. According to the GMB website, the union had on February on February 29, 2016 warned against BA outsourcing IT jobs.

British Airways has cancelled all flights from Heathow and Gatwick on Saturday due to a major IT failure causing severe disruption to its global operations that is expected to run into Sunday.

The airline said its terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became "extremely congested" due to the computer problems.

Initially the major IT failure was being speculated as that BA's IT systems had been hacked as recently WannaCry ransomware attack affected 150 countries. But Chief executive Alex Cruz said "we believe the root cause was a power-supply issue and we have no evidence of any cyber attack.

The computer crash affected BA's booking system, baggage handling, mobile phone apps and check-in desks, leaving passengers facing long queues and confusion in airports or delays while planes were held on runways.

More than 1,000 flights were affected. At Heathrow alone, BA had 406 flights scheduled to depart after 9 am and a further 71 at Gatwick, according to flightstats.com on Saturday.
Britain's spies believe there may be as many as 23,000 terror suspects at large across the country.

The scale of the challenge has emerged in the aftermath of the Manchester suicide bombing that claimed 22 lives and injured 119 .

Reports that Libyan-origin Salman Abedi had been on the radar of intelligence services have added pressure on MI5 to reveal what they knew.

Now, government sources have told sections of the UK media that they believe 23,000 people with extremist tendencies are living in the UK.

About 3,000 people from the total group are judged to pose a threat and are under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations being run by police and intelligence services.

The 20,000 have featured in previous enquiries and are categorised as posing a "residual risk".

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police have released CCTV images showing suicide bomber Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

The images are the first to show what the 22-year-old looked like when he carried out the deadly terror attack.

Fourteen locations are still being searched in connection with the attack and 11 men remain in custody on suspicion of terrorism offences.

A Greater Manchester Police statement said: "We have made significant progress in this fast moving and complex investigation, working with the national counter-terrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners and securing the arrests of 11 people who remain in custody."

"The level of resources we have available to us remains the same as we continue to take positive action so you will notice additional officers, including armed officers, on patrol especially at a number of events this weekend to ensure the security and safety of everyone but it's important that people remain alert and vigilant," the statement added.

They have made an appeal to the public for information about the bomber's movements since May 18, when he returned to the UK from Libya.

A joint statement from Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Neil Basu, Scotland Yard's senior national co-ordinator from UK Counter Terrorism Policing, added: "This is still a live investigation which is not slowing down. Our priorities are to understand the run up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack."

The UK's terror threat level had been lowered to "severe" from "critical" on Saturday as a result of the arrests, which means an attack is still highly likely if not imminent.
A pair of kayakers on Thursday evening discovered the body of a Linn-Benton Community College student last seen jumping from a cliff Monday into the upper pools at Three Pools Recreation Area on the North Santiam River, near Jefferson.

After recovering the body, authorities identified the 25-year-old victim as Kung Shing Yau of Hong Kong, China. He had been studying abroad in the United States for the last seven years, most recently at LBCC.

According to the LBCC student newspaper, The Commuter, Yau, who also attended classes at Oregon State University, lived in OSUs International House, a community in Corvallis for students from around the world. Recently, Yau made his passion for Mother Earth known with an editorial, "Key to the Future: Conservation," which ran in the April 26 edition of The Commuter.

Water rescue teams from Salem and Jefferson fire departments entered the river at 9 a.m. Friday to recover the body.

The Marion County Sheriffs Office says residents and visitors should be aware that river waters are still very high, cold and full of debris. Anyone planning to visit these areas are asked never to swim alone, to avoid Alcohol and Marijuana around water, to wear a lifejacket, to know how to perform CPR and to know how and where to call 9-1-1.

The North Fork area of the Santiam River is a remote but popular destination, and has little to no cellular phone reception. Two 9-1-1 call boxes are located along the roadway. The first is mounted on the outside wall of the Elk Horn Fire Station, and the second may be found at the entrance to Salmon Falls Park.
US President on Sunday attacked news reports based on unidentified sources as phony and dismissed leaks from the White House as "fake news," following reports about his son-in-law tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow before Trump took office.
US President is facing a barrage of challenges including Jared Kushner's role in the ongoing Russian probe, after coming back to the White House after his first trip, during which he visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium over a period of nine days.

At home, Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel is likely to alleviate pressure on the White House to respond on every developments in the Russian probe involving President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, which has grabbed headlines.

Reports has emerged that Trump's son-in-law and trusted aide Kushner proposed the idea of creating a secret communications channel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin in a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump tower in December, which was also attended by former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Reports are very damaging as Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States were used for the communications.

Ambassador Sergei Kislak told his superiors in Moscow that he and Kushner discussed ways to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, the Washington Post said, citing officials briefed on intelligence reports.

Second issue will be Kushner's relationship with former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The third matter of concern for the President is about the memo in which Trump asked Former FBI Director James Comey to end the FBI probe into ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Robert Mueller, the former FBI director now overseeing the Department of Justice's investigation into the Trump team's connections with Russia in the 2016 elections has been briefed on the contents of the memos related to former FBI Director James Comey's conversations with President .Ex-FBI Director James Comey has shown his willingness to speak to the special counsel Mueller before testifying publicly.

Mueller's investigation is expected to focus on obstruction of justice and he is likely to question Comey as a witness in the probe. Now President Trump faces an unprecedented test in the form of a special counsel investigation. Mueller can prosecute anyone who lies to him.
British police carried out fresh raids in Manchester and arrested two persons in connection with the suicide bombing in the city.



Greater Manchester Police said the two men -- one of them aged 19 and the other 25 -- were arrested yesterday on suspicion of terror activities.

With the latest arrests, the number of those in custody in this connection has gone up to 13. Two were earlier released without charge.

The 19-year-old was arrested in a raid on the former home of Salman Abedi, the suicide bomber behind Monday night's bombing at the Manchester Arena that claimed 22 lives.

Abedi, 22, was listed at the property along with his older brother, Ismail, who was arrested shortly after the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert and remains in police custody.

Residents described their houses shaking and hearing a loud blast as officers forced their way into the semi-detached property in the Gorton area of Manchester, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Explosions were reported at several of the search sites yesterday, although police have not commented on whether a controlled explosion was used to gain entrance to the property.

Earlier yesterday, police had conducted raids in Moss side area of Manchester and arrested the 25-year-old man.

As the large-scale operation continued, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) said 54 people injured in the attack were still being treated in eight hospitals with 19 receiving critical care.

A total of 116 people had required hospital care in the wake of the massacre, police previously said.

Britain's terror threat level has also been reduced to "severe" from "critical".

The terror threat level now indicates that an attack remains highly likely rather than imminent. The Army troops deployed as a result of Operation Temperer will be reduced from Monday night.

Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement after leading a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra.

About 1,000 armed police officers have been freed up by the decision to deploy the army to protect key sites including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.

Investigators believe 22-year-old Manchester-born suicide bomber Abedi, from a family of Libyan origin, acted as part of a terrorist network.

Abedi was known to UK security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review", according to reports.

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abedi's younger brother 20-year-old Hashem and their father, Ramadan, are being held by special forces linked to the country's interior ministry.
With the strong performance by benchmark indices, investors are increasingly opting for passive investment options or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These low-cost investment vehicles mimic an underlying index like the Sensex or Bank Nifty. So far this year, tracking Indian indices have witnessed highest inflows in emerging markets, followed by Brazil and Colombia, while China saw outflows.
At least seven suspected Naxals, including three women, were caught after an encounter took place between security forces and the militants in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district last night.

The incident took place near Tekanar village. The firing started after Naxals ambushed a police party who were patrolling near the village where a road was being constructed.

"The firing lasted for 10 minutes. The party returned to Dhanora by 7 am, after conducting a search operation at the spot," Superintendent of Police, Narayanpur, Santosh said.

Earlier this month, the Maoists had set ablaze a tractor and other machines involved in road construction in the district.

The police said that nearly 50 armed Maoists barged in the area and torched the vehicles at construction site after threatening the contractors to stop the work.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhiites woke up to a breezy, cool Sunday, as the capital witnessed rains which lasted through the night.

The showers came as a welcome relief from the sweltering heat which the capital was burning from.

The temperature came down to 28 degree Celsius, giving much relief from the soaring temperature which has set Delhi on boil.

The northern part of India will be witnessing intermittent showers, giving much relief to the people from the scorching heat wave.

The Uttarakhand Meteorological Department earlier on Saturday issued warning of rain, hailstorm for next 24 hours.

Heavy rains are expected in Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Bageshwar and some parts of Nainital as well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With an aim to boost India's economic engagements and to invite more investments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be undertaking a four-nation tour from May 29, starting with Germany.

Here is a list of the Prime Minister's itinerary, starting with Germany.

 On May 29, Prime Minister Modi will begin his visit from Meseberg near Berlin, where he would have discussions of regional and global importance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

 On May 30, Prime Minister Modi and Merkel will hold the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to review the state of both nations' bilateral relationship.

 Both the leaders will also be interacting with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen their trade and investment ties.

 Later, Prime Minister Modi will call on Germany President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

From May 30, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Spain. This would be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Spain in almost three decades. Among the engagements include

 Here, Prime Minister Modi will be calling on Spain King Felipe VI during this visit.

 On May 31, the Prime Minister will meet President Mariano Rajoy to discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism.

 The Prime Minister will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner with India in the 'Make in India' Initiative.

From May 31 to June 2, Prime Minister will be visiting Russia for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit at St. Petersburg. Both countries would also celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

 At the beginning of his visit, the Prime Minister will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad.

 On June 1, Prime Minister Modi will hold detailed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take forward the dialogue from the last summit in Goa in October 2016. With a spotlight on economic ties, both leaders will be interacting with CEOs from both countries.

 On June 2, the Prime Minister will be addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) together with Putin.

From June 2 to 3, the Prime Minister will be in Paris where he will hold official talks with the 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron.

 Here, he will be discussing issues of mutual interest with a view to further strengthen India-France strategic ties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian theater group, Ruchika, on Sunday staged a drama based on famous literary figure Rabindranath Tagore's childhood in Kathmandu.

The drama entitled "a quiet desire" depicts the childhood of Tagore and the setting that dates back to the 19th century.

It also showcases the struggle which Tagore had to make at the time when he started writing.

The drama, which presents the true account of Tagore's part of life, gives a clear and vivid picture about his relation with his sister-in-law, Kadambari.

The drama ended with the tragic suicide of Kadambari four months after Tagore's marriage which clearly shows the strong bond inherited by two.

The drama organized by BP Koirala India- Nepal Foundation and Embassy of India, Nepal, not only focused on the bond between the two but also helped to analyse it through the prose, poetry and music of Tagore.

"We all know the December 1991 is very important for us because BP Koirala India- Nepal Foundation was established to promote and strengthen the relation between Nepal and India. The foundation has aimed to share knowledge, strengthening of relationship and developing understanding to deepen age old bond of friendship between the two countries," Nepal's Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev said.

The drama, which lasted for one and half hour, had three main characters, one sub character and chorus of five.

Indian Deputy High Commissioner to Nepal Vinay Kumar expressed sincere gratitude to the theater group and claimed that this sort of event will strengthen the age long relation between two close neighbors.

"We all are very much aware and it is about the cultural ties that India and Nepal share, linguistically and in different art forms and it is indeed a great pleasure for us that we could find time to congratulate all the artists," Kumar said.

Feisal E Alkazi, who has written and directed the Drama "a quiet desire", claimed that the staging of drama and organisation of literary programs help in strengthening the relation of two countries.

"Any cultural attachment between any people just deepens the connection of any soil. I think the culture is something progressive and any ties can't alternate so whether it's India or Nepal or Bangladesh or Pakistan. We are so close to each other in cultural terms, religion, Buddhismor Hinduism, I think it's just the ties of family, the relationships, connection between people and I am sure it is beautiful process to be part of," Alkazi told ANI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the people of the nation to connect with nature, saying that the process connects us with ourselves.

Addressing the nation in the 32nd episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, the Prime Minister said, "Connecting with nature is nothing but connecting with ourselves. People should connect with nature to nurture a better planet."

Asserting that our ancestors conserved nature, Prime Minister Modi appealed that we must also show the same compassion towards future generations.

As 5th June is World Environment Day, Prime Minister Modi informed that this year the UN has chosen 'Connecting People to Nature' theme.

"Sprinkling a glass of water on your face, refreshes you. Fresh air makes you feel relaxed. As soon as an individual comes in contact with nature, he feels more alive and full of energy," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Youth Congress activists publically butchered a calf in Kerala's Kannur to protest against the Centre's ban on sale of cattle for slaughtering, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi condemned the 'barbaric' incident while dubbing it as 'thoughtless and unacceptable.'

"What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric & completely unacceptable to me &the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident," Rahul said in a tweet.

Kannur police earlier in the day registered a case against district president of Youth Congress and other Congress workers under Section 120 (A) of the Kerala Police Act, for slaughtering calf in public view.

The police filed the case on the basis of a video where the president of Youth Congress, Rigil Pookkutty and other Youth Congress workers could be seen slaughtering the calf.

The incident comes amid hue and cry over Centre's new rule prohibiting sale of animals for slaughter or religious sacrifice at livestock markets and animal fairs.

Students' Federation of India (SFI) earlier staged a protest in Kerala against the ban by eating beef outside University College, Trivandrum.

Similar fest was also organised at different locations across Kerala.

The Centre's move also drew flak from various political leaders.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) earlier stated that by issuing this order, the government is imposing greater burdens on farmers.

"It is an absurd decision because this prohibition which the Centre has now announced includes buffaloes also. By issuing this order, the Centre is imposing greater burdens on farmers. It is very unfair to India's 'annadaata'," CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told ANI.

The decision did not go down well with Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, who termed the move as 'illogical'.

"The government cannot decide the choice of our food. The decision seems illogical. The state government will look into it and see if anything can be done legally," Isaac told media.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Centre's decision was surprising which was unsuitable for a democratic nation.

However, welcoming the Centre's decision, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said the step is laudable and has been taken 'in the interest of farmers.'

Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan earlier ordered that the ministry has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 to ensure that the sale of cattle is not meant for slaughter purposes.

"Aim of the rules is very specific. It is only to regulate the animal market and the sale of cattle in these markets, and ensuring welfare of cattle dealt in market. And the rule provides for a strict animal monitoring committee and an animal market committee at the local level," Vardhan told ANI.

He said the seller and buyer both have to ensure that the cattle is not being bought or sold in the market for slaughter purposes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Curfew has been announced following the killing of Hijbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral area yesterday.

Unrest stirred again in the Valley after Bhat's killing, as locals took to the streets and clashed with the security forces to express their anger over the killings.

The curfew has been announced in parts of Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of eight police stations including Kralkhud, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safa kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Maisuma, Batamaloo and Nowhatta.

The district administrations announced strict restrictions which will be continued till the further orders.

The authorities also ordered closure of schools and colleges in Srinagar district in the wake of protests and clashes witnessed in various city schools and colleges.

Yesterday, the mobile internet services were also suspended a day after authorities lifted a month-long ban on the social media.

The outgoing calls on prepaid mobiles were also broke out after protests in several parts of the Valley.

The death of Sabazar Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani has triggered protests, shutdown and curfew like situation.

The Tral operation was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

On Saturday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pakistan sponsored agents to spread terror in the Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the holy month of Ramazan.

"In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the occasion of the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that "Saudi rulers are going to perish".

He further added that the Saudi rulers "are too harsh on Muslims, yet kind to the disbelievers. They are giving special handouts to the US. To whom does all this wealth belong? This is the Saudi people's wealth, which they give away to disbelievers and their people's enemies."

"Among the Muslim world, a group of worthless, inept and villainous people are ruling over a community of the Muslim nation, namely the Saudi government. The fools actually think they can gain the friendship of Islam's enemies by providing them with money and assistance. There is no friendship there; as they say themselves, they are 'milking them' like cattle. They oppress their own people in this manner, and oppress the people of Yemen and Bahrain in other ways. But they are going to perish."IRNA news agency quoted Iran's supreme leader as saying.

After re-elected for a second term, Iran's reformist president, Hassan Rouhani asserted that unity and consensus is the solution against the terrorism.

The era of interfering in other countries' affairs, waging wars and funding terrorism is over and fighting terrorism is the only way ahead, he added.

Iran's leader also reminded his audience on the experience of the Iranian nation's victory over the eight-year imposed war; adding that the Iranian nation triumphed during the eight-year war as the 'underdog.'

Referring to the afflictions of the Islamic and disputes imposed on the Muslim states, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on leaders of the Islamic to undertake further responsibility regarding unity of the Islamic nations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The U.S. administration is considering a blanket ban on laptops in passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly told Fox News on Sunday that he was considering the laptop ban as "there's a real threat".

"That's really the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it's a U.S. carrier, particularly if it's full of mostly U.S. folks, people," he said.

If implemented, the ban would expand from some 10 international airports in the Middle East and Africa to airports worldwide.

The DHS announced, earlier in March, ban on all gadgets larger than a smartphone, which include laptops and iPads, on direct flights between the United States and 10 international airports in the Middle East and Africa.

Kelly, however, did not provide a timeline for when a decision could happen.

"There's new technologies down the road, not too far down the road that we will rely on. But it is a real sophisticated threat and I will reserve that decision until we see where it's going," he said.

The current ban applies to non-stop US-bound flights from international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

About 50 flights a day, all on foreign airlines, are affected.

Authorities at the time said that the initial ban was put considering a previously undisclosed terrorists' plot, involving explosives hidden in an electronic device.

Following the U.S., Britain also imposed a similar ban, applying to inbound flights from six countries that are Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 23,000 jihadist extremists currently living in the U.K. have been identified by intelligence agencies as potential terrorists.

The figures by the counter-terror agencies laid bare the scale of the potential threat in Britain.

In the wake of the Manchester suicide bombing it emerged that British authorities were grappling with 500 investigations into 3,000 individuals considered as possible threats, The Independent reported.

Security sources has confirmed a further 20,000 individuals were said to have been considered "subjects of interest" in the past.

Anti-terror efforts came under fresh scrutiny following revelations that attacker Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people and injured over a hundred at a pop concert, had been a "former subject of interest" to MI5 who was "subject to review" and was not regarded as an imminent threat.

The Independent quoted a senior Whitehall source as saying, that 18 terror plots had been foiled since 2013 in Britain, including five since the Westminster atrocity in March this year.

The terror threat level in United Kingdom has been reduced from "critical" to "severe" after temporarily raising the level in response to Manchester Arena attack in which 22 people were killed and several others injured. The change means that an attack is highly likely and not imminently expected.

Meanwhile, pictures of the Manchester bomber on his way to the arena where he carried out Britain's worst terrorist attack in 12 years, have been released by police.

The police believe he assembled his deadly bomb in a rented Airbnb flat in a mansion block on Granby Row in the city centre, near Canal Street.

The flat is one of 17 locations searched by forensic experts in the past few days, with 14 searches continuing on Saturday night.

The police said thirteen people have so far been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, with 14 locations still being searched on Saturday night.

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 20 civilians were killed in a U.S. led airstrike against the Islamic State terrorists in the southern countryside of Raqqa province in .



Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), terming the strike as 'massacre against the innocent Syrian people,' reported the warplanes of the alliance shelled on Saturday a car carrying civilians in the area between the towns of Ratleh and al-Kasrah , 8 km south of Raqqa city.



It said that the airstrikes killed 20 civilians and injured seven others; two of them are in critical situation.



Last week it was reported that at least 106 civilians, including 42 children, have been killed in a series of air strikes by the US-led coalition on an ISIS-held town in eastern .



The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the deaths resulted from air strikes targeting Al Mayadeen in the province of Deir Az Zor.



The SOHR reported that between 23 April and 23 May at least 225 civilians had been killed in strikes by the U.S.-led coalition.


Urging the nation to make Yoga an essential part of their lives to remain stress free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Yoga is the only thing that is uniting the world.

"21st June has become one of the known dates across the world. The entire worlds celebrate International Yoga day. In very short span of time the message of yoga has spread in every corner of the world," the Prime Minister said in his 32nd 'Mann Ki Baat' address.

He further emphasized that Yoga has come forth as a gift from India to the world, at a time when disruptive forces are tearing the world apart, adding that Yoga helps to unite the body, mind, soul and now is similarly uniting the world.

Prime Minister Modi also appealed the nation to take part in the International Yoga day and to post their pictures on social media.

"I got a very interesting suggestion- since its 3rd Yoga Day, why not 3 generations of a family come together & practice Yoga. This will give new dimension to yoga," he said.

The world will celebrate the third International Yoga Day on June 21.

It is celebrated annually since its inception in 2015.

An International day for Yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 11 December 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andrew Scheer, former Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, has been elected the new leader of the federal Conservative Party of the country at the party conclave at the Toronto Congress Centre.

Scheer, 38, on Saturday promised to unite the party by bringing together the social and fiscal wings to take on the Liberals in the 2019 elections, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We all know what it looks like when Conservatives are divided. We will not let that happen again," Scheer told the media.

He edged out former Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier, who was considered a strong frontrunner throughout the year-long race, by less than one percentage point.

The new Conservative leader will take the party into the next electoral battle against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals in 2019.

The Conservatives held power for almost a decade under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper until the Liberals won in the 2015 general elections.

Scheer was a member of Parliament who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015. At 32, he was the youngest to serve in this capacity in the Canadian parliamentary history.

On September 28, 2016, Scheer announced his bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

--IANS

py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British Airways (BA) warned of further delays and cancellations as it resumed flights on Sunday following a major IT failure that saw most services cancelled from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Saturday. The unions blamed the airline's decision last year of outsourcing IT jobs to India as causing the disruptions.

Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., 91 British Airways flights were scheduled to depart from both the airports, the BBC reported. So far, 42 flights have left Heathrow and 29 have been cancelled. At Gatwick, 19 planes have departed and one flight to Amsterdam was cancelled.

More than 1,000 flights were affected.

The IT failure affected check-in and operational systems, including customer service phone lines.

BA said although some of its IT systems were back on line, "there will be some knock-on disruption to our schedules as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world".

Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper reported here that British Airways GMB union has said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the flight disruptions.

The GMB union, which had cautioned last year against outsourcing jobs, said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff outsourcing the work to India, and blamed cost cutting for the travel chaos.

"We are repositioning some aircraft during the night to enable us to operate as much of our schedule as possible throughout Sunday," the BBC quoted the airlines as saying.

A BA spokesman said: "We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers throughout Saturday and understand how frustrating their experiences will have been."

"We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies for anyone due to travel on Sunday and Monday who no longer wishes to fly to or from Heathrow or Gatwick," he added.

The airline also said that most long-haul flights due to land in London on Sunday were expected to arrive as normal.

Delays were also reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga due to the system failure, which coincided with a bank holiday weekend and the start of the half-term holiday for many people in the UK.

Customers have been advised to continue checking the status of their flight on the airline's website www.ba.com before leaving for the airport.

--IANS

ksk-bc/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Slamming the cattle slaughter in public by youth leaders of Congress and the CPI-M to protest the new rules on cattle sale, BJP's Kerala President Kummanem Rajasekhera on Sunday expressed his "deep concern" and asked if they had turned into "butchers".

"This is with deep concern that these acts conducted by these political parties are being seen as they are venting their anger against the BJP. People should be really concerned because these people are indulging in with the minds of 'butchers' and this is a dangerous trend," Rajasekheran said in a press statement issued here.

"It was shocking to see these people walking around with the head of the cattle as blood was dripping. Will anyone with any common sense indulge in this sort of activity? These acts predict a gloomy future for Kerala," he added.

Public killing of cattle have been reported from Ernakulam and Kannur districts, while across the state numerous beef festivals was held when the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Congress workers cooked beef and served it in public. At Kochi, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran tasted beef curry with tapioca.

Meanwhile, Youth Congress leaders in Kannur defended their act, saying that they chose to register their protest in such a manner.

--IANS

sg/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Raksha Gopal from Delhi's suburban Noida, in Uttar Pradesh, topped the Class 12 CBSE exams, the results of which were declared on Sunday morning. She was followed by Bhumi Sawant De from Chandigarh.

Raksha Gopal of Amity International School from Noida secured 99.6 per cent marks, and Bhumi Sawant De from DAV Chandigarh scored 99.4 per cent marks, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced.

Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra, both from Bhavan Vidyalaya in Chandigarh, came third with identical 99.2 per cent marks.

A total of 6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls appeared in the Class 12 examinations held between March 9 and April 29.

The pass percentage this year dropped to 82 per cent compared with 83.05 per cent last year.

The Class 12 results can be checked on Central Board of Secondary Education website cbseresults.nic.in.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar congratulated all the students and interacted with the toppers over phone.

"I want to congratulate all the students who scored well... success gives you strength and confidence. Also congrats to students of all boards," Javadekar said in a video message to students.

The Minister advised students who could not perform well that "the defeat is not final unless we keep trying".

"Therefore, you should try more and you will get definite success," he said.

"I called up first four toppers Raksha Gopal, Bhumi Sawant De, Mannat Luthra and Aditya Jain," he said.

He said he was happy that toppers came from arts, science and commerce streams, and added that one topper aspires to become an economist, another an IAS officer whereas two others aim to pursue engineering and political science.

He said the credit for their success goes to their hard work, dedication, parents, and teachers.

--IANS

aks/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Sunday slammed the G7 communique, which had a mention of the disputed East and the South China Sea issue.

Reacting to the communique released by the G7 countries on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said the bloc had "interfered in the East China Sea and South China Sea issues in the guise of law".

China has been committed to properly handling disputes, cementing cooperation, and safeguarding peace and stability of the East China Sea and the South China Sea through talks and consultations directly with related parties, Lu was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Lu urged G7 and countries outside to understand the situation, stick to the pledge to take no position on relevant disputes, fully respect the efforts made by countries in the region to handle disputes, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

China is locked in disputes with Japan, the Philippines, and other countries over the East and the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea to which the Philippines and others also have overlapping claims.

China also asserts sovereignty over the East China Sea, a claim contested by arch rival Japan.
The coming together of 17 opposition parties does not bother the BJP even a bit and they do not pose any threat to the NDA government either now or in the 2109 Lok Sabha polls, says Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

He says they are full of contradictions and have come together only because of the fear of Modi who has "wiped out" the three Cs - the corrupt, the casteists and the communal elements.

"We have one leader, cohesive ideology and a clear-cut policy. There is contradiction in the opposition. There is no ideological cohesion. There is no leader of the stature of Narendra Modi," Naidu told IANS in an interview.

"I wish them best of luck. Let them come together. They are very bitter and agitated because Modi has wiped out the corrupt, the casteists and the communal elements. They are very much aggrieved. The Communists and the Congress are sympathising with these elements."

The Information and Broadcasting Minister said the Congress and the Communists are at each other's throat in Kerala and the Congress, the Left and the Trinamool Congress are fighting each other in West Bengal.

"Cooperation in Delhi, operation in West Bengal. Separation in between and a joint photo opportunity in Delhi," he said, referring to the grouping of opposition parties on Friday in Delhi to discuss a candidate for the Presidential poll and a possible anti-BJP grand alliance for the 2019 polls.

"We are confident and they are diffident. We are united, they are divided."

He recalled the experiments of the United Front government in 1996 and the Third Front coalition and observed "the United Front became a disunited front and the Third Front became a distant third".

Naidu, a former BJP President, attacked the opposition parties for floating names even before talking to the government on a possible consensus candidate for the President's post.

"They should not have dragged in President Pranab Mukherjee's name. Then they floated Sharad Pawar's name, followed by Gopalakrishna Gandhi. They should have talked to us first," Naidu told IANS.

He said the government would talk to the opposition on a consensus candidate. "There will be a good President. We do not want to discuss names in public," he said, refusing to give any indication of the ruling dispensation's thinking on the issue.

To a question on the BJP President Amit Shah having ruled out the possibility of nominating RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat as the Presidential candidate, he said: "The question does not arise at all. The RSS is a social organisation and is never after power and posts."

(V.S. Chandrasekar and Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at chandru.v@ians.in and sarwar.k@ians.in)

--IANS

sar-vsc/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bilateral cooperation on economic, defence, science and technology, and nuclear fronts, parleys on EU-India Free Trade Agreement, and fight against terror will top Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda during his four-nation tour of Europe from Monday.

Modi will visit Germany for the biannual Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC); Spain on what will be an Indian Prime Minister's first visit in nearly 30 years; Russia for the annual bilateral summit; and France for his first meeting with newly elected President Emmanuel Macron.

Berlin will be Modi's first port of call, where he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will head the fourth biennial Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) on Tuesday.

India and Germany have over 25 Working Groups, including in areas like climate change, energy, infrastructure, and tourism.

According to German Ambassador to India Martin Ney, like in the last IGC in 2015, there will be a "series of substantial MoUs (memorandums of understanding) and joint declarations of intent" after the talks in Berlin.

One of the most important areas in which these agreements are likely to be signed is business.

"The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce is the biggest German bilateral chamber outside Germany. It has more than 7,000 German and Indian member companies," Ney said, adding that over 1,800 German companies are doing business in India.

"India is interested in German technology and knowhow, and we are interested in sharing this," he said.

Speaking ahead of Modi's visit, Randhir Jaiswal, Joint Secretary (Europe West) in the External Affairs Ministry, said that Germany is the largest trading partner of India in the European Union.

"German economic profile, support, excellence, and expertise match with our development priorities, be it 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Clean India', 'Digital India', and 'Smart Cities'," Jaiswal said.

According to Ambassador Ney, both countries cooperate closely in terms of G20 coordination, UN Security Council reforms, freedom of navigation, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region, the fight against terrorism, and stability in Afghanistan.

"Germany supports India's membership in different export control regimes, including the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group)," he said.

After a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Modi will leave for Spain on May 30. The last prime ministerial visit to the country was by Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.

On May 31, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral summit with Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy.

Modi will also call on Spanish King Felipe VI and interact with a select group of Spanish CEOs keen to invest and expand their businesses in India. Around 200 Spanish companies are operating in India.

Stating that economic partnership formed an important pillar of the bilateral relationship, Jaiswal said: "Spain enjoys a reputation in the fields of renewable energy, high speed rail, infrastructure, tunneling, technology solutions, including civil aviation air space management, and waste water management."

Cooperation in counter-terror will be an important element of the agenda in Spain.

From Spain, Modi will travel to Russia on May 31 and hold the 18th annual bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 1 in St. Petersburg.

The following day, the Prime Minister will for the first time attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a business event.

G.V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary (Eurasia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said Modi's participation in SPIEF signals that there will be emphasis on trade and investment during the Russian leg of the tour.

Stating that while India-Russia cooperation in the areas of defence, nuclear and space was "very, very ahead", Srinivas said that bilateral trade has, however, come down for a variety of reasons from $10 billion to around $7 billion now.

Science and technology cooperation and people-to-people contacts are also areas that will come up for discussion during the Modi-Putin meeting.

From Russia, Modi will fly to Paris on June 2 evening and hold a bilateral meeting with French President Macron the next day.

Stating that France was a leading strategic partner of India, Jaiswal said that the two countries have very strong cooperation in the areas of space, civil nuclear, defence, and economy.

According to Jaiswal, during the France, Germany and Spain legs of the tour, the ongoing discussions between the European Union and India on a Free Trade Agreement would also figure prominently.

European nations are among those with which India has terminated bilateral investment protection treaties (BITs) following a new BIT model New Delhi released in December 2015.

Stating that EU member-states have passed on the responsibility of investment protection negotiations to the EU, Ambassador Ney said that the European Commission and the Indian government should "sit down as soon as possible" to negotiate a free trade agreement.

--IANS

ab/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pitching for a candidate with secular credentials the presidential poll, the CPI on Sunday said the Delhi meeting of opposition parties to discuss a joint candidate could well be the beginning of a joint front against the BJP.

"The time has come to move with a united programme against the Bharatiya Janata Party. We see meeting in Delhi when leaders of these parties discussed a consensus presidential candidate as the beginning," said CPI General Secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy, on a visit to Kerala capital to participate in party meetings.

The Communist Party of India is the second biggest constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front, after the CPI-M.

Reddy said it was good to know that BJP President Amit Shah is speaking about a consensus candidate.

"But we do not know how much weight Shah carries, as everything is decided by (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. We are open if a person with secular credentials is put up. We will wait for 15-20 days to hear from the BJP. If nothing happens, we could well make the next move to field a candidate. We can look for others willing to join this move," the CPI leader said.

Reddy flayed the Modi government on the BJP's poll promise of creating two crore new jobs every year. "By their own admission, all they say is that only 1.40 crore jobs have been created in three years," he said.

"The Kashmir issue has turned from bad to worse during this period -- unrest is growing. Judiciary is getting suffocated, democracy has been scuttled in Manipur and Goa, and a recent rule change in the guise of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals...," Reddy said.

He said the resurfacing of the beef issue has been done as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's agenda.

On Friday, opposition parties led by the Congress held discussions in Delhi on the presidential poll. Leaders of the Janata Dal-United, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, CPI-M, CPI, All India United Democratic Front, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Janata Dal-Secular were among those who attended.

--IANS

sg/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Activities of "gau rakshaks" (cow vigilantes) or views of Hindutva organisations like the RSS should not be taken as the policy of the Narendra Modi government for whom the Constitution is Bible, says Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

If one has to analyse the performance of the Modi government, then it has to be done on the basis of what it has achieved and not by "elements and atmospherics outside", Paswan told IANS over telephone from London in a chat on three years of the government.

Paswan, who is London for a medical check-up relating to a problem of occasional breathlessness, has dismissed criticism by detractors that the Muslim community has been pushed to the status of second-class citizens.

"Muslims have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi because he has said the only religion for him is the Constitution which provides for equality and a life of honour and dignity for all communities irrespective of the religion.

"Modi talks only of development. He never talks of religion, article 370, Babri masjid or Ram janambhumi," Paswan added.

Even on triple talaq, the government has said that it will only implement what the Supreme Court would say in its judgment. "We have only said that we will protect the rights of Muslim women in consonance with what the court says in its judgment."

Asked about the activities of Hindutva fringe elements like the gau rakshaks, who were involved in incidents in which people have been killed for allegedly transporting cows for slaughter, the minister demanded that the state governments act tough against such elements "who break the law in the name of cow protection."

He said that the Centre has made it clear that there will be no goondaism allowed in the name of gau rakshaks.

To a question about views of organisations like he RSS and other outfits on sensitive issues, Paswan said if RSS says something in accordance with its policies then it does not mean they are the policies of the government.

"Even my own party, Lok Jansakti Party, has got its own manifesto and views on issues like Dalits, Muslims and backward classes. Everyone has the right to say what he wants to say. But what is important is what the government does.

"The Modi government has not said or done anything that can be called as discrimination against one religion or community," he asserted.

Paswan maintained that the last three years have been a golden era for the country with Modi providing decisive leadership which has rescued the economy and brought back macro-economic stability.

"In Britain whoever you talk to has only admiration and respect for the Indian government. Modi has been described as bold leader who is prepared to take risks like the demonetisation undertaken last year," he said.

Paswan, whose portfolio of consumer affairs has been temporarily given to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, plans to return home early next month after check-ups.

(V.S. Chandrasekar can be contacted at chandru.v@ians.in)

--IANS

vsc/sac

ky

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A French hostage kidnapped in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been released, the French Presidency said on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the release and congratulated all the parties concerned that worked for the release, especially the authorities of the DRC, for their mobilisation and the effectiveness of their actions, Xinhua news agency cited an Elysee statement as saying.

An employee of the Canadian mining company Banro, the French national was taken hostage on March 1 by a local armed group along with four other people, including one Tanzanian and three Congolese.

--IANS

py/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Girls outshone boys in the CBSE Class 12 results declared on Sunday, bagging the top two spots and recording a better pass percentage compared with boys.

Raksha Gopal from Delhi's neighbourhood Noida in Uttar Pradesh topped the Class 12 Central Board of Secondary exams, followed by Bhoomi Sawant De from Chandigarh.

Raksha from Amity International School in Noida secured 99.6 per cent marks, and Bhoomi from DAV School in Chandigarh scored 99.4 per cent marks, the CBSE said.

Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra, both from Bhavan Vidyalaya in Chandigarh, came joint third with 99.2 per cent marks.

According to CBSE, a total of 87.5 per cent girls passed the exams compared with 78 per cent boys.

A total of 10,76,761 students registered for the Class 12 examinations but only 10,20,762 appeared at 3,504 centres across the country between March 9 and April 29.

The pass percentage this year recorded a marginal drop to 82 per cent from 83.05 per cent last year. Only 8,37,229 students managed to pass this year, the board said.

The CBSE announced the results of all its 10 regions simultaneously -- including the highest 2,58,321 students from Delhi region, followed by Panchkula in Haryana with 1,84,557 and Ajmer in Rajasthan with 1,31,449 candidates.

The board said 10,091 students scored more than 95 per cent marks, and 63,247 more than 90 per cent this year.

A total of 2,497 candidates with various disabilities also sat for the exams this year, of which 2,123 students passed.

Ajay K. Raj from St. Thomas Central School in Thiruvananthapuram topped in the differently abled category with 490 marks out of a maximum of 500 marks.

The board said 125 differently able candidates scored above 90 per cent, with 21 scoring above 95 per cent marks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar congratulated all successful students after the results were declared.

"Congratulations to all my young friends who have successfully passed the CBSE Class XII exams and best wishes for future endeavours," Modi said in a tweet.

Beside congratulating the students, Javadekar also talked to toppers over phone.

"I want to congratulate all the students who scored well... success gives you strength and confidence. Also congrats to students of all boards," Javadekar said in a video message to students.

The Minister advised students who could not perform well that "the defeat is not final unless we keep trying".

"Therefore, you should try more and you will get definite success," he said.

"I called up first four toppers Raksha Gopal, Bhumi Sawant De, Mannat Luthra and Aditya Jain," he said.

He said he was happy that toppers came from arts, science and commerce streams, and added that one topper aspires to become an economist, another an IAS officer while two others aim to pursue engineering and political science.

He said the credit for their success goes to their hard work, dedication, parents and teachers.

The results this year were delayed as the CBSE had proposed to scrap the moderation policy on April 25.

However, Delhi High court shot down the proposal, saying the rules cannot be changed at the eleventh hour.

The Class 12 results can be accessed on Central Board of Secondary website cbseresults.nic.in.

--IANS

aks/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union government on Sunday started a new twitter handle to answer industry queries related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) proposed to be implemented from July 1.

"The Department of Revenue has opened a new Twitter Handle @askGST_GoI to invite queries from all taxpayers on GST," a Finance Ministry statement here said.

"All taxpayers and other stakeholders are welcome to direct their queries related to on the said twitter handle for early resolution and clarification," it added.

Earlier this month, the Council at its meeting in Srinagar decided on the fitment of over 1,211 commodities and 500 services in four tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

The Council, comprising of states' Finance Ministers and headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will take up the fitment of the remaining six goods, including gold and precious metals, textiles, bidis and branded commodities at its next meeting here slated for June 3.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement on Sunday that the various tax slabs under the proposed pan-India indirect tax regime of the has created an environment of anxiety and concern among the trading community across the country

"Various verticals of retail trade demanding lower tax on the items being dealt by them since they have been categorised under higher tax slab in comparison to tax slab of current VAT tax regime," a CAIT release here said.

"As per an analysis, 1,211 goods and 36 services have been so far classified under GST out of which nearly 50 per cent goods have been placed under 18 per cent rate, 14 per cent under 5 per cent rate, 17 per cent under 12 per cent rate and 19 per cent under 28 per cent rate," it said.

"The wider impact of the classification of items under different tax slabs needs to be gauged very cautiously since under GST not only the taxes paid on goods but even the taxes paid on the services will be eligible for input tax credit," CAIT added.
A gunrunner from West Bengal's Murshidabad district was arrested here on Sunday and two pistols and ammunition seized from him, the Kolkta Police said.

"Kurban Saraji, a resident of Jalangi, was arrested from Kolkata's Malancha Bypass area while on way to deliver firearms in the city," an officer from Sonarpur police station said.

The police officer said a close vigil at entry and exit points to the city was maintained after a tip-off.

Two 7mm pistols, four magazines and 10 rounds of ammunition were seized from Kurban.

"He will be questioned to check if he is involved in an arms racket," the officer added.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Will Smith's son Jaden Smith has lashed out at a luxury hotel chain here, saying that he was surprised to be alive after his "pancakes were spiked with cheese".

Jaden took to Twitter on Saturday to slam Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, reports dailymail.co.uk.

He said that the resort had made him "want to throw up on himself".

While it is unclear if Jaden is allergic to cheese, in 2016, he was reported to have turned vegan.

"The Four Seasons in Toronto just made me want to throw up on myself. I hope the Four Seasons in Toronto puts me on the no stay list," Jaden tweeted.

"The Four Seasons in Toronto spiked my pancakes with cheese, I'm surprised I'm still alive," he added.

Jaden is shooting the movie "Life In A Year" alongside Cara Delevingne here.

--IANS

sas/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Jamie Foxx has been accused by actor and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco of making fun of the deaf community following his appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".

DiMarco, winner of "America's Next Top Model" and "Dancing with the Stars", slammed Foxx for making up sign language and accused him of mocking the deaf community, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"Jamie Foxx, it is straight up disrespectful to make up sign language. Everything is in gibberish. Also Jimmy Fallon how was this allowed? Where's the cultural sensitivity. Not comedy when you make fun of others," DiMarco wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

DiMarco later wrote an open letter.

"Jamie Foxx's behavior with Jimmy Fallon on 'Fallon Tonight' should not be tolerated anywhere. We simply do not make fun at the expense of other cultures, especially those with a history of being marginalised. When we do this, progress takes a step backward," he said.

"Sign language is important to me because it's the bedrock of deaf culture. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities says sign language is a human right of deaf people, and out of the 70 million worldwide, only two per cent have access to education in sign language," he added.

--IANS

sas/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Sunday hailed government schools in the national capital for outperforming private ones in CBSE Class 12 results -- announced earlier in the day -- for the second year in a row.

"The Delhi government schools outperform private schools by a huge margin. Education revolution taking place in Delhi. Congratulations to all kids. God bless!" Kejriwal tweeted.

"Proud of all teachers and principals who worked hard with our kids," the Chief Minister said in another tweet.

Kejriwal also praised his deputy Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, for his contribution.

"Manish (Sisodia), you have made all those lakhs of volunteers proud who worked hard and sacrificed so much for Aam Aadmi Party movement," Kejriwal said.

Later talking to media here, Sisodia said it was a moment of pride that children studying in Delhi government schools were performing better than those in private schools.

"The gap between government and private schools' pass percentage this year is nine per cent -- government schools' pass percentage is 88.27 per cent and private schools' 79.27 per cent," Sisodia said.

Last year, the gap in pass percentage was only two per cent.

"This remarkable result has been achieved despite the fact that this year we had prevented cheating in a big way," he said.

The Minister also congratulated all students, teachers and principals for the good performance.

The Delhi government had deputed Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and other district officials to keep a close watch on examination centres and ensure that cheating did not take place.

Sisodia said Delhi government's Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVVs) have outperformed the central government's Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs).

"RPVVs pass percentage is 99.7 per cent, and of KVs 94.6 per cent. As many as 33 students have scored a perfect 100 score in one or more subjects," he said.

The number of schools which have a pass percentage of more than 90 per cent has gone up from 547 to 554 this year.

Sisodia announced that the toppers of all schools and streams will be felicitated.

The pass percentage of girl students in Delhi government schools is 92.8 per cent and 82.49 per cent for boys.

Vikas Upadhyay of Yamuna Vihar Government School topped the science stream by securing 97 per cent marks. Garvit, a student of Shalimar Bagh Government School, secured 96.2 per cent and topped the commerce branch.

Similarly, Jyoti from Government Girls' School in Nagloi topped the arts stream with 94.8 per cent and Harshita from a government school in Dhansa in west Delhi came first in vocational studies by scoring 93 per cent.

"These results will boost people's faith in government schools and its education standards," Sisodia added.

--IANS

am/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
P. Jayalekshmi recalls with pride how she had to call out the names of two former Kerala Chief Ministers V.S. Achuthanandan and Oommen Chandy and then of the present Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the state Assembly last year as 'secretary in charge' of the Legislature.

Jayalekshmi, who retires on May 31, takes pride in the fact that she was the only woman in the history of the six decades of the legislature to have sworn in legislators on the first day of the sitting of a new assembly.

She is special secretary in the Kerala Legislature, and retires after 33 years of service in the Assembly.

In the Legislature, it is the Secretary who swears in the legislators.

On June 2 last year, Jayalekshmi read out the names of the 139 legislators, one by one in alphabetical order, for the swearing in -- the only woman in the state assembly to have done so.

The Kerala Assembly had convened for the first time last year after fresh state elections, and it was the job of the secretary to read out the proceedings - to announce the convening of the assembly and the details of the swearing in.

"I was very tense as I had to read the names of legislators in alphabetical order. My tension increased when I had to call the names of two former Chief Ministers - V.S. Achuthanandan, Oommen Chandy -- and the present one Pinarayi Vijayan. It was a tough task for me, but I think I did it well," said Jayalekshmi, adding that it was the "most glorious moment" for her in her 33-year official career.

She says that despite having such a lengthy career, it was only the second time on June 2 that she entered the floor of the assembly, while it was in session.

"The only other occasion when I entered the house was when I had to get the signature of the secretary, who was seated in the floor of the assembly," added Jayalekshmi, 56.

Deciding on the post of legislature secretary vests with the state government. In Kerala since 1984, except on two occasions, the post has always gone to a person holding the post of a district judge.

Jayalekshmi, who has authored six books, said her next book, a travelogue, is being released on Tuesday. She is to write about her service story in a vernacular magazine where she is expected to come out with interesting anecdotes of the events from the Kerala assembly.

--IANS

sg/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a nearly half-century career, both in a band and solo, his distinctive voice, inspired lyrics and energetic guitar work went to make Gregg Allman a musical legend as pioneer and practitioner of 'Southern Rock' - which brought together rock and roll with traditional blues, jazz, country music and other forms to create a unique and unforgettable sound.

"Music is my life's blood. I love music, I love to play good music, and I love to play music for people who appreciate it. And when it's all said and done, I'll go to my grave and my brother will greet me, saying, 'Nice work, little brother-you did all right'. I must have said this a million times, but if I died today, I have had me a blast," noted Allman, who died on Saturday, in his autobiography "My Cross to Bear" (2012).

It was a long, arduous and frequently heart-breaking journey but Allman, who began his musical career by delivering newspapers to earn enough to buy a guitar, faced it with fortitude. As he said in one of his best-known songs: "Well, I've got to run to keep from hidin',/And I'm bound to keep on ridin'/And I've got one more silver dollar,/But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no,/Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider.."

Born in Nashville, Tennessee on December 8, 1947, Gregory LeNoir Allman was two when his army officer father was killed by a man he had offered a lift. His mother, who sought to become a certified public accountant, had to put him and his elder brother Duane (born 1945) in a hostel as she had to live on campus. Allman long thought his mother was abandoning them before realising she had chosen a better option than an orphanage.

The brothers had no particular inclination for music but Allman cited two influences that inspired him - a concert he and his brother attended in Nashville in 1960 and a mentally-challenged neighbour who taught him to play the guitar.

Meanwhile, the family had moved to Florida and it was here that the brothers formed their first real band 'The Escorts'. This soon became the 'Allman Joys' and then the 'Hour Glass' - as which they even recorded two studio albums but didn't like them very much and chafed at the record label's onerous conditions.

It all changed in 1969 when the Allman Brothers Band came up. Allman, on vocals and keyboard, as well in charge of songwriting) was complemented by Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar), Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks and Jai 'Jaimoe' Johanson (on drums). Showcasing what would be later categorised Southern Rock (though most of them didn't like the name), their live shows were known for their jam band-style improvisation and inspired instrumentals.

Their first two studio albums were not very successful but the band hit big time with the third - the live "At Fillmore East" (1971) with tracks like "Statesboro Blues", "Midnight Rider", "Whipping Post" among others.

But then Duane Allman, who was a mainstay, died in a motorcycle accident in October 1971 and while Allman, who was quite affected, and the others decided to go on. Then Oakley died in an accident near the same spot next year. While new members were drafted and work began on their fifth - "Brothers and Sisters", Allman also began a solo album.

"Brothers and Sisters" went to make them one of most famous and successful bands of the 1970s, but growing disagreements, drug and liquor usage and bad blood when Allman (who was then married to Cher in a short-lived union) testified against their manager in a drug case, saw the group disband in 1976. Re-uniting in 1978, they went on till 1982 when they again broke up at lack of success, had a brief coming together in 1986, and then again in 1989 till final parting of ways in 2014.

While Allman went on to have a successful solo career in 1980s complemented by some acting in the 1990s, it was hampered by his liquor addiction till the time he became determined to quit the habit after being unable to attend the event of the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1985, and succeeded.

Health problems however persisted - hepatitis C in 2007, a liver transplant in 2010 and ultimately liver cancer claimed him, but Allman went on performing till the last.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in )

--IANS

vd/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched for yoga, appealing to families to post pictures of their three generations performing the exercises together on the third International Yoga Day on June 21.

He also asked them to upload the pictures on 'Narendra Modi App' or 'MyGov' to give the occasion a new dimension.

"Grandparents, parents and children should together perform yoga and also upload their photos. It will be such a pleasant blend of yesterday, today and tomorrow -- lending a new dimension to yoga," Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

"These pictures will be a guarantee of a brighter tomorrow."

Modi expressed his gratitude to the person who sent him this suggestion.

"I feel that as our 'Selfie with Daughter' campaign proved to be a very inspiring experience, this campaign of posting pictures of three generations performing yoga together will evoke curiosity across the nation as well as the world."

Modi urged people to spread awareness about the coming yoga event.

"We are still left with about three weeks for the International Yoga Day. Start practicing from today itself. From June 1, I will post something or the other about yoga on Twitter and continue to do so till June 21. I will share with you. You too kindly spread the message of yoga and connect people with it," he said.

The Prime Minister said this, in a way, is a movement for preventive healthcare.

He invited people to connect with the occasion, saying "in a very short time, the festival got worldwide recognition as the World Yoga Day and is connecting people."

"At a time when separatist forces are raising their ugly heads, this has been India's great contribution to the world. We have successfully connected the whole world through yoga. Like yoga connects the body, mind, heart, and soul, similarly it is connecting the world now."

"Because of lifestyle, because of a mad race to achieve success, and because of increasing responsibilities, leading a stress-free life has become very difficult... this situation is coming up even at a comparatively younger age. Yoga is a guarantee of wellness and fitness both. Yoga is not merely an exercise," he said.

Modi said that he sent letters to all governments and all world leaders about the Yoga Day two days ago.

Remembering his last year's announcements on yoga competitions and awards, he said: "we shall gradually advance in that direction."

--IANS

rak/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that the BJP-led NDA government has found a "permanent solution" to the vexed Kashmir issue but there would be no compromise on the territorial integrity of India.

The Minister also ruled out inviting separatist groups for talks on Kashmir and said whoever wanted to talk "development and peace" was welcome.

"We have come up with a permanent solution to solve Kashmir. The initiative has begun. We are moving forward," Rajnath Singh said.

He was replying to a question from IANS while talking to a group of journalists on the sidelines of a BJP function to highlight achievements of the three years of the NDA government.

The Minister, however, refused to elaborate on what kind of solution the BJP government has found for Jammu and Kashmir, which is battling nearly three decades of a violent separatist campaign.

Pressed further if the solution was "political in nature", Rajnath Singh said: "It is too early to discuss it in public. I don't want to discuss it with the media."

Asked about the possibility of talks with Hurriyat leaders, the Minister said the government was ready for talks with all stakeholders but there would be no invitations to individuals or organisations.

"We have never said no to talks. I went there (Kashmir) last year and stayed for three days for talks with all stakeholders. Those who wanted to talk came forward. Even (Chief Minister) Mehbooba Mufti had written a letter of invitation to separatists, but..."

Rajnath Singh said Kashmir had indeed been a challenge for the government but refused to accept Opposition claims that the PDP-BJP ruling combine in the state was responsible for it.

"Kashmir has been burning and the problem is decades old," he said.

Rajnath Singh attributed recurring street unrest, increasing number of stone-pelting protests and heightened militancy related incidents to radicalisation of youth in the Kashmir Valley.

"Radicalisation is a global phenomena. We are aware of it and we will tackle it."

Asked if the central government was satisfied with the way the state administration was handling the situation in the wake of fresh trouble, the Minister said: "There is no reason to be unhappy about it."

The Kashmir Valley has been on the boil since the April 9 Lok Sabha polls for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency when eight civilian protesters were killed in firing by security forces guarding voting stations.

The gunning down on Saturday of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat has triggered widespread protests once again. Bhat was a close aide of militant 'poster boy' Burhan Wani, whose death last year led to months of violent unrest that left some 100 civilians dead.

A top BJP leader at the function said Bhat's "fate was written" when he picked up the gun to fight security forces and it was true about anyone who resorts to violence.

"Whoever picks arms, will be killed. They will have to die," the BJP leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The BJP leader, who is also a top policy maker for the party, ruled out the possibility of talks with separatist leaders at a time when the valley was burning.

"Is it possible to hold talks with those who throw stones?" he asked.

Asked why not talk to the civil society in Kashmir, the BJP leader said: "Many feel that stone-pelters too are members of the (Kashmir) civil society...There can't be talks in such an environment."

--IANS

bns-sar/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested a murder accused, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 lakh, from Uttar Pradesh.

Shambhu, 41, of Wazirpur Industrial Area in north Delhi was arrested on Saturday evening from near his native place in Azamgarh following a tip-off.

"Shambhu was involved in a murder case registered at the Ashok Vihar police station. He was arrested in 2010 but jumped parole. He has over 20 criminal cases against him in Delhi and was evading arrest for more than six years," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh told IANS.

He was arrested after police learnt that he used to visit his native village Sahri Bandha to meet his accomplices.

--IANS

sp/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The makers of superstar Rajinikanths upcoming Tamil film "Kaala Karikaalan" on Sunday confirmed that Bollywood actor Nana Patekar has been roped in to play a pivotal role in the movie.

The principal shooting of the Pa. Ranjith-directed film began here on Sunday.

Announcing the full cast in a statement, the makers revealed that Nana Patekar, apart from a bevy of supporting actors, plays an important role.

It was also confirmed that actress Huma Qureshi plays the leading lady.

The film also stars Samuthirakani and Anjali Patil.

The statement added that the film's shooting here will go on non-stop for 40 days.

Produced by Dhanush, the movie has music by Santhosh Narayanan.

--IANS

hp/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Rana Daggubati, who is basking in the phenomenal success of "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion", says his upcoming Telugu political drama "Nene Raju, Nene Mantri" will be compelling and thought provoking.

Being directed by Teja, the film features Rana as a politician.

"I always admired Teja's hunger for brilliance and this one is turning out to be a compelling and thought provoking film. It's going to be a delight for everyone," Rana said in a statement.

Talking about the film, Teja said: "The film is all about breaking 'jane do' (let it go) attitude. Rana is changing this very attitude."

Also starring Kajal Aggarwal, Catherine Tresa, Navdeep and Ashutosh Rana, the film is gearing up for simultaneous release in Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.

Produced by Suresh Babu, the film is expected to release soon.

--IANS

hp/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A non-governmental organisation fighting for patients' rights in India on Sunday pressed for an amendment to the Consumer Protection Act for disposal of cases of medical negligence through fast-track courts.

The People for Better Treatment submitted a memorandum to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to seek amendment in the said Act of 1986 to check long delays in such cases.

"Inordinate delays in disposal of such cases has added to the mental torment and financial burden of ill-fated victims' families," PBT President Kunal Saha told the media here.

He conceded that the Act had played a major role in ensuring justice for medical negligence victims and acted as a strong deterrent against "negligent and unethical practices by doctors and hospitals".

"The inordinate delay in disposal of medical negligence cases is primarily because a large numbers of other consumer litigation mostly involving ordinary commercial disputes are clubbed together in the same roster along with serious cases like permanent physical disability or loss of human life against delinquent doctors/hospitals," Saha said in a letter to NCDRC President Justice D.K. Jain (retd).

The NGO said fast hearings in medical negligence cases will help promote better healthcare delivery in India.

"Please take necessary steps for appropriate changes to deal all cases involving alleged medical negligence in a separate fast-track court to bring equitable medical justice within a reasonable time that may also go a long way toward saving lives of ordinary people and promote a better healthcare delivery system in India," the letter said.

The NGO, which observes May 28 as 'Patients Day' to coincide with the death anniversary of a medical negligence victim Anuradha Saha, said "countless innocent patients are still dying every day in hospitals and nursing in West Bengal and across India due to gross medical negligence".

"Complaints against errant doctors are kept pending endlessly by state medical councils only to protect the guilty," the NGO said.

--IANS

ssp/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP on Sunday raked up a "jeep scandal" of 1948 to claim that the party-led NDA regimes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were corruption-free.

"Only two leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi provided corruption-free governments in the country. Even, there was a jeep scandal under first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru," BJP Spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao said while listing the Modi government's achievements at a five star hotel in central Delhi.

The "Jeep scandal' erupted when V.K. Krishna Menon was the Indian High Commissioner in Britain. The scandal was related to purchase of jeeps for the Indian Army.

The Indian government had placed an order for 2,000 jeeps with a London-based firm that had false credentials. While most of the money was paid upfront, just 155 jeeps landed. Later Krishna Menon became Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's trusted ally and the Defence Minister.

Showering praise on Modi for providing a corruption free government, Rao said: "Modi demonstrated patriotism by throwing out corruption from governance, which nobody can deny."

He also praised Modi for his "bold decision" of surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Pakistan.

"It takes a lot of courage, and most importantly the whole world rallied behind India after the surgical strikes," Rao said.

While interacting with journalists a top BJP leader said that there is a "feel good" like feeling among the people after the completion of three years of Prime Minister Modi at the helm.

"Yes, there is a feel good like atmosphere...A good beginning has been made and a strong base set up on which a good building can be constructed rapidly," he said.

"In the last three years we have emerged as a big power...No country in the world can ignore us," the top BJP leader added.

The BJP leader also ruled out the possibility of Governor's rule in troubled Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that the PDP-BJP alliance in the state would remain intact.

On the deteriorating law and order situation in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh in the aftermath of the Saharanpur violence, the BJP leader said: "If there was a Samajwadi Party government, the incident would had made a 35 second headline. It's our government there...so the incident is making headlines for three days."

--IANS

bns/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two want to become IAS officers, a third an engineer and the fourth wants to study political science. But the four students who bagged the top three slots in the Class 12 CBSE examinations this year are unanimous in saying that their mantra for success is hard work and not getting bogged down by pressure.

Raksha Gopal, who topped the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) with 99.6 per cent marks, wants to study Political Science in Lady Shri Ram College or Miranda House.

Gopal, an Arts stream studentof Amity International School in Noida, gives all credit for her success to her parents and school teachers who guided her.

Talking to IANS over phone, an exuberant Gopal said: "I was confident of getting good marks in the examination, but was not expecting to top in the exam."

Gopal got 100 marks in three subjects, bagging a score of 498 out of 500 in five subjects.

Asked about her study methods, she said: "I never took pressure due to exams, but I did my studies regularly."

Gopal also said she never went for tutions.

In advice to students who would be appearing in the Class 12 next year, Gopal said: "Don't get pressurised by the subjects, but study with full dedication -- that is the real mantra of success."

Bhoomi Sawant De, a student of Science from DAV Chandigarh, bagged the second spot with 99.4 per cent marks.

"When I came to Class 11, I was a bit confused about how to start my studies. But my parents and teachers helped me come out of the confusion," De told IANS.

De wants to do B.Tech in Computer Science and become an engineer.

Recalling her hard work, she said: "I was consistent in studying and never put pressure on myself. After coming from school and tutions I used to revise my subjects."

De said she used to study four-five hours a day.

In a message to Class 12 students, De said: "Self study is very important. Never count the number of hours you put into studies."

She said that students must stay in touch with their teachers and keep on revising their subjects.

Asked if she had expected to top in the board examination, De said: "I was confident of getting good marks, but never imagined I would top in the exams. However, my parents were confident that I would top."

Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra, both from Bhavan Vidyalaya in Chandigarh, came joint third with 99.2 per cent marks each.

Luthra told IANS: "When I came to Class 11 I had planned my studies in a way so that I don't put pressure on myself."

"I used to study four-five hours a day after coming back from school and tutions," she said.

Luthra, who wants to become an IAS officer, said she wants to study Economic (Hons) in Delhi University.

Jain said it has been his dream to get into St Stephen's College in Delhi University, and he had remained focused on studies, and his marks were a result of that effort.

"My focus was clear, and due to my dedication towards my subjects I got good marks in the Class 12 exams," Jain told IANS.

"I was confident of getting great marks. Topping in the exam was a matter of hard work and luck," he said.

He said after finishing his graduation in Economics from St Stephen's, he wants to become an IAS officer.

"Don't think about the quantity time spent on studies, but rather on the quality of time spent on study. If you want to score great marks then you have to be focused about studies and love your subjects," Jain said, in his advice.

The CBSE Class 12 examinations were held between March 9 to April 29, for which a total of 6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls appeared.

The pass percentage this year dropped to 82 per cent compared with 83.05 per cent last year.

The results were delayed after the board proposed to scrap the "moderation policy".

However, the Delhi High Court shot down the proposal, saying the rules cannot be changed at the eleventh hour.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)

--IANS

aks/rn/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea has urged South Korea to cancel the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system by the US, the media reported on Sunday.

People from all walks of life in South Korea were increasingly demanding the cancellation of THAAD deployment, Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of Korea as saying on Saturday.

"To deploy THAAD or to withdraw it would serve as a cornerstone discerning the acts of sycophancy towards outsiders from the stand of prioritising the nation, and there should be no compromise here," he said.

The committee slammed South Korean conservatives for defending the deployment and criticised the new government for adopting "an ambivalent approach to the public demand for the withdrawal of THAAD".

Some South Korean politicians have recently hinted at a freeze of the THAAD deployment in exchange for North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests.

The former South Korean government agreed to let the US deploy THAAD last year.

--IANS

py/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Rajkummar Rao is willing to help those who did not perform well in their CBSE Higher Secondary School exams.

Rajkummar on Sunday took to Twitter, where he shared a 59-second-long video. He requested Class 12 students not to be upset over their results, which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared on Sunday morning.

In the video, Rajkummar said: "I know today many results for Class 12 CBSE board exams have come and in case you haven't performed well or failed... don't worry. There is nothing wrong about it. It keeps happening. It is a beautiful life...A lot needs to be accomplished."

The 32-year-old actor also expressed that he has several friends, who didn't do well in their Class 10 and 12 board exams, yet are successful in their career.

"So, why not you people? Don't worry. Talk to your friends, parents, talk to me...You can message me on any social networking platform. I am there to help and talk to you. But all I can tell you is that there is nothing wrong in this...not this year, then next year. There are so many avenues and opportunities."

"I am there, your parents are there and your friends are there with you. You are not alone. Be happy," Rajkummar said.

About 10,98,981 students appeared in the Class 12 examinations of the CBSE this year, according to the board.

A total of 6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls appeared for the Class 12 examinations held between March 9 and April 29.

--IANS

dc/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A rewarding but hectic four-decade-long academic career left Mangal Gogte, 65, with a slew of medical issues -- including silent killers like diabetes and hypertension -- and a daily intake of a fistful of medicines.

Today, the retired professor of economics at K.J. Somaiya College of Arts & College here -- a frequent flyer to international conferences during her years in the academic fast lane -- has overcome her medical troubles and thrown away her tablets. All thanks to her passion for painting.

"I have been painting since childhood, but in the past few years, I have learnt that it is actually doing wonders for my physical and mental health, improving my life and relationships," Gogte told IANS in a freewheeling chat ahead of her first major exhibition, "Brushful of Colours", at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Worli.

Though it started as a childhood hobby virtually thrust upon her by her conservative Maharashtrian family, she gradually developed painting into a special passion, which has now repaid her abundantly in the form of improved health and physical well-being, surprising her disbelieving doctors.

"It's a full-time occupation now and I enjoy it. Colours have made me very happy and tranquil. Everything around me looks changed, life is very peaceful," she said.

Once she sits with her box of watercolours and brushes, she goes into a virtual trance and remains like that till she finishes.

"It means complete concentration. Watercolours are a very difficult medium and avoided by most artists, who prefer oils or acrylics as changes can be effected easily. Not so with watercolours. Once the colour is applied on paper, it's final -- you can't change it," Gogte explained.

So she has to "create" the entire painting, to the last detail, "in the mind" before putting brush to paper.

Devoting anything between two days to two weeks for each creation, she discovered that the sheer concentration on her creations worked like a "medicine" -- without any side-effects.

"I have been completely cured of hypertension, my diabetes is normal and under control, other related health issues have completely disappeared. I feel younger, more energetic, and am enjoying life a lot more than most people who are 65 or above," she smiled.

Her husband, Pradeep Gogte, a corporate consultant, is happy that she is practically off medicines and "the painting hobby has paid off" as her health had been a great concern for him and their children, Nikhil and Priya.

"Earlier, during our vacations, she would spend hours painting some scenery, beautiful landscapes... and we would sit around glumly," Pradeep grinned mischievously. Now the family actually helps her by clicking pictures of nature and passing them on to her as potential subjects for her next creation.

A veteran of two invited exhibitions, including one in Finland, and at the Russian Cultural Centre in Mumbai, followed by a solo at the P.L. Deshpande Kala Academy in 2014, now Gogte has finally "mustered the courage" to launch a week-long solo exhibition.

Gogte has come a long way from her once-tiny fishing village of Alibaug, in adjoining Raigad district on the mainland, where she studied at the Konkan Education Society's JRH Girls School.

"In the 1950s, there were a lot of restrictions on girls... I was barred from even school picnics and educational tours, cultural events, et al. But I was dumped with paper and watercolours and allowed to paint away undisturbed anywhere in our large village home," she recalled.

Ironically, as a professor, she later travelled the world and served 10 years as a Visiting Faculty at the University of Vaasa, Finland, and was the Director for International Relations for the Somaiya Campus.

"I have started promoting watercolours as a medium for not just painting but for achieving long-term health benefits. I am taking short, four-day workshops with many students who have taken up the challenge and want to experience similar results," she said.

"Colours and painting have changed me from within, everything around me looks very positive, optimistic and blissful. I feel art should not remain the passion of the affluent classes, but should reach the masses in a healthy and affordable manner," Gogte concluded with a typically warm smile.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

--IANS

qn/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump's top economic and national security advisers have declined to comment on allegations that the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing regarding his contacts with Russian officials, the media reported.

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, on Saturday declined to say whether he would be concerned if a private citizen attempted to set up backchannel communications with a foreign government to influence US foreign policy and said he would not be concerned if a White House official attempted to do so, reports CNN.

"We have backchannel communications with a number of countries," McMaster said.

McMaster and Gary Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, dodged questions after reports surfaced that Kushner, also a senior adviser to Trump, considered setting up a secret communications channel between the President's transition team and Moscow with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak to discuss military options in Syria and other matters.

"That's something I'm not prepared to talk about," McMaster said when he was first asked about the allegations.

Cohn said: "We're not going to comment on Jared. We're just not going to comment."

A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to CNN that Kushner first discussed creating the backchannel in a meeting last December with Kislyak.

According to McMaster and Cohn, Kushner was a private citizen at the time, not a US government official.

Pressed repeatedly on the matter during a news conference on Saturday that was kept off camera at the White House's insistence, McMaster also said he was not "involved with or have any knowledge of" any attempt on Kushner's part to set up backchannel communications with Moscow.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has returned to the White House after his first international trip, during which he visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium over a period of nine days.

The Air Force One presidential aircraft landed at the Andrew Air Force Base on the outskirts of the capital at 8.54 p.m. on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The President and First Lady Melania were then taken by helicopter to the White House, where they arrived at 9.22 p.m.

Trump's overseas trip began on May 19 when he departed from Washington, D.C., for Riyadh, where he signed multimillion-dollar agreements on defence with Saudi Arabia and gave a speech on Islam and the fight against terrorism.

He also visited Israel and the West Bank in the Middle East, where he held meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In Europe, Trump made a stop at the Vatican, where he was received by Pope Francis, travelled on to Brussels to participate in a NATO leaders summit, and then headed to the Sicilian city of Taormina for the G7 meeting.

On the flight back, a senior White House official told reporters that Trump's first overseas trip as President was "historic" and "unprecedented", according to The Hill magazine.

The official, who requested anonymity, added that the trip had "left no one with any doubt about who America's friends are".

Trump has tried to ban the entry of refugees and immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries, as he links them with an increased terrorist threat.

However, the US courts have blocked this veto and it has not been allowed to come into effect.

Now that he has returned to the White House, Trump will have to deal with the growing concern over possible links between his inner circle, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Russia, which has generated scores of headlines in the country while he was abroad.

--IANS

ksk/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction with the agreement in favour of free trade that was reached at the G7 Summit, and in particular with the efforts to halt practices that distort global trade.

"Just left the #G7Summit. Had great meetings on everything, especially on trade," Trump said on Twitter on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The US President noted in a second tweet that in the final statement approved by the world leaders, "we push for the removal of all trade-distorting practices....to foster a truly level playing field".

Trump said that he's waiting for the analysis of the steel and aluminum industries that the US Department of Commerce plans to publish in June.

"Will take major action if necessary," Trump warned.

In a third tweet, the president said he had no doubt he'll return to the US loaded with "hundreds of billions of dollars."

"Bringing hundreds of billions of dollars back to the U.S.A. from the Middle East - which will mean JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!" the president wrote on his Twitter profile.

The G7 leaders committed themselves Saturday to the fight against protectionism and to defending the opening of markets after the United States overcame its reluctance to include that condition in the final statement, which the leaders signed and sealed at the end of the two-day summit in the Sicilian city of Taormina.

The statement also includes the determination to control the overcapacity of the steel industry worldwide and its basic causes, a matter that particularly involves China.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Search All categories Advertising General Aerospace General Agriculture General Airlines General America - Post 9/11 General Apparel General Apple Products General Architectural General Architecture Architecture Art & Entertainments Books Celebrities Country Music Dance Magazines Movies Museums Music Music Downloads News & Talk Shows Performing Arts Photography Television Web Sites Arts/Culture General Auction General Automotive Aftermarket Classic Autos Consumer Publications General Motorcycle & Bike Racing Recreational Vehicle Repair & Service Trade Publications Blogging & Social Media Blogging & Social Media Business Advertising / Marketing Books Consumer Research Direct Marketing e-Commerce Entrepreneurs Finance Franchise Human Resources Insurance Investment Management Markets Network Marketing Online Marketing / SEO Payday Loans Public Relations Publications Real Estate Retail Stocks Supermarkets Women in Business Careers/HR General Chemical General Coaching / Mentoring Coaching / Mentoring Computers Apple Products Databases Games & Entertainment General Hosting Instruction Linux / GNU "Open Source" Macintosh Microsoft Windows PC Operating Systems Programming Security Software Tablet PCs Utilities Construction General Consumer Gifts and Collectibles Hobbies Web sites / Internet Design Graphic Design Industrial Web E-Cigarette General eCommerce General Economy General Education College / University General Home Schooling K-12 Post Graduate Technical Electronics General Email Marketing General EmailWire Press Releases Press Release Tips Employment/Careers General Engineering General Entertainment General Environment General Events / Trade Shows General Finance General Food General Franchise General Fraud / Identity Theft General Gaming General Government General Judicial Law Enforcement Legislative Local National Public Services Security State Transportation Healthcare General Home and Family Banking / Personal Finance Bereavement / Loss Home Furnishings / Interiors Landscaping & Gardening Marriage / Relationships Money Parenting Payday Loans Pets Taxes Wedding / Bridal Home Schooling General Hotels/Resorts General Household General Industry Aerospace / Defense Agriculture Apparel / Textiles Broadcast Construction / Building Electrical Food Funeral Healthcare Leisure / Hospitality Logistics / Shipping Manufacturing / Production Mining / Metals Oil / Energy Paper / Forest Products Plumbing, Heating & AC Print Media Printing Publishing Radio Restaurants Tobacco Toy Insurance General Internet/Online General Legal General Leisure General Lifestyle Beauty Dating / Singles Diet / Weight Loss Fashion Food / Beverage Health & Fitness Hotel / Resorts Pastimes Restaurants Retirement Travel & Tourism Machinery General Maritime General Medical Addiction Allergies Alternative Medicine Asthma Cancer Cardiology Chiropractic Dental Dermatology Diabetes Emergency Family Medicine General General Geriatrics Hospitals Infectious Diseases Internal Medicine Managed Care / HMO Medical Products Mental Health Neurology Nursing Nutrition OB / GYN Pediatrics Pharmaceuticals Physical Therapy Plastic Surgery Psychology Radiology / Imaging Research Sports Medicine Surgery Vision Military General Mining/Metals General Miscellaneous General Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Non-profit General Occupational Safety Occupational Safety Oil/Energy General Opinion / Editorial Opinion / Editorial Paper Products General Paper/Forest General Pharmaceuticals General Podcasting Announce Tools and Services Politics Politics Print Media General Public Utilities Public Utilities Publishing General Radio General Real Estate General Religion Christian General Islam Jewish Other Restaurants General Retail General RSS & Content Syndication RSS & Content Syndication Science and Research Science and Research Self-Help / Personal Growth Self-Help / Personal Growth Shipbuilding General Society African American Interests Asian Interests Childrens Issues Disabled Issues / Disabilities Gay / Lesbian Hispanic Mens Interests Native American Senior Citizens Social Services Teen Issues/Interests Womens Interest Software General Sports Baseball Basketball Bicycling Boating / Maritime Bowling Boxing Fishing Football Golf Hockey Hunting Martial Arts Outdoors Rugby Soccer Tennis Water Winter/Snow Sports/Fitness General Stocks General Supermarkets General Technology Biotechnology Computer Electronics Enterprise Software Games Graphics/Printing/CAD Hardware / Peripherals Industrial Information Internet Multimedia Networking Public Sector/Government Robotics Semiconductor Software Telecommunications Webmasters Telecom General Wireless Television General Tobacco General Trade General Transportation General Travel General Utilities General Volunteer Volunteer Weather Weather
Three alleged members of a gang, including two Kashmir residents, have been arrested from West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district, the state police said on Sunday.

The police busted a gang of around 10 criminal elements from the forests South 24-Pargana district's Joynagar and seized several arms and ammunition on Saturday.

"We raided the forest area and arrested three, including two youths from Kashmir's Uri town, while the other gang members managed to escape. Seven to eight bombs and several other arms were seized from them," a senior officer of Joynagar police station said.

The officer said they have identified a local goon named Halim Seikh, but declined to give out the names of the two arrested Kashmiris in view of pending investigation.

"We cannot divulge much details about the two Kashmiri youths for the sake of further investigation. We are trying to find out why they have come this far all the way from Kashmir. It is certain that the gang gathered in the forest of Sundarbans with some anti-social motive," the officer said.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/ahm/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's terror threat level has been reduced to "severe" from "critical" which was issued following the Manchester arena terror attack, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said after meeting with security chiefs.

"The public should be clear about what this means. A threat level of 'severe' means an attack is highly likely -- the country should remain vigilant," CNN quoted May as saying on Saturday night.

The decision to lower the threat rating from its highest level was made by the country's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre in light of the arrests made in the Manchester attack investigation, May said.

So far, 13 people have been arrested in the investigation, with 11 still in custody.

The level had been raised to "critical" after Monday's deadly bombing that targeted crowds at the Ariana Grande show on May 22 killing 22 people mostly children and teenagers.

Investigators are continuing efforts to try to contain the network they believe is behind the suicide attack by Salman Abedi, 22, a British national of Libyan descent.

Investigators have identified the location where they believe the Manchester Arena explosive device was assembled, according to a statement from Greater Manchester Police late Saturday.

Police also released two still images of Abedi, taken from CCTV, on Monday evening, the night of the attack, reports CNN.

Armed police are patrolling events in Manchester, London and elsewhere this weekend as Britain marks the spring bank holiday, the Prime Minister said.

But the deployment of soldiers on the streets in support of police will be phased out starting May 29, she added.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "The change in the national threat level from 'critical' to 'severe' does not alter our response to Monday's horrific attack, which claimed so many innocent lives."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said enhanced security plans would remain in place in the capital this weekend despite the downgrading of the national threat level.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Film: "War Machine"; Director: David Michod; Cast: Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley and Meg Tilly; Rating: * 

Last week, Brad Pitt was in Mumbai to promote his new film which was released on Netflix this week.

Now after seeing this dreadful war saga, I realise Mr Pitt was wasting his time trying to generate interest in a film that is so outrageously mediocre and so self-righteously 'American' in tone that you wonder what Pitt was promoting: The film or its heavily underlined message of American patriotism.

"War Machine" is one of those rare battle-scarred films that the actors try hard to prop up with a blitzkrieg of bravado. But the vacuousness and vapidity of the content is impossible to conceal.

This is a film that wants to cry for its beloved country and its brave soldiers who leave family and home to rough it out in the hostile impenetrable hinterland of Afghanistan.

Director David Michod (best known for the wickedly quirky Australian crime drama "Animal Kingdom") hits the shrill notes soon enough as the narrative introduces us to General Glen McMahon who is so full of it-Trump-esque bravado.

It isn't McMahon's fault, really. It's the way Brad Pitt plays him. The superstar, as American as 'We Hate Osama' T-shirts, grabs the character by his jowls and goes right into its bowels in pursuit of the "real American patriot". It is an over-stuffed, grossly exaggerated performance, anointed by cheesy 'grey' make-up, replete with the cliches of soldiering that we thought died with George C Scott's General George Patton.

Pitt has neither the booming baritone nor the bristling energy to carry off the majestic shifts of wartime machismo that made Patton so imposing. Pitt's soldiering sensitivities make McMahon more a brat than a hero.

Ben Kingsley as the oblivious President of Afghanistan steals the show in one sequence where Pitt comes visiting in Kingsley's bedroom.

Kingsley explains to Pitt what the makers of this film fail to understand: Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie.

There are some very interesting foot soldiers in this messed up mega-catastrophe, played by actors who seem to know the purpose of their visit into this tortuously defensive tale of the American will to poke its nose into foreign affairs.

Some actors rise above the morass created by a director who thinks war is a zone that cinema can crash land into without a map.

There are some moments that rise above the banality of the bravado to claim some seriousness of intent.

The very talented Meg Tilly (still remembered for her star turn in "Agnes Of God" decades ago) shows up as Pitt's wife trying hard to empathise with his obsession with battle-front heroism. She vaguely reminded me of Anjali Tendulkar who incidentally doesn't try to act in the new Sachin Tendulkar biopic that came out this week.

You wish some of the principal actors in "War Machine" would also have desisted from 'acting' so extravagantly. With a sledgehammer's subtlety, this utterly misguided film reminds us that Uncle Sam needs to be in difficult places because, well, he knows best.

Brad Pitt won't argue with that. He just visited India.

--IANS

skj/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Admitting that the issue was a challenge for the Narendra Modi government, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asserted that the Centre will come out with a "permanent solution" keeping in mind "Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat".

In an interview to IndiaToday news channel, Rajnath Singh refused to give a time frame for a solution and insisted that the Government was open for "unconditional" talks with all stakeholders.

" issue is a challenge for us, there are no two ways about it. But we want to assure the country that we will come out with a permanent solution. And we will arrive at this permanent solution taking into consideration, Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat," said Rajnath Singh.

"We cannot allow repeated recurrence of unrest in . We cannot allow Kashmir to burn. We cannot give a time frame, that in one month or two months we will solve this. You don't have instant solution to such issues. Efforts are on and we are trying with our full might to come out with a permanent solution," he said.

He repeatedly refused to reveal anything about the government's strategy for a "permanent solution", but said they were open to talks with all stakeholders, including the separatist Hurriyat.

"We want to talk to stakeholders, whoever wants to talk, we are open to discuss with them. But then talks will have to be unconditional. Talks cannot and will not happen on any kind of preconditions," he said.

Asked to comment on a recent expose, revealing the Hurriyat's links with Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said: "There are no two ways about the fact that Pakistan is actively pursuing destabilising Kashmir, and through Kashmir it wants to destabilise India. Pakistan is the only country in the world which promotes terrorism."

On the expose on Hurriyat and the subsequent call for a ban on them by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh, Rajnath Singh refused to comment.

"I don't want to comment (on banning Hurriyat). We have taken cognisance of whatever they have said and we will do whatever is justified. We have already handed over the probe to the NIA (National Investigation Agency), let the probe report come," he said.

Asked why the separatist leaders were put under house arrest and not jailed and provided with security, Rajnath Singh put the onus on the state government.

"It is the state government which provides the security and not the Centre," he said.

When reminded that it was a BJP-PDP alliance at the helm in the state, Rajnath Singh said the move to provide security to the separatists was being done from earlier.

He also said the government was taking many initiatives, including inducting the youth into the security forces, to bring the people of Kashmir into the mainstream and discourage the youth from taking to militancy.

--IANS

and/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expectations are running high when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Berlin today (May 29) for the 4th edition of the Indo-German Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC)  and rightly so. Since the premiere in 2011, the IGCs have been the regular biannual highlight of our partnership  each time providing a significant boost to our bilateral ties. Importantly, these boosts have been designed to have lasting effects  deepening existing programmes, creating additional fora for collaboration and consultation and extending our partnership to new areas.
In the article, History lessons for current Armymen (May 26), the author, Aakar Patel, has displayed a good knowledge of history, but it is obvious that he has not been a participant in history-making.
Bharatiya Janata Party President will be in Kerala on a three-day tour from Friday, as part of preparations for the 2019 general election. He will attend 21 meetings. His aim is to tour the entire nation before the general election.
Ten operatives of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) including its former all India chief Safdar Hussain Nagori were shifted to Bhopal from Indore's central jail following security reasons.

"Ten operatives of banned SIMI reached here at around 2 pm under heavy police protection. These operatives were brought here from Indore jail," an official told PTI today.

He said these SIMI operatives were shifted to Bhopal due to security reasons.

In February this year, a special court in Indore had awarded life imprisonment to SIMI chief Safdar Hussain Nagori and his accomplices after convicting them in a 2008 sedition case.

These operatives were found guilty under IPC sections 124(A) (sedition) and 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

These SIMI activists were arrested from Indore on the intervening night of May 26-27, 2008. Pistols, cartridges, veils and inflammatory literature were seized from them.

On their information, a large amount of explosive material was also recovered.

The security at the Bhopal jail has been stepped up after eight SIMI operatives managed to escape on the intervening night of October 30-31, 2016 by killing a security guard and scaling the prison wall with the help of bedsheets.

However, within hours of their escape, they were killed on the city outskirts at Malikheda in an encounter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 11 people died in lightning and rain-related incidents in Bihar today, even as hot weather conditions continued in many parts of the country and heat-related toll in Odisha climbed to 12.

However, in a good news, the onset of the southwest monsoon is likely to advance due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. The MeT department said that rains were likely to begin in Kerala by May 30-31, marking the onset of monsoon in the country.

In parts of the national capital, the mercury was below the 40-degree mark with some areas in the city witnessing rainfall.

The Safdarjung observatory registered a high of 36.3 degrees Celsius while areas under Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar observatories recorded maximum temperatures of 39.7 degrees Celsius, 35 degrees Celsius, 35.8 degrees Celsius and 37.9 degrees Celsius respectively.

Rainfall recorded in the city during the last 24 hours till 8:30 am was 11.9 mm.

In Bihar, at least 11 people, including eight women, were killed in separate lightning and rain-related incidents.

Five persons, including four women, were killed when lightning struck them in East Champaran district.

In West Champaran district, six persons, including four women, were killed in various incidents of wall collapse during a storm in that area.

Meanwhile, sunstroke toll climbed to 12 in Odisha even as rains triggered by the depression over the Bay of Bengal and a nor'wester in some areas brought respite from scorching heat.

Two more deaths were reported in Sambalpur and Bargarh district since yesterday.

With this, four heat-related deaths have been reported from Sambalpur, while three deaths each took place in Angul and Bargarh districts and one each in Balangir and Bhadrak, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said.

The mercury breached the 40-degree mark in only four places in the state. Angul was the hottest place, recording a maximum of 42.1 degrees Celsius while Hirakud registered a high of 40.8 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave continued unbated in Haryana and Punjab with Hisar being the hottest place in the two states, recording a maximum of 43.2 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 39.3 degrees Celsius, while in Ludhiana and Patiala the maximum temperatures were 38.5 degrees Celsius and 37.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Rajasthan too reeled under hot weather conditions with the mercury settling above the 43-degree mark in most parts of the state. However, maximum temperatures saw a dip by one to two degrees in comparison to yesterday.

Churu was the hottest place in the state, with a maximum of 47 degrees Celsius, followed by 45.6 degrees Celsius in Pilani and 44.6 degrees Celsius in Sriganganagar.

The mercury in Bikaner and Kota settled at 44.5 degrees Celsius and 44.4 degrees Celsius respectively.

Heatwave conditions also prevailed at a few places in Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha region.

In Himachal Pradesh, hailstorm and rain lashed Shimla and its surrounding areas affecting normal life.

Una was hottest place in the state with a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Nahan at 35.5 degrees Celsius, Sundernagar at 33.7 degrees Celsius, Bhuntar 33.6 degrees Celsius and Dharamsala 32.4 degrees Celsius.

Rainfall also occurred in parts of Kerala, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today showered praises on Rajput warrior king Maharana Pratap and Maratha warrior king Shivaji.

"The people of the country will never show respect to someone like Jaichand, who had displayed his lust for power. Rather, they would embrace Maharana Pratap and Shivaji as role models," he said while participating in the birth anniversary (according to the Vikram Samvat, the traditional Hindu calendar) celebrations of Maharana Pratap at the India-Nepal border area here.

Adityanath offered floral tributes to the statue of the Rajput king and recalled his contributions.

He also saw an exhibition put up by members of the Tharu tribe.

Lauding the Tharu tribe, Adityanath said, "Members of the Tharu community are working as the defenders of the nation at the porous India-Nepal border region."



He announced an intermediate school for the Tharu children and an auditorium for the community.

On the occasion, Adityanath said India was gradually becoming a superpower under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"In the last three years, India has been able to assert itself on the global stage," he said.

The BJP leader said both the Centre and the state government were working for the betterment of all sections of the society. "No discrimination will be done on the basis of caste, creed and religion," he added.

On May 9, during the birth anniversary celebrations of Maharana Pratap in Lucknow, Adityanath had described the Rajput warrior king as a "role model for the society".

"Maharana Pratap, Guru Gobind Singh and Chhatrapati Shivaji are our role models and we must follow the path shown by them. Youngsters must learn a lesson from Maharana Pratap's self-respect and strength of character. Akbar, Aurangzeb and Babar were invaders. The sooner we accept the truth, all the problems of our country will disappear," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Against the backdrop of the recent caste violence in Saharanpur, UP minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi today said certain "anti-social elements" from some "out-of- power" political parties hatched a conspiracy to disturb law and order in the state.

She said some police officials are also part of this plot, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is sternly dealing with them.

"I am not saying political parties are directly involved in the conspiracy to disturb law and order in UP... Some uncontrollable anti-social elements from these parties are hell bent to malign the image of the Adityanath government," Joshi said in an interaction with journalists in suburban Goregaon.

She said the Adityanath government has been in power for about 13 weeks now and has a strong grip on law and order.

Saharanpur has been on the boil since violence first broke out about 40 days ago following a procession to mark Ambedkar Jayanti.

On May 5, one person was killed and 15 people were injured in clashes in which houses of Dalits in Shabbirpur village were allegedly torched by Thakurs.

In fresh violence on May 23, one person was shot dead and two others were wounded.

"I feel that a few officers are not cooperating and are involved in it (conspiracy) as well. But Yogiji is a strong administrator and he has warned of action against the senior- most police officers if they continued with their lackadaisical approach," she said.

Responding to the charge by the opposition that cases of cow vigilantism have increased in UP since the BJP came to power, Joshi said only one such incident took place in the state.

Joshi, who holds women and child welfare, and tourism portfolios, is on a two-day visit to Mumbai. She is scheduled to meet her Maharashtra counterpart Pankaja Munde tomorrow to discuss the implementation of the Centre's women development- related schemes in Uttar Pradesh.

She said officials of her department have done an extensive job to identify the vulnerable sections of the society and the women welfare schemes would be implemented vigorously.

"There are numerous welfare schemes being launched by the Centre for the uplift of women. Our predecessors did not show a political will to implement these schemes. Our government has set up Asha Jyoti Kendras in several districts to help victims of rape, acid attack, and of domestic violence. These centres will be soon set up in all 75 districts in UP," she said.

"We have undertaken many initiatives to instill a sense of security among women. We have taken measures like setting up the Rani Laksmi Bai Sanmman Kosh. We are working hard to improve sex ratio in the state and are also popularising the toll free number 181 in the state," the minister said, adding that the Women Commission of Uttar Pradesh, which has been dysfunctional, is being revamped and its "makeover" will be completed soon.

Joshi, who switched to the BJP from the Congress last year, reiterated that Rahul Gandhi lacks the "calibre" to take on the saffron party.

"There is no threat to the BJP by its opponents for at least 20 years. As far as Rahulji is concerned, I have worked with him and I can say he cannot take on the BJP," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Army on Sunday shot dead an intruder along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Troops along the LoC in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district shot dead the intruder around 0230 hours, an Army officer said.

An Army spokesman said the intruder was shot dead in an ambush.

The fresh incident comes after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani, was killed on Saturday along with another militant in an encounter with security forces in Tral area of Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Soimoh village of Tral, 36 km from Srinagar, following information about the presence of some top Hizbul Mujahideen militants in the area, a police official said.
Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS in Telangana.

Dismissing the Telangana Rashtra Samithi's survey that claimed it would sweep the assembly polls if held now, he banked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "rising popularity in the region" to win in the general elections.

"It is a government-sponsored survey. It may satisfy the TRS cadre and their leaders... The popularity of Modi is on the rise. There is space in Telangana and the BJP has a lot of chance as we have good cadre and leadership," Dattatreya told reporters here.

The internal survey by the TRS puts Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son, IT Minister K T Rama Rao, as the top-performing MLAs in the state.

"I am hopeful that the BJP will improve its position in the 2019 general elections as compared to 2014, across the country and particularly in Telangana. We are confident that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS," Dattatreya said.

On the chief minister terming as "blatant lies" BJP president Amit Shah's statement on central funds allocated to Telangana, the Union labour minister said the manner in which Chandrasekhar Rao criticised Shah, reflects his frustration.

Claiming that Shah's recent tour of Telangana has given a boost to BJP workers, he said, "Now, BJP workers will work more enthusiastically. The entire OBC community as well as moderate Muslims too are positively in favour of the BJP."



On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks that his party would work to defeat the BJP in Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, represented by Dattatreya, and the five assembly seats held by them in the city in the 2019 general and state polls, he said, "Asaduddin has his own dreams."



"The AIMIM has some share only in Hyderabad because of its Muslim agenda. Always banking on religious sentiments will not work with the Muslims now as they also want development because they are in poverty... Whether he (Asaduddin) can retain his own seat is doubtful," Dattatreya said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-run BSNL is planning to extend satellite phone services for all citizens in two years that can work at any corner of the country and remain immune to breakdown of mobile services during natural calamities.

"We have applied to International Maritime Organisation. It will take some time to complete the process. In 18-24 months, we will be in a position to open satellite phones service for citizens in a phased manner," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

Satellite phones will able to work in any part of the country, even inside flights and ships, as they depend on signals directly from satellites located about 35,700 kms above the earth.

Traditional mobile networks cover around 25-30 kms around towers and can transmit signals to phones placed equal to or below the height of the tower.

BSNL has started satellite phone service using INMARSAT service which will be initially offered to government agencies and later extended to citizens in a phased manner.

The service will cover areas where no networks are present and be provided by INMARSAT which has 14 satellites.

Agencies handling disasters, state police, railways, Border Security Force and other government agencies will be given the phones in the first phase.

"The number of satellite phone connections in India is very little but once we open it for citizens, the whole dynamics in the market will change. The volumes will bring down the cost of service. We are charging only Re 1 over the cost that satellite firm will bill to us," Shrivastava said.

Call rates on satellite phones are expected to be in the range of Rs 30-35 in the first phase when there are only about 4,600 connections in the country.

"Satellite phones also cost Rs 40,000 and more. All the satellite phones are imported at present. Once we open it for citizens, the volumes will drive down the cost of calls as well as handset. Even, huge volume can attract satellite phone manufacturers to set-up their unit in India. We expect it to create a new ecosystem of satellite services in the country," Shrivastava said.

Satellite phones in India are presently provided by Tata Communications, which inherited the licence from Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (now Tata Communications Ltd).

The services of TCL will be phased out by June 30, 2017 and all the connections will be transferred to BSNL.

There are 1,532 authorised satellite phone connections that can operate within the country and a majority of them are used by security forces. TCL has also issued 4,143 permits to maritime community for use of such phones at ships.

There have been security concerns on use of satellite phones in India.

Telecom regulator Trai has said there is a possibility that communication through such phones can be monitored by foreign agencies as their gateways are located outside India, it added.

Defence forces did not opt for satellite phones from the foreign operators because of security and espionage concerns. Other security agencies have been demanding for a long time for establishment of a new gateway in the country which can support new generation handsets for land mobile connections.

Shrivastava said that now satellite phone gateway has been set-up in India with legal interception and monitoring system (LIMS).

"BSNL has set-up gateway with INMARSAT to address security concerns among government agencies. Now, there are no more issued related to security. We will start providing satellite services once our registration process is complete and necessary approvals are in place," Shrivastava said.
Accusing the Pentagon of distorting facts, China today denied its charge that an encounter between Chinese fighter jets and an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional".

Chinese J-10 fighter planes intercepted a US Navy P-3 Orion operating in international airspace over the South China Sea, the Pentagon had claimed.

The US termed the move as "unsafe and unprofessional" and said that it would convey its concerns to the Chinese government.

However, Chinese defence ministry in a statement said the US account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts".

"On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website.

"The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe," it said.

Last week, China accused the US of trespassing its sovereignty by dispatching a naval ship close to an artificial islands building by Beijing the disputed waters.

The US has been sending naval ships and aircraft to assert the freedom of navigation in the areas claimed by China in the South China Sea.

China has been opposing the US dispatching naval ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese actress Zhu Zhu will be visiting India for the promotions of her Bollywood debut film "Tubelight".

Directed by Kabir Khan, the film features Zhu Zhu opposite Salman Khan.

"Heroines have always played strong roles in my films. Zhu Zhu plays an important role in the film but we can't talk about it. Also, she will be coming to India for promotions. But we are yet to chalk out a proper plan," Kabir told PTI.

With films like "PK" and "Dangal" doing good business in China, "Tubelight" makers are also planning to release the film in the country.

"China market is different when it comes to releasing Indian films. The film has to be presented to them, they have to like it and then pass it. They have certain guidelines to release a film," Kabir says.

"Tubelight" is an adaptation of 2015 "Little Boy", but the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" director says it has been made according to Indian sensibilities.

"Our film is an adaptation of 'Little Boy'. We have taken the germ of idea and made it according to our sensibilities. We have made it in context of our history."

Also starring Sohail Khan, Om Puri, Shah Rukh Khan in cameo, "Tubelight" releases this Eid.
The death toll from devastating floods in Sri Lanka today rose to 150, prompting authorities to step up rescue operations and rush aid to nearly half a million people displaced by the worst torrential rains since 2003.

Sri Lanka has sought international assistance. India, the first country to respond, dispatched three Navy ships with emergency supplies to help Sri Lanka. The first Indian ship reached here yesterday.

A second Indian vessel -- INS Shardul -- arrived in Colombo today, with a third expected tomorrow. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake received the vessel.

The adverse weather conditions have caused flooding and landslides in Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Matara, Mulaitivu, Ratnapura, Trincomalee and Vavuniya.

"The worst hit is the southern district of Galle," a UN statement said.

The Nilawala River faces the possibility of a dam burst which can put the entire Matara town under water, officials said.

Around 4,42,299 people belonging to 1,14,124 families have been affected in 15 districts due to the flood situation, the Disaster Management Centre said today.

The death toll has reached 150 with 112 still unaccounted for, it said.

"Although the heavy rainy condition has reduced temporary, showery conditions are likely to enhance again over south-western part of the island from 29th May 2017," the Meteorological Department said.

Windy condition is expected to continue over the sea areas. These winds can be strengthened during the showers, it said.

The fishing community in the country have been alerted about the condition.

Sri Lanka's tri-forces personnel including more than 1,000 Army troops were engaged in the rescue and relief operations.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful Southwest monsoon, officials had said.

Sri Lanka, which has been heavily deforested for cash crops, often witnesses landslides during the monsoon season.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An eight-month-old German Shepherd was held hostage by Delta Airlines for more than 33 hours over paperwork that airline officials misplaced, the pet's owner has claimed.

Mary Nguyen, a 25-year-old student living in Minneapolis, decided to relocate her German Shepherd named Bunny to Guatemala so he could live with her husband.

The "hostage" situation began last week, when Nguyen hired Pet Air Carrier, a private company unaffiliated with Delta, paying it USD 3,000 to ship Bunny.

As part of the arrangement, Nguyen drove from Minneapolis to Wisconsin to have the required paperwork endorsed before sending the puppy on his way on Wednesday.

But when Nguyen's hubby tried to get Bunny out of cargo at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Delta balked, saying the necessary paperwork to take the animal to a new country had been left back in the US, CBS reported.

Adding insult to injury, Nguyen claimed Delta agents demanded an extra USD 3,000 to free the pup.

"They have all the documents they need on their scratch pad to release her but refuse to do so without the hard copy that they lost (but tracked down)," a distraught Nguyen was quoted as saying by the CBS.

"The document has been in their possession the whole (time) since I've surrendered my dog over."



"After 33 hours, they finally released Bunny," she said.

That happened late Friday, after the paperwork was finally located and dispatched to Guatemala.

Delta has had problems transporting pets in the past, with five animal deaths and five injuries in 2016, the second-highest rate of animal death and injury among the top seven domestic airlines.

A Delta spokesperson said that the airline would refund the shipment cost.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An employee of the fishery department has been found dead on the roof of Vikas Bhawan here, police said today.

The deceased employee has been identified as Kamal Sharama, a native of Aligarh. He was a clerk in the fishery department, Surajpur Kotwali incharge Manish Saxena said.

His family lives at Meerut's Kankadkheda area while he used to stay in the office at the Vikas Bhawan, he said.

On Saturday, he had stayed in the office and had gone to the roof of Vias Bhawan.

Later, chowkidar found him lying unconscious on the roof and informed police, Saxena said.

The body has been sent for postmortem.

It appears that he had suffered a heart attack, the police officer said, adding but the extact cause of death can be revealed only after postmoretem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Frenchman who was abducted in early March in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been freed, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced today.

Macron praised the DR Congo authorities "for their mobilisation and the effectiveness of their action" in obtaining the hostage's release, the office said in a statement, without identifying him.

Contacted by AFP, the president's office had no further information.

The French foreign ministry announced on March 2 that armed kidnappers had seized five gold mine workers, including a Frenchman, in eastern DR Congo.

The hostages worked for Banro, a Canadian gold mining corporation that runs two mines in DR Congo and is exploring for the mineral elsewhere in the vast, resource-rich country.

The fate of the other people kidnapped was not known.

The French foreign ministry, which did not give the nationalities of the other victims, said it had no information on the identity of the attackers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stay away from 'convenience valuations' and 'mandate snatching' activities -- this is the government's suggestion to registered valuers under the companies law.

A registered valuer is required to carry out valuation of assets, net worth of a firm or its liabilities as required under the Companies Act, 2013.

As part of efforts to put in place a robust regulatory mechanism for registered valuers, the corporate affairs ministry has come out with draft rules for such entities.

"A valuer should not indulge in 'mandate snatching' or 'convenience valuations' in order to cater to the company's needs or client needs.

"A valuer should communicate in writing with a prior valuer if there is knowledge of any prior valuer having been appointed before accepting the assignment," according to the draft rules.

Besides, the ministry has suggested that a valuer as well as his or her relative should not accept gifts or hospitality which undermines or affects the independence as a valuer.

"A valuer should not offer gifts or hospitality or a financial or any other advantage to a public servant or any other person, intending to obtain or retain work for himself/ itself, or to obtain or retain an advantage in the conduct of profession for himself/ itself," it noted.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) would the registration authority for the valuers.

Among others, IBBI would conduct an examination to test the knowledge, practical skills and ethics of individuals in respect of valuation.

The draft rules would be open for comments till June 27.

A registered valuer would carry out valuation in respect of any property, stocks, shares, debentures, securities or goodwill or any other assets or net worth of a company or its liabilities, as per chapter XVII of the Companies Act. This chapter pertains to registered valuers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The black box of the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet that went missing with two pilots on board has been recovered from a dense forest in Arunachal Pradesh, two days after wreckage of the plane was sighted.

However, the fate of the crew was not yet known.

"A ground search and rescue party has reached the crash site. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered. Further search is in progress," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said in Delhi.

The identity of the missing pilots has not been disclosed and the worst is feared.

The jet had gone missing shortly after taking off from Tezpur Air Force station on Tuesday on a routine training sortie and its wreckage was found on Friday in a dense forest, 60 km from Tezpur airbase.

The Indian Air Force has already ordered a court of inquiry into the crash.

The wreckage was spotted from air, and search teams reached the crash site today only. The rescue teams could not reach the spot earlier due to inclement weather and because the area had dense foliage.

The plane was part of a two-aircraft formation when it went missing.

The first batch of the Russia-made fighter jet was inducted by the IAF in the late 1990s. Since their induction, seven crashes have taken place.

A frontline fighter jet, SU-30 MKI aircraft were deployed in the Tezpur airbase on June 15, 2009 for guarding the Sino- India frontier in Arunachal Pradesh.

At present, two squadrons comprising around 36 aircraft are deployed at Tezpur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This Ramzan, one can look forward to a number of gastronomic expeditions like Iftar walks and dastarkhwans, exploring time-honoured eateries and other paralleled joints, with special focus on interfaith dialogue and cultural assimilation.

As the month of fasting began today, a number of groups have started food walks in the walled city and other areas during iftar (meal to end fast) and also sehri (meal before fast).

'Sehar & Iftar Walks' by Delhi Food Walks will take place in the narrow alleys of Old Delhi.

"The Iftar starts at Jama Masjid. And then, the group of participants go to various places of culinary significance to savour delicacies like pakodas, paneer jalebis, keema samosas, keema golis, shami kebabs, chicken tikkas, biryani, nihaari, phirni and shahi tukdam," says Anubhav Sapra, founder of Delhi Food Walks.

Sapra is organising the Iftar walks every Saturday and Sunday during Ramzan. He is also planning to start Sehri walks on the last two Saturdays of the holy month.

India City Walks is also organising special Iftar evenings (Shaam-e-Iftar) and Sehri from today till June 25 to "celebrate interfaith dialogue and indulge in traditional festivities during Ramzan".

Says its chief explorer Sachin Bansal, "During Ramzan, breakfast becomes dinner, night becomes day and fasting turns to feasting. Our Iftar evenings include a visit to the chock- a-block and vivacious lanes of old Delhi where one can relish an array of sumptuous culinary platters."



During Ramzan, old Delhi's iconic eating joint Karims remains closed during the day and opens only after iftar and runs till Sehri.

"We accept orders for takeaways from 5.30 p.M. And serve food to customers at our outlet only after Iftar," says Mohammad Alman, a manager at Karims.

Activist-writer Sadia Dehlvi is hosting 'Iftar-e- Dastarkhwan' at her home celebrating history, culture and food.

The menu is elaborate: staple and energy booster dates, rose and khus sherbet, chicken samosas, chana dal, fruit chat and pakodas to start with; aloo gosht, chicken karahi, biryani, dahi vada and chana dal karela for dinner; and mango rice kheer for dessert.

An outlet in the capital's Connaught Place area is also hosting innovative Iftars.

The Masala Trail by Osama has an all-vegetarian affair - dates, roohafzas or shikanji, fruit chaat, assorted pakodas, mini samosa, fryums, poori chole, dahi bhalla and gulab jamuns.

During Ramzan, all roads in the national capital lead to Old Delhi. Some of the signature items during the month are bhajiyas, keema samosas, kala chana, fried boiled eggs dipped in chickpea batter, phirni, halwa and biryani, sutli, dori and boti kebabs, keema golis and fried chicken.

In Mumbai, one can savour Iftar dishes like Nalli Nihari, Paya Curry, Tandoori Quail, Khiri and Kofta Kebabs, Sitaphal Halwa and pink milk-based watermelon sherbet.

Some must-try items in Kolkata during Ramzan are Arbi haleem, mutton chaap, sutli and kheeri kebabs, rezala, rogini roti and bakarkhani, ghoogni, halwa paratha and khajla.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered "more precious" than humans.

A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in the world's youngest nation, made up largely of pastoral communities, the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.

Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the country's capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, the officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.

Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the "second most dangerous" posting after Syria, where fighting is "relentless", in the absence of any ceasefire.

"The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex," Brar said.

Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians -- one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others -- Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.

"These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle," Shekatkar said.

Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.

South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.

The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a "massive humanitarian response".

The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

"The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal," Shekatkar said.

Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.

"The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying 'Ram, Ram'. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)," Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.

Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. "It will also take care of food security."



The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.

"I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected India's borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country," Havildar Suresh Patil said.

India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

May 29 is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Guided Missile Frigate INS Ganga entered the Mumbai harbour under own steam for the last time yesterday and was placed in the non-operational category today.

After 32 years of glorious service, the ship is likely to be decommissioned before the year-end, an official release said.

The ship, commissioned on December 30, 1985, at Mumbai, and presently in her 24th Commission, is commanded by Captain NP Pradeep.

Despite the long service, she still retains her capabilities in all three dimensions of naval warfare.

It is a testimony to the resilience of the ship and her crew that she sailed into Mumbai flying the flag of Rear Admiral RB Pandit, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet straight from a 45-day long active patrol in the Northern Arabian Sea, guarding the nation's maritime borders till her last operational day, it said.

'INS Ganga' is also affiliated to the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) of the Indian Army.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kerala government today suggested it could bring in a law to counter the central ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, as the political slugfest over the issue intensified fuelled by a row over a Youth Congress activist butchering a calf in full public view.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had yesterday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister to protest the Centre's decision, hit out at the BJP-led government at the centre and the RSS, saying there was no need for the people of the state to draw lessons from New Delhi or Nagpur on their food habits.

Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel saidthe government would consider formulating a new legislation to overcome the Centre's cattle ban.

Opposition Congress led UDF, meanwhile, decided to observe tomorrow as a 'black day' against the ban.

Amid the raging debate over the issue, police today registered a case against a Youth Congress worker Rijil Makulti and his accomplices for slaughtering a calf in public in Kannur during 'Beef fest' organised across the state by the Congress and the Left yesterday to protest the Centre's ban.

Latching onto the issue, the NDA in Kerala decided to observe Tuesday as a day of protest against the incident.

Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan posted the video of the the gory Kannur incident on twitter, calling it "cruelty at it peak" and said no normal person can behave in this manner.

"A case has been registered under Sect 120 A of the Kerala Police Act on the basis of a complaint of Yuva Morcha activist", Kannur SP Siva Vikram, told PTI.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or with both.

An embarrassed Congress sought to distance itself, saying the party will not support anyone who has violated the law, but the Youth Congress activist who led the protest said he had no regrets.

"If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not," said Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

However, Makulti told a television channel today, "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest."



Speaking at a function at Alapuzha, Vijayan said Keralites have a traditional food habit pattern, which was healthy and nutritious, and nobody need change it.

"The state government will provide all facilities to people to partake food of their choice. There is no need for Keralites to learn it from anybody in New Delhi or Nagpur" (headquarters of RSS), Vijayan said.

Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel saidthe cabinet would discuss the issue and the state government would consider formulating a new legislation to overcome the Centre's cattle ban.

Condemning yesterday's beef fests and butchering of the calf, BJP state President Rajasekharan said DYFI and Youth Congress, youth outfits of CPI(M) and Congress, were turning 'butchers' and people should be careful, he cautioned.

NDA will observe a 'protest day' on Tuesday against the slaughter of the calf and against CPI(M) State Secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, for his alleged remarks against the Indian Army, Kummanam, who is the Chairman of Kerala NDA, said.

Balakrishnan has stoked a controversy alleging that women belonging to minority communities were subjected to atrocities by army personnel in states where the AFSPA was implemented.

Protest marches and meetings will be held, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
IT company doesn't see much impact of the ongoing visa row on its business as it plans to invest and expand more in Europe.

"I think our footprint on visa front is far smaller and manageable compared to some of the larger players. We continued very diligently to make sure plans are in place to avoid any disruption. There hasn't been any. In case there is any knee-jerk or short term event, we are protected from that," Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Nitin Rakesh told PTI in an interview.

The Bengaluru-based firm gets 70 per cent of its business from the US, 20 per cent from Europe and rests from other parts of the world.

has registered a 17.6 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 184.1 crore for the period ended March 31 compared to a net profit of Rs 156.5 crore in the same period a year ago.

For the year ended March 31, Mphasis posted 25.3 per cent jump in net profit at Rs 791.6 crore compared to Rs 631.5 crore in 2015-16.

Rakesh said the company has plans to invest in Europe and grow its business in the region during the current fiscal.

"Over the next two quarters, we also hope to make some investments in Europe. Less than 20 per cent of our revenues is coming from that region. Based on my personal experience and what we are seeing in the region, there is an opportunity for us to find higher-than-market growth," Rakesh said.

Private equity firm Blackstone acquired Mphasis from PC maker Hewlett Packard.

Rakesh said that the financial year 2016-17 was about stabilising the company's business with HP and in the current fiscal, Mphasis will look at bringing growth in that part of the business.

"The turnaround story for FY18 will the HP business that we have had over a period. As we all know that business was declining and in a way diluting overall company performance in terms of growth. FY17 was all about stabilisation of that business. Our attempt in FY18 is to bring that business back to growth," he said.

The company has announced a partnership with DXC Technology to transform and modernise enterprise applications for the public, private and hybrid cloud.

HP services business was merged with CSC which is now called DXC.

Rakesh said that Mphasis has distinct relationships within the HP group and its four businesses have transformed or merged with other entities.

"We are also moving from just being the execution arm or extension arm of HP's delivery to now actually being a partner with DXC. That moves us from back office to front office. It moves us to the front end of the transformation deals. I think FY18 is going to be probably a key year for us to find opportunities for growth," Rakesh said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar on his 134th birth anniversary.

Fadnavis this morning visited Savarkar's birth place at Bhagur in this North Maharashtra district and paid tributes to the revolutionary leader, said a senior official from Nashik district collectorate.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, local BJP MP and MLAs were present on the occasion.

Mahajan said an amount of Rs 65 lakh has been approved by the state government to develop a memorial at Savarkar's birthplace.

Meanwhile, police detained some farmers from Sinnar town, who had gathered at Bhagur to protest against proposed Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway, a senior police official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For the first time, a drug for cancer based on a common biomarker rather than the location in the body where the tumour originated has been approved in the US.

The drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), now can be used for colon, pancreatic, stomach, ovarian, and other cancers if genetic testing reveals defects in so-called mismatch repair genes, researchers said.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab for patients whose cancers have a specific genetic feature (biomarker).

This is the first time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on a common biomarker rather than the location in the body where the tumour originated, FDA said.

Pembrolizumab is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumours that have been identified as having a biomarker referred to as microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR).

Experts at the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the US designed the first clinical trial to test the theory that patients whose tumours have defects in mismatch repair genes may respond better to immunotherapy.

Tests for defects in mismatch repair are widely available and cost USD 300-600. Pembrolizumab can cost about USD 100,000 a year, fuelling the need to identify patients who are likely to respond to the drug.

First identified in 1993 by scientists, mistakes in mismatch repair genes are found in more than 4 per cent of cancers that occur each year in the US, including cancers of the colon, uterus, stomach, gall bladder, pancreas, ovaries, prostate, and small intestine.

The mutations disable cells' ability to repair errors in the DNA replication process, which triggers unchecked cellular growth, a hallmark of cancer.

Two decades later, an idea took root when experts found mismatch repair defects in a single patient with colon cancer who responded to immunotherapy while other patients with colon cancer did not.

Patients with tumours laden with mismatch repair defects have an abundance of abnormal proteins that look more "foreign" to immune system cells, triggering them to search for and destroy the unfamiliar-looking cancer cells.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
City based brewer and distiller, Pincon Spirit Ltd has charted out a capex of Rs 300 crore during the current fiscal in enhancing distilleries capacity, increasing retail chain and expanding footprint.

To part finance the expansion of distilleries, it has mooted upto USD 30 million masala bond issue at the London Stock Exchange.

"We have drawn aggressive expansion in distilleries, company owned liquor off-shops to 100 from 33, foraying into packaging bottle manufacturing for captive consumption and entering into new states," Pincon CMD Monoranjan Roy told PTI in an interview.

He said exercise for issuing USD 30 million masala bonds (FCCB) in London Stock Exchange has already started.

"The board has already approved and we are working with bankers on the proposed issue. We hope to complete the issue around October-November to raise funds for part funding of our capex plans," Roy said.

Along with masala bonds a Rs 75 crore rights issue is also been proposed by the company and soon the company will approach SEBI for its approval, he said.

Recently, a preferential issue of 5,706,128 equity share warrants was carried out.

The spirits maker also plans to expand its footprint to four new southern markets of Kerala, Puducherry, Goa and Tamil Nadu. Currently, it has presence in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odhisa, Haryana and Uttarakhand beside West Bengal with eight company owned units and four contract suppliers.

"In IMFL segment we are now focusing in south which offers least restrictions with immense scope," Roy said.

Currently, country liquor contribute around 60 per cent of the revenue of Rs 1420 crore in FY17' but the company was trying to focus more on IMFL.

Acquisition of bottling plants had been a core strategy for aggressive growth.

"In Bengal, we have acquired three bottling units of two local companies that contributed Rs 350 crore to our topline in 2016-17," Roy said.

"In order to improve margins we have decided to foray into bottle making also," he said.

In the current fiscal, Pincon was targeting a turnover of Rs 1,800 crore with focus in IMFL and edible oils.

Pincon is the only liquor company having edible oils and shares the same brand 'Pincon'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Army is facing a "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through "innovative" ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' by a young officer.

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy- infested state.

"This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," Rawat said.

The Army Chief's Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.

Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations.

"People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones.

"In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)," he said.

Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed.

"Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said.

At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi.

"As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there," he said.

Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

"Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break.

"That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces," he said.

The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. "I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for."



He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it.

Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeep's bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.

The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control.

"It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.

The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.

Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well.

"Has political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil...," he said.

To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a "limited war" with Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Textile and apparel major Raymond will invest Rs 350 crore in capacity and retail expansion this year, the company said today.

This will help ramp up its apparel sale and grow the fabric business over the next few years, a senior company executive said.

"Of the Rs 350 crore, Rs 200 crore will be allocated to manufacturing expansion, both in India and offshore, while Rs 150 crore will go towards retail expansion," Sanjay Behl, CEO, Raymond, told PTI here.

The company is setting up a large suiting manufacturing plant in Ethiopia in Africa that will be operational this year and has also undertaken a significant expansion in Amravati in Maharashtra for cotton fabric.

"The Ethiopia plant will manufacture 2 million jackets, and the Amravati plant has a capacity of 3 million metres of linen fabric that will be added this year," Behl said.

Raymond is also looking to expand its retail presence to about 1,500 stores by 2020.

The company will open nearly 150-200 stores this year, Behl indicated. Raymond has more than 1,000 retail stores that are franchise based.

Raymond brands include Raymond (ready to wear), Raymond Made to Measure, Color Plus, Park Avenue and Parx.

It has also tied up with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and launched its branded Khadi by Raymond to promote the fabric globally.

"We are building capability in finishing, design, and distribution for khadi and investing step by step," he said.

The new label will be available at KVIC outlets, besides its own, across India and leading e-commerce portals beginning August this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police on Sunday booked some Youth Congress activists who allegedly publicly butchered a calf to protest the Centre's ban on sale of cattle for slaughtering, as the incident drew flak from various quarters.

Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Kummanam Rajasekharan, who posted the video of the the gory incident on twitter, called it "cruelty at it peak" and said no normal person can behave in this manner. Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) MP M B Rajesh said the illogical form of protest should have been avoided and it would only help the Sangh Parivar.

An embarrassed Congress sought to distance itself, saying the party will not support anyone who has violated the law, but a Youth Congress activist who led the protest said he had no regrets.

The brazen act was committed in front of a huge crowd in Kannur yesterday during the 'Beef Fest' held by the Left and Congress in Kerala to protest against the Centre's ban.

On the basis of a complaint from Yuva Morcha district General Secretary C C Ratheesh, police today registered a case against Rijil Makulti, a Youth Congress worker, and others under Section 120 A of the Kerala Police Act, police sources said.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to five thousand rupees or with both.

"If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not," said Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

However, Rijil Makulti told a television channel today, "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest."



The 18-month-old animal was butchered in an open vehicle as Youth Congress workers raised slogans against the Centre's decision to ban sale of cattle for slaughter. The meat was then distributed free to onlookers.

Congress leader Pandalam Sudhakaran said the manner in which the calf was dragged for being slaughtered left a pain in the heart. It is difficult to accept such mode of protests, he said.

Congress leader M Lijju, a former Youth Congress president, said there were certain rules with regard to slaughtering of animals which they should have kept in mind.

They might have carried it out considering the serious consequence of the government notification, he, however, added.

CPI(M) MP Rajesh said the youth workers should have exhibited civilised behaviour.

Condemning the incident, BJP state President Rajasekharan said DYFI and Youth Congress, youth outfits of CPI(M) and Congress, were turning 'butchers' and people should be careful.

In the name of protests against the cattle sale ban, animals are being slaughtered and protests staged with blood stained head of the butchered animal. "Is it something a normal person does?, Kummanam asked in a press release here.

The Centre has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is expected to hit export and trade of meat and leather.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and described him as a true patriot.

"Remembering Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, a true patriotwhose ideology inspires millions of Indians," Parrikar tweeted.

Savarkar was a revolutionary freedom fighter who was known for his sacrifices for the nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned two Kashmiri separatist leaders to its headquarters in Delhi tomorrow in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmad Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Javed Ahmed Baba alias 'Gazi' of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have been asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, before the NIA team that had questioned them here for four consecutive days earlier this month.

The questioning comes after the central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.

The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.

Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Baba alias 'Gazi', who are also named in the PE, will be again questioned for their alleged involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir as well as fuelling unrest and promoting stone-pelting in the Valley.

The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge- sheeted so far in the Valley in recent cases related to causing damage to schools and public property as part of a "larger conspiracy to perpetuate chaos" in Kashmir.

During their stay here, the NIA team, headed by its additional director general, also gathered evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools. Khan had allegedly claimed in the sting operation that the educational institutions had been targeted under plans hatched in Pakistan.

The schools were damaged last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS) MP Raju Shetti, whose party is an ally of the NDA and is part of the Maharashtra government, today accused the BJP of "deceiving" farmers.

"Though this government is arrogant, we shall not rest till we bring them down to their knees. It was my mistake that we asked the farmers to vote for the BJP. Hence as a matter of repentance we have undertaken this 'Atmaklesh Yatra' (repentance)," Shetti told reporters in Panvel.

Shetti, a Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangle constituency in Kolhapur, started his march from Pune on May 22 to Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.

Shetti's blood pressure had dropped and there were blisters on his feet. Doctors advised him rest, saying he could undertake the march and reach Mumbai two days later.

However, a determined Shetti said, "we shall reach Mumbai on May 30 come what may, even if we have to crawl, we shall crawl and reach Mumbai."



He added, "The BJP government has been aggressively speaking false. Is this Acche Din? Tur procurement prices have crashed from Rs 11,000 per quintal to Rs 4,000 per quintal. Procurement prices of Onion has come down from Rs 12 to Rs 1.50 (per kg).

"They are now calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'Bahubali'. What has he done for farmers... Only advertisements and social media... We farmers may be ignorant, but we are aware of what is going on."



However, Shetti's aide and Minister of State for Agriculture Sadabhau Khot did not join his leader's march citing health reasons.

While Shetti is siding with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in criticising their own government, Khot is on the side of BJP.

Meanwhile, both Shetti and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Sachin Sawant today slammed BJP MPs, MLAs and office bearers for getting their feet washed by farmers in Akola during their 'Shivarsamvad Yatra' (dialogue with farmers).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna (SSS) leader Raju Shetti today alleged that the BJP, which is in power in Maharashtra, has "deceived" the state's farmers who had voted for the party in the Assembly polls.

Shetti, whose party is a constituent of the NDA as well as a part of the BJP-led Maharashtra government, said he has undertaken 'Atmaklesh Padyatra' to "repent for supporting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi."



The Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangle, who started his repentance march from Pune last Monday, reached Panvel today. The march will end here on Tuesday.

"The government has not taken any concrete steps to ease the woes of farmers. It has deceived farmers who voted for the party (in the Assembly polls)," Shetti told reporters in Panvel near here.

Interestingly, his aide and Maharashtra minister of state for agriculture Sadabhau Khot did not take part in the march citing ill health.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
$1 Million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Awarded to Dr. Tom Catena (video)

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative honors esteemed Catholic Missionary physician in war-torn Sudan for rekindling faith in humanity MAY 28, 2017  YEREVAN, ARMENIA  The $1 Million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded tonight to Dr. Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York who has saved thousands of lives as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudans war-ravaged Nuba Mountains where humanitarian aid is restricted. The Aurora Prize, granted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, was announced at a ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia. He was selected as the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate from more than 550 nominations submitted from 66 countries. George Clooney, Academy Award-winning actor, Co-Founder of both The Sentry and Not On Our Watch, and Co-Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, commended Dr. Catena by stating, As violence and war continue to threaten peoples spirits and perseverance, it is important to recognize, empower and celebrate people like Dr. Catena who are selflessly helping others to not only survive, but thrive. Dr. Catena is a role model to us all, and yet another example of people on the ground truly making a difference. Dr. Catena will receive a $100,000 grant and the opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by donating the accompanying $1,000,000 award to organizations of his choice. Dr. Catena will donate the award to three organizations:

African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), USA

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), USA

Aktion Canchanabury, Germany

For the last nine years, Dr. Catena  known by locals as Dr. Tom  has been on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Mother of Mercy Catholic Hospital to care for the more than 750,000 citizens of Nuba amidst ongoing civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement. Patients have been known to walk for up to seven days to receive treatment for injuries from bombing attacks and ailments varying from bone fractures to malnourishment and malaria. It is estimated that Dr. Catena treats 500 patients per day and performs more than one thousand operations each year. On being named the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, Dr. Catena said, We all have an obligation to look after our brothers and sisters. It is possible that every single person can make a contribution, and to recognize that shared humanity can lead to a brighter future. With my faith as my guide, I am honored to continue to serve the world and make it a better place. Dr. Catena is an inspiration for to anyone who has ever doubted humanity. Despite tremendous injustice and sacrifice, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that the next generation has a brighter future, said Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative (AHI), and Aurora Prize Selection Committee member. His service to others is an inspiration, and it is our hope that the individuals he has saved will continue the cycle of gratitude by becoming saviors themselves. Leading international humanitarian figures and Aurora Prize Selection Committee members, including Gareth Evans, Hina Jilani, Leymah Gbowee, Shirin Ebadi, Ernesto Zedillo and Vartan Gregorian, were in attendance to celebrate the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate. Dr. Catena was congratulated by Marguerite Barankitse, who was awarded the inaugural Aurora Prize in 2016 for her tireless commitment to restoring childrens dignity and hope as the founder of Maison Shalom and the REMA Hospital in Burundi. She said, The Aurora Prize is so important to keeping hope alive for people around the world, and I am proud to be joined by such a humble and true role model as Dr. Catena. I applaud his selfless efforts in delivering love to all and congratulate him on this esteemed award. Guests of the Aurora Prize Ceremony also honored the exceptional contributions of the other four 2017 Aurora Prize finalists: Ms. Fartuun Adan and Ms. Ilwad Elman, the Founders of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia; Ms. Jamila Afghani, the Chairperson of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization in Afghanistan; Mr. Muhammad Darwish, a medical doctor at the Madaya Field Hospital in Syria; and Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecological surgeon and Founder of the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Catena embodies the spirit of the Aurora Prize, and we extend our deepest gratitude to him and the people and organizations around the world that support and inspire him to continue his noble work despite immensely challenging conditions, saidWe are honored to share his story with the world to shed light on the goodwill that exists in the world so that helping others becomes part of our global culture. The naming of the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate follows the release of the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the second annual global public opinion survey that gauges attitudes towards humanitarian responsibility, the effectiveness of humanitarian intervention and individuals motivations to intervene on behalf of others. The Index found that support for humanitarian action is on a steep decline, and that a rise in populism around the world is affecting the publics perception of efforts made to aid refugees around the world.We hope the findings from this years Aurora Humanitarian Index serve as motivation for individuals around the world to not only understand their capacity for meaningful impact, but be inspired to act upon it, said Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. Through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, we encourage those touched by Dr. Catenas selfless work to make their own mark on the world by expanding the circle of saviors, and most importantly survivors. It is possible for us all to play a role in renewing hope in humanity.On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, an Aurora Prize Laureate will be honored each year between 2015 and 2023 (in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide 1915-1923) with a US$100,000 grant as well as the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired their work for a US$1,000,000 award. Recipients will be recognized for the exceptional impact of their actions on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Aurora Prize Selection Committee includes Nobel Laureates Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former president of Ireland Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former foreign minister of Australia and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans; former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo; President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney.Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is Gratitude in Action. It is an eight-year commitment (2015 to 2023, in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide 1915-1923) to support people and promote projects that tackle the needs of the most helpless and destitute, and do so at great risk. This is achieved through the Initiatives various programs: The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Dialogues, the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the Gratitude Projects and the 100 LIVES Initiative. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have, already in the second year, been joined by several dozen new donors and partners. The Initiative welcomes all who embrace a commitment to our shared humanity. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations  Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the IDeA Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia). Further information is available at www.auroraprize.com
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined to host a Ramazan reception, apparently breaking a nearly two-decade long bipartisan tradition.

According to two administration officials familiar with the decision, Tillerson rejected a request by the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host the reception marking the Eid ul-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramazan, which begins Saturday in many countries.

Since 1999, Tillerson's five Republican and Democratic predecessors have hosted either an Iftar dinner to break the fast during Ramazan, or an Eid ul-Fitr reception at the end of the month-long holiday, the CNN reported.

Many diplomatic posts overseas also host events during Ramazan's month of fasting and prayer.

The White House and State Department commemorate other religious traditions, including a Jewish Passover Seder, as well as Christmas and Easter holidays.

But the Ramazan event, usually attended by members of Congress, diplomats from Muslim countries, Muslim community leaders and top US officials has become a symbol of US efforts to engage with the Muslim world.

"We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramazan," a State Department spokesman said.

"US ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramazan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world," the spokesman said.

It is unclear whether Tillerson's decision not to plan an event -- which is usually put on the calendar weeks, if not months, in advance -- was related to his ongoing streamlining of the agency, which includes massive budget cuts and shedding as many of 2,000 jobs.

Offices like the one dealing with religious outreach are widely expected to be scrapped as part of the restructuring, although no final decisions have been made.

On Friday, Tillerson had issued a statement marking the start of Ramazan, calling the holiday "a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection."



"Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate. This time reminds us all of the common values of harmony and empathy we hold dear," he added.

The statement starkly contrasted with one issued by President Donald Trump. While wishing Muslims a joyful Ramazan, the President referenced this week's terrorist attack in Manchester, England, calling the bombing at a concert "directly contrary to the spirit" of the holiday.

"At its core, the spirit of Ramazan strengthens awareness of our shared obligation to reject violence, to pursue peace, and to give to those in need who are suffering from poverty or conflict," Trump's statement had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Serena Williams may be missing from this year's French Open, but big sister Venus is still going strong and marks her Roland Garros 20th anniversary today.

Three weeks shy of her 37th birthday, the American star, who made her debut in the French capital in 1997, kicks off her latest campaign against China's Wang Qiang.

Williams, seeded 10, has played every year since 1997 with the exception of 2011 and despite her senior citizen status, she is still a contender at the Slams as her run to the Australian Open final in January proved.

Her staggering longevity is illustrated by the fact that her potential second round opponent is compatriot Amanda Anisimova who, at just 15, is the youngest main draw competitor since 2005.

When Venus was losing the 2002 Roland Garros final to Serena, Anisimova was just nine months old.

"I'm here as I still have a lot to give. That just wraps it up," said Venus who has never got beyond the quarter-finals in Paris since her runners-up spot 15 years ago.

Anisimova, the Florida-based daughter of Russian parents, made the tournament courtesy of winning the US wild card play-off.

She faces Japan's world number 94 Kurumi Nara on Sunday.

"This will be my first main draw match at a major, I'm very excited and I can't wait to play already," she said.

Elsewhere on what's expected to be a sweltering opening day in Paris, world number one Angelique Kerber starts against experienced Russian player Ekaterina Makarova.

Kerber was defeated in the first round by unseeded Kiki Bertens 12 months ago and has yet to get past the quarter- finals.

The German left-hander has endured a miserable clay-court season, losing early in Stuttgart and crashing out in her Rome opener, while retiring from her last-16 clash in Madrid with a lower back injury.

"Everybody knows clay is not my favourite surface, but I try my best," said Kerber. "Last year was not the best for me."



Makarova, also left-handed, is a former top tenner who has made at least the quarter-finals of all the majors, except the French Open.

Action on Philippe Chatrier centre court starts with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova making her comeback after six months away from the sport spent recovering from potentially career-ending injuries sustained in fighting off a knife-wielding burglar in December.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012 and seeded 15 this year, faces America's Julia Boserup, the world number 86 who is making her French Open debut.

The standout match in the men's singles sees Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist in 2016, take on unpredictable Bernard Tomic of Australia.

Thiem is regarded as a potential champion should world number one Andy Murray, defending champion Novak Djokovic or nine-time champion Rafael Nadal slip up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The White House has amended a caption on an official photo of US First Lady Melania Trump posing with NATO leaders' spouses after the name of the gay husband of Luxembourg's Prime Minister was originally omitted.

The photo caption listed Melania and eight other first ladies in attendance but failed to name Gauthier Destenay, the husband of Luxembourg's gay Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel.

Destenay married Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel in 2015.

After drawing condemnation across social media for the "embarrassing" and "disrespectful" omission, the caption was updated to include Destenay, 10 hours after it was originally posted, the ABC reported.

In the official photograph Destenay appears dressed in a black suit and blue tie, standing behind Emine Erdogan, the wife of Turkey's president, and Melania.

When the photograph, taken by Andrea Hanks, was initially posted on the White House Facebook page Destenay's name was missing from the caption.

While some suggested the omission was innocent, many slammed it on social media as "embarrassing" and "disrespectful", the report said.

The photo was taken at the last week's summit in Brussels and was posted on Facebook in a collection of images from President Donald Trump's nine-day international tour.

There was no indication from the White House why Destenay's name had initially been left out of the caption.

The marriage between Destenay and Bettel is not the first same-sex political union - Iceland's Johanna Sigurdardottir was the first serving leader to marry her same-sex partner.

She married writer Jonina Leosdottir in 2010.

Trump had previously stated he is "fine" with the legislation passed during the Obama administration which allowed couples of the same sex to marry, however Vice- President Mike Pence is known to have strong views in opposition to same-sex marriage.

In a 2006 speech as head of the Republican Study Committee, Pence drew links between marriage law reform and "societal collapse" and claimed refusing to allow gays to marry was not discrimination but an upholding of an idea "ordained by God".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Archive Nov 2022 (46) Oct 2022 (134) Sep 2022 (127) Aug 2022 (135) Jul 2022 (132) Jun 2022 (138) May 2022 (136) Apr 2022 (128) Mar 2022 (138) Feb 2022 (127) Jan 2022 (132) Dec 2021 (136) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (155) Aug 2021 (184) Jul 2021 (170) Jun 2021 (168) May 2021 (168) Apr 2021 (169) Mar 2021 (179) Feb 2021 (153) Jan 2021 (161) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (152) Oct 2020 (160) Sep 2020 (158) Aug 2020 (169) Jul 2020 (173) Jun 2020 (169) May 2020 (165) Apr 2020 (164) Mar 2020 (144) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (118) Dec 2019 (113) Nov 2019 (105) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (122) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (125) Jun 2019 (116) May 2019 (124) Apr 2019 (117) Mar 2019 (123) Feb 2019 (108) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (125) Nov 2018 (122) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (114) Aug 2018 (127) Jul 2018 (124) Jun 2018 (114) May 2018 (130) Apr 2018 (123) Mar 2018 (128) Feb 2018 (114) Jan 2018 (126) Dec 2017 (123) Nov 2017 (121) Oct 2017 (121) Sep 2017 (116) Aug 2017 (119) Jul 2017 (108) Jun 2017 (116) May 2017 (110) Apr 2017 (111) Mar 2017 (119) Feb 2017 (109) Jan 2017 (108) Dec 2016 (113) Nov 2016 (116) Oct 2016 (118) Sep 2016 (120) Aug 2016 (112) Jul 2016 (111) Jun 2016 (125) May 2016 (111) Apr 2016 (112) Mar 2016 (121) Feb 2016 (114) Jan 2016 (114) Dec 2015 (119) Nov 2015 (117) Oct 2015 (125) Sep 2015 (124) Aug 2015 (103) Jul 2015 (125) Jun 2015 (131) May 2015 (123) Apr 2015 (129) Mar 2015 (133) Feb 2015 (125) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (134) Nov 2014 (129) Oct 2014 (144) Sep 2014 (127) Aug 2014 (130) Jul 2014 (143) Jun 2014 (131) May 2014 (137) Apr 2014 (139) Mar 2014 (134) Feb 2014 (128) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (140) Nov 2013 (136) Oct 2013 (145) Sep 2013 (146) Aug 2013 (147) Jul 2013 (151) Jun 2013 (141) May 2013 (150) Apr 2013 (149) Mar 2013 (151) Feb 2013 (133) Jan 2013 (160) Dec 2012 (154) Nov 2012 (157) Oct 2012 (165) Sep 2012 (145) Aug 2012 (161) Jul 2012 (170) Jun 2012 (162) May 2012 (169) Apr 2012 (162) Mar 2012 (162) Feb 2012 (156) Jan 2012 (169) Dec 2011 (157) Nov 2011 (178) Oct 2011 (182) Sep 2011 (170) Aug 2011 (178) Jul 2011 (174) Jun 2011 (157) May 2011 (158) Apr 2011 (164) Mar 2011 (172) Feb 2011 (162) Jan 2011 (177) Dec 2010 (171) Nov 2010 (169) Oct 2010 (182) Sep 2010 (179) Aug 2010 (184) Jul 2010 (190) Jun 2010 (189) May 2010 (198) Apr 2010 (185) Mar 2010 (210) Feb 2010 (195) Jan 2010 (212) Dec 2009 (225) Nov 2009 (209) Oct 2009 (215) Sep 2009 (202) Aug 2009 (230) Jul 2009 (269) Jun 2009 (252) May 2009 (241) Apr 2009 (256) Mar 2009 (254) Feb 2009 (255) Jan 2009 (214) Dec 2008 (204) Nov 2008 (252) Oct 2008 (268) Sep 2008 (304) Aug 2008 (210) Jul 2008 (251) Jun 2008 (206) May 2008 (203) Apr 2008 (202) Mar 2008 (204) Feb 2008 (195) Jan 2008 (212) Dec 2007 (179) Nov 2007 (189) Oct 2007 (179) Sep 2007 (176) Aug 2007 (209) Jul 2007 (155) Jun 2007 (135) May 2007 (106) Apr 2007 (120) Mar 2007 (138) Feb 2007 (77) Jan 2007 (70) Dec 2006 (63) Nov 2006 (70) Oct 2006 (67) Sep 2006 (70) Aug 2006 (61) Jul 2006 (56) Jun 2006 (44) May 2006 (60) Apr 2006 (53) Mar 2006 (45) Feb 2006 (38) Jan 2006 (42) Dec 2005 (46) Nov 2005 (54) Oct 2005 (60) Sep 2005 (46) Aug 2005 (86) Jul 2005 (43) Jun 2005 (47) May 2005 (52) Apr 2005 (39) Mar 2005 (29) Feb 2005 (26) Jan 2005 (12)
BELGIQUE :: African Literature: Between Geniuses affluence and Criticism shortage :: BELGIUM

There is no doubt African Literature is experiencing an upgrading stage of its history, since its golden age in colonial years, or decades following the independances period. But to prevent this article from shifting into another debate, since some intellectuals are still convinced that theres no African Literature, lets just assume that there is a certain interest for Literature in Africa nowadays, a bit more than previously. At least this observation is not likely to provoke an argument.

This running decade is matter-of-factly seeing lots of initiatives in favor of liking reading and book promotion throughout the Black continent. Literary prizes, Book fairs, and other related events are implemented to see more Africans reading in the years to come. And fortunately, a new and fresh literature, daring, not to say non-conformist, is arising to satisfy some of the readers who are a bit tired with the old school literature.

Adaptability is the keyword; these words are also valid for nowadays Literature and especially African Literature. The contemporary author, when elaborating his work, ought to keep in mind that his potential reader will have the choice amongst his book and many other distractive funs, such as smartphones, movies, enjoying with friends or family, and only a good work, from an ingenious author, could deserve more attention. Africa is rich of such potentials. Fiston Mwanza Mujila and Eric Mendi, just to name two, have often been quoted for their lack of conformism, or even their rebel way of writing ; as a proof to what has been said above (some readers are a bit tired with the old school literature), this label has not prevented them from being internationnaly recognized as gifted writers.

Lets now consider the role of literary critics, which is a very important one.

In the previous years money could simply make of you a masterpiece author in some countries of Africa. Since literary citics articles could be bought, a work could be declared a very good one in brilliant articles, whatever be its real merit. And some poor books have thus been quoted as references in academic works or seen themselves integrated the schools programs. Such methods are not to magnify African Literature. And readers in the long run would lose confidence in literary critics and African books, if such practices continue to prosper. Fortunately, some actors are aware of the problem and are taking good measures to stifle it, such as creating literary prizes with objective procedures, which stand for kind of geniuses finder (The Grand Prix of Literary Associations, created in Cameroon in 2013, is a very good example that can be mentioned here). Such initiatives can certainly help cleaning up the environment and they should be encouraged, but still, they cannot pretend to fulfill the mission of literary critics, which is a very special one.

Literature needs Criticism like a society needs Literature. Critics are the ones who lead the literature scene, find out gifted authors, scent new tendencies, try to understand their origin or suppose them precursors. More African literary critics are still nostalgic of the past, meanwhile the African literature is moving forward to many ways. This is a modest plea calling for African intellectuals who are skilled enough to immortalize the current African Literature evolution. Otherwise, this would be done by others, and assuredly at their convenience.

Translated from the French original article (La litterature africaine ne manque pas de genies mais de critiques), on Africultures.com
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 9:11AM

Apple and Nokia have buried their litigious hatchets and resolved their long-running intellectual property dispute centered on smartphone and cellular technology patents. The companies are moving forward as business partners now.

This is a meaningful agreement between Nokia and Apple, said Maria Varsellona, Chief Legal Officer at Nokia, responsible for Nokias patent licensing business. It moves our relationship with Apple from being adversaries in court to business partners working for the benefit of our customers.

According to a press release from both parties,"under a business collaboration agreement, Nokia will be providing certain network infrastructure product and services to Apple. Apple will resume carrying Nokia digital health products (formerly under the Withings brand) in Apple retail and online stores, and Apple and Nokia are exploring future collaboration in digital health initiatives. Regular summits between top Nokia and Apple executives will ensure that the relationship works effectively and to the benefit of both parties and their customers." This proves that rivals can always become partners, specially if there's profit to be made for both sides.
Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 6:26PM

If youre like us, you might have a special place in your heart for slider phones. LG seems to be tapping into thator at least its early ideas for the V30 seem to think so. Evan Blass (@evleaks) tweeted several early mockups (here, here, and here) of the LG V30 showing a phone with a secondary display that slides out of the bottom of the device. And yes, we think its very reminiscent of the BlackBerry Priv.

Blass cautions that these are old-ish renders of the device so we cant say if this is what LG plans for its V line. It does show us though what the company might be planning for its next V device. LG has been pretty experimental so far with its V line of devices and whether that pays off or not, were not sure. What do you think? Would you consider buying a phone like this?

Source: The Verge
"For some postgraduate students it is tricky because they're here between 18 months and two years and they won't be able to experience it because it's under construction ... but I'm happy with what the new Union Court is going to look like," she said.
Under the proposal the private health insurance rebate would be abolished, consumers would be charged more for extras cover and the states would be forced to find more money for public hospitals
"Without necessary government funding to acquire items of national cultural significance, cultural institutions (and therefore the Australian public) will either miss out or need to rely on the generosity of many individual donors," the paper said.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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.
We all know that school is the foundation for every student to build their ambitions. But what most of us focus in that message is making the kids academically strong. Why? To have great scores in the report card that would fetch them a premiere college. And? Great ranks in the college to get placed instantly. And? Churn out money that would take care of their luxury. And? Settle in life.

Before we build a series of castles in the air, we should understand that life is not a fairy tale to make things as you plan because children are not robots to execute your dreams but human beings who would desire to live a normal life and have one for themselves. So what best can you do to make them successful in life? Here are some things that teachers should do to make their school students successful people in life.

Strengthen their communication skills

Yes, language is just a medium of communication while other subjects are knowledge but great communication skills can make up for the student even if they are not knowledgeable. No, it does not mean they need to ignore other subjects. But focusing on building their communication skills will get them an edge over their other competitors in life. It's a life skill that they can rely on.

Make their English classes innovative through skit and dance and make them enjoy the goodness of the language. This implies to other languages too. After all, vocabulary is the fitness of the mind.

Shift Study for Swift Learning

Value Education

This is something that one would have heard many times. So what is this value education all about? Starting from the three magic words - sorry, thank you and please to donating for the needy comes under value education. Why is it important? This is important because it is our choices that decide who we are, far more than our abilities. A person's character is something that will take her long way than the talents. What is taught at age five will stay with them even past fifty years. So this is the best time to sow in them the seeds of being good to themselves and others.

Physical Education

As the popular saying goes, 'Health is Wealth', making the students physically fit is a priceless asset that the teacher can gift them. Don't take away the PT periods to finish their syllabus, instead keep them active with outdoor games and let them have fun exercising. A healthy body gives rise to a healthy mind which automatically gives rise to a groomed individual.

Teach Entrepreneurship

One of the means of empowerment is giving shape to ideas and being financially independent. Organising school level carnivals will help students learn how shops work and be stepping stones for the big business dreams. There is a corporation school in Chennai, Tamilnadu that actually empowers poor children by teaching them about finance and business and help them earn through their stalls. Recently, it saw a turnover of Rs 35,000 in an hour, brains behind this, being an educationist, Dr Nirmala Prasad.

Bring students out of their bookish confinement and inculcate in them life skills, they will be grateful to you for their lifetime and who knows, would return your favour in unexpected ways to you and the society.

How to Find the Right Tuition Centre for Your Kids? : 6 Ways to Guide You
A Mexican automaker owned in part by billionaire Carlos Slim is developing an electric taxi, which it hopes could ultimately spawn a fleet of vehicles to replace Mexico Citys petrol-powered cabs.



Reuters reports that Giant Motors recently partnered with electric vehicle maker Moldex as well as four large Mexican universities to produce a prototype of the environmentally-friendly car.

In an interview, chief executive of Giant Motors Latinoamerica, Elias Massri, said: Were developing the prototypes and hope to finish them this year to find a viable solution, an electric vehicle, that genuinely replaces gasoline-using cars.

Mexico City has some of the highest pollution levels in the world and has incredibly high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

In December 2016, the mayor of Mexico City joined those of Paris, Madrid and Athens to ban diesel-powered vehicles by 2025.

PHOTO GALLERY
Frances consumer fraud watchdog believes Volkswagen earned 22.78 billion euros ($25.65 billion) by selling its diesel emissions cheating vehicles in the country, Reuters reports.



Local publication Le Monde first reported the news last week citing a file that was sent to national prosecutors by the DGCCRF anti-fraud agency. It is also alleged that by not utilizing technology that would have allowed it to comply with regulations, the German brand saved 1.52 billion euros ($1.69 billion).

The findings of the agency could be used by the Paris prosecutor to convict VW of fraud and the DGCCRF says its possible for the company to be slapped with fines worth 10 per cent of its annual income, approximately $22 billion.

Volkswagen has already been ordered to pay a $2.8 billion criminal fine in the United States in a saga which has already cost it well over $20 billion.

PHOTO GALLERY
Update -- May 28

Photo: RCMP A handout photo of the Costco bear spray suspect (RCMP).

Kelowna RCMP have released a photo of a woman accused of bear spraying a Costco employee during an alleged attempted robbery.

Police say the employee was confronting a woman believed to be a possible shoplifter when the assault took place.

Staff at the door and a group of children are said to have been affected by the attack, and had to be treated at the scene.

Witnesses say the bear spraying took place when the woman tried to leave the store with a shopping cart full of goods and was stopped at the door around 3 p.m.

She fled the scene on foot across Highway 33, leaving her items behind.

The woman is described as:

Caucasian female

5 ft 4 in (162 cm)

Blonde hair, with an orange tinge, worn in a pony tail

Pock-marked face

Wearing a white tank top, white or grey sweater and red mini skirt

Carrying a black backpack

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP, Cst. Flaman at 250-762-3300 of Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

Original story -- May 25

Around 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon a Costco employee was assaulted as a customer turned assailant fled the building.

The employee was standing by the exit checking carts when the suspect bear-sprayed her and fled.

Paramedics said the employee will be fine, although she is in pain and is a bit shaken up.

"The victim was treated at the site with basic first aid - no transports needed."

Costco employees on the scene said they were unsure how many suspects there were.

"A lady was coming out with a cart, and bear sprayed one of the taggers, like that tags the receipts as you come out of Costco," said an RCMP officer who was in the ambulance with the victim.

"We're just still looking into it."

Check back for more updates.
Photo: Get Outside BC Get Outside BC gives teenagers a chance to learn leadership skills in the wilderness this summer.

Teenagers looking to spend their summer outside have a unique opportunity this year.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is hosting Get Outside BC, a youth leadership program based out of Kelowna, from July through October.

We are returning to Kelowna to empower youth aged 14-18 by teaching them hands-on skills in wilderness survival, leadership, and conservation in order to prepare them to lead projects that connect other youth to wild spaces, said Alena Wittman, Get Outside BC co-ordinator, in a press release.

The free program starts with a five day camping trip to Conkle Lake Provincial Park, from July 10 -14, followed by bi-weekly gatherings through until Oct. 21.

The bi-weekly meetings will take participants outside and help teach leadership skills using different outdoor activities like canoeing, hiking and rock climbing. During this time, each participant will lead one outdoor activity of their own creation, with access to a $150 bursary to bring their activity to fruition.

CPAWS-BC believes that in order to ensure conservation is a long-term priority, we need to equip the next generation of youth to feel safe exploring nature; to defend socially, culturally and biologically important spaces, and to lead their peers along a similar journey, Wittman said.

Those interested in joining the program can call Wittman at 604-685-7445 ext. 34. Applications will be accepted until June 4.
You could have the missing piece of the puzzle that will help the RCMP put someone behind bars. Here are some recent crimes that Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers hope you can help solve by calling our anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net or text to CRIMES (274637), starting with Ktown.

CRIME: THEFT OF VAN

DATE: May 21, 2017

RCMP FILE: 2017-26548

Keys forgotten on a patio table led to the theft of a van overnight between 11:00p.m. on May 21st and 7:00 the next morning. The vehicle is a 2001 green Toyota Sienna van with BC licence plate number DX512V and VIN 4T3ZF19C01U365591. The van was stolen from the 2300 block of Lacresta Road in Lake Country.

Photo: Crime Stoppers

If you know anything about this crime, or any other crime, call the Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS or visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net. Your information will be kept confidential and could lead to a reward of up to $2000.00.

CRIME: THEFT FROM VEHICLE

DATE: May 3, 2017

RCMP FILE: 2017-22082

During the early hours of May 3rd a thief broke into a 1993 Ford F250 truck parked on the 9700 block of Winview Road in Lake Country. Entry was gained by opening the unlocked small passenger door window and then reaching in to unlock the door. A black Milwaukee backpack full of hand tools was taken, however power tools were left behind. The tools in the backpack include a 9/16 nut driver, pipe pliers, ratchet cable cutters, 3 crescent wrenches, drill bits, Milwaukee multimeter cables etc.

Photo: Crime Stoppers

You can help catch these suspects and qualify for a reward by calling Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit our website at www.crimestoppers.net or text to CRIMES (274637), starting with Ktown.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Castanet Staff Property theft in the Central Okanagan rose dramatically in 2016.

Thefts from vehicles and bicycle thefts helped drive crime numbers in the Central Okanagan in 2016.

That's part of a year-end report Supt. Brent Mundle will present to city council Monday.

According to figures, property crime increased 9.5 per cent in 2016, compared with the previous year.

There were 8,546 property crimes reported in 2016. That compares with 7,808 in 2015, and a five-year low of 6,553 in 2014.

Mundle says the increase was primarily driven by small scale offences, including thefts from auto and thefts of bicycles.

Thefts from vehicles in 2016 rose 26 per cent, while bicycle thefts jumped by 43 per cent.

RCMP say many of those crime are preventable. A majority of these types from vehicles or bikes that are left unlocked and unsecured.

While property crime increased, crimes against persons went down in 2016.

There were 1,266 crimes against persons in 2016, a drop of 13 per cent over the previous year, and the lowest figure recorded over the past five years.

The report also shows a big increase in calls for service in the Central Okanagan detachment. Officers responded to 57,000 calls for service in 2016, a rise of 8.33 per cent, or 4,383 calls over 2015.

Over the first quarter of 2017, both property crimes and crimes against persons are down over the first three months of 2016. Again, crimes against persons is at its lowest level in five years.
Photo: Contributed Jonathan Bacon was shot and killed in Kelowna in August 2011.

The three men accused of murdering Jonathan Bacon wrapped up their application to have their charges dropped Thursday, and the judge's decision is expected Monday.

Michael Jones, Jason McBride and Jujhar Khun-Khun have been charged with murder and attempted murder in the midday shooting outside the Grand Hotel in August 2011.

At the outset of their trial on May 15, the defence for the three men applied to have their charges dropped, based on the length of time their case has taken to get to trial.

In a Supreme Court of Canada decision this past summer, the court ruled that a supreme court case should take no longer than 30 months from when charges have been laid, barring delays caused by the defence or other exceptional circumstances.

The application has taken two weeks, but the Crown expects to begin calling evidence in the trial Monday.

The judge will try and provide his decision Monday and assuming the application is dismissed, or if he's unable to provide a decision at that time, the Crown anticipates calling evidence on Monday, said Dan McLaughlin, communications with the BC Prosecution Service.

If Justice Allan Betton decides the case has exceeded the accused's right to a speedy a trial, all of their charges may be dismissed.

Jones, McBride and Khun-Khun have been in custody since their arrest in February 2013.
Photo: Contributed

Several years ago, a friend told me that parents are never happier than their unhappiest child.

In my experience, this is true.

I was reminded of this fact recently, when I discovered that my daughter was going through something that caused her state of well-being to plummet.

I carried a heaviness in the pit of my stomach for the first 24 hours. I didnt sleep well, and I felt that the shine had been rubbed off my life.

How do we boost our sense of well being when our children, other close friend, or family member is suffering?

When faced with a dip in happiness because you are taking on someone elses situation, it is important to remind yourself of a few happiness principles.

Their journey isnt your journey; you are an observer rather than a participant. You can give advice, and a different point of view, but what happens is solely up to the other person. I think this is one of the biggest reasons we are affected so strongly when people we love are suffering.

Feeling helpless isnt a comfortable emotion for any of us, especially if we are the proactive type. You can encourage, push, bribe, or entice as much as you like, but you cant make action happen unless the other person decides to co-operate with your plan.

Put the situation into perspective. You arent living this challenge, you are watching someone else live it.

Think about your own journey through life, and some of the difficult times you have experienced. When you came out of them, what did you learn? Perhaps you discovered that you were stronger than you thought, or ending one relationship led to a new and much better one.

Be confident in the knowledge that although your loved one is suffering now, they are being given an opportunity to learn more about themselves and the world around them. This type of personal growth can be horrible to experience, but when you come out the other side, there is always a gift in the situation if you look for it.

Whenever you are faced with a challenging, or downright disastrous life experience, rest assured that you will come out the other side stronger, and wiser.

I take comfort from the phrase, "Sometimes when things are falling apart, they are actually falling into place."

Robustly happy people understanding that life is an undulating path, and that looking for a learning opportunity is a matter of choice.

These are the two things I leaned into when I felt myself so affected by the sadness of my child.

I trusted that she would:

find her way through the negative experience

understood that she needed to be challenged if she was going to continue to grow as a person.

Growing pains are called that for a reason.

The No. 1 thing most parents want for their children is for them to be happy. Although it is never easy to see your children suffering, it offers them an opportunity to learn more about themselves.

As the observer, you are also being given an opportunity to learn more about yourself.

Im learning how to trust that the young adults I raised have the skills they need to travel their path without me holding their hands. I also believe that these horrible experiences will leave them stronger, and wiser.

I am being reminded that I cant control my childrens lives. They are on their own journeys, and I need to honour that. My role is to listen, console, and pass the Kleenex.

Lastly, I am learning to give advice without any emotional attachment to the outcome. There is no guarantee that the action I think they should take, is in fact the right action for them. They need to make that decision for themselves, and then take responsibility for the outcome.

Im not going to lie; as I saw my baby put all her happiness skills, and strategies to work to learn from her situation and find a way to move forward, I felt incredibly proud of her.

She doesnt need me to navigate her path, she is perfectly capable of doing that for herself, and that makes me happy.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Cram the Cruiser event in Penticton

The Salvation Army food bank was given a boost Saturday, thanks to the RCMP and Superstore in Penticton.

Penticton RCMP Community Policing members and volunteers and Superstore employees were on hand collecting donations for the first ever Cram the Cruiser.

"At this time of year the coffers get low at the food bank, so this is an opportunity to put something positive in the back of a police car," said Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth.

This first event came about after a Superstore representative contacted the RCMP with the suggestion to help the food bank.

Wrigglesworth said he was immediately receptive as he spends a lot of time at the Soupateria and deals with a lot of people who use the food bank.

The effort Saturday included non-perishable food items being placed in two police cars, a barbecue and the opportunity to donate to a Salvation Army kettle.

Miriam Leslie, the Penticton Salvation Army major, said they were happy to get the assistance at a time of year when donations from Christmas are depleted.

"To have something like this is huge," she said. "We see on average 60 to 100 new clients a month at the food bank and the highest percentage are seniors and singles on a limited income."

Others using the food bank are families in need, she added.

By the end of the day, Wrigglesworth said 1,500 pounds of food was donated and they haven't counted money donations or proceeds from the barbecue yet.
Photo: Joe Harder Flood protection

Residents and visitors to Vernon are being reminded to leave flood protection measures in place and bolster them in preparation for high water and possible windy conditions.

The BC River Forecast has indicated there is the potential for Okanagan Lake to increase to 343.15 metres.

Environment Canada reported Okanagan Lake reached 343.05 metres at 11:25 a.m. on Saturday.

This is a five centimetre rise since Friday at 4 a.m. when the lake level was reported as 343 metres.

The high lake levels and variable weather conditions are expected to persist for the foreseeable future.

Residents are reminded that this is a weather driven event and things will continue to evolve with the weather.

The City of Vernon is continuing to monitor rising lake levels.

The increase of lake levels being reported out by various agencies will depend on what time period is being used to report out on.

Sandbags and sand for emergency flooding can be picked up at the following locations:

-Outside Operations main entrance off of Pleasant Valley Road

-4005 Pleasant Valley Road

-Corner of Okanagan Avenue and Okanagan Landing Road (across from Marshall Fields)

-Okanagan Hills Boulevard and Bella Vista Road intersection (entrance to the Rise community)

-8974 Okanagan Landing Road

Powerboats are not recommended on Okanagan or Kalamalka Lake during high water levels because of the risk of damage to shoreline, private property and infrastructure from boat wakes.

Boat propellers can also be damaged by the high level of debris in the water.
Photo: CTV Vancouver A teen has died after taking lethal drug

A 16-year-old girl died Friday after taking a lethal drug she thought was MDMA, according to New Westminster police.

Her friend is also in critical condition.

These two young people were the reason why police warned the public on Friday evening about a lethal strain of drugs circulating in the city.

On Friday, the New Westminster high-school students ingested pills that they thought were MDMAa party drug sometimes known as ecstasy or Molly.

One is dead. The other is in critical condition.

This is a situation that should be deeply concerning to the entire community, Sgt. Jeff Scott told CTV News. We're still actively investigating what the drugs might be. And we're investigating who may have sold the drugs.

Initial toxicology reports show that the pills were not MDMA, but a mixture of unknown drugs. Sgt. Scott could not confirm whether carfentanil or fentanyl were present.

We dont know what the mixture of drugs was, he said.

The two girls bought their drugs from the same dealer. Police are warning those pills are likely part of a larger lethal batch still in circulation.

Scott is advising drug users who dont feel well to seek medical attention immediately. Hes also urging teens and parents to take caution.

In the midst of the B.C.s ongoing fentanyl crisis, advocates are concerned this unidentified lethal mixture could exacerbate the epidemic.

It'll likely end up in the Downtown Eastside, Jordan Westfall, president of the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, told CTV News. People are dying every day And it's scary to think that, but it could get worse.

With files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Twitter/Scott Graham Famous ghost sighting

A famous ghost purported to haunt the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is the talk of the town after a social media user snapped a spooky picture of something  or someone  looming near a window.

Legend has it the ritzy downtown hotel is sometimes inhabited by a well-dressed spectre dubbed the Lady in Red. Shes said to be the ghost of Jennie Pearl Cox, a socialite who frequented events in the hotel ballroom in the 1940s before dying in a car crash.

On Friday, Scott Graham shared an image of the hotel on Twitter and suggested he had spotted her floating figure from outside.

Shes in this picture in a window near the top right. No Photoshop, Graham said.

CTV News visited the hotel and found there is something red in a window near the top floor, though it appears to be a curtain or a tarp used for renovations.

The Fairmont did not respond to requests for comment.

Ghosts of Vancouver, a website dedicated to local paranormal history, said most sightings of the Lady in Red have taken place on the 14th floor, but she has also sent a chill down the spines of people in the ground floor lobby.

She sometimes passes through elevator doors on those floors and glides along the hallways, the site reads.

A family from Japan also once encountered the spirit in one of the rooms, according to Ghosts of Vancouver, and called the front desk to ask if it had been double-booked.

With files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

A woman's body was found in a Victoria creek on Saturday.

A passerby made the discovery in Bowker Creek, near the Oak Bay Recreation Centre, around 9:30 a.m.

The Independent Investigations Office is investigating because police had an interaction with the woman on Friday.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: Twitter

SkyTrain passengers rushed out onto the platform when their car filled with smoke, Saturday.

Riders say the car started filling with smoke as they approached Scott Road Station.

That triggered an alarm, which notified the SkyTrain control centre in Burnaby.

TransLink is investigating the incident, and the train was removed from service.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
The Northern Lights danced above Kelowna Saturday night into Sunday.

Some local residents sent in photos of the phenomenon.

"The Northern Lights were chilling over Kelowna last night and I bolted up to southeast Kelowna in an attempt to get a picture of them," said photographer Parker Burns.
Photo: Darren Handschuh Residents at Head of the Lake are being warned to avoid flood waters.

The Okanagan Indian Band is urging residents affected by flooding on reserve land to stay out of flood water affecting their homes.

Flood water is dangerous, disgusting and filthy dirty, said an information release from the band issued on Saturday. It can be riddled with potentially life-threatening hazard.

Last Tuesday's storm forced an evacuation order on band land to be expanded. Head of the Lake north of Vernon, where houses are on septic systems, was hit particularly hard by the flooding.

Last week, Chief Byron Louis said plans were in place for further evacuations because 115 residences were at risk of flooding.

We had approximately 200,000 sandbags being filled, said Louis on Wednesday. We're looking at 750 residents along Okanagan Lake on reserve lands that could be affected.

Residents affected by flooding are being urged to avoid using their plumbing system.

Flooded sewage disposal systems pose a risk of contamination of local water supplies and may cause disease, said the release.

It also warns of an increase in mosquitos due to the flooding and of hidden objects and ditches in the flood waters.
Photo: BC Gov The body of fire chief Clayton Cassidy has been found, police report.

The body of Cache Creek's fire chief has been located, not far from the area he went missing on May 5th, according to the RCMP in Ashcroft.

On Saturday evening at approximately 10:30 p.m., Ashcroft RCMP were advised that the body of Clayton Cassidy was located in the waters of Cache Creek by members of the Ashcroft fire department.

RCMP officers, search and rescue technicians from Kamloops and Ashcroft firefighters worked throughout the night to try to recover the body, said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, RCMP spokesperson.

He said recovery efforts are continuing, with SAR techs from the 100 Mile House SAR team attending to relieve the previous team.

"Mr Cassidy's body was located a short distance away from the bridge wash out area," Moskaluk said. "It is felt that a recovery will be safely completed today."

Ashcroft RCMP have notified the fire chief's family and are providing support, he said.

It's believed Cassidy, 59, was swept away when he went to inspect the swollen creek earlier this month. His vehicle was also found near the creek.

Cache Creek mayor John Ranta said Cassidy was "highly respected" in the community.

After floods hit the area in May of 2015, Cassidy worked hard to help residents whose homes were damaged. He was given a Medal of Good Citizenship by the provincial government for his service.

"He worked day after day after day after day, 14-hour days, helping people that had debris in their yards or sand and gravel or whatnot," Ranta said. "He just worked tirelessly until the whole community was cleaned up."

Ranta said Cassidy's death will be deeply felt in Cache Creek. "While flood damage can be repaired and we can take measures to prevent further flooding, the thing that can't be replaced is the life of Clayton Cassidy. That will be a tragedy that lives with us for years to come."

 with files from The Canadian Press
AIDS care-givers AIDS care-givers

Aloysius Gonzaga

Abandoned children Abandoned children

Ivo of Kermartin, Jerome Emiliani

Abbeville, France Abbeville, France

Wulfram of Sens

Abdominal pains Abdominal pains

Erasmus (Elmo)

Abingdon, England Abingdon, England

Edmund Rich of Abingdon

Abortion, protection against Abortion, protection against

Catherine of Sweden

Abruzzi region of Italy Abruzzi region of Italy

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Academies, Roman Catholic Academies, Roman Catholic

Thomas Aquinas

Acadians, Cajuns Acadians, Cajuns

Our Lady of the Assumption

Accountants Accountants

Matthew

Accused (falsely) Accused (falsely)

Raymond Nonnatus

Achaia Achaia

Andrew, Apostle

Actors Actors

Genesius, Vitus

Advertisers, advertising Advertisers, advertising

Bernardine of Siena

Advocates Advocates

Ivo of Kermartin

Africa, Central Africa, Central

The Most Pure Heart of Mary

Africa, North Africa, North

Cyprian of Carthage

Africa, Southern Africa, Southern

Mary, on feast of her Assumption

African Catholic Youth Action African Catholic Youth Action

Charles Lwanga

Against Mice, protection against Against Mice, protection against

Gertrude, Servatus, Ulric

Agirone, Sicily Agirone, Sicily

Philip of Agirone

Air crew Air crew

Our Lady of Loreto

Air crew, Belgian Air crew, Belgian

Our Lady of Loreto

Air crew, French Air crew, French

Mary, on feast of her Assumption

Air crew, Spanish Air crew, Spanish

Our Lady of Loreto

Air force, Argentinian Air force, Argentinian

Our Lady of Loreto

Air travelers Air travelers

Joseph of Cupertino

Airborne (Paratroopers) Airborne (Paratroopers)

Michael the Archangel

Alabama USA Alabama USA

Our Lady of the Gulf

Alaska USA Alaska USA

Our Lady of the Kodiak and the Islands

Albania Albania

Mary, Mother of Good Counsel

Albi, France Albi, France

Cecilia

Alcala, Spain Alcala, Spain

Justus and Pastor

Alcira, Valencia, Spain Alcira, Valencia, Spain

Bernard, Gracia, Mary

Alessandro, Italy Alessandro, Italy

Trifone

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria, Egypt

Cyril of Alexandria

Alexians Alexians

Alexius

Alezio, Italy Alezio, Italy

Our Lady of the Assumption

Algeria Algeria

Cyprian of Carthage

Alpine troops Alpine troops

Maurice

Altar servers Altar servers

John Berchmans

Amalfi, Italy Amalfi, Italy

Andrew, Apostle

Ambassadors, Argentinian Ambassadors, Argentinian

Gabriel the Archangel

American Indians, Native Americans American Indians, Native Americans

Anthony of Padua

Ammunition/Ordnance /explosive workers Ammunition/Ordnance /explosive workers

Erasmus (Elmo)

Ancona, Italy Ancona, Italy

Judas Cyriacus

Andalusia Andalusia

John of Avila

Anderlecht, Belgium Anderlecht, Belgium

Guy of Anderlecht

Andorran security forces Andorran security forces

Our Lady Help of Christians

Anesthetists Anesthetists

Rene Goupil

Angola Angola

The Most Pure Heart of Mary

Animals, danger from Animals, danger from

Vitus

Animals, domestic Animals, domestic

Antony the Abbot

Antioch Antioch

Barnabas

Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp, Belgium

Walburga

Aosta, Italy Aosta, Italy

Gratus of Aosta

Apoplexy (Strokes) Apoplexy (Strokes)

Andrew Avellino

Apostleship of Prayer Apostleship of Prayer

Francis Xavier

Apothecaries Apothecaries

Cosmas and Damian

Apprentices Apprentices

John Bosco

Aquila, Italy Aquila, Italy

Maximus of Aquila

Arabia Arabia

Our Lady of Arabia

Aragon, Spain Aragon, Spain

Agathoclia, Braulio, George

Archaeologists Archaeologists

Damasus

Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Louis IX

Archdiocese of San Francisco, California, USA Archdiocese of San Francisco, California, USA

Francis of Assisi

Archdiocese of Tuam, Ireland Archdiocese of Tuam, Ireland

Jarlath

Archers Archers

Sebastian

Architects, Italian Architects, Italian

Benedict, Abbot

Architects, Spanish Architects, Spanish

Our Lady of Bethlehem

Argentina Argentina

Our Lady of Lujan

Argentinian military chaplains Argentinian military chaplains

Our Lady of Lujan

Arizona Arizona

Our Lady of the Highways

Arkansas Arkansas

Our Lady of the Holy Souls

Armenia Armenia

Bartholomew, Gregory the Illuminator

Armies Armies

Maurice

Arms dealers Arms dealers

Adrian of Nicomedia

Army of the Andes Army of the Andes

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Army, Argentinian Army, Argentinian

Our Lady of Mercy

Army, Ecuadorian Army, Ecuadorian

Our Lady of Mercy

Art Art

Catherine of Bologna

Artillery Artillery

Barbara

Artists Artists

Luke, Catherine of Bologna, Bl (Fra) Angelico

Artois region Artois region

Isberga

Ascoli Piceno, Italy Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Emidius

Asia Minor Asia Minor

John the Apostle

Assisi, Italy Assisi, Italy

Francis of Assisi

Astronauts Astronauts

Joseph of Cupertino

Astronomers Astronomers

Dominic

Asylums (for the mentally ill) Asylums (for the mentally ill)

Dymphna

Athletes Athletes

Sebastian

Augsburg Augsburg

Afra, Ulric

Australia Australia

Our Lady Help of Christians

Australian military chaplains Australian military chaplains

Our Lady Help of Christians

Austria Austria

Joseph, Maurice, Coloman, Leopold, Florian

Authority, persons in Authority, persons in

Ferdinand III of Castile

Authors Authors

Francis de Sales

Avenay, Champagne, France Avenay, Champagne, France

Tressan of Mareuil

Aviators, aviation Aviators, aviation

Our Lady of Loreto, Therese of Lisieux, Joseph of Cupertino

Avignon Avignon

Agricola of Avignon, Benezet

Aynac, France Aynac, France

Genistus

Bad Weather, protection against Bad Weather, protection against

Eurosia, Medard

Bakers Bakers

Elizabeth of Hungary, Nicholas of Myra, Honoratus

Bankers Bankers

Matthew, Bernardino of Feltre

Banking Banking

Michael the Archangel

Barcelona, Spain Barcelona, Spain

Our Lady of Mercy

Bari, Italy Bari, Italy

Nicholas, Sabinus

Barra, Scotland Barra, Scotland

Finbar

Barrel makers Barrel makers

Abdon and Sennen

Barren women Barren women

Anthony of Padua, Felicity

Basket makers Basket makers

Antony the Abbot

Battle Battle

Michael the Archangel

Battle, protection against Battle, protection against

Florian

Bavaria Bavaria

Hedwig, Killian

Bee Keepers Bee Keepers

Ambrose

Begerin, Ireland Begerin, Ireland

Ibar

Belgium Belgium

Joseph

Bellmakers Bellmakers

Agatha

Benedictine oblates Benedictine oblates

Henry the Emperor

Benevento, Italy Benevento, Italy

Arthelais, Barbatus of Benevento

Bergamo, Italy Bergamo, Italy

Alexander of Bergamo

Bergen, Norway Bergen, Norway

Sunniva

Bible scholars Bible scholars

Jerome

Birds Birds

Gall

Birth Complications, protection against Birth Complications, protection against

Ulric

Bishops of Latin America Bishops of Latin America

Turibius

Blight, protection against Blight, protection against

Urban of Langres

Blood banks Blood banks

Januarius

Blood donors Blood donors

Our Lady of the Thorns

Bodily ills Bodily ills

Our Lady of Lourdes

Bolivia Bolivia

Francis Solano, Our Lady of Capucdana (Virgin de la Candelaria), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Virgin de la Candelaria, Virgin of Copacabana, La Virgen de Copacabana (Virgin of Copacabana)

Bolivian navy Bolivian navy

Our Lady of Charity

Bologna, Italy Bologna, Italy

Petronius

Bombay, India Bombay, India

Gundisalvus Garcia

Book trade Book trade

John of God

Bookbinders Bookbinders

Celestine V (pope), John of God

Bookkeepers Bookkeepers

Matthew

Bordeaux, France Bordeaux, France

Simon Stock

Borneo Borneo

Francis Xavier

Boston, Massachusetts, USA Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Botulph

Boy Scouts Boy Scouts

George

Boys, young Boys, young

Dominic Savio

Brazil Brazil

Nossa senhora de Aparecida, Peter of Alcantara

Brescia, Italy Brescia, Italy

Faustinus

Bricklayers Bricklayers

Stephen

Brides Brides

Nicholas of Myra

Bridges Bridges

John Nepomucene

Brigands (danger from) Brigands (danger from)

Leonard of Noblac

Brittany Brittany

Ivo of Kermartin

Broadcasters Broadcasters

Gabriel the Archangel

Bruises and Bruising, protection against Bruises and Bruising, protection against

Amalburga

Brussels Brussels

Michael the Archangel

Building trade Building trade

Stephen

Bulgaria Bulgaria

Cyril and Methodius

Burgos, Spain Burgos, Spain

Adelelmus

Bursars Bursars

Joseph

Business people Business people

Homobonus

Businesswomen Businesswomen

Margaret of Clitherow

Button makers Button makers

Louis

Byzantine Eparchy of Van Nuys, Arizona, USA Byzantine Eparchy of Van Nuys, Arizona, USA

Holy Protection of the Mother of God

Cab drivers Cab drivers

Joseph, Fiacre

Cagliari, Italy Cagliari, Italy

Saturninus of Cagliari

Cake makers Cake makers

Honoratus

California California

Our Lady of the Wayside

Caltanissett, Sicily Caltanissett, Sicily

Michael the Archangel

Cambridge University Cambridge University

Etheldreda

Canada Canada

Anne (Mother of Mary), Joseph, The martyrs of North America

Cancer Patients Cancer Patients

Michael Argemir

Cancer victims Cancer victims

Peregrine Laziosi

Candelada Candelada

Bernard of Valdeiglesias

Canonists, canon lawyers Canonists, canon lawyers

Raymond of Pennafort, Robert Bellarmine, Ivo of Kermartin

Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross; Crosier Fathers; Crosier Order Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross; Crosier Fathers; Crosier Order

Odilia

Capuchin-Franciscan Province of Mid-America Capuchin-Franciscan Province of Mid-America

Conrad of Parzham

Carmelite schools Carmelite schools

Albert of Sicily

Cartagena, Spain Cartagena, Spain

Modestus

Cashel, Ireland Cashel, Ireland

Albert of Cashel

Castelabbate Italy Castelabbate Italy

Constabilis of Cava

Catalonia Catalonia

George

Catania Catania

Agatha

Caterpillars, protection against Caterpillars, protection against

Magnus of Fussen

Catholic Action (in Italy) Catholic Action (in Italy)

Paul, Apostle, Gabriel Possenti

Catholic Writers Catholic Writers

Francis de Sales

Catholic Youth Catholic Youth

Aloysius Gonzaga

Catholic schools, Catholic academies Catholic schools, Catholic academies

Thomas Aquinas, Ursula

Cattaro, Dalmatia Cattaro, Dalmatia

Trifone

Cattle breeders Cattle breeders

Mark

Cavalry Cavalry

Martin of Tours

Cavalry, Italian Cavalry, Italian

George

Cebu, Philippines Cebu, Philippines

El Nino

Cemetery keepers, or caretakers Cemetery keepers, or caretakers

Joseph of Arimathea

Central Africa Central Africa

Therese of Lisieux

Central America Central America

Our Lady of Loreto, Rose of Lima

Central and South America Central and South America

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Rose of Lima

Chaplains, military Chaplains, military

John of Capistrano

Chaplains, military, Argentinian Chaplains, military, Argentinian

Our Lady of Lujan

Chaplains, military, Australian Chaplains, military, Australian

Our Lady Help of Christians

Chaplains, military, Belgian Chaplains, military, Belgian

Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces

Chaplains, military, Philippine Chaplains, military, Philippine

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Chaplains, military, Spanish Chaplains, military, Spanish

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Charcoal-burners Charcoal-burners

Alexander the charcoal-burner

Charitable societies Charitable societies

Vincent de Paul

Chemists (pharmacists) Chemists (pharmacists)

Cosmas and Damian

Chilblain Chilblain

Basilissa

Chilblains, protection against Chilblains, protection against

Basilissa, Genesius of Arles

Childless women Childless women

Anne (Mother of Mary)

Children Children

Nicholas of Myra, Raymond Nonnatus, Nicholas of Tolentino

Children of Mary Children of Mary

Agnes, Maria Goretti

Children, desire for Children, desire for

Rita of Cascia

Children, illegitimate Children, illegitimate

John Francis Regis

Chile Chile

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, James the Greater

Chilean army Chilean army

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Chilean navy Chilean navy

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

China China

Mary, Queen of China

Choirboys, choirs Choirboys, choirs

Dominic Savio

Cholera Cholera

Roch

Christian Mothers Christian Mothers

Anne (Mother of Mary)

Church Church

Joseph

Church in North Africa Church in North Africa

Ignatius of Antioch

Church in the eastern Mediterranean Church in the eastern Mediterranean

Ignatius of Antioch

Cingoli, Italy Cingoli, Italy

Sperandea

Cistercian Order Cistercian Order

Our Lady of the Assumption

Civil Servants Civil Servants

Thomas More

Clergy Clergy

Gabriel Possenti

Clergy, Diocesan Clergy, Diocesan

John of Avila

Clergy, Parochial Clergy, Parochial

John Vianney

Clerics Clerics

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Clermont (formerly Averna), France Clermont (formerly Averna), France

Illidius

Clothworkers Clothworkers

Homobonus

Cloyne, Ireland Cloyne, Ireland

Colman of Cloyne

Cobblers Cobblers

Crispin and Crispinian

Coin collectors Coin collectors

Eligius (Eloi)

Cold or Cold Weather, protection against Cold or Cold Weather, protection against

Maurus, Sebaldus

Colegio Capranica Seminary of Rome Colegio Capranica Seminary of Rome

Agnes of Rome

Colic Colic

Erasmus (Elmo)

Colleges Colleges

Thomas Aquinas

Colombia Colombia

Peter Claver, Louis Betrand, Our Lady of Chiquinquira

Colorado Colorado

Immaculate Mary, Francis of Assisi

Comedians Comedians

Vitus

Commissariat, French Army Commissariat, French Army

Ambrose

Commissariat, Spanish military Commissariat, Spanish military

Teresa of Avila

Communication Workers Communication Workers

Gabriel the Archangel

Communism, opposition to Communism, opposition to

Joseph

Condemned criminals Condemned criminals

Dismas

Congo; Zaire; Belgian Congo Congo; Zaire; Belgian Congo

Immaculate Conception of Mary, Our Lady, Queen of Nations

Connecticut Connecticut

Notre Dame of Easton

Construction workers Construction workers

Thomas, Apostle

Contagious diseases Contagious diseases

Robert Bellarmine, Sebastian

Conze (Conza), Italy Conze (Conza), Italy

Herbert Hoscam

Cooks Cooks

Martha

Coopers Coopers

Abdon and Sennen

Cordoba, Spain Cordoba, Spain

Acisclus, Victoria

Corfu (Kerkira) Island, Greece Corfu (Kerkira) Island, Greece

Arsenius of Corfu, Spyridon

Cork, Ireland Cork, Ireland

Finbar

Corleone, Sicily Corleone, Sicily

Leolucas

Corsica Corsica

Alexander Sauli, Devota, Julia of Corsica, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Costa Rica Costa Rica

Our Lady of the Angels, Our Lady of the Assumption

Council of Vatican II Council of Vatican II

Joseph

Court Clerks Court Clerks

Thomas More

Craftsmen and women Craftsmen and women

Dymphna

Craftworkers Craftworkers

Luke

Cremona, Italy Cremona, Italy

Himerius

Crete Crete

Titus

Croatia Croatia

Joseph

Crops, protection of Crops, protection of

Magnus of Fussen

Cuba Cuba

La Virgen de la Caridad (Our Lady of Charity), Virgin de Regla

Cuby, Cornwall Cuby, Cornwall

Cybi

Cursillo movement Cursillo movement

Paul, Apostle

Customs officers Customs officers

Matthew

Cutlers Cutlers

Lucy

Cyprus Cyprus

Barnabas, Apostle

Dairy workers Dairy workers

Bridgid of Ireland

Dalmatia Dalmatia

Blaise

Dancers Dancers

Vitus

Deacons Deacons

Stephen

Deaf Deaf

Francis de Sales

Death by Artillery, protection against Death by Artillery, protection against

Barbara

Death, happy Death, happy

Joseph of Cupertino

Death, sudden Death, sudden

Andrew Avellino

Degree candidates Degree candidates

Joseph of Cupertino

Delaware, USA Delaware, USA

Our Lady of Mercy

Denmark Denmark

Anskar

Dentists Dentists

Apollonia

Desperate situations Desperate situations

Jude, Gregory the Wonderworker, Rita of Cascia, Eustace

Detraction Detraction

John Nepomucene

Devil, protection against Devil, protection against

Dionysius the Aeropagite

Diabolical possession Diabolical possession

Cyriacus, Dymphna

Difficult situations Difficult situations

Eustace

Digne, France Digne, France

Vincent of Digne

Dijon Dijon

Benignus of Dijon, Urban of Langres

Diocesan priests Diocesan priests

John of Avila

Diplomatic services Diplomatic services

Gabriel the Archangel

Disabled Disabled

Giles

Disasters Disasters

Genevieve (Genofeva)

Diseased Cattle, protection against Diseased Cattle, protection against

Beuno, Erhard of Regensburg, Roch, Sebastian

Diseases of the eye Diseases of the eye

Raphael the Archangel, Lucy

Diseases, contagious Diseases, contagious

Roch, Sebastian

Diseases, nervous Diseases, nervous

Dymphna

Dizziness or Vertigo, protection against Dizziness or Vertigo, protection against

Ulric

Domestic animals Domestic animals

Antony the Abbot, Gerlac of Valkenburg

Domestic workers Domestic workers

Zita

Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

Our Lady of Mercy

Doubters Doubters

Joseph

Draguignan, France Draguignan, France

Rosalina of Villeneuve

Drought Drought

Genevieve (Genofeva)

Drought relief Drought relief

Herbert, Godeberta, Solange

Drowning, death or danger from Drowning, death or danger from

Adjutor

Druggists (pharmacists) Druggists (pharmacists)

Cosmas and Damian

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik

Blaise

Durham, England Durham, England

Cuthbert

Dyers Dyers

Maurice

Earaches, protection against Earaches, protection against

Cornelius, Polycarp of Smyrna

Earthquakes Earthquakes

Emygdius, Francis Borgia, Gregory the Wonderworker

East Indies East Indies

Francis Xavier, Thomas, Apostle

East Renfrewshire, Scotland East Renfrewshire, Scotland

Conval

Ecologists, ecology Ecologists, ecology

Francis of Assisi

Ecuador Ecuador

Sacred Heart, Mary, The Most Pure Heart of Mary

Ecuadorian army Ecuadorian army

Our Lady of Mercy

Eczema Eczema

Antony the Abbot

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland

Giles

Education, public Education, public

Martin de Porres

Egypt Egypt

Mark

Einsiedeln, Switzerland Einsiedeln, Switzerland

Meinrad

El Salvador El Salvador

Our Lady of Peace

Eloquence, sacred Eloquence, sacred

John Chrysostom

Embroiderers Embroiderers

Clare, Parasceva

Emigrants Emigrants

Frances Xavier Cabrini

Enemy Plots, protection against Enemy Plots, protection against

Drausinus

Engineers, Italian Engineers, Italian

Benedict, Abbot

Engineers, Spanish army Engineers, Spanish army

Ferdinand III of Castile

Engineers, military, Italian Engineers, military, Italian

Barbara

English Benedictines English Benedictines

Benedict Biscop

Epidemics Epidemics

Godeberta

Epilepsy Epilepsy

Dymphna, Vitus, Willibrord

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Ergotism, aka Saint Antony's fire, protection against Ergotism, aka Saint Antony's fire, protection against

Antony the Abbot

Eruptions of Mount Etna, protection against Eruptions of Mount Etna, protection against

Agatha

Estremadura, Spain Estremadura, Spain

Peter of Alcantara, Virgin of Guadalupe

Ethiopia Ethiopia

Frumentius

Eucharist, The Eucharist, The

Paschal Baylon

Eucharistic Guilds Eucharistic Guilds

Paschal Baylon

Eucharistic congresses and organizations Eucharistic congresses and organizations

Paschal Baylon

Europe Europe

Benedict, Abbot, Cyril and Methodius

Evil Spirits, protection against Evil Spirits, protection against

Agrippina, Quirinus

Examination candidates Examination candidates

Joseph of Cupertino

Exegetes, scriptural Exegetes, scriptural

Jerome

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College, Oxford

Blessed Virgin Mary, Peter the Apostle, Thomas of Canterbury

Expectant Mothers Expectant Mothers

Gerard Majella, Raymond Nonnatus

Faculties of law Faculties of law

Raymond of Pennafort

Fahan, Ireland Fahan, Ireland

Mura McFeredach

Falling Falling

Venantius

Falsely accused Falsely accused

Raymond Nonnatus

Famine, protection against Famine, protection against

Walburga

Farm labourers (Spain, Canada, Mexico) Farm labourers (Spain, Canada, Mexico)

Isidore the Farmer

Farm workers Farm workers

Benedict, Abbot

Farmers Farmers

Isidore the Farmer

Farmers, Italian Farmers, Italian

Benedict, Abbot

Fathers Fathers

Joseph

Ferrara, Italy Ferrara, Italy

George

Fervent First Communion Fervent First Communion

Bl Imelda

Fever Fever

Genevieve (Genofeva)

Finland Finland

Henry of Finland

Fire fighters Fire fighters

Florian, John of God

Fire prevention Fire prevention

Catherine of Siena, Agatha

Firemen (Italian) Firemen (Italian)

Barbara

First Communicants First Communicants

Tarcisius

Fliers Fliers

Our Lady of Loreto

Flight attendants Flight attendants

Bona

Flight crew Flight crew

Our Lady of Loreto

Flood Flood

Gregory the Wonderworker, Florian

Florentine cheese merchants Florentine cheese merchants

Bartholomew the Apostle

Florentine salt merchants Florentine salt merchants

Bartholomew the Apostle

Florida Florida

Our Lady of La Leche

Florists, flower growers Florists, flower growers

Therese of Lisieux, Rose of Lima, Bl. Rose of Viterbo

Flying Flying

Joseph of Cupertino, Elijah

Flying, all involved in Flying, all involved in

Our Lady of Loreto

Foresters Foresters

John Gualbert

Forli, Italy Forli, Italy

James Salomone

Fosses, Belgium Fosses, Belgium

Foillan

Foundlings Foundlings

Holy Innocents

Fragalata, Sicily Fragalata, Sicily

Calogerus, Demetrius, Gregory

Franciscan Lay Franciscan Lay

Didacus

Franciscan laity Franciscan laity

Didacus

Franciscan tertiaries Franciscan tertiaries

Louis

French Commissariat French Commissariat

Ambrose of Milan

French monarchs French monarchs

Louis IX

Frenzy, protection against Frenzy, protection against

Denis, Peter the Apostle, Ulric

Frost, protection against Frost, protection against

Urban of Langres

Funeral directors Funeral directors

Joseph of Arimathea

Gap Gap

Arnulph

Garage, or gas station, workers Garage, or gas station, workers

Eligius (Eloi)

Garment workers Garment workers

Homobonus

Gas station workers Gas station workers

Eligius (Eloi)

Geese Geese

Martin of Tours

Georgia, USA Georgia, USA

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Georgia, former USSR Georgia, former USSR

George, Nino

Ghent, Belgium Ghent, Belgium

Amalburga, Bavo, Macarius of Antioch, Pharaildis

Gibraltar Gibraltar

Bernard of Clairvaux

Girl Scouts Girl Scouts

Agnes of Rome

Girls Girls

Agnes, Maria Goretti

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow, Scotland

Kentigern

Glassworkers Glassworkers

Luke

Glaziers Glaziers

Lucy

Glendalough, Ireland Glendalough, Ireland

Kevin

Goa, India Goa, India

Francis Xavier

Golden-Tounges orator Golden-Tounges orator

Peter Chrysologus

Goldsmiths Goldsmiths

Dunstan, Anastasius, Eligius (Eloi)

Governors Governors

Ferdinand III of Castile

Gozo Gozo

George

Gravediggers Gravediggers

Antony the Abbot, Joseph of Arimathea

Greece Greece

Paul, Apostle

Greece Greece

Andrew, Apostle, George, Nicholas of Myra

Greek Catholic Church in America Greek Catholic Church in America

Nicholas of Tolentino

Greek Catholic Union Greek Catholic Union

Nicholas of Myra

Greetings Greetings

Valentine

Grocers Grocers

Michael the Archangel

Gronigen, Nederlands Gronigen, Nederlands

Walburga

Guatemala Guatemala

James the Greater

Gunners Gunners

Barbara

Haarlem, Nederlands Haarlem, Nederlands

Bavo

Haemorrhage Haemorrhage

Lucy

Haemorrhoid sufferers Haemorrhoid sufferers

Fiacre

Hail Hail

Magnus of Fussen

Hainault, Belgium Hainault, Belgium

Waltude

Haiti Haiti

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Hanging; Hanged People, protection against Hanging; Hanged People, protection against

Colman of Stockerau

Hawaii, USA Hawaii, USA

Mary, Queen of Peace

Headaches Headaches

Teresa of Avila, Denis, Bishop of Paris

Health inspectors Health inspectors

Raphael the Archangel

Health service, public Health service, public

Martin de Porres

Heart patients Heart patients

John of God

Hernia sufferers Hernia sufferers

Cathal

Hesitation, protection against Hesitation, protection against

Joseph

High command, Spanish High command, Spanish

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Highways, motorways Highways, motorways

John the Baptist

Hirnant, Powys, Wales Hirnant, Powys, Wales

Ellidius

Hoarseness Hoarseness

Bernardine of Siena

Hoarseness, protection against Hoarseness, protection against

Bernardine of Siena, Maurus

Holland Holland

Willibrord

Holland, the Nederlands, the Netherlands Holland, the Nederlands, the Netherlands

Bavo, Plechelm, Willibrord

Holy Name Society; Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus Holy Name Society; Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus

John of Vercelli

Honduras Honduras

Our Lady of Suyapa, Our Lady of Suyapa

Hopeless (or desperate) cases Hopeless (or desperate) cases

Jude, Rita of Cascia, Gregory the Wonderworker

Horses Horses

Eligius (Eloi), Martin of Tours, Hippolytus

Horticulturalists Horticulturalists

Adam, Fiacre

Hoteliers Hoteliers

Gentian

Hoteliers (Italian) Hoteliers (Italian)

Martha

Hotelkeepers Hotelkeepers

Amand

House hunting House hunting

Joseph

Housewives Housewives

Anne (Mother of Mary), Martha

Hungary Hungary

Stephen, Mary, Great Queen of Hungary

Hunters Hunters

Hubert, Eustachius

Hydrophobia, or rabies Hydrophobia, or rabies

Hubert, Ubald

Iceland Iceland

Anskar, Thorlac

Iceland Iceland

St. Thorlac Thorhallsson

Idaho Idaho

Our Lady of Limerick

Illinois Illinois

Our Lady of the Universe

Illness (mental) Illness (mental)

Dymphna

Immigrants Immigrants

Frances Xavier Cabrini

Impenitence, protection against Impenitence, protection against

Barbara, Mark the Evangelist

Imperia Italy Imperia Italy

Leonard of Port Maurice

Impossible Cases Impossible Cases

Rita of Cascia

Indian missions in Ecuador Indian missions in Ecuador

Our Lady of Agua Santa de Banos

Indiana Indiana

Our Lady of Providence

Indiscretions, protection against Indiscretions, protection against

John Nepomucene

Infantry Infantry

Martin of Tours

Infantry, Spanish Infantry, Spanish

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Infertility Infertility

Rita of Cascia

Inflammatory Diseases, protection against Inflammatory Diseases, protection against

Benedict

Information Workers Information Workers

Archangel Gabriel

Innkeepers Innkeepers

Gentian

Innocent people (falsely accused) Innocent people (falsely accused)

Raymond Nonnatus

Insanity Insanity

Dymphna

Insects, protection against Insects, protection against

Dominic of Silos

Invalids Invalids

Roch

Iowa Iowa

Mary of Nazareth

Isle of Man Isle of Man

Maughold

Italy Italy

Bernardine of Siena, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of the Snows

Jamaica Jamaica

Mary, on feast of her Assumption

Japan Japan

Francis Xavier, Our Lady of Japan, Peter Baptist

Jealousy, protection against Jealousy, protection against

Elizabeth of Portugal

Jesuit Order; Jesuits Jesuit Order; Jesuits

Ignatius of Loyola

Jesuit students Jesuit students

Aloysius Gonzaga

Jewelers Jewelers

Eligius (Eloi)

Jordan Jordan

John the Baptist

Journalists Journalists

Francis de Sales

Journeys, safe Journeys, safe

Christopher

Judges/Jurists Judges/Jurists

John of Capistrano, Ivo of Kermartin

Jumping Jumping

Venantius

Justice, social Justice, social

Martin de Porres

Juvenile delinquents Juvenile delinquents

Dominic Savio

Kae (Tzia) Island, Greece Kae (Tzia) Island, Greece

Panagia Kastriani

Kansas Kansas

Mary, Queen of Angels

Kavala, Greece Kavala, Greece

Paul, Apostle

Kentucky Kentucky

Mary, Mother of God

Kilbarry, Ireland Kilbarry, Ireland

Berach

Kilmallock, Limerick, Ireland Kilmallock, Limerick, Ireland

Mochelloc

Kinglassie, Fife, Scotland Kinglassie, Fife, Scotland

Glastian

Knights Hospitaller Knights Hospitaller

John the Baptist

Knights of Malta, Maltese Knights Knights of Malta, Maltese Knights

John the Baptist

Korea Korea

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Joseph

Korean clergy Korean clergy

Andrew Kim Taegon

Labour, Italian Knights of Labour, Italian Knights of

Benedict, Abbot

Lacemakers Lacemakers

Luke

Lame, the Lame, the

Giles

Landulph, Cornwall Landulph, Cornwall

Cybi

Langres cathedral Langres cathedral

Marcellus

Lanhydroc, Cornwall Lanhydroc, Cornwall

Hydroc

Latin American bishops Latin American bishops

Turibius

Law, schools or faculties of Law, schools or faculties of

Raymond of Pennafort

Lawyers Lawyers

Thomas More, Yves, Raymond of Pennafort, Ivo of Kermartin

Lay Apostolate Lay Apostolate

Paul, Apostle

Leaping Leaping

Venantius

Leatherworkers Leatherworkers

Crispin and Crispinian

Lecce, Italy Lecce, Italy

Bernadine Realino

Lecturers Lecturers

Justin Martyr

Lennox, Scotland Lennox, Scotland

Kessog

Lens, France Lens, France

Wulganus

Lepers Lepers

Giles

Lesotho Lesotho

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Liege, Belgium Liege, Belgium

Hubert of Liege

Lighthouse keepers Lighthouse keepers

Venerius

Lightning, protection against Lightning, protection against

Magnus of Fussen, Vitus

Limerick, Ireland Limerick, Ireland

Munchin

Linz, Austria Linz, Austria

Florian

Lithuania Lithuania

Casimir, Cunegund, Hyacinth

Living Rosary Living Rosary

Philomena

Llanbrothen, Wales Llanbrothen, Wales

Brothen

Llandunwyd, Glamorgan Llandunwyd, Glamorgan

Donat

Llangibby, Monmouthshire, Wales Llangibby, Monmouthshire, Wales

Cybi

Llangybi, Cardigan, Wales Llangybi, Cardigan, Wales

Cybi

Llanover, Gwent, Wales Llanover, Gwent, Wales

Gorfor

Llanrhyddlad, Anglesey, Wales Llanrhyddlad, Anglesey, Wales

Rhuddlad

Loc-Har, Brittany, France Loc-Har, Brittany, France

Hernan

Lorraine Lorraine

Nicholas of Myra

Lost articles Lost articles

Anthony of Padua

Lost or desperate causes Lost or desperate causes

Jude

Louisiana, USA Louisiana, USA

Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Lourdes Lourdes

Bernadette of Lourdes

Lovers Lovers

Valentine

Lugo, Spain Lugo, Spain

Foillan

Luxembourg Luxembourg

Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

Leon, Spain Leon, Spain

Foillan

Macedonia Macedonia

Clement of Ohrid

Madagascar Madagascar

Vincent de Paul

Madrid & Alcala Madrid & Alcala

Justus and Pastor, Isidore the Farmer

Magistrates Magistrates

Ferdinand III of Castile

Maids Maids

Zita

Maine, USA Maine, USA

Our Lady fo Peace

Majorca city Majorca city

Alonso Rodriguez

Majorca island Majorca island

Alonso Rodriguez

Malta Malta

Paul, Apostle

Mantua, Italy Mantua, Italy

Anselm of Lucca, the Younger

Marble workers Marble workers

Clement I, Four crowned martyrs, Louis

Marching Auxiliaries Marching Auxiliaries

Vitus

Mariners Mariners

Nicholas of Tolentino

Marines (Italian) Marines (Italian)

Barbara

Maritime pilots Maritime pilots

Nicholas of Myra

Maronites, Maronite Christians Maronites, Maronite Christians

Maro

Marriage Marriage

John Francis Regis

Marriages (unhappy) Marriages (unhappy)

Gengulf

Married women Married women

Monica

Maryland, USA Maryland, USA

Our Lady of the Assumption

Masons Masons

Thomas, Apostle, Four crowned martyrs, Louis

Massachusetts, USA Massachusetts, USA

Our Lady of the Incarnation

Medal collectors Medal collectors

Eligius (Eloi)

Medical technicians Medical technicians

Albert the Great

Mentally ill Mentally ill

Dymphna

Merchants Merchants

Francis of Assisi, Nicholas of Myra, Homobonus

Merchants, Italian Merchants, Italian

Francis of Assisi

Merthyr Tydfil, Wales Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Tydfil

Messengers Messengers

Gabriel the Archangel

Metalworkers Metalworkers

Eligius (Eloi)

Metz, France Metz, France

Patiens of Metz

Mexican young people Mexican young people

John Bosco

Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City, Mexico

Philip of Jesus

Michigan, USA Michigan, USA

Our Lady, Gate of Heaven

Midwives Midwives

Raymond Nonnatus

Migrants Migrants

Frances Xavier Cabrini

Milan Milan

Ambrose of Milan

Millers Millers

Honoratus

Milliners (Hatmakers) Milliners (Hatmakers)

James the Greater

Mine Collapse, protection against Mine Collapse, protection against

Barbara

Miners Miners

Anne (Mother of Mary), Barbara

Minnesota, USA Minnesota, USA

Our Lady, Mother of the Church

Miscarriage prevention Miscarriage prevention

Catherine of Sweden

Missionary priests Missionary priests

Vincent Pallotti

Missioners in Catholic Lands Missioners in Catholic Lands

Leonard of Port Maurice

Missioners of the Precious Blood Missioners of the Precious Blood

Francis Xavier

Missions, Polish Missions, Polish

Maria Teresa Ledochowska (Bd)

Missions, Portuguese Missions, Portuguese

John de Britto

Mississippi, USA Mississippi, USA

Our Lady of Sorrows

Missouri, USA Missouri, USA

Our Lady of Calvary

Mixed race, people of Mixed race, people of

Martin de Porres

Moles, protection against Moles, protection against

Ulric

Monaco Monaco

Devota

Monarchy, French Monarchy, French

Louis

Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Inner

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, Outer

Francis Xavier

Mons, Belgium Mons, Belgium

Waltrude

Montana, USA Montana, USA

Our Lady of the Pines

Monte Marano Monte Marano

John of Monte Marano

Montefalco, Italy Montefalco, Italy

Clare of Montefalco

Montesanto, Italy Montesanto, Italy

Gerard of Lunel

Moral theologians Moral theologians

Alphonsus de Liguori

Moscow Moscow

Boris

Motorcyclists Motorcyclists

Mary, The Madonna of Castaliazzo or Our Lady of Grace and of Crete

Motorways Motorways

John the Baptist

Mountaineers, mountain climbers Mountaineers, mountain climbers

Bernard of Montjoux (or Menthon)

Mullion, Cornwall Mullion, Cornwall

Melaine of Rennes

Munich, Germany Munich, Germany

Benno

Naples, Italy Naples, Italy

Andrew Avellino, Januarius

National Guard, Venezuelan National Guard, Venezuelan

Our Lady of Chiquinquira

Naval officers Naval officers

Francis of Paola

Navy, Argentinian Navy, Argentinian

Mary, The Madonna of Castaliazzo or Our Lady of Grace and of Crete

Navy, Bolivian Navy, Bolivian

Our Lady of Copacabana

Navy, Philippine Navy, Philippine

Our Lady of the Rosary, 'La Naval'

Navy, Spanish Navy, Spanish

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Navy, Venezuelan Navy, Venezuelan

Our Lady of Valle

Nearsightedness, short-sightedness Nearsightedness, short-sightedness

Clarus, Abbot

Nebraska, USA Nebraska, USA

Our Lady of the Presentation

Neighborhood watch Neighborhood watch

Sebastian

Nervous diseases Nervous diseases

Vitus, Dymphna

Netherlands Netherlands

Willibrord

Nettle Rash, protection against Nettle Rash, protection against

Benedict

Neurological disorders Neurological disorders

Dymphna

Nevada, USA Nevada, USA

Our Lady of Las Vegas

New Caledonia New Caledonia

Mary, on feast of her Assumption

New Hampshire, USA New Hampshire, USA

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

New Jersey, USA New Jersey, USA

Our Lady of Fatima

New Mexico, USA New Mexico, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe

New York, USA New York, USA

Our Lady Help of Christians

New Zealand New Zealand

Our Lady Help of Christians

Nicaragua Nicaragua

James the Greater

Nigeria Nigeria

Mary, Queen of Nigeria, Patrick

Nightmares, protection against Nightmares, protection against

Raphael the Archangel

Nocera, Italy Nocera, Italy

Raynald of Nocera

Nonantola, Italy Nonantola, Italy

Anselm of Nonantola

North Africa North Africa

Cyprian of Carthage

North Carolina, USA North Carolina, USA

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

North Dakota, USA North Dakota, USA

Mary, Queen of Peace

Norway Norway

Olaf of Norway, Magnus of Orkney

Norwegian west coast Norwegian west coast

Sunniva

Notaries Notaries

Luke, Mark, Ivo of Kermartin

Numismatists Numismatists

Eligius (Eloi)

Nuremburg, Germany Nuremburg, Germany

Sebaldus

Nurses of mentally ill Nurses of mentally ill

Dymphna

Nurses' associations Nurses' associations

Camillus de Lellis

Nurses, Italian Nurses, Italian

Catherine of Genoa, Catherine of Siena

Nurses, Peruvian Nurses, Peruvian

Rose of Lima

Nursing mothers Nursing mothers

Basilissa, Giles

Oaxaca, Mexico Oaxaca, Mexico

Our Lady of Solitude

Oblate Vocations Oblate Vocations

Our Lady of Sorrows

Oblate aspirants Oblate aspirants

Stanislaus Kostka

Oblates of Saint Joseph Oblates of Saint Joseph

Joseph

Oceania Oceania

Peter Chanel

Ohio, USA Ohio, USA

Our Lady of Consolation

Oklahoma, USA Oklahoma, USA

Our Lady, Queen of All Saints

Orators Orators

John Chrysostom

Order of Saint Lazarus Order of Saint Lazarus

Lazarus

Order of the Garter Order of the Garter

George

Ordnancemen and Cannoners Ordnancemen and Cannoners

Barbara

Oregon, USA Oregon, USA

Our Lady of the Woods

Orphans Orphans

Jerome Emiliani, Ivo of Kermartin

Oslo, Norway Oslo, Norway

Hallvard

Oudenarde, Belgium Oudenarde, Belgium

Walburga

Oversleeping, protection against Oversleeping, protection against

Vitus

Oxford, England Oxford, England

Frideswide

Pain; Cures from Pain; Pain Relief, protection against Pain; Cures from Pain; Pain Relief, protection against

Madron

Painters Painters

Luke, Bl (Fra) Angelico

Pakistan Pakistan

Thomas, Apostle

Palestine Palestine

Mary, 'Queen of Palestine'

Palestinian Christians Palestinian Christians

George

Pallbearers Pallbearers

Joseph of Arimathea

Panama Panama

Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Heart of Mary

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea

Michael the Archangel

Paraguay Paraguay

Our Lady of the Assumption, Our Lady of Lujan

Paratroopers Paratroopers

Michael the Archangel

Parenthood Parenthood

Rita of Cascia

Paris, France Paris, France

Genevieve (Genofeva), Denis, Bishop of Paris

Parish Missions Parish Missions

Leonard of Port Maurice

Park-keepers Park-keepers

John Gualbert

Patras, Greece Patras, Greece

Andrew, Apostle

Patricia, Italy Patricia, Italy

Roch

Pavia, Italy Pavia, Italy

Siro, Syrus of Pavia, Theodore of Pavia

Pawnbrokers Pawnbrokers

Nicholas of Myra, Bernardino of Feltre (Bd)

Pelota players, Argentinian Pelota players, Argentinian

Francis Xavier

Pennsylvania, USA Pennsylvania, USA

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Pensioners, old age Pensioners, old age

Our Lady of Consolation, Teresa of Jesus Jornet e Ibars

Penzance, Cornwall, England Penzance, Cornwall, England

John the Baptist

Perfumers, perfumiers Perfumers, perfumiers

Nicholas of Myra

Pergamino, Argentina Pergamino, Argentina

Virgin of La Merced

Perjury, protection against Perjury, protection against

Felix of Nola, Pancras

Peronne, France Peronne, France

Fursey of Peronne

Persecuted Christians Persecuted Christians

John De Martha

Persia; Iran Persia; Iran

Maruthas

Pestilence (relief) Pestilence (relief)

Roch

Petit Goave, Haiti Petit Goave, Haiti

Our Lady of Lourdes

Pets Pets

Antony the Abbot

Philatelists Philatelists

Gabriel the Archangel

Philippines Philippines

Our Lady of Safe Travel, Our Lady of the Turumba, Rose of Lima, Immaculate Heart of Mary

Philosophers Philosophers

Immaculate Conception of Mary, Pudentiana, Rose of Lima

Physical Spouse Abuse; Victims of Spouse Abuse (physical), protection against Physical Spouse Abuse; Victims of Spouse Abuse (physical), protection against

Rita of Cascia

Physically Disabled Physically Disabled

Giles

Physicians (diseases, contagious) Physicians (diseases, contagious)

Roch, Sebastian

Piedmont Piedmont

Maurice

Piedmont region Piedmont region

Maurice

Pilgrims Pilgrims

Nicholas of Myra, Christopher

Pilgrims (sick) Pilgrims (sick)

Pius X

Pilots Pilots

Our Lady of Loreto

Pilots, maritime Pilots, maritime

Francis of Paola, Nicholas of Myra

Pisa, Italy Pisa, Italy

Ranieri

Plasterers Plasterers

Bartholomew

Poets Poets

David, Columba

Poison Sufferers Poison Sufferers

Benedict, Abbot, John the Apostle, Pirminus

Poland Poland

Casimir, Florian, Mary, 'Queen of Poland', Stanislaus, Adalbert, Stanislaus Kostka

Police officers Police officers

Michael the Archangel

Police, Italian Police, Italian

Mary, Faithful Virgin

Police, Spanish Police, Spanish

Our Lady of the Pillar

Police, Spanish, armed Police, Spanish, armed

The Guardian Angels

Police, local, municipal Police, local, municipal

Sebastian

Ponza, Italy Ponza, Italy

Silverio

Portsmouth, England Portsmouth, England

Nicholas of Myra

Postal services Postal services

Gabriel the Archangel

Postal workers Postal workers

Gabriel the Archangel

Potenza, Italy Potenza, Italy

Gerard of Potenza

Potholers (spelunkers) Potholers (spelunkers)

Benedict, Abbot

Priests Priests

John Vianney

Priests (Spanish, secular) Priests (Spanish, secular)

John of Avila

Prison guards, officers Prison guards, officers

Hippolytus, Processus and Martinian, Adrian of Nicomedia

Prison officers (Italian) Prison officers (Italian)

Basilides

Prisoners (Italian) Prisoners (Italian)

Joseph Cafasso

Probus, Cornwall, England Probus, Cornwall, England

Grace, Probus

Propagation of the Faith Propagation of the Faith

Francis Xavier

Protector of Crops Protector of Crops

Ansovinus

Prussia Prussia

Dorothy of Montau

Public Health Service Public Health Service

Martin de Porres

Public Relations Public Relations

Bernardine of Siena

Public education Public education

Martin de Porres

Puebla, Mexico Puebla, Mexico

Michael the Archangel

Pueri Cantores Pueri Cantores

Dominic Savio

Pueri Cantors Pueri Cantors

Dominic Savio

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

Our Lady of Divine Providence

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Quantity surveyors Quantity surveyors

Thomas, Apostle

Quebec Quebec

John Baptiste

Rab, Croatia Rab, Croatia

Christopher

Rabies Rabies

Hubert, Ubald

Radio and radio workers Radio and radio workers

Gabriel the Archangel

Radiologists, radiotherapists Radiologists, radiotherapists

Michael the Archangel

Rain, excessive Rain, excessive

Genevieve (Genofeva)

Raphoe, Ireland Raphoe, Ireland

Adamnan

Retreats Retreats

Ignatius of Loyola

Rheumatoid sufferers Rheumatoid sufferers

James the Greater

Rhode Island, USA Rhode Island, USA

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Right to Life groups Right to Life groups

Margaret of Castello

Rimini, Italy Rimini, Italy

Gaudentius of Rimini

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sebastian

Ripacandida Ripacandida

Donatus

Robbers, danger from Robbers, danger from

Leonard of Noblac

Roman housewives Roman housewives

Frances of Rome

Romania Romania

Nicetas

Rome Rome

Philip Neri

Rulers Rulers

Ferdinand III of Castile

Ruthenia Ruthenia

Bruno

Saguntum, Spain Saguntum, Spain

Sacerdos of Saguntum

Sailors Sailors

Brendan, Erasmus (Elmo), Francis of Paola, Nicholas of Myra

Saint Ives, Cornwall Saint Ives, Cornwall

Ia

Saint Ives, England Saint Ives, England

Ivo

Saint Mellyan, Cornwall Saint Mellyan, Cornwall

Melaine of Rennes

Saint Teath, Cornwall Saint Teath, Cornwall

Teath

Saint Vitus's dance nervous disorder; rheumatic chorea Saint Vitus's dance nervous disorder; rheumatic chorea

Vitus

Salamanca, Spain Salamanca, Spain

John of Sahagun

San Gemini, Italy San Gemini, Italy

Geminus

San Marino San Marino

Marinus

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Michael the Archangel

Santa Ana Indian Pueblo Santa Ana Indian Pueblo

Anne

Santa Clara Indian Pueblo Santa Clara Indian Pueblo

Clare of Assisi

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Francis of Assisi

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Our Lady of Ransom

Sardinia Sardinia

Maurice

Sassano, Italy Sassano, Italy

John the Baptist

Savings banks Savings banks

Anthony Claret

Savona, Italy Savona, Italy

Our Lady of Mercy

Savoy Savoy

Maurice

Saxony Saxony

Willihad

Scandinavia Scandinavia

Ansgar

Scholars, scripture Scholars, scripture

Jerome

School teachers School teachers

John Baptist de la Salle

Schools Schools

Thomas Aquinas

Schools of law Schools of law

Raymond of Pennafort

Schools, Catholic Schools, Catholic

Thomas Aquinas

Schools, all Christian Schools, all Christian

Joseph Calasanctius

Scientists Scientists

Albert the Great

Scotland Scotland

Margaret, Andrew, Apostle

Scripture scholars Scripture scholars

Jerome Emiliani

Sculptors Sculptors

Claude, Luke, Four crowned martyrs, Louis

Scurf, protection against Scurf, protection against

Genesius of Arles

Sea, those associated with the Sea, those associated with the

Francis of Paola

Security forces Security forces

Michael the Archangel

Security forces, Andorran Security forces, Andorran

Our Lady Help of Christians

Security forces, French Security forces, French

Genevieve (Genofeva)

Security forces, Peruvian Security forces, Peruvian

Rose of Lima

Security guards Security guards

Matthew

Segovia, Spain Segovia, Spain

Venantius

Seminarians Seminarians

Charles Borromeo

Senior citizens Senior citizens

Our Lady of Consolation, Teresa of Jesus Jornet e Ibars

Serbia Serbia

Sava

Serbian peoples Serbian peoples

Sebastian

Sergio Osmena, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines Sergio Osmena, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines

Philip Benizi

Servants Servants

Martha, Notbunga

Servants (women) Servants (women)

Zita

Seville, Spain Seville, Spain

Ferdinand III of Castile

Shepherds Shepherds

Our Lady of Lapurdo, Paschal Baylon

Shipwrecks, protection against Shipwrecks, protection against

Anthony of Padua, Jodocus

Shoemakers Shoemakers

Cyprian of Carthage, Homobonus

Shorthand writers Shorthand writers

Cassian of Imola

Sibenik, Croatia Sibenik, Croatia

Michael the Archangel

Sick, of Poland Sick, of Poland

Mary, The Health of the Sick

Siena Italy Siena Italy

Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena, Catherine of Siena

Signals, military Signals, military

Gabriel the Archangel

Silesia Silesia

Hedwig

Silversmiths Silversmiths

Andronicus, Eligius (Eloi)

Sisak, Croatia Sisak, Croatia

Quirinus

Sisters of Mercy Sisters of Mercy

Elizabeth of Hungary

Sithney, Cornwall, England Sithney, Cornwall, England

Sithney

Skaters Skaters

Lidwina

Skiathos Island, Greece Skiathos Island, Greece

Panagia Kastriani

Skiers Skiers

Bernard of Montjoux, Andronicus (with Athanasia), Our Lady of Graces

Skin diseases Skin diseases

Antony the Abbot

Skopelos Island, Greece Skopelos Island, Greece

Riginos

Slander Slander

John Nepomucene

Sleepwalkers Sleepwalkers

Dymphna

Slovakia Slovakia

Our Lady of the Assumption

Slovenes Slovenes

Virgilius

Snake bite victims Snake bite victims

Hilary, Pirminus, Vitus

Social justice Social justice

Joseph, Martin de Porres

Soldiers, American Soldiers, American

Joan of Arc

Soldiers, French Soldiers, French

Joan of Arc, Louis

Soldiers, Paraguayan Soldiers, Paraguayan

Mary, on feast of her Assumption

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands

Michael the Archangel

Sonsbeck (Santbeck), Germany Sonsbeck (Santbeck), Germany

Gerebernus

Sorrento, Italy Sorrento, Italy

Antoninus of Sorrento

South Africa, Southern Africa South Africa, Southern Africa

Our Lady of the Assumption

South Carolina, USA South Carolina, USA

Mary the Virgin Mother

South Dakota, USA South Dakota, USA

Our Lady of the Prairie

Spain Spain

James the Greater, John of Avila, Our Lady of Ransom, Immaculate Conception of Mary

Spanish conquistadors Spanish conquistadors

James the Greater

Spanish poets Spanish poets

John of the Cross

Spanish secular clergy Spanish secular clergy

John of Avila

Spas Spas

John the Baptist

Speakers (Orators) Speakers (Orators)

John Chrysostom

Speleologists, Italian Speleologists, Italian

Benedict, Abbot

Spelunkers, potholers Spelunkers, potholers

Benedict, Abbot

Spinners Spinners

Parasceva

Spiritual directors of clergy Spiritual directors of clergy

Joseph Cafasso

Spiritual exercises Spiritual exercises

Ignatius of Loyola

Sportsmen and women, Belgian Sportsmen and women, Belgian

Our Lady of Chevremont

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Mary, Immaculate, Our Lady of Lanka

Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)

Lawrence, Our Lady of Madhu, Thomas, Apostle

St Vincent de Paul Societies St Vincent de Paul Societies

Vincent de Paul

St. Antony's Fire St. Antony's Fire

Antony the Abbot

Stafford, England Stafford, England

Bettelin

Stamp collectors Stamp collectors

Gabriel the Archangel

Starving or Starvation; Starving People, protection against Starving or Starvation; Starving People, protection against

Anthony of Padua

Stavenger, England Stavenger, England

Swithun

Stenographers Stenographers

Cassian of Imola

Stiff Neck, protection against Stiff Neck, protection against

Ursicinus of Saint-Ursanne

Stomach disorders Stomach disorders

Timothy, Erasmus (Elmo)

Stone masons Stone masons

Four crowned martyrs, Louis, Stephen

Storms, protection against Storms, protection against

Vitus

Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, France

Arbogast

Strokes Strokes

Andrew Avellino

Students Students

Catherine of Alexandria, Thomas Aquinas, Gabriel Possenti

Students (examinees) Students (examinees)

Joseph of Cupertino

Students in Jesuit colleges Students in Jesuit colleges

Aloysius Gonzaga

Students, of Peru Students, of Peru

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Students, women Students, women

Catherine of Alexandria

Sudan Sudan

Josephine Bakhita

Sudden Death, protection against Sudden Death, protection against

Aldegundis, Andrew Avellino, Barbara, Christopher

Surveyors Surveyors

Thomas, Apostle

Swabia, Germany Swabia, Germany

Meinrad

Swimmers Swimmers

Adjutor

Switzerland Switzerland

Notbunga

Swordsmiths Swordsmiths

Maurice

Syracuse, Sicily Syracuse, Sicily

Lucy of Syracuse

Syria Syria

Barbara

Tailors Tailors

Homobonus

Tanzania Tanzania

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Taos, New Mexico Taos, New Mexico

Anne, John the Apostle

Taranto Taranto

Catald

Tax collectors Tax collectors

Matthew

Taxi Drivers Taxi Drivers

Fiacre

Teenagers (esp. girls) Teenagers (esp. girls)

Mark, Maria Goretti

Telecommunications Telecommunications

Gabriel the Archangel

Television Television

Clare, Gabriel the Archangel

Television (Peru) Television (Peru)

Martin de Porres

Tennessee, USA Tennessee, USA

Our Lady of Lourdes

Termonde, Belgium Termonde, Belgium

Christiana

Teutonic Order; Order of Teutonic Knights Teutonic Order; Order of Teutonic Knights

George, Mary

Texas, USA Texas, USA

Our Lady of the Annunciation

Theatrical profession Theatrical profession

Genesius

Theft, thieves Theft, thieves

Dismas

Theologians, Moral Theologians, Moral

Alphonsus de Liguori

Thieves, danger from Thieves, danger from

Leonard of Noblac

Throat ailments Throat ailments

Blaise, Ludmila

Tigua Indians Tigua Indians

Anthony of Padua

Toledo, Spain Toledo, Spain

Leocadia

Toothache Toothache

Apollonia

Torino, Italy Torino, Italy

John the Baptist

Tourism, Spanish Tourism, Spanish

Francis Xavier

Trade unionists, Spanish Trade unionists, Spanish

Martin de Porres

Tradespeople Tradespeople

Homobonus

Tregony, Cornwall Tregony, Cornwall

Cybi

Trier, Germay Trier, Germay

Maximus

Trieste, Italy Trieste, Italy

Justus of Trieste

Tultepac, Mexico Tultepac, Mexico

John of God

Tunisia Tunisia

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Turin, Italy Turin, Italy

John the Baptist

Turkey (Asiatic) Turkey (Asiatic)

John the Apostle

Turkey, Capuchin missions to Turkey, Capuchin missions to

Joseph of Leonessa

Twitching, protection against Twitching, protection against

Bartholomew the Apostle, Cornelius

Typhus, Against Typhoid, protection against Typhus, Against Typhoid, protection against

Adelard

U.S. Army Field Artillery U.S. Army Field Artillery

St. Barbara

U.S. National Catholic Rural Conference U.S. National Catholic Rural Conference

Isidore the Farmer

Uganda Uganda

Mary, Queen of Africa

Ukraine Ukraine

Josaphat

Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, Connecticut, USA Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, Connecticut, USA

Volodymyr the Great

Ulcers; Ulcer Sufferers, protection against Ulcers; Ulcer Sufferers, protection against

Charles Borromeo, Job

Undertakers Undertakers

Dismas

United States Army Special Forces United States Army Special Forces

Philip of Agirone

United States National Rural Life Conference United States National Rural Life Conference

Isidore the Farmer

United States of America United States of America

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Unity of the Eastern and Western Churches Unity of the Eastern and Western Churches

Cyril and Methodius

Universal Church Universal Church

Joseph, Peter the Apostle

Universities Universities

Bl. Contardo Ferrini

Universities, Catholic Universities, Catholic

Thomas Aquinas

University of Oxford, England University of Oxford, England

Frideswide

University of Patras, Greece University of Patras, Greece

Andrew, Apostle

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Engineering University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Engineering

Jordan of Saxony

Unmarried women Unmarried women

Nicholas of Myra

Upper Auvergne Upper Auvergne

Gerald of Aurillac

Urban University, Rome Urban University, Rome

Oliver Plunket

Utah, USA Utah, USA

Our Lady of the Snows

Valencia Valencia

Our Lady of the Forsaken

Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain

Catherine Thomas

Vanity, protection against Vanity, protection against

Rose of Lima

Vastergotland, Sweden Vastergotland, Sweden

Helen of Skofde

Velletri, Italy Velletri, Italy

Gerald

Veneral disease Veneral disease

Fiacre

Venezuela Venezuela

Our Lady of Coromoto

Venezuelan National Guard Venezuelan National Guard

Our Lady of Chiquinquira

Venice Venice

Mark

Verbal Spouse Abuse; Victims of Spouse Abuse (verbal), protection against Verbal Spouse Abuse; Victims of Spouse Abuse (verbal), protection against

Anne Marie Taigi, Godelieve, Monica

Vermin, protection from Vermin, protection from

Magnus of Fussen

Vermont, USA Vermont, USA

Our Lady of Grace

Veroli, Italy Veroli, Italy

Mary Salome

Veterinarians Veterinarians

Our Lady of Coromoto

Vienna, Austria Vienna, Austria

Clement Mary Hofbauer

Vietnam Vietnam

Joseph

Villareal Samar, Phillipines Villareal Samar, Phillipines

Rose of Lima

Vilnius, Lithuania Vilnius, Lithuania

Antony of Vilnius, Eustace of Vilnius, John of Vilnius

Vincentian Service Corps Vincentian Service Corps

Vincent de Paul

Vinegar makers Vinegar makers

Vincent of Saragossa

Virginia, USA Virginia, USA

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles

Vocations Vocations

Alphonsus de Liguori

Volcanic eruptions Volcanic eruptions

Agatha

Volperino, Italy Volperino, Italy

Maro

Waiters, waitresses Waiters, waitresses

Martha

Wales Wales

David

War victims, civilian War victims, civilian

Mary, Queen of Peace

Washington, DC Washington, DC

Our Immaculate Queen

Washington, USA Washington, USA

Our Lady of Good Help

Water, danger from Water, danger from

Florian

Waterford, Ireland Waterford, Ireland

Odrian

Weavers Weavers

Parasceva, Antony Claret, Maurice, Onuphrius

West Indies West Indies

Gertrude

West Virginia, USA West Virginia, USA

Our Lady of Victory

Wheelwrights Wheelwrights

Catherine of Alexandria

Whooping Cough, protection against Whooping Cough, protection against

Blaise, Winoc

Winchester, England Winchester, England

Swithun

Wine merchants, and wine trade Wine merchants, and wine trade

Amand

Wisconsin, USA Wisconsin, USA

Our Lady of the Americas

Witchcraft, protection against Witchcraft, protection against

Benedict

Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Services (WAVES) Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Services (WAVES)

Joan of Arc

Women giving birth Women giving birth

Margaret (or Marina) of Antioch

Women in labor Women in labor

Anne (Mother of Mary), Erasmus (Elmo)

Women, Italian Women, Italian

Paschal Baylon

Women, childless Women, childless

Anne (Mother of Mary)

Women, young and students Women, young and students

Catherine of Alexandria

Workers Workers

Joseph

Workers, young Workers, young

John Bosco

World Youth Day World Youth Day

Kateri Tekakwitha

Writers Writers

Francis de Sales

Writers, Spanish Catholic Writers, Spanish Catholic

Teresa of Avila

Wyoming, USA Wyoming, USA

Our Lady of the Valley

Young girls Young girls

Agnes

Young people, African Young people, African

Charles Lwanga

Young people, Christian Young people, Christian

Aloysius Gonzaga

Young people, Lithuanian Young people, Lithuanian

Casimir

Young people, Mexican Young people, Mexican

John Bosco

Young people, students Young people, students

John Berchmans, Maria Goretti

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia

Cyril and Methodius

Zacatecas, Mexico Zacatecas, Mexico

The Virgin of Patrocinio

Zaire Zaire

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Zakynthos Island, Greece Zakynthos Island, Greece

Dionysius the Aeropagite

Zamarramala, Spain Zamarramala, Spain

Agatha

Zeeland, Denmark Zeeland, Denmark

Canute Lavard

Zutphen, Nederlands Zutphen, Nederlands

Walburga

accomodations accomodations

Gertrude of Nivelles

actresses actresses

Pelagia

affianced couples, betrothed couples, engaged couples affianced couples, betrothed couples, engaged couples

Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena, Valentine

alcoholism alcoholism

John of God, Martin of Tours, Monica, Urban of Langres

ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians, EMTs, paramedics ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians, EMTs, paramedics

Michael the Archangel

amputees amputees

Anthony of Padua, Antony the Abbot

angina sufferers angina sufferers

Swithbert

animal welfare societies, humane societies animal welfare societies, humane societies

Francis of Assisi

appendicitis appendicitis

Erasmus (Elmo)

apple orchards apple orchards

Charles Borromeo

archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland, USA archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary

archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, USA archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Patrick

archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, USA archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary

archdiocese of Cracow Poland archdiocese of Cracow Poland

Stanislaus of Cracow

archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, USA archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary, Francis of Assisi

archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland

Kevin, Lawrence O'Toole

archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, USA archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, USA

John Vianney, Raymond Nonnatus

archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Francis Xavier

archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, USA archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Joseph

archdiocese of Miami, Florida archdiocese of Miami, Florida

Our Lady of Charity, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Our Lady of Prompt Succor

archdiocese of New York, New York, USA archdiocese of New York, New York, USA

Patrick

archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, USA archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Cecilia

archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary, Paul, Apostle, Peter the Apostle

archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, USA archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary

archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Francis of Assisi, Immaculate Heart of Mary

archdiocese of Seattle, Washington, USA archdiocese of Seattle, Washington, USA

Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Immaculate Conception, Holy Angels

archives archives

Laurent (Lawrence)

arm pain; pain in the arms arm pain; pain in the arms

Amalburga

armies of Jalisco, Mexico armies of Jalisco, Mexico

Our Lady of Zapopan

armories armories

Laurent (Lawrence)

arrowsmiths; fletchers arrowsmiths; fletchers

Sebastian

art dealers art dealers

John the Apostle

asses asses

Anthony of Padua

automobile drivers, automobilists, motorists automobile drivers, automobilists, motorists

Christopher, Elijah the Prophet, Frances of Rome, Sebastian of Aparicio

backward children backward children

Hilary of Poitiers

bacterial disease and infection bacterial disease and infection

Agrippina

bailiffs bailiffs

Ivo of Kermartin

bakers of holy wafers bakers of holy wafers

Honorius of Amiens

baptism baptism

John the Baptist

bartenders, bar keepers, bar staff bartenders, bar keepers, bar staff

Amand

bees bees

Ambrose of Milan, Bernard of Clairvaux, Modomnoc

bell-founders bell-founders

Agatha, Fortchern of Trim

belt makers belt makers

Alexius

betrayal victims betrayal victims

Epipodius, Flora of Cordoba, Oswin, Philip Howard, Pulcheria

bicyclists, cyclists, bicycle riders bicyclists, cyclists, bicycle riders

La Madonna di Ghisalo

bird dealers bird dealers

John the Baptist

birth pains birth pains

Erasmus (Elmo)

bishops bishops

Charles Borromeo

blackbirds blackbirds

Kevin

bodily purity bodily purity

Agnes of Rome

boilermakers boilermakers

Eligius (Eloi)

bomb technicians bomb technicians

Barbara

boot blacks, shoe shiners boot blacks, shoe shiners

Nicholas of Myra

bowel disorders bowel disorders

Bonaventure

box makers box makers

Fiacre

brass workers brass workers

Barbara

breast cancer breast cancer

Agatha, Aldegundis, Giles, Peregrine Laziosi

breast disease, invoked against breast disease, invoked against

Agatha

brick makers brick makers

Vincent Ferrer

bridge builders bridge builders

John Nepomucene, Peter the Apostle

broken bones broken bones

Drogo, Stanislaus Kostka

broommakers broommakers

Anne

brushmakers brushmakers

Antony the Abbot

burns burns

John the Apostle

bus drivers bus drivers

Christopher

carnival workers, carnies carnival workers, carnies

Julian the Hospitaller

carriage makers carriage makers

Eligius (Eloi)

cartwrights; cart makers cartwrights; cart makers

Elijah

carvers carvers

Blaise, Olaf II

cathedral-chapter of Langres cathedral-chapter of Langres

Gebuinus

cats cats

Gertrude of Nivelles

cemetery workers cemetery workers

Antony the Abbot, Callistus I

champions; invincible people; to be invincible champions; invincible people; to be invincible

Drausinus

chastity, invoked for chastity, invoked for

Agnes of Rome, Thomas Aquinas

chemical industry, chemical manufacturers chemical industry, chemical manufacturers

Cosmas and Damian

child abuse victims child abuse victims

Alodia, Germaine Cousin, Lufthild, Nunilo

childhood diseases childhood diseases

Aldegundis, Pharaildis

childhood intestinal diseases childhood intestinal diseases

Erasmus (Elmo)

children learning to speak or talk children learning to speak or talk

Zeno of Verona

children learning to walk children learning to walk

Zeno of Verona

children who are late in learning to walk children who are late in learning to walk

Vaast

children's choir children's choir

Dominic Savio, Holy Innocents

children's nurses children's nurses

Foillan

chimney sweeps chimney sweeps

Florian

chivalry chivalry

George

choir boys choir boys

Dominic Savio, Gregory the Great, Holy Innocents

church cleaners church cleaners

Theobald Roggeri

circus workers circus workers

Julian the Hospitaller

city of Barbastro, Huesca. Aragon. Espana city of Barbastro, Huesca. Aragon. Espana

Raymond of Barbastro

city of Chieti, Italy city of Chieti, Italy

Justin of Chieti

city of Cuenca, Spain city of Cuenca, Spain

Julian of Cuenca

city of Saint-Oyen, Tarentaise, France city of Saint-Oyen, Tarentaise, France

Eugendus

city of Saint-Oyen, Valley of Aoste, Italy city of Saint-Oyen, Valley of Aoste, Italy

Eugendus

city of Saint-Oyens, Vaud, Switzerland city of Saint-Oyens, Vaud, Switzerland

Eugendus

city of Salzburg, Austria city of Salzburg, Austria

Rupert, Virgilius

city of Sutri, Italy city of Sutri, Italy

Dulcissima

civil disorder, riot (against) civil disorder, riot (against)

Andrew Corsini

clock makers; watch makers clock makers; watch makers

Eligius (Eloi), Peter the Apostle

clothing industry clothing industry

Paul the Hermit

clowns clowns

Genesius, Justin Martyr

coachmen coachmen

Richard of Chichester

coal miners coal miners

Leonard of Noblac

coffee house owners or keepers coffee house owners or keepers

Drogo, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

coffin makers; casket makers coffin makers; casket makers

Stephen the Martyr

composers composers

Cecilia

compositors; typesetters compositors; typesetters

John the Apostle

computers, computer users, computer technicians, pc technicians computers, computer users, computer technicians, pc technicians

Isidore of Seville

confectioners confectioners

Honorius of Amiens, Joseph, Lawrence, Macarius the Younger

confessions, to make a good one confessions, to make a good one

Gerard Majella, John Nepomucene

conscientious objectors conscientious objectors

Marcellus

cooks, chefs cooks, chefs

Lawrence, Macarius the Younger, Martha, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Paschal Baylon

corn chandlers corn chandlers

Honorius of Amiens

coughs; against coughs; against

Blaise, Quentin, Walburga

council council

Holy Spirit

councilmen councilmen

Nicholas von Flue

countesses countesses

Elizabeth of Hungary

counts counts

Charles the Good, Gerald of Aurillac

courtiers courtiers

Gummarus

cowherds cowherds

Gummarus

craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.) craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.)

Catherine of Alexandria

criminals criminals

Dominic

curriers curriers

Simon the Apostle

cutters cutters

John the Baptist

danger at sea danger at sea

Erasmus (Elmo), Michael

desperate, forgotten, impossible or lost causes or situations desperate, forgotten, impossible or lost causes or situations

Jude Thaddeus, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Philomena, Rita of Cascia

devotees of the Sacred Heart devotees of the Sacred Heart

Margaret Mary Alacoque

dieticians dieticians

Martha

diocese of Achonry, Ireland diocese of Achonry, Ireland

Attracta, Nathy, Attracta

diocese of Albany, New York, USA diocese of Albany, New York, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary

diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana, USA diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana, USA

Francis Xavier

diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ninian

diocese of Arlington, Virginia, USA diocese of Arlington, Virginia, USA

Thomas More

diocese of Austin, Texas, USA diocese of Austin, Texas, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Barbastro, Espana diocese of Barbastro, Espana

Raymond of Barbastro

diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Joseph

diocese of Birmingham, Alabama diocese of Birmingham, Alabama

Paul, Apostle

diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, USA diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Augustine of Hippo

diocese of Burlington, Vermont, USA diocese of Burlington, Vermont, USA

Immaculate Conception, Patrick

diocese of Camden, New Jersey, USA diocese of Camden, New Jersey, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, USA diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, USA

John the Baptist

diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, USA diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, USA

John the Evangelist

diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe

diocese of Columbus, Ohio, USA diocese of Columbus, Ohio, USA

Francis de Sales

diocese of Constantinople diocese of Constantinople

Andrew, Apostle

diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, USA diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patrick

diocese of Covington, Kentucky, USA diocese of Covington, Kentucky, USA

Paul, Apostle

diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, USA diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Cuenca, Spain diocese of Cuenca, Spain

Julian of Cuenca

diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, USA diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pius X

diocese of Dodge City, Kansas, USA diocese of Dodge City, Kansas, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe, John the Baptist

diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, USA diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

diocese of Elphia diocese of Elphia

Asicus

diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Therese of Lisieux

diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, USA diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, USA

Assumption of the Virgin Mary

diocese of Ferns, Ireland diocese of Ferns, Ireland

Aeden of Ferns

diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, USA diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, USA diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Patrick

diocese of Fresno, California, USA diocese of Fresno, California, USA

Therese of Lisieux

diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, USA diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe

diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, USA diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, USA

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, USA diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, USA

Blessed Virgin Mary

diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana, USA diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana, USA

Matthias the Apostle, Pius X

diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

Francis Xavier

diocese of Guadalajara, Mexico diocese of Guadalajara, Mexico

Our Lady of Zapopan

diocese of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada diocese of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Mary, Mother of God

diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Patrick

diocese of Helena, Montana, USA diocese of Helena, Montana, USA

Helena

diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, England diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, England

Cuthbert

diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Our Lady fo Peace

diocese of Jaca diocese of Jaca

Eurosius

diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, USA diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, USA

Peter the Apostle

diocese of Jerez de la Frontera diocese of Jerez de la Frontera

John Grande

diocese of Joliet, Illinois, USA diocese of Joliet, Illinois, USA

Francis Xavier

diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Augustine of Hippo

diocese of Killaloe diocese of Killaloe

Flannan of Killaloe

diocese of Lafayette, Indiana, USA diocese of Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Mary Immaculate, Mother of Jesus, Peter Claver

diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Peter the Apostle, Paul, Apostle

diocese of Limerick, Ireland diocese of Limerick, Ireland

Munchin

diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, USA diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Blessed Virgin Mary

diocese of Los Angeles, California, USA diocese of Los Angeles, California, USA

Bibiana

diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Joseph

diocese of Marquette, Michigan, USA diocese of Marquette, Michigan, USA

Peter the Apostle

diocese of Monterey, California, USA diocese of Monterey, California, USA

Our Lady of Bethlehem, Charles Borromeo

diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, USA diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Joseph, Our Lady of Guadalupe

diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, USA diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, USA

Mary, Mother of God

diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, USA diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, USA

Anne, Patrick

diocese of Oakland, California, USA diocese of Oakland, California, USA

Our Lady, Queen of the World

diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, USA diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky, USA diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky, USA

Stephen the Martyr

diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, USA diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, USA

John the Baptist

diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, USA diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Michael the Archangel, Thomas More

diocese of Peoria, Illinois, USA diocese of Peoria, Illinois, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, USA diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe

diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Portland, Maine, USA diocese of Portland, Maine, USA

Immaculate Conception, John the Baptist, Patrick

diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, USA diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Our Lady of Providence, Paul, Apostle, Peter the Apostle

diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, USA diocese of Pueblo, Colorado, USA

Immaculate Conception of Mary, Therese of Lisieux

diocese of Regensburg, Germany diocese of Regensburg, Germany

Erhard of Regensburg

diocese of Reno, Nevada, USA diocese of Reno, Nevada, USA

Our Lady of the Snows

diocese of Reno, Nevada, USA diocese of Reno, Nevada, USA

Vincent de Paul

diocese of Rockford, Illinois, USA diocese of Rockford, Illinois, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, USA diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, USA

Agnes of Rome

diocese of Ross, Ireland diocese of Ross, Ireland

Fachanan

diocese of Sacramento, California, USA diocese of Sacramento, California, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patrick

diocese of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, USA diocese of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, USA

Cloud

diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA

Jude Thaddeus

diocese of Salina, Kansas, USA diocese of Salina, Kansas, USA

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Francis of Assisi

diocese of San Bernardino, California, USA diocese of San Bernardino, California, USA

Bernardine of Siena

diocese of San Diego, California, USA diocese of San Diego, California, USA

Diego

diocese of San Jose, California, USA diocese of San Jose, California, USA

Joseph

diocese of Santa Rosa, California, USA diocese of Santa Rosa, California, USA

Rose of Lima

diocese of Savannah, Georgia, USA diocese of Savannah, Georgia, USA

John the Baptist, Our Lady of Perpetual Help

diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA

Peter the Apostle

diocese of Sens, France diocese of Sens, France

Potentian, Sabinus

diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Immaculate Conception, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Peter Claver

diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, USA diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, USA

Our Lady of Guadalupe

diocese of Spokane, Washington, USA diocese of Spokane, Washington, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, USA diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

Michael the Archangel

diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA

Philippine Duchesne, Pius X

diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, USA diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, USA

Immaculate Heart of Mary

diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, USA diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, USA

Augustine of Hippo

diocese of Sutri, Italy diocese of Sutri, Italy

Dulcissima

diocese of Syracuse, New York, USA diocese of Syracuse, New York, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Tucson, Arizona, USA diocese of Tucson, Arizona, USA

Augustine of Hippo

diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Holy Family

diocese of Tyler, Texas, USA diocese of Tyler, Texas, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Venice, Florida, USA diocese of Venice, Florida, USA

Our Lady of Mercy, Mark the Evangelist

diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, USA diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, USA

Joseph

diocese of Wichita, Kansas, USA diocese of Wichita, Kansas, USA

Immaculate Conception

diocese of Wilmington, Delaware diocese of Wilmington, Delaware

Francis de Sales

diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Paul, Apostle

diocese of Wurzburg diocese of Wurzburg

Killian

diplomats diplomats

Gabriel the Archangel

discretion discretion

John Nepomucene

distillers distillers

Louis IX, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

divorced people divorced people

Fabiola, Gummarus, Helena

dock workers, longshoremen dock workers, longshoremen

Nicholas of Myra

dog bites dog bites

Hubert of Liege, Vitus, Walburga, Ubald

dogs; dog lovers; dog fanciers dogs; dog lovers; dog fanciers

Hubert of Liege, Roch, Vitus

domestic workers, maids, butlers, manservants, servants domestic workers, maids, butlers, manservants, servants

Adelelmus, Martha, Zita

doves doves

Denis

drapers drapers

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

drug addiction drug addiction

Maximillian Kolbe

duchesses duchesses

Hedwig, Ludmila

dukes dukes

Henry II

dyers, cloth dyers, purplers dyers, cloth dyers, purplers

Lydia Purpuraria, Maurice

dysentery dysentery

Lucy of Syracuse, Polycarp

dysfunctional families dysfunctional families

Eugene de Mazenod

e of Evansville, Indiana, USA e of Evansville, Indiana, USA

Mary, Mother of God

ecumenists, unity of the Eastern and Western Churches ecumenists, unity of the Eastern and Western Churches

Cyril and Methodius

elderly people elderly people

Anthony of Padua

empresses empresses

Adelaide, Helena, Pulcheria

enemies of religion enemies of religion

Sebastian

enlightenment enlightenment

Holy Spirit, Our Lady of Good Counsel

eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles for Maronites eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles for Maronites

Our Lady of Lebanon

eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn for the Maronites eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn for the Maronites

Maron

erysipelas erysipelas

Anthony the Abbott, Benedict, Ida of Nivelles

escape from devils escape from devils

Margaret (or Marina) of Antioch

evangelists evangelists

Paul, Apostle

excluded people excluded people

Patrick

exiles, people in exile exiles, people in exile

Adelaide, Angela Truszkowska, Arthelais, Clotilde, Epipodius, Jeanne Marie de Maille, Joaquina Vedruna de Mas, Kateri Tekakwitha, Margaret (or Marina) of Antioch, Rose of Viterbo

expeditious or prompt solutions; against procrastination expeditious or prompt solutions; against procrastination

Expeditus

fainting, faintness fainting, faintness

Urban of Langres, Ursus of Ravenna, Valentine

faith in the Blessed Sacrament faith in the Blessed Sacrament

Anthony of Padua

family happiness or harmony family happiness or harmony

Dymphna, Ksenya Blazhennaya

family life family life

Infant Jesus of Prague

farriers, horseshoe makers farriers, horseshoe makers

Eligius (Eloi), John the Baptist

fear of insects fear of insects

Gratus of Aosta

fear of mice or rats fear of mice or rats

Gertrude of Nivelles

fear of night fear of night

Giles

fear of snakes fear of snakes

Patrick

fear of the Lord fear of the Lord

Holy Spirit

fear of wasps fear of wasps

Friard

fencing fencing

Michael the Archangel

ferrymen ferrymen

Julian the Hospitaller

fiddlers, fiddle players fiddlers, fiddle players

Julian the Hospitaller

file makers file makers

Theodosius the Cenobriarch

final perseverance final perseverance

Alphonsus de Liguori

financial officers financial officers

Matthew the Apostle

fireworks and fireworks manufacturers fireworks and fireworks manufacturers

Barbara

fish fish

Neot

fish dealers, fishmongers fish dealers, fishmongers

Andrew, Apostle, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Magnus, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

fistula fistula

Fiacre

flour merchants flour merchants

Honorius of Amiens

foot problems; feet problems foot problems; feet problems

Peter the Apostle, Servatus

for good weather for good weather

Agricola of Avignon, Clare of Assisi, Medard of Noyon

forgotten people forgotten people

Jeanne de Chantal

fortifications fortifications

Barbara

fortitude fortitude

Holy Spirit

founders founders

Barbara

freedom freedom

Infant Jesus of Prague

friendships friendships

John the Apostle

fruit dealers fruit dealers

Christopher

fugitives fugitives

Bridgid of Ireland

furriers furriers

Hubert of Liege, James the Greater

gambling addicts; compulsive gambling; uncontrolled gambling gambling addicts; compulsive gambling; uncontrolled gambling

Bernardine of Siena

geese; goose geese; goose

Gall, Martin of Tours

geometricians geometricians

Thomas, Apostle

gilders gilders

Clare of Assisi, Eligius (Eloi)

glandular disorders glandular disorders

Cadoc of Llancarvan

goitres goitres

Blaise

good finances good finances

Infant Jesus of Prague

grandfathers grandfathers

Joachim

grandmothers grandmothers

Anne

grandparents grandparents

Anne, Joachim

greeting card manufacturers greeting card manufacturers

Valentine

grooms, bridegrooms grooms, bridegrooms

Louis IX, Nicholas of Myra

guardian angels guardian angels

Raphael the Archangel

guards guards

Matthew the Apostle

hangovers hangovers

Bibiana

happy meetings happy meetings

Raphael the Archangel

harness makers harness makers

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Eligius (Eloi)

harvesters harvesters

Peter the Apostle

haymakers haymakers

Gervase, Protase

head injuries head injuries

John Licci

healers healers

Bridgid of Ireland

health health

Infant Jesus of Prague

heart patients heart patients

John of God

herpes herpes

George

hogs, pigs, swine hogs, pigs, swine

Anthony the Abbott

homemakers, housewives, housekeepers homemakers, housewives, housekeepers

Anne, Martha, Monica, Zita

horned animals horned animals

Guy of Anderlecht

hosiers hosiers

Fiacre

hospital public relations hospital public relations

Paul, Apostle

house hunters or sellers house hunters or sellers

Joseph

human race, people human race, people

Mary, Mother of God

incest victims incest victims

Dymphna, Laurent (Lawrence)

infantrymen infantrymen

Maurice

innocence innocence

Hallvard

inquisitors inquisitors

Peter of Verona

insect bites insect bites

Mark the Apostle, Narcissus

inter-racial justice, race relations, racial harmony inter-racial justice, race relations, racial harmony

Martin de Porres, Peter Claver

interior souls interior souls

Joseph

invoked in time of war invoked in time of war

Elizabeth of Portugal

ions, Chinese ions, Chinese

Joseph

iron mongers, hardware, hardware stores iron mongers, hardware, hardware stores

Sebastian

jaundice jaundice

Odilo

job seekers, unemployed people job seekers, unemployed people

Cajetan

jockeys jockeys

Eligius (Eloi)

judges judges

Ivo of Kermartin, John of Capistrano, Nicholas of Myra

jugglers jugglers

Julian the Hospitaller

kidnap victims kidnap victims

Arthelais, Dagobert II

kidney stones; gravel kidney stones; gravel

Alban of Mainz

knee diseases or trouble knee diseases or trouble

Roch

knife grinders, knife sharpeners knife grinders, knife sharpeners

Catherine of Alexandria

knowledge knowledge

Holy Spirit

lamp makers lamp makers

Our Lady of Loreto

last sacraments last sacraments

Stanislaus Kostka

laundry workers, laundresses, washerwomen laundry workers, laundresses, washerwomen

Clare of Assisi, Lawrence

lawsuits lawsuits

Agia

lawsuits lost unjustly lawsuits lost unjustly

Nicholas of Myra

lay brothers lay brothers

Gerard Majella

lead workers lead workers

Sebastian

leg disease or trouble leg disease or trouble

Servatus

liberal arts liberal arts

Catherine of Bologna

linguists linguists

Gotteschalk

lions lions

Mark the Apostle

lithographers lithographers

John the Apostle

liturgy liturgy

Joseph Mary Tomasi

livestock livestock

Isidore the Farmer

longevity, long life longevity, long life

Peter the Apostle

loss of milk by nursing mothers loss of milk by nursing mothers

Margaret (or Marina) of Antioch

lost keys, against losing keys lost keys, against losing keys

Zita

lost vocations lost vocations

Gotteschalk

lumbago lumbago

Lawrence

lungs; chest; respiratory problems lungs; chest; respiratory problems

Bernardine of Siena

machinists machinists

Hubert of Liege

mail mail

Anthony of Padua

market carriers market carriers

Christopher

married couples married couples

Joseph

martyrs, murdered as confessors of the faith or for moral integrity martyrs, murdered as confessors of the faith or for moral integrity

Afra, Agatha, Agostina Pietrantoni, Alodia, Barbara, Cecilia, Dymphna, Felicity, Flora of Cordoba, Joan of Arc

mathematicians mathematicians

Barbara, Hubert of Liege

mechanics mechanics

Catherine of Alexandria

medical record librarians medical record librarians

Raymond of Pennafort

medical social workers medical social workers

John Regis

mental health professionals, caregivers, psychiatrists, therapists mental health professionals, caregivers, psychiatrists, therapists

Dymphna

metal collectors, precious metal collectors metal collectors, precious metal collectors

Eligius (Eloi)

migraine; against migraines; migraine sufferers migraine; against migraines; migraine sufferers

Gereon, Severus of Avranches, Ubald Baldassini

military engineers military engineers

Barbara

misfortune misfortune

Agricola of Avignon

missionary bishops missionary bishops

Paul, Apostle

money managers money managers

Matthew the Apostle

motherhood motherhood

Gerard Majella

mountain travellers mountain travellers

Petronilla

mulattoes, bi-racial or multi-racial people mulattoes, bi-racial or multi-racial people

Martin de Porres

murderers murderers

Caedwalla, Julian the Hospitaller, Nicholas of Myra, Vladimir

musical instrument makers musical instrument makers

Cecilia

mute people, muteness, dumbness mute people, muteness, dumbness

Drogo

mystics, mystical theology mystics, mystical theology

John of the Cross

nail makers nail makers

Cloud

native rights native rights

Turibius of Mogroveio

native traditions native traditions

Alonso Rodriguez

natural disasters natural disasters

Agatha

natural sciences natural sciences

Albertus Magnus

needle makers needle makers

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

net makers net makers

Peter the Apostle

neuralgia neuralgia

Ubald Baldassini

newlyweds newlyweds

Nicholas of Myra

news dealers news dealers

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin

novices of the Oblates of Saint Joseph novices of the Oblates of Saint Joseph

John Berchmans

oaths oaths

Pancras

obsession obsession

Raphael the Archangel

obstetricians obstetricians

Raymond Nonnatus

oil refiners oil refiners

Honorius of Amiens

old-clothes dealers old-clothes dealers

Anne

open sores open sores

Peregrine Laziosi

oppressed people oppressed people

Anthony of Padua

papal delegates papal delegates

John XXIII

papermakers papermakers

John the Apostle

paralysis, paralysed people paralysis, paralysed people

Osmund

parents separated from children parents separated from children

Jeanne de Chantal

parish clerks parish clerks

Nicholas of Myra

parks; park services parks; park services

John Gualbert

pastry chefs pastry chefs

Honorius of Amiens, Macarius the Younger

pavement workers pavement workers

Vincent Ferrer

peace; invoked as peacemaker peace; invoked as peacemaker

Barnabas, Elizabeth of Portugal, Francis of Paola, Infant Jesus of Prague

peasant girls, young country girls, girls who live in rural areas peasant girls, young country girls, girls who live in rural areas

Germaine Cousin

pencil makers pencil makers

Thomas Aquinas

penitent sinners penitent sinners

Mary Magdalene

people in needd of grace people in needd of grace

Teresa of Avila

people rejected by religious orders people rejected by religious orders

Benedict Joseph Labre, Clare, Henry II, Jeanne de Lestonnac

pewterers pewterers

Fiacre

photographers photographers

Veronica

piety piety

Holy Spirit

pin makers pin makers

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

pioneers pioneers

Joseph

playing card manufacturers playing card manufacturers

Balthasar

plumbers plumbers

Vincent Ferrer

poisonous snakes poisonous snakes

Paul, Apostle

polio polio

Margaret Mary Alacoque

political prisoners political prisoners

Maximillian Kolbe

politicians politicians

Thomas More

pork butchers and processors pork butchers and processors

Transfiguration of Our Lord

porters porters

Christopher, Leonard of Noblac, Theobald Roggeri

potters potters

Catherine of Alexandria, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Sebastian

poultry raisers, chicken farmers poultry raisers, chicken farmers

Bridgid of Ireland

precision instrument makers precision instrument makers

Hubert of Liege

princesses princesses

Adelaide, Dymphna

printing presses printing presses

Bridgid of Ireland

prisoners of war, pow's prisoners of war, pow's

Leonard of Noblac

prisons prisons

Joseph Cafasso

prolonged suffering prolonged suffering

Lydwina of Schiedam

protection of lambs protection of lambs

John the Baptist

province of Burgenland province of Burgenland

Martin of Tours

province of Carinthia province of Carinthia

Joseph

province of Lower Austria province of Lower Austria

Leopold III

province of Salzburg, Austria province of Salzburg, Austria

Rupert

province of Styria, Austria province of Styria, Austria

Joseph

province of Tyrol, Austria province of Tyrol, Austria

Joseph

province of Upper Austria province of Upper Austria

Leopold III

province of Vorarlberg, Austria province of Vorarlberg, Austria

Gebhard

purse makers purse makers

Brieuc

quartermasters quartermasters

Martin of Tours

rabies, hydrophobia, mad dogs rabies, hydrophobia, mad dogs

Dominic of Silos, Guy of Anderlecht, Hubert of Liege

racquet makers racquet makers

Sebastian

rams rams

Giles

reformed alcoholics reformed alcoholics

Martin of Tours, Matthias

reformed prostitutes reformed prostitutes

Margaret of Cortona, Mary Magdalene

reformed thieves reformed thieves

Dismas

reformers reformers

Basil the Great

refugees refugees

Alban

religious, people in religious orders religious, people in religious orders

Benedict, Teresa of Avila

restauranteurs restauranteurs

Lawrence, Nicholas

restoration of religious freedom in Russia restoration of religious freedom in Russia

Therese of Lisieux

rheumatoid sufferers; rheumatism, arthritis rheumatoid sufferers; rheumatism, arthritis

Coloman, James the Greater, Killian, Servatus, Totnan

ribbon makers ribbon makers

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin

road builders road builders

Sebastian of Aparicio

rope makers; rope braiders rope makers; rope braiders

Paul, Apostle

runaways runaways

Alodia, Dymphna, Eulalia

running water running water

John Nepomucene

rural communities rural communities

Isidore the Farmer

sacristans; sextons sacristans; sextons

Guy of Anderlecht

salesmen salesmen

Lucy of Syracuse

salmon salmon

Kentigern

saltpetre workers saltpetre workers

Barbara

sawmen, sawyers sawmen, sawyers

Balthasar

sceond marriages sceond marriages

Adelaide, Matilda

school principals, schoolmasters school principals, schoolmasters

John Baptist de la Salle

schools for the poor schools for the poor

Joseph Calasanz

scribes scribes

Catherine of Alexandria

scrofulous diseases, struma scrofulous diseases, struma

Mark the Evangelist

seamstresses seamstresses

Anne

seasickness seasickness

Erasmus (Elmo)

secretaries secretaries

Catherine of Alexandria, Genesius of Arles

seekers of lost articles seekers of lost articles

Anthony of Padua

separated spouses separated spouses

Gummarus, Nicholas of Myra

servants who broke their masters' property servants who broke their masters' property

Benedict

sheds; stables; outbuildings sheds; stables; outbuildings

Guy of Anderlecht

sheep sheep

Drogo

shermen of Folkestone England shermen of Folkestone England

Rumwold

ship builders; shipwrights ship builders; shipwrights

Peter the Apostle

sick horses sick horses

Eligius (Eloi)

silence silence

John Nepomucene

silk workers silk workers

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Severus of Avranches

slavery slavery

Peter Claver

smallpox smallpox

Matthias

smelters smelters

Barbara, Hubert of Liege

soap boilers soap boilers

Florian

souls in purgatory souls in purgatory

Nicholas of Tolentino, Odilo

spasms spasms

John the Baptist

speliologists, spelunkers, potholers, cavers, cave scientists speliologists, spelunkers, potholers, cavers, cave scientists

Benedict

spiritual directors or leaders spiritual directors or leaders

Charles Borromeo

spiritual help spiritual help

Vincent de Paul

spur makers spur makers

Giles

stablemen stablemen

Anne

stained glass workers; glass painters stained glass workers; glass painters

Lawrence, Lucy of Syracuse

stammering children stammering children

Notkar Balbulus

starch makers starch makers

Charles Borromeo

stock brokers stock brokers

Matthew the Apostle

storks storks

Agricola of Avignon

storms at sea storms at sea

Mochelloc

students of theology students of theology

Albertus Magnus

success success

Servatus

swans swans

Hugh of Lincoln

swineherds swineherds

Anthony of Padua, Antony the Abbot

syphilis syphilis

Fiacre, George

tapestry workers tapestry workers

Francis of Assisi

teenagers, teenage children teenagers, teenage children

Aloysius Gonzaga

television workers television workers

Gabriel the Archangel

television writers television writers

Clare of Assisi

tent makers tent makers

Paul, Apostle

the Internet the Internet

Isidore of Seville

the O'Neill clan the O'Neill clan

Mura McFeredach

the recently dead the recently dead

Gertrude of Nivelles

thieves thieves

Nicholas of Myra

tile makers tile makers

Fiacre, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Roch

tilers tilers

Barbara

tin miners tin miners

Joseph of Arimathea, Piran

tin smiths; tinsmiths tin smiths; tinsmiths

Joseph of Arimathea

to have male children to have male children

Felicity

to obtain lodgings while travelling to obtain lodgings while travelling

Gertrude of Nivelles, Julian the Hospitaller

tool makers tool makers

Eligius (Eloi)

toy makers toy makers

Claude de la Columbiere

translators translators

Jerome

transportation, transportation workers transportation, transportation workers

Christopher

trappers trappers

Bartholomew the Apostle, Eustachius, Hubert of Liege

travel hostesses travel hostesses

Anthony of Padua

travelling merchants travelling merchants

Menas

treaties treaties

Pancras

treaties between the Popes and Frankish emperors treaties between the Popes and Frankish emperors

Petronilla

truckers, truck drivers, lorry drivers truckers, truck drivers, lorry drivers

Christopher

truss makers truss makers

Foillan

turners turners

Anne, Catherine of Alexandria, Claude de la Columbiere

unattractive people unattractive people

Drogo, Germaine Cousin

unborn children unborn children

Gerard Majella, Joseph

understanding understanding

Holy Spirit

upholsterers upholsterers

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

victims of adultery or unfaithfulness victims of adultery or unfaithfulness

Catherine of Genoa, Elizabeth of Portugal, Fabiola

victims of jealousy victims of jealousy

Elizabeth of Portugal, Hedwig

vine dressers vine dressers

Urban of Langres

virtue virtue

Hallvard

wandering musicians, minstrels wandering musicians, minstrels

Julian the Hospitaller

warehouses warehouses

Barbara

watchmen watchmen

Peter of Alcantara

wax melters, wax refiners wax melters, wax refiners

Ambrose of Milan, Bernard of Clairvaux

whales whales

Brendan the Navigator

whiteners whiteners

Bartholomew the Apostle

whitewashers whitewashers

Coloman, Killian, Totnan

widowers widowers

Thomas More

wisdom wisdom

Holy Spirit

wolves wolves

Edmund of East Anglia

women who wish to become mothers women who wish to become mothers

Andrew, Apostle

women whose husbands are at war women whose husbands are at war

Daniel of Padua

woods, forests, woodlands woods, forests, woodlands

Giles

wool combers wool combers

Blaise

wool manufacturers wool manufacturers

Severus of Avranches

wool weavers wool weavers

Blaise, Severus of Avranches

work horses; working horses work horses; working horses

Guy of Anderlecht

wounds wounds

Aldegundis, Rita of Cascia

writers of catechisms writers of catechisms

Peter Claver

yachtsmen yachtsmen

Adjutor, Our Lady, Star of the Sea




The meeting was jointly chaired by Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, Acting Secretary General of the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland (SFDCM) National Council Nhem Valy, and Vice President of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee Khanmchan Phom Sengsavanh

Man stressed that Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing cooperative ties with the SFDCM and the LFNC, which were strengthened constantly in recent years.

He highlighted the significance of the ongoing visits made by the Cambodian and Lao front officials to Vietnam, affirming that those showed the high determination of the three countries front leaders to continue reinforcing and developing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among the nations.

At the meeting, participants agreed on the preparation plan for the third Front Presidium Conference of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; and conferences on borderline of peace, friendship, and cooperation between Vietnam and Laos and between Vietnam and Cambodia.

They also gave opinions to the draft memorandum of understanding on cooperation among the three front organisations in 2017-2020.

The same day, the delegation of the VFF Central Committee held separate talks with counterparts from LFNC Central Committee and the SFDCM National Council, during which they discussed plans to organise the conference on borderline of peace, friendship, and cooperation between Vietnam and Laos from July 13th-16th, 2017 in Vietnams central Quang Binh province, and a similar event between Vietnam and Cambodia from August 10th-15th, 2017 in the Cambodian province of Kompot./.




The ministers stressed the need to increase political consultations and coordination between the two foreign ministries and to set up cooperation mechanisms to enhance bilateral relations in all fields, particularly in economy, trade and investment, with a view to raising the two-way trade value from USD350 million to USD1 billion in 2020.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen their coordination at regional and international forums such as the UN, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the EU-ASEAN.

Minh thanked Portugal for its early ratification of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) between Vietnam and the EU. He suggested the Portuguese Government and leaders support and urge the EU to early sign and approve the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement EVFTA, saying that the deals would create favourable conditions for cooperative relations between Vietnam and the EU in general and Portugal in particular to develop sustainably.

The Vietnamese official also took this occasion to call on Portuguese businesses to increase their investments in Vietnam, especially in the fields the two sides can support each other such as maritime economy, navigation, electronic components, tourism and renewable energy.

Host and guest agreed to deploy the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation reached by the two countries in 2015 and step up cooperation in education-training as well as cultural exchange.

Minh suggested the Portuguese Government assist the Portuguese Department of Hanoi University and provide Portuguese language scholarships for Vietnamese students.

Regarding regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two ministers stressed the importance of peace, stability as well as maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom and expressed their concern over recent developments in the East Sea.

Minh called on Portugal, in its capacity as an EU member, to back the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam on the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures and on the basis of respecting international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalising a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Following the talks, the two officials witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, and another on training and information-document exchange between the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The same day, Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh held a working session with Portuguese Minister of Economy Manuel Caldeira Cabral, during which the Vietnamese official suggested the two sides tie up with each other in such areas as maritime economy and transportation, infrastructure and renewable energy.

Vietnam wants to increase exports to Portugal and stands ready to welcome Portuguese firms to invest in and export products to the country, he noted.

Caldeira Cabral said Vietnam and Portugal have a lot of opportunities to push up economic, trade and investment ties, saying the two countries should accelerate the implementation of inked agreements, including the deal in tourism.

The Portuguese Government encourages its enterprises to operate in Vietnam, he said, adding that Portugal supports the signing and approval of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement./.
Tree House Humane Society announced it will break ground next month on a new, expanded facility in Rogers Park that will feature a cat cafe. (HANDOUT)

Tree House Humane Society, a no-kill cat shelter headquartered in Uptown, announced it will break ground next month on a new, expanded facility in Rogers Park (7225 N. Western Ave.) that will feature a cat cafe.

First reported by DNAinfo.com, it's the latest in a smattering of feline-focused cafes, which gained popularity in Asian countries such as Japan and Taiwan before landing in U.S. cities, including Oakland, Calif. and New York. This will be Chicago's first such establishment.

Advertisement

According to Tree House's development director Jenny Schlueter, the concept will be fairly simple.

"What we're looking at is having a very small kiosk in the lobby when people walk in," she said. "You can order something, and we'll have three rooms adjacent to the lobby with glass walls."

Advertisement

These "featured cat rooms" will be furnished with tables, chairs and sofas, "And the idea is that it will be a place for people to go and enjoy their drinks with the kitties."

Schlueter, who has wanted Tree House to open a cat cafe for years, said she believes the concept is a win-win for both the shelter and visitors.

"I think that people are finding an opportunity where they can go and interact with them, and not necessarily commit to adopting," she said. "We have enough cats where we can cycle in as many as we want, so I think it really serves a purpose for us in terms of socialization needs."

Besides drinks, the cafe will likely serve a selection of packaged foods, prepared off-site for health reasons.

So far, Tree House has raised $5 million of its $7 million goal and is still seeking donations to complete the project. The facility (and cat cafe) is slated to open early 2016.

ewickwire@tribpub.com

Twitter @ewickwire
It was one of the most outlandish episodes in Frank Lloyd Wright's outlandish life: On Oct. 16, 1956, the 89-year-old architect stood before an enormous gold, silver and moblue canvas in the ballroom of the Sherman House Hotel and unveiled his plan for a mile-high skyscraper  528 stories, with enough room for 100,000 people, 15,000 cars and 100 helicopters.

"This is The Illinois, gentlemen," Wright told the assembled reporters, including a young Paul Gapp, who would become the Tribune's architecture critic. "In it, will be consolidated all government offices now scattered around Chicago."

Advertisement

Wright had no client and no confirmed site for his proposed skyscraper, which was never built and never forgotten. As the 150th anniversary of Wright's June 8 birth approaches, his plan for the Mile-High Illinois, as it's often called, remains an object of fascination and curiosity.

Why did Wright, who supposedly hated cities, carry out this outrageous stunt? Why would this fierce advocate of decentralization design a skyscraper that would have been more than four times taller than the 1,250-foot Empire State Building, then the world's tallest building?

Advertisement

Hint one: A quest for posterity.

Hint two: Follow the money. "Give me the luxuries," the free-spending Wright would say, "and let the necessities take care of themselves."

These hints come from no less a scholar than Barry Bergdoll, curator at the Museum of Modern Art's Department of Architecture and Design and chief organizer of the upcoming exhibition, "Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive," which opens at the New York museum on June 12.

The show's title suggests the 2012 transfer to MoMA and Columbia University's architecture library of the archives of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Arizona  5,000 drawings and moreand the effort to "unpack" the physical contents and underlying meaning of the trove. Even after the show's catalog went to press, Bergdoll came upon new Mile-High material in the archives, including invitations to a Sherman House Hotel dinner held in tandem with the press conference for the skyscraper.

"The Mile-High is so unbelievably symbolic," Bergdoll said in a telephone interview Friday. "It's really an incredible attention-getting thing."

Today's star architects, or "starchitects," hire publicists to beat the drums for their latest eye-grabbing skyscraper or museum. Wright, who was born in 1867 and died in 1959 after a life of divorce, scandal, fires and fame, didn't need one.

Throughout his career, the architect excelled at crafting his public image as well as his pathbreaking buildings. He was a pioneering media manipulator, taking to television in the 1950s to appear on the popular game show "What's My Line?" (His profession, the home audience learned, was "World Famous Architect.") And he was a shrewd self-promoter, as the run-up to the Mile-High press conference reveals.

Six weeks before the event, a Tribune reporter was invited to Wright's Taliesin compound in Wisconsin to get the scoop about the supertall skyscraper. "The Empire State Building would be a mouse by comparison," Wright said. Newspapers around the country jumped on the story. Mayor Richard J. Daley proclaimed Oct. 17, 1956, the day after the press conference, "Frank Lloyd Wright Day."

Advertisement

Wright sought such attention, Bergdoll speculates, because architectural historians were portraying him as a has-been. The new wave was personified by the German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, whose steel-and-glass high-rises at 860-880 N. Lake Shore Drive had won wide acclaim when they were completed five years earlier. Wright couldn't stand what Mies was doing.

"I detest seeing the boys fooling around and making their buildings look like boxes," he said. "Why not design a building that really is tall? ... Long ago I observed trees after the passing of a cyclone. Those with deep taproots were the ones that survived."

The Mile-High didn't simply aim to be tall. It was the ultimate expression of Wright's "taproot" structural system, which sank a central concrete mast deep into the ground and cantilevered floors from the mast. In contrast to a typical skyscraper, in which same-size floors are piled atop one another like so many pancakes, the taproot system lets floors vary in size, opening a high-rise's interior and letting space flow between floors.

Wright already had used the system in his 15-story S.C. Johnson Research Tower of 1950 in Racine, Wis. There, alternating square and round floors reach out like tree branches from a reinforced concrete core. Now, he was joining the approach to a kind of hyper-centralization that sought to replace many tall buildings with a single supertall skyscraper. The idea: Free up the ground plane and rid cities of the very congestion and over-crowding Wright had spent decades attacking.

If it was a bid for posterity, it didn't work. The plan was technically unfeasible. Today's world's tallest building, the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai, relies on a three-lobed structural system inspired by Chicago's Lake Point Tower, the glass-sheathed, Y-shaped skyscraper completed in 1969 by disciples of Mies.

Wright's attempt to frame the Mile-High as the culmination of new developments in high-rise concrete "has never emerged as a dominant thread in American modern architecture," Bergdoll writes in the show's catalog.

Advertisement

But the proposed supertall skyscraper did help Wright succeed at another grab for posterity, the curator tells us.

The Sherman House Hotel dinner associated with the Mile-High press conference raised $25,000, a considerable amount in those days, Bergdoll reports. In the process, it helped secure the future of the Taliesin Fellowship, Wright's architecture school.

Architectural stardom has its privileges  even when the blazing ideas of architectural stars fizzle out.

bkamin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BlairKamin
Waddel Adams, 31, left, is charged with murder after prosecutors say he forced his way inside his neighbor Bobby Lloyd Sr.'s apartment and fatally shot Lloyd, right, shown with his mother. (Chicago police)

An Englewood man forced his way inside a neighbor's apartment and fatally shot the neighbor Thursday following a chain of hostilities between the two that began after his car was struck by a rock, prosecutors said Saturday.

Waddel Adams, 31, of the 6500 block of South Laflin Street, is charged with first-degree murder, home invasion and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon in the Thursday morning killing of Bobby Lloyd Sr., 30. Judge Laura Sullivan denied bail for Adams.

Advertisement

Adams, dressed in a wrinkled gray T-shirt, shouted, "I love you baby," to a woman at the rear of the courtroom as he left court.

Lloyd had four children under the age of 9 and lived with his girlfriend, said Eric Berry, Lloyd's stepfather. He was working at a gas station at the time of his death.

Advertisement

"He was a great family man, an outstanding family man," Berry said. "He was an awesome father. He took care of his kids. He took care of his home. He took his kids to school every day and picked them up."

In the hearing, prosecutors said the families of the two men had few interactions since Lloyd's family moved into the two-story brick building on South Laflin last August. But problems began Monday when one of Lloyd's children was playing outside and threw a rock that hit Adams' car, Assistant State's Attorney Craig Taczy said.

That incident sparked a fight in which Adams hit the child's mother with a bat and swung it at Lloyd and his child, authorities said.

Berry said Lloyd called the police multiple times Tuesday and Wednesday after the first incident with his neighbor, asking them to send officers to arrest Adams for the initial fight, but no one came.

"They called the police all day. (Adams) was in the building, and (police) never came. They called all day and all night," Berry said. "My son had no weapon at all. Not even nothing to defend himself."

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Three days later, on Thursday, the feud reignited when Adams and several other people confronted Lloyd, and Adams accused Lloyd of damaging his car again, this time with a bat.

At about 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Adams, who was armed with a .380-caliber handgun, damaged the front door of Lloyd's first-floor apartment and struggled with the bat-wielding victim in the living room, Taczy said, citing witness accounts.

Adams then shot Lloyd four times before fleeing the home.

Advertisement

Lloyd's children were home at the time of the fatal attack and hiding at the back of the apartment, Berry said. Hearing the gunfire, one of his daughters jumped out the window of the first-floor unit and started running away, Berry said.

Lloyd was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead an hour after the shooting, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Authorities found seven gunshot wounds to his upper body, prosecutors said.

Police later arrested Adams and found four spent .380 shell casings at the scene, as well as one live round and one spent bullet. Police also found and took into evidence a handgun wrapped in a sweatshirt after someone saw it being dumped, Taczy said.

Adams is expected to return to court next week.
Police are asking for the public's help finding a 65-year-old man who is partially blind and suffers from dementia.

Albert Phipps was reported missing from the 200 block of North Lockwood Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood on Saturday.

Advertisement

He was last seen wearing a black jacket, a white shirt and pants with "Chicago" printed on the side.

Anyone who sees him is encouraged to call Chicago Police Area North Special Victims Unit at 312-744-8266.
(Xinhua) 09:46, May 28, 2017

Zhang Dejiang (R, front), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), attends a high-ranking symposium commemorating the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

China held a high-ranking symposium on Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Addressing the symposium, which was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, top legislator Zhang Dejiang called for comprehensive and precise implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), called the HKSAR Basic Law "a product of ingenuity of a great era," which fully embodies the shared desire of all Chinese including Hong Kong compatriots and has demonstrated great vitality.

SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION

Enacted in accordance with China's Constitution, the Basic Law specifies the guidelines of "one country, two systems", and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy.

The Basic Law is a good law which accords the actual conditions of the nation and the HKSAR and is able to provide a fundamental guarantee for the great cause of "one country, two systems" and withstand the test of practice, Zhang said.

The practice of the Basic Law over the past 20 years shows that the fundamental purposes of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability must be adhered to in order to advance the cause of "one country, two systems," Zhang noted.

BEST ARRANGEMENTS

HKSAR Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said at the symposium that the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law are the best constitutional arrangements for both the HKSAR and the country.

With the combined advantages of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong can participate in the country's major development strategies including the national 13th Five-Year Plan and the Belt and Road Initiative, while serving as a "super-connector" between the mainland and the rest of the world at the same time, Leung said.

The coordinated and joint development of the HKSAR and the mainland would not only improve their overall competitiveness, but provide the world new experiences of cooperation between regions of different systems, thus enriching "one country, two systems," he said.

Elsie Leung, deputy director of the Commission for the HKSAR Basic Law of the NPC Standing Committee, said the implementation of the Basic Law has helped realize the "one country, two systems" concept, stabilize the relationship between the central government and Hong Kong, and clarify the legal status of the HKSAR.

As the Basic Law was well received by Hong Kong citizens, a seamless and stable transition has been achieved with Hong Kong's capitalist system and life styles unchanged, its legal system improved, judicial independence ensured, democracy developing step by step, and external affairs in sound shape, she said.

TO CORRECT MISINTERPRETATIONS

Noting that some people have developed misunderstanding of the policy of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, Zhang called for efforts in raising public awareness and correcting deliberate misinterpretation of the Basic Law.

"We should resolutely oppose statements and deeds that distort, challenge or even violate the Basic Law to uphold its unshakable authority," said Zhang.

Zhang also stressed that power exercised by the HKSAR is delegated by but not separated from the central government and under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to challenge the power of the central government in the name of a high degree of autonomy.

The political system of the HKSAR is neither one of separation of powers nor a legislative-led or judiciary-led system, but an executive-led system with the chief executive at its core, Zhang explained.

Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability can only be based on accurate understanding and strict and full implementation of the Basic Law, according to Song Zhe, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION

National identity based on the Constitution is the core value for making and enforcing the Basic Law, said Han Dayuan, a law professor of Renmin University of China, urging efforts to promote the Constitution and make it a powerful guarantee for the prosperity, stability and sustainable development of Hong Kong.

Zhang also called for special attention on strengthening education of the young people in Hong Kong about the country's national conditions and the rule of law to instill in them a strong sense of national identity, of being Chinese and the rule of law.
Bradley Pence, 49, was ordered held on $200,000 bail May 27, 2017, after he was charged with having a sexual relationship with an underage relative of his new wife.

An Avondale man was ordered held on $200,000 bail Saturday after he was charged with having a sexual relationship with an underage relative of his new wife.

Bradley Pence, 49, had at least three recent sexual encounters with the 16-year-old girl, prosecutors said. Police showed up at his home in the 2800 block of West Nelson Street on Wednesday after his wife learned that the young relative was not at school, and Pence did not answer his phone.

Advertisement

When police and his wife arrived, Pence denied knowing where the girl was, or that he'd spoken with her, but the officers soon found the girl hiding in a bedroom closet, Assistant State's Attorney Craig Taczy said in court.

Pence "lied to the police about knowing the whereabouts of the victim," Taczy said before Judge Laura Sullivan at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

Advertisement

Pence was arrested after taking his bedsheets and putting them into a washing machine, but he had not been able to turn it on before police took him into custody. He was later charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Pence, dressed in a green hoodie with the Chicago city flag on the front, shook his head as prosecutors spoke Saturday.

Prosecutors said the girl gave a videotape statement regarding her relationship with Pence.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Authorities investigate the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Damon Phillips in the 100 block of Madison Street in Oak Park on May 27, 2017. (Al Lagattolla / Pioneer Press )

A 16-year-old boy fatally shot Saturday in Oak Park while allegedly trying to rob someone in a bank parking lot was identified as Damon Phillips, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Phillips' home address was not known. He was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital about 11:50 a.m. Saturday.

Advertisement

A 24-year-old man who said the teen was trying to rob him has a valid conceal-carry permit and fired at Phillips, according to a news release from the Oak Park police department.

The shooting happened in the 100 block of West Madison Street in Oak Park near Austin Boulevard.

Advertisement

"The pair apparently exchanged gunfire before the alleged robber reportedly entered a waiting car and fled into Chicago," the release stated.

Oak Park spokesman David Powers said police are investigating how the teen got to Stroger Hospital.
For most of their lives, fraternal twins Abril and Brisa Delapaz were inseparable, according to relatives.

Last year, the 26-year-old sisters had gone on their first trip to Europe. A little more than a week ago, they had just participated in a 5K run in Chicago.

Advertisement

And, naturally, on Saturday they both went to a friend's going-away party.

"You could never have one without the other," said their brother Pablo Delapaz, 27, Sunday evening.

Advertisement

Police said it was about 4:45 a.m. when their Dodge Neon crashed into the back of a parked semi-truck in the 10300 block of South Commercial Avenue in the city's South Deering neighborhood.

Brisa had been driving south toward the Hegewisch neighborhood. They were almost home.

"It's just crazy. They came into this world together and went out together," Delapaz said.

Only two weeks earlier, Abril Delapaz graduated from Roosevelt University, where she was studying biochemistry, Delapaz said. She had just started a medical internship at Rush University Medical Center.

"It was great," Pablo Delapaz said. "She was the first one in the family to go that far. She went to the extreme because she really wanted to make a difference."

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Brisa also had attended Southern Illinois University in an effort to start a career in zoology.

Even though the sisters often seemed attached at the hip, each was remembered for her own personality.

"Abril loved music. She was always dancing. Brisa was a goof. If anything happened, she would roll with it," Pablo Delapaz said.

Advertisement

"They were always crazy, but they were also thoughtful," he added. "Both were a godsend to the family."

The sisters were the centerpiece of a tight-knit family who lived together in their home in the Hegewisch neighborhood on the city's Far South Side.

"Our mom is so distraught," Delapaz said. "When our father heard, he just broke down."

Funeral arrangements are pending.
Officials carry the bodies of Indian climbers recovered from Mount Everest and airlifted to Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu on May 28, 2017. Rescuers have retrieved the body of an Indian climber who died on Mount Everest this year and two others who died last year but could not be moved due to bad weather. (Gopen Rai / AFP/Getty Images)

Tragedy and a troubling mystery have enveloped Mount Everest as the mountain's climbing season reaches its peak. The bodies of three Indian climbers were retrieved Sunday amid reports that climbers were being jeopardized by the disappearance of oxygen bottles. The two situations have not been linked at this time.

The bodies of Ravi Kumar, who died last weekend, and Paresh Chandra Nath and Gautam Ghosh, who died last year on the mountain, were brought down after being recovered by Sherpa guides near the summit. They were taken by a helicopter from a camp at a lower elevation to Kathmandu for autopsy.

Advertisement

"I can finally take my brother's body home for cremation to bring peace to all our family," Debashish Ghosh, Gautam Ghosh's brother, told the Associated Press.

The window for reaching the summit closes as May ends and conditions deteriorate. With the possibility of a successful climb becoming slimmer, there are reports that oxygen is disappearing.

Advertisement

"It is becoming a serious issue up there," mountain guide Nima Tenji Sherpa told the BBC on Friday.

"I kept on hearing from expedition groups that their oxygen bottles had disappeared and that could be life-threatening - particularly when they have used up what they are carrying on their way up and they are still not on the summit yet, or they plan to use the stocked bottles on their way back," added Tenji Sherpa, who had just returned from Everest.

While it's possible to summit Everest without oxygen, it's not recommended for most climbers because of the mountain's extreme elevation. Soaring some 5.5 miles above sea level, Everest's air at its peak can't sustain life for more than a few hours. Without extensive training, lack of oxygen can bring on serious frostbite, as well as a condition called hypoxia that affects the brain, causing headaches, hallucinations and eventually death.

The first group of climbers summited the mountain on May 15 and it didn't take long for reports of the suspected thefts to come in.

"Another 7 bottles of Os have gone missing from our supply - this time from The South Col," Everest Expedition leader Tim Mosedale wrote on Facebook last week, referring to the location of one of Everest's final camps before the summit.

Mosedale referenced the high number of "failed summit bids," as well as the five fatalities happening on the mountain so far this year, noting he wouldn't be surprised if the oxygen was taken to help those out in immediate need, but that he wished "people would let us know."

"No one in their right mind would withhold previous oxygen from any team/climber having difficulties. But if those difficulties are as a result of their own oversight or lack of sufficient supply, it's a difficult situation to reconcile - especially when it potentially affects the success or otherwise of our own team," he continued. "Indeed, as I've mentioned before, lack of sufficient oxygen can easily develop into a life-threatening situation."

In an earlier post after finding out four of his group's oxygen bottles had gone missing from another camp, Mosedale wasn't so understanding, though.

Advertisement

"I'd never normally wish ill on anyone but if these thieving bastards don't summit, or get frostbite in the process, then that's karma," he wrote on Facebook.

This isn't the first year climbers have seen their oxygen go missing. Last year, at least two climbers complained of thefts, including Rudra Prasad Haldar, an Indian police official, who told the Hindustan Times "a large number of oxygen cylinders were stolen."

But the problem has become so commonplace this year that the Nepal National Mountain Guides Association called it "a trend."

"Because of such incidents, climbers have had to return without reaching the summit, because when you learn that you no more have the life-saving bottles, the first thing you want to do is get back to the base camp," the group's general secretary, Phurba Namgyal Sherpa, told the BBC.

No one has been caught stealing the bottles, nor do there appear to be any suspects, according to authorities.
This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on May 28, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the test of a new anti-aircraft guided weapon system organized by the Academy of National Defence Science at an undisclosed location. (AFP/Getty Images)

SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile that landed in Japan's maritime economic zone Monday, officials said, the latest in a string of test launches as the North seeks to build nuclear-tipped ICBMs that can reach the U.S. mainland.

This launch of a suspected Scud-type missile, which the South Korean military said flew about 450 kilometers (280 miles), may also be an attempt to demonstrate North Korea's ability to strike U.S. and South Korean troops in the region.

Advertisement

The missile launched from the coastal town of Wonsan, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It landed in Japan's exclusive maritime economic zone, which is set about 200 nautical miles off the Japanese coast, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. He said there was no report of damage to planes or vessels in the area.

Because Monday's test  the North's ninth ballistic missile launch this year  was apparently of a short-range variety of which Pyongyang has a surplus of reliable missiles, it may have been meant more as a political and military message to outsiders than as a crucial test of not-yet-perfected technology.

Advertisement

The content of that message is open to interpretation, but some see a resolve to ignore U.S.-led pressure, which has included vague threats from President Donald Trump and the arrival in Korean waters of powerful U.S. military hardware, while also showing that the North can hit U.S. targets near and far. Scuds are capable of striking at American troops in South Korea, for instance, and two newly developed missiles tested earlier this month have potential ranges that include Japan, Guam and even, according to some South Korean analysts, Alaska.

North Korea is still thought to be several years from its goal of being able to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile. It has a strong arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles and is working to perfect its longer-range missiles.

North Korea's state-controlled media had no immediate comment. But a day earlier, the North said leader Kim Jong Un had watched a separate, successful test of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system. It wasn't clear from the state media report when the test happened.

The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as ordering officials to mass-produce and deploy the system all over the country so as to "completely spoil the enemy's wild dream to command the air."

The North's nuclear and missile programs are perhaps the biggest foreign policy challenges to the new leaders in Washington and Seoul.

Trump has alternated between bellicosity and flattery in his public statements about North Korea, but his administration is still working to solidify a policy to handle its nuclear ambitions.

Monday's launch was the third ballistic missile launch by North Korea since South Korean President Moon Jae-in was inaugurated on May 10. He has signaled an interest in expanding civilian exchange with North Korea, but many analysts say he won't likely push for any major rapprochement because North Korea has gone too far in developing its nuclear program.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that "North Korea's provocation by ignoring repeated warnings from the international society is absolutely unacceptable."

Advertisement

Suga, the Japanese cabinet secretary, said the missile fell about 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of the Oki islands in southwestern Japan and 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of Sado island in central Japan.

Suga said Japanese officials will discuss North Korea with a senior foreign policy adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Yang Jiechi, who is scheduled to visit Japan later Monday. He said China, the North's only major ally, has been increasingly using its influence over North Korea.

Besides its regular ballistic missile test-launches, the North carried out two of its five nuclear tests last year  in January and September. Outside analysts believe North Korea may be able to arm some of its shorter-range missiles with nuclear warheads, though the exact state of the North's secretive weapons program is unknown.

AP journalists Mari Yamaguchi and Kaori Hitomi contributed to this report from Tokyo.
Chinese aircraft take off in international defense market

Chinese-developed aircraft have been in the global spotlight recently with a series of maiden flights of export-oriented models.

China's first export-oriented armed helicopter, the Z-15E, made its maiden flight on May 18 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

It followed maiden flights by the Wing-Loong II Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and the JF-17B dual-seat fighter earlier this year.

The raft of high-end, export-oriented aircraft highlighted the achievements of "Made in China" expertise, said a statement from the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China's leading aviation manufacturer and developer of the three aircraft models.

They were developed to meet China's strategic interests and the demand of the global market, especially from countries along the Belt and Road initiative, said AVIC.

Purpose-built

After more than six decades of efforts, China has created a comparatively complete aviation equipment manufacturing industry. Cost-effective products have also made China more active in the global arms market.

The Z-19E armed helicopter represents China's latest achievement in pursuing the military-civilian integration strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative, said Zhang Jichao, chairman of AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industrial Group (HAIG), manufacturer of the Z-19E.

"Drawing on the best resources of state-owned and private enterprises, it is purpose-built for the global market," said Zhang.

One of China's first aviation exporters, HAIG has successfully marketed its Z-9 armed helicopter and Y-12 series small fixed-wing aircraft in the world market.

The Z-9 is China's most popular helicopter for export. To date, HAIG has exported 55 of them to 13 countries.

As China's leading helicopter manufacturer, HAIG has worked with clients to improve technologies and user functions, said Zhang.

"Now, we have the Z-19E, with significant capacities in environmental adaptation, maintainability and reliability. We are confident it will do well in the global market," said Zhang.

The narrow-body tandem-seat armed helicopter is also China' s first export-oriented helicopter made especially for attack.

Tailored products

"China's aviation products stand out in the global market with technology breakthroughs," said Li Shengwei, deputy chief designer of the Z-19E.

Value for money is another attraction. "We have comparative advantages in after-sales services," said Li.

Chinese-developed military aviation products are gaining in their global reputation.

The Wing-Loong II UAS successfully completed its maiden flight on Feb. 27.

With its integrated reconnaissance and strike capabilities, it won the biggest-ever export order for a Chinese UAS, even before its maiden flight.

Two months later, the JF-17B dual-seat fighter trainer made its maiden flight. And the aircraft for the maiden flight has already been ordered by Pakistan.

AVIC said it received export orders for the F-17B during its development stage, a sign of growing international confidence in China's aviation industry.

The JF-17B was targeted at the requirements of international customers and the global market.

China's aviation products still lag behind foreign peers in comprehensive competitive power and market share. "However, we have advantages in cost performance and trading modes," said Yang Ying, president of China National Aero-technology Import and Export Corporation.

"We have a better understanding of and adaptive solutions for our clients in developing countries. We can provide tailored products and after-sale services to them," Yang added.

"Alongside China's progress in the aviation industry and its global influence, Chinese aviation products are gaining a voice in the global market."
It took the Lake Station City Council about 10 seconds to endorse a first reading of a welcoming ordinance aimed at offering some protection to people in the United States illegally.

Each of the six council members present quickly voted "yes" on the measure sponsored by Council President Carlos Luna. There was no discussion at the May 25 meeting. The council will likely consider final approval June 8.

Advertisement

"It's a good thing," said Luna. "We will follow the law."

Luna, who's also president of United Steel Workers of America Local 2003, said his union is supporting the ordinance across Northwest Indiana. He said it will be presented to the Hobart City Council soon.

Advertisement

Luna said the ordinance was appropriate for Lake Station where Hispanics make up about 33 percent of the population.

The Gary City Council passed a welcoming ordinance earlier in May by a 6-3 vote after a lengthy debate. East Chicago has also approved the measure, Luna said.

Lake Station's ordinance states its intent is to recognize the historic importance of immigrants and to enable immigrants to report crimes. "Additionally, it is the intent of Lake Station to support immigration enforcement as a federal matter."

The ordinance says Lake Station police will defend immigrant communities against crimes and will help connect them with social services. "The city recognizes the arrest of an individual increases that individual's risk of deportation" even if the immigrant is found not guilty of the crime.

The ordinance states Lake Station police will consider "the extreme potential negative consequences" of an arrest and will do so after determining other "less severe" alternatives aren't available.

Unless there's a court order, Lake Station's attorney would review each request by immigration officials to determine if its cooperation would put someone at risk of deportation.

President Donald J. Trump wants to cut off federal aid to communities that won't offer cooperation to federal officials. A federal judge in San Francisco issued a restraining order against the federal government from taking punitive actions against municipalities. Trump has challenged the order.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Navy veteran Jim Spanopoulos reads the names of Valparaiso's war fallen Friday in front of the Duty and Sacrifice wall that lists their names at the Service Memorial at Foundation Meadows Park. (James D. Wolf Jr. / Post-Tribune)

Valparaiso Parks Superintendent John Seibert wrapped up the city's Memorial Day event Friday morning with an explanation of why the city has it early.

As people gather together and have fun this weekend, "may we always remember we have these freedoms to enjoy because of those who made the sacrifice," he said.

Advertisement

Seibert hosted the ceremony at The Service Memorial at Foundation Meadows Park, where this year's guest speaker was U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joe Baczynski, who served from 1969 to 1975.

For him, the holiday underscored that while being a veteran is a privilege, being a Marine carries a responsibility of memory.

Advertisement

"These names on the wall, they're the heroes. They'll always be in my heart," said Baczynski. "As long as there's a breath in my body, they will be remembered. They all wanted to come hone. But they paid the ultimate sacrifice."

Although the holiday is about the past, Baczynski also looked forward, as someone involved with Toys for Tots since he left the service and now chairs the event in Valparaiso.

"The children are our future, and every one of them should have a Merry Christmas. They deserve that," he said.

The event started with the Valparaiso Fire Department Color Guard posting the state and United States flags while aerial ladder fire truck near the park entrance flew an oversize stars and stripes that could be seen for blocks.

It included a solemn remembrance of the names of the city's war dead as they were read aloud next to the black marble they're engraved on.

Mayor Jon Costas said of those memorialized in the stone, "each one had mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who felt a loss."

The three people who read the names of the fallen from World War I to Afghanistan-Iraq were instrumental in getting the Service Memorial built: City Administrator Bill Oeding, who served in the Navy and reserves from 1973-79; Jim Spanopoulos, who served in the Navy and Vietnam conflict from 1966-67 and Carol Costakis, whose father, John Kull, serrved during World War II.

James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Former Army sergeant combat medic Lucas Oppelt hugs members of the Indiana Patriotic Guard who greeted him Friday at the Gary/Chicago International Airport on his "Alive Day" five-year anniversary. (Jerry Davich/Post-Tribune )

Lucas Oppelt felt pleasantly ambushed while staring out through a window of the corporate jet after it landed at the Gary/Chicago International Airport.

"I think he's going to blush," his wife Amy Oppelt joked.

Advertisement

"We weren't told anything about this," Lucas Oppelt admitted.

Patiently waiting for him to depart the Hawker 700 aircraft were several decorated members of the Indiana Patriot Guard. Each of them stood quietly at attention in front of an airport hangar. Each of them clutched a large American flag, waving in the wind.

Advertisement

Oppelt, a 35-year-old wounded warrior and Hoosier native, looked a bit embarrassed at all the commotion over his low-key homecoming Friday afternoon. He nervously stared out a window as the eight-passenger jet taxied to a stop.

The vehicle of former Army sergeant combat medic Lucas Oppelt displays a Purple Heart decal. (Jerry Davich/Post-Tribune )

His 4-year-old daughter Lily whispered to him, "It's OK, Daddy, I'll help you."

Lily's gentle words brought a calming smile to her father who, on that day, marked the milestone fifth anniversary of his "Alive Day."

His daughter was still in Amy's womb when, on May 26, 2012, he stepped on a pressure-plate improvised explosive device in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

The IED only partially detonated, yet it was enough to blow off his right leg below the knee, severely damage his left leg, shoot shrapnel into his arms, and cause a traumatic brain injury, among other wounds. If the IED detonated entirely, it likely would have killed Oppelt, who was rushed into emergency surgery.

Just a day earlier, one of Oppelt's fellow soldiers stepped on an IED in that same area, causing a similar amputation. Two days earlier, the same thing happened to another soldier. Oppelt, a U.S. Army sergeant who served as a senior line combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, treated their wounds before they were transported away.

Oppelt, who planned on serving in the Army's Special Forces for his career, was on his second deployment overseas, following a 15-month tour in Iraq from 2006 to 2007. His plan was to be a military "lifer," serving Uncle Sam until he got wrinkled and gray-haired.

His dream exploded on May 26, 2012. So did his wife's hope for their clear shot at the American dream  "a happy marriage, two careers, 2.5 kids, a dog and a time share somewhere warm," as she puts it  when her phone rang that unforgettable day.

Advertisement

The women's voice on the other end asked if Amy had heard about her husband.

"No," Amy replied, knowing that precise moment would profoundly change her life.

The woman told her in a calm, professional manner, "At 10:02 a.m., Afghan time, while on a dismounted patrol, your husband Lucas Oppelt stepped on a pressure plate IED." She asked Amy if she had a pen and paper.

Amy, a licensed practical nurse at the time, began scribbling down every detail she was given. She ran out of paper.

"Stop talking, just stop," Amy told the woman before falling apart.

Members of the Indiana Patriotic Guard stand at attention to greet Lucas Oppelt on Friday, May 26, 2017, at the Gary/Chicago International Airport on his "Alive Day" five-year anniversary. (Jerry Davich/Post-Tribune )

Amy, who was seven months pregnant with Lily, feared that Lucas would never live to hold Lily. For the first time in her life, since the couple met at boot camp in the Army, Amy feared for their future together.

Advertisement

She released a painful, guttural scream. Her son Peyton, 5 years old at the time, heard her scream and knocked on the door. "Mommy, are you alright?"

"Mommy's fine baby," she said

"Is that Daddy? Is he okay?" Peyton asked.

"Yes, honey, Daddy's fine," she said.

His daddy wasn't fine.

After his condition stabled, he would be transported to another Forward Operating Base to undergo emergency amputation of his right leg below the knee and, in time, 15 surgeries to his left leg, among several attempts to put his body back together again.

Advertisement

He was later transported from Germany to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, where he and his family would live for nearly two years through his inpatient and outpatient recovery. Lucas needed to heal. Amy needed to heal. Their family slowly healed  mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

It wasn't easy or pretty or tidy.

They relied on help from several aid organizations for wounded veterans, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Yellow Ribbon Fund, Operation Second Chance, Operation Homefront and Veterans Airlift Command, or VAC.

Fast forward to this past Friday, Lucas' five-year "Alive Day" anniversary. To celebrate, they dreamed of reuniting with his mother and stepfather in Mishawaka, who they haven't seen in three years. But they couldn't afford a roundtrip flight for four from their home in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they started their new healed life.

The couple requested help from VAC, which provides free air transportation to post 9/11 combat wounded vets and their families for medical, and other compassionate purposes, through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots.

"Walt Fricke is the key," said Nick Popovich of Valparaiso, whose aviation firm Sage-Popovich, Inc. has facilitated 140 VAC flights since 2007. "VAC was Walt's brainchild and vision that he turned into an amazing organization."

Advertisement

"He and his staff work hard to make sure our vets get to where they need to go," Popovich added.

Popovich invited me to fly Friday with his pilots, John Neidlinger of Plymouth and Kerry Eldridge of Madison, Wisconsin, to pick up the Oppelt family in Colorado Springs and transport them to Gary. Free of charge to the family, who was treated like royalty.

"We're so appreciative of everything," Amy told me while flying back at 38,000 feet.

Lucas stood behind the cockpit, sharing combat stories with Neidlinger, a U.S. Army veteran. Peyton, now 10, played a video game as Lily colored in a book. The family plans on staying with Lucas' parents for five days before returning home via another Popovich-assisted VAC flight.

"From start to finish, some 35 people have played a role in making today's flight work," Popovich said.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

His staff (including 12 vets) comes in early, works late and tends to every detail for every VAC flight, with each call sign the same: Hero Flight 00NP.

Advertisement

"It is an honor and privilege to fly these young men and women who have given so much," Popovich said.

On Friday afternoon at the Gary airport, those Indiana Patriotic Guard members waited until Oppelt exited the jet with his family. When he did, they began clapping, one after the other. Watch my video of the exchange and view more photos here: www.post-trib.com/opinion.

"Thank you very much," Oppelt told each of them with a handshake and a hug.

"No," they replied. "Thank you."

Former Army sergeant combat medic Lucas Oppelt looks at a medal given to him by members of the Indiana Patriotic Guard who greeted him Friday, May 26, 2017, at the Gary/Chicago International Airport on his "Alive Day" five-year anniversary. (Jerry Davich/Post-Tribune )

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter@jdavich
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.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joked about shooting reporters. There is nothing remotely funny about promoting violence. The GOP under this president has an escalating sense of exacting revenge by using force. This has to be stopped.

Advertisement

For how many months is the Trump administration going to fight the courts over a three-month travel ban? Haven't the three months when they wanted to impose the ban already passed?

Fortunately, MSNBC and CNN do not lie about or whitewash the truth about the White House idiot and his minion advisers and cohorts in government. If you rely on Fox News to tell you the truth, then you also believe in the tooth fairy. Fox News is the actual "fake news" because they wouldn't know the facts if they fell over them.

Advertisement

Trump just showed how egotistical he is when he pushed his way so he could be up front for pictures.

I wonder what the Republicans would do if they stopped spending so much time on gerrymandering, nonexistent voter fraud and chasing after false stories? Would they try to fix the problems, or would they just give up?

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Broadcast interviews with Montana voters showed that without exception, they wholeheartedly approved of their Republican congressional candidate in the special election body-slamming a reporter for a British newspaper. This is what happens when the president of the United States calls reporters "enemies of the American people." And Republican House members assure us that, if elected, he would be "welcomed" to Congress. Disgraceful.

When the top Justice official in the country lies on legal forms, what message does that send to the average citizen? Open season on lying? We know that he certainly can't be trusted.

There is a reason that all of these Washington politicians didn't disclose their meetings with Russian officials. And it wasn't because every single one of them just conveniently forgot about them.

Why would it take two years to see if the liquor laws in Indiana are valid? Two months should do the job, but we are talking about politics, so it may be extended for many years.

How can it be that so many in the GOP can defend Russia over leaks and interfering in our election and so easily blame other Americans, just because they are Democrats?

I think single payer or Medicare for all is the best chance we have, not Trumpcare. Every other industrialized nation on earth can assure health care to their citizens, why can't we? If you have a pre-existing condition, we are prepared to let you go bankrupt or die. This is morally wrong, and I have no idea how a person of faith, or anyone else, can support this idea.

Advertisement

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly.
Frisch maintains razor-thin lead in CD-3 after new data reported in Pueblo County

Frisch's lead over Boebert has been in decline as more counties in CD-3 continue to report results after election day
Islamic State (IS) announced on Saturday that its fighters conducted a shooting that killed at least 29 Egyptian Christians on Friday, a statement of the group reported.

"A security detachment from Caliphate soldiers has killed dozens of Christians and burnt out their buses," said the statement posted on Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging system used by the IS to communicate with its followers.

The statement which has been published by the IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said the attack left 32 killed.

On Friday, masked gunmen in three four-wheel-drive vehicles attacked two buses and a truck carrying Coptic Christians on a visit to a monastery south of the Egyptian capital, killing at least 29 people, including children, according to the health ministry's latest update.

About 70 Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million, have been killed in bomb attacks on churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta since December.

Those attacks were claimed by the IS.

Egyptian air forces carried out six air strikes against jihadist training camp on Friday in retaliation for the Minya bus attack.

In a televised address to Egypt's people, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said "Egypt will not hesitate in striking terror camps anywhere, either inside (the country) or outside it."

On Saturday, a statement of the armed forces said that the Egyptian military is continuing to carry out air strikes against militant training camps outside the country.

"The air forces completely destroyed the targeted training camps and bases of the terrorists who carried out the attack against the Christians in Minya," the statement added.

The air eagles returned home while the armed forces continue in their operation to maintain the security of the country, added the armed force spokesperson.
A civil engineering freshman on Saturday emerged as the overall winner of the 16th Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition for foreign college students in Tanzania.

Steven Emmanuel Paul, 20, from the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), beat 11 other contestants in Mandarin fluency.

The civil engineering major said his Mandarin proficiency would help him secure employment with Chinese construction companies in the east African nation.

Twenty-two-year-old Tewele Ayubu, an education major at the UDSM, also wore a broad smile as the second-place winner.

"My burning ambition is to become a Chinese language teacher," Ayubu said. "My desire is to teach Chinese to as many Tanzanians as possible so that they could go to China to learn technology and science and come back to develop our country."

Two other students from the UDSM Confucius Institute and four each from the University of Dodoma, and the Zanzibar Journalism and Mass Media College also participated in the contest.

"Language is a bridge to bring people together," said Minister Counsellor in the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania Gou Haodong.

Yan Liu, director of the UDSM Confucius Institute, said Paul, the overall winner, will go to China to participate in the second round of competition and if possible the final round.

The second-place winner, Ayubu, will also go to China to watch the competition, with all expenses covered by the Office of Chinese Language Council International, Yan said.

He said the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, co-founded by the UDSM and Zhejiang Normal University, was launched in 2013.

"Through language and cultural interaction the Confucius Institute at the UDSM has bridged minds of the people from Tanzania and China, and become a platform on which more Tanzanians come to know more about China," he said.

Rose Uppor, principal of the College of Humanities at the UDSM, said the Confucius Institute has contributed to creating a cultural understanding of the world's largest population and their heritage.
Zhang Dejiang (R, front), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), attends a high-ranking symposium commemorating the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 27, 2017. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

China held a high-ranking symposium on Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Addressing the symposium, which was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, top legislator Zhang Dejiang called for comprehensive and precise implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), called the HKSAR Basic Law "a product of ingenuity of a great era," which fully embodies the shared desire of all Chinese including Hong Kong compatriots and has demonstrated great vitality.

SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION

Enacted in accordance with China's Constitution, the Basic Law specifies the guidelines of "one country, two systems", and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy.

The Basic Law is a good law which accords the actual conditions of the nation and the HKSAR and is able to provide a fundamental guarantee for the great cause of "one country, two systems" and withstand the test of practice, Zhang said.

The practice of the Basic Law over the past 20 years shows that the fundamental purposes of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability must be adhered to in order to advance the cause of "one country, two systems," Zhang noted.

BEST ARRANGEMENTS

HKSAR Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said at the symposium that the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law are the best constitutional arrangements for both the HKSAR and the country.

With the combined advantages of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong can participate in the country's major development strategies including the national 13th Five-Year Plan and the Belt and Road Initiative, while serving as a "super-connector" between the mainland and the rest of the world at the same time, Leung said.

The coordinated and joint development of the HKSAR and the mainland would not only improve their overall competitiveness, but provide the world new experiences of cooperation between regions of different systems, thus enriching "one country, two systems," he said.

Elsie Leung, deputy director of the Commission for the HKSAR Basic Law of the NPC Standing Committee, said the implementation of the Basic Law has helped realize the "one country, two systems" concept, stabilize the relationship between the central government and Hong Kong, and clarify the legal status of the HKSAR.

As the Basic Law was well received by Hong Kong citizens, a seamless and stable transition has been achieved with Hong Kong's capitalist system and life styles unchanged, its legal system improved, judicial independence ensured, democracy developing step by step, and external affairs in sound shape, she said.

TO CORRECT MISINTERPRETATIONS

Noting that some people have developed misunderstanding of the policy of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, Zhang called for efforts in raising public awareness and correcting deliberate misinterpretation of the Basic Law.

"We should resolutely oppose statements and deeds that distort, challenge or even violate the Basic Law to uphold its unshakable authority," said Zhang.

Zhang also stressed that power exercised by the HKSAR is delegated by but not separated from the central government and under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to challenge the power of the central government in the name of a high degree of autonomy.

The political system of the HKSAR is neither one of separation of powers nor a legislative-led or judiciary-led system, but an executive-led system with the chief executive at its core, Zhang explained.

Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability can only be based on accurate understanding and strict and full implementation of the Basic Law, according to Song Zhe, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION

National identity based on the Constitution is the core value for making and enforcing the Basic Law, said Han Dayuan, a law professor of Renmin University of China, urging efforts to promote the Constitution and make it a powerful guarantee for the prosperity, stability and sustainable development of Hong Kong.

Zhang also called for special attention on strengthening education of the young people in Hong Kong about the country's national conditions and the rule of law to instill in them a strong sense of national identity, of being Chinese and the rule of law.
You are here: Home

A higher court in east China's Shandong Province on Saturday officially began reconsideration of the case of a son who stabbed and killed a violent debt collector in his mother's defense.

The defendant, Yu Huan, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Feb. 17, 2017 by the Intermediate People's Court of Liaocheng City.

Yu and three plaintiffs appealed after the trial.

The Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court accepted the appeal on March 24, 2017.

On April 14, 2016, more than 10 people went to Su Yinxia's company in Guanxian County in Shandong to collect payment for loan sharks, allegedly insulting Su and her son Yu Huan.

Police arrived at the scene but Yu later stabbed four of the debt collectors including Du Zhihao, who died the next morning.

In a statement issued March 26, the Supreme People's Procuratorate pledged to review the case to determine whether Yu was acting in self-defence and investigate possible dereliction of duty by police officers involved.

The retrial mainly focused on the reason of the appeal, the facts ascertained in the first trial, and some new evidence from forensic investigations. The mother, Su Yinxia, served as witness in court.

More than 100 people attended the public retrial on Saturday. The verdict will be announced another day.
When she was young Dorlma saw (Everest) through her bedroom window every morning when she woke up.

Years later, the world's highest peak brought the 29-year-old her fortune.

At an altitude of 5,200 meters where the concrete road comes to an end, the base camp consists of nearly 60 tents offers tourists accommodation before they set out on their trips to conquer the 8,800-meter-plus mountain.

Dorlma runs an inn in one of the tents.

"Tourists can sleep for a warm night and try Tibetan lifestyle by having Tibetan food and listening to Tibetan songs here," she says.

Monday marks the 64th anniversary of man's first successful expedition to Mt. Qomolangma, with New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal reaching the summit on May 29, 1953.

Decades after the epic climb to the world's peak, Tibetans at the foot of Mount Qomolangma have conquered poverty by receiving professional and amateur mountaineers and tourists.

Like a traditional Tibetan herdsman's home, Dorlma's inn has a wooden floor set on stones, a shared bed for six people, three big Tibetan chairs for sitting and sleeping, and a stove at the center that burns cow manure.

"This is the best living condition we can provide here," she says, while putting alcohol on the stove to start a fire.

Despite it being late May, heating is necessary at the plateau base.

The inn brings her an income of over 100,000 yuan ($14,600) every year, 100-times the amount she once brought home herding and toiling on farmland. Farming yields are meager at altitudes above 4,000 meters.

Dorlma started her inn in 2008, when only four tent inns were operating.

She has witnessed great change at the infrastructure of the base including a concrete road, electricity, mobile networks and the world's highest post office.

Postal worker Tsomo started working her job here in mid-April, collecting and stamping postcards every day. A set of 10 postcards printed with Mt. Qomolangma is available at the office.

"Sometimes I stamp tens of thousands of times on a busy day," says Tsomo, adding that postal workers from the county post office come once a week, ensuring delivery of postcards within 10 days across China and 20 days around the world.

Party chief Chimed Tsering of Qoizong village in Zhaxizom township, where the base is located, says every tent operator needs to pay 40,000 yuan annual rent, which is distributed to poor villagers as a dividend.

"No household should be left behind on the way to prosperity," he says.

The benefits brought by tourism boom are also shared by other villages.

Deputy head of Zhaxizom township Penlo says that 20 villages in the township are allowed to run inns at the base, with people from a further 10 villages offering delivery services by yak.

"As of last year, the entire township cast off poverty," Penlo says.

Newly-weds Li Dongzhuoyi and his wife from northwest China's Shaanxi province drove to Tibet for their honeymoon. Mt. Qomolangma was the westernmost stop on their journey.

After mailing the postcards, they enter Dorlma's tent to eat Tibetan food and drink butter tea.

"We did not expect there would be a warm inn at the foot of Qomolangma. The local boss is hospitable to us. We feel like we are at home," he says.
CPN-UML supporters hold a celebration rally after winning the mayoral post at Surya Binayak Municipality of Bhaktapur District in the Kathmandu Valley. [Photo by Kavita Thapa / China.org.cn]

The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) has swept the local polls in the first phase of the election held on May 14. The UML, which was brought down from the government by a coalition of the Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre 10 months ago, emerged as the largest political force, thanks to its nationalist stand that it took in defiance of the Indian economic embargo in 2015.

The election was held in 283 local units out of 744 in three provinces that were restructured with the promulgation of the new constitution. They comprise metropolitan cities, sub-metropolitan cities, municipalities and rural municipalities.

The UML has secured the chiefs in over 125 local units, the NC 104 and Maoist Centre 46. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other newly formed forces were swept away in the election, considered to be a milestone in strengthening local democracy. The people have chosen the established parties having a long history of struggle for democracy, peace and development.

The second phase of the election will be conducted in the remaining provinces, including the Terai region bordering India, on June 14. This will further test the strength of the mainstream as well as fringe Madhesi parties.

The UML, hopeful of maintaining its winning streak in the second round of the poll, has already taken centre stage in national politics. The voters have given the thumbs up to the UML's stance against foreign meddling and divisive ethnic-centric politics roiling the southern plains of the country.

"The people have endorsed our stand on nationalism and national dignity," said UML chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli. Oli noted that his party emerged victorious despite the state-sponsored rigging, violence, booth capturing and murdering of his party workers.

Oli, who led the party to victory, has promised that his elected comrades would live up to the people's faith and mandate by performing extraordinary works during their tenure in office.

One of the striking features of the election is that the electorates in the metropolises voted for the UML. It registered a victory in three metropolises out of four in a clear indication that more informed and politically enlightened citizenry prefer the moderate communist party. It won 53 percent of the local units in the Kathmandu Valley, the nerve centre of national politics. It successfully knocked out the electoral alliance of the Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre in Pokhara metropolis and Hetuada Sub-Metropolitan City.

The UML's thumping win has also been seen as the indirect endorsement of the historic trade and transit agreement reached with the northern neighbour, China. The Oli-led government had signed a 10-point accord with China in a historic move to reduce Nepal's dependency on India, get access to the sea via Chinese territory, achieve economic growth through trade, connectivity and investment, and boost Nepal's international image. The landmark accord finally inducted Nepal into the One Belt One Road initiative of China.

Oli sought the support of China when India imposed a blockade as the Himalayan nation was struggling to pick up the pieces following the devastating earthquake in April and May 2015. India was unhappy with the collective decision of the Nepalese leaders to promulgate the new constitution. It was one of the rare moments when the Nepalese actors shrugged off the Indian instruction and desire to be a vital stakeholder in the domestic affairs of its small neighbour. Oli led this entire political process from the front and stood up to the foreign interference. And his rational patriotism finally paid off in the crucial local polls.

However, the ruling parties have also been hoisted by their own petard to some extent. In an ugly clash with the judiciary, the governing party lawmakers impeached Chief Justice Sushila Karki after she issued several rulings against the government's arbitrary decisions and highhandedness.

The NC president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, dragged himself into the scandal involving the appointment of the police chief. His bid to appoint his loyalist as the head cop by undermining meritocracy and inherent norms was thwarted by the court. The malicious move to indict a bold, clean and popular CJ ahead of the election severely backfired on the ruling parties at the ballot box.

Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Zhang Dejiang (R, front), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), attends a high-ranking symposium commemorating the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 27, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- China held a high-ranking symposium on Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Addressing the symposium, which was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, top legislator Zhang Dejiang called for comprehensive and precise implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), called the HKSAR Basic Law "a product of ingenuity of a great era," which fully embodies the shared desire of all Chinese including Hong Kong compatriots and has demonstrated great vitality.




BEIJING -- Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng called on China's young entrepreneurs to contribute to the country's economic development and socialist cause Saturday.

In a meeting with representatives of China's young private entrepreneurs, Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, listened to their presentations and voiced his hope for them.

Yu urged young entrepreneurs to strengthen faith in national development and make further contributions to the progress of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

They were also asked to strengthen their awareness of the law and patriotism to boost the country's innovation-driven growth and repay society.

The senior leader also urged authorities at various levels to enhance contact with young entrepreneurs, sincerely listen to their concerns and help them resolve difficulties.
BEIJING -- Many black holes and neutron stars are thought to be hidden in the Milky Way. Since they don't emit visible light, or are covered by dust, only X-ray telescopes can find them.

China will soon launch its first X-ray space telescope, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), with the aim of surveying the Milky Way to observe celestial sources of X-rays.

"Our space telescope has unique capabilities to observe high-energy celestial bodies such as black holes and neutron stars. We hope to use it to resolve mysteries such as the evolution of black holes and the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars," says Zhang Shuangnan, lead scientist of HXMT and director of the Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

"We are looking forward to discovering new activities of black holes and studying the state of neutron stars under extreme gravity and density conditions, and the physical laws under extreme magnetic fields. These studies are expected to bring new breakthroughs in physics," says Zhang.

Compared with X-ray astronomical satellites of other countries, HXMT has larger detection area, broader energy range and wider field of view. These give it advantages in observing black holes and neutron stars emitting bright X-rays, and it can more efficiently scan the galaxy, Zhang says.

The telescope will work on wide energy range from 1 to 250 keV, enabling it to complete many observation tasks previously requiring several satellites, according to Zhang.

Other satellites have already conducted sky surveys, and found many celestial sources of X-rays. However, the sources are often variable, and occasional intense flares can be missed in just one or two surveys, Zhang says.

New surveys can discover either new X-ray sources or new activities in known sources. So HXMT will repeatedly scan the Milky Way for active and variable celestial bodies emitting X-rays.

Zhang says other countries have launched about 10 X-ray satellites, but they have different advantages and therefore different observation focuses.

"There are so many black holes and neutron stars in the universe, but we don't have a thorough understanding of any of them. So we need new satellites to observe more," Zhang says.

The study of black holes and neutron stars is often conducted through observing X-ray binary systems. The X-ray emissions of these binary systems are the result of the compact object (such as black hole or neutron star) accreting matter from a companion regular star.

By analyzing binary system X-ray radiation, astronomers can study compact objects such as black holes or neutrons stars.

How do the black holes or neutron stars accrete matter from companion stars? What causes X-ray flares? These are questions scientists want to answer, and China's new space telescope might help.

Lu Fangjun, chief designer of the payload of HXMT, says the space telescope will focus on the Galactic plane. If it finds any celestial body in a state of explosion, it will conduct high-precision pointed observation and joint multiband observation with other telescopes either in space or on the ground.
A man touches a flexible display at the 2017 China International Big Data Expo in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A Top Ten Black Technologies list has been released at the 2017 China International Big Data Expo in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, stating how innovating the data industry helped to build a stronger, more intelligent life.

Ma Fang, senior media relations manager of Shenzhen-based Royole Corporation, said the structure and 0.01 micrometers of flexible display, seen at the event, can be applied to mobile phones, tablets, personal computers, smart home devices and intelligent transportation systems.

Much like the model, the flexible keyboard, released and featured at the event last year, was transparent, light and thin. It could expand and downsize into a stick no larger than a pen, which was easy for journalists to write stories everywhere, Ma said.

"The mobile phone, which can be worn on the wrist, was also released in the United States in January," she said.

"The display will go into production by the end of 2017, and has an estimated annual output of 20 billion yuan."

Ma added the company, Shenzhen-based Royole Corporation, recently signed a cooperation memorandum with China Southern Airlines and Shenzhen Bus, as an application of flexible materials in the aviation and automobile industries.

"There will be no buttons on the operating desk because orders of playing music, guiding roads or air conditioning can be given through touch control," she said.

Wang Hongan, software researcher of the China Academy of Sciences, added the black technology referred to innovative high technology, which was developed generally beyond common sense, and said it would potentially overturn the whole industry.

"The 3D commodity show of the JD Group was enrolled in due to the application of the augmented reality technology in its e-commerce platform," he said.

According to Zhao Gang, leader of visual and augmented reality business of JD, the image of a rice cooker could also be put into real-life circumstances, in order to see if a chosen color and size would suit a specific kitchen.

"Some online shop owners may beautify products, but the 3D technology can even help customers to its inside; which, thus, helps them to make decisions," he said.

Sun Xuhong, director of central air conditioner of Haier, said a driverless unmanned air conditioner, from the Haier Group, had also been significantly developed to detect the temperature of nearby people and could adjust itself.

"The unmanned control system, called Haier intelligent cloud, can design different operating process for companies due to the mass data collected from various industries," he said.

A big data service start-up in China, named Hydata, also developed lip-reading recognition technology, which featured a 70 percent accuracy rate for the Chinese language. It also had an 80 percent accuracy rate for the English language, and was on the way of industrialization, with public security departments, in some provinces.

The technological framework of human-machine emotional interference  put forward by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Electronics Standardization Institute and Guizhou Xiao I Robot Technology Co in February  won the title of black technology in the artificial intelligence field at the 2017 China International Big Data Expo.

"In the future, we expect to make robots which will be able to learn the emotions of humans, just by taking part in fluent and natural conversations," Wang Hao, CTO of Xiao I Robot, said.

"The technology could be used in customer service, as well as looking into the early diagnosis of mental disease, and personalized online learning courses."

A representative, and organizer, of the 2017 China International Big Data Expo added the awards were selected from products and services reported from the media worldwide, which were recommended by universities, based in China, and exhibitors at the expo.


This is the age not only of the internet but of video, when it seems that many of those who produce online content feel their messages have little chance of being clicked on, and thus seen and heard, unless they are delivered as moving pictures.

But beyond watching videos, listening to podcasts or simply reading text, the internet offers at least one other way in which one can learn, and that is getting in touch directly with experts in various fields.

Of course, you will have to pay for that help, but in many cases you may consider it money well spent.

Have you ever dreamed of owning a cafe but have little clue about where to start? Join the club. So I booked a consultation of an hour for 199 yuan ($29) with Liu Yinqi on the app Zaihang.

Liu is an angel investor and the vice president of a startup incubator called Guo'an Maker in Beijing.

He was also the manager of 3W cafe, which Premier Li Keqiang visited in 2015.

"To form a community is the key to a successful themed cafe," Liu says when we meet in his office.

3W cafe became well known by marketing itself as a place in Beijing to hang out for the technically switched on.

"People go to cafes to meet and talk with others, not to drink coffee," Liu tells me. "Coffee is just a byproduct."

3W cafe became well known by marketing itself as a place in Beijing to hang out for the technically switched on. [Photo provided to China Daily]

That is why 3W cafe chose to open in Zhongguancun, the heart and birthplace of many of China's successful internet companies, he says.

Once you have opened your cafe you need to organize events with a focustalks, roadshows, and even job fairs involving internet communities, he says.

The daily operations such as hiring staff, making coffee and taking care of all the chores need to be done by a third party.

"That's difficult and consumes time and energy," Liu says.

"You just focus on the event planning, execution and marketing."

Liu also suggests I talk to well known people in the industry, telling them my vision to draw like-minded into this business endeavor.

As Liu talks of his experience, time flies, and the one hour session is soon over.

"I have many resources, and I can help you connect with them," Liu says at the end.

"A lady who came to me last year has now opened a cafe in Guangzhou."

The app's name, Zaihang, means "be good at" or "in the trade", and it has about 8,000 experts who provide their knowledge and experience on hundreds of topics from self-improvement to real estate investment.

The charge for a session ranges from several hundred yuan to several thousands.

Liu says though he didn't promote himself to anyone in his social network, he has earned more than 1,000 yuan since he opened the account last year.

Zhou Yuan, CEO of Zhihu, a Chinese question-and-answer website, similar to its English counterpart Quora. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhihu is a Chinese question-and-answer website, similar to its English counterpart Quora, where people post questions and wait for professional answers.

The Chinese name can be translated as "Do you know?" The website has attracted a large community of professionals since it was launched in 2011.

About a year ago it opened a channel called Zhihu Live, which helps professionals turn their knowledge into money by offering online audio Q&A sessions.

I registered for a session early this year titled Three Students at University of Pennsylvania Tell You the Charm of Communication Studies.

I paid 19 yuan for a 2-hour session held by three doctoral students of the university's Annenberg School for Communication.

About 300 people joined me in that live event.

Fang Kecheng, a journalist-turned academic, was the host.

Fang graduated from Peking University and worked at the newspaper Southern Weekly for three years before he went to the US in 2013 to study communications.

The event started on time at 10 am sharp. Fang and the two other students talked of their backgrounds and of the Annenberg school.

"I believe that if people are well-informed, they will make better decisions collectively, and thus contribute to a better society," Fang said during the event.

"That's why I chose to become a journalist in the first place, and it is why I am studying communications now."

Then they talked about the many disciplines and their research interests in the field.

They also fielded questions from the audience: What is the most important thing if you want the school to accept you for enrollment? Does the school have a professor in a certain specialization? Can I apply for communications studies if I am a college student of another major? What are the books I should read to known more about health communication?

The 19 yuan I paid was chickenfeed, but the firsthand information was a great help for someone considering further studies in the future.

In April Zhihu Live said more than 2,900 live sessions had been held in the past year, with 3 million people taking part, and the average income a host makes reached 11,000 yuan an hour.

No matter what field you are expert in, you may consider opening up an account to earn some pocket money while sharing your expertise with others.
Pony Ma, chairman and chief executive officer of Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd, said on Sunday that companies in the real economy are now gearing up for the digital transformation, in which Tencent will work as a connector to provide services as needed.

Ma said at the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guizhou province that the booming digital economy will breed abundant innovation opportunities, especially in connecting real economy and internet technologies.

Digital technology is playing an increasingly important part in driving China's economic growth. According to the Tencent Research Institute, the size of China's digital economy reached 23 trillion yuan ($3.36 trillion) last year, accounting for 31 percent of the country's total GDP.

This was the third time Ma attended the big data expo in Guiyang, Guizhou province. "The big data expo has made great success, catching the eyes of a lot of companies at home and abroad,"he said.

As a big event in China's digital industry, the annual big data expo has drawn several industry tycoons in the past three years, including the heads of the so-called BAT - Baidu's Robin Li, Alibaba's Jack Ma and Pony Ma.

Pony Ma made comments on Robin Li and Jack Ma's recent discussion on big data, saying the market will be one of the most important factors in driving companies' development in the future, instead of data and technology.

"They are actually talking about different phases. I believe the market is the key, which will produce data and drive technology and innovation," he said.
The controversial case of Yu Huan is retried in his appeal in Shandong province on Saturday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Prosecutors in the appeal of a young man who had been sentenced to life in prison for intentionally causing injury said his behavior fit the legal definition of excessive self-defense when the case was reheard over the weekend.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate posted a statement on Sunday saying that Yu Huan's actions in the stabbing case were a kind of self-defense, "but obviously excessive".

Twenty-one-year-old Yu was convicted on Feb 17 for stabbing four debt collectors who confronted him and his mother. One of the debt collectors later died.

Yu appealed to the Shandong Provincial High Peoples Court, claiming he attacked the debt collectors with a knife because one of them insulted his mother by exposing himself to her.

The appeal hearing in this controversial case was held on Saturday at the high court.

Yu, from Guanxian county in Liaocheng, Shandong, said he and his mother, Su Yinxia, were confronted on April 14, 2016, by more than 10 debt collectors because they were unable to repay loans.

"I felt helpless when the debt collectors assaulted and insulted my mother and me. If I had not used a knife to defend us, I and my mother would have fallen into a more dangerous situation," he said.

Yu's lawyer said it was justifiable defense, as the stabbings were done in an attempt to protect himself and his mother.

But the provincial prosecutors said Yu's attack had caused the death of one person and serious injury of two others, "which meets the standard of serious damage and excessive self-defense, as defined by the Criminal Law."

The case was widely discussed on social media, with some saying Yus life sentence was too harsh and some criticizing how police officers had handled the incident.

Yu had said that when the police left him and his mother with the debt collectors while they gathered information, he thought they had abandoned the case.

On March 26, the top prosecuting authority dispatched prosecutors to Shandong to oversee the case and investigate whether the police had been derelict in their duty.

On Friday, the provincial prosecutors released a report that said police involved in the case had failed to effectively control the scene and failed to separate the debt collectors from Yu and his mother, but that their behavior did not meet the legal standard for dereliction of duty.

The police officers who responded to the incident and some senior officials at the police station who were involved in the case were given disciplinary punishments.

More than 100 people heard the appeal, and the court posted the proceedings on its micro blog.

The judges did not announce a verdict in the courtroom.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
He Yafei gives a speech in the CCG-AEI seminar on Sino-US Economic Relations held in Beijing on May 18, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Many historic changes are due to globalization and global governance, with uncertainties rising in geopolitics adding to the tensions between major powers. Therefore, many ask the question like what could be done to re-calibrate global governance to fix the woes plaguing the world economy.

Undoubtedly, Sino-US relations have become one of the worlds most important bilateral ties and are closely related to the two countries fundamental interests and the future of the world.

The meeting of President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in April at the Mar-a-Lago in Florida opened a new roadmap and set the right tone for the future of bilateral relations. The leaders were also able to discuss how to tackle major challenges facing current globalization.

To start off with, China and the US reaffirmed the strategic consensus of the peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, and set guidelines, laying a solid foundation, for a healthier and more stable bilateral relationship.

Under the leadership of US President Trump, the US could acknowledge the weight of ideologies dwindle in diplomacy, as the country concentrates more on revitalizing the domestic economy. Because of this, Sino-US divergences over ideological topics may become less troublesome for bilateral ties.

On another note, China and the US started to install four bilateral dialogue mechanisms, and prepared to hold discussions into other fields and levels. Closer communication and cooperation between governmental departments was also encouraged and discussed.

Lastly, a "10-point plan" was reached between China and the US on trade and economic cooperation, which would not only mitigate trade frictions and avoid trade wars but also benefit the two nations and the world.

However, the uncertainties of the Trumps administration still haunt the bilateral relations. Its high time for China and the US to break this "curse" by injecting more certainty and predictability into the Sino-US relations.

Nowadays, the US government believes globalization has deviated from the track of "Americanization" and more benefits are shared by emerging countries like China, instead of US itself. US President Donald Trump issued the "America first" and "make America great again" during election campaign, releasing strong signals to seek to change the rules of the global economic governance.

As we know, globalization itself will not disappear overnight. The destiny of many countries in the world has become closely intertwined, and the discourse, therefore, should be discussed by putting heads together and focusing on optimizing globalization. Our leaders should better manage the international cooperation in a new period of globalization, rather than assuming its over.

Moreover, the US should continue to play an important role in global governance, and actively participate in activities of the multilateral organs like the United Nations, G20, APEC and so on. The US should also work together with other countries to cope with climate change, promote global free trade and investment, and acknowledge the goals of the "UN 2030" sustainable development agenda.

Together, China and the US should actively take a leading role over the discussion of global governance, making new rules and creating new concepts and models for international cooperation.

The author is co-chairman of the Center for China and Globalization and former vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The article is an excerpt from his speech at the CCG-AEI Round table on Sino-US Economic Relations, held in Beijing on May 18, translated by Song Jingyi.
A stage photo from Chinese TV series A Beautiful Daughter In Law Era. [File Photo]

More and more Africans are falling in love with Chinese TV series and movies, as an increasing number of them are dubbed for broadcast into English, French, Swahili and Hausa.

Chinese TV series such as Beautiful Daughter-in-Law, The Young Doctor and The Ordinary World, along with movies such as Love is Not Blind and Miss Granny and The Left Ear, are all hits among African viewers. The most popular TV series are family dramas that reflect modern urban life in China, according to Zhang Junqi, chief executive officer of the Kenyan branch of Startimes, a digital television programming provider.

Zhang made the remarks during the 7th Africa Digital TV Development Seminar, an event organized to explore and discuss the development of Africa's digital television industry. The seminar was held in Beijing from May 22 to 23. TV and radio broadcast managers from 42 African countries and four Asian countries attended the event.

Chinese digital television enterprises have worked hard to promote the development of digital TV in Africa, providing high-quality television programs to African subscribers for low prices. Since setting up shop in Africa in 2007, Startimes has broadcast to more than 30 African countries and collected nearly 10 million subscribers, Startimes President Pang Xinxing said.

A Tanzanian villager named Mohammed Shamali confirmed that without the help of Chinese enterprises, he and his fellow villagers couldn't afford to watch all the programs they enjoy.
China denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets unsafely intercepted a US 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," Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said on Sunday. "The Chinese aircraft investigated the US plane in accordance with the law, and related maneuvers were professional and safe."

"Recently, US military has frequently dispatched planes and ships into China's sea and air territory, threatening our sovereignty and security, as well as putting the lives of front-line staff in danger," he added.

On May 25, two Chinese J-10 fighter jets came within 182 meters of a P-3 Orion surveillance plane flying 240 kilometers south east of Hong Kong. One of the jets flew in front of the US aircraft, "restricting its ability to maneuver," according to foreign media, citing anonymous US military officials.

On the same day, the USS Dewey, a US guided missile destroyer, was sailing near a group of islands in the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. The People's Liberation Army Navy dispatched two frigates, the Liuzhou and Luzhou, to investigate and warn the US ship to leave.

On May 17, the WC-135 Constant Phoenix - a US reconnaissance aircraft - was carrying out operation in airspace over the Chinese Yellow Sea, and Chinese aircraft acted to identify and investigate in accordance with the law," the statement said, calling the action "professional" and "safe", according to ministry's previous statements.

"These actions are the root cause of the security issue between China and the US both in the air and at sea," Wu said. "We again urge the US to take concrete actions to correct and avoid such incidents from happening again."

"The Chinese military will resolutely carry out its duty, and protect national sovereignty and security," he added.

zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn
People travel on top of a armoured personnel carrier on a flooded road as a man pushes his bike thorugh the water in Bulathsinhala village in Kalutara, Sri Lanka May 27, 2017.[Photo/Agencies]

COLOMBO -- An International non-governmental organization that promotes Children's rights warned on Sunday that the devastating floods in Sri Lanka could exacerbate the dengue crisis in the island country.

In a statement, Save the Children said that the stagnant flood waters, providing the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, could exacerbate the dengue crisis that has seen an almost 150 percent increase in cases compared to the same period last year.

"The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we'd normally expect this time of the year," Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka Chris McIvor said.

"We're particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant waters that the floods will leave in their wake, which is the last thing needed by families and communities that have already lost so much."

The organisation said its teams were on the ground assessing the humanitarian needs and were ready to respond, including by distributing hygiene items to prevent the spread of disease and illness, supporting damaged schools to re-open, distributing safe drinking water and household items to affected families and providing psychosocial support to distressed children.

"Aid agencies and government authorities are working around the clock to help those most in need, however one thing that is out of our control is the weather. If we see more heavy rains sweep across the country, not only will it increase the humanitarian needs but it will also make accessing communities even more difficult," McIvor said.

According to Save the Children, Sri Lanka has recorded almost 53,000 dengue fever cases across the country since the start of the year.

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said Saturday that the health sector and state hospitals are geared to treat the injured and were prepared with the necessary facilities if any outbreak of diseases are reported.

Days of severe rains and strong winds, triggered by the yearly monsoons, have killed at least 146 people and affected nearly 500,000 people in Sri Lanka.

Rescue and search operations continued into Sunday as thousands had to leave their homes due to rising water levels.

The local meteorology department has warned of more rains in the coming days.
Dengue fears grow as death toll is raised and aid drive begins

President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to his Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday after flooding and a landslide left more than 150 people dead.

Xi expressed deep sorrow for the people who lost their lives and extended his sympathy to those affected by the disaster as well as the family members of those killed.

He also highlighted the friendly relationship between the countries and offered all-out support to the Sri Lankan government and help with the disaster relief effort.

Xi said he was confident the Sri Lankan government and the people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their country.

Premier Li Keqiang also sent a message of condolence to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday.

The message of support came as emergency teams rushed to distribute aid to half a million people who have been displaced by the flooding, as authorities upgraded the death toll to 151.

The official Disaster Management Centre said 111 people were still missing, with 95 injured in hospital, since torrential rain and landslides swept away entire villages.

Floodwaters were receding in some areas after a break in the rain, giving authorities a chance to deliver much-needed supplies to victims who lost everything in the deluge.

Heavy rains on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island.

Many villages were still underwater on Sunday, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or completely destroyed. Almost half a million Sri Lankans had been forced from their homes, with most moving into temporary shelters.

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were children below the age of five years.

It said that the stagnant floodwaters provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and could exacerbate the dengue crisis that has seen an almost 150 percent increase in cases compared to the same period last year.

"The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we'd normally expect this time of the year," Save the Children's Chris McIvor said.

Medical teams have been dispatched to the worst-affected areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.

"We have the expertise to deal with this situation," Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said, adding that cholera and diarrhea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

The government, meanwhile, has withdrawn an evacuation order for thousands of residents in the southern district of Matara as water levels subsided.

The United Nations said it will provide water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organization will support medical teams in affected areas.

Xinhua and AFP contributed to this story
If you take the time to understand and act according to Chinas key employment laws, you can prevent many of the problems foreign employers typically face in China. Investing the time and money up front is much less expensive than the alternative. These eight tips will help you stay on the right track.

1. Write employment contracts that spell out every important aspect of your employer-employee relationship. Written employment contracts are the heart of Chinas employment system. In the United States, employers can terminate employees at virtually any time and for virtually any reason. This is known as employment at will. The very concept of at-will-employment is foreign in China and foreign companies (especially those that come from at-will-employment jurisdictions) often get themselves into legal trouble when they fail to realize this significant difference between the two systems.

As an employer in China, you must have written employment contracts with all full-time employees. Employers that fail to implement written employment contracts are subject to penalties and administrative fines. More importantly, in the absence of a written agreement with your China employees, Chinese government officials may come to the conclusion that your employees have open-term employment contracts, which essentially means the employment relationship will remain in effect until the employee reaches his or her legal retirement age.

2. Make sure all mandatory provisions are included in your employment contracts. Your employment contracts need to contain at least the following provisions:

Basic information about the employer and the employee (including the employers name, address and legal representative or person-in-charge, and the employees name, address and national ID/passport number)

The specific term/duration of the employment contract and any probation period

Wages

A description of the work to be done by the employee

Location of the workplace

Working hours

Rest and leave time

Social insurance

Applicable labor protections, labor conditions and protection against occupational hazards

Other terms required by relevant laws and regulations

3. Clearly state the term of the employment contract and probation period. A probation period gives the employer and the new employee time to see whether they are a good fit for each other. Generally speaking, the longer the initial employment term, the longer the probation period may be, provided it is within the legal limit. For an employment term of three months or more but less than one year, you may establish a probation period of no more than one month; for an employment term of one year or more but less than three years, the probation period cannot exceed two months, and for an employment term of three years or more or for an open-term employment arrangement, the probation period cannot be longer than six months. Each employee can have only one probation period.

Since it is difficult to terminate an employee after the probation period, we usually recommend an initial term of three years. That allows you to set a six-month probation periodthe longest permitted under Chinese law, if you want to set a probation period at all. That said, terminating an employee during probation is not as easy as widely believed. See China Employee Probation: All is NOT What it Seems.

Keep in mind that, in many cities in China, the employee will automatically be converted into an open-term contract employee when you rehire the person pursuant to a second fixed-term contract. Terminating an employee on an open-term contract tends to be much more problematic than terminating one on a fixed term. By establishing a long probation period, you can delay the onset of the open-term period, so you can and should use the initial contract term to determine whether it makes sense for you to convert the employee to a lifetime employee.

4. Know Chinas working hour rules. Most municipalities enforce an 8-hour workday and 40-hour workweek, which is called the standard working hours system. There are two exceptions to this system: the flexible working hours system and the comprehensive working hours system. The flexible working hours system is somewhat similar to the salaried employee system in the United States, but not quite the same. It applies to certain categories of employees such as senior management. The specific categories of eligible employees are defined by local rules. The flexible working hours system can benefit employers who need greater flexibility and want to avoid paying overtime whenever an employee works outside the standard hours. Under the comprehensive working hours system, employers may have their employees work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week without having to pay overtime wages; however, the total working hours over a given period must not exceed the applicable limit under the standard working hours system.

For the most part, before implementing either a flexible working hours system or a comprehensive working hours system, an employer must secure prior approval from the local employment authorities and the approval is valid for only a limited time. If you want to keep the employee within the alternative system, you must submit a renewal application before the expiration of the term specified in the governments approval letter.

5. Learn Chinas vacation rules. Employees who have worked continuously for one year are entitled to paid vacation days. The statutory vacation period, based on the employees total years of service (with any employer, not just for you), is as follows:

More than 1 (including 1) and less than 10 years service: 5 days vacation

More than 10 (including 10) and less than 20 years service: 10 days vacation

More than 20 years service (including 20): 15 days vacation

Employers are required to make arrangements for employees to use their vacation time each year. Technically, unused vacation time in one year may be carried over to the next year, however we do not recommend adopting this as a usual practice so as to keep things simple. An employer who does not allow an employee to take annual leave will be required to pay that employee 300% of his or her daily wages for each unused vacation day. Be sure to resolve this issue at the time of employee separation otherwise risk the employee pursuing you for a claim on compensation for vacation balance.

6. Understand what you are getting into before paying for a 13th month. A 13th month salary is customary in some parts of China, and it is typically paid out before the Chinese New Year. This is not required, but if you decide to do it, you will want to specify clearly and in writing the conditions for earning this bonus month of salary. If you are not careful, you may end up having to pay this amount indefinitely.

7. Factor in social insurance and housing fund payments. As an employer in China, you must contribute to social insurance (which usually includes pension, medical, work-related injury, maternity and unemployment insurance) and to the housing fund for all your full-time employees. The exact type of required social insurance is determined by local rules. Whether this contribution must be made for your expat employees will depend on the local requirements at the employers location. To the extent your local law mandates such payment, you cannot contract away the legal requirement with your expat employee.

On that note, it is risky to employ someone solely for the purpose of making social benefits (or other type of company-sponsored benefits) contributions for that person. Sometimes people (oftentimes a former employee) will request this so they can get employee benefits without being a real employee. Be aware before you go along with this. This is an example of things gone wrong despite good intentions on the employers part. Your employees are not China employment lawyers and you should be careful before agreeing to anything they propose.

8. Make Chinese the governing language of your employment contracts. Your employment contract and any other employment-related agreement or document should specify that Chinese is the governing language. If your companys management/HR personnel are not fluent in written Chinese, your documents should also contain an English-language (or your native language) version for your reference so you understand the content of your own documents.
China's Ministry of National Defense spokesman, Wu Qian, said on Sunday that Chinese military aircraft investigated and verified a US surveillance aircraft that entered Hong Kong's airspace on Thursday.

Wu said the operations were conducted in accordance with international law, and were professional and safe.

Wu made clear that what the US media reported were not in accordance with the fact, which said that two Chinese J-10 fighter jets "intercepted" a US P-3 spy plane.

Wu added that recently the US has conducted several operations of US navy ships and aircraft entering into China's maritime area and airspace, which encroached on China's sovereignty and could risk flaring up tensions in the maritime body.

"Again, China urges the US to correct its mistake and refrain from further patrols," said Wu. "The Chinese army will firmly do its duty to defend the country's sovereignty and safety."
(Photo : US Army) ATacMS launch

Advertisement

The U.S. Army's top modernization priorities are focused on boosting its thin advantage in conventional combat against Russia and China after over a decade of counterinsurgency campaigns in the Middle East.



Weapons that inflict long-range destruction abound in the army's fiscal year 2018 budget request. These include the army's long neglected surface-to-air missile defenses and weapons capable of long-range fires.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Taken together, these weapons included in the army's $26.8 billion funding request seek to recapture the army's capability to conduct large-scale, conventional, all arms military operations against Russia and China.



Restoring the army's air defense capability will be necessary when the U.S. and NATO fight to destroy Russian forces that might invade Eastern Europe over the next 10 years.



The Army has requested a 2018 budget for air defense that's $600 million larger than the total enacted in fiscal year 2017 for modernization, said Maj. Gen. Thomas Horlander, Director for the Army budget.



Gen. Horlander, however, said much of the modernization funding in FY18 will be spent on research and development rather than on procuring more modern equipment.



"The Army is accepting risk in developing new capabilities in order to prioritize incremental upgrades in air and ground systems so we can put in the hands of our soldiers in the near term a greater and more lethal capability," he said.



The army's the top modernization priorities include:



* Strengthening short-range air defense (SHORAD) by acquiring 131 MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. The army will also procure more AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense Systems.



Avenger is a self-propelled SAM system that provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, UAVs, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.



Mounted on a modified Humvee, an Avenger system can carry from four to eight FIM-92 Stinger missiles.



* Investing in a Stinger Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS) product improvement program and a Patriot product improvement program related to software upgrades.



* Developing a long-range fires capability by funding three key fires systems: a service life extension program for 121 expired Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATacMS); acquisition of 6,000 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) and continued low-rate initial production of 93 Patriot Missile Segment Enhanced missiles.



* Funding a next-generation common, low-drag, guided, hypervelocity (HPV) cannon artillery projectile.



* Boosting the army's stockpile of munitions by requesting funds for the production of 88,000 unguided Hydra 70 rockets and 480 M982 Excalibur GPS-guided 155 mm rounds.



The funds will also go to replenishing and modernizing industrial facilities that make ammunition to improve munitions production; replace depleted stocks and create capacity for increased future demand.



Advertisement

TagsU.S. Army, Russia, china, air defense capability, Maj. Gen. Thomas Horlander, Short-Range Air Defense, surface-to-air missile system
(Photo : US Navy) USS Nimitz and her aircraft.

Advertisement

In an ominous decision portending war, the U.S. Navy has announced the deployment of the nuclear powered supercarrier, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), to Asia to join two of her sister ships in patrols off the volatile Korean Peninsula.



The Nimitz; her Carrier Strike Group Eleven (CSG-11); her Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) and Destroyer Squadron 23 are expected to set sail for Asia as soon as possible. Preparations are being accelerated for the departure of this powerful naval force from its homeport at Naval Base Kitsap on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The arrival of the Nimitz in Asia will result in the largest single gathering of U.S. aircraft carriers in one place since the Gulf War or Operation Desert Shield in 1991. It will also be the largest assembly of U.S. aircraft carriers in Asia since the Vietnam War



This powerful naval force sends what might be an unmistakable signal the U.S. is seriously considering a punitive strike to destroy North Korea's nuclear production facilities.



There will be over 250 aircraft combined aboard the Nimitz; the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) now patrolling off Korea and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) that has departed its homeport in Japan to join the Vinson.



Of this total number of aircraft, over 140 will be McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet twin-engine supersonic, all-weather multirole fighter jets. There are over 20 warships in the three combined Carrier Strike Groups, including submarines.



At least two, and possibly three, nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) are on patrol off the Korean Peninsula.



There are over 15,000 men and women serving aboard all three carriers and some 20,000 aboard all the warships in the three Carrier Strike Groups.



Navy sources said massing three supercarriers and their Carrier Strike Wings in one location is a very rare event.



The official U.S. Navy reason for the deployment of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, however, is its participation in a "strait transit exercise in the Pacific Ocean."



The Nimitz is the lead-ship in the Nimitz-class of supercarriers. The navy operates 10 carriers in this class.



Advertisement

TagsU.S. Navy, USS Nimitz (CVN-68, North Korea, Carrier Strike Group Eleven, Carrier Air Wing Eleven, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
AUSTIN As the clock ticks down to Monday's adjournment, Texas House members said Sunday that a special session can be averted if the Senate sends a bill to Gov. Abbott for his signature that would extend the life of the state Medical Board.

"The House has done its job on all matters sunset-related," state Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, said at a Capitol press conference. "It is the purposeful inaction of the Senate which puts us where we are today."
(Xinhua) 12:44, May 28, 2017

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has urged South Korea to cancel the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by the United States, official media said Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of Korea as saying on Saturday that people from all walks of life in South Korea are increasingly demanding the cancellation of THAAD deployment.

"To deploy THAAD or to withdraw it would serve as a cornerstone discerning the acts of sycophancy toward outsiders from the stand of prioritizing the nation, and there should be no compromise here," said the committee.

It slammed South Korean conservatives for defending the deployment and criticized the new South Korean government for adopting "an ambivalent approach to the public demand for the withdrawal of THAAD."

Some South Korean politicians have recently hinted at a freeze of the THAAD deployment in exchange for the DPRK to stop its nuclear and missile tests.

The former South Korean government agreed to let the United States deploy THAAD last year. This decision has also met with strong opposition from China and Russia.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Awkward. Elephant in the room. Newbie. It was a unique moment in Liberty County politics where a county commissioner had been removed from the bench and replaced rather quickly with a politically unknown fill-in, but it didn't seem to slow the court down.

New Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski was almost an afterthought until County Judge Jay Knight realized that he had forgotten to introduce the new commissioner.

Five items into the agenda, it finally clicked.

"Excuse my rudeness, I forgot to introduce our new commissioner this morning," Knight said apologetically. "He'll be working in Precinct 1. I think the majority of you know our circumstances [for his appointment.] We have a good candidate here to work with us in the interim period. The main objective here is what we've been striving for the last two-and-a-half years is team work. I know you'll do well and thank you for stepping up and we appreciate your service."

And with that introduction, the court delved back into the business before them.

For the new commissioner, who grew up around Romayor and Rye, it was a quick learning process but he felt he was prepared for the challenge with his business acumen.

"I used to work with my family early on when we ran the Red Arrow, Big Thicket Campground on Gov. Bill Daniel's Plantation Ranch," he said.

During the summer months away from school, he would earn $50 per month, big money back then, just mowing and taking care of the lawn at the encampment.

He attended school in Hardin and Tarkington, and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a diesel technician following graduation.

After the military, he went to work in the log woods for Lloyd Matthews and some of the biggest loggers in the Cleveland area.

He also had stints at the Norwood Petroleum Company, Bertman Petroleum Company, and worked for Herbert Oreschnigg on Liberty Lake Road.

He now owns Standard Manufacturing Company, which manufactures pipe elevators for the water well and pipe business, and has owned an oilfield business for the last 20 years.

"I also own a very large trucking company in Bristol, Ind. We move travel trailers from the manufacturers to the dealers across the United States," he said.

His kids now run the company.

"It was the reason for me starting the company. It gives them something to do and keeps me from having to shell out money to them anyway," he said with a laugh.

During the hurricane, Karbowski set up tables around Liberty to feed law enforcement and the visiting electricians from around the country.

"People in the community know me, they just don't know me as a politician because I'm not one," he said as a matter of fact. "They know me as a businessman. I try to keep all of my money spent here in this community."

Karbowski believes he was tapped by Judge Knight because of his knowledge of mechanics, knowing dirt work and for having no political ties in town.

"I have no favoritisms or leanings one way or another," he said.

The businessman did express an interest in the position, but was surprised when he was selected because of the pedigree of the other candidates being interviewed for the position.

"I'm very honored to take on this challenge," he said.

Last Monday was a busy day and moved fast. After his being named the new commissioner, he had to immediately get bonded, a requirement for all who sit on the commissioners court, and then he had to be sworn in to office. His first official act was May 23 sitting on commissioner's court where he asked some thoughtful questions before casting his votes.

Following the meeting on Tuesday, Karbowski had to turn in important human resources forms and then he headed out to the precinct barn to meet with his employees for the first time.

He received an employee list that he spent some time looking over trying to learn what they do, how long they've been there and his mission at the meeting was to find out how he could help them.

"I also want to make them aware that if they see anything done illegal or immoral to contact the county attorney. Don't just blindly follow someone because they're the county commissioner," he said.

He wants to keep the integrity of the office clean, he said.

Karbowski said he would be a fool to walk in and start making a lot of changes.

"I first want to see how everything is run and see if I can make it any better. If it's working fine, then I'll leave it alone," he said. "The worst thing I could do is to come in and start bossing people around and yelling orders."

Karbowski said it wouldn't matter to him one way or another if McCarty wins his appeal and he comes back to take the office again.

"It would be fine by me," he said. "I didn't take this job in any anticipation of any time length. I'm just a laid-back kind of guy."

If this gig doesn't work out for him, he will continue taking care of his two grandchildren and drop a fishing line at Galloway Marina in Trinity that he and his son own and relax.

In other court business, commissioners approved a slight pay raise for the county constables from $41,365 to $45,000. In the past, the position was a part-time job, but now all of them are working full-time. Some were making less than their own deputies.

Commissioners heartily approved donations from the old county jail to be used in the Dayton Fire and Police Museum. The historical items will be put on display in the new Dayton Police and Fire Museum.

A proposed rate increase for the installation of culverts was tabled and will be discussed further in a future workshop.

Commissioners also received the notice of termination of contract for operation and maintenance of the County Pct. 1 landfill/drop station and approved the measure. The county will hire a temporary employee to fill the position until the end of the budget year and will consider privatization of all the landfill operations if it is cheaper.

The commissioners also approved the installation of lightning protection at the sheriff's office and tower through EMP Solutions for $49,850. The purchase comes with a 20-year no-strike guarantee.
In April of 2017 Chipotle Mexican Grill experienced a nation-wide security breach that put customers' information in danger.

After investigating the incident, the chain has released the findings that a "malware designed to access payment card data from cards used on point-of-sale (POS) devices at certain Chipotle restaurants between March 24, 2017 and April 18, 2017."

FINDING A SOLUTION: Texas to get $1.1 million from Target data breach settlement

In the wake of the breach and new findings, Chipotle also released a tool that can help you locate the affected stores.

The Houston-area has at least 30 affected stores, including a few along Richmond and Westheimer. Several Houston suburbs were also on the list.

Chipotle has removed the malware and is continuing to work with cyber security firms in order to better enhance security across the chain.

The locations can be seen at chipotle.com/security#security.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A man was found shot to death Sunday morning outside a west Houston apartment complex.

Just after midnight, police swarmed the area around Nottingham Village Apartments in the 14200 block of Kimberley in response to a call about a man with gunshot wounds.

The victim - who police did not immediately identify - was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police told reporters at the scene. Officials placed the shooting outside in an alley, but didn't offer additional details as to what happened.

A few blocks away, authorities found a car riddled with bullet holes in the driver-side window.

The person in the shot-up car was taken in for questioning and investigators spent the early morning hours interviewing other possible witnesses to the shooting.

It's not clear what sparked the gunfire, though patrol officers initially believed it may have been a family disturbance.
The teacher at the center of the controversial awards handed out at a Channelview area junior high this week is a former cheerleader for the Houston Texans, according to media reports.

Stacy Lockett drew fire this week issuing joke awards Tuesday including naming one girl "most likely to blend in with white people," according to media reports. Another student brought home a "most likely to become a terrorist award" from the Anthony Aguirre Junior High School teacher.
AUSTIN As the clock ticks down to Monday's adjournment, Texas House members said Sunday that a special session can be averted if the Senate sends a bill to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature that would extend the life of the state Medical Board.

"The House has done its job on all matters sunset-related," state Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, said at a Capitol press conference. "It is the purposeful inaction of the Senate which puts us where we are today."

Gonzales, the chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission, urged the Senate to agree with House amendments to SB 1929, which included provisions needed to maintain the licenses of doctors. He accused the Senate of deliberately not approving the bill.

An aide to Straus said there were three attempts to extend the Medical Board and other agencies. The Senate didn't take action on SB 310. The Senate approved SB 80 and the House added provisions to continue the agencies, but Senate did not agree with those amendments. And the Senate passed SB 1929 and the House added language to continue the agencies, but the House-Senate conference committee stripped the language to extend the agencies.

The sunset review bill is considered Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's primary leverage to get a special session on bills that would give voters more say on their property tax bills and regulate the use of bathrooms by transgender people.

When asked about the Senate Republican stance that a House amendment to SB 1929 was not germane, state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, disagreed and added: "We seem to care a hell of a lot more about germaneness than the Senate ever has."

Patrick fired back about an hour later in a press conference of his own, accusing House leaders of mismanaging the legislative process so badly that key bills were passed too late in the session -- or were not passed at all.

Flanked by nearly two dozen of the state's 31 senators  most Republicans and Democrats  Patrick blasted Straus' poor leadership and that of House leaders. "They waited too long," he said, as a cluster of House Republicans who have been vocal critics of Straus clustered just outside the door.

"This is not personal,"he said. "This is about leadership ... a lack of it."

Patrick blamed the House for shuttering the Texas Medical Board, the agency that licenses doctors in Texas. It will be shuttered in just under a year unless legislation authorizing its continuation passes, officials said Sunday.

He said House members overseeing the sunset process passed only seven of the 10 sunset bills needed to keep agencies open, while the Senate approved all 10. Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, said senators had approved all of them by April 19.

As for the medical board sunset bill that House members accused Patrick of holding up, as a bargaining chip to get the House to approve the Senate version of the bathroom bill and property-tax reform, "the fix they sent us just doesn't work," Taylor said.

"The only way to fix this is in a special session," Taylor said.

Patrick echoed that sentiment, saying he had spoken with Abbott in recent hours. Declining to discuss his "private conversation" with the governor, he said only: "It's clear we need a special session."

Patrick's latest public denunciation of Straus and the House leadership came minutes after the entire Senate met behind closed doors to discuss the status of the sunset bill and whether the Senate could so anything to approve it. The verdict: No.

It has been seen by Patrick and most senators as a key bargaining chip to leverage passage of a tough bathroom bill and property-tax reform, two top priorities in the upper chamber. Neither were top priorities for House leaders. But because of senators' concerns about problematic wording, which they did not detail, Senate leaders said they took no further action.

Abbott on Sunday was reported to be considering various options for a 30-day special session, including whether to call lawmakers back in immediately after they adjourn on Monday or wait several days. Also being discussed was whether one subject or more might be put on the agenda by Abbott, according to Capitol officials who said they were familiar with the discussions.

Jim Drew contributed to this report.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Total natural gas reserves of Turkmenistan are estimated at 50 trillion cubic meters, head of the countrys Turkmengas state concern Myrat Archayev said in a report at an international gas congress underway in Turkmenistans Avaza.

Turkmenistans proven natural gas reserves account for about 10 percent of the world gas reserves, despite that the current level of gas production in the country accounts for only 2 percent of the world gas production.

According to an audit held by the UKs Gaffney, Cline & Associates, reserves of the Turkmen Galkynysh field, together with reserves of the Yashlar field, are estimated at 26.2 trillion cubic meters of gas and reaches 27.4 trillion cubic meters together with reserves of the reopened Garakel field.

"Turkmenistan seeks to contribute to global sustainable human development by ensuring stable and reliable supplies of the most environmentally friendly hydrocarbons to consumers, promote energy efficiency and help reduce the impact on the environment," Archayev said in his report.

Turkmenistan is among the main suppliers of natural gas in Central Asia, currently being the largest supplier of gas to China.

The report said that Turkmenistan, thanks to its favorable geopolitical position and rich hydrocarbon deposits, has vast potential to further increase export of gas to various destinations, including European and Asian markets.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
Mumbai, May 28: Superstar Rajinikanth's next Tamil film "Kaala Karikaalan" was the main shooting on Sunday. "Rajinikanth also joined the set. Departure from Chennai to Mumbai in the evening. It will be scheduled for a week to photograph some of the scenes needed for Mumbai, "a source from the film unit said. The schedule will take place in Chennai where the makers have built a huge replica of Dharavi slum of Mumbai.

"On a budget of nearly Rs 5 crore, a set of Dharavi slum has been recreated for the film. Major portion of the film will be shot here," the source added. Rajinikanth is rumoured to be playing a gangster again after "Kabali". Actress Huma Qureshi is said to be playing the leading lady, while Anjali Patil and Sakshi Aggarwal will be seen in key roles. Produced by Dhanush, the film has music by Santhosh Narayanan.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has extended condolences to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over the terrorist attack in the countrys Minya city that killed and severely injured people, the Turkmen government said in a message.

"Turkmenistan fully supports the efforts of the world community in counteracting terrorism and extremism," the message said.

I extend my deepest condolences to families and loved ones of those who died and wish the injured the swiftest possible recovery, the president said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The region is finally on its way to becoming a wind turbine manufacturing center.

A ParkOhio company has begun manufacturing a small, aerodynamically advanced wind turbine designed for in-town use. It's the first of several designs that the company hopes will ultimately include a small-but-powerful wind turbine for consumers.

Dubbed the Wind Sphere, it is capable of generating about 30 percent more power than other turbines of the same size. The Wind Sphere began as an idea in the mind of Mark Cironi, president of Green Energy Technologies, which today is a subsidiary of ParkOhio.

"The system was designed, tested and is currently being manufactured in northern Ohio," said Cironi. "As the only OEM wind turbine manufacturer in Ohio we are now moving into commercialization."

The actual manufacturing of the machine is being handled by ParkOhio's Ajax TOCCO Magnethermic, which manufacturers most of the components and assembles the turbine in a plant in Warren.

"We like renewable energy. We think it's the future, and we think it's important that we get our company into this space," said Edward Crawford, CEO of ParkOhio, which is a global company with 6,000 employees.

"We have been developing this for four or five years. We have invested a substantial amount of capital.

"We want to be able to put these on top of buildings and in the future we expect to downsize and make them available for homes," he said.

The company this week commissioned a Wind Sphere turbine in a grassy area adjacent to the parking lot of an Ajax facility on Lakeland Boulevard in Wickliffe, less than a mile east of the two turbines at William Sopko and Son Company on Lakeland and about 4 miles due east of the giant Lincoln Electric turbine in Euclid.

Last November, the company installed a Wind Sphere on the campus of Youngstown State University. More orders are pending, said Cironi.

What enables this machine to outperform the competition is a carefully engineered fiberglass shroud that surrounds the turbine blade, extending slightly forward as well to the rear of the turbine.

The shroud's smoothly curved surfaces at the front of the turbine draw more air toward the spinning blade and help prevent the air from losing velocity.

Behind the turbine blade, the shroud helps the "spent" air to quickly escape without creating eddies that could slow down the incoming air.

"The surfaces are very smooth. You are trying to shape the airflow through the rotor [blade]. Essentially, you are gathering extra wind," explained David Spera, a retired NASA engineer who helped develop the initial versions of the shroud.

Spera said the curvature of the shroud is based on the curvature of an airplane wing, and relies on the same physics used to create lift in an aircraft.

Here are the turbine specifications:
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - Trash Complaint, West Summit Street: A resident complained May 18 of a large bag of trash hanging from a tree limb 20 feet in the air. The police report said that it was snagged by the tree limb from a garbage truck. An officer spoke to someone in the service department, who said it was too high up to retrieve and it would have to fall to the ground before it could be picked up.

Vehicle Lock-out, Shopping Plaza: While aiding a Cleveland Heights motorist who locked his keys in his vehicle 2:14 p.m. May 17, an officer smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana. In sight was a glass marijuana pipe. The man, 20, admitted he had smoked it earlier, and was cited by police.

Stolen Vehicle, Solon Road: A woman staying overnight at a man's home May 20 stole his cell phone, keys and vehicle. She crashed the SUV on I-90 in Cleveland in a roll-over crash and was transported to a hospital for injuries. She faces charges for theft in Chagrin Falls and receiving stolen property in Cleveland.

Grand Theft, Hillside Lane: Someone made unauthorized transactions on a man's debit card totaling $2,428.64 sometime before May 19 when he reported it to police. The bank is investigating the incidents.

Driving Under Suspension, South Main Street: A Garrettsville man, 30, stopped for a traffic violation shortly before midnight May 15 was also wanted in Portage County on a marijuana possession charge. He was turned over to authorities there.

Property Damage, Shopping Plaza: Someone spray painted a employee's car parked in the parking lot May 17. The victim works at Falls Pack and Ship.

Animal at Large, Bradley Street: A woman with two outstanding citations for allowing her dogs to roam free received a third one 8:15 a.m. May 20. An officer responded to a complaint, found the two dogs and walked them back into their home.
EASTLAKE, Ohio -- A man who was taken to the hospital after a boat he was on capsized in Lake Erie has died, a report says.

Fox 8 News reports the Lake County Coroner's Office said the man died after the Saturday afternoon incident.

The coroner's office refused to confirm the death, stating the coroner doesn't take media calls after 8 p.m.

The incident happened about 1:30 p.m. Crews responded to the lake near Stevens Boulevard, Eastlake Fire Chief Ted Whittington said.

Two men were on the boat that capsized. One was hypothermic but conscious, and the other man was in "grave condition" when they were rescued, Whittington said. The men were not wearing life jackets.

The incident is being classified as an accident, he said.

The fire department received a call after residents in the area heard someone calling for help.

When firefighters responded, the two men were still in the water. Two firemen got into exposure suits and went into the water, Whittington said.

The Eastlake Fire Department and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are investigating the incident.

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.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's birthday month at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Just a week after the Euclid Beach Carousel celebrated its 107th year, the historical society itself is making a milestone anniversary: 150 years.

Cleveland's oldest cultural institution is celebrating all year, but this weekend marks it actual birthday. The historical society first opened its doors on May 28, 1867.

In honor of the occasion, they're asking Clevelanders to share their favorite memories of any local Western Reserve Historical Society, including Hale Farm and Village and the Cleveland History Center. Stories can be shared online at https://www.wrhs.org/share-your-story/ You can also share on their Facebook page. Be sure to tag all memories #WRHS150

Other ways WRHS is celebrating the big occasion:

WOW Factor: 150 Years of Bold Clothes: The exhibition features over 150 years of show-stopping clothing and accessories made by Cleveland designers as well as international designers such as Christian Dior, Carolina Herrera and Gabrielle Chanel.

Cleveland All Stars Homecoming Show Weekend, June 23-25: Cleveland cars come home as the CHC's Crawford Auto Aviation Museum hosts its second biennial auto show featuring only cars manufactured in Northern Ohio. This juried show, hosted at Wade Oval in University Circle, will feature only northern Ohio-made automobiles. Events throughout the weekend will be open to both exhibitors and the general public.

For more history on the WRHS and its founding: http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/01/western_reserve_historical_soc_1.html
Burglary, Leonard Avenue: A resident called police about 2 a.m. May 20 to report waking up and finding someone broke into the house while he was sleeping. A back door had been kicked in.

Breaking and entering, Detroit Avenue: Police were called to John's Diner about 7 a.m. May 23. The business had been broken into, according to police.

Theft, Winchester Avenue: Police were dispatched to the area about 3:30 a.m. March 21 on a report of loud music in the area. Upon their arrival, officers were approached by a woman who said a man had just egged her car and stolen her wallet from her car. She gave officers a description of the man and said he was last seen southbound on foot. Officer caught a suspect matching his description. The man was arrested for felony theft, drug abuse and having an open container.

Grand theft of a vehicle, Beach Road: Police received a call about 7 a.m. March 21 that a parked car was discovered missing.

Petty theft, Edgewater Drive: A condominium resident reported May 23 that a bicycle was taken out of the bicycle garage.

Driving under suspension, Shady Cove: Police pulled over a car about 11 p.m. May 23 for a traffic stop and discovered the driver's license was under suspension. The man was not driving due to an emergency, according to police. They cited the man for driving under suspension and confiscated his driver's license, which was forwarded to the police chief's office. The man's car was towed.

Operating a vehicle while impaired, Elbur Avenue: Police stopped a bicyclist about 11 p.m. May 23 near the intersection of Elbur Avenue and Franklin Boulevard. They cited a man for operating a vehicle while impaired and his bicycle was impounded and taken to the police department property room.

Theft, Madison Avenue: A vehicle owner called the police just before midnight May 23 to report a spare tire was stolen off the back of their parked vehicle.

Petty theft, Beach Road: Police were called about 3:30 p.m. March 21 about an unlocked vehicle that had been entered and gone through. Nothing was reported missing.

Petty theft, Lakewood Heights Boulevard: A caller told police about 5 p.m. May 21 that their car had been entered and a wallet was taken.

Criminal damaging, Grace Avenue: A resident reported finding windows to their vehicle broken out the morning of May 20.

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.
"Lest we forget" is a phrase often heard around Memorial Day. Lest we forget those who fell in our names. Lest we forget their supreme sacrifice, their bravery in stepping forward, their care for comrades. Lest we forget the pain, the guilt, the memories that haunt survivors. Lest we forget what war extracts from the rest of us -- from our communities, our families, our loved ones.

This honoring and grieving, these thanks and remembrances, all are a part of Memorial Day, when we as citizens, as spouses, as children and grandchildren and great-nieces and great-great-great nephews of those who died in America's wars, take time to decorate graves and reflect on the sacrifices of those who kept us free. And to thank those still among us, who lived those wars, who endured that sacrifice, and who were eyewitnesses to the combat losses that crowd upon us in memory. Especially those who fought in World War II and Korea and Vietnam, too many of whom we lose every day.

The Vietnam War ended more than 40 years ago and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated 35 years ago this coming November -- a memorial that made the human cost visible and palpable, names grouped by date of death. Veterans of those battles could grieve all those lost that day, and lay a rose, or place a hand, or leave a memory at the wall.

In 1997, The Virtual Wall opened on the Internet -- expanding over the years, thanks to a handful of dedicated veterans, to include full memorial pages for each fallen Vietnam warrior and the Faces of Freedom project to include their photos. Reading the messages at virtualwall.org that have been left since then -- tributes from childhood friends, next-door sweethearts, widows, children who never knew their fathers, comrades still shaken by vivid memories of what happened the day they died -- is a powerful, moving experience. Some even quote from newspaper stories about the day the shocking news arrived at home. So many people knew and still grieve these men, most of them so young when they died. Almost every one of them now has a photo on The Virtual Wall.

More than 250 Clevelanders who died in Vietnam are memorialized on the Wall, and on The Virtual Wall, but about 35 lack photos. If you knew Army Sgt 1st Class Thomas H. Botts, who died in Vietnam in 1965 at the age of 29, look for those old photos. Or Marine Corps Pfc. Johnny L. Johnson, killed in 1968 at age 23 with four other Marines in Quang Nam province.

A quick review of The Virtual Wall list of Clevelanders who died in Vietnam shows that the overwhelming majority were 19, 20, 21. But at least one was 44 at his death - Army Sgt. 1st Class Maurice A. Casey, a Special Forces soldier who received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously for "extraordinary heroism" under lethal North Vietnamese fire in May 1966.

Casey is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

But many of these fallen Clevelanders are buried closer to home -- at Highland Park Cemetery in Highland Hills; at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brook Park; at Calvary, West Park and Lake View cemeteries in Cleveland; and a score of other cemeteries in Cuyahoga County and the region. The Virtual Wall includes information on burial place for almost all, but for a list of the local cemeteries and the names of some of those killed in action in Vietnam from Cleveland who are buried there, go here.

No women are among these local Vietnam fallen, but these warriors are a microcosm of our heroes of all our wars -- lowly privates to officers, a melting pot of ethnic and and racial origin. They are worth more than a few thoughts this Memorial Day weekend, and more than a few graveside flags tomorrow.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

* Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue).

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director for cleveland.com.

**************

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.
RUSSELL TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Suspicious Vehicle, Chillicothe Road: While on patrol 10:19 p.m. May 17, an officer found a vehicle parked after hours in the parking lot. The driver said his battery was dead. After being told to try it again, the car started. The officer then advised the driver and passenger that they were in the park after hours and had to leave.

Traffic Hazard, Music Street: After receiving complaints of a vehicle's reckless operation on Chillicothe Road 2 p.m. May 18, officers located it and stopped the driver. The driver checked out fine and was given a written warning.

Animal bite, Chagrin Mills: Police were dispatched to the scene 5 p.m. May 19 for a complaint of a dog bite.

A report was filed and officers followed up later that evening with the dog owner.

General, Dines Road: The owner of "Gator," a brown Corgi mix dog was reported missing at 5:15 p.m. May 20. She asked for police to contact her if the dog is found.

Fireworks Complaint, Caves Road: The principal of Westwood Elementary School reported fireworks being set off 3:21 p.m. May 22 in the woods behind the school. An officer checked the area, but did not observe any.

Warrant Served, Chillicothe Road: A man wanted in Russell turned himself in to the Geauga County sheriff's office May 23. He was wanted for failure to comply with the conditions of a bond from a 2016 drunken driving case. He was taken into custody.

Traffic Complaint, Kinsman Road: While driving 4 p.m. May 20 near The West Woods, a woman was passed by three speeding motorcycles. She drove to the police station to file her report.

Suspicious Vehicle, Kinsman Road: Police were dispatched 11:40 a.m. May 20 in the area of Chillicothe Road to check on the driver of a dark grey Chevy Impala seen possibly casing businesses in the area of Chillicothe Road. Officers checked, but were unable to locate it.
L'Oreal is exploring the use of 3-D-printed skin to test products and reduce the controversial use of live animals. Above, reconstructed human epidermis at the Lyon EpiSkin facility. Philippe Gotteland | LOreal /EpiSkin

Growing human skin in a petri dish isn't the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the name L'Oreal . Yet the French cosmetics giant, whose other brands include Lancome, Maybelline New York, Ralph Lauren Fragrances and The Body Shop, also produces gelatinous, dime-sized blobs called EpiSkin. The company's researchers use the lab-produced tissue to test the efficacy of ingredients and tolerance of products before they go to market. This is part of a larger, ongoing effort within the scientific community to reduce and replace the use of live rabbits, mice and other laboratory animals in tests and experiments. But besides sparing lab animals pain and suffering, and often death, EpiSkin also represents a revenue source for L'Oreal, which sells the product to cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and household products manufacturers that conduct similar tests. Simultaneously, the company is tempering the public outcry over animal testing that's plagued the cosmetics industry, among others, for decades. Meanwhile, L'Oreal is partnering with San Diego-based Organovo to engineer 3-D bioprinting of human skin. "We're also developing technologies that will 3-D print hair follicles in vitro," said Bouez. "We see great potential for this in terms of tissue engineering and the development of future products."

EpiSkin's biggest competitor

The proliferation of 3-D reconstructed tissue models, as EpiSkin is technically known, in product testing is relatively recent, coinciding with wider regulatory approval, yet the biotechnology behind it dates back to the 1980s. Among the pioneers is MatTek, based in Ashland, Massachusetts, and founded in 1985 by two chemical engineering professors from MIT. In 1993 the private company launched its first commercial product, EpiDerm, which today is EpiSkin's major competitor. MatTek produces about two adult humans' worth of skin every week at its Massachusetts facility and another site in Slovakia. The raw material for EpiDerm is actual human skin cells retrieved from surgical waste following cosmetic surgeries and circumcisions. Cells are also procured through commercial sources or tissue banks. "We start with cells in a petri dish," a process generally referred to as in vitro, said senior scientist Michael Bachelor. Over several weeks the cells are fed nutrients "to promote the growth of the tissue to resemble what it's like in the normal human body," he added. EpiDerm is sold in kits, comprising 24 individual tissues, for about $1,000. More from Modern Medicine:

Firestorm brewing as scientists race to create synthetic DNA

Betting on the first disease to be treated by gene editing

A major step forward in fighting Alzheimer's L'Oreal acquired the EpiSkin biotechnology in 1997 and has since used it to test hundreds of ingredients and finished products, including L'Oreal Paris pure clay mask and La Roche-Posay's Lipikar body milk. "EpiSkin models are also available to the global scientific community to support academic and corporate research and development activities across industries," said Charbel Bouez, vice president of advanced research at L'Oreal's America Zone and president of EpiSkin. In 2011, L'Oreal opened its Predictive Evaluation Center in Lyon, France. The 12,000-square-foot facility, staffed by more than 60 scientists, grows more than 100,000 human skin tissue samples annually, most about 0.5 square centimeter in size. Last year L'Oreal invested more than $900 million in research and innovation. The use of animals for all sorts of product testing, as well as for medical, military, agricultural and other areas of research, has long been a contentious issue. On one side are proponents who contend that animal testing is essential to human health and safety, pointing to numerous lifesaving discoveries. Opponents counter by claiming that differences between animal and human biology make many tests unreliable. Perhaps more powerful, though, are the moral and ethical quandaries that animal testing raise, and ultimately whether animals have rights that supersede the benefits to humans.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 28

By Demir Azizov Trend:

The Senate of the Oliy Majlis (upper house of the Uzbek parliament) approved changes and additions to the articles of the country's constitution at the plenary meeting May 28, Trends correspondent reported.

According to the amendments to Article 80 of the Basic Law, the Senate can not appoint and dismiss the chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection upon the presidents proposal, as well as hear the report of the chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection.

Earlier, according to the presidents decree on "Improvement of the state administration system in ecology and environmental protection" adopted in April 2017, the State Committee for Nature Protection was transformed into the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection.

According to the amendments to Article 93 of the constitution, the Constitutional Courts judges will be elected by the Senate upon the presidents proposal among the individuals recommended by the Supreme Judicial Council, including a representative from the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The amendments to Articles 108 and 109 envisage the expansion of the powers of the Constitutional Court to verify the compliance of the laws with the Basic Law, laws on the ratification of international treaties before signing and providing the president and both chambers of the parliament with the information on the countrys constitutional legality annually.

According to the senators who took part in the debates, these changes and additions will contribute to the improvement of the state administration system in ecology and environmental protection, as well as increase the effectiveness of the activity and authority of the Constitutional Court.
Pete Johnston's plan to build "the world's most badass recruitment engine" could put a dent in Microsoft's plans to wring money from LinkedIn's 500 million users.

Johnston, a former designer for Google and ad giant M&C Saatchi in London, and his backers, including PayPal co-founders Max Levchin and Peter Thiel, are betting that managing contract workers will one day become as valuable to corporations as hiring and paying their own staff.

The start-up, formerly known as Lystable and now renamed Kalo, charges 3 percent of what its customers pay to contractors they hire through the platform. It's a bet on the growth of the freelance economy.

A report out this month from consulting firm McKinsey suggested that the gig economy will be here sooner than later. The study said 20 to 30 percent of workers in the U.S. and Europe already do "independent work."

For his part, Johnson said that "we know who they are, what they worked on and have access to their financial data."

But before he and his 50-person start-up take on the world's largest software maker, Johnston first has to get used to a new name for the company, which until last week was called Lystable .

That name had an air of exclusivity  as in, you needed special qualifications to be "listable"and Johnston wanted to move away from that. So the company asked the 50,000 freelancers registered on its website to come up with ideas. Johnston also hired a consulting firm that came up with another 30 names.

Yet the company's new moniker came not from either of those sources, but from a much more serendipitous process.

Johnston earlier this month looked out onto San Francisco Bay, and saw two ships passing each other. As they crossed, the name of one was truncated to Kalo  and the proverbial light bulb went on.

"It was an emotional decision," says Johnston.
File photo of Ballistic rocket is seen launching during a drill by the Hwasong artillery units of the KPA Strategic Force in this undated picture provided by KCNA in Pyongyang on July 21, 2016.

Monday's launch was Pyongyang's 9th test of 2017, adding to the dozens of short and long-range tests it has conducted since the start of last year, in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea last test-fired a ballistic missile on May 21 off its east coast.

The missile was believed to be a Scud-class ballistic missile and flew about 450 km (280 miles), the Joint Chiefs said in a statement. North Korea has a large stockpile of Scud missiles, originally developed by the Soviet Union.

The launch was immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who called a meeting of the National Security Council, South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Moon has advocated engaging the North Koreans in dialogue, which would be a reversal of South Korea's existing policy.

North Korea fired what appeared to be a short-range ballistic missile on Monday, its 9th test of the year and a new challenge to worldwide efforts to resolve the Peninsula's crisis diplomatically.

The move poses a challenge to the posture of the United States, which in recent weeks has warned that its "strategic patience" with North Korea was nearing an end.

President Donald Trump, who was briefed on the launch upon his return to the White House, chided North Korea's launch as a 'great disrespect' to China, Pyongyang's biggest ally. The two countries share an 870-mile border, and trade between North Korea and China has surged by nearly 38 percent in the last yeareven as the crisis has gathered momentum.

North Korea has shown great disrespect for their neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic missile...but China is trying hard!

On Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly supervised test runs of new anti-aircraft weapons, amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Experts say the North appears to be gaining meaningful data that is fed into its effort to build an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Meanwhile, neighboring Japan lodged a protest against the North's latest missile launch, which appeared to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.

"This ballistic missile launch by North Korea is highly problematic from the perspective of the safety of shipping and air traffic and is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Suga told reporters in televised remarks.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed action along with other nations to deter Pyongyang's repeated provocations.

As we agreed at the recent G7, the issue of North Korea is a top priority for the international community," Abe told reporters in brief televised remarks. "Working with the United States, we will take specific action to deter North Korea."

In an interview on Sunday with CBS's "Face the Nation," Defense Secretary James Mattis cautioned that a conflict with the hermetic Communist nation "would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes," and could be "catastrophic" if not resolved diplomatically.

A report in the Voice of America cited unnamed sources as saying the U.S. was ordering a third aircraft carrier strike force to the region, as a warning to Kim to stand down. The USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan are already stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

--NBC News contributed to this article.
President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House on February 10, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and vowed action along with other nations to deter Pyongyang's repeated provocations.

"As we agreed at the recent G7, the issue of North Korea is a top priority for the international community," Abe told reporters in brief televised remarks. "Working with the United States, we will take specific action to deter North Korea."

Abe said Japan will make utmost efforts to protect its people, while staying in close touch with South Korea and other countries.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
Jared Kushner, senior adviser to President Trump, listens to President Trump during a listening session with cyber security experts in the Roosevelt Room the White House in Washington.

President Donald Trump, returning home from his first visit overseas, took aim at brewing domestic political pressures by denouncing leaks of sensitive informationand rumors of an administration shake-up as "fake news."

Trump's visits to the Middle East and Europe were perceived in some quarters as diplomatic successes, but as he returns to the White House, his problems are mounting. Late last week, reports surfaced that Trump's top advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner was a target of investigators probing Russia's influence in the 2016 election.

Yet in a blizzard of tweets on Sunday, the president denounced the media's use of unnamed sources as "fake news," and again took aim at reporters as "the enemy."

It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media.

"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers," the president tweeted. "Fake news is the enemy!"

As a result of the sense of crisis enveloping the Oval Office, Trump is said to be weighing changes at the uppermost ranks of the White House.

Meanwhile, Trump also addressed a controversy that arose last week, when British authorities publicly complained that U.S. officials had leaked sensitive information about the bomber who killed more than 20 people at a Manchester concert.

In recent days, Trump and administration officials have condemned the disclosure of sensitive information, with Homeland Security chief John Kelly telling NBC's "Meet the Press" the leaks were "damn close to treason."

British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!
President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walk from the Oval Office to the Residence of the White House in Washington, U.S. February 13, 2017. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met on the sidelines of the G-7 summit's final day on Saturday. While bilateral trade issues were discussed, it appears the recent spat over Canadian dairy products didn't come up. Regardless, the status of NAFTA looms large for both countries, with much bigger things than milk or lumber hanging in the balance. The Trump administration formally notified Congress May 18 that it would initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico to modernize NAFTA. That sets into motion a 90-day countdown for the first formal round of negotiations, and the administration expects to hold the first such talks no earlier than Aug. 16. U.S. agriculture leaders are closely watching efforts to change the 23-year-old agreement, which some claim is unfair to American producers of dairy as well as fresh produce growers. Others, however, disagree: They suggest the North American Free Trade Agreement's benefits include increasing overall trade and boosting demand for U.S. pork, corn and even California wine. The Trump administration has accused Canada of essentially shutting out U.S. dairy producers in so-called ultrafiltered milk, which is used to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream. The president called the Canadian action "a disgrace" in April and also tweeted about it: "Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult." Canadians reject claims the incentives they have to buy domestic milk concentrates are protectionism and argue they shouldn't be blamed for excess milk capacity by American dairy producers.

'A broad range of issues'except dairy

Speaking to reporters Saturday at the G-7, Trudeau was pressed on NAFTA specifics he had discussed with Trump. The Canadian prime minister said they "talked about a broad range of issues," going on to list softwood lumber, aerospace and steel but he never mentioned dairy trade. Agriculture is only a small part of NAFTA, with electronics, automotive and aerospace manufacturing also seen as critical elements of the renegotiation. In a statement from Trudeau's office, the two "reaffirmed their commitment to the deepest economic partnership in the world. Trade between our countries supports job creation on both sides of the border and the growth of the middle class, and in 2016 was valued at nearly $882 billion." Playing out in the background, however, are concerns about whether North America will remain a bastion of free trade. Last week, the National Pork Producers Council released a white paper on the benefits of NAFTA, and pointed out that Mexico is the second-largest export market for U.S. pork, and Canada is the fourth-largest market. "Disrupting U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada would have devastating consequences for our farmers and the many American processing and transportation industries and workers supported by these exports," the white paper said. Nonetheless, Trump has remained steadfast in its criticism of NAFTA. "The fact is NAFTA, whether it's Mexico or Canada, is a disaster for our country," Trump said in April. However, Canada and Mexico were the first- and second-largest foreign markets for U.S. goods in 2016. Exports to Canada totaled about $266 billion in 2016, while Mexico was $231 billion. "Canada is by far and away the bigger partner," said Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics in Los Angeles. "We actually import more from Mexico than we export."

The California connection

For California, agricultural exports to Canada have more than tripled in the past 15 years, and exports to Mexico have had similar results, according to state figures. California-produced nuts are the top export to Canada in dollar value followed by wine. Canada also is the top foreign market for many of California's popular fruits and vegetables. The Wine Institute, a San Francisco-based trade group representing California wineries, said California wines are the most popular import table wine category in Canada and beat even French wines. Also, under NAFTA, wine exports to Mexico have grown sharply, but still remain small when compared with Canada. Yet the Wine Institute said in a letter last month to the U.S. Commerce Department that there are several challenges it still faces when entering the Canadian market. "Canada maintains discriminatory and burdensome nontariff trade barriers impeding U.S. wine exports," Tom LaFaille, vice president and international trade counsel for the wine group said in the letter commenting on trade deficits. For example, he pointed out that some provinces in Canada have "rules denying equal access for U.S. wines to grocery stores." Meanwhile, Mexico  a frequent source of Trump's ire  is also taking some heat. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in April called on the Trump administration to investigate "Mexico's unfair trade practices" as it relates to specialty crops. "Unfortunately, the current trade environment created under NAFTA is anything but a fair and level playing field for Florida's producers," he said.

'Valued customers and trade partners'
Tradition meets technology on the Royal Canadian Mints latest coin celebrating the Chinese culture.

The Proof 2017 Dragon Boat Festival .999 fine silver $25 coin is a vibrant celebration of the ancient cultural traditions of Chinese-Canadians, and a creative ode to one of the most adrenaline-pumping competitive sports, according to the RCM.

Gold coin resistance at U.S. Mint and a deceptive but detectable counterfeit Indian Head cent: Another column in the June 12 Coin World details the discovery of what seemed to be a rare 1917 French Indo-China 10-cent piece.

The selectively colorized reverse design by Canadian artist Simon Ng offers an artistic tribute to the Dragon Boat Festival through the fusion of ancient symbolism, traditional art elements and modern minting techniques.

Connect with Coin World:

Sign up for our free eNewsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

The coin was struck multiple times to provide dimension and depth to allow the dragons carefully sculptured head to rise up from the coins flat surface and the turbulent waves.

The lower portion of the coin is dominated by foam-tipped waves  an auspicious pattern that also adds a sense of motion to the design. Curved lines are present throughout this water-themed design, including the dragons mane that evokes the sensation of wind and movement.

The dragons features are resplendent in hues of red, gold, green and blue, culminating in the blue pearl held tight in its jaw as a symbol of wisdom, and the active yang aspect of qi  interpreted by followers as the life force that surrounds us. The reverse includes the engraved year.

The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

The RCM has issued the coin at an official price of $139.95 Canadian.

To order, visit the RCM website.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 28

By Demir Azizov Trend:

The Senate of the Oliy Majlis (upper house of the Uzbek parliament) approved amendments to the law On the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the plenary session, Trends correspondent reported.

In particular, the terms of office and the requirements for candidates for judges are defined more clearly than in the previous law.

Moreover, it is not allowed to elect the members of the Constitutional Court more than twice, while maintaining the current five-year term of office.

The law envisages an increase in the age limit of a candidate for a judge from 30 to 35 years old and the age limit for a judge - 70 years old.

From now on, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Human Rights Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ombudsman) are entitled to submit questions to the Constitutional Court.

Earlier, both houses of the parliament, speaker and chairman of the houses of the parliament, the president, MPs and senators, chairmen of the Supreme Court and Supreme Economic Court, as well as prosecutor general were entitled to submit questions to the Constitutional Court.
Tehran, Iran, May 28

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran plans to increase the amount of agricultural and food products to Russia by almost 100 percent in 2017 compared to last year, said Mehdi Tafreshi, head of Food Producers Cooperative and deputy head of Tehran House of Industry and Mine.

Irans food export to Russia stood at $2 billion in 2016 and the plan is to make it reach $4 billion this year, Tafreshi told Trend May 27.

"Right now one of the biggest hurdles for Iranian exporters is the high tariffs. We are in talks with related officials to amend these tariffs so that our exporters would be able to compete with rivals in neighboring countries such as Turkey," he said.

"One of our goals is to find our way to CIS countries such as the Republic of Azerbaijan. We are sure to increase our share of the food market in Azerbaijan," he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Tafreshi said the 2016 implementation of Irans nuclear deal_ aka Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)_ has positively influenced the food market.

"During the sanctions time Iranian producers had a hard time procuring immediate goods which they had to import from abroad. But after the JCPOA, not only were these problems solved, the price and quality of such goods changed for us because the world market opened to us and we had a greater range to choose from. This improved our competitiveness."


the complete review - fiction Tweet

Paper Boats



by

Dee Lestari



general information | our review | links | about the author

Title: Paper Boats Author: Dee Lestari Genre: Novel Written: 2004 (Eng. 2017) Length: 389 pages Original in: Indonesian Availability: Paper Boats - US Paper Boats - UK Paper Boats - Canada Indonesian title: Perahu kertas

Translated by Tiffany Tsao

Made into a film in 2012, directed by Hanung Bramantyo

- Return to top of the page -

Our Assessment:

B : sappy and spirited -- though overly reliant on lack-of-communication twists See our review for fuller assessment.



The complete review 's Review : Paper Boats begins in the summer of 1999, Keenan headed back to Indonesia to start university, after spending his teen years with his grandmother in Amsterdam. He goes to study in Bandung, joining his cousin, Eko, and Eko's girlfriend, Noni; he is also immediately introduced to Noni's best friend, Kugy. There's an immediate spark between Keenan and Kugy, kindred spirits with a strong artistic side -- he as a painter, she with ambitions to become a ... fairy tale writer -- and, although she already has a boyfriend, Paper Boats is basically an elaborate -- and extended (four-year !) -- dance of will they or won't they.

Both Keenan and Kugy face obstacles to realizing their artistic dreams. Keenan's businessman father is opposed to him devoting himself to painting -- for, as it turns out, a very personal reason -- and insists that the boy apply himself to serious studies. The bubbly, quirky Kugy knows exactly what she wants -- but everything and everyone around her suggests it's ridiculous. As she explains to Keenan: "When I was little, wanting to become a fairy tale writer sounded cute. But now that I'm grown up, it just sounds unrealistic and stupid. At the very least, I'll have to become a serious writer first. Then, once I've established myself and people begin to see me as a real writer, I can write all the fairy tales I want."

"So you want to become something that you aren't in order to eventually become who you really are ? Is that what you are saying ?" Keenan reads some of her fairy tales and is inspired by her wor(l)ds -- leading him to illustrate them. It's no surprise that he -- and his work -- are the perfect complement to her(s). The paintings he paints are very good -- and he realizes he must follow his dream. Circumstances even lead to the unknown artist being exhibited in a leading art gallery -- the gallery owner's daughter showing interest in both the art and the artist. Success, however, is not easy to come by, and circumstances eventually lead Keenan to flee almost everything he knows and has.

Kugy and Keenan had quickly become close friends, but a romantic entanglement never seems feasible, the one always seeing the other already tied up elsewhere. Complicating matters, they almost never talk things out, neither among themselves nor with their relatives and friends. This is a book full of the unspoken -- and not just between Keenan and Kugy --, leading to misunderstandings that remove characters from each others lives for years at a time -- a twist that doesn't so much get tired as frustrating; there are (too) many points where one wishes the characters would just spit it out already .....

Both Kugy and Keenan are thrown off their artistic paths: Kugy immerses herself in her studies, manages to graduate early, and gets a job that she soon excels at -- but that keeps her from her fairy tale writing. Deprived of his inspiration, Keenan's efforts at painting are frustrated -- and when his father falls ill, Keenan returns not just to the fold but to the family business, holding down the fort until his father recuperates. Along the way, Kugy and Keenan also find love-interests who are pretty much everything they could ask for -- and yet .....

Everyone is terribly understanding in Paper Boats, with lovers recognizing that true love trumps all, and that they can't stand in the way of it -- though the question remains: will Keenan and Kugy finally find their way to each other ? There are certainly obstacles -- including an annoying tendency of characters to be (physically) out of reach for (really) extended periods of time -- but can there be any doubt ? Admirably, Lestari does manage a semblance of suspense -- and a nice touch is that when Kugy and Keenan finally talk things out and reveal their feelings a real get-together seems unlikeliest.

Lestari quite artfully juggles the story. Many of the characters are almost too good to be true -- only incidental characters are truly unpleasant or mean --, with Keenan top of his class when he begins university and Kugy quickly enjoying great success when she gets a real job, yet it hardly matters. Lestari manages to focus her novel so on the personal (and artistic) that more mundane details are hardly missed: strikingly, we never get any sense of Keenan's work when he stands in for his father, or Kugy's thesis, etc. One success story at Kugy's workplace is enough to coast home with the rest of the way, for example.

The personal stories -- manifesting mainly in romance -- do tend to the sappy, but as far as this sort of thing goes it too is quite well done, with only some of Kugy's quirks perhaps a bit too forced (signing her name as 'Kugy Karmachameleon' ?). Yes, everyone is way too understanding, and some of the encounters -- characters dealing with each other, unaware of their relationships with other characters -- a bit too forced and convenient -- but then Kugy is a fairy tale writer, and so surely it's fair enough for there to be a very fairy tale element and feel to the novel.

The demure handling of romance is also interesting, the very light touch with regards to intimacy (excepting a very bizarre beach scene (involving a banana)) surprisingly effective -- though it does give the novel something of a YA feel compared to Western college-aged romance fiction.

Paper Boats is ultimately lite romance reading, but quite successful as such, Lestari putting her obvious talents to good -- if somewhat modest -- use here.

- M.A.Orthofer, 28 May 2017 - Return to top of the page -

: Reviews: Sarah Reads Too Much Paper Boat - the film: IMDb page Dewi 'Dee' Lestari: Official site Other books by Dewi Lestari under review: Supernova Other books of interest under review: See Index of South East Asian literature

Other books from AmazonCrossing - Return to top of the page -

About the Author : Popular Indonesian author Dewi 'Dee' Lestari was born in 1976. - Return to top of the page -  2017 the complete review



Main | the New | the Best | the Rest | Review Index | Links
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 28

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran has signed a contract with Dutch NACO and Swiss ADI firms for construction of the first logistics town in the Islamic Republic, IRNA news agency reported.

Under the contract, ADI will carry out design of a comprehensive plan for logistics town of Imam Khomeini Airport City (IKAC).

Accordingly, NACO will be in charge of providing consulting services for the project.

An Iranian expert team will also cooperate in the project, Hossein Tajik, an official with the IKAC said.

Iran earlier awarded a deal to NACO over the development of IKAC, a town in the vicinity of the country's biggest airport in southern Tehran.

Phase 1 of the project includes a passenger terminal named "Salam" with capacity of around five million passengers a year, a passenger terminal named "Iranshahr" with a capacity of 20 to 22 million passengers a year as well as a section of free trade zone.

Upon the completion of the first phase of the IKIA Airport city, the passenger capacity of the airport will reach 30 million passengers from the current 8 million in the next five years.
Here are two standard polling questions. Which party has the best policies for the country? Which party has the best policies for you and your family?

The Conservatives have produced a manifesto for the country. As we put it the day after the documents release, it is a real attempt to address directly some of the great issues of our time: an ageing population, high immigration, job insecurity, disillusion with our political system. It seeks to tackle inter-generational injustice, provide more homes, boost the status of technical education, restore the integrity of the honours system. And it is solid on Brexit  the reason why May called this election in the first place, and a dog that has scarcely barked during this election campaign. Her aim is to gain a bigger majority that will enable her to govern more effectively.

Labour has produced a manifesto for you and your family  or, rather, for its core supporters and their families. Its tax, nationalise and spend approach  plus its shakiness on defence, immigration and Brexit  will not persuade most voters to back Jeremy Corbyn. But that is not the manifestos objective. Its purpose, rather, is to shore up his position as Labours leader, so that he, and the Left with him, carry on controlling the party after June 8. Hence the manifestos economic offer to younger and to poorer voters: a minimum wage of at least 10 an hour by 2020, the scrapping of tuition fees, the end of the one per cent cap on public sector pay. That last pledge keeps coming up in Lord Ashcrofts focus groups.

In short, the Labour manifesto had a retail offer to voters. The Tory manifesto did not. Indeed, in so far as it had one at all, it was to take money away from them rather than give it to them. We refer to the social care proposals. Retail offers can be very effective  a point proven only last summer. 350 million a week for the NHS!

This difference helps to explain the course of this election campaign so far, at least if the opinion polls are anything to go by (which of course they may not be).

The high point of the Conservative campaign to date came the best part of a month ago  after Mays roasting of Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel and Martin Selmayr for interfering in the election, following the leaked Downing Street dinner with the first. Tory poll ratings soared.

The low point of the Conservative campaign so far followed the manifesto launch. The social care policy tanked, and Tory poll ratings fell with it. The Prime Minister responded with a U-turn which, while necessary, undermined her key election message: strong and stable leadership. The winter fuel payment policy is also not playing out well. One poll today finds women voters switching in droves.

So what is to be done?

The beginning of an answer is to grasp that while the polling gap has narrowed, it is still wide. The average Conservative lead this morning, after four polls overnight, is ten points. David Cameron would have killed for that.

In any event, changing course during an election campaign almost always does more harm than good. May could tear up her serious approach to the election  one backed, on the abandonment of the tax pledge and the pensions pledge, by ConservativeHome readers  and make a panic promise of tax cuts that her manifesto does not contain, and that the country cannot afford. This would pulverise what remains of the strong and stable meme and replace it with the weak and wobbly one. CCHQ is having a go at a positive push on Twitter and social media, stessing more NHS spending, more school funding, more affordable housing and the energy price cap. This is as close to a retail offer as the Prime Minister is going to get.

CCHQs response to the smaller poll gap between the two parties has been to go after Corbyn over defence and security  Trident, Islamist terror and (especially) the IRA. His eccentric decision to make a major security speech on Friday has enabled Crosby and company to double down on these issues. This is all well and good. We now read that they intend to get the Tory campaign back to where it started: who do you trust to conduct the Brexit negotiation that begins only eleven days after June 8? This also makes sense, particularly given the shift in Mays messaging. Strong and stable is being played down in favour of a new mantra: Me or Corbyn.

The missing element takes us back to where we started. It should be a message for you and your family to accompany the one to the country. It should complement what there is of a Conservative retail offer with an attack on Corbyns. In the remaining week and a bit, the Prime Minister should seek to persuade uncommitted voters not just that the Labour leader will car-crash the economy, which is everyones property, but that he will plunder your own purse, wallet and savings while he does so. If there really are wavering women voters out there in large numbers, this is surely what they need to hear.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Residents had the chance to clear out their filing cabinets this Saturday, May 27 as the Kiwanis Clubs hosted their first local Shred-It event at Fines Home Hardware.

For just seven of your Earth dollars, the service allows businesses and individuals to safely dispose of files. Reinhold Eisner, who is President of the Kiwanis Club of Cornwall says that the club expects to shred roughly 200 boxes.

If we hit the 200 mark, well consider it a success, said Eisner.

How does it work? you ask. Simple. Two trucks, one shredder.

Patrons drive up to the first truck, where the contents of their boxes are dumped into a hopper, which goes into the shredder. The shredder does exactly what youd expect  and bonus, you can sit and watch.

Afterward, the shredded papers are loaded into a truck, which is locked and secured until it gets to home base.

Weve got people standing by all day, said Eisner. The whole process is extremely secure.

Eisner says that there have been several local businesses who stopped by to shred some documents, but the bulk of individuals involved were just regular people looking unload some of their files.

It gives people the opportunity to take all their documents  anything they want to discard in paper form, said Eisner. Instead of having to shred it one-by-one at home, here it takes a couple seconds and the whole box is gone.

All funds raised will be reinvested into community efforts such as the Childrens Mental Health Unit, as well as the three local cadet corps.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

In a surprise move, Australian state Queenslands Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has declared that she is not going to provide concessional loan support to fund the infrastructure for the powerful Indian group Adanis $16.5 billion Carmichael coalmine in the Galilee basin. Earlier reports said the state government had agreed to provide the loan. Taking note of the development, an Australian media report commented, Prospects for the controversial Adani coal mine have dimmed further after the government said it wanted no role in any federal loan to support the project.In a statement on Saturday, Premier Palaszczuk said that "consistent with our election commitments, cabinet has determined that any (Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility) loan needs to be between the federal government and Adani".If the NAIF does provide funds for the 388 kilometre, $1 billion-plus rail link to support the proposed Carmichael mine, it will do so without the support of the state government. The NAIF's guidelines say loans should align with a state's needs, the report said.The Queensland premier was quoted as saying, "If Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to spend his money in this way, that's his decision."Top anti-mining group Environmental Justice Australia interpreted this as meaning that Queensland has blocked any NAIF loan to Adani under the current laws. "If Queensland is not a part of any agreement for NAIF funding, then, in our view, Adani's railway line cannot receive NAIF concessional loans under the current legal framework", it said.The NAIF abstention comes a day after the state government called a snap cabinet meeting to settle on the royalty plan to be offered to the Adani Group.While touted as a $16.5 billion project  excluding the railway and port expansion  the mine is looking increasingly less ambitious, if it gets built at all. Rather than 60 million tonnes, annual output is likely to be much less than the mega scale promoted, and a price tag is closer to $4 billion at least for the start, the report said.The development has taken place even as mine opponents stepped up their campaign against the Adanis, saying, the project has the potential to open up a huge new coal province at a time when the world has to prepare for a net-zero carbon emissions future to curb climate change.They also point to the vulnerability of the Great Barrier Reef where about 50 per cent of its corals have died in the past two summers alone after unprecedented bleaching caused by heat stress.Another environmental group Get Up in a statement welcomed the development, saying, "Queensland Labor are holding firm to their promise at the last election not to throw taxpayer funds at Adani's coal rail line, by refusing to hand over money from Senator Canavan's slush fund," though adding, "The pressure is now on the federal government to put an end to special treatment for the megamine."Meanwhile, The Guardian reports , the announcement by the Queensland premier represents a significant departure from a previous deal reportedly struck with the company to cap its royalty payments, meaning Adani would only pay $2m annually over the first seven years of the mines operation, giving the miner a $320m loan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 28

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

At least two Iranian border guards have been killed and two more injured in an armed clash along the countrys northwestern borders.

Lieutenant colonel Mohammadreza Firouzi and warrant officer Javad Farahi were killed in the armed clash on May 27, IRNA news agency reported.

According to the report, warrant officer Reza Nemati and Hossein Qahremani who were serving their mandatory military service were wounded following the clash.

The report added that the incident took place last evening when the border guards were on patrol in border area in West Azerbaijan Province.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 28

By Elmira Tarivediyeva  Trend:

G7 is interested in strengthening a rules-based international order that promotes peace among nations, safeguards sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states and ensures the protection of human rights, according to the communique adopted following the G-7 summit.

Our world needs our genuine commitment to the solution of conflicts that are affecting millions of innocent people and disrupting development and the healthy growth of future generations, the document said.

The 43rd G7 summit was held in Taormina, Italy May 26-27, 2017. The summit was of great political significance as it was held after the election in Germany and immediately after the election in France. It was the first meeting of US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron with the G7 heads of state.

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.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BRIDGEPORT  Following this months fatal shooting of a 15-year-old by a cop, Callie Heilmann and other members of Bridgeport Generation Now sought ways their civic action group could respond, aside from participating in rallies.

They turned to strengthening civilian oversight of Bridgeports Finest, which meant first understanding what is in place.

We have the police commission  most of the people on it, their terms have expired, Heilmann said. What powers does this commission have and what does it currently do?

She is not the only one with questions about the group of mayoral appointees which, ostensibly, oversees the Bridgeport Police Department.

This is one of the things that has been on our radar, said George Mintz, head of the citys branch of the NAACP. Its not clear to us what theyre function is.

There just seems to be no sense of real accountability, said another community leader, Pastor Anthony Bennett of Mount Aery Baptist Church.

Visit the website of the Los Angeles police commission and its mission statement is clear: The commissioners routinely spend 25 to 50 hours per week on commission business and serve as the citizens voice in police affairs and as a means of ensuring more responsive and effective city government.

That website also includes individual commissioner profiles and email addresses.

Attending a meeting

Bridgeports website does not explain the point of its Police Commission. It states that the group consists of seven members seated by the mayor (with City Council approval). It then lists just five active commissioners  all of whose terms expired, some as long ago as 2005, 2009 and 2010  and their home addresses.

The City Council recently appointed one new member, Hector Diaz, but that information is not yet online.

According to the city charter, commissioners duties are extensive: establishing department goals, policies and objectives; reviewing and approving rules/regulations recommended by the chief; conducting periodic reviews of the department and advising the mayor, City Council and chief; hearing/deciding appeals of the chiefs disciplinary decisions; and dealing with traffic issues.

And state statutes authorizing municipal police commissions give them the power to appoint, promote and remove officers.

Heilmann dropped in on a Bridgeport Police Commission meeting  held every third Tuesday in Police Chief Armando Perezs office  after the May 9 fatal police shooting of Jayson Negron. She said later that she didnt get a sense that the commission is the entity concerned citizens can turn to.

Youre the citizen accountability arm, Heilmann recalled thinking at the time. But they didnt talk about anything in front of us. They went into executive session (a behind-closed doors discussion) with the chief.

Police Commission member Edwin Farrow, an attorney, said it would be inappropriate for him and his colleagues to involve themselves at this stage in the Negron case, given it is under investigation by state police and the Chief States Attorney. Farrow said once that investigation is resolved, there may be a role for the commission.

The last thing we need to be doing is interfering with any investigation or compromising our ability to objectively have to deal with this issue when it comes before us, Farrow said.

But will it?

I would hope the commission would take a more active role, said state Rep. Christopher Rosario, D-Bridgeport, whose wife is Negrons cousin.

Ex-Bridgeport Mayor Tom Bucci, now a prominent private labor lawyer, recalled years ago that the Police Commission was more hands on.

But much of the authority of the commission has (since) been invested in the chief, Bucci said. The commission just doesnt have those duties and responsibilities any longer.

For example, the Bridgeport Police Commission used to have the power to fire officers, with the chiefs authority to mete out punishment limited to 30-day suspensions. But the cop union contract approved in 2015 put the chief fully in charge of discipline.

It was something then-Chief Joseph Gaudett had lobbied for.

Its kind of unusual for the boss not to be able to fire somebody, Gaudett said at the time.

Doubts about autonomy

But, Mintz said, leaving such serious matters fully in the hands of the chief does not build trust with the community.

With the police chief in charge of discipline, commission member Thomas Lyons did not see how the panel could involve itself in the Negron matter.

Farrow and Sgt. Chuck Paris, the police union president, said the commission still has the authority to address citizen complaints.

When somebody puts in a citizen complaint and it goes to the Office of Internal Affairs, something happens with the officer and they sustain charges, then it goes to the Police Commission, Paris said. Depending on the severity of the charges, they decide what to do.

Mintz said, Ive not been given a clear indication ... that the police commissioners are open to hearing collective or community-wide complaints. Ive not gotten that. Im not saying it cannot happen.

Heilmann said perhaps the police commission would be more proactive if members were not appointed by the mayor, who also hires the police chief. One commissioner listed on the city website  Danny Roach, who could not be reached for comment  was also current Mayor Joe Ganims campaign manager and works for him in City Hall.

Theres a serious conflict of interest here when we have a mayor who can appoint the chief of police and every single one of these commissioners, Heilmann said. And this commission then meets in (the chiefs) office.

Bennett shared her concerns.

The mayors selecting the commissioners, he said. They may or may not have the kind of wherewithal to provide the kind of independent accountability thats needed.

Perez could not be reached for comment. Paris said he has had very good relationships with the commissioners and is satisfied with how they currently operate overseeing policy and as somewhat of a watchdog.

I dont think it should be anything more than it is right now, Paris said.
Damascus sent letters to the UN Secretary General (UNSG) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), calling for the cessation of the US-led coalition airstrikes in Syria as it causes numerous deaths among civilians and violates international law, Sputnik reported citing local media.

The 69-member US-led coalition is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against Daesh terrorist group on the territory of 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

In the letters, the Syrian foreign ministry strongly condemned the coalitions airstrike on Friday in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, when the residential quarter of the Mayadin city came under attack and 35 civilians were killed by the strike, the Sana news agency reported Saturday.

Damascus urged the United Nations to halt the airstrikes as it violates the UNSC resolutions and the international law, while causing an enormous damage to the infrastructure and integrity of the country, according to the agency.

The foreign ministry stressed that the US-led coalitions actions do not facilitate the fight against terrorism as the strikes cause chaos in the country, benefiting the activities of the terrorist groups.

Earlier in May, a report issued by the Syrian Network for Human Rights showed that the US-led coalition strikes had killed over 1,200 civilians since the beginning of the operation in 2014. Later that month, an airstrike carried out by the coalition in Syria's eastern town of Al Bukamal reportedly killed at least 31 civilians and injured many others.
Nearly 80 PA people have been charged for Jan. 6 riot. Three are dead.

news
Moroccan authorities have arrested 20 people following violent clashes between police and protesters in the northern city of Al-Hoceima on Friday evening, the local prosecutor said on Saturday.

Clashes erupted in Al-Hoceima after authorities sought to arrest a well-known activist who led recent demonstrations and who interrupted a Friday prayer sermon, activists and local residents said, Reuters reported.

Political protests are rare in Morocco, but tensions in Al-Hoceima have been simmering since October after the death of a fishmonger who was crushed inside a garbage truck while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by the police.

His death sparked anger against "Hogra," a colloquial Derja Arabic term for deprivation of dignity from official abuses or corruption, and prompted some of the biggest protests since Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations in 2011.

According to a statement from the general prosecutor in Al-Hoceima carried on MAP state news agency, the arrests of the 20 individuals were made on May 26 and 27 for "threatening national security" in the North African kingdom.

"The preliminary investigation showed the individuals received money transfers and logistical support in order to carry out propaganda activities to undermine the integrity of the Kingdom and to undermine the allegiance of citizens to the Moroccan state and its institutions," the statement read.

Nasser Zefzafi, leader of the "Hirak" movement, interrupted a Friday prayer sermon in a local mosque. Authorities sought his arrest for "interrupting a religious ceremony," a crime punishable with a prison term.

Authorities failed to arrest Zefzafi, who fled the city, while supporters poured into the streets protesting against the attempt to detain him.

On Saturday, health officials said three policemen were critically injured following the clashes on Friday. Activists say several protesters have also been hospitalized.

Moroccan authorities usually police protests heavily, nervous about unrest since the 2011 demonstrations. During those protests, the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform.
To be honest, Ive always been relieved you can never know what goes on in other peoples marriages. Couples who throw crockery at each other or deliver brutal put-downs at dinner parties can often outlast the most outwardly loved-up unions. Which brings us to the US First Couple, on the red carpet in Israel.

It was at Ben Gurion airport that all we armchair Trump-watchers goggled at the spectacle of POTUS and FLOTUS leaving the ark of Air Force One two by two. He tries to grab her hand. Melania, in dazzling white suit, swats him off with a killer little ninja flick of the wrist, and we all went: Check. That. Out.

Who needs his Twitter feed when the body language provides such a detailed field guide to the Trumps: not just to the grunting, silver-backing, body-slamming, chest-beating alpha-male stuff he does with other world leaders (of which more in a sec) but the Me-Tarzan, You-Jane drama of their own relationship.

No peace: Video shows President Trump reaching out to hold the First Lady's hand at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv (left) and being rejected (right)

When I saw the furious flick that went round the world in a flash  a scornful move she repeated in Rome  it told me this: Melanias not down with pretending her marriage is as perfect as a piece of political performance.

Shes not going to be the silent, surrendered Stepford Wife whose sole function is to make her husband look good. In fact  in that second anyway  she probably doesnt even like him and doesnt care who knows it. For all the above reasons, she doesnt wanna hold his hand.

It looked as if The Flick was taking their dysfunction up a notch, even though its been obvious since the off that Donald and Melania do not have the easy physical rapport of their predecessors in the White House.

On Inauguration Day, he bounded up the steps to the White House leaving her to straggle with the gift-box from Tiffany  and then he appeared to snap at her after the vows, leading her face to fall and the whole free Melania hashtag thing.

Whereas the touchy-feely Obamas never needed to court the Kiss Cam. Michelle was always tweaking Barrys tie, they were smooching at ball games, and gazing into each others eyes, as if to say: we both find each other so goddam HOT we cant keep our hands off each other.

In contrast, nobody is tempted to shout get a room at the Trumps, not even for a New York minute.

'Melania is not going to be the silent, surrendered Stepford Wife whose sole function is to make her husband look good'

Theyre more likely to yell Security! on current form. Last week, he behaved more like the prize ape than President in his anxiety to be the ranking Jungle VIP.

He yanked Macrons arm during their manshake-off. He shoved aside the poor PM of Montenegro in his haste to nab pole position in the family photo of Nato leaders.

He bullied the Nato secretary general. He showed more anger about Germany selling Mercs to the Mid-West than he did about Russia invading Ukraine, saying Germany was bad, really bad and generally behaved throughout like the brash, ugly, American abroad, and his wife did little to hide her distaste for his knuckle-dragging king of the swingers act either.

And yet. And yet. The Trumps have been married for 12 years, have been together for 17, and I wouldnt count them out yet, despite the terrible body language.

Hes all about winning. Billions of dollars and millions of jobs was his own verdict of his first foreign tour. Women like a winner, and they love a powerful man  and hes the most powerful in the world.

So what did we see when they finally arrived in Sicily, after Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican and Brussels? Melania descending the plane in high heels and a tight black wiggle dress. Yes she looked sulky and furious, but there was no doubting it. Hed won. She was hand in hand with the President.

Oh, do get a grip Salma... that's even sillier than pink PJs!

What pampered parallel universe does Salma Hayek live in, saying that paying female actresses less than male ones is an act of violence against women?

How can paying X rather than Y to speak other peoples words to camera be violent?

Violence against women is serious and prevalent enough as it is, but to accuse movie bosses of such abuse in these terms is even sillier than Salma wearing 2,000 Gucci pink pyjamas to a lunch do during the Cannes Film Festival.

Salma Hayek wearing 2,000 Gucci pink pyjamas to a lunch do during the Cannes Film Festival

Off to the coast, in a sea of sweat

My First Great Western train to Penzance on one of the hottest days of the year (last Thursday) was more phew-phew than choo-choo. Broken air-conditioning. Broken wi-fi. Late.

Staff handed out free water to expiring passengers, but one sensed they were just as fed up as we were. As we ground towards Cornwall, sopping in puddles of our own sweat, I thought of Corbyns manifesto promise to renationalise our railways.

Why not. Its not as if the rail service  think of poor Southern passengers  could get any worse. But then I had a flashback of the old British Rail. Dusty carriages, the taste of stale fruitcake, the reek of delayed despair. Can it get any worse? Yes, I fear it can.

God bless the Queen in her orange flowerpot hat. Her Majesty didnt just cheer up the suicide bombers victims in hospital in Manchester by turning up in bright millinery.

She even tactfully pretended to patients that she shared their enjoyment of the music of Ariana Grande. Now thats what one calls proper bedside manners.
Theresa May should get herself a stick-on pencil moustache, some very dark glasses and a white military uniform with lots of medals and a set of fancy epaulettes. If shes going to behave like a Third World leader, she ought to look like one.

Troops on the streets, indeed. What a futile non-answer to the problem of terrorist murder this is, and what a complete departure from centuries of British liberty.

In all my travels, often to less fortunate parts of the world, troops posted on the streets have been an invariable sign of a society on the skids, and a government that prefers force to thought.

Troops on the streets, indeed. What a futile non-answer to the problem of terrorist murder this is, and what a complete departure from centuries of British liberty

How humiliating and embarrassing that such scenes should come to our great free capital.

Actually, I suspect its something our dim state machine has wanted to do for ages, and now thinks it has the excuse for. Mrs Mays Cabinet, ignorant and lacking the robust old British loathing of such things, gave in and let it happen.

What is far worse is that the idea was not then mocked and jeered off the stage by the rest of us, as the ridiculous Blair creatures futile dispatch of tanks and troops to Heathrow was back in 2003.

Year by year our hopeless egalitarian schools and our joke universities turn out more and more citizens who dont know that you have to defend liberty all the time if you want to keep it.

Can anyone explain to me how militarising the country and dotting it with armed men in camouflage battle dress (designed to help them hide in forests) is a rational response to the atrocity in Manchester? Of course not. The two have no connection.

On the contrary, the sight of a once-great country over-reacting in this pointless way must cause our enemies to snigger in their bushy Islamic beards.

Look at the infidels scurrying about at our bidding, they must think. Why give them this satisfaction?

It seems to me, as it has for some time, that old-fashioned beat coppers with a close, intimate knowledge of the areas they patrol would be much more likely to see these atrocities coming than clanking robocops, soldiers or our vaunted and hyped security services, who are always claiming to protect us but have failed so completely in this and several other cases.

Why this is a mad country... Applicants for jobs in nursing are being turned away because they cannot speak good enough English. The response of the authorities is to consider lowering the standards nurses are required to meet. We can all see what is wrong with this, but it will almost certainly happen. Advertisement

Such killers almost invariably come from among the swirling underworld of drug-taking petty criminals.

The Manchester murderer, Salman Abedi, was, unsurprisingly, a cannabis abuser. His recent behaviour  yelling prayers in the street  had been strange.

Ought not someone in authority to have noticed when a bearded young religious fanatic with a drug habit started buying large quantities of hair bleach?

He plainly wasnt planning to become a blond. But who was there to listen to such fears? A police car driving by at 30mph? A phone number that nobody answers? A police station thats shut?

I have noticed that any dissent from the standard view of these events is met, on social media and elsewhere, with attempts to claim that my views show some sort of disrespect to the victims and their grieving families.

I will not give in to this nasty dictatorship of grief.

I am just as distressed by the horrors of Manchester as anyone else. I refuse to be told Im not sad enough, because I dont conform to the Governments thought-free response to it, which has now been failing for many years. Nor should you be.

Get the soldiers back into their barracks, and bring back proper police foot patrols.

Finally, a great film (if only you can find it)

What a joy to see an intelligent film, slick, clever, surprising fast-moving, glamorous and thoughtful.

Yet I had to seek it out at a late-night showing at the back of a multiplex, where the big screens were reserved for weary sequels of sequels.

If you can find Miss Sloane, starring Jessica Chastain, please see it. But how can good movies succeed if they are hidden from us?

If you can find Miss Sloane, starring Jessica Chastain, please see it. But how can good movies succeed if they are hidden from us?

The BBC's finest...peddling deadly cocaine

I was banned from the BBCs supposedly wonderful Today programme several years ago, after I gave a live on-air pasting to the pro-drug Professor David Nutt. Before that I used to get on quite a lot, but since then, nothing.

I have often wondered since if the programme had a deep-seated bias against our drug laws. It always seemed to give prominent coverage to any call to soften those laws.

Well, on Thursday morning, I think we got proof.

Today once essential, has in recent years become so dull and complacent that I often doze off while listening.

It is claimed that its audience has gone up. If so it must be composed of supermarket check-out robots, whose idea of excitement is to shout Unexpected item in bagging area! Nobody else could actively want to listen to its lifeless daily rehearsals of Leftish conventional wisdom.

But on Thursday there was an unexpected item in the drugging area. I suddenly realised I was listening to a man giving out the current prices for various kinds of cocaine.

Hang on, I thought, as I shook myself into full wakefulness. The programme normally gives out exchange rates for the US dollar, and the stock market index. But the price of cocaine? This was new. Cocaine is a Class A drug under the Misuse Of Drugs Act 1971.

This means you can get life imprisonment for selling it, and seven years in jail for buying it. To want to know the price, or to give it out, surely condones a serious crime.

And the BBC has a vested interest in being in favour of law enforcement. Its licence fee is collected under the threat of fines and imprisonment.

If the BBC wants that law enforced, it must surely support all law enforcement. I cant see it being pleased if other media gave soft, wet interviews to advocates of licence-fee evasion.

Yet here was some bloke merrily discoursing on what cocaine costs, which is surely of no interest to any law-abiding person.

Then, wholly unchallenged by an utterly soppy presenter, this character claimed it was difficult to have honest conversations saying you can use lots of drugs with relatively low risks, for most people, if you follow some simple strategies.

Difficult? Where is it difficult? Whats difficult is to call for the law to be enforced.

Who now denies that cocaine is in common, unchecked use among students, bankers, politicians and, perhaps above all, media and broadcasting types? The guest added (still uninterrupted): Instead of simply saying to people, Dont use drugs, theyre dangerous, thats not a useful dialogue for people who are making informed decisions to use drugs as a wider lifestyle.

That person might also go to yoga and be a vegetarian. You know its about a lifestyle choice and we need to help people stay safe with the choices they make.

I asked the BBC for a response. Not merely was that response useless in the extreme, and nothing to do with the questions I had asked, they actually asked me to use it in full.

Well, I havent room to do that, but I will post it on my blog so that you can laugh at it.

If you want to comment of Peter Hitchens click here
Its not often I can say I know exactly how an A-list Hollywood star feels, but it happened on Friday.

I was reading the court reports from a defamation case in Melbourne brought by Rebel Wilson, star of Bridesmaids and the Pitch Perfect movies, against Bauer Media. The publisher alleged that the actress had lied about her age by claiming that she was 29, when she wasnt.

Wilson never lied about her age, but merely didnt broadcast it from the rooftops. The article meant she was dropped from the cast of at least two huge films, and had to beg to meet producers.

Bridesmaids star Rebel Wilson meets with Daily Mail columnist Liz Jones

Wilson claims the article, and the subsequent lawsuit, meant she lost two years of her limited time in the Hollywood spotlight. She was dismayed that classmates appeared to have hawked their stories to the highest bidders and, in doing so, sold their former friend down the river.

Unlike Rebel, I did lie about my age. Blatantly and repeatedly, in newspaper articles, and on my CV. I told my fiance that I was born in 1963, when in fact I was born in 1958. I told my bosses, about to hire me as editor of Marie Claire, the same huge, fat fib.

I remember the night before an interview announcing my appointment was to be published in The Guardian, I couldnt sleep, so terrified was I that the headline would read: New editor of feminist glossy is so anti-women, shes shaved five years off her age! Off with her wrinkly old head!

But I got away with it. For a while. But after I left that magazine and got a job on a daily paper, I started receiving sinister emails, with the header: I have seen your birth certificate. I know how old you are.

'I know why I did it, and why Rebel kept her age under wraps: because almost every other woman is at it'

After some digging, I found out the emails were from a young woman who had been to my high school (she was a few years below me), and who Id given work experience to some years before. This is how she repays me! This is how she is planning to force me into giving her a job! Like Rebel, I felt someone was trying to shake me down; the threat to reveal my age was tantamount to blackmail.

I also found out that someone had logged on to Wikipedia, and changed my date of birth to 1948! It took a great deal of correspondence to persuade the mediators at the online encyclopaedia that they were not only publishing a lie, they were damaging my reputation and future prospects.

In truth, though, Id been sabotaging my life all by myself. I wish that I hadnt lied to land the editorship of a glossy. I was so afraid of being found out that I accepted a really rubbish deal, refused pay rises, and even when I was sacked unreasonably (ironically, I was asked to step down for championing older, bigger women in my pages!), I didnt contest it.

I refuse to print Rebels age here, or her dress size. They are irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not she makes me laugh, which she does.

But I know why I did it, and why Rebel kept her age under wraps: because almost every other woman is at it. I remember interviewing, for the second time, an A-list British star, who I knew had shaved five years from her age, as though her date of birth were a trifle. But I first interviewed you when you were at school, I told her. I know exactly how old you are. I met your mum.

Please dont tell anyone, she begged, so I didnt.

If only we had the courage to declare an age amnesty; to be grown-up about growing older. But that would require men to change their whole mindset, too, and thats not going to happen any time soon. I cling instead to small gestures: thats why I refuse to print Rebels age here, or her dress size. They are irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not she makes me laugh, which she does. In a world where young girls are seen as cannon fodder, thats a rare talent we should cherish, not ridicule.

The fightback starts here.

On Friday, with the temperature at 27 degrees, I took my two border collies to Tesco. The car park was in bright sunlight, so I pulled up, windows open, in the one shady spot: a disabled loading bay.

I was barely in the store for ten minutes, but came out to be yelled at by a man in a high-vis jerkin, who told me I was making people suffer. I told him that I will not allow my dogs to suffer in the heat.

Leave them at home! I cant, as they are both very chewy. I wont tie them up outside the shop as they could be stolen, and the nervous one might nip.

Could supermarkets not allow dogs inside, just while the gauge tops 25? They make billions from pet owners, after all.
When Carla Oates's daughter started to suffer with chronic eczema ten years ago, the Sydney-based beauty buff knew how she felt.

Ms Oates, 44, had struggled with eczema as a child, before she started following a more holistic approach to her health - thinking both about what she put into her body as well as what she applied to her skin.

'I did some research into gut health and the benefits of eating lacto-fermented, probiotic foods for gut health and skin health such as eczema,' Ms Oates told Daily Mail Australia.

Eight years later, her ingestible beauty range - The Beauty Chef - is a global business, and one of Australia's most successful beauty exports.

Carla Oates (pictured), 44, from Sydney, founded The Beauty Chef ingestible beauty range after her daughter started suffering from eczema

'I did some research into gut health and the benefits of eating lacto-fermented, probiotic foods for gut health and skin health such as eczema,' Ms Oates told FEMAIL

Eight years later, her ingestible beauty range (pictured) is a global business, and one of Australia's most successful exports - it is stocked at Selfridges and Net-a-Porter

For Ms Oates, it all began when she started making 'lacto-fermented foods' for her daughter at home:

'I noticed a big difference in her skin and well-being,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

So much of what goes into our digestive system can impact our skin

'I also noticed a big difference in my skin when I was eating them. Friends and family started asking what I was using - and then became addicted to my fermented vegetables.'

The Beauty Chef business spawned from here - a business which comprises not only serums, balms and lotions, but also powders that you mix with water or put into smoothies.

The powders are packed with superfood ingredients like macqui berries, zinc and antioxidant-rich grape skins, which all help with inner and outer health:

'Our gut is where 70 per cent of our immune system lies, where we metabolise hormones, neutralise pathogens, make detoxifying enzymes and where we make nutrients,' Ms Oates explained.

'So much of what goes into our digestive system can impact our skin.'

When Ms Oates started taking 'lacto-fermented foods' and giving them to her daughter, she explained: 'I noticed a big difference in her skin and well-being' (pictured: Carla Oates)

'Our gut is where 70 per cent of our immune system lies, where we metabolise hormones, neutralise pathogens, make detoxifying enzymes and where we make nutrients,' she said

'So much of what goes into our digestive system can impact our skin,' Ms Oates explained

WHICH PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR ME? * GLOW: According to Ms Oates, GLOW is the 'staple product' and the one she recommends everyone take each day. It is a 'nutrient-rich drinkable tonic that supports efficient digestion and a healthy gut, which gives skin radiance'. * BODY: 'Packed with three clean sources of bio-available plant proteins, super-fruits, vegetables, alkalising greens and probiotics, BODY is a supercharged superfood wellness meal supplement,' Ms Oates said. * CLEANSE: The CLEANSE product is designed to 'help to detox and purify your body on the inside, promoting smoother, clearer skin on the outside'. * HYDRATION: Ms Oates advocates this as a 'daily shot of extra nutritional support. HYDRATION combines organic coconut water, aloe vera and lemon myrtle to combat dry, dull skin, ageing and fine lines.' * COLLAGEN: 'This is specifically formulated to address skin firmness, fine lines, free-radical damage and ain skin maintenance.' * ANTIOXIDANT: Lastly, this product will 'repair and rejuvenate skin and boost overall skin radiance. This product is also great for cold and flu season.' Source: Carla Oates of The Beauty Chef. Advertisement

That's not to say that the hugely successful Beauty Chef business came off without a glitch.

When Ms Oates first started making her powders and putting them out to retail in 2009, ingestible beauty wasn't a 'thing':

'I remember a buyer from a department store calling me and telling me how much she loved the GLOW powder, but there was no category in which to put it on the shelves,' she said.

Fast forward a few years, and The Beauty Chef is now stocked at Net-a-Porter, Free People, Selfridges, Goop and Anthropologie - among others.

These days, Ms Oates said she still works 'across the entire business':

'From product development and formulation to creative direction and branding, I also work with a great team of naturopaths, scientists and microbiologists,' she explained.

'I spend a lot of time on Google scholar and talking to my team about ingredients.'

The 44-year-old said her drive comes from wanting to make products 'which my family and other busy women need'.

'Each Beauty Chef powder is formulated for different skin and health benefits.

'So for example, Glow is for your glow, Body is for your body, Cleanse is an alkaline detox aid and Antioxidant will help to support the immune system.'

When Ms Oates (left) first started her ingestible beauty range in 2009, there was nothing like it on the market - however, these days, the market is worth AUD $400 million

Ms Oates said: 'I believe that success has a lot to do with hard work and determination. And I'm a very determined person. Especially if I believe in something.'

As for the future, the ambitious entrepreneur said the sky is the limit.

'We will launch a full skincare range next year, as well as more inner beauty products this year,' she said.

'We have also just launched a Sleep Inner Beauty powder, as sleep is essential to good health and glowing skin,' she added.

The beauty drinks market continues to become more and more popular - it is worth an estimated AUD $400 million right now, and is expected to climb to $1 billion by 2020.

'I believe that success has a lot to do with hard work and determination,' Ms Oates previously told whimn.com.au.

'And I'm a very determined person. Especially if I believe in something.'

For more information about The Beauty Chef, click here. You can also follow The Beauty Chef on Instagram here.
Egyptian fighter jets carried out strikes on Friday directed at camps in Libya which Cairo says have been training militants who killed dozens of Christians earlier in the day, Reuters reported.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered strikes against what he called terrorist camps, declaring in a televised address that states that sponsored terrorism would be punished.

Egyptian military sources said six strikes took place near Derna in eastern Libya at around sundown, hours after masked gunmen attacked a group of Coptic Christians traveling to a monastery in southern Egypt, killing 29 and wounding 24.

The Egyptian military said the operation was ongoing and had been undertaken once it had been ascertained that the camps had produced the gunmen behind the attack on the Coptic Christians in Minya, southern Egypt, on Friday morning.

"The terrorist incident that took place today will not pass unnoticed," Sisi said. "We are currently targeting the camps where the terrorists are trained."

He said Egypt would not hesitate to carry out further strikes against camps that trained people to carry out operations against Egypt, whether those camps were inside or outside the country.

Egyptian military footage of pilots being briefed and war planes taking off was shown on state television.

East Libyan forces said they participated in the air strikes, which had targeted forces linked to al-Qaeda at a number of sites, and would be followed by a ground operation.

A resident in Derna heard four powerful explosions, and told Reuters that the strikes had targeted camps used by fighters belonging to the Majlis al-Shura militant group.

Majlis al-Shura spokesman Mohamed al-Mansouri said in a video posted online that the Egyptian air strikes did not hit any of the group's camps, but instead hit civilian areas.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the Christians, which followed a series of church bombings claimed by Islamic State in a campaign of violence against the Copts.

Islamic State supporters reposted videos from earlier this year urging violence against the Copts in Egypt.

At a nearby village, thousands later attended a funeral service that turned into an angry protest against the authorities' failure to protect Christians.
SPOILER ALERT: While royals fans have been braced for shifting timelines, exaggerated scenes and rather brutal interpretations of private conversations, they will still no doubt be surprised by some of the more jaw-dropping moments in the series. For instance, The Crown recreates real-life events such as the fire that tore through Windsor Castle in 1992, but adds an extra dollop of drama by showing Princess Margaret pointing the finger at Princess Diana for starting the blaze. The Crown sets its shock value stall out early, showing the Queen having a medical examination in the opening minutes of the first episode, and being advised that she needs to lose some weight. It certainly may feel too close to the bone for royal watchers, so soon after the death of Her Majesty in September (left, Diana in the Bashir interview; centre, Prince Philip's 'affair' with Penny; top right, Charles lobbying John Major; bottom right, the Queen being weighed).
Royal fans have delighted upon receiving a thank you card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - and the couple have finally changed their go-to greeting.

Those who wrote to Princess Charlotte on her second birthday on May 2 have received a card from Kate and Wills expressing their gratitude.

The message, which was the same for each recipient, read: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank you for the message you so kindly sent to Princess Charlotte on the occasion of her second birthday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have sent royal fans cards thanking them for their well-wishes on Princess Charlotte's second birthday

'It was really most thoughtful of you and was greatly appreciated.'

The note was printed on the reverse of a glossy photograph of the Princess which was released in celebration of her second birthday.

The photo, taken by her mother Kate, sees Charlotte wearing a sweet yellow cardigan sitting in the grounds of Anmer Hall, their family home in Norfolk.

While the message may be the same for everyone who received a card, it differs from the one that William and Kate normally send by way of thank you.

The message has been altered from the royal couple's traditional go-to greeting which they had previously used no matter what the occasion

While nobody expects a personalised response, the royal couple have previously repeated the same message no matter what the occasion.

Not only have they send the same 'warmest thanks and best wishes' time after time, but the message on their cards is identical to that used by Prince Charles and Camilla.

However, this appears to have been taken on board by William and Kate who altered their message for their daughter's second year.

Their previous faux pas was revealed by an Instagram account Royal Letters, which shows that Kate and William have sent out the same response on no fewer than four separate occasions.

William Hanson told Femail: 'There is a standard wording they will use for the thousands of letters they receive each week. They don't have the luxury of time to write a totally new response to everyone.

The couple had previously relied on a standard wording to thank people who wished them well as seen here on their fifth wedding anniversary in May last year

Different year, same message: Kate's 2016 thank you card to those who wished her well on her birthday was the same as the one she sent out in 2017

'However, it certainly used to be the practice with the Queen that if you wrote to Her Majesty a second time, you would receive a different reply.

'It would not be the same as the first one, because there would be a record kept.

'Her Majesty's ladies in waiting and correspondence team are very good at that.'

William suggests that varying their responses would be a way for the Cambridges to make their fans feel more special.

'I think to make people feel more valued that's why they should have a range of responses,' he said.

He agrees that it may be a good idea to use a different response to that sent by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, but says that royal fans may not have noticed.

'I imagine it's a very different demographic writing to them, so it may be that it usually does not get picked up on. But maybe now is the time to change it.'

At the time Kensington Palace declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
Earlier this week, she condemned the Manchester attack as 'very wicked' as she visited young survivors as they recovered in hospital.

And today the Queen, 91, put on another show of solidarity with the families devastated by the suicide bombing, which killed 22 and injured at least 119 people, by attending the church service at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral to pray for those affected.

The monarch was joined by her son Prince Edward and his 13-year-old daughter Lady Louise, to whom she is especially close.

Despite the solemnity of the occasion, the Queen brought a breath of fresh air wearing a bright pink coat trimmed with white and a matching hat.

The Queen was seen on her way to church service at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral this morning to pray for the victims of the Manchester attack

Edward looked smart for church in a tweed jacket and tie, while Lady Louise was also in her Sunday best - a white blouse and blue cardigan, teamed with a plaid skirt.

Earlier this week Her Majesty made her feelings about the atrocity very clear as she spoke to injured schoolgirl Evie from Harrogate, Yorkshire at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

'It's dreadful. Very wicked. To target that sort of thing,' she said.

She also thanked hospital staff and paramedics who worked tirelessly to keep the children alive in the hours after the tragedy, and told them of her shock, saying: 'The awful thing was that everyone was so young.'

The Queen was resplendent in pink and white for church, while Louise and her father Edward also dressed in their Sunday best

Millie Robson, from Co Durham, who was wearing an Ariana Grande concert t-shirt in her hospital bed, told the Queen how she had met the pop star backstage before the event after winning VIP passes in a competition.

She was on her way to meet her father, David, at the arena exit when the bomb was detonated. Addressing David, the Queen said: 'It's not something you expect at all' and described the atrocity as 'very alarming'.

On Tuesday, the Queen released an unusually strongly worded statement condemning the attack.

The Queen speaks to Millie Robson, 15, and her mother Marie, from Co Durham, during a visit to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Millie Read more:

The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert,' she said.

'I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured.

'I want to thank all the members of the emergency services, who have responded with such professionalism and care.

'And I would like to express my admiration for the way the people of Manchester have responded, with humanity and compassion, to this act of barbarity.'
Having diagonal creases across your ear lobes may mean you are at increased risk of suffering a stroke, according to new research.

Having diagonal creases across your ear lobes may mean you are at increased risk of suffering a stroke, according to new research.

Scientists who examined 241 people who had experienced a stroke found more than three-quarters of them had the mark, known as Franks sign, on their ears.

Its thought that clogging of the arteries, which increases the risk of a stroke, also leads to poor blood supply to the ear lobes. This would cause a loss of elasticity and, in turn, the visible creasing.

The Israeli researchers who uncovered the findings said doctors should consider adding the ear lobe crease to the list of classic risk factors for the development of stroke.

But other observers think the feature could be little more than a sign of advancing years.

A number of famous people are known to have creased ear lobes, including film director Steven Spielberg, 70, and actor Mel Gibson, 61.

In the study, published in the American Journal of Medicine (AJM), the researchers said they found 78 of 88 patients who had suffered a full-blown stroke (88 per cent) had creased ear lobes.

That also applied to 112 of 153 (73 per cent) of patients who had experienced a mini-stroke  more formally called a transient ischaemic attack. Previous research has also linked the ear creases with a higher heart attack risk.

In one study of 800 people, 77 per cent of those who had suffered an attack had the crease, compared to 40 per cent of those in a group of non-heart attack victims. Franks sign is named after the American doctor Sanders T Frank, who noticed in 1973 that the ear lobe crease was common in young patients with the heart condition angina. Besides the theory that the creases indicate clogged arteries, another possibility is that they are a sign of accelerated ageing.

Creased earlobes are not the only visible indicator of potential health problems. Another sign that a person is at increased risk of heart disease or stroke is a receding hairline or bald patch. That holds true for both sexes, although it is much more common in men.

A pot belly also indicates a raised risk, even if the person is otherwise quite slim.

Last night, a British stroke expert said the Israeli researchers study into Franks sign should be treated with caution.

Dr Yaqoob Bhat, clinical director for stroke medicine at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in South Wales, said: The so-called Franks sign in the ear lobes has been recognised as having a possible association with advanced age, but some studies have shown its association with cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease.

This new study suggests an association with increased risk of stroke, but further studies are needed to assess its importance.
He had the sexiest girls, made a trio of 007 classics and even managed to look suave in a Seventies safari suit. Events film critic  the names Bond, Matthew Bond  pays tribute to the spy he loved the most...

When Jane Seymour described Roger Moore as my Bond, anyone who was born in the Sixties knew exactly what the Live And Let Die star meant. As a generation, we were too young to appreciate the authentic muscular authority of Sean Connery, but when Moore took over the role with Live And Let Die in 1973 we were ready, more than ready.

Moore had everything. He was handsome, terminally charming and, best of all, he could raise one eyebrow. It didnt matter that the dreadful fashions of the day meant that, from time to time, he would be obliged to rush around dispatching baddies while wearing a safari suit or bleached denim, Moore had the presence and, more importantly, the wit to get away with it. This was a Bond who was funny; this was our Bond.

Roger in a promo shot for 'The Man with the Golden Gun' with Maud Adams and Britt Ekland

Over the next 12 years he would make the part his own, churning out an astonishing seven films over that period. True, they declined in quality, not just as he got older (he would be 57 when his last, A View To A Kill, came out) but as the Bond producers went through a period when they seemed to be running out of stories and creativity. But that trio of early Moore films  Live And Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me  are among the best in the Bond canon.

He had the best Bond girls too  not just the lovely Seymour, as the unforgettable fortune-telling Solitaire, but Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Barbara Bach, Carole Bouquet, Fiona Fullerton, Alison Doody I could go on. Bond did, Moore did.

It helped, of course, that he seemed to have been auditioning for the role of 007 for virtually his entire career. Again, we children of the Sixties were too young to appreciate his stylish turn as Simon Templar in The Saint, but wed seen the repeats and Ive wanted a Volvo P1800  Templars trademark car  ever since.

But far more important , at least to us, was his role as Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders!, the extraordinary TV series that, for its all-too-short run (just 24 episodes in all), brought Champagne, Mediterranean sunshine and a bevy of beautiful girls to the dark days of the permanently strike-bound early Seventies. These days it would probably be branded as escapist, sexist nonsense, but at the time it was most glamorous thing I had ever seen. This, I confidently assumed, was what real life would be like. It helped that it had one of the greatest theme tunes the great John Barry ever wrote.

Moore had everything. He was handsome, terminally charming and, best of all, he could raise one eyebrow

Moore had the presence and, more importantly, the wit to get away with it

In a way that anticipated what Netflix is doing to television today, Lew Grades creation brought real film stars to the small screen, not just Moore  pitch perfect as the super-suave, immaculately dressed Sinclair  but Tony Curtis too, as his more uncouth American sidekick, Danny Wilde. Curtis had been in a film with Marilyn Monroe  Some Like It Hot  and was a proper Hollywood star. And if Curtis was, so was Moore. I set about growing my first pair of Roger Moore sideburns. Four decades later, I still had them.

Although Moore seemed to have been around for ever, Bond apart, he didnt make a lot of films; not good ones, anyway. He was never anything like as prolific as his good friend, Sir Michael Caine. Two of the giants of British cinema, its a shame they didnt work together more often or in better films than Michael Winners 1990 comedy, Bullseye!

But there are two non-Bond films I would definitely single out  The Wild Geese (1978), which may not be the best action-thriller youve ever seen but defines an era, both with its contentious subject matter  African despots, British bankers, freelance mercenaries  and its stellar British cast. If Richard Burton and Richard Harris provide the hell-raising danger, its Moore who  naturally enough  provides the class.

But, if anyone still does retrospective seasons, or youre looking for an unusual tribute to watch on-line, keep an eye out for The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970), a strange psychological thriller in which the famously self-deprecating Moore himself thought he gave one of his best performances, and is absolutely typical of the psychedelic decade that had already turned him into a star.

One of my lifelong regrets is that I never met the man properly himself, although I did get close. A few years ago, I was flying down to the Cannes Film Festival when that instantly recognisable voice came over the Tannoy.

Singer Dorothy Squires with Roger Moore in 1958

Roger Moore and Tony Curtis fight with each other on the set of The Persuaders! at Pinewood Film Studios

Moore filming Bullseye! with Michael Caine, 1989

Roger Moore with fellow Bond Sean Connery. The two actors presented very different interpretations of the Bond role

Roger Moore dressed as a clown in the James Bond film Octopussy

Moore in 1964 on the set of TV show 'The Saint'. Moore's career prior to James Bond could be seen as one long audition for the role

Moore brought a sense of humour to the Bond role making the character more accessable

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is Roger Moore recording a, er, recording... he managed, before collapsing into giggles. But once hed recovered his composure he gave an eloquent and impassioned appeal for funds on behalf of Unicef, the United Nations childrens charity he had worked for tirelessly over a quarter of a century and which he regarded as his greatest achievement.

When he finally finished and emerged from behind the curtain, the whole plane burst into applause and small change  and I suspect quite large change  found its way to the front of the plane in a way it rarely does. Twenty minutes later, at Nice airport, I found myself standing beside him at the baggage carousel. He was heading to his home in Monaco; I was heading in the opposite direction to the glitz and glamour of Cannes. It was probably the nearest I will ever get to a proper Persuaders! moment.

But other members of my family did know him. My father, the actor Philip Bond, who died in January this year, made an episode of The Saint with Moore in 1962, while my sister, Samantha  Miss Moneypenny to Pierce Brosnans Bond, of course  met him at several 007-themed occasions and worked with him on the video that helped London secure the 2012 Olympics.

It was while filming the latter  outside MI6, where else?  that she plucked up the courage to approach him and tell him that my father wants to send you his love.

He paused, raised his left eyebrow and bought himself a few seconds with a hallmark Ah, Moneypenny, presumably while he did a bit of mental arithmetic and made the connections between real Bonds and screen Bonds.

Then he flashed a smile. Oh, Philip, lovely man, do send mine back, before stopping her dead by naming the episode (The Elusive Ellshaw) the director, the writer and the date of transmission as if it was yesterday rather than four decades ago.

That was Roger Moore; that was my Bond. Ill be raising both a martini and an eyebrow to him this weekend.
Hipermestra Glyndebourne Until July 8

Rating:

The publicity for this production suggested that Francesco Cavallis Hipermestra, never before performed in Britain, is a lost masterpiece. It isnt. The first half of this 1658 composition is pretty interminable, with endless, repetitive recitatives (sung dialogue linking the arias) and few arias that capture the imagination.

Of my group, afterwards, no one could recall a single melodic strand in almost two hours of music.

The second half  Act III  is better, shorter and more memorable, beginning with a satisfying coup de theatre in this modern-dress production as a lone violinist wanders through rubble, playing a solo piece that sounds much more like Bach than Cavalli.

The first half of this 1658 composition is pretty interminable, with endless, repetitive recitatives (sung dialogue linking the arias) and few arias that capture the imagination

Which begs the question: how much of this stuff is by Cavalli?

And how much restored, and amplified, by that doyen of early musicians, William Christie, the conductor here? Christie is an outstanding musicologist and much of Hipermestra, notably a long introductory prologue, has been lost.

Under those circumstances it would be odd if quite a lot of filling in of what remains hadnt had to be done. This is not to criticise Christie, whose direction from the keyboard of an accomplished group of ten instrumentalists from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is one of the evenings highlights.

Both sopranos  Emoke Barath as Hipermestra (above) and Ana Quintans as Elisa  are superb, but I didnt care much for the countertenor Raffaele Pes Linceo (also above)

Indeed, such is my regard for Christie, its a shame that, with him being teamed up with an experienced director like Graham Vick, they werent asked to offer some new thoughts on, say, an established masterpiece by Cavallis contemporary, Monteverdi  Poppea, maybe, or Ulisse  rather than taking a punt with this unpromising stuff.

It is, after all, Monteverdis 450th anniversary this year, and Glyndebourne, years ago, had a proud Monteverdi tradition. A generally excellent cast has been assembled.

Both sopranos  Emoke Barath as Hipermestra and Ana Quintans as Elisa  are superb, especially Quintans, and they receive stalwart support from the likes of Benjamin Huletts Arbante and Renato Dolcinis Danao. I didnt, however, care much for the countertenor Raffaele Pes Linceo  far too tonally unremitting for me. Nor Mark Wildes supposedly comic, crossdressing nurse. I was bored with his Carry On Up Your Camel stuff well before the end.

Sadly, money has been wasted, in a production I doubt will ever be revived. Something simpler would surely have done just as well

The glamorous palace of Acts I and II, and the wreck of it in the last act  plus all the pyrotechnics as a large lorry is engulfed with fire on stage  must have cost a small fortune.

Sadly, the money has been wasted, in a production I doubt will ever be revived. Something simpler would surely have done just as well. And maybe the left-over money could have been used to subsidise the seats for the young newcomers that Glyndebourne so sorely needs.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Esther Yoo Tchaikovsky Deutsche Grammophon, out now

Rating:

The Korean-American violinist Esther Yoos first album went Gold in South Korea, boasts Deutsche Grammophons publicity team. Wow. Maybe it went platinum in Outer Mongolia as well.

But can her new album hack it here, in a popular favourite such as the Tchaikovsky Concerto? The answer is a backhanded compliment; yes, but only really because of the couplings. In the Concerto, Yoo, well supported by the Philharmonia under Vladimir Ashkenazy, gives a competent performance.

But she cant hold a candle to, say, the power of David Oistrakh in his favourite party piece, the effortless virtuosity of Jascha Heifetz, or the meltingly beautiful tone of Itzhak Perlman.

What is clever about this album is that the final 30 minutes is devoted not to another popular concerto but to half a dozen other pieces Tchaikovsky composed for violin and orchestra

Nor would I prefer her to several contemporaries. But what is clever about this album is that the final 30 minutes is devoted not to another popular concerto but to half a dozen other pieces Tchaikovsky composed for violin and orchestra. The two extracts from Swan Lake are a really good listen.

I have also always loved the Valse-Scherzo, composed in 1877, four years before the Concerto. Yoo plays these pieces really well, suggesting she is, in truth, a very talented violinist of the second rank, better suited to this kind of stuff than the big showpiece concertos.

My one regret is that we get only the third section of Souvenir DUn Lieu Cher, when there would have been plenty of room for the two others.
Woyzeck

The Old Vic, London Until June 24 2hrs 10mins

Rating:

In a flat above a stinking slaughterhouse in a poor part of divided Berlin in the Eighties, a young British soldier and his Irish partner laugh about the smutty sound of badly pronounced German phrases such as I love you  Ich liebe dich. Use your imagination.

Sometimes I feel too lucky, says Woyzeck. Then a baby cries and reality crashes in. Were too desperate to do anything but live our lives desperately, says Marie. This is not a play that is going to end happily.

But precisely how German playwright Georg Buchner intended the play to end can never be known. He died of typhus in 1837 at the age of 23, leaving it in unfinished fragments, but with enough going on to be rated as the first truly modern drama, the first to dare to suggest that working-class people also suffer.

The latest writer to fill in the gaps in Buchner's unfinished play is Jack Thorne; the latest actor to fill the soldiers boots is Star Wars hero John Boyega |(above)

The latest writer to fill in the gaps is Jack Thorne; the latest actor to fill the soldiers boots is Star Wars hero John Boyega.

Thorne, who wrote the HarryPotter plays, gives his Woyzeck more to work on: as a four-yearold he had been forced to watch his mother have sex for money, and he had been fostered and had frequently run away.

Soldiers talk obliquely (I dont blame you for what you did) about some appalling incident that occurred when he was serving in Belfast. And his commanding officer (Steffan Rhodri) enjoys the strongarmed massages Woyzeck gives him a kinky bit too much.

The officer also recognises the hunted expression and shaky hand when Woyzeck shaves him, but does nothing. Darrell DSilvas dissipated doctor signs Woyzeck up for a dodgy medical trial, and even Woyzecks best mate exploits him, using his bed for vigorous workouts with the commanding officers randy wife (hilarious Nancy Carroll).

Boyegas commanding  and yet simultaneously utterly defeated and subjugated  Woyzeck loses his mind, uncertain whether his baby is a boy or a girl

Joe Murphys production brings Woyzecks living nightmare to bleak and brutal life, reflecting his horrors, real and illusory: the figure of Woyzecks feckless mother and his innocent little self emerge out of the darkness; frustrated, Woyzeck headbutts a wall and bleeding intestines burst out; Othello-like, he imagines his lover (excellent Sarah Greene) in bed with his best friend.

Boyegas commanding  and yet simultaneously utterly defeated and subjugated  Woyzeck loses his mind, uncertain whether his baby is a boy or a girl, becoming a stranger to Marie and to himself. An exceptionally powerful portrait of a man at the bottom of the heap, helpless and hopeless.

Julius Caesar

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Until June 10 2hrs 40 mins

Rating:

Robert Hastie is the new director in charge at Sheffield, and his lively opening production is full of pace, excitement and wallop. The Roman Senate is a modern horseshoe of microphones, desks and blotters, and the reeking mob  fickle and shouty  are played by members of Sheffield Peoples Theatre, who have a lovely time heckling from the terraces.

Caesar here is every inch the complacent patrician Tory, splendidly played in a smart suit by Jonathan Hyde, with a nice hint of John Gielgud as the knives go in. You can hear his every last word, unlike Samuel West, whose occasional mumbling blemishes an excellent performance.

He is an agonised, scholarly Brutus  wearing an anorak at one point  visibly daunted by the assassination plot and the terrible what-ifs that lie ahead. He is in contrast to Elliot Cowans impassioned Antony, whose oration over Caesars body is tearstained.

A taut evening of insomnia, terrible weather and shocking civil violence - Shakespeare's classic gets a modern remake, starring Samuel West as Brutus and Chipo Chung as Portia

Is he smitten with grief, or is it all part of the act? In battle mode hes utterly brutal, signing death warrants while chewing salami. Its one thing having the soothsayer as a single mum with a baby, but Trebonius, Casca and Cassius are all now women, with the required pronoun changes to the text. The lean and hungry Cassius  a terrific role  is played strenuously by Zoe Waites in a suit and heels, gesturing like a windmill.

This messing with the source material is a big step. Its also part of a like-it-orlump- it theatre trend thats unbothered by any natural audience objection. But this febrile production has its own sorrowful force thats not derailed. It seeps into your bones as you watch it, and the electronic soundtrack becomes a scary pulse to match a set thats as dark as a thriller.

The public violence is hard to watch: the mob delightedly kicking the poet Cinna to death (because he has the same name as a conspirator) has the force of some horrific modern event. This is a taut evening of insomnia, poetic portents, terrible weather and shocking civil violence.

Rome never looked less inviting. Hastie has turned an often boring school play into something quite the opposite.

Robert Gore-Langton

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour

Duke of York's, London Until September 2 1hr 45mins

Rating:

Transferred to the West End, after a tour, this is the hit show about girls at an imaginary convent school in Oban. They are in a choir competition, but the second the teenage poppets conclude Lift Up Thine Eyes, fags are lit and the swearing starts.

And it never stops for 105 intervalless minutes. Adapted by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall from Alan Warners novel The Sopranos, this Scottish working-class, all-girl show is a riot of underage boozing, attempted fornication and handy tips. Run out of lav paper?

The brilliant young cast (above) acts with total commitment to these under-privileged Catholic lassies desperate toget mental

Use a school sandwich. Behind the upfor- it bravado, theres loneliness, naivety and even heartbreak. The brilliant young cast acts with total commitment to these under-privileged Catholic lassies desperate toget mental.

The tiny live band (expect cover versions of ELO hits) is just right for the occasion, which is exhausting and filthy but joyous, leaving you ear-bashed and totally elated.

Robert Gore-Langton





Winter Hill

Octagon Theatre, Bolton Until Saturday, 2hrs 15mins

Rating:

The inspiration for Winter Hill comes from a wild moorland in the Pennines. On thebuilding site of a skyscraper hotel on the hill, a reading group has gathered, led by Dolly (Denise Black).

But does Dolly want to discuss heroines  or be one by bringing the building down? The piece, by Timberlake Wertenbaker, is full of sharp lines, such as the idea that in the past people hated high-rises for poor people because it broke up communities. Nowadays the rich love them because they hate community.

But any play in which the only excuse a character has to move is to fill a glass or empty a bladder is in trouble. But for Scrabble-loving old Felicity (Janet Henfrey) and Cathy Tysons councillor Irene, who realises that getting a little of what you want is better than nothing at all, the women are mere mouthpieces.

Moreover, Elizabeth Newmans faltering production has the feel of a work in progress that has got out of hand. Rather like the skyscraper, and Dollys revolution.
Hokusai: Beyond The Great Wave

British Museum, London Until August 13

Rating:

Hokusai is the greatest of Japanese painters and print-makers, an artist of astounding technical command and unparalleled visual imagination.

With a working life stretching from the late 1770s to 1849, and a colossal body of work amounting to 30,000 drawings and at least 500 illustrated books, he is an immense challenge, as well as a huge pleasure, to cover in an exhibition.

This wonderful show brings him partly into focus with a concentration on his late period, when a new freedom and fantasy took hold of his work. You wouldnt be wrong to compare him to Turner.

Hokusai, the subject of the British Museum's wonderful show, is best known for his Thirty-Six Views Of Mount Fuji (including Clear Day With A Southern Breeze, or, Red Fuji, above)

After the first room, the exhibition proper begins with his best-known creation, the Thirty-Six Views Of Mount Fuji. They are breathtaking images, in which the great mountain seems to be at the fulcrum of Japan.

The prints are mostly in exquisitely graded shades of Prussian blue; in the most famous of them, a great wave rises up almost to swallow our view of the mountain as well as some desperate fisherman.

Hokusai was, in part, a wonderful observer of everyday life  there are images here of commuters struggling over a bridge with their umbrellas up, a merchant and his wife doing their accounts, a fisherman caught in a sudden storm.

The most famous of them is Under The Wave Off Kanagawa (The Great Wave, above); they are breathtaking images, in which the great mountain seems to be at the fulcrum of Japan

We might be tempted to think that the Fuji views are also observations. But in fact many of them are composites, dreams of how Fuji might be glimpsed.

In his latter years, when Hokusai delved into extraordinary fantasy, he created a wonderful set of ghosts that are still influencing manga artists today.

Dragon In Rain Clouds from 1849 showcases Hokusai's astonishing technique

There are grand portraits of Sho-ki, the mythological daunter of demons, monks who have been turned into catlike demons by their greed, and evocations like smoke in the air of the Chinese poet who did not know whether he was dreaming butterflies or whether the butterflies were dreaming him.

And there are dragons  wonderful, unforgettable dragons. They appear at the command of stately mistresses, gazing out at us, their eyes mournful as labradors; they cavort and wriggle in the sky.

In the last of them, a stupendous hanging scroll, Mount Fuji emerges from the blank canvas, merely stained with splatters of water; above, a huge plume of the blackest smoke rises, and in it, far away, an inexhaustible dragon frolics.

The painting was done by a man of 90 to celebrate being born long ago in a dragon year; the energy is that of a boy.

The prints are famous, but the exhibition sets them in the context of many of Hokusais scroll paintings, including some that are now thought to be the work of his daughter, Oi.

Hokusais technique was astonishing, and it is fascinating to see how, even in apparently quite simple prints of flowers, his freedom of line and casual, loose compositions often tested the technology of his day to the limits.

Once Hokusai became known outside Japan, his art changed everything  a Western visitor to this exhibition will certainly think of Monet, of Whistler, of Klimt and Schiele.

This is a simply joyous experience, an introduction to one of the greatest of all artists at his most liberated.

Try to find a quiet morning  many of the exhibits reward patient attention to detail  but go.
Instant summer cool is currently on sale at The Shop At Bluebird in Londons Chelsea, where a pop-up features the sassiest, sunniest South American labels around.

JUMPSUIT, 635, Isolda

Front Row found its dream technicolour outfit: this jumpsuit from Isolda and stripey slides from Blue Bird  two up-and-coming Brazilian brands  plus a bag from Colombian label Mola Sasa and hat by Venezuelas Yosuzi.

HAT, 260, Yosuzi

Catch them for the next three weeks at The Shop At Bluebird, 350 Kings Road, London SW3, 020 7351 3873.

BAG, 320, Mola Sasa. SLIDES, 180, Blue Bird

Kate Moss started her own model agency last autumn. A clever move, because now she can cast her hand-picked faces alongside herself in campaigns.

Kate Moss started her own model agency last autumn

The latest, a collaboration with Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian, features two of her signings, Elfie Reigate and Anna-Lea Gardner, as well as La Moss herself.

Kate's campaign with Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian features her signings Elfie Reigate (left) and Anna-Lea Gardner

The 18-carat gold and gemstone earrings are fabulous, but its the faces we should watch.

Jewellery from 700, Ara Vartanian, 020 7493 4751 and at harveynichols.com.

Talking of labels to seek out, theres a chance to be dazzled by the design stars of the future at next weeks Graduate Fashion Week.

The countrys freshest talent  including Edinburgh College of Arts Maddie Williams, whose work is shown here  will be looking to make their mark on the fashion industry, which is worth around 26 billion in the UK alone.

Graduate Fashion Week will feature Edinburgh College of Arts Maddie Williams, whose work is shown here

The nationwide event includes shows, discussions and talks by top universities, culminating in the Gala Awards Show at Londons Truman Brewery.

The ideal day out for budding fashion stars, or anyone who wants to be a few years ahead of the curve

Tickets from 8, 4-7 June, graduatefashionweek.com.

WEAR WHERE

Til The Morning Comes by exhibition coordinator Eileen Cooper OBE RA

The launch party for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, which runs from 13-20 June, royalacademy.org.uk.

JACKET, 35, and TROUSERS, 28, both Tu at Sainsburys, from 4 June, sainsburys.co.uk

We love
The Indian Army has killed 10 alleged terrorists including Hizbul Mujhaideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in the last 36 hours. Sabzar is the man believed to be the successor of Burhan Wani (right)

The Indian Army has killed 10 alleged terrorists including Hizbul Mujhaideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in the last 36 hours.

The move comes as part of India's new aggressive counter-strategy on both the Line of Control and Kashmir Valley against Pakistan-backed jihadis.

The most important of the kills made by the Army in concert with state police and Special Operations Group was that of Sabzar, the man believed to be the successor of Burhan Wani - the slain Hizbul commander who had a large social media following and was credited with reviving militancy in Kashmir.

Burhan was eliminated by the Army in a similar encounter last year. Sabzar was seen as the brain behind the rising influence of local Hizbul men in the Valley and was considered a Category A terrorist by security forces.

The Army started the operations in Tral area of south Kashmir as it had gathered specific intelligence about the presence of two to three militants hiding inside a village house there.

Sources said the mechanism of gathering both technical and human intelligence has improved significantly in the past few months with the increased involvement of central agencies such as the NTRO.

A policeman in action against stone pelters during violent clashes which erupt following the killing of Slain Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani's Successor

According to sources, an extensive cordon was laid down by the security forces from late Friday evening.

'The terrorists kept themselves hidden inside a house and contact could be established only at 8.15 am on Saturday. Within a couple of hours, both the terrorists were eliminated by the men of 42 Rashtriya Rifles (Assam Regiment),' they added.

Another accomplice of Sabzar, Faizan Muzaffar Bhat, was also killed in the encounter. Faizan too was a Category A terrorist and was high on the list of security forces.

The completely damaged house where two militants including a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Sabzar Ahmad Bhat were killed in an encounter with security forces at Soimoh village of Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir

However, to prevent Sabzar from becoming another 'martyr' like Burhan, authorities stopped internet services after sympathisers began gathering on the streets.

'We have adopted a policy in the hinterland to eliminate the existing terrorists and stop their recruitment to make it difficult for Pakistan to sustain terrorism in the Valley,' Army sources said.

'On the LoC, we have adopted an aggressive policy to proactively stop infiltration and are launching attacks on any suspicious activity close to our territory.'

Army personnel returning after a fierce encounter with militants at Soimoh village of Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir

With this policy, the Army reaped success in the Rampur operations as based on intelligence inputs, personnel from the 4 Garhwal Rifles laid an ambush against a terrorist infiltration party 500 metres inside Indian territory on Friday evening.

'They were shot down in close to three hours. Six bodies have been recovered along with four AK-47 rifles, two UBGLs and heavy ammunition,' the sources said.

The Udhampur-based Northern Command said it was carrying out 'relentless operations to thwart Pakistan's attempts to boost terror activities across the LoC' as its troops eliminated two members of Pak Army's Border Action Team in Uri sector.

Two militants including a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Sabzar Ahmad Bhat were killed in the gunbattle

Army troops also eliminated four infiltrators in the Naugam sector. The force has intensified its presence in the violence-racked Valley.

Top Army sources said after killing Sabzar and Faizan, the force would continue its aggressive operational tempo against other terrorist leaders and won't let them see the coming winter.
At least 18 people were killed in a Taliban-claimed suicide car bombing in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the first day of Ramadan, Anadolu reported.

Locals told Anadolu Agency that the attacker apparently targeted the Afghan security forces' convoy in Khost City, the provincial capital of Khost.

Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said in a tweet that the attack -- which Taliban immediately claimed as part of their ongoing annual offensives -- had left 18 people dead, and six others injured including two children.

It is not yet clear how many civilians and security forces personnel have been killed in the attack.

Mohammadeen Mohammadi, head of the Public Health Department in the province, told Anadolu Agency at least one injured civilian was in critical state.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the deadly attack, which he said invited the wrath of the people towards the Taliban.

"Terrorist groups that have no regard for religious values and blessed days, have once again committed a crime against humanity on the directives of their masters," Ghani said in a statement.

"Criminals must know that by killing and targeting innocent civilians, they cannot not reach their goals, but receive more hatred from the people," he added.

The High Peace Council, tasked with reaching a peace deal with the Taliban, termed the attack as "painful and very disturbing".

Mohammad Ismael Qasimyar, adviser at the HPC, told Anadolu Agency that such attacks were a setback to efforts for peace.

"We urge the Taliban to shun violence, and at least cease fire in the month of Ramadan," he said.

The attack was also widely condemned by the general public on social media, with one Tweeter asking "On the basis of what religion are you [Taliban] waging these atrocities?".

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense announced in its daily security roundup that 53 militants had been killed in the past 24 hours in ongoing counter-terrorism operations in 18 out of 34 provinces.

The first day of Ramadan is a public holiday in Afghanistan. In clear defiance to the call of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for cease-fire in this holy month, the Taliban announced Friday they would in fact intensify their attacks during Ramadan.
When Uzma Ahmed, who was allegedly forced to marry a Pakistani man at gunpoint, returned home on Thursday, she brought joy not just to her own family but also the parents of 25-year-old Sudesh Kumar.

The young man from Uttar Pradesh's Bishnupur village was working in Sharjah and family members have failed in their efforts to contact him over the past two months.

They now want external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene, just like she did to ensure Uzma's safe homecoming.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (left) with Indian woman Uzma Ahmed (right) and her daughter at Jawahar Bhawan after she reached Delhi on Thursday

Uzma was overjoyed at being reunited with her daughter

'When we last heard from him, his voice was heavy and then someone snatched his phone,' recalled Ram Sakal Yadav, Sudesh's father.

Uzma, accompanied by Indian mission officials, crossed the Wagah Border near Amritsar on Thursday morning.

She had met Pakistani Tahir Ali in Malaysia and fell in love with him. Ali allegedly forced her to marry him on May 3 when she visited Pakistan.

On May 12, she made a plea to Pakistani authorities to be allowed to return to India. Swaraj thanked the Pakistani government and judiciary for acting swiftly on the case.

The incident has rekindled hopes for Sudesh's family. Yadav, a daily wage worker living in the rural outskirts of Deoria district, recalled how he took a heavy loan and spent his last rupee to send his son to the UAE.

'We got him married about four and a half years ago but soon after that he started dreaming of going to Sharjah.

After six months, we somehow managed to send him there and he got work as a labourer,' Yadav said.

'We sent him along with another person from our village, Om Prakash Yadav, who got him engaged as a labourer with some firm.

'He used to talk to us regularly, but about three months ago he told us that his employer had confiscated his passport and was also not paying him for the past few months.'

Sudesh Kumar was working in Sharjah and family members have failed to contact him over the past two months

Sakal Yadav, is desperately seeking the safe return of his son from Dubai

Yadav says when they last spoke in March, his son was crying: 'By the time we could understand anything, someone snatched his phone.'

According to the details gathered by the family, Sudesh's employer's name is Arbaav and his manager's name is Kaale.

'We also somehow managed to get their contact numbers but they never replied to our calls,' Yadav said.

After failing to get any information, the family approached Mail Today and subsequently submitted an application to the district magistrate of Deoria.

'You are requested to initiate necessary action and also bring the matter in the cognisance of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and the government of India,' Yadav wrote in the plea.

'We have received the application and the ADM (administration) has been instructed to initiate the required action,' district magistrate Sujit Kumar confirmed.
Yogi's Uttar Pradesh (UP) is to get help from Modi's Centre to emerge from what the BJP regime is calling the state's 'dark ages'.

In a rare case of hand-holding by the centre, the Niti Aayog is all out to mend the broken systems of the state.

The state government and the Aayog have come together to form a high-powered six-member committee as a permanent structure to monitor the development of the state in the coming five years.

The Niti Aayog is all out to mend the state's broken systems (pictured - Dignitaries attended the meeting on Friday)

The committee comprises three members from the Aayog and the state government. From the Aayog, CEO Amitabh Kant and noted agriculture expert professor Ramesh Chandra - who is also a senior member of the Aayog - have been included.

The state is represented by the health minister and Allahabad West MLA Sidharth Nath Singh and the chief secretary along with the principle secretary (planning).

Previously, Niti Aayog vice-chairperson Arvind Panagariya led a 17-member delegation of the Niti Aayog, including its CEO Amitabh Kant and several of the secretaries and advisors of the Union government to state capital Lucknow after it identified seven areas as the 'Achilles Heel' of the state - broken areas that have so far thwarted the state's potential to grow.

The areas that the Aayog shortlisted were health and nutrition, rural development, education, sanitation and drinking water, ease of doing business and industry and agriculture.

Sad face! Yogi didn't get the chance to go on an overseas trip

After the presentation, delegation members also showed UP where the state stood: 'We are in the red in all the identified areas.'

Also, 'they also showed how the state can come out of the rot. The CM decided to constitute the six-member committee, though it was proposed by Arvind Panagariya,' Singh told Mail Today.

Singh added that the CM wanted a report for the road ahead to be submitted to him. 'He told us to give a report in two weeks. Two meetings had already been held and today was the final meeting in Delhi where the draft of the report had to be prepared.

'This draft will be made into the final report that needs to be presented to the CM. He will finally accept it. Then we will start implementing.'

Modi and the CMs meed at The National Institution for Transforming India (file pic)

Singh said suggestions regarding such areas have been included such as doubling farm income by making agriculture more technology intensive; upgrading the Kisan Vikas Kendras (KVKs) and making soil health cards effective tools for the farmers.

Drip irrigation is another area that needs to be pushed in the state on the lines of the MP government making its side of parched Bundelkhand through MNGREGA as well as multiple cropping.

'In the health sector, we are looking into making PPP model more effective. On the ease-of doing- business front, we are following the Gujarat and the Centre's model.

'There are many laws that need to be reformed to give business and enterprise a big push. They too have been identified in the report,' Singh said.
The Indian Army has killed 10 alleged terrorists including Hizbul Mujhaideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in the last 36 hours. Sabzar is the man believed to be the successor of Burhan Wani (right)

Government forces enforced a strict curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, a day after the killing of a prominent rebel commander by Indian soldiers sparked massive protests in the disputed region.

Armed police and paramilitary soldiers patrolled deserted streets and ordered residents indoors in the region's main city of Srinagar and other towns to stop the anti-India demonstrations.

Still, thousands of people assembled in the southern Tral area to take part in the funeral of the rebel leader, Sabzar Ahmed Bhat, chanting slogans calling for Kashmir's freedom from Indian rule.

There were no reports of any protests on Sunday, which marked the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

'Restrictions have been put in place in some areas to maintain law and order,' police chief Shesh Pal Vaid told reporters.

'Forces have blocked all roads to restrict people to their areas,' Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama told reporters, a neighbouring district of Tral.

A young masked Kashmiri protester shouts freedom slogans along with others during a protest in Srinagar

After Bhat and another militant were killed in a gunbattle with soldiers on Saturday, large-scale protests and clashes erupted across the region, leaving one civilian dead and dozens of others injured.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep among Kashmir's mostly Muslim population, and most people there support the rebels' cause against Indian rule despite a decades-long military crackdown to fight the armed rebellion.

Separatist leaders who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.

Kashmiri villagers carry body of rebel leader Sabzar Ahmed Bhat during his funeral procession in Retsuna 45 Kilometres south of Srinagar

India and Pakistan administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting and the ensuing Indian crackdown. India has accused Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.

Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years. However, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and is now principally expressed through street protests marked by youths hurling stones at government forces.

Over the last year there has been an upsurge in protests against Indian rule in Kashmir, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan

A young Kashmiri protester participates in funeral prayers in absentia for rebel commander and his associate killed in a gunbattle, in Srinagar, India

An Indian army soldier takes position in the area where suspected militants have taken refuge during a gunbattle at Saimoh village
First he took Lord Shiva and humanised him as never before for the blockbuster Meluha series.

Then, he came out with the Ramachandra series and did what many thought was a treacherous task - to reintroduce Ramayana and its characters.

He took the challenge and showed, two years ago, how little we knew about the epic we thought we were well acquainted with.

Amish Tripathi is one of India's most popular authors

As he comes out with the second book in the series, Sita: Warrior of Mithila, we catch up with the man who did the impossible - Amish (he doesn't use Tripathi, his caste surname).

He says it wasn't that difficult, as our understanding of the Ramayana is based primarily on Ramanand Sagar's television show in the 1980s and also Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.

'Very few have actually read Valmiki's Ramayana. For instance, there is no mention of Lakshman Rekha in the original text.'

Apparently, very few people have actually read Valmiki's Ramayana

On his latest book, Amish is amused to see so much excitement and discussion on Sita being portrayed as a warrior.

'There are several ancient versions where she was shown as a warrior. Even in Valmiki's Ramayana, she is a very strong character.

'The meek, demure Sita is a relatively recent phenomenon,' he says, adding how Sita, as a young girl, had picked up Shiva's Bow with one hand  a feat which even great warriors found difficult to emulate.

'This story is quite popular in several folk traditions in north India. The fact that Sita, an adopted child, could become the prime minister of a kingdom, and then the goddess, tells a lot about her character.'

Also, it wasn't unusual to see women being warriors or intellectuals in those days. 'In Vedas,' he says, 'we find several women rishis.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is essentially the discussion between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi.

As late as the eighth century AD, we find a woman moderating Adi Shankaracharya's philosophical debate,' he says.

When asked about how Manusmriti is often quoted to show women's humble position in ancient times, Amish says the issue is two-pronged.

'First, very few people have actually read Manusmriti. And, then, we have been giving undue importance to the text, just because it was the first smriti which the British got translated into English.'

He reminds that there were hundreds of smritis, with some like Vyas' or Parashara's being 'so liberal that they would even shock American liberals today'.

Further, he adds, the smritis were time-specific. 'We have a smriti for our age as well - Indian Constitution.'

Amish believes the practice of Sati in India and cannibalism in Europe are comparable

To bolster his claim, Amish explains how Sati was an aberration in India and yet it was projected as a nationwide malaise.

'Sati, no doubt, was a heinous crime but there are hardly any textual evidences to verify its existence. I recently read Meenakshi Jain's book, Sati, which busts the myth of its extensive practice in modern times, forget about the ancient era.

'It's just like painting the entire Europeans as cannibals just because there were a few cases of cannibalism in the continent.'

Lord Rama is often criticised over the treatment being meted out to Sita.

Amish refuses to defend the wrongdoings, but says Rama did so because 'he was an ideal follower of law. Such people are good for society, and not for family.

'For, family doesn't need rule; it needs love.'

He recalls Rama's relations vis-a-vis Ahalya and Shabari to, in fact, claim that he was a 'rebel' fighting for women's cause. Quoting Ramcharitmanas, wherein Rama says that all human beings, including transgenders, who love all and give up deceit, are his people, he says: 'It's more progressive than today's law in India where we are still debating Article 377.'

Valmiki is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature

But does it ever bother Amish that writing about a religious figure may land him in controversies? Laughs the writer as he says matter- of-factly, 'Most controversies are created by writers themselves.

'The first book of my Ramachandra series was released two years ago. Have you heard any controversy on it?'

He also doesn't give any credence to the intolerance debate, which comes up time and again, especially after the coming of the Modi government.

'This debate is all about the rise of the new elite vis-a-vis the old. These are power games, and have nothing to do with liberalism,' says Amish, who confesses he mostly reads non-fiction, the most recent being Shashi Tharoor's An Area of Darkness and Sanjeev Sanyal's The Ocean of Churn.

Is it any surprise that Amish's next book is a non-fiction, Immortal India, set for release later this year?
Kannur Police have booked district president of Youth Congress and other Congress workers in connection with the public slaughter of a calf.

Youth Congress members and several other student bodies on Saturday held a beef festival in protest of the Centre's decision to ban sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter.

Incidentally, a video of the Youth Congress workers slaughtering a buffalo in public went viral. The Kerala police filed a complaint following the circulation of the video.

Kannur Police have booked district president of Youth Congress and other Congress workers in connection with the public slaughter of a calf

Sources said that the slaughtering and protests were led by Kannur Youth Congress leader Rijil Makkutty.

The viral video reportedly showed the young leaders sloganeering and slaughtering a buffalo in front of a large group including children.

The incident comes amid huge hue and cry over Centre's new rule prohibiting sale of animals for slaughter or religious sacrifice at livestock markets and animal fairs.

Rahul Gandhi called the incident 'Thoughtless, barbaric and completely unacceptable'

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident. Similar fest was also organised at different locations across Kerala.

The Centre's move also drew flak from various political leaders. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) earlier stated that by issuing this order, the government is imposing greater burdens on farmers.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Centre's decision was surprising which was unsuitable for a democratic nation.
An Indian citizen is picked up and tied in front of a jeep as a human shield. He was not an armed threat.

The pictures of the April 9 Budgam incident are bizarre. Receiving an SOS from Border Police and J-K Police to save them from stone pelting, Major Leetul Gogoi strapped an alleged stone pelter, Farooq Ahmed Dar, to a jeep as human shield.

Ten days later, chief of staff Bipin Rawat ordered a commendation for Gogoi for special and individual acts of gallantry.

New Army Chief General Bipin Rawat during the guard of honour at South Block in New Delhi

For what? For the cowardice of hiding behind a helpless man!

The Indian army thinks it is an act of heroism.

BJP MLA and actor Paresh Rawal screamed in support: 'Instead of tying stone pelters on the army jeep, tie Arundhati Roy.'

Why Roy? What kind of madness is this, especially because India's ultimate aim is to convince Kashmiris that their watan is better off with the Indian army.

Violating global norms

The Rome statute (2000) defines using human shields as an international crime (Article 8 (2) (b) (xxiii).

It is a Nazi practice widely used in WW-II during the massacres in Poland and Belgium. Irrespective of what American war historians say, it was not just the Taliban who used human shields, but the very phrase 'collateral damage' is writ into American warfare.

On our ICJ mission to Israel, Israel's ministry of defence could hardly deny that collateral damage took place - especially during the second Intifada (2000-2005).

Human shields were used by Israel on hundreds of occasions. So much so, in 2002 the Israel's Supreme Court deprecated the practice in 2002 and banned it in 2005.

In my view, Major Gogoi's actions were clearly criminal

Do we accept Clausewitz theory of total war? Is that what the Indian Army is doing in Kashmir?

The use of air, naval and devastating weapons demands a response from international law. The concept of a just war has become meaningless.

It never stopped carpet-bombing, napalm nuclear bombs or America's wars. The Hague Conference of 1907 identified the need to protect civilians.

Even if the Geneva Convention may not strictly apply, the Protocol of 1949 insists on protection of civilians.

On April 9 troops from 53 Rashtriya Rifles tied up one Farooq Ahmad Dar on their jeep's bonnet as a 'human shield'

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) steps into apply for the four principles: distinction, military necessity, unnecessary suffering and proportionality to situations of armed conflict.

IHL presents concessions and it is arguable that clever arguments could twist 'necessity' and 'proportionality' to justify any use or abuse.

Yet IHL has been interpreted rigorously in favour of civilians.

Principles

I formulate IHL principles: Principle I prohibits use of civilians in a situation of armed internal disturbance.

Principle II says the action in question must not be contrary to the law of the land.

The action was clearly illegal.

Dar was abducted, placed under restraint, imprisoned and subjected to humiliation and punishment without authority of law, on the skeletal basis he had committed (or was about to commit) a crime.

He was not detained after an FIR or under detention laws.

Principle III apply proportionality and necessity for which there is a weak case is made under Section 81 of IPC permitting harm if in good faith, to prevent harm to person or property created in 1837.

But 'preventive' action under the IPC cannot excuse blatant illegality.

The IPC insists that the threat sought to be prevented be really imminent and inevitable. Then there is the issue of proportionality. How far can you go in good faith.

In my view, Major Gogoi's actions were clearly criminal.

He had imprisoned Dar, tied him to a jeep and placed him in a dangerous situation, masquerading this as an act of bravery.

The major had reportedly come up with the idea to escape stone-pelting mobs during the by-election to Srinagar (pictured - Farooq Ahmad Dar)

Angst against Roy

Principle IV places the onus on Army to show necessity and proportionality on the basis of objective facts which are objectively examined and determined.

Principle V is obviously the objective determination must include civilian presence. Let us have a Peoples' Commission as an X-ray. The NHRC is quiet.

Principle VI: implies the presence of a neutral due process observer in military court martials.

The angst against Arundhati Roy is inexplicably vulgar and a penal incitement to violence

Tying Roy to a jeep hardly presents a debate other than at the Mad Hatter's dinner in which the blind weep they cannot see. Is this how India defends its case on Kashmir?

Instead India's Chief to Staff commended Gogoi's actions for bravery though in violation of law.

The angst against Arundhati Roy is inexplicably vulgar and a penal incitement to violence.

Roy reminds us of India's blunders in the valley.

Tying Roy to a jeep hardly presents a debate other than at the Mad Hatter's dinner in which the blind weep they cannot see. Is this how India defends its case on Kashmir?

Tie people to jeeps to win the war. The Valley faces its the worst cumulative crisis for decades. What are we fighting for?

Look inwards to ask where we are going wrong instead of pretending that we are winning surgical strikes.

An atmosphere is developed on the discourse of Kashmir, that if you criticize the army or jawans your criticism is anti-national, seditions and treason.

India's argument against Pakistan in the Jadhav case at the ICJ is precisely that Pakistan's martial law trials lack credibility.

The author is a lawyer and activist. The view expressed are his own
High end: Clients in China like buying insurance from an international firm

Global Benefits Group is an insurance business with a difference.

It is totally focused on medical, travel, life and disability cover with an international twist, ranging from companies wanting to insure local employees in far flung places to wealthy expats wanting private medical insurance from their home country.

The business floated in February at 150p and the price has drifted to 142.5p.

At this level the shares are worth a closer look.

The company is growing fast, dividends are expected to be extremely generous and the market in which it operates is worth more than 7 billion.

Most insurers in this sector are either large multinationals, for whom international medical, travel and life cover are just a small slice of their business, or they are small, local players.

GBG is large enough to have an international presence but small enough to customise insurance products so they fit customers specific needs.

The group has around 150,000 clients in about 150 countries, including Myanmar, Brazil, China and many parts of Africa.

Most customers do not want off-the-shelf policies. Instead, they want individualised cover to suit their circumstances.

An oil business operating in Angola, for example, may want to offer medical insurance to both local employees and international workers from many different countries.

Fitting them all on to a single policy requires dexterity and flexibility, which GBG provides.

The group has a growing business in China, where wealthy individuals like the idea of buying life and medical insurance from an international firm.

Many want to include grandparents as dependants, but this does not fit into standard Western life cover. GBG adapts policies so elderly dependants can be included.

The firm was founded in the US in 1981 and the corporate headquarters remain there, in Orange County, California.

But the company underwrites insurance in London and has offices in numerous locations, including India, the Philippines, South Africa, China and Canada.

The group also prides itself on developing an extensive network of partnerships with hospitals and medical facilities so if an insured customer falls ill in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for example, GBG can swiftly hook them up with a nearby health centre.

They have no need to pay and the bill goes straight to GBG.

Having grown steadily for more than 30 years, the group decided to float on AIM, largely because London is home to the largest insurance market in the world, so institutional investors understand the industry.

As a public company, the group is keen to expand into new regions and develop new products.

In 2015, for example, it began offering life and medical cover to international students and has already attracted annual premiums of almost $10 million (7.7 million).

The company has also started GBG Assist, a 24-hour service helping other insurers with administration around medical emergencies. The division is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years.

GBG is run by Bob Dubrish, an insurance veteran with 35 years experience under his belt. He joined the company in 2015 but his director of strategic planning, Andy Thorburn, has worked at the company for 18 years and ran it from 2005 to 2015.

Now 73, Thorburn is a down-to-earth insurance specialist from New Jersey with a strong entrepreneurial bent and a track record of success.

Revenues for the year to the end of June are expected to rise 23 per cent to $133 million, with income expected to rise almost 29 per cent to $13.4 million.

The group has said it will pay a dividend of 4.7p this year, but brokers believe it will more than double to 11.2p in 2018, putting the shares on a yield of almost 8 per cent.

Dubrish and Thorburn are extremely confident about the future, expecting revenues more or less to double to about $200 million over the next four years, with even stronger growth in profits.

At the moment, most of the shares are in the hands of long-term investors, who owned stock before the company floated.

Over time, however, these investors will almost certainly reduce their holdings to make more shares available to other investors and boost liquidity in the stock.

Midas verdict: GBG is a fast-growing company in an attractive market and the shares are worth a punt on the dividend alone. At 142p, the stock is a buy.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: GBGI Contact: gbg.com or 001 949 470 2100
Former British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman is understood to have been appointed to lead a group of investors preparing to rescue the owner of womenswear brand Jacques Vert.

Style Group owns a host of other brands including Winsmoor, Eastex and Precis  many of which are sold through department store concessions.

Smart move: Harold Tillman is the former owner of the Jaeger fashion business

The group trades from 1,850 outlets in 470 locations in the UK, on the Continent and in Canada and employs more than 1,000 people.

It is understood accountancy giant KPMG would handle the administration if a rescue deal could not be reached.

Tillman, the former owner of the Jaeger fashion business, was contacted by The Mail on Sunday but declined to comment on the plan.

Style is owned by private equity investor Sun European Partners.
Warning: Small businesses chief Mike Cherry

Britain's late payment culture will not be fixed by new laws forcing large businesses to detail how they pay smaller suppliers, according to a survey.

New reporting requirements could even make the problem worse, it is claimed.

The 'duty to report' measures, which came into force last month, require large businesses to report publicly on how they pay small companies.

They will reveal the average time taken to pay an invoice from date of receipt, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days or fewer, and the proportion of invoices that are not paid within agreed terms.

Failure to report carries a risk of criminal proceedings.

But the new laws will have no effect on the issue, according to 74 per cent of small to medium-sized firms in a study commissioned by supply chain finance provider Crossflow Payments.

An estimated 266 billion of SME turnover is locked up in late payments.

And one in ten SMEs said they had experienced an increase in delayed payments by customers since the EU referendum last year.

The Federation of Small Businesses has called on the next government to make the worst examples of supply chain bullying illegal. Mike Cherry of the FSB has said 'tackling our late payments crisis' needs to be a priority in the first 100 days in office of the next government.

Cherry's call is indicative of the frustration among small firms.

Tony Duggan, chief executive of Crossflow, said of the survey: 'The vast majority of SMEs we polled think the new payment reporting rules will do nothing to fix the late payment crisis. They are right.

'In fact, the new rules could make a bad situation worse. An unintended consequence is that large corporations are likely to respond by negotiating longer payment terms with suppliers to shift the goalposts and create the illusion that they are paying on time.

'Add to the mix difficult trading conditions thanks to Brexit and we could see the late payment crisis deepen significantly.'

Meanwhile, 78 per cent of SMEs surveyed by pollster YouGov were unaware of the new reporting obligations. Many are dependent on contracts from large customers, creating an unequal playing field when it comes to negotiating payment terms.

Duggan said: 'It is vital that talk turns to action from the next government. Such action should include ensuring the small business commissioner is appointed on time and given the necessary support to begin monitoring and publishing payment terms.'

In February the Tory Government announced it was stepping up its search for a small business commissioner, who would act as a 'late payments tsar' and 'become a national spokesman for small businesses affected by payment issues'.

Last month, in a speech to the FSB, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would 'declare war on late payment'.

He pledged to name and shame large firms that contribute to withholding billions of pounds from suppliers, driving 50,000 out of business each year.

Corbyn said: 'Cash is king for any business and big companies are managing their cash by borrowing, interest-free, from their suppliers.

'Some of the biggest names in business are holding cash piles that don't actually belong to them. It's a national scandal.'
Actor John Travolta will donate his 'beloved' Qantas Boeing 707 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society.

Travolta, an honourary pilot for Qantas, said it gave him 'great pleasure' to donate the aircraft to the Australian restoration society, which is based in Albion Park, south Sydney.

The aircraft, which the society hopes to keep in the air, was originally in the Qantas fleet, delivered in 1964 and later converted to private use.

Scroll down for video

Hollywood actor and Qantas ambassador John Travolta pictured waving from the cockpit

John Travolta's Qantas Boeing 707 pictured on November 18, 2010 in Sydney, Australia

The famed American actor said the plane needed significant maintenance before it could make the trip from his Florida home to Australia.

Historical Aircraft Restoration Society president Bob De la Hunty told the Illawarra Mercury they planned to send an engineering team to Florida to restore it back to flying condition.

Travolta said he hoped to be on board the plane when it made the voyage to Australia.

He was unsure when it would be ready to make the flight.

Travolta said had fond memories of the plane and was excited it would continue to fly 'well into the future'.

Travolta said had fond memories of the plane and was excited it would continue to fly 'well into the future'

Inside John Travolta's vintage Qantas jet - shows a double size bed fitted with lavish detailings

John Travolta has donated his Boing 707 - decked out with dining rooms and leather chairs
The UN Migration Agency (IOM) said Friday that 1,530 migrants and refugees died crossing the Mediterranean in 2017, Sputnik reported.

The IOM reports that 60,521 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea this year, with over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the daily news briefing.

"This number does not include some 6,000 people who have been rescued over the past 72 hours," said Dujarric.

In terms of fatalities, there have been 1,530 migrants and refugees who have died this year on this route, a figure that roughly matches those for 2016 for the same period, he said.

However, the IOM warned that the deadliest season is starting right now, said the spokesman.
Five Ohio teachers have resigned after they slipped out of a sixth-grade camping trip for drinks and dinner.

The Washington Local Schools in Toledo, Ohio gave the teachers until Friday to quit after an investigation found they left the YMCA Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan during a five-day school trip earlier this month, reported the Toledo Blade.

Two tutors who accompanied the teachers on their dinner outings won't have their contracts renewed for next school year, officials said.

Shoreland Elementary School teachers Gregory Huebner, 37, is one of the teachers who resigned in Toledo after five left a camp to go grab drinks and dinner

Huebner worked at Shoreland School in Toledo, Ohio

The sixth graders were at YMCA Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan

School board President David Hunter said a district investigation found that all the teachers and tutors drank alcohol.

The trip is supposed to be 'full-time, 24-hours' said Hunter and leaving for anything other than a short errand is forbidden.

The teachers who resigned were identified as Monac Elementary School teachers Ronald Bushrow, 46, Jamie Hesselbein, 32, Shoreland Elementary School teachers Gregory Huebner, 37, Megan Tuttle, 41, and Hiawatha Elementary teacher Lesley Snider, 39.

Two of the resigned teachers worked at Monac Elementary (above): Ronald Bushrow, 46, Jamie Hesselbein, 32

The tutors were identified as Gabrielle Hinshaw, 29, and Anna Szalkowski, 25.

District employees received additional pay to accompany students on the trip. All seven were placed on paid administrative leave May 17 as the district conducted its investigation.

Students remained supervised by parents, counselors and other teachers during the absences, school officials said.

The school district will hire teachers to replace those who resigned, Hunter said. The newspaper reported that a review of the teachers' and tutors' personnel files showed none had previously faced seriously discipline and all had received positive evaluations.

'Everything I've heard about the teachers we are losing is that they were excellent quality teachers,' Hunter said.
Schapelle Corby has returned to Australia as an Instagram celebrity after she took to the social media platform just hours before returning home.

But with her newfound popularity came the taunting jokes about her drug smuggling past that landed her in a Balinese jail.

Corby dodged the media and flew home from Bali after 13 years on Saturday night, and arrived to a huge 90,000-strong following on her social media account.

'Welcome home Schapelle, got any weed?' one joking Instagram user asked as countless others barraged the Gold Coast woman with comments about her innocence while some slammed her as guilty.

Schapelle Corby (pictured) left Bali for Australia after 13 years spent on the Indonesian island

The 39-year-old (pictured) created an Instagram account in the final hours before her return home

Corby's Instagram posts were the first time she has spoken publicly in years, and the social media platform made way for the supporters, conspiracists and sceptics to come out of the woodwork.

Many people used the 39-year-old's instantly-famous account to voice their theories she had been set up with the marijuana in her luggage and was innocent as she made her dramatic homecoming.

'Always thought you were stitched up and let down by those who should have stood beside you; and stood up for you. Be safe and well,' one person wrote.

'I'm so sorry they contaminated and/or didn't supply your evidence. You never know the whole story, innocent people have been convicted before and I trust you when you tell us you are innocent,' another wrote.

But some users took to Corby's Instagram to slam her for becoming a celebrity drug smuggler and claim she should not be given a hero's welcome home.

'She is a criminal not a celebrity!!! Junkies and dealers are not celebrities they are pathetic low lives just like this one and the gutter trash locked up currently,' one person said.

'Found guilty you're guilty. Not a hero and you're not welcome home,' another wrote.

As she waited on the tarmac to fly home Corby posted an Instagram photo of her looking out the window

Less than 24 hours after creating her Instagram the convicted drug smuggler amassed over 80,000 followers

'Got any weed?' Some users joked about her drug smuggling conviction while other showed support

'Welcome back mate': Many of her followers and well-wishers sent messages of support

One said: 'Be careful Virgin airlines charges heaps for overweight luggage... since you apparently have no idea that a boogie board weighs 200g and not 6kgs... just chuck your bag on the scales before you leave.'

But the majority of those commenting on Corby's seven uploaded posts were those wishing her a safe return home and advising her to ignore the media circus.

'Welcome home Schapelle, I pray you can now have a normal life,' one person commented.

'You deserve peace and happiness, find time to do the everyday things that you enjoy. I wish you all the best for the future and there's not better place to have that like home,' another well-wisher said.

Corby posted a photo of her 'Bali family' as she prepared to return home after 13 years

The 39-year-old uploaded a photo of her parole paperwork during her final hours on the Indonesian island

Her first ever Instagram post was a snap of her beloved dogs, Luna and May (pictured)

After nine years locked in prison and 13 on the Indonesian island, Corby is now back in Australia as a free woman.

Corby will turn 40 in July, her youth having faded away behind bars at the notorious 'Hotel K', or Kerobokan Prison.

The convicted drug smuggler stepped off a Malindo Air flight in Brisbane early on Sunday morning, albeit after a last-minute switch to avoid dozens of media who had planned to join her on the Virgin flight to the city.

Corby switched flights to travel home on the budget Malaysian airline, dodging the 40 reporters who had booked seats on the Virgin flight.
A retired police officer has claimed key evidence in the cold case of Jaidyn Leskie was allowed to go home with the toddler's prime murder suspect, allowing him to eventually walk free.

Victoria Police sergeant Max Hill claims Greg Domaszewicz went home with 'significant evidence' in the boot of his car the day after he reported the 14-month-old as missing.

Jaidyn disappeared 20 years ago next month from Mr Domaszewicz's Gippsland home, east of Melbourne, before his body was found in nearby Blue Rock Dam six months later.

Police discovered the toddler had a broken arm that had been crudely bandaged with tape, the Herald Sun reported.

Mr Domaszewicz was charged with murdering Jaidyn but was acquitted in 1998.

But Mr Hill said a murder conviction may have stuck if a roll of tape found in the boot of Mr Domaszewicz's car had been seized and was proved to match the tape used on Jaidyn.

A retired police officer has claimed key evidence in the cold case of Jaidyn Leskie (pictured) was allowed to go home with the toddler's prime murder suspect

Victoria Police sergeant Max Hill has claimed Greg Domaszewicz (centre) went home with 'significant evidence' in the boot of his car the day after he reported the 14-month-old as missing

The roll of tape went missing after detectives returned Mr Domaszewicz's car in the hope he would unknowingly lead a surveillance team to the missing toddler.

Mr Hill said he photographed the 'evidence', which he was confident would have matched the tape used on Jaidyn's arm.

'It is surmised that this roll of tape most probably would have identically matched the tape used to bandage the child's broken arm,' he told the Herald Sun.

'When the body washed up we may have had the only piece of physical evidence that could definitively link Domaszewicz to the murder.'

The man who was in charge of the murder case Rowland Legg, confirmed there was a roll of tape in the babysitter's boot when it was searched, but it would have only been of significance if a match could be established.

Mr Hill said if the photograph he took of Mr Domaszewicz's boot could be forensically examined with modern technology, Victoria could witness its first double jeopardy case.

Police discovered the Jaidyn had a broken arm that had been crudely bandaged with tape

Mr Domaszewicz admitted in 2014 that 'stupidity' led to the child's death, after he left him to pick up mother Bilynda Williams (pictured), who he was dating at the time

'In the absence of that roll of tape, imagine if the photograph itself could now be forensically examined using the latest digital techniques and the tear from the last portion of that roll of tape is actually shown at high resolution in the picture,' he said.

He said if the tear on the roll could be shown to match the tear from the crude bandaging on Jaidyn's arm then the case could be reignited.

Mr Hill was the first person to interview Mr Domaszewicz while he was in charge of Moe police station.

He said he believed the man was lying about something and was highly evasive.

Mr Domaszewicz admitted in 2014 that 'stupidity' led to the child's death, after he left him to pick up mother Bilynda Williams, who he was dating at the time.

Nonetheless Mr Domaszewicz continues to maintain his innocence.
A five-year-old girl has allegedly been indecently assaulted in Sydney's inner-west.

Police say the girl was in Wentworth Park in Glebe about 8.20am on Saturday when a man approached her and indecently assaulted her.

The girl's mother was only alerted when her daughter started screaming.

Police are searching for a man they believe is connected to an alleged indecent assault in Glebe on Saturday morning

The girl was in Wentworth Park with her mother when the man approached her around 9.20am

The mother contacted police from Leichhardt Local Area Command who underwent patrols of the area but could not find the man.

Police are now trying to identify a man they would like to speak to regarding the incident.

He is described as being of Indian Sub-Continental appearance, around 165-170cm tall, of a slim build and with black hair.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a white t-shirt with a black motif on the chest and grey tracksuit pants.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident should contact Glebe Police Station or Crime Stoppers.
Rebecca McGraw, 38 (pictured), from Port St Lucie, Florida, was arrested and charged for having sex with a 15-year-old boy. Police say she would pay him to up to $300, let him use her credit and debit cards, and allowed him to use her car without her presence

A Florida woman was arrested for allegedly paying a 15-year-old boy up to $300 for sex.

Rebecca McGraw, 38, was arrested on Saturday and has been charged with five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, according to police.

Authorities say that McGraw admitted to at least five sexual acts with the teenager.

The boy's mother reported the alleged child sex abuse to police officers after she found a text message in her son's phone.

'In that message it was words to the effect that this child needed to seek out medical attention for a possible sexual transmitted infection,' Sergeant Joe Norkus of Port St Lucie Police told WPBF.

Police discovered that McGraw, an assistant manager at the Sail Pointe Apartments, had a sexual relationship with a child who also lived at the complex.

Records show that McGraw told police she knew the boy's age since fall 2016 and reported performing sex acts on him 'multiple times in 2016 and 2017'.

The boy's mother reported the alleged child sex abuse to police officers, after she found a text message in her son's phone. McGraw (pictured) has been charged with five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor

McGraw, an assistant manager at the Sail Pointe Apartments (pictured), met the teen in spring 2016. He told police she invited him into her home and 'he would hang out there frequently and smoke marijuana and drink alcohol', according to records.

The victim told police he met the 38-year-old around spring 2016 and that she invited him into her home where 'he would hang out frequently and smoke marijuana and drink alcohol', records state.

He told police of 16 incidents of sex acts, and said she gave him a debit card to withdraw money at a grocery store ATM so she could pay him.

She also let the 15-year-old drive her car without her presence.

The age of sexual consent in Florida is 18.

McGraw was booked into St Lucie County Jail and is being held on bonds totaling $125,000.
Thousands of radical extremists must be locked up in new internment camps to protect Britain from the unprecedented terror threat it faces, a Muslim former police chief declares today.

Writing exclusively for The Mail on Sunday, Tarique Ghaffur warns there are too many extremists on the streets for police and MI5 officers to monitor.

Mr Ghaffur, an Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard when the 7/7 bombings took place, proposes that special centres be set up to detain as many as 3,000 extremists, where they can be kept from launching attacks.

They would also be made to go through a de-radicalisation programme.

Thousands of radical extremists must be locked up in new internment camps to protect Britain, a Muslim former police chief declares today (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

Tarique Ghaffur warns there are too many extremists on the streets for police and MI5 officers to monitor (file photo of a prisoner at in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba)

Mr Ghaffur (pictured) believes the idea would work for extremists if the camps were approved by imams, whom he believes should also issue a 'fatwa' condemning atrocities

He admits that the internment of IRA members in Northern Ireland during the 1970s led to a violent backlash and hunger strikes.

But Mr Ghaffur believes the idea would work for extremists if the camps were approved by imams, whom he believes should also issue a 'fatwa' condemning atrocities such as the suicide bombing in Manchester that left 22 dead.

He says: 'Let us have a proper national debate about this, and not be afraid to speak openly for fear of offending any communities, or for the sake of political correctness.'

Internment was introduced in Northern Ireland in 1971 in an attempt to quell the rising violence, and over four years almost 2,000 alleged paramilitaries were held without trial in makeshift camps.

But it led to an upsurge in bloodshed as well as political protests, and was later abandoned.

However, Mr Ghaffur, once Britain's most senior Asian officer, says that it is needed now to deal with the growing number of dangerous extremists in the country, more than 400 of whom have fought for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Mr Ghaffur, an Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard when the 7/7 bombings took place, proposes that special centres be set up to detain as many as 3,000 extremists (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

Yesterday it emerged that MI5 has identified 23,000 jihadis in the UK in recent years, of whom 3,000 are still considered a threat.

Locking up terror suspects with no trial Locking up terror suspects without trial has been discussed by Government, it has emerged. The plan would be to lock them up in internment camps if the situation worsens in the UK. Currently, the police can hold you for up to 24 hours before they have to charge you with a crime or release you. They can apply to hold you for up to 36 or 96 hours if youre suspected of a serious crime like murder. You can be held without charge for up to 14 days If youre arrested under the Terrorism Act. Advertisement

He writes: 'We face an unprecedented terrorist threat  about 3,000 extremists are subjects of interest to MI5 and police, and about 500 plots are being monitored. The numbers are way too many for the security services and police to monitor.'

Mr Ghaffur says that the solution is to set up special centres where the 3,000 or so extremists can be detained.

Locking up terror suspects without trial has been discussed by Government, it has emerged.

The plan would be to lock them up in internment camps if the situation worsens in the UK.

'These would be community-based centres where the extremists would be risk-assessed. Then the extremists would be made to go through a deradicalisation programme, using the expertise of imams, charity workers and counter- terrorism officers.'

Mr Ghaffur adds: 'These centres would have oversight from vetted Muslim and other community leaders, who would ensure they stayed within the law.'

Internment for jihadis was also proposed last week by Colonel Richard Kemp, the former British Army commander in Afghanistan. However, former Scotland Yard Commissioner Lord Blair said it would be 'counter-productive' as it would anger the Muslim community, whose co-operation is needed to root out terrorists.

Yesterday it emerged that MI5 has identified 23,000 jihadis in the UK in recent years, of whom 3,000 are still considered a threat (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

Mr Ghaffur says that the solution is to set up special centres where the 3,000 or so extremists can be detained (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

And former Security Minister Lord West warned: 'Internment would be bad for our standing in the world, and also our position would not be good in fighting terrorists. Like as in war, we have to be whiter than white, and so we would not look good against the terrorists we are fighting.

Secondly, I don't think it will work at a practical level, as I don't want these extremely dangerous, drug-taking jihadis put in the same place as more vulnerable ones.' Lord Carlile, former terror law watchdog, added: 'Internment camps would not be lawful, and would not work.

'They did not work in Northern Ireland, and even during World War Two, when there was internment, Churchill said he found it extremely distasteful, and that's when we faced a real threat of invasion.'

Imams must issue a fatwa against Muslim radicals, says ex-Met Police chief who was in charge during 7/7

By Tarique Ghaffur, Former Met Police Chief, For The Mail On Sunday

Ex-Met chief Tarique Ghaffur has called for internment camps for the 3,000 extremists wandering Britain's streets

Like millions of others, I was left horrified by the barbaric Manchester attack. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who were injured.

As an Asian Mancunian, I felt appalled beyond words. My own children could have been among those killed in the UK's worst atrocity since 7/7.

I was heartbroken but I was not surprised.

As one of the Met's most senior officers, having seen classified intelligence, I knew more than most about the jihadi threat facing Britain. As security co-ordinator of the 2012 Olympics, I knew public events were soft targets.

I always felt it was a matter of when, not if. Last Monday, my worst fears were realised.

We face an unprecedented terrorist threat in Britain  about 3,000 extremists are subjects of interest to MI5 and police, and about 500 plots are being monitored.

Add more than 400 jihadis who have returned from Syria and you realise the numbers are way too many for the security services and police to monitor. The atrocities of Manchester and Westminster have shown that ordinary surveillance, monitoring and tagging are not working.

The time has come to set up special centres to detain these 3,000 extremists.

These would be community-based centres where they would be risk-assessed and theologically examined.

Mr Ghaffur says the 'internment camps' would be community-based centres where extremists would be risk-assessed and theologically examined. Pictured: The aftermath of the Manchester Arena suicide bomb

Then the extremists would be made to go through a deradicalisation programme, using the expertise of imams, charity workers and counter-terrorism officers. Those who can be deradicalised should be carefully allowed back into the community. But those deemed too dangerous should be locked up.

These centres would have oversight from vetted Muslim and other community leaders, who would ensure they stayed within the law.

There is some precedent for these centres. At the height of the Troubles, internment camps were set up for 2,000 deemed extremists. I know those camps led to hunger strikes, but the centres I'm proposing would be different as they would have backing from Muslim leaders.

I would like imams to issue a collective fatwa, condemning terrorist atrocities and giving religious backing to the new centres for the good of society. With their support, the centres would not be seen as a 'tool of the state'.

This would also show that Muslim leaders are doing something to make the UK safe and not just delivering words.

I know many will oppose these centres as oppressive. But the threat we face from terrorism is unprecedented and if we do not take bold steps now we will not be able to prevent future attacks.

MI5 has identified 23,000 jihadis in the UK in recent years, of whom 3,000 are still considered a threat (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

As a further solution, the Government should overhaul the entire asylum system.

In the 1980s and 1990s, hundreds of asylum seekers came in, claiming they were fleeing persecution. We had no way of seeing if they were genuine, or hate clerics lying to get in. Many extremists who came in never integrated.

Extremist asylum seekers need to be re-vetted, and if they are deemed a threat they should be kicked out. The Home Office should set up a 'cold cases' review team to re-examine all asylum seekers.

We have never faced a terrorism threat like this. So let us have a proper national debate and not be afraid to speak openly for fear of offending any communities, or for the sake of political correctness.

Facebook's cut-price hate video 'police': Social media giant pays young Filipinos 1.81 an hour to assess and remove terror-related material from the site

They are the army of workers who man Facebook's front line, tasked with removing offensive and terror-related material from the internet giant's site.

But a Mail on Sunday investigation has discovered the multi-billion pound social networking site employs hundreds of young Filipinos  some with limited English skills  who work gruelling shifts and say they earn just 1.81 an hour.

They are forced to decide in seconds whether or not to delete videos, pictures and posts which are too graphic or violent.

Staff face being sacked if they fail to meet strict quotas that mean they have to assess hundreds of extreme posts every shift.

Facebook, which recorded profits of more than 4.7 billion in 2015, has come under fire for giving a platform to terrorists to spread their hateful propaganda.

Facebook employs hundreds of young Filipinos - some with limited English skills - to remove offensive and terror related material from the site

Last week, Theresa May demanded a crackdown on social media giants that refuse to co-operate on terror.

In the wake of the Manchester attack, handbooks imploring extremists to target concerts were found on the internet.

The army of moderators are part of Facebook's community standards team whose job is to police the site.

Users can report posts which break Facebook's rules because they promote terrorist activity or contain sexually explicit material.

Earlier this month, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg boasted that the firm  worth 345 billion  would be adding another 3,000 workers to the 4,500 moderators it already employs and pledged to 'improve the process for doing it quickly'.

The MoS found that Facebook outsources some its moderating work to staff in the Philippines employed through multinational professional services firm Accenture.

Many staff last less than 18 months in the stressful jobs, which see graduates from conservative, devoutly Catholic backgrounds exposed to endless streams of graphic images.

The young Filipinos, paid just 1.81 an hour, are forced to decide in seconds whether or not to delete videos, pictures and posts which are too graphic or violent

Five employees interviewed by the MoS said moderators at Accenture's Manila office earned starting monthly salaries of 24,000 pesos (376) for a six-day week of eight-hour shifts.

It means they earn the equivalent of 1.81 an hour. After five months, salaries are said to increase to 29,000 pesos, the equivalent of 2.19 an hour.

One ex-manager who helped recruit Facebook moderators said staff were often traumatised by material.

'The moderators have to check posts that have been flagged up and make a snap judgement on whether they should be taken down.

'They can't spend more than a few seconds thinking about it. They have to fulfil a quota and if they're too slow they won't last in the job.'

Last night, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: 'In the wake of the Manchester attack, the public will simply not accept hugely profitable multinational companies failing to do their bit to keep the public safe.'

Accenture disputed the salary figures but failed to provide any alternative information. It said: 'We hire college graduates, experienced hires, provide intensive training and pay competitive wages.'

In the wake of the Manchester attack, handbooks imploring extremists to target concerts were found on the internet. Pictured: A sickening video purporting to show a jihadist celebrating the Manchester terror attack

Facebook said: 'We've built a global network of operations centres to work 24/7 so that we have people in the right country with the right language and cultural skills to review reports.

'We recognise this work can be difficult, which is why our contracts with partners stipulate that wellness and psychological support must be provided.

'We will be reviewing the services provided by Accenture to ensure they meet our standards.'
Elvis Presley's last privately-owned jet was auctioned Saturday after sitting on a tarmac in Roswell, New Mexico, for 35 years.

The plane sold for $430,000 on Saturday at an Agoura Hills, California, event featuring celebrity memorabilia, GWS Auctions Inc. said.

It was expected to fetch between $2million and $3.5million (2.6million), according to liveauctioneers.com, the site handling the bidding.

Elvis Presley's last privately-owned jet was auctioned on Saturday, after sitting for 35 years on the tarmac in Roswell, New Mexico

The 1962 red Lockheed JetStarOnehas been referred to as the 'lost' jet.

The buyer was not disclosed in the sold note posted on the firm's website, and auctioneer Brigitte Kruse said she could not immediate release information about the buyer or the buyer's plans for the plane.

Before being auctioned off, the jet had remained hidden away in an 'aircraft graveyard' for 35 years and is preserved with its red velvet seats, shag-pile carpets and original woodwork.

The auction house says Elvis designed the jet's interior. But the plane has no engine and needs a restoration of its cockpit.

The aircraft was one of three jets owned by the King of Rock and Roll throughout his lifetime, and was particularly special to him as he owned it with his father Vernon Presley.

The inside of the jet is adorned wtih red velvet and shag-pile carpets

There is a long sofa, pictured left, near the back of the aircraft along with a number of plush seats, pictured right, for the passengers traveling on board

The cockpit, along with the rest of the jet, has never been restored; the plane has no engines

The pilot seat appears to be showing some decay and wiring is exposed on the aircraft's yoke

A previous owner of the private jet disputed the auction house's claim the king of rock 'n' roll designed its red velvet interior.

Roy McKay told KOB-TV in Albuquerque on Tuesday he designed the interior himself. McKay said that when he purchased the red 1962 Lockheed Jetstar, it had a two-toned gray interior and 'kind of looked like a casket.'

But then-GWS spokesman Carl Carter told The Associated Press the auction house is confident Elvis designed the interior, which photos show has red velvet seats and red shag carpet.

Federal Aviation Administration records show no interior changes were ever made to the jet, Carter said.

The listing for the plane read: 'This aircraft has never been restored and features original external painting and detailing, as well as original interior.

'The interior was custom designed to Elvis' specifications. Down to the gold-tone, woodwork, inlay and red velvet seats and red shag carpet.'

The jet was previously owned by a private collector, who has not been named.

The owner kept the collectors' item all this time even, but it is not in flying condition.

Also up for auction was a solid 14k carat yellow gold ring owned by Elvis which was expected to sell for an estimated $35,000

The stunning piece of jewellery is encrusted with 4.5 carat diamonds

It shows very light wear but is in an otherwise good condition

This rare airplane is one of only 204 aircraft manufactured between 1957 and 1978 in a private collaboration between Jetstar and Lockheed.

The cockpit, along with the rest of the jet, has never been restored.

The bidding has already started with a $10,000 offer, despite the fact that the plane currently does not have any engines.

Negatives from the Elvis museum were anticipated to fetch $2,000

The negatives are among a large collection of items owned by Elvis Presley that went up for auction Saturday

This BMI award for Elvis' Welcome to my World was expected to fetch an estimated $350

Among the items for sale at auction were newspapers from the day of Elvis' death

This Hawaii wood-mounted photo of Elvis was expected to fetch an estimated $1,000

Pictured is Elvis Presley's copy of his Christmas album which was also up for auction

Before the auction, Brigitte Kruse, owner of GWS Auctions, Inc., said: 'This jet is a remarkable find and is being sold by a private collector.

'It has attracted a lot of tourists in Roswell, and it still has the original woodwork, inlay, red velvet seats and red shag carpet.

'It has the potential to be fully restored and made the centerpiece of a major exhibit.

'This is the only jet owned by Elvis that is still owned privately, he owned it with his father Vernon, from what we understand it's a very early asset.

It was built in a a private collaboration between Jetstar and Lockheed

'The first thing that came to my mind when the seller contacted me was what kind of shape the jet would be in.

'It had been sitting for 30 years, so I believed it had to be dilapidated but it isn't at all.

'The owner chose the location because of the altitude and air quality so that it was not exposed to rust or oxidized.

'It's in impressive condition for being in the desert for 30 years, inside is impeccable, the engine has been taken out, but it's a perfect exhibit piece.

Presley posed here with two flight attendants in Los Angeles on August 16, 1956

'Whether that's for a museum, casino or someone looking for a focal point it will be an amazing piece.

'Elvis was known for getting pieces with diamonds for onstage, this is a substantial piece compared to the others he owned.'

Elvis's custom designed 4.5 carat diamond and solid 14k carat yellow gold ring estimated at $35,000 were also available at the auction.

Elvis Presley lot up for auction Elvis custom made first private jet - starting price $10,000 Elvis 4.5ctw diamond and 14k gold ring - est. $35,000 Elvis museum negatives - est. $2,000 Hawaii Wood mounted Elvis photo - est. $1,000 Newspapers on the day of Elvis's death - est. $1,000 Elvis vintage 8 tracks tapes - est. $500 BMI award for Elvis 'Welcome to my World' - est. $350 Advertisement

Other items, including negatives of Elvis, newspapers mourning his death, a Hawaii wood mounted photo, vintage tracks and a BMI award, all were set to fetch $5,000.

As well as Elvis memorabilia and items, there were other famous lots set to go under the hammer.

They included handwritten memoirs from The Beach Boys and items from Tom Hanks, Nelson Mandela, Ray Charles, James Brown, Madonna, Bing Crosby and more.

Ahead of the auction, Kruse said: 'This is a remarkable compilation of letters, lost photographs and much more.

'The mysterious letters and writings of Brian Wilson are especially noteworthy.'

The auction began at 10am Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, with online bidding available.

Kruse said: 'There is no reserve on any of these pieces, so it will sell for what it's worth.

'Our estimates are only a guide, you can't compare the pieces to anything though as they are the only ones in the world available for private sale - the other ones are owned by the Elvis Presley museum.'

Presley was born in Tupelo on Jan. 8, 1935, and moved to Memphis with his parents at age 13.

He became a leading figure in the fledgling rockabilly scene by covering songs originally performed by African-American artists like Big Mama Thornton ('Hound Dog') and Arthur Crudup ('That's All Right').

His provocative dancing and hit records turned him into one of the 20th century's most recognizable icons. Historians say his music also helped usher in the fall of racial segregation.

Elvis was 42 when he died on Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.
UK security chiefs were warned in January that Salman Abedi was planning an attack in Britain, it was claimed last night.

According to a security source, the FBI told MI5 that Abedi was part of a North African Islamic State cell plotting to strike a political target in the UK.

The information came from a US investigation into Abedi and his links to terrorist groups in Libya. The Mail on Sunday has also been told that US security services put him on a terror watch list  used by agents to identify key suspects  in 2016.

Alert: Bomb disposal experts work with police in the Moss Side area yesterday as fresh arrests were made

The shocking claim piles further pressure on MI5 to reveal when and how it became aware of Abedi, and why UK spies decided he did not pose a significant threat to British security.

The source told The Mail on Sunday: 'In early 2017 the FBI told MI5 that Abedi belonged to a North African terror gang based in Manchester, which was looking for a political target in this country.

Salman Abedi on the night that he travelled to the Manchester Arena and detonated a bomb after the Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 119

This photo shows the aftermath of the suicide bomb which ripped through the foyer of the venue killing parents and children

'The information came from the interception of his communications by US federal agents, who had been investigating Abedi since the middle of 2016, and from information unearthed in Libya, where his family was linked to terrorist groups.

'Following this US tip-off, Abedi and other members of the gang were scrutinised by MI5. It was thought at the time that Abedi was planning to assassinate a political figure.

'But nothing came of this investigation and, tragically, he slipped down the pecking order of targets.'

Last night, The Mail on Sunday put the claim to the FBI but a bureau spokesman declined to comment, while UK security sources did not confirm the specific claim about the tip-off.
Ex-Met chief Tarique Ghaffur has called for internment camps for the 3,000 extremists wandering Britain's streets

Like millions of others, I was left horrified by the barbaric Manchester attack. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who were injured.

As an Asian Mancunian, I felt appalled beyond words. My own children could have been among those killed in the UK's worst atrocity since 7/7.

I was heartbroken but I was not surprised.

As one of the Met's most senior officers, having seen classified intelligence, I knew more than most about the jihadi threat facing Britain. As security co-ordinator of the 2012 Olympics, I knew public events were soft targets.

I always felt it was a matter of when, not if. Last Monday, my worst fears were realised.

We face an unprecedented terrorist threat in Britain  about 3,000 extremists are subjects of interest to MI5 and police, and about 500 plots are being monitored.

Add more than 400 jihadis who have returned from Syria and you realise the numbers are way too many for the security services and police to monitor. The atrocities of Manchester and Westminster have shown that ordinary surveillance, monitoring and tagging are not working.

The time has come to set up special centres to detain these 3,000 extremists.

These would be community-based centres where they would be risk-assessed and theologically examined.

Mr Ghaffur says the 'internment camps' would be community-based centres where extremists would be risk-assessed and theologically examined. Pictured: The aftermath of the Manchester Arena suicide bomb

Mr Ghaffur says we face an unprecedented terrorist threat in Britain, with 3,000 extremists of interest to MI5 and police, and 500 plots are being monitored. Pictured: A sickening video purporting to show a jihadist celebrating the Manchester terror attack

Then the extremists would be made to go through a deradicalisation programme, using the expertise of imams, charity workers and counter-terrorism officers. Those who can be deradicalised should be carefully allowed back into the community. But those deemed too dangerous should be locked up.

These centres would have oversight from vetted Muslim and other community leaders, who would ensure they stayed within the law.

There is some precedent for these centres. At the height of the Troubles, internment camps were set up for 2,000 deemed extremists. I know those camps led to hunger strikes, but the centres I'm proposing would be different as they would have backing from Muslim leaders.

I would like imams to issue a collective fatwa, condemning terrorist atrocities and giving religious backing to the new centres for the good of society. With their support, the centres would not be seen as a 'tool of the state'.

This would also show that Muslim leaders are doing something to make the UK safe and not just delivering words.

I know many will oppose these centres as oppressive. But the threat we face from terrorism is unprecedented and if we do not take bold steps now we will not be able to prevent future attacks.

MI5 has identified 23,000 jihadis in the UK in recent years, of whom 3,000 are still considered a threat (file photo of the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, built on the site of the Long Kesh internment camp)

As a further solution, the Government should overhaul the entire asylum system.

In the 1980s and 1990s, hundreds of asylum seekers came in, claiming they were fleeing persecution. We had no way of seeing if they were genuine, or hate clerics lying to get in. Many extremists who came in never integrated.

Extremist asylum seekers need to be re-vetted, and if they are deemed a threat they should be kicked out. The Home Office should set up a 'cold cases' review team to re-examine all asylum seekers.

We have never faced a terrorism threat like this. So let us have a proper national debate and not be afraid to speak openly for fear of offending any communities, or for the sake of political correctness.
An infant died after being left alone with three pit bulls and attacked, said police.

The three-week-old infant girl, identified as Susannah Jean Murray, was left alone in a bouncy chair for only about five minutes on Thursday with the dogs in the 1100 block of Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reported MLive.

When an adult checked on her, she had injuries and one of the dogs, who is two-years-old, had blood near its mouth. Police said her injuries were consistent with a dog bite to the head.

Police said the mother was home at time outside on the porch but is not the one who discovered the bloodied child.

Scroll down for video

The three-week-old infant, identified as Susannah Jean Murray, died after being bitten by a family pit bull

Mother Michelle Murray was reportedly outside on her porch for five minutes when the tragedy happened

Authorities said that three pit bulls (above, from left to right) Rhino, Devlin, and Mommas, live in the home, and that one of them had bitten the child, they are now at an animal shelter under quarantine

Devlin, Rhino, and Mommas were in the house with the infant when one of the dogs bit her, it is unclear which one

The house on Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids (above) was the scene of horror as a pit bull is said to have bit the head of an infant, killing her

The baby was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery but died the next morning.

'Our sweet baby Suzie, a mere three weeks old, joined the angels in heaven,' said her obituary.

No arrests have been made. The dogs were brought to the Kent County Animal Shelter, where they are under quarantine.

'When you have an infant or children who are unable to defend themselves, basically defenseless, an adult should always be in the company of a child especially a three-week-old,' Grand Rapids Police Department Sgt. Terry Dixon told WWMT.

The three dogs were taken to the Kent County Animal Shelter and are under quarantine

Sgt. Terry Dixon did not blame the breed, saying that 'Any dog can bite'

'The breed of the pit bull, by itself, is not enough to condemn it. Any dog can bite ...' said Dixon. 'This serves as a critical reminder to never leave a child unattended around a dog.'

'For them to leave the child like that was not thinking at all,' neighbor Joe Day told the outlet.

Another neighbor said the dogs were not friendly.

'They are so mean and vicious,' Akilah Gordon told Detroit Free Press.

Another neighbor, Hawa Abdi, said, 'Id be scared, because when the dogs get out the fence, they used to chase us.'

However, the same outlet also reported that neighbors said the dogs had never caused a problem before. Another neighbor said the mother had been breeding pit bull puppies.

Two siblings were also living in the home and Child Protective Services was contacted, though it's unclear if the children was taken from the house.
At least 8 people were killed in recent shooting incidents in the US state of Mississippi, while a 35-year-old suspect was arrested, Sputnik reported citing US media.

The sheriff's deputy was among those killed during the shooting that had occurred on Saturday night, local media reported.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes Saturday night in rural Lincoln County, with two of the homes located in Brookhaven and one in Bogue Chitto. According to Strain, investigators are currently working at all three locations.

The suspected shooter, identified as Cory Godbolt, is now in custody. According to Strain, charges have not yet been filed against the suspect and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive at this point.
A woman has slammed Kmart for making her 'feel like a criminal' after she returned to a store to get a security tag removed.

Candice Draper purchased a pair of trackpants from a Kmart store in Toowoomba, in Queensland's south-east, but realised a few days later it still had the security tag attached.

When she headed back to have it removed, Ms Draper says employees treated her like a shoplifter and lectured her on the importance of showing staff items upon leaving the store.

The woman slammed Kmart Australia for making her 'feel like a criminal' while returning an item which still had a security tag attached

Candice Draper bought the trackpants from a Kmart store in Toowoomba (pictured)

'Staff discussed the matter while I stood waiting, a crowd looking on as if I was a thief,' she wrote on Facebook, The Toowoomba Chronicle reported.

The woman says she felt 'embarrassed and humiliated' as onlookers believed she had stolen the piece of clothing.

'Apparently they had to get confirmation that I hadn't stolen them before I was allowed to leave the store,' Ms Draper added.

When asked what the problem was, Ms Draper was told by staff she 'could have walked in with a receipt and empty bag, picked up the tracksuit and took it to counter to get tag removed'.

She claims she was then reprimanded by staff for not presenting her purchased goods to a door clerk as she left the store.

Ms Draper argues she was forced to walk through Kmart to show staff her trackpants because the checkouts are located in the middle of the store, and criticised its 'confusing' layout.

The woman says she felt 'embarrassed and humiliated' as onlookers believed she had stolen the piece of clothing

After Ms Draper's Facebook rant went viral others took to Kmart's social media page to complain about store layout

'Work smarter not harder': This woman criticised Kmart for having checkouts in the middle of the store

This Facebook user says she will avoid her local Kmart which has checkouts in the middle of the store

'Newsflash Kmart: had your store still been in the original layout with customer service and checkouts at the front of the store I would not have had to walk through your store to sort out my issue and in turn would not have had to be treated and viewed as a thief,' she added.

After Ms Draper's rant went viral countless other Kmart shoppers took to the retail giant's Facebook page to complain about the location of its checkouts.

'I'm a customer and I like to pay for my products as I leave the store. Not backtrack to the centre of the store. Also have you heard of double handling? Work smarter not harder,' one shopper said.

'Have to agree with the post about the lady feeling humiliated in your Toowoomba store. Having a refund counter at the back of the store is ridiculous,' another wrote.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kmart Australia for comment.
Advertisement

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has welcomed a baby Asian elephant who is only the fifth to be born in Australia in the past decade.

The calf weighed well above average weight, scaling in at a whopping 130kg - a number sure to make many mother's toes curl.

Mother Pak Boon gave birth to the boy in what was described by zookeepers as a routine 35-minute labour after a pregnancy that lasted nearly two years.

Taronga Zoo welcomed a healthy,and enormous baby elephant early on Friday morning, becoming just the fifth to be born in Australia in the past decade

Her milk is rich in glucosamine and will help the newborn grow 2kg each day.

Elephants have the longest period of gestation in the animal kingdom.

Zookeeper Tim Bennett told News Corp the newborn was a 'typical boy' who has settled straight in to his enclosure and already 'gave his first trumpet when a duck walked past'.

'He is pretty confident, although he still likes to hang out under his mum's belly as his safety net.'

He shares a home with sister Tukta and auntie Tang Mo.

Father Gung is part of the Taronga elephant breeding program, and has produced four calves between the Sydney and Dubbo establishments.

The calf weighed well above average weight, scaling in at a whopping 130kg, a number sure to make many mother's toes curl

Mother Pak Boon gave birth to the boy in what was described by zookeepers as a routine 35-minute labour after a pregnancy that lasted nearly two years

Yet-to-be-named calf is the fifth born in Australia in the past decade
This is proving to be one of the strangest Election campaigns in modern history. It began amid claims that it was a foregone conclusion. Now there are suggestions that it might not be such a foregone conclusion after all.

In its opening weeks, it was mainly about Brexit, and then about taxation and inheritance.

Suddenly, after the heartbreaking events in Manchester, it has turned into an unexpected and intense discussion about national security.

Under the circumstances, Jeremy Corbyn cannot really be condemned for adding his voice. But his unpleasant past associations with Sinn Fein greatly weaken anything he says on the subject

Of course, the atrocity compelled the Prime Minister and the Labour leader to explain their positions on terror and how to fight it. It also compelled Theresa May to take action  no Premier could possibly ignore an event so distressing.

Under the circumstances, Jeremy Corbyn cannot really be condemned for adding his voice. But his unpleasant past associations with Sinn Fein greatly weaken anything he says on the subject.

Many Britons would agree with him that our mistaken interventions in the Middle East may have increased the terror threat here. But Mr Corbyn, alas, gains little from this. He opposes practically any war this country ever undertakes, so his opposition to the Iraq invasion, though justified by events, does not really win him much credit.

No harm has been done by this discussion. But the high-octane combination of General Election and national mourning may have made it more intense and less reasonable than it ought to have been.

And in any case it has distracted us from the huge, profound, constant issues over which the Election was called, and which it must resolve.

It was this problem of funding which caused Mrs May to wobble over the dementia tax, a mistake she has now wisely put right

Above all there is the need to negotiate a successful and prosperous new relationship with the EU. Hardly anyone even knows what Labours position is on this issue, whereas Mrs May has been very clear on hers.

Then there is the revival of the economy in general, the reduction of our deficit and some serious problems if we are to continue to fund the services on which we depend.

It was this problem of funding which caused Mrs May to wobble over the dementia tax, a mistake she has now wisely put right. But at least this measure was an attempt to get to grips with the huge costs of care for the elderly.

Last weeks report on the party manifestos by the Institute for Fiscal Studies gave poor marks to both big parties. But it was significantly harder on Labour, whose published tax plans may not raise anything like the 48.6 billion claimed.

This is the sort of ground on which the Election should really be decided.

Let there be no doubt that the real, fundamental choice lies between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. And that is a choice between a Labour Party whose shambolic economics, absurd promises and fumbling arithmetic will lead us to national bankruptcy, and a Prime Minister who has a serious plan to control the deficit while still maintaining a civilised level of public service, on the basis of a strong economy.

If the Tories are wise, they will redouble their attack on these fronts, energised rather than scared by the fact that the polls are showing a narrowing gap. There must be no complacency between now and June 8.
Theresa May came under fresh pressure over her plans to cut winter fuel payments for the elderly last night  amid claims that nearly 10,000 pensioners could die every year as a result.

Former Health Minister Norman Lamb said the 'stark truth' was that Tory plans to strip the 300 a year payments from millions of people could lead to fatalities next winter.

Tory Election candidates have complained that the policy to means-test the payments is 'bombing' on the doorstep, particularly among older, wealthier voters who are the bedrock of the party's support.

Feeling the heat: Tory plans to means-test OAPs winter fuel payments have led to controversy

Scottish pensioners will escape the cuts because it is colder north of the border.

Pensioners currently receive between 100 and 300 a year to help meet heating bills, depending on their circumstances. The Tory manifesto says that with means-testing, money will go only to the poorest old people.

The Government has not explained how the test will be applied, but Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green has said it will save 2 billion out of the total 2.5 billion cost  meaning that eight out of ten pensioners will lose it.

Norman Lamb, a former health minister, said the payment saves hundreds of lives each winter

Mr Lamb, now the Lib Dems' health spokesman, said that according to Age UK, the payment saves the lives of 12,000 OAPs every year  almost 10,000 of whom could now be at risk.

'The stark truth is more pensioners will be at risk of dying in winter because they can't afford to heat their homes.

'This is what the cold and heartless Theresa May is proposing,' Mr Lamb said. 'Her plans would force millions of struggling pensioners to go back to the days of choosing between heating and eating. It risks undoing the significant progress we've made in reducing winter death rates among the elderly in recent years.'

Mrs May's supporters say it is ridiculous to keep the payment as a universal benefit when 1.7 million pensioners live in households with assets of 1 million or more.

Some richer recipients admit spending the cash on holidays and wine.

Last night a Conservative source said: 'We will consult widely on the appropriate level at which to set the means test for winter fuel payments  precisely to avoid unintended consequences.'
Advertisement

It's not their usual playground, but children gleefully played with tanks, guns and mortar launchers in Brooklyn's Prospect Park as part of Fleet Week.

Now in its 29th year, Fleet Week is a time-honored tradition in New York City celebrating the sea services.

Citizens have the opportunity to meet sailors, marines and coast guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of todays maritime services.

More than 3,700 US and Canadian service members give ship tours, military demonstrations, musical performances and other events across the city.

The week-long celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984, culminating in several ceremonies that will be held on Memorial Day, May 29.

On Saturday, as part of Marines Day, members of the public had the opportunity to test their strength on chin-up bars, hold military weapons and watch as US Marine Corps members displayed their fighting skills.

Founded in 1775, the USMC falls under the US Department of the Navy, and specializes in the support of naval and army operations at sea and on land.

A child plays with a mortar launcher as members of the US Marine Corps mix with the public in Brooklyn's Prospect Park as part of Fleet Week in New York City on Saturday

Children play on a light-armored vehicle in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Held almost annually since 1984, Fleet Week brings 3,700 US and Canadian sailors, marines and coast guardsmen to New York City

A child plays with a rifle in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. During Fleet Week, citizens have the opportunity to meet sea servicemen and women, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of todays maritime services

Members of the public speak with various Marine Corps members as part of Marines Day - celebrating the third-oldest branch of the US Armed Forces

Members of the US Marine Corps watch as Matt Cortright (center) does pull-ups in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. On Saturday, members of the public had the opportunity to test their strength on chin-up bars and hold military weapons

Members of the US Marine Corps demonstrate their fighting skills for the public in Brooklyn's Prospect Park

Two Marine Corps have a boxing duel as part of Fleet Week in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. The week culminates in several ceremonies that will be held on Memorial Day, May 29

Two US Marine Corps members demonstrate their fighting skills in Prospect Park. Founded in 1775, the USMC falls under the US Department of the Navy, and specializes in the support of naval and army operations at sea and on land
A man who was believed to have been drunk has died after falling five metres from a second-floor apartment on Sydney's North Shore.

Emergency services were called to the Milson Road address in Cremorne about 8.15pm on Saturday and found a 31-year-old man unconscious on the ground with critical head injuries.

Paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where he later died from his injuries, 9News reported.

Scroll down for video

Paramedics are pictured treating a man who fell five metres from a unit complex in Cremorne on Saturday evening

The 31-year-old was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital, where he later died from his injuries

Paramedics carry the unconscious man to an ambulance at the scene of the incident on Milson Road

The Cremorne apartment block where the 31-year-old man plummeted to his death after falling five metres from a second floor flat

A crime scene was established by police with witnesses interviewed to determine the cause of the death.

Police believe the man was intoxicated when he attempted to climb the balcony of the second floor unit.

It is understood he knew a woman inside the complex and was attempting to reach her apartment before falling.

'There was nothing out of the ordinary, there was no commotion going on, I didn't hear any yelling,' witness Emily Sweeney told 9 News.

'He was unconscious so he wasn't saying anything but all I could hear from inside the apartment was "someone call an ambulance" and I ran out and he was over him trying to help him and see if he was alive.'

Paramedics arrive at the apartment block where the 31-year-old man fell to his death

Witness Emily Sweeney describes the moments before and after the tragic fall

A police officer makes his way to the front of the property to question residents on the fall

A dejected looking resident sits on the steps outside the apartment block after police questioned witnesses in an attempt to determine the cause of the fall
UKIP leader Paul Nuttall last night called for the return of the death penalty for terrorists and child killers  and volunteered to carry out the executions himself.

He said he would not flinch from personally opening the hangman's trap door  or pulling the trigger.

Mr Nuttall backed a referendum on the issue  and said it would result in the return of the death penalty, abolished in 1965.

Taking the hard line on terror: Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, who would bring back the death penalty

Talking to The Mail on Sunday in Westminster's Morpeth Arms pub, he said: 'I would like to see the death penalty for terrorists and child killers.'

Asked if he was prepared to act as executioner, he replied: 'Yes.'

Citing the killers of soldier Lee Rigby, who was stabbed to death in London in 2013, terrorists who targeted children, and Moors murderer Ian Brady, Mr Nuttall said: 'For people who kill a [British] soldier and harm children, I would not have a problem doing it. I believe in capital punishment for treason. Opinion polls show the vast majority of people agree with me.'

Mr Nuttall, who stressed his support for capital punishment was a personal view, not official Ukip policy, added: 'If enough people called for a referendum on this we would be only too happy to give them one.'

His support for bringing back the death penalty puts him at odds with former party leader Nigel Farage who opposes it, mainly because of the risk of a mistake. Until the Manchester bomb atrocity last Monday, Ukip's Election campaign had been a flop.

Nuttall and Suzanne Evans at the party's election manifesto launch on Thursday, breaking the truce after the Manchester terror attack

After Brexit, most voters seem to regard the party as unnecessary and its leader as unappealing. Now Mr Nuttall hopes that by out-toughing Mr Farage on how to tackle the terror threat, he could revive his party's flagging hopes. And, certainly, his tough talk is not just words.

An acquaintance recalls how Mr Nuttall rescued him in a street fracas in Strasbourg. The Ukip leader grabbed the assailant by the scruff of the neck and bellowed in his face: 'Back. Off. Or. I. Will. Bite. Your. Bloody. Nose. Off.'

The assailant got the message.

Asked if he would support tagging all terror suspects, Mr Nuttall said: 'Yes, why not? Until they have denounced this evil ideology.'

He would force new immigrants to sign a 'contract' and sit an 'attitude test' to prove they backed 'British values'. If they failed, they would be kicked out.

If he is elected as an MP, would he help a female Muslim constituent who arrived at his surgery wearing a burka? Not unless she took it off, he said, adding: 'Just as I can't go into a bank wearing a balaclava.'

Euro MP Mr Nuttall, 40, is standing as a parliamentary candidate in Boston and Skegness.

'I'm not going to be PM,' he admitted. 'But we can have influence. What we say today, other parties will be saying in five years.'
The family of William Tyrrell say they are 'not happy' Schapelle Corby decided to flash a photograph of the missing boy on her handbag.

Corby left her Bali villa brandishing the bag featuring the image of William in a Spiderman outfit - the clothes he was wearing at the time of his disappearance nearly three years ago.

'While the Wheres William Campaign appreciates that Schapelle Corby has shown concern regarding little Williams disappearance...we are not happy.'

'William's family and the campaign have absolutely no association with Corby, her supporters or her family.

'We had no prior knowledge of Schapelle's intention to use William's image in this way.'

A picture of missing three-year-old William Tyrrell was seen on Schapelle Corby's handbag as she left her Bali villa to return to Australia on Saturday

Corby was seen holding the bag up over her head as she walked from her home of the last three years to a heavily guarded car that is whisking the convicted drug smuggler to the corrections office in Denpasar ahead of her deportation

Dressed in his favourite Spiderman suit, the three-year-old was last seen playing in his grandmother's yard of the Kendall property on September 12, 2014

Tyrrell family release statement saying 'we are not happy' with Corby's stunt brandishing the heartbreaking image of William on her bag

Corby was seen holding the bag up over her head as she walked from her home of the last three years to a heavily guarded car that is whisking the convicted drug smuggler to the corrections office in Denpasar ahead of her deportation.

She has officially finished her sentence in Bali and she has been released. She is now on her way to the airport.

Dressed in his favourite Spiderman suit, William was last seen playing in his grandmother's yard on the Mid North Coast of NSW on September 12, 2014.

Despite an extensive investigation, detectives found no traces of little William, who would have turned five this year.

The case has been referred to the NSW coroner but police say investigations continue with the hope the young boy is still alive.

Authorities have announced a record $1 million reward for anyone who could lead police to the recovery of the three-year-old boy.

Corby is returning to Australia for the first time in 13 years.

Around 100 police officers were deployed, from Denpasar and Kuta police, to ensure a smooth and secure journey for Corby on Saturday.

Corby is returning to Australia for the first time in 13 years

Corby is seen with a scarf over her head as she walks to the car

Her sister Mercedes is seen holding Corby as she hides behind the handbag

A private car entered the 39-year-old's Kuta villa compound earlier to pick up Corby's family members and take them to the parole office

Just hours before her deportation, police executed a dry run with three armoured vehicles and guards lining the streets in preparation for Corby to run the media gauntlet.

A private car entered the 39-year-old's Kuta villa compound earlier to pick up Corby's family members and take them to the parole office.

There was a frenzy around vehicles as they arrived on Pudak Sari Street, where her Kuta home is located, and security vehicles remain parked on the main street near the house, including two armoured vehicles, two trucks and two patrol cars.
It's the hit US drama charting the Machiavellian scheming of a fictional president.

But Russias leader Vladimir Putin is so convinced by the twists and turns in House Of Cards that he has advised his defence chiefs to watch it  to get a better understanding of the real American political system.

Speaking ahead of the release of the fifth series on Netflix on Tuesday, Michael Dobbs, the Tory peer whose 1989 novel inspired the series, said: Clearly they think its a documentary.

Too good to be true? The political twists and turns of the House of Cards are apparently 'so lifelike' the Russian leader believes the show is actually a documentary

Apparently President Putin told his new minister of defence to watch House Of Cards so that he can understand what goes on in America.

Dobbs, an executive producer on the US show, said Putin was just one of a number of world leaders hooked on the show, revealing that President Xi of China has personally shared his enthusiasm for it with him.

The new series, which stars Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood and Robin Wright as his wife Claire, is the first since the election of Donald Trump.

It's not real! Are you kidding? Apparently President Putin was so keen on the show, he recommended his new minister of defence watched it to help understand the political system in America

The tense relationship between the US and Russia has been explored in previous episodes but the Kremlin is likely to be transfixed by the new series as, topically, it examines the increasing chill in the superpowers relationship.

Dobbs declined to give away any of the plot but he did say: I think you will be gobsmacked as to how up-to-date and contemporary the whole thing feels despite the rapid pace of events in the political world.

All I would say is that we had a very hard time making sure the drama matches the documentary. I think we have done it and I am really happy with the series.

Dobbs, whose book also inspired the original BBC series from 1990, said the programme could act as a bridge builder: In a world where our political leaders seem to be increasingly at loggerheads, how important might it be over the coming years that on different sides of the planet and in different systems and in different societies the people can actually share something in common?
The Manchester suicide bomber was friends with a man who was jailed for raping a schoolgirl last year - and police ignored warnings about them.

Salman Abedi was teenage friends with Bilal Ahmed, who was jailed in January 2016 for the brutal gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in 2013.

He was sentenced to nine years after he lured the naive victim into a hotel room during a game of hide and seek.

Ahmed and two friends took turns raping her.

A photograph of Abedi and Ahmed has emerged, showing the two casually relaxing together, as the mother of Ahmed's victim claims she reported the group to terror police, but they did not follow up her leads.

Manchester bomber Salman Abedi (right) was an associate of Bilal Ahmed (left), who was jailed with two others last year for taking part in the gang rape of the teenager

The victims mother (pictured) is convinced that bomber Abedi was part of the group that intimidated her by hurling abuse at Ahmed's trial

Mowled Yussuf, right, Muhyadeen Osman, left, and Bilal Ahmed all 20, were jailed for a total of 31 years after raping a 16-year-old girl

The mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, claims Abdullahi Ahmed Jama Farah was another associate of the gang - who was jailed last February for creating an IS 'communications hub' in his mother's house in Fallowfield.

The 50-year-old from Cheshire suspects that Salman may have been one of a mob of Ahmed's pals who allegedly bullied and intimidated her and her family throughout the trial.

The rape victim's mother said: 'The moment I heard [Salman's] name, I just knew it. I just had a feeling that there would be a link.

'They are all friends, they are all connected. Just last year I saw one of their cronies called Jama [Farah] was jailed for links to terrorism and his two cousins, two 'jihadi brides' are still in Syria apparently.

'It was when I saw [Salman's] name, I recognised 'Abedi'. I have heard it mentioned before with them.'

She claimed Jama and Abedi hung around with Ahmed.

She added: 'I think they are all bad eggs. They are all connected. I could see by their behaviour and the way they were at the trial. They are all rotten to the core.

'They are all friends and they are ending up terrorists and rapists. I can't understand why the police can't follow it up.

Above, family and friends of the attacker stand outside Manchester Crown Court after the sentencing. The family of the victim say they were harrassed

Ahmed's supporters chase the prison van as he was taken to jail to start his immediate sentence after he was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old

'I was watching TV when I saw that Jama had been convicted of terrorism. I knew he hung around with the gang who raped my daughter, and I thought 'blimey, if he is a terrorist, then others in the group could be too'.

'I phoned the terror police and reported it. This was February 12 last year.

'I phoned the same officer I reported it to and confronted him on Tuesday on this and he said he remembered speaking to me about it.'

The mother revealed she had looked up their Facebook profiles and seen a 'logo' she believed to be to do with ISIS.

She said: 'To me this shows that they are clearly all linked and involved in something together. At the time it made me think that another one could go on to commit a terrorist act and Salman clearly has.

'But it makes me worry that there will be others that are out there that they knew who could do it again.

'However people are scared to say stuff like this as they are scared of being called racist.

'After reporting it I wasn't convinced that the police did anything about it. The police were inadequate during the trial [over my daughter's rape] so I was not convinced that they were going to do anything here either.

'Obviously they are terror police so it is all secret and confidential and wouldn't tell me anyway, but I didn't hear anything on it again. Now I see Salman, who clearly hung around with them, has become a suicide bomber. So clearly they didn't look into what I told them properly.'

She urged people to go to the police and said she thought authorities should act on what they are told by people on the ground.

According to the mother of the rape victim, the family and friends of her daughter's attacker tried to intimidate them by coming en masse to the courtroom

The mother of the victim claims her numerous reports of the gang failed to be checked thoroughly by police officers

Last year the Daily Mail told the harrowing story of the gangs victim, a private schoolgirl who said she kept quiet during the terrifying attack because she feared the consequences of protesting.

Speaking about her trial, her mother said:'All of his friends were at the trial and many of them were intimidating me, shouting things, goading me and my husband. It was terrifying.

'They were all his friends so are you telling me that if Salman was his friend he wasn't there? He probably would have turned up.

'There must have been cameras at the court that they can check as I am sure he is one of them in that group. They see their strength in numbers so they all turned up for the gang.

'When my daughter was raped, Bilal had a group of friends who were present at the hotel but were not identifiable due to having their hoods up. He could even have been one of them.'

The girl, a gifted musician who had little experience with boys then aged 16, was introduced to the group including Ahmed plus Muhyadeen Osman and Mowled Yussuf by a mutual friend in 2013.

Along with other youths who have not been identified they lured the then 16-year-old back to a run-down hotel in Rusholme, site of Manchesters famous Curry Mile, where they had been spent the previous night for Eid celebrations.

Finding an unlocked room, the mob forced her inside and each subjected her to a degrading attack  in the words of the judge picking on her as easy prey.

Last year the trio, then all aged 20, were jailed for a total of 31 years after all being convicted of rape.

Cruelly, the victims parents faced a gauntlet of intimidation and abuse from the families and friends of the convicted men during the two-week trial who claimed the prosecution was racially motivated.

Bilal Ahmed sarcastically blew a kiss at the couple shortly before sentence was delivered.

Bilal Ahmed sarcastically blew a kiss at the couple shortly before sentence was delivered. Above, the mother of the rape victim, whose identity has been protected

Jama, whose cousins, star pupils Salma and Zahra Halane, secretly travelled from Manchester to Syria to marry jihadi fighters aged just 16, was last year jailed for seven years after providing a communications hub for a battalion of ISIS fighters known as the Britanni Brigade.

The promising A-level student, who a court heard was groomed by the girls elder brother Ahmed Ibrahim Halane, commented approvingly on photographs of Isis training facilities sent to him by British fighters in Syria, but was arrested as he made plans to join them.

Speaking just after the rape trial in January 2016, the victim's mum said: 'I was frightened throughout and my husband was frightened. There were so many of them and many of them would goad me when I walked past and deliberately try to intimidate us.

'On some occasions there were at least 50 in the courtroom - most likely many more on the day of the sentencing.

'On one occasion, the judge said only 10 of the family members were allowed into the court but still another 20 ganged up in the corridors and deliberately made me and my husband feel intimidated.

'Sometimes we would come out and there would be even more outside. They would often not move out of the way when we tried to get past. On one occasion the police liaison officer we were with had to ask them to move. If she hadn't have been there I don't know what we would have done.

'It was scary. If this is what it does to us, then what would this be like for the victim of a rape case?

'My daughter was too traumatised and only attended the court on the few days she had to give evidence, when thankfully there were less of them around. But I think it is awful that if she would have attended towards the end of the trial when more of them were there then she would have been subjected to this. It's a disgrace and the system allows this to happen.

'No wonder that so many people are too scared to prosecute over rape if this is what they have to go through. We were scared throughout this but we just knew we had to keep going to get justice.'

GMP were contacted for comment. The Metropolitan Police - which is reponsible for the national terror hotline - said it would be inappropriate to comment on the mothers claims.
A total of 10 PKK terrorists were killed in airstrikes in eastern Turkey's Catak district, the Governorate of Van said Saturday in a statement, DailySabah reported.

The airstrikes were launched around 10:15 p.m. after a drone identified the group of terrorists in Catak's Koruklu Valley, the statement added.

Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged a decades long bloody campaign against Turkey.

The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 after a brief reconciliation period.

Since that time, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 security personnel and civilians, including women and children, while more than 4,000 security personnel and over 2,000 civilians have been injured.
A group of suspected drag racers are lucky to be alive after two horrifying crashes saw two cars roll down an embankment.

Emergency crews were called to the crash site at Whiteside, north of Brisbane, about 11.45pm Saturday night where a 17-year-old lay trapped inside a Nissan Navara.

Five minutes later a second crash involving three cars led to another vehicle rolling down the embankment with four people on board.

Police are investigating if a street race and alcohol were involved after the incident ended with four people going to hospital.

Police are investigating if a street race and alcohol were involved after two cars rolled down an embankment, hospitalising four people

Emergency crews were called to the crash site at Whiteside on Saturday night where a 17-year-old lay trapped inside a Nissan Navara. Five minutes later a second car rolled down the embankment with four peopl on board

Police told Daily Mail Australia forensic crash officers are investigating if the cars were engaged in a street race.

The 17-year-old boy suffered 'non life-threatening injuries' and was taken to hospital where he gave a sample of blood.

The blood will be analysed to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash, however the results are expected to take six weeks, a Queensland Police spokesperson said.

Another four people suffered injuries after a second car rolled down the embankment - three were taken to Brisbane Private Hospital.

A third car caught fire but the driver escaped without injury, according to 9 News.

Alcohol was not a factor in the second crash, the spokesperson said.

Police said no charges are expected to be laid until the result of the teenager's blood test is finalised.
Life in the White House has not gone as expected for power couple Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

The daughter of President Donald Trump is not sold on life in Washington, DC, according to sources who spoke with Politico.

And as she and her husband are finding they have been unable to do as much as they originally hoped, they have created a kind of exit-strategy.

Ivanka and Kushner will consider every six months whether they will return to New York City or stay in DC, according to The New York Times.

The paper also reported that Kushner has told friends he and Ivanka have not made a long-term commitment to the White House.

Ivanka Trump, left, and her husband Jared Kushner, right, will be considering every six months whether they will return to private life in New York

The couple, pictured, have not been able to accomplish as much as they would have liked under Ivanka's father, President Donald Trump

The couple are also renting the mansion where they are currently living in the Washington, DC, neighborhood of Kalorama.

Their decision to rent instead of buy gives them more freedom to return to their private lives in Manhattan.

But Trump's son-in-law has no intention of leaving soon, according to Politico.

The outlet has said the senior adviser to the President intends to focus on his Office of American Innovation since he and Ivanka returned early from the President's first trip abroad.

According to reports, Ivanka is not sold on life in Washington, DC. She, Jared and their family are pictured in March 2016 in New York City

Associates of his have said he has appeared 'unhappy' and 'miserable' because he hasn't been able to accomplish all that he has wanted to under the President and that the dysfunction in the White House is unlikely to go away, Politico reported.

Those feelings were present even before he came under fire for his proposal to establish a back-channel connecting Trump's campaign and Russia in December, which came to light this week.

Now Kushner is the focus of the Russia scandal, since his December conversation with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.

Despite the negative attention, the President's son-in-law has said he does not plan on resigning.
A 55-year-old man is in hospital in a critical condition after he was allegedly assaulted at a wedding at the University of Sydney.

Police say the man was assaulted by a fellow guest, a 40-year-old man, shortly after 7pm on Saturday.

Emergency services arrived to find him unconscious on the ground. He was treated for head and facial injuries before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

A 55-year-old man is in hospital in a critical condition after he was allegedly assaulted at a wedding at the University of Sydney (pictured)

Witnesses said the victim had been punched in the head by his alleged assailant, causing him to fall to the ground, according to police.

The 40-year-old man was arrested and charged with recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Newtown Local Court on June 15.

Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage of the incident and ask any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A 10-year-old boy was thrown from a waterslide on opening day of a $43million water park in California.

'The Wave' water park opened in Dublin, California, Saturday but within 90 minutes, the Emerald Plunge was closed.

The 10-year-old boy was flung off the track of the three-story slide onto concrete, just after noon, according to East Bay Times.

The boy then skidded several feet on the concrete, giving him scratches on his back.

He was not seriously injured and quickly stood up, but one witness said he was visibly shaken.

The new water park, 'The Wave' had only been open for 90 minutes when a 10-year-old boy was thrown off a waterslide. The Emerald Plunge is a three-story slide with an 80-degree angle drop

The 10-year-old then skidded several feet along the cement, which caused him several scratches on his back. He was taken to the hospital by his parents, but was released

'I was standing there, he seemed to be shook, but seemed to be okay. Came right up and immediately went into the First Aid room and was assessed by staff,' Dublin Assistant City Manager Linda Smith told ABC 7.

The boy's parents were also present, according to Smith.

Police and fire officials were not called to the scene because his parents declined. They took him to the hospital themselves, and has since been released, according to ABC 7.

The Emerald Plunge and the 'Dublin Screamer' slide beside it were closed for the rest of the day.

After the incident, the park, 'The Wave' closed the Emerald Plunge, pictured. Park officials have said they are 'reevaluating that slide'. The blue slide beside it was also closed for the day

A spokeswoman said the city-owned park is 'reevaluating that slide', according to Mercury News.

The manufacturing company went to the part to assess the slide, which Smith told the Mercury News had been tested 'scores of times'.

The park received a permit to run the slide, which drops at an 80-degree angle, on Friday.

Park officials said they followed the manufacturer's guidelines including height requirements, according to KTVU.

Riders are supposed to cross their arms and legs when going down the slide, but the boy's legs were apart, KRON reported.

The park's other four slides remained open for the rest of the day. The 31,000-square-foot park also has three pools, a water playground and an outdoor performing arts center.

The incident in Dublin comes almost one year after a 10-year-old boy was decapitated when he was thrown out of a waterslide's raft and into the safety netting.

Caleb Thomas Schwab was killed on August 7, 2016 on the 168-foot-tall Verruckt ride in the Kansas water park, Schlitterbahn.

The waterslide had reportedly never been inspected by the state since it opened two years previously.

There are no federal inspection laws for waterparks in the U.S., and inspections are handled on a state-by-state basis. State inspectors reportedly last checked the waterpark in 2012, well before the Verruckt opened in 2014.

The other four slides in the new water park remained open for the rest of the day
ISIS-linked terrorists have murdered 19 civilians in the Philippines including a woman and a child.

This week 85 people have died in street-to-street battles between the Philippine army and terrorists in the southern third of the country.

Officials said the 19 civilians were murdered by the terror group in the mostly Muslim city of Marawi, which has a 200,000 population.

Scroll down for video

ISIS tied up eight civilians, murdered them and threw their bodies from a bridge near Marawi

Fighting between Islamist militants and Philippine security forces in the southern city of Marawi has entered its sixth day, with most of the city's residents forced to flee

Residents in Marawi City have raised white flags in an effort to protect themselves from fighting between the Filipino army and a Muslim terror group linked to ISIS

Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said: 'These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people. We found their bodies while conducting rescue operations (on Saturday).

An AFP photographer saw another eight bodies by a road in the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

Herrera said the military had yet to investigate the reported deaths.

The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi after security forces attempted to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of ISIS.

The gunmen planted black ISIS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings.

ISIS launched their campaign after Filipino arrested arrested their local leader Isnilon Hapilon

Police found the murdered people who where thrown off a bridge on the island of Mindanao

Filipino authorities have threaten to use surgical airstrikes to take out ISIS terrorists

Thirteen soldiers, two policemen and 51 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 85.

Most of the city's residents have fled because of the fighting, which has seen the military heavily bomb residential areas where the militants were believed to be hiding.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Holy month of Ramadan, that it would intensify the bombing campaign.

Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said: 'In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities.'

'Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end.'

Filipino president Roger Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which they estimate has about 260 armed followers and has declared allegiance to ISIS.

But Duterte has said local criminals are backing the Maute in Marawi.

Approximately 2,000 people have been trapped in their homes by the teorrirists

Government spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong said 2,000 people have been trapped by the terrorists.

'They have been sending us text messages, calling our hotline, requesting us to send rescue teams but we cannot simply go to areas which are inaccessible to us.

'They want to leave. They are afraid for their safety. Some are running out of food to eat. They fear they will be hit by bullets, by airstrikes.'

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would step up the bombing.

After murdering eight people who were hog-tied, ISIS threw their dead bodies off a bridge.

ISIS launched their most recent attacks after Filipino authorities arrested the leader of the terror group in the country Isnilon Hapilon who had a $5 million bounty on his head.

Duterte said Saturday he was prepared to enforce martial law for as long as was necessary to end the terrorist threat, and even ignore constitutionally mandated safeguards such as Supreme Court and congressional oversight.
Bill Cosby may be worried someone is going to slip something into one of his drinks.

The disgraced comedian, 79, is facing a criminal trial on charges of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University athlete Andrea Constand, then 31, in his home in 2004.

And he's been accused by at least 60 women of drugging and assaulting them, often with a drug in their drinks.

Now he's reportedly paranoid something similar might happen to him, says Page Six.

Accused sexual predator Bill Cosby, with lawyer Angela Agrusa, appears in the courtyard of the Allegheny County Courthouse on Wednesday

'He and his wife are afraid that if he stayed at a hotel, someone will find a way to poison him, put something in his food,' a 'Cosby camp' source told the gossip column.

The source says he's so afraid someone will spike one of his drinks that he won't even drink out of the courthouse water fountain.

He also reportedly won't stay in hotels, but takes a private jet from his suburban home to the courthouse.

Another source says the former America's Dad's blindness is contributing to his paranoia.

According to a source, Cosby is now so paranoid and isolated that he thinks someone will try to slip poison into his drinks or food

Cosby is reportedly upset that comedians he helped early in their careers, like Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock, now aren't supporting him in his time of need

'That makes him even more vulnerable to [being] poisoned or to having someone sneak into his room,' said a source close to the family.

Cosby is said to be so worried about someone slipping him a mickey that he brings his own bottled water and meals to court.

He's also apparently worried someone might bug a room if he stayed at a hotel.

'Hes thinking and his team is thinking, if hes put in a hotel room, someone will find out which room hes staying in and theyll put a bug or a device in the room,' said the first source.

The source close to the family says he's also upset that he's been abandoned by Hollywood, especially those comedians he says he helped with their careers when they were first starting out, such as Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Sinbad, and Martin Lawrence.

Cosby, with a cane, is now completely blind according to sources, and this has made him even more paranoid

'He paved the way for [them]  they wont offer any support,' claims the source. 'Hes been told that agents have informed their clients that their careers would be over if they got involved.'

Cosby reportedly wants a few of the stars to sit in the courtroom or at least give him a call.

'Everyone says any affiliation is too toxic,' said the source.
Advertisement

A man wearing a freakish horror mask has been spotted at Schapelle Corby's mother's house following the drug smuggler's extraordinary return to Australia.

Corby, who arrived at Brisbane Airport on Sunday morning, went to astonishing lengths to avoid reporters after spending nearly a decade in jail and three years on parole in Bali.

While she is yet to be seen, friends and family members - including the masked man - have been pictured at her mother's home in Brisbane's Loganlea.

Corby's sister Mercedes arrived at the house shortly after the pair touched down in Brisbane, but there was no sign of 39-year-old Schapelle.

Shortly after, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland was called to the two-storey home after a male acquaintance's car battery went flat.

Once the car was revved up about 15 minutes later, four friends - seemingly amused by the media pack - drove off in the blue Ford Territory. The masked man peeked his head out of the door as they left.

A man wearing a freakish horror mask has been spotted at Schapelle Corby's mother's house following the drug smuggler's extraordinary return to Australia

While the convicted drug smuggler is yet to be seen, friends and family members were spotted at her mother's home in Brisbane's Loganlea shortly after her arrival, including the masked man

Schapelle Corby is seen in the immigration holding area before boarding her flight to Brisbane on Saturday night

Corby has gone to extreme lengths to avoid the inevitable media interest in her long-awaited return to Australia.

A brief clip shows the 39-year-old boarding her flight in the business class section of a Malindo Air plane on Saturday night. She wore a headscarf in an apparent attempt to hide her identity.

The video shows Corby taking her seat as her sister and others shielded her from the camera.

She switched flights to travel home on the budget Malaysian airline, dodging the 40 reporters who had booked seats on the Virgin plane she was expected to board.

After she landed in Brisbane, at least 12 vehicles left the airport in two convoys - apparently designed to throw the media scrum her off her scent.

The masked man was one of Corby's friends and family who drive off in a car after it to be jumped started after its battery went flat

Her sister Mercedes is pictured arriving at their mother's Loganlea house shortly after their plane landed in Brisbane

The convoys, followed by the media, left the airport, and took separate routes.

One ended at the Sofitel Hotel in the city, while the other stopped at the KFC store at Ormeau, en route to the Gold Coast. Corby was not seen in either.

In what was perhaps another decoy tactic, a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Corby appeared at Mercedes' Gold Coast home just after 9am.

The woman wore a large black hooded jacket, smiling as she entered a car in the driveway - though it is not believed it was Corby.

Shortly after her departure, there were bizarre scenes at the airport as a small band of supporters celebrated that Corby had fooled the media 'twice in eight hours'.

Meanwhile, a passenger on her flight home claimed the convicted drug smuggler was given special treatment as the plane touched down.

It is believed the 39-yer-old left the airport in one of 12 black vehicles which left the international terminal in separate directions - sending media on a wild goose-chase through the streets of Brisbane

Corby made a dramatic return to Australia after spending nearly 10 years behind bars and three more on parole in Bali

The RACQ arrived at the fibro two-storey about 9.40am, after a male acquaintance of the family suffered a flat battery

There was still no sign of 39-year-old Schapelle as her sister Mercedes (pictured) arrived at the family home

Gabrielle Amies, who sat directly behind Corby and her sister, said the pair seemed 'very happy' when the flight landed on Sunday morning.

'They seemed very happy a bit teary, yes,' Ms Amies said, adding that Corby kept a low profile on the flight.

'She ate and slept a bit they were laughing, they looked very happy,' Ms Amies said.

But she said some passengers on the flight were frustrated when airline staff blocked the rest of the flight from disembarking.

Mercedes did not speak to the media when she arrived with a security guard at Rosleigh Rose's home just before 7.30am

Gabrielle Amies, who sat directly behind Corby and her sister, said the pair seemed 'very happy' when the flight landed on Sunday morning

Shortly after her departure, there were bizarre scenes as a small band of supporters started shouting that Corby had fooled the media 'twice in eight hours'

'They stopped everyone getting off while Schapelle and her sister got off, and they blocked the toilets too, so that had some passengers pretty annoyed,' she said.

Ms Amies said Corby was not seen in the baggage hall, assuming she had been allowed through a VIP exit to avoid waiting media.

While she managed to sneak out of the airport unnoticed, a member of her security team read a statement on behalf of her family.

'It is with gratefulness and relief that we mark Schapelle Corby's return to Australia,' the security member said.

In what was perhaps another decoy tactic, a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Corby appeared at Mercedes' Gold Coast home just after 9am

Mercedes is seen arriving at her mother's home in Brisbane's south shortly after she and her sister returned from Indonesia

Corby shared a picture of the view from her seat moments before taking off shortly after 10pm local time

'We would like to say thank you to Schapelle's supporters for all the faith, love and support they have shown over the years.

'To all those in Australia and to all of those in Bali, who were there throughout the difficult journey, your support has not gone unnoticed.

'To each and every one of you, you are appreciated.'

The family then asked for privacy as the convicted drug smuggler tries to settle back into life in Queensland.

Corby's arrival marks the end of her long battle with Indonesian officials which began when they uncovered 4.2kgs of marijuana in her bodyboard bag in Denpasar airport in October 2004.

An unknown visitor at Corby's mother's home is seen bringing a bunch of flowers to the property in Brisbane's south

Minutes before she left her Bali villa, Corby posted this picture on Instagram writing: 'Big thank you to my Bali family'

Schapelle Corby has spent nearly 13 years in Bali after her arrest for smuggling 4.2kg of marijuana onto the Indonesian island
President Donald Trump returned home to the White House on Saturday after branding his first international tour through the Middle East and Europe a 'home run'.

Trump, wearing a navy suit with a red tie, descended from Air Force One with First Lady Melania Trump, who paired a mint green cardigan with cropped white trousers.

To the White House, Trump's first trip abroad was an embodiment of the promises he made as a candidate to put America's interests first and break through the guardrails that have long defined U.S. foreign policy.

But Trump is returning to simmering investigations into his associates' ties to Russia, which have reached his inner circle after son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner was named a person of interest in an FBI probe.

Scroll down for video

President Donald Trump returned home to the White House on Saturday after branding his first international tour through the Middle East and Europe a 'home run'

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and Trump's transition team during a December meeting, according to a bombshell report in the Washington Post.

Gary Cohen, Trump economic aide, said during a press conference in Italy: 'We're not going to comment on Jared'.

Upon Trump's return however, the White House is now trying to contain the scandal by expanding the president's legal team while testing new communications strategies that would advance the administration's agenda while limiting opportunities to be confronted about damaging stories, according to the New York Times.

Trump, wearing a navy suit with a red tie, descended from Air Force One with First Lady Melania Trump, who paired a mint green sweater with cropped white trousers

Melania looked pleased to be back on US soil as she smiled at photographers on the South Lawn

To the White House, Trump's first trip abroad was an embodiment of the promises he made as a candidate to put America's interests first

Pictured, Melania stepping out of Air Force One, before she waited for her husband to emerge after they landed at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday night

The pair concluded their nine-day tour and held hands upon their arrival back in the US

As he dashed through the Middle East and Europe, Donald Trump looked like a conventional American leader abroad.

He solemnly laid a wreath at a Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, had an audience with the pope at the Vatican and stood center stage with Western allies at the annual summits that dominate the diplomatic calendar.

But when Trump spoke, he sounded like anything but a typical U.S. president.

On his first overseas tour, the new president made no attempt to publicly promote democracy and human rights in Saudi Arabia, instead declaring that he wasn't there to lecture.

In Israel and the West Bank, he pointedly did not back America's long-standing support for a two-state solution to the intractable peace process.

And in the heart of Europe, Trump berated NATO allies over their financial commitments and would not explicitly endorse the 'one for all, all for one' defense doctrine that has been the cornerstone of trans-Atlantic security for decades.

Trump boarded Air Force One on Saturday without having held a single news conference on the trip - a break in presidential precedent that allowed him to avoid tough questions.

Instead, the White House hoped to let the images of Trump in statesman-like settings tell the story of his first trip abroad, and perhaps ease questions about his preparedness for the delicate world of international diplomacy.

Trump boarded Air Force One on Saturday without having held a single news conference on the trip. Pictured, Trump arriving on the South Lawn on Saturday

Pictured, senior adviser Stephen Miller, left, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMcaster returning to the White House following Trump's first international trip

President Donald Trump spoke to U.S. military troops and their families at the Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy on his last leg of the trip

At his final stop in Italy, Trump addressed an appreciative military crowd at the Naval Air Station Sigonella as they hooted and hollered at his pledges to eradicate terrorism and reassert America's global muscle.

Saturday's speech was equal parts victory lap and campaign bluster.

'The single greatest strength of our armed forces is you,' he said, pointing outward. 'You. All of you. The dedicated, really tough and really disciplined servicemen and women who bravely fight in our name.'

'You not only know the pain of sacrifice, but you also know the tremendous rewards of military service, of being part of something much larger than even yourselves. You know what it means to be part of a military team in which men and women are bound together in a sacred covenant of trust to serve together, to sacrifice together and to fight together.'

'And, by the way, to win together,' the president added, returning to another campaign buzzword.

Trump also boasted of his budget proposal's massive $54 billion enlargement of the Pentagon's spending power, calling it 'an historic investment in defense spending.

Trump's speech was brazen as he bragged about his budget proposal's massive $54 billion enlargement of the Pentagon's spending power, calling it 'an historic investment'

Pictured, Trump with Melania heading back to Air Force One after his speech in Italy

Pictured, the president embarking on his trip back to Washington, DC, amid the crisis about his campaign's alleged ties with Russia

But Trump's return home Saturday night shifts attention back to the storm clouds of scandal hovering over the White House.

In a briefing with reporters Saturday, White House officials shifted uncomfortably and refused to comment when asked about reports that Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, tried to set up secret communications with Russia after the election.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating a back-channel to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke with The Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Michael Flynn, Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, with Russian military leaders, according to the AP source.

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

Kushner also had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak both during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, Reuters reported.

Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner 'has no recollection of the calls as described.'

Ivanka Trump, left, and her husband Jared Kushner, right, will be considering every six months whether they will return to private life in New York

In an attempt to contain the scandal, the White House is looking to expand both a private team of lawyers, and hire additional support for White House Counsel Don McGahn, according to the New York Times.

Trump is also expected to meet with his private lawyers in Washington as early as Sunday.

The White House is also approaching communications from a new angle, so the administration can speak directly to Trump supporters through campaign rallies, social media, or flattering interviews with handpicked news organizations, the Times reported.

That would likely lead to White House press secretary Sean Spicer taking on a less public role as the administration considers limiting daily briefings.

Jared and Ivanka returned home from Rome on Thursday, with sources saying the couple will revisit the possibility of returning to private life in New York every six months as they have found it difficult to do as much as they originally hoped.
Passengers on board Schapelle Corby's flight to Australia from Bali have vented their anger over the tight security and delay in transporting the airline's 'special guest'.

The convicted drug smuggler stepped off a Malindo Air flight in Brisbane on Sunday morning after cancelling her Virgin flight at the 11th hour.

It is believed Corby's arrival caused both flights to be delayed, with angry travellers voicing their frustration.

'They said that the special guest had to get off first. They blocked everyone from business class,' one passenger aboard the Malindo Air flight told the ABC.

Passengers on board Schapelle Corby's flight to Australia from Bali have vented their anger over the tight security and delay in transporting the airline's 'special guest'

The convicted drug smuggler stepped off a Malindo Air flight in Brisbane on Sunday morning after cancelling her Virgin flight to the city at the last minute

'A few people were annoyed about that, because they blocked the toilets as well - so people who wanted to go to the bathroom had to wait.'

Another angry traveller said the Virgin flight Corby had originally booked a seat on was also affected.

'We were told they blocked every business class seat in Virgin as well, which delayed their flight,' the passenger said.

'Friends of mine were really annoyed, because they were delayed as well. They kept paging her over the speakers for her on that flight, and she was never on that flight.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Virgin Australia for comment.

Earlier, Gabrielle Amies, who sat directly behind Corby and her sister Mercedes in the business class section of the Malindo Air flight, questioned why the drug smuggler was treated like a celebrity.

'They stopped everyone getting off while Schapelle and her sister got off... so that had some passengers pretty annoyed,' she said.

'When do you treat someone who has a drug conviction as a celebrity?

Gabrielle Amies, who sat directly behind Corby and her sister Mercedes in the business class section of the aircraft, questioned why the drug smuggler was treated like a celebrity

'We had to wait a few minutes, which I don't think was totally necessary.'

Ms Amies said Corby was not seen in the baggage hall, assuming she had been allowed through a VIP exit to avoid waiting media.

It is believed the 39-year-old left the airport in one of 12 black vehicles which made a swift exit from the international terminal.

Meanwhile, Corby joined Instagram just hours before she was picked up by a police convoy to begin her trip home.

Her first picture, a photo of her two dogs Luna and May, was posted from her Kuta home in the hours before she left on Saturday.

'Going to miss these two. My puppies #Luna&May,' Corby wrote.

Minutes before she left her Bali villa, Corby posted this picture on Instagram writing: 'Big thank you to my Bali family'

Corby was expected to land in Brisbane at 5.50am on Sunday, but changed flights at the last minute to travel home on budget airline Malindo Air, dodging the 40 reporters who had booked seats on the Virgin flight

Her second post, which appeared moments after she was whisked away by police, shows her 'Bali family', including sister Mercedes and brother Michael Corby Jr.

'Big thank you to my Bali family, neighbours and my brother in law Wayan,' she wrote.

Her dramatic homecoming brings an end to a saga that began nearly 13 years ago, when the then-beauty therapist landed in Bali for a holiday with family and friends.

Corby's life was forever changed the moment a customs officer lifted 4.2kg of top-quality marijuana from her boogie board bag the afternoon of October 8, 2004.

Corby will turn 40 in July, her youth having faded away behind bars at the notorious 'Hotel K', or Kerobokan Prison.

Schapelle Corby (left) shared a selfie with her sister Mercedes, writing: 'Almost at the airport.. with my @mercedescorby'
Donald Trump has reportedly told multiple people in private that he has decided to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement

President Donald Trump has reportedly told multiple people in private that he will withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement.

Though Trump has publicly said he has not yet made up his mind, Axios reports he has privately told several people of his decision, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

The outlet spoke with three sources who confirmed the information, though Trump has been known to change his mind at the last minute.

Trump tweeted Saturday morning to say he would announce his 'final decision' on whether or not the US will stay in the Paris agreement next week despite coming under intense pressure from world leaders at the G7 in Sicily.

'I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!' he wrote.

The president earlier declined to comment about the accord, as he refused to give into intense international pressure.

Within the Environmental Protection Agency, staffers are quieting down on public lobbying and Pruitt will have fewer television appearances about the issue so that the withdrawal will be 'the President's victory', according to Axios.

There are also concerns within the EPA that Trump could be influenced by the pressures he received overseas, according to the outlet.

Scroll down for video

Trump has privately told Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, pictured, about his plans to withdraw the US from the Paris deal, according to reports

Front row, L-R: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, Guinea's President Alpha Conde, US President Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou pose for a family photo with other participants of the G7 summit

The EPA is quieting their public lobbying and Pruitt, pictured, will hold off on television appearances concerning the deal so that the withdrawal will be seen as 'the President's victory', according to Axios

Earlier Saturday, the other members of the G7 voted to abide by the Paris climate agreement, according to a person familiar with the talks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before the formal announcement.

The leaders attempted to convince Trump for three days - first in Brussels at meetings of NATO and the European Union, then in Sicily for G7, but the former reality television host left Italy without making clear where he stands.

Under the G7 agreement, the Trump administration will be given more time to consider whether it will remain committed to the 2015 Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.

Backing out of the climate accord had been a central plank of Trump's campaign and aides have been exploring whether they can adjust the framework of the deal even if they do not opt out entirely.

Trump gestures while being flanked by Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, left, and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou

Donald Trump, fourth left, speaks during a round table meeting of G7 leaders and Outreach partners

Trump tweeted his plans to announce his decision regarding the agreement, which is designed to combat climate change, next week

Other G7 nations leaned heavily on Trump to stay in the climate deal, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying 'we put forward very many arguments.'

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who chaired the meeting, was much stronger in his statement, saying the other six: 'won't change our position on climate change one millimeter. The U.S. hasn't decided yet. I hope they decide in the right way.'

French President Emmanuel Macron 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.

However Trump was said to be reluctant to compromise with European leaders over several key issues that prompted European council president, Donald Tusk, to admit that the meeting would be the most challenging in years on Friday.

A draft statement from the summit, seen by the Guardian, showed Trump wanted world leaders to make little mention of migration and that he wanted a plan by the Italian hosts for a comprehensive five-page statement that acknowledges migrants' rights to be thrown out.

The Italian plans  one on human movement and another on food security  were set to be the centerpiece of its summit diplomacy.

Italy had chosen Taormina in Sicily as the venue of the meeting to symbolize the world's concern over the plight of refugees coming from the Middle East and Africa.

Saturday marks the last leg of Trump's European tour. He is pictured with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, second from left, and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou

Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrive for a G7 family photo in the Sicilian town of Taormina, Italy, on Saturday, May 27

In addition to casting doubts on migrants, Trump told his fellow G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Friday that he had not yet decided whether or not to endorse the Paris agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

'His basis for decision ultimately will be what's best for the United States,' top economic adviser Gary Cohn said at the annual talks in Sicily.

Cohn was referring to whether Trump will execute his threat to walk away from the Paris accord on combating climate change.

But his language also summarizes the 'America First' platform that dominated his election rhetoric.

The leaders had better luck finding agreement on the other problematic topic at the summit, trade. They restored a vow to fight protectionism - the use of import taxes and skewed regulations that favor domestic producers over their foreign competitors.

The no-protectionism pledge had been a part of previous G7 statements but was omitted after a meeting of the group's finance ministers' earlier this month in Bari, Italy.

This time the G7 leaders reiterated a 'commitment to keep our markets open and to fight protectionism.'

The Trump administration has argued that trade must be balanced and fair as well as free.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni (centre) with Lagarde and Trudeau as they attend a round table meeting of G7 leaders and Outreach partners at the Hotel San Domenico

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and Christine Lagarde (center)

WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF TRUMP BACKS OUT OF PARIS DEAL? Earth is likely to reach more dangerous levels of warming even sooner if the US retreats from its pledge to cut carbon dioxide pollution, scientists said. That's because America contributes so much to rising temperatures. More than two dozen climate scientists analyzed and studied a special computer model scenario designed to calculate the potential effects of Trump pulling out of Paris. Scientists said it would worsen an already bad problem and make it far more difficult to prevent crossing a dangerous global temperature threshold. Calculations suggest it could result in emissions of up to 3 billion tons of additional carbon dioxide in the air a year. When it adds up year after year, scientists said that is enough to melt ice sheets faster, raise seas higher and trigger more extreme weather. 'If we lag, the noose tightens,' Princeton University climate scientist and co-editor of the peer-reviewed journal, Climatic Change, Michael Oppenheimer said. One expert group ran a worst-case computer simulation of what would happen if the US does not curb emissions, but other nations do meet their targets. It found that America would add as much as half a degree of warming (0.3 degrees Celsius) to the globe by the end of century. Scientists are split on how reasonable and likely that scenario is. Many said because of cheap natural gas that displaces coal and growing adoption of renewable energy sources, it is unlikely the US would stop reducing its carbon pollution even if it abandoned the accord, so the effect would likely be smaller. Others say it could be worse because other countries might follow a US exit, leading to more emissions across the board. While scientists may disagree on the computer simulations they overwhelmingly agreed that the warming the planet is undergoing now would be faster and more intense. Advertisement

Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said the US reserves the right to be protectionist if trade arrangements are unfair to American companies and workers.

Trump's position appeared to be addressed by new language in the final G7 accord that said the member countries would be: 'standing firm against all unfair trade practices.'

It comes after he said in Brussels this week the Germans are 'bad, very bad' in their trade practices.

But the club of leading democracies also looks set to fall short of last year's declaration on refugees and migration - the sort of language that is anathema to a White House that wants to impose a ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority countries.

It is a measure of the gulf that this year's Italian hosts say they expect the final statement to come in at just six pages when it is released on Saturday afternoon - down from 32 pages last year.

The summit did find common ground on Friday in endorsing a British call urging internet service providers and social media companies to crack down on jihadist content online, after 22 people were killed in a Manchester concert bombing in northwest England this week.

The G7, urged on by Japan, will also adopt common language against North Korea after a series of missile tests by the nuclear-armed nation.

The leaders have been wrangling on the wording of a final communique since Friday with international trade and climate change the main stumbling blocks.

Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with the President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou as they attend a round table meeting of G7 leaders and Outreach partners
Turkey on Sunday condemned a recent Taliban-claimed suicide car bombing in southeastern Afghanistan which left 18 people dead, Anadolu reported.

Saturday's terrorist attack, which according to the locals, apparently targeted the Afghan security forces' convoy in Khost City, the provincial capital of Khost, also left six others injured including two children.

"We condemn this terrorist attack which took place in the first day of the holy Ramadan. We wish Allahs mercy upon those who lost their lives, speedy recovery to the wounded, and convey our condolences to the brotherly Government and people of Afghanistan," Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said the attack invited the wrath of the people towards the Taliban.

"Terrorist groups that have no regard for religious values and blessed days, have once again committed a crime against humanity on the directives of their masters," Ghani said in a statement.

"Criminals must know that by killing and targeting innocent civilians, they cannot not reach their goals, but receive more hatred from the people," he added.

The High Peace Council, tasked with reaching a peace deal with the Taliban, termed the attack as "painful and very disturbing".

Mohammad Ismael Qasimyar, adviser at the HPC, told Anadolu Agency that such attacks were a setback to efforts for peace.

"We urge the Taliban to shun violence, and at least cease fire in the month of Ramadan," he said.

The attack was also widely condemned by the general public on social media, with one Tweeter asking "On the basis of what religion are you [Taliban] waging these atrocities?".

The first day of Ramadan is a public holiday in Afghanistan. In clear defiance to the call of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for cease-fire in this holy month, the Taliban announced Friday they would in fact intensify their attacks during Ramadan.
A stream of relatives and friends have arrived at Schapelle Corby's mother's home, the latest being the drug smuggler's aunt - who arrived with a $600 bottle of vodka.

Corby is yet to be seen since landing at Brisbane airport on Sunday morning, but a woman known only as 'auntie Jen' couldn't contain her excitement as she arrived at Rosleigh Rose's home in Brisbane's south just after midday.

'So happy! Yay, she's home in Australia!' she said, clambering out of the back seat of a grey SUV.

A stream of relatives and friends have arrived at Schapelle Corby's mother's home, the latest being the drug smuggler's aunt - who arrived with a $600 bottle of vodka

Corby is yet to be seen since landing in Brisbane on Sunday morning, but a woman known only as 'auntie Jen' couldn't contain her excitement as she arrived at Rosleigh Rose's home

A car with family friends later arrived, with a man donning Halloween masks to greet them and later let them out of the home

She waved a yellow ribbon tied to a tree out the front of the home - a symbol of the 'Free Schapelle' movement.

Later, she was pictured clutching a six litre bottle of Belvedere Vodka, which retails for $600.

Corby's sister Mercedes arrived at the property at around 7.30am in one of the black SUVs that led media on a wild goose chase from Brisbane Airport.

She left close to 11 hours later in the same way, hiding in the backseat of the vehicle as it was driven out of the driveway.

A car with family friends later arrived, with a man donning Halloween masks to greet them and later let them out of the home.

Other people inside the house, including Mercedes, have spent time using mobile phones to film the media as visitors have come and gone from the property.

A delivery man arrived at the Corby household with a pavlova flavoured cheesecake.

The writing on the cake said: 'Welcome home Pelly'.

No one answered the front door when the Cheesecake Shop employee knocked, likely because of the large media crowd.

A delivery man (pictured) arrived at the Corby household with a pavlova flavoured cheesecake

No one answered the front door to take the cake off the hands of the Cheesecake Shop employee when he knocked. The writing on the cake said: 'Welcome home Pelly'

Body guard John McLeod (pictured), who flew to Indonesia last week to oversee Corby's arrival home, was also spotted leaving the house

'So happy! Yay, she's home in Australia!' she said, clambering out of the back seat of a grey SUV

Corby's sister Mercedes arrived at the property in one of the black SUVs that led media on a wild goose chase from Brisbane Airport

Other people inside the house, including Mercedes (pictured), have spent time using mobile phones to film the media as visitors have come and gone from the property

Corby is seen in the immigration holding area before boarding her flight to Brisbane on Saturday night

He then called his boss and ended up leaving the cake sitting on the stairs.

Corby's mother hasn't been seen but is believed to be inside the house.

The freed drug trafficker's body guard John McLeod, who flew to Indonesia last week to oversee Corby's arrival home, was also pictured leaving the house.

Three years ago, when Schapelle was freed on parole, Ms Rose famously celebrated with champagne showers on the balcony of the Loganlea home.

But auntie Jen said she 'didn't know' whether the house would be hosting a big party on Sunday afternoon.

While she professed no knowledge of where Corby was, Jen was earlier seen at Mercedes' Tugun home.

Also seen at the property was a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Corby.

The woman wore a large black hooded jacket, smiling as she entered a car in the driveway - though it is not believed it was the drug smuggler.

While the convicted drug smuggler is yet to be seen, friends and family members were spotted at her mother's home in Brisbane's Loganlea shortly after her arrival, including the masked man

An unknown visitor at Corby's mother's home is seen bringing a bunch of flowers to the property in Brisbane's south
The second of two men who were stabbed to death on board a Portland train after they tried to intervene when a white supremacist launched an 'anti-Muslim' tirade at two young women has been identified.

Rick Best, was a city of Portland employee who retired from the Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after serving 23 years in the military.

The married 53-year-old father of four and Oregon native, began working for the city as a technician and once ran for Clackamas County commissioner, according to the Oregonian.

He was heading home to Happy Valley on Friday night when he and Taliesin Myrddin were stabbed by Jeremy Joseph Christian. A third man was injured.

Scroll down for video

Veteran: Rick Best served 23 years in the military and was heading home to his family when he was stabbed to death on a train in Portland

One of the two victims has been identified by his mother as Taliesin Myrddin in a touching tribute posted to Facebook

The 35-year-old white supremacist has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count each of aggravated murder and being a felon in possession of a restricted firearm, reported KOIN 6.

Best's supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services Kareen Perkins, said: 'He was always the first person you would go to for help.

'I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out.'

Myrddin's mother, Asha Deliverance, earlier paid tribute to her son, writing on Facebook: 'Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland.

'He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever.'

Myrddin was one of the two men stabbed on Friday night, and police have arrested Jeremy Joseph Christian in relation to the crime.

His sister, Aurora Dachen, also posted a tribute to her late brother, describing him as her hero, and writing: 'As I'm sure some of you may know, my dearest brother was one of the men who lost their lives on the MAX in Portland yesterday.

'My heart feels empty from the loss of my big brother, but also from the cruel awakening that hate & judgment can cause someone to do such a thing. I am so proud to be able to call someone so brave and strong my big brother.

'You have always and will always be my hero, Tilly. Although, you may not be here to hold and comfort me, I know you will always be apart of me. Thank you for teaching me everything you have. I will forever cherish every memory we have made these last 18 years. I will try my hardest to make you proud everyday, Til. #hateisevil'

Dachen also shared an event on her Facebook page called 'We stand up, we stand together' which will be a candlelight vigil to remember the two Good Samaritans who lost their lives Friday night.

His sister, Aurora Dachen, also posted a tribute to her late brother, describing him as her hero. He is pictured in an undated Facebook photo

His sister, Aurora Dachen, wrote: 'You have always and will always be my hero, Tilly. Although, you may not be here to hold and comfort me, I know you will always be apart of me. Thank you for teaching me everything you have. I will forever cherish every memory we have made these last 18 years. I will try my hardest to make you proud everyday, Til. #hateisevil'

Dachen also shared an event on her Facebook page called 'We stand up, we stand together' which will be a candlelight vigil to remember the two Good Samaritans who lost their lives Friday night

The suspected murderer Jeremy Christian is known for hate-speech, and is a self-identified white supremacist who was pictured on April 29 referring to himself as the 'Lizard King' and giving Nazi salutes at a free speech rally with an American Revolutionary War flag tied around his shoulders like a cape.

Jeremy Joseph Christian has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count each of aggravated murder and being a felon in possession of a restricted firearm

He walked among fellow protesters holding American flags and signs that said 'Trump Makes America Great Again.'

Christian's Facebook site paints disturbing a picture of the suspect, and he describes himself by saying: 'I'm an Ex-Con. I Like Comix, Cannabis and Metal-In Any Combination. If you are an Employer, F*** Off.'

The suspect has been in jail previously for a string of charges including robbery, kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon, and he brags about being an ex-con on his Facebook page.

He has posted on his profile a number of times to say he supports the Nazis, and once even said he wants a job in Norway 'cutting off the heads of people that Circumcize (sic) Babies.'

The accused is also a white supremacist who was pictured giving Nazi salutes at a free speech rally in April with an American Revolutionary War flag tied like a cape around his shoulders

He has posted a number of times to say he supports the Nazis, and once even said he wants a job in Norway 'cutting off the heads of people that Circumcize (sic) Babies'

Additionally, Christian threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me'

Additionally, Christian has threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me,' in a comment thread on his Facebook profile.

On May 9, Christian wrote about a debate he challenged someone to: 'I will defend the Nazis and he will the defend the AshkeNAZIs.'

Before attending the April 29 rally where he was caught on camera giving the Nazi salute, Christian wrote: 'You should all attend the Free Speech Rally at Montanavilla if you value your rights. All Rights, I don't care if you like Antifa or Hate them. They are just an excuse for a showdown.

'I hope the Police Stand Down as in Berkeley. I will be there Demasking anyone with a mask. I will attend in Lizard King Regalia as a Political Nihilist to Provoke both Sides and attempt to engage anyone in a true Philosophy and Political Discussion.

'If you attended masked up and that mask comes off and I see a friend who sided with ANTIFA it will be merciless. Free speech or die!!! This is my land!!!'

Additionally, Christian threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me'

Christian has been in jail previously, for a string of charges including robbery, kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon, though he brags about being an ex-con on his Facebook page. He even posted his prior mugshots (above)

He also referred to President Trump the 'antichrist,' but in a way that turned it into a compliment.

'If Donald Trump is the Next Hitler then I am joining his SS to put and end to Monotheist Question. All Zionist Jews, All Christians who do not follow Christ's teaching of Love, Charity, and Forgiveness And All Jihadi Muslims are going to Madagascar or the Ovens/FEMA Camps!!! Does this make me a fascist!!!'

Man engaging in hate speech and giving the Nazi salute at the end of the #Portland free speech march pic.twitter.com/8QRmmvTDAf  Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) April 29, 2017

In a picture from his Facebook page, Christian posed with someone in a military hat at what appears to be a party

Before attending the free speech rally where he was caught on camera giving the Nazi salute, Christian wrote: 'If you attended masked up and that mask comes off and I see a friend who sided with ANTIFA it will be merciless. Free speech or die!!! This is my land!!!'

Christian was arrested after he ran off the train at the Hollywood transit station in Portland, Oregon, the Oregonian reported.

The attacker was 'yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs' before he turned his focus on the women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, police Sgt. Pete Simpson said.

He is being held without bail in the Multnomah County Detention Center, and will appear in court on Tuesday, according to KOIN.

After the suspect attacked the victims, he reportedly said, 'This is free America, I can do whatever I want' one witness told KOMO news.

One victim was dead at the scene and while another died at a hospital, Simpson said. The third person was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A man who was yelling 'anti-Muslim' slurs at two young women on a light-rail train stabbed two men to death and injured a third person when they tried to intervene, police said

The attacker was 'yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs' before he turned his focus on the women

After the suspect attacked the victims, he reportedly said, 'This is free America, I can do whatever I want' one witness told KOMO news

The attack happened on a MAX train as it headed east on Friday around 4.30pm, and since then has triggered calls for President Donald Trump to speak out against Racism, according to the Telegraph.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations national executive director Nihad Awad said: 'President Trump must speak out personally against he rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation.

'Only a strong statement from the nation's leader will send a message to bigots that such acts of violence targeting racial, ethnic or religious minorities are unacceptable.'

Evelin Hernandez, a 38-year-old resident of Clackamas, Oregon, said she was on the train when the man began making racist remarks to the women.

'[He] said, "Get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don't pay taxes here." [He said he] doesn't like Muslims, they're criminals,' Evelin Hernandez told KATU.

When the two men stepped in and tried to protect other passengers on the train, the suspect slashed their throats, Simpson told the news channel.

It wasn't clear why the man was yelling, but the Portland Police department characterized the rant as 'hate speech toward a variety of ethnicities and religions'.

'He was talking about a lot of different things, not just specifically anti-Muslim,' Simpson said.

After the stabbings, the suspect said he was free to do what he wanted in America, witnesses said. He also reportedly said he was getting off at the next stop and no one should follow him, KOIN reported.

Police don't know if Christian has mental health issues or whether was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.

Simpson said the women understandably left the scene before police arrived, adding that authorities hoped to track them down to help fill in what happened.

The two women were described by police as 'possibly Muslim', although Simpson said: 'We have not been able to find those girls to verify that.'

The suspect was arrested after he ran from the Hollywood transit station in Portland, Oregon, around 4.30pm on Friday

'It's horrific,' Simpson said. 'There's no other word to describe what happened today.'

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley wrote on Twitter: 'Terrible tragedy on Portland's Max Train. Champions of justice risked and lost their lives. Hate is evil.'

Portland's Commissioner Chloe Eudaly issued a statement saying: 'This is an especially sad and disturbing incident. People lost their lives or were injured because they stood up to hate.

'We need to offer our heartfelt support to the two women and others who were targeted. The courage of the people who stood up for them is a reminder that we as a city need to stand together to denounce hate.'

The FBI also offered their assistance in the investigation, saying: 'At the core of the FBI's mission is the belief that every person has the right to live, work and worship in this country without fear.

'Hate and bigotry have no place in our community, and we will not allow violence in the name of hate to go unanswered.'

Millions of Muslims marked the start of Ramadan on Friday, a time of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.

'Our thoughts are with the Muslim community,' Simpson said. 'As something like this happens, this only instills fear in that community.

'We have already reached out previous to this incident to our Muslim community partners and the different imams about extra patrol during Ramadan. We want to reassure them that that will continue.'

MAX trains were halted for several hours after the incident, and an investigation is ongoing.
Anthony Weiner's 'stylish and unique' duplex apartment was listed for rent, only to be taken off the market a week later.

Weiner, 52, and his wife Huma Abedin listed their three-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot apartment at 1 Irving Place near Manhattan's Union Square for $11,900 a month in a report that first appeared in the New York Post.

The listing was posted on May 19 - the day Weiner pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor in federal court. Abedin also filed for divorce that same day.

But the apartment is no longer available, according to multiple property websites, and it remains unclear whether an eager renter snapped up the opportunity or if the listing was taken down for other reasons.

Anthony Weiner's 'stylish and unique' duplex apartment was listed for rent, only to be taken off the market a week later. Pictured, Weiner leaving Manhattan Federal Court on May 19

The modern apartment, located on the 14th and 15th floors, has a view that overlooks Union Square Park and extends out over the midtown skyline. General view of 1 Irving Place

The three-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot apartment at 1 Irving Place near Manhattan's Union Square spans two floors, with a view overlooking Union Square Park

The modern apartment, located on the 14th and 15th floors, has a view that overlooks Union Square Park and extends out over the midtown skyline.

The listing on Corcoran also boasts a new washer and dryer in the unit, 'spa-like baths', a wine chiller, and eat-in kitchen.

Just days after the listing first emerged, however, it was no longer available. On the website Hotpads.com, the listing expired on May 21, while Streeteasy states the unit was off taken off the market on May 25.

While it remains unclear whether the apartment was successfully rented out, it's safe to say Weiner will be moving on to more modest surroundings.

He wept in court on May 19 while begging for forgiveness as he entered a plea of guilty to a single charge of transferring obscene material to a minor

'I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse,' Weiner told the court, while agreeing to accept any prison sentence of less than 27 months and register as a sex offender.

He wept in court on May 19 while begging for forgiveness as he entered a plea of guilty to a single charge of transferring obscene material to a minor

Abedin had announced their separation in the wake of his third sexting scandal in August, only for another scandal to hit one month later.

DailyMail.com revealed in September the disgraced Congressman had been exchanging sexually-charged messages and explicit photos with a 15-year-old high school student in North Carolina.

The exchanges began in January of last year after the teenager reached out to Weiner on Twitter, and continued through late spring.

Weiner was 51 and still married to Huma Abedin when he sent the texts and images to the minor female, during a time when his primary responsibility was the care of his son Jordan, now 5, while Abedin was on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton.

Weiner was 51 and still married to Abedin when he sent the texts and images to the minor female while Abedin was on the campaign trail (pictured left, the couple at the Met Gala in 2016, and right, Abedin on May 20)

Abedin, who did not show up to support Weiner in court earlier this month, instead filed for divorce on May 19.

Abedin is asking the court to keep the case under seal in hopes of keeping the proceedings out of the press, which may prove to be difficult given her husband's recent legal woes.

The filing is uncontested however, meaning there is little chance that Abedin and Weiner will be waging any public battles pertaining to the division of their assets or custody of 5-year-old son Jordan.

It is likely that both are also hoping for a swift resolution ahead of Weiner's sentencing in September.
A three-year-old boy has gone missing after he wandered away from a campsite on Saturday afternoon.

Little Ezra, whose last name has not been released, was last seen wearing a red shirt and blue shorts and was camping with his family in the Sam Houston National Forest near Stubblefield Lake in Texas.

Officials worry the toddler may suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration overnight.

Three-year-old Ezra (pictured), whose last name has not been released, went missing after he wandered away from a campsite in Texas on Saturday afternoon where he was camping with his family

The campsite where the boy was last seen was in a remote area and was not a formal campsite, which could complicate search efforts.

Rescue teams are currently grappling with thick brush and, unlike a missing adult, Ezra may not realize that search parties are out looking for him.

The New Waverly Volunteer Fire Department is currently using K-9s, and asking visitors to not enter the forest while canine units search the area.

'Our tracking dogs work off the scent. The less scent that we can have in the woods, the better a chance that they can be successful in their search,' Captain Jimmy Williams told KTRK.

'We need to search for this child, we don't want to search for missing rescuers as well.'

Additionally, officials say they don't want to flood the forest with different scents so the dogs are not confused as they carry out the search effort.

Ezra and his family were at the Sam Houston National Forest (pictured) near Stubblefield Lake in a remote area and not a formal campsite, which could complicate search efforts. Officials worry the toddler may suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration overnight

Several other state agencies have been called in to assist, as well as a Texas Game Warden's Search & Rescue team.

No volunteers have been asked to help yet, but Williams says they are asking those who live near the forest to be on the lookout.

'If you do live near the forest, if you're traveling to the forest, be vigilant,' he said during a press conference at 9pm.

'If you have a home and if you live, a lot people live in and amongst the forest, we're just asking you to go out, check the backyard, check any buildings on your property.

'Make sure that the child hasn't wandered onto your property.'
A survivor of the Manchester bombing has taken in the daughter of her best friend who was killed in the atrocity and has vowed to 'love her like her own'.

Caroline Davies and Wendy Fawell were at Manchester Arena to collect their children who were among thousands piling out of the venue having watched Ariana Grande when Salman Abedi blew himself up, killing 22.

One of those who lost their lives in the massacre was Wendy Fawell, tragically leaving her daughter Charlotte, 15, without a mother.

Caroline Davies, who said losing Wendy was more like having a sister taken away than a friend, is determined to 'not let hate win' and has promised to care for Charlotte as if she were her own child.

Caroline Davies (right) was waiting to pick up her sons Lee and Ben (left) from the concert

Charlotte Fawell has lost her mother, and has been taken in by Caroline Davies after the atrocity

Wendy Fawell, 50, was one of 22 victims killed when Salman Abedi blew himself up at Manchester Arena

Caroline, 39, told the Sunday Mirror: 'I'll never replace Wendy but I will always be there for her.

'I'd do anything for her and I'll love her like she is my own. I've been like a second mum to Charlotte anyway.

'I have said she can live here if she wants to. There is always room for her here.'

In a cruel twist of fate, Wendy and Caroline split up to make sure they didn't miss Charlotte and Caroline's sons Lee, 16, and Ben, 12.

Unknowingly, Wendy Fawell walked into the path of depraved ISIS-inspired terrorist Abedi.

His suicide bomb killed her and 21 others as well as injuring at least 119 more.

Charlotte is currently with the Davies family in Otley, West Yorkshire, and had the heartbreaking task of identifying her mother's body.

She told the paper: 'Identifying mum's body hit me really hard. That's when I realised she wasn't coming home.

'Even when I was told she'd gone I guess I still hoped there had been a mistake. But seeing her body changed that.'
Recovery workers faced with the traumatic task of removing a man's body from a narrow stormwater drain were forced to crawl at times to retrieve it after it was discovered by an elderly couple.

The man, aged in his 30s, was found lodged inside the drain on Benaraby Rd in Gladstone, more than 500km north of Brisbane, after a grandfather investigated a bad smell that had been wafting over his property for several days.

Dozens of firefighters, police officers and rescue crew gathered at the scene to determine how the body would be recovered from such a tight space, eventually deciding someone would need to crawl in to drag it out, the Gladstone Observer reported.

Scroll down for video

Emergency crew eventually had to crawl into the man hole to retrieve the body which was lodged in the stormwater drain (

The man, aged in his 30s, was found after residents noticed a foul smell drifting from the drain

'In some stages the officers had to crawl through... it wouldn't have been a pleasant site or job and I take my hat off to those who did it,' Detective inspector Luke Peachey said.

Emergency crew initially considered excavating the road to retrieve the man's body, but it was recovered by Queensland Fire and Emergency Service workers who entered the manhole 24 hours after it was first discovered.

His body had been inside the stormwater drain for at least a week before it was discovered, police say.

The granddaughter of the couple who investigated the foul smell near their Gladstone property says crew initially believed it was a woman's body.

'The body was discovered in the drain which is practically on their property. Granddad has been complaining about a bad smell the past couple of days, so he went to investigate,' the woman, named Tegan, said.

'[They thought] he was a young woman. Probably 25. He was described as very pretty.'

Emergency crew initially considered excavating the road to retrieve the man's body, however it was recovered by Queensland Fire and Emergency Service workers who entered the manhole 24 hours after it was first discovered

Tegan said her grandparents were coping 'surprisingly well' after the grisly discovery.

The exact age, identity and cause of death of the man is yet to be released.

Police also revealed they had set up a crime scene at the Gladstone home of the deceased man.

His property on Toolooa Street is now being swept for evidence by detectives.

'We're now waiting for the pathologists to conduct an autopsy in regards to that body,' Det Insp Peachey said.

Detectives are appealing to any members of the public that may have information concerning the death to contact police.
Iran's Supreme Leader slammed Saudi Arabia as 'America's milking cow' as he attacked the nation over its close relationship to 'infidels'.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched a fierce attack after US President Donald Trump's recent visit to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Speaking at a meeting to mark the start of Ramadan, he said: 'These people [the Saudis] appear to believe in the Koran... but in practice they act against its teachings.'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticised Saudi Arabia's relations with the US

Khamenei added: 'They are close with the infidels and offer the enemy the money they should be using to improve the lives of their own people.

'But in reality there is no closeness and, as the Americans have said, they are just there to pump them for money like a milking cow, and later slaughter them.'

During President Trump's visit on May 21, Saudi Arabia agreed to buy $110 billion of US weapons and signed investment deals worth billions more.

Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran are on opposing sides in a number of regional conflicts, including in Syria and Yemen.

Trump sought to boost an anti-Iran alliance of Arab powers during his trip - but the visit was dismissed as a 'show with no practical or political value' by Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani.
A housekeeper who earned 35,000 a year to cook, clean and shop for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children in their Norfolk home has quit her job after the post became 'too demanding', it has been reported.

Sadie Rice, 35, has been working at the couple's country home for two years, but reportedly refused to spend more time at their London home, Kensington Palace, which they share with Prince Harry.

Ms Rice's departure will be inconvenient at a time when William and Kate have been seeking to expand their household staff.

Sadie Rice, 35, left, who earned 35,000 a year to cook, clean and shop for the Duke and Duchess (right) of Cambridge and their children in their Norfolk home has quit the job she took up in 2015 after the post became 'too demanding', it has been reported

Country retreat: More than 4.5 million of taxpayers money was spent on Apartment 1a of Kensington Palace when William and Kate married in 2011, but they lived there for only a few months before moving up to Anmer Hall, pictured, in Norfolk

The Royal couple have spent an increasing amount of time in their London home since they decided to enroll Prince George at private Thomas's School in Battersea, south London.

A source at the Queen's nearby Sandringham Estate told the Sun: 'Sadie's a hard worker but the job's demands got too much, even for her.

'They wanted her to spend more time at Kensington Palace and her work was increasing all the time.

'She wasn't having a normal life outside work. Sadie's serving her notice and it seems nothing will change her mind. It's their loss.'

A source at the Queen's nearby Sandringham Estate told the Sun : 'Sadie's a hard worker but the job's demands got too much, even for her. She wasn't having a normal life outside work'

The Royal couple have spent an increasing amount of time in their London home since they decided to enroll Prince George at private Thomas's School in Battersea, south London. Here they are pictured at Buckingham Palace's garden party

Neither Sandringham Estate or Kensington Palace were able to confirm that Ms Rice has resigned from her post.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: 'We cannot comment on the Duke and Duchess's private staff.'

The unconfirmed departure of Ms Rice - who used to work for the Prince of Norway according to the Daily Star - comes as William and Kate seek to boost the size of the team who work to keep life at Kensington Palace running smoothly.

Shortly after Prince Philip announced that he would be stepping down from public engagements, two of his young staff Corporal Stewart Harvey and Lance-Sergeant Stuart Hayes were seconded to Kensington Palace as a result of having increasingly little to do.

We're hiring: Wills and Kate have had a busy summer of events so far and need a team of household staff who will keep everything running smoothly

Kate, pictured here at sister Pippa's wedding to James Matthews earlier this month, is also hunting for a new principal private secretary after it was reported that Rebecca Deacon is leaving the post this summer after ten years in royal service

Kate is also hunting for a new principal private secretary after it was reported that Rebecca Deacon is leaving the post this summer after ten years in royal service.

The Royal couple have also recently hired a second housekeeper at Anmer Hall  Emma Boyce, 35, who previously worked for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie for a decade.

A Sandringham insider told the Daily Mail the mother-of-two was a 'welcome addition, adding: She is very popular and friendly and George and Charlotte already get on well with her and her kids  she has a boy and a girl.

Current Kensington Palace staff include housekeeper Antonella Fresolone and Prince George and Princess Charlottes Spanish nanny, Maria Borrallo.

Kensington Palace released a photo of Princess Charlotte to celebrate her second birthday. It was taken by Kate at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. The Princess will soon start nursery in London

While Princess Charlotte is set to attend a London nursery, her older brother Prince George enjoyed his early years at a small local village nursery, the 5.50 an hour Westacre Montessori, while the family were still based at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, above

William and Kate have moved back to London with Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, two, as George prepares to start attending Thomas's school in Battersea in September.

The young royal enjoyed his early years at a small local village nursery, the 5.50 an hour Westacre Montessori, while the family were still based at Anmer Hall.

Princess Charlotte, who celebrated her second birthday in May, will soon start nursery school in London.

Prince George, left, is used to dressing up for formal occasions such as his auntie Pippa Middleton's recent wedding to James Matthews. He'll soon be wearing smart uniform every day when he begins attending Thomas's school in Battersea in September

More than 4.5 million of taxpayers money was spent on Apartment 1a of Kensington Palace when William and Kate married in 2011, but they lived there for only a few months before moving to Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

The palace is also home to Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, while Princess Eugenie is expected to move there this year.

Prince Harry's girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle, is also a regular visitor at his two-bedroom cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
These horrific photographs appear to show party-goers dancing with a dead dolphin at a university halls of residence.

The two men are thought to have travelled miles with the mammal carcass before bringing it to student accommodation near the Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland.

After being caught on camera dancing with the dolphin, the pair then threw the animal out of a window.

The two young men were captured on camera dancing with the dead dolphin at a university halls of residence in Cork, Ireland

Its bloodied body was later found lying on grass outside the Parchment Square Student Accommodation complex.

An employee who found the carcass the morning after the Wednesday night party was instructed to wrap it up and dispose of it, according to reports.

Disturbing pictures of the incident were leaked online after being posted on the Snapchat app while a video is also understood to have been recorded by shocked onlookers.

The carcass was found outside the building the morning after the Wednesday night party by an employee

The two men involved are not thought to be students at the university but are said to have travelled from miles away with the carcass.

It is not known how they came into possession of the dolphin's body.

A spokesman for the Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals branded the youngsters 'idiots' and said: 'The mind boggles with people's stupidity.

'Anybody with any level of cop-on would know it's not right. They'll think twice before they do something like this again.'
The younger brother of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi was planning an attack on a United Nations special envoy.

Reports claim Hashem Abedi, 20, had plotted to assassinate Martin Kobler, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, during a visit to Tripoli earlier this year.

The terrorist cell were thought to be in the later stages of the plan, but it was foiled before it could be executed.

Reports claim that Hashem Abedi, 20, had plotted to assassinate Martin Kobler, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, during a visit to Tripoli earlier this year

The Islamic extremist group had been monitored for some months by Libyan security services who believe the younger Abedi brother is a 'significant player, reports the Telegraph.

He was arrested at the Abedi family home in Tripoli on Tuesday and is being interrogated by MI6 and Libyan intelligence over his role in the Manchester Arena bombing last Monday.

Twenty two people were murdered and 119 injured when Salman Abedi detonated a nail bomb in his backpack, at an Ariana Grande concert packed full of young people.

Hashem has allegedly admitted buying the components of the explosive device.

The 20-year-old is said to have told interrogators that he and his brother supported Islamic State, and claimed that the attack was carried out in revenge for the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Salman Abedi on the night that he travelled to the Manchester Arena and detonated a bomb after the Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 119

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night. Her mother was later found to have died in the attack

The brothers left Britain to visit their parents in Libya after stockpiling the bomb parts, before Salman returned to carry out his deadly mission.

Following his alleged confession Hashem could face extradition to the UK and stand trial over Britains worst terrorist atrocity since 7/7.

Ahmed Bin Salem, of Libyas Special Deterrents Force, told The Mail on Sunday: Hashem knew what Salman was doing. He knew he was planning an attack but did not know exactly when.

He has admitted buying the materials for Salman in Manchester.
Daesh group claimed responsibility on Saturday for the deadly attack on Coptic Christians in Minya that left 29 dead on Friday

The number of Christians killed in an armed attack on buses carrying pilgrims in Upper Egypts Minya governorate has risen to 29, said Egypt's Cabinet in a statement published by MENA late Friday.

Thousands of Christians, weeping and praying, gathered at the church of the Sacred Family in the village of Dayr Jarnous in Maghagha in Minya governorate late Friday, in a funeral service for seven of the victims of the attack.

Their grief quickly turned to anger as funeral prayers at the Church became a protest march with young men chanting as they carried a large wooden cross, Reuters reported.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said in a televised speech following the terrorist attack on Christians in Minya Friday morning that an airstrike against a terrorist training camp was being carried out as he spoke.

He added that, "Egypt will not hesitate in striking any camps that harbour or train terrorist elements whether inside Egypt or outside Egypt," adding that Friday's attack, which saw 29 Copts killed by armed gunmen, will not pass easily.

El-Sisi said that a strike was being launched targeting a camp that had been a source of terrorists who had carried out attacks in Egypt, without specifying its location.

The Egyptian armed forces released a short video that was shown on state television after El-Sisi's speech. The voiceover said that upon the directions of the president, the airforce had carried out a strike against terrorist gatherings in Libya "after confirming their involvement in planning and committing the terrorist attack in Minya governorate on Friday."

Following El-Sisi's speech, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail underlined the unity of the Egyptian social fabric, in a short press conference at Mahad Nasser Hospital in Cairo, adding that "all Egyptians are targeted without exception."

Ismail said that the blood let is Egyptian blood, confirming the importance of collaboration against terrorism.

Earlier, Health Minister Ahmed Emad El-Din said that of 11 left injured at Mahad Nasser Hospital, nine were in a stable condition after surgery, while two were set to have surgery Saturday.

Emad El-Din referred to two other injuries in Minya Hospital, with one set to be transferred to Galaa Military Hospital in Cairo, while the rest of the injured were treated and discharged from hospital.

Twenty-nine Christians were killed and 23 injured in the armed attack on buses carrying them to a St Samuels Monastery in Upper Egypts Minya governorate Friday morning.

The interior ministry said in an official statement that unknown assailants driving three 4x4 trucks attacked by "firing randomly" at the bus carrying Coptic citizens.

The ages of the victims ranged from children to citizens over 60, the bishop of Minya told Egypt's TV channel DMC. Only three children survived the attack, a source from the church told Al-Ahram.

Arab and Western countries have denounced the attack, expressing their solidarity with Egypt against terrorism.

No group has yet claimed the Minya attack, which is the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Egypts Christians.

On 9 April, two suicide bombers targeted St George's Church in Tanta and St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, killing and injuring dozens in the deadliest attack against civilians in the country's recent history. A total of 29 people died in the Tanta explosion and 18 in Alexandria.

Cairo imposed a nationwide three-month state of emergency after the April bombings, with the option to extend for another three months dependent on a parliament vote.

Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


A Jewish gym owner in Melbourne has been met with vile death threats following his online criticism of the Islamic community.

Avi Yemini, a former sharpshooter for the Israeli Defence Forces, shared a video to Facebook on Saturday morning slamming attacks performed by Islamic militants in the Phillipines and Egypt, and claiming Ramadan is 'the month of Jihad'.

On Sunday afternoon, he was sent a Facebook message by a Parramatta man who claimed he would 'make sure you drown in your own blood your [sic] Jewish scum'.

Pictured: The death threat received by Melbourne gym owner Avi Yemini over Facebook on Sunday

Melbourne gym owner Avi Yemini (pictured) received a vile death threat over Facebook following his criticism of attacks overseas by Islamic militants

'Do you think your [sic] a mad c***. Talking about Islam like that,' the message began.

'Let's meet up and have a chat about Islam. U [sic] think your [sic] some tuff [sic] guy aye well [we] will see how tough you are.

'I promise u [sic] I'm gana [sic] see you round and when I do I'm gana [sic] make sure you drown in your own blood your [sic] Jewish scum'.

Mr Yemini says the message has proved a point he has long been trying to make about some Islamic people.

'He's clearly not too happy, but he's kind of proved my point,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'You can scream and shout that you're part of a religion of peace, but in the same sentence you threaten you're going to murder someone.

'For any religious man to sit behind a computer and think it's okay to talk about murdering someone else, it's mind boggling.'

The Jewish man claims he will not be silenced by the threats, which he claims prove the point he was trying to make

The death threat, which is not the first Mr Yemini has received, is 'confronting', he says, but won't stop him from sharing his views.

'You can't help but stand back and go "woah". Somebody is actually threatening to kill you,' he said.

'There's no way I'm going to allow it to stop me or silence me in any way.'

Mr Yemini says he has had issues with opposition to his views on Islam that he does not face when criticising other religions.

Mr Yemini claims she does not have similar issues with religious people after criticising other religions such as Judaism

A Jewish man himself, the former IDF sharpshooter says he often critiques his own religion as well, and his videos and online posts are 'ideas' and not personal attacks.

I'm discussing ideas,' he said.

'I'm certainly not a person who discriminates against anybody for their race, religion and gender but i will discuss ideas.

'If I have a problem with something, I will discuss it and make my position known, but certainly not from a racist point of view.

[This man is] so offended that I'm willing to discuss his religion - but I talk about Judaism as well.

'No Jew has ever threatened me if I've said something against Judaism, they've discussed it with me and tried to convince me otherwise.'

The former Israeli Defence Force sharpshooter says he is considering running for State Government to try and make Victoria safer

Earlier this week, Mr Yemini told his online following of 66,000 he was considering running for State Government.

'I've got an opinion and I'm going to voice it and if nothing is going to change, I'm going to try and change it myself,' he said.

Mr Yemini has forwarded on a screenshot of the threatening message to Victoria Police, but has concerns, as a threatening phone call he received in March and reported has not been dealt with.

'I've forwarded it all through to the police,' he said.

'I just hope [the people threatening me] don't shoot me in the meantime.'
It was a lavish wedding reception inside one of Sydney's grandest buildings, complete with a big band and hundreds of adoring guests.

But as the nuptials partied the night away inside the University of Sydney's Great Hall on Saturday, little did they know a violent incident had been unfolding outside.

A 55-year-old male wedding guest was left fighting for his life in hospital after he hit his head on the building's pavement following an alleged assault at the hands of a fellow attendee.

The lavish wedding inside the University of Sydney's Great Hall on Saturday night, complete with big band, was marred by an alleged assault outside the building

The bride and groom had partied in style at their wedding in Sydney on Saturday night

Police say the man was assaulted by a 40-year-old man, the groom's third cousin, shortly after 7pm.

Emergency services arrived to find the 55-year-old man unconscious on the ground and he was treated for head and facial injuries before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Witnesses said the victim had been punched in the head by his alleged assailant, causing him to fall to the ground, according to police.

The 40-year-old man was arrested and charged with recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Newtown Local Court on June 15.

Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage of the incident and ask any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Blood stains on the ground where a 55-year-old man hit his head after allegedly being knocked to the ground by a fellow wedding guest
A gay GP whose father arrived in Ireland from India is the leading candidate to be Ireland's next prime minister.

Leo Varadkar, 38, is challenging Simon Coveney to replace Enda Kenny as the leader of the Fine Gael party who are currently leading a minority government in Ireland.

Kenny, who is currently Taoiseach announced that he will not lead his party into the next general election.

Leo Varadkar, right, is running to become leader of Fine Gael who are currently leading a minority government in Ireland against his only challenger Simon Coveney, left

Varadkar, left, is bidding to be the first openly gay prime minister in Irish history

In response to Kenny's resignation, support for Fine Gael has increased in the opinion polls.

However Saturday's survey was the second poll in two days that showed Fine Gael had regained its standing as Ireland's most popular party, a position it now holds in a majority of opinion polls.

Fine Gael support increased to 29 per cent from 24 per cent a month ago in the Sunday Business Post/Red C poll, while the main opposition party Fianna Fail fell seven points to 21 per cent.

The left-wing Sinn Fein, the country's third biggest party, also saw its support slip to 15 per cent from 18 per cent.

The survey of 1,000 people was taken between May 19 and May 25, just after the Fine Gael leadership contest began. Red C chief executive Richard Colwell said it reflected huge media attention on the party and it would have been a surprise if Fine Gael had not got a boost.

However, he said the shift in support was heavily concentrated among under-35s, a potentially encouraging development for Fine Gael who hope their likely next leader, 38-year-old Leo Varadkar, can broaden the party's support base.

It will choose on Friday between Varadkar, who would become Ireland's first openly gay leader and its first of Asian immigrant descent, and fellow minister Simon Coveney. The winner is set to succeed Kenny as prime minister shortly afterwards.

The current Fine Gael-run minority government, which was formed a year ago and relies on Fianna Fail to abstain on key votes to govern, is due to run until the end of 2018.
An anti-Muslim rally descended into chaos on Sunday when hundreds turned out to protest against a proposed Islamic school being built in Sydney's west.

Members of the Party for Freedom packed out Penrith's centre on Sunday afternoon to voice their opposition to the Muslim school.

The protest turned ugly when protesters spoke out against immigration, schools, mosques and prayer halls cropping up in Penrith, a culturally diverse city in Sydney's west.

Scroll down for video

The police were forced to restrain people involved in the protest, but no arrests were made

The protest was organised by the Party for Freedom, which openly rejects Islam and multiculturalism.

'The people of Penrith and Sydney do not want an Islamic school built in the heart of Penrith, the party said online.

Protesters shifted their focus to the 'large Muslim population' after the school's development application was withdrawn earlier in the week due to constraints at the site.

Speakers at the protest called for Australians to stand up against Muslims and Muslim immigration, theWestern Weekender reports.

'There should be more concerned Australians standing up and sending a message that this will not fly in our neighbourhoods,' Toby Cook said.

'The Islamists will take over but it's up to us to stop them.'

'The people of Penrith and Sydney do not want an Islamic school built in the heart of Penrith,' the Party for Freedom said

'Credit to NSW police who did a top job at anti-Islam protest in Penrtih today,' reporter Troy Dodds said

Another speaker Liz Fredericks said there were too many Muslim immigrants living on welfare payments and urged them to find work or leave the country.

'If you can't do that, the answer is simple. Get back on the boat, get back on the plane and don't look back.'

The protest took an ugly turn when a speaker started to condemn scripture from the Qaran.

'Fighting is obligatory for you as much as you dislike it  those who fought for my cause I shall forgive their sins,' one man said.

'That's what they're teaching their little children.

Police were forced to restrain the protesters on Sunday - but no arrests were made

'Command Muslims to kill Jews, Christian apostates and infidels, that's what they're teaching little children  to kill non-Muslims as their ticket to paradise.

'Has the council thought of the consequences for the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years, how many tens of thousands of people will be brainwashed to think they must commit killing as their ticket to paradise.'

The protest was met with resistance from people carrying 'Love Penrith, Hate Racism' signs.

One man was heard shouting 'if the dogs were a better shot you would have been dead mate, you and your grandparents would have been dead, boom boom'

The police were forced to control the rally when protesters started to threaten onlookers.

One man was heard shouting 'if the dogs were a better shot you would have been dead mate, you and your grandparents would have been dead, boom boom'.

New South Wales police said police officers remained the scene for two hours on Sunday afternoon but no arrests were made.
The teenage daughter of ex-England star Wes Brown ran for her life when she was caught up in the Manchester terror attack.

Halle Brown, 14, came within 150metres of peril when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his nail bomb at the Manchester Arena, last Monday.

The teen attended the Ariana Grande concert with a friend and was lucky to escape the performance unharmed.

Halle Brown, 14, pictured with her mother Leanne, was caught up in the Manchester terror attack last Monday

Twenty two people were murdered and 119 injured in the horrific blast, including an eight-year-old girl.

Sharing her terrifying experience, Halle told the Sun: 'I grabbed my friend and ran. But we couldn't get out of the nearest exit because it was at the top of steep stairs, and the aisle was full of people.

'One girl was sat on the floor and it looked like her leg had been wounded by bomb shrapnel.

'It was really terrifying, but all I could think of was getting out.'

Halle was on the phone to her mother Leanne, pictured with husband, former England star Wes Brown, as she tried to flee the packed arena

Halle was on the phone to her mother Leanne as she tried to flee the packed arena, who said it was 'the worst half an hour of my life'.

After learning that she was safe, Leanne and Wes raced from their home in Cheshire and picked up their eldest daughter from outside the arena.

It was not until later that the family learned of the true extent of the horrific attack.

On hearing the news Leanne said it left her 'stomach churned' and 'my heart was in my mouth'.

Among the victims of the Manchester blast were nine teenagers.

Courtney Boyle, 19, was with her step-father Philip Tron, 32, both from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, when they were killed by the explosion.

A man is pictured wrapped in foil and bleeding from a head wound after being caught up in the explosion at the Manchester gig

Salman Abedi on the night that he travelled to the Manchester Arena and detonated a bomb after the Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 119

Eilidh MacLeod, 14, who was from Barra, in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, travelled down to watch the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena with her friend Laura MacIntyre, 15.

Laura escaped unharmed but Eilidh sadly lost her life.

Michelle Kiss, 45, whose daughter was pictured outside the arena being comforted by a police officer, was also named as a victim.

Olivia Campbell, 15, had sent her boyfriend a poignant message telling him she was 'having so much fun', before she was killed.

Georgina Callander, 18, was another young woman who lost her life in the blast.

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night

The possible last movements of Salman Abedi, who travelled by tram to the Arena and may have got in the lift from the station into the venue

Schoolgirl Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, was killed, while her mother, Samantha Leczkowksi, 44, and grandmother, Pauline Healey, 64, were badly hurt.

Kelly Brewster, 32, died after she flung herself over her sister Claire Booth, 44, and 11-year-old niece Hollie  protecting them from the full force of the explosion.

Nell Jones, 14, from Cheshire, became one of the 22 victims just hours after posting a selfie on Snapchat with the caption: 'Ariana Grande now X'.

Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, had been out for dinner with her friend in the city centre, when she was caught in the blast as she went to pick up a friend's children at the concert.

Elaine McIver, an off-duty Cheshire Police officer, was among those killed in the blast.

Thousands of people have attended vigils and laid flowers to victims after the attack on Monday night, with a 'I [love] MCR' becoming a mantra of the city as it heals

Schoolgirl Megan Hurley, 15, from Liverpool, whose brother, Brad, 20, was seriously injured, also lost her life.

Public relations manager Martyn Hett, 29, from Stockport, was killed two days before he was due to start a two-month 'holiday of a lifetime', friends revealed.

Angelika and Marcin Klis, from York, were named among the dead by the Polish embassy in London.

Mr Klis, a taxi driver, and his wife went to restaurant in Manchester as their daughters, Patrycia Kils, 12, and Alex Klis, 20, attended the concert and died as they arrived to pick the girls up.

Friends Alison Howe, 45, and Lisa Lees, 43, both from the Oldham area, were killed as they waited for their children in the foyer.

Teenage sweethearts, Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, also lost their lives.

John Atkinson, 26, from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, was also killed, alongside former school worker Wendy Fawell, from Otley, West Yorkshire.
Emily Drouet took the photo of the huge red mark on her cheek and sent it to a friend

A student who was being beaten by her boyfriend took a harrowing selfie showing her swollen face just days before she killed herself.

Emily Drouet, 18, took the photo of the huge red mark on her cheek and sent it to a friend to document the abuse she was suffering at the hands of Angus Milligan.

He would slap her if he thought she had told a lie, encouraged her to sleep with other men and bought her bondage restraints for her 18th birthday.

Emily was found dead inside her halls of residence in Aberdeen in March 2016 after deciding she was unable to escape from her abusive relationship.

Milligan, 21, pleaded guilty last week to assault, threatening and abusing her using abusive and offensive language and sending offensive, indecent, obscene and menacing texts - he is due to be sentenced on July 5.

Emily's parents, Fiona and Germain Drouet, say the photo is still the source of great upset for them, but they have decided to release it in the hope of helping other girls trapped in a similar situation.

Her mother told the Daily Record: 'I want to jump inside the picture and cuddle her. I want to tell her that she could have spoken to me, that she could have asked for help. We would have been there.

Milligan, pictured left and right at separate court hearings, pleaded guilty last week to assault, threatening and abusing her using abusive and offensive language and sending offensive, indecent, obscene and menacing texts

Emily Drouet, a law student from Glasgow, was found dead on March 18 last year

Her mother revealed that Emily had appeared nervous around Milligan when he stayed at their house, and only answered them with one word.

Former public schoolboy Milligan would often send her complimentary text messages, but within minutes was launching vicious tirades against her.

But despite often wondering if they could have done anything differently, the family are in no doubt who is to blame for Emily's death.

Fiona added: 'If she had never met Angus Milligan, she would be alive today. If she had never met Angus Milligan, she would be alive today.

'Within six months, that man destroyed our daughter and wrecked our lives. Hes just complete evil.'

Emily's parents, Fiona and Germain Drouet, say the photo is still the source of great upset for them, but they have decided to release it in the hope of helping other girls trapped in a similar situation

Law student Miss Drouet, from Glasgow, was found dead on March 18, the day after the last alleged assault.

Police investigated her death but initially ruled there were no suspicious circumstances.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Daily Mail reported that fellow students and friends of Miss Drouet held a party to mark what would have been her 19th birthday.

They had vowed to keep her memory alive and, more than ten months on from the tragedy, they held a commemorative party, with the blessing of her family.

Co-organiser Blake Herriot had earlier said on social media: So, this Saturday marks the 19th birthday of our beautiful Emily Drouet. Over ten months we have gone without our best friend beside us.

Angus Milligan, 21, is said to have assaulted Miss Drouet several times while she was living at Hillhead Halls in Aberdeen University

Police investigated her death but ruled there were no suspicious circumstances

According to court documents, Milligan is said to have assaulted her by pouring beer over her, seizing her by the neck, choking her and pushing her against a desk

Mr Herriot said a large group of Miss Drouets friends planned to attend a number of venues in Aberdeen, including her favourite nightclub, Vanity, where pictures of her beautiful smile were to be displayed for all to remember her by.

He added: Emilys mum has made the best of arrangements to celebrate Emily turning 19. Balloons have been bought and drinks will be shared.

We all love you so much, Emily, we miss you more every day. It will never be the same without you.

The party was welcomed by Miss Drouets grandmother, Eileen Campbell, who wrote on Facebook: Emily is my beautiful, caring, very special granddaughter. Thank you, Blake, you put into words everything in my heart.

In another post, she said: Emily brought so much joy to our family.

Her sunny smile and lovely personality is so missed. Emily is loved so much and for ever in our hearts. Love you, Gran.

The Samaritans charity is an organisation set up to help people who are struggling to cope with life, and provides a 24-hour service. Anyone who needs advice can contact the team on 116 123.
Diane Abbott today shrugged off her past support for the IRA - saying simply that like her afro hairstyle she has changed her mind on it.

The shadow home secretary also refused four times to say she 'regrets' supporting the group, which killed around 1,800 people in its bombing and shooting campaign.

The comments are likely to enrage the families of those killed by the IRA and spark accusations she is trivialising her old position.

The Labour frontbencher was also grilled over why she once voted against banning Al Qaeda and previously called for MI5 to be scrapped.

Scroll down for video

Dianne Abbott compared her old support for the IRA to her old afro haircut - saying simply that she has changed her mind over the past 34 years

Home Secretary amber Rudd, who also appeared on The Andrew Marr Show this morning, slapped down ms Abbott over her comments. Ms Rudd said she has also changed her haircut, but has never changed her mind over keeping the British public safe

The close Corbyn ally was challenged over former backing of the group after it emerged that she said that an 'IRA victory against the British state would be a victory for all of us'.

Asked on the BBC Andrew Marr show if she regrets saying the comment, Ms Abbott refused.

She said: 'It was 34 years ago, I had a rather splendid afro at the time. I don't have the same hairstyle and I don't have the same views.

'It is 34 years on, the hairstyle has gone and some of the views have gone.'

She was again pressed by Marr who asked her: 'So you regret the fact, what you said about the IRA?'

But Ms Abbott stuck to her mantra, saying: 'The hairstyle has gone, the views have gone. We have all moved on in 34 years Andrew, haven't you?'

The presenter stressed again, and said: 'We have all moved on, I'm just wondering do you regret what you said about the IRA at the height of the bombing?'

But Ms Abbott again ducked the question, and said 'what specifically do you want me to regret?' before repeating her mantra that she has 'moved on' over the past 34 years.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd slapped down the Labour frontbencher over the comments.

Ms Rudd, who also appeared on the show, said: 'What I would say to Diane Abbot is I've changed my hairstyle a few times in 34 years as well, but I have not changed my view over how we keep the British public safe.'



The shadow home secretary was grilled over why she voted against banning Al Qaeda and called for MI5 to be scrapped as she was grilled today on the Andrew Marr show

The Labour frontbencher was also grilled over her history of consistently opposing measures to toughen up security.

She has challenged over over why she voted against measures to ban Al Qaeda shortly before the 9/11 terror attack, and has called for the abolition of MI5.

But the frontbencher defended voting against banning terror groups, telling the show: 'What the legislation brought forward was a whole list of organisations, some of which some people would argue were not terrorist organisations but dissident organisations.'

Pressed by Marr over what groups on the list she thought were not terrorists, she could not name one.

And she was also challenged over why she previously branded the MI5 a 'conspiratorial group' and called for it to be scrapped.

She said: 'At that time, I and a lot of people felt MI5 needed reforming.

'It has since been reformed and of course I would not call for its abolition now.'

Jeremy Corbyn refused to criticise his shadow minister for comparing her IRA support to an old haircut.

Asked about it on ITV's Peston On Sunday, he said: 'Diane's hairstyle is a matter for Diane.'




A female ex-army officer turned security professional is the mastermind behind drug trafficker Schapelle Corby's ongoing game of hide and seek with the world's media.

Eleanor 'Elle' Whitman, first came to the forefront of Corby's return home to Australia when she nervously fronted cameras at Brisbane airport to deliver a statement on behalf of the family.

Now Ms Whitman, an employee of Tora Solutions - the security firm operated by Corby's bodyguard John McLeod - can be revealed as the brains behind the day-long game of cat and mouse that has since ensued.

Ms Whitman has reportedly spent weeks planning Corby's escape, from the moment she touched down in Brisbane, to the wild goose chase of black SUV's Corby that left the international terminal and then the mystery about her current whereabouts.

Scroll down for video

Eleanor 'Elle' Whitman (pictured), female ex-army officer turned security professional, can now be revealed as the mastermind behind drug trafficker Schapelle Corby's ongoing game of hide and seek with the world's media

Ms Whitman (pictured) has reportedly spent weeks planning Corby's escape, from the moment she touched down in Brisbane, to the wild goose chase of black SUV's Corby that left the international terminal and then the mystery about her current whereabouts

The efforts of Ms Whitman have left the enormous media scrum at a loss as to the whereabouts of Schapelle Corby (pictured), who has spent the past

Seemingly impressed by her efforts to leave media at a loss as to Corby's location, Ms Whitman's family took to social media in the wake of her disappearance to brag about her feat.

'It's not every day that you get to pull the wool over the eyes of the Australian Media Circus, but our daughter Eleanor did it this morning,' her father Paul Whitman wrote.

'I have been entirely disinterested in the comings and goings of Schapelle Corby, and even less in the media reporting of it until today.

'Why today? Because our daughter Eleanor has been in command of the security arrangements for Corby's arrival in Australia.

'She's been working on it for weeks! Today was the pay-off.'

But it seems the bragging by her family wasn't totally appreciated, with Mr Whitman taking down his post less than an hour after Daily Mail Australia first reported on it.

The extreme lengths taken by Ms Whitman and her security detail began in Bali, with Corby's last-minute change of flights.

While 40 journalists had boarded a Virgin Airlines flight from Denpasar to Brisbane in the expectation they would be joined by Corby, the 39-year-old give them the slip.

Instead she hopped onto a Malindo Air plane, sitting in business class and wearing a headscarf in an apparent attempt to hide her identity.

Corby made a dramatic return to Australia after spending nearly 10 years behind bars and three more on parole in Bali

It is believed the 39-year-old left the airport in one of 12 black vehicles which sped off from the international terminal in separate directions - sending media on a wild goose-chase

Her sister Mercedes is pictured arriving at their mother's Loganlea house shortly after their plane landed in Brisbane

There was still no sign of 39-year-old Schapelle as her sister Mercedes (pictured) arrived at the family home

The extreme lengths taken by Ms Whitman (middle) and her security detail began in Bali, with Corby's last-minute change of flights

While Corby managed to sneak out of the airport unnoticed, it was left up to Ms Whitman to read a statement on behalf of her family (pictured)

Keeping the headscarf over her head as she disembarked the jet, Corby is thought to have then boarded one of 12 vehicles that left the airport soon after.

The group of black SUVs departed in two convoys, apparently designed to throw the media scrum her off her scent.

The convoys, followed by the media, left the airport, and took separate routes.

One ended at the Sofitel Hotel in the city, while the other stopped at the KFC store at Ormeau, en route to the Gold Coast. Corby was not seen in either.

At 7.30am, Corby's sister Mercedes arrived at her Gold Coast home. She was quickly ushered inside by security.

In another decoy tactic seemingly planned by Ms Whitman, a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Corby appeared at Mercedes' home just after 9am.

In another decoy tactic seemingly planned by Ms Whitman, a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Corby appeared at Mercedes' home just after 9am (pictured)

A man wearing a freakish horror mask has been spotted at Schapelle Corby's mother's house following the drug smuggler's extraordinary return to Australia

While the convicted drug smuggler is yet to be seen, friends and family members were spotted at her mother's home in Brisbane's Loganlea shortly after her arrival, including the masked man

A media scurm has been waiting outside her sister Mercedes' home all day for a glimps of Corby

Minutes before she left her Bali villa, Corby posted this picture on Instagram writing: 'Big thank you to my Bali family'

The woman wore a large black hooded jacket, smiling as she entered a car in the driveway - though it is not believed it was Corby.

While Corby managed to sneak out of the airport unnoticed, it was left up to Ms Whitman to read a statement on behalf of her family.

'It is with gratefulness and relief that we mark Schapelle Corby's return to Australia,' she said.

'We would like to say thank you to Schapelle's supporters for all the faith, love and support they have shown over the years.

'To all those in Australia and to all of those in Bali, who were there throughout the difficult journey, your support has not gone unnoticed.

'To each and every one of you, you are appreciated.'

Tonight, thanks to the perfectly orchestrated plan from Ms Whitman, the highest-profile person in Australia's whereabouts remain unknown.
Hugh Grant, pictured, allegedly confronted property investor Justin O'Brien over a dog that urinated outside his west London home

Hugh Grant has been reported to police over a row outside a Chelsea restaurant about a pet dog urinating outside his 10million home.

The actor, 56, allegedly confronted property investor Justin O'Brien after spotting him at a Gordon Ramsay diner just months after an argument between the pair spilled out into the press.

The Hollywood star had come out of his west London home in a hoodie last year and ranted at the 47-year-old about 'p*** and s***' from dogs on his street.

Mr O'Brien claimed at the time that he had asked where his miniature schnauzer, named Buddy, was supposed to urinate and Mr Grant replied 'in the gutter'.

Now the Four Weddings and a Funeral actor - who admitted at the time that he was 'a little rude' - is said to be furious that the dog owner went to the press rather than speaking to him directly.

After the latest row, a source told The Sun: 'It was a heated exchange and there was quite a bit of verbal to and fro.'

Mr Grant was at the restaurant with his partner Anna Eberstein, 38, when he spotted Mr O'Brien dining with a female companion and confronted him.

Mr O'Brien claimed at the time that he had asked where his miniature schnauzer, named Buddy, was supposed to urinate and Mr Grant replied 'in the gutter'. He is pictured with a different dog

The row started after Mr Grant saw miniature schnauzer Buddy, pictured left and right, urinating outside his home

Mr O'Brien, pictured left with a female friend, has now reported the star to police

Following the alleged altercation the property investor has reported the star to police.

Detectives have not made any arrests and enquiries continue.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police are investigating an allegation that was reported to officers at Kensington and Chelsea.

'The allegation is that a comment was made during an exchange between two men outside a restaurant in SW10.'
An NHS surgeon who spent 48 hours saving Manchester terror victims was racially abused by a road rage driver on his way back to work.

Naveed Yasin, 37, had spent two grueling shifts battling to save the lives of those injured in the horrific nail bomb attack at Manchester Arena.

After going home to rest, he was travelling back to Salford Royal Hospital when a white middle aged man lowered down his window and screamed: 'You brown, P*** b******.

NHS surgeon Naveed Yasin, 37, had spent 48 hours saving Manchester terror victims when he was racially abused by a road rage driver

'Go back to your country, you terrorist. We don't want you people here. F*** off.'

Dr Yasin, an orthopaedic surgeon who lives in Manchester with his wife and two daughters, said he was shocked by the 'hatred' the man had for him.

He told the Times: 'No matter what I say to myself, I can't take away the hatred he had for me because of my skin colour... and the prejudices he associated with this.

ISIS inspired fanatic Salman Abedi murdered 22 people and injured 119 when he detonated an explosive device hidden in his rucksack, last Monday night.

Mr Yasin, who was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, said treating the victims of the blast was deeply distressing.

He said: 'The injuries patients have had include horrific [damage] to limbs, typical bomb-blast injuries. Open fractures.

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night. Her mother was later found to have died in the attack

'Patients with penetrating injuries from shrapnel. It's soul destroying to see what these families are going through.'

Dr Yasin revealed that while his heart went out to the families of those lost or hurt in the blast at the Ariana Grande concert - he could have found himself among them.

His eldest daughter Amelia, 11, wanted to go to the gig last Monday night, but he and wife Firdaus had ruled against it because it was on a school night.

Dr Yasin said: 'It could have so easily been us.'
Egypt handed a letter to the head of the UN Security Council on Saturday, informing him of its recent airstrikes on terrorist hideouts in eastern Libya and citing its right to self-defence, Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement.



Egypt, a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council, said in its letter, The airstrikes that targeted the locations of terrorist organisations in Derna, eastern Libya, are in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter on self-defence and with the Security Councils resolutions concerning terrorism.



The airstrikes, conducted on Friday and Saturday, were in response to a terrorist gun-attack in Egypt on Friday that killed 29 people and left at least 22 others injured.



Unknown assailants driving three 4x4 trucks attacked a bus carrying Egyptian Coptic Christians in Egypts Minya governorate. The attackers sprayed the bus with automatic gunfire.



The Egyptian military said on Saturday that Libyan terrorist elements took part in planning and executing the Minya attack.



Egypt's airstrikes on Libyan targets are not the first in recent years.



In February 2015, the Egyptian military, in coordination with the Libyan military, carried out airstrikes against Daesh targets in Libya following the exectution of several Egyptians in Libya. The terrorists released a graphic video showing Daesh militants beheading Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been kidnapped inside Libya.



Friday's gun attack follows close on the heels of a double suicide bombing targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt.



On 9 April, suicide bombers attacked St George's Church in Tanta and St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, killing and injuring dozens in the deadliest attack against civilians in the country's recent history. A total of 29 people died in the Tanta explosion and 18 in Alexandria.



Cairo imposed a nationwide three-month state of emergency after the April bombings, with the option to extend for another three months dependent on a vote by parliament.



Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Mercedes Corby clinked glasses of Veuve Cliquot with friends, presumably including her disappeared sister Schapelle, at a homecoming gathering on Sunday night.

The elder Corby sibling posted a picture of three champagne flutes filled with bubbly after a long 24 hours where she and security guard John McLeod twice pulled a bait-and-switch on the media.

'After resting up, finally time to cheers,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Then looking forward to a good night's sleep.'

The elder Corby sibling posted a picture of three champagne flutes filled with bubbly after a long 24 hours

'After resting up, finally time to cheers,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Then looking forward to a good night's sleep,' Mercedes Corby wrote online

After landing in Brisbane from Bali at 5.09am, Mercedes had spent most of the day at her mother Rosleigh Rose's home in Loganlea, in Brisbane's southern suburbs.

The home was visited by a stream of relatives including her Aunty Jen - who brought along $600 bottle of Belvedere vodka - and a cheesecake delivery man who had to leave his cake on the front step because no one answered the door.

Mercedes darted away in an SUV with two friends about 6pm for parts unknown, presumably for celebratory drinks with friends.

Her departure came straight after a man and a little boy wearing horror masks sprinted outside to grab a piece of luggage from the back of a car.

Schapelle Corby (left) with her sister Mercedes Corby (right) on their way to the airport to fly from Bali to Brisbane on Saturday

Schapelle Corby (pictured left) kissing her sister Mercedes (right) in a photo taken of the pair in 2014

Farcically, the kid knocked his mask off in the middle of the charade.

Her mother Rosleigh apparently wasn't invited to the celebrations, turning her back to Daily Mail Australia as Mercedes took off.

Schapelle's location was still unclear late into the night, celebrity bodyguard John McLeod's convoy of decoy vehicles having successfully masked her location.

The convicted drug smuggler spent Sunday posting disparaging pictures and video about the media contingent desperately craving a glimpse of the woman the Indonesians dubbed 'the Ganja Queen'.

Mercedes Corby, sister of Schapelle Corby, arrives at her mother Rosleigh Rose's residence in Loganlea, south of Brisbane, Sunday
This is the boat wreckage of the accident which killed the mother of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Friday.

Bonnie Kalanick, 71, died in the accident at Pine Flat Lake in Fresno, California, two hours after her boat hit a rock and crashed.

Her husband Donald was rescued and taken to hospital in a critical condition and the couple's dog also survived the accident.

The couple were found on the shore on Friday shortly after 5pm when a helicopter from the Sheriffs Office Boating Enforcement Unit which was patrolling the river noticed the debris.

Scroll down for video

This is the sunken boat which Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's mother and father were in when it hit a rock and sank in Fresno, California, on Friday

Bonnie Kalanick, Travis's 71-year-old mother, (pictured together) died in the accident

It's not clear how far they were found from where the boat was eventually recovered.

Sheriffs Deputies estimated that the pair were found two hours after the crash, ABC reports.

Mr Kalanick, 78, was taken to hospital where he remained on Saturday in a critical condition.

Mrs Kalanick died at the scene.

Travis Kalanick has not spoken of the tragedy but an Uber spokesman issued a statement on Saturday to express the company's condolences.

'Last night Travis and his family suffered an unspeakable tragedy.

'His mother passed away in a devastating boating accident near Fresno and his father is in serious condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and his family in this heartbreaking time.'

In an internal email sent by Uber to it's employees, obtained by DailyMail.com, Senior Vice President Liane Hornsey wrote:

'Team:

'I'm writing to share some heartbreaking news. Last night Travis' mother died in a tragic boating accident near Fresno.

The small boat was recovered from the water on Saturday. Bonnie and Donald had taken it out as part of a larger group in other vessels when they strayed

The Fresno County Sheriff's Dive and Boating Enforcement Team did not recover it until Saturday after locating it underwater from a helicopter

Donald Kalanick, 78, remained in hospital on Saturday in a critical condition. CEO Travis (seen above with his parents) has not spoken out

'His father, who was also on the boat, is in serious condition and is being treated at the hospital. This is an unthinkable tragedy as everyone in the Uber family knows how incredibly close Travis is to his parents.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and we wanted to let his Uber family know right away.

'I know we all want to do whatever we can to help, and I'll communicate again as soon as there is something we can share.'

Bonnie and Donald's boat was one of three in the same party. The group came back to the docks to look for them after losing sight of them but couldn't find them and called police.
Within days of taking the French presidency, Emmanuel Macron faced a string of diplomatic tests.

He was tasked with pushing the Paris climate deal on a skeptical Donald Trump, rallying European allies to do more to fight Syria's extremists, and now hosting Vladimir Putin.

But over the weekend the newly-elected French president took some had a more relaxing duty to attend to, as he watched the Coupe de France final with his wife Brigitte.

C'est un gol, Emmanuel! Brigitte seems to explain the score to her wide-eyed husband

Mrs Macron cut a chic and glamorous figure as she watched PSG play Angers

The Macrons appeared to be in good spirits as they watched PSG take on Angers, briefly meeting former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

But it wasn't all plain-sailing for Mr Macron. When he went down to the pitch to meet the players he was briefly booed and whistled at by PSG fans.

Mr Macron says he is a supporter of Olympique de Marseille, one of PSG's biggest and most bitter rivals.

Parisian fans did not let Mr Macron forget, briefly singing a song mocking Marseille, le Parisien reported.

PSG won the match 1-0, thanks to a last-minute own goal from Issa Cissokho.

The unconventional marriage between Emmanuel Macron, 39, and his former high school teacher Brigitte Trogneux, 64, has fascinated France - unusual for a country that has long been indifferent to the private lives of its presidents.

Mr Macron met up with former president Nicolas Sarkozy - but neither seemed to thrilled about the encounter

Emmanuel and Brigitte looked every bit the presidential couple as they sung along to the French national anthem

PSG beat Angers one-nil, thanks to an injury-time own goal from Angers defender Issa Cissokho

Upmarket magazine L'Obs devoted a it's cover to the 'Brigitte Macron phenomenon' saying that 'the entirety of France has commented, admired or criticized the actions and gestures of this 64-year-old women.'

But the Macrons also threatened to sue any media outlet that reports too closely on their private life, The Times reported.

Mr Macron meanwhile is eager to dispel doubts about his presidential stature that have dogged him since he launched a wild-card presidential bid just six months ago.

During his very first days in office, he visited Berlin and a French military base in Mali, where the country's troops are fighting Islamic extremism. Then over this past week, he cemented his status as a new global player at a NATO summit in Brussels and a Group of Seven summit in Italy.

The marriage between 39-year-old Emmanuel and 64-year-old Brigitte has fascinated France

However the Macrons have threatened to sue any media outlet that infringes on their privacy

While he has never held elected office before, Macron was helped by his comfortable English and backstage knowledge of international summits gained as top economic adviser to predecessor Francois Hollande from 2012 to 2014, then as his economy minister.

Beyond the important issues Macron's tackling, his body language drew the most public attention on his summit outings.

The most symbolic image was his handshake with Trump at their first meeting, in Brussels. After some friendly chatter, the two gripped each other's hands so tightly before the cameras that their jaws seemed to clench. It looked like Trump was ready to pull away first, but Macron wasn't quite ready to disengage.

Macron has faced a whirlwind three weeks as French President, and faces a difficult upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin

Both Brigitte and Emmanuel attended the recent G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily

The next day at the G-7 summit in Sicily, Macron attracted attention for his friendly interactions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was visibly touched when Macron addressed his condolences in English following the Manchester attack that killed 22 people.

Macron told her: 'We were very shocked, because ... we know how this can hurt the people of your country, but more generally for Europe. Because they attack our young, and very young people.'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck up a friendly relationship with Mr Macron

The G7 leaders discussed a range of issues, including the Paris climate change agreement and free trade

Macron has promised to discuss the Syria crisis on Monday with Russia's president when he visits the royal palace in Versailles.

That may be Macron's toughest test so far, amid tensions over Moscow's role in fighting in Syria and Ukraine, and after Putin openly supported rival French candidate Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front party.

The G-7 called on Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and said they 'stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase costs on Russia should its actions so require.'

Brigitte Macron opted for the dressed down look in white skinny jeans and a simple red jumper

Macron promised he will have a 'demanding dialogue with Russia, but it means having a dialogue.'

At the end of the G-7, Macron appeared to soften his stance on the climate talks, the most problematic issue between the U.S. and the six other nations. Macron showed unfailing optimism.

Macron said: 'I think Mr. Trump is someone who is pragmatic and so I have good hopes that having considered the arguments put forward by various people and his country's own interest he will confirm his commitment (to the accord) - in his own time.'

'For Mr. Trump and myself, it was a first experience. I think he saw the purpose of these multilateral discussions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to meet Emmanuel Macron at the palace of Versailles in the coming weeks

Optimism, and an almost constant smile on the face, are part of Macron's strategy French voters are now getting used to.

The French leader was especially careful to avoid diplomatic or political faux-pas only two weeks before crucial legislative elections. Macron needs to get a majority at France's lower house of parliament to fully implement his pro-European, pro-free market agenda.

Meanwhile, his wife Brigitte Macron experienced the role of first lady, symbolizing easygoing French chic, and at ease with other spouses, especially with Melania Trump with whom she was seen chatting.
Online scammers stole a US student's photo and claimed she died in the Manchester terror attack as part of a bogus fundraising appeal.

A sick fraudster, going by the name of Mike Collins, stole a photo of Nisa Ayral, 19, from Arizona, for his fake victim's GoFundMe page.

The scammer said his cousin 'Poppy' had died in the blast at the Manchester Arena and was appealing for funds to pay for her funeral.

Online scammers stole this photo of Nisa Ayral and Ariana Grande for a bogus fundraising appeal to raise money for a victim of the Manchester terror blast

Miss Ayral said: 'It's horrific to think that someone could feed off people's emotions like that and use a tragedy for personal benefit.

'We should be helping people, not trying to scam others out of money during a time of need.'

The image of the Arizona State University student, who has never visited Britain, appeared on the GoFundMe page within hours of the attack, last Monday.

The fictitious post said: 'With grief and heartache I share with you that my family lost our dear Poppy in the Manchester Arena Bombing at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday May 22.

'The photo I chose is a photo from Ariana's concert last year, which Poppy attended. She was a loyal fan who loved Ariana's music.

'Poppy was 17 and my closest cousin. She was beautiful, smart, funny and a kind person who did not deserve what she got.

US student Nisa (left) said she was really upset when she saw the fake account on GoFundMe

'It is hard to think that just two days ago I was with her and now in the blink of an eye she's no longer in this world, but in a better place.'

The picture was taken in the US where Nisa met her idol, Ariana Grande, at a concert last year.

She has since urged GoFundMe to take down the page.

Speaking from her home in Seattle, Washington, Miss Ayral said: 'I was really upset when I saw it.'

Greater Manchester Police have also warned of the internet scam.

The official fundraising campaign has already collected more than 4 million to support the victims of the horrific bombing.

Twenty two people were murdered and 119 injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated explosives at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

The UK's national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, Action Fraud, has urged anyone who believes they have been the victim of a false fundraising page to report it.

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night. Her mother was later found to have died in the attack

A man is pictured wrapped in foil and bleeding from a head wound after being caught up in the explosion at the Manchester gig

A spokesman for GoFundMe said: 'Since the attacks on Monday, we've had people monitoring related campaigns around the clock.

'The overwhelming majority of campaigns have been started with the very best intentions by kind people trying to do their bit.

'In these situations GoFundMe engages our emergency procedure - vetting every single campaign to check that they're safe for donors to give to.

'We do this by contacting organisers, making sure they are who they say they are and that they have a clear way of getting the money to the intended recipient.

'If they're not clear on that, we'll help them make that connection, but they won't be able to withdraw any donations.

'If we spot any suspicious activity we immediately suspend the campaign and contact the campaign organiser.

'This has happened just a handful of times this week, and were all caught before they had raised any money.
When convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby was put behind bars in 2005, social media goliath Instagram hadn't yet been invented.

But on the day of her return home to Australia, the high-profile criminal was quick to jump on the photosharing bandwagon and social media users were quick to follow.

With an Australian public desperate to know about her return back home, Corby has amassed 130,000 followers in close to 24 hours - and is on track to soon overtake PR maven and Instagram queen Roxy Jacenko.

Schapelle Corby (pictured) has amassed more than 130,000 Instagram followers in little over 24 hours since creating her social media account

With an Australian public desperate to know about her return back home, Corby has amassed 130,000 followers in a day - and is on track to soon overtake PR maven Roxy Jacenko (pictured)

Having posted nine photos in her first day on Instagram, Corby has given followers an insight into her trip home from Bali.

Sharing photos of everything from her two pet dogs, to the media scrum outside her home and even her business class flight home, the 39-year-old's account has quickly become a must-view.

Despite only following 125 people herself - including sister Mercedes - Corby has had an incredible influx of fans in a short amount of time.

While she's languishing some 40,000 followers behind Roxy, at her current growth rate she'll top the Sweaty Betty PR boss shortly.

Roxy regularly shares multiple snaps a day of everything from her washboard abs, to her children Hunter and Pixie and elevator selfies of her latest fashion.

But it seems its quality over quantity that Instagram users long for, with Corby and Roxy having close to the same amount of followers despite the PR queen posting 3,913 more photos.

While she's languishing some 40,000 followers behind fashionista Roxy, at her current growth rate she'll top the Sweaty Betty PR boss within days

Sharing photos of everything from her pet dogs, to a media scrum outside her home and even her business class flight home, the 39-year-old's account has quickly become a must-view

But it's not just Roxy who Corby has overtaken, with the drug trafficker also passing a number of local celebrities.

From Married At First Sight start Cheryl Maitland, to former Australian Idol Ricki-Lee Coulter and supermodel Erin McNaught, she's catching up to celebrities by the hour.

Incredibly, despite her enormous following, Corby hasn't yet been pictured in any of her nine photos.

Her first post, uploaded to Instagram from the depths of her Bali villa, paid tribute to her dogs Luna and May who she will be forced to leave behind as she returns home.

The drug trafficker also passed a number of local celebrities, including MAFS star Cheryl Maitland (pictured)

From former Australian Idol Ricki-Lee Coulter to supermodel Erin McNaught, she's catching up to celebrities by the hour

Schapelle Corby returned to Australia on Sunday, after spending nearly 13 years in Bali after her arrest for smuggling 4.2kg of marijuana onto the Indonesian island

'Going to miss these two. My puppies #Luna&May,' Corby wrote on Instagram, shared from an account that already has about almost 70,000 followers.

In a second post uploaded just minutes before she left her villa, Corby paid tribute to her 'Bali family.'

Corby has made no mention of her Balinese boyfriend, Ben Panangian, who she will also be leaving behind in Indonesia.
Rebecca Coriam was reported as missing from the Disney Wonder vessel in March 2011 as it sailed near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The family of a Disney cruise worker who vanished six years ago fear she was raped and then thrown overboard.

Rebecca Coriam, had been working as a childminder when she reported as missing from the Disney Wonder vessel in March 2011 as it sailed near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.

Disney claim the Liverpool student, 24, was swept overboard by a freak wave.

But that explanation was dismissed by senior politicians as well as the Coriam family who said they strongly suspect Rebecca was murdered after being sexually assaulted.

No stormy seas were recorded to support Disney's wave theory, and the Royal Bahamas Police probe has been condemned as 'appalling' by influential MPs.

It has emerged that Mike and Ann Coriam, from Chester, along with maritime expert and family spokesman Bill Anderson, strongly suspect Rebecca was murdered following a sex attack.

They are convinced their daughter, who was working on the ship as a childminder, was victim of a sexual assault in the hours leading up to her disappearance.

It has emerged that Mike and Ann Coriam, pictured, from Chester, as well as maritime expert and family spokesman Bill Anderson, suspect Rebecca was murdered following a sex attack

Disney claim the Liverpool student, 24, was swept overboard by a freak wave. The right-hand image shows CCTV of Rebecca on the day she disappeared

Names of the potential suspects, one man and one woman, are known to private investigators.

Two of the Liverpool student's best friends visited the Coriam parents after she went missing, and said their friend had voiced fears of being raped or sexually attacked while on the ship.

Maritime expert Bill Anderson said: 'What her best friends said to the Coriams sent a shiver down their spines.

No answers: Two of the Liverpool student's friends visited her parents after she went missing, and said Rebecca had voiced fears of being raped or sexually attacked while on the ship

'They told Mike and Ann and they then told the police. We are asking the UK government for an inquiry into Rebecca's disappearance, but also a probe into what the police in the Bahamas never did.'

Another theory of suicide fails to fit, the Coriams believe, because the cruise ship worker had recently bought tickets for her parents to visit Disneyland Paris.

The family have the support of many senior politicians including ex-deputy Labour leader John Prescott who has previously alleged Rebecca was 'thrown overboard'.

The family have the support of many senior politicians including ex-deputy Labour leader John Prescott who has previously alleged Rebecca was 'thrown overboard' the vessel (file pic)

Those tickets were found on a table in her cabin when her disappearance first emerged, and was a sign of a young woman looking forward to the future.

The Coriams, Mr Anderson, and Roy Ramm - the former Commander of Specialist Operations at Scotland Yard, and the family's private detective - recently visited policing minister Brandon Lewis at his Home Office HQ in London.

The family left the meeting optimistic, after being assured that the Tory politician would examine a dossier of new evidence about the case, handed to him by the Coriam campaigners.

After nine months, the investigating Bahamas police department declared the 24-year-old's disappearance as 'not suspicious'.

Disney insist Rebecca, who studied childhood studies, psychology and philosophy at Liverpool Hope University, was swept overboard.

Private detective Roy Ramm (left) and MP Chris Matheson (right) - who said his 'worst fear' is that Rebecca was murdered - are helping the family to investigate her disappearance

But Rebecca's family think she was probably killed, and in November private investigators disclosed their belief that 'criminal activity' was behind her vanishing.

Chester MP Chris Matheson, who is coordinating the investigation, believes there is a real possibility that Rebecca was murdered.

And that train of events is supported by the allegations of rape or sexual assault, campaigners added.

In 2015 Mr Matheson said: 'I believe there's sufficient evidence to indicate a crime may well have taken place.

'Whatever the circumstance, there's an obligation to investigate. My worst fear is Rebecca Coriam was murdered.'

Disney Cruises has been contacted for comment.
The White House omitted the husband of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel from the caption of an official photograph of the spouses of NATO leaders.

Gauthier Destenay, who married Bettel in 2015, joined the likes of First Lady Melania Trump in Brussels on Thursday while their partners were off discussing world matters.

The First Gentleman posed for photos with the group of women at Royal Castle of Laeken on Thursday evening ahead of a dinner especially for spouses.

The White House then posted the picture to it's Facebook page on Saturday, with the caption 'First Lady Melania Trump poses with Belgium's Queen Mathilde, center, and other spouses of NATO leaders.'

Gauthier Destenay, the husband of Luxembourg's gay Prime Minister, posed for photos in Brussels on Thursday with (front row from L to R) First Lady of France Brigitte Macron, First Lady of Turkey Emine Gulbaran Erdogan, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Jens Stoltenberg's partner Ingrid Schulerud, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev's partner Desislava Radeva, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien and (back row L to R) partner of Slovenia's Prime Minister Cerar's wife Mojca Stropnik and First Lady of Iceland Thora Margret Baldvinsdottir

But the White House omitted his name from the caption when they posted the picture to Facebook on Saturday

The caption then went on to list all the NATO spouses pictured, except one, Destenay.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump was identified twice in the original caption on the photo, which was posted in an album titled President Trump's Trip Abroad.

The move sparked outrage among the LGBTQ community and many on Twitter slammed it as 'classless' or even 'homophobic.'

But deputy press secretary Stephanie Grisham insists the omission was an 'oversight.'

The move sparked outrage among the LGBTQ community and many on Twitter slammed it as 'classless' or even 'homophobic

The caption has since been edited to include Destenay's name after the White House claimed his omission had been an oversight

'Thousands of photos were taken over the course of a very big, very busy international trip,' she said in an email to a reporter from the Washington Blade.

The White House has since updated the caption to include Destenay.

Destenay, a Belgian architect, married Bettel in 2015, becoming the first same-sex spouse of a leader of a European Union member state.

Dressed in a black suit with a grey tie, Destenay stood among the world leader's glamorous spouses at the event on Thursday.

He stood directly behind Mrs Trump and the none-too-pleased Emine Erdogan, the devoutly Muslim wife of Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey.

Gauthier Destenay, a Belgian architect, joined the likes of US First Lady Melania Trump in Brussels on Thursday while their partners were off discussing world matters

Gauthier Destenay married Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in 2015. They are pictured above on their wedding day at Luxembourg's town hall

Front row: First Lady of Turkey Emine Gulbaran Erdogan, First Lady of the US Melania Trump, Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Back row: First Gentleman of Luxembourg Gauthier Destenay, partner of Slovenia's Prime Minister Mojca Stropnik and First Lady of Iceland Thora Margret Baldvinsdottir

Destenay seemed to be enjoying a friendly chat with US First Lady Melania Trump and French First Lady Brigitte Macron

Unlike some of the women, Destenay opted to stay in the same suit-tie combination he had worn earlier in the day when he was given a tour of the Magritte Museum, which is devoted to the works of Belgian surrealist painter Rene Magritte.

He was joined by other NATO spouses including Mrs Trump, Mrs Erdogan, French First Lady Brigitte Macron and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's partner, Amelie Derbaudrenghien.

Destenay was pictured enjoying a friendly chat with the French and US first ladies at the museum, which is famed for works like the 1964 'self-portrait' of a bowler-hatted man whose face is hidden by an apple.

His husband became the first gay EU leader to enter into a same-sex union when the couple married in a low key ceremony two years ago.

Their wedding came just months after Luxembourg legalized same-sex marriage.
Hillary Clinton paid tribute to the victims of a white supremacist who he murdered for trying to protect two women from his anti-Muslim tirade in Portland on Friday night.

Rick Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche had their throats slit on board an MAX train in Portland, Oregon, as they tried to shield a teenager in a hijab from Jeremy Joseph Christian.

Christian has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder.

On Saturday, Clinton shared her sympathies for the victims on Twitter.

'Heartbreaking. No one should have to endure this racist abuse. No one should have to give their life to stop it,' she said, sharing a link to The New York Times' coverage of the attack.

Hillary Clinton paid tribute to men who murdered on board an MAX train in Portland on Friday, taking to Twitter the next day to describe their deaths as 'heartbreaking'

Rick Best, 53 , and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche (right) 23, were murdered as they tried to protect two Muslim women including a teenager in a hijab from a white supremacist

Micah Fletcher, 21, was also attacked as he tried to protect the women and survived. He spoke out for the first time since on Saturday, sharing a poem he'd written about it on Facebook.

'I, am alive, I spat in the eye of hate and lived.

Micah Fletcher, 21, survived the attack

'This is what we must do for one another, We must live for one another, We must fight for one Mother, We must die in the name dfreedome (sic) if we have to.

'Luckily it's not my turn today,' the poem, which was viewed by The Oregonian, read.

Best was a city of Portland employee who retired from the Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after serving 23 years in the military.

The married 53-year-old father of four and Oregon native, began working for the city as a technician and once ran for Clackamas County commissioner, according to the Oregonian.

He was heading home to Happy Valley on Friday night when he was attacked.

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, a 23-year-old former student, also died.

His mother paid tribute to him on Facebook.

'My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland.

White supremacist Jeremy Joseph Christian was arrested after the incident and has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder

'He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever,' she said.

It's not clear yet whether Christian was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack.

Witnesses described how he targeted the teenager, who was with another woman, and began shouting racial slurs.

'[He] said, "Get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don't pay taxes here." [He said he] doesn't like Muslims, they're criminals,' one told KATU.

The killings sparked large vigils across the city. Residents said they encapsulated how they protect one another.

Myrddin's sister confirmed his death on Facebook. She paid tribute to the 23-year-old as 'her hero'

The incident unfolded on an MAX train on Friday. Above, police at the scene afterwards

'This is an especially sad and disturbing incident. People lost their lives or were injured because they stood up to hate.

'We need to offer our heartfelt support to the two women and others who were targeted. The courage of the people who stood up for them is a reminder that we as a city need to stand together to denounce hate,' Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

The FBI has joined the investigation.

'At the core of the FBI's mission is the belief that every person has the right to live, work and worship in this country without fear.

'Hate and bigotry have no place in our community, and we will not allow violence in the name of hate to go unanswered.'
A heroic mother saved a stranger who was bleeding to death by driving him from the scene of the Manchester bomb blast to hospital at 100mph.

Trained nurse Lianna Shutt, 29, was leaving Manchester Arena with her family when she spotted a severely injured man with his daughter.

The man, called Gary, had severe injuries to his shoulder, chest and legs and was bleeding profusely.

Lianna Shutt, 29, (left) was leaving Manchester Arena with her daughter Broganjean Taylor (right) and husband Martin when she spotted a severely injured man with his daughter

His 11-year-old daughter had also suffered shrapnel injuries and was in need of medical attention.

Quick-thinking Mrs Shutt, got permission from police to take the pair to hospital 'as quickly as possible' and bundled them into her car.

She then sped across the city and even managed to arrive at North Manchester General Hospital before ambulance services.

Twenty two people were murdered and 119 injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated explosives at the Ariana Grande concert.

Recalling the terrifying night, Mrs Shutt said : 'I knew he [Gary] was bleeding to death. I thought it was a nail bomb just because of the nails and screws in his wounds.

'We put my daughter in a taxi down the road with her dad and my husband.

'What I did just came naturally. I didn't really stop and think. I just wanted to help.

'I had to make the devastating call to Gary's wife that her husband had sustained traumatic injuries and that I was looking after their daughter.

'I drove at 100mph to get them to hospital and I was weaving in and out of cars. The police have told me they will cancel all my speeding tickets as it was a matter of life and death to get him there as quickly as possible.

Mrs Shutt, a trained nurse, raced through Manchester at 100mph to get the stricken man to a hospital

'I got him to North Manchester hospital and the surgeon came up to me outside and said I was the first person to arrive. Even the ambulances hasn't got there with casualties. He said I had saved his life.'

Mrs Shutt had been at the pop concert with her 10-year-old daughter Broganjean Taylor and husband Martin Shutt.

She said 'incredibly brave' Gary had helped save his daughter's life by shielding her from the explosion.

The father, from Birmingham, has now been transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in his home city and told Mrs Shutt that 'thank you will never be enough'.

She said: 'Gary had saved his daughter's life. He put himself over her and covered her from the blast.

'He was so calm. To have all those injuries and being in the back of my car, you would expect somebody like that to be screaming in pain.

'I went back to hospital to see him on Thursday. His wife phoned and asked if I could. He's doing well.

'He told me that he wasn't going to say thank you because it would never be enough.

'He's been trying to put the jigsaw of what happened back together. He said when he can find something to thank me he will do but I said it wasn't necessary.'

Mrs Shutt said her daughter had been in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for the last nine weeks with a 'life-threatening' sespsis infection and was only given permission to go to the concert two hours before it started.

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night. Her mother was later found to have died in the attack

Broganjean was knocked out of her wheelchair at the arena due to the force of the explosion, but thankfully didn't suffer any injuries.

Mrs Shutt said: 'She has been waiting 18 months to go to the concert since we realised Arianna was coming to the UK on tour.

'She has been in hospital for nine weeks. The doctors knew if she didn't go she would be heartbroken.

'She has rheumatoid arthritis and was in hospital for a planned visit but then got sepsis. It was life-threatening.

'We were sat near the merchandising block where the explosion happened. The force of the blast blew my daughter out of her chair. Thankfully she wasn't injured but she is traumatised by what's happened.'

A man is pictured wrapped in foil and bleeding from a head wound after being caught up in the explosion at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena

After initially treating Gary at the scene, Mrs Shutt said she then helped another girl, believed to be 15, who had suffered shrapnel injuries to her leg.

She is desperate to find out what happened the victim after she handed over treatment to doctors.

The former nurse said: 'I think she was 15 years old and was call either Ali or Millie.

'She had shrapnel injuries to her left leg.

'I had stopped the bleeding, applied pressure and bandages to the wound in a few places and made sure she had a pulse to her leg.

'I had to hand her over to two junior doctors when I went with Gary to the hospital. I would love to know what happened to her and to know that she is okay.'
The 21-year-old who survived after intervening in a white supremacist's deadly hate attack on a Portland train has written a poem from his hospital bed about the harrowing experience.

Micah David-Cole Fletcher was the third bystander who tried to intervene when Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, launched an 'anti-Muslim' tirade on two women on Friday.

Fletcher was stabbed in the neck, allegedly by Christian, with the blade missing his jugular by millimeters.

Rick Best, a Portland employee and retired Army platoon sergeant who served for 23 years, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, died in the attack.

Scroll down for video

Micah David-Cole Fletcher was the third bystander who tried to intervene when Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, launched an 'anti-Muslim' tirade on two women on Friday

Late on Saturday night, Fletcher - who is an award-winning poet - shared a poem he wrote about the attack from his hospital bed.

It read, according to the Oregonian: 'I, am alive, I spat in the eye of hate and lived.

'This is what we must do for one another, We must live for one another, We must fight for one Mother, We must die in the name dfreedome (sic) if we have to.

'Luckily it's not my turn today.'

On Saturday, Fletcher's girlfriend gave the Oregonian an update on the 21-year-old Good Samaritan's condition.

Miranda Helm told the newspaper her boyfriend was traveling to Portland State University for classes after finishing a shift at a pizza place he worked when the attack took place.

Fletcher was in surgery for two hours, with doctors removing bone fragments from his throat. She added he had been stabbed in the left side of his neck, and that Fletcher's blood-soaked clothing - including his jeans, shoes and t-shirt - were in an evidence bag in his hospital room.

'It's kind of a miracle that he survived it,' Helm told the newspaper.

Fletcher (pictured with a friend) wrote a poem about the incident and posted it on Facebook on Saturday night

'I'm really glad that he's still here.'

Helm went on to tell the newspaper her concern going forward is about her boyfriend and best friend's mental state.

SURVIVING PORTLAND HERO'S POEM ABOUT THE HATE ATTACK I am alive I spat in the eye of hate and lived This is what we must do for one another We must live for one another We must fight for one Mother We must die in the name dfreedome (sic) if we have to Luckily it's not my turn today (via The Oregonian) Advertisement

'It's hard to watch two people die right next to you,' she said.

'Knowing that you were involved in the attack, and that these two people died, and you made it.'

A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover medical costs for Fletcher.

Also on Saturday, one of the two girls who was abused by Christian on the train spoke out for the first time.

Destinee Mangum spoke to KPTV about the incident involving her and her 17-year-old friend.

Mangum is not Muslim, but her friend was - and she was wearing her hijab.

'He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia and he told us we shouldn't be here, to get out of his country,' she said.

'He was just telling us that we basically weren't anything and that we should kill ourselves.

'This white male from the back of us was like, "he's talking to you guys? You guys cant disrespect these young ladies like that".

Destinee Mangum, one of the targets of hate speech on a MAX train, thanks strangers for saving her life. pic.twitter.com/sefmOAyIVt  FOX 12 Oregon KPTV (@fox12oregon) May 28, 2017

Destinee, 17, (pictured) said that without the men, she and her friend would 'probably be dead'

Veteran: Rick Best served 23 years in the military and was heading home to his family when he was stabbed to death on a train in Portland

One of the two victims has been identified by his mother as Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche in a touching tribute posted to Facebook

'Then they just all started arguing... Me and my friend were going to get off the MAX and then we turned around while they were fighting and he just started stabbing people and it was just blood everywhere and we just started running for our lives.'

Jeremy Joseph Christian has been charged with two counts of aggrated murder, two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count each of aggravated murder and being a felon in possession of a restricted firearm

She then offered a heartfelt and devastated thank you to Fletcher, Best, and Namkai-Meche.

'Thank you to the people who put their lives on the line for me because they didnt even know me, and they lost their lives because of me and my friend and the way we looked,' the 16-year-old said as she fought back tears.

'I just want to say thank you to them and their families, that I appreciate them, because without them, we probably would be dead right now.'

It comes after Best was identified on Saturday as the second man killed in the attack.

He was a city of Portland employee who retired from the Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after serving 23 years in the military.

The married 53-year-old father of four and Oregon native, began working for the city as a technician and once ran for Clackamas County commissioner, according to the Oregonian.

He was heading home to Happy Valley on Friday night when he and Namkai-Meche were allegedly stabbed by Christian.

Namkai-Meche's sister, Aurora Dachen, also posted a tribute to her late brother, describing him as her hero. He is pictured in an undated Facebook photo

Aurora Dachen wrote: 'You have always and will always be my hero, Tilly. Although, you may not be here to hold and comfort me, I know you will always be apart of me. Thank you for teaching me everything you have. I will forever cherish every memory we have made these last 18 years. I will try my hardest to make you proud everyday, Til. #hateisevil'

The 35-year-old white supremacist has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count each of aggravated murder and being a felon in possession of a restricted firearm, reported KOIN 6.

Best's supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services Kareen Perkins, said: 'He was always the first person you would go to for help.

'I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out.'

Namkai-Meche's mother, Asha Deliverance, paid tribute to her son in an emotional post on Facebook on Saturday: 'Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland.

'He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever.'

His sister, Aurora Dachen, also posted a message to her late brother, describing him as her hero.

'As I'm sure some of you may know, my dearest brother was one of the men who lost their lives on the MAX in Portland yesterday,' the post read.

'My heart feels empty from the loss of my big brother, but also from the cruel awakening that hate & judgment can cause someone to do such a thing. I am so proud to be able to call someone so brave and strong my big brother.

The accused is also a white supremacist who was pictured giving Nazi salutes at a free speech rally in April with an American Revolutionary War flag tied like a cape around his shoulders

He has posted a number of times to say he supports the Nazis, and once even said he wants a job in Norway 'cutting off the heads of people that Circumcize (sic) Babies'

Additionally, Christian threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me'

Additionally, Christian threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me'

'You have always and will always be my hero, Tilly. Although, you may not be here to hold and comfort me, I know you will always be apart of me.

'Thank you for teaching me everything you have. I will forever cherish every memory we have made these last 18 years. I will try my hardest to make you proud everyday, Til. #hateisevil'

Christian, the suspected killer, is known for hate-speech, and is a self-identified white supremacist who was pictured on April 29 referring to himself as the 'Lizard King' and giving Nazi salutes at a free speech rally with an American Revolutionary War flag tied around his shoulders like a cape.

He walked among fellow protesters holding American flags and signs that said 'Trump Makes America Great Again.'

Christian's Facebook site paints disturbing a picture of the suspect, and he describes himself by saying: 'I'm an Ex-Con. I Like Comix, Cannabis and Metal-In Any Combination. If you are an Employer, F*** Off.'

The suspect had been jailed previously for a string of charges including robbery, kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon, and he brags about being an ex-con on his Facebook page.

Christian has been in jail previously, for a string of charges including robbery, kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon, though he brags about being an ex-con on his Facebook page. He even posted his prior mugshots (above)

Man engaging in hate speech and giving the Nazi salute at the end of the #Portland free speech march pic.twitter.com/8QRmmvTDAf  Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) April 29, 2017

In a picture from his Facebook page, Christian posed with someone in a military hat at what appears to be a party

He has posted on his profile a number of times to say he supports the Nazis, and once even said he wants a job in Norway 'cutting off the heads of people that Circumcize (sic) Babies.'

Additionally, Christian has threatened to 'stab some masked up b****** protesting Black Metal shows as soon as they touch me,' in a comment thread on his Facebook profile.

On May 9, Christian wrote about a debate he challenged someone to: 'I will defend the Nazis and he will the defend the AshkeNAZIs.'

Before attending the April 29 rally where he was caught on camera giving the Nazi salute, Christian wrote: 'You should all attend the Free Speech Rally at Montanavilla if you value your rights. All Rights, I don't care if you like Antifa or Hate them. They are just an excuse for a showdown.

'I hope the Police Stand Down as in Berkeley. I will be there Demasking anyone with a mask. I will attend in Lizard King Regalia as a Political Nihilist to Provoke both Sides and attempt to engage anyone in a true Philosophy and Political Discussion.

'If you attended masked up and that mask comes off and I see a friend who sided with ANTIFA it will be merciless. Free speech or die!!! This is my land!!!'

Before attending the free speech rally where he was caught on camera giving the Nazi salute, Christian wrote: 'If you attended masked up and that mask comes off and I see a friend who sided with ANTIFA it will be merciless. Free speech or die!!! This is my land!!!'

A man who was yelling 'anti-Muslim' slurs at two young women on a light-rail train stabbed two men to death and injured a third person when they tried to intervene, police said

He also referred to President Trump the 'antichrist,' but in a way that turned it into a compliment.

'If Donald Trump is the Next Hitler then I am joining his SS to put and end to Monotheist Question. All Zionist Jews, All Christians who do not follow Christ's teaching of Love, Charity, and Forgiveness And All Jihadi Muslims are going to Madagascar or the Ovens/FEMA Camps!!! Does this make me a fascist!!!'

Christian was arrested after he ran off the train at the Hollywood transit station in Portland, Oregon, the Oregonian reported.

The attacker was 'yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs' before he turned his focus on the women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, Sergeant Pete Simpson said.

Evelin Hernandez, a 38-year-old resident of Clackamas, Oregon, said she was on the train when the man began making racist remarks to the women.

'[He] said, "Get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don't pay taxes here." [He said he] doesn't like Muslims, they're criminals,' Evelin Hernandez told KATU.

The attacker was 'yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs' before he turned his focus on the women

After the suspect attacked the victims, he reportedly said, 'This is free America, I can do whatever I want' one witness told KOMO news

After the suspect attacked the victims, one witness told KOMO that Christian shouted: 'This is free America, I can do whatever I want.'

He is being held without bail in the Multnomah County Detention Center, and will appear in court on Tuesday.

There were calls since the attack for Donald Trump to speak out against racism.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations national executive director Nihad Awad said: 'President Trump must speak out personally against he rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation.

'Only a strong statement from the nation's leader will send a message to bigots that such acts of violence targeting racial, ethnic or religious minorities are unacceptable.'

The president had not tweeted about the attack or released a statement, however he did find time during his overseas trip to condemn a terrorist attach in Egypt.

Hillary Clinton tweeted about the incident on Saturday, saying, 'no one should have to give their life to stop' racism and abuse.

'Heartbreaking. No one should have to endure this racist abuse,' she wrote.

'No one should have to give their life to stop it.'

In the immediate wake of the attack, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley wrote on Twitter: 'Terrible tragedy on Portland's Max Train. Champions of justice risked and lost their lives. Hate is evil.'

Portland's Commissioner Chloe Eudaly issued a statement that read: 'This is an especially sad and disturbing incident. People lost their lives or were injured because they stood up to hate.

'We need to offer our heartfelt support to the two women and others who were targeted. The courage of the people who stood up for them is a reminder that we as a city need to stand together to denounce hate.'

The FBI also offered their assistance in the investigation, saying: 'At the core of the FBI's mission is the belief that every person has the right to live, work and worship in this country without fear.

'Hate and bigotry have no place in our community, and we will not allow violence in the name of hate to go unanswered.'

Millions of Muslims marked the start of Ramadan on Friday, a time of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.
Five Egyptian fishermen have gone missing after their fishing boat collided with another vessel and sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Port Said, state news agency MENA said on Sunday.

Two crew members were rescued by boats in the vicinity of the incident, which occured on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, as of Sunday afternoon, rescue forces continued to search the area for the five missing crew members, MENA added.

A total of seven men were aboard the boat when the incident happened.

Earlier in May, Egypt's navy rescued 23 tourists and eight crew members after their boat caught fire in the Red Sea, of Hurghada.



Search Keywords:

Short link:


Today, Jill Dodd is known as a successful businesswoman and founder of international clothing brand Roxy.

But during the early 1980s, she was a young, naive model who had flown in to Cannes to party with friends when she met a short, balding and slightly overweight gentleman.

She would later learn that man was notorious billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. And she would become his 'pleasure wife'.

Jill Dodd (left) says she was the pleasure wife of notorious billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi (right, in an undated photo)

Dodd is a former model, who was featured in the pages of French Vogue, before she joined the harem

The first night they spent together, she says the Saudi businessman had watched her take a bubble bath, before they sat together on the bed in their caftans, the New York Post reports.

'We can't kiss until I tell you the situation,' he told her, taking her face in his hands, according to her new memoir. 'I want you to be one of my pleasure wives. By Saudi Arabian law, I'm allowed to have 11 pleasure wives and three legal wives.

'I won't kiss you until you agree to this contract.'

'Yes, I say and we seal the agreement as our lips meet. In that moment, I become a member of Adnan's harem, taking turns with other women to have sex with the man I love.'

Dodd says she fell in love with Khashoggi who was 24 years her senior and would shower her in gifts, from diamonds to solid gold necklaces. But she had to share her new lover with the rest of his harem.

The fashion designer had recently been signed with the renowned Wilhelmina Models aged 20, and had even started to land high profile jobs in the French editions of Vogue and Marie Claire, in Paris.

In August 1980, she and her booking agent were invited to attend the lavish Le Pirate party in Cannes.

That's when Khashoggi locked eyes with her from across the room, and took her hand to dance.

Jill Dodd shared how she met Khashoggi at a party in Cannes in the early 1980s, in her new book The Currency of Love: A Courageous Journey to Finding the Love Within

'Suddenly, my dance partner stopped, grabbed a chair and threw it into the fire. I hurled one in too. We laughed and slammed together like two magnets, whirling around before the flames,' she said.

'Giddy and out of breath, I finally sat down. My new friend gazed into my eyes as he tenderly pushed up my sleeves and used his fingertips to write 'I love you' in red on my forearm. It took me a minute to realize it was in blood. Accidentally or not, he had cut himself with a piece of glass.'

Moments later, she says her booker ran over to tell her who she had been dancing with.

The next day, Dodd received an invitation to join Khashoggi on his yacht, the 280-foot Nabila, which would later be features in James Bond film 'Never Say Never Again', before being sold to he Sultan of Brunei and was later owned by Donald Trump who sold it for $20million to pay off bankruptcy debts in 1991.

Khashoggi welcomed Dodd and her friend aboard and invited them to 'dress for dinner'.

He led them to a huge walk-in closet filled with designer dresses.

'At dinner, I realized I'd never met such an intelligent, worldly and amusing man as Adnan, a 44-year-old father of five,' she said.

'Yes, he had incredible wealth, but he also had a peaceful kind of strength. Slowly, I was falling for his charms. With heels on, I was seven or eight inches taller than him, something which would intimidate most men. But not Adnan.'

Dodd received an invitation to join Khashoggi on his yacht, the 280-foot Nabila, (pictured in 1983)

Khashoggi welcomed Dodd (on the yacht) and her friend aboard and invited them to 'dress for dinner' before he led them to a huge walk-in closet filled with designer dresses

She and Khashoggi spent the entire evening just talking until 5am, as he discussed how he had amassed his incredible wealth.

'Over the next few weeks, Adnan wined and dined me  always allowing me to pick out a couture outfit from his collection  but there were other girls in the picture. Some of them looked so young, they could have been assumed to be high schoolers.'

Khashoggi gained international notoriety for his role in the Iran-Contra affair where he acted as middleman in the arms-for-hostages exchange, before being acquitted of charges he concealed funds alongside Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, but Dodd admits she had no interest in his work.

He flew his new 'pleasure wife', along with another girl named Sabine, to join him at his Marbella, Spain, estate in September 1980. Dodd later found out that Sabine was another of his pleasures wives.

In Spain, Dodd and Khashoggi agreed on the contact.

As the months went on, Dodd, now a 57-year-old mother-of-three, felt herself falling for Khashoggi.

He was always surrounded by women, said Dodd. She described him as an extraordinary lover and says she reveled in the feeling that she was his favorite.

Khashoggi continued to shower her in gifts, once offering her a 20-carat diamond ring which she turned down when she felt it was too opulent - and he even bankrolled her Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising tuition.

Dodd (right) split up with Khashoggi (left) in the summer of 1982 after she says she felt 'increasingly weird about it all' and was becoming concerned about catching HIV

But towards the end of 1981, she began to feel uncomfortable with the unusual set up. On one occasion, she described the moment the billionaire came into her room while she was sleeping to give her a gift.

'When he saw my face, he whispered: 'Oh, I have the wrong room. Sorry, go back to sleep. Keep the gift.' Before I could respond, he was gone. My heart dropped. He had thought I was another girl.'

Dodd says she felt 'increasingly weird about it all' and was becoming concerned about catching HIV.

She also wanted to regain her independence and says she was concerned Khashoggi's lavish gifts might mean she owed him something.

The relationship ended amicably in the summer of 1982 and seven years later, Dodd went on to found the surfing brand Roxy.

Dodd, who lives in Marin County, California with her third husband, Jeff, said she felt ashamed about being a pleasure wife because 'people assume you're a hooker.'

'But I never forfeited my independence, ambition or creative expression when I was with Adnan and have no regrets.'

Dodd's memoir, The Currency of Love: A Courageous Journey to Finding the Love Within, is out soon.




Partygoers at a nightclub in Sydney's eastern suburbs were searched, thrown out and reportedly tasered during an unprovoked, shock raid on Saturday night.

Sydney man Matty Bicket took to Facebook on Sunday to describe the moment Club 77 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, was stormed by police and a sniffer dog.

'One kid was apparently tasered in the back alley for not complying and multiple were searched in inappropriate places in front of people,' Mr Bicket said in the post which has since been shared and liked more than two thousand times.

Sydney man Matty Bicket (pictured) took to Facebook on Sunday to describe the moment Club 77 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, was stormed by police and a sniffer dog on Saturday

'Upon asking what the f*** was going on and introducing myself as the person running and booking the establishment, I was given no interest, interaction or time and kept in the dark.'

Mr Bicket said the police found no drugs and made no arrests. Despite this, he said officers returned to the establishment.

'Sitting at the front door intimidating and acting as RSA marshals, telling us who were intoxicated and dragging people out of the club yet again,' he said.

Mr Bicket said police offered no explanation for the shock raid and left revellers feeling like criminals.

'The result of this? A bad taste in my mouth for over the top policing, a loss of income, and a pissed off promoter,' he said.

Mr Bicket (pictured) said police offered no explanation for the shock raid and left revellers feeling like criminals

Mr Bicket's post has been shared and liked more than two thousand times since it was uploaded

'I'm running a f***ing business, I pay tax and I work extremely hard to hold onto what we have here to keep a culture.

'I don't deserve to be bullied and treated like a f***ing criminal. I don't know any other type of business or industry that gets treated so poorly.'

New South Wales Police confirmed raids were conducted across parts of Sydney on Saturday night with the help of a drug detection dog.

Police media told Daily Mail Australia 40 people were searched, and a total of 13 people were found across various clubs searched.

Nine people were issued court attendances and three people with cannabis cautions.

New South Wales Police confirmed they conducted raids across parts of Sydney, including Club 77 (pictured), on Saturday night with the help of a drug detection dog

NSW police media said no one was tasered during the raids.

Mr Bicket's Facebook status was met with outrage online.

Social media users urged Mr Bicket to seek legal advice following the raid.

'Find a good lawyer. What pricks. Gobsmacked,' one woman said.

'Isn't there something stopping them from being able to do that?' another asked.

Mr Bicket said: 'Our rights are pretty minimal, if you own a venue and stand up to the police during these kind of situations, you're asking for trouble unfortunately'.

Police said they conducted raids across parts of Sydney, including Club 77 (pictured) on Saturday but said no one was tasered

Others said it was the new reality of Sydney's nightlife.

'Honestly, this is f***ing devastating. I used to spend every Saturday night partying my little toosh off at Club 77 I'm absolutely heartbroken that the next generation of Sydneysiders will miss out on something that was so integral to my own coming of age,' one woman said.

'Now the NSW Police frighten and intimidate, they enforce a police state on otherwise innocent young people, young people just looking for a place to fit in and dance.'

'Sydney the butt of every nightlife joke nowadays,' another woman said.
One of the teenage girls who was targeted by a white supremacist on a Portland train on Friday has spoken out to thank the men who were killed as they tried to protect them.

Destinee Mangum, 17, was on the train with her Muslim friend on Friday evening when Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, approached them.

She told on Sunday how he launched into a racist tirade, telling the pair to 'go back to Saudi Arabia' and kill themselves as other shocked passengers watched.

Rick Best, 53, and Taliesin Myrrdin Namkai-Meche 23, stepped in as the girls made their way out of their seats to the back of the train.

Both Best and Namkai-Meche had their throats slashed after arguing with the man and died. Christian is now in custody on aggravated murder charges.

Scroll down for video

Destinee Mangum, 17, was one of the girls targeted by a white supremacist on board an MAX train in Portland on Friday. She spoke out on Sunday to thank the Good Samaritans who died trying to protect her

Destinee Mangum, one of the targets of hate speech on a MAX train, thanks strangers for saving her life. pic.twitter.com/sefmOAyIVt  FOX 12 Oregon KPTV (@fox12oregon) May 28, 2017

On Sunday, Destinee came forward to thank the men for saving her life.

Through tears, she told Fox's Oregon affiliate KPTV: 'I just want to say thank you to the people who put their life on the line for me.

'They didn't even know me. They lost their life because of me and my friend and the way we looked and I just to say thank you to them and their family and I appreciate them because without them we probably would be dead right now.'

Her mother Dyjuana Hudson issued her own message of thanks to the men's families.

'Thank you thank you thank you. You will always be our hero ....I'm soooooo sorry this happened.

'You didn't even know my girls but you stepped in and saved my babies life to the family I'm so sorry about your loss and I'm here if you need me,' she said, sharing the Facebook post of the mother of one of the brave men who died.

Destinee's friend, who was wearing a hijab at the time of the attack, has not come forward.

She described how she and her friend were sitting next to one another on the train when Christian approached them.

Rick Best, 53, (left) and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Mece (right) 23, were both murdered on the train after stepping in as the girls were abused

'He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia and he told us we shouldn't be here, to get out of his country. He was just telling us that we basically weren't anything and that we should kill ourselves,' she said.

A man sitting behind them intervened, she said. She did not disclose whether it was Best, Namkai-Meche or Micah Fletcher, a 21-year-old poet who survived and is recovering in hospital.

White supremacist Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, has been charged with their murders

'This white male from the back of us was like, "hes talking to you guys? You guys cant disrespect these young ladies like that." Then they just all started arguing,' she told.

Frightened, Destinee and her friend moved out of their seats and were preparing to get off the train when, she says, Christian 'just started stabbing people'.

'Me and my friend were going to get off the MAX and then we turned around while they were fighting and he just started stabbing people and it was just blood everywhere and we just started running for our lives,' she said.

Christian is being held on two counts of aggravated murder.

Best and Namkai-Leche are being hailed as heroes for stepping in to shield the young girls from his racist abuse.

Fletcher, 21, survived the attack. He wrote a poem about the incident from his hospital bed.

'I, am alive, I spat in the eye of hate and lived.

'This is what we must do for one another, We must live for one another, We must fight for one Mother, We must die in the name dfreedome (sic) if we have to.

'Luckily it's not my turn today,' it read, according to The Oregonian.

Destinee, 17, (pictured above, left and right) said that without the men, she and her friend would 'probably be dead'

Destinee's mother Dyjuana shared her thanks on Facebook. She responded to a post written by the grieving mother of Taliesin Myrrdin Namkai-Meche who died protecting her daughter

Best was a retired Army platoon sergeant who served for 23 years. He had four children.

Namkai-Leche's family said he lived a 'full and joyous life'.

Micah Fletcher, 21, was also attacked but survived

'In his final act of bravery he held true to what he believed is the way forward. He will live in our hearts forever as the just, brave, loving, hilarious and beautiful soul he was.

'We ask that in honor of his memory, we use this tragedy as an opportunity for reflection and change. We choose love. Safe journey Taliesin. We love you,' they said in a statement.

He was on the phone with his aunt when the incident began to unfold. She urged him to videotape it but never intended for him to get involved.

'I heard the hate speech from a white supremacist. I told him to get off the phone with me and videotape what was happening so he could send it to police.

'I didnt mean for him to try to be a hero and get himself killed but he was trying to protect those two teenage girls.

'Taliesin was huge, just look at him, his soul didnt even fit in his body, so much love. Stop the hate, that is the message, stop the hate. He had his whole life in front of him,' she told KATU.
A top political interviewer was left banging his head on the table in despair after Sir Michael Fallon refused to admit Boris Johnson's words on terrorism.

Robert Peston confronted the Defence Secretary over laying into Jeremy Corbyn for linking the growth of terrorism with foreign interventions abroad.

It comes just days after Sir Michael was skewered on Channel 4 new for criticising a quote about terrorism - before being told it came from the Foreign Secretary.

Appearing on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Sir Michael insisted that Mr Corbyn had attempted to draw links between British foreign policy and terror attacks, to which Peston said: 'He said no such thing.'

Video:

Sir Michael replied: 'He did. I've got his words here. He said foreign policy has been increasing the threat to this country.

'He said that in his speech on Friday and this is nonsense.'Peston intervened, saying: 'This is not the same thing as saying the terrorist attacks are our fault.

'Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, made exactly the same point a few years ago.'

Sir Michael insisted that Mr Johnson had not, but the increasingly exasperated interviewer said: 'He did, he made exactly the same point, I've got his words.

Pointing to his papers, the Defence Secretary shot back: 'I've got his words here, let me read them to you. He said the Iraq war did not create the problem of murderous Islamic fundamentalism.

Sir Michael Fallon was challenged over why he was so critical about Jeremy Corbyn's comments on foreign interventions fueling terrorism

Robert Peston said the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had made the same point as the Labour leader

Peston was left in despair when Sir Michael doggedly insisted Mr Johnson's points were different to Mr Corbyn's - despite quotes to the contrary

the experienced political interviewer banged his head on the desk in despair

'Peston intervened and said: 'He said "those who argued that the attack on Iraq and the way we got rid of Saddam without rebuilding Iraq, those people who said that would increase the threat of terrorism, they had a point".

'Those were his exact words.'

As Sir Michael tried to object, the interviewer pointed to his papers and said: 'Do you want me to show you the article? Michael don't argue with me about it, I've got it.'

As the credits rolled at the end of the interview, Peston could be seen banging his head on the desk in despair.
Only two people have been prosecuted under Australia's foreign fighters laws even though more than 40 ISIS jihadis have returned from overseas war zones.

Authorities are reportedly being hampered by a lack of evidence to proceed to prosecution, leaving most of those who fought alongside ISIS in Syria and Iraq in the past five years to walk free back in Australia.

Jacinta Carroll, the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Counter Terrorism Policy Centre, said it was difficult to obtain required evidence from terrorist strongholds, The Daily Telegraph reported.

More than 40 people have returned to Australia after fighting with ISIS in Syria and Iraq (stock image)

Just two people have reportedly been prosecuted under Australia's foreign fighters laws (stock image)

The startling revelation comes as Ms Carroll warned Australia is facing an ongoing terror threat.

'The Australian public is rightly concerned about returning fighters, but it's very challenging to get evidence sufficient for a prosecution when someone is engaged in a conflict zone in areas that are controlled by terrorists,' Ms Carroll said.

Ms Carroll said a person was prosecuted in December last year and Hamdi Alqudsi was also intercepted by authorities, although it was for a recruitment role and not because he himself was fighting overseas.

Alqudsi was handed a minimum six-year jail sentence in September last year.

Hamdi Alqudsi (pictured) was in September last year sentenced to a minimum six years in jail

Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis (pictured) insisted those found to have fought with ISIS will face the full extent of the law

Attorney-General Senator George Brandis would not reveal the exact number of people who have been charged under the laws, which were enacted in 2014.

But he said those who have returned from fighting overseas were being examined by authorities.

'Any person who has been determined to have been fighting in the conflict, to have been a member of a terrorist group or to have been in a declared area will face the full extent of the law,' Senator Brandis said.
When Schapelle Corby arrived back in Australia on Sunday morning, she was flanked by her family and friends, who seemingly accompanied her wherever she went.

But one important part of her life will not be joining her back home after 13 years in Indonesia - her boyfriend, and fellow convicted drug offender, Ben Panangian.

The pair met in Kerobokan prison in 2006 a year after the former beauty student was first jailed, and have been together through the ups and downs of her time in Bali.

But it seems Corby and Panangian's relationship may be set to face its toughest test, with their criminal histories meaning the pair are unlike to be reunited in Australia or Indonesia.

Schapelle Corby is said to be 'upset' at having to leave her boyfriend Ben Panangian (pictured) behind in Bali while she returns to Australia, having spent the past 13 years in Indonesia

The pair first met in Kerobokan prison in 2006, where Corby and Panangian were both behind bars on drugs charges

It seems Corby (left) and Panangian's (right) relationship may be set to face its toughest test, with their criminal histories meaning the pair are unlike to be reunited in Australia or Indonesia

While a pack of media sat outside her home last week, Corby was reportedly inside 'upset' at having to leave Panangian behind.

Having been convicted of drug trafficking, Corby is likely to never be allowed back to Indonesia.

Similarly, the Australian government could block Panangian entering the country to see Corby because of his two drug convictions.

He was first arrested in 2006 and then again in 2014, with three marijuana packages.

Their criminal records leave the two lovers most likely needing a third country, one happy to take both in, for the pair to reunite.

Released years before his girlfriend, the Indonesian would regularly return to jail to meet up with Corby at the visitor centre, Mamamia reports.

Their criminal records leave the two lovers most likely needing a third country, one happy to take both in, for the pair to reunite

Similarly, the Australian government could block Panangian (pictured) entering the country to see Corby because of his two drug convictions

In 2014, when Corby was paroled, the pair stayed together inside her brother's Bali beachside home.

The pair were often pictured together at a beach near her brother's home and were well known by locals.

A stand-up paddle board instructor in Kuta, Panangian is said to be passionate about his role and is reportedly keen to stay and develop his business.

Corby and her boyfriend seemingly spent one final night together in Bali, as she took to Instagram to share a photo of her family and loved ones inside her family home.
Stephen Miller provoked outrage when he tweeted a photo of his ticket to a women only screening of 'Wonder Woman'

A man in Brooklyn provoked outrage on Friday when he tweeted a photo of his ticket receipt to a women only screening of the new 'Wonder Woman' movie.

Stephen Miller, a writer for the conservative site Heat Street, posted to his Twitter Friday morning he would be attending a 'no boys allowed' screening of the new film at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater in Brooklyn, New York.

'I have some personal news I'd like to share,' he wrote, with a screenshot of two photos that prove he will be attending the Thursday night showing.

He immediately followed it with a second tweet, clarifying to his followers 'that's my ticket receipt on the right.'

'I have some personal news I'd like to share,' he wrote, with a screenshot of two photos that prove he will be attending the Thursday night showing

He immediately followed it with a second tweet, clarifying to his followers 'that's my ticket receipt on the right'

The theater announced the screening on Wednesday, saying: 'Apologies, gentlemen, but we're embracing our girl power and saying "No Guys Allowed" for several special shows at the Alamo Downtown Brooklyn. And we say "Women (and people who identify as women) only" we mean it.'

Miller, seemingly bothered by the theater's choice to host a ladies only screening, told DailyMail.com he's 'not interested in causing a scene'.

Additionally, replying to many of the people he angered with his defiance, he repeatedly wrote: 'I'll be enjoying the film with the ticket I purchased.'

He also pointed out it's perfectly legal to buy a ticket to a specific screening, but it would be illegal to kick him out specifically on the ground of his sex or gender identity.

'They cannot remove me from a public place for my sex or gender. I plan on enjoying the film. Thanks,' he wrote on Saturday.

The theater announced the screening on Wednesday, saying: 'Apologies, gentlemen, but we're embracing our girl power and saying "No Guys Allowed" for several special shows at the Alamo Downtown Brooklyn. And we say "Women (and people who identify as women) only" we mean it'

He also pointed out multiple times there's nothing technically illegal in buying a ticket to a specific screening, but it would be illegal to kick him out specifically on the ground of his sex or gender identity

Miller also referred to the film several times through his Twitter feed as the 'Chris Pine superhero movie,' woefully ignoring that this is the first comic book inspired film to star a woman since Jennifer Garner in 2006's 'Elektra.'

His commentary on the issue, then coupled with his ticket purchase, earned him some hearty backlash, with many people clinging to the fact that he seemed to only buy the ticket to 'prove a point'.

One Twitter user, amused by Miller's capability to spend an entire day behind a computer screen responding to his haters, wrote: 'Some men lay down their lives battling white supremacists on the streets. Others demand admittance to the women-only Wonder Woman screening.'

The tweet clearly referenced Friday night's brutal double murder of two Good Samaritans in Portland by a self-avowed Nazi supporter who was slinging 'anti-Muslim' diatribe at two young girls on a train.

Miller also referred to the film several times as a 'Chris Pine superhero movie,' woefully ignoring that this is the first comic book inspired film to star a woman since Jennifer Garner in 2006's 'Elektra'

One Twitter user, amused by Miller's capability to spend an entire day behind a computer screen responding to his haters, wrote: 'Some men lay down their lives battling white supremacists on the streets. Others demand admittance to the women-only Wonder Woman screening'

Rachel Leishman tweeted: 'Honestly the fact that men can't let women have this ONE THING shows how little we've come as a society'

Twitter user Steve Gorelick had a more brash approach, writing: 'Outrageous. These ignorant, vile misogynists -- who've happily enjoyed access to all sorts of male only settings -- are suddenly egalitarian'

And the backlash didn't stop there.

Rachel Leishman tweeted: 'Honestly the fact that men can't let women have this ONE THING shows how little we've come as a society.'

Twitter user Steve Gorelick had a more brash approach, writing: 'Outrageous. These ignorant, vile misogynists -- who've happily enjoyed access to all sorts of male only settings -- are suddenly egalitarian.'

Later, responding to backlash he continued to receive, he chastised those individuals, writing: 'I'm more or less stunned for an entire group of people who lay claim to civil rights how little they actually seem to know about them.'

Later, responding to backlash he continued to receive, he chastised those individuals, writing: 'I'm more or less stunned for an entire group of people who lay claim to civil rights how little they actually seem to know about them'

An employee at the Brooklyn theater, Alec Gillis, told DailyMail.com they hold various different 'types' of screenings now and again, and holding the women's only screening was just meant as a fun celebration

Speaking to Salon about the decision to host the women only screening, Morgan Hendrix, a representative for the nationwide chain, said: 'We asked ourselves, "How do we create a land of Amazonian women? Well, we just hold a women's only screening!"'

'After all, she lives on a women's only island and comes from a land of women. This makes perfect sense,' Hendrix added.

An employee at the Brooklyn theater, Alec Gillis, told DailyMail.com they hold various different 'types' of screenings now and again, and holding the women's only screening was just meant as a fun celebration.
A 16ft, 3,456-pound shark will be at the Jersey Shore this Memorial Day, new data shows.

Her name is Mary Lee - a 50-year-old Great White shark who has been most recently spotted near Cape May, New Jersey.

Lee will not be the only shark making a stop at the shore, according to the non-profit shark-tracking group, OCEARCH.

Another Great White, Cisco, - measuring 8ft, 7 inches - has been spotted at the Delaware Bay and is expected to also arrive at the Jersey shore during the holiday weekend.

'Cisco is a really interesting shark,' OCEARCH expedition leader, Chris Fischer told NBC 10. 'He's likely just coming in [the Delaware Bay] to forage.'

Scroll down for video

This 16-foot, 3456-pound shark is headed for the Jersey Shore this Memorial Day, according to researchers

Mary Lee, a 50-year-old Great White, was last spotted near Cape May, New Jersey

Lee first showed on the organization's radar in September 2012 while swimming in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

OCEARCH has been following the shark's movements ever since, noticing that she often visits the Jersey shore at this time because temperatures are in the early sixties, ideal temperatures for sharks to swim.

Each time Lee's fin pops through the surface of the water, researchers are pinged about where the shark is.

Lee has become so popular now that she has her own Twitter page, run by someone who tweets a map showing , approximately, where she is, and shares stories written about the shark.

OCEARCH also has a website with a map showing her movements as well as Cisco's for the last 30 days.

Before arriving at the East Coast, Lee had traveled through Fenwick Island, Delaware, and Cisco had swam through the coasts of North Carolina, the Delaware Bay, and Massachusetts.

Lee - pictured being tagged on the OCEARCH boat - first showed up on the organization's radar in September 2012 while swimming in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The non-profit has been following the shark's movements ever since, noticing that she has been visiting the Jersey shore for more than 40 years

While these new details of the movements of the shark can seem scary to some, Fischer says beach-goers need not see this as a bad omen.

'People should be terrified of an ocean that's not full of sharks, they keep everything in balance,' Fischer said.

'So, if we want to make sure that our great grandchildren can eat fish sandwiches, we need lots of big sharks.'

Fischer is also urging those hoping to swim to go ahead with their plans, and that their chances of being bitten by a shark are very slim.

'The thing about Mary Lee is that she has been swimming up and down the coast for 45, 50 years, and you don't hear of any interactions between white sharks and people on the East Coast,' he told CBS news.

Another Great White shark, Cisco,(pictured) is also headed to the shore. This one's much smaller than Lee and is 8ft, 7 inches
Donald Trump is considering a massive overhaul of his White House staff that would see top strategists from his campaign brought back into the fold.

The president's reported plan is the result of his growing frustration with what he views as his team's inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

A Trump adviser told the Wall Street Journal: 'Everything is in play.'

One of the changes expected is an expansion of lawyers and experienced public relations experts to better deal with the seemingly constant stream of revelations about Moscow's interference in the election and potential improper dealings with Trump's team.

Scroll down for video

Donald Trump is weighing up making drastic changes to his White House team, as he continues to be dogged by the Russia scandal

Further scandalous reports dogged the president during his first international trip since taking office over the last nine days, and they have also threatened to overwhelm his administration.

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late Saturday from his nine-day journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

White House aides prepared for potential changes ahead, with the president dismayed by what he perceives to be his communication team's failures to push back against the allegations.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to 'an unforeseen change' in Trump's schedule.

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russia's ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trump's longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates' potential involvement.

David Bossie (pictured on May 18, 2017), the Citizens United president and Donald Trumps former deputy campaign manager, could be brought back by Trump

Corey Lewandowski (pictured in May 2016), Trump's former campaign manager, could also rejoin the president's team

More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

'They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation,' said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didn't completely subsume the president's agenda.

'I think that was enormously helpful,' Quinn said.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries.

The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls new additions and outside reinforcements, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold.

Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

A senior adviser close to Donald Trump (pictured on May 26) said of the changes: 'Everything is in play'

The rumored changes are result of his growing frustration with what he views as his team's inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump is pictured with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is allegedly caught up in the investigation

Another name under consideration is David Urban - a former top Republican aide during Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings in the 1990s. He would be in line for a 'senior White House job', the Journal reports.

Lewandowski's return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with other staff as well as Trump's adult children.

Nonetheless, Lewandowski, who led the small team that steered Trump's primary victory, has the trust of the president - an advantage that many of Trump's aides lack.

'The most important thing is Trump listens to them,' a senior official inside the administration told the Journal.

'And it will free up the rest of the White House to focus on health care, taxes and the things we should be worrying about.'

Another change could finally see the long-rumored ousted of press secretary Sean Spicer come to fruition, with Sarah Huckabee Sanders his would-be replacement.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a 'home run,' but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (pictured on May 25) could be replaced in the changes

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, could replace Spicer

Heightening concerns for the White House, Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting.

Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US, about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trump's first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Flynn was fired in February, officials saying he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed US sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the US, White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner.

Other major issues await decisions by Trump. He said in a tweet that he would make a final decision next week on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, in which nearly 200 countries pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat global warming.

Donald Trump and first lady Melania return to the White House on May 27 following an international trip

As a candidate, Trump vowed to pull out of the accord, which was negotiated during the Obama administration, claiming the deal would be economically disadvantageous to the US.

Meanwhile, the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

Trump interviewed potential candidates and said he was 'very close' to deciding on a replacement before he left for the Middle East.

But one of Trump's short-list candidates, former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, withdrew from consideration, and the White House has been mum on other possibilities.

Trump's policy agenda has run into road blocks since he departed Washington. The Republican health care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate after a Congressional Budget Office analysis said it would leave 23 million more Americans uninsured by 2026.

The president will need to defend his budget plan, which was released while he was abroad and drew criticism for deep cuts to safety net programs.

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan forces.

The Pentagon says it has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, about one-quarter of whom are special operations forces targeting extremist groups such as an Islamic State affiliate.
Donald Trump returned to the US this weekend and resumed his crusade against the 'fake news media' which he has now accused of making up sources and fabricating stories about his administration.

Hot off the heels of a successful first foreign overseas tour, the president took to Twitter on Sunday to share his latest grievances with the press.

'It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #fakenews media.

'Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #Fakenews is the enemy!' he said.

He then chastised the source of a leak who provided information about Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi to the press, a move which outraged UK officials.

Scroll down for video

President Trump revived his crusade against what he calls the 'fake news media' on Sunday, sharing a string of tweets in which he accused journalists of making up sources and stories

'British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!' he said.

The message comes amid reports, citing anonymous sources in the administration or close to it, that the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner tried to establish a back channel to communicate with Russian officials before the inauguration to avoid having their conversations monitored by US authorities.

The Washington Post was the first to report on it on Friday and cited 'insiders' who revealed that the Russian ambassador made note of Kushner's proposal in documents.

The back-channel claim falls into a wider pool of accusations about the administration's possible ties with Russian officials.

They have plagued the White House for months and are the subject of multiple ongoing congressional committee investigations.

Kushner has become the focus of the investigations in the past week, say more anonymous insiders.

The president's tweets came amid claims his son-in-law Jared Kushner (pictured right on Friday) tried to establish a back channel with Russian officials in December

White House sources said Kushner wanted to set up the channel to allow former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn to communicate with Russian counterparts without being monitored by US authorities

The back channel proposal was reportedly dropped when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sworn in on February 1. The purpose of it had been to discuss Russia and the US's strategy in Syria.

The White House has acknowledged the meeting where it was reportedly discussed but said it was a courtesy get-together.

Trump maintains that no one in either his campaign or transition team colluded with Russian officials and the Kremlin has also dismissed the back channel claims.

Trump aides insisted over the weekend that the topic never came up during the G7 summit in Sicily, despite televisions playing round-the-clock coverage of the claims.

They insisted that the president was not asked about the reports by other foreign leaders and then refused to discuss it with a pool of reporters.

'We're not going to comment on Jared. We're just not going to comment,' said Gary Cohn, the president's chief economic adviser, during a press conference in Taormina on Saturday.

Kushner and Ivanka joined the president for the first part of his foreign trip last week. He is pictured with his wife at the Vatican last Wednesday

The New York Times reported that the White House plans to bolster its legal team with new attorneys in light of the accusations against Kushner.

Kushner spent the first half of the president's overseas trip by his side. He and Ivanka joined the president and first lady in Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome but jetted back to Washington DC on Thursday.

Trump went on with his wife to Brussels and then Sicily for the G7 summit.

As he tweeted on Sunday, the president also criticized the media's coverage of the Montana special election.

Republican candidate Greg Gianforte won the race despite being cited for misdemeanor assault the day before polls opened for 'body-slamming' a Guardian journalist.

Trump said on Sunday: 'Big win in Montana for Republicans! Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered,' referring to Gianforte's win.
Egyptian soldiers have killed three "highly dangerous" militants in a raid in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian military said in a statement on Sunday.

The operation targeted the militants as they were about to carry out an attack on security forces, according to the statement published online by Egyptian military spokesman Colonel Tamer El-Refai.

Another suspected militant was arrested in possession of a large sum of money that was to be sent to terrorists, the statement said.

The Egyptian army is fighting an Islamist insurgency based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that has gained pace since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who emerged from the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

Militant activity in central Sinai is less frequent than in the more volatile north, where attacks targeting military and police checkpoints are commonplace.

Hundreds of security-forces personnel have been killed in attacks claimed by militants, while the military has killed hundreds of insurgents as part of its ongoing campaign to end the insurgency in the border region.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Advertisement

A teenager has become the latest suspect to be arrested in connection with the Manchester terror attack.

The 19-year-old was detained in the Gorton area of the city on suspicion of terror offences by officers, who have been conducting raids throughout the day, as police continue to close in on Salman Abedi's terrorist ring.

As it stands, 15 people have been been confirmed as being arrested in connection with the blast, with two released without charge and 12 still being held in police custody.

Earlier today a 25-year-old man was arrested in the city's Old Trafford area. More than a dozen officers swooped on the terraced home area as part of the investigation into the atrocity that claimed the lives of 22 people and injured more than 100.

Scroll down fro video

Further raids were carried out today as police continue to close in on Salman Abedi's terrorist ring following last weekend's terror attack

One resident said on Twitter there was an explosion near Quantock Close and Selworth Road shortly before 2pm this afternoon

More than a dozen officers swooped on the terraced home area as part of the investigation into the terrorist ring around Salman Abedi

Detectives were also searching addresses in the Rusholme (pictured) and Gorton areas of the city tonight

One resident said on Twitter there was an explosion near Quantock Close and Selworth Road shortly before 2pm.

Neighbour Stephen Cawley, 59, told MailOnline that two brothers were hauled into the back of a police van, but Greater Manchester Police said no further arrests were made.

'We were in the kitchen cooking the Sunday meal and I heard a loud bang.

'I looked out the front door and there were armed police and the army in the front and back garden.

'It was really loud. I thought it was a bomb but I believe it was a flash grenade. It was so loud that to be honest it sounded like a bomb.

'There were about 12 army - six in the front garden and six in the back - and at least 50 police officers.

'Some were armed and some weren't - they're still searching the house.

'It's scary, you don't expect it in your street. It's frightening times at the moment.

'Everybody's got to be vigilant and keep their eyes open.'

Stephen, who lives with his wife Sylvia and is unemployed, said: 'When one of them was arrested he was screaming that they were hurting him.

'They don't exactly mollycoddle you when they put the handcuffs on so he had his arms stuck on his back.

Officers prevented residents from accessing the street and a cordon was set up at both ends of the road to stop access

A neighbour told MailOnline that two brothers were hauled into the back of a police van, but no further arrests in addition

Dogs have been seen at the scene and police have closed off roads in the area

RECAP ON THE ARRESTS SO FAR AFTER THE ATTACK A total of 15 people are in detention in Britain and Libya over Monday's suicide bombing. A teenage boy and a woman arrested by British police this week have since been released without charge, leaving 12 in British custody who were arrested 'on suspicion of offences contrary to the terrorism act'. In Libya, the father and brother of the bomber, Salman Abedi, are also in detention. Abedi reportedly returned from Libya only a few days before the attack which killed 22 people, including seven children under 18, but police are still trying to establish the extent of his wider network. Here are the details of the arrests so far: Hashem Abedi, the younger brother of Manchester Arena suicide bomber, is currently in detention in Libya along after he was arrested by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord Tuesday Police arrest Abedi's older brother Ismael in the Chorlton area of south Manchester near where Abedi is believed to have lived. Wednesday Police arrest three more men in south Manchester aged 18, 21 and 24, a short walk from the house where Abedi lived. An 18-year-old man, who police said was carrying a suspect package, is arrested in Wigan, a town near Manchester. No further details were given about him. Another man, 22, is arrested in the town of Nuneaton in central England, widening the British police probe beyond areas in and around Manchester. Libya's Deterrence Force, which acts as the police of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, arrests Abedi's father Ramadan, adding that it had already arrested his brother Hashem on Tuesday. In Manchester, a 34-year-old woman is arrested by police in an apartment block in Blackley, in the north of the city. She is later released without charge. This man, 22, was arrested in the town of Nuneaton in central England, widening the British police probe beyond areas in and around Manchester Thursday A 16-year-old boy is arrested in Withington, south Manchester. He is later released without charge. A 38-year-old man is arrested in Blackley. Friday A 30-year-old man is arrested in Moss Side, an area of Manchester which has been associated with social deprivation and gangs. A 44-year-old man is arrested in Rusholme, in the south of the city. Ramadan Abedi, the father of Salman Abedi, is also being held in Libya along with his other son Hashem in connection to the suicide bombing Saturday Two men aged 20 and 22 are arrested following a raid, involving a controlled explosion, at an address in Cheatham Hill, north Manchester. Sunday A 25-year-old man is arrested in Old Trafford, to the east of the city

A 19-year-old man is arrested in the Gorton area of Manchester Advertisement

'The other two were just calm - they were smiling and talking. They seemed fine.

'The family has lived there about 10 years. The mother and father are very nice.

'They have four boys and a girl - police arrested the three eldest lads but one has been de-arrested and let go. He's got a bit of a mouth at times.

'You know what all teenagers are like, they don't like being told what to do, they don't like taking any notice of authority.

'They're very polite, the lads, they never give me any problems.

'I'm surprised, I don't know whether they've got information passed on to them if these are people of interest but I wouldn't class them as terrorists.

Local residents said they heard a loud bang  believed to be a controlled explosion  after armed police had sealed off Quantock Street.

Officers with dogs prevented residents from accessing the street and a cordon was set up at both ends of the road.

The property raided is close to the Fade Away barber shop run by Abedi's cousin Abdallah Forjani and one of the first men to be arrested.

Dogs have been seen at the scene and police have closed off roads in the area, with some vans being seen taking evidence away

On Friday police carried out a raid on the high street barbershop run by 24-year-old Forjani, a cousin of the suicide bomber.

His elder brother was also held with both men arrested at their home in Aston Avenue along with their father who was later released.

Neighbours said Abedi and his younger brother Hashem were regular visitors to the house.

Forensic teams continued to search a rented flat in the Blackley area where Abedi is suspected of building the rucksack bomb used in the Manchester Arena attack.

A Greater Manchester spokesman said: 'Today, Sunday 28 May, 2017, officers investigating 'Today, Sunday 28 May 2017, officers investigating the attack at the Manchester Arena have executed a warrant at an address in Moss Side. A search is currently on-going.

'Officers have also arrested a 25-year-old man in the Old Trafford area of suspicion of offences contrary to the terrorism act.

It comes as tens of thousands of defiant runners turned out to pound the pavements in the first major city-centre event since the attack.

There were initial fears the Great Manchester Run would be abandoned after the atrocity on Monday night, but organisers vowed the annual event for 40,000 would go ahead amid heightened security.

Family of first Manchester bombing victim tells Government to 'open its eyes' before more parents lose kids Georgina Callander with Ariana Grande Manchester bombing victim Georgina Callander's family has warned the Government to 'open its eyes' to the terror threat - or more parents could lose children. The 18-year-old was killed in the blast shortly after her favourite artist Ariana Grande left the stage at the Manchester Arena on Monday. In a statement released through Greater Manchester Police, her family said the teenager's life had been cut short by 'evil, evil men prepared to ruin lives and destroy families'. It added: 'I wish I could say that Georgina is one of the last to die in this way but unless our Government opens its eyes we know we are only another in a long line of parents on a list that continues to grow.' Advertisement

Tens of thousands of defiant runners turned out to pound the pavements in the first major city-centre event since 22 people were killed by the Manchester bomber

Armed police officers on patrol as thousands of defiant runners and spectators turn out for the Great Manchester Run, following the terror attack at the Manchester Arena in the city earlier this week

Matthew Hayhurst posted this picture of himself arm-in-arm with his family simply with the caption, 'We are not afraid'

Officers armed with assault rifles were dotted around the course, standing guard as runners trotted by watched by huge crowds who lined the route.

A day after 50,000 watched Courtneeners perform at a homecoming gig at Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, the city's streets were packed with elite runners, children and amateurs.

Those running were determined to show they would not bow to terror.

Matthew Hayhurst posted a picture of himself arm-in-arm with his family simply with the caption, 'We are not afraid'

Theresa May revealed her horror that the bomber targeted children as she announced her plans for a new 'Terror Tsar'.

The Prime Minister will create the Commission for Countering Extremism in the wake of the horrific attack at the Manchester Arena, last week.

Mrs May hopes that the new task force will help Britain 'stand up to extremists' and find ways to defeat their 'twisted beliefs.'

Chilling CCTV shows Abedi moments before he detonated the nail bomb in his backpack.

He blends in with the crowd with his casual attire: a 65 Hollister body warmer, his best 150 Nike Air Jordan trainers, a black baseball cap, navy jeans with turn-ups.

Was his hand on the trigger? Salman Abedi on the night that he travelled to the Manchester Arena and detonated a bomb after the Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people and injuring 119

The possible last movements of the bomber, who travelled by tram to the Arena and may have got in the lift from the station into the venue

A policewoman comforted a young girl following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on Monday night. Her mother was later found to have died in the attack

A man is pictured wrapped in foil and bleeding from a head wound after being caught up in the explosion at the Manchester gig

Survivor of Manchester bombing takes in the daughter of her best friend who was murdered in blast Charlotte Fawell who lost her mother Wendy in the Manchester bombing A survivor of the Manchester bombing has taken in the daughter of her best friend who was killed in the atrocity and has vowed to 'love her like her own'. Caroline Davies and Wendy Fawell were at Manchester Arena to collect their children who were among thousands piling out of the venue having watched Ariana Grande when Salman Abedi blew himself up, murdering 22. One of those who lost their lives in the massacre was Wendy Fawell, tragically leaving her daughter Charlotte, 15, without a mother. Caroline Davies, who said losing Wendy was more like having a sister taken away than a friend, is determined to 'not let hate win' and has promised to care for Charlotte as if she were her own child. In a cruel twist of fate, Wendy and Caroline split up to make sure they didn't miss Charlotte and Caroline's sons Lee, 16, and Ben, 12. Unknowingly, Wendy Fawell walked into the path of depraved ISIS-inspired terrorist Abedi. Charlotte is currently with the Davies family in Otley, West Yorkshire, and had the heartbreaking task of identifying her mother's body, according to the Sunday People. Advertisement

In one still, he stares ahead as his hand rests in his pocket, perhaps checking the trigger of the explosive device that he would use to murder teenagers and young children at the Ariana Grande concert in the Manchester Arena.

The images, taken from CCTV cameras, were released yesterday by detectives piecing together the final movements of the callous killer.

And in both pictures, the police have blacked out the background, suggesting they wished to protect the identities of people standing next to him at the time.

The exact location of the image has not been given by officers, but it is believed he could have been in a lift on the way to the Arena's box office.

Only the straps of the rucksack  a bag containing tricyclic acetone peroxide, bolts and nails  are visible in the pictures. At 10.30pm, he detonated the 'highly sophisticated' device, that injured 119 people.

Thousands of people have attended vigils and laid flowers to victims after the attack on Monday night, with a 'I [love] MCR' becoming a mantra of the city as it heals
Jeremy Corbyn has finally admitted that he met convicted members of the IRA after denying the claims for days.

The Labour leader last week denied ever meeting or supporting the terror group, which killed around 1,8000 people during its decades-long bombing and shooting campaign.

The claim was met with incredulity by Labour's critics who pointed out that he invited Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams for tea in Parliament and was arrested on a protest outside the trial of the Brighton Bomber.

Jeremy Corbyn today admitted he has met with convicted members of the IRA

Challenged on ITV's Peston on Sunday over whether he had ties to the IRA, the Labour leader U-turned on his initial denial.

CORBYN'S MEETINGS WITH THE IRA In 1984, Corbyn hosted Linda Quigley and Gerard McLoughlin in Parliament. Both were convicted of IRA terrorism. In 1986, Corbyn was arrested as he took part in a protest outside an Old Bailey trial of the Brighton bomber Patrick Magee In 2000 Corbyn shared a platform with Brendan McKenna at an event commemorating Bloody Sunday. He was jailed for a bombing in Portadown. Advertisement

He said: 'I've not spoken to the IRA. I've in the past and still do often meet people from Sinn Fein.

'I have met former prisoners who have told me they were not in the IRA.'

Asked directly if he had met with convicted members of the IRA, he said he had.

He added: 'But I have met former prisoners with my eyes open on it on the basis that there had to be a development of the peace process in Norther Ireland.

'And I think we should look at the awful period of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and the attempt to get a military solution to those problems as something that we all learn a lesson from.

'And surely the two ceasefires followed bye the Good Friday Agreement and the acceptance of the different historical traditions between the nationalist and unionist communities in northern Ireland, is something which has brought about a long term peace from which the rest of the world has learnt many lessons.

'Surely we can give credit to all those - unionist and republicans, - who brought that about?'

His comments came after his close ally Diane Abbott admitted her leader had met with someone from the IRA.

She told LBC: 'In 2005 he shared a platform with Raymond McCartney, McCartney was a member of the IRA, I could go on I've got a lot of these things here.'

Ms Abbott added: 'I think we have to distinguish from being on a platform with people and conducting private meetings.'

Jeremy Corbyn pictured with Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams. The Labour leader today admitted he has met people whp were convicted members of the IRA

Mr Corbyn also faced a tough grilling over whether he can be trusted with Britain's security if he is elected to Number 10.

The left-winger has voted against nearly every new piece of legislation to toughen up security.

He said he has been vocal in opposing 'executive control orders that are not subject to judicial oversight' as he defended his previous voting record on anti-terror measures.

Mr Corbyn added: 'I do support work with the police and our security services on intelligence-led actions.'
The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee has called for a review into Jared Kushner's security clearance in the wake of reports he wanted to set up a secret back-channel with Russia.

California Democrat Adam Schiff made the comment during an interview with ABC's This Week on Sunday morning.

'There is another question about his security clearance and whether he was forthcoming about his contacts on that,' Schiff said.

'If these allegations are true and he had discussions with the Russians about establishing a back-channel and didn't reveal that, that's a real problem in terms of whether he should maintain that kind of a security clearance.'

California Democrat Adam Schiff (pictured) has called for a review into Jared Kushner's security clearance in the wake of reports he wanted to set up a secret back-channel with Russia

He was then pressed on whether the president's son-in-law should immediately lose his clearance, and stopped short of calling for it to be revoked.

'I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, but I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful and candid, if not, there's no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance.'

Schiff's comments came after it was reported Kushner proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy.

'There is another question about his security clearance and whether he was forthcoming about his contacts on that,' Schiff said of Kushner (pictured in February 2017)

'I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful and candid, if not, there's no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance,' Schiff said

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushner's attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Back from a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump on Sunday immediately sought to dismiss the reports.

'It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies,' he tweeted.

He added: 'Whenever you see the words "sources say" in the fake news media, and they don't mention names... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers.'

Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.
The uncle of a toddler who died from severe burns in Brisbane's north on Thursday has demanded answers over her death.

Maddilyn-Rose Stokes, 2, died after she suffered severe burns to her lower body  injuries her parents say were sustained in scalding hot bath water.

The two-year-old was rushed to hospital when she stopped breathing on Thursday but was pronounced dead later the same day.

Scroll down for video

The girl who died after suffering severe burns in a hot bath was named as two-year-old Maddilyn-Rose Ava Stokes (pictured)

Maddilyn-Rose's estranged uncle Glyn Stokes spoke out on Sunday demanding answers.

'Nobody can give me any,' he told Seven News.

'This Friday gone I found out my niece is no longer with us, there's no words for how it feels.'

Mr Stokes remembered Maddilyn-Rose as a 'happy-go-lucky little baby' and a 'little joy to have in life'.

Mr Stokes (pictured) remembered Maddilyn-Rose as a 'happy-go-lucky little baby' and a 'little joy to have in life'

Queensland police confirmed on Friday they were treating Maddilyn-Rose's (pictured) death as suspicious and her parents were persons of interest in the case

Maddilyn-Rose Ava Stokes (pictured right), from Northgate, suffered severe burns to her back, buttocks and legs for several days before she died

Mr Stokes said he had not seen the young family since Maddilyn-Rose's parents cut contact with him in 2015.

Mr Stokes said they cut him off after he reported his younger brother Shane and his partner Nicole to authorities in fearing Maddilyn-Rose was malnourished.

Shane Stokes and Nicole Betty Moore were charged with child cruelty but the charges were downgraded to failing to provide the necessities of life.

The pair were sentenced to 18-month good behaviour bonds.

Father Shane David Stokes (pictured right) and mother Nicole Betty Moore (pictured left) are the parents of Maddilyn-Rose Stokes who died of a suspected cardiac arrest

Maddilyn-Rose Stokes, 2, died after she suffered severe burns to her lower body  injuries her parents say were sustained in scalding hot bath water

The family home in a Northgate housing commission complex remains a crime scene after police launched an investigation into the toddler's death on Thursday.

Police said the cause of death could not be confirmed until an autopsy was performed in coming days.

Queensland police said the investigation could stretch for weeks.

Police confirmed on Friday Maddilyn-Rose's parents were persons of interest in the case, but said they were assisting the police with inquiries.

The Child Protection Unit is working alongside police in the investigation.
A British bride was left 'in tears' when her dream Greek wedding had to be postponed because her guests got stuck at Heathrow.

Laura Thomson, from Guildford, was due to marry fiance Sam Sciortino on the island of Santorini on Sunday.

But the British Airways IT failure, which was blamed on a 'power supply issue', saw three bridesmaids and her brother get stuck at Heathrow Terminal 5 for 13 hours.

The guests eventually managed to leave the airport without their luggage after booking with a different airline.

Laura Thomson (left), from Surrey, was due to marry fiance Sam Sciortino (right) in Santorini, Greece, on Sunday but was forced to postpone due to the British Airways IT failure

Ms Thomson (pictured in Greece with the rest of her wedding guests) said three of her bridesmaids and her brother got stuck at Heathrow Terminal 5 for 13 hours until the booked on another airline, leaving their luggage behind

Writing on Facebook, Miss Thomson said: 'What can I say, I am just a shell of myself right now, my head is vacant, we are absolutely shattered.

'Thanks to all the suppliers out here we have managed to swap dates, without too much loss.

'I have been in tears with our dream of how it should of been slowly fading away, knowing I can't share the day with my family the way I imagined, my sister in law and nieces no longer able to be bridesmaids, my brother no longer with his suit, but we are looking on the positives that at least they will all be here at the last hour.

'I'm so sorry they have been through such hell at Terminal 5 and all the worry and fear, with BA making them cut calls off to loved ones, not being allowed to use their phones and not being advised what's happening.

'I just hope you all can enjoy Monday once it finally arrives and hopefully the topic of conversation on our special day isn't BA.'

The bride (centre) said she has managed to rearrange the wedding for Monday, but the experience reduced her to tears and left her 'a shell'

It is not known how much Miss Thomson had to pay in order to rearrange the ceremony, though she said it had been done 'without too much loss'

Miss Thomson said she felt 'so let down' by BA after her bridesmaids and brother got caught in the chaos caused by a 'power supply problem' with the company's IT services

Miss Thompson and Mr Sciortino had flown out to Santorini earlier in the week and were due to be joined by their guests on Saturday, before the IT failure.

She told the BBC: 'We've been planning our big day for two years only to be forced to rush around and change everything to take place a day later.

'My brother is one of the groomsmen, and my nieces and sister-in-law are my bridesmaids, so naturally I wanted them to share the day with us.

'They booked with British Airways because they thought it was a reliable company. We feel so let down.'

An IT meltdown at 11am on Saturday saw all flights cancelled from Heathrow and Gatwick for the rest of the day, with many more cancelled or delayed on Sunday.

In total 1,000 flights are thought to have been affected along with hundreds of thousands of customers, leaving the airline liable to a record-breaking 150million compensation bill.

Up to 300,000 people could eventually be affected by the outage, experts said, which leaves them open to compensation claims up to 150million

Passengers were pictured queuing out the door at Heathrow (pictured) and Gatwick on Sunday as they attempted to rebook cancelled flights, while dozens more were cancelled

Experts have said disruption could continue for days following the outage, leaving the airline open to compensation claims of 150million (pictured, travellers at Heathrow on Sunday)

Alex Cruz, the CEO and chairman who has been blamed for the failure after outsourcing IT job to India, said 'many of our IT systems' were operational again.

He said: 'I know this has been a horrible time for customers. Some of you have missed holidays, some of you have been stranded on an aircraft and some of you have been separated from your bags.

'On behalf of everyone at BA I want to apologise that you've had to go through these trying experiences.'

Experts have warned that it could be days before services are returned to normal while workers attempt to clear a backlog of passengers.

The airline was running a 'near-normal' service from Gatwick on Sunday, a spokesman claimed, while they promised that a 'majority' of flights would still depart from Heathrow.

Mr Cruz said it was largely short-haul flights, such as the one to Santorini, which were being affected by cancellations.
The United States Department of Homeland Security might be planning a dramatic expansion of a ban on laptops and e-readers in airplane cabins.

Secretary John Kelly said he's considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States.

Kelly was asked on Fox News Sunday whether he would expand the ban to cover laptops on all international flights into and out of the states, and answered : 'I might.'

Scroll down for video

Kelly was asked on Fox News Sunday whether he would expand the ban to cover laptops on all international flights into and out of the states, and answered : 'I might'

He also said there are 'numerous threats against aviation' and terrorists are 'obsessed' with 'knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly a US carrier, if it's full of mostly US folks.'

He also said there are 'numerous threats against aviation' and terrorists are 'obsessed' with 'knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly a US carrier, if it's full of mostly US folks.'

That would add onto a laptop ban announced in March that affects about 50 flights per day from 10 cities, mostly in the Middle East, put into place due to concerns about terrorist attacks.

The ban prevents travelers from bringing laptops, tablets and certain other devices on board with them in their carry-on bags. All electronics bigger than a smartphone must be checked in.

At the time of the first ban, Kelly said his department would make a decision about a more broad ban 'when the time is right'.

The US laptop ban has affected direct flights to the United States by Royal Jordanian Airlines, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

At the time of the first ban, Kelly, pictured during his interview on Fox News Sunday, said his department would make a decision about a more broad ban 'when the time is right'

The current laptop ban was announced in March that affects about 50 flights per day from 10 cities, mostly in the Middle East, put into place due to concerns about terrorist attacks (stock image)

Watch the latest video at <a href="//video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>

Kelly's interview comes after the United States had thought to end talks to ban laptops and tablets on flights coming from Europe earlier this month.

The airline industry also came out against the proposal of a ban in a strongly worded letter saying it would cause a severe downturn in trans-Atlantic air travel and cost travelers more than a billion dollars in lost time.

However, it seems as though the Department of Homeland security has now reconsidered the ban in the wake of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack that took place on Monday and left 22 concert-goers dead.

The proposed electronics ban could create logistical chaos on the world's busiest air travel corridor.

As many as 65million people a year travel between Europe and North America on nearly 400 daily flights, many of them business travelers who rely on the devices to work during flight.
When hearing the heartbreaking news their loved ones were dead family members of the Lindt siege victims were able to hear each other's agony, after being put in neighbouring rooms by police.

Additionally, by the time those closest to slain Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson were officially informed by police of their deaths they had already suspected the worst.

In new information coming to light following submissions from the family and partners of the Lindt victims police handling of the 2014 tragedy continues to draw criticism.

Scroll down for video

Katrina Dawson (pictured left) and Tori Johnson (right) were killed in the Lindt chocolate cafe siege

New information has revealed their families could hear each other when they were informed of their deaths

The information comes as NSW Coroner Michael Barnes revealed that family members were not given proper privacy when notified of their deaths.

The next of kin were not told each victim had died until three hours after police raided the cafe 'could hear sounds of distress issuing from the other family's room,' the Daily Telegraph reported.

They were also made to wait inside the Supreme Court, located two minutes from the Lindt cafe, in a temporary centre, where gunshots and explosions could be heard from when police stormed in.

The families were not given access to television and police officers only offered 'little information'.

Ms Dawson's parent's (pictured) were never informed of the temporary centre setup in the Supreme Court and found out about it on the news

In a statement shared by Tori Johnson's partner of 14 years, Thomas Zin, he stated 'they assumed the worse' when the explosions went off.

'I thought the sounds meant that everyone was being shot,' Mr Zin said.

Ms Dawson's family were never informed of the centre but instead found out about it on the news.

Calls from Ms Dawson's mother and brother to an emergency hotline were never returned.

In his coroner's report Mr Barnes slammed the time it took to identify the bodies.

In submissions from the victim's families and partners, released on Sunday, further criticism of the police handling of the tragedy was bought to light

'No single officer appears to been responsible for co-ordinating the identification efforts,' the report said.

It was reported in the findings that the two families were able to conclude their respective loved one had not made it because all the other hostage's families were informed they had survived.

The two families told Four Corners last week of their anger after learning police had only planned to storm the Lindt Cafe if gunman Man Haron Monis killed or seriously injured
Donald Trump says that British Prime Minister Theresa May is furious about how details of the Manchester terror investigation were leaked by American officials.

The president, who pledged to 'get to the bottom' of leaks about the Manchester bombing probe, tweeted on Sunday that: 'British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!'

May was so concerned about the amount of details that were being published in American media, including the name of the bomber, the British government temporarily stopped sharing information with US agencies.

Scroll down for video

The president tweeted on Sunday that: 'British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!'

The British Prime Minister Theresa May (right with the US president and other leaders at a NATO summit) raised concerns with Trump in Brussels on Thursday

The British PM raised concerns with Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, telling him intelligence shared between their two countries had to remain secure. It was a rare public show of dissatisfaction with Britain's closest security ally.

'She expressed the view that the intelligence-sharing relationship we have with the U.S. is hugely important and valuable, but that the information that we share should be kept secure,' a British government source said.

Trump, speaking in Brussels, called the leaks 'deeply troubling' and a 'grave threat' to national security, and said he would ask the Justice Department 'to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'

'The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,' Trump said.

The White House statement notably didn't confine itself to the disclosure of terror-related information from a key ally, but also mentioned leaks generally  something that have been the bane of Trump's young presidency.

The aftermath: The bomb inside the Manchester Arena killed 22 people and injured scores more

May took the unusual step to publicly criticize and confront the leader of an allied country over the leaks (May with Trump at the NATO summit on Thursday)

'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,' Trump continued.

Hours after Trump's strong message, British police reopened information sharing ties with the US.

Mark Rowley, the country's most senior counter-terrorism officer, confirmed they had 'received fresh assurances' from Washington and were now 'working closely' with them.

He added: 'We greatly value the crucial relationship with our trusted partners around the world so we can collaborate and share sensitive information to defeat terrorism and protect the public at home and abroad.

Statement from President Trump on leaks 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. I am asking 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. There is no relationship we cherish more than the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. Advertisement

Two US officials from different agencies said the photos of remnants of the Manchester bomb, which killed 22 people, and other evidence that U.S. officials allegedly leaked were of what one of them called 'limited intelligence and law enforcement value.'

The United States and Britain have the closest intelligence-sharing relationship of any two countries on earth.

British liaison officers work at the CIA, the electronic eavesdropping National Security Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and elsewhere.

U.S. military and civilian counterparts are stationed in Britain including a contingent at the Cheltenham headquarters of the NSA's British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ.

Intelligence officers from both countries also work closely in third countries, including war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition, the United States and Britain are members of the 'Five Eyes' pact, which also includes Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The five countries share highly classified intelligence regarding electronic eavesdropping, code-breaking, and cybersecurity.

Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress said the relationship with Britain was too valuable to undermine with leaks.

'If they dont feel comfortable sharing information, that can be a significant obstacle in terms of the worldwide terror fight,' said Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Senator John McCain, Republican chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, said: 'The British are citizens of a sovereign nation. They should do whatever they want to do. And if they are offended by leaks, then I respect whatever measures they take.'

The British concerns echo Trump's own frequent complaints about officials in his administration leaking information to the media, often about allegations of connections between his election campaign and Russia.

Trump, right, speaks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the summit of heads of state and government in Brussels on Thursday

Mrs May arrived in Brussels on the official government plane on Thursday for the Nato summit

But Trump critics, including some U.S. intelligence officials, call his complaint ironic after he gave highly sensitive information about a foreign countrys covert operation against Islamic State to senior Russian officials in a White House meeting this month.

Trump has repeatedly complained about other unauthorized disclosures, which have included notes on White House meetings and transcripts of his own conversations with world leaders and top foreign officials.

Even his frank assurances to Russia's foreign minister  where he reportedly called fired FBI Director James Comey a 'nut job'  have made it into the paper.

'I am asking 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,' he said.

His language about other agencies is a likely reference to intelligence agencies, who might have capabilities to track the information as it made its way through U.S. channels.

Then, pointing to the row with Britain over the subject, he said: 'There is no relationship we cherish more than the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.'

The New York Times on Wednesday published images of blood-smeared remnants of Salman Abedi's backpack, along with shrapnel and a battery.

The images were deemed highly sensitive, and were published even as an international manhunt in connection with the bombing continued.

Earlier, the top U.S. diplomat in Britain issued a tough statement of his own. 'These leaks were reprehensible, deeply distressing,' said charge d'affaires Lewis Lukens, the New York Times reported. 'We unequivocally condemn them.'
Hardened criminals are enjoying a selection of up to 300 luxury items behind bars, a large number of which would prove too expensive for the average family's budget.

Prisoners at jails across New South Wales can access everything from Tim Tams and caramel lattes, to Herbal Essences shampoo and even halal meat while serving time.

Able to spend up to $100 each week in prison 'pocket money' earned behind bars or sent in by relatives, the 'buy up' list available to criminals is jam packed with luxuries, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Hardened criminals are enjoying a selection of up to 300 luxury items behind bars, a large number of which would prove too expensive for the average family's budget

Prisoners at jails across New South Wales are enjoying everything from Tim Tams and caramel lattes, to Herbal Essences shampoo and even halal meat while serving time

The list of supplies available to prisoners ensures to cater for the tastes of all.

For those with a sweet tooth there's chocolate biscuits such as Oreos and mint slice, Cadbury chocolate blocks, caramel popcorn and even Barbecue Shapes.

The fitness and health obsessed can enjoy protein bars, brown rice chips, and bars with chia or macadamia.

Coffee lovers have access to such delicacies as caramel lattes, while Coca Cola and other soft drinks are also available.

Muslim prisoners are also catered for with halal free meat options, while specific cultural meals such as baba ghanoush can also be bought.

Herbal Essences shampoo, indulgent goat's milk body wash and cocoa body lotion are also on the list.

Coffee lovers have access to such delicacies as caramel lattes, while Coca Cola and other soft drinks are also available

Despite prisoners being told not to stock-up, the use of some items as currency is reportedly common. It's understood purchased items are X-rayed for contraband

But it's not just food, drink and grocery items on offer, with a separate monthly list of electrical items also reportedly available, costing prisoners up to $150.

Despite prisoners being told not to stock-up, the use of some items as currency is reportedly common. It's understood purchased items are X-rayed for contraband.

'Staff at each centre conduct daily searches of inmate cells for contraband and excess property, including buy-up items,' a NSW corrective services spokesperson said.
Social media giants are dragging their feet over bringing in tougher measures to take down extremist material online, a minister said today.

Security Minister Ben Wallace accused internet companies of being 'ruthless money-makers' who are happy to 'flog' their customers' details to companies but do not help the authorities.

And he said that some media firms are 'being difficult' and failing to tackle the scourge of extremism online.

Security minister Ben Wallace, on the Sunday Politics, said some tech giants are refusing to take down extremist material which is known to fuel extremism and terror

His intervention, which comes just days after the Manchester terror attack, are the toughest words by a minister so far.

Theresa May on Friday persuaded other members of the G7 to sign a declaration demanding tougher action from tech giants amid warnings the threat from ISIS is moving 'from the battlefield to the internet'.

Mr Wallace told the Sunday Politics that some social media firms are using their technology to 'change the algorithms they use that maximises profit over somebody's safety'.

He said that algorithms are automatically sending extremist material to some people, potentially fueling radicalisation and the home-grown terror threat.

He said that while some firms are trying to combat the growing problem, others are not bothering.

Mr Wallace said: We have evidence they are trying to improve it, there are a few who are refusing to or are being difficult  Im not going to name them.

And thats why I think the Prime Minister was right to step up not only the language she has used but to say we are not going to allow this to progress any more.

His remarks came after he hit out at the inaction in a newspaper interview.

Mr Wallace told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Some of the [social media] names are actually helpful, but some of them are completely duplicitous.

Theresa May pictured at the G7 summit in Sicily on Friday, said the threat from terror group ISIS is evolving and migrating form the battlefield to the internet

'A lot of these companies survey how you and I live our lives online.

'They take that data and they sell it around the world to anyone from [payday] loans to soft porn.

'But when we, the state, say we have processes and warrants and we ask for that same type of data, we get this very twisted view of 'Ah, but that's surveillance'.

'My details are flogged by these companies around the world ... It is just capitalism. They are ruthless moneymakers.'

In a scathing attack on tech bosses, he added: 'Sitting on a bean-bag wearing a T-shirt doesn't make you some freedom-loving hippie. They love their shareholdings, their super yachts and their billions.'

Speaking at press conference at the G7 summit in Sicily on Friday, Mrs May said the threat from ISIS is 'evolving rather than disappearing' and must be confronted head on.

The G7 signed a declaration condemning the Manchester terror attack and vowing to pile more pressure on social media firms to do more to take down extremist material

She said: 'In the UK, we are already working with social media companies to halt the spread of extremist material and hateful propaganda that is warping young minds.

'I am clear that corporations can do more. Indeed they have a social responsibility to now step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks.'

The G7 backed Mrs May's call for more pressure to be put on internet companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter to target extremist messages online.

This will include developing technology which automatically identifies and removes messages that incite violence.
The former head of Egypts Radio and Television Union (ERTU) Safaa Hegazy died on Sunday at 56 after a long struggle with illness.

Hegazy's funeral procession was held at El-Sayeda Nafeesah Mosque in Cairo, and attended by a number of top state and media officials.

Hegazy graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Mansoura University in 1984.

She came to prominence by hosting the Bayt Al-Arab (The Arab House) programme on state TV for 12 years.

Hegazy served as head of the ERTU from April-December 2016.

During her career as a state TV anchor, she interviewed many Arab heads of state and politicians, and covered Arab League news and summits.

Hegazy also co-anchored the 9pm news bulletin for 17 years before heading the news department at state TV.

A number of state officials and institutions offered condolences after Hegazis death on Sunday, including the Egyptian president, the cabinet, the Ministry of Culture, Al-Azhar and the National Media Council.

The Egyptian Radio and Television Union has been the public broadcaster operated by the government since the 1960s.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Angela Merkel has dramatically signaled a move away from Donald Trump - saying Europe can no longer rely on America.

It comes just one day after Trump left a stormy G7 Summit in Italy, in which he frustrated Merkel and the other leaders in attendance with his stance towards security, climate change and tax.

The German Chancellor urged the European Union to stick together in the face of new uncertainty stemming from the US and other challenges.

Merkel said Sunday at a campaign event in Bavaria: 'The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days.'

Scroll down for video

Angela Merkel is pictured speaking during an election event in Munich on Sunday

Angela Merkel takes a sip of her beer after delivering a speech to the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union in Munich on

WHAT COULD MERKEL'S TOUGH TALK MEAN FOR THE WORLD ? The roots of the current relationship between America and Europe go back to world war two and the cold war - when NATO was formed to protect Western Europe from a Soviet invasion. Since the end of World War II, Europe has increasingly relied on America's military might for its defense. Close cooperation through NATO fostered a strong economic and social bond between the member nations. However, Trump has loudly complained about European nations not paying their fair share of the cost of their defense. Now that Merkel has signaled she is moving away from Trump, it could mean a shift in the wider world order. America and Western Europeans countries have traditionally driven the world's agenda - now this could change as Trump and Merkel move further apart. Advertisement

The comments came after the G7 countries were unable to agree to a deal that would see the 2015 Paris climate accords upheld.

Merkel on Saturday labelled the result of the 'six against one' discussion 'very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory'.

Trump, who routinely promised during his campaign to abandon the plan, said he needed more time to decide on a path forward. However, he has reportedly told multiple people in private he will withdraw the US from the agreement, according to Axios.

Trump tweeted Saturday morning to say he would announce his 'final decision' on the accord this week.

He also reportedly described German trade practices as 'bad, very bad,' in Brussels talks last week, complaining that Europe's largest economy sells too many cars to the US.

Merkel's speech on Sunday seemed to reflect her changed opinion towards the US under Trump.

Merkel said Sunday at a campaign event in Bavaria: 'The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days'

Trump talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, second from left, at a G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina on Italy, May 27

Angela Merkel looks on as she is stood next to Donald Trump while waiting to have a photograph taken on Friday as part of the G7 meeting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau share a laugh during the G7 Summit in Italy on Saturday

DONALD TRUMP'S HISTORY OF TOUGH TALK ON NATO Donald Trump (pictured with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on May 25 in Brussels) has repeatedly attacked NATO - but his criticisms have not always been accurate Trump repeatedly bashed NATO during his campaign and since he took office, accuses countries of 'not paying their share' and bashing the group as 'obsolete'. He made the 'obsolete' comment in the wake of the Brussels terrorist attack in 2016. In an interview this April, Trump claimed he called the organization that because it did not 'focus on terrorism'. However, NATO issued its first formal declaration on counter-terrorism in 1980, and it reviewed the 'terror blueprint' in 2012. It stated at the time: 'The Alliance strives at all times to remain aware of the evolving threat from terrorism; to ensure it has adequate capabilities to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist threats.' But despite that incorrect statement, Trump still lectured the other leaders in person on Thursday, declaring: 'Many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years.' But most notably in his speech, he also did not offer an explicit public endorsement of NATOs Article 5, 'all for one, one for all' collective defense principle - which means an attack against one country in the group is seen as an attack on all. During his time as a candidate, Trump had suggested the US might only come to the defense that meet the alliances spending guidelines - for committing two per cent of their gross domestic product to military spending. Last year, only five of the 28 countries met the goal: the US, Greece, Britain, Estonia and Poland. Fellow NATO leaders occasionally exchanged awkward looks with each other during the presidents lecture on Thursday, which occurred at an event commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. NATO officials had expected Trump to raise the payments issue during Thursdays meeting, even preparing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for the prospect that the president could try to pull off a stunt like handing out invoices. Trump repeatedly bashed NATO during his campaign and since he took office, accuses countries of 'not paying their share' and bashing the group as 'obsolete'. He is pictured on April 12 at the White House But one European official said NATO members were still taken aback by the aggressive tone of his speech. Since his international tour has wrapped up, the Associated Press explained how many of Trump's claims about the defense organization are untrue. His comment about countries 'owning' money was the first to be found wanting by a fact-check. Members of the alliance are not in arrears in their military spending, nor are they in debt to the US, or failing to meet a current standard, and Washington is not trying to collect anything, despite the presidents contention. In a similar fashion, Trump tweeted this week 'pour in' for NATO since he took office. He picked up on that thread on Saturday, telling soldier at a US base in Italy: 'I will tell you, a big difference over the last year, money is actually starting to pour into NATO from countries that would not have been doing what theyre doing now had I not been elected, I can tell you that. Money is starting to pour in.' But again, that is not true, according to the Associated Press. No money is pouring into the organization and countries do not pay the US, nor do they pay NATO directly, apart from administrative expenses, which are not the issue. The issue is how much each NATO member country spends on its own defense. Although the president is right that many NATO countries have agreed to spend more on their military budgets, that is not a result of the NATO summit this past week at which Trump pressed them to do so. The two per cent goal was committed to in 2014, during the Obama administration. Advertisement

During her remarks, the German leader emphasized the need for friendly relations with the US, Britain and Russia, but added: 'We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.'

Merkel and Trump have had a frosty relationship, with the Celebrity Apprentice executive producer having called the German leader a 'disaster'.

'What's happening in Germany, I always thought Merkel was like this great leader. What she's done in Germany is insane. It is insane,' he said in 2015.

Donald Trump and Angela Merkel appear to be in the middle of a tense conversation at the G7 Summit on Friday

Merkel and Trump have clashed in the past, with the reality television producer calling the German leader a 'disaster'

The comment directly contradicted what he said just two months earlier, when he described Merkel as: 'fantastic... highly respected'.

Trump also refused to shake Merkel's hand during an awkward photo opportunity at the White House this year.

As the two were sat in front of a pack of photographers, Merkel could be heard saying to Trump: 'Do you want to have a handshake?'

There was no response from the president, who instead looked ahead with his hands clasped.
The British skipper whose yacht was sunk by a massive whale in a freak mid-Atlantic collision, has relived his dramatic rescue involving Air Force jets and a naval vessel.

Retired teacher David Bowes, 61, from Pocklington, East Yorks, had to abandon his beloved boat after the mammal damaged it in an extraordinary accident more than 300 miles off the Azores.

He and two crew had survived two storms on their way back from the British Virgin Islands to Southampton and were enjoying calm seas when David was thrown sideways and got to his feet to see the 10-foot-long whale's tail within 'touching distance' of his yacht.

The yacht (above) was sunk by a massive whale in a freak mid-Atlantic collision

The sailors thought they were okay at first until water started coming through cracks that appeared in the hull over the next few hours as a result of the strike.

Dad-of-two David, now back in the UK after a nerve-racking rescue by a merchant vessel which was the first ship on the scene, ended up sending out a distress signal after realising they could never make it to dry land in time at the rate they were pumping out incoming sea water.

Speaking on Sunday, in his first emotional words after cheating death earlier this week, he said: 'I'm an experienced sailor and you prepare for all the usual hazards like bad weather but you never expect to encounter what we did.

'We'd coped beautifully with 36 hours of gales on our way back from the British Virgin Islands with winds peaking at 45 knots and the sea was relatively calm and the winds were light when the whale hit us.

David Bowes, centre, and his crew were rescued by a merchant ship off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic

'I had the engine on to charge the batteries and would have thought that would have alerted it to our position.

'I felt an initial strong judder and knew we had hit something but thought it was a shipping container.

'Next thing there was a tremendous strike which felt almost as if we had been punched.

'I was at the chart table checking battery meters at the time and was thrown diagonally across the saloon but fortunately onto some cushions and immediately went up to the cockpit and saw a huge tail fluke of a whale sticking out of the water on the starboard quarter which is the back end of the boat on the right hand side.

'It was within touching distance of the boat. I've no idea what sort of whale it was but this huge tail fluke was as big as the RIB we kept on the back of the yacht which is just over ten feet long.

'I braced for the impact of it hitting the rudder which would have put us in serious bother but fortunately that never came.'

The Yorkshireman, a former design and technology teacher, initially decided to continuing heading towards the UK after doing a damage assessment and seeing a little bit of water was coming in but not enough to make them change their plans.

But a few hours later he decided to alert coastguards in Falmouth after hearing strange creaking noises - and on Monday morning issued a distress call after more and more water started to come in through new cracks that had gradually opened up after the collision.

He said: 'It was a difficult decision. That yacht was my pride and joy, I'd owned it for seven years and done 15,000 miles on this boat alone. 'When the rescue vessel arrived I had to abandon it and set it adrift to sink.

'The pumps were still coping when I made the distress call but the cracks were getting bigger and bigger.

'If we had been 60 miles from dry land I would have tried to nurse it ashore but we were about 350 miles from the Azores and further from the Portuguese mainland.

'I wasn't going to gamble with three peoples' lives including my own and our opinion was we wouldn't have lasted that long.

'There was no panic while we were still on board. But we're fully aware now we' re back on dry land of how close we came to losing our lives.

'I've no doubt the boat wouldn't have made it back to the Azores in the wind or 600 miles to the Portuguese mainland and wasn't going to bet lives on it that we would.' David and his two crew - boatbuilder Jimmy Cliff from Yorkshire and Andy Clarke from London - were bringing the boat back from the Caribbean.

The yacht owner crossed the Atlantic with son Jack at the start of the year before meeting up with wife Karen and cruising round the Caribbean on a family holiday.

He is now in talks with his insurance company Pantaenius UK about compensation for the loss of his beloved 15-metre boat, called Destiny of Scarborough.

The Portuguese rescue team instrumental in saving his life mobilised two Air Force jets after being alerted by Falmouth coastguards which circled overhead the stricken yacht to reassure them while they waited for a naval vessel heading from the Azores to arrive.

The crew were rescued by a merchant vessel, the first ship on the scene

In the end Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Justice, which was crewed and captained by Ukrainian sailors, picked them up first on their way from Wilmington in the States to the northern port city of Aviles.

Fighting back tears, Mr Bowes said: 'We've very grateful to everyone involved in the rescue.

'The Portuguese search and rescue team did a great job and when those aircraft were overhead it was very reassuring.

'Thanks must go also to the Ukrainian captain and crew of Justice. It was very nerve-racking getting on board with two-inch rope lines attached between the two vessels snapping as we moved up and down on the water at different rates.

'I was left on my boat on my own at one point after my two crew had made it to safety when the two bow lines snapped, effectively taken by the waves away from the rescue vessel.

'All I could take with me was one bag. I had to leave clothes and tools behind. The water level was above my yacht's cabin floorboards when I left and was sinking obviously and we had to cast her adrift.

'The captain and crew made us very welcome with their food and cooking, lots of potatoes and Borscht.'

Cruz Martins, Captain of Ponta Delgada Port in the Azores where the rescue operation was coordinated from, added: 'Their lives were in danger. The next step would have been jumping into the life raft, and losing communications with us, making the rescue operation even more difficult.

'The navy corvette that was mobilised would only have arrived the morning after. We had to be prepared for that. 'In the end, we can say they were very lucky for having a merchant vessel nearby. They told us that after being rescued by that vessel, the boat sank.

'Hitting a whale is not a unique occurrence, but it is rare. And they were in international waters, open waters and whales travel everywhere.'
A vandal has defaced a sandstone in a National Park by scrawling his promposal on the cherished rock.

The person wrote 'PROM?' in large, capital, white letters on to the rock at the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area in California.

This is the second time this year someone has vandalized the rock called the Sandstone Peak - which is the highest summit at the Mountains - and now the park's authorities are calling for the vandalism to stop.

A vandal has defaced a sandstone cropping in a National Park by spraying out a prom invitation on the cherished rock, Sandstone Peak (pictured)

'We love hearing about creative promposals, but damaging public lands is not the way to do it,' the park's spokesman, ranger Zach Behrens, posted on the Facebook page.

'For the second year in a row, the same graffiti message has been scrawled on a rock near Sandstone Peak.'

The punishment for the vandal ranges from a $100-fine to three months in prison.

Perhaps the most extreme case of vandalism in national parks happened in 2014, when Casey Nocket vandalized seven national parks within 26 days.

In addition to the two years of probation and the 200 hours of community service she had to endure, she was also banned from every national park in the country.
Britain and the United States are no longer reliable allies following Brexit and the election of Donald Trump claimed German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Addressing the crowd in Munich, she expressed dissatisfaction over the G7 summit which ended yesterday.

She claimed Germany would look to improve relations with France following the election of Emmanuel Macron.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, pictured, claimed Britain and the United States were no longer reliable allies in Europe as a result of Brexit and the election of president Donald Trump

Addressing an election rally in Munich, Mrs Merkel said Europe's fat was in 'its own hands'

Theresa May attended the G7 conference in the Sicilian town of Taormina, Italy

She said Europe must act in its own best interests following the divisive effects of Brexit and the Trump presidency.

She said: 'The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days.

'We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands,' she added.

While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, 'we have to fight for our own destiny', Merkel went on.

Special emphasis was needed on warm relations between Berlin and newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, she said.

Mrs Merkel, left, expressed concern over Donald Trump's effort to scrap Paris climate deal

The chancellor had just returned from a G7 summit which wound up Saturday without a deal between the US and the other six major advanced nations on upholding the 2015 Paris climate accords.

Merkel on Saturday labelled the result of the 'six against one' discussion 'very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory'.

Theresa May had left the summit in Taormina at the end of the first day on Friday in order to return to the UK to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee on the Manchester bomb attack.

Trump offered a more positive assessment on Twitter Sunday, writing: 'Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!'

The US president had earlier tweeted that he would reveal whether or not the US would stick to the global emissions deal - which he pledged to jettison on the campaign trail - only next week.

On a previous leg of his first trip abroad as president, Trump had repeated past criticism of NATO allies for failing to meet the defensive alliance's military spending commitment of two percent of GDP.

Mrs Merkel, pictured talking to IMF chief Chirstine Lagarde and the French President Emmanuel Macron who was attending his first ever G7 event which was held in Sicilly

Donald Trump was heavily critical of Germany's economic policy towards the United States

Observers noted that he neglected to publicly endorse the pact's Article Five, which guarantees that member countries will aid the others they are attacked.

The omission was especially striking as he unveiled a memorial to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the US, the only time the mutual defence clause has been triggered.

Trump also reportedly described German trade practices as 'bad, very bad,' in Brussels talks last week, complaining that Europe's largest economy sells too many cars to the US.

Sunday's event saw Merkel renew bonds with the Christian Social Union (CSU), Bavarian sister party to her own centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), ahead of a parliamentary vote in September.

Polls show the chancellor, in power since 2005, on course to be re-elected for a fourth term.
Theresa May's top aides are reportedly at loggerheads over the party's disastrous social care pledge.

The Tory Party have suffered a major slump in the polls following the backlash over the so-called dementia tax and the PM was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over it.

The ill-fated policy is understood to have been overseen by the PM's chief of staff Nick Timothy, and very few ministers were told about it before the manifesto launch.

And according to reports in the Sunday Times, the PM's other close aides Fiona Hill and Sir Lynton Crosby were both against the policy.

Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill are reportedly at loggerheads over the Tory Party's social care policy, which sparked a massive backlash among voters

It is the first time that cracks at the top of Mrs May's small and trusted group of top aides have emerged.

Mrs May announced that for the first time those receiving social care in their home will have the value of their property taken into account when their care costs are calculated.

She offset the policy with a promise that no one will have to sell their home while they are still alive and a pledge to quadruple to 100,000 the amount of wealth a person receiving the care can keep to pass down.

The PM had said the policy showed she is not afraid to make the tough decisions to tackle the social care crisis.

But it bombed on the doorstep, and many Tory party candidates were furious that it had been included in the manifesto.

Within days Mrs May was performing a U-turn and said she will impose a cap on the amount of money anyone has to pay for their care costs.

She insisted the pledge was not a climbdown but fresh detail on the manifesto pledge.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon today tried to talk down rumours of a split at the heart of Mrs May's team, describing it as 'Westminster tittle tattle'.

Tory Party strategist Sir Lynton Crosby is also reportedly very critical of the social care policy and keen for the PM to move the debate back on to the looming Brexit talks

He told ITV's Peston On Sunday: 'No, this is Theresa May leading our party.

'We've put into the policy now some additional reassurance because of the scaremongering of Labour after the manifesto was published, further reassurance that people will not lose their home, they will not lose all of their savings.

'But yes, some people will be asked to make a contribution to raising the quality of social care.'

However, Home Secretary Amber Rudd today admitted the Tories do not know at what threshold they will set the cap.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon dismissed talk of splits within Theresa May's top team as 'Westminster tittle tattle' while he was interviewed on ITV's Peston on Sunday

She told the BBC's Andrew Mar Show: 'What we are saying is we will have a Green Paper to make sure that we set it at the right level and we consider all the other alternatives.'

But she warned Britons that they will have to foot the bill for the rising cost of social care.

She said: 'I think what people should realise is that people are living longer, the next decade there is going to be another two million people over 75, which is great news, but we have to be frank that this is going to cost money.

'We have to find a way which is fair, for people to pay for it and this is the best route to do it.'
Bryan Johnson died aged 95 in March

A World War II hero, who died with no living relatives, was given a proper sendoff by more than 100 people after his army friends and museum staff stepped in to arrange the service.

Bryan Johnson, 95, died on March 14, but with nobody to arrange the funeral, his fellow servicemen feared that the British Empire Medal winner would be buried as a pauper.

The veteran, of Lemington Spa, Warwickshire, joined the army in 1941 and went on to serve in the 5th Royal Tank Regiment.

He was commander of the first tank to go into the French town of Bethune, signifying the start of the town's liberation and earning him the prestigious Legion d'Honneur medal from the French government.

After the war he served in the Warwickshire Yeomanry, helping to create the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum in 1981 and serving as curator for 31 years.

He was due to be made an honorary freeman later this month, but was posthumously given the honour at a ceremony on Wednesday.

More than 100 people attended Mr Johnson's funeral in Lillington on Friday

Army veterans, members of the Yeomanry and current museum workers served as pallbearers

The service was organised by his army friends after they feared he would be buried as a pauper

After Mr Johnson's death, trustees from the Warwickshire Yeomanry and the museum stepped in to arrange the funeral.

Army veterans, members of the Yeomanry and current museum workers served as pallbearers, and The Last Post was played during the emotional service at St Mary Magdalene's Church in Lillington, Warwickshire, on Friday.

Mr Johnson's close friend Terry Thompson, 63, who works at the museum, said: 'It would have been that that he would have been taken to the crematorium, and his ashes would have scattered as a pauper.

'That wasn't right for a man who is a Second World War Two hero and a freeman of Warwick, as well as a British Empire Medal recipient.

'Bryan was Bryan. He was quiet and reserved when he chose to be.

'He was the true embodiment of a Yeoman - service, commitment and dedication.'

Mr Johnson, who worked as a chemist when he returned from war, was buried alongside his wife Sheila, who died in the late 1990's.

Mr Johnson, who worked as a chemist when he returned from war, was buried alongside his wife Sheila

Mike Vallance, 53, chairman of the Warwick branch of the Royal British Legion, said: 'Bryan Johnson was one of the men of this county who answered his country's call in World War Two to fight for our freedom.

'He landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day and fought across France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

'He was truly part of our greatest generation and he and his public service will be sorely missed.

'It was unfortunate that his wife had passed away, and that there were no living relations that could arrange a funeral for him.

'The fact that this legendary serviceman faced not having a proper send off was something that his friends and fellows simply could not accept, and rightly so as well.

St Mary Magdalene's Church where the funeral took place

'He was an incredibly distinguished man. He was shy and humble, like many of his generation he never bragged about his achievements and gave his all for his country.

'When he came back to the country after the war, he adapted very quickly back into normal life.

'He had a twinkle in his eye, and always radiated class.

'Bryan was part of a very special generation, which sadly has few remaining members, and which deserves all the recognition it can get.'

Mr Johnson led Warwick's Remembrance Sunday parade for 43 years, only handing over the baton last year.

He was given the British Empire Medal in 1980 as part of the Queen's New Year's Honours List.

Mr Johnson was given the British Empire Medal in 1980 as part of the Queen's New Year's Honours List

On November 13 last year he was given a special Somme 1916 Poppy Lapel Pin in appreciation for his services.

He had a brother, Gerald, who died during an RAF raid in Holland on February 1945 and in 2009 Mr Johnson said his final goodbyes to him during a trip to the country.

Recalling the trip, a spokesman for the Warwick Yeomanry Museum said: 'He asked if we could fit in a visit to Eindhoven General Cemetery, where at the age of 89 he told the assembled 50 people of his brother as he stood at his grave.

'He said goodbye at the end saying to his brother that he probably wouldn't be able to visit him any more due to his age.

'There wasn't a dry eye in the group.

'He went quietly to everyone in the organisers group and personally thanked us, then apologised to and thanked all in the group for allowing him to have this time.

'He was the most humble man I have ever met.'
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel repeatedly dodged a question whether Hillary Clinton should run for president again in 2020.

Emanuel was appearing on CNN's State Of The Union when anchor Dana Bash asked him: 'If Hillary Clinton is up for another presidential run, would that be a good thing for your party?'

Clearly flustered by the question, Emanuel spluttered that he could not answer the question as Clinton had not declared whether she would run again in 2020.

Scroll down for video

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was appearing on CNN's State Of The Union when anchor Dana Bash asked him: 'If Hillary Clinton is up for another presidential run, would that be a good thing for your party?'

'You know, look, you're asking something that - we're not even first through the midterm election. She hasn't even declared, for me to say that -' he said.

But Bash pressured him for a real answer, telling him he 'sounded like she could be a candidate again.'

'Would you think that's a good idea? You're a party leader,' she said.

Once again he refused to give his own opinion on whether Clinton should enter the race for 2020 but would say that he 'love(s) Hillary' and that she still has a 'lot to offer'.

Ultimately, it was down to her to decide whether she still had it in her 'heart' to take another run, he added.

'There's a lot of time between now and the presidential [election], and she has to decide whether that's in her heart,' he said. 'We have a lot of time between now and the presidential election of 2020. Hillary has a lot to offer.

'The core question is not whether I think she would be a good candidate. It's whether she wants to run.'

Emanuel (left) repeatedly dodged a question whether Hillary Clinton (right, in 2015) should run for president again in 2020

'The public's pretty smart. And if it's only going through the motion, don't pick that up,' he added.

Emanuel was President Barack Obama's first chief of staff. He resigned in 2010 to run for mayor.

He has previously ruled out a run at the presidency himself, when he was asked about his political aspirations in December.

Emanuel, a former congressman and White House chief of staff, responded by giving consultant Neil Hare the bird. Twice.
A teenager who died after diving off a waterfall at a Yorkshire beauty spot was due to become a father, his devastated friends have revealed.

Dani Khan, 19, from Middlesborough, was one of four friends who went swimming during Friday's heatwave.

But he tragically passed away after diving over a cliff into a plunge pool below in a bid to cool off in the warm weather.

His friends desperately tried to keep him above the water level but could not keep a hold of him.

He was underwater for 15 minutes before being pulled out and airlifeted to James Cook Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Dani Khan, 19, from Middlesborough, is pictured with his wife Sonia Hussain who is pregnant with the couple's child

Devastated friend Ayaz Ali, 18, revealed Dani was married and was due to have a baby with his partner.

He told Richmondshire Today: 'I've known him for five years and would see him literally everyday, always creating memories, when I found out he passed away it killed me, it's like he took my soul with him it will never be the same without him.

'Let this be a lesson to everyone that you never know what's around the corner - I only spoke to him the night before and he came and gave me my sunglasses that I left with him on the day and said 'see you tomorrow night Ayaz'.

'I didn't think I'd be seeing him on a hospital bed taken away from this world. What's happened has happened now - all we can do is stay strong in the name of my beautiful brother Dani Khan and be there for his family.'

Witnesses called 999 as they spotted the group had got into difficulties.

Dani tragically passed away after diving over a cliff into a plunge pool below in a bid to cool off in the warm weather

The group had been swimming at the Wain Wath waterfall, on the River Swale, near Keld, in Swaledale

Rescuers arrived the scene at the Wain Wath waterfall, on the River Swale, near Keld, in Swaledale at about 5pm.

The four terrified friends were pulled from the water by crews including fire fighters and mountain rescue teams.

Wain Wath waterfall is a popular location for day-trippers and listed in the top ten of UK spots for wild swimming.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: 'There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.'

Dani Khan, right, with friend Ayaz Ali who said: 'I didn't think I'd be seeing him on a hospital bed taken away from this world'

Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team thanked the people of Keld for their assistance.

The death comes just one day after a similar tragedy in which Prince William tried to rescue a boy who drowned in Hertfordshire.

The Duke of Cambridge was scrambled to pilot an air ambulance helicopter to Lee Valley Park in Cheshunt.

After an hour long search the body of Robbie Lea, 17, was pulled from a water filled former quarry but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Advertisement

A driver in Sunday's Indiana 500 race incredibly walked away unscathed after the rear end of his car ripped off in a crash with another driver.

Just over 50 laps into the 200-lap race, Scott Dixon's car flew through the air before ripping in half after colliding with driver Jay Howard.

Just over 50 laps into the 200-lap race, Scott Dixon's car flew through the air before ripping in half after colliding with driver Jay Howard

Howard was passed on the inside by another competitor and hit the outside wall before his car turned and ran into Dixon.

His vehicle went slightly under Dixon's left side, causing Dixon's car to be lifted up and start flipping into the air.

The machine caught an impressive amount of air and narrowly flew over the top of a fourth car, landing on the inside barrier, which is the safer of the two.

His vehicle went slightly under Dixon's left side, causing Dixon's car to be lifted up and start flipping into the air

The machine caught an impressive amount of air and narrowly flew over the top of a fourth car, landing on the inside barrier, which is the safer of the two

The landing ripped off the rear end of Dixon's car, and his head narrowly missed being crushed by the cement inside wall.

The entire collision was incredibly lucky, and both drivers were fine, though a red flag was flown due to a hole the crash caused in the fencing. It started back up after 15 minutes.

Both men have been checked and released from the care center on site.

The landing ripped off the rear end of Dixon's car, and his head narrowly missed being crushed by the cement inside wall

After the 15 minute break so the fence and barrier could be repaired, the race continued on as planned

'I'm a little beaten up there, it was a bit of a rough ride,' Dixon told ESPN. ' I think when you make those decisions, which way to go with the car, you're hoping Jay there is going to stay up against the wall. We had nowhere to go, and that happens.'

A photographer near the fence Dixon smashed into was rushed away by emergency responders, but appears to have suffered no more than scrapes, according to ESPN.

Both Dixon and Howard posted on social media before the race to express just how excited they were to be particiapating. Dixon, who won in 2008, tweeted a photo of him with his family, saying 'Good times today @ the Indy 500 parade. Biggest race in the world tomorrow.'

Howard posted a photo of himself in his gear and standing in front of his car and wrote: 'Qualifying is complete. We will be starting on row 7 for the Indy500! Now we continue to work on the race car set up!'

Dixon, who won in 2008, tweeted a photo of him with his family, saying 'Good times today @ the Indy 500 parade. Biggest race in the world tomorrow'

'Qualifying is complete. We will be starting on row 7 for the Indy500! Now we continue to work on the race car set up!' he wrote

After the 15 minute break so the fence and barrier could be repaired, the race continued on as planned.

This was the 101st running of the race, and Takuma Sato of Japan brought home the victory.

The Indiana 500, commonly known as the Indy 500, is a car race held every year on Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event is considered to be part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which contains the three most prestigious racing events around the world.

The Indiana 500, commonly known as the Indy 500, is a car race held every year on Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

One the state's governor, Pence was honored with cheers as he took an honorary lap in his motorcade before the race officially kicked off

He was pictured giving the crowd a thumbs up from the inside of his car, but did not roll down the window, likely for security reasons

Pence also tweeted a number of times about the Sunday afternoon race. In one post, he shared an image that shows him with his arm around his wife, Karen, saying: 'Looking forward to an exciting Indy500, We are moments away from the green flag as Karen and I listen to 'Back Home again in Indiana'

Vice President Mike Pence returned to his home state of Indiana to watch the race, a tradition he has had with his wife for years.

One the state's governor, Pence was honored with cheers as he took an honorary lap in his motorcade before the race officially kicked off.

He was pictured giving the crowd a thumbs up from the inside of his car, but did not roll down the window, likely for security reasons.

Pence also tweeted a number of times about the Sunday afternoon race. In one post, he shared an image that shows him with his arm around his wife, Karen, saying: 'Looking forward to an exciting Indy500, We are moments away from the green flag as Karen and I listen to 'Back Home again in Indiana.'
Nicola Sturgeon today renewed her threat to use the election as a way of breaking up the United Kingdom - as she revealed she would join an alliance to block the Tories from staying in power

The leader of the SNP said a vote for her party would 'reinforce' the case for an independent Scotland.

And she to join forced with other parties to try to keep Theresa May out of Downing Street if the Tories do not win an overall majority on June 8.

Her threat to join a 'progressive alliance' means she could hand the keys to No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn - despite describing him as not a credible leader.

Nicola Sturgeon, pictured during her interview with Andrew Neil today, said she would use a strong showing in the election to reinforce her case to break up the UK

Her admission, made in her leaders interview with Andrew Neil comes after the Tories have warned that the nationalists would put Labour into Downing Street.

She told BBC One's The Andrew Neil Interviews that strong showing at the ballot box will strengthen her hand to tear the United Kingdom apart.

The Scottish First Minister said: 'We have got that mandate already. It will underline and reinforce that mandate.

'But this election will not decide if Scotland becomes independent.'

Scotland voted to stay part of the UK in an referendum in 2014 which was billed by the SNP at the time as a once in a lifetime vote.

But the party has used the Brexit vote to push for another independence referendum, despite many in Scotland not wanting one.

And she also revealed that the would 'look to be part of a progressive alliance' if the General Election results in a hung Parliament.

She said: 'I don't want to see a Tory Prime Minister, I don't want to see a Tory government.'

The Scottish First Minister said she did not think Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn was 'credible as an alternative prime minister'.

But she told the programme that 'if there was to be a hung Parliament of course we would look to be part of a progressive alliance that pursued progressive policies'.

Miss Sturgeon continued: 'Let's get back to the reality of this election.

Miss Sturgeon pictured with Andrew Neil, also threatened to enter a progressive alliance in a desperate bid to keep the Tories out of No 10 after June 8

'The reality of this election, even with the narrowing of the polls, is that we're going to face a Tory government perhaps with a bigger majority, so my priority in this election is to say to the people of Scotland if you want Scotland's interests to be protected and our voice heard you've got to vote SNP.'

She also vowed to do everything she can to keep Scotland in the EU if she manages to gain independence.

The SNP won 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland in the 2015 General Election, but is predicted to lose several seats to the Scottish Tory Party on June 8.

Commenting on the interview, Tory Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin warned that the SNP could prop up a weak government led by Mr Corbyn.

He said: 'This would mean Jeremy Corbyn propped up by a weak and unstable coalition just days before the Brexit negotiations start  putting at risk the deal we need to get.

'Corbyn and the rest would put up taxes, weaken our defences and increase immigration.

'And we know he would give into Sturgeon's demand for another independence referendum, because he's 'absolutely fine' with that.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured on ITV's Peston on Sunday today. The SNP could be instrumental in making him PM, even though Miss Sturgeon says she does not think he is a credible leader

'But in the days of shock election results Jeremy Corbyn could become PM  and the polls are tightening.'

He said Britons who oppose breaking up the UK must vote Tory.

Recent opinion polls across the UK have showed Theresa May's lead over Labour shrinking.

An ORB poll for the Sunday Telegraph put support for Labour on 38 per cent - just six points behind the Conservatives and a result which would see Mr Corbyn outpoll both Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown.

Miss Sturgeon faced a tough grilling from the veteran political reporter over her administration's poor record on the economy and education.

She admitted there is more to be done after it emerged that literacy standards have declined while the SNP have been in power.

And she was confronted over the sluggish Scottish economy, which is growing at just a third of the rate of the rest of the UK as a whole.

She was the third leader of a major political party to be interviewed by Andrew Neil, after Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

Scottish Tory deputy leader hopes the party can win up to 12 seats north of the border

Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Tory Party deputy, said he hopes the party can win up to 12 seats north of the border on June 8

The Scottish Tory deputy leader said it would be 'great' if his party could win between six and 12 Scottish seats in the General Election.

Jackson Carlaw said there has been a 'change in atmosphere' in Scottish politics as he insisted there are several seats where there is a 'very strong prospect' of a Conservative victory.

If the Conservatives could win 12 Scottish constituencies on June 8, that would be the party's best result in a Westminster election north of the border for more than three decades.

The Tories were wiped out in Scotland 20 years ago, losing all their seats when Tony Blair swept to power. From 2001 onwards, they have had just one Scottish MP.

But a surge in support under Scottish leader Ruth Davidson saw the party overtake Labour in the 2016 Holyrood elections, coming second with a record number of 31 MSPs.

Mr Carlaw, speaking on the Kaye Adams programme on BBC Radio Scotland, said: 'Opinion pollsters are talking about somewhere between six and a dozen and it would be great if we could achieve that.

'I think there has been a considerable change since 2015 and 2016 in public opinion and therefore I think there is an appetite now to see a more robust opposition in Scotland.

'So I do think that in a number of seats across Scotland there is a very strong prospect of the Scottish Conservatives winning.'

The 2015 general election, where the SNP swept the board winning 56 of the 59 Scottish seats, resulted in an 'overwhelming' number of nationalist MPs at Westminster, Mr Carlaw said.

But he said the Conservatives were now the 'principle party of opposition' at Holyrood, adding that the SNP Scottish Government was losing votes there 'regularly'.

Mr Carlaw said: 'I don't think it's an overnight sweep, but I do think people are now much more questioning of the domestic record of the Scottish Government and are looking for people to actually be more upfront and successful in opposing them.'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Cairo on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and other top Egyptian officials, state news agency MENA reported.

Russias Defence Minister Sergei Shoygu is expected to join the talks in Cairo on Monday, which will be attended by the foreign and defence ministers of both countries.

The meetings are set to see discussions on boosting mutual cooperation, joint counterterrorism efforts as well as the developments in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq.

Egypt has been engaged in talks with Russia for over a year to discuss the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt.

Russia suspended flights to Egypt in 2015 after a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, killing all 224 people on board.

Tourists from Russia have traditionally been a key contributor to Egypt's tourism industry, a key source of hard currency for the country.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


James Colin Horner (pictured) was blasted five to six times in an apparent assassination carried out in front of shoppers in Bangor, Northern Ireland

A son who witnessed his father get gunned down by an assassin in a packed Sainsbury's car park will 'carry the memory with him for the rest of his life', according to police.

James Colin Horner was blasted five to six times in an apparent assassination carried out in front of shoppers in Bangor, Northern Ireland.

The 35-year-old and his toddler son fell to the ground after the shots rang out, after which the gunman is said to have calmly walked away from the scene.

A car which is thought to have been used as a getaway vehicle by the shooter and a driver was later discovered burnt out.

Mr Horner was struck in his legs and thighs, while the bullet that killed him hit the father in the groin. His toddler son was uninjured.

It is believed that Mr Horner was targeted by the unmasked assassin as part of a loyalist feud involving the Ulster Defence Association in East Antrim.

Superintendent Brian Kee, district commander for Ards and North Down District, described the attack as a 'brutal, senseless and horrendous' killing.

He also added that Mr Horner's son will suffer for the 'rest of his life'.

Mr Kee said: 'This cold-blooded murder was carried out in broad daylight in front of families who were out enjoying this Bank Holiday weekend.

'The recklessness of this murder is all too evident. It is beyond belief that the gunman shot the victim when he was out with his son.

'This young boy witnessed everything and he will undoubtedly carry that memory for the rest of his life. We are very lucky that we are not also dealing with the death of this child today.'

Mr Horner was struck in his legs and thighs, while the bullet that killed him hit the father in the groin. His toddler son was uninjured

Emergency services at the scene of the shooting in Bangor, Northern Ireland

Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes of the Police Service of Northern Ireland also appealed for anyone with information to make contact.

He said: 'Detectives have now launched a murder investigation and I would ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who has any information to contact detectives.'

It is understood the incident occurred at about 3pm in the packed car park of the supermarket.

There were reports of a confrontation involving the man before four to six bullets were fired.

Police believe there may have been more than 100 witnesses to the shooting.

After he was shot he could be seen lying on his back next to a black SUV type vehicle which had been parked at the edge of the car park near the main road.

The front left passenger door of the car lay open while he was treated by a team of paramedics.

One eyewitness said medics worked on him for 45 minutes before he was transferred to an ambulance and driven slowly from the scene under a police escort.

There were other unconfirmed reports that a child had been with the man when he was shot.

One person told the Belfast Telegraph shoppers were evacuated from the store after the incident.

The shopper said: 'Someone said they heard bangs but we didn't know what it was at the time, then we all got thrown out [of the supermarket], but it was in the car park so I thought they'd have kept us in.'

'There was a man lying behind a car and the staff tending to him, performing CPR.

Sainsbury's confirmed the store had been shut following the shooting as police investigate the matter.

It is understood the incident occurred at about 3pm in the packed car park of the supermarket

Steven Agnew, Stormont MLA for North Down, lives about two miles from the scene of the shooting.

'It's very shocking that this took place in broad daylight on a busy shopping day with children and families present. A large number of people will have been shocked by this incident.

'Anyone who has witnessed or was nearby, undoubtedly, this will live long in their memory.'

Alan Chambers, Ulster Unionist MLA in Stormont, said he was on the scene 10 minutes after the attack.

'It was clear to me that we could easily have been dealing with a lot more casualties due to the nature of the attack in which the victim was hit a number of times,' he added.

There were reports of a confrontation involving the man before four to six bullets were fired

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire added his condemnation on Twitter.

He wrote: 'Deeply disturbed by news of the shooting in the Sainsbury's car park in Bangor. Brutal act of violence that has no place in Northern Ireland.'

Alliance North Down MLA Stephen Farry said the killing 'sent shockwaves' through the town.

'This was a brutal incident, made all the more reckless and shocking by the fact it took place in a busy supermarket car park on a Sunday afternoon. Shoppers going about their regular business could have easily been on the end of this attack,' he said.
A mom's face was callously 'slashed' by a straphanger while riding the train with her one-year-old daughter.

Angie Martinez, 31, was riding a northbound train on Sunday morning at the Grand Central Station in New York City when the stranger, allegedly, randomly targeted her.

While her daughter - who was in a stroller when the incident occurred - was uninjured, Martinez had to be rushed to the Bellevue Hospital, where doctors have described her condition as 'stable'.

Martinez's mother Anna Flores was working only a few minutes away from the train station when she heard her daughter was injured.

Angie Martinez, 31, was traveling on a train at the Grand Central Station in New York City (pictured) when the stranger randomly targeted her

She and her husband rushed to the Grand Central station as soon as they heard the news and picked up their grandchild, the Daily News reported.

'My daughter [was] slashed in the face and she had her baby with her,' said Flores as she wailed before curious by standers. 'I dont believe this.'

Meanwhile, the suspect - yet to be identified - was caught at the Port Authority Bus Terminal - just a ten-minute drive from the crime scene.

New York has had a spate of such random crimes in the last few months.

In February, a victim was left with a four-inch gash across his right cheek after a man randomly slashed him outside a Supreme store in the city during the day.

'I initially thought he got punched but I looked closer, and there was a lot of blood gushing,' witness Devon Harris told NBC New York.

Just three hours later, a 33-year-old man was stabbed during a mugging while walking on the Upper West Side at around 4:55 pm.

The day before police were looking for a man - who was believed to be between 15 and 20 years old - who knifed a waiter at a restaurant after the manager had asked him to leave.

By March, there had already been 23 random slashes in the last five months.
The new judge replacing Mary Berry wants The Great British Bake Off to shun sugar and fat-filled recipes in favour of healthier treats.

Cook and broadcaster Prue Leith, who joins the show when the programme returns this summer, said it is time for the nation to get healthy.

A strong advocate for nutritious living, she told The Sunday Times: 'I would love to see healthy recipes, of course I would.'

New Bake Off presenter Prue said she wants more healthy recipes on the show

The 77-year-old added that cakes made laden with butter, eggs and sugar were an occasional treat but not suitable for every day.

The show's reputation for seeing aspiring chefs cook ambitious recipes, it is not famed for its sugar-free options.

Last year's winner, for example, wowed judges after she created a calorific marzipan cake from scratch.

Candice Brown's show-stopper was made up of sugary sponges, Rice Krispies and coloured icing.

Few past contestants have attempted to implement more balanced bakes.

Few past contestants have attempted to implement more balanced bakes. Pictured above, last year's winner Candice Brown become known for her sugary desserts

Ugne Bubnaityte, a contestant in 2015, said she had tried to make sugar free options as often as possible.

Sadly there did not go down too well with judges. 'The taste of my cakes were not up Paul and Mary's street because I was using sugar free alternatives,' she told The Sunday Times.

'I would like more of the challenges to be geared towards healthy recipes. The one recipe they did like was my one for Lithuanian curd cookies. I used a tiny bit of sugar and low fat cottage cheese.'

New start: Bake Off (left to right) Paul Hollywood, Sandi Toksvig, Noel Fielding and Prue Leith will return to our screens this summer

Leith also commented on the Conservative manifesto to scrap free school meals for younger primary pupils and replace them with free breakfasts, saying it was 'a criminal bit of stupidity'.

The South African-writer told The Sunday Times: she wanted the Prime Minster to retract the decision.

She said: 'I want Theresa May to do a U-turn on it. They could say, "We have costed everything and looked at the pros and cons and we do not feel we can take free school lunches away from children who are just learning to eat properly."

'It would be a very popular thing if she just had the courage to turn round and say, 'We got that wrong.' I would love her for life if she did that.'

And her advice for not putting on weight was to learn how to cook.

Berry, she said, was 'as slim as anything', despite her specialty being cakes.

The former Bake Off judge previously said she stayed slim by eating mountains of vegetables and revealed she never gives her grandchildren fizzy drinks.

Leith said she shared a concern about healthy eating along with her friend.

She told the Sunday newspaper: 'Only 1 per cent of lunch boxes meet nutritional standards. I went into a primary school for lunch recently and had shepherd's pie and a medley of vegetables.'
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has insisted that Jared Kushner's plans to create a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team were perfectly 'normal' and 'acceptable'.

Kushner had proposed the back channel during a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, last December - before he was given his official role as assistant to the president and senior adviser.

Today, Kelly defended Kushner, who is being investigated by the FBI over his contacts with Russian officials, saying that 'any communication to a country, particularly a country like Russia, is a good thing.'

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly insisted on This Week (pictured) that Jared Kushner's plans to create a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team were perfectly 'normal' and 'acceptable'

The Homeland Security secretary told This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday that all communications gathered through a back channel would be 'shared across the government, so it's not a bad thing to have multiple communication lines' with any country.

Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel, first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

Kelly said that such back channels would be considered 'both normal and acceptable'.

However, he did concede that communications conducted using Russian diplomatic facilities - as the Washington Post reports that Kushner sought - 'would be considered to be  somewhat compromised.'

Kushner (right) had proposed the back channel during a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak (left) last December

'You consider it in terms of its reliability,' Kelly said. 'You just have to assume, like in this case, that it's constructed in a way that they're trying to get you to do certain things.'

Kushner has come under fire since news of his meeting with the Russian ambassador was made public.

Former acting CIA Director John E. McLaughlin went as far as to compare his actions to 'espionage.'

The 38-year-old, who is married to the president's oldest daughter Ivanka, had reportedly proposed creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, during his meeting with Kislyak.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushner's attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Back from a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump on Sunday immediately sought to dismiss the reports.

Kelly defended Kushner, who is being investigated by the FBI over his contacts with Russian officials, saying that 'any communication to a country, particularly a country like Russia, is a good thing'

The Homeland Security secretary told This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday that all communications gathered through a back channel would be 'shared across the government

'It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies,' he tweeted.

He added: 'Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers.'

The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, California Democrat Adam Schiff, has since called for a review into Kushner's security clearance in light of the meeting with Russian officials.

'There is another question about his security clearance and whether he was forthcoming about his contacts on that,' Schiff said during an interview with ABC's This Week on Sunday morning.

'If these allegations are true and he had discussions with the Russians about establishing a back-channel and didn't reveal that, that's a real problem in terms of whether he should maintain that kind of a security clearance.'

He was then pressed on whether the president's son-in-law should immediately lose his clearance, and stopped short of calling for it to be revoked.

'I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, but I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful and candid, if not, there's no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance.'
Defense Secretary James Mattis has declared a war with North Korea would be 'catastrophic' - if tensions between the US and Kim Jong Un ever reached that point.

The 66-year-old retired Marine General made the comment during an interview with CBS News' Face The Nation on Sunday morning.

'A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes,' he told host John Dickerson.

'Why do I say this? The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely-populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea.

Defense Secretary James Mattis (pictured) has declared a war with North Korea would be 'catastrophic'

'We are working with the international community to deal with this issue, this regime is a threat to the region, to Japan, to South Korea, and in the event of war they would bring danger to China and to Russia as well.

'But the bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.'

Dickerson then asked Mattis, who was giving his first official interview as Defense Secretary, if North Korea's military abilities had improved with recent tests.

'We always assume that with a testing program they get better with each test,' he said.

The 66-year-old retired Marine General made the comment during an interview with John Dickerson on CBS News' Face The Nation on Sunday morning

Mattis then went on to explain the potential danger Kim Jong Un's country poses to the US.

'It is a direct threat to the United States,'he said.

'They have been very clear in their rhetoric, we don't have to wait until they have an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear weapon on it to say that now it has manifested completely.'

But he would not be drawn on whether there was a 'line' North Korea could cross that would force the US to intervene.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on May 28

This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on May 22, 2017 shows North Korean ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 being launched

Secretary of Defense James Mattis walks past saluting cadets as he arrives for commencement ceremonies at the United States Military Academy in West Point on May 27

'I'd prefer not to answer that we do not draw red lines unless we intend to carry them out,' he said.

Mattis then reiterated the belief North Korea is a 'direct threat', adding: 'As far as that specific threat, I don't want to put a timeline on it. At this time, what we know, I'd prefer to keep silent about because we may actually know some things the North Koreans don't even know.'

The US will be taken further steps this week as it ramps up defense against a potential attack, with the Pentagon set to try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile this week.
A long lost library book has finally been returned - 4,000 miles away from where it was borrowed.

A copy of Roderick Bailey's 'The Wildest Province: SOE In the Land of the Eagle' was lent out by Dudley Library in the West Midlands in 2009.

Eight years later it has now been handed in to the Boone County Public Library in Burlington, Kentucky.

The copy Roderick Bailey's 'The Wildest Province: SOE In the Land of the Eagle' outside the Boone County library in the US

Dudley Library staff were baffled as to how the book was mistakenly returned to a library in the middle of the US.

They were alerted to the find via an email from their American counterparts.

Due to the cost of returning the book, Dudley Library has told Boone County it can keep the book as a memento.

Jen Beardsmore, head of libraries and archives at Dudley Council, said: 'We always make every effort to get any outstanding books back but to be honest after eight years we had written this one off.

'You can imagine our surprise when out of the blue we had an email from librarians in Kentucky saying it had been handed in there.

'We have told them they can keep the book but it's been a nice interaction with like-minded book lovers.'

Dudley Library fines people 20p per day for unreturned books. At that rate, the fine for the travelling book would run to 600.

However, the person who took the book out will only face a capped fine of 4, if they can ever be traced.

Despite the difficulty, the Boone County Public Library is trying to track down the borrower to trace the book's history.

In the meantime it is currently being read by a book discussion club.

The book had been lent out by Dudley Library in the West Midlands in 2009

The book chronicles the efforts of elite British paratroopers to arm guerrilla fighters and harass the Nazis in Albania in 1943.

Boone County Library's inner librarian assistant Julie Naduad said: 'Dudley, England, is halfway across the world. I can just imagine what the story is behind this book.

'How did it get here? Who brought it? Why were they travelling?'

Becky Kempf, public relations manager at Boone County Public Library, said: 'The book was just dropped off with a bunch of others with no name.

'We have books donated and there was no way of knowing who it was.

'We opened the book and saw it belonged to a library in England.

'Dudley Library said we could keep it as we would have incurred some costs sending it back.

Boone County Public Library is trying to track down the borrower to trace the book's history

'We have a book discussion book made up of about 20 men and they are passing it around.

'They love military history books and this is one with a twist as it was written by a British author.

'Maybe the book changed hands several times. It could have been donated in a yard sale.

'It's really hard to say - it's a little mystery.'

Author Roderick Bailey, a historian at the University of Oxford, said: 'This was the first book I ever wrote and for it suddenly to pop up again is brilliant.'
A free-thinking group of eighth grades refused to pose with House Speaker Paul Ryan during a field trip to Washington DC on Thursday.

Half of the students from South Orange Middle School in New Jersey stood on the other side of the street as their classmates had their photo taken with Ryan outside the United States Capitol.

When he uploaded the image to Instagram, the ones who had refused to be in it flooded the comments section with insults and complaints.

'Half of us stood across the street including me because we hate you,' said one.

Another spoke to DailyMail.com to explain his decision to not take part.

Half of the eighth graders at South Orange Middle School refused to be in this picture with Paul Ryan on Thursday

'The fact that he puts his party before his country, he likes to think of what his party will think of him other than what his country will think of him,' Matthew Malespina, 13 said.

Ryan's Republican stance on healthcare, education and LGBT rights were among the things Matthew disagreed with.

Paul Ryan (pictured in March) was snubbed

The school has not commented on their protest but Matthew's mother said it gave all students the option to take part or not.

'The school allowed the children to make a choice, they were very good about that. It was all quite peaceful,' she said.

The children were taking part in a field trip to DC when they were told on Wednesday that they would be meeting Ryan.

Matthew texted his mother immediately to tell her that he was concerned and she urged him to let the teachers know he was uncomfortable with it.

When Ryan emerged from the Capitol on Thursday, some students who had agreed to take part were gathered on the steps to have their photograph taken.

The others were stood across the street and Ryan was unaware that they had refused.

On Friday, he uploaded the photograph with the willing students to Instagram, writing alongside it: 'Got that #FridayFeeling'.

Ryan was posing with the children outside the US Capitol building. Half stayed on the other side of the street

Ryan uploaded the photograph to Instagram, writing 'Got that #FridayFeeling' alongside it

The children inundated the post with insults, telling Ryan they 'hate' him and pointing out to others that half of the grade had in fact refused to pose with him

The teenagers even went as far as to say that those who did pose with Ryan did so to make fun of him

The students pounced, pointing out in the comments section that half did not want to be associated with him and accusing him of merely using them as a photo-opp.

'I find this really funny because this is my school and more than half of us chose to step out of that picture. And to add, the school is from a very liberal town, so I'm very proud to say that I was amongst the students who stood ACROSS the street.

Elissa Malespina told DailyMail.com she was proud of her 13-year-old son Matthew for not choosing not to take part in the photo

'Plus most of the kids who were standing there were only there to make fun of him because he's a walking talking meme, said one.

They were met with comments from Republican supporters who accused them of being disrespectful to the office of the Speaker of the House.

Matthew's mother Elissa supported his decision, telling DailyMail.com she was proud of him and the rest of the children for standing up for what they believe in.

'We've always talked about politics so we've always been a family that has been politically active. We didn't indoctrinate him, he has had a mind of his own ever since he was a small child and he's gathered up his own views.

'We are lucky to live in a community with a large number of active and engaged young people.

'I don't think it was a sign of disrespect. I think it was a sign of peaceful protesting. A sign of disrespect would be to curse the guy off but he chose to not take a picture with a man who was clearly doing it for a photo-op. I think all of them were rather respectful.'

Matthew stood by his decision. He flatly ruled out ever posing with President Trump but enthusiastically said he'd have a snap taken with Hillary Clinton.

'I would never take a picture with that man. Never. (But) Definitely, I would take a picture with Hillary Clinton,' he said.

South Orange Middle School students in the same grade walked out of classes earlier in the year to protest against Trump's inauguration.
Advertisement

Crammed on to a ship with a normal capacity of 600, almost 1,500 migrants arrive in Italy after being rescued from rickety vessels in the Mediterranean.

Their nightmare ended as they landed in Naples yesterday after being forced to endure an extra two days on board because of the G7 summit in Sicily.

The nearest port to where they were picked up was on the island, but the vessel was not allowed to dock there because of the tight security in place for the meeting of world leaders.

End of a nightmare: The Medecins Sans Frontieres ship Prudence packed with 1,449 migrants arrives at Naples yesterday

Safe: A woman disembarks from the ship with a child. Among the refugees were 207 women, 22 of them pregnant, and more than 140 children

Aid workers for the charity rescued a total of 12 boats in distress during a gruelling ten-hour operation beginning on Thursday

Refugees wait to disembark from the ship after being forced to endure an extra two days on board because of the G7 summit in Sicily

So although the summit pledged to uphold the human rights of migrants, the refugees  who included children and pregnant women  had to sail on in cramped conditions to Naples.

Among the 1,449 refugees packed on to the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ship Prudence were 207 women, 22 of them pregnant, and more than 140 children, the youngest just a week old.

Aid workers for the charity rescued a total of 12 boats in distress during a gruelling ten-hour operation beginning on Thursday. They also retrieved two dead bodies from a rubber dinghy.

Michele Trainiti, MSFs search and rescue co-ordinator, said: Due to security restrictions for the G7 summit, no landings were allowed in any Sicilian port between May 22-28.

'Therefore Prudence was forced to sail north to Naples, a journey which took more than 48 hours from the search and rescue zone.

The situation in the Mediterranean continues to be unbearable, with people dying every day. We reiterate our urgent call to the EU and G7 leaders to provide safe and legal alternatives for people seeking protection.

We also call on them to provide adequate and dedicated resources to rescue lives at sea, now. This is the sole solution to immediately alleviate sufferings and reduce loss of lives.

In total, more than 2,300 people were saved by charities and the Italian coastguard as warm weather prompted a surge in migrants making the perilous trip from Africa

Last week a leaked intelligence report said 6.6million migrants are waiting to cross into Europe

This year has already seen record numbers of African migrants making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, with Italy the frontline of the crisis

In total, more than 2,300 people were saved by charities and the Italian coastguard as warm weather prompted a surge in migrants making the perilous trip from Africa.

This year has already seen record numbers of African migrants making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, with Italy the frontline of the crisis. The increase has led to more than 1,530 deaths so far this year.

Last week a leaked intelligence report said 6.6million are waiting to cross into Europe. One million are in Libya and 3.3million more are in Turkey.
This is the terrifying moment a gigantic bolt of lightning came within metres of striking a student and his friends who had gone outside to film a storm on Snapchat.

Footage shows lightning which sounds like a gunshot hitting a house, missing Alex Sawyer, 23, and his friends by 20 metres.

The University of Plymouth student captured the moment in Mutley, Devon, on his mobile phone and described it like 'fire raining down from the sky'.

A close-up shot of the footage shows the moment the lightning bolt hit the house in Mutley, Devon, setting it ablaze. It was captured by student Alex Sawyer who described it as like 'fire raining down from the sky'

After emergency services had left the scene Alex went back inside to continue writing his dissertation.

He said: 'My friends and I were all watching the lightning and I thought, "This will make a great Snapchat".

'The next thing I know there's fire raining down from the sky. Torrential rain. We were right in the middle of it.'

'[There were] a few damaged chimneys. Maybe a fire broke out. I can't be too sure.

The house pictured after the lightning bolt hit. Firefighters were called out to several properties across Plymouth which had been badly damaged during the thunderous storms on Friday night

'I definitely had to go to the toilet after I saw the lightning bolt hit the house.

'You don't get lightning like that in London, you see.'

Firefighters were called out to several properties across Plymouth which had been badly damaged during the thunderous storms on Friday night.

One bolt struck a house on Houndiscombe Road, Mutley, in another incident also caught on video.

Emergency services are filmed arriving at the scene

According to the blitzortung.org website, there were thousands of strikes across the Plymouth area.

The mapping technology appears to show lightning bolts hitting all over the city, in South East Cornwall, on Dartmoor and in other parts of the Westcountry.

There was also a lightning strike near Ivybridge and several in Plymouth Sound.

Forecasters have warned of more thunderstorms to come - and the Met Office has put a yellow weather warning for heavy rain in place from Sunday lunchtime.
The leader of the Scottish Conservative party has revealed she was forced to postpone her wedding when her dog was hit by a car.

Ruth Davidson had to put off her wedding to her partner of three years, Jen Wilson, when her beloved springer spaniel Wilson was run over as he chased after some birds.

The MSP for Edinburgh Central said she spent a five figure sum on saving her dog - meaning she had to postpone her forthcoming October nuptials.

Scroll down for video

The leader of the Scottish Conservative party Ruth Davidson had to put off her wedding after her dog Wilson was hit by a car

Wilson needed metal pins and a skin graft after he was run over as he bolted towards some birds

The devastated 38-year-old told the Daily Mail's Jan Moir that Wilson needed metal pins and a skin graft after he was run over as he bolted towards some birds.

She said 'lovely little Wilson' was now able to run again, albeit with a limp.

The Tory politician - who was elected leader in November 2011 - had been due to marry her fiancee Jen Wilson in October after proposing last year.

The pair have been together for three years and live in central Edinburgh.

The Tory politician (right) - who was elected leader in November 2011 - had been due to marry her fiancee Jen Wilson (left) in October after proposing last year

Ruth Davidson has been described as Nicola Sturgeons tormentor-in-chief and accused Sturgeon this week of quietly dropping plans for a referendum

This comes after the Tory leader yesterday insisted there will not be a second referendum on independence anytime soon as she accused Nicolas Sturgeon of quietly dropping plans after a fall in the polls.

She told the BBCs Sunday Politics Scotland: With the current trajectory of support in this country going down for another independence referendum I dont see it happening any time soon, because the people of Scotland dont want it, Im going to stand up for them.

There is no support for another independence referendum, it doesnt look like there is going to be any support for another referendum, and as we see from Nicola Sturgeon trying quietly this week to ditch independence as a campaigning tool, were not going to see it any time soon.
South Africa's ruling party is debating whether President Jacob Zuma should resign amid increasing concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government.

Zuma on Sunday faced a motion of no confidence at a meeting of leaders of the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many in the party attribute the ANC's poor performance in local elections last year to scandals surrounding the president and want to shore up their popularity ahead of national elections in 2019.

Zuma survived a similar move to oust him at a meeting of the party's National Executive Committee in November, but unease within the ruling party grew after he fired the widely respected finance minister in March.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Lindsey Graham says James Comey 'needs to be held accountable' if he interfered in the election over 'fake information'.

The South Carolina Senator spoke to Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union about reports Comey acted on Russian intelligence concerning the Hillary Clinton email scandal, even though he knew the information was false.

'I'm not so sure the email that Comey relied upon was fake, but I can tell you this, he never briefed the Congress, the Judiciary Committee, about any fake email,' Graham said.

'What he told the intelligence committee about this email, he never suggested it was fake, so if he intervened in the election based on fake information generated by the Russians, that was incredibly incompetent.

Scroll down for video

Lindsey Graham says James Comey 'needs to be held accountable' if he interfered in the election over 'fake information'

'So I don't really know who to believe anymore.'

The emails Comey allegedly knew to be fake were made by the Russians to look as though they were between then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and political operative Leonard Benardo, which implied then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch would make the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton go away.

Comey feared the Russians would release the information and it would be impossible to prove false without burning other intelligence methods, sources told the outlet.

He was also concerned it would be released if Lynch announced Clinton had been cleared, which would again discredit the entire investigation.

Comey reportedly emails that compromised then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch in relation to the Hillary Clinton email scandal were fake, but acted anyway. He is pictured in April 2016

The emails Comey allegedly knew to be fake were made by the Russians to look as though they were between then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (left) and a political operative, which implied then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch (right) would make the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton go away

As a result, without consulting Lynch, Comey publicly announced the end of the investigation last summer and said Clinton had been 'extremely careless'.

Wasserman Schultz and Benardo both told the Washington Post they do not know each other, and have never sent emails to one another.

They also said they were not once investigated by the FBI over the incident.

'That, to me, is a stunning story,' Graham said on Sunday.

'The FBI Director knew the information he relied upon to jump into the 2016 election was fake... he basically took over the Department of Justice's job based on a fake email from the Russians.

'He never told us it was fake, so he needs to be held accountable. I want to get to the bottom of it. I want to see the email.'
A love-struck burglar flooded a woman's guest house when she rejected his romantic advances.

After breaking into the property in Cumbria, obsessed Kevin Hartley, 35, left shower heads on the floor covered up plug holes before turning on the water.

Three ceilings at Kathy King's B&B collapsed and she was left to deal with the damage and thousands of pounds of lost earnings.

Hartley, who admitted a charge of burglary with intent to do unlawful damage, told King 'he had his heart broken by her'.

Three ceilings at Kathy King's B&B collapsed and she was left to deal with the damage and thousands of pounds of lost earnings

Hartley, who admitted a charge of burglary with intent to do unlawful damage, told King 'he had his heart broken by her'.

After breaking into the property in Cumbria, obsessed Kevin Hartley, 35, left shower heads on the floor covered up plug holes before turning on the water

Carlisle Crown Court heard that painter and decorator Hartley had carried out work at Glenfield House in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

However, his duties were reduced when he began to act 'inappropriately'.

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor said he had told King he had feelings for her, but that she did not feel the same and had rejected him.

On one occasion she found Hartley letting himself out of the guest house and later discovered the living room had been left 'full of Christmas presents'.

In February this year Hartley confessed to King that 'he had his heart broken by her'.

Later in the month she left the guest house to visit family but was alerted by neighbours that her alarm was sounding and that water was gushing out of the property.

Hartley had removed the keys from bedroom doors to prevent police from gaining access and shutting the water off.

McGregor told the court: 'She (King) returned and found the property in a terrible state.'

Carlisle Crown Court heard that painter and decorator Hartley had carried out work at Glenfield House in Whitehaven, Cumbria

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor said he had told King he had feelings for her, but that she did not feel the same and had rejected him

The incident caused King a 'great deal of stress' and she believed 'it was calculated to cause a maximum amount of damage'.

Hartley admitted the offence in a police interview, saying it was a 'spur of moment act' when he was 'extremely drunk'.

Marion Weir, defending, spoke of Hartley's remorse, and said he was 'terrified at the thought of custody'.

She said: 'Alcohol was the under-pinning issue in all his difficulties.

'He had been spiralling out of control in terms of his mental health.'

On one occasion she found Hartley letting himself out of the guest house and later discovered the living room had been left 'full of Christmas presents'

n February this year Hartley confessed to King that 'he had his heart broken by her'

A restraining order was put in place to stop him contacting King for the next five years

Hartley, from Whitehaven, was also worried he would lose his home.

He was handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a rehabilitation requirement, a four-month night-time curfew and unpaid work.

A restraining order was put in place to stop him contacting King for the next five years.

Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC told him: 'You behaved in a most disgraceful manner.'
Friends of Schapelle Corby 'wouldn't be surprised' if the convicted drug smuggler fell pregnant in Bali before her dramatic return to Australia.

The 39-year-old is said to be devastated at leaving her boyfriend Ben Panangian behind on the Indonesian island after touching down at Brisbane airport on Sunday.

'Schapelle is very much in love with her Balinese boyfriend Ben. She wanted to remain with him in Bali,' a source told Woman's Day.

Friends of Schapelle Corby 'wouldn't be surprised' if the convicted drug smuggler fell pregnant in Bali before her dramatic return to Australia

The 39-year-old is said to be devastated at leaving leaving her boyfriend Ben Panangian (pictured) behind on the Indonesian island

'They were desperately trying to get pregnant before she left - that way she'd have an Indonesian baby and it would make her path back to seeing Ben a whole lot easier.'

'I wouldn't be surprised if Schapelle is already pregnant - we've all been expecting the news by now.'

Meanwhile, Corby's mother Rosleigh Rose told New Idea magazine her daughter was ready to start a family.

'I would say she would love to settle down and start a family of her own,' she told the magazine.

Corby is yet to be sighted since arriving at Brisbane Airport on Sunday morning when she led media on a wild goose chase through the city's streets

Corby is seen being escorted by Bali Police at Parole Office in Denpasar on Saturday ahead of her arrival to Australia

'You automatically think it will happen one day, that you will have a baby. But the thing is, she lost so many years it's hard to know what will happen.'

Corby and her boyfriend met in Kerobokan prison in 2006 a year after the former beauty student was first jailed, and have been together through the ups and downs of her time in Bali.

But it seems their relationship may be set to face its toughest test, with their criminal histories meaning the pair are unlike to be reunited in Australia or Indonesia.

It seems Corby (left) and Panangian's (right) relationship may be set to face its toughest test, with their criminal histories meaning the pair are unlike to be reunited in Australia or Indonesia

While a pack of media sat outside her home last week, Corby was reportedly inside 'upset' at having to leave Panangian behind.

Having been convicted of drug trafficking, Corby is likely to never be allowed back to Indonesia.

Similarly, the Australian government could block Panangian entering the country to see Corby because of his two drug convictions.

He was first arrested in 2006 and then again in 2014, with three marijuana packages.

Their criminal records leave the two lovers most likely needing a third country, one happy to take both in, for the pair to reunite.

Released years before his girlfriend, the Indonesian would regularly return to jail to meet up with Corby at the visitor centre, Mamamia reports.

Their criminal records leave the two lovers most likely needing a third country, one happy to take both in, for the pair to reunite

Similarly, the Australian government could block Panangian (pictured) entering the country to see Corby because of his two drug convictions

In 2014, when Corby was paroled, the pair stayed together inside her brother's Bali beachside home.

The pair were often pictured together at a beach near her brother's home and were well known by locals.

A stand-up paddle board instructor in Kuta, Panangian is said to be passionate about his role and is reportedly keen to stay and develop his business.

Corby and her boyfriend seemingly spent one final night together in Bali, as she took to Instagram to share a photo of her family and loved ones inside her family home.
Oxford University students will now have to take a paper on black or Asian history after complaints the curriculum was too white.

For the first time, undergraduates will be required to study a subject outside of British or European history to get their degree.

The syllabus change comes as universities across the country faced protests as part of the Why is my curriculum white? campaign.

Oxford University students will now have to take a paper on black or Asian history following complaints the curriculum was too white

The new requirement also comes a year after the universitys Oriel College refused to bend to protestors demanding the removal of a statue of the Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes.

Oxford insists the change has been in the pipeline for years and has nothing to do with protests including the Rhodes Must Fall campaign.

However it means that from this autumn history students will be required to study topics which could include Martin Luther King and 1960s civil rights movement and Mahatma Gandhi and Indian independence.

Students will still be required to take two compulsory papers on British history and two on European history.

Head of the faculty Dr Martin Conway said the change came after consultation with students, and said it would bring in diversity in terms of the teaching of history.

He told The Sunday Times quite a few history undergraduates were active in the Rhodes must Fall campaign but insisted the new requirement was not a response to it.

Oxford insists the change has been in the pipeline for years and has nothing to do with protests including the Rhodes Must Fall campaign

David Cameron, when prime minister, criticised Oxford for taking on just 27 black students in 2014.

The university has also been criticised for offering a 75 prize for the best African history thesis  while rewarding 500 for the best history thesis overall.

Second-year history student Billy Nuttall, who campaigned for more prize money, said fewer than 10 students at Magdalen College were from black or ethnic minority backgrounds.

The student, who welcomed the change, said school pupils had told him they consider the university as too rich and too white.

Other universities are also reviewing the way they teach history  and a module in black British history is being developed at Leeds.

However academics have warned vital subjects should not be forgotten in the quest to be more diverse.

Former Oxford professor Niall Ferguson, now at the Hoover Institution in America, said: By comparison with America, some history courses (in Oxford) do look a bit old-fashioned.

I am not the kind of backwoodsman who thinks Oxford should only teach English history and general history, which is what it did when I was an undergraduate, but let us be careful not to stop teaching crucial subjects like the rise of the West or the world wars in the effort to make courses more diverse.

The latest figures show 70 per cent of black applicants were offered a university place this year compared with 78 per cent of white applicants.

Head of the faculty Dr Martin Conway said the change came after consultation with students, and said it would bring in diversity in terms of the teaching of history

A spokesman for Oxfords history faculty said the change came after a number of years of discussion and consultation.

He said: We are pleased to be modernising and diversifying our curriculum in this way.

An Oxford spokesman added: We are always open to academically sound suggestions for augmenting our curriculum.

He also said most history students were already choosing to study non-British and non-European history.

The changes to the universitys history syllabus also come as Lucy Worsley, the chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces, called for more black experts presenting history on television.
Passengers stranded during the chaos have spoken of their anger after hotel chains cashed in on their desperation  massively inflating costs for accommodation.

The only room available close to the airport from Heathrows Hotel Reservations desk on Sunday afternoon was a 600 double at the Park Inn hotel.

A member of staff said the rooms are normally priced between 100 and 150 but the huge demand had driven prices up.

The only room available at the airports Sofitel Hotel on Sunday afternoon was a luxury suite for 495.

Thousands of British Airways customers were facing another day of chaos on Sunday as they queued out the doors at Heathrow in order to rebook flights cancelled on Saturday

Dozens more BA flights were cancelled from Heathrow on Sunday morning, adding to the passenger blacklog

Christophe Hurault, 37, had spent the night sleeping on the airport floor with his wife and three children  aged between nine and 11  after the familys flight to Paris on Saturday evening was cancelled.

Mr Hurault, who works for the French interior ministry, said: When we tried to book a room on Saturday night we were told the only one available was at the Hyatt and it would cost 1,500. So no chance.

We werent sure when the flight could be re-booked so didnt want to go far from the airport, and my children were exhausted.

The conditions in the airport were terrible; we have had hardly any contact with staff and they have just given us very thin mats to sleep on and a few bottles of water.

Mr Hurault and his family have been told they could fly to Barcelona on Sunday evening then to Paris on Monday morning.

New Yorker Jose Duran, 37, also spent the night sleeping on the airport floor when his flight to Greece was cancelled on Saturday evening.

People checking in for flights at Heathrow also faced long queues on Sunday, as more flights were cancelled and delayed

At Gatwick (pictured) all scheduled flights departed on Sunday morning, though most were running with delays

They said they could reimburse us 100 each for a hotel room, he said.

But I just gave up checking because there was no chance of getting a room for anywhere near that price.

The airport was packed full of people all trying to find somewhere to sleep and I was told it would be at least 500, so I just had to lie down here and get on with it.

The last available room at the Holiday Inn in West Drayton, less than two miles from terminal five, was listed on website booking.com for 589 on Sunday evening.

Prices at this hotel typically begin at 60, according to an internet search.

The nearby Thistle, Best Western and Renaissance hotels were fully booked on Sunday evening.

A 'power failure' with the airline's IT system at around 11am on Saturday caused all flights to be cancelled from both Gatwick and Heathrow (pictured on Sunday) for the rest of the day

Brazilian banker Eric Nakamura, 37, said he stopped at a guest house in Hounslow on Saturday night after his flight home was cancelled and was told a room would cost 2,000, though he could not recall the name of the lodge.

It was chaos at the airport, he said.

We tried at five hotels before coming to this guesthouse by Hounslow Central. My English isnt great so I asked him again to check and could not believe that was the price.

Eventually we paid about 200 to stay in the Tower Hotel up in London.

I think its awful that the hotels nearby were taking advantage when people were desperate and having to sleep on the ground.

It isnt the passengers fault.
A memorial dedicated to soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq is using 7000 boots to honor their legacy and service.

The display - in its third year of existence - covers the recreation field at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was created by Survivor Outreach Services (SOS).

Retired Army veteran and Fort Bragg employee, Mike Thomas, has made it his mission to connect families unable to see the memorial with their loved ones.

A memorial at Fort Bragg, Indiana, was created three years ago by Survivor Outreach Services to honor the lives of soldiers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq

Retired Army veteran and Fort Bragg employee, Mike Thomas, has made it his mission to connect families unable to see the memorial with their loved ones

Thomas, who works at Fort Bragg, sends the pictures of the boots - arranged by the month and year of a soldier's death - to loved ones

Last year, the former servicemen made a post offering to take a photo of any boot and send it to that soldier's family and while the response was minimal, Thomas was just happy he could help.

This year however, Thomas's Facebook post which he made on Friday has already received just under 200k shares with many sending their thanks and appreciation for all the work that the vet is doing.

Thomas even told Fox 13 that after he got to work on the searches he looked up each soldiers death on the Department of Defense's website.

Thomas found the boot of 1st Lieutenant Weston C Lee, a distinguished paratrooper who was killed fighting ISIS on April 29, 2017, and represents the latest in casualties from the Middle East

He also located the boots of Lt Brendan Looney and Marine 1st Lt Travis L Manion who were roommates at the United States Naval Academy

And although the display has since been taken a part, Thomas hopes that by this time next year, he can connect each boot to its family.

This year alone, the father-of-one documented at least 50 of the boots - that are arranged by the month and year of a soldier's death - and sent the photos to their loved ones.

He found the boot of 1st Lieutenant Weston C Lee, a distinguished paratrooper who was killed fighting ISIS on April 29, 2017, and represents the latest in casualties from the Middle East.

The father-of-one took a photo of their boots together even though they didn't die at the same place

Thomas is glad that folks are invested in finding out more about the boots in the display and said of the soldiers: 'They will be never forgotten as long as we speak their names and honor their lives'

Thomas also located the boots of Lt Brendan Looney and Marine 1st Lt Travis L Manion who were roommates at the United States Naval Academy.

They would both later pass in two separate line of duty incidents and they now rest side-by-side in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

While the friends didn't die at the same time, Thomas was able to get their boots next to each other so that he could send their photos to both families.

Thomas is glad that folks are invested in finding out more about the boots in the display and said of the soldiers: 'They will be never forgotten as long as we speak their names and honor their lives.'
Advertisement

Thousands of motorcyclists gathered in Washington, DC Sunday to ride together on Memorial Day weekend for the Rolling Thunder 'Ride for Freedom' event.

Organizers from the non-profit organization say approximately 900,000 bikers participated this year, parading through the streets of DC to honor military veterans, prisoners of war and those missing in action.

Rolling Thunder was started 30 years ago when Vietnam veterans Artie Muller and Ray Manzo started talking about their concerns about POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War, according to the non-profit's website.

Motorcycle riders start their ride from the Pentagon parking lot on May 28, 2017, for the 30th Anniversary of Rolling Thunder, where approximately 900,000 motorcycle riders parade thru the streets of Washington, DC, in honor of Memorial Day

Rolling Thunder founder Sgt. Artie Muller starts Rolling Thunder 2017 in the Pentagon parking lot at the start of the parade

Gerald McCullar is seen inside a Prisoner of War Tiger Cage in the Pentagon parking lot. The main focus of Rolling Thunder is to draw attention and raise awareness of prisoners of war and military people missing in action

The next year, during the 1988 Memorial Day weekend, they organized a gathering in Washington, DC that would begin with the 'roar of their motorcycles, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder', which is how the group got its name, according to the site.

Approximately 2,500 motorcyclists from across America participated in that first parade, calling on leaders to give 'a full accounting of all POW/MIA's'. That number has since increased to 900,000.

At the annual event, bikers rally at the Pentagon all morning Sunday, then cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge and cruise around the National Mall.

This year Muller led the parade from the Pentagon parking lot. In the midst of the thousands of bikers participating, Army veteran Gerald McCullar sat in a Prisoner of War Tiger Cage throughout the parade.

McCullar has participated in the parade since 1990 and rides in the cage to remind people of what prisoners of war from the US military suffered in Southeast Asia, the Washington Times reports.

'I like to think that it gives them something to take home besides a piece of paper,' he told the outlet.

McCullarhas been riding through the parade in the cage since 1990 to remind people of the suffering that POWs undergo

Thousands of motorcyclists participated to help raise awareness for prisoners of war and soldiers still missing in action

According to the Rolling Thunder website, many of their members are veterans and many ride motorcycles, though membership does not require either

Rolling Thunder has chapters all across the United States and on Memorial Day weekend every year, many gather in DC for the Ride for Freedom

The Rolling Thunder website says about its members: 'All are united in the cause to bring full accountability for the Prisoners Of War-Missing In Action (POW/MIA) of all wars, reminding the government, the media and the public by our watchwords: We Will Not Forget"'

Thousands of motorcyclists rode through DC for the Ride for Freedom, despite the rain

Motorcyclists participate in Rolling Thunder, the annual ride around Washington Mall as pedestrians stand by to cheer

Rolling Thunder was established as a non-profit in 2007 and raises funds for veterans, active duty military and their families in need of help

As the motorcyclists drove around Washington, others stood by, cheering them on and handing out miniature flags, pictured

Motorcycle riders wait in the Pentagon parking lot for the start of the 30th Anniversary of Rolling Thunder and the Ride for Freedom, some trying to avoid the rain

Muller, a Vietnam War vet, pictured, started Rolling Thunder 30 years ago when he and Ray Manzo started talking about their concerns about POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War

The two men decided to organize a parade through Washington, DC, to call leaders to to give 'a full accounting' of all prisoners of war and those missing in action

At the first Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom, about 2,500 motorcyclists participated in Washington. This year, approximately 900,000 motorcycles were present. Motorcycle riders are pictured waiting to ride from the Pentagon parking lot

Rolling Thunder founder Muller, right, and US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David J. Shulkin, left, speak in the parking lot of the Pentagon on May 28, 2017, before riding in the Ride for Freedom

Muller and Manzo decided in 1988 to begin the ride with the 'roar of their motorcycles, a sound not unlike the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder', which is how the group got its name
Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is reportedly being investigated over the murders of two women in Sweden

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is being investigated over the murders of two women in Sweden, it was reported yesterday.

The serial killer was named by British police to their foreign counterparts as a possible suspect, according to the Swedish tabloid Kvallsposten.

Detectives are said to have enquired about the murders of a 31-year-old woman found dead in Gothenburg in August 1980, and a 26-year-old woman found dead in Malmo a month later. Both bodies were found on building sites.

An active investigation is said to be under way after it emerged a single hair found on the body of one of the victims has been preserved and could provide hard DNA proof of the killers identity.

A ferry passenger list supposedly shows Sutcliffe was likely to have been in Malmo at the time of the second Swedish murder.

He is serving 20 concurrent life sentences for the murder of 13 women in the UK and attempting to murder seven others.

Following West Yorkshire Polices contact with Swedish authorities, South Swedens police commissioner Bo Lundqvist told Kvallsposten: They wanted answers including whether we have the type of murder, whether forensic evidence exists and whether there is anything that can be investigated using new techniques.

He added: They also wanted to know whether Peter Sutcliffe was named in any investigations. Mr Lundqvist said officers in Malmo contacted UK police in January 1981, after Swedish media reported Sutcliffe may have been in the area at the time of the murder.

But Interpol argued Sutcliffe could not have been there  which the agency later found to be incorrect, according to the report. A passenger list allegedly places Sutcliffe on board a ferry between Malmo and Dragor, Denmark, on the days before and after the murder. Mr Lundqvist said it is likely this information never reached British police at the time of their investigation into Sutcliffe.

Sutcliffe is serving 20 concurrent life sentences for the murder of 13 women in the UK and attempting to murder seven others

But after opening a review of unsolved crimes last year, West Yorkshire Police are said to have told Mr Lundqvist that they were aware of a telex from Interpol indicating that Sutcliffe had travelled on the Malmo-Dragor ferry. Malmo Police have previously confirmed a hair on the Malmo victims body has been preserved.

Mr Lundqvist said he responded to the UK police request several months ago but has not received further information on the case.

I think you have to be prepared to go far to seek the truth when there is still such a strong circumstance that it might be Peter Sutcliffe, he said. It is his signature, and I am referring to brutality.

The decision to grant UK authorities access to forensic material will fall to the Swedish justice department. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman last night said no one was available to comment.
Drivers are ignoring tougher penalties for using their mobiles behind the wheel, new figures reveal.

More than 200 motorists a day were caught using their phones illegally in the four weeks after more severe punishments came into force.

Police forces across Britain penalised almost 6,000 drivers  equivalent to one every seven minutes  in less than a month after the law changed, despite repeated warnings about the potentially deadly consequences.

Scroll down for video

More than 200 motorists a day were caught using their phones illegally in the four weeks after more severe punishments came into force

Increases in penalties and fines for using a handheld phone behind the wheel were introduced after the Daily Mails End the Mobile Madness campaign to highlight the dangers.

From March 1, motorists caught using their phones while driving faced six penalty points on their licence and a 200 fine, compared with three points and 100 previously.

The changes meant newly qualified drivers could lose their licence for sending a single text message.

But figures obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed police forces caught 5,977 motorists using their phones in the four weeks after the legislation came into effect during a nationwide crackdown.

The latest statistics are down compared with a week-long crackdown in November 2016, when police caught 8,000 drivers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But seven police forces did not respond to the latest FoI request, so the true figure is likely to be higher.

Worryingly, one man was spotted doing his online banking while driving along the M5 near Birmingham. Another driver was spotted on his phone while behind the wheel of a school minibus with ten children on board in Manchester.

Worryingly, one man was spotted doing his online banking while driving along the M5 near Birmingham. Another driver was spotted on his phone while behind the wheel of a school minibus with ten children on board in Manchester (picture posed by model)

And in Bournemouth, the driver of a 7.5-tonne lorry was seen using his phone while negotiating a roundabout.

The Metropolitan Police registered the highest number of offenders, with 2,037 drivers caught using a handheld phone in London  the equivalent of 70 motorists every day.

Thames Valley Police recorded the second largest total at 478, followed by Police Scotland with 339, Hampshire Police with 280 and Cheshire Police with 224. In Kent, the driver of a lorry was fined for texting while thundering along the M2.

And in Norfolk, police stopped a woman who was texting about a lost puppy while driving.

Research has found that motorists using a mobile are around four times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who are not distracted.

Twenty-two people were killed and 99 seriously injured in accidents on Britains roads in 2015 where a motorist using a mobile was a contributory factor.

Despite this statistic, a study by the RAC found that a third of drivers had used a handheld mobile phone to make a call while at the wheel, while half admitted they had used their phones in stationary traffic, which is also illegal.

Steve Gooding, of motor research charity the RAC Foundation, said: Driving is a safety-critical activity that requires our full attention. Hands need to be on the wheel and eyes looking out of the windscreen, not down at the phone screen.

Road safety charity Brake has called for even higher penalties to deter drivers.

Spokesman Jack Kushner said: Driver distraction is a growing menace and its worrying that drivers dont seem to be getting the message.

Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, the National Police Chiefs Council lead for roads policing, said forces were committed to tackling the dangers posed by mobile phone use behind the wheel.

Police want to make using a mobile while driving as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

He said: Drivers need to understand that this is not a minor offence and you will be prosecuted under new, tougher penalties. v.allen@dailymail.co.uk
She arrived in Australia after booking business class tickets on two separate flights before a military-style convoy kept her out of sight of a colossal media scrum.

But the no expense spared return of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby after serving her sentence in Bali is beginning to raise eyebrows.

The 39-year-old purchased a business class ticket home with Virgin Australia, before switching flights to travel on Malaysian airline Malindo Air.

Scroll down for video

The no expense spared return of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby after serving her sentence in Bali has begun to raise eyebrows

Corby arrived in Australia after booking business class tickets on two separate flights before a military-style convoy kept her out of sight of a colossal media scrum

When she arrived, up to a dozen top-of-the-range SUVs left the airport in two separate convoys - apparently designed to throw reporters off her scent.

Speculation grew that she had booked rooms at lavish Queensland hotels - including Brisbane's five-star Sofitel.

Shortly after she touched down, a stream of relatives and friends arrived at her mother's home, including Corby's aunt, who flaunted a $600 bottle of vodka.

Hours later, her sister Mercedes clinked glasses of premium champagne Veuve Cliquot, presumably with the elusive Schapelle.

A stream of relatives and friends arrived at Corby's mother's home, including her aunt - who arrived with a $600 bottle of vodka

The elder Corby sibling posted a picture of three champagne flutes filled with bubbly after a long 24 hours

Her VIP treatment after spending nearly a decade behind bars and three years on parole in Bali has many questioning - where is the money coming from?

'So who's paying for Schapelle Corby's security "circus"? "Business Class" travel?' one social media user commented.

'Who's paying for all Schapelle Corby's Mercedes-Benz driving body guards... What a circus!' another said.

'Question is, who is paying for all the PR and security? It's not privacy... it's exclusivity.'

Corby booked a business class ticket home with Virgin Australia, before switching flights to travel on Malaysian airline Malindo Air

Up to a dozen top-of-the-range SUVs left the airport in two separate convoys - apparently designed to throw reporters off her scent

Corby's VIP treatment after spending nearly a decade behind bars and three years on parole in Bali has many questioning where the money is coming from

'Corby security is worthy of Head of State. Who is paying?' one social media user commented

Another said: 'Who's paying for all Shappel (sic) Corby's Mercedes-Benz driving body guards'

Another noted: 'Corby security is worthy of a Head of State. Who is paying?'

Corby's location is still unclear more than 24 hours after her long-awaited arrival.

She spent Sunday posting disparaging pictures and video about the media contingent desperately craving a glimpse of the woman the Indonesians dubbed 'the Ganja Queen'.

Schapelle Corby (left) with her sister Mercedes Corby (right) on their way to the airport to fly from Bali to Brisbane on Saturday
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined a request to host an event to mark Islam's holy month of Ramadan, two U.S. officials said, apparently breaking with a bipartisan tradition in place with few exceptions for nearly 20 years.

Since 1999, Republican and Democratic secretaries of state have nearly always hosted either an iftar dinner to break the day's fast during Ramadan or a reception marking the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the month, at the State Department.

Tillerson turned down a request from the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host an Eid al-Fitr reception as part of Ramadan celebrations, said two U.S. officials who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

According to an April 6 memo seen by Reuters, the office - which typically initiates such events - recommended that Tillerson hold an Eid al-Fitr reception.

His rejection of the request suggests there are no plans this year for any high-profile Ramadan function at the State Department. The month of fasting and prayer for Muslims gets under way in many countries on Saturday.

When asked by Reuters to comment on Tillerson declining a request to host an Eid al-Fitr event in July for Ramadan, a State Department spokesperson said:

"We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan. U.S. ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world."

Muslim activists have accused President Donald Trump's administration of having an unfriendly attitude toward Islam, encapsulated by its attempts to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

The administration says that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam. Aides point to Trump's visit this month to Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam where he addressed the leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, as evidence of that.

Members of Congress, Muslim civil society and community leaders, diplomats from Muslim countries and senior U.S. officials usually attend the State Department Ramadan event, a symbol of the U.S. government's diplomatic efforts with Muslim countries and people.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined a request to host an event to mark Islam's holy month of Ramadan, two U.S. officials said, apparently breaking with a bipartisan tradition in place with few exceptions for nearly 20 years.

Since 1999, Republican and Democratic secretaries of state have nearly always hosted either an iftar dinner to break the day's fast during Ramadan or a reception marking the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the month, at the State Department.

Tillerson turned down a request from the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host an Eid al-Fitr reception as part of Ramadan celebrations, said two U.S. officials who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

According to an April 6 memo seen by Reuters, the office - which typically initiates such events - recommended that Tillerson hold an Eid al-Fitr reception.

His rejection of the request suggests there are no plans this year for any high-profile Ramadan function at the State Department. The month of fasting and prayer for Muslims gets under way in many countries on Saturday.

When asked by Reuters to comment on Tillerson declining a request to host an Eid al-Fitr event in July for Ramadan, a State Department spokesperson said:

"We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan. U.S. ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world."

Muslim activists have accused President Donald Trump's administration of having an unfriendly attitude toward Islam, encapsulated by its attempts to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

The administration says that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam. Aides point to Trump's visit this month to Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam where he addressed the leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, as evidence of that.

Members of Congress, Muslim civil society and community leaders, diplomats from Muslim countries and senior U.S. officials usually attend the State Department Ramadan event, a symbol of the U.S. government's diplomatic efforts with Muslim countries and people.

"If they're having one, we haven't been invited," said Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington. A representative for her group has been invited to the State Department event in the past, she said.

FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP

Trump's administration has had a fraught relationship with Muslims. As a presidential candidate, the Republican urged a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, called for more surveillance of mosques and warned that radical Muslims were "trying to take over our children."

Trump has since toned down his rhetoric and courts have halted his temporary travel ban on people from six mostly Muslim countries.

White House officials did not respond to a request for comment on whether they would continue the tradition this year of hosting a Ramadan-related event at the White House.

The State Department celebrates other religious traditions though some of those commemorations are not as well-established as the State Department's Ramadan event. In 2014, then-secretary of state John Kerry hosted the first ever celebration at the State Department marking Diwali, the Hindu festival.

The White House also traditionally hosts annual Christmas and Easter events as well as a Seder dinner to mark the Jewish Passover.

The top U.S. diplomat has personally hosted a Ramadan event every year since 1999, often in the State Department's grand Benjamin Franklin room, apart from three years.

In 2006 and 2015, deputies of the secretary of state at the time hosted either an iftar dinner or an Eid al-Fitr reception. In 2014, Kerry hosted a reception for Eid al-Adha, another important Muslim holiday.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


It was once an undervalued skill limited to clerks and secretaries working in the company typing pool.

But in 2017 the ability to touch type at speed is seen as an essential asset in the jobs market.

Now it is being taught in Britains most prestigious schools after middle-class parents demanded it be put on the timetable.

Brighton College is one of the first schools to introduce typing lessons for pupils

Brighton College, a top independent school, is one of the first to introduce lessons for pupils.

Eton is also understood to have brought in touch typing classes and the move could be followed by state schools across the country.

With most jobs requiring fast and accurate typing, headteachers say it would be remiss of them not to teach it.

Pupils in Year 9  aged 13 and 14  at Brighton College are being taught how to type at speed without looking down at the keyboard by New Zealand expert June Perry.

Perry has patented her own method which promises to eradicate slow two-finger typing in just a few hours.

Leah Hamblett, deputy head, said: These children are the generation which have mastered all number of computer software programmes yet they have not been taught the most basic skill of all  how to type.

Its like teaching them to write without showing them how to hold a pen. The vast majority of our pupils will go onto university and then to a job that will require them to type.

Why not give them the skill so that it is second nature meaning that they can put all their mental effort into the actual task they are working on and simultaneously save an awful lot of time not having to search around for keys?

Research by Pitman Training shows that people who type with two fingers manage between 27 and 37 words a minute while someone trained to touch type can reach between 50 and 70 words a minute.

The college says that within a corporate setting, if a whole team is trained in touch typing, the time saved is hugely beneficial.

A few years ago the TUC campaigned for touch typing to be introduced into British state schools.

Eton College is also understood to have brought in touch typing classes

Currently schools can offer touch typing as a club activity but there is not Department of Education mandate to teach it.

Touch typing is already being routinely taught in many foreign schools.

Since 2016, all Finnish school were required by law to teach pupils how to touch type and speed write text messages.

Miss Perry, who has taught tens of thousands of pupils, added: It only takes one session of two hours teaching a student one-to-one, or three sessions for a class to acquire the skill using my method through the visualisation technique.

I say to them after an hour that they are already established and now, as with any skill, regular time spent practising develops momentum.

The parents are always thrilled when they hear that their children are going to be able to touch type because they know from personal experience how time consuming not being able to type effectively can be.

The parental feedback we get is fantastic after the course. Very few people in the UK can touch type and it is said that you gain an extra three months every year of your life if you can touch type.

This, in itself, is a gift enabling more time for leisure and proving a bonus vocationally and with homework and study. The ultimate aim is to type at the speed of thought.
A water vole nibbles on a piece of shrubbery over a Kent river

The water vole has long been one of the animals most rapidly declining in Britain.

Immortalised as river-loving Ratty in the Wind in the Willows, the voles numbers have suffered a steep decline, dropping by around 90 per cent during the 1980s and 1990s.

Many of the water voles were slaughtered by American Mink living in the wild after escaping from fur farms.

But in a comeback against all the odds, the water voles are flourishing in Englands highest freshwater lake  where they had not been seen for more than 50 years.

The voles have been reintroduced by the National Trust, who put more than 100 in streams around Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales last August.

Now the water voles have spread around half a mile from the original site of their release. Mink have not been spotted in the lake for around ten years, so the National Trust is hopeful that the lake will be a relatively safe environment for them.

A further 100 of the voles, including siblings and breeding pairs are now set to be released over this week, to help give the reintroduction a further boost  starting from today (MONDAY).

Roisin Black, National Trust ranger at Malham Tarn, said: With a mild, wet winter, we were worried that the water levels around the tarn may rise too high and flood the burrows. But it turns out that the voles have spread out across one side of the tarn.

A water vole spotted on a small island in the freshwater pond that was able to use it as a base to reach up and grab some fresh fruit

One vole has even been caught on camera in a favourite haunt for one of the tarns otters  one of the predators that will occasionally target water voles.

An opportunistic otter might go for a water vole, but generally they can live very happily side by side, Mr Black said. The presence of the otter helps deter the mink  which are behind water voles shocking declines.

The National Trust said the move is intended to restore wildlife in the Yorkshire Dales, Englands second largest National Park.

The water voles are helping to restore Malham Tarns sensitive lowland fen fringe  one of fifty priority habitats handpicked by government as in need of support. The National Trust aims to create 25,000 hectares of new priority nature habitats by 2025.

Mr Black added: The water voles area already changing the look of the tarn-side streams. The banks used to be straight-sided, almost like canals.

But by burrowing into the banks, the voles have created much more natural-looking streams with shady pools that should be really good for invertebrates and small fish.

National Trust rangers will spend the coming months surveying water voles, looking for signs like the animals droppings burrows and nibbled grass ends.

It will let us estimate the number of water voles we have here at Malham Tarn, he added.


Uber's licence to operate in London has been renewed - but only for four months.

Transport for London (TfL) officials denied the car company a five-year licence as they continue to deliberate on its future operation in England's capital.

Black cab drivers who are pushing for TfL to reject Uber a licence altogether have branded this temporary extension as 'coward's decision'.

Transport for London officials denied Uber a five-year licence, instead issuing a four-month extension as they continue to deliberate on its future operation

Uber was originally licensed in London in 2012 and its five-year private hire licence expires on May 30.

This four-month extension will allow the San Francisco-based giant to continue operating until their future in London is decided in September.

A TfL spokesman confirmed: 'This will allow us to conclude our consideration of a five-year licence.'

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, a trade union which represents the capital's 24,000 traditional black cab drivers, made a statement to The Guardian.

'Uber has still not answered questions that TfL asked months ago,' he said. 'We think that TfL's reason for this temporary licence is unlawful. This is totally unprecedented.

'We will be challenging this coward's decision.'

Black cab drivers who are pushing for TfL to deny Uber a licence altogether have branded this temporary extension as 'coward's decision'

An Uber spokesperson said: 'Millions of Londoners rely on Uber to get a reliable ride at the touch of a button and thousands of licensed drivers make money through our app.

'We look forward to continuing to help keep London moving.'

Uber launched in the UK in 2012, and thanks to its enormous financial muscle and various tax arrangements, has dramatically undercut its old-fashioned rivals over the years.

More than 30,000 licensed drivers in London use the Uber app, making it the largest operator of private hire vehicles in the city.

Many black cab drivers have seen their income decline by around 25 per cent as a result.

In April, TfL launched a consultation on plans to change the fee structure for private hire operators so that firms like Uber pay fees that reflect the increased costs of regulating the sector.

This could mean that Uber's fees will rise dramatically, from about 3,000 over a five-year period to more than 2m.
It must be the irresistible effect of French bonhomie at Cannes  as two of fashions biggest divas have air-kissed and made up after a four-year feud.

Victoria Beckham felt the wrath of Naomi Campbell when the supermodel wrote her a letter criticising her for not using enough ethnically diverse models in her fashion shows.

Victoria Beckham (left) offered Naomi an olive branch after the two fell out four years ago

However, after a word from mutual friend Emma Bunton, Victoria, 43, offered Naomi, 47, an olive branch by donating some dresses for her Fashion For Relief show at the world-famous film festival, which closes today.

After the show they were auctioned off to raise money for Save The Children and those affected by the Syrian conflict.

I wonder if Naomi will be pulling on one of Victorias creations any time soon?

Jessica Hart was seen ringless at Cannes

It seems all may not be well in the love life of one of the worlds most beautiful supermodels, Jessica Hart.

While in Cannes I noticed that stunning Jessica was missing an equally impressive diamond ring.

When the 31-year-old Australian model, who has been on the cover of Vogue and is a Victorias Secret Angel, turned up, left, at the amfAR Gala at Hotel du Cap on Thursday evening there was no sign of the glittering engagement rock given to her by Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III.

The two had been living together in New York after their engagement this time last year. A friend of Jessica said that she took the ring off weeks ago and pressed pause on wedding plans with the 32-year-old billionaire.
I know lots of odd couples  but they dont come any more unlikely than this! Here, posing proudly together like proper besties, are trendy liberal and rock legend Bono and former President George W. Bush, veteran of the American Right.

Former President George W. Bush invited Bono to his ranch in Texas to discuss working together on projects in Africa

The two were hanging out at Bushs ranch in Texas, above, called Prairie Chapel Ranch

The two were hanging out at Bushs ranch in Texas after he invited the U2 rocker along to talk about how they could work together on projects in Africa.

Dubya gushed: Bono is the real deal. He has a huge heart and a selfless soul, not to mention a decent voice.

The star was hardly dressed for Texas and its 40C weather, teaming a dress shirt with skinny black trousers while George was in a T-shirt and jeans. Bless  they look like theyre each others No 1 fans.

Im sorry to report that designer Giles Deacons professional triumph with Pippa Middletons wedding was marred by secret personal tragedy. Giles, who created Pippas much-admired dress, was gearing up for last weeks almost Royal event when he heard his father David had died aged 77. Giles left Pippa to prepare and rushed to his home town of Barnard Castle in County Durham for the funeral, just days before the wedding.

Bravo to Ellie Goulding who has quietly taken direct action in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, while many stars were expressing outrage on social media.

Im told that Ellie donated a whopping 100,000 to the I Love Manchester emergency relief fund, which is helping those affected by the bombing. A friend said. This was her way of showing her support to young music fans and doing a little something to make things better.
Andrew O'Keefe displayed unusual behaviour during coverage of Schapelle Corby's return to Australia on Weekend Sunrise on Sunday.

The lawyer-turned-TV-personality, 45, looked rather tired during the live broadcast and, at times, his speech appeared to be slurred.

The father-of-three seemed to struggle to find the right words, slouched in his chair and occasionally burst into laughter.

Scroll down for video

Late night? Andrew O'Keefe (right) displayed unusual behaviour during coverage of Schapelle Corby's return to Australia on Weekend Sunrise on Sunday

At one point, his co-anchor Angela Cox joked O'Keefe was 'confusing' her.

Later, he was caught checking his mobile phone during a live segment with a Weekend Sunrise reporter.

But it appears Andrew was just a little weary from his early start as he had clearly perked up by the end of the program.

At around 9.45am, he even made light of Daily Mail Australia's article while pulling animated facial expressions.

Distracted? At one point, O'Keefe was shown slouched and checking his mobile phone during a live segment with a Weekend Sunrise reporter

On Sunday morning, Australian media followed Schapelle Corby's return home after serving almost a decade in a Balinese jail three years on parole.

The convicted drug smuggler stepped off a Malindo Air flight in Brisbane early on Sunday morning, albeit after a last-minute switch to avoid dozens of media who had planned to join her on the Virgin flight to the city .

It is believed the 39-year-old left the airport in one of 12 black vehicles which made a swift exit from the international terminal - sending media on a wild goose chase through the streets of Brisbane.

Sleepy? The lawyer-turned-TV-personality, 45, looked rather tired during the live broadcast and, at times, his speech appeared to be slurred

'Confusing': At one point, co-host Angela Cox (left) joked O'Keefe was 'confusing' her

Her dramatic homecoming brings an end to a saga that began nearly 13 years ago, when the then-beauty therapist landed in Bali for a holiday with family and friends.

Corby's life was forever changed the moment a customs officer lifted 4.2kg of top-quality marijuana from her boogie board bag the afternoon of October 8, 2004.

Corby will turn 40 in July, her youth having faded away behind bars at the notorious 'Hotel K', or Kerobokan Prison.

Nothing to see here! But it appears Andrew was just a little weary from his early start as he had clearly perked up by the end of the program and made light of Daily Mail Australia's story
She's known for her body confidence campaigning.

And Ashley James, 30, oozed confidence as she stepped out in an extremely low cut black mini dress on Saturday.

The ex-Made in Chelsea star turned radio DJ showed off her exuberant figure during the opening of Playa Padre in Marbella.

Scroll down for video

Stunning: Ashley James, 30, is clearly not short of confidence stepping out at the opening of Playa Padre in Marbella on Saturday in an extreme low cut black mini dress with billowing draping

Ashley's ample assets were on full display in a seductive black number which very nearly revealed all.

The stunning blonde added some statement gold jewellery to her look and clutched her mobile in her hand .

Dressing for comfort she wore a pair of matching slip on sliders.

Little black dress: Ashley's ample assets were on full display in a seductive black number which very nearly revealed all

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'.

Beach babe: The stunning blonde added some statement gold jewellery to her look and clutched her mobile in her hand

Wistfully penning a memory of her time on holiday in Holbox Island, Ashley turned her commentary to the subject of Kim's derriere.

'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?'

Chic: 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

Natural beauty: 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

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.'

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'.
The Bachelor star Nick Viall has returned to his fiance Vanessa Grimaldi's hometown of Montreal, Canada.

By the looks of her Instagram page, Vanessa has been in Montreal for the last few days, but her husband-to-be, 36, has only recently joined her.

Vanessa shared a sweet snap of herself 'reunited' with Nick, in what is his first trip back to Montreal since he visited her hometown on an episode of The Bachelor, according to E!.

Scroll down for video

'...my Americano': Vanessa Grimaldi, who got engaged to Nick Viall on the 21st season of The Bachelor, which aired this year, is back in her hometown Montreal with her fiance

A source told E!: 'It's Nick's first trip to Montreal since filming the show. He didn't really get to see that much during their hometown date, the visit was so short.'

In a photo she uploaded Saturday, she lay smiling in bed in a black top and hoop earrings as Nick grinned beside her, having slipped on a white T-shirt.

'Reunited with my Americano,' Vanessa's cooed in the caption she wrote for the Saturday Instagram post, having tagged the couple's location as Montreal.

Earlier that day, Nick's Instagram page played host to an photo of Vanessa apparently asleep in bed, wearing what appeared to be the same black top.

Throwback: 'It's Nick's first trip to Montreal since filming the show. He didn't really get to see that much during their hometown date, the visit was so short,' said a source to E! News

'Really enjoying the sights of Montreal,' the 36-year-old two-time The Bachelorette runner-up quipped in his caption, adding an emoji of two small overlapping hearts.

Vanessa had been posting photos of herself without Nick in Canada for days, including one on Tuesday in which she stood at a window while cradling a toddler.

'I would move mountains for you  #nephewlove #montreal,' Vanessa effervesced in the caption to the photo, having given the location as the Island Of Montreal.

'Really enjoying the sights of Montreal': Earlier on Saturday, Nick's Instagram page played host to an photo of Vanessa apparently asleep in bed

Nick had vied unsuccessfully for Andi Dorfman's hand - coming in second to Josh Murray - on the 10th season of The Bachelorette, which ABC broadcast in 2014.

The 11th season of The Bachelorette aired in 2015 and saw Nick finish second again once spin-class instructor Kaitlyn Bristowe picked personal trainer Shawn Booth.

Nick had also given Bachelor In Paradise a go for its third season, which aired last year, but he hadn't wound up managing to become one of its six winners either.
She's been documenting her blossoming baby bump in a series of snaps ever since confirming she was expecting her second child with her businessman husband in March.

And Bar Refaeli, 31, did not disappoint her 2.5 million Instagram followers as she posted another adorable photo proudly showcasing her baby bump on Saturday.

Standing in between two marble sculptures portraying the pregnant feminine body, Bar showcased her pregnancy curves in a tiny blue bikini.

Scroll down for video

Gorgeous: Standing in between marble sculptures portraying the pregnant feminine body, Bar showcased her beautiful pregnancy curves in a tiny bikini in an Instagram snap on Saturday

Wearing a stylish sunhat, the supermodel looked down as she proudly cupped her rounded stomach.

Bar looked stunning in the sweet shot, which displayed her beautiful pregnancy body, as she smiled while copying the same pose as the sculptures.

Just last week, the model posted another shot of her looking relaxed in a bikini emblazoned with gold and white vertical stripes while appearing to glance down at her tummy.

Excitement: Bar showed off her baby bump in a joyful swimsuit selfie two months after announcing she was pregnant with her second child

The landscape shot showed off Bar's slender legs, and her blonde locks tumbled down her sun-kissed skin, which was still moist from the swimming pool.

The catwalk queen accessorised with a pair of crystal stud earrings and collection of colourful bangles on her wrist.

Sharing the darling snap with her 2.5 million followers, she wrote: 'Days like these' and 'Shabbat Shalom', a traditional Jewish greeting.

Stunning: The Israeli model is expecting her second child with businessman husband Adi Ezra

The Israeli model is expecting her second child with businessman husband Adi Ezra and confirmed the happy news by posting a sweet snap of her growing baby bump on her Instagram page on March 28.

It was just eight months after the couple - who tied the knot in their native Israel in September 2015 - welcomed their baby daughter Liv in August 2016.

Bar playfully wrote alongside the shot: 'Something's cooking'.

The former girlfriend of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio announced her first pregnancy via Instagram last January.

In an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly in 2015, the model admitted family is everything to her and she's planning to have a large brood.

'I think this will be a decade of family... I come from a family of four children,' she told the publication.

'A lot of mums could read this and think, "Yeah, try having one first". Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but Ill take it one by one.

A regular on the 100 sexiest women lists, the free-spirited model has fronted campaigns for brands ranging from Chanel and Escada to Reebok and Gap.
Though she plays a superhuman hero onscreen in Wonder Woman, actress Gal Gadot isn't as invincible as it may seem.

The tough cookie appeared on Live With Kelly & Ryan Friday, where she explained that she threw her back out at the 'worst time,' injuring herself right before the premiere of her big film.

'I tried to save the world once again and it's heavy duty,' laughed the 32-year-old talent as she chatted with the hosts.

Saving the world! Gal Gadot stopped by Live With Kelly And Ryan Friday. The Israeli actress and the hosts did the interview standing, after she revealed she 'threw her back out' at the 'worst time' ever

At the AM show Gal asked to do the interview standing, so hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest followed suit, with the petite blonde even taking off her shoes to talk.

The mother-of-two explained she 'threw [her] back out once again' with 'the worst timing ever,' injuring herself just days before the Thursday night premiere of Wonder Woman in Hollywood.

'I tried to save the world once again and its heavy duty,' she said playfully.

Tough cookie! Despite her injury, the 32-year-old glowed at the AM show, where she donned a blush pink frock

'Worst timing': The 5'10'' beauty explained she injured herself at the 'worst time', throwing out her back just days before the world premiere of Wonder Woman this Thursday. Still, the star stunned at the debut, pictured above

Despite her injury, the brunette beauty was still stunning as she donned a blush pink dress at the studio.

Hospitable hostess Kelly asked if the Fast & Furious starlet needed anything, jokingly offering a muscle relaxer or massage to the starlet.

'A massage would be wonderful,' the Israeli beauty chimed in.

Yes please! The perky hostess asked the Wonder Woman if she needed a 'muscle relaxer' or 'massage' which Gal responded to saying 'A massage would be wonderful'

World on her shoulders! The mother-of-two joked about her injury saying, 'I tried to save the world once again and its heavy duty'

During the chat, Gal gushed about how special it was to play the iconic Amazonian heroine.

'She's just amazing...There are so many beautiful things about her. She's all about truth and justice and love and compassion and acceptance.

'And it think now more than ever these values are so relevant and we made sure to capture those messages in a very sweet way in the movie,' said Gal.

She's wonderful! The Israeli beauty gushed about how special it was to play the iconic Wonder Woman, calling her 'amazing' and adding there are 'so many beautiful things about her'

Back in action! Gal will grace the big screen as Wonder Woman again in the Fall, playing one of the members of The Justice League besides Batman, Superman and other heroes

Gal's star turn as Wonder Woman arrives in theaters June 2.

The heroine will also appear alongside Batman, Superman, The Flash and more as one of the members of DC's Justice League.

Justice League is set for release later this year, out November 17.
The stunned residents of Portland, Oregon have rallied around the families of two men who were brutally murdered and another who was seriously hurt while trying to help a pair of young women being harassed on a train by a man who took them for Muslims.

All three men were stabbed viciously in the throat by a suspect police identified as Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35. A known local white supremacist, he was arrested after onlookers chased the blood-soaked man as he tried to flee and then pointed him out to police.

The attack unfolded in just 10 minutes on a crowded train full of people heading off for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, a time for somber tributes to those killed in war but also the celebratory, if unofficial, beginning of the summer vacation season.

Witnesses said Christian raged against a 17-year-old Muslim girl in a hijab and her 16-year-old African-American friend, identified by the Oregonian newspaper as Destinee Hudson.

"He was saying that Muslims should die," Destinee's mother, Dyjuana Hudson, told the newspaper. "That they've been killing Christians for years."

At that point, the three men tried to intervene. Hudson quoted one as saying: "You can't get at them like that -- they're little girls."

After slashing the three, the suspect bolted from the train. When police approached him, he begged them to kill him, the Oregonian reported, but they were finally able to subdue him.

Charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder, Christian is being held without bail.

A video posted by the Oregonian purportedly shows Christian in an April "free speech" demonstration, shouting "Die Muslims!" as he walks along draped in an American flag.

Although local police said Christian had used "hate speech" during the attack, a statement Saturday from FBI Special Agent Loren Cannon said it was "too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime."

The incident has deeply shaken Portland, a verdant, youthful and politically progressive city in the US northwest known for its tolerance, population of hipsters and environmentally friendly ways.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown said she was heartbroken by the deaths of Rick John Best, 53, a retired army veteran, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, a recent college graduate, as well as the serious wounding of Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, a poet and music student whose jaw was broken in the attack.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who flew home from a business trip in London after learning of the attack, praised the men as "heroes" who were "all attacked because they did the right thing."

Community members held candlelight vigils to honor the three victims and plead for solidarity against hatred and intolerance. At a vigil Saturday near the train station, nearly 1,000 people gathered around a mound of bouquets and photographs, praising the men as heroes and saying they hoped others would stand up against hate.

Friends and family members described Best, Meche and Fletcher as reliable, well-liked men whose selfless bravery came as no surprise.

Fletcher, the survivor, won a poetry contest in 2013 with a poem condemning anti-Muslim prejudice.

Kareen Perkins, Best's supervisor, said his coworkers agreed that "it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out."

Best, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was married and had four children.

Christopher Landt told the Oregonian that Meche, a childhood friend, was someone who "would never forget about you."

"If he knew he was going to die, he still would have done what he did."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


She's known to be a doting mother, often posting adorable snaps of her little girl Sophia.

So it's little surprise that Tamara Ecclestone, 32, has wanted to spend as much time with her three-year-old as possible.

Speaking to The Telegraph on Sunday, the heiress admitted that Sophia is her 'life' - and that she 'cried her eyes out' when she had to leave her little girl at nursery for the first time.

Scroll down for video

Devoted: Tamara Ecclestone, 32, is known to be a doting mother to her little girl Sophia

'Until January, when I first took her to nursery, the longest we had ever been apart was six and a half minutes, when I went on a television show.

'The first few days she went, I sat outside in the car and cried my eyes out. My husband thinks Im insane. But I missed her.

'My daughter isnt just part of my life, she is my life.'

Missing her: Speaking to The Telegraph on Saturday, the heiress admitted that Sophia is her 'life' - and she 'cried her eyes out' when she had to leave her at nursery for the first time

The daughter of billionaire Bernie Ecclestone recently spoke to Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway and defiantly claimed she would 'never feel uncomfortable' about breastfeeding.

She said: 'I gave it so much thought and thought that it was something so important and I want mums in the future - and my daughter one day - to not have so much negativity or people questioning breastfeeding or making such big deal out of it.

'I really feel that my decision to let her wean herself and breastfeed until she no longer wants it is the right choice for me and for her.

Defiant: The daughter of Bernie Ecclestone recently spoke to Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway and defiantly claimed she would 'never feel uncomfortable' about breastfeeding

Right time: 'I really feel that my decision to let her wean herself and breastfeed until she no longer wants it is the right choice for me and for her'

'There are so many children that still have bottles, dummies, comforters and no-one questions that and I wouldnt dream of it.

'If someone wants to give their baby a bottle at night then thats entirely their decision so I just dont understand, when you are trying to do the best for your baby, why people are just trying to pick holes in it and look for the bad.'

Tamara reiterated that she was against depriving her daughter of something that she craved, with the youngster's development being very much on her own terms.

Standing strong: Tamara reiterated that she was against depriving her daughter of something that she craved, with the youngster's development being very much on her own terms

She continued: 'Its really hard when everyone has an opinion and sometimes you just dont need to hear those opinions.

'I will never feel uncomfortable about such a natural act and about nourishing and building up her immune system and giving her in a way, its also comfort, and I do want to meet all her needs.

'And I know that shes such a smart girl, when she is done it will really be the right time for her and that will be the right time for us.

'Shes not going to go to university and be still on my nipple so they all at some point are done and the natural age of weaning apparently is about the age of four and half, she may be done before that she may be done around that time but whenever is right for her is the only time that is right for me.'
He gallantly rushed to Liz Hurleys defence after she was dismissed as a talentless bimbo when she wore a sensationally revealing dress on the red carpet.

And by way of thanks, film director Michael Winner received a saucy vintage black and white postcard from the actress of a naked smiling woman in a hammock  and an invitation to lunch.

Hurley, Hugh Grants girlfriend at the time and struggling to establish herself as an actress, wrote that she was tempted to give up on England because of the barrage of criticism after she wore that dress  a plunging black Versace design held together with safety pins  to the premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral in 1994.

Liz Hurley at the premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral in 1994 with Hugh Grant

She wrote to Winner: I cant begin to tell you how touched Ive been by the kind words youve said about me recently. If it werent for the odd nice person like you and my family, Id be tempted to give up on England altogether.

Sent from New York and dated March 12, 1995, the cheeky postcard has the caption: A little hung up  Mary Jo demonstrated that having your ass in a sling wasnt really so awful.

Hurley, then aged 30, added: Will you let me take you out for lunch when Im back in the country?

The postcard is now being offered on eBay by Londoner Dan Moss who had bought it as one of a number of items pinned to a notice board once owned by Winner and auctioned following his death.

Last night the starting price was 10, although bids were expected to rise.

Hurleys appearance with Grant at the premiere of Four Weddings, in which he starred, had turned her into an overnight sensation.

By way of thanks, film director Michael Winner received a saucy vintage black and white postcard from the actress of a naked smiling woman in a hammock

Winner, who died in 2013, came to her defence in a newspaper article after her revealing outfit attracted a flurry of barbed comments.

He wrote: She has been a slogging actress for a long time. Shes done the solid ground work. But the British are stupid. They look at a pretty woman and assume she cant act. Thats why she may not be offered roles she deserves.

When I wanted to get Julie Christie in films, producers assumed she was just a blonde bimbo. We will have to wait and see if Miss Hurley can carry off huge film roles. Shes got the experience. She will have to be [screen] tested and then a decision will have to be made.

Last night the starting price was 10, although bids were expected to rise

Five months after she sent the postcard, Hurley found herself at the centre of more media attention after Grant was arrested for having sex with prostitute Divine Brown on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Hurley would have the last laugh over her acting talents.

In 1997, she confounded critics by landing a starring role in the hit comedy film Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery. She was also the Devil opposite Brendan Fraser in Bedazzled and since 2015 she has played Queen Helena in the E! television series The Royals.

The Versace dress that brought Hurley so much attention remains a cultural icon. It made a return appearance in 2012 when it was worn by pop star Lady Gaga.
They have been married for 35 years and created a business empire together.

And on Saturday, Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd had a day date in West Hollywood, California.

Lisa, 57, and Ken, 73, were seen leaving hot spot Fred Segal after treating themselves to some shopping.

Saturday shopping spree: Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken took a rare break from running their businesses to hit up Fred Segal in West Hollywood on Saturday

Lisa wore a white t-shirt with a pink and orange cardigan wrapped over her shoulders with comfortable black pants and platform shoes for the outing.

In addition to her role on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, she also stars on her own spin-off Vanderpump Rules, which centers around the staff at her businesses.

It was a rare break for the couple who own a series of very popular restaurants in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills including Villa Blanca, Pump and Sur Lounge.

Longtime love: The pair have been married since 1982 after only having known each other for six weeks

They also recently launched a dog rescue center titled Vanderpump Dogs in Los Angeles.

Lisa has been a huge supporter of animal rights and has celebrated China's decision to ban dog meat at the annual Yulin Festival after her years of advocacy work.

An emotional Lisa and her husband Ken Todd spoke with DailyMail.com exclusively after the announcement, and said that while they were ecstatic with the news out of China, there was still much work to do.

Business minded: Together they own hot spots Sur Lounge, Pump and Villa Blanca in LA

The pair also expressed their incredible thanks to Bravo and Evolution Media for allowing Lisa to shine an international spotlight on the issue by featuring it in the most recent season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Lisa admitted that one of her demands before returning last season was that her work with Yulin get a proper showcase on the show.

When asked what her initial response to the ban was, Lisa said: 'I actually cried for 10 minutes, I just sat there.'

Gone to the dogs: They have recently opened Vanderpump pets, which is a dog adoption center

Reality: She has revealed that she isn't sure if she'll return to The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills for it's eighth season

She is currently on a break from shooting The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, which has just wrapped it's seventh season.

The star, who has been with the show since it's first season, has not made a final decision about appearing on the series' next cycle.

Just because filming has wrapped doesn't mean that the drama stops, though.

Earlier this month her restaurant Villa Blanca was evacuated due to a malfunctioning pizza oven filling the chic eatery with smoke.

The hot spot, which is filled with nearly all-white decor, needed to be shut down for a few days to reverse the smoke damage.
The convoluted dramas in EastEnders are only set to worse as Whitney is seen to be confronted by Shirley following her kiss with Mick.

After her steamy kiss with her father-in-law, a terrified Whitney appears to sob as Shirley points a finger in her face with a look of dismay, as she seems to scold her - possibly for the kiss which could rock Albert Square to its core.

Whitney, played by Shona McGarty, was seen locking lips with Danny Dyer's character Mick, after he revealed he 'missed her during his time away'.

Scroll down for video

Furious: The convoluted dramas in EastEnders are only set to worse as Whitney is seen to be confronted by Shirley following her kiss with Mick

The moment that shook the square saw Mick say: Youre Whitney. Always laughing. Youre a fighter. Youre kind. youre generous. When I was away I was thinking about ya. I couldnt get you out of my head. I missed you.'

She responded: 'I missed you too' - to which he hugged her and then went in for a shocking kiss which left viewers aghast.

Earlier this week, Mick was left fuming at Shirley and Linda when he returned to Walford to discover his beloved Queen Vic's freehold had been sold behind his back.

Shortly before the kiss, things were wholly differed when Whitney was seen to stand up to him when she accused the feisty landlord of abandoning the family.

Fuming: After her steamy kiss with her father-in-law, a terrified Whitney appears to sob as Shirley points a finger in her face with a look of dismay, as she seems to scold her - possibly for the kiss which could rock Albert Square to its core

Oh dear: Despite the fact that Mick left the family to tend to his injured daughter abroad, Whitney clearly feels the need to hit back at him when he flies into a rage over the situation he's come home to

Despite the fact that Mick left the family to tend to his injured daughter abroad, Whitney clearly feels the need to hit back at him when he flies into a rage over the situation he's come home to.

Mick has been seen lashing out at the family, pinpointing Shirley for the sale of the freehold.

But the Carter patriarch feels upset by Whitney, whom he feels should not have let the sale go ahead. But Whitney seems like she's had enough of the guilt trip.

She is seen in newly released stills arguing with Mick, standing up for the decision that the family made in his absence.

Tense: Whitney is seen in newly released stills arguing with Mick, standing up for the decision that the family made in his absence

While Mick and Whitney's friendship has always been solid, this could be a turning point.

Played by Danny Dyer, the character of Mick had to be written out of the stalwart BBC soap to accommodate the actor's decision to take a break, fleeing to Africa.

Reports of Danny's personal struggles interfering with his work on EastEnders appeared to vouch for the actor's sudden hiatus, leaving the series' writers to insert a sudden change in plot direction.
Wonder Woman celebrated its Mexico City premiere on Saturday night, and its leading lady was a showstopper when she hit the red carpet.

Gal Gadot, who plays the title character, had slid into a black gown that not only flashed quite a bit of cleavage, but also bared part of her midriff.

Multicolored patterning was stitched around the cinched-in waistline of the 32-year-old's dress, which emphasized her enviably svelte figure as she stood for photos.

Scroll down for video

Time to shine: Wonder Woman celebrated its Mexico City premiere on Saturday night, and its leading lady Gal Gadot was a showstopper when she hit the red carpet

Embroidery glistened on the sleeveless dress near her hips, as well as over the strip of fabric stretching just below her neck, and over her shoulders.

Gal added extra sparkle to her ensemble in the form of Anita Ko earrings, which she stacked up for a very bling look.

She'd got in a bit of posing that evening alongside her dashing co-star Chris Pine, who'd worn a navy and white pinstriped suit over a white dress shirt.

Chris, who's 36 years old and plays military pilot Steve Rogers in the film, had gone without a tie and had left his top couple of buttons undone over his chest.

The look: Gal, who plays the title character, had slid into a black gown that not only flashed quite a bit of cleavage, but also bared part of her midriff

Emphasis: Multicolored patterning was stitched around the cinched-in waistline of the 32-year-old's dress, which emphasized her enviably svelte figure as she stood for photos

Gal also posed for the cameras with the film's director, Patty Jenkins, whose sky blue cocktail dress fell off one shoulder and clashed elegantly against pink stilettos.

Going by a trailer, the new Wonder Woman film sees its titular character train as an Amazon warrior on the Mediterranean island of Themyscira during her early years.

When Steve washes ashore unconscious, Diana - who becomes the superheroine - finds herself and her newly-discovered superpowers plunged into World War I.

Smiling ear to ear: She'd got in a bit of posing that evening alongside her dashing co-star Chris Pine, who'd worn a navy and white pinstriped suit over a white dress shirt

Hello, gorgeous: Chris, who's 36 years old and plays military pilot Steve Rogers in the film, had gone without a tie and had left his top couple of buttons undone over his chest

Connie Nelson plays Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira, who also happens to be Diana's mother, and Robin Wright features as Hippolyta's sister General Antiope.

Gal first played Wonder Woman, introduced by D.C. Comics in 1941, in Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice last year, and this year's Justice League will see the Rosh HaAyin-born model and actress feature as her again.

Also starring Danny Huston as German General Erich Ludendorff, Wonder Woman will get a wide release in the Britain June 1 and America the next day, per IMDb.

Wonder Woman is scheduled to hit screens in the U.S. on June 2.
She may have just stepped off an 11-hour flight, but Lily Collins looked as stylish as ever as she made her way outside of LAX airport on Saturday.

The chic star was seen exiting the airport terminal after flying into LA from London, following a whirlwind promotional tour for her upcoming Netflix movie, To The Bone.

The 28-year-old actress sported a grey coat as she made her way outside the airport.

Smooth landing: Lily Collins looked as stylish as ever as she made her way outside of LAX airport on Saturday, following a long haul flight

She also wore cropped flared blue jeans and a black and white striped top.

The Love, Rosie actress carried a black leather handbag on one shoulder and wore white sneakers.

If she did have any bags under her eyes, she concealed them under a pair of oversize aviator sunglasses.

The stylish star gave off a '70s vibes in the frames, which featured reddish brown lenses.

Stylish: The chic star was seen exiting the airport terminal after flying into LA from London, following a whirlwind promotional tour

Sad goodbye: 'Looks like it's time to fly away again. Leaving a little piece of me here as always...' the British-born beauty captioned this image on Instagram

Her hair sat loose in tousled waves around her shoulders.

Before London, Lily had been in France for the Cannes Film Festival, where she had been promoting another new Netflix movie, Okja, alongside co-stars Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The stunning actress documented her trips to both France and the UK with a series of posts on Instagram.

On tour: The stunning actress documented her trips to both France and the UK with a series of posts on Instagram

Shortly before leaving London, she shared a photo of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, with nothing but the blue sky as a backdrop.

'Looks like it's time to fly away again,' the British-born beauty captioned the image.

'Leaving a little piece of me here as always...'
The Underbelly series has proven to be ratings gold for the Channel Nine in the past.

And it seems the network are set on developing a season based on the life of Australian criminal Mark 'Chopper' Read, according to Mumbrella.

Auckland born and Logie-winning actor Aaron Jeffrey, 46, has reportedly been cast into the role of the notorious criminal figure and author.

New Underbelly: Actor Aaron Jeffrey has been cast in the new season of Underbelly, based on the life of Mark 'Chopper' Read

Andy Ryan and Jo Rooney, the heads of drama at Nine said: 'This is Chopper as you've never seen him before.'

'And who better to portray this larger-than-life criminal than multiple Logie and AACTA-award winner than Aaron Jeffery,' they added.

This is not the first time he has been part of the crime series having starred in the 2011 TV movie Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away as Detective Geoff Leyland.

Chopper's life and crimes: The heads of drama at Nine said 'who better to portray this larger-than-life criminal than multiple Logie and AACTA-award winner than Aaron Jeffery'

He also starred in Underbelly: Badness as Frank 'Tink' O'Rourke an informant for Strike Force Tuno.

Also joining the cast is veteran Australian actor and star of The Castle Michael Caton.

He will play Chopper's father Keith, who was a Korean War veteran.

The same production company, Screentime, will produce the new season and filming will reportedly start in July.

Familiar face: Also joining the cast is veteran Australian actor and star of The Castle Michael Caton who will play Chopper's father Keith, a Korean War veteran

In the past, Chopper's wife Margaret has said she has no interest in her husband's story being part of the Australian gangster crime series, she told the Herald Sun.

'I don't want my life told through the lens of a producer. They don't know me and they didn't know.'

She told the publication: 'They (producers) said to me there's not much money in TV. If there's no money in it, why are they doing it? For the love of the story? What rubbish.'

Hollywood star Eric Bana played the Melbourne criminal in 2000 film Chopper.
She shot to stardom on the X Factor in 2015, winning the crown at just 17 years old.

And Louisa Johnson stole the show again when she stormed the stage at the Birmingham Pride Weekender 2017 in Birmingham on Saturday.

The Best Behaviour hitmaker, 19, made sure all eyes were on her as she flaunted her long, slender legs in a thigh-skimming crocheted playsuit.

Scroll down for video

Show-stopping! Louisa Johnson stole the show on Saturday night as she stormed the stage at Birmingham Pride Weekender 2017

The daring playsuit featured a plunging neckline and sheer panels, only covering her modesty with an intricate beaded circle design.

She accessorised with towering lace-up heels, that proved no problem for her agile performance.

The songstress added a splash of colour to her racy ensemble with a slick of scarlet lipstick.

Thigh's the limit: The Best Behaviour hitmaker, 19, flaunted her long slender legs in a thigh-skimming crocheted playsuit

Wow: She also flashed a hint of cleavage in the daring plunging neckline and sheer panels

Louisa let her hair down for the energetic performance in more ways than one, as her platinum tresses were left to tumble over her shoulders in a straight style.

She is gearing up to release her first full album, following the success of her new single Best Behaviour.

Despite winning over strong competition to become the 2015 X Factor winner, Louisa recently confessed that she had experienced a 'dodgy start' in the industry.

Eye-catching! The singer only covered her modesty with an intricate beaded circle design

Striking: The songstress added a splash of colour to her racy ensemble with a slick of scarlet lipstick

Out of the preceding winners on the show, her debut song from X Factor secured the lowest place in the Christmas charts to date.

Louisa spoke about her big break during a recent appearance on This Morning, insisting she will 'never go off the rails' like some other popstars.

She praised her boyfriend of over a year, Dan Elliott, and her family for keeping her grounded as her profile continues to rise.

Attention to detail: The Best Behaviour hitmaker looked comfortable in towering lace-up heels

Describing what keeps her down-to-earth, she explained: 'I'm such a home girl. I love being at home with my family doing normal things and it keeps me grounded.

'I'm not sure I could ever go off the rails.'

Talking about her relationship, the blonde gushed: 'It's perfect. I wouldn't change it for anything.

'We get along really well and he was with me before anything happened.'

Posing up a storm: Louisa let her hair down for the enthusiastic performance

Change of scene! Later the blonde changed into a baggy T-shirt and a tiny pair of denim shorts

Disco inferno! The 19-year-old sent temperatures soaring in the thigh-skimming shorts
She's a successful bikini model, brand ambassador and aspiring actress.

But in an interview with the Gold Coast Bulletin, Zoe Hoad revealed how she managed to overcome an eating disorder, that saw her waste away to just 39 kilograms.

'It was like this muscle that was telling me to watch what I ate and exercise, which just got stronger and stronger,' the 20-year-old said of the disease.

'It was like this muscle that kept getting stronger': Zoe Hoad, 20, revealed to the Gold Coast Bulletin how she overcame an eating disorder, that saw her waste away to just 39kg

'It was hard to fit anything into my brain other than what was I going to eat next, when was I going to exercise, what I was going to look like in my next photo,' Zoe recalled to the publication.

Having spent three times at an eating disorder clinic over the space of nine months, she continued: 'I spent all that time in hospital watching these other girls go and then come back in.

'When I finally left I said to myself that this would be the last time, and that I would do whatever I could to save at least one girl from doing the same thing,' Zoe added.

Internal dialogue: 'It was hard to fit anything into my brain other than what was I going to eat next, when was I going to exercise, what I was going to look like in my next photo,' Zoe recalled to the publication

Inner strength: Having spent three times at an eating disorder clinic over the space of nine months, the model continued: 'When I finally left I said to myself that this would be the last time, and that I would do whatever I could to save at least one girl from doing the same thing'

Three years since her last visit at an eating disorder clinic, the statuesque personality has managed to turn her life around.

Not only is she a successful editorial model, Zoe is an ambassador for fitness chain F45 and regularly fronts campaigns for Michael Hill Jeweller.

The blonde beauty also has representation in Los Angeles, hoping to crack into the world of acting.

Life-changing: Three years since her last visit at an eating disorder clinic, Zoe has managed to turn her life around. Not only is she a successful editorial model, Zoe is an ambassador for fitness chain F45 and regularly fronts campaigns for Michael Hill Jeweller

Zoe last made headlines in December 2016.

Woman's Day magazine claimed that fellow model Kris Smith, 38, was 'flirting' with Zoe on the Gold Coast.

While the pair remain mum on their rumoured romance, their social media accounts hinted they were in fact at the same location at the same time.
Jennifer Garner looked in good spirits when she stepped out in LA on Saturday.

The 45-year-old actress appeared relaxed, smiling and laughing during an outing with a friend.

But it was no ordinary day for the Dallas Buyers Club actress.

Feeling good: Jennifer Garner appeared relaxed, smiling and laughing during an outing with a friend in LA on Saturday

Only hours earlier, moving trucks were seen outside the family home she once shared with ex-husband Ben Affleck, as he seemed to be moving his belongings out.

It's been a tumultuous two years for the couple, who first announced their split in June 2015.

Following their break up, Ben moved into the home's guest house.

But after announcing their divorce last month, it seems the 44-year-old Justice League actor is finally ready to move on.

Moving day: Only hours earlier, moving trucks were seen outside the family home she once shared with ex-husband Ben Affleck, as he finally moves out

On call: The actress only appeared serious once during her outing, while chatting on her cell phone

Happy days: Dressed in a pair of pale blue flared jeans, the upcoming Wakefield actress was spotted laughing as she chatted with her blonde friend

Jennifer appeared exuberant just hours after the moving van was seen outside their home.

Dressed in a pair of pale blue flared jeans, the upcoming Wakefield actress was spotted laughing as she chatted with her blonde friend.

In fact, the actress only appeared serious once during their outing, while talking on her cell phone

She wore a long-sleeve white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up and gold flip flops.

Looking good: Jennifer appeared exuberant just hours after her ex had removed the last of his belongings from their home

When life gives you lemons: Jen was seen buying lemonade from a kid's lemonade stand

The smiling star carried a tablet and a black handbag.

She wore dark sunglasses and her shoulder-length brown hair sat loose.

Jen was also seen buying lemonade from a kid's lemonade stand.
In the first episode in a Ramadan series on Inspiring Women of Egypt and the Arab World, Ahram Online attended a unique exhibition reviewing 21 important women

The image of Egyptian cinema diva Hend Rostom greets the visitor's eye, her voice explaining how, despite all the stardom, "My family would not stop to greet me on the street if they saw me by chance."

This encounter with stardom was part of an exhibition last week titled Doing Well, Don't Worry  comprised of short tales about women's work and mobility, focusing on 21 woman known for their accomplishments.

The exhibition, held at the Falaky Theater in downtown Cairo, revealed the challenges that women in the region face simply because of their gender, and how they have managed to overcome such challenges  providing inspiring stories of success.

The title of the exhibition was inspired by a long letter from Shahenda Meqled to Reem Saad. Written in Egypt in 1978, the letter tells of Meqled's situation as a political prisoner, ending with the famous phrase, "Doing fine, dont worry."

The hand-written letter, which was on display, set the tone for the whole concept of the show, presenting a melange of women who, despite everything, managed to stand out and flourish.

The exhibition was the result of collaboration between students, professionals and artists in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Denmark, presenting audio-visual accounts of each woman's story, complete with objects from their lives.

Within Egypt, contributions came from The Women And Memory Forum Egypt, the American University in Cairo's Anthropology Unit and the Cynthia Nelson Institute for Gender and Women's Studies, also from the AUC.

The Tiraz Centre in Jordan was involved, as was the Knowledge Workshop in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Danish connection was provided by the Women's Museum in Denmark and the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute.

The range of contributors and the objects on display provide a clue as to one of the project's eventual aims, namely the creation of a women's museum in the MENA region, telling the story of women, complete with their struggles and triumphs.

The exhibition started with cinema diva Hend Rostom (1930-2011) who figured large in the golden era of Egyptian cinema. Her powerful voice stated that she was a self-made woman who excelled due to talent and hard work  and most certainly not because of her looks or connections.

"I could never be a mere flower in a man's suit. I was close friends with icons such as journalist Mostafa Amin, writer Ihsan Abdel Qodous. But I could never ask them any favors. For I too am Hend Rostom," she said, referencing the Egypt-born actress famous for her integrity.

Next to a red dress, glasses, perfume, passport and lots of film posters, lay the handmade pottery of one of Egypt's most talented potters.

Born in 1978, Rawya Mohamed, is an indigenous artist from the village of Tunis in Fayoum. A student of the famous Fayoum Pottery School, Mohamed started creating her pottery at the age of 12. Now she is the successful owner of a pottery workshop, a member of Fair Trade Egypt and an inspiring mother.

Rawya mocked her peers who used to warn against working so young, saying that nobody would want to marry her and she would be left childless.

Iraq was represented by the reminisces of Widad Al-Orfali (1929), an Iraqi artist who opened the first private gallery in Iraq in the 1980s. She told her story, including everything she left behind when forced to leave Iraq in 2003. The tale of Al-Orfali's life is a true tale of resistance.

Also on display was the famous hand-stitched Palestinian dress of Om Ibrahim (1927), who was forced to flee her hometown of Jaffa when it was invaded by Israeli soldiers in 1948.

While fleeing on foot, she carried her embroidered costumes as "inseparable parts of her being that cannot be left behind."

With so many tales worth retelling and saving for posterity, the exhibition lends a whole new meaning to the French phrase "Cherchez la femme".

Search Keywords:

Short link:


On Sunday's House Rules all three judges agreed Sean And Ella's 'Industrial Scandinavian' renovation was 'one of the best transformations' the series has seen.

But that's about all they could agree on, as the series' first ever perfect 10 zone score sparking a fiery argument between judges Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Drew Heath.

Architect Drew took issue to Laurence's frequent condescension, snapping after the Englishman said he was going to 'pull rank' and insist his opinion was wrong.

Transformation: On Sunday's House Rules all three judges agreed Sean And Ella's 'Industrial Scandinavian' renovation was 'one of the best transformations' the series has seen

Praise: Praising the couple for placing the bathroom bench top flush with the shower wall, Laurence praised: 'Look at that really sexy detail in the corner!'

After bickering back and forth over the effectiveness of Kate and Harry's statement timber dining room wall, the pair's differing tastes came to a head in the bathroom.

Praising the couple for placing the bathroom bench top flush with the shower wall, Laurence praised: 'Look at that really sexy detail in the corner!'

'That's not a detail that's a mistake!' Drew barked back 'makes the glass impossible to clean!'

The series' newest judge resorted to sarcasm, snapping: 'Do I look like I clean showers for a living Drew Heath?'

Disagreement: 'That's not a detail that's a mistake!' Drew barked back 'makes the glass impossible to clean!'

'No. I know you don't care,' the blonde replied, clearly frustrated about being spoken down to.

To prevent tensions escalating even further, third judge Wendy Moore asked: 'Do I have to get in between you two?'

With that, Laurence moved her to the middle, creating a buffer between the pair.

The fight began brewing back in the kitchen, when Wendy and Drew disagreed with Laurence's insistence the timber feature wall and grey wooden benchtop 'oozed' Scandinavian.

'I mean I can see the Industrial nature to it, but not Scandanavian' Drew argued, much to the Englishman's chagrin.

Bathroom: before (left) and after (right)

Laurence sauntered over to the judge and wrapped his arm around him, adopting a condescending certainty.

'Right. I'm going to pull rank,' the renovation show veteran said.

'Where I was this week? I was at the Stockholm design week exhibition and guess what my friend - this would absolutely fit in perfectly!'

Despite all the disagreements, the couple's zone came out on top in scoring with an 8 and a 7 joining Laurence's 10 for a score of 25.

Living room: before (left) and after (right)

Elsewhere, regularly maligned 'villains' Fiona and Nicole had the trio in agreement that their stunning pink oversized sofa contributed to their best zone ever.

Praising their effective use of space in the hallway but slamming their unnecessary DIY coffee table, the best friends scored a combined total of 21 out of 30.

Likewise, it was small design head-scratchers that lost points for Aaron and Daniella's entryway, who scored 22.

'Battlers' Troy and Bec were forced to turn-around a third room after they were handed the bonus room.

Living room: before (left) after (right)

And judges could tell their 'inescapably horrid' study and bathroom were neglected so they could focus on trying to earn 5-points from their guest bedroom.

They'll find out the fate of the room judges called their 'best so far,' when Sean and Ella give their verdict on Monday's episode, sitting at 21-points for now.

Finally, 'geek' identical twins Andrew and Jono were told their efforts ensured their 24-point effort ensured they'll remain on track to be in the competition 'until the end.'

Their only real flaw was a glaring one, with all three judges panning their messy, 'horrid' tangle of hanging globes in the master bedroom, insisting that 19 lights was far too many.

After: The bathroom (left) and kitchen (right)
She showed off her seven-month-old Racer for the first time in public earlier this month.

But now it's Lara Bingle's first child, Rocket, two, who's stealing back the limelight.

Taking to her Instagram account over the weekend, the 29-year-old model was pictured covered in sand - and Rocket was seemingly the culprit.

Buried alive! Lara Bingle (pictured) posted an adorable Instagram Story over the weekend of herself covered in sand - with her two-year-old son Rocket seemingly the culprit

Lara is all smiles as her famous figure is hidden underneath the sand while her head peeks out - the only body part not fully submerged.

Meanwhile, a cheeky little hand (presumably Rocket's) can be seen digging with a bright yellow shovel.

The images comes just days after Lara, who wed Avatar star Sam Worthington in 2014, appeared to have reverted to her maiden name, despite still using her husband's last name in her Instagram handle.

Doting mum: Lara and Sam are parents to two boys , two-year-old Rocket (pictured) and seven-month-old Racer

What's in a name? Although Lara is still happily married to Sam Worthington (pictured right), she recently reverted to her maiden name

During a family outing to explore Pandora - The World of Avatar in Florida, the media personality proudly flashed a pass which had her name written as 'Lara Bingle'.

With her actor husband and two-year-old Rocket in tow, Lara explored the new land in the Disney theme park.

The area is based on the James Cameron film, released in 2009, in which her husband starred.

Family outing: Sam and Lara also explored Pandora - The World of Avatar earlier this week, which is based on the film Avatar in which Sam (pictured with co-star Zoe Saldana) starred

It seems the family have been spending some quality time together recently.

Earlier this month, Lara and Sam were spotted enjoying a lavish getaway in the South of France.

The Cronulla native has also opened up in the past about how she's dealing with motherhood.

'It's amazing,' she previously told Fairfax. 'Two children under the age of two definitely keeps us busy, but it's the most rewarding thing ever.'
She made waves arriving at the amfAR gala in a striking Marchesa gown earlier this week.

And now Karolina Kurkova, 33, continued her jaw-dropping sartorial displays in Cannes as she stepped out in a show-stopping look for the premiere of Based On A True Story at the renowned film festival on Saturday night.

The Czech supermodel showcased her model figure and enviable lean limbs in a pin-flaunting mullet hemmed look which boasted a semi-sheer pleated skirt.

Scroll down for video

Pin-credible! Karolina Kurkova, 33, continued her jaw-dropping sartorial displays in Cannes as she stepped out in a show-stopping look for the premiere of Based On A True Story at the renowned film festival on Saturday night

The former Victoria's Secret Angel wowed in the sultry ensemble which grazed her toned thighs before falling into a dramatic long train as she posed for photographers with aplomb.

Accentuating her never-ending legs, her attire featured sheer panel detail across the tops of her thighs that added a racy edge to her already thrilling garment.

The sweet-heart necklined piece displayed her decolletage with ease while teasing at her ample cleavage while she sauntered up the Palais des Festivals' red carpet, commanding it like the catwalk.

Walk this way! The Czech supermodel showcased her model figure and enviable lean limbs in a pin-flaunting mullet hemmed look which boasted a semi-sheer pleated skirt

Sparkling: Adding to her flesh-flashing look, Karolina worked an eye-catching diamond choker and statement ring to bring her ensemble to life at the cinematic event

The mother-of-one - who stands at 5ft 9' - added to her statuesque frame with a pair of sky-high black stilettos that stressed her model frame.

Adding to her flesh-flashing look, Karolina worked an eye-catching diamond choker and statement ring to bring her ensemble to life at the cinematic event.

She completed her edgy ensemble by styling her blonde locks into a tousled wave while she sported a dramatic smokey eye.

Mane attraction: She completed her edgy ensemble by styling her blonde locks into a tousled wave while she sported a dramatic smokey eye

Show-stopping: Accentuating her never-ending legs, her attire featured sheer panel detail across the tops of her thighs that added a racy edge to her already thrilling garment

Joining the model beauty on the red carpet was the film's lead Eva Green, 36, in a head-turning Alexander McQueen creation.

The French actress - who has starred in Casino Royale and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For - exhibited her honed curves in the designer look which followed the fashion trend for the festival, semi-sheer fabric.

Her glitzy look boasted flared sleeves and eye-catching beaded panelling throughout before falling into a sophisticated tiered fringe detailing around the hem.

Attention-grabbing: Joining the model beauty on the red carpet was the film's lead Eva Green in a head-turning Alexander McQueen creation

All smiles: The French actress - who has starred in Casino Royale and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For - exhibited her honed curves in the designer look which followed the fashion trend for the festival, semi-sheer fabric

The stunning film star walked the carpet with her co-star Emmanuelle Seigner, 50, and controversial director Roman Polanski, 83 while Adrien Brody - who won an Oscar for his portrayal in the film maker's flick The Pianist - was also in attendance.

Based On A True Story is a French-language thriller starring Seigner as a Parisian author who meets a mysterious woman, played by Green, at a book signing.

It's Polanski's first feature since 2013's Venus in Fur. Polanski had been set to preside over France's Cesar Awards in February, but withdrew after the protests of feminist groups.

Making a statement: Her glitzy look boasted flared sleeves and eye-catching beaded panelling throughout before falling into a sophisticated tiered fringe detailing around the hem

Looking good: The Penny Dreadful star looked incredible in her gorgeous gown

A Los Angeles judge recently rejected Polanski's bid to end his long-running underage sex abuse case without the fugitive director appearing in court or being sentenced to more prison time.

The Rosemary's Baby helmer was forced to withdraw from the 'French Oscars', the Cesars, earlier this year after protests by feminists.

Polanski has been on the run for almost four decades for having unlawful sex with a teenager at film star Jack Nicholson's house in Los Angeles in 1977.

Glam gals: She happily sauntered up the carpet to alongside her co-star Emmanuelle Seigner, 50 - who stunned in her glitzy metallic look

Red carpet ready: The stunning film star walked the carpet with her co-star and controversial director Roman Polanski, 83

Polanski, 83, failed to negotiate a return to the US this month.

However, his victim Samantha Geimer - who wants the case dropped so she can get on with her life - lashed out Tuesday at prosecutors, claiming they were using the case to further their careers rather than resolve it.

'Celebrity cases should not be misused by those like yourselves for some limelight and career advancement,' Geimer wrote in a scathing letter to Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and his deputy Michele Hanisee, who are handling Polanski's case.

Cinematic: Based On A True Story is a French-language thriller starring Seigner as a Parisian author who meets a mysterious woman, played by Green, at a book signing

New start: It's Polanski's first feature since 2013's Venus in Fur. Polanski had been set to preside over France's Cesar Awards in February, but withdrew after the protests of feminist groups

The Franco-Polish director has been engaged in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game with US officials seeking his extradition, before a global audience split between continuing outrage and forgiveness for his acts.

Polanski admitted statutory rape after a number of more serious charges were dropped, and spent an initial 42 days in jail before being released.

But in 1978, convinced a judge was going to scrap his plea deal and send him to prison for decades, he fled to France and has been on the run ever since.
She is known for her enviable figure, having risen to fame as one of the professionals on Strictly Come Dancing.

And it seems both Ola Jordan and her husband James were keen to show off her killer body on the new episode of Loose Women - as she headed to the studios in a pink latex frock, chosen for her by her partner.

The dancer, 34, flaunted her enviable curves and tiny waist in the figure-hugging PVC number, as she laughed with her co-hosts over James' typically saucy choice.

Scroll down for video

Nice to PVC you: Ola Jordan showed off her sensational figure in a hot pink latex frock, chosen for her by her husband James, on the Loose Women Bank Holiday special

O-la la: The dancer, 34, flaunted her enviable curves and tiny waist in the figure-hugging PVC number, as she laughed with her co-hosts over James' typically saucy choice

Airing on Bank Holiday Monday, the ITV special sees Ola, Stacey Solomon, Katie Price and Ruth Langsford appear on the panel with their partners James, Joe Swash, Kieran Hayler and Eamonn Holmes - who had to choose the girls' outfits.

While Kieran opted for a demure skirt and cardigan combo for Katie, and Eamonn selected a stunning red dress for his wife Ruth, it was Ola's rather saucy ensemble that stole attention.

Upon her husband's request, the Latin and Ballroom dancer slipped into a racy latex midi dress, which tightly hugged her frame from head to toe.

Foxy lady: Upon her husband's request, the Latin and Ballroom dancer slipped into a racy latex midi dress, which tightly hugged her frame from head to toe

Slender: The PVC material clung to her figure to accentuate her enviably flat stomach and petite waist

The frock attempted to remain demure with a chic high neck and classy knee-length hem, but was made far sexier by its PVC material, which clung to her figure to accentuate her enviably flat stomach and petite waist.

Drawing attention to her assets and derriere in the skin-tight number, OIa then enhanced her blonde bombshell look by sweeping her hair into a sexy messy ponytail, and adding a slick of co-ordinating pink lipstick.

Keeping all eyes on the show-stopping outfit, she accessorised with simple nude heels and delicate silver bracelets as she first headed to set, to reveal her husband's styling.

Sophisticated: The frock attempted to remain demure with a chic high neck and classy knee-length hem

Sultry: Drawing attention to her assets and derriere in the skin-tight number, OIa then enhanced her blonde bombshell look by sweeping her hair into a sexy messy ponytail

First looking in the mirror nervously, Ola then appeared to embrace the look as she confidently strutted to her seat - giggling with her co-hosts at the result of James' ideal outfit.

The pair have never been ones to remain tight-lipped about their sex life, with Ola previously admitting there was no shortage of passion between them.

Discussing their trysts, she told the Daily Star: 'Its always short but sweet. And hes as fiery as youd expect. Its a natural thing to do when you have five minutes here and there.'

Tying the look together: Keeping all eyes on the show-stopping outfit, she accessorised with simple nude heels and delicate silver bracelets

Feeling good: Ola appeared to embrace the look as she confidently strutted to her seat - giggling with her co-hosts at the result of James' ideal outfit

However back in January, the blonde admitted the couple are now keen to expand their brood, after many years of married life.

She explained on a previous episode of Loose Women: The clock's ticking, the time is now. We aren't getting any younger. We've been married 13 years.

'James would be a great dad. I want mini James Jordans.'

Flower power: The hosts' partners had to choose their outfits for the show - with Kieran Hayler selecting a demure floral skirt and cardigan for his wife Katie Price (above)
He had been tipped to star in a live-action remake of The Jungle Book.

And now Benedict Cumberbatch's addition to the cast of the 2018 release has been confirmed, with the actor receiving high praise for his performance.

The Sherlock star, 40, will take on the role of tiger Shere Khan in the movie and it's been teased his take on the character is set to 'surprise' fans.

Scroll down for video

New role: Benedict Cumberbatch, 40, will feature in live-adaptation movie The Jungle Book: Origins and his performance has won high praise

Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis will direct the live-action movie, as well as featuring in the cast as bear Baloo.

It will follow Disney's own live-action re-make of the much-loved animation that hit cinemas last year and starred Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o and Scarlett Johansson.

Addressing Benedict's performance as Shere Khan, Andy had plenty of praise for his co-star and insisted it had been 'phenomenal'.

According to The Mirror, he teased: 'He's really scary... full-of-rage. What's brilliant about his performance is he's not just a black and white villain.

Villain: The Sherlock star will take on the role of tiger Shere Khan in the movie and it's been teased his take on the character is set to 'surprise' fans

'He's really scary... full-of-rage': The actor has been praised for his portrayal of the tiger villain in another live adaptation of the animated classic - Disney had released their own live-action film of The Jungle Book last year

Directorial debut: Andy Serkis will take the reigns and direct The Jungle Book: Origins set to be released in 2018 - he also features in the movie as bear Baloo

'You'll see him in a new light - Sherlock fans will be surprised, definitely.'

Serkis has worked with Warner Bros to bring to life his own interpretation of The Jungle Book that was written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894.

His adaptation boasts a star-studded cast including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Tom Hallender, along with Cumberbatch.

News of Benedict's addition to the film first surfaced three years ago in 2014.

'You'll see him in a new light': Cumberbatch is best known for his role as Sherlock Holmes in BBC's Sherlock, but Serkis has teased his performance as Shere Khan will 'definitely surprise' fans

The Hollywood Reporter revealed Serkis would be making his directorial debut with The Jungle Book: Origins and listed Cumberbatch to play the man-eating tiger who is a lifelong enemy of lead character Mowgli.

The Jungle Book tells the tale of a young boy, Mowgli, who has been orphaned and raised by jungle animals. He befriends a bear Baloo (Serkis) and a black panther Bagheera (Bale) and it follows his run-ins with tiger Shere Khan - with both the tiger and the boy vowing to slay each other.

The Jungle Book: Origins won't be the first time Serkis and Cumberbatch have starred alongside each other, as the both appeared together in The Hobbit.

While Serkis took on the role of Gollum, Cumberbatch appeared as dragon Smaug using a motion-capture suit.
She recently revealed she is looking to 'settle down and have a family' with her billionaire boyfriend Elon Musk.

And on Sunday, Johnny Depp's ex wife, Amber Heard looked the picture of content as she boarded the Tesla boss' private jet to fly out of Sydney.

Dressed in a pair of casual jeans and white shirt, the 31-year-old accessorised her look with a beige fedora and black Jacket.

Delighted: on Sunday, Johnny Depp's ex wife, Amber Heard looked the picture of content as she boarded the Tesla boss' private jet to fly out of Sydney

Amber was pictured alongside Elon and his older sons Griffin and Xavier.

Elon, 45, wore a smart black suit with a grey T-shirt underneath.

He appeared in a relaxed mood as he ushered Griffin into the car.

Casual chic! Dressed in a pair of casual jeans and white shirt, the 30-year-old accessorised her look with a beige fedora and black Jacket

Griffin who is the eldest one of Elon's six kids, wore a grey T-shirt paired with black jogging pants.

Xavier the second eldest, on the other hand, wore dark jeans and a black T-shirt.

Filming: Amber has recently been filming Aquaman in the Gold Coast and has been pictured with Elon and his family on various occasions

They all waited in the lobby, while Amber was seen tapping away on her mobile device.

Amber has recently been filming Aquaman on the Gold Coast and has been pictured with Elon and his family on various occasions.

She plays opposite Jason Momoa's title character in the DC Comics blockbuster as his love interest and is the queen of their undersea nation, Atlantis.

Serious: Amber's father David told Grazia magazine: 'Amber and Elon are both very serious about each other. She would love to get married

Meanwhile, Amber's father David told Grazia magazine: 'Amber and Elon are both very serious about each other. She would love to get married.

'One of the things they want to do is settle down and have a family. They are making plans for that.'

However a source close to Elon said: 'They have no plans to get married.'

Amber was first linked to Elon, last summer, after the pair were spotted together on several occasions both in London and Miami.

Year on: Amber was first linked to Elon, last summer, after the pair were spotted together on several occasions both in London and Miami

The Rum Diary actress is said to be 'smitten' with Elon following her divorce with Johnny.

A source told the Mirror in January: 'Amber is over the moon about her divorce but she is even happier about being able to go public with Elon.

'She was telling friends over Christmas how smitten she is with Elon.

'They are already planning a lot of adventures together and she's relieved she can move on with her life. It's an exciting new chapter for both of them.'

Smitten: The Rum Diary actress is said to be 'smitten' with Elon following her divorce with Johnny.

Infatuated: Elon - who is reportedly worth an eye-watering 9.2billion - reportedly 'became infatuated' with Amber after the two appeared in the 2013 film Machete Kills, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Elon - who is reportedly worth an eye-watering 9.2billion - reportedly 'became infatuated' with Amber after the two appeared in the 2013 film Machete Kills, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Although the pair did not get a chance to meet on set, he is said to have emailed director Robert Rodriguez repeatedly in the hope that he could set up a meeting between himself and the actress - despite the fact that she was still with Johnny at the time.

Amber filed for divorce from Depp in May, amid allegations about abuse she suffered at the hands of the Oscar-nominated actor, which he denied.

Keen: Although the pair did not get a chance to meet on set, Elon said to have emailed director Robert Rodriguez repeatedly in the hope that he could set up a meeting between himself and the actress

Divorce: Amber filed for divorce from Depp in May, amid allegations about abuse she suffered at the hands of the Oscar-nominated actor, which he denied

Donation: Amber previously said the money from the divorce settlement would be given to the ACLU and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

Their separation was finalised in January, with 53-year-old Depp agreeing to hand over $9.3million to his wife of 14 months.

Amber previously said the money from the divorce settlement would be given to the ACLU and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

Elon meanwhile was granted a second divorce from actress granted Talulah Riley in November last year.

The pair were married for two years before divorcing in 2012 and remarried in 2013. They stayed together for a year before Musk filed divorce papers.

Separation: Amber's separation was finalised in January, with 53-year-old Depp agreeing to hand over $9.3million to his wife of 14 months

Split: Elon meanwhile was granted a second divorce from actress granted Talulah Riley in November last year

All aboard: Elon gets ready to board his private jet

The high life: Amber gets accustomed to her billionaire boyfriend's luxurious life

How the other half live: No need for queuing here
She may have only jetted into the South of France to catch the last few days of Cannes Film Festival.

But Millie Mackintosh has certainly been making the most of her time in the sun-drenched French Riviera town, as she headed back to the beach on Saturday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, set pulses racing as she stripped into a scanty gingham two-piece that left her incredibly gym-honed physique on show.

Scroll down for video

Ab-tastic: Millie Mackintosh, 27, set pulses racing as she stripped into a scanty gingham two-piece that left her incredibly gym-honed physique on show in her latest Instagram post

Millie's latest beach attire paired together an ab-baring crop top and high-rise briefs.

Her bikini top left little to the imagination as it struggled to contain her perky bust, thanks to its scooped neckline.

She shrug its straps off of her shoulders to avoid any prominent tanlines forming during her latest bronzing session and striking a sultry pose as she reclined back on the rocks, the reality star made sure all eyes were on her toned torso.

Revealing display: Her bikini top left little to the imagination as it struggled to contain her perky bust, thanks to its scooped neckline, and flaunted her killer torso

Millie is often seen honing her body in the gym and reaping the rewards of her hard efforts, she looked sensational while topping up her tan.

Along with her enviable abs and sculpted shoulders, Millie flaunted her slender pins and peachy posterior in her latest social media upload, elongating her already lengthy legs with a chic pair of wedges.

The now-turned fashion designer sported a straw fedora hat on her head and donned a huge pair of shades to protect her eyes from the beaming rays.

Millie told her 1.3million followers she was 'lounging' alongside her photo, after previously revealing she was preparing to head home from Cannes.

'I'm going to miss this place': The Chelsea beauty jetted into Cannes just a couple of days ago, but it seems her trip to the star-studded film festival has left its mark on her

This year marked the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival and the star-studded event wraps up on Sunday, after spanning 11 days in total.

Millie had jetted in just a couple of days ago, but clearly having loved every minute of her getaway, she remarked: 'I'm going to miss this place.'

In the snap, she was pictured sporting a cute pastel pink two-piece and clutching onto a personalised beach bag that bore her initials.

Her latest Instagram posts come after Millie snapped herself eating truffle crisps as she relaxed by a pool.

Poolside: Millie was recently seen parading her figure in a nude bikini - again leaving her bust and her svelte figure firmly on view

Her outfit of choice had been a nude bikini - again leaving her bust and her svelte figure firmly on view.

Millie's trademark blonde locks fell messily past her shoulders and her sun-kissed skin glowed as she treated herself to a mid-bronzing snack.

Going make-up free for the swim, Millie chose to accentuate her natural beauty - wowing her fans on the photo-sharing site.

Dressed to impress: The night before her pool day, Millie had stunned in a flowing white gown as she graced the red carpet for the amFAR gala

The night before her pool day, Millie had stunned in a flowing white gown as she graced the red carpet for the amFAR gala.

Stepping out at the charity event in her semi-sheer frock, equipped with a daring low back, the British beauty worked an old Hollywood inspired long scarf which she transformed into a chic cape later in the evening.

The stunner injected height into her ethereal ensemble with a pair of complementing strappy white heels and she accessorised with a box clutch and statement silver ring.

Stunning: Working her brown locks into a centre parting, she slicked back her tresses into a slick 'do to showcase her vibrant red lip

Working her brown locks into a centre parting, Millie slicked back her tresses into a sleek up-do to showcase her vibrant red lip.

Her trip Cannes Film Festival comes after she has previously enjoyed trips to Monaco, Dubai, South Africa, Paris - on two occasions - and a stay in Los Angeles.

It appears the Chelsea beauty is now on track to rival her record of taking a whopping 18 trips abroad in 2016.

Millie's latest getaway comes shortly after she revealed she had moved in with her boyfriend Hugo Taylor.

She first dated Hugo in 2011 when they first made their names on the E4 reality show, yet their relationship was brutally cut short when she discovered he had been cheating on her with her best friend Rosie Fortescue.

After the disintegration of their romance, Millie began dating Professor Green the following year - who she later married in 2013.

Three years later, however, the duo split and their divorced was finalised in May 2016.

Following their separation, Millie reunited with Hugo.
Kourtney Kardashian has reportedly banned former partner Scott Disick from seeing their young children until his 'cleans up his act'.

According to TMZ, the 38-year-old reality star has vowed to stop Disick's, 33, visitation to their kids - Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two - until he gets sober, following his display in Cannes, France over the past week.

The publication claims that friends of the New York native - including Kourtney - have attempted to 'intervene' in the situation but have so far proved unsuccessful in their efforts.

Scroll down for video

Banned: Kourtney Kardashian has reportedly banned former partner Scott Disick from seeing their young children until his 'cleans up his act'

A source told TMZ: 'He is off the rails again ... abusing alcohol and other substances. She will not allow Scott visitation of their 3 kids until he gets clean and sober ... something he refuses to do.'

'Scott's friends have tried to intervene to no avail. A few weeks ago they got Kourtney to call Scott and plead with him to get help, but he wasn't having it.

'She want him to have a relationship with their kids, but feels it's just too dangerous in the state he's in.'

Mailonline have contacted Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's reps for comment.

No go: According to TMZ , the 38-year-old reality star has vowed to stop Disick's visitation to their kids - Mason, Penelope and Reign - until he gets sober, following his display in Cannes, France over the past week (Pictured in April 2016)

'Off the rails': A source told TMZ: 'He is off the rails again ... abusing alcohol and other substances. She will not allow Scott visitation of their 3 kids until he gets clean and sober ... something he refuses to do.'

This isn't the first time the KUWTH star has confronted her former beau from seeing their brood, having previously put him on the 'do not enter' list at the security gate in 2015, leaving it an entire month without seeing his children.

The reports comes as both have been enjoying their time separately in Cannes, Kourtney with her new man French model Younes Bendjima, 23, while Scott has been spotted getting cosy with not one but four women during his time in the French Riviera.

The troubled star first arrived in the South of France with actress Bella Thorne, 19, earlier in the week but swiftly moved onto stylist Chloe Bartoli, 26 - his ex-girlfriend and the same woman he was caught cheating with in 2015, triggering his split with Kourtney.

In the past: This isn't the first time the KUWTH star has confronted her former beau from seeing their brood, having previously put him on the 'do not enter' list at the security gate in 2015, leaving it an entire month without seeing his children

Children first: A source told TMZ: 'She want him to have a relationship with their kids, but feels it's just too dangerous in the state he's in'

Beach break: The reports comes as both have been enjoying their time separately in Cannes, Kourtney with her new man French model Younes Bendjima, 23

He was then pictured with his ex girlfriend Ella Ross who was joined by her pal, stunning UK blogger Maggie Petrova soaking up the sun and having fun in a luxury pool.

Despite their sexy display in the pool, Maggie revealed exclusively to MailOnline: 'I'm good friends with Ella Ross, there is nothing going on with me and Scott, just friendship'.

It's been rumored that Scott - who shares children Mason, seven, Reign, two and Penelope, four, with Kourtney - is on a mission to make his ex jealous.

An insider revealed to E! News this week that Scott bringing Bella to Cannes 'is 100 percent to piss Kourtney off'.

'It's a very "Let's see how it makes you feel" kind of thing. It's immature, but that's Scott,' they added.

Getting cosy: Scott has been pictured with his ex girlfriend Ella Ross who was joined by her pal, stunning UK blogger Maggie Petrova soaking up the sun and having fun in a luxury pool

Jealous: It's been rumored that Scott is on a mission to make his ex jealous

Meanwhile, it seems Famous in Love star Bella has already been cast aside after Scott enjoyed some pool time with the Blended star - even grabbing her breast at one point - on Tuesday.

And on Thursday evening Bella took to Twitter to post that she feels 'uncomfortable' in Cannes, sharing with her 6.59million fans: 'Yo this #cannes fancy life isn't for me.'

She later took to her Snapchat to share a selfie while posing with her index finger in her mouth and wrote the caption: 'Amfar ready in bed haha.'

This all comes after a source told People Magazine that the actress 'really likes the attention' that comes with being seen with Kourtney Kardashian's ex.

'Amfar ready in bed haha': She later took to Snapchat to share this selfie

Thought provoking: The 19-year-old actress posted 'Yo this #cannes fancy life isn't for me'

Meanwhile, Scott was apparently devastated when he saw photos of Kourtney and new man Younes together last month.

He also looked downcast at his birthday celebrations at 1Oak in Las Vegas over the weekend, just as photos of Kourtney and Younes in Cannes surfaced.

Scott split with Kourtney, after nine years together, when photos emerged of Scott and Chloe canoodling in Monaco in 2015.

And since then, as well as helping to co-parent their three children, Scott had been trying to prove to Kourtney he could stop his hard partying ways in an effort to win her back.

Moving on: Kourtney finally called an end to their longtime relationship with sources telling TMZ she was done with 'treating Scott like a baby' and 'worrying how he'll react to her every move'

But Kourtney finally called an end to their longtime relationship with sources telling TMZ she was done with 'treating Scott like a baby' and 'worrying how he'll react to her every move'.

His appearance comes after he admitted in April that he was still attracted to the mother of his three kids on an episode of Keep Up With The Kardashians.

In the reality favourite, Kourtney's sister Khloe was seen grilling Scott about whether he and Kourtney kissed during a family vacation in Mexico last year.

The reality TV star subsequently admitted he still is in love with Kourtney, even if there is no immediate prospect of them reuniting their on/off romance.

He said: 'I feel like I will never be over her. She's the love of my life, but I just try to do everything to be there for her, but there's literally no appreciation for anything ever.'

Scott's party-loving lifestyle led to the collapse of his relationship with Kourtney and while he acknowledges he was largely to blame for their break-up, he is eager to see his family reunited.

Difficult: Scott's party-loving lifestyle led to the collapse of his relationship with Kourtney and while he acknowledges he was largely to blame for their break-up, he is eager to see his family reunited

He explained: 'I definitely realise that a lot of things truly are my fault and I'm happy taking ownership for all that. I just hope that one day she understands that I would never want to be with anybody but her.'

Despite his confession, earlier this month Kourtney told Scott that they will 'never get back together', after slamming his womanising antics.

The reality star branded Scott 'disrespectful' as he confessed to her and her family that he is a 'horrible sex addict'.

In a candid chat with his ex, her mother Kris Jenner and sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardashian-West, Scott acknowledge his issues and admitted he is addicted to sex.

The group had been discussing Scott's decision to bring another woman with him on a family holiday they had taken to Costa Rica at the beginning of the year.

Hitting back: Despite his confession, earlier this month Kourtney told Scott that they will 'never get back together', after slamming his womanising antics

At the time, rumours had been doing the rounds that he and Kourtney were rekindling their romance - they had initially split in 2015.

Viewers have since seen Scott confessing that Kourtney is the 'love of his life' on the family's E! reality show before jetting off, but he later sparked tensions between himself and his ex after bringing another woman back to his hotel room.

Following an argument with Kourtney's family on the trip, Scott left early and headed to Miami instead where he was pictured surrounded by more women.

Kourtney had confronted Scott on Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians over his sordid behaviour and branded it 'disrespectful'.

She said: 'On a family vacation, don't you think it's inappropriate and disrespectful? To me, to your kids and to all my family? There's a level of respect and appropriateness that should just be known, but apparently it's not.'

Disrespectful: Kourtney had confronted Scott on Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians over his sordid behaviour and branded it 'disrespectful'

Scott then reasoned that he is suffering with an addiction to sex and revealed: 'I'm a sex addict. I'm a f**ked up, horrible sex addict.'

Kourtney, however, rubbished his explanation and accused him of 'playing the victim'.

She hit back: 'You had your chance. I thought we were spending our whole lives together and I've done everything I can.'

Their conversation appeared to be the final straw for Kourtney who drew a line under her relationship with Scott once and for all.
While she is known for her red carpet glamour, she suffered a number of wardrobe malfunctions during her time at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

And Bella Hadid fell victim to yet another blunder on Saturday, as she failed to cover up her thong during another afternoon with friends in the holiday hot spot.

The 20-year-old model gave an eye-popping glimpse of her peachy behind in her see-through crochet co-ord, which barely concealed her skimpy bikini bottoms underneath.

Scroll down for video

Some-thong to hide! Bella Hadid fell victim to yet another blunder on Saturday, as she failed to cover up her thong during another afternoon with friends in Cannes

Cannes you see my bum in this? The 20-year-old gave an eye-popping glimpse of her peachy behind in her crochet co-ord, which barely concealed her skimpy bikini bottoms underneath

The beauty flashed most of her rounded derriere to all in the revealing trousers, which featured endless cut-outs all the way down to display her thong and plenty of skin underneath.

While she displayed most of her figure for all to see in the cover-up, Bella still managed to look stylish thanks to the trousers' high waist - which drew attention to her taut abs as she paraded the streets of Cannes.

Clearly not afraid to flash even more skin, the model then paired the strides with a matching short-sleeved crop top, plunging as low as her bikini to saucily tease at her cleavage.

Whoops: The beauty flashed most of her rounded derriere to all in the trousers, which featured endless cut-outs all the way down to display her thong and plenty of skin underneath

Tying at the back to maintain the outfit's boho style, the young fashionista only added to the sexy look by leaving her bra strap and most of her back on show too, as she spent another day soaking up the French sunshine.

While she kept the look casual with white trainers, Bella was sure to inject a hint of her trademark glamour by accessorising with trendy rounded sunglasses and a shimmering gold necklace.

Slicking her hair back into a tight high bun, the LA native let her radiant complexion and striking natural beauty shine through as she headed out with friends, and happily greeted fans en route.

Slender: While she displayed most of her figure for all to see, Bella still managed to look stylish thanks to the trousers' high waist - which drew attention to her taut abs as she hit the streets

Finishing touches: While she kept the look casual with white trainers, Bella was sure to inject a hint of her trademark glamour by accessorising with trendy rounded sunglasses

The outing marks one of several wardrobe malfunctions for Bella at the festival - having accidentally flashed her lingerie in three separate gowns on the red carpet.

Despite making her fame as a model instead of an actress, Bella has been taking this year's Cannes Film Festival by storm, while her sister Gigi remains in New York with their mother Yolanda.

The brunette beauty turned heads in a number of eye-catching gowns as she attended endless premieres, as well as the star-studded amfAR gala.

Fit to bust: Clearly not afraid to flash even more skin, the model then paired the strides with a matching short-sleeved crop top, plunging as low as her bikini to saucily tease at her cleavage

Gorgeous: Slicking her hair back into a tight high bun, the LA native let her radiant complexion and striking natural beauty shine through as she headed out with friends

Clearly letting her hair down at the famous annual event, which raises money for AIDS research, Bella was spotted swigging champagne from the bottle at the after-party, before she mingled with actor Leonardo DiCaprio at his table.

However, Leo appears to be just one of many males stunning model Bella has caught the attention of in recent weeks.

Last week, the beauty was seen chatting and laughing animatedly with a mystery man over dinner in Rome, Italy, where she was shooting for Bulgari.

Model material: Her sensational figure was clear for all to see in the saucy cover up

Relaxed: After a busy week on endless Cannes red carpets, Bella appeared more than relaxed as she embarked on a low-key outing

Say cheese! The beauty happily took photos with fans in the sunshine

Yet, this date followed speculation that she had hit it off with boxer Anthony Joshua at the GQ Awards last month.

A source told The Sun of the pair, who reportedly shared a flirty exchange: 'Bella has made it clear shes focused on doing whatever she wants to  so things could easily happen.'

The rumoured flings follow her long-term relationship with The Weeknd, which came to an end in November.
They're a high-profile couple, having found love on last year's season of The Bachelorette Australia.

And Georgia Love, 28, and Lee Elliott, 36, appear to be making the most of their newfound fame, as they attended a VIP screening for Baywatch in Melbourne on Sunday.

Posing for photos in front of the media wall, the loved-up duo were also joined by I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!'s Ash Pollard.

Reality star perks! The Bachelorette's Georgia Love, 28, and Lee Elliott, 36, attended a VIP screening of Baywatch in Melbourne on Sunday

Cutting a smart casual figure, Georgia wore a slim-fitting top, black denim skirt and beige leather jacket.

An over-sized metallic scarf and pair of statement earrings added a touch of flair.

Styling her brunette locks in a sleek style at the nape of the neck, the journalist-turned-reality star highlighted an elegant makeup palette.

A flawless complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a glossy nude lip finished off the look.

Date night: The high-profile couple sported cool and casual attire for the movie's VIP screening

Beau Lee cut an edgy figure in a white T-shirt, teamed with slim-fitting trousers.

A distressed denim jacket, left undone, worked with the casual attire.

In high spirits, the pair posed for playful snaps, with Georgia getting up close to actor Zac Efron's cardboard cut-out.

Lee jokingly pulled an expression, making him appear displeased with his girlfriend's antics.

Antics: Lee jokingly pulled an expression, making him appear displeased with his girlfriend's antics

Sunday attire: Fellow reality star Ash Pollard highlighted her toned legs in cropped jeans, teamed with a grey sweater and on-trend brogues

Fellow reality star Ash Pollard, 30, looked effortlessly stylish.

A grey roll-neck sweater was teamed with cropped jeans that highlighted her toned legs.

White brogues and delicate stud earrings worked as low-key additions.

Sweeping her blonde locks back off her face, the former My Kitchen Rules star drew the eye to a bronzed complexion, defined brows and lashings of mascara.

Notoriety: Georgia and Lee became household names after finding love on The Bachelorette Australia
Patients and medical centres alike struggle with the ethical questions around sex selection as more advanced genetic profiling becomes popular in Egypt

Mohamed and Lamia's 13-year marriage has been blessed with four daughters, but they still feel their family isn't complete.

We ache for a beautiful healthy baby boy, says Mohamed. I started hoping for a baby boy when my wife got pregnant the third time.

The couple, whose daughters are 12, 8, 5 and 2, did not want to risk a fifth pregnancy without making sure that it will result in a boy.

That's when Mohamed's sisters told him about gender selection, where a couple can choose the sex of their babies by genetically testing the embryos.

After four months of research, the couple decided to do the procedure at the Gana Fertility Clinic.

I co-own an export/import company with my father and I really want a boy to take over after I die, Mohamed explained. To be quite honest, my father is the one who really pushed me to do this. He said, you have to have a son.

And Mohamed is not the only one. Having a boy is a dream for most Egyptians.

I've been here for a long time and I don't know anyone who does gender selection to have a girl, says Dr Yasmine Darwish, an embryologist at Gana Clinic They all want a boy.

Gender selection is usually done through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a common fertility method to help infertile couples have a baby. During the process, women are given fertility drugs to help their ovaries produce multiple eggs. The eggs are then retrieved and fertilised with sperm in a petri dish, which then results in embryos. Three to five days later, a cell is removed from each embryo and sent to a genetics lab where they can be screened to determine the sex.

Gender selection is usually done for both medical and social reasons. Medical justifications include when a family decides to use this technology to avoid the conception of a child with sex-linked genetic diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or hemophilia, both common among males.

[Duchenne] affects boys and it causes paralysis and they often die by the age of 20, explains obstetrician Gasser El-Bishry. I have a family like that, so they do sex selection for girls.

The main non-medical reasons couples may choose sex-selection is to achieve family balance, or to have both genders represented in a family.

This is usually common in families who have several children of the same gender and who yearn for a baby of the opposite sex.

Sex selection for non-medical reasons is banned in many countries, like the UK, Canada and Australia.

The World Health Organisation has also expressed its opposition to the practice, pointing out that it raises serious moral, legal, and social issues, and can result in the the distortion of the natural sex ratio leading to a gender imbalance and because it can reinforce discriminatory and sexist stereotypes towards women by devaluing females

Dr Ezzat ElSobky, director of the Generations Labs, the genetics lab that screens the embryos, says that three quarters of the cases he gets are looking to have a boy, while only one quarter of couples are doing it for medical reasons.

Dr Hossam El-Nomrosy, the medical director of Gana Clinic in Heliopolis, adds that the clinic often gets older women, usually above the age of 38, who have fertility problems and decide that since they will go through IVF anyway, they may as well choose a boy.

However, most of the couples who undergo gender selection do not suffer from any fertility problems and are undergoing the procedure only to choose the gender of their baby.

These cases can get pregnant naturally, explains El-Nomrosy. But they keep having girls only. [For example] they have five girls and don't want to get pregnant for the sixth time and then have a girl again.

The couples who seek to undergo the procedure at Gana Clinic come from across Egypt, and are from different social backgrounds.

The fact that sex selection is banned in some countries has given rise to reproductive tourism, where couples fly to countries like the US to undergo sex selection or other procedures not allowed in their countries. 

Egypt is also becoming a magnet for foreigners looking to undergo sex selection. According to El-Nomrosy, Arabs from across the region are also starting to come to Egypt to use IVF for sex selection, to have a boy. Couples from Kuwait, the Emirates, Yemen and recently Sudan are becoming regular IVF customers in Egypt, he says.

Why Egypt? Because Egypt has more advanced IVF technology than them, El-Nomrosy explains. So it is global here. Many nationalities come here to get pregnant and then leave.

One gender selection case that El-Nomrosy remembers resulted in multiple boys. The customer was an Arab who was married to two women. He brought his first wife to Egypt and through IVF successfully impregnated her with two boys. He went back to his native country and got his second wife and got her impregnated with another two boys.

So now he has four children, mused El-Nomrosy. This is how much he wanted a boy.

In humans, each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes. Twenty-two of them, called autosomes, are the same in both male and female. The 23rd pair are the sex chromosomes, and are different between men and women. Those with two copies of the X chromosome are female and those with one X and one Y are male. 

According to Dr El-Sobky, until recently, gender selection was done through a technique called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) using Fluorescence in situ Hybridisation (FISH), which allowed geneticists to look at 11 chromosomes.

A year ago, a new technique became available in Egypt, called Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS), which allows all chromosomes to be analysed. PGD is used to look at specific genetic conditions like cystic fibrosis, while PGS is used to determine if the embryo has the right number of chromosomes. Both techniques can be used to look at the sex chromosomes as well as genetic abnormalities in the other chromosomes, to ensure that the baby is healthy and normal.

These techniques, says El-Sobky, are a product of years of research. Gender is determined genetically, he says. While most people have a normal genetic makeup, sometimes with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD), the reproductive organs and genitals fail to develop normally and may result in an individual having a mix of male and female characteristics.

So, we would take a blood sample and check their chromosomes to understand what is going on and not depend only on physical appearance, says El-Sobky.

But advances in medicine made gender identification possible pre-birth through fetal ultrasounds and prenatal testing techniques like Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS), or amniocentesis, where a baby can be checked for chromosomal abnormalities and gender while still in the uterus during a stable pregnancy.

Some people used to do this because they wanted to know early on if the baby is a boy or a girl, explained Dr ElSobky. And if they knew and wanted a boy and the chromosomes showed an xx, they would then abort the fetus, a normal healthy female, just because they don't want a girl.

Sex selective abortions are common in countries like China and India, but not so much in Egypt.

Then in the mid-90s, geneticists were able to analyse the embryo before pregnancy took place at all.

They thought that since we have genetic diseases, instead of letting the woman get pregnant and then take a sample, why not take a sample from the fetus through IVF before we transfer the embryos, and then we can know if it is healthy, said El-Sobky. 

For couples like Mohamed and Lamia, these technologies are heaven sent. The couple come from the conservative city of El-Hawamdeya in Giza, where patriarchal culture still rules.

In our cultures, a girl goes to her husband, so I can't expect any of my daughters to help me with my business in the future, Mohamed said. But a boy is the backbone of the family. He will not only help me, but he will protect his sisters in the future.

Mohamed says that he was mainly worried about whether the procedure will affect his wife's health and as a Muslim man, if it is against his faith. However, he was assured by his doctor that the procedure is safe for his wife.

Then I went online and found several fatwas on Muslim sites that claim that the procedure was allowed, as long as you have several children of the same gender already, Mohamed explained. So I felt that I was doing the right thing.

Mohamed's attitude is not unique. Having a baby boy is a dream that many Egyptians strive to fulfill. It is not uncommon in Egypt for couples to keep on having children until they have a boy, which results in very large families across Egypt. It is also not uncommon either for women to be divorced or for a husband to seek a second wife if they fail to conceive a male child with their first.

Historically, this is the area where female infanticide was common before the advent of Islam, explains sociologist Said Sadek. This female infanticide culture continued in new forms, such as the happiness of parents when they have boys.

Women in Egypt, he added, are seen as a source of potential dishonour, which results in the practice of female circumcision being widely used and also many girls married off early.

In Islamic culture, women also inherit half the share of a man, leading many prospective parents to prefer boys. In more conservative areas, like the south of Egypt, it can even be more complicated.

In Upper Egypt, they consider that if you haven't had a boy, then you don't have children at all, explains, Sayed Ali, a sociologist based in the Upper Egyptian city of Qena.

In the south, he added, often inheritance comes in the form of land, and if a family has a female child it means that the land will go to her husband's family, which is seen as a problem. Additionally, Upper Egypt is also very tribal, and the prestige of the family often depends on how big it is and how many boys they have.

So, it is very common here for people to try to use magic, or go to certain sheikhs and religious leaders who promise to help them have a boy, he said.

Lamia Lotfy, researcher at the New Woman Foundation, adds that Egyptians also want a boy so he can carry on the name of the family.

Sometimes a man will marry a second woman to get the boy, or have a huge number of children that would financially stress the family and exhaust the woman health wise and psychologically in order to get a boy, says Lotfy. So, if a woman has a choice to get one child through IVF she will get a boy, to relieve herself from the pressure of society.

However, according to Egyptologist Salima Ikram, it hasn't always been like that. For example, during the Graeco-Roman period, the Greeks would often throw their female newborns in garbage heaps, but then the Egyptians would rescue them, adopt them and raise them as their own.

They obviously wanted to have sons as well as daughters, but there are many instances were daughters became complete heirs and basically did whatever a male child would have done to make sure that the parents were well looked after, that their tombs were looked after and that they achieved a happy and long prosperous life, explains Ikram.

In modern Egypt, most doctors are aware of the social preference for boys, but some do not feel that the medical world should be involved at all. 

Dr Mohamed Abu El-Ghar, the clinical director of the Egyptian IVF-ET Centre, refuses to offer sex selection to his patients. 

It is ethically not acceptable, because this procedure is only done to get a boy, says Dr Abu El-Ghar, whose centre produced Egypt's first IVF baby in 1987. If a man has three boys, it is finished, they would never do this procedure to get a girl. This is discrimination against women, and we totally disagree with this procedure.

Dr Hossam Zaki's Ganin Fertility Centre (GFC) also turns away patients seeking sex selection at his clinic.

I have a hard time, saying that this fetus is a boy, so I will leave him because I want him to continue, and this fetus is a girl, so I will get rid of it, says Dr Zaki. I see that this is a form of gender discrimination. I see that religion is against this.

Dr Zaki adds that fertility is declining worldwide, and in some countries a large number of babies are born to IVF or other forms of assisted reproduction.

In 2035, it is projected that 18 percent of the population will need IVF, says Dr Zaki.

Although, it is believed that boys are only preferred in patriarchal societies like Egypt, China and India, Zaki says that even in Western societies like the US, couples prefer boys to girls.

So, if you have 18 percent of these people choosing gender, then you will have a serious imbalance, he explains.

The desire to have a boy is overwhelming though and doctors are often offered lucrative sums to make that dream come true.

I get people daily offering thousands [to have the procedure done], says Dr Zaki. I once got a man who said, look I don't have anyone to leave my inheritance to, I will give you a million pounds and give me a boy.

Gynecologist Hussein Gohar also refuses to dabble in gender selection.

If there is a couple who are medically indicated for IVF, then in this case, I will say okay, gender selection might be acceptable, says Gohar. But to have a couple who have no fertility issues, go and have an IVF cycle that will cost them a lot and has risks; I believe this should be refused by the centrds themselves. But this doesn't happen.

Many centres, adds Gohar refuse to divulge the risks of IVF to patients, such as Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS), when ovaries become swollen and painful due to the fertility drugs administered during IVF. In severe cases, the condition can lead to death. Additionally, there is a lot of research still being conducted on the health effects of IVF on babies.

Every time there is a report that says IVF babies have a a higher incidence of abnormalities, immediately another report saying no is released ... It's a war, says Gohar. Unfortunately, many centres in Egypt don't tell people the risks.

Also, with IVF there is no guarantee that a pregnancy will take place at all.

According to Dr Abu El-Ghar, in good IVF centres, the pregnancy rate with IVF is 40-45 percent and about 30-32 percent that the pregnancy will continue and a healthy baby will be delivered.

Prospective parents looking to do gender selection also have to find funds for what can be a very expensive procedure. IVF costs anything from EGP7,000 to EGP16,000 depending on the centre. In addition to this, couples are prescribed fertility drugs which can add a few more thousand pounds to the bill. For a couple to do gender selection, they need to pay approximately EGP2,000 for each embryo to be tested. If a couple is seeking a boy, and the first few embryo is a boy, then they pay only EGP2,000. But if the first few embryos are girls, then the testing has to continue until a boy is found, further adding to the bill.

But neither technology nor money can rule out bad luck. After going through an entire IVF cycle and paying thousands of pounds, some women may end up producing only female embryos.

We had a case where the woman ended up with five embryos and they were all girls so the transfer was canceled, says Dr Darwish.

The lack of regulation is also another problem with gender selection, says Dr Gohar. Although many centres prefer to offer sex selection only to couples who have several children of the same gender, this doesn't always happen.

'The medical syndicate needs to be involved, says Gohar. Laws have to be put in place, and those who don't apply them should be accountable.

But despite everything, Mohamed and Lamia are excited to find out if they have indeed conceived a boy. In 15 days, they will undergo a pregnancy test to see if Lamia has fallen pregnant or not.

If we have a boy, I will be ecstatic, Mohamed says. But I have prayed to God to guide me and if we fail to conceive, then I will not try gender selection again. I will feel that God doesn't want me to have a boy.

Mohamed admits that his decision to try to get a boy to satisfy his family and culture has taken its toll on him.

Listen, I love my girls. I never got upset when I found out that I was having another daughter, he insists. But there is so much pressure in our culture to have a boy. Who knows, maybe if I wasn't pressured so much, then perhaps ... perhaps ... I would have been satisfied with my girls.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


She has been pulling out all of the stops to ensure her daughter Shiloh is given a birthday to remember.

And after whisking her children and their friends to Disneyland in California, Angelina Jolie enjoyed another outing with her brood on Saturday to the La Brea Tar Pits museum.

The actress, 41, appeared in high spirits as she continued the celebrations for Shiloh's 11th birthday by chaperoning her little girl and a bevy of others around the historic site.

Scroll down for video

Doting mum: Angelina Jolie, 41, appeared in high spirits as she continued the celebrations for Shiloh's 11th birthday on Saturday with a trip to the La Brea Tar Pits museum

Angelina was dressed casually for their trip and opted for a black slip dress that she teamed with long suede boots underneath.

Keeping her shoulders covered, the Maleficent star threw a long-line knitted grey scarf over her ensemble and hid behind a pair of mirrored aviator shades.

Angelina wore her brunette tresses down past her shoulders in a straightened style and flaunting her natural beauty, the Hollywood star appeared to be wearing minimal make-up.

Day trip: She was chaperoning her little girl and a bevy of others - including her eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox - around the historic site

Low-key look: Angelina was dressed casually for the outing and hid behind a pair of mirrored aviator shades

Smile: The mother-of-six and her brood were seen beaming from ear-to-ear during the outing

Content: She appeared to cut a relaxed figure as she enjoyed some quality time with her family and their friends

Keeping covered: The Maleficent star threw a long-line knitted grey scarf over her ensemble

Casual figure: Underneath Angelina opted for a black slip dress that she teamed with long suede boots

Taking the lead: The Hollywood star and her brood appeared to be leading the group

She shares daughter Shiloh with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, 53, along with Zahara, 12, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox who were also present.

The former couple are also parents to sons Maddox, 15, and Pax, 13. They had split last year, with Angelina filing for divorce in September.

Meanwhile, she and her brood were accompanied by a group of friends that had joined them from Cambodia.

According to People, Shiloh had wanted her friends from overseas to visit her in America for her birthday, after meeting them on set of Jolie's film First They Killed My Father.

Mothering duties: She shares daughter Shiloh with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, 53

Twinning: She also shares twins Vivienne and Knox, eight, with the actor - the duo were matching distressed denim as they celebrated their older sister's birthday

Family affair: Also in attendance was another of Angelina and Brad's brood - daughter Zahara, 12, pictured far left

Special guests: According to People magazine, the Jolie-Pitt clan had been joined by a group of friends visiting from Cambodia

Onscreen: It's said the visiting children are actors in Jolie's Netflix movie First They Killed My Father set to air later this year

A source claimed: 'All [Shiloh] wanted for her birthday was to see her friends from Cambodia. She wants to show them America'

It's said the visiting children are actors in the movie, with a source claiming to the publication: 'All [Shiloh] wanted for her birthday was to see her friends from Cambodia. She wants to show them America.'

Angelina had shot First They Killed My Father in Cambodia - the birth place of her son Maddox and the teen had been an executive producer on the film.

It is set to air on Netflix later this year and is based on Loung Ung's 2006 memoir about her life during the Cambodian genocide.

Jolie's appearance in LA with her children and their friends comes after her ex Brad gave his first interview, following the pair's split, earlier this month.

Fun-filled celebrations: Their trip to the La Brea Tar Pits museum in Los Angeles comes after Angelina treated Shiloh to a day at Disneyland

Flying solo: Angelina's appearance in LA comes after her ex Brad gave his first interview, following his split from her last year, while speaking to GQ magazine at the start of May

Baring all: In the candid chat, Brad reveals he has quit alcohol following the breakdown of his marriage to become 'tee-total' and is now in therapy

All over: Jolie (pictured with Brad in 2013 above) had filed for divorce followed an alleged altercation on a private jet between her ex and their son Maddox - the case has since been closed with no charges

In the candid chat with GQ magazine, the Mr and Mrs Smith star claimed his break up with Angelina had been 'self-inflicted' and likened it to 'death'.

Jolie's decision to file for divorce followed an alleged altercation on a private jet between Brad and their son Maddox - the case has since been closed with no charges, but Pitt did face a series of obstacles from Child Services in a big to regain access to his six children.

Angelina has sole physical custody of their children.

The actor revealed he has since quit alcohol to become 'tee-total' and is now in therapy.

Honest: Mr and Mrs Smith star Pitt claimed his break up with Angelina had been 'self-inflicted' and likened it to 'death'

He said: 'I was boozing too much. It just become a problem. And Im really happy its been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but Ive got my feelings in my fingertips again.'

He also admitted to spending too much time away from his children while working on films and that he wanted to be 'better' around his family.

Brad added: 'Kids are so delicate, they absorb everything... they need to be listened to. When I get in that busy work mode, I'm not hearing. I want to be better at that.'

He and Angelina are now working out their divorce privately, through the help of group counselling as a family.
She's worked with haute couture labels including Celine, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier.

And in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Tess Haubrich revealed why she left the modelling industry for Hollywood.

'I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor,' the 27-year-old told the publication.

'I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor': Tess Haubrich, 27, revealed to The Daily Telegraph why she left the modelling industry ahead of second Hollywood blockbuster

'Even though I enjoyed modelling immensely and I was really lucky with the experiences that I got quite quickly, I just always wanted to act,' Tess admitted.

'Being a model and an actor, the lines were blurred a little bit and I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor,' the Sydney-raised star continued.

Tess currently stars as Rosenthal in Alien: Covenant, alongside Michael Fassbender.

Transition: 'Being a model and an actor, the lines were blurred a little bit and I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor,' the Sydney-raised star continued

Alien: Covenant follows the colony ship Covenant's crew during their adventure to a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy.

During their travels, the crew discover what they believe to be an uncharted paradise, but soon realise that it is actually a dark, dangerous planet.

Ridley Scott, who also made Prometheus, was the director behind the film that began the franchise: Alien, which opened in 1979 and starred Sigourney Weaver.

Former role: Prior to acting, Tess has worked with haute couture labels including Celine, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier

Blockbuster role: Tess currently stars as Rosenthal in Alien: Covenant

Following on from Alien: Covenant, Tess will next be seen in Bleeding Steel.

The personality, who once appeared in an episode of Channel Seven soap Home And Away, will star opposite Jackie Chan.

The action comedy film sees Jackie, 63, take on the role of a hardened special forces agent, who fights to protect a woman from a criminal gang.
She has never been afraid to say what she thinks on TOWIE, causing rifts with several of her cast mates.

And Chloe Sims was keen to show her co-stars who's boss on Sunday, as she joined Georgia Kousoulou at a lavish party to launch new fashion brand I Saw It First.com at the luxury Villa Casa Vella in Ibiza.

The 34-year-old looked typically chic in a form-fitting white midi dress and gold heeled sandals - but decided to make more of a statement by adding a belt which spelled out the word: 'Baddie'.

Scroll down for video

Party girls: Chloe Sims joined Georgia Kousoulou (R) at a lavish party to launch new fashion brand I Saw It First.com at the luxury Villa Casa Vella in Ibiza on Sunday

Don't mess with me:The 34-year-old looked typically chic in a white midi dress and gold sandals - but decided to make more of a statement by adding a belt which spelled: 'Baddie'

The mother-of-one exuded glamour in the slinky one-shoulder frock, which hugged her trim figure from head to toe.

The frock fell into one bardot sleeve to display her tanned decolletage, before it cut into a saucy split at the centre to give a flash of her long and lean legs underneath.

However it was the fierce accessory added at her petite waist that stole the attention from the outfit, by spelling out the fierce message in large shimmering silver letters.

Sexy: The frock fell into one bardot sleeve to display her tanned decolletage, before it cut into a saucy split at the centre to give a flash of her long and lean legs underneath

Bad girl: However it was the fierce accessory added at her petite waist that stole the attention from the outfit, by spelling out the fierce message in large shimmering silver letters

Simple chic:Chloe tied her look together with simple gold heeled sandals, a silver clutch and dramatic silver hoop earrings as she headed inside with pal Vas J Morgan (L)

Wanting to keep all eyes on the statement addition, Chloe tied her look together with simple gold heeled sandals, a silver clutch and dramatic silver hoop earrings.

Sweeping her hair off her face into a tight up-do, the reality star drew attention to her youthful and radiant complexion as she posed outside the villa - adding a dramatic smoky eye and slick of red lipstick as a finishing touch.

The blonde certainly showed onlookers who was in charge as she smouldered for cameras alongside Vas J Morgan - before heading to the bash, catered for by STK, with Georgia.

Radiant: Sweeping her hair off her face into a tight up-do, the reality star drew attention to her youthful and radiant complexion as she posed outside the villa

Glam girls: The blonde certainly showed onlookers who was in charge as she smouldered for cameras alongside Georgia (L)

Model material: The 25-year-old blonde opted for a much skimpier look than Chloe, to show off her sensationally leggy figure to all

The 25-year-old blonde opted for a much skimpier look than Chloe, to show off her sensationally leggy figure to all.

Keeping casual but cool for the night out, the beauty teamed a grungy Guns n Roses vest with a thigh-skimming mini skirt, which cut into a shorter hem at the front to display a daring amount of skin.

Adding height to her tanned frame with heeled ankle boots and a bouncy half up-do, the blonde exuded confidence as she smiled softly for cameras.

Saucy: Keeping casual but cool for the night out, the beauty teamed a grungy Guns n Roses vest with a thigh-skimming mini skirt, which cut into a shorter hem at the front

Stunning: Adding height to her tanned frame with heeled ankle boots and a bouncy half up-do, the blonde exuded confidence as she smiled softly for cameras

The girls have enjoyed a hectic time in Ibiza so far - having attended a fashion launch at STK Ibiza with former co-star Kate Wright the previous evening.

Chloe was also seen topping up her tan aboard a yacht with fellow reality star Holly Hagan.

They were joined on their next night out however by Jasmin Walia, who flaunted her envy-inducing figure in a seriously short mini skirt and backless leotard.

WOW-lia! They were joined on their next night out however by Jasmin Walia, who flaunted her envy-inducing figure in a seriously short mini skirt and backless leotard

Saucy: The former TOWIE star was not afraid to show off her toned figure in the daring cut-out one-piece, which was completely backless to display plenty of skin and a hint of sideboob

Stunning: She swept her hair to one side to display her gorgeous skin as she posed for cameras

The former TOWIE star was not afraid to show off her toned figure in the daring cut-out one-piece, which was completely backless to display plenty of skin and a hint of sideboob for cameras.

Upping the sex appeal further, she then paired the skimpy top with a skin-tight purple mini skirt, which threatened to flash her derriere with its daringly short length.

They were also joined by Nicole Bass, clad in a chic white mini dress, as she stepped out with her boyfriend Jacques Fraser.

What a pair: They were also joined by Nicole Bass, clad in a chic white mini dress, as she stepped out with her boyfriend Jacques Fraser

Loved-up: The pair beamed as they headed out for an intimate date night together

Reality affair: EOTB stars Talitha Minnis and Becca Edwards also joined Jamie O'Hara's girlfriend Elizabeth Jayne Tierney at the bash (L-R)

Showing her wild side: Talitha posed up a storm in a bold leopard print number, Becca and Elizabeth co-ordinated in figure-hugging midi dresses

Ex On The Beach stars Talitha Minnis - from series one of the show - and Becca Edwards - who previously dated Aaron Chalmers - were also in attendance.

While Talitha dazzled in a daring leopard print frock that boasted a thigh-high split, Becca opted for a slinky grey slip dress that drew attention to her plentiful bust.

The girls were joined by Jamie O'Hara's model girlfriend Elizabeth-Jayne Tierney who sported a similar frock to Becca in white and a large metallic choker.

Inside the bash that was hosted by new fashion brand I Saw It First, the reality star heavy guest list were more than happy to strike up a pose for photographers, appearing in high spirits as they revelled on the White Isle.

Strike a pose: Former MIC star Jess Woodley stopped for a snap alongside Vas, Chloe, Love Island's Tina Stinnes and Georgia Kousoulou (L-R)

Beaming: Chloe Sims and Jess Woodley looked more than happy to see each other as they cuddled up for the cameras

Stylish affair: The bash had been hosted by new online fashion brand I Saw It First

Glamorous girls: Becca, Elizabeth and Talitha oozed body confidence as they paraded their figures in their racy ensembles
She's a new addition to the judging panel on The Voice Australia.

And in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, select contestants from Kelly Rowland's team, revealed the secrets to the 36-year-old's soaring popularity.

'She's genuine and down-to-earth,' Gemma Lyon told the publication.

'She's genuine and down-to-earth': The Voice contestant Gemma Lyon, gushed over judge Kelly Rowland, 36, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph

'With Kelly, what you see is what you get,' the aspiring songstress shared.

'She's exactly how she comes across on TV. She's genuine and down-to-earth,' Gemma continued.

Fellow contestant Fasika Ayallew also reaped praise on the former Destiny's Child star, noting her ability to stand on her own.

'She didn't mention her (Beyonce) name at all. Kelly is her own artist,' she said.

Authentic: 'With Kelly, what you see is what you get,' the aspiring songstress shared. Kelly is pictured with fellow judge Delta Goodrem

Stand-up star: Fellow contestant Fasika Ayallew also reaped praise on the former Destiny's Child star, noting her ability to stand on her own: 'She didn't mention her (Beyonce) name at all. Kelly is her own artist'

Known for her strong work ethic, Kelly is taking her career now, more seriously than ever, since becoming a mother to son Titan Jewell Witherspoon, two.

'Career definitely takes the lead because I have a mouth to feed,' the personality told Woman's Day magazine earlier this month.

'I want to make sure Titan is satisfied and well taken care of. And that he has an even better situation growing up than what I had when I was a kid,' she continued.

Kelly is currently working as a mentor on The Voice Australia.

It's not the first reality singing competition that the star has featured on.

Motherhood: Known for her strong work ethic, Kelly is taking her career now, more seriously than ever, since becoming a mother to son Titan Jewell Witherspoon, two

Priorities: 'Career definitely takes the lead because I have a mouth to feed,' the personality told Woman's Day magazine earlier this month

In 2011, she served as a judge on The X Factor UK, before taking the same job for the U.S. version of the series two years later.

Last year, she teamed up with BET to create and host Chasing Destiny, a reality series about putting together the next Destiny's Child.

In addition to her music career and TV gigs, Kelly has also branched out into writing.

This year, she published her first book, Whoa, Baby!: A Guide for New Moms Who Feel Overwhelmed and Freaked Out (and Wonder What the #*% Just Happened).

She's also known for her many endorsement deals, teaming up with brands such as Claritin, Band-Aids, and Seagram's Escapes.
Emmy Rossum is a married woman.

The 30-year-old Shameless actress said 'I do' to Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail in an intimate ceremony in New York City on Sunday.

The pair were married at the East 55th Street Conservative Synagogue in front of family and friends.

Newlyweds: Just a day before saying 'I do', Emmy Rossum and Sam Esmail were spotted walking hand-in-hand in New York City

Stars who turned out for the ceremony included Robert Downey Jr., William H. Macy and Hilary Swank.

The stunning bride wore a simple off-the-shoulder white gown, which featured pleated detailing at the bust.

It also featured a patterned waistline.

Emmy wore her brown hair swept back in an elegant bun and sported a long white veil.

Keeping calm: Dressed casually, both Emmy and Sam appeared relaxed as they took a walk just one day before exchanging vows

Big day: The pair were married at the East 55th Street Conservative Synagogue in front of family and friends

She carried a bouquet of white flowers and green leaves, and wore jeweled earrings.

Meanwhile, her 39-year-old husband looked handsome in a classic black suit.

He wore a black tie and his trademark thick-rimmed glasses.

Just a day earlier, the pair were spotted strolling the streets of New York City hand-in-hand.

Building up to the big day... The Phantom Of The Opera actress has been engaged to the writer/director since August 2015

Here comes the bride... In a case of life imitating art, Emmy's character on Shameless, Fiona, was recently married, too

Dressed casually, both Emmy and Sam appeared relaxed as they took a walk just one day before exchanging vows.

The Phantom Of The Opera actress has been engaged to the writer/director since August 2015.

Emmy revealed the details of the engagement on Chelsea Handler's Netflix talk show back in 2016.

Apparently, the brunette beauty was in the bathtub when he popped the question.

Awkward: In an interview with Chelsea Handler, Emmy confessed she was in the bathtub when Sam decided to propose

'I happened to be in the bathtub when it happened,' she confessed.

'And then I realized that it was happening. And then I got out of the bathtub because I didn't want the story to be that I was in the bathtub when it was happening.'

'And then I got cold as it was still going on, got back in the bathtub. It was a comedy of errors but it all worked out.'

Best dressed: In February, the actress revealed Carolina Herrera would be designing her wedding gown during an interview at New York Fashion Week

Building a life: 'I was more excited by the idea, the concept of marriage and togetherness with the person and unity,' she'd previously said of her wedding

When asked if she was excited about the upcoming nuptials, Emmy revealed she was more focused on the actual marriage.

'I was more excited by the idea, the concept of marriage and togetherness with the person and unity,' she explained.

In February, the actress revealed Carolina Herrera would be designing her wedding gown during an interview at New York Fashion Week.

'Shes got it. Theres no rush. She can turn it around in a day. Im not concerned,' the brunette beauty told People.

So in love: 'The only thing thats really important to me is that we get married and theres some kind of party,' she said

And it seems the star's laidback attitude towards her dress extended to other aspects of the ceremony, too.

'I dont really care what the dress looks like. I dont really care what the plates look like. I dont really care what the invitation looks like,' she added.

'The only thing thats really important to me is that we get married and theres some kind of party.'
She's made a series of glamorous appearances during Cannes Film Festival.

And Bella Hadid looked red hot once again as she went to watch the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon.

The 20-year-old sizzled in a slinky red top with matching red trousers as she enjoyed pal Winnie Harlow at the big race.

Scroll down for video

Red hot! Bella Hadid sizzled in a slinky red top with matching red trousers as she went to watch the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon

The supermodel displayed a slender physique in the sexy two-piece, with the strappy top accentuating her bust.

Boosting her height with a pair of nude heeled sandals, she accessorised the look with a metallic backpack, adding a touch of sparkle to the ensemble.

Bella opted for a subtle make-up look for the day out, accentuating her lips with a rouge lipstick.

Ciao Bella! The supermodel displayed a slender physique in the sexy two-piece, with the strappy top accentuating her bust

Glam look: Boosting her height with a pair of nude heeled sandals, she accessorised the look with a metallic backpack, adding a touch of sparkle to the ensemble

Big smile: Bella looked in high spirits as she headed trackside for the hotly-anticipated race

Shielding her eyes from the sun with a pair of Dior So Real shades, she finished off her glamorous get-up with a pair of large hoop earrings.

Bella was joined by gal bal Winnie Harlow, who was no doubt supporting her rumoured flame Lewis Hamilton at the race.

Unfortunately, Lewis only managed seventh place after struggling in the qualification session on Saturday, with Sebastian Vettel claiming victory.

Winnie and Lewis reunited romance rumours as they were spotted putting on a very cosy display at the amfAR gala in Cannes on Thursday night.

Beauty: Shielding her eyes from the sun with a pair of Dior So Real shades, she finished off her glamorous get-up with a pair of large hoop earrings

Kicking back: She was later seen soaking up the sun while on board a boat in the French resort

Gal pals: Bella was joined by fellow model Winnie Harlow at the Monaco Grand Prix

Model behaviour: Winnie opted for a floral maxi dress for the event, while flashing her pink lace bra underneath

Who are you here to support? Winnie was no doubt supporting rumoured flame Lewis Hamilton at the race

Living it up: The girls were later seen relaxing on a boat, along with another female pal

Beauties: Bella opted for a subtle make-up look for the day out, accentuating her lips with a rouge lipstick

Big smiles: The girls have come straight across from the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival

Having fun: The pair showed no sign of tiredness despite their busy schedule in Cannes

They were originally linked romantically last year, despite Lewis denying they were dating.

But pictures from Thursday night's amfAR Gala told a different story with Winnie seen wrapping an affection arm around Lewis' neck as he whispered into her ear at dinner.

Lewis, who is 10 years the model's senior, even looked like he was leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek at one time.

Reunited: Winnie and her rumoured flame were spotted getting very cosy during the amfAR Gala in Cannes on Thursday night

His biggest fan? Unfortunately, Lewis only managed seventh place after struggling in the qualification session on Saturday, with Sebastian Vettel claiming victory

Flashing a big smile, Winnie looked delighted to be reunited with the Formula One champion during the star-studded event.

Lewis had denied that he was dating Winnie on The Ellen DeGeneres show last October, saying he was single and choosing to stay 'focused on my racing' instead.

He and the supermodel were first linked after they were seen leaving the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London in carefully orchestrated way in September.

Arriving in style: The stunning star made her way across from Cannes in a helicopter

Paying tribute: Lewis shared a picture of his personal tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack that killed 22 people last week

At the time The Sun reported that Winnie had struck up a bond with Lewis in July, but their relationship had recently 'stepped up a notch'.

A source told the paper: 'Lewis and Winnie have known each other for a while and partied together in New York last year, but things have stepped up a notch recently.

'They didnt want to fuel any suspicion at the awards on Tuesday so agreed to stay apart from each other and avoided getting pictured together.'

Lady in red: Other glamorous guests at the Grand Prix included Princess Charlene of Monaco, who also opted for red for the occasion

Stunning: She stunned in the form-fitting midi dress, adding a bold red lipstick to pull the whole look together

Beauty: Sporting her trademark cropped locks, Charlene showed off a flawless make-up look

Congratulations: She took to the podium to present trophies to Kimi Raikkonen (L) who came second in the race, as well as winner Sebastian Vettel (R)

Other glamorous guests at the Grand Prix included Princess Charlene of Monaco, who also opted for red for the occasion.

She stunned in the form-fitting midi dress, adding a bold red lipstick to pull the whole look together.

Charlene, 39, was accompanied by Prince Albert at the star-studded event, later taking to the podium to present trophies to the drivers at the end of the race.

Other famous faces spotted trackside included Serena Williams, actor Chris Hemsworth and model Adriana Lima.

Her prince: She was accompanied by Prince Albert at the star-studded event

A royal day out! The pair certainly enjoyed the most glamorous event of the F1 calendar

Guests: They were joined by Formula One CEO Chase Carey (L) during the race

Bumping along! Pregnant Serena Williams continued to show off her bump in a thigh-skimming dress at the Monaco Grand Prix

Glossy! She styled her raven locks in loose curls as her pregnancy glow shone through

Picture perfect! Serena posed with Thor actor Chris Hemsworth on the track

All smiles: Chris flashed a big smile as he posed with a glamorous race girl while on track

Keeping it casual: The actor opted for a casual ensemble, opting for a denim shirt and jeans

Demure darling: Model Adriana Lima, 35, dressed to impress in a plunging white blazer

Bosom buddies: Enjoying the afternoon with Spanish race car driver Carmen Jorda, the fashion star sizzled in her all white look which teased at her ample cleavage

Eye-catching: Adriana finished off her glamorous look with a pair of large shades, adding a pop of colour with a bright red lipstick

Hotting up: Blogger and fashion designer Chiara Ferragni opted for a cropped bardot top and denim shorts for the Grand Prix
Amber Heard was seen on a romantic date with billionaire boyfriend Elon Musk in Sydney.

The 31-year-old actress wore a plunging red dress while she locked arms with her 45-year-old beau in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Ever the gentleman, Musk draped his jacket over the blonde beauty to keep her warm in the chilly night air.

Lovers locked: Amber Heard, 31, was seen on a romantic date with billionaire boyfriend Elon Musk, 45, in Sydney on Sunday

Walking arm in arm, it was clear the two were getting along famously as they strolled along the busy city street in the central business district.

Elon kept a hand on Amber's shoulder as they talked and laughed on their walk.

The two are in the country while Amber films her latest project - Aquaman - on the Gold Coast.

Elon has accompanied his new love down under, and when not busy on set the two have been spotted making the most of the country's many attractions.

The two were spotted later boarding his private jet with his sons Griffin and Xavier.

Chivalry is alive: Ever the gentleman, Musk draped his jacket over the blonde beauty to keep her warm in the chilly night air

Touchdown: The couple could not keep their hands off each other as they enjoyed the stroll

Before her date night with Elon, Amber was photographed hard at work on set with co-star Jason Momoa.

She plays the main female lead opposite Game Of Thrones star Momoa's title character in the DC Comics blockbuster as his love interest and is the queen of their undersea nation, Atlantis.

But in real life it's all about Elon for Amber, after the Tesla boss embarked on a months-long campaign to win her affections. In a bid to win over the actress he even gifted her one of his fancy electric cars it has been claimed.

Movie star: Amber has been busy filming Aquaman on the Gold Coast with Jason Momoa

A friend of the inventor told Us Weekly: 'Elon has been pursuing Amber... But she wouldnt go out with him for a long time.

'She finally gave in,' the insider added. 'He even got her a Tesla!'

The actress only confirmed her relationship with the father of five in April.

The couple were first linked last summer, after being spotted together on several occasions both in London and Miami.

On set: She plays opposite Momoa's title character in the DC Comics blockbuster as his love interest and is the queen of their undersea nation, Atlantis

Musk reportedly 'became infatuated' with Amber after the two appeared in the 2013 film Machete Kills, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Although the pair did not get a chance to meet on set, he is said to have emailed director Robert Rodriguez repeatedly in the hope that he could set up a meeting between himself and the actress - despite the fact that she was still with Johnny Depp at the time.

Heard and Depp met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011, were married in 2014 and separated in 2016.

Elon is also recently out of a relationship as he was granted his second divorce from Talulah Riley in November of last year.
The Life Swap Adventure (BBC2)

Rating:

When Malawi farmer George first opened his eyes in London on The Life Swap Adventure (BBC2), he saw a city crammed with people. And they were all looking at their smartphones.

It is abnormal, murmured George in puzzlement. I am not judging, but that is my observation.

He stared at his hand and imitated the posture of the British commuter, engrossed in a screen the size of a banknote while oblivious to the rest of the world.

George noticed soon after landing that Britons are addicted to their phones and demonstrated to the cameras how he saw people walking on the streets while looking at their mobiles

John from the Life Swap Adventure after being dropped in Guyana

George tries out beekeeping in Essex

Sometimes it takes an outside eye to reveal what we cant see ourselves. Weve become a nation of automatons, enslaved by those slivers of electronics.

QUICK NIP OF THE WEEKEND Curate Leonard (Al Weaver) was swigging from a whisky flask at the altar before the big wedding in Grantchester (ITV). Then he really got carried away  hes not meant to be the one kissing the bride. Advertisement

Thats how a childrens sci-fi show in the Sixties might have imagined the human race in the 21st century  bumbling through the streets with their gazes fixed on pocket communication devices. Its very Doctor Who, very Star Trek.

But the Doctor would have fried all the hypnotic smartphones with one flick of his magic wand. Oh, for a sonic screwdriver.

Farmer George came from a world so different from ours that it might as well have been on another planet.

George trying seawater at Southend-on-Sea, thousands of miles from his home in Guyana

He and his family eke an existence growing sweet potatoes and ground nuts on four acres of dusty ground in East Africa.

They are two hours drive away from the nearest shops. Every bucket of water has to be carried three miles, and it has barely rained for two years.

George was swapping places for a week with stressed-out Essex consultant John, whose reaction to the simple life was unsurprising: he loved it. The hut walls were made from mud bricks and his bed was a mattress on the dirt floor, but John was in tears of happiness for most of the week.

A life of hard graft and meals with the family was all he asked.

We learned so much more from Georges reaction to our culture. Thoughtful, charming and wise, this elegant man of 50 had come to Britain pick up ideas, and he soon had a brainwave. Spotting some hives on a suburban allotment, he realised honey could be much more profitable than sweet potatoes. And it would require less digging.

But his biggest insight came as he watched BBC News on Johns widescreen TV. Presenter Simon McCoy was onscreen and George was taken with his sartorial style. Nice necktie, he murmured, Ive never seen one of those.

Sure enough, by the time George flew back to Africa, he was sporting a raffish silk tie. Not all Western innovations are to be dismissed.

Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors (BBC2)

Rating:

A portrait of English novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817)

Historian Lucy Worsley took us sightseeing in a different world by another technique, travelling back two centuries to visit houses where one of our best-loved writers lived in Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors (BBC2).

She strolled the streets of Bath, familiar to millions of tourists each year, and encouraged us to picture them in an unrecognisable miasma of 19th-century snobbery and disease. Bath society was ruled by a rigid hierarchy, where women spent hours each day calling at each others homes and leaving calling cards.

But it was also rife with sickness and swarming with mosquitoes in summer thanks to the pools of stagnant water.

Janes father probably died from malaria caught in Bath  and thats not what you expect from a city with world heritage status.

Dr Lucy, usually too prone to diving into the costume box, curbed her exuberance, and allowed us to picture the clothes and the carriages in our minds eye. The documentary was much better for it.
She has already been described as being on a man detox.

And now Sheridan Smith has sent fans into a frenzy by triggering speculation that she may have fallen for a close female friend.

The 35-year-old star and Wendy Glenn, who is also an actress, have been posting gushing messages online in which they refer to each other as their wife.

Scroll down for video

Companionship: Sheridan Smith has sent fans into a frenzy by triggering speculation that she may have fallen for close female friend Wendy Glenn (left)

And the pair have now been spotted looking very cosy while out in Southampton, where Miss Smith has been performing on her Funny Girl tour.

Miss Smith carried her new puppy Dumbo as she held her friends hand. At one point Miss Glenn pulled the former Gavin and Stacey actress in to kiss her on her head.

On Friday, Miss Smith posted a photo of a fry-up on picture-sharing platform Instagram and wrote, Being spoilt by the wife, to which fans commented Wendy Glenn is a total keeper and I love that she is looking after you.

In another photo of her friend in a bikini last week, she wrote: Tell me the best way to propose to this girl?!

Pictured: Miss Glenn put her arm around Miss Smith who carried her new puppy Dumbo on the walk along Southampton seafront

I'll be there for you! The pair have been spotted looking very cosy while out and about and have kept fans guessing with gushing social media posts

Snuggles: Miss Smith shared a photograph of her cuddled up to Miss Glenn and new pet Dumbo

And Miss Glenn, who normally lives in LA, posted a photo of herself on the weekend in Southamptons Mayflower Theatre, where Miss Smith is performing, with the caption: Waiting for the missus to do her thang #proudwife.

One fan wrote can I come to the wedding?, while another said: I dont know what to think. I thought you two were teasing us.

Miss Glenn, who has starred in Hollyoaks and US police drama CSI: Miami and featured on the covers of Maxim and FHM magazines, also shared a picture of herself and Miss Smith cuddling with Dumbo and wrote: Obsessed.

Miss Smith  who last year had a difficult time following her split from actor boyfriend Greg Wood, a public meltdown while performing in the West End and the death of her father from cancer  certainly seems much happier.

Miss Glenn (left), who has starred in Hollyoaks and US police drama CSI: Miami and featured on the covers of Maxim and FHM magazines, also shared a picture of herself and Miss Smith (right) cuddling with Dumbo and wrote: Obsessed'

She has undergone a dramatic physical transformation in recent weeks and has also enjoyed a close friendship with her personal trainer, former Olympian Sarah Lindsay, as the Mail revealed earlier this month.

The trainer, who is a speed-skating champion, called Miss Smith gorgeous on Instagram and wrote love this firecracker, while the actress shared a picture of their pair at the polo with the caption: Had the best day with this one.

A friend said of Miss Smiths recent transformation: Even now, when shes only been on the new regime for a few weeks, you can see the difference. Shes on cracking form and loving life again.

Sarah has quickly become more than a trainer. They are great friends.

Miss Smith has also been helped by moving to the countryside. She lives in a four-bedroom cottage in Buckinghamshire with a growing number of dogs, including a pair of chihuahuas she recently adopted called Phil and Grant. She has become a familiar sight to locals, who say she looks domesticated and happy.

Miss Smith has had several unsuccessful relationships, including with ex-Gavin and Stacey co-star James Corden.

She has not been seen out with a man since her split from Hollyoaks star Wood early last year and, according to a source, she has been on a self-proclaimed man detox.

She was forced to gain weight earlier this year for her critically-acclaimed role in gritty drama The Moorside, based on the kidnap of Shannon Matthews.

At the Olivier Awards last month, she was frank about her weight struggle, admitting: Ive still got a load, but Im trying to lose it.

A representative for Miss Smith declined to comment.
Coronation Street stars took a break from filming to take part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday.

Joining thousands of members of the public for the annual race, the Rover Return regulars joined the masses who bravely took part in the city's first major event since last week's terror attack.

Among the dozens of stars to take part in the race was actress Kym Marsh, running in aid of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Scroll down for video

Charity: Coronation Street star Kym Marsh was among the celebrities to take part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday, marking the city's first major event since last week's terror attack

Kym, who plays Michelle Connor in the long running ITV soap, looked lean and healthy as she took part in the 10K route.

Dressed in green with green teddy bear ears attached Kym sported a smile as she chugged along comfortably.

After the race Kym managed to give a thumbs up of approval as she was congratulated by friends and family.

Fit as a fiddle: Dressed in green with green teddy bear ears attached Kym sported a smile and gave the thumbs up after the race

Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop was all smiles as he geared up for his race.

Dressed in a sporty grey hoody and orange Nike t-shirt the funnyman appeared quietly confident about posting a good time.

John embodied the unification of the city by coming out to support Mancunians, and before setting off to run said: 'I lived in Manchester for 20 years of my life and everything that's important to me came from Manchester - my wife, my kids are from here, I started comedy here and I ran this race 10 years ago.

Raring to go: Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop was all smiles as he geared up for his race

'When I heard about the events of this week, I think it just felt important for me to be here and show a sense of solidarity.'

Posing together happily after the race, Loose Women star Denise Welch and Sally Webster actress Sally Denvour.

The pair - who once played love rivals on Corrie - looked in great spirits as they posed for a photograph together.

Denise wore a Teenage Cancer Trust t-shirt and sported a healthy tan.

While Sally, also wearing teddy bear ears, dressed in green for a cancer charity.

Double trouble: Posing together happily after the race, former Corrie love rivals Denise Welch and actress Sally Denvour looked in great shape

Mayor-effort: Manchester mayor Andy Burnham looked sprightly as he crossed the line wearing a 'I love Manchester' t-shirt advertising the Red Cross Emergency fund for the victims

Moment of silence: The junior races kicked off this morning and before the main race the runners fell silent for a minute to remember the victims of Monday night's terror attack

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham looked sprightly as he crossed the line wearing a 'I love Manchester' t-shirt advertising the Red Cross Emergency fund for the victims.

The junior races kicked off this morning and before the main race the runners fell silent for a minute to remember the victims of Monday night's terror attack.

As well as elite runners and actors, 40,000 charity runners took part to raise money for a number of causes - including a fund for the families of the Manchester bombing's victims.

Tens of thousands of defiant runners turned out to pound the pavements in the first major city-centre event since 22 people were killed by the Manchester bomber

There were initial fears the Great Manchester Run would be abandoned after the atrocity on Monday night, but organisers vowed the annual event for 40,000 would go ahead amid heightened security

Tribute: As well as elite runners and actors, 40,000 charity runners took part to raise money for a number of causes - including a fund for the families of the Manchester bombing's victims




She's the latest in a slew of beauties to be pictured cavorting with womanizer Scott Disick during his week-long birthday celebrations.

And it was obvious why the troubled reality star was so charmed by Sofia Richie, as she showed off her figure in a white swimsuit the next day.

The teen - at 18 she is 16 years father-of-three Disick's junior - looked incredible in the high-cut bathing suit as she soaked up the sun with pals.

But while Scott appeared besotted as he flirted up a storm with the teen on Friday in Cannes, it seems he's unlikely to have any chance of taking things further.

No wonder Scott can't leave her alone! Sofia Richie strips to her swimsuit for yacht day in Monnaco on Saturday ahead of the Grand Prix

Besties: The young model was pictured having fun with friends including fellow model and Justin Bieber's ex Chantel Jeffries

Girl's have more fun: The group of young models were enjoying one another's company

What a spot: The group were spending the day aboard the luxury yacht in Monaco during the 2017 Grand Prix

When the pictures emerged of the duo engaging in some playful banter, Sofia rushed to shoot down any suggestion of romance.

'Just so everyone can get their panties out of their asses, Scott and I are just homies,' the young model tweeted on Sunday - making her feelings on the matter quite clear.

Interestingly, having first tagged the post 'I love you Chloe' - a reference to Scott's ex, she later changed this to 'relax'.

Back on boardL Flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder, Sofia climbed aboard

Not interested! Sofia shot down any suggestion she might want to date Scott

No way! 'Just so everyone can get their panties out of their asses, Scott and I are just homies,' she tweeted

And Scott was obviously far from Sofia's mind as the young model lounged around on Saturday with friends including fellow model and Justin Bieber's ex Chantel Jeffries.

Having moved on from Cannes, the group were spending the day aboard a luxury yacht moored in Monaco for the 2017 Grand Prix.

And they weren't just soaking up the sun - with Sofia showing off her skills as she took charge of a jet ski and buzzed around the pleasure craft.

He's got no chance: At 18, Sofia is 16 years father-of-three Scott's junior

Model daughter: Sofia is the daughter of pop star Lionel Richie

Flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder as she climbed aboard after taking a spin, the dripping wet star then showered off the salt water with the help of her pals.

Clearly not bothered by people's judgey eyes, the model posted some late night yachting shots that featured Scott Sunday on Instagram.

In the famous offspring's on-deck shot of her boating pals, Lord Disick is pictured along with stylist Chloe Bartoli (one of his rumored flames), fashion businessman Cedric Benaroch, and producer Steve Deez.

Living the life: But while Sofia - the daughter of pop star Lionel Richie - obviously wouldn't be caught dead dating Disick, there are plenty of others who would

Ready to go: Safety came first as Sofia prepped to take a spin on a jet ski

Off we go! The beauty showed off her skills as she buzzed around the pleasurecraft

While Sofia - the daughter of pop star Lionel Richie - obviously wouldn't be caught dead dating Disick, there are plenty of others who would.

Scott arrived in the South of France with actress Bella Thorne, 19, earlier in the week - who soon fled home with friends said she felt 'used' and 'humiliated'.

After returning to the US, Bella wrote on Instagram: 'Couldn't be happier to be back home.'

The previous day: Scott was pictured flirting up a storm with Sofia in Cannes on Friday

Hands on: But the young model made it clear that the father-of-three had no chance

He swiftly moved onto stylist Chloe Bartoli, 26 - his ex-girlfriend and the same woman he was caught cheating with in 2015, triggering his split with Kourtney Kardashian, the mother of his three children.

He was then pictured with his ex girlfriend Ella Ross who was joined by her pal, stunning UK blogger Maggie Petrova - with all three soaking up the sun and having fun in a luxury pool.

And that's that! Sofia has no intention of dating the womanizer

Living it up: Scott, Sofia and their pals are enjoying the South of France; they are seen posing for a Snapchat image

Despite their sexy display in the pool, Maggie revealed exclusively to MailOnline: 'I'm good friends with Ella Ross, there is nothing going on with me and Scott, just friendship'.

It's been rumored that Scott - who shares children Mason, seven, Reign, two and Penelope, four, with Kourtney - is on a mission to make his ex jealous.

However if true, that may have backfired - the latest pictures surfaced as reports emerged that Kourtney was seriously considering curtailing the reality star's access to their three children in he wake of his womanizing behavior.

White gold: The teen talent posted an after dark picture where she wore a cool silk jacket

Lil Yachty! The famous offspring shared an on-deck shot of her boating pals, where Lord Disick was pictured along with stylist Chloe Bartoli, fashion businessman Cedric Benaroch, and producer Steve Deez
They were introduced by a mutual friend in October last year.

And while Sam Frost has denied dating rumours with Dave Bashford since they were spied getting close on Australia Day, it appears their romance is heating up.

The pair were recently seen on a 'low-key date' in Bondi and on another occasion where 'they shared a kiss and Sam paid the bill', according to Woman's Day.

Scroll down for video

New love: While Sam Frost has denied dating rumours with Dave Bashford since they were spied getting close on Australia Day, it appears their romance is heating up

The former Bachelorette star, 28, was spotted 'strolling side by side' with Dave, a member of the Australian Armed Forces, last week in the beachside eastern suburb.

She was dressed in denim cut-off shorts and a pink Lee Denim jumper, while Dave also wore a pink shirt and brown board shorts.

The twosome carried beach towels and Dave walked the streets without shoes, indicating they were headed for a swim.

Starry-eyed: The former Bachelorette star, 28, was spotted 'strolling side by side' with Dave, a member of the Australian Armed Forces, last week in the beachside eastern suburb

They were seen months earlier in February enjoying dinner together at Brick Lane restaurant in Double Bay.

The former reality star allegedly paid for the meal, where the couple were caught 'sharing a kiss'.

According to the magazine, Sam has denied she is in a relationship and recently described her dating life as 'really unexciting'.

Heating up: The pair were recently seen on a 'low-key date' in Bondi and on another occasion where 'they shared a kiss and Sam paid the bill'

She was introduced to Dave by their mutual friend and her Bachelor alum Sarah-Mae Amey in October last year.

They were spotted getting close on Australia Day, during a picnic with friends by the beach.

The published pictures showed the radio host cosying up with Bondi-based Dave, as he went without a shirt during the celebrations.

Rebuttal: Her representative told Daily Mail Australia at the time: 'Dave is one of Sams mates, hes not a boyfriend'

In one photograph, Sam smiled as the pair wrapped their arms around one another, as Dave leaned in for what appeared to be an intimate embrace.

Her representative told Daily Mail Australia at the time: 'Dave is one of Sams mates, hes not a boyfriend'

Sam split from her Bachelorette love Sasha Mielczarek two days before Christmas last year, after a year and a half together.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Sam's representatives for comment.

Former flame: Sam split from her Bachelorette love Sasha Mielczarek two days before Christmas last year, after a year and a half together
Karl Stefanovic risks 'derailing' his TV career with his 'out-of-character' and 'cringeworthy' behaviour, according to Woman's Day.

The Today host, 42, has been enjoying his new romance with girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough, 33, since going public earlier this month.

But Karl, who split from wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn last year, has allegedly surprised friends with his behaviour.

Too much? Karl Stefanovic risks 'derailing' his TV career with his 'out-of-character' and 'cringeworthy' behaviour, reports Woman's Day. Pictured with girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough

And the publication even claimed his brother Peter Stefanovic and sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys are 'worried' about his 'attention-seeking' antics.

An industry insider said: 'There have been rumours for months that Karl is sick of working at Today and wants out.

'Now his bizarre behaviour is making everyone wonder if he's purposefully trying to distance himself from his old image.'

Gossip: The magazine even claimed Karl's brother Peter Stefanovic (left) and sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys (right) are 'worried' about his 'attention-seeking' antics

He likes to party! Karl has allegedly surprised his friends with his behaviour. Pictured carrying model Jordan Barrett, 20, at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week earlier this month

The magazine also reported Sylvia has 'continued to distance herself' from Jasmine, who notably did not attend her wedding in early April.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.

For months, Karl and Jasmine tried to conceal their relationship as he faced media scrutiny following his separation from Cassandra.

Not on the guest list? It is reported Sylvia has 'continued to distance herself' from Jasmine, who notably did not attend her wedding in early April

Their romance was confirmed in February when the couple were photographed kissing and cuddling on a yacht in Sydney.

But they did not make their public debut until months later, sitting front row at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Since then, Karl and Jasmine have been pictured together on lunch dates and she has even stayed at his home while in Sydney.

A new chapter? As Karl moves past his marriage to Cassandra Thorburn (pictured) an insider claims his 'bizarre' behaviour suggests he is 'trying to distance himself from his old image'

In happier times! Karl separated from wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn (left) last year and is now dating younger model Jasmine Yarbrough
Indian army soldiers stand next to a burning house where two Kashmiri rebels were killed during a gunfight in the Tral area south of Srinagar on May 27, 2017

A civilian was killed after clashes broke out between protesters and government forces following the death of a top rebel commander in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said Saturday.

Authorities imposed a curfew in many parts of the main Srinagar city as violence spread across the restive region after Sabzar Ahmad Bhat's death on Saturday.

Bhat, head of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, was killed in a gunfight with government forces in Tral area, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Srinagar.

One of Bhat's fighters was also killed in the gun battle, which erupted late Friday after government forces cordoned off a village following an intelligence tip-off.

Police said hundreds of villagers tried to break the cordon by throwing rocks at security forces.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the protester was killed after troops opened fire on the villagers.

At least three other protesters sustained bullet injuries in the clashes.

The nearly 16-hour gunfight ended early Saturday when Bhat and his associate were killed.

"Yes, both of them were gunned down and the operation is still going on," police chief Shesh Pal Vaid told AFP.

Hizbul Mujahideen is the largest indigenous rebel group fighting against Indian-rule in the Himalayan territory since an armed rebellion broke-out in 1989.

Bhat succeeded charismatic militant leader Burhan Wani after he was killed in a gunfight in July, which triggered months of anti-India protests in which nearly 100 people died.

Wani's popularity grew after he extensively used social media to post pictures of himself and of other gun-wielding young militants in army fatigues to attract new recruits for the rebel group that has seen its ranks swell in recent years.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir valley, one of the world's most heavily militarised areas, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947 but both claim the territory in its entirety.

On Saturday, in a separate incident, the Indian army said it had killed six militants who had infiltrated across the border from Pakistan in the Himalayan region.

Two suspected militants were killed in the same region on Friday, the Indian army said.

Several armed rebel groups are fighting against Indian rule, with tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, killed in the nearly three decades-old conflict.
Google's new initiative called "Attribution" aims to link online ads and offline purchases to help measure the effectiveness of internet marketing campaigns

Google is testing a way to tie online ads to brick-and-mortar store purchases, a move whetting marketing appetites while fueling privacy worries.

A product called "Google Attribution" was unveiled at a marketing conference this month in San Francisco by the internet giant. Google has long been able to determine when users click on an ads and make a purchase, but linking online and offline habits takes its analytics a step further.

Google senior vice president Sridhar Ramaswamy, who announced that Attribution is in test mode with a limited number of partners and will be rolled out to more advertisers in coming weeks, touted the tool as being able to answer the long-challenging question of whether marketing campaigns are working.

"Google Attribution makes it possible for every marketer to measure the impact of their marketing across devices and across channels," Ramaswamy said.

"Data-driven attribution uses machine learning to determine how much credit to assign to each step in the consumer journey -- from the first time they engage with your brand for early research down to the final click before purchase."

Real-world customer email addresses or loyalty plan information can be woven with Google data from services such as AdWords, Google Analytics and DoubleClick Search to provide "a complete view" of marketing performance, according to the company.

Using artificial intelligence, or machine learning, to better analyze and understand consumer behavior to target ads and promote sales was a major theme of the conference.

- Ad 'holy grail' -

For several years now, AdWords has enabled advertisers to measure visits to real-world stores stemming from online campaigns, Ramaswamy noted.

"Still, measuring store visits is just one part of the equation," Ramaswamy said.

"You also need insights into how your online ads drive sales for your business."

Real-world transactions matched back to Google ads are handed in "a secure and privacy-safe way," with store sales information reported in aggregated and anonymized forms to protect individual privacy, according to the company.

Tying online activity to offline shopping decisions has been a "holy grail" for advertisers for quite some time, and comes with worrisome privacy implications, according to ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley.

Attribution threatens to intrude on a core tenant of privacy, that people can have dealings with one party not spill over into affairs with other parties they interact with, Stanley contended.

"This is an evolution, not a revolution; another step toward increased monitoring of individuals," Stanley said.

"Each step raises the question 'Where does this all stop?'"

Stanley expected Google to be on its best behavior when it came to handling the growing trove of information about users, but that even the best of intentions could crack under the "enormous hydraulic pressure of the profit motive."

"We have the full fury and genius of the capitalist system being driven toward monitoring people in ever increasing detail and companies are competing to do so," Stanley said

"It will not stop without some sort of rules in which we as a society express our values through legal protections."

- More tempting ads? -

Google and Facebook dominate the online ad world, and what one does to prove its worth to advertisers is likely to be copied by the other, according to Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.

Attribution promised to give Google a way to assure advertisers they are getting their money's worth at the firm's online venues.

"The big problem is that showing conversion from ad consumption to purchase has been horrible," Enderle said of online marketing.

"This has been a problem for a long time. Google is trying to make a metric so they get credit for it when you do purchase after viewing an ad."

Data showing which ads are translating into real sales should mean that the relevance of ads people see online will improve as marketers abandon mis-aimed or ineffectively tailored messages, the analyst reasoned.

"You are going to be hit with ads for things that you might actually want to buy, so you are going to spend a lot more money," Enderle predicted.

Worries about privacy sparked by linking offline and online activities are a decade or so late, because the time to protest was when collection began of the troves of data about people, the analyst argued.

"There really is no downside to this application," Enderle said while discussing Google's marketing metrics move.

"This is the good side of collecting data; it is what else is being done with the data that should be unnerving and that we really don't know."
Plans to expand the Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor power station are on hold

A gray dinosaur statue outside south Florida's largest power plant is meant to symbolize two decommissioned fossil fuel reactors, but it also could be seen to represent a nuclear industry crumpling under mounting costs.

Almost a decade ago, Turkey Point was aiming to become one of the country's largest nuclear plants.

Florida Power and Light had argued that such expansion was needed to maintain diverse energy sources and to supply Florida's booming population for years to come, while touting nuclear as a clean form of energy.

But now, just three reactors are in operation - one natural gas and two nuclear reactors, built in the 1970s.

And plans to build two more nuclear reactors -- first announced in 2009 -- are essentially on hold for at least four years, according to filings with the state's Public Service Commission.

"Right now our only focus is on getting all the approvals we need," company spokesman Peter Robbins told AFP.

"We are not buying construction materials."

- Westinghouse bankruptcy -

Earlier this year, the bankruptcy of Westinghouse, builder of the AP1000 reactor -- the model scheduled for use at plants in South Carolina and Georgia as well as Turkey Point -- rattled the industry.

The dinosaur statue outside the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant was intended to symbolise the fate of fossil fuel power generation

Both projects are now years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

"We are very closely monitoring the two new nuclear projects going on," Robbins said.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy estimates that construction on Turkey Point has been delayed until 2028 at the earliest, with costs expected to balloon to over $20 billion.

FPL has refused to publicly revise its projections at Turkey Point, for now.

"We don't think there is value in coming up with a new cost or schedule until those reactors are closer to completion," Robbins said.

- Controversial project -

The project has been controversial from the start, and casts the spotlight on wider concerns about nuclear power.

Critics have pointed to the rising seas from climate change, risks of storm surge, radioactive waste and threats to drinking water and wildlife at the site, nestled near Everglades National Park, as reasons to stop nuclear expansion.

Complaints have also centered on the difficulty of evacuating the densely populated area around the plant in case of emergency. Miami-Dade County is home to 2.6 million people.

"Investing tens of billions of dollars on a power plant that will be underwater one day, along with the highly radioactive waste it will produce, makes no sense," said fishing captain Dan Kipnis, one of the activists who is fighting to stop the project.

Legal challenges to the plant's planned expansion began in 2010, and continued this month with a hearing before the Atomic Safety Board.

Over the course of the two-day hearing, environmental scientists and lawyers wrangled over whether the porous limestone in Florida could really contain wastewater injected underground, without allowing toxic chemicals to seep upward into drinking water.

Currently, Turkey's Point's two nuclear reactors use a series of cooling canals to treat wastewater.

These canals were confirmed last year to be leaking into a nearby national park, after a radioactive isotope, tritium, was found at up to 215 times the normal levels in the waters of Biscayne Bay.

The three-judge safety board panel is expected to rule by year's end on whether an operating license should be granted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

- Time never came -

Throughout Florida, FPL is expanding its solar installations, and is shuttering coal plants.

Its energy mix is 70 percent natural gas, 17 percent nuclear, with the rest divided between solar, oil and coal.

Meanwhile, the ever-dropping cost of natural gas is making nuclear less attractive every day, analysts say.

"Most people think Turkey Point will never get built," said Mark Cooper, senior research fellow at the Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School, referring to FPL's proposed two new nuclear reactors.

"It turns out it was not the environmentalists, it was not the lawsuits," Cooper told AFP.

"They could not deliver a safe, economically viable product. They couldn't do it in the '80s and they can't do it today," said Cooper.

"Nuclear power is a technology whose time never came."
President John F. Kennedy, shown in this file photo with his wife Jacqueline as they arrived in Dallas on the day he was killed in 1963, barely served 1,000 days in office

John F. Kennedy -- young, heroic, charismatic -- embodied the overflowing promise of possibility of 20th century America, until an assassin's bullet ended his life in November 1963.

One hundred years after his birth, the youngest man ever elected president, who once urged Americans to strive for the "New Frontier," is still a political icon, and the country is celebrating his legacy, which lives on most visibly in his family.

"It's an opportunity to reflect on what president Kennedy stood for, and the belief and commitment he had to solve every challenge in front of him," Congressman Joe Kennedy III, a great-nephew of the president, told AFP.

The lanky, red-haired grandson of slain attorney general Robert F. Kennedy is part of the family's third generation to carry the political torch, entering the House of Representatives in 2013.

For all but two years since 1947 -- nearly a third of the history of the United States -- a Kennedy has served in elective office. They are the quintessential American dynasty, the closest thing the country has to royalty.

JFK's legacy, said the 36-year-old lawmaker from Massachusetts, is "his call for all Americans, regardless of size or shape or background, to serve their country."

"Many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have stopped me to say they have been inspired by his call to service."

First lady Jackie Kennedy became a global phenomenon, their White House social sessions were the stuff of legend and lawmakers of all political stripes embraced the comity.

"There was sort of an aura around the Kennedy White House," recalled Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee who was a US Navy pilot during JFK's tenure.

"It was just a magic time," he told AFP.

Kennedy barely served 1,000 days in office before he was assassinated. His brother Robert was killed on the presidential campaign trail in 1968.

Americans ultimately transcended the tragedies. JFK is seen as the president who, perhaps more than any other, most transformed the way the nation viewed itself. Kennedy was its eternal optimist.

- 'Missed him every day' -

The longest-serving public official in the family, liberal lion Ted Kennedy, died in 2009 after serving 47 years in the US Senate.

JFK's daughter Caroline Kennedy and his great-nephew Joseph Kennedy are among those continuing the Kennedy clan's tradition of public service

Several Kennedy clan members are still in public life, and more may be on the way.

JFK's daughter Caroline Kennedy, who was US ambassador to Japan for three years under president Barack Obama, is considering a run for public office, perhaps for Congress, according to the New York Post.

"I've thought about him and missed him every day of my life," the 59-year-old said of her father.

He "inspired a generation that transformed America," she said in a video released by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to mark the anniversary, which will be celebrated in a series of events in Washington and Boston.

She added that people have told her that "he inspired them to work and fight and believe in a better world -- to give something back to this country that has given so much to so many."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, 63, is an environmentalist and a leading proponent of the widely debunked theory that vaccines cause autism.

In February, he said he had met weeks earlier with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss possible formation of a "vaccine safety commission."

Joe Kennedy said there are "plenty" of younger relatives who might enter politics, without getting into specifics.

"The thread running through us is that we're seeking a way to serve," he said.

It was in his 1961 inauguration speech, one of the most famous in US presidential history, that Kennedy issued such a poignant challenge to the nation's younger generations.

"My fellow Americans," Kennedy posed on a frigid January morning: "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."

- Passing the torch -

In the era of Trump, an age of political polarization, making comparisons to Kennedy's Camelot can be jarring.

"This lack of comity and civility would shock John F. Kennedy, because he had friends in the Republican Party who were very close," said James Thurber, founder of the Department of Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington.

Thurber also said Kennedy likely would have been tougher than Trump on Russia and its President Vladimir Putin.

"He'd be tough with them about what they're doing in Syria and their relationships with Iran. He was a realist," Thurber said.
Uber founder Travis Kalanick's mother has been killed in a boating accident that also left his father seriously hurt

The mother of Travis Kalanick, founder of the on-demand ride service Uber, was killed in a boating accident and his father was seriously hurt, authorities and a company official said Saturday.

An initial investigation showed that Bonnie Kalanick, 71, died Friday after the boat she was in struck a rock in Pine Flat Lake near the central California city of Fresno, the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner's Office said in a statement.

"Last night Travis and his family suffered an unspeakable tragedy. His mother passed away in a devastating boating accident near Fresno and his father is in serious condition," an Uber representative said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and his family in this heartbreaking time."

Authorities responding to a call of a boating accident found Kalanick's parents on the shore of the lake.

Kalanick's father had moderate injuries, and his mother was dead, authorities said.

The boat sank in the lake and was to be retrieved to determine the circumstances of the accident.

"An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday. This remains an ongoing investigation," the Fresno Sheriff-Coroner's Office said.

Travis Kalanick runs privately-held Uber, which is valued at about $68 billion.

In the past several months, the company has been rocked by disclosures about a culture of sexism, cut-throat workplace tactics and the covert use of law enforcement-evading software.

Kalanick, known for taking a hard line in battles with regulators and taxi operators, has been humbled by recent events which included the release of a dashcam video showing him berating one of Uber's drivers.
Colonel Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu led attempts to form the breakaway Republic of Biafra -- the succession struggle resulted in about 1 million deaths

Fifty years ago, the Igbo people of southeast Nigeria seceded, declaring an independent Republic of Biafra and sparking a brutal civil war that left about one million people dead.

- Coups and secession -

On May 30, 1967, the military head of Nigeria's eastern region, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declares "the independent Republic of Biafra".

His move comes two days after the head of Nigeria's military government, General Yakubu Gowon, divided the federation into 12 states, including three in the east.

Biafra, accounting for less than 10 percent of Nigerian territory, at the time had a population of 14 million out of 55 million nationwide.

Its mainly Christian population was two-thirds Igbo.

Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria had managed to stay a single entity despite historic enmity between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south.

But the Igbos felt discriminated against by the two other main ethnic groupings, the northern Hausa-Fulani and the Yoruba in the southwest.

In January 1966, Nigeria suffered its first military coup, led by the Igbo General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi. A counter-coup launched in the north in July kills Ironsi and many of his senior Igbo officers.

Thousands of Igbo civilians are killed in reprisals, especially in the north, and millions of survivors flee back to the southeast.

The government rejects the secession of the southeast, which is rich in agricultural and mineral resources, especially oil.

- Bombardments and blockade -

Gowon announces a general mobilisation and denounces the independence declaration as "an act of rebellion", saying it will be "crushed". The military imposes a blockade on eastern Nigeria.

On July 6 the army unleashes a general offensive with its first air bombardments.

In October federal troops take Biafra's capital, Enugu, then the port of Calabar. Onitsha and Port Harcourt are recaptured in the first months of 1968.

Britain, the Soviet Union and the Organisation of African Unity (the forerunner to the African Union) side with the federal government.

Only a few African countries and France back Biafra.

- Humanitarian drama -

On July 3, 1968 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that eight to 12 million people are affected by the conflict and that 200 people a day are dying of starvation in Biafra.

"One would think we were seeing ghosts marching past, thin and silent, wrapped in grey rags," an AFP special correspondent reports in August.

"Nearly all are women of all ages and old people... there are no longer many children in Biafra.

"The refugees travel, their stomachs empty, fleeing the noise of federal cannon. The noose is tightening."

In late August he writes of a million new refugees in 15 days as the army advances.

"One person dies every 15 minutes... refugees are dying from starvation and exhaustion," he reports.

The Biafra famine caused by the blockade makes headlines around the world, with heartrending photographs of children, stomachs bloated by malnutrition, their legs bent with rickets.

A handful of French doctors working for the ICRC, including the future French government minister Bernard Kouchner, brush aside convention and political borders to launch an aid effort.

In 1971, they go on to found Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

- 'No victor, no vanquished' -

From August to September 1968 the army retakes several towns after a major offensive.

In March-April 1969, the new Biafran capital, Umuahia, falls.

After raids by secessionists on oil wells, Nigerian troops reinforce their blockade, and in June start preventing international Red Cross aid flights.

Only Christian churches and the French Red Cross continue their aid flights in ever more dangerous conditions.

In early January 1970 the army begins its final assault, and on January 15, Biafra ceases to exist.

Ojukwu flees on January 11 to Ivory Coast, leaving his deputy, Philip Effiong, to officially surrender to Gowon in Lagos, the federal government's capital at the time.

The east resumes its place in a united Nigeria. Gowon vows "No victor, no vanquished", and pledges to work for national reconciliation.

But resentment lingers and deepens over the decades, as the Igbo complain of a lack of investment in the southeast, which many view as a punishment for Biafra.

The war invests considerable power in the army, with military coups becoming a feature of Nigerian political life for decades.
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra movement, Nnamdi Kanu -- the current main pro-independence groups want a referendum on self-determination

Nigeria on Tuesday marks 50 years since the declaration of an independent Republic of Biafra plunged the country into a civil war, amid renewed tensions and fresh calls for a separate state.

The main pro-independence groups -- the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) -- have called for a day of reflection.

People in the southeast have been urged to stay at home to commemorate the secession, which happened on May 30, 1967.

But many fear an eruption of violence and Nigeria's security forces have said they are on red alert in hotspots in the former republic, such as Aba and Onitsha, where protests last year turned bloody.

In 1970, after nearly three years of fighting, Biafran soldiers who were outnumbered 10 to one by federal troops and under-equipped, laid down their arms.

Half a century after the civil war, Biafra remains an extremely sensitive subject in Nigeria

The conflict caused an estimated million deaths, many of them caused by starvation after the secessionist region was blockaded.

With surrender went their dreams of a separate state for the Igbo people, who are the majority in the southeast.

Half a century later, Biafra remains an extremely sensitive subject in Nigeria.

"Nigeria did nothing for us since the end of the war. We have no roads, no infrastructures, no jobs. It's time to achieve what our fathers started," John Ahaneku, 48, told AFP.

- Turning point -

Igbo frustrations have grown over the decades.

During the long years of military government after the end of the war, they felt excluded from economic and political power.

Both have been dominated by the two other main ethnic groups in the country, the northern Hausa-Fulani and the Yoruba from the southwest.

Veterans of the Nigerian civil war -- many Igbo complain that they were excluded from economic and political power during the long years of military government

But it was only after the return to democracy in 1999 that secessionist aspirations began to slowly resurface.

The current main pro-independence groups want a referendum on self-determination.

They accuse the former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari -- a northern Muslim who was elected civilian president in 2015 -- of violently repressing their freedom of expression.

The arrest and incarceration towards the end of 2015 of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu on treason charges has been seen as a turning point.

Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian security forces of killing at least 150 IPOB supporters in 2016, a claim Abuja flatly denies.

At least 60 were killed during commemorations for the civil war on May 30 last year, the human rights group alleged.

- Separatist solidarity -

On Thursday, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo -- standing in for the absent Buhari, who is on indefinite medical leave -- warned against the eruption of violence.

Nigeria is made up of some 250 ethnic groups and broadly divided between a largely Muslim north and mainly Christian south.

The 50th anniversary of Biafra was "an opportunity for individual and collective introspection", Osinbajo told a conference on the civil war in Abuja.

"Today some are suggesting that we must go back to the ethnic nationalities from which Nigeria was formed.

"Clearly our strength is in our diversity, that we are greater together than apart."

Abuja currently faces a number of sometimes violent separatist claims that threaten the country's unity, not least Boko Haram's insurgency to create a hardline Islamic state in the northeast.

In the oil-producing Niger delta, some of which was part of independent Biafra at the start of the war, sabotage by armed rebel groups in 2016 led to a slump in production, hitting Nigeria's economy.

Despite their diverging interests, pro-Biafra groups and Niger Delta rebels have publicly expressed mutual solidarity.

- Wrong approach -

On Friday, the federal police denounced "planned protests and order of market closures" on May 30 and said it was "deeply concerned with the security implications".

Police "will not hesitate to deal decisively with any group(s) and their sponsors that attempt to cause disturbance of the peace or carry out any unlawful demonstration", spokesman Jimoh O. Moshood warned.

According to analysts, the suppression of pro-Biafra protests is the wrong response and has only hardened more young people's attitudes in favour of independence.

A study this month by London-based SBM Intelligence suggested there was "rising support for a Biafra" in Nigeria's southeast and south.

"A total of 42.5 percent of all respondents believe that both regions should make up a future Biafran state," it said.

"However, just under half, 49.3 percent, of the total respondents still believe that the way forward for the Nigerian state is as one country, but with 'true federalism' being practised."

Security consultant Don Okereke said: "You can't kill an ideology with a gun."
Venus Williams, seeded 10, has played at Roland Garros every year since 1997 with the exception of 2011 and despite her senior citizen status, she is still a contender at the Slams

Serena Williams may be missing from this year's French Open, but big sister Venus is still going strong and marks her Roland Garros 20th anniversary on Sunday.

Three weeks shy of her 37th birthday, the American star, who made her debut in the French capital in 1997, kicks off her latest campaign against China's Wang Qiang.

Williams, seeded 10, has played every year since 1997 with the exception of 2011 and despite her senior citizen status, she is still a contender at the Slams as her run to the Australian Open final in January proved.

Her staggering longevity is illustrated by the fact that her potential second round opponent is compatriot Amanda Anisimova who, at just 15, is the youngest main draw competitor since 2005.

When Venus was losing the 2002 Roland Garros final to Serena, Anisimova was just nine months old.

Roland Garros 2017

"I'm here as I still have a lot to give. That just wraps it up," said Venus who has never got beyond the quarter-finals in Paris since her runners-up spot 15 years ago.

Anisimova, the Florida-based daughter of Russian parents, made the tournament courtesy of winning the US wild card play-off.

She faces Japan's world number 94 Kurumi Nara on Sunday.

"This will be my first main draw match at a major, Im very excited and I cant wait to play already," she said.

Elsewhere on what's expected to be a sweltering opening day in Paris, world number one Angelique Kerber starts against experienced Russian player Ekaterina Makarova.

Kerber was defeated in the first round by unseeded Kiki Bertens 12 months ago and has yet to get past the quarter-finals.

Dominic Thiem (pictured) is regarded as a potential champion at 2017 French Open should world number one Andy Murray, defending champion Novak Djokovic or nine-time champion Rafael Nadal slip up

The German left-hander has endured a miserable clay-court season, losing early in Stuttgart and crashing out in her Rome opener, while retiring from her last-16 clash in Madrid with a lower back injury.

"Everybody knows clay is not my favourite surface, but I try my best," said Kerber. "Last year was not the best for me."

Makarova, also left-handed, is a former top tenner who has made at least the quarter-finals of all the majors, except the French Open.

Action on Philippe Chatrier centre court starts with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova making her comeback after six months away from the sport spent recovering from potentially career-ending injuries sustained in fighting off a knife-wielding burglar in December.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012 and seeded 15 this year, faces America's Julia Boserup, the world number 86 who is making her French Open debut.

The standout match in the men's singles sees Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist in 2016, take on unpredictable Bernard Tomic of Australia.

Thiem is regarded as a potential champion should world number one Andy Murray, defending champion Novak Djokovic or nine-time champion Rafael Nadal slip up.
Gold smuggling in Bangladesh is at a record high, officials say. Authorities have seized 1.1 tonnes of gold at Bangladeshi airports in the past three years -- an unprecedented haul

Bangladesh detectives hit the jackpot when they stopped Mohammad Belal at Chittagong airport carrying some surprising excess baggage.

Under questioning, the 37-year-old admitted he had a dozen chunks of gold weighing 1.4 kilograms, or three pounds, stashed in his rectum.

Gold smuggling in Bangladesh is at a record high, officials say, with the country emerging as a major route into neighbouring India, which has slapped high taxes on gold imports.

Authorities have seized 1.1 tonnes of the precious metal at airports in the past three years -- an unprecedented haul.

Investigators believe it is the tip of a golden iceberg. They say it is bought by jewellers or smuggled into India, the world's biggest buyer of gold, and is also bankrolling a booming trade in drugs and illegal cattle.

As monitoring has been stepped up, barely a day passes without another seizure.

Detectives on Wednesday discovered 13 stone-sized gold tablets hidden in the wig of a 45-year-man as he passed through Dhaka's international airport.

Smugglers are increasingly resorting to more drastic methods to evade detection, officials say.

"Hiding gold bars in electronic appliances, wheelchairs or in toys has become old tactics. Now they are increasingly using their rectum to carry gold," Moinul Khan, Bangladesh's customs intelligence chief, told AFP.

"We give them a lungi (cloth worn by men around the waist) and a polythene bag, ask them to defecate and there comes gold from the anus. Some women were even found having carried gold in their vaginas."

More than 100 people -- mostly Bangladeshi migrant workers -- have been arrested since 2014 for gold smuggling at the country's three international airports, police say.

Khan said smuggling networks often included air hostesses, airport ground staff and cleaners and corrupt security personnel.

"They have a huge network involving a lot of people," he said.

- Gold mafia -

Bangladesh -- a low-lying nation on the Bay of Bengal -- does not have any gold mines of its own and relies on imports to fashion rings and other treasures for its booming middle class

Despite heightened vigilance plenty of gold is finding its way onto the black market, Khan said.

An aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year told the Bangladesh Jewellers Samitee (BJS), a lobby group representing local jewellery shops, that authorities could only expect to detect 10 percent of the gold smuggled through its porous borders.

Bangladesh -- a low-lying nation on the Bay of Bengal -- does not have any gold mines of its own and relies on imports to fashion rings and other treasures for its booming middle class.

The country has imposed strict quotas and huge customs duties on gold, effectively choking off legal bullion imports for flourishing jewellery outlets.

The BJS has repeatedly called on the government to allow the bulk import of bullion at reasonable rates.

Khan said a "sizeable amount" of smuggled gold was sold to local jewellers.

Detectives and customs agents recently seized nearly half a tonne of gold from outlets of one of Bangladesh's biggest jewellers after the company failed to provide import documents.

The jewellers' association said it sources its gold from individuals pawning personal items, an explanation detectives reject.

"We don't buy gold from the black market," the association's president Gangacharan Malakar told AFP.

"The raids are conspiracies to destroy a vital industry which employs 2.2 million people."

Malakar pointed the finger at India -- the world's largest buyer of gold -- saying most of the bullion smuggled into Bangladesh, mostly from the Gulf, was destined for the Indian market.

Huge taxes on gold imports into India have fuelled a smuggling industry at the leaky border, said Mustofa K. Mujeri, former chief economist of Bangladesh's central bank.

"This is a dangerous, powerful and politically-backed gold mafia. They don't leave any evidence, and play with blood money," he said.

Khan said gold was financing other illicit trade near the border, including livestock smuggled illegally from India.

"Bangladesh is an obvious transit point of many illicit transactions, such as drug trade, human trafficking and cattle smuggling," Mujeri said.
Myanmar hardline Buddist monk Wirathu speaks during a meeting following the decision by Buddhist authorities to abolish the ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha movement, in Yangon on May 27, 2017

Myanmar's ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha movement announced Sunday it was rebranding under a new name, days after Buddhist authorities banned the network which has been accused of stoking Islamophobia.

The monk-led movement grew in strength under the country's previous military-backed government, peddling a form of hardline Buddhist nationalism that intensified sectarian tensions with minority Muslims.

But after months of distancing itself from the radical group, Myanmar's top Buddhist clergy on Tuesday ordered the Ma Ba Tha to cease all activities by mid-July or face prosecution.

The threat did little to deter thousands of maroon-robed monks, nuns and lay followers from attending a weekend summit at a Yangon monastery decorated with Ma Ba Tha banners, with many defiantly declaring their intention to keep the movement going.

On Sunday the group released a statement saying they would use a new name: the Buddha Dhamma Philanthropy Foundation.

"We urge all members in all regions and states around the country to work for the country, people and religion using the name of the Buddha Dhamma Philanthropy Foundation," said the statement, signed by its monk leader Tilawka Biwuntha.

The new name is noticeably less controversial and confrontational than the original.

Ma Ba Tha is the Burmese abbreviation for a phrase that translates as "The Association for the Protection of Race and Religion" -- a name the group would also give as its official English title.

With the help of notorious firebrand monk Wirathu, who attended the weekend gathering and has a significant Facebook following, Ma Ba Tha became know for sermons and protests that helped foment the idea that Buddhism in Myanmar is threatened by Islam.

Muslims have lived in Myanmar for centuries but only make up around five percent of the population.

In recent months Buddhist hardliners have shut down religious events across the country and forced two Yangon schools accused of illegally doubling up as mosques to close their doors.

Police arrested several nationalists this month after a fight broke out in a Muslim neighbourhood of Yangon, when dozens of people raided a house believed to be hiding Rohingyas -- a Muslim minority maligned by many Buddhists.

Earlier this year the ruling clergy, a body known as Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, banned Wirathu from preaching for a year, though he still spoke at the gathering on Saturday.

The same day Tilawka Biwuntha signalled the group had no intention of disbanding.

"If you write Ma Ba Tha, you can erase the words. But no one can erase Ma Ba Tha from your heart," he told supporters.
Bangladeshi workers take down a controversial statue on the premises of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2017

Bangladesh on Sunday reinstalled a controversial statue deemed un-Islamic by religious hardliners on the grounds of the Supreme Court, just days after its removal had sparked angry protests by secular groups.

The sculpture of a blindfolded, sari-clad woman holding scales had been in place for less than six months when authorities removed it early Friday under pressure from hardliners, who said it was based on the Greek goddess of justice.

Its removal from the front plaza of Bangladesh's top court triggered violent clashes between police and secular groups, who saw the move as further evidence of creeping Islamisation in the officially secular country.

But the sculpture's creator Mrinal Haque, who had accused authorities of bowing to hardline groups, said he was asked to reinstall the statue at a different location on the court grounds.

"We have just placed the sculpture in front of the Annex Building of the Supreme Court," Haque told AFP on Sunday.

"I wasn't given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it," he said, adding the new location was at the back of the court where hardly anyone could see it.

Opponents of the statue -- who have been demanding for months that it be destroyed and replaced with a Koran -- gathered outside the courthouse Sunday to protest against its return.

Several were arrested by police, Islamist groups said, drawing hundreds of protesters to Dhaka's main mosque to demand their release.

"Police arrested nine of our peaceful activists. If they are not released immediately, we will call for a stronger countrywide movement," said Hasibul Islam, spokesman for the student-based Islamist party Islami Shasantantra Chhatra Andolan.

The government risked "falling into danger" by trying to balance the interests of Islamist and secularist groups, he added.

Islamist groupsheld months of mass protests demanding the statue be removed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the secular Awami League party, initially kept her distance from the affair.

But she broke her silence last month to describe the statue as "ridiculous" after inviting top Islamist leaders to her residence.

Analysts say Hasina's stand was intended to woo Islamists and conservative rural voters, before a general election expected next year.

Bangladesh has seen increasing tensions between hardliners and secularists in recent years, with a number of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners murdered by extremists.
Sri Lankan residents make their way through floodwaters in Kaduwela. Emergency teams are rushing to distribute aid to half a million displaced after the island's worst flooding in more than a decade claimed 126 lives and left scores more missing

Emergency teams rushed to distribute aid Sunday to half a million Sri Lankans displaced after the island's worst flooding in more than a decade, as authorities upgraded the death toll to 146.

The official Disaster Management Centre said 112 people were still missing, with 50 injured in hospital, since torrential rain and landslides swept away entire villages.

Floodwaters were receding in some areas after a break in the rain, giving authorities a chance to deliver much-needed supplies to victims who lost everything in the deluge.

Heavy rains on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island.

Many villages were still underwater Sunday, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or completely destroyed. Almost half a million Sri Lankans had been forced from their homes, with most moving into temporary shelters.

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were children below the age of five years.

It said raised fears of stagnant flood waters becoming breeding grounds for dengue spreading mosquitos and noted that young children were more vulnerable.

Medical teams were dispatched to the worst-affected areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.

"We have the expertise to deal with this situation," Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said, adding cholera and diarrhoea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

The government withdrew an evacuation order for thousands of residents in the southern district of Matara as water levels subsided.

"The threat of floods around the (river) Nilvala has subsided," irrigation department director M. Thuraisingham said.

"The flood levels near Colombo have also gone down because we did not have rain in the past 24 hours."

Water levels in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka's gem district east of Colombo, subsided but many villages in Kalutara, south of the capital, were still under water, officials said.

- Aid arrives -

A Sri Lankan boy carries pillows through floodwaters from his home in Kelaniya, in the suburbs of Colombo. The military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to rescue marooned people and deliver food and other essentials

The military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods.

The government appealed for bottled water, new clothes and dry rations for those displaced.

Sri Lanka has also sought international assistance, with India rushing a naval ship equipped with a medical team and other supplies Saturday.

A second Indian vessel was due to arrive in Colombo on Sunday, with a third expected Monday, the government said.

The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organization will support medical teams in affected areas.

Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims.

The meteorological department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday imposed martial law in the Mindanao region, home to 20 million people

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will ignore the Supreme Court and congress as he enforces martial law across the southern third of the country, despite the constitution giving them oversight.

Duterte on Tuesday imposed martial law in the Mindanao region, home to 20 million people, following deadly clashes in a mostly Muslim-populated city involving militants he said were trying to establish a caliphate for the Islamic State group.

"Until the police and the armed forces say the Philippines is safe, this martial law will continue. I will not listen to others. The Supreme Court, congress, they are not here," Duterte told soldiers on Saturday.

"Are they the ones dying and losing blood, bleeding, hemorrhaging because there is no help, no reinforcement? It's not them."

The 1987 constitution imposes limits on martial law to prevent a repeat of the abuses carried out under the regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed by a famous "People Power" revolution the previous year.

The constitution requires congress to approve a president's declaration of martial law, and limits military rule for 60 days. If a president wants to extend it, he or she must again get congressional endorsement.

The Supreme Court can also rule on martial law's legality.

"The Supreme Court will say they will examine into the factual (basis). Why I don't know. They are not soldiers. They do not know what is happening on the ground," Duterte said Saturday on Jolo, a southern island that is under martial law.

A day after declaring martial law, Duterte described the nine years of military rule under Marcos as "very good", and said his would be similar.

Duterte also told soldiers on Friday they would be allowed to conduct searches and arrests without warrants.

"During martial law, your commanders, you, you can arrest any person, search any house. There is no more warrant needed," Duterte told troops on Friday.

Duterte's comments contradicted a government statement released on Saturday to explain martial law.

"Warrants of arrest or search warrants should be issued," the statement from the government's information agency said.

"No person may be arrested and detained without orders coming from these civil courts."

Duterte has overwhelming support in congress, which is this week widely expected to endorse his initial declaration of martial law.

However the Supreme Court chief justice, Maria Lourdes Serreno, on Friday expressed concerns about martial law.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea despite counter-claims from other Asian nations

China on Sunday denied the Pentagon's charge that an encounter between Chinese fighters and a US surveillance plane over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional".

Tensions between the two economic superpowers have risen in recent years over the disputed waterway, which China claims almost in full despite counter-claims from other Asian nations.

Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy P-3 that was operating in international airspace Wednesday, according to Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross.

The US deemed the move "unsafe and unprofessional" and pledged to convey its concerns to the Chinese government.

But the Chinese defence ministry on Sunday said the Pentagon's account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts".

"On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website.

"The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe."

Beijing also accused Washington of trespassing last week after it sailed a warship near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea -- the "first freedom of navigation" exercise under US President Donald Trump.

These actions "infringed on our sovereignty and security, endangering the safety of front-line personnel of both sides," the defence ministry said in the statement.

"The behaviour is the root cause of the military security problems in maritime and sky areas between US and China.

"China's armed forces will resolutely perform their duties and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and security," it added.

Beijing has rapidly built up reefs in the South China Sea into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The United States has challenged the annexation of these islets and advocated a diplomatic settlement to disputes, arguing that Beijing's actions threaten freedom of navigation and overflight.

The tensions come ahead of a major regional security summit in Singapore this week.
The Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla is the main gateway to the Everest region but nicknamed the most dangerous airport in the world

The co-pilot of a cargo plane that crashed at a small airport near Mount Everest, killing the pilot, has died from his injuries, Nepali officials said Sunday.

The plane, which had departed from Kathmandu, broke into three pieces when it crashed in heavy fog while trying to land at Lukla airport on Saturday.

The two men and an air hostess were rushed to hospital in a serious condition.

"We received confirmation of the co-pilot's death this morning. The air hostess is out of danger," Sagar Acharya from Summit Air, the Nepal-based airline which operated the aircraft, told AFP.

"An investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause of the accident," Acharya added.

The air hostess has been taken to Kathmandu for treatment.

Nepal has a poor air safety record largely blamed on inadequate maintenance, inexperienced pilots and poor management. All Nepal airlines are banned from flying to the European Union because of their safety standards.

Lukla airport -- commonly nicknamed the most dangerous airport in the world -- is the main gateway to the Everest region and sees thousands of trekkers and climbers pass through it each year.

Despite the risks, air travel is popular in Nepal, which has a limited road network. Many communities, particularly in the mountains and hills, are accessible only by foot or by air.

Two deadly plane crashes last year claimed at least 25 lives. The first involved a passenger plane slamming into a mountainside while the second saw a small aircraft crash land, killing the two pilots.
Fighting between Islamist militants and Philippine security forces in the southern city of Marawi has entered its sixth day, with most of the city's residents forced to flee

Two thousand fearful civilians were trapped on Sunday inside a southern Philippine city where troops are battling Islamist militants, authorities said, as the death toll from almost a week of fighting neared 100.

The military intensified a bombing campaign on parts of Marawi on Mindanao island, one of the biggest Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic nation, as it accused the gunmen of atrocities including murdering women and a child.

Philippines

The initial fighting prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat from terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Most of the city's 200,000 residents have fled because of the fighting, but 2,000 remain trapped in areas controlled by the militants, according to Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesman for the provincial crisis management committee.

"They have been sending us text messages, calling our hotline, requesting us to send rescue teams but we cannot simply go to areas which are inaccessible to us," Adiong told AFP.

"They want to leave. They are afraid for their safety. Some are running out of food to eat. They fear they will be hit by bullets, by airstrikes," he said.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would step up the bombing.

"In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

"Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end."

The militants have killed at least 19 civilians, including three women and a child who were found dead near a university, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.

"These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people," Herrera said.

An AFP photographer saw eight bodies dumped off a bridge on the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

It was unclear whether those eight were included in the military's count of civilian deaths.

Fifteen soldiers, two policemen and 61 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 97.

- IS flags -

The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists and has offered a bounty of $5 million for his capture.

The gunmen on Tuesday planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings. Authorities said Saturday the fate of those hostages remained unknown.

Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which has declared allegiance to IS and which the government estimates has about 260 armed followers.

Duterte has said local criminals are also backing the Maute in Marawi.

Cooperation between Islamist militants, criminals and corrupt politicians is common across Mindanao, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has claimed more than 120,000 lives since the 1970s.

The main Muslim rebel groups have signed accords with the government aimed at forging a final peace, giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

The Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other small hardline groups are not interested in negotiating and have in recent years looked to IS to help them.

Duterte said Saturday he was prepared to enforce martial law for as long as was necessary to end the terrorist threat, and even ignore constitutionally mandated safeguards such as Supreme Court and congressional oversight.
Airbus Helicopters president and CEO Guillaume Faury (R) welcomes French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as he visits the Airbus Helicopters factory in Marignane, southern France, on March 3, 2017

Airbus has begun building its first helicopter assembly plant in China, and the European planemaker plans to produce 18 machines a year there in hopes the country will soon open up its low-altitude airspace.

China currently has a shortage of civilian helicopters for emergency medical purposes and other uses due to the military's tight control over the nation's airspace.

Airbus Helicopters plans to complete its plant in the eastern port city of Qingdao at the end of next year.

The first helicopter is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2019, its president Guillaume Faury told reporters during the laying of the foundation stone on Saturday.

The plant will be the first by a foreign helicopter manufacturer on Chinese soil, he said. It will be jointly operated by Airbus Helicopters and Qingdao United General Aviation Company.

Airbus also has an aircraft assembly plant in the northeastern city of Tianjin, which it opened in 2008.

A letter of intent for a 750-million euro ($800 million) deal, involving the sale of 100 H135 helicopters to China and the construction of the assembly plant, was signed during a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015.

Airbus Helicopters saw its revenues fall by two per cent last year but is counting on China to boost sales.

The country became its top market last year, with 48 of the 100 helicopters which China bought last year coming from Airbus.

China has a fleet of only 800 helicopters, compared with 8,000 in Europe and 12,000 in the United States, so the potential for growth is vast, said Vincent Dufour, Airbus Helicopters' sales director in the country.

The Chinese market is still hampered by military controls over airspace. Airbus hopes this will gradually be relaxed as was partially done in the late 1990s for commercial airplane flights.

The versatile twin-engine H135 machines are often deployed for emergency medical services and Airbus says this is its initial market.

But the aircraft maker also plans later to sell units to Chinese police for surveillance purposes.

Such a sale would not contravene the embargo on arms sales to China, said Faury.

"It's not our policy to sell military products in China," he said.
Thousands of mourners defied the security curbs Sunday to attended the burial of the rebel commander in his hometown amid anti-India and pro-Independence slogans.

Authorities clamped a curfew across most of Indian-administered Kashmir for the first day of the Muslim Ramadan festival Sunday and partially cut telephone services to thwart protests over the killing of a top rebel commander.

The lockdown in the mainly Muslim region crippled life on the first day of the Islamic holy month after widespread violence on Saturday over the killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in a gunfight with government forces.

Government forces in riot gear erected barricades in the main city, Srinagar, and other towns in southern Kashmir to prevent people from reaching the commander's funeral.

But thousands of mourners defied the security curbs Sunday to attended the burial of the rebel commander in his hometown amid anti-India and pro-Independence slogans.

Srinagar's central mosque remained shut and devotees were barred from offering prayers on the first day of the Ramadan fasting period.

"Restrictions have been put in place in some areas to maintain law and order," police chief Shesh Pal Vaid told AFP.

Bhat, head of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, and a 16-year-old associate were killed in a gunfight near his native village in Tral area.

A protester was shot dead by troops during clashes as hundreds of villagers tried to break the security cordon to help the militants to escape. Clashes spread to other districts, leaving dozens injured.

Last year nearly 100 protesters were killed after militant chief Burhan Wani was killed, triggering months of anti-India protests. Bhat took over as the leader.

"Forces have blocked all roads to restrict people to their areas," Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama told AFP, a neighbouring district of Tral.

Over the last year there has been an upsurge in protests against Indian rule in Kashmir, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan

Authorities snapped internet mobile services and calling services Saturday just hours after a month-long ban on 22 social media sites like Facebook and Twitter ended.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the Kashmir valley, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

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.

An armed rebellion broke-out in 1989 that later weakened. But over the last year there has been an upsurge in protests against Indian rule.

Several armed groups are fighting Indian forces. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the nearly three decade-old conflict.
Sri Lankan residents make their way through floodwaters in Kaduwela. Emergency teams are rushing to distribute aid to half a million displaced after the island's worst flooding in more than a decade claimed 126 lives and left scores more missing

Emergency teams rushed food and water Sunday to half a million Sri Lankans displaced by the island's worst flooding for more than a decade, as the death toll climbed to 151.

Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said relief operations had intensified following a break in the monsoon rains, with medical teams reinforcing hospitals in affected districts.

The official death toll had climbed to 151 with 111 people still listed as missing, Senaratne said. Another 95 were in hospital.

"Aid is now getting into the remotest areas which remained inaccessible in the past two days," Senaratne told reporters, adding there were help lines people could call if they needed assistance.

Most victims were killed by landslides, not the flood waters, as their homes on hillsides were buried under torrents of mud and rock.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Almost half a million people had been forced from their homes and were sheltering in government buildings or with friends and relatives.

The floods and landslides in the south and west of the island were the worst for 14 years.

Water levels in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka's gem district east of Colombo, had subsided but many villages in Kalutara south of the capital were still under water, officials said.

Residents in the south of the island also face the threat of crocodile attacks after a river known for its dangerous wildlife burst its banks overnight.

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were aged below five.

It raised fears of stagnant floodwater becoming breeding grounds for dengue-spreading mosquitos and noted that young children were more vulnerable.

Medical teams were sent to the worst-hit areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.

"We have the expertise to deal with this situation," Senaratne said, adding cholera and diarrhoea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

The government withdrew an evacuation order for thousands of residents in the southern district of Matara as water levels subsided.

- India ships aid -

A Sri Lankan boy carries pillows through floodwaters from his home in Kelaniya, in the suburbs of Colombo. The military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to rescue marooned people and deliver food and other essentials

The military has deployed helicopters,boats and amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods.

The government appealed for bottled water, new clothes and dry rations for those displaced.

Sri Lanka has also sought international assistance, with India rushing a second naval ship laden with supplies.

The navy vessel Shardul called at Colombo on Sunday with a large consignment of medicines, inflatable boats and medical teams to join the relief operations.

The United Nations said it would donate water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organization will support medical teams in affected areas.

Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims.

The meteorological department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.
A southern Indian state announced on Sunday it would go to the supreme court to challenge a federal ban on the sale of cows for slaughter, stepping up a showdown with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Cows are considered sacred by Hindus and the Hindu nationalist leader has pushed for greater protection of the animals since taking power in 2014.

On Friday the federal environment ministry issued a nationwide order banning the sale and purchase of cattle from markets for slaughter.

Cows are revered in the Hindu scriptures as the 'mother' of civilisation and many worshippers equate the slaughter of cows or eating beef as blasphemy

'We are finalising our legal response and will file a plea in the Supreme Court next week,' Kerala state's Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar told AFP.

The slaughter of cows, and the possession or consumption of beef, is already banned in most Indian states, with some imposing up to life imprisonment for infringements. Cases of slaughtering cows have triggered communal violence.

But Kerala and a handful of other states - despite having Hindu majorities - allow the slaughter and the consumption of beef.

The federal order covers trade in bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, calves and camels.

The national government said it aimed to regulate the industry and ensure the welfare of animals, which often suffer cruelty in markets.

An employee handles the carcass of a slaughtered buffalo as it hangs from an overhead conveyor at an abattoir operated by Allana Group in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

But Kumar said Modi's government was fulfilling the agenda of Hindu groups, which demand a nationwide ban on cow slaughter.

'It is unconstitutional and since the Modi government cannot ban cow slaughter, it is taking refuge behind animal cruelty to fulfil its right-wing Hindu agenda,' he said.

Beef is a popular food in the coastal state, which is ruled by a left-wing government, like several states in eastern India.

A man sells In beef at Iewduh Bazar in Shillong, Meghalaya

On Saturday left-wing activists organised 'beef fests' across Kerala to protest against the ban as state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a protest note to Modi.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party pledged to impose a countrywide ban on the slaughter of cows ahead of the 2014 national elections.

But the federal government has failed to persuade opposition parties to back such a law, leaving radical Hindu groups furious over the government's failure to protect the animal.

At least a dozen people, mostly Muslims, have been killed by Hindu mobs over rumours that they were eating beef, slaughtering cows or smuggling them.
Palestinian men pray at the Al-Omari Mosque in Gaza City, on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dusk to dawn

The head of Palestinian Islamic courts on Sunday told judges not to grant divorces over Ramadan, fearing the month-long fast could spark rash words that would be regretted later.

Judge Mahmud Habash said he based his ruling on "the experience of previous years" when he found that the dawn-to-dusk fast and ban on cigarettes, which began on Saturday, tended to lead to frayed tempers and sharp tongues.

"Some, because they have not eaten and not smoked, create problems" in their marriages, he said in a statement, and they can make "quick and ill-considered decisions".

According to the Palestinian Authority, 50,000 weddings were celebrated in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2015, but more than 8,000 divorces were also registered.

Endemic unemployment and poverty are said to be major contributing factors.

There is no civil marriage or divorce in the Palestinian territories, where only religious courts have those powers.
In this photograph taken on April 20, 2015, a Nepalese porter carries goods along a pathway in the Himalayas, with Mount Everest on the left

Rescuers have retrieved the body of an Indian climber who died on Mount Everest and airlifted it to Kathmandu on Sunday, along with those of two others who perished last year.

Ravi Kumar, 27, died this month after summiting the world's highest mountain and becoming separated from his guide soon afterwards.

His body was spotted last Monday about 200 metres from the main route which climbers follow to the summit. Rescuers said its recovery was a risky operation.

"A team of at least eight rescue workers retrieved his body and brought it down to Camp 2 on Saturday," Tashi Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, the company overseeing the operation, told AFP.

"The body has been airlifted to Kathmandu."

His brother Manoj Kumar was waiting to receive the body as the helicopter landed at a hospital in Kathmandu.

"It was his dream to take our country's flag to the top of Mount Everest," Kumar said. "We are deeply sad, but also proud of him."

The bodies of Goutam Ghosh and Paresh Nath, two other Indian climbers who died last year but whose remains could not be retrieved due to bad weather, were also brought to Kathmandu.

All three corpses were found near the summit above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet) -- an altitude that marks the beginning of the "death zone" notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air as low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

The retrieval of corpses from such a high altitude is a controversial issue within the climbing community.

Some rescue companies refuse to do so, saying it endangers too many other lives.

"We do not risk the lives of the living to recover the dead," Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, one of the largest rescue firms in the Himalayas, told AFP.

"When it comes to recovering the dead there is an acceptable level of risk above which we do not go."

Six people have perished on Everest this season, including feted Swiss climber Ueli Steck who died during an acclimatisation climb in late April.

The bodies of four more climbers were found on Tuesday, though their identities remain unknown and authorities suspect they could be fatalities from a previous year.

At least 382 climbers have successfully reached the summit from the south side in Nepal so far this season, with another 120 doing so from the Tibet side.

Some are still waiting to make their final push to the summit before the monsoon arrives in early June, marking the end of the short spring climbing season.
US President Donald Trump, who was uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, resumed his favorite past-time with a tweet storm in which he thundered against "fake news"

US President Donald Trump, who was uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, resumed his favorite past-time Sunday with a tweet storm in which he thundered against "fake news."

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the media," he wrote the morning after his return home.

"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names it is very possible that those sources don't exsist but are made up by fake news writers. is the enemy!," he wrote, spelling errors and all.

Trump returned late Saturday from his first international trip as US president, geared up to combat concerns over aides' ties to Russia including explosive reports that his son-in-law Jared Kushner sought a secret communications line with Moscow.

In an earlier tweet Sunday, Trump hailed what he called the trip's "great success."

"Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!" he wrote.

The latest furor was stirred up after The Washington Post reported late Friday that Kushner -- arguably Trump's closest White House aide, and husband of the president's eldest daughter Ivanka -- made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof link with the Kremlin.
South Africa's Jacob Zuma faces growing criticism within the ruling African National Congress and many of the party's key allies have also called for him to step down

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma faced further opposition at a meeting of his party's top leadership Sunday but managed to sidestep a no-confidence vote after a turbulent three-day gathering.

The meeting in Pretoria comes as Zuma faces growing criticism within the ruling African National Congress, which sharpened after a March cabinet reshuffle when he sacked respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

But plans to debate a no-confidence motion in Zuma were blocked by the chairman of the meeting of the ANC's executive committee (NEC), state-owned broadcaster SABC said.

Local media reports said several NEC members had tried to force a debate on his future.

Speaking to local media on Saturday, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said the leadership was aware of reports that there was going to be blood on the floor.

"We've not seen that blood on the floor -- yet," he said, while stressing that the removal of Zuma was "not an agenda item."

The party leadership was expected to wrap up its talks during the evening.

- 'In his pocket' -

The Sunday Times wrote in its leading article that Zuma has survived a string of scandals "precisely because most of the NEC is in his pocket".

"Although his opponents went to this weekend's NEC meeting saying they had never felt stronger, few would be surprised if he survived the guillotine again," it said.

It also published a graphic of supposed support and opposition to Zuma within the 107-member NEC, with 45 against and 41 in favour and the rest unknown.

Jacob Zuma's sacking of respected former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, seen here arriving for the ANC leadership meeting, was not well received

And City Press said Zuma's supporters spent Thursday lobbying committee members to back him in the event of a no-confidence motion.

Aside from his woes within the party, which has seen key ANC allies calling for him to stand down, Zuma has faced growing public anger over a series of government graft scandals, record unemployment and a sluggish economy.

The crisis has seen two ratings agencies downgrading South Africa and brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets calling for Zuma's ouster.

- Till the year's end -

This weekend's meeting of the NEC was the first since the controversial cabinet reshuffle, which triggered unprecedented criticism within the ANC.

A string of ANC allies have also urged Zuma to go, among them the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the South African Council of Churches (SACC).

The opposition has also tabled a new no-confidence motion in parliament, which will be debated in the coming weeks.

But the president retains widespread support from ANC members in some rural areas and has been able to rely on lawmakers to survive previous votes of no confidence.

"The party will still want the ANC to remain in control over the broad issue of leadership. The ANC will not wish to look as though either the press or opposition parties... have sufficient influence to precipitate" his removal, independent political analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.

"This will ramble on until the end of the year when the normal electoral process (to pick a successor) will take place."

The ANC is due to elect Zuma's successor in December, ahead of general elections in 2019.
the bombing at a concert in Manchester, England has raised concerns that further attacks -- possibly involving explosives packed in electronic devices -- might be planned

US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on Sunday said he was considering banning laptop computers on international flights into and out of the country amid signs of "a real threat."

Kelly made his remarks during the Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States, at a time when the bombing at a concert in Manchester, England has raised concerns that further attacks -- possibly involving explosives packed in electronic devices -- may be planned.

"There's a real threat -- numerous threats against aviation," Kelly told the Fox News Sunday program when asked about the likelihood a wide-reaching ban on large electronics in airplane cabins could be imposed.

Terrorists are "obsessed" with the idea of "knocking down an airplane in flight -- particularly a US carrier, if it's full of mostly US folks," the homeland security chief said.

But in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" later, Kelly specified that despite ongoing and persistent concerns, "we have no specific threats right now."

A laptop ban could disrupt travel between Europe and America. Some 3,250 flights a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the United States, according to aviation industry figures.

If put in place, a laptop ban would greatly expand on a rule Kelly announced in March banning electronic devices larger than a smartphone from the cabins of flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

The rule affects Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

Britain took similar measures in March targeting a smaller list of countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

In Europe last week during President Donald Trump's nine-day foreign trip, Kelly met with European Commission officials in Brussels to discuss a possible laptop ban in airplane cabins.
The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered nearly two decades of brutal conflict

A Frenchman who was abducted nearly two months ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been freed, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday.

A French diplomat said the freed hostage was among five gold mine workers who were seized on March 1 in the east of the troubled country.

The hostages worked for Banro, a Canadian gold mining corporation that runs two mines in DR Congo and is exploring for the mineral elsewhere in the vast, resource-rich country.

Macron praised the DR Congo authorities "for their mobilisation and the effectiveness of their action" in obtaining the French hostage's release, his office said in a statement.

The DR Congo interior ministry said a Tanzanian worker who was among the four other hostages was freed in April, but three Congolese workers remain in captivity.

"Very advanced efforts" are under way to secure their release, a ministry source said.

The French foreign ministry said it had no information on the identity of the attackers.

Kidnappings are frequent in DR Congo's east, which has suffered nearly two decades of brutal conflict, with neighbouring states backing rebel groups in a civil war against Kinshasa's authority, and roaming armed militia triggering the mass flight of terrorised civilians.

The United Nations has 19,000 soldiers, police and military observers deployed in the DR Congo, its biggest and costliest peacekeeping mission, with an annual budget of $1.2 billion.
Footage of a handshake between US President Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron ahead of a NATO summit last week has gone viral

France's new President Emmanuel Macron says he was ready for his "moment of truth" with US counterpart Donald Trump -- when they shook hands for the first time.

"You have to show you won't make little concessions, even symbolic ones," Macron, 39, told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral.

As cameras rolled, Macron held on tight to Trump's notorious power grip as the two men sat next to each other, the Frenchman's mouth clenched and eyes firmly fixed at the 70-year-old tycoon's squinty stare.

After some five seconds, Trump was the first to open his hand but Macron insisted on being the last to let go.

"It's not the be-all-and-end-all... but a moment of truth," Macron said.

"I don't miss a thing, that's how you get respect."

The French leader had another chance later in the day to be his own man, making a beeline for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to embrace her before turning to greet Trump -- who smilingly pumped and wrenched Macron's arm as other leaders laughed.

Macron said Trump and the Turkish and Russian presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin "think in terms of power ratios, which doesn't bother me".

But Macron, who became France's youngest president just three weeks ago, said he does not believe in "the diplomacy of public invective but in bilateral dialogue".

He faces his next diplomatic test on Monday, when he will host Putin at the palace of Versailles outside Paris.
"There is no relaxation of our intention to protect the innocent," US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said on CBS's "Face the Nation"

Civilian casualties are inevitable in the war against the Islamic State group but the United states is doing "everything humanly possible" to avoid them, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in an interview aired Sunday.

A US-led international coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the IS group in Iraq and Syria since 2014, and nongovernmental organizations say the attacks are claiming ever more civilian lives.

Interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation" program, Mattis said that "civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation."

But he quickly added that "we do everything humanly possible, consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties -- at all costs."

Some NGOs have blamed the rising civilian death toll on a push by President Donald Trump's administration to accelerate the pace of combat in an effort to "annihilate" the jihadists.

But the Pentagon contests both the NGOs' death counts and the charge that a new sense of urgency under Trump is to blame.

"We have not changed the rules of engagement," Mattis said. "There is no relaxation of our intention to protect the innocent."

The coalition has officially acknowledged responsibility for more than 450 civilian deaths since its bombing campaign began in 2014, including 105 in the Iraqi city of Mosul on March 17.

However, Airwars -- a London-based collective of journalists and researchers that tracks civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria -- reports that coalition strikes have killed at least 3,681 people.

Although the Pentagon on Thursday acknowledged that an American bombing attack in Mosul on March 17 claimed at least 105 civilian lives, it blamed munitions stored by the jihadists in the houses targeted.

That, Mattis said Sunday, showed "once again the callous disregard that is characterized by every operation they have run."
Scott Dixon of New Zealand, leads the field during during the 101st Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2017

Pole sitter Scott Dixon of New Zealand was able to climb from his crippled car Sunday after a spectacular crash that brought the 101st Indianapolis 500 to a temporary halt.

Britain's Jay Howard bounced off the outside wall near turn one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and slid into Dixon's vehicle, sending it careening into the air and sliding along a guardrail on the inside of the track, a burst of flame shooting from the back end.

Both Dixon, the 2008 winner, and and Howard were able to climb from their cars.

"Just a little beaten up there," Dixon told a television interviewer. "That was a little bit of a rough ride. I'm so bummed for the team -- we had a great shot."

Officials brought out the red flag to halt the race for some 20 minutes to clean debris and repair a broken section of safety fencing.

At the time of the crash -- 55 laps into the 200-lap race -- two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso was in the lead of his first Indianapolis 500.

Alonso rocked the racing world when he opted to defect for the weekend from Formula One -- skipping Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix to take on America's "Greatest Spectacle in Racing".
Explosive reports about Jared Kushner's alleged proposal to create a secret communications channel with Moscow raised the White House's Russia scandal to a new level

A White House in crisis scrambled to allay public concern over reports that Donald Trump's son-in-law sought a secret communications link to Russia -- a bombshell allegation the US president swatted down as "fabricated."

After returning late Saturday from his first foreign trip as president, Trump geared up to combat concerns over his advisers' ties to Russia, including explosive reports about Jared Kushner, his indispensable aide-de-camp.

Trump was meeting with attorneys at the White House on Sunday, presumably over the latest development in the long-running Russia intelligence saga, news reports said.

US media said the White House is creating a new rapid-fire communications unit to respond to the controversy, led by Kushner, senior presidential adviser Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Trump, who had been uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, furiously dismissed the allegations of Russia ties as "fake news" and "fabricated lies."

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," he tweeted.

"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names it is very possible that those sources don't exsist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!" the US leader wrote, spelling errors and all.

In yet another tweet, amid criticism of his frequent Twitter rants, Trump wrote: "the Fake News Media works hard at disparaging & demeaning my use of social media because they don't want America to hear the real story!"

- No respite -

The administration had hoped Trump's nine-day turn in the international spotlight would offer a respite from relentless coverage of an ever-widening probe into Russian meddling in last year's election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.

Undeclared meetings in the US-Russia probe

However, the eve of his return brought the biggest story to date: A Washington Post report about Kushner's alleged proposal to the Russians to create a secret channel out of the reach of US spymasters.

The talks between Kushner and the Russians, if confirmed, would raise new questions about the Trump team's relationship with Moscow, which US intelligence agencies say tried to sway the November election in the property tycoon's favor.

Meanwhile, a parade of senior administration officials tried to downplay the story, saying it was not all that unusual to establish "back-channel" ties with a foreign government.

Trump's National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster refused to talk about the allegations, but said that generally speaking, "we have back-channel communication with a number of countries... I would not be concerned about it."

His comments were echoed by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

"It's both normal in my opinion and acceptable," he told ABC News on Sunday.

"Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing...", he said.

But the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating the Russian election meddling, was dubious about those assertions.

"You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversations from?" Representative Adam Schiff said in an interview with ABC News.

He added: "Ultimately we're going to want Mr Kushner to come before the committee and I fully expect that to happen."

"If you're going to create a back channel that relies solely on the Russian communications and apparatus, that's a really serious issue," added Mark Lowenthal, a former CIA assistant director. "That's extremely dangerous."

And others doubted there was any naivete on the part of Kushner who is a mogul in his own right, and an attorney with a graduate business degree at 36 years old.

"With the avalanche of media attention to 'Russiagate,' it's mindboggling why Kushner would conceal this info instead of disclosing it and avoiding a media firestorm," former attorney Dean Obeidallah told CNN.

- Kushner under fire -

Kushner made his secret communications proposal on December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications reviewed by US officials, the Post reported late Friday.

Michael Flynn, who was Trump's national security adviser for just 24 days before being fired amid questions about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador, was also present, the newspaper reported.

Kushner boasts an enormous portfolio of domestic and international responsibilities, underscoring his importance as Trump's chief adviser despite having no experience in politics before the 2016 White House race.

He is the only person currently in the White House known to be under investigation.

Some critics have called for Kushner's security clearance to be revoked, others say he should temporarily step aside while his ties to Moscow are being reviewed.

The wider investigation into Russia's alleged election meddling is being led by Robert Mueller, a respected former FBI director who was given broad powers to pursue the case as a special counsel.

The Senate and House Intelligence committees are also leading their own investigations, but not with an eye to bringing criminal charges.

Meanwhile, some top Republicans cast doubts on the Post's reporting, suggesting the whole episode may be a Russian ruse to throw America's political system into a tailspin.

"I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it," Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN.

but-acb-dw-mdl/wdb
Chicago Assigns Extra Police Due To Threat Of Gun Violence Memorial Day Weekend

A gunman on a rampage during a domestic dispute in rural Mississippi fatally shot eight people, including a sheriff's deputy, US news reports said on Sunday.

The shootings took place late Saturday in two small hamlets, Brookhaven and Bogue Chitto, both about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the city of Jackson.

Although details were still murky, the gunman -- Willie Cory Godbolt, 35 -- told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper after his arrest on Sunday that he had gone to a home in Bogue Chitto to talk about getting custody of his children.

After the conflict escalated, neighbors called police, and Godbolt shot the arriving deputy.

"My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there," Godbolt said of the officer.

"We was talking about me trying to take the children home," he told the newspaper while sitting on the ground at one of the shooting scenes, arms cuffed behind his back.

"Somebody called the officer," he added. "It cost him his life. I'm sorry."

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant issued a statement Sunday calling the shootings a "tragedy" and hailing law enforcement officers who "sacrifice to protect and serve their communities."
Philippines' Presidential Advisers on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza (L) and Silvestre H. Bello III take part in a meeting as part of the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the NDF on April 2, 2017

The Philippine government on Sunday formally called off the latest round of peace talks with communist insurgents, after the parties failed to resolve a dispute over a rebel order for fighters to step up attacks.

"We are maintaining the decision made not to participate in the fifth round of talks," chief government negotiator Jesus Dureza told journalists after almost 10 hours of closed-door consultations.

"There are no compelling reasons for us to change the decision... which we announced yesterday," he said, adding that Manila was "formally" withdrawing from the round.

It was the fifth scheduled round of talks since the resumption of formal negotiations between Manila and the communists in August.

They were meant to address such issues as a joint interim ceasefire, social and economic reforms and human rights issues.

- 'Just and sustainable peace' -

The breakdown of the talks, held in a scenic Dutch seaside resort, came as fighting flared Sunday between Philippine government forces and Islamist militants in the south, with the death toll nearing 100 after almost a week of fighting.

Talks stalled Saturday when Dureza objected to the communists' telling guerrillas to intensify attacks in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in parts of the country.

Dureza said Sunday that the talks would not resume until there were indications of an "environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace".

Asked whether this included the communists' order to escalate attacks, Dureza said: "It is a factor."

But Dureza, who is also Duterte's chief advisor, emphasised that the withdrawal from this round of talks was not a formal withdrawal from the peace process initiated in August 2016.

"The peace talks have not been cancelled and the peace process remains intact," added Elisabeth Slattum, special envoy of Norway, which has been facilitating the peace talks.

Duterte declared martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he called a fast-growing threat from terrorists linked to the Islamic State group.

Communists insurgents, who are active in wide areas of the archipelago, including the south, responded to Duterte's declaration by ordering their own forces to "carry out more tactical offensives".

- Deep regret -

Chief rebel negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said the communist negotiators had "recommended to our leadership to reconsider the order, but that takes time".

He said the NDFP, a coalition of several groups of which the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is among the most prominent, "deeply regretted" Manila's decision to shelve the talks.

In a statement the NDFP lashed out at Dureza's comments on the order, saying it "totally obscures the fact that the government has been waging an 'all-out-war' against" the New People's Army (NPA), the CPP's armed wing.

It added that Duterte's declaration of martial law in southern Mindanao "is bound to further escalate the armed conflict, aggravate the human rights situation and exacerbate the suffering of the people".

The communists' own insurgency which began in 1968 in the poverty-stricken Asian country is one of the longest running in the world, and has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the military.

Peace talks have been conducted on and off for 30 years, and were revived after Duterte, a self-declared socialist, was elected president last year.

Norway had coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in August, but little progress has been made since then.

The talks moved to Noordwijk aan Zee, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Utrecht, where several of the rebel leaders live in exile.

The fiery Duterte has taken strong positions against the rebels, imposing conditions including that the guerrillas stop extortion and arson activities.

Duterte angrily called off the peace talks in February after the collapse of unilateral ceasefires that saw the guerrillas killing several soldiers and police in a series of attacks.

NPA fighters continue to attack isolated military and police outposts and extort money from businesses to finance their armed campaign, the military said.
Kevin Kisner plays his shot from the 18th tee on May 28, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas

Kevin Kisner finally broke through on Sunday for his first victory since 2015, holding off a strong field at the PGA Tour's Colonial with a closing round of four-under 66.

Kisner second career victory contrasted sharply with his first at the 2015 RSM Classic which he won by a whopping six shots.

He finished 72 holes at 10-under 270 just one stroke ahead defending champion Jordan Spieth, Spaniard Jon Rahm and American Sean O'Hair.

"I am just honored be the champion and to be able to come back every year see my name on the champions wall will be something special," Kisner said. "I am happy to win any tournament but especially here."

Spieth shot one of the best scores of the day, a bogey-free five-under 65, while O'Hair and Rahm both shot 66 to finish in a three-way tie for second.

Second- and third-round leader Webb Simpson (71) bogeyed the 18th hole to finish alone in fifth and Danny Lee of New Zealand (70) ended up three shots adrift and alone in sixth place.

The overcast and humid conditions in the fourth round at the Colonial Country Club course were the most conducive all week to low scores.

Kisner, runner up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, birdied the 10th hole and the 11th to tie Simpson for the top spot and took the lead outright with a birdie on the par-four 12th.

He then rolled in a birdie at No. 15 to extend his lead to two shots. That was halved by a bogey on the 16th hole, but his up and down for par at the 18th green clinched the win.

Two-time major winner Spieth was pleased with his performance this week after coming off two consecutive missed cuts, the first time that has happened in two years.

This was his fourth start in the tournament as he also tied for second two years ago.

After birdies on the par-four 10th and the par-four 15th, Spieth was able to put some pressure on the leaders.

"Today was a fun round," said Texas native Spieth. "I felt those (competitive) nerves and I was just a couple of lipouts away from having a chance."

Tour rookie Rahm, who graduated from Arizona State University only a year ago and has already risen to No. 12 in the world, was making his Colonial debut.

He finished with five birdies and just one bogey on Sunday.

Steve Stricker (63), Brian Harman (65) and Scott Piercy (68) finished tied for seventh four shots behind Kisner.
DALLAS (AP) - A Texas nurse who is in prison for the 1982 killing of a toddler has been charged with murder in the death of an infant a year earlier, and authorities said Friday that they think she may have killed up to 60 young children around that time.

Genene Jones, 66, is serving concurrent 99-year and 60-year sentences at a Gatesville prison for the 1982 killing of 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan and the sickening of a 4-week-old boy who survived. The girl was given a fatal injection of a muscle relaxant and the boy received a large injection of a blood thinner.

Jones was due to be freed next March under a mandatory release law that was in place when she was convicted. But on Thursday, the Bexar County district attorney's office announced that she has been charged in the 1981 death of 11-month-old Joshua Sawyer, who investigators say died of a fatal overdose of an anti-seizure drug, Dilantin.

This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Genene Jones. Authorities said Friday, May 26, 2017, that Jones, a Texas nurse who is in prison for the 1984 killing of a toddler and who faces new charges in the 1981 death of an infant is suspected of killing as many as 60 young children who were in her care around that time. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice. via AP)

During Jones' time working in hospitals and clinics in San Antonio and elsewhere in Texas, children died of unexplained seizures and other complications.

At a news conference Friday in San Antonio, District Attorney Nico LaHood said investigators believe Jones may have killed some or all of those children because they died under unusual circumstances during or shortly after her shifts.

"She's been suspected in dozens of infant deaths and she's only been held accountable in one," he said.

It's not clear why Jones' actions, involving so many suspected victims, were not detected earlier. But Sam Millsap, a previous district attorney in Bexar County, told KSAT-TV in 2013 that medical records at the San Antonio hospital at one point were accidently destroyed, hampering efforts by investigators to prove their suspicions.

Chelsea McClellan died after receiving an injection at a clinic in Kerrville, northwest of San Antonio, and prosecutors at Jones' 1984 murder trial said the nurse lethally injected children there to demonstrate the need for a pediatric intensive care unit at a nearby hospital.

Other prosecutors theorized that Jones' tactic was to take swift medical action and save some of her victims, making herself appear to be a sort of miracle worker.

LaHood said the new murder charge is based on fresh evidence that came to light and a review of old evidence. He also said the deaths of some of the other children are being re-examined and that additional charges could be coming.

Jones has been consistently denied parole over the years. She was due to be released next March after serving one-third of her sentence under a mandatory release law adopted in 1977 to help alleviate prison overcrowding. The law was overhauled 10 years later.

Jones, whose case has been chronicled in two books, a TV movie and numerous articles, was "emotional" when she was served an arrest warrant Thursday, LaHood said.

"We have every reason to believe that she fully expected to get out next year," he said.

Because of the new charge, Jones will be transferred to the Bexar County jail and held on a $1 million bond while the case is prosecuted. A murder conviction brings a maximum sentence of 99 years. LaHood said Jones is not eligible for the death penalty because Texas did not have such a sentence at the time of the 1981 death.

"We will do our best to ensure that Genene Jones takes her very last breath behind bars," LaHood said.

___

This story has been corrected to show the last name of the child that Jones is in prison for killing is McClellan, not McClelland, and that the killing occurred in 1982, not 1984.

___

Follow David Warren on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WarrenJourno
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge threw out a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed in the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling the former secretary of state didn't defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied.

The lawsuit also alleged the former Democratic presidential candidate's use of a private email server caused the death of their sons, Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, because it exposed terrorists to sensitive information. They claimed Clinton lied when she allegedly told them it was a YouTube video that prompted the consulate attack.

"The untimely death of plaintiffs' sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion released Friday. But Berman said legal standards required the case to be dismissed.

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 23, 2017 file photo, Hillary Clinton speaks during the Children's Health Fund annual benefit in New York. A federal judge threw out a lawsuit against Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed in the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling the former secretary of state didn't defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied. "The untimely death of plaintiffs' sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion released Friday. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

Berman ruled the parents didn't sufficiently challenge that Clinton wasn't acting in her official capacity when she used the private server, and that the families didn't put forward appropriate claims that Clinton defamed them or put them in a false light.

One of the parents, Patricia Smith, gave an emotional speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention against Clinton. Her son and Woods were killed in the September 2012 attack, along with CIA operative Glen Doherty and the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

Clinton's homebrew server bedeviled her campaign before it officially began, when The Associated Press first discovered its use. Emails later released under the Freedom of Information Act showed some contained classified information, although they were not marked as such at the time.

The lawsuit's dismissal was first reported by Politico.
BAGHDAD (AP) - The advance of government troops slowed on Sunday in the last push to drive Islamic State group militants from remaining pockets of Mosul, two Iraqi military officers said.

On Saturday, U.S.-backed Iraqi forces began a new offensive to recapture the Old City from three directions. Hours after announcing the push, the government said two military officers were killed in clashes in the Shafaa neighborhood on the Tigris River.

IS militants have deployed snipers, suicide car bombers and suicide attackers on foot, the officers said. They described the advance on Mosul's Old City as "cautious" and the clashes on Sunday as "sporadic" without giving details on casualty figures from either side.

The troops captured Ibn Sina hospital, part of the sprawling medical complex in the Shafaa neighborhood, the officers added. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Mosul's wide-scale military operation was launched in October and its eastern half was declared liberated in January. The push for the city's west began the following month.

The IS hold on Mosul has shrunk to just a handful of neighborhoods in and around the Old City district where narrow streets and a dense civilian population are expected to complicate the fight there.

On Friday, Iraqi planes dropped leaflets over the area, encouraging the civilians to flee "immediately" to "safe passages" where they will be greeted by "guides, protectors and (transportation) to reach safe places," according to a government statement.

The U.N. estimated that as many as 200,000 people may try to leave in the coming days, while Save the Children warned that fleeing civilians could be caught in the crossfire, leading to "deadly chaos."
PARIS (AP) - French politicians are reacting with anger and dismay after the tomb of France's wartime hero and former President Gen. Charles de Gaulle was vandalized.

French media say police are hunting for two people, one of whom was filmed Saturday by security cameras knocking a cross off the top of the tomb in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, the village in eastern France where De Gaulle lived and is buried.

President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement Sunday from his office, asked that the tomb be quickly repaired, adding that De Gaulle's memory is "dear to all French people."

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 1970 file photo, Mourners gather at the tomb of former French President General Charles de Gaulle, in the cemetery of Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, France, the day after his burial. French politicians are reacting with anger and dismay after the tomb of France's wartime hero and former President Gen. Charles de Gaulle was vandalized. French media say police are hunting for two people, one of whom was filmed Saturday, May 27, 2017 by security cameras knocking a cross off the top of tomb in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, the village in eastern France where De Gaulle lived and is buried. (AP Photo, file)

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe tweeted his "sadness and consternation" and called the vandalism "an act against France."

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called it "contemptible."
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Ruling party critics of South African President Jacob Zuma pushed for his resignation on Sunday amid concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government, but the president still retained significant support within the divided party.

This weekend, opponents proposed a motion of no confidence against Zuma at a meeting of leaders of the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many in the party attribute the ANC's poor performance in local elections last year to scandals surrounding the president and want to shore up their popularity ahead of national elections in 2019.

The motion was proposed by party member Joel Netshitenzhe, and it was supported by the health minister and his deputy, as well as the former tourism minister, reported the News24 website. State broadcaster SABC said the chairman of the National Executive Committee meeting did not allow debate on the motion because it was not on the agenda, though the meeting was continuing late Sunday.

FILE -- In this photo taken Monday, May 1, 2017 South African President Jacob Zuma attends a May Day rally in Bloemfontein, South Africa, where he was jeered by labor unionists and his speech was cancelled. Ruling party critics of Zuma pushed for his resignation on Sunday, May 28, 2017, amid concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government, but the president still retained significant support within the divided party. (AP Photo/Khothatso Mokone, File)

Zuma survived a similar move to oust him at a committee meeting in November, but unease within the ruling party grew after he fired Pravin Gordhan, the widely respected finance minister, in a Cabinet reshuffle in March.

Two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, responded to Gordhan's dismissal by lowering South Africa's credit rating to below investment grade, raising concerns about an already struggling economy with high unemployment.

Zuma's ties to the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate top government leaders for financial gain, has also stirred public anger. This weekend's edition of the Sunday Times reported on emails allegedly showing the Guptas' control over some Cabinet ministers and state-owned companies, as well as the involvement of Zuma's son Duduzane, a Gupta associate.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing.

In another scandal, Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home.
CARY, N.C. (AP) - A burglary suspect spotted sneaking into a suburban North Carolina home in the middle of the night was fatally shot by a police officer early Sunday, authorities said.

A woman who said she was watching TV because she couldn't sleep said she heard a door close, and then spotted a man walking around inside the home around 2:30 a.m.

She managed to slip into a bedroom to warn another woman in the home, and they called 911 from inside a closet.

"I was out on the couch, watching a TV show on Netflix, and I heard this door that leads into the house open and close," said the woman, whose name was deleted from the police record of the call. "I looked over the balcony and I saw someone."

About 11 minutes into the call, the 911 operator tells the women to stay in the closet, because a man ran from the house as officers arrived.

Officers found the suspect a few blocks away and were trying to arrest him when one officer shot the man, Cary spokeswoman Carrie Roman said in a news release.

The city did not say why the officer decided to fire his gun or whether the suspect was armed. He died a short time later at the hospital. The women and the officers were not injured.

Some information was erased from the 911 call and it wasn't clear if the women knew the man who broke in.

The officer who fired has been taken off patrol as the State Bureau of Investigation investigates.

None of the names of the people involved were released.
PARIS (AP) - The French president's office has announced the release of a French hostage kidnapped on March 1 in Congo.

The brief two-sentence statement Sunday said the hostage-taking took place in the east of the central African nation, but gave no other details.

It said French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release, "in particular Congo authorities for their mobilization and the effectiveness of their action."

The French hostage was among five workers, including Congolese and a Tanzanian, kidnapped from a gold mine operated by Canadian company Banro Mining Corp.
CINCINNATI (AP) - No public events are planned at the Cincinnati Zoo marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of an endangered gorilla.

The zoo's dangerous-animal response team concluded the life of a 3-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure last May 28 was in danger and killed 17-year-old Harambe (huh-RAHM'-bay). That led to global mourning, criticism and satires that made him a pop culture phenomenon.

Zoo officials are looking ahead to an expanded Gorilla World exhibit in June and also are working on the timetable for the public debut of a popular new animal.

FILE - In this May 29, 2016, file photo, Eula Ray, of Hamilton, Ohio, whose son is a curator for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, touches a sympathy card beside a gorilla statue outside the Gorilla World exhibit at the zoo in Cincinnati. No public events are planned at the Cincinnati Zoo marking the one-year anniversary of the May 28, 2016, shooting of an endangered gorilla named Harambe. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Viewers have flocked to its website for updates on Fiona (fee-OH'-nuh), a hippo born prematurely at the zoo in January. Zoo officials say the strong positive response to Fiona has helped a healing process after Harambe's death.

___

Information from: WXIX-TV, http://www.fox19.com

FILE - In this April 12, 2017, file photo, visitors read a sign about a Nile hippopotamus named Fiona born prematurely as they pass through the Hippo Cove exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Cincinnati. No public events are planned at the Cincinnati Zoo marking the one-year anniversary of the May 28, 2016, shooting of an endangered gorilla named Harambe. Zoo officials said positive response to the hippo's birth has helped a healing process after Harambe's death. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) - Ah, summer in the Hamptons. Cocktail parties. Beach gatherings. Celebrities. But for some eastern Long Island residents, the annual arrival of the jet set also brings the thumpety-thump of helicopters and whine of airplane engines.

This season's aircraft buzz, centered on the tiny municipal airport in East Hampton, could be worse than it has been in years.

Last fall, a federal appeals court struck down nighttime curfews and limits on the frequency of "noisy" flights that town officials had imposed on the East Hampton Airport, which serves as a hub for rich beachgoers zipping in from New York City and points beyond.

FILE - In this Aug. 20, 2014, file photo, a small jet approaches the runway at East Hampton Town Airport in East Hampton, N.Y. East Hampton officials enacted curfews and limits on the frequency of flights to quiet the skies above the resort towns for the haves and have-mores. But an appeals court struck down those laws last winter and now the town, with the support of New York City and others arguing for local control of airports, are asking he U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman, File)

The court said only the Federal Aviation Administration has authority to regulate flying hours.

The town asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal, but in the meantime, some fed-up Hamptons' residents are now saying they want the airport shut down altogether. It's something Santa Monica, California, decided to do over similar concerns earlier this year.

"The choppers - you can almost feel them coming before you hear them," says Patricia Currie, a Noyac resident, who lives about 7 miles (11 kilometers) from the airport. "Very slowly, it gets louder and louder. It gives you time to dread the thing. There is a feeling of dread even though you know it's going to pass."

Although the airport is located on Long Island's south shore, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of New York City, complaints about aircraft clatter stretch to communities many miles away. Adam Irving, who vacations in Orient on the northeastern tip of Long Island, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from East Hampton, says low flying helicopters are frequent annoyances.

"The entire eastern end of Long Island has a very low ambient noise environment, so when these things fly over, it is very pronounced," he said. "The total noise per flyover lasts two-and-a-half to three minutes. First you will feel the low-end bass, then the flop-flop noise. You can feel it in your body and it rattles your walls."

The town of East Hampton, which said it logged 24,000 complaints from July 4, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016, thought it had addressed the issue when it enacted laws in 2015 barring flights between 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., and a once-weekly limit on aircraft deemed noisy, according to FAA noise standards, between May and September.

An industry group called Friends of East Hampton Airport fought back in court. The town contended it did not come under FAA regulations because it had stopped receiving any funding from the agency several years ago.

The airport made $2.9 million in landing fees, rentals, leases and other income in 2016 and ended the year with a nearly $600,000 surplus. Income generated by the airport is being used to finance the town's legal battles, which cost $1.9 million in the past three years, said councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.

She said the town is hoping to win its court fight and keep the airport operating with some of the restrictions restored.

Burke-Gonzalez said she is hopeful at least some of the companies that run flights through the airport will voluntarily limit overnight flights. The earliest the airport could close, if that's what the town decides, would be 2021.

Its challenge of the appellate court ruling and request to have the case heard by the Supreme Court is backed by New York City.

"Responsibility for protecting local residents from aviation noise has historically been shouldered primarily by local, governmental airport proprietors," the city wrote in a court filing.

The International Municipal Lawyers Association also has filed a brief in support of the town. "We see this as having an impact on municipalities around the country," said Amanda Kellar, director of legal advocacy.

Earlier this year, the Southern California city of Santa Monica said it would close its airport and replace it with a park by 2028. Residents there raised concerns about noise, air pollution and the risk of planes crashing into neighborhoods.

East Hampton recently retained the law firm that represented Santa Monica in hopes of negotiating restrictions amenable to the FAA.

An FAA spokesman did not comment. Lawyers for Friends of East Hampton Airport didn't respond to messages.

John Kelly, director of operations for Shoreline Aviation, an operator of seaplanes that use the airport, said his company has made efforts to fly at higher altitudes until it gets close to the airport to reduce noise complaints.

"We're trying to do what we can to ameliorate the problem," Kelly said. "We try to alternate routes so the same houses are not continuously being bombarded by noise."

___

Follow Eltman on Twitter at @feltman41

In this May 19, 2017 photo, passengers prepare to board a helicopter at East Hampton Airport in East Hampton, N.Y. East Hampton officials enacted curfews and limits on the frequency of flights to quiet the skies, and complaints. But an appeals court struck down those laws last winter and now the town, with the support of New York City and others arguing for local control of airports, are asking he U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman)

In this May 19, 2017 photo, a helicopter prepares for take off at East Hampton Airport in East Hampton, N.Y. East Hampton officials enacted curfews and limits on the frequency of flights to quiet the skies, and complaints. But an appeals court struck down those laws last winter and now the town, with the support of New York City and others arguing for local control of airports, are asking he U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman)
Watch out for the 'Mad Dog' when the sun goes down.

That was the message on Sunday from James Mattis, the US Defense Secretary.

The battle-hardened, tough-talking retired Marine Corps general was asked during CBS's Face the Nation what keeps him awake at night.

But Mattis, who was entrusted with some of the most challenging commands in the military, simply replied: 'Nothing.'

'I keep other people awake at night.'

When Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (seen walking past saluting cadets at commencement ceremonies at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, on Saturday) was asked what keeps him awake at night, he said: 'Nothing. I keep other people awake at night'

When asked about the situation on the Korean peninsula, Mattis said war with North Korea would be 'catastrophic' - if tensions between the US and Kim Jong Un ever reached that point.

'A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes,' he told host John Dickerson.

'Why do I say this? The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket launchers within range of one of the most densely-populated cities on Earth, which is the capital of South Korea.

'We are working with the international community to deal with this issue, this regime is a threat to the region, to Japan, to South Korea, and in the event of war they would bring danger to China and to Russia as well.

When asked about the situation on the Korean peninsula, Mattis told CBS on Sunday that war with North Korea would be 'catastrophic' - if tensions between the US and Kim Jong Un ever reached that point

'But the bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into combat, if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.'

Dickerson then asked Mattis, who was giving his first official interview as Defense Secretary, if North Korea's military abilities had improved with recent tests.

'We always assume that with a testing program they get better with each test,' he said.

North Korea on Sunday has fired a ballistic missile from its east coast.

The missile was fired from the region of Wonsan in an easterly direction into the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military said.

The launch was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, who called a meeting of the National Security Council, the South Korean office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and vowed action along with other nations to deter Pyongyang's repeated provocations.

'As we agreed at the recent G7, the issue of North Korea is a top priority for the international community,' Abe told reporters in brief televised remarks.

'Working with the United States, we will take specific action to deter North Korea.'

North Korea on Sunday has fired a ballistic missile from its east coast. The missile was fired from the region of Wonsan in an easterly direction into the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military said. South Koreans in Seoul watch a news broadcast reporting on the missile launch Sunday

Mattis said he believed that North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un (seen above in this April 26, 2017 file photo) posed 'a direct threat to the United States'

Mattis then went on to explain the potential danger Kim Jong Un's country poses to the US.

'It is a direct threat to the United States,'he said.

'They have been very clear in their rhetoric, we don't have to wait until they have an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear weapon on it to say that now it has manifested completely.'

But he would not be drawn on whether there was a 'line' North Korea could cross that would force the US to intervene.

'I'd prefer not to answer that we do not draw red lines unless we intend to carry them out,' he said.

Mattis then reiterated the belief North Korea is a 'direct threat', adding: 'As far as that specific threat, I don't want to put a timeline on it. At this time, what we know, I'd prefer to keep silent about because we may actually know some things the North Koreans don't even know.'

In this Thursday, May 11, 2017 file photo, a girl sleeps in her father's arms in western Mosul, Iraq, after fleeing from fighting between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group

The US will take further steps this week as it ramps up defense against a potential attack, with the Pentagon set to try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile this week.

Mattis was also asked about the American strategy in defeating ISIS.

The Pentagon chief replied that the US was now interested in employing 'annihilation tactics.'

'The bottom line is we are going to move in an accelerated and reinforced manner, throw them on their back foot,' Mattis said.

'We have already shifted from attrition tactics where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics where we surround them.'

Mattis said it was imperative for the US-led coalition to deny foreign fighters who enlisted with ISIS to return to their home countries, where they would seek to possibly carry out terror attacks.

'Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa. Were not going to allow them to do so. Were going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate,' he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed more than two dozen lawsuits against Metro and the District of Columbia over an electrical malfunction caused a train to fill with smoke.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/2qp4OoV) that the plaintiffs asked for the 25 cases to be dismissed. That means they likely have reached a settlement with Metro and the District outside of court.

One passenger was killed and more than 80 others were sickened during the 2015 malfunction, which was the first fatality on the Metro system since a 2009 crash that killed nine people.

Patrick M. Regan is an attorney representing several plaintiffs. He said he cannot say why the cases were dismissed.

The lawsuit filed by family members of the woman who died was not dismissed.

___

Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
CLEVELAND (AP) - Sharon Lane became an icon after she became the only woman in the U.S. Army killed by hostile fire during the Vietnam War.

The 25-year-old nurse died when a rocket slammed into her ward in 1969. Those who were with her vividly remember the palpable sadness.

This Memorial Day, fellow veterans remember Lane for her focus and attentiveness as a nurse. She was restless as a young woman but found her calling tending to the wounded in Vietnam.

In this Aug. 30, 1968, photo provided by Philip Bigler, author of Hostile Fire, U.S. Army nurse Sharon Lane is congratulated by a military official as she's promoted to first lieutenant in Aurora, Colo. Lane, the only American servicewoman killed by hostile fire in the Vietnam War, has been immortalized in books, statues and a television show, and veterans still gather at her grave five decades after her death. (U.S. Army/Hostile Fire/Vandamere Press via AP)

The Ohio woman has been immortalized in books, statues and exhibits. She even helped inspire characters in a television show.

Veterans still gather at her grave to pay their respects nearly 50 years after her death. They vow to keep Lane's memory alive even as those who knew her personally pass away.

This undated photo provided by Philip Bigler shows U.S. Army nurse 1st Lt. Sharon Lane's grave at Sunset Hills Burial Park cemetery in Canton, Ohio. Lane, the only American servicewoman killed by hostile fire in the Vietnam War, has been immortalized in books, statues and a television show, and veterans still gather at her grave five decades after her death. (Philip Bigler/Hostile Fire/Vandamere Press via AP)
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group has been the largest and the longest operation against the extremists in the nearly three years since they overran a third of the country. Mosul is Iraq's second-largest city after the capital Baghdad and was a key logistical and economic hub for IS when the extremists' footprint spanned much of Iraq's north and into neighboring Syria. Iraq's prime minister had originally pledged Mosul would be retaken by the end of 2016, but it quickly became clear IS planned to draw out their inevitable defeat, leaving destruction and human suffering in their wake.

Below is a look at what makes the remaining battle so difficult:

TERRAIN

FILE -- In this May 5, 2017 file photo, destroyed buildings from fighting between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group are seen in western Mosul. Iraq's fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group has been the largest and the longest operation against the extremists in the nearly three years since they overran a third of the country. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen, File)

Mosul is a large city comprised of dense built-up neighborhoods, ancient, congested districts and agricultural suburbs. The U.S.-led coalition described the battle for Mosul as "some of the toughest urban fighting in decades." IS snipers fire down on advancing Iraqi troops from inside bedrooms, perched on rooftops and from the minarets of mosques. Barricades erected by IS have turned residential blocks into mazes and the extremist fighters have used civilian garages to conceal massive, armored car bombs.

Initially, Iraqi forces punched too deep into Mosul too fast and suffered heavy casualties from the IS fighters who knew the terrain and had years to prepare defenses. When Iraqi forces slowed their advances to just a few hundred meters a day and coordinated moves across multiple fronts, IS defenses thinned and Iraqi forces were able to secure more victories and reduce military casualties.

CIVILIANS

When the operation to retake Mosul was launched last October, the United Nations estimated more than a million civilians were still living in the city. Unlike past urban battles against IS, in Mosul Iraq's government asked civilians to remain in their homes in order to avoid massive numbers of displaced families requiring camps and other assistance.

Iraqi commanders said the presence of civilians inside Mosul during the fight has repeatedly slowed the pace of operations as they are unable to largely rely on airstrikes and artillery to quickly clear territory ahead of their ground forces. The U.S.-led coalition has repeatedly praised Iraqi forces for showing respect for human life in the Mosul fight, but there have been instances of high civilian casualties due to the use of artillery and airstrikes. One of the worst incidents came on March 17, where the Pentagon determined a U.S. airstrike set off secondary explosives laid by IS; the ensuing blast killed more than 100 civilians sheltering in a home in western Mosul.

The March 17 strike sparked calls from Iraqi and world leaders for greater protection of civilians. The U.N. called on the Iraqi government and its partners "to undertake an urgent review of tactics to ensure that the impact on civilians is reduced to an absolute minimum, in full accordance with international humanitarian law." Following the launch of the U.S. investigation into the incident in late March, Mosul advances ground to a near halt for weeks. The following month, the coalition dropped 38% fewer munitions on Mosul, according to London-based monitoring group Airwars.

COALITION ROLE and IRAQI FORCES

The U.S.-led coalition steadily increased its footprint in Iraq in the lead-up to the operation to retake Mosul. The U.S. fight against IS was initially described as one that would not involve "boots on the ground," and both U.S. commanders and politicians pledged that American forces would not be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq.

But U.S. troops are now stationed at a number of bases in the Mosul area and the Pentagon has acknowledged that hundreds of U.S. soldiers operate inside Mosul backing Iraqi ground troops in the fight.

However Iraqi forces are still taking the lead on the ground in Mosul and after more than seven months of grueling fighting, Iraq's best-trained fighters are depleted. Iraq's special forces suffered significant casualties in the fight for eastern Mosul and in the first weeks of the push on Mosul's west, Iraq's federal police - relatively inexperienced in urban combat - took a lead role in one of the city's most difficult districts.

After the advance led by the federal police stalled, the Iraqi army's ninth division - an armored division not immediately suitable to fighting in urban environments - was brought in to assist.

THE END GAME

Iraqi forces announced the beginning of the final push on the last IS strongholds in Mosul Saturday. Coinciding with the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during the daylight hours, advances have so far been slow. Iraq's military has described them as "cautious" and the coalition has warned that the most difficult battles in the Mosul operation could be ahead.

Mosul's Old City is an ancient district of narrow alleyways and tightly packed homes where the U.N. estimates more than 100,000 people are being held by IS. Iraqi forces dropped leaflets over the area Friday, telling civilians to flee in an effort to facilitate the military operations.

According to residents interviewed by The Associated Press, many families are trapped in their homes by IS with the doors welded shut; the extremists have also repeatedly targeted fleeing civilians with small arms fire and mortars. Aid groups have warned that a mass exodus of thousands of residents would likely be chaotic and deadly as the area lacks safe passageways - forcing those who flee to cross front-line clashes.

FILE -- In this Saturday, May 13, 2017 file photo, a displaced family passes an Islamic State militant banner in western Mosul. Iraq's fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group has been the largest and the longest operation against the extremists in the nearly three years since they overran a third of the country. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen, File)

FILE -- In this Friday, May 26, 2017 file photo, a child plays among the ruins of a house in western Mosul that was destroyed in a March 17 coalition airstrike that killed more than 100 people. Iraq's fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group has been the largest and the longest operation against the extremists in the nearly three years since they overran a third of the country. (AP Photo/Balint Szlanko, File)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A woman charged with killing her husband as he lay in a Florida hospital bed last year was found dead at her home last week, police said.

Jan Sochalski faced a murder charge for allegedly suffocating her husband last May after he suffered life-threatening complications following back surgery. Sixty-four-year-old Henry Sochalski was a retired Trenton, New Jersey, police officer. The couple lived in Florida.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office told The Daytona Beach News-Journal (http://bit.ly/2saIfRa ) that Jan Sochalski was found dead at her home in Palm Coast on Thursday. A deputy who had been dispatched for a wellness check found the 62-year-old woman slumped over a chair on the back porch.

Sochalski was a retired nurse.

Police told the newspaper they don't believe her death was suspicious.

Investigators wrote in an arrest report last year that after Henry Sochalski went into respiratory and cardiac arrest after his surgery, his wife was so upset that she threatened to go home and get a gun and shoot people in the hospital. Jan Sochalski wasn't arrested at that time.

According to the arrest report after Henry Sochalski's death, a nurse found Jan Sochalski lying across her husband's chest May 19 with one hand across his mouth and nose. Henry Sochalski died about 30 minutes later. An autopsy determined he died of asphyxia of the mouth, nose and trachea.

After her arrest, she denied killing her husband, the newspaper reported.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's Roman Catholic Church says pipeline fuel thefts involve entire towns, government officials and employees of the state-owned oil company and now constitute "one of the main threats to state power and the justice system."

The Archdiocese of Mexico said in an editorial Sunday that illegal pipeline taps "involve authorities in collusion with organized crime." It said employees of the state-owned Pemex oil company and businessmen are also involved.

Observers have long said thieves couldn't drill the risky taps unless they had inside information on pressure levels in the pipelines. Mexico's treasury secretary has said fuel theft costs the country between $780 million and $1 billion a year.

Clashes between the military and suspected fuel thieves killed 10 people recently in the central state of Puebla.
CARY, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on a burglary suspect shot to death by police officers in North Carolina (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

A woman who couldn't sleep told a 911 operator she saw a man sneak through the garage door of a North Carolina home. Minutes later, he was shot and killed by police.

Cary officials released the 911 call from the home in the Raleigh suburb.

Two women made the call while hiding in a closet around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. One told the operator she saw the man come into the house while she was on the couch watching TV and made it upstairs to warn the other without being seen.

The 911 operator tells the women the suspect ran as officers arrived.

Police say the man was shot by officers trying to arrest him. They have not released his name or what led the officers to fire.

No one else was injured.

___

11:20 a.m.

Authorities say a burglary suspect has been shot and killed as police tried to arrest him in a North Carolina neighborhood.

Cary spokeswoman Carrie Roman said in a news release that officers went to the home in the Raleigh suburb after getting a call about an intruder around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Authorities say the shooting happened a few blocks from the home after the suspect was apprehended and officers were trying to take him into custody. He died a short time later in the hospital. The city did not release any other details.

Authorities say the officers and the people in the home were not injured.

The names of the officer who fired and the dead man have not been released.

The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting.
Donald Trump said Theresa May was very angry about leaks to the US media of sensitive information about the Manchester Arena bombing.

The US President tweeted that Mrs May gave him full details during talks while he attended summits in Europe.

The Prime Minister said Mr Trump acknowledged the leaks were unacceptable when she challenged him about them.

Theresa May, left, and Donald Trump

Mrs May raised the issue with the US President at the Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday after British police temporarily suspended sharing information with counterparts across the Atlantic after the US media was repeatedly briefed about sensitive evidence.

The Prime Minister said Scotland Yard had received assurances from the FBI and had resumed intelligence-sharing.

At a press conference at the G7 summit in Sicily on Friday, Mrs May said: Yes, I did raise the issue of leaks of information that have been shared by the police with the FBI with President Trump. He has made clear that that was unacceptable.

Mr Trumps message was part of a series of tweets sent on his return to the US in which he hit out at leaks, fabricated lies and the fake news media.
Angela Merkel has urged EU nations to fight for their own future in the face of emerging divisions with the US, Britains decision to leave the bloc and other challenges.

The German chancellor spoke following the G7 summit, in which leaders failed to agree unanimously on climate change after US president Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

She described the summit as a wake-up call, adding: The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days.

Angela Merkel

Mrs Merkel said the EU nations had to take our destiny into our own hands although she emphasised the need to keep friendly relations with the US and Britain, while stressing the importance of being good neighbours wherever possible, including with Russia.

Six of the seven G7 nations agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at slowing global warming, but Mr Trump said he needed more time to decide if the US would abandon the accord.

His administration has argued that US emissions standards are tougher than those set by China, India and others, and therefore have put American businesses at a disadvantage.

Mrs Merkel called the climate talks very difficult, if not to say, very unsatisfactory.

The G7 leaders meeting in Sicily vowed to fight protectionism, reiterating a commitment to keep our markets open, despite the Trump administrations talk of an America first policy and continued criticism of Germany for its huge trade surplus.

They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine.
The SNP would look to be part of a progressive alliance at Westminster if the General Election results in a hung parliament, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader said that she did not think Labours leader Jeremy Corbyn was credible as an alternative prime minister.

But she told The Andrew Neil Interviews, BBC One that if there was to be a hung Parliament of course we would look to be part of a progressive alliance that pursued progressive policies.

Nicola Sturgeon

Ms Sturgeon continued: Lets get back to the reality of this election. The reality of this election, even with the narrowing of the polls, is that were going to face a Tory government perhaps with a bigger majority, so my priority in this election is to say to the people of Scotland if you want Scotlands interests to be protected and our voice heard youve got to vote SNP.

The SNP won 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland in the 2015 general election, and in the run up to that ballot Tories across the UK sought to raise fears about the impact a possible coalition between Labour and the SNP could have.

Recent opinion polls across the UK have showed Theresa Mays lead over Labour shrinking.

An ORB poll for the Sunday Telegraph put support for Labour on 38%  six points behind the Conservatives and a result which would see Jeremy Corbyn outpoll both Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown.

Writing in the Sunday Herald newspaper, the First Minister hit out at the cruelty and financial incompetence of the Conservatives as she urged Scots to say enough is enough in the June 8 election.

Ms Sturgeon said: Tomorrow there will be 10 days to polling day. Ten days in which it is vital that a light is shone firmly on the impact Tory policies will have on the country, on households and on jobs.

NS:"We will work for progressive policies." #BBCelection



Read on Scotland leading the way on progressive policies: https://t.co/3IMt309gGt  The SNP (@theSNP) May 28, 2017

Ten days in which we can really put a check on the Tories and put the values we seek to protect at the front of the campaign.

Ten days in which people across Scotland can say enough is enough, and vote SNP to stop the Tories and give Scotland a strong voice at Westminster.
SOFIA, May 26 (Reuters) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov on Friday cast doubt over the Balkan country's decision to enter talks to buy new Swedish-made Gripen warplanes to replace its ageing Soviet-designed MiG-29s.

NATO member Bulgaria has said it wants to seal a deal by the year-end to acquire eight new or secondhand fighter jets between 2018 and 2022 in order to modernise its fleet and improve its compliance with the military alliance's standards.

In April, Bulgaria's interim government said it would enter into talks to buy eight new Gripen warplanes made by SAAB , after approving a Defence Ministry-produced ranking which picked the Swedish jet over an offer from Portugal for secondhand U.S. F-16s and an Italian offer of secondhand Eurofighter Typhoons.

At the time, the interim defence minister, Stefan Yanev, said the decision meant that when a new administration took over on May 4 talks could begin with Sweden.

But officials from the centre-right GERB party now in power has said the interim government should not have made the call on a deal worth an estimated 1.5 billion levs ($860.93 million).

"I want to look at it (the ranking)," Borisov, who returned as prime minister for the third time since 2009, told reporters. "We will buy when we are ready. The plane is not the most important thing in an army."

"Let's see if it's right to take aircraft straight away or to look at land forces, ships..."

Borisov suggested an overhaul of engines could keep the MiGs in the air for another 11 years.

President Rumen Radev has said the GERB-led coalition government would be putting politics ahead of military expertise if it rejected the defence ministry's ranking of the offers.

Borisov's comments are the latest twist in a long-running saga that has seen a succession of Bulgarian governments fail to make a decision on which warplane to pick.

Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union three years later. ($1 = 1.7423 leva) (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; editing by Richard Lough)
RABAT, May 27 (Reuters) - Moroccan authorities have arrested 20 people following violent clashes between police and protesters in the northern city of Al-Hoceima on Friday evening, the local prosecutor said on Saturday.

Clashes erupted in Al-Hoceima after authorities sought to arrest a well-known activist who led recent demonstrations and who interrupted a Friday prayer sermon, activists and local residents said.

Political protests are rare in Morocco, but tensions in Al-Hoceima have been simmering since October after the death of a fishmonger who was crushed inside a garbage truck while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by the police.

His death sparked anger against "Hogra," a colloquial Derja Arabic term for deprivation of dignity from official abuses or corruption, and prompted some of the biggest protests since Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations in 2011.

According to a statement from the general prosecutor in Al-Hoceima carried on MAP state news agency, the arrests of the 20 individuals were made on May 26 and 27 for "threatening national security" in the North African kingdom.

"The preliminary investigation showed the individuals received money transfers and logistical support in order to carry out propaganda activities to undermine the integrity of the Kingdom and to undermine the allegiance of citizens to the Moroccan state and its institutions," the statement read.

Nasser Zefzafi, leader of the "Hirak" movement, interrupted a Friday prayer sermon in a local mosque. Authorities sought his arrest for "interrupting a religious ceremony," a crime punishable with a prison term.

Authorities failed to arrest Zefzafi, who fled the city, while supporters poured into the streets protesting against the attempt to detain him.

On Saturday, health officials said three policemen were critically injured following the clashes on Friday. Activists say several protesters have also been hospitalized.

Moroccan authorities usually police protests heavily, nervous about unrest since the 2011 demonstrations. During those protests, the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform. (Reporting by Samia Errazzouki; Editing by Patrick Markey and Marguerita Choy)
BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - China is "strongly dissatisfied" with the mention of the East and South China Sea issues in a Group of Seven (G7) statement, and the G7 allies should stop making irresponsible remarks, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.

China is committed to properly resolving disputes with all nations involved through negotiations while maintaining peace and stability in the East China Sea and South China Sea, spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on Sunday.

China hopes the G7 and other nations would refrain from taking positions, fully respect the efforts of countries in the region in handling the disputes, and stop making irresponsible remarks, Lu said.

In their communique on Saturday, G7 leaders said they were concerned by the situation in the South China Sea and East China Sea. They also called for a demilitarisation of "disputed features".

China has a dispute with Japan over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.

Beijing's extensive claims to the South China Sea are also challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.

The United States has criticised China's construction of islands and build-up of military facilities in the South China Sea, concerned they could be used to restrict free movement and broaden Beijing's strategic reach.

Earlier this week, a U.S navy warship conducted a so-called freedom-of-navigation drill near Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands.

The manoeuvre, the first under the Trump administration, prompted an angry response from Beijing.

The G7 consists of the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Japan. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by James Dalgleish)
JERUSALEM, May 28 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed on Sunday Ayoob Kara, a minister in his Likud party, as communications minister, who will oversee Israel's telecom market as it undergoes significant reforms.

Netanyahu himself held the post until he relinquished it in February amid allegations he had negotiated a deal with a newspaper owner for good press coverage.

The communications ministry has oversight of the telecoms and broadcast media industries.

The cabinet has approved the appointment of Kara, who was previously a minister without portfolio, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Netanyahu kept the communications portfolio for himself after re-election in 2015, but shortly after gave up much of the job's responsibility when he was barred from dealing with Israel's largest telecom provider, Bezeq, due to his personal friendship with the company's chairman.

Netanyahu stepped down from the role completely three months ago after being questioned by police over allegations he tried to secure a deal with the owner of Israel's best-selling newspaper for better coverage. He did not give an official reason for stepping down.

Likud lawmaker and Netanyahu confidant Tzachi Hanegbi filled the post in the interim.

One of the biggest decisions Kara will have to make is whether to allow Bezeq, one of the most profitable companies in Israel and a favourite among foreign investors, to combine its fixed-line, mobile, satellite TV and internet units, which currently are separate companies.

He also faces the challenge of enhancing competition in the fixed-line sector and enabling mobile phone operators like Cellcom and Partner to better compete with Bezeq. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Susan Fenton)
BERLIN, May 28 (Reuters) - Germany, whose relations with Turkey have been strained by a series of rows, will decide within two weeks whether to withdraw troops deployed at Turkey's Incirlik air force base, a German Foreign Ministry official said on Sunday.

Roughly 250 German troops are based at Incirlik to help in the fight against Islamic State militants.

Germany said last week it was considering moving its soldiers from Incirlik to Jordan or another country in the region because the Turkish government refuses to grant German lawmakers access to the site.

Ties between NATO allies Germany and Turkey have deteriorated sharply after a succession of diplomatic rows.

Most recently, Turkey has expressed anger that Germany is granting asylum to Turks accused of participating in a failed coup in July. The failed putsch prompted a purge of the Turkish military, judiciary and civil service.

"We're still holding talks with the Turkish side about Incirlik and we will work on a solution until mid-June," said the German Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Turkish officials have told Reuters a visit by German lawmakers to the German soldiers at Incirlik would not be appropriate at the moment.

(Reporting by Hans-Edzad Busemann; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Stephen Powell)
About 200 families living along the stretch from Poddala to Baddegama had been instructed to evacuate immediately due to the rising water levels of Gin Ganga and a possible threat of breaking of the dam of the Gin Ganga water project.

Our correspondent said military personnel were fortifying the dam by stacking sandbags. (By D.G.Sugathapala)
On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. However, 27 years later, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) community throughout the world continue to be thought of as deviants and mentally unstable persons who are very often forced to undergo life threatening cures to cure them of their homosexuality or gender identity. Throughout the world, Lesbians, Gay men and Transgender are brutally murdered, raped and violated in numerous ways. This is prevalent in Sri Lanka too.

Earlier this year, a transgender man was arrested by the police on a domestic dispute in Narahenpita. He was locked up, verbally abused by the police and asked to undress and show his genitals to prove he was a man.

A transgender woman was accosted by the police in Anuradhapura and when she refused to have sex with the officers she was allegedly taken away and raped by 14 police officers at the Police station.

"There are many reasons why a child would be afraid to tell their parents about his/her sexuality. Most important amongst these is the simple fact of their fear"



Two Gay men, sitting on the beach in Mt. Lavinia, holding hands were accosted by two policemen. They proceeded to berate them loudly until a small crowd had gathered. The two boys begged for mercy. The police proceeded to extract all the money they had on their person and were then allowed to go.

LGBTIQ are branded criminals and social deviants by the laws of many countries including our own. They are subject to ridicule, bullying and are deprived of educational, professional and economic opportunities solely on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The 134 Campaign (https://www.causes.com/campaigns/106430-end-134-years-of-criminalisation-of-homosexuality) which is steadily gaining traction is attempting to deal with homophobia, bi phobia and trans phobia within the legal system of Sri Lanka. However, the law is but one part of the vicious cycle of intolerance and hate that crush persons of diverse sexual orientation or gender identity in this country.

The intolerance and prejudice towards people based on their sexual orientation and/or their gender identity, known as homophobia, bi phobia and transphobia, is one of the main reasons for the atrocities being committed against the LGBTIQ community the world over.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Bi phobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), is globally observed on May 17 each year to raise awareness of the consequences of prejudice and hate and to educate persons on diversity in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby attempting to disrupt the hate cycle.

On May 17, 2017, an event was held in Colombo to commemorate the IDAHOT in Sri Lanka. This years theme for IDAHOT is Families. The turnout was unprecedented leading this writer to believe that more people in this country want to learn about LGBTIQs, want to support them and accept there are different people living in this country and all should be respected and treated with dignity no matter who they are.

"Two Gay men, sitting on the beach in Mt. Lavinia, holding hands were accosted by two policemen"



Misrepresentations, stereotyping, religious intolerance and ignorance are the root causes of Homophobia, Bi phobia and Transphobia with the only medication being, the dissemination of information and awareness creation whereby people who fear, mistrust and hate LGBTIQs realise that they are not just their sexual orientation or gender identity, they are much more than that. We value family in this country enormously, so then why do we turn our backs on our LGBTI or Q family members?

We talk about Family Values and the creation of family units, and vilify the LGBTIQ community as being anti-family. However, we are all part of a family. Family values should not be polluted by hate and bigotry, by ignorance, homophobia and Transphobia.

Equal Ground, an organization working for the LGBTIQ rights takes sensitising and education of the general public and of the LGBTIQ community very seriously. Since 2006, it has conducted sensitising and educational programmes all over Sri Lanka. It has also distributed publications on same sex relationships, human rights, GBV and health amongst many others, to hundreds of people across the country. One in particular has resonated in many parts of the island. It is called Stepping Out: for parents with children of alternate sexual orientations and gender identities and is available in all three languages. It is an informative publication to educate parents of LGBTIQ children and give them the resources they need to understand and support their children.



For a child  a teenager  at least, telling a friend they are gay or lesbian is, in itself, a difficult challenge. So, one must understand how difficult it would be for them to tell his/her parents about it. There are many reasons why a child would be afraid to tell their parents about his/her sexuality. Most important amongst these is the simple fact of their fear: fear of disappointing their parents, fear of being alienated from them, fear of being punished. In addition, most LGBT teenagers harbour a solid belief their parents will not understand what they are going through, and what it means to be gay. Unfortunately, this belief about their parents lack of knowledge is, more often than not, correct. (an excerpt from Stepping Out: for parents with children of alternate sexual orientations and gender identities).

Particularly in this country, being out and proud as a LGBTI or Q person is a very difficult task.

Being ostracised by ones parents for being different is a heavy blow to any child as all children rely on their parents love and guidance throughout their lives. Having said this, we should also realise that just as much as LGBTIQs struggle to come out of the proverbial closet, most parents too, suffer similarly in trying to come to terms with their LGBTIQ children and be openly supportive and understanding.

"We talk about Family Values and the creation of family units, and vilify the LGBTIQ community as being anti-family. However, we are all part of a family. Family values should not be polluted by hate and bigotry, by ignorance, homophobia and Transphobia"



They also require counselling, a friendly ear and support to deal with their coming out process  accepting their L, G, B or T child and, being accepted by their friends and family and society as parents of a child or children with alternate sexual orientations or gender identities.

Being accepted as parents of an LGBTIQ child is just as much a trial  society can be so judgemental and cruel  as it is for a child. The key to acceptance, coming out, understanding, loving  is education. Ignorance cannot be your excuse to give your child a hard time about his/her sexuality or gender identity. As parents, you owe it to your child to know the facts and not speak or harass your child out of ignorance. Because once you know your facts, it is easier for both you and your child to face the struggle and keep your family together. In Sri Lanka, although there are some parents who are very understanding and accept their LGBTIQ children unconditionally, most others are very homophobic and transphobic creating a very harmful family environment. The laws in this country and the stigma that is attached to homosexuality and transgender, brought by the British in 1883, needs to be removed if almost 10% of this population is to be free to contribute as accepted citizens of this country. The continuous break up of families too will decrease and all citizens of this country can enjoy the freedom to love who they choose.



All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.

 Harvey Milk
A meaningless exercise to convey a message to the people that they are doing something!

Surviving on the coming Local Government and Provincial Council polls; holding on to leadership in the party seem to be foremost in the agenda of the two leaders of Maithri-Ranil unity government especially after Galle Face May Day blues. So much is being manipulated by just a few for their own benefit. There doesnt seem to be a direction or control. The Sirisena-Wickremasinghe regime is now over two years - the infancy has passed, they are into maturity - are they being directed and controlled by the dethroned king who is without power or authority?

Some UNP stalwarts thought of pulling out rather than betray their ministers in case the President wanted to replace key ministries held by them with SLFPers. The trouble seems to be they identify themselves as UNP and SLFP ministers, thereby creating factionalism within a cabinet. A cabinet is the sole authority in decision making in governance. There cannot be factions within it. May be that they contested elections as individual members of the two parties, but once they occupy seats in the cabinet it is one body, a unit made up of individual members. Every citizen of the country should enjoy the privilege of having his own Finance Minister or an Education minster for that matter.



Ministers facing charges still in office - who will lose?

People expected a few UNP ministers such as Ravi Karunanayake, Sagala Ratnayake, Lakshman Kiriella and Malik Samarawickrama; while political rejects from the SLFP like S. B. Dissanayake, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, Zoysa who entered through the back-door to lose their portfolios in the cabinet reshuffle. Nothing of the sorts happen. Apart from personal political agendas, there are many more other things that require priority. The government is a coalition, and therefore, conflicts of opinion are inevitable. But the way things are happening, one feels that everyones ultimate objective is to achieve his/her own political programmes. President Sirisena, a few weeks ago stated that he was contemplating making a few changes in the portfolios of his ministers. a new look Government by reshuffling the cabinet with a change in the top public service line up as well. The promised before Vesak was delayed by the visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi and due to other political constraints. The top two met with CBK who acted as peace-maker. Ravi Karunanayake, adjudged by esteemed Banker magazine as the best Finance Minister of Asia-Pacific, obviously was an unhappy man.



Disorder, the order-of-the-day

The only reliable thing about the government is its unreliability. We have order and counter order followed by disorder! Firm action and decision making is the need of the hour, this is the last chance for good governance - Prior to introduction of the 19th amendment, the old constitution conferred all powers with regard to allotment of ministries and engagement and removal of ministers on the executive President. Even without the political party to which the President belonged not having the majority in parliament, the President enjoyed full powers to appoint, dismiss or reshuffle. The President had extensive powers in handling the cabinet. The Presidents powers have been curtailed to some extent after the introduction of the nineteenth amendment which gave more weight to the parliament. The adjustment also makes unique provision enabling the first two political parties in terms of the number of seats to join to form an administration of national unity as found currently.

The much talked-about Cabinet reshuffle took place on Monday after the return of PM from China, as agreed between the two just ahead of Ranils departure to Beijing.

The idea of a Cabinet reshuffle turned out to be a sore point in the Unity Government from the inception. Some SLFP ministers who met the President a week before went to the extent of suggesting they would take up seats as an independent group The two-year Memorandum of Understanding between the two major political entities is due to expire or to be reviewed in a couple of months, President Sirisena assured he would take drastic action as the idea of a reshuffle was pledged to the nation after discussing with the PM. He had suspended weekly Cabinet meetings until the reshuffle was carried out.

Ministers facing charges still in office

Only reliable thing about the government is its unreliability

Essential subjects such as restructuring, economy allocated to UNP



The basis upon which a call for a reshuffle has been due to the tension developed among ministers of the two parties with accusations of corruption being made against some senior ministers from both sides. This required some changes to be effected in the cabinet, President himself on quite a few occasions has implied that there would be some changes in key ministries. Obviously some of the ministers who have been comfortable with their area of authority would want to hold on to their portfolio making a reshuffle a difficult task or unworkable. Rather than a reshuffle with same team, it is mandatory upon the President and the PM to rise above these petty differences and come to some conciliation in order to carry on with what they promised to the people under the rule of good governance.

Speculations arose - is a cabinet reshuffle required at this moment? Is it going to be a change of hands? Will anybody go out leaving room for new entrants? The Yahapaalana government approaches its third year, after toppling the corrupt Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. The good governance concept spearheaded by the late Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha Thera was able to bring down MR who re- wrote a new chapter in the countrys history. What remains to question is whether that concept has become a reality. The current politics is decided by the disparity between talk and practice. Therefore, the President seems to be in a dilemma as to what should be done.

After making a hero out of MR, even at January 8 elections, some SLFP stalwarts speaks like saviours of yahapalanaya. United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, a senior minister, lamented [16/05] that he did not have a wink of sleep on days he raised his hand for the 18th Amendment; impeachment of Shirani Bandaranaike and harassing Sarath Fonseka. But the poor fellow supported tooth and nail to make MR president for the third time. Maithri and Ranil came out victorious according to a decision by the voter, who wanted Rajapakses out. The Yahapaalanaya campaign made their story plain and unambiguous to the people before January 8. The opponents were making intrusion aggressively. Rajapakses are raising their heads slowly. The President should think seriously about the January 8 promises. The people do not want another Rajapaksa rule. President Sirisena should leave behind SLFP, he is the President for all countrymen; as long as he attempts to defend his position as head of his own party, MR will make him dance to his tune.



Allocation of ministries; Economy under PM

There is a major issue about change of areas assigned to each party. A major restructure will also involve adjusting of subjects and there will be differences when it comes to changing the responsibilities given to each party. Taking a look at the way these subjects were shared initially, it is obvious that subjects that are essential to restructuring the economy have been allocated to the UNP thus giving PM Wickremesinghe full powers to handle planning and economic development. Cabinet reshuffles are not an uncommon feature in healthy democracies, they usually happen in the mid-term or when there is a need arising out of circumstances.



Attempts to avert a reshuffle

Some ministers whose portfolios were at risk, have done everything possible to avert a reshuffle. There will be some board level changes in several key state institutions, such changes could not be effected without a reshuffle because it is the ministers authority and responsibility to appoint or remove the director boards of the institutions coming under their ministries. We propose - for setting up genuine good governance - leave out the following and form a new cabinet. Members of parliament who entered through the back door-rejected by the people and those who are facing various accusations and corrupt charges including those who helped, defended and motivated directly or indirectly the Great Bank Robbers.

Japan, UK, France and India whom we depend on for economic aid have less than 30 ministers, compared to our 47 now with the re-shuffle addition of Marapana as Special Development Assignments. What does it mean? Arent the other 46 are involved in development work? And new subjects of Regional Development and Heritage Matters - are they going to creep into areas assigned to the White elephants of PCs in their newly acquired limousines, each worth over 30 to 40 million? Whos money are being spent and/or wasted on such extravaganzas while hospitals are without drugs, schools with no proper toilets or drinking water? Poor village folk have to walk 13-14 km during droughts to fetch a bucket of water.

Natural or man-made disaster victims - over the past one year - are still languishing in temporary makeshift shelters. All this gross abuse of tax payers funds is to please an insatiable set that includes defeated candidates. They expect people to believe everything would be okay after the removal of Ravi K from the Finance portfolio. Overall performance of yahapalanaya remains appallingly low.
A Sri Lankan-born former security guard is serving a one-month jail sentence for kissing an asylum seeker at an immigration detention centre in Melbourne, Australia, The Age reported on Sunday.

The news article said Theivigan Panchalingham, 37, was previously a Serco guard at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation Centre in Broadmeadows.

Panchalingham, who is a refugee, is understood to have called the asylum seeker into his office at the detention centre between July and August, 2015. The woman complied and closed the door as she entered.

He offered her some food and tapped his thigh, in what she believed to be a gesture to sit on his lap.

She asked if she could leave the room. He helped her to open the door and kissed her on the cheek as she left.

Magistrate Meaghan Keogh earlier this month found the man guilty of one count of sexual assault for the kiss.

Ms. Keogh said that while the assault was not the "most extreme", the woman was not free to leave detention or complain, making her "the most vulnerable type of victim".

"Because those people rely on you to ensure their safety it does make this offending behaviour a breach of trust of the most serious type," she said.

She also questioned Serco's failure to intervene after the guard sexually assaulted a fellow guard a year earlier, which she said could have prevented the more recent assault.

The asylum seeker told the court in a victim impact statement that she became afraid of most of the guards after the assault. She stayed in her room most of the time, sleeping only two to three hours each night.

Ms. Keogh also said that Serco guards sent a clear message to detainees about what was acceptable in Australia through their actions, and he had undermined the woman's respect for the law.

She told Panchalingham that detainees were "fleeing all sorts of situations in their home countries and they're coming to another country where they hope they'll be allowed to live freely and with the protection of the law and that is something that you yourself have experienced," she said.

In the earlier 2014 incident, he kissed a colleague who was his junior on the mouth when they were en route to a Melbourne hospital for work, the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court heard.

Ms. Keogh said that Serco may have lost an opportunity to deal with the man's behaviour early on.

He pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault in relation to this incident, for which Ms. Keogh sentenced him to an 18-month community corrections order.

The order, which is to be served after his prison term, includes 200 hours' community service and participation in a sex offender program.

Defence counsel Shaun Pascoe told the court that the man was previously a journalist for a number of Tamil newspapers in Sri Lanka during the country's civil war, where he witnessed a bombing and other violence.

He said he came to Australia to study business administration at La Trobe University and later obtained a humanitarian visa to stay in Australia because he feared that his anti-government stance would put his safety at risk if he returned to Sri Lanka.

He unsuccessfully argued that he should receive a community corrections order without conviction for both his crimes.
Seven days into the deadliest bombing in the United Kingdom since 2005 July bombings in London, Manchester, a vibrant multicultural city in England is flooded with law enforcement officers, armed police and bomb disposal teams to reaffirm the public about safety through their constant patrols. The Manchester bombing carried out by a British citizen of Libyan origin has restarted a public debate with questions of terrorism, immigration, Muslim identities... all thrown out in the back drop of a divisive election campaign in the United Kingdom.

Twenty years ago, the Britons voted for hope and change when they brought into power a new political movement championed by a charismatic political leader by the name of Tony Blair. Blairs new labour movement, which was called the third way of the British political spectrum won heavily and its success was very much in cities such as Manchester. Tony Blairs political career and his party 20 years or both, seem at a sorry state. Blair once a giant in democratic politics globally, a scion of hope, progress and the voice of the anti terror war, is neither venerated nor remembered as the leader British public thought would guide them to prosperity coming in the new millennia.

Twenty years on, the labour party is fighting to stay relevant and unified amidst internal turmoil, the far left mavericks leader Corbyns struggles amidst constant challenges to his leadership. The Conservative party has moved very much to the right since the departure of David Cameron and under the leadership of Theresa May is assured victory in the upcoming general elections but at a terrible social and political cost. The inclusive, liberalist plural Britain is clearly in decline, Britain has entered a phase of significant transformation in its political culture and its post Brexit strategic posture is yet to be ascertained

Ten years into the new labour government in 2007, the global financial crises struck London and all other financial nerve centres in Britain, London and Edinburgh taking the worst hits with the financial and banking sector catching fire like a pack of cards falling apart. Twenty years on, since new labours victory, British political landscape is going through some notable changes and it seems that warnings from British Intelligence when Tony Blair joined the war on terror seems to be coming to light.

The Chilcot report, the lengthy British investigation into the circumstances leading to the Iraqi invasion in 2003, was re-released last year.

The report outlines the warning given by the Joint Intelligence Committee, the main advisory arm of the British PM, raising concerns of Britain joining the invasion of Iraq. The committee warned of severe repercussions that the United Kingdom will face with a deep involvement in Americas war on terror. The report clearly hinted that the British society will be vulnerable to domestic terrorism emerging from revenge attacks and radicalization

The recent Manchester bombing carried out by a 22 year old young British born to Libyan parents who themselves were refugees, bodes well with what the intelligence community was trying to warn Blair nearly 15 years ago. It also demonstrates a level of strategic foresight that the Islamic State (IS) has achieved in its recent campaigns. While it has consistently lost ground both In Iraq and Syria, still the organization has managed to decentralize widely and expanded its strike radius backed by recruitment machinery that is second to none in the militant universe.

Bombing triggers public debate with questions of terrorism, immigration, Muslim identities

Britain warned of severe repercussions after Iraq invasion

Attacks from Nice to Manchester are part of an ISIL strategy of dividing Europe

Twenty years ago, the Britons voted for hope and change

Twenty years on, the labour party is fighting to stay relevant and unified amidst internal turmoil

The recent Manchester bombing carried out by a 22 year old young British born to Libyan parents



Manchester bombing was clearly not a one off; it had a deliberate political connotation. In times of a major election campaign with clear advantage to the more right wing conservative party led by Theresa May, what stands between her victory and a landslide defeat of labour are the successful multicultural British cosmopolitan hubs. Manchester clearly represents a critical node and is a hub of defiance against populism.

Islamic States intentions are clear, it wants to break the back of this defiance, create rifts in such open and cohesive societies to enable right wing politics to come into the fore. Whole of Europe, with the exception of France and Germany, are buckling to such pressures even France and Germany are not totally immune to such social fractures. Thus attacks from Nice in France to Manchester are part of an Islamic State strategy of dividing Europe further and taking it back to the configuration of early 16th century, where Europe was fragmented by sectarian violence and divisive politics making it the weakest link in global politics prior to the great divergence.

From its siege in Mindanao in the Philippines to attacks in Indonesia and Egypt - all in one week, Islamic State and its affiliates are clearly taking advantage in a time where the global order and leadership shows no real direction of coherent action. The most symbolic of this current situation is the outcome of Donald Trumps first foreign tour starting from Saudi Arabia and ending in Brussels.

Trumps message to Iran even in the aftermath of a democratic election and opting to side with Saudi Arabia will not help bringing the Islamic world into a concert. Trumps remarks in his Riyadh speech, which read as From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. Immediately gave a moral high ground to Sunni Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, a few weeks ago, managed to successfully block in the UN Security Council an attempt by the United States to add Saudi affiliates of the Islamic State into the UN terror list. Thus Trumps aggression towards Iran is found as unreasonable and without strategic insight which may harm American interest in the long run within the region and in its security implementations.

"Ten years into the new labour government in 2007, the global financial crises struck London and all other financial nerve centres in Britain, London and Edinburgh taking the worst hits with the financial and banking sector catching fire like a pack of cards falling apart"

The European and American experience in the aftermath of any terrorist attack or lone wolf attacks were intense information sharing and multiple collaborations in every possible front. Yet, the Manchester bombings exposed the growing rift among the intelligence communities of the West with the Trump administration. While the hunt for further suspects and potential bomb making sites in Manchester, American media reported sensitive media reports of the ongoing counter-terror operation in Manchester infuriating the British intelligence community.

Thus the leaks were blamed on the dysfunctional operations in the Trump White House, plagued by leaks and infighting among factions and Trumps reluctance to create a coherent chain of command and his willingness to fire officials more than hire them has resulted in an unprecedented amount of leaks coming from the White House and from all levels of governance.

Former Spanish Defence Minister Ana Palacio writing in an opinion piece last week claimed, Indeed, the true risk of Trumps presidency lies not in the dangerous conditions of the next four years, but in the emergence, in the long term, of a directionless  and thus highly unstable  world order. Similar fears have been echoed by a number of scholars and policy makers. If the world order is broken, the inability for states likes the US to respond would encourage more attacks by Islamic State. Such attacks would put further pressure on the international system when states realize that there is no help coming to them from global mechanisms., Thus ISIL is attempting to drive states into a vicious cycle of embracing a hardened security mentality open a panoply of options to alienate communities globally, especially, the Muslims and make them recruits for the Islamic State. Thus the seizing up of the global governance mechanisms need to be averted and restored as pure military actions by any country ranging from USA, Russia to Philippines will never break this vicious cycle of violence.



The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
City-Hinterland Continuum: Europe as City, 65 Afro-Asia States as Hinterland

After such knowledge what forgiveness

-T. S. Eliot Gerontion

History is the purveyor of the future. All great changes till they occur, remain fantasies and lunacies as Suez, Panama and Mahaveli were once. After they took place, they were considered oh so inevitable.

Karl Marxs humanitarian heart beats in a tangible world. Others too, vended humanitarian products but delights in their consumption needed to be postponed, to be harvested in unseen and unseeable worlds. Marx wanted these humanitarian benefits to be relished in this world itself. Workers of the world, unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains, he hectored value generators of the world, who saw a disproportionate share of the surplus value created by their labours, transferred as profits to private owners of the instruments of production and exchange and rentiers of wealth assets. Marx predicted, one and a half centuries ago, that inequality would increase and a greater portion of the worlds assets would be owned by a smaller and smaller proportion of the world. He has been vindicated.

"Five hundred years of subservience to the West in different guises is part of Sri Lankas history. Post-independence offered the possibility of change: Sri Lankan rulers botched the opportunity"

Two globalisation eras created by private owners of wealth took place in the past 500-600 years. The first globalisation (Glob I) was through territorial expansion of almost every country in the European sub-continent (Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and even the city state of Venice) which took place in a burst of imperial assertion. Glob I was labelled the British period and lasted from the 1700s-1900s. The second Globalisation (Glob II) was the discovery of America by Europe, which led to the eventual dominance of the world by the United States (USA). It would have been far better for the world if Plymouth Rock had fallen on the Pilgrim Fathers instead of the Pilgrim Fathers falling on Plymouth Rock. Glob II, labelled the American period, is supposed to last from 1900 to 2100. These British and American-induced globalisations were step-by-step, bottom-up processes, not drawing from an overall model, except to declare open season on Mother Nature, permitting her bounty to be converted to profits, irrespective of environmental consequences. Globs I and II worshipped crosses of sterling and dollars.

Both these periods of globalisation have now run their course, being sapped of energy and the world paying for their environmental depredations. The recently inaugurated OBOR by President Xi Jinping of China could be considered Globalisation III (Glob III), built on new principles and scaffolded with 21st century technology. It is a game changer. Glob III has come home, implementing Marxs humanitarianism, through a Marxian political party-the Communist Party of China. Glob III is an inclusive, outward looking, top-down process, taking place at a time when Globs I and II of inward-looking Britain through Brexit and the US with Trump wishing a nativist America to be great again. President Xi scoffed at these reversions of Britain and the US as locking oneself in a dark room.

OBOR deals with the development of infrastructure public goods. These have long gestation periods which dont appeal to the private sector. OBOR has two vertebral rows, one the maritime silk road, coursing down the South China Sea, cutting across the Malacca Straits into the Indian Ocean and proceeding to East Africa, eventually moving onward to Europe. The second is the Genghis Khan route, the land silk road originating from China, cutting through Central Asia and into Europe. The demand market of both routes is Europe, providing her goods and services, originating from the hinterland of a 65 Afro-Asian supply side.



To enable an unhindered supply of goods and services to Europe, public goods have to be produced in the hinterland, taking advantage of the economics of comparative advantage and delivery, benefiting from the infrastructure of roads, high-speed railways, canals, telecommunications, deep water ports, water supply, gas pipelines and airports. This hinterland of 65 countries has 60% of the worlds population and contributes to 1/3rd of the worlds economic output. The Asian Development Bank has calculated that to maintain growth, tackle poverty, fight climate change and serve the infrastructural needs of this hinterland, a continuous annual investment of US$1.7 trillion is required for ten years. OBOR investment is only US$1Trillion. To meet hinterland needs, there should at least be 15 more OBORs. It is said that OBOR is a new Marshall Plan. This is not fully valid. The Marshall Plan lasted four years and spent in todays dollars, US$160 billion. The vision of the Marshall Plan was to rebuild Old Europe: the vision of OBOR is to provide hope for 60% of the worlds population, in a sustainable manner. Glob III is an interrelationship, facilitating the new globalisation. Glob III is making history before our eyes.

"Hambantota with its associated Mattala airport, would become a major competitor to Singapores air and seaports, the only economic assets Singapore has. Gawador, in Pakistan is a purpose-built warm water port in the Indian Ocean. It is terminus of the railway and road line starting 3,000 kilometres north, linking landlocked Sinjian in western and Central Asia. "

The Two Vertebral Rows (Crab Claws) of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative

In the 1400s, China was an advanced civilisation under the Ming dynasty but a mysterious entity to the West, which was just recovering from its dark ages. During this period, China sent seven commercial expeditions to Asia by sea through the Malacca Straits under Admiral Zhang He, each reaching as far as the coast of East Africa. Each expedition was huge, composed of a fleet of 150 to 300 ships. The size of the Admirals flag ship, a nine-masted colossus 400 feet long, was not equalled until World War II. (For comparison, Columbus Santa Maria was 85 feet in length). The Admiral had 16 of these colossi. The flagship could easily have accommodated three of Vasco da Gamas command ships within it. (On one of his return journeys, Admiral He made landfall in Ruhunu of Sri Lanka and white-vanned a king, abducting him to China.) Suddenly, for no particular reason, these Chinese expeditions ceased, leaving the Indian Ocean. European countries rushed in where China had refused to tread. Political economy, like nature, hates a vacuum. Eventually, the European countries outlived their welcome and by the 1950s, Vasco da Gamas successors made their way back home. Glob I was over, only its obsequies remain.

China is one of the longest continuous civilisations in the world. Apart from the last two or three centuries, China had one of the highest GDPs in the world. The last three centuries were a period of abject humiliation for China. European countries even compelled her to open her borders to import opium. On January 10, 1949, China gained her independence through battle. On this day on a podium on Tienanmen square, the Chairman of the Communist Party of China, Mao tse Tung, declared China has stood up. With its independence, China re-imagined the role State and determined what it should do both internally and in its relations with foreign countries. In 1949 her GDP per capita using 1990 constant dollars at PPP parity was $448, the lowest in the world. Thenceforth, it was a spectacular progress for China, one example being the humanistic elevation of 400 million Chinese from poverty, the greatest such advance in the history of humanity. Poverty is the most corrosive of polluters in the world.

" Sri Lanka gained her independence one and a half years prior to China, inheriting a higher economic base. She was the richest country in Asia next to Japan. While China stood up, Sri Lanka stood down. At the time of independence, her two main export crops were tea and rubber."



Sri Lanka gained her independence one and a half years prior to China, inheriting a higher economic base. She was the richest country in Asia next to Japan. While China stood up, Sri Lanka stood down. At the time of independence, her two main export crops were tea and rubber. Their surplus value, which was used to finance Sri Lankas commended free education and free health, was extracted from the fingers of heavily exploited young women. Sixty years after independence, her two highest earning foreign exchange earners have diversified but to housemaids and garment workers, the surplus value of both are continuing to be extracted through exploited young women. Sri Lanka refused to re-imagine the state taking advantage of her newly-acquired independence but only muttered about constitutional reform, document production as an alternative to development.

Sri Lankas democratically selected rulers drawn from all national parties in the post-independence period have failed the country.

Five hundred years of subservience to the West in different guises is part of Sri Lankas history. Post-independence offered the possibility of change: Sri Lankan rulers botched the opportunity. Her temporary colonial history seemed to have become her permanent destiny.

The OBOR initiative offers one more chance to Sri Lanka to take her history by the neck and make a difference to engage in unheard of levels of development.

As seen in the map, OBOR has two vertebral rows, the Southern and Central Asian arms. The Southern Arm of the OBOR initiative is the resurrection of Admiral Zhang Hes routes but there are significant alterations.

"Both these periods of globalisation have now run their course, being sapped of energy and the world paying for their environmental depredations. The recently inaugurated OBOR by President Xi Jinping of China could be considered Globalisation III (Glob III), built on new principles and scaffolded with 21st century technology"

Two deep water ports have been built-one in Hambantota, Sri Lanka and the other in Gwador, Pakistan. Hambantota with its associated Mattala airport, would become a major competitor to Singapores air and seaports, the only economic assets Singapore has. Gawador, in Pakistan is a purpose-built warm water port in the Indian Ocean. It is terminus of the railway and road line starting 3,000 kilometres north, linking landlocked Sinjian in western and Central Asia. Sinjian in China lies on the northern land silk route. This cross-link between land and maritime arms costing US$ 60billion, is named the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (PCEC), although an alternative name may be the Indus Valley Economic Corridor (IVEC). The projects have such enormous potential that Sri Lanka would be most unwise not to take advantage of them to lever her economy. But to do so, Sri Lanka should be serious about it. As a matter of urgency, Sri Lanka should set up at least at State Ministry level, a dedicated full-time body as think tank to study all aspects of OBOR and make recommendations to the Cabinet.



Jolly Somasundram is a student of History.
"Excuse me," came a voice behind me on a busy street in downtown Toronto.

"Yes," I turned around. "Are you a Sikh?" she asked, walking closer.

"Yes, I am," I smiled.

"You know what? I have never heard anything wrong about you guys," she said. "Maybe there's something I am not aware of but I have always heard good things about you people," she cheered, her eyes glowing.

Soon, two complete strangers - Nora Walhelm, a 40-year-old mother of Finnish descent, and I - posed for a photo together along the Dundas Street.

In a country that's home to multiple nationalities, Walhelm's perception about a tiny minority from the Asian subcontinent, I realised, not only encapsulated how Sikhs have evolved in Canada but summed up Canada's own wondrous embrace of global diversity as a state policy.

This diversity introduces itself dynamically the moment you arrive at a Canadian airport.

Two complete strangers - Nora Walhelm, a 40-year-old mother of Finnish descent, and I - posed for a photo together along the Dundas Street. Photo: Harmeet Shah Singh

It's uniquely compelling. A surprising microcosm of the planet greets the eyes when you look around at the workforce, restaurants, bars, stores and so forth.

At 36 million, Canada's population is minuscule by Indian standards. But its trans-continental mix is astonishing.

And the beauty doesn't solely lie in an array of ethnicities from across the earth making a living in pockets of a vast territory between the North Pacific Ocean to the west, the North Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

Every developed country is a sought-after destination for economic migrants. So is every city within developing countries, where people move for jobs and residency.

But Canada is a standalone region on the world atlas for embodying seamless cross-culture synergy.

In fact, the term global village was itself coined by a Canadian-born philosopher, Marshall McLuhan, in the early 1960s.

McLuhan envisioned the world as a community in which distance and isolation are dramatically reduced by telecommunications.

But the Canadian state, I sensed, has reached out to the world outside with a human touch, over and above tools of technology.

It's no exaggeration if I say this country surpasses even neighbouring America, the most-advanced democracy, in its multicultural approach.

In the United States, diversity predominantly appears to be colour-centric, and not necessarily culture.

Canada's trans-continental mix, including a number of Sikhs, is astonishing. Photo: Harmeet Shah Singh

From personal experience, I can say many Americans, for example, are not as much exposed to Asian history as they are to their own and to, maybe, European to some extent.

American psyche, in general, is corporate driven.

Their notion of diversity, although advertised hugely, is practically limited in its scope.

It's kind of a quota system that big corporate houses in the US espouse to be able to proclaim "look how diverse we are."

In Canada, it's life that's all-encompassing.

And it all starts at Canadian schools, where students are encouraged to learn about what exists, or existed, in humanity across continents.

That perhaps ushers in a greater and healthier understanding of communities right from childhood days.

Five of his ministers belonged to visible minorities, four of them Indian-Canadians and one Afghan-Canadian. Photo: Reuters

When Justin Trudeau became Canadas prime minister in 2015, his 30-member cabinet had 15 men and 15 women.

Five of his ministers belonged to visible minorities, four of them Indian-Canadians and one Afghan-Canadian.

The world, undoubtedly, read a fascinating story about Canadian diversity.

Trudeau's cabinet isn't mere symbolism.

It's inherent to what I call Canadian worldview.

Switch on a TV station and you may spot a turbaned Sikh with a flowing beard participating in a talk show.

Unlike many Americans, Canadians are comfortable with international accents. For them, content matters.

Your cultural dresses, I noticed, are treated as an asset.

I didn't discover any stereotypes linked to languages, outfits and food.

Here, you don't really hear scary stuff about hate crimes that make headlines in the United States.

It's because diversity isn't merely a fancy corporate buzzword in Canada. It's rather an unimaginably powerful force that's leveraging the potential of world cultures for common human development.
French poet and modernist Charles Baudelaire once described the newspaper as a landscape of the city. As one traversed the columns and reached the suburb of supplements, one literally internalised the citys grammar.

Today, as I read the newspaper, one often feels that desire and violence have become hallmarks of the city. The advertisements and supplements enact out desire, while violence spreads like an epidemic across the city. Gangrape, caste riot, communal atrocity or murder of a child  they have become a part of the new normalcy in the city. In fact, cities today are different repertoires of violence.

Barbaric

Even within the everydayness of such violence, the incidents near Jamshedpur were startling. As a wag put it, the violence startled us twice  once because of the way it was produced and once due to how it was narrated and consumed. The incidents capture some of the most primordial fears and stereotypes of our time.

In the first incident, a group of travellers suspected of being cattle lifters, were beaten up and murdered. In the second, innocent people were lynched on the suspicion of being child lifters. The parallelism with cattle lifting is startling, and both, as rumours, create an orgy of violence. Both events are presented in a choreographed form with the video of the event.

When one watches violence today, its brutal, barbaric and yet seems strangely choreographed for consumption. Violence becomes a surreal ballet to be replayed perpetually.

The event could have been in any century  a crowd surrounding a scapegoat pleading his innocence. The ritual of the bleeding man begging for life is played out in full before the crowd beats him to death.

A charred vehicle that was torched during a violent protest and one of the victims of the lynching who was killed. (Photo: PTI)

The unforgiving nature of the crowd which has taken over the law and order frightens and disturbs. There is a split-level sequence in the before and aftermath of violence is clear. The first is the India of today as a Hobbesian world of cattle lifters and child lifters, where the life of innocent people is, to quote Hobbes, nasty, shout and brutish.

If the first emphasis is on the primordial Hobbesian state of nature where every man is enemy to every other man and the lynch squad is lynchpin and sovereign, the second is an Indian statist world where the state languorously consumes the violence. The lethargy of police stations and their complicity in the violence is almost taken for granted. The victims were Muslims in the first case, and in the second incident three people, all Hindus, who had gone to buy land, were lynched.

If one looks at it as a question of governance, the police as the state is a lazy witness. Secondly, the government as CM takes over and the relevant minister issues a statement that an enquiry has been ordered and that the responsible people would be punished.

Its a stenciled, cliched response forcing temporary closure. It is almost as if the lynch squad and the police station have a tacit division of labour, a synergy of violence.

Rumour

The mob and the crowd have taken over and the brutalisation of the Indian society becomes acute. Rumour is rife, the IT handles frame it better but the orgy of violence cannot be called either primitive or primordial. Its modern and contemporary. In a few days, the incident will be forgotten and an anonymous arrest made to satiate the imaginary human rights worker or journalist.

In stage III, the news spreads and the media takes over. The first thing one notices is that theres no humanity or outrage. Like pathological social scientists, we condemn violence only after it has passed the political correctness text. One has to find out who the victim was, his caste or religion, which party he was affiliated to. Only then does he begin to exist.

Ethics today seems to vary across caste and ethnic or religious affiliation. One refuses to mourn a human, one can only mourn a Hindu, Dalit or Muslim. Without a name or identity tag, the human in him is erased.

Hysteria

As one hears the bureaucrat and politician respond to the event, one senses a tired predictability. The announcement sounds as if some clerical thermostat has been activated and the right words are ejected from a machine. Then, the bureaucracys indifference is replaced by the politicians hysteria. Each party acts as if theres a scorecard in each office to find out which party was responsible for the deaths.

These events almost seem like fables mourning the death of humanity. Life is either primordial or casteist in the new regimes of today.

The act or omission that puts a final seal is the prime ministers silence. When a NRI dies in the US, Indians want Trump to respond immediately. But when an innocent man is lynched, the responsibility for response is the Block Development Officer, the commissioner or an indifferent response from the CM.

I know as one reads the news on violence one often develops a critical of indifference. Yet, violence in India is deeply inventive as barbaric and the technical compete. Such fables of violence are early warning indicators that the body politic is ill and that a society that doesnt reflect, react or even philosophise about violence and ethics is doomed.

As a citizen and as a social scientist, I think its time for the media and university to create an annual review of violence not as a passive archive but as a trigger for a new ethics, a new civics that can create mentalities to fight this group epidemic.

Violence cannot be a site for empty consternation and an emptier indifference as it is today.
It was on August 8, when MT Heroic Idun was anchored on the international maritime border of Nigeria after experiencing technical issues, that the vessel was detained by Guinea Navy.
RICHMOND  Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael T. Walter was felled by a single shot Friday night as he was working to make one of Richmonds most crime-plagued and violence-prone communities a safer place to live.

Mike made the ultimate sacrifice, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham said Saturday as he stood just a few feet away from the spot where Walter, an 18-year state police veteran and father of three, was shot and mortally wounded as he tried to talk with a resident of the Mosby Court public housing development.

The resident, identified by police as Travis A. Ball, 27, was a felon who lived in the same block where authorities said he shot the officer. He was a passenger in a car driven by another man when Walter and his Richmond police officer-partner walked up to initiate a conversation, police said.

Walter approached the passenger side where Ball was seated. Within moments, a shot rang out, and Walter, who was wearing a ballistics vest, fell to the ground as Ball ran from the car, police said. Ball escaped before police cordoned off the area but was arrested less than 12 hours later in Heathsville, the county seat of Northumberland County.

It was a huge effort. Nobody held back, Col. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police superintendent, said of the multi-pronged effort involving eight state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. Everybody brought everything they could to bear to make this arrest a reality, and to protect all of these communities.

Flaherty said Walter was trying to make a positive impact on Mosby Court  the scene of 19 shootings and six homicides this year  by participating in a joint investigative and patrol operation with Richmond police.

It was about trying to do something to make a difference right here in this community, and thats what they were trying to do last night, Flaherty explained.

The encounter unfolded about 7:25 p.m. after Walter and his partner pulled up behind a Chevrolet Cobalt that was parked on the wrong side of the 1900 block of Redd Street. Both officers, who were riding together, got out to talk with the other cars occupants as part of what police described as a consensual encounter.

But the meeting almost immediately led to gunfire. It happened very quickly, almost within minutes of them even starting a conversation, said state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

The Richmond officer, who hasnt been identified, immediately called for medical assistance and ran to Walters aid. He was not injured.

Walter died shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday at VCU Medical Center. He was the 63rd state police officer to die in the line of duty since 1932, and the 11th in the last 11 years.

Just over a year ago, on March 31, 2016, trooper Chad P. Dermyer, 37, was fatally shot inside Richmonds Greyhound bus station by a felon traveling from Aurora, Ill. Dermyer, who was taking part in a training exercise, was shot multiple times as he approached the suspect, who was then fatally shot by other troopers returning fire.

In Fridays shooting in Mosby Court, police recovered a handgun near the car that had been occupied by Ball and the driver, who remained at the scene and was detained by police. He has not been charged.

The recovered gun is the murder weapon, Geller said Saturday, as confirmed by the Office of the Medical Examiners autopsy and examination.

Because the investigation is ongoing, police declined to say how they believe Ball traveled to Heathsville, which is about an hour and 30 minutes from Richmond by car. Ball apparently went to high school in Northumberland and has ties to that community, including several arrests in adjoining Lancaster County.

He was arrested shortly after 6 a.m. and charged with malicious wounding, felony use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Additional charges are pending.

Law enforcement personnel from Virginia State Police, Richmond, Henrico, Hanover Sheriffs Office, FBI, DEA, ATF and U.S. Marshals Service joined forces to conduct a massive search for Ball throughout the region, and their efforts, aided by tips, led to his capture, authorities said.

This years wave of violence in Mosby Court was already a sore subject with Richmonds police chief, and on Saturday his frustration boiled over.

Here we are, once again, in Mosby Court, Durham said to reporters who gathered at the scene. Every time we do a press conference, its not about anything positive. Well today, were going to try to do something thats impossible. And thats to build relationships and having a greater presence in the community.

Durham said he will not be deterred by Walters death, and the joint patrols between Richmond and state police will continue in Mosby Court.

We want the residents of this community to come out and engage our officers, Durham said. We want to hear from you. We can no longer expect police to take ownership of the problem thats happening, especially in this community. At some point, we have to get it together as a people, as community, and say were not going to tolerate this anymore.

***

In Mosby Court on Saturday afternoon, a mailman made deliveries as laundry swayed in the breeze on clotheslines between apartment buildings on Redd Street.

Nearby were the blinking red and blue lights from a Richmond Police Department mobile command center. A Richmond police officer sat in a car parked on the street as a state police cruiser drove past.

The relative calm at about 1 p.m. Saturday was in sharp contrast to the scene residents described on Friday night and early Saturday morning, when police swooped into the neighborhood after the shooting.

Joe Robinson, a 58-year-old Mosby Court resident, said it was as if an army descended on the neighborhood after the shooting near Redd and Coalter streets.

They came out here with full force, Robinson said, adding They werent joking. They had lights blinking  a lot of lights.

Officers swarmed the area, some using K-9s to search, and others carrying assault rifles patrolled the area in SWAT gear. A police plane circled overhead.

Randy Brown, 62, said he was sitting next to Coalter Street at the time of the shooting. He did not hear the shooting, but he did see the police response to it.

I started seeing them coming up the hill, coming down here, coming down here, and they was flying, three or four cars behind one another, every street, said Brown, who lives just down the road from where the shooting took place.

Brown said a lot of crime in the neighborhood has been caused by outsiders coming in, not people from the community.

Although police said the suspect  Ball  lived in the area, many of those interviewed in Mosby Court on Saturday said they didnt know him. One woman said she used to see Ball around the neighborhood.

Greg Stokes, a West End resident, said he was visiting his mother in Mosby Court on Friday when he heard a shot, and then saw like 100 police cars.

Stokes, 62, said Saturday afternoon that he was pleased to see police in the neighborhood that has seen its share of crime.

Youve got a lot of people here (in the neighborhood) that work, and they care about each other, Stokes said.

***

After Saturdays news conference in Mosby Court, Bishop Darryl Husband Sr. of Mount Olive Baptist led a group in prayer that included several police officials who had gathered in a circle and held hands. All bowed their heads as they listened to the senior pastors words.

He implored the mothers and fathers in the community to give oversight of their children in such a manner they will teach them respect of their elders, respect for authority.

We pray for healing, Husband continued. Heal, heal, heal. No more turf wars. We pray, Father, that they will themselves understand that this ground is your ground. This is not a ground that they should be planning on living in for the rest of their lives. But a transition area to other communities, and that this ground should be safeguarded with everything that they have.

We pray against gun violence, the pastor said, his voice growing louder. We pray for our police officers, Father, that look over these streets. Not to be intimidating but because theyre here, but to protect those who really care.

And lastly, Husband prayed for the family of the officer, noting the tragic irony of losing his life while trying to protect life.

That in the line of duty, that he would come to this community that he does not live in to bring protection, to bring care, to bring oversight, and then to lose his life, Husband said. And that his wife and children would have to suffer this loss. I pray for them today.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has favoured disinvestment of the loss-making Air India, saying the airline's market share is just around 14 per cent whereas the debt burden is Rs 50,000 crore.

This is the clearest indication yet from the current NDA regime on possible stake sale in Air India, which is staying afloat on taxpayers' money.

Air India's market share today is around 14 per cent while the debt is Rs 50,000 crore while the government has not put in money in private carriers, Jaitley said at Dialogue@DDNews programme.

To run Air India, around Rs 50,000 crore have been put in and that money could have been used for promoting education, the minister added.

"In this country, if 87 or 86 per cent flying can be handled by the private sector... then they can also do 100 per cent," Jaitley said.

According to him, of the total debt, around Rs 20,000- 25,000 crore are related to aircraft valuation.

"What to do with the remaining amount... Air India also has some assets," he said even as he emphasised that the civil aviation ministry is making all efforts to explore all the possibilities.

Jaitley further said that when he was civil aviation minister for a brief period during 1999-2000, he pitched for disinvestment of Air India arguing that if it was not done, "nothing will be left to disinvest. That was around 18 years ago".

Air India, which is surviving on a Rs 30,000-crore bailout package spread over 10 years announced by the Manmohan Singh government in 2012, is working on ways to improve its financial position.

In 2015-16, the airline posted operational profit of Rs 105 crore on account of low fuel prices and increased passenger numbers.

Last fiscal, the airline is estimated to have earned a total revenue of Rs 21,000 crore while passenger revenue stood at Rs 16,500 crore.

While rumours of the government selling stake in the national carrier have been doing the rounds, there has been no official word on the same. The civil aviation ministry has been maintaining that it wants the airline to survive.

In the past also, there have been at least two significant attempts for disinvestment of Air India, but those efforts did not materialise.

Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said Air India's books are "bad", and "business as usual" is not going to help it, but the government wants the airline to survive. He had also said the airline was grappling with "legacy" issues.
New Delhi: State-run BSNL is planning to extend satellite phone services for all citizens in two years that can work at any corner of the country and remain immune to breakdown of mobile services during natural calamities.

"We have applied to International Maritime Organisation. It will take some time to complete the process. In 18-24 months, we will be in a position to open satellite phones service for citizens in a phased manner," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

Satellite phones will able to work in any part of the country, even inside flights and ships, as they depend on signals directly from satellites located about 35,700 kms above the earth.

Traditional mobile networks cover around 25-30 kms around towers and can transmit signals to phones placed equal to or below the height of the tower. BSNL has started satellite phone service using INMARSAT service which will be initially offered to government agencies and later extended to citizens in a phased manner.

The service will cover areas where no networks are present and be provided by INMARSAT which has 14 satellites. Agencies handling disasters, state police, railways,

Border Security Force and other government agencies will be given the phones in the first phase.

"The number of satellite phone connections in India is very little but once we open it for citizens, the whole dynamics in the market will change. The volumes will bring down the cost of service. We are charging only Re 1 over the cost that satellite firm will bill to us," Shrivastava said.

Call rates on satellite phones are expected to be in the range of Rs 30-35 in the first phase when there are only about 4,600 connections in the country. "Satellite phones also cost Rs 40,000 and more.

All the satellite phones are imported at present. Once we open it for citizens, the volumes will drive down the cost of calls as well as handset. Even, huge volume can attract satellite phone manufacturers to set-up their unit in India.

We expect it to create a new ecosystem of satellite services in the country," Shrivastava said. Satellite phones in India are presently provided by Tata Communications, which inherited the licence from Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (now Tata Communications Ltd).

The services of TCL will be phased out by June 30, 2017 and all the connections will be transferred to BSNL. There are 1,532 authorised satellite phone connections that can operate within the country and a majority of them are used by security forces. TCL has also issued 4,143 permits to maritime community for use of such phones at ships.

There have been security concerns on use of satellite phones in India. Telecom regulator Trai has said there is a possibility that communication through such phones can be monitored by foreign agencies as their gateways are located outside India, it added.

Defence forces did not opt for satellite phones from the foreign operators because of security and espionage concerns. Other security agencies have been demanding for a long time for establishment of a new gateway in the country which can support new generation handsets for land mobile connections.

Shrivastava said that now satellite phone gateway has been set-up in India with legal interception and monitoring system (LIMS). "BSNL has set-up gateway with INMARSAT to address security concerns among government agencies. Now, there are no more issued related to security. We will start providing satellite services once our registration process is complete and necessary approvals are in place," Shrivastava said.
New Delhi: The government has missed out on an opportunity to spur growth of the struggling cement and housing segment by putting the commodity at the highest tax slab of 28 per cent under GST, according to industry body CMA.

The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) also lamented that tax incidence on cement in India, which is the highest in Asia Pacific, has affected the health of the industry that is witnessing only 70 per cent of capacity utilisation due to low demand.

"On a 50 kg bag of cement costing Rs 300, Rs 180 is tax plus cost of logistics. This is also an industry which is very capital intensive with low margins. GST was an opportunity to provide relief to the industry but has been missed," CMA president Shailendra Chouksey told PTI.

While the industry is ailing, a lower tax rate on cement would have reduced prices which in turn could have benefited the housing segment -- the biggest consumer -- he added. "Presently, housing for all is a big ticket item for the government and by reducing prices of cement a signal would have gone that it cares for the people," Chouksey said.

At present, tax incidence on cement in India is around 60 per cent, he said, adding, "This is the highest in the Asia Pacific region, which has an average of 11.4 per cent. Even Sri Lanka, where rates are the second highest, it's only 20 per cent."

Commenting on the health of the industry, Chouksey who is a whole-time director of JK Lakshmi Cement, said: "Before 2011, the cement industry had a double digit growth and since 2012, it declined to single digit."

In 2016-17, there was one per cent decline, he said, adding "the CAGR growth of last five years was about 4 per cent while it was 8 per cent before the period". While the industry has a total capacity of 435 million tonnes (MT) per annum, Chouksey said only 280 MT was utilized for meeting domestic demand and 5 MT for exports.

Chouksey, however, expressed hope that the industry could see growth considering the government's focus on infrastructure development and housing development.
Mumbai: The always high-on-energy Ranveer Singh recently hurt himself on the set of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis period drama 'Padmavati' and was seen bleeding profusely.

An immediate aid was provided to the actor on the sets and he resumed with shooting without further delay. Talk about dedication!

After the completion of the shoot, a wounded Ranveer, who required stitches on his forehead, was rushed to a nearby hospital for proper treatment.

Well, while he was getting his aid at the hospital, a concerned Deepika Padukone was waiting at Ranveer's residence to meet him.

After meeting his 'Mastani,' Ranveer then took off to London for a short break. The break is a scheduled one for the team of 'Padmavati'.

While Ranveer being an extrovert and known for pondering love over his lady in the open is not hidden, his rumoured lady love has already taken a back-seat in this aspect.

However, let's abide by the term that actions speak louder than words.

Ranveer is playing the character of Alauddin Khilji, a tyrant from 14th century India, in the magnum opus Padmavati,' along with Deepika Padukone (Rani Padmavati) and Shahid Kapoor (Raja Ratan Singh).

The magnum opus is slated to release on November 18.
Its common knowledge that Ranveer Singh commits completely to his roles. His resilience in the face of an injury while playing Alauddin Khilji for Sanjay Leela Bhansalis period drama Padmavati, reiterates the actors dedication to his craft.

While shooting the climax of the film, Ranveer injured himself on the head. The injury needed immediate medical attention but the actor didnt let this interfere with the shoot. A source close to the actor said, Ranveer hurt himself on the head while shooting for the film during a particular take but he was so engrossed in the performance that he did not realise it till cut was called it's only after he started bleeding profusely from the head after cut was called did everyone realise that he was hurt badly. Ranveer received initial first aid on the set and was rushed immediately to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment.

He completed the basic treatment and returned to the films set to complete his portions of the shoot. Rather than let his injury slow him down or impact the shoot, Ranveer completed the days work. He requires stitches on the head. Rarely do you see a star with such dedication and commitment, the source said.
Sushant Singh Rajput is becoming notorious for the inability to control his temper. Displaying remarkable consistency in his erratic behaviour, Sushant has been raising his voice every time he doesnt like a question posed to him.

Not too long ago, Sushant was caught in a verbal spat when a reporter asked him about Pakistans decision to execute Kulbhushan Jadhav. Earlier instances saw reporters ask him about this personal life and his opinion pertaining to the nation.

This time around, he had a lot to say about the makers of Magadheera who have filed a case at the Hyderabad High Court asking for an injunction against the films release.

While the makers of the film have been politically correct on the issue, Sushant was at his obnoxious best. If you read a book on screenplay, you will know that there are only eight different stories that you can tell, thundered Sushant. Whoever has a problem with our film or sees a similarity should watch our film, he said in an extremely arrogant tone.

Sushant may be right, but his tone doesnt befit an actor who is supposed to be a role model for a lot of people especially after having worked in the biopic of M.S. Dhoni.
Chennai: Tamil 'superstar' Rajinikanth on Saturday arrived in Mumbai to shoot for his upcoming film 'Kaala Karikalan' (Kaala) scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The film considered to be a sequel to 'Kabali,' which released last year, would be produced by Wunderbar Films promoted by Rajinikanth's son-in-law and actor Dhanush.

"The shooting for Kaala begins tomorrow.. I am leaving for Mumbai.. You are doing your job, please allow me to do my job," Rajinikanth told reporters before leaving to Mumbai.

The actor also dodged a question on the reported comments made by his brother on his possible entry into politics.

Last week, the 67-year-old 'Kabali' star met his fans after a gap of eight years and had hinted of taking the political plunge when he asked them to carry on with their daily responsibilities, but "face the war when it comes."

Pa Ranjith, who had directed 'Kabali' would be weilding the megaphone this time too.

Ranjith's favourite musician Santhosh Narayanan is on board 'Kaala' also and the film is being made in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.

The film had earlier courted controversy with the adopted son of Mumbai don late Haji Mastan alleging the plot was based on his father's life.

The makers had, however, denied it.

Recently, Dhanush had released the title and the first look of the movie on social networking sites.
The 6-year-old Morita was first taught to mix by a friend of his mother (Photo: YouTube)

Tokyo: A 6-year-old boy has set a new Guinness record for being the world's youngest club DJ after he played an hour-long set at a restaurant in Japan.

Itsuki Morita, who has just started attending elementary school in Japan, played a number of tracks using professional DJ decks in front of a big crowd of both adults and other kids. The 6-year-old Morita was first taught to mix by a friend of his mother.

He likes to play a mixture of disco and rock music, however Swedish musician Avicii is his favourite DJ. "I saw people DJing and thought it looks fun," Morita said, on being asked why he wanted to become a DJ. "I was really happy that I could DJ. Everyone says it's great," he said.

Morita played an hour-long set at a restaurant and bar in Japan, according to the Gunness World Record website.

Click below to watch
The woman was later shifted to a nearby hospital in serious condition. (Photo: File/Representational)

Muzaffarnagar: A 30-year-old woman was shot at when she resisted an alleged molestation and rape attempt by two youths in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday when two youths barged into her house in Jijola village and tried to rape her, they said.

"The youths tried to rape her but when she resisted, they shot her," a police official said.

The woman was later shifted to a nearby hospital in serious condition. No arrest has been made so far in the case.
Srinagar: JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was on Sunday arrested from his residence here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk Sunday morning.

The JKLF chairman had yesterday visited the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral yesterday.

Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of "brute force" against the protestors.

The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.
Three people, including a woman, were burnt to death inside a car in Chennai's Mahabalipuram on Saturday. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Chennai: Three people, including a woman, were burnt to death inside a car in Chennai's Mahabalipuram on Saturday.

The tragedy took place on East Coast Road, near Manama village.

Reportedly, there is no information about the car, but the eyewitnesses told the police that the car was parked few minutes before the incident.

The fire brigade team reached to the spot and doused the fire.

The burnt bodies of the victims were removed by the firemen and were taken to the hospital.

The police are investigating the cause of incident.
Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh): In an outrageous move, the District Administration in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar asked some residents to have a bath before attending a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath so they 'smell good'.

To ensure the instructions were followed, soaps, shampoo and perfumes were distributed among the villagers, who belong to a Dalit community.

The members of the Musahar community were called to attend a vaccination program for the eradication of Encephalitis, a campaign started by the Chief Minister in Kushinagar's Kasiya division.

Five children from the community were to be vaccinated under the campaign from the area.

Ahead of the event, local officials distributed the soaps and shampoos to those attending the event, in order to make them "look clean and smell good."

Ahead of the event that the Chief Minister was going to attend, roads were paved, toilets were fixed overnight and streets were cleaned up in the village.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched Encephalitis vaccination campaign in the state from Mainpur village in Kushinagar.

The drive is being held from May 25 to June 11 and will cover 88 lakh children in 38 districts, for which the Central Government has provided one crore vaccine vials.

Earlier, the administration in Deoria had received much flak for placing air conditioners, sofas and carpets at the house of a Border Security Force (BSF) martyr when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went to his place to give the compensation cheque.
Chitradurga (Karnataka): In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said it has perpetuated a security threat for nearly 70 years and hence India's defence preparedness should always be optimal.

Inaugurating the country's first ever Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), set up near here for testing unmanned and manned aircraft being developed locally, he said India was geographically located in a region that was not free from trouble.

"We have a neighbour who for almost seven decades has perpetuated a security threat as far as India is concerned and therefore the level of our defence preparedness always should be optimal," he said.

For the level of defence preparedness always to be optimal, "you need to in the long run eventually establish the facilities - to a large extent possible - for its manufacturing within the country itself," he added.

Noting that the aeronautical test range was the first of its kind in the country, Jaitley said the entire ambit of aeronautical defence preparedness gets tested in this area.

The ATR, conceived by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) Bengaluru in collaboration with other Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) labs, has been located at nearby Challakere, about 250 kms from Bengaluru.

According to defence authorities, it is a key facility for integrating and testing various unmanned air vehicles before being inducted into the armed forces and other organisations.

It is a 'national asset' encompassing 4,090 acres of technical infrastructure and 200 acres for transit and residential purposes. The land was alloted by the state government.

Noting that the country was spending a large part of defence budget allocation toward procurement from outside, Jaitley said "If the best minds produced here can dominate

technology elsewhere in the world, there is no reason why they cannot make India itself a world leader and a world beater".

The government had been consistently leaning in favour of policy where these optimal facilities were created within the country, the defence minister said.

He said the demonstration that had been made to him today of the unmanned flying objects, their capacity and various other allied facilities will go a long way in helping in many areas of life and certainly in the country's security.

"I asked the chairman of the DRDO as to where does he see this facility in 20 years from now. He was more optimistic than me, and said why would you say 20 years, the questions really should be where do you see this facility 5 years from now. That's the pace at which our research really should progress," Jaitley said.

DRDO officials said the test range has been completed with a budget of Rs 290 crore.

They said current length of the runway at the ATR was two kms and would be extended to three kms in due course, so that it can be used for testing of bigger aircraft like AEW&CS (Airborne Early Warning & Control Systems) meant for surveillance and intelligence gathering, which had been inducted into the Indian Air Force.

The DRDO in November last year had successfully carried out the maiden-flight of TAPAS 201 (RUSTOM-II), a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV at the ATR.

The ATR houses two hangars with annexe for integration and testing of UAVs and a radar centre, besides being equipped with a fibre optic network system.

Apart from DRDO, the multi-agency mega complex at Challakere will also house facilities of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation and the Indian Institute of Science.
A composite squad of the CRPF, the STF, and the district police has been deployed to conduct search operations to nab the assailants. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Bokaro: A villager was allegedly killed by Naxals on the suspicion of being a police informer in Jharkhand's Bokaro district on Saturday.

Reportedly, the victim was picked by some Naxals from his house in Bokaro's Tiscopy area, and his dead body was found this morning near a school in the same area.

According to first round investigations, prior to his murder the Naxals had accused him of working as a police spy as stated on their poster.

A case has been registered in this connection and the search operation has been conducted in the forests and nearby areas to nab the assailants.

A composite squad of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Special Task Force (STF), and the district police were carrying out an area control exercise in the interiors of Dumari, Jhumra and Tiscopy regions when they got information about the possibility of presence of Naxals in the forest or nearby areas.

Reportedly, the Naxals are frustrated with increasing pressure of security forces being carried out these days by the administration against them.
Mumbai: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra came in for flak for his remarks against journalists on Saturday.

At an event in Hingoli, Dilip Kamble, minister of state for social justice said, "Journalists write anything for money and they should be thrashed with shoes."

Congress condemned the statement and sought Kamble's dismissal from the state ministry.

"Kamble, who said journalists should be beaten up with shoes and that his party had trained him to do so, should be dismissed from the ministry," MPCC spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

"People will teach a lesson to such arrogant ministers. Power has gone into their heads," he said.

Responding to the controversy over his remarks, Kamble said in a statement this evening that his comments were directed against those who misused journalism.

"I spoke against the bad elements in journalism. I did not say anything against honest journalists. I have always respected the fourth pillar of democracy and will continue to do so," he said.
Kochi: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala has reportedly granted permission to prosecute DGP TP Senkumar over a complaint of alleged harassment of an officer.

According to reports, Additional Inspector General (Police Headquarters) Gopal Krishnan had filed a complaint in this regard when the CPI M leader VS Achuthanandan-led government made Senkumar the Managing Director of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.

The charges brought against him were of filing of fake reports against Krishnan when he was the DySP of the SHRC and mental harassment.

The plea for prosecution was initially submitted in 2012 during the tenure of the United Democratic Front government, but it was rejected, said the report.

Senkumar was removed again after the LDF government came to power in 2016, citing lack of proper investigation in the Puttingal Fire Work Tragedy and sensational Jisha murder case. But the decision was overturned following a Supreme Court order.

Harris Beeran, the advocate who represented Senkumar in Supreme Court was removed from the post of government pleader, said the report. He had previously appeared in Supreme Court pleading cases involving KSRTC. The order of his removal was sent to the Managing director of KSRTC.
The militants had crossed in to India after completing their training in the camps of Kamtapur Liberation Organization in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. (Photo: File/Representational)

Gandacherra (Tripura): Three Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) militants of Assam, who entered India from Bangladesh, have been arrested in the bordering Gandacherra subdivision of Tripura.

They were on Saturday handed over to the Assam police as they were wanted in their home state for other heinous cases, said a senior police official.

Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gandacherra, Jawhar Lal Debbarma said, "Three persons---Goutam Roy, Padma Deka and Manashjyoti Deka---were detained by Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel during their special operation on suspicious grounds. They were handed over to the OC (officer in-charge) Raishyabari Police Station which, during the interrogation, figured out that they are the members of the KLO."

The militants had crossed in to India after completing their training in the camps of Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

The militants were wanted by the Assam police for the Kalaigaon case of Udalguri. Tripura Police had intimated neighbouring Assam police which arrived in Gandacherra and took their custody for producing them before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Udalguri.

Mintu Sinha, Assistant Public Prosecutor, said, "They were forwarded to the court on a specific case for entering into India from Bangladesh through Raishyabari border area. After three days of remand in custody, they were produced in court and in the meantime it was discovered that they are wanted by the Udalguri district police for the Kalaigaon case of a heinous crime. So the Assam police also came to this court in Tripura with production of a warrant of these KLO militants and they were taken to Assam."

The incident has yet again alerted the security forces on reports that Tripura is being used as safe corridor by Northeast militants for moving in and out of Bangladesh which shares 857 km with Tripura.
New Delhi: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Saturday lauded the government's move to ban sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets.

"Animal markets were started for farmers so that they could sell their cattle to other farmers. So if I have a cow and a calf and I don't want to keep the calf, then I can sell it in the market," Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, said.

"This mechanism was only for farmers. Since last 15 years it has become only for butchers who pretend to be farmers and purchase cattle from the market. They buy 80 to 90 heads of cattle and carry it in their trucks and eventually slaughter the animals," she said.

The women and child development minister said ailing and unhealthy cattle also reach the markets but the new rule will ensure that such things don't happen.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the stringent Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 on May 25, banning the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

Sources in the Ministry of Environment and Forests said it was Gandhi's People for Animals which urged the former environment minister Anil Madhav Dave to sign the notification.

Gandhi said strict monitoring would ensure that no animals were bought for slaughter through livestock markets, but were sourced directly from farms, so that its provenance can be traced and safety can be ensured.

"The government has reinforced an already existing law and it is for the betterment of the farmers," she said, referring to the PCA Act which ensures protection for all animals.
An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir. (Photo: File)

Srinagar: An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir.

An Army official said today that, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in death of one Army porter and injuries to another".

The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday welcomed the analyses being done in various media fora about the performance of his three-year-old government, saying "constructive criticism" strengthens the democracy.

He said some opinion polls and surveys have appreciated his government's work, some have supported it while some others have highlighted the drawbacks.

Appreciating this exercise being conducted over the last one month in the run-up to completion of his government's three years on May 26, he said he believes that in a democracy, the government should be answerable.

"Constructive criticism strengthens the democracy. For a lively democracy, such exercises are immensely important," the prime minister said in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

He noted that the surveys have assessed in detail his government's performance on all fronts and said it was a "great exercise".

The prime minister said he believes that in a democracy, a government must present its report card to the people.

"Three years back, you (people) had given me the responsibility of the 'pradhan sevak' (prime servant). There have been several surveys and opinion polls. I consider this entire exercise healthy," Modi said.

"I thank those who have given critical and important feedback.... I greatly value such exercises... It provides an opportunity to correct the weaknesses and the drawbacks that may be there," Modi said.

From the result of these surveys, the government can take lessons and move ahead, he added.

Modi, who led the BJP to a massive victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, was sworn-in as the prime minister on May 26 that year.
Srinagar: Indian Army Chief of Staff Bipin Rawat, on Sunday, defended the "human shield" incident in Kashmir and said the unrest in the state needs a composite solution.

"I would have been happy if the protesters were firing weapons at the armed forces instead of throwing stones," he said, speaking of the particular way, the protesters attack the armed forces personnel in the valley.

"When people are throwing stones and petrol bombs at us, I cannot tell my men 'just wait and die'," he said.

"Kashmir needs a composite solution, everybody will have to get involved," Rawat told PTI.

Defending the human shield incident, he said such innovative ways are needed to fight the "dirty war" in Kashmir.

Recently, the successor of Burhan Wani, Sabzar Bhat, was also shot dead by the Indian army. Reports of altercations between the armed forces of two nations have been at an all time high now, with infiltrations bids and ceasefire violations.
New Delhi: Tearing into Yogi Adityanath over the Kushinagar incident where Dalits were asked to shower before meeting him, the Congress on Sunday demanded an unconditional apology from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and also demanded a case be registered against the officials and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in regard to the same.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "yesterday's incident at the village of Mushahar community's gathering has depicted the true face of BJP, the RSS and in particular of their CM. The true face, thought process, thinking, actions are reflected in the way soaps were distributed to the Dalit community by the officials on the instructions of Yogi Adityanath."

Singhvi asserted that Yogi Adityanath directly practiced untouchability in the way in which he gave instructions to the Dalits that they must 'smell good' before their meeting.

"They have insulted the entire community in that village but more importantly they have most importantly insulted the very concept of Dalit in this country," Singhvi said.

"Appropriate case must be registered under the very specific and powerful and wide provisions of ST/ SC act against this brazen and shocking form of untouchability and the CM and the officials must immediately unconditionally, comprehensively apologize to the entire community," he added.

Earlier, the District Administration in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar asked the residents to have a bath before attending a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath so they 'smell good'.

To ensure the instructions were followed, soaps, shampoo and perfumes were distributed among the villagers.

The members of the Mushahar community were called to attend a vaccination program for the eradication of Encephalitis, a campaign started by the Chief Minister in Kushinagar's Kasiya division.

Five children from the community were to be vaccinated under the campaign from the area.

Ahead of the event, local officials distributed the soaps and shampoos to those attending the event, in order to make them "look clean and smell good."

Ahead of the event that the Chief Minister was going to attend, roads were paved, toilets were fixed overnight and streets were cleaned up in the village.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched Encephalitis vaccination campaign in the state from Mainpur village in Kushinagar.

Earlier, the administration in Deoria had received much flak for placing air conditioners, sofas and carpets at the house of a Border Security Force (BSF) martyr when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went to his place to give the compensation cheque.
The move by New Delhi to approach the ICJ in alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhavs case has set off alarm bells in various circles in India about the possible reference by Pakistan of the Kashmir issue to the ICJ, a scenario considered to be suicidal by many. Such reaction is, to say the least, misdirected. New Delhi today may not have a military, diplomatic, economic or political solution to comprehensively resolve the Kashmir issue. Rather, New Delhis Kashmir policy has been to tighten New Delhis grip on the part of the state with it by emasculating the states autonomy guaranteed by Article 370 of the Constitution, and to hand over the Kashmir Valley to security forces to maintain law and order under the shield of draconian penal laws of dubious constitutional validity like AFSPA, TADA and so on and so forth. The security forces, who did not create the Kashmir issue and do not have a solution for it, have no option but to carry out the directives of their political masters to contain the violence that now has schoolgirls pelt stones at security forces. Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. But, if New Delhi wants to seriously attempt to resolve the Kashmir issue, it must aim to change the current political discourse on this vexed problem, both internationally and nationally. Given Indias past experience of the UNSC, one can understand the concerns of Indian observers at the prospect of taking the Kashmir issue to the ICJ. But then, the Kashmir problem is an international issue  it cannot but be one when the state is under the control of three sovereign countries, India, Pakistan and China. New Delhi can keep harping about J&K being an integral part of India  the rest of the world simply does not agree. Moreover, New Delhis Kashmir policy will not make Pakistan, or China, vacate the part of J&K occupied by them. New Delhi would, therefore, need to take concrete steps to break the political stalemate that has existed with Pakistan and China for decades.

It is against this backdrop that one must consider whether taking the Kashmir issue to the ICJ is a viable option. It is, in my opinion, the first step towards a resolution of the Kashmir problem for the reasons given in my doctoral thesis way back in 2001 and in my book, Unravelling the Kashmir Knot, published last year. Modern day India and Pakistan are creations of the Partition agreement of 3 June 1947, crystallized in British statutes. However, as per these very statutes, all the princely states were to regain full sovereignty and such sovereignty vested in the ruler, regardless of the religious complexion of the people of the state concerned. It was the ruler alone who could decide to accede to India, Pakistan or remain independent. These British statutes were accepted by both India and Pakistan. Indeed, there is no doubt about the legitimacy of the states of India and Pakistan created by such statutes, and that such statutes comprised the constitutional law governing both India and Pakistan. The sovereign ruler of J&K unconditionally acceded to India on October 26, 1947, in the manner prescribed under the constitutional law that created India and Pakistan and was accepted by India and Pakistan. New Delhi viewed the accession as being purely provisional and subject to the wishes of the people. By doing so, New Delhi overlooked that once a political decision (the Partition Agreement) had been crystallized into law (i.e the British statutes), the executive created by that law cannot act contrary to the terms of that very law. It is well settled that a state cannot, by making promises, clothe itself with authority which is inconsistent with the constitution that gave it birth. The constitutional law creating modern day India mandated that it was only the sovereign ruler who could decide on the accession of his state to India.

New Delhi had no power to lay down a contrary policy that the accession would be decided by the wishes of the people. Since the accession of J&K to India was in terms of the same constitutional law that also created Pakistan, it would be fair to say that the law that gave birth to Pakistan itself made J&K a part of India. Ot is not open in international law for a state (Pakistan) to challenge the accession made by a sovereign state (J&K) to another sovereign state (India), such accession being an Act of State. The ruler of J&K has never challenged the accession as being fraudulent or based on violence. Rather, he acceded to India unconditionally in the three areas of external affairs, defence and communications. The UN, and every state contracting with India (including Pakistan) are held in international law to have had the knowledge that New Delhi exceeded its powers under the said constitutional law by pledging to hold a plebiscite in J&K to settle the question of accession, and, that too, in the absence of its sovereign ruler. As a result, not only was New Delhis pledge of holding the plebiscite in J&K unconstitutional and not binding on India, the UNSC resolutions for holding the plebiscite were themselves without jurisdiction and in violation of the UN Charter.

But then, it was New Delhi that had, in the first place, created doubts about the unconditional nature of the accession of J&K to India, internationalized the Kashmir issue and conferred a disputed territory status on J&K. It was New Delhi which consequently enabled the separatists, Pakistan and other countries to argue till date that it is a freedom struggle that was underway in Kashmir. Therefore, it is New Delhi that needs, as a first step, to confirm, as it were, its title deeds to J&K so as to remove the disputed territory tag on J&K. The only body in existence whose pronouncement will be considered as being authoritative and having legal effect on the international community is the principal judicial organ of the UN, namely, the ICJ. Since India is entitled in law to the entire territory of J&K, it lies in Indias interest to have the ICJ examine the Kashmir issue, regardless of the issue of enforceability of ICJ decisions or the dynamics of international politics. Such examination is not precluded by the Simla Agreement or any other bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan.

And so, New Delhi should not shy away from taking the Kashmir issue to the ICJ, it being a convenient way of depoliticizing the matter. While the Kashmir issue is certainly a political one, it is possible for New Delhi to separate the legal from the political aspect of the issue, so that it can vindicate its claim to the entire territory of J&K based on legal rights. If the ICJ gives a verdict in Indias favour, and it is likely to do so in view of the legal principles (formulated in the book), the very presence of Pakistan and China in the territory of J&K would constitute aggression under international law, and the international community would be under an obligation to put an end to that illegal situation as illustrated by the 1971 ICJ decision in Namibia. No country can then extend even moral support to the supposed freedom struggle in Kashmir. New Delhi would like nothing more than for the international community to pressurize Pakistan to vacate its aggression and to stop cross-border terrorism. But for that to happen, New Delhi must first obtain a finding from the ICJ confirming the entire territory of J&K to be a part of India.

In the unlikely event that the ICJ decides against India by opining that the future of J&K will be decided by the wishes of the people, New Delhi still stands to lose nothing. New Delhi has always maintained that the people of J&K have endorsed the accession, as is evident from the resolution of February 15, 1954, of the elected state Constituent Assembly. The Assembly, which had been set up in 1951 by the sovereign ruler of J&K, framed the Constitution of Jammu & Kashmir of 1957 declaring J&K as an integral part of India. It is true that law alone cannot resolve the Kashmir issue, but a confirmation of the legal position by the ICJ will help alter the political discourse and swing political opinion in Indias favour to create a momentum for winning the confidence of the people of the state. New Delhi must take steps to regain the moral authority to be in J&K and to undo past mistakes, its success being dependent on the character of the Indian State and of the men and women who run it.

Britains gilgit grab: India left barking up the wrong tree

Declassified British archives establish the Partition of the Indian sub-continent was scripted by the British for their geo-strategic interests during its 'Great Game' (the precursor to the Cold War) with then Soviet Russia, to prevent Russian influence from travelling southwards towards oil-rich Middle East. 'Pakistan' was a necessity as it formed part of the Islamic crescent from Turkey to China that would serve as an ideological boundary to check Russia's influence. The political agreement of Partition, driven by the British and the Muslim League, and eventually accepted by the Congress, was crystallized in British statutes - the Indian Independence Act of 1947, and the modified Government of India Act of 1935. The British provinces of Punjab and Bengal were partitioned according to the two-nation theory, conceived by the British and mouthed by M.A. Jinnah to justify the creation of Islamic Pakistan, with the 560 odd princely states given the choice to accede to either India or Pakistan or remain independent.

While planning Partition, the British assumed  wrongly  that the strategically-located state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) would accede to Islamic Pakistan. Instead, J&K acceded to India on October 26, 1947, defeating the very rationale of creating Pakistan. But, the British did not need the whole of J&K, merely strategically placed Gilgit and the slice of todays Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir to protect Pakistan from liquidation should India go to war. Britain, in violation of every conceivable principle of international law, effected a takeover of Gilgit on October 30, 1947. Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was captured by Pakistan-led tribals with the collusion of the British, whose officers headed both Indian and Pakistani armies.

India remained a British dominion till 1950, with the King as its formal head. Right up to 1948, New Delhi let Governor General Lord Louis Mountbatten formulate Indias Kashmir policy. Mountbatten disclosed in an interview that, at the time of accession of J&K, he told Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that he (as GG) would sign the acceptance of the accession instrument only if New Delhi agreed to hold a plebiscite in J&K to determine the wishes of the people. New Delhi agreed to such plebiscite, having formulated the policy of ascertaining the wishes of the people in the case of disputed accessions, as in Junagadh and Hyderabad. New Delhi accordingly pledged that it would regard the accession of J&K to be purely provisional and subject to the wishes of the people who would settle the question of accession.

Mountbatten persuaded New Delhi to involve the UNSC. The real purpose was to take Kashmir issue out of Indias domestic jurisdiction and have the UNSC call for a cease-fire without requiring Pakistan to first vacate the areas of J&K that it had occupied through aggression and to have the UNSC look the other way when Pakistan consolidated its control over such occupied territory. New Delhi was compelled by the UNSC to respect the ceasefire line and to helplessly watch as Pakistan consolidated its control over the occupied territory. Thus, under the guise of an UNSC directed cease-fire, Pakistan (and the British) retained precisely those areas of J&K that the British needed for the Great Game. Mountbatten also succeeded in persuading New Delhi to commit to hold a plebiscite in J&K under international auspices. The UNSC would then bypass India's complaint of aggression and hold India to its offer of plebiscite in J&K, as it does even today. It was a trap laid at the UNSC by the British for New Delhi to confer disputed territory status on J&K. New Delhi fell for it. India is the only country that has gone to the UN complaining of aggression against its territory and returned by committing to a plebiscite to first decide whether that territory even forms part of the country.

New Delhi, realised, too late, that the UNSC was being subverted by the political expediency of its members, and that it had tied India's hands and pre-empted it from recovering a substantial portion of the state. New Delhi took the easy way out-it simply disowned the occupied territory of the state and its unfortunate people, who remain citizens of India under the Indian Constitution but live under foreign rule. New Delhi, following the policy of territorial status quo, even indicated its inclination to partition J&K along the lines recorded in the UN Yearbooks. It told the UNSC on February 15, 1957, that it considered that it had a duty not to re-agitate matters and had decided to let sleeping dogs lie so far as the actual state of affairs is concerned.

When Indian forces reclaimed part of the territory of J&K during the Indo-Pakistan wars, New Delhi handed back territory. When Pakistan audaciously gifted a part of the occupied territory to China in 1963, New Delhi confined itself to making formal, impotent, protests. New Delhi then decided that the UNSC could not call the shots on J&K, forgetting that it was Delhi that had taken the Kashmir issue to the UN. It adopted the position that Kashmir must be resolved bilaterally under the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999. Delhi sees a major diplomatic victory if any country endorses the Kashmir issue as bilateral! All of Delhis energies are frittered away in checking the internationalisation of the issue, little realising that each time it terms the Kashmir issue a bilateral dispute, it reaffirms Pakistans standing in the matter, other than as an aggressor.

Delhi emphasises the inviolability of the LoC at every conceivable occasion and strives, unofficially, for the conversion of the LoC into the international border. It is content to lodge protests at the proposed formal annexation by Pakistan of the Gilgit region or at the use of such Indian territory for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Implicit in this policy is that New Delhi is willing to cede national territory, overlooking that it lacks competence under the Indian Constitution to do so. The Supreme Court had held at one point of time that Parliament could cede national territory. However, in 1973, the Court took the view that Parliament lacked power to tinker with the basic structure of the Constitution, which includes the unity and territorial integrity of the country. As a result, Parliament cannot give away Indian territory. In following this policy of territorial status quo. New Delhi has, therefore, been barking up the wrong tree.

(Dr. Aman M. Hingorani is a Supreme Court of India advocate and author of Unravelling the Kashmir Knot)
The currency of international relations is power. It has been so through history andnotwithstanding the attempts of the past 100 yearscontinues to remain so. The Greek historian Thucydides, writing 2500 years ago, sums up relations between countries as the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. The Arthashastra is almost as old, and says quite the same thing. In the twentieth century, starting from the end of World War I, the worlds elite made concerted attempts to change the idiom of international relations from power to law. It aspired to change the way countries deal with each other into something less violent, less crude and more civilised. The United Nations, created after World War II is perhaps the most salient embodiment of that sentiment. Sadly, the strong continue to do what they canUS invaded Iraq, Russia annexed Crimea, China is absorbing islands off its shores. And the weak continue to suffer what they must, as the Iraqis, Ukrainians and Filipinos are doing.

This is not to say there is no space for treaties, agreements and international law: there is, to the extent that it is in the interests of the powerful. Small, weak countries prefer a world where international law prevails. Powerful ones prefer such a world to the extent, and only to the extent, it serves their interests. For instance, a couple of years ago, India and Bangladesh settled their maritime boundary dispute through recourse to a UN tribunal, which awarded much of the disputed territory to the latter. The settlement was made possible not because of the UN tribunal, but because of New Delhis perception that such a settlement is in its interests. In contrast, the Permanent Court of Arbitration finding in favour of the Philippines is practically useless given that China does not see it in its interests to comply.

Now, is New Delhis recourse to the International Court of Justice in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav a reversal of its decades-old policy of rejecting the internationalisation of India-Pakistan relations? Yes. But does this mean a paradigm shift in North Block away from hard-nosed realism to liberal internationalism? Quite unlikely. Looking for options to prevent Pakistan from executing Jadhav, New Delhi decided that going to the ICJ might be a good idea. And in the event, it was. It achieved the Modi governments political objective of pausing the execution and buying time. One unavoidable consequence of taking the ICJ route exposes New Delhi to lawsuits from Pakistan and other neighbours on a number of matters of dispute. The mandarins in North Block perhaps calculate that such risks are manageable. In any case, they should now be prepared to discourage such moves.

Now, even if Pakistan were to take India to an international court on some other matter, and even if that court were to rule against India, nothing will change on the ground unless New Delhi complies. To the extent that it is strong enough, it can reject such judgements. And if it was strong enough during the times of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, it is certainly strong enough now. If such behaviour occurred between individuals, it would be correct to call it hypocrisy. When it occurs between countries, the word hypocrisy has no meaning because international relations occur in an amoral context. Some argue that taking the Kashmir dispute to the ICJ is a good idea. It is not. It makes sense to take a territorial dispute to an international court only to the extent that we are ready for a territorial compromise. If we are, and if a bilateral settlement is seen as politically inexpedient, then an international verdict provides a convenient way out of the matter. This is what happened in the maritime territorial dispute with Bangladesh.

However, if we are not ready for a territorial compromise for whatever reason, then it makes little sense to go to the international court. In the case of Jammu & Kashmir, India does not see a territorial compromise as being in its interestsnot even to the extent of freezing the status quo and converting the Line of Control into an international border. Kashmir is not a mere territorial dispute: it has many dimensions, including the ideological and the self-definitional, in addition to the geo-strategic. As long as India, the more powerful of the two disputants, does not see a territorial compromise as being in its interests, a reference to an international court is a non-starter.

This is to say nothing of Pakistan, which might see international arbitration as a way to obtain what it cannot by force, but will not quite want to accept a settlement that falls short of its great expectations. Its rejection of the arbitrator's award in the Indus Waters Treaty is an indication on how it is likely to behave in case it doesnt achieve its maximalist objectives. As long as the power differential between India and Pakistan grows wider in our favouras is the current, but non-inevitable trendthe less is the incentive for India to concede territory in favour of a settlement. We can wait it out. We have a strong position vis-a-vis Pakistan and it will grow stronger if we maintain high economic growth and social stability. It is here that we need to focus and it is here that we need to worried.

Both through commission and omission, the Modi government has allowed the situation in the Kashmir valley to deteriorate to a crisis. It has been uninterested in bridging the affective divide between the Kashmiris and the rest of India, and seems to believe that a more robust security response will suffice. This is a dangerous misreading of ground realities: the time for a grand political overture in Jammu & Kashmir is now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must initiate an urgent policy review on New Delhis approach to what is happening on the streets and in the minds of the Kashmiri people. Neither the ICJ, nor the United Nations, nor Pakistan have any bearing on this task. It is entirely our own business.

Nitin Pai is director of the Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in Public Policy.
New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah and other party leaders on Sunday joined the slum-dwellers of Ravidas Ashram in New Delhi as they together listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, party MP Meenakshi Lekhi, party vice-president and Delhi unit in-charge Shyam Jaju accompanied Shah during his visit, seen as an attempt by the party to strike a chord with the inhabitants of slums and unauthorised colonies.

Similar gatherings were organised by the saffron party at various other locations of the national capital, including at Inderpuri, Rohini, Laxmi Nagar, Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk.

The recent victory of the BJP in the MCD polls was attributed by the party to Tiwari's "connect" with the residents of unauthorised colonies, slums and rural areas.

The resounding victory has rekindled the party's hope of returning to power in Delhi in the next Assembly polls due in 2020.
Bengaluru: State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Saturday said that he will organise a farmers' rally in Bengaluru in the last week of July to pressurise the state government to waive off agricultural loans.

Interacting with the media at a meet-the-press programme, organised jointly by the Bengaluru Press Club and Bengaluru Reporters' Guild here, he warned, "If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah does not take a decision on waiving off the farm loans, I will lead an agitation by inviting 4-5 lakh farmers to Bengaluru."

Slamming both the Congress and JD(S) for criticising his breakfast meetings with the Dalits, he said, Ill continue to visit Dalit colonies and have food with them. It is not the first time that I have visited Dalit colonies. Soon after I assumed charge as BJP president, I started my work after garlanding the statue of Ambedkar on April 14.

He said, "The Congress has no moral right to speak about Dalits. It has veered away from Dr B.R. Ambedkar and his principles. It was the Congress that deprived Babu Jagajeevan Ram of a chance to become the Prime Minister.0

Large-scale corruption and nepotism is the biggest achievement of the Congress in the last four years. CM Siddaramaiah has weakened the Lokayukta and constituted the Anti-Corruption Bureau to protect Congress leaders," he charged.

I will not pay any attention to irrelevant statements of H.D. Kumaraswamy. Based on a Supreme Court order, illegal mining cases have been registered against him. His allegation that the complaint against him was prepared at the BJP office is baseless," he said.

Denying the possibility of an alliance with the JD(S) if the party falls short of majority in the 2018 Assembly elections, Mr Yeddyurappa said, "The question of forming an alliance with any other party does not arise as we are confident of getting 150-plus seats."

Criticising the Congress for not making an honest effort to convince its party leaders in Goa to get the approval for Kalasa-Banduri project, Mr Yeddyurappa said, "Mr Siddaramaiah, you first convince your party leaders in Goa and we will definitely convince Goa Chief Minister to take approval for the project."
Belagavi: Members of the Janata Dal (Secular) took out a procession here on Saturday condemning the visits of state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa to the houses of Dalits and having food there. They termed the visits as a gimmick aimed at wooing Dalit voters in favour of the BJP.

The members led by Dr T.A. Sharavan submitted a memorandum, addressed to Governor Vajubhai Vala, to the Deputy Commissioner against the visits of Mr Yeddyurappa to the houses of Dalits.

The members alleged that Mr Yeddyurapa did nothing for the welfare of Dalits when he was Chief Minister.

They said if Mr Yeddyurappa had any concern for the welfare of Dalits, he should strive for their growth in the fields of education, politics, etc. Dalits socio-economic status would not improve if Mr Yeddyurappa merely visited their houses and had food with them, they said.

The JD(S) members urged the Union and state governments to take the drought in the state seriously and provide relief to the affected people.

They said the farmers, who had suffered crop losses, should be paid adequate compensation. They demanded that the state government take steps to waive loans taken by farmers in the wake of the drought.

JD(S) Belagavi district unit president Shankar Madalgi alleged that Mr Yeddyurappa was behind filing of a case by Income Tax department officials against state JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Mr Madalgi urged the Governor to initiate action against Mr Yeddyurappa if he continued to tarnish the image of Mr Kumaraswamy. The JD(S) members said that nobody could stop their party from emerging victorious in the next assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis three-nation visit starting May 29 is an interesting mix of destinations. He visits Germany for the Biennial Inter-governmental Consultancies (BIC), begun in 2011. In Russia, he attends the annual bilateral summit, combined with the 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 1-3, which is Russias premier economic conference for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of nine of the 15 former Soviet republics. The detour to Spain is a fresh foray to a nation rising from an economic crisis. Despite internal political uncertainty over a minority government led by Mariano Rajoy of the conservative Peoples Party, Spain, having been led by socialist governments for 22 of the 29 years till 2011, there are technologies such as renewable energy that beckon India. Both Germany and Russia are vital for India to balance Chinas assertive rise and Donald Trumps uncertain ways characterised by friends and foes as being hugged and berated randomly. The world is unsettled and India is already late in crafting a counter-strategy, as Russia has already drifted towards China. India this year appears to have been, to wit Samuel Becketts play, Waiting for (American) Godot. The Prime Ministers current trip ameliorates that delay.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her third term and despite the tide of popular opinion against migration in Germany, and uncalled-for verbal slings from then candidate Donald Trump, has stuck to her guns on the admittance of refugees fleeing religious persecution or war. This was happening as Britain delivered its Brexit blow, Mr Trump rose to become US President and Emmanuel Macron held off Marine Le Pens xenophobic and anti-EU challenge in France. Ms Merkel now seeks a fourth term when Germany goes to the polls on September 24. Ms Merkel has, meanwhile, shrewdly lowered the refugee influx and supported a ban on the wearing of full veils by Muslim women. In vital state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, that has one-fifth of German voters and the Ruhr industrial belt, likened to Americas Rust Belt that was denuded by industrial job losses, Ms Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) defeated Socialist rivals (SPD) led by Martin Schulz on their home turf in early May. With unemployment down to 4.1 per cent and record revenues and exports, the German economy is ticking healthily. Ms Merkel is expected to be re-elected and thus along with President Macron defend Fortress Europe.

Germany is Indias largest trading partner in EU. Both nations cooperate closely at G-20; at G-4, consisting of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to lobby for UN Security Council reform; and have a shared vision opposing unilateralism in international affairs, particularly by coalitions of the willing. Germany and India opposed Natos Libyan adventure despite the Security Councils conditional approval. Germany is the most populous EU nation with the strongest economy but is a reluctant power on the international stage, unwilling to shape the European role in the new world of anti-globalisation, xenophobia, Islamophobia and Chinese assertiveness. Unlike the United States, it ignores Chinas international conduct mindful of its commercial interests. However, as the Chinese move production to higher-valued products, it would start impacting German exports and markets. India, on the other hand, will remain a desirable and non-threatening partner much longer. Germany, like Japan, also has an aging population and will at some stage need more skilled immigrants. The immediate challenge is the finalisation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, particularly because India terminated the bilateral Business Investment Treaty (BIT) after introducing a new model in 2015. Lower GST on luxury cars and SUVs may be a signal to Germans on India preparing for FTA finalisation as the automobile sector was a sticking point.

The EU participated in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing, but did not sign the trade declaration. Germany perceives BRI, or OBOR, as it is known in India, as a trade enhancement device. That could facilitate a joint counter-strategy to what India dubs as Chinese power projection and likely debt entrapment of unsuspecting participants. Germanys direct investment in India tops Rs 53,000 crores. Its annual development assistance is Rs 7,000 crores. Germany has innovative vocational training models, geared of course to their industrial needs. Unlike the US, Germany excels in retraining laid-off workers, instead of simply putting them on the dole. Prime Minister Modi, however, cannot simply ignore Chancellor Merkels remark after Mr Trumps election that her nation would choose cooperation based on common values of democracy and freedom, as well as the rule of law and the dignity of each and every person irrespective of his/her colour, race or faith. By opposing the rising tide of Islamophobia she showed her resolve to defend liberal values even at a possible domestic political cost. The unbridled rise of vigilantism and Hindutva evangelism in India could mar relations over the long term.

She brilliantly balanced engaging President Trump in Brussels at the Nato summit, where he lectured US allies to raise defence spending to two per cent of their GDPs, with sharing the stage with former US President Barak Obama in Berlin in the shadow of the historic Brandenburg Gate, from where President Ronald Reagan had asked then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to pull down the Berlin Wall. Ms Merkel is the quiet and diligent counterpoint to loud and abrasive leaders like Mr Trump, Marine Le Pen or even Theresa May. Mr Modi is more in the latter category at home. The space for manoeuvre has shrunk as Mr Modi threads his way through a world polarised between nationalists with myopic agendas and globalists with constrained domestic space. In his fourth year, he heads out with a booming stockmarket at home and consolidated political power. Between Ms Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he can opt for the transactional or the strategic strategy. However, his time for diplomatic theatre is over. His interlocutors would seek content and vision.
And were off. They started a bit early, but now stuff is in place. Theres no big moves left to make. Let the election games begin. The budget lost its relevance a while ago. Expenditures are artificially suppressed, revenues artificially inflated. By September or October, the numbers have already crumbled. Why do they do it this way? Uniformed or civilian, this party or that, the approach is the same. Because theyre not trying to change anything, just manage stuff. But there is an intriguing twist. Were into dictator territory. No government, and certainly no finance minister, has got this far with this kind of future. By election year, its not just that an external crisis has forced governments into desperate spending. Its also that theyve been in a bad place politically. Pervez Musharraf in 2007, Asif Ali Zardari in 2013  they had to spend, spend, spend because they had to survive. And if they didnt survive, the mess was the next chaps to handle anyway.

Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Ishaq Dar have arrived at a different point  theyve got a good shot at getting another five years. Splash out budgetarily this election year and they are the ones who may have to clean up the mess next year. Cleaning up your own mess isnt the most appealing of things. So a kind of restraint has been visible. The quasi fiscal restraint has set up two very different opportunities for the next five years. If Imran Khan wins, hell inherit a macro picture that is relatively stable. The immediate benefit is obvious: the PTIs finance team is vastly inexperienced and you dont want an inexperienced team coming in to handle a crisis. And if elections are held on time, a PTI government will also quickly have to turn to tweaking the budgetary priorities of the caretaker government that will have preceded it.

In both scenarios, inheriting a stable situation would be good for the PTI because it would allow the new government to quickly set its own economic priorities. The same applies if the N-League wins. And heres where it could get potentially interesting. The twin priorities of the Nawaz Sharif government this time round have been electricity and roads. Electricity was a two-pronged challenge: more electricity and affordable electricity. The N-League seems to have figured out the first part  ratcheting up the megawatts that the system can churn out  and given up on the second. Embracing the existing rickety financial state of the power system means giving up on affordable power. Allowing power producers to gouge means the State will pick up the difference between what the consumers cough up and what the producers demand.

The other priority, roads, are pretty much on auto-pilot now. With one-and-a-half of the core two-point agenda conquered and the other half jettisoned, if the N-League wins, what exactly will it do next? You may win elections on promises kept, but you cant govern by relying on past promises. Elections are won on one or two issues and the issues need national relevance and wattage. CPEC could be it because its blingy and popular, but CPEC is also more roads and electricity. We already know the vulnerabilities. An agenda-less or stale-agenda government could be the trigger for a re-elected N-League government to find itself engulfed in crisis right away.

By arrangement with Dawn
THE RECHARGE FACTOR

With the BSP slowly changing its work culture and lowering down the iron gates, party workers are finally learning how to make merry and laugh  even if it is about their own failures. Recently, after senior party leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui was expelled from the BSP, meetings were being held at regular intervals at his plush residence in Lucknow. At one such meeting, two former MLAs were sighted. When a journalist asked them if they had quit the BSP, one of them remarked: We have only stopped the recharge.

Seeing the expression on the journalists face, the other former MLA explained: Anyone who is in the BSP has to pay a fixed amount into the party funds every month. Why should we pay when there are no elections around the corner? This is called recharge and if you stop the recharge, you are struck off the list. When elections are due, we will go back, accept our mistake and open the recharge account once again. And to think everyone thought that BSP workers were committed to party ideology  recharge is obviously a more effective tool for them.

A TACTICAL SURRENDER

BJD vice-president and Odisha food supplies and consumer welfare minister Surya Narayan Patro knows how to buy peace with the media that has, of late, been very critical of the Naveen Patnaik governments performance in the last 17 years. Made chief spokesperson after the partys debacle in the crucial rural polls apparently to protect the image of the government, which got tarnished due to the alleged involvement of a number of MLAs and ministers in mining and chit fund scams, Mr Patro is hopping to multiple TV studios and conclaves to participate in panel discussions on the progress made under BJD rule.

Before making the plunge into politics, I, like you, had a long stint in journalism. Please treat me as a member of your fraternity. Please dont bombard me with uneasy and embarrassing queries, he repeats these lines everywhere. Finding Mr Patros surrendering attitude before the fight amusing both for themselves and the audience, the well-prepared moderators see they have no other option but to mellow down and complete the shows with him as other spokespersons of the BJD are not available.

BULLETPROOF CAR FOR Mr BITTU

Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who happens to be a grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, recently got threats from extremist groups. In view of the threats, the MP was provided a bulletproof Montero car by the Punjab government. However, Mr Bittu was not amused after getting the car and wanted to return it to the government the very next day. The MP said that the 2006 model car was in a bad shape, as its glasses cant roll and it gives the feeling of a cage. The car has been overused and was not in a good condition. Mr Bittu was convinced by the security adviser of chief minister Amarinder Singh, who called the miffed MP, to keep the car for security reasons. The adviser asked the MP to keep the car along with his fleet of cars even if he doesnt want to sit in it. The MP agreed to keep the bulletproof car till a new car is arranged for him.

AN UNSAVOURY GOOF-UP

The Congress observed fourth death anniversary of Union minister for coal and power Piyush Goyal on April 26 thanks to an unsavoury goof-up by the party. The Union minister was seen among Congress leaders slain in May 25, 2013 Naxal attack at Jheeram Ghati in Chhattisgarhs Bastar district, in a flex poster hoisted on the occasion of the party observing his fourth death anniversary at Thusekela in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh on the day.

Several senior party leaders, including AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupesh Baghel, were present on the occasion, where busts of former PCC president Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh (both killed in the incident) were unveiled. The slip-up had caused a commotion at the programme, prompting the organisers to immediately pull down the poster. As some party leaders tried to play down the incident as a human error, a section of Congressmen were found wondering why it was only Goyal who had to fall victim to the goof-up.

The space where Goyals picture was found was meant for Congress leader Uday Mudaliar, slain in the Jheeram Ghati Naxal attack. But it has still remained a puzzle for us as to why it was only Goyal who was found wrongly in the company of the martyrs of Jheeram Ghati tragedy of 2013, a senior Congress leader said. May be, the Congress was finding it hard to exorcise ghost of the coal scam that continued to haunt the party intermittently, a senior Congress leader quipped, apparently in a tongue-in-cheek remark.
Historically, the Hans of mainland China are known for clear thinking, intelligence, ingenuity, the art of war, the craft of diplomacy and their indifference to outsiders. They still do, specially when it comes to contemporary issues  like South Asian (read Indian). They suddenly become alert, yet inert (or unreactive). Is that a contradiction? Perhaps. Because what spurts is a rigid, inflexible, aggressive containment of India policy that results in Indias counter-rigid posture and thus the Beijing regimes inability to get a firm commitment on its grandiose dream project called Silk Route. Also known by the fancy name of One Belt, One Road (OBOR), its meant to be the reincarnation of an exotic economic empire of the Hans of the Tang era (618-908 CE), passing through the sparsely populated, vast swathe of barren, deserted, remote land routes of the great Euro-Asian heartland. While as a student of history, one learns of the Silk Route going through both land and sea lanes, its also a fact that as two opposite civilisations, each stood unchangeably firm in itself, with no possibility of fruitful exchanges, interaction and socio-religious exchanges between India and China notwithstanding. Indeed, there once existed three lines of communication  across Central Asia, via Bamiyan and Bactria, via Kashgar across the Tarim Valley and via Kashmir, Gilgit and Yasin across the Pamirs.

These routes became important after the 2nd century BCE, and till the end of 9th century CE, when Islam interposed an effective barrier, they were the most important highways of communication. Strangely, today too, its once again Islam in the form of the terror-sponsoring Islamic Republic of Pakistan that is a stumbling block between two great ancient civilisations of Hwang Ho-Yangtze Kiang and Ganga-Godavari. No doubt historically the Chinese hardly ever extended or expanded beyond the Kunlun Mountains and rarely controlled areas around the lofty mountains and desert terrain of Gobi, which again is surrounded by Altai, Yablonai, Stenovai, Altyn Tagh, Nan Shan chain of mountains, not to speak of extending their power across the Pamir, Karakoram or Himalayas. Thus, Xinjiang and Tibet, even in the best of times, did exist, but more in theory in the pages of Chinese atlases and maps than under the direct military rule of Chinese monarchs.

One thing remains constant: the Chinese psyche. China has always considered itself the centre of the globe  hence the name, since times immemorial, as Chung Kuo/Guo, or Middle Kingdom. China, in its own perception, is in the middle, with the world revolving around it, and with all countries on its periphery. If one goes by the pictographic script of Chinese alphabets or words, it shows two drawings: the first denoting a small quadrangle penetrated by a vertical line symbolising the centrality of China; and the second a bigger quadrangle, signifying the state boundary Kingdom/Kuo, with its sword sign, so essential for its very existence. The second most important and constant feature of Chinese history is that foreigners are always regarded as inferior. The Chinese never liked the presence of foreigner in their midst. Hence, cross-border movements of people have usually been less than what could have been. The Chinese could go out with ease, but foreigners entry was always an anathema  a virtual no-no zone. It is this single characteristic of the Chinese that must be appreciated by all those who deal with Chinas rulers, or have through the ages.

Today, however, this has turned into a single-point obsession  to make Indias 1.25 billion-strong market join OBOR/CPEC/BRI. Whether this is good or bad is, of course, a matter of conflicting, contradictory and competing opinions, but one thing is clear. There is a tinge of desperation on Chinas part  or else how does one explain a scholar at Chinas top think tank offering unsolicited blow hot, blow cold advice to India? That Pakistani-dominated Kashmir is not Indias? The use of words is significant  Pakistan-dominated, and not, as is reality, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Avoiding the truth is deliberate. Obviously, if someone illegally occupies a part of J&K, it does not have Indias footprint. But does Pakistans illegal occupation imply that China could have a legal presence? Is he trying to suggest that Indias physical absence from PoK gives China the right to fill the vacuum?

Then comes more absurd logic: India says it will resolutely oppose the corridor as it is a matter of sovereignty. However, in the 1960s, the Chinese government began to build the Karakoram Highway linking Xinjiang with Karachi. The Indian government was not against (it) then. Look at this voluntary self-confession of guilt! This means China fully knew it was entering a territory that it should not have entered. Yet the Sino-Pakistan Karakoram Highway was conceived in 1959. The Chinese scholar missed the vital point: Sino-Indian relations till China attacked India in October 1962 was still guided by the Indian hallucination of Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai. Thus to suggest that the Indian government was not against the highway then has little meaning. Whether India was against the highway or not, China was definitely against India as it deliberately trampled on the sovereignty of what it then claimed was one of Chinas closest friends! In the words of B.N. Mullick, former Intelligence Bureau director, this was a part of the Chinese Betrayal. Thus, instead of pointing finger at India, Chinas erudite and wise scholars need to focus on the role of their own leaders  Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai  for brazenly stabbing Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai in the back.

Again, look on it this way. If I, P, C (does this sound like the Indian Penal Code?) are neighbours, and I and C are just like brothers, despite some irritants, but one morning C conspires with P, who (P) does not enjoy cordial ties with I, and clandestinely and maliciously gangs up to harm I. I, a gentleman par excellence, and taking Cs behaviour at face value to be true, being a trustworthy friend, either does not come to know the diabolical game being played by C and P behind Is back, or decides to feign ignorance out of sheer trust, faith and confidence in C. How then do the Chinese defend the indefensible? Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels November 1950 letter to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru comes to mind. Sardar Patel had seen through the Chinese perfidy and malevolence much before any of his wise Indian contemporaries could even imagine the looming disaster on the horizon. Now the wheel has turned full circle again as OBOR or BRI (that includes CPEC) is all set to harm Hindustan.
In another happening, the code of another worm has been dumped online. The discovery was made by security researchers from Recorded Future found. It seems that over the past several months, the Houdini worm has been posted hundreds of times on paste sites.

Houdini, also known as H-Worm, has been around for about four years. Back in 2014, it was reportedly used in attack campaigns in the Asia-Pacific region, while last year it was associated with an espionage campaign in the Middle East.

In a blog post by the security researchers from Recorded Future, they discovered an increase in malicious Visual Basic scripts on paste sites. After looking closer into the situation, they figured that most of these scripts were actually Houdini's code.

Also, it looks like as if a single individual was behind all these dumps. "The individual(s) reusing this Houdini VBscript are continually updating with new command and control servers," the researchers wrote.

Over 213 posts were discovered on paste sites, which included 105 unique subdomains, 1 domain, and 190 hashes. Researchers have stated that some of these posts were exact matches, while others used the same domain, but featured multiple other changes within the VBscript.

"After analyzing and executing one of the VBScripts in a controlled environment, we were able to confirm that the VBScript communicates to the C2 server defined within the script. It then copies itself into a directory and establishes persistence by creating a registry key in one of the startup locations," reads the report.

Some of the sub-domains appeared to be a play on the name Mohammed Raad. Running the name through Google returns a Facebook profile of an individual who claims to be part of Anonymous in Germany and uses Vicswors Baghdad as an alias.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The workers said they sold the drugs to an unidentified businessman, who in turn sold the merchandise to a suspected drug trafficker. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Nairobi: Tanzanian police said on Saturday they have arrested two morgue employees in Dar es Salaam after they admitted to cutting open a dead mans corpse and stealing the drugs hidden in his stomach.

The two morgue workers admitted to cutting open the body a week ago to take the drugs, local police official Simon Sirro said in a statement, adding that the man had died of an overdose.

Drug traffickers regularly employ drug mules to transport merchandise by stuffing the drugs in small airtight bags which are then swallowed or inserted in someones stomach.

But the technique is hardly foolproof as the bags can be eaten away by stomach acid and cause an overdose -- which is what may have happened to the dead man.

The man, a Ghanaian national, was found dead in a hotel room in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanias economic capital, and transported to the morgue at Mwananyamala hospital, where the two employees worked, Sirro said.

According to police, the workers said they then sold the 32 drug capsules to an unidentified businessman, who in turn sold the merchandise to Ally Nyundo, a suspected drug trafficker.

Those two men were also arrested, police said, without identifying the drugs.

Africas east coast has long been used as a transit point for drugs bound for Asia and Europe.

The so-called Smack Track -- leading from Afghanistan to the Makran Coast of Iran and Pakistan and then across the Indian Ocean to East Africa -- is an alternative to the traditional opium trail via Central Asia and the Balkans.

The path was revealed in 2010 when police busted four Tanzanians and two Iranians with 95 kilogrammes (210 pounds) of heroin in Tanga, northern Tanzania.

In May, Tanzanian drug baron Ali Khatib Haji Hassan, who has been accused by the United States of being at the head of a global cocaine and heroin trafficking network, was extradited to the US.
Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honour the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions. (Photo: File)

Washington: US President Donald Trump has told confidants, including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt, that he plans to leave a landmark international agreement on climate change, Axios news outlet reported on Saturday, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

On Saturday, Trump said in a Twitter post he would make a decision on whether to support the Paris climate deal next week. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision said a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Trumps expected announcement later in the week. It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.

I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week! he tweeted on the final day of a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy at which he refused to bow to pressure from allies to back the landmark 2015 agreement.

The summit of G7 wealthy nations pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honour the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.

Although he tweeted that he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate deal that was signed by 195 countries clearly annoyed German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying, she told reporters. There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not.
Washington: United States President Donald Trump is considering overhauling his White House staff and bringing back top campaign strategists, frustrated by what he views as his team's inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Expanding teams of lawyers and experienced public relations hands are being recruited to deal with the drumbeat of new revelations about Moscow's interference and possible improper dealings with the Trump campaign and associates. The disclosures dogged the president during his first trip abroad since taking office and threaten to overwhelm and stall the agenda for his young administration.

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late Saturday from his nine-day journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to "an unforeseen change" in Trump's schedule.

On Sunday, Trump sought to downplay recent news reports portraying his administration in disarray, calling it "fake news" on Twitter. In a flurry of angry tweets, Trump said that "many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies." He added that it is "very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers."

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russia's ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trump's longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates' potential involvement. More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

"They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation," said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didn't completely subsume the president's agenda.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries. The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls changes, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold. Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

Lewandowski's return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with staff and Trump's adult children. Nonetheless, Lewandowski has the trust of the president - an advantage that many of Trump's aides lack.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a "home run," but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting. Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trump's first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Flynn was fired in February, officials saying he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the U.S., White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Other major issues await Trump at home. He has signaled he will make a decision on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. And the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

On the policy front, he must defend his budget plan, and the Republican health care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.
Surveillance camera grab of the burglar gorging on food at E&L Barbeque restaurant. (Photo: Facebook/ E&L Barbeque)

Jackson County (US): In a bizarre incident, a burglar broke into the E&L Barbeque restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi on Tuesday, and then stopped to cook a dinner for himself.

According to a report in NDTV, the burglar arrived in style, coming in through the roof and crawling around the floor, but then helped himself to five sandwiches, fries and some soda.

"He helped himself to steak sandwiches, which he had to turn on the grill to cook; he cooked himself fries and got a bag full of sodas, ribs and steak sandwiches, which he couldn't manage to get back out through the ceiling, so he had to leave them anyway," the restaurant manager told a newspaper.

The burglary attempt, caught on the restaurants surveillance camera, went viral.

The restaurant posted a video grab of the man on Facebook with the hashtag "#worldsdumbest".

"This is not the model you want to follow if you want to successfully rob a business!" the post said.

The report said the burglar caused damage worth thousands of dollars by making holes in ceilings and drywalls in the restaurant.
Washington: United States (US) Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday that he was considering banning laptop computers on international flights into and out of the country, amid signs of "a real threat."

Kelly made his remarks during the Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the US, and at a time when the bombing at a concert in Manchester, England has raised concerns that further attacks -- possibly involving explosives packed in electronic devices -- might be planned.

"There's a real threat -- numerous threats against aviation," Kelly told the Fox New Sunday program, when asked about the likelihood that a wide-reaching ban on large electronics in airplane cabins could be imposed.

The US homeland security chief said terrorists are "obsessed" with the idea of "knocking down an airplane in flight -- particularly a US carrier, if it's full of mostly US folks."

A ban could seriously disrupt flights between Europe and the US. Some 3,250 a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the US, according to aviation industry figures.

If the laptop ban Kelly discussed is put in place, it would greatly expand on a rule he announced March 21, banning electronic devices larger than a smartphone from the cabins of flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

Countries affected by that rule are Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

In March, Britain took similar measures targeting a smaller list of countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

In Europe last week, during President Donald Trump's nine-day foreign trip, Kelly met with European Commission officials in Brussels to discuss a possible laptop ban in airplane cabins.
The interceptor test, scheduled for Tuesday, comes after a series of successful North Korean ballistic missile launches the recent being on May 21. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Washington: The Pentagon has announced plans to test its first-of-its-kind missile intercept in the next week that would involve shooting down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) - similar to what North Korea recently launched.

US military personnel plan to launch a custom-made missile from the Marshall Islands and aim to shoot it down in space by firing an interceptor missile from a base in California, reports Fox News.

The missile is meant to simulate an ICBM, meaning it will fly faster than missiles used in previous intercept tests, according to Christopher Johnson, spokesman for the Missile Defence Agency.

This is the first time the US military has attempted to test a ground-based interceptor against an "intercontinental class target," said the Missile Defence Agency.

The interceptor test, scheduled for Tuesday, comes after a series of successful North Korean ballistic missile launches the recent being on May 21.

Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said the missile hit the water about 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the east coast of North Korea. She said the missile did not go higher than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), according to preliminary data.

On May 14, the test missile by Pyongyang reportedly reached an altitude of more than 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles).

According to analysts the test gave North Korea critical information on developing a re-entry vehicle for nuclear warheads and showed Pyongyang had a missile capable of striking the US territory of Guam.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had earlier vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory.
Although the weather has cleared, more rains are forecast for Sunday and Monday, threatening to bring more misery to over 100,000 displaced in the country's western and southern regions. (Photo: File)

Colombo (Sri Lanka): Sri Lankan rescuers pulled out more bodies under enormous mudslides on Sunday as the death toll climbed to 146 with 112 others missing.

Although the weather has cleared, more rains are forecast for Sunday and Monday, threatening to bring more misery to over 100,000 displaced in the country's western and southern regions that were lashed by two days of torrential rains.

Taking advantage of a lull in rains, soldiers cleared road access to most of the affected areas while others were reachable by boat, said Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the search and rescue mission. People waded in knee-deep floodwaters to get to army trucks transporting relief supplies and taking away those waiting to be evacuated.

Ranasinghe said he didn't expect to find any more survivors. The UN said it is assisting in relief efforts in response to a government appeal. It also promised to donate water purification tablets, tents and other supplies for the displaced. India sent a shipload of goods while the United States and Pakistan also promised consignments of relief supplies.

Mudslides have become common during the monsoon season in Sri Lanka, a tropical Indian Ocean island nation, as land has been heavily deforested to grow export crops such as tea and rubber. Last May, a massive landslide killed more than 100 people in central Sri Lanka.
Marawi (Philippines): Islamist militants locked in street-to-street battles with security forces in a southern Philippine city have killed 19 civilians, the military said on Sunday, bringing the official death toll from nearly a week of fighting to at least 85.

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat of militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Authorities said the militants had killed 19 civilians in Marawi, a mostly Muslim-populated city of 200,000 people. These included three women and a child who were found dead near a university.

"These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people. We found their bodies while conducting rescue operations (on Saturday)," regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said.

An AFP photographer saw another eight bodies by a road in the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

Herrera said the military had yet to investigate the reported deaths. The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi after security forces attempted to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of ISIS.

The gunmen planted black ISIS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings.

Thirteen soldiers, two policemen and 51 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 85.

Most of the city's residents have fled because of the fighting, which has seen the military heavily bomb residential areas where the militants were believed to be hiding.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Holy month of Ramadan, that it would intensify the bombing campaign.

"In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities," military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said.

"Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end."

Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which they estimate has about 260 armed followers and has declared allegiance to ISIS. But Duterte has said local criminals are backing the Maute in Marawi.
The airline said its terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became 'extremely congested' due to the computer problems. (Photo: AP)

London: British Airways GMB union has blamed the airline's 2016 decision of outsourcing IT jobs to India as the reason behind cancelling all Saturday flights from London's two biggest airports: Heathrow and Gatwick.

The GMB union said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the problems, the Guardian reported.

The GMB union said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff last year and outsourced the work to India and blamed cost-cutting for the travel chaos.

"This could have all been avoided," said Mick Rix, national officer for aviation at the GMB union. According to the GMB website, the union had on February on February 29, 2016, warned against BA outsourcing IT jobs.

British Airways has cancelled all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on Saturday due to a major IT failure causing severe disruption to its global operations that is expected to run into Sunday.

The airline said its terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became "extremely congested" due to the computer problems.

Initially, the major IT failure was being speculated as that BA's IT systems had been hacked as recently WannaCry ransomware attack affected 150 countries. But Chief executive Alex Cruz said "we believe the root cause was a power-supply issue and we have no evidence of any cyber attack.

The computer crash affected BA's booking system, baggage handling, mobile phone apps and check-in desks, leaving passengers facing long queues and confusion in airports or delays while planes were held on runways.

More than 1,000 flights were affected. At Heathrow alone, BA had 406 flights scheduled to depart after 2:30 pm IST and a further 71 at Gatwick, according to flightstats.com on Saturday.
Kim told the Korean People's Army (KPA) officials and those at the academy that the weapon system's capability has been upgraded compared with last year in terms of efficiency to detect and track targets, as well as strike accuracy. (Photo: AP)

Moscow: Supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-Un has ordered the mass production and deployment of a 'next-gen air defence system' to bolster its air supremacy as he personally inspected the test-fire of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system.

Without revealing the date and location, Kim watched 'the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system" aimed at "detecting and striking different targets flying from any direction", Russia Today quoted the Korean Central News Agency statement.

Kim was accompanied by Hwang Pyong-so, director of the general political bureau of the KPA, and Ri Yong-gil, vice chief of the KPA general staff.

Kim told the Korean People's Army (KPA) officials and those at the academy that the weapon system's capability has been upgraded compared with last year in terms of efficiency to detect and track targets, as well as strike accuracy.

Kim also emphasised that the communist nation should pursue the development of a "next-generation" anti-aircraft guided weapon system.

North Korea on May 21 tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Sunday from a location near Pukchang.

At a time when US President Donald Trump is considering diplomatic and other options including sanctions to counter the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear programme. Pyongyang fired an unidentified projectile showing its defiant behaviour to the international community.

There are reports that the missile has the capability to strike Alaska and Hawaii if fired on a normal, instead of a lofted trajectory, The Independent reported.
There is no civil marriage or divorce in the Palestinian territories, where only religious courts have those powers. (Photo: File)

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories): The head of Palestinian Islamic courts on Sunday told judges not to grant divorces over Ramadan, fearing the month-long fast could spark rash words that would be regretted later.

Judge Mahmud Habash said he based his ruling on "the experience of previous years" when he found that the dawn-to-dusk fast and ban on cigarettes, which began on Saturday, tended to lead to frayed tempers and sharp tongues.

"Some, because they have not eaten and not smoked, create problems" in their marriages, he said in a statement, and they can make "quick and ill-considered decisions".

According to the Palestinian Authority, 50,000 weddings were celebrated in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2015, but more than 8,000 divorces were also registered.

Endemic unemployment and poverty are said to be major contributing factors.

There is no civil marriage or divorce in the Palestinian territories, where only religious courts have those powers.
The Prime Minister said that after becoming a nuclear power, now was time to make the country an economic power. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan in 1998 created balance of power in South Asia and gave a strong message to the "enemies" that aggressors would meet an exemplary fate, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Sunday.

Sharif, in his message to commemorate the historic nuclear tests, said that the day was an unforgettable day for Pakistan.

"Pakistan's nuclear programme created balance of power in South Asia, just becoming a symbol of peace as the smaller states in the region also heaved a sigh of relief," he said.

The Prime Minister said that after becoming a nuclear power, now was time to make the country an economic power, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

"Nineteen years ago, we had made country?s defence as impregnable. Today, with same dedication and passion, the country's economy is also being made strong and stable. In this age, the defence of any nation cannot be separated from its economic stability," he said.

Sharif said the journey of national economic development was going on with fast pace and "just like nuclear explosion, Pakistan will also carry out an economic explosion. The whole world believed in such possibilities," he said.

The nuclear tests also gave a strong message to the enemies that aggressors against Pakistan would meet an exemplary fate.

He said some 19 years ago, when the Pakistan Muslim League government decided to carry out nuclear tests, it had been facing numerous challenges.

"The nation is also thankful to the personalities who showed bravery at that time and played their role to make Pakistan an atomic power," he said.
The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: A petition has been filed in Pakistan's Supreme Court seeking immediate execution of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned.

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition yesterday through Advocate Farooq Naek - a leader of opposition Pakistan People's Party and former Senate chairman.

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the Indian spy if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported today.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and subversive activities.

However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), through an interim ruling, stayed Jadhav's execution till the time the case pending with it reached its logical end.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhav's trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and that he had had consular access as was demanded by India.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition mentioned that Jadhav's mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court-martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, can submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country, and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the ICJ constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the VCCR, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention.
Environment experts and government officials on Saturday deliberated on the state of Bellandur and Varthur lakes.



The occasion was DH Spotlight on Bringing Bellandur and Varthur Lakes Back to Life at East Cultural Association in Indiranagar.



Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning K J George said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had always been concerned about the lakes not just in Bengaluru but also across the state and had convened meetings at Vikasa Soudha.



A committee led by additional chief secretary in Urban Development Department Mahendra Jain was formed to revive Bellandur and Varthur lakes, which decided to carry out weeding and aeration. An implementation committee headed by the BDA commissioner has been constituted, said George.



He said the two sewage treatment plants (STP) set up in Bellandur will be operational by July and four more will be installed in the coming months.



We cannot improve the lake overnight. It may take at least two to three years, said the minister.

He refuted reports that the fire in Bellandur lake earlier in January was due to a chemical reaction. If the fire was because of a chemical reaction, then the entire lake would have been burning. The fact is that there was a small patch of dry grass, which caught fire.



He junked the notion that the government acted because of the NGT order. We always wanted to revive the lake. We took the responsibility of protecting lakes and formed the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA).



Other lakes matter, too



KSPCB chairperson Lakshman said the concern should not be limited to Bellandur and Varthur lakes but also other lakes like Byramangala. He said the city was paying the price of rapid urbanisation and that precautions should have been taken long back.

BDA engineer member P N Nayak explained about the various measures taken by the BDA to restore the lake. He said at least 3,000 tonnes of weeds have been removed and the remaining will be removed soon. Three more harvesters and a floating crane would be roped in soon.



Dr Ritesh Kumar, conservation programme manager in Wetland International South Asia, said the lake and wetland conservation is a matter of concern and emphasised on an integrated development plan.



Critical voices



IISc professor Dr T V Ramachandra criticised the government for waking up late. Let us step out of the era of excuses. We often talk of inadequacies of infrastructure, but why do we reach a stage where things get out of hand?



Ramachandra said the city receivesenough rain to meet 70% of its water requirement but the need is to conserve it. He rued that dumping of debris was rampant in Bellandur and Varthur lakes despite patrolling and monitoring through CCTV cameras.



Usha Rajagopalan, trustee in Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust, told the audience about her experiments to protect the Puttenahalli lake. She said she lacked expertise like others on the panel but her perseverance resulted in revival of the Puttenahalli lake. She said reviving Bellandur and Varthur lakes could be possible if a serious attempt is made.


As part of Reclaim and protect our lakes programme of United Bengaluru, members of lake groups, elected representatives and government officials along with experts, inspected Horamavu Agara lake, Challakere lake and Horamavu Jayantinagar lake on Saturday.



They assessed the extent of deterioration, encroachment and dumping of domestic and industrial effluents in the lakes.



President, Citizens Action Forum, D S Rajshekar said, During our lake visits, we found that in Horamavu Agara lake, there is a lot of illegal dumping with sewage water entering the lake in spite of many court orders. We have given a months time to the government authorities and elected representatives to attend to these problems. We have also filed a police complaint at Hennur police station on illegal dumping at Horamavu lake by unknown people.



Dharna plan



Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, who was present, said that they would visit the lakes again next month and if they find no improvement in the waterbodies, then they would sit in dharna.



The team urged citizens to file complaints against violations. They distributed pamphlets to citizens with details on existing orders, contact numbers of government officials and police stations.



Reclaim and protect our lakes was launched two weeks ago and last week, the team visited Puttenahalli, Allalasandra, Yelahanka and Jakkur lakes.


Reduced to a reservoir of sewage due to indiscriminate dumping of sewage and waste from the apartments, residential layouts and slums in the vicinity, Subramanyapura lake too started frothing after the pre-monsoon showers on Friday night.



The residents in the vicinity woke up to a shocker on Saturday morning when they saw a pile of froth at the waste weir of Subramanyapura lake.



Pradeep Rudrapatna, a resident, said, The lake was in a good condition and the people used to swim there till 2009. But due to rampant encroachment and indiscriminate dumping of sewage, the lake gradually lost its character.



Another resident, Ramamurthy, said, Subramanyapura lake is spread over six acres and six guntas. A slum has come up on the gomala land abutting the lake. Also, the unregulated sewage flow into the lake from the nearby apartments and residential layouts and the rampant dumping of waste have only made matter worse. The lake has to be revived at the earliest.



Water samples



Regional Environment Officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Anil Kumar, visited the lake and collected water samples. He said the problem can be overcome only if BWSSB lays the sewage diversion pipeline. Frothing would not have happened had the BWSSB completed the project, said Kumar.



The KSPCBofficer also said that the Karnataka Slum Development Board is constructing residential quarters around the lake. Till the project is completed, the slums will remain and the rejuvenation work cannot be completed.



Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority, G Vidyasagar, said he has taken a note of it and has issued a show-cause notice to the BBMP engineer. Further action will be taken against those dumping sewage into the lake, he added.



KSPCB chairman Lakshman said he has directed Anil Kumar to gather all the information and submit a detailed report on it.


Address-hunting is a nightmarish experience in the city. Unscientific numbering of houses and streets has left a maze so chaotic that a first-time visitor to an area is completely at a loss. Why not use technology to solve this problem?



Haphazard, random and insanely chaotic, house and street numbering across Bengaluru have taken a deep, disorderly dive. Address-hunting is the new nightmare, as the citys bizarre, unregulated sprawl steamrolls that crying need for an organised, grid-like array of living spaces.



In hundreds of revenue layouts across town, houses and streets are identified by sheer luck. The numbering system defies order and logic. Living quarters with multiple numbers, old and new, streets without signboards, areas whose official name nobody knows! If this is not a recipe for chaos, what is?



The malaise runs deep. Decades ago, a strangers foray into a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) layout was a breeze. He/she would simply look up a house from a map displayed right at the layout entry. Identifying the destination from a grid with neatly decked mains and cross roads would just be a walk away.



Illegible signboards



But today, the signboards are in a royal mess. The once legible markings have withered away with no attempt to repaint them. Fallen concrete slabs that once stood as milestones are everywhere. Those still standing are masked by posters, big and small.



Acknowledging the problem, a few BBMP corporators have erected elevated signboards for roads in some wards. This does make a difference, although a city-wide uniform pattern and structure is missing.



Can technology solve the problem? Ola and Uber have shown the way by helping drivers spot pick-up and destination points with ease through GPS coordinates. Why cant house, shop or office numbering replicate this system instead of old, ineffective methods?



Smart city project



The Smart City Mission project could offer the solution. If Bengaluru is included under this project, the state government has proposed a unique digital numbering system that relies on the geo-spatial location of each house.



Simply put, the system will work like an Aadhaar number to pinpoint a residential or commercial location. Every address in the city will be assigned an eight digit standardised digital address number. This alpha numeric code will be included in a central database.



The data will be synced with the geographical details maintained by BBMP or BDA. Once the system goes live, any house, office, school or commercial establishment will be automatically tagged on the GPS. The location could be traced on a Google Map accessible from a smartphone, tablet or any other GPS device.



Surveying properties



Twenty-five lakh houses in the city are expected to surveyed and included if this system goes live. But this depends a lot on Bengalurus inclusion in the Smart Citys scheme of things. Every house and street will be allotted numbers in the system that could be cloud-based. Satellite imagery will be integrated.



All these bank on an assumption that Bengaluru might just find itself in the Smart Cities list. But why wait for it? As civic evangelist, V Ravichander puts it, the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of properties are already available in the BDA master plan. Give each house a unique number and get on with the project, is his suggestion.



The geo-referenced ID could be linked to property ID for BBMP tax payment, Bescom or Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) number. By this system, Ravichander explains, the problem of multiple numbering for the same property could be permanently solved.



A lot of houses have old and new numbers. This is because the system itself evolved historically. You cannot take BBMP ward as a reference since that too is dynamic. A geo-reference will not change. The latitude and longitude positions will remain the same.



Street-naming and house-numbering are apparently not issues that dominate the government's list of priorities. But citizens are convinced that the time and effort wasted on hunting down an address in a labyrinthine maze of poorly ordered layouts warrants greater attention.



Rising costs



On the rise are expenses for courier services in routing and rerouting packages. Important printed documents and goods sent through India Post are getting lost like never before. Often house numbers are duplicated on alternate streets, triggering confusion and wrong deliveries.



Ignoring the need for house and street number clarity has a dangerous side. In times of emergency, fire, ambulance and medical services would find it very tough to reach the correct address quickly. Any loss of time could prove fatal.
A seven-year-old boy, who had sustained severe burns after an LPG gas cylinder exploded at his house in Marathahalli, succumbed on Saturday.



The deceased is Nikhil Karun. Nikhils sister Neha (3) is still critical and is being treated at the Victoria Hospital. She is said to have sustained about 40% burns.



Nikhil and Neha are children of Karun and Maya, both from Nepal. They arrived in the city about a month ago. Karun is employed as a security guard at an apartment in Marathahalli. He stays at a room in the basement of the apartment along with his family, said the police.



The incident occurred on May 23. Maya had forgotten to turn off the cylinders regulator properly. The cylinder pipe had suffered damages, which resulted in the gas leakage, added the police.



When Maya woke up the next morning and switched on the lights, the cylinder exploded within seconds. His two children, who were asleep, sustained severe burns. All four were rushed to the Victoria Hospital.


Eyewitnesses told DH over phone that masjids in several areas of south Kashmir were resonating with freedom songs as hundreds of people offered prayers on the roads and registered their protest against the killing of Sabzar, his associate Faizan and a civilian protester.



Reports said clashes broke out in Meemander in Shopian and Warpora in Sopore, Trehgam in Kupwara as forces fired teargas shells on protesters to disperse them, while they pelted stones, triggering clashes. On Saturday, at least 30 persons were injured in violent clashes between protestors and security forces in various parts of the valley following the killing of Sabzar.



However, police said that by and large situation remained under control on Sunday, barring minor incidents of stone pelting at few places. The situation remained under control during the day as police and security forces were deployed in the Valley to maintain law and order, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan, said.



Police exercised maximum restraint to prevent injuries on Saturday. However, miscreants pelted stones on security yesterday in which some persons were injured, he said.



Fearing more protests on Monday, Khan said that restrictions will continue due to the prevailing situation in the sensitive areas of Kashmir to maintain law and order. Director School Education Kashmir G N Itoo said that all schools and colleges will remain closed on Monday. The University of Kashmir has postponed all the exams scheduled for May 29 and May 30.



The authorities also suspended mobile Internet services in the valley, while the outgoing call facility on prepaid numbers was also snapped as a precautionary measure. The intra-Kashmir train services also remained suspended since Saturday afternoon due to apprehension fresh violence.



Last year in July after the killing of Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir over 100 people died in subsequent clashes between protesters and security forces while thousands others were injured.

Amid protests, shutdown and restrictions, a tense situation prevailed in Kashmir on Sunday, a day after Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat was killed in an encounter with security forces. Sunday was the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan across Kashmir.While separatists have called for a Valley-wide strike on Sunday and Monday, authorities imposed curfew and restrictions in volatile areas of Srinagar and other districts to thwart protests and people from reaching Rathsuna village of Tral, the native town of Sabzar to participate in his funeral prayers.However, reports said, despite restrictions and heavy deployment of security forces, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Sabzar. Because of the rush of the people, the funeral prayers of Sabzar were held at least seven times, a local newspaper reported.
The Army today shot dead an intruder along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.



Troops along the LoC in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district shot dead the intruder around 0230 hours, an Army officer said.



An Army spokesman said the intruder was shot dead in an ambush.
At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered "more precious" than humans.



A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in the world's youngest nation, made up largely of pastoral communities, the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.



Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the country's capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, the officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.



Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the "second most dangerous" posting after Syria, where fighting is "relentless", in the absence of any ceasefire.



"The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex," Brar said.



Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians -- one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others -- Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.



"These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle," Shekatkar said.



Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.



South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.



The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a "massive humanitarian response".



The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

"The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal," Shekatkar said.



Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.



"The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying 'Ram, Ram'. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)," Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.



Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. "It will also take care of food security."



The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.



"I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected India's borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country," Havildar Suresh Patil said.



India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.



May 29 is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Answering the critics of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he had not thought it would be viewed politically when he launched the programme more than two years back.



He said through the programme, he had "become like a member of every household" of the country, conversing with "my family" about routine issues.



He said that like "an ordinary citizen", he too gets influenced by good or bad things.



"Some people take Mann Ki Baat as a monologue and some criticise it from a political angle," Modi said in his radio programme, the first after the completion of three years of his government.



He was clearly answering criticism by the opposition parties which have been alleging that he only says what he wants to and does not listen to the people's voices.



"When I started 'Mann Ki Baat', I had not thought so," he said about the programme launched on October 2, 2014.



Through the programme, he said he felt like he was conversing with "my family while sitting at home".

He added that there are many families who have written to him these very feelings.



The prime minister then referred to the launch by President Pranab Mukherjee of an analytical book on 'Mann Ki Baat' two days back in the presence of Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and a number of other dignitaries.



Expressing gratitude to the President, the Vice President and the Speaker, he said, "As an ordinary citizen and as an individual, this was very inspirational event for me."



He said the event had given a new dimension to Mann Ki Baat.



While talking about the book, he had praise for Akbar, an artist living in Abu Dhabi, who had offered to sketch the topics on which various episodes of Mann Ki Baat without taking a single rupee.



"Akbar sahab transformed Mann Ki Baat into art as a gesture of his love. I am grateful to Akbar Sahab," Modi said.



During the 30-minute programme, he also emphasised the importance of preserving the environment, laid thrust on cleanliness and waste management, spoke about the importance of yoga and talked about freedom fighters.



Mentioning about environment and cleanliness, he said the central government, with the help of state governments and people's representatives, will launch a major campaign for waste management from June 5, the World Environment Day.



Under the campaign, means for collecting solid and liquid waste will be launched in 4000 cities across the country.



In the context of cleanliness, the prime minister said Reasi block, a far-flung area of Jammu and Kashmir, has been declared as 'open defecation free' and hailed the people, particularly women, and administrators of the area for it.



Referring to the upcoming 3rd International Yoga Day on June 21, Modi invited selfies of three generations of a family -- grandparents, parents and children -- on the pattern of 'selfie with daughter' campaign earlier.



Noting that today was the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, the prime minister said, "Countless great men spent their youth in jails. Several youngsters went to the gallows."



He said the freedom fighters had suffered "despicable miseries and that is how we can now breathe in a free India."



In this context, he referred to the cellular jail of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and said the younger generation should visit it to understand the trouble and torture the freedom fighters had to suffer to achieve freedom.



"Once we go there, we realise why it was called 'Kaala Paani' (dark waters)," he said.
The Indian Army is facing a "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through "innovative" ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' by a young officer.



In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy- infested state.



"This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," Rawat said.



The Army Chief's Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.



Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations. "People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said.



Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones. "In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)," he said.



Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed. "Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said.



At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley. Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi.



"As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there," he said.



Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.



"Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break.



"That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces," he said. The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. "I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for."



He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it. Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeep's bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.



The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control. "It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.



He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism. The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.



Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well.



"Has political initiative not been taken inthe past? What was the result, you had Kargil...," he said. To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a "limited war" with Pakistan.
BJP national president Amith Shah has reiterated that BJP State President B S Yeddyurappa would be the chief ministerial candidate for the 2018 assembly elections. This implies that the responsibility of Yeddyurappa is much more than other leaders in his party. Yeddyurappa, a seasoned politician, knows there is a lot of hard work involved to reach the goal - Mission 155+.



Yeddyurappas walk and talk has been going on from May 18. Under the mass contact programme, he has so far covered six districts. He will resume this pre-election campaign exercise from May 29 from Koppal. He is yet to cover 26 districts. If the programme was confined itself to meeting and interacting with people, probably Yeddyurappa would not have been debated by his detractors in the last one week.



In addition to the meeting, he is also eating. He has chosen Dalit houses to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This has given fodder for his opponents as well as the media to comment, debate, discuss and ridicule the exercise. Has Yeddyurappa gone wrong in planning this programme? It would be incorrect to say that he has decided to take up the Walk up to Dalits programme. Because, he is only implementing the partys nation-wide programme. Then why he is at the receiving end?



PUBLICITY

Yeddyurappa, if he had just visited Dalits houses, colonies and interacted with the oppressed classes then probably he would not have been the butt of criticism to this extent. To make the matter worse for him, he not only began eating food but also took wide publicity for the same. This made his critics to ask as to why all these years the BJP and its leader did not bother to visit Dalits.



His senior colleagues say that Yeddyurappa should not have projected as it was his maiden venture into Dalits colonies. Also, he should not have made eating a major agenda. He should have selected the houses random and surprised the occupants. He should have accepted whatever food offered to him during his unscheduled visits. This is what many elected representatives do during their constituency visit.



To send the right message, one need not adopt populist measure or overtly theatrical approach. Words, conduct and action matters. People can see through ones intentions. Yeddyurappa may mean good but they were not reflected the manner in which the whole exercise is being carried out.



It is not that Yeddyurappa is not eating or he is averse to eating in houses of Oppressed classes. He, per se, is not casteist. But the hosts, who are not BJP workers, are finding tough to prepare or provide food to dozens of BJP leaders and workers who walk into the houses along with Yeddurappa. This is also forcing the house occupants or party workers to buy food in hotels. This is what happened in case of his visit to a Dalits house for breakfast in Tumakuru. When the host fell short of food, Thatte Idlis were bought from hotels, the party insiders point out.



LONE WALKER

Forget the food diplomacy going awry, Yeddyurappa has become the lone walker. Of course barring a couple of members of his coterie, none are defending his actions. The Janasamparka Sabhe (meeting with the public) in Tumakuru began on the right note. Senior leaders including Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda and K S Eshwarappa shared the dais with him. But later they dispersed. Yeddyurappa and Party General Secretary Shobha Karandlaje had announced that at least one union minister from the State would be participating in the public contact programme. Forget walking along with him, none of the seniors defended when Yeddyurappa was mocked. However, Yeddyurappa argues that it is impractical to expect senior leaders to accompany him because they are pre-occupied with their office and constituency work.



Yeddyurappa also had announced that during his interaction programmes, he would visit drought-hit places and listen to the grievances of the farmers. Probably he would not have done it had he not taken the weather forecast seriously. Many districts have been receiving normal pre-monsoon showers. As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ridiculed, Yeddyurappa should be carrying an umbrella while visiting drought-hit areas.



The fact remains that unlike Yeddyurappa, none of the seniors are ready to give their quality time to the party work. This is one of the reasons as to why Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa is more appealing to the central leadership. For all the confidence the central leaders have in him, he should have better maturity in thinking and implementing programmes, many in the party feel.



Frontline leaders in the BJP are not only banking on Yeddyurappa but also hoping that Party national president Amit Shah would come to Karnataka and make the party miraculously win the elections. They believe that chanting Modi mantra and projecting his three years achievements at the Centre would help in convincing people as to why Yeddyurappa should become chief minister again. That would be asking for too much from voters.








Hizbul is almost as old as the Kashmiri militancy which started in late 80's. The group is made up almost entirely of local youths, and had always campaigned for joining Pakistan.

After the killing of Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Bhat, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen is likely to make Riyaz Naikoo, one of the oldest surviving militants of the outfit, as new commander in Kashmir.The tech-savvy Naikoo is considered a moderate among the hardline Hizbul militants and a few months back was willing to welcome Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley. In an 11-minute video address, Naikoo alias Zubair had said, "We will welcome them [Kashmiri Pandits] warmly and there is always place for them in our hearts. They are part of our nation. We are their protectors and not their enemies."Sources said Hizbul could nominate him as new chief of the outfit to counter the narrative that militants in Kashmir were fighting for Caliphate and imposition of Sharia. "The Hizbul leadership in Pakistan is under tremendous pressure from ISI after another commander Zakir Musa recently spoke about establishing an Islamic caliphate in the Valley besides threatening separatist leaders who ," they said."By appointing Naikoo as new chief, the Hizbul could kill two birds with one stone. Zakir can sideline Musa due to his stature in the terror outfit and also Hizbul could prove that it was not fighting for Islamic rule in Kashmir," sources revealed.Unlike Sabzar, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Tral area on Saturday, Naikoo is tech savvy and Hizbul could use his abilities to galvanise support for militancy through social media campaigns, they added.After Musa's outburst, the PoK based Hizbul spokesman Saleem Hashmi had said the outfit has neither got anything to do with the statement of Musa nor the statement is acceptable to it.Naikoo alongwith Saddam Padder and Altaf Kachroo, is among the oldest members of the Hizbul and is rated 'A++' category militants who carries a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head. Naikoo, police believes has edge over both Kachroo, a resident of Kulgam and Padder of Heff, Shopian, as he is much literate than both of them. Kachroo and Padder have not studied beyond Class X while Naikoo is better qualified than the two.A native of Durbug in Awantipora, Naikoo is said to have escaped from the trap laid down by the security forces several times over the past three years. Just last week he was cornered by the security forces in Pulwama district, but he escaped.According to police records, Naikoo after his release in 2014 when he was detained under the public safety (PSA) got recycled into militancy. Naikoo, who is wanted in several killings including those of police officials, was close associate of slain Burhan Wani and was seen in some photographs with him last year.Last year he arrived during the funeral procession of a colleague in Pulwama and fired several shots in the air. The video was shot and widely circulated on social media. Police believes that tactic adopted by Naikoo brought many youths to militancy in the Valley since then.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was today arrested from his residence here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.



A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk this morning.



The JKLF chairman had yesterday visited the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.



The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral yesterday.



Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of "brute force" against the protestors.



The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.




The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned two Kashmiri separatist leaders to its headquarters in Delhi tomorrow in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.



Farooq Ahmad Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Javed Ahmed Baba alias 'Gazi' of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have been asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, before the NIA team that had questioned them here for four consecutive days earlier this month.



The questioning comes after the central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.



The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a news channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.



Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Baba alias 'Gazi', who are also named in the PE, will be again questioned for their alleged involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir as well as fuelling unrest and promoting stone-pelting in the Valley.



The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge- sheeted so far in the Valley in recent cases related to causing damage to schools and public property as part of a "larger conspiracy to perpetuate chaos" in Kashmir.



During their stay here, the NIA team, headed by its additional director general, also gathered evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools. Khan had allegedly claimed in the sting operation that the educational institutions had been targeted under plans hatched in Pakistan.



The schools were damaged last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.



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.
Giving fresh hopes to the merger talks between two AIADMK warring factions in Tamil Nadu, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that both groups were in touch with each other for the possible reunion bid.



"At present, both groups are in talks. Definitely, both the factions will merge very soon", Palaniswami said. He said misunderstanding between both the groups is "temporary".



Asked about reports on group of AIADMK MLAs going rebel and calling on him to accommodate them in the cabinet, the chief minister ruled out any change in his cabinet.



"They (group of MLAs) met me to discuss issues pertaining their constituencies from where they were elected", he added.



On objections raised by some political leaders to install the portrait of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Assembly complex, Palaniswami said, "objection is different and unveiling it as per law is another matter".



He said as per law Jayalalithaa's portrait will be unveiled.




Nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan in 1998 created balance of power in South Asia and gave a strong message to the "enemies" that aggressors would meet an exemplary fate, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today.



Sharif, in his message to commemorate the historic nuclear tests, said that the day was an unforgettable day for Pakistan.



"Pakistan's nuclear programme created balance of power in South Asia, just becoming a symbol of peace as the smaller states in the region also heaved a sigh of relief," he said.



The Prime Minister said that after becoming a nuclear power, now was time to make the country an economic power, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.



"Nineteen years ago, we had made countrys defence as impregnable. Today, with same dedication and passion, the country's economy is also being made strong and stable. In this age, the defence of any nation cannot be separated from its economic stability," he said.



Sharif said the journey of national economic development was going on with fast pace and "just like nuclear explosion, Pakistan will also carry out an economic explosion. The whole world believed in such possibilities," he said.



The nuclear tests also gave a strong message to the enemies that aggressors against Pakistan would meet an exemplary fate. He said some 19 years ago, when the Pakistan Muslim League government decided to carry out nuclear tests, it had been facing numerous challenges.



"The nation is also thankful to the personalities who showed bravery at that time and played their role to make Pakistan an atomic power," he said.


In a shocking incident, around half a dozen young men allegedly molested and groped two girls on a road in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district, about 325 kilometres from here.



The incident came to light after a video, which went viral on the social networking sites, showed the two girls trying to protect themselves from the predators, who are seen laughing and indulging in indecent acts.



The men are seen dragging one of the girls, touching her inappropriately and even forcibly taking her in his lap even as she desperately tries to free herself.



The culprits also snatched the 'dupattas' (a scarf women often put on their shoulders) of the victims and encircled them squeezing them in between.



As the girls cry for help and plead with them to let them go, one of the men is heard telling the others to record the molestation and upload it on the social networking sites.



The footage also shows one of the men forcibly holding the girl by her arms and pointing toward his friends to record the act.



Though it was not clear by the footage where did the incident take place, sources said that it occurred in Tanda area in the district a few days back. The spot seems to be a village road which is surrounded by trees.



Police have registered a case against 14 people in this connection and arrested two alleged culprits. ''We are trying to identify the other culprits....stern action will be taken against them,'' said superintendent of police, Rampur, Vipin Tada on Sunday.



The police were in possession of the video.



The incident that comes close on the heels of the alleged gang-rape of four women near Noida Expressway a few days back, has come as a huge embarrassment for the Yogi Adityanath regime, which has of late come under sharp attack from the opposition over its alleged failure on the law and order front.



UP government had set up an 'Anti-Romeo Squad' soon after Adityanath took charge of the state to crack down on eve teasers.






Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his four-nation tour of Germany, Spain, Russia and France beginning tomorrow is aimed at boosting India's economic engagement with these nations and inviting more investment.



In the first leg of his six-day trip, he will visit Germany, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.



Modi said he and Merkel will "chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science and technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine."



Describing Germany as a valuable partner, the prime minister said, "German competencies fit well with my vision for Indias transformation."



In Berlin, Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties. "I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership," he said in a Facebook post.



On Tuesday, Modi will travel to Spain for an official visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades. He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy.



"We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism," he said.



The prime minister said there is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties.



"We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism," he added.



He will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner in the 'Make in India' initiative. "I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership," he wrote.



From Spain, the prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit. "...I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016," he said.



The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries.



On June 2, Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where India is the 'guest country'. "In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders," he said.



At the beginning of his visit, he will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad. He will also visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.



"I greatly look forward to my visit to St. Petersburg in this special year for the bilateral relationship as both countries celebrate the 70th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations," Modi said.



In the last leg of the tour, he will visit France from June 2 to 3 for an official meeting with the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron. "France is one of our most important Strategic Partners. I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest," Modi said.



"I would be exchanging views with the French President on important global issues including UN Security Council reforms and Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Indias membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance," he added.



France is India's 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways.



"I am committed to substantially strengthening and advancing our multi-faceted partnership with France," the prime minister said.


One of the four women, who were allegedly gang-raped on the Jewar-Bulandshahr road off the Yamuna Expressway, has accused the police of trying to hush up the case and making false statements against the victims.



District Magistrtae B N Singh, SSP Love Kumar and Chief Medical Officer Dr Anurag Bhargava had in a joint press conference on Friday ruled out allegations of rape, citing preliminary medical examination reports.



The women yesterday recorded their statement before the additional chief judicial magistrate. Sources said the four in their statements reiterated that they were raped.



The shocking incident had taken place on Thursday night when eight persons of a family were travelling to Bulandshahr to meet a relative at a hospital.



The women had alleged that a group of five criminals raped them at gunpoint in a field off the Yamuna Expressway and one of the four men travelling with them was shot dead when he objected to the sexual assault.



"It is disgusting that the police are trying to hush up the case and making false statements against us instead of arresting the culprits," one of the women said.



"What was the need for making the initial medical report public? Why would we lie? The police are insensitive," she said.



Union minister and Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma yesterday visited the victims at their residence and assured them help. A three-member National Commission for Women team visited the area where the incident took place and also met the victims.



The team met the district magistrate, the SSP and the CMO. They enquired about the police probe and steps being taken by the administration to help the victims.


The situation in Kashmir remained tense but under control with authorities imposing curfew-like restrictions in most parts of the valley today, fearing that the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat would spark trouble in the state.



Barring a few incidents of stone pelting in Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Sopore, the situation across the valley remained peaceful, a police spokesman said. In Pulwama, the spokesman said a group of miscreants threw stones at a CRPF camp in Tahab.



Police and security forces used "maximum restraint" while dealing with the situation at these places and stone pelters were dispersed, he said. He said restrictions were imposed to maintain law and order in view of protests following the killing of Bhat and another militant in an encounter with security forces in Soimoh area of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district yesterday.



In Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in seven police station areas -- Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma -- as a precautionary measure. Restrictions were also been imposed in Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Sopore town in north Kashmir, officials said.



They said restrictions on the assembly and movement of more than four people, under CrPC Section 144, were imposed in Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.



At least 30 people were injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in various parts of the valley following the killing of the two Hizbul Mujahideen militants. A civilian was also killed allegedly in cross-firing between militants and security forces during the encounter yesterday.



Bhat was buried this morning at his native Ratsuna area in Tral where hundreds of people had gathered. The funeral remained peaceful, the officials said.



Meanwhile, normal life elsewhere in the valley remained affected due to a two-day strike called by separatists to protest the killing of the two militants and the alleged use of "brute force" against protesters.



The separatist trio -- chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik -- also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday in protest against the killing. Malik was arrested from his residence here today, while Geelani and Mirwaiz were under house detention.



The authorities suspended mobile internet services in the valley, while the outgoing call facility on prepaid numbers has been snapped as a precautionary measure.
In a bizarre case, which has few precedents, a man charged with bigamy has been asked by the cops to stay for first three days of a week with his first wife while another three days with the second wife. The seventh day he will have to stay alone.



Sounds outlandish, but this is the compromise formula that has been reached between the two warring wives Meena and Pooja, both of whom claim to be legally-wedded to Arun Kumar.



Born in Buxars Raghunathpur, Arun runs a nursing home in Patnas Phulwarisharif area. In an 11-hour high-voltage drama at Phulwarisharif police station, the two women authoritatively claimed before the police that Arun was their husband. While the first wife said he married her in 1996 and had grown-up children, the second wife Pooja (of Lakhisarai district) produced photographs, videos and voice clips to buttress her point.



When he married me, I was unaware that he is already married, Pooja complained to the police, even though Arun kept insisting that she was only an acquaintance, and not a wife. An infuriated Pooja then threatened that if he continued to lie, she would ensure that he is sent behind bars. This made Arun relent and admit that she was his second wife.



As the verbal slugfest continued between the two women, the police remained clueless for about 11 hours how to amicably settle the matter. Eventually, the fight which started in the police station at 10 am ended at 9 pm when the cops were able to help the two women reach an understanding. The two wives gave it in writing that they were agreeable to the proposal that Arun will stay with his first wife Meena for the first three days in the week, and the next three days with Pooja. The remaining one day, Arun will stay alone, said the police source.




Congress on Sunday demanded to invoke the provisions of the stringent SC/ST Atrocities Act against Yogi Adityanath and his officials for asking Dalits to clean up and smell good before meeting the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.



The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and his callous officers have practised a very low level of untouchability, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.



On May 25, DH had reported that government representatives had asked members of a Dalit community to clean and wash with soaps and shampoos before Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's scheduled visit to their village.



The Congress claimed that the Chief Minister had insulted the entire community and must apologise forthwith.



Appropriate case must be registered against the Chief Minister and the officers under the stringent SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, Singhvi said.



The Congress also said that the incident should be seen in the context of repeated attacks on Dalits as witnessed in Una in Gujarat, the suicide by Rohit Vemula, the ban on Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle and the recent attacks in caste conflict in Saharanpur.



The incident has shown the true face of the BJP and particularly the RSS. I have clearly said that the chief minister does not appear to be a yogi (renouncer) but a bhogi (materialistic), Singhvi said.




US Homeland Security John Kelly said today that he was considering banning laptop computers on international flights into and out of the country, amid signs of "a real threat."



Kelly made his remarks during the Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the US, and at a time when the bombing at a concert in Manchester, England has raised concerns that further attacks - possibly involving explosives packed in electronic devices - might be planned.



"There's a real threat - numerous threats against aviation," Kelly told the Fox New Sunday programme, when asked about the likelihood that a wide-reaching ban on large electronics in airplane cabins could be imposed.



The US homeland security chief said terrorists are "obsessed" with the idea of "knocking down an airplane in flight - particularly a US carrier, if it's full of mostly US folks."



A ban could seriously disrupt flights between Europe and the US. Some 3,250 a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the US, according to aviation industry figures.



If the laptop ban Kelly discussed is put in place, it would greatly expand on a rule he announced March 21, banning electronic devices larger than a smartphone from the cabins of flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa. Countries affected by that rule are Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.



In March, Britain took similar measures targeting a smaller list of countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. In Europe last week, during President Donald Trump's nine-day foreign trip, Kelly met with European Commission officials in Brussels to discuss a possible laptop ban in airplane cabins.
The BJP MP from Kurukshetra, Raj Kumar Saini, today said Rajya Sabha has done nothing except stalling legislative works and "causing severe damage" to the country, and demanded it be abolished immediately.



Saini, often in the news for his anti-Jat rants, also said the Upper House "serves no purpose" as its members are not directly elected and hence are not accountable to the people.



Unlike Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha members are elected directly, he said, adding the former has become a "political arena" and its members "do whatever they deem fit to". "I have observed the proceedings of the (Upper) House and realised it has not done anything apart from stalling the work and causing severe damage to the country," Saini claimed.



He said Rajya Sabha often has members from the party defeated in various elections, or are from political families, or "get an entry due to money power" and they do not allow passage of important bills. This affects the functioning of the party in power which has a majority in Lok Sabha, he said.



"I want to make a request with folded hands to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji that Rajya Sabha should be abolished with immediate effect," he said. He claimed that by stalling legislative works in Rajya Sabha, Opposition wants to send out a message the government has failed, and thus they aim to score political points.



"They use Rajya Sabha as an instrument to further their political interests...their duty is to create obstacles for the government," he said and dubbed the Upper House as "unreal house".



The parliamentarian has been vocal against demand of the reservation by the Jats under the OBC category and today also he spoke on the issue. Referring to the demand, he said it's a "mockery" of the system that those who are "highly prosperous and have all the resources" were seeking reservation.



"If people were to get into the OBC category at gunpoint, it would be like murder of the democracy," he said, addressing a gathering here as part of "Parshuram Jayanti Samaroh". Seeking the support of the OBC community, he said, "We have come here for 2019. I have put a few things before you. I do not know if you are here for Raj Kumar Saini, or BJP or may be you think that I am a BJP MP or your friend, this only you can tell."



"I am not a BJP slave or such a worker that I will play their tune," he said.
The recent Supreme Court order reinstating Senkumar, a Kerala-cadre Indian Police Service officer as Director General and head of the state police is a welcome shot in the arm for good governance.



The courts stipulations that changes at the top can only be for valid reasons and on the basis of materials on record, provides effective restraints on the unbridled power exercised by the political executive over higher bureaucracy. By reinstating Senkumar, the state escaped the contempt charge but was slapped with a fine.



Two questions arise from this case: (a) why is the bureaucracy supine?; and, (b) why are officers belonging to the all-India services keen to throw in the towel and kow-tow the whims of political masters? The answers lie in the total hold which the political executive has come to exercise over administration in terms of transfers, postings and supercession in top posts.



In the Prakash Singh case, the Supreme Court directed the states to provide minimum tenures for police officials, including the DGP, if necessary, by amending the State Police Act. In May 2016, after the advent of the new Left Front government in Kerala, the incumbent DGP (Senkumar) was transferred in the middle of his tenure, because he had lost the confidence of the government and mishandling of the law and order and crime situations.



This averment of the government did not cut ice with the Supreme Court which ruled that the actions of the government must be on the basis of materials on record and on objective considerations alone.



The reinstatement of Senkumar was not without drama. The state government came out in very poor light by stating, in a subsequent petition before the Supreme Court, that Senkumar was never appointed as Head of the Police Force but only Head of the Police and that he was ineligible to hold office.



On his part, the officer filed a contempt case against the chief secretary charging that she had deliberately delayed in complying with the court order, because of past animus against him. She was mainly responsible, he said, for the action taken by the government, to remove him from office. With his reinstatement, and unconditional apology from the chief secretary, the contempt petition was dropped by the court.



Officers of the state governments, no matter what positions they occupy, dread that their postings can be cut short if they fall foul of political bosses. Politicians expect that officers should do as per their bidding  a common malaise across all political levels. The bureaucracy does not possess countervailing powers to checkmate politicians. It is common to find officers trying their best to please their political masters, including acting as accomplices.



Conscientious officers, who value self-respect, are forced to accept inconspicuous posts, or turn a Nelsons eye to the wrong doings of the political masters.



Even in respect of the all India service officers at the state level, continuance in office is contingent upon the pleasure of the political executive. Divergent opinions from that of the political executive have to be exercised cautiously and, far better, if not held at all ! The more powerful the politicians, higher the costs to officialdom in not being subservient!



The political executive exercise their will through supercessions. The seniority principle is usually the norm in appointments to top positions of chief secretary and DGP. Those senior most in the services, without serious blemish, can expect to be appointed to top posts.



It is not uncommon for state governments to appoint an officer, other than the senior most, to the top positions. In Karnataka, supercession has occurred many times for the post of chief secretary, with officers of capacity bypassed by the government. Recently, an officer with excellent service record was shown the door. A cabinet minister remarked that the superseded officer though competent, was too rigid.



Sent packing

Prescribing of tenures alone are not enough as they are not respected by the governments. Not long ago, the Government of India sent the foreign secretary packing when she still had tenure left.

Unbridled transfers and supercessions have destroyed the morale of the services and succeeded in introducing servility among officers. This is reinforced by the current day politicians who, unlike their predecessors, are contemptuous of restraint in exercising power.



These politicians brook no restraint or heed to any moderating counsel. They expect officers to toe their line. There are of course some honourable exceptions but they are exceptions nevertheless.

In the wake of this dismal scenario, the Senkumar order of the Supreme Court provides a silver lining for the system. It is a caution to politicians against wanton exercise of their power in appointments to the top positions. Senkumar deserves kudos for taking on the system and proving a point. Right thinking people should salute his courage in the face of severe odds.



(The writer is former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka)
Midday meal workers staged protest before the DCs office, demanding the withdrawal of the proposal to privatise the midday meal scheme.



Addressing the gathering, Dasu Bhandari, the Karnataka Rajya Akshara Dasoha Naukarara Sangha Udupi district president, said there are nearly 12,000 midday meal workers in the state and the funds that were initially announced for the scheme, but later deducted, should be reassured.



The midday meals workers are made to work as bonded labourers. The employees have been assured Rs 4,000 salary, which should be immediately implemented.



Bhandari also demanded that the midday meal workers should be considered as the Group D workers. The policy of equal pay for equal work should be followed. The employees should not be dismissed on reason of attendance.



The summer salary should be assured to the midday meal workers on par with teachers. The accident insurance should be assured and the salary should be ensured on time.



He added that there are nearly 1.20 lakh midday meal workers in state. The centralised working system ensured by the Ministry of Human Resources Development should be withdrawn as there is the threat of many employees losing their job.



The capitalists are offered all sorts of benefits, he said and sarcastically added that the government seems to be least bothered about the poor midday meals workers. It tries to snatch away their right for basic livelihood. The midday meal scheme is instrumental in improving the attendance. The programme should not be stopped, he demanded.



It is almost 16 years since the implementation of the programme but the midday meal workers are still struggling for the regularisation of their employment, Bhandari said.
The police have hidden facts related to the May 26 Kalladka incident where it was reported that three Hindu youth had assaulted three Muslim youths and stabbed one.



RSS leader Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka, who spoke to reporters in a hurriedly conveyed press conference here on Sunday, alleged that the main reason for assault on three Muslim youths was that a group of Muslim youths had assaulted a Hindu youth Yathin. The May 26 incident was only a retaliation.



Is it wrong to retaliate when someone assaults someone, he sought to know and justified the action of the Hindu youth who assaulted the three Muslim youths.



Supporting the Hindu youth who assaulted the Muslim youths, he said that the former had only reacted to the latters action. He also demanded a CID or COD probe into the incident so that the truth comes to fore.



To a query on why Yathin did not file any case or complaint that he was assaulted, Bhat said that there are some cases against Yathin too and he is scared of police. Efforts to search Yathin went in vain, he said and added that if Yathin was found, he may be convinced to register a complaint.



Bhat also termed the incident as of purely personal rivalry and nothing to do with communal violence, as claimed by some people.



Stating that the police have highlighted only the assault on the Muslim youths and downplayed the original incident, Bhat sought the appointment of a courageous superintendent of police to tackle such situations in the district and termed the present SP as too mild.



The police are well aware of all the incidents that happened in Kalladka. Clamping of Section 144 in Bantwal was uncalled for, he said and flayed District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai for supporting only Muslims and neglecting Hindus, although Hindus too have voted for him.



Former MLA Padmanabh Kottari and Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell were present.
In two separate raids in the city, Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths arrested five Nigerian nationals on the charge of selling banned substances on Saturday.



On a tip-off, the police raided a rented house at Ramamurthy Nagar and arrested Udogala Augustine Arinze (29), Ebuka Emmanuel(37) and Peter Nwabunwanne (26).



In another raid conducted on a house at Hennur, the police arrested Zago Constant (32) and Ebele Ifekwu Ufearoh (53). The police have seized cocaine, 17 mobile phones, a pen drive, four passports, two bikes, all worth Rs 18 lakh, from the arrested. The police are ascertaining if the suspects have been overstaying in the city.
Two labourers were found dead in a sump of a waste-processing unit at a factory in Harohalli Industrial area on Sunday. The deceased were Umesh (32) and Dilip (23), both natives of KR Nagar in Mysuru district.



The bodies were found floating in the sump on the campus of Pyramid Packing Private Limited (PPPL), which manufactures covers and boxes used to parcel domestic appliances and electronics goods, said the police.



The security guards noticed the bodies floating and informed us around 8.30 am. It is not known how the incident occurred, Chandrashekhar, the auditor, PPPL, said.



There are about 150 workers with the PPPL. The management has set up the waste-processing unit on the factory campus. There is a water treatment facility at the unit.



The contract for the maintenance of the sump and the unit has been assigned to a man named Shankar, who has hired four people, including the two victims.



The bodies have been sent to Rajarajeshwari Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.



The company management has lodged a complaint, while the police are waiting for a separate complaint from the family members of the deceased labourers.



The police have obtained the CCTV footage to ascertain how the incident occurred.
The state tourism department is planning to introduce a smart card that can be used as a ticket at all tourist destinations across the state.



With this card, tourists need not stand in long queues to buy tickets to visit any tourist site. The department will roll out these cards across the state by the end of 2017.



The single ticketing system can be used at all major tourist destinations identified by the department, Naveen Raj Singh, secretary, tourism department, told DH.



Though the Centre is planning a similar initiative, Karnataka will be the first state to introduce it independently. Talks with the states archaeological department are on to start it at heritage sites at the earliest. Talks are also being held with the Ministry of Culture for other sites. A lot of back-end work is being done like syncing QR codes and swipe machines to create a centralised system. We are also tying up with banks on this, he said.



Singh said the smart card works like a debit card. Tourists who buy the smart card can load money and just swipe it wherever they have to pay for entry or services. This also does away with the need to carry exact change and cash and standing in long queues, he said.



The idea was mooted by the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group. It suggested that the card be dispensed to tourists at airports or at a central location, so that they can access them easily. The card should also be user-friendly, it said.



Details on home stays



The tourism department has started uploading data of home stays in Karnataka on its website. It has also started checking all registered and unregistered home stays in the state, starting with Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru. It has asked tourists to check details of home stays on its website before making bookings.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at Rs 1,500? Students of KNS Institute of Technology have done it, without much fanfare. They plan to enhance the design to customise the drones for surveillance and transporting goods.



The makers of the plane - Inayatullah, Debabrata Mondal, Premkumar Singh and Syed Junaid - represented their college along with vice principal Nayeem Ahmad at Jnana Degula-Eduverse event organised by DH and Prajavani.



Inayatullah said the plane was made of simple polymer materials (expanded polyolefin and polystyrene) and can carry 350 gm payload. It can fly for an hour at a speed of 45 km per hour. We have used a propeller made of composite material with aluminium coating so that it can fly at a height of 500 feet and withstand force of up to 85 newtons, he said.



The team is also working on a plane specifically designed for surveillance. While the 45 kmph plane can be improvised to make it a delivery drone, we are working on a plane that flies slower, at 36 kmph, providing opportunities for deeper surveillance of a particular area, Mondal said.



Inayatullah said the cost of the UAVs will come down further if produced on a large scale. The UAVs produced by government agencies cost a lot. Our planes are disposable. The army can use the surveillance drone and does not have to worry if one of them is lost or destroyed, he said.



The planes can be controlled by a 2.4GHz radio frequency device, which has a range of 2.5 km. The remote controller cost us Rs 3,500. Considering that it is the plane and not the device that is susceptible to damage, we think ours is the most affordable UAV, he said.



The turbo is imported from China for Rs 90 and sold in India for Rs 250. The same turbo can be made in India at a cost of Rs 40. Nearly 95% of the materials were imported from China. After a detailed study, we found the cost will come down to Rs 600, if we make these materials in India, Inayatullah said.
The Eduverse education exhibition organised by DH and Prajavani drew a huge response with students and parents from across the state attending sessions on the CET and ComedK counselling process.



A S Ravi, public information officer, Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), explained the option entry and the seat matrix system to parents, stressing they should be patient in handling the pressure during the counselling period.



Dont be pressured by news of other students scoring better rank. Sit with your children and work with them to make the best choice among the institutions available for their rank, he said.



Document verification



Urging students and parents to go through the CET brochure, Ravi said, The document verification will be done between June 5 and 21 at the KEA head office. Bring all documents pertaining to the clause you have chosen. Cross check as to who issues the supporting documents and who attests them before coming for physical verification, he said.



Noting that a certificate confirming seven-year study in Karnataka was mandatory for all clause A students, he advised parents to contact the block education officers if they do not have the document yet. The KEA has given the details of each eligibility clause from A to O. Every clause requires additional or different documents, he said.



Ravi explained the importance of prioritising the colleges before giving the option entry list. Seat matrix will be announced by June 16, following which students can work on option entry till June 23. You will get three days to change your priority list of colleges after the mock allotment on June 24. No changes will be allowed after June 26, he said.



Do groundwork



Rama Rao, member of the ComedK seat selection committee, said students should do their groundwork and visit colleges once they get their ComedK score. Dont search for best colleges on Google. Speak to your lecturers, visit colleges and learn from them about the education you want, he said.
Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture A Manju on Sunday said the state government would approach the Supreme Court if the Centres notification on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, is not withdrawn.



Addressing reporters here, Manju said the Centre had not approached any of the state governments and farmers before issuing the notification. The minister said he would suggest Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to table the issue in Cabinet meeting to discuss its pros and cons. We will approach the Union government asking it to withdraw the bill. If the Centre refuses, we would launch a legal battle, Manju said.



Describing the bill as anti-farmer, he said the new bill is totally different from the Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964. As per the new bill, the buyer or seller of cattle in open markets should first prove that they are farmers to get certificates of the animals from veterinarians. Why will a farmer sell the cattle if it can be used for cultivation, he asked.




There seems to be no end to speculation about the appointment of the new state Congress chief. On Sunday, the speculation reached a new high with the party high command convening a meeting of select leaders from Karnataka in New Delhi on Monday.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Ministers D K Shivakumar and K J George boarded a special aircraft to the nations capital on Sunday evening.



Other leaders who have been invited for the meeting are: M Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, M B Patil, R Roshan Baig, H K Patil among others, it is learnt.



Unsure of agenda

None in the party was sure of the agenda of the meeting. However, the guess is that the Delhi leaders may discuss whether a change in leadership in the state unit would be appropriate ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.



It is to be seen whether the party would remove Parameshwara, a Dalit, to make way for a Lingayat or a Vokkaliga as the KPCC president. Parameshwara has completed six years in office.



Sources said the high command has received reports on the political situation in Karnataka and also the opinion on certain senior leaders who are in the race for the presidents post.



K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, had held review meetings last week in Bengaluru.

The four AICC secretaries, after their visits to various districts, have gathered information pertaining to the party and the government.



The outcome of the reports would be placed before the leaders from Karnataka at the meeting. Based on the reports, strategies to be planned for the elections would be discussed.



The sources also said even Mondays meeting is not a surprise development as a decision to hold it was taken by Venugopal when he was in Bengaluru last week.



He had also told the media that both Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara are working in unison.




Finally, the row over selection of District Congress Committee (DCC) president has ended. The Congress high command has decided to regularise the post of DCC in-charge president T P Ramesh.



The meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dr G Parameshwar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru, recently, decided to put an end to the row over selection of DCC president.



Following a row over Tipu Jayanthi celebrations, B T Pradeep had tendered resignation to the post of DCC president. Later, Ramesh continued as in-charge president. Recently, he was appointed as the president of Karnataka State Silk Marketing Board.



He had appealed to the high command to relieve him from the responsibility of DCC president. As the list of aspirants to the post was too long, the high command has decided to continue him as the president.



The high command has directed Ramesh to sort out the internal differences among the leaders and work towards organising the party at the grassroots level.



MLC Veena Achaiah, zilla panchayat member K P Chandrakala, Somwarpet Block Congress president K M Lokesh, former MLC Arun Machaiah had taken part in the meeting held at Bengaluru.



The meeting was not attended by District In-charge Minister M R Seetharam. In fact, Seetharam had suggested three names to the post. As senior leader B G Mittu Changappa had denied to take up the post, name of Kodava Sahitya Academy president B S Thammaiah was heard. ZP member Shivu Madappa, former MLC Arun Machaiah were also in the race.



It was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who showed inclination towards continuing the term of Ramesh, sources told DH.



Sources in Congress said, Ramesh is a good organiser. He knows the art of taking all under one umbrella. He is also a close aide of KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao.



DCC president Ramesh said that he will try to sort of the differences. He was happy that he has been allowed to continue as the DCC president.
The differences within the Congress in Kodagu came to the fore at a meeting on Sunday.



Congress workers in Madikeri have openly expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning of party leaders in the district and have warned to give a mass resignation if the leaders fail to set right the differences.



Madikeri Block Congress president K M Ganesh complained, The Congress workers are upset over a few issues in the party. The leaders have failed to respond to the woes. Only during the election, the leaders convene a meeting of party workers and the grievances are addressed.



He said, The DCC is not engaged in such grievances redressal work. The rule of one post for a leader should be implemented effectively. The power should not be entrusted on an individual leader, and stated, I have been working for the party for the last 30 years. I am not an aspirant for the post of district unit president. I do not require the post of Block Congress president either.



Congress leader Neravanda Lokesh said that he has been working for the party for the last 18 years. None is responding to the woes even when the Assembly election is nearing. In such a situation, how can we face the election, he asked.



Worker Patrick Lobo said that 12 KSRTC buses were operating to Bengaluru via Chattalli. Now, there is not even one bus after 6 pm. In spite of bringing the issue to the notice of the Transport Minister R Ramalinga Reddy and District In-charge Minister M R Seetharam, no action has been initiated so far. The party remembers workers only during the election. Are we daily wage labourers, he asked.



Expressing dissatisfaction over the arrest of innocents following communal disturbance during the Tipu Jayanthi celebrations, Suntikoppa Gram Panchayat former president Usman said, We had not demanded Jayanthi celebrations. Due to the failure of the district administration, cases have been registered against innocents, which should be withdrawn.



Madikeri town unit president K U Abdul Razak accused District In-charge Minister of failing to redress the grievances. Somwarpet Block Congress president K M Lokesh said all the differences in the party should be discussed during the Madikeri Assembly constituency leaders and workers meeting at Somwarpet on May 30.
Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said that the process of filling the posts of principals in 375 colleges and 2,160 assistant professors will be completed shortly.



He admitted that the post of principal is vacant in 412 degree colleges in the state. He was speaking after inaugurating the new building of the Ajjampura Government First Grade College on Sunday.



Stating that 102 colleges in the state are not functioning on their own buildings, the minister said that over 600 building works are pending in the colleges that have their own buildings. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been appealed to, to release Rs 5 crore to each college to complete such pending works.



Rayareddy said that 1.5 lakh first year degree students will be given free laptops by August. The state government is mulling the imparting of free education to female students from first standard till graduation. The final decision will be taken shortly, he added.



Building quality



He said that the issue of poor quality of the buildings inaugurated has been taken up seriously across the state. If poor quality work is proved, then action will be taken against the contractor, he warned.



Department of Collegiate Education joint director M K Narayanaswamy said that, to increase the enrolment in higher education, the government has decided to start colleges at hobli-level as well.



MLA G H Srinivas appealed to Minister Rayareddy to sanction a diploma college to the taluk along with Rs 20 lakh grant for the development of Ajjampura college.
The BJP core committee meeting on Sunday decided that all senior leaders need to actively participate in the ongoing drought assessment tour taken up by party state president B S Yeddyurappa.



At the meeting held at the party headquarters in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa is understood to have pointed out that senior leaders were not accompanying him during the tour and he was more or less left with local party functionaries.



Yeddyurappa had launched a 36-day Janasamparka Yatra from Tumakuru on May 18. Members of the core committee including Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda agreed that more leaders should accompany Yeddyurappa.



It was also felt that the party could have handled the controversy relating to Yeddyurappa eating hotel food in Dalits residence better. The party should not have let the issue become a weapon in the hands of the Opposition, was the opinion of the panel, sources added.



Senior leader K S Eshwarappa, who was expected to raise the issue of revisiting the list of office-bearers and district presidents at the meeting, did not do so due to paucity of time. We discussed only organisational matters today, Eshwarappa told DH.



Briefing reporters after the meeting, BJP state general secretary Aravind Limbavali said it has been decided to hold the partys election management committee meeting in Bengaluru on June 1 and 2 to work out the initial strategy for the 2018 Assembly polls.



It was also decided to shift the venue of the party state executive meeting, scheduled to be held on July 22 and 23, from Ballari to Bengaluru for logistical reasons.



Limbavali said the party will hold conventions at 33 places across the state by June 15 to list out the achievements of the Narendra Modi government during the last three years.



Top state leaders will also be participating in the two-day BJP national executive committee meeting in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh from July 15.

DH News Service




Priyanka (name changed), 12, a patient at St Johns Hospital, had a face full of blisters that would pain every time she spoke.



She had not uttered a word for a long time. It was only when Tharanath G, dressed as a clown, held her hand and sang for her that she got talking. Priyankas mother and the nurses thanked him for accomplishing what they had failed to do. The following week when Tharanath visited the hospital, Priyanka had healed completely and was bubbling with enthusiasm.



Priyanka is one of the many children whose lives have been touched by Tharanath and his group of volunteers called Humanitario Clowns. They dress up as clowns to spread cheer among terminally ill children.

Every weekend, members of Humanitario Clowns visit St Johns Hospital and Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology to bring laughter to children suffering from cancer. Recently, St Johns hospital provided them official volunteer ID cards after seeing their positive impact.



Spreading joy is not restricted to the children. The group also regularly visits Karunashraya and spends time with elderly terminally ill patients.



I was assisting an Australian clown who was visiting St Johns Hospital in 2013. I saw the effect of his clowning efforts on these children who were beaming with smiles. I then decided to carry on this initiative in Bengaluru that resulted in the formation of Humanitario Clowns.



We approached the hospital to allow us to clown around for children. They were a bit skeptical initially. But when they saw the positive impact we had on the children, they allowed us to continue our visits, said Tharanath, who also volunteers as a teacher in government schools.



Cilla Thomas, a corporate professional who volunteers with Humanitario Clowns, says: We have story-telling sessions, play musical instruments, dance, and distribute chocolates to these children. Some children are not that receptive in the beginning but start opening up slowly. It is a give-and-take experience whereby we receive as much joy as we give.



Tharanath echoes her. We give more than we receive from these children who are so full of joy despite battling a tough life. Being able to bring some joy no matter how small gives us a sense of purpose and motivates us to keep going.



Humanitario Clowns also combines Seva Cafes at old age homes with clowning whereby they serve food with love. They spend time with them dressed up as clowns to help the patients laugh and have fun.




Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju has accused Bharatiya Janata Party of betraying the farmers and neglecting their interests and asked the state leaders stop shedding crocodile tears.



Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Manju sought to know the basis on which BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa had been assuring waiver of loans availed by farmers only from cooperative banks, and keeping mum on the farm loans extended by the nationalised banks.



Yeddyurappa has been claiming that he would waive farmers loan if BJP comes to power in 2018.

Manju said that while crop loans taken by farmers from cooperative societies is Rs 11,000 crore, the volume of agrarian loans availed from nationalised banks and other central agencies is pegged at Rs 40,000 crore.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is ready to write off 50% of the farm loans but the Union government is reluctant, he said. The Centres move clearly shows that it is anti-farmer, Manju said.



Beef ban a political gimmick

Opposing the gazette notification Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 issued by the Union government, Manju said the Bill is anti-farmer and the rules were framed to further their (BJP) political cause, Manju said.



As per the Bill, the farmers are not supposed to sell their cattle to non-agriculturists and that they have to obtain certificate from veterinarians to sell the cattle. No farmer will come forward to buy cattle which is unfit for agricultural activities, Manju said.



The minister said that the Bill has been drafted by people who have little knowledge about the farmers and the cattle.



When many are admitting their parents to old-age homes, how can farmers be expected to selflessly take care of barren cattle as it does not generate revenue, he questioned.



Manju said, We are against illegal cow slaughter and the state government has released Rs 1.6 crore to Mysuru Pinjarapole which shelters destitute cattle. Did Yeddyurappa sanction funds for rescuing stray cattle and providing them the shelter during his tenure as chief minister, Manju sought to know.




In a dig at Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said it has perpetuated a security threat for nearly 70 years and hence, Indias defence preparedness needs to be enhanced to the optimum level.



Inaugurating the countrys first-ever Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) here on Sunday, Jaitley said India is geographically located in a region that is not free from trouble.



India is not free from security threats from a neighbour (Pakistan) over the past seven decades. So, our level of defence preparedness must be optimum. The ATR at Varavu Kaval near Challakere in Chitradurga district will play a vital role in helping India tackle threats from external forces, he said.



The ATR, conceived by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment in collaboration with other Defence Research and Development Organisation labs, is located at Challakere, nearly 200 km from Bengaluru. Jaitley witnessed demonstrations of five unmanned aircraft.



The entire defence preparedness would be tested here. This way, Chitradurga district would find a key spot on the global map in the near future as the Aeronautical Test Range is situated in a location where Indian Space Research Organisation, Indian Institute of Science and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre are its neighbours, he said.



According to Jaitley, there are two critical factors required for any facility. The principal factor is human resource, which is globally competitive, and the second is the facility itself that supports research. Fortunately, Karnataka is not only the leader in information technology in India, but also leads the way on the global front, he said.



We have a state-of-the-art ATR, which would help India establish footprints at global level, he said. We needed an area that is secluded and where human habitation is very low. The ATR has been set up in an area which meets the requirements, he added.
JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy took a potshots at Yeddyurappa for his double standards over agrarian loan waiver issue saying, When he was chief minister, Yeddyurappa had said that it is impossible to write off farm loans but is now assuring them of waiving it within 24 hours of coming to power.



Speaking to reporters here, Kumaraswamy said the statements issued by Yeddyurappa in this regard had been recorded in the Legislative Assembly in 2008.



Yeddyurappa had said that its not possible to waive farmers loans for any reason. There is no rule that says it is compulsory to waive the loans. The Centre has not given me a currency printing machine, Kumaraswamy said.



Pointing out to the recent statements made by Yeddyurappa who said he would waive loans availed by farmers from cooperative societies, Kumaraswamy questioned if, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him a note printing machine now.



With regard to elections, Kumaraswamy said he would contest from Ramanagaram in the 2018 Assembly polls and that the question of changing the constituency never arises. A few party workers are exerting pressure on me to contest from one of the constituencies in North Karnataka.



I have not taken any decision in this regard, he said. On a few JD(S) leaders quitting the party, Kumaraswamy said, it is common for people to leave the party and join the party during elections. It is not a big issue, he added.
Indian woman Uzma Ahmed tricked her husband into taking her to the High Commission of India in Islamabad, a move that eventually relieved her from his clutches.



Believed to be in her twenties, Uzma told her husband Tahir Ali that her family would give Rs 1.5 lakh as wedding gift, convincing him that it is the custom in her Indian family.



On her return to India, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj revealed the incidents behind the scene that resulted in the MEA rescuing the woman.



Uzma, who claimed Ali had drugged her at the Wagah border and took her to a house in a remote place that had his other wives and children, made him believe that her brother works for the High Commission of India and is willing to give him the nek. She knew Ali was too greedy to swallow the bait.



She then proceeded with him to the High Commission, where she explained her situation to Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh. Uzma spared no details, right from the terrifying noises of gunshots in the house and the various tortures she was going through.



Heeding to her request, a couple were asked to pose as her brother and sister-in-law to meet Ali and tell him that Uzma would stay with them, Sushma said.



The woman also threatened to commit suicide if the High Commission failed to give her shelter and sent her back with Ali. The minister said Singh called her for instructions and she asked the High Commission to confirm Uzmas Indian roots before helping her. After MEA verified the address on Uzmas passport, the minister said she stepped in and took hold of the issue. Sushma would call up Singh and Uzma thrice a day to ensure things went according to the plan.



Sushma also assured Uzma that she is Indias daughter and the country would fight to bring her home.



The woman was kept in the Indian High Commission complex under the watch of the employees, as she was severely traumatised. She said she would rather swallow poison than going back to Ali, whom she courted in Malaysia.



To divert Uzma from the disturbed mental state, the minister had even asked that the girl be employed at the High Commissions visa section handled by women staff.



Thanks to the cooperation of Pakistans foreign and interior ministries and their court direction, Uzma was allowed to return home. At 2.30 pm late on Wednesday, J P Singh drove Uzma to the Wagah border, where they had to wait for two hours before the gates were opened for the official vehicle to cross over.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed greetings to fellow Indians and Muslim brethren on the occasion of Ramzan, saying India is lucky to have people from all communities and faith.



We have adapted ourselves to a myriad of ideologies, different ways of worshipping and several traditions, and imbibed them in the art of co-existential living. All religions, faiths, ideologies and traditions give us the message of peace, unity and goodwill. We Indians are very lucky that our ancestors have created such a tradition that today India and its 1.25 billion people can take pride in the fact that people from all communities and faiths live here, the prime minister said during his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme.



This holy month of Ramzan will definitely be helpful in further strengthening these values of peace, unity and goodwill, he said. The prime minister also paid tribute to Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, and appealed to the youth to visit the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands once where the revolutionary freedom fighter was imprisoned by the Britishers.



To even perceive what kind of torture and trouble our freedom fighters had suffered, one must visit the Cellular Jail, he said. Modi said his monthly radio address had helped him connect with the people of the country.



I have become like a member of every household. Some people take Mann Ki Baat as a monologue and some criticise it from a political angle, he said, adding he did not think his radio address would be viewed politically when he launched it two years ago.
After the killing of its leader Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen is likely to make one of its oldest surviving militants, Riyaz Naikoo, the new commander in Kashmir.



Naikoo alias Zubair is considered a moderate among the hardline Hizbul militants, and a few months ago had said his organisation was willing to welcome Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley.



In a 11-minute video address, Naikoo had said, We will welcome them (Kashmiri Pandits) warmly. There is always a place in our hearts for them. They are a part of our nation. We are their protectors, not their enemies.



According to sources, the Hizbul may nominate him as the new chief to counter the narrative that militants in Kashmir were fighting for the caliphate and imposition of Sharia.



The Hizbul leadership in Pakistan is under tremendous pressure from ISI, especially after commander Zakir Musa recently spoke about establishing an Islamic caliphate in the Valley. By appointing Naikoo as the new chief, the outfit could kill two birds with one stone. He can sideline Musa due to his stature in the terror outfit and Hizbul can also prove that it is not fighting for Islamic rule in Kashmir, a source said.



Unlike Sabzar, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmirs Tral area on Saturday, Naikoo is tech savvy, and Hizbul can use his abilities to galvanise support for militancy through social media campaigns, the source added.



Naikoo is rated among the A++ category militants who carry a reward of Rs 12 lakh on their heads.



A native of Durbug in Awantipora, Naikoo is said to have escaped from the trap laid down by security forces several times over the past three years. Last week, he was cornered in Pulwama district, but he escaped. According to police records, Naikoo, after his release from detention under the Public Safety Act in 2014, rejoined militancy.
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday ruled out any dialogue with stakeholders in Kashmir until violence ends.



The Valley has been witnessing a prolonged spell of disturbing stone pelting at security forces.

Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to every one, Shah told a news agency.



At an informal media interaction on Sunday to commemorate the Modi governments third anniversary, a top BJP leader stated that dialogue cannot happen with people carrying stones in their hands.



The partys stand, which resonates the governments line, runs contrary to track two diplomacy of a delegation, that has Congress members as well, which met the Hurriyat leaders recently.



A senior BJP leader said that the government has found a solution for the complex Kashmir problem and efforts were being made in that direction.



Assuring that the situation will be brought under control in a couple of months, the top leader stressed that the Centre will continue to act tough to contain insurgency as was reflected in the encounter of top Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, an aide of slain militant Burhan Wani.



Party sources claimed that there was no threat to the PDP-BJP government and it would last its full term, discounting possibility of Presidents rule to bring back peace in the Valley.
The onset of the southwest monsoon is likely to advance further due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday night, the Met department said on Sunday.



The Met department said that rain was likely to begin in Kerala by May 30-31, marking the onset of monsoon in the country. India Meteorological Department director general K J Ramesh said the deep depression would help in the advancement of the monsoon over Kerala and the northeast.



Conditions are favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into some parts of southeast Arabian Sea, Maldives area, some more parts of Comorin area, southwest Bay of Bengal and east central Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of southeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of west central and northeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours.



At least 11 people died in lightning and rain-related incidents in Bihar on Sunday, even as hot weather conditions continued in many parts of the country.


(The Intercept)  The hardest part of reversing the warming of the planet may be convincing climate change skeptics of the need to do so. Although scientists who study the issue overwhelming agree that the earth is undergoing rapid and profound climate changes due to the burning of fossil fuels, a minority of the public remains stubbornly resistant to that fact. With temperatures rising and ice caps melting  and that small minority in control of both Congress and the White House  there seems no project more urgent than persuading climate deniers to reconsider their views.So we reached out to Jerry Taylor, whose job as president of the Niskanen Center involves turning climate skeptics into climate activists.It might seem like an impossible transition, except that Taylor, who used to be staff director for the energy and environment task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and vice president of the Cato Institute, made it himself.Sharon Lerner: What did you think when you first encountered the concept of climate change back in the 1990s?Jerry Taylor: From 1991 through 2000, I was a pretty good warrior on that front. I was absolutely convinced of the case for skepticism with regard to climate science and of the excessive costs of doing much about it even if it were a problem. I used to write skeptic talking points for a living.SL: What was your turning point?JT: It started in the early 2000s. I was one of the climate skeptics who do battle on TV and I was doing a show with Joe Romm. On air, I said that, back in 1988, when climate scientist James Hansen testified in front of the Senate, he predicted wed see a tremendous amount of warming. I argued itd been more than a decade and we could now see by looking at the temperature record that he wasnt accurate. After we got done with the program and were back in green room, getting the makeup taken off, Joe said to me, Did you even read that testimony youve just talked about? And when I told him it had been a while, he said Im daring you to go back and double check this. He told me that some of Hansens projections were spot on. So I went back to my office and I re-read Hansons testimony. And Joe was correct. So I then I talked to the climate skeptics who had made this argument to me, and it turns out they had done so with full knowledge they were being misleading. [more]
By Hannah Devlin

17 April 2017

(The Guardian)  An immense river that flowed from one of Canadas largest glaciers vanished over the course of four days last year, scientists have reported, in an unsettling illustration of how global warming dramatically changes the worlds geography.

The abrupt and unexpected disappearance of the Slims river, which spanned up to 150 metres at its widest points, is the first observed case of river piracy, in which the flow of one river is suddenly diverted into another.For hundreds of years, the Slims carried meltwater northwards from the vast Kaskawulsh glacier in Canadas Yukon territory into the Kluane river, then into the Yukon river towards the Bering Sea. But in spring 2016, a period of intense melting of the glacier meant the drainage gradient was tipped in favour of a second river, redirecting the meltwater to the Gulf of Alaska, thousands of miles from its original destination.The continental-scale rearrangement was documented by a team of scientists who had been monitoring the incremental retreat of the glacier for years. But on a 2016 fieldwork expedition they were confronted with a landscape that had been radically transformed.For hundreds of years, the Slims carried meltwater northwards from the vast Kaskawulsh glacier in Canadas Yukon territory into the Kluane river, then into the Yukon river towards the Bering Sea. But in spring 2016, a period of intense melting of the glacier meant the drainage gradient was tipped in favour of a second river, redirecting the meltwater to the Gulf of Alaska, thousands of miles from its original destination.

The continental-scale rearrangement was documented by a team of scientists who had been monitoring the incremental retreat of the glacier for years. But on a 2016 fieldwork expedition they were confronted with a landscape that had been radically transformed.Dan Shugar, a geoscientist at the University of Washington Tacoma and the papers lead author, added: The water was somewhat treacherous to approach, because youre walking on these old river sediments that were really goopy and would suck you in. And day by day we could see the water level dropping. []Prof Lonnie Thompson, a paleoclimatologist at Ohio State University who was not involved in the work, said the observations highlight how incremental temperature increases can produce sudden and drastic environmental impacts. There are definitely thresholds which, once passed in nature, everything abruptly changes, he said. [more]

Receding glacier causes immense Canadian river to vanish in four days



ABSTRACT: River piracythe diversion of the headwaters of one stream into another onecan dramatically change the routing of water and sediment, with a profound effect on landscape evolution. Stream piracy has been investigated in glacial environments, but so far it has mainly been studied over Quaternary or longer timescales. Here we document how retreat of Kaskawulsh Glacierone of Canadas largest glaciersabruptly and radically altered the regional drainage pattern in spring 2016. We use a combination of hydrological measurements and drone-generated digital elevation models to show that in late May 2016, meltwater from the glacier was re-routed from discharge in a northward direction into the Bering Sea, to southward into the Pacific Ocean. Based on satellite image analysis and a signal-to-noise ratio as a metric of glacier retreat, we conclude that this instance of river piracy was due to post-industrial climate change. Rapid regional drainage reorganizations of this type can have profound downstream impacts on ecosystems, sediment and carbon budgets, and downstream communities that rely on a stable and sustained discharge. We suggest that the planforms of Slims and Kaskawulsh rivers will adjust in response to altered flows, and the future Kaskawulsh watershed will extend into the now-abandoned headwaters of Slims River and eventually capture the Kluane Lake drainage.

River piracy and drainage basin reorganization led by climate-driven glacier retreat
#first lady First lady meets with family of additional victim of Itaewon tragedy First lady Kim Keon-hee on Thursday visited a hospital in Seoul to meet with the family of a soldier who was pronounced brain dead the previous day after being injured in the Itaew...

#football S. Korea coach not yet planning alternatives for Son Heung-min's potential World Cup absence As South Korea's captain Son Heung-min tries to work his way back from a facial surgery in time for the FIFA World Cup, his national team head coach Paulo Bento does not yet have a...
The Ryan Tubridy Show will put the focus on the Wild Atlantic Way this week and the first broadcast tomorrow, Monday, will come from Arranmore Island.

The Ryan Tubridy Show continues a great tradition of 'summer on location broadcasts' and the popular presenter is fondly remembered for his 'Bucket & Spade' tour where he and his team put the focus on so many wonderful places in Donegal and across the country.

This year, the tour will focus on a selection of our islands and seaside towns with Ryan broadcasting live with RTE Radio 1 as he tours the Wild Atlantic Way from Monday until Friday 2nd June.

Failte Ireland has joined forces once again this year with the show, as part of its Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life summer marketing campaign.

The tour Tubs on the Wild Atlantic Way will be interviewing some local tourism businesses from the Donegal area and discussing some of the many activities and experiences available to anyone touring the Wild Atlantic Way as well as trying some himself including deep sea angling and night kayaking.

Joan Crawford, Failte Ireland hopes everyone in the area will come out and attend the broadcasts, saying  Spectators who come down to watch the broadcast here in Arranmore can expect to see plenty of festivities, interviews, live music as well as hear about local tourism highlights. We hope everyone comes on down to join in the fun and discover ways to Embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of Life through the airwaves.

This is the fourth consecutive year in a row that Ryan has chosen to experience and broadcast from the Wild Atlantic Way. He can really get across to his listeners what the Wild Atlantic Way is all about and how it captures peoples imagination.

The RTE Radio 1 team have a busy schedule as the popular host broadcasts live from the following locations:



Monday, 29th May  Arranmore Island Arranmore Holiday Village;

Tuesday, 30th May  Achill Island The Beehive Craft & Coffee Shop, Achill Island;

Wednesday, 31st May  Ballybunnion, The Coast Cafe, Main Street, Ballybunnion;

Thursday, 1st June - Baltimore- The Waterfront Hotel, The Square, Baltimore;

Friday, 2nd June - The Moorings, Portmagee.
The Donegal Democrat has been informed of the following deaths:

- Tony Ward, Burtonport

-Bernadette Gallagher, Ardara

- Michael Ford, Letterkenny

- Bridie Cavanagh, late of 16 Cluain Barron, Ballyshannon, and formerly of Kildoney

- Nancy McHugh. Ballintemple, Falcarragh

- James Gillham, Culdaff

Tony Ward, Burtonport

The death has taken place of Tony Ward, Lackemagh, Burtonport. Reposing at McGlynns Funeral Home this evening, Sunday, from 6pm , with rosary at 9pm . Removal tomorrow, Monday, at 10.30am to St. Columbas Church, Acres, for funeral Mass at 11am , followed by burial in Belcritch Cemetery.

Bernadette Gallagher, Ardara

The death has taken place of Bernadette Gallagher (nee Herron) Stonebrook, Loughros Point, Ardara, Donegal.

The death has taken place of Bernadette Gallagher (nee Herron) Stonebrook Loughros Point, Ardara.

Reposing at her daughter Loraine's residence in Loughros Point. Funeral from there on Monday morning at 10.15am to The Church Of The Holy Family Ardara for 11am Requiem Mass with burial afterwards in the adjoining graveyard. Family flowers only please, donations, in lieu if desired to The Alzheimer's Unit at Glenties Day Centre c/o any family member.

Michael Ford

The death has taken place of Michael Ford, 4 The Elms, Glencar. Formerly of Bohurl , Ramelton. Reposing at his home in until removal on Monday, May 29, at 10.15am to St Marys Church, Ramelton , for Requiem Mass at 11am , followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Family time please from 11pm tonight, Sunday, please.

Family flowers only. Donations in lieu, if desired, to The Donegal Hospice and Alzheimers Society.

Bridie Cavanagh, Ballyshannon

The death has occurred of Bridie Kavanagh, late of 16 Cluain Barron, Ballyshannon, and formerly of Kildoney at Aras Mhac Shuibhne Nursing Home, Mussinasole, Laghey.

Reposing at her late residence on Sunday from 11am with removal at 6.30pm to arrive at St. Patricks Church, Ballyshannon for 7pm , to repose overnight.

Mass of the Resurrection on Monday in St. Patricks Church at 11am with interment in the Abbey Assaroe Cemetery.

All enquiries to Patrick McKenna Funeral Directors Ballyshannon on 087 2485819.

Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu if desired to the Kidney Dialysis Unit Letterkenny University Hospital c/o any family member or Cartons Funeral Directors.

James Gillham, Culdaff

The death has taken place of Douglas James Gillham, Bonagee, Culdaff.

Reposing at Collins Funeral Home.

Funeral Service on Monday, May 29th, in St. Baudans Church of Ireland, Culdaff at 2pm with burial afterwards in the adjoining burial grounds.

If you wish to have a death notice included here, email us at editorial@donegaldemocrat.com and include a phone number for verification purposes only.
Here at the Eagles editorial page, the approach of Memorial Day or Veterans Day always brings to mind Acie W. Taylor, a wounded veteran from Geneva whose handwritten missives describing the horrors of war would arrive like clockwork. We missed those letters last year; Taylor died in the spring of 2016 at the age of 96.

At the risk of over-thinking his motives, we like to believe that Taylors annual letters had myriad purposes. Perhaps he chronicled the adventures to keep his memory sharp. Or perhaps there was no danger in his forgetting events seared into his consciousness, and his purpose was to ensure that others remember  or learn of  those horrors themselves.

His dispatches came with annual regularity in late October or early November, in time for the Veterans Day observance. While the wording varied from year to year, his message, laboriously eked out in ballpoint or dull-tipped pencil in his painstaking, block-letter hand, painted the scene with a first-person feel thats absent in history texts:

We entered the Huertgen Forest in Germany on Nov. 22, 1944 at night. It was dark, cold and sleeting Speaking of the Huertgen Forest, you are speaking of Hell on earth. This was one of the worst battles of World War II, if not the worst.

This battle I will never forget. I served in the 121st Infantry Regiment in the 8th Infantry Division from 1941 to 1945. The total casualties for the 121st Infantry Regiment in World War II were 4,842.

A Private First-Class, Taylor saw the worst of the war -- at Utah Beach, Brest, Schwein on the Elbe and at Saint-Lo, where he suffered a wound that earned his Purple Heart, among other hard-earned decorations.

PFC Taylor served his country valiantly more than 70 years ago, and carried those experiences for the rest of his life. Were honored that, in his later years, he chose this newspaper as a vehicle to ensure that the horrors of war that he could not forget would be remembered by those whose freedom he helped secure.

We are fortunate that the community of southeast Alabama has thousands of men and women like Acie Taylor who have experienced the darkness of battle and come through it, and who remind us daily of the sacrifices our military personnel make to ensure our continued freedom.

As we enjoy this holiday weekend, we must remember those who died fighting for our nations ideals. Without their willingness to sacrifice, we have nothing.
Q: Who was Minnie T. Heard?

A: Mrs. Minnie Taylor Heard was the first principal at Young Junior High School in Dothan. She served from January 1922 until she retired in June of 1953.

Heard moved to Dothan in 1920 from Gadsden where she had been principal of 11th Street School. When Young opened at the corner of Lafayette and Dusy streets, Heard became its principal.

The school was one of the states first fully accredited junior high schools. Heard touched thousands of lives during her years at Young.

Many of the pupils in school now are children of former pupils, she told a Dothan Eagle reporter a few weeks before she retired. In some families both the mother and father attended school here.

Over the decades Heard had many heart-to-heart talks with students.

All children make mistakes but in making those mistakes, he makes a man, Heard said. All those children ask is a square deal, so were honest with them and they with us.

In 1942 an elementary school named for Heard opened on Burdeshaw Street, built on the site where Dothan High School first opened in 1911. The high school moved to its current facility on South Oates Street in 1939.

In 1962 a new Heard Elementary School was erected at 201 Daniel Circle. The building at 212 W. Burdeshaw St. served as a satellite campus for the University of Alabama until it became the George S. Houston Library in 1965.

In 2014 the building was razed after the library moved into a new facility immediately adjacent.

Heard was honored as Dothans Woman of the Year for 1950.
Yoichiro Ueno, CEO, Honda Cars India said, "We believe real motorisation or expansion will be seen in 2020... it is important to establish the foundations towards that period rather than chasing quick volume."

He also said that it was important to grow volumes and establish the brand and, maintain its market presence in the country. But the priority was given to reinforce the company.

In the period of 2016-17, Honda Cars India retailed 1,57,313 units, 18 percent less compared to the previous fiscal. But the company has achieved a growth of 38.1 percent in the current fiscal.

The company expects to maintain the momentum. The recently launched new City sedan and WR-V crossover have gained good response from the customers, and Honda hopes to record good sales volumes.

Commenting on the Goods and Service Tax (GST), Ueno said that customers might postpone their purchase plans until they are clarified about the new prices. With the growth in SUV segment, the company is also planning to launch the HR-V SUV.
M'anam - a local group hoping to promote personal passion projects - had its premier event recently in the 3rd Place on Market Square in Dundalk, with the cafe decorated with candles, bunting and homemade creations.

There was a smell of warm cake and delicious coffee and there was a warm and intimate atmosphere which made questions and discussions a lot easier.

It kicked off at 7.40 pm with a speech from co-ordinator, Jonathan Fahy, about Manam and the committees aims; to make a positive impact on the community of Dundalk.

The event finished at 9.30 pm. It consisted of three amazing speakers; Andrew McArdle, Lauren Farquharson and Ollie O Donoghue, who gave invigorating talks.

Everyone who came was extremely awed by the three speakers who really had a contagious passion for the subjects they were discussing.

Andrew McArdle discussed 'Mountain Biking', how he almost made it a career and how it motivates him, week by week, as his energy release and downtime.

He had a PowerPoint presentation which showed off the colours, the equipment and the skill needed.

He also showed a video at the end which demonstrated the rush that mountain biking brings.

The audience was also informed that he loved introducing people to this passion and he invited people, with a lend of his equipment, to give it a shot!

Lauren Farquharson, performed classical music on 'Piano Accordion'.

She has featured, and won, competitions on both national and international levels, which is evident from her exceptional playing. Lauren performed pieces, written from the 1940s and pieces performed as part of her examinations for her BA in Applied Music.

The parts of the piano accordion were explained and she demonstrated how they function.

Then there was a break in the evenings proceedings allowing people to top up their coffees and for anyone to talk to the speakers.

There was a great atmosphere of enthusiasm from the audience following the presentations theyd seen, so far. They were an extremely encouraging and receptive crowd. The nights proceedings then reopened with another introduction from Jonathan, who discussed the role of the committee and the opportunity for the public to make suggestions and nominate speakers for future events.

Ollie, with a vast knowledge of martial arts, spoke of his experiences training in Bagua and Muay Thai, among other disciplines, and the importance of remaining focused and grounded versus the potential of violent actions. He discussed his training in Thailand and how he has grown in his training and in his attitude towards martial arts.

Interesting questions were asked in relation to protecting the body from injury and how Ollie advises people on protecting themselves in uncomfortable situations. It was extremely enlightening to hear about the different techniques which he demonstrated on various members of the crowd.

As the event wrapped up there was a feeling of excitement from all of the attendees. They felt they learned so much and would keep their eyes open for the next event. Rumour has it there was a bottle of champagne opened at a party afterwards which went on until the early hours.

If you would be interested in talking at a future event please email manamcommunity@gmail.com or send them a message on Facebook. Also keep an eye on the Facebook page for future 'Passing Passions' and 'M'anam' events!
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)
S P Jain School of Management to have new campus in London

The new campus will also be helpful in easy access to part-time jobs and internships in the UK
There were 4279 murders committed with firearms in El Salvador during 2016. That was 81% of all murders committed. When a gun is the murder weapon, chances are the gun originated in the United States.

Weapons seized by Salvadoran

police on May 23

Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador each tightly restricts civilian gun ownership. The smaller Central American nations have no domestic firearms industries to speak of. But over the past few decades, guns have poured into the region, sourced from the vast civilian gun market in the United States and smuggled to Central America in the trunks of cars or sneaked into packages alongside common household items. In one recent bust, an Ohio gun shop owner was caught selling dozens of guns  including 62 Barrett .50 caliber rifles, the same weapons used by Navy SEAL snipers, at approximately $8,000 apiece  to a group who drove them down to McAllen, Texas, and across the Rio Grande.

Played out by hundreds of similar trafficking syndicates, such schemes form a trans-border, southbound equivalent to the Iron Pipeline, the busy smuggling route from states in the American South with loose gun laws to states like New York that more strictly regulate firearms.

As many as a quarter to half of all guns seized by police in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador and submitted for tracing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are sourced to the United States  a total of 5,928 firearms in 2014 and 2015 alone, easily making America the single largest source of weapons in these countries.

An article at The Trace titled American Guns Drive the Migrant Crisis That Trump Wants to Fix With a Wall , argues that lax US gun control policies fuel both violence in Central America and the migrant crisis formed of persons fleeing that same violence. Trump's commitment to gun rights may be working at cross purposes with his goal to shut down migration from south of the US border.The article describes the smuggling networks which buy guns at US gun shops and move the guns south towards Central America:Read the rest of the article here
Hi guys,

I received my bundle of our appeal about three weeks ago in the mail. Yesterday I received a letter from the tribunal saying that my court hearing is this Wednesday! And I have 5 days to send them my bundle of things to Manchester... I can't call them bc of the bank holiday tomorrow. So obviously They didn't give me enough time to even mail them the things..



How strange is this? The letter was dated on May 22nd and I just received it now. I feel like this was a typo on the date?
If you have a job and a visa for you and your wife, you will find living in Abu Dhabi and Dubai quite similar. Dubai offers more chances to spend money on the various attractions available. Abu Dhabi is a bit more quiet but also has a lot of beautiful malls and restaurants, clubs. If you shop at the upscale stores like Spinneys or the fancy malls on a regular basis you should be earning in a higher bracket. Otherwise groceries in other stores like Lulu and the cooperatives are relatively inexpensive. I dream of the shawarmas when we lived there 6 years ago. They were tasty and substantial and cost about AED 3.50. I hear that they are more costly now.
This is the page from the Service Public site regarding ASPA (in French, as most information here on public benefits tends to be).: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16871 Under the heading Conditions, you'll note that there is a tab for French and a tab for foreigners. In the foreigners case, you need to have established your legal residence in France before you can apply. Note, too, that the maximum ASPA is just a bit over 800 a month, which isn't much to live on in France.As far as health coverage goes, it's not necessarily free here. After you have established residence, you can apply for the national system - which does not necessarily pay 100% of your medical expenses. Most people have a mutuelle (top up insurance) to cover the unreimbursed costs of health care. With a serious condition like you have, the state cover will probably cover all treatment related to that diagnosis 100%, but for other things you'll need the mutuelle. Figure anywhere from 50 to 150 per month for mutuelle coverage, depending on what you need and want. (The state plan doesn't cover dental or eye care particularly well and it's that sort of cover that determines the cost of the mutuelle.)There are a number of discount cards for trains and some local public transit, however there isn't a program of free travel like you may be used to. Again, you pay for the discount card, so it's not really worthwhile unless you plan on traveling regularly.Cheers,Bev
Well you can do all this before you arrive here and then you won't have the one year probationary issue to work around.



Not sure you have a Philippine Consulate in Argentina and it says you are from Afghanistan so you might end up doing it all here, because you need some sort of police read out from the area you have lived in at least 2 years if not you can do what's called an NBI clearance here in the Philippines after living here 6 months so you'll be doing allot of running around Manila it sounds unless you can some how get this all accomplished in Argentina.



I had my 13a Visa completed through the mail with the Philippine Consulate in the US and it took about 2 months they had questions, yes you'll need to get all the forms and a complete physical performed by who ever the Philippine Consulate recommends if they have no one then the requirement is for a Medical Doctor M.D.



Once that completed you are not done, you carry your package with you to the Philippines, you do get the 13a Visa stamp in your passport but have within 1-2 weeks to report to the PBI upon arrival and get your Immigrant card, once this is completed you have to come back a couple weeks to a couple months to get your Immigrant card, ugh... it's a process here, so hopefully you won't be living to far from Manila.
Believe you are making a mountain out of a molehill. Having been widowed twice(in the US) and been through this process, here is my thought. As a foreigner we can't own any property here(Philippines) so there should be no probate to even consider, as far as any property in the states you should cover that in a will. When you married you gave half of whatever you have to her and vise-versa. As long as she has a card and access to the account/accounts, she should be able to avail herself to any funds that are there using the card in most any of the local banks.



Fred
[email protected]

Today at 12:37 PMSeal with white backgroundUnited States Embassy Manila, PhilippinesSecurity Message for U.S. Citizens: Possible Check Points in Metro ManilaMay 28, 2017THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO U.S. CITIZENS IN THE PHILIPPINES. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD.The U.S. Embassy has received information that the Philippine government has placed the Philippine National Police (PNP) on full alert throughout metropolitan Manila. A unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been deployed to Quezon city to assist the PNP with security operations. The AFP will assist in implementing random checkpoints, security patrols, and police visibility operations. The PNP advises that this is a pre-cautionary measure in light of the declaration of Martial law in Mindanao and not related to any specified terror threat information directed towards metro-Manila.The U.S. Embassy wishes to remind U.S. citizens of the most recent Worldwide Caution, dated March 6, 2017, which indicates there is an ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines. Extremists have targeted sporting events, theaters, markets, mass transportation systemsincluding airlines, and other public venues where large crowds gather. Crowded nightclubs, shopping malls, buses and popular restaurants have also been targets. U.S. citizens should be mindful of the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure their safety and security while traveling and residing in the Philippines.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The video is short, about a minute long. In it, Air Force 1st Sgt. Jessica Fleurimond describes how her husband, Adam, supported her in her military career.

The video won Adam Fleurimond the right to be called the 2017 Military Spouse of the Year, according to Grantham University, which now owes the Del Rio couple a nice dinner.

The military wife and civilian husband have built a dynamic that has worked for 12 years and over four relocations, the couple said.

Jessica is a first sergeant. Shes the boss at work, and she can get wrapped up in taking care of her airmen. There are a lot of demands on her, Jessica said, and by the time she gets home, shes wiped out.

The extroverted Adam picks up the slack, she said.

Adam never served in the military, but he said he knows Jessica is the one holding down the fort at her workplace.

In the position shes at now, she will be stressed, Adam said. Im here to listen, if thats what helps out.

Jessica said Adam balances out her fussiness at work and at home.

Im still the boss when I get home, Jessica said. I like to have things in order, things have to be in a particular way, and they have to flow properly.

Adam noted he recently found a job on base, on the other side from Jessicas office.

Shes technically my boss at work now too, he said.

The pair met in Florida at a wedding.

I ran into her, Adam recalled. She was at the wedding, sitting at a table, and I look across the room. I saw her, and I thought, I gotta get her number.

They tied the knot in August 2005. Adam recalled the conversation the two had about Jessicas career: When we first got together and we got married, she said, basically, Were probably going to move a lot. And I said, Just hit the button and well go.

From Florida, they moved to San Antonio, then Tampa, and now Del Rio. Adam uprooted himself each time to follow Jessicas career. About a third of active-duty military families move each year.

I didnt want to be a hindrance, Adam said. It didnt bother me where we were going to. I knew we would have fun.

Moving around so often was not as fun when it came to Adams job prospects. He struggled to find a job after moving to Del Rio.

Its been hard for him to be able to stick with one particular career path, Jessica said. You never know whats going to be available for you when you get to a new location.

The military spouse unemployment rate is 1.5 times higher than that of civilian counterparts, according to a 2016 study by Blue Star Families. The poll echoed a similar study by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. A report from the group in 2010 showed that military spouses earn on average 25 percent less than civilian peers.

Jessica recalled how her relatives chided Adam and said he should have a job to provide for the family.

Its that stereotypical thing, Jessica said, the man should be the one holding down the house, not the woman.

Its not common for the military spouse to be a husband. Around 90 percent of military spouses are women, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Military spouse social events tend to be oriented toward wives, the pair said.

Whenever he goes to the events for the military spouses, hes literally the only guy there, Jessica said.

Im adaptable, Adam said. Are they making spaghetti or etching glass or making cupcakes? Im into it.

The couple has one child, Giovani, 11. Adam and Giovani will have to adapt in the coming months as Jessica prepares for a year in Turkey.

In the video, a smiling Jessica says: Adam is resilient, strong, patient, dedicated, adaptable, flexible, but most importantly, he is my biggest supporter, my number one supporter, my superhero.

jlawrence@express-news. net
The race was on at the state capital Saturday to amend the most consequential piece of annexation legislation in nearly 20 years, as elected officials quarreled over whether to include an amendment in the bill to help protect military bases from encroaching development.

SB 715, authored by state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, was sent to conference committee earlier this week after the senator disagreed with amendments made by the Texas House.

The bill, if passed, will require a vote before cities like San Antonio can annex unincorporated areas. It represents a massive overhaul of annexation law in the state.

The military bases amendment, filed by state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and later amended by state Rep. Hugh Shine, R-Temple, would essentially allow cities the chance to regulate land use around military bases in a way that can protect those bases and their missions from development. Annexation is traditionally one way to do that, because cities have regulatory powers over zoning and issues like lighting and noise that counties often cant regulate in unincorporated areas.

The point of the amendments was to allow cities to continue those regulations around military bases, even if they cant annex the areas and tax the residents who live there.

Gutierrezs amendment specifically called for a five-mile radius around military bases where these land use protections would apply. Shines amendment to Gutierrezs proposal says if a military Joint Land Use Study recommends a city can adjust the land use around a military base, the city should be able to do so as recommended in the study.

State Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, who was appointed to the SB 715 conference committee, said Campbell has argued the military amendment is not germane and should not be included. He said the house parliamentarian hasnt ruled on the matter as of early Saturday afternoon but officials were huddling, looking to see what will happen to the bill.

Also on the House conference committee is state Rep. Phil Cortez, D-San Antonio, state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, and state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth.

Cortez defeated Rick Galindo last November to reclaim the seat. Galindo had pushed for annexation reform last legislative session but failed to get anything through. Cortez and Larson had partnered on a bill similar to Campbells this year but it also never made it out of committee.

Cortez said Saturday he will not support any amendment that jeopardizes the overall bill from passing, if the amendment could be killed on a procedural point of order. Amendments that are determined to be not germane are susceptible to these kinds of points of order.

Asked if he would support the military amendment if its ruled germane and relevant, Cortez said, If this is gonna turn into a situation where were in any way harming the missions of our bases, then obviously I have a concern because I do represent a base, Lackland AFB. But as I stated in the beginning, if we need to come back and look at this land use policy for the base or areas around the base for the next legislative session in 18 months, then we need to get on that immediately as an interim charge.

San Antonio is currently pursuing annexation of an area along Interstate 10 West that is within five miles of Camp Bullis. Military officials have expressed great concern about the proposed changes to annexation law, saying it could threaten their military missions.

San Antonio officials are also looking at pursuing other annexations in the near future, including one near Loop 1604 and U.S. 90 in far west Bexar County and within five miles of Lackland AFB.

The city was also looking at annexing Alamo Ranch, a large, fast-growing master-planned community near Texas 151 and Loop 1604. That is not within the five mile radius of either Camp Bullis or Lackland.

Cortez represents Alamo Ranch and said he could live with the military amendment knowing it will not affect that area.

If Campbells bill passes and signed into law, San Antonio would have to hold a vote on any future annexations. Its also possible the I-10 annexation, which council began the process to absorb last year, could also be threatened.

Conference committee reports must be completed by midnight, Rodriguez said. The legislative session concludes at midnight Monday.

Sources say many San Antonio officials, including members of the military, are pushing for the military exceptions to remain in the bill.

President Donald Trumps 2018 Defense Department budget, unveiled this week, calls for a new round of base realignment and closures.

vdavila@express-news.net
Hundreds  including family, friends, firefighters and community leaders  showed up Thursday to pay their respects to firefighter Scott Deem, who died while fighting a chaotic four-alarm fire a week ago on the Northwest Side.

Its hard for the family and children that are left behind, said Sal Rodriguez, 61, a retired San Antonio firefighter of 19 years who was walking to the public viewing held Thursday evening at Porter Loring Mortuary downtown.

His son Manuel Rodriguez, who followed in his career path, was one of 12 firefighters who were part of a rescue team ordered to evacuate the burning structure at Ingram Square before they were able to find Deem.

Deem, a 31-year-old father of two, with a third on the way, ran out of oxygen May 18 as he and several other firefighters went inside the Spartan Box to make sure that no civilians were still in the burning building. The cause of his death hasnt yet been released.

He (Manuel Rodriguez) called me that night.  He said he would talk to me about it the next day, Sal Rodriguez said, adding that his son took time off shortly after and that they still hadnt spoken about that night. I wanted him to go through all the emotions first.

Sirens from ambulances and passing firetrucks periodically broke the silence outside the mortuary Thursday as other visitors, including Mayor Ivy Taylor, District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg and Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti, waited in a line that stretched outside for a chance to offer condolences.

Firefighters from various agencies including the Arlington, Austin and Memphis fire departments arrived to pay their respects. A decorated officer with a badge reading New York Police Department stood among those waiting outside.

Firetrucks from Station 35, where Deem spent much of his daily life, were staged outside the funeral home exits Thursday, with one of the ladder trucks displaying an American flag. The department shields on either side of the trucks had a black line through them.

Vanessa Lopez, 35, stood examining one of the trucks for a moment.

He was a good friend of the family, she said of Deem. His family and friends came first before anything. He was always playing with his kids.

Retired San Antonio firefighter Roy Alvarado, 65, said the atmosphere was both somber and respectful inside.

There were a lot of people who didnt know each other acting like family, Alvarado said. They were all there to pay respects to their fallen brother.

Alvarado and three retired firefighters spoke among themselves just outside the funeral home. They said paying respects is what one does when a brother dies.

Its not just an 8-5 job. Were there 24 hours, said Charles Stiebing, who was a firefighter for 32 years before retiring.

Debbie Delgado, 65, who served for 30 years before retiring, said they still spring into action when needed.

When you pass a car fire, you still step in and help, she said.

RELATED: See the map showing the procession and details below:





jbeltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @JBfromSA
Retired Army Col. G. Lawrence Larry Lamborn came to Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on a humid, hazy Saturday morning dressed in a dark pinstripe suit that would be perfect for any number of social events.

This day, it was for a solemn occasion. He was here for family, and it didnt matter that the names he read off a long, typewritten list were people hed never met.

These names that are given all served their country and presumably served their country well. Its the last thing that we can do to remember them. Theyre all gone now, said Lamborn, a Vietnam veteran of 1969-70.

None of the names that I read are relatives or even known to me personally, but they are fellow servicemen, or were former servicemen, he added, calling them family in a larger sense.

Lamborns voice trailed off. Sitting on the first row of the cemeterys assembly area, he listened as the next speaker continued the roll call of the dead. The 2,414 veterans saluted here on Memorial Day weekend, all buried at the Fort Sam cemetery over the past year, are part of his brotherhood, and he stood for them with a military bearing that might have been seen on the last day of his long career, rather than 20 years after retirement.

He wasnt alone. A long line of veterans, among them Ricardo Castro, 69, and the spouses of deceased veterans, including Patricia Corn, 80, and Judith Crump, 73, both of San Antonio, awaited their chance to read off the names of those those who had defended their country and were now gone but not forgotten.

The day began at 8:15 a.m. The event would have been held at Shelter No. 3, but it was moved to the assembly area because construction has shuttered two facilities available for burials. The ceremony goes back to 2010, when Legionnaires read the names of 76,000 veterans buried at Fort Sam. In the years since, the names of those who were interred the previous year have been read during Memorial Day ceremonies.

The names of four veterans buried Saturday will be announced at the start of Mondays ceremony marking Memorial Day.

I did it last year, and I think its something that needs to be done because we need to honor our soldiers, especially those that have died, said Corn, 80, the wife of a World War II sailor.

It means a lot, said Crump, the widow of an Army private who served during the Cuban missile crisis.

My familys been centered around the military way back to the beginning, said an Iraq War veteran, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Riggs, 44, of San Antonio. Without history, you cant really move forward. If you dont remember where you came from, the sacrifices you made to get to where youre at, then youre kind of lost out there.

Castro, who spent four years in the Marine Corps and 27 in the Air Force Reserve, said being here was a chance to honor those who shared the principles that make America great.

They stepped up, not afraid, left their loved ones, sometimes left their moms and dads, and they did what they needed to do, Castro said. And its a small way for me to honor them, not to forget them, not to let their sacrifices and their duty go in vain.

The long weekend will see a flurry of events. At 3 p.m. today, Mass will be celebrated at Fort Sams assembly area. An exhibit honoring troops who have died during the war on terrorism will open at 9 a.m. Monday at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 11093 Bandera Road, and run until 9 p.m. Brought to the church by Gold Star Mother Alice Babine, Remembering Our Fallen is a series of state-specific photographic war memorials. Her son, Lance Cpl. Travis T. Babine, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

Also at 9 a.m. Monday, the 336-acre cemetery will host its Memorial Day remembrance in the assembly area. In Fredericksburg, World War II veteran Fred T. Harvey, 94, will speak in the National Museum of the Pacific Wars memorial courtyard in a 10 a.m. ceremony. A troubled Depression-era kid, he joined the Marine Corps at 15 and fought on New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella and Bougainville, suffering severe injuries from an enemy grenade thrown into his foxhole on Iwo Jima.

I could go into a lot of detail about how bad his home life was, said the museums president and CEO, retired Marine Corps commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee. He said as long as you didnt steal from your friends during that time, it was OK, you had to live, and so he said he was headed in the wrong direction, joined the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps completely turned him around.

On Saturday, pride in serving the United States and having worn the uniform was everywhere. Stepping to the lectern one by one, some speakers reading from the list of the dead had trouble deciphering ranks, among them SSGT, CMSGT and WO2  abbreviations for staff sergeant, chief master sergeant and warrant officer 2. Those with softer voices werent as easy to hear as the wind blew, but they pressed on. No one in the crowd of 30 or so seemed to notice.

Im very happy, said one of the American Legions longtime organizers, retired Army Sgt. Maj. Robert Masten, 75, of San Antonio, referring to Saturdays ceremony.

Most sat on fold-out chairs or on the concrete rows around the stage. Some stared at seemingly endless rows of headstones lined neatly in the nations eighth-largest cemetery, where around 153,986 people rest. Small American flags rippled before each marker like a childs hand excitedly waving goodbye.

Standing at the lectern, Lamborn, 72, of San Antonio read off names, his loud, clear voice speaking for those whove been silenced.

De La Garza, Manuel, Spc. 5, Army, he said. De La Garza, Joe, Spc. 4, Army. De La Garza, Rodolfo, Spc. 4, Army. De La Garza, Roy, Specialist, Army. De La Garza, Lontardo, SFP2, Navy.

sigc@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

There are conflicting forecasts on whether a hurricane is likely to strike this year, but emergency responders in government, the private sector and volunteer groups across Texas are nonetheless readying for a direct hit.

We dont know whats going to happen, so we try to prepare for the worst-case scenario, said Thomas Martinek, the American Red Cross disaster program manager in Corpus Christi. Its kind of overprepare and hope nothing happens.

New to the job, he has relied heavily on experienced volunteers to get ready in case the need arises to quickly mobilize and provide food and shelter for up to 150 people.

Four Atlantic hurricanes  including two that will be major ones  were forecast in April by researchers at Colorado State University, where officials put the chances of one making landfall on the Gulf Coast at 24 percent, lower than usual. But a forecast released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls for up to nine hurricanes, of which four could be major.

Our next seasonal forecast comes out on June 1, and the numbers may change a bit, said Phil Klotzbach of Colorado States atmospheric sciences department.

An average Atlantic hurricane season has 12 named storms, with winds of 39 mph or greater, of which six become hurricanes, including three classified as major. Last year was busier than normal, with 15 named storms, seven hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

The forecast released Thursday by NOAA predicts up to 17 named storms this season.

The Red Cross and other disaster relief volunteers work closely with government entities so a coordinated response can occur if a major hurricane hits Texas, which last occurred in 2008 when Ike made landfall in Galveston.

A huge storm that caused damage from Florida to Corpus Christi, Ike was blamed for nearly 200 deaths and for causing $37.5 billion in damage, published reports say.

Many residents in the path of Ike  the third major Atlantic hurricane that season  failed to evacuate or take adequate precautions because they underestimated the storm, National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Arellano said.

In any hurricane season, it doesnt matter whether its active or not, the citizens need to prepare for the onslaught of a hurricane because you can never tell when one can move into your area, Arellano said. Also, the first responders need to make sure they have the necessary resources to handle a big hurricane event.

A dozen agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, participated this month in a tabletop exercise  in which a fictional hurricane was bearing down on Houston  organized in Austin by the Texas Military Department Domestic Operations Task Force.

Working with our partners establishes a relationship that builds trust and reliability, ensuring that the citizens of our great state have the best when they need it the most, Maj. Matthew Combs said in a published report.

Officials said that drill will soon be followed up by a full-scale field exercise to prepare for hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, with peak storm activity expected between August and October.

The disaster relief ministry of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention also participates in the drills, feeding military participants from mobile kitchens.

We usually train volunteers through the winter and early spring in preparation for hurricane season, said Scottie Stice, director of the unit, which has about 6,000 volunteers to staff equipment thats staged throughout the state.

When real storms hit, he said, our strongest areas are mass feeding and recovery units, which go into private residences and clean out the mud and make emergency repairs.

Beyond the large-scale preparations by entities, officials say its critical for families to formulate a disaster response plan and to stockpile supplies at home.

The basic disaster kit recommended by www.ready.gov includes at least 3 gallons of water per person, a three-day supply of nonperishable food, a local map, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight and extra batteries, a first aid kit, and moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.

This week, Bexar County Emergency Management Director Larry Trevino will convene a meeting of officials from across the area to review and tweak the countys hurricane response plan.

Trevino said the state has designated San Antonio as a hurricane hub where, in advance of a storm making landfall, emergency responders stage in preparation to provide help to affected residents once the storm subsides.

Buses and ambulances and strike teams come here from all over the United States. We log them in, shelter them, feed them and provide showers, he said. Then we would send those buses down to pick up evacuees to bring them back to San Antonio, and then we shelter them.

His staff gave presentations on emergency shelter operations last week at the 2017 Texas Emergency Management Conference being held by DPS Texas Division of Emergency Management. About 2,500 public- and private-sector emergency management professionals attended the conference.

Texas has the unique status of having more major disaster declarations than any other state, so it is imperative that our first responders, emergency personnel and local officials are highly trained and prepared for that next disaster, DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a statement.

Some attendees also made time to inspect emergency response equipment displayed in the Commerce Street parking lot of the RK Group, a firm best known for providing catering and hospitality services.

Its latest venture, called RK Emergency Management Support, can be contracted to provide logistical support and basic amenities in remote areas where no electricity, water or plumbing are operational.

A 57-foot mobile kitchen unveiled last week can generate 10,000 meals in three hours, company officials said. It was displayed beside RK EMS mobile showers, bathrooms and a dish washing trailer capable of cleaning 14,00 dishes an hour.

Ive seen a lot of field kitchens, but this is the Cadillac, said Kevin Dinnin from the gleaming stainless-steel interior of the mobile kitchen nicknamed The Beast.

Dinnin is CEO of BCFS, formerly known as Baptist Children and Family Services, whose Health and Human Services Emergency Management Division  like RK EMS  provides services in disaster situations to local, state and federal jurisdictions.

Flanking the new RK EMS assets were field-tested BCFS equipment, including a mobile antenna/satellite unit, a mobile command center and a medical services bus.

As he toured the site, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood was most interested in the RK EMS hardware because his agency has its own communications and medical equipment.

In any kind of large-scale incident like a forest fire, flood or earthquake, youve got to have support for the first responders, so having kitchens, restrooms and shower facilities and all those logistical needs are going to help you manage an incident much better, he said.

Its nice to know that this resource is available locally, Hood said.

zeke@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

It took about 25 minutes for things to get real chippy between Ivy Taylor and Ron Nirenberg on Wednesday night.

During a KTSA radio debate, in front of a rapt audience in the Alamo Lounge, the two mayoral finalists managed to keep it civil for a while. But then a question came in from a listener who asked Taylor why she describes herself as a planner, not a politician, when she recently made the ultra-political move of branding Nirenberg  via radio ads and a parody website  as a liberal.

If the question was meant to put Taylor on the hot seat, the mayor used it to singe her challenger.

What we did was call attention to the councilmans record, in a lighthearted way, and really the main focus is the fact that the councilman has not been consistent in any of his positions on major policy issues, Taylor said. Also, he has accepted the endorsement from (former) Mayor (Julian) Castro, who has made a career in liberal politics.

Taylor added: He (Nirenberg) is constantly trying to satisfy folks on all sides of the political spectrum.

Nirenberg wasnt having it.

This is rich, coming from the mayor who broadly and very robustly accepted the endorsement of (former Democratic state Sen.) Leticia Van de Putte, Nirenberg said.

Was that because it was the same liberal wing that she has so much derision for, or is that because (Van de Putte) is now a lobbyist and shes trying to get in good with the mayor? Thats a question that we do need to ask, and that has a resounding impact on our city.

From there, the attacks only escalated, with Nirenberg accusing Taylor of taking credit for the work that he and other council members have done (particularly on the SA Tomorrow master plan) and deceiving people with her 2014 pledge not to seek another term in the mayors office.

Taylor said Nirenberg offered nothing but concerns while she provided solutions. She called him a pawn to the Castro regime, and suggested that Nirenberg had a penchant for saying one thing behind closed doors and voting a different way on the dais.

By the end of the exchange, the mood had darkened to the point where moderator Jack Riccardi couldnt resist deadpanning, Boy, it was going so well, wasnt it? (Full disclosure: I participated in the debate as a questioner.)

The KTSA event didnt necessarily introduce any new themes, but it offered the harshest versions of the attack lines that Taylor and Nirenberg have been honing over the past few weeks.

Taylor depicted Nirenberg as a political eager beaver who is nearly pathologically ambitious and willing to change positions to advance his profile. For his part, Nirenberg cast Taylor as ineffectual, uninspiring and ethically challenged.

When Riccardi offered Taylor and Nirenberg the chance, in the middle of the debate, to ask each other a question, the mayor revisited the 2014 appointment process to find a successor to Castro.

Taylor said Nirenberg  who had been on the council for one year at the time  called her and asked if she would support him for mayor.

Given the featherweight resume that you arrived with, Taylor asked, what is it exactly that you believe you had to offer the citizens of San Antonio?

Correct me if Im wrong, but I think thats what my friends in the legal profession would call a leading question.

Frankly, my record of achievement is more significant than yours, Nirenberg swatted back, as a preamble to his big diss line: I have never been untruthful about my desire to lead this city. Unlike you.

At that point, Nirenberg regurgitated his crack about Van de Putte, insinuating for the second time that the mayor made some kind of pay-to-play deal with a prominent lobbyist. That set off Taylor again.

All this talk about a mutual love-fest between Taylor and Van de Putte is surreal when you recall that only two years ago, Taylor and Van de Putte ran a mayoral runoff race that reached the depths of political ugliness. Van de Putte criticized Taylors husband, Rodney, for declining to file charges after a drive-by shooting at his East Side bail-bond office, and suggested that the mayor had been complicit in her husbands decision.

At a June 1, 2015, Texas Public Radio debate, an incensed Taylor infamously refused to shake Van de Puttes hand.

In the Thankful for Small Favors category, Wednesdays debate did end with Nirenberg extending his hand to Taylor, and the mayor accepting it with a polite smile. So theres still hope, right?

ggarcia@express-news.net

Twitter: @gilgamesh470
critic's rating: 4.0/5

Rating: 4 starsDirector: James GrayCast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom HollandHuman beings are a complex lot. We spend our entire lifetime chasing dreams. Nobody can tell you if your lifes pursuits are right or wrong. Its just the journey that matters. And it is precisely this thought, that The Lost City Of Z works on. Director James Gray has made a slow, moody and atmospheric film about an Englishman who discovers a meaning to life in the jungles of the Amazon. Like all of Greys previous films, The Lost City Of Z retains an air of ambiguity and deliberation. But, this films reimagining of the concept of civilization is its strength. It also helps that the leading man Charlie Hunnam (of Pacific Rim and King Arthur fame) gives the performance of a lifetime as the English soldier and explorer.The story starts off in Ireland where a young Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) is hunting down an elk with his fellow British soldiers. Since hes the only officer who hasnt been decorated, the elite at the after-hunt party dont recognize his achievements. Fawcett is left as a man desperate to prove himself and redeem his honour. He gets his chance at redemption when the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) calls for his services in commissioning a border between Bolivia and Brazil. His efforts can help avoid a war between the Amazonian nations so thats what Fawcett sets out to do in 1906. Fawcett leaves his wife Nina (Sienna Miller) and young kid Jack behind a begins a perilous journey of many years in the uncharted forests of Amazon. During his first expedition, he becomes obsessed with the concept of a lost city of gold, which he names Z. Over the next two decades, Fawcett makes repeated attempts to find this city, while his family in England grows with son Brian and daughter Joan. Even as he serves on the frontlines of World War I, all hes obsessed about is returning to the Amazon and finding his lost city.The most fascinating part of Fawcetts story is his efforts at striking accord with the indigenous populations of the Amazon. During Fawcetts time, Western civilization considered these tribes as primitive and savages. The way Fawcett dealt with these tribes and his attempts to get them credibility from the West is the most humane part of his story. The Lost City Of Z features some surreal scenes where Europeans make contact with these tribes for the first time. These scenes are well crafted and genuinely authentic. They depict cannibalism with its appropriate cultural references too. Its also interesting to note, that Fawcetts story has served as inspiration for classic works like Arthur Conan Doyles The Lost World as well as the character of Indiana Jones. Its interesting to see the source of these inspirations unfold with real-life grit and drama.Charlie Hunnam plays Fawcett with great command and emotional depth. Whether its the physical transformations or the emotional ups and downs, he gets the soul of the character bang on. Its a veritable performance of a lifetime. Robert Pattinson (Twilight fame) plays Costin, Fawcetts aide-de-camp and his performance is top notch too. The beautiful Sienna Miller as Fawcetts wife Nina is pitch perfect and the film also provides a sneak peek at the acting talents of Tom Holland, who plays Fawcetts son Jack. Holland is the new Spiderman and his next Marvel movie promises to be a summer blockbuster.The Lost City Of Z, features a man obsessed with one dream and he keeps making repetitive journeys to the Amazon in search of that dream. His life unfolds at an easy pace and at 2 hours 20 mins, the film does feel long. But this detailed look and deliberate pace help flesh out a fascinating character in the form of Percy Fawcett. This man sets aside personal ambition, family attachment and societal pressure to hunt down his dream. The end of The Lost City Of Z makes a wonderful play on death and life being a journey with inevitable ends. Beautifully craft and wonderfully artistic, this film can provide an engaging experience for the thinking audience.
OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI, CNR.TO) said that the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference - Conductors, Trainpersons and Yardpersons or TCRC-CTY has given the company a 72-hour notice of its intention to strike as of 0400 hours Eastern Daylight Time on May 30, 2017. TCRC-CTY represents approximately 3,000 CN conductors and yard operations employees in Canada. Mike Cory, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of CN, said, 'We continue to negotiate in good faith with the assistance of a federally-appointed mediator in order to reach a fair agreement before the strike deadline. We are also offering to resolve our differences through binding arbitration with a neutral arbitrator. We remain optimistic that we can reach an agreement without a labour disruption.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Grobritanniens Fluglinie British Airways hat wegen gravierender Probleme mit ihrem IT-System samtliche Fluge ab London gestrichen. Bis 18.00 Uhr am Samstagabend wurden ab Heathrow und Gatwick keine Maschinen mehr starten, berichtete die britische Nachrichtenagentur PA. Grund sei ein groerer Defekt des IT-Systems, der den weltweiten Flugbetrieb der Airline erheblich beeintrachtige.

Passagiere berichteten in den sozialen Netzwerken zudem, dass sie nicht online uber die App einchecken konnten, ferner waren Teile der Homepage von British Airways nicht zu erreichen. Das Unternehmen entschuldigte sich fur den Systemausfall und erklarte, an der Behebung der Probleme zu arbeiten./gra/DP/he

ISIN ES0177542018

AXC0020 2017-05-27/14:48
If you had asked me in March who Hasan Minhaj was, I would have drawn a blank. And this is despite maintaining an active interest in US news. Now of course, I (and a lot of other people) know that Minhaj is a senior correspondent at The Daily Show, a programme better known for its host Trevor Noah as well as for its long line of illustrious former correspondents, ranging from Steve Carell to John Oliver.

What really thrust Minhaj into the limelight was his hosting the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner. President Trumps refusal to attend only served to give it more publicity and Minhaj became known outside the political satire circles as well. It also helped that he acquitted himself rather well at the dinner.

Minhajs stand-up special, Homecoming King, comes as part of Netflixs push on comedy (an interesting battle with Amazon Prime is brewing up there in case you are interested). Other notable comedians to have performed under the auspices of the video streaming giant include Aziz Ansari and Vir Das, two comedians who in recent times have sought to engage audiences both in India and the USA. As such, it will only be fair to look at Minhajs performance in comparison to Ansari and Das.

The first thing that struck me while watching the special was how Indian comedians who are making it big are somehow always non-threatening thin guys. They all have stories of bullies, one of whom is usually their father. There are stories about having to study hard, lack of communication in the family and finding love.

And this brings us to Minhajs biggest problem: we have seen and heard it all before.

Make no mistake, Minhaj is an excellent performer. His expressions change at the drop of a hat and his voice-modulation game is spot on. The delivery of his jokes is spaced out just right and he has the ability to take an audiences emotions from peak to nadir and back to the top again in just a few seconds.

The problem however is the content. Distant Indian dads has been a recurring theme in Indian-American comedy right from Russell Peters somebody gonna get hurt real bad routine and it manifests itself in Minhajs show too. The subject has been dealt with six ways from Sunday right from Peters to Ansari to desi comics like Kenny Sebastian and Zakir Khan. So when Minhaj plays the same tune, it might appeal to an American audience but Indians will not exactly be enthralled.

Minhajs content comes off much better than it should because of the extremely high production quality. We are so used to seeing the same three shots (comedian front, comedian profile and enthusiastic audience) in every stand-up special that it was quite refreshing to see the variety of camera angles used in this show. The camera pans and moves and Minhaj delivers some lines right to the camera and not to the audience physically present. This is a show made for online consumption and it is good to see Netflix trying to alter the standard format to suit that purpose.

There is also much better use of the stage than you see in most stand-ups where the performer will move from side to side but there is little movement to the back end of the stage. Minhajs nervous energy takes him everywhere as he makes use of two little staircases on either side of the stage. He runs up to show excitement and jumps down in triumph. There is also a projected screen which he uses to great effect to supplement his jokes. The effect gets a little TED Talks-ish sometimes, but in a good way.

The show does have its highlights. In particular, the bits about Aisha, Minhajs sister who shadowed him in childhood shouting Hasan bhai are done particularly well and produce many touching moments. Minhaj switches to Hindi a few times and when his Dad tells him Hasan, himmat honi chahiye bhai, himmat honi chahiye, it was so powerful that I got goosebumps. Family plays a large part of the show but that is to be expected as the special is about the immigrant experience in the USA. Minhaj wades into emotional subjects with ease as he talks about hating his sister and racism ruining his prom with equal ease.

In the midst of it all, Minhajs day job as a political satirist breaks through in parts as he talks about racism and the show does get preachy at times, perhaps necessarily so. But then this is an age where comedians are the new journalists so this shouldnt really surprise us.

In summary though, Homecoming King is a decent bit of comedy and Minhaj clearly is talented. The question is whether that talent is best suited to this format. I think it is not. As far as Indian-American immigrant humour is concerned, Aziz Ansari is still the gold standard. Vir Das Abroad Understanding has its moments but Das has a worrying habit of catering to the cheap seats and taking himself too seriously which lowers the overall quality of his shows.

Minhaj is brilliant at political satire which requires more context than a stand-up special can provide. After seeing this special, youll surely keep an eye out for his Daily Show segments but would you be looking forward to his next Netflix special? Perhaps not.
KARACHI: Pakistan Economic Indicators - Monday (February 25, 2019).





==========================================================================



DAILY INDICATORS



==========================================================================



MONDAY PREVIOUS



==========================================================================



Floating Interbank Rate (Rs/$) 138.45/138.54 138.45/138.54



Rupee/US$ (kerb market) 137.50 138.00



Karachi 100-share Index 39,606.79 40,016.13



Gold (Karachi) Rs/10 gm 59,328.86 59,028.21



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



CENTRAL BANK AUCTIONS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Treasury bill auction results:



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Cut-off yield (pct) at auction on Feb 13 Jan 30



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Three-month bills 10.5500 10.3013



Six-month bills 10.5999 Bids rejected



12-month bills Bids not received Bids not received



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Pakistan Investment Bond (PIB) auction results



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Cut-off yield (pct) at auction on Jan 23 Dec 26



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Three-year PIB 12.2401 12.2500



Five-year PIB 12.7000 12.7000



10-year PIB Bids rejected 13.1500



20-Year PIB No Bids Received No Bids Received



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



WEEKLY INDICATORS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Week ending Feb 15 PVS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Total liquid forex reserves $14,794.6 mln $14,895.8 mln



Forex held by central bank $8,043.0 mln $8,205.9 mln



Forex held by commercial banks $6,751.6 mln $6,689.9 mln



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



MONTHLY INDICATORS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



LAST PVS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Consumer price index - -



Change mth/mth (pct) Jan 0.1 0.4



Change yr/yr (pct) Jan 7.2 6.2



Wholesale price index Jan - -



Change mth/mth (pct) Jan 0.2 0.9



Change yr/yr (pct) Jan 9.9 12.1



Trade Balance Jan N/A N/A



Exports Jan N/A N/A



Imports Jan N/A N/A



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



ANNUAL INDICATORS



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 2017/18



--------------------------------------------------------------------------



Population (millions) 196.17 191.71



Per capita income $1,561 $1,512



External debt (billion rupees) 7,795.8 6,692.5



Domestic debt (billion rupees) 16,415.2 15,437.4



Gross domestic product growth 5.3 pct 4.24 pct



Manufacturing sector growth 4.40 pct N/A



Services sector growth N/A N/A



Agricultural sector growth 4.1 pct 5.5 pct



Commodity producing sector growth N/A N/A



Average consumer price inflation 4.16 N/A



Fiscal deficit (pct of GDP) 5.8 pct 4.16



Trade balance (FBS July-June) $-26,568 bln $-19,283 bln



Exports $171,511 mln $186,384 mln



Imports $462,763 mln $494,721 mln



Current A/C balance $2.7 bln $2.47 bln



==========================================================================





* = ProvisionalSBP = State Bank of PakistanFBS = Federal Bureau of Statistics
Its finally here: the sequel that we all have been waiting for.

The cast and crew of the 2003 mega hit film Love Actually is back with a 15 minute short for the very charitable cause  Red Nose Day. Red Nose Day is an international charity that helps children across the globe and many celebrities have endorsed the cause across the years.

This year there was alot of anticipation building around the sequel to Love Actually for the charity, which was titled Red Nose Day Actually. The short was conceptualised by the original films writer-director Richard Curtis, co-founder of Comic Relief, the charity that organized Red Nose Day, to raise money and awareness to help children living in poverty in America and around the world. The effort has brought in more than $1 billion in donations worldwide.

There short had alot of expectations to live upto: the original film had combined the magic of Christmas with the charm of an old fashioned rom-com; and the ensemble cast was nothing short of brilliant.

Does the short live upto the expectations of original?

The film does bring back alot of familiar faces: We first see Keira Knightley opening her front door to Andrew Lincoln and his cue cards ('How do you like the beard?').

Then there's the crowd favourite Hugh Grant, who is back as the UK prime minister, reflecting on the state of things in the world: "Usain Bolt has run his last Olympics, the Harry Potter films are finished, Piers Morgan is still alive," while he continues to dance on songs like Drake's 'Hotline Bling.' Also featured are Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Lucia Moniz, Laura Linney, and cameos by Patrick Dempsey and Kate Moss.

Though the short lacks in bringing in laughs, it has some great moments that tug at your heart, like when Colin Firth is trying to talk to Lucia Moniz in Portuguese or Liam Neeson trying to reconnect with his son.

Watch the video above and enjoy:
Following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, police officials in Kashmir see another militant and tech-savvy Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo replacing Sabzar as the new commander in Kashmir.

Top police sources said that Naikoo is the one of the oldest surviving militants and could be new commander after Sabzar. They said that the Hizbul Mujahideen could prefer Naikoo over the two other oldest surviving militants  Altaf Kachroo and Saddam Padder  as the outfit may bank on him to use the social networking sites to galvanise support for militancy in Kashmir.

Police officials said that Kachroo was also active for over three years and was arrested earlier before he joined militancy. After his release in 2014 following his detention under the public safety (PSA) he got "recycled" into militancy. "Altaf Kachroo was responsible for many of the attacks on forces," said a senior security official. He is one of the most active militants in South Kashmir and has been responsible for many youth joining the militancy. Sources also added that Saddam Padder, who is nearly 25 years old, had been a close associate of Burhan Wani. He remains active in Shopian area of South Kashmir and had joined militancy after finishing studies up to Class VIII. "Padders family is into farming and belong to a low income group," said an official.

According to sources, Naikoo is a top rated militant and Hizbul Mujahideen could be banking on him as he has remained active for over three years and had even completed his higher studies. Naikoo, who is from Durbug, Awantipora, has been giving the forces a tough time and they have been looking for him for a long time. Hizbul Mujahihdeen could prefer Naikoo over both Altaf Kachroo, a resident of Kulgam and Saddam Padder of Heff, Shopian, as he was much literate than both of them. Both Kachroo and Padder have not studied beyond Class X. "Out of the 20 militants, Naikoo is one of the oldest surviving militants," Superintendent of Police, Awantipora, Mohammad Zaid, said and added that he was involved in killing of many of the security force personnel. Naikoo had featured in many of the photos and videos along with Wani.

Naikoo has been placed in the A++ category and carries a bounty of over Rs 12 lakh on his head, said a top police official. "The appeal for militancy among the youth has only increased as the militants have been releasing videos and remaining active on the social networking sites," said an official.

Director General of Police, SP Vaid said, "Elimination of the top commanders of the militants remains a priority...We had been after Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Sabzar for a long time." Sabzar was the successor of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Wani, after Zakir Musa recently left the militant outfit and is likely to float a new militant group. Top police sources said that the Zakir could either join Tehreekul Mujahideen (TeM) or form a new militant outfit. In a recent video that was released by Musa, he has dissociated from Hizbul Mujahideen after its chief commander, Syed Salahudin, distanced from his statement threatening to chop off the heads of Hurriyat leaders. In the video, Zakir Musa, said that he was floating a new outfit. But police sources said that Musa could be drawing in more people and could float a new name for the outfit or join TeM.

Senior security officials said that Sabzar had earlier given the forces a slip from the cordon, but they added that they were trying to gather intelligence inputs about his locations before he was killed in the joint encounter of army, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the volatile area of Tral in South Kashmir. Sabzar had been living few kilometres away from the house of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Burhan Wani, and had joined militancy due his association with him. He had snatched the weapon of a security force personnel, before he was taken by Wani in the Hizbul Mujahideen ranks.
New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat began a four-day visit to Myanmar on Sunday.During the visit, he will meet the countrys iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi and hold talks with top military leadership to further ramp up defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

General Rawat is scheduled to meet Suu Kyi, who is Myanmar's Foreign Minister, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, and Vice Senior General Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief of Army.

In the meetings, both sides are expected to explore ways to further broaden security and defence engagements, particularly between the two armies.

"This visit is yet another milestone to reach out to our neighbourhood in the field of defence cooperation and build upon existing mutual cooperation and trust between the two nations," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

General Rawat is likely to address student officers of National Defence College which is a premier institution grooming the future senior leadership of Myanmar defence services. He is also scheduled to visit Defence Services Academy in Pwin Oo Lwin.

Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw had visited India in August last year during which the two countries had agreed to step up bilateral coordination between border guarding forces to ensure security in the areas along the border.

India has been concerned over some militant groups from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.

The issue of cross border activities by certain insurgent groups might figure during talks between Rawat and Myanmar's military leadership.

In June, 2015 the Indian Army had carried out an operation in areas near the Indo-Myanmar against the NSCN (K) militants, days after militants had killed 18 Army men in Manipur.
The Class 12 results of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be announced on Sunday.

The Delhi High Court and the CBSE were at loggerheads over whether the mark moderation policy should be implemented this year, leading to a delay in the result announcements. Amid much confusion, this date was finally officially announced by the board on Friday.

Candidates can check their marks on either of the two official websites: cbse.nic.in, results.nic.in or cbseresults.nic.in.

The CBSE will upload all result details on its official website. All students have also been requested to keep their relevant candidate information, like roll numbers, ready in order to avoid delays. The board adds that the result will not be available at the board and students are advised not to visit boards office for collection of results. The result highlights will also be emailed to the students thereafter.

The examination schedule was delayed this year due to Assembly elections that took place in five states  Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. The Class XII exams began on 9 March and a total of 10,98,981 students appeared for it, an increase of 2.82 percent from 2016.

In April, CBSE had agreed to scrap its 'moderation policy' under which grace marks are given to students in exams for difficult questions. This move was expected to negatively affect the results, according to The Indian Express. The CBSE was planning to approach the Supreme Court against Delhi High Court's decision but was advised against it by the legal counsel, reports Moneycontrol. The Delhi High Court then said that CBSE need not follow the decision for the results this year but rather implement from next year.

Meanwhile, Class X results are expected to be announced in June.

Here are the steps to obtain your results:

Go to the above-mentioned websites.

Look for the option Senior School Certificate Examinations (Class 12) Results 2017 (All Regions)

Enter roll number and other required details.

The page will be redirected to the result page.

Download the result and take a printout.

With inputs from PTI

Follow Live updates here

Also read:

CBSE board Class XII Results 2017 out tomorrow: Check your grades at cbse.nic.in or cbseresults.nic.in
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) finally declared its Class XII board examination results on Sunday, 28 May, after a period of uncertainty over the board's decision of scrapping its controversial marks moderation policy. Results were uploaded on the official board websites, results.nic.in, cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in.

The results were originally supposed to be declared last week, but a Delhi High Court verdict that asked the board to retain marks moderation threw plans into a tizzy.

Marks moderation is a pattern that was introduced in 1992, when different education boards across the country tried to bring about uniformity in results and to make up for the differences in difficulty levels when dealing with different sets of question papers on the same subject.

But the CBSE, along with 32 other boards, decided to scrap the process this year, and said that all exams would be graded uniformly. It even began the process of grading answer sheets without having marks moderation in place.

However, before it could declare the results, the high court said doing so in the middle of an academic year would have students of the current batch at a disadvantage, and asked to start it from 2018 onwards.

Accordingly, the CBSE re-examined those papers which were already marked, and declared Class XII results on Sunday. It also released it with a press note detailing its policy on marks moderation, and revealed what this entailed. It had the following excerpt from the CBSE Examination by-laws:

The board shall resort to the moderation policy to:

- Compensate the candidates for the difficulties experienced in solving the question in a specified time due to misinterpretation/ambiguity of questions and answers.

- Compensate the vagaries and to bring uniformity in the evaluation process.

- Bring parity on account of element of subjectivity involved in the evaluation process.

- Level up the mean achievement in the set-wise performance of the candidates attributable to the difference in the difficulty level of different sets of question papers in the multiple sets scheme.

- Maintain near-parity of pass percentage of the candidates in the current year vis-a-vis preceding years, subject-wise and overall.

- The board shall also adopt the policy of awarding grace marks as per the criteria decided from time to time and reasons to be recorded.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has agreed to examine the constitutional validity of a law that was enacted following the outcry over the December 2012 gangrape case and provides that no prior sanction is required to try public servants in sexual offence cases.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal said that independent assistance was required as Delhi Police was also supporting the petition seeking striking down of the explanation to section 197 (sanction to prosecute public servant) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as "ultra vires, invalid and illegal".

The 2013 amendment to section 197 of the CrPC provides that no prior sanction is needed to prosecute a public servant in cases of alleged sexual offences against girls and women.

Perusing the reply filed by Delhi Police in the matter, the bench said, "In view of the stand of Delhi Police, we are of the view that an independent assistance is necessary in the issue. Therefore we appoint an amicus curiae (friend of court) to assist us."

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on 1 August.

Delhi Police has said that the amendment would allow wrong-doers to make false allegations against policemen, hindering their ability to do their job.

It has contended that the change in the CrPC "is an impediment to free and fair investigation and for discharging official duties" and was "open to gross misuse in the absence of any safeguards".

The police was responding to the PIL filed by a serving police official, who has challenged the amended provision in the CrPC.

Inspector Anil Sharma, in his plea, sought quashing of the amendment, saying "The explanation is liable to be quashed since it defeats the purpose and object of Section 197 CrPC and is in complete violation and against the scheme and spirit of CrPC, 1973 and the Constitution of India."

The plea, filed through advocate Rajiv Mohan, further stated that the explanation is "harsh and unfair" for the police officers who are discharging their duty.
New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah has ruled out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, but insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

Asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat (separatists) too as was done by the previous NDA government, he told PTI, "Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to every one."

The Agenda of Alliance sealed by the BJP and the PDP before they formed the government in the state talks about holding dialogue with all internal stakeholders. "We have said that we will start dialogue once stone-pelting stops. As long as there is stone-pelting, there cannot be dialogue. We cannot give them flower if they pelt stones. They will have to understand it," he said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the performance of the state government, in which the BJP is a junior partner to the PDP, he said it had done very good work on developing infrastructure and succeeded in bringing development to far-flung areas which, he added, had been connected in a strategic way.

For the first time, he has said, Jammu and Ladakh, two other regions in the state besides Kashmir, believe that they have got "justice".

He also played down the current cycle of violence in the valley, saying the region has seen such "hot situation" in stretches of six, eight or 12 months earlier as well, before security forces controlled it.

"You cannot assess the situation in Kashmir by picking one stretch of six months. You will have to see the entire period from 1989 to May 2017. There have been many stretches of six months, eight months or one year when the situation has been hot before our security forces controlled it," he said.

Kashmir has been witnessing frequent clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.
Dr Mano Ranjan has been working at the Institute of Infectious Diseases situated on the Anantapur-Kadiri Road in Andhra Pradesh since 2009. This is the premier institute for the entire Rayalaseema region (southern Andhra Pradesh) for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. Dr Ranjan gets 25 new HIV/AIDS patients every day. "It is a ticking time bomb," he says.

Thirty percent of the cases are from hamlets in and around Kadiri, unarguably the HIV/AIDS capital of Andhra Pradesh. The hospital has 26,000 plus registered cases, 8,000 of whom are widows. It is shocking that most of the victims are in the age group of 25 to 40. Another 3,000 cases are children born most often to an HIV-positive parent.

"If we do not put in any efforts to stop this situation (the spread of HIV/AIDS), in the future, we will have a common population in Kadiri that is HIV positive, particularly among the widows and separated, and divorced women," says Dr Ranjan.

The solution, however, does not lie in mere awareness about safe sex practices. Unlike agrarian distress that leads to farmer suicides, like in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, Kadiri presents an even more complicated problem. It's one drought and unemployment leading to an HIV-AIDS scare.

Connecting the dots

Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh sees the second lowest rainfall in India after Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, with an annual average rainfall of less than 600 mm. Only 10 percent of the drought-hit district is cultivated-area-under-irrigation (1 lakh out of 11 lakh hectares) but, the district is home to 90 percent small and marginal farmers (6.3 lakh out of 7 lakh).

With no agricultural work and no other means of employment, migration from Anantapur is the only way out. It is estimated that close to five lakh people, which comes to around 10 percent of Anantapur's population, have moved out, a majority of them in the last three years. The reason for that is that the last five years have seen successive severe droughts, reducing Anantapur to a bowl of dust.

What makes this exodus into a human tragedy is that the children are often left behind, some as young as five years old with hundreds of them being teenage girls. A survey by a group of seven NGOs in May revealed that over 1,000 children have been left behind by their parents in 26 hamlets, most of them in and around Kadiri. The emotional trauma of the young ones  having to fend for themselves, sleeping on an empty stomach and being deprived of a parent's love and affection  is unimaginable. Only a few have aged grandparents to look after them.

In Kadiri, both emotional and physical security are at risk. This is because vultures in the form of brokers and pimps are always on the look out for fresh prey. Poverty, deprivation, backwardness and low literacy (at 57 percent, Kadiri's literacy rate is lower than the national average) have made this area hugely vulnerable to trafficking over the years. A large number of women and children from Kadiri end up in brothels in Goa, Delhi and Kolkata.

"The girls  in homes where parents have migrated  are lured by brokers saying they will arrange a better job and better life for them. Eventually, they end up in a brothel," says Bhanuja, convenor of the AP Rythu Swarajya Vedika.

Perhaps that is why 15-year-old Lakshmi is worried and keeps the door to her one-room tenement shut at all times. Her two brothers, only three and five years old, have migrated with her parents to Kerala. Having neighbours around in Marava, a hamelt which is a 30-minute drive from Kadiri town is reassuring for Lakshmi, but once the sun sets, the darkness brings with it the fear of the known and the unknown.

"I have heard about brokers who lure young girls, and I feel scared hearing about it," says Lakshmi.

According to a 2014 survey done by Sthree, an organistaion which works on women issues, there were about 3,800 sex workers from Anantapur district, of which 1,600 were trafficked from the Kadiri mandal.

And it isn't like Kadiri and many other areas of Andhra Pradesh have burst on the scene only now. A study by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala in 2003 indicated that a minimum of 24 percent and a maximum of 85 percent in some cases, of women in prostitution in other cities, including metros, belong to Andhra Pradesh. Another research done by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the same period found that one in every four victims who were interviewed were trafficked from Andhra Pradesh. Dr Ranjan recalls visiting Kalighat and Sonagachi red light areas in Kolkata as part of his project and says girls from Kadiri are kept in a separate enclosure as they are considered more beautiful than others, and, therefore, command a premium.

In Kadiri, the author met 25-year-old Varalakshmi (name changed) who was lured by a broker ten years ago with the promise of a job and then taken to Delhi via Hyderabad. She was pushed into a brothel at GB Road, Delhi's red light area for five years. She finally managed to escape with the help of a Telugu security guard, who took pity on her.

"I went because of our poverty. It turned out to be for sex work. Customers would torture (me) demanding all sorts of things. Once, when I did not agree, they put chilli powder in my eyes," Varalakshmi breaks down relating her ordeal. Escaping from the den of exploitation has only made her life marginally better. Varalakshmi now lives alone, shunned by society, a reminder of the stigma of having been at a brothel.

The government, however, is in a state of denial. Kadiri MLA Chand Basha says sex-trafficking from his constituency is a thing of the past, saying those who desire a better life for the "sake of status" move out of Kadiri. The NGOs in the state try to keep vulnerable girls protected by ensuring community workers, many of who have been victims of sex abuse themselves, engage and counsel people in the villages that have high rates of migration.

There is little hope that things in Kadiri or other parts of Anantapur would change anytime soon. But India can ignore Kadiri at its own peril. It needs to save Kadiri to rescue itself and Andhra Pradesh's future. And it is not just about Kadiri because the trafficking racket targeting minors operates in the tri-junction of Kadiri in Anantapur, Madanapalle in Chittoor district and Rayachoti in Kadapa. Andhra Pradesh is at the crossroads of an HIV/AIDS epidemic, literally.
Korba: Seven workers were injured on Sunday when a major fire broke out in a private power plant in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, police said.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at SV Power Plant in Reki village under Hardibazar police outpost limits, Korba Additional Superintendent of Police Tarkeshwar Patel said.

Hardibazar is located around 40 kilometres away from Korba town.

The victims were having lunch in a room when fire erupted in the turbine house section of the plant. Those who were inside the room inhaled smoke and started having breathing problems, he said, adding, "nobody sustained burn injuries in the blaze."

After getting information, a police team along with fire brigade personnel rushed to the site, he said.

At least seven workers, some of them women, who had fallen ill after inhaling smoke were admitted at a local hospital in Gevra where they have been kept under observation, the ASP said.

It took around two hours to bring the situation under control and douse the flames, he said.

Prima facie the rising summer temperature caused an explosion in the turbine following which its oil spread thereby intensifying the flames. However, the exact cause behind the explosion was yet to be ascertained, Patel said.

A case has been registered and probe was on, he added.
Srinagar: An uneasy calm prevailed in the Valley on Sunday amid unprecedented security arrangements, a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat, as his burial late on Saturday night witnessed hundreds gather at his ancestral village in south Kashmir's Tral in defiance of the curfew.

A few incidents of stone pelting were reported on Sunday, including in Shopian, officials said.

Taking lessons from the widespread violence that had erupted after the killing of Hizbul leader Burhan Wani in July 2016, the authorities clamped curfew and restrictions in the Valley in advance.

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was arrested on Sunday and shifted to central jail in Srinagar. The JKLF chief had on Saturday visited Bhat's residence in Rutsana in Tral and met his mother to express his condolences,

Bhat was buried around midnight in his ancestral graveyard in Rutsana village, as hundreds converged - arriving from different areas, defying the restrictions and massive security.

According to reports, pro-militant and anti-India slogans were raised at the burial.

Authorities are now bracing for the 'March to Tral' called by the separatists on 30 May to offer funeral prayers (Fateha) at the grave of Bhat.

Separatists have also called a two-day protest shutdown.

On Saturday, one person was killed and 40 others were injured in violent clashes between stone-pelters and security forces.

The unrest in Kashmir comes as Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in New Delhi on Sunday that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has come up with a "permanent solution" to the Kashmir issue but there would be no compromise on the territorial integrity of India.

Rajnath Singh also ruled out inviting separatist groups for talks on Kashmir and said whoever wanted to talk "development and peace" was welcome.

"We have come up with a permanent solution to solve Kashmir. The initiative has begun. We are moving forward," he said, but refused to elaborate on what kind of solution the BJP government has found for Kashmir.

In the Valley, while seven police station areas of Srinagar city including Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R.Gunj, Kralkhud, Safa Kadal and Maisuma were placed under curfew, strict restrictions were imposed on vehicular movement in other parts of the city.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in Ganderbal, Badgam, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, while heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces were made in south Kashmir districts of Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama.

All exams of Kashmir University and the Islamic University of Science and Technology (Awantipora) have been postponed, while the State Public Service Commission also postponed civil service (judicial) examination scheduled for Sunday.

Educational institutions throughout the Valley have been ordered to remain closed on Monday too.

Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns have also be cancelled.

Srinagar District Magistrate Farooq Ahmed Lone said that curfew would continue on Monday too.

All transport, including public and private, remained off the roads on Sunday in response to the separatist protest shutdown appeal.

No tourist movement was witnessed anywhere in the Valley on Sunday as most people preferred to remain indoors.

Police that the situation remained peaceful and under control in the Valley except for six incidents of stone pelting in Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Sopore.

"In order to create disturbances, miscreants at these places assembled on roads and pelted stones on police and security forces deployment and also on vehicular traffic," said a police spokesman.

"In Pulwama, a group of miscreants pelted stones at the camp of CRPF's 182 Bn at Tahab village. Security forces exhibited maximum restraint while dealing with the situation at these places and miscreants were chased away," he added.

There has been no report of any major incident of violence anywhere in the Valley.
Tezpur: The black box of the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet that went missing with two pilots on board has been recovered from a dense forest in Arunachal Pradesh, two days after wreckage of the plane was sighted. However, the fate of the crew was not yet known.

"A ground search and rescue party has reached the crash site. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered. Further search is in progress," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said in Delhi. The identity of the missing pilots has not been disclosed and the worst is feared.

The jet had gone missing shortly after taking off from Tezpur Air Force station on Tuesday on a routine training sortie and its wreckage was found on Friday in a dense forest, 60 kilometres from Tezpur airbase.

The Indian Air Force has already ordered a court of inquiry into the crash.

The wreckage was spotted from air, and search teams reached the crash site on Sunday. The rescue teams could not reach the spot earlier due to inclement weather and because the area had dense foliage.

The plane was part of a two-aircraft formation when it went missing.

The first batch of the Russia-made fighter jet was inducted by the IAF in the late 1990s. Since their induction, seven crashes have taken place.

A frontline fighter jet, SU-30 MKI aircraft were deployed in the Tezpur airbase on 15 June, 2009 for guarding the India-China frontier in Arunachal Pradesh.

At present, two squadrons comprising around 36 aircraft are deployed at Tezpur.
Mumbai: The country's first indigenously built Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari has conducted successful test-fire of a torpedo.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley congratulated the scientists and engineers who worked on the project. He tweeted:

Congratulations to our scientists, engineers on successfully test firing torpedo from the first indigenously built Scorpene Class Submarine  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 27, 2017

Jaitley added that the indigenously built stealth submarine will soon add potent underwater capability to the Indian Navy.

As part of the ongoing sea trials, the test-fire took place on 26 May, an official release said.

The submarine is being built by the Mazagaon Docks Limited (MDL) at Mumbai. As part of the project, MDL will build a total of six submarines, it said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched for yoga, appealing to families to post pictures of their three generations performing the exercises together on the third International Yoga Day on 21 June.

He also asked them to upload the pictures on 'Narendra Modi App' or 'MyGov' to give the occasion a new dimension.

"Grandparents, parents and children should together perform yoga and also upload their photos. It will be such a pleasant blend of yesterday, today and tomorrow - lending a new dimension to yoga," Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

"These pictures will be a guarantee of a brighter tomorrow."

Modi expressed his gratitude to the person who sent him this suggestion.

"I feel that as our Selfie with Daughter' campaign proved to be a very inspiring experience, this campaign of posting pictures of three generations performing yoga together will evoke curiosity across the nation as well as the world."

Modi urged people to spread awareness about the upcoming yoga event.

"We are still left with about three weeks for the International Yoga Day. Start practicing from today itself. From 1 June, I will post something or the other about yoga on Twitter and continue to do so till 21 June. I will share with you. You too kindly spread the message of yoga and connect people with it," he said.

The prime minister said this, in a way, is a movement for preventive healthcare.

He invited people to connect with the occasion, saying "in a very short time, the festival got worldwide recognition as the World Yoga Day and is connecting people."

"At a time when separatist forces are raising their ugly heads, this has been India's great contribution to the world. We have successfully connected the whole world through yoga. Like yoga connects the body, mind, heart, and soul, similarly it is connecting the world now."

"Because of lifestyle, because of a mad race to achieve success, and because of increasing responsibilities, leading a stress-free life has become very difficult... this situation is coming up even at a comparatively younger age. Yoga is a guarantee of wellness and fitness both. Yoga is not merely an exercise," he said.

Modi said that he sent letters to all governments and all world leaders about the Yoga Day two days ago.

Remembering his last year's announcements on yoga competitions and awards, he said: "we shall gradually advance in that direction."
The army has foiled an infiltration bid in the Poonch sector and has gunned down one terrorist reported ANI.

J&K: Army foils infiltration bid in Poonch sector, guns down one terrorist  ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017

In a statement to IANS, Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta said that "alert troops of the Army noticed suspicious movement on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector around 2.30 am." and that the identity of the intruder was yet to be ascertained.

This latest infiltration attempt comes on the heels of escalated army operations along the LoC which have resulted in the deaths of 10 militants since Friday. On Saturday, counter-infiltration operations in the Rampur sector saw six armed intruders being intercepted and eliminated.
Srinagar: An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Kashmir. An Army official said on Sunday, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector on Saturday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in the death of one army porter and injuries to another".

The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Army killed an intruder on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence official said.

Defence ministry spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel, Manish Mehta said, "Alert troops of the Army noticed suspicious movement on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector around 2.30 am."

"The intruder was killed in an ambush. His identity is yet to be ascertained," Mehta added.

With inputs from agencies
It was around 1:30 pm when 70-year-old Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, a cobbler, heard that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was killed by security forces a few kilometres away from his Shopian home.

As the news spread, youth poured on to the streets to protest. Shops downed their shutters. Sheikh decided to ask a few policemen walking towards him if he could continue mending shoes or if he should shut shop. As he started to speak, the policemen began shooting pellets at him, injuring his head and body.

Drenched in blood, Sheikh was taken to a local hospital and then shifted to Srinagars Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.

Sheikh is writhing in pain. His left eye is severely injured. Sheikh wasn't part of the protest but was still caught up in the crossfire.

A civilian died and more than 40 others were injured during the protests that continued Sunday in parts of Kashmir as the people demonstrated against the killing of two militants by security forces.

The Hurriyat Conference has called for a two-day shutdown and asked people to march to Tral on 30 May to pay tribute to Bhat and the civilian who was killed.

A fresh wave of uncertainty has gripped Kashmir. People are staring at a bleak summer similar to 2016 when 78 people were killed by government forces in the protests that followed the death of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.

Recounting the horrific moments that he went through, Sheikh said, It was as if blood was flowing from a tap. I had never gone through anything remotely close to what I experienced on the day of Sabzar's killing. It is the worst that can happen to a man. The worst is happening now. They (forces) should fire bullets rather than leave people incapacitated with the use of pellets, he said.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has failed to rein in the security forces," he added.

The stories of people who were admitted to hospitals in Srinagar tell the tale.

Seventeen-year-old Mohsin Bhat was walking home after his tuition when he came across young Kashmiris clashing with government forces at the main square of Pulwama. He wanted to run away but it was too late. Before he knew it, he'd been shot in his right eye. He was soon shifted to a Pulwama hospital, then sent to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital. That's where I found him, wearing black glasses, his hand covered in bruises.

Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, father of Faisal Ahmad Bhat, who was also injured in pellet firing by forces in Shopian, said his son was heading home after school was suspended due to the tense situation. He has sustained a pellet injury in his left eye. He has already undergone a surgery but he has developed blurred vision," Mohammad said.

Outside the surgical intensive care unit (ICU), relatives of Sameer Ahmad Bhat of Mattan, Anantnag are waiting patiently. Bhat has been in a coma since he was hit on the head by a tear gas shell on Saturday.

His cousin, Shabir Ahmad Wani, said the paramilitary forces fired tear gas shells inside the higher secondary school at Mattan, where Sameer was studying. Sameer's friends took him to the hospital. They told us that the students, boys and girls alike, were participating in a pro-freedom march. Now, he is critical. The forces didn't even spare the students," Shabir laments.
Yeh Haseen Vadiyan! Kashmir is picture-perfect in autumn The fall season is here and it's particularly mesmerising in Kashmir. The mist, the many shades of chinar tree leaves and the pleasant weather are all ideal for a trip to the Valley
Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of militant commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat that took place on Sunday which was also the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. Bhat was killed in an encounter on Saturday in his native village of Ratsuna in Tral area. The mourners chanted anti-India and pro-freedom slogans while the dead body of the slain Hibzul Mujhaideen commander was being carried on the shoulders, angry young men fought with each other over who will carry the dead body for the funeral prayers.

An unidentified bearded militant in his early twenties, wearing a thin black jacket, a rucksack and a grenade in his left hand, suddenly appeared in the crowd, and led the sloganeering. He vowed to revenge the killing of his fallen comrade. He too was carried on the shoulders by the people till he reached the spot were Sabzars last prayers were offered.

"I want to tell you here today," the militant cried out loud, "he (Bhat) laid down his life for a just cause," as he raised his finger in the air. The crowds cheered and raised their fists in affirmation.

"You have to be part of this movement, you have to support us till we get you out of the clutches of tyranny and oppression," he added.

Despite a strict curfew in the entire south Kashmir, thousands of people gathered to pay their last respect to the slain militant commander (Bhat). The streets leading to the native village of Sabzar, Ratsuna, were deserted as the state government, to avoid a large congregation of the people at the funeral, deployed thousands of forces and restricted the movement of people. But hundreds of them left their homes pre-dawn to attend his funeral prayers.

"We left our home after having (sehri) and crossed dozens of orchards before reaching this village. Had we tried the road we would have been at the police station," Imtiyaz Mir, a resident of Kakapora, told Firstpost.

"But despite the restrictions so many people turned out. It shows how popular he was," he added.

Outside the village and on the National Highway 1A that connects Kashmir with the rest of India, a heavy deployment of troops maintained an enforced peace. The young children tried to engage the forces with stone pelting but were overpowered by the heavy deployment of forces.

"How many people have died there with the militant," an elderly man Razak Ahmad Sofi, who was working in the saffron fields near Pampore town asked. Children used to give news from their mobile phones, now even they have stopped working," he explained.

The state government, anticipating large-scale protests on the streets, snapped Internet services and shutdown pre-paid mobile phones. Soon after he was killed, the death of the militant commander spread on the social media, which had started working after a month in Kashmir on Friday evening.

The streets of Kashmir wore a deserted look on Sunday as the Valley stared at the possibility of another unrest. Now with the start of Ramadan, there is likely to be an escalation in violence in the coming days.

The killing of Sabzar and his teenage friend Faizan Muzaffar who joined the militancy at the age of 17, was the last thing the PDP-BJP government ruling the state of Jammu and Kashmir wanted since the protests were slowly ebbing and a semblance of normalcy was returning to the Valley. The footfall of tourists had steadily increased in recent weeks in Srinagar and a vulnerable state government was hoping for a peaceful summer after an unrest last year that left close to hundred people dead. The unrest had begun after the killing of former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, also a friend and close confidante of Sabzar.

Since Saturday (after the killing of Bhat), dozens of people have been injured in protests and clashes that broke out in both north and south Kashmir. It is a symbolism of how peace has remained fragile in the Valley, so much that even the death of militant can bring the entire Valley to a halt.

Kashmir is observing complete shutdown in the wake of a two-day shutdown call given by the joint separatist camp over the killing of Bhat and Muzaffar. All the roads remained deserted while shops and other business establishments remained shut across the Valley.

Earlier, Kashmir police arrested Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik from his Maisuma residence in Srinagar. On Saturday, Malik had reached Tral and paid homage to the two militants killed in the encounter in Saimu village of Tral.

We are not even allowed to mourn the death of our martyrs," Yasin told reporters outside his residence. "Forces have been given free hand to kill innocent Kashmiris," he said.

Authorities have limited the movement of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, and Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been put under house arrest. A united Hurriyat Conference has called for a two-day strike against the Saturday events.

The Kashmir police said in a statement that stone pelting incidents were reported from about two dozen places in the Valley.

"The gatherings of miscreants pelted stones on police establishments and forces camps, the spokesman said. They also pelted stones on moving vehicles on the busy roads and in the chowks."

It is further ordered that all the colleges and higher secondary schools in Srinagar will also remain closed on 29 May, and authorities at the Kashmir University on Sunday announced that they are rescheduling all examinations scheduled on 29 and 30 May.

Kashmirs Inspector General of police, Muneer Khan, said that the situation was "under control" throughout the day, and restrictions were imposed in jurisdictions of seven police stations in Srinagar and in the districts to maintain law and order.

Police exercised maximum restraint while dealing with stone pelters. One person was in critical condition yesterday, but today his condition had improved in the hospital and he is out of danger, he said.
Thiruvananthapuram: Amid concerns over infant deaths in the tribal hamlet of Attappady, the Kerala government has announced a financial aid of Rs one lakh each to the parents of 38 children who died due to malnutrition there during the tenure of the previous UDF government.

Attappady is one of the largest and backward tribal settlements in Palakkad district, which has witnessed a number of infant deaths in recent times.

State minister for Welfare of SC/ST and Backward Classes, AK Balan said the present LDF government would do everything possible to ensure that no infant dies in Attappady due to lapses on part of the government departments.

"Financial aid of Rs one lakh will be given to 38 families in Attappady who lost their children due to malnutrition during the tenure of the previous government," he said in a Facebook post.

Steps would be taken to distribute the amount at the earliest, Balan said.

Listing out various steps taken by his department, the minister said community kitchens had been opened in all hamlets and free cereals distributed among families in Attappady soon after the government came to power in May 2016.

However, the minister admitted that infant deaths are still happening in the region due to various reasons including genetic disorders, lack of expert medical care and due to other diseases.

More funds would be granted under Hudco housing scheme for the inhabitants of Attappady in 2017, he said adding a new initiative named 'Valsalyanidhi' had also been launched to secure the future of scheduled tribes (ST) community girls there.

As many as eight infant deaths have been reported in Attappady so far this year.

The reasons for the death range from genetic disorders and diseases to malnutrition, health department said.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police team is carrying out raids in Hyderabad for a middleman who used to scout for needy families looking for kidney donors.

The Crime Branch had arrested four persons, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale and purchase of kidneys.

A team is currently in Hyderabad looking for one person who goes by the name of Venky, sources said.

He works at a pharmacy in Hyderabad and would find out about patients looking for kidney donors and would guide them to his accomplices in Delhi.

The inter-state racket was busted end May after an MBA student, along with a news channel reporter, contacted the Crime Branch officials in April.

The student had posed as a donor to dig deep into the racket and through spy devices provided to him by the Crime Branch recorded the entire process from his meetings with the middlemen to his screening process at the hospital.

The four accused  Jayant Sahoo, Sulekha Panda, Anoj Patra and Birju Paswan  are currently in police custody and are being interrogated.

It has been found that they have their own 'persons' working at chemist shops in hospitals and diagnostic centres in Delhi and some other cities, said a senior police officer.

Venky is one of them. He is currently absconding after learning about the arrest of his accomplices.

He would target those patients who purchased medicines for kidney ailments.

After finding out that they were looking for donors, they would put them in touch with the middlemen who would gauge their financial capacity and then make them meet potential donors.

The student was given a separate identity with fake ID cards so that he could pass off as a member of the family of the recipient.

The middlemen targeted helpless families who were looking for kidney donors.

They were induced and charged huge amounts of money with the promise to complete necessary documentation and formalities for the smooth transplant operations.
Auto refresh feeds

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the importance of his cleanliness mission, adding that he was happy that the people have responded with such vigour. he said that people must not treat waste as mere trash but use it as a resource. He said that he will soon launch a campaign to encourage people for waste management.

"We are lucky that our ancestors have created such a tradition that people from all communities & faith are available here. We have adapted ourselves to myriad kinds of ideologies, worshipping and traditions and imbibed the art of co-existential living," Modi said.

As a caller requested PM Modi to touch upon the sacrifices of freedom fighters, Modi said that the sacrifices of Veer Savakar and other freedom figters is worth remembering for the youth. He added that there was no state in India from where people were not sentenced to the Cellular Jail on the Andaman Nicobar islands, and one must visit the place just to perceive the torture and plight those people went through.

Speaking about the world Environment Day, which is observed on 5 June, Modi said that the world campaign to preserve environment on the day should also become our individual campaign. He said that the people must contribute to the government's measures to preserve the environment. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Modi said that we must always think about the world we are not going to see. He said that our future generations will reat the results of our labour, if we can protect our environment.

My dear countrymen, Namaskar. As I am talking to you today, holy month of #Ramzan has already commenced: #PMonAIR #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/HxHfMAO0zX

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the importance of his cleanliness mission, adding that he was happy that the people have responded with such vigour. he said that people must not treat waste as mere trash but use it as a resource. He said that he will soon launch a campaign to encourage people for waste management.

Our ancestors conserved nature, we must show the same compassion towards future generations. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/mjAeNFJajo

"We are lucky that our ancestors have created such a tradition that people from all communities & faith are available here. We have adapted ourselves to myriad kinds of ideologies, worshipping and traditions and imbibed the art of co-existential living," Modi said.

As a caller requested PM Modi to touch upon the sacrifices of freedom fighters, Modi said that the sacrifices of Veer Savakar and other freedom figters is worth remembering for the youth. He added that there was no state in India from where people were not sentenced to the Cellular Jail on the Andaman Nicobar islands, and one must visit the place just to perceive the torture and plight those people went through.

Speaking about the world Environment Day, which is observed on 5 June, Modi said that the world campaign to preserve environment on the day should also become our individual campaign. He said that the people must contribute to the government's measures to preserve the environment. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Modi said that we must always think about the world we are not going to see. He said that our future generations will reat the results of our labour, if we can protect our environment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday morning as part of his monthly radio broadcast programme Mann Ki Baat, where he speaks about a range of issues affecting the country and the citizens.

It was the 33rd episode of Mann Ki Baat, which was aired on All India Radio and Doordarshan from 11 am.

Sunday's edition, which will be the 33rd episode of Mann Ki Baat, airs on All India Radio and Doordarshan at 11 am. This is the first time that the prime minister's address will also be aired in Sanskrit later in the day.
The case relating to the disappearance of a Dalit youth in Telangana took a different turn on Saturday as police arrested his father-in-law and another relative for his murder.

Police said Amboji Naresh (23), who was missing since 1 May, was killed by Tummala Srinivas Reddy, who was unhappy over his daughter marrying a man from another caste.

Reddy, who had called his daughter Swathi Tummala (20) and son-in-law from Mumbai with a promise to accept their marriage, allegedly murdered Naresh and burned the body in his fields in Lingarajupally village of Yadadri district.

Reddy, who was being questioned by police for nearly two weeks, confessed to the crime and said that he took the help of his relative N Sathi Reddy to kill Naresh.

Reddy, previously a Telugu Desam Party leader had allegedly set fire to the victim's body approximately 15 metres away from Swati's cremation site. Swati committed suicide on 16 May, reports The Indian Express. Reddy then threw the ashes in the Musi river.

The Indian Express also stated that both N Sathi Reddy and Tummala Srinivas Reddy then used dried wood and bushes to set Naresh's body on fire. However, since the body did not burn completely, the duo then drove to Atmakur and purchased five litres of petrol. They also brought tyres and set the body on fire until it burned completely.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat told reporters on Saturday evening that both the accused had been arrested.

Bhagwat said they committed the murder on the night of 2 May. The accused spotted Naresh near their house and chased him on their bike. They caught him and took him to Srinivas Reddy's agricultural fields.

The police chief said that when Sathi Reddy was talking to Naresh, Srinivas Reddy hit the latter on his head with an iron rod, leading to his death. The two accused burned the body. They collected the ashes and threw them in the river the next day.

The police commissioner said that Sathi Reddy also damaged the mobile phone of Naresh.

Swathi Tummala (20) allegedly committed suicide at her parents' house on 16 May, in a tragic end to a love story and an inter-caste marriage between the two childhood friends. The Indian Express also reported that Swati was pregnant.

The couple had eloped in March and married in Mumbai against the wishes of Swathi's father. The Indian Express reported that Reddy told the police that he was angry with Naresh since Swati was having hardships in Mumbai. Reddy further added that Naresh did not have a job and he never had money to purchase ration.

Srinivas Reddy, who comes from an upper caste, had also filed a dowry case against Naresh and his parents.

Naresh's father had approached the Hyderabad High Court, seeking direction to police to trace his missing son. Amboji Venkataiah suspected that Swathi's father was behind his son's disappearance.

Swathi allegedly ended her life a couple of days before she was to appear in the court in connection with the disappearance case.

On 18 May, the court had directed police to probe the disappearance and submit a report on 1 June.

The Rachakonda Police Commissioner had appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police Venkateshwar Rao to head the investigations. He had constituted five search teams and announced a Rs 50,000 reward to anyone providing information about Naresh.

With inputs from IANS
New Delhi: Bilateral cooperation on economic, defence, science and technology, and nuclear fronts, parleys on EU-India Free Trade Agreement, and fight against terror will top Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda during his four-nation tour of Europe from Monday.

Modi will visit Germany for the bi-annual Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC); Spain, on what will be an Indian prime minister's first visit in nearly 30 years; Russia for the annual bilateral summit; and France for his first meeting with newly elected President Emmanuel Macron.

Berlin will be Modi's first port of call, where he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will head the fourth biennial Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) on Tuesday.

India and Germany have over 25 Working Groups, including in areas like climate change, energy, infrastructure, and tourism.

According to German ambassador to India Martin Ney, like in the last IGC in 2015, there will be a "series of substantial MoUs (memorandums of understanding) and joint declarations of intent" after the talks in Berlin.

One of the most important areas in which these agreements are likely to be signed is business.

"The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce is the biggest German bilateral chamber outside Germany. It has more than 7,000 German and Indian member companies," Ney said, adding that over 1,800 German companies are doing business in India.

"India is interested in German technology and knowhow, and we are interested in sharing this," he said.

Speaking ahead of Modi's visit, Randhir Jaiswal, Joint Secretary (Europe West) in the External Affairs Ministry, said that Germany is the largest trading partner of India in the European Union.

"German economic profile, support, excellence, and expertise match with our development priorities, be it 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Clean India', 'Digital India', and 'Smart Cities'," Jaiswal said.

According to ambassador Ney, both countries cooperate closely in terms of G20 coordination, UN Security Council reforms, freedom of navigation, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region, the fight against terrorism, and stability in Afghanistan.

"Germany supports India's membership in different export control regimes, including the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group)," he said.

After a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Modi will leave for Spain on 30 May. The last prime ministerial visit to the country was by Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.

On 31 May, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral summit with Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy.

Modi will also call on Spanish King Felipe VI and interact with a select group of Spanish CEOs keen to invest and expand their businesses in India. Around 200 Spanish companies are operating in India.

Stating that economic partnership formed an important pillar of the bilateral relationship, Jaiswal said: "Spain enjoys a reputation in the fields of renewable energy, high speed rail, infrastructure, tunneling, technology solutions, including civil aviation air space management, and waste water management."

Cooperation in counter-terror will be an important element of the agenda in Spain.

From Spain, Modi will travel to Russia on 31 May and hold the 18th annual bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 June in St. Petersburg.

The following day, the prime minister will for the first time attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a business event.

G.V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary (Eurasia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said Modi's participation in SPIEF signals that there will be emphasis on trade and investment during the Russian leg of the tour.

Stating that while India-Russia cooperation in the areas of defence, nuclear and space was "very, very ahead", Srinivas said that bilateral trade has, however, come down for a variety of reasons from $10 billion to around $7 billion now.

Science and technology cooperation and people-to-people contacts are also areas that will come up for discussion during the Modi-Putin meeting.

From Russia, Modi will fly to Paris on 2 June evening and hold a bilateral meeting with French President Macron on 3 June.

Stating that France was a leading strategic partner of India, Jaiswal said that the two countries have very strong cooperation in the areas of space, civil nuclear, defence, and economy.

According to Jaiswal, during the France, Germany and Spain legs of the tour, the ongoing discussions between the European Union and India on a Free Trade Agreement would also figure prominently.

European nations are among those with which India has terminated bilateral investment protection treaties (BITs) following a new BIT model New Delhi released in December 2015.

Stating that EU member-states have passed on the responsibility of investment protection negotiations to the EU, Ambassador Ney said that the European Commission and the Indian government should "sit down as soon as possible" to negotiate a free trade agreement.
Raipur: The Naxals allegedly killed a former colleague, who had surrendered, in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on suspicion that he was a police informer, an official said on Sunday.

Anduram Benjam, who surrendered before police in March last year, was hacked to death by the rebels in Bastar's Sanvel village last evening, the police official told PTI.

Three rebels, dressed as civilians, attacked Benjam with axes near his house in Kolengpara locality of the village, located around 350 kms from the state capital, he said.

The reason behind the killing was not yet known. But, prima facie it seems the Naxals suspected that Benjam was a police informer, the official said. A case has been registered in this connection, he said adding that a combing operation is on in the region to trace the assailants.
Pune: Defence minister Arun Jaitley batted for making India a defence manufacturing hub, saying it is essential to deal with various security challenges like insurgency effectively.

No country can secure itself by depending on others for its defence supplies, the minister said amid steps by the government to bring in private players in the sector.

"We cannot change our neighbours. And our neighbourhood has thrown up security challenges. We are facing insurgency and war for the last 70 years. Therefore, India needs to become an important defence manufacturing hub," he said at the 9th convocation of the Defence Institute of Advance Technology (DIAT).

"If the economy requires us to become a manufacturing hub, then security requires us to become a hub for defence manufacturing. This is the area where the country will have to use the vast resources it possesses. We will have to use the large number of academic institutions we have for training minds and cover up the critical gap that still exists," Jaitley said.

The country has institutions like IITs, DRDO labs and a large number of private institutes which can help it achieve the goal, the minister said.

In a veiled attack on the previous UPA government, he said the "conservative policies" of the past have hindered progress in the field of defence manufacturing.

"But the new India is a more confident India, it is not the defensive India. It is India, which is willing to globally integrate, share knowledge, get knowledge from outside," he said.

The government has broken away from the restrictive past to achieve the goal of self-reliance in defence, he said.

A total of 134 graduating students of the DIAT, an autonomous organisation under the DRDO, were awarded degrees on the occasion.
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned two Kashmiri separatist leaders to its headquarters in Delhi tomorrow in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmad Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Javed Ahmed Baba alias 'Gazi' of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have been asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, before the NIA team that had questioned them here for four consecutive days earlier this month.

The questioning comes after the central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.

The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a news channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.

Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Baba alias 'Gazi', who are also named in the PE, will be again questioned for their alleged involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir as well as fuelling unrest and promoting stone-pelting in the Valley.

The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge-sheeted so far in the Valley in recent cases related to causing damage to schools and public property as part of a "larger conspiracy to perpetuate chaos" in Kashmir.

During their stay here, the NIA team, headed by its additional director general, also gathered evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools. Khan had allegedly claimed in the sting operation that the educational institutions had been targeted under plans hatched in Pakistan.

The schools were damaged last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on 8 July.

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.
Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir on Sunday imposed curfew-like restrictions in many parts of the valley to maintain law and order in view of the protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat in an encounter with security forces.

Restrictions have been imposed in Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, MR Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma police station areas of the city till further orders as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing law and order situation.

However, the district administration has said that the admit cards of students appearing in competitive examinations today would be treated as curfew passes, while the staff posted as invigilators can use their identity cards as curfew passes.

The district administration has also ordered closure of all colleges and higher secondary schools in Srinagar for Monday.

Restrictions have also been imposed in Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in the township of Sopore in north Kashmir, the officials said.

They said restrictions on movement of people under Section 144 of the CrPc have been imposed in the districts of Budgam and Ganderbal in central Kashmir to maintain law and order.

The officials said the curbs had to be imposed in these areas as a pre-emptive measure to prevent spread of violent protests which took place on Saturday following the killing of Bhat and another militant in the encounter in Tral area of south Kashmirs Pulwama district.

Elsewhere in the valley, normal life was hit due to strike called by separatist groups.

At least 30 people were injured in violent clashes between protestors and security forces in various parts of the valley following the killing of the two Hizbul Mujahideen militants.

Bhat was buried this morning at a graveyard in Ratsuna area of Tral where hundreds of people had gathered.

A civilian was also allegedly killed in cross firing between militants and security forces during the encounter on Saturday.

The separatists have called for a two-day shutdown to protest the killing of the two militants.

The authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in the valley, while the outgoing call facility on prepaid numbers has also been snapped as a precautionary measure.
In a statement on Saturday, the Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Sartaj Aziz expressed grave concern at the constant ceasefire violations by Indian forces at line of control.

The killing of Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Ahmad Bhat has been condemned by Pakistan, with Aziz accusing India of conducting "extra-judicial killings."

According to News18, Aziz stated, "India had killed 12 Kashmiri youth in Kashmir since Friday in Pulwama and Baramulla. Three of them were martyred extra-judicially as has been done on numerous occasions in the recent past."

Aziz urged the international community, including the United Nations and human rights organisations, to step in and ask India to immediately stop the "ruthless killing of defenceless Kashmiris," IANS reported.

He then accused India of making attempts to discredit the Kashmiri indigenous movement. He also alleged that India was trying to change the demography of Kashmir to convert the majority Kashmiri into minority territory, which Pakistan has brought to the attention of the UN.

Furthermore, Aziz reaffirmed Pakistans unflinching support for Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination.

With inputs from agencies
Srinagar: Authorities on Sunday clamped curfew and imposed restrictions in the Kashmir Valley to maintain law and order, as top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was buried in his ancestral village of Tral of south Kashmir with hundreds attending the midnight funeral.

Though authorities said curfew would be imposed only in seven police station areas of Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M R Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma in Srinagar on Sunday, the city was virtually sealed in the morning to prevent vehicular movement.

Heavy deployment of security forces was seen in the old city areas of Srinagar to prevent violence. One person was killed and 40 others were injured in violent clashes between the stone-pelters and security forces on Saturday.

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was arrested on Sunday and shifted to central jail in Srinagar. On Saturday, Malik had visited Bhat's residence in Rutsana, Tral and expressed his condolences over Bhat's death to his mother.

Bhat was buried past midnight in his ancestral graveyard in Rutsana village, as hundreds converged  arriving from different areas amid massive security.

On Saturday, one protester was killed when many tried to breach the cordon of security forces in Saimoh village where the Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and his accomplice were trapped.

In clashes at other place, 40 people including 28 protesters and 12 security personnel were injured.

Of the injured protesters, eight are being treated for bullet injuries while seven have suffered pellet injuries, and are admitted to different hospitals in Srinagar.

Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in Ganderbal, Badgam, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir while in south Kashmir, the districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian saw unprecedented security arrangements in place to ensure minimum attendance at Bhat's funeral prayers.

People in hundreds had arrived on Saturday from different places of south Kashmir to attend the burial of Bhat and Faizan, his associate, who were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Saimoh village.

The authorities suspended internet services on mobile phones on Saturday in addition to suspending outgoing call facility on prepaid mobile phones.

On Sunday morning, call facility, incoming and outgoing, were suspended on all mobile phones. Only postpaid BSNL mobile phones are working at the moment.

Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns have also been suspended.

State civil service (judicial) exam which was scheduled on Sunday has been cancelled.

All educational institutions have been ordered to remain closed on Monday in the Valley.

The separatists have called for a protest shutdown on Sunday and Monday, and called for a 'March to Tral' town on 30 May to offer funeral prayers and show solidarity with the slain Hizbul commander.
New Delhi: Welcoming the diverse assessments of three years of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined the significance of constructive criticism in strengthening democracy and assured the people that mistakes and shortcomings would be rectified.

Delivering his first Mann Ki Baat after completion of three years in office on Friday, Modi also took on the critics of his monthly radio address, which he said enabled him to become a member of every family in India.

"Audit and assessment of the performance of the present government in the last three years is happening all over on newspapers, social media or TV for the last 15 days. There have been many surveys and several opinion polls. I see this entire process as a very healthy sign," Modi said.

"Constructive criticism strengthens democracy, for an aware nation, an awakened nation, this churning is very important," he said, referring to the surveys which highlight both praise and criticism of his government's record so far.

He said the work done by his government was tested on every touchstone and analysed by every segment of society.

"This is a great process in democracy. I firmly believe that governments must be accountable in democracy and the public at large must be provided with report card of works done," he said, expressing gratitude for the critical and important feedback.

"The mistakes and the shortcomings once highlighted can be rectified. Whether something is good, little less effective, or bad, whatever it is, one has to learn from it and move ahead in life, putting the learning from it into practice."

"Some people take Mann Ki Baat as a monologue and some criticise it from a political angle," he said admitting that he never thought that programme launched two years ago would make him a member of every Indian family.

"Now I feel as if I'm conversing with my family while sitting at home," said Modi, describing himself as "ordinary citizen" who, like all, is "influenced by good or bad things".

He said the release of the book Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio by President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, was an inspirational event for him.

The book is a compilation by Rajesh Jain of Modi's monthly radio addresses. He also expressed his gratitude for UAE-based Indian artist Akbar Saheb who has done the illustrations in the book without taking money.

Pitching for World Yoga Day (21 June), Modi appealed to families to post pictures of their three generations performing the exercises together on 'Narendra Modi App' or 'MyGov', to give a new dimension to event which, he said, has attracted global attention in very short span of time.

"Much like it connects body, mind, heart and soul, yoga is now connecting the world. When disruptive forces are tearing the world apart, yoga has come as greet gift form India, uniting the world," he said.

Modi also promised daily postings about yoga on Twitter till the eve of the Yoga Day and urged the people to contribute towards promoting the "movement on preventive health care".

Focusing on the upcoming World Environment Day, he announced launch of a "massive movement" for waste collection across 4,000 cities of the country from 5 June, under which separate bins  green for liquid waste and blue for dry waste  will be installed in these cities to develop a culture of segregating the two waste types.

"We must not treat garbage as waste, it is wealth, a resource," he said, stressing the importance of waste management.

Modi also greeted the nation on beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims keep a dawn-to-dusk fast.

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, ends with Eid ul-Fitr, and depending on the lunar calendar that Muslims follow it lasts either 29 or 30 days, with sighting of the new moon as the indicator.
Kolkata: Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee discussed the Ganga erosion issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her Delhi visit, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday said that her ministry will cooperate with the state government to check erosion but stressed proposals should be drafted properly.

"I am telling you that the proposal which the Bengal government sends to my ministry, will be considered and executed by us. But I will also stress that please ensure the proposal is correctly drafted. It should not have any gaps. If there are gaps then we cannot sanction money for an incorrect proposal. Unless its drafted as per rules, we can't sanction funds. I will ensure not a single penny is sacrificed at the altar of corruption over Ganga," Bharti said at a public meeting at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.

She emphasised that the Centre will not indulge in politics in the name of development in the state.

"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said one thing... he has told us not to indulge in politics in the name of development. We will not do that. I will not do any politics in the name of development in Bengal, I am telling Mamata didi. The only thing that should be ensured is any project proposal that comes from the state government, is properly drafted," she said.

Bharti also said she will write to the Bengal government to submit proposals on conveniences for Ganga Sagar pilgrims at Kakdwip.

"Women need separate places to change clothes, they need washrooms. I will write to the CM urging her to send proposals," Bharti said.

She reiterated that fish ladders, that aid fish in their migration upstream to spawn, would be installed in the Farakka Barrage.

"I came to know that the Hilsa was earlier found till Chambal. Now due to its dwindling numbers, the fishermen community has been destroyed. We have decided to install fish ladders in the Farakka Barrage so that Hilsa numbers increase and fishermen get their livelihoods back," she added.
Hyderabad: Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS in Telangana.

Dismissing the Telangana Rashtra Samithi's survey that claimed it would sweep the assembly polls if held now, he banked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "rising popularity in the region" to win in the general elections.

"It is a government-sponsored survey. It may satisfy the TRS cadre and their leaders. The popularity of Modi is on the rise. There is space in Telangana and the BJP has a lot of chance as we have good cadre and leadership," Dattatreya told reporters in Hyderabad.

The internal survey by the TRS puts Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son, IT minister K T Rama Rao, as the top-performing MLAs in the state.

"I am hopeful that the BJP will improve its position in the 2019 general elections as compared to 2014, across the country and particularly in Telangana. We are confident that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS," Dattatreya said.

On the chief minister terming BJP president Amit Shah's statement on central funds allocated to Telangana as "blatant lies" , the union labour minister said the manner in which Chandrasekhar Rao criticised Shah, reflects his frustration.

Claiming that Shah's recent tour of Telangana has given a boost to BJP workers, he said, "Now, BJP workers will work more enthusiastically. The entire OBC community as well as moderate Muslims too are positively in favour of the BJP."

On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks that his party would work to defeat the BJP in Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, represented by Dattatreya, and the five assembly seats held by them in the city in the 2019 general and state polls, he said, "Asaduddin has his own dreams."

"The AIMIM has some share only in Hyderabad because of its Muslim agenda. Always banking on religious sentiments will not work with the Muslims now as they also want development because they are in poverty. Whether he (Asaduddin) can retain his own seat is doubtful," Dattatreya said.
New Delhi: Uttarakhand will be open defecation free by 31 May, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted.

He said his government has given maximum emphasis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 'Swachh Bharat' and has taken a number of steps for cleanliness. "By the end of May, Uttarakhand will be open defecation free, barring a few areas in Haridwar," Rawat told PTI in an interview.

The 56-year-old chief minister said a plan is being chalked out to rejuvenate the two rivers in Dehradun - Song and Tons - so that clean water flows through them. "The confluence of the two rivers is already free from smell. Birds have started drinking water there. It is an encouraging news," he said.

Earlier, the Centre had announced that Sikkim was the first state to become open defecation free followed by Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

It was anticipating four more states - Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab - to achieve the target of open defecation free by this year.

Rawat assumed the charge of chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after the BJP stormed to power winning 57 of the 70 assembly seats, by ousting the Congress.

He also highlighted the BJP government's transfer policy for state bureaucrats and police officers saying it was completely transparent and balanced.

"There has been not a single complaint regarding the transfers we have done. There was no corruption in the transfers, these were balanced and transparent," he said.
Thiruvananthapuram: Police on Sunday booked some Youth Congress activists who allegedly publicly killed a calf to protest the Centre's ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, as the incident drew flak from various quarters.

Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who posted the video of the the gory incident on Twitter, called it "cruelty at it's peak" and said no normal person can behave in this manner. CPM MP, MB Rajesh, said the illogical form of protest should have been avoided and it would only help the Sangh Parivar.

An embarrassed Congress sought to distance itself, saying the party will not support anyone who has violated the law, but a Youth Congress activist who led the protest said he had no regrets.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi called the incident 'thoughtless, barbaric and completely unacceptable,' in a tweet condemning the act.

What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless,barbaric& completely unacceptable to me &the Congress Party.I strongly condemn the incident  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 28, 2017

The brazen act was committed in front of a huge crowd in Kannur on Saturday during the 'Beef Fest' held by the Left and Congress in Kerala to protest against the Centre's ban.

On the basis of a complaint from Yuva Morcha district General Secretary CC Ratheesh, police on Sunday registered a case against Rijil Makulti, a Youth Congress worker, and others under Section 120 A of the Kerala Police Act, police sources said.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to five thousand rupees or with both.

"If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

However, Rijil Makulti told a television channel on Sunday, "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest."

The 18-month-old animal was butchered in an open vehicle as Youth Congress workers raised slogans against the Centre's decision to ban sale of cattle for slaughter. The meat was then distributed free to onlookers.

Congress leader Pandalam Sudhakaran said the manner in which the calf was dragged for being slaughtered left a pain in the heart. It is difficult to accept such mode of protests, he said.

Congress leader M Lijju, a former Youth Congress president, said there were certain rules with regard to slaughtering of animals which they should have kept in mind.

They might have carried it out considering the serious consequence of the government notification, he, however, added.

CPM MP, Rajesh, said the youth workers should have exhibited civilised behaviour.

Condemning the incident, BJP state president Rajasekharan said DYFI and Youth Congress, youth outfits of CPI(M) and Congress, were turning 'butchers' and people should be careful.

In the name of protests against the cattle sale ban, animals are being slaughtered and protests staged with blood stained head of the butchered animal. "Is it something a normal person does?, Kummanam asked in a press release in Kannur.

The Centre has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is expected to hit export and trade of meat and leather.
A diner in Mumbai samples pale pink sea bass in leche de tigre or tigers milk with vibrant limo chilli, sweet potato and red onion  but this isn't sashimi. Rather, it's ceviche, a traditional Peruvian delicacy. First with LIMA, the Peruvian lounge bar started by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar in Bandra Kurla Complex in 2016 and in May 2017, at the Peruvian cuisine pop-up by Coya chef Sanjay Dwivedi at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, Peruvian food is being sampled more frequently in Mumbai.

With the fad for health foods, quinoa has been a part of every kitchen shelf of late and sweet potato often replaces other carbs. Fish is widely consumed. Small wonder then, that people in Mumbai have taken to Peruvian food as most of these ingredients are the cornerstones of this cuisine, and the Indian palate finds these easy to relate to.

Indian and Peruvian cuisine have in common a bombardment of flavours and that is what has made Peruvian cuisine so acceptable to us, Indians, says chef Sanjay Dwivedi of Coya. He adds, Obviously Peruvian cuisine is gaining popularity in India, as that is why I (was) here to organise this pop-up at The Taj Mahal Mumbai to enable diners to sample Peruvian food. Coya dovetails a vibrant, contemporary Peruvian cuisine inspired by Perus indigenous cooking traditions.

Why Peruvian cuisine is popular

Chef Hemant Oberoi who recently started his eponymous restaurant in Mumbai, serves global food with Peruvian and Japanese influence. He explains, Peruvian food is based on four major pillars: corn, potato, legumes and tubers, all of which are major parts of Indian cooking across regions. This makes Indians naturally veer towards the cuisine. At the same time, since the cultural influences range from Italy to Japan in Peruvian cuisine, Indians are familiar with the flavour profiles.

According to chef Atul Kochhar, The popularity of Peruvian cuisine also lies in the fact that Indians have been travelling around the globe and are therefore more willing and open to trying new cuisines. Peruvian food, being as popular as it is, caters to a wide array of Indian audiences. The flavours immediately appeal as there are many flavours that Indian can resonate with.

Fusion food

Peruvian food is essentially a fusion of spicy, sharp and fresh flavours, so it isn't surprising that Indians are beginning to enjoy it. It is primarily the unique ingredients, healthy aspects and melange of flavours that are appealing to Indians. Furthermore, with Italian, Mexican and Pan Asian cuisines being fairly commonplace now, the Indian palate is ready to take on a new cuisine.

Inca, Asian and European influences are what make Peruvian cuisine the worlds most original fusion cuisine. This fusion of both global and Peruvian cuisine is best represented by ceviche, the iconic dish of Lima. Ceviche combines fresh, raw fish of coastal Peru with cooking techniques that are the same as Japanese sashimi. The firm fish is marinated in lime juice and aji, a chili pepper from the Andes that was first discovered by the Incas, to further zest it up.

A Japanese twist?

Tiradito is essentially thin Sashimi-style fish, which is cured with a sauce made with the Peruvian yellow chillies called Aji Amarillo and is again part of the menu at LIMA, Mumbai.

Chefs are giving these dishes their own creative twist as Peruvian cuisine allows a chef to use his imagination abundantly. Chef Sanjay Dwivedi for instance, prefers to borrow more from the Japanese influences of Peruvian cuisine. Papas seca, a dry potato and purple corn, are two ingredients he uses amply. I use Peruvian influences in my desserts too at Coya, he tells us.

The Japanese influence is showcased in the Tiradito (a sashimi-style dish of raw fish 'cooked' in lime juice) and the popularity of Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese food). Peruvians have adopted these styles to their own customs. There is something for everyone to savour, says Chef Atul Kochhar.

Chef Hemant Oberoi has created Perushi at his restaurant  a Peruvian sushi with amarillo aioli.

Rules for the chef?

Less is more, is the mantra in Peruvian cuisine. Let the quality of produce be the hero. Another rule is to get the balance of acid, sweet, spice and salt right, says Chef Atul Kochhar.

Although known for his expertise in French cuisine all his life, Chef Sanjay found it easy to slip into Peruvian cuisine owing to his understanding of chilies and spices, both of which are critical to this cuisine, as we Indians are familiar with both these elements. No wonder Indian chefs are so adept at experimenting with Peruvian ingredients..

As with most foreign cuisines, there are some national delicacies of Peru that dont make it onto menus in India. But for now, diners have begun to enjoy Peruvian cuisine and seem keen for more opportunities to try it.
Lucknow: Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh over the law and order situation, the Aam Admi Party on Sunday alleged that those "close to" Prime Minister Narendra Modi were working against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

AAP's broadside alleging that Aditynath was unable to rein in his own party MPs came as it made clear its intention to fight the upcoming civic polls in the state.

The party, which did not contest the recent Assembly polls in UP, is reeling under a string of setbacks, including defeat in Delhi civic polls, its "disappointing" performance in Punjab and Goa elections and revolt by senior leader Kapil Mishra.

"Yogi government has proved to be a failure on law and order front. Murder, loot, dacoity and rape have increased four-fold. If he (Yogi) wants to maintain law and order, he should control BJP leaders," AAP national spokesman Sanjay Singh said.

"There is a common talk within the BJP that those close to Modi are running a 'non-cooperation movement' against Yogi government," he told PTI.

Referring to caste violence in Saharanpur, Singh alleged that BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal is "directly responsible for it".

"In Moradabad, before CM Yogi's meeting, a BJP MP beat an officer with slippers. There are apprehensions that those close to Modi are working against Yogi," he alleged.

When asked about Presidential polls and the opposition's attempt to forge unity, Singh said the AAP will come out with strategy.

"We are the dalits of politics because we are against traditional politics of both these parties (the Congress and BJP). We will discuss and come out with our strategy at an opportune time," he said

On BJP's loan waiver scheme for farmers, Singh said the RBI has refused to give loan to the state government for it.

Now the Yogi government should clarify how it will implement the scheme, he said.

About the party's preparation for local bodies polls in UP, Singh said that in 45 districts, city, ward, booth and mohalla committees will be constituted and after 15 July workers meeting will be held in each district.

District committees will be given rights to decide candidates, he said.

Singh said that corruption in the name of house and water tax, construction of roads and drains, recruitment of sanitation workers will be among the election issues for the party in local bodies polls, which are due in a couple of months.

"There is scope for AAP in UP as the Samajwadi Party and the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) are involved in casteism and corruption while the BJP follows a divide and rule policy to catapult itself to power," he said.

In such a scenario, AAP is the only alternative in the state, he said.
Its official. Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yeddyurappa will be the chief minister of Karnataka if the BJP wins the next years Assembly elections.

It was known earlier in a hush-hush fashion. But BJP president Amit Shah has made that abundantly clear now in an interaction with PTI.

Shah said that the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election will be fought under Yeddyurappa". Asked if that meant Yeddyurappa would be the CMs face, he said, He will be.

By naming Yeddyurappa as the chief ministerial candidate, the BJP intends to do an Assam in Karnataka and snap up the southern state from the Indian National Congress. In Assam, the BJP had named Sarbananda Sonowal as the chief ministerial candidate during the run-up to the Assembly election last year and it worked even though the party projected no "chief ministers face" even in key states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand that went to polls earlier this year.

Shahs confirmation that Karnatakas 74-year-old upper-caste Lingayat leader, who is now the state BJP president, would be the partys chief ministerial candidate assumes huge significance in view of the vicious war between him and senior leader and former state president KS Eshwarappa.

Shah came down like a tonne of bricks on both the leaders last month by sacking two office-bearers from each of the two factions. Through the national general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Muralidhar Rao, who rushed to Bengaluru on a trouble-shooting operation, Shah delivered a tough message to both leaders, the essence of which was that they should stop reaching for each others throats and work towards winning the election, or, face some unpleasant action.

After Shah forced a truce between Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa, the two leaders indeed made friendly noises towards each other. Eshwarappa, 68, said he and Yeddyurappa were "not India and Pakistan". Yeddyurappa took Eshwarappa along for the 36-day state-wide tour of drought-hit areas which he began on 18 May.

But its easy to see that the truce is a tenuous one, and though they have buried their hatchets, for the time being, they may dig them up again for a good use when provoked. And speculation has been rife on whether the partys central leadership might "clip the wings" of Yeddyurappa in some fashion even if it meant looking for an alternative to him.

All this talk was, however, set at rest by Shahs confirmation that Yeddyurappa was the partys man in the state.

Eshwarappa's chief grouse against Yeddyurappa has been that he is "arrogant" and that he was giving him and his supporters a brush-off while filling party posts and taking important decisions. And Yeddyurappa's hackles were raised by the activities that Eshwarappa carried out through Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, an outfit that the later floated in 2016 ostensibly to drum up support for the party among the Dalits and the backward classes. Rayanna was an 18th-century warrior of Kuruba caste to which Eshwarappa belongs.

Things turned nasty on 27 April when the Kuruba leader held a "save BJP" rally where his supporters breathed fire against Yeddyurappas "style of functioning", demanding that he should be sacked from the state party chiefs post by 10 May.

Shah wants a hat-trick in Gujarat, HP and Karnataka

Shah is evidently averse to slowing down Prime Minister Narendra Modis election juggernaut. He is bent upon pulling off a hat-trick by winning Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where assembly elections are likely to be held towards the end of this year, followed by Karnataka later next year.

Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura assemblies too will be up polls for early next year, but Karnataka will be the first big state to go for elections in 2018. Karnataka is the only large state other than Punjab in the country where Congress holds power and the only one in the south where BJP stands a reasonable chance of winning on its own. Shah is in no mood to let go of Karnataka for any reason, least of all infighting in the state unit.

The BJP chief is expected to visit Karnataka soon both for a personal assessment of the goings-on in the party as well as to give the warring leaders a piece of his mind on the need for a united fight against the Congress.

According to party insiders, the central leadership has already sounded off a polite admonition to Yeddyurappa about his brash style, and Shah may, in his own mild way, put him through the wringer when he visits the state. The party president is also expected to take a careful stock of the extent of discontent in the Eshwarappa camp and may calm him down by apportioning him some responsibilities in the election run-up. Eshwarappa has no problem accepting his rival as the chief ministerial candidate but only insists on getting his share of importance in the party which he headed twice before in 1992 and 2010.

Yeddyurappa is already in poll mode

On his part, Yeddyurappa has plunged into an election mode and is busy getting his caste arithmetic right to achieve the partys goal of winning at least 150 of the assemblys 224 seats. With his two previous stints as the chief minister having abruptly and unceremoniously ended, he will not rest in peace till he gets the top job again.

He became the chief minister on 12 November 2007 after the BJP struck an unholy alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda but quit just a week later following differences over sharing of ministerial posts. After leading the party to victory in the 2008 elections, he became the chief minister again but had to quit three years and two months later after his name figured in mining and land scams.

Yeddyurappa, no doubt, is a busy man today.

He is busy explaining he has been exonerated of all cases except a couple of them related to de-notification of land, which he says "all" chief ministers indulge in. He is also busy trying to mop up the upper caste vote and wooing the Dalits. Yeddyurappa is visiting Dalit homes and eating lemon rice and vada with them.

Addressed Raitha Morcha at BJP headquarters today. pic.twitter.com/YC9qgpukOG  B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 28, 2017

He is also busy fighting the farmers cause, promising to waive off their loans if voted to power, and threatening to hold a rally with "lakhs" of them in Bengaluru.

And, of course, he is busy telling people that Siddaramaiah is the very epitome of corruption and nepotism.

On his part, Siddaramaiah must be hoping that Yeddyurappa will be busy nursing his electoral wounds after the 2018 election. And the BJPs rank and file hope that, more than Yeddyurappa or Eshwarappa, its the Modi magic that will do the trick for the party. Its more than likely that they will be proved right.

The author tweets as @sprasadindia
New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah and other party leaders joined the slum-dwellers of Ravidas Ashram as they together listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann ki Baat radio programme.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, party MP Meenakshi Lekhi, party vice-president and Delhi unit in-charge Shyam Jaju accompanied Shah during his visit, seen as an attempt by the party to strike a chord with the inhabitants of slums and unauthorised colonies.

Similar gatherings were organised by the saffron party at various other locations of the national capital, including at Inderpuri, Rohini, Laxmi Nagar, Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk.

The recent victory of the BJP in the MCD polls was attributed by the party to Tiwari's "connect" with the residents of unauthorised colonies, slums and rural areas.

The resounding victory has rekindled the party's hope of returning to power in Delhi in the next Assembly polls due in 2020.
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused BJP-ruled states of spending over Rs 2,000 crore on advertisements praising three years of the Narendra Modi-led government and said the money should have been utilised to build schools and hospitals instead.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP will appeal to a committee set up to monitor the Supreme Court's guidelines on government advertisements, to redeem this money from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"When we inquired in different states, we came to know that a budget of over Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated for advertisements praising three years of the BJP (NDA) government," the AAP leader said.

When asked how the AAP arrived at the figure of Rs 2,000 crore, AAP leader Ashutosh said it is from "our own sources", and didn't elaborate.

Showing newspaper advertisements from different states, the deputy chief minister said, "These are advertisements from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. In these BJP-ruled states, tax payers' money is being spent on praising three years of BJP (NDA) government."

"Governments have the right to give advertisements and it is needed too, but it must be to communicate with people and not for celebrating your party's three years at the Centre," Sisodia said.

Speaking about allegations made by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra earlier on Saturday, about a Rs 300 crore "scam" on procurement of medicines by the Delhi government, Sisodia dubbed it as a "daily soap opera" and baseless.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre should immediately start negotiations with all stakeholders in Kashmir where the situation was becoming 'worse' in the last few years, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy said on Sunday.

"We all agree that this issue has to settled within the framework of the Constitution. Art 370 is part of the Constitution...," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram referring to the violence and militant attacks in the border state.

In the last few years, instead of improving, the situation "is becoming worse in the state." Successive governments were not in a position to understand and find a solution to the problem there, Reddy said.

He said the central government should immediately start negotiations with all stakeholders without 'false prestige'.

The 'alienation' in the state had been to such an extent that only seven percent of the people voted in the recent Srinagar bypolls and in Anantanag, the elections have been postponed indefinitely, he said.

The country should support the "justified demand of Kashmiries for a secular India," he added.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat unit of the BJP on Sunday kicked off the vistarak initiative which is aimed at establishing a direct contact with people ahead of the Assembly elections to be held later this year.

Under the initiative, which would continue till 5 June, each party vistarak (a full-time worker) will visit each of total 48,000 polling booths across the state to canvass for the party and to interact with people.

On the first day, all the 48,000 vistaraks, including state chief minister Vijay Rupani and state party in-charge Bhupender Yadav, visited their designated booths and listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann ki Baat radio programme with locals, stated a party release.

While Rupani interacted with people at a booth in Kheda district, Yadav remained present at a booth in Gandhinagar district, it said.

BJP president Amit Shah will visit Gujarat on 31 May to take part in this initiative. On that day, Shah would visit a booth in tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district as one of the vistaraks, as per the release.
Thiruvananthapuram: Pitching for a candidate with secular credentials the presidential poll, the CPI on Sunday said the Delhi meeting of opposition parties to discuss a joint candidate could well be the beginning of a joint front against the BJP.

"The time has come to move with a united programme against the Bharatiya Janata Party. We see meeting in Delhi when leaders of these parties discussed a consensus presidential candidate as the beginning," said CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, on a visit to Kerala capital to participate in party meetings.

The Communist Party of India is the second biggest constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front, after the CPM.

Reddy said it was good to know that BJP President Amit Shah is speaking about a consensus candidate.

"But we do not know how much weight Shah carries, as everything is decided by (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. We are open if a person with secular credentials is put up. We will wait for 15-20 days to hear from the BJP. If nothing happens, we could well make the next move to field a candidate. We can look for others willing to join this move," the CPI leader said.

Reddy flayed the Modi government on the BJP's poll promise of creating two crore new jobs every year. "By their own admission, all they say is that only 1.40 crore jobs have been created in three years," he said.

"The Kashmir issue has turned from bad to worse during this period -- unrest is growing. Judiciary is getting suffocated, democracy has been scuttled in Manipur and Goa, and a recent rule change in the guise of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals...," Reddy said.

He said the resurfacing of the beef issue has been done as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's agenda.

On Friday, opposition parties led by the Congress held discussions in Delhi on the presidential poll. Leaders of the Janata Dal-United, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, CPM, CPI, All India United Democratic Front, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Janata Dal-Secular were among those who attended.
Thiruvananthapuram: CPI on Sunday alleged the Central notification banning sale of cattle for slaughter was part of the RSS conspiracy for a "Hindu Rashtra."

"Sangh Parivar is trying to force vegetarianism. This is part of their Hindu Rashtra conspiracy," CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

It is a "most unwise" decision and the party condemns it, he said adding the course of agitation on the issue would be discussed at the CPI secretariat meeting on 31 May.

The decision by the Central government was to "attack certain sections of society - Muslims and Dalits, whom the Sangh Parivar hates," he charged.

Alleging that the Parivar was trying to 'saffronise the society, he said what to study, dress to wear and type of speeches and ultimately what to eat were being decided in the RSS headquarters.

People should not tolerate this and should fight back, he added.

Cattle meat was being consumed by a large section of people in the country. In Kerala, about 90 per cent were non-vegetarians. In some states, 60-70 per cent people eat animal meat, Reddy said.

The government decision would create a crisis not only for meat exports, but also affect the economy - the dairy and leather industries would be hit and it would also cause hardships to farmers, he claimed.

On Narendra Modi-led government's three-year rule, he said it was a 'disaster'. "Our exports, manufacturing and mining sectors are in serious trouble", he alleged.

While in some parts of the country there was bumper crop, states like Kerala, Karnataka, parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were facing unprecedented drought and the had government failed to provide any relief to the people, he charged.

Alleging that during Modi's reign, the Centre-State relations had "become bad," he said more powers and economic resources were getting concentrated with the Central government.

With introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), more and more resources would go to the Centre. For the first five years the states would be compensated, after which they would "become beggars before the central government," creating an imbalance in the federal structure of the country, he said.
Nagpur: A loan waiver can give relief to some extent but it cannot address the issue of farmer suicides in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.

The minister said it's difficult to check farmer suicides in the region unless 50 percent of its land is irrigated. Therefore, it's important to improve the irrigation potential to address the issue effectively, the Nagpur MP said.

Gadkari said leading milk supplier Mother Dairy is going to set up 40 centres in Vidarbha and the company will procure milk from the farmers in the region.

"This will benefit around 2.5 to 3 lakh farmers," he said.

FMCG major Patanjali will be focusing on Gadchiroli and Melghat region in Amravati for the procurement of Ayurvedic herbs, the minister said.

He said plans are afoot to introduce electric cars for jungle safari in tiger sanctuaries in Vidarbha region.
Rome: About 10,000 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya over the previous four days but at least 54 others died, Libyan and Italian officials said Sunday.

The Tunisian army on Sunday also rescued 126 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, hoping to reach Italian shores, officials said.

They were aboard a flimsy inflatable boat off the coastal town of Ben Gardane, near the Libyan border.

On Saturday, more than 1,200 migrants were rescued by Libyan ships and taken to Tripoli or Zawiya, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west, while the Italian coastguard and commercial boats rescued 2,200 others and took them to Italy.

At least 10 bodies were also found by the Italian coastguard, officials said.

Migrants were still disembarking in southern Italy on Saturday. Another 6,400 were picked up between Tuesday and Thursday, but at least 44 people died, including 35 who drowned on Wednesday when a powerful wave struck their vessel, pitching them into the sea as a rescue ship was distributing life jackets. Officials expressed fears that many more people were still missing at sea.

The unloading of passengers in Sicily was halted all week due to the G7 summit in the eastern hilltop town of Taormina, which lengthened rescue ships' journey by 24 hours and delayed their return to the seas.

In response, commercial boats were called out to help.

More than 50,000 migrants have reached the Italian coast since the start of the year, not counting those rescued in recent days, while more than 1,400 have drowned or are missing, according to UN figures.

Of the 181,000 migrants who entered Italy last year, some 90 percent arrived via Libya. The North African country has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Libya has urged Europe, and particularly Italy, to supply it with the equipment it needs to monitor its southern borders, through which migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African, enter the country.

While migration and the vast continent on Sicily's southern doorstep got a mention Saturday in the final statement of G7 leaders gathered in the hilltop town of Taormina, the summit itself was dominated by trade, climate change and security threats.

Summit host Italy had made Africa a priority for the gathering, picking Sicily as a venue as it was "at the heart of the Mediterranean" and a "bridge between Europe and Africa," according to Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
New Delhi: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Sunday left for Myanmar on a four-day visit during which he will hold talks with top military leaders there to further ramp up defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

Army sources said Gen Rawat will hold talks with the top military brass of Myanmar and will explore ways to further broaden security and defence engagements, particularly between the two armies.

Myanmars President Htin Kyaw had visited India in August 2016 during which the two countries had agreed to step up bilateral coordination between border guarding forces to ensure security in the areas along the border.

India has been concerned over some militant groups from the Northeast region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.

The issue of cross-border activities by certain insurgent groups might figure during talks between Rawat and Myanmar's military leadership.

In June 2015, the Indian Army had carried out an operation in areas near the India-Myanmar against the NSCN (K) militants, days after militants had killed 18 Army men in Manipur.
Kathmandu: Bodies of three Indian climbers,two of whom had died last year on Mount Everest, were retrieved on Sunday from a high altitude camp on the world's tallest peak and airlifted to the Nepalese capital.

Paresh Chandra Nath, 58, and Gautam Gosh, 50, were missing since April 7 last year.

Ravi Kumar, 27, had died last week when he fell into a crevice after conquering the world's tallest peak. His body was also recovered from the same camp.

Their bodies have been sent to Kathmandu by helicopter for the post-mortem, My Republica said.

Nath and Gosh, who had reached in camp-4 on 15 March last year, were found buried under snow. They were associated with Trekking Camp Nepal Private Limited, Kathmandu for the Everest expedition.

They died last year but their remains could not be moved due to bad weather, according to tourism department officials.

The bodies were found above 8,000 metres an altitude that marks the beginning of the "death zone".

Kumar was associated with Summit Trek Private Limited, Kathmandu.

On Wednesday, bodies of four climbers, including two foreigners and a woman, were found at a high altitude camp on Mount Everest, taking the total number of fatalities on the world's tallest peak to ten this season.

Last year, five climbers lost their lives on Everest. A total of 640 people reached the summit.Climbers ascend Everest from two sides the north face from China and the South face from Nepal.

Nepal had cleared 371 mountaineers to climb Mount Everest during the current season ending this month.Nearly 300 people have died on Mt Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953.It is estimated that more than 200 dead bodies are still lying on the mountain.
London: British Airways (BA) warned of further delays and cancellations as it resumed flights on Sunday following a major IT failure that saw most services cancelled from London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Saturday. The unions blamed the airline's decision last year of outsourcing IT jobs to India as causing the disruptions.

Between 6 am and 9 am, 91 British Airways flights were scheduled to depart from both the airports, the BBC reported. So far, 42 flights have left Heathrow and 29 have been cancelled. At Gatwick, 19 planes have departed and one flight to Amsterdam was cancelled.

More than 1,000 flights were affected.

The IT failure affected check-in and operational systems, including customer service phone lines.

BA said although some of its IT systems were back on line, "there will be some knock-on disruption to our schedules as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world".

Meanwhile, The Guardian newspaper reported in London that British Airways GMB union has said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the flight disruptions.

The GMB union, which had cautioned last year against outsourcing jobs, said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff outsourcing the work to India, and blamed cost cutting for the travel chaos.

"We are repositioning some aircraft during the night to enable us to operate as much of our schedule as possible throughout Sunday," the BBC quoted the airlines as saying.

A BA spokesman said: "We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers throughout Saturday and understand how frustrating their experiences will have been."

"We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies for anyone due to travel on Sunday and Monday who no longer wishes to fly to or from Heathrow or Gatwick," he added.

The airline also said that most long-haul flights due to land in London on Sunday were expected to arrive as normal.

Delays were also reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga due to the system failure, which coincided with a bank holiday weekend and the start of the half-term holiday for many people in the UK.

Customers have been advised to continue checking the status of their flight on the airline's website www.ba.com before leaving for the airport.
Beijing: China on Sunday slammed the G7 communique, which had a mention of the disputed East and the South China Sea issue.

Reacting to the communique released by the G7 countries on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said that the bloc had interfered in the East China Sea and South China Sea issues in the guise of international law.

China has been committed to properly handling disputes, cementing cooperation, and safeguarding peace and stability of the East China Sea and the South China Sea through talks and consultations directly with related parties, Lu was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Lu urged G7 and countries outside to understand the situation, stick to the pledge to take no position on relevant disputes, fully respect the efforts made by countries in the region to handle disputes, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

China is locked in a disputed with Japan, the Philippines, and other countries over the East and the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea to which the Philippines and other also have overlapping claims.

China also asserts sovereignty over the East China Sea, a claim contested by its arch and traditional rival Japan.
A little under 30 years ago, after Vishwanath Pratap Singh became India's prime minister, he met with then Sri Lanka president Ranasinghe Premadasa. Singh, a polite man, says he was surprised when the first thing Premadasa said to him was: When are you taking your army back? The reference was to the Indian Peace Keeping Force, a group of soldiers from the Indian Army sent to Lanka to fight the Tamil Tigers. India had deployed tens of thousands of its jawans (over 1,000 of whom would die fighting the Tamilians) and she had thought of it as a sacrifice for the Lankans. However, the Lankans, according to Singh, saw it as interference after a point and wanted the Indians out of their country.

The civil war in Sri Lanka ended with a victory of the Sinhalese nationalists, and today Sri Lanka is no longer under the influence of India as it was 30 years ago. If there is a nation that many Sri Lankans see as interfering (into its affairs), it is China. India cannot compete with the scale of the giant ports in Colombo and Hambantota that the Chinese are developing in Sri Lanka. However, they come with a compromise, which the China model of development brings with it. There is no time here for details, but to some extent, it means more or less like having Chinese colonies on your land. And to a larger extent, it means having to take a debt from the Chinese that you may or may not be able to afford. Today, the Chinese are also executing the most important and largest infrastructure project of the world. It is called "One Belt, One Road". The belt is a series of highways and the "road" is a network of ports and sea routes.

China held a meeting in May to show its vision, and India boycotted it. However, all of Indias neighbours, except for one, Bhutan, attended it. Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal all attended the meeting, leading to fears of encirclement in the community that thinks about strategic affairs in India.

India warned those attending the meeting that the partnership with the Chinese would come at a heavy price, but almost nobody heard India. The question is: why not? The answer, to return to the original point of this article, is that almost all of Indias neighbours either dislike or suspect India.

Even in Hindu Nepal, Indians are not particularly popular. India has no neighbour with whom it shares a relationship similar to the United States shares with Canada. All Indian borders seem to be similar to the US and Mexicos, or worse.

Perhaps, the fault is entirely that of our neighbours'. Certainly, the average Indian holds the impression that we are victims of other nations mischief.

This is coupled with the prejudiced view many Indians have of India's neighbours. Indians believe Bangladeshis are illegal immigrants, Nepalis are watchmen and Pakistanis are terrorists.

Anti-India riots broke out in Nepal a few years ago in which people were killed and property was damaged. This came after a report that actor Hrithik Roshan said he hated Nepalis. Roshan had said no such thing, and the report was false, but the thing to ask is: why did the Nepalis believe it immediately?

Today, the Nepalis in the northern part of the country think India is playing games by dividing their country into hill-people and plains-people and instigating a long and painful blockade against the former (who are the elite). They also think India is interfering with their constitutional processes.

It is possible that India has legitimate concerns and interests in Nepal. However, India must ask herself if that's the reason why her relations with the Hindu country are in such tatters that she could not get them to side with her against the Chinese.

Even with Bhutan, India's only "friend" against the Chinese, her relationship is not one of the equals. Under Jawaharlal Nehru, India imposed on Bhutan something called a Friendship Treaty, which actually was nothing of the sort. The treaty gave India a veto on Bhutans foreign policy. The exact words are "the Government of Bhutan agrees to be guided by the advice of the Government of India in regard to its external relations.

This was removed only a few years ago.

Nehru inherited an aggressively expansionist imperial state which had tentative borders. Neighbouring states feared the India of the British Raj, and legitimately. India's failure has been that she has not been able to help her neighbours overcome that fear and distrust, and build relationships that are meaningful and based on respect and mutual interest.

That failure showed in India's isolation at the "One Belt, One Road" summit. India will not be able to match Chinas economic influence on her neighbours for a long time. But that does not stop her from being real friends with them.
Egypt: Video interviews with survivors of a deadly attack by Islamic militants on a bus taking Egyptian Christians to a remote desert monastery are painting a picture of untold horror, with children hiding under their seats to escape gunfire.

The videos surfaced on social media networks on Sunday, two days after 29 were killed in the attack on a desert route south of the capital. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday.

One survivor, a small boy who is possibly six, said his mother pushed him under her seat and covered him with a bag.

A young woman speaking from her hospital bed said the assailants ordered the women to surrender their jewelry and money.
Looking at the sea of humanity, the huge stage, the on-ground crew, the imposing backdrop of the Brandenburg Gate  one of the most famous landmarks in Germany and a symbol of German unification  made one think that a rock star was about to turn up.

While that would happen eventually, there was something else that was scheduled on 25 May in Berlin: A 90-minute panel discussion that included a popular former head of state and a current head of state: Barack Obama and Angela Merkel.

While the agenda for discussion was as academic: 'Actively shaping democracy  taking responsibility at home and abroad', the speakers, Merkel and Obama, were received as if they were rockstars. Obama may not be US president, but he can still pull in the crowds.

The road leading up to the Brandenburg Gate from the Tiergarten was packed with almost 70,000 people, most of them wearing orange scarves. The occasion was the 500th anniversary celebrations of the German Protestant Church (Reformation) along the sidelines of Kirchentag, a forum that takes place over five days, biannually. Obama was invited by the bishop of Bavaria.

First there was Obama...

This was Obama's first public appearance since he left office in January 2017, but the warm reception was quite reminiscent of the kind he would command as president. Germany loves Obama. It was hard to spot a single placard critical of him. Also, Merkel and Obama share a personal relationship which Donald Trump can only dream of.

Guten Tag! Not only do I love this city, but one of my favourite partners throughout my presidency is sitting next to me, chancellor Merkel, Obama began, to loud cheers from the crowd.

What followed was a question and answer session where both Obama and Merkel touched upon themes such as the future of democracy, solidarity, inclusion, religion, among many others.

Merkel defended her stance on the refugee situation in Germany. Thanking those who have been supportive of the cause, Merkel also appealed for patience in these trying times. At the same time, she accepted that some were critical of her decisions and her actions were not always popular.

We must not think in terms of months, but years. There will be setbacks, but you have to keep looking ahead, Merkel said.

Obama, also speaking about accepting refugees, spoke of challenges that the head of state faces while considering the fate of his countrymen.

Expounding on religion, Obama said his public life began as a church worker in Chicago and it instilled in him a sense of purpose and belief, to work towards making the world a better place. Personally, in my own faith, I believe that it is always good to have a little bit of doubt, said Obama. An awkward pause followed. Then the crowd broke out into applause.

Understandable. After all, a former word leader was expressing doubting one's faith on a platform to celebrate the Reformation. Merkel stayed away from any such sentiment, sticking to the simple answer that belief was an important part of her life.

Not once in the 90-minute event did Obama directly mention Trump, although he did throw a jab at his successor.

We make investments to try to deal with climate change and the displacement of farmers. And people whose way of life is being changed because the weather patterns are changing. Those things we do, are not just for charity. But also because if there are disruptions in these countries, if there is conflict, if there is bad governance, if there is war, and so on, then in this new world that we live in, we cant isolate ourselves. We cant hide behind a wall, Obama said.

The dig was clear. Obama clearly did not approve of Trump's plans to build a 'big, beautiful wall' along the US-Mexico border.

When asked by a student panelist about the use of drones by the United States Army, Obama accepted that there had been "collateral damage". "Sometimes, my decisions have led to the death of civilians because mistakes were made. Drones themselves are not the problem. The problem is war."

There were also moments of levity. When asked how he'd been spending his free time, Obama said he'd been catching up on his sleep and trying to spend more time with his beautiful wife Michelle and their daughters.

But my daughters are older. I'm not really interesting to them. They'd rather spend time with their friends. Sometimes they feel sorry for me and we end up spending time together, Obama said, grinning.

Obama also spoke of his foundation, which is working to identify young thought leaders and provide them with the right platform to realise their ideas.

...And then there was Trump

Was the Obama visit scheduled to coincide with Trumps trip to Brussels? Much as one would like to see that as intentional, the fact is that Obama was invited by the German Evangelical Protestant Church a year ago.

But since the German elections are scheduled to take place in September, the Merkel-Obama meet was also seen as a publicity stunt by a lot of opponents of Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU). After all, this discussion was happening at the same place where, in 2008, Merkel had reservations about Obama's Brandenburg address.

A few hours after meeting Obama, Merkel flew to Brussels to meet Trump. One can charitably say that she shares a frosty relationship with Trump, but one can hardly blame her after the cold shoulder she received during their March meeting in the United States.

Trump has, as usual, been in the news for all the wrong reasons. During the NATO summit, he quite literally put 'America first' by shoving the Prime Minister of Montenegro during a photo op, asked 23 NATO members to pay up while they sniggered behind his back. He also said, "Germans are bad, very bad."

Adding to the confusion, his advisers defended his comment, saying that Trump only meant that Germany's trade practices were bad and not the country itself. Whew!

But for anyone even cursorily following Trump, this is par for the course.

When it comes to several issues, it is clear that Merkel and Trump are not on the same page. Rather, they're not even in the same book. But keeping in mind the rise of the Right in Germany, will Trump receive the same rockstar reception as Obama?

That question will be answered when Trump makes an official visit to Hamburg for the G20 summit in July. Going by past precedent, it seems unlikely that Germany will embrace Trump.

But one can't say for sure.
London: A cheeky 11-year-old girl in the United Kingdom accused her teacher of "a war crime" under the Geneva Conventions for punishing the whole class for the actions of a few in a school feedback form that has gone viral online.

Ava Bell was asked to fill out a form for school with questions for students about their teachers. One asked how teachers can do better.

Her father, Gavin Bell, who is based in Glasgow and is also known as author Mason Cross, revealed on Twitter that in the feedback form she criticised the policy of punishing a whole class for one person's bad behaviour: By citing the Geneva Conventions.

Asked what her teacher could do better, Bell wrote, "Not use collective punishment as it is not fair on the many people who did nothing and under the 1949 Genva [sic] Conventions it is a war crime." "Not sure if I should ground her or buy her ice cream," Gavin tweeted.

My daughter actually submitted this feedback at school. Not sure if I should ground her or buy her ice cream... pic.twitter.com/4v8Gjb9riv  Mason Cross (@MasonCrossBooks) May 25, 2017

The picture showing the suggestion, handwritten in pencil, has been "liked" more than 500,000 times on Twitter. "I should clarify that she thinks her teacher is awesome. It's just this aspect of the educational justice system she has an issue with," Gavin said.

He told the BBC that he came across the form at a parents' evening, where folders of the children's work are displayed for their guardians to read. He said it was entirely characteristic, "She will never let an argument go at home!"

Various fellow parents joked that the young Bell was precocious, and this could be just the start for her. A more cynical observer also accused writer Gavin of making it up.

The father replied, "Dude, if I'd made it up I would have got her to fix the spelling of 'Genva.'"

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war.

Gavin eventually ended up buying his daughter ice-cream. That'll teach her.
New Delhi: At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered more precious than humans.

A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said that the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.

Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the country's capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, an officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.

Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the second most dangerous posting after Syria, where fighting is relentless, in the absence of any ceasefire.

"The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex," Brar said.

Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.

"These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle," Shekatkar said.

Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.

South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.

The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a massive humanitarian response.

The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

"The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal," Shekatkar said.

India's soft power in South Sudan

Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.

"The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying 'Ram, Ram'. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)," Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.

Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. He added that it will also help to take care of food security.

The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.

"I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected India's borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country," Havildar Suresh Patil said.

India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, West Asia, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

29 May is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Washington: A federal judge threw out a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed in the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling that the former secretary of state didn't defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied.

The lawsuit also alleged the former Democratic presidential candidate's use of a private email server caused the death of their sons, Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, because it exposed terrorists to sensitive information. They claimed Clinton lied when she allegedly told them it was a YouTube video that prompted the consulate attack.

"The untimely death of plaintiffs' sons is tragic, and the court does not mean to minimise the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way," United States District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion released on Friday. But Berman said that legal standards required the case to be dismissed.

Berman ruled the parents didn't sufficiently challenge that Clinton wasn't acting in her official capacity when she used the private server, and that the families didn't put forward appropriate claims that Clinton defamed them or put them in a false light.

One of the parents, Patricia Smith, gave an emotional speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention against Clinton. Her son and Woods were killed in the September 2012 attack, along with Central Intelligence Agency operative Glen Doherty and the United States ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

Clinton's private server bedevilled her campaign before it officially began, when The Associated Press first discovered its use. Emails later released under the Freedom of Information Act showed some contained classified information, although they were not marked as such at the time.

The lawsuit's dismissal was first reported by Politico.
NEW YORK A Mississippi man went on a shooting spree overnight, killing a sheriff's deputy and seven other people in three separate locations in rural Lincoln County before the suspect was taken into custody by police, authorities said on Sunday.Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, was arrested and was being treated in a hospital for a gunshot wound, according to Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.The sheriff's deputy, identified as William Durr, was fatally shot after responding to an emergency call regarding a domestic dispute late on Saturday night at a house in Bogue Chitto, a small community about 69 miles south of Jackson, the state capital. Durr, 36, had worked for the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department for two years, Strain said.Godbolt also killed three females at the house, Strain said, before heading to another residence in the nearby city of Brookhaven and fatally shooting two boys, Strain said. He then headed to a third address to kill a male and a female victim. Except for the deputy, the victims have not been identified.

Video of Godbolt minutes after his arrest posted online by the Clarion-Ledger newspaper showed him in handcuffs sitting in a road, surrounded by officers. He tells a reporter he had been arguing with relatives about "taking my children home" before they called the police on him. He expresses regret for shooting the sheriff's deputy.

"Suicide by cop was my intention," he says in the video. "I ain't fit to live. Not after what I've done."Representatives of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office did not respond to requests for comment.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant called the killings a "senseless tragedy" in a statement."Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities," his statement said. "Too often, we lose one of our finest."Lincoln County is a mostly rural area near Mississippi's southern border with Louisiana, about 65 miles south of Jackson, the state's capital. (Reporting By Frank McGurty and Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Nick Zieminski)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Mississippi: Authorities in Mississippi said on Sunday that a suspect is in custody after eight people, including a sheriff's deputy, were killed in a shooting.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes on Saturday night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto. The area is about 68 miles (109 kilometers) south of capital city Jackson.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

However, the suspect himself gave some insight into the events that led to the shootings in an interview with a newspaper.

"I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," Cory Godbolt told The Clarion-Ledger after his arrest.

The newspaper recorded video of the suspect talking as he sat with hands cuffed behind his back on a roadside surrounded by law enforcement officers.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and her family members when somebody called authorities.

"I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," the suspect says on the video. "Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene.

"They cost him his life," the suspect said, apparently in reference to the slain deputy. "I'm sorry."

The suspect also said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention."

Governor Phil Bryant issued a statement asking state residents to pray for the victims. He also noted the "sacrifice" made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," Bryant said.
London: Nearly 23,000 terror suspects may be at large across Britain, the country's intelligence community say after the deadly Manchester attack by a Libyan-origin man who was on the radar of the UK's spy agencies.

The scale of the challenge has emerged in the aftermath of the Manchester suicide bombing that claimed 22 lives and injured 119 others.

Reports that Libyan-origin Salman Abedi had been on the radar of intelligence services had added pressure on MI5 to reveal what they knew.

Now government sources have told sections of the UK media that they believe 23,000 people with extremist tendencies are living in the UK.About 3,000 people from the total group are judged to pose a threat and are under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations being run by police and intelligence services.

The 20,000 others have featured in previous inquiries and are categorised as posing a "residual risk".

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police have released CCTV images showing suicide bomber Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

The images are the first to show what the 22-year-old looked like when he carried out the deadly terror attack.

Fourteen locations are still being searched in connection with the attack and 11 men remain in custody on suspicion of terror offences.

A Greater Manchester police statement said, "We have made significant progress in this fast moving and complex investigation, working with the national counter terrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners and securing the arrests of 11 people who remain in custody."

They added that additional officers, including armed officers, will be on patrol especially at a number of events on the weekend to ensure the security and safety of everyone.They also made an appeal to the public for information about the bomber's movements since 18 May, when he returned to the UK from Libya.

A joint statement from Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Neil Basu, Scotland Yards senior national co-ordinator from UK Counter Terrorism Policing added,"This is still a live investigation which is not slowing down.Our priorities are to understand the run up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack."

The UKs terror threat level had been lowered to "severe" from "critical" yesterday as a result of the arrests, which means an attack is still highly likely if not imminent.
Kathmandu: The death toll in the Nepalese cargo aircraft crash in the Mount Everest region has risen to two after the co-pilot of the plane succumbed to his injuries, officials said on Sunday.

A senior pilot and the co-pilot were killed when the aircraft 9N-AKY crashed while landing in foggy weather at Tenzing-Hillary Airport, also known as Lukla Airport, the gateway to the Mount Everest region on Saturday.

The plane, carrying three crew members on board, including a woman, belonged to the domestic airline Goma Air.

The senior captain of the Czech-manufactured LET-410 cargo flight Paras Kumar Rai, 48, died on the spot.

Critically injured co-pilot Srijan Manandhar was rushed to a hospital in Lukla but he succumbed to injuries nearly eight hours after the accident, The Himalayan Times reported.

The bodies have been sent for postmortem in Kathmandu.

Flight attendant Pragya Maharjan, who was injured in the incident, is said to be out of danger.

The cargo plane was piloted by captain Rai, a permanent resident of Bhojpur district in eastern Nepal, Goma Air's officials said.

According to Thakur, round-the-clock efforts to airlift the co-pilot and flight attendant failed due to bad weather.

Two helicopters were put on standby at Lukla to airlift the injured to Kathmandu for treatment, an official said.

Flight attendant Maharjan suffered minor injuries while rescuers found the captain and co-pilot trapped in the cockpit of the plane.

According to an eyewitnesses, the plane had hit a tree three metres below the runway threshold and crashed.

"The weather suddenly played foul when the captain was making final approach in one of the world's most 'dangerous airstrip' for landing," airport officials added.

"Rescue operation was carried out by the local people, Nepali Army and police personnel," said Pasang Sherpa who witnessed the scene.

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is going to form a high-level panel to investigate the accident, according to Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya, who also heads the aircraft accident investigation division.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal will also send a technical team to Lukla.

The Lukla airport, the gateway to Mount Everest, is considered one of the "world's most dangerous airports" as it demands courage and precision to fly at tiny, treacherous runway perched on a steep cliff.

This is the second major crash with casualty since 2008 at Lukla Airport after the first men to climb Mt Everest.

On October 8, 2008, Yeti Airlines Flight 103 crashed on final approach and caught fire, killing 18 passengers and crew. The aircraft's captain was the only survivor then.
SEOUL North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised the test of a new anti-aircraft weapon system and ordered its mass production and deployment throughout the country, the state news agency reported on Sunday, after weeks of defiant ballistic missile tests.The North's KCNA news agency did not report the exact nature of the weapon or the time of the test but said it was organised by the Academy of National Defence Science, a blacklisted agency that is believed to be developing missiles and nuclear weapons.The North has been pushing to develop a wide range of weapon systems since early last year at an unprecedented pace including a long-range missile capable of striking the mainland United States and has in recent weeks tested its intermediate-range ballistic missile, making some technical advances.The reclusive state rejects U.N. and unilateral sanctions by other states against its weapons programme as an infringement of its right to self defense and says the programme is necessary to counter U.S. aggression.

It last conducted a ballistic missile test a week ago.The United States denies any intention to attack the North."Kim Jong Un ... watched the test of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system organized by the Academy of National Defence Science," KCNA said on Sunday.

"This weapon system, whose operation capability has been thoroughly verified, should be mass-produced to deploy all over the country ... so as to completely spoil the enemy's wild dream to command the air, boasting of air supremacy and weapon almighty," it said.KCNA said Kim was accompanied by his military aides and listed the three men believed to be the top officials in the country's rapidly accelerating missile programme.

They are Ri Pyong Chol, a former top air force general; Kim Jong Sik, a veteran rocket scientist; and Jang Chang Ha, the head of the Academy of National Defence Science, a weapons development and procurement centre.North Korea said on Monday it had successfully tested what it called an intermediate-range ballistic missile that met all technical requirements and could now be mass-produced, although outside officials and experts questioned the extent of its progress.On Tuesday, the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said that if left unchecked, North Korea is on an "inevitable" path to obtaining a nuclear-armed missile capable of striking the United States.Appearing at a Senate hearing, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Vincent Stewart declined to offer a time estimate but Western experts believe the North still needed several years to develop such a weapon. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Manila: Government troops have found eight bodies of civilians who were allegedly executed by militants in Marawi city in southern Philippines, bringing the death toll in the six-day clashes between army and militants to 95, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said the eight bodies, including women and a child, were found on Saturday night and Sunday morning in Marawi city, which has been under siege by Maute militants since Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

"The bodies (found) consist of four males, three females and a child," Padilla said, adding that the discovery of the eight bodies "validates" reports that militants have indeed killed civilians.

"We are still validating other reports of atrocities by militants," Padilla said. To date, he said, 19 civilians have been confirmed to have been executed by militants.

Padilla said so far, 61 militants have been killed in the firefight and that 11 soldiers and four policemen have also been killed.

Padilla said in a statement that the troops will continue "precision" air strikes and artillery fire at specific targets in the city where the Maute militants are hiding.

Padilla said the ongoing military air strikes and military actions focus on freeing a still undetermined number of civilians trapped in the city's interiors.

"Precision airstrikes and artillery fire will likewise continue at specific targets to hasten the clearing," Padilla said.

The Philippine media reported on Sunday that heavy fighting, explosions and airstrikes continued as troops sealed the city of Maute militants.

Hundreds of Marawi city residents have fled as the military operations to flush out the militants intensified.

"Our forces are working overtime to hasten the restoration of the rule of law and Marawi's return to normalcy," Padilla said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared martial law on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Tuesday night, vowed to crack down on local militants who have alleged links with ISIS and seek to carve out a caliphate out of Mindanao.

"Until the police and armed forces say the Philippines is safe, this martial law will continue," he told soldiers in Iligan City on Saturday.

The violence that broke out on Tuesday afternoon on the southern island left 95 people dead, the military said. The military has earlier said that some of the dead militants are foreigners from neighbouring countries.

Mindanao is home to a number of Muslim insurgent groups seeking more autonomy. The insurgents have been fighting the government for decades.
Vatican City: For the second day in a row, Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with Egypt's Coptic Christians following an attack on a bus carrying Coptic pilgrims to a remote desert monastery.

Francis led thousands of people in prayer on Sunday for the victims, who Francis said were killed in "another act of ferocious violence" after having refused to renounce their Christian faith.

Speaking from his studio window over St. Peter's Square, Francis said, "May the Lord welcome these courageous witnesses, these martyrs, in his peace and convert the hearts of the violent ones."

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday's attack, which killed 29 people.

On Saturday during a visit to Genoa, Francis prayed for the victims and lamented that there were more martyrs today than in early Christian times.
By Steve Scherer and Sasa Kavic

| GIARDINI NAXOS, Italy

GIARDINI NAXOS, Italy A group of protesters sought to break through a police cordon at the end of a protest march against world leaders meeting on the island of Sicily on Saturday, scuffling with security forces, who fired tear gas to disperse them.After hundreds of people had peacefully marched through the streets of the seaside town of Giardini Naxos, down the hill from where a Group of Seven meeting had been held, a smaller group of about 100 people peeled off from the pack and challenged riot police.When they tried to flank them by running along the beach, police charged and fired tear gas. Protesters washed their eyes out with water and an ambulance appeared to take away at least one injured person. Italy had massive security measures in place for the protesters who accused world leaders of ignoring the interests of ordinary people.Though some 3,500 were expected to turn up, the actual turnout appeared to be about half of that. Salvatore Giordano, a Sicilian high school professor, blamed the low turnout of in part on heavy security. He was stopped by police multiple times and blocked for a half-hour at the highway exit before finally being let through. Police were also stopping buses and searching them, he said.

"They are criminalising our dissent," Giordano said. "We're pacifists. We're not here to break windows, but to protest against Sicily being turned into a giant aircraft carrier for the world's military powers.""CAMPAIGN OF FEAR"

U.S. President Donald Trump and the heads of Italy, France, Britain, Germany, Canada and Japan had been meeting in Taormina, which sits on a rocky hilltop just north of Giardini Naxos.

Bus loads of police lined the route of the march in what is normally a sleepy town of beach-going tourists, while a police helicopter circled above.Giordano came to air his opposition to the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), part of an ultra-fast satellite communications network for the American military that he says poses a health risk to people living near the infrastructure.Another group of protesters carried red flags bearing the communist hammer and sickle symbol.

Alessandro D'Alessandro, the coordinator of Sicily's communist party, said there had been a media campaign of fear against the protesters, which kept numbers low."It was hard to get here," D'Alessandro said. "But we came to tell the world's most powerful people that we oppose their military and capitalistic worldview. We're here to defend the interests of the weakest."Fears of violent protests like the ones seen during a G7 summit in the northern Italian city of Genoa in 2001 prompted the mayor of Giardini Naxos to order all local businesses to close for the day. Sixteen years ago throngs of protesters in Genoa clashed with authorities in street battles spread out over two days, and police shot dead an anti-globalisation protester during some of Italy's worst-ever riots. (Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Emergency teams rushed to distribute aid on Sunday to half a million Sri Lankans displaced after the island's worst flooding in more than a decade, as authorities upgraded the death toll to 146.

The official disaster management centre said 112 people were still missing, with 50 injured in hospital, since torrential rain and landslides swept away villages.

Floodwaters were receding in some areas after a break in the rain, giving authorities a chance to deliver much-needed supplies to victims who lost everything in the deluge.

Heavy rains on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island.

Many villages were still underwater on Sunday, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or completely destroyed. Almost half a million Sri Lankans had been forced from their homes, with most moving into temporary shelters.

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were children below the age of five years. It said the floods raised fears of stagnant waters becoming breeding grounds for dengue and noted that young children were more vulnerable.

Medical teams were dispatched to the worst-affected areas to help prevent an outbreak of water-borne diseases.

"We have the expertise to deal with this situation," health minister Rajitha Senaratne said, adding cholera and diarrhoea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

The government withdrew an evacuation order for thousands of residents in the southern district of Matara as water levels subsided.

"The threat of floods around the (river) Nilvala has subsided," irrigation department director M Thuraisingham said.

"The flood levels near Colombo have also gone down because we did not have rain in the past 24 hours."

Water levels in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka's gem district east of Colombo, subsided but many villages in Kalutara, south of the capital, were still under water, officials said.

The military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods.

The government appealed for bottled water, new clothes and dry rations for those displaced.

Sri Lanka has also sought international assistance, with India rushing a naval ship equipped with a medical team and other supplies on Saturday.

A second Indian vessel was due to arrive in Colombo on Sunday, with a third expected on Monday, the government said.

The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organization will support medical teams in affected areas.

Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims.

The meteorological department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains in 2016 caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.
Sicily: President Donald Trump on Saturday said his maiden trip abroad was a "home run" and he vowed to overcome the threat of terrorism, concluding a grueling five-stop sprint that ended with the promise of an imminent decision on the much-discussed Paris climate accord.

Trump ended his nine-day trip with a speech to US troops in Sicily, where he recounted his visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Belgium and Italy and his work to counter terrorism. The president said recent terrorist attacks in Manchester, England and Egypt underscored the need for the US to "defeat terrorism and protect civilisation."

"Terrorism is a threat, bad threat to all of humanity," Trump said, standing in front of a massive American flag at Naval Air Station Sigonella. "And together we will overcome this threat. We will win."

Trump tweeted earlier in the day that he would make a final decision next week on whether to withdraw from the climate pact.

European leaders he met with at the Group of 7 summit in Sicily have been pressuring Trump to stay in the accord, arguing that America's leadership on climate is crucial.

Besides reaching a decision on the climate agreement once back in Washington, Trump will also face a new crush of Russia-related controversies. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner spoke with Russia's ambassador to the US about setting up secret communications with Moscow.

Trump held no news conferences during the nine-day trip, which allowed him to avoid questions about the Russia investigations. His top economic and national security advisers refused to answer questions about Kushner during a press briefing on Saturday.

The White House had hoped to use Trump's five-stop trip as a moment to reset. The president was warmly received on his opening stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel, though he has come under more pressure in Europe, particularly over the Paris accord.

Trump was cajoled for three days first in Brussels at meetings of NATO and the European Union, then in Sicily for G-7 but will leave Italy without making clear where he stands.

As the G-7 summit came to a close Saturday, the six other members Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan renewed their commitment to the accord. The summit's communique noted that the Trump administration would take more time to consider whether it will remain committed to the 2015 Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.

Backing out of the climate accord had been a central plank of Trump's campaign and aides have been exploring whether they can adjust the framework of the deal even if they don't opt out entirely. Other G-7 nations leaned heavily on Trump to stay in the climate deal, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying "we put forward very many arguments."
Caracas: Demonstrators clashed with Venezuelan police again as they descended on the offices of the state media regulator. The clashes were the latest in nearly two months of often-violent protests demanding the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

On Saturday, youth with their faces covered blocked the main motorway running through Caracas, cutting it off with trucks that they then set on fire. They also erected barricades of rubble.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the rally, and demonstrators fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails and stones.

Demonstrations that kicked off in late March have claimed the lives of 58 people, as Opposition leaders seek to ramp up pressure on Venezuela's Leftist president, whose already-low popularity has cratered amid shortages of food and medicines, among other economic woes.

Saturday's protest in Caracas was held to mark 10 years since the government shuttered a popular television station. The network, RCTV, was shut down by Maduro's predecessor, the late Populist leader Hugo Chavez, after more than a half-century on the air, for its outspoken criticism of his government.

The move "was an atrocious act against freedom of expression," Julio Borges, leader of the Opposition-led legislature, said at the protest.

At the time, officials said the move to close RCTV aimed to "democratise" the airwaves in Venezuela.

Since its demise, a state television broadcaster, TVES, was founded and has been operating in its stead.

The government also ordered the Spanish version of CNN off the air in February, accusing it of broadcasting "war propaganda." "You never find out about anything. We have to get information from Facebook and social media on the Internet, through international TV channels," said Matilde Quintero, a retiree marching through Caracas wearing a cap with the yellow, blue and red colors of the national flag.

In a speech, Maduro praised staff at TVES, saying "for 10 years they have been broadcasting humanist television." Maduro also stood by his plan to elect a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution and do so without input from Opposition parties.

Opposition leaders call this a ploy to avoid early elections and cling to power. On Friday, riot police greeted throngs of protesters who rallied at a complex of buildings housing the defense ministry in Caracas.

Demonstrators had hoped to sway the support of the armed forces against Maduro, who has been resisting Opposition calls for early elections. Organisers said more protests are planned for Monday.
It seems as if nearly every biotech and pharmaceutical on the planet is hard at work developing new cancer drugs. That's a good thing for cancer patients. And it's good for dividend-seeking investors as well, since many of the companies in the cancer drug space pay nice dividends.

Three drugmakers in particular offer highly attractive dividends right now: AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN), and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). Here's what makes these the top dividend stocks in cancer drugs.

Image source: Getty Images.

AbbVie: Dividend, growth, and value

AbbVie is best known for its top-selling autoimmune-disease drug, Humira. However, the biotech's fastest-growing product is Imbruvica. The drug received U.S. approval in 2013 for treating mantle cell lymphoma and has since gained approval for treating three other blood cancers: chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, and marginal zone lymphoma.

Oncology should be a key growth driver for AbbVie in the future. The company has a couple of other approved cancer drugs with the potential for higher sales -- Empliciti and Venclexta. In addition, AbbVie's pipeline includes promising experimental cancer drugs such as Rova-T and Veliparib.

AbbVie is one of the rare stocks that offer a great dividend, great growth prospects, and great value. Its dividend currently yields 3.89% and ranks as one of the fastest-growing on the market. Wall Street analysts project the company to grow earnings by an average annual rate of more than 14% in the coming years. AbbVie stock trades at only 10 times expected earnings.

AstraZeneca: Turning things around

AstraZeneca continues to face significant headwinds from loss of patent exclusivity for some of its biggest products, particularly Crestor, Nexium, and Seroquel. However, the British drugmaker looks to be on the right track to turn things around, with plenty of help from its new cancer drugs, Tagrisso and Lynparza.

The company's oncology pipeline also includes several potential winners. AstraZeneca stock got a big boost recently from great results from a late-stage clinical study evaluatingImfinzi in treatingnon-small-cell lung cancer. Acalabrutinib could also be a potential blockbuster in treating B-cell malignancy and CLL.

AstraZeneca's dividend yield stands at 5.6%. Its dividend hasn't been growing because of the aforementioned losses of patent exclusivity. However, with that high of a yield, who cares? Despite declining revenue, the company managed to improve its bottom line in 2016 thanks to strategic cost reductions. With this lower overhead and a loaded pipeline, AstraZeneca should be able to return to growth in the future -- and keep those dividends flowing.

Pfizer: Acquisitions and collaborations driving growth

Like AstraZeneca, Pfizer has encountered challenges from loss of patent exclusivity. The big pharmaceutical company has still grown earnings, though, thanks in large part to several acquisitions and collaborations. One of those deals was especially important for Pfizer's oncology portfolio. The acquisition of Medivation last year brought prostate cancer drug Xtandi and promising experimental cancer drugs into Pfizer's lineup.

Pfizer's increasing oncology strength isn't just due to acquisitions, though. The company's collaboration with Merck KGaA gave Pfizer a promising anti-PD-L1 inhibitor, Bavencio. The drug won U.S. approval in March for treating Merkel cell carcinoma and is in late-stage studies for nine other indications. In addition, Pfizer's cancer drug Ibrance could be on track for peak annual sales of between $3 billion and $5 billion.

Investors have a lot to like with Pfizer's dividend, too. The company's 3.98% yield is one of the best in the biopharmaceutical industry. Pfizer's strong cash flow and prospects for earnings growth should allow the company to keep the dividend going strong.

10 stocks we like better than PfizerWhen 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 Pfizer 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

Keith Speights owns shares of AbbVie and Pfizer. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A French man and three Congolese men have been released after being kidnapped in March from a Canadian mining company in eastern Congo in March, Congo's government said Sunday.

They were among five workers, including a Tanzanian who had been kidnapped from the Namoya gold mine operated by Canadian company Banro Mining Corp. in Salamabila.

"The four hostages, three Congolese and one French, were freed yesterday at 1800 (6 p.m. local time) in the Tengetenge locality," about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Salamabila, according to the Maniema Provincial Interior Minister Bonaventure Saleh Zakuani. "Their release came after several days of negotiations with the abductors."

The five were taken by people living in Salamabila who felt Banro Mining Corp. was not looking out for the community, Zakuani said.

The Tanzanian hostage was released more than a month ago, he confirmed.

The four released Saturday are on their way to Kindu, the capital of the Maniema province, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release, "in particular Congo authorities for their mobilization and the effectiveness of their action," according to a brief statement from his office.

Mine administrator Balthazar Hemedi Kabemba at the time of the kidnapping had said members of the rebel group Rahiya Mutomboki left leaflets around the mines threatening its workers.

The captors had asked the Canadian mining company for $1 million in ransom, he had said.

The rebel group has criticized the mining company for not giving access or jobs to young miners who had been working on the site before it took over. Its members were also seeking a guarantee that the company will carry out basic contractual agreements to build infrastructure in the area, including schools, roads and a health center, Kabemba had said.

___

Associated Press reporter Fiston Mahamba in Goma, Congo and Al-hadji Kudra Maliro in Beni, Congo contributed to this report.
In the past few years, General Motors (NYSE: GM) has rapidly retreated from a host of big and/or high-growth markets around the world. The company has made a clear choice to focus its efforts on countries and regions where it has the most market share and earns the biggest profits, especially the U.S. and China.

To some pundits, this is madness. By abandoning or sharply reducing its presence in places such as Europe, GM is giving up global scale. Meanwhile, by exiting high-potential markets such as India, it is sacrificing future growth.

GM plans to sell its Opel brand and exit the European mass market. Image source: General Motors.

However, General Motors didn't have a realistic path to meaningful profits in any of the countries it has exited. Furthermore, there's no factual basis for the conventional wisdom that automakers need to be big players in every market around the globe to be successful.

GM's parade of retrenchment

Since the beginning of 2015, GM has been aggressively exiting markets and market segments where it doesn't think it can earn a reasonable return on invested capital. During that year, the company virtually abandoned three major emerging markets: Russia, Indonesia, and Thailand. In all three markets, it now focuses on selling imported SUVs and other low-volume "prestige" vehicles.

This year, General Motors has accelerated its retreat from underperforming markets. In February, it agreed to sell its stake in GM East Africa to Isuzu. In March, it reached an agreement to sell Opel, its European operations, to Peugeot parent PSA Group. In April, it exited the moribund Venezuelan market after the government seized its factory there. Lastly, GM announced earlier this month that it will stop selling vehicles in India and sell its operations in South Africa by year's end.

These downsizing moves have come one after another. However, management has signaled that General Motors is now in the right markets for the long haul.

What is GM losing?

Including the actions announced this year, GM has pulled out of countries representing more than a third of the world's population since 2015. However, while these markets may have "potential" in an abstract sense, they have been stubbornly unprofitable despite GM's patience and years of investments.

GM is investing in new technology instead of emerging markets. Image source: General Motors.

Europe is the most blatant example. General Motors has lost money there in every year since 2000. Europe also serves as a lesson: No matter how good a turnaround plan may seem to be on paper, it's hard to reach profitability in regions where you're far behind the leaders in terms of market share.

Indeed, GM had a market share of about 6% in Europe recently. GM's share is even lower in many of the countries it's exiting. Most notably, it has a dismal 1% share of the Indian market. Thus, GM would have been hard-pressed to capitalize on India's growth even if it had stayed.

Another lesson from Europe is that having global reach brings limited benefits. Because of differing regulatory standards, there is relatively little overlap between GM's European vehicle portfolio and its North American lineup.

The General's remaining markets are its main ones

Last year, General Motors sold just shy of 10 million vehicles worldwide, of which 7.5 million were in its two largest regions: North America and China. These are also GM's most profitable regions by far. Both sport operating margin roughly in line with the company's long-term target range of 9%-10%.

General Motors also remains committed to South America, where it sold nearly 600,000 vehicles last year. It's lost money there for the past several years because of economic weakness and geopolitical upheaval, but it continues to have a market share of more than 15% in the region. GM is in the midst of developing a new emerging-markets vehicle platform that will help reduce costs and improve profitability in South America.

Other key markets where GM will stay the course include South Korea and Australia, which together accounted for about 275,000 vehicle sales last year. Indeed, even after it completes all of its downsizings, GM will still have annual volume of more than 8.5 million units.

While GM will be somewhat smaller going forward, it will have much higher margin. Rather than investing in perennially unprofitable markets such as Europe, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, it will be able to ramp up spending on electric vehicles, car-sharing, and autonomous-driving projects. (General Motors also plans to return plenty of cash to shareholders.)

GM's willingness to exit major markets under CEO Mary Barra shows that the company is finally being realistic about where it has a competitive advantage -- and where it is an also-ran. This courageous change of mindset is likely to pay off in the short term and the long term.

10 stocks we like better than General MotorsWhen 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 General Motors wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of General Motors. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Europe can no longer completely rely on its allies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, pointing to bruising meetings of G7 wealthy nations and NATO last week.

Merkel did not mention by name U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized major NATO allies and refused to endorse a global climate change accord, but she told a packed beer tent in Munich that the days when Europe could completely count on others were "over to a certain extent."

"I have experienced this in the last few days," she said. "And that is why I can only say that we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands - of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever that is possible also with other countries, even with Russia."

"But we have to know that we must fight for our future on our own, for our destiny as Europeans," Merkel said.

The two-day G7 summit in Italy pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

The American tycoon-turned-president backed a pledge to fight protectionism at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, but refused to endorse the climate pact, saying he needed more time to decide.

But EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Sunday he was more optimistic now than after the U.S. election last November after EU leaders held talks with Trump in Brussels.

"What I am absolutely sure after this meeting is that despite some extraordinary ... expressions, behaviors, etc, etc, our partners in the G7 are much more responsible than the first impression after the election in the United States," Tusk said in the Slovak capital.

At the NATO summit on Thursday, Trump intensified his accusations that allies were not spending enough on defense and warned of more attacks such as this week's Manchester bombing unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

Turning to France, Merkel said she wished President Emmanuel Macron success, adding to applause: "Where Germany can help, Germany will help, because Germany can only do well if Europe is doing well."

France is Germany's second-biggest trading partner and the presidential election victory of the pro-European centrist reformer Macron over far-right protectionist rival Marine Le Pen in early May has sparked hopes that Berlin will ally with Paris in spearheading a broad-based economic revival in Europe.

(Reporting by Joern Poltz, additional reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova in Bratislava; Writing by Michael Nienaber, editing by Susan Thomas)
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday attacked news reports based on unidentified sources as phony and dismissed leaks from the White House as "fake news," following reports his son-in-law tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow before Trump took office.

Trump returned to the White House after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe that ended on Saturday to face more questions about alleged communications between Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington.

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," Trump wrote in a series of Twitter posts on Sunday.

Shortly after the tweets, Trump's Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly, made the rounds of Sunday television news shows to praise any so-called back channel communications, especially with Russia, as "a good thing."

The White House faces mounting questions about potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, which are also the subject of criminal and congressional investigations. Trump officials were preparing to establish a "war room" to address an issue that has begun to dominate his young presidency.

Two Republican U.S. senators played down the Kushner reports on Sunday, while the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, took a darker view of such contacts with representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"My dashboard warning light was clearly on and I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community - very concerned about the nature of these approaches to the Russians," Clapper told NBC's "Meet The Press."

Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, had contacts with Moscow in December about opening a secret back channel of communications, according to news reports published while Trump was away on his trip.

The 36-year-old Kushner, a real estate developer with no previous government experience, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters.

"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names," Trump wrote, "it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!"

Contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials during the campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump's chances of winning the White House.

'A GOOD THING'

White House officials defended the concept of secret communications channels without commenting specifically on the Kushner case. National security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters on Saturday that so-called back-channeling was not unusual.

Kelly, the homeland security secretary, carried the same message on Sunday.

"It's both normal, in my opinion, and acceptable," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing."

Kelly told "Fox News Sunday" there was nothing wrong with the Trump transition team trying to build relationships with the Russians as they prepared to take over the White House.

U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said such secret channels may be used in situations including peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan or for the release of American hostages.

"But for people associated with the campaign after that campaign has ended and where the Russians during that campaign were helping you, to try to establish a back channel and hide it from your own government, that's a serious allegation," he said.

Schiff was particularly concerned about a Washington Post report that the back channel would have been conducted at a Russian diplomatic facility to avoid monitoring in U.S. communications systems. "You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversation from?" he asked on ABC.

Schiff said he expected Kushner, who serves as an unpaid adviser to Trump, to appear before his committee and suggested his security clearance be reviewed.

Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynns connections with Russian officials, the two sources told Reuters.

Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN he doubted the Kushner reports were accurate. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, noted that Kushner has been willing to answer questions. "They reached out to us yesterday to make sure that we knew that was the case and Im sure hes willing to do so, Corker said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Though he had not seen evidence of collusion when he stepped down on Jan. 20, Clapper said all the signs made an FBI investigation not only appropriate but necessary.

"Russia, at least for my money, is our primary adversary," he told NBC. "They are not our friends. They are in to do us in."

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Toni Clarke; editing by David Clarke and Nick Zieminski)
John Travolta has donated his personal vintage Boeing 707 airplane to a restoration group in Australia.

He said in a statement Friday that the plane will require maintenance before for the trip from his Florida home to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in Albion Park, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Sydney.

The craft, which the society hopes to keep in the air, was originally in the Qantas fleet, delivered in 1964 and later converted to private use.

The actor, a pilot, hopes to be on board when the plane makes it voyage to Australia. The timing of that is uncertain.

Travolta said he has fond memories of the plane and is pleased it will continue to fly "well into the future."
Republicans have tasked themselves with fixing ObamaCarerepealing and replacing it with something better, that lowers premiums and offers greater choice, without pulling the rug out from under the millions of Americans who have gained coverage under the law.

Reading Wednesdays Congressional Budget Office score of the American Health Care Act, youd think this was Mission Impossible, and that states would race to the bottom in pursuing waivers that would give them more flexibility in how insurance is priced and regulated. CBO projects, for instance, that costs for older or sicker patients could rise sharply for patients living in states that pursued the most aggressive waivers.

The CBOs job is to score legislation as writtenand theyve certainly pointed out some shortcomings in how the AHCA is currently structured. But CBO has also highlighted key improvements Republicans in the Senate could make to stabilize markets: increasing reinsurance funding for high-cost patients, offering means-tested cost sharing subsidies for the low-income uninsured, and strengthening incentives for young, healthy populations to get and hold coverage.

The Dept. of Health and Human Services could be tasked with studying, in real time, the effects of state waivers on important measures like access to care, health outcomes, and out of pocket costs.

Taken together, these three fixes would enable states to experiment with more affordable plan designs while still providing robust coverage to patients with expensive pre-existing conditions.

The Republicans are on the right track in one critical respect, noted in the latest CBO score. Although the coverage score still gives many pause (23 million more uninsured compared to the ACA by 2026), CBO projects that both the AHCA's Patient and State Stability Fund and the Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program would help to put downward pressure on premiums.

Well-designed and well-funded risk pools or reinsurance would certainly go a long way in stabilizing state insurance markets. By offsetting claims associated with high cost patients, these programs can lower premiums across the board, keeping them affordable for the vast majority of healthy enrollees. The AHCAs programs simply need more funding (some estimates have suggested $15-20 billion annually.)

The next step is to offer cost sharing subsidies for lower income enrollees, in addition to the AHCAs flat tax credit. Adding means-tested cost-sharing subsidies will help keep coverage within reach for the populations who need it most. As long as cost sharing subsidies are available for these populations, higher deductible or catastrophic plans could offer lower premiums for healthier enrollees who just need protection against major medical events.

Finally, the Senate needs to address the AHCAs penalty for going without coverage. CBO expects that, as currently structured, the law would encourage younger, healthier enrollees to stay uninsured because the penalty for going without coverage is too weak. In this respect, it suffers from the same problem as ObamaCare, which hasnt attracted enough young, healthy enrollees.

The truth is, no one really knows a single, blanket solution for this problem. The best approach is to allow the states to come up with their own coverage strategies. Some might choose auto-enrollment in a zero-deductible catastrophic plan, larger or longer penalties for buying coverage after you become sick, or other approaches. Over time, we could learn what works best.

The Senate can also reassure skeptics of state flexibility by explicitly including guardrails that help protect patients, and ensure that states focus on meeting clear goals for vulnerable populations.

The Department of Health and Human Services, for instance, could be tasked with studying, in real time, the effects of state waivers on important measures like access to care, health outcomes, and out of pocket costs. HHS could also help states model and evaluate waiver proposals, collect data, and ensure greater transparency around health plan costs and quality.

Congress should also tie reinsurance funding to states reforming their health care markets to promote competition and transparencyhelping patients and consumers to find providers who deliver better care at lower cost.

ObamaCares one-size-fits-all plan design has driven up costs, and locked healthier patients out of the market. States should be encouraged to make greater use of health savings accounts, allow insurers to design different cost sharing or provider networks within established categories of essential health benefits that provide comparable access to care at lower cost, and offer more value-based insurance designs that waive co-pays or deductibles for high value services.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, speaking at an Axios event recently, said, Let's just pay for the people who are catastrophically ill. Let's just do that. Because I don't think anybody, Republican, Democrat, whatever, thinks that if a person gets breast cancer in her 40s, she should go bankrupt for getting it."

Hes right. Doing so will not only allow Republicans to answer serious critics of the AHCA, but empower states to find ways to supercharge health care competition that improves health outcomes at less cost to patients and taxpayers.

The CBO score isnt cause for abandoning waivers. Its a call to get serious about making them work.


Food stamps or a border wall. Medicaid funding or fighter jets. Disability insurance or tax cuts for the rich.

These are the choices President Trump is forcing Americans to grapple with in his proposed budget. Or at least these are the choices Democrats are saying were going to have to make.

And theyre not altogether wrong.

Of course, theres the requisite high drama involved in any major clash between the parties. The other side has to use words like cruel and evil and use an abundance of hyperbole in press conferences. We need those sensational headlines, after all.

But having accepted our politicians flare for extremism as a given considering todays paralyzed and hyper-partisan times, were still left with a budget proposal that values the wrong things.

Trumps budget actually goes after his own base hard. The people who put the 45th president in office will stand to lose the most in access to health care, social programs and education.

This America First budget as OMB Director Mulvaney puts it, forgets about millions of Americans who arent takers as Paul Ryan famously argued, but hardworking Americans who are in genuine need of assistance. Moreover, Trumps budget actually goes after his own base hard. The people who put the 45th president in office will stand to lose the most in access to health care, social programs and education.

And its not just Democrats who think that this budget is dead on arrival, as the saying goes. There are GOP House members like Leonard Lance from New Jersey who takes issue with the significant cuts to Medicaid, safety net programs and imposing work requirements for food stamp recipients. "That is certainly a part of the budget with which I disagree," Lance said.

Pat Toomey, Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, a state that receives about $200 million annually in federal funds for a program that gives cash to poor families to pay their heating bills, called President Trumps budget sort of a set of goalsthat doesnt become legislation.

Trump doesnt fare much better as we head South. Tim Scott from South Carolina made it clear he wouldnt even consider the plan. Over 15 percent of South Carolina residents use Medicaid. Scott likened the presidents budget to a press release. I dont think anyone is going to focus on the president's budget to decide how we create our own budget. I'm not overly concerned with the president's budget at all."

Then there are the bipartisan objections to the basic math involved in Trumps budget. He claims that well eliminate the deficit in 10 years, a far-fetched notion unto itself considering where we are because of the rapid fire economic growth well see from his big tax cuts, both corporate and personal.

In his fuzzy math  or his teams fuzzy math  the Trump budget relies on $2.1 trillion in additional revenue in the next decade from better growth, but what about the revenue lost from tax cuts? That money is essentially being double counted. First, its being used for tax policy and then its being used for deficit reduction.

Everyone knows you cant have it both ways.

And Marc Goldwein, senior vice president for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, especially knows. You cant use the same money twice, he said of the budget. Larry Summers, President Obamas former adviser and Clinton Treasury Secretary, added that this is an elementary but egregious accounting error.

In this way, the budget is beyond the usual optimism we see in every presidents budget  it is a wish list after all. That said, Goldwein added: I do think this is on a whole new level, based on what weve seen before, and a senior GOP aide said this was on the outer limits.

The casualness with which many Republican representatives have treated this budget bears this analysis out. They know its just a thing the president does and then theyll go ahead and do their own thing (with limited chance of getting anything major passed).

So there you have it. Bipartisan agreement that this budget isnt only bad for Americans, but lacks the basic math to make it work. It goes above and beyond the usual optimism of a presidents budget into the realm of fantasyland. And whats particularly disturbing to me about this budget is that President Trumps fantasyland goes after so much that is fundamental to the lives of middle and lower income Americans.

Every Republican presidents proposal would ask for more military spending unless Rand Paul had miraculously won, but at least the majority of them have the good sense to know slashing entitlements this bluntly isnt the way to get that new jet.
I completed 339 combat missions for over 800 flying hours in my career as a United States Air Force pilot. I am one of only two Air Force ace pilots from the Vietnam War, where I returned as one of the most decorated pilots in history. And I am fortunate enough to have survived to tell my tale.

Many of my fellow pilots and crew members did not.

It is for them we pay tribute on Memorial Day; those brave men and women who died in the act of service to our great nation.

This Memorial Day is of particular importance to me because it falls on the 70th anniversary of the United States Air Force. Upon graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1964 until retiring as an Air Force Brigadier General in 1999, I encountered some of the bravest and the most altruistic individuals Ive ever known; whose actions spoke volumes of their love of country and disregard for self.

So while you enjoy some extra time off, consider taking a moment to reflect on the selfless service of the fellow American service men and women who served and died to preserve our freedom  better yet, show your support by taking part in a local Memorial Day event.

It is also the ongoing 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, which is the conflict where I served as pilot, becoming one of three ace pilots (someone who has shot down five enemy aircraft during aerial combat). Of the many American casualties during Vietnam, nearly 3,000 were Air Force service men and women. These Americans put aside their differences  cultural backgrounds, religions, and political views  to answer the call of their country. Whether they necessarily agreed with the premise of war, or not, these brave patriots laid down their lives to protect our nations principles and advance freedom for the oppressed.

Despite the various criticisms, the United States accomplished some very critical objectives during the fight in Vietnam. Among them, and most importantly, we helped stem the tide and spread of communism in that region, which ultimately led to the fall of the Soviet Union and the advance of freedom and democracy, which is felt around the world today.

For this and many other reasons, our living veterans of the Vietnam War deserve respect and admiration  make sure to thank them on this day  but their service pales in comparison to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country; and it is those fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines whom we honor on Memorial Day.

So, while you enjoy some extra time off, consider taking a moment to reflect on the selfless service of the fellow American service men and women who served and died to preserve our freedom. Better yet, show your support by taking part in a local Memorial Day event.

While many of the traditional Memorial Day celebrations have declined over the years, the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. is one of the shining tributes that exist to preserve the legacy of the fallen. I look forward to taking part in the parade this year, and I will do so with my fallen friends in my heart and mind.

Brigadier General R. Steve Ritchie is a member of the American Veterans Centers Advisory Board. Hes the only Air Force ace pilot of the air war in Vietnam. A veteran of more than 800 combat hours in the F-4 Phantom during 339 missions over Southeast Asia, Ritchie is the only American pilot to down five MiG-21s, the most sophisticated fighters in the North Vietnamese fleet. By the time he left active duty in 1974, Ritchie had been awarded the Air Force Cross, four Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals - making him the 30th most highly decorated individual in United States military history.
President Donald Trump reportedly landed in Saudi Arabia last Saturday with dreams of forming an Arab NATO to fight the Sunni Islamist terrorists in the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda (AQ) as well as the Shi'ite Islamist state, Iran.

In an historic speech at the first Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh on Sunday, he rightly named the main enemy as Islamist ideology, and boldly rallied the heads of the Arab and Muslim worlds to unite to take up the fight themselves.

Though for some weeks prior to his maiden trip abroad as president, his "Arab NATO" idea was getting a lot of media buzz, he did not mention it in his address to the fifty-odd leaders in Riyadh.

However, according to the London-based Arab newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, Trump has pushed the concept with "several Arab leaders."

The idea apparently aroused interest at Thursdays NATO summit in Brussels, which Trump attended.

The plan is moving forward and is being studied, a diplomat told the paper, which said the proposed new organization will be called the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO).

The name has an eerie history.

Trumps vaguely-floated concept appears riddled with problems that show how an administration so much better than its predecessors at diagnosing the problem (the threat of Islamism), still suffers from wishful thinking about the region.

In 1955, Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey, backed by the U.S., founded the first Middle East Treaty Organizationdubbed the Baghdad Pact, to oppose the spread of Soviet influence and radical Arab nationalism, then emanating from the Egypt of firebrand dictator Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

The fatal moment for that alliance came early, in the violent overthrow of the British-backed monarchy by Arab nationalists in Iraq in 1958.

METO, renamed the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), then moved to Ankara, where it sputtered on toothlessly until its death with the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

A coup in either Cairo or Riyadh, unlikely now but always possible, could undo any arrangement in a femtosecond (one quadrillionth of a second, established by the late Egyptian-American scientist Ahmed Zewail, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1999.)

The new METO appears to be different from the Islamic Military Alliance, originally proclaimed by the Saudis in 2015, which then seemed to vanish as mysteriously as the army of Persian King Cambyses II, lost on a trek to the Egyptian oasis of Siwa circa 524 B.C.

The Riyadh Declaration, issued by Saudi King Salman following the summit, claimed the leaders of the 55 nations who took part had pledged a force of 34,000 "reserve" troops to the alliance--though the leaders were not consulted in issuing the statement.

Whatever its name, some sort of new military architecture is definitely needed to deal with these threats.

Theoretically, there are some other options already in existence that could be adapted to purpose, but all are seriously flawed.

For example, there is the largely feckless, Cairo-based, 22-member Arab Leaguewhose member states often dont get along, big league.

Then there is President Barack Obamas alleged 60-nation coalition to confront IS, in which but a handful of Middle East partnersprimarily Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the ever-ambivalent, more and more Islamist Turkeyhave really shouldered the burden.

In fact, Trumps vaguely-floated concept appears riddled with problems that show how an administration so much better than its predecessors at diagnosing the problem (the threat of Islamism, not just terrorism), still suffers from wishful thinking about the region.

One line in Trumps speech at the summit perhaps reveals the conundrum, The Lebanese Army is hunting ISS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory.

That may be true, but the same Lebanese Army is itself infiltrated by, and cooperates with, Hezbollah--which Trump correctly castigated in the same speech.

Indeed, any Arab NATO must ultimately include Russian satellite Syria, plus Iraq, both fatally bound to Iran and consumed by internal conflict.

As this writer noted in a recent foxnews.com op-ed (Trump Told the Truth in Saudi Arabia. What Happens Next Could Be Interesting, May 24), the Saudi king, Salman, and Egypts president, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, along with Trump, may form an Arab-based triumvirate to lead the resistance to Sunni and Shiite jihadism.

But Trump's idea is to put Saudi Arabia in charge of the organization, when Egypt is the traditional leader of the Arab states.

And Egyptdriven to seek massive Russian military assistance for the first time since 1972 by Obamas suspension of most of our annual aid to Cairo in 2013 (since resumed with more strings attached)refuses to intervene in Syria and balks at confronting Russias BFF, Iran.

Then again, the Russia angle might not even bother Trump, who has formerly praised President Vladimir Putin, and is still generally soft on Moscow, which has shown no genuine interest in fighting IS, despite claims to the contrary.

So beyond the rhetorical level, it mainly boils down to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), an organization which already has a limited military dimension--plus perhaps Jordan, already playing a key role in fighting IS and AQ, and officially at peace with the Jewish State, but hampered by the prominent role of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood and ties to its Palestinian branch, Hamas.

The GCC states might informally flirt with our strongest ally Israel, but are a long way from formal recognition yet, despite having occasionally open commercial, and quasi-diplomatic, relations at times.

Any alignment that could turn into a heavily-armed coalition against Israel should be pondered deeply first.

Most problematic is Qatarnotorious for funding Islamists from Libya to Egypt to Syria, from Gaza to Afghanistan (including Hamas and the Taliban), though it also hosts Americas Central Command.

Yet the quest for Arab unity, a mirage since the heady days of Nasser, who brought about the greatest Arab defeat in history in 1967 after waging a futile war in Yemen, continues.

As does the hope for a better vision to replace Nassers--and the even darker dreams of the Islamists--though the magic formula has yet to be found.
After President Trumps sumptuous, warm welcome in Saudi Arabia and Israel, dealing with Americas European allies has been a bucket of cold water. The French President snubbed him, nine thousand Belgians protested his arrival, NATO heads of state stood in stony disapproving silence as he spoke, and Germanys chancellor invited former President Obama to counter-program President Trumps message in Berlin.

President Trump wasnt pulling his punches, either, declining to use the words of the Article 5 mutual defense incantation exactly as Europeans wanted. He chose the public commemoration of a 9/11 memorial to savagely criticize allies defense spending, saying they owed the U.S. massive amounts of money. Disappointed reactions sent his national security team scrambling to reassure nervous allies America was not backing away from our commitments.

Europeans now view the U.S. as a real threat to the rules-based international order we built.

It was, therefore, an understatement for EU President Donald Tusk to caution this will be the most challenging G-7 summit in years. Security issues are relatively easy to work on with Europeans compared to trade, climate change, and sanctions on Russia. Germanys chancellor rejected as inappropriate his criticism of Germanys trade surplus. Even the Pope seemed to be trolling President Trump, giving him a copy of the papal encyclical on climate change.

President Trump sounded upbeat, though, tweeting We made and saved the USA many billions of dollars and millions of jobs. But Europeans now view the U.S. as a real threat to the rules-based international order we built. President Trump has been needlessly provocative  which will make much more difficult the changes to trading agreements, climate accords, and burden sharing within NATO he is trying to achieve. A more gracious appeal would have gotten more mileage.

President Trump might, perhaps, have condoled with Europeans about recent terror attacks in Manchester, Paris, and Brussels, and justified on that basis his calls for NATO to put countering terrorism more central in its work. In making the case for higher European defense spending, he might have taken up Secretary of Defense Mattis nice line about Europe not expecting us to love and protect their children more than Europeans themselves will. He might have praised all the NATO states that have increased their defense spending recently. And he might have included the taxpayers of Britain, Greece, and Estonia, who also meet the NATO spending standard, when sounding aggrieved at Europeans taking advantage of us.

Its actually not that hard to give our European allies tough messages nicely. Every other American president has managed to do so.
A federal judge tossed a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed at a diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling Friday the former secretary of state did not defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied.

"The untimely death of plaintiffs' sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion.

The suit also alleged Clintons use of a private email server caused the death of their sons, Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, because it exposed terrorists to sensitive information. They claimed Clinton lied when she allegedly told them it was a YouTube video that prompted the consulate attack.

Berman ruled the parents didn't sufficiently challenge that Clinton was not acting in her official capacity when she used the private server, and that the families didn't put forward appropriate claims that Clinton defamed them or put them in a false light.

One of the parents, Patricia Smith, gave an emotional speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention against Clinton. Her son and Woods were killed in the September 2012 attack, along with CIA operative Glen Doherty and the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

Clinton's homebrew server bedeviled her campaign before it officially began. Emails later released under the Freedom of Information Act showed some contained classified information, although they were not marked as such at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the chambers No. 2 Democrat, on Sunday kept open the possibility of a bipartisan deal to rework ObamaCare, with the task now totally in the hands of the Senate.

Lets sit down together, he told Fox News Sunday. I don't agree with many aspects of [the Republicans] starter plan. But it's a good faith effort to do two things: Reduce the cost of health insurance and expand the reach of health insurance. That should be our national goal.

Durbin spoke after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday released a final audit on the GOP-led Houses ObamaCare overhaul bill.

Though the report found that 23 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2026 and that premium costs would increase under the chambers American Health Care Act, it also concluded the plan would reduce the federal budget by $119 billion over 10 years.

Thats more than enough savings to allow the GOP-led Senate to pass its overhaul version under special budget rules that prevent Democrats from stopping passage with a filibuster.

Senate Democrats have repeatedly acknowledged that the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, has problems, particularly increasing premiums with few policy options.

However, Democrats are largely trying to use Republicans repeal-and-replace attempts against them in the 2018 elections and beyond, pointing out that millions could lose insurance under the current GOP plan.

The Senate will write its own bill, Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor and member of the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions, told Fox News Sunday.

Right now, there are families sitting around their kitchen table. They're paying $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000 a year for premiums, continued Cassidy, who has an ObamaCare replacement bill with Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins. I think the Senate product, I'm hopeful, will be more likely to address their needs.

Durbin argued Sunday that the Trump administration should at least try to keep ObamaCare from toppling before it can be fixed.

And he criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for creating a 13-member group to lead the overhaul effort without including a single Democrat and neither Cassidy nor Collins.

I'm sorry that the two of them are not in the room with the 13 apostles that Senator McConnell's chosen to come up with the Republicans plan, Durbin said.

Cassidy and Durbin appeared to agree that Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller will get to the bottom of whether President Trumps inner circle colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential elections, but that Americans appear equally if not more concerned about heath care and the economy.

I agree with Dick's assessment, Cassidy said. When you speak to folks back home, voters across the nation, they're more concerned about their climbing health care premiums and the need to have jobs with better wages and better benefits. This will play out. We will know eventually. Right now, Americans need help with their premiums.
President Trumps National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters during a press conference at the G7 Summit in Sicily that he is not concerned with reports that Jared Kushner tried to set up diplomatic back-channels with Russia.

McMaster initially declined to speak on the Kushner reports but when asked if he would be concerned if someone in the administration tried to set up a backchannel with the Kremlin, he said no, Reuters reported.

"We have back-channel communications with any number of individual (countries). So generally speaking, about back-channel communications, what that allows you to do is communicate in a discreet manner," McMaster said, adding that we're not concerned about it."

Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, allegedly proposed a secret back-channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with the Russian ambassador to the U.S.

Kushner reportedly spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy.

An attorney for Kushner responded late Friday about the alleged conversations with Kislyak, saying his client participated in myriad calls during that time and doesnt recall those being alleged.

Kushners legal counsel has said that their client will cooperate with federal investigators and Congress.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a rush transcript from "Fox News Sunday," May 28, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Im Chris Wallace.

Keeping America safe after the terror attack in England. What steps is the government taking this Memorial Day weekend?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KELLY, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's a constant threat and we always have to be vigilant.

WALLACE: Well discuss the investigation into the bombing and the response here in the U.S. with the secretary of homeland security, General John Kelly, live, only on "Fox News Sunday."

Then, new reports the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed setting up a secret communications channel between the Trump transitions in the Kremlin. Well ask our Sunday panel where this takes the expanding probe into Russian interference.

Plus, President Trump returns from his first trip overseas to a domestic agenda in trouble, from ObamaCare repeal and replace to the budget, some on Capitol Hill wonder whether Congress will pass anything.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-SOUTH CAROLINA: Yes, definitely dead on arrival.

SEN. DICK DURBIN, D-ILLINOIS: This is step backwards. Youre not going to make America great again with this budget.

WALLACE: Well break down the president's priorities and prospects with a number two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin, and Republican senator, Dr. Bill Cassidy.

And our power player of the week flying high for the Blue Angels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, is it sweet when we put all that together and get that synergy and you feel that fuzz.

WALLACE: All, right now, on "Fox News Sunday."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And hello again on this Memorial Day weekend from Fox News in Washington.

President Trump is back at the White House arriving late last night after a largely successful nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe. But he returns to a spreading scandal about links between the Kremlin and some of his current and former advisors, and to a domestic agenda that stalled in Congress.

Well get to all of that this hour, but we begin with terror, that suicide bombing at a concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22, just the first of four savage attacks this week around the world.

Joining us now, the man in charge of keeping America safe, the secretary of homeland security, General John Kelly.

Mr. Secretary, welcome to "Fox News Sunday."

Before we get to terror, let me ask you about the hot story in Washington now. These revelations about Jared Kushner trying to set up a back channel to the Kremlin, through the Soviet and -- the Russian ambassador. Your reaction to that? Is there anything improper with that?

KELLY: Well, I don't know if it's true or not. I know its being -- it's being reported in the press.

WALLACE: It has been confirmed to me the conversation took place.

KELLY: OK. Then I would just tell you, Chris, that I think any channel of communications back or otherwise with a country like Russia is a good thing. I mean, multiple ways to communicate back and forth is a good thing with a country I think, and particularly a country thats like Russia. So, it doesnt -- it doesn't bother me.

I mean, you just have to assume, obviously, that what youre getting is -- may or may not be true, they may be working you. But that's the whole point. I mean, that communication goes into the White House as a data point in terms of discussion. So, I don't see the big deal.

WALLACE: Let me -- you say you don't see a big deal?

KELLY: No, I think any time you have channels of communication with a country, particularly one like Russia, I wouldnt criticize it.

WALLACE: But you talked about a data point into the White House. This is during the transition.

KELLY: Right.

WALLACE: These were private officials.

KELLY: Right.

WALLACE: We have one president at a time. Does that make a difference?

KELLY: You know, I mean, obviously, during the transition period, the people in transition, the incoming Trump administration is not in a position to do anything to inhibit with the Obama administration literally days before they transitioned out. So, again, as they begin to build relationships, there's nothing wrong with that. As they begin to build their own situational awareness with Russia in this case, I don't see an issue here.

WALLACE: OK. Let's turn to your day job. What's the latest on the Manchester bombing? Have they rolled up the network that was supporting the bombers, and what have you learned from this plot that will help you better protect the U.S. homeland?

KELLY: I mean, I don't know what the -- actually the better way to put it, I can't comment on whether they finish their investigations, or roll -- you know, completed rolling up on the network that were dealing with. But I would just say that this is -- yes, Ive said it many times, it really is a generational struggle. This is one tragedy in line with dozens of other tragedies in the world.

I mean, last week, you had Manchester, you had Egypt, you had Indonesia, you had the Philippines, all ISIS-inspired or ISIS-controlled terrorist attack.

WALLACE: Was there something different about this network and the way this was pulled off that says to you, gee, we've got to up our game?

KELLY: Well, its this kind of -- in my view, there's kind of three types of terrorist attacks. The most sophisticated that we look at, that is against aviation, that's the hardest to do but it's the biggest payoff for these people.

Then you have kind of the middle of the road one, which I think this one was. Its a network. It's hard to do. You have to construct a bomb and all, and then you have kind of the low-end where -- I mean, just as tragic but you have people running people over in trucks, that kind of thing.

But this is just the way terrorism is today and I think it will be around for many, many years to come. You know, the good news is those officials in the United Kingdom, Europe, around the world are relentless. They are just as relentless in terms of trying to prevent these things as the terrorists aren't trying to create them.

The good news is, for our country, we have not had an outside the United States terrorist attacks since 9/11. And that goes to the issue of those that fight our away game, thats DOD, NSA, CIA, and those that fight the home game. Thats DHS, FBI, local law enforcement.

WALLACE: Let me pick up on this, because part of the story this week was the leak of information about the bomber and the bombing that made its way into the U.S. media, and that set off this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I made clear to President Trump that the intelligence that is shared between our law enforcement agencies must remain secure.

REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: We take full responsibility for that. And we, obviously, regret that that happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: How was this kind of sensitive information leaked to "The New York Times"? And, General, why is it that whether it's politics or terror, our intelligence agencies, our law enforcement agencies, can't keep a secret?

KELLY: It's outrageous. When I call -- immediately after the attack, I called my counterpart in U.K., offered my condolences. By the way, the third time Ive offered her, Amber Rudd, my condolences in 120 days. That's how frequent this kind of -- these terrorist attacks are happening.

Anyways, she rightfully and very graciously accepted the condolences and leaned into me on this leak. It's outrageous. I don't know why people do it. It jeopardizes not only investigations, it puts people's lives in jeopardy.

I don't why people do it, but they do. And that's the world we live in.

WALLACE: Let's get to what you're going to try to do to protect the homeland. There are a lot of crowded events in the summer, concerts, sporting events. How do you harden these soft targets like this concert? And do you have new thoughts because this person didn't get into the event, he was outside the event, what do you do about parameters?

KELLY: We -- one of the great things about America, there's many great things but we are a free and open society. And in many -- and I wouldn't change that at all. But that's also one of our vulnerabilities. People can live their lives day in and day out, privacy issues, all of that, it's a good thing. Its what America is all about. But as I say, that is a vulnerability.

The good news is to all Americans, I mean, the good news is that local state law enforcement today -- not to even go down the issue of the FBI, DHS -- it's in their DNA now to harden. We are just about as hard as we can be. I don't know if there's a way to prevent these kinds of things in the kind of society we live in.

WALLACE: Let me pick up on that, because I want to play a clip of your testimony before Congress this week. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY: It's everywhere, and thats -- you know, that's the nature of this threat that we are dealing with. As horrible as Manchester was, my expectation is were going to see a lot more of that kind of attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: A lot more of that kind of attack, here in the U.S.?

KELLY: I think were relatively -- we have no specific -- we have threats all the time, but no, right now, specific threat. But that goes to the fact that we are over here and not over there.

The fact is that it's the caliphate is being destroyed, that is Syria and Iraq, there are large numbers of returning fighters, Western Europe, and, you know, in many cases like this guy that did this thing in Manchester, hes a citizen of the U.K. In this case, hes a passport holder. I don't if the U.K. had any idea that he was outside -- that he was in Libya, but I think hes also traveled to other points.

The point is, they have a real threat and it's growing, its metastasized, as fighters come back from the caliphate to be I believe to be more of this kind of thing.

The good news is, all decent people, all decent governments, and it doesn't matter whether we are politically close to them or not, all governments for the most part are sharing tremendous amounts of information, passport-type information, aviation, travel information. But, you know, people like this are below the radar.

WALLACE: I want to pick up on aviation because you are in the process of making some big decisions on aviation. And I want to do a lightning round, quick questions, quick answers.

Are you going to ban laptops from the cabin on all international flights both into and out of the U.S.?

KELLY: I might. That's a quick answer.

WALLACE: Yes, well, expand a little bit.

KELLY: Well, theres a real threat. Numerous threats against aviation, that's really the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if its a U.S. carrier, particularly if it's full of mostly U.S. folks, people. It's real. You know that I implemented I think on the 21st of March a restriction on large electronic devices in the cabins from ten points of origin.

WALLACE: Right.

But there was talk, as you say, about all international flights both into and out of the U.S. When you say you might, when are you going to make that decision and whats going to determine it?

KELLY: (INAUDIBLE) follow the intelligence. The very, very good news is that we are working incredibly close with friends and partners around the world. We're going to, and in the process of defining this, but we are going to raise the bar for generally speaking aviation security much higher than it is now.

So -- and theres new technologies down the road, not too far down the road that we will rely on. But it is a real sophisticated threat and I will reserve that decision until we see where it's going.

WALLACE: Another lightning round question, I do need a quick answer here because were running of time. The TSA is testing tighter screening of carry-ons, and the idea that people who bring their carry-ons are going to have to unpack them and put food in one bin, and electronics in the another bin, and paper in another bin.

Are you going to spread that nationwide and whats that going to do to the screening lines?

KELLY: Yes, I mean, the reason weve done, TSA, of course, works for me. The reason we've done that is because of -- people trying to avoid the $25 or $50 or whatever it is to check a bag are now stuffing your carry-on bags to the point of, you know -- well, they can't get any more in there. So, the more you stuff in there, the less the TSA professionals that are looking at what's in those bags through the monitors, they can't tell what's in the bags anymore. So, if you put --

WALLACE: So, are you going to do that nationwide?

KELLY: We might, and likely will.

WALLACE: Soon?

KELLY: Well, what were doing now is working out the tactics, techniques and procedures, if you will, in a few airports to find out exactly how to do that with the least amount of inconvenience to the traveler.

WALLACE: A couple final questions I want to ask about the travel ban. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling this week continuing the stay on President Trump's revised travel ban -- and I want to put up -- the chief judge called it, the revised travel ban: an executive order that in text speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination.

Mr. Secretary, judge after judge has said that this is a Muslim man that violates the Constitution.

KELLY: They are dead wrong.

WALLACE: Well, I mean, you say that, but they are the ones who were --

KELLY: They are wrong. Remember the seven, now six countries? These were the same countries identified by the Obama administration that we should be extra cautious about and backed up, you know, by the United States Congress. That's where those seven countries came from.

The fact is that in those countries, we have very little ability to actually verify, vet the people that are coming out of those countries. So, what the president and it's not a travel ban, remember. Its the travel pause. What the president said, for 90 days, we were going to pause in terms of people from those countries coming to the United States that would give me time to look at additional vetting to see --

WALLACE: OK. I want to pick up on that and why youre even talking about the travel ban, because I want to put some numbers on. Take a look at this.

The first executive order that was issued on January 27th banned citizens from seven nations from entering the U.S. for 90 days, suspended the refugee program for 120 days, as you say, a pause, while you set up an extreme vetting program. It's now been 121 days since that first order. So, why don't you have the program in place?

KELLY: We are actually implementing it. The irony here is, had it stood, we would have had the 90 days to study. Were not even studying what would be procedures, because we are enjoined and can't do that. In the meantime --

WALLACE: You can't study extreme vetting?

KELLY: No. Were -- the irony again is we can't study it, but Im just guessing, and implementing.

But we are going to find implement ways to determine who this -- an individual is, and remember, most of these countries have no passports. They have no police. They have no intelligence. Many of the countries in question don't even have a U.S. embassy there to help us vet. The U.N. will tell you it's almost impossible to vet these people from these countries because there are no passports and all the rest of it.

We have to figure out a way to determine who they are and why they come into the United States. Otherwise, were guessing. And this president and John Kelly doesn't want to guess when it comes to national security and protection of the U.S. population.

WALLACE: Secretary Kelly, thank you. Thanks for sharing part of your holiday weekend with us.

KELLY: Absolutely. Thanks.

WALLACE: Up next, new reports that Jared Kushner attempted to set up a back channel between Russia and the Trump transition. Well bring in our Sunday group to discuss the expanding Russia probe.

Plus, what would you like to ask the panel about the continuous leaks in Washington? Just go to Facebook or Twitter @FoxNewsSunday, and we may use your question on the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, D-FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Hillary Clinton talking about Richard Nixon in her commencement speech at Wellesley College, but clearly taking a shot at President Trump. By the way, Nixon resigned before he was actually impeached.

And it's time now for our Sunday group: the head of Heritage Action for America, Michael Needham, Charles Lane of The Washington Post, Gerald Seib from The Wall Street Journal, and National Security Council staffer, Gillian Turner.

And just to catch you up, President Trump returns home to reports that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, in December, and that they discussed setting up a secret secure channel between the Trump transition and the Kremlin. That communications link reportedly to be based in a Russian diplomatic facility in Russia.

A source close to the Trump administration tells me the conversation did take place but he says it was the ambassador who proposed the back channel, not Kushner, so the Russian military could talk with Trump advisors about the situation in Syria and the source points out that the secure link was never set up.

So, with that as a preface, Gerry, your reaction to the Kushner story, and how does this complicate the already complicated investigation of links between the Kremlin and the Trump transition?

GERALD F. SEIB, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, look, I mean, back channels are not unusual, they are not unprecedented. This one might have seemed perfectly innocent. Two problems though with it. One is, this happened during the transition, it seems to violate as you suggested earlier in the show the only one president at a time rule. And the second one is its Russia, after a campaign in which the Russian connection to the campaign, the Russian interference in the campaign was a big issue.

And I think the fact that it was at a time when people were looking for whether there were going to be signs of special favors for Russia as a result of help they might have given President Trump, then-President-elect Trump during the campaign, that's what makes this a big story, is the context of the conversation as much as the actual content.

WALLACE: Michael, I want to ask you, one, whether it's a big story, and, secondly, about the talk we are hearing, that is just rampant in Washington today about major changes in the White House that theyre going to set up a rapid response operation to deal with all the incoming leaks, that the president has hired at least one criminal defense lawyer and may be process of hiring a team and the staff is urging the president to let the lawyers vet his tweets. I mean, it really does sound like theyre going on a war footing on this.

MICHAEL NEEDHAM, CEO, HERITAGE ACTION FOR AMERICA: Yes, I don't know if it's a major story, there are several investigations going on. They probably should be allowed to work their course. It's kind of exhausting reading some of these new stories and trying to figure out what did you read three weeks ago thats just being recycled, versus what new?

I think it's smart for the administration to try to put this stuff to the side, have, you know, a team that looks at these issues, and another team that looks at a lot of real policy issues, which are closer to the American people. You have the most conservative, exciting budget that's come out in a decade.

WALLACE: Were going to get to the agenda in the next segment.

(CROSSTALK)

WALLACE: I mean, at the very least, it seems dumb.

NEEDHAM: Clearly, the optics of these are awful, and I think that especially when you have people who are new to the political system coming in and getting advice from a guy in Mike Flynn who probably didn't show the best judgment through a lot of this, you know, dumb might be a good word for it. I dont know. You know, I think Kushner said a couple of weeks ago that he was happy to participate with the Senate investigation. He said hes happy to participate with this investigation.

You are at a disadvantage when you are the focus of an investigation and your lawyers are saying, don't participate, don't comment, and everyone else in the country seems more than eager to talk about it. So, I think a little prudence in keeping our mouth shut while we let the investigations play out is probably fair and well see what comes up in them.

WALLACE: You talk about the fact that they're all the stories and sometimes it's hard to remember what you've heard this week and what you heard last week. And this gets to the question of leaks. I asked our staff to put together, let's put it up on the screen, a list of the headlines from just the last two weeks. This is just Sunday two weeks ago until today. And as you can see, there's been a torrent of disclosures from intelligence and law enforcement officials.

Gillian, as somebody who worked in the government, have you ever seen anything like this? And, you know, the conservatives talk about a deep state, that there are people embedded in law enforcement and embedded in the intelligence community that are trying to bring this president down. It sure seems like it's true.

GILLIAN TURNER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: So, to me on the question of leaks, it seems that without a doubt leaks of information today are the number one threat to U.S. national security interest across the globe. And I think for evidence of that, we need look no further than the very public reprimand, we the United States had to endure from Britain earlier this week, in the wake of the Manchester attacks. A reminder that the British-U.S. intelligence cooperation, relationship, is one of the closest that has ever existed. And in my lifetime, in government and policy, I have not seen something so public, so public a risk (ph)

(CROSSTALK)

WALLACE: Most of these leaks arent about national security. They are about Trump's political security.

TURNER: Yes. And so, this gets to the question of the deep state. So, Im somebody who likes to push back against the narrative having been a civil servant in the government. Again, in the national security community is different than the political community, the rest of the policy community. But I will say that from I have seen and experienced, it does not exist.

There is not this liberal --

WALLACE: How do you define this?

TURNER: There isnt a liberal core of people -- put it this way, Chris, for a hard fact, more than 50 percent of the federal workforce today is made up of people that joined the government prior to President Bush's tenure in office. So, the idea that these are Obama holdovers is simply not true, it's not the case.

I think that when we talk about why individuals leak information, the explanations are as varied as human beings psychology. So, for example, a lot of things we are seeing leaked about the president are probably being leaked by his senior staff to hurt one another. That's not unique to the Trump administration.

WALLACE: We ask you for questions for the panel and we got some different reactions in this question of leaks.

Adri Ane sent us on Facebook: Do whistleblowers hold a vital role in the health of a democracy holding those in power to accountability?

But chuck Coo had a different take: Simple question. If our intelligence agencies are as good as advertised, why can't they find the leakers?

Chuck, how do you answer both of them about leaks?

CHARLES LANE, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, as a member of the press, and is a believer in the role of the media and holding government accountable, Im not going to come out against leaks, because, you know, for all the leaks that may cause this or that official trouble, there's going to be another one that does play an important role in accountability.

But going back to what Gillian said, I think part of the reason that these leaks are flowing so uncontrollably to the viewers question is the factional struggle within this administration. You know, we have this famous dispute between Bannon and Kushner that supposedly was papered over. But I wouldn't be surprised if, you know, those were present two currents, to put it politely, within the White House that are trying to get bad stories out about one another.

And this goes to your point about the staff shakeup and so on and so forth. You can shake up the staff all you want, but if man at the top is not laying out a clear and consistent line, is not himself modeling behavior, for example, by not blowing an Israeli source in a meeting with a foreign government, that sets the tone that this stuff is not really on, then it will continue.

NEEDHAM: I take your point about the responsibility of the press and how leaks play into as it requires a responsible press also. That when James Fallows of The Atlantic today put side-by-side The Washington Post in The New York Times and how they treat, I think it was three unnamed sources in the White House talking about Jared Kushner and his desire to be here and stay here, this is not an urgent story. This is not something thats getting out there.

I don't think you see in the press, The Times and The Washington Post, the way they are playing this kind of using leakers to try to unearth the truth and taking two months like --

(CROSSTALK)

WALLACE: We need to --

NEEDHAM: Its kind of getting ridiculous.

WALLACE: We need to -- because were going to run out of time. Let me simply say, we're just receiving information. Its people who had sworn, oftentimes taken legal oaths not to divulge the information, they are the ones putting it out. Were just the recipients.

All right. We have to take a break here. Well see you a little later.

When we come back, Senators Dick Durbin and Bill Cassidy. Is the president's agenda, both his new budget and the new effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare in trouble?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Coming up, President Trump releases his budget.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My administration is laying a foundation to build a future of economic prosperity and achieve American greatness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: But does it have any chance of getting through Congress?

Two key senators join us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: A look outside the beltway of the Indianapolis Motor speedway, home to this weekend's Indianapolis 500.

Back from his first foreign trip, President Trump's focus will now shift to his domestic agenda, his new budget and a bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

Joining us to discuss the president's priorities from Springfield, Illinois, the Senates number two Democrat, Dick Durbin. And here in Washington, Louisiana senator and doctor, Bill Cassidy, whos on both the Senate Finance and Health Committees.

Well, senators, before we get to the Trump agenda, Ive got to ask you about the big story in Washington. This weekend, the Jared Kushner story, discussions about setting up a possible back channel with Russia.

Senator Durbin, what's wrong with that?

SEN. DICK DURBIN, D-ILLINOIS: The bottom line, of course, is we now have a special counsel in Bob Mueller. I have the highest level of confidence in him. And I hope that he will follow all the evidence, all the leads, and all the suggestions. And Im sure he will.

WALLACE: Do you have any specific comment about the Kushner conversation and whether or je should keep his security clearance?

DURBIN: Well, of course not. I mean this is a rumor at this point and whether it is something that should be followed up on, Ill trust Bob Mueller's judgment.

WALLACE: Senator Cassidy, are you troubled by this?

SEN. BILL CASSIDY, R-LOUISIANA: I agree with Dicks assessment. And Ill say, when you speak to folks back home, voters across the nation, theyre more concerned about their climbing health care premiums and the need to have jobs with better wages and better benefits. This will play out. We will know eventually. Right now Americans need help with their premiums.

WALLACE: Well, you know what then gentlemen, let's switch to health care. And the Congressional Budget Office, non-partisan, released its score of the House bill this week. And let's put the numbers up on the screen. It would reduce the deficit $119 billion over ten years, but 23 million more people would be uninsured by 2026. The cost of insurance, according to the CBO, for a 64-year-old earning $27,000 a year would increase from $1,700 a year under ObamaCare to more than $13,000 under the GOP bill. Here's what Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-NY, MINORITY LEADER: Unless youre a healthy millionaire, Trumpcare is a nightmare. This report ought to be the final nail in the coffin of the Republican effort to sabotage our health care system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Senator Cassidy, is Schumer right?

CASSIDY: So the Senate will write its own bill. And it shouldn't be the final coffin because right now there's families sitting around their kitchen table, theyre play $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000 a year for premiums and there's about to be a 40 percent increase in many states in these premiums. Cassidy-Collins, a bill Ive introduced with Susan Collins, we have four co-sponsors.

WALLACE: Yes, were going to get into that in a --

CASSIDY: But that said, actually would -- would -- would meet that familys needs and I think it should be a place we go and those families are asking us to address those issues.

WALLACE: So -- so what would you say to Americans? How should they regard the House bill?

CASSIDY: The House product, the Senate will have its own product. We will go to conference. But I think the Senate product, I'm hopeful, will be more likely to address their needs.

WALLACE: Senator Durbin, I know what youre going to say, and the CBO certainly indicates there are problem with repeal and replace, but ObamaCare has its own problems. You heard Senator Cassidy mentioned some of them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City just announced this week that it has lost $100 million through 2016 and that it is going to pull out of exchanges. That means that in 25 counties in western Missouri they may have no insurer at all. Doesnt something have to be done dramatically?

DURBIN: Well, it should be. But first we ought to have an administration that supports our health care system. What the Trump administration has done since day one is to find ways to cut off support for our current health care system, lack of advertising, for example, to bring new people on board so we have larger insurance pools and lower premiums. We have to have an effort made to sustain the current system while we repair it. We shouldnt be sabotaging it.

WALLACE: Wait, wait, wait, wait, senator --

DURBIN: But lets look at the bottom line here. What the Republicans --

WALLACE: Senator Durbin, let me just point out, when Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City says theyve lost $100 million in 2016, you can't blame that on Trump. He wasn't president.

DURBIN: No, of course it is not a situation where the system we have is perfect, and it isn't. I voted for it. And it needs to be repaired. And I think Bill Cassidy and Susan Collins are at least willing to sit down in a constructive fashion and deal with that. Bill and I have had conversations about that. I'm sorry that the two of them are not in the room with the 13 apostles that Senator McConnells chosen to come up with the Republicans plan. I wish Bill and Susan were in there.

WALLACE: All right, let -- let -- let me bring Senator Cassidy back, because let's talk about the Collins, Susan Collins, the Republican senator from Maine, and Cassidy plan. And here are some of the highlights of that plan. Keep most ObamaCare taxes to pay for a replacement instead of an individual mandate. That would end. Auto enroll people in insurance so they have to opt out, not opt in. And let states keep most of ObamaCare if they want.

Senator, it's a very interesting plan, but I don't have to tell you there are some of your more conservative colleagues in the Senate who are never going to go for this because theyre --

CASSIDY: Thats --

WALLACE: I mean theyre already upset that they say the House plane leaves too much of ObamaCare in place. You're leaving more of it in place.

CASSIDY: A couple things. It is the conservative solution. The conservative thinks the power should return to individuals and to states. We do that. The power that ObamaCare gave, took from states, we give back. And you can't say youre a conservative and we believe in states rights, and then tell states what they can't do. If a blue state wishes to do a blue thing, God bless them.

And as regard to taxes, it isn't so much that we have to keep these taxes. As a fiscal conservative, I do think we need to pay for things. We have to balance our budget. We just say those taxes should be addressed in comprehensive tax reform, not piecemealed beforehand. I will repeat, the Cassidy-Collins plan is the conservative solution.

WALLACE: But have you gotten any buy-in, and let me just take a few names, from Ted Cruz, from Rand Paul, from Mike Lee? And what are the chances, honestly, that the Senate won't pass anything, that this health care reform is going to die?

CASSIDY: I can't speak for those senators you listed. I will say that between -- aside from Susan and I, theres four other Republicans who support it. Now what would really be --

WALLACE: Thats six. You need 44 more.

CASSIDY: But of all the plants out there, were the one that have the most support. And there are others who are very much interested. But Ill also say to my friend Dick Durbin, if we had Democrats involved, because we do allow a blue state to do a blue thing. Thats states rights. That if they cant -- if we had 25 Democrats and 40 Republicans, it wouldn't be a Republican plan, it wouldn't be a Democratic plan, it would be an American plan.

WALLACE: OK, let me quickly -- because I want to get to the budget briefly. But -- but, real quickly, Senator Durbin, any Democratic buy-in?

DURBIN: As long as we take repeal off the table, there are a lot of Democrats who want to bring a chair to the table. I'm one of them. Lets sit down together with Bill Cassidy and Susan Collins. I don't agree with their -- many aspects of their start-up plan, but it's a good faith effort to do two things, reduce the cost of health insurance and expand the reach of health insurance. That should be our national goal.

WALLACE: All right, now there's the Trump budget that was released this week, and let's go through some of the highlights of that. Here are some of the key increases in spending. For the military, increase by 10.1 percent, border security by 6.8 percent, but EPA is cut 31.4 percent, the State Department by 29.1 percent, and NIH, the National Institutes of Health, by 18.2 percent. Here's how Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney explained it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICK MULVANEY, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET: Compassion needs to be on both sides of that equation. Yes, you have to have compassion for folks who are receiving the federal funds, but also you have to have compassion for the folks who are paying it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Senator Durbin, I know youre going to bash the Trump budget, but -- but don't we have to cut spending at some point? Are we just going to keep piling up the national debt?

DURBIN: Well, that's a very -- very important question that you asked, Chris, but the question is, where you cut it and how you cut. I do not believe you make America great again by cutting medical research to the lowest level in 12 years. I don't think you make America great again by saying to working families, it's now more expensive for your kids to borrow money for student loans. You certainly don't make us a great nation by cutting back in infrastructure. All those three things are in the Trump budget. So if were going to have priorities, let's look at the things that are important for building jobs and opportunity in the future.

WALLACE: Senator Cassidy, how dead -- I know it's dead -- but how dead is the Trump budget?

CASSIDY: So class -- typically, in fact, always, the Senate and the House write their own budget, but it does reflect the president's goals. I actually agree with those goals, but would take a different approach. Lets speak of Medicaid, which under their budget is cut. Medicaid is unsustainable, both for states and for the federal government. It has to be reformed. But as a physician who worked with Medicaid patients, I know that benefit has to also be preserved. I've actually worked on legislation that would bend the cost curve, at the same time reform it so that states would not go bankrupt trying to continue their Medicaid program.

WALLACE: But --

CASSIDY: We have elements of that in the Cassidy-Collins plan. We share the goal, we just have a different way to get there.

WALLACE: But just real quickly, though. I know youre concerned about the Gulf Coast and Louisiana. Are you OK with cutting EPA? Youre a doctor. Are you OK with these kinds of big cuts in NIH?

CASSIDY: Again, I think the best way to control future health care spending is to find that cure for Alzheimer's. I agree with the goal. I have a different approach. If we find a cure for Alzheimers, which postpones or heals, then those folks are not taking a trillion dollars out of our economy with their illness. Rather they are contributing, that capital is used for something else. We can actually get at this in a different light.

WALLACE: Senator Cassidy, Senator Durbin, I want to thank you both for coming in and thank you for your time, especially in this holiday weekend.

CASSIDY: Thank you.

WALLACE: Up next, President Trump wraps up his first foreign trip, but his troubles here at home haven't gone away. Our panel comes back to discuss both.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We made extraordinary gains on this historic trip to advance the security and prosperity of the United States, our friends and our allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: President Trump at the end of his first foreign trip giving himself good reviews, which is what presidents always do.

And were back now with the panel.

Gillian, how do you think the president did on this trip and why do you think he seemed to get along so much better with the leaders in the Middle East than he did with our allies in Europe?

TURNER: So I really divide the trip into two parts conceptually. Its helpful. So the first is really going around and touching on major worlds -- the worlds major three religions, excuse me, Chris, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. And I think that that part of the trip went relatively well. We had some pushback from the media about certain protocol optics, like, you know, like what was donning the heads of Melania and Ivanka Trump. That's fine.

I think the second part of the trip was really NATO-focused. And there the presidents speech actually got a lot of criticism. But I think for the first time the administration cabinet-wide is actually striking the right tone on NATO, by which I mean theyre focusing on recommitting themselves to the importance of the alliance and they backtracked, or progressed, however you want to phrase it, on the -- the idea that it's become obsolete, which is a good thing for everyone.

At the same time, theyre encouraging the member nations to contribute 2 percent GDP, which at this time -- remember, this was part of the presidents campaign platform. So I think he's got a mandate from the American people to push for that and it's something he's doing. I think it's a nice balance.

WALLACE: We should point out that the first part of the trip, especially the Saudi part of the trip, was largely organized by Jared Kushner, and people who support him say he was talking to all of those Saudi leaders and helping -- and Sunni Muslim leaders during the transition, and that's one of the reasons it was such a success.

Chuck, what struck you about these nine days?

LANE: I have to say, the chilly atmospherics of the Europe portion of the trip, in contrast to the warmth, the abundant good feeling that was on display in Saudi Arabia between the president and the royal family of Saudi Arabia, that -- that contrast I think spoke volumes. It's true that he's -- the president got a lot of criticism for not uttering the words I personally support Article Five, the mutual defense guarantee in NATO --

WALLACE: Attack on one is an attack on all.

LANE: Correct. But the reason for -- another president with another history, who had run a different campaign, that wouldn't be an issue. The Europeans feel very embattled and nervous with respect to the Trump administration. He supported Brexit. He openly spoke warmly about Marine Le Pen. Hes called NATO obsolete. And they were looking for some -- the kind of reassurance that he gave the Saudis, and they didn't get it. And I think that will have repercussions going forward.

WALLACE: Let's talk about the domestic side, because the president returns to a Congress that is addley (ph) divided about repeal and replace and has already, both Republicans and Democrats, rejected his budget that we were just talking about with the two senators.

Michael, some Senate Republicans are talking about just giving up on health care and moving straight tax reform.

NEEDHAM: It would be a mistake. I mean the American health care system is collapsing under ObamaCare. But part of the reason that this agenda is so complicated and that we need a real sense of urgency on both the White House and the Congress about health care, tax reform, the budget, the debt limit, all this stuff thats coming up and how it fits together is that for seven years the Republican Party has told itself a lie, that we are all united on wanting the same ends, that we all want to repeal ObamaCare, its about what the replace is. And what you actually have is you have very legitimate and heartfelt disagreement within the party about what the best path forward is.

Some conservatives who want to focus on Title One regulations. Bill Cassidy, who has his plan, the Tuesday Group in the House, which is more of a force --

WALLACE: More moderate.

NEEDHAM: The moderate group. Kind of a force for the status quo. I think the healthiest thing thats happened in the last couple of months is that in the House, for the first time, leadership and the members themselves acknowledge that there are real differences of policy in this party. This isn't good guys and bad guys. It isnt disagreements about tactics. They sat down for a couple of weeks. They understood where they were coming from. And they came up with a coalition form of government that said, you know what, let's let the state decides. If they want to wave out of ObamaCare, that's fine for some of them and others dont.

WALLACE: But -- but --

NEEDHAM: That's the model that needs -- that needs to happen going forward to bring them together.

WALLACE: But -- but the problem, of course, with that, as you just heard from Bill Cassidy is, hes saying theyre basically going to put that over the side, maybe theyll take a little bit out of it, but theyre going to write their own bill.

Gerry, is it possible that we could get to the end of 2017, this year, and that a Republican-controlled Congress, Republican control of the House and the Senate, will not have passed a single major Trump legislative initiative? And if so, what does that mean for prospects for Republicans in the 2018 midterms?

SEIB: Well, it is -- first of all, it is possible because were staring down the path here of no easy wins. You know, no big, easy wins.

By the way, there's one other that you shouldn't forget, which is by the fall, this Congress has to raise the debt ceiling, which everybody hates to do and -- and --

WALLACE: Youve also got to fund the government.

SEIB: You have to fund the government, have to raise the debt ceiling. Theyre going to have to get Republican votes. Conservatives hate raising the debt ceiling. Everybody hates raising the debt ceiling. That has to happen as well. So you have a whole series of tough or unpleasant choices before the Congress.

My guess is that, in the end, I think a Republican Congress will figure out a way to get together and get some of these things done, even in a truncated form because its too heavy a lift to go through an entire year in full control of the government and not have anything to show for it.

WALLACE: You think they pass tax -- health care reform or do you think theyre going to end up eventually realizing -- you had Mitch McConnell say, I don't see how we get to 50.

SEIB: Yes.

WALLACE: Which is not the kind of thing he openly says. Do you think that they could just punt on that and go to tax reform?

SEIB: I think they could easily walk past health and go to tax reform. I -- Mitch McConnells a smart guy. Hes not going to move down a path unless he knows theres success at the end of that path. And if he doesn't, you know, that's because there is no way to get 50 votes plus one.

I do think tax reform is something that Republicans really want to do. Theyve come to Washington to cut taxes. Theyre not going to walk out of this town I think in December without having given that at least a really good try.

WALLACE: Michael?

NEEDHAM: Yes. No, I think, you know, they need to do both and all of these things are intertwined. At some point they have to sit down and look at these various points, the debt limit, spending, tax reform, health care, and define which wings of the party, which different factions within the parties will get what wins where. And once they do that, theyll get some.

The other thing that has to be considered this week is, is the Paris Accords, Paris Climate treaty, and what makes that so complicated, I think, for the president is its non-binding. I think hes actually going to come out this week and pull out the Paris Accords. He made an explicit promise on the campaign trail. Hes somebody who likes to keep his promises. And, second, the United States shouldn't stay in a treaty just because it's non-binding. If we dont intend on participating, we should pull out. I think the president will do that.

WALLACE: All right, we have to leave here. Thank you, panel. See you next Sunday.

Up next, our "Power Player of the Week," the Blue Angels, flying high and inspiring pride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Soldiers placing flags by the 230,000 grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Pride, professionalism, precision, those are the watchwords of this military unit. And on this special weekend, that unit is our "Power Player of the Week."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN BERNACCHI, BLUE ANGELS COMMANDING OFFICER: Were focused on that very precise control of the airplane and flying it to the very best of your ability and youre thinking out ahead, OK, what's next, and what's next, and whats next.

WALLACE (voice-over): Ryan Bernacchi is commander of the Blue Angels, the Navy's precision flight squadron. He's in the number one jet, leading his team through intricate maneuvers at up to 700 miles per hour, with the planes sometimes just 18 inches apart. The Blue Angels were in the area to perform at the U.S. Naval Academy, and we got to go inside their operation.

WALLACE (on camera): Is there a lot of talking going on while youre up in the air?

BERNACCHI: There is a lot of talking. As the leader, Im calling acadence (ph) for every -- every turn, every pull, every power change. And were just going to turn left, it's as simple as, coming left. And on that go, all six sticks will move in unison. Coming further left, a little, pull.

(INAUDIBLE).

And when all that gets going, we call it -- we call it fuzz -- it gets fuzzy because it will -- it will just take on this rhythm. Youre feeling the fuzz, Chris. Yes.

WALLACE: I'm feeling the fuzz!

BERNACCHI: Yes. Its something -- its -- its -- it's crisp, but it's -- its electric.

WALLACE (voice-over): Admiral Chester Nimitz started the Blue Angels in 1946 with F-6 Hellcat prop planes to keep up interest in naval aviation after World War II. Now they fly F-18 Hornets, in dozens of shows each year for more than 11 million spectators, from a cloudy naval academy, to a crystal clear San Francisco Bay.

BERNACCHI: I always was going to be a pilot.

WALLACE (on camera): Why?

BERNACCHI: The Blue Angels.

WALLACE (voice-over): Bernacchi used to go with his dad to shows in the bay area every summer.

BERNACCHI: I was that kid and I wanted to fly.

WALLACE: Now he has a nickname.

BERNACCHI: They call the flight leader "boss." Wingmen will talk to me and, hey, boss, you know, and thats the way it -- it works. And then we -- we do it on the ground as well.

WALLACE: At the end of the show, the Blue Angels do a maneuver called a loop, break, cross. All six planes headed straight up, then, in six different directions, and then back to the center point.

BERNACCHI: At about 800 knots of closure. So just under 1,000 miles an hour. And, boy, is it -- is it sweet when we put all that together. That -- that synergy and you feel that fuzz and you get it -- you get it going and -- and that's really, really -- it's -- its sweet, but it's very, very intense.

WALLACE: Bernacchi, whos flown combat over Iraq and Afghanistan, compares it to operating off an aircraft carrier and he says that's the mission of the Blue Angels, to represent their fellow service members who are on the front lines.

BERNACCHI: It's about the Navy Marine Corps, theyre forward deployed, theyre -- theyre providing us with our freedom. And thats the real work. We makes people feel something, and -- and it's that pride. It's the pride this country has in our sailors and Marines and we just bring it and display it in a way that people can connect with and they can -- they can see and feel and touch. And that, I think, is the value of the Blue Angels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Blue Angels will be traveling the country this summer. If you get a chance to see them in action, it's something you will never forget.

And that's it for today. We hope youll take a moment this weekend to remember all the men and women who have given their lives defending our freedom.

And well see you next "Fox News Sunday."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Content and Programming Copyright 2017 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2017 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
Just a week after its grand opening, the Hotel 50 Bowery in New York Citys Chinatown just got a serious wake-up call from local residents.

The hotel, opened by the Joie de Vivre hotel group on May 16, is already in damage-control mode after a local leader blasted the companys for its plans to open an opium den-themed lounge called The Green Lady on the buildings basement level.

MAN SUES PLANET HOLLYWOOD FOR ASSAULT AFTER THEY STARTLED HIM WITH A MANNEQUIN

Karlin Chan, who describes himself as an independent community activist/advocate, wrote a scathing op-ed for Bowery Boogie in which he denounced the hotel group for its culturally insensitivity, going so far as to call the whole thing bulls---.

Is the fabled opium den really an appropriate theme for a lounge in their hotel? I say HELL NO, wrote Chan. Its ironic that a hotel honoring the neighborhood would allow a business to highlight a negative stereotype within.

Wagstaff Worldwide, the PR film hired to handle the hotel's marketing, described the hotel as having subtle nods to Asian heritage that reflect the unique story of the neighborhood itself in a feature for DNAinfo New York. The company has since addressed the backlash, though they blame it on a poor choice of words.

The use of the phrase was originally used to describe the portions of decor found at The Green Lady, the hotels cellar-level lounge. Weve since moved away from that language, and communications should have been updated sooner to reflect the 30s era Shanghai China theme that has been decided on for the space, read the statement obtained by Bowery Boogie.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The company did apologize for using that specific descriptor, and explained that they had removed it from their communications.

Chef Dale Talde, a Bravo "Top Chef" alum who is one of three restaurateurs in charge of the hotels dining options, remarked to Eater that the choice to use the words opium den was a real fk-up by Wagstaff and the hotels design team, because that was never something they never discussed with him.

The PR team for the hotel and the design team for the hotel are the ones who did this, said Talde. Theyre the ones who f---ed up. We never even mentioned opium den once in design meetings.

HOW TO SPOT BEDBUGS IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM

Despite the setback, the Joie de Vivre hotel group has not announced any delays in the hotels Green Lady lounge, which is scheduled to open this summer.

UPDATE: A representative for Wagstaff Worldwide reached out to Fox News with the following statement:

"On behalf of Hotel 50 Bowery, Three Kings Restaurant Group (managing all of Hotel 50 Bowerys food and beverage outlets), and Wimberly Interiors (our design team), we apologize for the use of the initial description of our hotels forthcoming lounge, Green Lady. It was not our intent to upset or offend anyone.

"The vision for Green Lady, located on the cellar level of Hotel 50 Bowery, has always been and still is to create a welcoming, theatre-inspired lounge that pays homage to both the nostalgia of the neighborhoods past as well as the electric energy of its future."


Thousands of angry British Airways passengers on Sunday confronted long lines, confusion and canceled flights at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports as the airline worked to fix computer systems crippled by a massive global IT failure.

British Airways said Sunday that it was still working on the massive problem, which caused the airline to cancel all flights from the two London airports.

"Work continues to restore all of our IT systems, but we expect some further disruption today," the airline said.

The airline said that it hoped to operate a "near normal schedule" at Gatwick and the "majority of services" from Heathrow on Sunday.

Saturday's cancellations upended the travel plans of tens of thousands of people on a busy holiday weekend.

The airline offered to refund or rebook customers affected by the problem.

The airline operates hundreds of flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on a typical day  and both are major hubs for worldwide travel.

Passengers  some of whom had spent the night at the airport  faced long lines to check in, re-book or find lost luggage on Sunday. Dozens more flights from Heathrow were canceled.

"Everyone is upset. There's people in tears," said Melanie Ware, who flew in from Los Angeles and was trying to get to Venice on her honeymoon.

"We rebooked for Venice for tonight, which they also have canceled now," she told Sky News. "So we have no way of getting out of Heathrow and they haven't compensated us for anything, and we're stuck and this is the worst honeymoon ever.

"British Airways has ruined our honeymoon."

Tonda Sallee, who was trying to fly to Frankfurt, said she been in line for five hours, "and we have no idea how long we'll be in line. The rest of the day I'm sure, and we probably won't fly out today either."

Many passengers complained about a lack of information from the airline.

"Some 80-year-old lady was standing around waiting for announcements, et cetera, and she fell over," said Londoner Terry Page, who managed to get on one of the last flights from Heathrow to Dallas-Fort Worth on Saturday. He and other passengers arrived, but their luggage did not.

"We helped her up and she said 'I'm just so tired,'" Page said. "It's been a terrible, terrible day."

A British Airways official told Fox News Saturday there was absolutely no evidence a cyberattack caused the global IT failurer.

BA passengers were hit with severe delays in July and September 2016 because of problems with the airline's online check-in systems.

BA has not said what is causing the computer problem, but says it is working to resolve it as quickly as possible.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Air Force officials investigate allegations that inspectors were invited to view the remains of astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn at Dover Air Force Base, a military mortuary chief said that Glenn's remains were treated with "impeccable care."

"He was not disrespected in any way, shape or form," William Zwicharowski told The Associated Press on Friday.

Zwicharowski said he's proud of the job he and his staff did in caring for Glenn's remains during the months between his death last December and his burial at Arlington National Cemetery in April.

Air Force officials are investigating concerns raised about management of the mortuary and allegations that inspectors who visited the facility this spring were invited to look at Glenn's remains, which they declined to do.

Despite repeated requests, the Defense Department on Friday refused to release a memo describing the alleged incident.

Zwicharowski said he also hasn't seen the memo, or the final report on the inspection, which the mortuary passed with a score of 94 percent.

Zwicharowski also said he's had no access to the mortuary since Monday, when he was notified that he was under an inspector general's investigation.

"I was given no reason for the IG investigation," said Zwicharowski, who is currently reassigned to a community outreach position in the base's mission support group.

"I didn't know anything about John Glenn until last night at midnight," he added, recalling a text he received from a colleague.

Zwicharowski acknowledged asking inspectors if they wanted to view Glenn's body but said it was a purely professional query.

"It was an honest invitation to see the quality of our preparation of remains. It wasn't to see John Glenn. If it was John Smith, Private, it didn't matter ... It was to see the care that we had given and the preservation."

"They're inspecting the mortuary, and probably 80 or 90 percent of our mission is the preparation of remains," he added. "... If it was Private Smith, it would never have been an issue. We treat everyone the same in the mortuary. We pride ourselves on that. We don't care if you're a janitor or a general."

A message was left Friday with the Glenn family's secretary seeking comment.

In a May 11 memo obtained by the Military Times, Deborah Skillman, the Defense Department's director of casualty and mortuary affairs, described Zwicharowski's actions as "clearly inappropriate and personally shocking."

Zwicharowski said he does not recall any negative reaction from inspection team members.

"That's why I'm in awe. ... I didn't think there was anything wrong with that, obviously. They're in a mortuary, and they're inspecting a mortuary," he explained.

A few days after the inspection, however, Lt. Col. Chip Hollinger, deputy commander of Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, told Zwicharowski the inspection team mentioned that they didn't think it was appropriate to invite them to see Glenn's body.

"It was brought up, and I explained to Col. Hollinger why, and it was solely professional. I saw nothing wrong with it and he never said anything else about it," Zwicharowski said.

Zwicharowski said he believes he is being targeted with retribution for blowing the whistle on the mishandling of remains at the mortuary several years ago.

"I think it's continued retribution," he said.

Zwicharowski and two colleagues received public servant awards from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in 2012 for pointing out problems at the mortuary.

But Zwicharowski said Friday that morale among mortuary staff was "horrific," and he described the work environment as "toxic."

"What we need is less management," he said. "I'm being micromanaged and told how to embalm bodies by someone who has never touched a body."
The Joliet office of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services offered gift cards to workers closing the most cases just months before a missing 1-year-old girl's body was found under a couch in a home, a report Saturday said.

The Chicago Tribune reported the existence of the contest a day after the department released a report reviewing its actions leading up to the death of 1-year-old Semaj Crosby. The toddler was found dead April 26 in a Joliet Township home shortly after DCFS closed an investigation into whether she was being neglected.

The contest that began in January awarded $100 gift cards to the two workers who closed the most cases within a month, the report said. The third place winner received a $50 gift card.

It's unclear whether any of the winners were involved in DCFS inquiries at Semaj's home.

DCFS Director George Sheldon said the contest was improper.

"Offering financial incentives like that I think is an inappropriate step," Sheldon said. "I think the intentions were good, but the way they handled it wasn't."

State Rep. Mary Flowers, a Chicago Democrat who has chaired a recent legislative hearing on DCFS investigations, called the contest "unethical." She called for the agency's inspector general to conduct an immediate investigation into the contest, including the children and families who were affected by cases that may have been closed prematurely.

"Children's lives could have been put at risk because of this bad behavior," Flowers said. "This is not a game."

The DCFS report released Friday said Semaj's family came to DCFS attention in September 2016. The case files involved Crosby, her parents, an aunt and three siblings. The report says that while allegations of inadequate supervision and drug use in the home were unfounded, an intact family case was opened. The action was taken to provide the family with "housing support and parenting assistance."

Sheldon said he does not believe the push to close cases quickly played a role in Semaj's case but said he understands why people "may have that perception."

"We've got to aggressively pursue these cases with a sense of urgency, but I want to make sure that message isn't misinterpreted to cut corners," Sheldon said.

Senior Deputy Director Neil Skene said DCFS is reviewing whether to discipline any supervisors for the contest. The agency is preparing a notification to all staff warning against such incentives, he said.

___

Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com
An argument between a Mississippi man, his estranged wife and her family over custody of the couple's children ended in a shooting that killed eight people, including a deputy sheriff.

Police said gunfire erupted Saturday night at a home in Bogue Chitto after the deputy arrived in response to a domestic disturbance call, and spread to two houses in nearby Brookhaven, about 70 miles south of Jackson.

The suspect, Willie Cory Godbolt, 35, confessed to the The Jackson Clarion-Ledger in a video interview, recorded as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road.

I aint fit to live, not after what I done, Godbolt told the paper Sunday after he was apprehended. Not in yall eyes, not in nobody elses eyes.

Godbolt was hospitalized in good condition with a gunshot wound, though it wasn't clear who shot him.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said that prosecutors planned to charge Godbolt with murder but that it was too soon to say what the motive was. Authorities gave no details on his relationship to the victims.

Godbolt told the paper that he was talking with his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities.

"My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there," Godbolt told the paper as he sat on the road, hands cuffed behind his back, waiting to be transported to jail. "We was talking about me trying to take the children home... somebody called the officer.... that's what they do, they intervene. It cost him his life. I'm sorry."

The suspect also said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention."

Authorities said the deputy who was shot was 36-year-old William Durr, Mississippi News Now reported. Durr had been with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Department for two years. He also served four years with the Brookhaven Police Department.

The Daily Herald reported that in a 2014 interview Durr said he loved making children smile.

He told the paper he liked to conduct puppet shows for kids. He had developed an interest in ventriloquism as a boy.

The stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, told The Associated Press that Godbolt's wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband because of domestic violence.

When the sheriff's deputy arrived at the house, Godbolt looked as if he were about to leave, then reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and opened fire, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said he escaped along with Godbolt's wife. But he said three family members were killed in his home: his wife, her sister and one of the wife's daughters.

"I'm devastated. It don't seem like it's real," Mitchell said outside his yellow frame house, in a community of modest houses, trailer homes and small churches set among thick woods.

After fleeing his in-laws' house, Godbolt killed four more people at two other homes, authorities said. At least seven hours elapsed between the first shootings and Godbolt's arrest near the final crime scene in a subdivision of ranch houses in Brookhaven, a few miles from Bogue Chitto.

"It breaks everybody's heart," said Garrett Smith, a 19-year-old college student who went to high school with one of the victims. "Everybody knows everybody for the most part."



The Daily Leader reported that Godbolt has a long criminal record, including:

 Charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault in 2005 after he allegedly struck a man with a pistol and took his cash and jewelry;

 In 2013, the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office charged him with simple assault;

 Arrested in 2015 for disorderly conduct/breach of peace and failure to comply with a request from a sheriff;

 Arrested in 2015 for speeding, driving with a suspended license, and no proof of liability insurance by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

In 2016, Godbolt filed an appeal to a judgment against him in a simple assault and disorderly conduct case.

Gov. Phil Bryant issued a statement asking state residents to pray for the victims. He also noted the "sacrifice" made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," Bryant said in a statement.

Read more from The Daily Leader.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The sun has set on students request to change the date of their prom.

Students at an elite New York City high school petitioned to change the date of their senior prom  scheduled for June 3  because it conflicts with the Muslim observance of Ramadan, but the school has denied the request, the New York Post reported.



I think its kind of unfair because theres a major population of Muslims at Brooklyn Tech, Pikeeza Shabbir said.

The annual holy month for Muslims requires that observers consume no food or drink from sunrise to sunset. The Brooklyn Technical High School senior prom starts at 7 p.m. -- while the sun is still out.

The dance was planned months in advance, New York education officials told CBS2, so it will not be rescheduled. Dinner is expected to be served after sunset, at 9 p.m.

Still, Muslim students said eating after sundown is not the only issue; they say there are other religious rules that come into play.

Youre not supposed to listen to music during Ramadan, so its not really allowed, Shabbir said.

More than 250 students have signed a Change.org petition that argues some of the schools Muslim students would be unable to attend because of the scheduling with the annual holy month that requires Muslims to fast during the day.

The petition states:



In 2017, Ramadan is expected to begin on the night of either May 26th or 27th. Brooklyn Tech's Senior Prom is scheduled for June 3rd, a week into Ramadan. The start of this entails many responsibilities to the participants and with Tech's Muslim population being so vast, it is clear the scheduled date will heavily affect the attendance of this significant event of our high school experience.

A change to the date, even a week and a half earlier, would allow so many more people to partake. If no action is taken, Senior Prom truly wouldn't be open to every senior who wants to go.

The dates for Ramadan are different every year because the holiday is based on a lunar calendar.
Some residents of Hastings-on-Hudson are objecting to being designated a Purple Heart Village.

Although the village in Westchester County, New York, has fewer than 8,000 residents, it has a large VFW hall, multiple monuments to service members, and even a downtown street renamed Veterans Way, according to CBS 2. Antiwar activists, however, claim the language in the proposed signs actually glorifies what they call unjust wars  such as a reference to soldiers defending the United States of America and for the good and protection of all Americans.

The issue is essentially, how can we support the warrior and not support the war? said Frank Brodhead of Concerned Families of Westchester.

If you think of the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia or Syria, none of these wars have anything to do with protecting us, Brodhead said.

Hastings-on-Hudson Mayor Peter Swiderski now is trying to redo the language. But the revision and approval did not happen in time for Memorial Day celebrations this weekend.

We granted a delay so everybody could weigh in more fully,

Swiderski said.

The postponement angered veterans, who noted that they  and not taxpayers  paid for the signs. Its totally frustrating, because we had the signs ready to go, said Hastings VFW Post Commander Richard Pecci.

Pecci, a Vietnam veteran, is the commander of the local American Legion post who suggested the Purple Heart designation that 19 other communities in Westchester  and the county itself  already have.

This is not about war. This is about the veterans that served this country, Pecci said. They fought, they sacrificed their lives for freedom.
A Princeton University professor accused President Trump of being a racist, sexist megalomaniac in a May 20 commencement speech at Hampshire College, a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Mass.

The president of the United States, the most powerful politician in the world, is a racist, sexist megalomaniac, said Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, who is an assistant professor in African American studies, according to a report by Campus Reform reporter Anthony Gockowski.

Its not a benign observation, but has meant tragic consequences for many people in our country -- from terror-inducing raids in the communities of undocumented immigrants to his disparaging of refugees in search of freedom and respite, said Taylor, who is the author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation.

During the speech, according to The Blaze, Taylor, who is on sabbatical for the 2016/2017 academic year, suggested that the federal court decisions striking down Trumps executive orders temporarily restricting immigration from several Muslim-majority nations were the result of political activism, not the application of the law.

When Trumps first illegal Muslim travel ban was attempted, thousands of ordinary people flooded the airports around this country, she said. And because of those protests, and the defiance they represented, that ban was stopped -- not once, but twice. It is not enough just to be outraged. Injustice has to actually be defied.

Taylor also said Trump empowered an attorney general who embraces and promulgates policies that have already proven to have had a devastating impact on black families and communities.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced May 12 that he has told prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible against criminal suspects -- a reversal of Obama-era policies, and a move that infuriated civil rights groups.
Egypt's response to the latest deadly attack against its sizable Christian minority  a wave of airstrikes against Islamic militant installations in eastern Libya  may be a sign of both despair and resolve.

The Arab world's most populous nation, Egypt has for years been fighting Islamic militants in the northern Sinai Peninsula. The government had so far succeeded in containing them in that remote and rugged northeast corner of the country and foiled repeated attempts by the militants to seize and keep territory.

But the violence has now spilled over onto the mainland, with an increasing number of high-profile attacks, including a total of four that targeted Christians since December. The string of attacks has highlighted an ongoing vulnerability and a worrying lack of reliable intelligence by Egypt's robust security forces.

Unlike the attacks in Sinai, which have mostly targeted soldiers, police and suspected collaborators, the attacks on Christians have attracted unwanted international attention and stymied Egypt's desperate efforts to revive its tourism industry, a traditional backbone of its now-ailing economy.

Egypt's general-turned president has, since taking office in 2014, declared uncompromising resolve to defeat the militants. He also seems willing to sideline and disenfranchise almost all Islamic groups with a political agenda, arguing that violent and peaceful Islamic groups feed off each other. He has backed up his vow to restore security to this nation of 93 million with massive arms deals that added French fighter-jets, helicopter carriers as well as German submarines to Egypt's already huge arsenal of Soviet-era weapons and U.S.-made F-16 warplanes, Apache gunships and Abrams tanks.

CAN THE ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS BE STOPPED?

The short answer is probably not, but the government can hope to reduce their frequency.

El-Sissi and his military say the attackers have come from eastern Libya, sneaking into Egypt across the porous desert border. He claims the security forces have over the past two years intercepted some 1,000 four-wheel drive vehicles that militants used to enter Egypt; 300 were caught in the last three months alone.

His military has cryptically said airstrikes in Libya were continuing "day and night" but without giving details. Egypt, in the meantime, has pushed for lifting the international arms embargo against Libya, hoping that such action would give its main ally in Libya, Gen. Khalifa Hifter, a decisive advantage in his three-year campaign against Libya's various Islamic militant groups.

Ominously, security officials say airstrikes against suspected militant training bases in Sudan, Egypt's southern neighbor, could not be ruled out. El-Sissi said on Friday he would strike at militant bases wherever they might be if militants who trained there launch attacks inside Egypt.

Egypt's relations with Sudan are currently fraught with tension over a long-running border dispute, making it easier for Cairo to justify military action there. Already, according to the officials, the military is closely monitoring the remote desert triangle where the borders of Egypt, Libya and Sudan meet in Egypt's remote southwest corner.

At home, the officials said a host of measures were under consideration to better protect Christians  whose religious calendar is packed full of vulnerable pilgrimages to monasteries and ancient churches to celebrate saints or venerate sites where the Holy Family sojourned during their biblical stay in Egypt. One measure is to either suspend such pilgrimages or closely coordinate the movement of pilgrims with security forces, a tactic that was successfully used to protect foreign tourists traveling overland in southern Egypt during an earlier Islamic insurgency in the 1990s. Another option is to significantly step up security outside churches and roads leading to monasteries, which are mostly remote and deep in the desert.

WHAT IF THEY CONTINUE?

That's a nightmare scenario, with grim ramifications for the country going forward.

Egypt's Christians number about 10 percent of the country's population and they have historically been an integral part of its social fabric, not a minority that lives in seclusion.

The danger here is that if the attacks continue, the perception that authorities cannot protect the Christians would undermine Egypt's image as a stable and secure nation. Another equally grim scenario is, as the attacks continue, an alarmingly large number of Christians would flee the country to seek refuge in the West, joining an already large community of Coptic Christians in the diaspora.

Many Christians already are frustrated by what they see as the government's failure to protect them, churches or property. In the hours after Friday's attack, thousands of Christians protested on the streets in Minya, where the bloodshed took place, demanding retribution.

Symbolically, a significantly depleted Christian community as a result of migration would undermine the country's carefully constructed image as a nation of diversity and religious and ethnic tolerance in a Middle East torn by sectarian and ethnic strife.

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

Egypt has already been in the midst of a major crackdown against Islamists of all shades since 2013  with thousands of them in jail and many of the freedoms won by a 2011 uprising rolled back while security forces operate with near impunity.

Last week, the government blocked nearly two dozen social media sites it said were sympathetic with or apologetic of militant groups. Public space has been significantly eroded and rights groups suppressed.

With the insurgency showing no sign of abating, authorities are unlikely to shy away from doing more.

Already, el-Sissi declared a three-month state of emergency in April following a pair of attacks targeting Christians north of Cairo. That will most likely be extended when the three months end in July. Rounding up more Islamists is also likely, with the practice of lengthy detention without charges to be expanded.

There have also been intensifying calls in the pro-government media that Islamists sentenced to death be swiftly executed after they exhaust their appeals. El-Sissi himself has in the past expressed his frustration over what he said was the slow pace of legal proceedings against Islamists charged with crimes.
The French president's office has announced the release of a French hostage kidnapped on March 1 in Congo.

The brief two-sentence statement Sunday said the hostage-taking took place in the east of the central African nation, but gave no other details.

It said French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release, "in particular Congo authorities for their mobilization and the effectiveness of their action."

The French hostage was among five workers, including Congolese and a Tanzanian, kidnapped from a gold mine operated by Canadian company Banro Mining Corp.
Government forces enforced a strict curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, a day after the killing of a prominent rebel commander by Indian soldiers sparked massive protests in the disputed region.

Armed police and paramilitary soldiers patrolled deserted streets and ordered residents indoors in the region's main city of Srinagar and other towns to stop the anti-India demonstrations.

Still, thousands of people assembled in the southern Tral area to take part in the funeral of the rebel leader, Sabzar Ahmed Bhat, chanting slogans calling for Kashmir's freedom from Indian rule.

There were no reports of any protests on Sunday, which marked the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

After Bhat and another militant were killed in a gunbattle with soldiers on Saturday, large-scale protests and clashes erupted across the region, leaving one civilian dead and dozens of others injured.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep among Kashmir's mostly Muslim population, and most people there support the rebels' cause against Indian rule despite a decades-long military crackdown to fight the armed rebellion.

Separatist leaders who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.

India and Pakistan administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting and the ensuing Indian crackdown. India has accused Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.

Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years. However, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and is now principally expressed through street protests marked by youths hurling stones at government forces.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the U.S., Britain's decision to leave the bloc and other challenges.

Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Merkel suggested that the G-7 summit in Italy that ended Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call. G-7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after U.S. President Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

"The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days," Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.

"And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," she said, according to the dpa news agency.

Merkel emphasized the need for continued friendly relations with the U.S. and Britain and also stressed the importance of being good neighbors "wherever that is possible, including with Russia, but also with others."

"But we need to know we must fight for our own future, as Europeans, for our destiny," she said.

Despite the Trump administration's talk of an "America first" policy and ongoing criticism of Germany for its massive trade surplus, the G-7 leaders in Sicily did vow to fight protectionism, reiterating "a commitment to keep our markets open."

They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism, on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over role in the conflict in Ukraine.

But while six of the seven G-7 nations agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement that aims to slow global warming, Trump said he needed more time to decide if the U.S. would abandon the accord.

His administration has argued that U.S. emissions standards are tougher than those set by China, India and others, and therefore have put American businesses at a disadvantage.

After the summit, Merkel called the climate talks "very difficult, if not to say, very unsatisfactory."
North Korea test-fired a short-range Scud ballistic missile off its eastern coast, the U.S. military said Sunday.

The launch was the latest in a series of tests as the communist nation seeks to build nuclear-tipped ICBMs that can reach the U.S. mainland.

A statement from U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii said the missile was launched at 4:40 p.m. ET (5:40 a.m. Monday Korea time) from the eastern North Korea coastal town of Wonsan. The statement said the missile flew for six minutes until it landed in the Sea of Japan.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew about 280 miles.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said what appeared to be a North Korean ballistic missile fell within Japan's exclusive maritime economic zone. He said there was no immediate report of damage to planes or vessels in the area.



North Korea is still thought to be several years away from its goal of being able to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear ICBM, but each new test puts it closer to success. The North has a strong arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles that target Japan and South Korea and U.S. forces in the region, and it is working to perfect its longer-range missiles.



There was no immediate comment from North Korea's state controlled media. But the launch followed a report from the North that said leader Kim Jong Un had watched a successful test of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system. It wasn't clear from the report when the test happened.



After the test, Kim said the weapon system's ability to detect and track targets had "remarkably" improved and its accuracy also increased, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA cited Kim as ordering officials to mass-produce and deploy the system all over the country so as to "completely spoil the enemy's wild dream to command the air."



The North's nuclear and missile programs are perhaps the biggest foreign policy challenges to the new leaders in allies Washington and Seoul.



U.S. President Donald Trump has alternated in his public statements between bellicosity and flattery. But his administration is still working to solidify a policy to deal with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.



A new liberal president in Seoul, Moon Jae-in, has signaled he will be flexible in expanding civilian exchange with North Korea. But many analysts say Moon won't likely push for any major rapprochement projects because North Korea has gone too far on its nuclear program. Monday's missile launch was the third one by North Korea since Moon's inauguration on May 10.



Moon called a National Security Council meeting to discuss the North's launch.



Suga, the Japanese cabinet secretary, said, "We cannot tolerate such repeated actions from North Korea, and we have lodged a strong protest against North Korea, criticizing them in the strongest form."



Besides its regular ballistic missile test-launches, the North carried out two nuclear tests last year -- in January and September. Outside analysts believe North Korea may be able to arm some of its shorter-range missiles with nuclear warheads, though the exact state of the North's secretive weapons program is unknown.

Moon has made tentative steps toward engaging the North by restarting stalled civilian aid and exchange programs as a way to improve strained ties.



South Korea said recently that it will allow a civic group to contact North Korea about potentially offering help in treating malaria, the first government approval on cross-border civilian exchanges since January 2016.



Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


For the second day in a row, Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with Egypt's Coptic Christians following an attack on a bus carrying Coptic pilgrims to a remote desert monastery.

Francis led thousands of people in prayer Sunday for the victims, who Francis said were killed in "another act of ferocious violence" after having refused to renounce their Christian faith.

Speaking from his studio window over St. Peter's Square, Francis said: "May the Lord welcome these courageous witnesses, these martyrs, in his peace and convert the hearts of the violent ones."

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday's attack, which killed 29 people.

On Saturday during a visit to Genoa, Francis prayed for the victims and lamented that there were more martyrs today than in early Christian times.
Ruling party critics of South African President Jacob Zuma pushed for his resignation on Sunday amid concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government, but the president still retained significant support within the divided party.

This weekend, opponents proposed a motion of no confidence against Zuma at a meeting of leaders of the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many in the party attribute the ANC's poor performance in local elections last year to scandals surrounding the president and want to shore up their popularity ahead of national elections in 2019.

The motion was proposed by party member Joel Netshitenzhe, and it was supported by the health minister and his deputy, as well as the former tourism minister, reported the News24 website. State broadcaster SABC said the chairman of the National Executive Committee meeting did not allow debate on the motion because it was not on the agenda, though the meeting was continuing late Sunday.

Zuma survived a similar move to oust him at a committee meeting in November, but unease within the ruling party grew after he fired Pravin Gordhan, the widely respected finance minister, in a Cabinet reshuffle in March.

Two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, responded to Gordhan's dismissal by lowering South Africa's credit rating to below investment grade, raising concerns about an already struggling economy with high unemployment.

Zuma's ties to the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate top government leaders for financial gain, has also stirred public anger. This weekend's edition of the Sunday Times reported on emails allegedly showing the Guptas' control over some Cabinet ministers and state-owned companies, as well as the involvement of Zuma's son Duduzane, a Gupta associate.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing.

In another scandal, Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home.
The Fredericksburg Realtors Foundation is holding a public event featuring motivational speaker Donna Tyson. The event will take place on Monday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the headquarters of the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors located at 2050 Gordon W. Shelton Blvd. The event costs $25 and includes a catered BBQ lunch. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit faarmembers.com/foundation.

A workshop called How to Get Started on Social Media Marketing Strategy will be held May 30 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. by the University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development. The workshop is designed for small business owners who are not using social media to market their businesses and those who are not using social media effectively. Fee is $30. Call 540/654-1383 to register.

The monthly First Thursdays event will return to the University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. Meet Marci Posey, of economic development with the Richmond SBA. There is no fee to attend. Call 540/654-1383 for more information.

A workshop called Introduction to Purchasing in the Commonwealth will be held by the University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development on June 6 from 9 a.m to noon. The session will provide an overview of the Commonwealths purchasing process. After the seminar, join the UMW Procurement Department to learn how to do business with the University of Mary Washington. Fee is $30. Call 540/654-1383 to register.

The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants announced its Top 5 Members Under 35 at an awards ceremony last week. Nick Preusch, a tax manager at PBMares in Fredericksburg, was among the winners of the award, which recognizes CPAs under 35 that have notable professional achievement.

Kellyn Staneart has joined the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance as an investor and administrative support specialist. She will assist the organization with organizing annual meetings, newsletter development, investor briefings and working on investor retention and recruitment.

Lindley Estes
The Outer Banks is a popular tourist attraction for many from the Fredericksburg area, but few probably visit for the sole reason of honoring British sailors who died defending the Atlantic coastline during World War II.

But thats exactly what American Legion Riders from Post 320 in Spotsylvania County did recently. They were joined by four Royal British Legion Riders from England for a motorcycle trip that started in Quantico and ended 1,600 milesand five stateslater at two British cemeteries in North Carolina.

Amid a sea of eagle emblems and Union Jacks, Stars and Stripes and poppy wreaths, participants in the Allied Friendship Ride recalled the bond the countries shared during the Second World Warand the promise that each will continue to pay homage to the others veterans interred on foreign soil.

Andrew Johnson, a Stafford County resident who served in the Marines and with the FBI, has been on similar rides in Europe. Residents he met treated him and other Americans like rock stars and said, If it wasnt for you, wed be speaking German,  he said.

He organized the ride to North Carolina to return the favor, both to Royal riders and the six British sailors in cemeteries on Hatteras Island and the village of Ocracoke.

Theyre buried here; theyre never going home, he said. Were doing for them what theyre doing for us in Normandy and elsewhere.

HELP FROM BRITAIN

In the early 1940s, German Uboats were a constant threat along the Atlantic coastline of America. They stalked the Eastern seaboard and sunk several hundred merchant vessels as they attempted to deliver food and war supplies to England.

At the time, the U.S. Navy had no ships capable of dealing with the German submarines.

Britain offered assistance, sending 24 Royal Navy vessels with their British crews to patrol sensitive areas along the East Coast, including the Outer Banks, according to the National Park Service.

The HMS Bedfordshire was one of the ships. During patrols on May 12, 1942, the vessel was sunk by a German torpedo, and the 34-member crew was lost.

Over the next few days, four bodies from the Bedfordshire were discovered on Ocracoke beaches, and residents buried the men near the village cemetery. A fifth body washed up on Hatteras Island and was buried next to a British sailor from the merchant vessel San Delfino, torpedoed a year earlier.

To this day, the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as village volunteers, maintain the cemetery at Ocracoke while the park service takes care of the graves on Hatteras Island.

COME ON OVER

Two years ago, Johnson and his wife, Jennifer, were in France for a similar motorcycle ride. As the riders relaxed over beers in a pub, the leader of the European event said, Now its your turn.

Johnson replied: Sure, come on over.

Then he realized hed stuck his foot in his mouth.

The Marine couldnt go back on his word so he started his research. Johnson was surprised to find a number of British and Canadian graves in America. Before the United States joined in World War II, American and Canadians had joined the Royal Air Force, then there were all those, from both sides of the Revolutionary War, buried in mass graves.

When he learned that the two in North Carolina would mark the 75th anniversary of the Bedfordshires sinking this year, he created a circuitous route to get there.

Johnson also had an unusual ceremony in mind for the service. Hed been in parades and services across Europe during his six years in the Marine Corps, and he recalled a ritual, at the opening of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, that blended water from each of the seven seas.

He wanted to do a similar rite in North Carolina and got permission from officials to be included in the service.

We were delighted to have them, said Joseph Schwarzer II, director of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. It was an honor to have them participate in the ceremonies, and we hope they will continue to be a part of them.

BLENDING OF WATER

Martyn White, who came from England with his wife, Joy, and fellow riders Mike and Jennifer Baxter, brought water from the North Sea, about 5 miles from where the Bedfordshire was built and launched.

Fittingly, it was collected by my cousin, who served 11 years in the Royal Navy, White wrote in an email.

The Legion riders filled a bottle of water from the Hatteras shore, and during the ceremonies at both cemeteries, mixed the two together.

It was a blending of water from where they started and where they ended, Johnson said.

White, who carried a bottle of water across an ocean, then strapped a boxed poppy wreath onto his rented motorcycle, said the rideand the ceremonieswere great experiences.

Both ceremonies were very moving occasions, and it was an honour to be allowed to take part in the events, said White, using the British spelling of honor. The Outer Banks are a lovely part of the world and were new to us. We were warmly welcomed by the locals, to the extent of a barbecue being put on for us, which was much appreciated.

Tim Walters, commander of Post 320, stood next to Baxter, the Royal rider, and placed a poppy wreath brought from England in front of the four white crosses at Ocracoke.

I did get chills, he said, especially as buglers played and participants stood at attention.

It was Walters first such motorcycle ride that combined history and memorials, friendship and sightseeing, with those from other countries.

It wont be his last.

It was even more than what I hoped it would be, he said.
TODAYS COLUMN is one of updates, from lamenting (again) our wetter-than-ever weather to looking at the latest on-screen exploits of Spotsylvania Countys own Danny McBride.

Well start with the wet weather, which has made me wonder lately exactly when and why Mother Nature decided to trade our typical weather for that of Portland, Ore.

Yes, its great for the grass and shrubs, our reservoirs and nature in general. But too much of a good thing after a white starts feeling like, well, just too much.

To make sure I wasnt overreacting, I checked out the online archives for the weather station at the University of Mary Washington, a good way to see just how much rain weve gotten lately and for the year.

It has rained 44 of the past 90 days and 11 of the past 24. And it has been dark and gloomy a handful more.

When I wrote this on Thursday of last week, wed already received 7.15 inches of rain this month, with more in the forecast for this weekend. Thats close to twice the historical average for May and weve got more of the month to come.

All in all, weve been pretty wet lately.

But for the year, were actually near our statistical average, with the nearly 17 inches of rain so far in 2017 a tad below whats historically fallen by the end of May. Thats partly because we had a long dry stretch from January through mid-March.

The one thing living here for 40 years has taught me, however, is that wed better be thankful for all the rain that falls by Memorial Day.

Soon enough, well experience the long stretches of dry days that will make our green, vibrant lawns a thing of the past.

So we should enjoy the downpours while they last. Hot and scorching will soon enough be our normal.

McBRIDE WATCH

Danny McBride, the Courtland High School grad whos tearing it up on the big and little screen these days, can currently be seen in the movie Alien: Covenant, the prequel to the Alien series of films.

In the film, McBride plays a pilot named Tennessee, and adds some needed vigor to a cast thats strangely a bit muted otherwise.

The actor keeps a home in the area and gets back often with his family. I talked to him a while back about the experience of shooting many of his scenes for the movie in Australia, with director Ridley Scott at the helm.

McBride said working with Scott as a director was a great learning experience for him, but a challenge as well. He noted that acting alongside such actors as Michael Fassbender, Demian Bichir and Katherine Waterston kept him on his toes.

He said it took him a while to get his head around the fact that he was actually in one of the Alien series films he so loved as a young moviegoer.

The actor, writer and producer of series such as Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals on HBOthe latter back for a second season later this summerhas a few other new films coming up soon.

Hell be seen soon alongside Josh Brolin in a film directed by McBrides longtime creative partner, Jody Hill. The movie, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter, was shot in Asheville, N.C., and its about a father and a friend taking a young boy on his first hunt.

McBride will also appear in Zeroville, a film directed by James Franco about a young actor who arrives in Hollywood in 1969 during a transitional time in the industry. Joey King and Megan Fox also star.
The whole thing apparently started as horseplay.

But not everyone was in on the joke, and tempers flared between three students at Battlefield Middle School in Spotsylvania County. A minor scuffle broke out in the hallway.

Later, Assistant Principal Laura Pinkerton asked the students to sit in a circle of chairs and discuss one anothers feelings. The strategy proved effective, she said.

The moment those kids were allowed to speak and say  how they felt when it happened, really, light bulbs went off in all three minds, Pinkerton said.

The case is a small example of restorative practices, which aim to mend relationships and change behavior rather than just punish students. Battlefield Middle plans to pilot the method next school year amid a nationwide push to rethink inflexible discipline policies.

The Spotsylvania School Board recently gave initial approval to a revised Code of Conduct that says schools may use restorative practices to help students develop empathy and understand the impact of their actions on others. A key principle of restorative practices is an understanding that every instance of wrongdoing or conflict is an opportunity for learning, and that despite these negative behaviors, relationships can be restored and harm can be repaired, the policy states.

Restorative practices are an offshoot of restorative justice. Cases can involve conferences with victims, offenders and their relatives. Students must face anyone harmed by their actions and discuss ways to repair the damage, which could be as simple as an apology.

Some schools that adopt the strategy report fewer suspensions.

Virginia public schools issued 126,000 out-of-school suspensions during the 201415 school year, according to a Legal Aid Justice Center report titled Suspended Progress. The study cited restorative practices as an alternative to suspensions and expulsions, which can result in academic failure and mental-health problems.

Critics say the suspensions are inequitable. Nationally, black students are more than three times as likely to be suspended than their white counterparts.

Battlefield Middle, a racially diverse school, issued 59 out-of-school suspensions and 31 referrals to law enforcement during the 201314 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Educations most recent data. Black students, who make up 22.5 percent of the schools enrollment, accounted for 40.7 percent of the suspensions and 39 percent of the referrals.

Black students were also disciplined at rates disproportionate to their enrollment countywide in Spotsylvania and in Fredericksburg and Stafford County.

Virginia Organizing, a progressive grassroots group, has worked with Spotsylvania schools and the Sheriffs Office to reduce the number of students referred to law enforcement. Those talks resulted in a memorandum of understanding, signed by Sheriff Roger Harris and Superintendent Scott Baker in February, that better defines the role of school resource officers.

The MOU repeatedly says that the resource officerssworn deputies assigned to all middle and high schoolsshould stay out of routine school matters unrelated to any law enforcement or security function.

Eunice Haigler, a Virginia Organizing leader involved in the MOU, called Spotsylvanias consideration of restorative practices another step in the right direction.

Weve got to stop treating our children like little criminals, she said. Let them be kids again. Let them make mistakes and make the restitution for their mistakes.

In March, Spotsylvania schools sent eight of its employees and two school resource officers to a four-day conference in Alexandria put on by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Four Battlefield employees attended the training seminar: Pinkerton, a school social worker, a teacher and the guidance director.

And last summer, Brian Vaughan facilitated a restorative justice circle for three Battlefield students and their parents at the Rappahannock Area Office on Youth headquarters. Vaughan, a restorative justice practitioner, declined to offer specifics on the case but said the students had to recognize what they did  and how they could rebuild trust.

I followed up with the parents  and one mother happened to say, You know, this went a lot better than I thought.  It really helped us to reconnect at home and also at the school,  Vaughan said.

Pinkerton challenged the notion that suspensions alone will fix discipline problems.

The question that comes out of restorative practices is, does a suspension really hold a student accountable? she said.

Thats not to say students wont be suspended or even expelled. Battlefield Principal Sheila Smith said she hopes to find a balance between consequences and repairing relationships.

I want kids to realize that we expect them to make mistakes, but that its more important they learn from those mistakes, she said.
Four people, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with a shootout on a major North Stafford road Friday evening, police said.

No one was injured in the gunfire, which took place on Garrisonville Road about 7:30 p.m.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing two westbound silver vehicles, a Mercedes and a Chrysler, exchanging gunfire. At the intersection of Garrisonville and Shelton Shop roads, Sheriffs spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said, the Chrysler got into an accident with another vehicle.

The two male occupants of that vehicle immediately fled on foot, but one of then was quickly taken into custody by an off-duty law-enforcement officer, Moncure said. He was identified as 18-year-old Quanze Lejaun Todd of Onville Road in Stafford.

The driver temporarily got away, but detectives were later able to identify him as a 16-year-old boy who was not identified because he is a juvenile. He was placed in the regional juvenile detention facility on multiple charges.

The car involved in the accident with the Chrysler was damaged, but no one was hurt, Moncure said. A handgun was recovered near the Chrysler and pills were found inside the vehicle.

Meanwhile, police obtained the tag number of the Mercedes from a business surveillance camera and learned that it was registered to a home on Coventry Court in southern Stafford.

Deputies went to that area and, about 8:17 p.m., Deputy B.A. Boyle spotted the Mercedes on Town and Country Drive and notified other deputies.

Deputy J.H. Truslow got behind the vehicle as it turned onto Ferry Road and the Mercedes pulled into a driveway as Truslow activated his emergency lights.

Two men were in the vehicle, which stopped near a small tan car where another male was standing.

Moncure said that male took a bag out of the tan vehicle and ran into the woods.

The two males in the Mercedes, Trecomey Louis Logan, 34, of Wayside Court in Stafford and Anthony Rashad Ingram, 30, of Triangle, were taken into custody. A large stack of $100 bills was recovered from one of those suspects, Moncure said.

Truslow and his police dog, Havoc, tracked a scent into the woods but did not find the fleeing man. A citizen later called the Sheriffs Office to report finding a black bag in his yard that deputies discovered contained scales and marijuana in vacuum-sealed baggies.

Todd, Logan and Ingram were all charged with multiple offenses that include felonious assault, shooting at or into an occupied vehicle, reckless handling of a firearm, possession of illegal drugs and unlawful possession of alcohol.

All three were placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond. Moncure said the Sheriffs Office is still investigating the incident.
Seventh-grade students at Edward E. Drew Jr., Middle School visited the Friends of the Rappahannock for a field trip in April. The trip, paid for by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency through the FOR, allowed students to collect and study samples to determine the overall health of the Rappahannock River.

Using waders, students entered the river with the assistance of FOR facilitators to collect water samples, macroinvertebrates and fish. Water samples were collected from the river and nearby canal to determine the water quality of each location. Students analyzed abiotic factors including temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and pH. The macroinvertebrates, or insect larvae, collected were sorted and classified according to their ability to tolerate impurities in the water. Students used microscopes to search for Protista, single-celled organisms living in the water. Students had the opportunity to rod and reel fish for shad and herring, and the numbers and lengths of fish caught were recorded in a frequency table for further analysis.

Facilitators introduced and explained the human impact on the Rappahannock using erosion boxes. Students explored how different surfaces can determine how much pollution enters the river through runoff and the importance of a riparian buffer. They also discussed how daily actions affect the river in both positive and negative ways.

Based on the pH, dissolved oxygen levels and the macroinvertebrates found, the students concluded that the Rappahannock River is in good to fair condition. They also realized their role in being good stewards to their watershed. This field trip made me realize how much we do to the river, shared one student.

Back in the classroom, students analyzed their results and reflected on the trip. They compared their findings to the findings of Biology 102 students featured in the Free LanceStar article, Friends of the Rappahannock Programs Could Be in Jeopardy if EPA Cuts Pass, which describes the similar field experience of Tamara Muldrows students at Germanna Community College. The article mentions some of the same macroinvertebrates encountered by DMS students and also rates the water quality as good to fair. Through this article, DMS students also learned that several cuts are proposed for the EPA, which could hamper these programs in the future prompting the students to write letters to FOR, the EPA and Congress.
A TEAR welled up in Hals eye, a deep sadness etched across his face as he recalled the moment. Omaha Beach, the day after the D-Day invasion. Hal had been tasked by his company commander to go back down onto the beach and retrieve some equipment.

A farm boy from Iowa then deep into his 60s, he shared this memory with me, his words below.

It was a beautiful daythe sun was out, the sky blue, the water calm. But there on the sandy beach stretching out before me on down the beach were the bodies, the carnage from the day before. It was so peaceful and quiet and  and 

Hals voice trailed off into muted silence as he slowly shook his head, his emotions overwhelmed by that graphic, gripping image from 40 years earlier, still as real to him as the day he had experienced it. All gave some, some gave all.

If Memorial Day is about remembering the past sacrifices of our men and women in the military, Hals five minutes of emotional recall was the best and most real Memorial Day Ive ever had. On that day in June of 1944 when Hal stood alone on the beach at Normandyalone in the company of fallen comradesI was 5 years old, my mother preparing me for kindergarten that fall.

I would be free to go to school, salute the American flag in the corner of our classroom, and sing My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. But only because, while all gave some, some did give all, making the ultimate sacrifice that allowed fathers to go to work, mothers to care for their children, and kids like me to go to school.

The wars that purchased our freedom at the price of the blood and bravery of men and women we likely never knew were largely fought overseas. Some 130,000 American soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsmen and airmen are still there, buried under foreign soil or waters where they repelled an enemy intent on taking away the freedom we enjoy today.

Thats paying forward like no other debt was or ever could betheir sacrifice measured starkly in numbers: 116,500 died in World War I; 405,300 in WWII; and another 101,000 in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.

But behind the numbers are the faces. A column about the USS Arizona on the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor last December ran in several newspapers with an editorial cartoon of that massive ship sinking, a large grey cloud in the background. But only when you looked more closely at the sketch could you see that the cloud was composed of faces, perhaps a hundred or more, symbolizing the thousand-plus men who went to a watery grave that day and still lie entombed there.

Personalizing such losses makes the meaning of Memorial Day deeper if you have the honor of being linked to someone who served. My link was remotemy parents bought our first house in Ohio from a man who lost two sons, his only children, on the Arizona. They were still teenagers, robbed of the rest of their lives that we might have ours free and clear.

And I also think about David Acheson and Jeffrey M. Wershow, both outstanding college leaders who left school to serve their country. David, a captain in the 140th Pennsylvania, died at Gettysburg at age 23. He surely would have been a leader, likely a lawyer and judge like his father and grandfather, had he lived.

And Jeff, who died in Iraq in 2003 at age 22, was nicknamed the General because of his confident and purposeful manner. He would have excelled in any fieldhad he only lived. These two fine young men and thousands more represent the true cost of warwhat might have been.

Make this Memorial Day as personal as you canby visiting a grave and leaving flowers, a flag, or a prayer; by asking a veteran, perhaps a family member or neighbor, to share what theyre willing to share about their service experiences.

My friend Hal, who has since passed away, gave me a rare gift by sharing a vivid memory of historic sacrifice for our country. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Many did just that for the country they loved. May we never forget.

James F. Burns is a retired professor at the University of Florida. Email him at burns@ise.ufl.edu.
COME Monday, if you spend some pleasant hours charring hamburgers on the outdoor grill and chatting with friends and family, we certainly wont begrudge that. But its worth noting the reason for this national holiday is far more profound than being the unofficial start of summer.

Memorial Day honors the men and women who have died in service to our nation. Thats all the impetus people should need to take time to reflect, bow their heads and give thanks for such devotion and sacrifice. Too few Americans do that.

Still, it is striking that so many communitiesin New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia and elsewhereclaim to have dreamt up Memorial Day. We know of no other occasion for which there are so many creation stories.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson recognized Waterloo, N.Y., as Memorial Days birthplace; in 1865, Waterloo druggist Henry C. Wells told Civil War veterans that people should remember the patriotic dead by placing flowers on their graves. In 1868, Maj. Gen. John Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued an order designating May 30 as what was first called Decoration Day, for that purpose.

But the late James H. Ryan, a retired Army colonel in Petersburg, said the Ladies Memorial Association there (one of two left; the other in Fredericksburg) deserves the credit. He wrote that an 1868 visit to Blandford Cemetery by Logans wife, who years later recalled admiring how local women put spring flowers on the graves of Southern soldiers killed in battle, inspired the GAR leader to act.

Historian David Blight, favors Charleston, S.C., as the holidays birthplace. In May 1865, freedmen there reburied hundreds of Union dead in a racetrack-turned-prison and held a ceremony, presided over by the citys black ministers, to dedicate the graves. [On] May 1, the procession to this special cemetery began as three thousand black schoolchildren (newly enrolled in freedmens schools) marched around the Race Course, each with an armload of roses and singing John Browns Body,  Blight writes.

In Fredericksburg on Monday, shortly after 10 a.m., children of Confederate descendants will strew flower petals on the resting places of some of the 3,300 war dead (2,184 of them unknown) in the Confederate Cemetery. The graveyard, for which the Ladies Memorial Association of Fredericksburg bought land in 1867, has long hosted tributes to Southern fallen from the areas battles. Dr. Mike Stevens, former president of the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, will speak.

These brave men, these ordinary men who did such extraordinary things, have earned the right to be remembered and to be honored until the end of time, Stevens told us.

Participants in a Fredericksburg National Cemetery rite, which usually includes some children, will lay flowers on a few graves of the 15,300 buried there, too. This local tradition of a multiracial Memorial Day commemoration, begun in 1868, was recently revived. At 11 a.m., living historians, led by members of the re-created 23rd Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops, will lead a procession from Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) to the National Cemetery for its noontime ceremony featuring retired Marine Col. Roarke Anderson as keynote speaker.

Im thinking about talking about the commonalities of thought between our warriors of yesteryear and today, Anderson said last week. For the soldier on the front line, the range of emotions you have can be very similar, regardless of the era. Ill probably also talk about soldiers doing their duty. Whether drafted or volunteered, they stood their ground ... some giving their lives for doing what was asked of them.

There will be other local observances, notably at the Fredericksburg Area Veterans Memorial, Quantico National Cemetery and Fredericksburgs Shiloh Cemetery. Our regions Memorial Day customs speak volumes to area residents respect for military sacrifice, as well as to Americans rival claims about the meaning of the Civil Wara debate that began not long after Appomattox.

But surely, what we ought to take with us on Memorial Day weekend is the spirit of the day. We know of no other communitycertainly none the size of ourswhere disparate streams of what historians call American memory converge so powerfully every year. And where the fallen are so faithfully remembered.

When it comes to matters of war, duty, sacrifice, what people choose to recall and honor, and how they do so, Memorial Day in the Fredericksburg area provides the most vivid history lessons one can imagine.
Gold Star father endorses Stimpson

I am a Gold Star parent of a fallen Marine, Staff Sgt. Donald J. Lamar II.

I write this letter in support of Susan Stimpsons campaign for the 28th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Susan has done such great work for the Stafford community. She is a compassionate, dedicated and committed person, with true grit to get the job done.

I remember reaching out to Susan to see if I could get a street named after my son. Well, she went above and beyond my familys expectations.

Susan was highly supportive of the creation of Stafford Countys Armed Services Memorial, which will memorialize Staffords fallen heroes.

I urge everyone to go out and vote for Susan Stimpson in the June 13 Republican primary for the House of Delegates seat in Stafford and Fredericksburg.

Donald Lamar

Leesburg
Republican health care bill has major defects

I was sincerely disappointed, but not surprised, that Reps. Dave Brat and Rob Wittman chose to vote with their party on health care repeal and replace rather than in the best interests of the people of Virginia. While the Affordable Care Act has some important deficiencies, those could be fixed through collaborative bipartisan efforts.

As a retired hospital CEO, current board member of a regional health system, and independent voter, I found their r and r rationale faulty overall, but at least three defects should greatly concern all of us:

First, the new legislation would allow health insurance companies to again sell deceptive policies that give the illusion, but not the reality, of adequate coverage. Imagine paying high premiums and thinking youre covered, only to find out theres some loophole in the wording that leaves you responsible for paying huge bills.

Secondly, while some patients with serious illness may be partially subsidized through a high risk pool of some type, the great majority of us would be hit with much higher premiums because of pre-existing conditions. The list of these is so extensive (and expensive) that while you could theoretically still get an insurance policy, the cost could be so high that it is simply unaffordable.

Finally, according to the American and Virginia hospital associations, Medicaid funding will be drastically reduced for Virginia as well as the rest of the country. States that expanded Medicaid would receive more than $72 billion per year; those that didnt (sadly including Virginia) will share only about $2 billion. Its an amazingly unfair formula that will hurt our citizens and hospitals for years to come.

Reps. Brat and Wittman should have put Virginians first rather than their political party!

Fred Messing

Spotsylvania
Rep. Rob Wittmans phone town halls arent real thing

First District Rep. Rob Wittman is playing the weavers in a modern-day version of The Emperors New Clothes. His recent, self-congratulatory Facebook posts claimed thousands of interactions with constituents. In one post, he even claims that he listens.

This is quite laughable, considering my experience. The fact is that constituents are calling him daily to express dissatisfaction with his voting record and his acquiescence to the current administration. His telephone town halls are simply a platform for Rep. Wittman to campaign. Calls are screened, and no conflicting questions are allowed. His public events have been small, private functions with supporters and campaign donors who are sure not to question his positions.

Repeated requests for a future meeting with his constituents have been denied. Three town halls that he was invited to attend, with plenty of notice, were declined.

The bottom line is this: When Rep. Wittman can control the narrative, he is able to spin fake yarn into the Emperors New Clothes. When he isnt, his only recourse is to stop speaking and try to stare down the individual who had the audacity to respectfully state a fact that he didnt want known.

Mr. Wittman is a poor representative of the people. He, like the weavers in the story, tends to think that people will not speak up because they are too stupid or afraid to point out the truth.

Sarah McClelland

Stafford
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.
Never mind The Great British Bake Off, Farmers Weekly readers are in a class of their own when it comes to cakes.

This tasty selection shows that, when it comes to creations with an agricultural theme, there are no limits to readers imagination and skill in the kitchen.

Pictures of cakes of all shapes and sizes have come in from across the nation.

Thanks to everybody whos shared their photos. Please keep them coming. Were just sorry we didnt get to sample the cakes too!

See also: Diary of a busy farming mums cake business diversification

Victoria Davies of Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire made this pen of sheep with the man standing among them for a sheep grader. It is actually a square cake decorated with sugar paste to look 3D, explains Victoria, who rears dairy heifers and keeps sheep and has been making cakes for nearly 30 years.

Harper Adams University student Rosy Louis made this for her boyfriends 21st birthday.

Amanda Gray of West Sussex baked this for her sisters 29th birthday. We spent the day at the farm, and then I surprised her with it, she says.

Charlie Cunningham says: This amazing show-stopper was made by my mum, Jane, for my New Holland-mad brother-in-laws 21st birthday.

Morwenna Peters and her husband created this for their son, who recently celebrated his second birthday. Olivers grandparents are farmers in Cornwall and he is tractor mad, explains Morwenna.

Lorraine Yarnold made this Massey Ferguson for a friends son, who was celebrating his 16th birthday. It took many hours to create, she says.





Charlotte Foster made this for a Young Farmers rally. The theme was Farm Animals.

A friends son fifth birthday provided the inspiration for Donna Postlethwaite with this one. Donna says: His daddy has a Massey tractor and they have pigs in the shed  plus he loves chocolate.

Mary-Jane Lawrence did this quarry cake for her partner.

This potato box filled with carrots, parsnips, sprouts and potatoes was created by Rachel Hinchley of Epperstone in Nottinghamshire for a friends 50th.

The occasion of her uncles 40th birthday prompted Corrine Anderson to make this. He works alongside his parents on their farm as a very dedicated farmer in Week St Mary, Cornwall, she says.

Polly Bishop shared this one

Lucy Babb sent us this picture of her son Tyacks first birthday cake that she and her best friend made. He is animal and farm crazy and loves doing the daily routines out on our farm, Lucy says. Inside it was a rainbow cake with many different colours and layers of sponge. We also made matching cupcakes.

Carly Worrell from Cockermouth baked this for her boyfriends birthday. Hes a dairy farmer who has pedigree Ayrshires, she says. I added the tags in the ear to have his age in one side and his name in the other.

These are two special, big birthday cakes Paula Marshall made last August for two generations of her family. My son Sam was 21 and my father-in-law Graham was 80 within a couple of days of each other, she explains. We are dairy and sheep farmers in Derbyshire and I love making farming-themed cakes for family and friends.

Flatmates Poppy Lewis and Sarah Febry made this combine harvester cake for a uni bake-off at Sutton Bonington to raise money for the charity Vets in the Community.

This was my 21st birthday cake made by my talented mum, says Sally Griffiths, from Penistone in South Yorkshire, whose main job at the time was hauling sheep about all day every day.

Baked a farming cake? Wed love to see it. Email a high resolution version photo to: fwfarmlife@rbi.co.uk
Theresa May has responded to a contractors appeal to reverse the August hedgecutting ban.

Northamptonshire hedgecutting contractor Bob Rutt wrote to the prime minister last month to complain that the ban was costing him and contractors up and down the country thousands of pounds in lost income.

In his letter, Mr Rutt asked Mrs May to consider relaxing the August hedgetrimming ban, which was brought in by Defra in 2015 as part of an EU directive to protect nesting birds.

See also: FW hedgecutting petition delivered to Defra

In a letter sent on behalf of Mrs May to Mr Rutt, Sir Simon Burns, former Conservative MP for Chelmsford, said: Im grateful to you for bringing to the prime ministers attention your concern about the deadline imposed for hedgecutting.

I know that she will be very pleased that Tom Pursglove (Conservative parliamentary candidate for Corby and East Northants) has been doing a good job.

Im afraid while the general election campaign is under way, there is little scope to address this concern at the moment.

I note that Tom Pursglove has been working on this issue with you and would suggest that, should he be re-elected, you request that he take up your concerns with the relevant ministers to seek a change in the rules.

Mr Rutt told Farmers Weekly that he was very encouraged by the response.

Im grateful that Prime Minister Theresa May has recognised the plight of the hedgecutting contractor and the impracticalities that the August hedgecutting ban causes, he said.

The nearly 2,000 readers who backed Farmers Weeklys petition to overturn the ban will be glad that the government is taking this issue seriously.

FW hedgecutting campaign

Farmers Weekly launched a petition urging Defra to overturn the August hedgecutting ban in February. FW editor Karl Schneider and deputy news editor Philip Case delivered the petition to Defras offices in London in early May.

Defra farm minister George Eustice responded by saying he had been following the campaign and understood that contractors and farmers felt strongly about the issue.

I am open to proposals that would allow a risk-based approach, taking account of the prevalence of local populations of vulnerable bird species like the yellowhammer, which are likely to have a second brood later in the summer, said the minister.

These will all be issues for policy development as we prepare to leave the EU.
Egypt conducts airstrikes against terrorist training camps in Libya: State TV

Iran Press TV

Fri May 26, 2017 11:5PM

The Egyptian military has carried out several airstrikes against purported terrorist training camps in Libya after unknown gunmen attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, leaving at least 28 dead.

State television, citing an army statement, reported that Egyptian warplanes carried out at least six airstrikes against "terror camps" in the eastern Libyan city of Derna.

It added that the aerial raids had been carried out after making sure that men from those camps were involved in the bus attack.

"Egypt will not hesitate in striking any camps that harbor or train terrorist elements whether inside Egypt or outside Egypt," said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Friday evening in a televised speech hours after the terrorist attack in the country's Minya province.

Sisi went on to say that an airstrike against the camps was being conducted as he spoke, adding that the carnage would not be left unanswered.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Interior Ministry, masked assailants in three pickups stopped the vehicle and opened fire on it as it was heading for the Saint Samuel monastery in the province, over 200 kilometers from Cairo. The attack also injured more than two dozen other passengers. A number of children were among the dead.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Friday morning attack.

Meanwhile, east Libyan forces, led by military strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said in a statement that they had participated in the Egyptian airstrikes on Derna. It further said the raids targeted forces allegedly linked to the al-Qaeda Takfiri terrorist group at a number of sites, adding that the aerial raids would be followed by a ground operation.

Haftar's forces have already besieged the militant-held city and conducted occasional airstrikes on the terrorists' positions.

The attack came after church bombings in December and April claimed by Daesh that killed dozens of Egypt's Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the country's 93-million population. The Takfiri terrorists have threatened more attacks against the Arab country's Christian minority.

The April bombings took place in Alexandria and Tanta, taking more than 45 lives. The deadly blasts prompted Sisi to declare a three-month state of emergency.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chinese jets 'unsafely' intercept US spy plane: Officials

Iran Press TV

Fri May 26, 2017 9:42PM

Chinese fighter jets have intercepted an American "surveillance" aircraft near Hong Kong, US officials say, days after a US navy warship challenged China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, when two Chinese jets flew within 200 yards of a US P-3 Orion plane that was flying 150 miles southeast of Hong Kong.

American military officials said one of the jets moved to the front of the spy plane in an "unsafe and unprofessional" manner, restricting its ability to maneuver.

According to ABC News, the US was going to raise the issue with China through diplomatic channels.

The development was announced only a day after a US Navy warship sailed close to a disputed South China Sea island controlled by Beijing, the first such operation under new US President Donald Trump.

The last mission was carried out in October, after being authorized by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

The USS Dewey guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, according to several US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.

A Chinese frigate tailed the American warship during the operation, while two other Chinese vessels were in vicinity, according to US officials.

The move drew fire from China, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying that the US Navy warship's "trespassing" was a breach of China's "indisputable sovereignty."

"We urge the US to correct this mistake and stop taking further actions so as to avoid hurting peace and security in the region and long-term cooperation between the two countries," Lu said Thursday.

China's Defense Ministry also warned Washington that such actions would "only motivate the Chinese military to enhance its capacity."

Washington claims the operations are aimed at preventing Beijing from limiting "freedom of navigation" in the disputed waters, which act as a gateway for over $5 trillion in annual maritime trade.

Trump attacked Beijing during last year's presidential campaign for militarizing parts of the South China Sea, stealing American jobs with unfair trade policies and manipulating its currency in its favor.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN envoy warns of dire crisis as Gaza faces power cuts, gallons of raw sewage pouring into the sea

26 May 2017  The United Nations Middle East envoy today cautioned that unless urgent measures are taken to de-escalate the crisis now spiralling out of control in the Gaza Strip, there will be devastating consequences for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

"In Gaza, we are walking into another crisis with our eyes wide open," the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, told the Security Council in New York.

The senior UN official noted that the humanitarian situation has worsened since March, when Hamas set up a parallel government institution to run affairs in the enclave resulting in an "intra-Palestinian political tug-of-war." He called for compromise, the implementation of intra-Palestinian agreements and the end of closures.

Of particular concern is the "unprecedented" energy crisis after the lone power plant was shut over a taxation dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which took over the Gaza Strip in 2007.

Combined with downed power lines from Egypt and possible restrictions on purchase of Israeli electricity, most Palestinians in Gaza receive only about four hours of electricity per day.

If the Palestinian Government implements its decision to cap purchase of energy from Israel, "this decision will further reduce electricity supply by some 30 per cent, plunging its population into a spiral of a humanitarian catastrophe," Mr. Mladenov said.

He noted that the UN has been warning of this potential crisis for months, and that it is now becoming a reality  with hospitals postponing elective surgeries, limited drinking water, and soaring food prices.

The lack of power is also preventing sewage from being treated. The equivalent of 40 Olympic-size swimming pools of raw sewage is being dumped into the Mediterranean Sea on a daily basis.

"An environmental disaster for Israel, for Egypt and Gaza is in the making," Mr. Mladenov said.

The Special Coordinator also expressed concern for the ongoing hunger strike by Palestinian detainees protesting against their conditions in Israeli jails, which, on the eve of Ramadan, has now entered its 40th day.

"I call for a re-doubling of efforts to end the strike as soon as possible. The crisis must be resolved in line with International Humanitarian Law and Israel's human rights obligations," he said, calling for maximum restraint and taking any steps to avoid further escalation.

Among other issues raised, Mr. Mladenov noted that while the Lebanese Parliament has not yet reconvened after adjourning in April, he hoped it would agree to an electoral law before the tenure ends on 20 June.

Noting that the deteriorating conditions in Gaza and the West Bank only fuel anger and instability, Mr. Mladenov urged all sides to forge a genuine reconciliation.

"If Israelis and Palestinians hope to extract themselves from the immeasurable burden this conflict has wrought, they must be willing to take the painful steps that will ultimately lead to peace," he said. "Neither side can afford another missed opportunity."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 27, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes against ISIS targets in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes destroyed four ISIS well heads and an ISIS boat.

-- Near Raqqa, 12 strikes engaged 11 ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven vehicles, five fighting positions, three tunnels, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS staging area.

-- Near Abu Kamal, Syria, a strike destroyed an ISIS media center.

Also on May 23 near Raqqa, two strikes destroyed three command and control nodes. On May 24, also near Raqqa, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed six fighting positions, a mortar system and a vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Coalition military forces conducted eight strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Rutbah, a strike destroyed a bunker.

-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed a mortar system and an ISIS storage container.

-- Near Mosul, two strikes damaged 19 ISIS supply routes and destroyed a vehicle bomb.

-- Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed an observation post.

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an ISIS media center.

-- Near Qaim, two strikes destroyed two ISIS media centers.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIS terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIS' ability to project terror and conduct operations, 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 a 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






US Navy accuses Chinese fighter jets of conducting 'unsafe' maneuver, but China calls similar operations 'professional and safe'

People's Daily Online

By Kou Jie (People's Daily Online) 11:10, May 27, 2017

Two Chinese J-10 fighter jets were accused by the U.S. Navy of conducting unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers while intercepting a U.S. surveillance aircraft near the South China Sea on May 24. This incident is the second close brush involving American and Chinese aircraft in the disputed region this month.

U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross confirmed the incident to CNN on May 26, noting that the U.S. continues to review the facts of the incident and will convey its concerns through "appropriate channels" to the Chinese government.

Citing a U.S. official, the CNN reported that one Chinese fighter flew about 200 yards in front a U.S. P-3 spy plane and began conducting multiple turns.

The Chinese government has yet responded to the latest event.

This latest encounter comes on the heels of a U.S. military plane conducting reconnaissance activities in airspace over Chinese waters on May 17, according to the Chinese defense ministry.

The U.S. Air Force said that two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a U.S. Air Force radiation detection plane over the East China Sea on May 17, according to CNN. The U.S. crew aboard the aircraft characterized the move as "unprofessional."

However, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense responded that the U.S. military plane was conducting reconnaissance activities over the Yellow Sea, and the Chinese pilots' behavior was both safe and professional.

"What the U.S. military said is not in accordance with the facts. On May 17, a U.S. military plane conducted reconnaissance activities in air space over Chinese waters of the Yellow Sea. Chinese military aircraft identified and verified the U.S. military plane in accordance with the law. Our actions were professional and safe," Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on May 25.

"The frequent close-in reconnaissance by U.S. military ships and planes is the root cause of maritime and air security problems between China and the U.S.," Ren added. "We hope the U.S. side can stop relevant close-in reconnaissance activities against China and prevent such events from happening again."

Tensions between Chinese and American military planes have continued since Donald Trump became the U.S. president. Though Trump has yet to announce a clear policy on the Asia Pacific, the U.S. Department of Defense and the White House have reiterated a tough stance on maintaining a military presence in the South China Sea.

Many Chinese military experts hold a dim view on the possibility of the U.S. changing its South China Sea policy. Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times after a U.S. nuclear-powered carrier entered the South China Sea in February that compared to his predecessor, Trump may increase tensions in the waters, and China should prepare both diplomatically and militarily.

Though the U.S. has been using "freedom of navigation" as an excuse to carry out reconnaissance activities against China, Beijing has expressed several times on different occasions that the South China Sea dispute should be dealt with only by countries that are directly involved. China believes outside interference will only increase tensions.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Violent anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after rebel leader killed

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 1:53PM

Violent protests have erupted in Indian-controlled Kashmir after Indian troops allegedly killed a top leader of the pro-independence Hizb-ul-Mujahideen group.

According to police chief Shesh Pal Vaid, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was killed in a gun battle with Indian troops in Saimoh village in Tral area, some 40 kilometers south of Kashmir's capital, Srinagar, in the early hours of Saturday.

The operation was carried out, following an intelligence tip-off, on Bhat's hideout in the village, the police official said, adding that one of Bhat's fighters had also been killed in the overnight gun battle, which ended later in the day.

Police cordoned off the fighting site but faced hundreds of stone-throwing protesters who chanted anti-India slogans, trying to allegedly help possible trapped fighters escape from the area.

Witnesses said a young man lost his life and several other people sustained injuries after government troops opened fire on demonstrators near the gun battle site. Vaid claimed that the young man had been killed by crossfire.

Reports say that shops and business have been closed and thousands of demonstrators are heading toward the village.

Similar clashes between government forces and angry demonstrators were also reported to have been erupted in different places across the Kashmir Valley, with police and paramilitary troops firing shotgun pellets and tear gas canisters to disperse protesters who were growing in number.

Bhat, whose killing can be considered a major triumph for India, had succeeded Burhan Wani, who was also killed by Indian troops in July last year. Wani's death sparked a large wave of violent protests across the region. More than 90 people lost their lives and over 12,000 were wounded in the ensuing crackdown.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two split up and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. They, however, reached an agreement to maintain a ceasefire in Kashmir in November 2003.

Since then, there have been sporadic clashes, with the two sides trading accusations of violating the ceasefire, but no major armed conflict between the two countries.

Pakistan-India relations have also been strained in the past several months, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for a raid on an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir last September, which killed 19 soldiers. The Indian army blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault. Islamabad, however, denies any role in the attack.

In recent months, the use of pellet guns by Indian forces in Kashmir has drawn widespread criticism as the weapons have caused permanent disabilities among victims. The government crackdown has failed to halt the protests against Indian rule in Kashmir.

Pro-independence leaders blame India for denying the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination promised to them by the international community through numerous UN Security Council resolutions.

India has already deployed about 500,000 soldiers in its portion of the disputed region, where various groups have for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump says NATO to get 'stronger' as members step up payments

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 1:3PM

US President Donald Trump has claimed that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will get "stronger" because member states have agreed to pour more funds into the military alliance.

The president took to Twitter on Saturday writing; "Many NATO countries have agreed to step up payments considerably, as they should. Money is beginning to pour in- NATO will be much stronger."

Trump is on the final day of his first international trip as president, meeting with Group of Seven (G7) and African nation leaders in the Italian region of Sicily.

The president, who was at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, harshly criticized member states for not paying their fair share for the common defense. "NATO would be even stronger than it is today, especially from the threat of terrorism."

He even mocked the military alliance for the roughly $1 billion cost of its new headquarters where he was delivering his speech.

"I never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost. I refuse to do that," he said. "But it is beautiful."

The president has long been pushing member countries to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the alliance.

"This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years. And not paying in those past years," Trump said in Brussels.

Only five members, including the US, the United Kingdom, Greece, Poland and Estonia currently meet the two-percent minimum. The other members have committed to the goal by 2024.

NATO countries do not pay the US or the alliance directly.

Trump has previously called NATO "obsolete" and threatened that states that did not pay their share would not be defended.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Philippine military bombard Marawi city in battle on Daesh militants

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 10:17AM

Philippine military forces have again bombarded the southern city of Marawi, where they have engaged in a battle with suspected Daesh-affiliated militants for five days.

"We have identified where they are consolidating so we are doing surgical air strikes to destroy the local terrorist group," said Philippine military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera on Saturday, AFP reported.

The development came as truckloads of soldiers were also seen driving into Marawi. The city is one of the largest Muslim-populated cities in the country with a population of nearly 200,000 residents, most of whom have been evacuated due to the ongoing fighting.

This is while the military has vowed no let-up in its battle against the militants, which coincides with the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Military spokesman Herrera said the security operations to rid Marawi of the gunmen would continue despite the start of Ramadan.

"It is painful for the Maranao (the name for local Muslims) that it is Ramadan but our action now is to protect Marawi," Herrera added. "These are the impacts of the local terrorist group's actions."

The violence erupted on Tuesday when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an operation by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of the Daesh-affiliated militants.

The militants reportedly planted black Daesh flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage at a Catholic church and set fire to buildings.

So far, 13 soldiers, two policemen and 31 militants have been killed during the fighting, according to authorities.

Two civilians were also confirmed killed inside a hospital that the militants had occupied on Tuesday. The military has also said that it is looking into reports that nine people were murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday declared martial law on Mindanao, the country's second-largest island, to stop the spread of Takfiri militancy.

Duterte has further pledged to remove the threat of Daesh-linked militants, whom he accuses of belonging to the local Maute terrorist group and being backed by criminals in the area.

Duterte, however, stated on Friday that he was prepared to talk with the group's leaders.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






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.
Indian army says killed six militants in gunfight in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 9:18AM

The Indian army says its troops have killed six suspected militants during a gun battle at the borderline of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to Colonel Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman, the incident occurred early on Saturday after the gunmen sneaked across the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir into the Indian-held portion in western Rampur sector, an area around 100 kilometers north-west of the region's main city of Srinagar.

"Six terrorists were killed after the army foiled an infiltration bid in the Rampur sector," Kalia said.

In a separate development in the day, a gunfight erupted between government forces and militants in the town of Tral, located in the restive southern district of Pulwama.

Reports said the fighting began after Indian troops, acting on a tip-off, cordoned off the area overnight in search of at least three militants allegedly hiding there.

As clashes broke out between the two sides, hundreds of resident in Tral started chanting anti-India slogans and marched in an attempt to help the trapped militants escape.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947.

The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. They, however, reached an agreement to maintain a ceasefire in Kashmir in November 2003.

Since then, there have been sporadic clashes - with the two sides trading accusations of violating the ceasefire - but no major armed conflict between the two countries.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained in the past several months, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for a raid on an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir in last September, which killed 19 soldiers. The Indian army blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault. Islamabad denies any role in the attack.

The volatile region has also witnessed an increase in mass protests and violent attacks since early July last year, when a top pro-independence figure was killed in a shootout with Indian troops. Dozens of people have lost their lives in the ensuing crackdown. Nearly 100 people have lost their lives and more than 12,000 have been injured during the crackdown.

In recent months, the use of pellet guns by Indian forces in Kashmir has drawn widespread criticism as the weapons have caused permanent disabilities among victims. The crackdown, however, has failed to halt the protests against Indian rule in Kashmir.

India has already deployed around 500,000 soldiers in its portion of the disputed region, where militant groups have for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Kushner proposed secret communication channel with Moscow: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 7:13AM

A new US media report has surfaced suggesting that President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had proposed establishing a secret communication channel with Russia ahead of Trump's inauguration on January 20.

According to the Washington Post, Kushner and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak discussed setting up a secret and secure communications line between Trump's transition team and the Kremlin.

The claim comes from intercepts of conversations between Russia's ambassador and Moscow by US intelligence agencies.

The US president's advisor also suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the US to protect such a channel from being monitored, American officials briefed on intelligence intercepts told the Post.

The report said the request was made in December at Trump Tower in New York. Kushner "suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications," the Post reported.

In response to the revelation, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) called for Trump to fire Kushner from his position as a senior adviser to the president.

"Trump has no choice but to immediately fire Kushner, whose failure to report this episode on his security clearance is reason enough for a criminal investigation," DNC deputy communications director Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

"The next question is whether the President authorized this, because no one stands between Trump and Kushner on the chain of command."

Since his victory in the November presidential race, Trump has been accused of being supported by the Kremlin to sway the election in his favor. The New York billionaire, however, rejects allegations of having any ties with Moscow.

Kushner 'should be prosecuted for lying'

Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu said on Friday that Kushner must be prosecuted after a Reuters report on Friday claimed that the president's son-in-law didn't disclose at least three contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

"Certification for my SF86 security clearance form," Lieu tweeted alongside a picture of the form. "Which says false statement punishable by imprisonment. Jared Kushner lied on his form."

He added that if this report is true, Kushner has to resign. "He should also be prosecuted for lying on his security clearance form, a federal crime."

Kushner's lawyer said his client doesn't recall the conversations with the Russian ambassador.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Decries Plans For Increased NATO Spending, Says Ties In 'Crisis'

RFE/RL May 27, 2017

Russia's ambassador to NATO decried the alliance's plans to increase military spending, saying the U.S. defense industry will be the prime beneficiary as European nations purchase more arms.

"If the Europeans accept the U.S. demand and increase their budgets to 2 percent [of gross domestic product], it will mean that their aggregate spending will reach some 370 billion euros (about $407 billion). This is a huge sum," Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Aleksandr Grushko told Rossia-1 television on May 26.

"They will be obliged to spend 20 percent of the sum on weapons purchase -- it is about 70 billion euros ($77 billion) a year. Obviously, most of the sum will go to buy American weapons. The U.S. defense sector will be rubbing hands in glee," he said.

Grushko also complained about a 40 percent increase in U.S. spending on NATO military operations to $4.8 billion proposed in U.S. President Donald Trump's budget.

"This means the United States may deploy additional forces in Europe, say, for instance, another brigade, which the Pentagon has been talking about," Grushko told Rossia 24 television.

In urging NATO allies to increase defense spending, Trump and other U.S. officials have stressed the need to combat terrorism, a goal Russia says it shares.

"If NATO countries made their full and complete contributions, then NATO would be even stronger than it is today, especially from the threat of terrorism," Trump told fellow leaders at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on May 25.

Grushko's comments came as the Russian Foreign Ministry declared that "Russian-NATO relations are experiencing their most profound crisis since the end of the Cold War."

In a statement on the 20th anniversary of the Founding Act agreement between NATO and Russia, the ministry said recent measures taken to reinforce NATO's eastern flank by increasing troop rotations into Baltic and Eastern European states will backfire.

"The direct consequence is the increase in the potential for conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region," it said.

The increased NATO presence near Russia's borders "goes against the true interests of NATO states," will "change the balance of power in Europe, and lead to a new dangerous round of the arms race," it said.

"The increasing negative tendencies are not Russia's choice," the ministry said, but rather what he claimed was the result of NATO's goal of achieving "military-political domination in European and global affairs."

NATO's steps to strengthen defenses in the East are aimed at bolstering security and reassuring allies concerned about Russian intentions following Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine.

With reporting by AFP, dpa, TASS, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-decries-plans-increased- nato-spending-says-ties-in-profound-crisis/28511843.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






Kushner Reportedly Proposed Russia Set Up Secret Communications With Trump

RFE/RL May 27, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law proposed setting up a secret communications channel between Trump's team and the Kremlin at a meeting with Russia's ambassador in Washington after the election, media reported on May 26.

Ambassador Sergei Kislyak told his superiors in Moscow that Jared Kushner made the proposal during a meeting on December 1 or 2 at Trump Tower in New York, according to intercepts of Russian communications, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous U.S. officials.

Kislyak said Kushner, who is now a senior White House adviser and is married to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications, the newspaper said. The meeting also was attended by Michael Flynn, who later became Trump's national security adviser.

Reuters, also citing anonymous officials, reported that Kushner, Kislyak, and Flynn discussed setting up a back-channel of communications between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though it did not provide details.

The White House disclosed the meeting between the Trump aides and Kislyak in March and played down its significance.

But the FBI now considers the encounter, as well as another meeting Kushner had with a Russian banker, to be of interest in its investigation into Russian attempts to influence the U.S. election, The Washington Post said.

Kushner met with the head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, Sergei Gorkov, at Trump Tower, also in December. The bank has been under U.S. sanctions since 2014.

Reuters reported that FBI investigators are examining whether Russians suggested to Kushner or other Trump aides that relaxing economic sanctions against Russia would allow such Russian banks to offer financing to people with ties to Trump.

Reuters also reported that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, including two phone calls between April and November.

A Kushner attorney told Reuters he could not remember any of the undisclosed contacts, saying Kushner received "thousands of calls" during that time period.

The Washington Post said Kislyak was taken aback by Kushner's suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate -- a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

Besides setting up a communications back-channel, Kushner, Flynn, and Kislyak also talked about arranging a meeting between a representative of Trump and a "Russian contact" in a third country, the newspaper reported.

The Washington Post reported in April that Erik Prince, the founder of the private security firm Blackwater and an informal adviser to the Trump transition team, met with a Putin representative on January 11 -- nine days before Trump's inauguration -- in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean.

With reporting by The Washington Post and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-son- in-law-kushner-proposed-russian-embassy-set-up-secret-c ommunications-channel-trump-team/28511845.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






Deripaska Reportedly Sought Immunity To Cooperate With U.S.'s Russia Probes

May 27, 2017

The New York Times has reported that Kremlin-connected Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska has agreed to cooperate with U.S. congressional committees investigating possible connections between Russian agents and the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.

The daily, citing three unnamed congressional sources, reported on May 27 that Deripaska offered complete cooperation in exchange for a grant of full immunity from prosecution but that the offer had been rejected. The officials said committee members feared an immunity offer could complicate ongoing federal criminal investigations.

Although Deripaska has not been granted a U.S. visa because of his suspected ties to Russian criminal organizations, he entered the United States eight times between 2011 and 2014 using Russian diplomatic documents.

Earlier this month, Deripaska filed a lawsuit against the AP for a report in March about his purported connections with former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort.

The AP report said that while working for Deripaska, Manafort proposed a plan in 2005 aimed at influencing politics, business dealings, and media coverage across the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union in ways that would favor Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In March, U.S. media reported that Manafort had agreed to cooperate with the U.S. House Intelligence Committee in its probe, but he has not yet provided testimony.

Based on reporting by The New York Times, AP, and Politico

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/deripaska-sought-immunity- cooperate-russia-probes/28512597.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






U.S. Senate Committee Advances Measure On Russian Propaganda, Election Meddling

Mike Eckel May 27, 2017

WASHINGTON -- A key U.S. Senate committee has moved forward on new legislation aimed at countering Russian propaganda and election meddling in the United States and elsewhere.

The bill, passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 25, is one of several Russia-targeted measures now circulating in Congress, reflecting the general attitude among many U.S. lawmakers toward Moscow.

President Donald Trump's administration has sent mixed signals about its approach to the Kremlin. Trump's conciliatory remarks have also worried lawmakers that he might try to lift the sanctions imposed by Barack Obama's administration following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Still, a growing number of Republicans and Democrats have sought to push back on everything from Russia's alleged interference in last year's presidential election, to Moscow's actions in Ukraine and Syria.

Several Russia "hawks" in the Senate are seeking to keep existing sanctions from being lifted without congressional approval. Others, including Republican John McCain and Democrat Ben Cardin, have pushed efforts to impose new economic sanctions on Moscow.

Push For New Sanctions

The push for new sanctions has been slowed in part by the position of the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Bob Corker.

Corker said earlier this month he wanted to wait on new sanctions until the Senate Intelligence Committee completed its investigation into Russia's alleged interference in last year's election. He's also said he wanted to see if Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could reach some agreement with Moscow on front-burner issues like Ukraine.

The bill that passed the committee on May 25  called the ''Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017"  seeks to strengthen cybersecurity, fight corruption, bolster democracy-building efforts, among other things.

When and if it gets taken up by the full Senate will depend on the chamber's majority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell.

In a statement, Cardin, who is the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee and co-sponsor of this and other similar measures, suggested that the push for new sanctions continued, and the committee would seek testimony directly from Tillerson by early June.

"Every day of inaction on our part is one where Russia continues to gain ground," he said.

$100 Million Effort

Earlier this month, Congress signed off on a new $100 million effort to counter "Russian influence and aggression" and to support civil society organizations in Europe and Eurasia.

That measure was included in the $1.1 trillion budget to fund the federal government for 2017.

Lawmakers also imposed new restrictions and oversight on Russian diplomats in the United States -- a measure that Moscow had angrily warned Washington against.

And this week, Democratic Representative Salud Carbajal introduced legislation requiring the State Department to report to Congress on the methods Kremlin is using to "achieve [its] goal of destabilizing foreign democracies."

That drew a biting rebuke from the editor-in-chief of the Russian government-funded TV network Russia Today, or RT, who said she had lost count of the number of bills aiming to "limit, forbid and suppress" the network.

"They have not suggested to arrest us yet, but I think it won't be long," Margarita Simonyan said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Trump's top economic adviser told reporters during a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations in Sicily that the White House had no intention of easing sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are not lowering our sanctions on Russia," Gary Cohn said. "If anything, we would probably look to get tougher on Russia."

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian- propaganda-u-s-senate-committee- advances-measure/28511284.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






Georgia Turns to NATO Parliamentary Assembly for Advice on Security Boost

Sputnik News

23:22 27.05.2017

The Georgian leader has turned to NATO Parliamentary Assembly to get recommendations on how to boost security in the Caucasian country.

TBILISI (Sputnik)  Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Paolo Alli with a request to assist in the development of recommendations to improve the Georgian national security, Margvelashvili's presidential office said Saturday in a statement.

"The NATO Parliamentary Assembly session, cooperation with NATO, ways to improve national security system, and the current atmosphere in the country  this is not a complete list of the main topics that were analyzed by the President of Georgia and NATO PA President. Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed Paolo Alli with a request to involve NATO experts for the joint development of recommendations in order to improve the architecture of the Georgian national security in the direction of constitutional change," the statement reads.

In turn, Alli said that NATO supports Georgia's aspiration to Euro-Atlantic integration, and outlined the steps that Georgia needed to take on the way towards integration into NATO, the statement adds.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly spring session is being held in Tbilisi on May 26-29.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Military Drills With US Participation Kick Off in Latvia

Sputnik News

19:31 27.05.2017

The drills held in the Latvian cities of Riga, Daugavpils, Kuldiga and Rezekne are aimed at practicing coordination of the military and civilian sectors in case of emergencies with a large number of victims, according to official statement.

RIGA (Sputnik)  Joint US-Latvian military exercises dubbed Guardian Response are held in Latvia on Saturday, the press service of the country's Defense Ministry said.

The drills held in the Latvian cities of Riga, Daugavpils, Kuldiga and Rezekne are aimed at practicing coordination of the military and civilian sectors in case of emergencies with a large number of victims.

The Phoenix military unit of 10th Air Brigade of the US Army, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade of the US Army and some 150 members of the Latvian National Guard are participating in the drills, the ministry said.

The participants of the maneuvers are expected to practice rescuing victims and evacuating them using ground transportation as well as US helicopters CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Sources: 3rd US Naval Strike Force Deployed to Deter North Korea

By VOA News May 27, 2017

The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier strike force to the western Pacific region in an apparent warning to North Korea to deter its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, two sources have told VOA.

The USS Nimitz, one of the world's largest warships, will join two other supercarriers, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan, in the western Pacific, the sources told VOA's Steve Herman.

The U.S. military has rarely simultaneously deployed three aircraft carriers to the same region.

But North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat is seen as a major security challenge for President Donald Trump, who has vowed to prevent the country from being able to strike the U.S. with a nuclear missile, a capability experts say Pyongyang could have some time after 2020.

Sitting alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said Friday just before the start of Group of Seven (G-7) meetings in Sicily that G-7 leaders would have a "particular focus on the North Korea problem."

A White House statement issued Friday said the two leaders have agreed to "enhance sanctions on North Korea" in an attempt to prevent the further development of North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

US tests missile defense system

The U.S. military, meanwhile, will test a system to shoot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time next week.It is intended to simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S.

The Missile Defense Agency said it will test an existing missile defense system on Tuesday to try to intercept an ICBM. The Pentagon has used the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system to intercept other types of missiles, but never an ICBM.

The GMD has been inconsistent, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles without intercontinental range capability since 1999.

The most recent test, in June 2014, was successful -- but three straight subsequent tests were failures.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Biafran Secessionist Movement Grows Stronger in Nigeria

By Chika Oduah May 27, 2017

On May 30, many people in southeastern Nigeria will remember those who lost their lives in one of Africa's most brutal wars. More than one million people died during Nigeria's 1967 to 1970 civil war known as the Biafra War The conflict erupted after leaders from southeastern Nigeria declared that the region would secede from Nigeria.

Memories of the war remain strong for those who lived through it.

"Have you been walking with somebody and the bomb killed him and all you have to do is look at the corpse and continue walking? Even if it's your sister, you just continue walking because you're running for dear life? Or have you been hidden in the roof of a building because you are afraid, because your mother is afraid the soldiers will come and rape you?" says 21-year-old Enuma Okoro.

"In my compound we saw several skeletons of dead people. My father's compound was flattened. It was a war front," says Obum Okeke, who was seven years old when the war started.

Images sifted opinion

The war gained widespread global attention once pictures of starving Biafran children were published in the international media. The Nigerian government had formed a blockade, making it difficult for aid groups to reach Biafra. Many children starved and developed a severe condition that became known as kwashiorkor.

"First of all, the first thing you notice is the stomach bloated," says Christopher Ejiofor, a traditional king in his community in the southeastern state of Enugu. "The arms to the bones, the legs to the bones, the thigh to the bones, the head, skull. Can you imagine that? That is a starving a child. And that is what happened everywhere in Biafra," he says.

The war ended with the surrender of Biafra in January 1970. Biafrans returned to Nigeria and the country once known as Biafra, ceased to exist. But in recent years, the pro-Biafra movement has resurged. Supporters say the grievances that led to the war have still not been addressed.

Poll: growing support

A survey released this week from a Nigerian research group revealed that the pro-Biafra movement is gaining support, particularly among young people who did not experience the war. The rise could also be a reaction for a region that has received little infrastructural development from the federal government.

"I am supporting it [Biafra] because that is who I am," says senior university student Sofuru Afah. "Nigeria is an artificial creation by the British. I am not a Nigerian and I have never been and I never will. Buhari hates our people."

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari fought against Biafra during the civil war as a young soldier. He says he will not tolerate the Biafra movement. Under Buhari's administration, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of one of the more popular pro-Biafra groups, called IPOB, was detained in 2015 on charges of treason, criminal conspiracy and belonging to an illegal society. Kanu was released on bail last month after spending nearly two years in prison in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

IPOB's deputy, Uche Mefor, told VOA the Nigerian government cannot ignore the voice of Biafrans. He says May 30 will be a day for the world to recognize because pro-Biafrans will unite in peaceful resistance. Some pro-Biafrans will stay in their homes while others plan to join street rallies.

"The compliance on that day will indeed convince the world that the people of Biafra are actually ready for their self-governance. We have our right to self-existence and it doesn't matter what anybody things about it," he told VOA.

The Nigerian government is determined to preserve Nigeria. Speaking at a Biafra remembrance forum in Abuja this week, acting president Yemi Osinbajo said Nigeria should remain one and all Nigerians should strive to achieve an ideal Nigeria.

"We are not there yet, but I believe we have a strong chance to advance in that direction. But that will not happen if we allow our frustrations and grievances to transmute into hatred," Osinbanjo said during the address.

But, the message of one Nigeria is too late for many people like Lawrence Akpu, a former Biafran fighter. During the war, shrapnel cut into his spinal cord. Today, he's confined to a wheelchair. Even though he's poor and begs for handouts, he says he doesn't regret fighting for Biafra and will fight again.

"If we join our hands together to seek Biafra, we shall get Biafra. Because we have no place in Nigeria," Akpu says.

Akpu joins a group of other disabled Biafra War veterans on a hot afternoon. They reminisce about the war and soon, they begin to sing the war songs that kept their spirits inspired to keep fighting.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






National Security Adviser: 'Not Concerned' About Kushner Back-channel Reports

By VOA News May 27, 2017

Asked about reports that U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law had tried to set up a clandestine communication channel with Russia before the president took office, U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Saturday that so-called "back-channeling" was normal.

McMaster was in Taormina, Italy, on the sideline of the Group of Seven meetings, and he did not speak specifically about Jared Kushner, who is also a senior advisor to Trump. When asked if it would concern him, though, if someone in the administration tried to set up a back channel with the Russian embassy or the Kremlin, McMaster replied "no."

"We have back-channel communications with any number of individual [countries]. So generally speaking, about back-channel communications, what that allows you to do is communicate in a discreet manner," said McMaster.

"So it doesn't pre-expose you to any sort of content or any kind of conversation or anything. So we're not concerned about it."

His comments come on a heels of The Washington Post report that Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, discussed with Russia's ambassador to Washington the possibility of setting up a secret communications channel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin.

The Post quoted U.S. officials Friday as saying that the move was meant to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from scrutiny.

The Post's sources said Ambassador Sergei Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that Kushner made the proposal during an early-December meeting at Trump Tower in New York City. The sources said the information was detected through intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by U.S. officials.

On Thursday, U.S. news outlets reported that Kushner is being investigated by the FBI in its probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Post reported last week that a senior White House official close to the president was a significant focus of the high stakes investigation, although it did not name Kushner then.

The FBI's focus on Kushner does not necessarily mean he is suspected of a crime, nor is he considered a subject of the bureau's wider probe of Russia.

This latest revelation comes two weeks after Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey, who was responsible for overseeing the investigation.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation. Separately, at least four congressional committees are conducting their own probes into the matter.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin amid accusations from U.S. intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a sweeping campaign to tilt the vote in the Republican's favor.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Defeat-ISIS 'Annihilation' Campaign Accelerating, Mattis Says

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2017  Nothing keeps Defense Secretary Jim Mattis awake at night. "I keep other people awake," he told CBS reporter John Dickerson.

The secretary sat down today for his first television interview with Face the Nation. He spoke about the threats facing the United States and the department's response to those threats.

Mattis said the defeat-ISIS coalition must "annihilate" the terror group, and that the strategy to do so is working. "Our strategy right now is to accelerate the campaign against ISIS," the secretary said. "It is a threat to all civilized nations. And the bottom line is we are going to move in an accelerated and reinforced manner, throw them on their back foot."

The campaign against the group in Iraq and Syria has shifted from attrition tactics to annihilation tactics. "Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa," he said. "We're not going to allow them to do so. We're going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate."

Decision-Making at the Right Level

Iraqi forces have surrounded the cities of Mosul and Tal Afar to ensure ISIS is annihilated. The same is happening in Raqqa -- the Syrian city ISIS styled as the capital of the so-called caliphate.

The secretary said that decisions on the campaign are being made at the appropriate level. He has delegated execution to "the level where people are trained and equipped to make decisions so we move swiftly against the enemy," Mattis said.

He stressed that there has been no changes to the rules of engagement in Iraq or Syria. "There is no relaxation of our attention to protect the innocent," he said.

There is also no lessening of the whole-of-government effort against the terror group, he said. ISIS is a terror philosophy as much as it is a terror group. "[ISIS] is more than just an army. It's also a fight about ideas," Mattis said. "And we have got to dry up their recruiting. We have got to dry up their fundraising. The way we intend to do it is to humiliate them, to divorce them from any nation giving them protection, and humiliating their message of hatred, of violence. Anyone who kills women and children is not devout. They  cannot dress themselves up in false religious garb and say that somehow this message has dignity."

The strategy of working by, with and through other nations will continue and the counter-ISIS fight will be a long one, Mattis said.

War With North Korea Would Be 'Catastrophic'

The secretary shirted to the threat posed by North Korea saying a war on the peninsula "would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes."

Seoul, the capital of South Korea with a population of 25 million, is within rage of North Korean artillery and missiles. And the North Koreans are building a nuclear arsenal. "We are working with the international community to deal with this issue," Mattis said. "This regime is a threat to the region, to Japan, to South Korea. And in the event of war, they would bring danger to China and to Russia as well. But the bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means."

He said North Korea is a direct threat to the United States and said he was encouraged by Chinese help in seeking to rein in the rogue regime.

Mattis is a strong supporter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, saying it represents the West's values and supports democracy. He said has no idea why Russia sees NATO as a threat. "Right now, Russia's future should be wedded to Europe," he said. "Why they see NATO as a threat is beyond me. Clearly, NATO is not a threat."

Russia has chosen to be a strategic competitor and the United States is "attempting to deal with Russia, under President Trump's direction, in a diplomatic manner," Mattis said. "At the same time while willing to engage diplomatically, we are going to have to confront Russia when it comes to areas where they attack us, whether it be with cyber, or they try to change borders using armed force."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China's Defense Ministry Urges US to Respect its Borders After Intercepting Jet

Sputnik News

08:34 28.05.2017(updated 08:58 28.05.2017)

The Chinese Defense Ministry urged Washington to halt its military maneuvers near China's borders as it violates the national security and sovereignty in the light of the recent incidents, when Beijing intercepted a US military plane and a warship.

BEIJING (Sputnik)  On Thursday, the Chinese defense ministry accused Washington of militarizing the South China Sea region, following the sailing of the US Navy destroyer near the disputed Spratly Islands chain, while later media reported that Chinese fighter jets came within 100 feet of US anti-submarine and maritime surveillance P-3 Orion aircraft over the South China Sea.

"Once again we are calling on the American side to take effective actions in order to avoid such incidents in the future. The Chinese military forces will responsibly fulfill their duties and strongly defend the national sovereignty and security, " the ministry said Saturday.

The defense ministry added that the US aircraft was carrying out reconnaissance activities on Thursday near the Hong Kong's airspace.

"Chinese Air Force conducted a friend or foe identification checking in accordance with the rules, the operation was carried out professionally and safely," the ministry added.

According to the ministry, the increasing presence of the US military forces in the South China Sea is a threat to Beijing's sovereignty.

China and several US allies in the region  namely Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines  have competing claims to the maritime borders and responsibility areas in the South China and East China seas. In January 2013, the Philippines formally initiated arbitration proceedings against China's claim on the Spratly Islands, also known as the Nansha Islands, with the the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling out in 2016 that the islands were not an exclusive economic zone for China. However, China refused to recognize the tribunal's ruling.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Third US Aircraft Carrier Headed Toward Asia-Pacific Region Amid N Korean Crisis

Sputnik News

00:43 28.05.2017(updated 09:21 28.05.2017)

A third US aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, will be deployed by Washington in the Western Pacific Ocean in order to join two US warships, stationed near the shores of the Korean Peninsula in the light of the crisis, escalated by Pyongyang's nuclear tests, media reported, citing sources.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The situation on the Korean peninsula over recent months has become aggravated by the series of missile launches and nuclear tests carried out by North Korea. In response to Pyongyang's actions, the United States first deployed the USS Carl Vinson in the region, which was joined by the USS Ronald Reagan earlier in May.

The deployment of the USS Nimitz marks a rare time, when a total of three US strike groups are simultaneously deployed in one region, sources told the Voice of America broadcaster.

US media reported that US President Donald Trump might order a strike against North Korea in light of the latter's military activities. Top North Korean officials have said the country was ready for nuclear attacks in the event of US military aggression.

The most recent launch of North Korean ballistic missile took place on May 21. The ground-to-ground missile reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Report says intelligence identifies 23,000 jihadists in Britain

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 12:53, May 28, 2017

The British intelligence has identified 23,000 jihadist extremists living in the country as potential terrorist attackers, media reports said on Saturday.

The scale of the challenge facing police and security services was disclosed by sources in Whitehall after criticism that multiple opportunities to stop Monday's suicide bombing attack on the Manchester Arena had been missed, The Times said.

About 3,000 people from the total group of 23,000 are judged to pose a threat, the British daily said.

That group is under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations conducted by police and intelligence services, the newspaper said, adding that the rest have featured in previous inquiries and are categorized as posing a "residual risk."

The two terrorists who have struck in Britain this year -- Manchester bomber Salman Abedi and Westminster attacker Khalid Masood who killed five people two months ago -- were in the pool of the so-called former subjects of interest and no longer under any surveillance, it added.

Prime Minister Theresa May downgraded the terror threat in Britain from "critical" to "severe" on Saturday morning, but said troops will remain deployed on the streets until Monday.

Britain's top police officer for counter-terrorism said 11 men were being held by police with more arrests expected.

London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said significant arrests meant a large part of the terror network around suicide bomber Abedi had been wound up.

In an update from the Metropolitan Police Service on Saturday afternoon, Rowley confirmed the threat level had been reduced to the next level down.

"The high pace and rapid progress of this investigation is continuing. There were three more arrests overnight and we now have 11 men in custody. There are now 17 searches either concluded or continuing at various addresses largely in the northwest of the country and we are getting a greater understanding of the preparation of the bomb," he said.

"There is still much more to do. There will be more arrests and there will be more searches but this greater clarity and this progress has led the independent body that assess threat levels to come to the judgement that an attack is no longer imminent," he added.

"Once we get past the weekend, we will be looking to step down the extra resources we have had in place over the last week. And the military support we have had in place over the past few days, under Operation Temperer will start to phase out as well. There are detailed plans in place to ensure military personnel will remain at readiness to deploy in support of the police should future security situations require," said Rowley.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US to conduct ICBM intercept test amid rising tensions over North Korea

Iran Press TV

Fri May 26, 2017 8:49PM

The United States plans to shoot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time in a test next week as North Korea is trying to develop one.

The Pentagon will conduct the test on Tuesday in order to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM Washington believes is aimed at the US homeland, officials said Friday.

The US has a variety of missile systems at its disposal, but the one designed with a potential North Korean ICBM in mind is perhaps the most technologically challenging.

The system basically starts by firing a rocket into space upon warning of a hostile missile launch. The rocket then releases a 5-foot-long device called a "kill vehicle" which with the help of internal guidance systems steers into the path of the oncoming missile's warhead, destroying it by force of impact.

According to the Pentagon, an interceptor is to be launched from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Tuesday and move toward the target, which will be fired from a test range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.

The "kill vehicle" will then slam into the ICBM-like target's mock warhead high over the Pacific Ocean if all goes as planned.

The target will be a custom-made missile planned to simulate an ICBM, which means it will fly faster than missiles used in previous intercept tests, said Christopher Johnson, spokesman for the Missile Defense Agency. The target is not a mock-up of an actual North Korean ICBM though.

"We conduct increasingly complex test scenarios as the program matures and advances," Johnson said. "Testing against an ICBM-type threat is the next step in that process."

The US interceptor has succeeded in nine of 17 attempts since 1999 with the most recent successful test conducted in June 2014, though it was followed by three straight failures.

According to critics, the current system, officially known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense, is the least reliable.

"I can't imagine what they're going to say if it fails," said Philip Coyle, senior science fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

"These tests are scripted for success, and what's been astonishing to me is that so many of them have failed," said Coyle, who headed the Pentagon's office of operational test and evaluation between 1994 and 2001 and has studied the missile system.

The US is currently focusing on North Korea as its leader, Kim Jong-un, has pledged to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory.

President Donald Trump has warned that a "major conflict" with North Korea is "absolutely" possible in the ongoing standoff over its nuclear and missile programs.

According to reports, the Trump administration is considering a range of military actions against the country.

Tensions have increased between Washington and Pyongyang over the North's nuclear and missile programs, which the country sees as a deterrent against a potential invasion by its adversaries, including the US.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






N Korea issue no good reason for THAAD deployment: Russia, China

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 7:17AM

Russia and China have once again voiced opposition to the deployment of a US missile system to South Korea, saying the North Korean nuclear program should not be used as a pretext for military build-up on the troubled peninsula.

During a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Friday, the two sides agreed that the installation earlier this year of the so-called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea fuels tensions in the region.

"We noted that attempts to use Pyongyang's actions as a pretext to boost military presence in the region, including the deployment of another part of the US' global anti-missile defense, are counterproductive," Lavrov said.

"We are for adopting measures that, on the one hand, would hamper the further development of the North Korean nuclear missile programs, but at the same time would not lead to an increase in tensions in the region, would not block the possibility of a political and diplomatic settlement of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear problem," he added.

The Chinese foreign minister, for his part, noted that Beijing opposed the THAAD deployment in South Korea.

"We insist that the peninsula should be denuclearized while peace and stability should be ensured, as we stand against any statements that could raise tensions, and oppose the deployment of the THAAD system to South Korea under the pretext of the North Korean nuclear issue," Wang said.

During the bilateral meeting, the Russian top diplomat stressed that Moscow and Beijing expected all parties to abide by United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning the Korean Peninsula.

"All resolutions of the UN Security Council should be implemented, they stipulate that Pyongyang must stop missile and nuclear tests and envisage certain enforcement measures to impel North Korea to meet these demands," Lavrov said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign minister also stressed the need for dialog on the North Korean nuclear issue, adding that use of military force would cause only negative consequences.

"Military actions can only escalate the crisis and bring serious consequences. No matter it was in the past, or in the future, it should not be an option for any country. China and Russia have reached consensus on this issue," Wang said.

"We urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop acting against the UN Security Council resolutions and create necessary conditions for the resumption of dialogue and negotiations," he noted.

North Korea regularly carries out missile tests and has also conducted five nuclear tests.

Pyongyang, under an array of sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs, says it is developing arms as deterrence against US hostility. North Korea has vowed that it would not abandon its missile and nuclear programs unless Washington ended its enmity toward Pyongyang.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and military nuclear programs, the United States has adopted a war-like posture against Pyongyang in recent weeks, sending a strike group to the Korean Peninsula and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

The new US administration has warned that military intervention in North Korea is an option being considered.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korea Claims Seoul Surveillance Drones Violated Air Space

Sputnik News

21:47 27.05.2017(updated 00:48 28.05.2017)

Pyongyang has accused Seoul of flying Israeli-built surveillance drones within DPRK borders, a move South Korea has denied.

The People's Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK), through its state-run media arm KCNA, accused South Korea of invading Pyongyang airspace through the use of surveillance drones.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed that an Israeli-built South Korean HERON unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) violated Pyongyang airspace four times during an eleven-hour period, describing the alleged overstep as a "grave military provocation," according to Yonhap.

Seoul responded that KCNA's Saturday accusations were "untrue," adding that the HERON UAV, one of three purchased from Israel at approximately $10 million apiece, remained within South Korean borders and was involved in a "normal" operation that was deployed "as planned."

KCNA accusations detailed that the South Korean HERON entered the DPRK western border area a total of four times between 7:46 a.m. and 8:40 p.m. on Friday, cited by Yonhap.

The DPRK alleged that the violation took place as four US Global Hawk spy drones and some US 100 military personnel arrived in Japan's Yokota Air Base on what Pyongyang suggested was a pretext of avoiding inclement weather in the region.

The KCNA allegations included the warning that military provocations would be met with a "merciless retaliatory response."

Increased ballistic missile testing by Pyongyang has put the region on edge, as the US and its allies, alongside China and Russia, have urged the DPRK to end its continuing weapons development.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran Navy flotilla to set sail for Indian Ocean next month

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 3:12PM

A flotilla of Iranian warships will set sail for the Indian Ocean next month in a bid to ensure security for the country's cargo ships in the high seas.

Iran's 47th naval fleet is scheduled to depart for the Indian Ocean in early June, Deputy Navy Commander for Coordination Rear Admiral Peyman Jafa'ari Tehrani said on Saturday.

"The 46th flotilla, which was dispatched [to the high seas] some time ago, is now halfway through its mission and will return to Iran within the next days," he added.

The commander said that Iranian warships have a mission of providing security for the country's oil tankers and trade cargo ships sailing in the high seas, including in the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb and the Indian Ocean.

Iran's 46th naval fleet, comprised of Sabalan destroyer and Lavan logistic warship, left the country's southern port city of Bandar Abbas for the Gulf of Aden on April 17 through a ceremony attended by Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.

In recent years, Iran's Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, safeguarding merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries.

Iran's Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Long Shunned By Foreigners, Iran Looks To Tourism To Boost Ailing Economy

Frud Bezhan May 27, 2017

Stunning landscapes, famous hospitality, and numerous World Heritage sites.

Iran's potential as a holiday destination is vast, but foreign tourists have largely avoided the country ever since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The reasons are numerous. The visa process can be lengthy and complex. Some female visitors object to customary restrictions on dress. Alcohol consumption is heavily restricted. And, for many foreigners when considering a holiday in the Islamic republic, fears of detention and political upheaval enter the mind.

Under President Hassan Rohani, a relative moderate who won a second term in office with a convincing first-round victory in Iran's May 19 presidential election, the country has welcomed foreigners as part of an effort to improve its international image and boost an economy battered by low oil prices and years of crippling international sanctions imposed over Iran's contentious nuclear program.

Since the signing of a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015 that was the crowning achievement of Rohani's first term, tour companies have launched holiday packages and major European airlines have resumed regular flights to Iran. The number of foreign tourists has increased accordingly, and the cash-strapped government is planning to build on its tourism revival by easing visa restrictions and spending heavily to spruce up tourist accommodations and shabby transportation networks.

'Tsunami' Of Tourists

In 2015, Masoud Soltanifar, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization, said he was expecting a "tsunami of tourists" once sanctions were lifted following the nuclear deal under which Iran's nuclear program would be curbed in return for the lifting of sanctions.

The World Bank said the number of visitors to Iran increased from 2.2 million in 2009 to 5.2 million in 2015, and Iranian officials expect that trend to continue.

The influx of tourists has brought the country billions of dollars in revenue and created badly needed jobs. In 2015, Iran earned some $7.5 billion in tourism revenue; the government hopes to attract some 20 million foreign tourists by 2025 and gross some $30 billion.

Business Insider and Bloomberg have both named Iran among the "Top 50" and "Top 20" destinations to visit in 2017 due to security and the country's ancient architecture, famous bazaars, and natural beauty.

To put Iran on the map for tourism in the region, authorities have announced sweeping plans that include easing visa restrictions to attract more foreign tourists. Issuing visas on arrival at the airport for nationals of 190 countries as well as issuing electronic visas are among the initiatives being considered by Iranian officials. Citizens from the United States, Canada, and Britain would still only be allowed to travel on escorted tours.

The government has also announced plans to create sufficient accommodation and transportation for the growing number of tourists. There is a plan to increase the number of higher-end hotels from 130 to more than 1,000 in 10 years. Iran also plans to add 400 new passenger planes to its domestic fleet to compensate for shortages due to international sanctions over the past three decades.

The plan is to make Iran a hotspot that would rival regional destinations. Like Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, Iran is blessed with natural wonders. The Islamic republic also has a sunbaked coast with hundreds of kilometers of beaches. Iran is also a haven for culture buffs, with 19 World Heritage sites, including the ancient desert city of Bam and the ruins of Persepolis.

Tourist Hub

Key to the government's plans to boost tourist numbers is Kish Island, one of a handful of free-trade zones in Iran. The southern island in the Persian Gulf is known for its newly built, multistory malls; sparkling jewelry stores; and swanky, five-star hotels hugging the coast.

The island is a tourist hotspot that attracts an estimated 1 million people every year, mostly Iranians. But Tehran is stepping up its efforts to make the island, located 16 kilometers from the mainland, a destination for foreign visitors as well.

Iran's first cruise ship since 1979 made its maiden voyage on April 13, docking at another Iranian Gulf resort island, Qeshm, with more than 200 passengers on board.

The seven-floor, Swedish-built cruise liner, named Sunny, is equipped with two cinemas, restaurants, a swimming pool, and a conference hall. With the capacity to carry up to 1,600 passengers and 200 vehicles between the two islands, the ship is intended to help launch a "boom [in] marine tourism," according to Iran's state IRNA new agency.

'Oasis of Luxury'

Kish Island is known as an oasis of luxury and relative freedom in the otherwise conservative Islamic republic.

Women can be seen dipping their bare legs in the warm sea, alcohol is easier to come by, and even prostitutes can be seen on the promenades. It is a world away from the mainland where a strict ban on alcohol and prostitution is enforced and women must be covered.

Visitors to Kish are attracted by the duty-free shops, resort hotels, water sports, and an opportunity to escape the strict social norms on the mainland. A small number of foreigners are also going to Kish, where they do not need a visa and where they can mingle freely in foreigners-only parts of the island.

Authorities occasionally crack down on cinemas playing Western films, shops displaying mannequins that are deemed too exposed, and restaurants selling alcohol, but that is the exception.

Mina, a 21-year-old Iranian student who has visited Kish Island twice, says Iranians go there to escape the social restrictions on the mainland.

"I went there to relax because there is more freedom here than in cities like Tehran," says Mina, who did not want to reveal her full name. "There are beaches here and there are things to do at night. You can do things here that you can't in Tehran."

Mina, who visited Kish last year, says she rented out an apartment with her friends, including male friends. In other parts of Iran, couples are required to prove they are married to rent a room.

She also says women do not have to cover their heads completely. They can wear their head scarves loosely or wear a hat, although authorities still say women should be dressed modestly.

"I saw more foreigners coming to Kish, and as long the infrastructure improves, more will come," she said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/long-shunned-by-foreigners -iran-looks-to-tourism/28512508.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






Iraq begins operation to liberate last Daesh-held Mosul region

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 9:7AM

Iraqi forces have launched an offensive to retake the last enclave controlled by Daesh in the northern city of Mosul as the Takfiri terrorist group is getting final blows in the Arab country.

The Iraqi military announced the beginning of the operation in a statement released on Saturday one day after the air force dropped leaflets urging residents in Mosul's Old City center to flee through safe corridors.

The targeted Mosul enclave covers mainly the Old City center and three adjacent districts alongside the western bank of the Tigris River.

On Friday, Stephen O'Brien, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, estimated that as many as 200,000 Iraqis may flee Mosul in the coming days.

Reports say almost 760,000 people have already escaped the embattled Iraqi city over the past months.

Civilians trapped in Mosul suffer from a dire lack of food, water and fuel while they have limited access to hospitals.

Mosul fell to Daesh in 2014, when the terror outfit began its campaign of death and destruction in Iraq.

Since October 2016, the Iraqi army soldiers and allied volunteer fighters have been leading a major operation to recapture Mosul.

Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January and launched the battle in the west in February.

The operation has taken longer than planned as Takfiri elements are dug in among civilians and are fighting back with car bombs, booby traps, mortar fire and snipers.

The full liberation of Mosul would likely spell the end for the Iraqi half of Daesh's so-called caliphate.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iraqi Forces Say Final Assault On Mosul Has Started

RFE/RL May 28, 2017

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces launched a broad attack on the final districts held by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in west Mosul, military officials say.

The Joint Operations Command on May 27 said security forces are attacking "what remains of the unliberated areas" on the west bank of the Tigris River in the city, the last significant IS stronghold in Iraq.

The move came a day after the Iraqi Air Force dropped leaflets telling residents to flee crowded neighborhoods just north of the Old City, where most of the militant forces are clinging on as Iraqi forces encircle the district.

"Army forces attacked Al-Shifaa neighborhood and the Republican Hospital, federal police forces Al-Zinjili neighborhood, and counterterrorism forces attacked Al-Saha al-Oula neighborhood," military officials said.

The statement did not specify if an attack was being carried out on the Old City itself.

The Associated Press quoted two Iraqi military officers as saying the advancement of government troops had been slowed by snipers and suicide bombers with clashes on Sunday described as being "sporadic." They gave no figures on casualties for either side.

Should Mosul fall to the Iraqi forces, it would represent a massive blow to the IS extremists. Mosul was the city where leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his so-called "caliphate" nearly three years.

Iraqi military officials said they hoped to capture the Al-Nuri mosque, where Baghdadi announced the caliphate, in the next few days.

Residents in the Old City told Reuters news agency by phone that the situation there was becoming desperate.

"We're waiting for death at any moment, either by bombing or starving," one said. "Adults eat one meal a day, either flour or lentil soup."

United Nations and humanitarian officials estimate that 700,000 people -- one-third of the city's prewar population -- have already fled the fighting, with some 200,000 still thought to be trapped.

Iraqi forces backed by U.S. and coalition air support in October began the battle to liberate Mosul.

The eastern half of Mosul was retaken earlier this year, and troops are facing fierce IS resistance in more heavily populated west Mosul.

IS fighters captured Mosul in 2014 as they gained wide swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in battles against government troops.

However, U.S.-led coalition forces have made major gains against the group, both in Mosul and in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the last major IS stronghold in that country.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iraq-mosul-old-city -assault-islamic-state/28513042.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






Clashes between rival Libyan factions kill 28, injure 128 in Tripoli

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 6:26AM

At least 28 people have been killed and over 128 injured during fresh clashes in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, between forces loyal to the UN-backed unity government and rival militiamen.

The clashes broke out Friday in residential neighborhoods as forces aligned with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fought to thwart a major offensive by rival militiamen.

There were reports of loud explosions and heavy artillery fire across the city throughout the day.

The GNA issued a statement and blamed the attack on Khalifa Ghwell, the head of a self-declared "national salvation government" that was set up in 2014, and Salah Badi, an allied militia leader. They are both leaders of the so-called Fajr Libya coalition of militias.

They "have exceeded all limits... Nothing stops them, not faith, not law, not custom and not morals," said the statement. "This is their gift to the people for the month of Ramadan."

Libya's Health Ministry spokesman Anwar Frajallah announced the provisional casualty figures on Friday, but said he could not confirm whether they included any civilians.

A GNA security official identified as Hashem Bishr offered a separate count of casualties, saying 23 loyalist forces were killed and over 29 others injured in the fighting.

A police source said late Friday that the armed group loyal to the GNA seized the al-Hadhba prison holding senior officials of the country's former dictator Moammar Kaddafi, who was toppled and then killed during an uprising in 2011.

In a joint statement released late Friday, GNA's interior and justice ministries declared that all the prisoners had been handed over to them and were "in good health."

More than 30 senior officials of the toppled regime were being held in the prison, including Kaddafi's last Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi and his former intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi. Both were sentenced to death in 2015.

The skirmishes centered around a complex of luxury villas that had served until March as the headquarters for militias loyal to Ghwell, a former prime minister who was ousted after GNA rose to power in March 2016. He has refused to recognize the new government.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Libya envoy Martin Kobler appealed for a halt to the fighting and said, "Voices of reason should prevail for the benefit of the country. Political aims must not be pursued through violence. Civilians must be protected."

Libya has faced a power vacuum since a NATO military invasion following the 2011 uprising.

The country has been grappling with chaos and the emergence of numerous militant groups. The Daesh terror group has also taken advantage of the mayhem to gain a foothold in the country.

The country now has two governments -- one based in Tripoli, where the GNA, led by Fayez al-Sarraj, is ruling, and the other centered in the eastern city of Tobruk, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's so-called Libyan National Army (LNA).

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Manchester Bombing, Massacre in Egypt Trigger Intense Fighting in Libya

By Jamie Dettmer May 27, 2017

When suicide bomber Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British-Libyan, triggered his bomb packed with nuts and bolts Monday in Manchester, he not only brought Libya's civil war to the streets of Britain, he may well have wrecked the chances of a peace deal being struck between rival governments and their militia backers in the strife-torn North African state.

The Manchester bombing that left 22 dead and dozens injured, mostly teenagers and children, has sparked an escalation in fighting in Libya in a war featuring a complex array of militias and three rival governments. All of them are vying not only for control of the country, but also backing from foreign powers.

All sides appeared to be seizing the opportunity of the Manchester attack, as well as the massacre Friday in Egypt of Coptic Christians by Islamic State fighters, to strike their foes  regardless of whether their enemies are linked to the bombing in Britain or the slaughter of Christian pilgrims in neighboring Egypt.

The escalation in fighting, especially in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, is darkening the prospects of a peace initiative led by the United Nations special envoy Martin Kobler. The U.N. envoy has been tireless in his efforts to broker an agreement between rival powers in a country that has known no peace since the uprising and NATO-backed overthrow six years ago of Libya's dictator, Moammar Gadhafi.

Hopes dashed

Peace hopes had mounted earlier this month after two key rival Libyan leaders met face-to-face in Abu Dhabi, ending a 16-month stalemate that's been undermining increasingly frenetic diplomatic efforts to unify the country and to stop the fighting between competing loose alliances that pushed the country into open warfare in 2014.

The meeting between Gen. Khalid Haftar, the head of military forces aligned to a government based in the east that's backed by Egypt, and the GNA's prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, was seen widely as the first step in a possible deal. But now hopes are being dashed and the peace process is unraveling because of an outbreak of intense fighting.

On Friday, Kobler appealed to "rival groups to stop fighting immediately and put Libyan national interest first." His plea came after mainly Islamist militias opposed to the weak U.N.-backed Government of National Accord and loyal to a rival known as the National Salvation Government, launched a series of attacks in the capital, shattering weeks of relative calm in the city, and turning residential neighborhoods into war zones.

The U.N. envoy said he was following the situation with grave concern, insisting that "political aims must not be pursued through violence. Civilians must be protected."

But despite the appeal, the attacks  coinciding with the start Saturday in Libya of Ramadan, Islam's holy month  have included the shelling of residential districts in the south of the city, according to the British ambassador Peter Millett, along with clashes in parts of downtown Tripoli and along the city's airport road.

GNA officials say that at least 52 of their fighters have died so far in the fighting, which has persisted into the weekend with loud explosions heard across the city. There were unconfirmed reports that civilians were among the dead and wounded.

Some GNA officials claimed the attacks by the mainly Islamist armed groups are in retaliation for the arrests in Tripoli midweek of the father and brother of the Manchester bomber by a militia loyal to U.N.-backed government. Salman Abedi's father, Ramadan, has been linked to the militant Islamist group the Libyan Revolutionaries Operations Room.

"You have to ask yourself why they attacked now," said an adviser to the GNA's prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj. But other GNA officials say they had expected an attack for weeks by Islamist-leaning militias, led by Salah Badi and Khalifa al-Ghwell, in a bid to try to reclaim lost territory in the capital. The flaring tensions in the country in the wake of the Manchester bombing may have contributed to the decision to launch the attacks this week, they say.

In turn, forces loyal to the GNA have seized Tripoli's al-Hadhba prison, where former officials of ousted dictator Gadhafi have been incarcerated. The fate of the detainees is unknown.

IS claims Egypt attack

The Islamic State terror group claimed Saturday the slaughter of the 29 Christians, many of them children, in Egypt as its handiwork, saying in an online statement its affiliate in the country had carried out the attack. The Christians were traveling on a pilgrimage by bus to a monastery in Minya in central Egypt, 220 kilometers south of the capital, Cairo, when masked gunmen struck. The terror group put the number of dead at 32.

On Friday, Egypt retaliated, launching a half-dozen airstrikes on the eastern Libyan town of Derna, targeting what Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sissi said were training camps where the militants behind the massacre had trained.

Sissi said he would "not hesitate to strike terrorist camps anywhere," and announcing the strike in a television speech late Friday, he promised to "protect our people from the evil."

Like the fighting in Tripoli, the Egyptian airstrikes are being seen by some analysts as opportunistic, too. The Islamic State was pushed out of Derna in 2015 and lost its remaining bases on the outskirts of the town last year, according to Mary Fitzgerald, a researcher on Libya, who covered the 2011 ouster of Gadhafi. She says the strikes "feed into suspicions that Sissi's airstrikes are opportunistic more than anything else and aimed at helping his ally Gen. Haftar."

Derna residents say the six locations struck are residential areas. Some analysts say if training camps were struck they would have been controlled by mujahideen groups linked ideologically to al-Qaida and not the Islamic State.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Libyan Militant Group Ansar Al-Sharia Says It Is Disbanding

May 28, 2017

The Libyan Ansar al-Sharia militant group, linked to Al-Qaeda and blamed for the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador, says it is formally dissolving itself.

The group made the announcement in a statement posted online on May 27, saying the decision was made after heavy losses that have wiped out its leadership.

The United States said Ansar al-Sharia was behind the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Ansar al-Sharia, which has been active in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, is also blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Libyan soldiers.

It was formed in 2012 from two smaller groups after the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

The United States and United Nations classify the group as a terrorist organization.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/libya-benghazi-ansar- al-sharia-disbanding-/28513252.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






Libyan Parliament Supports Egypt's Airstrikes on Libya's Territory

Sputnik News

17:10 28.05.2017

Egypt carried out airstrikes against the positions of the Daesh on Libya's territory in coordination with the Libyan armed forces and with support of the Tobruk-based parliament of Libya, according to Abdallah Bilhaq, the spokesman of the Libyan parliament.

CAIRO (Sputnik)  The Tobruk-based parliament of Libya fully supports Egypt's decision to carry out airstrikes against the positions of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIL or Daesh, banned in Russia) on Libya's territory, Abdallah Bilhaq, the spokesman of the Libyan parliament, told Sputnik on Sunday.

"For sure, we support these airstrikes and it is not for the first time. They are carried out in coordination with the Libyan armed forces and it is known that the town of Derna [where airstrikes took place] has been under siege of the Libyan armed forces for two years," Bilhaq said.

On Friday, the Egyptian Air Force carried out six airstrikes against the positions of terrorists in eastern Libya following the attack on Coptic Christians, which claimed the lives of at least 29 people.

The spokesman added that he would not expect from Egypt any ground operations, since the Libyan army provided enough forces to block terrorists in Derna.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Over the past year, Libya has particularly suffered from Daesh attempts to make advances in the country.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Track and Destroy: Russian Warships Hold Anti-Sub Drills in the Mediterranean

Sputnik News

15:57 27.05.2017

A flotilla of Russian surface ships successfully held anti-submarine drills in the Mediterranean Sea, a Russian Black Sea Fleet official said on Saturday.

Saturday saw Russian surface ships taking part in rocket firing drills aimed at destroying a simulated enemy submarine in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Russian Black Sea Fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachev.

He said that "the scheduled tactical exercise of a surface ship division of the Black Sea Fleet and the Russian Navy's permanent force in the remote zone wrapped up in Mediterranean."

"The ships practiced destroying an imaginary enemy submarine with rocket-propelled depth charges," Trukhachev asdded.

He also said that after a simulated escort operation as well as drills to conduct anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-sabotage defense, the Smetlivy guided missile destroyer performed rocket firing on an air target from with the Volna system.

Shortly after, the Smetlivy along with the Russian frigates Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen successfully destroyed a sea target, Trukhachev said.

In March 2016, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Smetlivy destroyer of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet departed from the country's southwestern port city of Sevastopol to join Russia's naval force in the Mediterranean later that month.

The Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen frigates are designed for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare as well as for air defense missions, operating both independently or as part of convoys and naval task forces.

In late April 2017, the Admiral Grigorovich detected a naval "mine", evaded and destroyed it during drills in the Mediterranean, according to the Black Sea Fleet's press service.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Syria forces make new advances against Daesh

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 5:25PM

Syria's military and allied fighters have made new advances against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and other militants in the country's strategic southern desert.

Various sources, including opposition media channels, confirmed on Saturday that the government and allied troops had secured a large territory in the Syrian Desert. They said the region covered some key areas that used to be under the control of Daesh and other militant groups that enjoy support from the West.

The Syrian Central Military media said 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) in the desert area were secured in the multi-pronged operation, which began more than two weeks ago. The gains restore the government's control over mineral and oil resources, including the key phosphate mines in Khneifes, a major source of revenue for Daesh.

Other sources said Syrian forces also recaptured al-Ilianiya, an area controlled by US-backed militants near the border with Jordan. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which advocates Syria's opposition, said Syrian forces had secured a total of 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) in the desert since the offensive began earlier this month.

Experts say gains made on Saturday would significantly boost the morale of the government forces in the battle against militants while they could hugely facilitate the advance toward the province of Dayr al-Zawr, where Daesh holds a grip. The advances also widen the government's control south of Palmyra in Homs province while the highway linking Palmyra to the capital Damascus would also be secured.

The advance could apparently irk the United States, which had deployed troops to southeastern Syria to support militants. Washington even launched an airstrike on a convoy and a base of Syrian fighters deployed to the area on May 18. US officials said after the attack that they were deeply concerned about the safety of troops and allies who are allegedly fighting Daesh in southeastern Syria.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia airstrikes kill 120 Daesh terrorists fleeing Raqqa: Source

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 9:55AM

Russian airstrikes have killed as many as 120 Daesh terrorists who were trying to flee the Takfiri outfit's last stronghold of Raqqah in northern Syria for the ancient city of Palmyra in the central part of the Arab country, a Russian Defense Ministry source says.

On Saturday, Russia's Sputnik news agency cited a source with the country's Defense Ministry as saying that the development had taken place two days earlier.

"As a result of these strikes, 32 pick-up trucks were destroyed and some 120 terrorists were killed," the source said.

Daesh seized Raqqah in 2014, the same year when it started its campaign of terror in Syria. It then proceeded to capture large swathes of Syrian territory.

Russia has been lending aerial support to the Syrian counterterrorism operations since last September. The combined push is also being reinforced by Lebanese resistance fighters and Iranian military advisors.

The terrorists' turf has now dwindled to just Raqqah.

The Russian source said the Russian military had received reports that the terrorists had entered a deal with the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been fighting the Damascus government since 2011. In line with the agreement, the SDF would allow the Daesh terrorists leave the city, in spite of the concerted international endeavor aimed at limiting their presence to the city.

"Upon receiving this information, the command of the Russian contingent in Syria has taken measures to prevent the exodus of Daesh terrorists in the southern direction," the source said. "Any attempts by Daesh militants to move toward Palmyra and to build up their forces there will be squashed."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian Airstrikes Kill 120 Daesh Terrorists Fleeing From Raqqa - Source

Sputnik News

07:00 27.05.2017(updated 11:33 27.05.2017)

The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed some 120 Daesh (banned in Russia) militants trying to escape the violent group's self-proclaimed capital city of Raqqa in Syria, a military source told Sputnik.

The radicals were eliminated by Russian airstrikes on May 25, while fleeing from Syria's Raqqa for Palmyra, according to a source in the Russian Defense Ministry. The source revealed that the convoy of 39 pick-up trucks armed with large-caliber machine-guns was heading out of the city.

"As a result of these strikes, 32 pick-up trucks were destroyed and some 120 terrorists were killed," the source said, explaining that the Russian military in Syria received several confirmed reports that Daesh terrorists made a deal the units of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operating near Raqqa, allowing them to leave the embattled city without obstacles.

"Upon receiving this information, the command of the Russian contingent in Syria has taken measures to prevent the exodus of Daesh terrorists in the southern direction," the source said.

The source went on by saying that Russian drones have been deployed around the clock to track the possible routes that the terrorists could use to escape the city and move toward Palmyra. Russian combat aircraft and special forces units were also engaged in the operation to prevent the militants from fleeing Raqqa.

"Any attempts by Daesh militants to move toward Palmyra and to build up their forces there will be squashed," the source stressed.

The US-led coalition reported earlier on Friday it had conducted nine airstrikes on Daesh militants in Raqqa, destroying six fighting positions, three vehicles, a tactical vehicle, and a mortar system.

The alliance also said that airstrikes between April 27 and May 18 had eliminated three senior foreign Daesh leaders responsible for the terrorist group's financing, training and drone operations.

The Syrian conflict has been raging since 2011 with its government troops fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups. The Kurdish-led SDF launched the Wrath of Euphrates operation in November 2016 aimed at the liberation of Raqqa city from terrorists.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. lawmaker proposes bill on boosting military exchanges with Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2017/05/27 16:47:33

Washington, May 27 (CNA) The chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill earlier this week to help strengthen security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, including continuing arms sales to Taiwan and expanding military exchanges.

According to the bill proposed by Rep. Mac Thornberry, it is the sense of Congress that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) "codified the basis for commercial, cultural, and other relations between the United States and Taiwan, and the Six Assurances are an important aspect in guiding bilateral relations."

The TRA, which was enacted in 1979 after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, states that the U.S. must "make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability."

In accordance with the TRA, the U.S. should provide a timely review of requests for defense articles and defense services that may be necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, said the section on strengthening Taiwan defense in the proposed bill.

To maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, Taiwan should also significantly increase its defense budget, it said.

Meanwhile, the bill said that the U.S. should support expanded military exchanges with Taiwan, "including exchanges between services, to empower senior military officers to identify and develop asymmetric and innovative capabilities that strengthen Taiwan's ability to deter aggression."

The U.S. should also seek opportunities for expanded training and exercises with Taiwan, and encourage it to continue to invest in asymmetric self-defense capabilities "that are mobile, survivable against threatening forces, and able to take full advantage of Taiwan's geography," the bill said.

In terms of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises, the bill suggested that the U.S. continue to support exercises that increase Taiwan's resiliency and ability to respond to and recover from natural disasters and recognize "Taiwan's already valuable military contributions to such efforts."

The proposed bill, aimed at strengthening security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, also touched upon the issue of North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs and the issue of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

(By Tony Liao and Elaine Hou)

ENDITEM/cs

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China's obstruction of Taiwan at WHA hurts cross-strait ties: Tsai

ROC Central News Agency

2017/05/27 22:07:34

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) China's efforts to block Taiwan's participation in this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) have damaged cross-Taiwan Strait relations to some extent, President Tsai Ing-wen () said Saturday.

Tsai made the comment in a meeting with Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (), who returned to the Taipei earlier in the day from Geneva, where the WHA meeting is being held. Chen and a delegation went to Geneva to hold talks with representatives of participating countries on the sidelines of the WHA, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.

"Taiwanese people have a universal human right to participate in the WHA," Tsai said, adding that Taiwan's participation should not be affected by any political factors.

China's hegemonic opposition to Taiwan's attendance at this year's WHA meeting has damaged the future development of cross-strait relations to some extent, she said.

Meanwhile, Tsai praised the efforts of Minister Chen and his delegation to meet with representatives of participating countries in Geneva.

Although Chen and the delegation were unable to attend the WHA meeting due to China's obstruction, they held a total of 59 bilateral talks with representatives of countries and organizations on the sidelines of the WHA and organized two professional forums on public health issues.

Their goal was to inform the international community of Taiwan's ability to make substantial contributions to the global efforts on disease prevention and control.

The election of Tedros Adhanom, a former Ethiopian health minister, as the new WHO director general presents a new situation, Tsai said, expressing the hope that Taiwan would be allowed to attend the WHA again.

Taiwan first attended the WHA as an observer in 2009, a year after former President Ma Ying-jeou () came to power and began pursuing a more conciliatory policy toward Beijing.

Taiwan had taken part in every WHA meeting since then, until this year.

Its exclusion is widely seen as the latest move by China to clamp down on Taiwan's participation in international events, a strategy that has become more aggressive since President Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party, who is less conciliatory toward China, came to power in May 2016.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Romulo Huang)

Enditem/pc

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkey arrests opposition daily staff over alleged links to Gulen

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 10:8AM

Turkey has arrested two employees of the opposition newspaper Sozcu over their alleged links to US-based Turkish figure Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for masterminding a failed military coup last year.

Turkish media said Mediha Olgun, Sozcu's internet editor, and Gokmen Ulu, its correspondent for Izmir Province, were arrested late on Friday.

The media said that the pair faced charges including "knowingly aiding and abetting the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), without being part of its hierarchical structure," and "aiding the assassination attempt of the president."

Sozcu's financial director, Yonca Yucekaleli, who had turned herself in earlier, was released on Friday.

Arrest warrants had been issued for Ulu, Olgun, and Yucekaleli along with Sozcu's owner last week. They had all been accused of committing crimes on behalf of Gulen's movement.

Turkey witnessed a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, when a faction of the Turkish military declared that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was no more in charge of the country.

However, over the course of some two days, the putsch was suppressed. Almost 250 people were killed and nearly 2,200 others wounded in the abortive coup.

A group of rogue soldiers had also reportedly planned to assassinate Erdogan.

Gulen has denied the charges of having masterminded the coup.

In a post-coup crackdown, Turkish authorities have shut over 130 media outlets and jailed more than 150 journalists.

About a dozen journalists from the opposition daily Cumhuriyet are currently in prison on suspicion of supporting Gulen's movemnet, facing jail terms of up to 43 years if convicted.

In addition to the media crackdown, Turkey has also suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, policemen, teachers, and civil servants and has arrested nearly 50,000 others.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkey, EU Agree on Year-Long Plan of Actions to Improve Relations - Erdogan

Sputnik News

19:53 27.05.2017(updated 20:09 27.05.2017)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey and the European Union reached agreement on the year-long plan of actions to improve bilateral relations which had deteriorated in the wake of 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Turkey and the European Union reached agreement on the year-long plan of actions to improve bilateral relations which had deteriorated in the wake of 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"We have received from [EU authorities] the timetable for 12 months. In accordance with it, we will make further movements," Erdogan said as quoted by Turkish newspaper Haberturk.

Erdogan added that the schedule implied the liberalization of visa regime and granting EU finance assistance to Turkey for dealing with the refugee issue.

The statement was made following Thursday's NATO Summit in Brussels, during which Erdogan held meetings with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as well as a number of the EU member states' leaders.

Over the recent months, Turkey has been facing harsh criticism from the EU authorities in relation to a number of issues, including carrying out a referendum in April to extend presidential powers.

Apart from this, on November 24, European lawmakers voted in favor of freezing EU accession talks with Turkey until it lifts restrictive measures, which had been in place in the country since the failed coup of July 2016.

Earlier in May, the Turkish leader said Ankara was interested in the continuation of the process of its accession to the European Union with the mutually beneficial outcome for both sides. The statement came after Erdogan's earlier threat to say "goodbye" to the European Union unless the process of Turkey's accession to the bloc was moving forward.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Erdogan to Allow German Lawmakers Access to Incirlik Base Under One Condition

Sputnik News

16:31 27.05.2017(updated 18:41 27.05.2017)

Turkey, which stopped a group of German lawmakers from visiting Bundeswehr troops at the Incirlik air base earlier this month, might be willing to let the deputies in after all, Turkish President Erdogan said.

Turkey is willing to discuss the possibility of German lawmakers visiting the Incirlik air base where some 260 German soldiers are stationed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

Erdogan said that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosoglu will discuss the issue with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

"Sometimes there may be those who openly support terrorists among German lawmakers We expressed that some who openly support terrorists and almost act together with them will not be welcomed. Right now, our foreign ministers will discuss the issue with each other and we will take a step accordingly," Erdogan said, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported.

A group of German Bundestag deputies had been due to visit the Incirlik air base on May 15, but a day before the scheduled visit they were informed they didn't have permission from the Turkish authorities.

Ankara's decision was a response to news earlier this month that some Turkish soldiers who applied for asylum in Germany following last July's failed military putsch hadhad their applications approved.

Hundreds of diplomats and soldiers have applied for asylum in Germany amid a crackdown by Erdogan's government against alleged supporters of Fethullah Gulen. Unofficial sources in the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees [BAMF] told Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, WDR and NDR news networks that the immigration authorities had been waiting for the result of the recent constitutional referendum before making their decision.

Ankara's recent refusal is not the first time German deputies have been unable to visit Incirlik because of political differences. Last year Ralf Brauksiepe, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, was also denied permission to visit the base after the German Bundestag passed a resolution that recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Following the latest incident, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was "unacceptable" that the politicians hadn't been allowed to visit the base.

"It is unreasonable to be afraid every time deputies want to go there," Merkel said, Der Spiegel reported.

As a result of the dispute, Germany is considering moving its military contingent from Incirlik, where some German Tornado jets and aircraft tankers taking part in anti-Daesh operations are based.

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Jordan's Al Azraq air base last week, said that Jordan and Cyprus are possibilities.

"If they want to go, that's their business, and we aren't going to beg," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu retorted.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UK jets dispatched to intercept Russian planes near its airspace

Iran Press TV

Sat May 27, 2017 4:51PM

Britain's Ministry of Defense says it dispatched two fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland to intercept two Russian planes that approached its airspace.

The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that two Typhoon aircraft were scrambled from Lossiemouth Royal Air Force base in north east Scotland on Saturday morning.

The jets were dispatched "as part of the RAF's Quick Reaction Alert in response to two Russian aircraft entering the UK's airspace," said the statement. "Both aircraft have now returned safely to RAF Lossiemouth."

The air force also scrambled an Airbus Voyager KC3 tanker from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The tanker was tracked heading north before going into a holding pattern off the Aberdeenshire coast.

It was not the first time that Britain scrambled its jets to intercept Russian planes which usually pass near UK airspace.

Back in February, British aircraft were sent to monitor two Russian bombers near the UK's airspace.

The Royal Air Force said at the time that the Tupolev TU-160 Blackjacks were in the UK's "area of interest" but did not enter British territory.

NATO has increased the intercept of Russian aircraft in recent years due to heightened tensions between the Kremlin and the West over the Ukrainian crisis.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






May 19 was a landmark day for residents of Pittsylvania County: It was the day ground was broken in Blairs for a project designed to bring broadband internet access to unserved or underserved rural areas of the county.

County leaders staged a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on the site of a soon-to-be-built communications tower that will be part of a network of such towers that will open the world to now isolated sections of Pittsylvania. And with that opening could come new investment, new jobs and new opportunities for the county and its residents.

Mid-Atlantic Broadband Corp. is a key component of Pittsylvanias rural broadband project. For almost two decades, MBC has been the creator of the middle mile of broadband access across Southside Virginia with its fiber optic network throughout the region. The middle mile is the crucial link between major internet access points and local internet service providers. Its also the most expensive buildout portion of the link, though with public-private partnerships, MBC has worked to share those costs with would-be local ISPs interested in a certain market.

Thats how MBC and the Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors cooperated to bring this new project to fruition. Earlier, the supervisors awarded SCS Broadband, based in Arrington in Nelson County, the contract as the ISP for the project. SCS uses a combination of terrestrial and wireless-to-fiber connections to serve customers in rural areas of Virginia, areas overlooked by the major broadband players because theyre simply too difficult and/or too costly to serve. In that sense, SCS functions very much like an electric cooperative in the early days of rural electrification in America.

The buildout of the project should be complete within 12 to 18 months. SCS will be placing its equipment on county-owned towers and working with the county public school system and volunteer fire department to identify any other usable tall objects that could be used to push out the wireless signal.

We have long argued that broadband internet access should be viewed in the same light as rural electrification was in the 1930s. That was when President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration to bring electric power to rural America. He knew that electricity would be the catalyst to pull the rural hinterland out of the throes of the Great Depression and lay the foundation for its entry into the modern, 20th century economy.

That is essentially the potential of broadband access today: a fundamental utility of the modern, 21st century economy that all parts of the country should have access to and at a reasonable cost. Indeed, one could make the argument that government should regulate ISPs in much the same way as electric companies today to ensure they operate in the best interest of the public.

Bob Warren, chairman of the Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors, put it best: Todays groundbreaking is not only the beginning of fiber construction, its for the new jobs and investments that will be made in the rural areas of the county due to improved internet services. ... The implications of this lengthy project will be truly limitless.

Limitless, indeed. For residents, schoolchildren, businesses, entrepreneurs ... the door to the 21st century economy is about to swing open. And not a moment too soon.
Renault is on track as it pushes towards the top in formula one.

The French carmaker returned to full works status in F1 last year.

But as former team champion Fernando Alonso goes on the driver market for 2018, Renault has delivered the message that it will not be ready to give the Spaniard a title-winning car.

Current driver Nico Hulkenberg, however, told Le Point: "We are progressing. We are on track."

Team boss Cyril Abiteboul agrees: "Next year, Renault will be able to settle in just behind the top teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull."

The report said "the majority of the staff" at Enstone and Viry are already working on the 2018 car, with Abiteboul promising an "extremely innovative" car-engine package.

(GMM)
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya says he is not surprised by Fernando Alonso's impressive debut so far ahead of the Indy 500.

Many have expressed surprise that, during a brief one-race sojourn from his regular F1 duties, Spaniard Alonso touched down at Indy to qualify fifth.

"So far he has done a good job but I expected nothing less from him," Montoya, who is also in the 2017 Indy 500 field, told the Spanish daily Marca.

"Maybe the American drivers who don't know him were expecting something else, but I started out with him in formula one and knew he would not have any problems here," the Colombian added.

When asked if Alonso's F1 peers would have done a similarly good job, Montoya answered: "No, not all of them, obviously.

"I think Sebastian Vettel, someone like that, would also do well though," he said.

(GMM)
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Tax season has just passed us and with it the usual grousing about how much we owe the government. Its part of our American DNA to react negatively toward taxes. After all, were the people who threw the kings tea into the harbor rather than pay taxes for the privilege of drinking it.

Truth is, taxes in and of themselves are not bad; its the code and the policy behind the tax that should be judged. The tea tax was bad because it was levied upon those who had no representative voice in the governing body that levied it  taxation without representation.

Fast forward more than 200 years and we are still debating the codes and policies that make for fair taxation. Its generally agreed that the money generated by taxes and then used to provide services for citizens is good. We want to pay our public school teachers, firefighters, water management officials, etc.; taxes support those salaries. We want planes, trains and automobiles to move us from one place to another; taxes support the requisite highways and byways for our travel. Tax codes determine how much each citizen pays for these shared resources, and our policies strive for a balance of fairness. But this is where folks differ.

Some say lower corporate taxes allow businesses to keep more money for innovation and reinvestment into the business, which potentially creates more jobs that can then be taxed through payroll and income. Some say lower income taxes leave more money with consumers who will then spend the money and generate sales-tax revenue. The truth, however, is lower corporate taxes do not turn into more disposable income; they turn into company profits and shareholder dividends. Over-dependence on sales taxes does not share the tax burden evenly; it disproportionately burdens low- wage consumers.

Nearly every economist agrees, as do the countries with which we like to compare ourselves, that a progressive income tax provides the fairest tax policy. Those interested in mind-numbing statistics about the reality of our tax code can look it up. In North Carolina, we are asking the most from those who have the least.

My Christian faith offers a different code, captured by its founder, Jesus, From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required   (Luke 24:48).

God issues no edicts like, Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. God expects those who have the resources to provide boots and straps for those who dont.

One of the ways we do this is through direct services, but a more effective and long-lasting approach is to create an economic system that fairly shares the resources of the economy. Graduated tax codes are a firm foundation for such a system. All pay some; those with much, pay more. Not simply more quantitatively, but more proportionately.

Instead, this is what were facing in North Carolina right now:

Eighty percent of the tax cuts since 2013 have gone to the top 20 percent of taxpayers.

Sixty percent of taxpayers in the bottom 20 percent of taxpayers receive no tax cut.

Rural communities continue to be hurt by our states unfair distribution of wealth.

If the current tax cut proposal stands, someone making $33,000-$57,000 (about 20 percent of us) will see income tax savings around $200. But someone making more than $500,000 (about 1 percent of us) will reap $20,000.

 And the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice (Micah 7:3b).

The power ought to reside with the people, all the people. We need tax policies that reflect justice for all of us. Since the General Assembly works for all of us, at least 80 percent of us should speak up about this unfairness. For my part, Id rather North Carolina use my $200 proposed savings to increase pay for our public school teachers. Heres hoping the top 20 percent in North Carolina will also speak up for justice.
The recommended budget presented by Guilford County Manager Marty Lawing should do better for schools.

Fortunately, there are chances for the public to say so. The budget process for local governments is far more open and responsive to public opinion than what citizens see  or dont see  happen with the state budget.

The state Senate unveiled its state budget on May 9 and gave it final approval in the predawn hours of May 12. The House is taking a slightly longer look at it. Still, the public has little time to review tax changes, spending priorities and the many policy directives hidden in the budget.

Its a different story at the local level. Lawings recommended budget was published May 18 and will be discussed by commissioners in open work sessions over the next few weeks. In addition, a public hearing Thursday will give residents the chance to voice their opinions. It seems that legislators prefer a closed process while county leaders welcome public input and participation.

The public should support more school funding. Commissioners have provided small increases annually for the past several years, but its time for bolder action. The Board of Education asked for a $10 million increase in operating costs, even after cutting some popular programs, such as High School Ahead. Lawing recommended a $5 million boost, plus $500,000 more for capital maintenance and repairs. The operating increase would raise per-student county spending by $20 to $2,439. But Guilford County Schools would have to pass 60 cents of every new dollar to charter schools, even though enrollment in traditional schools is nearly 10 times as great.

Contrast that to Wake County, where the county manager recommends a $15 million boost for schools, lifting per-pupil spending to $2,633.

How? Wake County would raise the property tax by 1.45 cents per $100 valuation; that would be its fourth increase in a row. Guilford County would cut the tax rate by 2.45 cents, which would mark the fourth tax cut in the last five years.

Despite these tax increases, Wake County calls itself the second-fastest-growing large county in the country, behind Travis County, Texas, which contains the capital city of Austin. Wake Countys economy is booming. Earlier this month, Credit Suisse announced an expansion of its operations there: It will add 1,200 jobs paying an average salary of $80,000.

Guilford County cant match Wake Countys success. With the seat of state government and the states largest university in Raleigh, as well as the Research Triangle Park, Wake County has huge advantages. But a strong K-12 public school system is part of the mix that attracts new businesses and high-paying jobs.

Guilford County has strong colleges and universities, too. It has an under-utilized airport with available industrial land, an excellent network of highways, a megasite under development just over the county line in Randolph County, a vibrant city in Greensboro and a world-class business event twice each year in High Point. It should invest more in K-12 education to match these other assets.

That doesnt require throwing money at schools or recklessly raising taxes. But there should be more collaboration among commissioners, school board members, business leaders and the higher education community to find out where strategic investments in education can be made to create an environment more like Wake Countys.

Our schools seem to be treading water, especially as state funding has been inadequate. As a whole, North Carolina ranks just 43rd in the country in per-student spending. Can Guilford commissioners do more to make up for that?
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Theres nothing theoretical about fighting cancer for Dr. Louise Perkins.

The Trumbull resident and chief science officer for the Melanoma Research Alliance has observed the disease from almost every angle, in a lab far from patients and up close as an advocate for her sister, who eventually died of colon cancer.

At a Wednesday fundraiser that generated $1.8 million her nonprofit will allocate to research grants, Perkins, taking a scientists care to avoid exaggeration, said treatments are entering a new era.

Were at the point in cancer treatment where we can unleash tools weve never had, she said, referring to immunotherapy regimens. It will take a lot of good and different ideas to keep advancing, and I feel that I can contribute by helping people come along as a team. From researchers to patients, I relish working with good people toward a cause bigger than ourselves.

For more than 15 years, Perkins, 57, worked in the pharmaceuticals industry concocting new treatments, which included time in research licensing that helped show her the realities of a time-consuming process.

For someone whos not a scientist, its hard to understand why research takes so long, she said. But there are some things you simply cant speed up.

In 2000, the story became more personal when her only sibling was diagnosed with colon cancer. The nefarious disease, as Perkins described it in a March TV interview, took her sisters life 10 years ago. Viewing the ravages cancer can bring, with years of treatments and relapses, showed Perkins how crucial it is for researchers to understand the reality of a cancer patients struggles, and help them grab hold of every last moment and memory.

Its different for everyone, Perkins said. For my sister, it was Christmas Mass. Two weeks before my sister died, she played (cello) at Christmas Mass; that was what she wanted.

Its easy to get complacent in my business, Perkins added. Scientists think of patients as subjects. In hindsight, some have pointed out advocating for my sister helped me see this as more than a theoretical issue.

Getting started

A child of the space race era while growing up in Baltimore, Perkins dreamed of using her math and science interests as an astronaut. Learning of NASAs intimidating swim test ultimately dissuaded her. I dont swim, she said emphatically during an interview in her home office, which offers sweeping vistas of a lake in Trumbull.

Rather than exploring the universe, Perkins satisfied her curiosity by studying the world from the molecular level in laboratories  no water survival skills necessary. A prevailing interest in what makes cells tick led her to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry.

She had attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her undergraduate degree in part because of its pharmacy school. The other reasons? It was more than six hours from home and had an adequate male-to-female ratio that provided plenty of eligible bachelors. There, she majored in zoology and focused on studying animals at the cellular level.

At that point, she made two really important decisions that set me up for success, she said.

One was to do something she loved. That has served me very well, she said.

The other was to get real lab experience, which she did during her undergraduate years. Between gaining pipetting skills working in a laboratory counting and measuring termites and a little bit of luck, she ended up at University of Michigan, where she reunited with her then-boyfriend  now husband  and earned her masters degree and Ph.D. in biological chemistry.

At both the University of Michigan and Princeton University, where she completed her postdoctoral work in molecular biology, her interests guided her, eventually landing her in cancer research labs.

No lack of confidence

For much of her career that involved directing research groups at both Schering-Plough Research Institute and Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Perkins fought cancer with cocktails of chemicals in a lab far away from patients.

Perkins didnt notice it right away, but the scientific community doesnt foster much diversity, she said. That didnt inhibit her career aspirations. I never gave it any thought, she said. I never had a lack of confidence about myself because of my gender.

Perkins vividly recalls her thesis adviser at the University of Michigan warning her about gender discrimination in the field. When I was coming along in the system, I didnt feel like I was devalued because I was a woman, she said. I had mentors and role models who were both male and female.

To her mind, encouraging greater diversity in the field entails being a mentor to burgeoning scientists. I can help make sure researchers who are not well represented have examples, role models and champions, she said.

With her position at MRA, Perkins has also encouraged developing research grants for women-led teams along with greater awareness of the disparity in what sorts of researchers generally gain funding.

If we create a level playing field for everyone regardless of where they come from and what they look like, well have a better diversity of ideas, she said.

Navigating the system

In addition to her day job, Perkins has since helped numerous other patients navigate treatments, including MRA board member Mary Jo Rogers, whos been declared melanoma-free after receiving immunotherapy. The relatively new cancer treatment stimulates patients immune systems to fight the diseased cells, according to an editorial Perkins published last week.

When I was diagnosed, there were no drugs approved and I was so overwhelmed, Rogers said. I couldnt have done it without her. Now my tumors are gone.

Today, with the Melanoma Research Alliance, where Perkins has been since 2013 guiding the nonprofits research funding strategies, her perspective on cancer is growing still.

Witnessing the importance of a few extra days or weeks in a patients life has shown Perkins the significance of making the research process efficient. It could be uploading data to a central server so more researchers can see it  I just sent an email to a researcher reminding her to do that, actually, she said. You dont know which thing will change the world.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Its been a bad year for ticks, and that means a busy year for the businesses that control the tiny, often disease-carrying arachnids.

Every year you see stories about how there are more ticks and Im not sure Id ever experienced it. But this year theres no question there are more ticks, said Don Fossi, who co-founded Deer & Tick Guard in Brookfield in 2002. The tick population in Connecticut has grown to a certain extent over the years. This is the worst year weve experienced, though.

D.J. Reich, general manager of Mosquito Squad in Norwalk, added: Its definitely one of the worst years weve seen in at least the last 10. The majority of calls we get now are about tick control. The mild winter didnt kill the ticks or the ticks hosts.

Connecticut is home to a variety of ticks, including the deer tick, which is the one that can cause Lyme disease. Ticks attach themselves to animals and live off their hosts blood. Contrary to its name, the deer tick lives of a variety of hosts, not just deer.

The white-footed mouse is the main host, but it can be any animal: chipmunk, squirrel, deer, Reich said.

And humans, of course.

John Wolf of On Target Tick Control in New Fairfield said there are steps people can take to make their yards safer for children, pets and adults. Ticks favor cool, damp places, such as the woods, tall grasses, leaf litter and brush piles. Those are the places targeted by tick-control companies.

Lawns are too hot and dry for ticks, Wolf said. We spray the perimeter of the lawn and any other problem areas. We do that four times a year starting in March or April. Were a lot busier now because people are more on guard about it.

Wolf said people often place outdoor features, such as playgrounds or fire pits, at the edges of yards where ticks like to hang out. Moving the features into the cut area of the yard, in addition to having the perimeter sprayed, will greatly reduce the risk of coming in contact with a tick.

Mulch around the border and dont allow kids to run in and out of the woods to get their toys, Wolf said. As people become more aware they learn there are things they can do to protect themselves. And as we, as tick control specialists, learn more we can do a better job of helping to prevent Lyme disease.

An organic tick control spray, made from cedar oil, is now available for customers who prefer to not use a traditional synthetic insecticide around their yards. Fossi said he receives positive feedback from both his organic and nonorganic tick control products.

The most important thing is to be mindful of the customers comfort level, Fossi said. Both products work well and we offer a guarantee with both.

As the tick population and awareness of the potential dangers of tick bites increases, so has the demand for keeping lawns free from ticks. National franchises that previously focused on other outdoor pests have jumped into the tick arena and new franchises focused strictly on ticks are becoming increasingly popular.

The way Wolf sees it, there is enough demand to keep the businesses going.

Sure, there are a lot of competitors because its such a big deal in our state, he said. There are plenty of customers out there, too, so as long as everyone is doing it right and protecting the families, thats the important thing.

Pet protection

Boehringer Ingelheims Animal Health division, which acquired Merial earlier this year, is a leader in the prevention of tick-borne diseases for the pet industry. It makes vaccines for pets as well as protective products under the Frontline brand. Dogs and cats can get Lyme disease and develop symptoms similar to what a human experiences, such as bulls-eye rash, flu-like symptoms and achy joints.

Zach Mills, head of U.S. pet veterinary professional services at BI Animal Health, said prevention of tick-borne diseases is far more desirable than treatment. He suggested starting vaccines early in a pets life.

If someone has questions, the best thing to do is talk to their veterinarian about it, Mills said. They will be the experts in the local area.

There is not currently a Lyme disease vaccine for humans on the market. GlaxoSmithKline made one in the late 1990s, marketed as LYMErix, but it was pulled off the shelves after a few years because of its adverse effects.

Mills said the pet vaccine for Lyme disease is safer and more effective. Developing a vaccine for humans is proving to be difficult because of the diseases complexity.

Its one of those diseases that doesnt always follow the textbook, he said.

Bad summer ahead

Dr. Steven Heffer, a physician and medical director of AFC Urgent Care Centers in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Shelton, said he has seen a typical number of tick bite and Lyme disease cases so far this year, but he expects it to be a busy summer. Not only are there more ticks this year, he said, but a higher percentage of deer ticks being tested for Lyme disease are coming back positive.

I think well see a robust number of tick-related visits this summer, in August and into September, Heffer said. Once school is out and people start getting into the woods, there will be a lot more tick bites. Were braced for a busy summer.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
GREENWICH  When Meg McQuillan was in her mid-20s, she decided to drop everything in New York City and attend university in Italy.

It was a scary choice, she said, leaving friends, family and a job at Food and Wine Magazine that encouraged her love for food, wine and travel and was paying for her masters degree.

But she said she knew that it would be one of the last chances she had to take advantage of being single and free, despite her own fear and parents who thought she was crazy.

It was the best year of my life, she said. And she met her husband, Thomas McQuillan, the day she arrived, as he was packing up his things to head back home to New York.

Thomas was there, and our first date was his last night there. He was just saying goodbye to people. He ... was like, Do you want to go out for dinner? And it was cold, the end of December, and we were strolling around the whole city ... And I remember thinking that was so nice, but Ill never see him again.

Last week, almost 20 years later, the McQuillans sat in their blue and beige living room in Riverside talking about the rampant American trend of wasting food and how they have become pioneers in sustainability.

In a sense, the Greenwich family has become an example in the sustainability movement of doing it right.

Their interest in food reclamation dates back years, but it got a boost at the launch last March of ReFED, a non-profit dedicated to reducing U.S. food waste. Thomas McQuillan, 50, Director of Food Service Sales and Sustainability for the Bronx-based Baldor Specialty Foods, was invited to speak about his plans to reduce waste at the company.

We realized he was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate and very resourceful in the area of food waste sustainability, said Jesse Fink of the Fink Family Foundation and a member of the ReFED steering committee.

At the launch, McQuillan, on a whim, said that Baldor, a food distribution company that provides produce and other eatables to restaurants, hotels and schools around the Northeast, would reduce its food waste to zero by the end of 2016  without consulting his employers first, he admitted.

And he did it, turning the business into a zero-organics-to-landfill company in less than a year and catching attention in the sustainability and food distribution worlds.

Other companies were saying their goal was to get to 50 percent waste by 2030, Meg McQuillan said Wednesday evening. And here he was saying zero waste by the end of the year.

McQuillan took the 150,000 pounds of food scraps discarded weekly from the company and turned them into what he calls Sparcs  scraps spelled backwards. He sells the fresh produce bits and pieces to restaurants and farms and donates the remainder to be mixed in with poultry feed. By November 2016, he had achieved his personal goal of ensuring leftover food from the business went to people and animals instead of to landfills.

With the sustainability mindset Thomas McQuillan claims he was born with, he went full-throttle and brought his practices into his home.

He brought like eight bins of tomatoes home when he first started at Baldor, and we made tomato sauce out of it. We put them in the jars and it lasted like a year, his 14-year-old daughter, Genna, said. Both she and her brother, Luke, 12, have caught the recycle habit.

Sustainability, Thomas McQuillan said, as individuals not even for companies, is really an opportunity to look at every asset under our control and do something with those assets to glean the greatest value.

That means the clothes on your back and the food we will make for dinner tonight, he said. How can you glean the most from it until there is nothing left?

McQuillan keeps a compost bowl in the kitchen. Both kids know where to empty the bowl in their organically-maintained lawn.

We usually just take the banana peels, said Luke, or the core of an apple, and then we put it into this part of the yard. And its good for some birds, and then we have fresh soil.

Think about years ago, said Meg McQuillan, 45. We didnt even have different containers for garbage and recyclables. I remember as an older kid being like, what? And now they build kitchens with the two bins built in under the sink. Its an education, and change of mindset and awareness.

E: jturiano@greenwichtime.com; T: @jturianoGT; IG: @greenwichgreen




Haiti - Politics : Former Senator Turneb Delpe, Coordinator of MOPOD passed away





Saturday, 27 May, former Senator Turneb Delpe, Coordinator of the "Mouvement Patriotique Populaire Dessalinien" (MOPOD) died in a hospital in New York after a long illness, confirmed members of his family.



Turneb Delpe, a militant of all the struggles to allow the Haitian people to live democracy, made themselves known within the Communist Party of Haiti (PCH) by militating against the exactions of the Duvalier regime during which he underwent 43 interrogations by various police and political authorities. Known as the promoter of the "National Reconciliation", he unfortunately did not see his dream fulfilled during his lifetime.



Reacting to the news, President Moise decalred "I am appalled by the death of former Senator Tunerb Delpe. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones."



"Turneb Delpe, the apostle of the national dialogue, died. His departure will leave a great vacuum in the political landscape. My sympathies with his family," said the Delmas Deputy Gary Bodeau.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Mayor Chevry honors the mothers of PAP's town hall





On Friday as a prelude to Mother's Day, Mayor Ralph Youri Chevry honored the mothers of the Communal Administration.



For Ralph Chevry, "the valiant mothers of the town hall" of the capital, play a leading role in the functioning of the communal administration, recalling that "Mothers in general, those of Haiti in particular, are symbols of courage, determination, love, respect and sacrifice," reiterating his desire to work for the improvement of the working environment of the mothers of the Town Hall.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By Lily Lee | Published on 2017/05/27

On the 11th of May, Panthere de Cartier hosted a celebration for the Seoul branch launching in June. At the scene, many celebrities appeared to brighten the celebration including Shin Min-a, Lee Je-hoon, Go Kyung-pyo, Go Ah-sung, Kim Jin-kyung, Choi Soo-young and Jung Yong-hwa. At the end of the party, popular K-pop artist Zion-T was invited to perform.

Advertisement

Panthere de Cartier is an iconic timepiece of the famous French jewelry/wristwatch brand, Cartier. Cartier brand have been loved by the world for 170 years since they were established and the Panthere de Cartier line have upgraded their product for the first time in 34 years, appearing in the SIHH (The Salon International De La Haute) in January of this year.

As Cartier launched Panthere de Cartier in South Korea, the brand chose actress Shin Min-a to be the face of the line. At the event, she showed up in a beautiful Cartier accessories collection as she now represent the brand in South Korea.

South Korean model Kim Jin-kyung also dressed up with the Cartier collection for the event as she have a history with the brand. In last February, she was selected as an International Influencer from the campaign Cartier put out and she is the first to be selected from South Korea.

By. Lily Lee
The Latvian airline airBaltic in cooperation with the Spanish airline Iberia, launched a new direct route linking Riga and Madrid. The route offers convenient travel options for travellers between Spain and Latvia and beyond to destinations in the Baltics, Europe, Scandinavia, CIS and the Middle East.

airBaltic flies from Riga to Madrid three times a week. airBaltic will operate a mix of Boeing 737 and the new Bombardier CS300 aircraft on the route. The flight is scheduled to last 4 hours 5 minutes. One-way ticket prices start at 89 EUR, including airport fees and transaction costs.

airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these locations, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning across Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers direct flights from Tallinn and Vilnius.
Started on Friday, May 26, 2017, the German airline Germania offers flight connecting Vienna to the Hanseatic city of Rostock. The new route will be served every Friday and Sunday deploying an Airbus A319.

We are pleased to welcome a new airline at Vienna Airport, namely Germania. The new route to Rostock makes it even easier for passengers to reach the northern part of Germany. The Hanseatic town on the Baltic Sea is well known for numerous cruises, and Rostock is the perfect starting point. The large northern German city is also considered to be a culturally and economically important city in the southern Baltic Sea region, and offers impressive Hanseatic architecture, says Julian Jager, Member of the Management Board of Flughafen AG, expressing his pleasure with the new flight connection.

We offer travelers from Austria a short trip to the white Baltic Sea beaches and thus a new opportunity to take a relaxing vacation by the sea. Moreover, the trip to the cruise port of Warnemunde improved, making it easier to take discovery trips in Northern Europe, says Claus Altenburg, Director Sales at Germania Airlines.

Twice weekly to Rostock

Germania serves the Vienna-Rostock route twice a week (Fridays, Sundays). The flight of the German airline will depart from Rostock at 11:50 a.m. and land in Vienna at 1:20 p.m. The return flight leaves Vienna at 2:05 p.m. and arrives in Rostock at 3:35 p.m. Contrary to the general trend, the green-white airline offers its tried and tested service on board including free snacks, soft drinks, magazines and at least 20 kilograms of free luggage.

Germania is an independent German airline that offers flight connections to more than 55 destinations on the European continent, North Africa and the Middle East from 20 departure airports. The business model of Germania combines scheduled and charter flights as well as company transport. The firm operates 26 aircraft together with its Swiss sister company Germania Flug AG. More information on the airline and booking possibilities are available at www.flygermania.com.
BRISTOL, Va.  All aboard.

Regular passenger rail service to the Twin City ended in 1971, but a long-held dream of people again boarding and disembarking through the revitalized former Union Station appears to be edging closer to reality.

A locally driven effort aiming to capitalize on new service planned for Roanoke is working to convince Amtrak  formerly known as the National Railroad Passenger Organization  the state of Virginia and the railroad to bring trains 150 miles further west.

Amtrak extended service from Washington, D.C., to Lynchburg in 2009, and is to begin serving Roanoke by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

A trio of studies is required before discussions about Bristol become serious, but one is already complete (the results were positive) and the funding is in place for the other two, according to Carl Chidlow, a registered lobbyist retained last year by Bristol Virginias Industrial Development Authority to help shepherd the process.

A principal in the Northern Virginia-based organization Winning Strategies Washington, Chidlow recently discussed the likelihood of passenger rail with the Bristol Herald Courier. He said Amtrak has completed a study that shows passenger rail service to Bristol could prove to be economically feasible.

They [Amtrak] are talking about an 11 percent increase in ridership and a 17 percent increase in revenue if passengers are coming to Bristol from Roanoke and beyond, Chidlow said of the study. This has been described to us as a very conservative estimate.

While he declined to discuss a potential timeline, Chidlow suggested that trains could begin arriving within a decade.

I believe we will see it, Chidlow said of passenger rail. I think were already seeing it. Amtrak has not issued this ridership assessment before.

Bristol, Virginia, funded the $5,500 study but expects to recoup a large portion of those expenses through grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, Chidlow said.

Chidlows fees may also have to be paid by the Tennessee side of town since Bristol, Virginias, current draft 2017-18 operating budget axes that $30,000 allocation to the IDA. Another alternative would be for city staff on either side of town to take on additional responsibilities, since the process is already well underway.

It was former Roanoke Mayor David Bowers who helped secure the service to his city and who urged Twin City leaders to pursue this route, according to IDA Chairman Don Ashley.

The former mayor in Roanoke is who really started us thinking about the need for getting data together and getting a study. That was the big step to bring it to Roanoke, Ashley said. He really opened our eyes on what we needed to do. The momentum is still there, but we have to have a long-term vision. Its not going to happen tomorrow, but its a desirable goal to shoot for.

On the heels of the Amtrak study will be an extensive regional economic impact study and  further down the line  a cost analysis by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

That was really the first step. Amtrak has what I term a black box where they put in their data, and reports get coughed out. It took awhile to get DRPT comfortable [with Bristol], and DRPT has been very clear there are other projects ahead of us. There is a Richmond gateway, a dedicated service they have to finish in the Tidewater area, and they have to complete Roanoke, which has been delayed.

Amtrak declined to discuss details of its study, but issued a statement.

Amtrak applauds discussions and all efforts to increase investment in intercity passenger rail service. Amtrak delivers nationwide benefits, provides vital transportation services, advances Americas economy and demonstrates the value and convenience of the national passenger rail network, according to the statement.

A recommendation for service and funds to bring a train to Bristol must ultimately come from the state.

Amtrak receives funding from 18 states for financial support of 26 short-distance routes [less than 750 miles]. Virginia funds the Northeast regional trains that provide service in the commonwealth. These state-supported services are vital links in the Amtrak national network. The power of increasing demand for passenger rail is recognized through state investments to improve service, speed and safety, according to the Amtrak statement.

Amtraks northeast regional line directly connects Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Richmond and Lynchburg to Washington, D.C., New York and Boston. And Bristols proximity to the northeastern U.S. is central to this discussion, Chidlow said.

Amtrak has had its share of detractors. They also said they would re-emphasize funding for things that support the Northeast corridor and this would support the Northeast corridor. Its not a train to Laramie, Wyoming. No offense to them, but this feeds into the mother lode, Chidlow said. You could get on a train in Bristol, theoretically, and go to New York City. You could go to Washington, D.C., which is what the state of Virginia is going to care about.

A key selling point, Chidlow said, is that the entirety of Virginia  except the southwest corner  is within an hours drive of an Amtrak station. Bringing a train here, he said, would not only improve access for this end of the state but also East Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and western North Carolina.

Lynchburgs success

Amtrak trains first pulled into Lynchburgs Kemper Street station in October 2009 and continue providing daily regional service in what is described as an economic home run.

When Lynchburg was first studied as a possible extension, they expected 40,000 riders per year. Lynchburg has put through 100,000-plus a year, and they are talking about a second Lynchburg train, Chidlow said. If a second Lynchburg train happens  which I am told it will  that would be the one that could come to Bristol. Lynchburg has outperformed and is the most economically successful state rail line in Amtraks portfolio.

The Lynchburg line generated $5.96 million during fiscal 2016 with nearly 83,000 riders, according to Amtrak. That station is a regional transportation hub, also serving as a Greyhound bus station and a stop for Lynchburgs city bus service, in addition to housing several businesses.

Right now, Lynchburg is so profitable they want to throw another train at it, and that second train is the one that can make it all the way here [Bristol], Chidlow said.

The rail provider already acknowledges the possibility of Bristol service on its website.

The citizens of Lynchburg are also currently engaged in trying to establish another rail line that would pass through the Kemper Street station, the Trans-Dominion Express from Bristol to Lynchburg, branching to Washington, D.C., in the north and Richmond in the east from Lynchburg, it states.

A number of factors influence ridership, from convenience and cost to a sense of adventure.

I cant speak to why Lynchburg has been so successful, Chidlow said. I believe there is pent-up demand. People want to travel, they want to travel conveniently and not spend $500 just to get out of their hometown. This is a great way to do it.

Virginias 20 Amtrak train stations reported total ridership of 1.55 million people in 2016, ranging from 361,000 at one of two Richmond stops to 2,401 riders at Clifton Forge.

Economic impact study

Bristol, Virginia, is also currently working with the Washington, D.C.-based Community Transportation Association of America to develop a request for proposals for the economic impact study and potential impacts for the Twin City and the region of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.

Were just about ready to prepare the RFP [request for proposals] for that study, and hopefully it will begin this summer, CTAA spokesman Rich Sampson recently told the Herald Courier.

This study is expected to take six to nine months to complete and focus on how passenger service would reduce vehicular traffic from public roadways  especially Interstate 81. It would also evaluate the potential impact on economic development, tourism, access to education, land use, making Bristol a greater destination and facilitating access to other forms of transportation, including air service, Sampson said.

Well be asking this firm to ascertain certain economic data points and, upon completion of that study, we take it to Richmond, we take it to the Federal Railway Administration, and we take it to the Trump administration and say here is a good investment that will create x-number of jobs or x-number of sales tax revenue or whatever it is, Chidlow said.

The region and the rail effort already have a lot going for it, he added.

Part of what we emphasize all the time is they have annual events that bring in hundreds of thousands of people, the [train] station is ready to go, the Appalachian Regional Commission has now taken a significant amount of time and interest in this, and the CTAA in now involved. They are very thorough in their due diligence process, Chidlow said.

The impact study is being funded by a $250,000 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission secured in 2015, a $100,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission from 2016 and previous allocations from the city and CTAA, with CTAA also providing services as an in-kind contribution.

State to study costs

Last month, Jennifer Mitchell, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, told the Herald Courier that her department anticipates performing a cost analysis of the proposed Bristol route in 2019, and funding for that review is already programmed into the states six-year transportation plan.

Mitchell said shes heard great interest from this area regarding extending service to Bristol.

Weve got some money in our six-year plan for a study that would begin about two years after the Roanoke extension is completed, so weve got about two years of ridership information, Mitchell said. Their [city] study will be released sooner, but we would probably start in 2019. We could start to look at things like capital investments that would be needed and a cost. We have that [study] funded right now, and I expect that to [still] be funded in our [next] six-year plan.

The Roanoke extension, which was initially announced in 2014, is awaiting completion of the station platform. One of Bristols advantages is the train station, which was fully renovated over the past decade, Chidlow said.

The station is already here. If an Amtrak train pulled up tomorrow, they could start servicing passengers tomorrow. Thats an investment the feds have already done, and it was with the expectation not of hosting Rotary meetings but of passengers, Chidlow said.

Once the cost review is completed, it will be up to state leaders to determine if the project is viable.

They could come back and say its not feasible or we dont want to do it, Chidlow said. DRPT have made it very clear to us they will be the negotiator with Norfolk Southern.

Upgrading the existing rail line would likely be the greatest expense, he said.

Norfolk-Southern may have looked at their lines before, but this is state funding to ascertain what this is going to cost and at what speeds, Chidlow said. Coal can travel 10 mph, but passengers are going to get real tired [at that speed]. If a train from here to Washington takes 12 hours, no one would ride it. Its got to take almost exactly what it would take you to drive it  or less.

Chidlow said recent declines in the coal industry  and corresponding reductions in revenue from freight traffic on those lines  could aid Bristols efforts. Another factor would be if the train stopped at Bristol and then returned eastward.

Thats part of what Norfolk-Southern needs to figure out is how does it overnight here. What infrastructure is needed for it to overnight here in Bristol  fuel, staff, whatever? And then be ready for a departure from here back to Washington, D.C., he said.

Extending into Tennessee

Supporters of this effort dont believe the service could or should stop at Bristol but continue into Tennessee.

That will really be how this gets done. The folks in Tennessee waking up to it and really understanding this is something that federal elected office-holders, who can work cooperatively with [Virginia U.S. Senators] Warner and Kaine and [U.S. Rep.]Morgan Griffith to do this, Chidlow said.

Representatives of Virginia and Tennessees U.S. senators and Griffith regularly attend meetings of the Twin Citys rail coalition, according to Bristol Tennessee Councilwoman Margaret Feierabend, who also serves as a coalition member.

Were pretty optimistic that rail to Bristol is possible, but it has to be through Bristol, so we need to be doing our Tennessee part, she said. Weve been a little slow getting that going.

Initial conversations have already occurred with officials in Knoxville and Chattanooga, but many more meetings and presentations will be needed to bring the region onboard, Feierabend said.

Virginia has DRPT, and Tennessee doesnt have anything like that, so all of ours falls under TDOT, and TDOT has been very asphalt-oriented, Feierabend said. It is going to really take a groundswell of people getting excited, getting our legislators excited and getting it more onto the agenda.

Ashley predicted that the Bristol effort cant succeed without Tennessee involvement.

I think it all depends on getting the folks from Tennessee to step up and support us and support it going to Knoxville or Chattanooga, Ashley said. It cant stop in Bristol.
When faced with a decision that can support the interests of a few people or impact the greater good for an entire city, one would reasonably choose the latter, right?

Thats what Bristol Virginia City Council is attempting to do.

Over the past few weeks, the Bristol Herald Courier has reported the progression of the citys 2017-18 budget turmoil, from enormous debt to an enormous budget shortfall to no budget shortfall to, currently, the possibility of reducing a statistically overstaffed fire department by 10 and closing one fire station.

The councils consensus on the cutback infuriated residents, as drawn from social media comments on the stories. And its certainly not an easy decision to advocate, essentially because it involves public servants. I absolutely hate it with a passion, repined Vice Mayor Archie Hubbard last week of the suggestion. Councilman Doug Fleenor appeared teary-eyed  yes, the same councilman who publicly called Commissioner of Revenue Terry Frye worthless and previously invited naysayers to meet him outside  when he retracted his support of the move in Tuesdays City Council meeting.

Frankly, though, sometimes these things just need to be done.

Acting to preserve the citys reserve funds and subsistence eclipses the desires of a handful of people. This fiscally responsible strategy makes business sense, relies on relevant statistics and is sometimes unavoidable.

Running the city government like a business poses the best possible outcome for us. Admittedly, this idea is an experiment in progress, with President Trump approaching the federal governments operation with the business acumen thats given him his success thus far. And it does necessitate reviewing numbers on paper to determine an immediate outcome of peoples lives. However, the critical financial state of the city requires that City Council  and we  subtract our empathetic opinions and respond from a neutral, astute position, one that substantiates positive calculations and achievable stability.

That is precisely why making this decision based on local and national fire department statistics makes sense. A National Fire Protection Association study, cited by Councilman Kevin Mumpower, was used to argue the disproportion of the number of employed firefighters versus the number of Bristol residents. Even the local firefighter-to-resident ratios from neighboring cities, such as Johnson City, were used to support the proposal. Granted the NFPA study is not customized for our city, reasoning based on an analysis from a reputable source and local statistics means the suggestion is based on education and evidence  which is no different than reading a book and forming an opinion based on whats been read.

Moreover, facing staffing cuts is something no organization is immune from  even here at the Herald Courier. Its no secret that the newspaper industry has suffered in the past few decades, and the decline in revenues nationwide has equated to a smaller number of employees at many news outlets. Similarly, the City Councils proposal intends to improve the citys reserves for upcoming debt payments for The Falls development and in order to protect the citys longevity.

It seems easy to counter the proposed staffing cuts and station closure by noting the irony of acting in our best interest by laying off those who save us in dangerous situations. But when were talking about diminishing a number that seems to exceed our needs and for the overall benefit of tens of thousands of people, its hard to ignore the bigger-picture rationale.

Even an appeal to the morality of the proposal (How can we take away jobs from those who risk their lives for us?) cant solve the citys budget crisis. No one wants to deprive selfless, brave people of their jobs. Sometimes, the constraints of a situation justify it, and ours does. If another option can be explored (say, revisiting a suggestion from Fire Chief Mike Armstrong to have his department and EMS collaborate, a popular idea noted from our poll results on the topic), it would be welcomed. But if this is the best possible option with the time left to finalize a budget, then so be it.

It comes down to a question of whats more important: Should we save the jobs of 10 people or protect the city against ultimate bankruptcy? Thats not an exaggeration  and its why we think the answer is painfully obvious.
Princess Cruises has debuted its 2018-2019 Exotics sailings program, which has more than 50 departures, ranging in length from three to 111 days, these worldwide cruise itineraries are now on sale. The diverse deployment includes six ships sailing on 27 unique itineraries throughout five continents, visiting 93 destinations and 47 countries.

Guests can book cruises to South America, Southeast Asia and China. In addition, cruisers will experience less-traveled ports aboard the cruise lines small ship that will circumvent the globe on a 111-day World Cruise sailings roundtrip from Los Angeles or Ft. Lauderdale.

Exotics deployment highlight include:

OCEAN Medallion-enabled Royal Princess sails her maiden voyage around Cape Horn on a 49-day South America Grand Adventure  the cruise lines largest ship ever to visit South America. Guests will experience the highly anticipated, wearable device powered by a first-of-its-kind interactive technology platform within the One Cruise Experience Access Network. (OCEAN), making possible a new level of personalization that delivers an enhanced guest experience not previously available in the global vacation industry.

Coral Princess sails a new 60-day Circle North Pacific voyage roundtrip Los Angeles, calling to 22 destinations in 8 countries, including Asia, Alaska and Hawaii.

Pacific Princess sails a new route on the 111-day World Cruise circumnavigating the Africas Cape of Good Hope.

Two new 14- and 15-day Grand Asia voyages on Sapphire Princess sailing out of Shanghai and Singapore, complement the previously announced 14-day Majestic Grand Asia voyages on Princess Cruises newest ship, Majestic Princess.

MORE ASHORE evening stays and overnights will be offered on select itineraries in 18 ports across 5 continents.

Guests will enjoy bucket-list destination to more than 20 UNESCO World Cruise Heritage Sites, including Glacier Bay National Park, Singapore Botanical Gardens, Komodo National Park, Great Barrier Reef, Robben Island in Cape Town and more.

Princess 2018-2019 Exotics cruise program includes:

Asia: Coral Princess, Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess

Guests can choose from three ships, sailing 18 itineraries to 34 destinations, from four homeports with 31 departures, ranging from three to 60 days.

Coral Princess debuts an epic 60-day Circle North Pacific voyage (roundtrip Los Angeles) that includes Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii, as well as the best of Alaska, including Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising, Juneau, Icy Strait Point and our first call to Kodiak in nearly a decade. Nine ports feature MORE ASHORE evening stays in Juneau, Tokyo (Yokohama), Osaka, Seoul (Incheon), Beijing (Tianjin), Shanghai, Taipei (Keelung), Hong Kong and Honolulu. This voyage will also be offered as the following voyages:

28-day Circle North Pacific: Los Angeles to Shanghai

32-day Circle North Pacific: Shanghai to Los Angeles

Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess both return to homeport in Singapore together for a season of cruises ranging from three to 21 days, with stops in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

For the Christmas and New Years Eve holidays, Diamond Princess sails a 10-day Southeast Asia and 11-day Malaysian Peninsula & Indonesia voyage, which can be combined for a 21-day vacation.

Additionally, Sapphire Princess sails a 15-day Grand Asia voyage, featuring an overnight in Hong Kong. For the 2019 Lunar New Year, Sapphire Princess will be sailing a seven-day Vietnam & Thailand voyage (roundtrip Singapore).

South America: Royal Princess and Emerald Princess

In South America, two ships sailing seven itineraries to 25 destinations from 4 homeports, with 15 departures ranging from 14 to 49 days are offered.

OCEAN Medallion-enabled Royal Princess sails her maiden voyage to South America on a 49-day South America Grand Adventure, sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles. In addition, Emerald Princess returns to South America, navigating around Cape Horn on five departures between Santiago (Valparaiso) and Buenos Aires.

Royal Princess and Emerald Princess both feature Peru, Chile and an overland to Machu Picchu on the 16-day Andes & South America cruises between Los Angeles and Santiago (Valparaiso), which can be combined with a 14-day Cape Horn cruise for a 30-day Andes & Cape Horn Grand Adventure.

Both ships also sail 19-day Brazilian Adventure cruises between Fort Lauderdale and Buenos Aires, which can be combined with the 14-day Cape Horn cruises for a 33-day Cape Horn & Brazil Grand Adventure.

World Cruise: Pacific Princess

Pacific Princess offers a 111-day World Cruise voyage roundtrip from Los Angeles or Ft. Lauderdale, with 41 destinations, in 27 countries on 5 continents, featuring a circumnavigation around the Cape of Good Hope with overnights in Cape Town and Singapore.

The cruise includes three maiden ports of call to Stewart Island (New Zealand), the remote island of St. Helena (U.K. territory) and Guadeloupe (Pointe-a-Pitre).

For a shorter world voyage, Pacific Princess offers the opportunity to sail a 96-day World Cruise embarking in Los Angeles and disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale. Princess Cruises also offers the opportunity to join the World Cruise for a portion of the journey including a 72-day South Pacific & Indian Ocean, 43-day Australia & Africa, 39-day Africa, South America & Panama Canal, 29-day Hawaii & South Pacific, 24-day Africa & South America and a choice of two 15-day Panama Canal Connoisseur voyages sailing between Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale.

Cruisetours

To further enhance the cruise vacation, Princess Cruises is pleased to offer two cruisetours for South America on Emerald Princess and Royal Princess.

During the Iguazu Falls Adventure cruisetour, guests visit Rio de Janeiro with a full-day sightseeing tour taking them to Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer statue. The tour continues into the jungle at the border of Brazil and Argentina to incredible Iguazu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Machu Picchu Explorer cruisetour, guests ascend into the Andes to magical Machu Picchu, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and visit the historic city of Cusco and the Sacred Valley with sightseeing to Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo and an authentic Pisac Market.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS
North High class' portraits of veterans to be on display Friday
As summer season is starting, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, better known as Dr. Beach, announced Americas best beaches in 2017. Florida dominates Dr. Beachs 27th Annual Top 10 Beach List for second year in a row.

Three of Floridas beaches stand out as Americas best for a second year in a row, reminding families and summer vacation seekers why Florida is the place for the best family beach vacations in 2017. This year, Siesta Beach in Sarasota County on Floridas Gulf Coast was named the #1 Beach in America.

Each year, travelers await Dr. Leathermans annual Top 10 Beaches list, eager to discover the beaches most admired by locals and tourists alike. For the 27th annual Top 10 Beach list, Dr. Leatherman evaluated and ranked beaches all over the United States, using 50 criteria that included the color of the sand, the clarity of the water, the slope of the shore and much more.

Siesta Beach, Sarasota

Siesta Beach boasts that it has the finest, whitest sand in the world, which attracts sand collectors and beach lovers from all over, says Dr. Leatherman. Siesta Beach is not only a beautiful location for beachgoers, but it is also an environmentally healthy beach and offers first-rate beach safety for its visitors. Previously, Siesta Key was # 1 in 2011 and #2 in 2016.

Also making the list are two other Florida beaches: Grayton Beach State Park (#4) in Northwest Florida and Caladesi Island State Park (#7) in Dunedin/Clearwater. Previously, Grayton Beach Stake Park was listed as #6 and Caladesi Island State Park as #9.

Florida is home to many other award-winning beaches. Florida beaches that have won Dr. Beachs top honors in years past include:

Bahia Honda State Recreation Area(1992) now a state park in the Florida Keys.

Grayton Beach State Recreation Area(1994, 2016) now a state park in Walton County.

Andrews State Recreation Area(1995) now a state park in Bay County Panama City Beach.

Joseph Peninsula State Park(2002) in Gulf County near Port St. Joe.

Fort De Soto ParkNorth Beach (2005) in Pinellas County St. Petersburg/Clearwater.

Caladesi Island State Park(2008, 2016) in Pinellas County St. Petersburg/Clearwater.

Siesta Key Beach(2011, 2016)

TOP 10 BEACHES 2017

1. Siesta Beach Sarasota, Florida

2. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii

3. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Photo by C. Leinbach

4. Grayton Beach State Park Florida panhandle

5. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York

6. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

7. Caladesi Island State Park Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida

8. Hapuna Beach State Park, Big Island, Hawaii

9. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

10. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Show my support for billboard

I am writing to show my support for the billboard on I-40.

Naturally, not every Muslim immigrant is coming to America to do us harm, but let's stop playing the charade here and admit that some Islamic immigrants want to come here to kill us for the infidels they claim we are.

Muslim terrorist groups continue to threaten to kill us, and the terrorist incidents in France last year proves ISIS was not bluffing when they said they have sent their soldiers to the West disguised as refugees.

I have read the executive order, and I think some clarity is needed as the left has mischaracterized the travel ban as a Muslim ban. Some things you should know:

Words Muslim, Islam, Jihad, Shariah, or the like, are not in the executive order.The ban does not discriminate against Muslims as the restriction is on all immigrants from six nations that intelligence deems as a security threat.The six nations were determined a threat under the Obama administration.The ban is temporary until extreme vetting standards can be put in place.

The controversy is not citizens supporting the reasonable actions of our government to keep us safe.

The real controversy here is the partisan fuss being made over the travel ban which is putting us at great risk.

Evangelist Tom Wallace

Lenoir

Billboard warning is refreshing

It is refreshing to finally see a public acknowledgement and warning (via the I-40 billboard) of the ideological system called Islam.

As an American missionary, I have long been troubled by Islam's violent disregard of our Declaration of Independence's statement, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

While many may not know it, Islam holds, and teaches, the view that all non-Muslims must be subjugated to Islam or be killed if they will not convert.

It is vitally important the American people know the truth of what Islam is and proposes to establish worldwide  a caliphate.

Thank you again for encouraging comments on this billboard, and thanks to the North Carolina Pastors Network for being courageous enough to speak the truth.

Jeff Setzer

Hickory

Muslims will make America more violent

About four years ago, I read a book from the local library called Muslim Mafia by P. David Gaubatz.

As a result, I have been reading about Islam and discovered some startling facts. I asked a friend who is Egyptian, what is this all about and he said there is no such thing as a Muslim Mafia and the Muslim Brotherhood will bring peace to the World after they take care of the Jewish problem.

The Muslim Brotherhood is now illegal in Egypt.

I think the billboard is a good idea. It reminds the American people of Sept. 11 before the memory fades away.

There is uncontrolled immigration going on in America. Too many people with unknown backgrounds are entering America, not with the idea of blending into our culture, but to change our culture through subtle means to include violence.

One just has to read about what is happening in France, the UK, Sweden and Germany, and how they have lost their native cultures to include public chaos.

It is now starting to happen here in the USA.

I think the facts need to be uncovered and made public.

David Perkoski

Hickory

Trump immigration policies could have prevented 9/11

I saw your paper's photo of the billboard highlighting the 19 Muslim immigrants who conducted the 9/11 attack.

I support this billboard for two reasons.

First, it reminds Americans that nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens were murdered by devout followers of the Islamic ideology.

Second, it reminds Americans that immigration policies, and enforcing those policies, are critically important elements of keeping our citizens safe.

Every one of the 9/11 attackers used the immigration system to enter the U.S., and then violated that system by overstaying their visas.

Had President Trump's immigration policy, along with the enforcement measures he is trying to employ, been in place in 2001, this billboard would never have been needed and I would not have spent nearly five years deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in defense of my country as an U.S. Army soldier.

Thank you for bringing this important topic to the communitys attention, and congratulations to the North Carolina Pastors Network for boldly standing in defense of our great nation.

Keith Davis

Fayetteville
Share love, do not degrade others

This year, I celebrate 61 years as an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, and seeing the picture of a roadside billboard in the paper sponsored by NCPastors.net made me somewhat ashamed to be referred to as pastor all these years.

My Bible sets forth one great commandment that Jesus shared, "Love one another," and this commandment has no exceptions.

As Christians, we are to reach out and share love, not put billboards or signs or engage in actions that degrade another human being or separate one culture from another.

The sad thing about the billboard is that it is what has recently been called "fake news."

Those persons directly involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center were not immigrants, and to give the impression that somehow all Muslims are evil and anti-American is very wrong and certainly doesn't portray the kind of Christianity I have devoted my life to and have shared with others.

Over the past couple of years, I have worked with a number of people in the area to bring into being a community organization made up of a wide variety of faith groups and individuals who can talk and act together in ways that build trust and understanding.

This organization has as its mission to foster a compassionate community where all are accepted and respected.

In a world as complicated and fragmented as ours is today, there is no other way to bring about peace and justice for humanity and a secure America than to put love into action, to recognize that God created all of us and called us good.

It is not a time to throw stones or shut one group off from another, but a time to extend a hand and realize that we are more alike than we are different.

It is a time to step out and put love into action and discover its power to dispel fear and build relationships that put differences aside so solutions to problems can be found and hope can be renewed.

My daughter gave me a bumper sticker for Christmas which says, "God is too big to fit into one religion."

Many tragic attempts have been made to turn one religious group against another, but what people are discovering is that celebrating our diversity makes us stronger.

What we know is that when Jews, Christians, Muslims and all others learn to walk together, talk together and love one another, we are on the way to a safe, peaceful and just community and world.

Join the movement of celebrating our diversity, share love and help make the world safe for everyone...you will be blessed in the process.

Rev. Dr. Donald P. Flick

President of Catawba Valley Interfaith Council

NC Pastors Network misinformed or playing loosely with fact

It is difficult to respond at this sad time to the billboard erected on I-40 by the North Carolina Pastors Network.

The horrible, terrorist bombing in Manchester is fresh in the news as I try to understand the motivation of this locally-based Christian group.

They have purchased a billboard with the kind of wording that could help nudge disaffected people toward terrorism. In fact, I believe that terrorist recruiters would welcome this kind of billboard to cite as proof of how much Christians hate Islam.

Unfortunately, this pastors' group is either misinformed or playing loosely with fact on their billboard.

None of the 9/11 terrorists were "immigrants" as the billboard claims. They were all here on some kind of visa  mostly tourist visas. That is not an immigrant.

I am also saddened that 53 percent of respondents, as of Tuesday to the newspaper's online poll, did not find the pastors' billboard offensive. Such a poll, of course, is not conducted in a scientific manner, but it is still disheartening.

This billboard is designed to build barriers instead of bridges.

If you believe in building bridges of respect between people of good faith, there is another local organization available to you that is inclusive of pastors, houses of worship, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Humanists, and others. Many members are laypeople.

Catawba Valley Interfaith Council welcomes all people of good will.

Members find many commonalities with people whose religion is different from their own. Those who are officially CVIC members beforehand will be able to vote in the upcoming members' assembly on the evening of June 29.

I wish us all understanding, increased knowledge and the peace that can follow when we honor our rich variety of religious traditions.

Julie Cline

Hickory

Billboard shows no compassion

The NC Pastors Network does not speak for me with their billboard on I-40 supporting the proposed immigration ban which is currently blocked for being unconstitutional.

While those arguments are strong, other arguments against this ban are based in my faith and calling as a pastor.

The slaughter and misery of innocent people in these six countries is of great concern to me.

We have a very robust vetting process in place now for refugees fleeing these countries. Some wait up to two years for approval to leave squalid refugee camps for permanent homes in the USA.

Jesus was clear that the least of these should be our priority. How can we as pastors turn away from their need? Where is the love of God in making it harder for desperate vetted refugees and other immigrants to come to our country?

I wish we could do more to rescue innocent adults and children who are hungry, sick and living in fear of the next bomb or chemical attack in those six countries and around the world.

This billboard shows no compassion for the agony we witness every day on the news.

"America First" is not a biblical principal.

Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as I have loved you." What if we were in their position? Would we want the world to care and help us?

Rev. Susan Smith Walker

Assistant Executive Director, Exodus Homes

Americans should ban prejudice

As Americans, we should know to never judge any group as a whole.

We should always judge the individual, and not the race, nationality, or religion.

I am, as are 99 percent of Americans, descended from immigrants. To ban an entire group is simply un-American and should never be employed.

If you want to ban something then ban prejudice.

John Clark

Granite Falls

Billboard affront to Christianity

My husband and I believe the billboard on I-40 West is an affront to Christianity.

We can't believe a pastors network supported this bigotry.

We may not like it, but we understand they have freedom of speech according to the First Amendment of the Constitution.

This billboard is an embarrassment.

Sue and Elliot Alderman

Newton

Build bridges not walls

Build bridges not walls is my Christian thought. It is my experience that the Muslim faith is much like mine  kind, caring and loving.

I am offended by the name of this organization. It says they represent pastors, who belong to a group.

Pastors, in my experience, are followers of Christ. Jesus would have no part in this I believe.

Helen Roberts

Newton

Billboard support disappointing and disturbing

It is beyond disappointing and disturbing that 53 percent of my fellow citizens would support the billboard placed on I-40 by the N.C. Pastors Network.

Not only did those 19 Muslims not even come from the countries that are being banned, but the sentiment by these supposed "Christian" pastors is anathema to what Jesus preached and stood for.

It's ignorant and shameful.

Take it down!

Elizabeth Braun

Hickory

Ponder the quote, mission of NC Pastors Network

Read the following quote and think about what it means We foresee a future where Allahs Word is preached from sea to shining sea by deeply convicted Imans to sinners and Christians alike, convicting all to seek forgiveness of sins, the former receiving salvation and the latter, restoration, all together proclaiming Allah is the Lord, and standing openly against evil and for good in our land.

We must remember that, first and foremost, Imans are engaged in spiritual warfare with eternal consequences for all.

This is a pretty scary quote  enlisting all Muslim clerics to engage in spiritual warfare to convince all nonbelievers that Allah is the only way to reach salvation.

However, this is a quote taken from the mission statement of the website of the pastors who put up that horrible billboard about Islam.

Only four words have been changed in this quote. Take out the four words and replace them with the original words and, Allah becomes God, Iman becomes pastor.

Then reread the quote.

Sound a little different? Feel relieved and more comfortable with it?

Dont be. God is not on your side. God is on the side of universal acceptance of a shared humanity with respect for each persons right to believe or not believe in a way to make this world a better place to live and find everlasting peace.

A billboard like the one the pastors erected is an affront to every American who believes or doesnt believe that this is one nation under God.

You do not have God on your side. Take it down.

Larry Laufer

Granite Falls

Hate for sale

Identify the "Pastors" who paid for this statement of hatred to incite violence.

Do you remember that the 19 Muslims were from Saudi Arabia?

Trump and Kushners deal for a billion dollars worth of missile defense hardware is with the same Saudi Arabia?

Tom Caputi

Hickory

What would Jesus think?

I can give you one very good reason not to support Trump's travel ban and this stupid sign.

Of the six countries that is on his travel ban, not one American in the United States has been killed by someone from these six countries.

As a Christian, I can't believe this junk is coming from Pastors.

What do you think Jesus would think of this sign?

Johnny C. Perry

Granite Falls
Upset with her married daughter over her alleged live-in relationship with a man, the mother allegedly killed her to save the dignity of family.

Police said the incident took place at Rawji Bazar area of Indore on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Gulabasha was brutally beaten by her mother, brother and maternal uncle to death, said the police, adding all the three accused have been arrested.

The murder would have gone unnoticed had the accused not tried to befool their relatives by informing them that the girl died of illness and the burial would have to be done at night only.

When the relatives visited the burial ground late on Saturday, some of them noticed injury marks on the victims body . One of the suspicious relatives called the police. During interrogation, the mother confessed to have killed her daughter for honour.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Chinese actor Zhu Zhu will be visiting India for the promotions of her Bollywood debut film Tubelight.

Directed by Kabir Khan, the film features Zhu Zhu opposite Salman Khan.

Heroines have always played strong roles in my films. Zhu Zhu plays an important role in the film but we cant talk about it. Also, she will be coming to India for promotions. But we are yet to chalk out a proper plan, Kabir told PTI.

With films like PK and Dangal doing good business in China, Tubelight makers are also planning to release the film in the country.

China market is different when it comes to releasing Indian films. The film has to be presented to them, they have to like it and then pass it. They have certain guidelines to release a film, Kabir says.

Tubelight is an adaptation of 2015 Little Boy, but the Bajrangi Bhaijaan director says it has been made according to Indian sensibilities.

Our film is an adaptation of Little Boy. We have taken the germ of idea and made it according to our sensibilities. We have made it in context of our history.

Also starring Sohail Khan, Om Puri, Shah Rukh Khan in cameo, Tubelight releases this Eid.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
It may surprise Konkona Sen Sharmas fans that the actor who stunned everyone with her flawless performances in films such as Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, Page 3 and Omkara didnt enjoy acting at all in the beginning. It took her a while to adjust.

Acting has not been a smooth sailing journey. I never wanted to be an actor. Till my third film, I didnt imagine that I would continue acting. I didnt like it at all. It was only after three films that I became comfortable with acting, says Konkona, who is making her directorial debut with the film A Death In The Gunj.

The pressure to look a certain way also got on her nerves. I was very unhappy. I used to cry regularly. I felt a lot of pressure to look a certain way. I was just very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Eventually, things changed. I dont know how and when, but it changed, she says.

Delhi promotions for @adeathinthegunj Happy to be wearing @anitadongregrassroot Styled by @who_wore_what_when #inthegunj #pockets! A post shared by Konkona Sensharma (@konkona) on May 20, 2017 at 7:55pm PDT

Konkona recalls that while acting in a Bengali film that was a remake of a Hollywood film, she had a difficult time turning herself into the character. I had to be thin. My hair was curly, which I never enjoyed. Your body is not your own when you are acting in a film. It becomes your characters body. Everyone sees you like that and builds up perceptions of you that have nothing to do with you. It took me getting used to that, says the 37-year-old actor.

After Konkona Sen Sharma had her son, she shot for Gaur Hari Dastaan, in which she played a 60- year-old woman. During that time, she had an inner awakening. I remember driving to shoot. I could see those big lights. The makeup mirror and the lights gave me a sense of belonging and home. Along the way, I did realise how I had started to love this, says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The Union government on Sunday started a new Twitter handle to answer industry queries related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) proposed to be implemented from July 1.

The Department of Revenue has opened a new Twitter Handle @askGST_GoI to invite queries from all taxpayers on GST, a finance ministry statement here said.

All taxpayers and other stakeholders are welcome to direct their queries related to GST on the said twitter handle for early resolution and clarification, it added.

All the Rules (Final and Draft) can be found at https://t.co/a4b7pN9sDn under the "GST Laws & Rules" section. https://t.co/HL2ONAyvtn  GST@GoI (@askGST_GoI) May 28, 2017

Earlier this month, the GST Council at its meeting in Srinagar decided on the fitment of over 1,211 commodities and 500 services in four tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28%.

The Council, comprising of states finance ministers and headed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, will take up the fitment of the remaining six goods, including gold and precious metals, textiles, bidis and branded commodities at its next meeting here slated for June 3.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement on Sunday that the various tax slabs under the proposed pan-India indirect tax regime of the GST has created an environment of anxiety and concern among the trading community across the country.

Various verticals of retail trade demanding lower tax on the items being dealt by them since they have been categorised under higher tax slab in comparison to tax slab of current VAT tax regime, a CAIT release here said.

As per an analysis, 1,211 goods and 36 services have been so far classified under GST out of which nearly 50 per cent goods have been placed under 18%, 14% under 5% rate, 17% under 12% rate and 19% under 28% rate, it said.

The wider impact of the classification of items under different tax slabs needs to be gauged very cautiously since under GST not only the taxes paid on goods but even the taxes paid on the services will be eligible for input tax credit, CAIT added.
On May 30, Hindi journalism will celebrate its 188th birth anniversary. On birthdays the convention is to look back and take stock of your achievements. On this occasion, why shouldnt one look at the entire language press in the country?

Newsmen are grappling with an unprecedented credibility crisis these days. Since last week the disciples of a jailed godman have laid siege to the Twitter accounts of journalists, lawyers and some other people. They began by asking why their guru was behind bars. They alleged it was happening because of the media and they claimed the media had been bribed for carrying out such misdeeds. One of the gurus imbecile followers was asked: Does the judiciary pronounce its decisions based on the medias reports?

As expected, the gang of locusts began taking swipes at the judiciary itself. I felt those who are attacking the essential pillars of democracy should be left to their devices. But why dont they themselves reveal the names of the people whove bribed these journalists and the journalists whove taken the bribe. What evidence do they have against the media and the judiciary? If they have the evidence, why dont they put it forward? I know that in response they can just spew profanities because these anonymous conspiracy theorists make allegations, without the backing of facts.

They should also be asked about the girl, allegedly raped by this man, who has now grown up. Her family and she have been punished for a number of years for raising their voices against him. At an age when she should be reading, writing and learning, she has been confined indoors. Her family has been subject to victim-shaming. Not just this, who is behind the murder of one of the witnesses and a life-threatening assault on another?

Godmen tell us that the truth cannot be destroyed. If not today the facts will come out tomorrow. Why cant they wait till then? Why display such impetuousness?

The issue that arises is whether the media would have treated the matter in a similar fashion had the accused been a journalist from their own fraternity? Here are some examples. An editor who was a flag-bearer of investigative journalism was accused of harassment by a lady colleague. As a result, he had to spend many months behind bars. The editor of a TV channel went to jail for allegedly extorting money from an MP of the last Lok Sabha, belonging to the then ruling party. Some media houses as well as businessmen who made meteoric rises in their profession went the same way. In each of these cases, the media kept exposing them with unflagging energy. Point to note: the kind of debate that journalists indulged, in all these cases, was not done even by lawyers in courts.

Clearly, if one of us indulges in any immoral behaviour, the entire community will unite to challenge the person. Why dont the self-styled guardians of morality take lessons from this?

The social media explosion has begun to dismantle all established norms. Where does the media stand a chance against it  religion, deities, power structures, styles of governance, nations, tribes and clans have all fallen victim to this epidemic. Unfortunately, these social media soldiers are bent upon destroying the edifices of propriety built by their forefathers. The responsibilities of every individual increase in such a scenario. The media and its supporters are no exception to this.

For journalists  neither bestowed with any special rights by the constitution nor with any special resources by the society  the times are particularly challenging. Governments, politicians and devotees of power have always been inimical to them. Who wants to look at ones own reflection in the mirror? Thats why there are attempts to shatter the mirror from time to time.

With respect I would like to state that the English media is relatively luckier than its vernacular counterparts because English is still the language of the cities. The responsibility of telling the truth to make a living is carried out by vernacular journalists on their own. They have to work in terrain and circumstances that are often labelled as jungle raj by their urban brethren. The venomous backlash for this is also borne by the language press.

The question is: What does society give in return to journalists who make numerous sacrifices trying to uphold societal values? Our fellow travellers in society tolerate the excesses of tyrants but pretend to be oblivious to the excesses on journalists and unblinkingly move on. I object to their indifference.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief Hindustan

letters@hindustantimes.com
Indias large information technology (IT)services companies could fire around 56,000 employees this year, Mint reported in early May . Thats double the number they usually fire, the report added.

People I know in the IT business admit that this is a conservative estimate and that the real number could be much higher. Across the sector  this would mean looking beyond the top seven companies Mint considered  the casualty list could add up to between 100,000 and 200,000, they claim.

Thats worrying. Since the late 1990s, when legions of COBOL-crunching Indian IT coders helped exterminate the millennium bug, Indias IT services companies have become employers of choice (and, more importantly, employers of scale) for young engineers. At their peak, they were hiring any engineer who came their way (and made the cut). In the mid-2000s, the CEO of a large (and diversified) engineering company told me that his firm, one of the most respected in the country, couldnt find any engineers because of these IT guys.

The boom in IT services was fed by, and in turn, reinforced, a boom in engineering education. Many of the colleges were churning out unemployable engineers but this wasnt a problem either for the colleges (the students would get snapped up, usually in their third year, by one of the IT companies) or the companies (most had parallel engineering schools running on their sprawling campuses to which these graduates would then head  a sort of finishing school for engineers).

Both booms are now at risk.

Why did it come to this?

Blame it on the innovators dilemma. The theory  theres a book of the same name  by Clayton M. Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School, says that the very factors that contributed to a companys success  focus on a specific segment and innovative and unique workflow processes  could eventually result in its failure, especially in the face of disruptive change. Interestingly, Christensen is on the board of the largest Indian IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

Indian IT companies pretty much invented the famed Global Delivery Model of outsourcing IT services. And much of the work outsourced to them was in the area of Application Development and Maintenance. This is, literally, back-breaking work. The amount of such work that companies can take on used to be a direct function of the number of people they employed. This business still accounts for the largest chunk of work done by such companies.

For years, Indian IT companies have been speaking of the need to focus on non-linear growth, but this hasnt been easy for them. This would have meant focusing on new service offerings, hiring an entirely different set of people (with different skills), and, maybe, moving away from the Global Delivery Model. All large Indian IT companies tried to do this. Indeed, some tried so hard that they lost their way in the other, older, larger part of the business, and suffered as a result.

Now, with automation becoming a way of life in most companies, and Artificial Intelligence becoming a reality, the Application Business and Development part of the business is under threat. And so, Indian IT companies find themselves caught in the middle of two changes.

What does this mean for jobs in the sector? The simple answer: there will be fewer. And the new jobs that will be created will largely be in areas such as analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and the like  which means companies will be looking for an entirely different set of skills.

For people looking for jobs in Big IT, theres worse news to come: not all these new jobs have to reside within companies. The companies themselves know it. In early May, Mint reported that Wipro Ventures investment in nine start-ups had helped the company in 60 engagements with clients. The chairman of one of the large Indian IT firms recently told me that his company is aware that many people with the kind of skills it needs right now, would probably prefer to work at a start-up. There will be more instances of acqui-hiring, this person said, referring to the practice of a company acquiring another for its team (and skills).

R Sukumar is editor, Mint

letters@hindustantimes.com
It is difficult to disagree when BJP president Amit Shah says its impossible to provide jobs to everyone in a country of 1.25 billion people. It is also equally absurd to agree with him that reports of rising unemployment are a media creation. The reports are based on the findings of the governments own surveys and disclosures made by companies, either through earnings reports or official statements, which suggest that the pace of job creation in India slowed over the past decade. And there has been no perceptible change in the trend even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge of the nation in 2014. Shah should know playing down the employment challenge will be repeating the mistake the previous UPA regime made, in ignoring the downside risks to the India growth story of its time.

So, what really is the scale of this challenge?

In a seminal paper titled Employment, Education and the State, economist Sudipto Mundle sums it up well: Indias core labour force, estimated at about 430 million, is growing 1.5% annually, which means it will add six to eight million young workers each year over the next decade or so. In addition, there are around 13 million openly unemployed, 52 million underemployed and another 52 million, mostly women, who are not in the labour force due to lack of adequate opportunities. In other words, there is a backlog of 117 million people. If this backlog is to be cleared over the next 15 years and the new entrants joining the labour force every year are to find employment, India will need to add 15 million new jobs annually. That is the scale of the employment challenge India faces today.

There are no easy answers to this monumental challenge; nor will it be prudent to expect quick results even if the right answers were found.

To begin with, it is imperative that the government and the ruling coalition acknowledge the challenge, and not be dismissive about it. Ambiguous expressions such as promoting self-employment do not help. If the government and businesses find comfort in pursuing policies that displace labour or have a bias against creating new jobs, it affects prospects of all kinds of employment, including self-employment. That is how it has been, all these years. It is time the government moved to correct the course.

It is also important that we move beyond focusing on headcount growth to the quality of jobs that get created. According to the Labour Bureau data, only 15% of Indias workforce in 2015-16 had a monthly income of Rs 10,000 or more. In other words, 85% workers struggle to survive in a low productivity-low wage trap. Creating opportunities for them to climb up the productivity chain is one challenge and enabling them to cash in on the new opportunities is another.

Prime Minister Modis Skill India plan seeks to address the latter, by training 400 million workers in the age group of 15-45 years over a seven-year period. The outcome so far has been disappointing, however. Out of 1.8 million people, who received training in the first two years of this programme, only a third could be certified and less than 82,000 were placed in jobs. The reason for this dismal show is not difficult to find. As Mundle, an emeritus professor at the government-administered National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, explains: No amount of skill development can work without a solid foundation in basic education. Indias long neglect of the education system is coming back to haunt its economic ambitions.

With a majority of states under its control and the political dominance it commands now, Modis National Democratic Alliance has a unique opportunity to change the course.

Rajesh Mahapatra is chief content officer, Hindustan Times. He tweets @RajeshMahapatra

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
DEHRADUN: Doon girl Vatsala Shukla topped the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 12 examinations in Uttarakhand by scoring 98.4% in the board results that were declared on Sunday.

The science student of The Asian School scored a whopping 492 marks out of 500, just six marks short of national topper Raksha Gopal (498). Incidentally, Raksha is from Amity International School, Noida that falls in the CBSEs Dehradun region comprising Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh.

Vatsala was closely followed by Ved Tripathi of Birla Vidya Mandir (Nainital), Vedika Agarwal of Ecole Globale Girls International School (Dehradun) and Astha Maurya of Vision Valley School (Kashipur) who all scored 490 marks, to finish jointly at the second spot.

According to the CBSEs Regional Office in Dehradun, over 31,832 students from 378 schools in Uttarakhand appeared for the exam, out of which 24,606 passed. Overall, in the Dehradun region, around 75,764 students of the over 1.07 lakh candidates cleared the exam, said Ranveer Singh, regional officer of the CBSEs Dehradun region.

Overall, the Dehradun regions pass percentage was 73.10% with 81.50% girls clearing the exam against 67.80% of boys. Altogether, 14,890 students could not clear the exams in the region.

Meanwhile, students from many Doon schools achieved commendable scores. I believed in learning the concepts well rather than cramming the subjects and am very happy with the results, Unnati Agarwal, who topped the Doon International School and wants to be a doctor, told Hindustan Times.

Blind student creates history, scores 95%

Mohammad Shahnawaz Alam, a blind student from Dehraduns National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH), created history by scoring 95% -- the highest ever for an NIVH student so far, according to the school.

Hailing from Bihars Saharsa district, Alam has five siblings and his father is a farmer. I want to pursue history honors (he scored 100 in the subject) and want to become an IAS officer so that I can do something for the (blind) people like me, Alam told HT over the phone from his home town.

Overall, 28 students appeared for the Class 12 examination at NIVH  all from the humanities stream and all securing first division. Were proud of our students performance and will provide laptops to all of them for their commendable feat. We will also be giving a monthly scholarship of Rs 2,000 to those who scored above 70%, NIVH principal Kamalbir Singh Jaggi told HT.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Dronagiri in Uttarakhand is synonymous with the legend of Hanuman. Locals are hopeful that Hanuman will bring them luck with the government promoting Dronagiri as a trekking heaven.

Life in Jumma, a picturesque village with 35 families, and other half a dozen villages on Dronagiri is simple. The village wakes up early and goes to bed by 7 pm. It is also the starting point to reach Drona village nestled at an altitude of 10,000-feet. It takes a 5-6 hour serpentine trek through 9 km of forest and sliding zones to reach Dronagiri.

Pratap Singh, 66, of Jumma village says their ancestors faced hardships due to harsh weather. Pratap and other villagers pin hope on tourists interested in exploring the mighty hill that finds mention in the Hindu epic Ramayan. Recently, the Uttarakhand government rolled out plan to promote Dronagiri trek.

As the Ramayan goes, Lord Rams brother Lakshman was wounded in a battle after which Hanuman was asked to bring Sanjeevani (a mythical and elusive all-curing herb) from Himalayas. Hanuman, as the legend goes, lifted Dronagiri after he failed to trace Sanjeevani. We believe Hanuman baffled our god (Drona) and took away the treasure. We never portrayed him during Ramleela. But now times are changing. We worship Hanuman, Hiwali Devi, 60, says.

For six months in a year, the villagers in Dronagiri - primarily Marchas and Bhutias - migrate to lower parts as snow covers the entire area from October and return in the summer. For centuries, Bhutias carried out trade with Tibet but business came to a halt after the India-China war in 1962.

Dronagiri shall attract tourists in a big way. The guests will hopefully give us good business, says Pratap Singh whose family is into horticulture and livestock rearing.

Last year, the Uttarakhand government had launched a project on its own to search for Sanjeevani after the Centre refused money for the venture. The erstwhile BJP government had a similar project but it failed.

The government is focusing on a different angle, says tourism minister Satpal Maharaj. We intend to promote virgin trekking routes on a major scale. People have read about Dronagiri in textbooks. We want them to have a firsthand experience by visiting Drona, the minister tells Hindustan Times.

On May 21, a group of 60-odd trekkers, including a group of youngsters from Mumbai, visited Drona village. Mannu Kapoor, who headed the group, says the hill is a paradise for trekkers. The group had trekked further to reach Bagini glacier.

Though tourism is on the states agenda, locals believe the hunt for Sanjeevani should continue. Narendra Bisht, 50, a postmaster at Jhelam en route to Drona village, says several herbs are found in abundance in the forests. No one has been able to spot Sanjeevani but we are blessed to have herbs such as Kurchu (a scented herb), Kida Jadi (Himalayan Viagra) and Gucchi (a rare mushroom).

Chaman Singh, 65, a villager from Drona, strongly believes Sanjeevani still exists in Dronagiri. Vis (poison) and Nir-Vis are two sets of herbs found in Drona forest. Nir-Vis gives life to the death. We have spotted Vis but yet to find Nir Vis, he asserts.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Lazy Sunday mornings went for a toss this week, as many teenagers, their parents, and sometimes even their neighbours were seen anxiously awaiting their CBSE 12 board results. In the national capital more than 88% of the students who appeared for the exams passed this year.

The pass percentage for the 12th board exams in Delhi this year, 88.37%, is higher than the national pass percentage of 82%. Delhi seems to have improved on its performance of last year when the past percentage for the capital was 87.01%.

#CbseResults2017 Pass percentage of Trivandrum is the highest at 95.62% followed by Chennai at 92.60% and Delhi at 88.37% @htTweets @htdelhi  Neelam Pandey (@NPDay) May 28, 2017

With the all-India topper, Raksha Gopal, a student of Amity International School in Noida, scoring a 99.6%, the fears over moderation policy seems to have been quelled.

Shivangi Sharma, a student of Ryan International School in Delhi, said she was happy about the 97% that she scored this year. Moderation seemed to have worked very well, at least for me, she said.

However, there were a few who were not wholly satisfied with their results. I was shocked by how low I had scored in English. I got an 85, whereas I had scored above 95 in my pre-boards, said Moksh Kalra, from Cambridge School, Noida.

Kalra is one of the few who are not in favour of the moderation policy, which was re-introduced after the Delhi High Court intervened. It is a harmful and unfair practice. It does not create a level playing field. It is a disincentive to hard work, he said.

In times, when scores above 90 seem to be the norm, there were a few who managed average scores. I am very disappointed. My papers had gone well, but I was shocked to see that I got a 70%. My parents are not talking to me. I dont know what to do, said a student.

(With inputs from Dhwani Kachru and Aashna Kapoor)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
What could be one of its most successful projects in urban mobility, motivating car users to use public transport, has not been able to deliver along expected lines.

The Destination Bus Service, a concept proposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), was aimed at decongesting Delhi and providing people an easy, comfortable ride to their offices on public transport buses.

As most of the buses are running almost empty, HT travelled on three different routes to understand why the project is faltering.

HT found that some simple interventions by the Delhi government and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which operates the DS buses, can pull the service back on track.

Users give the ride a thumbs-up

All passengers using the service said the ride was comfortable as it is air-conditioned and wanted it to continue.

It is not at all crowded and the journey is hassle free, said 64-year old Rajbir Singh who was travelling in the bus DS-20A that starts from Shivaji Stadium bus stop and terminates at Patparganj (Balco Apartments).

Where else can I travel such a distance in just R 20? Hasanpur gaon (village), where I stay, is only a five-minute walk from the bus stop.

No ad campaign

Most people are unaware of the service, which means the government needs to promote it on different platforms.

Sakshi Vashisht from Patparganj said she was unaware of the service. I drive to my office in Connaught Place. If it (DS buses) is comfortable then I guess I can try it, she said.

Vashisht felt that the government should advertise it. Not many people read ads in newspapers. They should run a social media campaign, put online ads and advertise on hoardings, she said.

Reacting to the lukewarm response to the service, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had on May 18 directed the Delhi government to advertise destination buses.

After the tribunal order, the Delhi traffic police had begun distributing pamphlets about the routes.

But HT found that in most cases, the pamphlets are being distributed only to those who are alighting from the buses.

Lack of signage at bus stands

At 36 lakh, the daily ridership of DTC buses is 10 lakh more than that of Delhi Metro. This means that 36 lakh people who travel in DTC buses daily have no clue about the special service.

The bus stops do not have any signage or banner that would tell me about the service. It is difficult to spot the bus. It should show nearby places from the destination point, said BS Sharma, a Janakpuri resident.

Others suggested landmarks near the bus stops must be provided in the advertisements so that people can reach the pick-up point easily.

Less flexibility in evening bus

Commuters complained that the timings were odd. While there are nine different timings for the morning buses, in the evening the buses leave at one time.

They said their office hardly gets over by 5.55 pm, the time the evening bus leaves.

I always miss the 5.55pm bus as my office shift gets over after 6.30pm. The government should introduce buses that run till 7pm so that office-going people like me can catch it, said Anant Kumar, 42, a factory worker. He lives in southwest Delhis Rajapuri.

Shilpa Patil, a 38-year-old resident of Dwarka Sector 4 who has been using the service, said, More buses should be introduced between 8am and 9am. Since only one bus is moving presently on a particular route, I have to start early from home so that I do not miss it.

I reach office way before the reporting time, she said.

A few more stops on the route

Drivers and conductors said the DTC could introduce at least 2-3 more stops on the route to encourage passengers to use the service.

My bus crosses congested areas such as Laxmi Nagar, which has a lot of bus users. People want us to open the bus doors, but we cannot as it is against the rule. So a stop or two in such areas wont do any harm, said Sunil Kumar who drivers DS-20A bus on the Shivaji Stadum-Patparganj route.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) will initiate an inquiry against the officers who made public the findings of the preliminary medical reports of the four women who said they were gang-raped during a robbery at Jewar in Greater Noida last Thursday. The report had ruled out rape.

The incident was horrific. It is true the preliminary reports should not have been disclosed publicly. The ministry will initiate an inquiry against the officers who disclosed the contents of the report, Union WCD minister Maneka Gandhi told HT on Sunday in Ghaziabad.

Gautam Budh Nagar officials, chief medical officer (CMO) Anurag Bhargav, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Love Kumar and district magistrate BN Singh were present at a press conference where the preliminary medical report ruling out rape was made public.

But CMO Bhargav had said the final opinion will depend on tests to be conducted by the forensic science laboratory, Lucknow. The results will take three to four weeks.

Kumar had also said the section of gang rape will remain in the FIR till the final forensic results were out.

The victims family questioned the hurry to hold the press conference when the final reports were yet to be received.

The family was waylaid at the Jewar-Bulandshahr Road on Thursday night. The robbers beat up the family of eight members. The women said they were gang-raped. One male member of the family was shot dead when he tried to resist.

However, the minister warded off allegations of rising crime in Uttar Pradesh ever since Yogi Adityanath assumed office as chief minister.

The entire system in the state was in a shambles when the BJP took over recently. Even Mayawati had said 17,000 policemen got jobs after paying bribes. The policemen even aided kidnappings and kept people in lock-ups to earn money. The hierarchy at police stations was based on caste and religion, she said.

We have heard reports that gangs on highways are on the lookout for vehicles with women passengers and targeted them. It will take us some time to reform the police and do a clean-up job, she added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Before the prime minister embarked on his mission to inculcate cleanliness across the country (Swachh Bharat), he obviously did not reckon with the inherent lack of civic sense among the majority of us. Sabhya Bharat (civilised India) should have preceded the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. How else does one react when one hears that Indias first high-speed luxury train has been vandalised on its first journey.

Launched with much fanfare from Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus last week, the Tejas Express boasts of impressive frills and features as automatic doors, nine-inch infotainment screens for every seat, beverage vending machines, vacuum bio-toilets, touch-free water taps and a secured gangway. But the manner in which some of the travellers behaved was in extremely bad taste. The toilet facilities were stinking within an hour of the journey beginning as people left a mess with no thought for hygiene or respect for fellow travellers.

When the train returned to Mumbai from Pune, the staff realised some passengers had tried to yank the customised LCD screens off, by pulling on the hinges. At least 12 of the high-quality headphones provided for infotainment screens were missing. Some of the screens were found to have been scratched. The quantity of litter was enough to shock even railway officials who are quite used to our less than civic standards in public places. When the government provides efficient and comfortable means of connectivity, the public has no right to trash it. In fact, the railways should enforce much stricter penalties for vandalising trains and littering.

This behaviour is not confined to trains. We have learnt few lessons in community living even as urbanisation grows at a rapid clip. So, we find that garbage is disposed in public places with no thought to the fact that communicable diseases for which garbage provides a breeding ground will affect all of us. Despite stiff fines, people still litter with impunity and use public places as toilets. The more rules are framed, the more people take delight in flouting them. To its credit, the government has made concerted efforts to spread awareness about the benefits of cleanliness, but this cannot work without peoples participation. Vandalising public property is seen as par for the course, especially during protests. If the anti-social behaviour seen on the Tejas is anything to go by, we cannot really blame the railways or any other public or private sector organisation for not wanting to invest in amenities which are difficult to guard and maintain. And that would mean that those who are law-abiding and civic minded will be denied the benefits of improved public services.

.
It is highly regrettable that Gen. Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Army Staff, has chosen to justify and extol the actions of Maj. Leetul Gogoi, who used a Kashmiri civilian as a human shield against stone-pelters in Budgam on April 9. It is understandable that Gen. Rawat feels a loyalty to his men, and a concern for the morale of his troops. But his defence of Maj. Gogoi achieves neither of those objectives. If anything, it undermines the prestige of the Army, and makes even worse a bad situation in the Valley.

The General has suggested that the Major was right to violate one mans human rights in order to get his soldiers out of a difficult situation. He has also argued that it is necessary for the Army to engender a sense of fear, not only among Indias enemies, but also among its own citizens. Gen. Rawats assertions are the more disappointing because they come, not from some desk-bound general, but from a decorated veteran of Kashmir, an officer with vast experience in counter-insurgency operations. As a soldiers soldier, Gen. Rawat knows that his men daily demonstrate that there are ways to tackle stone-pelters without violating human rights. To defend the one soldier who does is to tell the thousands of others that their noble restraint is unnecessary. It is one thing for hyper-nationalistic paper patriots to celebrate Maj. Gogoi with unthinking enthusiasm, but coming from the Army chief, this is a message with potentially dangerous consequences.

It is hardly reassuring that the nations top soldier thinks it is necessary that Indians should be afraid of those in uniform, but in any event the use of human shields doesnt engender fear: it invites contempt. Nor are these the words of a mature leader of men: In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do). The most charitable interpretation of Gen. Rawats statements is that they are the outcome of his being put in a profoundly unnatural situation. For decades now, Indias political leadership has shamefully shirked its own responsibilities in Kashmir, and has left it to the Indian Army to try and solve what is essentially a political problem. Perhaps it is inevitable, then, that the countrys top soldier has started to talk like a politician.
Lucknows Iti Singh plans to celebrate her success in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 board examination 2017.

Singh scored 97.8% marks in the exams, results of which were declared on Sunday, and is perhaps the topper in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

The student of Delhi Public School in Indira Nagar now wants to withdraw some money from her National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholarship to party with her friends.

I had been saving my hard-earned scholarship money till now. But now I wish to withdraw some amount and celebrate with my friends, the 18-year-old said.

Daughter of a government official in the state food and civil supplies department, Singh scored 100 in English and physics and 97 in mathematics and information practices each.

My elder sister was also very good in studies but couldnt score well. She is doing her BTech from Manipal University now. My younger brother is in Class 5 and is really happy with my percentage, she said.

Singh scored 236 marks in the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2017 and is now awaiting the results of JEE Advanced. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for yet another celebration after the JEE advance results, she said.

Singh is an avid painter as well as a reader. Whenever I get time or need to relax, I get down to painting. I love to paint sceneries and figures. I also love to read in leisure hours, she said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A keyboard player and a voracious reader who is currently learning French  this is how family, friends and teachers describe 17-year-old Raksha Gopal, who scored 99.6% in her CBSE 12th boards to emerge as all-India topper on Sunday morning.

Rakshas elder sister Prerna Gopal says that although Raksha is known today for scoring 99.6% in her boards, she is much more than just that. She has completed five levels in electric keyboard from a Delhi based institute affiliated with Trinity College of Music, London and she has also completed C1 grade in French from Alliance Francaise. My sister is multi-talented, says 20-year-old Prerna.

A student of humanities at Amity International School Noida, Raksha scored 100 in three subjects  English core, political science and economics  and also managed to score 99 in two subjects  psychology and history. Her aggregate goes to a phenomenal 99.6%. It makes everyone else imagine her as someone who would have stayed buried under books for years. However, her father, Gopal Srinivasan (52), who works as chief finance officer in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, says he never put any pressure on Raksha to perform.

Srinivasan says she started winning awards at a young age and the entire school knew that she was topper material. But we never put any kind of pressure on her. In fact, we forced her to take necessary breaks in between study hours. We clearly told her that we dont have any over the top expectations and she should just give her best without any pressure, Srinivasan adds.

Rakshas mother Ranjni Gopal too says that there was no pressure on her and she was free to make her own choices. As a home maker, I used to ensure that my daughter gets the necessary sleep and nutrition while she was preparing for boards. There was no pressure from our side and she did not even take any tuitions, said Ranjni.

That Raksha did not take any tuitions for boards examination, says volumes about the kind of confidence she carries. Her elder sister Prerna, who is in her third year, pursuing bio-chemistry honours from Institute of Home Economics, Delhi University, reveals the special bond between them.

I am three years elder to her, therefore, it was my responsibility to provide her a supportive environment when she used to prepare for boards. She is a multi-talented person who has many interests and she never felt the need to take tuitions, said Prerna.

Her teachers believe that such a performance will open the doors for students who wish to pursue humanities in their graduation.

Rakshas performance shows that the future is bright for humanities students who wish to pursue courses such as English literature, political science, history or economics after 12th. More career opportunities in mass communication, law and academics are opening, said Monila Sircar, history teacher at Amity International School.

Now, Raksha wishes to pursue political science from Delhi University and is eagerly waiting for the first cut-off. She already has her top three colleges in mind. I am looking for getting a seat in Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House or Jesus and Mary College, said Raksha.
It was day of celebrations in private schools across Ludhiana after Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the Class 12 board examination results on Sunday.

Deeba Goyal, a commerce student from Kundan Vidya Mandir School topped the city with 98.6% marks.

The second position went to Gunpreet Kaur of DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, who scored 98.4% in the non- medical stream. Nitika Gupta, of Kundan Vidya Mandir School, came third, scoring 98.2 % marks in humanities.

Approximately 15,000 students from Ludhiana district appeared in the Class 12 exams.

Topper speak

Deebas dream is to become a financial consultant. Interestingly, she was expecting a 100% result but is happy that she topped the district. Both my parents supported me due to which I have been able to top the district, she said.

How does the district topper relax? I read books but I dont like watching television, she said. I used to utilise my time revising the basic concepts  that is why I was sure that I will score well in the exams. I left playing badminton after Class 10 as I wanted to concentrate on my studies, she added.

She has scored 100 marks in three subjects: economics, accounts and business studies. Her father Rajeev Goyal is a vastu consultant and mother Rachna Goyal is a homemaker.
For those who manage to score more than 95% in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or other Board exams, admission to Delhi University (DU) will not involve much of a struggle. Others who havent also should not worry too much. Though high cut-offs can be intimidating, Delhi University has options for all levels of scorers. You can easily find a course and a college that suits you, so check out what choices you have.

For scores between 40% and 60%

Do not despair. Your chances of getting into DU are brighter than you think. Like any other Delhi University college, its School of Open Learning also offers BCom (honours), political science (honours) and English (honours) besides BA programme and BCom. You will get a DU degree after three years. Cut-offs for Sanskrit (honours) also dip to this range in regular colleges.

Many private universities or colleges affiliated with universities outside Delhi also offer professional courses like event management, footwear design and culinary arts in collaboration with the industry. Job-oriented courses like fashion designing, hotel management, retail management and radio jockeying are other interesting options.

For scores between 60% and 75%

Go through the cut-off list of last year and apply for courses that look accessible. Do not think about the college at this stage. Cut-offs for BA Programme and BA (honours) Sanskrit in sought-after colleges drop to this level during the admission process.

You can opt for courses that have an entrance test, such as management studies, mass communication, journalism, elementary education and foreign languages in DU. Again, private colleges are also a good option, if you can afford them.

For scores between 75% and 90%

Be realistic about the colleges you can get through. Give preference to the course and take admission wherever you meet the cutoff in first list. Though cut-offs for courses like BCom (honours), Economics (honours) and even English (honours) stay above 90% in most colleges, watch out for subsequent lists. Opt for BA Programme or BCom or general science courses, the cutoffs of which are lower than honours courses but seldom drop below 80%. You will also be eligible to sit for entrance tests for different courses in DU. Applying to private universities is also an option.

For scores between 90% and 100%

Those who have scored above 95% have a good chance of getting admission to the college and course of their choice in DU. Experts suggest that choosing a good course is more important than going for a well-known college. Many colleges that you may not have thought about earlier have excellent faculty. You can wait for the cut-off to dip and then select the course of your choice. Go through last years cut-off to plan your application.
Bhavesh Santani, Madhya Pradesh topper in CBSEs Class 12 Boards, 2017, wants to become a doctor to serve mankind. A science with mathematics student, Lavanya Singh of Delhi Public School, Bhopal, scored 97.8% to rank second in the state, followed by Akshat Raj Lad with 97.6%.

In Humanities, Spriha Jaiswal of Delhi Public School (DPS) topped with 97.4% and Deepansh Madhwani of St Joseph Co-ed School emerged as commerce toppers with 96.2%.

Though he expected a good score, Santani said he didnt expect to top the state. Surprisingly, however, he was not happy that the results were announced on Sunday as he was writing his AIIMS (all-India Institute of Medical Sciences) MBBS entrance exam today.

I could not celebrate as I dont want my attention to be diverted, he said.

Lad, who is the son of a veterinary doctor, does not believe in studying for hours.  Regular studies are enough to score well. Putting in long hours dont help. I used to study for three to four hours daily without any pressure.

Agreeing with Lad, commerce topper Deepansh Madhwani said, I enjoyed studies and may be due to this I scored well. Regular studies with proper concentration is necessary to understand the subject well and I followed the same.

Inspired by Narendra Modis campaign of Startup Indian and Standup India, Lad of DPS wants to develop his technical skills by pursuing engineering from a reputed institute and management skills from an IIM because he wants to start his own venture.

Second topper Lavanya wants to be an IAS officer and her goal is to improve the education system in the country. I opted for maths just to do graduation. I will not do engineering. I will join Delhi University and want to prepare for the civil services exam, she said.

CBSEs decision to scrap and then continue with the moderation policy has led to a small dip in the scores. DPS principal Ajay Sharma said the results of a few students were affected due to change in moderation policy. The change has left its impact on percentages of students but, overall, the result this year is fair one, he said.

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the examination results of the Senior Secondary Examination (Class 12th) on Sunday.

Candidates can check their results of the exam held between March 9 and April 29 by clicking cbseresults.nic.in.

Here are the highlights:

2pm: Congratulations to all my young friends who have successfully passed the CBSE Class XII exams & best wishes for future endeavours, tweets PM Modi

1.07 pm: CBSE officials say no revaluation will be done by the board but students can apply for verification of marks.

1.05 pm: The pass percentage in government schools is 82.29, private schools is 79.27 and Kendriya Vidyalayas is 94.60. The highest pass percentage among schools is for Jawahar Navodya Vidyalayas at 95.73.

1.00 pm: Chandigarh had three toppers in CBSEs Class 12 Board examinations -- Bhumi Sawant as the second all-India topper and Mannat Luthra and Aditya Jain as joint third toppers in commerce. Read the full story here.

12.45 pm: Girls outperform boys by 9.5% in CBSE Class 12 results. Girls pass percentage is 87.50 while it is 78 for boys. Pass percentage for differently abled students is 86.69: Out of 2,449 students, 2,123 passed the exams.

12.15 pm: Topper Raksha Gopal, a student of Amity International School in Sector 44, scored 100 in 3 subjects  English Core, political science and economics. She scored 99 in psychology and history. She told HT that she wants to pursue a degree in political science from the University of Delhi. Read the full story here.

12.00 pm: I congratulate all those who were successful, those who did not succeed must not lose hope, says Prakash Javadekar on the CBSE Class 12 result.

11.45 am: The Delhi region pass percentage is 86.45% as compared to last years 87.01%.

11:30 am: HRD minister Prakash Javadekar speaks to CBSE Class 12 toppers, reports PTI.

11.05 am: The all India pass percentage for CBSE Class 12 results is 82, a point lower than last years 83.

Students scoring in the 95-100% range has increased to 10,091 from last years 9,351, say board officials.

The top scorers Raksha Gopal | Arts | 99.6% Bhumi Sawant | Science | 99.4% Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra | Commerce | 99.2%

11.00 am: Ranking second is science student Bhumi Sawant with 99.4% from DAV, Sec 8,Chandigarh. Two commerce students have secured third rank: Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra with 99.2%. All three students are from Chandigarh. CBSE officials say that human resources minister Prakash Javdekar has called and congratulated them.

10.55 am: With 99.6%, Raksha Gopal from Amity International School has topped the boards this year.

#CBSE Class 12 topper is Raksha Gopal from Amity International School, Noida with 99.6%@htTweets @htdelhi  Heena Kausar (@heenakausar19) May 28, 2017

10.45 am: CBSE has opened a helpline number 1800118004 for counselling for students. 65 counsellors will talk to students and parents on this helpline number between 8am -10pm.

10.30 am: CBSE has advised the public not to visit Boards office for collection of results as it will not be available there. The result highlights will be e-mailed to candidates.

10.25 am: The CBSE board exam results have been declared.

Over 18,000 schools across the country are affiliated to the CBSE. As many as 10,98,891 candidates  6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls  from 10,678 schools registered for the CBSE Class 12 examinations this year.

There was a 2.82% increase in registration for the 2017 edition of the examinations, as compared to the previous year. Around 10,67,900 students  6,21,259 boys and 4,46,641 girls  had taken it then.

Moderation policy

In a press note announcing the declaration of class 12 results, CBSE chairman RK Chaturvedi said that the board will follow the moderation policy. A CBSE official had also told HT that there will be no artificial spiking of marks and that this could result in a slight dip in scores.

The moderation policy refers to a practice where students are given extra marks in subjects regarded as unusually difficult, or when there are variations in question paper sets. However, it was noted that such marks are doled out in excess
Indias school textbooks should drop lessons on Hindu-Muslim or caste riots as they turn students into activists instead of making them learners, the new chief of the countrys premier body promoting research on social science has said.

Braj Bihari Kumar, a self-proclaimed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was named chairperson of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) this month, an appointment criticised by a section of scholars who questioned his academic credentials to lead the body.

Class 6 textbook of social sciences mentions Hindu-Muslim riots, caste riots... They (the writers) want to create social activists rather than students or learners. Do you think anti-Muslim riots should be taught to class 6 or 7 students? Even in class 12, they shouldnt be taught, Kumar, 76, told HT in an exclusive interview.

People who have written history and social sciences books had their own agenda, he said, amid a move by the NCERT to drop anti-Muslim riots from a headline in a class 12 textbook. The NCERT  the National Council of Educational Research And Training -- is the governments think thank on school education.

Kumar, a known critic of contemporary scholars in social sciences and humanities, said the textbooks mention the hardship faced by BR Ambedkar as a Dalit.

...But they should also inform students what positive steps Ambedkar himself took, which have an effect on the society. But they wont, he said, adding NCERT books were lacking on many counts and need a complete overhaul.

The opposition accuses the BJP government of trying to impose its ideology and erase secular thoughts from textbooks. In the past three years, BJP-ruled states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra faced allegation of saffronising education by changing schoolbooks.

Kumar said his priority will be to find areas where there is over research and the areas in darkness due to dearth of research.

The quality of work is very low. I am going to create an inventory of scholar and research because there are areas where there is massive duplication of work and then we have areas of darkness where hardly any thesis is being done..., he added.

Kumar, who was the principal of a college in Nagaland, is the founding member of Astha Bharati, an NGO promoting unity and integrity.

He said atrocities against Dalits are highlighted much more than similar incidents between the so-called non-Dalits.

Is there a study? You are projecting one thing and not the other. We should have a total picture and study of conflict, he said.

The BJP-led government at the Centre is facing criticism for allegedly failing to protect abuse of Dalits and other lower castes. The Opposition blames the ruling party for the recent caste clashes in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and earlier incidents such the assault of Dalit youth in Gujarats Una over suspicion of cow slaughter.

Kumar also rejected the colonial myth about higher-caste Hindus not allowing the lower castes to acquire education.

Brahmins are the poorest aristocracy in the world and that is in their value system. You read Vedas, Mahabharat...the poorest lifestyle is the ideal lifestyle. A very less number of Brahmins were going to school..., he said.

He said all children of all castes including Dalits were attending schools.

Describing Narendra as the worst victim of intolerance, Kumar criticised the other side called liberals, those who celebrate when poor people are killed by naxalites, those who want India to be divided and I am very clear that they are anti-nationals.

He also said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders were more honest than the liberals, a term used by the Hindu right-wing to attack those opposed to its ideology.

He picked out Jawaharlal Nehru University as a hub of anti-national activity and said if its students dont mend their ways, society will force it upon them.

If there is a slogan of breaking India, we simply take it as a anti-national act and if a university produces only such kind of students, something was wrong in establishing that university, he said in reference to a controversy over alleged anti-India sloganeering during an event in February last year.

Things must be changed and things can be changed. People will think about that. Either the university will change or society will bring the change, he added.

Kumar also attacked historian Ramchandra Guha, one of his critics, describing him as a nobody and not a scholar of mainstream.

You know who should have questioned my appointment. The Marxists, the liberal intelligentsia should have but have you heard any opinion of theirs? Who is Ramchandra Guha?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Every year, India has an outflow of $16 billion as about 2.5 lakh Indian students leave for foreign shores to pursue higher education. At the same time, Indian universities and colleges attract just 42,000 international students, as against the US with nearly 10.5 lakh students, UK with five lakh and China with about four lakh. Even France and Australia have about three lakh foreign students each.

Theres an urgent need to reinvent India as a study destination for international students as it has the potential to bring in an estimated $20 billion to the countrys cash-strapped universities and colleges. Not just that, to attract talent from abroad, Indian institutes would have to improve their act and upgrade their infrastructure - which would benefit its own students too.

To kick start a movement that can enable India to shape up an international student magnet, an International Conclave on India: The Global Destination for Higher Education will be held at New Delhi on Saturday, June 10, 2017. It will be organised by IIT Kharagpur Alumni Foundation (India) in collaboration with PanIIT Alumni India.

HRD minister Prakash Javadekar will be the chief guest and minister of state Mahendra Nath Pandey the guest of honour. Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been invited as the chief guest for the valedictory session, the conclave organisers have said.

The objective of the conclave is to usher in an atmosphere of excellence and quality in our top 10% institutes of higher learning so that they start attracting the best students from all over the world and thus India becomes once again a global destination for higher Learning. One of the Key objectives of this conclave is to put in place a joint task force of the MHRD and educational Institutions to achieve this goal, the organisers said.

The conclave will have about four sessions with panels including IIT, NIT, IIM and IIIT directors; presidents and deans of global universities; top government officials, eminent professionals and educational experts. The first session will be on challenges and opportunities for government institutions. The second session will focus on contribution of private sector institutions and future plans. Session three and four will be on experiences of global institutions and national policy and Initiatives for Indian institutions, respectively.

The organisers aim to come up with an action plan after the conclave for the top 10% Indian universities and colleges to attract foreign students to India. An extensive collective outreach programme will have to be launched to achieve this cherished goal. In this regard, Indians settled abroad can play a very effective role so that India becomes a global destination for higher education, the organisers add.
Going by the Class 12 results of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), students from other states stand a better chance of gaining admission to Delhi University than their counterparts in the city.

More students from other states  clubbed under the all-India region category  secured 95% and above than those from Delhi, as per CBSE results.

For instance, just 2,326 students from the city scored beyond that mark this year, as compared to 2,927 in the previous one. In stark contrast, the number of all-India region students (including Delhi) who scored as much went up from 9,351 in 2016 to 10,091 this year.

According to sources, students from other states will have a better chance of making it to Delhi University because the first cut-offs at the university is traditionally on the higher side.

This assumes significance in the light of Delhi University  being a central institution  not according any special reservation to local students. State universities, on the other hand, offer quota or relaxation in marks to students from domestic zones.

Students of the all-India region category have performed better than those from Delhi. The CBSE doesnt carry out moderation above 95%, so these marks are exactly what the students scored, said a senior CBSE official.

The state BJP had recently asked Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi to reserve seats for students from the city. However, the demand was shot down.

We use the same yardstick to judge students from all boards, and admission is given strictly on merit. Students from all states are welcome here, said a varsity official.

Nearly 82% students  a notch lower than last year  cleared the Class 12 board examination in 2017, the results of which were declared on Sunday. Board officials said the pass percentage for the Delhi region, at 86.45, was higher than the national standard.

Last year, as many as 87.01% students cleared the exam in the region.

Nearly 11 lakh candidates registered for the Class 12 exams, which were held between March 9 and April 29, against 10,67,900 students last year.
Thousands of students in West Bengal, who took the Central Board of Secondary Education Class 12 board examinations 2017, could not access their results because of a technical glitch at CBSEs regional office at Bhubaneswar, hours after they were declared on Sunday.

Authorities learnt that schools in Odisha and Chhattisgarh were also witnessing similar problems after they inquired with the Bhubaneswar office, which covers Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. They could not download the results for the Class 12 exam even after hours results were officially announced.

We managed to download our results after hours of toiling. But after we downloaded the same, we saw that the results of at least 45 students were shown as withheld, Krishna Damani, a member of the trustee board of South Point High School, said.

The CBSE-affiliated schools were unable to analyse the school-wise results and identify the toppers from the state.

Similarly, the principal of a CBSE-affiliated school in Salt Lake, who did not wish the name of the school to be named, said they failed to download the full results of the school till 4pm.

Our teachers are still trying hard to download the same. In case, we are unable to download the same by this evening, it is quite possible that many of our students would not able to know their results before Monday morning, he said.

According to him, the school authorities are in constant touch with the CBSE authorities, who have assured them that the technical glitches will be resolved at the earliest.

Several schools in West Bengal have issued notices updating students and their parents about the situation. Some even sent text messages to mobile phones of parents enlisted with the school authorities advising them not to panic.

Nearly 82% students, lower than last years 83%, cleared the Class 12 board exams. Over 11 lakh candidates registered for the Class 12 exams, which were held between March 9 and April 29, this year against 10,67,900 students last year.

Girls performed better than boys by 9.5% as out of 4,60,026 girls 87.50% passed and 78% of 6,38,865 boys cleared the exam. The pass percentage of disabled students was 86.69 with 2123 out of 2449 passed.

A Noida girl became the topper in the Class 12 exam and students from Chandigarh were ranked second and third across India. Raksha Gopal, who pursued humanities at Amity International School, scored 99.6% marks to ace the exams.
With the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 pass percentage dropping compared to last years, and fewer students scoring above 90%, students from Maharashtras education board may find it easier to get into coveted degree colleges. However, much will depend on their performance in Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, the results of which are yet to be declared.

The drop in pass percentage doesnt matter much. But, if there are fewer high scorers in CBSE examination, it will definitely help state board students, said Kiran Mangaonkar, principal, Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Matunga.

CBSE students have traditionally had an edge over state board students, owing to their relatively higher scores. However, some principals believe that state board students have managed to catch up to their counterparts over the past few years. State board students may have improved their performance owing to competitive pressure. It may also have to do with the board changing the syllabi and scoring mechanisms, said Hemlata Bagla, principal, KC College, Churchgate.

However, other factors also dictate the dynamics between CBSE and state board students. Ours is a linguistic minority college, with 50% seats reserved for students from the Gujarati community. We get both CBSE and state board students under this quota. With half of the remaining seats reserved for backward category students, few seats are left for open category students. As a result, the cut-off for these seats shoots up and CBSE students get a slight edge, said Vijay Joshi, principal, KJ Somaiya College, Vidyavihar. Over the years, the number of CBSE schools in the city have increased. This may make competition tougher for the state board students, adds Mangaonkar.

Some principals believe that percentile scores should replace percentages as criteria for admission, to bring parity between students from various boards.

However, for those aspiring to join engineering and medical colleges, board scores hardly matter. I wasnt aiming for a high score as I was busy preparing for my entrance tests, which matter more for those pursuing higher studies. Attempting mock exams in school did help me, said Meher Shashwat Nigam form Delhi Public School, Navi Mumbai.

Navy Children School student, Aparajita Ambastha, was over the moon to find out she had scored full marks in the CBSE Class 12 history paper  a rare feat that helped her buoy her average to 95.8%. However, such success stories were rare this Sunday.

Fewer students joined the 90s club this year  63,247 compared to last years 63,387. The number of students scoring between 90% and 95% nationally fell to 53, 156, from 54, 036 last year. On the other hand, more students scored above 95%  10,091 this year, up from 9,351 last year.

Some schools blamed the trend on lower scores in math, physics and economics. Overall grading in economics and math pulled down percentages, said Mallika Subramaniam, principal, Navy Children School. The school recorded a 100% pass rate for the first time in the past 10 years, but overall scores slipped.

Surprisingly, the math paper was easier this year, compared to the past, with the board making efforts to bring down its difficulty level, after courting controversy last year.

However, schools said that this did not reflect in the students scores, which were much lower than expected. Economics and math are not as high as we were hoping, especially considering the math paper was easy, said Jose Kurien, principal, DAV Public School, Nerul. On the contrary, accounts paper was considered to be tough but students scored well in that.

In few schools such as Ryan International School (CBSE) Kandivli, students in this case the school topper Jyotishika Deka-scored 99 out of 100 in physics and chemistry. Our highest in math was 98, which is still good. Math has always been difficult to predict, said Anjali Bowen, principal. She added that from the results it doesnt become immediately clearly whether the board has moderated the marks across subjects, as it was supposed to continue with the policy, as per the Delhi High Court order.

Top scores varied across schools-some outdid their old scores, while others were left short. The highest score in commerce stream jumped to 98.2% this year, while it was 97.8% last year. At St Josephs, Panvel, the high score dropped from 95.2% last year to 94.4% this year, but the overall result of the school improved. We had nearly 13 students scoring above 90% this year, much higher than last time, said Kalpana Dwivedi, principal, of the school. Maximum improvement is in the commerce stream, she added. The commerce topper for Ryan International School, Sanpada was Vatsal Dave with 97.4% .

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A three-year-old boy, who fell from a two-storey under-construction building, died on Saturday waiting for an ambulance to shift him from the Civil Hospital to Delhis Safdarjung Hospital.

This is the second such incident after a three-month-old boy died on April 13 at the Civil Hospital as there was no fuel in the ambulance to shift him to Delhi for treatment.

Babu met with the accident in Sector 38, died as precious time was wasted waiting for ambulance to arrive at the hospital.

At around 11:30 am on Friday, Babu, was brought to the civil hospital as he was heavily bleeding.

Soon after the doctors at the civil hospital figured out that he was critical, they asked his father Ram Kishore to take Babu immediately to New Delhi.

The child was an out-patient and was sent to Safdarjung hospital. First-aid was provided to the patient, said Dr Pawan Chauhan, Emergency Ward, Civil Hospital.

At 12.15 pm, Babu was sent in an ambulance to Safdarjung hospital. He died on the way. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at the Safdarjung hospital.

Even as the doctors at the Civil Hospital said they had followed the procedure and treatment was provided to the boy, the father of the victim alleged that the delay in calling the ambulance resulted in his sons death.

Neelam Thapar, deputy civil surgeon, Civil Hospital, Gurgaon, said, We are looking into the matter and investigating it.

Dr MP Singh, in charge for ambulance services said the delay was because the information reached them late. The control room in the civil hospital didnt receive any information about requirement of an ambulance. Thus, there was a slight delay, he said.

Read I Gurgaon civil hospital has one ambulance per 500 patients

On April 13, a three-month-old boy, Abel, died at the Civil Hospital because of non availability of fuel in the ambulance which was supposed to shift the child to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. He breathed his last while waiting for more than two hours for the ambulance.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A group of around 30 women, armed with sticks, on Sunday protested on the Alwar-Gurgaon road to demand the safe return of a minor girl who was allegedly abducted five days ago.

The male members of the abducted girls family, along with others, joined the protesters later and had a minor clash with the police who tried to drive the agitators away and clear the road for traffic flow.

The protesters, before dispersing, held a meeting in the area and threatened to wave black flags when President Pranab Mukherjee visits the area on June 2.

A group of protesters had on Wednesday too blocked Sohna road for almost an hour demanding action by the police.

Residents said that the 17-year-old had allegedly gone missing from Baluda Marg on Tuesday and expressed fears that she might have been kidnapped. The family members of the missing girl said they would commit mass suicide if the police did not act quickly.

The protests on Sunday took a violent turn after the police lathi charged the protesters to clear the blocked Alwar-Gurgaon road. This further angered the crowd who then resorted to pelting stones at police officers who were present at the spot. No one was injured in the incident.

Even though the police had promised to rescue the girl within 48 hours after an FIR on Wednesday, nothing has been done so far, claimed a resident of Sohna ward 5. The residents of the area said that they will launch a mass movement in few days if the girl did not return home.

Read I Gurgaon: Sohna residents block main road demanding rescue of missing girl

Mahender Jajoria, who is a close relative of the victim, said that the villagers had collectively decided to write a letter to the President regarding the inefficiency of the police force if the missing girl did not return by June 2. We have already submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner on Wednesday, Jajoria said.

The police claimed that they were still in the process of investigating the case and were trying to join the dots to find out more about the incident.

Four police teams are searching for the girl. We are also looking into her mobile phone call details. Raids are being conducted at various places of Gurgaon and Sohna, said Mukesh Kumar, SHO, Sohna City police station.
I hope youre ready, because Im about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if youre listening to these tapes, youre one of the reasons why.

Netflixs dark adaptation of Jay Ashers cult young-adult novel, 13 Reasons Why, begins with Clay Jensen getting a box of 13 audiotapes from his classmate and crush Hannah Baker, two weeks after she killed herself.

Hannah has made one audiotape for each person, telling them what they did that led to her decision to slit her wrists and bleed to death in a bathtub.

People may love or hate the Netflix series, but no one is indifferent to it. I hated it. I thought it glamourised suicide way too much, says Sadhika Menon, 16. I was bullied when I was 12 and having been there, I feel the show makes something that is not an option an option for people going through a rough patch.

Sadhika got through her rough patch with her mothers support. I just burst into tears one day and said I didnt want to go to school, she recalls. But some anguished adolescents dont know whom to turn to. Distress calls on school helplines in which teens refer to the hit series have gone up. But parents, schools and psychiatrists struggle to accept how bullying, relationships, social acceptability and sexual violence eat away at the self-confidence of adolescents and teenagers.

Mirror to life

If you take out a couple of instances of bullying and violence, all the episodes are from an average teenagers everyday life, said Dr Samir Parikh, director of mental health and behavioural sciences at Fortis Healthcare. He watched the show after the Fortis school helpline starting getting calls from students identifying with Hannahs unmanageable melancholia. Its very close to life. There are no villains except a couple of people and, very often, she gets hurt by people crossing the line in what they think is a prank, says Dr Parikh.

The fear that this identification may fuel mood disorders and behavioural problems has led some schools such as The Shri Ram School (TSRS) in Gurugram to send out notes to parents warning them about inappropriate sites and shows on television channels, such as 13 Reasons Why, which has adult content.

Deepali Jaggi binge-watched the show with her 16-year-old daughter, Saisha. I felt a big surge of discomfort watching Hannahs suicide scene, when she steps into the bathtub. I instinctively reached out and covered Saishas eyes, she says.

Suicide is the biggest cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds in India, followed by road traffic accidents, shows data from Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 which tracked death from 306 diseases, injuries and risk factors across 188 countries. Globally, road injury is the biggest killer in this age group, which makes up 1.8 billion of the worlds 7.1 billion population.

How do you feel?

The show follows a group of teens as they make their way through 13 accusatory audio tapes left behind by a classmate who committed suicide. (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

The show worked for Raghav Gopaldas, 16, because it got him and his friends talking about how things they do or dont do may affect another persons lives without their realising it. It makes you wonder that when you perhaps crack a joke, is the other person taking it as a joke or is it affecting them at a deeper level? It also makes you more sensitive to another persons emotional needs, he says. Hannah approached people but they did not get it. She needed support but did not know how to ask for it.

Hes critical that show also romaticises suicide. Hannahs suicide is about revenge, she wanted to get back at people who she thinks let her down. Her behaviour is no different from those shes accusing, its ridiculous to justify it, says Gopaldas.

Even parents of many adolescents have done a fair amount of introspection after watching some of the show. I was struck by Hannahs inability to express herself. From the beginning, it was almost as if she had chosen to be miserable, said Deepali Jaggi. I was also surprised how her parents didnt pick up signs like Clays parents, who are on high alert about his behaviour patterns.

Parents, like school counsellors, are also concerned that children combating emotional demons may become one with Hannahs dark depression. Both my girls are strong and very vocal against the show, but you cant know how a child in a bad place will respond to it, says Sadhikas mum Punita Menon, a dentist. Every child is different. Once these discussions of sadism, rape and suicide are out there, you cant say how they will be interpreted, she says.

Menon is spot on. The series is about unexpected consequences of action. For Ketaki Kannan, 18, the show was a lesson to learn. I love the lines, No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same. Most people hurt Hannah unintentionally, without realising that they are adding another brick in the wall, says Kannan, who graduated from Delhi Public School this year.

You cant stop them

Warning emails from school nudge oblivious parents to pay a little more attention to their childrens lives. Some parents are not very informed and dont realise how deeply popular culture can influence impressionable minds. Instead of calling it a bad show, parents and schools should help students make sense of the show, says Dr Chibber, who coordinates with counsellors across 300 schools in Delhi and the NCR.

Banning children from watching is a bad idea. Telling adolescents and teens to not do something guarantees they will. Instead of banning it, parents and schools should use the series as a tool to address misplaced sentiments and seize it as an opportunity to discuss what teens are going through and how they would have handled the situation differently, says Dr Parikh.

Some adolescents and teenagers are mimicking behavior from the show and internalising adverse social situations, say concerned counsellors, but its partly because the show has put the spotlight on teen concerns and now they feel they will be heard. Its made young people re-examine interpersonal challenges and peer group behaviour. Its also forced adults to acknowledge that they cannot dismiss teenage trauma because if they do, they have abandoned the child to his or her demons, says Dr Chibber.

Saisha initially resisted watching the series with her mum, but is happy now that she did. I wish other parents would watch it too because it would help them know when their kids are not all right, she says. I talk to my mum all the time but when she saw the show, even she asked, Do all these things happen?.

Teenagers and counsellors are unanimous in saying, They do.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Jaden Smiths stay at a Toronto hotel ended with him allegedly being kicked out of the premises, the actor said on Twitter Saturday.

Smith wrote characteristically cryptic tweets about his unpleasant stay at the Four Seasons in Toronto, where he was staying while filming a new movie. The Karate Kid star and son of actor Will Smith, put out a string of tweets to his 6 million followers claiming the hotel had spiked his pancakes with cheese, which made him want to throw up.

Im surprised Im still alive, he said.

The Four Seasons In Toronto Just Made Me Want to Throw Up On MySelf.  Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) May 27, 2017

I Hope The Four Seasons In Toronto Puts Me On The No Stay List.  Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) May 27, 2017

The Four Seasons In Toronto Spiked My Pancakes With Cheese, I'm Surprised I'm Still Alive.  Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) May 27, 2017

In his final tweet - there were four - he said that the hotel kicked (him) out of (his) room.

After They Kicked Me Out Of My Room  Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) May 27, 2017

Smith was filming Life in a Year in Toronto, which also stars Cara Delevigne.

People.com reached out to the hotel for comment, but they did not respond.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
In a renewed push to Swachh Bharat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that 4,000 towns will see new litter bins for segregated waste on June 5, the World Environment Day.

Two types of waste bins will be available in green and blue colour, for liquid and dry waste. If we follow discipline, then the waste bins will collect dry garbage in blue waste bins and liquid garbage in green waste bins, Modi announced on Sunday in his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat.

Experts, however, pointed out that though separate bins were already available in many places but the experiment has not yielded the desired result.

The PM said he got a humorous suggestion that when he visits or stays at a place, he should ask as to what would be the standard of cleanliness, how many tonnes of waste could the local authorities present him, and accordingly decide the duration of stay.

The idea is very good but I will have to think. I do not know whether I would be able to do it, Modi quipped.

The PM also praised Afroz Shah who spearheaded the cleaning of the Versova beach in Mumbai.
An intruder from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was killed in an ambush by Indian troops along the Line of Control in KG sector of Poonch district in the wee hours of Sunday.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said that an intruder from PoK was killed in an ambush at about 2.30 am on Sunday on the LoC in KG Sector.

The body of the intruder has been recovered, he said, adding that the identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained.

An intelligence source said the slain intruder could have been a guide.

His body has been brought to Jhullas in Poonch for legal formalities.

Pakistans BAT had on May 1 killed and mutilated two Indian soldiers, JCO Paramjit Singh and BSF head constable Prem Sagar, in the same sector, inviting a public outcry across India to avenge the killings.

Since then there have been skirmishes between the Indian and Pakistani armies on the LoC, especially in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, which led to deaths of three Indian villagers and injuries to ten others.

Pakistani shelling in Nowshera also triggered migration of nearly 3,000 villagers from the forward areas.

In the past two days, the Indian army has killed 10 ultras in Kashmir, including slain Hizbul militant Burhan Wani s successor Sabzar Bhat.

In recent times, Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan was caught on tape in a sting operation wherein he disclosed how Pakistan had been funding separatists in Valley for terror activities and engineering street violence.

Kashmir, especially southern part, has been witnessing an unexpected unending cycle of violent protests.

Counter-attack

Pakistan said on Thursday at least three people were injured when Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control.

According to an army statement, Indian troops opened fire at Battal, Jandrot and Hotspring sectors at the LoC on Thursday morning.

Three people were injured when Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing, it said.

Pakistani troops were effectively engaging Indian positions and responding to the fire, the statement said.
An army porter was killed and one injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the line of control in Jammu and Kashmirs Keran sector.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in death of one army porter and injuries to another, an army official said on Sunday.

The body of the porter was handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was moved to a medical facility, the official said.

Indian forces had on Saturday thwarted an infiltration bid along the LoC in Rampur sector, killing six intruders.

Pakistan has stepped up attacks on Indian posts along the de facto border in the last few weeks as ties between two neighbours continue to deteriorate. India, too, has hit back.

A few days ago, the Indian Army released videos of punitive strikes on Pakistani posts after two Indian soldiers were beheaded on May 1 by a rouge border unit of the Pakistani army.

In April, the army had gunned down four militants in Keran sector when they were trying to sneak into India.
Bodies of three Indian climbers, two of whom had died last year on Mount Everest, were retrieved on Sunday from a high altitude camp on the worlds tallest peak and airlifted to the Nepalese capital.

Paresh Chandra Nath, 58, and Gautam Gosh, 50, were missing from April 7 last year.

Ravi Kumar, 27, died last week when he fell into a crevice after conquering Mount Everest. His body was also recovered from the same camp.

Their bodies have been sent to Kathmandu by helicopter for the post-mortem.

The bodies were taken to Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for postmortem, said an official of Seven Summit Treks that carried out the rescue works.

Later, the bodies were handed over to the Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu, the official said.

Nath and Gosh, who had reached camp-4 on March 15 last year, were found buried under snow. They were associated with Trekking Camp Nepal Private Limited, Kathmandu for the Mount Everest expedition.

They died last year but their remains could not be moved due to bad weather, according to tourism department officials.

The bodies were found above 8,000 metres - an altitude that marks the beginning of the death zone.

The West Bengal government has sent three officials to manage the recovery operation.

Kumar, who died last week, was associated with Summit Trek Private Limited, Kathmandu.

On Wednesday, bodies of four climbers, including two foreigners and a woman, were found at a high altitude camp on Everest, taking the total number of fatalities on the worlds tallest peak to 10 this season.

Last year, five climbers lost their lives on Mt Everest. A total of 640 people reached the summit. Climbers ascend Mt Everest from two sides - the north face from China and the South face from Nepal.

Nepal had cleared 371 mountaineers to climb Mount Everest during the current season ending this month.

Nearly 300 people have died on Mt Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953.

It is estimated that more than 200 dead bodies are still lying on the mountain.
On a weekend visit to his sisters home in Sarsawa town, self-confessed Facebook worm Avinash Kumar was bored by an internet ban in Uttar Pradeshs riot-hit Saharanpur district.

But happiness is 3km away. A bridge over the Yamuna breaks the barrier.

The 21-year-old employee of a private hospital in Punjabs Mohali rode to the bridge on a friends motorcycle this Sunday to catch up with his Facebook groups. He posted selfies, shot leaning against the railings with traffic fleeting by.

I cannot think of a day without internet. I come here every weekend. But this time it was boring  When I heard I can access the net from this bridge, I came here, Kumar said.

Uttar Pradesh authorities blocked mobile internet services in Saharanpur on Tuesday after a series of caste clashes killed two men and left scores of people wounded.

Internet service providers were asked to suspend services on May 25 as we feared outsiders had instigated locals with WhatsApp and Facebook posts, Saharanpur senior superintendent of police Bablu Kumar said over the ban.

But internet signal from adjoining Haryana reached up to the Yamuna bridge on national highway 73. The bridge, opened in 2011, connects the two BJP-ruled states.

Sajid Ahmad, a 30-year-old retail shop owner at Shahjahanpur, a village in Sarsawa, travelled to the bridge with friends Mohammed Irfan and Saddam Hussain, and his prized smart phone that was lying idle.

On this bridge, which is in Uttar Pradesh, we got internet signal on our way to Yamunanagar on Saturday, Ahmad said, explaining how he found out the way to beat the ban.

Initially people bought Reliance Jio SIM cards that provided 4G internet access despite the ban. But that didnt last long.

When the authorities got wind of it, they suspended the Jio service as well, said Dheeraj Pandey, a villager surfing the net on the bridge.

Tech experts say such blanket bans are not effective because trouble-makers could send incendiary material from anywhere in the country and abroad.

The administration should ensure large videos or pictures are not shared, said Faisal Kawoosa, principal analyst at the Gurgaon-based Cyber MediaReserach.

In Saharanpurs urban areas, people are accessing social media sites through virtual private networks (VPN) and encrypted messenger services such as Signal.

VPN allows users to go incognito, and was extensively used in the restive Kashmir Valley after the government blocked 22 social media websites for a month since April 26.

If Kashmiris dodged the ban with technology, people in Sarsawa have a bridge to go to.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approved the registration of three formal cases pertaining to the affairs of the civil aviation ministry under the previous Congress-led government.

The First Information Reports (FIRs) relate to the purchase of 50 Boeing aircraft for the erstwhile Air India, the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, and handing over of lucrative international airline routes to private airlines, a source in the CBI told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.

The cases come on the heels of the CBI raiding former finance minister P Chidamabrams son Karti. The FIRs do not mention any public official by name but are built around a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) submitted to Parliament in 2011 and a subsequent report by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC). Both reports pointed out glaring gaps in the acquisition process, which experts believe led to the national air carrier bleeding financially. In January 2017, the Supreme Court had also asked the CBI to complete the probe on the same matter by June while hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan on the Boeing purchase.

The Supreme Court had asked the Attorney General to look into the allegations in a time-bound manner. We examined the evidence and decided to register three separate cases. We will finish the investigation soon, said a senior CBI official privy to the development. According to the CBI official who spoke to HT, the CBI director sanctioned the registration of a case on Saturday after it remained under the scanner since 2014.

The other two casesthe merger and surrendering of routesare part of a larger probe into the mismanagement of the national air carrier whose losses increased from Rs 63 crore to over Rs 7,000 crore in the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014 coinciding with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance rule.

The FIR only mentions unnamed official of civil aviation ministry. The auditor, which covered the 2002-2010 period in its review, had said in its 121-page report that Air India was forced to buy aircraft from Boeing in a hurry. It also detailed events that led to the companys ambitious $11-billion purchase on a paltry equity base of $34 million.

A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment. Former civil aviation minister Praful Patel told HT: I am not aware of this. But if it is indeed true, I am happy. They should investigate and the truth must come out.

The first two decisionspurchase of aircraft and the mergerwere decided by an empowered group of ministers headed by P Chidambaram, the then finance minister, and Pranab Mukherjee, the then external affairs minister. Patel was part of the group as civil aviation minister.

The CAG report, however, pinned the responsibility on Patels ministry, The erstwhile Air India was advised to revisit its proposal by the aviation ministry into expanding its requirement of aircraft. Whilst their earlier proposal for 28 aircraft had taken two years to prepare and submit, the revised long-term fleet for 50 aircraft plan was completed in four months, the auditor had said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Maoists allegedly killed a former colleague, who had surrendered, in Chhattisgarhs Bastar district on suspicion that he was a police informer, an official said on Sunday.

Anduram Benjam, who surrendered before police in March last year, was hacked to death by the rebels in Bastars Sanvel village last evening, the police official told PTI.

Three rebels, dressed as civilians, attacked Benjam with axes near his house in Kolengpara locality of the village, located around 350 kms from the state capital, he said.

The reason behind the killing was not yet known.

But, prima facie it seems the Maoists suspected that Benjam was a police informer, the official said.

A case has been registered in this connection, he said adding that a combing operation is on in the region to trace the assailants.
Authorities imposed curfew restrictions in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday, a day after top Hizbul Muhajideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his associate were killed by security forces.

Though the authorities said curfew would be imposed only in seven police station areas of Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma in Srinagar on Sunday, the city was virtually sealed in the morning to prevent all kinds of vehicular movement.

Heavy deployment of security forces was made in the old city areas of Srinagar to prevent violence.

One person was killed and 40 others were injured in violent clashes between the stone-pelters and security forces on Saturday.

One civilian was killed when protesters tried to breach the cordon of security forces in Saimoh village on Saturday where Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and his accomplice were trapped. In clashes at other places, 40 people including 28 protesters and 12 security men were injured.

Out of the injured protesters eight are being treated for bullet injuries while seven have suffered pellet injuries and are admitted to different hospitals in Srinagar.

Restrictions under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Ganderbal, Badgam, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir while in south Kashmir, the districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian saw unprecedented security arrangements in place to ensure minimum attendance at Bhats funeral prayers.

Bhat was buried on late Saturday evening in his ancestral graveyard in Rathsun, a village in Tral tehsil.

His funeral prayers (Fateha) have been scheduled on Sunday to ensure peoples participation.

People in hundreds had arrived on Saturday from different places of south Kashmir to attend the burial of Sabzar and Faizan who were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Saimoh village.

The authorities have suspended internet services on mobile phones on Saturday in addition to suspension of outgoing call facility on prepaid mobile phones.

On Sunday morning, call facility, incoming and outgoing, have been suspended on all mobile phones whether post paid and prepaid. Only postpaid BSNL mobile phones are working at the moment.

Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns have been suspended.

Civil service (judicial) exam scheduled on Sunday has been cancelled.

All educational institutions have been ordered to remain closed on Monday in the Kashmir Valley.

The separatists have called for a protest shutdown on Sunday and Monday.

They have appealed people to march to Tral town on May 30 to offer funeral prayers and show solidarity with the slain Hizbul commander and his accomplice, both of whom belonged to Rathsuna village of Tral tehsil.
The conviction of 15 members of Black Widow, a disbanded Assam-based militant outfit, has established what was well known, but kept under wraps  that government funds were being funnelled for insurgent activities in some north-eastern states.

The court ruling on May 23 details the findings of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which exposed a sophisticated network involving government officials, businessmen, private contractors, hawala operators and militants, who diverted government funds to buy arms from dealers in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

The funds were used to fuel a two-decade-long insurgency to create Dimaland, said an NIA official.

The Birth of Black Widows

An insurgency to create Dimaland was initiated by Dimasa National Security Force (DNSF), which ceased its operations in 1995, except for Jewel Garlosa, the self-styled commander-in-chief of the group.

Garlosa  one of the 15 convicted  refused to surrender and launched Dima Halam Daogah (DHD). An ouster from DHD eight years later prompted him to form DHD (Jewel).

Opportunity provided itself to Garlosa to make major inroads in Assam. In 2003, the same year he was ousted, 17 Dimasa tribal men were abducted from Chachar district and allegedly killed by militants of Hmars Peoples ConventionDemocrats.

Widows of the 17 Dimasa men swore to avenge their husbands killing and began calling themselves Black Widows. Garlosa began to advocate the cause of a separate state for Dimasa tribe. He adopted the name Black Widow and stepped up violence in Cachar, NC Hills and Nagaon districts of Assam.

Funding from Government

There was of course one major issue that needed to be resolved  funding. Owing to the split in DHD, Garlosa knew that the only way for his Black Widow group to sustain in Assam was through a steady flow of funds.

When most of the militant groups in north-eastern states resorted to extortion, Garlosa and his second-in-command Niranjan Hojai went a step further and embedded his men in North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), one of the main administrative bodies governing the militancy-prone Dima Hasao district in Assam.

Modus Operandi

The first step would usually start with awarding of contracts for supply of office material to private contractors who held membership of Black Widow group.

Funds meant for departments such as Social Welfare and PHED were diverted to shell companies whose dummy directors would hand over the money to individuals in Kolkata to convert the same into dollars.

The dollars would then be sent to arms dealers through hawala operators. Arms would then be brought in from Thailand using multiple routes along border states in India.

Controlling from Bangkok

The network expanded to such an extent that on November 26, 2008, when the Mumbai attacks were underway, Niranjan Hojai forced a meeting with government officials of NCHAC at the residence of the chief executive member Dipobal Hojai from Bangkok.

Niranjan, documents state, asked Dipobal to resign and paved the way for Mohit Hojai after the former was not able to meet the fund demands of DHD(J).

If you dont listen, you will have the same fate as Purnendu Langthasa, shouted Niranjan on the phone while talking to Dipobal.

Purnendu Langthasa was a Congress leader murdered by militants in 2007, the year of the election which ASDC in alliance with BJP won. ASDC had the tacit support of DHD(J), reads the chargesheet in the case.

The Beginning of the End

A senior NIA official said that apart from stalling two major government projects  East-West Highway corridor and Broad Gauge conversion project  Black Widow, over time, became the biggest challenge to the governments writ in Assam.

Everything seemed to go well until March 2009 when two members of the group were caught transporting diverted government funds worth Rs 1 crore in Assam.

Intelligence agencies already had leads on government funds being diverted, but Rs 1 crore was too big a sum and alarming. Thats when the Home Ministry decided that the Black Widow group had to be stomped out completely, said an official.

Within weeks the NIA took over the case and chose agencys Mukesh Singh as the chief investigating officer. During the course of investigation, 15 people were arrested, including an IAS officer.

Niranjan and Garlosa, who were based out of Bangkok, were arrested when they travelled to India to overlook operations. More than 350 of its cadres surrendered in four years and in 2014, the group was finally dissolved.

Garlosa and Niranjan were released on interim bail in 2011, following which they joined the BJP and became NCHAC members but agency sources say the conviction of the two, and 13 others, is one of the most significant in NIAs history.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Defying the separatists shutdown call, nearly 800 Kashmiri youth on Sunday appeared in the armys common entrance exam in the Valley, which has been hit by fresh protests following the killing of Hizbul militant Sabzar Bhat.

Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in many parts of the Valley to maintain law and order in the wake of violence sparked by Bhats killing and the two-day shutdown called by separatist conglomerate the Hurriyat Conference.

An army official said 799 candidates appeared in the exam for selection of junior commissioned officers and other ranks held at Pattan and Srinagar.

It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls for choosing a brighter future, the official said.

He said 16 of the 815 candidates, who had passed the physical and medicals tests held earlier, did not turn up for the written exam.

Several parts of the Kashmir Valley were on the boil after security forces inflicted heavy damage on militants, killing eight of them, including Bhat, who had succeeded Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani following his killing last July.

Violence erupted on Saturday at more than 50 places in the Valley including in Srinagar and Tral as stone-pelting youth were out on streets attacking security forces.

Wanis killing had sparked a long spell of unrest in the Valley last year.
Indian scientists are preparing to launch a new rocket capable of carrying two times more weight into space than its predecessors. If all goes according to plan, the rocket could one day be used for Indias first human space mission.

Designed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the new rocket costs an estimated Rs 300 crore, but could result in equally high savings if it allows India to rely on locally manufactured technology to launch communication satellites. India currently uses French Ariane-5 rockets launched from Kourou in South America.

We are pushing ourselves to the limits to ensure that this new fully self-reliant Indian rocket succeeds in its maiden launch, said Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar. The group is aiming for a launch date of June 5.

India already has two operational rockets. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) can hoist 1.5 tonnes of satellites into space. It was used for Indias first missions to the Moon and to Mars. It failed on its maiden launch but has supported 38 successful missions since.

The second rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk-2), can carry two tonnes of satellites. Because of its repeated failures, it has been dubbed the naughty boy of Isro.

Space travel is a risky business. Rocket launches by the United States, Russia, Japan, and new private companies have all failed. Last September, a Falcon-9 rocket owned by SpaceX, a company led by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, caught fire and exploded on its launchpad.

Using its older rockets, Isro has performed 50 successful launches. It earned a world record in February after successfully placing 104 satellites in orbit.

The Isros new rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-3), is the heaviest rocket it has made, weighing in at 705 tonnes, roughly equal to 200 full-grown Asian elephants. This is 1.5 times heavier than the GSLV Mk-2 and almost double the PSLV.

The GSLV Mk-3 has a new cryogenic engine that is being tested on a fully functional rocket for the first time. Mastering this technology, which relies on liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, took more than 15 years for Indian scientists.

The Isro has already prepared plans for sending a human crew into space as soon as the government approves a budget of three-to-four billion dollars. India would become only the fourth country after Russia, the US, and China to have successfully launched a human space flight program.
A petition has been filed in Pakistans Supreme Court seeking immediate execution of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav if he fails to get his capital punishment overturned.

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer, filed the petition on Saturday through advocate Farooq Naek -- leader of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and former senate chairman.

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the Indian national if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Pakistan claims Jadhav was arrested from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav on charges of espionage and subversive activities.

However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), through an interim ruling, stayed Jadhavs execution till the case pending with it reached its logical end.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhavs trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and India was given consular access.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition said that Jadhavs mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country, and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the ICJ constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the VCCR, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention.
An unknown militant showed up in the local graveyard of Ratsuna in south Kashmirs Tral during the burial of Hizbul Mujahideens Sabzar Ahmad Bhat on Sunday morning.

He did not have a gun but appeared to carry a grenade in a pouch. His appearance triggered commotion among the mourners in and outside the graveyard.

Locals said he escaped from the encounter on Saturday in which 29-year-old Sabzar and another teenaged militant Faizaan were killed. HT could not independently verify the claims of the locals.

People jostled to touch him and made way for him to reach the grave which was being dug for the slain militant.

Dressed in black, tears rolled down his face as people swarmed around him to touch his face and beard. Some even kissed him and at one moment people carried him on their shoulders.

Just when he reached the grave, he shouted loudly: Hum Kya Chahte (What do we want) and people responded with Azadi in unison.

No one seemed sure about his name, though. Adil, Shakir and Azaan were the names bandied about. Eyewitnesses said that the militant had also addressed people on Saturday when they had gathered around Sabzars body. We will take revenge, he reportedly told the gathering.

Read more: A Burhan Wani aide who kept low profile: Who was Sabzar Bhat?

Deputy inspector general of police, South Kashmir SP Pani and superintendent of police (SP) Awantipora (Tral) Mohammad Zaid were not available for comment.

The funeral prayer of Sabzar was scheduled at 11 am but was offered in an orchard near his home at Ratsuna at 9 am and then taken to the Martyrs Graveyard for burial.

Slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wanis father Muzaffar Wani was among the thousands of mourners, including slogan-shouting women, who defied curfew to attend the funeral.

People continued coming till 12 in noon and funeral prayers in absentia were offered multiple times.

Unlike the May 7 incident when a group of militants fired a volley in the air in a gun salute to a slain militant in Kulgam, local said there was no such show at the funeral of Sabzar.

Locals also claimed that some other militants including Zakir Musa had also appeared to bid farewell to Sabzar on Saturday evening. The appearances of militants in the funerals of slain comrades are now becoming common in Kashmir.
Saurath Sabha or Sabha Gachhi, a 700-year old tradition, which provides a platform to facilitate marriages within the Maithil community world wide, is to be revived in Saurath Sabhagachhi village of Bihars Madhubani district, 175 kms north-east of Patna.

The move has been initiated after some Delhi-based Biharis evinced interest to infuse a second lease of life into the long-established tradition, making it functional and relevant to the contemporary society.

A Chalo Saurath Sabha campaign has been launched, urging Maithils to gather at Saurath and discuss the issue on June 25.

As per tradition, parents and relatives of prospective grooms and brides used to congregate at Saurath Sabhagachhi for match-making, taking into consideration individual profile, qualification and family history.

For centuries, Sabha Gachhi kept throbbing with prospective bridegrooms and guardians of boys and girls who turned up in thousands to negotiate before every marriage season. It, however, lost its charm in the last few decades.

A gathering at Saurath Sabhagachhi in the past. (HT file photo)

The trend is fast changing. People are now open for inter-caste and inter-religion marriages. Besides, some consider Sabha Gachhi a venue to settle marriages in families belonging to the low income group, as it saves time and money for people who do not need to visit various places in search of a suitable match. But we also need to realise that the Mithila tradition has been a great leveller and has brought together the rich and the poor on one platform, said Birbal Jha, convener of Mithila Lok, a private organisation espousing the cause to revive the Saurath Sabha.

Our appeal to revive the custom has evoked a very good response. Maithils from various parts of the country are arriving at Saurath Sabhagachhi on June 25 to plan and revive the age old tradition, he said.

We will also appeal to the local administration to develop Sabha Gachhi. It has to help us remove encroachment on the 22-acre Saurath Sabha land, where we can have a multi-purpose hall with space for wedding, accommodating guests and negotiations, he added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation in the 32nd episode of the monthly Mann Ki Baat programme, his first since completing three years in power.

In the previous episode of the programme broadcast on April 30, Modi covered a range of subjects but underlined the importance of doing away with VIP culture. The concept of New India is EPI- Every Person is Important- instead of VIP, he had said.

Here are the highlights of PM Modis address:

- Indias diversity is our strength.

- We are proud that people from all faiths live in India in a harmonious manner.

- I am happy that our young generation is keen to know about our history and sacrifices made by our freedom fighters.

- Connecting with nature is nothing but connecting with ourselves; It refreshes us.

- Constructive criticism strengthens our democracy.

- Yoga guarantees both wellness and fitness. I want people to send me pictures of 3 generations doing Yoga.

- There needs to be focus on waste management.

- 5th June is World Environment Day. This year the UN have chosen Connecting People to Nature theme.

- If we protect our environment now, coming generations will be benefited.

- I am very happy people are evaluating our work in great detail. I welcome this.
The founder of modern China, the all-powerful Mao Zedong, would have ended the border dispute with India by returning the land south of the McMahon Line if a peoples government had come to power in New Delhi.

This and many such suggestions were made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) chairman during an 80-minute meeting with a group of Naxal leaders in Beijing in 1967.

Pushing for a Peoples Revolution, Mao encouraged the radical Left leaders from Indiato use surprise attacks to seize weapons from policemen, and use superior forces to annihilate a small group of police force at each battle.

This little-known piece of history was shared with HT by Shanghai-based historian Li Danhui who accessed archives to find out what happened during the meeting between the worlds most powerful Communist leader and the leaders of a nascent peasant uprising in Naxalbari, a small northern Bengal town, 50 years ago.

India should rely on workers, farmers to solve the problem... We (The proletariat) do not rely on Gandhi, Nehru and so on to solve the problem, Mao said during the December 13, 1967 meeting with Naxal leaders, led by Kanu Sanyal.

They are temporary; only heroes are workers, farmers, they are the leaders of the future.

As the four men -- Sanyal, Dipak Biswas, Khudan Mullick and Khokan Majumdar -- walked down the stairs of the Great Hall of the People on that freezing morning, Maos words on Peoples Revolution were ringing in their ears.

Discussing the border conflict, Mao indicated he didnt want the 90,000sq km of disputed land but for the capitalist and feudal government in India.

...Because India was an imperialist, feudalist and bureaucrat capitalist government, thus, China had to fight for every inch of land. China had been using dilatory tactics in dealing with this issue, Li, who is with the East China Norma University, quoted archives as saying.

Mao was talking about the eastern sector of the Indian border.

When the CPI leftists come to power and establish revolutionary peoples government, China would sign a treaty with them and return all the land south of the McMahon Line to them, Mao said.

Chinas most powerful men -- premier Zhou Enlai, vice-chief of general staff of Peoples Liberation Army Yang Chengwu and CPCs internal security and intelligence in-charge Kang Sheng were present in the meeting that started sharp at 10:25am.

Brothers in arms

Citing the minutes of the meeting, Li said the Indian group was named the Darjeeling County Committee Study Group. Naxalbari is in Darjeeling district.

Interestingly, records use Majumdars real name -- Abdul Hamid.

His journey and that of his comrades was arduous, with the last stretch, passing through Tibet, covered on horseback. But once in Beijng, the CPC took them under its wings.

From September 15 to the middle of December, the four men received military training at a PLA base near Beijing.

The CPI (Communist Party of India) Darjeeling County Committee dispatched trainees to China in turn, Li said.

The Chinese embassy in Nepal advised them on the route to China. At Changping Military School on outskirts of Beijing, they were taught guerrilla war. They also learnt to manufacture ammunition and handle explosives.

Mao welcomed the CPI trainees, who practised military manoeuvres in Tibet.

The Chinese leaders opinion of India and it leaders showed a shift in his policies since 1959. According to Li, by late 1959 and early 1960, Mao viewed Nehru as a reactionary nationalist.

Nehru, the half-man and half-devil, who colluded with imperialists and Soviet revisionists, became the culprit among those anti-China counter-revolutionaries. Thus, when Mao stepped up his left-turning in Chinas foreign policy in 1962, he was more active in leading world revolutionary movements, Li said.

India and China fought their only war in 1962.

Sanyal, according to Li, told Mao: The revolution has its ups and downs, moving like a wave, and will have setbacks. We are confident that we will eventually be liberated if we follow the path of Chairman Mao.

Maos words would have a profound influence on the movement.

After the Sino-Soviet split, Chinese authority was of great significance in giving Charu Majumdars faction internationally certified authority, said New Delhi-based historian Dilip Simeon.

Majumdars account of what came to be known as Naxalbari uprising has had a strong influence on Lefts ideology in India

The CPC and Maos opinion were best expressed in an opinion piece published by the Peoples Daily, Simeon said.

A peal of spring thunder has crashed over the land of India. Revolutionary peasants in the Darjeeling area have risen in rebellion. Under the leadership of a revolutionary group of the Indian Communist Party, a red area of rural revolutionary armed struggle has been established in India..., the editorial said.
Chhattisgarhs Maoists have lashed out at Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and badminton star Saina Nehwal for giving financial help to the families of 12 CRPF jawans they killed in an ambush on March 11.

A Maoist leaflet on Sunday said the popular actor and the Olympics medallist should not support forces that loot the poor.

Akshay donated Rs 9 lakh each to the families of the slain CRPF personnel, while Nehwal donated Rs 6 lakh.

The leaflet from CPI(Maoist) Bastar south sub-zonal bureau said they strongly condemned Akshay and Nehwals gesture. The Maoists appealed to celebrities to support their krantikari andolan (revolutionary movement) and the poor, and also speak against human rights violations and police atrocities.

The rebels also condemned cow vigilantes and said they were killing Muslims and Dalits under the pretext of preventing cow slaughter.

Chhattisgarhs special director general (anti-Maoist operations), DM Awasthi, said the leaflet reflects their mentality and everyone should denounce such a mentality. Everyone appreciates what the two celebrities did for the martyrs and it is a nationalist approach.

Maoists have killed more than 3,000 civilians and security personnel across the country. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal are among the states most affected by left-wing extremism.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Maoists have threatened to kill a judge of the lower court who sentenced five of their colleagues to death on May 25 for killing two CRPF personnel in blasts during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.

The Maoists have threatened the additional district judge-I, Munger, Jyoti Swarup Srivastava, to try him in a Jan Adalat (peoples court convened by the Maoists) and award him capital punishment.

This is the first time the Maoists have threatened a judge. They have in the past issued warnings to politicians and police personnel.

In a letter circulated in north Bihar by the Bihar-Jharkhand Seemant Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist), the extremists have condemned the sentencing of the five innocent farmers and called for a mass agitation against the order.

The signatory of the letter, Laljit Koda, has also called for a bandh in five districts of Banka, Bhagalpur, Lakhisarai, Jamui and Munger today and tomorrow (May 28, 29) against the sentencing.

Following the threat to judge Srivastava, his security has been enhanced though Munger superintendent of police (SP) Ashish Bharti denied there was any threat.

Talking to HT, the SP said security has been enhanced for the judge after he pronounced death penalty against five Maoists for killing two CRPF men in blasts in 2014. The blasts were triggered when the jawans were on way to a polling station in Jamui.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Judicial Service Association (BJSA) has expressed concern over the security of judicial officers, especially those posted in Maoist hit district of the state.

The states new security norm of May 2 has withdrawn security cover to judicial officers below the rank of chief judicial magistrate, said Ajit Kumar, secretary of BJSA. He said, earlier security was provided to all judicial officers dealing with session and magisterial cases.

The new resolution takes care of personal security of ex-MLAs and former MLCs, but is silent on security of ex-judges, he said. A representation to reconsider the government decision on extending personal security cover to judicial officers had been submitted to the director-general of police (DGP) and the home secretary on May 18, added Kumar.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is unlikely to join hands with the BJP or pull the plug on the grand alliance but his recent political moves were cleverly crafted with the larger aim to tame Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.

The raids by the income tax department to unearth the alleged benami (anonymous) properties linked to Lalu and his family did not come as a surprise to Kumar for he very well knew the repercussions of joining hands with the RJD chief.

When the grand alliance, comprising Kumar's Janata Dal (United), RJD and the Congress, was formed in Bihar a few months ahead of the assembly elections in October-November 2015, Lalu was already convicted in a corruption case and even barred from contesting polls.

At that time, Kumar also faced uncomfortable questions regarding the possibility of the return of jungle raj, a term used to describe the RJDs 15 year rule that was marred by frequent law and order problems.

Not only did Lalu help the grand alliance win the elections convincingly but also thwarted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to establish a BJP rule in Bihar.

So, the friends-turned-foes-turned-friends who came together to stop the BJPs victory march are unlikely to part ways at this juncture when staying together is a compulsion for their political survival.

In the past few months, there has been intense speculation about the renewal of ties between the JD(U) and the BJP but Kumar has repeatedly dismissed such suggestions.

Probably, there are reasons to believe him on the issue. Firstly, there is no change in the position that the JD(U) took in 2013 when it decided to break its 17-year alliance with the BJP over the naming of Modi as the BJPs prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Secondly, the BJP is not going to offer him a role bigger than he is playing now.

On the other hand, if Kumar stays in the opposition camp there are chances that he might be projected as the prime ministerial candidate against Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

To send a strong message to the BJP, Kumar last month organised a mega function to mark Mahatma Gandhis Champaran centenary celebrations. His government is also distributing leaflets on the life and ideology of Gandhi to every household in the state.

But at the same time, Kumar wants to keep intact his image as the anti-corruption crusader in Bihar and would like to disassociate himself with any controversy surrounding Lalu over the allegations of graft.

He has so far maintained a silence on the issue, merely saying it was for the central government to look into the accusations.

The larger aim here is to tame Lalu who remains a mass leader with the capacity, presence of mind and political sharpness to turn around adversity on its head.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned two Kashmiri separatist leaders to its headquarters in Delhi on Monday in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate and Javed Ahmed Baba alias Gazi of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have been asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers by the investigating agency. The NIA team had questioned them in Srinagar for four consecutive days earlier this month.

The questioning comes after the central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.

The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a news channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.

Dar alias Bitta Karate and Baba alias Gazi, who are also named in the PE, will be again questioned for their alleged involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir as well as fuelling unrest and promoting stone-pelting in the Valley.

The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge- sheeted so far in the Valley in recent cases related to causing damage to schools and public property as part of a larger conspiracy to perpetuate chaos in Kashmir.

During their stay in Srinagar, the NIA team, headed by its additional director general, also gathered evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools. Khan had allegedly claimed in the sting operation that the educational institutions had been targeted under plans hatched in Pakistan.

The schools were damaged last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

The NIAs 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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his four-nation tour of Germany, Spain, Russia and France beginning on Monday is aimed at boosting Indias economic engagement with these nations and inviting more investment.

In the first leg of his six-day trip, he will visit Germany, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).

PM Modis itinerary PM Modi is going on a six-day tour from May 29-3 June. May 29- PM will first stop in Germany. He will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. May 30- Modi will travel to Spain- the first Indian PM in almost three decades. He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy May 31 to June 2- PM Modi will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia. Will attend 18th India-Russia Annual Summit, meet President Vladimir Putin. June 2 to 3- PM will visit France. He will attend an official meeting with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.

He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In Berlin, Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties.

I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership, he said in a Facebook post.

On Tuesday, Modi will travel to Spain for an official visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades.

He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy.

From Spain, the prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

...I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016, he said.

The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries.

On June 2, Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where India is the guest country.

In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders, he said.

In the last leg of the tour, he will visit France from June 2 to 3 for an official meeting with the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.

France is one of our most important Strategic Partners. I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest, Modi said.

France is Indias 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways.

I am committed to substantially strengthening and advancing our multi-faceted partnership with France, the prime minister said.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi condemned on Sunday the slaughter of a cow by his partys youth activists in Kerala, terming the incident barbaric and completely unacceptable in the wake of a political tug-of-war.

Youth groups of the states ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF opposition killed the animal in Kannur in public view on Saturday evening, cooked its meat and distributed it during a Beef Fest to protest against the BJP-led central governments new rules on cattle trade that ban the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter through animal markets .

Congress and other Opposition parties have been fierce critics of the Centres National Democratic Alliance government over self-styled cow protectors, but Gandhis condemnation made it clear that his party was distancing itself from the incident that drew flak from animal rights activists.

What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless,barbaric& completely unacceptable to me &the Congress Party.I strongly condemn the incident  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 28, 2017

Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who posted a purported video of the incident on Twitter, called it cruelty, saying no normal person can behave in this manner.

Kannur Police in north Kerala booked some Youth Congress activists, who were charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

Though Kerala is one of the few Indian states where cow slaughter is not banned, animal lovers said brazen acts like the one in Kannur glorified cruelty towards animals.

If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not, said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

The CPI(M) too strongly protested against the cow slaughter. It is a thoughtless act and it will only help Sangh Parivar outfits. It is sad that Youth Congress activists stooped so low for publicity, CPI(M) member of Parliament MB Rajesh said.

But Youth Congress worker Rijil Makulti, accused of the cattle slaughter, said: We dont regret our act. This was done as part of our protest.

Beef is a staple food in Kerala, and the Centres new rules have caused widespread anger. Even Kerala chief minister Pinarai Vijayan criticised the Centre, saying Keralites had a traditional, healthy and nutritious food habit.

The Kerala government, for its part, suggested it could bring in a law to counter the central government rules. The new rules do not amount to a blanket ban on cattle trade or their slaughter, and license breeding remains legal. But the move will crimp supplies to the countrys Rs 1-lakh crore meat and allied industries which sources about 90% of their requirements from animal markets.

(With agency inputs)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has started reorganising the party to counter a rash of fringe Dalit outfits who are actively wooing the community.

Outfits like the Bhim Army, Dalit Yuva Dal, Dalit Federation, Dalit Caravan, Ambedkar Army, Dalit Revolution and Dalit Rising have become a new worry for Mayawati whose party finished a poor third in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election earlier this year.

With her support base eroding, she changed her strategy last week by visiting Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur to meet the Dalits who have been victims of violence. It was after three years that she had made a road trip.

AK Mishra, a political observer, said, After the BSPs humiliating defeat in the assembly election and a rebellion by senior party leaders, there is complete disarray among Dalit voters who formed the partys core support base.

The BSP won only 19 seats in the 403-member state assembly. And now Dalit youths are mulling over other options and looking for outfits that can make a mark in state politics. The rise of (Bhim Army founder) Chandrashekhar was the result of this stirring among the Dalits, Mishra said.

Along with the rise of the new Dalit outfits, pressure had also mounted on Mayawati to put in place a second rung of leadership. She made her younger brother Anand Kumar the partys national vice-president (second in command). And to woo the youth voters, she started promoting her nephew Aakash, who is in his early 20s, effectively ensuring that the leadership of the BSP would remain in the family.

She introduced Aakash at a meeting of party workers in Lucknow last month. He also accompanied her to Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district on May 23 to meet the Dalits who were at the receiving end of violence by Thakurs.

The rise of the Bhim Army under young Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan upset Mayawatis plan. She not only denied any association with Bhim Army but described its leadership as a product of the saffron brigade conspiracy to eat into her Dalit vote bank. Demanding action against the leaders of Bhim Army, she said police had failed to arrest them as they were protected by the BJP leadership.

To counter Chandrashekhar, she ensured that Aakash interacted with local Dalit youths during her Saharanpur visit.

A BSP leader said, To wean Dalits away from the influence of the Bhim Army, Mayawati has directed the party leaders to organise cadre camps and meetings of bhai- chara committees. The aim is to tell Dalits not to fall in the trap of the opposition and to remain under the BSP umbrella for recapturing political power.
The police on Sunday arrested four people and seized scrapped currency in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations with a face value of over Rs 1 crore.

Bharuch Special Operations Group (SOG) made the arrest after intercepting an SUV which was coming here from Surat in Sheetal Chowk area, a police official said.

As many as 11,322 demonetised notes having a face value of Rs 1,01,98,000, were found in a travel bag kept in the vehicle, he said.

An FIR was registered at Bharuch C division police station after they failed to provide a satisfactory reply about the source of the defunct bills, the official said.

The accused were identified as Chatur Singh Sodha, resident of Barmer in Rajasthan, Denis Gangani, from Bhavnagar, Himanshu Megdani and Viral Ranpariya, from Surat.

We seized their mobile phones and documents they were carrying and launched an investigation, the official said.

They did not reveal the source of the scrapped notes, but said they wanted to exchange them for a commission, the police said.

An SOG team has left for Surat to probe the matter, he said.

The seizure comes a day after Rajkot police seized Rs 1 crore in scrapped notes and arrested two people.
A dispute arising out of a stone thrown at a barking dog led to the stabbing of a 13 year old boy, and the subsequent killing of his father and sister, at a village in Madhubani district of north Bihar. The man who committed the murders is said to have criminal antecedents.

Bhola Mukhiya, 45, and his daughter Arti Kumari, 22, were stabbed to death with sharp edged weapons, late evening on Saturday, at Bachhi village under Rahika police station of Madhubani district, about 165 km north of state capital, Patna.

The gruesome incident was an immediate sequel to stabbing of Mukhiyas son Pradeep Kumar, 13, by owner of a barking dog at which the boy reportedly threw a stone to stop the animal from biting him. Pradeep was grazing cattle in the outskirts of the village when the dog went after him.

When Mukhiya saw his son lying in a pool of blood, he entered into a verbal duel with the person who had stabbed Pradeep. The assailant then attacked Mukhiya with a sharp-edged weapon, causing his immediate death. Mukhiyas daughter, who tried to save him, was also stabbed and died from her injuries.

Pradeep has been hospitalised in a critical condition.

Sources said enraged over the incident, a large number of Bachhi villagers assembled at the spot and set the house of the accused, on fire. Thereafter, the Madhubani district magistrate and other officials rushed to the spot. . Police had to use baton and tear gas shells to quell the mob.

Madhubani SP Deepak Barnwal confirmed that Mukhiya and his daughter had been killed in the attack and that the police had to rescue the alleged murder accused from the wrath of irate villagers. The situation is now under control and the matter is being investigated, he said, late Saturday..

Rahika police station in-charge Pradeep Paswan told HT on Sunday morning that the police had detained four-five persons, including Kalikant Choudhary alias Kallu Choudhary, for interrogation in connection with Saturdays incident. .

As of now, we are not in a position to identify the accused with certainty, in the absence of any fard bayan (complaint) recorded with the police from the side of the victims, he said.

According to some Bachhi residents, the culprit had shifted to the village a few months ago and was staying in isolation from members of the village community. Villagers were maintaining a distance from the accused as he was believed to have criminal antecedents. So, we are not sure of his identity, said one villager.

We have learnt that Pradeep was stabbed when he threw a stone to ward off an attack on him by the dog who was barking and lunging at him. This is what is believed to have led to the subsequent killing of his father and sister, said another villager.

The identity of the culprit could not be established as the SPs cell phone went unanswered on Sunday..
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday questioned the Oppositions silence on Keralas beef fests organised in protest agaisnt the Centres decision banning sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter.

Leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M) slaughtered a calf in Kannur in public view, cooked its meat and distributed it during a Beef Fest to protest against the BJP-led central governments new rules.

I saw yesterday, how even after the governments order there was a beef party held in Kerala, said the chief minister at a public felicitation function by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Sunday evening.

I feel there is a lot of talk in the country to respect each others feelings and several organisations demand this in the name of secularism. But why are they mum on the Kerala incident? said Adityanath.

On Sunday evening, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident, terming it barbaric and completely unacceptable.

Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who posted the video of the incident on Twitter, called it cruelty at it peak and said no normal person can behave in this manner. Kannur Police in north Kerala booked 16 Youth Congress workers, who were charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

At the ABVP programme in Lucknow, chief minister Adityanath called for quality and equal education for all.

The British tried to divide and rule. Even after independence, there has been a conspiracy to divide people in the name of communities, he said.

The chief minister said his government has decided to bring about a change in the education pattern. If the ABVP brings a proposal on equality of education, we shall think about it.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Police in Kannur in north Kerala on Sunday booked 16 Youth Congress activists who slaughtered a cow in public and cooked its meat and distributed it. They were charged under IPC Section 428 and section (ii) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

Several youth groups of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF opposition have organised these festivals to protest against the Centres recent decision to ban sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move criticised by several states.

But Saturdays slaughter seems to have backfired.

It is a thoughtless act and it will only help Sangh Parivar outfits. It is sad that Youth Congress activists stooped so low for publicity, CPI(M) member of Parliament MB Rajesh said.

Beef is a staple in Kerala and the new rules have caused widespread anger.

Though Kerala is one of the few states where cow slaughter is not banned, animal lovers said such brazen acts glorify cruelty towards animals and demanded action against Youth Congress activists.

The BJP, which is trying to gain a toehold in the state and won its first seat in the last years assembly election, also criticised the slaughtering of the animal at a busy market in the heart of Kannur while the Congress asked its cadres to use restrain during protests.

BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan tweeted the video of the slaughter, saying it was the cruelty at its peak.

Youth Congress activists defended their move, saying it was a natural form of protest. The Centre is denying food to the people, it is the biggest cruelty, Youth Congress leader Rejil Makutty said.

Police registered a case against Youth Congress activists who slaughtered a cow in public and cooked its meat. They were booked under IPC Section 428 and section (ii) of the PCA Act 1960.

The Centres decision, which will hurt millions of poor farmers and squeeze supplies to the countrys Rs 1 lakh-crore meat industry, is being seen as a move to push the BJPs alleged Hindutva agenda.

Cows are considered holy by many Hindus, and have gained in importance since Prime Minister Narendra Modi stormed to power in 2014 with several BJP-ruled states enacting strict laws to punish cow slaughter.

As protest mounted in the state, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Centre couldnt draw up a menu and change the food habits of people.

Today it is saying you cant eat beef, tomorrow it can say no to fish also. We will not allow this to happen in our state, the CM said, adding the decision would leave many people jobless. The state government is talking to legal experts to challenge the notification.

Many of the ruling CPI (M) leaders come from Kannur, where the Left party is involved in a bloody turf war with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP.

Read | Kerala explores legal options against new cattle trade rule, outfits hold beef fests

In Kerala at least 500,000 people are directly or indirectly involved in cattle trade, slaughterhouses and allied areas. According to the state animal husbandry department data, 117,000 adult cattle and 70,000 young cattle were slaughtered in Kerala in 2016 where beef accounts for 60% of the total meat consumed.

Since most of the cattle come from the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Kerala meat traders fear that the new notification will embolden Hindu fringe outfits and hit supply leading to a shortage of meat in the state.

Cow slaughter and smuggling are banned in most parts of the country but there are no curbs on buffalo meat, which is eaten widely as a cheap source of protein.

But the new norms will also hit buffalo meat, which goes by different names globally and is also referred to as beef in India, a reason enough for the so-called cow protectors to assault people or even force shut down of eateries.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Fitness and wellness instructors suggest that eating right along with a controlled workout may lead to added energy during Ramzan fasts fasts.

Rozedars will have to bear the hot and humid weather on an empty stomach for over 15 hours every day. The roza (fast) will begin at around 3:40 am and go on till around 7pm. In this intense heat, keeping a waterless dawn-to-dusk fast will require people to be careful in their food choices.

Samina advises a good eating plan to remain hydrated and energetic all through the day. I prefer to eat light and healthy during sehri (meal before dawn). My food includes a lot of liquids, which is a great help throughout the day. Avoiding heavy food during iftar (meal after dusk) is helpful too. One should eat light during iftar and then have a sumptuous dinner. This ensures adequate energy supply.

Why fasts? Taqwa, meaning righteousness in Arabic, is the fundamental purpose of fasting. Maulana Khalid Rasheed says it is not just an element of faith, but it's a form of training that enables one to live according to ones relationship with God. Ramzan ends with the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid, when Muslims pray and conduct an additional mid-morning prayer in congregation.

Sobia Alam, 30, a fitness freak, says, To me, its not about giving up ones routine but tweaking ones schedule to accomplish the duty. So, she says, attending gym session during Ramzan is as important for her as observing fasts. I cant skip my workout, nor do I want to miss fasts. So, I will exercise early morning or after breaking the fast, she adds.

Yoga expert Mohit Singh says, Rozedars should abstain from performing aasanas that require forceful breathing like kapalbhati and bhastrika. However, they can do other breathing and stretching exercises early morning or after iftar. He also advises consuming a good portion of fruits during sehri. Eating lots of water melon, musk melon, cucumbers, etc., will keep the body hydrated throughout the day.

Despite the long and tough days ahead, rozedars, especially youngsters, are all set for abstinence from water, food and other desires - as required during the holy month of Ramzan. They are determined not to let their tough schedules and harsh weather conditions deter them from performing their duty as Muslims.

Samina Bano, a young education activist says, It all depends on ones will power. Once you begin, its not as hard as it initially appears to be. As the lunar calendar is different from the solar calendar, dates of Ramzan shift by around 10 days every year. When the month falls during peak summer, the fasting hours are longer.

Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli says, Fasting during Ramzan teaches patience and control to rozedars. Also, when they stay without food and water all through the day, they realise the worth of food, and the pain of the poor.

Ramzan commences from the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered to be the most holy and blessed month among Muslims. Rozedars observe fasts and forego of food, drink and other desires from dawn till dusk.

Observance of Ramzan is one of the five core pillars of Islam. The word 'Ramzan' is derived from an Arabic word, which means intense heat.

Ramzan fasts begin after either the sighting of the new crescent moon or the completion of 30 days of the previous month Sha'ban (if the moon is not sighted). The pious month ends after the new moon of the following month (Shawwal) is sighted, or after the completion of 30 days of fasting.

Read more: Apps aplenty to help tech-savvy Muslims observe Ramzan

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Beating rumour mongers at their own game, police officials in Uttar Pradeshs Pilibhit used mobile messaging application WhatsApp to quell rumours and restore peace in Gaubhoj village of the district.

In recent days, rumour mongers have used social media to create bad blood among people that, in some cases, resulted in arson, violence and deaths.

After Gaubhoj residents clashed with police over demolition of a temple on May 23 and 24, tension returned to the area on Friday following rumours of custodial death of a woman prisoner Gomti Devi. The woman was arrested on May 25 following the violence and is said to be one of the masterminds behind the clashes.

The rumours started with a WhatsApp message, which started doing the rounds on Friday evening, and eventually spurred the district administration into taking damage-control measures.

The message stated that Devi died under mysterious circumstances in the district prison and went on to accuse the police for the death, said Pilibhit superintendent of police (SP) Devranjan Verma. It was a rumour but some villagers used it to incite others, he added.

The rumours worked for the conspirators as villagers started gathering near the Assam highway at around 6 pm on Friday. This sent the police administration into a tizzy. Administrative officials also took notice of the development.

It was then that the SP rushed to the district prison to find out about Gomtis condition. The officer also recorded a short video, which showed Gomti holding the days newspaper while the officer inquired about her health.

The 57 second video was then circulated on various WhatsApp groups, along with a message from the SP, stating that Devi was alive.

Later, four police teams visited the village and announced the news of Devis well-being on loudspeakers. The team also met the seniors of the village and showed them the video, the officer said.

The teams continued their endeavour for peace till past 10 pm and returned only after most of the villagers retired for the night.

People who gathered on the highway also dispersed after watching the video.

During investigation police identified two people who allegedly started the rumour mischief. We have identified Tara Chand Kashyap and Anil Kumar of the village. According to surveillance, they posted the message about Gomtis death on the social network site, claimed the officer.

Read more | Faking it on WhatsApp: How Indias favourite messaging app is turning into a rumour mill
The clock tower at the General Post Office (GPO) in Lucknow is not the only one for which the time is not right. Other clock towers in the city too are stuck in time, highlighting the inability of the departments concerned in preserving the citys rich heritage, prodding demands for their restoration.

Lucknow has around five clock towersHussainanabad Clock Tower, one at Central Bank in Hazratganj, Aminabad, Hamid Clock Tower at City Station and the one at the GPO. But almost all the clocks, historians said, had either stopped chiming or were lying defunct.

Waiting for good times Lucknow has around five clock towersHussainanabad Clock Tower, one at Central Bank in Hazratganj, Aminabad, Hamid Clock Tower at City Station and the one at the GPO. Hussainabad Clock Tower, a replica of the famous Big Ben in London, is the most magnificent. James William Benson, the then clockmaker to the Queen of England and makers of the celebrated Big Ben was awarded the contract and Major Norman MT Horsford of the Bengal Staff Corps supervised the construction work. As the clocks are lying defunct, heritage enthusiasts are demanding their restoration.

Of these, Hussainabad Clock Tower, a replica of the famous Big Ben in London, is the most magnificent. The public timekeeper was built by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider at a cost of Rs 1.75 lakh in 1882-87 to mark the arrival of Sir George Cooper Bart, the first Lieutenant Governor of the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. James William Benson, the then clockmaker to the Queen of England and makers of the celebrated Big Ben was awarded the contract and Major Norman MT Horsford of the Bengal Staff Corps supervised the construction work, said Yogesh Praveen, a city based historian.

Carting heavy machinery and installing the huge cast iron bells at a height of 220 ft inside the clock tower itself was no small task. With the Moorish dome on the top, the clock was made entirely of bell metal imported from London. Each side of the clock is 13 ft in diameter, with flower shaped dials and petals 3 ft in diameter. The minute hand is 6 ft long and hour hand 4.5 ft. It is also said that its bells used to produce a sound that could be heard across the length and breadth of the city.

Sadly, this clock tower, despite being of great heritage value, is not on the protection list of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is lying defunct. Officials of Hussainabad and Allied trust (HAT) said the clock tower stopped functioning completely in 1984.

The district administration began an attempt to start the clock in 1999, but failed. In 2004, another attempt to restore the clock was made but it also was in vain, as the person hired for the job fled with its crucial parts. In 2009 HAT made another attempt to restore the timekeeper and contacted an Anglo Swiss Company for the purpose, but the companys official said the clock could not be repaired as its parts were missing.

In 2010, the district administration decided to replace the clock. But then, it was approached by Akhilesh Agarwal and Paritosh Chauhan, who came forward to make one last attempt. On April 13, 2010, they began working and were able to make the defunct clock functional by October 28, 2010. Finally on September 13, 2011, they made the giant clock tower chime, after a silence of 27 long years.

But, it went silent again after a few years. Similarly, the other clock towers are also lying defunct. Heritage enthusiasts here demanded their restoration, saying they formed an important part of the citys heritage and should be saved on priority basis.

Clock towers are a part of our heritage. How can we turn a blind eye to their sorry state? The state government or the agencies concerned should take proper measures to restore the public timekeeper, said S Mohammed Haider, a heritage activist.

Read more: Lucknow misses melodious chimes as iconic GPO clock goes silent

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Yogi Adityanath government has given a go ahead to the excise department to reorganise itself to check the sale of illicit liquor and prevent cross-border smuggling of foreign liquor in Uttar Pradesh.

As part of the exercise, the excise department has set up 339 tehsil-level crime prevention circles/sectors in all 75 districts of the state. Each sector will be headed by an excise inspector who will have at least two head constables and five constables under him. Reorganisation of the department was first proposed in 2010 when the need for better enforcement of measures in 915 cities/towns and 821 development blocks in the state was felt.

However, the plan could not be implemented due to lack of manpower and the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) was asked to fill vacant posts in excise department.

Hooch tragedies in UP At least 22 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Aliganj town of Etah in July last year. Four people died in Farrukhabad in July last year. Hooch tragedy claimed 32 lives in Malihabad and Unnao villages in January 2015.

After the department got equipped with adequate manpower, it again sought permission from the state government. Additional chief secretary (excise) Deepak Trivedi, through a missive dated May 1, 2017, informed excise commissioner Dheeraj Sahu about the governments nod to the proposal.

Instead of 218 parent circles, the districts have been divided into 339 crime preventive circles, including 121 new ones, to launch a crackdown on bootleggers and sale of hooch, said a senior official at excise department.

Earlier, the division of circles was uneven with a single excise inspector having multiple tehsils spread across 4-5 police stations under him. Now, an excise inspector will have only one tehsil under him, said deputy excise commissioner (law), UP, Harish Chandra Srivastava.

Only seven districts  Kanpur Nagar, Fatehpur, Pilibhit, Varanasi, Ballia, Chitrakoot and Farrukhabad  will continue to function according to earlier circles as they were found to be as per the norms. Changes will be effected in remaining 68 districts, he said.

In Allahabad district, Meja, Karchana, Bara and Koraon earlier comprised a single circle but after reorganisation Karchana and Bara will form one circle while Meja and Koraon will be a separate sector.

The state has witnessed incidents in the past where people lost lives and eyesight after consuming illicit liquor. This forced the government to order a pan-UP crackdown on hooch manufacturers and sellers.

According to a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the per capita liquor consumption in India stood at 55 per cent between 1992 and 2012. Another study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found an increase of 38 per cent in the per capita alcohol consumption in India.

The increased consumption has resulted in better income for the states with Uttar Pradesh earning over Rs 15,000 crore annually from liquor sale. Tighter enforcement will plug losses from illegal sale of liquor.

Read more | Anti-liquor protests: Will Uttar Pradesh turn dry like Bihar ?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A 23-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run, which took place on the Western Express Highway in Santacruz (East) on Sunday. The Vakola police have registered a case against an unidentified vehicle owner and investigations are on to trace him/her.

According to the police, the incident took place at 6.15am near Panbai School on the north-bound stretch of the highway. Bikesh Dubey, 25, is a resident of Santacruz (East) where he lives with his parents and two brothers. Dubey had left for his office at Sakinaka from home on his bike as usual.

On the highway, a vehicle knocked him down and fled from the spot without helping out. Dubey fell off his bike and suffered head injuries.

A patrolling police vehicle spotted him and rushed him to VN Desai hospital nearby, where he was declared dead on arrival at 7.10am.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A 40-year-old man was found dead with his throat slit at Kherwadi in Bandra (east) on Sunday. The Kherwadi police have registered a case of murder against an unknown person.

Sachin Deepak Chari was a resident of Shivlin Dairy Farm at Ahinsanagar. The police suspect that a financial dispute triggered the killing.

Chari had borrowed money from a friend. Chari and the friend were drinking on the terrace on the building number 3 of the government quarters in Kherwadi. An altercation may have broken out between them, resulting in Cahris murder. The killer fled from the spot, said a police officer.

The incident came to light after two neighbours went to the terrace and found Charis body in a pool of blood. They alerted the police control room. The police have sent Charis body for a post-mortem. His family was informed about the incident.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A seven-month pregnant woman delivered a premature baby girl on a local train near Virar station in Mumbai on Saturday.

Savita Thokre (35), a resident of Saphale in Palghar, was on her way to KEM hospital for monthly check-up. She had boarded a Churchgate-bound local train with her husband Santosh (45), a clerk.

As the local crossed Vaitarna station, she developed labour pains and a group of women commuters came to her aid and helped her deliver the baby.

As the train reached Virar station, four RPF constables rushed Savita to Joshi Hospital near the station.

According to Dr Hemant Joshi, the baby weighs 1.34 kg and will be in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NNICU) in the hospital for the next fortnight as she was underweight.

Savita and Santosh have been married for 15 years. Their first child, which was also born prematurely and weighed a mere 1.5 kg, died on the fifth day after delivery.
Forest department employees at Mahabaleshwar in Satara district of Maharashtra have accused Shiv Sena MLA Tukaram Kate of assaulting them over collection of tourist toll.

The allegations have been refuted by the MLA.

In the incident that was captured on CCTV, Kate was seen assaulting two men after they asked the Mumbai MLA to pay tourist toll.

The employees had merely asked the MLA to pay tourist toll like they do to all other people. They were unaware that he was an MLA. Instead of explaining his point, the MLA suddenly started assaulting the forest department employees, an official from the forest department said.

He claimed that when the men approached the police to file a complaint against Kate, they were snubbed and false cases were filed against them.

Meanwhile, the MLA has refused all charges and said, Nothing of this sort happened.

An official from Mahabaleshwar police station told media, There was some altercation between both parties. The MLA then came to the police station and filed a complaint against the two employees of the forest department and accordingly a complaint was lodged. We have not received any complaint from the other party.
Interested in a career in interior designing, media production or culinary arts? You no longer need to enrol in an add-on course while pursuing graduation. Colleges in Mumbai are now offering specialised courses in these subjects, which, until now, werent available as degree programmes.

The University of Mumbai (MU) had started offering specialised undergraduate programmes in 2002, when it introduced Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM), Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) and BSc (Information Technology), in addition to the traditional BA, BCom and BSc courses.

These programmes came to be known as self-financed courses, as they are not subsidised by the state government. Colleges charge students the full fee for the course. With the demand for these courses increasing, the university added a host of other such courses, including BCom (Accounting and Finance), BCom (Banking and Insurance) and BSc (Hospitality Studies). All these courses continue to be popular among students.

Now, the field has become much more diversified, with recent additions such as BA (Culinary Arts), BMS (Environmental Management and Economics) and BSc (Interdisciplinary).

These courses cater to the demands in the job market, while allowing students to focus on their field of interest at the undergraduate level.

With around 60 colleges affiliated to MU getting approval for new courses last year, many of them have started offering the recently-introduced courses. For example, GM Momin Womens College in Bhiwandi has added BSc (Interdisciplinary) among the list of courses available at the college.

According to Aslam Fakih, president of Kokan Muslim Education Society (KMES), the course will open up new employment avenues for the students. Five years ago, we had started BSc (Biotechnology) after realising that biotechnology has more scope in the future. BSc (Interdisciplinary) will be complimentary to this course, he said

Unlike the plain BSc, which offers in-depth study of one or two of the three major branches of science - Physics, Chemistry and Biology - the interdisciplinary course exposes them to all three. The course is said to be particularly helpful to those aspiring to be science teachers in schools, as they are required to be knowledgeable about various subjects.

Similarly, Maharashi Dayanand (MD) College in Parel has added BMS (Environmental Management and Economics). The course not only seeks to make the students technically sound, but also aims at their holistic development.

We expect this course to have more scope in the future. Be it corporate or government institutions, they are all concerned about being eco-friendly. Besides, the study of economics, which is a universal subject, makes management grads more effective in their jobs, said Thankam Ghule, principal of the college.

The students are being offered specialised courses in the field of humanities as well. A number of colleges, including KC College in Churchgate, have started courses like BA in Film, TV and New Media Production.

These days, students are getting more focused when it comes to choosing a career. We decided to offer this course, as there was no problem available for media production, said Hemlata Bagla, principal, KC College.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
After visiting Veer Sarvarkars home At BHagur in Nashik district, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that it was as sacred as visiting any temple.

Shiv Sena, BJPs ally in the state and Centre, also reiterated its demand for a Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian award, for Savarkar.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, better known as Veer Savarkar, was a right wing ideologue. He was a freedom fighter and was also chargesheeted in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but was exonerated for lack of evidence.

BJP is commemorating the 134th birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar and Fadnavis visited his birthplace as part of the programme.

Took Darshan at brave son of BharatMata Swatantryaveer Savarkars house; experienced amazing vibes. It was as sacred as Darshan in any temple, Fadnavis tweeted.

Ha said any insult to Savarkar would be similar to an insult of the Indian independence. He fought for independence from the British all his life. He was an inspiration for many and formed a generation of freedom fighters, Fadnavis said.

Savarkar was not a person, but an institution in himself. He taught us sacrifice, patriotism and patience. His biography should be written in golden words, but successive governments after independence has neglected it, the chief minister said.

Fadnavis declared an allocation of Rs 65 lakh for the conservation of Savarkars memorial in Nashik. He also inaugurated an exhibition of Savarkars rare books and assured full support from the state government to preserve the assets of our freedom struggle.

Meanwhile, Sena MP Arvind Sawant again reiterated the partys demand for honouring Savarkar with a Bharat Ratna. We are making this demand again on the birth anniversary of Savarkar ji. This (BJP) government says a lot about him but does nothing. Even today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Man ki Baat session praised Savarkar and asked the people of the country to visit the cellular jail on Andaman Nicobar islands, where he was kept. Despite this, we dont understand what is stopping them from honouring him with the Bharat Ratna, Sawant told HT.

Who is Sarvarkar?

Savarkar was a revolutionary who spent many years in the historic prison of Andaman and Nicobar islands. He propounded the philosophy of Hindutva and was arrested in the case of Mahatma Gandhis assassination but was not found guilty.

The Hindu Mahasabha, under his presidency, did not support the Quit India movement launched in August 1942. Savarkar also asked Hindus to help the British in their war effort against Germany and Japan. His supporters say this was a tactic to get more Hindus to get military training that could have been turned against the Britishers later.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
NDA ally Swabhimani Paksha, headed by farmers leader Raju Shetti, has decided to go no holds barred against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government over loan waiver for distressed farmers.

Shetti, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Hathkanangale constituency in Kolhapur, is on a six-day repentance march from Pune to Mumbai. The march, which confronts the state government on various demands of farmers, will reach Mumbai on Monday. On Tuesday, Shetti and other workers will meet Governor CV Rao and hand over all 6.5 lakh forms filled by farmers who want a loan waiver.

Accusing the government of deceiving farmers, Shetti said he was repenting his decision of supporting the government, which had adopted a Mar Jawaan, Mar Kisaan (Die Youth, Die Farmer) policy.

The farmers who elected this government will eliminate it. The jawans being martyred at the border are from farmer families and in villages, farmers are killing themselves. The government is following a Mar Jawaan, Mar Kisaan policy, he said.

Swabhimani Paksha collected these forms from states, in which farmers are debt-ridden because of bad policies implemented by the government.

Shetti, the Shiv Sena, another ally of the BJP government, and opposition parties have been demanding a loan waiver for farmers for a sometime now.

On reaching Mankhurd, Shetti was put on intravenous medication because his blood pressure fell drastically. He and the farmers, who are taking part in the march, will stay at Chembur and will hold a rally at Lalbaug on Monday, said a party office-bearer. We had hoped that things will change for farmers after a tea-seller (Narendra Modi) became the Prime Minister, but were were disappointed.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Following the murder, robbery and alleged gang rape in Jewar on Thursday, official police sources said on Sunday that they have detained a person and are close to cracking the case.

The detained man has reportedly been identified by one of the robbery victims.

According to the sources, the man was taken into custody during a night-long search. He is being questioned and the others involved will also be arrested on the basis of information provided by him, they added.

Read more: Will probe why medical reports of Jewar victims were made public, says Maneka

However, senior superintendent of police, Love Kumar, did not confirm any detention. He said, We are working on it and will soon work out the case. Police teams have gathered information from manual inputs. We have also got some leads.

Police sources also said that a report of the latest development has been forwarded to the inspector general of Meerut range, Ram Kumar, who is monitoring the investigations.

Meanwhile, political leaders have also kept up their focus on the investigations, asking the police to take swift action in the matter.

The member of legislative assembly (MLA) from Jewar, Dhirendra Singh, said, I am taking details from the police officers about their investigations on a daily basis. There were already many cases along the Yamuna Expressway that were never solved This is a brutal incident and the criminals cannot go scot-free.

Singh also reported the matter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday.

The victims are very poor and I have sought financial assistance for them. Moreover, I explained the nature of the case to him. The CM has assured all possible help, said Singh.

He added that opposition parties are trying to create tensions in the area, which will not be allowed.

The five-member committee of Samjawadi Party had come to polarise people. It is an incident of crime in which an investigation is required. I have extended my help to the victims, Singh added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
As Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore has accorded pardon to engineer Sukhwinderjit Singhs murder convicts  his wife Neki Nalwa and her paramour Himmat Singh Brandy  the victims mother says she feels shattered.

This is injustice to us. The decision has brought back flashes of the entire incident, and I feel shattered. Rajinder Kaur, 70, whose husband passed away during the course of the trial, told HT.

The high-profile case dates back to December 4, 2005, when Sukhwinderjit, an engineer with QuarkCity, was shot dead. He was out on an evening stroll with his wife Neki in Sector 69, near their house, when he was killed.

Police cracked the case within days, and Neki and Brandy have been in jail since December 2005.

They were sentenced to life term in June 2012, and remain lodged in the Rupnagar jail.

CASE SO FAR Dec 4, 2005: Engineer Sukhwinderjit Singh shot dead Dec 7: His wife Neki Nalwa and her paramour Himmat Singh arrested Feb 3-May 9, 2006: Two challans submitted in SAS Nagar court; charges framed Jun 2-4, 2012: Court convicts Neki and Brandy Jun 4: Court hears arguments on quantum of sentence; third convict Paramvir Singh awarded six-month jail for helping with murder weapon Jun 6, 2012: Neki and Brandy given life term by SAS Nagar court July 2017: Appeal against conviction due for hearing; but pardon now granted already by governor.

Their appeal against the sentence is pending before the high court, but the governor has already accepted their plea for mercy and remitted their remaining sentence under Section 161 of the Constitution, as per pardon orders issued on May 22.

The Rupnagar jail authorities are awaiting completion of some formalities before the release (see box).

Rajinder Kaur had tears in her eyes: My husband Inderjeet Singh died fighting the battle for 10 years. My son will never come back, and I will have to live with that pain. But the injustice of letting off Neki and Brandy is salt on our wounds.

She added, My husband had got a neuro disease in 2013 and was bedridden for seven months before dying in April 2015. I also dont keep well. I am staying alone with my grandson who is in a very crucial stage of his life and is pursuing his senior secondary studies. My husband used to slog in the courts to get justice.

Now I dont know what to do and whom to approach.

She sought clarity on how a decision for remission of sentence could be given when the appeal against conviction is pending with the high court . I will consult my advocate.

FORMALITIES BEFORE RELEASE

Rupnagar jail superintendent GS Sarowa said he had received the orders of pardon granted by Punjab governor to murder convicts Neki Nalwa and Himmat Singh from the secretary of the state home department.

He said that both will have to furnish bail bonds of Rs 30,000 each before the district magistrates (DM) of their respective home districts, Amritsar for Neki and SAS Nagar for Himmat Singh. Then, the DMs will issue their release orders.
Paul House, situated in the centre of the city, was lightened up with flashes of cameras as the familys daughter, who is visually impaired, scored 89% marks in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 exams, the result of which was declared on Sunday.

Gurleen Kaur, 18, is suffering from the disability since birth. Her mother Manpreet Kaur, a housewife, said that she is proud of her daughter as despite her disability, Gurleen did not quit and continued her studies. She wants her daughter to become an IAS officer.

Manpreet make files and notes for her daughter on the laptop and convert them into speech with the help of a special software that Gurleen uses.

Talking about Gurleens routine, her mother said, She gets up at 6am and studies. On the day of exam, she used to get up at 2am and study till 8. Whenever I asked if she needed any help, she say that she will manage. Her father Sukhwinder Paul Singh, who is in paint business, said he was extremenly overjoyed.

Gurleen is a student of Cambridge International School for Girls. I am a gadget freak. I love to play games and work on the laptop, she said.

We plan to take her outside and organise a grand party to celebrate the success, said her mother.
A movie by an Iranian who was arrested for his work in Iran won the Un Certain Regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, bolstering the countrys filmmakers reputation for defying the censors to make high-quality films.

A Man of Integrity, filmed in Iran but unlikely ever to be shown there due to censorship, is a tense drama about a man persecuted by powerful economic and political forces who refuses to bribe his way out of trouble.

Writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof, 45, was arrested alongside acclaimed director Jafar Panahi in 2010 and sentenced to jail. He is free on bail and has continued to make films that explore political and moral corruption.

Clutching the scroll he had just been awarded, Rasoulof said he hoped the prize would make things easier for him to make films in Iran.

Director Mohammad Rasoulof poses at the photocall for the film Lerd (A Man of Integrity) in competition for the category Un Certain Regard- Cannes, France.

I love Iran, but its like an alcoholic father, sometimes it hits me, he told Reuters.

Rasoulofs win comes three months after Asghar Farhadi won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for The Salesman, also shot in Iran, and recognises him as a major force in international cinema.

International support has really helped all filmmakers and especially me, by stopping the pressure they were putting on us, Rasoulof told Reuters in an interview earlier in the festival.

Rasoulof said Iranian authorities had given him a permit to shoot A Man of Integrity but only after he signed a paper promising not to make it too dark. He has not been granted permission to screen the film in Iran so, like his previous five features, it is unlikely to be seen there except via unauthorised copies.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof and cast members Nasim Adabi, Mohammad Akhlaghirad, Soudabeh Beizaee pose at a photocall for the film A Man of Integrity. (REUTERS)

Variety called A Man of Integrity a tense, enraging drama about corruption and injustice ... a scathing critique of contemporary Iranian society ... (that) manages to resonate on both specific and universal levels.

Un Certain Regard, a separate section from the main contest at Cannes, recognises younger talent and innovative filmmaking. The winners in the main competition, including the Palme dOr for best picture, will be announced on Sunday.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
At least 15 members of a single family were killed when a pickup truck veered off the road and plunged into a river in northern Afghanistan, officials said.

Women and children were among the dead after Saturdays accident on the main highway between Parwan and Kabul, which is notorious for crashes.

Apart from the 15 killed in the accident in the Salang district of Parwan province, two children were wounded and taken to hospital, said provincial spokeswoman Waheeda Shahkar, adding that the victims were all from one family.

Alizai Ahmadi, a local police chief, confirmed the accident but put the death toll at 16. Ahmadi said six women and six children were among the dead.

The Kabul-Parwan highway connecting the north and south of the country is heavily used and many vehicles are packed with people.

War-torn Afghanistan has some of the worlds most dangerous roads due to wear and tear, a lack of enforcement of traffic rules and decrepit passenger vehicles.

In December last year 14 people were killed and dozens wounded when a bus collided with a truck in the western province of Farah.

In one of the countrys worst traffic accidents, 73 people were killed when two buses and an oil tanker burst into flames in a head-on collision in the eastern province of Ghazni in May 2016.
British police said they had arrested a 25-year-old man Sunday and were conducting a search of a house in connection with the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at a Manchester pop concert.

Officers arrested the man on terror charges in Old Trafford, to the east of the city, and were searching an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester, according to a statement from Greater Manchester Police.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said, Today, May 28, 2017, officers investigating the attack at the Manchester Arena have executed a warrant at an address in Moss Side. A search is currently on-going.

The total number of arrests related to the attack have gone up to 14. However, the number of persons in custody was 12 after two were released without charge.

Britains terror threat level was on Saturday reduced to severe from critical.

The terror threat level now indicates that an attack remains highly likely rather than imminent. The Army troops deployed as a result of Operation Temperer will be reduced from Monday night.

Prime Minister Theresa May made this announcement after leading a meeting of the governments emergency committee Cobra.

Investigators believe 22-year-old Manchester-born suicide bomber Salman Abedi, from a family of Libyan origin, acted as part of a terrorist network and their focus had been on intercepting his wider network.

Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena last week, killing 22 people and leaving 119 injured.

Abedi was known to UK security services, but his risk to the public remained subject to review, according to reports.

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abedis younger brother 20-year-old Hashem and their father, Ramadan, are being held by special forces linked to the countrys interior ministry.

About 1,000 armed police officers have been freed up by a decision to deploy the Army to protect key sites including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament under Operation Temperer.
A Mississippi man went on a shooting spree overnight, killing a sheriffs deputy and seven other people in three separate locations in rural Lincoln County before the suspect was taken into custody by police, authorities said on Sunday.

Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, was arrested and was being treated in a hospital for a gunshot wound, according to Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The sheriffs deputy, identified as William Durr, was fatally shot after responding to an emergency call regarding a domestic dispute late on Saturday night at a house in Bogue Chitto, a small community about 69 miles south of Jackson, the state capital. Durr, 36, had worked for the Lincoln County Sheriffs Department for two years, Strain said.

Godbolt also killed three females at the house, Strain said, before heading to another residence in the nearby city of Brookhaven and fatally shooting two boys, Strain said. He then headed to a third address to kill a male and a female victim. Except for the deputy, the victims have not been identified.

Officers arrest suspect Cory Godbolt on Sunday following several fatal shootings on Saturday in Lincoln County, Mississippi, officials said. (AP Photo)

Video of Godbolt minutes after his arrest posted online by the Clarion-Ledger newspaper showed him in handcuffs sitting in a road, surrounded by officers.

He tells a reporter he had been arguing with relatives about taking my children home before they called the police on him. He expresses regret for shooting the sheriffs deputy.

Suicide by cop was my intention, he says in the video. I aint fit to live. Not after what Ive done.

Representatives of the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office did not respond to requests for comment.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant called the killings a senseless tragedy in a statement.

Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities, his statement said. Too often, we lose one of our finest.

Lincoln County is a mostly rural area near Mississippis southern border with Louisiana, about 65 miles south of Jackson, the states capital.
Authorities in Mississippi said Sunday that a suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriffs deputy.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes Saturday night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto. The area is about 68 miles (109 kilometers) south of Jackson, the capital.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be premature to discuss a motive.

However, the suspect himself gave some insight into the events that led to the shootings in an interview with a newspaper.

I aint fit to live, not after what I done, Cory Godbolt told The Clarion-Ledger after his arrest. The newspaper recorded video of the suspect talking as he sat with hands cuffed behind his back on a roadside surrounded by law enforcement officers.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and members of her family when somebody called authorities.

I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home, the suspect says on the video. Somebody called the officer, people that didnt even live at the house. Thats what they do. They intervene.

They cost him his life, the suspect said, apparently in reference to the slain deputy. Im sorry.

The suspect also said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets, he said. Suicide by cop was my intention.

Gov. Phil Bryant issued a statement asking state residents to pray for the victims. He also noted the sacrifice made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work, Bryant said.
Bangladesh on Sunday reinstalled a controversial statue deemed un-Islamic by religious hardliners on the grounds of the Supreme Court, just days after its removal had sparked angry protests by secular groups.

The sculpture of a blindfolded, sari-clad woman holding scales had been in place for less than six months when authorities removed it early Friday under pressure from hardliners, who said it was based on the Greek goddess of justice.

Its removal from the front plaza of Bangladeshs top court triggered violent clashes between police and secular groups, who saw the move as further evidence of creeping Islamisation in the officially secular country.

But the sculptures creator Mrinal Haque, who had accused authorities of bowing to hardline groups, said he was asked to reinstall the statue at a different location on the court grounds.

We have just placed the sculpture in front of the Annex Building of the Supreme Court, Haque told AFP on Sunday.

I wasnt given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it, he said, adding the new location was at the back of the court where hardly anyone could see it.

Opponents of the statue -- who have been demanding for months that it be destroyed and replaced with a Koran -- gathered outside the courthouse Sunday to protest against its return.

Supporters of Bangladesh Islami Sashontantra Andolon shout slogans against the reinstallation of the Lady Justice statue near the Supreme Court complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh, onSunday. (AP)

Several were arrested by police, Islamist groups said, drawing hundreds of protesters to Dhakas main mosque to demand their release.

Police arrested nine of our peaceful activists. If they are not released immediately, we will call for a stronger countrywide movement, said Hasibul Islam, spokesman for the student-based Islamist party Islami Shasantantra Chhatra Andolan.

The government risked falling into danger by trying to balance the interests of Islamist and secularist groups, he added.

Islamist groupsheld months of mass protests demanding the statue be removed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the secular Awami League party, initially kept her distance from the affair.

But she broke her silence last month to describe the statue as ridiculous after inviting top Islamist leaders to her residence.

Analysts say Hasinas stand was intended to woo Islamists and conservative rural voters, before a general election expected next year.

Bangladesh has seen increasing tensions between hardliners and secularists in recent years, with a number of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners murdered by extremists.
Accusing the Pentagon of distorting facts, China on Sunday denied its charge that an encounter between Chinese fighter jets and an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea was unsafe and unprofessional.

Chinese J-10 fighter planes intercepted a US Navy P-3 Orion operating in international airspace over the South China Sea, the Pentagon had claimed.

The US termed the move as unsafe and unprofessional and said it will convey its concerns to the Chinese government.

However, Chinese defence ministry in a statement said the US account of the incident was not in accordance with the facts.

On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China, it said in a statement on its website.

The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe, it said.

Last week, China accused the US of trespassing its sovereignty by dispatching a naval ship close to an artificial islands building by Beijing the disputed waters.

The US has been sending naval ships and aircraft to assert the freedom of navigation in the areas claimed by China in the South China Sea.

China has been opposing the US dispatching naval ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation.
Europe can no longer completely rely on its allies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, pointing to bruising meetings of G7 wealthy nations and NATO last week.

Merkel did not mention by name US President Donald Trump, who criticised major NATO allies and refused to endorse a global climate change accord, but she told a packed beer tent in Munich that the days when Europe could completely count on others were over to a certain extent.

I have experienced this in the last few days, she said. And that is why I can only say that we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands - of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbours wherever that is possible also with other countries, even with Russia.

But we have to know that we must fight for our future on our own, for our destiny as Europeans, Merkel said.

The two-day G7 summit in Italy pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

The American tycoon-turned-president backed a pledge to fight protectionism at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, but refused to endorse the climate pact, saying he needed more time to decide.

But EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Sunday he was more optimistic now than after the US election last November after EU leaders held talks with Trump in Brussels. What I am absolutely sure after this meeting is that despite some extraordinary ... expressions, behaviours, etc, etc, our partners in the G7 are much more responsible than the first impression after the election in the United States, Tusk said in the Slovak capital.

At the NATO summit on Thursday, Trump intensified his accusations that allies were not spending enough on defence and warned of more attacks such as this weeks Manchester bombing unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

Turning to France, Merkel said she wished President Emmanuel Macron success, adding to applause: Where Germany can help, Germany will help, because Germany can only do well if Europe is doing well.

France is Germanys second-biggest trading partner and the presidential election victory of the pro-European centrist reformer Macron over far-right protectionist rival Marine Le Pen in early May has sparked hopes that Berlin will ally with Paris in spearheading a broad-based economic revival in Europe.
A French national who was kidnapped at the start of March in Democratic Republic of Congo was freed on Sunday, according to a statement from the office of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The president of the republic welcomes the news of the liberation of our compatriot kidnapped on March 1 in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, Macrons statement said.

Macron also thanked the Congo authorities for their work in helping to free the hostage.

Earlier in March, France had said that a group of workers had been kidnapped at a mine run by Banro Corp.
US President Donald Trump, who was uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter during his nine-day trip abroad, resumed his favorite past-time Sunday with a tweet storm in which he thundered against fake news.

It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media, he wrote the morning after his return home.

Whenever you see the words sources say in the fake news media, and they dont mention names it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!, he wrote, spelling errors and all.

....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

Trump returned late Saturday from his first international trip as US president, geared up to combat concerns over aides ties to Russia including explosive reports that his son-in-law Jared Kushner sought a secret communications line with Moscow.

In an earlier tweet Sunday, Trump hailed what he called the trips great success.

Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results! he wrote.

The latest furore was stirred up after The Washington Post reported late Friday that Kushner -- arguably Trumps closest White House aide, and husband of the presidents eldest daughter Ivanka -- made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof link with the Kremlin.
US President Donald Trump is considering overhauling his White House staff and bringing back top campaign strategists, frustrated by what he views as his teams inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Expanding teams of lawyers and experienced public relations hands are being recruited to deal with the drumbeat of new revelations about Moscows interference and possible improper dealings with the Trump campaign and associates. The disclosures dogged the president during his first trip abroad since taking office and threaten to overwhelm and stall the agenda for his young administration.

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late on Saturday from his nine-day journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to an unforeseen change in Trumps schedule.

After maintaining a limited social media presence throughout his trip, Trump on Sunday unleashed a furious flurry of tweets, lashing out at what he called the fake news media. He focused heavily on leaks  both those coming out of the White House and an intelligence leak blamed on Americans about this weeks deadly bombing at a concert in England.

On the bombing investigation Trump said: British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!

Trump also said that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies. He added that it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers.

Even when authorized, however, top officials in the Trump White House frequently request anonymity to brief reporters on background, meaning their names will not be disclosed.

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russias ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trumps longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates potential involvement. More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation, said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didnt completely subsume the presidents agenda.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries. The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls changes, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold. Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

Lewandowskis return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with staff and Trumps adult children. Nonetheless, Lewandowski has the trust of the president  an advantage that many of Trumps aides lack.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a home run, but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting. Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trumps first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Flynn was fired in February, officials saying he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the U.S., White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Other major issues await Trump at home. He has signaled he will make a decision on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. And the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

On the policy front, he must defend his budget plan, and the Republican health care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.
The number of people known to have been killed in floods and landslides in Sri Lanka rose to 122, officials said on Saturday, as the country appealed for international assistance.

The state-run disaster management centre said 97 people were still missing after the worst torrential rains since 2003.

A Sri Lankan man rows a makeshift raft on a flooded road in Wehangalla village. (AP Photo)

People travel on top of an armoured personnel carrier on a flooded road in Kalutara. (Reuters Photo)

The foreign ministry said that in coordination with the disaster management ministry, an appeal had been made to the United Nations and neighbouring countries to provide assistance especially in the areas of search and rescue operations.

India is sending three Navy ships with supplies and other aid, the first of which arrived in Colombo on Saturday.

Indian Navy troops offload emergency supplies from the Indian ship Kirch at Colombo harbour in Colombo. (AFP Photo)

Indian medical teams and emergency relief arrived in Sri Lanka. (AFP Photo)

A naval spokesperson said INS Shardul was dispatched from Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The ship, which set sail on Satuday, is carrying relief materials such as food, water and medicines, and a team of doctors and assistants for medical aid, he said.

The ship has on board diving teams along with rubber inflatable craft to evacuate persons in flood affected areas.

Emergency relief arrived in Sri Lanka as the monsoon-related death toll rose to over 100. (AFP Photo)

Equipped with a Chetak helicopter, the ship is also capable of undertaking search and rescue mission by air.

Officials said deaths were reported from the western coastal district of Kalutara, the central southern district of Ratnapura and the southern district of Matara.

Sri Lankan gas station workers look over a flooded forecourt after rains in Kaduwela. (AFP Photo)

Sri Lankan military and rescue teams have used boats and helicopters, but officials said access to some areas was very difficult.

An army officer sits on top of a moving armoured personnel carrier on a flooded road during a rescue mission in Bulathsinhala village, in Kalutara. (Reuters Photo)

The early rainy season downpours have forced many families from their homes and affected over 415,618 people across the nation.

Police spokesperson Priyantha Jayakody said multiple landslides were reported in Kalutara, Ratnapura and Matara.

Sri Lankan army soldiers evacuate flood victim stranded at Agalawatte. (AP Photo)

Military spokesperson Roshan Senevirathne said more than 2,000 military personnel had been deployed to help the police and civilian agencies.

The wettest time of the year in Sri Lankas south is usually from May to September.

A man holds onto a bus stop post on a flooded road as people travel on top of an armoured personnel carrier on a flooded road in Bulathsinhala village in Kalutara. (Reuters Phoro)

The island nation also gets heavy rains in the North West monsoon season from November to February.

Sri Lankan meteorology officials said Thursdays rains were the worst since 2003 and they expected more in the coming days.

Rainfall on May 26 triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island. (AFP Photo)
At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered more precious than humans.

A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in the worlds youngest nation, made up largely of pastoral communities, the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.

Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the countrys capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, the officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.

Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the second most dangerous posting after Syria, where fighting is relentless, in the absence of any ceasefire.

The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex, Brar said.

Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians -- one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others -- Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.

These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle, Shekatkar said.

Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.

South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.

The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a massive humanitarian response.

The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal, Shekatkar said.

Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.

The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying Ram, Ram. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.

Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. It will also take care of food security.

The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.

I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected Indias borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country, Havildar Suresh Patil said.

India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

May 29 is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Armourers in the UKs Royal Air Force scrawled the message love from Manchester on a bomb meant for air strikes against the Islamic State terror group following the concert attack, according to a media report.

A photograph, which has been widely shared on social media, showed the message love from Manchester on a Paveway IV bomb loaded on a British jet carrying out air strikes from Royal Air Force (RAF) Akrotiri in Cyprus, The Telegraph reported.

An RAF spokesperson confirmed that the photo was genuine.

The sentiment of the message written on the weapon is understandable and such writing has history in the RAF, so the individual concerned will not be taken to task, a source was quoted as saying.

The report comes days after suicide bomber Salman Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena last week, killing 22 people and 119 injured.

Children as young as eight and parents were among the dead after thousands of fans were targeted as they left the gig on Monday.

During World War II, army men wrote messages on bombs headed toward Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. Messages were also written on bombs after the 9/11, with notes coming from New York City police and fire departments.
The head of Palestinian Islamic courts has told judges not to grant divorces over Ramadan, fearing the month-long fast could spark rash words that would be regretted later.

Judge Mahmud Habash said on Sunday he based his ruling on the experience of previous years when he found that the dawn-to- dusk fast and ban on cigarettes, which began on Saturday, tended to lead to frayed tempers and sharp tongues.

Some, because they have not eaten and not smoked, create problems in their marriages, he said in a statement, and they can make quick and ill-considered decisions.

According to the Palestinian Authority, 50,000 weddings were celebrated in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2015, but more than 8,000 divorces were also registered.

Endemic unemployment and poverty are said to be major contributing factors.

There is no civil marriage or divorce in the Palestinian territories, where only religious courts have those powers.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs son Hussain Nawaz was on Sunday interrogated by a Supreme Court-appointed joint investigation team probing his familys business dealings abroad, in the high-profile Panama Papers case.

Hussain was accompanied by his lawyer for the proceedings but the JIT objected to his presence and said Hussain can get help from the lawyer after securing permission from the Supreme Court.

According to officials, Hussain later faced the JIT alone and his questioning went on for about two hours.

Hussain visited the JIT office at National Judicial Academy in Islamabad after he was summoned for questioning on Saturday.

He appeared before the JIT despite his petition in the Supreme Court in which he raised objection about two members of the JIT whom he termed as biased.

According to a source, one of the JIT members is considered a close friend of former president Gen Pervez Musharraf. The other is said to be a relative of former Punjab governor Mian Azhar, a founding member of the Pakistan Muslim League and currently aligned with the Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf.

The court would hear the petition on Monday and Hussain will personally appear before the three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

The JIT had submitted an initial report before the Supreme Court on May 22 and was asked to complete its probe in 60 days.

The JIT was set up following a decision by the Supreme Court on April 20 regarding Panama Paper case. The JIT has to submit fortnightly progress reports to the court.

Sharif had got a temporary breather from the Supreme Court which said there was insufficient evidence to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a JIT to probe the graft allegations against his family.

The high-profile graft case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as the Prime Minister to purchase assets in London.

Information about the assets surfaced when Panama Papers last year showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharifs children.

Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced.
A 19-year-old woman has been sentenced to death by village elders in Pakistans Punjab province for allegedly having an illicit relationship with her cousin after she accused him of raping her at gunpoint.

The incident happened on Friday in Rajanpur, a rural district about 400 kilometres from provincial capital Lahore.

Shumaila escaped from the village after she came to know of the panchayats decision and reported the matter to police.

The woman has denied having any illicit relationship with her cousin Khalil Ahmed and alleged that he raped her at gunpoint when she was sleeping at her house.

I could not raise an alarm as Ahmed was holding a gun. But the panchayat refused to accept my statement and declared that I wilfully slept with him, she told the police.

She said the panchayat did not take action against Ahmed.

Fearing for her life, she approached the police on Saturday.

We have registered an FIR against the panchayat members and will take them into custody for declaring her kaari (liable to death either by stoning or else), Hasnain said.

The SHO of Fazilpur Police Station, Qaisar Hasnain, said Shumailas father said in a statement that he was forced to accept the panchayats decision.

Since the panchayat declared her liabale to be killed he had to accept the decision as it was the tradition of his village, he said.

The police has sent Shumaila to a government safe house for women in Rajanpur.

Honour killings and death sentences are usually sanctioned through the panchayat system in Pakistani villages, but they have no legal standing.
A six-year-old boy set a new Guinness record for being the worlds youngest club DJ after he played an hour-long set at a restaurant in Japan.

Born on 26 November, 2010, the young DJ was aged 6 years and 114 days on the day he set the record.

Morita played an hour-long set at a restaurant and bar in Osaka Japan on 20 March 2017, according to the Guinness World Record website.

Itsuki Morita, who has just started attending elementary school in Japan, played a number of tracks using professional DJ decks in front of a big crowd of both adults and other kids.

Morita was first taught to mix by a friend of his mother.

He likes to play a mixture of disco and rock music but Swedish musician Avicii is his favourite DJ.

I saw people DJing and thought it looks fun, Morita said, on being asked why he wanted to become a DJ.

I was really happy that I could DJ. Everyone says its great, he said.
A cheeky 11-year-old girl in the UK accused her teacher of a war crime under Geneva Conventions for punishing the whole class for the actions of a few in a school feedback form that has gone viral online.

Ava Bell was asked to fill out a form for school with questions for students about their teachers. One asked how teachers can do better.

Her father, Gavin Bell, who is based in Glasgow and is also known as author Mason Cross, revealed on Twitter that in the feedback form she criticised the policy of punishing a whole class for one persons bad behaviour -- by citing the Geneva Conventions.

Asked what her teacher could do better, Bell wrote, Not use collective punishment as it is not fair on the many people who did nothing and under the 1949 Genva [sic] Conventions it is a war crime.

Not sure if I should ground her or buy her ice cream, Gavin tweeted.

My daughter actually submitted this feedback at school. Not sure if I should ground her or buy her ice cream... pic.twitter.com/4v8Gjb9riv  Mason Cross (@MasonCrossBooks) May 25, 2017

The picture showing the suggestion, handwritten in pencil, has been liked more than 500,000 times on Twitter.

I should clarify that she thinks her teacher is awesome. Its just this aspect of the educational justice system she has an issue with, Gavin said.

I should clarify that she thinks her teacher is awesome - it's just this aspect of the educational justice system she has an issue with.  Mason Cross (@MasonCrossBooks) May 25, 2017

He told the BBC that he came across the form at a parents evening, where folders of the childrens work are displayed for their guardians to read.

He said it was entirely characteristic, She will never let an argument go at home!

Various fellow parents joked that the young Bell was precocious, and this could be just the start for her.

A more cynical observer also accused writer Gavin of making it up.

The father replied, Dude, if Id made it up I would have got her to fix the spelling of Geneva.

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war.
British police on Saturday released a photograph of Salman Abedi on the night he killed 22 people in a suicide bomb attack in Manchester and said they believed an apartment in the city centre was where he put together his device.

We know one of the last places Abedi went was the city centre flat and from there he left to make his way to the Manchester Arena, Greater Manchester police chief constable Ian Hopkins and Neil Basu, senior national coordinator UK Counter Terrorism Policing said in a joint statement.

The flat is highly relevant as a location which we believe may be the final assembly place for the device.

Hopkins and Basu said they had gathered significant information about Abedi, a 22-year-old Briton born to Libyan parents, how his bomb was built, his associates, finances, the places he had been and the wider conspiracy.

However, police needed any information the public might have about his movements from May 18 when he returned to Britain.

They said the investigation was not slowing, with some 1,000 officers involved, and the priority was to determine if more people were involved in planning the attack.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined to host a Ramzan reception, apparently breaking a nearly two-decade long bipartisan tradition.

According to two administration officials familiar with the decision, Tillerson rejected a request by the State Departments Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host the reception marking the Eid ul-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramzan, which begins Saturday in many countries.

Since 1999, Tillersons five Republican and Democratic predecessors have hosted either an Iftar dinner to break the fast during Ramazan, or an Eid ul-Fitr reception at the end of the month-long holiday, the CNN reported.

Many diplomatic posts overseas also host events during Ramzans month of fasting and prayer.

The White House and State Department commemorate other religious traditions, including a Jewish Passover Seder, as well as Christmas and Easter holidays.

But the Ramzan event, usually attended by members of Congress, diplomats from Muslim countries, Muslim community leaders and top US officials has become a symbol of US efforts to engage with the Muslim world.

We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramzan, a State Department spokesman said.

US ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramzan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world, the spokesman said.

It is unclear whether Tillersons decision not to plan an event -- which is usually put on the calendar weeks, if not months, in advance -- was related to his ongoing streamlining of the agency, which includes massive budget cuts and shedding as many of 2,000 jobs.

Offices like the one dealing with religious outreach are widely expected to be scrapped as part of the restructuring, although no final decisions have been made.

On Friday, Tillerson had issued a statement marking the start of Ramzan, calling the holiday a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection.

Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate. This time reminds us all of the common values of harmony and empathy we hold dear, he added.

The statement starkly contrasted with one issued by President Donald Trump. While wishing Muslims a joyful Ramzan, the President referenced this weeks terrorist attack in Manchester, England, calling the bombing at a concert directly contrary to the spirit of the holiday.

At its core, the spirit of Ramzan strengthens awareness of our shared obligation to reject violence, to pursue peace, and to give to those in need who are suffering from poverty or conflict, Trumps statement had said.
US Homeland Security John Kelly said on Sunday that he was considering banning laptop computers on international flights into and out of the country, amid signs of a real threat.

Kelly made his remarks during the Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods in the US, and at a time when the bombing at a concert in Manchester, England has raised concerns that further attacks -- possibly involving explosives packed in electronic devices -- might be planned.

Theres a real threat -- numerous threats against aviation, Kelly told the Fox New Sunday program, when asked about the likelihood that a wide-reaching ban on large electronics in airplane cabins could be imposed.

The US homeland security chief said terrorists are obsessed with the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight -- particularly a US carrier, if its full of mostly US folks.

A ban could seriously disrupt flights between Europe and the US. Some 3,250 a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the US, according to aviation industry figures.

If the laptop ban Kelly discussed is put in place, it would greatly expand on a rule he announced March 21, banning electronic devices larger than a smartphone from the cabins of flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

Countries affected by that rule are Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

In March, Britain took similar measures targeting a smaller list of countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

In Europe last week, during President Donald Trumps nine-day foreign trip, Kelly met with European Commission officials in Brussels to discuss a possible laptop ban in airplane cabins.
As experts suggest ways to speak to children about terrorism in the wake of the Manchester attack, a textbook asking primary school children to ask six questions in a letter to terrorists to understand their motives has been slammed by critics.

The book, Talking About Terrorism, a teaching aid, was published weeks before the Manchester attack in which 22 people  including teenagers  were killed. It describes the indiscriminate mass murder of innocent members of the public as a type of war.

The revelation came as the Theresa may government reduced the threat level from international terrorism from critical to severe after another meeting of the official emergency committee on Saturday.

The Daily Express reported on Sunday that the book tells primary school children that terrorists kill people because they believe they are being treated unfairly and not shown respect, and cited the example of Nelson Mandela and Suffragettes (fighting for womens rights at the turn of the last century) as an example.

The Suffragettes used violence and were called terroristsToday many people think of them as brave women and admire their struggle for the right to vote, the book containing a foreword by the chief executive of a major childrens charity reportedly states.

In an activity recommended for pupils aged seven to 11, teachers are urged to invite children to write a letter to a terrorist. If they could ask a terrorist six questions, what would they be?

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said the letter task would confuse and potentially upset pupils: This a crackpot idea based on the misguided notion that primary school children must engage with, and show respect for, religious fanatics who are seeking to kill them.

The primary school classroom is not the place to humanise terrorism by pretend dialogue.
The voice is that of a soft-spoken 28-year-old, but the message is vintage Osama bin Laden, giving orders to kill. When the audio recording began turning up on jihadist websites two weeks ago, it was as if the dead terrorist was channeling himself through his favorite son.

"Prepare diligently to inflict crippling losses on those who have disbelieved," Hamza bin Laden, scion of the Sept. 11, 2001, mastermind, says in a thin baritone that eerily echoes his father. "Follow in the footsteps of martyrdom-seekers before you."

The recording, first aired May 13, is one in a string of recent pronouncements by the man who many terrorism experts regard as the crown prince of al-Qaida's global network. Posted just two weeks before Monday's suicide bombing in Manchester, England, the message includes a specific call for attacks on European and North American cities to avenge the deaths of Syrian children killed in airstrikes.

The recording provides fresh evidence of ominous changes underway within the embattled organization that declared war against the West nearly two decades ago, according to U.S., European and Middle Eastern intelligence officials and terrorism experts. Decimated by U.S. military strikes and overshadowed for years by its terrorist rival, the Islamic State, al-Qaida appears to be signaling the start of a violent new chapter in the group's history, led by a new bin Laden - one who has vowed to seek revenge for his father's death.

Encouraged by the Islamic State's setbacks in Iraq and Syria, al-Qaida is making a play for the allegiance of the Islamic State's disaffected followers as well as legions of sympathizers around the world, analysts say. The promotion of a youthful figurehead with an iconic family name appears to be a key element in a rebranding effort that includes a shift to Islamic State-style terrorist attacks against adversaries across the Middle East, Europe and North America.

"Al-Qaida is trying to use the moment - [with] Daesh being under attack - to offer jihadists a new alternative," said a Middle Eastern security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss counterterrorism assessments and using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. "And what could be more effective than a bin Laden?"

Hamza bin Laden is hardly new to the Islamist militant world. His coronation as a terrorist figurehead has been underway since at least 2015, when longtime al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri introduced him in a video message as a "lion from the den" of bin Laden's terrorist network. But in recent months, he has been promoted as a rising star on pro-al-Qaida websites, with audio recordings from him urging followers to carry out attacks or commenting on current events. Longtime terrorism analysts say the promotion of Hamza bin Laden appears calculated to appeal to young Islamist militants who still admire Osama bin Laden but see al-Qaida as outdated or irrelevant.

"Hamza is the most charismatic and potent individual in the next generation of jihadis simply because of his lineage and history," said Bruce Riedel, who spent 30 years in the CIA and is now director of the Brookings Institution's Intelligence Project. "At a time when Zawahiri and al-Baghdadi seem to be fading, Hamza is the heir apparent." Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the Islamic State's leader.

But Hamza bin Laden is not advocating his father's style of jihad. Osama bin Laden was notorious for his ambitious, carefully planned terrorist operations, directed by al-Qaida's generals and aimed at strategic targets. His son, by contrast, urges followers to seize any opportunity to strike at Jewish interests, Americans, Europeans and pro-Western Muslims, using whatever weapon happens to be available.

"It is not necessary that it should be a military tool," he says in the May 13 recording. "If you are able to pick a firearm, well and good; if not, the options are many."

- - -

Strikingly, for a man who aspires to be the jihadist world's next rock star, Hamza bin Laden insists on keeping most of his personal details hidden from public view. Even his face.

No confirmed photographs exist of the young terrorist since his boyhood, when he was portrayed multiple times as an adoring son posing with his famous father. He is believed to be married, with at least two children, and he lived for a time in the tribal region of northwestern Pakistan, although his whereabouts are unknown.

His refusal to allow his image to be published may reflect a well-founded concern about his personal safety, but it complicates the militants' task of making him a terrorist icon, said Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that monitors Islamist militancy on social media.

"People loyal to al-Qaida and against the Islamic State are looking for inspiration, and they realize that he can provide it," Stalinsky said. "But for today's youth, you need more than audio and an old photograph."

What is known about Hamza bin Laden comes from his numerous recordings as well as intelligence reports and scores of documents seized during the 2011 raid by U.S. Navy SEALS on Osama bin Laden's safe house in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Included in the document trove were personal letters from Hamza to his father, as well as written instructions from the elder bin Laden to his aides on how Hamza was to be educated and provided for.

The documents reveal a special bond between Hamza bin Laden and his father that persisted despite long periods of separation. The 15th of Osama bin Laden's estimated 20 children, Hamza was the only son born to the terrorist's third wife, and by some accounts his favorite, Khairiah Sabar, a Saudi woman whose family traces its lineage to the prophet Muhammad.

He spent his early childhood years with his parents, first in Saudi Arabia and later in Sudan and Afghanistan, where his father began to assemble the pieces of his worldwide terrorism network. A family friend who knew Hamza bin Laden as a child said he showed both promise and early flashes of ambition.

"He was a very intelligent and smart boy, very fond of horseback riding, like his father," said the friend, a longtime associate of the al-Qaida network, contacted through a social-media chat service. "While his parents wanted him to stay away from battlefields, he had arguments with them about it."

Then came the 9/11 attacks, which brought the bin Ladens international notoriety and made Hamza's father the world's most wanted man. As U.S.-backed Afghan militias closed in on al-Qaida's mountain redoubt at Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden dispatched several of his wives and children to Iran, believing that the Islamic republic's leaders could offer protection from U.S. airstrikes.

Hamza rarely, if ever, saw his father after that. He was still in Iran in his early 20s, living under a kind of house arrest, when he wrote a long missive to his father complaining about his life "behind iron bars" and expressing a longing to join his father as a mujahid, or holy warrior, in his fight against the West, according to a copy of the letter found in bin Laden's safe house.

"What truly makes me sad," he wrote in 2009, "is the mujahideen legions have marched and I have not joined them."

Iran allowed the bin Laden clan to leave the country the following year, and by the time of the 2011 Navy SEAL raid, Hamza's mother and other family members were living at the elder terrorist's Pakistan hideout. Notably absent from the Abbottabad compound was Hamza. On Osama bin Laden's orders, aides had kept him in a separate hideout with the intention of sending him to Qatar to be educated, according to U.S. and Pakistani counterterrorism officials. Already, the patriarch was beginning to see his son as a future al-Qaida leader, judging from the letters he wrote to his aides shortly before his death.

"Hamza is one of the mujahideen, and he bears their thoughts and worries," Osama bin Laden wrote in one such letter. "And at the same time, he can interact with the [Muslim] nation."

- - -

Hamza bin Laden's sense of personal destiny only deepened with the death of his father and half brother Khalid at the hands of U.S. commandos.

By 2015, when Zawahiri introduced Hamza to the world as an al-Qaida "lion," the then-26-year-old already had the voice of a veteran Islamist militant, urging followers in an audio recording to inflict the "highest number of painful attacks" on Western cities, from Washington to Paris.

A year later, he delivered a more personal message intended as a tribute to his dead father. Titled "We are all Osama," the 21-minute spoken essay included a vow for vengeance.

"If you think that the crime you perpetrated in Abbottabad has gone by with no reckoning, you are wrong," he said. "Yours will be a harsh reckoning. We are a nation that does not rest over injustice."

Terrorism analysts have noted several recurring themes in Hamza bin Laden's audio postings that distinguish his Islamist militant philosophy from the views expressed by both his father and putative al-Qaida leader Zawahiri. One difference: Unlike Zawahiri, Hamza bin Laden has eschewed overt criticism of the Islamic State, perhaps to avoid antagonizing any followers of that terrorist group who might be inclined to shift to al-Qaida.

The bin Laden family friend suggested that the omission is deliberate, part of an effort to position Hamza bin Laden as a unifying figure for Islamist militants. The associate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to comment freely, noted that Hamza bin Laden enjoys multiple advantages in this regard, as he can claim to be both a descendant of the prophet as well a son of jihadist royalty.

"The calculation is that it will be very difficult for the Daesh leadership to denounce Hamza, given who he is," the family friend said.

The other distinction is Hamza bin Laden's persistent calls for self-directed, lone-wolf attacks against a wide array of targets. Here, he appears to be borrowing directly from the playbook of the Islamic State, which has fostered a kind of Everyman's jihad that does not depend on instructions or permission from higher-ups. His Internet postings have lauded Army psychiatrist and convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, who murdered 13 people in a rampage on the base in Texas in 2009; as well as the two Britons of Nigerian descent who hacked British soldier Lee Rigby to death on a street outside his London barracks in 2013.

None of those assailants were known al-Qaida members. Yet, by applauding such attacks, Hamza bin Laden appears to associate himself with a more aggressive style of terrorism that appeals to young Islamist militants, analysts and experts said. Such messages also convey an impression of a terrorist network that, while battered, is far from defeated, said Bruce Hoffman, a former U.S. adviser on counterterrorism and director of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies.

"He brings assurance that, even though al-Qaida has been hammered in recent years, it's still in good hands, with a junior bin Laden who is ideally situated to carry on the struggle," Hoffman said. "Since a very young age, Hamza bin Laden wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. And from al-Qaida's perspective, now is the critical time for him to come of age and assume the reins of authority."
Keven Gordon's comrades counted on him to ease their nerves with a joke or a smile even in the most somber circumstances during their combat tour in Iraq.

The Army driver kept his troops awake during late-night missions with light-hearted banter. Off-duty, he honed his aim during Nerf gun fights with his tentmates.

"He always had a goofy smile on his face," said longtime friend Johnathan Davis. "He was always having fun, and always looked at the bright side."

Just before Memorial Day, however, his friends and family were forced to grapple with disaster. Police said a driver in southeast Houston intentionally struck the 33-year-old veteran, who died at Ben Taub Hospital late last week.

Houston police on Friday arrested the driver, who has not been identified. Detective Kyle Heaverlo said the suspect turned himself in at the urging of his front-seat passenger.

Gordon, a husband and father of five who deployed twice to Iraq, had recently moved to Galveston, long one of his favorite places for fishing. He left home Thursday and hadn't returned by midnight.

Heaverlo said his wife located him at 8300 Winkler at about 11:40 p.m. The two argued in the parking lot, and Gordon walked into the street in front of a pickup truck.

"He refused to move for whatever reason," Heaverlo said. An argument arose between Gordon and the driver, who intentionally struck him and fled.

While friends recalled Gordon as a sunny, dedicated friend with a passion for fishing and military history, some feared he might have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder since returning to the U.S. in 2009. They said he was deeply devoted to his wife and children. His family, on Facebook, grieved his loss.

"I will always miss your smile and laugh, you were one of a kind," one person wrote.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established in his name.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

One man died and four people were hospitalized Saturday night after a northeast Harris County car crash.

Around 8:45 p.m., a white Chevy Impala was headed north on Lockwood near North Sam Houston Parkway when the passenger-side tires veered slightly off the road into a deep rut on the shoulder, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The driver tried steering the car back onto the roadway but overcompensated and swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting an Chevy Trailblazer.

The Impala flipped upside down and the driver and one passenger were taken to the hospital, according to the sheriff's office. A second passenger, identified as Joseph Wimberley, suffered fatal injuries. The driver is in critical condition.

Wimberley's mother said he was 23 and visiting Houston for the weekend. Other people in the car, she said, were friends.

Joseph Wimberley grew up in Houston but lived in San Marcos, where he attended Job Corps, an education and vocational training program, she said.

"It's very devastating for me right now," Traci Wimberley said.

A 10-year-old and a woman in the Trailblazer were taken to the hospital in stable condition, while the male driver refused treatment.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The 3-year-old boy who went missing in Sam Houston National Forest Saturday has been found safe.

"Ezra was just found in the national forest and he's been brought to the command post. He's alert, smiling and reported to be in good condition," said Jimmy Williams, spokesman for the New Waverly Fire Department. "A great day, a great effort. We appreciate everyone's support."

The boy was found in some high brush about a mile from the campsite near Forest Road 208. Ezra was given preliminary medical treatment and then taken to the hospital around 2 p.m., officials said.

"We were hoping for the best and expecting the worst," said Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch. "I'm speechless right now."

More than 200 experienced searchers spent nearly a day combing the woods in Waller County Sunday searching for the child. Searchers included members of the Sam Houston Trails Coalition, who road dirt bikes through the terrain.

The search area centered around an approximately 4-mile stretch of Forest Road 208, a dirt road cut through dense pine woods with thick underbrush. A boat with sonar searched a small lake in the area.

"Everywhere that there's a cut (in the brush), we're going to look in it," said Larry Faulk, a visitor to these woods for 40 years.

Some volunteers had been involved with multiple searches in the forest before and said they always ended well, though no one could remember a lost person as young as 3.

Eventually, a dog picked up Ezra's scent and the boy responded to a relative's call, searchers said.

New Waverly Firefighter and EMTs were the first emergency personnel to reach the area where searchers located the child.

"They assessed him and quickly moved him to a waiting Walker County EMS unit for further evaluation. He was treated at the scene for minor scrapes and scratches and dehydration, but was otherwise alert and in good spirits," according to a statement from the fire department fire.

Officials were excited to report Parrish had been found. As a procession of search and rescue trucks from various agencies tumbled out of the forest, Williams, Miller, and Steve Degner with Montgomery County Search & Rescue, cheered them on.

"Anytime we find someone alive it's the best outcome we can get," Degner said.
AUSTIN - The Texas Legislature moved to the brink of an almost certain special session on Saturday, after a series of opportunities to pass key legislative priorities evaporated in a continuing test of wills between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus.

Lawmakers were able to muster enough unity to give final passage to the $216.8 billion state budget, but a big divide remains over the so-called bathroom bill, property-tax reform and a bill to keep the Texas Medical Board in operation past Jan. 1, 2018. Failure to pass the medical board measure would force a special session, legislators said.

Negotiations broke down on Friday after Sens. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston, met with Straus to try to resolve lingering issues with the House on the bathroom bill, according to officials involved in the talks.

Straus lieutenants had indicated the House would accept a one-sentence modification to a House-passed bill covering only school restrooms and locker rooms, instead of a much-tougher Senate-passed version that covered restrooms in state government buildings.

Patrick responded with a multi-page counteroffer that would have covered more than just schools, including all political subdivisions in the state, officials said. Straus rejected it.

Senate leaders said the one-sentence fix was rejected because it was "gobbledygook" that didn't clarify anything. They said they continue to want to cover more than schools.

Patrick also outlined what it would take for the Senate to agree on tax reform -- a change in determining how much of a rate hike it takes to trigger rollback elections that allow voters to approve or reject a tax hike. But no talks are ongoing on that because the House did not appoint a conference committee on the tax bill by a Saturday night deadline.

House blamed

On the bathroom bill debate, Straus has made his position clear: The Senate can take it or leave it on the scaled-back House version.

Patrick and the Senate have been unwilling to budge either, and Gov. Greg Abbott has said failure to reach a compromise could prompt him to call a special session on the contentious issue.

Patrick has repeatedly said he wants a special session on the issue unless there's a tougher bill than the House passed.

On Saturday, just two days left before the end of the legislative session on Monday, intermittent talks continued on all three bills. But by the time both chambers adjourned for the day, no deal had been reach on any of the three.

Five days ago, frustrated by a lack of progress and a hardening stance on both sides, Abbott aides mostly withdrew from active efforts to forge a deal on the issues. Abbott on Saturday was reported to be furious over the impasse, even as the continuing closed-door talks sputtered.

If Abbott calls a 30-day special session, the cost could run at least $800,000 and likely higher, by some estimates. He would determine the subject or subjects, and he could call them back into session for as many times as necessary to get the bill he wants.

Aides to Abbott and Patrick declined comment late Saturday.

But Houston's Paul Bettencourt, the Senate majority leader and a top Patrick confidante, said the Senate was not to blame. "It's a bust, bust, bust, and it's on the House leadership," he said.

"Wherever the Legislature goes after we adjourn this session, they're going to be asked two questions: What happened to property tax relief? And what happened to the privacy act?" Bettencourt said. "And my answer is that the Senate tried. There's nothing more anyone can do now to fix where we are."

Straus, a San Antonio Republican, maintained his position Saturday, telling the Houston Chronicle that his chamber would "not go one inch further" on the bathoom bill, and "enough was enough."

The "Big 3" of Abbott, Patrick and Straus were together briefly in public Saturday as lawmakers held a solemn ceremony to mark the Memorial Day weekend. It was an awkward moment underscored by the governor's remark in his speech that "it's not lost on anybody that during the past few months, this Capitol has been a battleground of democracy."

Back room talks and attempts at dealmaking continued through the day while the two chambers gave final approval to the state's $216.8 billion two-year budget, a spending plan that includes more money for children in crisis and mental health services, holds steady on border security funding and closes four prisons.

The House approved the budget bill on a 135-14 vote Saturday afternoon, claiming important victories in their weekslong negotiations with the Senate over how the state will fund key services such as transportation and health care. All no votes came from Democrats, including Houston's Rep. Harold Dutton, Rep. Armando Walle and Rep. Shawn Thierry.

"It's a good product. It does meet the needs of Texas," said Rep. John Zerwas, the Republican from Richmond who led the House in the budget talks. "I think it will set us up well for the coming biennium regardless of how our economy goes."

Lawmakers could expect a shortfall of about $1.2 billion in general revenue when they return to Austin in 2019, Zerwas added.

Balanced budget

Straus said the chamber stood by its promise to pass a balanced budget while making "significant investments" in mental health services and Child Protective Services funding. The bill provides an additional $508 million for child protection, including $88 million in new funding to hire nearly 600 CPS caseworkers. It also allocates $300 million for new construction and major repairs at the state's mental health hospitals, as well as $37.5 million for a new mental health jail diversion program.

"We started with a sizable shortfall, but we are ending this session with a balanced budget that invests in some very important priorities," Straus said in a statement after the vote.

Democratic Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie praised the budget outcome with regard to several House priorities this session, but he called it "a mixed bag" and lamented the Legislature's failure to rollback spending on border initiatives and to restore previous Medicaid payment cuts to therapists who help severely disabled kids.

"Unfortunately, in this conference committee report, the Senate appears to have gotten its way on the border, which a lot of us think is not necessary when illegal border crossings are at their lowest levels in a generation," Turner said. "I also think people in this chamber agree it is horrendous that children who can't walk, can't talk, can't swallow are being denied services because of the therapy cuts instituted by the Senate two years ago and will continue with this budget."

On border funding, SB 1 allots $800 million - the same amount as last biennium's budget - to pay for a surge of police along the state's southern border, including $97.1 million to recruit, train and equip 250 new Department of Public Safety troopers and other full-time support positions through 2019. When negotiations began in January, Zerwas said budget writers were in a wait-and-see mode about whether Texas could pull back on that funding in the event that the Trump administration would ramp up federal spending on the issue.

"Unfortunately, we just don't have enough concrete evidence that the federal government will start stepping up and providing the security along the border we expect," Zerwas said Saturday.

In the Senate, which voted 30-1, chief budget writer Nelson touted the two-year spending plan as a successful compromise in a year that began with a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall and public disagreement among legislative leaders over how to pay for the state's growing needs.

"This budget is smart. This budget is compassionate. And it keeps Texas on a successful path to the future," she said.

While the spending plan holds education funding levels steady this biennium at a basic allotment of $5,140 per student, the budget adds almost $2.7 billion to cover student enrollment growth as the state expects some 80,000 more students each school year. Texas is currently responsible for teaching 5.3 million public school children.

The approved budget is $352 million more than the current state spending plan.

Lunch shaming bill passes

The Legislature sent several other bills to the governor's desk, including a bill to crack down on "lunch shaming" by permitting school boards to let schools continue giving students hot lunches for two weeks after credit on their prepaid lunch accounts run out. Students now could receive sandwiches or cereal instead. The bill by Rep. Helen Giddings, D-DeSoto, struggled to pass the House after falling victim to political maneuvers that killed a slew of bills, but it gained traction on SB 1566 and spurred a large Texas food bank to begin collecting donations to pay down student lunch debt.

The Senate also passed a bill that would require the state to study the General Land Office's State Power Program, which sells energy to schools and local municipalities. The original bill sought to phase out the program and was brought by an electricity provider who lost a bid for the state's energy contract in December. The bill had since been watered down and added to SB 736, giving the Legislature a chance to revisit the issue in the 2019 pending the results of the study.

The Senate OK'd SB 5, a voter ID bill that would make it a state jail felony to make a false statement in order to vote without an acceptable form of photo ID. The bill, named late in the legislative session as an emergency item for the governor, has yet to be voted on by the House.
AUSTIN - As the 85th Legislature draws to a close, hopes have been extinguished for major legislation that would have reversed the impact of two court decisions that limit open records access for Texans.

But proponents of more transparency in government already are working to bring the issue back into the spotlight in 2019, and the advocates said they did have some limited success in certain areas this year.

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, last week had a late resolution approved 30-1 by the Senate calling for a joint Senate-House committee to study the open government issue and make recommendations for the next legislative session. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, has filed an identical measure in the House.

In 2015, two Texas Supreme Court decisions limited the availability of public records when the government engages outside parties. In Boeing v. Paxton, the court ruled that private businesses could keep their contracts secret because competitors might gain an advantage if they were made public.

In the other case, Greater Houston Partnership v. Paxton, the court reversed a longstanding precedent that required nonprofits that receive public money to open make financial information public. Now, even nonprofits that perform government services or otherwise act like government agencies are not required to disclose their records.

Those decisions have raised concerns over the government's interactions with both for-profit and nonprofit entities.

For example, the Boeing decision has been cited in the city of McAllen's refusal to disclose how much it paid Enrique Iglesias to sing at a holiday concert and in Houston's withholding of information about how many driver permits the city issued to ride-hailing service Uber.

Meanwhile, the state government is moving to increase the use of nonprofits to provide more services that were previously handled by public entities, ranging from foster-care placement to the establishment of the Texas State Music Museum. Lawmakers have expressed worries over the creation of shell organizations that could operate essentially as shadow government agencies.

Watson introduced two bills this session to restore public access to these records, along with another bill aimed at ensuring that a separate attorney-client exemption to the public information law would not be extended to other areas. All three were passed by wide margins by the Senate by mid-session, only to get bottled up in the House Government Transparency and Operation Committee, chaired by Gary Elkins, R-Houston.

Political maneuvering

Identical House bills filed by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, and Hunter also were left pending in the same committee.

"We came to a bipartisan and bicameral consensus and worked pretty hard to come up with the best way to fix what had been broken and to improve the public information act," said Watson, who led pre-session efforts to develop the legislation with a working group that included the attorney general's office, advocacy groups and other stakeholders.

At a committee hearing on the House bills last month, Peyton McKnight, general counsel and legislative director for the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas, testified that private businesses needed more protection from making records public. He said headhunters and competitors, and not ordinary citizens, are making many of the requests for information from companies that contract with government entities.

Watson said efforts to address concerns from some parties that initially opposed the legislation had resulted in those groups ultimately taking a neutral position on the bills. These included some nonprofits such as economic development groups, Catholic charities, private schools and electric utilities, according to Watson.

Faced with the stalled bills in the House committee, Watson engineered a last-ditch effort to tack the proposals onto another public records bill that had originated in the House. While the amended House Bill 2328 was approved by the Senate on a 30-1 vote, it was killed upon its return to the House.

"All of that work for open government died," said Watson, who has since turned his attention to preparing for 2019 by calling for the establishment of a joint committee to address the open government issue.

"I ain't done trying to fix what is broken. We'll hold public hearings, and people that are now opposed will have the opportunity in the light of day to help us craft legislation, as opposed to doing it in secret," Watson said.

"If a Texan pays a dollar in tax to any government entity, that Texan has the right to know how that dollar is spent and the government has the obligation to make sure that she knows," he said.

The state's Public Information Act dates back to 1973, and prior to the 2015 Supreme Court decisions was often described as one of the country's best open government laws.

But since 2015, the Attorney General's office has reported an increase in the use of the court decisions as the basis for the withholding of information that was once available to the public.

Victories on defense

Justin Gordon, open records division chief for the Attorney General, said that in 2014, before the Boeing decision, the office had granted around 250 requests from private contractors who sought to avoid disclosing information that could put them at a competitive disadvantage, while in 2016, the number increased to 600 as a result of the court's broader standard for withholding information.

In the current session, freedom of information advocates also cited some success in preventing further erosion of rights to information access, as well incremental progress in other areas.

"Some of our biggest victories were on defense," said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, such as one defeated proposal that would have allowed government entities to refuse information requests from out of state. "There were others where we worked with the authors of the bill to tweak language, and we feel like we did accomplish a lot by doing that."

"We'll see what we can achieve next time and what can we build on," said Shannon.
AUSTIN - Regardless what passes and fails in the closing hours of this year's legislative session, one thing is certain: Texas House Speaker Joe Straus faced his most tumultuous and explosive session helming the 150-member chamber.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick repeatedly tried to back Straus into a political corner. A faction of conservative Republicans within his own House tried to challenge his leadership and weaken his support. And some Democrats vital to Straus' control in the House said the difficult session has forced them to reassess their long-standing allegiance to the speaker.

With the 140-day regular legislative session coming to a close Monday - and with the prospect of a special session hanging over the Capitol - Straus seems unfazed and revealed Saturday to the San Antonio Express-News that he's going to seek a record sixth term.

"This session has been challenging but more by certain behavior and certain individuals who want to disrupt, and the inter-chamber dynamics were different than I've seen even in the last session," Straus said in a Saturday interview ahead of the House's vote on the $216.8 billion state budget. "I feel pretty good about the outcome assuming we get 100 votes today on the budget, so I feel all in all it was pretty challenging."

The chamber overwhelming approved the document hours later in a 135-14 vote. The Senate also passed it 30-1 on Saturday, sending to the governor a tight budget to fund state operations for the next two years.

There have been worse times, Straus said, like the 2011 session when the state faced a $20 billion shortfall caused by a severe recession.

"It was an enormous job to try to come to terms with where we were with the economy and with our budget," he remembered.

Known for his even-keel style, Straus had already served three terms as speaker before Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick began presiding over the Senate and Gov. Greg Abbott moved into the governor's mansion. All three Republicans are up for re-election in 2018, but while Patrick and Abbott face statewide battles, Straus is expected to easily win re-election to the House District 121 seat in San Antonio's wealthy, Republican-leaning north side. Straus has served five terms, tying him with two previous speakers, both Democrats, for the longest tenure leading the chamber. He said he intends to break that record when he seeks a sixth term in 2019.

Perennial target

While affording him the most experience of the "Big Three" - Abbott, Patrick and Straus - the speaker's record-tying tenure has also made him the perennial target of far-right activists whose rise to power in state Republican politics has paralleled Straus' since 2009.

This session, Straus, at one point or another, became everybody's scapegoat when they needed one. For example, he faced withering criticism from activists that he bottled up conservative priorities, while other Capitol observers posit that Patrick, not the House speaker, seems to be running the show in Austin.

However, for all of the strained relationships in the Capitol this session, the House has stuck together on many key issues, including school vouchers, which are championed by Patrick.

The House voted 104-43 to block the state from funding any program that gives parents taxpayer money to subsidize their child's private school tuition. Patrick then hijacked a House bill that sought to give more money to public schools and rearrange parts of the state's school funding formula by adding in the controversial school voucher component, albeit one for students with disabilities. The House again rejected the idea last week, sacrificing its favored school finance bill in the process.

Patrick blamed the House for killing the bill, arguing the Senate was willing to put more money in education in exchange for a pared-down voucher plan. When it was all over, several members considered it a point of pride that the House stood its ground.

The biggest test of wills involved the House and Senate's divergent views on how far the state should go in regulating the public bathroom use of transgender people. Patrick's idea of a so-called bathroom bill required transgender people to use bathrooms, locker rooms or changing rooms in government-owned buildings that align with the sex listed on their birth certificate, a measure LGBT activists said would target transgender Texans for harassment. Straus long maintained Patrick's proposal or a similarly wide-reaching one would drive out business from the state and be discriminatory.

In the final week of the session, the House responded with a scaled-back version requiring schools to make single-stall bathrooms or empty multi-stall bathrooms available to students who request to use them, a measure Patrick rejected as too narrow. As of Saturday night, after dueling news conferences in which they each said they would stand their ground, Straus and Patrick had not broken the impasse that has brought the Legislature to the brink of a special session.

'Made our statement'

Whether that happens, Straus said Saturday he was confident the House "would not go one inch further" on the issue, even if Abbott calls a special session specifically on the bathroom bill.

"No. I think the House feels very strongly that we've made our statement and that issue was continuing to be debated while school finance, which is really important to us, had not been addressed," he said.

There were also times this session when the usual cohesiveness of the chamber seemed to crack, if temporarily. Republicans, who outnumber Democrats 95-55 in the body, began to turn on each other as the Freedom Caucus, a group of 12 tea party-aligned members, managed to kill more than 100 bills in the name of political retribution against Straus and his chairmen, in what has come to be known as the Mother's Day Massacre.

"What we're doing is exactly what they did to our bills," Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from Plano and member of the caucus, said at the time. "Members of this body want to hit us personally. Nine times out of 10, we'll rise above it and be happy warriors and go on. But this has crossed a line that we cannot be silent about."

The caucus declined to comment for this story. Rep. Matt Schafer, the Republican from Tyler who chairs the group, said they would reserve comment on the speaker's performance until the ink was dry on this legislative session, or a special session if one is called. Other members of the Republican Caucus blamed members of the Freedom Caucus for the turbulence this session and praised Straus for a hands-off approach that allows the body to work issues out itself.

"The speaker's job is to make sure that we keep the institution intact the way it is," said Rep. Dan Huberty, a Republican from Humble who chairs the Public Education Committee after lecturing the body for failing to act like adults after the Freedom Caucus lampooned non-controversial bills. "The order and decorum, that's some of my frustration. Leadership has tried, including the speaker, we've worked hard to maintain that. Unfortunately, some people just don't listen."

Different priorities

Rep. Tom Oliverson, a first-term Cypress Republican and anesthesiologist, said he understands Straus is a "lightning rod" for criticism but called that assessment unfair. "There are obviously different priorities between the House and the Senate.  I just think that the bodies are different. They (senators) tend to be ideologically a lot more united than we are over here," he said. "I did not in a million years come up here thinking I would have bills that would die that I thought were good bills, conservative bills, that would die at the hands of my own colleagues."

A well-funded anti-Straus machine, particularly the group Empower Texans, has lobbed another criticism at Straus over the years: that the San Antonio Republican is in power only because he has made deals with House Democrats, in some cases giving them high-profile chairmanships, in order to keep their votes when the race for speaker comes around.

Showed restraint

Before the 2009 session, when Straus became speaker, the House was nearly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats were so confident they stood a chance at winning back the speakership after six years under Rep. Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican, that as many as five of them considered running for the top job. As their numbers dwindled after the brutal 2010 election and beyond, though, House Democrats fell in line behind Straus and have remained a relatively loyal part of his governing coalition ever since.

Rep. Poncho Nevarez, a Democrat from Eagle Pass who is vice chairman of Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, gave a second nominating speech on Straus' behalf at the start of the legislative session in January, extolling the speaker's pragmatism.

"We are fortunate to have been led by someone as discerning as Joe Straus," he said at the time. "I highlight in particular his compassion, which gives him the courage to stand up for the people of this state."

On Saturday, 138 days after his initial speech, Nevarez's assessment had not changed when presented with evidence of some Democrats' increased criticism of Straus as the session went on.

"I think that's beyond him. I think that's the body's decision," Nevarez said of the House's votes on a host of controversial legislation that, at least momentarily, tested the chamber's usually affable nature. "It showed a lot of restraint on the speaker's part."

Through tearful and wrenching pleas, Democrats this year showed a rawer vulnerability to the whims of the Republican-controlled Legislature than in previous sessions, even as they tried to beat back proposals they said were discriminatory and unconstitutional. In the final days of the legislative session, several House Democrats said the presidency of Donald Trump heightened their emotions this year, but in Austin, they expected the Straus-led House would have been a more decisive foil to the Senate, which has taken a conservative lurch under Patrick and perhaps felt embolded by Trump.

SB 4 lingers

Early in the session, Democrats saw some signs of hope. When the chamber debated House Bill 4, a measure to increase state assistance to people who care for abused or neglected children, GOP Rep. Mark Keough of The Woodlands tried to attach an amendment that would have barred any funds going to caregivers who are in the country illegally, no matter the citizenship status of the child.

Rep. Byron Cook, a Republican from Corsicana and a staunch Straus ally, lamented that he was "pretty heartbroken to be part of this today" on a bill to "take care of children." Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas called Keough's proposal "really racist, anti-Hispanic stuff."

Keough eventually withdrew his amendment after it was clear he would get support from enough Republicans, but for Anchia, it was among the first of many times he would publicly lambast the House and Straus, in particular, for their complicity in what he says is Austin's unmitigated hostility toward Latinos in the state.

"At the beginning of the session, that wasn't happening. We beat Keough back when he wanted to turn the CPS (bill) into immigration," Anchia said recently as he reflected on the session in its waning days. "I had a lot of Republicans coming up saying 'good job, thank you.' But there was none of that towards the end."

There was surely no turning back after Senate Bill 4, the so-called anti-"sanctuary cities" bill that allows police to question a person's immigration status if they have been lawfully detained, replacing a requirement that a police officer arrest the person first.

There are other controversial provisions in the law, which Abbott signed in May, but that debate around SB 4 still lingers as a pivotal moment in the minds of many Democrats, who said the bill, which they already view as unconstitutional, went from terrible to a crisis with the change pushed by Schaefer of Tyler.

"Once (Schaefer and the Freedom Caucus) were able to take control, it was very hard for House leadership to regain it and stop the avalanche of bad legislation," Anchia said.

Could Straus count on Democrats' support when he runs for a record-breaking sixth term as the House's leader in 2019?

"Everyone is speculating about the speaker's future - that's not secret. If he decided to run again, he would certainly be a prohibitive favorite to win," Anchia said. "If he chose not to, I believe that the Schaefer amendment vote would be an important litmus test for members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus."

From SB 4 to an omnibus abortion measure, the Republican majority this session enacted another round of sweeping new laws that will have to withstand expensive and winding legal challenges promised by Democrats and their allies. The state's lawyers are all but expected to spend the interim defending the legislature's actions in court, which Straus said had no immeidate bearing on the House's work this session.

"That's not really a concern of mine," he said. "The courts will do what they do and the legislature will address what we need to going forward. Hopefully we don't pass a lot of laws that are unconstitutional, but sometimes it happens."

'This is grumbling'

Rep. Garnet Coleman, a longtime Democrat from Houston, said Straus did as good a job this session as could be expected with an increasingly intransigent Senate that sought to challenge the speaker on a host of issues. Coleman dismissed claims that Straus' 2017 session mirrored Craddick's dramatic fall from the House speakership after the 2007 session. Coleman said political tensions during Craddick's era had felt like "the world was coming to an end."

"Oh no, this is nothing compared to that. This is grumbling, but nothing compares to those six years of opposition," Coleman said. "I don't think we will ever see that again; at least I hope we don't."

Given the Freedom Caucus' tendency to revel in floor flights that challenge their more moderate Republican colleagues, Coleman said Straus handled the body as best he could considering the constraints.

"I think Straus has done more than any other speaker could or would have done in the climate that we're in," Coleman said. "Intellectually, what would I do if I was in the same position? Generally, it's the same thing the speaker does."
AUSTIN -- The Texas Legislature gave it's final OK to a $216.8 billion spending plan for the next two years Saturday, including more money for children in crisis and mental health services, holds steady on border security funding and closes four prisons.

The House voted 135-14 for the budget which is $352 million more than the current spending plan. The Senate voted 30-1.

"We started with a sizable shortfall, but we are ending this session with a balanced budget that invests in some very important priorities," said House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. "We're keeping overall spending low while improving child protection and mental health care."

Both chambers began debating the final version of the spending plan Saturday afternoon as the chambers attempt to finish the last of their business in their 140-day legislative session. The budget is the only bill the Legislature is required to pass, and the Senate is expected to approve the bill Saturday afternoon.

In the Senate, chief budget-writer Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, touted the two-year spending plan as a successful compromise in a year that began with a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall and public disagreement between legislative leaders over how to pay for the state's growing needs.

"This budget is smart. This budget is compassionate. And it keeps Texas on a successful path to the future," she said. "It is fiscally responsible. It is essentially flat with the current one, even though it adds significant funds to a number of important programs like education."

The approved budget is $352 million more than the current state budget.

The budget includes drawing $990 million out of the so-called Rainy Day Fund, the state's savings account that holds about $10 billion, to pay for an array of one-time projects including $300 million to upgrade state psychiatric hospitals and a $75 million allocation for preservation of the iconic Alamo in San Antonio.

The spending plan allocates $800 million for border-security spending, about the same as the current budget and the most of any state. That amount includes hiring an additional 250 state troopers.

Legislative leaders have said their hope is that the Trump administration will increase federal border policing in a move that could cut the state's cost over the next two years.

But until that happens, Nelson and Huffman said the state will maintain its current operations to thwart border crime, from drug and gun smuggling to human trafficking to cross-border crime syndicates that have reached into Houston and other urban areas.

In the state that operates the largest state prison system in the United States, where just three prisons have been closed in state history, the budget closes four: the Ware Unit in Colorado City, the Bridgeport Pre-Parole Transfer Facility north of Fort Worth, the West Texas Intermediate Sanction Facility in Brownfield and the Bartlett State Jail in Central Texas.

The 2,000 convicts housed there will be moved to other state lockups, at a time when the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has lots of empty bunks due to a downturn in crime in recent years.

"I don't think we will jeopardize anything about how our prisons are run," said Sen. Joan Huffman,a Houston Republican who led the budget team on criminal justice and public safety agencies.

The budget also adds $63 million to eliminate waiting lists at community mental-health clinics, $67.5 million for new diversion programs aimed at keeping the mentally ill out of prisons and jails, $30 million for additional community mental-health beds and $10 million to increase the maximum-security capacity at state psychiatric hospitals. Those aging hospitals will get $300 million for infrastructure upgrades.

While the spending plan holds education funding levels steady this biennium at a basic allotment of $5,140 per student, the budget adds almost $2.7 billion to cover student enrollment growth as the state expects some 80,000 more students each school year. Texas is currently responsible for teaching 5.3 million public school children.

The budget also allocates $350 million to the financially strained Teachers Retirement System to continue healthcare benefits for retirees.

Additional funding will go to state colleges and universities, but so-called "special items" -- tens of millions of dollars that were allocated for specific programs and projects -- will be phased out in coming years, and some of those that are left in place will be cut by half.

The Texas Grant student loan program is allocated $71 million, $44 million will go to expand the state's medical residency program and funding to community colleges will be increased by $19 million.

Lawmakers also OK'd spending more than $508.5 million more for nearly 600 new Child Protective Services caseworkers and additional services. The boost in spending comes as the state wrangles with how to better meet the needs of children in crisis amid reports that some children went weeks before state officials could check on them due to caseworker workloads and turnover. Prevention services get another $33 million.

Children's advocates cheered the Legislature for spending more on children in CPS care, but lamented that lawmakers decided to restore 25 percent cuts to therapy for children with disabilities made during the last session instead of fully reversing the reductions.

"For two years, parents have been pleading with legislators to ensure that their kids with Down syndrome, speech delays, or autism can get the therapies they need, but legislators largely failed to reverse the cuts. It's devastating," said Stephanie Rubin, CEO of Texans Care for Children, an advocacy group.

The budget also includes $40 million in funding for infrastructure project to increase capacity at Texas ports, including the Port of Houston; $4.2 million to eliminate a backlog of processing rape kits used as evidence in criminal cases, $25 million to purchase bullet-proof vests for Texas police officers, and $12 million for ramped-up prosecution of border crimes.

The method of finance for the new budget generally adopted the Senate plan of briefly delaying a $1.8 billion transfer of funds to a highway fund, a plan that House leaders once blasted as Enron-like, a reference to the Houston energy firm that collapsed in a huge financial scandal in 2001. Attorney General Ken Paxton later approved the accounting maneuver as legal.

Mike Ward and Bobby Cervantes contributed to this report.
Where is the red line?

Houston's Republicans in Washington need to start asking themselves this question.

It is a question that former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater had to confront four decades ago.

A gyre of scandal had engulfed President Richard Nixon. Impeachment talks were proceeding. The Republican Party looked to Sen. Goldwater of Arizona - Mr. Conservative himself - to help determine if Nixon could survive an impeachment conviction in the Senate and, if necessary, convince the president to resign.

Goldwater worked with his colleagues to count the votes that had been tallied by Nixon's White House counsel. As the former presidential candidate made his way through the senators and their likely decisions, Goldwater added one more name to the list - his own.

While allegations of obstruction of justice, contempt of Congress, illegally bombing Cambodia and failing to pay taxes left the Arizona senator unpersuaded, Goldwater had to admit that he would probably vote to convict Nixon on one charge: abuse of power.

Nixon had been caught on tape instructing his chief of staff to have the CIA put pressure on the FBI to drop their investigation into the Watergate break-in.

That was Goldwater's red line. In that moment, he demonstrated the true conscience of a conservative. We have to wonder whether that conscience is still alive in the Republican Party.

Just this past Monday, Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima from the Washington Post reported that Donald Trump had attempted the same sort of interference.

According to current and former officials, Trump appealed to the director of national intelligence and the director of the National Security Agency to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. That collusion is the subject of an FBI investigation currently headed by special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller.

Did Trump, like Nixon, abuse the power of his office?

This is just one of many questions that our elected representatives have to ask themselves about the man in the Oval Office.

Was it obstruction of justice when Trump fired former FBI director James Comey? Is Trump violating the emoluments clause because the Trump Organization continues to accept payments from foreign governments?

Perhaps conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer put it best when he wrote earlier this month that Trump risks breaking the guardrails of our republic. As long as Republicans control the House and Senate, they have a responsibility to strengthen these guardrails before some core part of our nation is truly shattered.

Goldwater made the hard choice at the time, but partisan allegiance was no excuse for a president who crossed a red line. Where is that red line for Trump? Is a Republican Congress willing to actively investigate whether that line has been crossed?

More than 40 years ago, Barry Goldwater had to face the challenge of putting country ahead of party.

And in your heart, congressmen and senators, you know he was right.
Holier than thou

Regarding "Hate, bigotry bad for business" (Page B1, Monday), I think business columnist Chris Tomlinson's business column struck a nerve with our "leaders" in the Republican Party. I think that Steven Hotze's rant in a "prayer" and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick remarks remind me of the Pharisees in Jesus' time. Their "holier than thou" attitude is what gives us Christian Republicans a bad reputation.

Just because some of the representatives in the state House of Representatives don't all agree with their ideas then they want them to "be consumed, collapse, rot and be blown away as dust" sounds just like the Pharisee's prayers in the public square in Jesus' time. These modern day Pharisees have already received their reward just as Jesus remarked in the New Testament. I am sorry to see that my state senator has fallen in with these Pharisees and has become Patrick's hatchet man.

By the way, if your birth certificate is not an approved ID for voting in the state of Texas, it shouldn't be approved as a form of ID for the potty patrol. I'm sure the potty patrols will be another unfunded mandate that the Legislature will force upon the local taxpayers.

Robert Rosier, Danbury

Predators lurk

Regarding "Legislature beyond bounds of reason on bathrooms, vouchers" (Page A3, Wednesday) columnist Lisa Falkenberg excoriates Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and legislators for passing a bill that would restrict persons of one sex from using the bathrooms of the opposite sex in public schools, stating "I gather Patrick is concerned that a male sexual predator would put on a dress to enter a women's bathroom - even though doing so is already illegal if that predator attacks or even bothers somebody in that bathroom."

This is the same false logic that she and other opponents to the legislation have used time and again to define this issue. First off, there is no dress code for sexual predators or anybody else entering a public restroom. As to the second part of her argument, it's small comfort to the chickens that it's illegal for a fox to be in the hen-house with ill intent.

That is why sexual predators, like the fox, must be denied access.

Pete Smith, Cypress
Pressuring lawmakers

As I read the various articles in my daily Chronicle, I am frequently taken aback by the number of "interest" groups mentioned. The article "Farm sector wary about trade" (Page B1, Monday) is an excellent example. The article contained commentary from two associations (eg. the American Soybean Association), a bureau, a research institute, and a federation - each group with their talking points and financial interest in NAFTA-related legislation.

Then I read "Craft brewers decry Legislature's vote for a taproom bill" (Page B8, Tuesday), about an arm-twisting contest between the Beer Alliance of Texas and Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas (supporters) and their opponents, the Craft Brewers Guild of Texas, the Texas Association of Manufacturers and the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

There is clearly a hoard of pressure groups ready to push (and pay) our state and national legislators to construct the laws to their benefit. If the voters don't keep up with what is going on and don't go to the polls to throw the rascals out, those rascals will eat our lunch and dinner, too.

Louis DuPree, Magnolia

Generating city revenue

Regarding "A revenue cap is terrible public policy" (Page A13, Monday), where is the incentive to be fiscally responsible if there is no revenue cap in place? The taxpayers, who have the burden of providing the city government with its revenue, have to function under a budget of their own.

They have to operate under a "revenue cap" or salary cap. Here is where government tries to scare us by threatening to cut fire and police protection if they don't get more revenue. They can't tell us a fireman or a policeman is on an equal value level with some administrative person so that it would justify cutting fire or police protection first.

Robert M. Louie, Houston

Tending to Buffalo Bayou

Regarding "What we found canoeing Buffalo Bayou" (Page D1, May 20), Eagle Scout Paul Hung did a wonderful job of chronicling his group's canoe trip down Buffalo Bayou.

Maybe the Harris County Flood Control District needs to take another look at their improvement plan. I know it has been approved by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. But that, in itself, should give us pause. Doesn't the Corps apply the laws of physics in solving the problems they face? Isn't this a biological problem? And we know only too well that Mother Nature often thwarts our best-laid plans.

Maybe we should listen to biologists and environmentalists who spend more time studying the laws and workings of nature to solve a natural problem. Just a thought.

Christine Eheman, Houston

Future retirement plans

Regarding "Right's 401(k) push a big risk for employees" (Page A19, Wednesday), this article should have said, "No 401(k) push a big risk for taxpayers."

The traditional pension plan was designed to pay retirees at age 65 for five to 10 years before they died. That retirement lifespan has now been extended to 25-30 years.

The odds of one member of a couple, 65 years old today, living past 90 is 48 percent. That means the pension or the taxpayer has to put in a lot more money to cover that liability. Private corporations realized that a decade ago. Now, only public plans still have defined-benefit pension plans despite the massively increased cost of the plans. Yes, a 401(k) plan is inferior to a pension, but it does not subject taxpayers to unlimited increasingly large payments.

Max Patterson suggests we concentrate on economic growth opportunities. All I hear is that the right's 3 percent GDP growth assumption is absurd. Perhaps it is due to all the regulations that stifles growth, but this should not be a right or left argument. It is a mathematics argument.

Two percent bond returns and 7 percent stock returns will average to 5 percent, which will make most pension plans insolvent in 10-20 years, unless taxes are raised massively. This will be the financial crisis of the future.

David Kroon, Houston
In 1917, U.S. Secretary of War Newton Baker disliked the idea of female workers on Army bases so intensely that he didn't even want to build toilets for them. But the more forward-thinking Navy already had welcomed women into its ranks to replace men in landlubber assignments.

America's ongoing Industrial Revolution gave the "Hello Girls," as the first female recruits came to be known, their opportunity to serve the nation and earn full rights as citizens. In particular, American telephones were the only military technology in which America enjoyed superiority over both allies and enemies. Commands to advance or retreat, and to fire or stand down, were relayed by phone during the Great War.

At home, telephone operating was sex-segregated. Callers rang female operators, who connected nearly every call made. Their job was demanding. With hands darting like hummingbirds, operators connected hundreds of impatient callers each hour. Diligent and quick, they talked with customers while manipulating plugs in a constantly changing pattern.

When Gen. John Pershing arrived in France in 1917, he found male recruits ill-suited for this work. They were inefficient, and prone to frustration when dealing with rude callers. Few doughboys possessed the foreign language skills necessary to cooperate with French telephone operators when making long-distance connections. Necessity required innovation, so Pershing departed from precedent, law, and the wishes of the Army itself to recruit bilingual women. They withstood submarine warfare, cannon fire, influenza, bombardment, and petty-minded bureaucrats to send the word, over there.

Most worked behind the lines in safer regions of France. But one small group, led by Grace Banker, a 25-year-old graduate of Barnard College, followed Pershing from the short but intense Battle of St. Mihiel to the desperately extended Meuse-Argonne Offensive, lasting 47 days. The women ran switchboards 24 hours a day within range of artillery fire that lit up the horizon and shook their equipment. Enemy planes buzzed overhead. A German prisoner of war overturned an oil stove and burned their barracks to the ground. Yet the indomitable women embraced every challenge.

Their efforts, along with those of female Army nurses and private volunteers, helped shape another great debate: whether or not to grant women the vote. By war's end, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden and 10 other countries had enfranchised females.

Not surprisingly, the nation latest to the war was also late to the vote. Accustomed to congratulating itself as the vanguard of democracy, the United States brought up the rear. Its suffrage movement had struggled for 70 years without producing victory.

But the war - and female recruits' efforts in battle - changed the mind of President Woodrow Wilson. Prior to his election in 1912, he told an aide that he was "definitely and irreconcilably opposed to woman suffrage; woman's place was in the home, and the type of woman who took an active part in the suffrage agitation was totally abhorrent to him."

Six years later, at the height of American fighting in France, Wilson told the U.S. Senate that the women's vote was vital to the "realization of the objects for which the war is being fought." He hoped America might eventually organize an enduring democratic peace, guaranteed by a League of Nations. But how could the United States lead the free world if it was behind everyone else? Once women's suffrage was entangled with Wilson's foreign policy goals, it became necessary, not discretionary. The president made two arguments: The United States could not hold itself aloof from world opinion, and women had amply earned the privileges of citizenship.

"Are we alone to ask and take the utmost women can give - service and sacrifice of every kind - and still say that we do not see what title that gives them?" the president asked. "Shall we admit them only to a partnership of sacrifice and suffering and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and of right?"

Once operators returned home in 1919 (two died in France), the Army denied them veterans' bonuses, victory medals, hospitalization for disabilities and even a flag on their coffins. As a result, the Hello Girls commenced a new struggle for recognition as veterans that eventually caught the second wave of feminism. In 1979, assisted by the National Organization for Women, 31 survivors received their World War I Victory Medals at last.

Women's activism laid the basis for women's suffrage, which was ratified by the 19th Amendment in 1920. World War I secured it. The Hello Girls fought on both fronts.

Cobbs, author of "The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers," holds the Melbern Glasscock chair at Texas A&M University and is a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. She wrote this for Zocalo Public Square.
In the middle of one night

Miss Clavel turned on the light

And said, "Something is not right!"

- "Madeline," by Ludwig Bemelmans, 1939

WASHINGTON - Many of us these days find ourselves channeling our inner Miss Clavel.

Defense Secretary James Mattis, for one. In Dexter Filkins' profile of Mattis for the New Yorker, the most striking moment comes when Mattis is asked what worries him most in his new role. Filkins expected to hear about the Islamic State, or Russia, or the defense budget.

Instead, Mattis went to a deeper, more unsettling problem: "The lack of political unity in America. The lack of a fundamental friendliness. It seems like an awful lot of people in America and around the world feel spiritually and personally alienated, whether it be from organized religion or from local community school districts or from their governments."

Something is not right. If anything, Mattis' diagnosis seems understated. This national distemper, the sour, angry mood infecting the body politic, was evident before Montana congressional candidate Greg Gianforte body-slammed a reporter for daring to ask a question; then had his campaign lie about it; then failed to apologize - until after he won the election.

It was evident before Gianforte's current allies and future colleagues were muted, to put it mildly, in the face of his audio-taped assault. "We all make mistakes," said Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, who chairs House Republicans' campaign arm. This was not a mistake; it was an assault on a reporter doing his constitutionally protected job.

Something is not right - and Gianforte's attack is simply a well-documented illustration of this larger ill. The events of a single week serve to underscore the gravity of the malady.

Something is not right when the grieving parents of murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich are forced to suffer the further injury of seeing their son's death hijacked for political purpose, baselessly linked to WikiLeaked DNC emails.

Something is not right when President Donald Trump's commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, marvels, after traveling with the president to Saudi Arabia, that "there was not a single hint of a protester anywhere there during the whole time we were there. Not one guy with a bad placard." Note to Ross: The absence of protest is not good news - it is evidence of the absence of democracy.

Something is not right when Trump's housing secretary, Ben Carson, asserts that "poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind. You take somebody that has the right mindset, you can take everything from them and put them on the street, and I guarantee in a little while they'll be right back up there." How can this man be entrusted with the task of ensuring affordable housing when he seems to believe the inability to pay for housing stems from lack of will and moral backbone?

This is not simply about disagreeing with Trump's ideology, such as it is, or even with more orthodox Republican views. It is about the increasing distrust of the other, whether a refugee or a political opponent, and the emergence of a fundamental mean-spiritedness inconsistent with American values.

About those American values: Something is not right when, as the Congressional Budget Office found, the House Republican health care bill would result in 23 million more Americans without health coverage, inflicting the greatest harm on the oldest, sickest and least well-off.

Something is not right when Trump proposes a budget that would slash funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved nearly 12 million lives in Africa and elsewhere by providing antiretroviral drugs. Trump's budget would cut the program by nearly one-fifth - and result in the deaths of at least 1 million people, according to researchers.

And that is just one particularly poignant example. Something is not right when Trump's budget would cut food stamps and housing vouchers for needy families; health care for poor children - this, on top of cuts already envisioned in the health care bill; heating assistance for the low-income elderly; and job training programs to help the very Americans whose interests Trump vowed to champion.

Something is really not right when all this is done to help pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the richest Americans. When it is built on an edifice of fairy-tale growth projections exacerbated by fraudulent accounting, double-counting savings from this supposed growth.

We are all Miss Clavel now, or should be.

Marcus' email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com.
As Houstonians pause this weekend to honor those who have faithfully served our country, I hope they will take a measure of pride in what happened 75 years ago on another Memorial Day in this city. The late Spring of 1942 was the absolute bottom of the war for America and its allies. Pearl Harbor had been decimated six months before. Since then, American forces in the Philippines had surrendered. British forces in Hong Kong and Singapore had done the same. Europe was controlled by the Nazis. The Japanese military was moving through Asia without pause. They stood on the doorstep of Australia. The world was down to 12 democracies. Six were English-speaking. Five were in the war and losing badly. The light of freedom seemed to grow dimmer with each passing day.

Yet, a thousand young men gathered in Houston on Memorial Day 1942 to be sworn into the Navy. Their intent was to take the place of those who were lost when the cruiser USS Houston and its sister Australian ship, the HMAS Perth, were sunk in the Battle of the Sunda Strait the previous March. After taking their oaths, they marched through cheering crowds estimated as high as 200,000 to the station where they would board trains for San Diego and basic training.

But, there was far more to the story of the Houston Volunteers than just that. In fewer than three months, citizens of Houston bought $85 million in war bonds, enough money to replace the USS Houston and to build a new aircraft carrier, the USS San Jacinto. The youngest Navy pilot in the war, George H.W. Bush, would take off from it on the fateful day when he was shot down.

After Pearl Harbor, the USS Houston and the USS Peary were dispatched from the Philippines to shore up the defenses of Australia and the Dutch Indies. They engaged the Japanese many times along the way as they fought their way into Darwin Harbor in Australia.

The Peary was lost when the Japanese attacked Darwin with an air armada larger than the one they used at Pearl Harbor. The Houston had escaped a similar fate because it had left the night before to join other British, Dutch and Australian ships in the Timor Sea.

Eight days later, only the Houston and Australia's HMAS Perth survived the Battle of the Java Sea. More than 2,300 Allied sailors would die in that engagement. The next morning despite being damaged and low on fuel and ammunition, the Houston and Perth were ordered to make one last desperate attempt to blunt the advance of Japanese forces. Horribly outgunned and outnumbered, the Houston and Perth were soon lost.

Yet, what heroism they showed. No one on either of those ships could have been confident they would return when they were ordered back into the fight. How could they? They had seen what had happened the night before. They knew of the losses at Darwin. They knew their numbers were thin. They knew the Japanese would have an overwhelming numerical advantage. But, still they went. Heroes are like that.

They did not know how the war would end. They just knew that the democracy they had, the freedom of speech they enjoyed, the free press they read, the freedom of religion they practiced were all at stake. And, they - Australians and Americans alike - were prepared against all odds to do whatever they could, whenever they could, to stop those who were arrayed against them. What courage. What partners. What an example.

Before we forget our history and begin listening once again to the voices of isolation and protectionism, we should remember that our post-war success in the world flowed out of one firm conviction - that we could create a better world when we acted together rather than alone. The United States and Australia and, yes, our former enemies and now allies Japan and Germany should take pride in that. Together, we made a better world.

On this Memorial Day we should remember that liberty will never be finally won. Civility and understanding will never be finally observed. Tolerance for all will never be finally accepted. To make those ideals realized in any society at any time, good men and good women must believe them worth having. And they must, like those brave men on board the Perth and Houston have the courage to do whatever they can at the moment they are challenged to ensure their survival. That is who we are. That is what made us successful in the post-war world and, that is what will lead us to a better world tomorrow.

A Texas native, Schieffer served as U.S. ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005 and as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 2005 to 2009.
Memorial Day is a day when Americans remember those who died in the service of our country. The men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice did so to preserve our security and freedom. We owe them more than periodic remembrances and statements of gratitude. We owe them an unshakeable commitment to ensuring that current and future soldiers are sent into harm's way only when the nation's interests are clearly at stake.

Too often our leaders have sent Americans to die in response to vague threats or in pursuit of unclear purposes. Memorial Day should remind us all to demand better foreign policy leadership.

Our nation's founders opposed large standing military forces in peacetime because they feared it would encourage leaders to use them frequently. Powerful armies are a temptation for ambitious politicians. The founders also intended for Congress to act as a check on presidential war-making, requiring a majority vote for declarations of war. President George Washington articulated this wisdom in his farewell address of 1796, calling for America to avoid permanent alliances, enmities and foreign wars.

These assumptions dominated American policy for most of the nation's early history. But after World War II, and with the onset of the Cold War, the United States took a very different course. To contain communist aggression, Americans supported the largest peacetime military in the nation's history - more powerful than nearly any other. To enable crisis decision-making, as in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Congress ceded war-making to the president.

Many of these policy changes were necessary. They made our country and our allies safer. Nonetheless, since 1945 it has become easier for American presidents to deploy forces abroad, often without clarity of purpose or strategy. In Vietnam, almost 3 million Americans served, and more than 58,000 died. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were never clear about why Vietnam mattered and what we were fighting for.

The same can be said for Iraq, where more than 1.5 million Americans served and 4,474 died. Why were American forces sent to depose Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein? Where were the alleged "weapons of mass destruction?" Where was the connection between Saddam and the al-Qaida terrorist organization?

The men and women who served in Vietnam, Iraq and other wars showed courage and patriotism. They followed orders. But they deserved better. Their missions were noble, but they failed because the wars were not clearly connected to national interests. Our soldiers did not know why they were fighting, and it was therefore almost impossible to formulate an effective strategy. How can you win if you do not know what winning is?

Perhaps these wars had worthwhile purposes, and perhaps they could have been conducted more successfully. The absence of a clear definition of interests by civilian leaders - Presidents Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush and others - made it impossible to set appropriate and consistent battlefield priorities. This was particularly true in difficult counterinsurgency conflicts where the native resistance had a clear goal (expel the occupier), and the American occupation army was uncertain whether and why it wished to stay.

Today, more wars similar to Vietnam and Iraq are likely. We face a series of potential conflicts around North Korea, the South China Sea, Syria, Ukraine and Iran. The spread of the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups also draws intensive American military attention. The inexperienced and understaffed foreign policy team around President Donald Trump is increasing the size and aggressive posture of the military, while at the same time cutting tools for diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and international aid. When confronted by its first major foreign policy crisis, which will happen soon, the current administration will turn to the military and deploy troops. The numbers will start small, and they will grow as threats metastasize and the expectations for quick American victories escalate.

This is our history. It also is our present and our future. As a global power, we cannot turn back to a time of small armies and infrequent American wars abroad. Let us instead use this Memorial Day to prepare for the foreign policy challenges we have recently neglected by asking our leaders to clearly articulate our national interests and define our priorities. We can then demand that future service members are sent into battle only when their efforts are truly vital for the nation's security and freedom. This does not require isolationism, but instead a more deliberate, careful and well-planned use of American force.

We owe those who have already given their lives for our country nothing less.

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His newest book is "The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office."
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
TORONTO  The Conservative Party chose Saturday to stay on the path charted by Stephen Harper, selecting a cheerful family man to sell their message rather than a Quebec libertarian who risked creating rifts within the party.

Thirty-eight-year-old Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer won 50.95 per cent of the votes on the 13th and final ballot. Maxime Bernier, who had run a campaign over the previous few days that presumed he would win, received 49.05 per cent when all the votes were counted and redistributed.

Advertisement

Scheers campaign manager, Hamish Marshall, told HuffPost Canada the race had become a contest between people who basically think that Stephen Harper did a really good job and people who are disappointed that Stephen Harper didnt go far enough.

Bernier did a good job of speaking for people who felt Harper was insufficiently conservative, Marshall added, while Andrew led the path amongst people who think broadly that the last government was a very good government.

More from campaign manager Hamish Marshall on our Follow-Up podcast:

Advertisement

Bernier presented himself as a no compromise candidate, a reformer with bold policy prescriptions, such as eliminating the federal governments role in health care funding, scrapping corporate welfare, and eliminating supply management in the dairy, poultry and egg industries. His critics charged he would expand private health care and weaken public services, cost Canadian jobs, hollow out rural towns, and plunge the country into $30-billion deficits to compensate farmers for the loss of their income.

Some inside the party worried that a Bernier win would lead to a showdown at the 2018 Halifax policy convention when he planned to press the membership to adopt his controversial agenda.

Opposite camps called his positions a bit too extreme and unworkable.

Conservative Sen. Don Plett, the partys president for the first seven years after the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives, warned that Bernier would have to put a lot of water into his wine.

Im from the province of Manitoba, and there is a lot of supply management in the province of Manitoba and Quebec, Plett said of the Canadian quota system for dairy, poultry and egg products.

Advertisement

If he wants to win an election, he is going to have to compromise. You will not win an election without having some compromises, Plett, a Scheer supporter, told HuffPost.

Bernier organizer and Quebec MP Jacques Gourde said: In the end, it was a referendum on supply management, and Maxime lost his bet.

Speaking after his come-from-behind win, Scheer acknowledged that the support of dairy farmers, especially in Quebec, had been instrumental in putting him over the edge.

Our voter turnout in Quebec was north of 80 per cent. We had an extremely effective organization there, and it made a massive difference, Marshall said on HuffPosts politics podcast Follow-Up after the vote.

Advertisement

On Saturday, the 141,362 Conservative members whose votes were counted  a 54.6 per cent turnout  told the 13 leadership candidates still in the race that they were looking for someone who could compromise.

Long-standing members voted at a significantly higher rate, than new members, Marshall noted. We also believed that long-term members were more likely to mark more choices on their ballot.  We knew from everything weve seen that amongst voters who were not committed, who are long-term members of the party, Andrew was ahead of Max by the end with that group, and we knew that they would be more likely to be deeper ballot voters.

Close to 78 per cent of voters ranked another candidate ahead of Scheer on the first ballot. The party has yet to release the number of votes that actually determined the winner on the final ballot, but Scheer, who campaigned by asking people to put him second on their preferential ballot, benefited from voters who took the time to rank more than their favourite candidate.

A silent Harperite majority

Our operating assumption when I wrote the campaign plan, Marshall told HuffPosts Follow-Up, was that there is what I call a silent Harperite majority within the party and that the people who are most disappointed in the election results, or maybe most disappointed in aspects of the government, made a lot of news, complained about a lot of things, but that your average long-term Conservative member was somebody who was pretty happy with the way things had gone for the decade that we were in power and wanted a leader that at least respected that and was compatible with that in some way.  That was something that we identified early and that was a core part of our campaign from the beginning.

Scheer campaigned during the leadership race on a continuation of Harpers agenda.

The lesson I've learned from last election is not that we have to change our policies, Scheer told HuffPost. I got very good feedback, and people appreciate of the tax cuts, they like the fact that we balance the budget, they appreciated our foreign policy that had a principled drive to it and standing up for what's right around the world. But we have to find a way to keep all that, but then go from 30 per cent to 40 per cent  45 per cent beyond, and we're not going to do that just by reminding people how much we don't like Justin Trudeau, he said.

Advertisement

Harpers former campaign manager, Jenni Byrne, said Scheer more than any than any other candidate campaigned on the policies of Stephen Harper.

"When members of our party sat down and thought what do they want? They thought we want a little more Stephen Harper."  Jenni Byrne

When members of our party sat down and thought what do they want? They thought we want a little more Stephen Harper, she said. That, I think, is the No. 1 take-away.

Plett also believed party members narrowly rejected a giant change because they felt most things didnt need fixing.

We lost the last election because we were selling somebody that was not sellable, Plett said. People voted against people in our party, not against our policies, I absolutely believe that.

Advertisement

Former MP Peter Penashue, a Scheer organizer in Labrador, said his candidate was also an easy sell to party members.

Hes a very genuine person. Hes, you know, in Newfoundland we say salt of the earth. Hes a fine gentleman.

Noteworthy in Saturdays voting is the importance of the partys social conservative wing and their desire to have a continued voice in Parliament.

Social conservatives Brad Trost and Pierre Lemieux shared supporters which helped propel Trost to fourth place. While most their voters didnt rank a third candidate, about 25 per cent voted for Scheer, who is also a social conservative, according to observers who were in the room when the votes were tallied.

Advertisement

Trost said his 24,000 members were motivated to vote and they helped ensure a Scheer victory. The move when Scheer went from trailing by 6 [per cent] to trailing by two [per cent] happened when I fell off the ballot

My voters made the strongest moves to Andrew versus Max.

Listen to Althia Raj's interview with Andrew Scheer on the Follow-Up podcast:

Scheer, a father of five with a perfect anti-abortion record, seemed to distance himself during the race from social conservatives.

Ive been very clear that Im not going to reopen these things [abortion, gay marriage], he told HuffPost. Our team is not interested in opening and bringing forward things that divide our own movement.

Bernier, who spoke in favour of scrapping the traditional definition of marriage at the Tories last convention in Vancouver, told social conservatives that he would let them introduce any bills or motion but would not push their agenda as a government.

Advertisement

[Bernier] was pro gay marriage, and that is a no-go for a lot of so-con voters, Conservative pundit Tim Powers said. If comfort is the message and they see Scheer as Harper light, then theyll probably accept the fact that under Harper they did OK. Part of it for so-cons is holding the line; Andrew is not going to cross it one way or the other.

Bernier was 'overconfident,' Tory senator says

Conservative Sen. David Tkachuk told HuffPost he believes Bernier also lost votes Friday night. Scheer made an enthusiastic last pitch to voters watching on TV and on the convention floor, whereas the Quebec MP spoke off-the-cuff for a few minutes, with his team saying the real speech would be on Saturday  the victors speech.

Bernier was overconfident, said Tkachuk, who supported Scheer. I thought he performed badly yesterday, and I think that cost him.

Scheer told reporters hed like to think his speech made a difference. The National Posts John Ivison reported that 9,000 votes had been cast Saturday and that Scheer had won by 7,000 votes.

The party has yet to release an official tally of the weekends polls.

Advertisement

While the old schism between the Progressive Conservative and Reform Party sides of the Conservative tent were not on display this weekend, Powers noted that, with a 51 per cent majority, Scheer shouldnt read too much into his victory.

The message for Scheer is that you are not the overwhelming favourite. With 13 rounds, youve got to work with everybody thats here and send the right messages about that, he said.

The leadership campaign, which lasted more than a year, saw a national discourse over the idea of screening newcomers for so-called Canadian values  Leitchs main platform plank. While she received warm applause Friday during her speech, she came in sixth with 7.95 per cent support.

Michael Chong, who campaigned on a platform to introduce a revenue-neutral carbon tax and was often booed on stage during debates, received 9.14 per cent support before dropping off the ballot in fifth place.

Also on HuffPost

In Photos: Andrew Scheer See Gallery
mustafagull via Getty Images

The Muslim woman who spoke of Saudi-funded mosques and the spread of Wahhabi Islam in Thursday's Question Time was spot on.

What makes Wahhabism so damaging? We don't have to look further than its ideologues, such as its founder Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab who is refered to in ISIS publications. His preaching was vehemently intolerant and violent. Anyone who disagreed with his narrow understating of Islam was considered an apostate and would be punishable by death. His preaching brought bloodshed to the Arabian Peninsula in the form of beheadings, executions, and amputations, much like what we have witnessed from ISIS.

Advertisement

Bernard Haykel, a scholar at Princeton describes the ISIS' ideology as "a kind of untamed Wahhabism," and says that "Wahhabism is the closest religious cognate." Personally, I would not describe ISIS' ideology as an untamed form of Wahhabism. For me, this overshadows the fundamental problem with Wahhabism's Islamic theology and implies that Saudi Arabia's Wahhabism is "tamed."

A former imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Sheikh Aadel Al-Kalbani, Al-Kalbani, criticised aspects within the Salafi stream for permitting the killing of opponents. He announced that ISIS was the result of the Salafi version of Islam, and therefore the Salafi sect needed to change. It could be argued that the difference between Saudi Arabia and ISIS, is that Saudi Arabia merely has nicer buildings. There is no taming a theology, which consists of noxious principles. What makes it worse is that this ideology has spread far and wide in the UK.

In 2007, Dr Denis MacEoin, an Islamic studies expert at Newcastle who previously taught at the University of Fez, led a team of researchers over a two-year project, uncovering a hoard of malignant literature inside as many as a quarter of Britain's mosques. All of it had been published and distributed by agencies linked to the government of Saudi Arabia.

Among some of the content found in the material were recommendations to burn, stone, and throw homosexuals from mountains or tall buildings, and inflict the same on those who commit adultery or dare to leave or change their religion.

Advertisement

It is estimated that Saudi spending on religious causes abroad are between $2bn [960m] and $3bn per year since 1975 (comparing favourably with what was the annual Soviet propaganda budget of $1bn during the cold war), which has been spent on 1,500 mosques, 210 Islamic centres and dozens of Muslim academies and schools.

It is no exaggeration then to say that these mosques are little more than propaganda factories producing Wahhabi ideologues to populate the streets of Britain. In 2002, Jamaican convert Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal who had trained at a Saudi university, was caught on tape saying "You can use chemical weapons to exterminate the unbelievers. Is that clear? If you have cockroaches in your house, you spray them with chemicals." Germaine Lindsay, one of the 7/7 bombers, was among his followers.

This was in 2002, and though the Saudis began to cut back on their international funding after they came into the spotlight following 9/11, imagine how deep the roots of Salafist thought have embedded themselves in British mosques today.

In addition to funding their propaganda in Britain, at home in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic University of Medina reserves 85% of its places for foreign students, resulting in hundreds of British graduates who have returned to the UK with their newly found hard-line Salafist views.

When discussing extremism and radicalisation in the UK, the elephant in the room, without a doubt, is Wahhabism. ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups all subscribe to this hostile intolerant reading of Islam. If we are serious about challenging extremism, surely we should start by stopping the mass export of intolerance and hatred of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia to the UK.

Advertisement
Peter Nicholls / Reuters

As manifestos begin to take precedence over personalities in the snap election campaign, the Liberal Democrats are failing to be heard over the noise of resurgent democratic socialism in Labour and traditional interventionism by the Tories.

Whilst a referendum on the final Brexit deal is the party's main line of attack going in to 8 June, here are 8 other reasons to lend your vote to the amber party this Summer, lifted straight from the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

Advertisement

1. Legalisation of cannabis

After decades of failure, the Liberal Democrats have opted to end the shambolic 'war on drugs', in a bid to protect the public from underground deals, sub-standard cannabinoids and the tyranny of government's owning a person's body. This makes the Lib Dems the only major party in favour of a legalised cannabis market.

2. The NHS

The party are proposing a 1p rise in income tax to provide the NHS and social care the money it needs to adequately serve the public. Whilst, in the 1940s, the NHS was largely the brainchild of Liberal William Beveridge, seventy years on, his party is proposing a negligible increase in tax to provide the quality of healthcare he envisaged. The IFS have said that this method of funding is more sustainable than Labour's.

3. Education investment

The Liberal Democrats have heralded their reputation as the party of education for years, after introducing the Pupil Premium and Free School Meals in coalition government. In 2017, Tim Farron's party are calling for 7billion extra for schools over the next parliament.

4. Parity for mental health

For years, the Lib Dems have held a commitment to ensuring parity of esteem for mental and physical ill health - and they pledge to continue championing that cause in the next parliament. The party aim to do this by, among other things, cutting waiting times for talking treatments to six weeks or under and adequately funding LGBT+ specific mental health organisations.

Advertisement

5. Houses, houses, houses

When elected leader of the party back in July 2015, Tim Farron quickly made housing a primary focus of his reign. The Liberals are aiming to build 300,000 eco-friendly homes a year by 2022, half a million by the end of the next parliament. As well as this, they want to set-up a Rent to Own scheme in which each rent payment increases a tenant's stake in the ownership of their home - helping to combat the current perils of home ownership in the UK.

6. Votes at 16

16-year-olds can consent to sex, get married, join the army, work full-time and join a trade union - but they cannot vote on any of the policies affecting those things. The Lib Dems have pledged to enfranchise 16 and 17 year olds for all elections and referenda, as well as retaining their commitment to proportional representation.

7. Reversing Tory welfare cuts

As well as a commitment to fairer democracy, the party is also pledging to reverse the welfare cuts under the current Tory government. The party pledge to inject an extra 9.7bn in to welfare payments - twice as much as Labour. According to the IFS, the poorest in our country will lose twice as much under Labour, and three times as much under the Tories as they would under the Liberal Democrats.

8. Refugees
Peter Nicholls / Reuters

Salman Abedi was on a man on a mission. He seemed to prepare his device in a methodical fashion, intent on killing as many young people at a concert, which he probably felt exemplified a 'western decadent lifestyle'. It is also becoming clear that there were a trail of indicators that should have flagged up this individual as someone vulnerable to violent Islamist extremism. They were missed and I have recently highlighted these missed opportunities. Abedi is therefore not unique and may young men have followed similar trajectories to this young murderer.

The last 5 years have been a turbulent time for those of us working in Tell MAMA, which supports victims of anti-Muslim hatred and which also maps, measures and monitors this phenomenon across the country. The turbulence has been caused by the sheer number of peaks and troughs around anti-Muslim hate incidents that have been reported into the national hate crime project, primarily driven by Islamist terrorist attacks within our country and beyond. This is not to marginalise the impact of far right groups and their online and offline anti-Muslim propaganda, though the reality is that the number of Islamist terrorist attacks are simply far, far higher leading to massive loss of life and injury to members of the public, when compared to far right extremism and hatred. Saying that, the latter led to the murders of Muhammed Saleem in Birmingham and Mushin Ahmed in Rotherham.

Advertisement

We also have to acknowledge that one of the greatest threats to community cohesion in our country in the last decade has been violent and non-violent Islamist extremism. This is a fact and the sharp rises in anti-Muslim hate incidents which correlate to these major events are systematic proof of this. Yet, there is also a wider impact of the actions of terrorists, apart from the significant loss of life and emotional and psychological damage that they inflict through their actions. Social commentators have talked about how Islamic State attempts to attack the 'grey zone' where communities engage, support, and peacefully enrich each other in society, though this analogy does not reflect the true reality of what actually happens. Terrorists are well aware that their actions will lead to some Muslims being targeted and one of their aims is to create a backlash against Muslims which further drives a number of them towards a victimisation mentality, which at its core, is what Islamist extremists prey on. This vulnerability of victimisation is one of the major gateways for them into the minds of Muslims who have been repeatedly targeted for anti-Muslim hatred and is the 'backdoor' into the minds of people who have started to feel that they are not wanted or have a future in our country. It is something that Islamist extremists pick at, a scab that they will not allow to heal, ensuring that the more they pick at it, the greater the trauma and the more vulnerable the individual becomes.

This weekend, the Times reported that there are about 32,000 Jihadis who are in the UK, according to security sources and that only between 3,000 - 3,500 can be monitored at any one point. Whatever the truth about the number, it is pretty clear that there are significant numbers of people in our country who feel alienated enough from us as a society, that they would be willing to undertake violence against us. The question therefore has to be asked. Do we really want to add to this pool of individuals by targeting people who are law abiding citizens and who happen to be Muslim?

Advertisement

We know that heavy handed policing, abuse and hatred against Irish Catholic communities in Northern Ireland and England at the height of the Northern Ireland conflict, led to a greater pool of young people sympathising with the IRA. This was a fact; the more young Irish Catholics felt humiliated or targeted, the more their sympathies opened up to groups which used violence against their perceived enemies. This is why we must ensure that hatred and intolerance is also targeted and challenged and that after-shock spikes in anti-Muslim hatred must be tackled, in addition to violent Islamist extremism.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news

Look North presenter Peter Levy has grilled the two candidates vying to become the next Humberside Police chief constable as part of the interview process for the 159,000-a-year job.

The BBC anchorman hosted mock TV interviews at the force's Priory Road headquarters on Friday. The filmed interviews were then assessed by a five-strong panel overseeing the recruitment.

A preferred candidate for the vacancy created by the sudden early retirement of Justine Curran in February is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

Police and crime commissioner Keith Hunter, who sat on the panel, said: "I asked Peter Levy to help by interviewing each candidate in the same style he does on TV as part of the selection process."

(Image: Kate Woolhouse)

Mr Hunter said: "I wanted to make it as realistic as possible so we created a mini-TV studio. I think his interviews on Look North are a bit of a yardstick by which public sector leaders are measured.

"Whoever becomes the next chief constable will have to be able to cope with media interviews and I thought this was the best way of seeing how they fared.

"It's quite normal to use journalists in this way during these type of senior level recruitment. Bringing Peter in, with all his experience and his own particular style, was the ideal way to do it."

Mr Hunter stressed the Look North presenter's role was restricted to carrying out mock interviews rather than being a selection panel member.

"Each interview was filmed and watched by the panel," Mr Hunter said.

"He did not have any direct input into the decision-making process."

As well as Mr Hunter, the selection panel members were East Riding Council chief executive Caroline Lacey, North East Lincolnshire Council chief executive Rob Walsh, Humberside chief fire officer and chief executive Dene Sanders and Kate Van der Sluis, a director with recruitment specialists Emmerson Kitney.

Mr Hunter said: "As well as being the independent member on the panel, Kate has also been appointed by myself to write a report on how the recruitment process as a whole has been run.

"That will be submitted to the police and crime panel in due course."

The vacancy had to be re-advertised in April after only one suitable application was submitted.

A recruitment pack for the post included a video featuring Mr Hunter urging would-be candidates not to let "preconceived ideas" about the region or the force put them off from applying.

Once the preferred candidate has been announced next week, Mr Hunter will recommend that appointment to the next meeting of the police and crime panel on June 22.

He said: "I would hope the successful candidate will be in place as soon as possible after that.

"Despite having to re-advertise the job, I am confident we will still be able to meet my original timetable for appointing a new chief constable .

"Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later."
We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news

A "drunk" man has been arrested in the middle of Hull city centre for being a nuisance to families.

The Hull Central team, part of Humberside Police , said they had to deal with the man, who was in Queen Victoria Square on Sunday afternoon.

They said he had been causing problems for families enjoying the sunshine in the area.

The team posted news of the arrest on their Twitter page.

"Male arrested for drunk and disorderly, causing issues Queen Victoria Square in front of families enjoying their day," the team posted on their Twitter page.

The square has been one of the main attractions in 2017, boasting the Made in Hull, Blade and Weeping Window poppy exhibitions.

The new 'dancing' fountains installed in the square were only opened two days ago.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

US superstars Kings of Leon brought Radio 1 Big Weekend to an end in an immense and powerful performance that saw fans dancing none-stop for the entire set.

Kicking off their headliner act against a backdrop of flashing lights, the four-piece band brought a mix of old and new songs to the stage, meaning whether you were a devout fan or simply there for the experience, everyone could enjoy it.

They brought to a close, an amazing weekend at Burton Constable Hall, which also saw the likes of Katy Perry, Little Mix, Rag'N'Bone Man and more to East Yorkshire.

In a performance that was sometimes poignant, other times mosh-pit madness, fans in the crowd lapped up every note and lyric played by the family-band from Nashville, Tennessee.

From Find Me to Walls, Waste A Moment to The King of Rodeo, each song was belted out with raw passion to the roar of crowd from below.

They, like so many of the Big Weekend acts, paid tribute to the victims of Manchester, dedicating hit 'Use Somebody' to the city, with frontman Caleb Followill saying: "Manchester, we stand with you".

There could only be one song they could finish with though, and that was, of course, Sex on Fire. To the thousands in the crowd, they belted out those famous lyrics as the fans sang the words back to them.

It couldn't have been a better way to finish off a weekend that will go down in Hull's history as among the best.
Kris Kobach's political comeback is complete. Here is what it means.

Kris Kobach's victory as Kansas attorney general will usher in an office that will be active in challenging the federal government in court.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Satisfy your cravings With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
MASON CITY | Rylee Bowman and Jacob Shafer were crowned as North Iowa Band Festival Queen and King Saturday afternoon.

Shafer graduated this spring from Central Springs High School, while Bowman is a recent graduate of Lake Mills High School.

Bowman chose to march in the Band Festival parade Saturday morning rather than ride in front of her band as their queen.

"I'm amazed, shocked and surprised, but really proud to be representing my school," she said shortly after being crowned. "I'm so proud of my band."

Shafer said being chosen as the 2017 Band King "feels pretty good. I'm just glad Central Springs' name got called."

Shafer said his favorite memory of band was the trip they took to Nashville.

Bowman said her favorite memories from band include their trip to Florida for a concert band workshop and the marching band participating in the Algona Band Day Festival.

Shafer plans to attend the University of Iowa to study English and play rugby.

Bowman will attend Iowa State University and enroll in the College of Human Sciences with an interest in political science and international relations.
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 }}

With Dwayne Johnson currently surrounded by rumours he'll run for president in 2020, the actor decided to mimic what now seems to pass for presidential behaviour these days by... continuously tweeting about his critics.

A surprising move from the usually overtly positive and diplomatic star, yet Johnson has recently taken to Twitter to call out the overwhelmingly negative reviews for his latest film, Baywatch.

The film has, indeed, fared very poorly with critics, currently standing at a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes amidst judgements that the film is "shallow", "stupid", "misguided", and "wantonly crude".

Though actors usually faced with such a position will merely quietly ignore the critical slating and focus on the positives, Johnson has repeatedly tweeted about the unfavourable reviews versus high ratings amongst fans at early screenings, writing: "Fans LOVE the movie. Critics HATE it. What a glaring disconnect".

That's ignoring the fact that, to be a fan, one must surely already like the thing in the first place. Otherwise, they would presumably not be fans.



Johnson stars alongside Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, and Priyanka Chopra in the big-screen remake of the popular '90s television series, where lifeguards attempt to uncover a criminal plot that threatens all that is good and pure in the world of beach life.

Baywatch hits UK cinemas 29 May.
Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Rosio Sanchez, a Mexican-American chef who lives in Copenhagen, makes the best tortillas in Scandinavia.

That, she admits, isnt necessarily saying much  like laying claim to the best pizza in Indonesia.

It was so much worse, she said, describing the state of Mexican food when she arrived in 2010 to work as a pastry chef at the celebrated restaurant Noma. Imagine the worst Tex-Mex food in America, and imagine that being passed on like a game of telephone, by people who have no idea what real Mexican food is.

That is beginning to change, and not only in Copenhagen, where Sanchez has opened a taqueria with freshly ground, hand-pressed corn tortillas.

It goes far beyond tacos and tortillas, though: Mexican cuisine has made the leap to the global stage of fine dining. Restaurants like Pujol, Rosetta and Quintonil in Mexico City; Laja and Malva in Baja California; Origen in Oaxaca; and Hartwood here in Tulum all produce creative, world-class menus from the lush variety of fruit, fish, vegetables, herbs, grains and flowers that grow around them.

In places like Barcelona, London and Melbourne, as well as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, food lovers are seeing the cuisine of Mexico in a bright new light.

Chefs are making house-cured chorizo in Toronto, and Michelin-starred chilaquiles at Punto MX in Madrid. Last week, the Houston chef Hugo Ortega, who began his working life as a shoeshine boy in Mexico City, received the James Beard Foundations award for best chef in his region: a first for a Mexico-born chef.

Everywhere, I see a new respect for Mexican culture, said Martha Ortiz, a celebrity chef in Mexico who is opening a warmly elegant restaurant, Ella Canta, in the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel this summer. Ten years ago, when a taco in London might easily have contained canned baked beans, the idea of a Mexican restaurant in a posh hotel would have been mystifying.

Our traditional food has always had a high value at home, and there is a lot of respect for the women who produce it, she said. But for people internationally to be excited about it and willing to pay for it? That is new.

The pop-up restaurant Noma Tulum, an extension of Noma in Copenhagen that is also known as Noma Mexico, is up and running here, built by the innovative chef Rene Redzepi, along with Sanchez, more than a hundred employees and dozens of local carpenters, metalworkers, farmers, ceramists and cooks. Until 28 May, dishes like octopus sealed and steamed in fermented corn husks and a spicy-sweet dried pasilla mixe chile stuffed with chocolate sorbet will be served under the stars by a cadre of earnest young people in linen uniforms and matching Birkenstocks.

Is this the authentic Mexican food that many admirers of the cuisine have tried to recreate? No. But the struggle over authenticity may be giving way to something more rewarding: a worldwide conversation about Mexican food that is respectful and inquisitive.

How did Mexican food, often viewed by those beyond the countrys borders as cheap, dull and heavy, move to being seen as artful, fresh and fascinating?

It began with more Mexican people being able to travel, with the internet, with a younger generation who started to care about food being fresh and healthy, said Gabriela Camara, the chef and owner of several influential restaurants in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco.

Camara had no culinary training when she opened the restaurant Contramar in 1998 at age 23, to bring fresh seafood from the coasts to landlocked Mexico City. At that time, the most ambitious restaurants in the capital were French or Italian. Even Montezuma had fish from Veracruz carried to him in relays, she said. We only had frozen fillets from the Mediterranean.

Chefs were taught to prefer mediocre European ingredients, like frozen fish and dried morels, over excellent local ones.

Even in Mexico, only European cuisines had been able to reach high stature, said Daniela Soto-Innes, a chef at Cosme and Atla in New York. Mexican chefs did not have enough pride in their own food to go out and learn about it.

Much of the shift is due to her mentor, Enrique Olvera, who opened the ambitious restaurant Pujol in Mexico City in 2000, went to New York to open Cosme and Atla, and has become an international avatar of the possibilities of Mexican cuisine. Like Redzepi in Denmark and David Chang in the United States, Olvera is a chef who pushed his countrys fine-dining transition from stuffy, Eurocentric and strict, to creative, local and informal.

There are plenty of complex, elaborate dishes in Mexico, like chiles in nogada or mole poblano, but Olvera decided long ago not to translate them into high-end restaurant food.

If you are going to cook those things, youd better get it right, he said. Its like a cover of a really good song: when youre listening to it, youre really craving the original.

Setting out to learn everything from real Oaxacan moles to traditional Aztec chocolate would have been impossible, he said  and for most customers, meaningless.

Authentic has become a very unimportant and irrelevant conversation for me, he said.

Instead, Olvera took the training he had absorbed at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and began spinning his own threads of flavour, memory and technique. His most famous dish, cobia al pastor, recombines a traditional taco filling of fatty pork grilled with pineapple into a plump local fish fillet that is marinated in chile paste, then sauteed in butter, served with a puree of caramelised pineapple and a crisp, palate-prickling dice of raw onion, cilantro and serrano chiles.

Outside Mexico, Olveras influence is greatest in the United States, where many young chefs, particularly Mexican-Americans, have made pilgrimages to his kitchen and are building on his style.

At Taco Maria in Costa Mesa, California, the chef Carlos Salgado produces a daily meditation on the classic dish aguachile (spicy water)  tangy liquid used to dress super-fresh raw fish just before eating it, preferably on the boat or the beach. A recent bowl held a fat Hokkaido scallop, cucumber and avocado bathed in jalapeno, lime and orange juices, but even when the ingredients change, the effect is the same. You are looking for an extremely aggressive but uplifting liquid of spice and acid and sweetness, he said. Thats the essence of the dish.

Val Cantu, the chef at Californios in San Francisco, serves a tightly assembled menu of more than a dozen tiny, complex dishes based on Mexican ingredients. His homage to beans includes corona bean mousse, cranberry bean puree and black bean broth, topped with a dot of caviar and gold leaf. I like the contrast of the humble and the luxurious, he said.

Not everyone does. Both restaurants have sometimes had to placate confused or outraged customers. Weve had people get up and leave halfway through the meal, Cantu said ruefully. They say that this isnt Mexican food.

But is it? I try to think of it the way the artist Bruce Nauman did, Cantu said. He said, If Im an artist, and I am in my studio, the work I produce there is art.

If I am Mexican, and I am making food, that is Mexican food.

 New York Times
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

History students at the University of Oxford will be required to sit at least one exam paper focusing on black, Asian and other non-European history, following long-held complaints about an overly white curriculum.

From the next academic year, all Oxford history undergraduate students will choose at least one from a range of papers covering non-British and non-European areas of interest during their three-year degree course.

The move comes as universities across the UK face protests led by the student campaign, Why is my curriculum white?, The Times reported.

Possible topics for students to choose from include the 1960s civil rights movement in the US, Indian independence, the Spanish conquest of Mexico and te development of modern Japan. Figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi will feature prominently.

The top ranking UK institution has been criticised in recent years for not recruiting enough black students, despite a growing number of BAME students applying.

The university has also been at the centre of controversy following the student-led Rhodes Must Fall campaign, which saw thousands of people across the UK and South Africa campaign for statues of Cecil Rhodes to be removed on the basis that he was a racist colonialist.

Oxfords Oriel College, which is home to one Cecil Rhodes figure, has since refused to take it down.

An Oxford University spokesman said there was no link between the Rhodes Must Fall campaign and the updated history curriculum  the move was in fact four years in the making, he said.

In a statement, the universitys History Faculty said the department regularly reviews and updates its course curriculum to reflect the latest developments in the subject.

After a number of years of discussion and consultation among ourselves and with students, we have decided to make a number of changes to the curriculum.

Among these is a requirement that students study one paper (from a wide range of such options) in non-British and non-European history, alongside two papers of British History and two papers of European History.

Students take eleven papers in total during their history degree, the faculty added, and many members already opt to take at least one paper of non-European or British history.

We are pleased to be modernising and diversifying our curriculum in this way, the department said.

 Film student makes emotional Adidas advert that's gone viral

The move has been welcomed by students and academics alike, but critics have argued the change does little to solve Oxfords underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities.

Niall Ferguson, a former Oxford professor who is now at the Hoover Institution in America, told The Times: By comparison with America, some history courses here do look a bit old-fashioned.

I am not the kind of backwoodsman who thinks Oxford should only teach English history and general history, which is what it did when I was an undergraduate, but let us be careful not to stop teaching crucial subjects like the rise of the West or the world wars in the effort to make courses more diverse.

This year, the institution unveiled a series of new portraits of women and non-white scholars and alumni in a bid to redress diversity on show.

Other universities are also in the process of reviewing their history curriculums, it was reported, including Leeds, where a module in Black British History is said to be in development.

Cambridge professor Sir Richard Evans also said the way the empire was being taught was changing. It is being studied in a more balanced way, he said.

* This article originally reported that Oxford University was to introduce a "new exam paper" featuring black, Middle Eastern, Asian and Indian events, which was to be taken by all history undergraduates. In fact, as the quoted comments from Oxford University made clear, the change to the curriculum simply makes it a requirement that all history students take at least one non-European paper from a range of options during their degree. Some of the options have been available for many years. 6/6/17
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 }}

Counter-terror police have made a fresh arrest in connection to the Manchester suicide bombing as officers raid another address in the city.

Greater Manchester Police said a 25-year-old man had been detained on suspicion of terror offences in the Old Trafford area.

A search was also carried out at an address in Moss Side, in the south of the city, as part of a massive police operation, which has seen raids across several cities.

Three men were arrested at the Moss Side property, but were later de-arrested, Greater Manchester Police said.

A nearby resident who did not want to be named said he heard a loud explosion like a bomb going off and saw a number of police vans in the street.

Police, however, would not comment on whether a controlled blast was used to gain entrance to the property, a tactic that has been used on previous raids since the bombing.

The neighbour said a group of young Middle Eastern men moved into the address around six months ago.

There was always a lot of coming and going in and out of that building, the man said.

A total of 14 people have been arrested after the atrocity at the Manchester Arena left 22 people dead.

Two of those people have since been released without charge, with a total of 12 men between the ages of 18 and 44 still in custody for questioning.

Investigators have been working around the clock to identify potential members of a terror network that could have given support to suicide bomber Salman Abedi.

They say they have already dismantled a significant part of Abedis co-conspirators but expect to make further arrests.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said members of the suicide attackers circle were still potentially unaccounted for, despite optimism following a wave of initial arrests.

Ms Rudds comments came after police released CCTV stills of Abedi in a plea for new information about his movements between 18 May and Mondays attack.

Police released CCTV stills of suicide bomber Salman Abedi in a bid for new information (PA)

The 22-year-old suicide bomber was dead, killing 22 people and leaving more than 100 others injured, in a matter of hours after he was captured on camera.

The UKs terror threat level was raised to critical, which means an attack is imminent, amid concerns Abedis network could have planned further attacks  but it was reduced back to severe on Saturday, which means an attack is highly likely.

Tarique Ghaffur, the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the 2005 bombings, suggested on Sunday that specialist centres should be set up to house extremists.

He told The Mail on Sunday that the facilities could house up to 3,000 identified extremists and would be community-based centres where the extremists would be risk-assessed.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

Then, the extremists would be made to go through a deradicalisation programme, using the expertise of imams, charity workers and counter-terrorism officers, he added.

He said such centres would have oversight from vetted Muslim and other community leaders who would ensure they stayed within the law.

His call came after security sources confirmed to the Press Association that as many as 23,000 people have been flagged on the radar of counter-terror agencies.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

British Airways could be facing a massive bill in compensation costs after thousands of its passengers were stranded by a global IT system meltdown.

The airline was forced to ground all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on Saturday due to the system crash, causing chaos at both airports.

The disruption continued into Sunday, with dozens more flights cancelled and passengers being warned not to go to the airport without checking their flight status.

Recommended BA cancels all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on Saturday

Many people spent the night at the airport, with some sleeping on the floor and on yoga mats at Gatwick. Some shops at the airport also reportedly ran out of food.

Under EU law, delayed passengers are eligible to claim compensation, unless the delay is caused by factors outside the airlines control.

BA has said it believes the systems failure was caused by a power supply issue, after it found no evidence of a cyber attack.

Air travel experts say that could put the airline on the hook for major payouts to customers whose flights were cancelled or severely delayed.

Malcolm Ginsberg, editor-in-chief of Business Travel News has said that given the circumstances, he believes the airline will be facing a hefty bill.

There is no question  the EU denied-boarding regulations will have to apply, Mr Ginsberg told the Press Association.

They have broken all the rules and they will have to deal with it  its going to be a very expensive situation for BA.

He added: The money doesnt really compensate passengers for the situation.

A BA spokesperson said: We are continuing to work hard to restore all of our IT systems and are aiming to operating a near normal schedule at Gatwick and the majority of services from Heathrow on Sunday.

We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers throughout Saturday and understand how frustrating their experiences will have been.

We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies for anyone due to travel on Sunday and Monday who no longer wishes to fly to/from Heathrow or Gatwick.

How much the IT meltdown will cost BA in lost revenue and customer payouts is still up in the air.

Its premature to put a cost figure to those problems as there are so many unknown variables, air industry consultant John Strickland told The Independent.

Given the magnitude of the problem the amount is likely to be significant.

Civil Aviation Authority guidance states that anyone who is delayed by more than three hours in getting to their destination could be entitled to compensation.

Airlines are required to pay compensation to passengers when their flights are delayed or cancelled, the CAA says on its website. However, you only have the right to compensation in some circumstances.

In pictures: British Airways disruptions Show all 17 1 / 17 In pictures: British Airways disruptions In pictures: British Airways disruptions A passenger looks at a British Airway plane at John F. Kennedy (JFK) international airport in New York Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions British Airways planes are seen at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Passengers stand at the British Airways check-in desk after the London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports suffered an IT systems failure, at the 'Leonardo da Vinci' airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, Italy EPA In pictures: British Airways disruptions Arrivals notice boards are displayed at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman covered in a blanket sleeps in Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman sleeps on a luggage trolley at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue to enter the terminal at Gatwick Airport Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue with their luggage outside Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue for check-in at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters

The authority says there are two key factors to determining whether you are eligible. The first is whether you have been severely inconvenienced.

For instance, if you have only been delayed slightly, you may not be entitled to compensation, the CAA says.

The other determining factor is the cause of the delay. If the delay was caused by an extraordinary circumstance, you will not be entitled to compensation, the aviation authority says.

In August 2016, thousands of Delta Air Lines passengers faced delays after a similar system-wide crash forced the airline to ground its flights.

Delta said it lost at least $100m (78m) in revenue as a result of the outage, which occurred after an electrical component failed, cutting off power to the airlines data centre.

A Heathrow spokesman said on Sunday morning that delays and cancellations of BA flights were expected to carry on through the day.

The airline admitted there would be some knock-on disruption to our schedules ... as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world. It has been unable to say how many flights could still be cancelled or how long the disruption is likely to continue for.

Our focus is on updating customers and doing what we can to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible, a spokesman said.

BA chief executive Alex Cruz has said the airline is extremely sorry for the huge inconvenience suffered by customers, especially families with plans for half-term holidays.

As IT teams work to resolve the issue, travellers are being urged to check the airlines website and Twitter account for updates before heading to either Gatwick or Heathrow airports.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

British intelligence agency MI5 was reportedly warned by its US counterpart that Salman Abedi was planning an attack on UK soil, three months before he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

FBI agents are said to have informed British officials that the 22-year-old was part of a North African Islamic State cell based in the north west of England that was plotting an attack in the UK.

Abedi was reportedly placed on a US terrorist watch list in 2016 after he came to the attention of intelligence agencies during an investigation into terrorist groups operating in Libya.

In early 2017 the FBI told MI5 that Abedi belonged to a North African terror gang based in Manchester, which was looking for a political target in this country," a security source told The Mail on Sunday.

The information came from the interception of his communications by US federal agents, who had been investigating Abedi since the middle of 2016, and from information unearthed in Libya, where his family was linked to terrorist groups.

Following this US tip-off, Abedi and other members of the gang were scrutinised by MI5. It was thought at the time that Abedi was planning to assassinate a political figure. But nothing came of this investigation and, tragically, he slipped down the pecking order of targets.

MI5 has faced questions over the fact that Abedi was on its radar but slipped through the net in order to carry out the attack that killed 22 people and seriously injured 64.

In response, defence officials said that at any one time they are juggling 500 terror investigations involving 3,000 subjects.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

Police have so far arrested 14 people on suspicion of terror offences in conjunction with the Manchester attack, two of whom have since been released.

Detectives believe they have detained a large part of the network involved in planning the attack.

The latest raid took place in Moss Side, a suburb of Manchester  close to the barber shop run by Abedis cousin that officers had previously searched.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Armed police have carried out a raid on a property in central Manchester, as the investigation into the terror attack that left 22 dead continues to gather pace.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the operation near the city's Gay Village and university buildings was linked to the bombing on Monday evening.

A spokeswoman for the force said: Officers have this afternoon carried out a search at an address in Manchester City Centre as part of the investigation into the horrific incident at Manchester Arena.

That search is on-going.

Police temporarily closed a major railway line linking Manchester Piccadilly with Oxford Road station. It has since been re-opened.

Photos taken by a witness showed police officers and soldiers outside the Granby House block of flats on Granby Row.

Recommended Police arrest three more people in connection with Manchester attack

Residents described how armed police and men clad in balaclavas stormed the building.

Yasir Qureshi, 38, who lives on the fifth floor, said: "I heard what sounded like a huge explosion, the building shook and the fire alarm went off.

"When my neighbour and I finally went down we saw armed police on the front door."

Lynne Deakin, 53, went up from her ground floor flat to see armed police crowding round the door of the raided property.

She said: "Piccadilly station is two minutes walk away at the top of the road and the railway line runs three or four feet away from the back of this building.

"I have always said that if you wanted, you could plant a bomb in the basement and take out the train line."

Police continued to guard the property this afternoon.

It follows an operation in which three men were arrested in connection with the concert suicide bombing.

They were detained after police executed warrants in the south of the city, taking the total of people in custody to four.

Twenty-two people were killed and dozens more seriously injured when Salman Abedi detonated a device as fans left Manchester Arena, where US star Ariana Grande was performing on Monday night.

It was the worst terrorist incident to hit the UK since the July 7 attacks in London in 2005.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A woman who survived the Manchester terror attack has taken in the daughter of her best friend, Wendy Fawell, who was killed in the blast.

Caroline Davis Osborne has said she will always be there for 15-year-old Charlotte after her mother was killed in the suicide bombing that left 21 others dead and more than 100 others injured.

Ms Fawell and Ms Davis Osborne had brought their children to the Ariana Grande concert on Monday and were waiting to collect them in the foyer of the Manchester Arena when Salman Abedi detonated a nail bomb.

Recommended Mother of Manchester bombing teen victim Georgina Callander speaks out

The 50-year-old mother was killed, while Ms Davis Osborne was left badly injured.

In an interview with The Mirror, Ms Davis Osborne, 39, said she is determined to honour her friend and not let hate win.

No matter what happens, well never forget Wendy, she said. As hard as it is, I want to try to have some sort of normality for all of the children. I dont want to let hate win.

Ms Davis Osborne said she hopes to honour her friend by ensuring her daughter always has a home.

Ill never replace Wendy but I will always be there for her. Id do anything for her and Ill love her like she is my own. Ive been like a second mum to Charlotte anyway. I have said she can live here if she wants to. There is always room for her here.

Ms Davis Osborne also said she has been struggling with survivors guilt over the fact that she had bought the concert tickets  and because her best friend died heading to a different exit to make sure the pair did not miss their children, Charlotte and Ms Davis Osbornes two sons, Lee,16, and Ben, 12.

Charlotte, who is currently staying with Ms Davis Osbornes family in Otley, West Yorkshire, told of her own devastation on learning her mother had been killed in the attack.

Identifying mums body hit me really hard, the teenager said. Thats when I realised she wasnt coming home. Even when I was told shed gone I guess I still hoped there had been a mistake. But seeing her body changed that.

 Manchester bombing victim's parents 'not giving in to hatred'

Ms Davis Osborne told the paper she and Ms Fawell, who also has a 29-year-old son, Adam, had met two years ago working as lunchtime supervisors at a primary school.

She said the pair quickly grew close and described Ms Fawell as more of a sister, than a friend.

It was like Id known her my whole life. We opened up to each other straight away. We were best friends, she said. The families grew even closer, she said, when Charlotte started dating her son, Lee.

Ms Davis Osborne said Ms Fawell was estranged from her husband, and so the task of arranging her funeral has been left up to Charlotte and her brother, Adam. She said they plan to keep half of her ashes inside a Jack Daniels whiskey bottle and scatter the other half on Lyme Regis beach in Dorset, their mothers favourite place to enjoy holidays.

Charlotte told the newspaper: One day, I hope to get married there so that way, we will be together. Ill keep the other half with me so I can be close to her.
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 }}

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said she does not know what the proposed cap on the social care costs would be in her partys controversial plans to make elderly people pay for their own social care, dubbed the dementia tax.

When the policy was announced in the Conservative manifesto there was no upper limit on how much elderly people might be forced to pay for their care, only that they would not have to pay any more once the value of any estate that remained to leave to their children had been reduced to 100,000.

In the wake of criticism, Theresa May then announced there would be a cap, but elderly voters  who vote Conservative in overwhelmingly large numbers  will now be expected to go to the polls with no idea about what that cap might be.

Ms Rudd told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show: The Prime Minister has said yes, there will be a cap, but we are not sure where the cap will be.

What we are saying is we will have a green paper to make sure that we set it at the right level and we consider all the other alternatives.

Ms Rudd also revealed that new powers to temporarily exclude suspected jihadis from returning to the UK have been used for the first time.

Temporary exclusion orders make it unlawful for the subject to come back without engaging with UK authorities.

Ms Rudd would not say how many times TEOs had been used, but confirmed "we have started to use them". The last time figures on the use of TEOs were made public the number that had been used was zero.

The Home Secretary also admitted the authorities do not know how many Britons had returned from fighting with Islamic State or other extremists in Syria.

Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi is reported to have travelled to Libya in 2011 during school holidays to join his father Ramadan in the fight against Muammar Gaddafi, and it has also been suggested Abedi "most likely" went to Syria but Turkish officials reportedly said they have no record of him travelling to the war-torn country.

Asked how many people were thought to have returned from the war-torn Middle East state, Ms Rudd said: "We don't know the exact number.

"What we do know, in engaging with the intelligence services and with the police and with the Border Force, we make sure that they have the tools to track them and to keep them out where we can."

The Home Secretary also said "good progress" was being made with online firms about finding ways to tackle terrorists using secure communication services such as Whatsapp.

"We are making good progress with the companies who have put in place end-to-end encryption," she said.

"Some of them are being more constructive than others and we will continue to build on that.

"The area that I am most concerned about is the internet companies who are continuing to publish the hate publications, the hate material that is contributing to radicalising people in this country."

She added: "What we are doing is challenging the people who are delivering end-to-end encryption to work with us so that we have a way of keeping people safe.

"Nobody wants terrorists to have a safe place to exchange information and to be able to plot their terrible atrocities.

"I believe we can get them to be more successful in working with us to find a way of getting some of that information."
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Theresa May has been urged to maintain Britains membership of EU law enforcement agencies such as Europol after Brexit.

The calls came from Sir Hugh Orde, the former chief constable of police in Northern Ireland, Max-Peter Ratzel, former head of Europol, and Dominic Grieve, the Conservative chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee.

They said the fight against terrorism made it crucial to maintain close co-operation in the EUs security and intelligence agencies, even if it required some continued involvement with the European Court of Justice.

Although our partnership with the US for intelligence sharing is extremely important, the fact is that the current terrorist threat is very much a European dimension issue, Mr Grieve told The Observer.

 Theresa May announces threat level reduced to 'severe'

The Schengen database and knowing about who has moved where are all intimately dependent on European systems and we have got to try to remain in them.

I think it is going to be very difficult, and the Government and Parliament will have to face up to the fact that it might turn out during the Brexit negotiation that some sort of mechanism for the European court is going to be necessary.

Mr Orde said UK membership of EU bodies such as Europol and Eurojust, which negotiates judicial cooperation in criminal cases, allows access to huge amounts of vital data and allows police in the UK to set up joint enquiries with those from other national forces without delay.

He said European arrest warrants were also essential, adding: If we dont have all this, it makes it a lot more difficult to do this crucial work. It is vital that we get to a situation as close to what we have as members of the EU as possible, though it is difficult to see how we do that.

Mr Ratzel warned Britain must accept some ECJ rulings as part of the deal, which Ms May has previously ruled out.

He said: My expectation is that once you have an important role to play, you have to be under the European Court of Justice. Cherry picking cannot work. You have to obey the rules of the club. I am personally sure that the Europeans will never accept Britain having a role in Europol without being under the rule of the European Court of Justice.

In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier listens at the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivers his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit reacts during a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage wears socks with Union Jack flag at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Nigel Farage, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) member and MEP, addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcoming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier gestures during speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (L) speaks with European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France Getty Images

The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, previously said it is likely the UK will leave Europol in the wake of Brexit unless a deal is made.

She said Britain could take its data away from the police and security cooperation organisation unless there was a deal.

It comes as Ms May proposed a new Commission for Countering Extremism, which will have a remit to clamp down on unacceptable cultural norms such as female genital mutilation.

It will also act to ensure that womens rights are upheld in all of Britains ethnic and religious communities, the Prime Minister said.

Ms May made clear that the commission will be expected to stand up for womens rights as extremism often goes hand in hand with poor treatment of women and girls.

She said: Britain is one of the worlds most successful multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural societies.

But our enjoyment of Britains diversity must not prevent us from confronting the menace of extremism, even if that is sometimes embarrassing or difficult to do.

Extremism, especially Islamist extremism, strips some people of the freedoms they should enjoy, undermines the cohesion of our society, and can fuel violence. And it can be especially bad for women.

There is clearly a role for Government in tackling extremism where it involves behaviour that is or ought to be criminal.

But there is also a role for Government to help people and build up organisations in society to promote and defend Britains pluralistic values, and stand up to the extremists who want to undermine our values and impose their twisted beliefs onto the rest of us. That is what this plan is all about.

Enough is enough. We need to be stronger and more resolute in standing up to these people.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott, has refused to say she "regrets" calling for the IRA to defeat the British state.

In an interview on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Ms Abbott was asked whether she regretted her support for the IRA in the 80s.

Discussing how the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said he had not met with the IRA but was then pictured with members of the IRA throughout his political career, Andrew Marr said: You yourself said a defeat for the British state would be a great liberation, a great move forward, at that period of time.

"Do you regret your support for the IRA back in the 80s?"

Ms Abbott replied: "That particular quote you're referring to comes from a now defunct left newspaper.

"It was 34 years ago. I had a rather splendid afro at the time. I don't have the same hairstyle and I don't have the same views.

"It is 34 years on. The hairstyle has gone, and some of the views have gone."

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

Pushed further on whether she regretted what she said about the IRA, she said: "The hairstyle has gone, the views have gone.

"We've all moved on in 34 years, haven't you Andrew?"

Asked once more if she regretted what she said, she asked: "What specifically do you want me to regret?"

Mr Marr said: "You said a defeat of the IRA would be devastating for the British people. A defeat for the British state was a good thing, you said, at the time when the IRA was attacking the British state.

"You said the reason for the violence was entirely caused by the British presence in Northern Ireland. Do you think those statements now are wrong?"

Ms Abbott responded: "It was 34 years ago. I've moved on."

Quoting her words at the time, Mr Marr said: "Ireland is our struggle. Every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us. A defeat in Northern Ireland would be a defeat indeed."

"It was 34 years ago and I've moved on," Ms Abbott said again.

The Shadow Home Secretary recently suffered a car crash interview in which she suggested Mr Corbyn did not actually meet a number of convicted IRA terrorists when he shared a platform with them.

She was also asked about her comments in an Irish Republican journal, to which she repeated her comment that it was 34 years ago and that she had since "moved on".
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 }}

Almost twice as many people trust Labour more than the Conservatives to protect the interests of pensioners, according to an exclusive poll for The Independent.

The finding is a huge setback for Theresa May and will add to the jitters in the Tory camp after Labour closed the gap in the polls. It suggests a backlash against her plans to reform social care funding, end winter fuel allowances for better-off pensioners and scrap the triple lock under which the state pension rises by at least 2.5 per cent a year.

ORB found that only one in four people (24 per cent) name the Tories as the party they trust most to protect pensioners interests, while 44 per cent choose Labour and 6 per cent the Liberal Democrats. A month earlier, a survey gave Labour a tiny three-point lead when people were asked who had the best policy on pensions.

The ORB poll was taken after Ms Mays dramatic U-turn over the Tory manifesto plan for people with assets of more than 100,000 to fund more of their own care  dubbed the dementia tax. It suggests that, despite her pledge to cap the amount an individual spends on care, she has not yet convinced people about her claim that the Tories will best defend pensioners interests.

Six in 10 Tory voters in 2015 (60 per cent) believe the party will best defend pensioners, while 81 per cent of Labour voters at the last election say Labour would.

However, the Tories are ahead among older people  the group most likely to vote in elections. Some 39 per cent of 65-75 year-olds and 58 per cent of over-75s trust the Tories most to protect pensioners, compared with 32 per cent and 21 per cent respectively who trust Labour most.

The Tories move to rebalance government spending between the generations appears to lack public support. Only one in seven people (14 per cent) believes the Government should spend less on pensioners so it can provide more help for young people, while 55 per cent disagree. The idea is strongly opposed by older people, with only 6 per cent of 65- to 75-year-olds backing it. There is little clamour for it among younger people; only 27 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds agree, while 33 per cent disagree.

Ms Mays presidential campaign may not prove as successful as the Tories hope. They have hailed her strong and stable leadership and often relegated the Conservative brand to the small print in their election material. But two out of three people (68 per cent) say policies are most likely to influence their decision on which party to support, with only 19 per cent saying the party leader and only 5 per cent the candidate in their constituency.

This finding will encourage Labour, whose key policies have been seen as popular while voters seem to have noticed the unpopular measures in the Tory manifesto, such as those affecting pensioners.

Labour voters seem more influenced by policies than personalities, a possible explanation for the partys rise in the polls. Three-quarters of Labours 2015 voters say policies will most influence their decision at this election, while only 16 per cent say the party leader. In contrast, almost twice as many 2015 Tory supporters (29 per cent) think the leader will most influence the way they vote.

Despite criticism of Labours manifesto as a long wish list, the public have almost as much confidence that Jeremy Corbyn would deliver it if he wins the election as they do in Ms May implementing the Tories programme. Some 44 per cent trust the Prime Minister to implement her manifesto, and 32 per cent disagree, while 41 per cent trust Mr Corbyn to deliver Labours and 38 per cent do not.

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

More Tory voters in 2015 (80 per cent) trust Ms May to implement her manifesto than Labour supporters at that election trust Mr Corbyn to introduce his (68 per cent). Half of Ukip 2015 voters trust Ms May to deliver her programme  a sign that many might switch to the Tories  while only 22 per cent of them say the same about Mr Corbyn.

Only 21 per cent of the public, and 53 per cent of 2015 Lib Dem voters, trust Tim Farron to implement his partys manifesto.

People are divided over Labours pledge to abolish university tuition fees with the cost met by higher taxation. Some 39 per cent of the public support the proposal but 34 per cent oppose it. More people between the ages of 18 and 54 back the idea than reject it, but among those 55 and older, more oppose than support it.

Scrapping the fees is endorsed by 57 per cent of 2015 Labour voters and 52 per cent of Lib Dem supporters but only 20 per cent of people who voted Tory last time.

ORB interviewed online a total of 2,046 adults aged 18 and over throughout the UK on 24-25 May. The data has been weighted to be nationally representative of the UK adult population
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Two out of three people believe that Theresa May should reveal her Brexit strategy more clearly before polling day on 8 June, according to a poll for The Independent.

The survey by ORB suggests that many voters share the concerns of pro-Europeans who claim the Prime Minister is seeking a blank cheque to take Britain out of the EU on whatever terms she decides. Some 68 per cent of people agree that she should spell out more of her Brexit plans before the election, while 12 per cent disagree and 20 per cent neither agree nor disagree.

Six out of 10 people (59 per cent) who voted Conservative in 2015 want to know more about Ms Mays intentions on Brexit. So do 76 per cent of Labour voters and 75 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters at the last election.

The 18-24 age group (74 per cent) is more likely to want to know more about Ms Mays Brexit strategy than the over-75s (52 per cent). Public sector workers (76 per cent) are more likely to agree that the Prime Minister should spell out more of her Brexit plans than those employed in the private sector (68 per cent).

The Prime Minister has asked voters for a mandate to carry out the decision of last years referendum and argued that a decisive election victory would strengthen Britains hand in difficult negotiations with the 27 EU nations, due to start 11 days after the election.

Ms Mays allies insist that her strategy was set out clearly in her Lancaster House speech in January, a White Paper that followed, in her Article 50 letter that triggered the exit process in March and in the Tory manifesto, which confirmed that Britain would leave the single market and customs union. It repeated her mantra that no deal is better than a bad deal for the UK.

But Open Britain, the successor to the Remain campaign in last years referendum, has urged voters to deny Ms May a blank cheque to pursue a hard Brexit. Tony Blair has called for a cross-party movement to oppose Brexit at any cost.

The Liberal Democrats argued that the public did not vote for hard Brexit in the referendum. They have accused Labour of handing Ms May a blank cheque after voting in Parliament for the talks to begin and rejecting their call for a referendum on the exit deal. Although Labour does not oppose leaving the single market and customs union, its manifesto rejects the no deal scenario as the worst possible option because of the damage to the UK economy and trade.

ORB interviewed online a total of 2,046 adults aged 18 and over throughout the UK on 24-25 May. The data has been weighted to be nationally representative of the UK adult population.
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 }}

George Osborne has accused Theresa May of publishing a manifesto that is badly thought through and lacking in detail.

The former Chancellor, who is now editor of the London Evening Standard, criticised the Conservatives controversial social care plans, saying they had not been properly considered.

"They were clearly badly thought through because the Prime Minister herself decided to rethink them, he told BBC Radio Four.

Ms May was forced to backtrack after a public outcry over her plans to force elderly people to pay for their own care up to the point that they have 100,000 in assets left.

She insisted the policy had not changed but said her government would consult on introducing a cap on the amount an elderly person can be forced to pay for their care  a measure ministers had previously ruled out.

Mr Osborne, who was sacked by Ms May when she became Prime Minister last year, said the Tories must also provide more details on their pledge to reduce net migration to below 100,000 a year.

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

Which section of industry is not going to have the labour that it currently needs," he asked. "Which families arent going to be able to be reunited with other members of their family abroad? Which universities arent going to have overseas students?

Now, if the Conservative Government can answer those questions, all well and good. If they cant, the Evening Standard is going to go on asking the question. We will also be as ferocious in asking questions of the Labour Party.

The former Chancellor defended his criticism of Ms May, saying it was his duty as an editor to speak on behalf of Evening Standard readers  even if it puts him on a collision course his former colleagues.

I have to call it as I see it as an editor he said. Of course everyone knows I was a Conservative MP for 16 years, I was a member of the Conservative cabinet and I know many of the people in the Conservative Government, he said.

But its also my responsibility now as the editor of the paper to interpret whats going on in politics and the rest of life for my readers. So Im not pulling punches because I think I would be doing readers a disservice.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Jeremy Corbyn has held back from committing to appointing Diane Abbott as Home Secretary in any future Labour government.

The partys leader carefully sidestepped a question about Ms Abbotts role after she refused to say she regretted comments in favour of the IRA in the 1980s.

She had earlier told Andrew Marr: It is 34 years on. The hairstyle has gone, and some of the views have gone.

Asked by ITVs Robert Peston if she was guilty of trivialising the issue, Mr Corbyn declined to criticise his shadow Home Secretary.

But he avoided pledging that Ms Abbott would be appointed Home Secretary if Labour came to power in the 8 June election.

Mr Corbyn said only: Diane is our home affairs spokesperson and Im looking to appoint our shadow cabinet.

Ms Abbott had earlier claimed on BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show that her work as a graduate trainee at the Home Office boosted her credentials.

She said: I think theres something to be said for a Home Secretary who has actually worked in the Home Office. I worked in the Home Office for nearly three years as a graduate trainee and I know how it works from the inside.

Grilled by the presenter on whether she regretted calling for the IRA to defeat the British state, she said: That particular quote youre referring to comes from a now defunct left newspaper.

It was 34 years ago. I had a rather splendid afro at the time. I dont have the same hairstyle and I dont have the same views.

It is 34 years on. The hairstyle has gone, and some of the views have gone.

 Diane Abbott on IRA: "My hairstyle has changed and so have my views"

Mr Corbyn himself faced further questions about the IRA on ITV1s Peston on Sunday.

Conservatives have accused him of lending support to the militant Irish Republican group.

But the Labour leader insisted: I have not spoken to the the IRA. I have in the past and still do often meet people from Sinn Fein.

I have met former prisoners who told me they were not in the IRA, but I have met former prisoners with my eyes open on the basis that there had to be the development of a peace process in Northern Ireland.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Labour would recruit 1,000 more security personnel across intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ as part of a range of measures to prevent terrorism, Jeremy Corbyn has announced.

The promise is in keeping with other aspects of Labours manifesto, including a pledge to create 10,000 new police officers, more firefighters and border guards, and stands in stark contrast to the Conservatives, who have reduced police numbers by an estimated 20,000 since taking office in 2010, in budget cuts totalling 2.3bn.

The party would also increase resources for schools, colleges and local councils to identify radicalisation in their communities, and move to protect those at risk from it.

Recommended Theresa May to set up commission for countering extremism

Mr Corbyn said: Ensuring the safety of our communities demands properly resourced action across many fronts. It means upholding and enforcing our individual rights, promoting community relations, supporting our emergency services, tackling and preventing crime and protecting us from danger, including threats of terror and violence.

Only a Labour government will meet these challenges. As we set out in our manifesto earlier this month, Labour will recruit additional police officers, additional firefighters, additional prison officers and additional border guards.

We will also legislate to ensure safe staffing levels in the NHS, including for our ambulance services.

Today, I am announcing that Labour will also increase staffing levels at the security and intelligence agencies  GCHQ, SIS and MI5  in order to better ensure our collective safety."

Convincing the public that Labour are the party of law and order will not be easy, not least as, before becoming Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell signed, and was photographed holding a manifesto published by an organisation called Labour Campaign for Socialist Victory, one of whose policies was to close down MI5 altogether.

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

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, dismissed the plans as undeliverable.

Ms Rudd said: Jeremy Corbyn can promise what he likes, but cant deliver anything because his sums don't add up and he isnt up to the job of keeping Britain safe.

To protect our country and fund public services we need a Prime Minister who will defend our national security and get Brexit negotiations right.

A Conservative source added: Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott spent decades opposing the security services and voting against the powers they need to protect us. Its the height of cynicism they are now pretending to back them.
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 }}

The British public is overwhelmingly in favour of keeping a range of services in public hands, a poll has shown.

A total of 87 per cent of people are in favour of the police being run by the public sector, 84 per cent for the NHS, 83 per cent for the armed forces and 81 per cent for schools, according to statistics released by YouGov.

The data shows that state ownership of major industries remains incredibly popular and there are only a few services in which private sector involvement is deemed preferable.

In the survey, which looked at 13 industries, it was only telephone and internet providers, banks and airlines that a majority of people believed the private sector should control.

As might be expected, the poll showed that people who intend to vote Labour were notably more likely to think an industry should be run by the state than those who intend to vote Conservative.

YouGov

In his manifesto, Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to nationalise, or re-nationalise, the Royal Mail, bus, water, and railway companies.

Speaking about nationalising water, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said it was a necessary step to tackle sharp rises in water rates and tax avoidance within the industry.

It's a significant intervention by the government, the Labour government that will be elected in June, he said on the BBC Radio 4.

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

It's a significant intervention because that's what is needed. That's what's needed in terms of our infrastructure investment - because if we are going to compete in the global economy, we will have to invest in road and rail and new technology, he added.
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 }}

Nicola Sturgeon has defended Jeremy Corbyn's view that there is a link between the deadly attack in Manchester and UK foreign policy.

Speaking to Sky Newss Sophy Ridge, the Scottish First Minister denied Prime Minister Theresa Mays claims that Mr Corbyn had blamed foreign policy for the fatal bombing by Salman Abedi that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert on Monday.

Ms Sturgeon said she was not giving an interview to advocate for Corbyn but said claims against the Labour leader's speech were slightly unfair.

Recommended Corbyn was right to say our policies increased the risk of terrorism

I heard Theresa May say that what Jeremy Corbyn was saying is that we only had ourselves to blame for what happened in Manchester, she said.

I dont think thats what he was saying. I dont think it was what any right-thinking person would say, but we must have the ability to have honest debates about foreign policy and security here.

The First Minister insisted there was nobody to blame other than the terrorist, and neither she nor Mr Corbyn was trying to justify the attack.

She also pointed to the former head of MI5, Baroness Manningham-Buller, who said in 2010 that the Iraq war had led to greater radicalisation in the UK.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

Adding that terrorists want to undermine democracy, she said: Weve got to protect our ability to have healthy debates ... and I think we should be able to do that without anybody suggesting that anybody who criticises UK foreign policy  and Ive got many criticisms of UK foreign policy  is in any way, shape or form trying to justify the horrific and dreadful actions of terrorists.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale also backed Mr Corbyn on the Sky News show, saying he had given a serious speech that should be considered in the round.

What he said was foreign policy has indeed contributed to what has happened and the rise in terrorism but it doesn't excuse it, she said.

We deserve to have a grown-up conversation about what is an immensely complex issue, she added, and sometimes the Tories approach this in a very cheap fashion to score points.

Ms Sturgeons and Ms Dugdales comments followed Mr Corbyns remarks on Friday that there was a link between wars our government has supported or fought in other countries and terrorism here at home, and that the war on terrorism is simply not working.

He also said terrorists will forever be reviled and held to account for their actions.

Ms May seized on his remarks, claiming later the same day that he said that terrorism in the UK was our own fault.

And has chosen to do that just few days after one of the worst terrorist atrocities we have experienced in the United Kingdom, she said.

In the wake of the largest terrorist attack in the UK since 2005, all political parties temporarily suspended campaigning and the SNP delayed launching its manifesto until 30 May.
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 }}

The potential for longer sentences for those convicted of domestic violence against children is among several new policy proposals the Prime Minister will launch today as part of a new Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill.

The plans involve the creation of a new domestic violence commissioner, with the power to hold both the police and the criminal justice system to account, in an area of the law in which conviction has historically proved difficult.

Through the bill, cases involving children will become an aggravated offence, allowing judges to hand out tougher sentences.

The Prime Minister said: The last seven years of Conservative Government have delivered real steps towards tackling domestic violence  we are punishing more perpetrators, and helping more victims get refuge and justice.

But we will launch a relentless drive to help survivors find justice and increase the number of successful prosecutions.

This hidden scandal, that takes place every day in homes across Britain, must be tackled head on. And we must respond to the devastating and lifelong impact that domestic abuse has on children, who carry the effects into adulthood.

Despite large rises in reporting in recent years, independent analysis suggests only a fifth of domestic violence victims ever report the abuse against them.

The proposals would also set out a clear, statutory definition for exactly what falls under the umbrella of domestic violence, which is intended to make it easier for victims to know they are victims, and then take action.

The Conservative manifesto also pledges better support for victims to leave abusive partners.
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 }}

Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with Egypts Coptic Christians, calling those massacred in an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims martyrs.

The Pontiff led thousands of people in prayer for the 29 victims, who he said were killed in another act of ferocious violence after having refused to renounce their Christian faith at gunpoint.

Speaking from his studio window over St Peter's Square, Francis said: May the Lord welcome these courageous witnesses, these martyrs, in his peace and convert the hearts of the violent ones.

Isis claimed responsibility for the attack on Christians travelling through the Minya region to the St Samuel the Confessor monastery.

 Egypt shooting: Video shows destroyed bus in gun attack on Coptic Christians

The bus was blocked by three vehicles carrying eight to 10 attackers who opened fire, killing at least 29 and wounding 24, with many children among the victims.

Recommended Dozens of Christians killed in attack in Egypt

Footage showed the bus raked with bullets, with its windows smashed, surrounded by dead bodies covered in black plastic sheets.

It was the fourth attack against Christians in Egypt claimed by Isis since December. The string of attacks have killed more than 100 and injured scores.

Video interviews with survivors painted a picture of untold horror as children hid under their seats to escape the gunfire.

In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Egyptian Coptics mourn for the 21 men murdered by Isis AP In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt A man is comforted by others as he mourns over Egyptian Coptic Christians who were captured in Libya and killed by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, outside of the Virgin Mary church in the village of el-Aour, near Minya, 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Women mourn over Egyptian Coptic Christians who were captured in Libya and killed by Isis militants In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt A relative of one of the Egyptian Coptic Christians purportedly murdered by Isis reacts after hearing the news in the village of Al-Awar in Egypt's southern province of Minya In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Relatives of Egyptian Coptic Christians purportedly murdered by Isis militants in Libya react after hearing the news in the village of al-Awar in Egypt's southern province of Minya In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offers his condolences to some of the Coptic families AFP In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb (R) offers his condolences to Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II at Saint-Mark's Coptic Cathedral in Cairo's al-Abbassiya district In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt A Coptic clergyman shows a picture of a man whom he says is one of the Egyptian Coptic Christians purportedly murdered by Isis militants in Libya, during a memorial ceremony in the village of al-Awar in Egypt's southern province of Minya In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Relatives of Egyptian Coptic Christians murdered by Isis militants in Libya wlak through the village of Al-Awar in Egypt's southern province of Minya In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt A family relative of abducted Coptic Christian weeps AP In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Men mourn over Egyptian Coptic Christians who were captured in Libya and killed by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, inside of the Virgin Mary Church in the village of el-Aour, near Minya, 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Men mourn over Egyptian Coptic Christians who were captured in Libya and killed by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, inside the Virgin Mary Church in the village of el-Aour, near Minya, 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Protesters hold placards during a demonstration against the killing of Egyptian Coptic Christians by militants of the Islamic State in Libya, in Cairo In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt Egyptians protest what they characterise as Government inaction in reaction to the kidnapping of Copts in Libya, Cairo EPA In pictures: Coptic Christians mourn victims of Isis beheadings Egypt A Coptic Christian woman prays for the release of 21 Coptic Egyptian men AP

One survivor, a small boy who seemed to be about six, said his mother pushed him under her seat and covered him with a bag.

A young woman speaking from her hospital bed said the assailants ordered the women to surrender their jewellery and money before they opened fire, killing the men first and then some of the women.

The woman said the gunmen were masked and wore military uniforms.

Dead bodies lay covered in black plastic sheets in the aftermath of the attack (AP)

Bishop Makarios, the top Coptic Orthodox cleric in Minya, the province where the attack took place, said the assailants told Christian men they ordered off the bus they would spare their lives if they converted to Islam.

They chose death, said Mr Makarios, who has been an outspoken critic of the government's handling of anti-Christian violence in Minya, where Christians account for more than 35 per cent of the population, the highest anywhere in Egypt.

We take pride to die while holding on to our faith, he said.

Mr Makarios confirmed the assailants stole the women's jewellery and his contention the men were ordered off the bus before being killed was also confirmed by a video clip purportedly taken in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The video showed at least four or five bodies of adult men lying on the desert sand next to the bus; women and other men screamed and cried as they stood or squatted next to the bodies.

Mourners react after the funeral of Coptic Christians who were killed on Friday in Minya, Egypt (Reuters) (REUTERS)

The Coptic church said it had received news of the killing of its martyrs with pain and sorrow.

Egypt responded to the attack with a wave of air strikes against suspected militant bases where the military said the perpetrators trained.

A manhunt for the assailants in the vast deserts to the west of the site of the attack has so far yielded no arrests.

On Saturday, the Pope said there are more Christian martyrs today than in ancient times.

Security guards stand near the site of an attack in Minya, Egypt, on 26 May (Reuters)

During a meeting with clergy in the Italian port city of Genoa, Francis urged them to pray for our brothers the Egyptian Copts, who were killed because they did not want to renounce their faith.

Lets not forget that today there are more Christian martyrs than in ancient times, than in the early day times of the church, he told bishops, priests and nuns gathered in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.

He has previously paid tribute to Christians in the Middle East who have been persecuted by Islamist militants and he has often denounced Isis and condemned the concept of killing in God's name.

The attack is the second time Isis has targeted the beleaguered Christian minority in Egypt in recent months following twin bombings that killed at least 44 people in churches in Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday last month.

Isis has targeted numerous religious minorities including Coptic Christians  who have been beheaded in Libya  and Sufi and Shia Muslims, who have been massacred across the Middle East.

It has also particularly persecuted the Yazidi communities in Iraq  men were murdered and women were sold into sex slavery when the group declared its caliphate in 2014.

Additional reporting by agencies
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 French military has distanced itself from a photograph taken during its operations in Mali, after the image of a soldier with his face obscured by a menacing skull bandana went viral.

The French army issued a statement repudiating the use of the bandana, which is sold as an accessory of the violent computer game, Call of Duty. Colonel Thierry Burkhardt, spokesman for the French chiefs of staff, said the image is not at all representative of the action undertaken in France in Mali at the request of the Malian state.

Far from being messengers of death, Colonel Burkhardt went on, French soldiers were risking their own lives to prevent Mali from becoming a terrorist state controlled by militant Islamists.

The photograph was taken last weekend near Niono in central Mali as French and Malian forces advanced to regain ground from a loose alliance of Islamist groups which control the immense deserts and semi-deserts of the north of the country. More than 2,300 French soldiers have arrived in Mali since the operation began.

In the last two days the French and local forces, supported by air-strikes, have advanced without opposition to recapture the towns of Diabaly and Douentza. French media reported today that President Francois Hollande wanted the advance to extend to one of the larger towns in northern Mali, either Gao or Timbuktu, in the next few days.

Officially, the recapture of northern Mali, which is larger than Spain, is to be left to the Malian army and a multi-national force of at least 3,000 troops from west African countries. Earlier this week, however, the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, implied that French ground forces would also be involved in the drive to recapture every square kilometre of Mali.

France has insisted that its intervention is a war against terrorism and not a return to its post-colonial habit of intervening in its former African territories, hence the sensitivity about the soldier wearing the bandana.

The bandana represents the character Ghost, who appears in the Call of Duty video game series about US Special Forces.

Algerian government acknowledges military casualties

Algeria today claimed that it did not sustain heavy losses in the operation to end the Saharan gas plant siege, and that only eight soldiers suffered minor wounds during a four-day siege of a gas plant by al-Qaida-linked militants who took dozens of foreigners hostage.

It was the first acknowledgement by the government of any military casualties in the standoff at the Ain Amenas plant, where 37 hostages and 29 militants died.

The militants, armed with explosives and automatic weapons, had threatened to blow up the entire complex. Algerian troops tried twice to end the crisis, first by firing from attack helicopters before finally launching a ground assault.

The Defense Ministry condemned Wednesday what it called insinuations it took heavy losses. It says the eight wounded were already back at work.

Algerian authorities are typically reluctant to announce military losses. AP
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 man who will take on Justin Trudeau has been elected by Canada's Conservative Party.

Andrew Scheer won the party leadership by the tiniest of margins, securing 51 per cent of the vote, to beat his main rival Maxime Bernier.

The 38-year-old will now lead the party- Canada's official opposition - against Mr Trudeau's Liberals in the 2019 general election, although he now has the difficult challenge of uniting his party first.

"We all know what it looks like when Conservatives are divided," Mr Scheer, who at 38, is seven-years younger the Canadian Prime Minister, told party members on securing victory.

"We will not let that happen again. We win when we are united. Imagine what we will do when we are all working together. We cant go through another four years of Justin Trudeau.

His right-of-centre Conservative Party was in power for nearly before the centre-left Liberals won 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 }}

A man has been arrested after allegedly throwing his semen over a string of women in supermarkets.

Manuel Banuelos-Alcala, 47, is accused of following strangers into shops and lobbing semen at them before walking away.

He is said to have targeted the same woman twice at a Safeway store in Portland, Oregon, as well as other victims in the same city and another in Milwaukee.

One of the alleged victims told local TV station Katu she had semen thrown at the November and again in April this year.

(Portland Police Department)

"I felt something kind of hit me in the back," she said. "Ever since it happened the first time, you're always on high alert that something's going to happen, but I did not expect it a second time."

It is not clear where he deliberately targeted the same women twice or whether it was a coincidence.

Banuelos-Alcala was arrested at the car park of the same Safeway, in the Beaverton area of the city.

Police said before his arrest he "likely committed another lewd act of throwing semen on an unsuspecting female customer".

As a result he faces charges of third-degree sex abuse.
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 }}

Officials in Mississippi said a man has been detained after a shooting spree that left eight people dead, among them two boys and a police officer.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings happened at three separate homes in rural Lincoln County. Police identified the suspect as Willie Corey Godbolt. The shootings were allegedly related to a dispute involving his wife and his in-laws.

I aint fit to live, not after what I done, a handcuffed Mr Godbolt, 35, told the Clarion-Ledger newspaper.

The Associated Press said Mr Godbolt was being treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital, according to officials. They did not say how he was wounded.

Mr Strain said charges had yet to be filed and it was too soon to say what the motive was. Officials said they had no details on the relationship between Mr Godbolt and the victims.

However, Mr Godbolt himself shed some light in a video interview with the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road.

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

I was having a conversation with her step-daddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home, he said. Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. Thats what they do. They intervene.

He added: They cost him his life, he said, apparently referring to the dead police officer. Im sorry.

The slain officer was identified as William Durr, 36. The identities of the other victims were not immediately released.

 Donald Trump introduces Brexit leader Nigel Farage in Mississippi

Mr Godbolt said he did not intend for the police to capture him alive.

My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets, he said. Suicide by cop was my intention.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant issued a statement asking people to pray for the victims. He also noted the sacrifice made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities, he said. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work.
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 good Samaritans who were murdered as they tried to protect two women from a barrage of racial abuse on a train have been hailed as "heroes".

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, and Rick Best, 53, both had their throats slashed on a train in Portland, Oregon, after they tried to intervene when when they saw a man apparently abusing two young women who appeared to be Muslim. A third person also had their throat slashed but survived.

One of the women was wearing a hijab veil when the suspect Jeremy Christian reportedly said that "Muslims should die".

Mobile phone footage shows the 35-year-old ranting and standing in the street just metres from several police officers before his arrest.

Mr Namkai-Meche, an economics graduate, was on the phone to his aunt when stepped in as the suspect confronted the girls.

His mother, Asha Deliverance, confirmed his death on Facebook.

He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever. she said.

Mr Best, a father of four, was also killed.

He spent 23 years serving in the US Army and retired in 2012, according to the Oregon website, which said he subsequently worked for the city.

One of his former Army colleagues said: Its just like Rick to step in and help somebody out.

Kareen Perkins, his supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services, described Mr Best as a dedicated employee.

"He was always the first person you would go to for help," she told Oregon Live. "I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out."

The third man, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was treated for injuries that police said were not expected to be life-threatening.

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

Muslim communities have spearheaded a fundraising effort for the victims and their families who were affected by the stabbing.

Donations have poured in from more than 5,000 people, with more than $200,000 raised so far.

We wish to respond to hate with love, to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action, the fundraising page reads.
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 }}

Police say they will examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of an Oregon man suspected of fatally stabbing two men who tried to intervene when the suspect yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim on a Portland light-rail train.

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was being held Saturday in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arrested a short time after the attack on Friday.

He will make a first court appearance Tuesday, and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. A phone at his home in Portland rang unanswered early Saturday.

Recommended Man kills two and injures one after being confronted over racial abuse

Police on Saturday identified the victims as 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland. Mr Best died at the scene, and Mr Meche died at hospital, police said.

Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, of Portland, was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital, police said. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police have also identified the two young women on the train, one of whom was wearing a hijab at the time of the stabbing. Their names have not been released.

The assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using hate speech or biased language, according to a statement from police.

Friday was the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and the attack prompted soul-searching in Portland, a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal views. A memorial of flowers and signs quickly grew at the scene by a transit station.

There is too much hatred in our world right now, and far too much violence. Too much of it has arrived here in Portland, Mayor Ted Wheeler said in Facebook post.

Wheeler was on the inaugural direct flight from the Oregon city to London when the attack occurred. He said he boarded the first flight back and was due to arrive Saturday afternoon.

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

Dyjuana Hudson, a mother of one of the girls, told The Oregonian that a man began a racial tirade as soon as he spotted the girls. Her daughter is African-American and was with a friend who was wearing a hijab, she said.

The attack happened on a MAX train as it headed east. A train remained stopped on the tracks at a transit centre that was closed while police investigated.

Police say the victims were trying to stop Christian from confronting the girls.

In the midst of his ranting and raving, some people approached him and appeared to try to intervene with his behaviour and some of the people that he was yelling at, police Sgt. Pete Simpson told the Portland newspaper. They were attacked viciously.

Neighbours who live next to Mr Christian's parents' house  which was also his last listed address in court records  said the family was quiet and they often saw Christian's two adult brothers but never him.

AP
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 }}

Several teachers have been disciplined after a student was given an award that said she was most likely to become a terrorist

Lizeth Villanueva, a 13-year-old from the Anthony Aguirre Junior High school in Texas, was handed the certificate one day after the Manchester attack.

The fake certificate was given to the student in a mock ceremony, in what was intended to be a an attempt at poking fun.

Ena Hernandez, Lizeths mother, said she was upset by prize, especially considering the timing.

I was upset and very mad when I saw the award, Ms Hernandez told The Washington Post.

I was surprised because my daughter has been doing well in the honours program.

Lizeth added that it was not a joke and that she no longer feels comfortable being the same classroom as the teacher, KPRC 2 reported.

Other awards included most likely to be homeless and most likely to cry for every little thing.

There were several teachers in the room during the ceremony and awards were reportedly met with laughter.

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 school district released a statement apologising for "the insensitive and offensive fake mock awards that were given to students".

"The teachers involved in this matter have been disciplined according to district policy," it 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 }}

The State Department has quietly lifted Donald Trump's restriction on the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States.

Mr Trump has sought to reduce the number of refugees allowed into the US annually from 110,000 to 50,000, and had signed an executive order suspending all refugee admissions for 120 days.

But the State Department has lifted its restriction on how many refugees are allowed to enter, with Jennifer Smith, a department official, notifying refugee groups in an email they could now begin bringing people to the US "unconstrained by the weekly quotas that were in place."

 Ivanka Trump at odds with father over Syrian refugees

Refugee advocates told The New York Times it could double the number of refugees entering the country, from around 830 a week in the first three weeks of this month to over 1,500 a week by next month.

Although the restrictions were lifted on the same day a federal appeals court upheld a block on Mr Trump's travel ban, the decision is not related to the ruling, the paper said.

Congress passed a spending bill last summer which tightly constrained the State Department's refugee resettlement programme's budget.

But the latest spending bill, passed earlier this month, does not impose a limit on refugee administrations.

An anonymous State Department spokeswoman told the paper the department had consulted the Department of Justice about its refugee quotas and had decided to adjust them.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

While federal judges have ordered a block on Mr Trump's refugee limits, refugee admission rates have dropped regardless.

There were roughly one-third the number of refugee arrivals in April compared to last October, according to State Department data analysed by the Pew Research Centre.

"This decline has been felt by 46 of the 50 states, and only four states had a higher number of refugees in April 2017 than they had in October 2016, Phillip Connor, a research associate at Pew, said.

What is significant here is that we had a decline nationally for the first five months straight of the fiscal year, which is the longest consecutive decrease on record".
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 labelled leaks about the interactions of his son-in-law with Russia fabricated lies, as he returned to Washington to confront a mounting political crisis.

As Mr Trump was set to meet his own criminal defence lawyer, and his closest aides were setting up a war room to tackle the latest fallout over his campaigns alleged links to Russia, the President turned his focus to one of his favourite targets  the media.

Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results, he said on Twitter. It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the Fake News media.

Mr Trump returned on Saturday night from a nine-day foreign trip, his first as President. Yet while Mr Trump was largely able, while he was overseas, to keep away from the controversy over his campaign's alleged collusion with Moscow to influence the 2016 election, once he set foot back in Washington it was there to engulf him.

The latest developments focus on Jared Kushner, his senior adviser and husband of his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump. Last week, it was confirmed the 36-year-old, who had been at the helm of Mr Trumps campaign, was the focus of the FBIs ongoing investigation.

It was then reported that, in what at least would have been an act of no small naivety, Mr Kushner had last year asked the Russian ambassador to the US to establish a secret backchannel using Russias communication systems to enable the Trump transition team to talk to Moscow.

The request was reportedly made at a meeting at Trump Tower, and the communications were intercepted by US intelligence and then leaked to The Washington Post. There is said to be mounting talk that Mr Kushner may have to step aside from his role.

 Melania wears a jacket that cost just below an American's median annual salary

Reports said Mr Kushner, one of the few people Mr Trump appears to trust without question, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University in New York, told The Independent the President was now facing a genuine dilemma. "We've seen in the past how quickly he is to cut people loose when he needs to," she said. "But this situation needs to be much more carefully thought through. This is not someone he just met a few months ago, or a few years ago. This is family."

Democrats and critics of Mr Trump have seized on the revelations and said they are more evidence that the New York tycoon was trampling on democratic traditions.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he wanted Mr Kushner to give evidence before members of Congress. He also said Mr Kushners security clearance ought to be be looked at.

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, Mr Schiff told ABC.

The same channel said there was growing discussion within the White House as to whether Mr Kushner may have to take a leave of absence from his duties, until the controversy is resolved one way or another.

Mr Kushner, through his lawyer, has offered to cooperate with such investigations but has otherwise maintained a low profile since returning from the Presidents trip several days early.

Republicans have hit back. John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said he thought Mr Kushners request to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak was both normal and appropriate.

Anytime you can communicate with people, especially organisations who are not particularly friendly to us, its a good thing, he said. Whatever the communication is, it comes back to the government and is shared.

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

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said he did not trust this story as far as I can throw it.

Were chasing our tails, as a nation, when it comes to the Russians. I dont know who leaked this supposed conversation, he told CNN. But just think about it this way. Youve got the ambassador to Russia reporting back, on an open channel, Hey, Jared Kushners gonna move into the embassy.

I think it makes no sense that the Russian ambassador would report back to Moscow on a channel that he most likely knows were monitoring.

Reports suggest Mr Trump is scheduled to meet soon with a hard-hitting New York lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, whom he has retained to help deal with the FBI investigation. Mr Kasowitz has known Mr Trump for decades and represented him in numerous cases, including his divorce records, and allegations about Trump University.

Mr Kasowitz recently acted on behalf of Bill OReilly, the Fox News anchor who was forced to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment. Mr OReilly denied the claims.
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 }}

Jared Kushner's alleged back channel links to Russia would have been considered spying if they had been set up by an intelligence officer, George W Bush's former CIA director has said.

Speaking on MSNBC's The Last Word, John McLaughlan said the first reaction among the intelligence community would be to ask: "Is this a prank?"

Mr McLaughlan said, providing the allegations were true: "I dont want to overstate because obviously there is a lot we dont know.

We dont know the exact content of the conversation. We don't know the objective that was stated from the Kushner side during the conversation, those things we don't know.

"But I can't keep out of my mind the thought that, if an American intelligence officer had done anything like this, we'd consider it espionage."

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

Mr Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, reportedly proposed a secret back channel between the Kremiln and the Trump transition team during a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US in December.

Mr Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Mr Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, the source said.

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (REUTERS)

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Mr Kushner's attendance until March.

At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Mr Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

The newspaper cited anonymous US officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post reported Mr Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state, which took place 1 February. The team decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels.

Mr Flynn served briefly as Trump's national security adviser before being fired in February. Officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed US sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Mr Kushner is now reportedly a focus of the ongoing investigation into Russian collusion in Mr Trump's election campaign over the meetings he had with Mr Kislyak and a Russian banker.

Additional reporting by AP
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

As the White House scrambles to deal with the fallout from the latest revelations about contact between Donald Trumps campaign team and Russia, there is said to be mounting that talk that his favoured advisor, Jared Kushner, may have to take a leave of absence.

Mr Trump returned to Washington after a nine-day overseas tour and immediately went on the offensive, saying the leaks coming out of his administration were fabricated lies invented by the media.

Yet as the President was said to have met with his own criminal defence lawyer who is helping him deal with the FBIs probe into possible collusion between his team and Moscow alleged effort to influence the election, increasing attention was being paid to Mr Kushners future.

Last week, it was confirmed the 36-year-old, who is married to Mr Trumps eldest daughter, Ivanka, was the focus of the FBIs ongoing investigation.

It was then reported that Mr Kushner had last year asked the Russian Ambassador to the US to establish a secret back channel using Russias communication systems to enable the Trump transition team to talk to Moscow.

Speaking on ABCs This Week, Chief White House correspondent Jon Karl said there had been a lot of talk of a shake-up, now that Mr Trump had returned to Washington. He said there was also a big question as to what role Mr Kushner should have.

 Donald Trump claims his first foreign trip has been a success. His body language tells otherwise

There is no advisor closer to the president - his office goes - opens right into the Oval Office. He has taken on a portfolio bigger than anybody in the West Wing, he said.

And you hear people now, very close to the president, openly saying that it is too much, that he now finds himself at the centre of this investigation, even if he is ultimately completely cleared, he is at the centre of this investigation right now.

He added: And you hear people close to the president quietly saying, is it too much and is it time for Jared to take a step back, maybe even take a leave of absence from the White House.

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

There are few people Mr Trump trusts than his son-in-law. Even though his background was in real estate and not politics, Mr Kusher was placed at the head Mr Trumps election campaign. After his surprise victory, Mr Trump insisted that he and Ivanka Trump take up jobs within the West Wing of the White House.

Mr Kushner has been widely criticised for his alleged request to the Russians to establish a backchannel. At the very least, people said, he had been extremely naive; others were more blunt.

Former CIA Director Mike Hayden, said: What manner of ignorance, chaos, hubris, suspicion, contempt would you have to have had to think that doing this with the Russian ambassador was a good or appropriate idea?

But Mr Kushner was defended by John Kelly, Mr Trumps Homeland Security secretary, who said his actions had been appropriate.

Any information flow into the government and then considered by the government, I wont criticise that, Mr Kelly said. All of these lines of communication are a positive thing, in my opinion.

Mr Kushner has yet to publicly comment on the revelations. Through his lawyer, he has repeated an offer to cooperate with official investigators.
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 Defence Secretary has said that any military conflict with North Korea would be catastrophic.

The US has stepped up its threats and sabre-rattling against North Korea since Mr Trump assumed the presidency. At the same time, the East Asian nation has stepped up its programme of missile tests. Reports suggest it has attempted seven tests in 2017, including two recent tests in one week alone.

Former general James Mattis claimed North Korea was a threat to the surrounding region, including Japan, China and Russia. He also claimed it was a direct threat to the US.

A conflict in North Korea, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes, Mr Mattis told CBS News.

The bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if were not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.

 US General Stewart: It is 'inevitable' North Korea will be capable of hitting US in nuclear attack

He added: They have been very clear in their rhetoric - we dont have to wait until they have an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear weapon on it to say that now its manifested completely,

Preparing for North Korea's growing threat, the Pentagon will attempt to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test this week, the network said.

The American interceptor has succeeded in nine of 17 attempts since 1999. The most recent test in June 2014 was a success, but that was only after three failures.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to possess a missile capable of reaching the US, though he has not done so yet.

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

Last week, the Defence Intelligence Agency said it was inevitable that a nuclear weapon launched from North Korea would hit the US mainland.

Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the possibility of an attack was very real after a recent missile test conducted by Pyongyang.

He claimed that if the country and its leader were left on the current trajectory the regime will ultimately succeed.
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 }}

Soldiers found corpses in the streets of a besieged Philippine city on Sunday as troops battled a weakened but still forceful group of militants linked to the Isis terrorist group.

At least eight executed civilians, most shot in the head and some with their hands tied behind their heads, were among the bodies discovered as the death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.

The dead men were labourers stopped by militants trying to flee clashes, according to police. Attached to one of the bodies was a sign that said Munafik, meaning traitor to faith.

The crisis in Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly desperate as the Maute rebel group show unexpected strength, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armoured vehicles and scores of soldiers.

Recommended Isis militants kill 21 in rampage through Philippine city

At least 19 civilians have been killed in a week of fighting.

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades.

But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with Isis.

Much of the city is a no-go zone but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clear.

Troops have been battling Isis-linked rebels for a week (AP)

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi but more than 2,000 were still trapped inside the city. Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, said Zia Alonto Adiong, an official in Lanao del Sur, one of the country's poorest provinces.

Have mercy on us, we don't have any more water to drink, read one of the messages, sent to a hotline set up for trapped residents.

The Associated Press was shown the messages by relief workers at a provincial government complex in Marawi. Another message asked authorities to retrieve three bodies that were rotting near a resident's home.

Speaking at the evacuation centre on Sunday, Saddat Liong said his house was hit by mortar fire and burned to the ground. Liong, his wife and eight children lost everything, he said  even their cooking pots.

I feel that weve lost our city, he said.

Military spokesman Restituto Padilla said militants were weakening as combat went on.

We believe they're now low on ammunition and food, he said, speaking by phone from the capital Manila.

Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi.

Thousands of people have fled Marawi as violence rages (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown into a shallow ravine early Sunday in Marawi's Emi village, said police officer Jamail Mangadang.

A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated that the victims had "betrayed their faith," he said, identifying the men as civilians. Marawi is a mostly Muslim city.

In addition to the civilian deaths, Padilla said 61 militants, 11 soldiers and four police were among the dead.

The violence erupted Tuesday night when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists. But the operation went awry and militants rampaged through the city, torching buildings and battling government forces in the streets.

A priest and several worshippers were taken hostage. There was no word on their wellbeing.

Hapilon, an Islamic preacher, is a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who pledged allegiance to Isis in 2014. He also heads an alliance of at least 10 smaller militant groups, including the Maute, which has a heavy presence in Marawi and has been instrumental in fighting off government forces in the current battles.

All of the groups are inspired by Isis. Defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that Hapilon has received funds from Isis.

Washington has offered a $5m (3.9m) reward for information leading to Hapilons capture.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

North Korea has fired an "unidentified projectile", believed to be a ballistic missile, towards Japan, South Korean officials have said.

The object was launched from the Wonsan region on North Korea's east coast and aimed eastwards, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to assess the launch.

The projectile is believed to be a Scud-type missile that travelled around 280 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korean military sources said.

A Japanese government minister confirmed the missile appeared to have landed in Japan's waters but said no damage had been caused.

"This ballistic missile launch by North Korea is highly problematic from the perspective of the safety of shipping and air traffic and is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," said Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary.

"Japan absolutely cannot tolerate North Korea's repeated provocative actions. We have strongly protested to North Korea and condemn its actions in the strongest terms."

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

The White House said Donald Trump had been briefed about the latest launch. The US Pacific Command said it had detected and tracked the short-range missile for six minutes, determining that it did not pose a threat to the US.

North Korea has test-fired a number of missiles in recent weeks, with the latest launch taking place on May 21, when a rocket landed in the sea off its east coast.

It recently ordered largescale production of a medium-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases.

The Pukguksong-2 rocket was approved by North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action, the KCNA state news agency reported.

Earlier this month, South Korea fired warning shots at an "unidentified object", reported to be a drone, that was flying towards the country from its northern neighbour.
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 }}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Muslim citizens mutual respect and peace for Ramadan.

As the month-long celebration of fasting and prayer began, Mr Netanyahu took to social media to address the Muslim community.

I wish #Ramadan Kareem to Israel's Muslim citizens and Muslims around the world, hoping for much needed brotherhood, mutual respect & peace, he wrote on Twitter.

Recommended Trump seems to accidentally confirm Israel was source of intelligence

"Ramadan Kareem" means "have a generous Ramadan".

Mr Netanyahu also tweeted greetings in Arabic.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are expected to fast and avoid drinking water or taking medicine during daylight hours, to celebrate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

 Trump meets Netanyahu and talks of "unbreakable" US-Israel bond

The Foreign Ministry shows there are nearly 1.5 million Muslims in Israel, equivalent to 16.9 per cent of the population.

Major General Yoav Mordechai, of the Israeli defence agency COGAT, said goodwill gestures from the Israeli government at the start of Ramadan include access for 100 Gaza residents to attend prayers at a mosque in Jerusalem every Friday in the month, and extended West Bank crossing times.

According to the same department, Israel was due to issue up to 200,000 permits for those visiting the country during the month.

The nation reached a deal with Palestinian authorities and the Red Cross to allow prisoners a second family visit per month, ending the hunger strike of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

According to Israels prison service, more than 1,500 prisoners went on hunger strike and 834 of them ended their fast at the weekend.

Mr Netanyahu also met with US President Donald Trump this month after Mr Trump attempted to woo Muslim leaders, negotiating arms deals and telling them he was not in Riyadh to lecture.

Mr Trump spoke tough words about the reckless pursuit of conflict and terror by Iran, which would appease Israel, but did not mention Saudi Arabias human rights violations in Yemen.

Mr Trump said in Israel that he hoped there would be peace with Palestine, but he did not say two-state solution as was previous custom, or mention the controversial creation of new Jewish settlements on the West Bank.
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 }}

French President Emmanuel Macron says his now famous white-knuckle handshake showdown with Donald Trump was a moment of truth  designed to show that he's no pushover.

Mr Macron told Le Journal du Dimanche, a Sunday newspaper in France: my handshake with him, it wasn't innocent.

The new French leader added: One must show that you won't make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but also not over-publicise things, either.

Mr Macron's office confirmed to the Associated Press that the newspaper had made no fabrication of the presidents comments.

The US President and Mr Macron met for the first time in Brussels on Thursday, ahead of a NATO summit.

The two were seen shaking hands for so long that their knuckles started turning white and their jaws clenched, it was reported, but the French leader held his grip for a few seconds more.

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

A few hours later, President Trump was captured on film appearing to shove Montenegro's Prime Minister out of the way in a bid to get to the front of the NATO group.

Mr Trump has become known for his infamously dominant handshake, which he offered to Japanese leader Shinzo Abe for 19 seconds upon their meeting in February.

Eventually, a visibly bewildered Mr Abe let go, but was complimented on his strong hands by Mr Trump.

When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the White House later that month, he resisted Trumps perceived jerk and pull style of handshake by placing his left hand on the US leaders shoulder for balance.

The moment was hailed as a victory, labelled by social media users as the biggest display of dominance in the history of Canada.

Mr Trump and Theresa May were photographed holding hands as he led along the White House colonnade in January, in what was described as a symbol of the special relationship between the two nations.

It was later revealed that the British Prime Minister was in fact helping Mr Trump, since the US leader has a known fear of descending slopes and stairs, a Washington source claimed.
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 }}

Mexico has surpassed Iraq and Afghanistan to become the worlds second-most deadly conflict zone after Syria, according to a study of wars around the globe.

The number of fatalities from the expanding war among Mexicos criminal cartels grew to 23,000 in 2016, compared with 17,000 in Afghanistan and 16,000 in Iraq, according to the annual Armed Conflict Survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

That level of bloodshed was all the more surprising, because Mexico is a conflict marked by the absence of artillery, tanks or combat aviation, IISS director general John Chipman said in remarks at the surveys launch in London on Tuesday. Virtually all of those deaths were caused by small arms.

The largest number of fatalities occurred in Mexican states that have become key battlegrounds for control between competing, increasingly fragmented cartels, he said, with violence flaring as gangs try to clear areas of rivals so they can monopolize drug trafficking routes.

The Middle East in general and Syria in particular remained the most lethal regions on earth, with the nearly six-year-old-Syrian conflict claiming a further 50,000 lives. That brings the total number of deaths during the civil and proxy war to an estimated 290,000, almost three times the number killed in Bosnia, in the early 1990s.

Recommended Mexico City burns effigy of Donald Trump to celebrate Easter

Sub-Saharan Africa was a relative bright spot, with the number of deaths in war falling by more than a third since last year. Overall, the number of people killed in armed conflicts around the world fell slightly last year to 157,000, from 167,000 in 2015. Yet the figure remains high compared with the previous decade and the number of civilians displaced by war continued to rise, according to the survey.

Chipman and the reports authors were downbeat about the prospects for reducing these levels of violence on several counts.

One is that conflicts are becoming more urban, with siege warfare increasingly common, according to the survey. Thats especially true in Syria, where that approach proved brutally effective for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo.

A second reason is that as new conflicts emerge, old ones tend not to get resolved but rather subside into a simmering state, capable of boiling over again at any moment. Chipman cited Turkeys more than three-decade-old battle with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which exploded again last year into an urbanized insurgency that killed 3,000 people. That was the highest annual death count from the conflict since 1997, and a dramatic increase from near peace of recent years. The low-level war in Eastern Ukraine also looks like falling into this simmering category, Chipman warned.

A further cause for concern is that even though the Islamic State terrorist organization lost a quarter of its territory and a higher proportion of its fighters last year, the toll on civilians is likely to increase as the group returns to more traditional insurgent tactics, rather than try to hold territory as a conventional army, according to the IISS.

Finally the main tool available for the international community to try to reduce bloodshed -- the $8 billion-a-year United Nations peace-keeping forces -- are increasingly overstretched and ineffectual, said Mats Berdal, of Kings College London.

Peacekeeping has become overly ambitious, focused on preventing civilian casualties and peacemaking since the genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica in the 1990s, rather than just policing ceasefires and political settlements, according to Berdal. The UN is also by its nature too politically riven to carry out effective military operations, he said.

There are real limits to how you can make a UN peacekeeping force effective, said Berdal, citing the varied and often poor quality of troops, as well as the UNs lack of real disciplinary control over them. He recommended the number and ambition of blue helmet missions should be scaled back, and that the UN refocus on the diplomacy of securing political settlements.

(C) Bloomberg
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The younger brother of the Manchester bomber was involved in a plot to attack a UN special envoy in Libya, it has been reported.

Hashim Abedi was a member of a jihadi cell that targeted Martin Kobler, the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, during a visit to Tripoli earlier this year, sources told The Sunday Telegraph.

The 20-year-old was arrested by Libyan counter-terrorism forces on Tuesday, a day after his brother, Salman Abedi, killed 22 people blowing himself up at Manchester Arena.

Security services in the North African country said they had been monitoring Hashim for more than a month and that he had confessed he knew about Monday nights atrocity.

Ahmed Bin Salem, a spokesman for Rada, the Libyan Special Deterrence Force, added: We have evidence that he is involved in Daesh [Isis] with his brother.

Hashim was alleged to be a significant player in the terror cell that planned to attack Kobler and the group was said to be in the late stages of building an explosive device to bomb the German nationals convoy in Tripoli.

But the plot was interrupted by security forces before it could be carried out, The Telegraph reported.

Hashim Abedi told Libyan authorities he shared ideology with his brother (AFP/Getty) (AFP)

Hashim was arrested at his family home in Tripoli along with his father, Ramadan Abedi.

The younger brother admitted to interrogators he had had links to Isis, a spokesman for Libyan authorities told BBC Twos Newsnight.

The spokesman said: We were not quite sure about this, but when we arrested and we asked him, he told us, I have ideology with my brother. Hashim told us, I know everything about my brother, what he was doing there in Manchester.

He added Hashim had told authorities that 22-year-old Salman had learned to make explosives on the internet.

The Telegraph, with the help of investigative website Bellingcat, said it had uncovered Hashims deactivated Facebook account, on which he had referred to Osama Bin Laden as his hero and liked a picture of a plane flying into the World Trade Centre in New York.

He was shown in one photograph as a teenager holding a machine gun.

The newspaper claimed social media accounts suggested there was a network of young, radicalised men in Manchester, Cardiff and Portsmouth, who discussed support for Isis and other terrorist groups.

Greater Manchester Police has taken 12 people into custody on suspicion of terror offences since the suicide bombing following an Ariana Grande concert.

Salman Abedi had learned to make explosives on the internet (PA/GMP)

A 25-year-old man held in the Old Trafford area of the city was the latest to be arrested, on Sunday.

On Saturday, two men aged 20 and 22 were detained after officers used an explosive device to gain entry to a property in Cheetham Hill.

The head of national counter terrorism policing said immense progress had been made in the probe into the associates of Salman Abedi and a large part of his suspected network had been dismantled.

Mark Rowley added: They are very significant, these arrests.

We are very happy weve got our hands around some of the key players that we are concerned about but theres still a little bit more to do.

However, Home Secretary Amber Rudd warned members of the attackers circle were potentially still unaccounted for.
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 }}

British Airways has infuriated some passengers caught up in the weekends disruption by refusing to pay for tickets booked on other airlines.

More than 100,000 passengers have seen their flights to and from Gatwick and Heathrow cancelled after what the airline calls a systems outage.

Almost all flights were axed on Saturday, and many were also grounded on Sunday. European passengers rights rules stipulate that passengers on cancelled flights are entitled to re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.

But systems for re-booking passengers were disrupted because of the IT failure, and many passengers have complained about long waits at airports or to the call centre.

Faced with long queues and uncertainty, some travellers decided to buy new tickets on other airlines.

But BA is telling passengers: If we weren't able to offer a suitable alternative flight we would offer a full refund of any unused sectors on your booking with us, but any alternative flights booked via different carriers would be at your own expense and would have to be claimed back through travel insurance.

Mark Dillingham spent 1,000 on new flights on Lufthansa. He told The Independent: Do we lose this money even though British Airways was uncontactable? We couldn't enter the terminal, and the phone lines were shut.

Other people have taken to Twitter about the issue, with Melissa Riggs tweeting:@British_Airways are already refusing to pay onward travel you've booked yourself rather than wait in their 11 hour queue.

The view of the Civil Aviation Authority is that passengers should be re-booked on other carriers if no timely alternative is available on the airline that made the cancellation.

Passengers holding return tickets who made alternative travel arrangements outbound but still intend to fly home with BA face potential problems. If they are recorded as "no-shows" on the outbound flight, they may find their inbound leg is cancelled. They should contact the airline to explain the position.

In pictures: British Airways disruptions Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: British Airways disruptions In pictures: British Airways disruptions A passenger looks at a British Airway plane at John F. Kennedy (JFK) international airport in New York Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions British Airways planes are seen at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Passengers stand at the British Airways check-in desk after the London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports suffered an IT systems failure, at the 'Leonardo da Vinci' airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, Italy EPA In pictures: British Airways disruptions Arrivals notice boards are displayed at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman covered in a blanket sleeps in Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions A woman sleeps on a luggage trolley at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue to enter the terminal at Gatwick Airport Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue with their luggage outside Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People queue for check-in at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Thousands of passengers face a second day of travel disruption after a British Airways IT failure caused the airline to cancel most of its services Getty Images In pictures: British Airways disruptions People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters In pictures: British Airways disruptions People wait with their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 Reuters

BA is hoping to operate a near-normal service on Bank Holiday Monday, but is telling passengers who do not wish to risk disruption: Even if your flight is still operating, you can get a full refund or rebook to travel up to the end of November. The same applies for those booked on short-haul flights on Tuesday 30 May.

The airline told passengers via its website: We are very sorry for the disruption and frustration that you are experiencing. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
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 }}

Earlier this year Donald Trump received a personal letter urging him not to withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

If the US pulled out, the letter said, it would lose a seat at discussions and could not make a case for the most cost-effective greenhouse gas reduction options.

Another voice in his ear said the US would weaken its own hand by basically uninviting itself from a number of negotiating tables.

Those urging Mr Trump to stick with the agreement made by Barack Obama were not long-haired greenies or earnest activists. Rather, they were the chief executives of ExxonMobil, the worlds largest listed oil company, and Royal Dutch Shell. For they see the danger of the worlds most powerful nation not being present. Trump, apparently does not.

During his election campaign, the Republican candidate dismissed climate change science as a hoax and suggested it had been invented by the Chinese.

Having got it in the ear last week from G7 leaders urging him to stick with the accord, Trumps aides said his thinking on the topic was evolving. Then once he was back in Washington, it was reported Trump had told three associates he planned to pull out of the agreement after all.

Trump believes sticking with Obamas emissions targets will hurt business; climate experts say the implications of Trumps decision are of an existential scale.

The Associated Press recently spoke to two dozen climate scientists and consulted a computer model designed to predict the potential impact of climate change. It found that Trumps move would make a bad situation markedly worse and make it harder to stop the world crossing a perilous global temperature threshold.

 Trump signs order overhauling Obama's attempts to slow climate change

The calculations suggested it would result in the release of an additional three billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, melting ice sheets more quickly, raising sea levels and triggering more extreme weather.

If we lag, the noose tightens, said Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer.

In another development, Trumps rejection of the Paris Agreement would cede the USs lead on confronting climate change to other nations, most notably China and India.

For many years, the worlds two most populous countries were seen as a block to progress on any global deal, insisting that developing nations should not be held to the same rules as countries in the West which, which had for decades benefited from CO2-emitting industrialisation.

But things have changed. China, which along with the US produces 44 per cent of the worlds carbon dioxide, agreed to talks with Obama that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement. Obama said the US would cut emissions immediately, with a target of 28 per cent by 2025, while Xi Jinping said China would seek to ensure its emissions peaked by 2030 and then fell.

Since then China has stepped up its game. Earlier this year, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Xi said the Paris accord was hard-won. All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away from it, as this is a responsibility we must assume for future generations, he 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

India, the worlds third largest overall producer of carbon dioxide  though not per capita  has also made striking progress. The nation expects to get 40 per cent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2022, eight years ahead of schedule.

Indeed, according to data released recently at a UN climate meeting in Germany, China and India should both easily exceed the targets they set for themselves in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Five years ago, the idea of either China or India stopping  or even slowing  coal use was considered an insurmountable hurdle, as coal-fired power plants were thought by many to be necessary to satisfy the energy demands of these countries, said Bill Hare, of climate science not-for-profit Climate Analytics. Recent observations show they are now on the way toward overcoming this challenge.

European leaders were little short of furious with Trump over his climate change stubbornness. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said discussions had been very difficult, and not to say very unsatisfactory.

French President Emmanuel Macron felt the need to underscore the severity of the situation by shaking Trumps hand with such intensity that his knuckles went white. He later said it was a moment of truth designed to show that he was not a pushover.

None of this appears to have mattered to Trump. He seems set to pull the US out of an agreement most others nations consider essential to the planets survival.

The best hope may now lie with the very people Trump once mocked as hoaxers.
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 }}

We all know that education is a fundamental human right. But more than that, quality education is a foundation of tolerance, pluralism and security in society  something which is pertinent to remember in the wake of attacks like the one we saw at Manchester Arena this week. Put simply, a lack of education is a driver of extremist ideologies; in a world where there are so many conflict zones, its more urgent than ever that foreign aid is allocated for education that gives young people the resilience and critical skills to reject hate and violence.

Across Libya, Syria and South Sudan, the displacement of children because of war is commonplace  and when children are displaced, their right to education is usually denied. The consequences are dire and can be extreme and yet the perpetrators are not held to account.

In almost all of todays armed conflicts, schools and other institutions that should be safe for children and teachers are ripped apart by violence. In 2016, the United Nations documented attacks on 84 schools around the world, with at least 69 children losing their lives and many others injured.

Schools have become targets of war. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack has noted that there has been a series of attacks on schools in at least 21 countries experiencing armed conflict and insecurity since 2013. These are not accidents.

At the moment, we are failing in our duty to prevent this from happening  and we are putting ourselves in danger through this failure. The current refugee crises across South Sudan, Syria and Iraq are just three examples of this cycle of manmade conflict, displacement and humanitarian crisis. In Syria, over two million children have been forcibly displaced by war. We have reached crisis point as manmade conflict is outpacing our humanitarian response.

 Jeremy Corbyn highlights link between foreign wars and 'terrorism at home'

What becomes of these children who are denied their right to education? Where do they go? Usually, the answer is into poverty or militancy. When children learn with tolerance and logic, they are given the tools to think independently and critically about ideas they are presented with. This makes them less vulnerable to those who seek to use them for political, religious and violent ends.

We are all duty-bound to find a solution: cutting foreign aid, as some parties would like us to do, is self-defeating. Investing in quality education means teaching children about human rights, gender equality, promotion of culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity. The amount of money allocated to quality education within world aid budgets is a crucial part of any strategy to combat the ideology of groups such as Isis.

Education allows citizens to participate meaningfully in political, economic, social and cultural activities, both locally and globally. The end result is democracy and regional stability. At the moment, the refugee crisis means we face the possibility of a lost generation  lost to extremist ideologies such as Isis, lost to conflict and held back from the roles they might have taken in making their own countries strong again.

This is why education during war, conflict and humanitarian crises is not just a bonus  something to strive after once food, water and shelter have been secured  it is essential, and must be part of crisis-planning from the outset.

 Theresa May welcomes G7 backing for measures to stop online radicalisation

In international law, protection is extended to educational facilities as civilian objects during armed conflicts. All these issues are connected  they highlight how education plays the role of an enabling right. In other words, education ensures that children and adults are guaranteed access to other human rights and that these rights are upheld by the state and other individuals in positions of power. Quality education is unique to the extent that, as an enabling right, it can unlock economic potential, and drive improvements in health and nutrition.

The world is now witnessing the highest levels of forced displacement ever recorded. One of the simplest and yet most effective things we can do to combat that is to work to keep schools and universities open, and teachers in employment.

How should politicians respond globally to this? By putting money aside for conflict zones that is specifically used to get children back into school, provide catch-up education and informal learning opportunities, and to train teachers to ensure quality education after schools are rehabilitated. War, conflict and insecurity are avoidable reasons for 25 million children between the ages of six and 15 missing out on school in conflict zones. Holding those responsible for manmade war and conflict that cause life-long trauma to children accountable has never been more important.

During this general election cycle, and at the G7 and G20 meetings of world leaders this summer, we need to demand that our leaders have sensible responses to the larger conflicts in our world. Protecting education from attack, and providing children with the skills to be tolerant and resilient, is one way in which terrorism internationally can be driven down  that is self-evident.

Maleiha Malik is an academic advisor to Education Above All, a foundation which focuses on protection and provision of education during war, conflict and insecurity. EAA has programmes that protect and provide education in the worlds most challenging conflict zones such as South Sudan and Syria
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 }}

According to The Independents editorial yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn's speech questioning our level of responsibility in terrorist attacks shouldn't have been made two weeks before a general election.

Instead, Corbyn should apparently have allowed the terrorist attack in Manchester to determine our democratic process down to the content and timing of a key speech by the leader of the opposition. Irrespective of when Corbyn said it, the right-wing media would willfully have misinterpreted what he was saying when he made the blindingly obvious point that our Government's interventions in Iraq and Libya have made us less safe.

Rather than criticising Corbyn for making the speech, wed do far better to consider what was going on when the BBC's programmed attack robot Andrew Neil was let loose on Corbyn in the interview. Corbyn's calm and rational responses in the face of Neil's embarrassingly obtuse attempts to bully and provoke him was truly statesmanlike.

D Maughan Brown

York

If there's anything we've learned from this campaign, it's that neither Corbyn nor May are up to the job of Prime Minister. Theresa May's manifesto makes zero sense and as for Jeremy Corbyn, while the heart is there, the timing is not. I cannot fault his statement per se, but I wish he could have waited until after the election. Such as it is, it vaguely echoes David Steels infamous speech about preparing for government.

David Murphy

Address supplied

Corbyn is the real strong and stable leader

I am pro-European and was very disillusioned with Labour over its stance on the issue, but the choices now facing this country are even bigger than that. Forget any single issue. Policies on health, education and the economy matter, but each on their own does not make an election.

What matters is integrity, stability and strength. Theresa May claims to be strong and stable, yet she has changed her mind so often that stability is somewhat of a misnomer. Stability to her means doing whatever the tabloids tell her to. She no doubt can be strong, but strong in ways that harm others. As for integrity, I'm not convinced she understands the meaning of the concept.

Corbyn, however, has held the same views throughout his career, and has stated them even when it was not popular or in his best interests to do so. Never more so than on the issue of security. When the country was off fighting wars he was almost a lone voice in both parliament and his party saying that those wars would lead to terrorism threats. He has stood side by side with causes that at times were not popular yet now are more and more becoming mainstream: history is proving him right.

Given the nature of the challenges this nation faces, we must choose real strength and stability over sound bites and slogans. That is the choice facing us now.

Name supplied

Address supplied

Courts must take autism into consideration during sentencing

The level of ignorance shown in the sentencing of Damon Smith, the student jailed for 15 years for leaving an explosive on the Tube, is a damning indictment of the police and courts' inability or unwillingness to understand autism.

Smith's world view does not, and cannot, equate to that of someone without autism, as he is unable to understand the true nature of his planned actions. To either pretend or imagine that he does is proof of a mentality that brings the criminal justice system into disrepute. What kind of society are we that allows this to happen?

Paul Flint

Steventon

It's the will of the people to keep fox hunting illegal, and MPs need to listen

The overwhelming majority of our elected MPs wanted to remain in the EU, but we were told they had to support Brexit as it was the will of the people.

Politicians of all parties place great store and invest large sums of money in opinion polls as a way of determining the wishes of the electorate, so I can only hope that in the promised free vote on the reintroduction of fox hunting our MPs will similarly wish to support the will of the people, which shows 84 per cent of the population is in favour of keeping the ban, and not be swayed by a minority of self-interested lobby groups.

G Forward

Stirling

Getting married shouldn't be a financial decision

It is sad that many people decide not to marry because they think it is too expensive. Marrying is not expensive at all; it is the cost of the accompanying partying and dressing up that runs up the bills, and this is not essential, however enjoyable they may be.

Ian Turnbull

Carlisle
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 }}

For people across the North-west, the terror attack at the Manchester Arena feels much too close to home. After all, terror attacks dont happen in the north, they happen in London.

Yesterday morning the police raids connected to the attack reached my home town of St Helens. It seems hard to believe that in such a close-knit, gossipy town, an extremist could have operated beneath the radar. But actually it makes perfect sense.

Our community support officers, the people engaging with locals and reporting back to the authorities, had their presence cut from 49 officers to just 15 last year in line with the 25m in cuts to the police force.

St Helens, which has a population of 175,000 people, received proposals last year to eliminate its entire response force, and to instead have police officers drafted from neighbouring towns.

 Manchester bombing victim's parents 'not giving in to hatred'

Twenty thousand police jobs have been cut since the Conservatives came to power, and during her time as Home Secretary Theresa May oversaw a 4 per cent decrease in the policing budget every year.

The cuts that we have seen since 2010 have left areas such as St. Helens, Wigan, and city centre Manchester dangerously vulnerable. These are all areas with a large number of people, high migrant populations and low council tax contributions.

A video that has been shared over social media this week of Greater Manchester police officer Damian OReilly addressing Theresa May at the Police Federation conference in 2015 highlights this disregard for public safety in the North-west.

In the video, with his thick northern accent, OReilly pleads with the former Home Secretary: Neighbourhood policing is critical to dealing with terrorism. We run the risk here of letting communities down, putting officers at risk and ultimately risking national security and I would ask you to seriously consider the budget and the level of cuts over the next five years.

Mays response was to accuse the officer, who had been operating in Manchester for 15 years, of "scaremongering".

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

Its easy to assume that community policing isnt essential in the fight against terror. How could an officer in the community have ever prevented the attack? But concerned members of the community had repeatedly reported Abedi due to his extremist views. A passing policeman could have kept track of activity from the address he was staying at in Fallowfield, or the shed fires reported by neighbours.

Recommended Further media regulation when reporting on terrorism is needed

Its not surprising to people in the North that the Home Office chose not to monitor a suspect who was operating outside London. This is a helpless oversight from a Government that is too focused on its capital to protect all of its citizens.

No matter how much we hear "Northern Powerhouse" and "the party of the working people", it's increasingly apparent that the southern elite who govern the country are so stuck in their inward-looking London-centric bubble that they're leaving the rest of the country vulnerable to further attacks. Those of us who grew up in these communities have always known the North-South divide is real, but we're just beginning to see how dangerous it can be.
When Sean FitzPatrick walked free of the charges against him, wild allegations flew.

Such conspiracy theories offer simple explanations, easily understood. A kind of psychological comfort food.

The truth is more complex. And the truth is: the State, in the Celtic Tiger years, was in awe of the bankers and their rich clients. It ensured that their activities were lightly policed. After the economic crash, when the State was called on to prosecute people such as Mr FitzPatrick, it did so reluctantly.

And the tools the State employed were, to say the least, ill-suited to the job.

We did not in 2009, and do not now, have the structures and the personnel in place to ensure that people of wealth obey the laws.

And when we suspect they have broken the laws, we did not then, and we do not now, have the structures and personnel to make them accountable.

The law is for little people.

There are many in the establishment who would gladly have sacrificed their old mate Seanie rather than have the reality of the legal system so crudely laid bare. We should not, by conjuring up fanciful conspiracy theories, help them disguise this reality.

The crimes alleged against Mr FitzPatrick occurred between 2002 and 2007. That's where we can look to understand last week's events.

It was a period in which self-described "entrepreneurs" were treated as secular saints, engaged in the sacred rituals of the market. Only begrudgers questioned the way in which virtually the entire economy was left at the mercy of people who specialised in borrowing and lending money.

No one was louder in glorifying the grab-it culture than our Seanie. "We had ideas, and we had balls," he said in a 2005 speech. "We worked the scene and maximised the moment, the world watched in astonishment."

The result? "We have done very well by Ireland."

Read More

From the end of the 1990s, it was clear the freebooting Celtic Tiger economy urgently needed regulation. And some outfit to police it. The shameless hustling was giving us a questionable reputation. We needed to be able to point to regulatory bodies.

Many businesses paid little attention to the rules of company law. Only 13pc of companies even bothered to file returns on time. Honest business people were handicapped in competing with those who ignored the law.

Already, the world's chancers were flowing to Ireland. There were 40,000 "non-resident" companies. It was widely understood that Ireland had become a kind of motel for sleazy international business people. One of those motels where you rent rooms by the hour.

Stick up a brass plate and slip our lawyers and accountants a few bucks and they'll see your needs are satisfied.

We were the "Wild West" of the financial business, as The New York Times phrased it.

In 2001, we set up the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).

In 2003, we had the Companies (Audit and Accounting) Bill. This would merely require company directors to sign a few forms attesting that there was nothing hooky going on in their outfits.

But even this went too far for some. The bill was watered down.

Business figures kept up a steady drumbeat of complaint about how regulation stifled them (they still do).

In 2004, the Government published a white paper titled 'Regulating better'. It discussed ways of watering down regulation.

In 2005, EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy demanded that "the cost of regulation must be reduced". There was boasting of our "light-touch" regulation.

In 2007, the ODCE had just 36 staff members. Nevertheless, it disqualified 1,600 directors, took hundreds to court and referred 48m to Revenue, for taxing.

It worked hard and it was cost efficient. It spent just 2.9m of its 4.5m budget.

While the ODCE took its job seriously, regulators were largely treated as a nuisance. They were considered by some to be at best a fig leaf, to give the banks respectability. They were not expected to meddle in the affairs of the big players in the financial markets, and were not equipped to do so.

Read More

The director of the ODCE had for two years been requesting another 20 staff. Cases were dropped due to lack of personnel. The delay was mentioned in the Dail in February 2007. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern responded that the ODCE would have to "wait a few more years if the staff are required".

A year later, the financial business collapsed. Eventually, Mr FitzPatrick faced criminal accusations. The job of prosecuting him fell to the ODCE - a fledgling, understaffed body just seven years old.

The ODCE had done excellent work policing the fine print of company law - it had no experience at all of handling major cases in the criminal courts.

We now know that the person running the case, Kevin O'Connell, had never handled a criminal prosecution; he believed himself to be lined up as a scapegoat; he panicked and destroyed documents after mismanaging them.

Magically, the great institutions of criminal law - the office of the DPP, the Attorney General's office and the police - melted away.

It never occurred to anyone to check - not just to ask - but to check that the ODCE was equipped to do the job.

Bear in mind the staffing of the ODCE was known to be a problem and had been a matter of Dail controversy.

In other jurisdictions, prosecutors would have been queuing up for a chance to make their names in such a high-profile case, involving matters central to the observance of crucial laws.

Here, it was left to a solicitor with no experience of criminal work.

If Mr FitzPatrick had been suspected of shoplifting, we'd have had the mechanism to prosecute; if it was suspected he didn't sign off the dole for a couple of weeks after he got a nixer, Fine Gael politicians would fight one another to be first to appoint a prosecutor.

We still don't have, or want, the mechanism necessary to prosecute the elite if they're suspected of serious crime.

In 2010, the ODCE had 45 staff, with 10 gardai. In 2016 the figures were 35 and five.
Niamh Bushnell is gearing up for the formal launch of her new venture, Tech Ireland  with Google and Bank of Ireland backing the project

Former Dublin Commissioner for start-ups Niamh Bushnell has attracted a number of "key corporate sponsors" as she gears up for the formal launch of her new venture, Tech Ireland.

Google and Bank of Ireland have already backed the non-profit project, which seeks to be "the definitive source of data and insight on Ireland and Irish innovation" worldwide.

The project has also received sponsorship from a number of high-profile Irish tech industry figures. Among them are Colm Lyon, the founder of Realex Payments which was sold for 115m in 2015, and Dylan Collins, who founded games software company Demonware and sold it to games giant Activision.

Bushnell told the Sunday Independent that Tech Ireland will be formally launched in two months, and that the new major sponsors would be on board before then.

"In my job as Commissioner for Startups I had very little access to good data in terms of different sectors, different geographies, what's strong in the regions, what's strong in Dublin, where the funding is going, who the movers and shakers are," Bushnell said.

"The opportunity here is to not only tell us here in Ireland who we are and where we're strong. It's to take that message... out to the world.

"This is a community resource, it's a public and free resource. We want the community to be associated with it, to be proud of it, to be behind it and to use it," Bushnell said.

Bushnell said the team behind the project gather data from sources including the media, the Companies Registration Office, legal firms and PR firms, and pull it together in order to provide a single source of insight. She said, as the project develops, it will look to gather information from other sources.

She added that it would also look to generate revenue through paid-for reports.

It recently carried out a report on the FinTech sector for the Central Bank, and another for Ireland Smart Ageing Exchange on companies with the potential to move into the smart ageing sector. Bushnell returned to Ireland from New York - arguably the business capital of the world - in 2014 to take up the role as Dublin Commissioner for Startups.

"In terms of the actual business culture, I think we're still less comfortable with failure and still less open to doing new things than Americans would be. But we're getting there," Bushnell said.

"Even in the two years I've been home, I've seen a lot of celebration of failure and recognition of the value of it," she added.

Bushnell has been a persistent critic of Ireland's capital gains tax regime. The headline rate of 33pc has been criticised by some as a disincentive to scaling a business. An entrepreneur's relief measure was introduced in recent years, which now charges 10pc for 1m of gains. That scheme is far less generous than its UK equivalent and Bushnell said it doesn't go far enough.

"It needs to be a policy advocacy exercise that we continue throughout the year... what it's telling young companies is: 'You are small. Think small, and stay small'.

"When are we ever going to support the idea that 'large companies in Ireland' is not just another way of saying 'FDI'?"
They (the IMF) came, they saw, they talked tax and they issued their press release. They spoke of the external risks of Brexit, US and EU tax proposals or as I call them 'BUE'. There was good news in that, in their view, the medium-term outlook remains positive, growth is robust and broad-based and unemployment is at levels "not seen in almost a decade". However (isn't there always a "however") they said "the challenge" is to translate this into a "new foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth". So watch the BUE.

The IMF regards Brexit as the "most pressing and far-reaching challenge" for us. You can see their point given the already slowing export growth to the UK. Much has been said and written on the possibility of tariffs being imposed on trade with the UK. But what about business within Ireland itself?

For example, say you have a group of Irish companies with a UK resident parent company all going about their business. Provided tax law conditions are met (eg the relevant group companies are EU resident) then the Irish group companies can transfer assets among themselves without capital gains tax applying. The tax doesn't kick in until, for example, the company holding the acquired asset (the host) leaves the group with the asset. I call this the 'Kane effect' after John Hurt's character in the movie 'Alien', pictured. On leaving the group, the deferred capital gain bursts out and becomes taxable. Until then it sits dormant in the host company like the extra-terrestrial in Hurt's host. When the UK leaves the EU then this tax group is broken bringing about an instant 'Kane effect'. Transferring assets between group companies is not infrequent so this may require legislative amendment. We have time but like other tax law, it may require fixing to avoid a 'Kane effect' when Brexit happens.

The release notes that discussion of reforms in the US and the EU contribute to uncertainty given the "sizeable role of multinationals in the economy". This increases the need for a broad base and "continuing efforts to reinforce the dynamism of the domestic economy". President Trump wants to reduce the corporate tax rate to 15pc and introduce a tax rate reduction for the repatriation of earnings. After our recent international tax event, my partner Joan O'Connor noted that future investment in the US pharma and medtech sectors here could be put on hold as a result. However, the IT sector might not be under the same threat as it runs significant auxiliary services which requires multiple locations.

The Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) was not mentioned specifically by the IMF (or indeed in President Trump's tax plan) but it was part of the previous debates. It would have a negative effect on our US exports given that it would deny US deductions for them making them more costly there. Many argue it won't see the light of day and the US retail sector continues to lobby against it.

No specific EU proposals were mentioned by the IMF. However you'd have to think that they were getting at the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). This effectively takes profits from each member country and allocates them around Europe for tax purposes based on sales by destination, assets and employees by location. Even without the second 'C' this would be detrimental to our economy and tax regime for both FDI and indigenous industry operating across borders. This is because countries operate tax systems appropriate to their economies and as we know not all have the same needs.

Ibec has estimated a total cost per year of 4bn. Denmark, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK have said, like us, that it is contrary to EU law and have told the Commission so. Given all of these negatives, as I've previously written, shouldn't the EU Commission just let it go?

The absence of specifically identified proposals for the US and the EU must be contrasted with the IMF specifically mentioning our "Help-to-Buy" scheme. The IMF refers to the mismatch between demand and the "lagged supply following the real estate bust" and welcomes the planned review of the Help-to-Buy scheme given it "may add to demand pressures". It points out: "Ensuring affordable housing is crucial for the well-being of the Irish population and important to economic competitiveness." I've previously written in this newspaper that increasing rental supply of houses is a critical part of our economic competitiveness and that potential landlords seeking to acquire new properties for rental purposes could be disadvantaged by the scheme. The counterbalancing suggestion was an income tax credit for VAT incurred on property acquisitions. Maybe the IMF reads the Sunday Independent!

On efforts to reinforce the domestic economy, the IMF suggests expansion of government support for SME driven R&D including direct funding measures. It's well known that our R&D credit regime is up there with the best of them but it could be improved and it's to be hoped that the IMF's suggestion could be acted upon.

We have previously suggested various measures including arrangements whereby individuals could lend money to SMEs with the market rate interest received being taxed at the standard rate of income tax (20pc). The IMF suggests a review of tax expenditures and to prioritise the use of limited fiscal space. Therefore choices may have to be made at the Department of Finance regarding any tax suggestions.

Arguably, all of the above urges a form of healthy paranoia on BUE. Andrew Grove, former CEO of Intel wrote a book on management theory 'Only the Paranoid Survive'. I would concur.
The number of AIB shares set aside for retail investors as part of the upcoming IPO is yet to be determined and will be decided on the basis of overall demand.

A Department of Finance spokeswoman said Finance Minister Michael Noonan would make the decision after the offer was closed.

"This is in line with Department of Finance's approach, which is focused on providing access to the IPO for those members of the public who wish to participate, rather than proactively promoting or targeting retail participation," the spokeswoman added. The minimum order for retail investors will be 10,000, and they will buy shares on the same terms as institutions.

Noonan is believed to be close to pulling the trigger on the sale of up to a quarter of the 99.9pc State-owned bank, as the State seeks to recoup some of the 21bn pumped into the bank by taxpayers to keep it afloat.

He has previously signalled he would float the bank in one of two windows, one in May/June and another in the autumn.

"AIB is well-placed to expect a high level of demand from both retail and institutional investors," said Darren McKinley, senior equity analyst at Merrion Capital. "The biggest challenge here is the Government getting the pricing right."

The Government will be able to buy 9.99pc of the bank's shares at twice the IPO price, between the first and 10th anniversary of the IPO.

That means it will be able to recoup a greater return if the share price goes beyond twice the IPO price.

The Government is also warning potential retail investors to take independent advice before buying shares issued under the IPO.

Small investors have been warned to stop buying AIB shares that are in circulation - the so-called "eejit trade".

Stockbrokers have warned that the current share price does not reflect the value of the bank, with only a tiny percentage of its shares trading.

The share price has soared to 8.60 from around 5 a month ago, indicating the bank is worth more than 23bn. That is more than twice the value put on it by the National Treasury Management Agency at the end of last year.

Stephen Hall, a banking analyst with Cantor Fitzgerald in Dublin, said recently that the current share price "is certainly not a reflection of the underlying dynamics of the business of the bank".

He said the share price on flotation was unlikely to be as high as it was now.
Alan Walsh took over from Philip Lynch as ceo of One51 in 2011 and set his sights on paring back the company assets and refocusing on plastics

Had everything gone to plan at One51 last year, the plastics company would now be a listed company, trading on AIM in London and the ESM in Ireland. Both exchanges are designed for smaller companies looking to access capital on the stock markets. Last year the Dublin company would have been expected to list with a market capitalisation of a couple of hundred million euro.

However, the IPO plans were scuppered when they did not win enough shareholder support.

Among the main objectors to the plan was billionaire financier Dermot Desmond, who owned a 23pc stake, and some like-minded shareholders. Chairman Denis Cregan said later that only 65pc of the shareholders had backed the listing plan.

Just over a year since the IPO plans were formally pulled, One51 is in a very different place.

Expand Close Former shareholder Dermot Desmond / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Former shareholder Dermot Desmond

The company's ambitions have grown significantly and it now aims to list in Canada, with a powerful Canadian backer (pension fund CDPQ) and a much better story to tell would-be investors - as well as long-suffering shareholders, who have been promised an exit opportunity for many years.

A year ago, its business was very much focused on the UK and Ireland. Now, 70pc of its revenues come from North America.

Earnings have grown significantly, due to organic growth and a number of bolt-ons, including the US$150m (134m) acquisition of Macro earlier this month, a leading Californian rigid plastics manufacturer.

One51 has been a magnet for attracting prominent Irish business figures, public controversy and some of the most colourful corporate twists and turns in recent Irish business history.

Under the leadership of chief executive officer Alan Walsh, it appears as though One51 can now finally leave all that behind.

The company sees itself as a pure play in the rigid plastics market, with a strong institutional shareholder and a plan to list in Toronto in just over a year.

One51's 2,000 shareholders will have lost count of the number of times the company has presented a listing plan to its investors. Walsh and his team at One51 believe its time has come around at last.

But can One51 finally leave its all-too-eventful past behind it?

Looking towards a listing

One51 was set up in 2005, born out of the old Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society (IAWS) and named after its offices on Thomas Street, number 151. It is a building steeped in history - in 1798, Lord Edward FitzGerald, the Irish revolutionary, was first shot and then arrested while in hiding in the premises, later dying from his injuries.

Twelve years ago, the new boomtime investment vehicle was led by Philip Lynch, who at the time was seen as having a midas touch with business, particularly among farmers and the co-ops.

The company was to float on the Irish stock exchange, but the shares actually ended up trading on the so-called grey market run by the various brokers in Dublin.

In the midst of the boom, money was plentiful, and few questioned Lynch's strategy to build up a diverse portfolio of assets.

Existing assets transferred to One51 included a 26pc stake in infrastructure company NTR, bakery Irish Pride and a rendering business in Ballinasloe.

At the time, Lynch told reporters that the new company would pursue "a highly acquisitive strategy, with emphasis on waste management and renewable energy".

There were several potential acquisitions in play but, as always, Lynch kept his cards close to his chest, leaving everyone -including investors - in the dark about his master plan.

In 2006, the company raised 100m, a fund-raising which was between three and four times oversubscribed.

A year later, the company got involved in one of the most hard-fought takeover battles witnessed over the past decade when it began buying stock in Irish Continental Group (ICG), the owner of Irish Ferries.

The company was already the subject of a management buyout offer, and so began a tug of war for the business.

Lynch put huge energies into his efforts to control the group, which also attracted a third competitor - property developer Liam Carroll. With a number of large egos in the mix, no one wanted to let go of the prize, but ultimately, no one won and ICG remained a listed company.

By 2009, the economy was faltering, but Lynch was still talking about listing One51, at this stage focusing on its environmental businesses. Shareholders were beginning to get weary of the IPO story that never seemed to happen and pressure was heaped on Lynch.

A shareholder split bubbled over in 2010, when a falling share price and bumper executive salaries came into sharp focus. Lynch again fought a hard battle, only to be ousted in 2011 and replaced by Walsh, the company's little-known chief financial officer.

Walsh's goal was to sell off the various assets held by the company. What was once seen as a diverse portfolio was now dubbed by analysts as a "rag tag" of investments.

"I'm not sure people gave the organisation too much chance of survival if you look back two years - or probably even 12 months ago," Walsh said in 2013.

However, after selling off a number of the company's non-core holdings, refinancing its debt and focusing on plastics, the company was in a position to list last year. It had taken a majority a stake in Canadian plastics company IPL for just over 200m, while CDPQ and Fonds de solidarite FTQ, a labour-sponsored fund which supports investment in Quebec, held the rest.

While One51 felt it was ready for listing last year, some shareholders believed that the agreement - which would have seen the Canadian shareholders become investors in One51 itself - was too generous and would have unfairly diluted existing backers.

Earlier this month, CDPQ acquired Desmond's stake, giving the businessman a healthy profit and clearing the way the long-promised IPO.

New vision for the company

One51 is likely to move quickly with plans to list, and it is understood that Toronto will be its market of choice. There may be a secondary listing in Ireland.

The board has not yet approved the flotation plans, but is expected to back the plan. The new Canadian shareholders are believed to share Walsh's vision for the company.

The first step will be to merge IPL and the businesses in Ireland and UK, known as OPG (OnePlastics Group). At the moment, the North American finances are ring-fenced within that business, even though it is the most profitable part of One51's business. "One51 cannot extract funds out of that structure at present," said one market source familiar with the company.

At present, the synergies between IPL and OPG are extremely limited, and the merger would unlock the opportunity there.

A global refinancing of the business would coincide with this merger.

One51 will need to buy the 33pc of IPL which is does not already own. This will be more costly than had been envisaged last year. The stake was valued at almost 33m last year, and that was increased to 72m in Davy's most recent estimate for 2017.

When CDPQ and FTQ sell out of IPL, they will take stakes in One51, with CDPQ becoming a very significant shareholder. As it already owns around 23pc following the deal with Desmond, the Canadians are likely to own around 40pc of the company.

This essentially means that CDPQ and FTQ will "swap up" from IPL into One51. The Canadians are expected to be long-term shareholders.

The company now has four classes of investors: the Canadian investors; the co-ops, who have been shareholders since the IAWS days; a number of high-net-worth individuals; and private clients of Davy, who bought in during a 2015 fund-raising at 90c.

Sources said that the company will now move towards a listing, with ambitions to quickly reach ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) levels of 100m.

With peers in the sector trading at between seven and 10 times ebitda, it is likely that the company will list as one of significant scale. The shares are now trading at 1.90, and according to Darren McKinley, senior equity analyst with Merrion, there is upside.

"The share was trading at 1.80 around 12 months ago, and since then, they have continued to tidy up the business, selling off its Clear Circle business and environmental services division, as well as making bolt-on deals in its European division," he said.

"It has a core focus now, which has resulted in a high-margin, greater profitability business with strong cash flow. And there is opportunity for more bolt-ons."

Ebidta from its latest acquisition, Macro, is estimated to be US$19m (16m) which could bring One51's ebidta levels to around 80m in 2018. That is without any additional deals, and Walsh clearly has more acquisitions in his sights. It is understood that a valuation of around CAD$1bn (660m) is well within its reach, and it will continue to be a consolidator in the sector.

It may not look anything like the company that was born out of IAWS in 2005, but finally, One51 looks set to deliver on its promise of becoming a fully listed plc.
Sean FitzPatrick leaves Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with his daughter Sarah after he was acquitted on all charges

Writing in his 2013 annual report Ian Drennan, the head of the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement, had this to say about the pending criminal actions being taken in the Anglo Irish Bank Maple 10 case:

"The fact that this case has been brought to trial demonstrates that the system for investigating possible company law offences at the more serious end of the spectrum is capable of responding appropriately, albeit that, in the broader context, the Office's capacity has been significantly impacted. That, it is hoped, will serve to support and enhance public confidence in that system and, by extension, to contribute towards a strengthening of Ireland's reputation as a well-regulated economy."

Little did he know how another of those Anglo trials would completely undo all of that. The shambolic end of the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick has left the ODCE reeling and achieved exactly the opposite of what Drennan had hoped for three years ago.

The obvious story narrative here is one about how white-collar investigations are not taken that seriously by the Government and politicians, which results in poor levels of funding and bad outcomes.

However, a closer look at the operations of the ODCE since the controversy at Anglo Irish Bank arose paints a different picture and one which, if anything, suggests the disastrous handling of the investigations was a car crash waiting to happen.

Set up in the wake of the corporate and banking scandals around Charles Haughey, Ansbacher, National Irish Bank and Ben Dunne's novel approach to distributing money to some people, the ODCE was a bold statement that Ireland was not some banana republic which allowed the business classes to do whatever they wanted.

It was given solid statutory powers, a reasonable, though arguably modest level of funding and a fair wind to do its job. The ODCE did secure enforcement orders, director disqualifications and landed other points over the bar, but never managed to get it right when it came to big cases.

When Anglo Irish Bank collapsed in 2009, and the economy with it, the ODCE was overrun with the need to address this complex investigation while dealing with new company failures all over the place.

But as the exchequer finances went into freefall, its budget was not cut. Its resources were increased. At the end of 2009 it had been sanctioned to have 51 staff. It had 49.7 full-time staff equivalents. Its budget that year was increased.

To help deal with the scale of the Anglo investigations it had been sanctioned to hire more staff and had additional staff from the Department of Enterprise and Gardai seconded over to help.

The ODCE ended up with 16 staff working on Anglo investigations, which was one third of its available staff. It was against this backdrop that mistakes were made in taking evidence from witnesses and appointing a solicitor with little experience of criminal investigations to handle the Anglo case.

In 2009 the ODCE pushed for a High Court inspector to be appointed to DCC and one of its subsidiaries on foot of civil actions regarding allegations of insider trading by Jim Flavin.

It succeeded but the High Court inspector, Bill Shipsey, later concluded that no breaches of the law had taken place and that was the end of that. The ODCE had gone down a rabbit hole.

The case work associated with the Anglo investigations meant that other enforcements fell off. In 2008 it had 32 secured convictions. This dropped off to just six in 2009. In 2008 it had 20 disqualifications of directors. This halved to just 10 a year later.

The organisation was being overwhelmed by the Anglo probes. However, by 2012 it was approved to have 49.1 staff but had just 45.5. A year later, in 2013, it was approved to have 49.1 staff but had just 42.9.

There was something going seriously wrong in the resourcing and staffing levels within the agency. It wasn't even spending the budget it had been allocated. In 2013 it had been granted a budget of 5.3m but spent just 3.1m. It had just one accountant and two solicitors that year. By the end of 2015 the situation had got worse. It spent 3m of its 5.1m budget. It had just 37 staff with no accountant and just one solicitor.

One can either conclude that it was not fulfilling its duties adequately or it was struggling to hire suitably-qualified people because it couldn't pay them enough money. If it is the latter, then a way should have been found to deal with that.

It was well on its way to cocking up the biggest corporate criminal investigation in history at that stage, and wasn't even spending its allocated budget, despite the country being in a troika bailout.

There was nothing wrong with the idea, legislation and structure behind the ODCE. Did it fall foul of the public sector hiring ban or public sector pay agreements and caps? If so, these issues have to be fixed. Its credibility is in tatters.

Coveney rent caps taking hold

While Simon Coveney battles it out for the leadership of Fine Gael and the housing crisis rumbles on, there may be signs of his cap on rent increases starting to take hold.

There may be some hope of a softening of the massive growth in the price of houses and apartments in Dublin.

During the week it emerged that a building of 105 individually-let apartments at the Casino in Malahide was withdrawn from sale. There won't be any problem selling them individually or in smaller lots, but the withdrawal had to do with the price tag that could be achieved given the restrictions of the government's rent caps.

This is an early sign that where rent caps are in place, investors might want to recalibrate their calculations on what they are willing to pay. In fact, these apartments will remain an attractive proposition but as a single lot, the rent caps may be starting to do their job.

Contrast this with the Shelbourne Plaza apartment block near Dublin's Silicon Docks area. Because they have not been rented before, the 4pc cap on rent increases won't be a problem for a first letting.

This block of 52 apartments attracted offers from eight bidders and they may go for 22m to 23m. That is an average price of 355,000 per apartment.

Compare that to the Kennedy Wilson purchase of the Gasworks apartment block which is not far away, back in 2012. It paid around 40m for 210 apartments or 204,000 per apartment. The average price differential is 74pc in five years.

The good news is that perhaps the much-maligned cap on rent rises may help to cool the market in places without freezing it.

Beef Brexit battle lines are drawn

Beef farmers are feeling a chill themselves from the latest beef-processing consolidation that has seen Dawn Meats pool its UK assets into a joint venture with Dungannon-based Dunbia Meats. This will create a separate company which will own the enlarged UK processing business.

Farmers are worried about the reduction in competition it could cause.

However, they should be more worried about how large beef processors are obviously preparing for a hard Brexit.

They are ring-fencing their UK assets into a standalone business.

It makes good business sense for Dawn and Dunbia, which has grappled with profit margins of just over 1pc. However, it could also signal a greater separation of the British and Irish beef markets by making it easier for them to source beef for processing in their UK plants from the UK and not from Ireland.

Farmers should be worried.
While many in the market are concerned about the fallout from Brexit, one company that has weathered choppy seas and continues to perform is the ferry operator Irish Continental Group (ICG).

In the immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum, ICG's share price was hard hit, falling as much as 30pc. The share price has recovered most of this ground since though. Earlier this year, ICG reported earnings before interest, tax and other items of 83.5m for the year ending 2016 - up almost 11pc on 2015 and a new record for the group.

ICG is a very solid play on the Irish economy. Over the last 18 years, Irish Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased by 5pc on average while freight volumes for Irish Ferries have increased by 7.4pc on average. Looking forward, Irish GDP is set to expand by 4.6pc in 2017.

ICG has two operating divisions - ferries (which represents 85pc of profits), and container and terminal (which represents 15pc of profits). The ferry business operates five ferries out of Ireland, while the group has just agreed to sell a sixth ferry that was chartered to a New Zealand firm for 45m.

Through recent opportunistic moves, management has developed its ship chartering activities. The most important ship in the fleet is the Ulysses, which is considered the most reliable ship on the Irish Sea. To complement this ship and to cater for future growth, ICG has ordered a new 144m ship. This ship, to be delivered in June 2018, will have be able to carry 1,216 cars and 1,885 passengers - which is comparable in size to the Ulysses. In 2001, the Ulysses proved to be the key growth platform for ICG and this new ship looks set to replicate this.

Importantly, management's interests are aligned with shareholders. The ceo, for example, owns close to 15pc of the equity. This is particularly important for a capital-intensive business. When management writes a big cheque, one wants to make sure that they will follow up by generating the right returns.

The core ferry division has an enviable market position, with about 28pc market share in the roll-on/roll-off freight market between Britain and the Republic of Ireland. On the core Dublin-to-Holyhead route, which is favoured by hauliers and tourists alike, its market share is even stronger. It also offers excellent access to the Port Tunnel and Ireland's motorway network. On the other side of the Irish Sea, Holyhead is just two hours away from Liverpool and Manchester.

ICG's container and terminal division incorporates Eucon (Ireland's leading container shipping operator), Dublin Ferryport Terminals and Belfast Container Terminal. Both are poised to benefit from Ireland's economic growth with the terminal business in particular benefiting due to the fixed nature of its costs base.

The group paid a dividend of 11.58c a share for 2016. Since 2007, it has returned 350m to shareholders - an extremely impressive track record. While it will make the final payment for its new ship next year, the group's ability to generate cash flow should see it move back to a debt-free position relatively quickly.

In summary, ICG can be seen as a solid play on the Irish economy, has a strong market position, an excellent track record in returning cash to shareholders, and with the delivery of a new ship next year, it will secure a growth platform for the next decade and beyond. For investors looking for a long-term play on Ireland's economy, ICG stands out as an option not to be overlooked.
'Disruptive' is a term that tech-sector wonks are fond of applying to any new idea which causes a tsunami of change within an industry or product range, and generates consternation among the hitherto status quo-ed incumbents.

Netflix 'disrupted' our TV viewing habits and Spotify the way we consume music. And the Airbnb phenomenon has proven particularly disruptive to both the tourist and private letting sectors wherever it has landed globally.

In Ireland, there have been claims, as elsewhere, that Airbnb is sucking vital supply out of the regular lettings market, extracting accommodation normally provided for regular lets, and sending rentals soaring.

That Airbnb lets have had an impact on regular letting stock is without doubt and to the extent that some European cities have clamped down on it, notably Berlin and Barcelona where lets have been limited. Last year in Dublin there was a landmark decision when planners ruled that an apartment let out under Airbnb in Temple Bar should be treated as a commercial entity and that its activities should require full planning permission. That unit had been offered for sale with claims it had earned 79,000 over one year on Airbnb with a 90pc occupancy rate.

Airbnb has had a greater impact on Ireland than many other countries, first because we are a popular tourism destination and Airbnb thrives in tourist hotspots and second, because we are in the midst of a housing crisis where regular lettable accommodation is at a record low level of supply anyway.

But Airbnb may not be taking out as much "regular" lettable accommodation as people think.

Consider the data proffered on the website InsideAirbnb.com which compiles Airbnb statistics in the absence of available data from Airbnb itself.

This time last year, the website suggested that there were a total of 1,469 homes/apartments available to rent in the Dublin City area through Airbnb. That tally compared with 1,279 houses and apartments available at the same time to let 'regularly' through Daft.ie.

Today, InsideAirbnb.com estimates that there are 3,165 homes and apartments available to let in Dublin - more than twice as many "whole property" lets as this time last year. But at the same time today, it compares with 1,274 "whole" apartments and houses available to let on Daft.ie - an almost identical figure to this time last year.

Inside Airbnb also reports the perhaps surprising occupancy rate of 27pc for the Dublin units - just over a quarter. This suggests that Airbnb's in Dublin (our chosen Irish example location) are either not quite as popular as people believe, or that those who let the units are only happy to rent them for occasional terms through the year - in this case averaging a 73pc 'disuse' period.

If the latter is happening because of a high level of voluntary vacancies (therefore thanks to owner preferences), then it is actually unlikely that most of this particular tranche of Airbnb accommodation would have been available to let on the regular market anyhow, and indeed would not be there at all without the existence of the Airbnb model to facilitate it. This suggests Airbnb might even be creating new lettable spaces that didn't ordinarily exist and therefore we need to examine the possibility that Airbnb may actually be helping rather than hindering the housing crisis on balance. For a variety of reasons, many Airbnb advertisers didn't ever intend renting their property out other than an occasional basis. For example, the case of an owner away on business for chunks of the year and who wants to avail of earning potential during these periods only. There are myriad similar scenarios in which people want temporary short lets here and there, but will never contemplate a full-time letting with all the undertakings and commitments that involves.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that such "part lets" have actually provided vital safety nets for those who urgently need a roof over their head because they can't find permanent accommodation fast enough - those who have arrived in Ireland to work for multinationals (these are big users of Airbnb) or those who have suddenly found themselves minus a home because the landlord is selling up.

Despite the plum 79,000 earning per year claimed for the Temple Bar apartment last year, Airbnb lets don't suit everyone. The bedclothes and the towels must be changed and washed and the house/apartment cleaned after every stay. Letters must be met and handed the keys and instructions for the property. Fail to impress once or twice and you are shamed by a review system which puts bad Airbnber's out of business overnight.

Unlike rent a room, the entire income resulting from an Airbnb qualifies for tax. So Airbnb is also now earning money for the exchequer.

The same questions are being asked in the tourism sector - is Airbnb stripping value from the existing tourism business by disenfranchising regular hotels and B&Bs, or is it creating a whole new tourism sector (those who can't afford the former). Again the answer is probably a bit of both.

Airbnb empowers tourists to go where they like and therefore brings them into parts of Ireland which wouldn't ordinarily benefit from tourism. There's that rather exciting and slightly risky Russian roulette risk of not knowing what you might get when you shoot for an Airbnb booking. Airbnb tourists are more accepting of bad experiences because they themselves have been responsible for booking rather than a travel agent.

So Airbnb likely is a double-edged sword, bringing both a new set of problems but also bringing new benefits.

However, like all 'disruptive' concepts, it will run unfettered for a time. Then increased local red tape and regulation (tax and planning permissions already, insurance and sanitary inspections next?) begin to take the "Air" out of its sails and it is gradually transformed into a less disruptive model we are more familiar with - B&B anybody?
Families can be torn apart by wills. Ill-thought out, poorly communicated, and indeed absent wills can trigger major family rifts - particularly where property or land is involved, as is often the case with Irish families.

Even seemingly fair wills can lead to deep divisions. "I've seen very unfair wills and I've seen wills that appear to be fair and yet still cause rifts," said Mura Browne, a solicitor with Browne & Co Solicitors in Letterkenny.

However, there are some steps you can take to help avoid the huge upset which your will might cause.

Damage limitation

Consider discussing your will with your family before you finalise it.

"A will is a private thing - and whatever you put into it is your business," said Browne. "Where there's a number of people in a family, it can be a good idea to sit down with them all - or sit down with them individually - and ask them what they want from your will. You may find that a person doesn't want what you had planned to leave to them. The problem though is that whenever a family start to discuss what they want from a will, it can cause rifts before the person even dies."

Avoid suggesting to people that you're going to leave something to them - if you have no intention of doing so or if you haven't already included such instructions in your will. You may die before making a will and should that happen, the person is unlikely to get what you promised them. Unfulfilled promises can be a major source of strife with inheritances. Many people have been promised inheritances of land sites, houses or cash - only to find that those assets have not been earmarked for them in a will. This can lead to disappointment and resentment.

"Don't give someone the impression that you're going to give them something if you haven't already said so in a will," said Browne. "Someone can be led to believe they're going to inherit something and then they can be shocked when they don't get it."

Attaching conditions to an inheritance can be another major source of family rows. "If you are going to give someone something in a will, just give it to them," said Browne. "Attaching conditions to something can cause massive family feuds - especially with property. People often leave the family home to someone on the condition that the property can be used by the rest of the family as a holiday home. That can cause war."

Another major source of family rows is when one child is treated differently to others in a will. "Parents may decide that one child gets less than others," said Patrick Murphy, managing director of Retirement & Life Planning, which runs retirement courses across the country. "Perhaps the child was put through college - when the others weren't and so the child who received the college education may not be getting left as much. If you're going to do something differently for one of your children, be sure to explain why. Your solicitor can put a letter into your will explaining this."

An explanation should also be given if one child, relative or individual is being left much more than others in the family.

Biggest mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to wills is not making one. You are said to be intestate if you die without making a will, and in such cases it is ultimately the law that decides who inherits your wealth and property. Should you die intestate, when you are survived by your spouse and children, the rule of the law is that two-thirds of your estate will go to your spouse; with the rest divided equally among your children. This may not be how you wish your estate to be divided.

Following family or local traditions may also be unwise. "In rural areas, people often still have the tradition of giving everything to the eldest son so that the family name is carried on after the parents pass away - particularly if it's a farm or land that's being passed on," said Browne. "The family name can still be lost if you do that though - as the eldest son could sell on the land or farm."

Even if you make a will, failure to regularly review it can lead to problems - or see important people in your life lose out on an inheritance.

"People often make a will when they take out a mortgage but they never review it afterwards," said Derek Bell, chief operating officer with the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland. "However, people will come in and out of your life after you make a will - and your circumstances are likely to change as you get older. So it's important to review a will every five years."

Children can often be overlooked in wills - particularly in the event of the untimely death of one or both spouses. Should you have children, it's important to include them in your will - regardless of which spouse outlives the other. This is particularly the case if your children are young, or if one of them has a medical condition or disability and so requires care and financial support. Couples often plan to draw up a will where the surviving spouse inherits everything - on the assumption that one spouse will outlive the other and that the surviving spouse will look after the children. However, this may not always happen. Both parents could have an untimely death or die at, or very near, the same time. "There will effectively be no will if both parents die at the same time and a will has been made leaving everything to the surviving partner," said Bell. Be mindful too that one spouse could remarry after the other passes away - or that one or both spouses could remarry if the marriage breaks down. In such cases, the children of the first marriage could be at a disadvantage if they haven't been provided for in a will.

"If the surviving spouse remarries, the new wife will automatically be entitled to half of everything - and if the new marriage produces children, the share of an estate left for the children of the first marriage will be watered down again," said Browne.

Will must-knows

You cannot disinherit your spouse or civil partner. Should you make a will but leave your spouse out of it, he or she is entitled to a legal right share of your estate - which can be claimed after you die, if they wish to do so. In such cases, should you have no children, your spouse has an automatic right to claim half of your estate. Should you have children, your spouse is entitled to a third of the estate and your children are not necessarily entitled to the rest. You do not have to leave anything to your children in your will. However, if you do not, they may be able to challenge your will on the basis that you have not fulfilled your obligations towards them.

You can leave instructions in your will stating that money in your bank account be used to cover the cost of your funeral expenses when you die.

Hire a solicitor or get professional advice when drawing up your will - otherwise, you could make a will which is wholly, or partly, invalid. Should this arise, the rules of intestacy will apply to either the entire will or the invalid part - and so your wishes on how your estate is divided are unlikely to be carried out. Tell a trusted relative or friend where your will is. "Very often, people know a will is made - but can't find it," said Bell. "Normally, the original is left with a solicitor - and a photocopy with the individual's other papers."

Wills are said to bring out the worst in human nature so there is never any guarantee that yours will be received amicably, despite any efforts you take to achieve that. Still, it's worth doing what you can to avoid conflict after you pass away.

You can expect to pay a solicitor anything from 100 to a few hundred euro for a simple will. However, the cost could be much more, depending on how complicated your will is. "Wills for very big complicated cases could cost tens of thousands of euros," said Michael Gaffney, a tax expert with KPMG who has advised many family businesses on succession planning.

Useful resources

citizensinformation.ie

This is the website of the Citizens Information Board  the State board tasked with providing information on public and social services. It is an excellent website with comprehensive information on a wide variety of topics, including wills and inheritance. In its Death and Bereavement section, there is information on how to make a will, what happens a deceaseds estate if they havehe has  or have not has not  made a will, how to register a death, and the main money matters that can arise after a death. You can also find information about Capital Acquisitions Tax  more commonly known as inheritance tax  on this website.

lawsociety.ie

This is the website of the Law Society of Ireland. The site has a link to a helpful Making a Will guide which outlines the basic information one needs to hand when drawing up a will, what to bear in mind if you have young children, and where you stand with wills if you are separated, divorced, or married. To pull up this guide on the website, click the Public tab, following by the Legal guides tab, and then click Making a Will. Towards the end of the Making a Will page, there is a link to the Making a Will guide. Bear in mind that this guide is dated November 2014, so some rules around inheritance tax have changed since it was written. This website also has a section where you can search for a solicitor.

revenue.ie

This is the website of the Revenue Commissioners where you can find information on inheritance tax, including the tax-free thresholds (where you can inherit a certain amount tax-free, depending on your relationship to the disponer), and the inheritance tax reliefs and exemptions which you may be able to claim. There is also a good section on the common issues that can arise when calculating inheritance tax, such as the valuation date to be used when calculating the value of a gift or inheritance  and when you can claim a credit for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) if both CGT and inheritance are chargeable on an asset. To pull up the sites section on inheritance tax, click the Capital Acquisitions Tax link in the sitesA-Z glossary.

ageaction.ie

This is the website of Age Action, a lobby group for the elderly. It includes news snippets and blogs which are of interest to the elderly. In the sites How we can help section, there is good information on elder abuse, including how to spot it  and how to protect yourself against it.

lawreform.ie

This is the website of the Law Reform Commission. The Commission is currentlyexamining the rules around Section 117 of the Succession Act 1965  the law which allows a child to challenge a parents will. Last year, the Commission published a paper on the issues it is examining around Section 117. You can read this paper by clicking Current Projects, Land Law Succession and Trusts and then the link to the paper itself.

rpc.ie

This is the website of the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland where you can find information on the organisations retirement-planning courses.
Container Coffee, measuring just over 27 square metres with an outside patio area for additional seating outside, has just opened up at the Digital Hub in Dublin 8.

The cafe, which looks like a shipping container in appearance, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Gordon Hickey and prides itself on caring for the environment and its use of eco-friendly products (only biodegradable coffee cups are used and the cafes aim is to be a plastic free venue).

I am hoping that Container Coffee will become a regular spot for local workers to get their daily caffeine fix and for the many tourists in the area to stop, refuel and gather some information on the area, Gordon Hickey, founder of Container Coffee said.

The opening was welcomed by the Digital Hub, who said that it would also be a great addition to the Local Business Forum.

The team at The Digital Hub recognise entrepreneurial spirit straight away, and Gordon has that. Given our commitment to the urban regeneration of the Liberties area, it was a no-brainer to help an entrepreneur open a new retail business that will be a great addition to the streetscape and the community, Fiach Mac Conghail, ceo of the Digital Hub said.
Michael O'Dwyer set up SwiftComply in 2016 along with co-founders, Lindsey Nguyen and David Gibbons. With eight full-time staff and an expected annual turnover this year of more than 1m, their online compliance business is creating quite a stir both here and in the US.

I first came across Michael having viewed the impressive YouTube clip of his investment pitch at the prestigious TechStars London accelerator programme in June of 2016 and met up with him and his team recently at the company's headquarters on Dublin's Francis Street.

"At first glance, our business doesn't look all that sexy," says Michael.

"But what we have done is create an innovative digital platform that connects those who run food and hospitality businesses with the services they require by law, from certified technical suppliers, to enable them to remain compliant with the regulations that govern their sector.

"Our unique differentiator is that we also link them directly into the regulators from the city council in a way that is more convenient and cost effective than was previously possible - and, most importantly, in a way that guarantees compliance."

Focusing initially on services such as grease-trap cleaning and drainage line jetting, Michael and his colleagues plan to extend the range of services they cover to include everything from fire safety and buildings control regulations to food safety and environmental health - effectively becoming a one-stop shop solution provider.

Operating predominantly in Ireland and the US at the moment, the company's main customers include restaurants, hotels, bars that serve food and companies with in-house canteens.

So how did a young man from Knocklyon in Dublin end up in such a unique business I ask?

"I studied engineering in UCD before joining Dublin City Council as a graduate engineer where I worked in the wastewater services division," says Michael.

"My job involved sending men down to dig out lumps of grease and fat from restaurants and hotels that were clogging up the city's sewers," he adds.

"Faced with the increasing costs of managing an already stretched sewer network, the city council decided in 2008 to implement a "polluter pays principle" to control the problem and introduced what became known as FOG or Fat, Oil and Grease regulations," he adds.

Michael continued to manage the implementation of these regulations for the following four years until 2012 when he left the Council to become MD of EES (Evolution Environmental Services Ltd), which specialised in the development and management of FOG licensing and inspection programs.

One of his first hires was FOG inspector David Gibbons, who would later become co-founder and head of operations at SwiftComply.

Having seen first-hand how inefficient and frustrating it was for food and hospitality companies to operate what, at the time, was a paper-based system of compliance, the pair decided to set up SwiftComply as an innovative cloud-based solution firstly as an in-house project and later in 2016, as a separate business.

By that point, David had embarked on a postgraduate Research Masters in FOG Management at UCD School of Biosystems Engineering while Michael was in the middle of completing an Executive MBA at UCD's Smurfit Business School.

While there, he met Lindsey Nguyen, a former engineer with Apple who had relocated to Dublin from San Francisco to complete her MBA. She would become the third co-founder.

"As a non-technical founder and ceo of a technology company, I had a steep learning curve, including everything from finding the best talent, to working with the public sector, where procurement processes can be lengthy and expensive, to raising capital," says Michael.

Having secured feasibility funding through the EU H2020 programme and Enterprise Ireland, the company's pivotal moment came when they were selected as one of only 11 firms, out of several thousands of applicants, to participate in the prestigious TechStars London accelerator program in June of 2016.

"If I am honest, as non-technical founders we felt like imposters - but it turned out we were exactly the type of entrepreneurs they were looking for.

"For us, the big learning was that it created a fundamental shift in our mind-set - allowing us to think bigger and aim higher than we had before," he says.

Michael and his co-founders then went on to participate in a number of other events including Enterprise Ireland's Access Silicon Valley, the EU Welcome Project's Roadshow, Google for Entrepreneurs Black box VC program and the US Government-supported Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

The result was a finely-tuned business proposition, the opportunity to meet a huge network of influential contacts and an investment into the company of over $1m from private investors in Dublin, London and Silicon Valley.

These included Owen Van Natta, the first COO of Facebook and David Cohen, founder and MD of TechStars.

Significantly, the entire process helped catapult them into the US market where, less than a year later, they are getting ready to open their first US office - in Silicon Valley.

He expects to double the size of the team in the next 12 months and to see turnover rise to $10m as they grow their US base and continue to add other compliance and regulatory services to their platform.

In business management speak, if he had one BHAG or Big Hairy Audacious Goal for the business what would that be? I ask.

"I'd like to see us sell the company at some point in the future for north of $500m," he says.

For further information: www.swiftcomply.io

COMPANY : SwiftComply

Business: Environmental and regulatory compliance within hospitality sector

Set up: 2016

Founders: Michael ODwyer, Lindsey Nguyen and David Gibbons

Turnover: 1m

No of Employees: 8

Location: Francis Street, Dublin 8 and currently opening an office in Silicon Valley in the USA
Irish film The Killing of a Sacred Deer has picked up one of two Best Screenplay awards at the Cannes Film Festival.

In an unexpected move, the jury handed out two Best Screenplay gongs - one for The Killing of a Sacred Deer and another for You Were Never Really Here.

The former film is a psychological thriller and follows on from the success of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos 2015 movie The Lobster.

Co-produced by Dublin based film company Element Pictures and starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman, the film picked up rave reviews on the French Riviera.

Love/ Hate actor Barry Keoghan received the most praise for his role in the movie.

Speaking with the Irish Independent last night, Ed Guiney said he was absolutely delighted with the result.

Expand Close Colin Farrell simulates a fight with Barry Keoghan following the screening of the film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Colin Farrell simulates a fight with Barry Keoghan following the screening of the film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer'

Read More

Unfortunately, it missed out on the Palme dOr which went to Ruben Ostlunds provocative satire The Square.

Diane Kruger was named best actress and Joaquin Phoenix best actor at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival.

Kruger was honoured for her performance in Fatih Akins In the Fade.

She told the audience she was overcome.

Kruger said; Thank you a thousand times.

Video of the Day

Read More

Phoenix was recognized for his role in Lynne Ramsays thriller You Were Never Really Here.

He played a tormented war veteran trying to save a teenage girl from a sex trafficking ring.
'I'm having a problem in my basement", the title character in Paula (RTE1/BBC2) told the handyman from whom she'd sought assistance, "vermin are getting in". She didn't know the half of it.

Then she had frantic sex with the brooding young stranger, thus breaking one of the age-old rules of thriller-dramas: never shag the guy who has come to solve your rat predicament, especially when it leads to such post-coital joking as: "You could be some psycho for all I know".

The opening episode of Conor McPherson's first television series skirted with other conventions of the genre, too, while maintaining a clammy hold on the viewer, as handyman James (Tom Hughes) set out to destroy the lives of teacher Paula (Clare-born Denise Gough) and her married fellow teacher and ex-lover Philip (Edward MacLiam).

James was an especially nasty piece of work, though, in truth, none of the people here elicited much sympathy, including the abrasively defensive Paula. This is a horror story that looks set to become even more horrible in its final two instalments - I've already recoiled from the handyman's vision of a young girl with her lips sewn together.

David Lynch, who created and directed the first season of Twin Peaks in 1990, said of the second season, which he didn't write or direct, that he stopped watching it "because it got so bad". Obviously he thinks more highly of the much-anticipated new sequel (Sky Atlantic), if only because it's again his own creation, though from the evidence of this week's pilot episode, it's hard to see why.

No concession is made to any older viewers who saw the original but have quite forgotten most of its details, while anyone under the age of 40 won't recall the original at all and thus won't register any feelings of recognition about the appearance of Kyle MacLachlan in the role that he first played 25 years earlier.

And while Lynch is as adept as ever at creating unsettling and often menacing scenarios, what he offered us in the opening hour was a series of seemingly unrelated scenes so baffling that I hadn't a clue what was going on and presented with such sluggish solemnity that I soon ceased to care.

Maybe as it progresses it will all start to make some kind of surreal sense, but in a television world so rich with competing dramas, I haven't the patience to see how this one might develop.

"We never know what's going to happen next, do we?" said Alfie during the second episode of Redwater (RTE1/BBC1). Indeed we don't, or at least not in this daft Irish spin-off from EastEnders. And so we had troubled priest Fr Dermot, who had drowned uncle Lance at the close of the first episode (no inquests in Ireland, apparently), piously kneeling at the bedside on which Lance was stretched, while the US-raised son of dope-smoking Eileen ("I can't see how you can survive without it") was "apparently one of those gays", according to auntie Agnes.

Meanwhile, Fr Dermot was grappling with the revelation that he was the illegitimate son of Kat from EastEnders, though auntie Agnes assured him that "God wanted you raised in Redwater". Then they knelt by Lance's bedside and prayed for the repose of his soul.

After that there was much boozing at the pub wake in which teenage Aideen sang 'The Parting Glass' in memory of the departed Lance. Lucky Lance is all I can say.

In Brexit, Trump and Us (RTE1), presenter David McWilliams brought a hundred people into a hall on whose floor was a series of rectangular markings.

Video of the Day

"Who here was a messer in school?" he asked, and those who deemed themselves to have been messers gathered together in one rectangle. "Who had sex last night?" he inquired, and some of the hundred went to another rectangle. "Who regards Ireland as home?" he asked, and others squeezed into yet another rectangle.

This was David's way of showing that we can all be put in boxes, but it was a silly gimmick and should have been discarded long before shooting began, not least because it had no discernible bearing on the film's main thrust, which was all about... well, I'm not exactly sure, given that David himself didn't seem too certain.

With Trump in the US and Europe in an uncertain state, "Ireland has to figure out its place in the world", he announced, and so off he went to London, where he met an Irish guy who had voted for Brexit; to the "melting pot" of Marseille, where he chatted to journalist Lara Marlowe about Marine Le Pen; to a Le Pen rally in order to see what her "message is all about"; and to rural Donegal where a group of farmers told him how Brexit is likely to have a negative impact on their livelihoods.

Along the way he had some interesting things to say, especially when, in a reference to his daughter's dyslexia, he took issue with a conformist Irish educational system that rewards conventional notions of intelligence and achievement at the expense of others with less categorisable attributes.

But the film was all over the place, and by the end, the viewer was asked to be content with such woolly assertions as "We've got to be a nimble cog in a global supply chain", "we're all in this together" and our future is "far too important to be left to politicians and unelected interests".

So what are we all supposed to do if we're to secure both our own future and that of the nation? Sadly, he never quite got round to answering that one.
THE COUNTRY has, perhaps, a few new millionaires.

One lucky ticket holder has won more than 4.5m in the latest Lotto draw.

The winning quick-pick ticket was sold at An Post, George's Street Upper, Dun Laoghaire, in Dublin.

Meanwhile, the owner of the Londis Shop in Westmoreland Street who sold Fridays winning Daily Millions ticket has announced he is donating his 5,000 sellers commission to charity.

Seamus Griffin was in Kerry on Friday night preparing to do a fundraising walk up Carrauntoohil on Saturday with 165 Londis retailers in aid of Pieta House when he got a call to say he had sold the winning Daily Million ticket.

I am in Kerry with 165 people from the Londis store network doing a walk for Pieta House which is an amazing charity, and am delighted to donate my sellers bonus to them. said Mr Griffin, of the Griffin Group which owns 13 Londis stores in the Dublin region.

We have had big wins through our stores before, but this is the first time we sold a Daily Million winning ticket.

The staff from the 13 Londis stores who participated in the walk raised 35,000 for Pieta House, while the Londis Group in total raised more than 100,000 for the cause.

A National Lottery spokesperson said today that they are looking forward to welcoming both the Daily Million and the Saturday Lotto winners through its doors this week.

It is very exciting to have two big wins in the same weekend. We are advising all our players to check their tickets to see if they are the lucky winners, she said.

Saturdays Lotto Draw winning numbers were 2, 5, 12, 34, 41, 47. Bonus No 29.

Fridays Daily Million winning numbers were 2, 5, 9, 10, 32, 33. Bonus No 30
David McWilliams: I have to pinch myself... I can actually read books and think of ideas and get paid for it. Picture: David Conachy

David McWilliams with wife Sian Smyth at the launch of his new book 'The Good Room'

When he was 10 years old, David McWilliams' father lost his job. The indignity was such that he maintained the facade of his daily routine for the sake of the neighbours.

"I remember my father putting on a shirt and tie and pretending to go to work because of the shame," recalls David, who began to feel the anxiety creep into his home.

"[Kids] can sense things really, really deeply inside them. They know if there's anxiety, fear, a little bit of trauma, no matter how normal the parents are trying to be. And I suppose that memory stuck."

Sitting in The Grapevine wine bar in Dalkey, David mulls over how it shaped him today: "It created in me a pathological fear of a boss.

"Maybe my reaction to that over the years was to never allow myself be dependent on anyone.

"You see your father and your father's future and his dignity and his masculinity - and all these very profound things - affected. It's not just about the finance that's been taken away from him. I remember thinking to myself 'That's never going to happen to me'.''

It is one of the reasons he took an interest in economics - where he quickly became the celebrity chronicler of Ireland's boom and bust. It is also probably the reason he has more jobs on the go than most people have on their CV.

There's his role as an economic adviser with the Development Bank of the Caribbean, which he flies out to "four or five times a year". His gig as an economics lecturer to MBA students in Trinity College Dublin and he says, without expanding, "I work within the UK and the States quite a bit." He is also a columnist, documentary maker, organiser of The Dalkey Book Festival and the Kilkenomics festival, as well as being a best-selling author.

Expand Close David McWilliams / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp David McWilliams

Famous for his depictions that capture Ireland's economic zeitgeist, such as 'the good room' and 'the breakfast roll man', David explains how the latter came about in the unlikeliest of places, in 2004, when he was at a friend's wedding.

"I was in the jacks at about 2.30am and two lads, who were leaning up against the urinal, started giving me a lecture on remortgaging and second homes."

He pinpoints it as his ''shoeshine boy moment'', the instant he knew the economy was about to go bust.

"These two guys were like 'breakfast rolls' [men] - I remember thinking what they would look like the next day. Then I saw a whole lot of guys go by in hi-vis jackets, it was a couple of weeks after, and that's when I said, 'That's it'."

Expand Close David McWilliams with wife Sian Smyth at the launch of his new book 'The Good Room' / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp David McWilliams with wife Sian Smyth at the launch of his new book 'The Good Room'

I wonder if his pop culture approach brings resentment from po-faced economists?

"Of course you've enemies, but I embrace my enemies. My dad actually told me once, he said: 'Listen son, it's very simple - show me a man without enemies, I'll show you a man without a backbone'. If you don't have enemies, you stand for nothing.''

So has he felt other economists looking down on him?

"Oh God, yes, absolutely. There is a general sense in academia that academics are very important and if you don't believe that to be the case - which I don't - then of course they are going to react.

Expand Close David McWilliams / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp David McWilliams

But, he says, it doesn't cost him any sleep: "Maybe when I was younger - everybody craves the affirmation of their peers." But, he says "then we realise they're not our peers peers are the hundreds and thousands who read your books, the hundreds and thousands who tune into watch your RTE documentary, they're your peers.''

On the critical reviews, he says: "They are fantastically outrageous. They are designed to hurt." However, his reaction surprises his family: "Sian [his wife] is always amazed about how Zen I am, I just say, 'You've got to find your inner Gandhi at these moments, darling'."

One of the criticisms levelled at McWilliams, when he predicted the crash, was that some day, he was bound to be right.

Does it annoy him? "No. Everybody needs to try and rationalise their stupidity after the event, so that's how they do it."

Was it difficult when people kept admonishing him for talking the economy down? "Maybe it's the Scot in me but I don't have that, sometimes Irish, need to be loved.''

When his prophecies came true, one person who did breathe a sigh of relief was his wife.

"I remember Sian saying, 'Jesus Christ, thanks be to God!' If I had to go to another dinner party where people actually ran away from us!'

"I didn't realise it but we were probably quite toxic at the time."

But it paid off. His work on the economics circuit has earned him a pretty penny. Accumulated profits at the media firm he owns soared to more than 1m last year. When I ask him about this, he tightens up: "I don't ever really talk about money, I know that might sound strange."

But he has been particularly successful in that respect, I suggest. "Maybe. But it's because I don't worry about money. If you go into any venture for that alone, the likelihood is you'll fail."

He says the best financial decision he ever made was to work hard on his economics degree. And the worst?

"I made an investment in a friend's company. He was happy to come to the house with his kids. That was a bad one." Afterwards, he says: "I just felt like a gobshite!"

He currently lives in Dalkey and has a summer home in Croatia, off the coast of Split, where he spends up to two months of the year holidaying with his family. It is where he chose to celebrate his 50th birthday last August - several weeks later Bono flew over to join them.

An economist and a rock star - how did that happen? "He's actually hugely into economics," says David.

They met through a mutual friend "and we just realised we'd a lot more in common".

They regularly have pints in Finnegan's, although he laughs off the prospect of giving the billionaire financial advice, "no, zero", he admits they chat about the economy.

He wonders why there is a lack of female economists in Ireland and wants to see more to take the discipline back from the "extreme masculinity" that has hijacked it.

The best economist "understands love and emotion, all the things that drives us feelings not figures drive the world", he says, citing Irish homeowners who got into negative equity during the crash: "Some said they were greedy, but they weren't, they were in love."

As for another rock-bottom recession, he says: "I think there's going to be ups and downs but it's not going to be like what we saw."

For those wanting to buy a home, the future is bright: "I think prices will go up - not as dramatic as they are - but I don't think you should be waiting for the big crash unless European rates go through the roof, and I don't see that happening."

And, as for the housing crisis, he believes it would be partly eased if the State freed up building regulations, saying: "There was a very good announcement yesterday for Poolbeg, which I think is 16 to 17-storey blocks. We should have 40-storey blocks."

"Most proper cities have high-density urban living. The higher density, the better transport, schools, creches, all that sort of stuff.

"I don't understand why a city like Dublin can't have a Georgian and Victorian centre, then height in the Docks," he argues.

In the meantime, David is busy putting together a stellar list of speakers for the Dalkey book festival, for which former American Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will jet in.

So what's his secret to getting box-office names to his little seaside village?

The answer can be found in Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People: "find something that people want and give it to them, it's not that hard".

When David bumped into Malcolm Gladwell a few years ago, the author told him he had an obsession with 1980s middle distance Irish runner, John Treacy. McWilliams organised a run for the pair in the Phoenix Park.

And again this year, he stuck with Dale Carnegie's tried and tested formula.

"Sanders's wife is Irish American and is obsessed with his roots, so we traced them. That's why he's coming. It's just like hosting a big party and inviting lots of people to come."

It sounds like he has the dream job. He says: "I have to pinch myself every morning and say, 'Is this really happening? I can actually read books and think of ideas and get paid for it?'

Did his father live to see his success?

"Oh yeah, he'd walk around the town here and say, 'Look, here is my son on the telly'."

And he doesn't even have to wear a tie.

The Dalkey Book Festival takes place from June 15-18. See www.dalkeybookfestival.org
Ireland is seen as a "soft-touch" for a possible terror attack, and is regarded as fertile ground for recruiting and fundraising by extremists, according to a former al-Qaeda member who is now a security expert.

In the wake of the Manchester bombing, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said an attack on Ireland was "possible but not likely".

However, Aimen Dean, a former bomb-maker and al-Qaeda recruiter, who in 2007 personally pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, insists that Ireland offers Isil-like terror groups "ample opportunities".

He was an early member of the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation - but he changed sides in 1998 and became a spy for Britain's security and intelligence services, MI5 and MI6.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he stressed it is common knowledge among Jihadists that Ireland can be a "safe haven" for terrorists.

"It is a country which has no central intelligence service of its own; it depends on foreign intelligence to anticipate threats."

Expand Close Stock picture / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Stock picture

Dean, now an international security expert, left al-Qaeda almost 20 years ago after the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam were bombed.

Twelve Americans and more than 200 local people - mostly Muslims - were killed.

Thousands of other people were left seriously injured.

The killings provoked Dean to re-evaluate his commitment to the cause.

He went on to become an undercover agent for the British intelligence service MI6, having defected from al-Qaeda as his doubts grew about its violent methods.

Through his work, he says he helped foil various attacks against civilians - including possible suicide bombings and poison attacks.

He says it's "rather naive" to think Ireland - which he described as a "soft target" - is safe from an attack.

And while Isil isn't necessarily targeting this country - it could take advantage of our tourist industry.

Visitors from the UK, US, and Europe, who come to Ireland for cultural events could "become easy targets".

"It's an agricultural land, which means it is easy to obtain bomb-making materials... You also have the fact that there are many weapons in the north of the island - illegal weapons," he stressed.

He says Isil has "smashed all the red-lines" regarding who or what is considered a legitimate target.

He believes the Irish authorities would "struggle" if there was a sudden increase in the number of people moving here to carry out recruitment and fundraising campaigns.

He pointed out that the Garda relied heavily on intelligence-sharing with the UK, the US and other EU countries to track down suspects.

Although there is no single personality type that fits the description of a would-be suicide bomber, the common denominator is a belief that the "moment they set off a device", they will be crossing to an after-life which is "far better than the life they left".

Dean says recruiters play on emotions such as fear and resentment.

They try to convince those who might carry out a terror attack that the life they have here is "not going in the right direction".

Gardai are planning to take part in a series of security exercises with specialist units from other European police forces.

Joint training between the police forces is already well advanced in a bid to streamline the response to the growing threat from international terrorism.

Senior Garda officers are also reviewing current tactics and planning to protect the public and prevent an atrocity here.

The threat level in this country remains at "moderate" after the Manchester bombing. This means a terror attack here is possible, but not likely.

However, Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan says the face of terrorism, and related activity, is constantly changing, and the force had to make sure it was able to respond to whatever threat arose.
A year in hospital: Tom O'Mahony, who was injured in a terrorist attack in Spain when he was 10 years old, at his home in Rathmines. Photo: Arthur Carron

Most of us reacted with horror at the news of the bomb in Manchester that targeted children and teenagers, but Dubliner Tom O'Mahony had a stronger reason than most to recoil.

When he was 10 years old, he and his mother were caught up in a bomb attack by the Basque terrorist group ETA. Both suffered burns and other injuries. Tom's recovery was very slow.

Now 31, Tom has an inkling how the children injured in the Manchester blast may react.

"The little kids won't have a clue what's going on," he said. "So many will end up in hospital. It's going to be very difficult for them to deal with."

Tom and his mother were on holiday in 1996 in the Spanish resort town of Salou, on the north-eastern coast. It was high season and the sun was very hot. Too hot. They decided to cut their holiday short and return to Dublin a few days early. That turned out to be a fateful decision.

At the small regional airport, they walked past a bathroom at the precise point that ETA detonated a bomb hidden there. They took the worst of the impact. Though it's not clear exactly what happened, Tom must have been lifted off his feet. In any case, his femur was broken, he had other shrapnel injuries and extensive burns.

"It happened in a split second," said Tom. "When I opened my eyes I was on the ground and everything was covered in dust. I couldn't see anything. It felt like I was in the middle of a dream."

As he lay there stunned, a man ran up to him, picked him up and carried him outside the airport. The man laid him on the ground and then left him to go back inside and see who else he could help. That man, he later discovered, was not an employee of the airport or from the police, he was just another tourist. Left alone, Tom drifted in and out of consciousness. He doesn't remember much more from the airport. But he does remember that he couldn't feel any pain whatsoever, although he should have done. He had third-degree burns all down his left side as well as his broken leg. Eventually he blacked out.

It was two full days later when the 10-year-old awoke again. By then he was in a hospital and his mother was beside him. She had been taken to a different hospital and had a tough time finding her son. His mother also had injuries, including burns. Tom says she still has scars.

The Spanish hospital inserted a bolt into his broken leg and gave him, as a parting gift, three small pieces of metal that had been extracted from his body.

He remembers one was "like a ball bearing". It had been in his back.

Within a few days they were travelling home to Ireland by air ambulance, their journey luckily covered by insurance.

However, Tom's ordeal was only starting. He was transferred to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, where he would remain for a full year. His burns healed quickly and left no scars. But something about the way his leg was treated in Spain, he believes, led him to experience repeated infections around the wound. Again and again he hoped to be discharged but it never happened. He spent Christmas on the ward.

"The bomb was the easiest bit really," he now reflects. "It was the time in hospital that was the hardest. I just wanted to sit in my own house and watch television."

Tom says he would worry in particular for girls affected by bomb injuries. "For a boy like me, a few scars are really regarded as okay; but for girls it's something totally different."

He says he still isn't sure why the whole Spanish incident happened. His understanding was that a phone warning had been given but the airport hadn't been cleared.

He says the attack doesn't dominate his thoughts. But when a bomb attack happens, and especially if children are involved, it comes back to him.

The bombing was one of dozens carried out in Spain over several decades by the ETA groups determined to seek independence for the Basque area. More than 30 people, mostly British tourists, were injured in the airport attack that affected Tom and his mother. Over the years of ETA attacks, thousands more were left with injuries.

@cathomahony
Charity: Eamon Duffy, James and Johnny Ronan, former An Post Ras winner Philip Cassidy, ex-pro cyclist Alan McCormack and brother Paul take a break from Race the Ras.

A top professor has warned that Ireland is facing a cancer epidemic, with the number of cases doubling by 2040.

Dr Michael Kerin, professor of surgery at NUI Galway and head of the Lambe Institute for Translational Research, said the health service needed to be prepared to tackle growing cancer rates and ensure it had the facilities and funding to spearhead the war on the disease.

This weekend over 100 cyclists took part in Race the Ras 2017 - a charity event set up alongside An Post Ras - to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research charity based at University Hospital College Galway. The event has raised over 350,000 since it was first staged in 2011.

Property developer Johnny Ronan and his son James were among those who took part in the week-long event.

The course took in over 1,100km of Irish scenery including the Wild Atlantic Way coastline, with riders averaging 145km a day.

Organisers are expecting up to 10,000 people in Ardee to watch the An Post race finish today.
Nama is not the appropriate body to end Ireland's housing crisis, according to Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

He said he could not direct the State's bad bank to make property available for homeless accommodation because the agency had an independent commercial mandate.

Mr Noonan added that local authorities were best placed to determine if there were Nama buildings that could be used to address housing shortfalls, but sales or leases of such properties must be at market value. This cost would then be borne by the State.

In a letter to activists who occupied the Apollo House building in Dublin earlier this year, Mr Noonan insisted the Government was working to provide more homes. However, he stressed that Nama was not the appropriate body to boost housing supply.

Responding to a letter from Home Sweet Home, the organisation behind the Apollo House occupation, Mr Noonan said it was important to recognise the separate roles of Nama and the Government.

Correspondence released under Freedom of Information shows the charity lobbied Mr Noonan to ask Nama to investigate what assets under the agency's control could be used to end homelessness.

"It was not set up as, nor was it ever intended to be, a panacea for either social or private housing provision," Mr Noonan replied.

"Although Nama is not the appropriate vehicle to resolve homelessness, I assure you that this government is acutely aware of the need to tackle this pressing issue. The reality is that addressing homelessness and social housing provision requires the best use of limited Government resources."

Mr Noonan said Nama could not provide subsidies or discounts for the social use of assets and questioned if there were purchasers prepared to pay market value for a property and convert it for social use.

However, he conceded that Nama could play some role in addressing the country's housing crisis without giving away property that belongs to its borrowers.

"Nama continuously reviews the assets of every Nama debtor to establish if properties securing their loans could be utilised for residential development or social housing and with the co-operation of its debtors is willing to make such opportunities available to local authorities and approved housing bodies.

"It is local authorities, through their consultation process with Nama, who are best placed to determine which properties best suit their housing needs," he said.
NEW advertisements urging people to pay their TV licence fee were required after the Government department responsible re-branded... but the new ads were paid for out of the licence fee.

The new ads, rolled out last year, were required after the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Energy (DCCAE) was re-named. It was formerly known as the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR).

In an email dated August 8, released to Independent.ie, Anne Faulker  an RTE staff member working in TV licence marketing  advised a number of people that the ads "have also been produced recently - the TV went on air 10th June and so they are not close to replacement in their life-cycle unfortunately".

Ms Faulkner was tasked with confirming the costs of updating the ads with the department's new name and logo at a meeting of the TV licence operational forum in July.

Mary Mooney, an assistant principal in the DCCAE, advised RTE to make the changes but said:

"The cost will have to be met from the TV licence monies as there is no separate budget available for re-branding".

Expand Close The RTE campus at Montrose / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The RTE campus at Montrose

However, it was in the detail of the ad scripts where an issue relating to business names emerged, leading to a bizarre exchange between officials.

Radio ads were designed to sound, at first, like ads for luxury goods including hot tubs.

In one of the ads, the original ad script read:

"From lounging on a laz-e boy or curling up on a chaise long to wallowing on a waterbed, until you've hung out in one of Harry's Hot Tubs, you've never known luxury like it...

"Like bathing in a sea of champagne bubbles or stretching out on silk sheets why not redefine relaxation and give your lifestyle a little sparkle of luxury at Harry's Hot Tubs on the Dublin Road."

The fake ad was then scripted to be interrupted by a message reminding listeners that there are "better ways to blow 1,000" than paying a TV licence fine.

But RTE marketing director, Lucy Campbell, urged caution on the name Harry's Hot Tubs due to a company of the same name operating in Essex in the UK.

Mary Mooney, an assistance principal with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Energy said, in an email on September 28 2016:

"As there is a business on the Dublin Road in Cavan called Harry's I would go further than Lucy and say I cannot approve that scropt as it has the potential to expose us to complaints".

Anne Faulkner, who works in RTE, was then forced to ask her team to search for a new name for the fictional company suggesting "Hugh's hot tubs.?!".

By that evening the agency had proposed "Terry's Hot Tubs" - which all parties were happy to agree to.

While sending scripts for approval Ms Faulkner noted that it was "expensive" to have copy updated and asked that requests for changes only be made if the change related to a "deal breaker".

However, details of the costs involved with re-making the ads (one television ad and four radio ads) were redacted from the emails by the DCCAE Freedom of Information officer due to "commercial sensitivity".
The family of an Irishman who was executed after being wrongly convicted of murder are trying to repatriate his remains so he can finally be at peace with his loved ones.

Harry Gleeson was wrongly convicted of the 1940 murder of single mother Mary "moll" McCarthy and sentenced to death less than a year later.

Harry, who was from Holycross in Co Tipperary, always maintained his innocence but was hanged in 1941.

His family campaigned for years to have him pardoned and after the Justice For Harry Gleeson group was established in 2012 they finally got their wish in December 2015.

His grand-nephew Kevin told Indpendent.ie: "We set out to finally clear Harry's name, a number of people had tried this do this throughout the years but none had been successful.

"During the campaign we got involved with the Innocent Project in Griffith College, who are legal heavyweights and they were a huge help in helping to bring about the pardon.

"In April 2015 the department of Justice made a recommendation that he was granted a pardon.

"It was tremendous news, it had been a burden and a dark cloud that had hung over the family for years.

Expand Close The Gleeson Gathering last Summer, Kevin is in the front row in the middle / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Gleeson Gathering last Summer, Kevin is in the front row in the middle

"It's a pity that a lot of Harry's close friends and family had passed on but there were some of his nieces and nephews who are still alive, it was great for them to see his name finally cleared.

"It was a long journey though."

Kevin, who is a teacher, said that he grew up in the same homestead as Harry and the injustice hung over the family.

He said: "I was only about ten when I first heard that my father's uncle was an innocent man who was executed for something he didn't do.

"Harry was executed within five months of Ms McCarthy's body being found, it was all done so fast but people were led to believe he had done it.

"Harry came from a big family, there were 12 children in the family and they went through a very difficult time, one way they dealt with it was just not to talk about it, they kind of brushed it under the carpet.

"Their lives were crushed and I suppose there was nobody to help them or take a case against the state."

Harry was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Mountjoy Prison and now the family are determined to find it, something Kevin admits won't be easy.

He said: "His body is buried in the grounds of Mountjoy, the exact location is a difficult part, the only records we have at the moment is an old book and there's one column where it says he was buried at the rear of the old hospital.

"We've been told there's a commitment in place to do everything possible to find his remains.

"We're hopeful, in the next few weeks a team of geophysicists will do ground penetrating radar, which will identify any anomalies beneath the surface.

"It's kind of an x-ray and if there's disturbed ground it'll show up and identify burial plots.

"We're not naive, we know it's a huge task but we're hopeful that with the huge advances in DNA it's do-able, the biggest potential obstacle could be that there might be between 20 and 30 bodies buried at Mountjoy.

"They can do a DNA survey on the body though but if there are a number of bodies found it'll be a decision by the state to decide what to do then."

Kevin continued to speak about how much repatriating Harry's remains would mean to his family.

He said: "From the outset the Justice For Harry Gleeson group said that all we want is to clear his name once and for all, repatriate his remains and bury him in the Gleeson family plot.

"It'd be nice to be able to give him a proper Christian burial.

"It's a vital piece of the jigsaw, it'd be closure for the family to have a burial site for people to finally be able to visit or a funeral to attend."
The news came as a bolt out of the blue. Our little seven-month-old daughter Aoife was, as far as we were concerned, perfect. What was expected to have been a routine X-ray had ended with a diagnosis of hip dysplasia - which meant that she would have to undergo a procedure under anaesthetic and wear a cast on her lower body for at least 12 weeks.

Aoife was going to be fine in time, but the next few months when she should have been taking her first steps were instead going to be lived in a plaster-cast with a little gap for a nappy.

There was frantic reading of photocopied leaflets, a little ill-advised Googling and a few self-indulgent tears. Her condition meant that both of her hips were under-developed, and failure to act immediately would have resulted in more serious problems later in life. My wife Colette and I put our little girl in a tiny gown and into the steady hands of the surgical team.

Aoife's journey began two days after she was born. The care both she and Colette received in the maternity hospital was excellent, albeit a little frantic at times because of the workload on the staff. Like all newborns, she underwent a basic paediatric check which showed nothing untoward.

The diligent doctor asked whether there was a history of any problems with hips, and we offered that one of our boys had a minor problem that had fixed itself. Aoife was to be sent for a routine X-ray, we were told not to worry and were handed a yellow copy of the referral form. It was put into a bag, and we prepared to bring our daughter home.

Then life took over. A new baby turns your life and your house upside down. We forgot about the form and the referral amid the clouds generated by nappies and sterilising bottles. The other boys were getting used to having a new distraction in the house. Having opted to go public rather than private, we assumed there was a waiting list and that at some stage, we'd get a call.

Further routine medical checks were carried out, but Aoife's condition did not manifest itself in a way that was identifiable from a physical exam. In the end, it was the public health nurse asking whether any issues were outstanding that prompted Colette to mention the yellow form. Heads were scratched. No, there had never been a call to bring her in. Yes, they definitely wanted to refer her. The advice was simple: "Sure, give them a ring."

So we rang the specialist orthopaedic hospital, and it turned out they had never heard of us. We scanned our copy of the yellow form at home, sent it by email, and Aoife was called for assessment within a few weeks. The delayed X-ray showed that one hip was dislocated and the other was seriously underdeveloped.

Only after the first procedure on our 11-month-old daughter did we pause to ask how something like this could have gone astray. And more importantly, had it happened to someone else?

Anyone who has ever listened to my radio programmes over the years would know that I am no shrinking violet - yet in the face of something personal like this, I hesitated.

If we made a fuss, would it affect our daughter's treatment? What would be gained by complaining about a lost referral?

In the end, we decided that we needed to know what happened, so one morning I rang a number in the HSE and we went down the rabbit hole.

After a number of false starts, we eventually got a response in writing, and found out that an Irish hospital in the second decade of the 21st century had sought to refer our daughter to another hospital by fax. They even enclosed something which neither of us had seen for years - a fax confirmation note.

We were floored. In front of us was an immobile baby in a cast. Who uses fax any more? Does anyone even use a fax machine any more? Had they not heard of email? If the X-ray had been taken when it was supposed to, would she have needed such an invasive treatment?

We were angry, and the system wasn't helping. The convoluted nature of the appeal process allows for a period of 28 days to appeal, but by this stage the hospital had passed the investigation to the other hospital, who would not respond for another 28 days, by which time the original appeal window would have closed. In the end, that other hospital said that they had never received the fax.

So who was right? And did this happen to anyone else? We made the decision to enlist the help of the Ombudsman for Children.

The effect was fascinating. The Ombudsman took the basic details, all of our correspondence, spoke to us by telephone and set about undertaking a "preliminary investigation". There followed a flurry of official correspondence to compile the evidence about what happened, with an investigative precision and a zeal that we as parents could only have dreamed of.

What they found was a systematic failure of the referral pathway between the two hospitals. Their review of 2,077 cases over a 16-month period found a total of 20 patients whose faxed referrals had been lost.

We never found out whether the others faced similar issues, but Aoife was unlucky. The delay in her referral for the X-ray "resulted in the failure to diagnose, in a timely way, her condition which then required urgent treatment before she began to walk".

The hospitals were involved in a series of summits that culminated in both of us attending a meeting of senior staff. Apologies were accepted. New patient pathways were explained. Thanks were offered for having highlighted the issue.

We sat before a total of 16 or so people, advocating on behalf of a two-year-old who was at home watching Peppa Pig and oblivious to the fight she had started.

The Ombudsman told us that the matter had been raised nationally with the HSE, and I was to later find out that a directive was to be issued banning further use of inter-hospital fax referrals.

What we had found most frustrating was that anyone stepping back from the process would have seen the risk of using such outdated technology. For us, the episode exposed a massive IT shortfall within our hospital network, where two major hospitals couldn't communicate electronically.

Had we not complained, that fax machine would still be in use. Instead, it was consigned to the dustbin where it belonged. The faultless medical treatment that Aoife received means her prognosis is excellent (she hasn't stopped running since she took to her feet).

Thanks to the Ombudsman, and the good people we met along the way within the HSE, a little girl made a big change in our broken system. Here's hoping others won't be afraid to find their voice.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is facing a backlash after allowing a former councillor to rejoin the party after he defected to Lucinda Creighton's Renua Ireland.

Eight senior members of Fianna Fail's local officer board in Kilkenny resigned en masse from their positions last Monday after the party accepted Councillor Patrick McKee's application to rejoin. Fianna Fail councillors on Kilkenny County Council also voted by a majority to block Mr McKee joining their group.

"Micheal is telling people he has to take applications at face value, well someone should ask him why he's not taking Bertie Ahern's application at face value," a Kilkenny Fianna Fail source said.

Mr McKee quit the party before the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election in 2014 and joined Ms Creighton's Renua to run against Fianna Fail's Bobby Aylward. Mr Aylward won the seat for Fianna Fail and was re-elected in last year's general election.

It is understood Mr Aylward raised concerns about Mr McKee's application directly with Mr Martin and Fianna Fail general secretary Sean Dorgan. The majority of the councillors opposing Mr McKee joining the party are supporters of Mr Aylward.

The members of the officer board who stepped down included the chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant secretary and two treasurers. Their resignations will cause serious organisational difficulties for Fianna Fail in the county.

Last week, Mr Aylward told the Sunday Independent there should have been "consultation" with the local members rather than a "diktat" being sent down from party headquarters. The members of the officer board who stepped down include the chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant secretary and two treasurers. Their resignation will cause serious organisational difficulties for Fianna Fail in the country.

Yesterday, Mr McKee said he was disappointed the board members decided to resign after he was accepted back into the party. "I haven't had an opportunity to speak with any of them but they took the decision to step down and I'm very disappointed that they felt the need to do so," he said.

"I'm not aware of the internal workings of the party at present. I made a decision to join and that's my only concern but anything to do with the internal workings of the party is a matter for those in positions of power locally. I've expressed my desire to rejoin and that has always been my intention. I spoke to the other councillors over the last weeks and months and at no time was I told I would be stopped."

Mr McKee polled well in the 2014 by-election, receiving 9.5pc of the vote, but got just 3.5pc of the vote in the general election two years later.
Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney at the end of day three of the Fine Gael leadership hustings

FINE Gael leadership frontrunner Leo Varadkar has been accused by one of his own party colleagues of spouting fake news in relation to his achievements in the Department of Health.

The charge, made by former Health Minister and senator James Reilly, has ramped up tensions in the party ahead of tonights final hustings debate.

Senator Reilly, who is supporting Simon Coveney for the leadership, accused Mr Varadkar of using the hustings to claim false credit for the decision by the previous government to reverse its controversial policy on medical cards.

The decision in 2014 to withdraw thousands of medical cards for savings purposes caused public uproar.

It also proved deeply damaging for Dr Reilly, who in July of that year secured government approval to reverse that decision.

At the first of the Fine Gael hustings on Thursday, Mr Varadkar spoke of how he had fixed "that mess".

He recalled the 2014 local elections when party members were "falling over water meters to knock on doors to say why the government has taken medical cards".

"That will never happen if I am leader of Fine Gael," he said, adding that as health minister he doubled the number of discretionary medical cards.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Dr Reilly hit out at the remarks and accused Mr Varadkar of fake news.

He added: "I was surprised to hear on Thursday in the Red Cow hotel Leo Varadkar claiming that he sorted that out. There is no room for fake news in a possible leader of Fine Gael."

Responding to the comments today, Mr Varadkar rejected the charge.

"I have great respect for James as a politician and an individual, but his recollection is incomplete. The facts don't lie, the Dublin West TD said.

The review of eligibility for discretionary medical cards which saw thousands of people lose their entitlement was initiated in the first half of 2014 while James was serving as Minister for Health. These reviews were suspended due to the public outcry. After the reshuffle, Minister Kathleen Lynch and I oversaw significant changes to the discretionary medical card system in November 2014. As a consequence, the number of discretionary medical cards rose from 50,000 at the time of my appointment to more 100,000 by 2016.

The spat between the pair comes just days after Dr Reilly suggested that Mr Varadkar is not a team player.

In a speech a Coveney rally in Cavan, Dr Reilly said:

Nobody understands agriculture better at cabinet than Simon Coveney, and he also understands what it means to rear a young family.
SOCIAL Protection Minister Leo Varadkar launched a scathing attack on his Fine Gael leadership rival Housing Minister Simon Coveney by accusing him of "a dishonest" portrayal of his own commitment to compassionate policies.

Mr Varadkar used the fourth and final Fine Gael leadership hustings debate in Cork, attended by more than 800 party members and politicians, to insist he remains on course to succeed Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Friday.

"I have heard a lot of talk about compassion from Simon over the past week. I agree with most of what he has said," the Dublin TD said.

"What I cannot agree with is what he has tried to say about me and I want to counter that here tonight."

"Fine Gael has enough enemies....we have enough of that without saying that about each other."

"In my view it is divisive, it is dishonest and it is not a good way to seek a mandate."

Expand Close Simon Coveney / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Simon Coveney

Mr Varadkar also claimed that if Fine Gael committed itself to "motherhood and apple pie" policies it would be electoral "Greece".

Read More

Mr Coveney attacked Mr Varadkar's policy approach as effectively leaving behind portions of Irish society.

"You need to ask the question - not who has the greatest list of goodies," he said.

"(But) who is going to shine the light for this party and this country."

"How do we shine a light through Fine Gael thinking so we can give direction to the country."

Mr Coveney said that, unlike Mr Varadkar, he offers a passionate vision for rebuilding Irish society for the 21st Century.

"That is what marks us out (in Fine Gael) - left wing parties want to create a dependency culture. I want to represent an enabling culture."

Expand Close Leo Varadkar pictured at The Fine Gael Hustings in Cork / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Leo Varadkar pictured at The Fine Gael Hustings in Cork

"We need to be a party about building a fairer, stronger society."

Read More

He said that this time last week his campaign was in difficulty but its in a much stronger position now.

This time last week I believed I could win this contest. There were a lot of other people who probably didnt. As the week as gone on the group of people around me are starting to believe, Mr Coveney said.

At one point Mr Varadkar was booed by the audience when he criticised Mr Coveney for once again expressing admiration of Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and his policies.

He said being in Government is all about decisions. What are you going to fund and what are you not going to fund? If you are not going to answer those questions you don't have a philosophy you just have a passionate speech." This was a thinly veiled attack on Mr Coveneys pitch to be a catch all candidate.
SUPPORT: Simon Coveney and Mairead McGuinness before the FG leadership election hustings last night. Photo: Fergal Phillips

Simon Coveney received a campaign boost last night when prominent MEP Mairead McGuinness weighed in behind him as Fine Gael members prepared to vote for their next party leader.

Ms McGuinness had been widely suspected to support Mr Coveney but had insisted she would not declare for either candidate until the campaign hustings took place.

However, in a statement, she said she was backing the Housing Minister because he had shown "grit and determination" by staying in the leadership race when others thought he should step aside.

"In sticking to the race, he has shown a particular passion for leadership - and has also demonstrated an important leadership attribute in not giving up when the going gets tough," she said.

"He has taken his message to the country - to the membership - and the party is the better for that open and frank debate about the direction that our party should take," she added.

Meanwhile, Mr Coveney launched an extraordinary attack on Leo Varadkar's "flashy" leadership campaign and raised concerns over how much money has been pumped into his rival's election war chest.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent on the eve of the final leadership debate, Mr Coveney rounded on his opponent and insisted he did not need "slick PR launches" or "fancy T-shirts" to win over party members.

The Housing Minister's intervention came after it emerged that Mr Varadkar was holding secret fundraising events in members-only clubs in Dublin city centre.

"From my own point of view, every penny we've raised in this campaign has been raised in the normal way through the normal rules," Mr Coveney told the Sunday Independent.

"We fundraised for a campaign that is more about message than it is about spin and more about substance than slick PR launches," he added.

Mr Varadkar's spokesman issued a statement insisting all campaign donations received were in line with political fundraising rules.

"Campaigns such as this cost money and donations are a normal part of the political process," he said. "A reception was held during the week for people who had contributed. The party will be supplied at the end of the campaign with details of expenditure in compliance with all State and party requirements."

Before the leadership contest officially began, Mr Varadkar's supporters sought to have a spending cap introduced for candidates - but the proposal was shot down by Fine Gael headquarters.

Mr Coveney said his rival's campaigners accused him of pumping funds into an election war chest as part of an attempt to "paint a picture that wasn't true".

However, since the campaign has begun, it has been clear to onlookers that Mr Varadkar's camp of supperters has put more resources into their man's bid to become the next Taoiseach.

"The very picture they tried to paint of me is exactly what they are doing themselves and I don't think people buy it," Mr Coveney said.

"I think as the campaign has rumbled on, people can see I am about my message, not about slick events or fancy T-shirts.

"It has been a blunt, strong and ambitious message for the country. I think that's what is changing the momentum in this race, not the big spending campaign that we are clearly up against."

Mr Varadkar has held a number of fundraising events recently. These have included a fundraiser hosted by Thomas Lynch, who is chair of Dublin East Hospital Group and whose remit includes St Vincent's University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital.

'Each week on the Floating Voter, INM's political team discuss the main issues affecting Irish politics, bursting the bubble that surrounds Leinster House.'

Subscribe and listen to the Floating Voter podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud.

Mr Varadkar has also put policies in his election manifesto that Mr Coveney wrote, the Housing Minister claimed.

He said: "Look at Leo's manifesto on the marine and he talks about Ireland having for the first time a full maritime strategy for the country. I wrote that - and I implemented it.

"He talks about Food Wise 2025 as the roadmap for the food industry - I wrote it and I'm implementing it."

Mr Coveney, who previously served as minister for agriculture, food and the marine, insisted he was the best candidate to address the needs of rural Ireland.

He added: "Who do they want as Taoiseach? Someone who has been down and dirty in those communities and has tried to find a way of supporting them or someone who has it in their manifesto, talking about things I've done?"

Mr Varadkar is expected to publish his rural policies at an event in Cavan tomorrow.

Mairead McGuinness's support means Mr Coveney now has the votes of 21 TDs compared to Mr Varadkar's 46.

Mr Coveney's supporters believe they can secure the support of the remaining undeclared voters, who include Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Finance Minister Michael Noonan, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, MEP Sean Kelly and some TDs.

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
Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners

Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners

Check your ongoing benefits entitlement, engage a financial planner who can help you minimise tax payments on cash gifts and don't forget about your friends and family are all included in advice given by the National Lotto to winners.

For the first time Independent.ie can reveal the full package of formal advice given to prize winners when they stop by Lotto HQ to pick up their winnings - including a video presented by TV personality Craig Doyle.

Lotto chiefs were forced to clarify the procedures around advice given to Ireland's newest millionaires after the High Court heard evidence that a former official advised a winner to add her family's names to her winning ticket so her relatives could avoid paying gift tax.

Eamon Hughes, a former claims official, said it was "possible" he offered such advice to winner Mary Walsh when she picked up a cool 3.1m in 2011, as syndicates were 'regularly' formed after a win and not in advance.

Ms Walsh's stepson David Walsh successfully sued her for a 500k share of the jackpot.

Although Lotto operators, PLI, do not offer financial advice or provide a list of financial planners to winners there is a substantial packet of information given to winners to help them acclimatise to their newfound fortune.

The information was updated in February 2017, ten years after it was first published. The majority of the information contained in the booklets is the same, with changes made around the tax advice for winners.

First thing's first:

Lotto winners are advised to first "Do nothing. Yes, that's right nothing, nada zilch".

Expand Close Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners

New millionaires are advised to exercise "cool, calm thinking" and to consider a break away for a few days to mull things over.

Winners are advised to lodge their cash in an instant access savings account while they seek out professional advice and let their big win sink in.

"You may even consider spending a small amount of the money to treat yourself or to through a party for family and friends".

Jackpot winners are urged to remember that "money isn't everything" and to involve friends and family in their long-term plans.

Most players have a vague idea of how they would spend a large windfall but the experts in Lotto HQ urge that winners take time to plan, making a costed list of priorities.

Tax

Lotto winnings are tax free but income earned on winnings is taxable and if a winner wants to gift some cash to their relatives the recipient will have to pay gift tax on the money.

The Lotto has repeatedly clarified that it does not advise winners on tax or legal affairs, instead it recommends that winners chose independent financial advisers.

In the original booklet, there was a section on "inheritance and gift taxes" which reads:

Expand Close Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Craig Doyle stars in a short video which offers information and advice to prize-winners

"Inheritance and Gift Taxes: When you give a gift to someone or they inherit from you they, may have to pay Capital Acquisitions Tax. But, depending on what relation they are to you, they are also entitled to get the benefit tax-free up to certain limits. Clever planning by your financial advisors can help minimise tax while maximising the return to those who you wish to benefit. This means your money is put to best use."

In the new material however, this has been updated to remove the reference to "clever planning" and instead reads:

"We recommend you seek independent expert advice to ensure your taxation matters are dealt with professionally."

When asked if the original advice was in line with legal and ethical guidelines the Lotto said it was.

"This advice meets our legal requirements in relation to tax laws in Ireland. Under our licence we have to provide winners with counselling services.

"We do not give financial or taxation advice, but rather, again in line with our obligations under the licence, we advise winners to seek appropriate professional advice. Our updated booklet clarifies the position, but the message in essence is still the same; we advise winners to seek independent expert advice to ensure your taxation matters are dealt with professionally."

The booklet includes five steps to choosing the correct adviser.

People are urged to meet with several, check their qualifications, talk with their existing clients and make sure that they feel comfortable with their new financial adviser.

Dos and Don'ts

There is also a prescribed list of money dos and don'ts which includes:

Do get the best rate on your savings

Don't leave yourself short

Do pay off your debts first

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket

Use advisors

Don't forget tax

Sort out your life assurance

Make that change

This section also includes advice for people who were receiving state benefits prior to their win which reads:

"Check your ongoing entitlement to benefits. Just keep in mind that if you receive any state benefits or special needs allowances, your winnings may affect your ongoing entitlements. If you have any concerns about this you should speak to your professional advisor or to the benefits agency concerned".

The older material also advised people to insure their family in this section.

Under the spotlight

A section on the media suggests that many people enjoy their few days of fame as much as the win and offers advice on taking part in media interviews.

The booklet also cautions that winners may begin receiving requests for donations, some of which will come from "less deserving sources".

People are urged to vet any charities or causes they may wish to donate to and are told:

"Remember, making a difference to people's lives, communities and the world can be incredibly rewarding but no one said you had to change the world just because you are a winner".

The booklet also includes short blurbs about the causes that the Lotto donates money to.

The booklet is populated with short "dream" descriptions and testimonies from previous winners about how their lives changed after the win.

A country house with a home cinema, watching the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, a road trip on on Route 66, a vintage Mustang car, becoming a writer, becoming an art collector and a space explorer are all "dreams" included in the booklet for winners.

The information (as it was before any changes were made) was given to the Lotto Regulator on February 10.

The Lotto regulator was set up when operations were privatised and has the role of continually monitoring a wide-range of materials from the Lotto, including winners booklets.

"The material given to winners was reviewed again in the context of information reported on the Walsh case," a spokeswoman for the regulator said.

"The Regulator did not require that any changes needed to be made to the material."
In the window of the Avalon House on Aungier Street, in Dublins city centre, the Starbucks mermaid glows like a secular sacred heart in the window.

Late last month the 51st branch of the American coffee chain in the capital moved into the front part of the building, which also houses a hostel. There was a time when this would have been seen as a welcome sort of gentrification, back when Starbucks still conjured up images of Seattle and internet start-ups and the cast of Friends. It was our new third space then. But in the intervening decade since the first one opened here, the chain has become more of a McDonalds for the middle classes.

People slowly cottoned on that the coffee itself wasnt far off what youd get in a petrol station and the food was like something they might serve in an American prison. It also endured the PR disaster of looking like it was avoiding tax in a time of austerity. And so there is outrage at the thought of expensive lattes being served on the site of a hostel.

A councillor, Mannix Flynn, registered his opposition by letter. The online rabble gave out from a safe distance. But the Starbucks siren is an irresistibly reliable rent and rate payer.

That the coffee chain continues to spread through Ireland despite nobody particularly wanting it is testament to the place coffee occupies in our society. The writer and filmmaker Iain Sinclair recently called it the marching powder of the shared desk classes, a hot, sour jolt of energy and edginess that most of us need before facing the office.

Our national drink used to be tea, which is gentle and designed for afternoon lingering. Now its coffee fuelling us in our long hours and digital daze. We cant get enough of it. Last year a survey showed that one in five of us cant get through 24 hours without a cup of coffee. Our propensity to treat ourselves to a daily barista coffee is seen as a bellwether of general consumer confidence. Its a cheap way for that generation who may never own a home to feel like theyre living like people for a few minutes. And because of this everyone is now a coffee snob.

Expand Close Bean to cup: Rebecca McNamara serves customers in The Bear Market Coffee Shop in Blackrock. Photo: INM / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Bean to cup: Rebecca McNamara serves customers in The Bear Market Coffee Shop in Blackrock. Photo: INM

The price of a cup of coffee in Dublin has crept slowly towards 3  and well shell out for ambience. Instead of Starbucks we want small, fancy, neighbourhood coffee places, where we can live out our pretensions.

The little coffee place I go to every day in Dublin city centre is at the fault line of old Dublin corporation housing and yuppified silicon docks apartments. When it opened I felt slightly sorry for the owner  I thought there would be very little footfall where the place was, at the edge of the docklands.

Then the boom and bust and boom again happened and I nursed myself through the recession a cup of his coffee at a time. Now the crowds at weekends are almost biblical. An army of staff gets refined carbs and caffeine into cranky tech workers as quickly as humanly possible.

This is far from the self-conscious bespokeness of Costa or other major chains. A request for anything elaborate ending in chino, or topped with syrup, would be met with horror. Equally, getting skinny anything shows you belong in Starbucks.

While actual skinny girls drink pastel-coloured tea, coffee has slowly got manlier. The last few years have seen the rise of the flat white, which doesnt have the effete overtones of ordering a cappuccino. George Clooney is the patron saint of coffee drinkers. The shop that sells the pods the actor promotes, situated off Grafton Street, looks and feels like a church.

The type of marketing nonsense you see on the walls of coffee shops has also slowly changed. It used to be that coffee shops tried to make you feel you were part of some beautiful consumer ecosystem that helped farmers in the Third World. Now they try hard to make you feel like a connoisseur. At another coffee shop within a few yards of my apartment they boast that the coffee was roasted just 12km away  today. Others brag about the opposite, that their coffee has come all the way from Italy. Mercifully the full vocabulary of earthiness and ferment and astringency has not entered the mainstream for coffee shops yet.

Expand Close Stock Image / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Stock Image

It could be, too, that the mania for coffee is part of our national effort to drink like a grown-up nation. Coffee helps many a hungover head power through until lunchtime and is a more or less harmless addiction substitute. The writer Augusten Burroughs says Starbucks owes a free coffee to every recovering alcoholic, because former alcoholics buy so much coffee anyway. And perhaps it would take a gesture like that for Starbucks to be truly loved here.

Before the opening of the Aungier Street branch, an ominous sign outside read buy Irish not Starbucks. Its a sweet thought but even if Starbucks was run out of town it wouldnt mean coffee shops wouldnt continue to encroach on the habitat of hostels. In modern Ireland there are no spare rooms but you can get a cup of pretension on every corner.
Even as the article last week about the rate of change in the car industry was being published, the pace picked up. Ford sacked its global chief executive after fewer than three years in the job to replace him with a recent entry to the industry as the company races to keep pace with the rapidly evolving push into the world of technology.

In a rushed transition, Mark Fields will hand over the controls to Jim Hackett, the boss of the company's smart and driverless car division.

Mr Hackett joined the company's board four years ago and a year later took on the smart mobility job, in which he looked at how the company will respond to developments such as self-driving cars, shared ownership of vehicles and internet-connected cars.

Prior to this he had no experience in the motor industry - he had worked for 25 years with US office furniture firm Steelcase, turning around the business and making it the world's largest player in the sector.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the change at Ford is the result of investor concern about a lack of direction and a growing feel that it has been late to the self-driving and electric car party. Shares in Ford have fallen by a third since Mr Fields took the helm from company stalwart Alan Mulally in 2014.

Elsewhere this week, my colleague Geraldine Herbert reports on the latest Renault Zoe - Europe's most successful electric car at the moment. However, it is still relatively expensive for a small car and the battery range keeps it in the urban runaround category.

If it is true that the whole car industry is going to be massively shaken up in the next few years, should you be putting off any purchase? Perhaps - I'd definitely be very wary of putting a lot of my own money into something that will seem very old-fashioned in seven years' time. Professor and economist Tony Seba predicted last week that by 2025 you will have to pay people to take your old car away. Maybe it is the time to treat yourself to something big, powerful and second-hand while you can, and run it into the ground.

Secondly, you could do what I'm considering and buy a small car with a long warranty, knowing that in seven years' time it will be pretty worthless but I will have had a long time of hassle-free motoring.

That's where the new Kia Picanto comes into the picture. This Korean baby has been picking up a lot of plaudits recently and claims to be better than its award-winning sister, the Hyundai i10, which it has used as a template. This third-generation Picanto aims to replicate the success of the i10, which was the class leader and sold nearly 1,500 units last year - almost five times that of the Kia baby. There are also a lot of sales to make as people downsize and find that smaller cars have improved dramatically and aren't just urban runabouts.

The new Picanto is absolutely loaded with extras and safety features more commonly found in cars a few grades above. There's even a leather steering wheel and gear knob. Space throughout has been dramatically increased through a wider track and longer wheelbase. Kia claims that its boot with a split floor gives it the largest carrying capacity in its class.

Steering is much sharper and low-speed handling is much improved. Prices start at 13,295 but the Ex I was driving is 14,795. Autonomous emergency braking is another 400. The engines are the one litre from the previous range and a 1.25 with an automatic box.

Kia hasn't yet decided if it will bring in a one-litre turbo engine for the Picanto which could revolutionise the car; giving it speed, real pizzazz, GT line flair and torque vectoring for cornering. Unfortunately, it could cost 2,000 more. It would be a lot of fun though and attract a new range of customers. A GT line model with the 1.25 engine will be coming and will have satnav and a rear camera as standard but won't be as good. It will cost around 17,000.

There were 1.4 million second-generation Picantos sold since it was launched in 2011, but the latest version is a great improvement. It's younger, quieter, has a lot better comfort and is more assertive, with a definite modern feel inside. The three-door version will not be coming back and the new Picanto is available in four or five-seat configuration. I'd always go for the latter. You never know when you will need it, although we have never used all five seats in our i10 over the past eight years. But now with three grandchildren the day could be coming.

Overall, the Picanto is the way forward. It's not perfect and you know you are not in a premium car. But it tries - and tries very hard. It's all you want. If you need something bigger for a while you can hire or join GoCar. And with that seven-year warranty, it will take you into the future without giving you any worries.
Minister Leo Varadkar and Minister Simon Coveney at the Fine Gael Hustings for the leadership of the party at the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Eoghan Murphy barely looked at the stage once throughout the first Fine Gael leadership husting in the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin.

Murphy, who is Leo Varadkar's campaign manager, was engrossed in his phone for the entire debate. He was furiously sending texts and WhatsApp group messages to his campaign team. Varadkar wasn't at his best on the night and Simon Coveney surprised many with his strong delivery and robust responses. The Varadkar team needed to be prepared for any fallout. And, as with all aspects of the Fine Gael leadership election, the Varadkar camp was prepared.

Once the final whistle was blown, Varadkar's TDs and advisers converged on the assembled press pack. They circled like hungry vultures all squawking the same message. It was intense. They insisted that they expected Coveney to come out fighting as he had been backed into a corner. A Cabinet minister dismissed Coveney's renewed vigour as mere "self-preservation".

Coveney's lack of content and policy during the questions and answers section was highlighted as a serious failing. They also criticised the Minister for Housing's attempt to attack Varadkar for being prepared for the leadership race. The same message was fed to any journalist who would listen. It was a masterclass in orchestrated and choreographed spin.

In fact, the entire Varadkar campaign has been a masterclass in political campaigning. Everything from the early ground work with the parliamentary party to their campaign video has been miles ahead of Coveney's team in terms of organisation and presentation.

Varadkar's speech at the husting was also carefully crafted to speak to certain sections of the party. He reached out to the outgoing leader's supporters: "when the history books are written, they will say that Enda Kenny gave Ireland back her future", and to councillors: "I think everyone who holds high office should spend some time on a local authority", and local organisers who "dropped leaflets, put up posters". He also used his own election failings to land a subtle dig on Coveney who took his father Hugh's seat after he died.

A soft copy of the speech arrived in journalists' inboxes as Varadkar began to speak and hard copy was handed to them at the same time. This was designed to ensure more of his quotes made the newspapers.

There was a clear effort by Varadkar to come across understated but at times he looked slightly awkward and uncomfortable. Coveney spoke from handwritten notes, which allowed him to inject more passion into his address. There was no copy of his speech for the media.

In preparation for the debate, Varadkar squared off against Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe in their campaign headquarters.

Questions were fired at the two ministers during practice debates and onlookers said they were happy Varadkar was not going up against Donohoe as he would have "cleaned the floor with him". At the Red Cow Hotel on Thursday night, some of Coveney's supporters insisted their man did little preparation because he was "speaking from his heart". In reality their preparatory work was done.

Health Minister Simon Harris was involved in some of the practice runs as was Minister for State Damien English. Prepared lines on looking after the homeless and Varadkar's attempt to drag Fine Gael to the right of the political sphere landed well. The barb of the night was from Coveney: "If I'm Taoiseach I'll remember Leo has unfinished business in health." Supporters say this was unprepared.

The second night of the hustings was better for Varadkar but not by much and he again failed to bring energy to his contributions. Before the debates Varadkar pushed to have the hustings aired on RTE but his supporters would be thankful that only about 1,000 people watched the leadership events on Facebook. Some in his inner circle hoped he would ramp up his delivery on the second night and were disappointed when his delivery was again an odd mixture of smugness and awkwardness.

Despite his lacklustre performances, Varadkar's well -oiled campaign machine has ensured his supporters have not faltered in the face of his underwhelming debating style. His attention to detail has also impressed party members.

Last week, he produced an entire document on how he would overhaul the party - this is something Coveney has not done or even really mentioned during the campaign.

Fine Gaelers who recently signed up to the Varadkar team say they are extremely impressed by the "uber professional" election campaign. The strategies and tactics put in place are a mix of an old-fashioned slog of face-to-face meetings mixed with the latest techniques of US political gurus. The campaign has bulldozed the Coveney camp in terms of canvassing members, releasing policy and developing strategy.

"If this is how we are going to run the next election it would be a dream; if we applied Coveney's strategy, Fianna Fail would murder us at the polls," one Fine Gaeler said.

Evidence of the Varadkar machine was evident from day one of the campaign when supporters appeared one after another on television and radio to pledge their allegiances.

This was no accident and took careful planning by those who pull the strings behind the minister. The hustings and various campaign events have revealed the Varadkar machine is powered by far more than just the minister. The evolving Varadkar camp is split into various cells or groups who all report back to Eoghan Murphy and Varadkar's special adviser Brian Murphy. There are groups dealing with policy, canvassing members and orchestrating the social media campaign. Below the generals are the lieutenants, including TDs John Paul Phelan, Michael D'Arcy and former TD Olwyn Enright, who insiders report is playing a significant role in the campaign.

TDs and senators have been asked to canvass councillors and members in their constituencies who are on the fence. Some have been successful in turning members. Varadkar currently has around 110 councillors compared to Coveney's 60 or so.

Last week rumours abounded that Coveney was reaching out to Varadkar supporters in the parliamentary party in an attempt to get them to change their allegiances. Most of those mentioned as possible turncoats dismissed the idea outright when contacted by the Sunday Independent. These included Minister of State Pat Breen and TDs Joe Carey, Peter Burke, Tom Neville and Ray Butler.

Some Varadkar-supporting TDs have said they have come under pressure from their constituents who believe they should be backing Coveney. However, in most cases this isn't enough to change their minds. Besides, publicly switching allegiance now would portray a career-ending level of treachery. One Varadkar-backing Cabinet minister said it was "quite insulting" of Coveney to suggest people would switch sides at this stage of contest.

Voting begins tomorrow and despite his impressive performance during the debates it is difficult to see how Coveney will now overcome Varadkar's campaign juggernaut at the polling booth.
Sadly, the majority reaction to the end of the 127-day trial of former Anglo-Irish bank chief Sean FitzPatrick was one of weariness. It wasn't only that this was the second trial - the first collapsed in 2015 - or that the evidence was complex or that there were extraordinary admissions on the part of the prosecuting Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) during the trial about shredded documents, poor investigation techniques and the treatment of witnesses. It was the fact that there seems to be a widely held belief that the chances of successful prosecutions in this area by the State are slim.

But there is a further dimension to the national exhaustion on this issue and that concerns the question of what happens next. Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor has established an inquiry into this legal debacle, aspects of which were described by the presiding judge as "extraordinary" and which, in the words of the Taoiseach, leaves "the taxpayer... (taking) up all the tab, all the costs involved here".

But will anyone be held accountable? We know of the mistakes made by the chief investigator but this was wider than one individual. The Garda Siochana were involved. The present director of corporate enforcement was involved, as was his predecessor who got a sweetheart pension package. Prominent legal and accountancy firms had a role.

The DPP's decision-making was central to the running of this case. And since the office was founded in 2001, governments of different hues have been responsible for under-resourcing the fight against white-collar crime.

Simon Coveney, a potential next Taoiseach, said: "The ODCE has changed and improved since those mistakes were made," and the investigating minister, Ms Mitchell O'Connor, said the ODCE had accepted the judge's criticisms and already made improvements. All of which lays the ground for a finding replete with references to legacy issues and systems failures.

And a warning that no matter who is being investigated, the letter of the law must be followed.

Varadkar to be commended on standing up for Middle Ireland

Fine Gael leadership candidate Leo Varadkar has been unfairly criticised for his comment that he would intend to represent people who "get up early in the morning". In fact, the Social Protection Minister should be commended for his recognition of a swathe of people across middle Ireland, more commonly referred to as the 'silent majority', which has been the subject of lip-service from the body politic in general for many years.

It should also be noted that in the last 12 months, an additional 68,000 people have, thankfully, found employment and, therefore, are in a better position to contribute through general taxation to the functioning of society as a whole.

It is very much a left-wing dialectic that helping or supporting the middle class represents an attack on the less well-off when, in fact, what Mr Varadkar is proposing can be more correctly interpreted as the exact opposite.

He has also affirmed, by the proposed addition of new "values" to the party he seeks to lead, that the State will always offer a helping hand to those in need. Notwithstanding the predictable criticism, middle Ireland, many of whom are readers of this newspaper, should know that they have an overdue champion in Mr Varadkar.
Schapelle Corby pictured in 2005 behind bars before her appeal trial in Denpasar's court, Bali (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, whose trial and imprisonment on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali mesmerised her country for more than a decade, has returned home.

Corby landed in the Queensland capital of Brisbane early on Sunday morning, after she was deported from Bali amid a frenzy of journalists.

More than 200 police officers were deployed to secure her departure from Denpasar, Bali's capital, said Ida Bagus Adnyana, who heads Bali's Justice and Human Rights office.

"Corby signed a document to end her parole. She is completely free now," he said.

Back on Australian soil, she managed to evade the waiting media throng and slip out of the airport unseen. A member of Corby's security team, Eleanor Whitman, read a statement to journalists on behalf of the family.

"To all those in Australia and all those in Bali who have been there throughout this difficult journey, your support has not gone unnoticed," the statement said. "The priority of our focus will now be on healing and moving forward."

Corby was arrested in 2004 at the age of 27 after customs officers at Bali's airport found 4 kilograms of marijuana inside her boogie board bag, sparking a media frenzy in Australia on par with America's OJ Simpson trial.

Corby always insisted the drugs had been planted in her bag, and most Australians initially believed her story.

Her courtroom battle was tailor-made for TV - a photogenic Australian beach girl who had apparently fallen victim to corrupt officials in an Asian country that had come to be viewed with fear and suspicion after dozens of Australians were killed in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Indonesians, who called Corby "Ganja Queen," were mystified by Australia's response. To them, the case was clear-cut, and the Australian outrage overly nationalistic.

Corby's insistence that the drugs were planted by baggage handlers was dismissed as lies by Balinese prosecutors. A court sentenced her to 20 years in prison, though that was later reduced.

In 2014, after nine years behind bars, she was released but had to stay in Bali until her parole expired on Saturday. In the lead-up to her deportation, she kept a low profile, living in a villa in Bali with her Indonesian boyfriend.

Australian media spent two weeks camped outside the villa, attempting to catch a glimpse of the elusive drug smuggler.

Hoping to fool reporters, friends and family members took to donning bizarre face masks as they went to and from the property.

Though proving Corby's innocence was once something of a national cause in Australia, unflattering reports about her family emerged over the years, sullying her image in many Australians' eyes.

Today, few Australians still believe Corby's story but remain fascinated by the saga.

Under Australian law, she will not be able to directly profit from telling her story.

AP
A man allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left eight people dead after arguing with his estranged wife over their children, police said.

The suspect, Willie Corey Godbolt, had planned to end his life by 'suicide by cop' but was captured by police after the shooting spree at three separate locations in Mississippi.

The victims included two boys, his mother-in-law and a sheriff's deputy.

"I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," a handcuffed Godbolt, 35, told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper after his arrest.

He said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention."

Godbolt was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound though it was not clear who shot him.

The shooting started on Saturday night at a home in Bogue Chitto after the deputy arrived in response to a domestic disturbance call, and spread to two houses in nearby Brookhaven, about 70 miles (110 km) south of Jackson.

No immediate charges were filed, and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said it was too soon to say what the motive was.

Godbolt told the newspaper he was talking to his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities.

"I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," he said.

"Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene."

"They cost him his life," he said, apparently referring to the deputy. "I'm sorry."

His stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, told Associated Press that Godbolt's wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband.

After the sheriff's deputy arrived at the house, Godbolt looked as if he was about to leave, then allegedly reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and opened fire, Mr Mitchell said.

He said he escaped injury along with Godbolt's wife. But he said three family members were killed in his home: his wife, her sister and one of the wife's daughters.

"I'm devastated," Mr Mitchell said.

The slain deputy was identified as William Durr, 36.

After fleeing his in-laws' house, Godbolt allegedly killed four more people at two other homes, authorities said.

AP
Angela Merkel said the EU nations had to fight for their own future

Angela Merkel has urged EU nations to fight for their own future in the face of emerging divisions with the US, Britain's decision to leave the bloc and other challenges.

The German chancellor spoke following t he G7 summit, in which leaders failed to agree unanimously on climate change after US president Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

She described the summit as a wake-up call, adding: "The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."

Mrs Merkel said the EU nations had to "take our destiny into our own hands" although she emphasised the need to keep friendly relations with the US and Britain, while stressing the importance of being good neighbours wherever possible, including with Russia.

Six of the seven G7 nations agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at slowing global warming, but Mr Trump said he needed more time to decide if the US would abandon the accord.

His administration has argued that US emissions standards are tougher than those set by China, India and others, and therefore have put American businesses at a disadvantage.

Mrs Merkel called the climate talks "very difficult, if not to say, very unsatisfactory."

The G7 leaders meeting in Sicily vowed to fight protectionism, reiterating "a commitment to keep our markets open," despite the Trump administration's talk of an "America first" policy and continued criticism of Germany for its huge trade surplus.

They also agreed to step up pressure on North Korea, to forge closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and on the possibility of imposing more sanctions on Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine.

AP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a family photo at the G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech during a joint campaigning event of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christion Social Union (CSU) in Munich, southern Germany, on May 27, 2017. AFP PHOTO / dpa / Matthias Balk / Germany OUTMATTHIAS BALK/AFP/Getty Images

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has suggested her country and Europe can no longer rely on the US under Donald Trump.

Speaking at a campaign event in Bavaria, she emphasised the need for friendly relations with the US, Britain and Russia, but added: "We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands."

She said that "the times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."

Her comments came after Mr Trump said he needed more time to decide if the US would continue backing the Paris climate deal, which has frustrated European diplomats.

Mr Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honour the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.

Although he tweeted to say he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate change deal, signed by 195 countries, clearly annoyed Ms Merkel.

Expand Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a family photo at the G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a family photo at the G7 Summit expanded session in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying," she told reporters.

"There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not."

G7 leaders went on to blame the US for the failure to reach an agreement on climate change, in an unusually frank statement which read: The United States of America 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.

Understanding this process, the heads of state and of government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement."

Mr Trump has reportedly told "confidants," including the head of the Environmental Protection Angency Scott Pruitt, he plans to leave the international agreement on climate change, the Axios news outlet reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision told Reuters a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Mr Trump's expected announcement later in the week.

Expand Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech during a joint campaigning event of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christion Social Union (CSU) in Munich, southern Germany, on May 27, 2017. AFP PHOTO / dpa / Matthias Balk / Germany OUTMATTHIAS BALK/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech during a joint campaigning event of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christion Social Union (CSU) in Munich, southern Germany, on May 27, 2017. AFP PHOTO / dpa / Matthias Balk / Germany OUTMATTHIAS BALK/AFP/Getty Images

It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.
The Manchester suicide bomber used UK taxpayer-funded student loans and benefits to bankroll the terror plot, police believe.

Salman Abedi is under-stood to have received thousands of pounds in State funding in the run-up to last Monday's atrocity even while he was overseas receiving bomb-making training.

Police are investigating Abedi's finances, including how he paid for frequent trips to Libya where he is thought to have been taught to make bombs at a jihadist training camp.

It comes as Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, said detectives had made "immense progress" in dismantling Abedi's terror network.

In further developments, a barber shop in Manchester was raided, with one theory being that Abedi might have obtained hydrogen peroxide - a chemical used in the hairdressing industry but which can also be used to construct bombs - from the salon.

Abedi's finances are a major theme of the police inquiry amid growing alarm over the ease with which jihadists are able to manipulate Britain's welfare and student loans system to secure financing.

One former detective said jihadists were enrolling on university courses to collect student loans "often with no intention of turning up".

Abedi was given at least 7,000 (8,000) from the taxpayer-funded Student Loans Company after beginning a business administration degree at Salford University in October 2015.

It is thought he received a further 7,000 in the 2016 academic year even though by then he had already dropped out of the course. Salford University declined to say if it had informed the Student Loans Company that Abedi's funding should have been stopped.

Separately, the Department for Work and Pensions refused to say if Abedi had received any benefits, including housing benefit and income support worth up to 250 a week, during 2015 and 2016. It would only say he was not claiming benefits in the weeks before the attack.

Abedi (22) never held down a job, according to neighbours and friends, but was able to travel regularly between the UK and Libya.

He also had sufficient funds to buy materials for his sophisticated bomb while living in a rented house in south Manchester.

Six weeks before the bombing, Abedi rented a second property in a block of flats in Blackley, eight miles from his home, paying 700 in cash.

He had enough money to rent a third property in the centre of Manchester from where he set off with a backpack containing the bomb.

Abedi also withdrew 250 in cash three days before the attack and transferred 2,500 to his younger brother Hashim in Libya, who is accused of knowing about the attack in advance.

A Student Loans Company spokesman said: "It would not be appropriate for the Student Loans Company to respond to media requests for information that may be relevant to the ongoing police investigation.

"It is for universities to inform the Student Loans Company when students withdraw or suspend their studies, at which point funding stops."

A Salford University spokesman, asked if it had told the Student Loans Company that Abedi had dropped out, said: "We cannot comment."

David Videcette, a former Metropolitan Police detective who worked on the 7/7 London bombing investigation, said of the student loans system: "It is an easy way for a terrorist to move forward and finance their activities at the expense of the taxpayer.

"All you have got to do is get yourself into university and then off you go. Often they have got no intention of turning up."

Professor Anthony Glees, director of Buckingham University's Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, said: "The British system makes funds readily available to jihadist students without checks on them. There needs to be an inquiry into this."

The British government has previously admitted it has no idea how many terrorists could be using taxpayer-funded benefits and student loans to finance their activities.

Two men were convicted at the end of 2016 of channelling thousands of pounds of fraudulent housing benefits to the Islamist fanatics behind the Paris and Brussels terrorist outrages.

Mohamed Abrini, the Brussels terror suspect dubbed the 'Man in the Hat', received 3,000 in fraudulent housing benefit.

In the early hours of yesterday the police made fresh arrests in the Manchester bombing probe after officers carried out a controlled explosion during a raid on an address in the Cheetham Hill area of the city.

Two men aged 20 and 22 were held on suspicion of terror offences.

Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The younger brother of the Manchester bomber was a member of a jihadist cell believed to have been planning an attack on the UN's special envoy to Libya.

The plot to target Martin Kobler, the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, during a visit to the capital Tripoli earlier this year was interrupted before it could be carried out, diplomatic sources said.

Libyan security services had been monitoring the group for months and claim they found Hashim Abedi, the 20-year-old brother of suicide bomber Salman, 22, to be a "significant player".

They were apparently in the late stages of building an explosive device and intended to hit German national Mr Kobler's convoy.

MI6 officers are thought to be in Tripoli in a joint investigation with the Libyan authorities into the brothers.

Hashim was arrested last Tuesday night at the family home in Tripoli over links to Isil, and the boys' father Ramadan was also brought into custody.

Rada, the Libyan Special Deterrence Force holding them, alleges Hashim admitted he was aware of all the details of the Manchester Arena attack and that the two brothers had joined Isil.

A spokesman for the Libyan authorities said: "He told us, 'I have ideology with my brother. I know everything about my brother, what he was doing there in Manchester.'"

He added that Hashim told them that Salman had learnt how to make explosives on the internet and wanted to "seek victory for Isil".

Hashim was said to be en route to the bank to withdraw 4,500 Libyan dinars (530) sent by the bomber when he was arrested by the militia.

They said they believed he was planning his own atrocity. British newspapers, with the help of fact-checker Henk van Ess at investigative website Bellingcat, recovered photos and posts from Hashim's deactivated Facebook page.

He liked to call himself "Hashim Corleone Abedi" on the account.

A friend of Hashim's shared a picture in 2012 of a plane flying into New York's twin towers, which Abedi "liked". In response to a question of who was his "hero", he answered Osama bin Laden.

Then, in June 2014, another friend posts a picture of the front page of a newspaper featuring Reyaad Khan, the Isil jihadist from Cardiff who was killed by an RAF drone strike in Raqqa, northern Syria. Hashim writes in praise of Khan and suggests to the friend that they join him in Syria. Appearing to know Khan, Hashim says: "Is that really (him)?.. Mashallah (thanks God).

"Hahhahaah inshallah (God willing) we go together man," he then replies.

One of his regular contacts on the account is Junade Hostey, the younger brother of Raphael, one of Britain's most prolific recruiters for Isil who left Manchester for Syria in 2013 before he was killed in an air strike last year. Police suspect Salman was friends with Raphael and are probing possible communication between them.

The social media accounts suggest a jihadist network spanning across Manchester, Cardiff and Portsmouth of young, radicalised men who appear to discuss their support for Isil and other terrorist groups. They share contacts and information and appear to encourage each other to join Isil.

Hashim's father Ramadan, a security officer in Muammar Gaddafi's government, and wife Samia, moved to the UK after fleeing Libya in the early 1990s.Ramadan, 51, then returned to Libya in 2008 after a reconciliation deal with the Gaddafi government.

Pictures on Ramadan's Facebook page show Hashim, aged about 15, holding an automatic rifle. The family then returned to Manchester in 2014, when the brothers enrolled in studies.

Reportedly worried their sons were becoming involved in gangs, Ramadan and his wife decided to take the family back to Libya in October last year.

A Rada spokesman said Hashim made a trip to Germany in December, before travelling on to London. They did not know the purpose of the visit.

Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Handout photo taken with permission from the Twitter feed of @theboyg of queues at British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Airport: @theboyg/PA Wire

People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London. REUTERS/Neil Hall

People sleep next to their luggage at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 28, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

An Irish woman caught up in the British Airways IT crash in Heathrow Airport has said the situation is "out of control" as staff struggle to contain the crisis.

Grainne Hartnett (26) had arrived in Heathrow from Dublin on Saturday morning to board a connecting flight to Vancouver with British Airways (BA).

But when she landed in London she was greeted with chaotic scenes as a global computer failure caused all BA flights to be cancelled from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

"There were thousands of people swarming around and not enough staff to deal with them," she told Independent.ie.

"I didn't understand what was going as I couldn't get to the desk.

"I managed to get hold of a staff member and they directed me to another area of the airport to wait and from there it was completely crazy."

Ms Harnett said that staff at the airport seem completely overwhelmed and unable to control the situation.

"When I arrived back at the airport this morning it was madness. All the staff were lined up trying to field questions but they were interrupted by disgruntled passengers shouting at them.

Expand Close A woman sleeps on a luggage trolley at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 28, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A woman sleeps on a luggage trolley at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 28, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

"Then they all walked off and the ticket desk was closed. The police arrived shortly afterwards and told us all to leave.

"When we asked why no announcements were being made, they told us that staff felt in danger and under attack. They were worried the situation would escalate.

Expand Close People sleep at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 28, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp People sleep at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 28, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

"It was complete chaos. Everyone was so distressed. One member of staff we spoke to said she'd never seen anything like it in 30 years of working with BA."

The disruption continued into a second day, with more than a third of BA flights from Heathrow cancelled on Sunday as the airline battled to contain the "knock-on disruption" to schedules. Passengers also faced hold-ups at Gatwick but no flights were cancelled.

Expand Close People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London. REUTERS/Neil Hall / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London. REUTERS/Neil Hall

It coincides with one of the busiest periods for travel in the UK, with a Bank Holiday and school term break falling on the same weekend.

The Telegraph reports that hotels surrounding the airports affected have been taking advantage of the crisis by charging extortionate prices between 1,000 to 2,500 a room for the night.

Ms Harnett stayed in a London hotel last night which she will be reimbursed for but she said that a lot of passengers couldn't afford to pay for accommodation upfront and had to spend the night in the airport.

"I managed to get a hotel for an average price but many passengers are completely stranded as some hotels have inflated their prices. When I left the airport today, some people were preparing for another night of sleeping in the departures lounge," she said.
Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release of the four workers kidnapped

A Frenchman and three Congolese men who were kidnapped in March in eastern Congo have been released.

They were abducted, along with a Tanzanian released a month ago, from the Namoya gold mine run by Canadian firm Banro Mining Corp in Salamabila.

The four were released after several days of negotiations with the kidnappers.

The captors, residents of Salamabila who felt Banro Mining Corp was not looking out for the community, had asked the company for one million dollars (781,000) in ransom, said Maniema provincial interior minister Bonaventure Saleh Zakuani.

The four released on Saturday are on their way to Kindu, the capital of the Maniema province, he said.

The rebel group Rahiya Mutomboki has criticised the mining company for not giving access or jobs to young miners who had been working on the site before it took over.

Its members sought a guarantee that the firm will carry out basic contractual agreements to build infrastructure in the area, including schools, roads and a health centre, said mine administrator Balthazar Hemedi Kabemba.

He said at the time of the kidnapping that members of Rahiya Mutomboki left leaflets around the mines threatening its workers.

French president Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release, "in particular Congo authorities for their mobilisation and the effectiveness of their action," according to a brief statement from his office.

AP
A proposed secret communications "back channel" between Donald Trump's team and the Kremlin was allegedly intended to allow sensitive discussions about strategy in Syria, it was reported last night.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, was said to have proposed setting up the secret line in a meeting with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, at Trump Tower in December.

The back channel was intended to connect Michael Flynn, who was at the meeting and later became Trump's first National Security Adviser, with Russian military leaders, the Associated Press reported.

It came as the nascent Trump administration was developing its Syria policy before his inauguration.

The communications would have used Russian diplomatic facilities and bypassed the US intelligence services.

The New York Times reported that Flynn was at the centre of the idea. Citing three people with knowledge of Kushner's discussion with Kislyak, the newspaper said that Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was supposed to communicate directly with a senior Russian military official as part of the plan to discuss the war in Syria and other issues.

Such a system was never established and after Rex Tillerson became Secretary of State the idea was reportedly dropped as the Trump team decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels.

The discussion of a back channel involving Jared Kushner was first revealed by the Washington Post late last Friday.

US officials reportedly learned about it by monitoring Russian communications. Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak was said to have been "taken aback" by the proposal.

In addition, the Reuters news agency reported that Kushner had had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November.

Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner "has no recollection of the calls as described".

The discussions reportedly focused on fighting terrorism and improving US-Russian economic relations.

"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," said Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick.

She said Kushner could not remember any calls with Ambassador Kislyak before the election. She added: "Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period."

According to Reuters, Kushner also met Sergei Nikolaevich Gorkov - the head of Russian state-owned bank Vnesheconombank and a trained intelligence officer appointed by Vladimir Putin - at Trump Tower in December. The bank is under US sanctions.

The White House declined to answer questions about Kushner's meeting with Ambassador Kislyak.

But HR McMaster, who replaced Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser, said "back-channelling" was normal.

He said: "We have back-channel communications with any number of individual countries. What that allows you to do is communicate in a discreet manner."

Another potential line of inquiry could concern Kushner's failure to disclose some of his contacts with Russian government officials when he was filling out his application for a security clearance. The omissions were described as an "administrative error" by Gorelick, who said additional information about his meetings were provided to the FBI the day after he submitted his incomplete clearance application.

When applying for a security clearance, applicants are asked to disclose details about their interactions with foreigners, including the names of all the foreign government officials the applicant has had contact with over the past seven years. In some cases, people can lose their security clearances and jobs for not properly disclosing foreign contacts. Some Democrats have called on Kushner to be stripped of his security clearance and have asked the FBI to review whether Kushner complied with the law.

Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Friends of a man stabbed when he intervened in the harassment of two young women on a train are trying to raise money to pay his medical bills in the US.

Two men who were fatally stabbed died on Friday afternoon in an attempt to stop an anti-muslim rant and the harassment of two women who appeared to be Muslim in Oregon, Portland.

The third man who also tried to intervene, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, was brought to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Friends of Fletcher set up a gofundme page in an attempt to raise money to cover his hospital and recovery expenses.

"Our friend was stabbed and critically injured while being a good Samaritan and heroically intervening during the racist terrorist incident that left 2 men dead," said the gofundme page.

Police have identified the attacker as Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland, a 35-year-old convicted felon.

Expand Close Angel Sauls, left, helps her stepdaughter, Coco Douglas arrange a sign and some painted rocks she made for a memorial in Portland (AP Photos/Gillian Flaccus) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Angel Sauls, left, helps her stepdaughter, Coco Douglas arrange a sign and some painted rocks she made for a memorial in Portland (AP Photos/Gillian Flaccus)

Christian's Facebook page showed he held "some racist and other extremist beliefs." A senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center found.

On Christian page it mentions "Jihadi Muslims" among people he disliked.

"It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime," said Loren Cannon, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oregon.

Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs, apparently at the two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim head-covering, the Portland Police Department said in a statement.

The attacker approached the girls while screaming at them, Dyjuana Hudson, the mother of one of the girls attacked told the newspaper, relaying an account her daughter had given her.

"He was saying that Muslims should die," Hudson said.

Its horrific; there are no other words to describe what happened today, Sergeant Pete Simpson, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, said at a news conference.

The suspect had no known affiliation with a criminal gang member nor any mental health history, police said.

Christian was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and was ordered held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick, whose mother died in a boat accident in California (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Uber's chief executive Travis Kalanick with his mother Bonnie and Donald at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month (Travis Kalanick/Uber via AP)

THE mother of the chief executive of ride-hailing company Uber has died in a boat accident in California, the company said.

Bonnie Kalanick, 71, died on Friday after the boat she and her husband, Donald, 78, were riding hit a rock in Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County, authorities said.

They are the parents of Travis Kalanick, 40, who founded Uber in 2009. The company has since grown to become an international operation with a market value of nearly 70 billion dollars (54.6 billion).

The couple from the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Northridge have been long-time boaters.

In a memo to Uber staff, Liane Hornsey, the chief human resources officer, called the incident an "unthinkable tragedy".

She wrote that "everyone in the Uber family knows how incredibly close Travis is to his parents".

About 5pm local time on Friday, officers were called to the scene of the accident and found the Kalanicks on a shore of the lake, the Fresno County Sheriff's office said.

Bonnie Kalanick died at the scene, and her husband suffered moderate injuries, the sheriff's office said. He told officers the boat had sunk.

Donald Kalanick is being treated at hospital and is in a stable condition, the company said.
File photo of the tomb of Charles De Gaulle the day after his burial in 1970 (AP)

French politicians reacted with anger and dismay after the tomb of France's wartime hero and former president General Charles de Gaulle was vandalised.

Police are hunting for two people, one of whom was filmed on Saturday by security cameras knocking a cross off the top of the tomb in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, the village in eastern France where Gen De Gaulle lived and is buried.

President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement on Sunday from his office, asked that the tomb be quickly repaired, adding Gen De Gaulle's memory is "dear to all French people".

Prime minister Edouard Philippe tweeted his "sadness and consternation" and called the vandalism "an act against France".

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called it "contemptible".

AP
Sri Lankan villagers prepare to bury landslide victims at a cemetery in Bellana village, in Kalutara district, Sri Lanka (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

The death toll in Sri Lanka's mudslides disaster has risen to 151 with 111 others still missing.

Search and rescue head Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe said he does not expect any more survivors to be found as rescuers pulled out more bodies.

The country's health minister said 102,218 displaced people were being sheltered in 339 relief centres and special medical teams were sent to the affected areas, with medicine taken by air to hospitals where access was cut off.

Access roads are still blocked in some parts due to flooding, and fuel shortages have been reported.

Soldiers took advantage of a lull in the rain to clear road access to most affected areas while boats reached others. People waded knee-deep in floodwaters to reach army trucks bringing relief supplies and taking away evacuees.

More rains are forecast for Monday, threatening further misery to more than 100,000 people displaced in western and southern areas after the island was hit by two days of torrential rain.

The UN said it was assisting in relief efforts in response to a government appeal.

It promised to donate water purification tablets, tents and other supplies for the displaced. India sent a shipload of goods, while the United States and Pakistan also promised to send relief supplies.

Mudslides have become common during the monsoon season in Sri Lanka as land has been heavily deforested to grow export crops such as tea and rubber.

A massive landslide killed more than 100 people in central Sri Lanka last May.

AP
Donald Trump's son-in-law proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the US president's transition team, it has been reported.

Jared Kushner, who was a top White House adviser, made the proposal at a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US last December, a person familiar with the talks said.

The source said the aim was to connect Mr Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders.

Russia, a key player in Syria, has backed Syrian president Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

Mr Kushner's involvement in the plan was first reported by the Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

The newspaper cited anonymous US officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

Ambassador Sergey Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate - a proposal which would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team, said the Post.

The Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state on February 1, said the source.

The team decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels.

Mr Flynn served briefly as Mr Trump's national security adviser but was fired in February. Officials said he misled vice president Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed US sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

This deception left Mr Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians, Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month.

The FBI interviewed Mr Flynn, who remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties, in January about his contacts with Mr Kislyak.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting with the Russian ambassador or Mr Kushner's attendance until March. A White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting at the time.

Mr Kushner's lawyers said he was willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

National security adviser HR McMaster, speaking generally, said: "We have back channel communications with a number of countries. It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner."

Mr Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign's digital strategy, and remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Reuters has reported that Mr Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Mr Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November.

But Mr Kushner's attorney Jamie Gorelick said his client "has no recollection of the calls as described."

Mr Trump immediately sought to dismiss recent news reports as "fake news."

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies," he tweeted.

He added: "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names ... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers."

Investigators are also interested in a meeting Mr Kushner had with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov, according to reports.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Mr Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, has requested information and documents from Mr Trump's campaign.

The request arrived last week at campaign headquarters in New York, according to a person familiar with the request.

AP
New Delhi, May 27 (IBNS): President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the eve of their Republic Day.

In a message to Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mukherjee said, On behalf of the Government and the people of India, I congratulate you and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your Republic Day."

"It is indeed a matter of satisfaction that the long-standing friendly relations between India and Azerbaijan have been strengthened and deepened in a wide range of areas. I am confident that our joint efforts to further expand our bilateral co-operation will pave the way for our closer partnership in new areas of our common interest," the Indian President said.

He said: "I take this opportunity to extend to Your Excellency my best wishes for your good health and success as well as for the progress and prosperity and progress of the friendly people of Azerbaijan."
New Delhi, May 28 (IBNS): Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, officials said on Sunday.

Welcoming the Prime Minister of Mauritius to India, the President said he was happy to note that India is the first country he visited after taking over as Prime Minister.

The President pointed out that Mauritius was the second country he visited after assuming office.

He expressed confidence that India-Mauritius bilateral relation swill reach new heights under Prime Minister Jugnauths leadership.

The President said India would like to cement its close historic ties with Mauritius. India is committed to partnering Mauritius in its priority development projects.

It will continue to extend all assistance and support to Mauritius.

The President expressed happiness that Special Economic Package grants are being used to fund Metro Express, new Supreme Court building, ENT Hospital, supply of digital tablets and social housing project. He said cooperation in important areas like joint EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy patrolling and hydrography will help maintain peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region.



The President said India appreciates the contribution of the Indian community to the economy and polity of Mauritius.

Image: PresidentofIndia Twitter page
New Delhi, May 28 (IBNS): Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modias departure statement prior to his visit to Germany, Spain, Russia and France:

I will visit Germany on 29-30 May 2017 on the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the Fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).

India and Germany are large democracies, major economies and important players in regional and global affairs. Our strategic partnership is based on democratic values and commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based global order. Germany is a valuable partner in our development initiatives and German competencies fit well with my vision for Indias transformation.

I would begin my visit from Meseberg near Berlin in Germany, where Chancellor Merkel has very graciously invited me to hold discussions on issues of regional and global importance.

On 30 May, Chancellor Merkel and I will hold the 4th IGC to review the state of our bilateral relationship. We will also chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science & technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine.

I would also call on H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Germany is our leading partner in trade, technology and investment. In Berlin, Chancellor Merkel and I will interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen our trade and investment ties.

I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership.

I will pay an official visit to Spain from 30  31 May 2017. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Spain in almost three decades.

I will have the honour of calling on His Majesty King Felipe VI during this visit.

I look forward to my meeting with President Mariano Rajoy on 31 May. We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism.

There is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties. We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism.

I will also meet top CEOs of Spanish industry and encourage them to partner with us in our 'Make in India' Initiative.

The first meeting of the India-Spain CEOs Forum will be held on the sidelines of my visit. I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership.

I will be visiting St. Petersburg, Russia from 31st May to 2nd June for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

On 1st June, I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016. With a spotlight on economic ties, both President Putin and I will also be interacting with CEOs from both countries.

On the next day, I will be addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) together with President Putin. I appreciate the invitation to be the Guest of Honour at this years Forum. India is the Guest Country at the SPIEF this year.

In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders.

At the beginning of my visit, I will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad. I will also have occasion to visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.

I greatly look forward to my visit to St. Petersburg in this special year for the bilateral relationship as both countries celebrate the 70th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

I will be visiting France from 2-3 June, 2017. During the visit, I will have an official meeting with the newly elected French President H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron on 3 June.

France is one of our most important Strategic Partners.

I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest. I would be exchanging views with the French President on important global issues including UN Security Council reforms and Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Indias membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance.

France is our 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in our development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways. I am committed to substantially strengthening and advancing our multi-faceted partnership with France.
Cinematographer Vetri has just returned to India after completing the shooting of 'Vivegam' in Bulgaria and a few other European countries. You know where he went directly from there? To take part in a farmers protest in is native town Palladam. .

Yes. Vetri who is popular for his lens work in films like 'Vengai' and 'Vedalam' is a farmer and he also runs an organisation for farmers named as 'Yermunai'. His father S.S.Palanichamy is a popular leader of farmers in Kongu belt.

Vetri is also involved in encouraging and supporting youngsters who take up farming in Tamil Nadu. He also plans to conduct protests and campaigns to safeguard the rights of farmers.

Vetri says Farming is his first duty and everything else including cinema will come only next to that.
Keystone Realtors (Rustomjee) IPO to open on 14th November The IPO of Keystone Realtors will open on November 14th. It will close on November 16th. The issue size is of Rs 635 crore. Price band has been set at Rs 514 - 541 per share. Mi... November 10, 2022 | 3:51 pm

GST officials detected Rs 55,575 crore worth of tax evasion, arrested over 700 people, in the past 2 Over the previous two years, the GST officials have discovered fraud totalling Rs55,575 crore and have detained over 700 people for defrauding the exchequer, an official told ET on Thursday. Th... November 10, 2022 | 2:58 pm

Bharat Electronics inks agreement with Goa Shipyard for development of autonomous navigation Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed an MoU with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for joint development of products/solutions in the area of Autonomous Navigation an... November 10, 2022 | 12:54 pm

PSP Projects secures work order worth Rs200 crore; Stock rises PSP Projects Limited has informed to the exchanges regarding receipt of work order. In a regulatory filing, the company said, "We are pleased to inform that we are in receipt of... November 10, 2022 | 12:37 pm

Five Star Business Finance IPO receives .02 times subscription application at the end of day 1 Five Star Business Finance IPO has received .02 times subscription application at the end of day 1. Five Star Business Finance, a non-banking financial organization with headqu... November 10, 2022 | 11:39 am
Dozens of people gathered on Saturday around a circle of flowers and photos to honor a recent college graduate and an Army veteran who were fatally stabbed on a Portland commuter train.
It is true that the struggle youre in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Shannon Satonori Lytle will strongly agree as he has seen some great life struggles as he went on to conquer them and emerge as a winner. The son of a warehouse worker and an immigrant was once told that only the children of doctors and lawyers go to Ivy League Schools.

Facebook

Shanon had to flip burgers at McDonalds so that he could sit for his SAT. He looked after his three baby siblings and stayed up until 4 am to complete his homework. Since he couldnt afford a car, he had to walk home crossing the dangerous part of the city.

He got his laptop after working 150 minimum wage hours. Shanon takes pride in telling us that he has scrubbed toilets, shelved books and sold clothing to chase his dreams.

Facebook

And after all this, he finally graduates from Harvard. That degree is his fruit for all his hardwork. Kudos to Shannon, the son of a warehouse worker and an immigrant for not giving up on his dreams!
Once a super successful comedian with an immensely popular chat show, Kapil Sharma is now facing brutally low TRPs, thanks to his highly publicized fight with fellow colleague Sunil Grover. If you still dont know the incident, then you my friend, have been living under a rock.

Colors

With mediocre celebrities gracing the show and low humour quotient, Kapil recently took a jibe at himself in an episode of The Kapil Sharma Show. He cracked a joke on his recent fight with Sunil on a flight.

In a segment, Sharma along with Kiku and other actors were performing a sketch inside a mock airplane. The actors, as usual, were bantering with each other when Kiku, who played an air hostess, asked Kapil to intervene and solve their fight.

To which, he said, Main flight mein nahi bolta aajkal. This obviously invoked laughter from guests and audience alike.

For the uninitiated, Kapil and Sunil got into a brawl onboard a flight while returning from Australia. According to reports, an inebriated Kapil lost his cool when his co-stars started eating without him. When Sunil tried to calm him down, Kapil got up, took off his shoe, and hit Sunil, said a source.

twitter

Well, with Sunil out of the show for good and dripping TRPs, lets hope Kapil comes up with better sketches and talent to make up for the low humour quotient.
1. KRK Reviews Trailer Of Tubelight In His Signature Style, Calls Salman Khan A Lallu

Unimpressed by the trailer, Kamal Rashid Khan has released a review video of Tubelights trailer which hits out at the director and actors alike. In a four-minute long video, KRK said that since Sohail and Salman Khan have collaborated for a movie it will be a disaster for sure.

2. Filmmaker RGV Quits Twitter, Says 'No Thanks' To Fans For Following Him All These Years!

Bidding farewell to the site and his followers in his own eccentric way, he tweeted,My pleasantly unpleasant surprise is I am getting out of Twitter...To all my followers, no thanks for following me all these years.

3. Arshad Warsi's 'Localised' Jack Sparrow In Pirates Of The Caribbean Is Full Of Indian Humour!

BCCL

Talking about the same, a very excited Warsi revealed that he has localised the voice of Hollywood actor Johnny Depp's character Sparrow.

Disney (studio) is very happy the way I dubbed for this film. It wasnt easy to dub for Jack Sparrow because this character is drunk at different levels in the film most of the times.I have made this voice very localised and it sounds like Indian humour. I hope people enjoy the movie at the theatres, IANS quoted Arshad as saying at the special screening of the film.

4. Kapil Sharma Takes A Funny Dig At His Fight With Sunil Grover, Says He Keeps Mum In Flights Now

In a segment, Sharma along with Kiku and other actors were performing a sketch inside a mock airplane. The actors, as usual, were bantering with each other when Kiku, who played an air hostess, asked Kapil to intervene and solve their fight.

To which, he said, Main flight mein nahi bolta aajkal. This obviously invoked laughter from guests and audience alike.

5. Not KJo, Sara Ali Khan To Make Her Debut With Abhishek Kapoor's 'Kedarnath' Opposite Sushant!

All those rumours can final rest as she is all set to make a debut with director Abhishek Kapoor of Kai Po Che fame opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. Yes, you read that right.
"This is cake walk" and "he is a basket case" are common phrases that we use almost every second day. But little did we know that these sayings had an origin of their own and quite creepy ones at that.

After we course through these origins, we wonder if we will look at these phrases differently but we will definitely be reminded of the way they came into being. Let's look at 10 commonly used phrases that sprung into life from the depths of creepiness.

1. Blood is thicker than water

wikipedia

Its meaning today: Family always comes first

Its origin: It can be traced back to Middle Eastern traditions where men sliced themselves and blended their blood for a ritual, hence becoming "blood brothers". Alternatively, the phrase also refers back to the eras of war where men bled together and formed a bond of "blood brothers" that was considered stronger than that of biological relationships.

2. Skeleton in the closet

life-giving water

Its meaning today: The secrets you hold from your past

Its origin: A theory suggests that in the 18th century, doctors hid illegally obtained cadavers in their closets which they used for carrying out experiments.

3. Paying through the nose

hediyemen

Its meaning today: Paying an exorbitant price for something

Its origin: In the 9th century Ireland, the Danish-Vikings introduced a census poll tax which everyone had to adhere to. If anyone failed to pay up, their nose would be slit, right from its centre to the tip of the eyebrow.

4. Saved by the Bell

wordpress

Its meaning today: To be freed from an awkward or unwanted situation

Its origin: In the 18th and the 19th century, people used what were called 'safety coffins' to prevent people from being buried alive because some found it difficult to differentiate between the dead and the unconscious. These coffins were fixed with chords that were attached to a bell outside the grave. So, if someone ever woke up to find themselves buried, they would ring the bell and be saved by a watchman who would dig them up!

5. Frog in your throat

strangecosmos

Its meaning today: A dry, raspy throat caused by cold or flu

Its origin: In the Middle Ages, if someone suffered from an illness such as the flu, the doctors would literally stuff their mouths with frogs! They believed that the frogs would absorb the disease from the patient's body, leaving them good as new.

6. To run amok

the sun

Its meaning today: To behave in an out-of-control manner

Its origin: The Malaysian tribes-folk would go 'amoq' - in their language, this word described a situation where men would go on a riot under the influence of opium and killed anyone they came across.

7. Bite the bullet

past & present

Its meaning today: Deciding to do something difficult or unpleasant

Its origin: During the times of war, doctors didn't have access to anesthesia. In such a situation, they asked their patients to bite down on materials like leather straps or bullets to help them get distracted during painful procedures.

8. Fly off the handle

getty images

Its meaning today: To lose your anger unexpectedly

Its origin: This idiom goes back to a reference to axes. In earlier times, axes came with poorly fastened heads. So anyone using them for chopping, the heads would get separated and fly off in different directions.

9. Cat got your tongue?

wonderopolis

Its meaning today: A question addressed to someone who maintains inexplicable silence

Its origin: The phrase is linked to two different origin stories. The first one refers back ancient Egypt where people found guilty of blasphemy would get their tongues chopped off which were fed to cats. The second theory refers to a whip used by English Naval officers - called the cat-o-nine tails - that beat their victims speechless.

10. Rake over the coals

community table parade

Its meaning today: To severely scold someone for no fault of theirs

Its origin: In the Middle Ages, in Europe, people were raked across hot coals if they were found guilty of practicing witchcraft. Those who survived were proved innocent, however, those who couldn't were deemed guilty.
Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) secretary, Ankit Singh Sangwan filled a complaint with Delhi Police regarding the Islamic State (IS) slogans written on the walls in the campus.

A complaint has been received, we are examining it, DCP (north) Jatin Narwal said was quoted by Indian Express.

The complaint, addressed to SHO, Maurice Nagar, states, Students from Delhi School of Economics alerted me about objectionable slogans on the wall of the commerce department. When I went there, I saw I am SYN ISIS, which implies support for ISIS. The building also had Justice for Naxals, AFSPA, Azadi and text in a language I couldnt understand. I request you to take strict action against the culprits and to get the walls painted.
While Muslims across the world began observing fast in the holy month of Ramadan on Saturday, the holy month and its sanctity are marked by violence in Islamic countries like Egypt, Afghanistan and Libya.

AFP

Recently, in Afghanistan's eastern city of Khost, a Taliban car bomber killed 13 people at the start of the holy month. In the beginning of the holy month, 29 Coptic Christians were murdered by Islamic State on a bus in Central Egypt.

Fridays attack on Christians prompted retaliatory airstrikes on jihadists in the neighbouring Libya. "With a broken heart and tears in my eyes but after all, I wish all my friends a great Happy Ramadan and may God accept all your prayers and fasting for the good of our beloved Egypt," Nabil Hakim, an Egyptian Copt who lives in the United States, posted on Facebook.

AFP

Roughly 1.5 billion Muslims across the world observe fast in this holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam during which Muslims observe fast from Dawn to dusk. They are also supposed to do charity apart from praying. Ramadan is sacred because tradition says the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed during this month.
In another unprovoked violation of the ceasefire, Pakistan on Sunday shot dead a civilian and injured another who were working as porters with the army, in Keran area of Kupwara district near the Line of Control in Kashmir, an Army official said.

"In a cowardly act, Pakistan forces today violated ceasefire and opened fire on a group of local civilians engaged in daily labour in Keran sector, north Kashmir resulting in the death of one local civilian while injuring another," the official said.

Reuters

Earlier in the day, Army shot dead an intruder along the LoC in Nangi Tekri area in Poonch district's Krishna Ghati sector. "The intruder was killed in an ambush around 2.30 am. His identity is yet to be ascertained," Jammu-based Army spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, authorities in Kashmir have imposed curfew-like restrictions in many parts of the Valley to maintain law and order in view of the protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat in an encounter with security forces.

The restrictions have been imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar, officials said.

Restrictions have been imposed in Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma police station areas of the city till further orders as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing law and order situation.
Amzad Khan alias Ayan Khan Salafi, who was deported from Saudi Arabia in April this year for recruiting and motivating Indians for IS terror group branch Junood-ul-KhilafaFil-Hind (JKH), had radicalised a 24-year-old girl from Azamgarh and asked her to come with him to Syria and live an Islamic life.

Representational Image

The girl, a medical student, was so impressed with Amzad that she agreed to join him and both of them got married over mobile phone in May last year.

37-year-old Amzad Khan, a resident of Churu, Rajasthan was closely associated with IS terror group's India head Shafi Armar and had played an important role in motivating and recruiting Muslim youths for Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind' (JKH), the Indian branch of the terror group started by Armar in 2015-16. About 30 members of the outfit, led by Muddabir Sheikh, were arrested by NIA last year in countrywide raids.

Amzad Khan operated from Saudi Arabia. His interrogation with NIA, details exclusively accessed by TOI, re veal that he not only motivated members but linked them to JKH, and alerted them about NIApolice raids. About the girl, he says he started interacting with her in November-December 2012. The girl, who was doing her medical studies from Sarai Mir in Azamgarh, used to discuss Ahl-e-Hadith and Islam with him and impressed with his knowledge, she "fell in love with him", despite him informing her that he is married and has two kids.

Representational Image

NIA officials refused to di vulge the identity of the girl.

When Amzad went to Saudi Arabia in April 2014, he motivated her with the ideology of IS terror group and asked her to come with him.

He informed her that her journey would be facilitated through Shafi Armar, who lives in Syria. "Shafi Armar has assured that you can live in Syria with me without going to the battle field," Amzad told the girl.

In May 2016, Amzad and the girl got married over the girl got married over phone with proper rituals carried out from both sides in India and Saudi Arabia.

Representational Image

The girl finally didn't go and no action has been taken against her by the authorities. Interestingly, because of his online activities and regular interaction with Indian recruits on Facebook, Telegram, Nimbuzz and other platforms, Saudi authorities had arrested his two brothers Adrish Khan and Mohammad Shareef last year.They were found to be innocent but were deported to India along with Amzad on April 4 this year.

Amzad has informed the agencies that earlier he used to think Shafi Armar was working for Indian agencies and was behind the arrest of IS recruits in India.

Most of his knowledge about Islam was from internet and he had become so popular in Facebook and other social media groups that he had 4,000 people in his friends list.
India's first three cases of the Zika virus were reported between February 2016 and January 2017 in Ahmedabad, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in its disease outbreak bulletin released on Friday. It said the Centre confirmed the three cases, in two pregnant women and in an elderly man, on May 15, 2017.

Reuters

All cases were reported from Bapunagar here and the patients tested positive at the Gujarat government-run BJ Medical College (BJMC). Union minister of state for health Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha in March this year, had confirmed one Zika case in Ahmedabad.

However, the detection and confirmation of Zika cases weren't made public by the state government, apparently because it came in the run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investment Summit.

ALSO READ: A Ray Of Hope - Scientists May Have Found A Cure For The Zika Virus

Sources in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's health department claimed that no formal intimation of the detection of the virus was made by the state health department. This, even as the state-run BJMC confirmed the Zika virus in its own laboratory.

Reuters

Gujarat health commissioner J P Gupta told TOI on Saturday, "We confirm that Zika virus has a random presence in Ahmedabad. We cannot say if the virus was brought from outside or was indigenous."

ALSO READ: Brazilian Researchers Are Infecting Mosquitoes With Bacteria To Prevent The Spread Of Zika Virus

He added that the children of both the pregnant women were born without symptoms like microcephaly (abnormal shrinking of the head) associated with Zika, which had an outbreak in Brazil in early 2015. In February 2016, the WHO declared the outbreak as "public health emergency of international concern".

Reuters

The WHO bulletin said the first case was reported during a disease surveillance activity in Ahmedabad between February 10 and 16 last year. A 64-year old man with a mild fever over eight days was detected with Zika virus. The second case was detected at BJMC where a 34-year-old woman delivered a baby on November 9 last year.

"During her hospital stay, she developed a low-grade fever after the delivery. Her sample was sent to the laboratory at BJMC for dengue testing and found to be positive for Zika virus," said the bulletin. The sample was re-confirmed later as Zika virus-positive by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The WHO stated that there was no history of fever during pregnancy and no history of travel for the past three months in the case.

ALSO READ: Meet Devika Sirohi - The Indian Student Who Was Part Of The Team That Decoded The Zika Virus

Reuters

The third case was confirmed during an antenatal clinic (ANC) surveillance between January 6 and 12 this year where a total of 111 blood samples were collected at BJMC. One sample from a 22-year-old woman in her 37th week of pregnancy was tested positive for Zika.

Gupta said Zika virus was detected as part of random sampling exercise undertaken by the health department last year. "Following this, we have launched a massive anti-mosquito drive in 2017 to reduce the population of vectors and control spread of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika  all of which are spread through mosquitoes."

Reuters

Bhavin Joshi, the in-charge medical officer of health, told TOI, "We haven't yet received any confirmation or intimation from the state government or the central government regarding the detection of Zika virus in the city."

State health minister Shankar Chaudhary said there was no cause for panic. "Zika virus cases were reported last year. Major preventive drives for mosquito-bred illnesses have been ordered," he said.
Barely a month ago, a Muslim man in UP had given triple talaq to his wife after she gave one of the packets of namkeen he brought to her parents. Now another bizarre case has surfaced in Maharashtra where a man gave triple talaq to his wife because she switched off the fan of the room where he was sleeping.

The bizarre case came up for hearing on Friday night at an NGO Pydhonie, that looks into marital issues through Shariat-based laws.

AFP

The incident had taken place three years ago, but was only brought to NGOs notice on Friday after the husband complained to the body that his wife had refused to leave the house despite divorce given to her.

The complaint was made over a month ago and "notices" were issued to his wife.

Public Complaint Centre, which provides free legal aid and help to couples, works under Bombay Social Service, an NGO registered with charity commissioner.

"There is a legal and medical cell which provide free services," DNA quoted advocate Javed Ansari . Ansari is part of the legal cell along with advocate Bharat Joshi, chairperson of the legal aid centre. On Friday Night, the 55-year-old and her daughter was summoned by the centre on the complaint of her 65-year-old husband who had divorced her in August 2014.

AFP

"He had asked something from me. Since the fan in the room in which he was sleeping makes a lot of noise, I switched it off. I thought he was not able to hear me properly because of the fan's noise. He got furious, called a neighbour and making one of my daughters and that neighbour the witness, divorced me," the woman said. She is now asked by her husband to leave the house.

The man is now thinking of remarrying. "He was a taxi driver but has been unemployed for several years," one of his daughters said.

"The Mufti of the Haji Ali Dargah has issued a fatwa that the divorce was valid. Now we are trying to help the couple come to a common point," said Abdul Razzak Maniyar, chief organiser of Public Complaint Center.

Maniyar thinks the divorce is valid based on the fatwa issued by the Mufti.

"The two parties want to live separately but that will not be good for either of them. We want to make sure that the woman lives in the same house with her children. I had called some community members as well so that the issue can be talked about but the woman's husband did not come today (Friday)," Maniyar said
A 13-year-old class seventh student was bestowed with a "most likely to become a terrorist" award from her teacher in the US. The bizarre incident prompted angry reaction from the parents forcing the school to apologise for the event.

The event was supposed to be a joke, part of a mock end-of-the-year awards ceremony at the Anthony Aguirre Junior High in Channelview, Texas, near Houston, where a group of teachers hand certificates to students.

Indy100

Lizeth Villanueva said her teacher "just laughed" when she handed her the certificate during class on Tuesday, just one day after the deadly terror attack at a pop concert in Manchester, Britain.

"When she said my name I turned around like what, what did she just say? I was very upset. I was mad but didn't show it," Villanueva was quoted as saying by Fox 26 Houston.

Her mother Ena Hernandez didn't find the award funny at all.

"I was upset and very mad when I saw the award," The Washington Post quoted her as saying. "I was surprised because my daughter has been doing well in the honours program."

CNN

My daughter was not laughing either. Her emotion was one of shock, she said.

She said two honours classes were brought together for the fake ceremony. Other awards included "most likely to cry for every little thing" that was given to a girl and "most likely to become homeless" that was presented to a boy.

The school later issued an apology statement.
India just entered an exclusive club of nations to have their own satellite navigation and positioning system with the successful launch of IRNSS-1G today. ISRO did the country proud yet again when its workhorse PSLV launch vehicle in the XL configuration lifted off at 12.50 hrs from Sriharikota with the 1,425 kg satellite within the payload fairing.

ISRO

After 20 minutes and 19 seconds, at an altitude of 497 km above the earth surface, the satellite separated and was injected into the transfer orbit. It would be later raised in orbit to take its place in a geosynchronous orbit to complete the constellation.

With all satellites in place, Indian armed forces will be able to find their position accurately in the battle ground and direct ammunition and missiles deep into enemy territory. This is thanks to the extended range of 1,500 km of the system beyond the borders. The system can also be used for civilian navigation for aircraft and ships.

ISRO

It will also provide terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers along with visual and voice navigation for drivers. And it can also be integrated into phones!

Other civilian applications include mapping, disaster management, and vehicle and fleet management.
There Remains No Evidence Of Trump-Russia Collusion

By Paul Roderick Gregory

May 27, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Where is the evidence of President Trump's collusion with Russia?

The Wall Street Journal  no particular fan of Trump  characterizes the DOJ charge to Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, as fatally open-ended, vague, and flawed. His instruction lists no federal statutes and invites a fishing expedition into trivial matters. Journalists covering the story appear to disagree on what Mueller is supposed to do: Is he to  oversee the investigation into ties between President Trumps campaign and Russian officials or investigate possible coordination between President Trumps associates and Russian officials?

The political feeding frenzy has, to date, brought forth the following facts of Russiagate: Persons associated with the Trump campaign had contacts with Russians, some unsavory. Trump businesses, like other luxury property developers, had dealings with wealthy Russian buyers. Trump did not condemn Putin during the campaign and expressed a hope (shared by many across the political spectrum) of improved relations.

These facts shed little light, if any, on collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian state to throw the election to Trump, as is evidenced by the deafening silence of anti-Trumpists. As Jim Geraghty writes in National Review:

The FBI counterintelligence guys presumably track Russian agents on our soil as much as possible. You figure the NSA can track just about any electronic communication between Russians and figures in the Trump campaign. If there was something sinister and illegal going onthe U.S. government as a whole had every incentive in the world to expose that as quickly as possible.

Diverse figures and outlets agree that the nexus of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign does not include any evidence of collusion. Maxine Waters (D-CA) concedes there is no proof of collusion as does Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) joined by Trump nemesis Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Fox political analyst, Brit Hume, on Sundays #MediaBuzz stated that he has never seen a charge get so far out in front of the available evidence over the course of his long career. Matt Taibbi, a left-wing columnist for Rolling Stone who calls Trump the crazy clown President," points out that despite almost daily leaks by anonymous sources, we do not know whether it is about collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian state.

Follow the Smoke Not the Fourth Amendment

The New York Times , in a lead editorial , counters the lack of evidence of collusion as follows: The known facts suggest an unusually extensive network (my italics) of relationships with a major foreign power. The Times logic: Trump-associate dealings with Russians are alone sufficient justification for an investigation. Where there is smoke, there may be fire. So, investigate, investigate, investigate until you find something.

The smoke-justifies-the-investigation argument is inconsistent with centuries of common law and the Fourth Amendments requirement of probable cause supported by oath or affirmation. Realizing the inconsistency with the rule of law, Deputy AG Rosenstein cited unique circumstances and the public interest to justify the independent counsel. Taibbi disagrees in a moment of candor. Liberal thinkers have traditionally abhorred secret courts, secret surveillance and secret evidence and reflexively discouraged the news media from printing unverified or unverifiable charges emanating from such secret sources. But because it's Donald Trump, no one seems to care.

If Trump can be singled out for an undated blank-check scavenger hunt, who is next? What if Republicans had achieved a similar investigation of Barack Obamas ties to individuals hostile to the American system in his background, such as Bill Ayres, Reverend Wright, Addie Wyatt, and Frank Marshall Davis? I see little difference, other than a pro-Obama media and a stick-together-no-matter-what Democratic Party.

What 'Extensive' Russian Network of Trump?

An inventory of Trump-Russia smoke consists of the following: A peripheral Trump associate purportedly communicated with the hacker (or hacking group) identified as Guccifer 2.0. (How he did so I could not know). Maxine Waters (D-CA) hypothesized that Russian propagandists trained Trump. Others cite the 18 contacts (declared innocuous by the intelligence community) between the Trump campaign and Russia in the last seven months of the campaign. High on the smoke list is the paid speech ($43,000) by Trump advisor Michael Flynn (who failed to disclose an otherwise-legal conversation with the Russian ambassador). A final puff of smoke is former Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manaforts, consulting work for unsavory Ukrainian/Russian politicians and oligarchs.

Three contacts per month do not add up to an unusually extensive network. Note that Hillary Clintons campaign had  lots of meetings  with Russian officials including Ambassador Kislyak during the campaign, Bill Clinton delivered a $500,000 speech to a Russian oligarch in 2010. The insider Democratic lobbying behemoth, Podesta Group, charged a Kremlin-associated bank $170,000 for lobbying in 2016 for removal of sanctions and $60,000 to Uranium One in 2015 to lobby for a huge uranium deal in favor of Russia. Manafort directed his wealthy Ukrainian/Russia clients to the Podesta Group, which cashed in more than a million dollars in lobbying fees. Democrat heavyweight Lanny Davis represented a fugitive oligarch, who also happened to be a Manafort client. Yes, indeed, Washingtons K-Street swamp is deep and incestuously blurs party affiliation.

Trumps Had Real Estate Dealings With the Russians: So what?

In its Russia-Trump Nexus , the Times points the finger at his extensive commercial and personal relationships with politically-connected Russian businessmen in high-end real estate in New York and Miami. Trumps cited Russian business ties date largely to pre-sanction Russia during the Obama-Clinton reset. Restrictions on doing business with Russia date from April 2014 to present and are limited to sanctioned firms and individuals.

The Times fails to disclose that luxury international real estate is disproportionally dominated by wealthy Russians, Chinese, and Gulf State Arabs. More than one third of the worlds billionaires hail from these three areas. Hence, there should be no shock or distaste that Trump businesses sold almost $100 million worth of properties in Trump-branded towers in Florida to 63 individuals with Russian passports and addresses long before Trumps presidential ambitions. If the Times wishes to heap abuse on Trump for dealing with shady oligarchs, it must similarly censure property developers in Londons Belgravia, the French Riviera, Switzerland, and Dubai.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

The political and media establishment looks with distaste at the rough-and-tumble of international business. They, however, look the other way when Al Gore sells his environmental TV network to Al Jazeera for $70 million, the Clinton Foundation accepts $100 million from a Russian-connected uranium magnate, the Bill Clinton campaign accepts almost $400,000 of Chinese funds bundled by a White House regular, or career politicians retiring to million dollar payoffs in K-Street lobbying firms.

The #NeverTrumpers' standard refuge to any pooh-poohing of Trumps Russian ties is that 17 national security agencies agree that Russian higher-ups ordered the hacking and release of DNC emails through WikiLeaks in order to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton (my italics).

It is more than likely that Russian hackers (FSB, foreign intelligence officers or hackers-for-hire) hacked the DNC, but the shady world of Russian cyber operations defies efforts of Russias freewheeling cyber experts to pin point the blame. Even more difficult is to look inside Putins brain. Any intelligence officer who pretends to understand Putin is delusional. We can only look at Russian state-controlled media, which, early in the campaign, spread stories that Hillarys election meant World War III. As Clinton seemed poised to win, the Russian coverage switched to neutral or even favored Clinton. Russian think-tankers and pundits characterized Clinton as a known quality with little upside for Russia. Trumps unpredictability, inexperience, and hawkishness on defense buildup, on the other hand, alarmed some Russian analysts .

For Putin, the WikiLeaks emails were a godsend no matter who won. WikiLeaks revealed exploitable flaws in US democracy: US elections are decided by insiders who are doing the bidding of Soros, Goldman Sachs, and the Saudis. The establishment rigs elections against peoples candidates, like Bernie Sanders. If critics complain about the enrichment of Putins inner circle, he only need rehash the antics of the Clinton Foundation. If we complain about his state-run media, Putin need only talk about the cozy relationship between the mainstream media and the Democratic Party.

How Would Collusion Work?

Those, who believe in quid-pro-quo collusion and coordination, must explain how this would work. The noted political theorist, Bruce Bueno De Mesquita , has explained why it is so difficult to organize successful conspiracies between parties with different goals. A Trump-Putin conspiracy would be particularly unlikely.

Any such coordination deal would likely fall apart before it got off the ground. Trump, albeit a novice politician, would understand that Putin lacks the means to influence a US election covering 538 electoral college votes and a total of almost $2 billion in campaign contributions. Trump would know that Putins foreign news media have a tiny footprint in the US and that Russias negative image could cost him votes. Although outraised by Clinton, Trump had discovered ways to leverage free broadcasting and presidential debates. In sum, Putin had little to offer. If he won, Trump could renege on his promises anyway.

The first few months of the Trump administration have shown that Trump is not acting in Putins interests. His appointments to key foreign policy positions are of strong anti-Putin advocates. He has freed American drilling from the restraints put on it by Obama and would have been continued by Clinton. There is no sign that the sanctions will be lifted. If Putin had done his best to help Trump win, Trump has reneged and would have to face Putins revenge .

Have You No Shame?

Joseph Welch, the lawyer for the army in the McCarthy-Army hearings brought the McCarthy Era to an end by asking McCarthy, who had gratuitously ruined the reputation of a young colleague: Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? We are beginning to see the use of these guilt-by-association practices. Late last week, the media identified a person of interest within the Trump administration. On Sunday, he was outed as Michael Caputo, a Trump campaign worker with links to Russia. Is the media on a witch hunt against anyone with some sort of Russia connection and Trump?

This hits home: Over a 45-year career as a scholar specializing in Soviet and Russian economics, I have extensive ties to Russia. I participated in Congresss review of USSR intelligence failures. At the Hoover Institution, I have associated with persons on the Trump transition team, a major cabinet appointee, and I was briefly a foreign policy advisor to another Trump cabinet appointee. I have published several skeptical Clinton opinion pieces and have deigned to defend Trump on occasion. Am I next?

Paul Roderick Gregory is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, at Stanford, and energy fellow and Cullen Professor of Economics at the University of Houston. He is also a research professor at the German Institute for Economic Research Berlin. His specialties are Russia and Comparative Economics.

www.paulgregorysblog.blogspot.com
Sickening Cowardice - Theresa May Must be Held to Account on the Plight of Yemens Children

By Daniel Read

May 27, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The death count from the terrorist attack on Manchesters now sits at twenty two. Over sixty others wounded. The sad toll from an act of shockingly brutal callousness now seems to have thankfully stopped increasing.

True to form various politicians and media pundits have swooped in to give their verdict, some more sincere than others. The notoriously unpleasant Katie Hopkins, having called for a  final solution  for British Islam, is among the worst. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyns plea to actually care for those most aggrieved, now and in the future, is perhaps the most genuine.

Yet its Prime Minister Mays verdict that is of particular interest. Branding the intentional targeting of children as sickening cowardice (it is) she seems to have made a point only to trip and fall. Mays government is behind a veritable upsurge in Britains arms trade, seeing weapons exports continue to end up in the hands of a government known for targeting civilians, kids included. I am of course referring to Saudi Arabias war on Yemen.

This isnt political point scoring. Saudi Arabias bombardment of Yemen has killed swathes of civilians, something which will have undoubtedly involved the use of British armaments. The plight of children in this deplorable scenario has been well documented , with the casualties of war being only one side to the story. As of 2015 UNICEF believed that well over three hundred thousand Yemeni children faced malnutrition. In 2017 that figure inflated to over two million. Around a third of all civilian casualties are believed to be minors, with a reputed average of six child deaths per day.

The Prime Ministers comments are thus problematic, at the very least. For May to remain steadfast on selling weapons to Riyadh whilst denouncing violence elsewhere is just base hypocrisy. The question is, will this be addressed?

Most likely not. At the risk of sounding cynical, Britains relationship with Saudi Arabia is entrenched and long-lasting , with the UK having been a staunch supporter of the House of Saud even prior to their ultimate emergence at the head of state power. The UK has also made serious inroads into the global arms trade , commanding some four point five percent of the total world market. Weapons are big money. With the British economy already struggling over Brexit, there seems to be little chance of Mays government thinking twice over a long-lasting and distinctly lucrative relationship.

I almost feel a tad uncomfortable writing about this. Chances are Ive ruffled some feathers already. When people are already in shock it seems almost unfair to present additional horrors for consideration. Many in the UK would argue that this is a time for unity rather than renewed dissension. The decision by the major parties to call off campaigning for next months general election is a case in point.

Yet this is another issue. The additional horrors cited above are no revelation for those actually experiencing them. The deplorable suffering and death of British children is no reason to suddenly fall silent on the suffering of those located elsewhere, especially when those commenting on the former (such as May) have a hand in exacerbating the latter. Such a position is morally indefensible. Lives are of value, regardless of their location of birth or the politics at hand. The media and indeed everyone else would do well to remember that.

 Newsworthy?

Why mention the press? The fact is that the long running suffering of kids in Yemen has received a far, far lesser share of media attention than what happened recently in Manchester. Pointing this out will again no doubt make some quite angry. Yet it matters. Indeed, theres a sinister edge to this that requires investigation.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

I recall hearing back when I was a student that, when it came to the news agenda of the British press, the life of one British citizen is worth a thousand Filipinos. This wasnt meant to be condoned. In fact the person telling me this was clearly not too happy. Yet the notion does contain a hard truth in terms of how the mainstream press shape the news and decide what is or what is not newsworthy in the eyes of their prospective audience. The reality is that to a great many some deaths do in fact matter more. The scanty reporting and muted response to Saudi Arabias bombardment of Yemen is a prime example.

Other journalists have testified to this in quite dramatic terms. William Dowell was himself an American reporter present during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Dowell ran into problems of his own, soon deciding that his editors operated using a calculus of death to determine the newsworthiness of a story. In Dowells view this literally meant placing greater or less value on human lives, with a cynical rating system ensuring that one American life was worth fifteen Frenchmen, which were worth twenty thousand Africans, which might be worth a million Asians.

Does this cynical ratings system operate now? Those who claim it doesnt would do well to pay attention to other largely unreported calamities, not just in terms of the children of Yemen but also the record number of kids killed in Afghanistan this year. I dont think Im being unreasonable or callous in pointing out that such matters have gone largely unnoticed even prior to recent events at home. Judging from this simple revelation it seems Dowells calculus of death is still evident. The unwillingness of the press to bring Theresa May to account over her denouncement of sickening cowardice whilst she herself has a hand in the death of children elsewhere is a case in point.

This just isnt good enough. Journalists have weighty obligations, something that requires us to entertain a notion of newsworthiness that goes beyond cynically calculating the value of human lives in accordance with what might presumably be of more or less interest to a specific audience. Theresa Mays comments require us to scrutinise her own policies, especially in regards to the very evident fact that they have brought hardship and death to people elsewhere.

To obfuscate here would be to kowtow to a news agenda that all too often tends to downplay the sufferings of those outside of the western world, as if such matters are (or should) be forever removed from the vaunted public interest. This is unacceptable. The actions of those in power should always be scrutinised, even when such scrutiny may prove unpopular.

The big picture matters. Speaking the truth is a must. And the sad truth is that Saudi Arabias own acts of sickening cowardice against children is not something May is in a hurry to condemn. Chances are it wont even occur to her. Calls for her to do so will be met with silence. This need to change.
The Obsession With Russian Goes Back Decades

By Jacob G. Hornberger

May 27, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Just consider the accusations that have been leveled at the president:

He has betrayed the Constitution, which he swore to uphold. He has committed treason by befriending Russia and other enemies of America. He has subjugated Americas interests to Moscow. He has been caught in fantastic lies to the American people, including personal ones, like his previous marriage and divorce.

President Donald Trump?

No, President John F. Kennedy.

What lots of Americans dont realize, because it was kept secret from them for so long, is that what Trump has been enduring from the national-security establishment, the mainstream press, and the American right-wing for his outreach to, or collusion with, Russia pales compared to what Kennedy had to endure for committing the heinous crime of reaching out to Russia and the rest of the Soviet Union in a spirit of peace and friendship.

They hated him for it. They abused him. They insulted him. They belittled him. They called him naive. They said he was a traitor.

All of the nasties listed above, plus more, were contained in an advertisement and a flier that appeared in Dallas on the morning of November 22, 1963, the day that Kennedy was assassinated. They can be read here and here .

Ever since then, some people have tried to make it seem like the advertisement and flier expressed only the feelings of extreme right-wingers in Dallas. Thats nonsense. They expressed the deeply held convictions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, the conservative movement, and many people within the mainstream media and Washington establishment.

In June 1963, Kennedy threw down the gauntlet in a speech he delivered at American University, now entitled the  Peace Speech . It was one of the most remarkable speeches ever delivered by an American president. It was broadcast all across the communist Soviet Union, the first time that had ever been done.

In the speech, Kennedy announced that he was bringing an end to the Cold War and the mindset of hostility toward Russia and the rest of the Soviet Union that the U.S. national-security establishment had inculcated in the minds of the American people ever since the end of World War II.

It was a radical notion and, as Kennedy well understood, a very dangerous one insofar as he was concerned. The Cold War against Americas World War II partner and ally had been used to convert the United States from a limited-government republic to a national-security state, one consisting of a vast, permanent military establishment, the CIA, and the NSA, along with their broad array of totalitarian-like powers, such as assassination, regime change, coups, invasions, torture, surveillance, and the like. Everyone was convinced that the Cold War  and the so-called threat from the international communist conspiracy that was supposedly based in Russia  would last forever, which would naturally mean permanent and ever-increasing largess for what Kennedys predecessor, President Dwight Eisenhower, had called the military-industrial complex.

Suddenly, Kennedy was upending the Cold War apple cart by threatening to establish a relationship of friendship and peaceful coexistence with Russia, the rest of the Soviet Union, and Cuba.

Kennedy knew full well that his actions were considered by some to be a grave threat to national security. After all, dont forget that it was Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenzs outreach to the Soviets in a spirit of friendship that got him ousted from power by the CIA and presumably targeted for assassination as part of that regime-change operation. It was Cuban leader Fidel Castros outreach to the Soviets in a spirit of friendship that made him the target of Pentagon and CIA regime-change operations, including through invasion, assassination, and sanctions. It was Congo leaders Patrice Lamumbas outreach to the Soviets in a spirit of friendship that got him targeted for assassination by the CIA. It would be Chilean President Salvador Allendes outreach to the Soviets in a spirit of friendship that got him targeted in a CIA-instigated coup in Chile that resulted in Allendes death.

Kennedy wasnt dumb. He knew what he was up against. He had heard Eisenhower warn the American people in his Farewell Address about the dangers to their freedom and democratic way of life posed by the military establishment. After Kennedy had read the novel Seven Days in May, which posited the danger of a military coup in America, he asked friends in Hollywood to make it into a movie to serve as a warning to the American people. In the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Pentagon and the CIA were exerting extreme pressure on Kennedy to bomb and invade Cuba, his brother Bobby told a Soviet official with whom he was negotiating that the president was under a severe threat of being ousted in a coup. And, of course, Kennedy was fully mindful of what had happened to Arbenz, Lamumba, and Castro for doing what Kennedy was now doing  reaching out to the Soviets in a spirit of friendship.

In the eyes of the national-security establishment, one simply did not reach out to Russia, Cuba, or any other enemy of America. Doing so, in their eyes, made Kennedy an appeaser, betrayer, traitor, and a threat to national security.

Kennedy didnt stop with his Peace Speech. He also began negotiating a treaty with the Soviets to end above-ground nuclear testing, an action that incurred even more anger and ire within the Pentagon and the CIA. Yes, thats right  they said that national security depended on the U.S. governments continuing to do what they object to North Korea doing today  conducting nuclear tests, both above ground and below ground.

Kennedy mobilized public opinion to overcome fierce opposition in the military, CIA, Congress, and the Washington establishment to secure passage of his Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

He then ordered a partial withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, and told close aides that he would order a complete pull-out after winning the 1964 election. In the eyes of the U.S. national-security establishment, leaving Vietnam subject to a communist takeover would pose a grave threat to national security here in the United States.

Worst of all, from the standpoint of the national-security establishment, Kennedy began secret personal negotiations with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban leader Fidel Castro to bring an end to Americas Cold War against them. That was considered to be a grave threat to national security as well as a grave threat to all the military and intelligence largess that depended on the Cold War.

By this time, Kennedys war with the national-security establishment was in full swing. He had already vowed to tear the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds after its perfidious conduct in the Bay of Pigs fiasco. By this time, he had also lost all confidence in the military after it proposed an all-out surprise nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, much as Japan had done at Pearl Harbor, after the infamous plan known as Operation Northwoods, which proposed terrorist attacks and plane hijackings carried out by U.S. agents posing as Cuban communists, so as to provide a pretext for invading Cuba, and after the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the military establishment accused him of appeasement and treason for agreeing not to ever invade Cuba again.

What Kennedy didnt know was that his secret negotiations with the Soviet and Cuban communists werent so secret after all. As it turns out, it was a virtual certainty that the CIA (or NSA) was listening in on telephone conversations of Cuban officials at the UN in New York City, much as the CIA and NSA still do today, during which they would have learned what the president was secretly doing behind their backs.

Kennedys feelings toward the people who were calling him a traitor for befriending Moscow and other enemies of America? In response to the things that were said in that advertisement and flier about him being a traitor for befriending Russia, he told his wife Jackie on the morning he was assassinated: We are heading into nut country today. Of course, as he well knew, the nuts werent located only in Dallas. They were also situated throughout the U.S. national-security establishment.
You Only Hate Assad Because Your TV Told You To



By Caitlin Johnstone

What weve been undergoing to a large extent is a form of psychological abuse, actually, by very narcissistic, hegemonic governments and officials for a very long time. Its a form of gas lighting where actually our own faith in our ability to judge a situation, and to some extent even our own identity, has been eroded and damaged to the point where were effectively accepting their version of reality. ~ Vanessa Beeley

May 27, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The only thing keeping westerners from seeing through the lies that theyve been told about Syria is the unquestioned assumption that their own government could not possibly be that evil. They have no trouble believing that a foreigner from a Muslim-majority country could be gratuitously using chemical weapons on children at the most strategically disastrous time possible and bombing his own civilians for no discernible reason other than perhaps sheer sexual sadism, but the possibility that their government is making those things up in order to manufacture consent for regime change is ruled out before any critical analysis of the situation even begins.

Despite the evil and unforgivable invasion of Iraq having happened a mere fourteen years ago, sold to the public based on nothing but lies and mass media propaganda, mainstream America is unwilling to consider the possibility that this is happening again. Unwilling to turn and face the implications of what this would mean for their worldview, their self-image, and the entire system theyve developed for examining and interpreting their experience of their lives up until this point.

Independent investigative journalist Vanessa Beeley has emerged from her latest trip to Syria burning with a new kind of fire. Theres something in her voice and the posture she now takes which conveys a new kind of authority, a sense that she has now seen enough and gathered enough evidence to observe unmasked the full picture of this monster of deceit shes been fighting.

In her recent phenomenal interview on The Sane Progressive , Beeley shreds the entire work of fiction were being fed, from small details which show that the White Helmets are literally nothing other than Al-Qaeda members wearing special hats, to a breakdown of the way NGOs are used by government foundations and plutocrats to help construct propaganda narratives, all the way up to a big-picture analysis of the general unwholesome dynamic that gave rise to these despicable manipulations in the first place.

If you can set aside one hour of free time in the next few days, please give it to this important interview. If you have more time, watch it again, take notes, pause frequently, and research what shes saying. Youll never find such a densely-packed arsenal of weaponry for use in our media war against Americas unelected power establishment.

Beeleys statements about the White Helmets (who, despite their ubiquitous image in the west, nobody in East Aleppo had even heard of during her time there last year) have now been backed by none other than award-winning journalist John Pilger, who called them a complete propaganda construct in a recent interview.

I have lost all patience with people who involve themselves in the conversation about the current Syrian administration by acknowledging the existence of western lies and propaganda about Syria and yet still maintaining that Assad is an evil dictator who needs to be deposed somehow.

This is an astonishingly common perspective in online discourse about Syria even among people who are relatively woke to whats going on; they see it as the more moderate and well-reasoned position to simultaneously acknowledge that the US power establishment is known to use lies, propaganda and false flags to manufacture public consent for devastating acts of military violence, and also that Assad is horrible and evil.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Theres this odd, unquestioned assumption that the most honest position to espouse when two narratives contradict each other is to stand right in between them. This is a logic fail; it is a result of bad thinking. The midway point between two positions is not always the most truthful ground; when slavery was being debated, the correct position between slavery is great and slavery is evil was not slavery is okay sometimes. The correct position between kill all Jews and dont kill any Jews is not kill some of the Jews. The correct position between Our leaders are lying to us about Syria to manufacture consent for a regime change invasion and Assad is an evil dictator who needs to be deposed is not Well theyre both kinda true, its complicated .

In reality, we cannot know with any degree of certainty how good or bad a leader Assad is. Theres too much smoke in the air, too much propaganda and deliberate deceit clouding our vision to get a clear picture of the complete political dynamic of an entire government. No reasonable, clear-thinking person can justifiably say with any degree of confidence that Assad is an evil dictator. There is no way to know.

What we can know with absolute certainty is that we are being lied to about Syria by western governments and the mass media propaganda machines which promote their oligarchic agendas. The mountains of evidence that are coming out against the White Helmets, the fact that Amnesty International is the same organization that promoted the false Nayirah testimony which was used to manufacture consent for the Gulf War, the fact that CNN recently staged a fake interview featuring a seven year-old girl who cant speak English reading scripted anti-Assad propaganda to an unsuspecting audience; there is enough there to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the same power establishment that lied to us about Iraq is now lying to us about its neighbor Syria.

The only question is whether or not you have the emotional and intellectual integrity to face this reality.

We can also know that Assad is neither stupid nor insane. If you havent seen the interview he gave last month, check out the above video in which he tells his side of the story in perfect English. This is not the slobbering madman were asked to believe launched a sarin gas attack on his own civilians for no reason at the most inopportune time possible. Nor is he the strategic brute who gasses children to keep his citizenry fearing that theres no limit to the savagery hell inflict upon them as in the narrative being promulgated by corporate media , since he tells them that hed ever do such a thing in the interview.

It is possible that he is corrupt, it is possible that he has been needlessly oppressive in some ways; theres no way to know in the current environment. But he is definitely neither stupid nor insane, as he would have needed to have been to have launched the Idlib gas attacks when he is alleged to have.

As the interviewer Debbie Lusignan said to Beeley

Even if people are having a hard time because there is such a bombardment of disinformation and its very hard to sort it out and the alternative media is being suppressed and censored, basic common sense says that these are the same media outlets and the same political establishment structures that have been lying to us for all these other atrocities that we always find out after the fact were based on disinformation and manipulation and false information, said Debbie. So at this point, the American people themselves need to take some responsibility in terms of understanding that we have had such a history of this being the status quo, the way that the United States justifies and launches wars.

Our premise should be  theyre going to lie to us. And our burden of real proof should be through the roof.

Is it possible that there is a power establishment governing your country which is so evil that it would engineer the deaths of children in a false flag attack to manufacture consent for a strategically valuable regime change its been seeking for decades ? Its uncomfortable to consider this possibility.

Much easier to believe theres a depraved nutcase foreigner hurling chemical weapons and barrel bombs at civilians willy nilly who needs to be taken out by Good Guys. Much more difficult to do the rigorous intellectual and emotional work needed to escape from the institutional brainwashing Vanessa Beeley describes in her article  Gaslighting: State Mind Control and Abusive Narcissism  and do the necessary research to get a clear picture of what is going on. But you undeniably have the ability to make that choice, here and now as you finish this article.

Are you the sort of person who can face uncomfortable truths and revise their worldview accordingly, or the type who compartmentalizes and avoids them for the sake of cognitive comfort?

Step into the light.
Home Syrias Assad Just Explained How The U.S. Really Works By Brandon Turbeville May 27, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - While Americans endlessly battle each other over seemingly important choices like Clinton and Trump or Democrats and Republicans, it is clear that the majority of the population has little understanding of how the U.S. government operates. Yet, for those who pay the price for the apathy and confusion of the general population of the West, it often becomes stunningly obvious that neither presidents nor political parties in America represent any discernible difference in the ongoing agenda of the Deep State and the rest of the oligarchical apparatus. Indeed, that agenda always marches forward regardless of who is president or which political party is in control. Syrias president Bashar al-Assad has thus had the unique position of not only being on the receiving end of American imperialism by virtue of not only being a citizen of a target country but also by being the head of the country, steeped in politics in his own right and thus understanding how certain factors come into play at the national level. With that in mind, it is worth pointing out a recent statement made by Assad during the course of an interview regarding the opinion of the Syrian government on Donald Trump. Assad stated , The American President has no policies. There are policies drawn by the American institutions which control the American regime which are the intelligence agencies, the Pentagon, the big arms and oil companies, and financial institutions, in addition to some other lobbies which influence American decision-making. The American President merely implements these policies, and the evidence is that when Trump tried to move on a different track, during and after his election campaign, he couldnt. He came under a ferocious attack. As we have seen in the past few week, he changed his rhetoric completely and subjected himself to the terms of the deep American state, or the deep American regime. Thats why it is unrealistic and a complete waste of time to make an assessment of the American Presidents foreign policy, for he might say something; but he ultimately does what these institutions dictate to him. This is not new. This has been ongoing American policy for decades. Assad also addressed the Western medias portrayal of him as a devil who kills and oppresses his own people. He stated, Yes, from a Western perspective, you are now sitting with the devil. This is how they market it in the West. But this is always the case when a state, a government, or an individual do not subjugate themselves to their interests, and do not work for their interests against the interests of their people. These have been the Western colonial demands throughout history. They say that this evil person is killing the good people. Okay, if he is killing the good people, who have been supporting him for the past six years? Neither Russia, nor Iran, nor any friendly state can support an individual at the expense of the people. This is impossible. If he is killing the people, how come the people support him? This is the contradictory Western narrative; and thats why we shouldnt waste our time on Western narratives because they have been full of lies throughout history, and not something new. When asked about the allegations made by the United States that the Syrian government has retained some stocks of chemical weapons, Assad responded by saying, You and I remember well what happened in 2003, when Colin Powell showed the world in the United Nations what he claimed to be the evidence which proves that President Saddam Hussein possessed chemical, nuclear, and other weapons. However, when the American forces invaded Iraq, it was proven that all he said was a lie. Powell himself admitted that the American intelligence agencies deceived him with that false evidence. That wasnt the first nor will it be the last time. This means that if you want to be a politician in the United States, you have to be a genuine liar. This is what characterizes American politicians: they lie on a daily basis, and say something and do something different. Thats why we shouldnt believe what the Pentagon, or any other American institution says, because they say things which serve their policies, not things which reflect reality and the facts on the ground. One can scarcely argue with Assads portrayal of the U.S. government and the position of the presidency in 2017. After all, Donald Trump campaigned on keeping America out of foreign wars and the affairs of other countries as well as the WW3 policy of Hillary Clinton. However, not even four months into his presidency, Trump launched 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria and the United States struck a Syrian military convoy en route to liberate the southeast of the country from terrorists only days ago. The Trump administration has repeatedly pushed the envelope even further in Syria and provoked fears that the U.S. aggression in the region and in Asia could result in a confrontation with a nuclear power much in the same way that Hillary Clinton advocated for during the campaign. While Americans remain more divided than ever and as they ceaselessly argue over which party and political figurehead is better, the war machine marches onward not only in Syria but also in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere. If Americans are not capable of understanding that there is more to the system in which they live than two pathetic political parties and clownish presidential personalities, that war machine will march itself clear across the globe until it comes back home. The transcript of the interview with Bashar al-Assad is included below in this article. Assad addresses the United States involvement in the Syrian crisis, the Israeli role, and the attempt to destabilize Venezuela. teleSUR (TS): Mr. President, thank you for receiving us. President Bashar al-Assad (BA): I welcome you and teleSUR TV in Syria. You are welcome. TS: Lets start directly with the latest developments. Russia has warned that there might be other alleged chemical attacks. What are the precautionary measures that Syria has taken in order to prevent that? BA: First of all, terrorists have used chemical materials more than once in the past several years and in more than one region throughout Syria. We have asked the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to send specialized missions to investigate what happened. And every time, the United States obstructed these investigations or prevented sending such missions in order to carry out such investigations. This is what happened last week when we called for investigations over the alleged use of chemical weapons in the town of Khan Sheikhoun. The United States and its allies prevented OPCW from taking that decision. As far as we are concerned, we still insist on an investigation, and we and our Russian and Iranian allies are trying to persuade OPCW to send a team to investigate what happened, because if it doesnt, the United States might repeat the same charade by fabricating the use of false chemical weapons in another place in Syria in order to justify military intervention in support of the terrorists. On the other hand, we continue to fight the terrorists, because we know that the objective of all these American and Western allegations concerning chemical weapons is to support terrorists in Syria. Thats why we will continue to fight these terrorists. TS: But the Pentagon says that Syria has chemical weapons. Is it true that Syria has kept one percent of the weapons it has committed itself to hand over and destroy four years ago? BA: You and I remember well what happened in 2003, when Colin Powell showed the world in the United Nations what he claimed to be the evidence which proves that President Saddam Hussein possessed chemical, nuclear, and other weapons. However, when the American forces invaded Iraq, it was proven that all he said was a lie. Powell himself admitted that the American intelligence agencies deceived him with that false evidence. That wasnt the first nor will it be the last time. This means that if you want to be a politician in the United States, you have to be a genuine liar. This is what characterizes American politicians: they lie on a daily basis, and say something and do something different. Thats why we shouldnt believe what the Pentagon, or any other American institution says, because they say things which serve their policies, not things which reflect reality and the facts on the ground. TS: What is the objective behind Syrias desire to acquire the latest generation of anti-missile systems from Russia? BA: We are already in a state of war with Israel; and Israel has been committing aggressions on the Arab states surrounding it since its creation in 1948. So, its natural that we should have such systems. However, the terrorists, acting on Israeli, American, Turkish, Qatari, and Saudi instructions have destroyed some of these systems. And it is natural for us to negotiate with the Russians now with a view to strengthening these systems, whether to face any Israeli threats from the air or the threats of American missiles. That has become a real possibility after the recent American aggression on al-Shairat airbase in Syria. TS: What is the role that Israel, in particular, has played in this war against Syria? We know that Israeli attacks against the positions of the Syrian Arab Army have continued in recent weeks. BA: It is playing this role in different forms; first, by direct aggression, particularly by using warplanes, artillery, or missiles against Syrian Army positions. Second, it is supporting terrorists in two ways: first by providing direct support in the form of weapons, and second by providing logistic support, i.e. allowing them to conduct military exercises in the areas it controls. It also provides them with medical assistance in its hospitals. These are not mere claims or assumptions. They are facts, verified and published on the internet which you can easily access as proven evidence of the Israeli role in support of the terrorists in Syria. TS: How do you assess the current policy of Donald Trump in the world, and in Syria in particular? BA: The American President has no policies. There are policies drawn by the American institutions which control the American regime which are the intelligence agencies, the Pentagon, the big arms and oil companies, and financial institutions, in addition to some other lobbies which influence American decision-making. The American President merely implements these policies, and the evidence is that when Trump tried to move on a different track, during and after his election campaign, he couldnt. He came under a ferocious attack. As we have seen in the past few week, he changed his rhetoric completely and subjected himself to the terms of the deep American state, or the deep American regime. Thats why it is unrealistic and a complete waste of time to make an assessment of the American Presidents foreign policy, for he might say something; but he ultimately does what these institutions dictate to him. This is not new. This has been ongoing American policy for decades. TS: The American administration has opened a new front now with North Korea. Is it possible that this will affect the current American approach towards Syria? BA: No, the United States always seeks to control all the states of the world without exception. It does not accept allies, regardless of whether they are developed states as those in the Western bloc, or other states of the world. Every state should be an American satellite. That is why what is happening to Syria, to Korea, to Iran, to Russia, and maybe to Venezuela now, aims at re-imposing American hegemony on the world, because they believe that this hegemony is under threat now, which consequently threatens the interests of American economic and political elites. TS: Russias role in the Syrian conflict is very clear; but what is the role of China, this other great global power? BA: There is great cooperation with Russia and China in terms of political action or political positions. Viewpoints are similar, and there is cooperation in the Security Council. As you know, the United States and its allies have tried several times to use the Security Council in order to legitimize the role of the terrorists in Syria and to legitimize their role in the illegitimate and aggressive intervention in Syria. Thats why Russia and China stood together, and Chinas role, with the Russian role, was essential in this regard. Moreover, some of the terrorists are Chinese nationals who came to Syria through Turkey. They pose a threat to us in Syria, but they pose an equal threat to China. China is aware of the fact that terrorism in any place in the world moves to any other place; and consequently, whether these terrorists are of Chinese or any other nationality, they might return to China and strike there as they have done in Europe, in Russia, and in Syria. We are now cooperating with China on security issues. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter TS: Western and American media talk now about moderate terrorists and extremist terrorists. In reality, is there a difference between the two groups? BA: For them, a moderate terrorist is that who carries out acts of beheading and slaughter but without carrying al-Qaeda flag, or without saying Allah Akbar, while an extremist terrorist is that who carries the flag and says Allah Akbar when carrying out acts of beheading and slaughter. This is the only difference. For the United States, all those who serve its political agenda against other states are classified as moderate opposition and not as extremist and terrorist, even if they commit the worst acts of terrorism. They are freedom fighters and not fighters in the cause of destruction and sabotage. TS: There have been six years of war in Syria. What is Syrias position now, particularly in the absence of statistics about human losses? BA: The most painful loss in any war is human loss, the suffering which is inflicted any family when it loses one of its members; for the whole family is scarred for life. This is the natural feeling in a region like ours, where family ties are very strong. Nothing compensates that loss, and nothing exceeds the pain it causes. There are of course huge economic and infrastructure losses, but this infrastructure has been built for a little over 50 years by Syrian hands, not foreign hands. And we have the capacity to rebuild this infrastructure. The same goes for the economy, for the Syrian economy is based on Syrian capabilities first and foremost; and our economic ties with the West have always been limited. When the war is over, it will all be rebuilt. We do not have a problem with that. It is true that it takes time, but it is not impossible. So, the greatest and most painful loss for Syria is the human loss. TS: Of the 86 states constituting the alliance waging war on Syria, are there any that would take part in the process of reconstruction? BA: No, of course not. First of all, they do not want to rebuild Syria, but some companies in those countries, if they see that the wheel of the economy and rebuilding has started to turn, and since they are opportunists, they are certainly prepared to come and have a share of rebuilding Syria in order to make money. The Syrian people will certainly not accept this. All the states which stood against the Syrian people and took part in the destruction and sabotage will never take part in rebuilding Syria. That is final. TS: But how was life during these past six years in this besieged country? BA: Life has certainly been tough to every Syrian citizen. The terrorists have destroyed the infrastructure. In certain areas, electricity is on for one or two hours, and there are areas in which theres no electricity at all. There are areas in which electricity has been cut off for more than two or three years. People dont know television, children do not go to school, there are no medical clinics or hospitals, and nobody treats the ill. They live a prehistoric existence thanks to the terrorists. There are areas which did not have water for years, like what happened in Aleppo, which did not have water for many long years. Sometimes, they use polluted water for drinking, washing up, and other purposes. Life has been very tough. TS: One of the main targets during these years has been the person of Bashar al-Assad. Have you ever felt fear during these years? BA: When you are in the middle of the war, you do not feel fear. I believe this is something common to all people. But you have a general concern for the homeland; for what is the value of being safe, as an individual, as a citizen, while the country is under threat? You cannot feel safe. I believe that the feeling we have in Syria in general is concern for the future of Syria rather than personal fear. The evidence is that mortar shells fall anywhere, on any house; nevertheless, you see that life continues in Syria. The will to life is much stronger than personal fear. As a President, I take strength from the feelings of the general public, not from my personal feelings. I do not live in isolation from the others. TS: Western media have been waging a media campaign against you. Am I sitting now with this devil portrayed by the media? BA: Yes, from a Western perspective, you are now sitting with the devil. This is how they market it in the West. But this is always the case when a state, a government, or an individual do not subjugate themselves to their interests, and do not work for their interests against the interests of their people. These have been the Western colonial demands throughout history. They say that this evil person is killing the good people. Okay, if he is killing the good people, who have been supporting him for the past six years? Neither Russia, nor Iran, nor any friendly state can support an individual at the expense of the people. This is impossible. If he is killing the people, how come the people support him? This is the contradictory Western narrative; and thats why we shouldnt waste our time on Western narratives because they have been full of lies throughout history, and not something new. TS: What can Syria, too, do in order to put an end to this war ahead of the sixth round of Geneva talks? BA: We said that there are two axes: the first is fighting the terrorists; and this is not subject to any discussion, and we dont have any other choice in dealing with the terrorists except fighting them. The other axis, the political one, includes two points: first, dialogue with the different political forces over the future of Syria; and second: local reconciliations, in the sense that we negotiate with the terrorists in a certain village or city, depending on each case separately. The objective of this reconciliation is for them to lay down their weapons and receive an amnesty from the state, and consequently return to their normal life. This approach has been implemented during the past three or four years, has succeeded, and is ongoing now. These are the axes which we can work on in order to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. TS: From the perspective of a country in a state of war, how do you see the situation in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, where a number of acts very similar to those which caused the conflict in Syria have emerged? BA: Of course, they should be similar, because the party planning and implementing these acts is the same. It is the United States as a maestro and the Western states constituting the choir. Latin America in general, and Venezuela in particular, used to be the backyard of the United States for decades. Through that backyard, Western states, particularly North America, or the United States, used to secure their economic interests through the influence of the big companies in your countries. Military or political coups in Latin America during the 1960s and the 1970s aimed at perpetuating American hegemony over the interests of your people. But Latin America freed itself during the past twenty years and gained its independent decision-making. Governments started defending the interests of their peoples, which is unacceptable to the United States. Thats why they are exploiting whats happening in the world, starting with the orange revolution in Ukraine up to the recent coup there a few years ago, and what is taking place in the Arab countries, in Libya, Syria, Yemen and others, in order to implement it in Latin America. They started in Venezuela with the objective of overthrowing the national government, and it will spread over to other Latin American countries. TS: Some people, particularly ordinary citizens in Latin America, think that a scenario similar to whats happening in Syria could be repeated in Latin America. What do you think? BA: This is true. Thats why I say since the party planning and implementing is the same, its natural that the scenario is not only similar, but identical. Some local elements might be different. In Syria, they said in the beginning that there were peaceful demonstrations, but in fact, when these peaceful demonstrations did not spread wide enough, they implanted individuals who fired on both sides, on the police and the demonstrations, and there were casualties. They started to say that the state is killing the people, and this scenario is being repeated everywhere. The same scenario will be repeated in Venezuela. Thats why the Venezuelan people have to be very careful. There is a difference between opposing the government and being against the homeland, a huge difference. On the other hand, no foreign state can be more concerned about Venezuelas interests than the Venezuelan people themselves. Do not believe the West, for its not concerned either about human rights or about the interests of states. It is only concerned about the interests of part of the governing elites in its countries. And these governing elites are not necessarily politicians, they are economic companies too. TS: Im talking about Latin America, Venezuela, the Bolivarian Revolution which was your strong ally. How do you remember the late Hugo Chavez? BA: President Chavez was a world-class distinguished personality. When we talk about Latin America, we immediately remember the late President Chavez and the late leader Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban Revolution. They are distinguished personalities who changed the face of Latin America. But of course the leader I knew personally and whom I met more than once and had a personal relationship with was President Chavez, when he visited us in Syria and I visited him in Venezuela. He visited us twice. When you meet him, you can tell that he is the son of the people. You do not feel that you are meeting a president or a politician, but a person who lived the suffering of his people. Everything he said, and every minute of his time, was about the details related to the people of his country. And when he talked with a head of another state, or an official from another state, he always thought of how to create common interests which reflect positively on his people. He was a real and strongly charismatic leader. And he was an extremely genuine person. TS: They demonized Chavez before; and it is clear that it is Nicolas Maduros turn now. BA: Of course, as long as President Maduro is walking the same patriotic line, the line of Venezuelas independence, and acting in the best interest of his countrys people, it is natural that he should be the first target of the United States. This is self-evident. TS: How does Bashar al-Assad envision the end of the war? BA: Today, foreign intervention in Syria aside, the problem is not complicated, for the majority of the Syrians are tired of the war and want a solution. They want to return to safety and stability. There is a dialogue between us as Syrians, there are meetings, and people live with each other, i.e. there is no real barrier. The problem now is that with every step we make towards a solution and regaining stability, the terrorist gangs receive more money and weapons in order to blow the situation up. Thats why I can say that the solution should be stopping outside support to the terrorists. As far as we are concerned in Syria, reconciliation among all Syrians, and forgetting and forgiving all that happened in the past throughout this war, is the way to restore safety to Syria. Rest assured that Syria will be then much stronger than it was before the war. TS: Are you prepared to have reconciliation with those who carried arms against the Syrian people? BA: Of course, and this has actually happened in many and different places, and some of them have fought side by side with the Syrian Army, some fell martyrs, and some returned to their cities and live in the part under government control. We dont have a problem. Tolerance is essential to end any war. And we are proceeding on that track. TS: Mr. President, what is your message to Latin America and the world? BA: Keep your independence. We, in the Arab region, are celebrating independence in more than one country. But this independence used to mean, in a number of countries in the region, the mere evacuation of occupying forces. But real independence happens when you are in possession of your national decision-making. For us, Latin America was a model of independence, in the sense that occupiers were evacuated, in case there were foreign forces, but at the same time there was national decision-making, openness, and democracy. You provided the world with an important model. So, keep it, because if the countries of the third and developing world wanted to develop, they should follow the model implemented in Latin America. TS: Mr. President, thank you for giving teleSUR this interview, and thank you for your precious time and all the information that you have provided. BA: Thank you for coming, and once again I welcome you in Damascus. Brandon Turbeville  article archive here  is the author of seven books. Turbevilles radio show Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV . His website is BrandonTurbeville.com He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com . The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has granted a state pardon and freed up to 34 prisoners serving various jail terms at the Calabar prison to mark the 50th anniversary of the state. Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has granted a state pardon and freed up to 34 prisoners serving various jail terms at the Calabar prison to mark the 50th anniversary of the state.

Ayade in his anniversary speech on Saturday in Calabar said that the pardon was in the spirit of the celebration and based on the provision of section 212 of the 1999 Constitution.

He said, In the spirit of the celebration and the powers vested on me by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, I hereby grant clemency to the following category of people serving various jail terms in the state.

They are five people on death row; 16 prisoners serving life sentences; four prisoners who are above 60 years of age; nine convicted criminals who are terminally ill and may likely die any moment if not granted pardon.

Prodding further, the governor stressed the need for the people to always remember past leaders of the state who had made considerable efforts in moving the state to greater heights.

He said that in spite of the great challenges that have bedeviled the state, there was the need for the people to have hope for a greater future.

According to him, the state has excelled in many fields of endeavors including tourism, agriculture, and forest preservation, adding that the annual Calabar Carnival has become the greatest street party in Africa.

I, therefore, call on you to stick together as we look forward to a greater tomorrow,  he said.

As part of the celebration, Ayade had earlier signed into law eight bills passed by the State House of Assembly.

The laws include Administration of Criminal Justice in Cross River; Citizen Right, Cross River Inland Water-ways, Cross River Scrap Regulatory Agency, Cross River Lottery; Hawkers Right; Emergency Management Agency, and House of Assembly Commission.

The governor also called on the people of the state to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammad Buhari.

Source: (Vanguard )
Music mogul, MAVINs boss, Don Jazzy and media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu are currently in Monaco for the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. The music producer joked about meeting Mo in Monaco since Banky W has refused to show him the way to get a wife.

This is in reference to the fact that Banky and his fiancee, Adesua Etomi, played a major role in a production that Mos Ebony Life Films has a stake in.

Banky W has now shared his dating advice to the mogul as requested for. He wrote to him as he wished him good luck
An alarm has been raised by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, on Saturday, over the directive issued to policemen by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on the sit-at-home protest planned by pro-Biafra activists to mark the Biafra Day on May 30.

MASSOB and another pro-Biafra group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, had ordered the closure of markets and restriction of movement, to honour Biafra war heroes and slain activists.

Idris had directed the commissioners of police to place their men on the alert to deal decisively with violent agitators.

MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, said the IGs directive was uncalled for since the sit-at-home protest would be a peaceful exercise.

He alleged that the security agencies had perfected plans to unleash terror on MASSOB and IPOB members on May 30.

He said, It is very bad for the Nigerian police to declare onslaught on the people on May 30 peaceful programme. Are they planning to kill us even in our homes? Do we have any public functions like rally or processions? Our people should be very careful on that day.

Meanwhile, the police in Ebonyi State on Saturday confirmed the arrest of some members of IPOB and MASSOB in various parts of the state for holding an unlawful sensitisation programme.

The police spokesman in the state, DSP Jude Madu, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the suspects were arrested for unlawfully sensitising the public to stay at home on May 30, in observance of the groups anniversary.

They would be charged to court and the command would ensure that they are duly prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

Madu said, IPOB and MASSOB are illegal groups and did not get permission from the police to embark on such an exercise which threatens the peace and security of the state.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The abductors of the six pupils of Igbonla Model College, Epe, Lagos State, have contacted some parents of the victims, demanding N1bn ransom to release them.

According to reports, it was learnt that the parents were contacted on Saturday and allowed to briefly speak with their childr en. While two of them were asked to pay N400m each, another two were told to raise N100m per child.

They were reportedly told to meet with the school authorities and the state government to raise the money.

However, details of ransoms demanded from the remaining parents had yet to be ascertained by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

The gunmen had gained entry into the school premises at about 6am on Thursday through the creek at the back of the college and headed for the boys hostel after breaking the school fence.

They broke the hostel doors, seized 10 senior secondary school pupils and led them to the shore where their boat was parked.

After profiling their family backgrounds, four pupils were released, while the assailants whisked away the remaining six pupils identified as Peter Jonah, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf.

It was reported that the gunmen had written the school authorities three days before the incident, informing them of the attack.

They made good their threat in the dawn after policemen and soldiers, who repelled an attack around 8pm on Wednesday, left the school.

In the wake of the abduction, parents and guardians thronged the college to pick their children and wards, blaming the incident on the poor security in the school.

Some parents of the abducted schoolchildren, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the kidnappers called between 3pm and 5pm on Saturday.

A parent said, They allowed me to speak with my son. I asked him if he was fine and he said yes. They asked me to meet with the school authorities to raise N400m for my child to be released.

Another parent of one of the pupils said they begged the kidnappers that they had only menial jobs when they demanded the same amount.

I said N400m was much, but one of them told me not to worry myself. He said I should meet with the school authorities and the government. I was also allowed to speak with my child. I spoke with two other parents and they said they were asked to pay N100m each, the parent said.

When contacted on the telephone, the school Vice Principal, Academic, who did not disclose his name, said, Im sorry. I cannot volunteer information for you. Im not permitted to speak to you. Thank you.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the police had yet to be informed about the ransoms, adding that investigations were ongoing.

Meanwhile, a resident of Epe, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said security had also been beefed up around the college, following a clash between the security agents and the suspects.

He explained that the clash forced some residents of Ode village, a riverine community in Ogun State which shares border with Epe, to desert the area.

The resident added, I have been to the school twice today (Saturday) and I saw many security men at the roundabout leading to the school. At the school gate, there were armed policemen and soldiers. I also saw some members of vigilance group around the school premises.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
According to an official statement, the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, stated this while addressing participants at a retreat held between May 25 and 26 in Kaduna.

Mr. Abubakar, an air marshal, was quoted as saying in a statement who was represented by the Air Force spokesperson, Olatokunbo Adesanya, we have had an attack on one of our airbases in the recent past, and current intelligence reports keep highlighting the possibility of attacks on our bases.

Mr. Abubakar also spoke on the need for adequate security for air bases.

Read Mr. Adesanyas full statement below.

NAF HOLDS BASE DEFENCE RETREAT, PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has held a retreat on Base Defence Planning. The retreat took place from 25-26 May 2017 at the recently commissioned Ibrahim Alfa Auditorium in the Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna.

The retreat was aimed at further educating relevant stakeholders on the new NAF base defence concept, which is premised on the development and deployment of an air-minded ground defence force, trained and equipped as special light infantry and capable of operating both inside and outside the base perimeter against contemporary threats while leveraging on intelligence and available modern technology.

Consequently, participants at the retreat included base commanders, regiment officers, intelligence officers, air provost officer, all of who have specific roles to play in securing and defending NAF bases.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the retreat, reminded participants that despite its potency, airpower still has limitations, one of which is the issue of security of bases.

According to him, Given the importance of bases in the airpower delivery matrix, it is not inconceivable to expect our adversaries to target our bases. As a matter of fact, we have had an attack on one of our airbases in the recent past, and current intelligence reports keep highlighting the possibility of attacks on our bases.

All these reinforce the need to emplace a robust base defence concept that is capable of providing guidance for responding to a wide range of situations that may threaten our bases.

It would be recalled that the emphasis of the former base defence concept in the NAF was the emplacement of static guards at identified key and vulnerable points.

The current NAF leadership, however, viewed the concept as being no longer tenable and thus introduced the more robust base defence concept into the Service in 2016. Nevertheless, recent evaluations of the Bases revealed that many commanders and bases were yet to imbibe and adopt the tenets of the new base defence concept.

The retreat therefore afforded participants the opportunity to rub minds and exchange ideas and experiences towards engendering effective implementation of the new concept across the NAF. With the conclusion of the retreat, NAF bases are expected to be safer, more secured and more capable of repelling any attack directed at them.

In a related development, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar commissioned the newly built Regiment Training Centre as well as an electronic shooting range, both in Kaduna, on 25 May 2017.

An interesting development was the naming of the Regiment Training Centre and the electronic range after late Air Commodore Anthony Ikhazoboh and late Group Captain Williams Pratt respectively. Both retired senior officers, now dead, contributed significantly to NAF base defence, while in service and it was considered most befitting to honour them, as a way of encouraging those alive.

The Regiment Training Centre, which has the capacity to accommodate 300 trainees at a go, and the Electronic Range were constructed to further develop the capacity of personnel for base defence.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Despite the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in the country, the president is still working from his base.

The office of the Presidency on Saturday said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has brought an end to the series of mind-boggling fraud and scandals around the issue of pensions in Nigeria.

According to a statement made available to journalists, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this while featuring on a programme on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Buhari administration.

Shehu said the feat was achieved by strengthening the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, which has introduced a number of measures in the past two years.

One of the these measures, he said, was the automation of pension payment processes.

The presidential spokesman said the Bank Verification Number policy has also been implemented in the pension scheme, with over 103,000 civil service pensioners verified.

Pensioner records have also been digitalised for secure archiving, with thousands of thousands of old, physical pension folders converted to e-files, he said.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Uni ted States President Donald Trump seem to be tired from his trips to some parts of the world after he was caught sleeping while their Italian host, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, was speaking during the G-7 Summit held in Italy this weekend.

In the clip, the camera pans across a board of world leaders all listening intently with their headphones to translations of Gentilonis speech.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen giving her fingernails a swift glance as she listened and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi closed his notes as he sat back in his chair.

Then US President Donald Trump appears in the frame. He appears to be wearing a very serious facial expression as he listened to the Italian speech.

But theres one very obvious difference between him and the others: He is not wearing headphones as are other world leaders, making people to wonder if he speaks Italian fluently as not to need a headphone.

The Presidents Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, however gave an explanation concerning why Trump wasnt wearing headphones, though many observers disagreed with him, saying Mr. Trump did everything at that moment except listening to the speech.

Source : (Punch Newspaper )
There have been so much drama behind the sack of the immediate past Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, who was removed from his post allegedly on the orders of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for breaching church protocols and had a long standing disciplinary problems with the church, letters and correspondences seen.

Femi Taiwo, who was removed on May 15, was also ordered out of his official quarters within 24 hours of receiving the letter.

Media reports suggested Mr. Taiwos removal came after his actions during an anointing service on May 14 angered the Lagos State governors wife, Bolanle Ambode, who was in attendance.

The reports said Mrs. Ambode waited endlessly as she joined a queue to be anointed without any preference accorded her; and that she left the church in anger after been anointed.

But a series of letters and correspondences reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Mr. Taiwos problems with the church predated the event of May 14.

The point is that he (Mr. Taiwo) disregarded rules to go and meet the First Lady without authorisation, out of selfish interest, a source at the church told PREMIUM TIMES.

In late February this year, Mr. Taiwo had paid an authorised visit to Mrs. Ambode without the knowledge of the churchs Governing Council; but he allegedly lied to the governors wife that he was sent by the Council.

At the meeting, Mr. Taiwo, those familiar with the matter said, schooled the First Lady on why he should be the alpha and omega on anything spiritual concerning Governor Ambode and his family.

He also reportedly cited the churchs constitution repeatedly to convince the First Lady to always respect his office and powers.

He told the First Lady that the small church inside the State House should be reporting to him. And that he would withdraw some of the staff if his demands were not granted, almost threatening the First Lady, one official said.

Mrs. Ambode, one of our sources said, was shocked by the clergymans attitude, and she promptly contacted the churchs Governing Council to complain.

The Council was shocked that Mr. Taiwo, a supposed man of God, could lie and misrepresent himself to the First Lady, and immediately queried the clergyman, demanding explanation.

It came to the notice of the Governing Council of Chapel of Christ the Light that you requested and held a meeting with Her Excellency on 27th February, 2017, claiming that the Governing Council mandated you to do so, read the query signed by Gbenga Solomon, a Reverend Canon and the Governing Council Chairman.

Please, note that your action was at your behest and not the Governing Council. We learnt that you went with a copy of the constitution, explaining the content to her.

Kindly recall that an emergency meeting was summoned on Wednesday, 1st March 2017, where you claimed that you never mentioned to Her Excellency that Governing Council mandated you. In order not to put the Governing Council in disrepute, respond in writing your position on same.

Following the Councils query to him, Mr. Taiwo wrote a letter of apology, dated March 10, and addressed to Mrs. Ambode stating that the purpose of his visit was not to undermine the First Lady or her office.

I write to tender a sincere apology to you on the matter surrounding our visit to Your Excellency recently, the chaplain wrote.

In honesty, I have high regard for you and see you as mother to all. Your effort in building the Chapel and the State in general is highly appreciated and we pray God to continue to strengthen you the more.

I am very sorry for any embarrassment our visit might have caused you and I plead you find a place in your heart to forgive.

Although Mr. Taiwo apologized to Mrs. Ambode concerning the February 14 incident, he remained consistently hostile and disrespectful of the First Lady, culminating in the May 14 incident that may have quickened his removal, one of our sources said.

The truth is that as a continuation of his hostility towards the woman, he was openly disrespectful to the First Lady at the annointing service. Yet, the First Lady waited through it and never left in anger.

Another official said the pastor remained perpectually angry because another person was made a Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Matters and assumed wrongly that as the chaplain, it was his duty to play such roles and to act as the spiritual father to the First Family.

He was consistently pestering the First Lady with a litany of requests, and was repeatedly advised by the Governing Council. But he does not appear to have any respect for constituted authorities as advised by the Bible.

The source added that the Governing Council was also crossed with the pastor for allegedly converting the churchs bus to his personal use.

The chaplain failed to make amends, an official said.

Repeated telephone calls to Mr. Taiwo on Saturday night were not answered.

But The Punch, which first reported the matter, quoted the former chaplain as saying I have tried as a pastor to live above board. It will not be right engaging the church or the government on the pages of a newspaper.

An email to Ayo Oyadotun, the new chaplain at the church, was not replied either.

Contacted, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, declined to comment on the pastors removal, saying, We dont want to engage anyone on this matter.

But Mr. Ayorinde had told The Punch that the former chaplain was queried a number of times in the past for conduct unbecoming of his office.

The culmination of various indiscretions led to the Governing Council of the church issuing yet another query that led to his being relieved of his post.

This has got nothing to do with the First Lady. The chaplain is looking for an excuse to cover his insouciance. Its nothing but cheap blackmail.
A 58-year-old Kenyan woman has been dwelling in cave for nearly 16 years. But living in the cave is the least of her problems.

Hellen Tarko, who resides in some thick forest called Utut in the heart of Kenyas Great Rift Valley, is suffering from a terrible flesh-eating disease that is threatening to take off all the meat on her face. Hellen Tarko, who resides in some thick forest called Utut in the heart of Kenyas Great Rift Valley, is suffering from a terrible flesh-eating disease that is threatening to take off all the meat on her face.

The disease has damaged her face so much that those who see her, including her fellow cave dwellers, get frightened.

The locals there even think she is cursed. Those who have ever seen me like this seem very frightened by how I look. The disease is eating me up alive. Some say I am cursed, says Tarko, a mother of three.

The disease, according to the medics, is called Cutaneous leishmaniasis. It is an extremely rare tropical disease that is transmitted to humans through parasites. The good news is that there is cure for it. The bad news is that those who reside in some far away forests like Tarko have no access to the cure.

Tarko, a local charcoal trader with paltry income, has been unable to get any medical assistance. She says there are no health facilities nearby, and neither are doctors. She tried the locally made herbs that those who developed the strange disease were using, but the traditional remedy backfired badly, leaving her more damaged than ever.

Fortunately, Tarko finally found medical help through a God sent community health worker who had paid them a visit in the wilderness.

Source: ( Gossip.naij.com)
Muslim militants gunned down 16 civilians in the fierce fight for control of the southern Philippines city of Marawi, the army has said.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said the dead include a group of four men, three women and a child who were found near a road close to the Mindanao State University in Marawi.
Fareed Zakaria said Saturday that though many liberals think they are tolerant, often they aren't.

Zakaria noted that "at the height of commencement season," many new graduates across the country had made their political views apparent, from the Notre Dame students who walked out as Vice President Mike Pence gave his commencement address to the crowd members who booed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos during a speech at Bethune-Cookman University.

"American universities seem committed to every kind of diversity except intellectual diversity. Conservative voices and views are being silenced entirely," Zakaria said.

The CNN host said he found this attitude strange, especially given that these incidents occurred on college campuses that "promised to give their undergraduates a liberal education."

"The world liberal in this context has nothing to do with today's partisan language, but refers instead to the Latin root, pertaining to liberty. And at the heart of liberty in the Western world has been freedom of speech. From the beginning, people understood that this meant protecting and listening to speech with which you disagreed," Zakaria argued.

That means, he said, not drowning out "the ideas that we find offensive."

In addition, Zakaria noted what he called "an anti-intellectualism" on the left.

"It's an attitude of self-righteousness that says we are so pure, we're so morally superior, we cannot bear to hear an idea with which we disagree," he said.

"Liberals think they are tolerant but often they aren't," he added.

No one, he continued, "has a monopoly on right or virtue."

In fact, it is only by being open to hearing opposing views that people on both sides of the political spectrum can learn something, Zakaria said.

"By talking seriously and respectfully about agreements and disagreements, we can come together in a common conversation," he said.

"Recognizing that while we seem so far apart, we do actually have a common destiny."
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
HE HAS being hailed as 'the British Forrest Gump.'

Isle of Wight man Paul Wheeler, 35, set off from his home in Mary Rose Avenue, Wootton, yesterday (Friday) to San Francisco in the United States.

From there, the former soldier aims to run the 3,000 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to New York's Statue of Liberty to raise money for the Royal British Legion.

Just like Tom Hanks's Forrest Gump, Paul is encouraging people to join him for a day or two while on his transcontinental run.

He will be pushing all his water, food and equipment in a stroller he has named 'Wheelson' in homage to 'Wilson' the volleyball, Tom Hanks's companion on a desert island in another of his hit films, Castaway.

Paul, who served in Afghanistan, expects to run between 20 to 25 miles a day with two days rest a week and hopes to complete the run in around four months.

He said: "I'm running alone and completely unsupported. I will be pushing all my food, water and equipment in a stroller and camping each night. I'm hoping to spend one night a week in a proper hotel and have a hot shower.

"I'm fully aware I will have good days and bad days, and I'm pretty sure it will take me a few weeks to get into some form of a routine. The truth is it's not about how many miles I run a day or how quickly I run each mile."

Anyone wanting to donate to Paul can go to the Gofundme page, which can be accessed via his website www.run-across-america.com where you can also track his progress through his blog and Google maps tracker.


OMAHA, Neb., May 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Douglas County residents worried about their pets with joint conditions now have a new resource to turn to. Founded in December 2016, Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center in Omaha is one of the only clinics in the area to offer arthroscopic surgery for dogs. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes a small camera to explore and treat joint abnormalities. Arthroscopy surgery is performed through a small incision and projects a magnified image on a large screen. This causes less pain and leads to a shorter recovery period. Arthroscopy is most commonly used to treat developmental disorders in young dogs (5-8 months), to evaluate cartilage and ligament injuries in mature patients, and to assess osteoarthritis in elderly patients.



For many people in Omaha, bringing a dog into the household is similar to adding a new family member. That is one reason why it becomes so difficult to see a pet suffer from a painful joint condition. Thankfully, Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center is there to assist.

Certain breeds can be prone to bone and joint issues that can make mobility extremely difficult and limit their ability to play or exercise. The most common issues we see at the clinic reside in the knee, elbow, and shoulder of dogs, says Dr. Chris Horstman, owner and chief of staff for the Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center.

Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center treats various developmental joint issues in young dogs and cartilage or ligaments/tendon injuries in mature dogs. Most commonly, arthroscopic surgery is used to treat:

Elbow dysplasia  Osteochondrosis (OCD) and Fragmented Medial Coronoid Process (FCP)

Shoulder problems  OCD, ligament/tendon tears, and joint capsule injuries

Stifle (Knee)  cranial cruciate ligament (ACL) disease, meniscal injury, and OCD

Tarsus (ankle)  OCD and joint fractures

Carpus (wrist)  cartilage, bone, and ligamentous injuries

If a dog exhibits symptoms of joint issues, they need to be seen by a veterinary orthopedic surgeon as quickly as possible. Some young dogs will have growing pains, but many have other disease processes that can be treated with arthroscopy. The sooner that treatment is initiated, the better the long-term prognosis will be. Delaying treatment could lead to significantly more arthritis.

We want pet owners to understand that we love treating and helping their animals, concludes Dr. Horstman. Our goal is to help return your four-legged athlete to their peak performance.

About Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center

Sirius Veterinary Orthopedic Center provides treatments to dogs, cats, and other four-legged pets for bone fractures and joint disorders. They offer orthopedic surgery, stem cell therapy, and platelet rich plasma (PRP) services for the health and wellbeing of your pets. For more information on their services or to schedule an appointment for your pet, please call (402) 934-1332.

Additional information can be accessed on their website at http://www.siriusvet.com/.
By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy.
Barbara Adams, the director of resident and community relations at Well Spring, a life-plan community, was honored for service excellence by LeadingAge North Carolina, an organization that works to improve the quality of life for older adults. Janet Pennell, MSW, LCSW, who has a masters degree in social work and is a licensed clinical social worker, and Lucillia Davis-Durning of PACE of the Triad, a partner of the Well Spring Group also received awards. Pennell, a medical social worker, was honored for service excellence and Davis-Durning, a human-resources coordinator, was named an emerging leader.

Bell Partners Inc. of Greensboro has completed the sale of Bell Park Central in Dallas, Texas. Bell Park Central, acquired by Bell Fund IV in August 2011, is an upscale apartment and town-house community. The terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union and the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina are taking part in a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study how private-sector investment can help improve health, promote well-being and establish health equity. The focus of the study will be whether incentives help members sustain positive health activities. Allegacy gives incentives to its members who are also members of the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina through the AllHealth Wellness Account.

The N.C. Association of Health Underwriters has been awarded a silver certification by the National Association of Health Underwriters. The recognition is based on criteria satisfaction in various areas.

Katie Braxton and Colby Simmons, certified nursing assistants in the mother-baby unit at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, were awarded Lara Fix Nursing Scholarships by the medical center. Jennifer McBride, a nurse in the intensive care unit, and Heather Strange, a nurse in the emergency departments behavioral health unit received the Wells Fargo Scholarship for Nursing Excellence. Wendy Castro, a certified nursing assistant in the central staffing and scheduling office, received the Simmons Fund Scholarship. The scholarships will allow the recipients to continue their nursing education.

Mitsi Schwertner has joined Murray Supply Co. as a showroom consultant. She has been in the industry since 1988 and has worked with designers, architects, contractors and homeowners to help them choose functional and fashionable plumbing fixtures.

John Mickey, Lawrence N. Chip Holden, Gerry Malmo, Steven Davis and David Holden, the principals at Holden & Mickey Inc., have been recognized by the Charlotte regional office of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. as leaders in insurance and investment production for 2016. Based on 2016 business, Chip Holden, a senior partner at Holden & Mickey, has qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table for the 41st consecutive year. Million Dollar Round Table membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business.
Q: Since Memorial Day is almost here, can you remind your readers the proper way to fly the flag on Memorial Day?

A.T.

Answer: On Memorial Day, which is Monday, the flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset.

Here are some guidelines for the proper display of the U.S. flag:

Traditional guidelines call for displaying the flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However, the flag may be displayed at all times if it is illuminated during darkness. The flag should not be subject to weather damage.

The flag should be displayed often, but especially on national and state holidays and special occasions.

The flag should be displayed on or near the main building of public institutions, schools during school days, and polling places on election days. It should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

When displayed with another flag against a wall with crossed staffs, the U.S. flag should be on its own right (left to a person facing the wall) and its staff should be in front of the other persons staff.

In a group of flags displayed from staffs, it should be at the center and the highest point compared with flags of states or localities.

If the flag is displayed vertically on a wall or in a window, the canton (field of stars) should be to the left of anyone looking at the flag from the outside.

When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the canton is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave.

When the flag is lowered, it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag, it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.

The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary. When it is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner. Local Boy Scout troops and American Legion posts can help with proper flag disposal.

Things not to do with the flag

Do not dip it for any person or thing (though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor).

Do not display it with the canton down, except as a sign of distress.

Do not let the flag touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, floor or water.

Do not carry it horizontally, but always aloft.

Do not fasten or display it in a way that will let it be damaged or soiled.

Do not place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia or designs.

Do not use it for holding anything.

Do not use the flag for wearing apparel, bedding or drapery, or use it on a costume or athletic uniform. Bear in mind this refers to the actual flag, not clothing that has a flag-like design on it.

Unless an article of clothing is made from an actual United States flag, there is NO breach of flag etiquette whatsoever, according to the American Legion. People are simply expressing their patriotism and love of country by wearing an article of clothing that happens to be red, white and blue with stars and stripes. There is nothing illegal about the wearing or use of these items.
[JURIST] The government of France, under its newly elected president Emmanuel Macron [official website], announced its intention on Friday to introduce [Inquirer.Net report] a law ending prison terms for marijuana usage by the end of the year, although marijuana consumption will remain a criminal offense. Macron had promised during his campaign to reform cannabis laws upon becoming president. Under current law [PDF, in French], offenders face up to a year in jail and fines of up to 3,750 (US $4,200). In 2016 alone, 180,000 French citizens were found to be in violation of drug laws. According to government spokesperson Christophe Castaner [official website], drug violation cases consume an average six hours of police time and another six hours of judicial resources. Police unions welcomed the simplified judicial process and Patrice Ribeiro of the police officers union stated that it was a good idea that takes reality into account. French magistrates were less enthusiastic about the reformed measures with Virginie Duval, representative of the magistrates union, stating [the law] wont change much and its not going to unclog the courts.

According to the French Observatory for Drug Use and Addiction [official website], in 2014, 17 million French citizens admitted to taking cannabis at some point in their lives with 700,000 admitting to use it daily. There has been a recent surge, both around the world and within the US, in the move to decriminalize, legalize, or otherwise relax regulations on the usage or consumption of marijuana. In February the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved a bill [JURIST report] that would permit the cultivation of cannabis. In January Maines governor signed [JURIST report] a moratorium bill that delayed the legal sale of marijuana by retailers for one year, although still allowing personal possession of marijuana by those 21 and older. In April Mexicos president proposed [JURIST report] a bill relaxing laws on marijuana usage. In December 2015 Colombias president legalized [JURIST report] medical marijuana. In June 2015 Canadas top court lifted [JURIST report] a restriction that the only acceptable form of medical marijuana was smoking the dried plant.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper [official website] filed a new suit [AP report] against Republican state legislators on Friday challenging laws, which allegedly unconstitutionally limit his power to appoint appeals court judges and members of board and commissions. Cooper argues that these laws prevent him from successfully performing his duties. The laws in question reduce the number of court of appeals judges to 12, effectively preventing the governor from filling vacancies, and set the memberships of the commissions. The defendants argue that the adjustment to the number of appellate court judges reflected nothing more than a lower case load for the intermediate-level appeals court and that another suit brought by Cooper at this time stands contrary to his commitment to work together with the legislature. Cooper is additionally challenging a legislation enacted in December that gave the wife of the former Republican governor Pat McCrorys chief of staff an approximate 8-year term on the North Carolina Industrial Commission, a quasi-judicial panel that adjudicates workers compensation cases. Governors usually only appoint commissioners to six-year terms. Coopers attorney stated of the suit: The latest challenged laws fail to respect fundamental principles of representative government and the basic guarantees of the North Carolina Constitution.

The North Carolina Republican-controlled legislature and Democrat-Governor Roy Cooper have been embroiled in litigation and conflict since the day Cooper won the elections defeating incumbent McCrory. Cooper was the Attorney General of North Carolina before assuming office as governor. McCrory lost to Cooper in the November elections but refused to concede victory [NPR report] until a recount proved that he lost by more than 10,000 votes. In December outgoing governor McCrory signed [JURIST report] Senate Bill 4 and House Bill 17 [texts, PDFs], which significantly restricted Coopers powers. Specifically, Senate Bill 4 eliminates the governors control over the State Board of Elections by reducing the number of members from the governors party on the board from three out of a total of five to two out of a total of four. Senate Bill 4 also requires the party affiliations of appellate judicial candidates to be printed on ballots and further increases the power of North Carolinas appellate courts. House Bill 17 requires Coopers cabinet secretaries to be confirmed by the Senate, reduces the number of administrative positions in the executive branch, strips the governor of his powers to appoint trustees at the University of North Carolina and some of his powers to oversee schools in the state. In February a three-judge panel issued a temporary restraining order [JURIST report] limiting the law stripping the governor of some of his powers.
[JURIST] Judge Raymond Jackson of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia [official website] on Friday tossed out [Reuters report] the life sentences imposed by Virginia courts for Lee Boyd Malvo [BBC profile], ruling [opinon, PDF] that Malvo must be re-sentenced in light of a 2012 US Supreme Court [official webite] decision banning life sentences for juveniles. In Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs [SCOTUSblog backgrounders], the US Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that mandatory life sentences for juveniles violated the Eighth Amendment [text] prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Malvo was one of two men found guilty in a series of sniper shootings that killed 10 people and injured others in DC in 2002. Malvo was 17 at the time of his arrest. Fridays ruling does not affect Malvos convictions or the six life sentences that he was given by the Maryland courts. Malvos then adult-co-defendant, John Allen Muhammad, was also convicted for these killings and executed in 2009.

This development follows another landmark US Supreme Court decision in January 2016, where the Court ruled [JURIST report] that the Miller-Hobbs decisions banning mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles should apply retroactively. The Supreme Court banned life without parole sentences for juveniles [JURIST report] in 2012, but until Montgomery v. Louisiana [SCOTUSblog backgrounder] that outcome was being applied only prospectively in many states. The case to apply the ruling retroactively was made by Bryan Stevenson [NYU profile], professor at New York University, and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative [advocacy website]. The case involved Henry Montgomery, convicted in 1963 of murdering a deputy sheriff at the age of 17. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the age of 70, Montgomerys case came before the Supreme Court with Stevensons team arguing on his behalf to apply the ruling in 2012 retroactively to his 1963 life sentence. In a 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Court concluded that prisoners like Montgomery must be given the opportunity to show their crime did not reflect irreparable corruption; and, if it did not, their hope for some years of life outside prison walls must be restored.
... Since 1950 ...



1951 - July 13 -

FLOOD

In the early morning darkness, the

Kansas River over-tops the flood-walls in both Kansas Citys

May 20

TORNADO

Ruskin Heights is dissected by an F-5 tornado

.

The tornado formed southwest of Ottawa- near Williamsburg, Kansas around 6 pm and by 7:30 pm- the killer vortex had crossed the state line into Missouri.



Most of the unincorporated town of Martin City and nearly half of the homes in the fairly-new Ruskin Heights subdivision were either heavily damaged or destroyed.





Forty-four deaths are officially attributed to the entire tornado's 71-mile path- 39 of those dying in Missouri.





This is the deadliest tornado in Metro KC weather history.









September

FLOOD - FLASH FLOOD

April 12

TORNADO

July

FLASH FLOOD

April 19

TORNADO

May 15

TORNADO

1966

June 8

TORNADO

January 24

TORNADO

June 29

TORNADO

1973

January 3 & 4

ICE STORM

September

FLASH FLOOD













1977 - May 4 - TORNADO - A mini- tornado outbreak affected every part of Metro Kansas City except the northwestern areas.



There were at least 4 separate tornadoes - 3 of them F-3 or stronger.



There are 3 deaths - 2 in Pleasant Hill where an in-session high and elementary school were hit - and one near Odessa, MO..



More than 2 dozen injuries were reported.



It was







1977 - September 12 & 13 - FLASH FLOOD - Kansas City's worst flash flooding in terms of lives lost and damage.



Twenty-five people died.



Up to 16-inches of rain over a 2-day period on the heavily-urbanized Brush Creek watershed culminated on the night of the 13th.



Devastating flooding occurred along Brush Creek from the Kansas suburbs just west of the state line eastward to the Big Blue river.



Several of the Blue's smaller tributaries like Independence's Rock Creek suffered major flooding as well.



Four people in their cars were washed away into Round Grove creek, which was more than 10-feet out of it's banks along Raytown Road as they exited the Truman Sports Complex after the Royals baseball game was cancelled.



Most of the other victims drowned along Brush Creek between State Line and The Paseo.



The scenes I witnessed that night haunt me to this day as much as the Jan. 28, 1978 Coates House fire where 20 died.







1980 - July-August - HEAT WAVE - Kansas City's deadliest weather disaster by far: A prolonged heat wave . Floodwater inundates a mobile home park in Northmoor mobile home park where emergency rescue of residents had to be conducted.- A mini- tornado outbreak affected every part of Metro Kansas City except the northwestern areas.There were at least 4 separate tornadoes - 3 of them F-3 or stronger.There are 3 deaths - 2 in Pleasant Hill where an in-session high and elementary school were hit - and one near Odessa, MO..More than 2 dozen injuries were reported.It was the first time I got on the tail of a twister - following it into Pleasant Hill - Kansas City's worst flash flooding in terms of lives lost and damage.Up to 16-inches of rain over a 2-day period on the heavily-urbanized Brush Creek watershed culminated on the night of the 13th.Devastating flooding occurred along Brush Creek from the Kansas suburbs just west of the state line eastward to the Big Blue river.Several of the Blue's smaller tributaries like Independence's Rock Creek suffered major flooding as well.Four people in their cars were washed away into Round Grove creek, which was more than 10-feet out of it's banks along Raytown Road as they exited the Truman Sports Complex after the Royals baseball game was cancelled.Most of the other victims drowned along Brush Creek between State Line and The Paseo.The scenes I witnessed that night haunt me to this day as much as the Jan. 28, 1978 Coates House fire where 20 died.- Kansas City's deadliest weather disaster by far:



More than 200 people are reported to have died from various heat-related causes from late June through August.



One July day was tinder-dry with Santa-Ana-like conditions.



Grass, brush and other fires citywide had the Fire Department down to a handful of companies in service when a grass fire spread to an apartment complex near 76th St. & Blue Ridge.



Four other fire departments - including Johnson County KS. - had to help what few KC-MO companies that made it there.



No one was injured - but several buildings were damaged.







1982 - August - FLASH FLOOD - Flash flooding strikes southern & southeastern KC-MO..



One fatality was reported.



The not-yet completed Longview Lake saved the Little Blue Valley from major flooding.







1984 - March - ICE STORM - A damaging ice storm affects a wide area of eastern Kansas and western Missouri - including the Kansas City Metro.







1984 - June 8 & 9 - FLASH FLOOD - Severe flash flooding affects Indian Creek from Olathe and Overland Park to it's mouth with the Blue River in KC-MO..



Hundreds of residents along Indian Creek from Olathe, Overland Park into KC, MO.. flee the record flood crests.



No one was reported hurt - but 2 young women were stranded on a traffic island by floodwaters at 103rd St. & Conser in OP-KS for more than 2 hours.



The author's 6-inch rain gauge in Olathe overflowed before it could be emptied and yet another 2.5 inches fell into it by 2 am on the 9th.



Based on this information plus flooding I was both witnessing and listening to in the Indian Creek headwaters and downstream, KCTV-CBS-5's meteorologist Mike Thompson was able to warn those downstream along Indian Creek of the danger via bulletins.







1986 - September - FLASH FLOOD - Flash flooding along Rock Creek in Mission, KS. & Brush Creek sends water again lapping at the curbs in the Plaza.



The Brush Creek flood control project - undertaken in the 1990's - has greatly reduced the flood threat for the Plaza.



However middle portions of the project not yet completed would have fatal effects on Brush Creek 12 years later.







1990 - May 15 - FLOOD - More than 8-inches of rain in 4 hours sends the Big Blue river into a massive flood and- at many points - flood crests exceeded records set during the 1961 flood.



By evening drive - there were only 2 routes open east or west across the Blue unless you lived south of Bannister Road: Independence Avenue ("Armco") viaduct and Interstate-70.



The Blue was channelized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the 1990's and greatly reduced flooding as would be illustrated 8 years later during the 1998 flash floods.







1993 - July 9 - FLASH FLOOD - After a slow-moving thunderstorm complex threatens Lawrence, KS with tornadoes then floods it - the complex moves into northern Johnson County KS..



Flash flooding is by far the worst on Turkey Creek - it's entire floodplain is inundated from Overland Park & Merriam into KC-KS then into Southwest Boulevard and the West Bottoms in KC-MO..



Dozens of residents have to be swiftly evacuated by police & fire departments on both sides of the state line. Several people have to be rescued from rooftops of flooded buildings along Southwest Blvd..



One man is later found dead.



Kemper Arena and the American Royal complex is also flooded and damage figures reach the tens of millions of dollars.



WDAF-NBC4's Mike Thompson stays on the air all night- relaying high water reports I was receiving by radio.



Later that day - the now-swollen Kansas River caused two boats to be torn from their moorings.



One - the sand dredge The General Mitchell - struck 4 bridges and was severely damaged before 2 tugboats could push the Mitchell onto the Missouri River levee east of the Paseo bridge.



Along with post-8 am flooding and the General Mitchell- the author also videotaped the Missouri rising in Parkville, a make-shift levee and a "conga-line" of people heaving sandbags onto an overtopping Line Creek levee in Riverside, MO..







1993 - July 26-27 - FLOOD - Record Missouri River flood crest at Kansas City.



Squeezed into a narrow channel by levees- the Missouri River reaches an all-time highest flood crest of 48.87-feet near Downtown (old Municipal) Airport.





That surpassed the previous record 48-foot crest estimated during the legendary 1844 flood.





Downtown Parkville and most of Riverside are under water.









The water supplier for more than a million residents - the Kansas City Water Works - becomes severely threatened by the flood-swollen Missouri river.

Sandbagging and the additional pumping power of nearly a half-dozen Fire department pumper companies save the city's water supply from contamination.



In KC-KS -residents of the Argentine, Armourdale and the Rosedale neighborhoods - nearly destroyed in the 1951 flood - are evacuated.

The higher levees built after the '51 flood hold.

The flood crest in that flood is now No. 3 at 46.20-feet.



Parts of the Turner area of KC-KS are not so lucky and are flooded.

A mobile home park for about 100 people off K-32 is inundated and eventually abandoned.



At least no one dies in this flood.



1996 - May 26 - TORNADO - Southern Lee's Summit-MO. - what the NWS ultimately determined to be a "micro-burst" struck the Raintree Lake subdivision just after sunset.



There was tornadic circulation in that "micro-burst" - with winds "officially estimated at around 125 m.p.h.."



I saw 2 x 6 lumber driven into the ground at the correct angle & position on the northern edge of the damage path 20 minutes after the strike.



Several people suffered minor injuries and nearly 4-dozen homes received damage varying from slight to major.



Damage was in the $10-million range.







1998 - October 4 & 5 - FLASH FLOOD - It's the deadliest flash-flooding event in the KC Metro since "The Plaza Flood" of 1977.



September 1998 had already been a wet month and the ground across the entire K.C. Metro was saturated.



On Sunday, October 4 - a morning of off and on heavy showers and thunderstorms produced up to 5-inches of rain and flash- flooding in southeastern & eastern parts of the Metro.

Damaging flooding occurred in parts of Lee's Summit and a youth was swept away and drowned in a rain-swollen creek by early afternoon.



By mid-afternoon- the area was under not only under a NWS-issued flash flood watch but also a tornado watch.



Just before sunset- a huge thunderstorm complex formed west of Lawrence, KS. and- after deluging them- the complex moves eastward across northern Johnson County KS. into western and central Jackson County MO..



Over mid-town KC-MO - the storm dropped rain rates of 5-inches per hour during the 7-o'clock hour.

A huge- sudden flood-wave on Brush Creek swept over the top of the old Prospect bridge - sweeping seven people in and on top of their cars downstream.



Despite rescue attempts by by-standers and- eventually- firefighters- all 7 people drown.



(Minutes before this happened- an audio tape has this author pleading with a local TV weatherman over the phone to emphasize the flash flooding- rather than the tornado threat that we also were under.)



There were two other fatalities during the evening deluge - one each in Overland Park at a storm-water culvert that flowed toward I-435 east of Quivira and in Lenexa, KS on Little Mill Creek.



For the first time since the highway was opened around 1970 - both eastbound AND westbound lanes of I-435 just east of Quivira in OP-KS are flooded.



One man is barely saved from his pickup truck when it was washed off the eastbound lanes into the creek the gorged underground culvert was feeding.



Severe flooding again occurs on Turkey Creek - especially in Merriam- a portion of I-35 is closed by flooding for a couple of hours.



Southwest Boulevard is again flooded but water levels are not as high as in 1993.



Millions across America had tuned into the Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks NFL football game on TV and watched as Arrowhead Stadium's walkways turn into waterfalls.

The game was halted and nearly 75000 people were advised to seek cover for nearly an hour during the deluge.





2000 - May 11 - TORNADO - Surprise tornado north of The River.



"The threat of tornadoes in K.C. appears to be over."



That's what at least 2 TV "chief" weatherpersons say over the airwaves 15 to 30 minutes prior to a tornado touching down about 11:25 pm at 40th St. & North Oak in KC-MO..



The tornado destroys a car dealership- then rises to tree-top level for another several miles across heavily-populated KC-MO North towards the Worlds of Fun area.



Fortunately, there were no injuries.







2002 - January 27-30 - ICE STORM - MetroRegion-wide ice storm that persists over 3 days.



Damage to trees and the utility grids was tremendous - at one point more than a million people in the KC MetroRegion lost power.



There were at least 4 fatalities attributed to some aspect of this storm.







2003 - May 4 - TORNADO - First fatality tornado in Metro Kansas City since 1977 - and on the 26th anniversary of the '77 storm .



A tornado touches down in S.E. Leavenworth County about 4 pm in the afternoon and intensifies to F-4 as it moves across I-435 into western & northwestern KC-KS..



Both fatalities occurred in a heavily-devastated area around 91st St. & Leavenworth Road.



The tornado moved across the Missouri river into Riverside & Northmoor, MO.- producing varying degrees of damage.



The now-weakened circulation reorganized about a mile north - then moves from southwestern into eastern Gladstone- causing most of the heavy damage there.



The again F-4 tornado now roars into adjacent KC North subdivisions and on northeastward into Liberty- weakened- yet causing heavy damage on the town square and the nearby William Jewell College campus.



Two die with around a dozen people injured along the total path of the tornado. Damage was in the several tens of millions of dollars.



This outbreak began an almost week stretch of severe weather- culminating with a May 8th tornado in southwestern Lawrence-KS that damaged an apartment complex and nearby homes and caused several injuries..







2008 - May 1 - 2 - TORNADO - Another surprise tornado north of The River.



An intense- but compact storm system produces severe weather around Metro Kansas City starting the evening of May 1 (SEE CaptGSpaulding's video on YouTube).



Just after sunset on May 1- a tornado warning is issued by the NWS when a small tornado touches down in an open field southwest of Belton-MO.. A van-load of us were there to video that which we never actually saw.



Yet no tornado warning is in effect in the early-morning hours of May 2 when an F-4 tornado strikes Gladstone- then an F-3 twister strikes a subdivision in far northeast Kansas City-MO North.



Hurricane force winds also struck other areas- especially portions of Independence- Raytown and eastern KC-MO..



Less than a dozen people suffered minor injuries Metro-wide but daylight on the morning of May 2 reveal a man dead of what were reported as storm-related injuries near M-291 and Gudgell in Independence.



Damages Metro-wide were later estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.





Passage across the Missouri is not possible between Kansas City and St. Joseph.The water supplier for more than a million residents - the Kansas City Water Works - becomes severely threatened by the flood-swollen Missouri river.

-Flash flooding caused by a dying Gulf hurricane caused record floods on the Big and Little Blue rivers and their tributaries.The heavy damage done to one of General Motors' first Chevrolet assembly plant in the Leeds district of KC-MO. helps lead to the plant's closing by the mid 1970's.The flood brings about planning and in the 1980's construction of 2 new flood-control reservoirs - Lake Longview and Lake Blue Springs.This greatly reduces flooding on the Little Blue River - opening up the floodplain to development in southeastern Independence and northern Lee's Summit, MO..Yet land in neighboring Johnson County KS. is too expensive for flood-control projects for the Big Blue River - and continued flooding of the Blue Valley over then next 30 years would help lead to it's industrial-base demise.-It's the first tornado outbreak in the Kansas City MetroRegion for many years.Tornadoes cause damage southwest and west of Lawrence and in Leavenworth County and the city itself.Other supercells produced tornadoes in Cass County MO. and around Pleasant Hill where one fatality occurred.There were dozens of injuries all told in the affected areas with damage in the millions of dollars.- Smithville, MO. is ravaged by a flash flood on the Little Platte River.Tracy - on the Platte River a few miles downstream from the confluence of the Little Platte - also suffers major flooding as the Platte River reaches a record crest that stands early into the 21st Century.- A tornado forms over what was then farmland east of I-35 & 119th Street in Johnson County KS. and moves northeastward.Within 10 minutes - the F-3-rated tornado strikes a new housing subdivision and barely misses an elementary school at West 96th St. & Knox in Overland Park There are several minor injuries and the tornado-bearing storm moves over highly-populated areas of southern K.C. & Independence, MO..The official tornado warning wasn't issued by the National Weather Service or the local broadcast media until after the tornado had touched down - traveled it's roughly 4 to 5-mile-long path and lifted.- A weak "white" tornado touches down near 15th St. & Minnesota in KC-KS.It's only on the ground a few minutes but wreaks F-1 destruction to buildings & car dealerships along Minnesota.A few people suffered minor injuries.- A day of tornado-producing thunderstorm supercells across eastern and northeastern Kansas.One produced an F-3 tornado that struck Manhattan, KS. around 6 pm.Another cell spawns the first U.S. tornado to produce 100-million-dollars worth or more of damage - the devastating F-5 tornado that struck Topeka, KS ..The wedge-shaped, multi-vortex tornado roared over legendary Burnett's Mound just after 7 pm and diagonally sliced through the entire city.Sixteen people were killed and hundreds were injured that Wednesday evening.Around 8:30 pm- a tornado then moved across Leavenworth County and kills one in the tiny town of Jarbalo.- The Orrick, MO. tornado.A rare mid-winter thunderstorm formed on the Kansas side just after noon and became severe over southern KC-MO..Just after 1 pm- a tornado forms southwest of Buckner. MO. - gains F-3 strength after it crosses the Missouri River - and heads for the southwestern Ray County community of Orrick. It strikes the in-session high school on the western side of Orrick - where 2 are killed and more than a dozen are injured inside the shattered school building.- A tornado - rated as strong as F-3 - hits parts of southern Platte County and western Clay county MO..Damage is reported in Riverside and northwestern Gladstone with at least 6 persons injured along the tornado's path.- A massive ice & snowstorm -beginning around noon on the 3rd - hits Metro K.C..Nearly a foot of snow falls on the several inches of freezing rain and sleet.Tens of thousands of residents who lose power suffer sub-zero temperatures following the storm.The tree & power line damage I see far and away exceeds that witnessed in the 1984 and 2002 storms.- Failure of a private lake dam in the upper watershed of Line Creek in KC-MO leads to flash flooding downstream.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Diane Lilley, whose sister Tina Washpan was murdered in 1990, is shown in this Friday May 26, 2017 handout image. Diane Lilley waited nearly two decades for a suspect to be arrested in her sister's murder, only to sit through a trial where she says her beloved sibling Tina Washpan was often referred to as simply "the hooker." THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Doris Anderson *MANDATORY CREDIT*
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk from Marine One across the South Lawn to the White House in Washington, Saturday, May 27, 2017, as they return from Sigonella, Italy. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Memorial Day is tomorrow and commemorates all Americans who have died in military service for the United States. All flags should fly at half-mast on Monday all day. In the midst of your family gatherings and festivities, make time to be thankful for those service men and women for protecting us and our country. We are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful and free country!

With the Memorial Day weekend, it seems to be the unofficial start to the summer season. The local contractors are very busy all over the valley. A reminder to homeowners  always call before you dig around your home or place  to ensure you dont hit a gas line, power line or other utilities! You may think you are not digging deep enough to bother underground facilities but you could be wrong  dont risk it! Dial 811 or (800) 424-5555 or check out the website at: www.callbeforeyoudig.org/montana. Better to be safe than sorry!

The Honda building at Helena Motors is undergoing a complete remodel to meet Honda guidelines and will hopefully be completed by October. But not to worry  Jim Stanger, owner, says they are open for business through the remodel and ready to help you find your next new vehicle.

Perkins Family Restaurant was closed for less than a week but reopened on June 19 with a facelift on the exterior and a completely remodeled interior. Stop by and check it out  it looks amazing! And of course, owner Peter Mollet, invites you to come in and see the newly redone interior and try out their summer menu and also have your favorites from their extensive menu. There is something for everyone and breakfast is served all day!!

There is dirt being moved behind Buffalo Wild Wings, which is an indicator that Pizza Ranch is starting to build their new restaurant. They will start building next week and hope for an October opening.

Rumors are flying around that the Montana Club Restaurants based in Missoula with their first 2 restaurants (but also with locations in Kalispell, Great Falls, Butte and Billings) might be looking at a location in the Custer area in Helena.

A new store with western equipment and horse tack called Down Home Tack is opening at 1075 N. Rodney StreetSuite 106. They plan a grand opening on June 3. Contact them at 406-422-0184.

Dave and Charla Taylor are the new owners of the Lincoln Road RV Park. They will be offering summer rates through September 30 and have 21 back-in sites, 44 pull-thru sites, and 12 electric only sites. All of their full hook-up sites are landscaped with grass, gravel streets, and parking pads. They also have cement patios and picnic tables with the full hook-up sites. Dave and Charla encourage you to contact their friendly and helpful staff for reservations and inquiries at (406) 458-3725 or 800-797-3725. Check out their website at www.lincolnroadrvpark.net .

Discovery KidZone Montessori School is doing a large summer camp for school age children with a different theme, speakers, and field trips each week. A couple of their bigger trips include Museum of the Rockies and the Great Falls Waterpark. They do STEM centers daily and lego robotics weekly. (ages 6-12 for the camp) If interested in their camps and other offerings, you can contact Rachel Supalla, Exec. Director, at 406-443-5833. They are located at 7 Microwave Hill Road Suite B at Montana City. The school honors the imagination, mind, heart, and developmental experiences for infant, pre-school and kindergarten age children. They would be happy to schedule a tour if you are interested.

The Helena Chamber Ambassadors and the Committee for the Fourth of July celebration have a great family event planned for this year. It will begin with a Skateboard Exhibition at 10 am, Kids Activities including large bounce houses and a Kids Parade at 10:30 a.m., Flag Raising of Old Glory at 11 a.m. and a concert by Coffee Can Stash at 11:30 to 1 p.m. Free hotdogs and root beer floats will again be featured from 11- 1 p.m. Make plans to enjoy the Fourth right here in Helena!
12 Shares Share

We are visiting the grandparents in New York City for spring break. Spring has been sporadic thus far, more of a series of trailers rather than the feature presentation. The overhead warming lights and warm air greets us as we escape from the cool evening into the grandparents glittery apartment building. Although this specific location is not near Times Square, it has the gold leaf on the ceiling and lights angled just right to make you feel like a movie star or other famous person. A dapper middle-aged man in a tuxedo with coattails takes our luggage, including the girls Disney Princess and Frozen suitcases, to my daughters delight.

Mom, is this building really built by Trump? asks my 9-year-old daughter irreverently (theres a lot of modeling in our family). Yes honey, I say, he owns a lot of real estate. I hope that the conversation will end there. It doesnt. Were a lot of people treated poorly and paid less to build this building? she probes. Sigh. I pause as we stand in the decadent lobby to collect my thoughts, at the same time debating whether my time-honored method of rapid distraction when my children asked politically charged questions would cause attention deficit disorder. My daughter jumps into my pregnant pause to continue sharing thoughts, We should probably be even nicer to the people who work here now, Mom. I know they are not the same people, but in a way they are.

At that moment, almost at the end of 100 days which have made me doubt what I know about humanity, my own daughter offered me the silver lining. She would not be intimidated. No matter how many articles I read about how the president will set an example for our children and how I cheered internally as I agreed with authors who insisted that poor national leadership could poison our children, I did not stop to think that perhaps this election has empowered my child to think for herself. She has learned to fight for what she perceives as social justice and realized that we do not have to follow the leaders example, we can instead be empowered by bad behavior to be even more just, righteous, courageous, and fair.

The week after we returned from our New York City vacation, my daughter and I attended an interview with Ruby Sales, now 68 years old, at the Harvard Divinity School. Ms. Sales was only 17 years old when in an era of segregation, her life was spared by Jonathan Daniels, a white Episcopalian seminarian from New Hampshire, when he stepped in front of a white man who pointed his gun at her and sacrificed his own life for hers. Her commentary years later as she reflected on her life as an activist resonated with students of all ages in the audience that day:

 when people say that racism is not an American value, Im able to go back in time and show them that not only is it part of the American value system, but it is also part of our history. But  there are reasons for hope  we dont have to give in to despair.

As I watched the discussion at the Divinity School and paid even more attention to my daughter as she immersed herself in Ms. Sales stories, I recalled that it was 20 years ago that I sat in a class at Harvard College led by child psychiatrist Robert Coles, with likely a similar countenance to my daughters, trying to understand, to find hope in his stories, and to find a foundation for that hope. Dr. Coles would tell a rapt audience of undergraduates the story of another Ruby, six-year-old Ruby Bridges, who was threatened for wanting to go to school in segregated New Orleans in the 1960s. When he interviewed the 6 year old, over several conversations and many months, the foundation for his Moral Intelligence of Children evolved. In his discourse, he realized that we have long placed a premium on intellectual intelligence. In the past decade, we have also emphasized emotional intelligence. However, he noted, and I would agree, moral intelligence has not been given the same value.

She once told me she felt sorry for those people who were trying to kill her, Coles remarked as he recalled his surprise at her answers. I was applying standard psychology, trying to help her realize that she was maybe angry at these people  and she was telling me that she prayed for them. She was smart enough to understand, without taking courses in the social sciences, what happens to people.

Robert Coles believed that children acquire moral intelligence by observing what people do, not what they say. My daughter has now chosen to read March, a graphic novel trilogy about the history of civil rights in America. Since inauguration day, she has been educating herself and building her own foundation for hope.

As we stood in that dazzling lobby a few weeks ago, our interaction revealed that as adults, we can reinvest in social justice by observing our children. Yes, we have a long history of racism and civil rights violations. But, our country also has a long history of young people leading us by exemplifying moral intelligence. That will last far longer than 100 days.

Ami B. Bhatt is a cardiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
99 Shares Share

Advocacy on the Hill can be a challenging, since its never clear how much a single person or small group of people can impact an issue. However, that fact alone should never stop anyone from doing advocacy work.

Jessica Isom, Nkemka Esiobu, and myself had met with Dr. John Krystal (chair of the Yale psychiatry department) regularly to discuss about an advocacy day at the Capitol. We were three psychiatry residents, trying to advocate for patient rights. We pinned down a date, and met monthly to discuss how and what to advocate for.

Because of the turbulent and volatile political news, our core message shifted from one meeting to the next. One week, we talked about the threatened cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Then Congress would approve a budget, and threats to overall mental health coverage would come through.

We diligently followed the news and changed our advocacy strategies accordingly. As our scheduled May 12th date neared, we buckled down and proposed to talk about the cuts to essential health benefits and state waivers to Medicaid by the American Health Care Act. (AHCA).

Then the day came.

Our schedule had a slew of congressional healthcare staffers lined up (because Fridays were the day Senators returned to their home state), and we were ready to go. We huddled in the Russell Building basement on Friday morning, and talked about a game plan. Dr. Krystal had brought his all belongings to move around, and it felt like we were going on a fun, advocacy family vacation.

8:30 a.m. was our first appointment, with a staffer for Senator Burr of North Carolina. We were excited to snag some homegrown North Carolina peanuts from the office. Jessica voiced an eloquent story about her family and the impact of various health care cuts to the North Carolina folks. The staffer was cordial, but did not have much to add beyond that the Republican Senate bill was being worked on, and that it would be a long-haul process for the healthcare bill to voted on through the Senate and back to the House side again for negotiation and votes.

The next meeting was with Juan Gomez, a staffer from New Jersey. I told him the story of why I chose psychiatry  long wait lines in the ED, difficult practice settings in a time of resource shortage, unimaginable consequences to minorities and threatened vulnerable populations should the AHCA be passed. Juan was cool, and sympathized to our every word. Preaching to the choir was a fun endeavor, but we knew the harder work would be to convince the other side. The New Jersey office showcased some Welchs fruit snacks to keep our energy high.

We then talked to our Connecticut state senators staffers, including Joe Dunn (Chris Murphys staffer who admirably wrote the bulk of the mental health reforms for the 21st Century Cures Act), and Brian Steele (an eager Blumenthal health staffer). We shared stories about our Medicaid patients needing access to suboxone and about the need for auxiliary services including transitional living programs. Our Connecticut staffers were, of course, sympathetic, and told us to be in touch with more stories about our work. The meeting felt productive and meaningful.

In the halls, we met our friends from the Child Study Center, who were there for a lobbying day for American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists (AACAP). Notably, Dorothy Stubbe and Paul Bryant (a child forensics fellow) were there, meeting with Brian Steele right after us. It was nice to say Hello and give a couple of high fives before moving on to the next meeting.

We then took a break looking at the Mountain Sculpture by Calder in the Hart Building. It was large and ominous, and reminded me of the dark and trying times ahead. It was a black, steely structure, man-made, that did not resemble any mountain Ive ever climbed.

Next up was Angus Kings staffer, Patrick ONeil. We mentioned a story about the scary and lengthy process to get care in Maine. The staffer mentioned he was not surprised, and says Senator King, on his Independent ticket, is very much concerned about the opioid crisis, and would have to carefully review the Republican healthcare reform bill when proposed. The concerns and questions we raised included some similar thoughts about cutting mental health benefits from insurance.

As we moved from the building to building. One building was foreboding and forlorn while another had an efficient business character about them. The last had a beautiful elegance to its wickedly lengthy hallways.

For our last set of meetings, we had to split up to cover Florida, the other Senator from North Carolina, and Nevada. Nevada was chosen strategically because we wanted to hear the Republican side from a potential Republican sympathizer.

Toward the end of the morning, as the noon hour approached, we passed out the rest of our materials to random Senators along the way. For example, we stopped by Pat Toomeys office and dropped off a packet. In the meantime, we got some beautiful Lancaster chocolates, which the staff encouraged us to take. We took a few, and went to find Marco Rubios office. By the time we arrived, the health legislative staffer was already out to lunch, and we couldnt set up an impromptu meeting.

But we were running behind schedule anyway, and needed to get to the NIH. The NIH was an hour schlep to Rockville, MD. We grabbed a quick lunch at Chipotle and moved on to the NIH, where we met with several legislative policy folks. They hailed from NIDA, NIMH, and NIAAA, and were enthusiastic in telling us about their jobs. It was terrific to hear about their interaction with Congress and learn about how we could help them by sharing information to the appropriate parties. They divulged that advocacy through their agencies can happen in a subtle or not-so-subtle manner.

I learned that broadcasting impartial research findings is important. Cross-agency projects were quite possible, and were both dictated by leadership and legislation. It was heartwarming to see the passionate manner in which the staff talked about their work. It was awe-inspiring to meet with the woman who was largely responsible to helping put together this years surgeon generals report on Facing Addiction in America. We wrapped up the meeting with a kind handful of Lindt truffles, and then we were off to the horse races to catch a train back to meet with Anita Everett, the Chief Medical Officer of SAMHSA at Union Station.

Anita Everett brought her public health person, Doug Slothouber, to meet with us at the end of a long day. She shared with us about the agency priorities, including implementation of robust substances programs and first episode psychosis programs. One of the poignant points that I heard about was the idea that SAMHSA runs up against specificity vs. broadness with their programming. In addition, the agency needed to find a fine balance between evidence-based medicine and innovative programming. We mused about the possibility of robust behavioral health integration programs, challenges of developing innovation in mental health, and ended on a bright note of gratitude.

All-in-all, the day was refreshing, rainy, and hopeful, reflecting the damper and varied political opinions in Washington. I was appreciative of the fact our residency gives residents the opportunity to advocate for our beliefs and advocate for mental health and research rights on behalf of our patients, future patients, and friends. In addition, I was impressed by the diplomacy and generosity exhibited everyone as they openly shared about their perspectives and experiences.

As a small group, we were able to gather information, share our views, and continue conversations with many offices. We started relationships with new people and deepened conversations with old friends. Our presence was welcomed warmly, even by folks with other opinions.

It never slipped my mind that a small group of thoughtful people could help change the shape of the world, like Margaret Mead once said so brilliantly. We were well-fueled by candy from all parties of the political spectrum, and united by the wise pundits offered by the many smart people we met over the course of a single day.

My hope is that we will continue these advocacy endeavors in the future, locally, institutionally, and nationally. Physician advocacy is a professional duty, and individual voices can be heard. There truly cannot be health without mental health.

Luming Li is a psychiatry resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
If you have an affinity for handmade alpaca goods, Rattlesnake Creek Alpacas in Dillon has you covered.

The store on South Idaho Street offers an array of alpaca textiles, including a soap wrapped in alpaca fleece.

Its like a loofa, said shop owner Tracey Roberts. It makes a great exfoliant.

Roberts and her husband Dave  who have been operating an alpaca ranch for over four years on their land on Argenta Road in Dillon  opened the brick-and-mortar location at 201 S. Idaho St. in December and have been selling handmaid beanies, shawls, ponchos, rugs, scarves, blankets, socks and other textiles ever since.

To make the products, Roberts said, she and her husband sheer the animals and clean their fleece, which they take to a mill in Clearmont, Wyo., to have the raw material turned into yarn and roving. Roberts then uses the milled fleece to create the products she sells at the store.

In addition to moving product to the new store, Roberts has also transported her fabrication studio to the Idaho Street location so that patrons can watch her weave different textiles live on her loom.

(The fleece) doesnt have the prickly factor, Roberts said, explaining the difference between sheeps wool and alpaca. Its more durable, its warmer, (and) it doesnt have lanolin in it so you never have to chemically treat alpaca.

The Robertses launched the Rattlesnake Creek Alpacas ranch four-and-a-half years ago, the Dillon native said.

Roberts said her interest in Alpacas began simply out of an affinity for the animals.

It started out just because I thought they were really cute, said Roberts.

Roberts began researching the business end of alpaca ranching and thought starting a ranching operation might be feasible. However, she said, it took some convincing to get her husband, whose family raised cattle and worked in the meat-packing industry, to warm up to the idea.

When we decided to have livestock he told me no sheep and Im like, no cows, said Roberts, laughing.

Roberts herself grew up on a sheep ranch in Dillon and now runs Rattlesnake Creek Alpacas on land passed down by her grandparents.

Roberts and her husband originally intended for the store to be a popup shop, which Roberts said generated a lot of interest among holiday shoppers.

It was just insane because people didnt realize what we had, said Roberts, who up until that point sold her products online and at art festivals.

Eventually, Roberts said, she and her husband decided to make the popup shop a permanent part of their business.

As for the alpacas, Roberts described them as affectionate creatures, replete with their own personalities.

Theyre very sweet, she said, adding that the most spirited alpaca of the bunch is a male called Charbou.

He just has that personality, said Roberts. He wants to play, he bosses the other boys around quite a bit.

Rattlesnake Creek started with just 19 alpacas, which Roberts and her husband purchased from a ranch in Red Lodge. Today the couple owns 47, which range in a variety of colors with names like fawn, rose-gray and maroon.

Altogether, Roberts said, alpacas come in 22 colors and Rattlesnake Creek has almost all 22. She added that theres an art and science behind breeding the alpacas to get the desired colors.

Right now we have a fawn girl that were going to put with a black boy hoping to get a gray or a black, she said.

Roberts said the best part about alpaca ranching is the alpacas, but added that the job isnt for the faint of heart.

You have to have a passion for the animals, she said.
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 ...
CAIRO, May 28 (Reuters) - Average yields on Egypt's three- and nine-month treasury bills rose at auction on Sunday, data from the central bank showed. The average yield on the 273-day bill rose to 20.478 percent from 19.709 percent at the previous auction. The yield on the 91-day bill increased to 20.519 percent from 19.493 percent previously.

(Reporting by Amina Ismail; Editing by Ahmed Aboulenein)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
By Brad Brooks

SAO PAULO, May 28 (Reuters) - Brazilian federal prosecutors on Sunday made a new offer to JBS SA's controlling shareholder, J&F Investimentos, that it pay a 10.99 billion real ($3.37 billion) fine for its role in massive corruption scandals.

The new offer is down slightly from the previous proposal by prosecutors that J&F pay 11.2 billion reais. The company rejected that and counter-offered, saying it would pay 4 billion reais. Prosecutors rejected that, as well as the company's next offer that it would pay 8 billion reais.

Spokesmen for J&F did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest offer from prosecutors.

Negotiations on the leniency deal fine follow bombshell state's witness testimony from J&F's owners Joesley and Wesley Batista that they spent 600 million reais to bribe nearly 1,900 politicians in recent years.

Joesley Batista is at the center of a corruption investigation into President Michel Temer. Batista secretly recorded a conversation with Temer in March in which the president seemed to condone bribing a potential witness in the corruption case.

The top court authorized a corruption investigation into Temer based on that tape and testimony that the Batista brothers and five other executives from their company gave regarding the president and several other powerful politicians.

Investors are watching the plea negotiations. JBS shares have slid more than 20 percent since mid-May in extremely turbulent trading because of concern that blowback from the scandal could limit its funding options.

The bribery scandal is one of several legal hazards facing the group, which mushroomed from a regional Brazilian slaughterhouse to the world's largest protein processor with the help of some 8 billion reais in government support.

Brazilian rules for corporate leniency deals call for fines of somewhere between 0.1 percent and 20 percent of annual sales.

Prosecutors said in their written statement on Sunday that the proposed 10.99 billion real fine was equivalent to 6 percent of J&F's group 2016 revenue.

Authorities also for the first time detailed who would receive the fine from J&F. Brazil's BNDES state development bank, along with the pension funds Funcef and Petros would each receive 25 percent of any fine.

The remaining 25 percent would go to the federal government, which would get 12.5 percent, along with the FGTS worker severance fund and the Caixa Economic Federal bank, which would each receive 6.25 percent.

($1 = 3.2598 reais)

(Reporting by Brad Brooks and Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo, and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia)
By Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON

U.S. President Donald Trumps son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters.

Those contacts included two phone calls between April and November last year, two of the sources said. By early this year, Kushner had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, said two other sources - one current and one former law enforcement official.

Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynns connections with Russian officials, the two sources said.

While the FBI is investigating Kushners contacts with Russia, he is not currently a target of that investigation, the current law enforcement official said.

The new information about the two calls as well as other details uncovered by Reuters shed light on when and why Kushner first attracted FBI attention and show that his contacts with Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak were more extensive than the White House has acknowledged.

NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the presidents inner circle.

The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner did not remember any calls with Kislyak between April and November.

"Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described. We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information," she said.

In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish a line of communication. Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials.

BACK CHANNEL

Before the election, Kislyaks undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving U.S.-Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine how those discussions were conducted or exactly when they took place.

Reuters was first to report last week that a proposal for a back channel was discussed between Flynn and Kislyak as Trump prepared to take office. The Washington Post was first to report on Friday that Kushner participated in that conversation.

Separately, there were at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails between Trump associates and Kremlin-linked people in the seven months before the Nov. 8 presidential election, including six calls with Kislyak, sources told Reuters earlier this month. . Two people familiar with those 18 contacts said Flynn and Kushner were among the Trump associates who spoke to the ambassador by telephone. Reuters previously reported only Flynns involvement in those discussions.

Six of the sources said there were multiple contacts between Kushner and Kislyak but declined to give details beyond the two phone calls between April and November and the post-election conversation about setting up a back channel. It is also not clear whether Kushner engaged with Kislyak on his own or with other Trump aides.

HOW KUSHNER CAME UNDER SCRUTINY

FBI scrutiny of Kushner began when intelligence reports of Flynns contacts with Russians included mentions of U.S. citizens, whose names were redacted because of U.S. privacy laws. This prompted investigators to ask U.S. intelligence agencies to reveal the names of the Americans, the current U.S. law enforcement official said.

Kushners was one of the names that was revealed, the official said, prompting a closer look at the presidents son-in-laws dealings with Kislyak and other Russians.

FBI investigators are examining whether Russians suggested to Kushner or other Trump aides that relaxing economic sanctions would allow Russian banks to offer financing to people with ties to Trump, said the current U.S. law enforcement official.

The head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, Sergei Nikolaevich Gorkov, a trained intelligence officer whom Putin appointed, met Kushner at Trump Tower in December. The bank is under U.S. sanctions and was implicated in a 2015 espionage case in which one of its New York executives pleaded guilty to spying and was jailed.

The bank said in a statement in March that it had met with Kushner along with other representatives of U.S. banks and business as part of preparing a new corporate strategy.

Officials familiar with intelligence on contacts between the Russians and Trump advisers said that so far they have not seen evidence of any wrongdoing or collusion between the Trump camp and the Kremlin. Moreover, they said, nothing found so far indicates that Trump authorized, or was even aware of, the contacts.

There may not have been anything improper about the contacts, the current law enforcement official stressed.

Kushner offered in March to be interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russias attempts to interfere in last years election.

The contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials during the presidential campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trumps chances of winning the White House and damage his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

(Additional reporting by John Walcott, Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart in Washington)
If the Scottish National Party wins the most seats in Scotland at a June 8 election, Prime Minister Theresa May's refusal to agree to a second independence referendum will be unsustainable, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Sunday.

The SNP, which won 56 of parliament's 59 Scottish seats at the last election in 2015, has said Scots should get another say on independence once the terms of Britain's EU exit are clear.

Polls show the SNP is set to easily win in Scotland in June, though May's Conservatives are expected to take some seats from them as the issue of keeping the United Kingdom together takes center stage.

May has said now is not the time to discuss a fresh independence vote. Scots rejected independence by 10 percentage points in 2014 and support for secession since then is little changed.

"If the SNP win the election on June 8 in Scotland, and I am taking nothing for granted, ... then I think that position of the prime minister is unsustainable," Sturgeon said in an interview with the BBC.

She said the win would add weight to the SNP's victory in the Scottish election last year and a vote in the Scottish parliament giving her a fresh mandate to seek a new referendum.

Sturgeon pointed to other times May has changed her mind.

On Monday May was forced to backtrack on one of her Conservative Party's most high-profile election pledges to force elderly people to pay more for their social care after her opinion poll lead halved.

"In politics positions quickly become unsustainable and we have seen in the last few days ... this is not a prime minister who is very good at holding positions under pressure. She is a prime minister that has seemed to perfect the art of the U-turn," Sturgeon said.

The SNP will insist on Scotland's right to decide its own future as Britain leaves the European Union when it sets out is pre-election policy document on Tuesday.

Sturgeon, who said she wants an independent Scotland to be a full member of the EU, argues that a new choice is needed because Scots voted to stay in the bloc in a referendum last June, at odds with the overall vote to leave.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Editing by David Evans and Stephen Powell)
LINCOLN COUNTY, Mississippi (WJTV)  The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) says eight people, including a Lincoln County Sheriffs Office deputy, were shot and killed in what appears to have been a domestic incident.

Authorities tell WJTV that the suspect is Willie Corey, 35, Godbolt of Bogue Chitto.

Suspect: Willie Corey Godbolt

Picture provided by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety

He was taken into custody just before 7 a.m. at the Super Jacksons at East Lincoln Road and Highway 84, according to The Daily Leader.

Authorities told WJTV the shooting spree started at 11:30 Saturday night with a domestic call to Lee Drive in Bogue Chitto. Authorities found the bodies of three females and the deputy at that location.

Authorities found a second crime scene in the 1600 block Coopertown Road in Brookhaven. There the bodies of two juveniles males were found.

The third crime was in the 300 block of East Lincoln Road in Brookhaven. Authorities found a man and a woman dead at that location, according to Warren Strain with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The deputy killed in the shooting has been identified as 36-year-old William Durr. He was a two year veteran of the Lincoln County Sheriffs Department, and he was a four-year veteran of the Brookhaven Police Department.

Authorities are waiting to identify to the other shooting victims.

Governor Phil Bryant issued a statement about the shooting. In a Facebook post, he said:

"I ask all Mississippians to join Deborah and me in praying for those lost in Lincoln County. Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work. May the peace of the Almighty wash over those hurting after this senseless tragedy."
Bob Marshall Trails Day event

This year, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will hold a National Trails Day event in partnership with the USFS to complete a variety of trails and trailhead-related tasks including drainage work, clearing and gravel hauling.

On Saturday, June 3, volunteers will contribute to our country's wilderness heritage by working on popular trails in The Bob. This year, the group is focusing on popular trails departing from the Indian Meadows trailhead located near Lincoln. After a day of work, volunteers will be treated to a tailgate barbecue at the Indian Meadows Cabin from 4-6 p.m. Registration is required.

For more information about National Trails Day, to learn how to donate, or how to volunteer, contact Jessica Evans at trails@bmwf.org or 406-387-3822.

Does my boat need to be inspected?

Confused about whether or not you need to get your watercraft inspected for aquatic invasive species? Dont worry, this year in Montana the answer is simpler than you might think.

Are you bringing your boat into Montana from out of state? You need to be inspected prior to launching.

Are you crossing the Continental Divide into the Columbia River Basin? You need to be inspected prior to launching.

Are you encountering an open inspection station? If you have a watercraft with you, you must stop and get inspected.

These rules are not just good ideas, theyre the law. But to make sure your inspection is quick and easy, remember to Clean, Drain, and Dry.

Dont forget your AIS prevention pass

A new program initiated by the 2017 Montana Legislature and recently signed into law by Gov. Steve Bullock is helping fund the fight against aquatic invasive species in Montana.

The Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass was approved as part of Senate Bill 363 and is required for all anglers. The cost is $2 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.

The AIS Prevention Pass will be available at all Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks license providers and online beginning May 19. Anglers who have already purchased licenses will need to go online or to a license provider and purchase the new pass.

The 2017 Legislature provided additional funding for FWPs aquatic invasive species program after the discovery last fall of aquatic invasive mussel larvae in water samples from Tiber Reservoir. A sample from Canyon Ferry Reservoir also turned up suspect for the mussel larvae.

To be very clear: The new AIS prevention pass will be required for all anglers, including those who have purchased a license prior to May 19.

Also, because it is a separate program and not a fee increase, the pass can be purchased by non-anglers as well who would want to help contribute to Montanas fight against aquatic invasive species.

Ranger Talks at Buffalo Jump State Park

Montana State Parks will offer Ranger Talks at the Jump at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park every Sunday at 1 p.m. from May 29 through Sept. 3.

Join use to hear an interpretive ranger talk at the top of the jump. Learn how the First Peoples drove the bison over the edge as you take in views of the surrounding mountains and buttes. These free interpretive talks meet at the Upper Visitor Area and last about 30 minutes. Presentations are weather dependent and may be cancelled in case of rain.

First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is located 10 miles south of Great Falls on I-15, take Ulm exit, then 3.5 miles North-west on paved county road.

For more information, call the park visitor center at 406-866-2217 or visit the park on Facebook or visit stateparks.mt.gov/first-peoples-buffalo-jump/.

Learn to Fish Program at Montana Wild

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is offering a new program on June 5 and June 26 that will help you learn basic fishing techniques, fish identification, regulations, and proper handling of fish. The short program begins at 6:30 p.m. and following the program, everyone will be supplied with all the equipment to spend the evening fishing at Spring Meadow Lake in Helena.

Pre-registration is required and no fishing license is required for program participants. To pre-register call 444-9944 or stop by Montana WILD.

Comment sought on open field dog training

A new Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks administrative rule to help clarify an existing statute related to training hunting dogs in the open field around wild game birds is open for public comment.

Montana law prohibits the training of hunting dogs within one mile of nesting birds, wildlife management areas or game preserve without a permit. However, no permitting process is in place and the statute is relatively vague. The proposed rule provides some definition to the existing statute by defining bird nesting areas, open fields and where people can apply for a permit.

The new rule is in response to the recent instances of large-scale dog trainers coming to Montana to train bird hunting dogs on wild birds, often on public land. These trainers are often working with dozens of dogs, follow on horses and are in the field at a time that is problematic for gamebirds -- when hen birds are raising their broods.

The proposed rule provides clarity for the agency in regard to enforcement of the current statute.

Comment on the proposed rule must be submitted by June 9. A copy of the rule and a place to submit comments can be found online at fwp.mt.gov, under news and public notices. Written comments can be submitted attention Mike Lee, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

Mule Days event coming to Whitehall

The 33rd annual Montana Mule Days is June 9-11 at the rodeo grounds in Whitehall. Mule Days is Montanas only mule and donkey show.

Events include riding, driving, youth and adult classes. The weekend includes big hitches, log pulls, chariot racing and more. Doors open at 8 a.m. Admission is $5 per day or you can purchase a three-day pass for $10. More than 130 classes will be offered over the three days.

There will be a variety of vendors available and a saddle, especially made for a mule will be raffled.

For more information or for entry forms go to montanamuledays.com.

Master Naturalist course open for registration

Taught by local natural resource experts, this is a five-day intensive course that runs June 19-24. Master Naturalist training consists of 40 hours of instruction including outdoor investigations and Montana Wild classroom time. We'll cover a wide range of topics and give you basic skills and in-depth knowledge to be a Helena Master Naturalist.

Cost is $140 (40 OPI credits are available). If you want the Montana Master Naturalist certification an additional $100 goes to the Montana Naturalist History Center. Register by calling Kurt Cunningham at 444-9939

This course is led by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and several partners. For more information including an agenda go to the Montana Discovery Foundations website at: www.montanadiscoveryfoundation.org/programs/helena-master-naturalist/.
A salpuri dancer performing for "Giselle's Sorrow of the Flower Ceremony" / Courtesy of Busan National Gugak Center





By Yun Suh-young

The Busan National Gugak Center will showcase a unique marriage of traditional Korean dance with Western ballet, "Giselle's Sorrow or the Flower Ceremony," on May 30.

The show premiered in France last year as a Korean-French collaborative performance organized initially as part of the Year of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges last year. Earlier this month, the piece was showcased three times in Dansoir, a theater in the Ouistreham region of Normandy, France, and was positively received.

The piece is choreographed by French dancer and choreographer Karine Saporta, head of her own dance company, Compagnie Karine Saporta. She was artistic director of choreographic performances at the Festival d'Avignon and former director of the Centre Choreographic National (CCN) of Caen/Basse-Normandie.

In "Giselle's Sorrow or the Flower Ceremony," the traditional French ballet "Giselle" will be merged with traditional Korean dance salpuri (a shamanistic dance of exorcism), by which the French choreographer was inspired and took her motif from. It also incorporates various other genres including contemporary dance and theater.

Saporta found unexpected similarities between salpuri and the ballet "Giselle" and tried to express the connection between Korea's shamanistic culture and the Western romantic ballet through the performance.

"I got the chance to see salpuri dance two years ago when I was in Namwon, North Jeolla Province. It was my first time to Korea. I connected immediately. I saw a connection with the romantic era in Western dance full of spirits, ghosts and blue lights and mysterious, fantastic creatures," Saporta said during an interview with The Korea Times.

"Salpuri is very airy _ at least it appears to me _ while contemporary dance is more in the earth. The dancer had a non-physical quality. I discovered the music at the same time. It was my first encounter with pansori. It was so refined and was as refined as the baroque music that I love."

In the traditional plot of "Giselle," a peasant girl named Giselle dies of a broken heart after discovering her lover is betrothed to another. A group of supernatural women who dance men to death summon Giselle from her grave. In the adapted "Giselle's Sorrow" performance, the story is of a Korean Giselle, a pure peasant girl, who falls in love with a Frenchman who visits Korea to study anthropology. The two meet while watching a salpuri performance. In the end, however, the Korean Giselle takes her own life and her spirit is summoned through the salpuri performance.

"I didn't want Giselle to be European. I just wanted this piece to be Asian," Saporta said.

The cast from Compagnie Karine Saporta includes Japanese dancers Aya Yasuda and Chika Nakayama as the Korean Giselle. Korean musicians from the Busan National Gugak Center will play the traditional Korean instruments geomungo, daegeum, ajaeng and janggu. Music is arranged by Wilfried Wendling based on the original Giselle score by Adolphe Adam.

The two Giselles _ the ballerina Giselle and the contemporary dancer Giselle _ simultaneously dance on stage. The salpuri dancer appears as an alter ego who lingers around the stage while the two Giselles perform.

"Like when you have a text and you want to quote a poem, I wanted to quote classical choreography. But I'm a contemporary choreographer so having the two as classical Giselle was not my thing," said Saporta.

Seo In-hwa, director of Busan National Gugak Center (BNGC), said, "While there are lots of ballet and contemporary dance movements in the performance, the Korean salpuri dancer feels like a character that encompasses all of their existence. The French audience who viewed it in May said the salpuri was beautiful."

While Saporta was looking for professional dancers for the salpuri performance, she was introduced to Seo who chose to collaborate with her without a second thought.

"I met her briefly but I knew we could do it immediately," Saporta said.

After the decision to collaborate last December, the performance was introduced in France in May.

"If there's a difference in the piece since we joined, the salpuri dancers are trained professional dancers. Also, there's live traditional gugak music that is played during the salpuri performance," Seo said. The two were in Seoul on May 26 to perform the show for one day at the National Gugak Center.
South Korea's trade ministry is planning to turn 30,000 irregular jobs at 41 public agencies under its wing into regular ones in the next five years, government officials said Saturday.

During his five-year term that began May 10, President Moon Jae-in vowed to reduce the number of irregular workers in the public sector to zero.

"There should be special measures to resolve the irregular job issues starting with the public sector," President Moon said in an event held at Incheon International Airport on May 12.

The 41 public companies include the Korea Electric Power Corp. and its power generation units, the Korea Trade-Promotion Agency and Kangwon Land, the only casino that allows locals to gamble, the trade ministry said. (Yonhap)
This is the eighth in a series of interviews with international experts on Korea giving advice to President Moon Jae-in on how to overcome challenges and create a better future for the Korean people.  ED.

By Kim Jae-kyoung

Antonio Fatas

SINGAPORE  President Moon Jae-in should seek ways to unite forces with other big economies in Asia to deal with the growing influence of China, said Antonio Fatas, professor of economics at INSEAD.

His advice comes as China, the world's biggest consumer market, is taking the leading role in reshaping economic integration in Asia.

"China is trying to increase its influence over Asia given the lack of leadership of the United States," Fatas said in a recent interview.

"Korea and other larger economies in Asia need to find ways to build political coalitions that can be used against the demands of China."

He pointed out that China has the ability to push others in negotiations, either economic or political.

"Size matters in these negotiations. China negotiating with each economy in Asia means they tend to dominate those conversations," he said.

"I am thinking of the parallel of the EU that has a voice in international negotiations because of its size. I do think that any process of economic integration and creating supranational institutions and dialogue in Asia will reduce the power of China."

His remarks came as a response to questions on how Korea can handle China's economic blackmail against the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

Fatas, who uses South Korea as a case study for economic growth in his lectures, said that it is time for Korea to revamp its economic model to adapt to the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He pointed out Korea is one of the most successful economies of the past 40 years but the growth engines of the past need to be modified and in some cases replaced.

"South Korea's growth has slowed down revealing the end of the previous growth model," he said.

"The power of those who have made the previous miracle possible needs to be reduced to ensure the forces of innovation and renewal are strong enough."

In his view, what the country needs is an emphasis on innovation, a pro-competitive business environment that allows startups with small ideas to challenge the position of the large Korean companies.

A change of mindset toward no complacency and reliance on global competitive forces are also elements necessary for Korea to ensure stronger sustainable growth, he said.

Shifting to services-based economy

Fatas called for the Moon administration to draft long-term plans to transform the economy into a services-based one by facilitating competition and establishing the conditions to improve productivity in those sectors.

He said in order to create an ecosystem to foster more internationally competitive players fit for the 21st century, the new government should focus on shifting education toward innovation and away from building traditional skills.

"In the past, capital and talent have been allocated to the large manufacturing companies, partly through explicit government policies," he said.

"As a result, the service sector in Korea employs fewer people than in other similar countries, and has lower productivity. This needs to be reversed through policies that encourage talent and capital to move into these sectors."

The Singapore-based economics professor said shifting to the services sector will help Korea solve the jobless growth problem.

"Jobless growth is the outcome of a manufacturing sector that keeps replacing labor with capital as in other advanced economies, he said. "Jobs should be developed in the service sector."

As for renegotiation of the free trade agreement with the U.S., Fatas advised Moon to take a strategic approach to avoid any retaliation.

"What Korea cannot do is take economic actions that are seen as against American interests. Obsession with current account surpluses and the value of the currency could lead to potential retaliation by the U.S.," he said.

"A shift toward emphasis on internal consumption would be welcomed by the U.S."

To inject new vigor into the economy, Fatas, who has worked as an external consultant for international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, suggests Moon focus on bolstering domestic demand.

"In the short term, Korea faces a positive global economic outlook and does not have any massive macroeconomic imbalances," he said.

"If any, it continues with strong current account surpluses. A shift toward increasing spending if economic conditions get weaker would be feasible and desirable."


By Lee Kyung-min

A woman surnamed Ahn, 34, was admitted to a mental hospital in Gyeonggi Province in 2006 and stayed there for eight years until 2014.

"One day, when I was in my dormitory near my work, I heard my mother's voice, calling me to come home," Ahn said. "I rushed home and asked my mom about it. But she said, with a worried look on her face, she did not call me."

Ahn and her mother went to a psychiatric hospital and a doctor diagnosed her with schizophrenia, symptoms of which include auditory hallucinations, saying she needed immediate hospitalization.

"There was nothing I could do. All I remember was how embarrassed, ashamed and guilty my mom looked in front of the doctor. I didn't want my mom being that way to another person because of me."

At the confinement facility that housed about 100 women, all she hoped for was to go outside to see the sunlight, to leave just for a short while from behind the cold, rusty iron bars.

"Patients were allowed outdoors once in a while, only the well-behaved ones. We would go outside for about an hour near the mountain and have fresh air."

Her symptoms soon subsided after taking medication, but the hospital did not discharge her.

She was among many patients that had simply no idea what to do to get out, and became worried about what to do after getting out and surviving with the harshest social stigma associated with mental disorder patients.

Out of about 100 patients there, Ahn thought, two-thirds were like her, who either no longer had symptoms or whose symptoms were manageable with medication, and would have no major difficulty maintaining a "normal" life outside the facility.

"I wished there had been another doctor that I could get a second opinion from. Who knows? I might not have been there wasting what could have been the most beautiful years of my young adult life."

Such unfortunate instances like hers will occur considerably less, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Under the revised health law that took effect today, a doctor can order an involuntary commitment of a suspected patient for only up to 14 days for further diagnosis with the consent of the patient's legal guardians. Up to three months of hospitalization is allowed only after another doctor at a separate state-run hospital agrees with the detention.

Starting next May, the hospital must submit a report to a special committee within three days of admitting a patient. The committee, comprised of up to 30 members with expertise in psychiatry, law and human rights, as well as recovered mental patients, will determine whether the patient needs hospitalization and notify the hospital of assessment results within 30 days. If the committee decides against hospitalization, the patient must be released.

Such measures are a drastic change from the earlier law that allowed a doctor, without a second opinion, to hospitalize a patient for up to six months with the consent of the patient's legal guardians. The earlier law stipulated the stay be renewed every six months, but the revised law makes it every three months with the agreement of two doctors on the diagnosis.

Seoul National University neuropsychiatrist Chung Dong-chun said the biggest misconception about mental disorders such as schizophrenia is that it requires permanent seclusion from society.

When under stress, schizophrenia patients and those at risk of the disease release more dopamine, a compound present in the body as a neurotransmitter, which can in turn disrupt brain activity, resulting in visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations. It could be chronic but is a manageable disease.

"Take diabetes patients, for example. They have to watch what they eat, exercise, check blood sugar levels and take medication, every single day. That is not so different from what some of the mental patients have to go through."

Contrary to popular belief, many mental patients are not violent, according to Song Seung-yeon, 34, an activist and mental health social worker.

"The public perception of mental patients is extremely distorted and is similar to those depicted in the 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Jack Nicholson, which is not entirely a fair or accurate description of the facility."

Of course there are those with severe illness that need confinement, but not as many as the patients held in psychiatric wards in Korea, he added.

According to data by the National Center for Mental Health, the number of patients hospitalized for mental disorders is on a steady rise with 72,325 in 2008, 75,282 in 2010, 80,569 in 2012, and 81,625 in 2014.

This is in stark contrast to the numbers in the U.S. Germany, Italy and Sweden, all of which after 2000 have been on the decline, according to the data.

According to 2013 data by the OECD on the length of stay for mental and behavioral disorders, patients in Korea were kept almost 120 days, almost twice as long as the next country in the rank _ Israel with less than 60 days. The OECD average hovered around 20 days.

Such a figure is inevitable given that more than 90 percent of psychiatric hospitals are private-run, with their profits relying heavily on the number of patients and length of their stays.

Song said, "Hospitals are profit-oriented institutions. With doctors' income directly on the line, would they be able to truly put the patients' will and well-being before protecting their self interest?"

Patients have long been silenced, he continued, when they are directly affected by the doctors' decision and government policies.

"Doctors should reflect whether they have truly considered patients' rights to remain free. Rather than labeling them as objects requiring treatment under strict confinement, I urge them to think what would happen to the patients afterwards," he said.

In most developed countries, involuntary admission is determined by at least two physicians or by a court, a disinterested party to hospital business.

"For a patient to be admitted involuntarily, a court order is needed in the U.S., France and Germany while Australia, Taiwan and Japan require determination of an independent body," a health ministry official said.

According to Kim Min, an official at Korean Disabled People's Development Institute, a similar law on the mental health system including psychiatric patients' treatment was first enacted in the U.S. in 1946 and revised in 1963 and 1980.

"The U.S. increased support for housing and helped the patients better resettle in their communities. Rather than confining patients in a ward, patients are encouraged to manage their diseases in far less restraining environments."
Organizers of an effort to create a national heritage area involving Lewis and Clark, Cascade and Choteau counties will be in Helena on June 6 to present an update on that effort.

Carol Bronson and Lindy Hatcher of Great Falls will share the ongoing work of the Upper Missouri River Heritage Area Planning Corp. during a 5:30 p.m. presentation at the Lewis and Clark Library.

A May 2016 meeting of the groups members, hosted by the Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council, was held with Lewis and Clark County officials in Helena to explain the concept and pique the commissioners interest.

Members of the Heritage Area Planning Corp. werent seeking a decision by the commission although Commissioner Andy Hunthausen noted his support.

Partnerships were said be important in creation of a national heritage area, Jane Weber, a Cascade County Commissioner, said at that meeting before she spoke to concerns that private property owners may have regarding their rights.

It has no impact on private property rights, Weber explained.

It is managed regionally. It is not managed by a federal agency, she said before adding its not a land grab.

The exact boundaries for the proposed national heritage area are tentative, Weber said noting that they currently span from the White Cliffs of the Missouri River south to Gates of the Mountains.

This is all very tentative, Weber noted at that time.

The organizations mission is to establish the 50th National Heritage Area in the U.S. and the first in Montana.

Online sources say the Gates of the Mountains, which is in Lewis and Clark County and a landmark where the river carves a path through mountainous country for nearly six miles, is one of the few places named by the Lewis and Clark expedition that retains its initial identity.

From Gates of the Mountains, the boundary extends downstream past points of interest along the river such as Cascade, where famed Western artist Charlie Russell lived briefly and the Great Falls Portage for the Lewis and Clark expedition thats now a national historic landmark.

The First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park outside of Ulm was embraced by the boundary discussed in May 2016 as are two other such sites: the Fort Benton Historic District and the CM Russell House and Studio in Great Falls.

The historic significance of the area extends far beyond the Missouri River that runs through the area and Weber noted the importance of the Sun River and Monarch areas.

Distant communities from the Missouri River that include Simms and Fort Shaw, Geraldine and Square Butte as well as Big Sandy were at that time also slated for inclusion.

Several historic sites and places in Choteau and Cascade counties have already been identified, according to Weber at the meeting more than a year ago where she said weve got a great story to tell.

More than two years of work has already been invested in the project and the organizations hope, according to a news release, is for Congressional designation within the next three years.

Board members consist of farmers and ranchers, historians, economic development specialists, tourism professionals, archaeologists, and public officials from Fort Benton, Cascade, Great Falls and Helena. Members of this 501(c)3 organization have determined multiple historic, cultural and scenic sites believed to be of national significance to the American heritage.

Six interpretive themes and a tentative boundary have been identified.

Additional information can be found on the organizations website at lewisandclark.org.
Hyun Hong-choo, South Korea's former Ambassador to the U.S.

South Korea's former Ambassador to the United States Hyun Hong-choo, noted for his active role in expanding Seoul's diplomatic frontiers in the 1980s-1990s, passed away Saturday. He was 76.

The cause of his death is not immediately known. A memorial altar for him is set up at Asan Medical Center in Seoul.

Hyun, who served as Seoul's top envoy to the U.S. from 1991-1993, has transcended the fields of politics, diplomacy, academia, government administration and the prosecution with his expertise, experience and wide personal connections, observers said.

Hyun is best remembered for his contribution to gaining U.N. membership for the two Koreas in the early 1990s and implementing former President Roh Tae-woo's signature foreign policy, dubbed "Nordpolitik." Roh led the country from 1988-1993.

Under the policy drive, South Korea established diplomatic ties with Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia in 1989. It also opened relations with Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania in 1990 and with Albania the following year.

During the Roh government, Hyun served as the government legislation chief in 1988, ambassador to the United Nations in 1990 and then ambassador to the country's chief security ally, the U.S.

In 1993, he started working as a private lawyer handling international trade, investment and other legal affairs. After passing a state bar exam in 1963, he served as state prosecutor for a decade from 1968.

During the Lee Myung-bak administration from 2007-2013, Hyun served as a member of the presidential advisory panel on national reunification and of the presidential committee on national security. In 2013, he was appointed as chair professor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy attached to the foreign ministry.

Hyun graduated from the law college of Seoul National University in 1963. In 1969, he obtained a master's degree in law from Columbia University.

He is survived by his wife and three children. (Yonhap)
Different views exist within UN over Korea-Japan row



By Yi Whan-woo



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he backs a disputed agreement between Korea and Japan on Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, according to a Japanese media outlet, Sunday.



The support of the U.N. chief is contrary to the stance of a U.N. agency which earlier advised revision of the deal which many Koreans do not accept.



Citing Japanese foreign ministry officials, Kyodo News said Abe stressed the importance of observing the agreement during a meeting with Guterres on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.



Guterres expressed his "support and welcome" on the deal reached in December 2015.



Guterres' comment contradicted the stance by the U.N. Committee against Torture which recommended revising the deal in line with Seoul's call.



On May 12, the committee recommended revising the accord, saying it was not enough to help the victims who should be provided with proper redress. At that time, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga dismissed the recommendation, saying the deal was "final and irreversible."



"I would not say whether Guterres sided with Japan or Korea, but it's certain that he wants any agreement made on a government-to-government level to be kept regardless of reasons," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University. "However, it will be difficult to assume Guterres is opposed to the U.N. committee's opinion concerning sex slavery."



Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said, "Guterres meant to show courtesy on efforts between Seoul and Tokyo to settle the issue through the 2015 agreement, considering sex slavery was the biggest stumbling block in the Korea-Japan ties."



President Moon Jae-in has cited a need to renegotiate the deal, claiming it was made hastily between the Park Geun-hye administration and Abe's Cabinet without consulting the victims and their advocates in advance.



During a phone call with Abe earlier this month, Moon said most Korean citizens do not accept the agreement emotionally.



Guterres' predecessor, Ban Ki-moon, also supported the disputed deal when he was at the U.N. in January 2016.



Ban said it was a "brave decision" made by then-President Park and that the agreement will be "highly assessed in history" during a telephone conversation with Park.



After returning to Korea in January this year, however, Ban backpedaled, saying he meant to encourage efforts to settle the dispute on the government-to-government level, not the accord itself. Political sources said he reversed his words to gain votes in his bid for the presidency. Ban later quit his bid.



The two countries have been poles apart in interpreting the 2015 deal.



With the deal, Japan wanted the Korean government to remove the statue of a girl installed outside Japanese diplomatic missions here in return for receiving 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) from Tokyo. The statue symbolizes former sex slaves and Japan has claimed it is in violation of the agreement aimed at settling the historical dispute.




A session is held during the 11th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, themed "Asia's New Order and Cooperative Leadership," at the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in 2016. This year's forum under the theme of "Sharing a Common Vision for Asia's Future" will take place at the same venue from May 31 to June 2, drawing more than 5,000 participants from 70 countries. / Courtesy of Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity Organizing Committee



By Yi Whan-woo





The 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity kicks off on Jeju Island on May 31, with the aim of bolstering cooperation in Asia on addressing political, economic, security, climate change and other regional challenges amid growing protectionist and nationalist movements.

This will be the largest international meeting taking place on Jeju Island after a new government was launched in Korea, May 10.

The multinational forum runs through June 2 at the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, drawing more than 5,000 politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, scholars, entrepreneurs, journalists and representatives of international organizations from 70 countries around the globe.

The theme, "Sharing a Common Vision for Asia's Future," was chosen by the Organizing Committee to reflect the intensified security risks in the region and the forum's goal of offering an opportunity to exchange views to develop a "cooperative Asia."

"Sharing a vision is necessary to settle common problems found worldwide," said Won Hee-ryong, the chairman of the Organizing Committee and the governor of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

"The forum this year will deal with global challenges in a more detailed manner after having expanded its agendas on peace.

"We've worked hard in our preparation for this meeting, which hopes to serve as a new momentum for peace in an era of uncertainty and become a new ray of light for humankind," he added.

Among the prominent international guests at the forum are former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and three former heads of states  Anibal Cavaco Silva of Portugal, Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia and Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat of Mongolia.

Also taking part in the annual forum are former foreign ministers from the Asia-Pacific countries  Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia, George Yeo of Singapore, Gareth Evans of Australia, and Nyamosor Tuya of Mongolia.

France's former Minister of State for State Reform and Simplification Jean-Vincent Place is attending, and so is former chairman of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Michael Kirby, among other former senior U.N. officials.

A group of ambassadors and other high-ranking diplomatic representatives in Korea will also gather together in Jeju to share their vision for Asia's future. British Ambassador Charles Hay, Australia's Ambassador James Choi, India's Ambassador Vikram Kumar Doraiswami, Secretary-General of China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Yang Houlan, Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, and Marc Knapper, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, are scheduled to attend the Ambassadors Roundtable session.

The forum has served as a platform to focus on impending diplomatic and security threats.

What will be presented and discussed by both Korean and foreign experts on such issues will be of great use to the new Korean government that needs to formulate new foreign and security policies. It is, therefore, hardly surprising why many Korean leaders gather in Jeju for the Jeju Forum, according to the Organizing Committee.

Korean participants include Moon Chung-in, a political science professor who has been tapped as President Moon Jae-in's special advisor on unification, foreign and security affairs; two former senior presidential secretaries for security and foreign affairs, Chun Young-woo and Ju Chul-ki; former Foreign Ministers Yoon Young-kwan and Kim Sung-hwan; former Korean Ambassador to Japan and Vice Foreign Minister Shin Gak-soo; and former Permanent Representative of Korea to the U.N. Oh Joon.
By Park Si-soo





Masatoshi Muto

The former Japanese ambassador to South Korea has stirred controversy with his book titled "I'm happy because I'm not born Korean."

The book written by Masatoshi Muto will hit Japanese shelves on June 1. It's uncertain why Muto, once regarded as a pro-Korea Japanese diplomat, penned the controversially titled book, in which he reportedly describes South Korean President Moon Jae-in as "the worst president ever elected in South Korea."

Recollecting his meeting with Moon, apparently before his May 9 election, Masatoshi wrote, "North Korea was the only thing he (Moon) had in his head," according to South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, which reviewed the book.

The diplomat also laid bare his acrimony against Moon, calling him a "populist" and saying Moon will push forward with anti-Japan policies if it helps bolster his popularity.

This is not his first time to openly express anti-Korea sentiments. In February, he wrote an op-ed piece with the same title as the book for a Japanese weekly magazine. In the article, he wrote: "I'm happy because I'm not born Korean," referring to various social headaches including the super competitive race to enter a good university and land a high-paying job, as well as the high suicide rate.

Muto served as Japan's top envoy to Seoul for two years from August 2010. He is fluent in Korean because he stayed here for 12 years. He received an order of merit from the Korean government in 2013 for his dedication to improving Seoul-Tokyo ties.
Lee Eun-joo, right, president of Seoul Cyber University, joins guests at the ceremony unveilingoins a life-size statue of Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in Seoul Cyber University in northern Seoul, Saturday. Third from left is Russian Ambassador to Korea Alexander Timonin. Fifth from left is Lee se-ung, Honor Chairman of Seoul Cyber University./ Courtesy of Seoul Cyber University

By You Soo-sun





Asia's first life-size statue of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was erected on Saturday at Seoul Cyber University in Gangbuk District, Seoul.

Russian Ambassador to Korea Alexander Timonin joined the opening ceremony to commemorate the event.

The bronze statue of the influential Russian composer and conductor from the late-Romantic period of the 19th century was produced by prominent sculptors in Korea and Russia. It is 2.3 meters tall and is made with type 3 bronze, the best of the kind.

The original Tchaikovsky statue, located in front of the Tchaikovsky Music Academy, is the work of Vera Ignatyevna Mukhina (1989-1953), a prominent sculpture, and is praised as one of Russia's best work of art.

The license to install the statue in Seoul Cyber University was granted by officials in Russia. Renowned artist Park Sang-kyu produced the installation under the direction a Russian sculptor. The pedestal was constructed by the renowned Oh Gem-suk, CEO of SeokYe's Art.

The statue is a product of the collaborative effort between Seoul Cyber University and Russia, which have continuously worked together on educational and cultural projects. One example is Tchaikovsky Hall at the university's main campus  with a seating capacity of 500 and a pipe organ  used to host various music events.

In addition, Seoul Cyber University, Tchaikovsky Music Academy and Tchaikovsky International Competition Winners' Association in Russia signed an agreement in 2015, allowing the music students to take distance lessons from professors at Tchaikovsky Music Academy. Students also visited the academy for a study abroad program in Russia.

Lee Sang-kyun, president of Korea-Russia Arts and Culture Society and chairman of Shin- Il Educational Foundation and Seoul Cyber University, donated funds for erecting the statue. "I'm happy that the statue of Tchaikovsky  an influential Russian composer and one of Korea's most loved artist  has been erected in Korea. I hope this will pave the way for a greater cooperation between the two countries' cultures," he said.

Tchaikovsky is not an unfamiliar name for most Koreans. Many also share an appreciation for his songs  "Swan Lake," "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and "The Sleeping Beauty" are among the most loved by Koreans.
By Jun Ji-hye



The United States plans to conduct the first-ever test of a missile defense system on Tuesday to shoot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) heading to the U.S. mainland, according to AP.



The test comes as North Korea seems close to developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of striking the continental U.S.



Since 1999, Washington has carried out 17 interceptor tests against other types of ballistic missiles, but never an ICBM. Among the tests, nine were a success with the most recent success in June 2014.



AP said an interceptor will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and attempt to destroy the target, which will be fired from a test range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.



The target will be a custom-made missile meant to simulate an ICBM, AP added.



During his New Year's address, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed his regime was in the final stages of test-firing an ICBM.



The North's KN-08 or KN-14 road-mobile ICBM, which has been never tested, is believed to have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers.



On May 15, Pyongyang announced it successfully test-fired a new surface-to-surface medium- to long-range ballistic missile "capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead" and reaching the U.S. mainland. Experts assessed that this missile was an intermediate-range missile (IRBM), believed to be a step toward developing a functional ICBM.



Marine Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said last week that if "left unchecked," the reclusive state is on an "inevitable" path to mastering the ICBM capability to strike the U.S.



Regarding the scheduled intercept test, Christopher Johnson, spokesman for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, told AP that the agency conducts increasingly complex test scenarios as the program matures and advances.



"Testing against an ICBM-type threat is the next step in that process," he was quoted as saying.



Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has decided to deploy the USS Nimitz as a third aircraft carrier that leads a strike group to the Western Pacific in a show of force against Pyongyang, according to Japan's Asahi Shimbun, Saturday.



The Nimitz will join the USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan, which have already been in the region, the Japanese newspaper said, noting that it is rare for the U.S. armed forces to deploy three aircraft carriers to the same region at the same time.








By Park Si-soo



Three teenage children of U.S. forces in South Korea have been arrested for assaulting Koreans, including a 50-something taxi driver, while drunk, police said Sunday.

One victim was reportedly assaulted because he did not know the location of a nearby nightclub, according to Mapo Police Station.

The alleged incident happened at 2 a.m. of May 23 near Sogang University in Mapo, northwestern Seoul.

According to police, the teenagers picked a fight with two adult Koreans after they bumped shoulders accidently. The teenagers were then involved in a fight with a Korean man near Hongik University at around 3 a.m. after he failed to answer their question about the nightclub. A taxi driver who tried to intervene was also assaulted.

One victim had his nose broken and his teeth loosened, according to police.

Only one of the three teenagers admitted doing anything wrong.

Police have banned the three from leaving the country and are checking footage from surveillance cameras.
By Yi Whan-woo





Organizing Committee Chairman and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong

The 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity can provide a breakthrough in Korea-China relations following Beijing's economic retaliation against Seoul over deployment of a U.S. missile shield, according to Organizing Committee Chairman Won Hee-ryong.

Won also says his special dialogue session with France's former Minister of State for State Reform and Simplification Jean-Vincent Place, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on June 2, can provide momentum for Korea to capitalize on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to bolster democracy.

"I believe we, through this forum, can find a breakthrough on Seoul-Beijing ties frayed by the installation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Korea," he said during a recent interview.

Beijing views THAAD as U.S. deterrence against a rising China, not against Pyongyang's ballistic missile threats, as Washington has assured.












By Kim Hyo-jin





Anibal Cavaco Silva Megawati Sukarnoputri Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat

Former heads of state are expected to share their visions to tackle global issues and promote cooperation at the World Leaders' Session of the 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Propserity on June 1.

During the session scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon, Portugal's former President and Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva will discuss how to understand the current trends that are uniquely characterized by growing calls for nationalism and protectionism.

Attention is high on the message to be delivered by the ex-leader who backed European integration, especially as Britain's exit from the bloc looms.

Silva, while prime minister in 1986, led Portugal to join the 12-nation European Community (EC), the predecessor of the European Union (EU). The former EC president played a leading role in drawing up the Maastricht Treaty that laid the groundwork for the EU in 1992.












Shin Yoon-hwan Ravi Velloor Doreen Yu Philip Golingai Kim Jae-kyoung

By Kim Jae-kyoung



Senior editors from major newspapers in four member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will gather at the 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity to discuss the future of ASEAN-Korea cooperation.

The Korea Times and Jeju Peace Institute will co-host the ASEAN Journalist Roundtable to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum slated for May 31 to June 2.

The roundtable, which will be held at Samda Hall at the International Convention Center on May 31, consists of two parts  a keynote speech and a panel discussion.

First, Shin Yoon-hwan, chairman of the Korean Association of Southeast Asian Studies, will deliver a keynote speech on the future of ASEAN-Korea cooperation.












A delegation from the central-Asian country of Kazakhstan visited Montana last week to learn about tourism and management and development of national parks and recreation.

The delegation was hosted by WorldMontana, a nonprofit that facilitates the International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and also hosts delegations from the Open World Leadership Center.

WorldMontana hosts about 150 international visitors to learn about several fields in the U.S., including the environment, government, media and education.

The delegation included government representatives at the state and local levels, a businessman and an embassy assistant.

While in Helena they toured the city before visiting Yellowstone National Park and the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. Once back in Helena, the delegation visited Spring Meadow State Park and the Montana Historical Society and met with local elected officials and business leaders.

Midway through its visit the delegation sat down for an interview with the Independent Record, facilitated through an interpreter due to language barriers. The delegation came to learn about parks and recreation in the U.S. with the goal of taking the information home to apply in Kazakhstans 12 national parks and 10 nature preserves.

Both landscapes and all the environmental conditions in Montana and Kazakhstan are very similar. Thats why we can develop practically all the areas of our work using our experience from Montana, said Zhassulan Sarsebayev, head of the Tourism and External Affairs Department of East-Kazakhstan.

Azamat Akayev, specialist of the Environment and Education and Tourism Department, said his interest centers on financing national parks and educational programs for visitors.

Entrepreneur Aidar Kassenov said he was impressed with the marketing of national parks, and how his experience closely matched his pre-visit research.

Meruyert Duisekenova, head of the Ecological Education and Tourism Department, added her interest in developing infrastructure and developing tourism ecology education.

Tanirbergen Berdongar, public adviser to the minister of investment and development, spoke without the use of the interpreter. He said the trip helped understand the culture in America and the mentality of tourism, national parks and the economics.

For us if we understand the minds of Americans, we understand how to change (our) political strategy of our tourism, he said.

I think to Americans its interesting to share the experience because I think its in their souls to share.

Kazakhstan is a major economic partner with the United States with much to teach about development, Berdongar said.

I think this experience (has taught) how to protect nature, not to harm it  for every human its important to protect our single earth, he said.

Starting last year, Kazakhstan has paid special attention to developing ecotourism on the basis of national parks, Sarsebayev said.

Kazakhstan is a young country, only gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. It is bordered by both Russian and China.

Our cultural philosophy in Kazakhstan is based on the coexistence of nomads and the environment, he said. That being said, balancing of tourism and economic development is the strategic concept, meaning environmentally responsible development.

Sarsebayev gave the example of the boardwalk system in Yellowstone as one example of infrastructure that respects nature.

Tourism is a tool to protect our nature, Akayev added.
By Yi Whan-woo





Alexis Dudden

The international community should take seriously the latest U.N. report that recommends Korea and Japan revise their disputed deal on former Korean sex slaves, U.S. historian Alexis Dudden says.

Dudden, a history professor at the University of Connecticut, says the so-called "statues of peace," aimed at symbolizing the victims, are "essential" for world history.

Dudden specializes in modern Korea and Japan and plans to talk about the importance of learning from history at the 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity.

"This is not for Korea alone," Dudden said in a recent written interview, referring to the U.N. Committee against Torture's report released on May 12. "It is in everyone's interest to take seriously the U.N. committee's insistence that the survivors are at the heart of a deal that works."

The committee recommended revising the deal on wartime sex slavery because it failed to consider the victims during the 1910-45 Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

Citing the "final and irreversible" agreement between the two sides in December 2015, Tokyo has been insisting that Seoul remove the "statues of peace" set up outside its diplomatic missions in Korea. The statues, also called "girl statues," depict a stoic young Korean girl in commemoration of the victims.












The floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday asked opposition parties to accept the presidential office's recent apology and give their blessings to the new prime minister nominee facing criticism over his family's past wrongdoing.

"I believe people are also deeply concerned in that the new government is facing difficulties in its first nomination of a new government official," Rep. Woo Won-shik told reporters.

"I courteously ask the opposition parties to understand the president's position for the benefit of the whole and please cooperate with issuing a report on the outcome of Prime Minister nominee Lee Nak-yon's confirmation hearing and a vote on his appointment," he added.

Woo's request came two days after the ruling and opposition parties failed to publish their joint report on the outcome of Lee's confirmation hearing held last week.

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) cited Lee's wife falsely registering her residence while working as a school teacher, a move apparently aimed at being assigned to a school of her choice.

False registration of residence, though often committed by many for various reasons, is a crime under the local law and one of the five misdeeds President Moon Jae-in has personally denounced as major corruptive activities that he said would keep any person from being nominated to a government office.












Prime Minister-nominee Lee Nak-yon answers a question during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Choi Ha-young

President Moon Jae-in's honeymoon period with opposition parties appears to have already ended. The Moon government's plan to promptly appoint a prime minister and other ministers has hit stumbling blocks, with opposition parties taking issue with several nominees' past wrongdoings.

While his down-to-earth and humble demeanor is drawing praise among average citizens, Moon struggles getting opposition parties to give his nominees the nod and faces a delay in forming his Cabinet.

It's a wakeup call for Moon. Ironically, his stern ethical principles which he had promised during the election campaign are backfiring.

On Friday, the opposition parties refused to adopt a joint report over the confirmation of Prime Minister-designate Lee Nak-yon after two days of hearings, saying his wife, a former teacher, allegedly registered a false residence to be assigned to a school of her choice.

The false residence registration is not a crime serious enough to deny him confirmation, given it was commonplace among many former high-ranking officials. For example, former President Lee Myung-bak himself falsely registered addresses five times, and during the Park Geun-hye administration, five ministers were endorsed by the National Assembly despite their false residence registration.

However, the problem is false residence registration is one of five corruptive activities which Moon pledged to consider in appointing ranking officials. While running for the presidency, Moon said he would exclude those involved in the five activities  military service evasion, real estate speculation, tax evasion, false residence registration and academic plagiarism  from high-ranking posts.

Cheong Wa Dae virtually withdrew Moon's stern criteria: When appointing female career diplomat Kang Kyung-wha for foreign minister, the presidential office said it decided to push for the nomination despite the issue considering her exceptional ability.












An opposition lawmaker checks text messages from strangers during the confirmation hearing for Lee Nak-yon, who has been nominated for prime minister, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap



Today, voters complain directly to politicians, many of whom find it vexing

By Jung Min-ho

Before, politicians only had phones they didn't even have to pick up themselves. But today, they often have to deal directly with tens of thousands of mobile phone text messages from angry voters.

Gone are the days when politicians could choose when to communicate with voters. An increasing number of people complain directly to lawmakers and other policymakers in the government whenever they feel like it, which many politicians now take issue with.

While many politicians complain about "text bombs," some others, including President Moon Jae-in, consider it as one legitimate way to express their political opinions.

The issue came to the fore during the confirmation hearings on Lee Nak-yon, who was nominated for prime minister last week. While checking the candidate's ethics, opposition lawmakers received a flood of text messages questioning their own qualifications for doing the job.

Rep. Kyeong Dae-soo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party was one of them. He asked Lee to explain why his son didn't serve his mandatory military duty, only to be criticized over his own son who also didn't.

Kyeong explained to the public the next day that his son could not do so because of epilepsy, and did not bring the issue again to Lee, who said during the hearing his son suffered a serious shoulder dislocation.

Rep. Khang Hyo-shang from the same party also came under criticism for failing to serve his own duty over "poverty." He was bombarded with a "tremendous amount of text messages" from strangers.

Speaking to reporters, Thursday, Rep. Chung Woo-taik, floor leader of the party, said text-bombing is tantamount to damaging the nation's democracy and is urging the public not to do it.

But President Moon disagrees. On Saturday, he told reporters that sending text messages to politicians should not be discouraged, saying it is one of the ways for voters to express their political opinions.

"Voters increasingly want to participate directly in politics," he said. "The candlelit protest was a display of the desire  it is alright as long as their messages do not include insults or false information."

Jung Chung-rae, former lawmaker, also said there is nothing wrong with text bombs, saying politicians should "get used to" the new era.

"Politicians send unsolicited text messages for votes and donations during election periods," he said on Facebook. "Who says that's alright but the other way around is not?"

The internet and ubiquitous smartphones have enabled voters to participate in politics not only by casting votes but by leaving their messages on policymakers' mobile phones, emails and social media.

In a simple online search, people can find the phone numbers of lawmakers and plenty of information about them, including what they would not want to reveal.

Advancement in technology is expected to continue to make it more convenient for people to raise their voices in politics.
By Steve Tharp





Since the early 2000s, South Korea has been awash in its new friendly relations with China as Koreans rapidly increased their contacts with the Middle Country through the study of Mandarin and the increase in commercial and cultural contacts. Some good will hunting took place at the expense of the Korean-American alliance which reached an all-time low in December 2002. Koreans were ready to rethink the issue of alliance partners as pointed out in March 2005 by Chan Yul Yoo in his article "Anti-American, pro-Chinese sentiment in South Korea" (East Asia: An International Quarterly). By the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, it was becoming harder for South Koreans to distinguish between friend and foe with regards to the Chinese and Americans.

Lately, however, friction has become the norm for many reasons. China appeared to side with North Korea's deadly attacks on the South in 2010. Poaching by Chinese fishermen in South Korean waters has become not only more widespread but has led to violent clashes with deaths on both sides. Other issues include the bad behavior of Chinese tourists and the Chinese repatriation of North Korean defectors back to the North. These issues pale in comparison to the recent Chinese retribution over the South's decision to deploy U.S. THAAD units here to defend against the North's missile threat. Accordingly, China, South Korea's largest trading partner, has targeted South Korean businesses in China, especially Lotte, for punishment via boycotts and business shutdowns in order to pressure the South Korean government to reverse its decision on the THAAD deployment. This has been accompanied by a shutdown of Chinese tourists to South Korea which is dealing a blow to the local service economy vis-a-vis duty-free shops, restaurants and hotels in South Korea. Myeong-dong's empty cosmetic shops clearly exemplify the effect of this tourist boycott. The Korea Export-Import Bank estimates these Chinese actions might cost Korea economic losses amounting to over 16 trillion won. Anti-China protests have occurred in the South in response but it is still uncertain how deep these feelings run.

The irony here is that South Korea has a million reasons to be thankful to China. According to Ministry of Justice figures, there are around one million Chinese residents in the South. About two-thirds are ethnic Korean-Chinese and one-third Han Chinese with most residing in the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area within range of North Korean artillery and rocket systems. By contrast, there is only a small Chinese community of perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 living in North Korea in either Pyongyang or near the Sino-Korean border; not a significant wartime factor.

Among the many reasons for China to deter North Korea from starting a war, protecting its citizens is certainly near the top of the list. Regardless of the type of weapons used, many Chinese citizens will surely be killed and wounded during any large-scale conflict on the peninsula. If North Korea dips into its suspected stockpile of more than 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, chemical attacks on Seoul, where very few of the population have protective masks, could cause millions of casualties within a very short period after the initiation of conflict. Kim Jong-un has already shown a capacity to use nerve gas as illustrated by the recent murder of half-brother at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. The sheer number of Chinese living in and around Seoul might deter North Korea from use of WMD weapons rather than risk a northern front via a Chinese attack.

Civilian casualties are not the only issue for China. The PRC and ROK Ministry of Justice will also have to tackle the problem of evacuating one million Chinese citizens prior to or during combat operations on the Korean Peninsula? The United States, the only foreign country with troops on the ground in Korea, has about 140,000 total citizens here (3rd behind China and Vietnam). The U.S. military periodically practices evacuating its non-combatants and understands the different aspects of the issue and how long the evacuation might last. The Chinese would need to evacuate more than seven times that of the Americans but with no one on the ground to facilitate planning and execution simultaneous with other nations evacuating their citizens. Although China has a large civilian fleet nearby, an evacuation effort would take time and result in a significant loss of life in light of ongoing ground, air and naval combat in the area.

By contrast, there is only a small Chinese community in North Korea according to the World Fact Book. While difficult to find an exact number, it appears to be perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 who mostly live in either Pyongyang or near the Sino-Korean border; a factor that facilitates their evacuation and limits their exposure to the violence of war. Their presence will have a minor impact, at most, on the ROK-U.S. alliance's military operations.

Given the deterrence factor that this large number of local Chinese residents could represent, I think South Koreans have a million reasons to be thankful to China.

Steve Tharp is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 26 years with the U.S. military in Korea, to include six years as a U.N. Command negotiator at Panmunjeom. He is currently writing a series of DMZ tourism books. Write to daraemm@gmail.com.
By Anne-Marie Slaughter and Kate Himes



WASHINGTON, DC  On the surface, the village at the foot of the Tian Shan Mountains looks similar to its neighbors. Men stand near the canal wearing traditional kalpak hats, children play in the river, and women bake naan, the round flaky Kyrgyz bread. But unlike other communities along the Aspara River, this village is addressing the water security challenges they face, rather than ignoring them.



Supported by a science-based international development program, the newly created local water management council now meets with a similar council across the international border in Kazakhstan. Together, the councils solved a decades-old problem that affected the ability to feed children, threatened regional security, and prevented enforcement of a 1948 treaty determining how much water each village may use to grow crops.



Applying local solutions to development challenges, these Kyrgyz water management councils built diversion canals and installed a simple meter to monitor the amount of water used by each village. Constructed from material available in the villages, the new canals connect to the meter and computers, allowing real-time water-flow data to be shared in each village. Though the development assistance has concluded, these international water managers now are mitigating the impact of increasing water flow from glacial melt, while intensifying regional agriculture demand by co-designing water-use forecasts and planting drought-tolerant crops.



Scientific water management thus solved both a development problem and a diplomatic problem, increasing water supply and fostering habits of transnational cooperation that empower villagers to tackle problems. A team of scientists and engineers, rather than diplomats and conflict-resolution experts, can provide a valuable pragmatic lens on what may appear to be a tangled set of political and cultural issues. During US-Soviet arms-control negotiations during the Cold War, and, more recently, during international negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, Western and Iranian physicists often found common ground more readily than the politicians.



Science- and engineering-based solutions to global challenges have also sparked major innovations, such as the Green Revolution, which tackled the devastation caused by wheat rust, and pioneering immunization techniques that dramatically reduced the spread of measles and polio. And such solutions continue to address development challenges. A recently developed microbicide reduces the transmission of HIV/AIDS by 39%. Geospatial data locate freshwater sources and improve development assistance effectiveness. And a new diagnostic tool identifies the presence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and guides medical staff to precise treatment solutions.



The list goes on. The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) alerts governments to possible food shortages. The Volcanic Disaster Assistance Program provides real-time information about impending natural disasters, from volcanoes to subsequent earthquakes and tsunamis. Looking forward, dirt-powered fuel cells could light remote villages so children can study, and large-scale water desalination plants may generate drinking water from the ocean.



These are all examples that Mark Green, who has just been nominated to head up the US Agency for International Development, should bear in mind. Green's commitment to the "aid reform agenda" has been hailed by organizations like the US Global Leadership Coalition, a network of CEOs and NGOs committed to elevating both development and diplomacy. And he was deeply involved in establishing the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which provides aid to countries that meet clearly specified economic and political criteria.



To advance his goals, Green would do well to increase the role of science and technology in development practice, building on the work of the Global Development Lab at USAID, launched by Barack Obama's administration. Scientific experimentation and technological innovation advance effectiveness and accountability through clear metrics of success and failure.



Evidence-based solutions call for evidence: results delivered, not resources invested. Original development solutions grounded in science are thus created in parallel with innovative monitoring systems that require program evaluation. The result is an efficient and effective use of public and private financing.



Moreover, science and technology-based approaches to development can sidestep partisan posturing. Notwithstanding the intense political debate in the US over climate change, science is upheld globally as a neutral endeavor, and often provides an opportunity for bilateral and multilateral cooperation that complements  and strengthens  diplomatic relationships. In recent years, a large number of civilian agencies  including those with a science focus  have been engaging in international assistance programs and initiatives, covering areas such as public health, education, disease prevention, police training, trade promotion, and clean water.



Perhaps most important, the scientific method instills habits of mind  the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and good government  that are not only intrinsically valuable, but also essential for twenty-first-century economic progress. In a 2016 commencement address at the California Institute of Technology, the surgeon and writer Atul Gawande described science as "a commitment to a systematic way of thinking, an allegiance to a way of building knowledge and explaining the universe through testing and factual observation."



That commitment implies a "weird way of being," Gawande continued. "You are supposed to have skepticism and imagination, but not too much. You are supposed to suspend judgment, yet exercise it. Ultimately, you hope to observe the world with an open mind, gathering facts and testing your predictions and expectations against them."



Science and technology can never be a panacea; the neutrality of the scientific method will always run up against the passions and interests of politics, which can drive scientists to create nerve gas and atomic weapons as readily as new seeds and desalinated water. Still, now more than ever, in what Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt calls the "age of intelligence," the dissemination of new tools and habits to expand knowledge is a core element of human development around the world.





Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, is the author of Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family. Kate Himes, former American Association for the Advancement of Science Policy Fellow at USAID, is Foreign Policy Interrupted Fellow and Adjunct Faculty at The Evergreen State College. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.




Sexual violence against female soldiers has regained attention following the news of a lieutenant's apparent suicide last week after she was reportedly raped by a superior.



Military prosecutors arrested the Navy captain accused of sexually assaulting his subordinate. He faces allegations he raped the lieutenant after having drinks with her. The captain, who served at the Navy headquarters, admitted to having sex with her while intoxicated but denied rape charges. According to the Navy, the victim was found dead at her home after hanging herself on May 24. She left behind a note.



The status of Korean women has improved significantly in the last few decades, but female soldiers still suffer widespread sexual violence. A report by the Center for Military Human Rights Korea showed one in five female officers had either been exposed or witnessed sexual assault. More than 80 percent of those who had been sexually abused said they will not make an issue out of it.



The victims choose to remain quiet out of fear they might face career disadvantages and have given up hope that justice will be brought to the offenders through a fair trial by the military law authority. In 2013, a similar case happened, but the offender was sentenced to just two years in prison.



With the number of female soldiers on the rise, it is becoming increasingly important to protect their rights and create a safe environment for them to serve. All armed forces should implement more effective measures to curb sexual abuse. For starters, those who sexually abuse their female colleagues should face strong punishment, including dishonorable discharge. Also, the victims should not have to take their own lives to have their voices heard. There should be more counseling and support centers for soldiers who have been sexually abused.








More transparency needed in spending state funds



The misuse of the "special activity allowance" at state institutions is back in media focus after President Moon Jae-in ordered an inspection into the alleged exchange of money between officials of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Ministry of Justice.



It has been widely speculated that the shady money came from a "special activity allowance," which is supposed to be used for confidential investigations and other official duties.



Last year, more than 887 billion won in special allowances was given to Cheong Wa Dae, ministries, the National Assembly, the National Intelligence Service, the prosecution, police and other institutions. They do not have to disclose how the money is spent, which has sparked allegations of widespread misuse.



President Moon ordered measures to overhaul the allowance for "special activities" during his first meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae last week. Cheong Wa Dae will slash the costs for special activities by up to 42 percent. For this, the presidential secretary for general affairs explained that the President will spend his own money on personal expenses like family meals from now on.



This is reminiscent of former U.S. President Barack Obama, who said his family had been paying its own private expenses for his eight years in office. "We buy our own toilet paper even here in the White House. It's not free. I've got a grocery bill at the end of every month," Obama told CBS program "60 Minutes" in January.



Last week, people were outraged by a special allowance spending report by President Park Geun-hye's Cheong Wa Dae. Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the centrist People's Party claimed Park spent 3 billion won in special allowances while she was suspended from duty after the National Assembly's impeachment vote. After parliamentary impeachment, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn served as acting president. In the latest news reports, the presidential secretary for general affairs at the time and the office of the prime minister have both refused to clarify how the money was spent. This clearly highlights the need to promote transparency on how the special allowances are used at Cheong Wa Dae.



President Moon's decision to distinguish strictly what can be paid with state funds and what cannot shows he is determined not to waste taxpayers' money. Reducing Cheong Wa Dae's special allowances should be an occasion to promote transparency in the spending habits at all institutions that are run on taxes.



The National Assembly should be the first to follow Cheong Wa Dae's example. Each year, the National Assembly spends more than 8 billion won in special allowances for key posts, even though lawmakers do not engage in confidential investigations.



The allowances are given to the speaker, floor leaders and heads of the Assembly's regular and special committees. Hong Jun-pyo, who ran against Moon as nominee of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, admitted during prosecutorial questioning in 2015 to taking home and giving his wife some of the special allowance he received when he was leading the House Steering Committee in 2008.



Such misuse of special allowances has boosted the general perception that lawmakers and public officials live off taxpayers' money. During the provisional Assembly sessions in June, parties should discuss measures to reduce special allowances and ensure they are used legitimately.




Hyundai Motor vehicles run at the Inje Speedium racing circuit in Inje, Gangwon Province, Saturday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyundai Motor and its sister brand Kia Motors said they held the 2017 Korea Speed Festival (KSF), a circuit experience event for their customers, at the Inje Speedium in Inje, Gangwon Province, Saturday.

Extended from the mania-centered leisure, the nation's carmaker duo invited Hyundai and Kia vehicle owners to the motorsports event where they can enjoy a circuit experience with their own cars.

About 140 Hyundai and Kia vehicle owners participated in the event.

The event participants took an in-class lecture and on-road practice to acquire a circuit license. Depending on their vehicle displacement and circuit experiences, they were assigned to different racing levels to run the circuit.

Each event participant had three laps this day.

"It was quite an experience to run on a real circuit where professional racers compete," said 41-year-old event participant Kim Kang-hyun. "I have become more interested in the nation's motorsports through the event."

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors said they will continue hosting such events in the future.

"Motorsports is a leisure not only for few manias but for common motorists in all kinds," the official said.

"We will do our best to provide more opportunities for our customers to experience motorsports."

The Hyundai Avante Cup Challenge Race for the Kia K3 Coupe was also held as the event's opening ceremony.

For more information, please visit www.ksfrace.com. The entry fee for the event is 50,000 won ($44.68).

The Inje Speedium circuit is a part of the Inje Auto Theme Park complex that also includes a hotel and condominiums. The main course is 3.908 kilometers, but can be split into separate 2.577-kilometer and 1.375-kilometer circuits.

It first opened with a round of the Japanese Super Taikyu series in May, 2013, and also held the opening round of the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series season in August, 2013.
WASHINGTON -- President Trump arrived in Jerusalem this week with a most curious bit of information for Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

"We just got back from the Middle East," Trump announced. "We just got back from Saudi Arabia."

At this, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, put his forehead in his palm.

Did Trump not know Israel is in the Middle East? Did he not know he was in Israel? There was little time to contemplate this mystery, because Trump was moving on to generate more puzzlement at his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

The two men had wrapped up a news conference and reporters were shouting questions when Trump volunteered a confession. "Just so you understand," he announced, "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel in conversation. Never mentioned it during that conversation. They are all saying I did. So you had another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel."

Thus did Trump apparently confirm that Israel was the unnamed ally that had provided sensitive intelligence to the United States that Trump then handed over to Russia. U.S. officials were concerned that if the ally were identified, Russia might try to disrupt the source.

Mark Twain wrote "The Innocents Abroad" in 1869 while traveling through the Holy Land and Europe. This week, Trump wrote his own chapter as he bumbled his way through Saudi Arabia and Israel before heading for Rome. Americans by now have become accustomed to perpetual chaos. Now lucky friends and allies are seeing the Trump tornado firsthand.

After Monday night's attack at a concert in Manchester, England, Trump reacted with outrage and sorrow for those "murdered by evil losers in life." But then he made this aside: "I won't call them monsters because they would like that term.  I will call them from now on losers because that's what's they are. They're losers."

Thus did the president apply the same label to murderous terrorists that he had previously bestowed on Rosie O'Donnell, Cher, Rihanna, Mark Cuban, George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Maher, Ana Navarro, Chuck Todd, the attorney general of New York, an astrologer in Cleveland, Gwyneth Paltrow, Howard Stern, Jeb Bush, John McCain, Marco Rubio, Karl Rove, Megyn Kelly, the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News -- among many others.

Beyond that, did Trump run a focus group to find out terrorists prefer being called "monsters" to "losers"? And does he suppose that taunting them as losers will be an effective counterterrorism strategy? If so, he might form an "L" on his forehead with thumb and forefinger when he invokes terrorist losers.

Presumably Trump didn't think it through. Likewise, he didn't mean to offend his hosts in Saudi Arabia by referring to "Islamic terror" rather than "Islamist terror." He was "exhausted," an aide explained. Perhaps fatigue also made him turn Saudi Arabia's King Salman into "King Solomon" -- he was off by 3,000 years -- and expand the Strait of Hormuz into the "Straits of Hormuz." Less clear is what made him leave a cheerful message in the guestbook at the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem: "so amazing and will never forget!"

Trump does best when he sticks to the script others have written for him, as he did in his well-received speech in Saudi Arabia. It's when he ad-libs that he gets in trouble, as when he proclaimed recently that peace is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years." Diplomats of the past 70 years must have been losers.

Problem is, Trump has trouble sticking to the script. The White House distributed Trump's prepared remarks for his meeting with Rivlin, making it possible to identify his ad-libs, a clutter of asides and superlatives. "Amazing." "Very holy." "And that's No. 1 for me." "There's no question about that."

Had the president's predecessors employed such filler, these immortal words might be etched in marble on the Potomac:

"Four score and seven years ago -- that's a long time ago, very long -- our fathers, who spoke about this at great length, did what perhaps has virtually never been done before: brought forth on this continent, a new nation, a very great new nation -- there's no question about that -- conceived in liberty -- and that is so important! -- and dedicated to the amazing proposition -- and they felt very strongly about this, I can tell you -- that all men are created equal. No. 1 for me."

The world, hopefully, will not long remember the gaffes Trump made over there. But it can enjoy a good chuckle.

Dana Milbank is a columnist for The Washington Post.
CL is featured in Lil Yachty's new track "Surrender" as part of Lil Yachty's new album "Teenage Emotions. The song just came out and CL nailed her part with her soft charismatic voice.

CL did really good in singing and with Lil Yachty's great rapping, the combination is really good, AllKpop reported. CL is now preparing for her US debut and this collaboration is a good start for her.

Previously, she has released a single "Lifted" and it entered Billboard Hot 100 at #94. Even though it wasn't her official debut in the U.S market, her song was well-received by people. It was her big achievement entering the chart since she announced her plan to debut in the U.S market, Billboard reported.

Recently, CL talked about her dream to enter the U.S market and how she worked hard for that. When she did an interview with Ilgan Sports, she revealed that she had some hard times preparing her debut in the U.S since she did many things by herself, AllKpop reported. She also added that Yang Hyun Suk helped her a lot when she needed to adapt to many teams.

In the interview, CL also revealed that it has been her dream to be a pop star in the U.S. She always dreams a big stage to perform and she works hard for that. CL is always grateful for Yang Hyun Suk to be a great help for her even though she doesn't meet him often.

CL has been preparing for her U.S debut for two years and soon their fans will see something new from her. She has done a great job leading the group 2NE1 into success and she is a queen in K-Pop industry. With her stable voice, good rap, and powerful dance, CL is ready to rock music industry in the U.S.

Read Next: Hyoyeon Released Some Teaser Images For Her Upcoming Solo Comeback With 'Wannabe'
MISSOULA  Montana's influential artists often are treated to retrospectives, but it's more rare that a book-length examination is published.

Theodore Waddell, best known for his stark expressionist landscapes of cattle on the eastern Montana landscape, makes for a perfect subject for one.

Rick Newby's "Theodore Waddell: My Montana (Paintings and Sculpture, 1959-2016)" examines the artist's roots in Billings and Laurel and the various phases of his development, from education to experimentation, and minimalist steel sculptural work to his breakthrough Angus paintings, which merged his love of modernism and traditional Western art.

Of those works, Newby writes, "(p)aintings like Ryegate Horses #2 and Motherwell's Angus are important, not just because they bring together disparate traditions, but because they stand as emotionally and sensuously resonant works of art that speak with great eloquence of landscapes and animals, life and death, austerity and abundance. They possess, in the words of Seattle Times critic Robin Updike, an 'immense, poetic dignity.' "

Newby began work on the book about three and a half years ago. He and Waddell, who'd met once before, discussed a book project that could take a broad view of the 76-year-old's legacy.

"He's done so much to bring modernism and late modernism to the attention of the broader public," Newby said in a phone interview. "At the same time, he represents a bridge from the very first modernists in Montana to later, more contemporary work."

Newby is the executive director of the Helena-based Drumlummon Institute publishing house, which has released fiction, nonfiction and, on occasion, music. The Waddell book is the largest entry yet in its Montana Contemporary Artists Series, and one of the most comprehensive books on a Montana artist in some time.

Newby examines Waddell's life and work, augmented by handsomely printed full-color plates from all phases of his career. That's supplemented by nine insightful, conversational essays from artists and contemporaries: Gordon McConnell, former curator of the Yellowstone Art Museum, recalls Waddell's first showing on the Angus paintings in 1982, which was split between Billings' Longan Galleries and the Billings Livestock Commission Co.

Conceptual sculptor Patrick Zentz, a former student of Waddell's, contributes "Three Friends," an essay about the camaraderie between Zentz, Waddell and Dennis Voss, fellow rancher-artists.

Zentz, who's work is inspired by the wide-open landscape in a very different way, offers this description of Waddell's art: "In some ways, I don't really think his paintings are about cows at all. I think they are his comprehension of the fecund distillation of life and land that the prairie is."

***

Newby opens the book with a prelude on Waddell's early life. He was born in 1941 in Billings and raised in Laurel. Following what Newby describes as "a typical Western childhood" in many ways, he enrolled at Eastern College. There, he took a painting class from the early Montana modernist Isabelle Johnson, which altered his planned career path.

Newby uses this opportunity to delve into the development of Montana modernism, including the artists who helped import and nurture contemporary ideas to our rural state, and the network of museums that was growing in support of them.

A scholarship to Brooklyn Museum Art School his sophomore year brought Waddell to New York, where he was immersed in avant-garde ideas and began sculpting. After finishing his undergrad, he went to graduate school at Wayne State University.

Afterward, he moved to Missoula to teach at the University of Montana, a period that Newby dedicates one chapter to covering. During this time period, he pursued his minimalist sculptures, many are large steel works that were commissioned for sites around the state and outside.

In 1976, Waddell gave up teaching and he and his first wife moved to her family's ranch in Molt. He had just earned tenure, and Newby said it was difficult to pin down a specific reason why he gave up that security.

Nevertheless, the move accompanied career-making changes in his art. He began painting "hard-edged drawings of the horizon line," Newby said, his first attempts at "addressing the new landscape, one that he'd actually grown up with."

Friends in the art community also were moving away from minimalism: Waddell's friend, the ceramic artist Rudy Autio, also began using horses and women in his work.

"The really profound change came when he moved to the ranch, and he just felt like the landscape and the world, the sensual world he was living in, really demanded something more expressive than the coldness of the steel," Newby said.

"This is a different world, filled with mud and blood and it's not clean in that same way," he said.

Waddell loved the ranching life, as hard as it was. The coldest season, however, offered an artistic respite. He's quoted on the relative freedom of that season:

"(Artist and rancher) Bill Stockton used to call January and February the 'aesthetic months' because all we had to do during that time period was to keep the cows alive and keep them fed and watered. And so we could work on our art a fair amount. ... It really was a marvelous time."

Newby said it required a "tremendous work ethic" to run the ranch while producing the prolific amount of work that Waddell did. (This includes a second body of sculptural works, in which he assembled objects familiar to prairie life: road-kill, fish bones, and hay, into Rauschenberg-like combines.)

Waddell raised Angus cattle, which eventually made his way onto his canvas as a way of "activating" the landscape, Newby said. It's also a reflection of his holistic embrace of life there.

"He just absolutely loved the ranching life. He loved the landscape, he loved the animals, he loved the earthiness of that existence," he said.

While Waddell had received sculptural commissions around the country, he had mostly worked without much public recognition until these paintings.

In the early 1980s, several of his pieces were included in the Second Western States Biennial Exhibition, which opened at the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.

Around the same time, Newsweek was dispatched to write about the rural modernists, and what once was a regional scene became known around the country.

It's a sharp contrast with the "a tremendous amount of hostility" modernists painters in Montana once experienced.

"It's been a struggle, but the scene is very well established now," he said.
BUTTE  A man described by police as having a mental disorder jumped the fence at Montana Resources and waded into the Berkeley Pit.

Butte-Silver Bow Police Captain Mark St. Pierre said a man who was mentally ill jumped MR's protective fence around 1 p.m. Sunday, found his way through the active mining operation and ran down the ramp leading to the Berkeley Pit. Police apprehended the man, but not until he got waist deep into the pit's toxic waters.

BSB officer Brandon Robinson said a person on the viewing stand saw the man and called police. Robinson said MR shut down all internal traffic around the Berkeley Pit. Two officers got to the edge of the pit and coaxed the man to come out of the deadly water.

The Berkeley Pit contains sulfuric acid and a host of heavy metals. St. Pierre said the officers showered the man off really well and charged him with criminal trespass.
The flood situation and the landslides over the past few days have affected several districts in Sri Lanka resulting in the loss of over hundred lives while many more have been reported as missing. Over 100,000 persons are at present in safe locations while over 400,000 persons across the island remain affected.

The Ministry of Disaster Management in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an appeal to overseas Sri Lankan associations and communities of Sri Lankans as well as well-wishers to mobilize support for the flood affected Sri Lankans.

The list of required relief items received from the Ministry of Disaster Management is attached.

Please note that all costs related to packing and transportation will need to be borne by the donors.

All financial donations can be made by Cash or Bank Deposits payable to the following official account of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Geneva in Swiss Francs (CHF) and receive an official receipt of acknowledgement.

Name of the Bank: Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS)

Bank Account No. 240.256121.30A

Account Name: Consulate General of Sri Lanka

IBAN: CH 350024024025612130A

Clearing No. 240

Copy of Bank Deposit slip with the name and address may be kindly communicated to the Mission by email, fax or post once the deposit is made, in order to issue an official receipt of acknowledgement.

Funds received will be transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo for disaster relief use. Your contributions for the welfare of the affected people in Sri Lanka is greatly appreciated.

For the latest updates on the flood situation, please visit the website of Disaster Management Centre of the Ministry of Disaster Management at www.dmc.gov.lk.

Thank you.

Consulate General of Sri Lanka Geneva

Postal Address

Consulate General of Sri Lanka

56, rue de Moillebeau,

P.O. Box436,

1211 Geneva 19.
Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne addressing the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva on Tuesday (23 May 2017) said that the Sri Lanka has achieved much progress in health care delivery due to cost-efficient use of resources and the coordinated use of its well ingrained primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities.

The Minister who is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the ongoing 70th World Health Assembly also updated the Assembly on the progressive action taken by the Government in combatting Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as introducing 80% pictorial warning on tobacco, increase of tobacco tax to 90%, introduction of a traffic light labelling system to control sugar in fizzy drinks. On communicable diseases, he highlighted on Sri Lankas achievement of gaining WHO certification of Malaria elimination. He, however noted the recent epidemic challenges faced by the country on Dengue and H1N1 and called for increased partnership in addressing those challenges.

Earlier this week (21st May), Minister Senaratne also addressed the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting outlining Sri Lankas successes in the health sector which were commended by the Health Ministers present at the meeting. The Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland praised Sri Lanka on its higher quality outcome achieved at a minimum cost, and indicated that this is a model that could be replicated across the Commonwealth. She made these remarks during a bilateral meeting with Minister Senaratne, and requested Sri Lanka to consider leading within the Commonwealth on digital health.

To celebrate the success of WHO certification of elimination of Malaria, Sri Lanka together with the Maldives and the Regional Office of the WHO in New Delhi organized a special event on 22nd May on the sidelines of the 70th WHA in Geneva which was graced by Dr. Margeret Chan, the Director General of the WHO.

The Minister also met with the World Bank Representatives to discuss potential cooperation in the areas of establishing additional Accident and Emergency Care Centers, design and implement the family physician concept, and to expand the currently launched Lifestyle Health Centers throughout the country.

Sri Lankas Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Dr. P. Sathyalingam -Provincial Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine of Northern Province, and other senior officials of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and the staff of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva were associated with the Minister during these meetings.

Enclosed: Full text of the Statement by Hon. Minister at the 70th WHA

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Geneva

24th May 2017
Mari Villaluna never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. The 36-year-old spent a decade building up a resume as a career counselor and tutor in San Francisco schools after serving in the U.S. Army.

She made about $42,000 at an employment agency, and was regularly sought out by potential employers. After she gave birth to her first child last year, she drew a star on her calendar to mark the day she was supposed to return to work.

I had a very established career, Villaluna said. Then, in September, her plan to get a state subsidy for child care fell through, and the single mom couldnt afford to spend thousands of dollars on private day care. The day she gave up her beloved 9-to-5 job, she cried for hours.

Advertisement

Villalunas decision offers a clue to an economic mystery: Why are American women disappearing from the workforce?

The answer could have stark implications for future growth.

For half a century after World War II, women barreled into the job market in numbers that surged higher every year. They drove most of the rise in real household income for decades and boosted the economys total output at a time when men were dropping out of the job market.

Then, all of a sudden, they stopped. Since 2000, the share of women working in their prime earning years has declined.

In 1948, just over a third of prime-age women had a job or sought one. By 1999, after five decades of unrelenting progress, 76.8% of those women were in the workforce.

Since then, the participation rate slipped to 74.3%, and the number of women not looking for work grew by more than 12,000.

Some see the abrupt reversal as an unsurprising result of more than two decades without any major legislation making it easier for new parents to take time off or pay for childcare. Any number of articles and analyses have pondered the effects of a stubborn gender pay gap, inflexible schedules that keep women out of the executive suite and an undercurrent of discrimination that, at its worst, leaves women vulnerable to regular harassment.

But top economists now are pointing to another explanation. Women seem to be leaving the workforce for some of the same reasons men are: Middle-class jobs are in short supply and working at the bottom pays less than it used to.

Single women without children drove most of the downturn in womens workforce participation from 1999 through 2007, according to a study by professor Robert Moffitt of Johns Hopkins University.

Those women dont have to care for a child and they arent counting on a partner to provide for them. They are, Moffitt said, the same as a lot of men  even though it sounds a little strange to make that analogy.

Theyre also staring down the same long odds as men who lost their footing in an economy in which low-skill jobs that pay well have all been shipped abroad or obliterated by technology.

Usually people have men in mind when they are talking about the decline in manufacturing and automation, but that happens at the secretarial level too, as computers replace lower-level staff, Moffitt said.

Are you a woman whos left the workforce? Tell us why 

The collapse of blue-collar jobs for American men is well-known, thanks in part to the movement that powered President Trumps election. A peak of 97.4% prime-age men were in the labor force in 1953. That share declined for decades, plunged during the financial crisis, and hit 88.5% last year.

But women-dominated fields for low-skill workers also are in a rut. Wages barely budged for women with a high school degree or less over the last decade, while college-educated women continued to get decent raises.

In home healthcare services, social assistance and laundry services  three industries that are heavily reliant on women  hourly pay for rank-and-file workers has increased by less than $2, in todays dollars, since 1990.

Villalunas paycheck fell short of her aspirations. After giving birth, she put her monthly take-home, around $3,000, on one side of a sheet of paper, and on the other wrote down all of her expenses, plus the roughly $2,500 she expected to pay for child care. Shed wind up behind by $15 a month.

Over the last few years, things had gotten better for Villaluna, but never by much. She made $18 an hour, then $20, and then plateaued. I was definitely inching. It was always just a little more, she said.

She went into day-care centers with her newborn daughter and begged the people working there to help her get state funding for child care.

I went in person, to peoples faces, like please pick us,  she said. I really, really wanted to go back to work.

In California, 434,000 children of low-income parents get subsidies for child care, though the state hasnt updated the income limit to qualify for more than a decade. Another 1.5 million Californians are eligible for the programs, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.

Villaluna gave up. No matter what job I get, we are going to be in the negative, so I might as well take care of her myself, she said.

Now shes living on less than $200 a month from the military that she receives because she became disabled while serving, as well as $600 a month from CalWorks, Californias welfare program. She signed up for the benefit after she learned she couldnt go back to work.

The federal government subsidizes her housing as part of her benefits as a veteran.

Across the country, parents hourly spending on child care has shot up since the mid-1990s, prompting many families to ditch professionals and watch their kids themselves, according to a recent analysis by a Princeton researcher.

Day care in San Francisco costs up to $2,400 a month on average, according to the California Child Development Administrators Assn. That means that for someone working full time in a job that pays the citys $13-an-hour minimum-wage, a year of child care can cost about $1,700 more than a years salary, before taxes.

The rise in child-care costs drove down womens employment 5% from 1990 to 2010, according to the Princeton research.

That may be a sign that the social and legal changes that were pushing women to work arent as powerful as they used to be. Among developed countries, the U.S. went from having the sixth-highest share of women at work in 1999 to the 23rd highest in 2015, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

We got the low-hanging fruit. Now women are participating at much higher levels, so the progress has slowed down, said Sandra Black, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who was on President Obamas Council of Economic Advisers from 2015 through 2017.

Discrimination and flattening wages have always been weighing on women, Black said. Now the progress that we had seen before in improving womens participation is no longer sufficient to offset these negative forces.

Lorie James of Hawthorne worked for L.A. County for 26 years, but quit last year because she kept being passed up for promotions. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Lorie James ended her 39-year career because she was too tired to keep fighting for recognition. When James started working for Los Angeles County in 1990, she operated a calculating machine the size of a cash register, tallying up business taxes for the county assessors office downtown.

It was 10 years before she was offered a position in human resources, and suddenly she lunged forward on a fast track. She got a bachelors degree in labor studies and received four promotions in quick succession.

James, 58, had started her career planning early. When she was 15, she bought copies of the Sunday newspaper to read the classifieds section. She made careful mental notes on the skills companies were looking for and what they were willing to pay people who fit the bill.

I think its part of my purpose, she said.

But her career hit a series of roadblocks that have picked off countless women on their way up the ladder: a manager who had championed her quit and left her rudderless; she was passed over for promotions and was, she felt, unfairly penalized in performance evaluations.

A black woman, James detected a whiff of prejudice. She complained once to her boss but dropped the matter before anyone carried out a formal investigation. I didnt want to get blackballed, James said.

So last year, James took her pension and started looking for a new gig. Shes submitted 50 applications in 12 months and hasnt landed anything yet.

I am not ready to give up working, she said.

In a speech at Brown University this month, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen talked about her familys place in the march of women into the workplace, and the hurdles they ran up against.

Yellens husbands aunt, Betty Stafford, was a mathematician who wrote several seminal papers with her husband but didnt get promoted to full professor alongside him. She continued to produce enviable research, Yellen said, but only reached the status of assistant professor.

I believe that Betty Stafford Hirschfelder was denied opportunities and greater success simply because she was a woman, the Fed chief said.

That pattern, left undisturbed, could exact a steep price.

If these obstacles persist, we will squander the potential of many of our citizens and incur a substantial loss to the productive capacity of our economy, Yellen warned.

Natalie.Kitroeff@latimes.com

Follow me @NatalieKitro on Twitter

ALSO

Are you a woman whos left the workforce? Tell us why

Its legal to pay women less than men based on past salaries, court rules

They dismissed her as a lightweight. But Californias top judge has found her voice  and uses it to call out Trump policies

Pay gap between men and women in California is nearly $79 billion a year
At a Cannes Film Festival where the purposes and parameters of art have been much debated, with Netflix, virtual reality and television series making rare and sometimes first-time appearances, it was only fitting that the Palme dOr was awarded Sunday night to The Square, Swedish director Ruben Ostlunds blisteringly funny and provocative portrait of a modern-art museum curator enduring a crisis of conscience.

Thanking one of his collaborators in his acceptance speech, Ostlund said, We made a film that is 2 1/2 hours, and I think youre the only producer who said, after the screening last Sunday, We have to make the film longer!

At the end of his speech, he directed the audience at the Palais des Festivals to join him in a collective primal scream of happiness, with which they gladly complied.

Advertisement

The Square, which was announced in late April as a last-minute addition to the competition, drew a broad but largely favorable range of reactions when it premiered over the festivals first weekend. Starring Claes Bang and Elisabeth Moss, it will be released in the U.S. by Magnolia Pictures.

Ostlund came to international prominence at Cannes with his 2014 drama, Force Majeure, which premiered in the festivals out-of-competition Un Certain Regard sidebar.

A similarly long and sprawling entry, Robin Campillos 120 Beats per Minute (120 Battements par Minute), won the Grand Prix, the runner-up to the Palme. A moving tribute to the Paris wing of the AIDS activist group ACT UP in the 90s, inspired by Campillos own experience, the film was one of the competitions most well-received titles. The Orchard acquired U.S. distribution rights shortly after the films premiere.

Eleven years after drawing a few boos and zero prizes for her competition entry Marie Antoinette, Sofia Coppola won directing honors for The Beguiled, her slyly feminist adaptation of a Civil War-era novel that previously inspired Don Siegels 1971 thriller starring Clint Eastwood. The new film, a Focus Features release, has a mostly female cast led by Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning.

While the jury emphasized at a post-ceremony press conference that the award to Coppola was given for artistic reasons rather than political ones, juror Jessica Chastain noted that, with a few exceptions, she had found some of the films representations of women quite disturbing, to be honest.

I do hope that when we include more female storytellers we will have more of the women that I recognize in my day-to-day life  ones that are proactive, have their own agency, and dont just react to the men around them, she said.

Coppola wasnt present at the ceremony but sent a video acceptance speech in which she reserved her final thanks to Jane Campion for being a role model and supporting women filmmakers. Campion remains the sole filmmaker to win Cannes highest honor in its 70-year history, which she did for The Piano (1993).

Elsewhere, the jury, led by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, spread the wealth around, though its members did bestow two awards on one film in particular. Joaquin Phoenix received the actor prize for his performance as a schlubby, severely troubled hit man in Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsays stylish and violent crime thriller You Were Never Really Here, an Amazon Studios production.

This is totally unexpected, as you can see from my shoes, Phoenix said on stage, indicating the sneakers he was wearing along with his tuxedo.

You Were Never Really Here, an adaptation of a Jonathan Ames novella, shared the screenplay award with A24s The Killing of a Sacred Deer, a nightmarish, darkly funny portrait of an American family in paralytic meltdown written by the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos and his co-writer Efthimis Filippou. Lanthimos previously scored the Cannes jury prize in 2015 for his surreal satire The Lobster.

Diane Kruger received the actress prize for her performance as a woman seeking justice, then revenge, for the deaths of her loved ones in a terrorist attack in In the Fade, a drama from the German Turkish director Fatih Akin.

I cannot accept this award without thinking of anyone who has ever been affected by an act of terrorism and who is trying to pick up the pieces and go on living, Kruger said in her speech. Please know that youre not forgotten.

Not to be left out was Kidman, very much the face of Cannes this year with four different projects on the Croisette (The Beguiled, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Top of the Lake: China Girl and How to Talk to Girls at Parties). She received a special 70th anniversary prize, which she accepted from afar in a prerecorded speech.

One of the most powerful entries in competition had to settle for the jury prize, effectively third place: Loveless (Nelyubov), a bleak drama about a couples divorce that morphs into a brutal indictment of modern-day Russia. The film was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics during the festival.

Delivering his speech in Russian, director Andrey Zvyagintsev thanked the jury for the honor, singling out Will Smith: He really exists.

Besides Almodovar, Chastain and Smith, the other members of the competition jury were German writer-director Maren Ade, Chinese star Fan Bingbing, French actress and filmmaker Agnes Jaoui, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino and French composer Gabriel Yared.

Toward the beginning of the festival, Almodovar and Smith had a polite but sharp exchange over the presence of two Netflix films in competition, which has spurred much debate over what it means for the future of the festival and film distribution.

While Almodovar, a champion of the theatrical experience, made clear that the Netflix titles, Bong Joon-hos Okja and Noah Baumbachs The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), would be given fair treatment, neither of them won a prize. By contrast, Netflixs more theatrical-friendly rival Amazon Studios came away with two awards for You Were Never Really Here.

A separate jury awarded the Camera dOr, presented to a debut feature playing in any section of the festival, to Jeune Femme, French writer-director Leonor Serrailles study of a broke young woman returning to Paris after a long absence.

As always, some of the strongest films in Cannes could be found outside the main competition, and a few of them duly won prizes from their respective juries. In the festivals Un Certain Regard sidebar, the Uma Thurman-led jury gave its top prize to Mohammad Rasoulofs A Man of Integrity (Lerd), a somber, scorching look at corruption in the directors native Iran.

Other Un Certain Regard highlights included the Sundance-premiered Wind River, a Jeremy Renner-Elizabeth Olsen wilderness thriller that won Taylor Sheridan the jurys directing prize, and The Workshop (LAtelier), a tense, absorbing look at teacher-student dynamics that represents the French director Laurent Cantets strongest and most characteristic work since his Palme dOr-winning The Class (2008).

Michel Franco, whose Chronic won a screenplay prize in the main competition two years ago, received the Certain Regard jury prize for his latest, the family drama Aprils Daughters (Hijas de Abril).

Over in Directors Fortnight, a concurrent program separate from the official selection, the top prize, the Art Cinema Award, went to The Rider, a portrait of a South Dakota rodeo star facing a difficult life decision. Directed with stirring beauty and lyricism by the Chinese American filmmaker Chloe Zhao, the film was acquired for North American distribution by Sony Pictures Classics during the festival.

Another Fortnight title that drew some of the festivals most rapturous notices was The Florida Project, a terrifically immersive work of childs-eye realism set in a run-down motel on the outskirts of Orlando, Fla. Directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine), the movie won no prizes but many hearts, as well as a distribution deal with A24.

The Fortnights Europa Cinema Labels Award went to A Ciambra, a migrant drama directed by the U.S.-born, Italy-based filmmaker Jonas Carpignano and produced by Martin Scorsese, underscoring the strong contingent of festival films addressing themes of immigration and the refugee crisis.

One that may or may not belong in that category, depending on how you define it, is Alejandro G. Inarritus Carne y Arena, a virtual-reality installation that became one of the festivals hottest tickets.

Sharing honors from the Society Dramatic Authors and Composers, given annually to a French film in Fortnight, were two very different tales of romantic possibility in Paris: Philippe Garrels black-and-white Lover for a Day (LAmant dun Jour), about a 23-year-old woman who learns that her father is dating a girl her age, and Claire Denis Let the Sunshine In (Un Beau Soleil Interieur), starring Juliette Binoche as a divorced artist looking for love in many of the wrong places.

The latter was among the festivals most roundly admired titles and had many wondering, not for the first time, why the well-regarded Denis was not in competition.

In Critics Week, a program devoted to the discovery of new talent, the top prize, the Nespresso Grand Prix, went to Makala, Emmanuel Gras documentary about a young Congolese man trying to make a living by producing charcoal. Gabriel and the Mountain, Brazilian director Fellipe Barbosas fact-inspired drama about a friends ill-fated trip to Africa, won the France 4 Visionary Award.

justin.chang@latimes.com
Hello! Im Mark Olsen, and welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

Shortly after we send out this weeks newsletter, the prize winners of this years Cannes Film Festival will be announced. Regardless of who walks away with the festivals top awards, Cannes always serves a vital role in setting the screen for what many of the top films on the festival and arthouse scene will be for the year to come. And this year has likely been no exception.

Kenneth Turan talked to Noah Baumbach about his new The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and Al Gore about An Inconvenient Sequel. Justin Chang spoke to Claire Denis about her Let the Sunshine In and asked whether Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell are the king and queen of Cannes. And Steve Zeitchik spoke to Andrey Zvyagintsev about his Loveless, Josh and Benny Safdie about Good Time, and Alejandro G. Inarritu about Carne y Arena.

Advertisement

Even though she has not made a movie since Ishtar, 1987s satire of show business and geopolitics, the legacy of Elaine May is still being considered. And she becomes only more vital and influential each passing year, with her trenchant, incisive sensibility slicing right through peoples exterior posturing to reveal the real, soft stuff inside. The films of Elaine May matter, more and more all the time, and so it is exciting to see both her first film, 1971s A New Leaf, playing along with Ishtar at L.A.s New Beverly. If you have never seen either of these brilliant movies, give yourself a little treat and go.

And we have booked a pair of films that premiered at Sundance earlier this year for screening events in June. Both of them are movies you want to talk about when theyre done, and so I am very excited for the Q&As that will follow the movies. To find about more as things are announced, go to events.latimes.com.

War Machine

There has been a lot of talk coming out of Cannes this year about the impact of Netflix on film festivals. And now they drop one of their biggest movies yet with the dark satire War Machine, directed and adapted by David Michod, starring Brad Pitt and based on Michael Hastings book The Operators on the U.S.s recent ill-fated excursions in Afghanistan. Though the film may have mixed notices overall  which may explain its absence from Cannes  it has gotten strong reviews from many top-shelf critics.

For The Times, Kenneth Turan said in Brad Pitts performance as a fictional U.S. commander, a combination of comedic skills and movie star persona [are] put to excellent use here. His canny but doltish McMahon has the difficult task of being in effect a cartoon character placed in real-world places where his decisions get people killed. Places like Afghanistan.

For the New York Times, A.O. Scott added, War Machine effectively rebuts the evergreen notion that military leaders are held back from victory by politicians and bureaucrats. Its not that the political and diplomatic aspects of American policy are excused, but rather that failure, to reverse the old saying, has a thousand fathers Is he ridiculous or noble? A little of both, perhaps.

For the AP, Lindsey Bahr noted that rather than through Scoot McNairys journalist characters voice-over, where War Machine really finds its stride, however, is in the human margins outside of the reporters purview  especially in scenes involving the young soldiers on the ground who are haunted and conflicted by the confusing and unspecific directives given to them to execute this confusing and unspecific war.

At Time, Stephanie Zacharek noted of Pitt and his character, even if McMahon is appalling half the time, as Pitt plays him--surveying every fouled-up turn of events with a stern squint--its not hard to feel some grudging respect for him. Struggling to clarify a mission that will be eternally murky, hes a man fighting himself more than any perceived or real enemy.

Robin Swicord wrote and directed a new movie called Wakefield, which stars Bryan Cranston. Swicord also wrote The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Memoirs of a Geisha. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Wakefield

Adapted from an E.L. Doctorow short story, Wakefield is written and directed by Robin Swicord and stars Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner. Cranston plays a man who walks out on his stable life and loving family to take up residence in an abandoned attic nearby.

In his review for The Times, Robert Abele wrote, Wakefield remains oddly watchable, like a Cheever-esque 60s-era suburban melodrama thats slick, unreal, yet has a burrowing drive. You can simultaneously recognize it as a misfire and want more movies like it.

The Times Amy Kaufman spoke to Swicord about the long 10 years since she directed The Jane Austen Book Club. Swicord noted: I was naive enough to think that if you exhibit competence in something, the movie makes some money and people are happy, that you move onto something of equal size  or larger No jobs came to me. Zero. Lost, in every case, to a man.

At the L.A. Weekly, April Wolfe wrote: Swicord turns what could be a dark or one-note premise into a sometimes-charming, sometimes-heartbreaking meditation on a mans loss of self after having set out to conquer the job, wife, house and kids he thought would make him happy.

Manifesto

Who doesnt like Cate Blanchett? How about Cate Blanchett in 13 roles? Having begun as a multi-screen art installation and a collaboration between German artist Julian Rosefeldt and the actress, Manifesto has now been transformed into a single, linear film. Blanchett reads 13 famous manifestos from 20th century art movements, playing a different character in each vignette.

Times art critic Christopher Knight said the films subject is as much Cate Blanchett, its star, as it is the radical manifestos by more than 50 Futurists, Dadaists, Suprematists, Conceptual artists and others that anchor the movies 13 vignettes Rosefeldt crosses documentary and theatrical forms, bringing to life words mostly by 20th century artists.

For The Times, Sheri Linden called the film a blast of fresh air. And like many of the gauntlet throwers it cites, it risks looking foolish and, in the process, creates something gorgeously defiant.

Also for The Times, Lisa Fung talked to Blanchett and Rosefeldt about their collaboration and reconfiguring the installation as a film. We thought it would be very easy, but we essentially had to start again from scratch, Rosefeldt said. It was about creating  due to the absence of a real story  a visual story that would guide you through the film.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.
MISSOULA  A Missoula man was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Thursday for trafficking pounds of methamphetamine into the area.

Jonathan Allen Farrans house was raided in November  on his birthday  by the FBI and Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, which had been investigating his drug dealing.

U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen imposed the sentence Thursday after Farran, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of meth with intent to distribute in February under a plea agreement that dropped his other three federal charges. Farran will be on supervision for another four years after he is released from prison.

According to court documents filed in the case, investigators and prosecutors believe Farran sold as much as three pounds of meth in Missoula over the course of 2016. He has been in custody since his initial arrest during the raid.

In a court affidavit, FBI Special Agent Monte Shaide wrote that starting in the middle of 2016, confidential sources informed officers they were able to purchase large quantities of meth from Farran, and one source completed a drug purchase at the home on the 1900 block of Strand Avenue while wearing a recording device.

In addition to his prison sentence, Farran was ordered to forfeit the money, guns and ammunition found in his house. This includes more than $1,700 in cash, six pistols, seven rifles, three shotguns, 1,048 rounds of varying calibers and a variety of firearm magazines, scopes, and other gun parts.
Dr. Juan Z. Montes recalls the surge of people who came calling, beginning about two years ago.

We couldnt handle them all, he said, referring to the new patients who visited his four Southern California clinics after they got health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Montes, 67, whos been doctoring in L.A. for four decades, estimated that his patient load increased about 20%.

Advertisement

Many of his clients had gone years without insurance and couldnt afford to pay for doctor visits out of their own pockets, so their medical issues had become more advanced.

Montes told me about a man in his 50s who had a mass the size of an orange on the left side of his neck.

Dr. Juan Montes greets a patient in his Whittier clinic. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

It turned out to be cancer. The man also had hypertension and was pre-diabetic.

Montes sent him to a specialist for the tumor, and the patient is now cancer-free. His other medical problems have been stabilized.

I visited Montes on Thursday at his Inglewood clinic, which opened in 1982.

In the early days, he said, most of his patients had private insurance coverage through their employers  many of them airport-related companies. Now, the bulk of his clients are on Medi-Cal or covered by a combination of Medi-Cal and Medicare.

If the healthcare reform bill backed by President Trump and approved by the House were to become law, a lot of these people could get hammered.

Everyone I know is worried

Im very scared, said Sandra Gonzalez, 60, who works as a painter in her husbands small construction business.

Gonzalez, who visited the clinic because her arthritis was flaring, got Medi-Cal coverage about two years ago after being without insurance for years. Her husband has Medi-Cal too, and shes worried for him. Hes losing his sight because of his diabetes.

I dont know what we would do if we lost insurance, Gonzalez said. Everyone I know is worried. Families with children, seniors, everyone.

Another Montes patient, retired truck driver Jesus Villalobos, has Medicare and Medi-Cal. Hes had two knee replacements and two shoulder surgeries, and came in for some blood work.

Trump is doing this, Villalobos suggested, because the president has never experienced the hardships of working folks. If he was in our shoes, hed understand and he wouldnt try to take things away.

To be clear, we dont know what will happen with healthcare reform, because the Senate hasnt had a chance to put a stethoscope and a scalpel to the current package.

Daniella Gonzales, 2, and her grandmother Maria Gonzales wait for the next appointment while Dr. Juan Montes works with a patient next door in his Whittier office. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

What we do know is that the House plan, for which Trump took a bow, tramples the promise that was central to his campaign  cheaper, better healthcare for all.

It was laughable, Montes said. Theres no way you can cover everybody and have a less expensive system.

Bad medicine

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office said the House plan would leave 23 million people without insurance over the next decade, raise deductibles and lower coverage for some. It would hit many older, sicker, poorer people particularly hard, and ding Medicaid despite Trumps promise to leave that program alone. Meanwhile, thered be tax advantages for the wealthy.

Obamacare had its own miseries, and the former president was either uninformed or not leveling with the public when he said families would see cuts in premiums and that no one who liked their plan would be forced to switch.

But the costs to some helped finance benefits for millions who previously were uninsured.

In California alone, federal funds helped add 3.8 million people to an expansion of Medi-Cal. If thats scaled back, the state could pay to keep that coverage in place, but that would mean deep cuts elsewhere.

My hope is that they try to improve it rather than completely getting rid of it, Montes said of Obamacare.

His was not the only negative review I heard as I checked in with doctors Ive written about in the past  and with Jim Cook, whose Antelope Valley Community Clinic was featured in a March story by my colleague Soumya Karlamangla.

Mr. Trump said, No one knew how complicated healthcare is. Actually  those that have spent 20 to 30 years-plus providing healthcare know all too well how complicated the system is, said Cook, who founded the clinic, which sees 500 patients daily. The House plan is more about impugning President Obama than reforming healthcare.

Dr. Jonathan LoPresti, the L.A. County-USC Medical Center doctor I profiled in March, sent me a long analysis of the current reform.

There could be an additional burden on the taxpayer, he said, if uninsured patients with advanced illnesses flock in greater numbers to safety-net public hospitals thanks to the lack of regular care. There will be a cost as well, he said, for insured patients who would pay less but get less healthcare under the plan and face higher deductibles.

Patients will not go to the doctor for routine healthcare visits because out-of-pocket costs will be prohibitive. So  I see patients presenting to the ER for treatment of common medical conditions, as well as with advanced stages of preventable disease, LoPresti said.

Dr. Gene Dorio, a Santa Clarita house-call MD Ive written about, echoed that thought, saying hospitals will eat the cost of uninsured people visiting ERs.

A decade ago, this forced many hospitals into bankruptcy, Dorio said. I believe Trumpcare will do the same thing.

When Montes had finished his morning appointments with a dozen patients, I asked how he got into medicine.

He said he was born in Mexico to an American-born mother and a Mexican father who frequently traveled to the U.S. in the bracero program. The family moved north when Montes was 6, and both parents worked in the citrus industry in Santa Paula while raising five kids. All five became professionals, including three doctors.

Montes got an engineering degree at UCLA but decided hed rather serve poor communities as a doctor. He got into Harvard medical school and did his residency at UCLA. He and his brother Alejandro, a pediatrician, opened the first of their four local clinics in 1981.

He said he got to talking to a patient last week about whether healthcare ought to be viewed as a right or a privilege.

Montes argued that its unhealthy for people to stress about not having routine, basic care because they cant afford it.

The gentleman said, You know, I think we all need to pay something, Montes said. I think we all do pay. If we dont get the services, were paying with our pain and suffering.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez

ALSO

Die hard: Republican healthcare bill has no problem throwing you off a building

The challenges in setting up a California single-payer system are daunting  but not insurmountable

Analysis says 23 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 under GOP healthcare bill
Tani Cantil-Sakauye was an obscure judge on a Sacramento appeals court when then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger selected her to become Californias 28th chief justice.

Rebel judges demeaned her as a lightweight whose first instinct when confronted with a problem was to create a task force. Her lobbying failed to stop state funding cuts that hobbled the courts. Some legislators appeared dismissive. A male assemblyman described her as attractive but said he didnt agree with her.

Seven years later, Cantil-Sakauye is not so easily dismissed.

Advertisement

Settled in as Californias top judge, she is speaking her mind, calling on the Trump administration to keep its immigration agents away from state courthouses and giving a highly publicized address that reflected Californias jitters about the new president.

Motivated to speak out by WWII internment of Japanese Americans

During an interview in her chambers at the courts headquarters in San Francisco, Cantil-Sakauye said she decided to confront immigration policy after reflecting on the 75th anniversary of the internment of Japanese Americans.

There were voices that spoke out against internment but not enough, she said.

Her husbands parents were among the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans removed from their homes and sent to live in camps for four years without their possessions.

At the same time she was absorbing her in-laws shocking stories, she was hearing constant reports of anxious immigrants showing up in California courthouses  starting in January, when President Trump took office  with worries.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye speaks in Sacramento in 2014 (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

I am kind of getting the hang of it, and there is plenty to do. This is such a great job.  Chief Justice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who has five years left in her term

They wanted to know: How can I protect my kids if I am deported? If I obtain a restraining order against a violent boyfriend, will immigration authorities be tipped off to my existence? My children were born in this country  can they stay if I am deported?

Though immigration is the purview of federal courts, Cantil-Sakauye said it was fundamentally unfair that some people lacked access to information.

The result was an online immigration resources directory on the state court website.

More disturbing reports flowed into her chambers.

Judges told her that immigration agents were going into courthouses, intimidating immigrants there to testify or deal with other legal matters. A reception room in a dependency court in Southern California cleared out after someone said there was an agent in the building. Some immigrants stopped sending their children to school.

This was ongoing, she said of the reports.

Cantil-Sakauye, mindful of a need to be impartial, did not want to appear to be critical of the law. She is a former prosecutor who put people in prison, and her husband is a retired police lieutenant. She owes her appointments to a series of Republican governors.

I decided to write a letter, she said.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye returns lawmakers applause as she is escorted into the Assembly chamber to deliver her annual State of the Judiciary address before a joint session of the Legislature. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Her aim, she said, was to get the federal government to add courts to a list of sensitive sites that agents should avoid. She didnt want immigrants to be afraid to come to court.

In a letter to U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, she asked that immigration agents stop stalking immigrants here illegally at Californias courthouses.

Courthouses should not be used as bait in the necessary enforcement of our countrys immigration laws, she wrote.

The chief justices of Oregon, Washington and New Jersey later endorsed her stance.

She continued to speak out in a television interview a few days after writing the letter. She called Trumps criticism of federal judges very threatening to the third branch of government.

Her views received national coverage, and Sessions and Kelly fired back. They admonished her in a letter for using the word stalking and told her to take her concerns to Gov. Jerry Brown.

I think they intended to scold me, she said, but I have been in law for more than 30 years, and I am used to being scolded.

The Washington Post declared that Cantil-Sakauye was fast emerging as one of the Trump administrations most vocal critics in the judiciary  a description she said made her uncomfortable.

She received an ugly message on her voicemail and threatening emails, which she reported to the California Highway Patrol, the agency in charge of her protection.

Still, she continued to speak out.

In her annual state of the judiciary address to the Legislature in March, she warned that the rule of law was being threatened and should not be taken for granted. Though she never uttered the name Trump, most observers thought it was about him.

The rule of law means that we as a people are governed by laws and rules, not by a monarch, she said.

She no longer hears of immigration agents lurking in courthouses, she said, but I just dont know if they are simply regrouping and replanning.

I think they intended to scold me, but I have been in law for more than 30 years, and I am used to being scolded.  Cantil-Sakauye on the response from Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to her letter

She is now one of the veterans on the state high court, and at 57, no longer the youngest justice.

Her tenure has seen high turnover, with the older Republican appointees retiring and being replaced by more liberal Brown picks. By the end of the year, Brown will have chosen a majority of the courts judges.

Legal analysts consider Cantil-Sakauye a centrist on civil matters but one of the more conservative justices on criminal law, an area in which she is considered deferential to decisions by trial judges.

Some expect she will slowly move to the left, influenced by the new liberals on the court and the apparent shift of the California electorate away from harsh, punitive laws. Former Chief Justice Ronald M. George became more liberal over time.

The Cantil-Sakauye court has yet to decide a blockbuster case, such as same-sex marriage or the lesser-known but also contentious gay rights cases that came before it. The justices have sided with environmentalists, open-government advocates and workers in some cases, deferred to the Legislature and the governor in others and upheld most, but not all, death penalty cases.

Cantil-Sakauye said Browns justices have changed the court. During private deliberations, the discussion is more robust and far more convivial, with judges weighing in about case after case with a fair amount of it teasing and joking, Cantil-Sakauye said.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye speaks in her downtown San Francisco offices. (David Butow / For The Times)

She described the Brown appointees as incredibly bright people who ask a lot of questions and are careful thinkers. Still, none had been a judge, and she said she hopes Brown will name a person with state judicial experience to replace Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, who will retire this summer.

The chief justice has proved to be a gifted public speaker  she doesnt use notes  and she is much in demand. When she gives her annual address to the Legislature, people often line up to be photographed with her.

Santa Clara University law professor emeritus Gerald Uelmen called her very productive, both on the court and off.

She cranks out more than her share of opinions, and many of them are unanimous, he said. She is out speaking every week.

Some judges complain about how she runs the court system.

She receives high marks from her colleagues on the high court and from lower court judges who have worked with her on the Judicial Council, the policymaking body for the courts, which she heads.

A group called the Alliance of California Judges has been critical of her, but Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Maryanne Gilliard, a director of the alliance, said the board did not want to comment on her.

The group, which mostly includes Superior Court judges, was formed in 2009 as a reaction to centralization of the courts under the Judicial Council. The alliance has complained that Cantil-Sakauye does not tolerate dissonant voices in court governance or give trial courts enough autonomy.

In the past, the chief justice has made polite statements in response to Browns budget cuts for the judicial branch, thanking him when money was restored and refusing to lambaste him for the courts woes. She said she didnt want to bite the hand.

But earlier this month, she was quick to criticize Browns newly revised state budget.

The spending proposal would give trial courts a little more than a penny for every general fund tax dollar, she said, less than what the courts received before the Great Recession.

This is neither fair nor just, she asserted, and promised to fight for more.

A blackjack dealer who could spot the bluffers

Cantil-Sakauye was an unconventional choice for chief justice.

Unlike her predecessors, she did not come from elite schools. Her parents had been farm workers. She was the first non-white and only the second woman to head Californias gigantic court system.

She grew up in Sacramento in a warm, close Filipino family and began working outside the home at age 13, babysitting, working at a sandwich shop and eventually waitressing.

When she was 9, her family learned that the city considered their home blight and intended to tear it down for a luxury condominium project. Her mother went to court to fight the condemnation. She could not afford a lawyer, and she lost.

Cantil-Sakauye studied law at UC Davis, where she also received her undergraduate degree, and worked to pay her way. After her first year of law school, she worked in Lake Tahoe dealing blackjack, a job she held off and on over the years.

She said that dealing cards helped her later in picking juries. She could spot the bluffers and dissemblers.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger congratulates Tani Cantil-Sakauye after he swore her in as California Supreme Court chief justice at the Capitol in Sacramento in 2010. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

She was 50 when Schwarzenegger chose her to lead the state high court, partly on the recommendation of George, who said he believed she would be a strong administrator. She wore her dark, wavy hair long back then, and her looks attracted attention.

Some aides complained that legislators initially failed to take her seriously.

State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) said Cantil-Sakauyes diminutive size and beauty may have contributed to an unconscious bias.

She is an attractive woman, no two ways about that, and that could have added to the challenges, Jackson said.

Retired Judge Steven Jahr, a former top administrator for the court system during Cantil-Sakauyes early years, said she never took the bait if someone treated her disrespectfully. Instead, she would turn toward them and reason with them.

But she also showed a steely quality, he said. She could convey that her position was unalterable, without raising her voice, he said.

It was rare, but when she did it, no one missed the signal, he said.

In taking the reins of the state Supreme Court, Cantil-Sakauye presided over veteran judges who for years had outranked her.

During her first year on the court, her new colleagues voted to review one of her rulings in a relatively high-profile case. She recused herself, and the court unanimously overturned the decision she had written on the court of appeal.

She called the episode humbling.

With five years left in her term, Cantil-Sakauye has yet to decide what might come next.

She said she might just pursue another 12-year term  justices appear on the ballot unopposed for retention.

I am kind of getting the hang of it, and there is plenty to do, she said. This is such a great job.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

ALSO

Courthouses are safe zones: California Chief Justice stands by her decision to speak out against immigration actions

Whats at stake as Trump gets to see you in court over the travel ban

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to reject 2nd Amendment claim by men who lost gun rights over nonviolent crimes
Two defense contractors were sentenced in San Diego federal court to prison for conspiring to steal more than $3 million worth of medical equipment from Camp Pendleton, items that had been earmarked to help wounded Marines abroad.

Warehouse clerk Henry Bonilla of Pomona received 15 months in prison and coworker Richard Navarro of Oceanside got one year, prosecutors said.

This isnt the theft of pencils and pens, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo told the defendants during Fridays sentencing hearing, according to the U.S. attorneys office. This medical equipment was meant for U.S. troops. This type of theft is outrageous and puts our troops at risk. I hope this sentence will send a message to people in government in positions of trust.

Advertisement

The pair, along with other co-conspirators who have pleaded guilty, worked for 1st Medical Logistics Company on the military base and were responsible for maintaining and shipping medical equipment to troops. The scheme involved stealing sophisticated equipment  including ventilators, ultrasound machines, defibrillators and anesthesia machines  and selling the items to medical equipment re-sellers.

Prosecutors said the men used their own vehicles to cart away the equipment and negotiated with their buyers in parking lots and other spots across Southern California.

Bonilla, 29, was ordered to forfeit two vehicles and more than $172,000 in illegal profits from the scheme, and Navarro, 44, was ordered to give up more than $49,000, prosecutors said. They were also ordered to pay $3 million in restitution to the Marines.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Chicago was the only city among the nations 20 largest to lose population in 2016  and it lost nearly double the number of residents as the year before, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Its the citys third consecutive year of population loss. Chicagos population fell by 8,638 residents between 2015 and 2016, to 2,704,958. The year before, it declined by 4,934.

The population of the greater Chicago area, defined by the Census Bureau as the city and suburbs extending into Wisconsin and Indiana, is also declining. Numbers made available in March showed a drop of 19,570 residents in 2016  the greatest loss of any metropolitan area in the country.

Advertisement

Illinois population fell by more than any other states in 2016, down 37,508 people, according to census data released in December.

The declines for Chicago and Illinois come as Southern states grow. Chicagoans are likely to continue heading to those warmer states, as the South in 2016 was home to 10 of the 15 fastest-growing large cities. The population of Texas as a whole continues to rise, and the Census Bureau placed five Texas cities on its list of major cities with the largest population increases.

Chicagos population drop is part of a larger pattern of slowed urban growth in 2016. The countrys top cities did not see the same surge as in previous years, experts say.

During the recession of 2008, families chose to stay in or move to core urban areas, and migration to the suburbs decelerated. Now, as families recover economically, theyre deciding its time to move back to the suburbs  a trend experts say may keep city populations steady for the next few years.

Illinoisans in recent years have flocked to Sun Belt states such as Texas, Arizona and Florida. During the years after the recession, migration to those states slowed, but then it heated up again as states in the South and West offered greater job opportunities and affordable housing.

By most estimates, Chicagos population will continue to decline. Over the last year, the Chicago Tribune surveyed dozens of former residents who said they packed their bags for a variety of reasons: high taxes, the state budget stalemate, crime, the unemployment rate and weather.

Black residents have been among those leaving in search of safe neighborhoods and prosperity, with many heading to the suburbs and warm-weather states. Chicago lost about 181,000 black residents between 2000 and 2010, according to census data.

More than any other city, Chicago has depended on Mexican immigrants to balance the slow growth of its native-born population. During the 1990s, immigration accounted for most of Chicagos growth. After 2007, when Mexican-born populations began to fall across the nations major metropolitan areas, most cities managed to make up for the loss with the growth of their native populations. Chicago couldnt.

Michael Bennett, 43, moved to Houston for a job in 2008, but was so committed to staying a Chicagoan that he kept his Lincoln Park home and flew back on free weekends and holidays. He sold his property and settled in Houston for good in 2015, saying his romance and love for Chicago couldnt outweigh his concerns about the city.

The cost of living was too high, he said. Property taxes kept rising. His home was robbed twice.

Its not just limited to poor neighborhoods. Trouble could strike anywhere, Bennett said.

He had moved to Chicago in 2005 after spending most of his life in Michigan. Living in Chicago was always his dream, and he still misses being on the lakefront and strolling down Michigan Avenue. But Houston offers a diverse, cultural lifestyle similar to that of Chicago, he said. Hes received job offers to return to Chicago, but even a higher salary couldnt balance increasing property taxes, he said.

Bennett said he thinks there will soon be a tipping point in Chicago, when more residents realize its time to go.

Eltagouri writes for the Chicago Tribune.

ALSO

Los Angeles hits a milestone: 4 million people and counting

Housing construction is on the rise in California, but its still not enough

A small town in Italy was losing population. Now Syrian refugees are key to its survival
Whatever respite President Trump may have received from his nine-day overseas trip came to an abrupt end Sunday as administration allies sought to beat back allegations about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, while the leader of Europes most powerful nation suggested the U.S. was no longer a reliable ally.

The era in which we could rely completely on others is gone, at least partially, Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a campaign speech in Munich. I have experienced that over the last several days.

It is now time that we really take our own fate into our own hands, she added.

Advertisement

Trump, who had been on a Twitter fast during much of his trip, returned to his favorite social media platform Sunday morning, voicing frustration over the widening investigation into ties between people in his inner circle and Russia.

It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media, he wrote.

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

Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

The latest turn in the leak-driven narrative came Friday with a Washington Post report that during the transition, Kushner had talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about using Russian equipment and diplomatic facilities to set up a communications channel between Trump emissaries and Moscow that U.S. intelligence would not be able to monitor.

Despite Trumps broadside about fake news, administration officials Sunday did not deny the report. Instead, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly  echoing a position taken a day before by national security advisor H.R. McMaster  said there was nothing inherently wrong with an incoming presidential administration establishing back channel communications with a foreign power such as Russia.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Kelly said the principle of establishing such contacts during a presidential transition doesnt bother me, describing it as 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 the question of using Russian communications channels from a Russian diplomatic outpost to shield those discussions.

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 than ever to Trump personally.

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.

Democrats, not surprisingly, had a less forgiving view. A leader of the congressional investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election said Kushner should perhaps be denied access to the nations most closely held secrets.

Back-channel communications might be harmless in the abstract, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) said on ABCs This Week, but not in the context of serious concerns about Russias meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign.

Enough questions have been raised about Kushners contact with Russian officials  and whether he had been forthcoming about them  that his access to classified intelligence should be reviewed, said Schiff, a former prosecutor.

I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, he 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.

I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community  very concerned about the nature of these approaches to the Russians.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), for whose campaigns Kushner once held a fundraiser, said the presidents son-in-law needs to answer for his actions. Speaking on CNNs State of the Union, Booker cited a continuous drumbeat of inappropriate contacts with the Russians by members of Trumps team.

Former Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper also said any such contacts were viewed at the time as worrisome, especially what had already come to light about Russian election interference.

I will tell you that my dashboard warning light was clearly on, he said without addressing the specific allegations about Kushners encounters with Kremlin-linked figures.

The FBI, a special counsel and congressional committees are investigating 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.

The sense of a White House under intensified siege was heightened by the sobering comments from Merkel, Europes most powerful politician.

Naturally, well maintain our friendship with the United States  wherever possible, Merkel said. But we have to realize that we Europeans are going to have to fight on our own behalf.

Although Trump touted big results in a tweet Sunday about his European trip, Merkels comments were a potentially far-reaching negative assessment of his meetings with European Union officials and NATO heads of state in Brussels and the leaders of major industrialized nations at the Group of 7 summit in Sicily, Italy.

In Brussels, Trump had rattled allies by declining to explicitly endorse the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations bedrock common defense pledge. At both meetings, he also disagreed with the Europeans over efforts to combat global warming.

Merkel did not mention Trump by name. But in remarks earlier in the weekend, before leaving Sicily, she told reporters that the discussion with him on climate change, in particular, had been extremely difficult, indeed unsatisfying. Its a situation where there are six countries lined up against one.

Trump had delayed until after the G-7 meeting in making a decision about whether the U.S. should withdraw from the landmark Paris climate accord. He faces a choice of breaking with major U.S. allies and abandoning the agreement, or sticking with it and risking alienating some his of most ardent supporters.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, interviewed on CBS Face the Nation, said Trump remained wide open on the issue. The president said in a tweet that he would make a decision this week.

Special correspondent Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin contributed to this report.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT

ALSO

GOP health bill would raise deductibles, lessen coverage and leave 23 million more uninsured, analysis finds

U.S. to increase number of refugees allowed in, reversing a sharp decline under Trump

Trump favors personal connections in his foreign policy
The State Department announced that it will lift its restriction on the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States, after a steep decrease in arrivals in recent months amid President Trumps efforts to limit entry.

In an email sent to agencies tasked with helping refugees from around the world apply for resettlement in the U.S., the State Department said that it will raise its quota from around 900 weekly refugee arrivals to approximately 1,500, refugee advocates said.

This happened quickly, and everyone is still trying to figure out what it means, said Jen Smyers, director of refugee policy and advocacy with the Church World Service, one of the nine official U.S. refugee resettlement agencies. It is good news for people seeking protection and trying to reunite with family members, but it is still far from what we are hoping to see.

Advertisement

The sudden and quiet change in the State Departments policy will affect tens of thousands of refugees who have completed the nearly two-year-long application process but were waiting in limbo during the legal fights over Trumps executive orders attempting to bar refugees.

The State Departments announcement came the day after a federal appeals court upheld a nationwide injunction barring the Trump administration from enforcing the travel ban. But refugee aid groups said the departments move was based on Congress approval this month of funding for refugee admission.

Last October, Congress passed a temporary government spending bill that expired at the end of April. When lawmakers recently approved a budget for the rest of this fiscal year, it included funding for 75,000 refugee admissions, similar to that in previous years.

But with less than five months left in fiscal year 2017 and Trumps revised travel ban still on appeal in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court, refugee aid groups are concerned about whether they can resettle even 70,000 refugees, far fewer than the 85,000 admitted last year.

I worry the damage has been done internationally, said Erol Kekic, executive director of the immigration and refugee program at Church World Service. Agencies that do refugee processing have been so severely cut [including] staff laid off that even if the money is made available, it will take time.

A recent report published by the Pew Research Center found that monthly refugee arrivals dropped in all but four states during the 2017 fiscal year. It also found refugee arrivals declined from 9,945 in October to 3,316 in April.

In the months after Trump signed his first travel ban in January, the number of weekly refugee arrivals dropped to around 400, according to data from the State Department.

Although the State Department increased the number of weekly arrivals to about 900 in April  following a court injunction in March that stopped Trumps proposed cap of 50,000  it was nowhere near the almost 2,000 weekly arrivals that were arriving in the months prior to January.

Refugee advocates welcomed the State Departments announcement.

This was long overdue, said Mark Hetfield, president and chief executive of HIAS, another of the official resettlement agencies. But Im happy that refugees who have been vetted and screened can finally start to come.

Experts are also concerned about the near-complete halt in interviews and screenings by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which is required for refugees to complete the application process.

Only people with urgent cases are being screened and interviewed, Kekic said. Unless we continue to add people to the pipeline, we arent certain if we will be able to even meet the level of 50,000 refugees entering the U.S. for fiscal year 2018.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad

ALSO

Neil Gaiman will read the Cheesecake Factory menu if fans raise $500,000 for refugee charity

Alex Jones settles Chobani lawsuit and retracts comments about refugees in Twin Falls, Idaho

This Atwater Village restaurant hopes to highlight the refugee crisis with a new immigrant dinners series
President Trumps son-in-law and now top White House advisor Jared Kushner proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with a leading Russian diplomat.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administrations options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke with the Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Trumps then-chief national security advisor Michael T. Flynn with Russian military leaders, said the source, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Advertisement

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushners attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Kushners involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by the Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post wrote that Kislyak was reportedly taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of State, and decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels. Tillerson was sworn in Feb. 1.

Flynn served briefly as Trumps national security advisor before being fired in February after officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Sally Yates, the former acting U.S. attorney general, told Congress this month that the deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties and was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak.

The disclosure of the back channel put White House advisors on the defensive Saturday, as Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as president, and led lawyers for Kushner to say he is willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

Meeting with reporters in Sicily, two Trump advisors refused to address the contents of Kushners December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Speaking generally, national security advisor H.R. McMaster said we have back channel communications with a number of countries. He added: It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner.

In response to repeated questions from reporters, Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn said, Were not going to comment on Jared. Were just not going to comment.

Kushner was a trusted Trump advisor last year, overseeing the campaigns digital strategy, and remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

On Saturday, the Associated Press confirmed that the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russias meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trumps campaign.
When was the last time you looked up at the night sky and glimpsed the Milky Way? Last night? A year ago? Never? Some 80% of North Americans can no longer see the galaxy due to light pollution, or skyglow.

Light pollution causes a profound ecological disruption that affects human health, alters animal migratory patterns and obstructs astronomical research. Recent findings even suggest higher breast cancer rates may result from artificial day conditions created by over-lighted cities and the consequent suppression of nocturnal melatonin production. Its estimated that one third of the worlds population lives under light-polluted skies, a situation worsening dramatically with aggressive urban expansion.

To bring attention to the problem, we traveled across the continent using long exposure DSLR photography to capture the cosmos from North Americas endangered dark sky locations. Despite its immense population, we still found some of the best shots in our own backyard of Southern California. Each photo was exposed for 25 seconds, allowing galactic details to flood in  far more than can be seen with the naked eye. The psychedelic star trails effect in many of the pictures was created by tracking the rotation of the Earths axis over several hours as our cameras fired continuously, operated by remote controls known as intervalometers.

Night isnt just a darker version of day, its our chance to see the universe  or it was once, and could be again if we understood light pollution as the environmental tragedy it really is.

Superbloom  Death Valley National Park

(Harun Mehmedinovic / Skyglow Project) (Harun Mehmedinovic)

U.S. Route 40  Mojave National Preserve

(Harun Mehmedinovic / Skyglow Project) (Harun Mehmedinovic )

Ghost town constellations  Cerro Gordo

(Harun Mehmedinovic / Skyglow Project) (Harun Mehmedinovic)

The Perseids  Mojave National Preserve

(Harun Mehmedinovic / Skyglow Project) (Harun Mehmedinovic)

Clear skies  Owens Valley Radio Observatory

(Harun Mehmedinovic / Skyglow Project) (Harun Mehmedinovic)

Gavin Heffernan and Harun Mehmedinovic are the co-creators of the Skyglow Project.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook.

ALSO

Scientists get a rare view of a type Ia supernova magnified 50 times

How to, where to photograph a starry night sky

Away from the city lights of the West, the night sky promises a dazzling celestial show
The Trump administration got caught attempting to commit fake math last week. It didnt succeed.

Heres what happened: Every year, the president is required to send Congress a budget proposal, to lay out his wish list for taxes and spending. President Trump ordered up a plan that would lower taxes, increase military spending and balance the budget within 10 years, all without cutting Social Security or Medicare.

And thats what his budget director, Mick Mulvaney, delivered. But to meet his bosss unrealistic goals, Mulvaney produced a document that didnt make much sense.

Advertisement

Thats not just my view; its the view of fiscal experts in both parties, including several senior Republicans in Congress who quickly declared the presidents budget dead on arrival.

Whats an embattled president to do when he cant deliver? Attack the scorekeepers.

To reach Trumps target, Mulvaney assumed that the economy will grow by an average of 3% a year for the next decade, a rate higher than any mainstream forecast. And he cut spending deeply on almost every non-defense function, from cancer research to Medicaid and other programs for the poor.

Even Republicans said the cuts were unrealistic.

Meals on Wheels, even for some of us who are considered to be fiscal hawks, may be a bridge too far, said Mark Meadows, chairman of the achingly conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Then it got worse. Budget experts noticed an oddity in Mulvaneys arithmetic. The proposal estimated that his 3% growth in the economy would produce more than $2 trillion in increased tax revenue, helping to balance the budget. Most of that growth, in the administrations view, would be produced by the big tax cuts its seeking.

But the budget didnt mention the revenue that would be lost by the tax cuts  a number that could reach, oh, $2 trillion or so. Instead, it listed the tax cuts as revenue neutral, meaning theyd produce as much revenue as they lost  thanks, of course, to 3% growth.

In short, the White House counted the same $2 trillion twice  once to pay for the tax cuts and once to reduce the deficit.

That wasnt the only oddity. The budget called for abolishing the estate tax, but nevertheless counted $330 billion of revenue from estate taxes. It called for funding Trumps wall on the border with Mexico, but provided less than 10% of what the Department of Homeland Security says a wall would cost.

Of course, the Trump administration and its allies have had problems with arithmetic before.

Theyve raged against the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which last week estimated that the House Republicans healthcare bill would result in 23 million more people without health insurance  and raise costs for millions more.

The [CBO] is simply incompatible with the Trump era, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote with a double meaning that was presumably unintentional. It is a left-wing, corrupt, bureaucratic defender of big government. (The current CBO director was appointed by the Republican leaders of Congress.)

Trump officials have also contested the governments estimates of unemployment  except when the number goes down, in which case they claim credit for the change.

Theyve claimed that Trump was the victim of widespread vote fraud on Election Day, despite the absence of evidence, arithmetical or otherwise. Theyre even spending federal money to investigate the problem.

And the president still thinks he drew the largest crowds in history to his inauguration, even though photographs and calculations prove him wrong.

This refusal to accept that 2+ 2 = 4 isnt ordinary political spin or the quirk of a former real estate developer who once promoted a 58-story building as offering 68 floors. The Trump administrations war on math is just one front in a broader war on facts  including the new practice of dismissing any negative report as fake news.

And its strategic. Its aimed at avoiding accountability.

Trumps proudest claim, now that hes president, is that hes keeping the promises he made to voters in his campaign. Only he isnt. His unrealistic budget plan wont produce a balanced budget. The health care bill he backs wont cover everyone, wont reduce their costs, and wont protect Medicaid. The tax cuts he said would benefit the middle class would flow mostly to the wealthy instead.

Whats an embattled president to do when he cant deliver? Attack the scorekeepers  whether they are journalists, the CBO, or the budgeteers.

Most people, however, arent buying what Trumps selling.

Being president, as Trump has complained, is harder than being a real estate promoter. Theres far more scrutiny.

In the case of the budget flimflam, for example, Trump may have outfoxed himself. One budget expert, former Senate Democratic aide Stan Collender, says the administrations unrealistic numbers have probably killed Republicans chances for passing a tax bill this year  and maybe next year too.

If hes right, thats a big problem for Trump. Those tax cuts were the core of the presidents economic program, the key to producing anything like 3% growth. No tax cuts means no Trump bump. And voters would notice.

Trump is still waging his war on facts. But the facts are pushing back.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

To end the housing crisis, California leaders cant be afraid to put all options on the table

Dont worry, Hollywood. Chinas not a threat

A court pays too much attention to Trumps big mouth

Trump didnt win any friends in Europe
After years of the state being deep in debt to the federal government for a loan covering the unemployment benefits of millions of Californians, state government officials have been promising the system was well on its way to stability.

And then came President Trumps federal budget plan, with new rules and penalties for states whose jobless benefits outpace available dollars.

To understand what might be coming, its important to see where weve been. Unemployment insurance (UI) offers a weekly stipend of up to $450 for most workers who lose their job. The payments, for a maximum of 26 weeks, are paid from a payroll tax charged to employers.

Advertisement

Not surprisingly, unemployment payments rise and fall with the economy. In 2009, during the worst part of a recession when the unemployment rate hit 12.5% that October, state and federal government money was needed to keep Californias UI fund solvent. Payroll taxes simply couldnt keep up with demand.

Its worth noting that analysts saw this problem coming. State lawmakers made unemployment checks larger and raised the minimum wage in recent years, but the state portion of employer contribution rates hasnt changed since 1984. The recession turned the problem into a crisis.

By the end of 2012, California owed $10.2 billion to the federal government for loans to the states UI trust fund. The debt has slowly been paid off, thanks to economic improvement thats cut unemployment to 4.8% as of April. Theres also been a temporary surcharge on the federal governments portion of the employer payroll tax. Current estimates are that the states UI fund will again be solvent in 2018.

Political Road Map: California hopes to make a $12 billion pension payment next year 

But the presidents budget may present a new wrinkle. The Trump proposal specifically calls for a new solvency standard for unemployment funds, a requirement that states keep enough cash in their UI funds to avoid going into the red.

Heres where things could get dicey. Because Californias UI fund remains in the red, any new federal mandates would almost certainly mean a new short-term cost to employers. The presidents budget suggests states should have enough money to pay unemployment benefits for six months of an average recession, though it doesnt define what that means. States failing to meet the standard would have new limits on loans the same kind of loans that kept jobless Californians with money in their pockets during the last recession.

Then theres the reality that the only real solutions for Californias unemployment fund are to permanently raise the employer payroll tax, shrink the benefits or eligibility rules for workers or some combination of the two. An overhaul suggested by the states independent Legislative Analysts Office last fall included possibly cutting maximum jobless benefits by $75 a week and denying eligibility to some of the states lowest income workers.

So whats driving the effort in Washington? It doesnt look as ifits about being fiscally conservative. The Trump administration budget suggests new rules on state unemployment funds are in preparation for a proposal to create a federal mandatory paid leave of at least six weeks for workers  similar to Californias existing program, and a new mandate to likely be paid out of state UI funds.

Few state officials would disagree that Californias system for helping millions of unemployed workers was unprepared for the last economic downturn and that big changes to its financing system are long overdue. And so maybe the presidents budget plan  even if it fails to fully take effect  could be the needed spark for Sacramento lawmakers to roll up their sleeves on a long-term fix.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

ALSO:

Gov. Jerry Browns revised budget shrinks the states deficit, warns of federal changes

Political Road Map: Theres little lawmakers can do to exert control on the University of California

Updates on California politics
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
Officials in Taiwan are protesting Chinas arrest of a Taiwanese citizen on a subversion charge and demanding more information about his case, adding that the episode will further erode relations that were already deteriorating.

The state security agency in the southern province of Hunan had arrested Lee Ming-che, who since 2012 had set up illegal organizations and developed an action plan designed to subvert the countrys state power, the Chinese governments Taiwan Affairs Office said late Friday.

On Saturday, the Taiwanese government said China should provide more details about Lees whereabouts and condition and ensure that the 42-year-old human rights activist and former worker in Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party gets legal help and be allowed a family visit.

Advertisement

The relevant departments in mainland China totally havent publicized any related evidence, the Taiwanese governments Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement. Without evidence, the government said, it is impossible for the Taiwanese people or international community to be convinced that Lee had committed any wrongdoing.

The charge, which carries a possible penalty of five years to life in prison, follows more than a decade of occasional visits by Lee to China. He disappeared March 19 on a trip to the Chinese territory of Macau, people close to him in Taiwan say, and apparently has been in custody since that day.

Lee had used the WeChat social media service, popular in China, to tell at least 100 people there about Taiwans growth as a democracy, his associates say, and sometimes traveled to help Chinese lawyers involved in human rights cases.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and insists that the mainland and island eventually unite seven decades after a civil war. Relations have cooled since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in Taipei a year ago because she disputes Beijings condition for dialogue  that Taiwan acknowledge itself as part of China.

Incidents between the two sides have mounted since she took office. China has cut the number of group tourists and university students bound for Taiwan, analysts believe. This month it blocked Taiwanese officials from observing the World Health Organizations annual assembly.

Lees case will further upset relations at least in the short term, analysts in Taipei fear. Im very sad to see things such as Mr. Lee happen at this moment, said Liu Yi-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan. So far [China-Taiwan ties] are not very good. The people here feel its more stressful, and that psychology will hurt relations.

Chinese officials discourage their peoples exposure to democracy, concerned it could rattle Communist Party rule in Beijing and lead to greater autonomy for the island. Taiwan became a democracy in the late 1980s after decades of authoritarian rule, and Lee promoted democratic institutions.

Lee Ming-che cared about democratic activities over the long term, earning peoples respect, Taiwans ruling party said Saturday. For mainland Chinas relevant departments to use this heavily disputed method of arresting Lee Ming-che without publicizing any evidence and refusing to notify our government  makes people angry and dissatisfied.

About one person a year gets detained in China for political reasons, says Taiwans semi-governmental Straits Exchange Foundation, but Lees case is apparently the first for a Taiwanese human rights activist.

In Taipei, Lee had worked for a community college and volunteered for a league of local human rights groups gathering information on international laws.

Jennings is a special correspondent.

MORE WORLD NEWS

Palestinian prisoners end six-week hunger strike after reaching deal

Violent protests erupt in Kashmir after Indian forces kill 8 suspected militants

Europes reaction to the Trump style ranges from envy to you tiny, tiny, tiny little man
An officer of the law asked a cyclist who was struck by a pickup truck near a three-way intersection in Key West, Florida, his immigration status before giving any police assistance.

While lying down on the ground from a collision with a truck, Marcos Antonio Huete received no medical attention or police assistance until he answered Sgt. David Lariz's questions of his immigrant status.

Sgt. Lariz is heard asking Huete "You're illegal?" Footage of the conversation was recorded from the sergeant's body camera and it was released by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Zoe Saldana and Benicio del Toro were in Anaheim, California, to help open Disney's new Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!, which is like riding an action-packed trailer.

This thrill-packed ride has booming music blaring throughout the tower drop and riders are treated to images and cameos from the "Guardians" universe.

The ride is primarily set in a prison tower elevator with the music of the '60s, '70s and '80s playing. Disney is hoping that the variety of music motivates guests to return and return again.
Jeremy Joseph Christian, a white supremacist with a criminal record has been charged on two counts each of aggravated murder and intimidation in the second degree, in connection to the fatal stabbing of three men on a light train in Portland, Oregon, this Friday.

Witnesses told several news reports Christian was yelling to a woman wearing a hijab how much he hated Muslims before two men confronted the aggressor, possibly trying to defend the woman being harassed.

UPDATE #2: Two Dead, One Injured in Stabbing on MAX Train at Hollywood Transit Station -- Suspect in Custody (Phot https://t.co/zKWAYGW5tV pic.twitter.com/iqud8ISToW  Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) May 27, 2017

Local police confirmed Ricky John Best, one of the stabbed men, died at the scene and other two, were found suffering serious injuries and were taken to the hospital. Taliesin Myrddin Meche, a 23-year-old, died later the same day and 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher is expected to survive.

Portland Heroes: Ricky John Best Taelisin Myrddin Namkai Meche Micah David-Cole Fletcher (wounded in hospital) Thank you. pic.twitter.com/iL6Pj5aMc0  Kelli Russell Agodon (@KelliAgodon) May 27, 2017

Authorities took Christian into custody after he ran into nearby neighborhoods after the crime. Police said it's unclear if he was intoxicated or if he suffers from a mental health problem. The FBI has offered to help Portland police with the investigation.

Community members have raised more than $200,000 on a GoFundMe page to benefit the victims.
A suspect is in custody after authorities said eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy in Mississippi.

Warren Strain, spokesman of Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the shooting happened in 3 different places on Saturday night on south Jackson.

Charges have not yet been filed against the suspect.

The deputy's name and the names of the other victims, have not yet been released.

This is a developing story.
William Allen High School students celebrated their prom Saturday night at the Holiday Inn on Hamilton Street 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.
MILLVILLE -- Thousands of spectators cast their heads skyward to watch pilots soar through the sky during the Millville Wheels and Wings Airshow in Cumberland County on Saturday.

The show, presented by the Millville Army Air Field Museum, salutes all military and veterans this Memorial Day weekend.

The two-day event, at the Millville Executive Airport, featured more than two dozen demonstrations that included the U.S. Navy Blue Angles, a Skydive Cross Keys parachute demonstration, and a FM2 Wildcat demonstration by Greg Shelton.

When everyone wasn't looking up, they were looking down -- at the hundreds of classic antique cars and trucks on display, the "wheels" part of the airshow.

The South Jersey Cruisers Association hosted the Wheels and Wings Car Show, which featured approximately 175 restored and maintained classics.

Sunday will be the last performance of the Blue Angles this year in New Jersey, Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania.

The show continues on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.millvilleairshow.com.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Hello? Was anyone in Harrisburg and Trenton listening last week when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two cases of racial gerrymandering in North Carolina? In separate cases, the high court said two congressional districts were so packed with black citizens that it actually weakened the voting clout of blacks.

Over-concentrating voters along racial lines -- even if it starts out as a remedy against diluting minority representation -- is unconstitutional. It's a way of "packing" like-minded voters into districts as a political strategy -- and that's never good news for the people getting packed.

Fair redistricting requires a sense of balance, and we can only hope the Supreme Court applies this kind of constitutional thinking to partisan gerrymandering as well as racial gerrymandering. An upcoming case from Wisconsin is going to provide such a test.

Legislative leaders in Pennsylvania and New Jersey need to stay ahead of the gerrymandering curve, no matter how the Supreme Court rules. That means setting up fair redistricting rules so the party in power (Democrats in New Jersey, Republicans in Pennsylvania) stops distorting the boundaries of legislative districts to keep the majority party in power. Gerrymandering has the effect of protecting incumbents of both parties. It rips apart natural "communities of interest," steers special-interest money to the can't-lose crowd, discourages challengers in elections, and alienates voters who see themselves locked into hopelessly red or blue districts.

(A classic example is Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District. After the 2010 Census, the Easton area was severed from the Lehigh Valley-based 15th District and attached to the 17th, a "salamander" that includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and rural coal country.)

Once again the clock is ticking. These reforms must be passed in time to apply new population data from the 2020 Census.

There's some encouraging news to report. In Pennsylvania, bills designed to shift the redistricting process to an independent commission are gaining traction. Senate Bill 22 is sponsored by state Sens. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Monroe/Northampton, and Mario Scavello, R-Monroe/Northampton. In the House, Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, is a co-author of HB 722, which has attracted 88 co-sponsors -- 43 percent of the membership.

While these proposals aren't perfect -- they seek to balance partisans with independent-minded non-politicians on an 11-member redistricting panel -- they are far better than allowing legislative leaders lock up voters in predictable, majority-friendly closets.

Samuelson, speaking at a recent rally, said, "we need districts that make sense, that are compact, that are contiguous ... and drawn without politicians in the room."

Voters need to get involved. The lines that segregate us in voting communities are critical to the democratic process, to make sure legislatures are representative of the people they govern and tax. They're not punching bags for politicians.

Need evidence? A study by the Center for American Progress found that Pennsylvanians voted in nearly equal numbers for Democrats and Republicans in 2016 for U.S. House seats. Thirteen of the 18 contests were won by Republicans.

Call, write, email or text your state representatives and senator. Attend a no-more-gerrymandering rally. A good place to start is the website of FairDistrictsPa.
A large group of 5th year students from St Farnans recently enjoyed a packed itinerary recently on their school tour to a number of locations in Italy.

The historic spots they visited included Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and Rome.

READ MORE: Top award for Kildare students for tackling dog abuse

A school spokesperson said highlights included visits to the famous historical Roman ruins in Pompeii, the blue skies and glorious views from Capri, a fun-filled afternoon of ice-cream making in Sorrento and, of course, the many beautiful sights of Rome including guided tours of Ancient Rome and the Vatican City, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

The group stayed in two beautiful hotels in Sorrento and in the charming city of Fiuggi.

These proved to be an excellent and convenient base for their busy day trips to Rome.

The last day of the trip was spent in the Rainbow Magic Land Theme Park, which was hugely enjoyable, followed by some shopping time in a very chic Outlet Village nearby.

Accompanied by the tour organisers, Mr. Little and Ms. Breslin, Italian teacher, Ms. Flanagan, as well as Ms. Bracken and Mr. McGovern, the students were highly commended by hotel staff, bus drivers, and guides throughout the trip.
Kildare have been dealt a major blow prior to next weeks Leinster SFC quarter final against Laois in Tullamore.

Ace forward Neil Flynn has been ruled out of contention for between 4 and 6 weeks with a hamstring tear, ironically picked up in a training match at last weeks camp in Portugal.

Manager Cian ONeill said it is a big disappointment for the player himself and for the group as a whole. It was simply one of those things that happens and nothing can be done about it.

Flynn joins Ben McCormack on the sidelines aftere the Sarsfields man had surgery on his foot on Monday last in Santry, which went satisfactory, but will keep him out of action for up to ten weeks.

ONeill said they would not be calling in additional players to the panel. We have been working off a panel of 35 (now 33) but we are happy with the squad and looking forward to next weekend.
Two years into Illinois' budget wars, Jeff Gripp has some advice for Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Don't back down.

A retired truck driver who lives in a middle class neighborhood in Rock Island, Gripp thinks Illinois' first-term governor is engaged in a worthy fight for control.

"If he can get power away from Chicago, then it's better for the rest of us," he said.

Given the slip in the governor's approval rating over the two-year budget impasse, voices such as Gripp's are probably pretty welcome to Rauner. That's likely even more true given where it comes from. Gripp's single story house, in a tree-lined neighborhood just southeast of Longview Park, lies within a precinct that backed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In 2014, it shunned Democrat Pat Quinn and delivered Rauner a close victory, 50.7 percent to 46.3 percent.

That's roughly the same margin by which Rauner won Rock Island County.

If Democrats expect to win Rock Island County back next year, an important one in the fight for Downstate Illinois, neighborhoods like these will be important. Seeking to unseat Rauner are Democrats Sen. Daniel Biss, businessman Chris Kennedy, billionaire J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar.

But after months of cascading headlines about struggling social service agencies and college debt downgrades, Illinoisans' patience is wearing thin with Springfield, and Rauner is feeling the impact, too.

The governor's statewide approval rating in March was at 36 percent, according to a poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, down 5 points from the year before. Downstate, it was slightly better, at just short of 38 percent, but it too was down by about five points from the year before.

It's true that House Speaker Mike Madigan, a Democrat, fared worse. But Rauner's 58 percent disapproval rating statewide was up eight points in the poll from the previous spring and 26 points from the spring of 2015.

The governor has stepped up his presence in recent months. He's hit the road to sell his case against the Democrats, and campaign-like television ads featuring the governor with a roll of duct tape have been a constant presence in communities such as Rock Island since early April.

It's not hard to find a harsh word for Springfield in Rock Island County. Complaints that people and businesses are fleeing the state abound.

"If you live in Iowa, stay there," Rich Simmons, a retired postal worker, said the other day. His house sits just a few blocks from where Gripp lives.

Simmons voted for Rauner in 2014, and he still supports him. Nevertheless, he doesn't think much will change. "I'm not real confident," he said.

That pessimism about change is also frequently heard. But so is a desire  its particularly loud in the business community  that the state end the budget standoff.

Bill Anderson, a retired federal government worker who voted for Quinn in 2014, is resolute when he says, "we've got to get a balanced budget." And he's equally sure that he doesn't think Rauner is doing his share to get there. "It sounds to me like he's politicking more than he's doing his job," he said.

Since he came into office, Democrats have accused Rauner of an ideological campaign to bust unions and hurt working people. Now, they say, the states fiscal stalemate and its consequences cant help but hurt him with voters.

"He's held the state's budget hostage for two years," said Doug House, chairman of the Rock Island County Democrats and leader of the Illinois County Democratic Chairmen's Association.

With 18 months to go before next year's election, it's hard to tell what the political climate will be like, nationally and statewide. Christopher Mooney, director of the institute of government and public affairs at the University of Illinois, said even if a deal is reached, its elements will be important. And to make a dent in the state's debt, it will require sacrifice. Its not as if they get a deal and its happy days are here again. Thats when the pain is going to really start," he said.

Senate Democrats passed a budget package Tuesday that raises income taxes and expands the sales tax. They argued the state couldn't wait any longer, and there needed to be some certainty brought to the state's fiscal situation. Moody's Investors Service warned in March if the state can't get a budget by the scheduled adjournment date of May 31, its already weak credit rating would suffer further.

Rauner has argued that any deal with new revenue had to include a measure to curb property tax increases. He and Democrats couldn't come together on the issue, and after the vote the Republicans unleashed robocalls criticizing Democrats.

That Rauner is holding fast to his agenda wears well with the two dozen or so conservatives who attended the Ronald Reagan Breakfast Club on Wednesday at City Limits Saloon and Grill in Rock Island.

A weekly meeting, its members like to joke it is the "largest unorganized gathering of conservatives that meet weekly in the state of Illinois." Members pass a microphone and, over eggs and coffee, take turns making announcements, sharing information and offering opinions on events of the day.

Rauner has been a guest at the club, and so have other officeholders.

Support for Rauner here appears to be strong. Told of a reporter's interest in their opinion about the governor, several people at the table vowed their support as the microphone went around the table.

"He is doing what he said, and he is sticking to his guns. And that is what we want," said Bill Long, a Republican from Rock Island.
Will no one rid me of these turbulent priests?

That was probably a question asked by Clanes Roman Catholics at one point in 19th century Roman Catholic

It was not all rosy within the Church then.

On May 17, Brendan Cullen of Clane History Group recalled the story of some early priests on a tour linked to the County Fleadh.

At the Church of St Patrick and Brigid, he told attendees about a political violence problem faced by the then bishop, James Doyle, famously known as JKL.

One priest Fr Malachy McMahon, who was sent to Clane to clean up the place.

At the time, some elements of the population were not meekly accepting their political fate, at a time Ireland was ruled from the UK and Ribbonism, the practice of burning properly belonging to big landowners, was rampant.

However, the locals did not like Fr Mal and when the Jesuits arrived they opted to go to confessions to the Jesuits (Js) rather than Fr Malachy.

Some said the Js were more lenient but, said Brendan, the real reasons was that they did not want to be confessing to the burning of barns, a practice condemned by the Bishop.

The Bishop decided then that if people want to confess to the Js, they would have a get a ticket to do so, and besides, the Js would have to sign it.

This did not go down well at all at all and eventually, JKL moved Fr McMahon to Suncroft.
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.
Revd. Frost has been Bishops Curate in the South Leitrim Group (which consists of Mohill, Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballinamore, Farnaught, Annaduff, Drumreilly, Drumshanbo, Aughavas, Fenagh and Kiltubrid) since 2014 and is delighted to be able to continue serving in the group.

Linda is married to Steve who is a paramedic, lay reader and Director of the charity, Love in Action Philippines. They have three children, two son-in-laws and four grandchildren.

Despite living in the neighbouring county for the past 30 years, Linda has enjoyed getting to know in more detail the lanes and byroads of Co. Leitrim and experiencing the wonderful scenery.

"It has been a joy getting to know the parishioners, community, schools over such a wide area and everyone has been very welcoming," says Linda.

Linda loves a challenge, loves people, loves building bridges and reaching out to the marginalised.

The favourite hymn of her late dad was, To God be the Glory, it is Lindas hope and endeavour to continue that tradition as she moves forward into the next stage of ministry. To God Be the Glory.

Revd. Lindas institution will take place on Sunday, July 16 at 4pm in St Marys, Mohill. All are very welcome








British Airways has said it is aiming to operate a "near normal schedule" at Gatwick and the "majority of services" from Heathrow today, Sunday May 28 after a global IT crash crippled the airline.

Thousands of passengers including the Leitrim team and fans were delayed yesterday as they arrived to London ahead of today's big game. No flights from Dublin were cancelled but there was delay in landing and collecting baggage.

The major systems failure believed to have been caused by a power supply issue. The airline said its engineers were "continuing to work hard" to restore its services and it hoped most UK flights out of London would resume today.

In a statement, the airline said, "We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible. We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers."

It was feared that it could take days for services to return to normal and clear the backlog of passengers. The disruption has been compounded by the timing of the outage coinciding with the British bank holiday weekend and school half-term holidays.

The airline could also face huge compensation costs, as delayed travellers are able to claim compensation under EU law, unless the disruption has been caused by factors outside the airlines control.

The Leitrim team are due to fly back to Ireland this evening following the London game.
Campaigning for the General Election has been suspended twice in recent days, and rightly so. Last Sunday, we paused in memory of Jo Cox, her lifelong work to show that we have more in common and her tragic death, whilst in recent days we ceased campaigning in the wake of Mondays atrocious terrorist attack on Manchester by those who wish to use death and destruction to drive us apart.

Last Saturday I visited the North West Kent Muslim Association for their public open day, and now feels like a good time to write about that visit. Like many people, I learned something about Islam while at school, but had never been inside a mosque before, and to be honest, I would have struggled to tell people where my local mosque was.

Dartfords mosque is on Crayford high street, in a converted church building. For the open day, they had set up an exhibition in their community room, focusing on the fundamentals of Islam, the relationship between Islam and Europe (including the many things that we have gained from Islamic cultures, such as coffee drinking) and on Islam and Science.

As both a Liberal and a Christian however, the most interesting parts of the day for me were the discussions with local Muslims. I was surprised to see the mosque had separate entrances for brothers and sisters (though we were all welcomed through the same gate this time). However, women at the mosque assured us that this was not a sign of inferiority or subjugation for either sex and that they felt that Islamic law and practice was there to guard their equality rather than undermine it.

I was reminded that my own denomination, the Quakers, still retains some older meeting houses with a separate room that was initially built to allow for the segregation of men and women in worship. This is despite the fact that Quakers always argued for the equality of men and women, and indeed had women in ministry as long ago as the 17th century.

Another topic that I discussed with several people there was the issue of fundamental British values, defined by Ofsted as including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. As a moral philosopher, it has always seemed troubling to be to define these values as British, since they represent universal human values of liberty, equality, decency and tolerance, and I was pleased to hear that many Muslims see these as being fundamentally Islamic values just as much as fundamentally British ones.

Indeed, it was not always Britain that led the world in extolling such values to others. For instance, since its earliest days, Islam has been opposed to all forms of discrimination on the grounds of identity. As one person put it, any kind of ism, be it racism, sexism or whatever, is a sin in Islam. Furthermore, for most of the middle ages, the Islamic Ottoman Empire was a paradigm of scientific enlightenment and religious tolerance compared to Christian Europe.

Of course, there will always be those who fight against our common yearning for freedom, equality and peace, either out of a lust for power or a belief that theirs, truly, is the only acceptable way of life. I find common cause with anyone working against such bigotry, be they liberal secularists, Muslims, Christians or just ordinary people trying to get on in life. I know how easy it is to get stuck on the things that appear to divide us, from separate entrances to different creeds. However, where we are heading matters a lot more than where we are starting from, and what really matters is that which unites us, the common cause to build a brighter future. Open, Tolerant and United.

* Simon Beard is Academic Programmes Manager at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and a two time PPC for Dartford. He lives in Cambridgeshire.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Guarantee you'll never miss another big story by signing up for our free email updates

Visitors have flocked to Lincoln Castle to see the Domesday Book on public display outside of London for the first time in more than 150 years.

William the Conquerer's census and inventory of land, completed in 1086, is on show in the David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault until September 3, inside the castle built by the same king who ordered the survey.

The earliest surviving public record is about the size of an opened A4 book - but about the thickness of three telephone directories.

Because it is 900 years old, the Domesday Book is kept inside a climate controlled glass case inside the darkened vault and no photography is allowed.

The wealth and population of each village, town, hamlet or city in England is noted in neat handwriting. And the language is Latin.

The translated entry for Lincoln is as follows: Lincolia(e): King's land; main landholders include: Bishop Remigius; Ralph Pagnell; Earl Hugh; Countess Judith; Gilbert de Ghent; Colsuan. At least 3 churches; 166 dwellings destroyed to clear a site for the castle.

And many of the place names would be recognisable to modern readers.

Here's the entry for Bracebridge, Lincoln, which is blessed with five fisheries: Brachebrige / Bragebruge: Bishop of Coutances; Roger de Poitou and Ernuin from him. Church, 5 fisheries (with Canwick).

The book is on display alongside the Lincoln Magna Carta of 1215, plus the Charter of the Forest of 1217, which granted new freedoms to people.

The Battle of Lincoln, which happened on May 20, 2017, when the English successfully defended Lincoln Castle against French invaders, is being re-enacted complete with siege engines and fearsome knights over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Lauren Cameron, 32, part of a re-enactment group called Conquest, who travelled to Lincoln, said she was delighted at seeing the Domesday Book.

She said: "It's impressive. Considering that it's never left London, this is very special. It's definitely a unique opportunity to see it."

Historian Lois Barnett, who visited the castle as Abbess of the Convent of York, Mother Edith Magdelene, demonstrated medieval cookery to visitors.

She said: "In medieval times there's lots of food that we would recognise today - bread, honey, pancakes, cheese, meat.

"But there's no potatoes as they didn't come over from South America until much later. I think some of the children were shocked that there were no chips!

"The flavourings are much more herb-based than spicy. A palm full of peppercorns would have cost the equivalent of a year's wages because importing it to England would have meant an eight-month journey.

"We are about trying to bring history to life. And to be able to go and see the actual Domesday Book, you know it's real, and that's incredibly important."

John Rawcliffe, 51, visited with his wife Janet and son Matthew, 16.

Mr Rawcliffe said: "I have never seen the Domesday Book for real before so this is a good opportunity to see it on our doorstep.

"My understanding is that after the exhibition it will go back to London and never come out again."

Over at The Collection, visitors can explore the story of English history further with the Battles and Dynasties exhibition.

This ranges from the Battle of Lincoln of May 20, 2017, when the English successfully defended Lincoln Castle against French invaders, to the abdication of Edward VIII, telling conflicts of the crown through documents, artefacts and paintings.

Highlights include:

Van Dyck's triptych painting of Charles I, generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen from the Royal Collection

A prayer book owned by Richard III which he took to Bosworth Field, the last time an English Monarch was killed in battle

The original 13th century illustration of the Battle of Lincoln, by Matthew Paris

Battles and Dynasties has been brought together by Lincolnshire County Council and Lord Cormack in partnership with the Historic Lincoln Trust, The National Archives and the British Library.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to our free email alerts for the top daily stories sent straight to your e-mail

A historic building that has been the site of speeches from some of Lincolnshire's great leaders could be transformed into student accommodation.

An application submitted to City of Lincoln by Messers Wilkinson and Browne plans to breathe new life into the Lincoln Liberal Club by turning it into seven flats - totalling a number of 57 bedrooms.

The club, in St Swithin's Square, is steeped in history and it is claimed that when Winston Churchill stood on its balcony in the late 1930s to support an aspiring politician, rotten tomatoes were thrown at him.

There are also plans to erect a rear extension and associated alterations to accommodate five retail units at basement level.

Back in 2011, another planning application to turn the building into 24 student flats was submitted.

At the time, the owner of the building, Rob Wilkinson, who bought the Liberal Club in 2008, said the original plan had been quite different.

He said: "It was the initial intention to turn the remainder of the building into leisure facilities, such as a bar or night club.

"However, the economic downturn coupled with the city's shortage of central living accommodation for students has encouraged us to transform the building into 24 self- contained superior student apartments along with a community area and commercial or retail unit. It is all subject to planning permission for which an application has been submitted to Lincoln City Council.

"It is anticipated the completion of the project will be in time for the intake of students for next summer."
DECATUR  Charles Palmer has thanked members of the Illinois Innocence Project hundreds of times for coming up with the DNA evidence that exonerated him from the murder he'd spent 16 years in prison for.

On Saturday night, Palmer was present at the Decatur Hotel and Conference Center to see the Decatur community thank the Illinois Innocence Project, which became the first entity outside Decatur to win the Joe Slaw Civil Rights Award, given annually by the Decatur Branch of the NAACP.

Illinois Innocence Project Executive Director John Hanlon called Palmer and his wife Deborah Palmer to the podium as he accepted the award, but Palmer said all the credit should go to the Innocence Project staff, whom he hugged individually before leaving.

"I'm glad they're finally getting the recognition they deserve," Palmer said. "They're out there affecting people's lives for the better. They said they got this award because of me, but it's not because of me, it's because of the fight they put up for justice.

"Just to be a part of seeing them get honored, and being the first from outside of Decatur to win the award, that meant a lot to me."

The Decatur NAACP has been awarding the Slaw award for more than 30 years. Jeanelle Norman, NAACP Decatur Branch president, said it took a special circumstance to give the awards to someone outside Decatur.

"Their work gave us hope and justice, and it moved the Decatur community one giant step forward in criminal justice," Norman said. "The NAACP believes the service of the Illinois Innocence Project was of such magnitude."

Based out of the University of Illinois-Springfield, the Illinois Innocence Project's goal is to bring justice to the wrongfully convicted.

"It's not always easy  often we're working on one case at a time and it takes hundreds or thousands of hours for one person," Hanlon said. "That can be very frustrating, and there are days where I wish I would have become a scientist and come up with a cure that would help thousands of people.

"But then I stop and realize that helping that one person, who has no one else out there fighting for them, is well worth it.

"And when Dr. Norman told me this case had uplifted the community, that's really an honor."

He said helping overturn cases like Palmer's is a team effort.

"We have 56 people statewide who contribute something for us," Hanlon said. "And we also have the backing of the university. If it wasn't for the University of Illinois-Springfield, that man (Palmer) would not be sitting with us. We spent almost $31,000 on DNA testing. Without a university receiving a grant, we would not have been able to do that."

Palmer, 62 at the time of his release in November, was arrested on Sept. 22. 1998, for the murder of 32-year-old Decatur attorney William Helmbacher in his westside apartment on Aug. 27, 1998. Palmer was convicted on April 27, 2000.

Deborah enlisted the help of paralegal Fonda Robbins in 2003, who subsequently persuaded lawyers at the Innocence Project to take his case. After the Illinois Innocence Project had evidence tested that showed Palmer was not the man whose DNA was found beneath the murder victim's fingernails and in hair found in his hands, Palmer's conviction was vacated Nov. 16.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to our free email alerts for the top daily stories sent straight to your e-mail

A legion of talented  but quirky  designers are set to take the fashion world by storm after cutting their teeth at Lincoln's university.

Fifteen students took over Lincoln Cathedral in May to show off their most creative garments in the annual University of Lincoln 'End of Year Fashion Show'.

Diverse pieces inspired by a mixture of subjects lined the Chapter House, with people descending on the landmark in their droves to see what the fashion gurus of tomorrow had come up with.

The public was blown away by the dynamite display, with visitors declaring the event a smashing success.

Victoria Bellandini, senior lecturer and programme leader on the BA Fashion course, said she was delighted by the response.

She said: "It went really well, it was the first time we had held the event at Lincoln Cathedral and it was wonderful.

"Our musicians dropped out the day before but thankfully the cathedral's choir stepped in  it was a superb venue.

"I think the work was even more creative this year.

"One of our students is a vegan and showed off work based on 'how would you like it if we looked at humans as meat'.

"They have a bright future."

Many of the students will be dreaming of replicating the feats of those from previous years with some having gone on to the Royal College of Art and the London College of Fashion.

However, the success of the event isn't just a major accomplishment for the future-designers, but also a victory for education bosses in Lincoln.

'Compete through difference' is at the heart of the university's fashion degree which offers something different than the norm.

Mrs Bellandini, along with other masterminds at the School of Fine & Performing Arts, wanted to craft a unique course unlike similar offerings elsewhere.

She said: "We promote it as a hybrid fashion course and look at fashion from a creative angle.

"We work with concepts and look at them on deeper  it is about the story behind them and not just how they look. We also do millinery.

"People are looking for those with ideas and we like to think we create graduates who are thinkers.

"The way we promote the course is that if you want to design for Top Shop, do not come to us.

"We find that we attract students that are not typical  we want the weird and wonderful ones."

When many think of fashion, they will undoubtedly think of the big cities, such as London and Manchester.

But Lincoln's relative infancy in the fashion space could be blessing according to Mrs Bellandini.

The university's slightly different approach to teaching has already got people outside of the city talking.

Mrs Bellandini said: "Lincoln is unusual. It is quite typical that students want to go to a larger city.

"We are, dare I say it, a little tucked away.

"The beauty of Lincoln for fashion is that it is quite untouched.

"Because the university is new, we have the opportunity to build the reputation we want to build.

"When I have gone to meetings in London they are quite jealous and are very curious about what we are doing. We are quite a mystery to them.

"There's been a focus on London and Nottingham Trent in the past but that is a bit outdated."

The course seems to be working with many students expressing an interest in chasing a wide range of dreams after leaving.

Some of the students 'really live and breathe fashion' according Mrs Bellandini, but others are looking to take the skills they have honed at university on another path.

And she says that should be commended too

She said: "The beauty of it is that you can diversify. It's just not clothes it is art.

"It can be about the level of ambition, it can be down to confidence.

"The schools and colleges are hell bent on pushing students, but we say to them they are in the right place and doing the right thing.

"We try to nurture them.

"If they focus too much on becoming a buyer or designer they will miss out on other opportunities.

"I think the course really works."

Throughout May and June, Lincoln is hosting its first ever Festival of Creativity.

The event, which is spread out over four weeks, will encompasses a host of events, including a science and creativity workshop.

A series of 2D and 3D short films created by final year animation students will be shown at the Odeon as part of the celebration.

Mrs Bellandini said: "I think it is an opportunity for people to come and see what is going on in Lincoln.

"We have also collaborated with fashion students working with music and drama students.

"It is good for everyone to come and see the level of creativity of people."
We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to our free email alerts for the top daily stories sent straight to your e-mail

The memory of a 12-year-old girl has been honoured through a donation to a children and young person's hospice.

Lauren Wheeler, from North Hykeham, who died in 2003, was a rising star and attended Lincoln Theatre Royal's performing arts school.

Her family established Give A Kid A Dream: The Lauren Wheeler Trust as a tribute to the much-loved girl, helping children follow their dreams in performing arts.

The charity has achieved many accomplishments, including funding a young man to attend the Royal School of Ballet in London. It also granted scholarships to local schools.

Lauren's mum Debbie, dad Andy, grandfather Roy, her drama teacher Julie Fox and accountant Melanie Spence have been at the helm of Give A Kid A Dream, but have now decided the charity has achieved its mission and are closing it on a high.

They are donating what is left of their funds to Andy's at St Andrew's Hospice, Lincolnshire's only children's hospice, which is based in Grimsby.

Lauren's grandparents Roy and Pauline have supported Andy's for several years and they wanted to choose another charity Lauren would approve of.

A total of 1,421.17 was gratefully accepted by ZaZa Warren, events manager at the hospice.
We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox

Police have found and arrested a prisoner who is accused of absconding from HMP North Sea Camp, near Boston.

Nicky Ward, 36, allegedly went missing from the open prison on the evening of Wednesday, May 24 and police issued an appeal for information.

A police spokesman confirmed Mr Ward has been arrested and thanked the media and the public for their assistance.

Meanwhile, missing Louth woman Sharon Simpson, 49, has been found safe and well on Saturday, May 27.

Police issued an appeal after she had not had contact with her family since Saturday, May 20.
The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel

We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to our free email alerts for the top daily stories sent straight to your e-mail

Police in Lincolnshire are urging the public to stay vigilant despite the terror threat across the UK being lowered from critical to severe.

Lincolnshire Police Gold Commander, Chief Superintendent Shaun West, has said that for practical and precautionary reasons the resources planned the Bank Holiday weekend will continue.

The reduction in the national threat level means that an attack still remains "highly likely"'.

Mr West said: "The public will continue to see the high levels of policing both armed and unarmed.

"Once we get past the weekend we will be looking to step down the extra resources we have had in place since the threat level was increased to critical earlier in the week.

"Members of the public should continue to be alert and not alarmed and not hesitate to contact us if they have any information or suspicions.

"At this stage I want to say a big thank you for the enormous and continuing public support."

Theresa May confirmed the reduction at a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee.

It was originally increased on Monday, May 22, after the Manchester Arena killings in which 22 people died and 59 were injured at an Ariana Grande concert.

The Prime Minister confirmed soldiers will be withdrawn from streets across the UK at the end of the Bank Holiday.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now

Armed police have been patrolling the streets of Lincolnshire since Tuesday with officers seen in Skegness, Boston, and Lincoln.

And bag searches have been conducted at venues including Lincoln Drill Hall and the Lincolnshire Showground.
May 3, 2021, 8 PM

During its June 13-14 auction, Cherrystone will offer an intact specialized group of Luxembourg 1852-56 Grand Duke William III stamps and postal history. The collection includes the unique unused block of four of Luxembourgs first stamp, the 1852 10-ce

Also included in the Grand Duke William III collection offered by Cherrystone is this unique 1858 folded letter franked with a single and pair of the 10-centime gray black, and a single and strip of three of the 1-silbergroschen brown red.

Among the United States items up for bids during Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers June 13-14 sale in New York City is this handsome set of 1901 Pan-American small die proofs taken from a Roosevelt album.

By Charles Snee

Cherrystone Philatelic Auctioneers is serving up a colorful palate of worldwide rare stamps and desirable postal history June 13-14 at their West 57th Street gallery in New York City.

Almost 1,500 lots will be up for sale, beginning with United States issues, followed by Austria, France and Colonies, Germany and Colonies, Italy, Liechtenstein, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Scandinavian countries, according to Cherrystone.

During the course of the two-day auction, items are to be offered in alphabetical order by country (British Commonwealth material will follow the Great Britain offerings).

The June 13 session runs through British Commonwealth. Greece leads off the June 14 segment, which concludes with almost 100 large lots and various country collections.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

Sign up for our newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Among the early 20th-century issues of the United States, the 1901 Pan-American set of six stands out for their handsome, intricate bi-color designs.

Four lots of Pan-American material will cross the Cherrystone auction block, including a bright, clean set of small die proofs from a Roosevelt album (Scott 294P2-299P2).

So named because they were produced during the Theodore Roosevelt administration, just 85 Roosevelt albums of U.S. small die proofs were made. A total of 304 proofs were included in each album, carefully mounted on heavy gray card stock.

Described by Cherrystone as fresh and in very fine grade, the Pan-American proof set is listed with a minimum opening bid of $2,400.

Among the myriad highlights of the June 14 session is a spectacular, intact collection of the 1852-56 first-issue stamps of Luxembourg picturing Grand Duke William III (Scott 1-3).

All Scott-listed color and shade varieties of the 10-centime (Scott 1) stamp and 1-silbergroschen stamps (2-3) are represented, with many in pairs, strips of three, and strips of four.

Included among these gems is what Cherrystone describes as the unique unused block of four with original (toned) gum of the 1852 10c gray black (Scott 1).

The outer margins, as can be seen in the illustration, are well clear of, to almost touching the design all around.

Another one-of-a-kind item in the Grand Duke William III collection is an 1858 folded letter sent from Luxembourg to Paris.

A single and pair of the 10c gray black, and a single and strip of three of the 1sg brown red (Scott 2) are arrayed across the top of the letter, an eye-catching franking that Cherrystone calls unique.

The collection, described by Cherrystone as a specialized group having truly superior condition and representing a remarkable assembly of [the] Luxembourg First Issue, is offered with a minimum opening bid of $130,000.

Bids may be submitted in person at the sale, by mail, or online.

For more information, visit the website, call phone 800-886-9313, or write Cherrystone Auctions, 119 W. 57th St., Suite 316, New York, NY 10019.
DECATUR  A piece of American history is coming to Decatur, but what it is and exactly when its coming are still unknown.

The African-American Cultural & Genealogical Society of Illinois Museum Curator Evelyn Hood and museum board member Rich Hansen have both said a piece of the Rosa Parks Collection will be shipped to the museum from the Library of Congress for permanent display sometime this year.

Hood said the item will be one of historical significance from the collection of items Decatur philanthropist Howard Buffett purchased for $4.5 million from the Rosa Parks estate in 2014. The collection, which includes more than a thousand items, is currently on loan to the Library of Congress.

They havent told me what the items are, all I know is theyre planning on traveling here from the Library of Congress to deliver them to me sometime this year, Hood said.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation released a statement to the Herald & Review saying it authorized the Library of Congress to disperse items from the Rosa Parks Collection to interested and deserving parties across the country. The Decatur African-American Cultural & Genealogical Society of Illinois, Inc. Museum was one of the organizations that the Foundation designated as a recipient of items from the Rosa Parks Collection. The Library of Congress is determining which items are to be distributed.

The Library of Congress didnt respond to an interview request.

When the piece from the Parks collection comes, the museum is ready. As part of the latest exhibit made by Hansens African-American Experience class at Mount Zion High School, student Morgan Davis painted a portrait of Parks looking out a bus window at children playing in a playground. The sign next to it reads: Rosa Parks Exhibit coming soon.

It was Hansen who first reached out to Buffett about the donation.

I saw in the paper that the Parks family had been up in arms and couldnt decide who in the family should get what, so they just decided to sell it and he (Buffett) bought it and said he was going to decide what to do with it at a later date, Hansen said. I had his son in school at Mount Zion. I wrote him a letter asking him if his foundation would mind donating a piece to the museum. Its a generous donation.

The collection is on loan to the Library of Congress from the Buffett Foundation for 10 years, beginning in 2014, and the materials were formally opened to researchers in the librarys reading rooms in February 2015. Theyre also digitized and readable at the librarys website, www.loc.gov.

Possibilities for what the piece coming to Decatur could be are wide-ranging. According to the Library of Congress website, the collection contains Parks Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, along approximately 7,500 items in the Manuscript Division, including correspondences with several family members in which she discusses the events surrounding her 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Ala., and also 2,500 photographs in the Prints and Photographs Division,

Hood is hoping the item from the Parks collection help generate more interest in the museum and lead to something bigger.

Rosa Parks, thats a national figure, Hood said. That gets your name out there.
Ziya Azazi is a choreographer and a dancer. He is particularly famous as a Dervish dance performer, who interprets the dance in his own way.



Ziya Azazi, based in Vienna, was born in Antakya, Turkey. He performs in various parts of the world.



Ziya was in Armenia for three days, participating in the ARe performing arts festival. We used this opportunity to interview him.

It's very difficult to talk about something that is cultural at first sight. However, on the other hand, it's something spiritual, created from religion. In my opinion, there are very few followers of Sufism in Armenia. Information about the whirling dance is superficial as well. What's Sufism and what's the dance about?

I should start with the Big Bang. Once upon a time, there was the Big Bang. I think we, humans, are "lost in translation". When someone discovers something, they try to talk about it. When one talks about it, another one understands it differently. And the third one gets it in another way. And then it goes like that and you get "lost in translation". Thousands of generations have practiced Sufism. Thus, Sufism has changed. You are Armenians but you are not like the first Armenians. Turkey is not the Turkey it used to be, Europe is not the same Europe. So, this is why I use the expression "lost in translation". Life is a multidimensional happening. When something happens, it seems to go from A to B. But the reality is not linear. Imagine you want to learn a language. You go to a course and learn grammar. Every day you start with A, then go to B. But in reality learning a language is a not linear process. In the meantime, you go out shopping, learn some words from passersby, etc. So life only looks linear. It is actually multidimensional. I think moral traditions or any practices also can be mystical, religious or cultural. All of them work the same way. In this case, religious, cultural or graphical heritage is work of thousands of years and generations. And this works in a very natural way: if something is effective, it stays. And this is how we create knowledge, religion, language and life. We even create society this way. If we go extreme, its the same with gender. There is no man or woman. There is a body, and we have many types of it. If we come back to religion, mysticism or dance, all of them are like "is it chicken from egg or egg from chicken?" I move my body to move my mind. I move my mind to move my spirit. I move my spirit to move my body. It is where the body-mind-emotions trilogy is important. I always talk about it. If I move my body, I can move my brain. If my brain moves, then my endocrine system moves. It starts to create different hormones which are called emotions. Therefore, in reality, we cannot separate dance, religion, spirituality and society. Nothing serves the other one. They support each other.

You have brought the whirling dance to another level. You do your own interpretations. What's the goal? Has the dance lost its ideology in the former way or it's the reflection of your own ideas and philosophy?

You know, nothing stays the same in the nature. Ararat, for example, is not the same as 5,000 years ago. Nothing stays the same. We are creations. We live for maximum 100-120 years. And this is a very short time, and therefore we think everything stays the same. In reality, there are constant changes. Even traditions change. So what is a tradition? Which Armenian is Armenian? The one from America or the one who was born in Armenia? Am I Turkish? I was born in Turkey, brought up in Syria and I live in Vienna. Ive spent the biggest part of my life in Turkey. As you see, everything is nothing. I mean we cannot stick to anything.

Therefore, Ive always realized that the traditions are data from the past, from different generations. You understand that you are collecting data, and you start to make your own language because you belong to the 21st century. And this is a mixture of past and present. Each of us does it.

Armenia is a homogeneous country. Christians make the overwhelming majority of local population. How did you manage to deliver this unfamiliar culture? Who came to your workshop? Which is the main key to deliver Sufism and the whirling dance to the society with another cultural background?

I don't think of it. I was just invited and I came. I believe that thinking in that way causes separation in minds and between people. You say I'm someone with Islamic heritage and came here to do some performances. I was welcomed here. But I tend to forget about religion, country or gender. We are spirits, we are minds. We just need to exchange ideas.

You were born in a complicated region. All of us live in such a complicated region where clashes and wars last longer than peace. Do you find Dervish dance or Sufism one of the ways to keep us in peace? Can you call them universal values?

Actually, first of all, as an artist or a person, I do not belong to Sufi traditions. I welcome the heritage that has general view of life. When you practice it, youre able to see generally. In reality, mankind all around the world creates different traditions, moral practices, languages and way of living. Many of them actually get the idea about what it is to be a human. They keep working on it. They make different mystical approaches called Buddhism, Sufism or Hinduism. So all of them talk about the same thing in different languages. And, as you see, this mystical way of thinking or living has physical, mental, intuitive and emotional activities. What the person does in this dance is not only dancing but also killing and kicking his body to make his body work. Through such a physical action, you learn that you have a body that aches. And if you know what is pain, you do not cause pain to others. The other activity is thinking. You learn history, traditions or dance. You make your brain work. And when you make the two work, you start having emotions. You activate your intuition, you sense better. When you activate these three parts of yourself, you are efficient for life. Therefore, any practice in life is good for humanity. And Sufism is just one of them. But its important to understand the core idea of becoming mystical and then update our daily life. We cannot practice Sufism or Buddhism as it was done in the past.

Can we compare Dervish dance with yoga or qigong as a means of meditation or healing?

Absolutely yes. You can do fitness as well. Just without Facebook or TV in front of you. You must concentrate on it. Simplified activation of the body, mind and emotions is the key to being healthy.

There is a white tape in your performance which limits the space of the dancer. You usually take it away. Would you please comment on it? Is it a kind of border that is being destroyed?

Exactly as you said. We have so many borders. And actually what we try to do is to gain space. We try to cross the borders.

The topic of mysticism in contemporary dance is popular. Is there no life without mysticism? And what is it?

You can live without mysticism. But life without mysticism is not a life. And mysticism for me is visiting the "unknown", being connected to it. So what is the "unknown?" For example we can see the light in the certain spectrum of electromagnetic waves. If less or more, we will not be able to see it. The same for sound and temperature. We don't know how it works. If we take time and think about such things, we realize we can do more. We can see, hear and sense more. In my opinion, all the means to discover it are spiritual approaches.

In other countries people who take part in your workshops belong to different cultures. Who are they? What are they looking for?

Thats exactly the subject I was talking about. Because there are some of us who have the courage to cross the border and enter the unknown. Everyone has an individual approach to visiting the unknown. But they want to learn from someone who knows how to do it and what instruments, devices or tools he has.

Dance is one of those instruments.

Absolutely. One of the strongest instruments I have ever experienced in my life.

Do you find that every dance is a journey? Or does the Dervish dance have some spiritual codes?

Dancing is good, but the power of spinning is quite unique. Because you cannot be connected to the external life. You are isolated. You are by yourself. Because of the spinning, everything starts to move in your body. Your senses work differently. Your brain is not used to being in such physics. But you take time and learn that this is another type of life. And you have very profound confrontation with yourself while spinning. No other dance can give you such a profound experience. So if you combine dancing with darkness, light, alcohol, then you also have the journey to the high. Have you ever thought why people really like drinking, smoking or going to parties? To get high. Spinning dance is about getting high without any external support.

According to the founder of ARe performing arts festival, embassies and foundations help to cover the traveling expenses of the international artists.



This year's festival was supported by the Consulate of Israel, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Hrant Dink Foundation, the British Council and the Australian Consulate.

Photos: by the author and Narek Aleksanyan
MAY 28, 2017  YEREVAN, ARMENIA  The $1 Million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded tonight to Dr. Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York who has saved thousands of lives as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudans war-ravaged Nuba Mountains where humanitarian aid is restricted. The Aurora Prize, granted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, was announced at a ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia. He was selected as the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate from more than 550 nominations submitted from 66 countries.

George Clooney, Academy Award-winning actor, Co-Founder of both The Sentry and Not On Our Watch, and Co-Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, commended Dr. Catena by stating, As violence and war continue to threaten peoples spirits and perseverance, it is important to recognize, empower and celebrate people like Dr. Catena who are selflessly helping others to not only survive, but thrive. Dr. Catena is a role model to us all, and yet another example of people on the ground truly making a difference.

Dr. Catena will receive a $100,000 grant and the opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by donating the accompanying $1,000,000 award to organizations of his choice. Dr. Catena will donate the award to three organizations:

African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), USA

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), USA

Aktion Canchanabury, Germany

For the last nine years, Dr. Catena  known by locals as Dr. Tom  has been on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Mother of Mercy Catholic Hospital to care for the more than 750,000 citizens of Nuba amidst ongoing civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement. Patients have been known to walk for up to seven days to receive treatment for injuries from bombing attacks and ailments varying from bone fractures to malnourishment and malaria. It is estimated that Dr. Catena treats 500 patients per day and performs more than one thousand operations each year.

On being named the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, Dr. Catena said, We all have an obligation to look after our brothers and sisters. It is possible that every single person can make a contribution, and to recognize that shared humanity can lead to a brighter future. With my faith as my guide, I am honored to continue to serve the world and make it a better place.

Dr. Catena is an inspiration for to anyone who has ever doubted humanity. Despite tremendous injustice and sacrifice, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that the next generation has a brighter future, said Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative (AHI), and Aurora Prize Selection Committee member. His service to others is an inspiration, and it is our hope that the individuals he has saved will continue the cycle of gratitude by becoming saviors themselves.

Leading international humanitarian figures and Aurora Prize Selection Committee members, including Gareth Evans, Hina Jilani, Leymah Gbowee, Shirin Ebadi, Ernesto Zedillo and Vartan Gregorian, were in attendance to celebrate the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate.

Dr. Catena was congratulated by Marguerite Barankitse, who was awarded the inaugural Aurora Prize in 2016 for her tireless commitment to restoring childrens dignity and hope as the founder of Maison Shalom and the REMA Hospital in Burundi. She said, The Aurora Prize is so important to keeping hope alive for people around the world, and I am proud to be joined by such a humble and true role model as Dr. Catena. I applaud his selfless efforts in delivering love to all and congratulate him on this esteemed award.

Guests of the Aurora Prize Ceremony also honored the exceptional contributions of the other four 2017 Aurora Prize finalists: Ms. Fartuun Adan and Ms. Ilwad Elman, the Founders of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia; Ms. Jamila Afghani, the Chairperson of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization in Afghanistan; Mr. Muhammad Darwish, a medical doctor at the Madaya Field Hospital in Syria; and Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecological surgeon and Founder of the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Catena embodies the spirit of the Aurora Prize, and we extend our deepest gratitude to him and the people and organizations around the world that support and inspire him to continue his noble work despite immensely challenging conditions, said Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of AHI and United World College at Dilijan. We are honored to share his story with the world to shed light on the goodwill that exists in the world so that helping others becomes part of our global culture.

The naming of the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate follows the release of the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the second annual global public opinion survey that gauges attitudes towards humanitarian responsibility, the effectiveness of humanitarian intervention and individuals motivations to intervene on behalf of others. The Index found that support for humanitarian action is on a steep decline, and that a rise in populism around the world is affecting the publics perception of efforts made to aid refugees around the world.

We hope the findings from this years Aurora Humanitarian Index serve as motivation for individuals around the world to not only understand their capacity for meaningful impact, but be inspired to act upon it, said Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. Through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, we encourage those touched by Dr. Catenas selfless work to make their own mark on the world by expanding the circle of saviors, and most importantly survivors. It is possible for us all to play a role in renewing hope in humanity.
When the Golden Gate Bridge went up, it was the longest suspended bridge span in the world.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Ever since the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic on May 27, 1937, it's been an iconic symbol on the American landscape.

By 1870, people had realized the necessity of building a bridge spanning the Golden Gate Strait to connect the city of San Francisco with Marin County. However, it was another half-century before structural engineer Joseph Strauss submitted his bridge proposal. The plans evolved, and the final project was approved as a suspension bridge that ended up taking over four years to build.

When the Golden Gate Bridge went up, it was the longest suspended bridge span in the world  cables hold up the roadway between two towers, with no intermediate supports. And the setting had a number of inherent challenges. It cost about US$37 million at the time; building the same structure today would cost about a billion dollars. So how has the design held up over the past 80 years  and would we do things differently if we were starting from scratch today?

Longest suspension bridge in the world

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge, meaning it relies on cables and suspenders under tension along with towers under compression to cross a long distance without any intermediate supports. The roadway deck hangs from vertical suspenders that connect to the two main cables that run between the towers and the anchors on the end. The suspenders transfer vehicular forces and self-weight to the supporting cables that are anchored to towers and on to solid ground.

The first bridges of this type probably connected two cliffs with flexible ropes to cross a valley or a river. Hundreds of years ago, these ropes were made of plant fiber; iron chains came later. The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, opened in 1883, was the first to use steel cables, which then became standard.

The towers likely started as a simple rock on each side of a valley; eventually engineers used massive stone or steel piers. The Golden Gate Bridge, for instance, is supported by one abutment on each end and the two towers, which are placed over foundations embedded in the seafloor.

The Golden Gate Bridge's two supporting cables are about the only thing that has not been changed since the bridge was opened to traffic in 1937. Each main cable is formed by 27,572 steel wires with the approximate thickness of a pencil. Construction crews hung nearly 80,000 miles of wire cables from one side of the bridge to the other.

It's nearly impossible to manufacture a long, thick cable in one piece with no flaws to do this job. And crucially, if a single big cable was holding the bridge up and something happened to it, there would be a catastrophic failure. Relying on smaller wires means any failure would be slower, leaving time to divert disaster.

Since people first started pondering a bridge in the bay of San Francisco, there was huge concern about the structure's ability to withstand the location's strong winds, turbulent waters and possible earthquake forces. San Francisco is located at the intersection of two active tectonic plates  obviously no one wanted to see an earthquake bring down the bridge, which currently carries around 112,000 vehicles per day.

To avoid this problem, the builders also located shock absorbers at each end of the bridge to absorb the energy coming from wind or seismic forces. These specially designed vibration dampers are meter-diameter cylinders made of a lead core covered by rubber. Placed at strategic locations, they absorb energy that could otherwise cause the bridge to collapse.

Keeping it in good shape

Conventional wisdom would suggest an infrastructure project is done soon after its inauguration. But keeping the Golden Gate Bridge in tiptop form requires ongoing stringent maintenance. For 80 years, dedicated maintenance crews have serviced the bridge, repainting and substituting the corroded or broken components where necessary.

This work must be done to exacting standards. For example, when any of the thousands of bolts that connect all the various pieces of the bridge need replacement, no more than two are taken out simultaneously, to keep the bridge safe against strong winds or earthquakes forces.

There are structural maintenance issues, too. Due to the passage of time and ongoing temperature variability, the cables and suspenders elongate or contract, and need periodical checking and retensioning. This type of adjustment is referred to as "tuning" and is similar to how a musician keeps a stringed instrument sounding its best.

What would change if we built it today?

Due to huge upkeep costs, some people have suggested reconstructing the Golden Gate Bridge in a way that would limit ongoing maintenance and operation bills. Setting aside the political feasibility, how would engineers design the bridge if they were going to build it from scratch today?

Over time, researchers have developed lighter materials. Using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) rather than steel or concrete is a way to reduce the weight of a structure of this magnitude. This self-weight is typically responsible for using up 70 to 80 percent of its resistence  that's the maximum load it can bear before it fails. By reducing it, the bridge's structure would need less strength, allowing for cheaper and easier options.

For example, designers have started using Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRP) materials in bridges such as the Market Street Bridge in West Virginia. FRP uses a plastic resin to bind together glass or carbon fibers, which give strength to the material. Being four times lighter than concrete, the FRPs are five to six times stronger.

Probably a designer's first target for change in a substitute Golden Gate Bridge would be the composition of the cables. The steel currently in use is corrosive, heavier by four times than newer materials and can fail in harsh moisture and temperature environments  just like those it encounters in this location. Carbon cables are more inert and already in use around the world.

These lighter-than-steel materials could also be utilized in other elements of the bridge, such as the traffic roadway. Using plastic composite decking could bring the Golden Gate Bridge's deck self-weight down by a factor of five. That would enable engineers to design and construct a cable-stayed bridge rather than a suspension bridge. The advantage there would be the ability to do away with the suspenders; in a cable-stayed bridge forces are transmitted directly from the deck to the towers by the cables. The first highway cable-stayed bridge with CFRP cables is Switzerland's Stork Bridge, opened in 1996.

A cable-stayed bridge can have a longer span than a suspension bridge, so its structure between the supports and the shore could be simpler. Also building the towers nearer to the shore, where the waterbed is more shallow, would help alleviate one of the main problems when the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed the first time around: It's very difficult and expensive to work on the tower foundations in deep water with strong currents.

The damping system could also be addressed with a new design. The lead core-based dampers that were used in the construction of the Golden Gate could be replaced by newer technologies that are better able to resist wind, traffic and seismic forces. This improvement would ensure that a failure such as the one on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge  when wind blew the bridge sideways, it twisted and collapsed  would be prevented.

With all that said, the Golden Gate Bridge is still doing fine. Even with other feasible and cheaper options, no one is realistically working to replace the Art Deco icon and its world famous "international orange" paint job. The Golden Gate Bridge is closely monitored to make sure it does not exceed its stress limits due to traffic, wind and seismic loads. We can look forward to at least another 80 years of this engineering masterpiece.

Hota GangaRao, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University and Maria Martinez de Lahidalga de Lorenzo, Graduate Research Assistant, West Virginia University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
This image from 2010 shows the boundary between permanent and seasonal sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Greenland.

Earth's already-beleaguered northern icecap suffered another blow this month with the early collapse of a barrier that kept some of Arctic's most durable ice in place.

The ice arch across the Nares Strait, which separates Greenland from Ellesmere Island in Canada's far northeast, gave way two months earlier than usual, said Laurence Dyke, a paleoglaciologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.

"On May 10, this arch disintegrated, leaving the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic vulnerable to being swept south where it will melt away," Dyke told Seeker. "Over the last two weeks, the area of broken ice has expanded massively to the north, and lots of Arctic sea ice is flowing southwards through the Nares Strait."

The channel and the Lincoln Sea, at the northern tip of Greenland, are normally covered by a sheet of ice several meters thick until around July, Dyke said. Usually, ice sheets that cover the strait are anchored to land and don't move, blocking the passage of sea ice through the strait.

But as heat-trapping fossil-fuel emissions like carbon dioxide build up in the atmosphere, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe. And this year, land-anchored ice in the strait failed to form amid the record warmth and record low sea ice coverage recorded across the Arctic. That left only an arch of ice at the northern end of the strait, where it joined the Lincoln Sea  the structure that gave way earlier this month.

"This is especially important as the Lincoln Sea contains the last bastion of old, thick multi-year sea ice," Dyke said.

The Nares Strait is the smaller of two passages that can funnel ice from that area toward the Atlantic.

The Fram Strait, on the east side of Greenland, carries "significantly more," said Twila Moon, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado  "But every little bit counts."

And the loss of multi-year ice is already a chronic problem in the Arctic. It forms the heart of next year's sea ice and provides habitat for whales, seals, and birds.

"It's also playing a role to reduce the amount of heat the ocean can take in during the summer," Moon said. If less ice is floating on the surface of the Arctic ocean, the dark-colored sea will absorb more of the Sun's energy  "and of course, more heat in the ocean reduces our sea ice further, and we get a runaway effect."

"Each of these small events adds up, and they're not good news," she added.

RELATED: Despite Debate, Estimates of Humanity's Impact on Climate Change Are Accurate

This year's event isn't unprecedented: Something similar happened in 2007. But when that occurred, "that led to the largest flux of Arctic Sea ice through Nares Strait in at least the last 15 years," Dyke said.

"Multi-year ice has been steadily declining over the last two decades, and this early break-up will surely destroy another large portion of it," he said.

Since sea ice is floating in water already, its melting doesn't add to sea-level rise  which a recent study suggests has accelerated dramatically since the 1990s. But the warming of the surrounding oceans is already starting to eat away at the miles of ice that cover Greenland.

Dykes was part of a 2015 expedition to study the Greenland's massive Petermann Glacier, which overlooks the Nares Strait, and said that the loss of sea ice is starting to affect that structure.

RELATED: The Arctic Ocean May Soon Have Its Very Own Garbage Patch'

Sea ice buttresses the glacier, keeping it from breaking apart. And there's some evidence that less sea ice may result in warmer water making contact with the edges of the ice sheet, further eating away at it. In the last decade, the glacier has seen two calving events in which Manhattan-sized chunks of ice broke off into the ocean, and scientists are watching a new crack that has emerged this spring.

"You can think a bit about it as a canary in a coal mine," Dyke said. "It's almost the most northerly glacier in the whole of Greenland, so if there are changes happening up there, you can be sure that the rest of Greenland is feeling those effects as well."

Original article on Seeker.
Petra Kvitova took a big step toward getting her life back Sunday, winning her first-round match in the French Open.

The Czech Republic player, who was stabbed during a home invasion less than six months ago, easily beat 86th-ranked Julia Boserup of the United States, 6-3, 6-2, in a 74-minute match at Roland Garros. The result capped an emotional journey that began in December when she was stabbed by an intruder and suffered injuries to her left hand, with which she holds her racket. The victory was an emotional one for Kvitova, who decided only last week to try to play in Paris.
Braving the rush-hour New York bus is one option, driving oneself -- a hair shirt for the 21st century -- is another. So is swapping the suburban house for a four-subway-stops-and-you're-there Jersey City rental.

It's come to this for rail commuters heading to Amtrak's Pennsylvania Station, tortured by weeks of track repairs that presage what New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling a "summer of hell."

New York, a world capital of finance and culture, has been brought to its knees by unavoidable disasters: violence, flooding, blizzards and blackouts. For eight weeks in July and August, it will be hobbled by hasty fixes to a mass-transit system that fell apart over decades.

New Jersey Transit said last week it would divert some trains to Hoboken where riders can switch to ferries or the limited PATH subway, and Long Island Rail Road also expects cutbacks.

Ripples will be felt throughout New York. Wells Fargo says it will be alert to disruptions and is ready to allow people to report from home or commute during off-peak hours. JW Player, a Chelsea-based video software developer, is relying on what it calls "mobile culture" to keep in touch with the 13 percent of its employees who are New Jersey residents. And offices wherever suburbanites toil will be abuzz with tales of woe.

"I'm investigating a parking garage in Midtown," said John Sattler, a senior vice president for the marketing agency Jack Morton Worldwide, as he waited on the Summit platform for a morning train to New York. "I'm looking into the bus."

Across the U.S., no one's commute is a pleasure cruise. New York City, though, has the longest journey among major metropolitan areas, an average 34.7 minutes, according to the online real-estate company Trulia. This summer will drive up that number.

It costs Manhattan employers $14.5 million for every hour train commuters from New Jersey and Long Island are delayed, according to the Partnership for New York City. For riders, it's about more than money. It's time and mental health.

"At times, I've taken Uber to Secaucus, and I'm still paying for a monthly rail pass and the MetroCard as well," Will DeCristoforo, executive director of liquidity and collateral at JP Morgan Chase & Co., said on the New Jersey Transit platform in Summit, on a line that serves the hometowns of the financial elite.

About 327,000 New Jerseyans commute into Manhattan for work. Among them on May 5 was Kathy Morse, a manager for a prisoner-tutoring program. She skipped her usual delay-prone train from Belmar and boarded a New Jersey Transit bus, confident she'd arrive for a 9 a.m. meeting. Bogged in traffic, she missed the appointment.

"I was actually called in and reprimanded for tardiness," said Morse, a 30-year veteran of New York City commuting. "I'm at the breaking point now."

Commuters' accumulated scars are such that during the May 4 evening rush, Robert and Judy Epstein sipped champagne on the South Orange platform, toasting the end of Robert's 28 years aboard New Jersey Transit and the sale of their house. Their new home, a Jersey City rental, is just four stops from his Brooklyn law office via subway.

"These kids moving from Brooklyn and Manhattan are throwing a lot of money at these homes," Epstein said of such towns as Chatham, Summit, South Orange and Maplewood, all on the Midtown Direct line that will be diverted to Hoboken. "They have to be ready for a rough ride."

On May 10, the clock between Tracks A and B at Secaucus Junction read 8:21 a.m. Three Penn trains were each at least five minutes overdue, and marketing assistant Aliana Heffernan was fretting over the possibility of a fourth warning from her boss. Once aboard, the scheduled 12-minute ride took more than 30.

"There are a few days when I said it was a really poor decision" to move to Metuchen from Brooklyn, Heffernan said as her train idled in the North River tunnel.

The century-old tube, damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, is under constant repair even as it operates at maximum capacity, and will be out of service in less than 20 years unless it's closed for an overhaul, Amtrak says. And then there's the fraught matter of constructing new tunnels, which would take years and cost billions. For now, though, riders have to keep coming up with alternative plans.

DeCristoforo, from JP Morgan Chase, sees a glimmer of hope on his side of the Hudson, where his employer was part of a wave, along with Goldman Sachs and UBS Group, coaxed to Jersey City with tax incentives.

Right now, though, his office is in New York, and each morning he weighs whether he can fit in a few minutes with his three young children before leaving his New Providence home.

"Any time after 7:30, it's 2 hours, 15 minutes door to door," he said.

---

Bloomberg's Laura J. Keller and Henry Goldman contributed.
REBEY, Somalia - Near a dried-out reservoir on the edge of this village is a dilapidated mud hut. The family that lived there until last month went so far as to strip off its straw roof and feed the material to their emaciated cattle. When the animals died anyway, the family disappeared.

Half of Rebey's 80 families have abandoned their homes, fleeing a drought that has decimated their livestock and withered two years of harvests.

But cruel weather is not the main reason hundreds of thousands of people in rural Somalia are on the brink of starving to death. Rebels from the extremist al-Shabab group are blocking vital aid from reaching villages, compounding the effects of the poor rains.

Mohamed Ibrahim Hasan, a traditional chief in Rebey, said the deadly combination could spell the end for his lifelong home.

"If the rain is bad again this season, that's it, this village is finished," he said. "Or, if al-Shabab comes here to fight, then we will not be able to get the aid from outside that is keeping us alive."

That aid agencies can still reach Rebey makes it an exceedingly rare and lucky village. Al-Shabab, an Islamist group that pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda, holds sway over most rural areas in drought-ravaged southern Somalia and opposes the presence of international aid groups, accusing them of colluding with its archenemy, the Somali government.

Without access to food, roughly 160,000 people from across the region have walked, sometimes for days, to disease-ridden camps in government-controlled cities where aid is available. Those who are too weak to make the journey are left at home to teeter on death's edge.

Just six years ago, a famine swept these parts, and more than a quarter of a million people died. It is no coincidence that the worst-affected regions then, as well as now, are where al-Shabab has triggered mass displacement.

The militia is weaker and fragmented now, in part because its obstructionism during the last famine cost the group what popular support it had. But it has still mustered recent attacks on U.N. aid agencies such as the World Food Program. Thirteen aid workers were kidnapped by al-Shabab and other local militias in April, the highest monthly total since 2011.

Since the previous famine, government-allied militias together with African Union troops have regained control over Baidoa, a city near the epicenter of the drought. U.N. agencies and African Union troops share a heavily fortified compound next to the city's airport.

Aid workers from private groups such as Save the Children and SOS Children's Villages travel with truckloads of hired gunmen when they venture into the camps of displaced people in Baidoa or visit hungry towns nearby. U.N. staff often move in bulletproof vehicles with military escorts. Somali aid workers can travel with greater ease, but their association with aid groups makes them targets for al-Shabab.

"If they caught me, they would kill me - it's that simple," said a Somali employee of Save the Children, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

Al-Shabab does not just target aid groups, however. The rebels often retaliate against people who flee to Baidoa's camps, saying they may be divulging details about the militants' whereabouts to authorities. Many villagers, therefore, are reluctant to return to their homes when conditions improve. Aid workers worry that Somalia's displacement crisis may thus prove intractable.

"If they go back to their villages, they would have to answer to al-Shabab," said Edmore Tondhlana, who coordinates the United Nations' drought-relief operation in Baidoa. "[Al-Shabab] will ask: 'Where were you? Who did you speak to?' They think that you have become a government informant. They can kill you."

Baidoa is a refuge, for now. The displaced can check in at a government hospital, or fill up jerrycans at a water tank, even if the scattered camps are crowded and makeshift, and perfect breeding grounds for diseases such as cholera. Humanitarian agencies provide cash for people to buy food and materials for shelter.

Aid workers are scrambling to improve conditions in the camps, but they often must weigh their security against the needs of the displaced as they decide whether to travel outside their guarded compounds.

"The U.N. is al-Shabab's most valuable political target right now," said Roberto Mendoza, a Honduran who is head of security at the U.N. compound in Baidoa. He regularly prohibits U.N. aid workers from leaving the compound because of threats of attacks. Frequently, al-Shabab rebels creep close enough to Baidoa to engage the African Union troops stationed there, resulting in aid missions being postponed. In mid-May, al-Shabab took villages just miles south of the city, forcing planes to alter their flight paths.

"We're doing the best we can," Mendoza said. "But al-Shabab's biggest strength is that they are underestimated. We can't allow ourselves to have a false sense of safety."

These frequent lockdowns mean that aid workers are delayed in providing services such as pit latrines, which could help prevent the spread of disease. Still, chances of survival in the camps are far higher than in the forsaken villages.

With the holy month of Ramadan beginning, fighting around Baidoa is expected to intensify. Al-Shabab and other extremist Islamist groups subscribe to a belief that God bequeaths military victories upon his most fervent followers and grants them double the rewards in paradise should they be "martyred" during Ramadan.

"Fighters we have captured are telling us that their brothers will attack Baidoa, and even the camps, during Ramadan," said Hassan Hussein Mohamed, the head of the Southwest Special Police Force, the main unit of Somali security forces fighting al-Shabab near Baidoa.

A day earlier, Mohamed said, nine of his men had been killed by an al-Shabab car bomb just outside Baidoa.

"Nine, God bless them," Mohamed said. "We are fighting with no logistical support, no medicine, no protective gear and no salary."

The war with al-Shabab has been grinding on for more than a decade. A U.S. campaign of drone strikes targeting the group has intensified in the past few months. The militants have been pushed out of most of southern Somalia's urban centers, but they have simply retreated and regrouped in the countryside.

Hasan, the chief in Rebey, said that until now his village's proximity to Baidoa gave him a sense of protection from al-Shabab. But he too fears the battles that could occur with the onset of Ramadan.

"If they start a big fight and prevent us from getting aid, then that is our fate," Hasan said with a shrug. "But are we not all Muslim? People here are already starving. Please, God, show us mercy."
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Saturday, but in a break with almost two decades of tradition, the State Department still has not decided whether to mark it with a reception.

State Department officials said Sunday that they are "exploring" options to observe Ramadan with an iftar dinner or a reception around Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan's month of day-long fasting. Invitations are usually issued weeks in advance to events at the State Department, the White House and other agencies. Because most guests typically would have received them already, that suggests no Ramadan event will be held at the State Department.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson apparently decided not to host the Eid al-Fitr reception, according to Reuters, which first reported the news. Tillerson is said to have rejected a recommendation from the Office of Religion and Global Affairs, which usually handles the arrangements. The tradition began 18 years ago under Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

"U.S. ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world," said a State Department statement that did not offer an explanation on why there may not be an Eid al-Fitr reception this year.

Last year, Secretary of State John F. Kerry made an appearance and told attendees that they could be "citizen diplomats" for Muslim values of charity, compassion, justice and peace.

Tillerson issued a statement Friday just before Ramadan began, calling the holiday a month of "reverence, generosity, and self-reflection."

"Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate," he said. "This time reminds us all of the common values of harmony and empathy we hold dear."

In contrast, the White House issued a statement from President Donald Trump, wishing Muslims a blessed month but also going on at some length about terrorism.

"America will always stand with our partners against terrorism and the ideology that fuels it," the statement said. "During this month of Ramadan, let us be resolved to spare no measure so that we may ensure that future generations will be free of this scourge and able to worship and commune in peace."

Even if the State Department had sent out invitations, however, many Muslims may not have attended because of concern about the administration's rhetoric and policies, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Given all the Islamophobic rhetoric, appointments and anti-Muslim policy proposals," Hooper said, "it sends the message American Muslims are not worthy to engage. In Saudi Arabia, President Trump never mentioned the millions of Muslim Americans and their contributions to society. He and his policy people view Islam and Muslims as a foreign issue, or a security issue."
A slim majority of Northern Virginians support a regionwide sales tax to boost Metro funding, giving it the most support of five proposals to improve the transit agency's long-term financial problems, a new Washington Post-Schar School poll finds.

Northern Virginia residents give mixed or negative reviews to other proposals asked about in the poll, including increased funding from regional governments, service cuts, and special taxes on businesses and homes near Metro stations.

The Post-Schar School poll finds 53 percent of Northern Virginians support a regional sales tax to fund Metro, while 40 percent oppose it. Those results mirror a Washington Post-University of Maryland survey in March, which found that 50 percent of respondents living in Maryland's District of Columbia suburbs supported a regional sales tax, while 47 percent opposed the idea. Support was lukewarm among Prince George's County residents at 44 percent, but was 55 percent in Montgomery County.

The Virginia results, combined with those from Maryland, offer an increasingly clear indication that many residents are willing to pay more to support Metro, but local leaders advocating the regional sales tax for Metro still face an uphill battle.

State lawmakers would have to give localities the authority to tax themselves, and in some cases, the sales tax would have to be approved by voters in local ballot measures. Similar efforts recently have not had much success. In November, Fairfax County voters rejected a 4 percent tax on restaurant and prepared meals; the bulk of the revenue would have gone to support public schools. The referendum failed 54 percent to 46 percent.

Loudoun County Supervisor Matthew Letourneau, R-Dulles, said such a measure would be a tough sell in Northern Virginia, especially in jurisdictions where Metro coverage is limited and residents are less reliant on public transit.

"To expect a county like that to adopt a sales tax ordinance for Metro is just not going to happen. It's not viable," said Letourneau, who also is vice chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Although proponents of the regional sales tax say it is the simplest option for raising extra money for Metro and equitably spreading the burden, Letourneau said some supportive politicians - particularly those outside Northern Virginia - underestimate the complexities involved.

"That's what we're kind of overlooking," Letourneau said. "We skipped right through all these solution sets, and we haven't quite educated everyone about the issues and the problems that are involved with each one."

That idea was reinforced Thursday at a Virginia Senate Finance Committee meeting, where several lawmakers said they are pushing for legislators in Virginia, the District and Maryland to pursue separate plans to provide more money for Metro, rather than to collectively agree to one regional tax.

Notably, the Post-Schar poll finds that support for a regional sales tax stands at an identical 53 percent among residents of the close-in D.C. suburbs such as Fairfax County, and the exurban counties including Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has not said whether he supports a regional sales tax for Metro. He is waiting to hear the recommendations of a panel he convened - headed by former U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood - to study's Metro's financial and governance problems. The panel's report is due this fall; Virginians will elect a new governor in November.

Statewide, 57 percent of Virginians are in favor a sales tax to support Metro, and 30 percent oppose it. Support for the regional sales tax is slightly higher outside Northern Virginia (59 percent) than inside (53 percent).

In Northern Virginia, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more supportive of the tax (60 percent for and 33 percent against) than Republican-leaning residents, who are split 47 percent in support, 47 opposed.

And younger residents are more supportive of the idea than their older counterparts; 57 percent of Northern Virginians under 40 express support for the plan compared with 44 percent of those 65 or older. But in all age groups, the idea enjoys at least slightly more support than disapproval.

Less than a majority of Northern Virginians support each of the other revenue options posed in the survey: 45 percent support raising additional funds from the District, Maryland and Virginia through program cuts or tax increases, 42 percent support increasing fares, and 34 percent support creating an additional tax on property near Metro stations.

Service cuts - reducing the frequency of Metro trains and buses - were roundly rejected across nearly all demographic and regional groups in Northern Virginia.

Three-quarters of residents in Virginia's immediate D.C. suburbs oppose the idea, with 62 percent of residents in the exurbs also saying no to reductions in service.

Yet, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has said repeatedly in recent weeks that if the region fails to provide a new revenue source for the financially ailing system, dramatic reductions in service will be his only option to balance the budget in coming years.

Unsurprisingly, Metro's reputation has taken a major hit in this poll, amid system shutdowns and delays during the year-long SafeTrack maintenance program. The project, aimed at making up for decades of neglect, is scheduled to end in June.

Just over 4 in 10 Northern Virginians (43 percent) rate Metrorail as "excellent" or "good," while 45 percent rate it negatively. Ratings have fallen sharply from 2013, 2010 and 2005, when large majorities of Northern Virginia residents rated Metrorail much higher: Seven in 10, or more, gave the system positive ratings back then. Just 14 percent rated Metro negatively four years ago. Now, more than three times as many rate it negatively.

Despite Metro's faltering reputation in the region, some residents say they're hopeful that an infusion of more money will help improve the condition of the system. That's true for Javier Aguila, 21, a community college student living in Springfield. He said he would be willing to pay an extra 1 percent sales tax - although he hardly uses Metro. The few times that he has been on the system recently, he said, he has seen some of the shiny new 7000- series cars that are becoming a fixture on the rails. He wants to see more of those with the hope that they improve reliability for riders, and he would be willing to help pay for it.

"If it's going to help out the community in a significant way, I don't think it should be a big deal," Aguila said. "If it's helping things get better, then why not?"

Chandu Ketkar, 55, a software security consultant from McLean, Va., said he would consider supporting a sales tax - as long as it was limited to the immediate Washington region and did not affect the taxes of people who live far afield in Virginia.

He also is not categorically opposed to a new tax for properties close to Metro stations, although he worries that it might unfairly burden those who live close to stations but do not use the transit system. That option would let frequent users who perhaps drive to stations as part of their commute off the hook because they would not be paying their fair share, as he sees it.

"I don't live right next to Metro," said Ketkar, who estimates that he rides Metro about once a month. "But I can certainly see myself paying some taxes to have a Metro that is not broken."

More than anything, Ketkar said, he just wants something that will help improve the ailing system. His children ride Metro into the District, and he sometimes worries for their safety. He said he has been encouraged by SafeTrack and is hopeful that the agency's new management is achieving improvements.

Still, Ketkar remains disappointed with the system. He travels internationally for work and says it is frustrating to see the D.C. transit system fall so far short of the kinds of transit infrastructure that is standard in Europe and Asia.

"If you look at Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Shenzhen - you see how good systems can run," he said. "I think Washington can do better."

The Post-Schar School was conducted May 9-14 among a random sample of Virginia adults reached on cellular and landline phones. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points among the sample of 574 Northern Virginia residents.

- - -

The Washington Post's Scott Clement contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. - Lt. James Downing steered his motorized scooter through a crowd of leather-clad bikers who stared in awe as he approached a soundstage. The rumble of mufflers groaned in the distance as the 103-year-old Downing parked his three-wheeler in front of a man holding out a microphone, inviting him to speak.

Downing is the second-oldest known survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack. That's why, even at an event that prides itself on the earthshaking roar produced by countless Harleys, Downing's ride was one of the biggest head-turners on Saturday. It was carrying a living witness to World War II history.

"We have to keep America so strong that no aggressor would even think about attacking us," Downing, seated in his scooter, said to rousing applause in the parking lot of a motorcycle dealership in Fort Washington, Maryland.

Downing's speech to hundreds of bikers was part of a five-day event that makes up the annual Memorial Day gathering called Rolling Thunder. It will culminate on Sunday with thousands of motorcycles making their now-familiar pilgrimage from the Pentagon across the Memorial Bridge to Franklin D. Roosevelt Park to commemorate soldiers who were prisoners of war or missing in action.

Like Downing, the Rolling Thunder event has aged well. It is celebrating its 30th year.

"It's gotten bigger and bigger," said Sgt. Artie Muller, one of a handful of founders who organized a ride with 2,500 participants in Washington in 1998. That number has swelled to an estimated 900,000 participants, according to the organization.

Last year the event featured then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

For Downing, of Colorado Springs, this was the first trip to Rolling Thunder. And he found a receptive audience as he told his story.

On Dec. 7, 1941, he was on shore enjoying a relaxing breakfast with his wife of five months when the Japanese attack began. He rushed to the dock, where his ship, the USS West Virginia, was under siege.

"Everything above water was on fire," he said.

A low-flying Japanese plane passing overhead rained machine gun bullets in the direction of his group but missed him. As the West Virginia sank, Downing rushed to memorize the names inscribed on dog tags worn by the deceased. He was the postmaster for the West Virginia, and he knew he would need to write letters to the families of the deceased.

As Downing spoke, Kathryn Kent, a 46-year-old veteran from St. Louis, stood in the audience nodding her head. When Downing was finished, she walked up to the stage and knelt down in front of the scooter. She took his hand and thanked him.

"That's living history," she said. "The kind of thing our youngest generation needs to know about."

Downing is doing his best to spread the word. He wrote a book about his experience at Pearl Harbor that was published in November. He's done nine book speaking tours since then, said his full-time caretaker Carol Lucke Dodge. That included 36 speaking events in one two-week span.

"How he gets this energy I can no longer explain," Dodge said, as a procession lined up to thank Downing.

The event also paid tribute to those not as fortunate as Downing.

Jim and Dianna Beardsley have been attending Rolling Thunder since they lost their son, William "B.J." Beardsley, in Iraq on Feb. 26, 2007. Beardsley was killed when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

They buried him in Arlington National Cemetery on his 25th birthday.

"The biggest thing you'll hear out here is 'Please don't forget,' " Dianna Beardsley said. "So when we see these people out here, it's huge to us as a community."

A little while later, Downing was thinking about the friends he lost more than 75 years ago. "There were 105 from the West Virginia who died," he said.

He had maneuvered his scooter across the parking lot to a semi-truck painted to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack. Painted on one side of the cab was a reproduction of a photograph of Pearl Harbor taken from a U.S. plane only hours before the Japanese attacked.

Darrell Plonk, materials manager for Freightliner Truck Manufacturing, the North Carolina company that built the commemorative truck, said the photograph had been recovered from a U.S. plane that was later shot down in the attack.

The photo captured six of the more than 160 ships in the harbor that day.

Plonk pointed out the USS Arizona. Downing looked up and marveled with recognition.

"That's my ship right there," he said pointing to the one next to it. "That's the USS West Virginia right there."
Numerous big-name sponsors say they are pulling support for New York City's storied annual Puerto Rican Day parade this year amid controversy about the decision to honor Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera during the festivities scheduled for June 11.

Lopez Rivera, a 74-year-old activist, is slated to be honored as "Procer de la Libertad," or National Freedom Hero, and to help lead a procession along Fifth Avenue - a decision that created a controversy, prompting companies from AT&T to the New York Yankees to back out.

At issue is Lopez Rivera's past.

In the 1970s, he was a leader in the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional, an organization that aimed to achieve independence for Puerto Rico. That group then claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings across the United States that killed as many as six people and injured many others, including law enforcement officers. Rivera was sentenced in 1981 to 55 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, armed robbery, interstate transportation of firearms, and conspiracy to transport explosives with intent to destroy government property.

But Lopez Rivera was not convicted in the bombings, according to the Associated Press. Earlier this year, after serving more than 35 years in prison, President Barack Obama commuted Lopez Rivera's sentence.

Parade organizers have acknowledged that Lopez Rivera is considered "a controversial figure."

"Lopez Rivera's ideologies on the independence of Puerto Rico do not represent all Puerto Ricans," the organizers said this month in a statement. "Nevertheless, his figure brought together Puerto Ricans of all ideologies, as well as global human rights organizations and leaders, including Pope Francis, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President (Bill) Clinton and President (Jimmy) Carter, among many others, to seek clemency in unison. Some people call him a terrorist while others think of him as a freedom fighter, as was the case with Nelson Mandela."

The organizers said the decision to include Lopez Rivera in the parade "was not made in haste."

New York's National Puerto Rican Day parade - a six-decade-long tradition - celebrates Puerto Ricans and their culture and also awards scholarships to students of Puerto Rican descent, according to the parade's website.

Coca-Cola said in a statement that the company will still provide financial support to the scholarship program but "decided not to march in the parade" this year.

JetBlue, which is based in Long Island City, New York, said, "It became clear that the debate about this year's parade was dividing the community and overshadowing the celebration of Puerto Rican culture that we had set out to support." As a result, the airline said, it is redirecting funds to support scholarships for Puerto Rican students.

"We did not make this decision lightly and hope all sides will come together to engage in a dialogue about the parade's role in unifying the community at a time when Puerto Rico needs it most," according to JetBlue's statement.

New York's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the Hispanic societies for both the Fire Department of New York and the New York Police Department and the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York said in similar statements that they will not participate in this year's parade.

Organizers said in a statement that "while we are saddened and disappointed by certain sponsors pulling out of our parade, we respect their views and decision to do so."

The New York Daily News became one of the most recent to pull support, noting in an editorial Wednesday that it "must break from the parade this year while wishing the best to the marchers and spectators who will gather in salute to the people and legacy of Puerto Rico."

The newspaper said:

"It's a wonderful event, as stirring a show of the city's spirit as the West Indian parade, Columbus Day Parade or St. Patrick's Day Parade. Which is why the Daily News has proudly participated as a media sponsor, both with a float and by donating to the parade's scholarship fund.

"To register our appreciation for the many among our readers with deep connections to and passion for Puerto Rico.

"To honor the contributions of Puerto Ricans to New York and the nation in every conceivable field of endeavor.

"To extend support for American citizens too often forgotten, who live on an island territory with a rich history and bright future, despite present struggles.

"But this year, an ill-advised decision by parade organizers forces us to withdraw."

Not everyone, however, sees it that way.

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who was born in Puerto Rico, sent a letter along with 35 other elected officials to parade board members this week, commending their decision to honor Lopez Rivera.

"As countless families continue to struggle in Puerto Rico's current fiscal crisis, Oscar is a reminder of the hope that has always anchored the Island - and that's why we fully stand behind your efforts to honor him during this year's 60th National Puerto Rican Day parade," the officials wrote. "Oscar's presence will lift people's spirits and bring attention to the challenges that must be immediately addressed on the Island. ... We stand in solidarity with Oscar and express our full support for the Board's decision to recognize and uplift the legacy of Oscar Lopez Rivera."

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said he, too, plans to march in the parade, according to the Associated Press.
In the past few years, General Motors (NYSE: GM) has rapidly retreated from a host of big and/or high-growth markets around the world. The company has made a clear choice to focus its efforts on countries and regions where it has the most market share and earns the biggest profits, especially the U.S. and China.

To some pundits, this is madness. By abandoning or sharply reducing its presence in places such as Europe, GM is giving up global scale. Meanwhile, by exiting high-potential markets such as India, it is sacrificing future growth.

However, General Motors didn't have a realistic path to meaningful profits in any of the countries it has exited. Furthermore, there's no factual basis for the conventional wisdom that automakers need to be big players in every market around the globe to be successful.

GM's parade of retrenchment

Since the beginning of 2015, GM has been aggressively exiting markets and market segments where it doesn't think it can earn a reasonable return on invested capital. During that year, the company virtually abandoned three major emerging markets: Russia, Indonesia, and Thailand. In all three markets, it now focuses on selling imported SUVs and other low-volume "prestige" vehicles.

This year, General Motors has accelerated its retreat from underperforming markets. In February, it agreed to sell its stake in GM East Africa to Isuzu. In March, it reached an agreement to sell Opel, its European operations, to Peugeot parent PSA Group. In April, it exited the moribund Venezuelan market after the government seized its factory there. Lastly, GM announced earlier this month that it will stop selling vehicles in India and sell its operations in South Africa by year's end.

These downsizing moves have come one after another. However, management has signaled that General Motors is now in the right markets for the long haul.

What is GM losing?

Including the actions announced this year, GM has pulled out of countries representing more than a third of the world's population since 2015. However, while these markets may have "potential" in an abstract sense, they have been stubbornly unprofitable despite GM's patience and years of investments.

Europe is the most blatant example. General Motors has lost money there in every year since 2000. Europe also serves as a lesson: No matter how good a turnaround plan may seem to be on paper, it's hard to reach profitability in regions where you're far behind the leaders in terms of market share.

Indeed, GM had a market share of about 6% in Europe recently. GM's share is even lower in many of the countries it's exiting. Most notably, it has a dismal 1% share of the Indian market. Thus, GM would have been hard-pressed to capitalize on India's growth even if it had stayed.

Another lesson from Europe is that having global reach brings limited benefits. Because of differing regulatory standards, there is relatively little overlap between GM's European vehicle portfolio and its North American lineup.

The General's remaining markets are its main ones

Last year, General Motors sold just shy of 10 million vehicles worldwide, of which 7.5 million were in its two largest regions: North America and China. These are also GM's most profitable regions by far. Both sport operating margin roughly in line with the company's long-term target range of 9%-10%.

General Motors also remains committed to South America, where it sold nearly 600,000 vehicles last year. It's lost money there for the past several years because of economic weakness and geopolitical upheaval, but it continues to have a market share of more than 15% in the region. GM is in the midst of developing a new emerging-markets vehicle platform that will help reduce costs and improve profitability in South America.

Other key markets where GM will stay the course include South Korea and Australia, which together accounted for about 275,000 vehicle sales last year. Indeed, even after it completes all of its downsizings, GM will still have annual volume of more than 8.5 million units.

While GM will be somewhat smaller going forward, it will have much higher margin. Rather than investing in perennially unprofitable markets such as Europe, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, it will be able to ramp up spending on electric vehicles, car-sharing, and autonomous-driving projects. (General Motors also plans to return plenty of cash to shareholders.)

GM's willingness to exit major markets under CEO Mary Barra shows that the company is finally being realistic about where it has a competitive advantage -- and where it is an also-ran. This courageous change of mindset is likely to pay off in the short term and the long term.

10 stocks we like better than General Motors

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 General Motors wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of General Motors. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
District 2 Councilman Alan Warrick has walked back a suggestion that he may have been drugged when he was found passed out on a bench in front of City Hall at 6 a.m. Friday.

In a Facebook post, Warrick said he simply had too much to drink at a downtown bar Thursday night, and experienced memory loss afterwards.
FOOD & DRINK

Let's Eat: Chilies are for champions, go straight for the heat at Koi Sushi
Senator Gabrielle McFadden has urged Minister Paul Kehoe to recognise each of the Jadotville soldiers on an individual basis. Her call came during a Seanad debate on Defence matters and is an issue upon which she has been working for a number of years.

I appeal to the Minister to award an individual citation and a medal to each of the soldiers of A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion who were involved in the Siege of Jadotville. While the unit citation was a recognition of their collective heroism and professional performance, I believe that each of them deserve individual acknowledgement.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN READING:

Longford soldier Michael Tighe on the red carpet at Dublin premiere of The Siege of Jadotville

In September 2016 on the 55th anniversary of the siege of Jadotville, a unit citation to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of A Company was presented at a special ceremony in Custume Barracks, Athlone.



During the ceremony a copy of the citation was presented to each member of the unit or next of kin in the case of deceased members. This was the first time a unit citation was awarded within the Defence Forces, but Senator McFadden believes that each member also deserves individual acknowledgement and has written to the Minister, as well as raising it in the Seanad to urge him to progress this issue.

Meanwhile, Senator McFadden has also called on Minister Kehoe for an increase in the Military Service Allowance.

Could I ask the Minister to consider the case for an increase in the Military Service Allowance which is payable to all Defence Force personnel. It is intended to compensate servicewomen and men for the unique conditions and special disadvantages of Military life which are acknowledged by the Department of Defence in their own initial submission to the Public Pay Commission. An increase in this allowance would benefit all personnel equally, but would not impact on the wider public service as it is a sector specific allowance.

ALSO READ:

Tiger of Jadotville launched in Longford

We need to ensure that military service is an attractive career option for young men and women. Currently, enlisted recruits are among some of the lowest paid public employees, with basic salary starting at just over 18,000. Indeed, many rely on Family Income Support and other State supports and I think that this is totally unacceptable.

I am aware that the Minister has been working hard to address this with 860 personnel being recruited this year on top of the 690 taken in last year. But recruitment alone will not solve the problem unless retention of our most experienced staff is also tackled

As we move towards the centenary of the establishment of the National Army in 1922, we must put in place the structures and the funding necessary to ensure that Oglaigh na hEireann are motivated and resourced and can start into their second century ready to meet the needs of a changing Ireland.
Athlone Castle, located on the banks of the mystical River Shannon in the heart of Irelands Ancient East is delighted to be hosting its fifth annual Medieval Fayre.

In association with the Society for Creative Anachronism the fayre will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11.

Awaited by many and a must visit by any history enthusiast, the fayre will feature arts, crafts, food, games, educational demonstrations, a theatrical show and market stalls.

Visitors will get an opportunity to step back in time and experience live demonstrations of jousting, fencing and weaponry, taste samples of Medieval food, challenge themselves with some Medieval games as well as learn about the dress and customs of our Medieval ancestors.

Visitors can explore the market stalls and see fine examples of hand crafted products, ceramics, jewellery, calligraphy and clothes while also trying some tasty treats from Athlone and the surrounding area.

Sue Callaghan, who is the Viscountess Susannah of York, said: O yea, O yea. The Lords and Ladies of the Society for Creative Anachronism invite you to celebrate two days of Medieval fun at Athlone Castle.

In the kids' kingdom there will be hands on activities, face painting, games and a puppet show.

Athlone Castle was first built in the 13th century to defend the crossing point on the River Shannon and evolved into a bold defensive structure over the centuries.

The Medieval Fayre will be located in the courtyard and upper battlements of Athlone Castle and will be open on both days from 12pm to 5pm.

Tickets will be available on the gate and visitors will have access to the fayre and the castle visitor centre all day.

Admission prices are: Adult single 8, Student/Senior 6, Child 4, Family (2Ad & 2Ch) 20, Family (2Ad & 4Ch) 25.

A full programme of events will be displayed on www.athlonecastle.ie in the days leading up to the fayre.

Mark Thy Calendar!

Funding for this event was gratefully received from the Heritage Council.
Law enforcement and counterterrorism officials are still investigating the possible wider conspiracy behind the May 22 Manchester Arena bombing, according to a statement released by the Manchester Police. Twelve men have been arrested in connection with the investigation and remain in custody. It is not known if charges will be brought against any or all of them. Two people, including one woman, were detained earlier, but released without charge.

Authorities have released images (seen above) captured by CCTV of Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old who detonated the bomb. The images are part of an effort to obtain more evidence regarding Abedis movements between May 18, when he returned to the UK from his travels abroad, until his night of terror days later. Forensic experts identified Abedi as the perpetrator within two hours of the attack. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the act.

The Manchester police released an infographic, seen on the right, summarizing key events to date.

Officials have discovered a flat where Abedi, and possibly his co-conspirators, may have assembled the bomb.

The investigation is making good progress and we know one of the last places Abedi went was a city centre flat and from there he left to make his way to the Manchester Arena, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the Senior National Coordinator for UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement released online. The flat is highly relevant as a location which we believe may be the final assembly place for the device.

In the past five days we have gathered significant information about Abedi, his associates, his finances, the places he had been, how the device was built and the wider conspiracy, Hopkins and Basu said yesterday.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed that Abedi had co-conspirators, although that is the clear implication of their statements. This is still a live investigation which is not slowing down, Hopkins and Basu added. Our priorities are to understand the run up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack.

During an interview on BBC News with Andrew Marr, British interior minister Amber Rudd was asked about members of the large group surrounding around Abedi who have been arrested, and whether some members are sill at-large.

Potentially, I mean its an ongoing operation that is still at full tilt, Rudd responded.

Marr asked Rudd about possible security lapses in the lead up to Abedis bombing, including tips that authorities reportedly received, and failed to act on, beforehand. Rudd wouldnt comment on the specifics, but defended the UK governments counterterrorism record in general. She said that 18 plots have been foiled since 2013 and highlighted the scale of the problem Britain faces, especially from the Islamic State, which is trying to weaponize young people in our society.

Marr also inquired how many serious potential jihadis there were across the country. Citing figures provided by MI5, Rudd responded that the security services are looking at 500 different plots with 3,000 possible terrorists on the top list and 20,000 underneath that.

But thats all different layers, different tiers, and it might be just a question mark about one of them that leads to inclusion on the top list, she explained. In other words, British authorities do not think that all of the people on MI5s lists are necessarily terrorists in waiting. But officials are having a difficult time determining which individuals will follow Abedis path.

The British government has previously warned that the Islamic State threat is unprecedented. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Why the UK launched its first targeted drone strike ever.]

The Manchester investigation is massive effort, requiring significant resources all by itself. Approximately 1,000 members of the British security services and law enforcement have been involved.

Outside of the UK, officials are looking into Hashim and Ramadan Abedi (Salmans brother and father, respectively), both of whom were detained in Libya last week. Libyas Special Deterrence Force, Rada, alleges that Hashim Abedi has admitted foreknowledge of the plot and that he and his brother were both members of the Islamic State. The senior Abedis ties to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a designated terror group linked to al Qaeda, are also being explored. [See FDDs Long War Journal report: Analysis: UK investigating possible network behind Manchester attack.]

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Lifestyle / Gastronomy

May 28, 2017 | By Robbie Wilson

Caviar farming began in China in the 1970s. Before that, in Imperial China, wild sturgeon were caught and harvested for caviar in the Heilongjiang or Black Dragon River in the frigid northeast of China, bordering Russia. Sturgeon is rigorously protected in China under the CITES convention since the 1980s, and is cherished and regarded as the panda of the seas. There are farms all across China producing caviar of varying qualities, but the global fine dining elite unanimously consider high-quality Chinese caviar to be the best in the world at this point in time, and its quality is only set to improve further.

Many renowned caviar brands actually get 100 percent of their caviar supply from China. Bijoux Caviar, one of the rising stars in caviar suppliers to high-end restaurants, hotels and other establishments in Europe and the Middle East, harvests its sturgeon in four enchanting locations in western China: Pengzhou, Xinjiang, Xichang and Dujiangyan. The first three farms are new and use large lakes to rear the sturgeon in semi-wild conditions. Dujiangyan is a protected compound due to its historical importance. Here, 2,500 years ago, the worlds oldest continuously used irrigation system was created and is set amidst ancient architecture. The sturgeon farmed are from the Kaluga and Amur breeds and a small amount from Almas Beluga. Almas Imperial, which means diamond in Persian, comes from the Beluga Sturgeon and is by far the most exclusive breed.

It can cost twice as much as gold and almost all of it goes to Middle Eastern royals. Bijoux Caviar typically attains one to two kilograms of this per year. Both Kaluga and Amur caviar from Bijoux Caviar are of extremely high quality and can be considered the best in the world. The main reason for the difference in price lies in the greater rarity and demand for Kaluga caviar, the longer maturation period for Kaluga sturgeon as compared to Amur, and the larger size of the Kaluga pearls and slightly richer.

Both Kaluga and Amur caviar from Bijoux Caviar are of extremely high quality and can be considered the best in the world. The main reason for the difference in price lies in the greater rarity and demand for Kaluga caviar, the longer maturation period for Kaluga sturgeon as compared to Amur, and the larger size of the Kaluga pearls and slightly richer flavour, which can best be appreciated when tasted alongside the brands Amur caviar. Kaluga is the exemplar of Chinese caviar and produces the largest pearls available, due to Beluga becoming extinct and illegal to source. The Amur breed is similar in flavour to Kaluga and is named after the Russian name for the Black Dragon Lake where they originate from. Both offer a rich and full taste and are excellent to pair with gourmet chocolate and Champagne.

What makes Bijoux Caviar unique is the pearls colour being of a glistening emerald shade and the shape being large and well rounded. They have a rich, multi-layered and multifaceted aroma while being tight and pert which means they burst open, rather than inferior caviar which is soggy, wrinkly and indistinct in shape and semi-watery. Finally compared to many inferior types of caviar currently available, Bijoux Caviar has a buttery taste and is not too salty due to being 100 per cent malossol. The processing facilities where the caviar is extracted from the sturgeon is of a standard of cleanliness that rivals surgical theaters and watchmaking facilities. Add to this the fact that they are raised in unparalleled terroir, in unspoilt nature away from any hint of pollution, and you get the high-quality pearls and sturgeon meat that can be eaten raw after they are harvested.

When eating this fine delicacy one should use a mother-of-pearl or horn spoon as you do not want the metals leaving a metallic taste in your mouth. Bijoux Caviar commissioned the French Haute orfevrerier Christofle to produce a sterling silver Caviar Server and horn spoon with silver handle, with the Bijoux Caviar seal engraved by hand on them, specifically for their clients to fully enjoy the caviar at home. The brands caviar also has to be kept between negative three degrees and three degrees Celsius, and thus should be served in a crystal bowl atop ice. One then takes the spoon and scoops it onto the outer palm of their hand to eat, essential for getting the full flavour. You can also eat it accompanied by bread, crackers, and truffles.

For those of you who need more of a reason to consume this fine food, it is also said to be great for your skin, as well as lowering ones heart rate and with just one serving youll have all the vitamin B12 needed for an entire day. However, you must consume caviar regularly for these benefits, so talk to the guys at Bijoux Caviar to get your daily fix started today.

For more information, visit www.bijouxcaviar.com or email concierge@bijouxcaviar.com.
Lifestyle

May 28, 2017 | By Teri Chong

Among nations with more than a million souls, top honours 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 Real estate in Sydney, Australia: Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar buys Sydney waterfront mansion for $56 million (No. 6), Finland (No. 7), the Netherlands (No. 9) and financial and banking centre 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 Stateswhere a Republican Congress wants to peel back reforms that gave millions of people access to health insurance for the first timeranked 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 manyespecially in Africa and Oceaniafell 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.

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. While health insurance is important, home insurance is also an area to focus on. 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.

For more lifestyle reads, click here.
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.
The Prime Minister Theresa May faced heckling over her plans to repeal the fox hunting ban at last nights general election hustings in Maidenhead.

Mrs May sat on a panel at the towns High Street Methodist Church alongside Labour candidate Pat McDonald, Tony Hill of the Liberal Democrats, UKIPs Gerard Batten and Green Party candidate Derek Wall.

Organisers, Churches Together in Maidenhead, decided to stop eight other candidates including the self-proclaimed intergalactic space lord Lord Buckethead from speaking as they did not have a seat in the last government.

While discussing her plans for bio-diversity in Maidenhead, members of the Hunt Saboteurs Association accused Mrs May of ignoring the opinions of 90 per cent of the population over fox hunting.

The Prime Minister replied: Youre either for fox hunting or youre against it and some people feel passionately on both sides of this.

I was brought up in the countryside and yes, I do support fox hunting.

In the Conservative manifesto there would be a free vote in parliament and it would not be whipped by party.

Audience members also grilled the panel about their plans to address social care funding concerns in the UK.

Labour candidate Pat McDonald said: We have an NHS and we need to find a national solution to social care.

You cant say to people just because youre unfortunate enough to get a long-term illness when youre older, now all the assets you possess are fair game.

Tony Hill, of the Liberal Democrats, added: This is a completely wrong road for us to go down how somehow we wont share the costs of the inevitable illness of some of us.

Mrs May said her party still planned to cap the amount of money people had to pay for social care but warned the system will collapse if no long-term solution is found.

The governments commitment to bringing in 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 also came under the spotlight, with the Conservative candidate telling an audience member she planned to continue with the scheme.

Green Party candidate Derek Wall told the audience: We must always give refuge and we must always give compassion. Thats a basic division between good and evil.

UKIPs Gerard Batten said it was unsustainable to keep bringing people into the country.

On Heathrow, the Prime Minister maintained the governments stance on the proposed third runway at Heathrow and said some of the people of Maidenhead owed their livelihoods to the airport.

The evening rounded off with a discussion on the governments treatment of the gypsy population with an audience member accusing the Conservatives of omitting race issues from its manifesto.

Mrs May called for more facilities to help traveller communities.
New Delhi: A foreign woman found out through Facebook the Indian man who raped her in a hotel room after giving her alcohol.

Though the woman had only a faint memory of the incident, she recollected his name and face and searched for him in Facebook. Three men had feigned friendship with the woman and gave her alcohol to drink before raping her in a hotel room.

In spite of their threats, she reported the incident to the police and also continued a search for the man on her own. The police arrested him after she identified him as Jaswant Singh on Facebook.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
SPRINGFIELD -- MGM Springfield officials said last week that as they strive to get a $950 million casino project enclosed and water-tight before the end of the year, they continue to exceed their goals for diversity in hiring and contracting.

MGM provided its first quarterly report of 2017 during a meeting Thursday with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission at the MassMutual Center. The report was for the period ending March 31.

The Gaming Commission approved MGM's workforce development plan that details its recruitment and training strategies to fill 3,000 jobs.

The project remains on schedule for opening in the fall of 2018, and the aim is to have all buildings watertight by the end of this year. MGM officials and Gaming Commission members praised the buzz of activity happening on site.

MGM President Mike Mathis, asked prior to the meeting if he is concerned about plans for a third casino in Connecticut aimed at competing with the Springfield project, said his team is "really focused" on just Springfield and providing the most compelling project in the region.

As of March 30, the workforce was 24.07 percent minority, as compared to a project goal of 15.3 percent, and the number of women hired was at 10.27 percent of the workforce as compared to the project goal of 6.9 percent, according to MGM.

The number of veterans hired was at 10.37 percent, as compared to the project goal of 8 percent, MGM said.

Contractors hired under design and construction commitments was also exceeding goals for diversity, the casino company said.

Out of $335.3 million in MGM commitments through March 30 for construction and design, 16.6 percent of the commitment was to women-owned business enterprises, as compared to the goal of 10 percent, and 7.7 percent was committed to minority-owned business enterprises, as compared to the 5 percent goal, according to MGM.

There was also a commitment of 5.3 percent to veteran-owned business enterprises, as compared to the goal of 2 percent, MGM said.

In other action, the Gaming Commission voted to approve MGM's workforce development plan, but with the requirement that MGM provide additional details, within 90 days, regarding how it intends to fill at least 35 percent of its jobs with Springfield residents.

MGM Springfield, within its presentation, outlined its recruitment strategies, training and education collaborations, human resources practices, an upcoming gaming school and various career paths for future employees.

The recruitment plan includes a commitment to diversity goals related to the hiring of minorities, women and veterans.

MGM is committed to "use its best efforts" to ensure that no less than 50 percent of its workforce will be minorities and no less than 50 percent of its workforce will be women, and no less than 2 percent of its workforce will be veterans, according to its recruitment strategy and its host community agreement.

Its recruitment strategy will include advertisement of jobs through broadcast, print and social media, actively recruiting with local organizations, conducting community job fairs, promoting jobs through regional employment boards and online applications, according to MGM.

MGM outlined its various partnerships with local colleges and private companies to provide education and training for its future workforce. That includes partnerships with FutureWorks Career Center, CareerPoint, Westover Job Corps and Community Enterprises.

MGM Springfield is planning a to operate a gaming school, opening in January, in cross-collaboration with the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute. The school will provide training for blackjack dealers, poker dealers, surveillance, cage count and floor supervisor, according to the plan.

Its presentation also showed various career paths in areas such as table games, culinary jobs and hotel operations.
Buzz Davis: We must talk about wars' impacts if we seek to prevent them
A man has been arrested on multiple charges connected to a stabbing at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield over the weekend.

West Springfield police were called to the hotel on Riverdale Street early Saturday morning regarding a report of violence.

A witness told police that at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, a man was stabbed. He was found in the lobby of the hotel by police. The victim was transported to Baystate Medical Center where he is in stable condition following emergency surgery. He suffered serious knife wounds to his head, neck, hand and leg. West Springfield police say the attack was not a random act of violence.

Police issued a "be on the lookout" alert for a white male in his mid-30s wearing a gray sweatshirt and tan pants.

Within 24 hours of the violent act, West Springfield police announced they arrested a suspect.

Carl R. St. George, of Enfield, was arrested on the charges of attempted murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.

He was arrested by West Springfield detectives in Enfield, Connecticut, with assistance of Enfield police and Massachusetts State Police.
A pedestrian was hit and killed by a police cruiser early Sunday morning.

A Barnstable police officer was driving a marked vehicle on Route 28 around 2 a.m. Sunday when the pedestrian was hit, Barnstable police Sgt. Jason Laber told the Cape Cod Times.

The officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to Cape Cod Hospital for treatment.

The crash is under investigation by Barnstable and Massachusetts State Police.
With the return of warm weather has come large, furry residents to Western Massachusetts.

The Southwick Police Department reports receiving daily calls from residents reporting black bear sightings.

"The Black bears are back in large numbers and are roaming throughout the neighborhoods," the department said in a statement.

Southwick police asked residents "use common sense when dealing with these animals."

Black bears are becoming increasingly common in Massachusetts, with more towns each year on the eastern part of the state reporting bear sightings.

In areas where black bear sightings have been reported, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife recommends avoiding putting out bird feeders.

"When bears begin to use human-associated food sources, they will often frequent residential areas, not flee when harassed by humans, and may even cause damage by breaking into outbuildings or homes," Mass Wildlife wrote in a guide to black bears.

If a black bear enters a backyard, wildlife officials recommend making noise by "banging pots and pans, shouting, or using an air horn to try to scare the bear off." Once out of the yard, residents are recommended to remove any food sources that attracted the bear. "Bears have incredible long-term memory will revisit places where they have found food, even months or years later."
RUTLAND, VT - Certain behaviors are traditionally frowned upon on national holidays. Others are always frowned upon. And illegal.

Registered sex offender Richard E. Piper Jr., 62, of Pittsford, Vermont, is accused of exposing himself to two "mothers" in a hotel Jacuzzi in Rutland, Vermont on Mother's Day, May 14, 2017.

The two women were "enjoying Mother's Day" with their children near the hotel Jacuzzi when Piper allegedly began his illicit activity, according to a statement released by Vermont State Police Friday.

Police say the children were not exposed to Piper's behavior, though their mothers were. Both women were in their 30s, police said.

"Two adult female mothers enjoying Mother's Day with their children were subjected to Piper's continuous sexualized behavior," allege Vermont State Police.

The incident occurred at a Holiday Inn located a 476 Holiday Drive in Rutland, Vermont.

Piper has already been convicted of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct three times previous--twice in 2009 and once in 2012. During one of those incidents, the victim was under the age of 13.

After police were notified of the incident on May 15, Piper was subsequently arrested and arraigned in Rutland Superior Court.
DOUGLAS - An 18-year-old woman drowned in a reservoir in Douglas, Massachusetts, on Saturday afternoon. Now County and local officials are investigating.

The incident began around 2:07 p.m. after police received a 911 call from a man at the town reservoir, who told them that the girl he was with had gone under the water and had not come back up, according to a statement by Douglas police.

Officers and members of the Douglas Dive team searched the waters for roughly 45 minutes, finally finding the girl's body at the bottom of the reservoir.

The girl was subsequently brought out of the water, where paramedics treated her before she was taken to Harrington Hospital in Webster.

At the hospital, the girl was pronounced dead.

Tim Connolly, Director of Communications with the Worcester County District Attorney's office, confirmed detectives with their office were investigating the death.

Additionally, Douglas police and Massachusetts Environmental Police are assisting with the investigation.

The victim's identity has not been made public at this time.

No further information has been released at this time.
Disregarding warnings from Casper city staff and City Council veterans, a contingent of council members led by Dallas Laird  in his first week on the job  has asked to consider an austerity budget that would require dozens of municipal employees to be laid off or facilities to be shuttered.

Interim City Manager Liz Bechers proposed budget calls for spending $5 million in reserve funds to preserve current city services and what she described as essential staffing levels.

Arno Rosenfeld 307-266-0634, [email protected]

Full Story: http://trib.com/news/local/casper/casper-city-council-to-consider-laying-off-dozens-of-city/article_c9d3893f-bb1f-5197-a178-d55c950f2bdd.html
Montanas School Choice program can grant scholarships to students who attend faith-based schools, a state judge has ruled.

District Judge Heidi Ulbricht ruled Tuesday that the state Revenue Department incorrectly excluded such students from the program, which is funded by donations that can be offset by up to $150 in non-refundable tax credits. The 2015 bill that created the program limited its annual tax credits to $3 million.

Full Story: http://helenair.com/news/politics/state/judge-school-choice-money-can-help-private-school-students/article_2256e7ac-ad86-52cd-8ab4-488dbb4a41ea.html
Some industry observers contend that the WannaCry attack would have been contained earlier if all computer users had properly updated their computers with antivirus software and updates, sometimes called patches, that are made available periodically.

Jeff Honcoop, managing partner of Honcoop Technology Services http://www.honcooptechnology.com/ , says that most business owners understand the importance of protecting their computer network and digital information, yet some are reluctant to spend the money for it, given competing needs within the company.

Honcoop said cyber security is one part of a strategic planning process that his company does for customers. Not surprisingly, there is no one-size-fits-all-strategy for businesses trying to ward off threats from hackers. Different companies have different needs when it comes to security, he said.

Pine Cove Consulting http://marketing.pinecc.com , a Billings technology consulting company, got its start by developing computer systems for schools and small businesses, but more attention is being paid to cyber security.

"Cyber security has been a growing focus of our company. We see the need growing, and weve devoted a huge part of our company to it," said Brandon Vancleeve, vice president of Pine Cove Consulting.

TOM HOWARD [email protected]

Full Story: http://billingsgazette.com/business/features/billings-cyber-security-businesses-getting-busier-in-the-wake-of/article_f86682d1-abaf-5f66-8358-b87362a7265e.html

***

Montana Career Opportunities  Network Engineer, Senior Network Engineer, Senior System Engineer, Business Consultant and more  Honcoop Technology Services http://www.matr.net/article-77154.html

Wyoming Career Opportunity  Technology Systems Administrator/Technician  Pine Cove Consulting http://www.matr.net/article-77155.html
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Q: Does Old Glory fly only when Gov. Walker is working in the Capitol?

A: The two flags over the wing where Gov. Scott Walker works fly at all times, according to Department of Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Grinder.

The East Wing houses the Governors Office, and the U.S. and Wisconsin flags are flown above the wing regardless of if the governor is in the Capitol, Grinder said.

Two of the wings only fly the Stars and Stripes during legislative sessions. The flag is only flown over the South Wing, which houses the Senate Chamber, when the Senate is in session, and over the West Wing, which houses the Assembly, when the Assembly is in session.

Over the North Wing, which is home to the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall, the POW flag is flown at all times.

All the flags are flown at full staff unless a presidential or gubernatorial executive order directs the state otherwise, Grinder said.

 Shelley K. Mesch
Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

By the standards of the politically charged Wisconsin inhabited by UW-Madison administrators and Republican leaders of the state Legislature, the creation of a Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership is a sublime kind of genius.

By the standards of the rest of the state, its kind of dumb.

GOP and university leaders on Wednesday hailed plans to create the center  and why wouldnt they? After decades of cuts to its state funding, UW is in no position to turn down $3 million in state funding for the center. In an institution named after the former governor  and the state GOPs version of Ronald Reagan  Republicans get a shot at establishing a more right-leaning outfit at a university they complain is too liberal.

Both, of course, had little choice but to publicly vow that the center will be nonpartisan in its research focus.

This is easier to take from the university, where most researchers really do strive for objectivity even as they have proven themselves remarkably tin-eared in, for example, not seeming to realize that a course titled The Problem of Whiteness is going to strike a lot of Wisconsinites as not just left-wing, but ridiculous.

Its harder to take from the same Republicans who basically declared the notion of nonpartisanship about as real as unicorns and jackalopes by killing the old nonpartisan Government Accountability Board and replacing it with two partisan-appointed committees to handle state elections and ethics.

More to the point, the university already has a vehicle for public policy research  named after a much different, possibly even more revered former governor than Thompson: the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.

It, too, claims to be nonpartisan, and it, too, as the schools director Donald Moynihan said in a Wednesday statement, focuses on quality research to serve the Wisconsin Idea.

So what exactly are the differences between the La Follette and Thompson institutions?

La Follette is a school. It offers degrees to students. The Thompson Center is, well, a center. It will not offer degrees that compete with La Follette, Moynihan said.

UW-Madison political science professor Ryan Owens, one of the Thompson Centers main originators, said he has been struck by the inability of policy makers to work together and wanted a place to advance the kind of collegial leadership Thompson was known for. He also said the center will allow researchers to work more directly with undergraduates.

Moynihan said there are lots of centers on campus whose job it is to complement and support the work of schools and departments rather than compete with their work and pointed to the Elections Research Center created by the Political Science Department as one example.

Nevertheless, if the Thompson Center, as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos declared, is supposed to promote an even more rigorous debate of the current issues, then lawmakers already had access to that. All they had to do was invite more of the thousands of UW faculty and staff to testify before their committees and help craft their legislation.

Moynihan rejected the notion that La Follette has a liberal bias, and while I have no reason to doubt him, its not hard to see how the party of alternative facts might, and might therefore be looking for a UW institution to counter-balance it.

La Follette researchers, for example, study climate change and renewable energy policy at the flagship public university of a state whose Department of Natural Resources recently scrubbed language from its website connecting climate change to human activity and whose lawmakers have sought to cut funding for renewable energy programs.

And as the Legislature considers Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to tie state funding for the UW System to System performance metrics, other researchers pose this question in a working paper: How to account for the ubiquitous presence of public sector performance regimes given evidence that such regimes have failed to achieve their promises?

If the GOP is trying to get someone to carry its water at UW, it could just urge some deep-pocketed, right-leaning person or group to endow a few professorships.

Instead, its more than a little ironic that the party of smaller government plans to expand government with a new publicly funded center at the flagship state university.

Vos spokeswoman Kit Beyer did not respond to my email asking if state funding for the Thompson Center would extend beyond the next two-year state budget.

But as just about everybody knows, once a government program is created, its rare that it ever goes away.
Phyllodes tumors are a rare type of breast tumor, but they are not the same as breast cancer. They are relatively rare and usually benign, or noncancerous. The pattern of phyllodes tumor cells resembles leaves, and the name phyllodes comes from the Greek word meaning leaflike. Phyllodes tumors account for less than 1% of all tumors. Although most are benign, around 10% are cancerous. Females in their 40s and individuals with a rare inherited genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome are at an increased risk of phyllodes tumors. They are extremely rare in men. This article looks at phyllodes tumors, their causes, symptoms, and diagnosis. It also covers potential treatment options. A note about sex and gender Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms male, female, or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

What are phyllodes tumors? Share on Pinterest JohnnyGreig/Getty Image Phyllodes tumors are rare tumors that begin in the breasts connective tissue. They are different from breast cancer and are noncancerous in most cases. That said, around 10% are cancerous, while others are borderline, meaning they have features somewhere in between benign and malignant. Phyllodes tumors can grow quickly, but they do not always spread beyond the breast. Although many of these tumors are benign, a doctor may recommend surgery to reduce the risk of further growth. This kind of tumor can form at any age. However, they tend to affect females in their 40s. In younger females, they are more likely to be benign. They are rare in males.

Causes of phyllodes tumors Experts do not know the exact causes of phyllodes tumors. A hormone imbalance may play a role, and certain factors may increase a persons risk, including : trauma

pregnancy

increased estrogen ativity

lactation Doctors do not fully understand how these factors interact to cause tumors. However, they think that a protein called endothelin-1 that stimulates breast fibroblast growth may contribute. Fibroblasts are cells that secrete collagen protein to create a structural framework in connective tissue.

Symptoms The most common sign of a phyllodes tumor is a firm breast lump that is easy to feel and stretches the skin. These lumps often form in the upper outer portion of the breast. They can also make the veins distended, or swollen, so the breast appears blue or green. The tumors tend to grow quickly and can range from 145 centimeters (cm) across. In some cases, they may affect the entire breast. This type of tumor is not usually painful. Some people may notice a bloody nipple discharge, but nipple inversion and ulceration, or bloody sores, are uncommon.

Phyllodes tumor diagnosis Phyllodes tumors are rare, accounting for just 0.3 to 1% of all tumors. As a result, doctors may be less familiar with them, making diagnosis tricky. It is also possible to mistake them for other growths. For example, a phyllodes tumor can look like a type of solid breast growth called a fibroadenoma. A fibroadenoma is a benign, growing lump of regular breast cells. Fibroadenomas are the most common type of breast mass and often develop in younger females. Some researchers have suggested that phyllodes tumors may be a type of fibroadenoma. However, there are two main differences between these types of tumors. First, phyllodes tumors tend to grow more quickly than fibroadenomas. Second, phyllodes tumors tend to develop when people are in their 40s. Fibroadenomas usually appear earlier than this, when people are in their 20s and 30s . These distinctions can help a doctor make an accurate diagnosis. Imaging As with other tumors, diagnosing a phyllodes tumor may involve a mammogram, MRI, or ultrasound. The results of a mammogram will show a round mass with well-defined edges. In some cases, a tumor may have rounded lobes. MRI or ultrasound imaging tests can give a more detailed picture of the breast tissue. Learn more about what to expect during a mammogram. Biopsy Only a breast biopsy can confirm whether the mass is a phyllodes tumor. A biopsy involves taking tissue samples for testing. These tests can confirm the type of tumor a person has. If a doctor needs to test a tissue sample, they may recommend a core needle biopsy or an excisional biopsy. A core needle biopsy involves the doctor taking a sample through the skin using a hollow needle. However, this may not provide enough evidence that the mass is a phyllodes tumor. An excisional biopsy involves a surgeon removing the whole tumor for testing. Examining the whole tumor can lead to a more accurate diagnosis. Beyond confirming the type of tumor, a biopsy can help determine whether a tumor is benign, borderline, or malignant. Identifying a tumor Features of a benign tumor include: well-defined edges

cells that do not divide rapidly

connective tissue cells that do not look unusual

no overgrowth of connective tissue cells Features of a malignant tumor include: irregular edges

cells that seem to be dividing rapidly

overgrown connective tissue cells with an unusual appearance Borderline tumors have features of benign and malignant forms. Malignant tumors, particularly those with lots of connective tissue overgrowth, may spread and grow quickly and extend beyond the breast.

Treatment The only way to treat a phyllodes tumor is to remove the growth entirely. This will prevent additional tumors from forming and stop the existing tumor from causing complications. During the procedure, a surgeon will remove the tumor and at least 1 cm of surrounding tissue. This will reduce the chances of the tumor growing back. If a person has a cancerous phyllodes tumor, a doctor will remove it just like a benign tumor. Because these tumors do not respond to hormone therapy, radiation and chemotherapy are unlikely to help. Sometimes, if a cancerous phyllodes tumor comes back, a doctor may recommend a mastectomy. This is surgery to remove part or all of the breast. Although benign phyllodes tumors may not spread beyond the breast, they need treatment to prevent them from growing larger. Otherwise, the lump can become visible and break through layers of skin, causing pain and discomfort. Effect on cancer risk If a malignant phyllodes tumor recurs, there is a limited risk of this type of tumor developing beyond the breast. Fewer than 5% of all phyllodes tumors recur elsewhere in the body. Having a benign phyllodes tumor does not increase a persons risk of developing cancer, including breast cancer.

Outlook After the removal of a phyllodes tumor, a person may experience pain at the site of the surgery. However, further complications are rare. Benign phyllodes tumors are less likely to recur than malignant ones. A doctor will monitor a person to check for recurrence after removal. The outlook for people with phyllodes tumors is generally good. People with malignant phyllode tumors have a 10-year survival rate of 87% . According to a 2019 study that assessed people with phyllode tumors between 1957 and 2017, those who had a tumor that did not have poor features had a 10-year disease-specific survival rate of around 100%. The survival rate for those who had tumors that spread but did not recur was 94%. Without treatment, however, even benign tumors can cause complications. For this reason, anyone who notices any breast changes should seek medical attention.
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.
Advertisement

Light-sheet-based fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is the most recent three-dimensional fluorescence microscopy technique. In fluorescence microscopy, a fraction of a cell's molecules is labelled with fluorescent markers, which are lit up with a beam of light. A camera records the three-dimensional distribution of the fluorescing molecules, i.e. the fluorophores. The outstanding advantage of LSFM is that even sensitive samples such as fish embryos survive observation. This is a major advancement since conventional methods, which illuminate the whole sample, expose the specimens to much more energy and destroy the cells in a very short period of time.Ernst Stelzer, professor at the Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and a principal investigator in the Cluster of Excellence "Macromolecular Complexes" of Goethe University Frankfurt, explains that LSFM does not illuminate the entire sample but only micrometre-thin light sheets. "Since we examine the biological specimens under conditions that are as natural as possible, we achieve very precise results", says Stelzer. However, not only static images of cells but also dynamic changes in their environment or genetic mutations can be measured in direct comparisons.Bo-Jui Chang, Victor Perez Meza and Ernst Stelzer have now improved the technique further: "We combined light-sheet fluorescence microscopy with coherent structured illumination microscopy (SIM). This allows for an extremely high resolution", he reports. SIM is a super-resolution technique that produces several images, which are combined digitally. As a result, resolution is improved in the physical sense. The technical approach is to excite a fluorescing sample with a very specific illumination pattern. Sub-100 nm resolutions with this method are limited to surfaces but the technique has major advantages. It is fairly moderate in the excitation of the fluorescence, allows very fast imaging and can be used with all fluorescing molecules for high-resolution purposes."In the new microscope, which we call csiLSFM, we have developed the principle of SIM further in such a way that sub-100 nm resolutions are no longer limited to surfaces but can also be used in extensive three-dimensional objects. Here, two counterpropagating light sheets interfere at an angle of 180 so that they form the smallest possible linear interference pattern. As a result, we achieve an optimal resolution of less than 100 nanometres," explains Ernst Stelzer. The new instrument has three objective lenses. It works via the flexible control of rotation, frequency and phase shift of the perfectly modulated light sheet.Images of endoplasmic reticulum of yeast, a complex membrane network of tubules, vesicles and cisterns, show that the researchers can use csiLSFM to work successfully with physiologically important objects.Source: Eurekalert
The leaders of the Legislatures finance committee say they want a clean state budget.

So do we.

So should all Wisconsin citizens who value an open and careful process for spending $76 billion of taxpayer money.

Joint Finance Committee leaders Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, and Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, said last week they hope to avoid any last-minute surprises while wrapping up work on the state budget in the coming weeks. Specifically, they said their committee is trying to avoid the introduction of whats known as a 999 budget motion.

Good. And instead of just trying, they should make absolutely sure that a bunch of non-fiscal policy isnt slipped into the budget at the last minute to avoid public scrutiny and input.

Nygren, Darling and their budget committee last month impressively purged all 83 policy proposals from Gov. Scott Walkers two-year state spending plan. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau had identified the items as having little or nothing to do with spending money.

The governor had included language in his budget that would have allowed local governments to bury meeting minutes and other public notices on obscure government websites, rather than in newspapers and on a searchable website where people would actually see the information. The governors budget also sought to make Wisconsin the only state without a minimum number of hours required for educating children. And he tried to eliminate several boards while making significant changes to the private school voucher program.

If those are such good ideas, surely they can withstand the scrutiny of public hearings and specific votes as separate pieces of legislation. They shouldnt be hidden in a massive state spending plan.

To its credit, the Joint Finance Committee became the first budget panel in more than a decade to remove all non-fiscal policy from a governors budget last month. Now the challenge is to keep the policy out as lawmakers wrap up their amendments.

The last thing lawmakers and their constituents need is a repeat of two years ago, when the Joint Finance Committee stuffed dozens of policy changes into the budget on the eve of the July 4 weekend, hoping to dodge attention.

Instead, the sneaky maneuver triggered tremendous public backlash because it included language that would have decimated Wisconsins open records law. The committee quickly reversed course, with some members apologizing.

Nygren and Darling last week were saying all of the right things about avoiding a repeat of that fiasco.

We hope the committee has learned its lesson and understands the public wants a clean budget without controversial policy that has no fiscal effect.
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
Even in the dream of Babu, the unexpected manner was given to Telangana state Chief Minister KCR. TDP leader in the Vasakha Togethera Mahanadu program is holding a massive ceremony .. TDP chief .. AP Chief Minister Chandrababu shaktam again shanking evolving. Former MLA Ramesh Rathore, who is a member of the TDP's Politburo, resigned from the Telugu Desam Party and joined the Telangana ruling TRS.

In the afternoon, Pragathi Bhavan, Ramesh Rathore, who was invited to the party on the occasion of the party's KCR. With Ramesh Rathore joining TRS, it is to say that TDP is completely wiped out in Adilabad. Ramesh Rathore, who spoke after his inclusion, said that the cadre came out with him. He said the party had changed with the TRS Government schemes. Telangana state chief minister failed to get good results in the general elections in the next two years. TKP Chandrababu was the 24th hour of Mahanadu's announcement.
All of the U.S. graves were fresh across Europe for Memorial Day in May 1945, when a battle-weary GI in Munich a few weeks earlier grabbed some of the Fuhrer's stationery to write a letter home.

Army Staff Sgt. Horace Evers crossed out Adolf Hitler's name, scribbled in his own, and wrote about what he had done in the war, and what it had done to him.

"Dearest Mom and Lou (his stepfather)," began the correspondence. He asked about the tractor business back home, and he wished he had been with them on their daring trip to wicked New York City.

Then the words spilled out on how beyond strange his soldier's life had become. He had fought, he had killed, he had witnessed the unspeakable in the death camps. He had survived when so many hadn't, and now he was sitting in Adolf Hitler's living quarters in Munich.

"A year ago I was sweating out shells on Anzio beachhead. Today I am sitting in Hitler's luxuriously furnished apartment in Munich writing a few lines home -- what a contrast," Evers wrote. "A still greater contrast is that between his quarters here and the living hell of Dachau concentration camp only 10 miles from here."

"How can people do things like that? I never believed they could until now," Evers said. "I've shot at Germans with intent to kill before but only because I had to or else it was me. Now I hold no hesitancy whatsoever."

A few more days of the war in Europe were left for Evers and the other GIs who had defeated the Wehrmacht. He wrote the letter on May 2. Five days later in Reims, France, Gen. Alfred Gustav Jodl signed Germany's unconditional surrender to the allies. Jodl would be hanged in 1946 for war crimes.

Boyd Lewis of United Press was among the correspondents who had been summoned to a plane in Paris on 15 minutes' notice for the flight to Reims. They were told only that they would be on "an important out-of-town assignment."

Aboard the Douglas C-47, Brig. Gen. Frank Allen Jr., of Cleveland, director of press operations at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) told the reporters that they would be covering "the biggest story in a war correspondent's life -- the peace story," Lewis wrote.

Allen added "This will be your first uncensored story -- when the surrender is completed, censorship goes off." The reporters "enjoyed a good laugh" at that, Lewis wrote.

In his dispatch, Lewis did something the big picture historians rarely do. He listed some of the everyday soldiers, like Evers in Munich, who were taking part in a momentous event.

He noted the military police who guarded the German entourage at a guesthouse and, of course, their hometowns. "They were Pfcs. Jack Arnold of Lancaster, Pa.; Charles Trautner of Oakland, Calif.; Joseph Fink of Detroit; Frederick Stone of Pittsburgh; Clifford Cleland of Plattsburg, N.Y., and Elmer L. Cole of Little Falls, N.J. WAC (Women's Army Corps) Pfc. Joyce Bennett, of New York City, was manager of the house."

On May 8, Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel signed similar surrender documents in Berlin. He also was executed in 1946 for war crimes.

It was Victory in Europe, what would become just "VE Day," but the celebrations for the troops were mixed with anxiety, said Andrew Carroll, founding director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University in California, where Evers' letter on Hitler's stationery is preserved.

Last month, Carroll began a "Million Letters Campaign" to find and preserve at least one million articles of correspondence from every U.S. conflict, "from hand-written missives penned during the American Revolution to e-mails sent from Iraq and Afghanistan."

In donating his letter to the archive after the war, Evers, who was living in Florida, told Carroll that "I'm afraid if I leave the letter (after his death), somebody is going to throw it out."

Evers and the other troops in May 1945, leading up to a somber Memorial Day on May 28, also knew that they might be shipped off to another bitter fight in the Pacific. They knew that the Marines were then engaged in hellish combat on Okinawa. They knew that Gen. Douglas MacArthur was gearing up for the invasion of Japan.

On May 8, "the front-line troops didn't celebrate VE Day the way they did at home," Carroll said. "There was a solemnity and a soberness about what had been lost. And these guys were bracing for the fact that they might have to fight again in the Japanese islands."

Across Europe, where U.S. troops were stationed on May 28, they turned out before the endless rows of white crosses in the cemeteries.

At the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, Army Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott, Jr., who had led the U.S. Sixth Corps through heavy fighting in Italy, presided at the Memorial Day event.

There was no transcript of Truscott's speech, but Stars & Stripes reported he said, "All over the world, our soldiers sleep beneath the crosses. It is a challenge to us -- all allied nations -- to ensure that they do not and have not died in vain."

What happened next was reported by Bill Mauldin -- the Pulitzer Prize winner for his "Willie and Joe" cartoons in Stars & Stripes -- in his 1971 memoir "The Brass Ring," Nicolaus Mills, an American Studies professor at Sarah Lawrence College, told CNN.

"Before the stand were spectator benches, with a number of camp chairs down front for VIPs, including several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee," said Mauldin, who was at the ceremony.

Truscott turned his back on the audience and spoke directly to the white crosses. He "addressed himself to the corpses he had commanded here. It was the most moving gesture I ever saw. It came from a hard-boiled old man who was incapable of planned dramatics," Mauldin said.

"He apologized to the dead men for their presence here. He said everybody tells leaders it is not their fault that men get killed in war, but that every leader knows in his heart this is not altogether true."

"He said he hoped anybody here through any mistake of his would forgive him, but he realized that was asking a hell of a lot under the circumstances. He promised that if in the future he ran into anybody, especially old men, who thought death in battle was glorious, he would straighten them out. He said he thought that was the least he could do."

As Truscott spoke in Italy, the town's burghers in top hats came to the cemetery at Margraten in the Netherlands to honor those from the U.S. 30th Infantry Division who had liberated them. In grainy and silent footage of the event, little girls in traditional dress skipped past stone-faced American MPs to join their parents at the gravesites.

Some of the Dutch carried wreaths for the fallen GIs. A nun and two girls knelt and prayed. Grim U.S. officers paused to salute before the crosses and Stars of David.

On May 29, this Memorial Day, the people of Margraten, a few miles from the German border, will turn out again at the 65-acre cemetery administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Each of the more than 8,000 graves has a local family as a caretaker. There is a waiting list of more than 100 to become caretakers.

In his letter home, Horace Evers went on at length about his bitterness over the death camps, but he also wrote of his satisfaction at having taken part in the liberation.

"I guess the papers have told you about the 7th Army taking Nurnberg and Munich by now," he wrote to his mother and stepfather. "Our division took the greater part of each place and captured many thousands of prisoners."

"We also liberated Russian, Polish and British and American prisoners by the thousands -- what a happy day for those people." He closed with "Well, enough for now, miss you all very much, your son, Horace."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
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...
ANN ARBOR, MI - Five months into the launch of a city-backed program offering group-purchase deals on solar panels in the Ann Arbor area, at least six installations have been completed and at least 12 more are in the works.

The local nonprofit Clean Energy Coalition partnered with the city of Ann Arbor to launch the A2 Solar Club program in January in partnership with Geostellar, a West Virginia company that uses an online platform to guide residents through the process of having solar panels installed on their homes.

Ann Arbor is trying to get as many residents as possible to go solar to help meet the city's community-wide goals of significantly reducing carbon emissions and moving away from fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable energy.

"It's spectacular," David Levine, CEO of Geostellar, said of the new program's rollout in Ann Arbor so far.

"We've done similar projects for the city of Cleveland, for Baltimore, for probably six or seven cities, and Ann Arbor is really the best in terms of velocity, in terms of spreading the message," he said.

In addition to the installations already completed or underway, Levine said there's a large number of people in the Ann Arbor area expressing interest in going solar, looking at their solar profiles on the Geostellar website, requesting information and getting design verifications.

"All of that, on a per-capita basis, it's head and shoulders above all our other municipalities," he said.

So far, 18 property owners have signed installation agreements through the program and are now somewhere in the installation process, ranging from site design to permitting, procurement, installation and inspection, said Cassandra Fletcher-Martin, the CEC's director of business operations.

Those 18 projects amount to 99.5 kilowatts of total solar energy capacity, Fletcher-Martin said, noting active inquiries from other property owners who have not yet signed agreements present an opportunity for another 110 kilowatts.

In addition to the residents who've signed up for the city-backed program using the Geostellar platform, other residents are choosing to go solar on their own by working directly with a local installer such as Homeland Solar. Dave Friedrichs of Homeland Solar said his company has been keeping busy and has five installations in process right now, including two within the city limits.

He's also in talks with city officials about potentially doing a "community solar" project allowing residents to buy into a larger array somewhere. One option that's being discussed is the University of Michigan parking lot at the end of Krause Street in Ann Arbor's Old West Side historic neighborhood.

Levine said Geostellar is working with different installers, mainly Oak Electric Service based in Waterford Township, to do the installations through the A2 Solar Club program. He said Geostellar will work with any installers willing to cooperate with its system and process.

So far, Oak Electric has done the installations that have been completed or are in process of procurement/permitting, Fletcher-Martin said.

Other installers that have signed on with Geostellar to do installations include Advanced Distributed Generation in Toledo, Michigan Solar Solutions in Commerce Township and SUR Energy Systems in Ann Arbor.

Levine said Geostellar also is planning to work out the details to line up Homeland Solar, based in Scio Township, as an active installer for the program.

Levine said the installed costs end up being about $2.75 to $3 per watt, though every home is different and some have been cheaper and some have been more expensive. Geostellar takes a cut in the form of a transaction fee.

Nate Geisler, the city's energy programs analyst, said more than 140 people have inquired about the A2 Solar Club program since its launch. The program was explained at a kickoff meeting at Conor O'Neill's in January.

The program, intended to make going solar simple and affordable, is now available to anyone in Washtenaw County.

Geisler said there is a spectrum of understanding and interest in the program. He said some people are quite informed and close to making the decision to go solar, and some are trying to figure out how the age and condition of their roof factors into a decision, along with the federal tax credit and assessment issues, as well as how interconnection and net metering works.

There are ongoing outreach and education efforts to continue to raise awareness about the program and assist those who are "solar curious."

The CEC and the city's Energy Office are working with local nonprofits and other organizations to host meetings known as "solar power hours" for anyone interested in hearing about how the program works.

Geisler said there was a meeting on Thursday, May 25, with the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice and about 25 people attended.

The next meeting, hosted by the Ecology Center, is taking place from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at the Westgate Branch Library, 2503 Jackson Ave. There's also a meeting being hosted by the Huron River Watershed Council from 8-9 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, at 1100 N. Main St.

John Mirsky, a member of the city's Energy Commission, said there were roughly 140 solar installations citywide as of late 2016. That number is growing.

In addition to continuing to promote the A2 Solar Club program and looking into options to allow residents to invest in "community solar" projects in the future, city officials are talking about potentially putting solar panels atop city-owned parking garages downtown and on a wide range of other public buildings.

The city has determined several city-owned facilities that consume a significant amount of energy have good solar potential, and the City Council approved a new policy this month to require energy efficiency and renewable energy components such as solar panels when city facilities are renovated or built.
LIVEonWashington.jpg

LIVE on Washington, a music, visual art, dance and spoken word performance festival, is returning for its fifth year with performances from more than 50 teen performers in 20 different acts. This year's festival takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 3. Patrick Record l The Ann Arbor News

ANN ARBOR, MI - From assembling a lineup and booking acts to screen printing T-shirts and grant writing for funding, there isn't a lot of hand-holding involved with the teens responsible for organizing the LIVE on Washington music and arts festival.

The Ann Arbor festival, which takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, is the culmination of nine months of hard work from around 25 teenagers from the Neutral Zone, a youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression and community leadership.

Now in its fifth year, LIVE on Washington is widening its scope, with a variety of new activities in addition to music, visual art, dance and spoken word performances from more than 50 teen performers in 20 different acts.

"From fundraising to programming and promoting it, they've really done all of the important pieces that could make a festival like this work," Neutral Zone Music Programs Director Charlie Reischl said.

This year's festival features rising Chicago R&B artist Jamila Woods, whose 2016 solo debut "HEAVN" earned critical praise while championing activism with notable guest spots including Chance the Rapper and Kweku Collins.

Organizers of the festival said they were excited to be bringing Woods to Ann Arbor, noting that this year's lineup went outside of Southeast Michigan to include artists from New Jersey and New York, as well as Chicago. Woods takes the stage at 9 p.m. on the 300 block of Washington Street between Fifth Street and Division Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

"Not only is she an artist that is really coming into her own in terms of popularity and fame, but I think she is also an artist that represents a lot of the ideals of the Neutral Zone, so that's something we're really excited for," said Joel Appel-Kraut, one of two lead facilitators on the event's curation team.

In addition to Woods, organizers were excited to bring in co-headliner New York rapper Leaf, who performs at 8:15 p.m. A full lineup for the festival, which also includes an acoustic stage inside the Neutral Zone building, can be found on the Neutral Zone's website.

New to the festival this year are a number of unique events that are sure to catch the attention of those in attendance, including a live mural painting done by teens near the main stage, while a full-size piano donated by Ann Arbor's Threads All Art Festival is going to be available for those attending to paint together.

If you're not into painting, there's also a dunk tank and go-kart racing with go-karts constructed out of hoverboards, courtesy of Ann Arbor electric skateboard company, A2ESK8. Food trucks also are supplied for the festival, which is free to attend.

It has been an extensive planning process to make this year's festival the most diverse and varied yet, said Hannah Davis, a high school senior who has helped organize LIVE on Washington since her freshman year at Huron High School.

Davis, who plans to attend Columbia College in Chicago next year for live and performing arts management, said being involved with organizing the festival has opened her eyes to how much she enjoys planning music and other performing arts events.

"It was really cool that I was introduced to these opportunities to be a part of music and coordinating stuff outside of actually performing," Davis said.

To organize the festival, teens from the Neutral Zone must raise around $50,000 to fund the stage, sound, street permits, staffing and to help present headlining artists. Through sponsorships, it has raised around $35,000. To help reach the goal, they have started a $5,000 crowdfunding campaign.
School to prison2.jpg

Scott Menzel, superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, (left) speaks on a panel on the school-to-prison pipeline alongside Tod Durkin, the parent of a student who went through a mandatory expulsion (center). The town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 24 at Washtenaw Community College was hosted by state Rep. Adam Zemke (right).

(Lauren Slagter | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP, MI - There's a correlation between the number of times students are suspended or expelled and their likelihood of ending up in the corrections system, which is prompting educators and law enforcement to come together in an effort to dismantle a so-called "school-to-prison pipeline."

A panel of Washtenaw County experts on school discipline and law enforcement convened by state Rep. Adam Zemke discussed alternative ways to address student discipline issues at a town hall meeting held Wednesday, May 24 at Washtenaw Community College. There was standing room only in the WCC conference room, and Zemke's office said more than 120 people attended.

"We feel this issue is fundamentally contributing to inequality in our country, and it hits home right here in Washtenaw County," said Zemke, D-Ann Arbor, adding that he considered Wednesday's event the start of ongoing conversations about the issue.

Michigan lawmakers recently passed reforms to the state's "zero tolerance" school discipline policy that mandated expulsions for students who brought any type of weapon to school.

The new state law - which goes into effect in August - gives school boards more discretion in considering students' age, intent and prior discipline record when determining appropriate consequences for an offense. The new law also directs schools to prioritize reducing the number of suspensions and expulsions dolled out and to instead consider restorative practices and other alternative discipline approaches.

"I can't wait to see what happens when the law goes into effect, but the truth is we have hearts and minds to change," said Peri Stone-Palmquist, executive director of the Student Advocacy Center, who was part of the panel at Wednesday's event. "It doesn't matter that zero tolerance has ended in our state. It matters, but that doesn't mean that local districts can't say we are going to expel. They still have that option to do that."

Students who are suspended or expelled are three times more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system than their peers who stay in school, Stone-Palmquist said. She encouraged people to contact their local school boards and ask what discipline policy changes they are considering under the new state law and what alternatives to suspensions their school district offers.

Other members of the panel included: Scott Menzel, Washtenaw Intermediate School District superintendent; Derrick Jackson, director of community engagement for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office; Joseph Ryan, associate professor of social work and co-director of the Child and Adolescent Data Lab at the University of Michigan; and Tod Durkin, the parent of a student who went through the mandatory expulsion process in 2013.

It wasn't long before the conversation turned to race as Ryan presented statistics on school suspensions and juvenile justice cases.

He gave the example of suspensions at Ann Arbor Public Schools. While the overall suspension rate at AAPS has dropped in the past six years, African American students still are suspended at a higher rate than their white peers - which is not unique to AAPS.

About 16.4 percent of Ann Arbor's high school students in the 2015-16 school year were black, and 43.5 percent of high school students suspended that year were black. A similar trend persists in the juvenile justice system, Ryan said.

Black youths account for about 40 percent of petitions into Michigan's juvenile justice system, he said. About 16 percent of Michigan's children are black, according to 2015 data presented in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count report.

"There's a lot of evidence to suggest that when we alienate youth from public school settings, they're more likely to use their time in ways that aren't as productive. So it's likely that these things (suspensions and encounters with law enforcement) are connected," Ryan said, adding that Michigan lacks a good way to track data on youth between school systems, law enforcement records and Child Protective Services cases.

During a question-and-answer session at the town hall meeting, a member of the public asked the panelists to address whether they think racial bias is a factor in the school-to-prison pipeline and what they suggest to offset the impact of that bias.

Menzel said there are systemic and structural race issues in America, and people have to call it what it is in order to address the issue. He pointed out the low number of minority teachers in schools and the need for professional development for school staff related to cultural competency and equity.

"I think we absolutely have to put the issue of race on the table. ... It means tackling the issues of race and how we understand each other and how we understand the way in which race has played a role in creating or denying people opportunity," Menzel said. "That's a really important conversation."

Jackson shared the results of a case study where the sheriff's office collected information on the history of 25 young people who were "struggling the most," which was defined as having contact with law enforcement, not achieving in school or involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Eighteen of those youth were involved in juvenile court, with a total of 77 cases among them, Jackson said. The majority of youth in the case study were failing their classes and had a high number of school absences. They were detained by law enforcement an average of three times, Jackson said, and the age of their first offense is important.

"Age at first arrest is a huge predictor of someone coming back," he said. "So anything we can do to not use arrest as the only tool, but to really think about other creative, innovative ways to really work with our young people is really, really important."

Derrick Jackson, director of community engagement for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (left), speaks on a school-to-prison pipeline panel on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Peri Stone-Palmquist, executive director of the Student Advocacy Center (center), and Joseph Ryan, associate professor of social work at UM, also participated in the panel.

Officers also looked at every police report those 25 teens had been involved in, Jackson said, whether as suspects or witnesses. Six of them had seen significant domestic violence in their home, 15 of them had an incarcerated parent and 23 had at least one absent parent.

"To me, this ongoing trauma or these pieces of trauma our young people are dealing with, there is a direct correlation (with delinquency)," he said. "I don't think we can have a conversation like this without understand and recognizing some of the other things that are going on in some of our young people's lives.

"Again, we're not talking bad kids," Jackson added. "We're talking about kids who are really struggling to survive in many, many different ways."

Menzel outlined some of the efforts already in place in Washtenaw County schools to change the approach to student discipline. In 2013, Washtenaw County started a School Justice Partnership that involves the court system, the WISD and other nonprofit youth organizations that look at ways to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.

He would like to see schools approach student discipline as an opportunity to help students learn from their poor choices rather than emphasize punishment.

Durkin said he's glad to see the state's zero tolerance policies changing, saying the enforcement of those policies sometimes defied common sense and led to outcomes no one would typically choose for a student. There was no differentiation between a student who brought a paring knife to school with no malicious intent and someone who brought a gun, Durkin said.

At the close of the two-hour town hall meeting, five young men involved in a Youth in Power group asked the panelists how teens can be involved in disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.

"We need to make sure that we take away from here that we have a lot of work to do, and we need to help each other out as a community," Zemke said at the end of the discussion. "We need to address things head on and talk about race and socioeconomic disparities across our community, and then we need to act on it. That has to be at a policy level, and it also has to be at an implementation level all across our community."
BAY CITY, MI -- A 22-year-old Bay City parolee police say drunkenly crashed into a party bus, fled the scene, then tried swallowing crack cocaine upon his arrest has accepted a plea offer.

John P. Amick on Thursday, May 18, appeared in Bay County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to single counts of possessing less than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The former charge is a four-year felony, while the latter is a misdemeanor.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of having an open intoxicant in a motor vehicle, failure to stop at a property damage accident, and failure to report an accident. All of those counts are misdemeanors.

By pleading no contest, Amick did not verbally admit to having committed any crimes. The presiding judge had to rely on police reports to enter convictions on the record.

Those reports state that about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, officers responded to a hit and run in the parking lot of Stables Martini & Cigar Bar, 804 E. Midland St. The driver of a Mobile Boogie party bus told officers she was waiting in the parked vehicle for partygoers to return when she saw a white Cadillac back out of a spot and crash into a parked tan GMC Acadia.

The Cadillac proceeded to strike the bus, then drove off without stopping, the woman told police. She managed to get the car's license plate number, court records show.

A DJ on the bus confirmed the driver's account to police.

The bus had damage to its right side and front bumper. The Acadia sustained damage to its rear passenger side door and back quarter panel, court records show.

Police determined the Cadillac was registered to Amick. A short time later, a woman called Bay County Central Dispatch to report that Amick was at a residence in the 600 block of Litchfield.

Police responded to the house and encountered Amick, who told them he had been carjacked at gunpoint and forced to drive a few strangers around. Officers told him they knew only one person had been in his vehicle, based on witnesses' statements.

At that point, Amick said he wanted a lawyer and police arrested him. Amick smelled of intoxicants and had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, arresting officers wrote in their reports.

Officers searched Amick in the jail and found a plastic wrapper containing crack cocaine in his sweatshirt pocket. The officers set the crack on a window ledge and uncuffed Amick, who immediately lunged for the rock, snatched it, and stuffed it in his mouth, court records show.

An officer took Amick to the ground and grappled with him. The officer managed to pry Amick's mouth open and have him spit out a few pieces of the crack, court records show.

Amick had been on parole for little more than a year when he committed his latest offenses. In June 2013, a Bay County judge sentenced him to three to 10 years in prison on convictions of breaking and entering and carrying a concealed weapon. The Michigan Department of Corrections paroled Amick on April 5, 2016.

Amick's sentencing is pending.
North Flint Food Market.jpg

A sign shows the site where a locally-owned grocery store is working to open on Flint's north side in the 2300 block of West Pierson Road. Photo Courtesy of Reginald Flynn.

FLINT, MI - The Rev. Reginald Flynn and 400 grocery store co-op members await federal grants that will allow demolition work and construction of a 25,000-square-foot grocery store on Flint's north side.

Flynn, president of the North Flint Reinvestment Corp and pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church, said the Genesee County Landbank is taking the lead on getting grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to knock down two buildings in the 2300 block of West Pierson Road.

Nearly half of Flint's residents live more than a mile from a supermarket and there are far fewer stores per capita than in other Michigan cities.

A market assessment in December showed that Flint can support two additional smaller groceries - built at a cost of $3 million to $8 million for new construction - and each could generate sales of up to $4 million annually.

"In a little over a year, we have over 400 members and raised $50,000 toward our member equity," Flynn said. "When Kroger and Meijer closed - when we were facilitating meeting - we heard that people wanted more control."

He said he expects demolition work to start in September, with construction to follow a few months later.

The building will take about six to eight months construct, Flynn said.

It is anticipated that there will be 50 to 60 jobs associated with the grocery store, according to Flynn.

An additional 20-30 jobs could come if the project is able to secure funding for an adjacent office building, credit union and a police ministration, Flynn said.

"The whole idea is to spur economic development in north Flint," he said. "We are in the beginning stages of doing just that. We want to expand that.

"We're trying to be a part of the Flint renaissance by spurring economic development in neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment."

Flynn encourages anyone who is interested in the coop to attend the next meeting at 6 p.m. June 26 at Eagles Nest Academy, 5005 Cloverlawn Drive. Grand Rapids Attorney Todd Hoppe will be there to answer questions about corporate law, board governance and corporation dividends.
A screenshot of CBSE website cbse.nic.in

The Central Board of Secondary Education has declared CBSE Class 12 Result 2017.

The 12th result is available on the board's official websites cbseresults.nic.in. The other site cbse.nic.in is currently down. Results will also be available on results.nic.in.

As per available information Raksha Gopal of Noida's Amity International School topped the CBSE with 99.6 percent. Bhumika Sawant of Chandigarh closely followed with 99.4 percent marks.

However, the overall pass percentage this year dipped slightly to 82 percent from 83.05 percent last year.

The CBSE 12th result 2017 declaration means closure for lakhs for students and their parents who have been awaiting the results for some time now. (READ: CBSE 12th Result 2017: How to beat results stress)

CBSE website notification announcing CBSE 12th Result 2017 date and time.

They come after the government's controversial announcement -- following the exams -- that it would scrap the marks moderation policy.

Last week, the Delhi High Court voided the decision, saying the CBSE board should reinstate the policy this year -- a ruling that appeared to have delayed the results declaration date a bit.

Here's how students can check their results:

> Log on to official websites: cbseresults.nic.in, results.nic.in or cbse.nic.in. If the websites experience slowness, students can also try checking private exam-tracking websites such as Indiaresults or Examresults, which also post results on their websites.

> Look for the tab/link Senior School Certificate Examinations (Class 12) Results 2017 (All Regions)

> Enter your roll and school number. Your CBSE result will be displayed.

> Take a print out for future reference.

What is marks moderation policy?

According to the marks moderation policy, marks of students, who are believed to have been given an easier set of question papers during the exams, are revised higher.

There is a grace marks system within it too, with which scores of students whose marks are just below the passing line are pushed above.

Following the Delhi High Court verdict, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has gone on record to say that while the CBSE Board will not spike marks for high scorers, it would continue to give grace marks for 12th Result 2017 and 10th Result 2017.

CBSE Class 10th Result 2017 is expected to come out on June 2.

This year, nearly 11 lakh students appeared for the CBSE 12th exams while close to 9 lakh students appeared for the 10th exams.
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
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.
The OPEC cartels plan to continue its production cuts for nine more months means that two worlds -- energy and politics -- are once again colliding. Energy observers today are feverishly trying to anticipate what will happen with the basic cost of energy, which has the ability to upset manufacturing capabilities, trade practices and even entire economic markets. With all the uncertainty, one thing is clear. American energy production is disrupting OPEC plans and influencing energy prices more than it has in a generation.

As a Texas energy regulator, I am often asked about the impact of Texas oil and gas on the rest of the worlds oil activities. Throughout my 20 years as an engineer working in the energy industry, Ive had the opportunity to travel all over the world and witness Texas influence firsthand. Today, one quarter of all U.S. oil output comes from the Permian Basin, and projections show that number will continue to rise.
Industry veterans join Blackeagle Energy Services as regional directors

BERTHOUD, Colorado  Gene Hallman and Armando Ferri have joined Blackeagle Energy Services, active in the utility and energy construction industries, as regional directors.

Hallman will be based out of Blackeagles Midland office and will be responsible for projects in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico. He most recently served as vice president, eastern region, at URS Flint Energy Services.

Ferri is based out of Blackeagles North Lima, Ohio office and will be responsible for Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia projects. He was a senior project manager with Alex Paris Contracting before joining Blackeagle.

Blackeagle's regional directors are responsible for all operations within their region, including overseeing project managers who report directly to them.

---

Abraxas acquires Wolfcamp/Bone Spring acreage

SAN ANTONIO  Abraxas Petroleum Corporation has reached a definitive agreement to acquire 2,008 net acres and 33 barrels of oil equivalent per day in Ward County prospective for the Wolfcamp/Bone Spring for $22.2 million.

The acquisition includes up to four identified zones across the Third Bone Spring and Wolfcamp, interests in three incremental operated units, four non-operated units as well as interests in three existing Abraxas operated units. It also adds 32 gross, 25 net operated potential locations and 48 gross, 8 net non-operated potential locations not including increased working interests in existing operated units

---

Rig contractor to pay up to $100M for big data tech firm

By Collin Eaton

Houston Chronicle

Helmerich & Payne, the largest U.S. rig contractor, is set to buy a small Dallas firm touting technology that can guide drill bits to oil-soaked rock with cognitive computing.

The Oklahoma drilling contractor will pay $75 million to purchase Motive Drilling Technologies, but that price tag could include additional payouts of up to $25 million depending on earnings in coming years.

Its the latest deal bringing big data to the oil patch as U.S. shale drillers look to advances in analytics to cut the cost of pumping crude.

Motives technology automatically makes decisions about where to find the most oil-rich rocks, and can cut down on human errors that lead to lost drilling time, according to investment bank Evercore ISI.

The companys technology has been used on more than 200 horizontal wells so far, said Motive CEO Todd Benson in a statement.

Helmerich expects the deal to close in June.

---

Freedom initiates drilling of first horizontal Eagle Ford shale well

HOUSTON  Freedom Oil and Gas Ltd. has commenced the drilling of the first well on its Dimmit County acreage targeting the Eagle Ford Shale.

The well, Wilson BE #1, is the first of two wells to be drilled by Patterson-UTI Drilling Company LLC, Rig 266. The two wells will be drilled consecutively from the same surface site over approximately the next 30 to 40 days.

The Wilson BE #1 well will initially be drilled as a vertical pilot hole through the full Eagle Ford formation, which is approximately 400 feet thick in this portion of Dimmit County. Special well logging, side wall cores and petrophysical analysis will be taken from this vertical pilot hole. After this analysis is complete the well will be converted to a horizontal well in the selected Eagle Ford formation interval.

The second well, Wilson BE #2, will be drilled subsequently as a horizontal Eagle Ford well with no pilot hole. Once both wells are drilled, the wells will be hydraulically fractured using advanced completion techniques.

We are very pleased to commence our drilling operations after months of preparation and planning, said J. Michael Yeager, chairman and chief executive officer. These first two wells are based on 3D seismic, fully cored wells in the area, as well as the actual results from over 300 offset wells that have already been drilled. We plan to drill the pilot hole for the first well to finalize the calibrations necessary to optimally land our horizontal lateral, which will take a few extra days. We then expect the application of additional science and data we are gathering from the pilot hole in the first well to have a significant impact on the design of future wells. Both wells are targeting a lateral length of between 7,000 to 7,500 feet.

---

Kalnin Ventures makes fourth Marcellus acquisition

DENVER  Kalnin Ventures LLC has signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement on its fourth acquisition of a non-operating portfolio in the northeast portion of the Marcellus Shale, on behalf of its BKV Fund and investor Banpu Pcl.

Banpu Pcl is a Thailand-based coal mining and power-generation company with total assets of approximately $6.6 billion.

Valued at $16.25 million, the agreement was executed with Zena Energy LLC, a subsidiary of LSB Industries, Inc., as the seller and is comprised of interests in 34 wells, operated by Warren Resources. The asset will generate cash immediately and fits within Kalnin's strategy of acquiring profitable assets.

Other terms of the deal include net production to interest of approximately six million cubic feet per day, 33 BCF of 1P reserves and access to nearly 1,000 net contiguous acres in the productive Marcellus Shale area of Wyoming County.

With the addition of this fourth acquisition, Kalnin Ventures will hold an interest in 241 active wells with 6 additional wells waiting on completion. The transactions provide Kalnin Ventures with net production to interest of more than 50 million cubic feet per day.

The acquisition follows Kalnin's transactions with Radler 2000 LP - Tug Hill Marcellus, LLC; Chief Exploration and Development LLC; and Range Resources - Appalachia, LLC, all located in the productive Marcellus Shale.
HOUSTON  Twin Eagle Sand Logistics LLC, a subsidiary of Twin Eagle Resource Management LLC, is further expanding the Permian Rail Park to meet the strong demand of the Midland Basin.

Phase I of the unit train-capable rail park was completed in February of 2016 and comprised 33,000 feet of rail track for rail-to-truck frac sand trans-loading services.

Phase II of the park includes 15,000 tons of flat storage, 7,800 feet of additional rail track and a 50 percent expansion of the transload road.

Phase III will include the development of the rail parks 150-acre Lot 2 parcel. The new development of Lot 2 will feature 30,000 tons of rail accessible vertical silo storage. Phase III of the park will break ground next month and will be completed by the first quarter of 2018.

The Permian Rail Park is located on the Union Pacific Railway approximately eight miles west of the city of Big Spring. The 530-acre rail park is Twin Eagles fifth terminal development and is one of the largest sand terminals in the country by acreage. Twin Eagle also manages two other frac sand terminals in the Permian Basin for third party customers.

The Permian Basin is the strongest frac sand demand center in the country employing almost 50 percent of the active rigs in the United States, said Griff Jones, Twin Eagles chief executive officer. The first quarter of 2017 has been an exciting time of growth for the Permian Rail Park and our terminal network. We envision the park growing to eventually include a thousand or more rail car spots with greater than 100,000 tons of storage.
CEDAR HILL  As the lone finalist for superintendent of Midland ISD, Orlando Riddick recognizes this community is ready for change.

Midland academically should not be at the bottom, Riddick said. Thats what draws me to Midland, not only my West Texas roots.

The El Paso native met his wife, Yvette, in the fifth grade. Twenty-one years into their marriage, she said his dedication to the education field often keeps him away from home.

Yvette Riddick and others refer to him as a politician because of his focus on building community relationships, something he does in his current position as superintendent of Cedar Hill ISD.

Meet Orlando Riddick Hometown: El Paso Family: wife, Yvette, and children, Alejandra, 19, Diego, 17, and Aaron, 15 Military experience: U.S. Army veteran Education: bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, master's degree from Texas Woman's University Interests: reading, biking, watching football See More Collapse

Hes had to get to work, Yvette Riddick said in a phone interview. He says he sees in Midland what he finds in Cedar Hill when he came years ago  the work that needed to be done and where he can get them to.

Orlando Riddick anticipates taking the reins in Midland will be a challenge. Several grade levels are behind the states average passage rate for standardized testing, and nine campuses are designated improvement required, according to previous Reporter-Telegram reports.

Having already amassed two folders of MISD data, Riddick hopes to make sense of the districts testing numbers.

The dates are coming faster than you know, he said.

Data played a role when Riddick started as CHISD superintendent, according to Sonya Grass, former board president. In the district  located southwest of Dallas  he used information to identify issues and create solutions, she said.

It really was a variety of things, not a one size fits all, Grass said in a phone interview.

Those plans included expanding the early college high school to include a collegiate middle school academy and preparatory elementary school.

The new options appealed to Carmen Santos, whose seventh-grade son attended a charter school before entering the academy.

We knew about the collegiate high school, Santos said. We didnt know about the vision for the school district. When I heard about it through the media, my husband and I jumped on it. I was excited about it. I had pride in that the school district heard what parents were saying.

Chris Coxon, managing director of Educate Texas, is familiar with both CHISD and MISD. He considered impacts of spreading the model of Early College High School at Midland College.

It acts like a separate thing over there, and thats great, Coxon said in a phone interview. But its not being used to affect the outcome of other campuses.

In CHISD, students on the collegiate track make up about 1,000 of the 8,000 enrolled. For other students, Riddick led a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) initiative and created curriculum pathways beginning at the elementary level.

The new structure made a difference academically, according to Pamela Thomas, dean of instruction for the districts collegiate high school and academy.

Ive noticed an increase in student performance because of high levels of engagement, Thomas said. They are areas theyre interested in. It has real-world application. If theyre interested in rockets, they can go out and fly one.

Riddick, who previously worked in public relations and as an English teacher, also wanted to address literacy. He said the district added reading specialists and partnered with a local bookstore and library. Since he came to CHISD in 2014, four schools improvement required labels were removed.

John Gasko, School of Education dean at University of North Texas at Dallas, follows the superintendents work. He said Riddick has the rare ability to generate ideas and communicate them effectively.

Midland is really lucky to land him, Gasko said in a phone interview. Hes a rising star. Having worked with superintendents across the country in previous roles, he has a creative mind -- what I mean by that is the ability to take his ideas out there and implement them.

Earlier this year, the MISD board introduced the Lone Star Governance Report, which called every staff member to have a no excuses philosophy. Riddick said he fits that qualification.

Im not one who goes around and celebrates a lot of things, Riddick said. When we do good things, its what were supposed to do. Thats our job.

The focus on excellence extends to home life, according to Yvette Riddick. She said her husbands military lineage serves as an influence.

Theres a time and place for everything, Yvette Riddick said. If youre at the park, youre playing. If youre at the school, youre learning.

Riddick developed the characteristic while growing up because his mother didnt allow him to use poverty as an excuse. Now, he expects students to strive for excellence, holding them to the standards he has for his own children.

Jackie Fagan, chancellor at the collegiate high school and academy, said Riddick also holds campus employees accountable.

He has high expectations, Fagan said. Hes former military. When I say that, hes not a yeller or a screamer. Hes very calm and strategic. ... The school is high-performing, and he cut me no slack.

The MISD report also stated a superintendent must allow campuses to fully implement and maintain professional learning communities (PLCs).

Riddick realized the importance of communicating with other teachers when he entered the education field.

Its important we give teachers an environment to discuss, he said.

Fagan said the PLCs corresponded with roundtable discussions, which gave Riddick and educators the opportunity to interact directly.

These are up-and-coming teachers, Fagan said. They take [the ideas] back to their own PLCs. Under his leadership, we had extensive training for administrative leaders about PLCs to bring that to teachers.

In his first year as a seventh-grade honors mathematics teacher in CHISD, Jeremy Taulton said PLCs gave him suggestions about teaching students.

It has helped me a lot, Taulton said. In the beginning of the year, I didnt know what I was doing.

Riddick took other steps to engage staff. He said he planned professional development around the school calendar and facilitated a program for educators wanting to become assistant principals. He calls himself an arranger, someone who wants to assign people appropriate roles.

The quality was apparent early on, according to Michael Quildon, CHISD board president.

One of the first things he did with us is take inventory of who we had in leadership capacities and central administration to see who we had in place, Quildon said. He made personnel moves.

Riddick said he would have stayed in the district had Midland not come knocking on the door. Though Riddick created ties within the Cedar Hill community, hes eager to lead MISD.

I throw myself into the challenge, Riddick said. Its the exciting part. My community and I love each other here. I have two graduates from here.

---

Editors Note: The Reporter-Telegram will take a look at Riddicks community building efforts inside Cedar Hill in an upcoming edition.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The South Texas Hunting Association shared a photo on Facebook this week of what looked like a mildly-monstrous bullfrog catch, but commenters arent so sure its real.

PREVIOUS: Nightmare-inducing Texas rattlesnake photo sending shivers across Facebook ... but it isn't what it seems

A man named Markcuz Rangel shared the photo with the website, stating that it was caught in a pond on a ranch near Batesville and weighed 13 pounds. It appears the creature had been shot and killed, judging by the rifle in the hand of Rangel.

Of course any photo on the internet should be viewed with suspicion. There are no videos of said bullfrog being caught or postmortem and the photos shown seem somewhat  off.

Steve Lightfoot, spokesman for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, confirmed to Chron.com that the photo IS real, but that doesn't necessarily mean monster frogs are taking over South Texas.

"It's not as bigly as it appears," Lightfoot said video." [It's an] optical illusion created by extending frog toward the camera -- similar to what you see with fishermen holding up fish to make them appear larger. Still a big bullfrog, though."

OOOF: Fecal bacteria levels at Gulf beaches ahead of Memorial Day weekend

Back in 2015 the folks at Snopes debunked a supposedly 42-pound bullfrog catch by studying the viral photo that had been going around.

Chron.com reached out to Rangel on Friday afternoon to get more detail on his frog catches. Apparently he's been quite adept at finding the biggest ones in South Texas.

For now we will just have to imagine the all the ways that our foodie friends would cook those frog legs, which look like turkey legs at the rodeo carnival.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

AUSTIN  House Speaker Joe Straus issued a take-it-or-leave-it proclamation to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on transgender access to public restrooms Friday, saying his chamber has compromised enough on the issue.

Patrick said he would leave it, blaming Straus for the prospect of a special session on an issue that the lieutenant governor has made a dominant one in this regular session. Only Gov. Greg Abbott can call a special session.

If the Senate wants to pass a bathroom bill, it can concur with the bill that we passed earlier this week, Straus, R-San Antonio, said at a hastily called news conference. Its absurd that bathroom bills have taken on greater urgency than fixing our school finance system.

Patrick, responding to Straus at his own news conference, said he wouldnt back down, and he accused Straus of siding with former President Barack Obama on the issue.

The people dont want us to come home with the job unfinished. They want us to stay here and get the job done. And so thanks to Joe Straus, were going to have a special session that he created, said Patrick, an array of Republican senators behind him.

Emmett Schelling, president of the San Antonio Gender Association, said he was blown away by Patricks comments, adding that they amounted to little more than political posturing. While Patrick says the legislation is about privacy and public safety, not discrimination, Schelling said the bathroom bills clearly target transgender Texans.

The Senate has passed a bill that would specify that people use restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities that align with the sex on their birth certificates.

Straus has opposed that bill, expressing concern that enactment of a law viewed as discriminatory could hurt Texas economy by leading to boycotts  potentially affecting San Antonios hosting of the NCAA Final Four next year.

A House-approved proposal says students who dont want to use the restroom associated with their biological sex would have to be given access to a single-occupancy facility. That could include a multi-occupancy restroom that no one else is using. It also would apply to locker rooms and changing facilities.

Patrick and others have called the House plan ambiguous, and the Senate has called for a conference committee to negotiate the issue. Straus said the House wont appoint negotiators.

Using the language of left-wing Democrats  who oppose this legislation, whose economic arguments have been disproven again and again  he is simply trying to take the ball and go home, Patrick said.

Schelling said Patrick, not Straus, is the one who has been holding the Legislature hostage with this vendetta about discrimination.

The association president noted that the number of people who voiced their opposition to Senate Bill 6 demonstrate that the majority of Texans do not think its an issue worth spending time on.

Overwhelmingly, people see this as a waste of money, as a waste of time, Schelling said. We really havent fixed anything when it comes to protecting kids. We havent really fixed anything when it comes to protecting women.

Patrick earlier promised to force a special session if the bathroom bill and another proposal on property tax reform arent passed. He could do so by stalling other key legislation.

Abbott has said he wants the House and Senate to work things out before the regular session ends Monday.

Tonight, Im making it very clear, Governor. I want you to call us back to address the issues if they remain unresolved, Patrick said.

But Abbott spokesman John Wittman said there is still time in the regular session for lawmakers to act.

Despite tensions, the session is not yet over. The taxpayers deserve to have the Legislature finish their work on time, Wittman said. Only the governor can determine when or if there is a special session, and if so, what issues are addressed.

Straus said he sees no reason for a special session if lawmakers approve must-pass bills including the state budget, which he said the House intends to do.

The bathroom proposal approved by the House gave local educators room to handle these issues. For many of us, and especially for me, this was a compromise, Straus said.

This is the right thing to do in order to protect our economy from billions of dollars of losses, and more importantly, to protect the safety of some very vulnerable young Texans, he said. In a year that we have done so much to improve mental health care, to protect children and to fight against bullying, there is no reason to make a tragic and a costly mistake.

Straus also pointed out that the Senate had refused to negotiate on a school finance bill after the House balked at a Patrick-pushed school voucher proposal that was added. That proposal would have limited state funds for private school tuition to children with disabilities. The House called for a conference committee but instructed its side not to approve a voucher plan.

The House tried to start fixing school finance, but the Senate chose not to even appoint a conference committee, Straus said. On the issue of bathrooms, the House is availing itself of the same option.

pfikac@express-news.net
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 []
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.
Central Florida will continue to see temps climbing into the mid 90s as Memorial Day approaches.



Sunshine sticking around



Rain chances increase midweek



SEE BELOW: See our 7-day forecast 

It was a mild start to our Sunday with temperatures in the 60s, but it warmed up quickly for the afternoon. Highs reached the mid to low 90s with the humidity making it feel a few degrees hotter. Temperatures remain hot for Memorial Day with sunshine sticking around. Theres not much relief for the high heat in the near future, but rain chances start to pick up by mid-week.

Mainly clear skies will continue as we head toward daybreak on Monday. If heading out early, watch for some areas of fog. Otherwise, it will be a quite morning with temperatures in the low 70s.

WEATHER ON THE GO: Download the News 13+ app and get StormTracker 13 & Safety Net alerts wherever you are.

GET WEATHER ALERTS: Sign up to receive weather text alerts from News 13

Memorial Day will be quiet, but hot! Temperatures will climb quickly under plenty of sunshine. Highs will reach the mid to low 90s with even a few spots in the upper 90s. The humidity will make some spots feel more like triple digits. Temperatures will stay in the mid to low 90s the rest of the week, but rain chances will start to pick up. Theres a pretty decent chance for afternoon storms by Friday.

StormTracker 13 interactive radar 

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

View LIVE Interactive StormTracker 13 Radar Map

We want your pictures!

Show us what the weather looks like in your neighborhood. Your photo could end up on News 13 and mynews13.com/weatherpics.
A 70-year-old retirement center nurse dubbed a "black widow" by prosecutors was sentenced to life in prison for the poisoning death of a retired Waco police lieutenant she had promised to marry.

Jurors deliberated about 35 minutes Wednesday before deciding on the sentence for Rowena Ledbetter. She was convicted Tuesday of giving Herman "Mutt" Wilson, 85, a lethal dose of pesticide mixed with his breakfast of biscuits and gravy on April 21, 2002.

Jurors determined that Ledbetter used a deadly weapon, which means she must serve at least 30 years before she can be considered for parole.

"She weaved a web around her men and injected venom just like a notorious black widow," prosecutor Mike Freeman told jurors Wednesday.

Last summer authorities exhumed the body of her sixth husband, Dick Ledbetter, to determine if his 2001 death was from natural causes or poisoning. Tests were inconclusive.

Rowena Ledbetter's attorney, John Donahue, had suggested that Wilson tried to kill himself and Ledbetter out of depression and then tried to frame her.

Some of Wilson's relatives and neighbors testified that they suspected Ledbetter tried to poison him in March 2002 with tainted soup. His family then persuaded him to remove Ledbetter from his will and to take her name off his bank accounts.

Wilson bought an expensive car and jewelry for Ledbetter, who promised to move in with him once he changed his will again to include her, witnesses said.

Wilson's attorney, John Malone, testified that the couple went to his office on a Friday to amend the will to include Ledbetter, who insisted on reading the document line by line before Wilson signed it. Two days later, Wilson was dead.

Hours before he died, Wilson told paramedics, police officers and nurses that Ledbetter had poisoned him, trial testimony revealed.

Ledbetter married Cecil Forson on Feb. 1, 2002, while maintaining a secret relationship with Wilson. After her arrest, she wrote a jailhouse letter blaming Forson, 79, for Wilson's death. The marriage to Forson was Ledbetter's seventh but has since been annulled.

Ledbetter, who turns 71 on April 15, will not be the oldest woman sent to prison for causing a death. Glendora Luckey was 74 when she killed two people in a drunken-driving accident in Lampasas County in 1998, Texas prison spokesman Larry Fitzgerald said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Thousands gathered Friday afternoon at Community Bible Church to pay homage to fallen firefighter Scott Deem, who was was remembered as a dedicated first responder, a Dallas Cowboys devotee, and most of all, a family man.

The Catholic Mass culminated with the ringing of the bell and the sounding of the final alarm, a time-honored firefighting tradition. The call was broadcast over the radio system for all of Deem's brothers to hear.



RELATED: 'Heroic' firefighter killed in Thursday night blaze was father of 2, had baby on the way

"This is the final alarm for Scott Patrick Deem," the dispatcher said. "He faithfully served the city of San Antonio for six years. ... Although you are gone, you will never be forgotten. Rest in power, Scott."

After the service ended, a vintage firetruck bearing his casket, which was draped with an American flag, departed the church, traveling to the cemetery where he will be buried.

The funeral began with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" as hundreds of first responders, forming a sea of navy blue, flooded into the church. Officials said the church, which holds 3,600 people, filled completely.



READ MORE: S.A. honors, prays for firefighters killed, injured in 4-alarm blaze on Northwest Side

Robert Emmitt, pastor emeritus at Community Bible Church and San Antonio Fire Department chaplain, began the funeral with a prayer for Deem's widow, Jennifer, two children, 13-year-old Dakota and 7-year-old Tyler, and their unborn daughter.

"You all have made the ultimate sacrifice," Emmitt told them. "I thank you, on behalf of the church, on behalf of the whole city, for the price you have paid."

Deem, 31, joined the San Antonio Fire Department six years ago. He was killed in a Northwest Side fire on May 18 while searching for potential victims. Two other firefighters, Brad Phipps and Robert Vasquez, were also injured in the blaze.

The day's commemorations began with an apparatus procession that departed from the Alamodome  comprised of 120 firetrucks and fire vehicles, 100 motorcycles and 500 firefighters from various jurisdictions, a reminder of the brotherhood that abides in the first responder community.

From the Alamodome, the procession made its way north to U.S. 281. A firetruck and the public witnessed the procession at every overpass on the way to the church.



UPDATE: Firefighter in critical condition after Northwest Side blaze that killed one first responder

At 11 a.m., a second motorcade including a vintage firetruck carrying Deem's casket departed the Porter Loring Funeral Home.

Mourners came from near and far to honor Deem, including New York Fire Department firefighter Frank Busener, with Ladder 136, and five of his colleagues.

"This is not an easy event for us to attend," Busener said. "We felt a need to come down and show our respect, honor someone else who does the same job."

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: emilieeaton
LAKE CONROE  Construction on The Shoreline at Waterpoint, the first luxury mid-rise condominium project of its kind on Lake Conroe, is proceeding at a pace that will have buyers home for the holidays this year.

Located an hour north of Houston, The Shoreline is an upscale condo project from Winkler Development. The project is an expansion of the successful lakefront Waterpoint retail and dining complex built in 2008. The condo site located between Conroe and Montgomery, offers walking distance proximity to shopping, dining and lake recreational activities.

"Location is a key factor because our site is a convenient location for all that the Lake Conroe area has to offer," developer Jim Winkler said. "New roadways make trips from Houston to the lake much easier and more efficient. Our visitors are impressed when they discover the magnitude of the lake which spans 26 miles long and six miles wide with over 157 miles of shoreline. We're also seeing a influx of larger vessels entering our marina ranging in size from 40' to 80' feet  there are some impressive yachts out there."

The Shoreline at Waterpoint project is a secure, gated community featuring 56 waterfront units, ranging in size from two-bedroom units at 1,500-sq.ft. to impressive four-bedroom units at up to 2,900 sq ft. All of the units feature luxurious balconies overlooking Lake Conroe as well as upscale finishing materials, including Pella windows and sliding doors, SmartCode keyless entry, quartz countertops, top of the line Bosch appliances, private storage closets, WiFi controlled thermostats and energy efficient LED lighting.

Indeed, 12 of the 56 luxury condominiums have already been sold. Location and quality of construction are key factors, but it's the onsite amenities and recreational options that have people excited. When complete later this year, The Shoreline will feature a pair of lakeside pools, hot tub, poolside cabanas, resort style patio furniture, fire pits, outdoor kitchens and grilling stations, multiple elevators, private parking and access to boat slips and lake recreation at the new Waterpoint marina complex. There are even emergency generators to keep lights, elevators and essential services available in the event of a power outage.

Since its creation in 1973, Lake Conroe has become a popular playground for Houston residents seeking recreational activities in a picturesque setting. The clean fresh water of Lake Conroe is a great alternative to other destinations available to Houstonians for fishing, boating and water sports. Montgomery County continues to be one of the fastest growing communities, not only in the region, but in the entire country.

Building groundbreaking residential and commercial projects is nothing new for Winkler. He has 25 years of development experience  20 in the Lake Conroe area. His projects include Palm Beach Estates, West Palm Villas, The Palms, Emerald Bay Estates and Paradise Point Condominiums as well as the retail, commercial and event hosting options of Waterpoint.

Construction on the luxury mid-rise, waterfront condominium project The Shoreline at Waterpoint is underway at 15300 Texas 105 West in Montgomery with a targeted completion by the end of the year. For information or to schedule a tour of the property, visit www.TheShorelineCondo.com or call 936-777-9772.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

About 435 Willis High School students in purple robes stood outside Sam Houston State University Friday evening ready for the next stage in life.

Beside them, loved ones gathered with pride.

"When I got here I thought I'd be ok," said Kathy Wooten crying as she watched her daughter, Lyndsey Wade, preparing to walk into Johnson Coliseum. "I'm just overwhelmed.

Nearby Palestine resident Evelyn Dunsford held up her phone to capture the memory of her oldest granddaughter, Deseanna Murphy, on her 2017 graduation day.

"They look really good," Dunsford said. "I'm very proud."

The graduates have been through a lot together, according to Student Body President Laura Navarro and Emalee Hoffman who walked the attendees through milestone moments of each grade level: nap time, the year Meador campus separated, fractions, STAAR exams, class trips, team and organization accomplishments.

The two announced flowers laid in an empty chair to pay tribute to their late classmate Aaron Chatman who they lost in the fourth grade. In the back row, sat Markel Wells, who nearly lost his own life in a car crash that paralyzed him in March 2016--a few credits short of last year's graduation ceremony.

But on Friday, Wells stood on his own, able to walk again, to accept his diploma as a graduate.

While the students have had a long journey with treasured memories, WHS Principal Travis Utecht reminded the students as this chapter ended they would begin to fill the pages of the next. He asked the students to consider what they would do with their time whether taking care of their family or serving their community.

"Don't miss out on the opportunity to help people," he said. "... I love you and wish you all the best."

WHS graduate Louis Castillo, 18, woke up Friday morning looking forward to this moment. He plans to study at Lone Star College and SHSU with a plan to teach Spanish. He is considering returning to Willis ISD to teach.

"I was just really happy," Castillo said before the ceremony describing his first thought of the day. "It's our last official day of school. It's time for a new start and a new chapter in my life."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

From the traditional rose cutting to the toss of hats, 360 Caney Creek High School graduates celebrated to the cheers of hundreds of people Saturday afternoon at Sam Houston State University's Bernard Johnson Coliseum.

This year, the crowd applauded Brenden Blocker and Haley Jones as the 2017 class Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Speakers included Addison Maynard, Robert Melore, and Chelsey Kirkland.

"They did really well," said Jane Stripling who watched her sister Sadie Woolery graduate. "The message was mostly to be fearless when they go off to college."

Adrian Villa Sr. said his niece Keyla Lizardo graduated with top honors and a full ride to college. He traveled with more than 15 relatives from San Antonio and Del Rio to see Lizardo's big day. His son Adrian Villa Jr. joined the family with matching red t-shirts, which included Lizardo's nickname "Jack".

"I'm proud of her and I hope she gets into a good college," said her cousin Adrian Villa Jr. with another relative Carlos Bernal, 13.

New Caney resident William Amason stood outside in a cowboy hat proud of his grandson Colton Edward Dean.

"They talked about what they expect when they get out," Amason said referring to the speakers' message to the students and offering advice. "I would tell the students the same thing I told my grandson: get a job. You're going to need it. He's going to go work for the sheriff's department."

In the hallway, sat Conroe ISD bus driver Ona Lindly. She has attended the ceremonies for several students who ride her bus for the last four years, including for about four students this year who have commuted with her since the fifth grade.

"I just wanted to congratulate them and show them that somebody cares," she said. "It's so awesome and sweet to see they made it. Some had some struggles but they stuck with it."
In the latest feature by Clinton-chronicler Rebecca Traister in New York magazine, we get a further glimpse of what Hillary Clinton has been up to since Nov. 8. The most fascinating tidbits cast light on events that happened in the immediate aftermath of the election.

In the highlight of the profile, Clinton reveals what it was like to attend President Donald Trump's Inauguration alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton. To the surprise of some political watchers, the two participated in the ceremony in support of a peaceful transfer of power. Though Clinton put on a stoic facade , she now reveals the event was "really ... difficult" for her:

"'Oh,' says Clinton, 'it was hard. It was really  difficult.' But 'at the time, we hoped that there would be a different agenda for governing than there had been for running.'

"Of course, it quickly became clear from Trump's speech that there would be no change in strategy. A look of disgust crosses Clinton's face as she recalls it. 'It was a really painful cry to his hard-core supporters that he wasn't changing,' she says. 'The "carnage" in our country? It was a very disturbing moment. I caught Michelle Obama's eye, like, "What is going on here?" I was sitting next to George and Laura Bush, and we have our political differences, but this was beyond any experience any of us had ever had.'"

Clinton also appeared to corroborate reports that former President George W. Bush had also had some thoughts on Trump's speech :

"I ask her about the report that Bush had said of the speech, 'That was some weird shit,' and her eyes light up. 'Put it in your article,' she says. "They tried to walk back from it, but ' Did she hear it herself? I ask. She raises her eyebrows and grins."

This is an incredibly dishy anecdote, and a real treat for Trump opponents. But this story, and the possible motives for sharing it, are part of the larger trend of Clinton's post-election behavior.

Unlike past failed presidential candidates (think: Mitt Romney) Clinton has been strategically returning to the spotlight rather hastily after her rival's victory. From initial photos of makeup-free Clinton hiking in the woods after the election , to surprise appearances for supporter Katy Perry , to a confessional panel with Christiane Amanpour - in which she took "absolute personal responsibility" for her campaign's loss but also said that she would "be your president" if not for the actions of former FBI director James Comey - Clinton has been far from absent from our political consciousness. And she has been far from silent about the man she conceded to on Nov. 9.

This doesn't seem like Clinton dipping her toe back into public life. At this point, she's essentially wading back into the political fray - and taking direct shots at the sitting president.

The inauguration anecdote isn't just amusing: it conveys that despite her public, bipartisan facade, she wasn't OK with what was happening in front of her. Unlike former President Barack Obama, she no longer feels obligated to remain silent about the course the country has taken.

As Trump's administration is roiled by controversy over Russia's role in the election and the firing of Comey, and as New York magazine unfurled its feature, Clinton gave a commencement speech at her alma mater, Wellesley College, that took direct aim at Trump and his administration.

So the question is, as it always has been, what is she going to do next?
The two Virginia Democrats locked in a tight race for their party's gubernatorial nomination were cordial in their final debate but offered competing visions for a swing state where Republicans control the legislature.

In a 30-minute debate televised Sunday, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam touted his experience and relationships in Richmond, saying they make him the ideal choice to shepherd through pragmatic policies that would help working families.

Former Congressman Tom Perriello urged a more dramatic approach, saying the state's next leader needs to champion an expansive progressive platform complete with new social programs funded by tax increases on the wealthiest, even if it faces opposition from Republican lawmakers.

The debate, which was held last Thursday but aired Sunday, was their fifth and the last before the June 13 primary.

Northam stressed the importance of compromise and working with Republicans.

"We have to be very secure in what we believe in, but we have to be open-minded and listen to other ideas and agree to disagree," said Northam. "But the Virginia way is, at the end of the day, we are are going to do what's in the best interest of Virginia."

Throughout the debate, Perriello said he's proposing what Virginians need, not what the political environment permits.

"I am sick and tired of hearing what's possible and not possible," Perriello said. "Leadership is about starting with what actually solves the problem. Leadership is about making tough choices. It's about not accepting a 'Virginia way' that has choked too much of the the kind of solutions we need for a new generation."

While Northam, 57, and Perriello, 42, agree on a litany of issues, their campaign platforms differ in scope.

Northam wants tax credits to encourage businesses to offer paid family leave, a workforce development program and a tweak to the state's grocery tax, which his campaign says would only cost $67 million. At the debate, Northam suggested finding savings to fund his ideas with a top-down review of state agencies and decriminalization of simple possession of marijuana.

Perriello is calling for increasing taxes on the wealthy by more than $1 billion to fund universal pre-kindergarten, free community college and paid family leave. At the debate, he said he's the only candidate to propose real solutions to raise revenue.

Both platforms are likely to face resistance from a state legislature currently controlled by Republicans. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who cannot serve consecutive terms under the state constitution, has focused much of his governorship on economic development, vetos and executive orders he can take independent of the legislature.

Northam touted a 10-year relationship with Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, who is set to be the next speaker of the House of Delegates if Republicans maintain their control after the November general election.

"I look forward to the relationships I already have in Richmond and continuing that process in the upcoming four years," said Northam.

Perriello, who would be new to Richmond, said he'd draw on his experiences as a State Department envoy to Africa and his work for an international war crimes court.

"If we can bring together sides that have literally been killing each other for years, I think we'll find a way to bring people together in Richmond," he said.

Both Democrats have also strongly criticized President Donald Trump as they seek to woo Democratic activists and independents fired up by his presidency.

Perriello ticked off different ways a governor can resist Trump and the GOP Congress, from refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to rejecting a rollback of health care protections allowed under the Trumpcare bill passed by House Republicans.

"Donald Trump's issues are Virginia issues," said Perriello. "We are going to stand as a firewall against that hate."

Northam, who refers to Trump as "a narcissistic maniac" in one of his campaign commercials, also said he'd stand up to the president. But he added that Virginia voters with whom he's spoken are most focused on good jobs, health care and safe communities.

"There is a lot of attention from the national scene, but at the end of the day, this is about the govenorship for the commonwealth of Virginia," said Northam.

McAuliffe took on the federal government this week by pardoning a Salvadoran mother in Falls Church of a minor driving infraction in a bid to stave off her deportation.

Asked if they would try to spare other immigrants from deportations by pardoning their crminal records, Northam said he'd examine the situations on a case-by-case basis, while Perriello said he would "absolutely" look for similar cases.

Asked about their biggest mistakes in office, Northam said he didn't have regrets and instead touted his work on passing a bill to ban smoking in restaurants. Perriello cited his vote for an unsuccessful amendment to the Affordable Care Act that would bar insurers covering abortions from receiving federal subsidies.

A Washington Post-Schar School poll earlier in May found the race for the Democratic nomination was neck-and-neck.

The Democratic primary winner will face the victor in the three-way Republican primary between front-runner and former political strategist Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Corey Stewart and state Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach.
President Donald Trump returned home Saturday night to a country wondering how he would address a crisis of bad news that has only grown more dire during his nine-day tour abroad.

As the FBI continues an investigation of Trump's top associates and as he reportedly considers a White House staff shake-up, the president's attorneys have urged him to lay off his habit of aggressive and impulsive tweeting - lest it make matters even worse for him.

So what did Trump do upon returning to his embattled White House? He went on a Twitter rant.

It started about 8 a.m. Sunday, with a somewhat delayed celebration of Greg Gianforte's victory in Montana's special congressional election - despite facing assault charges for allegedly attacking a reporter who'd asked him about the GOP's health-care bill.

Eight minutes later, Trump informed the world that his first trip abroad as commander in chief had been "a great success":

"Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!"

Others' critiques of the president's trip have been more complicated.

He was "both charming and boorish," The Washington Post wrote - deferential to the king of Saudi Arabia but appearing to shove a Balkan prime minister out of the way to get a better spot for a NATO photo op.

But with Trump's assessment of his trip dispensed within 16 words, he turned his attention to a subject it has often landed on before:

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media."

Fake news - a mantra of Trump's campaign and presidency.

The president early on singled out outlets such as NBC, ABC, CNN, the New York Times and "much of the media in Washington, D.C. - along with New York, Los Angeles, in particular," as disseminators of fake news.

"Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names..."

In the tweet above, Trump didn't specify which anonymous sources he is taking issue with. Possibly those who revealed last week that his son-in-law has become a focus in the FBI's investigation of possible collusion with Russia and financial crimes by Trump's inner circle.

He has railed against anonymous sources before - once in a tirade against the media at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.

"Let their name be put out there. Let their name be put out," Trump said then.

However, his own administration has often insisted on anonymity with the media - notably when the White House organized a defensive interview with two unnamed "senior administration officials" during one of the president's early crises.

"....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!" he tweeted at 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

Trump's 8:45 a.m. tweet pings off one he wrote a few months earlier, when he listed the New York Times and most major news networks as "the enemy of the American People."

For his final tweet of Sunday morning, it was back to Montana and the specific sins of the news media.

"Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered"

The Washington Post has written about Gianforte's victory more than a dozen times sinceThursday.

Nearly two hours passed before the president had another thought worth tweeting. It was back to Europe, then, though in keeping with the morning's theme of fake news:

"British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!"

He meant that the leader of Britain had expressed her anger over crime-scene photos from last week's terrorist attack, which were leaked to the New York Times.

Trump has already asked the Justice Department to investigate the British disclosures, and incorporated the incident into Sunday's tweet stream.

But so far Sunday, Trump has not mentioned another high-profile leak - his own leak of an ally's classified intelligence to Russian diplomats.
Efforts to amend the most consequential piece of annexation legislation in nearly 20 years in order to help protect military bases from encroaching development appeared to fail at the state capital Saturday night.

SB 715, authored by state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, was sent to conference committee earlier this week after the senator disagreed with amendments made by the Texas House.

State Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, who was appointed to the SB 715 conference committee, said the House parliamentarian ruled the military amendments are not germane because it violates the second subject rule, in other words, an argument that the military protections were not related to annexation.

Campbell's bill, if passed, would require a vote by residents in areas proposed for annexation before cities like San Antonio could annex unincorporated areas. It would be a major overhaul of annexation law.

The military bases amendment, filed by state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and later amended by state Rep. Hugh Shine, R-Temple, would essentially allow cities the chance to regulate land use around military bases in a way that can protect those bases and their missions from development. Annexation is traditionally one way to do that, because cities have regulatory powers over zoning and issues like lighting and noise that counties often cant regulate in unincorporated areas.

The point of the amendments was to allow cities to continue those regulations around military bases, even if they cant annex the areas and tax the residents who live there.

Gutierrezs amendment specifically called for a five-mile radius around military bases where these land use protections would apply. Shines amendment to Gutierrezs proposal says if a military Joint Land Use Study recommends a city can adjust the land use around a military base, the city should be able to do so as recommended in the study.

Also on the House conference committee is state Rep. Phil Cortez, D-San Antonio, state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, and state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth.

Cortez defeated Rick Galindo last November to reclaim the seat. Galindo had pushed for annexation reform last legislative session but failed to get anything through. Cortez and Larson had partnered on a bill similar to Campbells this year but it also never made it out of committee.

Cortez said Saturday he will not support any amendment that jeopardizes the overall bill from passing, if the amendment could be killed on a procedural point of order. Amendments that are determined to be not germane are susceptible to these kinds of points of order.

Asked if he would support the military amendment if its ruled germane and relevant, Cortez said, If this is gonna turn into a situation where were in any way harming the missions of our bases, then obviously I have a concern because I do represent a base, Lackland AFB. But as I stated in the beginning, if we need to come back and look at this land use policy for the base or areas around the base for the next legislative session in 18 months, then we need to get on that immediately as an interim charge.

San Antonio is currently pursuing annexation of an area along Interstate 10 West that is within five miles of Camp Bullis. Military officials have expressed great concern about the proposed changes to annexation law, saying it could threaten their military missions.

San Antonio officials are also looking at pursuing other annexations in the near future, including one near Loop 1604 and U.S. 90 in far west Bexar County and within five miles of Lackland AFB.

The city was also looking at annexing Alamo Ranch, a large, fast-growing master-planned community near Texas 151 and Loop 1604. That is not within the five mile radius of either Camp Bullis or Lackland.

Cortez represents Alamo Ranch and said he could live with the military amendment knowing it will not affect that area.

If Campbells bill passes and signed into law, San Antonio would have to hold a vote on any future annexations. Its also possible the I-10 annexation, which council began the process to absorb last year, could also be threatened.

Conference committee reports must be completed by midnight, Rodriguez said. The legislative session concludes at midnight Monday.

Sources say many San Antonio officials, including members of the military, are pushing for the military exceptions to remain in the bill.

President Donald Trumps 2018 Defense Department budget, unveiled this week, calls for a new round of base realignment and closures.

vdavila@express-news.net
Two people were sent to an area hospital after an argument during a family gathering got out of hand, according to San Antonio police.

Police were dispatched to the 7200 block of Harlow Drive on the Northeast Side around midnight, Sunday, where a family was hosting a birthday party.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

San Antonio Police are searching for suspect in the fatal shooting of a woman at a gas station on the Southeast Side overnight.

The shooting occurred at a Citgo on the 2000 block of Goliad Road at about 11 p.m. Saturday night.

According to police, a white SUV pulled up in front of the women's vehicle and someone inside the SUV fired one gunshot toward the woman, striking her in the abdominal area.

The shooter then fled.

Police said when they arrived they found the woman unresponsive, and also found an 18-month-old girl inside the car.

The woman was rushed in critical condition with a faint pulse to Brooke Army Medical Center where she later died, police said. The Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 25-year-old Summer Perez.

Witnesses told SAPD that there was seemingly no incident or argument that led to the shooting.

It is unknown if the victim was the mother of the child found at the scene. Video of the initial investigation at the scene showed the child being cared for by police.

She appeared unhurt. No information about the child was released by police.

SAPD continues to investigate.

nbautista@express-news.net

Twitter: @_NBautista
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Pro 21 Video Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Pro 21 Video Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Pro 21 Video Show More Show Less 5 of 5









San Antonio Police are searching for a driver who fatally struck a man with his vehicle on the Northwest Side early Sunday morning, and then fled.

A man's body was found on the side of the south bound lane of Loop 410 near Marbach Road about 3 a.m. Sunday.
By the time Georgias 6th District votes in the June 20 special congressional election, $40 million  perhaps more than $130 per ballot  will have been spent to pick one-435th of one-half of one of the three branches of one of Americas governments.

If the slender shoulders of the Democratic candidate, Jon Ossoff, occasionally sag, this is not just from understandable fatigue  on a recent morning he had just deplaned from an 18-hour fundraising sprint to New York. They bear the weight of his partys hopes of recapturing a portion of national power  control of the House of Representatives  almost 18 months from now.

Democrats shoulders should slump if they cannot win at this propitious moment and in this congenial place. Republicans are tethered to the serial pratfalls of a president who preens as Zarathustra but emulates Buster Keaton. Last November, while Hillary Clinton was losing Georgia by 5.1 points, she lost this district by just 1.5 points. (Sixty percent of Americans live in districts that Clinton or Donald Trump carried by at least 20 points.) Ten times this district made Newt Gingrich its gift to the nation, and seven times it elected Tom Price  twice unopposed  with an average of 76.1 percent. (His departure to be secretary of health and human services occasioned this election.)

It is, however, the sort of place Democrats must win  affluent, more than 70 percent white  if they are to achieve the net gain of 24 seats necessary to retake the House. Republicans represent 23 districts that Clinton won. Nationally, the generic congressional poll  asking: Would you prefer Congress controlled by Democrats or Republicans?  favors Democrats, 46.2 to 39.2 percent.

Ossoff began his campaign with a vinegary slogan  Make Trump Furious  but has become militantly vanilla, standing foursquare against government waste and for being calm, dignified, level-headed and not just another rock thrower, and advancing core values, fiscal responsibility and unity. Apparently, Democrats have learned from Clintons debacle that the cohort of people who are undecided about Trump is vanishingly small, so talk about something else.

Ossoff, who someday will look his current age (30) and is proud that he owns only two suits, moved 4 miles from undergraduate life at Georgetown University to a congressional staff job. His Republican opponent, Karen Handel, 55, is what a pro-Ossoff ad stigmatizes her as, and what he might aspire to be, a career politician. She has lost as many elections as she has won but was elected statewide as secretary of state.

The average voter turnout in the last six presidential elections was 58.6 percent, and it was 39.1 percent in the last five midterm elections. But because dissatisfaction is a more powerful motivator than contentment, the party not holding the presidency usually sees improved turnout.

Last month, in the 18-candidate primary, Ossoff received 48.1 percent, just 1.9 percent short of the 50 percent that would have given him the seat. He won more votes (92,390) than the Democratic candidate received in the 2014 general election (71,400). Handel endorsed the House bill to replace Obamacare, a bill that helped to make Obamacare more popular than Obamas campaigning for it did.

Handel finished second in the primary with 19.8 percent. Ossoff captured 64 percent of early and absentee voters  those who could not wait to express their dismay.

And Democrats, who are situational ethicists regarding money in politics, provided Ossoff enough to enable him to provide free Lyft rides for some primary voters. If he wins June 20, Democrats probably will benefit in fundraising and candidate recruitment, giving them high hopes for big gains in 2018.

The last time a party holding the White House and both houses of Congress did not lose seats in a midterm election, Dizzy Dean and his brother Paul each won two games for the Cardinals in the 1934 World Series.

georgewill@washpost.com
Anchored in our memories, they are part of our deep, rich past. They served on battlefields here and abroad, and they gave what few are willing to give.

They gave their lives, so that you and I, our children and grandchildren, could enjoy the liberty they sacrificed to preserve.

Today, we do what we should do every day. We honor them. Today is Memorial Day, the day we pay tribute to the brave men and women who died so that we may continue to experience the freedoms safeguarded in our Constitution  freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

This is the one day, perhaps, when we do not take them for granted, for on this day, we remember not only the freedoms, but the soldiers who died to protect them.

Those freedoms range from the grand, freedom of speech, to the mundane, the freedom to choose your friends, your clothes, your favorite television programs.

Do not scoff; those little, seemingly insignificant freedoms pile up. They make America, well, America.

In 1971, Congress designated the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. It was an act that cemented, on the calendar, what already glowed in our hearts  our appreciation for the thousands of men and women who have died for us, many in the war on terror. Almost 7,000 U.S. soldiers have died since 9/11, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

While there will be parades and tributes throughout the country today, none will be more heartfelt than those in San Antonio, Military City, USA. We may not know servicemen and women personally, but we see them every day, in diners, malls and convenience stores.

They are as much a part of us as the Alamo.

And, yet, it is not enough to remember those who died. We must remember  and stand by  those who are with us still, the veterans thriving, and the veterans haunted by a horror the rest of us can only imagine. One in five veterans of the Iraq war, for example, suffers from PTSD, according to the Wounded Warriors Project.

In my unit, we lost a lot of guys, and I couldnt remember their names, said Joe Rios, a 25th Infantry Division veteran of the Vietnam War who carried the remains of an abandoned veteran on his Harley Davidson motorcycle from Amarillo.

Rios spoke to Express-News Reporter Sig Christenson, who wrote a heartbreaking story about five veterans who died alone in the Amarillo area, their remains unclaimed. They received a final salute on April 22 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. The ceremony was attended by dozens who never knew the soldiers.

I dont know if it was PTSD or whatever that we suffered from, some of the horrific scenes that we saw, but I just suppressed those memories, and I kind of regret that, Rios, 68, of San Antonio, added.

This tragedy underscores the need to reform the Veterans Administration, riddled with allegations of misconduct, including retaliation against employees who reported abuses.

Government watchdogs also reported inaccurate wait times at a dozen VA facilities in Virginia and North Carolina, falsified reports that precluded veterans from receiving care outside the VA.

So, on this Memorial Day, we must remember the cruel irony of the courage exhibited by our military men and women. Their service lifts our spirit. But it also diminishes us, for these same men and women deserve so much more when they return home.

Show your concern at the polling place. Select candidates who make health care for veterans a priority. And, if they are elected, make sure they keep their campaign pledges.

Our veterans deserve the same honor and respect they show us.
Re: Stand up, Texas, and fix redistricting; It wont be easy, but with courage and honor, Lege can settle case, Al Kauffman, Opinion, May 21:

After reading this piece, several thoughts occur to me. One, it has always been the party in power that set the boundaries (right or wrong), while the opposition howled and went to the courts. This resulted in a lot of wasted time, effort and money. Second, I feel that the ongoing discord is a continuation of both parties determination to get their way and to avoid reasonable discussion.

We seem to be living in a time when our legislators are so hung up on their own ideology that they fail to come up with programs that benefit all citizens. I agree that minorities have rights. So do majorities. We should realize that our representation in the Legislature should first do no harm.

Hank Forrest

Journalism for hire?

Re: At this ranch, folks rope good life, Front page, May 21.

To survive, newspapers these days carry paid advertising on the front page, a big no-no when I attended journalism school. But now I see that youve gone to paid editorials on the front page. At least, it sure appears that way.

This feature, albeit well-researched and -written, reeks of advertising. Why publish a feel-good story about a rich subdivision in the Hill Country when theres so many other huge, complex issues  namely, fast-spreading development and long-term water availability  facing this beautiful region of our state?

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers, Blanco

Wasted lives?

Hey, all you folks who are bemoaning the redesign of the Alamo, ease up! Theres not that much going on in San Antonio these days that the politicians will be able to tell their grandkids they helped accomplish. With the redesign, theyll be able to say to their grandkids, See that pretty glass wall around the Alamo? I helped do that.

We surely dont want to put them in the position of having to say to their grandkids, See all those repaired potholes and improved streets and fixed drainage ditches? I helped do that!

Fred Martin, Fair Oaks Ranch

Torrent of tears

No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly.

Really, Donald?

Abraham Lincoln had to be smuggled into Washington after his election out of fear he would be assassinated before his inauguration. Eleven states refused to accept his election and seceded, initiating the Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 Americans. The press often depicted Lincoln as an ignorant backwoods hick from Illinois, often caricaturing him as an ape.

Ultimately, one person who refused to accept the outcome of the Civil War managed to get close enough to President Lincoln to shoot him in the head while he was enjoying the theater and basking in the glow of successfully ending the Civil War.

Cry me a river, Donald.

Steven G. Powell

Downward spiral

One wonders just what it would take for the 40 percent or so of voters who continue to back Donald Trump to change their mind. We know one big point was to change Washington, to drain the swamp. But look at the change currently being supported.

We have seen a move to remove tens of millions from health care access, tax cuts for the wealthy (prime the pump/trickle-down economics), an apparent affection for murderous tyrants, attempts to restrict open reporting, contradiction after contradiction, false accusations one after another, an apparent breach of top secret information to the Russians, unprecedented access by such to the Oval Office, with no American press coverage allowed. And this barely scratches the surface of his errant behavior.

I cannot accept that this is the change they voted for. I sense disappointment in these voters as he spirals down the rat hole of history.

Jerry Kempe, New Braunfels

Trumpenstein

Donald Trump is right. The Russian involvement in the election, along with the other supposedly impeachable offenses, represent a giant witch hunt. Then, again, hes the giant warlock.

See those villagers with the torches and the pitchforks, Donald? Thats right, theyre coming for you.

It took the Donald less than 118 days to get into this mess. Farewell and adieu, and I hope never again to see you.

Mark A. Hall

Painful presidency

Re: Shameful article and Stop the fake news, Your Turn, May 20:

On May 20, we were greeted with not one but two letters opining that the mainstream media reports claiming President Donald Trump gave classified information to our 100-year-old adversary, Russia, were fake news. One letter says it never happened, while the other states that even if it did, the president can do it because he is the boss!

It does not matter that a person in the room reported it to protect the lives of American intelligence assets on the ground? It does not matter that we have undermined critical international joint intelligence gathering? The investigations into this painful presidency have shifted from did Russians manipulate our democracy to, when did Trump know?

Rick Reyes

Road hazards

If Texas drivers had to retake their drivers test, I feel 50 percent would fail. I bet they could not tell you what the color the center stripes are or their purpose. When you leave a Texas highway, you stay in your lane till it is clear to move over and remember to use your turn signal to let other drivers know your intentions.

Vincent Bonanno
HOUSE of Grace International Church leader, Prophet Sham Hungwe, shocked the church when he made a startling prophecy on claiming that the late Tsvangirais spirit was calling ex-president Robert Mugabe from beyond the grave to a resting place.

He revealed this astounding prophecy at his home base in Highfield in front of thousands of people, including politicians.

The time has come when the voice of God will lead all people and those who do not believe in the speaking God will not reach their destination, said Prophet Hungwe ministering.

It is the time written in the holy Bible that blessed are those who hear what the Holy Spirit says to churches and this calls for every one including political leaders to hear what God is saying to them.

Politicians answers come from the church and if they sit down and expect church members to consult them they will never meet their goals.

It is high time politicians understand that Biblical Saul humbled himself and consulted Prophet Samuel for spiritual guidance.

I am seeing the spirit of the late political leader R calling another spirit of a living political leader R to a resting place and this will happen by July.

Inferring from his prophecy, the late Morgan Richard Tsvangirai would be the politician whose name starts in R and the other R would be the 94 year old ex-president Robert Mugabe who is known to frequently travel to Singapore for medical check ups.

Prophet Sham Hungwe went on to dare the audience to test his prophecy which he claims will be fulfilled.

I urge you to test my prophecy by the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Let one similar to the Biblical Joseph continue to rely on what he dreamt and only those dreams will take him to where God want him to be and the direction to be taken,

The prophet also claimed that he had a list of names of politicians whom God wants to assume office and promised to release the names in his next service.

 HMetro

Breaking News via Email
Save the Children is the worlds leading independent organisation for children. We work in 120 countries. We save childrens lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential.We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.9 billion dollars last year to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises.Contract: Full-TimeContract length: 2 ansSave The Children is looking to add a dynamic, organized Head of Business Development who is passionate about being a part of a global team of individuals committed to improving the lives of children in Nigeria.The Head of Business Development is a key position to support successful pursuit of new funding for the country program.His/her actions and decisions in managing multi-divisional proposal response teams directly impact the quality and competitiveness of Save the Childrens proposals for new funding.Strategically, s/he often takes the lead in coordinating appropriate internal advance planning in coordination and communication on potential new opportunities.S/he provides quality control and support to technical leads efforts to achieve greater program impact through the successful pursuit of larger and more strategic funding opportunities.The Head of Business Development provides technical assistance, support, and training to technical advisors for new business development strategies and tasks from pre- positioning through proposal submission.This position also oversees a small unit that provides support to technical and cost proposals6-8 years of experience in international development, including at least 5 years of experience in successful proposal development for institutional and corporate donors, including pre-solicitation preparation. Experience with USAID and DFID solicitations is required; substantive relevant experience in proposal development for other multilateral or bilateral donors may be considered within the years of experience sought.Experience training staff and creating training modules and materials.Experience managing a small team.Master's degree in International Development or related field.Preference for a candidate with overseas field experience.Must be willing to travel to state offices up to 20%.Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, work well under pressure and meet deadlines.Ability to effectively communicate with and coordinate activities of multiple partners, including field-based staff.Excellent technical skills in writing, editing, formatting, research, negotiation, and verbal communications, and attention to detail required.9 June, 2017
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Im writing this quick post  or rather, this post that I thought would be quick  inspired by Nina Illingworth, who finds it, shall we say, odd that MSNBC star Rachel Maddow considers now-dead FOX founder and sexual predator Roger Ailes a friend. Liberals. I should immediately caveat that, as readers know, although Im a voracious consumer of text media, I dont even own a television, and so dont watch cable news, including Maddows version of it. So I cant pretend this post rises to the level of a media critique.[1] All I want to do is pose the question of whether there are more similarities between Ailes and Maddow, and their effects on the body politic, than one might think. First Ill look at Ailes. Then Ill look at what Maddow has to say about Ailes. Then Ill look at Maddow.

Theres plenty not to like about Ailes, and about FOX, but I found this from commenter MichaelJeter at DeadSpin most telling because its happened to me:

Personally, Ill never forgive him for the effect his network had on my grandparents in the last years of their lives. They were enthralled by Fox News, had it on day and night, whenever they were awake, and it infected them with paranoia, anger and most of all, fear. Visits were consumed with lectures about the latest conspiracy theory about nefarious plots by the Clintons, Obamas, minorities, poor, or whoever else was allegedly hell-bent on destroying their way of life that day. When my grandfather died, it took hours of searching to find where hed hidden all of his valuables and guns  Obama, you see, was coming to take them at any moment. He lived in a constant state of dread. Ailes was evil. No more, no less.

Ive been lucky enough not to have this happen to me with family, but there are friends and neighbors that I just dont bring certain topics up with; its horrible, like a horror movie where peoples brains are controlled by some infestation, whether digital[2[ or alien parasite. Im sure readers can come up with their own examples.

Sociologists would, I think, characterize Ailes as a political entrepreneur. Id add that his speciality was strategic hate management. So its worth taking a moment to see how Maddow characterizes Ailes, and relationship to him. Heres the Access Hollywood video of Maddow on Ailes:

And heres the transcript, which I made using YouTubes autogenerated transcript as a starting point. (There are probably more commas than there should be for a fully accurate rendition.)

[INTERVIEWER:] [0:17] But Rachel, [0:20] a good friend of yours, Roger Ailes, a [0:22] somewhat of a mentor. [MADDOW:] Well, yeah, I mean [0:24] its interesting because we were always [0:26] obviously on very different ends of the [0:28] ideological spectrum, but I met Roger [0:32] years ago and I went to talk to him [0:34] about the profession of cable news, [0:36] because for all my differences with [0:39] him he kind of invented the genre, and [0:41] people I know who worked for him at the [0:44] time, you know, said that he might be open [0:47] to talking to me about it and I talked [0:48] to him about what he thought about my [0:49] performance on TV; it started a, what I [0:52] think became a collegial friendship, he [0:54] blurbed my book. [INTERVIEWER:] Yeah. [MADDOW:] Which was a funny [0:56] thing and we stayed in pretty close [0:59] touch, I considered him to be a friend. [1:00] I mean the [sigh] obviously the sexual [1:03] harassment allegations against him at [1:04] Fox were a big deal and there were [1:07] serious allegations and there was a [1:09] bunch of them and it was enough for FOX to [1:10] get rid of him which is a huge deal [1:11] given what he did to create that massive [1:14] company, and thats real I dont want to [1:17] minimize any of that, but in addition to [1:19] that he was also a lot of other things [1:22] and one of the things he was was [1:24] basically the person who invented this [1:26] genre in which I and all these other [1:28] networks now exists [1:30] [INTERVIEWER:] A media genius. [MADDOW:] He was real genius. [INTERVIEWER:] But [1:33] at the end of the day do you think we [1:35] will remember him more for the scandal? [MADDOW:] I [1:38] mean the reason that he left is dire [1:41] stuff. [INTERVIEWER:] Yeah. [MADDOW:] You know I mean that and the [1:44] and Fox is still coping with it because [1:46] they have that problem that related to [1:48] Roger that resulted in him letting go [sic] [1:50] being him let go, they had a problem with [1:52] one of their primetime hosts, they have [1:53] had ongoing problems in terms of other [1:55] executives, I mean this is something that [1:56] we still dont know the end of it at [1:58] that network. [INTERVIEWER:] Sort of a predatory culture [1:59] then that was fostered there. [MADDOW:] And Fox [2:01] and its parent company have to cope with [2:03] that, and they they still have to, um ,we [2:05] can see it unfolding as a business story [2:07] in a culture story and and its all [2:10] having a having of having a big effect [2:12] on this corner of the news business, but [2:14] this corner of the news business I think [2:16] its worth noting really was created by [2:18] Ailes. And over the course of his career, [2:19] decades, he got to know almost everybody [2:23] in this business and whether it was a [2:25] negative interaction or a positive [2:26] interaction, all of us had something to [2:29] do with him, because he was formative in [2:32] terms of this whole part of, this whole [2:34] part of American news, and so I mean [2:36] hell his passing was a real shock to me [2:38] when I learned about it this morning. [2:39] [INTERVIEWER:] What did he say to you back in the day? [2:41] You said he met with him about sort of [2:42] your performance and your journey, so [2:43] what advice did he give you? Did he make [2:45] you a job offer? [MADDOW:] State secret! [INTERVIEWER:] Aw, come on! [MADDOW:] No, he I mean [2:48] he used to tease me that he wanted to [2:50] hire me at Fox so then he could then put [2:53] me on ice not put me on the air but that would prevent anybody else in [2:56] putting me on the air too, which I think [2:58] was his way of giving me a compliment [2:59] [INTERVIEWER:] Yeah. [MADDOW:] But you know we talked, I talked [3:04] technical stuff with him, literally I [3:06] talked about the color of my set and [3:08] that my angle toward the camera and my [3:10] tone of voice and the deal I mean we I [3:12] went to him as somebody who I felt like [3:14] was very skilled on that stuff to hear [3:16] what he thought and he was [3:18] basically a professional enough to talk [3:20] to me in constructive ways about that [3:21] stuff, and I always felt like that was [3:23] that was a stand-up thing to do. Again, I [3:26] dont want to dismiss and all right the [3:28] serious allegations are made against him [3:29] that resulted in him being fired from [3:31] that job, but there were other things to [3:33] know about him too, and my experience [3:35] with him was professional and supportive [3:38] and interesting.

I notice a couple of things about Maddows remarks (and though I can see why Maddows remark that there were other things to know about him too, and her characterization  one can only think  of sexual harrassment as a negative interaction would cause more than one reader to pop a vein, those remarks are not the subject of this post).

First, Maddow is very, very careful not to say that Ailes was, in actual fact, a sexual harasser, let alone a predator. She says: allegations against him, serious allegations, enough for FOX to get rid of him, the reason that he left is dire stuff, that problem [!!] that related to Roger that resulted in him letting go, and serious allegations are made against him that resulted in him being fired from that job. But she never comes right out and says anything about Ailes himself (a handy list; another; a worked example). Perhaps MSNBC legal gave her guidance (even though Ailes will find it hard to sue from the grave). In any case, one can only hope that Maddow applies the same rigorous standard to all her reporting. Eh?

Second, Maddow is very, very careful not to say anything substantive about FOX News as an institution. The Interviewer remarks that [s]ort of a predatory culture  was fostered there. Note the lack of agency in the interviewers was fostered, which Maddow proceeds to blur even further: And Fox and its parent company have to cope with that, [and] we can see it unfolding as a business story in a culture story and and its all having a having of having a big effect [2:12] on this corner of the news business. Nothing about Ailes, the CEO, at all! Again, one can only hope that Maddow applies the same rigorous standards to all her reporting. I mean, the interviewer practically invites Maddow to connect the dots, as we say, and Maddow virtuously refuses to do that. Give credit, people.

Finally, its worth asking what sort of a political entrepreneur Maddow herself is. As I said, Im not really equipped to answer that question fully, since I dont follow Maddow on cable (not enough commas). But I can give some indications.

First, Maddow is very successful: Rachel Maddows show is the fuel that is powering the MSNBC rating surge; her salary is $7 million dollars a year, and her net worth is $20 million. So Id say shes clinging to middle class status by her fingernails, and good for her, too.

Second, Maddow isnt necessarily reliable. In this post, Im not going to look at the Russki hairball[3]. But remember her debacle with Trumps 1040? Slate  no friend to Trump  describes it:

At 7:36 p.m. Tuesday, Rachel Maddow tweeted, BREAKING: Weve got Trump tax returns. Tonight, 9pm ET. MSNBC. (Seriously), sending the internet into a frenzy of theorizing. Did Maddow have Donald Trumps tax returns or just one of the Trumps tax returns? Could this be it, the tax return that would bring down the Donald? If this was it, why wasnt MSNBC cutting into its programming, instead of running a countdown clock to Maddows show? By 8:24, Maddow was tweeting that the tax return in question was Donald Trumps 1040 from 2005. By 8:30, still half an hour before Maddow started airing, the White House had responded to the MSNBC report, saying that Trump had paid $38 million on income of $150 million that year. An hour later, about 20 minutes after The Rachel Maddow Show started, Maddow would confirm these numbers, turning her big scoop about Donald Trumps long-missing tax returns into a cautionary tale about overhype. Rachel Maddow, you played yourselfand us too. [Maddows] monologue started contextually enough, with a long-winded skewering of Trumps refusal to share his tax returns that touched on Richard Nixon, the Clintons, and his unaudited tax forms, before veering off conspiratorially. Whether or not you are a supporter of Donald Trump, Maddow said, It ought to give you pause that his explanations [for not releasing his tax returns] have never made any factual sense.  When you get an excuse from them that doesnt make sense, you have to look for another reason. Whats the real explanation? Well, choose your own adventure. She then launched into a long hypothetical about a particular Russian oligarchs possible relationship to Trump that touched on Florida real estate, Deutsche Bank, and Preet Bharara that Trumps tax returnsthough not, as it would turn out, the ones she actually hadcould conceivably clear up. The longer Maddow went on, ever deeper into a conspiratorial thicket, the clearer it became that whatever tax returns Maddow had, they werent as juicy as the ones she was talking about. If she had anything that damning, she would have shared them from the start. TV is a ratings game, but an entire episode about highly damaging tax returns is just as likely to get you great ratings as milking the possibility that you have highly damaging tax returns and less likely to get you compared to Geraldo. Maddow even went so far as to hold the tax returns back until after the first commercial break, as if we were watching an episode of The Bachelor and not a matter of national importancebecause we werent, in fact, watching a matter of national importance, just a cable news show trying to set a ratings record.

Ill stop there, but read the whole thing; its pretty funny. Whats clear, though, is that she didnt apply the same rigorous standards to this story that she applied to her friend Roger Ailes of FOX News. One can only wonder why.

Third, Maddow isnt above using innuendo and smears to kick down. Consider this video (which I cant find on YouTube, hence no transcript):

.@maddow spots something fishy going on between Jill Stein and Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/Cah10YWx8p  DESUS & MERO (@desusandmero) February 15, 2017

Readers know that I dont think much of Jill Stein, not least because in her lawsuist she bought into the Clintonite myth that the Russkis actually hacked vote totals. (It may be Maddow is reinforcing that myth with her crack about Wisconsin vote totals; Im not sure.) But Stein  compared, say, to the intelligence community  is a negligible quantity and an easy target. So easy that Maddow didnt apply the same rigorous standards to Jill Stein that she did with Roger Ailes.[4] While she and her chortling sidekicks gleefully smear Stein as a traitor. Liberals.

* * *

What kind of political entrepreneur is Maddow, then? Well, Im now afraid to talk to liberal friends and neighbors enthralled by Maddow about Trumps 1040 and Steins Wisconsin vote totals. And, of course, the Russkis, but thats a story for another day. But the ratings though. So, to answer the question: A very successful one.

NOTES

[1] Sourcing on Maddow quotes seems pretty tangled. There are Maddow YouTubes and quotes everywhere, but I was consistently unable to corroborate quotes from the MSNBC transcripts, I assume due to ordinary randomness and/or Googles crapification and/or a poor search function at the MSNBC site.

[2] Pause for some Simon Stalenhag:

[3] I continue to struggle with the paradox that seven months after Trumps election, despite charges against Trump that, if true, would amount to treason, nobody in the intelligence community has been willing to risk their career by going on the record about the evidence theyve seen (except perhaps Guy Steele, whose oppo was so sketchy that not even a chump like Jebbie would buy it).

[4] Hey, come on. Wheres your sense of humor?
Students from the Abbey CBS Tipperary town were delighted to present a cheque for 2,510 to the Irish Cancer Society.

The money was raised by 28 students participating in the popular Shave or Dye format that has become a n annual national fund-raising campaign for the Irish Cancer Society.

Cancer affects almost everyone directly or indirectly and all of us that took part have witnessed cancer at first hand within our families, said Abbey CBS student Cian Tobin.

Fellow student Alex Ryan Wynne said, We recognised the great work done by the Irish Cancer Society and in particular the night nurses that care for cancer patients in the safety of their own homes so that they are comfortable and happy and get to spend their final moments with their loved ones. We saw this as a great motive and decided that we would like to help raise funds for the charity.

Student Sean Landers said they were delighted with the response shown by the students in their year. We were really glad so many lads showed initiative and took part in something that was completely voluntary . he said.

Night Nurse Martina Doverman accepted the cheque on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society. On behalf of the Irish Cancer Society Id like to thank all involved. The funds raised will make a difference to families coping with cancer and trying to give their loved ones their final wish, which is to spend their last moments at home surrounded by their loved ones. Everyone is very proud of what the lads have done.

The students wish to thank the various hairdressers in the town who donated their services for free and to Mick Ryan from TC Ryans pub who helped them organise a fundraiser night in his pub, which really boosted our final amount raised. It just shows how much the community will pull together for a great cause, added Cian Tobin.
Carrick-on-Suir born Robert Power staged the first Irish performance of his play "4" in his hometown before a packed audience at the Brewery Lane Theatre.

It was a special occasion for the Kickham Street playwright and musician as Brewery Lane was the stage where he first developed his love of acting and the theatre as a teenager.

It was his first time performing at Brewery Lane in seven years.

American success

"4" was previously previewed in Under St. Marks Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York and The Kelman Theatre on Electric Avenue, Venice, California, USA. 4.

It is directed by Olivier Award winner Donnacadh O'Briain and is described as a "story of destiny, set within the confines of an institution".

After the play, Robert performed songs from his album "1" and his single "Judge".

Accompanying him were his partner Electra Grant and twelve-year-old son Al, who played the Cajon box drum.

After the show, Robert described on his Facebook page how it was such a buzz walking onto the stage of Brewery Lane again after so long.

"I loved every minute and I won't ever forget it," he said.

Tributes

He paid tribute to Tom Nealon, "the man who brought me into the world of theatre", for introducing his play to the audience with his "usual wit and easy going brilliance".

Robert thanked everyone who came to see the show, Electra and Al for joining him on stage and the Brewery Lane Theatre team.

He also thanked Linda Fahy of the Tudor Artisan Hub, Ferdia Bridgeman, who did the sound, Pete MacGowan for the photography and all who helped behind the scenes.

More news...

Carrick cyclist takes U23 title in An Post Ras
Pop up art galleries, a Clancy Brothers memorabilia exhibition and a display of chairs transformed into works of art will be among the highlights of the Clancy Brothers Festival Art Trail.

A wide range of artists and photographers will be showcasing their works in exhibition venues throughout the town over the June Bank Holiday Weekend.

The Festival welcomes back professional artists Orla Clancy, daughter of Paddy Clancy, and Blawnin and Rayleen Clancy, daughters of Tom Clancy, who will exhibit their art in the Nano Nagle Centre. All artists regularly exhibit their work across Ireland.

The Art Trail's If These Chairs Could Talk project is a collaboration between visual artists and creative writers. The artists have transformed 16 chairs into objets dart based on Carrick-on-Suirs rich heritage and culture while the writers have written short stories inspired by chairs.

Visitors can view the transformed chairs in various pop-up galleries on the Art Trail and read and experience the stories. Children can also follow the treasure hunt based on If these Chairs Could Talk and learn more about Carrick-on-Suirs heritage and culture along the way.

All the chairs will be brought together in the Nano Nagle Chapel for a final exhibition on Monday June 5 from 1 to 3pm.

The "If These Chairs Could Talk" project is being done in association with creative writing tutor Margaret OBrien from Writing Changes Lives, the Tudor Artisan Hub and LIT film students Ryan Burke and Tom OConnor. It is supported by the patrons of the Clancy Brothers Festival of Music and Arts.

Meanwhile, the Clancy Brothers Memorabilia Exhibition will run in the Nano Nagle Chapel throughout the Festival weekend. Festival visitors can watch a Clancy Brothers film on Friday June 2 from 3pm. And they can meet members of the Clancy family on Saturday, June 3 from 2  5pm, share stories and laughter and reminisce about the world famous musicians Paddy, Tom, Bobby and Liam Clancy.

Visitors to the Art Trail exhibitions can win a 100 voucher towards an artwork of their choice by getting a card signed at seven of the Art Trail venues.

The Art Trail runs from Friday, June 2  Monday June 5, and is a free event for all to enjoy. For a full listing of venues and opening times check out the Clancy Brothers Festival programme, go to www.clancybrothersfestival.org, or visit the Festival Office and Art Trail gallery at the Tudor Artisan Hub, 42 Main Street, tel. (051) 640921.
(Natural News) If ever there were a perfect example of the phrase, The inmates have taken over the asylum, this is it.

On Friday the Washington Times reported that in the preceding 72 hours, students had taken over  yes, taken over  Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. The college is known for its uber-Left-wing politics and its policy of appraising student performance not with grades but with narrative evaluations.

Only one adult has attempted to stop them  a professor  and now police have told him to hold his classes off-campus because its not safe for him to be there.

As the Times noted:

Studentswho filmed their exploits and posted the videos on social media, have occupied and barricaded the library, shouting down anyone who disagrees with them or shows insufficient passion for racial justice.

Biology professor Bret Weinstein was berated by dozens of students outside of his classroom Tuesday morning for refusing to participate in an event in which white people were invited to leave campus for a day. Now, he says police have told him to hold his classes off campus due to safety concerns.

Weinsteins crime was writing a racist email opposing the Day of Absence & Day of Presence demonstration, in which he said, On a college campus, ones right to speak  or to be  should never be based on skin color.

Right?

This is just so over-the-top it almost defies belief. And honestly, were this happening somewhere else besides a college campus  say, at a public library or in an office building  there would be cops and SWAT teams and snipers all over the place, and the perps would be headed straight to jail when apprehended.

In what could be the understatement of the year, Weinstein told the paper in an interview that things are out of control at Evergreen.

You think so, professor?

Worse  yeah, it can get worse  the cops believe that the domestic terrorists who have taken over (because thats really what they are) were actually looking to kidnap Weinstein.

Police told me protesters stopped cars yesterday, demanding information about occupants,(you know, like good little Nazi Brown Shirts) he told the paper. They believe I was being sought. It appears that the campus has been under effective control over protestors since 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Then he said this:

Police are on lockdown, hamstrung by the college administration. Students, staff and faculty are not safe.

Mind you, the pathetic, enabling college administrator has already pre-empted any notion of punishment for the terrorists, promising instead to find out why theyre so upset under the guise of a major review.

First and foremost, I want to state that there will be, as far as I know, no charges filed against any students involved in actions that occurred this morning, Bridges said. We will be conducting a major review, an investigation of all that occurred and will be reporting back to you, the campus community, about exactly what happened, why it happened and what we intend to do about the incident  not the incident, excuse me, the actions that were taken, both students, staff and faculty involved.

In addition, this idiot will implement  pursuant to demands  a new student conduct code, different faculty evaluation standards and, of course, as the Times noted, enact annual sensitivity training for all faculty, staff and police that emphasizes the eradication of anti-black racism. Anti-white racism, though, appears to be completely acceptable.

Natural News founder Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discussed the ongoing issues occurring on American college campuses just last week.

Over the last decade or so, weve all [watched] in horror as Americas universities have been turned into what can now clearly be called extremism training camps for left-wing fascists, he wrote. Instead of teaching students to be responsible adults with critical thinking skills, colleges and universities now focus on obedience training coupled with deeply-ingrained hatred, intolerance and violence toward those who have opposing points of view.

To shore up Adams very correct assessment, a student from Evergreen State admitted as much when he and a few others crashed a staff event that included facultys families, the Times reported.

Didnt you educate us on how to do st like this? one student said. It was you that taught us that in class. Right, though? You taught us to go and change the world. Aint that what you all sell on that state college page? To when st is wrong that we should try to change it? So why you all in here eating cake and chewing?

The Alt-Left Marxist morons who run American campuses have created these beasts, and now even they cant control them. Get ready for a wave of social unrest the likes of which America has never seen. And once again, we can thank the crazy, lunatic Left for it.

See more at CampusInsanity.com and Libtards.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

WashingtonTimes.com

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) If you think that sugar is an essential part of a complete breakfast, then this cereal was made for you. General Mills has heard your prayers and is ready to distribute 10,000 boxes of Marshmallow Only Lucky Charms via a special sweepstakes. According to FoodDive.com, all one has to do to try and win this limited-edition offering of pure sugar is to purchase a specially-marked box of Lucky Charms and enter the 14-code digit inside into the website, MarshmallowOnly.com.

The decision to launch this campaign was driven largely by a public baying for even more of the famous cereals rainbow-colored confections. In 2015, the company had a similar promotion, though with just 10 boxes. The outpouring of pleading and demanding tweets, calls, and emails all but convinced General Mills that now was the time to capitalize on the steady popularity of Lucky Charms. Though their cereal sales dipped slightly last year, Lucky Charms has remained one of their best-selling cereal brands across the United States.

This is in spite of the evidence that a bowl of Lucky Charms may not be the best way to start your day. Just a single serving contains 11 g of sugar, or 19.1 to 43.6 percent of the recommended daily sugar limit, as well as 190 mg of sodium, reported LiveStrong.com. In their article entitled 10 Breakfast Cereals to Avoid, Care2.com placed Lucky Charms at number three by factoring in all the sugar and yellow, blue, and red dyes. Jennifer Harris, Marketing Director at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, even went so far as to call Lucky Charms a toy. She explained: Its all about fun. This product is more of a toy than a fooda lot of them have bright colors and they come up with new shapes all the time. (Related: Question: what is trisodium phosphate and what is it doing in our food?)

General Mills appears to be aware of the bad reputation Lucky Charms has among health advocates, however. The company has been trying to remove artificial ingredients from the cereal, the same way they did for Cheerios, Reeses Puffs, and Trix. Their efforts have been fruitless so far. As reported by OrganicAuthority.com, attempts to remove the artificial colors and flavors from Lucky Charms have stalled because they havent yet found any natural substitutes that dont affect the cereals taste. Its still our biggest challenge, said Lucky Charms spokesman Mike Siemienas. Well let you know once weve found a solution.

This just makes the Marshmallow Only campaign all the more disconcerting. General Mills is well aware of the cult following Lucky Charms has, as well as the fact that over 40 percent of Lucky Charms are adults who have the means to buy even more of their cereal. These same adults also tend to be those with access to social media, itself one of the best ways to boost sales for brands.

As Kelly OKeefe, Creative Brand Management teacher at Virginia Commonwealth University, said: The strategy is always the same: Generating social media interest by creating something thats highly shareable just because its outrageous. Companies dont consider that a lot of those shares come from people saying this is so gross, or this is so weird, and that ends up undermining the credibility of the brand.

To read up on more stories just like this one, visit FoodSupply.news today.

Sources include:

FoodDive.com

LiveStrong.com

Care2.com

OrganicAuthority.com
(Natural News) Climate alarmists such as Al Gore have long claimed that climate change is man-made and likely will destroy the world if we dont curb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Since these statements are based on calculations from computer models, there is no actual evidence that CO2 will harm all life on Earth in any way.

In fact, higher CO2 levels and temperatures are turning the world into a lusher, greener place bursting with new life, according to a team of scientists from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. The new study, published in the journal Current Biology, found that over the past 50 years increases in temperature have boosted the growth of moss and microbes in Antarctica.

Since the 1950s, annual temperatures in Antarctica have risen by about half a degree Celsius each decade, which is much faster than the global average. Through the study of core samples taken from 150-year-old moss banks, the researchers were able to get a clear picture of how rising temperatures have affected the ecology of the Peninsula.

Previous research already showed how plants and microbes growing at the southern end of the Antarctic Peninsula underwent unprecedented ecological changes over time. Now, these researchers confirmed that the changes are happening all over the Peninsula. For their follow-up study, the team analyzed five extra samples from three sites, including three Antarctic islands (Elephant Island, Ardley Island, and Green Island). Those different sites house some of the oldest moss banks over a 600-kilometer transect along the Peninsula.

After analyzing the core samples, the team concluded that the Peninsula has undergone fundamental and widespread changes. The data showed increased biological activity as the Peninsula has warmed in the last 50 years. Matt Amesbury, lead author and a researcher at the University of Exeter, said that their data provide a much clearer idea of the scale over which these changes are occurring since previous studies only identified such a response in a single location at the far south of the Antarctic Peninsula.

What we found were these large, dramatic changes occurring in all of our cores. On average, in terms of the growth rate of moss before and after 1950, there has been a four to five-fold increase in average growth rates Dr. Amesbury told The Independent.

As the temperature keeps rising, the researchers noted that there is more to come. They expect that the terrestrial ecosystems of the Antarctic Peninsula will continue to experience rapid changes due to global warming.

Dan Charman, who led the research at Exeter, added that the temperature increase has had a significant effect on the growth rates and microbial activity of the Antarctic moss banks. Adding that if this trend continues and the amounts of ice-free land from continued glacier retreat keeps increasing, the Antarctic Peninsula will be a much greener place in the future.

The results of that analysis lead us to believe there will be a future greening of the Antarctic and a further increase in moss growth rates. We are likely to see moss particularly colonizing new areas of ice-free land created by the warmer climate  and particularly things like glacier retreat, noted the authors of the study.

At the moment, there is about 0.34 percent of the entire Antarctic continent that is predominantly ice-free. Though the Antarctic is clearly showing some significant changes in moss growth and microbiological activity, the researchers noted that the Antarctic will remain an icy place for a long time to come.

Curious to learn more about the Peninsulas history, the researchers said that they will continue to analyze more cores stretching back thousands of years to explore the impact of climate changes throughout the history of the frozen continent.

For more information about the positive effect of C02 on our planet, check out the video below by Mike Adams, CWC Labs science director and founder of Natural News. He recently released a mini-documentary titled Why Carbon Dioxide is the Miracle Molecule of Life for GREENING our planet.

Stay informed about changes to our climate at HealthRangerScience.com and ClimateScienceNews.com.

Sources:

ScienceDaily.com

LinkingHub.Elsevier.com

Independent.co.uk

YouTube.com
Sunday, May 28, 2017 by: Frances Bloomfield Tags: China , human rights , migrants , police surveillance This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Beginning in the early 2000s, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has been building a searchable, national DNA database as part of their police information project, Golden Shield. As of 2015, the Forensic Science DNA Database System has amassed over 44 million miscellaneous data entries from more than 40 million individuals. The database of DNA information is the largest in the world, according to the Chinese government, especially when compared to the second, separate Combat Trafficking DNA Database which contains just over 513,000 DNA entries. Authorities claimed that the databases are for crime-fighting purpose, but people like Human Rights Watchs China Director Sophie Richardson have called it Orwellian.

The word itself is evocative of the totalitarian society in George Orwells landmark novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, wherein all of the novels citizens are constantly being monitored by the government through cameras. It aptly describes how many Chinese citizens feel after police forcibly collected DNA samples from them. Social media platforms such as Tieba, Weibo, Tianya and Zhidao have become replete with stories from concerned and enraged netizens. As stated by many a citizen, police officers without warrants entered their homes, workplaces, and schools for sampling. Others recalled being required to give DNA samples when they applied for ID cards or residency permits.

One netizen described this happening to them while undergoing a routine roadside ID check. They wrote in their Tianya post: Why was I treated like this? I am not a criminal, but this is worse than a criminal, Ive been feeling very upset. Im afraid what theyd do to my sample.

Another citizen had a similar experience when they applied for an ID. I went to the county police station to get them to re-issue my ID, and they took my blood and DNA samplewhy did they take my DNA? The netizen wrote on Tieba.  [They said] thats the rule. If you dont let us do it we wont issue [your ID] now even f****g DNA belongs to the Chinese Communist Party! (Related: China now assigning citizen scores to target dissenters and maintain sheep-like obedience among populace)

Far from limiting DNA sample collecting to criminals, suspects, and ordinary citizens, the police force has also turned their attention to anyone they have deemed as potential threats. Migrant workers, petitioners, peaceful government critics, and locksmiths are just some of the people who fall under this broad umbrella. One particularly egregious case involved passport applicants in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, home to 10 million Muslim Uyghurs. The Turkic ethnic group has long been subjected to state repression, and local authorities have intensified their efforts against them in the wake of increasing terrorist activities worldwide, reported QZ.com.

Although the legitimate uses of DNA collection are undeniable, there are questions about Chinas DNA database that have yet to be answered. Beyond what has been written in Article 130 in the countrys Criminal Procedure Law, there have to definite answers on how the data will be stored or how it will be used. As was written: To ascertain certain features, conditions of injuries, or physical conditions of a victim or a criminal suspect, a physical examination may be conducted, and fingerprints, blood, urine and other biological samples may be collected.

In a statement to HRW.org, Richardson commented: Mass DNA collection by the powerful Chinese police absent effective privacy protections or an independent judicial system is a perfect storm for abuses. China is moving its Orwellian system to the genetic level.

When approached by the rights group, Chinese Ministry of Public Security declined a request for comment.

Find similar stories of how science is used to create tyranny at ScienceTyranny.com.



Sources include:

QZ.com

HRW.org

CECC.gov
(Natural News) A new update to Twitters privacy policy sees the end of a longstanding pledge to protect user privacy by the firm. Twitter, which has never been profitable, is now taking a more proactive approach toward boosting revenue and its coming at the expense of its loyal users.

In an effort to improve the reach of its targeted ads, Twitter will be collecting more data about people. This will include tracking your activities even when youre outside of its app and website and then storing this information for as long as 30 days; the current maximum is just ten days.

This will be made possible thanks to those Tweet and Follow buttons that can be seen on many of the websites you visit. Any time you visit a page containing these buttons, your browser sends a request to Twitters servers that includes a header indicating the website you came from. Twitter then sets a unique cookie to create a profile of your browsing history whether you actually use their platform or not.

In the past, Twitter offered support for Do Not Track for those who would prefer not to be followed around the internet. Do Not Track gives users a simple and universal way to opt out of any third-party web tracking. Its easy to use and works across browsers regardless of the other privacy measures you have in place.

Now, however, Twitter is looking to get rid of Do Not Track and use a tool from the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) called WebChoices, which does not offer the same level of protection. It allows users to opt out of customizing ads, but it will still collect your information either way  it just wont show you targeted ads so youll have the illusion of not being tracked.

Another problem is that WebChoices is not compatible with other privacy tools and requires a lot of babysitting to use properly, which includes setting a third-party cookie for opting out on 131 different advertising sites! This is also incompatible with a popular basic browser privacy setting most smart internet users have already set: disabling third-party cookies. Should you decide to go ahead and allow third-party cookies for some reason, your opt-out will still end when you clear your cookies.

Stopping Twitter From Tracking You

These changes go into effect on June 18. Given their affinity for political censorship, it might be time to get rid of Twitter altogether.

If you cant live without it, however, The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a report showing users how to opt out of the new privacy settings. Keep in mind that youll likely need to adjust these settings on both the Web and within the app if you use it. EFF also offers a browser extension known as Privacy Badger that will give you additional protection against tracking behavior.

You can also review the data that Twitter has already collected about you by navigating to the appropriate place within the settings of your account. Youll also have the chance to remove your data, and youll see the option to have Twitter email you a list of the advertisers it has shared your data with.

Twitter has also said that a number of its partnership agreements permit non-personal, aggregated, and device-level data to be linked to personal information about you like your name and email address, although they claim to only do this when you give consent.

The amount of personal information we give up  willingly and knowingly or not  to Google, Facebook, and many other websites and platforms every time we use them is alarming, so it is vital to pay close attention to the policies, user agreements, and privacy settings everywhere you go online.

Sources include:

EFF.org

DoNotTrack.us

EFF.org

FoxNews.com
The Islamic State group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack on a bus carrying Christians on their way to a remote desert monastery south of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which killed 29.

Egypt responded to Friday's attack by launching a series of airstrikes that targeted what it said were militant bases in eastern Libya in which the assailants were trained. On Saturday, the military said on its official Facebook page that the airstrikes were continuing "day and night" and that they have "completely" destroyed their targets. It gave no details.

"What you've seen today will not go unpunished. An extremely painful strike has been dealt to the bases. Egypt will never hesitate to strike terror bases anywhere," President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in a televised address to the nation late Friday. He said the attacks on Christians aimed at driving a wedge between them and the country's Muslim majority.

He also appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to lead the global war against terror.

The claim, published by the group's Ammaq news agency, takes to four the number of deadly attacks targeting Christians since December that the extremist group says it's behind. The claim put the death toll at 32, but there was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

In all, the four attacks  Friday's, two in April and one in December  killed at least 104, mostly Christian, people. El-Sissi declared a three-month state of emergency following April's twin attacks, which fell on Palm Sunday.

The Egyptian Cabinet, meanwhile, said 13 victims of Friday's bloodshed remained hospitalized in Cairo and Minya province, where the attack took place. The bloodshed came on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

El-Sissi told Pope Tawadros II, spiritual leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, in a phone call late on Friday that his government would not rest until the perpetrators of the attack were punished.

Egypt's government has been struggling contain an insurgency by Islamic militants led by an IS affiliate that is centered in the northern region of the Sinai peninsula, though attacks on the mainland have recently increased.

After a visit to Egypt last month by Pope Francis, IS vowed to escalate attacks against Christians and urged Muslims to steer clear of Christian gatherings and Western embassies.
Dozens of people were killed in Egypt Friday when terrorists fired on a bus that was travelling to a monastery in the country, and one of the victims, Tinley Park-native Mohsen Morkous, was remembered in a mass Sunday.

Morkous and several members of his family were on the bus, and eight of them, including Morkous, two of his sons, and his granddaughter, were among the 28 people killed as gunmen attacked the bus that they were riding on.

The attackers pointed guns to their heads and asked them if they would denounce Christ and convert to Islam, or they would be killed, Rev. Samuel Azmy of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Monee said. They chose to die in the name of Christ.

Morkous wife survived the attack and remains in the hospital, as do several other members of his family. After the devastating attack, which the Islamic State claimed credit for, members of the Morkous family are stunned and looking for answers.

They had no mercy. They shot the men, children, and women. Everybody, Morkous cousin Gerges told NBC 5.

Some people are still wondering what the fate of their loved ones is, including St. George parishioner Karoes Hana, whose family is travelling in Egypt.

Im so worried, he said. I keep calling them three times a day to see what is happening.

After ISIS claim of responsibility, Egypts Air Force has carried out bombing against militants who were suspected to be involved in the attacks.
A distracted driver crashed into a Vernon police cruiser early Sunday morning, according to Vernon police.

The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. on Talcottville Road (Route 83). Police said the driver that rammed into the cruiser admitted to texting while driving. No one was hurt.

Police remind drivers that distracted driving is dangerous, and that Connecticut has a Move Over Law, which states any operator of a motor vehicle on a highway when approaching one or more stationary emergency vehicles located on the shoulder, lane or breakdown lane of such highway shall (1) immediately reduce speed to a reasonable level below the posted speed limit, and (2) if traveling in the lane adjacent to the shoulder, lane or breakdown lane containing such emergency vehicle, move such motor vehicle over one lane, unless such movement would be unreasonable or unsafe.

This was not the first incident this weekend - on Saturday, a state police cruiser that was pulled over to assist a Department of Transportation crew was struck by a suspected intoxicated driver on I-395 in Killingly.
Putting service before self, dozens of volunteers rolled up their sleeves Saturday, to help a former Milford police officer facing a life-altering illness.

Collin Walsh was diagnosed with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis that left him paralyzed.

They basically told me heres a drug youre going to take. Its not gonna make you better, you will get worse. Youll never walk anymore, said Collin Walsh.

The diagnosis came two days into his training to be a special agent for the federal government, a position he spent two years working toward, going to law school, studying internationally, and learning new languages, in addition to joining the police force.

I had done every possible thing I think I could have done to get to that very point. That was my absolute dream, my absolute goal.

The position involved counter-terrorism, and Walsh expected to be placed overseas when he completed training. Instead, his promising future was put on pause.

Walsh spoke with us from Kolkata, India, where hes seeking alternative treatments. When he returns to Connecticut this summer, his home will be different from the way he left it. Hell find new doors and ramps, wider doorways, and other additions to make the home more handicap accessible.

The improvements were made possible by 40 volunteers whose moto is make a difference in a day.

Just to see the support network of people who dont even know me are willing to offer is enormous. I know quite a few people that I do know are going to be there today, and thats touching, said Walsh.

House of Heroes Connecticut has helped make home repairs for 80 military veterans with physical and financial challenges.

When I started, I had no idea about the personal reward you would get from giving a helping hand to someone who needs help, said House of Heroes Executive Director Dennis Buden.

Now, theyre turning those efforts to public servants like police officers.

Its just so heartwarming to see the neighbors and the community coming together. Its just a great feeling, said Walshs uncle Pete Bolash.

It means everything to us because they have so much else that theyre trying to work on. Theyre just putting all of the energy into Collin getting better and walking again. So for them not to have to worry about doing all these upgrades and the expense. added Linda Mongillo, Walshs aunt.

Among the volunteers were fellow police officers from Milford and Hamden.

Were kind of like a brotherhood, watching each others back, said Bill May of Hamden.

May ran track with Collin in school. He says its tough to see the star athlete whose college records still stand, no longer be able to walk let alone run.

He got a bad deck of cards handed to him, and we decided to come out here make his house handicap accessible and just improve his quality of life, said May.

Walsh is determined to be out of his wheelchair for good one day. He reached a milestone this weekend, walking up a flight of stairs. He says thats only the beginning.
British Airways said many of its IT systems were back up and running Sunday, but some travelers will likely face cancellations and delays for a third straight day after a global computer failure grounded hundreds of flights.

BA chief executive Alex Cruz said Sunday the airline was running a "near-full operation" at London's Gatwick Airport and planned to operate all scheduled long-haul services from Heathrow. But he said there would still be delays, as well as some canceled short-haul flights.

The airline said it will run a full schedule at Gatwick on Monday and intends to run its full long-haul flight schedule and a "high proportion" of its shorter flights at Heathrow.

BA canceled all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick Saturday after the IT outage, which it blamed on a power-supply problem. The glitch threw the plans of thousands of travelers into disarray, on what is a holiday weekend in Britain.

BA operates hundreds of flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on a typical day  and both are major hubs for worldwide travel.

Cruz apologized in a video statement, saying: "I know this has been a horrible time for customers."

Passengers faced hours-long lines to check in, reclaim lost luggage or rebook flights at Terminal 5, BA's hub at Heathrow. Cruz said that to reduce overcrowding travelers will only be let into the terminal 90 minutes before their flights.

Passengers  some of whom had spent the night at the airport  faced frustrating waits to learn if and when they could fly out.

"Everyone is upset. There's people in tears," said Melanie Ware, who flew in from Los Angeles and was trying to get to Venice on her honeymoon.

"We rebooked for Venice for tonight, which they also have canceled now," she told Sky News. "So we have no way of getting out of Heathrow and they haven't compensated us for anything, and we're stuck and this is the worst honeymoon ever.

"British Airways has ruined our honeymoon."

Tonda Sallee, who was trying to fly to Frankfurt, said she has been in line for five hours, "and we have no idea how long we'll be in line. The rest of the day I'm sure, and we probably won't fly out today either."

Many passengers complained about a lack of information from the airline.

"Some 80-year-old lady was standing around waiting for announcements, et cetera, and she fell over," said Londoner Terry Page, who managed to get on one of the last flights from Heathrow to Dallas-Fort Worth on Saturday. He and other passengers arrived, but their luggage did not.

"We helped her up and she said 'I'm just so tired,' " Page said. "It's been a terrible, terrible day."

While not that frequent, when airline outages do happen, the effects are widespread, high-profile and can hit travelers across the globe.

BA passengers were hit with severe delays in July and September 2016 because of problems with the airline's online check-in systems.

In August 2016, Delta planes around the world were grounded when an electrical component failed and led to a shutdown of the transformer that provides power to the airline's data center. Delta said it lost $100 million in revenue as a result of the outage.
California's High Speed Rail Authority has been cleared to proceed with a $2 billion plan to electrify Caltrain tracks between San Francisco and San Jose.

The state Department of Finance on Friday approved the expenditure of $600 million in voter-approved bond money. The approval follows the Trump administration's decision to fully fund a $650 million grant for the project.

The peninsula section is the northernmost piece of the $64 billion bullet train that will link San Francisco and Los Angeles.

High-speed rail opponents filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the electrification project. They argue that state legislation unconstitutionally allows high-speed rail bonds to be spent on Caltrain, violating promises made to voters in 2008.
Congressional Democrats on Sunday demanded to hear directly from top White House adviser Jared Kushner over allegations of proposed secret back-channel communications with Russia, saying the security clearance of President Donald Trump's son-in-law may need to be revoked.

Trump, having returned from a nine-day overseas trip, immediately railed against administration leaks, calling them "fabricated lies," in a flurry of tweets.

And his Homeland Security head defended the idea of establishing that kind of communication as a "smart thing" and said he didn't see "any big issue here" for Kushner.

But to the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, it's "obviously very concerning" that a key Trump campaign figure was possibly seeking secret communications with a country that intelligence experts say intervened in the 2016 election.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California said the government needed to "get to the bottom" of the matter and urged a review of Kushner's security clearance "to find out whether he was truthful."

"If not, then there's no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance," Schiff said.

The Associated Press and other news organizations reported that Kushner in December proposed a back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team. Kushner spoke with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about facilitating sensitive discussions to explore the incoming administration's options with Russia as it developed its Syria policy. The intent was to connect Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, a person familiar with the discussions told the AP. The person wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and insisted on anonymity.

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians and at odds with U.S. policy during Syria's long civil war.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushner's attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, described the latest allegations involving Kushner as "serious" and called for a thorough investigation.

"He needs to answer for what was happening at the time," Booker said. "What's worrying me are the patterns we're seeing. So one is this administration not talking about our values, cozying up to authoritarian leaders. And the other pattern we have is just a continuous drumbeat of inappropriate contacts with the Russians."

Lawyers for Kushner said he was willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

The disclosure of the back channel put the White House on the defensive. Just back from visiting the Middle East and Europe, Trump on Sunday dismissed recent reports as "fake news."

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies," Trump tweeted. He added: "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names ... it is very possible that those sources don't exist."

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he didn't know if the news reports were true but described back-channel communications as a "good thing." He was echoing the sentiment of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, who declined to address the contents of Kushner's December meeting with the Russian diplomat to reporters in Sicily over the weekend and suggested that back-channel communications were commonplace and not concerning.

"It's both normal, in my opinion, and acceptable," Kelly said. "Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us is a good thing."

"I don't see the big deal," he added.

Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor. The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post reported that Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well for as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state on Feb. 1.

Flynn served briefly as Trump's national security adviser before being fired in February. Officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month that that deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties. He was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak.

Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign's digital strategy. He remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The Senate intelligence committee, which is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trump's campaign dating back to July 2015, the AP and other news outlets confirmed.

Kelly appeared on "Fox News Sunday," NBC's "Meet the Press" and ABC's "This Week," Schiff also spoke on ABC, and Booker was on CNN's "State of the Union."

Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey, Eileen Sullivan, Julie Bykowicz, Chad Day and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
A man visiting from California has drowned Friday while diving offshore of Key Largo.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says that 56-year-old Dimitry Altschuller was on his second dive during an excursion off Key Largo, Florida on Friday when he apparently ran out of air.

Altschuller's dive partner shared his air and they managed to reach the water's surface.

But authorities say Atschuller appeared to panic, became unconscious and stopped breathing.

A state wildlife vessel arrived and took Atschuller to shore.

The sheriff's office said in a statement that he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A bear that was ambling through a New Jersey beach town was killed by police when it headed for a busy street, officials said Sunday.

The bear was spotted Saturday evening in Union Beach near Dock and Third Street, Union Beach police said in a Facebook post.

Officers monitored the bear for four hours, then it turned onto the busier Florence Avenue, police said.

The bear was then euthanized.

State officials said they believed it wasn't the bear's first foray into a populated area.

"The bear that was euthanized last night, we believe was last tagged in Stillwater Township in Sussex County two years ago," said Bob Considine of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Union Beach said they had requested that state officials tranquilize the animal before they killed it. But state officials said they don't tranquilize bears during nighttime hours "out of concern for staff safety and public safety."
A shooting at a Paterson nightclub early Sunday killed one person and injured five others, police said.

Officers found the victims in the parking lot and inside the club on Main Street, Paterson police said.

A man who was in the club when the gunfire erupted spoke to NBC 4 New York, but didn't want his name used for fear of his safety.

"Just started shooting up the whole club just like that," the man recalled. He said more than 80 people were inside when the shots rang out.

"I heard the shots, I knew it wasn't firecrackers," he said.

Surveillance video shows people running out of the club.

Four people were taken by ambulance to St. Josephs Hospital & Medical Center and two others went to the hospital on their own, police said.

One person was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The name of the club and the victims haven't been released.

Anyone with any information please contact the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.


Ariana Grande plans to hold a benefit concert in Manchester, England, to raise money for victims of the deadly attack on her concert there Monday.

She had suspended her world tour through June 5 following the bombing at the Manchester Arena, which left 22 dead.

She wrote in a long statement posted to Twitter that details are still being finalized and she will "have details to share ... as soon as everything is confirmed."



"Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and more generously than we did before," she said.

Grande had kept a low profile since the blast. She took to Twitter afterward to say she was "broken" and "i don't have words."
Loved ones are mourning two children and their grandmother after they died in a North Philadelphia house fire Sunday morning.

The fire started around 4:40 a.m. at a home on North Sixth Street and Montgomery Avenue. Prudence Figueroa, 9, her brother Dean Figueroa, 7, and their grandmother Monique Guillory were inside the home at the time. The kids' parents jumped from the back window of the house, a three-story, double-wide house. Prudence, Dean and Guillory didn't make it out however.



Facebook.com

"I was sleeping and I heard the screaming," Luis Andino, who lives near the home, told NBC10. "I came out to see if I could help but it was too late. I heard somebody say, 'Please help me! My kids are in there!'"

Firefighters on scene pulled one of the children out. The other child as well as Guillory were later found inside the home after the flames were brought under control. All three victims died from their injuries.



"Cheerful kids," Monique Guillory's father, Paul Guillory, told NBC10. "We used to play in the yard all the time."

Officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire. The parents of Prudence and Dean remain hospitalized.

It is the second Sunday in a row that three people died in a house fire in Philadelphia.
You could call it a show room, but for those dealing with ALS, its more like a dark glimpse into the future.

The San Diego Chapter of the ALS Association recently built a model bedroom and bathroom giving people a first-hand look at what its like to live with the disease.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease, slowly stops people from moving while their brain stays perfectly sharp.

Some call it the opposite of Alzheimers disease.

I cant feed myself, I cant bathe myself, explained Don Daniels, who was diagnosed in 2009. The flip side is thank goodness there is help and people willing to do that for me.

Daniels is actually beating the odds, because most people will die within two to five years of diagnosis, according to stats provided by the ALS Association.

The disease is now closely linked with the Ice Bucket Challenge, a social media stunt perfected countless times over Facebook and other sites over the past couple of years.

It raised more than $100 million dollars and a priceless amount of awareness, but nearly three years after the viral challenge, the nonprofit is still looking for ways to attract help.

ALS impacts roughly 250 people in San Diego County, which is a relatively small number, considering the diseases devastation.

Steve Becvar, executive director of the SD chapter of the ALS Association, says their show room is a practical way to help people understand how hard living with the disease really is.

It can be a little stunning and were careful to make sure patients are ready said Becvar, but he also knows people sometimes need a visual representation to understand things.

May is ALS awareness month.

People interested in donating to the non-profit, which primarily helps to fund research, can do so through the ALS website or by calling (858) 271-5547.
A Navy SEAL and member of the Navys elite parachute team, the Leap Frogs, based in San Diego, was killed by a parachute malfunction during an aerial demonstration at Liberty State Park in New Jersey on Sunday.

According to the Navy, the SEAL landed in the Hudson River at approximately 12:10 p.m. EST and was immediately retrieved by rescue crews on standby. He was taken to Jersey City Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m.

Theresa Saleeby Awad, who lives in New Jersey, was watching the show with her husband and two young children.

We were all standing there watching the jumpers, she said. Everyone realized what was going on. We immediately turned towards the parachuter. We saw the parachute and something else going into the water and the parachute going off into the building.

Awad said the parachute looked like the sail of a boat that lost it winds.

The entire crowd was just stunned. Period, she continued.  No other word for it. You saw everybody, all of the emergency services react very quickly. Eerily quiet after it happened. Somebody told the DJ to start playing again to divert attention from the crowd. My husband wanted to leave but we stayed for our children. It was sad to see, truly it was. This was a day we wanted to celebrate men and women of the armed forces.

A Facebook post on the Leap Frogs official page stated that the demonstration started at 12 p.m.

[[425001164,C]]

The aerial demonstration was a coordinated jump featuring the Leap Frogs during a Fleet Week New York event.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, and I ask for all of your prayers for the Navy SEAL community who lost a true patriot today," said Rear Adm. Jack Scorby, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.

The SEALs name has not been released. The incident is under investigation.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
One man is dead after being assaulted by multiple people at a motel in Montgomery County, Maryland, according to county police.

Investigators said officers arrived at the Days Inn Motel in the 8000 block of 13th Street in Silver Spring, Maryland around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

They said they found the victim, a 24-year-old man, in a hotel room, suffering from trauma to his body. Investigators said the man was assaulted in the parking lot but was able to make it back to his room, where he called police.

He was taken to the hospital, where he died. His identity has not been released.

Detectives have not released any information about his attackers. They said they believe the victim was assaulted by multiple people for a yet unknown reason.
Search efforts continue for a woman who fell from a canoe into the Saco River in Fryeburg, Maine on Sunday.

Jennifer Bousquet, 38, of South Berwick went missing yesterday when she fell out of a canoe into the Saco River. Wayne Demers, 62 of Somerworth, NH, and Brian Day, 54 of South Berwick also fell out of the canoe, but made it to safety.

Major Chris Cloutier said alcohol was a factor in the incident and added the river is extremely, high, fast, and cold due to recent rains.



Fryeburg police say officer Dale Stout, 51, and officer Nathan Desjardins, 20, were in a police boat attempting to locate the missing woman when the officers hit an object near the shore while coming around a corner, causing them both to be ejected from the boat.

It was Desjardins' first day of training.



The police officers were seriously injured and taken by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

Desjardins is currently suffering possibly life-threatening injuries and Stout has serious injuries but is now in stable condition, according to the Medical Center.

The Maine Warden Service, along with its Dive Team, K9 Team, and Aviation Division are continuing the search for Bousquet.
Former President George H.W. Bush surprised the Maine State Police K9 Patrol School Friday when he came out of his Kennebunkport, Maine home to meet and greet the troopers and their dogs.

According to Maine State Police, each year, the graduating class of the K9 Patrol School takes a commemorative photo of the participating officers and dogs at a different location. This year, they worked with the secret service to make the photo opp possible at Walker's Point, where 92-year-old Bush spends much of his time.

Troopers were aware of Bush's presence but were taken by surprise when he was wheeled outside in his wheelchair and began to shake hands.

There are several photos of Bush laughing, posing, and being rolled around with the dogs and troopers on the Maine State Police Facebook page.
A major fire broke out Saturday in Provincetown on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, spreading to several restaurants.

The blaze lasted several hours during the day and was still being cleaned up by crews at 10:00 p.m., according to the Provincetown Police Department.

For Cape Cod, the tourist season officially starts on Memorial Day weekend. But, instead of being swamped with vacationers, Provincetown's Commercial Street - filled with shops and restaurants - was closed off while the fire raged.

According to police, the fire was battled at multiple popular eateries including the Red Shack, the Surf Club, and Tatiana's.

At this time, no injuries have been reported.
A Massachusetts man is facing multiple charges following a pursuit through the western part of the state on Saturday morning.

State police said a trooper attempted to stop Phillip Jacobsen, 29, of Greenfield, at 9:15 a.m. on Route 91 northbound for various motor vehicle violations. Authorities said Jacobsen refused to stop his Chevrolet Cavalier and took the exit 26 ramp onto the Route 2A rotary, where he struck another vehicle.

No injuries were reported.

Jacobsen continued eastbound, turning onto Fairview Street and then to Monson Street, where police said he got out of the vehicle and fled on foot.

State police and Greenfield Police then set up a perimeter and K9 officers began tracking him. At about 10 a.m., Jacobsen was spotted by a state police helicopter and he was taken into custody without incident.

Jacobsen was booked and faces charges of failure to stop for a police officer; OUI drugs; possession with intent to distribute class A; operating after suspension; marked lanes; left lane violation; negligent operation of a motor vehicle; leaving the scene of a crash; and failure to produce registration. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Greenfield District Court.
The New Haven Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own after an officer was killed in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina Saturday.

Officer Edward Douglas was riding a motorcycle when he was involved in a crash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, around 4:20 a.m. He died of his injuries at 9:25 a.m. He was 31.

Police said no other vehicles were involved.

Douglas began his basic training with New Haven police in January 2013. He was assigned to the Community Patrol Division upon graduation. In 2016, he moved to the Investigate Services Division, where he worked in the Narcotics Unit.

By everyones account who worked with him and supervised him in different roles in the police department, just someone who was constantly smiling, someone who was diligent with his work, left no stones unturned. He was a great police officer, said New Haven Police Officer David Hartman of Douglas.



Hartman said that Douglas was on vacation at the time of the crash and described him as a motorcycle enthusiast.

The news of Officer Douglas death has shaken New Havens 497 member department, of which he was a valuable and highly respected member. There is a great emptiness left by Edwards passing. Edwards family must know that the outpouring of love they have and will continue to receive will serve as a reminder to them of how much he was loved by all who knew him, read a release from the New Haven Police Department.

Douglas is survived by his mother, father and three brothers.

We are not his immediate family. We are his second family. This is something that has shaken us to the core, Hartman said.



Counseling services are being offered to officers and to his family.
About the project

Norfolk Feeds 5000 is a research project which aims to establish the extent to which the Christian community across Norfolk is meeting the simple command of Jesus to "feed the hungry".

Christian churches, groups and individuals across Norfolk meet the needs of the hungry and the thirsty every day of the year through foodbanks, free community meals, homeless projects, soup runs, Messy Church and other activities.



A simple survey has been conducted to attempt to quantify the extent to which this is happening and the findings of the survey will be published here, including many of the stories about the projects which feed people throughout Norfolk.



The project is supported by Celebrate Norfolk, Network Norfolk, Christian Aid, the Diocese of Norwich, Good News for Norwich & Norfolk and Bright Map and is named after the Bible story of the Feeding of The 5000.



If your Christian food-related project is not featured in our case studies and you would like us to include you, please send details, a fact file, a picture and web links to us by clicking here .



The research and reporting team behind NorfolkFeeds5000 is from Network Norwich & Norfolk

Share our stories

Please share our stories about Norfolk Feeds 5000 on social media using the hashtag #Norfolkfeeds5000. Tell your friends and feel free to use any of the stories in your own newsletters and communications.
Shruthi H M By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: India is set to see its first Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) listing in June. This could fuel demand for office space in the country. The commercial real estate sector would not only grow manifold in value thanks to Reits, it would also streamline transactions in the sector which is largely unorganised at present, say realtors.



A Reit is a company which owns or finances income-producing real estate. It allows the public to invest in properties through purchase of stock.According to industry estimates, currently 229 million sq ft of office space is compliant with Reits. Even if half of this were to get listed in the next few years, the total value would be close to `1.25 lakh crore.



Replying to Express queries, Surendra Hiranandani, chairman and managing director or House of Hiranandani, said in the current year, Reits could trigger demand for office space from logistics, manufacturing and consumer goods, apart from information technology and information technology-enabled services, and the banking and financial services sectors.

Fresh investments are expected in commercial real estate as the yields have always been higher at 8-10 per cent against 3-4 per cent in the residential sector.



He added that out of the total assets available under Reits, rent-generating office inventory itself is spread over 537 million sq ft valued at $70 billion.A significant part of this is located in Mumbai, National Capital Region, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune. Other properties like warehousing, retail malls, shopping centres and school buildings can become potential assets. The all-India warehousing Reit-able assets stand at 1.12 billion sq ft, he noted.



RBI allowing banks to invest in Reits is another step in encouraging fund flows towards the sector, especially in the light of developers having limited alternate options of funding, said Ram Chandnani, co-chair-elect, CoreNet Global, India Chapter.

The introduction of Reits would significantly enhance the transparency and governance in the real estate market, which is imperative for a better public market scrutiny and to attract more institutional fund flows into the sector, he added.

BENGALURU: India is set to see its first Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) listing in June. This could fuel demand for office space in the country. The commercial real estate sector would not only grow manifold in value thanks to Reits, it would also streamline transactions in the sector which is largely unorganised at present, say realtors. A Reit is a company which owns or finances income-producing real estate. It allows the public to invest in properties through purchase of stock.According to industry estimates, currently 229 million sq ft of office space is compliant with Reits. Even if half of this were to get listed in the next few years, the total value would be close to `1.25 lakh crore. Replying to Express queries, Surendra Hiranandani, chairman and managing director or House of Hiranandani, said in the current year, Reits could trigger demand for office space from logistics, manufacturing and consumer goods, apart from information technology and information technology-enabled services, and the banking and financial services sectors. Fresh investments are expected in commercial real estate as the yields have always been higher at 8-10 per cent against 3-4 per cent in the residential sector. He added that out of the total assets available under Reits, rent-generating office inventory itself is spread over 537 million sq ft valued at $70 billion.A significant part of this is located in Mumbai, National Capital Region, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune. Other properties like warehousing, retail malls, shopping centres and school buildings can become potential assets. The all-India warehousing Reit-able assets stand at 1.12 billion sq ft, he noted. RBI allowing banks to invest in Reits is another step in encouraging fund flows towards the sector, especially in the light of developers having limited alternate options of funding, said Ram Chandnani, co-chair-elect, CoreNet Global, India Chapter. The introduction of Reits would significantly enhance the transparency and governance in the real estate market, which is imperative for a better public market scrutiny and to attract more institutional fund flows into the sector, he added.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Students from Karnataka have broken the trend by outshining non-Karnataka candidates in the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET) 2017 for admission to engineering courses conducted by the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK). The results were announced on Saturday.

The top ten ranks have been bagged by Karnataka candidates. Also, of the top 100 ranks, 70 ranks have been bagged by students from Karnataka.

Mayank Baranwal, a student of Delhi Public School, Bengaluru South, has hauled up first rank by securing 165 out of 180 marks. Vishwajith Prakash Hegde, a student of Deeksha Centre for Learning has secured 164 and stood second. Rudrapatna Vallabh Ramakanth, Siddarth C V and Sahana N

have shared the third place by scoring 163.

Mayank, is all set to take up Computer Science Engineering in any of the top five IITs. He wants to pursue higher studies with a focus on cyber defence and ethical hacking.

The rank cards of the candidates can be generated using the applicants login by logging into: www.comedk.org.

Fee details, availability of seats and other details will be uploaded in the website soon, said COMEDK authorities

Seat allotment is online

Students appearing for counselling need not travel all the way to Bengaluru, as the allotment of engineering seats in private colleges will be done online this year. Students will have to pay D5,000 before the option entry, which will be considered as part of the fees for the first term. The online counselling process will be similar to that of Karnataka Examinations Authority, where students will be given time to enter options of engineering colleges, following which there will be a mock allotment of seats. The ranks of the UGET will be announced on May 29. Candidates can pick seats from 147 engineering colleges.

BENGALURU: Students from Karnataka have broken the trend by outshining non-Karnataka candidates in the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET) 2017 for admission to engineering courses conducted by the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK). The results were announced on Saturday. The top ten ranks have been bagged by Karnataka candidates. Also, of the top 100 ranks, 70 ranks have been bagged by students from Karnataka. Mayank Baranwal, a student of Delhi Public School, Bengaluru South, has hauled up first rank by securing 165 out of 180 marks. Vishwajith Prakash Hegde, a student of Deeksha Centre for Learning has secured 164 and stood second. Rudrapatna Vallabh Ramakanth, Siddarth C V and Sahana N have shared the third place by scoring 163. Mayank, is all set to take up Computer Science Engineering in any of the top five IITs. He wants to pursue higher studies with a focus on cyber defence and ethical hacking. The rank cards of the candidates can be generated using the applicants login by logging into: www.comedk.org. Fee details, availability of seats and other details will be uploaded in the website soon, said COMEDK authorities Seat allotment is online Students appearing for counselling need not travel all the way to Bengaluru, as the allotment of engineering seats in private colleges will be done online this year. Students will have to pay D5,000 before the option entry, which will be considered as part of the fees for the first term. The online counselling process will be similar to that of Karnataka Examinations Authority, where students will be given time to enter options of engineering colleges, following which there will be a mock allotment of seats. The ranks of the UGET will be announced on May 29. Candidates can pick seats from 147 engineering colleges.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Meat traders fear more attacks by cow vigilantes, with the Union Government notifying new rules for sale of cattle.

We are more scared of cow vigilantes than the new rules, was the general feeling at meat markets in the city on Saturday. They fear that the new rules would embolden fringe groups who could take advantage of the situation.

The Centre has banned trade of cattle for slaughter, at animal markets across the country. Cattle include bulls, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and camels.

Khasim Fazduar Rehman, a meat seller at the Beef and Poultry Market at Shivajinagar said, Nobody knows what the government notification is all about. But we are now in fear of getting attacked by cow vigilantes.

Many meat traders have paid money to get cattle for slaughter (for Ramzan), but the situation looks scary for the transportation as some people may extort money in the name of cow protection, he added. Beef sellers in Shivajinagar, Johnson Market, Frazer Town and many other places say the new rules would potentially harm their businesses.

Karnataka Beef and Poultry Markets Association president Khasim Ejaz Ahmed Kureshi said a delegation would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday to discuss the issue before deciding the next step. He said more than 10 lakh people are employed in the meat industry in the state.

Zaidur, a meat seller said they have been adhering to the rules on slaughter of animals. Cattle are first taken to veterinary inspectors and we slaughter them once we get the approval. We do not use the animals which are unfit for slaughter, he said.

Ramzan season sees a spurt in sale of meat. On a normal day, the business in Beef and Poultry Market at Shivajinagar would be around `8-10 lakh and this would increase during weekends. During Ramzan our business doubles, said Rehman.

BENGALURU: Meat traders fear more attacks by cow vigilantes, with the Union Government notifying new rules for sale of cattle. We are more scared of cow vigilantes than the new rules, was the general feeling at meat markets in the city on Saturday. They fear that the new rules would embolden fringe groups who could take advantage of the situation. The Centre has banned trade of cattle for slaughter, at animal markets across the country. Cattle include bulls, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and camels. Khasim Fazduar Rehman, a meat seller at the Beef and Poultry Market at Shivajinagar said, Nobody knows what the government notification is all about. But we are now in fear of getting attacked by cow vigilantes. Many meat traders have paid money to get cattle for slaughter (for Ramzan), but the situation looks scary for the transportation as some people may extort money in the name of cow protection, he added. Beef sellers in Shivajinagar, Johnson Market, Frazer Town and many other places say the new rules would potentially harm their businesses. Karnataka Beef and Poultry Markets Association president Khasim Ejaz Ahmed Kureshi said a delegation would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday to discuss the issue before deciding the next step. He said more than 10 lakh people are employed in the meat industry in the state. Zaidur, a meat seller said they have been adhering to the rules on slaughter of animals. Cattle are first taken to veterinary inspectors and we slaughter them once we get the approval. We do not use the animals which are unfit for slaughter, he said. Ramzan season sees a spurt in sale of meat. On a normal day, the business in Beef and Poultry Market at Shivajinagar would be around `8-10 lakh and this would increase during weekends. During Ramzan our business doubles, said Rehman.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: After months of functioning without a head, Vice Chancellors were appointed for University of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj University on Saturday by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao. However, all the three candidates proposed for the vice chancellorship of the Anna University were rejected by the Governor and the State government on the same day promulgated an ordinance altering the rules for the Vice Chancellor selection for all the State universities, except University of Madras.

One of the key changes was that the search panel for Vice Chancellors will compulsorily include a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an eminent educationalist that the Governor will nominate.

Quickly setting the ball rolling, Rao nominated former Supreme Court judge RM Lodha as the convenor of the new search committee to propose names for the Vice Chancellor for the states top technical education university. I just got a call from the Governor some time ago and he informed me about the nomination. I have accepted his request. I have not seen the terms of reference as yet. Even the deadline I will not be able to tell you right now, Justice Lodha told Express.

P Duraisamy, a retired professor and former head of the department of Econometrics from the University of Madras, was appointed as the Chancellor of the university. PP Chellathurai, former dean of Madurai Kamaraj University, was appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University.

Explaining the provisions of the new ordinance, the state higher education minister KP Anbalagan said the search panel for vice chancellor will mandatorily include a person nominated by the states governor.

The panel will hereafter consist of three to five members, Anbalagan told reporters on Saturday.

The ordinance also mandates that the notification of the search panel for the Vice Chancellors be put in place six months in advance of the expiry of the Vice Chancellor of a university. The search panel members should be nominated within two months and the panel must propose the names within four months.

The aim was that the new vice chancellor will know the day the existing vice chancellor retires. If the search panel fails to meet the deadline, the governor can give it additional time or dissolve it.

Anbalagan said the ordinance was passed since the Assembly is not in session and soon the law will be amended along the lines of the norms set by the University Grants Commission.

While the governors nominee has to be either a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an eminent educationalist, the State governments nominee should be an eminent educationist or an serving or retired IAS officer of the rank of principal secretary or above.

The senate or syndicate should nominate an eminent educationist, who should be a director of an institute of national importance or serving/retired vice chancellors or professors of ten years in any Central and State universities.

According to Higher Education Minister, the governor is not satisfied with the three proposed members when they were interviewed.

The university has over seven lakh students. The governor said that their qualifications were not up to the mark. New search committee will be appointed and within four months the announcement of a Vice Chancellor for the Anna University will be made, the minister said.

He also said that it is not that the three names submitted by the search committee is not eligible, but Anna University being a largest technical University, the governor seeks for a person with higher capabilities to be appointed as Vice Chancellor.

CHENNAI: After months of functioning without a head, Vice Chancellors were appointed for University of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj University on Saturday by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao. However, all the three candidates proposed for the vice chancellorship of the Anna University were rejected by the Governor and the State government on the same day promulgated an ordinance altering the rules for the Vice Chancellor selection for all the State universities, except University of Madras. One of the key changes was that the search panel for Vice Chancellors will compulsorily include a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an eminent educationalist that the Governor will nominate. Quickly setting the ball rolling, Rao nominated former Supreme Court judge RM Lodha as the convenor of the new search committee to propose names for the Vice Chancellor for the states top technical education university. I just got a call from the Governor some time ago and he informed me about the nomination. I have accepted his request. I have not seen the terms of reference as yet. Even the deadline I will not be able to tell you right now, Justice Lodha told Express. P Duraisamy, a retired professor and former head of the department of Econometrics from the University of Madras, was appointed as the Chancellor of the university. PP Chellathurai, former dean of Madurai Kamaraj University, was appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University. Explaining the provisions of the new ordinance, the state higher education minister KP Anbalagan said the search panel for vice chancellor will mandatorily include a person nominated by the states governor. The panel will hereafter consist of three to five members, Anbalagan told reporters on Saturday. The ordinance also mandates that the notification of the search panel for the Vice Chancellors be put in place six months in advance of the expiry of the Vice Chancellor of a university. The search panel members should be nominated within two months and the panel must propose the names within four months. The aim was that the new vice chancellor will know the day the existing vice chancellor retires. If the search panel fails to meet the deadline, the governor can give it additional time or dissolve it. Anbalagan said the ordinance was passed since the Assembly is not in session and soon the law will be amended along the lines of the norms set by the University Grants Commission. While the governors nominee has to be either a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an eminent educationalist, the State governments nominee should be an eminent educationist or an serving or retired IAS officer of the rank of principal secretary or above. The senate or syndicate should nominate an eminent educationist, who should be a director of an institute of national importance or serving/retired vice chancellors or professors of ten years in any Central and State universities. According to Higher Education Minister, the governor is not satisfied with the three proposed members when they were interviewed. The university has over seven lakh students. The governor said that their qualifications were not up to the mark. New search committee will be appointed and within four months the announcement of a Vice Chancellor for the Anna University will be made, the minister said. He also said that it is not that the three names submitted by the search committee is not eligible, but Anna University being a largest technical University, the governor seeks for a person with higher capabilities to be appointed as Vice Chancellor.
M Sathish By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Her lips are restless as she murmurs mantras. Her assistants fervently ring the bells. She takes out a half-cut lemon, dips it in a mixture of butter, turmeric and kumkum powder and rubs it on the lower back of the patient, who is mostly writhing in pain due to kidney stones. With spectators immersed in the theatrics, she pulls out a piece of newspaper she had placed under the patient and shows kidney stones that have fallen out.

After sprinkling kumkum on the kidney stones, she wraps up the newspaper and hands it over to the person accompanying the patient.

Meet Narasamma, who lives in the nondescript village of Amudala on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border in Chittoor district, and miraculously removes kidney stones in a few seconds. She charges a nominal fee of `250, but pooja materials and parking charges cost a little extra.

But her magical powers are so extensive that she manages to extract kidney stones from an Express journalist who didnt have any issues. When the kumkum powder is washed away, the kidney stones are nothing but ordinary pebbles. That she manages to recover them through the rectum  the medical world believes kidney stones occur in the urinary tract  is another issue.

However, Narasammas fame is widespread. We are from Hyderabad. I actually took my daughter to a hospital first, then, my brother told me about Narasamma and I brought her here, says Kishan Reddy, whose 15-year-old daughter is ill.

Patients in advanced stages, in so much pain that they arent even able to sit, wait for Narasammas treatment, hoping the cure is just a few minutes away.

People as far as Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu know Narasamma. When asking for directions to Amudala, a local resident told the Express team: Kallu edukka vanthurukkeengala? (Have you come to remove the stones?) From auto drivers to shopkeepers, everyone recognises the village. While some are sceptical of Narasammas methods, those that visit her every day, in hope of a miraculous and cheap cure, bear testament to her fame.

She is very tired since she had been treating patients continuously since the morning and taking rest. So you all must wait, please, says a stern-voiced assistant. She can indeed get tired. Around 15 patients wait for her when Express reaches her house on a sunny afternoon. On the verandahs wall is painted: KIDNEY STONES. Narasamma. Cell: 80089 98308. Amudala. Time: 7 am to 1 pm. 2 pm to 4 pm.

On any given day, at least 30 to 40 people visit her. It is said the crowd crosses the 100 mark on weekends. We are from Chengalpattu, says Ramalingam, who has been visiting Narasamma for the last five years. Although he says he hasnt been cured, he has brought seven women from his locality for treatment.

Her attender grants permission and we enter her room. One journalist poses as a patient. The first thing that matters to Narasamma is if everyone has paid the fee. She counts the notes twice over, rechecks the head count and tells one patient he hasnt paid. Subsequently, she places the amount beneath her. Then, the pooja starts. Patients are asked to lift the clothes a little so that she can touch their backs and start the operation. As people gaze to see how the stones are extracted, her assistants shout at people who are either blocking the way or not properly seated. As the attention gets diverted for a few moments, Narasamma declares the work as accomplished.

After all the patients in the session are cured, Narasamma proclaims to the crowd: You must eat banana on reaching home. And please drink this theertham before leaving. No non-vegetarian food, no alcohol, no smoking, drink a tumbler of banana stem juice in the morning and evening for one month. You should not take any X-ray for a month. If you still have a problem afterwards, come back and I will give you special treatment.

She places burning camphor on her hand and gestures while circling the crowd of patients. It appears as if she does indeed possess magical powers. The crowd calmly disperses, believing theyve been cured.

Outside, there is another set of patients who are waiting for their turn. The cycle starts again.

Banana stem juice

In traditional medicine like Siddha, it helps dissolve kidney stones. No doubt that banana stem juice is good for kidney stones. But it cannot be prescribed blindly since the treatment varies depending on stone size and its placement, says a senior doctor at the Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine.

Narasammas powers

She initially started removing thorns from the feet of farmers in the village, explains Amulu, an aide of Narasamma, who manages patients from Tamil Nadu. Consequently, Narasamma performed supposed medical feats without incisions. If someone is very ill, she visits them. But she charges D2,000 for this, explains Amulu.

Official promises action

The Chittoor District Collector PS Pradyumna did not respond to phone calls or SMS. However, Dr Vijaya Gowri, the Medical and Health officer of the Chittoor district, said she was unaware of the issue. Nobody has brought the issue to our notice. I will ask the local official to check the place, she told Express.

CHENNAI: Her lips are restless as she murmurs mantras. Her assistants fervently ring the bells. She takes out a half-cut lemon, dips it in a mixture of butter, turmeric and kumkum powder and rubs it on the lower back of the patient, who is mostly writhing in pain due to kidney stones. With spectators immersed in the theatrics, she pulls out a piece of newspaper she had placed under the patient and shows kidney stones that have fallen out. After sprinkling kumkum on the kidney stones, she wraps up the newspaper and hands it over to the person accompanying the patient. Meet Narasamma, who lives in the nondescript village of Amudala on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border in Chittoor district, and miraculously removes kidney stones in a few seconds. She charges a nominal fee of `250, but pooja materials and parking charges cost a little extra. But her magical powers are so extensive that she manages to extract kidney stones from an Express journalist who didnt have any issues. When the kumkum powder is washed away, the kidney stones are nothing but ordinary pebbles. That she manages to recover them through the rectum  the medical world believes kidney stones occur in the urinary tract  is another issue. However, Narasammas fame is widespread. We are from Hyderabad. I actually took my daughter to a hospital first, then, my brother told me about Narasamma and I brought her here, says Kishan Reddy, whose 15-year-old daughter is ill. Patients in advanced stages, in so much pain that they arent even able to sit, wait for Narasammas treatment, hoping the cure is just a few minutes away. People as far as Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu know Narasamma. When asking for directions to Amudala, a local resident told the Express team: Kallu edukka vanthurukkeengala? (Have you come to remove the stones?) From auto drivers to shopkeepers, everyone recognises the village. While some are sceptical of Narasammas methods, those that visit her every day, in hope of a miraculous and cheap cure, bear testament to her fame. She is very tired since she had been treating patients continuously since the morning and taking rest. So you all must wait, please, says a stern-voiced assistant. She can indeed get tired. Around 15 patients wait for her when Express reaches her house on a sunny afternoon. On the verandahs wall is painted: KIDNEY STONES. Narasamma. Cell: 80089 98308. Amudala. Time: 7 am to 1 pm. 2 pm to 4 pm. On any given day, at least 30 to 40 people visit her. It is said the crowd crosses the 100 mark on weekends. We are from Chengalpattu, says Ramalingam, who has been visiting Narasamma for the last five years. Although he says he hasnt been cured, he has brought seven women from his locality for treatment. Her attender grants permission and we enter her room. One journalist poses as a patient. The first thing that matters to Narasamma is if everyone has paid the fee. She counts the notes twice over, rechecks the head count and tells one patient he hasnt paid. Subsequently, she places the amount beneath her. Then, the pooja starts. Patients are asked to lift the clothes a little so that she can touch their backs and start the operation. As people gaze to see how the stones are extracted, her assistants shout at people who are either blocking the way or not properly seated. As the attention gets diverted for a few moments, Narasamma declares the work as accomplished. After all the patients in the session are cured, Narasamma proclaims to the crowd: You must eat banana on reaching home. And please drink this theertham before leaving. No non-vegetarian food, no alcohol, no smoking, drink a tumbler of banana stem juice in the morning and evening for one month. You should not take any X-ray for a month. If you still have a problem afterwards, come back and I will give you special treatment. She places burning camphor on her hand and gestures while circling the crowd of patients. It appears as if she does indeed possess magical powers. The crowd calmly disperses, believing theyve been cured. Outside, there is another set of patients who are waiting for their turn. The cycle starts again. Banana stem juice In traditional medicine like Siddha, it helps dissolve kidney stones. No doubt that banana stem juice is good for kidney stones. But it cannot be prescribed blindly since the treatment varies depending on stone size and its placement, says a senior doctor at the Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine. Narasammas powers She initially started removing thorns from the feet of farmers in the village, explains Amulu, an aide of Narasamma, who manages patients from Tamil Nadu. Consequently, Narasamma performed supposed medical feats without incisions. If someone is very ill, she visits them. But she charges D2,000 for this, explains Amulu. Official promises action The Chittoor District Collector PS Pradyumna did not respond to phone calls or SMS. However, Dr Vijaya Gowri, the Medical and Health officer of the Chittoor district, said she was unaware of the issue. Nobody has brought the issue to our notice. I will ask the local official to check the place, she told Express.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: Embroidery artisan Farooq Ahmed Dar -- tied to the bonnet of a jeep and paraded around town -- today said he was not a stone pelter, but a "small man" who had only gone out to vote. Dar denied allegations that he was among a group of people pelting security forces with stones in the Valley -- as alleged at a press conference here by Major Leetul Gogoi, the army officer who tied him to the jeep. "If that were the case, they should have handed me over to the police," Dar said.

He added that he was dismayed to hear that the Major had been awarded a commendation certificate for bravery. "Is dragging a person for kilometres on end an act of bravery," he asked. Dar said, recalling the April 9 incident, that he had gone to vote for the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency election, defying calls from militant groups to boycott the bypoll.

He was near Village Rayar, where he had gone to offer condolences to his brother-in-law for a death in the family, when he said he was picked up by the Major and used as a "human shield" against stone pelters in Kashmir. "I was moved around in circles through many villages before I was dropped off at Rayar in front of the 13 Rashtriya Rifle camp of the Army," he said.

The Major, however, claimed before the media that Dar had been caught throwing stones at Army personnel. Dar said he was untied by his brother and the village's sarpanch.

A video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the jeep went viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former general also said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army. The outrage prompted the Army to institute a probe into the incident.

The Jammu and Kashmir police also registered a case. The artisan said he was yet to be called by the police or the Army -- which has instituted a court of inquiry into the incident of April 9 -- for his side of the story. "It is a complete eyewash," he said about the inquiry. "They were never serious. I am a small man and why should anyone care," Dar told PTI from his home in Chill in Budgam district. More than a month after the incident, he said his statement was still to be registered. The newly appointed Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range), Munir Khan, had said earlier in Sopore that the police would carry out an investigation into the matter and that the FIR had not been quashed, as many feared. An FIR means the beginning of an investigation. So once an FIR is lodged, the investigation begins. Whatever comes out in the investigation is a separate matter, but the investigation will take place and it will be seen what is right and what is wrong, Khan said while replying to questions about the probe. The incident came up again when Major Gogoi was honoured yesterday with the Army Chiefs commendation card for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations. "I wonder whether tying a person to a jeep are his efforts in counter-insurgency operations," Dar said, regretting having stepped out of his home to vote. "I voted and was apparently penalised for this," he said.

His life, he said, had changed after this incident. "People keep looking at me," the 27-year-old man who earns his living by embroidering shawls said. Dar believed the state and central governments were trying to "bury the truth".

The state police, which came into action after the video went viral on social networking sites, registered a case of abduction with an intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation. "Information was received by the Beerwah Police station through reliable sources on April 9, 2017, that on the polling day of Parliament elections a news item was being telecast that a person identified as Farooq Ahmed Dar had been illegally confined by army personnel," the FIR said.

It said he had been tied with a rope to an army vehicle at Ghondipora and turned into a human shield. "On this information, the case has been registered and investigation taken up," the FIR filed in Urdu said.

SRINAGAR: Embroidery artisan Farooq Ahmed Dar -- tied to the bonnet of a jeep and paraded around town -- today said he was not a stone pelter, but a "small man" who had only gone out to vote. Dar denied allegations that he was among a group of people pelting security forces with stones in the Valley -- as alleged at a press conference here by Major Leetul Gogoi, the army officer who tied him to the jeep. "If that were the case, they should have handed me over to the police," Dar said. He added that he was dismayed to hear that the Major had been awarded a commendation certificate for bravery. "Is dragging a person for kilometres on end an act of bravery," he asked. Dar said, recalling the April 9 incident, that he had gone to vote for the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency election, defying calls from militant groups to boycott the bypoll. He was near Village Rayar, where he had gone to offer condolences to his brother-in-law for a death in the family, when he said he was picked up by the Major and used as a "human shield" against stone pelters in Kashmir. "I was moved around in circles through many villages before I was dropped off at Rayar in front of the 13 Rashtriya Rifle camp of the Army," he said. The Major, however, claimed before the media that Dar had been caught throwing stones at Army personnel. Dar said he was untied by his brother and the village's sarpanch. A video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the jeep went viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former general also said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army. The outrage prompted the Army to institute a probe into the incident. The Jammu and Kashmir police also registered a case. The artisan said he was yet to be called by the police or the Army -- which has instituted a court of inquiry into the incident of April 9 -- for his side of the story. "It is a complete eyewash," he said about the inquiry. "They were never serious. I am a small man and why should anyone care," Dar told PTI from his home in Chill in Budgam district. More than a month after the incident, he said his statement was still to be registered. The newly appointed Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range), Munir Khan, had said earlier in Sopore that the police would carry out an investigation into the matter and that the FIR had not been quashed, as many feared. An FIR means the beginning of an investigation. So once an FIR is lodged, the investigation begins. Whatever comes out in the investigation is a separate matter, but the investigation will take place and it will be seen what is right and what is wrong, Khan said while replying to questions about the probe. The incident came up again when Major Gogoi was honoured yesterday with the Army Chiefs commendation card for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations. "I wonder whether tying a person to a jeep are his efforts in counter-insurgency operations," Dar said, regretting having stepped out of his home to vote. "I voted and was apparently penalised for this," he said. His life, he said, had changed after this incident. "People keep looking at me," the 27-year-old man who earns his living by embroidering shawls said. Dar believed the state and central governments were trying to "bury the truth". The state police, which came into action after the video went viral on social networking sites, registered a case of abduction with an intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation. "Information was received by the Beerwah Police station through reliable sources on April 9, 2017, that on the polling day of Parliament elections a news item was being telecast that a person identified as Farooq Ahmed Dar had been illegally confined by army personnel," the FIR said. It said he had been tied with a rope to an army vehicle at Ghondipora and turned into a human shield. "On this information, the case has been registered and investigation taken up," the FIR filed in Urdu said.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was today arrested from his residence here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk this morning.

The JKLF chairman had yesterday visited the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral yesterday.

Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of "brute force" against the protestors.

The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was today arrested from his residence here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said. A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk this morning. The JKLF chairman had yesterday visited the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral yesterday. Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of "brute force" against the protestors. The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: A quarrel over a man raising his voice against a dogs barking led to the man and his 20-year-old daughter being stabbed to death in Bihars northern Madhubani district, police said on Sunday.

Bhola Sahni, 50, and his daughter Arti, 20, succumbed to their wounds while Sahnis son, Pradip, is recuperating at a local hospital from multiple stab wounds. The shocking incident took place at Bhachchi village under Raika police station area on Saturday evening.

When Bhola Sahni was returning from his crop field, a dog owned by Kalikant Chaudhary, 60, barked at him and obstructed his path. Sahni protested aloud and demanded that Chaudhary keep his dog tied up. This enraged Chaudhary so much that he attacked Sahni with a knife. He also attacked Sahnis daughter, Arti, as she reached the spot hearing her fathers shrieks. The profusely bleeding father-daughter duo was rushed to a nearby hospital, but they were declared brought dead.

The villagers, angered by the two deaths caused over a trivial matter, attacked Chaudharys house by pelting stones at it and then set a part of it on fire. A police team that reached there was also pelted with stones by the angry villagers.

All the eight accused, including main accused Kalikant Chaudhary and some of his family members, have been arrested. A police team is camping in the village to maintain peace, said Raika police station SHO Sanjay Kumar.

Trivial incidents involving dogs, goats and cows have led to severe clashes and loss of human lives in Bihars villages in the past. A 45-year-old man was brutally killed by a group of villagers in Muzaffarpur district last month because the bike he was riding accidentally hit a goat that had strayed onto the road. The victim, Navin Kumar, was beaten up mercilessly before the mob of villagers slit his throat.

PATNA: A quarrel over a man raising his voice against a dogs barking led to the man and his 20-year-old daughter being stabbed to death in Bihars northern Madhubani district, police said on Sunday. Bhola Sahni, 50, and his daughter Arti, 20, succumbed to their wounds while Sahnis son, Pradip, is recuperating at a local hospital from multiple stab wounds. The shocking incident took place at Bhachchi village under Raika police station area on Saturday evening. When Bhola Sahni was returning from his crop field, a dog owned by Kalikant Chaudhary, 60, barked at him and obstructed his path. Sahni protested aloud and demanded that Chaudhary keep his dog tied up. This enraged Chaudhary so much that he attacked Sahni with a knife. He also attacked Sahnis daughter, Arti, as she reached the spot hearing her fathers shrieks. The profusely bleeding father-daughter duo was rushed to a nearby hospital, but they were declared brought dead. The villagers, angered by the two deaths caused over a trivial matter, attacked Chaudharys house by pelting stones at it and then set a part of it on fire. A police team that reached there was also pelted with stones by the angry villagers. All the eight accused, including main accused Kalikant Chaudhary and some of his family members, have been arrested. A police team is camping in the village to maintain peace, said Raika police station SHO Sanjay Kumar. Trivial incidents involving dogs, goats and cows have led to severe clashes and loss of human lives in Bihars villages in the past. A 45-year-old man was brutally killed by a group of villagers in Muzaffarpur district last month because the bike he was riding accidentally hit a goat that had strayed onto the road. The victim, Navin Kumar, was beaten up mercilessly before the mob of villagers slit his throat.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat triggered protests and clashes at Tral, and many places in south, central and north Kashmir. Over 60 people sustained injuries through clashes with security forces in the south of the State. Of that, 20 sustained pellet injuries during clashes in Tral.

A police spokesman said stone pelting was reported from about two dozen places in different areas of valley.

As news of Sabzars death spread, there was spontaneous shutdown of shops in the valley, and public transport disappeared from the roads. Authorities, as a precautionary measure, imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of the State, including downtown Srinagar to prevent youth from taking to roads and staging protests.

Restrictions will remain in place on Sunday also, official sources said. Mobile internet services were suspended across the valley since Saturday afternoon as well. The government had on Friday lifted a month-long ban on 22 social networking websites and instant messaging services in the state. Security officials termed Sabzars killing as a major jolt to Hizb.

He (Sabzar) had taken over as Kashmir chief of Hizb after Burhans killing while Zakir, who recently quit the outfit, was given charge of social media. Sabzar was the brain behind using social media to propagate militancy and lure youth to militancy, they said, adding, He was an A ++ category militant, and carried a bounty of `10 lakh.

Sources said another slain militant Faizan, who is a teenager, had joined as a militant in March this year, after snatching a weapon from a CRPF jawan. He was studying in class 9 when he joined militancy this year, they said. Bodies of the slain militants were handed over to their families in the evening. The Army also successfully foiled infiltration bids in Rampur. Armymen detected suspicious movement along the LoC in Rampur sector early on Saturday morning.

The troops fired on the infiltrating militants, who returned fire. In the ensuing gunfight, six militants were killed, defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have called for shutdown on Sunday and Monday to protest the killing of Sabzar, his associate and six militants.

They also called for a march to Tral on May 30 to pay tributes to Sabzar and seven other militants killed in two separate encounters in the Valley on Saturday.

We condemn the use of brute force against the unarmed civilians, injuring hundreds of them and call for a strike on Sunday and Monday, a joint statement from separatists  chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, said here.

SRINAGAR: The killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat triggered protests and clashes at Tral, and many places in south, central and north Kashmir. Over 60 people sustained injuries through clashes with security forces in the south of the State. Of that, 20 sustained pellet injuries during clashes in Tral. A police spokesman said stone pelting was reported from about two dozen places in different areas of valley. As news of Sabzars death spread, there was spontaneous shutdown of shops in the valley, and public transport disappeared from the roads. Authorities, as a precautionary measure, imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of the State, including downtown Srinagar to prevent youth from taking to roads and staging protests. Restrictions will remain in place on Sunday also, official sources said. Mobile internet services were suspended across the valley since Saturday afternoon as well. The government had on Friday lifted a month-long ban on 22 social networking websites and instant messaging services in the state. Security officials termed Sabzars killing as a major jolt to Hizb. He (Sabzar) had taken over as Kashmir chief of Hizb after Burhans killing while Zakir, who recently quit the outfit, was given charge of social media. Sabzar was the brain behind using social media to propagate militancy and lure youth to militancy, they said, adding, He was an A ++ category militant, and carried a bounty of `10 lakh. Sources said another slain militant Faizan, who is a teenager, had joined as a militant in March this year, after snatching a weapon from a CRPF jawan. He was studying in class 9 when he joined militancy this year, they said. Bodies of the slain militants were handed over to their families in the evening. The Army also successfully foiled infiltration bids in Rampur. Armymen detected suspicious movement along the LoC in Rampur sector early on Saturday morning. The troops fired on the infiltrating militants, who returned fire. In the ensuing gunfight, six militants were killed, defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have called for shutdown on Sunday and Monday to protest the killing of Sabzar, his associate and six militants. They also called for a march to Tral on May 30 to pay tributes to Sabzar and seven other militants killed in two separate encounters in the Valley on Saturday. We condemn the use of brute force against the unarmed civilians, injuring hundreds of them and call for a strike on Sunday and Monday, a joint statement from separatists  chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, said here.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir.

An Army official said today that, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in death of one army porter and injuries to another".

The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.

SRINAGAR: An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir. An Army official said today that, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in death of one army porter and injuries to another". The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.
By PTI

GANDHINAGAR: Amid an atmosphere of anxiety among citizens following detection of Zika virus in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government today said all the three cases were isolated and currently no such threat exists.

Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh claimed ample steps have been taken after the National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirmed that three persons from Ahmedabad were infected with Zika between January and February, 2017.

"There is nothing to worry about at present. Out of the three patients found to be infected with Zika, two were pregnant women while one was a 64-year-old man. All the three cases were isolated, and no new case was found since February, when the third and last case emerged," Singh told reporters.

State authorities had sent blood samples of these three patients to NIV for final confirmation after the laboratory attached with B J Medical College in Ahmedabad found presence of Zika virus in primary screening of blood samples, he added.

Among these, two pregnant women belonged to Bapunagar area of the city while the elderly man was from western part of Ahmedabad, Singh said.

According to him, the two women later gave birth to healthy children having no sign of Zika infection or any other deficiency due to the infection to their mothers.

"After we came to know about these cases, health authorities had launched a massive drive in those areas during those months and collected thousands of sample from the patients who were having fever. However, not a single positive case was found," said Singh.

Yesterday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that three positive cases of Zika virus have been reported in Ahmedabad city between January and February.

Asked why the Gujarat government had not announced the same at that time, Singh said it was not a secret, as the Union Health Ministry had already announced it during the last Parliament session in March.

"While responding to a question in Parliament in March, Union Minister of State for Health had announced that three cases of Zika were found in Ahmedabad. This was also reported by some newspapers at that time. Thus, there was no secrecy from the government's side," claimed Singh.

He also said it is still unclear how this virus entered Gujarat, as none of the patients had gone abroad.

"Zika can spread locally through mosquitoes or it can enter India if the infected person comes back from a foreign country. All the three Zika patients never went abroad in their life. Thus, it is still unclear how they got infected," said Singh.

According to Gujarat Health Commissioner J P Gupta, around 350 health teams have screened 25,000 houses in Bapunagar area during January and February, however, no positive case of Zika infection was found.

"Apart from mosquito bite, this virus also spreads through sexual transmission. When the first sample was tested positive for Zika by NIV, we had launched a massive drive to find other cases through 350 teams. But, no new case was found," said Gupta.

Asked about the allegation of secrecy maintained by the state government, Gupta also said the issue was very much public as the Centre had already announced it in Parliament.

"It was Centre which informed WHO about the virus. WHO had not announced from their side. There was no immediate public health scare. All these cases were random and not linked. We only did primary tests while final confirmation came from the NIV," said Gupta.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has assured citizens that Zika poses no immediate threat at present.

"All the three cases were old. As soon as our government learned about it, we have taken decisive steps. It is my appeal not to panic, as no new case has emerged since then. My government is taking all steps to stop the spread of Zika virus," he said at a function in Kheda district.

Meanwhile, Dr Atul Patel, an expert and an advisor to state government on health issues, said there is no specific cure for Zika and it is a non-fatal virus unlike that of dengue.

"Zika virus belongs to the same family of malaria and chikungunya. If it infects a pregnant woman, then it may infect the brain of the newborn. Otherwise, this is not life threatening. Since there is no specific cure, patients can take paracetamol and take rest till he revives with time," he added.

GANDHINAGAR: Amid an atmosphere of anxiety among citizens following detection of Zika virus in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government today said all the three cases were isolated and currently no such threat exists. Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh claimed ample steps have been taken after the National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirmed that three persons from Ahmedabad were infected with Zika between January and February, 2017. "There is nothing to worry about at present. Out of the three patients found to be infected with Zika, two were pregnant women while one was a 64-year-old man. All the three cases were isolated, and no new case was found since February, when the third and last case emerged," Singh told reporters. State authorities had sent blood samples of these three patients to NIV for final confirmation after the laboratory attached with B J Medical College in Ahmedabad found presence of Zika virus in primary screening of blood samples, he added. Among these, two pregnant women belonged to Bapunagar area of the city while the elderly man was from western part of Ahmedabad, Singh said. According to him, the two women later gave birth to healthy children having no sign of Zika infection or any other deficiency due to the infection to their mothers. "After we came to know about these cases, health authorities had launched a massive drive in those areas during those months and collected thousands of sample from the patients who were having fever. However, not a single positive case was found," said Singh. Yesterday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that three positive cases of Zika virus have been reported in Ahmedabad city between January and February. Asked why the Gujarat government had not announced the same at that time, Singh said it was not a secret, as the Union Health Ministry had already announced it during the last Parliament session in March. "While responding to a question in Parliament in March, Union Minister of State for Health had announced that three cases of Zika were found in Ahmedabad. This was also reported by some newspapers at that time. Thus, there was no secrecy from the government's side," claimed Singh. He also said it is still unclear how this virus entered Gujarat, as none of the patients had gone abroad. "Zika can spread locally through mosquitoes or it can enter India if the infected person comes back from a foreign country. All the three Zika patients never went abroad in their life. Thus, it is still unclear how they got infected," said Singh. According to Gujarat Health Commissioner J P Gupta, around 350 health teams have screened 25,000 houses in Bapunagar area during January and February, however, no positive case of Zika infection was found. "Apart from mosquito bite, this virus also spreads through sexual transmission. When the first sample was tested positive for Zika by NIV, we had launched a massive drive to find other cases through 350 teams. But, no new case was found," said Gupta. Asked about the allegation of secrecy maintained by the state government, Gupta also said the issue was very much public as the Centre had already announced it in Parliament. "It was Centre which informed WHO about the virus. WHO had not announced from their side. There was no immediate public health scare. All these cases were random and not linked. We only did primary tests while final confirmation came from the NIV," said Gupta. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has assured citizens that Zika poses no immediate threat at present. "All the three cases were old. As soon as our government learned about it, we have taken decisive steps. It is my appeal not to panic, as no new case has emerged since then. My government is taking all steps to stop the spread of Zika virus," he said at a function in Kheda district. Meanwhile, Dr Atul Patel, an expert and an advisor to state government on health issues, said there is no specific cure for Zika and it is a non-fatal virus unlike that of dengue. "Zika virus belongs to the same family of malaria and chikungunya. If it infects a pregnant woman, then it may infect the brain of the newborn. Otherwise, this is not life threatening. Since there is no specific cure, patients can take paracetamol and take rest till he revives with time," he added.
Ravi Shankar By

Contrary to kinetics, the couch potatos life is fraught with nervous strife. The television viewers perception of India is being distorted in a mad race for TRP numbers.

Over seven crore Indians watch TV. Most are treated to a feast of blood and gore on news channels; as if all that happens around is murder and mayhem. In its cathode dementia, Dalits and Muslims are lynched in a loop by bloodthirsty vegetarians defending cows. A mans daylight murder by a sword-wielding killer is prime time news.

Violence is what makes news in India today. Reporting is passe. The voyeuristic skills of anyone with a mobile phone and an internet connection can yield a scoopwhy spend time and money covering a real story in these days of downloads? Its Breaking News, buddy. YouTube is me-time for todays TV journalist.

Then there is banshee hour; a gab-orgy of talking heads as pulchritudinous as mummified monkeys, possessing less taste than a frozen mushroom with the introspective skills of a sociopath on steroids. They speak authoritatively on everything from GST to Kashmir; frothing at the mouth, droning on in soporific monotones or exhibiting the nervous ticks of the small screen neophyte.

Switch channels and the same faces ponderously spout the same balderdash in a TV version of Dantes circles of TRP Hell. Its the ephemeral celebrity of mediocrity that news television celebrates, parading experts as philosophers of panic, Neros of narrative and prurient Platos of parodies.

The picture is not complete without mentioning the hysterical hilarities in badly cut suits screaming at some hapless spokesperson or politician. Little twerps, just out of their diapers and minds, yelling Apologise!

News? Wazzat?

Television until today has not broken a story significant enough to shake up any government. In the 1980s, Indian Express brought down a prime minister with its Bofors corruption campaign. India Today magazine felled a government by scooping the Jain Commission report. Now, labels are bandied about with cavalier abandonsympathiser, liar, traitor... what happened to ol fashioned good taste and mature opinion? Instead of information, stories are being planted with frenzy as if horticulture is going out of fashionFirst on Our Channelas if a few seconds in between beam times will dilute the effect of an incident. Planters have replaced sources.

And most stories seen on TV are broken by newspapers or magazines first.

What news consumers expect is information and considered opinioncontext to understand the country and the times. News websites offer this aplenty, as well as newspapers. Television is in panic, losing its war against the social media. Its extinction is as inevitable as Jeff Bezos. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings believes broadcast and cable television will be dead in the next 20 years.

The rate at which technology is progressing, infotainment streams are converging on the smart phone. Apps are edging out linear TV. Unless TV reinvents itself as a credible source of news and views, the days of dressing up sensational social media as content will soon be its dog days.

You cant hunt with Fox News and run with the hare-raisers and expect to be taken seriously.

Contrary to kinetics, the couch potatos life is fraught with nervous strife. The television viewers perception of India is being distorted in a mad race for TRP numbers. Over seven crore Indians watch TV. Most are treated to a feast of blood and gore on news channels; as if all that happens around is murder and mayhem. In its cathode dementia, Dalits and Muslims are lynched in a loop by bloodthirsty vegetarians defending cows. A mans daylight murder by a sword-wielding killer is prime time news. Violence is what makes news in India today. Reporting is passe. The voyeuristic skills of anyone with a mobile phone and an internet connection can yield a scoopwhy spend time and money covering a real story in these days of downloads? Its Breaking News, buddy. YouTube is me-time for todays TV journalist. Then there is banshee hour; a gab-orgy of talking heads as pulchritudinous as mummified monkeys, possessing less taste than a frozen mushroom with the introspective skills of a sociopath on steroids. They speak authoritatively on everything from GST to Kashmir; frothing at the mouth, droning on in soporific monotones or exhibiting the nervous ticks of the small screen neophyte. Switch channels and the same faces ponderously spout the same balderdash in a TV version of Dantes circles of TRP Hell. Its the ephemeral celebrity of mediocrity that news television celebrates, parading experts as philosophers of panic, Neros of narrative and prurient Platos of parodies. The picture is not complete without mentioning the hysterical hilarities in badly cut suits screaming at some hapless spokesperson or politician. Little twerps, just out of their diapers and minds, yelling Apologise! News? Wazzat? Television until today has not broken a story significant enough to shake up any government. In the 1980s, Indian Express brought down a prime minister with its Bofors corruption campaign. India Today magazine felled a government by scooping the Jain Commission report. Now, labels are bandied about with cavalier abandonsympathiser, liar, traitor... what happened to ol fashioned good taste and mature opinion? Instead of information, stories are being planted with frenzy as if horticulture is going out of fashionFirst on Our Channelas if a few seconds in between beam times will dilute the effect of an incident. Planters have replaced sources. And most stories seen on TV are broken by newspapers or magazines first. What news consumers expect is information and considered opinioncontext to understand the country and the times. News websites offer this aplenty, as well as newspapers. Television is in panic, losing its war against the social media. Its extinction is as inevitable as Jeff Bezos. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings believes broadcast and cable television will be dead in the next 20 years. The rate at which technology is progressing, infotainment streams are converging on the smart phone. Apps are edging out linear TV. Unless TV reinvents itself as a credible source of news and views, the days of dressing up sensational social media as content will soon be its dog days. You cant hunt with Fox News and run with the hare-raisers and expect to be taken seriously.
Shankkar Aiyar By

Three years back, following the decimation of the Congress and the Opposition in the 2014 polls, this column said, only half in jest, that India has movedfrom no government to no opposition. It would seem the parties in the Opposition have taken it to their heart.

In any functioning democracy, the Opposition is obliged to challenge the precepts and practices of the ruling regime. I had described the defeat as the decimation of inaction and ineptitude. Three years later, after a series of defeats, the Congress particularly, and other parties seem to struggle to find motivation and political aptitude to take on the regime.



The organising principle of Modis Sarkar is, and has been, managing the narrative to establish and sustain order. It has rolled out an agenda of intent and initiatives backed by a parade of acronyms and converted existing words to create backronymsto enable and enlarge allegiance.



There is no disputing the successesthe Jan Dhan initiative, rural electrification, Ujjwala Yojana for instance. But the government has also fumbled and struggled with issuesfor instance, agricultural distress, urbanisation, and job creation. The parties in the Opposition have flapped, but failed in challenging the ruling front.



Yes, there has been the stalling of Rajya Sabha, the walkouts in Lok Sabha and orchestration of outrages. But a rant does not make for a strategy. It would appear there is non-application of minds on approach, strategy and tactics. The approach has been personalised, whereas it should have been professional scrutiny of governmentin Parliament, in Committees and on the streets. The strategy should have been to present a mirror to the governmentwords vs action. The tactic seems to be to occupy media space, whereas it should be about raising issues that demand public attention.



It is true that Modi is acknowledged as the master of the metaphor and the medium. But the point to note is that at every outing he deploys the promise of possibilities. Content is crafted for context. Real time politics calls for attention not just to what he says, but when he doesnt speak. Leaders in the Congress and elsewhere have erroneously come to believe smart communication is about one-liners. The instrumentality of one-liners has limitations. Phraseology has a sell-by datethe dubbing of claims as jumlas has in itself become a jumla. And calling out the media as afraid definitely doesnt help the cause.

Unlike the previous regimes, the Modi-led NDA has straddled the socio-political economy to propel its political growth. The challenge for the Opposition is to analyse and present the sociopolitical aspects of economic decisions. On Friday, the government announced a ban on sale of cattle for slaughter. Does the Opposition, particularly the Congress have a strategy, a view on the intended and unintended consequences on farmers and communities.

The Kerala government has said it will challenge it. What about the other parties? There is the immediate and there are long simmering issues. Kashmir has been on the boil for months, the uprising of stone-wielding teenagers, are worrisome. Is mere criticism sufficient?

There is a sense of disquiet about jobless growth. It is not enough to question the growththe need is to prove the opposite with hard data and cases, and present the implications. Farmer distress is an issue that demands not just outrage, but also ideas beyond doles and waivers for resolution. Similarly, the GST is seen as a major disruptoras all changes are.

The focus of the discourse should have been on the consumers. It should have been on jobs, the spectre of marginalisation of small business, on the informal sector which employs the bulk of the workforce. The new structure of taxation may translate into vulnerabilities for sectors and geographies. Will a higher tax on hotels hurt tourism and employment? These are the questions that politics must find answers to. These are issues that need constant, real time follow-ups.

The principal problem with the Opposition is the lack, and perhaps the absence of competitive ideas. It cannot be that the Opposition lacks successes or experienceManik Sarkar of CPM has been the CM since 1998, Naveen Patnaik of BJD has been the CM since 2000, Nitish Kumar since 2005, and Mamata Banerjee since 2011. Clearly, they must be getting something right. The UPA had nine former CMs, surely they have ideas that could be on the Opposition menu.

This week, leaders of 17 parties met in New Delhiostensibly to choose a consensus candidate for the Presidential polls. But the discourse was mostly about the state of the Opposition in the face of the juggernaut called Modis Sarkar. The BJD and the TRS stayed away. Sharad Yadav attended the luncheon even as Nitish Kumar chose to meet Modi. The fact that Lalu Yadav family is embroiled in corruption scandals had triggered speculation about a possible ghar wapsi.

The sum of pieces approach of the Opposition to confront the BJP is backed by arithmetic theory, but the political promise is challenged and deflated by ground realities. It is one thing for Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati to be in the same room, and quite another to expect them to be on the same dais. Like the SP and the BSP, Mamata Banerjees TMC and CPM cannot accept to be frenemies.

The DMK, like the RJD and SP, is a family enterprise wallowing in feuds and scandals. The NCPwhich was in coalition with Congress in Maharashtra for 15 years and in the Centre for 10 yearscannot make up its mind on friends and foes, whether it must fight elder sibling Congress or the BJP. Family and granular interests haunt the Opposition and fog the road ahead.

The Opposition has scarcely learnt from the 2014 debaclethe Modi Mission was driven by a raft of solutions riding on the template of pride. It is not enough anymorein a country with 60 per cent populace under 35to state the obvious about what is not working. To be relevant to the masses, parties need to put across solutions.

Wooing the young demography of India calls for parties to dismantle the status quo, retire the geriatrics and craft and present an alternate narrative. Failing which, they can always download the theme song of Rajiv Shukla-administered IPLYeh Dus Saal Aapke Naamas a caller tune.



shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com

Three years back, following the decimation of the Congress and the Opposition in the 2014 polls, this column said, only half in jest, that India has movedfrom no government to no opposition. It would seem the parties in the Opposition have taken it to their heart. In any functioning democracy, the Opposition is obliged to challenge the precepts and practices of the ruling regime. I had described the defeat as the decimation of inaction and ineptitude. Three years later, after a series of defeats, the Congress particularly, and other parties seem to struggle to find motivation and political aptitude to take on the regime. The organising principle of Modis Sarkar is, and has been, managing the narrative to establish and sustain order. It has rolled out an agenda of intent and initiatives backed by a parade of acronyms and converted existing words to create backronymsto enable and enlarge allegiance. There is no disputing the successesthe Jan Dhan initiative, rural electrification, Ujjwala Yojana for instance. But the government has also fumbled and struggled with issuesfor instance, agricultural distress, urbanisation, and job creation. The parties in the Opposition have flapped, but failed in challenging the ruling front. Yes, there has been the stalling of Rajya Sabha, the walkouts in Lok Sabha and orchestration of outrages. But a rant does not make for a strategy. It would appear there is non-application of minds on approach, strategy and tactics. The approach has been personalised, whereas it should have been professional scrutiny of governmentin Parliament, in Committees and on the streets. The strategy should have been to present a mirror to the governmentwords vs action. The tactic seems to be to occupy media space, whereas it should be about raising issues that demand public attention. It is true that Modi is acknowledged as the master of the metaphor and the medium. But the point to note is that at every outing he deploys the promise of possibilities. Content is crafted for context. Real time politics calls for attention not just to what he says, but when he doesnt speak. Leaders in the Congress and elsewhere have erroneously come to believe smart communication is about one-liners. The instrumentality of one-liners has limitations. Phraseology has a sell-by datethe dubbing of claims as jumlas has in itself become a jumla. And calling out the media as afraid definitely doesnt help the cause. Unlike the previous regimes, the Modi-led NDA has straddled the socio-political economy to propel its political growth. The challenge for the Opposition is to analyse and present the sociopolitical aspects of economic decisions. On Friday, the government announced a ban on sale of cattle for slaughter. Does the Opposition, particularly the Congress have a strategy, a view on the intended and unintended consequences on farmers and communities. The Kerala government has said it will challenge it. What about the other parties? There is the immediate and there are long simmering issues. Kashmir has been on the boil for months, the uprising of stone-wielding teenagers, are worrisome. Is mere criticism sufficient? There is a sense of disquiet about jobless growth. It is not enough to question the growththe need is to prove the opposite with hard data and cases, and present the implications. Farmer distress is an issue that demands not just outrage, but also ideas beyond doles and waivers for resolution. Similarly, the GST is seen as a major disruptoras all changes are. The focus of the discourse should have been on the consumers. It should have been on jobs, the spectre of marginalisation of small business, on the informal sector which employs the bulk of the workforce. The new structure of taxation may translate into vulnerabilities for sectors and geographies. Will a higher tax on hotels hurt tourism and employment? These are the questions that politics must find answers to. These are issues that need constant, real time follow-ups. The principal problem with the Opposition is the lack, and perhaps the absence of competitive ideas. It cannot be that the Opposition lacks successes or experienceManik Sarkar of CPM has been the CM since 1998, Naveen Patnaik of BJD has been the CM since 2000, Nitish Kumar since 2005, and Mamata Banerjee since 2011. Clearly, they must be getting something right. The UPA had nine former CMs, surely they have ideas that could be on the Opposition menu. This week, leaders of 17 parties met in New Delhiostensibly to choose a consensus candidate for the Presidential polls. But the discourse was mostly about the state of the Opposition in the face of the juggernaut called Modis Sarkar. The BJD and the TRS stayed away. Sharad Yadav attended the luncheon even as Nitish Kumar chose to meet Modi. The fact that Lalu Yadav family is embroiled in corruption scandals had triggered speculation about a possible ghar wapsi. The sum of pieces approach of the Opposition to confront the BJP is backed by arithmetic theory, but the political promise is challenged and deflated by ground realities. It is one thing for Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati to be in the same room, and quite another to expect them to be on the same dais. Like the SP and the BSP, Mamata Banerjees TMC and CPM cannot accept to be frenemies. The DMK, like the RJD and SP, is a family enterprise wallowing in feuds and scandals. The NCPwhich was in coalition with Congress in Maharashtra for 15 years and in the Centre for 10 yearscannot make up its mind on friends and foes, whether it must fight elder sibling Congress or the BJP. Family and granular interests haunt the Opposition and fog the road ahead. The Opposition has scarcely learnt from the 2014 debaclethe Modi Mission was driven by a raft of solutions riding on the template of pride. It is not enough anymorein a country with 60 per cent populace under 35to state the obvious about what is not working. To be relevant to the masses, parties need to put across solutions. Wooing the young demography of India calls for parties to dismantle the status quo, retire the geriatrics and craft and present an alternate narrative. Failing which, they can always download the theme song of Rajiv Shukla-administered IPLYeh Dus Saal Aapke Naamas a caller tune. shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com
T J S George By

Abu Zubaydah, a high-value associate of fellow Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden, was captured by Americas CIA from a safe house in Pakistan in 2002 (Pakistans ISI got $10 million for services rendered). Badly wounded, Zubaydah was put on painkillers. CIA strategists manipulated the medication until the man was hallucinated into believing that he was in Saudi Arabian custody. Feeling relieved, he gave the doctors a telephone number and asked them to call a member of the Saudi royal family to ask for further instructions.

He also revealed that the royals had agreed in late 1990s to support bin Laden in return for assurances that the kingdom would be excluded from his jihad. The CIA got to work. Three Saudi leaders and a Pakistani army officer, Zubaydah had named, died one after another in accidents. All secrets were safe.

Details like these, described in the 2003 book Why America Slept: The failure to prevent 9/11 by Gerald Posner, are alarming enough.

They get scary when read alongside reports that, after President George Bush proclaimed a no-fly order covering Americas entire airspace following the 9/11 attack, a solitary aircraft rose from the Washington area and flew out of American space, safely, unchallenged. It was a Saudi Arabian passenger plane. Few knowledgeable people today doubt that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 terror strike that shook the world. Of the 19 terrorists in the four hijacked planes, 15 were Saudi citizens.

It was from this Saudi Arabia that the new President of the United States appealed to Muslim nations last week to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary in their soil. He told what was called the Arab Islamic American Summit (35 Sunni countries friendly with the Saudis) that it was necessary to honestly confront the crisis of Islamist extremism.

As it happens, Islamist extremism is also a wholly Saudi Arabian contribution. Warring tribal chieftains who established the Saudi dynasty, used Wahhabism, a violently orthodox reconstruction of Islam, as a ruse to build up their hegemony in the Arabian peninsula. In recent years, they have been using it to spread Saudi-Wahhabi influence in countries with large Muslim populations. The flow of Saudi money and Saudi evangelists has been radicalising local Islamic communities in many countries, including India.

An unplanned offshoot of Saudi Arabias undeclared religious war is the rise of the IS, (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a caliphate that is out to capture the world by force). The ground was prepared for them, first, by the Bush profiteers who created a war to milk Iraqs oil resources and, then, by Saudi Arabias putsch to establish Sunni dominance over Iraqs Shias and Syrias ruling Alawi sect. An entire generation in the region has been brutalised by Saudi machinations.

From Wahhabisms rise in the 18th century and the founding of the Saudi Kingdom in 1932 to the rise of IS in 1999, Saudi Arabia has been the principal incubator of the terrorism that gentlemen like Donald Trump now condemn. But they dare not point a finger at Saudi Arabia. For a moment Trump sounded like he was finally calling a spade a spade when he told the aforementioned Summit: No discussion on stamping out terrorism would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three (essentials) safe harbour, financial backing, and social standing for recruitment.

A perfect profile of Saudi Arabia, but Trump hastened to say: I am speaking of course of Iran. What relief! Ironically, Trump and his Saudi hosts attacked Iran just when the only democratic election in the region saw the re-election in Iran of a modernist-moderate, Hassan Rouhani, over a hardline cleric.

But Trumps rhetoric is fully understandable. He is a deal-maker with his mind focussed on money. Saudi Arabia agreed to buy US weapons worth $100 billion. It agreed to invest $350 billion in America. It agreed also to give $100 million to a womans business fund promoted by Lady Trump. Thats real money. For Trump, the embrace of Saudi Arabia is the embrace of money. America First as he proclaims.

What about us? Our joint projects with Iranthe Chabahar port, gas pipelinesare of great value not only economically but also strategically, considering Chinas parallel activities with Pakistan. Smart nations find ways to pursue their bilateral interests without letting third parties come in the way. We let the America First approach come in the way of what should be an India First stance with Iran.

Abu Zubaydah, a high-value associate of fellow Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden, was captured by Americas CIA from a safe house in Pakistan in 2002 (Pakistans ISI got $10 million for services rendered). Badly wounded, Zubaydah was put on painkillers. CIA strategists manipulated the medication until the man was hallucinated into believing that he was in Saudi Arabian custody. Feeling relieved, he gave the doctors a telephone number and asked them to call a member of the Saudi royal family to ask for further instructions. He also revealed that the royals had agreed in late 1990s to support bin Laden in return for assurances that the kingdom would be excluded from his jihad. The CIA got to work. Three Saudi leaders and a Pakistani army officer, Zubaydah had named, died one after another in accidents. All secrets were safe. Details like these, described in the 2003 book Why America Slept: The failure to prevent 9/11 by Gerald Posner, are alarming enough. They get scary when read alongside reports that, after President George Bush proclaimed a no-fly order covering Americas entire airspace following the 9/11 attack, a solitary aircraft rose from the Washington area and flew out of American space, safely, unchallenged. It was a Saudi Arabian passenger plane. Few knowledgeable people today doubt that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 terror strike that shook the world. Of the 19 terrorists in the four hijacked planes, 15 were Saudi citizens. It was from this Saudi Arabia that the new President of the United States appealed to Muslim nations last week to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary in their soil. He told what was called the Arab Islamic American Summit (35 Sunni countries friendly with the Saudis) that it was necessary to honestly confront the crisis of Islamist extremism. As it happens, Islamist extremism is also a wholly Saudi Arabian contribution. Warring tribal chieftains who established the Saudi dynasty, used Wahhabism, a violently orthodox reconstruction of Islam, as a ruse to build up their hegemony in the Arabian peninsula. In recent years, they have been using it to spread Saudi-Wahhabi influence in countries with large Muslim populations. The flow of Saudi money and Saudi evangelists has been radicalising local Islamic communities in many countries, including India. An unplanned offshoot of Saudi Arabias undeclared religious war is the rise of the IS, (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a caliphate that is out to capture the world by force). The ground was prepared for them, first, by the Bush profiteers who created a war to milk Iraqs oil resources and, then, by Saudi Arabias putsch to establish Sunni dominance over Iraqs Shias and Syrias ruling Alawi sect. An entire generation in the region has been brutalised by Saudi machinations. From Wahhabisms rise in the 18th century and the founding of the Saudi Kingdom in 1932 to the rise of IS in 1999, Saudi Arabia has been the principal incubator of the terrorism that gentlemen like Donald Trump now condemn. But they dare not point a finger at Saudi Arabia. For a moment Trump sounded like he was finally calling a spade a spade when he told the aforementioned Summit: No discussion on stamping out terrorism would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three (essentials) safe harbour, financial backing, and social standing for recruitment. A perfect profile of Saudi Arabia, but Trump hastened to say: I am speaking of course of Iran. What relief! Ironically, Trump and his Saudi hosts attacked Iran just when the only democratic election in the region saw the re-election in Iran of a modernist-moderate, Hassan Rouhani, over a hardline cleric. But Trumps rhetoric is fully understandable. He is a deal-maker with his mind focussed on money. Saudi Arabia agreed to buy US weapons worth $100 billion. It agreed to invest $350 billion in America. It agreed also to give $100 million to a womans business fund promoted by Lady Trump. Thats real money. For Trump, the embrace of Saudi Arabia is the embrace of money. America First as he proclaims. What about us? Our joint projects with Iranthe Chabahar port, gas pipelinesare of great value not only economically but also strategically, considering Chinas parallel activities with Pakistan. Smart nations find ways to pursue their bilateral interests without letting third parties come in the way. We let the America First approach come in the way of what should be an India First stance with Iran.
Prabhu Chawla By

We have tried to give new perspective to employment as it is not possible to provide employment to everyone in a country of 125 crore people. We are promoting self-employment and the government has made eight crore people self-employed.

Amit Shah, BJP President, on May 26

The test of the true politician is not just establishing ownership of an idea, but about how it is repackaged and sold. Selling the means of livelihood is the time-tested power pitch of leaders, but the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team has re-engineered the paradigm of political marketing by replacing sponsored employment with self-employment, thereby giving a new twist to the politics of economics. Modis 2014 Lok Sabha campaign flew high on the promise of creating one crore jobs every year. Now, it seems he never meant government jobs. Three years after the BJP thundered to power, job creation is lower than what it was eight years ago.

According to official statistics, less than half-a-million jobs were actualised during the first two years of NDA government as against about a million in 2009. A government survey also found jobs were dwindling in most large scale employment-generating sectors such as textiles, handloom, leather, metals, automobiles, gems and jewellery, transport and information technology. With over 1.3 crore new job seekers flooding the market every year, vanishing employment opportunities are bound to damage the credibility of a government which has engineered over 7 per cent GDP growththe highest in the world.

As the government celebrated the completion of the third year in office, critics found the sluggish pace of job growth a convenient stick to beat the government with. But Shah and his team have perfected the art of converting adversity into opportunity. Buoyed by electoral victories in various states, he unfolded the governments new economic model of producing maaliks (owners) instead of naukers (servants). A New Deal is being prepared to make India self-reliant.

A mechanism is almost in place to empower entrepreneurs who create both wealth and employment. Shahs exposition fits well with the BJPs economic ideology, which doesnt believe in public sector dominance. The campaign promise of every political party since Independence had been to eliminate unemployment. All the 12 Five Year Plans failed to create any favourable environment for absorbing surplus labour. However, a plethora of government institutions, PSUs and unnecessary departments were created to accommodate both eligible and ineligible youth to prevent social unrest.

From the time of Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, the government was the biggest job provider even though productivity and utility were going downhill. The Indian political establishment has thrived and survived by breeding government jobs for their admirers and followers. Seeking vote-for-naukri has been their winning instrument. But as the incapacity of the government to bloat limitlessly sucked in, the focus shifted to its redundant and underemployed workforce. It was former prime minister

P V Narasimha Rao who first understood the governments disadvantageous compulsions over work viz vocation. He decided to shrink the public sector and encourage private entrepreneurs to create wealth and work. Rao tweaked government policies to ensure large-scale projects were increasingly given to the private sector. His government cleared a record 200-plus new power projects. Since 1991, the number of new government jobs is in free fall.

Unfortunately, the nation has been let down by the corporate sector, which has basked in the warmth of massive tax concessions and irresponsible bank loans without creating enough jobs. Inexplicably, the economy has grown at an average rate of over 6 per cent since economic reform began, but job market expansion has slowed. The fault lies with the skewed New Indian Economic Model in which the contribution of the labour-intensive agriculture and manufacturing sectors has plummeted by more than half in 25 years. On the other hand, the services sector accounts for more than 55 per cent, but has failed to compensate by adding new jobs. Capital and technology have replaced labour.

The Modi-Shah road map envisages liberal grant of capital and powerful use of technology to produce a line of entrepreneurs who can become mini-capitalists in the long run. For the past three years, Modis discourse has been more about technology and ease of doing business rather than pushing government agencies to create employment velocity.

He has realised it is more productive to form new wealth creators and self-employed innovators than adding to the existing phalanx of unproductive babus, stenographers, drivers, peons and subordinate government staff. Incremental salaries and perks of a burgeoning government is a massive burden on national revenues. Shahs recent promise to expand the entrepreneurial horizon recalled the spectacular success of two innovative schemes launched by Modi. Indias economic growth has suffered, lacking enough skilled labour. In July 2015, Skill India campaign aimed to train over 40 crore people in different disciplines by 2022. Modi allocated an amount of `17,000 crore; the highest-ever in this sector.

Subsequently, many multinationals set up similar projects. Every year, both the government and private institutes will be training over one crore youth as professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons and commercial painters so that there is no shortage of skilled labour. Construction, retail, transportation, logistics, automobile and handloom sectors will need an additional estimated skilled workforce of over 12 crore by 2022. Modis success in creating a gigantic non-government job market can dilute the demand for caste-based reservations since a skilled labour force from unprivileged sections of society will get better paying jobs post skill training.

Finally, Modis real trump card is the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank for development and refinancing activities relating to micro units. Over `1.50 lakh crore has been distributed to over three crore beneficiaries so far. The BJPs non-welfare state ideology insists on opening up government coffers to facilitate the creation of a new army of small and mid-level capitalists who will employ skilled young Indians, and thereby minimise unemployment. By facilitating such creation of new entrepreneurs, Modi has expedited the delivery of his promise of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.

Prabhu Chawla

prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com

Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla

We have tried to give new perspective to employment as it is not possible to provide employment to everyone in a country of 125 crore people. We are promoting self-employment and the government has made eight crore people self-employed. Amit Shah, BJP President, on May 26 The test of the true politician is not just establishing ownership of an idea, but about how it is repackaged and sold. Selling the means of livelihood is the time-tested power pitch of leaders, but the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team has re-engineered the paradigm of political marketing by replacing sponsored employment with self-employment, thereby giving a new twist to the politics of economics. Modis 2014 Lok Sabha campaign flew high on the promise of creating one crore jobs every year. Now, it seems he never meant government jobs. Three years after the BJP thundered to power, job creation is lower than what it was eight years ago. According to official statistics, less than half-a-million jobs were actualised during the first two years of NDA government as against about a million in 2009. A government survey also found jobs were dwindling in most large scale employment-generating sectors such as textiles, handloom, leather, metals, automobiles, gems and jewellery, transport and information technology. With over 1.3 crore new job seekers flooding the market every year, vanishing employment opportunities are bound to damage the credibility of a government which has engineered over 7 per cent GDP growththe highest in the world. As the government celebrated the completion of the third year in office, critics found the sluggish pace of job growth a convenient stick to beat the government with. But Shah and his team have perfected the art of converting adversity into opportunity. Buoyed by electoral victories in various states, he unfolded the governments new economic model of producing maaliks (owners) instead of naukers (servants). A New Deal is being prepared to make India self-reliant. A mechanism is almost in place to empower entrepreneurs who create both wealth and employment. Shahs exposition fits well with the BJPs economic ideology, which doesnt believe in public sector dominance. The campaign promise of every political party since Independence had been to eliminate unemployment. All the 12 Five Year Plans failed to create any favourable environment for absorbing surplus labour. However, a plethora of government institutions, PSUs and unnecessary departments were created to accommodate both eligible and ineligible youth to prevent social unrest. From the time of Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, the government was the biggest job provider even though productivity and utility were going downhill. The Indian political establishment has thrived and survived by breeding government jobs for their admirers and followers. Seeking vote-for-naukri has been their winning instrument. But as the incapacity of the government to bloat limitlessly sucked in, the focus shifted to its redundant and underemployed workforce. It was former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao who first understood the governments disadvantageous compulsions over work viz vocation. He decided to shrink the public sector and encourage private entrepreneurs to create wealth and work. Rao tweaked government policies to ensure large-scale projects were increasingly given to the private sector. His government cleared a record 200-plus new power projects. Since 1991, the number of new government jobs is in free fall. Unfortunately, the nation has been let down by the corporate sector, which has basked in the warmth of massive tax concessions and irresponsible bank loans without creating enough jobs. Inexplicably, the economy has grown at an average rate of over 6 per cent since economic reform began, but job market expansion has slowed. The fault lies with the skewed New Indian Economic Model in which the contribution of the labour-intensive agriculture and manufacturing sectors has plummeted by more than half in 25 years. On the other hand, the services sector accounts for more than 55 per cent, but has failed to compensate by adding new jobs. Capital and technology have replaced labour. The Modi-Shah road map envisages liberal grant of capital and powerful use of technology to produce a line of entrepreneurs who can become mini-capitalists in the long run. For the past three years, Modis discourse has been more about technology and ease of doing business rather than pushing government agencies to create employment velocity. He has realised it is more productive to form new wealth creators and self-employed innovators than adding to the existing phalanx of unproductive babus, stenographers, drivers, peons and subordinate government staff. Incremental salaries and perks of a burgeoning government is a massive burden on national revenues. Shahs recent promise to expand the entrepreneurial horizon recalled the spectacular success of two innovative schemes launched by Modi. Indias economic growth has suffered, lacking enough skilled labour. In July 2015, Skill India campaign aimed to train over 40 crore people in different disciplines by 2022. Modi allocated an amount of `17,000 crore; the highest-ever in this sector. Subsequently, many multinationals set up similar projects. Every year, both the government and private institutes will be training over one crore youth as professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons and commercial painters so that there is no shortage of skilled labour. Construction, retail, transportation, logistics, automobile and handloom sectors will need an additional estimated skilled workforce of over 12 crore by 2022. Modis success in creating a gigantic non-government job market can dilute the demand for caste-based reservations since a skilled labour force from unprivileged sections of society will get better paying jobs post skill training. Finally, Modis real trump card is the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank for development and refinancing activities relating to micro units. Over `1.50 lakh crore has been distributed to over three crore beneficiaries so far. The BJPs non-welfare state ideology insists on opening up government coffers to facilitate the creation of a new army of small and mid-level capitalists who will employ skilled young Indians, and thereby minimise unemployment. By facilitating such creation of new entrepreneurs, Modi has expedited the delivery of his promise of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. Prabhu Chawla prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will continue to act firmly against corruption, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Saturday. At a meeting with editors from the print and electronics media on the occasion of his governments first anniversary, the Chief Minister said media had endorsed the governments uncompromising stand against corruption.

Despite criticism by certain media on certain issues, they had generally endorsed the achievements of the government in the past one year. Medias suggestions will always be taken into serious consideration. But, if a project is beneficial to the people, the government will not bow before criticism and stop or abandon the project, he said.

The Chief Minister further said the editorial published by most newspapers had lauded the governments performance. To the editors remarks, he said the government was planning to formulate a major project to clean the rivers. If required, a special board will be constituted in this regard. Steps will be taken to expedite the single-window system for industries.

This will get a reference in the industrial policy. He said all the four Nava Kerala Missions will be implemented with the cooperation of all stakeholders ensuring the support of the Opposition parties. However, he conceded waste treatment projects had not progressed well yet.

He said the Kerala Cooperative Bank will strengthen the cooperative sector. With the setting up of the bank, instead of the current three-tier system, it will be limited to a two-tier system. As the district banks will cease to exist, the Nabard fund will be transferred directly to the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).

He also said e-governance will bring in the much-needed change in the functioning of the government. The demand for extending the date of Plus One admission will be considered in the wake of the delay in the publication of CBSE Class X results.



Assistance for aided schools

The Chief Minister said, as part of the campaign to protect the general education sector, aided schools will also be given financial assistance. The government will make available the same fund the school management and the PTA contribute for the development of schools. But the government share will have a cap of `1 crore.

He said the national and international media had lauded the efforts of the state government in speeding up the National Highway development and the laying of GAIL pipelines. The government had also been able to change the impression of developmental stagnation in the state.

On containing strife and violence, he said the government was striving to contain them. Discussions will continue.

The editors raised several issues like the stray dog menace, GST, e-governance, private investment, using social media for government communication, interaction between the government and media and the ban on cattle slaughter. Pinarayi promised the editors such suggestions will be considered seriously.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will continue to act firmly against corruption, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Saturday. At a meeting with editors from the print and electronics media on the occasion of his governments first anniversary, the Chief Minister said media had endorsed the governments uncompromising stand against corruption. Despite criticism by certain media on certain issues, they had generally endorsed the achievements of the government in the past one year. Medias suggestions will always be taken into serious consideration. But, if a project is beneficial to the people, the government will not bow before criticism and stop or abandon the project, he said. The Chief Minister further said the editorial published by most newspapers had lauded the governments performance. To the editors remarks, he said the government was planning to formulate a major project to clean the rivers. If required, a special board will be constituted in this regard. Steps will be taken to expedite the single-window system for industries. This will get a reference in the industrial policy. He said all the four Nava Kerala Missions will be implemented with the cooperation of all stakeholders ensuring the support of the Opposition parties. However, he conceded waste treatment projects had not progressed well yet. He said the Kerala Cooperative Bank will strengthen the cooperative sector. With the setting up of the bank, instead of the current three-tier system, it will be limited to a two-tier system. As the district banks will cease to exist, the Nabard fund will be transferred directly to the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS). He also said e-governance will bring in the much-needed change in the functioning of the government. The demand for extending the date of Plus One admission will be considered in the wake of the delay in the publication of CBSE Class X results. Assistance for aided schools The Chief Minister said, as part of the campaign to protect the general education sector, aided schools will also be given financial assistance. The government will make available the same fund the school management and the PTA contribute for the development of schools. But the government share will have a cap of `1 crore. He said the national and international media had lauded the efforts of the state government in speeding up the National Highway development and the laying of GAIL pipelines. The government had also been able to change the impression of developmental stagnation in the state. On containing strife and violence, he said the government was striving to contain them. Discussions will continue. The editors raised several issues like the stray dog menace, GST, e-governance, private investment, using social media for government communication, interaction between the government and media and the ban on cattle slaughter. Pinarayi promised the editors such suggestions will be considered seriously.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State police chief T P Senkumar has issued a circular directing officers at the police headquarters that all departments, including the secret wing T branch, should provide information to the public under the Right To Information(RTI) Act based on the prevailing order.

In his circular issued on Thursday, Senkumar said all departments should comply with the order issued by former DGP Jacob Punnoose on January 27, 2009.

Punnoose had said in the circular the officers at the police headquarters were bound to disclose establishment matters, action taken on petitions regarding allegations of corruption and human rights violations to the public, under the RTI Act.



The circular by Senkumar assumed significance as he had tried to transfer a woman employee from the T-branch after he was reinstated as the state police chief.

However, the employee managed to continue in T-branch after the government intervened in the matter. Senkumar wanted the functioning of all the departments at the headquarters to be transparent, sources said.

As per the RTI Act, organisations cannot withhold information.

All departments at the headquarters, including the T branch, should provide the information sought by an applicant.

If any section fails to provide information, the Public Information Commissioner concerned should report the violation to the State Information Commissioner for further action, the circular said. Jacob Punnoose had issued the order following a direction from the State Information Commission stating the citizens were experiencing difficulties in getting information from the Police Department. However, some departments, including the Special Branch and Crime Branch-CID were reluctant to provide information.

The circular by Senkumar assumed significance as he had tried to transfer a woman employee from the T-branch after he was reinstated as the state police chief.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State police chief T P Senkumar has issued a circular directing officers at the police headquarters that all departments, including the secret wing T branch, should provide information to the public under the Right To Information(RTI) Act based on the prevailing order. In his circular issued on Thursday, Senkumar said all departments should comply with the order issued by former DGP Jacob Punnoose on January 27, 2009. Punnoose had said in the circular the officers at the police headquarters were bound to disclose establishment matters, action taken on petitions regarding allegations of corruption and human rights violations to the public, under the RTI Act. The circular by Senkumar assumed significance as he had tried to transfer a woman employee from the T-branch after he was reinstated as the state police chief. However, the employee managed to continue in T-branch after the government intervened in the matter. Senkumar wanted the functioning of all the departments at the headquarters to be transparent, sources said. As per the RTI Act, organisations cannot withhold information. All departments at the headquarters, including the T branch, should provide the information sought by an applicant. If any section fails to provide information, the Public Information Commissioner concerned should report the violation to the State Information Commissioner for further action, the circular said. Jacob Punnoose had issued the order following a direction from the State Information Commission stating the citizens were experiencing difficulties in getting information from the Police Department. However, some departments, including the Special Branch and Crime Branch-CID were reluctant to provide information. The circular by Senkumar assumed significance as he had tried to transfer a woman employee from the T-branch after he was reinstated as the state police chief.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Opposition parties might blame the TRS government for farmers plight but Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems quite sure of retaining power in 2019. And, in the third of the surveys that he made, other parties barring MIM and Congress would not get even a single seat.

The survey findings also put Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son and IT Minister KT Rama Rao as the top performing MLAs in the state. Raos nephew and Irrigation minister T Harish Rao stood third in the list of best performing MLAs, and surprisingly, former deputy Chief Minister T Rajaiah, who was shunted out of KCRs cabinet, came in at fourth place.



The survey also indicated that the ruling TRS would win 106 Assembly seats if elections are held now. The survey gave six seats to MIM and the remaining to the main Opposition Congress. BJP will not get a single seat, if the survey is to be believed.



The Chief Minister gave outlines of the survey to the partys elected representatives at the TRS Legislature Party meeting held at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday. According to the survey, with the cash transfer of `4,000 for farmers, the TRS would secure 100 per cent votes from farming fraternity. With the implementation of Kalyan Lakshmi, sheep distribution and other programmes, more than 90 per cent of BCs will now support the Pink party.



The survey, meanwhile, stated that the Madhira and Kalwakurthy were two segments where the ruling TRS was weak. Meanwhile, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, reacting to the survey, dared the Chief Minister to ask the MLAs of opposition parties, who shifted loyalties to other parties, to resign and go for bye-election.



Performing sitting MLAs will be retained

If the sitting TRS MLAs take forward the government schemes in a better way in their Assembly segments, they will be given tickets in 2019 elections too, Chandrasekhar Rao said. Meanwhile, Rao informed the party leaders that the reorganisation of Assembly segments was likely to commence in July.

CMO release likens KCR to Nehru

Hyderabad: K Chandrasekhar Raos government has made 365 crucial decisions that will make Telangana State a Bangaru Telangana and the KCR model of governance has become a role model to other States, a 125-page information released by Chief Ministers Office on Saturday claimed.

When Telangana was formed and Chandrasekhar Rao became the first Chief Minister, the predicament that he faced was that of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus when he became the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru had to start everything from scratch and prepare a long road map for the young republic.

For Chandrasekhar Rao, the region that was neglected and abused by AP rulers for 60 years, had to be built up from scratch, the release said. Like Nehru, who proved his detractors wrong, Rao too proved his detractors wrong, the CMO release said. It was released ahead of State Formation Day on June 2.

HYDERABAD: The Opposition parties might blame the TRS government for farmers plight but Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems quite sure of retaining power in 2019. And, in the third of the surveys that he made, other parties barring MIM and Congress would not get even a single seat. The survey findings also put Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son and IT Minister KT Rama Rao as the top performing MLAs in the state. Raos nephew and Irrigation minister T Harish Rao stood third in the list of best performing MLAs, and surprisingly, former deputy Chief Minister T Rajaiah, who was shunted out of KCRs cabinet, came in at fourth place. The survey also indicated that the ruling TRS would win 106 Assembly seats if elections are held now. The survey gave six seats to MIM and the remaining to the main Opposition Congress. BJP will not get a single seat, if the survey is to be believed. The Chief Minister gave outlines of the survey to the partys elected representatives at the TRS Legislature Party meeting held at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday. According to the survey, with the cash transfer of `4,000 for farmers, the TRS would secure 100 per cent votes from farming fraternity. With the implementation of Kalyan Lakshmi, sheep distribution and other programmes, more than 90 per cent of BCs will now support the Pink party. The survey, meanwhile, stated that the Madhira and Kalwakurthy were two segments where the ruling TRS was weak. Meanwhile, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, reacting to the survey, dared the Chief Minister to ask the MLAs of opposition parties, who shifted loyalties to other parties, to resign and go for bye-election. Performing sitting MLAs will be retained If the sitting TRS MLAs take forward the government schemes in a better way in their Assembly segments, they will be given tickets in 2019 elections too, Chandrasekhar Rao said. Meanwhile, Rao informed the party leaders that the reorganisation of Assembly segments was likely to commence in July. CMO release likens KCR to Nehru Hyderabad: K Chandrasekhar Raos government has made 365 crucial decisions that will make Telangana State a Bangaru Telangana and the KCR model of governance has become a role model to other States, a 125-page information released by Chief Ministers Office on Saturday claimed. When Telangana was formed and Chandrasekhar Rao became the first Chief Minister, the predicament that he faced was that of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus when he became the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru had to start everything from scratch and prepare a long road map for the young republic. For Chandrasekhar Rao, the region that was neglected and abused by AP rulers for 60 years, had to be built up from scratch, the release said. Like Nehru, who proved his detractors wrong, Rao too proved his detractors wrong, the CMO release said. It was released ahead of State Formation Day on June 2.
Yatish Yadav By

NEW DELHI: A meeting of top officials last week in the Ministry of Human Resource Development decided to recognise glorious contribution of ancient and Vedic scholars, and scientists in the existing school curriculum. The push for it was not from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or its affiliates. The leaping point to insert at least one chapter on ancient scholars and scientists contribution in the stream in the textbooks came from government officials.

The meeting was called to discuss VIP referencebasically, the procedure to deal with correspondence received from MPs, ministers, ex-MPs etc., and how prompt the reply should be furnished. It was attended by the Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, representatives from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan, National Council of Educational Research and Training, National Council for Teacher Education and a Joint Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy.

Top sources said the meeting on typical bureaucratic rules drifted to deliberate on the source of ancient legend and their contribution to Indian science, mathematics and astronomy. The meeting settled that the government needs to re-instill that historic adage in raising the new generation. The officials, however, argued that instead of separate books on mathematician like Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta or scientists like Kanad and Nagarjuna, they should insert a chapter on them in the relevant books of mathematics and science.

A meeting on typical bureaucratic rules last week deliberated on the source of ancient legend and their contribution to Indian science, mathematics and astronomy.

The basic premise of the argument was that a separate book might trigger controversy as it had happened in the past. While including a chapter in the existing book on science etc. would be seen more as a value addition and not imposition. The contribution of Aryabhata and other legends cannot be denied and a chapter in the book would introduce the kids to the life and accomplishments of historical figures like Sushruta, Charaka and Panini, sources said.

It is learnt that CBSE has assured the NCERT representative to provide the content related to ancient legends that could be included in the books. NCERT, an autonomous organisation, undertakes, promote and coordinates research in areas related to school education, prepare and publish model textbooks and to develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices.

Sources said the meeting in the HRD ministry also discussed the delay in distribution of the books to the private schools.

School bags are becoming heavier, and this is a concern for the government. The officials discussed the ways to unburden the kids from the load, sources added.

The Opposition earlier in 2016 had launched a scathing attack on the government charging it with imposing a certain ideology by revising the textbooks and amending the countrys education system. The Congress had also criticised the governments draft national education policy blaming it for bringing ideology in every institution in the country.

NEW DELHI: A meeting of top officials last week in the Ministry of Human Resource Development decided to recognise glorious contribution of ancient and Vedic scholars, and scientists in the existing school curriculum. The push for it was not from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or its affiliates. The leaping point to insert at least one chapter on ancient scholars and scientists contribution in the stream in the textbooks came from government officials. The meeting was called to discuss VIP referencebasically, the procedure to deal with correspondence received from MPs, ministers, ex-MPs etc., and how prompt the reply should be furnished. It was attended by the Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, representatives from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan, National Council of Educational Research and Training, National Council for Teacher Education and a Joint Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy. Top sources said the meeting on typical bureaucratic rules drifted to deliberate on the source of ancient legend and their contribution to Indian science, mathematics and astronomy. The meeting settled that the government needs to re-instill that historic adage in raising the new generation. The officials, however, argued that instead of separate books on mathematician like Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta or scientists like Kanad and Nagarjuna, they should insert a chapter on them in the relevant books of mathematics and science. A meeting on typical bureaucratic rules last week deliberated on the source of ancient legend and their contribution to Indian science, mathematics and astronomy. The basic premise of the argument was that a separate book might trigger controversy as it had happened in the past. While including a chapter in the existing book on science etc. would be seen more as a value addition and not imposition. The contribution of Aryabhata and other legends cannot be denied and a chapter in the book would introduce the kids to the life and accomplishments of historical figures like Sushruta, Charaka and Panini, sources said. It is learnt that CBSE has assured the NCERT representative to provide the content related to ancient legends that could be included in the books. NCERT, an autonomous organisation, undertakes, promote and coordinates research in areas related to school education, prepare and publish model textbooks and to develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices. Sources said the meeting in the HRD ministry also discussed the delay in distribution of the books to the private schools. School bags are becoming heavier, and this is a concern for the government. The officials discussed the ways to unburden the kids from the load, sources added. The Opposition earlier in 2016 had launched a scathing attack on the government charging it with imposing a certain ideology by revising the textbooks and amending the countrys education system. The Congress had also criticised the governments draft national education policy blaming it for bringing ideology in every institution in the country.
Manish Anand By

NEW DELHI: Chinas attempt to sink in its economic might in many countries with rail and road projects through One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative appears to have dulled Indian interests to seek Chinese investments in the Railways. After initial euphoria, which included awarding feasibility study works to Chinese, the government has developed cold feet apparently because of China going ahead with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas.



There is no more excitement within the government to scout for the Chinese assistance in developing semi-high speed or high speed rail system in the country. There is a sense within the government that India could develop its own variant, said a senior official of the NITI Aayog.



Incidentally, the Ministry of Railways had asked a Chinese firm to carry out pre-feasibility study of the Mysore-Bengaluru-Chennai route. The report was submitted last year and is now lying with the Railway Board. China had also evinced interests to build the New Delhi-Chennai high speed rail system.



Safety is the governments priority. We are taking Japanese assistance to build the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed rail corridor because of the zero accident record of Japan, besides the investment coming as an unmatchable soft loan. We dont see China matching Japan on the twin aspects, added the official.



When asked if the government is going slow on China for infrastructure investment on account of the Chinese belligerence to go ahead with the CPEC, the official said that the issue pertains to the Ministry of External Affairs, but the fact of the matter is that we have our own concerns due to which there is no enthusiasm to give China the same status as of Japan as our partner in building critical rail infrastructure.



China and Japan have maintained frosty relations since World War II and the Nanking massacre. However, Indias ties with Japan have been good owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abes good relations.



Incidentally, India had stayed away from the much-hyped conclave in Beijing on OBOR this month even while most of the South Asian neighbours had attended the event. When specifically asked if there is a view within the government on the issue of OBOR, a top NITI Aayog official said, We believe that the project is to utilise the excess capital and productions in China to gain markets for its goods.

Besides the issue of CPEC, the government has come across numerous complaints from the industry about inferior quality of Chinese machineries and goods. The appetite for China within the domestic industry as well as government is on decline.

Why Japan?

Japanese assistance is taken to build the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed rail corridor because of Japans zero accident record. Also, investment is coming as an unmatchable soft loan.

NEW DELHI: Chinas attempt to sink in its economic might in many countries with rail and road projects through One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative appears to have dulled Indian interests to seek Chinese investments in the Railways. After initial euphoria, which included awarding feasibility study works to Chinese, the government has developed cold feet apparently because of China going ahead with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas. There is no more excitement within the government to scout for the Chinese assistance in developing semi-high speed or high speed rail system in the country. There is a sense within the government that India could develop its own variant, said a senior official of the NITI Aayog. Incidentally, the Ministry of Railways had asked a Chinese firm to carry out pre-feasibility study of the Mysore-Bengaluru-Chennai route. The report was submitted last year and is now lying with the Railway Board. China had also evinced interests to build the New Delhi-Chennai high speed rail system. Safety is the governments priority. We are taking Japanese assistance to build the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed rail corridor because of the zero accident record of Japan, besides the investment coming as an unmatchable soft loan. We dont see China matching Japan on the twin aspects, added the official. When asked if the government is going slow on China for infrastructure investment on account of the Chinese belligerence to go ahead with the CPEC, the official said that the issue pertains to the Ministry of External Affairs, but the fact of the matter is that we have our own concerns due to which there is no enthusiasm to give China the same status as of Japan as our partner in building critical rail infrastructure. China and Japan have maintained frosty relations since World War II and the Nanking massacre. However, Indias ties with Japan have been good owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abes good relations. Incidentally, India had stayed away from the much-hyped conclave in Beijing on OBOR this month even while most of the South Asian neighbours had attended the event. When specifically asked if there is a view within the government on the issue of OBOR, a top NITI Aayog official said, We believe that the project is to utilise the excess capital and productions in China to gain markets for its goods. Besides the issue of CPEC, the government has come across numerous complaints from the industry about inferior quality of Chinese machineries and goods. The appetite for China within the domestic industry as well as government is on decline. Why Japan? Japanese assistance is taken to build the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed rail corridor because of Japans zero accident record. Also, investment is coming as an unmatchable soft loan.
Express News Service By

CHENNAI: Amid speculations over the merger of both the warring factions of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the O Panneerselvam camp seems to be focusing on the birth centenary celebrations of party founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.



The programmes to mark the grand event came up for discussion at the MLAs meeting chaired by the former Chief Minister here last week. Panneerselvam had elaborated on the deliberations he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The PM was requested to grace the MGR centenary celebrations to be held in October. He promised to grace the event and wanted to know the date of the programme, a statement issued by AIADMK-PT Amma released after the meeting read.



Meanwhile, hardening their stand, the rebel factions senior leader and Rajya Sabha Member V Maitreyan challenged the Chief Minister to announce the dates for the civic body polls. If the CM has guts, he should announce the dates for the civic body elections, he said, while talking to reporters.

A top leader of AIADMK-PT Amma said, Merger of both the factions was not on the agenda during OPSs meeting with the Prime Minister.

CM owes explanation

Questioning the purpose of Edappadi K Palaniswamis meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Delhi last week, AIADMK-PT Amma leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr V Maitreyan said the CM owed an explanation as to why neither his Cabinet colleagues nor government officials accompanied him.

CHENNAI: Amid speculations over the merger of both the warring factions of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the O Panneerselvam camp seems to be focusing on the birth centenary celebrations of party founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran. The programmes to mark the grand event came up for discussion at the MLAs meeting chaired by the former Chief Minister here last week. Panneerselvam had elaborated on the deliberations he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM was requested to grace the MGR centenary celebrations to be held in October. He promised to grace the event and wanted to know the date of the programme, a statement issued by AIADMK-PT Amma released after the meeting read. Meanwhile, hardening their stand, the rebel factions senior leader and Rajya Sabha Member V Maitreyan challenged the Chief Minister to announce the dates for the civic body polls. If the CM has guts, he should announce the dates for the civic body elections, he said, while talking to reporters. A top leader of AIADMK-PT Amma said, Merger of both the factions was not on the agenda during OPSs meeting with the Prime Minister. CM owes explanation Questioning the purpose of Edappadi K Palaniswamis meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Delhi last week, AIADMK-PT Amma leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr V Maitreyan said the CM owed an explanation as to why neither his Cabinet colleagues nor government officials accompanied him.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with the Russian ambassador to the U.S.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, said this person, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushner's attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Back from a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump on Sunday immediately sought to dismiss recent news reports as "fake news."

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies," he tweeted. He added: "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names ... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers."

Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor. The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post reported that Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state, which took place Feb. 1. The team decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels.

Flynn served briefly as Trump's national security adviser before being fired in February. Officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month that that deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties. He was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak.

The disclosure of the back channel put White House advisers on the defensive Saturday, as Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as president. Lawyers for Kushner said he was willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

Meeting with reporters in Sicily, two Trump advisers refused to address the contents of Kushner's December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Speaking generally, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said "we have back channel communications with a number of countries." He added: "It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner."

Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign's digital strategy. He remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Reuters has reported that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November. Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner "has no recollection of the calls as described."

Investigators are also interested in a meeting Kushner had with the Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, according to reports from the Post and NBC News.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trump's campaign, the AP confirmed. The request from the committee arrived last week at campaign headquarters in New York, according to person familiar with the request who wasn't authorized to discuss the developments publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Post first reported the request, which covers materials such as emails, phone records and documents dating to Trump's first days as a candidate in July 2015.

WASHINGTON: Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. The intent was to connect Trump's chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, said this person, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war. The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushner's attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting. Back from a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump on Sunday immediately sought to dismiss recent news reports as "fake news." "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies," he tweeted. He added: "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names ... it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers." Kushner's involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor. The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications. The Post reported that Kislyak was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team. According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state, which took place Feb. 1. The team decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels. Flynn served briefly as Trump's national security adviser before being fired in February. Officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call. Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month that that deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties. He was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak. The disclosure of the back channel put White House advisers on the defensive Saturday, as Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as president. Lawyers for Kushner said he was willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign. Meeting with reporters in Sicily, two Trump advisers refused to address the contents of Kushner's December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries. Speaking generally, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said "we have back channel communications with a number of countries." He added: "It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner." Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign's digital strategy. He remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump. Reuters has reported that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November. Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner "has no recollection of the calls as described." Investigators are also interested in a meeting Kushner had with the Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, according to reports from the Post and NBC News. Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trump's campaign, the AP confirmed. The request from the committee arrived last week at campaign headquarters in New York, according to person familiar with the request who wasn't authorized to discuss the developments publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Post first reported the request, which covers materials such as emails, phone records and documents dating to Trump's first days as a candidate in July 2015.
By PTI

LONDON: British police today conducted fresh raids in Manchester and arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the concert bombing, taking the total number of those in custody over the attack to 12.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said, "Today, May 28, 2017, officers investigating the attack at the Manchester Arena have executed a warrant at an address in Moss Side. A search is currently on-going."

"Officers have also arrested a 25-year-old man in the Old Trafford area on suspicion of offences contrary to the terrorism act," the spokesperson said.

The total number of arrests related to the attack have gone up to 14. However, the number of persons in custody was 12 after two were released without charge.

Britain's terror threat level was yesterday reduced to "severe" from "critical".

The terror threat level now indicates that an attack remains highly likely rather than imminent. The Army troops deployed as a result of Operation Temperer will be reduced from Monday night.

Prime Minister Theresa May made this announcement after leading a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra.

Investigators believe 22-year-old Manchester-born suicide bomber Salman Abedi, from a family of Libyan origin, acted as part of a terrorist network and their focus had been on intercepting his wider network.

Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena last week, killing 22 people and leaving 119 injured.

Abedi was known to UK security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review", according to reports.

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abedi's younger brother 20-year-old Hashem and their father, Ramadan, are being held by special forces linked to the country's interior ministry.

About 1,000 armed police officers have been freed up by a decision to deploy the Army to protect key sites including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament under Operation Temperer.

LONDON: British police today conducted fresh raids in Manchester and arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the concert bombing, taking the total number of those in custody over the attack to 12. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said, "Today, May 28, 2017, officers investigating the attack at the Manchester Arena have executed a warrant at an address in Moss Side. A search is currently on-going." "Officers have also arrested a 25-year-old man in the Old Trafford area on suspicion of offences contrary to the terrorism act," the spokesperson said. The total number of arrests related to the attack have gone up to 14. However, the number of persons in custody was 12 after two were released without charge. Britain's terror threat level was yesterday reduced to "severe" from "critical". The terror threat level now indicates that an attack remains highly likely rather than imminent. The Army troops deployed as a result of Operation Temperer will be reduced from Monday night. Prime Minister Theresa May made this announcement after leading a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra. Investigators believe 22-year-old Manchester-born suicide bomber Salman Abedi, from a family of Libyan origin, acted as part of a terrorist network and their focus had been on intercepting his wider network. Abedi blew himself up at a concert by pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena last week, killing 22 people and leaving 119 injured. Abedi was known to UK security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review", according to reports. In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abedi's younger brother 20-year-old Hashem and their father, Ramadan, are being held by special forces linked to the country's interior ministry. About 1,000 armed police officers have been freed up by a decision to deploy the Army to protect key sites including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament under Operation Temperer.
By Associated Press

BROOKHAVEN: A man who got into an argument with his estranged wife over their children was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that left eight people dead, including a sheriff's deputy.

"I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," a handcuffed Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, told The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2rbQIq5 ).

The shootings took place at three homes Saturday night  two in Brookhaven and one in Bogue Chitto  about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Jackson, after authorities got a call about a domestic dispute, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said.

The dead included two boys, investigators said. Godbolt was listed in good condition at a hospital with a gunshot wound; authorities did not say how he was wounded.

Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said charges had yet to be filed and it was too soon to say what the motive was. Authorities gave no details on the relationship between Godbolt and the victims.

However, Godbolt himself shed some light on what happened in a video interview with the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities.

"I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," he said. "Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene."

"They cost him his life," he said, apparently referring to the deputy. "I'm sorry."

The stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, said in an interview that Godbolt's wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband.

After the sheriff's deputy arrived at the house, Godbolt looked as if he was about to leave, then reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and opened fire, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said he escaped along with Godbolt's wife. But he said three family members were killed in his home: his wife, her sister and one of the wife's daughters.

"I'm devastated. It don't seem like it's real," Mitchell said.

The slain deputy was identified as William Durr, 36.

Godbolt said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention."

BROOKHAVEN: A man who got into an argument with his estranged wife over their children was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that left eight people dead, including a sheriff's deputy. "I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," a handcuffed Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, told The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2rbQIq5 ). The shootings took place at three homes Saturday night  two in Brookhaven and one in Bogue Chitto  about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Jackson, after authorities got a call about a domestic dispute, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said. The dead included two boys, investigators said. Godbolt was listed in good condition at a hospital with a gunshot wound; authorities did not say how he was wounded. Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said charges had yet to be filed and it was too soon to say what the motive was. Authorities gave no details on the relationship between Godbolt and the victims. However, Godbolt himself shed some light on what happened in a video interview with the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road. Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities. "I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," he said. "Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene." "They cost him his life," he said, apparently referring to the deputy. "I'm sorry." The stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, said in an interview that Godbolt's wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband. After the sheriff's deputy arrived at the house, Godbolt looked as if he was about to leave, then reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and opened fire, Mitchell said. Mitchell said he escaped along with Godbolt's wife. But he said three family members were killed in his home: his wife, her sister and one of the wife's daughters. "I'm devastated. It don't seem like it's real," Mitchell said. The slain deputy was identified as William Durr, 36. Godbolt said he did not intend for police to capture him alive. "My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention."
By Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG: Ruling party critics of South African President Jacob Zuma pushed for his resignation on Sunday amid concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government, but the president still retained significant support within the divided party.

This weekend, opponents proposed a motion of no confidence against Zuma at a meeting of leaders of the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many in the party attribute the ANC's poor performance in local elections last year to scandals surrounding the president and want to shore up their popularity ahead of national elections in 2019.

The motion was proposed by party member Joel Netshitenzhe, and it was supported by the health minister and his deputy, as well as the former tourism minister, reported the News24 website. State broadcaster SABC said the chairman of the National Executive Committee meeting did not allow debate on the motion because it was not on the agenda, though the meeting was continuing late Sunday.

Zuma survived a similar move to oust him at a committee meeting in November, but unease within the ruling party grew after he fired Pravin Gordhan, the widely respected finance minister, in a Cabinet reshuffle in March.

Two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, responded to Gordhan's dismissal by lowering South Africa's credit rating to below investment grade, raising concerns about an already struggling economy with high unemployment.

Zuma's ties to the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate top government leaders for financial gain, has also stirred public anger. This weekend's edition of the Sunday Times reported on emails allegedly showing the Guptas' control over some Cabinet ministers and state-owned companies, as well as the involvement of Zuma's son Duduzane, a Gupta associate.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing.

In another scandal, Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home.

JOHANNESBURG: Ruling party critics of South African President Jacob Zuma pushed for his resignation on Sunday amid concern about alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government, but the president still retained significant support within the divided party. This weekend, opponents proposed a motion of no confidence against Zuma at a meeting of leaders of the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Many in the party attribute the ANC's poor performance in local elections last year to scandals surrounding the president and want to shore up their popularity ahead of national elections in 2019. The motion was proposed by party member Joel Netshitenzhe, and it was supported by the health minister and his deputy, as well as the former tourism minister, reported the News24 website. State broadcaster SABC said the chairman of the National Executive Committee meeting did not allow debate on the motion because it was not on the agenda, though the meeting was continuing late Sunday. Zuma survived a similar move to oust him at a committee meeting in November, but unease within the ruling party grew after he fired Pravin Gordhan, the widely respected finance minister, in a Cabinet reshuffle in March. Two agencies, Fitch and Standard & Poor's, responded to Gordhan's dismissal by lowering South Africa's credit rating to below investment grade, raising concerns about an already struggling economy with high unemployment. Zuma's ties to the Gupta family, Indian immigrant businessmen accused of trying to manipulate top government leaders for financial gain, has also stirred public anger. This weekend's edition of the Sunday Times reported on emails allegedly showing the Guptas' control over some Cabinet ministers and state-owned companies, as well as the involvement of Zuma's son Duduzane, a Gupta associate. The Guptas deny any wrongdoing. In another scandal, Zuma was forced to reimburse some state money after the Constitutional Court ruled against him last year in a dispute over millions of dollars spent on his private home.
By PTI

BEIJING: Accusing the Pentagon of distorting facts, China today denied its charge that an encounter between Chinese fighter jets and an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional".

Chinese J-10 fighter planes intercepted a US Navy P-3 Orion operating in international airspace over the South China Sea, the Pentagon had claimed.

The US termed the move as "unsafe and unprofessional" and said that it would convey its concerns to the Chinese government.

However, Chinese defence ministry in a statement said the US account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts".

"On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website.

"The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe," it said.

Last week, China accused the US of trespassing its sovereignty by dispatching a naval ship close to an artificial islands building by Beijing the disputed waters.

The US has been sending naval ships and aircraft to assert the freedom of navigation in the areas claimed by China in the South China Sea.

China has been opposing the US dispatching naval ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation.

BEIJING: Accusing the Pentagon of distorting facts, China today denied its charge that an encounter between Chinese fighter jets and an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional". Chinese J-10 fighter planes intercepted a US Navy P-3 Orion operating in international airspace over the South China Sea, the Pentagon had claimed. The US termed the move as "unsafe and unprofessional" and said that it would convey its concerns to the Chinese government. However, Chinese defence ministry in a statement said the US account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts". "On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website. "The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe," it said. Last week, China accused the US of trespassing its sovereignty by dispatching a naval ship close to an artificial islands building by Beijing the disputed waters. The US has been sending naval ships and aircraft to assert the freedom of navigation in the areas claimed by China in the South China Sea. China has been opposing the US dispatching naval ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Abundant sunshine. High around 75F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 45F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Higher than normal body mass index (BMI) is known to lead to cardiovascular ill-health in mid-to-late life, but there has been limited investigation of its effect in young, apparently healthy, adults. Researchers have now shown that having a higher BMI can cause worse cardiovascular health in those aged as young as 17, according to a study to be presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Sunday).

Dr. Kaitlin Wade, a Research Associate at the Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU) at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, and colleagues used data from The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to investigate the potential link between increased BMI and cardiovascular health. "ALSPAC is a world-leading birth cohort study, started in the early 1990s with the inclusion of more than 14,000 pregnant mothers and their partners and children and provides an excellent opportunity to study environmental and genetic contributions to a person's health and development. It was therefore ideal for this purpose," Dr. Wade will say.

The researchers hypothesized that cardiovascular risk due to increased BMI was likely to emerge in earlier life. The design of existing observational studies (those just looking for associations in the population) have meant that they are unable to make a distinction between correlation and causation. The MRC-IEU specializes in the use of genetics to help these difficult analytical situations and in this case researchers were able to use genomic data from ALSPAC to detect the likely causal relationship between higher BMI and higher blood pressure and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in those aged 17 and 21. A thickening of the left ventricle in the heart (hypertrophy) means that it has to work harder to pump blood and is a common marker for heart disease.

Higher BMI did not appear to have an effect on heart rate in these young adults, although previous studies have shown an association - most likely due to bias caused by the mixing of effects of an additional factor resulting in a distortion of the true relationship (confounding). "Our results showed that the causal impact of higher BMI on cardiac output was solely driven by the volume of blood pumped by the left ventricle (stroke volume). This, at least in part, can explain the causal effect of higher BMI on cardiac hypertrophy and higher blood pressure that we observed in all our analyses," says Dr Wade.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

The results support efforts to tackle the obesity epidemic from an early age in order to prevent the development of cardiovascular changes known to be precursors of cardiovascular ill-health and disease. "It is the first time that the nature of this relationship has been shown in group of young adults where it has been possible to draw improved conclusions about its causation," says Dr. Wade.

The researchers are now trying to untangle the relationship between higher BMI and disease mechanisms including metabolomics (the study of the chemical processes involved in the functioning of cells and the abundance and diversity of microbes living in the gut - the gut microbiome). "We have also begun an analysis of the causal role of higher BMI on detailed measures of cardiac structure and function within the ALSPAC data. We hope to further explore these associations within an older population - the UK 1946 birth cohort.

"Whilst randomized controlled trials are important for disentangling cause and effect in disease, they are expensive, time-consuming and labour-intensive. Modern genomics allows us to detect causality more quickly and cheaply, and the availability of large quantities of genetic data means that we can overcome the limitations of observational epidemiological studies. We believe that there are clear messages for cardiovascular health in our findings and we hope that they may lead to increased efforts to tackle obesity from early life," Dr. Wade will conclude.

Chair of the ESHG conference, Professor Joris Veltman, Director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine at Newcastle University Newcastle, United Kingdom, said: "Distinguishing between correlation and causation is tremendously difficult in medical sciences, especially for complex interactions like those between obesity and cardiovascular disease. In this study, statistical genetics approaches were applied to longitudinal cohorts from the UK to improve this. The scientists could demonstrate that obesity also causes poorer cardiovascular health in young adults. In contrast, higher BMI did not seem affect heart rate in this group.''
MUC1 is a protein present on the cells that line most organs. It lubricates and protects them. When cells become malignant, the MUC1 protein changes and signals tumor cells to multiply.

Pinku Mukherjee's 2009 discovery at UNC Charlotte used antibodies to target and treat cancer.

As cancer attacked formerly healthy mice, their immune systems spewed antibodies to fight off the tumors. Tumor cells were lit up in fluorescent green, signifying the antibody was binding to the abnormal MUC1 proteins  and ignoring the healthy cells.

Mukherjee's antibody hit its target every time.

It's the same thinking behind the emerging field of immunotherapy, which has led to new "targeted" drugs that are giving unexpected years of survival to many cancer patients.

Researchers describe these new therapies as "smart bombs" that attack cancer cells, killing them without affecting surrounding healthy cells. That compares with traditional chemotherapy that kills whatever it touches, including healthy tissue.

"Cancer is 200 different diseases, so no one person will eradicate them all," says Dr. Mukherjee. "However, several faculty researchers each focused on one disease can attack cancer by working together."

As the Irwin Belk Endowed Professor of Cancer Research at UNC Charlotte, Mukherjee is transforming the ways in which cancer is diagnosed and treated.

Prior to joining UNC Charlotte in 2008, Mukherjee was with the Mayo Clinic. She received her bachelor's degree in microbiology from Bombay University, India, and her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of London.

At the Mayo, Mukherjee worked with Sandra Gendler, a respected tumor biologist. Together they did experiments on mice to see if vaccines could prevent breast and pancreatic cancer. As part of that, Mukherjee began helping Gendler try to determine the role of a protein called MUC1 (muck-one) in the development of cancer.

In their experiments, Gendler and Mukherjee tried to immunize mice against the abnormal MUC1 proteins, just like humans can be immunized against the flu. They injected the mice with vaccines, and as expected, their immune systems revved up for a fight. But instead of succumbing, the tumors continued to grow.

Mukherjee made a cancer discovery at UNC Charlotte in 2009, what about using an antibody?

Since then, Mukherjee started a biotech company, OncoTab, Inc. that is now headed by her husband, Rahul Puri. They are making a blood test that can help diagnose breast and pancreatic cancers.

She has designed innovative approaches to more accurately detect breast cancer early and is developing targeted therapy and imaging for pancreatic, ovarian and colon cancers.

To date, Mukherjee has published 65-plus peer-reviewed journal articles that have been cited or referenced more than 11,000 times.

Her groundbreaking cancer research has produced one U.S. patent and has resulted in grants from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation totaling more than $3.5 million as principal investigator and more than $500,000 as co-investigator.

Source: http://www.uncc.edu/
Kumis, what the President was offered as a manner of honouring him, is not the typical kind of drink you buy from the stores. (Photo Credit: www.lordsofthedrinks.com)
A day after Pakistan foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz condemned the killing of Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, Pakistan Army, on Sunday, fired at unarmed Indian civilian porters working in Keran sector in the Valley.At the time of filing of this report, one porter was reported to have been killed and another injured.In a separate incident, one militant was killed after the Indian Army foiled another infiltration attempt by Pakistan forces in Poonch area along the LoC.Aziz, on Saturday, accused India of carrying out "extra-judicial killings", adding that "India had killed 12 Kashmiri youth in Kashmir since yesterday (Friday) in Pulwama and Baramulla. Three of them were martyred extra-judicially as has been done on numerous occasions in the recent past". Aziz urged the international community, including the United Nations and human rights organisations, to step in and ask India to immediately stop the "ruthless killing of defenceless Kashmiri. Sabzar, 28, was killed, along with his two accomplices, in a four-hour-long gunfight in a village in Tral town of Pulwama district. He was named as the successor of Burhan Wani -- killed last year on July 8.In another incident, six militants were killed by the Army when an infiltration bid was foiled on Saturday in Rampur sector of the Line of Control in Baramulla district.After Bhat's encounter, Internet services were shut down in the valley as a security measure. Clashes broke out between civilians and the police in Anantnag, Budgam, Ganderbal and Pulwama. One person has been killed and around two dozen injured in the incident.
I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us.

Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you.

Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected

The Indian Army is facing a "dirty war" in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through "innovative" ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a 'human shield' by a young officer.In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy-infested state."This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," Rawat said.The Army Chief's Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals.A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations."People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, 'just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour'. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said.Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones."In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)," he said.Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed."Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said.At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi."As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there," he said.Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance."Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break."That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces," he said.The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. "I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for."He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it.Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeep's bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control."It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well."Has political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil...," he said. To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a "limited war" with Pakistan.
Raksha Gopal scores 99.6% in #CBSEclassXII , is all India topper pic.twitter.com/77XtVXRWct  ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017

Raksha Gopal, a student of Amity International School in Noida, topped the CBSE Class 12 exams 2017 with 99.6%, while Bhumi Sawant De from DAV Public School in Chandigarh stood second with 99.4% and Aditya Jain from Bhawan Vidyalaya Chandigarh tied third with Mannat Luthra at 99.2%.Speaking to CNN-News18, Raksha, a Humanities student, said: The feeling is yet to sink in. I knew I would do well, but never thought I would top. This shatters the myth that students from Humanities cannot score. Raksha added that she wished to pursue Political Science (Hons) next.ALSO READ | Delhi University Cut-offs to be Same as Last Year. Here's You Need to Know The all India pass percentage went down from 83.05% in 2016 to 82% this year, but the number of students who scored between 95% and 100% increased from 9,351 last year to 10,091 this year.Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar spoke to the toppers from all three streams  Science, Commerce and Humanities. I want to congratulate all the students who scored well. I also want to say that those who did not do well should try again, they will also succeed, he said.ALSO READ | CBSE Class 12 Results 2017: Scored Below 80%? Here Are Your Options The board has also started a helpline with toll-free number 18000118004 for psychological counselling post class 12 board results, reported PTI. "Sixty-five counsellors will talk to students and parents on the helpline number between 8 am to 10 pm," a senior CBSE official said.A total of 10,98,891 candidates  6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls  from 10,678 schools had registered for the Class 12 exams, which is a 2.82 percent increase from 2016. Delhi regions had the highest number of candidates (2,58,321), followed by Panchkula with 1,84,557 and Ajmer with 1,31,449 candidates. The exams were conducted from March 9 to April 29.


Raksha Gopal scores 99.6% in #CBSEclassXII , is all India topper pic.twitter.com/77XtVXRWct

 ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017

The CBSE Class 12 results for 2017 announced on Sunday saw a dip in pass percentage from 83.05% in 2016 to 82.02% this year. The results, however, saw a rise in the number of students who scored between 95-100% from 9,351 last year to 10,091 this year.Trivandrum topped the city-wise list with a pass percentage of 95.62%, followed by Chennai and Delhi with 92.60% and 88.37%, respectively, a press release by the Central Board of Secondary Education.The Delhi region had the highest number of candidates (2,58,321), followed by Panchkula with 1,84,557 and Ajmer with 1,31,449 candidates.Noida student Raksha Gopal emerged the all-India topper with 99.6%. Speaking to CNN-News18, Raksha, a student of Amity International School, said she would pursue political science in graduation.Bhumi Sawant De from DAV Public School in Chandigarh secured second position with 99.4% and Aditya Jain from Bhawan Vidyalaya Chandigarh tied for the third position with Mannat Luthra, also from the same school, at 99.2%.Girls again outperformed boys with a pass percentage of 87.50%, down from 88.58% last year. The pass percentage among boys this year was 78%, down from 78.85%.Of the 2,449 differently-abled candidates who appeared for the March-April examinations, 86.69% passed.The CBSE announced the results of all its 10 regions simultaneously on Sunday morning. Aiming to check high cut-offs in colleges, the CBSE had scrapped the moderation policy under which grace marks are given to the students in exams for difficult questions. However, following intervention of the Delhi High Court, the board decided to implement the change from next year.
New Delhi: After much speculation and a long wait, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced Class XII results on Sunday.



Next step? College, of course! As Delhi University, with over 60 colleges, opened its registration process, reports suggested that over 58,000 students have already registered online for the varsitys undergraduate courses.



Last year, English (H) was the most sought after course, with the varsity receiving close to 115,786 applications. Bachelor of Arts (BA) was second with around 98,000 applications, followed by Political Science with 90,000 applications.



The exact DU cut-offs will only be known with time. Till then, lets take a look at last years first cut-off list released by the top colleges.



Lady Shri Ram College



Last year, LSR set the bar with the highest cut-off of 98.5% for Psychology Honours, which was 0.5% higher than 2015. For English (H), a student required 98.25% and for B.Com (H) 98%. For journalism aspirants, the cut-off was set at 97.5%, which was 1% less than 2015.



Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC)



The cut-off for Economics (H) was 98.25%, and B.Com (H) was 98%. The cut off for English (H) was set at 96.5%.



Indraprastha College for Women



The college set 97% as cut off for Computer Science (H), Economics (H), Psychology, and B.Com (H). Political Science was set at 96%.



Miranda House



Cut-off for B.Com (H) at CVS was 98% and for History (H) it was set at 94%, which was 2% more than 2015. It set 97.75% for Economics (H) and 97.5% for English (H).



Hansraj College



It had a 97.75% cut-off for B.Com (H) and 98% for Economics. The cut-off for English was set at 97% and at 96.5% for History.



Sri Venkateswara College



Venky, as it is popularly called, set its cut off for Economics (H) at 97.5%, while for English it was 96.75%. For History (H) and Political Science (H), it was at 96%, while for B.Com (H), the cut-off was at 96.75%.






With the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announcing results as per marks moderation policy, it is unlikely that there will be any stark difference in Delhi University cut-offs this year.Sources at the DU admission department told News18 that there were chances of the cut-offs seeing a dip this year if the school boards had gone ahead with scrapping the moderation policy.Now that the board has announced result with the moderation policy in place, students should not expect a major change in DU cut-offs this year. They are likely to be the same as last year, said the source.The CBSE was ordered by the Delhi High Court to continue with the moderation or grace marks policy at least for this academic year, bringing relief to many students who had appeared for the exams amid debate around moderation policy. Students had also been anxious that any delay in the result could affect their college admission prospects.Moderation policy refers to a practice under which students are given extra marks in subjects regarded as difficult, or when there have been differences in the sets of question papers.All you need to know about admissions in Delhi University this year.Delhi University has already started its registration process, and an open house was also organized last week to inform students about the procedure. DU has announced its online registration for undergraduate courses, many of them began on May 22. The registration can be done on the varsitys website www.du.ac.in.Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS)Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis)BA (H) Business EconomicsBA (H) Humanities and Social SciencesBachelor of Elementary EducationBachelor of Science in Physical Education, Health Education & SportsBA (H) Multimedia and Mass CommunicationB.Tech (Information Technology and Mathematical InnovationsBA (H) MusicOnline Registration Starts- May 22, 2017Online Registration Ends- June 12, 2017 (5 PM)Announcement of first cut-off list June 20, 2017Document Verification (1st list): June 22Announcement of second cut-off list June 24, 2017Document Verification (2nd list): June 28Announcement of third cut-off list July 1, 2017Document Verification (3rd list): July 4Announcement of fourth cut-off list July 7, 2017Document Verification (4th list): July 10Announcement of fifth cut-off list July 13, 2017Document Verification (5th list): July 15Announcement of sixth cut-off list July 18, 2017Document Verification (6th list): July 19All aspirants who make it to the merit list as released by the university need to carry the following documents for verification:Class 10 marksheet and certificatesClass 12 marksheet and certificatesTransfer certificateCharacter certificatePhotographs (carry both stamp size and passport size)Caste certificate (if applicable)Sports or other quota documentsScanned copy of photograph and signatureDisability certificate (if any)
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the Class 12 results 2017 at 10:30am on Sunday, ending the wait of millions of apprehensive students who now look forward to gaining admissions in colleges and universities across India.Raksha Gopal, a student of Amity International School in Noida, topped the CBSE Class 12 exams 2017 with 99.6%, while Bhumi Sawant De from DAV Public School in Chandigarh stood second with 99.4% and Aditya Jain from Bhawan Vidyalaya Chandigarh tied third with Mannat Luthra at 99.2%.Speaking to CNN-News18, Raksha, a Humanities student, said: The feeling is yet to sink in. I knew I would do well, but never thought I would top. This shatters the myth that students from Humanities cannot score. Raksha added that she wished to pursue Political Science (Hons) next.The overall pass percentage this year came down a notch to 82% from 83% last year.The CBSE started a helpline with toll free number 18000118004 for psychological counselling post the Class XII results. "Sixty five counsellors will talk to students and parents on the helpline number between 8 am to 10 pm," the official said.The results declared include five-point moderation as ordered by the Delhi High Court recently. The court had quashed the Boards decision to do away with the moderation or grace marks policy, saying students who appeared for the exams in March did so with the knowledge that grace marks would continue.A total of 10,98,891 candidates  6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls  from 10,678 schools had registered for the Class 12 exams, which is a 2.82 percent increase from 2016. Delhi regions have the highest number of candidates (2,58,321), followed by Panchkula with 1,84,557 and Ajmer with 1,31,449 candidates. The exams were conducted from March 9 to April 29.The CBSE results will be followed on Monday by the results to the ICSE Class 10 and ISC Class 12
Kerala objected first and some Northeastern states are following suit. After the Environment Ministry decided to quietly push forth a notification banning the sale of any cattle, and not just cow, for slaughter in any open market, the beef consuming states in the Northeast are up in arms.Raising the red flag are none other than the office-bearers of the BJP in poll-bound Meghalaya. Cattle slaughter and market regulation are state subjects. The Union ministry may have taken a decision regarding this, but it will have no impact in the state, senior party leader in the state David Kharasati told CNN-News18.Meghalaya's Congress government has accused the BJP-led Centre of acting like a dictator. State minister Zenith Sangma said the notification goes against the letter and spirit of the Centre-State relationship.Data from the latest National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) shows that around 80 million people  1 in every 13 Indians  eat beef or buffalo meat. Of them, the Northeastern states form a dominant chunk  Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, hill areas of Manipur and the tribal belt of Tripura have high consumption levels.Sources in the Mizoram government indicated that even if the notification is not modified, there would hardly be any impact in the markets in the state as the implementation finally depends on the state government.ALSO READ | Centre Puts Ban-Like Restrictions On Cattle Slaughter Across India The BJP government in Assam has so far kept mum, but cattle sellers in the state are apprehensive. Many of them say the notifications timing, just before Ramzan, can lead to meat scarcity in the state as the supply chain from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states can come to a standstill.The Chief Ministers of the Northeastern state would be in Delhi on May 29 for the North East Council meeting. Some of them are likely to raise questions on the notification on the sidelines of the meeting.ALSO READ | 10 Points Decoding Centre's India-wide Ban On Cattle Slaughter (With inputs from Purbasha Bhattacharjee in Shillong)
New Delhi, May 28 (IBNS): Raksha Gopal of Amity International School in Noida has topped the CBSE Class 12 examination.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday declared the Class 12 results.

Raksha scored 99.6 per cent in the examination.

She shared an image of her marksheet on Twitter.

"My Score Card For You Loving People.#RakshaGopal #CbseResults2017 #CBSEclassXII," the topper tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the students.

"Congratulations to all my young friends who have successfully passed the CBSE Class XII exams & best wishes for future endeavours," Modi tweeted.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar also wished the students and tweeted: "I want to congratulate all the students who scored well. I also want to say those who did not do well should try again. #CBSE12thResult2017."

Image: Raksha Gopal Twitter page
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the religious diversity of India while addressing the nation through his Mann ki Baat radio programme on Sunday and wished the nation on the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan."The holy month of Ramzan will help in keeping peace, unity and goodwill in the nation," Modi said in the 32nd edition of the programme and the first since completing three years in office."India's cultural diversity is its strength. As many as 125 crore Indians can take pride in the fact that people belonging to all communities of the world are present in India," Modi said.Modi, whose government completed three years at the Centre on May 26, also batted for constructive criticism during the address. I am happy that people are doing a detailed scrutiny of our governments three years, he said.The Prime Minister also paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary and expressed happiness that youngsters were spending time in researching Indias freedom struggle.Modi also made a pitch to conserve the environment, asking listeners to observe the World Environment Day on June 5. Connecting with nature is nothing but connecting with ourselves. Nature always refreshes us. Let us all involve ourselves with the tree plantation campaign this monsoon, said Modi.Modi also touched upon the upcoming International Yoga Day on June 21. Since its the 3rd Yoga Day, why dont three generations of a family come together and practice Yoga, he said, asking people to send pictures.
New Delhi: A 32-year-old e-rickshaw driver was beaten to death by a group of men after he objected to them urinating outside the GTB Nagar Metro Station in north Delhi.



According to police, two men had bought liquor from a shop near the metro station and consumed it near Gate No. 4 on Saturday evening. They also urinated outside the station, to which the e-rickshaw driver, identified as Ravinder, objected.



PTI reported that the duo told Ravinder that they would deal with him later, and left the place in another e-rickshaw. They got off near Kirori Mal College.



Around 8pm, the duo, along with 10 others, returned to the metro station and attacked Ravinder. Another e-rickshaw driver, who tried to intervene, was also assaulted. Ravinder was rushed to a hospital where he died.



Police sources said that images of the two men have been captured in CCTV cameras installed at the liquor shop and on the North Campus of Delhi University, where Kirori Mal College is located.



It is suspected that the accused had come to Delhi to appear in a competitive examination. It has been learnt that they belong to Haryana and have been staying in Burari. Police have launched a hunt for the accused.



Ravinder, who lived in a slum near the metro station, got married last year. His wife is seven months pregnant.



(With PTI inputs)
Addressing the nation during the 32nd edition of his monthly programme Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Ramzan greetings to the nation and said he was proud of the various faiths in India.

Heres a recap:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday will address the nation in the 32nd episode of the monthly programme 'Mann Ki Baat' at 11 a.m. It will be his first address after completion of his three years in power.The programme will be aired on the All India Radio (AIR), Doordarshan (DD), Youtube channel of the Prime Ministers office and ministry of Information and Broadcasting.For the first time PM Modi speech will be also be aired with Sanskrit subtitles on DD Bharti. The program will be broadcast in regional languages immediately after its Hindi broadcast.In the last episode, PM Modi had said, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas is not only limited to the confines of India but also applies to the global context. He also said neighbouring countries should be with India in its journey towards progress so that they may develop equally.On South Asia Satellite which was launched last month, he had said it will go a long way in addressing South Asia's economic and developmental priorities, Natural resources mapping, tele medicine, in the field of education, deeper IT connectivity and fostering people to people contact.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-nation tour on Monday to boost India's economic engagement with Germany, Spain, Russia and France and invite more foreign investment.



In the first leg of his six-day trip, he will visit Germany, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, PTI reported.



Before leaving, Modi said he and Merkel will "chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science and technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine."



Describing Germany as a valuable partner, the Prime Minister said, "German competencies fit well with my vision for Indias transformation."



In Berlin, Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties.



On Tuesday, Modi will travel to Spain for an official visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades. He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy.



"We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism," he said.



The prime minister said there is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties.



"We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism," he added.



He will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner in the 'Make in India' initiative.



From Spain, the prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.



"... I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016," he said.



The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries.



On June 2, Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where India is the 'guest country'.



"In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders," he said.



At the beginning of his visit, he will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad.



He will also visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.



In the last leg of the tour, he will visit France from June 2 to 3 for an official meeting with the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.



"France is one of our most important Strategic Partners. I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest," Modi said.



"I would be exchanging views with the French President on important global issues including UN Security Council reforms and Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Indias membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance," he added.



France is India's 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways.



(With PTI inputs)


Launched the 'Feed The Future' initiative of Akshya Patra Foundation. It aims to provide 500 crore meals by 2020. /1 pic.twitter.com/iVPAOGlXc7  Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) May 27, 2017

Food for malnourished children is not grub, but a medicine which should be served not in a plate, but in a sachet as a nutritious meal, Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi said on Saturday.She was speaking at the launch World Hunger Day organised by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-profit organisation which delivers fresh cooked meals to around 1.6 million children everyday under the mid-day meal scheme.The minister said that the focus of all stakeholders should not be on just feeding the children, but providing a nutritious meal.Maneka said that she had received a suggestion from Uttarakhand whereby severely malnourished children had been fed sachets containing crushed peanuts, millets and sugar along with other ingredients comprising around 600-1000 calories and nutrients and in three months, it had shown results."I have tried repeatedly to talk to the state governments to replicate this, but haven't succeeded so far. This food will not be food, but a medicine," said the minister.Stating that she wants the contents of the sachets - like salt and pepper sachets available in the market - to be water soluble and fed to children between the ages of 0-2 years and pregnant and lactating mothers."These sachets should not be sent to any community centre or anganwadis. A packet of 30 such sachets should be sent directly to the families who can consume them with say fortified biscuits. There should be a 'not for sale' signage on the sachet to ensure its illegal sale. In this way we can monitor its consumption and also its effects," said Gandhi.Rights activists, however, say that the ministry's move to push for packaged food is in clear violation of successive Supreme Court orders since 2004 where it has advocated the use of self-help groups and village communities to provide hot, cooked meals to children under six.Food rights activists fear that the minister's proposal to provide packaged food would only benefit private players."This is a disgusting approach. You cannot medicalise malnourishment by converting or treating food as a medicine. This will leave the entire rural market open for global conglomerates who will see this as a huge market for baby food," said Kavita Srivastava, a convener of the Right to food campaign.Vandana Prasad, a right to food activist said that the SC had made it clear that it was the local community that should be the government's partners in delivering food under the integrated child protection scheme and not the private players."The food is supposed to be freshly cooked by village communities, self-help groups and mahila mandals," she said.
After all that has happened in Bulandshahr, people should be careful. They should keep their women in their homes and women should also be careful and not roam in such places

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Sunday said that women should stay at home to prevent cases of rape and molestation. Khans statement came after a video of 14 men molesting two women in Rampur district went viral.After all that has happened in Bulandshahr, people should be careful. They should keep their women in their homes and women should also be careful and not roam in such places, said Khan, the Rampur MLA.He also attacked the Yogi Adityanath government for failing to deal with deteriorating law and order situation in UP. In the last few days there have been several rapes, mass rapes, murders , robberies... They've made a record. It seems that the government has sent a message to the criminals that its your govt, do whatever you want, he said.It is not possible without government's backing. There has been a flood of such incidents since the government has changed, he added.Khan is no stranger to such controversies. He has made similar statements in the past too. In December 2016, he was forced to make an unconditional apology by the Supreme Court after he called the Bulandshahr gang rape case of July 2016 a political conspiracy to malign the SP which was in power at that time.
New Delhi: Admitting that the Kashmir issue was a challenge for the Narendra Modi government, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asserted that the Centre will come out with a "permanent solution" keeping in mind "Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat".



In an interview to IndiaToday news channel, Rajnath Singh refused to give a time frame for a solution and insisted that the Government was open for "unconditional" talks with all stakeholders.



"Kashmir issue is a challenge for us, there are no two ways about it. But we want to assure the country that we will come out with a permanent solution. And we will arrive at this permanent solution taking into consideration, Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat," said Rajnath Singh.



"We cannot allow repeated recurrence of unrest in Kashmir. We cannot allow Kashmir to burn. We cannot give a time frame, that in one month or two months we will solve this. You don't have instant solution to such issues. Efforts are on and we are trying with our full might to come out with a permanent solution," he said.



He repeatedly refused to reveal anything about the government's strategy for a "permanent solution", but said they were open to talks with all stakeholders, including the separatist Hurriyat.



"We want to talk to stakeholders, whoever wants to talk, we are open to discuss with them. But then talks will have to be unconditional. Talks cannot and will not happen on any kind of preconditions," he said.



Asked to comment on a recent expose, revealing the Hurriyat's links with Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said: "There are no two ways about the fact that Pakistan is actively pursuing destabilising Kashmir, and through Kashmir it wants to destabilise India. Pakistan is the only country in the world which promotes terrorism."



On the expose on Hurriyat and the subsequent call for a ban on them by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh, Rajnath Singh refused to comment.



"I don't want to comment (on banning Hurriyat). We have taken cognisance of whatever they have said and we will do whatever is justified. We have already handed over the probe to the NIA (National Investigation Agency), let the probe report come," he said.



Asked why the separatist leaders were put under house arrest and not jailed and provided with security, Rajnath Singh put the onus on the state government.



"It is the state government which provides the security and not the Centre," he said.



When reminded that it was a BJP-PDP alliance at the helm in the state, Rajnath Singh said the move to provide security to the separatists was being done from earlier.



He also said the government was taking many initiatives, including inducting the youth into the security forces, to bring the people of Kashmir into the mainstream and discourage the youth from taking to militancy.




Mumbai: The makers of Lipstick Under My Burkha had to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) once again after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was dragging its heels to grant a certificate to the film. Now the censor body has been directed to certify the movie within a week.



The FCAT issued an order in this regard on Friday, read a statement issued on behalf of the film's makers.



Producer Prakash Jha said in a statement: "Since the CBFC was not issuing the certificate, we had to approach the FCAT again. I'm glad the FCAT has directed the CBFC to issue the certification to the film within the week. We will be announcing the release date soon."



Earlier, the FCAT had directed the CBFC to issue an 'A' certificate to the film via an order dated April 18, 2017. The order was sent out later that week, but the CBFC has still not issued the certificate.



On May 1, Jha submitted the film for viewing to the CBFC, in order to get the certification. But the CBFC has been delaying the process on one pretext or the other, read a statement.



When the FCAT was informed of the delay by the producer, they summoned the CBFC to explain the situation. But no one showed up for the hearing, resulting in the latest order.



It may be recalled that Lipstick Under My Burkha was first denied certification by the CBFC in January and then again by the Revising Committee in February as its narrative was considered to be too laced with sexual scenes and abusive language. The producers had then filed an appeal with the FCAT for a reversal of the CBFC decision.



Director Alankrita Shrivastava said: "These are pressure tactics by the CBFC. They are once again trying to do their best to stifle the voices of women. Because the FCAT has pointed out that the CBFC cannot deny certification to a film because it is 'lady-oriented', the CBFC is just delaying the process.



"It has been weeks. And we have been waiting to get the certification in hand so we can announce a release date. We first applied for the censor certificate at the end of December. It is now almost June. Who is going to pay for the delay of five months?"



Meanwhile, "Lipstick Under My Burkha" has already won multiple awards at film festivals abroad, including the Grand Jury Prize at Films de Femmes Creteil, France and the inaugural Oxfam Award for the Best Film on Gender Equality. It has been officially screened at over 25 international film festivals across the world.



The film features actors like Konkona Sensharma and Ratna Pathak Shah, and tells the story of four small town women in search of a little freedom.
I felt that only parents know how to love their childthe overwhelming msgs for AbRam make me realise u all lov him so much too. Grateful.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) May 27, 2017

As his younger son AbRam turned four on Saturday, superstar Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude to his fans for sharing their love and wishes for the little one.Shah Rukh posted an emotional message on Twitter."I felt that only parents know how to love their child The overwhelming messages for AbRam make me realise you all love him so much too. Grateful," the actor posted.AbRam is the youngest of Shah Rukh's three children. He has son Aryan and daughter Suhana with wife Gauri.Back in July 2013, the actor had confirmed the news of the birth of his surrogate son AbRam.Often on social media, Shah Rukh keeps sharing adorable photographs of the toddler, much to the delight of fans. Even during the recently concluded Indian Premier League, AbRam became the cynosure of all eyes as he shared the frame several times with his daddy dearest.Shah Rukh, a doting father, makes sure he takes AbRam along wherever he can. Shutterbugs caught him taking his son even during a visit to the dentist.As far as his work is concerned, Shah Rukh is busy working in a movie by Aanand L Rai, and caught up with the shoot in the heat.
Srinagar, May 28 (IBNS): A day after Burhan Wani's successor and Hijbul commander Sabzar Bhat were killed in separate encounters, the Kashmir Valley on Sunday is witnessing curfew in different parts.

The Kashmir Hurriyat has meanwhile called for a shutdown on Sunday.

Internet service has been blocked in the Kashmir Valley following the killing of Burhan Wani's successor and Hijbul commander Sabzar Bhat on Saturday

.

Burhan Wani's successor and Hijbul commander Sabzar Bhat was among eight terrorists killed in separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Bhat and another terrorist, holed up in a building at Saimu village in the Tral sector of Pulwama district were shot dead in an encounter with security forces while six others were killed by the Indian army while attempting infiltration along the Line of Control in Rampur sector in Baramulla district.

In Tral, security forces laid a cordon on Friday evening around a house in Saimu village where Bhat and one or two other terrorists were hiding. After a prolonged exchange of gun fire Bhat and another terrorist were killed. Operation is still underway in the area.

Bhat alias Abu Zarar had succeeded former Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, who was killed on July 8, 2016, in Anantnag district.

He carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh.

The operation in Rampur, was carried out after the soldiers noticed suspicious movement along the LoC in the early hours of the morning.

Six terrorists were killed in a fierce gunfight. The army said the infiltration attempt has been foiled .


She said some police officials are also part of this plot, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is sternly dealing with them.

On May 5, one person was killed and 15 people were injured in clashes in which houses of Dalits in Shabbirpur village were allegedly torched by Thakurs.

She said officials of her department have done an extensive job to identify the vulnerable sections of the society and the women welfare schemes would be implemented vigorously.

shi, who switched to the BJP from the Congress last year, reiterated that Rahul Gandhi lacks the "calibre" to take on the saffron party.

: Against the backdrop of the recent caste violence in Saharanpur, UP minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Sunday said certain "anti-social elements" from some "out-of-power" political parties hatched a conspiracy to disturb law and order in the state."I am not saying political parties are directly involved in the conspiracy to disturb law and order in UP... some uncontrollable anti-social elements from these parties are hell bent to malign the image of the Adityanath government," Joshi said in an interaction with journalists in suburban Goregaon.She said the Adityanath government has been in power for about 13 weeks now and has a strong grip on law and order. Saharanpur has been on the boil since violence first broke out about 40 days ago following a procession to mark Ambedkar Jayanti.In fresh violence on May 23, one person was shot dead and two others were wounded."I feel that a few officers are not cooperating and are involved in it (conspiracy) as well. But Yogiji is a strong administrator and he has warned of action against the senior-most police officers if they continued with their lackadaisical approach," she said.Responding to the charge by the opposition that cases of cow vigilantism have increased in UP since the BJP came to power, Joshi said only one such incident took place in the state.Joshi, who holds women and child welfare, and tourism portfolios, is on a two-day visit to Mumbai. She is scheduled to meet her Maharashtra counterpart Pankaja Munde tomorrow to discuss the implementation of the Centre's women development-related schemes in Uttar Pradesh."There are numerous welfare schemes being launched by the Centre for the uplift of women. Our predecessors did not show a political will to implement these schemes. Our government has set up Asha Jyoti Kendras in several districts to help victims of rape, acid attack, and of domestic violence. These centres will be soon set up in all 75 districts in UP," she said."We have undertaken many initiatives to instill a sense of security among women. We have taken measures like setting up the Rani Laksmi Bai Sanmman Kosh. We are working hard to improve sex ratio in the state and are also popularising the toll free number 181 in the state," the minister said, adding that the Women Commission of Uttar Pradesh, which has been dysfunctional, is being revamped and its "makeover" will be completed soon.Jo"There is no threat to the BJP by its opponents for at least 20 years. As far as Rahulji is concerned, I have worked with him and I can say he cannot take on the BJP," she said.
Raipur: Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad on Saturday said the BJP government at Centre has failed on all fronts in the last three-years.



"Narendra Modi government, which completed three years in power, has failed on all fronts. Ahead of the 2014 general elections, BJP had promised that it will generate two crore jobs annually but due to the decision of demonetisation over three crore people have been rendered jobless," said Ahmad during a media briefing.



Ahmad alleged that the Central Government was working to benefit only a particular section of people.



"People elect government so that it can work for them. It will work for their economic upliftment, it will provide them employment, but the BJP government seems to be interested in benefitting only a particular section of people," alleged Ahmad.



"The reason behind demonetisation was to benefit a section of industrialist. It was done to waive loans of some business houses," said Ahmad.



The Congress leader blamed Central government's policies for deteriorating situation in Kashmir.



"The Union Government's lack of vision about Kashmir policy is the real reason for current situation in the valley. It has led to a rise in terrorist activities," said Ahmad.



He also took a dig at the BJP for failing to make Lokpal functional.



"BJP came to power by promising Lokpal, but today it has refused to make Lokpal functional. It is raising issues like triple talaq to deflect the attention of people from core issues," said Ahmad.
Singh was on Sunday seen accompanying Joshi during her programmes in the city and was also spotted at a suburban five-star where Joshi is putting up.

Mumbai BJP general secretary R D Yadav said they came to know about Joshi's visit through the sources outside BJP.

Joshi, who holds the charge of Women and Child Welfare, and Tourism departments, is on a two-day visit to Mumbai.

: A section of leaders from the Mumbai unit of the BJP on Sunday alleged that senior Congress leader Kripashankar Singh, facing allegations of amassing disproportionate assets, virtually hijacked Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi's maiden visit to city.They also alleged that Joshi cold-shouldered them and they were kept in dark about her schedule.Some north Indian leaders in the BJP unit claimed to have spotted some posters of Singh welcoming Joshi, in various parts of the city. Joshi, who was Uttar Pradesh state Congress president, switched to BJP only last year."This is extremely unfortunate and upsetting. We got the information about our leader's visit through other sources. We will raise this issue with senior party leaders and request them to ensure that a proper cadre protocol is followed in future," he said.Another senior leader said on the condition of anonymity that he came to know about Joshi's visit to the city through Singh himself."I was shocked to hear through Kripashankar Singh that Joshi is coming here. What kind of message Joshi wants to give as Kripashankar is facing allegations of corruption. It seems that she still feels herself as a Congress leader. This is why she stayed in a five-star hotel with some Congress leaders. I have written a letter to Yogi Adityanathji (Uttar Pradesh chief minister) to take a serious note of this," he said.She is scheduled to meet her Maharashtra counterpart Pankaja Munde on Monday on implementation of Centre's women development related schemes in Uttar Pradesh.A senior leader in the Mumbai unit of BJP, Amarjeet Mishra said he met Joshi at a five-star hotel in Goregaon though he was not officially informed about her schedule."Yes, I did meet her very briefly. It seemed she was very much occupied. I came to know about her firstever visit to Mumbai as a minister through some sources. Though I was not invited, I went to visit her on my own," Mishra said. When contacted, Joshi said she had informed the presidents of the Mumbai BJP and Maharashtra state unit BJP about her visit."I had informed Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar and state unit party president (Raosaheb Danve). In fact, several BJP leaders, including BJS general secretary Amarjeet Mishra, secretary Ajay Singh and others came to meet me and greeted me here," she said.However, Joshi avoided replying to a query on Singh accompanying her.Meanwhile, Shelar blamed the lack of proper communication for the confusion."Yes, this is true that she (Joshi) had informed me. All this (confusion) is due to lack of proper communication. We would be alert next time," he said without elaborating. Singh cannot be contacted for comment.
What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless,barbaric& completely unacceptable to me &the Congress Party.I strongly condemn the incident  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 28, 2017

The Kerala Police on Sunday filed a case against Youth Congress activists for allegedly slaughtering an ox during a protest against Centres ban on sale of cattle for the purpose of slaughter.The Youth Congress activists allegedly slaughtered the animal at the protest in Kannur on Saturday evening and distributed the meat among locals.Police said a case has been registered against the protestors. They said the animal was transported in a tempo which is also a violation of the rules.Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi criticised the incident.Earlier in the day, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also attacked the Centre on the notification on cattle sale.People in Kerala have been following a traditional food habit, which is healthy and nutritious, and no one can change it, he said.The state government will give all facilities to people to have food of their choice. There is no need for Keralites to learn it from anybody in New Delhi or Nagpur (headquarters of RSS), Vijayan said.Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel has said the state government would consider formulating a new legislation to skirt the ban.The Central governments new notification has imposed a blanket prohibition on slaughtering of cattle (cows, bulls, buffaloes, camels, heifers) brought from animal markets. Issued on May 23, the notification bans sale of cattle for culling and also restrains sacrificing the animals for religious purposes.
The Centre is trying to impose the RSS's agenda of a uniform culture, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in Kozhikode.

): Racheting up his attack on the Centre over the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the people in his state do not need a lesson on food habits from New Delhi or Nagpur."The state government will give all facilities to people to have food of their choice. There is no need for Keralites to learn it from anybody in New Delhi or Nagpur (headquarters of RSS)," Vijayan said.Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel saidthe state government would consider formulating a new legislation to skirt the ban.The agenda of the BJP's recent Bhuwaneswar party conference was "one nation, one culture and one party and the saffron party is trying to impose it through the cattle ban", he said.
London: British Airways resumed some flights from Britain's two biggest airports on Sunday after a global computer system failure created chaos, leaving planes grounded and thousands of passengers queuing for hours.



BA said it aimed to operate the majority of services from London Heathrow on Sunday and a near normal schedule from Gatwick, the capital's second busiest airport. Heathrow authorities, however, said they expected further delays and cancellations of BA flights.



"We are continuing to work hard to restore all of our IT systems," BA added in a statement. "We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers."



Heathrow told passengers not to travel to the airport unless they were rebooked on other flights.



British Airways cancelled all its flights from Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, and Gatwick on Saturday after a power supply problem disrupted its flight operations worldwide and also hit its call centres and website.



A spokeswoman for BA could not immediately detail the exact number of flights cancelled on Saturday.



Alex Cruz, the chairman and chief executive of BA, part of Europe's largest airline group IAG, said there was no evidence of any cyber attack.



CHAOS FOR PASSENGERS



Thousands of passengers queued for hours in departure halls at the airports on a particularly busy weekend. Monday is a public holiday and many children were starting a one-week school holiday.



While British Airways could face a one-off financial hit from the cancellations, the risk to its reputation among customers could be more damaging in the long-term effect.



It is already facing declining customer ratings following unpopular decisions made as it faces competition from low-cost airlines. These include starting to charge for food on short haul flights last year to cut costs.



Terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became jammed with angry passengers, with confused BA staff unable to help as they had no access to their computers, according to passengers interviewed by Reuters.



Some passengers expressed frustration on Twitter over missing bags and long waits in telephone queues to speak to BA staff.



"We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible," BA said, adding that it had introduced more flexible rebooking policies for passengers affected.



While other airlines have been hit by computer problems, the scale and length of BA's troubles were unusual.



Delta Air Lines Inc cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed many others last August after an outage hit its computer systems. Last month, Germany's Lufthansa and Air France suffered a global system outage which briefly prevented them from boarding passengers.
New York: An eight-month-old German Shepherd was held hostage by Delta Airlines for more than 33 hours over paperwork that airline officials misplaced, the pet's owner has claimed.



Mary Nguyen, a 25-year-old student living in Minneapolis, decided to relocate her German Shepherd named Bunny to Guatemala so he could live with her husband.



The "hostage" situation began last week, when Nguyen hired Pet Air Carrier, a private company unaffiliated with Delta, paying it USD 3,000 to ship Bunny.



As part of the arrangement, Nguyen drove from Minneapolis to Wisconsin to have the required paperwork endorsed before sending the puppy on his way on Wednesday.



But when Nguyen's hubby tried to get Bunny out of cargo at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Delta balked, saying the necessary paperwork to take the animal to a new country had been left back in the US, CBS reported.



Adding insult to injury, Nguyen claimed Delta agents demanded an extra USD 3,000 to free the pup.



"They have all the documents they need on their scratch pad to release her but refuse to do so without the hard copy that they lost (but tracked down)," a distraught Nguyen was quoted as saying by the CBS.



"The document has been in their possession the whole (time) since I've surrendered my dog over."



"After 33 hours, they finally released Bunny," she said. That happened late Friday, after the paperwork was finally located and dispatched to Guatemala.



Delta has had problems transporting pets in the past, with five animal deaths and five injuries in 2016, the second-highest rate of animal death and injury among the top seven domestic airlines.



A Delta spokesperson said that the airline would refund the shipment cost.
Police have released security camera images of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he massacred 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert.Investigators also gave details of the 22-year-old's last hours as they appealed to the public for any information about his movements in the days run-up to the May 22 attack.The photographs taken from CCTV footage show a bespectacled Abedi, who has a small moustache, in trainers, jeans, black sleeves, a black cap and a black puffer waistcoat, over which the straps of his backpack can be seen.This is a handout photo taken from CCTV and issued on Saturday, May 27, 2017 by Greater Manchester Police who have altered the surrounding area of Salman Abedi, in an unknown location on the night of the attack on Manchester Arena. The police released surveillance-camera images of the bomber on the night of the May attack as they appealed for information about his final days. (Greater Manchester Police via AP)"In the past five days we have gathered significant information about Abedi, his associates, his finances, the places he had been, how the device was built and the wider conspiracy," the statement said.Britain had on Saturday lowered the terror threat level from critical  its highest level  to severe, but British Prime Minister Theresa May said the country should remain "vigilant".A third of those killed in Monday's bombing were children, and another 116 people were injured.The attack, which has been claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, targeted concertgoers at the end of a show by US teen pop idol Ariana Grande.
Image: www.awallpapersimages.com

New Delhi, May 28 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the start of holy month of Ramzan.

Greetings on the start of Ramzan. May this holy month enhance the spirit of togetherness, peace and harmony across the world, the Prime Minister said.

Ramadan also romanized as Ramazan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief.

This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The month lasts 2930 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.


FR. Abraham, a son of Brigo

For years, the elder Abraham had carved a niche for himself as a master showman, known primarily for his comedic antics, famously declaring in an insecticide commercial, Det kill dem dead. But up until his death on May 16, reportedly from complications relating to Alzheimers disease, the clergymans connection to the endearing calypsonian remained largely, a little-known fact.

And for those who did know that he was Brigos son, it seemed a remote possibility, Abraham, 46, said in a Sunday Newsday interview at the Regional Seminary, Mount St Benedict, on Thursday.

A lot of people were not aware, he said of the response of many mourners to the news that Brigo was his father, after last Mondays funeral at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Portof- Spain.

Some people knew but I realised on that day that a lot of people did not know. They were coming up to me and asking, You are Brigos son. Abraham said, though, his father never missed a beat in telling people that one of his sons was a priest.

He said members of the Catholic community also knew of his journey into the religious life after it was publicised in the print media about a decade ago.

It was in the newspapers in 2007 when I was ordained a deacon and in 2008 when I was ordained a priest, Abraham said.

Abraham recalled that years before, in 1999, late Archbishop Anthony Pantin also told a Catholic conference in Miami about his decision to enter the priesthood.

There was a special conference every year in Miami and that year, he knew that I was going to enter the Regional Seminary, and at the conference, he said, Just imagine, even Brigos son is going to become a priest. Trinidadians there were in uproar. Days after administering final rites on his father, Abraham said he was shocked by reports which claimed that Brigo had fathered 36 children. That is not accurate, he declared, laughing. He has ten children, seven with my mother and then he had three with Lynette Huggins (deceased). So, I dont know where they got that 36 from.

In his life, I dont know if he had other children. My hope is that if there are 36, the others will come forward at some point. Abraham said although his father told them about the three children he shared with Huggins, they only got to meet them late in their lives.

A priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the island of St John, Virgin Islands, with responsibility for Catholic renewal and youth, Abraham grew up in Freedom Street, Pinto Road, Arima.

He described his father as the greatest storyteller.

He was big on these sayings, If crab know his back not strong he should not go below rock and What sweet in goat mouth does sour in the bam bam. As a child, you always were excited to hear the stories that daddy will tell, he said, adding his father also brought gifts for them from his many travels abroad.

Abraham said many people also did not know the late calypsonian was an excellent cook. I dont think the nation knows but some of his close calypsonian friends who travelled with him knew and we always looked forward to daddys cooking, even more than mummys. He had that sweet hand. Blessed with a big heart, Abraham said his father always exhibited unconditional love for people from all walks of life, especially the poor man.

He recalled that one time, during a performance in Guyana, Brigo befriended a man named Wilbert Williams, who expressed an interest in visiting Trinidad.

My dad simply said, Fine, I am going to help you. He came for two weeks and spent about 15 years living at our home. That was the kind of man Brigo was. His father, he said, also was a disciplinarian I didnt like it one bit but he was big on respect, Abraham joked.

One of the stories he would always tell us is about this mother and son. The mother did not discipline the child who was Death Row for a series of crimes. The child called the mother and said he had something to tell her and when she came, the child bit her on the ear, saying, Mummy, if you had disciplined me, I would have never been here. Daddy used that to say, I am not sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Although he had kept in touch with Brigo during his many years of ministering in the Virgin Islands, Abraham it was only when he returned for a month-long visit, last October, that he witnessed, first hand, the extent of his fathers physical deterioration.

In fact, during the funeral, he called on calypsonians to look out for one-another, suggesting the offering be used to assist the artforms ailing exponents.

Abraham said he learnt at the funeral that another well-known calypsonian, Black Stalin (Leroy Caliste), would have been at the service, if he was not ill.

He would have loved to be there. Abraham said he had planned to make a special presentation to Stalins wife, Patsy, at the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisations (TUCO) tribute to his father, last Thursday night at Kaiso Blues Caf?, Woodford Street, Newtown The presentation, he said, would have been a symbolic gesture to celebrate artistes who have contributed to the development of the artform but would have fallen on hard times in one form or another.

Saying he told TUCO president Lutola Masimba (Brother Resistance) that his father had sacrificed his family for calypso, Abraham said he was deeply pained by the treatment that was meted out to him within the last few years.

My mother sacrificed so much to raise us when daddy was not there and then to be treated like that. I spent a month with my father in October and only one man came to see him - Funny (Donrick Williamson), he said. TUCO also looked out for him. But there was so much that was needed. Saying the experience was an eye-opener, Abraham has since resolved to move steadfastly in preserving his fathers legacy, a process which began years ago.

He told Sunday Newsday that while studying for the priesthood, he had done a thesis celebrating Brigos work.

I think getting into my fathers music really helped me appreciate him and that was a real eye-opener because sometimes in the Christian eye people see calypso as evil, he said.

But when I really entered his songs, I realised that my father was very spiritual and that he was the one who taught me about spirituality. That, for me, was very important. The priest said he learnt that his father also was a prophet.

As I listen more and more to his music, the man was a prophet in the artform. He said one of the judges who spoke at the tribute also had seen his father in this light.

He apologised, saying that when daddy sang Green Lime in the tent, they did not understand the depth with which he was singing, Abraham said of the judge.

I also learnt that every night when he sang that song, daddy wept because I guess he was seeing the direction in which the nation was headed and he was feeling it. So, that made it very powerful. Abraham began studying for the priesthood at age 19 but his journey to the religious life started years before, through a series of turbulent experiences which culminated in him trying to commit suicide.

In my early years, with the brunt of life and daddy not being there, at the age of 16, I attempted suicide, he recalled.

Abraham said although his father and relatives had visited him at the Port-of- Spain General Hospital, the response of two nurses to his suicide attempt touched him deeply.

One of them looked very frightened and she came to me and said, Mr Abraham, there is someone who loves you and his name is Jesus. The other nurse, he remembered, spoke to him about how God was able to see her through a personal crisis.

That stirred my heart. After his ordeal, Abraham said he left school and went to Grenada for some time but when I came back, I knew that something was missing. Abraham said a visit to the Word of Life Ministries, Green Street, Arima, transformed his life phenomenally.

I did a Life In the Spirit seminar there and that changed my entire life. Drawing parallels between his life and the problems young people often encounter, Abraham told Sunday Newsday: I am not ashamed to share my testimony.

I understand what people go through in a really deep way. He later recalled walking into the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to find out more about the priesthood.

(The priest) gave me the qualifications, which were five OLevels. But I had three at the time. And I began doing the work that was necessary to the point where I eventually entered. But before I entered, I had a youth group in the Santa Rosa RC Church in Arima and attended a mission to St Croix and Martinique. He said while in St Croix, a priest invited him to return to do missionary work there. Abraham said he left local shores some 18 years ago for the Virgin Islands because at that time I felt I was more needed there. I remember in my journey recognising that I am loved by God and created for a purpose. Moving ahead, Abraham has decided to preserve his fathers legacy and support ailing artistes through the establishment of the Brigo Cultural Theatre.

Helping artistes who are sick, I want to be instrumental in doing that because of my experience with my dad and the aloneness that I have seen him experience.

It has fired me up to really help. That is the work that I do in the Virgin Islands - helping those in need. Asked about his greatest challenge as a priest, Abraham said: There is a scarcity of priests now. There is serious work to be done because priests now are overworked. He said many people also do not realise that priests are human beings.

There is a selfishness in us as human beings that it is always about me and we are not thinking about other persons.

In Brigos calypsoes, he highlighted that, love for God, love for neighbour, because that is what Jesus preached.

You take nothing with you when you die. In spite of that big dream house that one might have, at the end of the day, you stand before God alone. In the interim, Abraham said he will be in Trinidad until the end of the month.

He said the family will meet in New Jersey within the ensuing months to discuss other ways to celebrate Brigos legacy.
Minister: $40M for Moruga houses

For this fiscal period, we have distributed about 1,600 homes and we are not done yet. We have only just started. In the upcoming weeks, we hope to break ground for another development, this time at Corinth Hills, San Fernando, Mitchell said. Addressing a small gathering, the minister noted there were several housing projects left incomplete by the previous administration, but promised Government will complete them in the same way it had completed the Brian Lara Stadium.

Among the developments to be done are: Vieux Fort, St James; Bon Air North, Arouca; Lake View, Point Fortin; Hubertstown, La Brea; Real Springs,Valsayn.

Moruga /Tableland MP Dr Lovell Francis said housing in Moruga is a big demand as many people cannot afford to build their own houses or purchase land on the open market.

As such, they look to the HDC maybe as the only hope of getting to own their own home.

Also, on the proposed $200 million fishing and port facility at Gran Chemin, Moruga, Mitchell and Francis assured it will be built.

This port will offer superior facilities to the fishermen in Moruga and add to their productivity and efficiency.

We also recently launched the $70 million Agro-processing and Light Industrial Park, Mitchell said.

Earlier this month, Trade and Industry Minister Gopee-Scoon announced the park will be built on 18.83 acres at Saunders Trace, St Marys Village. The park will be sub-divided into 18 plots of varying sizes.

Francis said Moruga has the highest number of fishing boats with more than 100 at two beaches.

The port project will not only provide a jetty but also storage rooms to fix their nets and a whole suite of facilities that they do not have right now. Work was poised to start at the end of the year. Preliminary studies are being done so the work is underway, Francis said.

Construction is due to begin by the end of this year or early next year, he said.
Beware ransomware

The term ransomware is not a new one but the word was on everybodys lips just a few weeks ago when organisations around the world tried to recover their information after being hit by a ransomware attack known as WannaCry.

According to a CNN news article, hospitals, major companies and government offices were among those that were badly affected.

The majority of the attacks targeted Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan.

In addition, hospitals in the United Kingdom, Chinese universities and global firms like Fedex (FDX) were affected.

Last week, Public Administration and Communication Minister Maxi Cuffie, in a press release, said he received an assurance from the managers of the governments Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure that there are systems in place to treat with ransomware attacks.

The minister said Governments ICT infrastructure, GovNeTT, is managed by the National Information and Communication Technology Company Limited (iGovTT) which is supported by contractual agreements with a contractors alliance of Fujitsu and a team of ICT companies.

In an interview with Sunday Newsday at iGovTTs office in Chaguanas last Thursday, Head of Operations, Sherwin Ragoonanan explained that ransomware was one of the newer methods of attack.

What the attackers try to do is hold your machine to ransom. It typically manifests itself via email when you open an attachment and at that point it starts to encrypt and lock all the files on your machines and you get a notice telling you that if you want a decryption key, you have to pay a certain amount of money to this account and they will send you the key. He said sometimes paying them works but sometimes it does not.

The key they send may unlock certain files but you may need to pay more to unlock the rest. So where it really hits is where you dont have backups in place and you dont have the ability to really restore and its going to take you down hard. When the attack occurred, iGovTT was notified immediately by Symantec, a company that provides end-to-end protection.

Ragoonanan said the company was well-known for zero day protection.

That means that on the day of an attack they have been known to come up with methods of prevention in no time. He said two machines within an organisation in Port-of-Spain were affected by the ransomware but he said it was isolated and did not spread.

Ragoonanan said ransomware does not have any prejudice against who it is attacking.

It can attack you at home, it can attack you in the office, it can attack the Prime Minister, it can attack a clerk, it does not matter. People need to do everything they can to protect themselves from these types of attacks. Making sure your virus and malware signatures are up to date is one aspect, Ragoonanan advises adding that the other side of it is changing your behaviour while online.

Dont go to websites you dont know about, you go to a website that gives you funny pop ups, get out of there. You see an email, this is where the email attacks are becoming more successful. They are spoofing from your address book.

You may see an email from someone that you know, and you open it up like normal, you open up the attachments like normal because the attachments may be seemingly innocent, it may be invoices or monthly report, and that is how we get infected. Asked how vulnerable was this country to these type of attacks, Ragoonanan said very, from the perspective that a lot of people take security for granted.
There Was No Red Wave,

'That's for Darn Sure'
If your last-minute weekend getaways involve turning to the loving arms of Airbnb, we have that special listing for you: It is the entire nation of Sweden, reports Mashable, and it can be yours for the bargain price of free. Citing the Swedish principle of Allemansrattenthe freedom to roam or right to be free in naturethe crafty tourism wizards write that the country is "a place where you can eat berries from the ground, sleep under the stars, swim in the lakes and roam freely. To make this home available for everyone, Sweden has listed the entire country on Airbnb." There are nine very normal-looking Airbnb listings with amenities such as "Open roof bedroom," "Natural Heating (May-August)," "Wild Pets," and availability 365 days a year.

Business Insider runs down the list of things Allemansratten entitles you to and it's pretty extensive:

Access to any land except private residences and 70 yards of them; cultivated land is also excluded

Pitch a tent, make a campfire, swim in lakes, fish in five main lakes or along the whole coast

Help yourself to flowers, mushrooms, and berries

Drive on any road not marked private

(Read more Airbnb stories.)
Patna, May 28 (TheBiharPostIBNS): A judge from Bihar, who was served death threats after he awarded capital punishment to five Maoist rebels, has refused to be cowed down and declared to follow the path of justice come what may.

Nothing can prevent me from following the path of justice. A court pronounces its verdict on the basis of evidences and witnesses, Munger district court judge Jyoti Swarup Srivastava was quoted as saying in the local media on Sunday, reacting to Maoists threats to eliminate him.

He refused to take his murder threats seriously saying the death of every individual is certain.

Why should I fear death when everyone has to die some day? I cant be cowed down by death threats, the judge added.

However, the state administration while taking these threats seriously has beefed up security around him and also strengthened security at his official residence.

The rebels handed down death penalty to him after he awarded death sentence to their five colleagues on Thursday holding them guilty for killing two CRPF jawans during the last 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The rebels took this decision after holding a Jun Adalat (peoples court) on Friday, a local media reported today quoting a spokesperson of Bihar-Jharkhand Zonal Committee Laljit Koda.

The rebels have also given a call for two-day bandh (shutdown) on May 28 and 29 in eastern Bihar to protest the death sentence given to their colleagues.

As per reports, a police team had gone on patrolling in the Jamui LS constituency during the 2014 polls when their vehicle was attacked by rebels.

Subsequently, two jawans died in the incident while seven others sustained injuries.

thebiharpost.com
Jeremy Christian, the man suspected of yelling anti-Muslim hate speech at two women then killing two men who came to their defense Friday in Portland, is a "known right-wing extremist and white supremacist," the Portland Mercury reports. According to the Washington Post, the 35-year-old Christian was seen at an April 29 March for Free Speech in Portland giving Nazi salutes and yelling "n***er" while wearing an American flag for a cape. A reporter who interviewed him at the event says Christian appeared to have a "mental illness of some sort." While Christian has no known mental health history, his defense attorney from a 2002 incident also believed he suffered from mental illness, CBS News reports.

On his Facebook, Christian is a self-proclaimed white nationalist, though he argues he isn't racist. He also calls the Oklahoma City bomber a "true patriot." An "alt-right Nationalist leader" in Portland denounced Christian's alleged actions on Saturday, KATU reports. Christian was convicted of robbery and kidnapping in 2002 after he held up a convenience store at gunpoint then threatened to kill himself in front of police. He was also charged with theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2010, but those charges were dropped. Christian is now charged with murder. The victims of Friday's attack have been identified as 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche. A third victim was stabbed and survived. (Read more Jeremy Joseph Christian stories.)
"I think we hit a home run," President Trump told a crowd of US service members at an Italian military base on Saturday as he wrapped up his whirlwind first trip abroad. "Maybe I'll stay down with you and celebrate together," he joked, per CNN, which notes that Trump called the trip "tremendously productive," "historic," and said of his peers on the world stage that "we made a lot of good friends this week." Air Force One touched down on US soil at 9pm Saturday night carrying the president and first lady, and the New York Times details some of the crises awaiting his attention, in particular reports that son-in-law Jared Kushner was in contact with Russians during the campaign. A look around the assessments of the trip:

CNN compiles video highlights from the trip.

The Washington Post calls him "alternately charming and boorish," but calls it "the role of a lifetime" for Trump.

The AP delves into the disparity between the optics and imagery of the trip, which were conventional, and the rhetoric, which was not.

The Hill has five takeaways from the trip, including the lecture he gave NATO.

Politico also have five takeaways, and notes that the president seems more comfortable in one-on-one exchanges than in large summits.

(Read more President Trump stories.)
A man who got into an argument with his estranged wife over their children was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that left eight people dead, including a sheriff's deputy, per the AP. "I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," a handcuffed Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, told the Clarion-Ledger. The shootings took place at three homes Saturday nighttwo in Brookhaven and one in Bogue Chittoabout 70 miles south of Jackson, after authorities got a call about a domestic dispute, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said. The dead included two boys, investigators said. Godbolt was listed in good condition at a hospital with a gunshot wound; authorities did not say how he was wounded. Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said charges had yet to be filed and it was too soon to say what the motive was.

Authorities gave no details on the relationship between Godbolt and the victims. However, Godbolt himself shed some light on what happened in a video interview with the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road. Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities. "I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," he said. "Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene." "They cost him his life," he said, apparently referring to the deputy. "I'm sorry." The stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, said in an interview that Godbolt's wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband. (Read more mass shootings stories.)
Sri Lankan rescuers on Sunday pulled out more bodies that were buried by enormous mudslides as the death toll in the disaster climbed to 151, with 111 others missing, reports the AP. Although the weather has cleared, more rains are forecast for Monday, threatening to bring further misery to over 100,000 people displaced in western and southern regions of the island nation that were lashed by two days of torrential rains. Taking advantage of a lull in rain, soldiers cleared road access to most of the affected areas while others were reachable by boat, said Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the search and rescue mission. People waded in knee-deep floodwaters to get to army trucks transporting relief supplies and taking away those waiting to be evacuated. Ranasinghe said he didn't expect to find any more survivors.

Health minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathna said 102,218 displaced people were being sheltered in 339 relief centers. Special medical teams have been sent to the affected areas, while medicine has been sent by air to hospitals for which access has been cut off, he said. Access roads are still blocked in some areas due to flooding, and fuel shortages have been reported, Senarathna said. The UN said it was assisting in relief efforts in response to a government appeal. It also promised to donate water purification tablets, tents, and other supplies for the displaced. India sent a shipload of goods, while the United States and Pakistan also promised to send relief supplies. Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology warned that heavy downpours were expected in some of the affected areas. (Read more Sri Lanka stories.)
President Trump is back from his foreign tour and has no shortage of items on his to-do list: Chief among them is containing the Russia crisis, and the Washington Post is reporting that the White House is looking to create a "war room" to do so and fill it with people it calls "some of Trumps more combative campaign aides." That could include Corey Lewandowski, David Bossie, and Sam Nunberg. The White House is also lawyering up, notes the Post, with longtime Trump lawyer Marc Kasowitz expected to advise the president on the Russia situation as early as Sunday. And as fallout over reported backchannels to Russia grows, Politico notes that the future is uncertain for one key aide: Son-in-law Jared Kushner. "The bottom line is they need fresh legs; they need more legs," a former political adviser to the Trump campaign tells the Post. "Theyre in full-scale war, and theyre thinly staffed."

Kasowitz is expected to be bolstered by a legal team, as well as a crisis communications team, reports the AP. "They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation," a former Clinton White House counsel says. Citing two unnamed sources, CBS News reports that the White House has identified three people believed to be behind leaks who are soon to be out of a job. Meanwhile, Trump himself was playing defense on the leaks Sunday via Twitter: "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media." (Read more President Trump stories.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Trump walked away from the G7 summit in Sicily with very different takes on the meetings. The BBC reports that Merkel made a somber speech at an election event in Munich on Sunday, suggesting that Europe could no longer rely on allies Britain and the US. The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out," she said. "I've experienced that in the last few days." Without mentioning Trump by name, she referenced the conversations that the seven leaders present had surrounding the 2015 Paris climate deal, which Trump has not agreed to uphold, as six against one and "very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory." Merkel also referred to Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

Meanwhile, Trump described meetings at the summit as great on Twitter, and upon returning stateside, tweeted, Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results! Merkel stressed that moving forward with friendship toward the US and Britain were priorities, but that Europe must begin fending for itself more strongly in several areas, including defense, reports the New York Times. We Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands, said Merkel, who is up for reelection as chancellor in September. (Trump says he'll make his decision on the Paris pact this week.)
House Speaker Paul Ryan recently discovered that not all of social-media savvy Generation Z is game to jump in front of a camera. During a class trip to Washington, DC, half the visiting students from New Jerseys South Orange Middle School opted out of a photo with Ryan, reports ABC 7. About 100 kids who say they oppose his policies chose to stand across the street in a parking lot while Ryan posed with the rest of the class. "It's not just a picture," says student Matthew Malespina, who texted his mother, Elissa, for advice when he discovered the House speaker would be on the trips agenda. Elissa, a school librarian, responded that he could simply say hed rather not participate, and told the Washington Post that she was surprised, but happy over the small protest.

Im proud of him, and Im proud of the other students that chose to exercise their constitutional rights and did so in a respectful manner. Other parents were not as pleased with the decision, saying it was disrespectful to the speaker's office, while the students who did pose with Ryan shrugged off the protest. "I thought it would be very cool just seeing the man who is the third most powerful man in our country," student Miles Handelman says. "It would be cool, even if you disagree with him." The eighth-graders say they believe Ryan, who posted his own shot of the moment to Instagram, was not aware of the situation at the time. Asked about it Sunday, a spokesperson for Ryan said he always appreciates the opportunity to welcome students to the Capitol. (Read more Paul Ryan stories.)
Death toll in Sri Lanka floods and landslides rises to 126

Colombo : Death toll in massive floods and landslides in Sri Lanka has increased to 126. Nearly, 12000 people have been evacuated from areas at risk of floods that have already affected over 200,000 people in 14 districts.

Death toll in #SriLanka #floods rise to 126.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2017

"Water level of Kalaniya River is still rising so evacuations are still taking place," DMC spokesperson Predeep Kodippili told Efe news.

The first vessel with humanitarian aid from India arrived in Colombo earlier on Saturday. A second vessel will arrive on Sunday.

Heavy rainfall since Thursday has caused water levels of the Kalu, Kelani, Gin, Nilwala and Attanagalu rivers to rise and cause flooding.

Seven districts have been severely affected, the worst of which is the coastal Kalutara, where 38 people have died and 80 people are missing.

The meteorology department has forecast more rain in the coming days.

In May 2016, torrential rain in Sri Lanka owing to an atmospheric depression over the Bay of Bengal left close to a 100 people dead and 300,000 displaced.

(with IANS inputs)
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Guwahati, May 28 (IBNS): The search and rescue team of Indian army and Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday had recovered the black box of the crashed IAFas Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft from the jungle area in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said.

But, there is no information of the two pilots of the aircraft, which went missing on May 23 after it had taken off from Assams Tezpur Salnibari Air Force station.

A defence official based in Tezpur said rescue team had managed to locate the area, where the aircraft crashed and reached the remote dense forest area along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

The team had found the black box of the crashed aircraft at the Khalong hills area. But yet to trace the missing pilots, the defence official said.

The defence official said that, the search operation is going on to trace the missing pilots.

The Russia made fighter jet had lost radio and radar contact after takeoff around 60 kms from Tezpur.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath, Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Occasional snow showers. High 18F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later at night. Low near 10F. Winds light and variable.
Guwahati, May 28 (IBNS): Two students hailing from Mizoram were found dead along a railway track in Assamas capital city Guwahati on Sunday morning.

Local people found the bodies of the students near the railway track at Panikhaiti, outskirts of Guwahati.



Guwahati city police said the victims were identified as Lalhmangaihsanga and Lalmalsawma and they were studying two years diploma course in technician and physiotherapy at Assam Downtown University.



According to reports, the victims were studying at the university under the sponsorship of NERLP.

Local people believed that both students have struck to death by train last night.



On the other hand, a youth committed suicide in the city on Sunday.



The youth, worked at a private company in North Guwahati had jumped to the Brahmaputra river from the newly constructed Saraighat bridge.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)


Mumbai:

The Raymond on Sunday said that Textile and apparel major will invest Rs 350 crore in capacity and retail expansion this year.

This will help ramp up its apparel sale and grow the fabric business over the next few years, a senior company executive said.

Of the Rs 350 crore, Rs 200 crore will be allocated to manufacturing expansion, both in India and offshore, while Rs 150 crore will go towards retail expansion, Sanjay Behl, CEO, Raymond, told PTI here.

The company is setting up a large suiting manufacturing plant in Ethiopia in Africa that will be operational this year and has also undertaken a significant expansion in Amravati in Maharashtra for cotton fabric.

The Ethiopia plant will manufacture 2 million jackets, and the Amravati plant has a capacity of 3 million metres of linen fabric that will be added this year, Behl said.

Raymond is also looking to expand its retail presence to about 1,500 stores by 2020.

The company will open nearly 150-200 stores this year, Behl indicated. Raymond has more than 1,000 retail stores that are franchise based.

Raymond brands include Raymond (ready to wear), Raymond Made to Measure, Color Plus, Park Avenue and Parx.

It has also tied up with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and launched its branded Khadi by Raymond to promote the fabric globally.

We are building capability in finishing, design, and distribution for khadi and investing step by step, he said.

The new label will be available at KVIC outlets, besides its own, across India and leading e-commerce portals beginning August this year.

Also read: National Green Tribunal allows reopening of 578 textile units in Rajasthan

Also read: Saris, gowns, textiles - A showcase of Banaras repertoire!



For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Amitabh Bachchan who has always belonged to the hearts of million, on Saturday took to twitter to thank all his fans all over the world as the veteran actor just crossed 27 million followers on micro-blogging site twitter.

Being extremely overwhelmed the 74-year-old actor wrote, It is 27 million followers on Twitter! 27 Million! I am indeed honoured and blessed.

By reaching the 27 million mark on twitter the 'Sarkar 3' actor has also snatched the crown of most followed celeb of the industry.

While Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have 23 million and 20.9 followers respectively, Big B is only second to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The politician possesses 30.2 million followers on Twitter.

On the work front, senior Bachchan is at present busy shooting his upcoming project '102 Not Out' for which he has reunited with his 'Ajooba' co-star Rishi Kapoor after decades.

Also Read: Kareena Kapoor's baby boy Taimur Ali Khan's new pic is too adorable to take eyes off! (see pics)

In the movie while Amitabh will be seen portraying the character of a 102-year-old Dattaraya Vakharia, Rishi Kapoor will essay the character of his 72 year-old son Babu.

Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor reunite after almost 3 decades for director Umesh Shukla's #102NotOut... Filming commences in Mumbai... pic.twitter.com/hnaTnpZm1f  taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) May 19, 2017

Besides 'Ajooba' both the legends had previously worked together in the movies like 'Amar Akbar Anthony', ' Kabhi Kabhie', ' Naseeb' and 'Coolie'.

Apart from '102 Not Out' the legend will also be seen in 'Thugs of Hindostan' alongside Aamir Khan.

Also Read: Shweta Tiwari's daughter Palak to appear opposite 'Taare Zameen Par' fame Darsheel Safary in 'Quickie'

Also starring Katrina Kaif, Jackie Shroff and others the war drama is expected to hit the screens in 2018.

T 2437 - It is 27 million followers on Twitter !! 27 MILLION !! i am indeed honoured and blessed !! pic.twitter.com/IPcVD4rNtk  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) May 27, 2017

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Indian Army is facing a dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought through innovative ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has asserted, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a human shield by a young officer.

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy-infested state.

This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations, Rawat said.

The Army Chiefs Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired army generals. A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.

Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there, Gen Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones.

In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do), he said.

I would have been happy if the protesters were firing weapons at the armed forces instead of throwing stones: Army chief #BipinRawat.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2017

Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the army, then the country is doomed.

Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us, he said.

At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

Gen Rawat said that as the Army chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi.

As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there, he said.

Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break.

That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces, he said.

The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for.

He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it.

Farooq Dar, who was tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away. He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeeps bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.

The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control.

It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Armys role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected, he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

#Kashmir needs a composite solution, everybody will have to get involved: Army chief #BipinRawat.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2017

He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.

The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.

Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well.

Also Read | Spending on defence considered a 'burden' by many: Army Chief Bipin Rawat

Has political initiative not been taken in the past? What was the result, you had Kargil..., he said.

To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a limited war with Pakistan.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jammu:

An intruder was shot dead by the army on Sunday along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Troops along the LoC in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district shot dead the intruder around 0230 hours, an Army officer said.

An Army spokesman said the intruder was shot dead in an ambush.

Read more: Curfew to be imposed in Kashmir amid tension over killing of Hizb militant, Pak asks UN to intervene

Read more: Pakistan approaches UN, international community to stop violence in Kashmir

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

There is no information on two persons from Madhya Pradesh who were on board the ill-fated bus that fell into the Bhagirathi river near Nalupani in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, an official said today.



A total of 24 persons from Madhya Pradesh were travelling in the bus on a pilgrimage tour of Chardham yatra in Uttarakhand when the mishap took place on May 23.





Twenty-two of the pilgrims were killed, while the two others - Santoshbai (60) and Tejkaran Choudhry (25) - went missing.



"No clues are available about the missing persons," Indore collector P Narhari told PTI.



Santoshbai was among the pilgrims, while Tejkaran was included in the team as a cook. They hail from rural areas of Indore and Dhar districts.



The pilgrims left for the tour on May 12.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Bharuch:

Police on Sunday arrested four persons and seized scrapped currency notes in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations with a face value of over Rs 1 crore.

Bharuch Special Operations Group (SOG) made the seizure and arrest after intercepting an SUV which was coming from Surat in Sheetal Chowk area, said a police official.

As many as 11,322 demonetised currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500, having a face value of Rs 1,01,98,000, were found in a travel bag kept in the vehicle, he said.

Four persons travelling in the SUV were arrested and an FIR was registered at Bharuch C Division police station after they failed to provide satisfactory reply about the source of the defunct bills, the official said.

The police gave the names of the arrested persons as Chatur Singh Sodha, a resident of Barmer in Rajasthan, Denis Gangani, from Bhavnagar, Himanshu Megdani and Viral Ranpariya, both hailing from Surat.

We seized their mobile phones and documents they were carrying and launched an investigation, the official said.

They did not reveal the source of the scrapped notes, but said they wanted to exchange them for a commission, the police said.

An SOG team has left for Surat to further probe the matter, he said.

The seizure comes a day after Rajkot police seized Rs 1 crore in scrapped notes and held two persons.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday arrested JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik from his residence.

A police official said Malik has been shifted to central jail in Srinagar. He was arrested from his residence in Maisuma near Lal Chowk on Sunday morning.

The JKLF chairman had visited on Saturday the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militants Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and Faizan Muzaffar in Tral area of south Kashmirs Pulwama district.

The two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Soimoh area of Tral on Saturday.

Also Read | FEMA case: Separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik get ED summons

Malik and chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley to protest the killing of the two militants and the use of brute force against the protestors.

The separatist trio has also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday to pay tributes to the two militants.

Also Read : 10 militants killed in 24 hours in Kashmir as Indian Army mounts counter-insurgency operations

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mumbai, May 28 (IBNS): Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao on Sunday said he is willing to help those students who could perform well in the CBSE Higher Secondary School exams.

In a 59-second-long video, shared on his Twitter page, Rao offered to help students.

"For all you wonderful students out there," he captioned the video.

Rao urged students not to be 'worried' about their results.

"It is a beautiful life. A lot needs to be accomplished by you," he said in the video.

For all you wonderful students out there. pic.twitter.com/zqTDuR3T5S  Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) May 28, 2017

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday declared the Class XII results.

The CBSE Class 12 exams were conducted from Mar 9 to Apr 29 this year. .

A total of 10,98,891 candidates appeared from 10,678 schools registered for CBSE class 12 exams this year.

Image:wikimedia commons
Kolkata:

According to some of the leather exporters of eastern region the Centre's ban on the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter would adversely affect the leather industry.

They moreover demanded that the decision be either revoked or amended.

If nothing was done, the leather exporters threatened to take to the streets. "The Centre has handed over a death certificate tous... This(decision) will drastically impact the leather industry," Council of Leather Exports, regional chairman (East) Ramesh Kumar Juneja told reporters.

He further criticised the central government for notconsulting the states nor the leather industry before issuing such a notification. He said that the decision would hit close to 35 million people involved in the leather sector.

Exports to decline by 50 per cent from US$ seven billion to US$3.5 billion and will cripple the leather industry because of such a decision of the Centre, he said.

Last year, demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes had affected the industry 'very badly' and the ban on the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter would finish them totally, Juneja said.

Also Read: Modi Govt bans sale of cattle across country for slaughter purpose, notifies 4 rules to regulate livestock market

"Industry is already down by 15-20 per cent because of demonetisation. Our orders were badly affected and we missedthe Christmas orders because of demonetisation... And now this ban will finish our industry entirely because our customers are losing confidence in us," another exporter offinished leather Mohammed Zia Nafis said.

Because of the demonetisation, neighbouring Bangladeshhas gained advantage a lot eating up India's business in the sector, he said.

"Bangladesh has gained a lot because of our loss. Theindustry boomed. And now if this decision is imposed the leather industry in Bangladesh will gain a lot further," Nafis said.

"Around 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of finished leather is exported from West Bengal every month and this ban is imposed around 200 tannery units will be forced to stop operating," he said.

West Bengal currently has close to 350 tanneries with around 1500 leather goods exporters having an annual turn overof Rs 6,000 crore, Nafis said.

Also Read: Oppostion against Centres ban on cattle sale for slaughter

CLC Tanners Association General Secretary (H) Imran Ahmed Khan also sees this decision of the Centre as a ploy of the central government to finish of small industrialists and bring in multi-national companies.

"Like during demonetisation we saw the sudden rise of PayTM, I think there must be someone big behind this decision," Khan said. Around 100 factories have shut down and close to 4,000 labourers are jobless in West Bengal, Khan said.

Asking the Centre to have a relook into their decision, Khan said that they should revoke or amend it orelse they would srart a nationwide "revolt against it".

Leather Exporters also sought West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention into the matter.

"She (Banerjee) has been inspiring small-scaleindustrialists in an innovative manner. She has been showingus the way. We seek her intervention into the matter and getus justice," Juneja said adding that they would soon meet the state finance minister in this regard.

Also Read: Beef fests held in Kerala to protest ban on cattle sale for slaughter

The central government on May 23 banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter and prohibited practices which are cruel to animals including painting of horns and putting ornaments or decorative materials on them.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Diamond Harbour (WB):

To inspect execution of the Centre's 'Namami Gange' programme at various places along the Ganga, Union Water Resources minister Uma Bharti on Saturday set off from Ganga Sagar in West Bengal in a bid to amplify efforts to clean up the heavily-polluted river.

Speaking on the occasion Bharti stressed on the need to create awareness among people not to pollute the Ganga and make its water clean.

Bharti's 15-day trip from Ganga Sagar in West Bengal will culminate at Gangotri in Uttarakhand.

During the nearly 2,500-km tour, the Union Water Resources minister will cover 25 other locations from the basin states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, besides Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Read more: Mortal remains of Union Minister Anil Dave consigned to flames: Shivraj Singh, Uma Bharti pay respects

Apart from this, she will interact with various stakeholders during 'Ganga Chaupal' (meetings on issues relating to the river) at 24 locations in the five states to make the 'Namami Gange' programme a success.

Bharti will travel by road, boat, air and on foot during the journey.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jamshedpur:

Tata Steel employee Hemant Gupta, who was steadily progressing towards the summit in his Everest expedition, has conquered Mount Everest on Sunday morning.

The 27-year-old Hemant completed his B. Tech in Metallurgical Eng & Material Science from IIT Bombay in 2011 and joined Tata Steel as a management trainee in Tata Steel's new plant in Kalinganagar Orissa.

As a MT, he had undertaken TSAF Outdoor Leadership Course in Uttarkashi Himalaya. His first tryst with adventure came through his successfully completing the one month Basic Mountaineering Course from the National Mountaineering Institute in Manali.

TSAF then included him in the TSAF organized Chamser Kangri Expedition in which he reached upto 21100 ft. His love for adventure made him join the Adventure Programme Dept. in September 2013.

Since then he has climbed Mt Aconcagua (22860 ft) - highest peak of America (one of the seven summits) in 2015, Mt Bhagirathi II (21310 ft) in Gangotri region, Climbed Island Peak (20400ft) in Nepal, Mt Kanamo (19600ft) in Spiti Valley.

Payo Murmu, another employee of Tata Steel, who was also on this expedition with Hemant was not able to make the final attempt towards the summit due to inclement weather. Both the Mountaineers are expected to be back at base camp by Monday.

At the start of the expedition, Bachendri Pal, Chief Adventure Programme, Tata Steel had said, "Everest has always represented the epitome of challenge of human endeavor, of leadership, of knowing one's strengths and weaknesses, of being humble in one's approach and of testing one's capabilities.

"All the skills learnt not only help one in surmounting mountains in Himalaya but also in their real life, thereby making them better individuals benefitting them and the organisation or community they work for."

ALSO READ: Historic Hillary Step of Mount Everest destroyed, confirms mountaineers

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Panaji:

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Sunday paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and described him as a true patriot.



aRemembering Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, a true patriot whose ideology inspires millions of Indians,a Parrikar tweeted.



Savarkar was a revolutionary freedom fighter who was known for his sacrifices for the nation. He advocated dismantling the system of caste in Hindu culture, and reconversion of the converted Hindus back to Hindu religion.

His political philosophy had the elements of utilitarianism, rationalism and positivism, humanism and universalism, pragmatism and realism. Savarkar was also an atheist and a staunch rationalist who disapproved of orthodox Hindu belief, dismissing cow worship as superstitious

Remembering Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, a true patriot whose ideology inspires millions of Indians. a Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) May 28, 2017

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The scientists have laid the foundation stone for the construction of the worlds biggest optical telescope in Chile, which will be some five times larger than the currently used top observing instruments.

This Extra Large Telescope (ELT) which is conjured up by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an amalgamation that involves Brazil, Germany, and Britain holds the potential to transform our understanding of the universe, say its supporters, with its main mirror that will measure some 39 meters (43 yards) across. Located on a 3,000 meter-high mountain in the middle of the Atacama desert, it is due to begin operating in 2024.

The main mirror will consist of 800 hexagonal sections, each with a width of 1.4 meters, whose design is intended to fit together correctly. Moreover, the structure will be sheltered by an 80-meter dome.

Read more: Scientists discover galaxies creating stars at faster pace

ELTs primary mirror will be five times bigger and will collect 13 times higher amount of light than most of the currently operated telescopes. Moreover, the gap between the telescope that currently ESO has and the ELT will be as big as the leap between Galileos naked eye and his telescope, Tim de Zeeuw, Director General of ESO confirmed.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet who inaugurated the beginning of construction at the site said, "What is being raised here is more than a telescope. Here we see one of the greatest examples of the possibilities of science".

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

At least five people have been killed and eight others injured when a gunman opened fire at US Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, the latest mass shooting incident to rock the country.



Floridas Broward County Sheriffs office confirmed the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday.



The sheriff also said that a suspect was in custody at the airport.



The gunman  identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance  was immediately taken into custody. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently.

Also read | US: Gunman opens fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida, at least one dead



"We don't know a motive at this point," said Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism."



The Sheriffs office said five people were dead and eight had been taken to a hospital.



The shooting took place in Terminal 2 in the baggage claim area, outside the TSA checkpoint, police said. Air Canada and Delta Airlines operate out of Terminal 2.



People were corralled onto the tarmac and paramedics were at the scene, police said.



All services at the airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport tweeted.



Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene.



Police received a call just before 1300 local time (2330 IST yesterday) about shots fired at Terminal Drive.



Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a tweet, Im at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.



A Miami TV station tweeted footage claiming to be from inside the baggage terminal. The video shows several injured people lying on the floor as witnesses shout for medical help.



Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the shooter acted alone and that there is no evidence of a partner.



At this time we do not have a motive, but we are actively investigating that, she said.



Florida Governor Rick Scott wrote on social media, I am on my way to Fort Lauderdale International Airport to be briefed by law enforcement.



The shooter was very skinny. He seemed to be very young... He was just letting himself be dragged by the police. It was scary, an eyewitness said.



More than 325 departure and 325 arrival flights come in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in a day, according to the airports website. Over 73,000 travellers are at the airport on a daily basis.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
BROOKFIELD  The Brookfield Museum and Historical Society will host a multimedia presentation on World War I next week.

Gerard Brooker, a renowned author and educator, will discuss why the United States entered the war, its causes and how U.S. participation hastened it end. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the United States entry into the war.

Brooker has published four novels and more than 350 articles and poems, mostly about social issues.

He has spent his life as an educator and organizer of humanitarian programs and has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. He has given multiple presentations around the world at peace and educational development conferences. He has received several honors, including an Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Service from Iona College in 1998, and the Mahatma Gandhi-Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Award in 1997. In 2007, Guam named him an Honorary Iwo Jima Marine.

He will share two of his essays on the war, as well as photos of the battles of Ypres, the Somme, Belleau Woods, the Argonne, the Marne and Verdun.

The free presentation is at 7:30 p.m. June 5 at the Brookfield Museum at 165 Whisconier Road. Complimentary refreshments will be served.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW MILFORD  Fellow firefighters remembered former chief, local businessman and veteran Harry H. Taylor Jr. as hardworking and a good friend.

Taylor, a lifelong New Milford resident, passed away Wednesday at 86. He was known as the owner of H.H. Taylor & Son, a hardware store on Railroad Street, and for his contributions to business and community groups in town.

He was a member of the Water Witch Hose Co. #2 for 66 years, serving as chief of the volunteer fire department in 1969. Up until his passing, Taylor helped the department complete its tax audit each year. During the 1970s, he steered the department as it adopted modern regulations, said Glen Krizan, who served as chief of the department from 1997 to 1999.

He was always known as a fair and kind individual, Krizan said. He would go into his command and control mode very easily during an incident.

Krizan joined the department in 1983, years after Taylors time as chief. But Taylor still visited the firehouse frequently, and Krizan recalled going into the room where Taylor and the other longtime members of the department sat.

If you didn't look good or you werent sharp ... as soon as you went through that room, they would have something to say, Krizan said.

Ralph Leavenworth, another former chief who knew Taylor for years, said his friend felt it was his civic duty to give back to the community.

Harry was always there, Leavenworth said. We had some big fires back then and he was good, always had your back.

One of those fires was at Taylors own store in the 1970s. Taylor and his fellow firefighters extinguished the flames that nearly destroyed the lumber yard.

Taylor began sweeping and stocking shelves at the family store as a teenager. He graduated from New Milford High School in 1948, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1952 and served until 1954.

He returned home to New Milford, married Bianka Seifert and had two daughters, Susan Sennello and Diane Taylor. In 1970, Harry became president of the hardware store and remained so until his passing, according to his obituary.

He was also a trustee of the John Pettibone Memorial Scholarship fund for many years and a member of the New Milford Board of Finance, serving as its chairman for five years. He was a long-term director and past president of the New Milford Center Cemetery Association, member and past president of the Connecticut Lumber Dealers Association, member and past president of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, and a director of the National Lumber & Building Materials Dealers Association.

But Krizan recalls seeing Taylor at the hardware store.

He would always come out and greet me with a smile, that kind of smile that past chiefs give when they exchange glances and pleasantries, Krizan said.

Krizan said he thought Taylor admired the way Krizan led the fire department as chief. But Krizan said he admired Taylor.

He was an inspiration to some of my leadership style, Krizan said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

It seems like everyone is foraging this spring at Silver Sands State Park.

Along the estuaries, snowy egrets search for snails and worms while clam-diggers comb the shoreline with wide-toothed rakes.

Further inland, in Hartford, advocates for state parks seem to be foraging for funding.

The scrounging is even more important this year, as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed to cut the state parks budget by one thirdaround $6.5 million.

Thats in addition to a proposed $1.5 million cut from other parts of the agency that runs parks, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. DEEP is already planning service cuts and workers layoffs.

Campgrounds will be closed after Labor Day, and layoffs have already been announced.

Four campgrounds shut down in the past year remain closed, and reductions in lifeguards and other services remain in affect.

We're opening our summer season in that mode, said DEEP spokesman Dennis Shain. A little trimmed around the edges.

Legislators last week proposed a $10 surcharge on vehicle registrations to raise money for the parks.

They have until July 1 to finalize a deal or risk cuts to core services.

For at least a decade, park advocates and DEEP staff have looked to money from outside of Hartford to fund programs that expand citizen access to mountains, forests and beaches.

Expanding services with outside money

To expand outside recreation, DEEP is tapping a $600,000 federal grant from the USDA to allow more hunting on private land.

The program would private landowners to lease to DEEP for a per-acre fee based on how many hunting seasons they can host, and other factors like land quality.

The (main) goal is to have as much land open to hunting as possible to do effective management, said DEEP wildlife biologist Laurie Fortin.

More hunting could prevent deer and other animals from overpopulating, Fortin said. .

Fortin is particularly eager to sign up landowners in Fairfield County, where hunting access is scarce.

She said that theres a big potential to expand bow hunting, which requires less acreage than rifle hunting.

Some organizations purchase passes for those in need.

The Connecticut Alliance of Foster & Adoptive Families buys park passes for around 700 clients, with some financial support from the Department of Children and Families.

That program started thanks to a one-time donation from the charity arm of Bank of America around 10 years ago.

Corporate money, however, doesnt always flow freely.

Connecticut businesses right now are starting to feel a bit of a pinch right now, said Pamela Adams, president of Friends of Connecticut State Parks and the former director of the state park system. Money is not as forthcoming as it once was.

The Friends groups act as state park booster clubs, raising millions of dollars for new facilities and extra programming staff as well as supplementing park staff with volunteers for special projects. According to Adams, the volunteer time alone is worth around $750,000 per year.

Breaking point?

However, volunteers cant compensate for severe cuts to core services, Adams warned.

DEEP staff has dwindled from over 1,000 in 2008 staff to 809 in 2016.

In May, DEEP sent an additional 22 layoff notices, to take effect July 1, unless theres a budget solution.

Twelve were in the parks, said Schain. That's a hit into our operations and we need to look at the resources we havehow do we deploy themhow much ground can they cover.

Last summer, at the start of the 2016-2017 fiscal year, DEEP closed campgrounds, cut maintenance staff, and reduced museum hours and lifeguard coverage.

Some parks operate fine for a while but then ... something goes wrong, said Adams, the former parks director. And you can say 'well, there was no money, there was no staff' and ... when it goes to court that doesn't make a difference.'"

Many non-profits rely on access to state parks as a venue for other services.

State Parks are always on the list of opportunities for our programs, said Tammy Papa, Director of the Bridgeport Department of Youth Services, because the are nice but not expensive ... They are an opportunity for our children to move outside the city and experience (more).

Some cutslike lifeguardingmake the parks nearly unusable for some of the programs that Papa oversees.

Park visitors are regularly faced with signs declaring that no lifeguards are on duty. Most can decide to stay safely on the beach. But not youth programs.

That would be a consideration for us because safety is key, Papa said.
Blog__MG_2826.JPG

Genesee's giant beer tanks float into Lock 24 in Baldwinsville on Saturday, May 27, 2017. They will dock there overnight, and pass through the lock early on May 28, 2017.

(Stefani Reynolds for NYup.com)

LYONS, N.Y. -- Several huge beer tanks are headed toward the Finger Lakes today as they continue nearing their Rochester destination.

The 12 20-foot by 60-foot tanks will be installed at the Genesee Brewery, the oldest brewery in New York state. Their over 200-mile journey journey began May 19 in Albany, taking them through the heart of upstate New York via the Erie Canal.

One set of tanks stopped at Lock E24 in Baldwinsville Saturday, while the other was in Lock E23 in Brewerton.

Both sets are heading toward Lyons' Lock E27 today in Wayne County, and should reach the town by the end of the day, according to a spokesman. The tanks are scheduled to reach Rochester by Tuesday.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has advised that the sit-at-home order declared by some right groups in South-East for May 30 should be optional.The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra had called on citizens of South-East to stay at home on May 30 to observe their anniversary.Ekweremadu gave the advice on Sunday at an Inter-denominational church service at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Abakaliki, to commemorate 2017 Democracy Day and Gov. David Umahis second year in office.He noted that while the agitation and concerns of the groups are genuine, they should not be pursued with force or other forms of armed struggle.Individuals who operate private businesses and want to stay-at-home on that day should stay, while those who want to operate their businesses should be allowed to do so.I believe that civil and public workers should be ready to go to work on that day as I appeal that no group should force people to stay at home against their wishes, he added.The deputy senate president called on the agitators to embrace dialogue and constructive engagement in pursuing their agitation; not coercion or other forms of armed struggle.The struggles and concerns are genuine but with the collaboration of all and constructive engagement, we will surely get to our destination no matter how long it takes.Black Americans agitated for a long time before Barack Obama became president in 2008, likewise in India, it took constructive engagement for the people to actualise their agitation.South Africa despite racial disturbances and black oppression, employed constructive engagement and intervention of the western world and African interests such as Nigerias, to dismantle apartheid, he said.Ekweremadu congratulated the people of Ebonyi on the second year in office of their governor.He noted that the state had matured politically and socially, adding that any indigene could aspire for any political office in the state.In his remark, Umahi noted that no individual or group would force the citizens of the state to stay-at-home on May 30.I have met the leadership of these groups on various occasions and discovered that most of their agitations are correct but the ways they seek to actualise them can be faulted.I have also met the leadership of market unions in the state and we resolved that markets would be open on that day and no trader or any other individual will be molested, he said.The governor said that the case of Ebonyi was different as the state had suffered untold marginalisation right from its days in old Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Abia states.The deputy senate president is fighting marginalisation of the Igbos at the federal level; when this is addressed, we will start our own agitation of marginalisation as a state.Ebonyi does not believe in regional government because we will continue suffering deprivation but believe in the restructuring of the country to address all imbalances, he said.In his homily, Rev. Fr Abraham Nwali urged political and economic leaders in the state to build industries instead of embarking on non-direct-impact projects such as hotels.The governor should be supported in his desire to ensure that sachet water companies are constructed in the three senatorial zones of the state, he said.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prayers were said by officiating ministers of the Presbyterian Church for the unity of the country and peace in Ebonyi.


"Congratulations to my beautiful daughter Remi who just finished her graduation ceremony at the famous American 'Lincoln Community School' in Accra, Ghana. I watched the whole proceedings from beginning to end with tears of joy running down my cheeks. I am so proud of her.



"She is a beautiful and brilliant young lady and now she is on her way to University in the United States. Thank you Regina for being such a wonderful mother to this blessing of a young lady. She is my world and I thank and love you both with all my heart. I give God the glory for your lives and for all that He has done for us. He has been so faithful."

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode is celebrating his daughter, Oluwaremilekun, after she graduated from Lincoln Community School - an international college preparatory school in Accra, Ghana. She is his only child from his marriage to Regina-Hanson Amonoo in 1997. Read his sweet message to her below.
PML, ITC Collaborate on Cigarette Manufacturing in Nigeria

Philip Morris Limited, the Nigerian affiliate of Philip Morris International, has partnered the International Tobacco Company Limited to manufacture one of PMIs tobacco brands in the country.A statement said that under the agreement, PML would invest in technology and capacity building at ITCs factory, adding that the initiative would create employment opportunities and contribute positively to the national economy.Speaking at the ITC factory in Ilorin, Kwara State, the Managing Director, PML, Coskun Kagan Dicle, said, We strongly believe that investing in local manufacturing is the right thing for the future as it contributes to the Federal Governments efforts to strengthen the economy and reduce the dependence on oil.It will also benefit all parties. Our consumers will have their preferred brands readily available at the highest quality standards, our partners will enjoy improved capacity utilisation of their facilities, and the local community will benefit from the micro-economy boost and new employment opportunities.We are here to provide a choice to those consumers who choose to continue to smoke and we are here to make a positive contribution to the Nigerian economy for the long term.Dicle added that the start of local manufacturing was just the beginning of the various planned investments by PML in the country, while restating its commitment to corporate social responsibility.
The Presidency on Saturday in Abuja released some filed pictures of President Muhammadu Buhari with children in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of memorial events to mark this years Childrens Day.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari left Abuja for London on May 10, to see his doctors for follow-up medical checks.The pictorial report showing the president with the children was released by Mr Bayo Omoboriowo, the presidents personal photographer.Omoboriowo captioned the report as File photos of President Muhammadu Buhari and children on the occasion of Childrens Day 2017.Let little children come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of God.He added: Pictures of the jolly grandfather and the little ones were taken at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.Subject: Images relevant for Childrens Day on May 27th 2017.One of the pictures showed the president carrying a child standing alongside the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.Other pictures showed Buhari in relaxed-mood with the children as one of them attempting to fix a cap on the presidents head.Meanwhile Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday met with school children in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he offered them gifts.Osinbajo also took group photos with the children as part of activities to mark the 2017 Childrens Day.In Abuja operators of parks and recreational centres on Saturday recorded low patronage as children celebrate this years Childrens Day nationwide.The Millennium Park and Magic land were scanty with few parents and children to celebrate their day.However, security presence, including police, NSCDC and private security officers were at strategic locations within the parks to safeguard lives and properties.Some parents and vendors attributed the low turn out to the commencement of the Ramandan fast by Muslims on May 27.Other residents and operators attributed it to the current economic recession bedeviling the nation and non-payment of salaries.Mrs Linda Ikezuka, a mother of three, who visited the park with her children, noted the low turnout of fun seekers, compared to previous years.It is so sad that the turn-out is very poor compared to the past years, where children were celebrated and there was massive turn-out.However, Muslims worldwide started their Ramadan fast today, which probably I think contributed to the low turn-out as well, she said.Mr Isaac Ayodele, a civil servant, attributed the low attendance at the park to the effects of economic recession.The fact is that most people dont have money to carry their children out for fun because of the biting effect of the recession coupled with the prices of commodities that had skyrocketed.Ayodele appealed to the government to work towards improving the nations economy to alleviate the sufferings of the people.Similarly, Mr Samuel Chukwauma, another civil servant, attributed the poor turn-out to non-payment of salary.Most civil servants have not been paid their salaries and it is only few workers that have money at the end of the month before the payment of salaries.He therefore appealed to government to pay salaries as at when due to reduce economic hardship on the people.However, Mrs Halima Danladi, a legal practitioner, called for the full implementation of the Child Rights Act to protect children from acts of violence and abuse.There is a need for the full implementation of the Child Rights Act to protect the rights of children, which will also go a long way to reduce the rates of child abuse and molestation.Also, Malam Umar Isiaka, an ice cream seller, lamented the low turnout at the parks, which he said had affected his business.I have not been able to sell much since I arrived because of the low turn-out of people, as well as the commencement of the Ramadan fast, he said.








The Minister of Power; Works and Housing, Raji Fashola, has blamed inadequate electricity supply to consumers on lack of sufficient financial investments in the power sector.He stated this at the weekend during a chat with the media in Abuja.According to Fashola, although the country has expended what may appear sizeable, the money so far spent was inadequate to address the current challenges.He also noted that in spite of the already installed 12,000MW power capacity, the country is only enjoying about 6,000MW because of sabotage resulting from broken gas pipelines, poor planning of gas supply and evacuation.The Minister said: When I hear that we have spent a lot of money on the power sector, I say that we havent spent enough money and that is why we are still talking about the need for investments to come in. Yes, what we have spent may look sizeable but it doesnt provide enough power for our consumption as a nation.But I must say that what some people have said about federal government spending on the power sector is not accurate  maybe because we think in our native language and speak in English.People say Oh, we spend money but there is nothing to show for it. There is something to show for it. The plants are there.The total installed capacity that the nation can look forward to today is 12,000MW. That is what we bought with our money  that is the installed capacity.However, the plants are not producing 12,000MW of power because either pipelines are broken, or gas supply was not properly planned or because evacuation was not properly planned. Those are the challenges that we have responsibility now to deal with.What we havent gotten is the optimum efficiency that these power plants can deliver.Fashola further blamed the ignorance of Nigerians about the economics of power as being responsible the huge electricity bills owed by many households and government formations.I think that we have perhaps not fully understood the economics of power as a nation. That is why you probably see that even Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government formations owe power bills. They dont owe telephone bills. That speaks about the importance that we ascribe to them, he added.
BRITISH Airways yesterday cancelled some of its flights around the world due to global IT failure.

BRITISH Airways yesterday cancelled some of its flights around the world due to global IT failure.The Lagos  London and Abuja  London flights as well as those from Londons Heathrow and Gatwick airports were affected leading to severe disruption for travellers.The airline said it suffered a major IT systems failure and apologized to its passengers.However, the cancellation was announced after the BA plane plying the Abuja route had departed.BA said terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became extremely congested and it was cancelling all flights from the airports. It urged passengers not to go to the airports.Earlier, passengers at Heathrow reported long lines at check-in counters and flight delays.Passengers at Heathrow Airport reported long lines at check-in counters and flight delays. One posted a picture on Twitter of BA staff writing gate numbers on a white board.Weve tried all of the self-check-in machines. None were working, apart from one, said Terry Page, booked on a flight to Texas. There was a huge queue for it and it later transpired that it didnt actually work, but you didnt discover that until you got to the front.The problem came on a holiday weekend, when thousands of Britons were travelling.British Airways Country Manager, Kola Olayinka confirmed the development.The airline was busy all day yesterday in Nigeria trying to reach its customers already booked to inform them of the development.Travellers at British airports flooded the companys Twitter account with complaints of flights grounded, unavailable online services and huge queues.The computer glitch, which also took out the BA website for two hours, came after a similar outage last September.Delays were reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga.
A statement credited to a second republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari is behaving just like t...

A statement credited to a second republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari is behaving just like the Ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan by allegedly favouring only the South-West regions in terms of infrastructural development while neglecting his own people, the north.Mr. Mohammed was also quoted to have said that President Buhari has also not built even a single road in the north despite haven spent two years of his administration.The statement also said that the ex-lawmaker made the comment while appraising President Buharis two years in office, in a chat with DAILY POST.According to him, Today, it is the South-West that is enjoying the Buhari administration in terms of key appointments and development projects like roads.He has short-changed the north. He has not done even a single road so far in the north. Buharis idea of project implementation is skewed in favour of the South West. This is the same thing that Jonathan did for other parts of the country excluding the South South where he comes from. I believe that he has done reasonably well but he had a lot of work to do if he must meet the basic needs and expectations of Nigerians. Nigeria needs a strong leader who practises what he says.Buhari is generally sick and this limitation has really hindered his performance. He has disconnected from his party leadership, the APC, and he has problems with the legislature and the judiciary. We really have no basis to celebrate May 29 since it was set up by the military.We have acted and behaved more as despotic nation and have not met the basic tenets of democracy and for me, there is nothing to celebrate, he said.A report on the Jonathans case of abandonment was extensively captured by By Waritobo Soweibo in his article, Six wasted years: Weep not for Jonathan. He wrote thus: A MAJOR ammunition with political foes of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan which shot down his re-election bid in 2015 was the accusation that he favoured the Niger Delta region over other parts of the country. Specifically, his critics alleged that the choicest appointments he made went to Ijaw people, with Bayelsa, his home state, particularly favoured. This allegation was practically made into a song, one that played loudly and was enjoyed to the hilt by other sections of the country.However, those of us who are Ijaws knew this was nothing but fallacy. It was effectively thrown up as such before the election, which Jonathan eventually lost to General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The widespread assumption that Jonathan did so much for the Niger Delta, especially the ordinary Bayelsan, was ripped up by the former President himself. Perhaps unintended. Unknown to him at the time, he was making a rod for his own back. The former President, standing on the podium at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, venue of the presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, unwittingly invited what would come to haunt him later.With the trademarked wide grin pasted on his face, he danced and waved enthusiastically to loud cheers from his supporters. While speaking, Jonathan admitted that he had done very little for the Niger Delta, but promised to make amends if re-elected. Perhaps, the admission was made in the hope that other parts of the country would view him as a non-sectional leader, while the people of the Niger Delta would be seduced into longing for four years of intensive development of the zone. It did not pan out either way. In fact, what happened was that Jonathan, unknowingly, invited Niger Delta activists to come up with a narrative that his five-year presidency amounted to a waste for the ordinary Bayelsan and Niger Deltan.A confirmation of this was delivered by Jonathan himself after he lost the re-election bid. It was at a state banquet held in his honour by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson at the Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa on May 29, 2015. The occasion, brimming with Jonathans close aides, officials of his government and the creme de la creme of the Ijaw nation, was akin to a stock-taking exercise. Addressing the gathering, Jonathan said he thought Bayelsans would boo him for neglecting them but was amazed by the level of love the Governor and the people of the state have shown him.When you are in high office and you finished serving, you are afraid of going back home,  at the late hour, it dawns on you that you could have done that, you failed to do this, you failed to do that you begin to fear whether the people that come to receive you will curse you, hoot at you, Jonathan thundered. Clearly stated by the former President was that despite his administrations neglect of Bayelsa State, Governor Dicksons support for him never wavered.What, perhaps, went unstated was that Governor Dickson also remained steadfast despite the former Presidents wife undisguised attempts to humiliate him. As a matter of fact, mutual friends of the duo were persuaded that Governor Dicksons affection for the former President was like that of a son for the father, a state of affairs that angered many Ijaw activists such as I. We believed that such strong affection for a man, whose administration neglected the Ijaw nation, amounted to a betrayal of the Ijaw cause for which Isaac Boro, Melford Okilo, DSP Alamieyeseigha fought and died. The former President would, again, confirm Governor Dickson as a dependable ally.The confirmation was made during the run-up to the December 2015 Bayelsa State governorship election, which Governor Seriake Dickson won. On 8 September 2015, while making a strong case for the re-election of Governor Dickson, the former President described the governor as a man of uncommon leadership qualities and a trusted and dependable person. Thus, when the news media erupted with the reports, on 16 May, that Governor Dickson accused Dr. Jonathan of neglecting the Niger Delta during his five-year presidency, it came as no surprise to me. Why? Jonathan himself had admitted doing so. The governor made the remark at the annual Isaac Adaka Boro Day celebration at the Izon Warri in Yenagoa.After a careful reading of the Governors speech, I realised-as any reader capable of reflection should-that Dicksons comments were directed, exclusively, at the political elite, notably ministers and other appointees of the Jonathan administration. In very clear terms, the governor pointed out the studious refusal of people in this category to team up with him in his efforts to develop the state. Even then, it would require a mighty effort not to be tempted to interpret Dicksons remarks as suggesting that Jonathan wasted the chance by the Ijaw to develop the Niger Delta because he was the leader.The leader, by nature, provides direction to the led. Not the other way. Ijaw leaders invested significant efforts, time and resources in the quest for true federalism, resource control and an opportunity to have one of them lead the country as president. The strength of this agitation, arising from decades of minority oppression, led the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo to say: I look forward to the day, not in the far distant future, when an Ijaw would be president of our Republic and a Birom or vice versa. Awolowos hopes were fulfilled when Dr. Jonathan got the chance.Did he use it well for the Ijaw nation? He has answered the question by himself. It is important for every Nigerian to understand that there should be adequate collaboration between the government of Bayelsa State and the Federal Government principally because the challenges posed by the environment cannot be surmounted by the state government alone.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as an evil man out to silence Igbos who identify with its struggle for secession.IPOB made the claim while reacting to the recent alleged raid on the guest house of the Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Maitama, Abuja, over the weekend.The group berated the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government for such action, saying Ekweremadus resident was raided by security operatives because he supported its leader, Nnamdi Kanu to perfect his bail terms.Noting that the Hausa/Fulani dominated operatives are coming to touch the lions tale, IPOB warned that it will not fail to resist with every might within our reach.A statement sent by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful on Sunday, reads, The indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and its leadership worldwide condemn the barbaric acts and shameful raids on the deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadus house in Maitama by the DSS, we described it as primitive act and uncalled for. We understand that the Hausa-Fulani dominated security operatives are coming to touch the lions tale this time around which we must resist with every might within our reach.This shameless move made by DSS to ransacked the home of a notable person leader like Ekweremadu without permit is to challenge Biafrans especially Ndigbo living home and abroad, the harassment melted on his family members is abnormal and it must stop, we want to ask what was the crime of Senator Ekweremadu? we know that all these efforts is to stop or silence him and others from speaking out the truth but we promise them it can never work because there are people whom God Almighty (Chukwu Okike Abiama) ordained to speak against the evils going on this contraption called Nigeria.Furthermore, we want to warn against the continued harassment and detention of activists, politicians and Businessmen in this evil country mostly those from Biafran land that it will plug Nigeria into catastrophe that will be uncontrollable if the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy and their dominated security apparatus fail to stop it.The threat to raid his house came immediately after he mobilised all the South East politicians and Businessmen in the country on how to perfect the stringent bail conditions attached to our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja, since then Senator Ekweremadu became the target of Northern oligarchy and their Nigeria dominated security apparatus.The main aim of this tyrannical Government of APC party led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari is to strangulate Biafrans mostly Ndigbo in Nigeria both politicians and Businessmen. However, we are also aware that the plans to jeopardise our people in every ramifications has taken another dimension which IPOB under the leadership and command structure of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will fight to a standstill without delay.This Government and her Hausa-Fulani dominated security apparatus are guided and led by dark and sinister forces whose sole agenda is to divide Biafrans not to speak in one voice. It is about time that Biafrans most especially Ndi Igbo will wake up and stand up to stop this madness and tyrannical move against our people, how can security operatives intimidates him because he greets and identified with his brother Nnamdi Kanu?This APC Government led by Rtd Major General Muhammadu Buhari is trying to design an atmosphere of fear and terror and this will not work because we in IPOB under the supreme leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will never allow that to happen stop.The illegally and continued detention of Sambo Dasuki the former national Security Adviser, El Zak Zaky the leader of Shiite Religion, Ifeanyi Uba the Executive Chairman Capital Oil and Gas PLC, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi, George Onyeibe and other numerous Nigerians who have been granted bail by one competent court of jurisdiction or the other but still detained in different prisons and DSS secret cells across the country is an indication that the country is in the hands of evil men.The group also urged Igbos to observe its earlier sit-home-order on May 30, a day scheduled to mark the declaration of Biafra.IPOB said We to reiterate once again that the remembrance day celebration in honour of our fallen heroes and heroines scheduled to be on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, is certain, we must remember and honour those who died for our freedom during the war of genocide against Biafrans by Nigeria Government in 1967 and 1970.Those our fathers and mothers who fought gallantry for our freedom but still alive today must be also remembered in 2 minutes prayer immediately it is 12 noon on that day.Also, we must remember, honour and pray for those who died during our peaceful protests and rallies in Aba, Nkpor/ Onitsha, Igweocha, Ahaba (a.k.a Asaba).The sit at home order issued by IPOB leadership still stand, no business, transport, movement both human being and vehicular, no protest or rally if you come out on the streets whatever you see dont blame anybody, a word is enough for the wise, the security operatives are prepared to deal with anyone seen outside from 6am till 6pm in the evening.We also pray to Almighty God Chukwu Okike Abiama to guide and protect every Biafran who abide to this clarion call tomorrow and all the journalists both home and those foreign observers who arrived to monitor or cover this memorable event more especially the journalists in Biafraland who will be moving around to cover the event of our fallen heroes and heroines in front of Nigeria security operatives, may God Almighty bless and guide you people.
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has denied reports that he has admitted committing double PVC registration.Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has accused the governor of registering twice in violation of the law.In response, top members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi asked Bello to resign.Dino Melaye, who led other APC members, at a news briefing in Abuja dissociated the party and the people of Kogi State from the governor.Firing back, Bello described them as jokers.On Sunday, Bello, through Fanwo Kingsley, his Media Director, said his attentionhas been drawn to an unsolicited and derogatory publication allegedly circulated by one Safiya Musa to the effect that the Executive Governor of Kogi State has admitted committing double PVC registration.The statement craved the understanding of the public to the fact that the said Safiya Musa was not speaking on behalf of the Governor of Kogi State.Safiya Musa is not a spokesperson to the Governor, not an appointee of the New Direction Government, not a friend of the Governor and therefore lacks any locus standi to speak for or on behalf of the Governor.We therefore urge the public to disregard any message which emanates from her on any issue which has to do with the government and office of the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.Governor Yahaya Bello has not made any personal statement regarding the INEC claim of double registration and it is therefore obnoxious and criminal of anyone to purport and disseminate information on it.
Igbo people are the major victims of the economic recession, a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, has said.The former governor spoke on Saturday at the inaugural Chinua Achebe International Conference held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.He lamented that the Igbo were largely marginalised in the country while calling for a change in the current political structure which concentrates power at the centre.Ohakim spoke on the topic, The Igbo and the leadership question: The Achebe example.He said, The Federal Government created a national intervention project in 2006 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo to restore peace and promote a sense of belonging in the country. This gave rise to the N400bn East  West Road project, the N600bn Kano/ Maiduguri Road project, public-private partnership the N200bn Lokoja/Abaji/ Abuja Road project and the N150bn Ibadan/Ogbomosho /Oshogbo Road.But curiously, the South-East was left out. When we demanded an explanation, we were promised the second Niger Bridge but alas, this public-private partnership arrangement with a tolling scheme to recoup the cost of the project. Is this a fair deal for Ndigbo? We must continue to ask for our own share of the 2006 National Intervention Fund.
Mario Balotelli says he knows what he has to do in order to beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Ballon dOr  and it isnt jus...

Mario Balotelli says he knows what he has to do in order to beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Ballon dOr  and it isnt just a case of getting better on the pitch.Nice forward Balotelli, 26, has ambitions of winning the trophy awarded each year to the worlds best player at some point in his career. However, Messi and Ronaldo have had a duopoly over it in recent seasons, and Balotelli jokes that he would need to kill both star players to have a chance of earning his own award. Ill have to kill those two to win it, he told Bresciaoggi.What Ive done since the start of my career has not been enough, I will have to do more. Messi and Ronaldo have shared the honour between them for nearly a decade  one or the other has won the Ballon dOr for each of the last nine seasons. During that time Balotelli has had a mixed career, with controversial stints at both AC and Inter Milan, along with Manchester City and Liverpool.He joined Ligue 1 club Nice last summer, and has enjoyed his most productive year in a while, helping the French side finish third and qualify for the Champions League. He scored 15 goals in 23 games, but is yet to extend his contract at Nice which expires in the summer, so could be on the move again
Kidnappers of six pupils of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe have demanded a N400 million ransom for their release. They are ...

Kidnappers of six pupils of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe have demanded a N400 million ransom for their release.They are understood to have got in touch with the parents of the kidnapped children to make the demand.But Governor Akinwunmi Ambode told pupils at a parade to mark this years Childrens Day at the Agege Stadium, Lagos that government would do all within its power to get the children out of the kidnappers den unhurt.He said yesterday celebration would be incomplete without rescuing those innocent pupils and returning them to school to continue their educationThe six students were abducted on Thursday morning when gunmen stormed the school and ferried them away through the waterways.It was gathered yesterday that the kidnappers established contacts with the parents at about 4:30pm on Friday.The parents said the kidnappers did not allow them speak with the children.They only told the parents what they wanted and how to go about raising the money: ask the school authorities and government to provide the money.Parents who spoke to newsmen in separate interviews yesterday appealed to the kidnappers to release the pupils on compassionate grounds.One of the parents said: They called me around 4pm. They called the name of my son and asked if I knew him. I said yes and then, they gave him the phone to speak with me.As we were talking, they took the phone and told me to go to the government and the school authorities to provide N400 million before they would release the children. The call did not last long.I called other parents whose children were also taken and they also confirmed they were contacted by the kidnappers. We are appealing to them to release the children on compassionate grounds. If they have issues with the school management or the government, they can look for another way to address it.They should pity us, the parents and release our children. I have not been able to sleep since Thursday. My wife has not stopped crying either. They should please have mercy on us.It was gathered that the onslaught against the militants continued yesterday with several others said to have been killed.It was learnt that about eight policemen were seriously wounded.A source claimed that three of the wounded cops were receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.Some were taken to a specialist hospital.However, Governor Ambode yesterday reassured Lagosians that the State Government would do everything possible to ensure that the six pupils are rescued unhurt and reunited with their parents.The Governor speaking at the Agege Stadium during the Childrens Day celebration said the celebration would not be complete without rescuing those innocent pupils.He said action was in progress to get them out and pledged that government would stop at nothing to ensure that kidnapping and other criminal activities are stopped.Represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, Ambode said that government was committed to protecting children in the state from any form of abuse, child labour or molestation by religiously implementing the Child Rights Law and the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, adding that it was important to protect our children today, so that they can protect us tomorrow.The Governor, who said that this years Childrens Day celebration was a unique one as the state is equally celebrating the 50thyear anniversary of its creation, asked the children to remain focused, believe in themselves and set target that would make them attain greatness in life, promising that his government will continue to create opportunities and implement policies that would help them to become the best of what they can without any barriers.As we celebrate this years Childrens Day and the 50th anniversary of our state, I want you to believe that you too can achieve greatness. You must believe in yourself and in your dreams. Very soon, it will be your responsibility to take Lagos state to the level that we all desired in the next 50 years. You are agents of change and I urge you, do not just go through life, make a difference, impact life and affect your community , What we are doing today is to lay a solid foundation for you to build on, he said.The Governor while reaffirming his administrations commitment to repositioning public schools to meet world class standard, said that his administration in the last two years had invested heavily in infrastructural and manpower development in public schools, the effort which according to him, is yielding positive results as it has restored confidence in public schools.As a government, we recognize our responsibility to create opportunities for you to become the best you can be without any barrier, this is why in the last two years, we have invested massively in the infrastructural and manpower development in our public schools. Our plan which is being realized is to restore public confidence in our public schools, he said.Earlier in his address of welcome, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeshina Odeyemi, said the number of secondary schools in the state has increased from 55 at the creation of the state in 1967 with a total students population of 19,538 to 679 public secondary schools at present with over 564,758 students population.Odeyemi noted that in spite of the current global melt down and general economic recession in the country, Lagos State government has continued to run free education policy from primary to secondary schools level and pay for the WAEC fees of its graduating students till date.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced the announcement of the 2017 Hajj fares. The announcement was made at the ongoing state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare boards, agencies and commissions meeting at NAHCON headquarters in Abuja.So far, six states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa and Yobe have confirmed the Hajj fares to be paid by pilgrims.Nasarawa pilgrims are to pay N1,544,894.16 for this years hajj, while Niger pilgrims are expected to pay N1,525,483.30, Kaduna, N1,535,503.68, Kano, N1,537,859.97, Adamawa, N1,530,101.08 and Yobe N1,520,101.18.The packages include $800 Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).An official of the commission, however, said the packages exclude hadaya (sacrificial ram) fees, which has been fixed at N38,000 for this years exercise.Jaiz Bank Plc is the appointed bank for the collection of the money.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has declared that only death can stop him from ensuring the restoration of Biafra.Kanu made the declaration while addressing worshippers at the Jew Sabbath service in his country hometown of Abia State, on Saturday.The IPOB leader, who is clearly going against his bail conditions, maintained that Biafra will be achieved in the next few months.Recall that the Justice Binta Nyako-led Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, while granting Kanu bail, warned that the IPOB leader must not be in company of more than 10 persons.But, Kanu while addressing the rally said, We have history on our side, we have determination on our side, we have intelligence on our side and we are practically unstoppable.The IPOB leader also said there will be no election in the South East if the Nigerian government fails to yield to his demands.It is left to them how they want to play it. If they dont give us what we want, there will never be elections in Biafraland, Kanu warned.Kanu stressed that his singular purpose on earth was to restore Biafra.Watch the video below.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo Saturday in Zaria, commissioned the 150 million litres per day water treatment plant worth N24bn to deliv...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo Saturday in Zaria, commissioned the 150 million litres per day water treatment plant worth N24bn to deliver water to the ancient city and 6 other local government areas and environs.Osinbajo said the completion of the water project is part of the determination of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) governments commitment to the people of Zaria, Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.Represented by the National chairman of the ruling APC, Chief John Oyegun, Osinbajo noted that Todays event signifies that the APC means business. This was a project the PDP failed to do in sixteen years when they were in power.But today, we are here to witness the commissioning of the water project completed by one of our most visionary governors, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.On his part, Governor El-Rufai said the project is very important to the people of Zaria and environs, adding that it is what he promised during the campaign.The governor thanked the former vice president and former governor of the state, Muhammed Namadi Sambo, who was present at the commissioning, for initiating the project and development partners for their efforts in the project as a whole.El-Rufai said, the Zaria water project is the beginning of a new phase in water works development and renovation in the state, as other water works scattered all across the state will continue to receive the attention of government.He said the Zaria water works was built in 1939 with an initial capacity of 10m litres and is currently not functioning, pointing out that in 1975 it was upgraded to 50m litres but the operating capacity of both cannot meet the 140m litres per day need of the people of Zaria and environs.Speaking at the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Alh Shehu Idris said the completion of the Zaria water project by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai was a dream come true.Earlier, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Alh Suleiman Aliyu Lere disclosed that the foundation of the Zaria water project was laid by the former governor of the state, Namadi Sambo in 2008 at the cost of N15bn and was later reviewed to N24bn due to other exigencies.The former Vice President, Namadi Sambo commended the state governor for completing the project.He said he was not surprised because the governor whom he has known for 40 years is a goal getter.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the release of N54 billion to settle all inherited and current liabilities to Federal Government...

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the release of N54 billion to settle all inherited and current liabilities to Federal Government retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.Also under the present administration, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested 17,000 suspected drugs dealers, seized more than one million kilograms of various drugs and destroyed about 110,000 hectares of drug farms.The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu who featured on an interactive radio program, Hannu Da Yawa on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN Kaduna, Saturday, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Buhari administration made the disclosures.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central Senatorial District has said the recent rescue of 82 of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls is a proof of the commitment of the Federal Government to the wellbeing of the Nigerian child.On the occasion of this years Childrens Day, she said her prayers were with the remainder of the over 200 girls abducted from their dormitory in Chibok in 2014 who are still in captivity.Senator Tinubu expressed the hope that the remaining girls would be rescued soon and reunited with their families.In a letter addressed to the Nigerian Child across the 36 states of the federation, Senator Tinubu also charged the government to provide for those who have been displaced by insurgency and are often without basic necessities  food, shelter, affordable and accessible health care and education.This is your right and I hope that Nigeria can be better to provide you a whole world of opportunities ahead of you. It is my hope that every one of you can be protected from violence such in all its forms such as exploitation and abuse, trafficking, physical and humiliating punishment, harmful traditional practices etc. However, you must not let the difficulty of the situation around you limit the greatness you carry, she said.
Chairman, Centre for Ethics and Cultural Orientation, Dr. Olusanya Awosan, has noted that Nigeria as a whole will not always wait for the northern region to take decision.He said this while condemning position of the Northern elders in the call for restructuring of the country.Awosan accused the Hausa/Fulani of being adamant to the call because they are benefitting in the current structure of Nigeria.Fielding questions from journalists, Awosan said, I think some elites in the North are opposing it because they are profiting from the imbalance and injustice inherent in this present structure.The northern elites have not used the power they have to better the lives of their people.The only reason is simply that they are profiting from the present structure. In every part of the country today, there is agitation.We cannot run Nigeria based on the terms of the North alone; there must be an agreement among the component parts of Nigeria.The Biafra agitation started because of the imbalance in the current structure.Poverty and illiteracy are still the order of the day in the North. I think these problems manifested in the form of Boko Haram.
All unmarried couples in Burundi have up to the end of the year to legalize their relationships as government moves to reform moral.

All unmarried couples in Burundi have up to the end of the year to legalize their relationships as government moves to reform moral.The action comes under President Pierre Nkurunzizas campaign to moralize society.Interior ministry spokesman Terence Ntahiraja said the country was facing a population explosion which he blamed on illegal marriages, polygamy, bigamy and hundreds of school girls getting pregnant.He said church and state-sanctioned weddings were the solution and were a patriotic duty.Nkurunziza said Burundians should show their love for each other and their country by getting married.The government has since been pressuring unwed couples across the country to tie the knot.The governor of the south eastern province of Rutana has ordered that persons living in common-law unions should be put on a special list by June 22, while the governor of the north western Bubanza province has demanded unspecified sanctions against aisle-dodgers.Pierre, a 27-year-old farmer living with his partner in Ngozi, in the north, said local officials had threatened him with a 50,000 Burundian franc ($25/22 euro) fine and said any child born out of wedlock would not be eligible for free education and medical costs.Pierre said he had not married because he could not afford the bride price demanded by his girlfriends family.She told me she was pregnant. As I am poor, we decided to come together to raise our child, he said. We thought we would legalise our union as soon as we could afford it.That was five years ago and the couple is now onto their third child.To enact the presidents orders, officials have begun organizing mass weddings, something one civil society activist opposed as a violation of human rights because the state has no right to attack two adults who have decided to live together without being married.The activist said the forced marriages were part of a religious crusade led by Nkurunziza and his wife, both fervent, born-again evangelical Christians.Spokesman Ntahiraja dismissed such arguments saying the governments campaign was within the law.We want Burundians to understand that everyone is responsible for his life, we want order in this country, he said.All this is done within the framework of the patriotic training programme, he added, referring to an initiative launched by Nkurunziza in August 2013 to reinforce positive traditional values.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said that we are greater together than apart. Osinbajo speaking at the Biafra Colloquium; 50 Years Aft...

Read full speech below



Introspection is probably what separates us from beasts. That ability to learn from history is perhaps the greatest defense from the avoidable pain of learning from experience, when history is a much gentler and kinder teacher. Indeed, the saying experience is the best teacher, is incomplete, the full statement of that Welsh adage is that experience is the best teacher for a fool. History is a kinder and gentler teacher. I was ten years old when my friend in primary school then, Emeka, left school one afternoon. He said his parents said they had to go back to East, war was about to start.



I never saw Emeka again. My aunty Bunmi was married to a gentleman from Enugu, I cannot recall his name. But I recall the evening when my parents tried to persuade her and her husband not to leave for the East. She did, we never saw her again. I recall distinctly how in 1967, passing in front of my home on Ikorodu road almost every hour were trucks carrying passengers and furniture in an endless stream heading east. Many Ibos who left various parts of Nigeria, left friends, families and businesses, schools and jobs. Like my friend and aunty some never returned! But many died.



The reasons for this tragic separation of brothers and sisters were deep and profound. So much has been said and written already about the whys and wherefores and that analyses will probably never end. This is why I would rather not spend this few minutes on whether there was or was not sufficient justification for secession and the war that followed. The issue is whether the terrible suffering, massive loss of lives, of hopes and fortunes of so many can ever be justified. As we reflect on this event today, we must ask ourselves the same question that many who have fought or been victims in civil wars, wars between brothers and sisters ask in moments of reflection.what if we had spent all the resources, time and sacrifice we put into the war, into trying to forge unity?



What if we had decided not to seek to avenge a wrong done to us? What if we had chosen to overcome evil with good? The truth is that the spilling of blood in dispute is hardly ever worth the losses. Of the fallouts of bitter wars is the anger that can so easily be rekindled by those who for good or ill want to resuscitate the fire. Today some are suggesting that we must go back to the ethnic nationalities from which Nigeria was formed. They say that secession is the answer to the charges of marginalization.



They argue that separation from the Nigerian State will ultimately result in successful smaller States. They argue eloquently, I might add that Nigeria is a colonial contraption that cannot endure. This is also the sum and substance of the agitation for Biafra. The campaign is often bitter and vitriolic, and has sometimes degenerated to fatal violence. Brothers and sisters permit me to differ and to suggest that were greater together than apart. No country is perfect; around the world we have seen and continue to see expressions of intra-national discontent. Indeed, not many Nigerians seem to know that the oft-quoted line about Nigeria being a mere geographical expression originally applied to Italy.



It was the German statesman Klemens von Metternich who dismissively summed up Italy as a mere geographical expression exactly a century before Nigeria came into being as a country. From Spain to Belgium to the United Kingdom and even the United States of America, you will find many today who will venture to make similar arguments about their countries. But they have remained together. The truth is that many, if not most nations of the world are made up of different peoples and cultures and beliefs and religions, who find themselves thrown together by circumstance. Nations are indeed made up of many nations. The most successful of the nations of the world are those who do not fall into the lure of secession. But who through thick and thin forge unity in diversity. Nigeria is no different; we are, not three, but more like three hundred or so ethnic groups within the same geographical space, presented with a great opportunity to combine all our strengths into a nation that is truly, to borrow an expression, more than the sum of its parts. Let me say that there is a solid body of research that shows that groups that score high on diversity turn out to be more innovative than less diverse ones. Theres also research showing that companies that place a premium on creating diverse workplaces do better financially than those who do not. This applies to countries just as much as it does to companies.



The United States is a great example, bringing together an impressively diverse cast of people together to consistently accomplish world-conquering economic, military and scientific feats. It is possible in Nigeria as well. Instead of trying to flee into the lazy comfort of homogeneity every time were faced with the frustrations of living together as countrymen and women, the more beneficial way for us individually and collectively is actually to apply the effort and the patience to understand one another and to progressively aspire to create one nation bound in freedom, in peace and in unity. That, in a sense, should be the Nigerian Dream  the enthusiasm to create a country that provides reasons for its citizens to believe in it, a country that does not discriminate, or marginalize in any way. We are not there yet, but I believe we have a strong chance to advance in that direction. But that will not happen if we allow our frustrations and grievances to transmute into hatred. It will not happen if we see the media  television and radio and print and especially social media  as platforms for the propagation of hateful and divisive rhetoric.



No one stands to benefit from a stance like that; we will all emerge as losers. Clearly our strength is in our diversity, that we are greater together than apart. Imagine for a moment that an enterprising young man from Aba had to apply for a visa to travel to Kano to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, or that a young woman from Abeokuta had to fill immigration forms and await a verdict in order to attend her best friends wedding in Umuahia. Nigeria would be a much less colourful, much less interesting space, were that the case. Our frustrations with some who speak a different dialect or belong to a different religion must not drive us to forget many of the same tribe and faith of our adversaries who have shown true affection for us. My God-son is Somkele Awakalu, his father Awa Kalu, SAN, and I taught at the University of Lagos.



My first book was dedicated to Somkele and my two other God-children. Chief Emmanuel Dimike is almost 80, he was my fathers friend and business associate in his sawmills in Lagos. Chief has been like a father. I see him most Sundays, he worships with me at the chapel. The individual affections and friendships we forge some even deeper than family ties, must remind us that unity is possible, that brotherhood across tribes and faiths is possible. Let me make it clear that I fully believe that Nigerians should exercise to the fullest extent the right to discuss or debate the terms of our existence. Debate and disagreement are fundamental aspects of democracy.



We recognize and acknowledge that necessity. And todays event is along those lines  an opportunity not merely to commemorate the past, but also to dissect and debate it. Lets ask ourselves tough questions about the path that has led us here, and how we might transform yesterdays actions into tomorrows wisdom. Indeed our argument is not and will never be that we should forget the past, or let bygones be bygones, as some have suggested. Chinua Achebe repeatedly reminded us of the Igbo saying that a man who cannot tell where the rain began to beat him cannot know where he dried his body. If we lose the past, we will inevitably lose the opportunity to make the best of the present and the future.



In an interview years ago, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, explaining why he didnt think a second Biafran War should happen, said: We should have learnt from that first one, otherwise the deaths would have been to no avail; it would all have been in vain. We should also be careful that we do not focus exclusively on the narratives of division, at the expense of the uplifting and inspiring ones. The same social media that has come under much censure for its propensity to propagate division, has also allowed multitudes of young Nigerians to see more of the sights and sounds of their country than ever before. And for every young Nigerian who sees the Internet as an avenue for spewing ethnic hatred, there is another young Nigerian who is falling in love or doing business across ethnic and cultural lines; a young Nigerian who looks back on his or her NYSC year in unfamiliar territory as one of the valued highlights of their lifetime.



These stories need to be told as well. They are the stories that remind us that the journey to nationhood is not an event but a process, filled as with life itself with experiences some bitter, some sweet. The most remarkable attribute of that process is that a succeeding generation does not need to bear the prejudices and failures of the past. Every new generation can take a different and more ennobling route than its predecessors. But the greatest responsibility today lies on the leadership of our country. Especially but not only political leadership.



The promise of our constitution which we have sworn to uphold is that we would ensure a secure, and safe environment for our people to live, and work in peace, that we would provide just and fair institutions of justice. That we would not permit or encourage discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, beliefs or other parochial considerations. That we would build a nation where no one is oppressed and none is left behind.



These are the standards to which we must hold our leadership. We must not permit our leaders the easy but dangerous rhetoric of blaming our social and economic conditions on our coming together. It is their duty to give us a vision a pathway to make our unity in diversity even more perfect.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said that we are greater together than apart. Osinbajo speaking at the Biafra Colloquium; 50 Years After on Thursday said that the spilling of blood in dispute is hardly ever worth the losses. Of the fallouts of bitter wars is the anger that can so easily be rekindled by those who for good or ill want to resuscitate the fire.He further went to say that no country is perfect; around the world we have seen and continue to see expressions of intra-national discontent. Indeed, not many Nigerians seem to know that the oft-quoted line about Nigeria being a mere geographical expression originally applied to Italy Osinbajo quoting late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, explained why he didnt think a second Biafran War should happen, said: We should have learnt from that first one, otherwise the deaths would have been to no avail; it would all have been in vain.
By Press Trust of India: Patna, May 27 (PTI) A total 11.9 lakh litre liquor have been seized since the total prohibition in Bihar a year ago and out of the seized stock 1.55 lakh litre have been destroyed, state police headquarter said today. Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) S K Singhal told reporters that 1.55 lakh litre of liquor have been destroyed in 20 districts of the state so far and the process of destroying is on in other districts too. Recent news reports in the media had highlighted the police excuses about rodents consuming liquor stocked in police stations after seizure. The decision to destory the liquor from time to time was taken after it. The ADG said that 150 police officials have been punished on charge of dereliction of duty in implementation of new liquor law in the state. Of them 12 policemen have been expelled from job after departmental proceedings. Besides, process is on for confiscation of properties in 2000 cases of illegal liquor traders and intensive drive is on against illegal liquor trade, he said. The Nitish Kumar government has clamped complete liquor ban in Bihar since April last year. PTI ANW SNS KK KK

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
In a letter to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, the secretary of National Council (staff side) Joint Consultative Machinery said Central governmment employees were clueless about the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa committee.

By India Today Web Desk: The inordinate delay in implementation of revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission has left Central government employees frustrated.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, the secretary of National Council (staff side) Joint Consultative Machinery said Central government employees were clueless about the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa committee.

"The Committee on Allowances took longer time while finalising its recommendations, but it is a matter of deep regret that even after submission of the report by the said committee, the same has not been made available to the staff side (JCM), therefore we do not know what recommendations have been made by the said committee," said Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of staff side (JCM).

advertisement

The JCM requested the Cabinet Secretary to make the recommendations of the Committee of Allowances available to them. On behalf of Central government employees, the JCM said that the government should implement revised allowances without further delay with effect from January 1, 2016.

While Central government employees are still waiting to hear from the Narendra Modi government, let us take a look at how other states are faring in implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.

BIHAR: The Cabinet of Nitish Kumar recently agreed to increase the salary of its employees and pensioners following submission of report by the fitment committee on the Seventh Pay Commission. The salary of state government employees is likely to increase by 14-15 per cent. The decision will benefit 3.65 lakh employees and 6 lakh pensioners in Bihar.

CHHATTISGARH: The Raman Singh government announced implementation of Seventh Pay Commission for its employees in March. Nearly 3 lakh state government employees will benefit from the decision.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR: The state government recently set up a seven-member panel to examine the revision of pay scales of employees and pensioners under the Seventh Pay Commission. The state's finance minister Haseeb Drabu, in his budget speech, had announced a 23.5 per cent hike in salary and post-retirement payouts. The Jammu and Kashmir government said it would implement the Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations from April 2018.

States like Uttarakhand, Haryana have already implemented the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission from January.

ALSO READ:

7th Pay Commission: No hike in transport allowance, HRA to remain at 30 per cent

How 7th pay commission will change your life, Indian economy

7th Pay Commission: After June 1, Central government employees will hear about revised allowances

ALSO WATCH: 7th Pay Commission: Allowance-revision to benefit over 50 lakh employees

--- ENDS ---
An Army official said 799 candidates appeared today in the common entrance examination for selection of junior commissioned officers

By Press Trust of India: Defying the separatist bandh call, nearly 800 Kashmiri youths today appeared in the Army's common entrance exam in the Valley, which has been hit by fresh protests following the killing of Hizbul militant Sabzar Bhat.

Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in many parts of the Valley to maintain law and order in the wake of violence sparked by Bhat's killing and the two-day shutdown called by separatist conglomerate - the Hurriyat Conference.

advertisement

An Army official said 799 candidates appeared today in the common entrance examination for selection of junior commissioned officers and other ranks held at Pattan and Srinagar.

"It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls for choosing a brighter future," the official said. He said 16 of the 815 candidates, who had passed the physical and medicals tests held earlier, did not turn up for the written exam.

KASHMIR ON BOIL

Several parts of the Kashmir Valley were on the boil after security forces inflicted heavy damage on militants, killing eight of them, including Bhat, who had succeeded Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani following his killing last July.

Violence erupted yesterday at more than 50 places in the Valley including in Srinagar and Tral as stone-pelting youths were out on streets attacking security forces.

Wani's killing had sparked a long spell of unrest in the Valley last year.

Also read: Army chief Bipin Rawat on stone pelting: Can't tell my men to wait and die

Also read: Sabzar Bhat killing: Won't allow repeat of post-Burhan Wani violence in Kashmir, says top CRPF official

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

--- ENDS ---
Once elected, members of the Public Service Commission typically have an easy time hanging onto their jobs. Voters dont know much about them or their work, and the only real money in the campaigns has traditionally come from utilities and others 
Tucked away in a corner near what used to the front doors of the Council Bluffs Public Library  now the Union Pacific Railroad Museum  is a small display case containing information on the buildings history.

The museum started life as a Carnegie library, one of 101 Iowa public libraries and seven academic libraries funded by the Scottish-American industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry in the 19th century.

Between 1892 and 1917, Andrew Carnegie donated more than $1.7 million for construction of Iowa libraries.

The first-ever Carnegie library opened in 1883 in Dunfermline, Scotland, the city where the businessman was born. His method was to build and equip, but only on condition that the local authority matched that by providing the land and a budget for operation and maintenance.

In total, Carnegie, whose fortune in todays dollars exceeded $300 billion, funded some 3,000 libraries, located in 47 U.S. states and also in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies and Fiji.

As was so often the case in Council Bluffs early history, Gen. Grenville M. Dodge had a hand in the citys Carnegie library.

Patricia LaBounty, director of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum that now occupies the citys former Carnegie library building, said that the industrialist turned philanthropist based his library grants on the population of the cities where the libraries were built.

The library in Council Bluffs is much larger than Council Bluffs should have had based on the citys population at the time, she said.

That might have been because Carnegie served on a board with Gen. Dodge, and Dodge might have swayed him to give Council Bluffs a larger grant, LaBounty said.

Kori Nelson, director of the Historic General Dodge House, picked up the thread.

Nelson said that Carnegie gave a standard amount, and the library board in Council Bluffs was happy with the amount Carnegie said he would donate.

She said that Dodge knew Carnegie, and Dodge felt the donation should be larger. The library board, fearing that Dodges action might result in Carnegie withdrawing his grant offer, asked Dodge not to become involved.

But Nelson said that Dodge ignored the library boards request and sent a letter to Carnegie suggesting that he should give more money for a Council Bluffs library. Carnegie, according to Nelson, responded by increasing his grant offer from $30,000 to $70,000.

When the Carnegie building opened in September 1905, the Council Bluffs Free Public Library boasted a collection of 3,200 books. By the 1990s, the librarys collection had grown to the point that the buildings architectural features could no longer be seen, let alone enjoyed.

A successful local effort  following bond issue attempts  resulted in the construction of the current, larger library facility at 400 Willow St.

After the new Council Bluffs Public Library opened in 1998, a group of citizens known then as Friends of the Carnegie Cultural Museum campaigned to have a museum created in the Carnegie building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The group, now known as Friends of the UPRR Museum, raised $3.5 million for renovation and exhibits at the building, including $1.4 million from the Iowa West Foundation and $800,000 from the Lied Foundation.

Union Pacific, which was then storing artifacts from its former museum, decided the building would make a nice home for the railroads collection. It took on the renovation project and provided the expertise needed along with the rest of the funding.

The museum, home of one of the oldest corporate collections in the nation, formally opened on May 10, 2003, which was the 134th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

I have always been a fan of Andrew Carnegie; we share a hometown, Eileen Davis, board president of Friends of the UPRR Museum, said at the celebration marking the museums 10th year.

His Carnegie libraries are an amazing legacy, Davis continued. And now, as an employee of Union Pacific, I have even more reason to love this building.

Davis concluded, Mr. Carnegie, who had a railroad background, would be proud.
Walnut  Iowas Antique City  is in the midst of a significant facelift and, depending on who you talk to, a change in customer preferences.

The community, known far and wide for the quality and range of the antiques available there, is getting what some termed a new look to better showcase the citys claim to fame.

The Streetscape Enhancement Project, a $1 million effort to upgrade the main business district in this city of 785 people, has as its goal a revitalized look and safer walking.

Anyone whos visited Walnut during one of its antique festivals is well aware of the throngs of visitors who jam the city in the hopes of finding the perfect item for their decorating needs. With as many as 400 dealers setting up shop in the city for one of Walnuts special events, which draw thousands of visitors, walking can be a chore.

Walnut Mayor Gene Larsen said the first phase of the two-phase project includes new exterior work  entry doors, paint and windows  on 15 downtown store fronts.

Were fixing whatever has to be fixed, Larsen said during an April interview.

Most of that work is slated to be completed before Walnuts 35th annual antique show on Fathers Day weekend, which begins June 16.

The second phase, which will follow the show, will include replacing the sidewalks along the store fronts along with new curbs and gutters. To retain the flavor of the citys past, bricks will be straightened and leveled on the primary brick street.

The $1.09 million project is funded in part by a $400,000 Iowa West Foundation CITIES grant and a $300,000 revitalization grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Locally, Walnuts business owners are contributing funds, and the city allocated an additional $340,000 in local-option sales tax receipts.

Because of the nature of her business, Betty Roberts, who runs Roberts Bakery, sees a broad cross section of the tourists  the lifeblood of Walnuts economy  who come to the city.

I think were starting to see a younger crowd, she said. People are looking at more retro items, things from the 50s and 60s, as opposed to more traditional antiques  items that are 100 years old or older.

Dont get me wrong, Roberts continued. We still have a lot of seniors who come to Walnut to visit. They still love to look, but I dont think they are buying as much. I think a lot of them have reached a point in their lives when they are focused more on downsizing than adding to what they own.

Walnut has a lot of new shops, Roberts said. That reflects a change in the community that corresponds to a change in its shops customers.

We also have a lot of seniors living here who are downsizing, she said. We have housing available, and its bringing some younger in who are living in Walnut.

Mark Petersen, owner of Forget Me Not, said construction up and down Main Street might have slowed business a bit, but things are going all right.

There are still a lot of really good antiques available in Walnut, but theres also getting to be a lot of primitive and refurbished stuff, he said.

Primitives might mean the difference between choosing pine as opposed to oak furniture, Petersen said.

The younger people seem to like the repurposed stuff, he said. And the older generation is downsizing.

Petersen said that, despite the fact that prices for antiques seem to be down somewhat from prices in the 90s, younger customers dont seem to be interested in those sorts of items, despite the lower prices.

Tim Suhr, who  along with brother Troy  has operated The Granary for the past 27 years, was far more upbeat.

Were doing very well, he said, better than weve done for a long time.

Asked about what some see as a move from an interest in traditional antiques to retro items, Suhr disagreed.

Retro  I wouldnt touch it with a 10-foot pole, he said, offering a business prescription: Keep it antiques, keep it good and youll always be in business.

The economy is the best its ever been, Suhr said.

The town is really coming around with the downtown renovation, he said. Were about 45 miles from the Omaha metro area and an hour from Des Moines. People can come here and still make it home at night.

Others might see it differently, but people are still interested in quality, he continued. Thats what we offer. Customers thank us for having a true antique shop.
Amid former MLA Kapil Mishra's allegations against AAP government's health department, Kejriwal has asked the health department to step up its functioning.

With days to go before monsoon, sources say the govt is ill-prepared to tackle vector-borne diseases as it lacks medicines, docs and equipment.

By Priyanka Sharma: Amid allegations of irregularities and scams in the health department, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has stepped into its day-to-day functioning, in an apparent damage-control measure.

The government, however, maintains that the step was taken to ensure preparedness before the monsoon season to check the outbreak of diseases like last year.

The AAP government has come under huge criticism on the health front despite allocating the largest share to the department.

advertisement

Sources say the government is ill-prepared to tackle vector-borne diseases as it lacks medicines, doctors and medical equipments. This at a time when monsoon is barely days away.

They further say that no preventive measure has been taken to control an outbreak-like situation if it arises. "The health department cannot work at its optimum till the Delhi government is unstable," an official said.

MCD ELECTION LOSS SPURS KEJRIWAL INTO ACTION

Sources say the heavy loss in MCD elections and the subsequent slew of controversies surrounding the health department has spurred Kejriwal into action. From surprise visits to various hospitals and ordering medical superintendents to ensure full medicine stock at their hospitals, the chief minister has suddenly upped the ante on the health front. Sources say Kejriwal is likely to make more such surprises checks at hospitals around the city

Earlier in the day, sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra alleged gross irregularities in the health department. He accused health minister Satyendar Jain of misusing health funds and 'revealed' one of the biggest scams involving Rs 300 crore in procurement of medicines by the department.

KAPIL MISHRA'S NEW ALLEGATIONS

Mishra claimed that Jain did not allow hospitals to buy medicines and instead handed over the work to the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).

He said former health secretary Tarun Seem was involved in the irregularities and through a series of tweets, pointed out corruption in purchase of 100 ambulances, of which four caught fire before their launch. He also accused Jain of illegal appointments of his OSD and 30 medical superintendents.

Most senior doctors pointed out that since the Delhi government tried to make medicine and equipment easily available to all hospitals, it took away power from medical superintendents on that front. Doctors said that till the CPA is operationalised with full capacity, powers from medical superintendents should not be taken.

"Today, medical superintendents are toothless. So far, not a single medicine has been procured by the CPA, which was only meant for getting medicines and equipments. The CPA has totally collapsed," a senior doctor told Mail Today.

advertisement

The Delhi government recently operationalised 125 new ventilators at most of its hospitals, but lack of trained professionals to operate these have put authorities in a fix at a time when there is a huge demand from patients.

A senior doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital told Mail Today, "Earlier, we were lacking ventilators at our hospital, but now when we have them, we are short of trained professionals to use it." Some 35 ventilators have been added to the total number of 45 in LNJP Hospital and they are lying used. The situation is similar in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

Also Read

Kapil Mishra says Kejriwal govt improperly procured medicines, over paid for ambulances

--- ENDS ---
Three area students graduated last weekend from the Iowa Connections Academy, a statewide public K-12 virtual school.

The online-only school celebrated 52 graduating seniors on May 20 during a ceremony held in West Des Moines. Among the graduating seniors were three Council Bluffs residents: Lucas Lorenzen, Hope Mitzel and Corinnia Bazer.

The schools class of 2017 spans the state, with graduates from cities and towns including Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Dubuque and Council Bluffs.

Nearly 68 percent of graduates plan to attend two- or four-year colleges or universities, according to the school.

We are glad to see so many young Iowans finding success with online school and wish them luck as they head into new and exciting academic or career-oriented pursuits, said James Brauer, principal at Iowa Connections Academy. We look forward to hearing what the future holds for the Class of 2017.

Now in its fifth year, Iowa Connections Academy currently serves more than 450 students throughout Iowa. The school combines Iowa-certified teachers with a curriculum that meets state education standards. Students work with teachers to personalize learning plans to meet their individual education needs.

More information about Iowa Connections Academy can be found online at http://www.IowaConnectionsAcademy.com.

 Reporter Krystal Sidzyik can be reached at 712-325-5742 or by email at ksidzyik@nonpareilonline.com.
DES MOINES (AP)  Des Moines Water Works plans to double the size of the nitrate removal facility that treats drinking water from the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers.

The Des Moines Register reported that the utilitys board this week approved an $800,000 design contract.

The utility expects to spend $15 million on the project, and officials said the new equipment and the cost to operate it will require future rate increases.

The original nitrate facility was constructed for $4.1 million in 1991. It has eight large tanks that can process 10 million gallons of water per day and are used when nitrate levels are so high that theres not enough water to dilute the compounds.

Federal drinking water standards require levels to be below 10 milligrams per liter.

The utility turned on the equipment for the first time this year last Sunday. Company spokesperson Laura Sarcone said that, despite high river levels because of rain, nitrates were at 12 milligrams per liter on Tuesday.

If nothing happens in the watershed, we could see (25-30) milligrams per liter at Fleur Drive. So we have to plan for that now, because it could take a while for construction, Sarcone said.

The utility sued three northern Iowa counties, accusing them of allowing agricultural drainage districts to send nitrate pollution into the rivers. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in March, saying Iowas water quality problems were an issue for the Iowa Legislature. The lawsuit sought damages for the money the utility has spent to remove the nitrates.

According to a 2016 report from CH2M, an engineering consultant based in West Des Moines, nitrate levels in the rivers have been increasing and are expected to continue to rise.

Now that the lawsuit is gone ... we have to presume the trend will continue upward, not downward, Water Works CEO Bill Stowe said.
DES MOINES  A divided Iowa Supreme Court reset the way criminals are charged in the state in a ruling celebrated by prosecutors but criticized by defense attorneys, and some members of the court, as ignoring its own precedent set just seven years ago.

The court ruled Thursday in cases involving three Waterloo men charged with sexual abuse after they were accused of drugging and raping two 15-year-old girls.

The men, Deantay Williams, Taevon Washington and Cordarrel Smith were questioned by officers and DNA samples were taken after the girls said in June 2012 that they were assaulted in a house police learned was a gang hangout. The men were not charged until DNA lab results were returned in November 2013, more than 500 days later.

The Iowa Court of Appeals in November 2015 ordered charges dismissed, saying the men were not charged within the 45 days of their arrests as required by Iowa law.

The court based its opinion on a December 2010 Iowa Supreme Court case that concluded an arrest is made when a person is physically detained and a reasonable person would believe an arrest occurred. The court considered the men arrested in June 2012 when they were questioned and DNA samples were taken and concluded charges filed more than a year later were too late.

Four members of the Supreme Court voted in the 4-3 opinion filed Thursday to overturn its 2010 opinion and rule that an arrest occurs in Iowa when a defendant is taken into custody and appears before a magistrate judge.

Chief Justice Mark Cady, in the majority opinion, said Iowa was the only state that used the moment of arrest as the time from which charges must be filed in order to meet constitutional requirements of a speedy indictment. Iowas practice has been wrong, Cady said, acknowledging that the court made a mistake in 2010 and must correct it.

Once the arrested person is before the magistrate, the arrest process is complete, the person is no longer under the control of the arresting officer, and all the rights under the law available to defendants become applicable, including the right to a probable-cause preliminary hearing and the right to a speedy indictment, he said.

Justice David Wiggins disagreed in a dissenting opinion.

What the majority does today is overrule a prior decision with which they disagree in order to advance their own view of the law, he said.

The court reinstated the charges against the Waterloo men, who now will face trial on sexual assault and kidnapping.

Williams attorney, Cory Goldensoph, said he believes his client to be innocent and says he has a good chance of acquittal. He said the prior way of handling charges and indictments was fair. Attorneys for Washington and Smith did not immediately respond to messages.

The decision was welcomed by prosecutors who said the 2010 case resulted in many case dismissals because it was legally unclear when an individual was considered formally arrested.

The problem with the way the law was until this morning is, you create this perverse incentive for law enforcement to move forward because law enforcement is worried that the clock is ticking for a speedy indictment before an investigation is complete, said Alan R. Ostergren, who filed a friend of the court brief for the Iowa County Attorneys Association, a group of county prosecutors.
When former Iowa governor Leslie Shaw was chosen by President Theodore Roosevelt as his secretary of treasury in 1902, Iowans were prepared to see his name in national headlines.

Shaw did grab headlines, but sometimes it had nothing to do with his actions as head of the treasury department.

A Chicago newspaper, Inter Ocean, gave its readers a humorous description of a memorable outing by the former Iowa governor.

In those days, everyone used horse power as their mode of transportation. Even the White House had stables on the grounds. Shaw brought his favorite riding horse from Iowa to Washington, D.C.

While it was said the horse wouldnt win any ribbons at the county fair, he was described as slender of limb, well gaited and well behaved.

And while some poked fun at Shaw for his drab clothing  a long, black frock coat, which made him look like a Methodist preacher, they said he sat in his saddle as comfortably as in his swivel chair at his desk as he glided about the streets of the capital.

Other politicians had been asking Shaw to join them in rides around the city  just for fun and relaxation. Shortly after Shaws horse arrived from Iowa, he decided to join a group of riders.

Congressmen from Nevada and Maine led the ride in which they were going to test the horsemanship of the newcomer. Of course, Shaw was unaware, but others in the group were in on the secret.

At first, the group rode within the city limits, where the streets were relatively smooth and straight. Shaw and his horse glided along like a toy rocking horse. Soon, the two congressmen made their way to the country, where the streets were no longer easy for a horse to navigate.

It was here that Shaws horse woke up. He overtook the lead, moving to a bridle path which led up a steep hill. With no regard for the thick brush, Shaw took his horse to the steepest part of hill. The horse easily made his way up the rocks like a mountain goat.

When the group reached the top of the hill, they found Shaw and his horse enjoying the panoramic view of the city.

Here, gentlemen, is where I propose to build my house. It is the finest location I have been able to find near the city, Shaw remarked before directing his horse down an even more hazardous path to town.

The congressmen from Nevada and Maine claimed Shaws horse actually climbed trees like a squirrel and jumped off precipices like a mountain goat. And the next day, when Shaw sent a messenger to ask the riders to join him for a ride in another part of the city, they all had previous urgent engagements.

Shaw was again the subject of headlines in the New York Times a couple years later when he selected a driver for his carriage used for government business.

He was required by law to make his selection from a list of applicants sent to him by the civil service commission.

The office sent him three to consider: an accountant, stenographer and a grave digger from St. Elizabeths Insane Asylum.

After much thought, Shaw chose the grave digger. He joked that the man would be invaluable on a dark night because he would not be afraid of ghosts.
Thank you, Council Bluffs

After the recent funeral of my brother Emmett Dofner, Jr. I want to brag on the community.

Matt and Steve from Cutler ONeill did a fantastic job meeting the request of the family and the needs of over a thousand who attended the visitation. And the large attendance at the funeral.

A memorable moment for me will be when the procession led by the McClelland Fire Department fire truck stopped at the Central Fire Station bell tower and tolled the bell in honor of my firefighter brother. Some dressed in firefighter dress uniforms, the fire chief and several retired firefighters stood at attention and saluted.

Thank you friends of Council Bluffs for making me proud of Council Bluffs residents.

Gloria Dofner Brennan, Council Bluffs

________________________

Shout out to the Fire Station No. 2

I got a late start leaving work. Last week was National Bicycle to Work Week and I had commuted accordingly in the morning when the weather was nice. Going against good judgement, I looked at the clouds in the distance and though that if I hurried, I could get home before the storm hit me. After all, the weather is never quite as bad as the weather person predicts, right?

As I rode west on Second Avenue, the wind picked-up and I found myself working harder and harder to keep my momentum moving in the homeward direction. Somewhere around Thomas Jefferson High School I found myself pedaling pretty fiercely, more or less to stay in one spot. The rain had picked-up and I was getting sandblasted by debris from the street.

As I reached 27th Street and Second Avenue, I knew that I had made a poor life decision.

It was there that I looked-up and saw the open garage doors at Council Bluffs Fire Station No. 2. The guys stationed there invited me in out of the rain. I spent the next 45 minutes as a guest of the firefighters there. I have to say, I was amazed at the hospitality I received on what was clearly a busy night for them.

They offered me a warm, dry place and were even ready to feed me, while I waited out the storm. I watched as they responded to call after call in that 45-minute window. They charged out into the storm again and again to respond to critical needs of the community.

Im not sure that we honor the term public servant enough. I was very impressed by the spirit and dedication I saw in my brief visit with Fire Station No. 2. The firefighters there were funny, warm and constantly seeking to be of service to others.

As I left, I asked one of the guys if I could bring them some doughnuts or coffee the next morning as a thank you. They said dont worry about it  we do it for the high fives.

And, so, this morning, instead of bringing them coffee, Im writing this to share my brief experience. I appreciate the work that Fire Station No. 2 and all of the Council Bluffs first responders do. They are a credit to the term public servant.

I hope theyll accept this as my high five.

Matt Henkes, Omaha

________________________

Carol Forristall the right pick for District 22 Iowa House seat

Carol Forristall is running to complete the term of her late husband, Greg. The Republican Party and people of this district would be well served by her.

Carol is my P.E.O.  a philanthropic womens organization  sister and former colleague at the Riverside School District. Carol is an intelligent, compassionate, gracious woman. Students and parents loved her because she demanded excellence from every child and herself.

She and Greg traveled extensively, which expanded their world view; however, her heart lies in rural Iowa. As a farm wife and retired educator many of the issues coming before the Iowa House of Representatives are ones that she has spent her life considering.

After her retirement she served as Rep. Forristalls legislative assistant. This background will allow her to seamlessly return to the Legislature next year to finish the work the party and her husband started.

At one of his last town hall meetings, Greg spoke with pride explaining the many accomplishments of this past session. I personally dont agree with all the legislation passed but am confident that Greg and Carol were looking out for the interests of southwest Iowa. The Republican Party should honor his wish that Carol take his seat in the House of Representatives.

Gayle Strickland, Oakland

The Daily Nonpareil welcomes your letters. Letters must include the writers name, address and telephone number. Letters without a phone number for verification will be discarded. Letter verification will not be done by email.

Hold letters to a maximum of 400 words. Longer letters may be shortened for space reasons. Send letters to Your Views at The Daily Nonpareil, Box 797, Council Bluffs, IA, 51502.

Letters may also be faxed to 712-325-5776 or emailed to editorial@nonpareilonline.com.
With his second book in the Ramchandra series, Amish Tripathi, is all set to change the ages old perceptions about Sita.

By Utpal Kumar/Mail Today: First he took Lord Shiva and humanised him as never before for the blockbuster Meluha series. Then, he came out with the Ramachandra series and did what many thought was a treacherous task - to reintroduce Ramayana and its characters. He took the challenge and showed, two years ago, how little we knew about the epic we thought we were well acquainted with.

advertisement

As he comes out with the second book in the series, Sita: Warrior of Mithila, we catch up with the man who did the impossible - Amish (he doesn't use Tripathi, his caste surname). He says it wasn't that difficult, as our understanding of the Ramayana is based primarily on Ramanand Sagar's television show in the 1980s and also Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas. "Very few have actually read Valmiki's Ramayana. For instance, there is no mention of Lakshman Rekha in the original text."

Also Read: India's youth feels more inclined towards the new superheroes re-emerging from its rich history

On his latest book, Amish is amused to see so much excitement and discussion on Sita being portrayed as a warrior. "There are several ancient versions where she was shown as a warrior. Even in Valmiki's Ramayana, she is a very strong character. The meek, demure Sita is a relatively recent phenomenon," he says, adding how Sita, as a young girl, had picked up Shiva's Bow with one hand - a feat which even great warriors found difficult to emulate.

"This story is quite popular in several folk traditions in north India. The fact that Sita, an adopted child, could become the prime minister of a kingdom, and then the goddess, tells a lot about her character." Also, it wasn't unusual to see women being warriors or intellectuals in those days. "In Vedas," he says, "we find several women rishis. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is essentially the discussion between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi. As late as the eighth century AD, we find a woman moderating Adi Shankaracharya's philosophical debate," he says.

When asked about how Manusmriti is often quoted to show women's humble position in ancient times, Amish says the issue is two-pronged. "First, very few people have actually read Manusmriti. And, then, we have been giving undue importance to the text, just because it was the first smriti which the British got translated into English." He reminds that there were hundreds of smritis, with some like Vyas' or Parashara's being "so liberal that they would even shock American liberals today". Further, he adds, the smritis were time-specific. "We have a smriti for our age as well - Indian Constitution." To bolster his claim, Amish explains how Sati was an aberration in India and yet it was projected as a nationwide malaise.

advertisement

"Sati, no doubt, was a heinous crime but there are hardly any textual evidences to verify its existence. I recently read Meenakshi Jain's book, Sati, which busts the myth of its extensive practice in modern times, forget about the ancient era. It's just like painting the entire Europeans as cannibals just because there were a few cases of cannibalism in the continent."

Also Read: What has Alia Bhatt got to do with Amish Tripathi's upcoming, Sita: Warrior of Mithila?

Lord Rama is often criticised over the treatment being meted out to Sita. Amish refuses to defend the wrongdoings, but says Rama did so because "he was an ideal follower of law. Such people are good for society, and not for family. For, family doesn't need rule; it needs love." He recalls Rama's relations vis-a-vis Ahalya and Shabari to, in fact, claim that he was a "rebel" fighting for women's cause. Quoting Ramcharitmanas, wherein Rama says that all human beings, including transgenders, who love all and give up deceit, are his people, he says: "It's more progressive than today's law in India where we are still debating Article 377."

advertisement

But does it ever bother Amish that writing about a religious figure may land him in controversies?

Laughs the writer as he says matter-of-factly, "Most controversies are created by writers themselves. The first book of my Ramachandra series was released two years ago. Have you heard any controversy on it?"

He also doesn't give any credence to the intolerance debate, which comes up time and again, especially after the coming of the Modi government. "This debate is all about the rise of the new elite vis-a-vis the old. These are power games, and have nothing to do with liberalism," says Amish, who confesses he mostly reads non-fiction, the most recent being Shashi Tharoor's An Area of Darkness and Sanjeev Sanyal's The Ocean of Churn.

Is it any surprise that Amish's next book is a non-fiction, Immortal India, set for release later this year?

--- ENDS ---
Due to heavy losses that have wiped out its leadership, Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, a group linked to Al-Qaeda, formally announced its dissolution.

A Ansar al-Sharia flag painted on the side of a hill, along a road in Almnash (Pic: Reuters)

By Reuters: Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, a group linked to Al-Qaeda, is formally dissolving itself, it said in a statement on Saturday.

The group, which Washington says was behind the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens, had been at war with Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army.

The group said its decision came on the back of heavy losses that have wiped out its leadership and decimated its fighters, according to the statement.

advertisement

Forces aligned with the Libyan National Army have skirmished since late last year with opponents aligned with a U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Groups such as Ansar al-Sharia, which had tried to maintain a stronghold in the country's east, have inserted themselves into the larger war, creating a fractious battleground overlaid by a multitude of militias.

The group's statement called on revolutionary forces and shoura councils in Benghazi to unite in order to form a united front.

Also Read

Egypt launches air strikes on Libya terror camps after gunmen attacked bus of Coptic Christians

141 killed in south Libya airbase attack, defence minister suspended

--- ENDS ---
Stepping On program helps seniors recognize hazards in their homes

Ernest Hulinsky, 81, of Brule found himself tumbling to the bottom of the stairs in his home earlier this year. Thanks to Ogallala Community Hospitals fall prevention class, Hulinsky now knows the fall may have been the result of a poorly lit hallway.

Hulinsky couldnt sleep so he decided to go downstairs and lay in his recliner. As he descended, he reached for the light switch but didnt feel it. Suddenly, he was bouncing down the stairs and ended up falling down 10 before landing at the bottom. The next morning, he told his wife, Alice, that he needed to go to the hospital.

He had a broken shoulder and several fractured ribs. He needed surgery, but his blood thinners needed to be adjusted first. The adjustment led to a stroke that led to extreme weakness in his hands. Eventually, he was able to have surgery to repair his shoulder.

The whole works took 30 days by the time I got out, Hulinsky said.

Falls are one of the national leading causes of death and disability in seniors and also a contributing factor to rising health care costs, according to the CDC. About a quarter of Keith Countys population is over 65. In 2016, Ogallala Community Hospital had approximately 400 emergency room visits because of falls in the communitys population of people over 65.

Cami Brown, nurse manager and emergency department/trauma coordinator, began looking for a way to reduce those numbers. She came across Stepping On, originally developed by Dr. Lindy Clemson of Sydney, Australia, to help older adults learn how to prevent falls in a safe, educational space. According to research, the Stepping On program showed that people who complete the workshop have a 31 percent reduced rate of falls.

Just before he got out of the hospital Hulinksy was asked if hed be willing to attend the class. He said he was willing to do whatever was asked of him by his doctors, nurses and physical therapists, because theyd done so much for him.

Hulinsky is glad he agreed to the class because hes learned quite a bit including how to spot hazards that could cause falls like certain rugs or clutter. Hes lived in his home for more than 50 years and knows every nook and cranny. He admits he may have become blind to potential hazards because hes lived in the home for so long.

I go up and down those stairs eight times a day, Hulinsky said. Just because you think you know the place, that doesnt mean something cant throw you off.

Its given him ideas for changes that would make his home a safer, as well. His sons have been installing sensor lights throughout the house, so he no longer has to reach for light switches in the dark.

Im also changing to LED bulbs, because theyre a lot brighter, Hulinsky said.

The class is nearing the end of its seven week schedule, but another class will start up at the end of the summer, Brown said. Classes are free and open to the public and snacks are provided. A donation of $3 per class is encouraged, but not required.

Our goal is for Stepping On participants to leave with more strength, achieve better balance and experience a feeling of confidence and independence as a result of performing various exercises and sharing personal fall experiences in a safe environment, Brown said.

Hulinsky said hed recommend it for anybody, whether theyve recently experienced a fall or not.

Just because you havent fallen doesnt mean youre not going to, he said.

For more information, contact Brown at 308-284-0246.
CROWN POINT  County planners want to know what may grow in the 230 square miles of Lake County's greenfields.

They are the farmlands outside the limits of the county's 19 cities and towns under the jurisdiction of the Lake County Planning Commission, which is preparing a new comprehensive plan to guide future development.

Ned Kovachevich, the county's executive planning director, said that sets the foundation for an updated zoning map to ensure future development will harmonize with the agricultural nature of the southern portion of the county.

The Arsh Group of Merrillville, HWC Group and Structurepoint, of Indianapolis, and Teska Associates, of Chicago, are bidding on the project.

Although Kovachevich said his staff of nine full-time and five part-time employees are in the field daily enforcing the county's zoning and building ordinances, he said they don't have the environmental or transportation expertise to draw up their own plan.

"Its easy to identify the potential of U.S. 41 and Ind. 2, but we are asking them to figure out where else the new growth will be," he said.

Lake County is best known for its industrial might, but south of the smokestacks and suburbs are the wide open fields that attract developers.

Kovachevich said work began this year at the request of newly-elected Commissioner Jerry Tippy, R-Schererville, who said he reviewed the current county zoning ordinance when he learned he would be serving on the Plan Commission.

He said he noticed it is 21 years old. "We definitely need to upgrade the zoning ordinance, and it just made sense to start with the comprehensive plan and do the zoning ordinance afterwards," Tippy said.

Tippy said he, Kovachevich and others are preparing to recommend a consultant to the Board of Commissioners as early as next month.

"Unincorporated Lake County is primarily rural, and some of the consultants were coming in with a lot of overkill in terms of economic development," Tippy said. "We've narrowed it down to two."

State law mandates a comprehensive plan be a road map for future highways, protecting wetlands and providing adequate public utilities, health, educational and recreational facilities and healthful residential areas as well as balancing the needs of agriculture, industry and business.

Kovachevich said one thing that won't change with a new plan is the goal to preserve farmland from suburban encroachment by guiding new business and residential development to locate on the outskirts of existing communities.

"The bulk of our zoning will remain agricultural even with the new plan. That is what we are," he said.

Planning now focused on cohesion, similarities

Nevertheless, that goal was under severe pressure a decade ago when "developers were buying property everywhere they could to build subdivisions, in a lot of places that we weren't in favor of."

The executive planning director said the downturn in the economy in recent years has tamped down the demand for sprawl for now, and developers have opted for subdivisions close to existing municipal utilities.

Kovachevich said the county now needs a plan that will work with the comprehensive plans of Crown Point, Lowell and other communities that border the county's unincorporated areas.

"Because we are broken up into so many government units, there is no cohesion. We think it would be beneficial to have a plan built around similarities," Kovachevich said.

When looking into the distant future, the planning department, the nine-member Plan Commission and the County Council review plans as minor as replacing a church's sign to as controversial as the Singleton Quarry, which was approved despite ferocious opposition by local farmers.

Kovachevich said "people come into our office when they want to build. If they don't have proper zoning, we take them before the Plan Commission."

If approved, the office issues a building permit. If someone wants to complain about a building straying from the restrictions on the permit or about a junk car or other unsightly trash, Kovachevich's office gets the call. He said they handle about 1,000 code violations annually.

"We do what we can. Nobody goes to jail for a zoning violation," Kovachevich said.
INDIANAPOLIS  A yearslong dispute over private property rights and public access to Lake Michigan is headed to the Indiana Supreme Court, whose decision could affect every visitor and Region resident who goes to the beach in Northwest Indiana.

The Hoosier justices will decide in coming weeks whether to grant transfer, and thereby vacate, a landmark Indiana Court of Appeals decision that all parties to the case of Gunderson v. State believe was decided incorrectly.

At issue are how far inland, beyond the actual water of Lake Michigan, does the state's ownership go; how close to the water an individual can own property; and who possesses the land in between that's sometimes covered by water?

The Court of Appeals, in a 3-0 ruling, affirmed in December that the state's interest extends to the "ordinary high water mark," which it defined as the line on the shore where the presence and action of water is continuous enough to distinguish it from land through erosion, vegetation changes or other characteristics.

At the same time, the appeals court held that the boundary of waterfront properties is the lake's ordinary low water mark, with possession of the beach in between being shared by property owners and the state  a first-of-its-kind decision for Indiana.

The state's case

Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher, a Jasper County native, believes it's indisputable that the state owns the land up to the ordinary high water mark and its interest does not overlap with lakefront property owners to the low water mark.

In his petition for transfer to the high court, Fisher points out that Indiana's exclusive title to the land up to the high water mark was established at statehood in 1816, and it cannot simply be given away through a court ruling.

He said public policy also dictates that the state should unilaterally control to the high water mark, as the Department of Natural Resources is required to deposit sand to prevent erosion, and co-ownership of the beach might undermine that responsibility.

Moreover, he said shared ownership may limit public use of the beach, since lakefront proprietors potentially could claim a right to control who enters "their" property and what behaviors are allowed.

The plaintiff's case

The original plaintiffs, Don and Bobbie Gunderson, of Long Beach, saw things differently.

They believed their land on Lake Michigan extends to the water's edge, regardless of where the edge is at any given time, and that they were entitled to exclusive use of that land  meaning no one can walk, sunbathe or picnic on the beach by their house without their permission.

The Gundersons cited precedent dating back to the 1787 Northwest Ordinance to make their case that the government's interest is limited to navigable waters and does not include shorelines, which they claim may be privately owned.

"Any boundary other than the navigable waters of Lake Michigan, for the public trust or the Gunderson property, is an arbitrary line in the sand and contrary to law," said Michael Knight, attorney for the Gundersons.

Interest groups weigh in

Three interest groups  Alliance for the Great Lakes, Save the Dunes and the Long Beach Community Alliance  also are asking the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court ruling and independently resolve the dispute.

In particular, they want the high court to affirm that only the state owns the land up to the high water mark, no matter what is shown on any land deed purporting to grant that property to a private owner.

They additionally seek to scuttle the notion of shared ownership to the low water mark as they claim that only the General Assembly has the authority to transfer any property below the high water mark, which it has not done.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of Porter landowner Ray Cahnman, wants the Supreme Court to adopt the Gundersons' argument that lakefront properties extend to the water's edge and any "taking" of land above that point must be accompanied by just compensation.

Court may punt

Another possible resolution would be for the Supreme Court to toss out the Court of Appeals decision and save its definitive result for the future, since the Gundersons have sold their lakefront property to a developer, and this no longer is a "live" dispute.

The state told the high court that's the most appropriate outcome, because the Gundersons seemingly concealed the fact that the contested land was sold to So Dun LLC, prior to LaPorte Superior Judge Richard R. Stalbrink Jr., issuing his initial ruling against the Gundersons in 2015.

"The court sometimes entertains moot cases for the sake of resolving pressing questions, but the state has held public trust title to its Lake Michigan shoreline for hundreds of years without anyone challenging it until the Gundersons," Fisher said. "There is no pressing need to address public trust as an abstract issue."

Knight denied there was any attempt to confuse or conceal ownership of the property. He said the current owner is willing to replace the Gundersons as plaintiff, if needed.

Regardless, the Gundersons and the interest groups say the case should continue to a Supreme Court decision, because "it presents an important legal question of first impression regarding property rights of Indiana landowners adjoining Lake Michigan."
Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat today said that he cannot tell his troops to 'just wait and die' when they are fighting a 'dirty war' in Kashmir.

By India Today Web Desk: Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat today defended his troops over the human shield controversy saying that his men needed innovative ways to fight the "dirty war" in Kashmir.

Rawat told PTI that when people were throwing stones and petrol bombs at Army personnel, he cannot tell his men to 'just wait and die'.

"This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," Rawat told PTI.

advertisement

"People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said.

Rawat went on to indicate that stone pelters had complicated the security situation in Kashmir, saying his force would find it easier to quell protests if instead of stones, weapons were used.

"In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do)," Rawat told PTI.

Saying that the Army cannot run away from its role to provide security, Rawat said, "Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, police and army will break."

"That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the army and other security forces," he said.

'NEED TO FEAR THE ARMY'

He added that the Indian Army is a friendly force and is practising maximum restraint to deal with the Kashmir situation. Rawat noted that the force can only do its job if the country fears it.

"Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said.

Rawat also spoke about the core issue of Kashmir, saying that it is something that needs a composite solution and is a process in which everybody will have to get involved.

"It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

advertisement

HUMAN SHIELD CONTROVERSY

The Army chief's statements come days after Major Leetul Gogoi of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles was awarded a Commendation Card by General Rawat for the former's role in countering insurgency in Kashmir.

In his PTI interview, Rawat said that Gogoi's commendation was awarded with the aim of boosting the morale of his troops. "As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there," he said.

Major Gogoi is the same officer who sparked nationwide controversy after tying a Kashmiri local to an Army jeep. Gogoi, in a statement delivered recently, said his actions were aimed at saving the lives of the men under his command as well as those of stone pelters in Kashmir.

advertisement

On April 9, the day of polling for the Srinagar Parliamentary bypoll, Major Gogoi and his team were called to the Utligam polling both to rescue civilian and security personnel trapped at the location.

Major Gogoi said that around 1,200 protesters had surrounded the booth and in order to escape from the booth, with the people he had just rescued, he grabbed a person he believed to be the ring leader of the protesters and got him tied to a jeep.

The man - Farooq Ahmad Dar - has denied that he was a stone pelter. Gogoi and his team then drove the jeep with Dar tied to it out of the area.

A video of the incident, shared by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, went viral on social media and caused a huge controversy, forcing the Army to set up a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

Sources previously told India Today that the CoI has not found Major Gogoi to be at fault. Gogoi continues to serve the Rashtriya Rifles unit.

advertisement

However, Rawat told PTI he has a general idea about what is going on in the Court of Inquiry and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. "I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for."

UNREST IN KASHMIR

Rawat's comments come amid concerns of widespread unrest in the Kashmir Valley following Saturday's killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat.

Bhat, the successor of Burhan Wani, was killed on Saturday in an Indian Army operation. Wani's death had sparked months of violent unrest in Kashmir leading to the deaths of more than 100 civilians.

Officials have however expressed confidence that a repeat of the post-Wani violence won't happen as the establishment is prepared to deal with stone pelters.

ALSO READ | Farooq Dar, used as human shield, moves Human Rights Commission against Army's award to Major Gogoi

ALSO WATCH | Need innovative ways to fight 'dirty war' in Kashmir: Army chief Bipin Rawat on stone pelting

--- ENDS ---
MERRILLVILLE  Efforts continue to create an ordinance setting stricter rules for day care facilities in the municipality, but the measure won't include one aspect officials were pursuing.

Town Attorney John Bushemi said there is a state law preventing towns and cities from setting regulations prohibiting day care facilities from opening in residential areas.

Bushemi said at-home day care operations can have up to 16 children in them, and Merrillville officials believe such facilities are better suited in commercially-zoned properties.

It initially was suggested to limit day care locations to commercially-zoned areas, but after being asked to develop the new ordinance, Bushemi became aware of the state law.

He said Merrillville's proposed measure will still include requirements in which the town would complete annual examinations of day care establishments and other similar operations. Those would be completed by fire inspectors and code enforcement personnel to ensure the facilities are in compliance with fire and building codes.

Bushemi said the new ordinance would also create a process for the town to handle complaint-based inspections at Merrillville care operations.

The town is pursuing the measure after police last month found four loaded guns, assorted swords and daggers and three bottles of alcohol in the Tender Loving Spirits home day care. All of them were within reach of children in the building on West 53rd Avenue, a probable cause affidavit states.

Tawana Cole, who operated the facility, and two employees, Adriana Johnson and Roberta Sanders, are charged in Lake Criminal Court with 13 counts of neglect of a dependent and 13 counts of criminal confinement.

The state regulates all day care facilities with six or more children, but Merrillville leaders have said the proposed ordinance is needed to ensure town day care locations are operating safely.

Although the measure won't include restrictions involving locating day care operations in residential areas, the town is planning to contact state lawmakers from Northwest Indiana about the matter.

Councilmen said Merrillville isn't the only local community that has experienced issues with at-home day care centers.

Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6th, said the plan is to coordinate a meeting with the area's delegation in the hopes of creating legislation that could allow communities to address at-home facilities.

As officials look to schedule that session, work will continue to develop Merrillville's day care ordinance. The proposed measure could go before the council for a vote as early as next month.
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans is proud to support the institution that has fostered a strong legal community in our region and throughout the state. Through this contribution, they honor the famed law professor Charles Gromley, who was a mentor and educator to many," said John E. Hughes, managing partner of Hoeppner Wagner & Evans.
Gary City Court is but one textbook example of the need for consolidation and efficiency in various levels of Region government.

The steel city's municipal court is one of 10 municipal courts operating in Lake County. In reality, all of those courts are non-essential luxuries to the cities and towns in which they operate.

The courts largely preside over misdemeanor and ordinance violations that can, and probably should, be consolidated with the main Lake County court facility in Crown Point.

But as recent articles from Times reporters Bill Dolan and Ed Bierschenk show, the Gary City Court has grown into far more of a liability than a community asset.

Proponents of municipal courts often argue such facilities offer a revenue generator to cities and towns, keeping offenders' fines and fees within the municipality in which the infractions occurred. Supporters of municipal courts also frequently argue the facilities provide a localized convenience to residents who might find it difficult to travel to Crown Point for court proceedings or pay fines.

On the revenue-expense side of the argument, Gary City Court is losing money for a city that can scarcely afford it. Gary spends about $1 million each year to subsidize the court, rather than having county courts handle the cases.

And the city court isn't keeping up with its caseload, either.

Gary City Court has a backlog of more than 203,000 pending misdemeanor charges, infractions and ordinance violations, according to the most recent Indiana Supreme Court's caseload statistics report.

That is more than all the pending misdemeanor charges, infractions and ordinance violations in Lake County's nine other municipal courts, or all of the courts in Marion County, which contains Indianapolis, or all the courts in any of the 90 other remaining Indiana counties.

Maintaining a court drowning in its own backlog and losing money  out of convenience for misdemeanor offenders  is an untenable position.

City court Judge Deidre Monroe said she and Gary City Clerk Suzette Raggs have been working to dispose of this backlog, which she claims swelled because of years of negligence by previous administrations.

But Monroe has been in the office for 17 years, and Raggs took charge of the clerk's office about 14 years ago.

In nearly two decades of their efforts, the court remains way behind.

All cities and towns operating municipal courts, which duplicate duties of the county courts, should consider closing down for efficiency's sake.

But Gary's extreme financial challenges, and the reality of a municipal court that is below water both functionally and financially, should place that city court first in line for closure.
I'm glad Crown Point Mayor David Uran is asking for an apology from NBC for their insult to our great town of Crown Point, but I don't think he will get it.

That Chicago P.D. episode really captures how the "enlightened" media community of Chicago, New York and Hollywood view middle America. They see us as racist, sexist and uneducated people who they blame for all this country's problems, like racial tension.

If we could just be more like them, the United States would be such a better place, right? Well, according to CNN, Chicago is the most segregated city in the country, and according to BET news, New York is number two.

Why aren't the TV producers focusing on these real areas of discrimination? How about you clean up your own house before you start false judging our great city.

Richard Gomez, Crown Point
Some of the service members in town for Fleet Week are doing much more than taking in the sights. Many got out to run this morning at a special event honoring the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks. Shannan Ferry has the story from lower Manhattan.

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard take to the streets for a somber cause.

"I've never been to New York City and ever since September 11th I've always wanted to come here," said Chief Brian Strantz, with the U.S. Navy.

More than 150 service members took part in the Fleet Week Freedom Run to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who died in the 2001 terror attacks. Participants warmed up at the north cove marina before making their way through the financial district to the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.

"I was actually here during the time of 9/11 when the World Trade Center fell so it was a very tragic moment for me I was in sixth grade when it happened," said Sergeant David Bratcher, with the U.S. Marines. "But it's also very moving because I get to come and be a part of something."

Organizers say this is the fifth time they have hosted the event. Colonel Matthew Reuter says it is especially meaningful to run for this cause during the Memorial Day weekend.

"We've certainly had our losses throughout our military history and this is a loss as well for America so it's nice to join those two together on this day," Marine Col. Reuter said.

"Before I was a Marine I was a firefighter so when I think about 9/11 I think about what was going through their minds and the uncertainty and going up into the towers," said Jordan Pinkham.

After the run, service members held a moment of silence here at the World Trade Center Memorial. Although their time in New York is limited, they say they'll keep the victims in their memories forever.
By Press Trust of India: By K J M Varma

Beijing, May 27 (PTI) China today warned against attempts to make Hong Kong independent and asked Hongkongers not to take the promised "high degree of autonomy" as a licence to confront Beijing.

In a policy speech aimed at tightening Chinas grip on Hong Kong, Zhang Dejiang, ruling Communist Party of Chinas number three ranking leader called on the former British colony which merged with the Chinese mainland on July 1, 1997 to enact national security laws.

advertisement

"In recent years there were... attempts to turn Hong Kong into an independent or semi-independent political entity, breaking it away from the country," Zhang, who is also the Chairman of Chinas parliament, the National Peoples Congress (NPC) said.

"One cannot turn a blind eye to such acts, and the (Hong Kong) special administrative region should steadfastly implement the constitutional obligation of national security under the Basic Law," he said in a wide-ranging speech on Chinas policy towards Hong Kong.

Speaking at the Great Hall of the People here on the upcoming 20th anniversary of Hong Kongs handover from Britain to China, he also said relationship between the central government and Hong Kong is that of delegation of power, not power-sharing.

"Under no circumstances should the central governments powers be confronted in the name of a high degree of autonomy," he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Zhang said whole Cabinet should be made up of patriots and have higher familiarity of China.

The central government, provinces, Hong Kong government, lawmakers and judges all need to learn Basic Law better, he said.

Basic Law education and promotion for "whole society" especially teenagers, he said.

The Basic Law is a sound law is able to provide a fundamental guarantee for "one country, two systems" and withstand the test of practice, Zhang said.

The Basic Law was drafted as part of the Sino-British Joint Declaration covering Hong Kong after its handover to China on July 1, 1997. The declaration stated Hong Kong would be governed under the principle of one country, two systems and continue to enjoy its capitalist system and individual freedoms for 50 years after the handover.

It governs the relations between China and Hong Kong which has been designated as Special Autonomous Region.

China which has been firming up its hold on Hong Kong in the recent years showed signs of alienation from Beijing with popular agitations against rules such as screening candidates to contest elections for legislature and Chief Executive which effectively ensured only Beijing-backers can contest the polls.

advertisement

Beijing-backed bureaucrat Carrie Lam won the post for the Chief Executive post. She will replace another pro-China official CY Leung who became unpopular with large swathes of Hong Kong residents as he tightly aligned to Beijing.

Lams victory was a big relief for the CPC which had to handle the growing pro-democracy movement riding on adverse public feeling against China. PTI KJV AJR AKJ AJR

--- ENDS ---
Warren Buffett studied readin, ritin and rithmetic at Omahas Rose Hill School. Now his connection to Chinese Cherry Coca-Cola is about to benefit todays 300 Rose Hill students.

Attendees at Berkshire Hathaway Inc.s recent shareholders meeting bought about 3,200 cans of limited-edition Cherry Coke, at $3 each, at Coca-Colas display at the CenturyLink Center. Coke displays its products at the meeting because Berkshire is its largest shareholder.

The cans bear Buffetts image and Chinese labeling. He also autographed some of the cans, which were raffled off.

Coca-Cola officials asked Buffett where the proceeds should go, and he suggested his grade school alma mater at 5605 Corby St.

So a $10,000 check is headed to Rose Hill, to the delight of Principal Tylee Hanson.

Wow! she said. Its always good to have someone say youll get some money.

Rose Hills Buffett-era building was replaced in 2002, except for the cafeteria and gymnasium, but theres no sign outside. The Coke cash might go toward buying a marquee, Hanson said, or maybe finance field trips or enhance the schools technology.

Cherry Coke is Buffetts favorite, and hes popular as a business success in China, where the drink is being sold for the first time.

I cant think of a better way to launch Cherry Coke than with its best-known fan on the package, Coke CEO Muhtar Kent, who recently retired, said in an earlier press release.

A unifying theme for a local film

Ten local film directors were Waiting for Warren last week at the Wilson & Washburn tavern and cafe in downtown Omaha, but it turned out just like Godot.

The occasion was Omaha Film Festivals project to generate enthusiasm for Omaha Gives, the one-day charitable donation fest for nonprofits.

Riffing on the theme of Samuel Becketts classic play Waiting for Godot, each director scripted a segment lasting one minute, more or less, of characters played by local actors waiting for Buffett in the bar.

In one segment a man excitedly anticipates Buffetts arrival, only to have his girlfriend come in, sit down and break up with him.

In another, two men tell a woman about Buffett, with each comment more grandiose (and inaccurate) than the last. A third shows a woman waiting to meet Buffett but choking on something. Nobody helps her.

The crews posted updates during the day on the festivals Facebook page, attracting more contributors than last year. The moviemaking took place on W&Ws upper level while patrons on the main floor carried on as usual.

Jason Levering, executive director of the festival, said filming was finished during the 24-hour Omaha Gives event, but editing was still underway as the weekend approached. The combined movie will be posted when its finished.

Levering said the directors quickly chose Buffett as a unifying theme.

He was the person youre waiting for, and in the end he never shows up, Levering said. Hes such a great icon for Omaha, he was the natural choice for us.

Acquisition rumors include 3G

Rumors of possible acquisitions are mentioning Colgate Palmolive as an $88 billion target by Berkshire and its sometimes-partner 3G Capital of Brazil.

The New York Post reported that Colgate CEO Ian Cook mentioned that price, well above its recent stock market value of about $62 billion, despite the companys struggles selling household goods.

Other potential buyers may include Unilever, which itself was mentioned as a possible Berkshire/3G acquisition before its leaders said they werent interested.

Berkshire and 3G have teamed up to acquire H.J. Heinz, Kraft Foods and other businesses.

The companies havent commented on the reports, but Buffett has said he might team up with 3G or other investment firms for more acquisitions, and he wants to put more of Berkshires $100 billion in cash to work.

Bezos returns compliment

Buffett recently praised Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon Inc., for building two major businesses from scratch (online retailing and cloud computing), calling him the most remarkable business person of our age.

At Amazons shareholders meeting last week in Seattle, Bezos returned the compliment, CNBC and GeekWire reported.

Warrens remarks are very meaningful to me because hes a hero to me, Bezos said. Hes somebody that I think very highly of, not just in a business context but kind of as somebody who has a lot of wisdom that he brings to life.

Indian reporter recalls interview

Tanvir Gill of Indias Economic Times stayed up all night preparing for a 15-minute interview with Buffett at Borsheims Fine Jewelry store after the shareholders meeting.

I was not aiming for brilliant, but just to get the right views that would be relevant for our audience back home, Gill wrote in My Rendezvous with Warren Buffett.

She rehearsed 15 questions and arrived with a video crew three hours early.

When Buffett arrived, she said, her jet lag, lack of sleep and tiredness just disappeared. Each cell in my brain woke up and became alert.

And then, suddenly my mind went blank!

She recovered when the cameras rolled and asked Buffett why he hasnt returned to India since his 2011 visit with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

If youll tell me (about) a wonderful company in India that might be available for sale, Ill be there tomorrow, Buffett said. Of countries where Berkshire would like to invest, he said, India should be at the top of the list.

India insurance branch approved

Speaking of India, Berkshires General Reinsurance division has worked through that countrys legendary red tape to begin a life, health and property-casualty insurance business, according to Insurance Business.

Berkshire tried an online insurance venture in 2013, but it later shut down. This time, Allie Sanchez reported, Gen Re will work locally rather than across international borders, a plan that helped win approval from Indias Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

Establishing a reinsurance branch in India is an important milestone for us, said Gen Re executive Winfried Heinen, because of the potential for Indias 1.3 billion-person market.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
The NIA has summoned Bitta Karate and Ghazi Baba of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bitta Karate has been asked to bring certain bank and property documents and submit before the NIA. (File photo for representation)

By Press Trust of India: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned two Kashmiri separatist leaders to its headquarters in Delhi tomorrow in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmad Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Javed Ahmed Baba alias 'Ghazi' of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have been asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, before the NIA team that had questioned them here for four consecutive days earlier this month.

advertisement

The questioning comes after the central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.

SUMMONS AFTER STING OPERATION

The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a news channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.

Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Baba alias 'Ghazi', who are also named in the PE, will be again questioned for their alleged involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir as well as fuelling unrest and promoting stone-pelting in the Valley.

The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge-sheeted so far in the Valley in recent cases related to causing damage to schools and public property as part of a "larger conspiracy to perpetuate chaos" in Kashmir.

J-K POLICE'S EVIDENCE ON BURNING OF SCHOOLS

During their stay here, the NIA team, headed by its additional director general, also gathered evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools.

Khan had allegedly claimed in the sting operation that the educational institutions had been targeted under plans hatched in Pakistan.

The schools were damaged last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

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.

ALSO READ | India Today impact: NIA moves Hurriyat leaders Bitta Karate, Ghazi Baba to unknown location for interrogation

ALSO WATCH | NIA summons Kashmiri separatist leaders Bitta Karate, Ghazi Baba to Delhi

--- ENDS ---
Conrad is executive director for the ACLU of Nebraska. Vokal is chief executive officer for the Platte Institute.

The ACLU of Nebraska and the Platte Institute have different missions and reasons for existing in the Cornhusker State. But there is one thing both our organizations agree is hurting our economy and our communities: Nebraskas out-of-step and burdensome professional licensing structure.

We applaud the meaningful first steps that were taken this legislative session to reform the regulatory burden for some individual professional licenses with unanimous support. However, much work remains.

We have our eyes squarely fixed on one very important piece of unfinished business that thankfully will carry over to the 2018 session. The Government Committee has yet to advance State Sen. Laura Ebkes Occupational Board Reform Act, Legislative Bill 299.

This thoughtful piece of legislation would create a comprehensive framework to, as The World-Herald has put it, scrutinize the cost of government licensing in Nebraska.

For each of our organizations, the cost is clear: Too many Nebraskans are facing barriers to a good job, putting the promise of the Good Life out of their reach.

From the ACLUs perspective, Nebraskas burdensome professional licensing structure has kept people with a conviction history from contributing to our economy even after serving their time.

The ACLUs investigative report, Second Chances, shows that those with a criminal conviction are often kept from a good career, impacting their re-entry into our communities and often trapping them in our criminal justice system. Nebraskas prisons are overburdened with nonviolent offenders and those with addiction and mental health issues.

About one in 10 Nebraska children has a parent who has been in prison. We arent just hurting parents  we are also hurting families and communities with a disproportionate impact on people of color, low-income Nebraskans and those living with mental illness.

For the Platte Institute, bureaucratic red tape is a hidden tax on both Nebraskans seeking professional licenses and Nebraska households who may be paying almost $1,000 more each year on services. Nearly 200 jobs in Nebraska require a license. Many of these requirements are unique to our state or are more costly and time-consuming than in other states.

This puts our workers and entrepreneurs at a disadvantage. It can keep families from moving to our state and keep businesses from investing in our economy. The Platte Institutes Strong Jobs Nebraska campaign aims to start more businesses and create better jobs by making Nebraskas licensing more consistent, recognizing out-of-state licenses and cutting red tape.

Legislative Bill 299 would require a thorough review of these licenses, which impact nearly one in four workers in Nebraska.

It also outlines a process for determining whether a conviction history should be a barrier to a license. Right now, several dozen licenses in Nebraska have vague and unclear language which keeps those with a conviction history from even applying for a license.

Policymakers should take note that in March, the Federal Trade Commission urged Nebraska to adopt a comprehensive framework such as LB 299 to assess the states current policies, noting that vulnerable populations are hardest hit by unnecessary or onerous occupational licensing. The FTC has also been a plaintiff in a U.S. Supreme Court case that found that licensing boards can be in violation of antitrust laws, since most boards are run by industry members who may put their personal business interests ahead of the public interest, including engaging in anticompetitive practices.

LB 299 is one of many policy changes needed to strengthen Nebraskas economy and ensure full reintegration for those with a conviction history. But by creating a robust framework for more Nebraskans to work and more businesses to grow, the Occupational Board Reform Act should be the logical next step to removing roadblocks to success for all hardworking Nebraskans.

We pledge to roll up our sleeves alongside Sen. Laura Ebke in the interim period to build additional support for this measure among the business community, public safety professionals and other Nebraska stakeholders.
The Nebraska Legislature broke away from past traditions in major ways this session.

A bloc of about 27 state senators held together regularly to move the Legislature in a more conservative direction. The bloc ousted old-guard committee leaders on the opening day, challenged the Appropriations Committees spending recommendations and sustained every gubernatorial veto on the budget.

The veto victories by Gov. Pete Ricketts illustrated the conservative dominance in the Legislature, as well as the strong influence the Governors Office exerted on the legislative branch.

Another break from the past was the ugly, protracted floor fight over procedural rules, a battle that took up almost the entirety of the first 30 days of the 90-day long session. Moderates and liberals successfully prevailed over the blocs effort to lower the requirements to end filibusters.

The 2017 session demonstrated that election outcomes can have a decisive effect on the Legislature. Conservative candidates supported by the governor won enough seats last November to make it extremely difficult this session to get 30 votes to overturn gubernatorial vetoes, giving Ricketts major influence on ultimate budget outcomes.

So, was the session a success? Opinions will vary, but ours is that it was a mixed session.

On the plus side:

The Legislature and governor wound up with a budget that is a generally reasonable compromise, given the competing needs and the strong ideological disagreements.

The Appropriations Committee devoted commendable energy to its duties under a capable leader, Sen. John Stinner of Gering.

Lawmakers held a strong, needed debate over reimbursement rates to care providers such as nursing homes. The Ricketts administration leaned hard on lawmakers and prevailed on that issue. As a result, the executive branch has an all-important responsibility to follow up on its claims that it will look for efficiencies and avoid harming critical services or cutting provider rates.

Once the rules fight ended, much of the floor debate on bills was encouraging. Lawmakers across the philosophical spectrum participated energetically and issues were seriously debated.

Senators approved important, well-crafted legislation to encourage housing in rural counties; took strong action against sex trafficking; and added a needed juvenile judgeship for Douglas County.

Speaker Jim Scheer earned respect for his even-handed treatment of colleagues and his defense of the Legislatures prerogatives.

Scheer spoke out strongly, for example, when the Governors Office put forward an innocuous-looking but misleading provision, incorporated into the Appropriations Committees budget recommendations, that turned out to be a controversial attempt to block funding for Planned Parenthood. The executive-branch tactic abused the budget process, as Scheer said in an impassioned floor statement that led to the provisions removal.

On the negative side:

During this session, the Legislature unfortunately moved more toward a Congress-style environment where many senators largely stayed within their political tribe. The Legislatures traditional culture, in contrast, encouraged senators to build relationships across lines of party and ideology.

Floor-debate rhetoric at times offered wild, misleading claims. Judging from some statements, for example, one would think that the University of Nebraska is nearly irrelevant to the life of the state and that Omaha Public Schools is indifferently abandoning its obligation to help disadvantaged children. Lawmakers need to have a full picture of these important institutions rather than acting on hostile caricatures.

On school policy, at times it seemed that lawmakers were prepared to go beyond their proper role and act as a super school board, intruding on the role of the State Board of Education and local districts in deciding curriculum issues.

Disappointing, too, is that senators failed to bridge the gap that separates those who support property tax relief and those seeking income tax relief. A related concern: If Nebraska moves too far in the future toward limiting property tax revenues, its doubtful the state can make up the difference for local school districts by consistently providing an adequate amount of state aid.

The Nebraska Legislature has entered a new era. The results so far have been mixed. Lawmakers can do better by focusing less on political machinations and ideological rigidity and more on reasonable compromise and pragmatic decision-making.
"Cruelty at its peak," was how BJP Kerala unit chief Kummanam Rajashekharan yesterday described the slaughter of a cow, allegedly by a Kerala Youth Congress member. 'Beef fests' were held across Kerala yesterday in protest of the Centre's ban on purchasing cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

By India Today Web Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kerala unit chief Kummanam Rajashekharan on Saturday called the public slaughter of a cow, allegedly by a "leader" of the Kerala Youth Congress, the peak of cruelty.

"Cruelty at its peak. Cattle slaughtering by Kerala Youth Congress leader in broad daylight, in front of public gathering," Rajashekharan tweeted.

Shouts of "Youth Congress Zindabad" can be heard in a video of the incident, which Rajashekharan attached to the tweet.

A screenshot of Kummanam Rajashekharan's tweet

advertisement

On Saturday, 'beef fests' were held in several parts of Kerala in protest of the Narendra Modi government's decision to ban the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that's expected to hit the export and trade of meat and leather.

Activists of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-headed UDF (which is in Opposition) and their youth wings took out marches and organised such fests across Kerala, where beef is widely consumed.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he would approach the Prime Minister in this matter.

ALSO READ | Kerala: Beef fests held to protest ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, CM Vijayan says he will approach PM

ALSO READ | Government bans sale of cows for slaughter at cattle markets, restricts trade

ALSO WATCH | Sale of cows for slaughter at cattle markets banned

--- ENDS ---
On Sept. 7, 2016, Donald Trump made a specific promise to an audience at the Philadelphia shipyards: to build a Navy of 350 surface ships and submarines. On March 2, Trump, now president, added to the specificity of that pledge by promising to increase the number of aircraft carriers to 12.

The White House budget unveiled Monday breaks both of these promises. Its a big deal to walk on this pledge, which is why, if the president does not correct his error, Congress should reject the budget and substitute its own plan.

A 350-ship fleet is key for both national security and international stability. China is rapidly growing its navy to fill the gaps left by Obama-era cutbacks to the current level of 274 ships. Reversing those cuts is crucial to preserving American supremacy at sea and supporting allies around the world.

And Navy shipbuilding also can be a great jobs program: real jobs in real shipyards producing real ships to meet real threats.

The presidents budget has forgotten these benefits. Breaking Defenses Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. summed up the details: Despite his campaign pledge of a 350-ship fleet, President Trumps first budget cuts Navy shipbuilding and aircraft procurement below what was enacted in 2017 . . . Despite Trumps criticism of President (Barack) Obamas defense plans, this budget sticks with Obamas shipbuilding plan for 2018: eight ships. And it actually buys eight fewer aircraft than Obama planned.

The budget includes a few excuses for Trump breaking his pledge: The Pentagon has to do a strategic assessment first, and readiness funds were more critical. Its true that the readiness funding was needed, as were the missile defense funding and personnel expenditures, but these explanations still barely reach fig-leaf status.

But Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney was always a skeptic on defense spending, and now hes undercut the presidents crucial promises. With this budget there is no way to get the 350 ships the president promised by 2024, and it is very unlikely that a 12th carrier  if it remains authorized and is fully funded  will be in the fleet by 2027, long after the president leaves office even if he wins a second term.

The president is above all a developer; developers understand critical paths and why every successful project depends on one. There is currently no plan for reaching 350 ships, eight months after Trump made that promise.

There isnt a new secretary of the Navy either, which is perhaps one of the reasons the Navy got rolled in both the omnibus spending bill that kept the government going and the 2018 budget sent to Congress. The Navy needs a cheerleader.

And if Trump needed any incentive beside national security and his commitment to keeping campaign promises, he should realize that Teddy Roosevelt and Reagan are both known for the navies they built.

This budget betrays both the promise and the reality of a rebuilt fleet. And for what? And against what background? No political or policy goals are advanced by this skulduggery, and much is damaged thereby. Trump made six core promises in the campaign: A Supreme Court nominee in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia (check), a border wall (on hold), repeal and replacement of Obamacare and tax reform (both in progress), an infrastructure program and a 350-ship Navy (both abandoned by this budget).

Many if not most of the reluctant Trump voters came home to him because of these promises. To break any one of them is taking a grave risk.

Further, to provide for the common defense is one of the very few specific purposes laid out in the Constitutions preamble. This budget breaks the presidents commitment to do that in full, and it will be difficult to recover credibility in defense spending promises after such a breach.

When the president returns from his successful trip abroad, he needs to nominate a Navy secretary and send Congress an addendum to his budget, one with a plan to keep his promises, and the funding to make that plan a reality. If he doesnt, then the House and the Senate will have to save the president from his own OMB director and fund the 350-ship fleet the country needs.
'Pollution not a state problem': As Delhi chokes, AAP leader passes the buck to Centre

BJP accuses AAP of siphoning off money meant for welfare of construction workers

Kejriwal now claims BJP offered to spare Sisodia, Jain if AAP backs out of Gujarat polls

AAP \"merely a party of UT Delhi\", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

AAP expose: MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj says people of Botswana have no trust in EVMs

India

oi-Madhuri

A day after dropping out of the Election Commission's EVM challenge, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj travelled to Botswana in Africa did a facebook live in order to expose Election Commission's Electronic Voting Machine.

According to AAP MLA, a hackathon is possible as BEL provides EVMs in Africa and India. In the video, he is seen talking to Dumelang, president of Botswana Congress Party. He was also seen explaining that people of Botswana have no trust in EVMs.

Earlier, Saurabh had held a demonstration last month in the Delhi Assembly to prove that the voting machines could be tampered with.

The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has never lost power since the African country gained independence in 1966.

OneIndia News
Importance of AMCA program: Why is it key for IAF's future?

South India gets first Sukhoi Su-30 MKI squadron to vigil over Indian Ocean Region

Rudram-1 test fired: How this tactical anti radiation missile will boost the IAF

Black box of the crashed Sukhoi fighter found, search for pilots on

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The black box of the Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 MKI, which went missing on Tuesday and was later found to have crashed, has been been found.

The search and rescue party reached the site on Sunday and efforts are still on to find out about the pilots of the fighter aircraft.

Sukhoi-30 MKI's wreckage found close to the last known position of the aircraft on Friday morning.

The Sukhoi-30 MKI with two pilots onboard went missing along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

The fighter jet went missing soon after getting airborne from Tezpur. Reports suggested that it lost radar and radio contact with the controlling station around 11.10 a.m. near Arunachal Pradesh's Doulasang area, an area adjoining China, 60 km north of Tezpur.

One India News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 18:45 [IST]
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

Three down in three days: Congress loses yet another MLA to BJP in Gujarat

Dialogue on Kashmir only after stone-pelting ends: Amit Shah

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 28: BJP president Amit Shah has ruled out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, but insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

Asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat as was done by the previous NDA government, he told PTI, "Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to every one."

The Agenda of Alliance sealed by the BJP and the PDP before they formed the government in the state talks about holding dialogue with all internal stakeholders.

"We have said that we will start dialogue once stone- pelting stops. As long as there is stone-pelting, there cannot be dialogue. We cannot give them flower if they pelt stones. They will have to understand it," he said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the performance of the state government, in which the BJP is a junior partner to the PDP, he said it had done very good work on developing infrastructure and succeeded in bringing development to far- flung areas which, he added, had been connected in a strategic way.

For the first time, he has said, Jammu and Ladakh, two other regions in the state besides Kashmir, believe that they have got "justice". He also played down the current cycle of violence in the valley, saying the region has seen such "hot situation" in stretches of six, eight or 12 months earlier as well, before security forces controlled it.

"You cannot assess the situation in Kashmir by picking one stretch of six months. You will have to see the entire period from 1989 to May 2017. There have been many stretches of six months, eight months or one year when the situation has been hot before our security forces controlled it," he said.

Kashmir has been witnessing frequent clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.

PTI
Sharad Pawar claims that Modi govt did not fulfill \"any promises\"

'This may give sleepless nights to some': Eknath Shinde on sharing dais with Sharad Pawar

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar slams Modi, says PM should focus more on weakening economy

Gadkari has cordial relations with leaders across parties: Pawar

India

pti-PTI

Nagpur, May 28: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday praised Union minister Nitin Gadkari saying he has cordial relations with leaders across parties.

"Gadkari is the first BJP leader, having a RSS background, to come outside its ideology and maintain good, cordial relations with political parties and politicians across the country," he said.

The Maratha strongman was speaking at the public felicitation programme to mark Gadkari's 61st birthday Nagpur in presence of former Union Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

"In my 50 years of political career, I hardly saw leaders from the RSS background speak beyond their ideology. Their relations and insight were limited to their ideology and their circle," the former Union Minister said.

However, he said, Gadkari is the person who has maintained very good relations across the political parties.

"He may have a different political ideology but for development of common man, Maharashtra and the country as whole he has looked beyond and kept very good relations with all the parties," added Pawar.

Union ministers Hansraj Ahir, Vijay Goel, chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh, senior NCP leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Narayan Rane and Maharashtra minister Subhash Desai were present for the ceremony.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 10:16 [IST]
Had failed love affairs, uncle was a headmaster: I didn't become a terrorist

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

I have had my fair share of break-ups. I continue to be a journalist living with my loving wife. I did not go on to become a Hizbul Mujahideen commander. Why I say this is because of the headlines that I read this morning which said, " Failed love affair made Sabzar Bhat a dreaded terrorist."

What really is the need to romanticise terror or naxalism. Several years back during an assignment at Delhi, a very senior officer had told me that romanticising terror and naxalism are the two dreaded things that does not help solve the problem.

When Burhan Wani, the horrific Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist died on July 8 there were a series of tweets describing as the son of a poor headmaster. Now that his successor Bhat has been killed there are reasons being given out why he became a terrorist.

A terrorist has a sick mind and when someone has an intention to kill to have his way through there is no justification what so ever. Whether he is the son of a poor headmaster or has had a failed love affair, there is no justification in becoming a terrorist.

If Wani was the son of a poor headmaster then it is sad that his was not able to take the values his father would have preached to the students in his school. If Sabzar Bhat became a terrorist because of a failed love affair, then he may have not been man enough to keep the girl happy.

Even if the heavens fall on your head there is no justification in becoming a terrorist. If you have a problem then fight it within the ambit of the law. If you cannot then step out. I really wish my media brothers and sisters would help the cause by not romanticising terror or naxalism. At the end of it there is no justification for violence.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 8:18 [IST]
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala dies week after 1st flight of his Akasa Air

Industrialist Sanjay Mittal kidnapping case: Police arrest two more criminals

India

oi-Madhuri

Police in Firozabad on Sunday arrested two more criminals from Vicky boxer gang in connection with Industrialist Sanjay Mittal kidnapping case.

During an encounter, the police arrested the criminals, who were also carrying a reward of Rs. 15,000 each.

Mittal was abducted by gun-toting motorcycle-borne criminals in Ferozabad district on Friday. However, he was rescued within seven hours after his kidnapping from Tundla's Basai village.

The incident happened when Sanjay Mittal was on his way to his factory in Nagla Bhau industrial area in Ferozabad when the vehicle in which he was travelling was intercepted by a motor-cyclist.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 9:06 [IST]
J&K: 799/815 selected candidates appeared in Common Entrance Exam for Indian Army Junior Commissioned Officrs&other ranks at Srinagar&Pattan pic.twitter.com/vac1MdeMS7  ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017

Around 1300 youth appear for common test to join Army

Common entrance written examination for selection of Indian Army Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks was held at Srinagar and Pattan on Sunday. Out of 815 candidates who had applied 799 appeared for the test at Pattan and out of 500 493 appeared at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Srinagar.

Curfew imposed in parts of Srinagar

Curfew has been imposed in large parts of Srinagar to prevent protests against the killing of top militant commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in an encounter with government forces in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The curfew has been announced in parts of Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of eight police stations including Kralkhud, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safa kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Maisuma, Batamaloo and Nowhatta.

Internet services, prepaid mobile outgoing calls barred

The mobile internet services were suspended a day after authorities lifted a month-long ban on the social media. The outgoing calls on prepaid mobiles were also broke out after protests in several parts of the Valley.

Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Bhat killed

Two militants, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani, and Faizain Bhat were killed and identified by villagers in Tral area of south Kashmir in Pulwama district. A civilian was also killed and over two dozen protesters were injured during the clashes in Tral.
Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India

J&K: Army foils another infiltration bid in Poonch sector, guns down one terrorist

India

oi-Madhuri

One terrorist was killed in the Nangi Tekri area in a gunfight which erupted when the security forces foiled another infiltration bid along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel, Manish Mehta told IANS: "Alert troops of the Army noticed suspicious movement on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector around 2.30 a.m."

"The intruder was killed in ambush. His identity is yet to be ascertained," Mehta added.

Early Saturday morning, the Indian Army said that four terrorists were killed in an operation that started late Friday night in Jammu and Kashmir's Rampur. The operation was underway and according to the reports, two more terrorists have been killed by the Army taking the toll to a total of six. According to the reports, Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Ahmad Bhat is one of the 6 terrorists neutralised by the Army.

On Friday, the Indian Army foiled an attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) on a patrol party along the Line of Control in Uri sector, killing two militants. "Alert troops foiled a BAT attack on our patrol party in Uri sector today. Two BAT terrorists were killed in the operation," an army official said. The BAT attack was effectively repulsed, the official said.

OneIndia News
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, May 28 (PTI) Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS in Telangana.

Dismissing the Telangana Rashtra Samithis survey that claimed it would sweep the assembly polls if held now, he banked on Prime Minister Narendra Modis "rising popularity in the region" to win in the general elections.

advertisement

"It is a government-sponsored survey. It may satisfy the TRS cadre and their leaders... The popularity of Modi is on the rise. There is space in Telangana and the BJP has a lot of chance as we have good cadre and leadership," Dattatreya told reporters here.

The internal survey by the TRS puts Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son, IT Minister K T Rama Rao, as the top-performing MLAs in the state.

"I am hopeful that the BJP will improve its position in the 2019 general elections as compared to 2014, across the country and particularly in Telangana. We are confident that the BJP will emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS," Dattatreya said.

On the chief minister terming as "blatant lies" BJP president Amit Shahs statement on central funds allocated to Telangana, the Union labour minister said the manner in which Chandrasekhar Rao criticised Shah, reflects his frustration.

Claiming that Shahs recent tour of Telangana has given a boost to BJP workers, he said, "Now, BJP workers will work more enthusiastically. The entire OBC community as well as moderate Muslims too are positively in favour of the BJP."

On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisis remarks that his party would work to defeat the BJP in Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, represented by Dattatreya, and the five assembly seats held by them in the city in the 2019 general and state polls, he said, "Asaduddin has his own dreams."

"The AIMIM has some share only in Hyderabad because of its Muslim agenda. Always banking on religious sentiments will not work with the Muslims now as they also want development because they are in poverty... whether he (Asaduddin) can retain his own seat is doubtful," Dattatreya said. PTI VVK ARS RMT NSD

--- ENDS ---
Imran Khan's speeches barred from airing in Pakistan

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

Days after attack, Imran Khan's party to resume long march on Nov 10

J&K: Pakistan Army fires at unarmed Indian civilian porters, 1 killed

India

oi-Madhuri

Pakistan Army on Sunday fired at unarmed Indian civilian porters working in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir killing one porter and injuring another.

Earlier today, the Indian Army shot dead an intruder along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Troops along the LoC in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district shot dead the intruder around 0230 hours, an Army officer said.

An Army spokesman said the intruder was shot dead in an ambush.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 13:24 [IST]
Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs'

Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

2 non-local labourers shot at by terrorist in J&K's Anantnag

Indias first floating financial literacy camp in Dal Lake

AAP "merely a party of UT Delhi", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

JKLF chief Malik arrested in Srinagar

India

ians-IANS

By Ians

Srinagar, May 28: Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was arrested by the police on Sunday.

Malik was arrested from his uptown Maisuma locality home. He has been shifted to the central jail, a police official said.

On Saturday, Malik visited Ratsuna village in Tral where he met the family members of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat and Faizan Ahmad who were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Saimoh village.

Sabzar Bhat had succeeded Burhan Wani as Hizbul's commander in the valley after Wani was killed in a security operation on July 8, 2016, in Anantnag.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 13:45 [IST]
Sibal who filed nomination with SP backing was lawyer who secured Azam Khan bail

For his 2019 hate speech, Azam Khan gets 3 years in jail; may lose power too!

Azam Khan disqualified as UP MLA after conviction in hate speech

Keep women inside homes': Azam Khan on Bulandshahr incident

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

With rising number of rape cases in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr region, former state minister and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has said that people should not let women go out of the houses.

He also took a jibe at the BJP government in UP and said that there was nothing surprising that crime has gone up under the current government.

"Bulandshahr ke haadse ke baad har sakhs ko kamse kam apni ghar ki aurat ko, koshish karna chahiye ghar mein rakhen (After Bulandshahr incident, every person should keep the women of his family inside homes)," news agency ANI quoted Khan as saying.

He also advised women to avoid places that are not safe.

Last week, armed men struck a group of eight people travelling to Bulandshahr in a vehicle on the Jewar-Bulandshahr road off the Yamuna Expressway. The robbers shot dead a man, raped four women and took away cash and jewellery.

On the progress of the probe thus far, the police reprtedly said the gangs active on the Yamuna Expressway and adjoining areas remained the prime suspects for them.

On January 23 this year, a gang robbed passengers of a luxury bus travelling to Lucknow from Delhi on the Yamuna expressway. Two passengers who tried to resist the robbery were shot at.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 17:07 [IST]
Congress can never give stable govt to Himachal; it is guarantee of instability, corruption, scam: PM Modi

Modi to embark on 4-nation tour on Monday

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his four-nation tour of Germany, Spain, Russia and France beginning on Monday is aimed at boosting India's economic engagement with these nations and inviting more investment.

In the first leg of his six-day trip, he will visit Germany, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Modi said he and Merkel will "chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science and technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine."

Describing Germany as a valuable partner, the prime minister said, "German competencies fit well with my vision for India's transformation." In Berlin, Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties.

"I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership," he said in a Facebook post.

On Tuesday, Modi will travel to Spain for an official visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades. He will call on King Felipe VI and hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy.

"We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism," he said.

The prime minister said there is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties.

"We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism," he added. He will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner in the 'Make in India' initiative.

"I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership," he wrote.

From Spain, the prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg in Russia from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

"...I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016," he said.

The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries. On June 2, Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where India is the 'guest country'.

"In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders," he said.

At the beginning of his visit, he will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad. He will also visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.

"I greatly look forward to my visit to St. Petersburg in this special year for the bilateral relationship as both countries celebrate the 70th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations," Modi said.

In the last leg of the tour, he will visit France from June 2 to 3 for an official meeting with the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.

"France is one of our most important Strategic Partners. I look forward to meeting President Macron and have discussions on issues of mutual interest," Modi said.

"I would be exchanging views with the French President on important global issues including UN Security Council reforms and Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Indias membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance," he added.

France is India's 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways. "I am committed to substantially strengthening and advancing our multi-faceted partnership with France," the prime minister said.

PTI
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

AAP "merely a party of UT Delhi", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

Sabzar killing: Curfew imposed in parts of Srinagar

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Srinagar, May 28: Curfew has been imposed in large parts of Srinagar to prevent protests against the killing of top militant commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in an encounter with government forces in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The district administration has said that "strict restrictions have been imposed in Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, MR Gunj, Rainawari, Maisuma, Kralkhud and Batamaloo police stations until further orders. There's heavy deployment of security forces in the old city areas of Srinagar as well.

Further, Rail services between Baramilla and Banihal had been stopped after clashes on Saturday. Mobile phone services expect BSNL have been blocked. Civil service (judicial) exam scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled. Education institutions in the region have been ordered to remain closed on Monday.

A two-day strike

Separatists in Kashmir Valley have called for a two-day shutdown from Sunday over the use of force against the protesters following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat on Saturday in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Tral in Pulwama district.

One civilian was killed in security forces firing in south Kashmir's Tral on Saturday as huge protests broke out in the valley after news of the death of Bhat seen as a major setback to the terrorist network. Protesters clashed with law enforcement in several parts of Kashmir leaving dozens of people injured.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 11:20 [IST]
BA to resume most flights, but delays still expected

International

pti-PTI

London, May 28: British Airways has warned of further delays and cancellations as it resumes flights following the major IT failure that saw most services cancelled from Heathrow and Gatwick on Saturday.

Customers have been advised customers to continue checking the status of their flight on its website www.ba.com before travelling to the airport. Heathrow Airport is providing an updated schedule on its website, as is Gatwick.

A major global computer failure on Saturday forced BA to cancel all its flights from Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London, leaving thousands of travellers stranded as a workers union blamed outsourcing to India for the meltdown.

The carrier had earlier said that flights will be cancelled until 1800 local time but has now confirmed all its flights will remain grounded at both airports throughout the day.

The GMB union said the meltdown could have been avoided if BA hadnt made hundreds of IT staff redundant and outsourced their jobs to India at the end of last year.

"This could have all been avoided. In 2016 BA made hundreds of dedicated and loyal IT staff redundant and outsourced the work to India," said Mick Rix, national officer for aviation at GMB.

"BA have made substantial profits for a number of years, and many viewed the companys actions as just plain greedy," he said. The move in 2016 had sparked protests and outrage from members of the union.

At the time, a BA spokesperson had said: "A contract has been signed with the TCS to be the supplier of some IT activities in British Airways, and British Airways has been in consultation with those IT staff affected, about 200.

"British Airways employs around 35,000 people in the UK, providing high-skilled and well-paid jobs. It hires 1,000 people a year and has a strong apprenticeship programme. The TCS is yet to comment on the matter.

"A major IT system failure is causing very severe disruption to our flight operations worldwide," the airline said.

The chaos comes on what is a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, involving thousands of additional journeys as people make use of the long weekend due to an annual holiday on Monday.

Heathrow Airport said it was "working closely" with BA to solve the issue. There is nothing to suggest the problems are a result of a cyber attack at this stage.

It is not known how many flights are affected but passengers have reported issues with flights to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Belfast.

BA aircraft landing at Heathrow are unable to park up as outbound aircraft cannot vacate the gates, which has resulted in passengers being stuck on aircraft.

Heathrow has advised passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport. All affected passengers will be offered the option of rescheduling or a refund.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 14:12 [IST]
Police reveal photos of Manchester bomber on night of attack

International

pti-PTI

Manchester, May 28: Police on Saturday released security camera images of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he massacred 22 people at a pop concert.

Investigators also gave details of the 22-year-old's last hours as they appealed to the public for any information about his movements in the days running up to Monday night's attack.

The photographs taken from CCTV footage show a bespectacled Abedi, who has a small moustache, in trainers, jeans, black sleeves, a black cap and a black puffer waistcoat, over which the straps of his backpack can be seen.

The accompanying police statement said one of the last places he went to was a "city centre flat and from there he left to make his way to the Manchester Arena", where the attack took place.

"The flat is highly relevant as a location which we believe may be the final assembly place for the device."

Eleven people are currently in custody in the UK in connection with the attack by Abedi, who was of Libyan origin but born in Manchester. His father and brother have been detained in Libya.

The police said that "the probe had made good progress and they now need people to tell us if they have any information about his movements from 18 May when he returned to the UK through to Monday night".

The statement did not say where Abedi had come from, but a relative in Libya earlier told AFP that the bomber had travelled from the North African country to Manchester. Turkish and German officials also said he passed through Istanbul and Duesseldorf airports.

The statement from Greater Manchester Police and UK counter-terrorism police said they had a 1,000-strong team working "around the clock" on the probe.Fourteen locations are still being searched.

"In the past five days we have gathered significant information about Abedi, his associates, his finances, the places he had been, how the device was built and the wider conspiracy," the statement said.

Britain on Saturday lowered the terror threat level from critical, its highest level to severe, but British Prime Minister Theresa May said that the country should remain vigilant.

A third of those killed in Monday's bombing were children, and another 116 people were injured.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 28, 2017, 10:40 [IST]
 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
Stating that aircraft and crew are out of position around the world, the British Airways has asked travellers to come to airport only if their tickets are confirmed

By India Today Web Desk: A day after global IT failure caused all British Airways flights from London's Heathrow airport to Gatwick airport to cancel on Saturday, the airlines today tweeted that the disruptions might continue.

Stating that aircraft and crew are out of position around the world, the Airlines has asked travellers to come to airport only if their tickets are confirmed

We're very sorry for the serious disruption our customers faced on Saturday, we're working around the clock to get our systems working. 1/5- British Airways (@British_Airways) May 28, 2017

There will be some knock-on disruption to our schedules on Sunday, as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world. 2/5- British Airways (@British_Airways) May 28, 2017

At this stage we're aiming to operate a near normal schedule of flights from Gatwick and the majority of our Heathrow services on Sunday.3/5- British Airways (@British_Airways) May 28, 2017

Please don't come to the airport unless you have a confirmed booking for travel. 4/5- British Airways (@British_Airways) May 28, 2017

Please continue to check https://t.co/2Ty8CEO0Dq for the very latest schedule info before starting your journey. 5/5

- British Airways (@British_Airways) May 28, 2017

advertisement

WHAT HAPPENED

British Airways cancelled all its flights from London's two biggest airports on Saturday after a global computer system failure caused confusion and chaos, with thousands of passengers queuing for hours and planes left stuck on runways.

The failure, caused by a power supply problem, disrupted BA's flight operations worldwide and also hit its call centres and website, said Alex Cruz, the chairman and chief executive of BA, part of Europe's largest airline group IAG.

"All of our check-in and operational systems have been affected and we have cancelled all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick for today," Cruz said in a video message on Twitter.

"We are extremely sorry for the huge inconvenience this is causing our customers and we understand how frustrating this must be, especially for families hoping to get away on holiday."

He said the airline's IT teams were working "tirelessly" to fix the problem and there was no evidence of any cyber attack.

The problems, which passengers said had affected flights across Britain, came on a particularly busy weekend with a public holiday on Monday and many children starting their school half-term breaks.

Terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became jammed with angry passengers, with confused BA staff unable to help as they had no access to their computers.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Also read

British Airways cancels flights from Heathrow and Gatwick airports amid global computer outage

--- ENDS ---
Last year, the gap between government and private schools' pass percentage was 2 per cent. This year that gap has gone up to 9 per cent, with government schools at 88.27 per cent and private schools at 79.27 per cent.

By Roshani Thokne: The performance of Delhi government schools in this year's CBSE class 12 examination results has far surpassed that of private schools. This is the second year in a row that government schools have performed better than private schools.

Last year, the gap between government and private schools' pass percentage was 2 per cent. This year that gap has gone up to 9 per cent, with government schools at 88.27 per cent and private schools at 79.27 per cent.

advertisement

Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia congratulated all children, teachers and principals for the outstanding performance.

He said, "Children studying in government and private schools, are both ours. But it is a moment of pride that children studying in Delhi's government schools are performing so much better than private schools. This remarkable result has been achieved despite the fact that this year we had prevented cheating in a big way."

The Delhi government had deputed SDMs and other district officials to keep a close watch on examination centres and ensure that cheating doesn't take place. Apart from this, the government has been introducing several interventions to improve learning outcomes. Despite the focus in schools on such interventions, the motivation and drive of schools that led them to support Class 12 students has resulted in this incredible result.

The Delhi government's premier Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas (RPVVs) have outperformed the Central government's Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs).

RPVVs pass percentage is 99.7 per cent and that of KVs is 94.6 per cent. As many as 33 students have scored a perfect 100 score in one or more subjects. The number of schools which have a pass percentage of more than 90 per cent has gone up from 547 to 554 this year.

The Deputy Chief Minister announced that the toppers of all schools and streams will be felicitated.

ALSO READ:

CBSE Class 12 Board Results 2017: With 99.2 per cent, Mannat Luthra tops the Commerce stream

CBSE Class 12 Board results declared: Girls outshine boys, ahead with 9.5 per cent

ALSO WATCH THE VIDEO: Wanted to make my parents and teachers proud, says CBSE topper Raksha Gopal

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Adding pix numbers)

(Photo: PTI5_28_2017_000201A , PTI5_28_2017_000202B)

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) The compulsion of using a magnifying glass for reading did not deter Dharshana M V from putting in her best efforts, as she scored 96.6 per cent and secured the third rank in CBSE class XII examination in the differently-abled category.

advertisement

Aditya R Raj from Trivandrum, Lakshmi PV from Palakkad, (both in Kerala) and Dharshana M V from Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu are top three scorers in CBSE class XII examinations in the category, results of which were announced today.

"I am very happy," Dharshana, from Nalanda International Public School in Krishnagiri, told PTI over the phone.

Dharshana suffers from microcornea which has rendered her right eye almost a nil vision and the left one a partial vision.

Dharshana said despite the physical challenge she was motivated to put in her best and expressed gratitude to her parents and teachers for not putting pressure on her.

"My general principle is that I like to do my best in whatever I do. So when I started preparing for class XII examination, I decided I should do my best, whatever I could. Keeping that in my mind I started preparing.

"For reading, I used magnifying glass. I got good support from my school and my parents. They did not create any fear in my mind about the exam and motivated me and instilled confidence that I could do well," she said.

Dharshana, a commerce stream student who scored 483 marks out of 500, said she needs to use magnifying glass to read small texts.

She now wants to study commerce and become an entrepreneur, while also developing her music skills.

"I want to purse B. Com in Chennai and after that become an entrepreneur. I also want to develop my music talent," Dharshana, who is honing her skills in Carnatic music, told PTI. PTI KIS TIR

--- ENDS ---
#YanLiMeng Bannon once advocated the "underlying revolution" and called for the overthrow of the American..

Rumble 10 Jan 2022
Mississippi is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississippi's western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River. Mississippi is the 32nd largest and 35th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states and has the lowest per-capita income in the United States. Jackson is both the state's capital and largest city. Greater Jackson is the state's most populous metropolitan area, with a population of 591,978 in 2020.
Oneindia 23 Sep 2022

A viral video has emerged online where it can be seen that sparks are coming out of a flight that took off from Newark airport in..
Teaser Trailer 07 Nov 2022

The Makanai Cooking for the Maiko House Trailer - Netflix - Plot Synopsis: Set in the geisha district of Kyoto, this series follows..
In a historic move, Papua New Guinea based Bank South Pacific (BSP) has established a presence in Cambodia  to provide asset finance.



The decision on Cambodia was made in May 2, with the bank entering into a joint venture buying 50 percent of an asset finance business there, currently called RMA Finance.



The business is now in the process of being rebranded to BSP Finance Cambodia Propriety Limited.



This was announced by BSP chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou last Friday at a news conference in Port Moresby soon after the banks annual general meeting with its shareholders. Apart from Cambodia, the bank is also eyeing Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.



Sir Kostas said the move to Asia is part of the banks strategy as it looks to further grow its business.



This follows the successful completion of its Pacific acquisition, which had seen it acquire all of Westpac Banks assets in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Samoa. This exercise had cost BSP A$125 million (K306.3 million).



We are the biggest bank in PNG and the Pacific, but we wanted to make a mark in Asia. We can only do that because we are making extremely good profits, Sir Kostas said.



He had also attributed the growth to its management team and staff.



Sir Kostas said having completed its expansion in the Pacific, the question had been raised as to where to go to next?



One of the strategies the board and consultants had looked at was establishing Asset Finance in the Asian region.



We had a look at all the countries, and the first country that we homed in on was Cambodia, and what we are doing is a joint venture, he said.



Sir Kostas said the business in Cambodia is already up and running, adding that he and the chief executive officer, Robin Fleming, would be heading there in two weeks time to officially launch the product.



He said that feasibility studies have started on Laos, Myanamar and Vietnam, which BSP hope to enter in the next 18 months to two years.



These things dont happen overnight. There is a time-frame, but we must make sure that we get all the ticks in the boxes first. We must ensure all the regulatory requirements are satisfied and then we proceed, he said.



There are opportunities in these countries. That is why we (BSP) are going there, if there werent any opportunities we would not have, the chairman said.



Mr Fleming said the bank is hopeful that by the end of July, the BSP colours will be proudly displayed in Cambodia, adding that he and Sir Kostas would be there when this happens.



Source: Post Courier
Brian Doyle, the Lake Oswego author whose prodigious literary output earned him numerous honors including the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature ("puzzling him to this day," say several of his author biographies), died Saturday from complications related to a brain tumor. He was 60 years old.

Doyle learned in November that he had what he described to The Oregonian/OregonLive as a "big honkin' brain tumor." That month he had surgery to reduce the tumor; in February he began radiation and chemotherapy treatments, according to a GoFundMe page that a family friend set up to help defray his medical expenses. By spring, he was in hospice care.

"Cancer is to be endured, that's all," he wrote in an eerily prescient 2009 commentary piece for The Oregonian/OregonLive.

He wrote "Mink River," the Oregon Coast novel beloved by book clubs nationwide; "Martin Marten," the Oregon Book Award-winning novel about a boy and a pine marten growing up side by side on Mount Hood; and books about pinot noir, Catholicism, and the heart, to name just a few more.

He spun sometimes puckish, sometimes heartfelt short stories about life's follies and oddities ("Bin Laden's Bald Spot"), humorous yet poignant essays ("Children and Other Wild Animals"), and prayers that were less about a particular faith than about universal compassion and gratitude ("Prayer for Cashiers and Checkout-Counter Folks").

He edited Portland Magazine, the University of Portland publication that under his leadership punched well above its weight class, eschewing alumni fluff pieces in favor of serious contributions from nationally known writers. He received an honorary doctorate from the university during this year's graduation ceremonies in early May.

"Brian exemplified God's grace by how he lived his life," University of Portland President the Rev. Mark L. Poorman said Saturday in a news release. "He was a man filled with a sense of humanity and wonder, who was interested in everyone's story and who saw everyone's potential. His warmth, humor and passion for life will be deeply missed."

Doyle was a friend to numerous members of Oregon's literary community and felt like a friend to countless others who prized his works. Admirers included the writer and humorist Ian Frazier, who in a 2016 Christmas poem in The New Yorker devoted two lines to "The Brian Doyle, the Portland sage;/His writing's really all the rage."

News of Doyle's diagnosis in November was greeted with disbelief and sorrow by his fans. Many contributed to a GoFundMe account to help defray his medical expenses; donations had reached nearly $165,000 by the time of his death. The family friend who set up the account, Catherine Green, wrote on the crowdfunding site in January that Doyle had told her his greatest fear was not being able to provide for his family and that the money brought him peace of mind.

A group of Doyle's fellow authors, including Kim Stafford, David James Duncan, Hob Osterlund, Melissa Madenski and Tom Booth, set up a separate GoFundMe account this spring with the goal of retiring the mortgage on the family home.

It was unsurprising to those who knew Doyle to any degree that his illness would inspire such a response.

"He's really made an impact on so many people," said Laurie C. Kelley, who came to know Doyle during her tenure as the University of Portland's chief marketing officer and later its vice president for university relations.

Brian James Patrick Doyle was born in 1956 in New York to Ethel Clancey Doyle, a teacher, and James Doyle, a journalist who was executive director of the Catholic Press Association for 30 years. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in English, graduating in 1978.

His day jobs were at magazines: U.S. Catholic, Boston College Magazine and finally Portland Magazine, where he became editor in 1991, a position he held until his death.

But it was his fervor for storytelling and his unqualified joy in writing that made his name nationally, with his fans searching out not only his books but also his writings for The Sun magazine, the Daily Guideposts website and other publications. He credited his father with nurturing his literary passion, telling one interviewer, "He taught me more than anyone or anything that stories swim by the millions and most of being a writer is listening and seeing and then madly scribbling."

Oregon, the adopted home he credited in a 2015 interview with giving him "the people I love best, wonderful friends, good work, clean water by the ton from the sky," was the source of some of the stories he treasured most, such as "Mink River." "That book had Oregonness," he said in a 2016 interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. "That pleases me enormously as a way to say thank you to Oregon."

Doyle's most recent story, published in March, was the novel "The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World: A Novel of Robert Louis Stevenson," a masterful ode to storytelling and storytellers.

Inspired by Doyle's lifelong love of Stevenson's works, the novel reads much like the Scottish author's writing: "I should begin by showing you the man, insofar as I am able, as he was then, at the prime of life and the peak of his powers. Taller than not, and burly rather than thick; as he said himself, while we saw eye to eye as regards our height, he was twice the man I was in volume."

But there is no question that "The Adventures of John Carson" is a Doyle book with passages such as this:

"There is a story in every thing, and every being, and every moment, were we alert to catch it, were we ready with our tender nets; indeed there are a hundred, a thousand stories, uncountable stories, could they only be lured out and appreciated; and more and more now I realize that what I thought was a skill only for authors and pastors and doctors and dream-diviners is the greatest of all human skills, the one that allows us into the heart and soul and deepest layers of our companions on the brief sunlit road between great dark wildernesses."

It is one of numerous passages in which Doyle celebrates stories. "To catch and share stories, what could be holier and cooler than that?" he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "Stories change lives; stories save lives. ... They crack open hearts, they open minds."

And that particular passage includes the word "tender," a word Doyle made a point of using in interviews after he learned of his brain tumor. "Be tender," he said to those who might want to help him.

"Be tender and laugh."

Doyle's survivors include his wife, Mary Miller Doyle; sons, Liam and Joseph; and daughter, Lily.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date, the university news release said.

-- Amy Wang

awang@oregonian.com
A Vancouver teen died from his injuries Saturday after he was hit by a car and dragged through a Safeway parking lot on Friday afternoon, police said.

Police believe that a group of juvenile boys met in a Safeway parking lot at 13875 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. Shortly after, the boys began to fight, witnesses told police.

At about 2 p.m., one of the boys hit the other with a car and dragged him through the parking lot, Kapp said, injuring him significantly.

The boy, who was not identified, died from his injuries on Saturday, Kapp said.

The other boys left the scene in the car, police said. Vancouver police later found and arrested them. They are both charged with robbery and murder, Kapp said. They were booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police did not release the boys' names.

No other details were immediately available.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
During the 2016 presidential campaign, political cartoonist Ann Telnaes spilled plenty of ink lampooning candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And since Trump took office earlier this year, she's had no shortage of fresh material.

Telnaes' sharp takes on the campaign and its aftermath earned her top honors at Saturday night's 71st annual National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards, which were handed out at Portland's Hilton Hotel. The group named her Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year for her work, which often focuses on women's issues and is distinctive for its bold use of color.

Telnaes is the current President of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists. In 2001, she won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning - only the second woman to take home that honor at the time.

The Reuben Awards, which were presented by GoComics and hosted by cartoonist, writer and humorist Nick Galifianakis, honored achievements in other categories.

Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award: Lynda Barry, for a lifetime of outstanding and accomplished work as a painter, writer, illustrator, playwright, editor, commentator, teacher, and cartoonist.

Feature animation: Cory Loftis for his character design work in "Zootopia."

TV animation: Chris Savino for his work on "The Loud House" on Nickelodeon.

Editorial cartoon: Mike Luckovich.

Newspaper comic strip: Steve Kelley and Jeff Parker for their work in "Dustin."

Newspaper Illustration: David Rowe for his work in the Australian Financial Review.

Magazine illustration: Jon Adams.

Gag cartoonist: Will McPhail for his work in The New Yorker.

Comic book: Max Sarin and Liz Fleming for their work on "Giant Days."

Graphic novel: Rick Geary for his work on "Black Dahlia."

Online comics (short form): Ruben Bolling for his work on "Donald & John."

Online comic (long form): Ngozi Ukasu for her work on "OMG Check Please."

Greeting card: Debbie Tomasi.

Advertising illustration: Luke McGarry.

Book illustration: Dave Whamond.

Newspaper panel cartoon: Nick Galifianakis for his work on "Nick & Zuzu."

Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship: Ruby Xia, an animation major at the Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada.

-- Grant Butler

503-221-8566; @grantbutler
By Harris Zafar

On Friday, Portland was shaken by an attack on a train that targeted two teenage girls and led to the deaths of two bystanders. As the details emerge, we discover that the suspect, 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian, allegedly set his sights on the teenagers -- one of whom was wearing the Muslim hijab -- and began shouting hate and racist speech, including that they should get out of the country, Muslims should die and accusing Muslims of killing Christians. As he approached the two terrified teenagers, three other passengers came to their aid by standing up and intervening. That's when Christian reportedly took out a knife and attacked the three passengers, brutally killing two by slashing their throats and injuring the third.

Harris Zafar

As an American Muslim who has lived in Portland for 31 years, I went numb when I learned about this attack. This is my city, a city that not only is full of loving and tolerant people but also one that has consistently shown its character at times of difficulty. After 9/11, my mosque (the Portland Rizwan Mosque) stood out as being the first and oldest mosque built in Portland. Although we received a handful of threatening calls, we received more than 200 calls of support. People lined our doors with flowers and messages of support, reminding us that we are welcome as neighbors here in our home.

But yesterday's attack opened my eyes. First, I learned that despite the tolerance, ignorance and fear still lives within people here in my city. Pew Research reported in 2014 that 62 percent of Americans don't know a Muslim, which explains why so many Americans are convinced that Islam and/or Muslims stand against the values and freedoms of our country. If you don't know a Muslim, how will you ever know whether the hyped narrative online is true? Even here in Portland, this ignorance is providing fertile soil for hatred and fear to grow.

But I also learned what true character, valor and courage look like. These three men who protected these teens put themselves at risk by standing up for those who could not do so for themselves. They are real-life heroes. My heart and prayers are with the families of these heroes. Your lives are changed forever, but please be proud of your loved one and know that they have inspired countless people with their courage and integrity. And as a man of faith, I am convinced that God will reward them in the afterlife, where I pray they find eternal peace.

Finally, as a Muslim I learned that I have much work to do. I am proud of the interfaith and outreach work that we have done within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, but we failed to reach Jeremy Christian, whose Facebook page demonstrates that his far-right extremist views were never resolved. For the past five months, I have been sitting for two hours every Saturday at Washington Square Mall to meet people and give everyone an opportunity to meet a Muslim. It's part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's nationwide initiative "Coffee, Cake and True Islam," which is meant to remove ignorance through conversation. We are there every Saturday and will seek more ways to make ourselves available.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

To the unnamed heroes and the many courageous souls who tended to the victims and even chased after Christian when he fled the scene, I thank you. As a Muslim, as an Oregonian, as an American, as a father and as a human, I thank you for showing me that humanity and honor are still alive. To all my fellow Americans and Oregonians, I ask you to honor these heroes, but I also ask you to inculcate that same spirit of courage within yourselves to destroy any ignorance, fear or hatred that may live in your heart. You will find in me a partner in that cause.

Harris Zafar is the national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. He lives in Southwest Portland.
By Ron Wyden

In every nook and cranny of our state, I have heard from people eager for solutions to achieve the goal shared by rural and urban Oregon: To generate jobs in rural Oregon while protecting our timeless treasures.

Based on what I've heard from Oregonians and others working toward that shared objective, here's my four-step roadmap of how we get there.

1. Increasing the logging harvest in a sustainable way and restoring long-standing timber payments to counties in Oregon and nationwide aren't mutually exclusive. We must do both.

In hearings at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, my colleagues and I hear time and again that support for counties with the Secure Rural Schools program is a must. That's because we have heard directly from the United States Forest Service's non-partisan analysis how the harvest would have to increase by 600 percent to replace the schools program payments fully.

A six-fold increase is obviously unrealistic and unsustainable. But I have introduced legislation that would double the harvest in a sustainable manner, creating more jobs in the woods for rural Oregonians.

That legislation is in addition to bipartisan legislation I have introduced to reauthorize the rural schools program, which has generated more than $3 billion for Oregon's schools, roads and law enforcement since I wrote the original bipartisan bill with former Idaho Sen. Larry Craig in 1999. Those resources supporting rural infrastructure also provide a huge boost to our state's recreation economy, which offers more than 111,000 miles of streams, about 3,400 trails and more than 30 million acres of forests.

2. Our nation's method of funding firefighting must be updated.

Heading into the warmer summer months, Oregonians know the danger to lives and property that lies ahead from large forest fires.

That's why I have worked to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation with Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo that would provide a long-overdue fix to the broken-down system of budgeting for forest fires in Oregon and the entire country.

Simply put, our bill would prevent federal agencies from funding firefighting by draining accounts dedicated to forest restoration, hazardous fuels reduction and other essential work that reduces the odds of major wildfires in the first place.

Our bill has earned support from more than 250 groups representing hunters and fishers, timber companies and conservationists. This must be the year this common-sense fix gets done permanently.

3. Oregon stands at the precipice of pioneering new purposes for timber.

Oregon leads the way in cross-laminated timber. That should not surprise anybody given the focus by the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the state's forest products industry on tapping the product's tremendous potential.

Because I see the job of Congress as creating the climate for entrepreneurship to flourish, I've worked to help the cross-laminated timber industry build upon its strengths by co-sponsoring the Timber Innovation Act.

That act drives research and funding for the advancement of tall wood building construction used on some of Portland's newest high-rises. In addition to supporting jobs in Oregon's timber counties, cross-laminated timber also carries the added benefits of lowering construction costs while maintaining safety standards.

4. Fighting Against Unfair Trade

I have been proud to lead the "smart trade" fight working with 25 senators from both parties defending U.S. lumber from unfair Canadian imports.

For decades, Canadian lumber subsidies have prevented Oregon's lumber industry from reaching its fullest potential to create jobs in our state's 30 softwood lumber mills.

With a new trade case to stop that unfair Canadian lumber trade, I am all in with the fight to save mill jobs. America must continue our tough trade enforcement and insist upon a lasting solution to Canadian policies that distort trade.

All told, I believe these four steps add up to a winning formula for all of Oregon.

Democrat Ron Wyden represents Oregon in the U.S. Senate.
In a mobile video that's been doing the rounds on social media, cow vigilantes can be seen assaulting two youths for allegedly possessing beef, in Maharashtra's Washim district. Several arrests have been made in connection with the case.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: In a mobile video that's being widely circulated on social media, cow vigilantes can be seen shouting slogans and assaulting two youths for allegedly possessing beef in Malegaon tehesil of Maharashtra's Washim district.

The cow vigilantes - or 'gau rakshaks' - can be seen hitting the two youths, and shouting that the duo were in possession of cow meat.

advertisement

The vigilantes can also be heard asking the two men to accompany them to Malegaon police station.

Mokshanda Patil, SP, Washim district, said nine people had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Seven of them who attacked the two men were booked under various sections of the IPC.

The two youths, too, have been booked under section 295a of the IPC.

'SITUATION UNDER CONTROL'

Washim district's Superintendent of Police said the situation was under control as immediate action had been taken, and that the samples of flesh seized from the spot had been dispatched to a state laboratory in Nagpur to verify what kind of meat was being sold.

Apart from this, the SP also urged the public to inform the police if they suspected anyone of selling cow meat, so that immediate action could be taken after verification.

ALSO READ | Kerala BJP chief slams cow slaughter 'in broad daylight'

ALSO READ | Government bans sale of cows for slaughter at cattle markets, restricts trade

ALSO WATCH | Two attacks in a day: Cow vigilante violence in Odisha and Maharashtra

--- ENDS ---
By The Washington Post Editorial Board

President Donald Trump's distorted foreign policy was exemplified last week in the contrast between his meeting with Arab autocrats, on whom he lavished goodwill, and U.S. NATO allies, whom he harshly and publicly critiqued.

Previously, Trump had promised Saudi Arabia and other Sunni dictatorships that they "will never question our support," adding, "We are not here to lecture." But last Thursday he declined to restate the U.S. commitment to defend its democratic European allies if they are attacked, as Article 5 of the NATO treaty provides. Instead, Trump restated his wrongheaded and erroneous charge that allied governments "owe massive amounts" for military defense, and quarreled with the president of the European Council over climate change and the threat posed by Russia.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump gamely joined in a chauvinistic, males-only sword dance. In Brussels, he was captured on videotape as he rudely shoved aside Montenegro's prime minister to position himself at the center of a group photo.

The president's aides and apologists were reduced to arguing, as they frequently must, that the words he utters and the images he creates are of little consequence. Other senior administration officials have confirmed the commitment to Article 5, they said; and Trump was merely giving the Montenegrin leader's arm a friendly tug.

Unfortunately, what the U.S. president says and the impressions he makes do have consequences. One good example of that came last Tuesday, when Bahraini security forces stormed an opposition encampment just two days after Trump promised the Persian Gulf nation's king that there would be no more "strain" between their governments. Those strains, of course, concerned the Sunni regime's crackdown on its Shiite opposition, which has been escalating in recent months.

The United States has a challenging relationship with Bahrain, which is at once a key ally that hosts the U.S. 5th Fleet and a conspicuous violator of human rights. The Obama administration struggled to strike a balance between preserving the alliance and using its leverage to mitigate the abuses. We and other human rights advocates frequently criticized President Barack Obama for too easily accepting Bahrain's repression. But at least the administration tried: Obama publicly called on the regime to liberalize and held up arms sales, including of F-16 warplanes, when it did not.

That was the pressure Trump promised to eradicate when he met with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on Sunday. "Our countries have a wonderful relationship together, but there has been a little strain, but there won't be strain with this administration," he said. In essence, the president promised not to subject this Arab autocracy to the harsh words and ambivalent defense commitment that he offered days later to the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.

Two days after his Sunday pronouncement came the bloodiest act of repression by Bahraini security forces in years, a raid in which at least five people were reported killed and hundreds arrested. The consequences of Trump's performance in Brussels may be less immediately evident - but there, too, there will be damage.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post
By Kathleen Parker

WASHINGTON -- The shocking thing about Greg Gianforte's assault on a journalist isn't that he body-slammed and punched a reporter but that it took so long for the inevitable to occur.

Such an attack was foreshadowed way back in March last year when tough-guy Corey Lewandowski grabbed a female reporter who, apparently, was too brash for the tender sensibilities of then-candidate Donald Trump's inner circle.

A few months after his effrontery, Lewandowski left the campaign and joined CNN as a commentator. He now may be poised to rejoin Team Trump.

Gianforte, a Montana Republican, also was rewarded for his imitation of a distempered jackal. His campaign in a special congressional election reportedly reaped more than $100,000 in online donations just before the vote, most of it in the aftermath of the incident. The Bozeman businessman also managed to win the election, perhaps partly attributable to early voting before the attack.

As captured in an audio recording, The Guardian's Ben Jacobs is heard saying, "You just body-slammed me and broke my glasses." Then, according to Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna, Gianforte climbed on top of Jacobs and began punching him, saying, something like, "I'm sick and tired of this."

Aren't we all.

The cause of his violent meltdown? Jacobs had asked Gianforte a few questions about his position on health care.

This isn't exactly high-handed heckling over a sensitive issue. What if it had been? Would Gianforte have throttled him? Gianforte did apologize for his actions after the election results were in and following 24 hours of denial.

It would seem that Gianforte, who has been charged with misdemeanor assault, is unfamiliar with the media beast known as a scrum, an impromptu assemblage of reporters, usually following an event, during which reporters fire off questions and jostle each other for a better position -- sort of the way Trump bulldozed past Montenegro Prime Minister Dusko Markovic this past Thursday.

In Brussels for a NATO summit, the president proved that no one can out-bully him. He chastised other nations for not paying enough of their fair share, and did not offer his endorsement of Article 5, which was interpreted as insinuating that they might not be able to rely on the U.S. should, say, Russia decide to pursue its dream of re-establishing the empire, as it did in Crimea.

Trump obviously had changed his tune since earlier declaring in Saudi Arabia that he had not come to lecture. He all but wagged his finger, which may explain why newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron walked directly toward Trump and then, at the last moment, swerved to hug German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, shaking several other hands before getting to Trump last.

But Trump's coup de uncouth came when, apparently stricken by an urgent need to reach center stage for a group photo, the U.S. president literally pushed Markovic out of the way. Upon finding his preferred spot, Trump adjusted his tie and seemed oblivious to what the rest of the world observed as profoundly unseemly.

Markovic graciously has said he didn't notice the shove, adding that the U.S. president should be in the front row. Perhaps so, but a light tap on the shoulder and at least a pretense of manners in the form of, "Excuse me," wouldn't have been such a strain.

While Trump's reflexive rudeness was merely embarrassing, Gianforte's attack was frightening. Both actions, however, flow from the same spout -- our ever-coarsening culture and partisan hostility that erased all boundaries of civility during the 2016 election. It would be unfair to pin this evolution on Trump alone, but broadening acceptance of bullying tactics undoubtedly has been aided by the commander in chief's own embrace, even celebration, of resolving differences by force, if necessary.

Recall candidate Trump encouraging his supporters to boo journalists at his rallies; his promising to pay legal expenses for a guy who punched a heckler; and his incessant demonizing of the mainstream media as "fake news," meaning news he doesn't like.

Gianforte may be a hero to some, but his violent antics should send a chill up the spines of Constitution-minded Americans. Trump's rhetoric has normalized hatred of journalists and, by implication, encouraged the sort of behavior we've now witnessed. The perpetrator wasn't some right-wing crazy from Bumduck; he was a respected businessman, now elected to Congress.

If this doesn't worry you, we have bigger problems than Russia could ever dream.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparkerwashpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 28(PTI) The Delhi Police team is carrying out raids in Hyderabad for a middleman who used to scout for needy families looking for kidney donors.

The Crime Branch had arrested four persons, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale and purchase of kidneys.

A team is currently in Hyderabad looking for one person who goes by the name of Venky, sources said.

advertisement

He works at a pharmacy in Hyderabad and would find out about patients looking for kidney donors and would guide them to his accomplices in Delhi.

The inter-state racket was busted last week after an MBA student, along with a news channel reporter, contacted the Crime Branch officials in April.

The student had posed as a donor to dig deep into the racket and through spy devices provided to him by the Crime Branch recorded the entire process from his meetings with the middlemen, to his screening process at the hospital.

The four accused -- Jayant Sahoo, Sulekha Panda, Anoj Patra and Birju Paswan -- are currently in police custody and are being interrogated.

It has been found that they have their own persons working at chemist shops in hospitals and diagnostic centres in Delhi and some other cities, said a senior police officer.

Venky is one of them. He is currently absconding after learning about the arrest of his accomplices.

He would target those patients who purchased medicines for kidney ailments.

After finding out that they were looking for donors, they would put them in touch with the middlemen who would gauge their financial capacity and then make them meet potential donors.

The student was given a separate identity with fake ID cards so that he could pass off as a member of the family of the recipient.

The middlemen targeted helpless families who were looking for kidney donors.

They were induced and charged huge amounts of money with the promise to complete necessary documentation and formalities for the smooth transplant operations. PTI SLB KUN

--- ENDS ---
A man was beaten to death in Delhi for objecting to public urination. The deceased was an e-rickshaw driver.

Delhi: A man was beaten to death for objecting to public urination. (Photo: @ANI_news)

By Tanseem Haider: An e-rickshaw driver was beaten to death by after he tried to stop two youths from urinating in public in Northwest Delhi yesterday.

The incident took place around 8 pm near GTB metro station. According to police, deceased Ravinder was having his lunch near GTB metro station when he saw two men urinating in public.

Ravinder rebuked and asked them not to do so, police said. The two youths left only to come back in the evening searching for Ravinder. The youths were said to be in inebriated condition.

advertisement

The two youths had brought with them around 20 people. When they found out Ravinder, he was thrashed. He was repeatedly hit with the stones.

Ravinder bled to death at the spot. Police have registered a case of murder and looking for suspects.

E-rickshaw driver Ravinder was beaten to death near GTB Nagar metro station. (Photo: @ANI_news)

--- ENDS ---
DUBUQUE, Iowa  A project by the Holy Family Catholic Schools students to develop anti-rollback technology for wheelchairs could one day get rolling as a business if two Wahlert Catholic High School students have their way.

Tony Ward and Grant Oberfoell, both seniors at Wahlert, have taken up a project that began when they were in eighth grade. They are working to find the resources to test, develop and distribute the product.

Their efforts have inspired the creation of a new class at Wahlert that instructors hope will allow even more students to follow the same path.

"My idea is to create as many young entrepreneurs as possible," said Tim Ehrmann, a Wahlert business education teacher.

This year, Ward and Oberfoell decided to revive a project in which students created an anti-rollback device. It allows wheelchair users to go up inclines without the risk of rolling backward, which could cause injuries, Ward said.

The idea was born when the two were in eighth grade and were part of a FIRST Lego League team tasked with finding a solution to a problem elderly people face. During their sophomore year of high school, the two were on a team of students selected to develop the product for a national invention contest.

After that, Ward and Oberfoell continued to brainstorm ideas of what they could do next with the project.

This year, they entered the device in a University of Iowa contest and won $1,500 to continue developing their idea. In April, the two won an Aging2.0 chapter competition and they hope to advance further.

The goal for now is to fine-tune and test the invention and gather user feedback, they said. They've been working on a business plan and exploring funding opportunities, potentially by entering more competitions.

Their goal is eventually to launch the business and distribute their product.

"It's been definitely one of the best learning experiences I've had, without a doubt," said Ward. "Hopefully we can get it onto the market. But regardless, I've learned a lot about entrepreneurship and business and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), too, and it's all things I hope to carry into my college and professional career."

Oberfoell agreed that the process has been a good one.

"It's been a real learning experience," he said. "It's really allowed us to experience a lot of different things. . We're still seeing how far it can still take us. It's been a very good learning process."

The duo's efforts have inspired a new class that will start at Wahlert this fall. During the semester-long course, students will define problems and figure out how to develop businesses aimed at solving them, according to Ehrmann.

Students who take Ehrmann's class will work with students in science classes to develop projects as needed. Instructors are working on partnerships with community businesses and organizations to assist students.

The goal is that students will be able to continue developing their ideas once the class ends. Ehrmann's goal is to put supports in place to help students continue their work.

"The ideas will start in here, and they'll carry forward outside of the classroom as well," he said. "That's kind of unique in a classroom setting because a lot of the time when the semester ends, the content ends. I don't want that to be the case at all. In an ideal sense, (to) have my classroom to be the Silicon Valley of the tri-state area if possible. That's kind of the big picture idea I want to have for this course."

Ward and Oberfoell said such a class would have been a benefit in their own efforts to launch their business idea.
HOPEDALE  Scott Altman, a space shuttle commander and Central Illinois native, will be giving the keynote address Monday at the dedication of the new Hopedale Area Veterans Memorial.

The ceremony begins at noon in front of the new memorial which is located in the 100 block of Grove Street, one block south of the Hopedale Wellness Center, at the main entrance to the Hopedale Medical Complex.

Born in Lincoln, Altman lists Pekin as his hometown, where his parents, Fred and Sharon Altman, currently reside. He and his wife, Jill, have three children.

Commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy in August 1981, Altman received his Naval aviator wings in 1983. He has logged over 7,000 flight hours in more than 40 types of aircraft. He has flown in space four times and performed many of the aerial stunts in the film Top Gun.

The memorial features a 9-foot centerpiece sculpture designed by Delavan artist Morgan Elser. It bears the likeness of Hopedale native and Marine pilot, Major Reid Nannen, who lost his life in a Top Gun training accident on March 1, 2014, in Fallon, Nev.

The remainder of the memorial was designed by Morton architect, Jeff Keach. Six granite stones will display over 650 engraved names of area veterans  living and deceased  which will be surrounded in a landscaped area by the U.S. and military branch flags.

The event is open to the public.
NORMAL  When Staff Sgt. John Henne returned home from Europe after World War II in 1946, he didn't get a parade.

When his grandson, Capt. Ryan Burch, returned home from Iraq in mid-April, his wife was there to greet him.

In that regard, they are like most veterans. They serve and come home with little fanfare, while remembering those who didn't make it back  and who are honored on Memorial Day.

Because most veterans don't get a parade and aren't met at the airport by a band when they return home, it makes the recent experience that Henne and Burch shared more poignant.

Henne, 99, a resident of Evergreen Place Assisted Living in Normal, went on a Greater Peoria Honor Flight to see the war memorials in Washington, D.C., on May 9. His escort? Burch, 32, an Army ranger.

"That was wonderful to participate in something like that," Henne said last week at Evergreen Place as his daughter, Mary Beth Aydoner of Bloomington, sat beside him. "A lot of it was emotional and very moving."

"It was just wonderful to have someone like Ryan," Henne said. "It was perfect."

"It was an incredible honor getting to share that with my grandpa," Burch said from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he remains on active duty along with his wife, Heather, also an Army captain. "It was something I'll never forget."

"My grandpa is a prototype of the Greatest Generation," Burch continued. "He grew up during the Great Depression, worked in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) camps, went to war, returned without fanfare and went on with the rest of his life."

"My grandpa didn't get a parade when he came home," Burch said. "People visualize the Times Square Parade but most of the World War II vets were still overseas when that happened. Grandpa wasn't discharged until 1946 and he just came home."

Burch served 12 months in Afghanistan, in the Nangarhar Province, in 2010-11, as a platoon leader. He saw combat.

"When I came back from Afghanistan (with his unit), people at the airport welcomed us back. That was nice to receive," he said.

Burch recently served four months in Iraq, south of Mosul, in an advisory role. When he returned, there was no airport greeting.

"But a lot of veterans don't receive that," he said. "The Vietnam veterans did not receive a warm welcome following their deployment. I wanted to make sure grandpa got a warm welcome."

Henne was born Oct. 8, 1917. His father died when he was 6 and his mother raised six children on her own in Streator.

"Things were tough then, really tough," Henne said of coming of age during the Depression. "Everything was hard to come by."

"They didn't get meat and fruit very often," noted Aydoner.

For several years, Henne was in the CCC building roads and dams in Idaho and Michigan.

On May 27, 1943, he joined the Army and served in Algiers, Morocco and Italy. While he recalls little of his service time, he remembers being stationed at the Allied headquarters in Casters, Italy, when the German armies in Italy surrendered there in 1945.

"The people (Italian civilians) were very friendly," he said. "They were so happy to see the American forces come in because they suffered under the Germans. We got a good welcome no matter where we went."

He received several decorations and citations, including a Bronze Battle Star, and was discharged in 1946.

Henne got a job at the Owens-Illinois glass factory in Streator and worked his way up to crew leader. He met his wife, Ruth, there and they had seven children; she died in 1966.

"It was quite difficult for dad," recalled Aydoner, who was 3 when her mother died. "He worked a lot of days off and overtime to support the family. He would call us on his breaks. I looked forward to those calls.

"Our older sisters took care of us younger ones," Aydoner continued. "And my aunts and grandma would help out sometimes, too."

"They usually pretty much helped themselves," Henne said. "I didn't have to worry about it too much. They were good children to raise."

"We had a good role model," said Aydoner, who heard about Honor Flights and knew that Burch, her nephew and a native of Oklahoma, was returning from his tour of duty in Iraq.

"We thought Ryan would be the perfect guardian for dad," she recalled. Burch accepted immediately.

On May 9, the veterans arrived at the Peoria airport at 4:30 a.m., were welcomed at the airport in Washington, D.C., and boarded buses.

Throughout the day, the veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars and their escorts visited the World War II, Lincoln, Korean, Vietnam, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps memorials.

Then they went to Arlington National Cemetery where they observed the retiring of the colors and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

During the flight back, there was a "mail call" where veterans were presented bags of thank you letters written to them by family members and friends.

Henne, who has 85 descendants, received more than 300 letters.

"I'm astounded that we have so many," Henne said as he and Aydoner read some of the letters last week. "I've read a great deal, but I have a long way to go."

When the veterans and their escorts arrived in Peoria on the night of May 9, they received a hero's welcome.

"Everyone got the welcome home they deserved," Burch said.

"That was just a wonderful reception we received," Henne said.

"I would recommend this (Honor Flights) to other veterans," Henne said. "It was a really emotional experience."

"The people who volunteer to make this happen are phenomenal," added Aydoner, noting the flight and arrangements cost her dad nothing and cost Burch $500.

"Memorial Day holds a special place for me," said Burch, whose father was in the Air Force. "Our unit in Afghanistan lost a good number of folks. My unit in Iraq lost a soldier. It's our duty to consider their sacrifices and their service."
For Bloomington, the age of aviation arrived on Sept. 14, 1910. On that date, a one-man airship known as the Comet sailed over the city, drawing astonished crowds wherever it passed.

The Pantagraph hailed the flight as the first made by a controllable aircraft in Bloomington history.

Lighter-than-air airships, which unlike hot air balloons are propelled and steered, actually date back to the 1780s when balloons were first fitted with rudimentary propulsion mechanisms such as hand-cranked propellers.

A full-blown airship craze began in 1901 when Alberto Santos-Dumont piloted his small airborne craft from the Parc Saint Cloud west of Paris to the Eiffel Tower and back in less than 30 minutes, earning 100,000 francs in prize money for his effort. Santos-Dumonts basic airship design was then copied by many adventure-seekers, promoters, tinkerers and aviation buffs on both sides of the Atlantic, and soon these weird and wonderful lighter-than-air contraptions were plying the skies over European and American cities and towns.

Nine years later, in 1910, Bloomington residents got to see such a flying machine up close and in person. The Business Mens Association invited Capt. George E. Yager to the city so he could launch his airship, christened the Comet, twice a day for a week.

Yager, an aviation showman from Omaha, also brought along mechanic J.T. Birmingham and aeronaut Horace B. Wild. The dirigible balloon (as it was called by The Pantagraph) was tethered at an open lot in the White Place development on what was then the citys far northeast side. Technically, the Comet was a blimp, since it did not have a internal skeleton undergirding the fabric-enclosed cavity holding the lighter-than-air gas, like the ones made of aluminum alloy on the great behemoths built in the late 1920s and early 1930s (the Graf Zeppelin being the most famous of these).

The far-smaller, one-person Comet was lifted into the air by means of a lemon-shaped bag holding 10,080 cubic feet of hydrogen gas. It measured 75 feet in length and 16 feet in diameter, and was made from 1,020 yards of varnished Japanese silk, sewed in squares, as bricks are set in a wall, so that a seam could rip only for a distance.

Underneath the inflated gas envelope was a girder-like framework supporting a whirring and buzzing six-horsepower gasoline engine (see top accompanying image). The 16-foot diameter propeller was in the bow (or front) of the craft, and at cruising speed it made 250 revolutions per minute. The pilot pulled ropes to either side of him to control the the 5-by-6 foot rudder, which was made of spruce and covered in French muslin.

Taking the Comet aloft was risky business when the winds exceeded eight miles per hour, and it appears Yager and his crew pulled off just three recorded flybys during their Bloomington stopover. To the disappointment of many, the inaugural launches for Tuesday, Sept. 13, were cancelled due to high winds.

Although the winds had not subsided by the next day, the Business Mens Association (worried, according to the local press, that another postponement would subject them to much criticism if not ridicule) pressured Yager to green light a launch. The promoter capitulated, and a crowd of around 2,000 curiosity seekers watched the Comets first takeoff from White Place.

All long the route the airship and its pilot were greeted with cheers and waving hands and handkerchiefs, remarked The Pantagraph. Seldom in the history of the city has a public amusement project created so universal interest.

The Comet sailed over the city before the pilot, no longer willing to risk the craft amid the strong northwesterly winds, cut short the initial jaunt and made an unscheduled landing at the corner of Robinson and Clay (today Oakland Avenue) streets.

The following day brought more favorable flying conditions as the Comet journeyed to downtown Bloomington, a trip highlighted by a landing on the rooftop of C.W. Klemms department store. Circling above the Illinois Hotel, observed The Pantagraph, the big dirigible sailed over the row of buildings on the north side of the square and then, as gently as a bird, it dropped down to the roof.

With surrounding streets, the courthouse lawn and office building windows crowded with onlookers, the airship rested on the store roof for one half hour (see the bottom accompanying image) before lifting off and gliding toward the seven-story Peoples Bank building at the corner of Center and Washington streets. The Comet then circled the courthouse dome and headed back toward White Place.

Despite the efforts of Yager and many others, airships never lived up to their promise. In the 1920s, the U.S. Navy constructed massive dirigibles with the idea that they could serve as airborne aircraft carriers. Between 1925 and 1935, three of these enormous airships, including the USS Akron, were lost to deadly accidents. And most famously, the brief and colorful history of transatlantic passenger service came to an end in 1937 with the fiery explosion of the German-operated Hindenburg near Lakehurst, N.J.

The story of the Comets 1910 visit has attracted the attention of organizers of the upcoming Cogs and Corsets: A Steampunk Happening, a weekend festival scheduled June 2-4, with events planned in and around downtown Bloomington.

Not familiar with steampunk? Well, its an interactive fictional world which imagines steam-powered inventions of the Victorian era to match modern technology. Adults (and sometimes whole families) dress the part and interact with like-minded enthusiasts who delve into a future past that never was. Participants to steampunk gatherings such as the one next weekend showcase their own whimsical, often intricate costumes and personas for whats been described as an anachronistic mix of science fiction, modern values and a sense of fun.

Steampunk fiction and art often feature city skies crowded with airships of all shapes and styles.

Free activities for this Steampunk Happening include a Friday evening Tesla coil demonstration on the top deck of the Market Street municipal parking garage.

On Saturday, there will be a promenade of costumed participants and a display of steam tractors, both on the museum square. Events that require a paid ticket include a soiree and historic mansion tours.

For more information, visit the Downtown Bloomington Associations website.

In January 1950, The Pantagraph revisited the exploits of the Comet 40 years after it had sailed the skies over Bloomington. The now 72-year-old George Yager had given up the thrills of promoting powered flight in favor of a more sedentary life. The herald of an airship age that never came was now in the wicker furniture business in Omaha, Neb.

Unfortunately, were not aware of any connection between steampunk and the wicker furniture business!
BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP)  Authorities in Mississippi said Sunday that a suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes Saturday night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto. The area is about 68 miles (109 kilometers) south of Jackson, the capital.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

However, the suspect himself gave some insight into the events that led to the shootings in an interview with a newspaper.

"I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," Cory Godbolt told The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2rbQIq5) after his arrest. The newspaper recorded video of the suspect talking as he sat with hands cuffed behind his back on a roadside surrounded by law enforcement officers.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and members of her family when somebody called authorities.

"I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," the suspect says on the video. "Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene.

"They cost him his life," the suspect said, apparently in reference to the slain deputy. "I'm sorry."

The suspect also said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention.""

Gov. Phil Bryant issued a statement asking state residents to pray for the victims. He also noted the "sacrifice" made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," Bryant said.
CHICAGO  For the past decade, the narrative of an upcoming Hispanic demographic tsunami has been alternately energizing and scaring people into believing that America will eventually become Latinized beyond recognition.

Don't worry, it isn't going to happen.

I recently attended a Latino studies forum at an urban university boasting a student population that is 39 percent nonwhite. The diversity in the room was astounding: Latinos 17 to 60 who represented families living in this country since the 1600s, as well as those who have been here for only a few years.

There were Hispanics of every race, many that were biracial and more that were merely bicultural, with delightful combination names like Bruce Hernandez and Esmeralda Rosenstein or names that didn't "sound" Latino at all.

This is the trend.

Last week, the Pew Research Center released an analysis of census data showing that in 2015, one in six American newlyweds married someone of a different race or ethnicity.

This represents a fivefold increase in the past 50 years, with Asian and Hispanic newlyweds representing the most likely to have intermarried  nearly three in 10 marry someone of a different race or ethnicity.

According to Pew, the most common intermarriages in 2015 were between someone of Hispanic ethnicity and someone who wasn't Hispanic. Those marriages accounted for more than half the total, with most of those Hispanics marrying non-Hispanic whites.

These intermarriages are ushering in changes to how society perceives ethnicity and race.

"Demographers have not taken into account how the perception of race is likely to change in the coming years," wrote Herbert J. Gans, a professor emeritus of sociology at Columbia University, in The New York Times, in reference to the U.S. Census predictions of a majority-minority population as soon as 2040. "For example, whites are already seeing the descendants of some Asian and Latino immigrants as being similar to them. Consequently, whites treat them as white. This 'whitening' process will only increase in the future."

But if there's such a thing as reverse-whitening, that's happening, too. People are increasingly deciding for themselves what ethnicity or race they identify as.

For instance, a January 2012 Census Bureau report titled "The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010" says 175,494 Mexicans (Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano) self-identified as American Indian, making Mexican-American Indians the fourth-largest tribal group in the country.

There are other variations on this idea of ethnic identification fluidity.

In 2015, Mark Hugo Lopez, the director of Hispanic research at the Pew Research Center, told me that there were approximately 2.1 million to 2.5 million people who say they have an ancestry that is Hispanic but don't identify as such. And the opposite can be true: If anyone wants to be Hispanic, they need only say so. "There are no genetic tests; it's a self-labeling thing," Lopez told me.

There are even some who are starting to consider whether racial identity can, or should be, as changeable as gender identity.

Writing in the spring issue of the academic feminist philosophy journal Hypatia, Rebecca Tuvel, an assistant professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, wonders whether it is possible or acceptable to change one's race in the way some change their sex.

In her article, "In Defense of Transracialism," Tuvel says, "I argue that considerations that support transgenderism extend to transracialism. Given this parity, since we should accept transgender individuals' decisions to change sexes, we should also accept transracial individuals' decisions to change races. I entertain and reject ... objections that suggest a society should not accept an individual's decision to change races. ... I conclude that if some individuals genuinely feel like or identify as a member of a race other than the one assigned to them at birth  so strongly to the point of seeking a transition to the other race  we should accept their decision to change races."

This dissatisfaction with the traditional ways to self-segment and build identity is at the root of why, in the years to come, America will not be embroiled in a race war: The races will find a way to intermingle.

Just as was the case back in 1967, when the Supreme Court decided in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case, which recognized the right to intermarriage, some people will be open to and comfortable with the melding and mixing of different ethnicities and races.

Others will have no choice but to deal with the opportunities and challenges of a thoroughly interracialized society.
SPRINGFIELD  Two years into Illinois' budget war, Jeff Gripp has some advice for Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Don't back down.

A retired truck driver who lives in a middle class neighborhood in Rock Island, Gripp thinks Illinois' first-term governor is engaged in a worthy fight for control.

"If he can get power away from Chicago, then it's better for the rest of us," said Gripp.

Given the slip in the governor's approval rating over the two-year budget impasse, voices like Gripp's are probably pretty welcome to Rauner. That's likely even more true given where it comes from. Gripp's single story house, in a tree-lined neighborhood just southeast of Longview Park, lies within a precinct that backed Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In 2014, it shunned Democrat Pat Quinn and delivered Rauner a close victory, 50.7 percent to 46.3 percent.

That's roughly the same margin by which Rauner won Rock Island County.

If Democrats expect to win Rock Island County back next year, an important one in the fight for downstate Illinois, neighborhoods like these will be important.

After months of cascading headlines about struggling social service agencies and college debt downgrades, Illinoisans' patience is wearing thin with Springfield, and Rauner is feeling the impact, too.

The governor's statewide approval rating in March was at 36 percent, according to a poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale  down five points from the year before.

Downstate, it was slightly better, just short of 38 percent, but it too was down by about five points from the year before.

It's true that House Speaker Mike Madigan, a Democrat, fared worse. But Rauner's 58 percent disapproval rating statewide was up eight points in the poll from the previous spring and 26 points from the spring of 2015.

The governor has stepped up his presence in recent months. He's hit the road to sell his case against the Democrats, and campaign-like television ads featuring the governor with a roll of duct tape have been consistent in communities across the state, including the Twin City area.

"If you live in Iowa, stay there," Rich Simmons, a retired postal worker, said the other day. His house sits just a few blocks from where Gripp lives.

Simmons voted for Rauner in 2014, and he still supports him. Nevertheless, he doesn't think much will change. "I'm not real confident," he said.

That pessimism is frequently heard. But so is a desire  its particularly loud in the business community  that the state end the budget standoff.

Bill Anderson, a retired federal government worker who voted for Quinn in 2014, is resolute when he says, "we've got to get a balanced budget." And he's equally sure that he doesn't think Rauner is doing his share to get there. "It sounds to me like he's politicking more than he's doing his job," he said.

Since he came into office, Democrats have accused Rauner of an ideological campaign to bust unions and hurt working people. Now, they say, the states fiscal stalemate and its consequences cant help but hurt him with voters.

"He's held the state's budget hostage for two years," said Doug House, chairman of the Rock Island County Democrats and leader of the Illinois County Democratic Chairmen's Association.

With 18 months to go before next year's election, it's hard to tell what the political climate will be like, nationally and statewide.

Christopher Mooney, director of the institute of government and public affairs at the University of Illinois, said even if a budget deal is reached, it's what it includes that is important. And to make a dent in the state's debt, it will require sacrifice. Its not as if they get a deal and its happy days are here again. Thats when the pain is going to really start," he said.

Last week, Senate Democrats passed a budget package that raises income taxes and expands the sales tax. They argued the state couldn't wait any longer.

Moody's Investors Service warned in March if the state can't get a budget by the scheduled adjournment date of May 31, its already weak credit rating would suffer further.

Rauner has argued that any deal with new revenue has to include a measure to curb property tax increases. He and Democrats couldn't come together on the issue, and after the vote the Republicans unleashed robocalls criticizing Democrats.

That Rauner is holding fast to his agenda wears well with the two dozen or so conservatives who attended the Ronald Reagan Breakfast Club last week at City Limits Saloon and Grill in Rock Island.

A weekly meeting, its members like to joke it is the "largest unorganized gathering of conservatives that meet weekly in the state of Illinois." Members pass a microphone and, over eggs and coffee, take turns making announcements, sharing information and offering opinions on events of the day.

Rauner has been a guest at the club, as have other officeholders.

Support for Rauner here appears to be strong. Told of a reporter's interest in their opinion about the governor, several people at the table vowed their support as the microphone went around the table.

"He is doing what he said, and he is sticking to his guns. And that is what we want," said Bill Long, a Republican from Rock Island.
It all started with one little indie cinema that could -- the Alama Drafthouse in New York City decided to a host a women-only screening of the new film Wonder Woman to raise money for Planned Parenthood and now dudes are angry because why not.





We're proud to be hosting #WonderWoman screenings for women ONLY (incl our staff) w/ all proceeds going to @PPFA! : https://t.co/ILueTsJH6R pic.twitter.com/LmmgAnmBcg

 Alamo Drafthouse NYC (@AlamoNYC) May 25, 2017

While many (women and some men) applauded the cinema for creating a female friendly space for this historic film, a lot of other dudes derided the cinema and called the event sexist.





Women: We want equal rights, pay equity.

Men: NO! NOT YET!

Women: We want to watch #WonderWoman with other women.

Men: WHY DO YOU HATE US?!! pic.twitter.com/BszdoKpY0r

 Robert Garcia (@RobertGarciaLB) May 27, 2017





If you're butthurt about not being invited to one screening of Wonder Woman, turn that energy towards tearing down the patriarchy instead.

 Erika Heidewald  (@erikaheidewald) May 27, 2017

Some said they wanted to attend so they could donate money too, but for that Alamo Drafthouse had the perfect response:





To those saying they're upset about WW screenings cuz they wanted to donate to @PPFA, put your $ where your mouth is https://t.co/bYBT4vmh6Q

 Alamo Drafthouse NYC (@AlamoNYC) May 26, 2017

Suffering Sappho, stop crying and buy a ticket to literally any other cinema in the world.

Header photo via Twitter
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak talks to Bloomberg TV Canada about the growth opportunities for Apple, potential new markets and the products he gets excited about. With the buzz around all-things-AI of late, Wozniak weighed in by saying that he hopes that Siri will get more intelligent and does more than just know words in a dictionary. We get frustrated when it doesn't work right."

An Expanded version of the Bloomberg Canada interview with Wozniak at Montreal's trade show C2 can be viewed here where he talks a lot more on AI and other technology topics of the day.

C2 Montreal unites global trailblazers, business innovators, entrepreneurial icons, social game changers and a host of other engaging thought provocateurs at the top of their creative game. Wozniak is one the guest speakers ast this year's event that finished on Friday.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Bihar lies in the river plains of the basin of the river Ganga. It is endowed with fertile alluvial soil with abundant water resources, especially ground water resources. This makes the agriculture of Bihar rich and diverse. The net sown area in Bihar is 60% of its geographical area. Such a high percentage of cultivated land is possible because most of Bihar is plain area suitable for agriculture and some are converted into wasteland.

A major portion of the total energy consumed is derived from the combustion of fossil fuels in which, liquid petroleum based fuels contributes a maximum because of their inherent physicochemical and combustion properties.

Unfortunately, the reserves of fossil fuels, specially the liquid fuels are not unlimited and may exhaust, if not utilized economically, within few decades. Efforts are being made throughout the world to reduce the consumption of liquid petroleum fuels wherever is possible. General approaches are in use to switch over the energy consumption devices on alternative energy source i.e., Green Renewable energy which are either abundant or are reproducible.

Today mankind is almost totally dependent on the fossil fuels (coal, petroleum etc.) to provide electricity and transport fuel. These sources are, however, non-renewable and may run out in the near future. To overcome these problems, an alternative energy source, which would be renewable as well as eco-friendly, is the need of hour.

Biodiesel, or the Liquid Gold, are gaining increased public and scientific attentions; this can be due to factors such as oil price hike, the need for increased energy security, and concern over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. Plant seeds such as Jatropha and Karanja and Mahua, a non-edible plant oil source, carry immense potential for the production of plant-based oil to produce biodiesel.

Crops cultivated in Bihar such as soybean, sunflower, palm, rape seed, cotton seed, peanut, Jatropha seed, Mahua, Castor seed, Jajoba, Neem, Nag Champa, Corn, Silk cotton tree etc. are most suitable for generating biodiesel. Biodiesel derived from plants resources have been receiving increased attention due to its environmental benefits and renewable nature. It also helps in minimizing the pollution load of air as well as help increase the income generation of marginal farmers, utilizing waste lands for cultivation of petro plants, increasing the capacity of bioenergy production and making our earth a suitable place to live.

Bihar has 10 lakh acres of wastelands and it has several farmers who are jobless. So, if the farmers could be encouraged to start planting these plant, not only to generate another source of energy but also to make good use of wasteland. Farmers and people who had no source of income within their own home state Bihar tend to migrate to distant places in search of jobs. The plantation of these useful biodiesel plants gives a ray of hope that would generate jobs in Bihar and curb migration.

Biodiesel produce by these plants are biodegradable in nature, non-toxic, and safe in transportation and storage. Farmers would be able to sell the oilseeds to various petroleum companies which would then crush the seeds to extract bio-diesel, and, in turn, sell that to Bharat Petroleum and many others oils companies. This results in rising of companies in Bihar. Then, the slogan  ,   will be true for Bihar.

Preeti Kumari

Research Scholar,

P.G Dept. of Biotechnology,

A. N College, Patna- 800013, Bihar
West and south Delhi along with some adjoining parts of NCR will witness thunderstorm later in the day.

By India Today Web Desk: Delhi, NCR (National Capital region) to stay pleasant today, with strong winds and rains expected to bring a relief to soaring summer temperatures.

West and south Delhi along with some adjoining parts of NCR will witness thunderstorm later in the day.

Hailstorm and thunder will lash NCR regions of Faridabad, Ballabgarh, Meerut, Garhmukteshwar, Noida, Chapraula, Greater Noida , Gulothi, Sikanderabad, Bulandshar, Aurangabad, Jttari and Khurja.

advertisement

OTHER AREAS

Latest observations and satellite imagery indicate that a depression has formed over central Bay of Bengal and lay centred at about 950 km south of Kolkata and 980 km south-southwest of Chittagong.

The Meteorological Department has issued the following warnings:

Wind warning: Squally winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph would prevail along and off Andaman islands and adjoining areas during next 48 hours.

Sea condition: Sea condition would be rough to very rough along and off Andaman islands during next 48 hours.

For fishermen: Fishermen are advised to not venture into sea along and off Andaman islands during the next 48 hours. Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to the coast

With inputs from Siddharth

--- ENDS ---
Mr Yoofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), has disclosed that his vision is to promote the Centre as a strategic partner in Ghanas development drive.



He said towards this effort, the Agency would be rebranded as a one-stop-shop for investors.



A statement signed by Mr Zainabu Issah, the Investment Promotion Officer, Corporate Affairs of the GIPC, said the Centre was geared to promote the countrys competitive advantages as a world-class business investment destination.



It will also encourage trade by assisting foreign companies to identify new markets for the establishment of their businesses.



Mr Grant said this at the Ghana Trade and Investment Business Seminar, organised by the Ghana South Africa Business Chamber (GSABC) and hosted by the Trade and Investment KwaZulu  Natal (TIKZN).



He said development of tools would be in line with the strategy of GIPC showcasing the country to potential investors.



Mr Grant said it would be in line with the government policy of one district, one factory.



Trade relations with our counterparts from South Africa have always being in the deficits with Ghana loosing, but as the Centre repositions itself, we will work hard in addressing all these challenges such as the turnaround time of business registration among others, Mr Grant noted.



He said areas of key interest to the nations development include energy generation, Agriculture and Agro-processing, tourism among others.



Mr Zamo Gwala, the Chief Executive Officer, TKZN, said his outfit, a South African Trade and inward investment promotion agency, was established to specifically promote the Province of KwaZulu-Natal as a premier investment destination and to facilitate trade by assisting locally-based business enterprises to access international markets.



The organisation is dedicated to this objective and to creating an environment in the Province that is conducive to business development and attractive to investors, he said.



Madam Lulama Xingwana, South African High Commissioner, lauded the efforts of South African businesses in identifying opportunities in Ghana.



She called for further collaboration with local businesses as a way of promoting intra-Africa trade as envisaged by the founders of both countries.



South Africa is one of the worlds most sophisticated emerging markets.



The unique combination of a highly developed first world economic infrastructure and huge emergent market economy has given rise to a strong entrepreneurial and dynamic investment environment.



KwaZulu-Natal is a major role-player in the manufacturing, agricultural, transport and logistics sectors in South Africa.



The economic structure in this province is based on a large manufacturing sector, in which growth is driven by the paper products and ferro-alloys industries.

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
Shareholders of the GCB Bank have shot down a motion to increase the yearly remuneration of the Banks Directors, from GH2.5 million to GH4 million. The motion was put forward by the Board at the Banks 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra on Friday but shareholders did not approve it, saying the proposed GH4 million per annum was too high.

The shareholders, by a show of hands when the motion was put to the vote, declined to approve the proposed increment, which was the penultimate issue on the agenda of the AGM. According to the shareholders, the proposed increment, which was a 60 per cent increase over the current amount of GH2.5 million, was too much and advised the board to revise the amount. A shareholder, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the GNA that while the increment was in order, the amount proposed was too much and said the increment could be done annually in bits. Their asking for an increase in remuneration is in order but the amount of money that theyre asking for is too much she stated. Mr Abraham Sackey-Ashie, a pensioner and shareholder of GCB, also agreed that while the need to increase the amount was understandable, the percentage of the increment was too much. He said a 40 per cent increase would have been more acceptable to shareholders.

The new Chairman of the Board, Mr Jude Arthur said the remuneration for the board; including Executive and Non-Executive Directors, was last increased in 2013, thus the motion to increase it. Mr Arthur said the increment proposed had been arrived at after careful research by the Board to arrive at benchmarks before presenting it to the shareholders for approval. The Directors did the right thing by looking at the economy and proposing benchmarks for approval by the shareholders, he stated. He said the Board would now have to get back to all the stakeholders on the matter. When something like this happens, you take the decision of the stakeholders in good faith and then make another proposal, he said. He said while the vote against the motion had been mainly by minority shareholders, it was important to be sensitive to all levels of shareholders.

He said though it was not possible to say immediately whether an extraordinary AGM would be called on the matter, any decision arrived at after the review will be communicated to the shareholders. It is also in the interest of the company and the shareholders so we will do it as short a time as we can, Mr Arthur said. Source







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
A former Deputy Minister of Education Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa has pleaded with Teacher Trainees in the country not to go ahead with their planned picket at the Ministry to demand unpaid feeding grants.



Leadership of the Teacher-Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG) has served notice to besiege the Education Ministry, after efforts to get the funds released went unheeded by government.



An Executive member of the Volta region chapter of the trainees association, Francis Tende disclosed the groups intended action during the climax of the 7th Students Representative Council (SRC) week celebrations of the Akatsi College of Education, on Saturday.



According to him, the undue delay in the disbursement of the grants has brought untold hardship onto teacher-trainees across the country.



We visited the ministry almost four times, concerning the feeding grant, but it seems things are not going on well. The association has therefore taken it upon itself to picket for the early release of the monies, and we want our principals to be at the forefront, since many students owe the colleges, he stated.



However, Mr. Ablakwa, who was a guest at the event, urged the trainees to have a little more patience for the five-month old Akufo-Addo government, which is still struggling to find its feet on the ground.



According to him, his successors at the ministry are yet to fully understand the processes; hence any agitation at the moment could destabilize them. I have been at the ministry of Education for four years and I know how difficult it is.



They are a very young government and already they are struggling with what your colleagues in the nursing institutions are doing to them and if you go and add to them, it will be a nightmare, he stated and urged to continue to dialogue with the ministry.



The North Tongu legislator, nonetheless also entreated government to expedite action on the release of the grants, and urged the ministers to institute a forum to constantly engage the various student groups as it was done in the previous administration, so as to avert needless agitations.

Source: starrfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
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.
Audio Attachment: Listen to Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Kwabena Mintah Akando on Peace FM's Midday news bulletin

NDC Member of Parliament for Juaboso in the Western Region, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has invoked curses on the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen.



Hon. Mintah Akandoh summoned the rivers in his hometown and river god "Antoa" to strike the NPP Deputy General Secretary "dead" for allegedly accusing him of engaging in illegal mining popularly referred to as galamsey.



Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's news bullentin at 12 noon, Hon. Mintah Akandoh narrated that Nana Obiri Boahene had smeared his personality and dignity, and so threatened to deal with the latter mercilessly.



Mr. Obiri Boahen is reported to have accused the MP of his involvement in galamsey.



This claim didn't sink down well with the MP who swore to use every means necessary to vindicate himself.



The NDC stalwart wondered why the NPP Deputy General Secretary would link him to galamsey when he has over the years being a crusader against illegal mining.



I will deal with him legally. I will deal with him spiritually. I will deal with him logically . . . If I, Kwabena Mintah Akando, have done galamsey of any sort in this country not even just what hes talking about; the river in my hometown, Antoa Nyama, lightening should strike me dead. If its not like that and Obiri Boahen is peddling lies about me to disgrace me in Ghana, the river in his hometown should kill him. Lightening should strike him dead as well. He should have an accident whenever he boards a car, he cursed.



How can you do this? Because Im an NDC member, you want to disgrace me. Why? What sin have I committed?



In a rebuttal on the same platform after the exchanges started on Okay FM's Ade Akye Abia' earlier, the NPP Deputy General Secretary would not back down on his claims but further disclosed that he has filed a legal suit against Hon. Mintah Akandoh to appear before court and answer questions on his involvement in the menace.



Responding to the curses invoked on him by the NDC stalwart, Nana Obiri Boahen stated categorically that he talks to "level-minded people" which of course Hon. Mintah Akando is not one of them.



"I don't indulge in this type of gutter politics," he stressed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghanas former High Commissioner to the UK, Victor Smith, says he doubts therell ever be a restoration of the friendly relation that earlier existed between himself and the former First couple, ex President J.J Rawlings and his Wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.



Acoording to him, the only way a reconciliation could be possible is when both parties have the opportunity to sit down and see where each other had gone wrong, but added that it doesnt look like such a meeting will ever take place.



Ambassador Victor Smith who was one time a Spokesperson for former first family fell out with them following a strong disagreement and was subsequently allegedly sacked via a text message by the ex President.



The former Diplomat who has since then had a frosty relationship with the Rawlingses has chided ex President Rawlings whos the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for some of his actions which ensured the party which was incumbent being resoundingly defeated in the December 2016 general election.



He condemned the ex President for hobnobbing with then opposition leader Nana Akufo Addo ahead of that crucial elections, adding that he wept when he saw his former boss cracking jokes with President Akufo Addo during his inauguration.



Speaking on Asempa FM, Victor Smith stated that the bad blood between them has got nothing to do with him but rather with the NDC.



It is not meif I die tomorrow Im no longer here, Im talking about our party, the man we call our founder has caused some of us pain because of what went on when we were campaigning. It has nothing to do with me as a person, if he doesnt ever want to see my face, hes not my father biologically, if he doent want to see me Ill mind my business somewhere. When I belong to a party of which youre the founder and you cause us so much grieve and for some reason people thik that we should not talkthey should muzzle us? You dont have to disrespect him but making it known and calling his attention to where he has hurt us is important. When I sent him a message that is what I meant, stop causing some of us pain. I doesnt take one man to run a whole party.

Source: kasapa









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
Did you know that today, May 28, is World Menstrual Hygiene Day?

thats right, yuk it up.

I wouldnt be surprised if you didnt  despite being well into the 21st century, humanity as a whole still has a real issue with the menstrual cycle thing.

Taboos around menstruation affect millions of people worldwide, causing girls to fall behind at school, face social ostracisation, and get sick from using stuff that really shouldnt be used to make sanitary products.

But a non-profit organisation called Plan International is launching a very 2k17 campaign to tackle this issue: theyre agitating to get a period emoji added to keyboards around the world.

our suggestion doesnt translate real well to a cute cartoon symbol unfortch

Theyre asking people to vote on their favourite emoji  you can pick from a range of cute lil blood droplets, or go the full uterus or bloodied pad route  so they can present the winning design to the Unicode Consortium in California (theyre the folks in charge of standardising text, including emojis, across digital platforms).





Plan International Australia Deputy CEO Susanne Legena told us:

Every month, hundreds of millions of women and girls around the world menstruate. The average woman menstruates for 3000 days during her lifetime. Its a normal biological process, but there is still this strange belief, even here in Australia, that menstruation is secret womens business. We suffer our periods in silence and hide our tampons and pads away as if they were contraband. Even though at least 800 million women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 are menstruating right now, there isnt a single emoji to represent periods. Isnt it ridiculous that theres a long nose goblin emoji and a floppy disc emoji, but no period emoji? We want people to change that by voting for their favourite period emoji design, which we will then present to the Unicode Consortium in California.

In Australia, weve got awesome campaigns like Share The Dignity that aim to support homeless women and women in situations of domestic violence by providing free sanitary items. Plan International is doing much the same thing overseas, educating and supporting women and girls so theyre not held back just because of a couple tablespoons of blood.

The whole thing is super cool and the emojis are all adorable. Theres certainly worse ways to draw attention to the fact that about half the world bleeds on the reg, and that it aint  or really shouldnt be  anywhere near a big deal.

usually, anyway.

Source: Plan International.

Image: Supplied.
Zac Efron can be seen alongside Dwayne Johnson in the brod-out comedy Baywatch, opening next week in Australia, and if youve seen the trailers, youll be aware that the two are required to lock lips for a scene.

During a recent appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, he described the moment in detail, and as we kind of already suspected, kissing the magical being that is The Rock is indeed a life-altering experience.

It was crazy . It was like, Hes good at that too? Hes just the best at everything, said Efron of his bucket list-worthy pash. I can safely say I would give up everything in my life for one open-mouthed kiss with The Rock, replied Corden.

The thirst is indeed extremely real. Enjoy responsibly:

Source: The Late Late Show With James Corden.

Photo: Alexander Tamargo / Getty.
Donald Trump,Melania Trump

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk from Marine One across the South Lawn to White House in Washington, Saturday, May 27, 2017, as they return from Sigonella, Italy.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump is considering overhauling his White House staff and bringing back top campaign strategists, frustrated by what he views as his team's inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Expanding teams of lawyers and experienced public relations hands are being recruited to deal with the drumbeat of new revelations about Moscow's interference and possible improper dealings with the Trump campaign and associates. The disclosures dogged the president during his first trip abroad since taking office and threaten to overwhelm and stall the agenda for his young administration.

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late Saturday from his nine-day journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to "an unforeseen change" in Trump's schedule.

After maintaining a limited social media presence throughout his trip, Trump on Sunday unleashed a furious flurry of tweets, lashing out at what he called the "fake news" media. He focused heavily on leaks -- both those coming out of the White House and an intelligence leak blamed on Americans about this week's deadly bombing at a concert in England.

On the bombing investigation Trump said: "British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!"

Trump also said that "many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies." He added that it is "very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers."

Even when authorized, however, top officials in the Trump White House frequently request anonymity to brief reporters "on background," meaning their names will not be disclosed.

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russia's ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trump's longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates' potential involvement. More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

"They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation," said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didn't completely subsume the president's agenda.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries. The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls changes, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold. Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

Lewandowski's return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with staff and Trump's adult children. Nonetheless, Lewandowski has the trust of the president -- an advantage that many of Trump's aides lack.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a "home run," but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting. Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trump's first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Flynn was fired in February, officials saying he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the U.S., White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Other major issues await Trump at home. He has signaled he will make a decision on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. And the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

On the policy front, he must defend his budget plan, and the Republican health care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.
Dennis Kauffman of Lebanon worked as a dairy farmer until he suffered a disabling stroke about 15 years ago.

After that, he could no longer work or drive because of his mental losses.

He started looking for other ways to contribute and discovered something during one of his daily walks: He could clean up his community.

Kauffman noticed trash tossed from passing vehicles that ended up blowing into farmers' fields, said his wife, Carol Kauffman. He didn't think that was right, so he started picking up the trash during his regular outings.

Dennis Kauffman, 64

Soon, he began bringing garbage bags with him and his walks stretched up to five hours as he scoured the highways and fields near his home.

He would head off in all four directions from his home on different days, sometimes leaving notes to let family members know which direction he had gone. Other times, he would call his wife and let her know he was going out.

During one of his volunteer trash assignments Wednesday, however, tragedy struck. He apparently stepped over a guard rail on Route 422 near the Annville Sewage Treatment Plant to fetch a piece of litter. Police believe he bent over to pick up the trash and tumbled down a 40-foot embankment that ends in a quarry.

When Kauffman, 64, didn't return home at the end of the day, rescuers launched a search. They found his body later that night about a mile and a half away from his home.

Kauffman had been regularly picking up trash for at least eight years, gaining a reputation around town as a committed volunteer.

He was "known as 'The Litter Man Who Doesn't Stop,' to my children," according to one woman who posted her condolences on the local search and rescue Facebook page. "We never knew his name. Dennis showed them the meaning of commitment & truly giving back to your community...daily. He will be missed on the streets."

Similar stories have been pouring in after the accident, Carol Kauffman said, "more than I ever imagined," illustrating the positive example her husband set.

He was safety conscious on his routes, Carol Kauffman said. He wore a reflective yellow vest and stepped off the side of the road if he saw approaching vehicles.

"The message is, if everyone can do their part, the world will be a much better place," she said.

Dennis Kauffman also volunteered one day a week at Jubiliee Ministries, a thrift shop that funded ministry programs.

Kauffman's funeral services were set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Gingrich's Mennonite Church, 100 Forney Road, in Lebanon.

He leaves behind his wife of 44 years, three daughters, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
By Press Trust of India: New York, May 28 (PTI) An eight-month-old German Shepherd was held hostage by Delta Airlines for more than 33 hours over paperwork that airline officials misplaced, the pets owner has claimed.

Mary Nguyen, a 25-year-old student living in Minneapolis, decided to relocate her German Shepherd named Bunny to Guatemala so he could live with her husband.

advertisement

The "hostage" situation began last week, when Nguyen hired Pet Air Carrier, a private company unaffiliated with Delta, paying it USD 3,000 to ship Bunny.

As part of the arrangement, Nguyen drove from Minneapolis to Wisconsin to have the required paperwork endorsed before sending the puppy on his way on Wednesday.

But when Nguyens hubby tried to get Bunny out of cargo at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Delta balked, saying the necessary paperwork to take the animal to a new country had been left back in the US, CBS reported.

Adding insult to injury, Nguyen claimed Delta agents demanded an extra USD 3,000 to free the pup.

"They have all the documents they need on their scratch pad to release her but refuse to do so without the hard copy that they lost (but tracked down)," a distraught Nguyen was quoted as saying by the CBS.

"The document has been in their possession the whole (time) since Ive surrendered my dog over."

"After 33 hours, they finally released Bunny," she said.

That happened late Friday, after the paperwork was finally located and dispatched to Guatemala.

Delta has had problems transporting pets in the past, with five animal deaths and five injuries in 2016, the second-highest rate of animal death and injury among the top seven domestic airlines.

A Delta spokesperson said that the airline would refund the shipment cost. PTI AMS ZH AMS

--- ENDS ---
BARNESBORO, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities say a western Pennsylvania man was killed when a tree he was cutting down fell on top of him.

The Cambria County coroner's office said 37-year-old Jesse Snyder was using a chain saw to cut the tree on his Susquehanna Township property shortly after noon Saturday.
Shutterstock photo.

Top 10 Letters to the Editor of the Week

As you might imagine, we get more letters to the editor here at PennLive Opinion than we could ever hope to run. Some are turned down because they're too long. Some don't make the cut because they just don't have that something that makes them worthy of publication.

None of these have run on PennLive before. It's a nice way to clear the decks on a Sunday morning before another busy week of news devours our collective attention.

Ready? Here we go.

Don't Edit

File photo.

10. Wow! The media finally published something positive about Trump

I had to read the May 21st headline (Gulf allies like fresh approach of Trump) twice in The Patriot-News before I realized that the media had finally published something about President Donald Trump that is not negative or disparaging.

Did somebody screw up?

TED STREETER, Gettysburg

Don't Edit

Photo by James Robinson

9. Trump offers refreshing change from past diplomatic and political practices

Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not for travel's immediate rewards but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believe to be the right and only way. Powerful words by activist Ralph Cranshaw which portray a concept worthy of consideration by U.S. travelers and diplomats.



President Donald Trump's concept stating that we were not telling others how to practice their religion, etc., plus the behavior and style of clothing which the female members of the Trump family portrayed on the visit illustrate this concept very well. It is a refreshing change from the past diplomatic and political practices which earned us the reputation of the "ugly american" coined in the novel about diplomacy written by Eugene Burdock and William Lederer.



LESTER BRUBAKER, Penn Township, Perry County

Don't Edit

Eric Schultz

8. Trump didn't write the 'Art of the Deal'

Most people, including many in the media, don't know that Donald Trump didn't write, "The Art of the Deal". Tony Schwartz did. Schwartz had ghostwritten completely Trump's 1987 breakthrough memoir.

This was revealed in The New Yorker magazine article, "Trump's Boswell Speaks," by Jane Mayer in the July 25, 2016 issue. Schwartz was, at that point, wanting to disassociate himself from the ruse. Originally he had worked hard to earn his pay, but suddenly felt much to blame if Trump should be elected president.

Schwartz had considerable difficulty writing the "autobiography." He received almost no help from Trump who wouldn't sit down to be interviewed (even at Mar-a-lago). Finally a "deal" was struck for Schwartz to observe (and listen in on phone calls) while the master operated at his Trump Tower office in New York City. This is how the book was birthed.

For those who feel taken in by a complete fraud, they should realize this fraudulence has been going on for a very long time - well before the publishing of the book. What has come since 1987 is an evolving mythology. And like many such "myths," the truth is at variance with the facts.

RICHARD J. YOST, South Abington Township, Lackawanna County

Don't Edit

Photo by DAN GLEITER, THE PATRIOT-NEWS

7. Thanks to the Pa. legislature for passing HR 27

On April 25th, the Pennsylvania state legislature unanimously passed HR 27, which is a resolution that calls upon the government of China to end the practice of forced organ harvesting from all prisoners, and particularly from Falun Gong prisoners and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups.

This issue is especially relevant to me. I am from China and my family lives there now and many of us practice Falun Gong. After its public introduction in 1992, Falun Gong became the most popular form of qigong in China, with its three principles: truth, compassion and forbearance.

However, then Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin regarded the great popularity and spiritual nature of the practice as ideological competition. In July of 1999, a mass persecution was initiated. Falun Gong practitioners were slandered in state media, forced out of work or school, detained and tortured.

My mother who is a medical doctor, was detained six times for refusing to give up her belief. When I finished my masters degree in 2013, I invited her to come to Penn State for my graduation but she was stopped in the Beijing airport and her passport was cut because she is a Falun Gong practitioner.

While the death toll in this persecution remains unknown, there is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that it is significant, and that the crime is on-going.

I am sincerely grateful that Rep. Matthew Baker introduced HR 27, and for every representative's support.

KEYI SHI, Susquehanna Township

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Shutterstock photo.

6. Here's an idea on how to restore Pa.'s steel industry

We are divided between those who wish to divert severance earnings to social/educational purposes and those who wish to maximize earning for wall street investors who will then make big political contributions.

Rather this resource should be available to all of use in the form of home heating. When moving here in the seventies the gas company installed the line and meter at their expense provided we used gas heat. Now this cost would not only be high but many would be blocked by the lack of a line on their street or even their side of the street.

If the severance funds were used to build those on the streets and provide homeowners with low interest financing, we would gradually build up a new infrastructure supporting our basic resource and provide investors a permanent income. Moreover, if Pennsylvania-made pipe were required we would help restore our steel industry.

BILL MURPHY, Susquehanna Township

Don't Edit

Shutterstock photo.

5. Some election information in The Patriot-News was incorrect

An editorial in the May 16th edition of The Patriot-News emphasized the importance of local primary elections.

It is a pity that The Patriot-News did not consider this years primary sufficiently important to make sure that the May 11 voters guide and the May 18 edition reporting on the election results contained complete and accurate information.

The voters guide contained numerous inaccuracies and at least one omission.

The voters guide incorrectly stated that statewide voters would be restricted to choosing one candidate for Superior Court and one for Commonwealth Court. It incorrectly stated that York County voters would be restricted to choosing one candidate for the Court of Common Pleas.

The voters guide incorrectly stated that York County voters would be allowed to choose up to two candidates for Recorder of Deeds. And the voters guide listed the names of only the Republican candidates for that office, completely omitting the names of the Democratic candidates.

Some but not all of these careless mistakes were corrected in the May 18 edition. The Patriot-News accurately reported the winners of both parties primaries for the four Superior Court positions, the two Commonwealth Court positions and the three York County Court of Commons Pleas positions.

However, from what I see on Page A9, it appears that The Patriot-News is under the false impression that two Republicans won nomination for the office of York County Recorder of Deeds and still doesnt know that any Democrats ran for that office.

Let me enlighten you.

Laura Shue was the one and only winner of the Republican nomination for Recorder of Deeds. Maribel Burgos defeated Alan Vandersloot for Democratic nomination.

If you dont believe me, you may check with the York County Board of Elections.

GEORGE E. HARRISON, Franklin Township

Don't Edit

Shutterstock photo

4. Foreign aid saves lives

I stand with Americans across the political spectrum and from all 50 states in my determination to see the end of slavery in my lifetime.



The Associated Press article on PennLive, 'Trump's first budget boosts military, makes deep cuts to EPA and other domestic programs', referred to the Trump Administration releasing its 2018 budget. This budget proposed dramatic cuts in the State Department's budget, the agency that administers US foreign aid.



Foreign aid accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget, but it saves millions of lives-- preventing starvation, treating disease, and rescuing people from slavery.



The ball now is in Congress' court; I hope U.S. Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, will choose to stand on the right side of history.

ANN MICHAEL, Derry Township

The writer is a volunteer advocacy leader for PA International Justice Mission.

Don't Edit

Photo by Matt Rourke, AP

3. Lawmakers, district attorneys should follow's Krasner's lead

On May 16th Larry Krasner won the Democratic primary race for Philadelphia District Attorney. Krasner has stated in his campaign that he would no longer seek the death penalty if elected. Philadelphia has not elected a Republican District Attorney since 1986. If Krasner wins, the result of this election may have a great impact on the death penalty in not just Philadelphia, but Pennsylvania as a whole. Currently, of the 171 inmates on death row in Pennsylvania, 63 of those cases were tried in Philadelphia County, higher than any other county.

Being the most populous county in Pennsylvania, a significant drop in death penalty cases may have trickle down effect on the rest of the state. A 2015 poll commissioned by York College of Pennsylvania showed that less than half of Pennsylvanians support capital punishment for those who are convicted of murder. Additionally, Krasner, is the only candidate in this race to explicitly state that he would never seek to impose the death penalty.

A majority of Pennsylvanians are against capital punishment. Krasners victory should represent a call to action for lawmakers across the state to listen to their constituents. Lawmakers need not shy away from publicly opposing the death penalty, it is time other district attorneys follow Krasners lead.

PAUL W. JORDONNE, Carlisle

Don't Edit

Shutterstock photo

2. Here's the truth about Education Savings Accounts

In her recent op-ed on PennLive on Education Savings Accounts, (Here's how lawmakers are trying to rebrand school vouchers, May 23), Susan Spicka avoids debating this groundbreaking reform on the merits and instead conflates ESAs with "vouchers," which do not exist in Pennsylvania.

Whereas vouchers can be spent only on tuition, ESAs allow parents to customize their childs education by paying for multiple approved education expenses. For example, a family could offset private school tuition, hire an algebra tutor, and purchase online foreign language coursesall while saving remaining funds for college.

Education Savings Accounts exist in five states and are advancing in more than a dozen others because they are popular with parents and help children receive an education best suited to their needs. A survey of ESA families in Arizona found 90 percent of parents were satisfied with their ESA programs. Less than 30 percent of those same parents were satisfied with their previous public school.

Whats more, ESAs are changing lives. Jordan Visser, an Arizona middle-school student diagnosed with cerebral palsy and dyslexia, was falling behind in public school before discovering the states ESA program. Now, Visser receives more individual instruction time, is making progress with physical therapy, and is succeeding academically.

Importantly, ESAs will not be a new expense for Pennsylvanias state government, since recipients must be previously enrolled in public schools.

Pennsylvanias education committees should be applauded for pursuing ESAs. We cannot expect any one school to the best option for every student living within arbitrary district boundaries. ESAs help children break free from those boundaries and reach their full potential.

JAMES PAUL, Harrisburg

The writer is a senior policy analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Shutterstock photo

1. All Pennsylvanians should be provided with comprehensive healthcare

I feel the frustration directed at Washington politicians concerning the turmoil over healthcare. After all why should the government feel obligated to provide Americans healthcare? Maybe some guys that risked their lives to sign a document in July 1776 would have something to say about that. Let me quote them:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But does that "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" thing make government responsible to provide us with a working healthcare system? If this is the case then why would Congress resist providing all of us healthcare? Maybe the reason is that politics and profits mean more to them than these mere words.



I do see a ray of hope in the Pennsylvania House Bill 1688. This bill will provide every resident of our commonwealth with comprehensive healthcare. This plan provides complete health coverage with the doctor of your choice. Also this plan is not job/employment based, meaning if you're out of work, you and your family still have health coverage. I think most of us have paid more than 13 percent to the insurance industry for inadequate coverage. To learn more about this go to www.healthcare4allpa.org.

MARTIN HANN, McConnellsburg
Last month, I chaired a policy meeting at which Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney spoke.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

I listened closely as he outlined his goals for the first budget of the Trump Administration.

The former South Carolina congressman, carefully and thoughtfully discussed his concepts for reducing the deficit, restraining government spending and boosting economic growth.

Mulvaney, the father of triplets, is a good Catholic from the Carolinas--no easy thing. He was both a lawyer and businessman before going to Congress.

His demeanor and words were confidence builders from the start, allowing him to come across as resolute and thoughtful without a hint of mean-spiritedness.

It was, therefore, a little surprising to hear the howls from the Left when Mulvaney helped introduce the Trump budget this week.

"...Children will die..." as a result, inveighed Comrade Bill Di Blasio, the far left-wing mayor of New York City. Really?

Any serious debate over budget priorities go out the window when the opening statement is that kind of nonsense. Unfortunately, the Left can't talk numbers so they talk trash.

What did the Left expect?

For eight years Barack Obama told us that "elections have consequences."

One of the key things that the election of 2016 told us is that taxpayers who foot the bill for government's spending are fed up with reckless use of their hard-earned dollars.

The Trump budget is a "consequence" of the desire of the electorate to get spending under control and have budgets based on proper functions of government and that don't begin with automatic spending increases.

The Trump budget proposal, while not fully employing "Zero Based Budgeting" introduces a new level of accountability that doesn't simply allow systematic spending hikes without any discussion or debate.

It allows for a serious discussion of the proper role of government and what it should ask its hard-working citizens to pay for and how much that should be.

Most important, it leads to economic growth, the two most important domestic policy words for this and every administration.

It's strange that one of the criticisms being leveled at the budget proposal is that it's economic growth projections are overly optimistic.

They say that 3 percent annual growth isn't achievable.

After eight years of anemic growth you can understand that some Democrats, still enamored with Obama's dismal record, can't fathom an economy with sustained growth.

Barack Obama's economy never hit 3 percent growth despite his promises that we'd be closer to 5 percent.

Other presidents fared much better.

The rate of economic growth for the last 50 years of the 20th Century was 3.3 percent.

Under President Reagan and even President Clinton, 4 percent annual growth was not uncommon.

Without steady economic growth, at 3 percent or higher, the level of entitlement spending the liberals want to preserve is impossible with drastically increasing the debt.

The key ingredients for sustained economic growth are tax reform, much of which Trump has already put on the table, and regulatory reform (over regulation is an especially noxious tax), which he's accomplishing on a daily basis

In classic Washington-speak, the leftists cry about "cuts" to Medicaid, when the truth is that all that's being suggested is scaling back the rate of spending growth.

If the Trump budget were passed as proposed (it won't be), in 10 years we'd still be spending more annually than we are today.

One area where actual cuts are being proposed is with SNAP, the most recent acronym for food stamps.

Even that proposal takes funding for the program back only to levels that existed during the early years of the Obama Administration, when there weren't any of the horrors now predicted.

Obama, of course, dramatically increased spending on food stamps from $37.6 billion to $70.9 billion. The Trump proposal is for very modest cuts spread out over a decade.

The dramatic increase in spending for the program helped to drive up the deficits of the Obama administration, causing the national debt to skyrocket $9 trillion in eight years.

Democrats once thought it was acceptable to cut food stamp spending to halt the rapid escalation of the national debt. Only nine Democrats opposed such cuts just three years ago.

Sadly, as has been -pointed out by several in recent days, too many on the Left want to measure "compassion" by how many people are placed on welfare rolls, added to entitlement programs and subsidized by taxpayers.

The more compassionate course is to allow as many as possible to leave the welfare rolls and other forms of dependency and have productive, family-sustaining jobs.

Others on the far Left are criticizing Trump's request for increased defense spending.

Defense spending has lagged as a percent of GDP for years. Trump's proposal is for a 3 percent increase in the next fiscal year which will roll back to 2.3 percent in the next decade.

A 3 percent increase, not coincidentally, mirrors the rate of projected growth in the national economy.

As we observe Memorial Day and the sacrifices made for all of us and our freedoms, it's appropriate to think about the cost of freedom and the military that defends it.

The Trump budget proposal isn't perfect.

None are. It's a great start because it boosts a rising tide that can lift all boats.

It lightens the burden on hard-working taxpayers, slows the rate of spending increases, introduces new accountability and paves a path to prosperity through sustained economic growth.

Charlie Gerow, the CEO of Quantum Communications in Harrisburg, is a PennLive Opinion contributor. His "Elephants & Donkeys" column appears weekly opposite liberal commentator Tony May.
By Susan Stamper Brown

A Harvard study published May 18 reveals what thoughtful Americans already knew: Extreme anti-Trump bias runs rampant in corporate media.

Susan Stamper Brown (Cagle Syndicate photo)

The study found that CNN, CBS, and NBC produced more than 90 percent negative coverage during Trump's first 100 days, followed by the New York Times at 87 percent, and the Washington Post, 83 percent. Only Fox News offered close to balanced coverage with 52 percent negative coverage.



That explains why last week was filled with over-the-top reporting about President Trump sharing sensitive intelligence with Russian officials visiting the White House. Reportedly, the disclosure included information that ISIS has developed a way to mask bombs inside laptop computers that can slip undetected through airport screening.



Russia is a lot of things, but in the case of ISIS, Russia is our ally.



The overdramatic hype about Trump doing what every president before him has done to share information with an ally to prevent a terror attack is a head-scratcher to those who recall the events of September 11, 2001 as a bad thing.



We are aware of these details thanks to an agenda-driven media lacking discretion and leakers lacking a conscience. Who in their right mind would leak to the public information that burns intelligence sources? It's obvious there is no longer an ethical code by which most of the press abides.





Those whispering secrets to the wind do so for a reason.



Given the unprecedented volume of leaks and the Obama administration's lack of integrity, someone should re-sweep the White House for bugs.



If it is "treasonous" for the president to share information to protect lives with an ally behind White House closed doors, then what shall we call it when a blabbermouth leaks this sensitive information to media organizations, which in turn proverbially broadcasts it with a bullhorn?



This is not about the First Amendment; we're talking about discretion.



It's also about intent. If anonymous sources are not authorized to speak publicly about intelligence matters but share them with the media, we should focus on prosecuting both the leaker and culpable media.





At the very least, fed-up Americans should cancel subscriptions to the Washington Post and New York Times and stop watching news channels that care more about destroying the president than they do about protecting American lives.



Sure, Trump's methods might be questionable, but what's not in dispute is his pure-hearted desire to keep Americans safe.



The same media in full throttle to destroy Donald Trump performed journalistic backflips to protect the proverbial WikiLeaks of all presidential administrations, the Obama administration, which sprung so many leaks even Flex Seal wouldn't help.



Leaks such as the time the Obama administration put a proverbial target on Navy SEAL Team 6 operators' backs when it leaked key operational details about the Osama bin Laden raid, blabbing about SEAL Team 6's participation.

To this day, family members blame the Obama administration for what they believe was retaliation when the Taliban later downed a helicopter in Afghanistan which killed 30 soldiers, including 15 SEAL Team 6 members.



In 2012, Obama leaked sensitive details about an "underwear-bombing" plot and the mission was forced to a standstill because of that leak, which former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers suggested was utilized to generate positive press and boost Obama's reelection chances.



The media also snoozed as the pantsuit queen they pre-crowned as president was caught transporting classified emails on an illegal server hidden in a bathroom. It was "nothing to see here" even when evidence unfolded about a complex scheme to conceal or destroy emails and burn or hide potentially damning daily calendar entries.



Every administration has intelligence leaks. The current leaks are due to a convoluted effort intended to hurt President Trump, while Obama's leaks were about making him look good.

What they have in common is the press involvement which ends up potentially endangering human life.



Susan Stamper Brown is a regular contributor to Townhall, The Christian Post and Right Wing News. Her work appears most Sundays on PennLive. Readers may email her at writestamper@gmail.com.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) The onset of the southwest monsoon is likely to advance further due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to turn into a "severe cyclonic storm" by tomorrow night, the MeT department said today.

The MeT department said that rains were likely to begin in Kerala by May 30-31, marking the onset of monsoon in the country.

advertisement

Earlier this week, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) M Rajeevan said conditions were favourable for the advancement of monsoon to May 30.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General K J Ramesh said the deep depression would help in the advancement of monsoon over Kerala and northeast India.

"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of southeast Arabian Sea, Maldives area, some more parts of Comorin area, southwest Bay of Bengal and east central Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of southeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of west central and northeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours.

"With the strengthening of westerlies and likely northward shift of the shear zone, conditions are also becoming favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon and its setting in over Kerala and parts of northeastern states around May 30-31," the IMD said.

The deep depression is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by May 29-30 and cross Chittagong by the noon of May 30.

This will bring "heavy to very heavy rainfall" in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the IMD said.

Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, said the deep depression Will be responsible for an early onset of the the southwest monsoon.

The MeT has predicted a "normal" monsoon this year. PTI PR SMN

--- ENDS ---




gina.gov.gy



The Americas 26th annual La Jolla Energy Conference

Guyana sending right signals. The critical issue of transparency still looms - Raul Gallegos.

The Institute of the Americas 26th annual La Jolla Energy Conference got underway this past week in San Diego, California marking the beginning of two days of dialogue and debate on the future of sustainability and energy policy in the Americas, reported Guyana's OilNow.com

Brazil and Mexico had prominent speakers on the agenda with Wilson Center Directors Paulo Sotero of the Brazil Institute, and Duncan Wood of the Mexico Institute both set to lead sessions at the conference. On May 24, Duncan Wood co-chair a roundtable on the outlook for U.S.-Mexico energy trade; and on May 25, Paulo Sotero had discussion on the changing energy and political environment in Brazil.

As Guyana moves closer to entering the league of oil producing nations, developing an understanding of how the industry works and what are the driving forces behind exploration and production activities, and how these factors influence the entire supply chain are becoming even more important.

OilNOW representative, Michael Leonard, attended the evening's opening ceremony where a number of issues relevant to Guyana's emerging oil and gas industry were discussed.

Speaking at the event, David Victor, Professor, School of Global Policy & Strategy (UCSD) said a key challenge for oil producing countries continues to be the management of oil revenues. Getting this wrong leads to a number of challenges as can be seen all over the world, and closer to home for Guyana, with its neighbor, oil-rich Venezuela.



Higher oil prices, while good for operators, the host country, and investors, also create incentive for more corruption, Mr. Victor pointed out.

Already, Guyana is in a race against time to put the necessary legislation and framework in place in preparation for first oil. The country has been getting support from a number of international partners and is making progress in putting the necessary systems in place. Multiple regulations are being drafted and proposed amendments to existing laws are being written and studied as the Guyana government gears up for the beginning of a journey that could transform the nation and deliver prosperity to its small population of just over 750,000.

Measures taken to date include; include the updating of Guyana's National Upstream Petroleum Sector Policy, creating a Guyana National Local Content Policy (draft), revision of model production share agreements, updating of the 1986 Petroleum Exploration and Production legislation, and fashioning of a draft Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill. Petroleum taxation fiscal rules and regulations have also been drafted and the consultation process for the Petroleum Commission of Guyana completed.

The country's natural resources minister, Raphael Trotman, has indicated that a national oil company will be developed in 2018 and a petroleum institute will be established by 2020.

Issue of transparency looms

A political risk analyst in the oil and gas industry said today at an energy conference in California that while the Guyana Gov't is sending right signals and appears to be pro-business the critical issue of transparency in the South American country still looms.

Senior Analyst for the Andean Region, Raul Gallegos, of Control Risks' Global Risk Analysis, said his organization is tasked with advising companies about the risk they face on the ground from communities, NGOs, governments, and other groups in countries they operate in.

In the case of Guyana, Mr. Gallegos said a number of companies have been knocking on their doors asking how they should manage these risks. They are very concerned about what kind of framework they are going to be facing, as far as the legal framework for the energy industry.

The Analyst said so far these companies are not so worried about political stability and whether or not Guyana's President, David Granger, would still be in office by the end of his term.

But they are concerned that the government would take the right steps to adopt sustainable policies over time and not end up ruining the oil sector and certainly a fragile small society with a huge influx of cash that is likely to come in the next few years, Mr. Gallegos pointed out.

He said building an oil industry from scratch, as is the case in Guyana, is a huge challenge and it is important that lessons are taken from countries that have done it before. My understanding is that the Granger government has been reaching out to Canada and Norway and a number of players. I think that is a good thing.

Mr. Gallegos said he hopes that the current government in Guyana adopts some of the lessons learnt from these countries since it is a challenge to manage a new industry and the amount of wealth that comes from oil production activity. It is worse to have money mismanaged than not to have any money at all, he stated.

He said this is a lesson for every resource-rich country, noting that some countries, such as Norway, manage it much better than others.

Multiple regulations are being drafted and proposed amendments to existing laws are being written and studied in Guyana, as the country gears up for oil production, set to get underway in 2020.

The political analyst spoke with OilNOW on the sidelines of the 26th annual La Jolla Energy Conference currently being held in San Diego, California.

Regulatory framework

Guyana's success as an oil producing nation will depend heavily on the regulatory framework that is established and the transparency of agencies overlooking the operations of the oil and gas sector. Experts attending an energy conference in the US say regulators must be specially trained and equipped to work with multinational oil companies such as ExxonMobil , that operate under an international standard of regulations.

Speaking to OilNOW at the 26th annual La Jolla Energy Conference in San Diego, California, on Wednesday, Zeeshan Syed, Vice President at Alberta Energy Regulator, a Canadian-based corporation, said one of the key risk factors for countries like Guyana looking to attract foreign investment, is the regulatory system that is in place. The more transparent and the more of an international standard that exists; it makes sense for operators and investors because the risk goes down.

He said, contrary to the view that multinational oil companies prefer little or no regulation, the reality is that regulations provide a stable framework for them to operate, and this is preferred. They would much rather have a template or a model that is applied around the world because it is easier for them. They assign resources accordingly as well. A lot of instability comes with zero regulations.

Over the last two years there has been a lot of interest from regulators around the world in the oil and gas sector about how they can improve systems and procedures. Mr. Syed said a number of these regulators have been looking at Canada to learn from both its mistakes and successes.

He is part of the International Centre of Regulatory Excellence (ICORE), a world-class regulatory training institute, working in partnership with Mexico to build momentum on regulatory best practices. ICORE is an initiative of Alberta Energy Regulator.

Mr. Syed said many countries are in a position where they need to create national-level legislation that enacts energy reform.

In Guyana, multiple regulations are being drafted and proposed amendments to existing laws are being written and studied as the country gears up for oil production, set to get underway in 2020.

The country has also been moving to set up a number of regulatory and oversight bodies, such as the recently constituted Petroleum Department within the Ministry of Natural Resources. Work is also ongoing for the establishment of a Petroleum Commission.

While these are necessary and important steps, the need for placing the right personnel in positions is important if the regulatory framework is to be effective. You need to have that strength in departments, you need to have the proper leadership there, you need to hire the right people who have to be trained in the right way to be proper regulators, Mr. Syed pointed out.

Meanwhile, Luis Martinez Montoya, Coordinator of Advisors, ASEA, said the most effective approach is for Guyana to look at international best practice in the industry and build on this, rather attempting to reinvent the wheel. You have to look into international practice. There are a lot of things that have been done in some other countries that are working greatly, and you should look up to those practices. Try to get what works for your country and just get rid of what doesn't.

There is a lot to be learnt from the industry itself, he said, pointing out that operators know what they are doing, and listening to them can be instructive. However, he was quick to point out that this must be done in a way that avoids conflict of interest and the role of the regulator must be separated from the role of companies. Listen to them, but just stay on your feet as the regulator, and you have to find a way in which you are able to avoid conflict of interest and so on. I would say transparency is one of the best mechanisms to avoid problems.
FORT WORTH, Texas  Jordan Spieth was walking down the 11th fairway Saturday when his caddie Michael Greller broke the news: The stifling heat had made it impossible for him to finish out the third round at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational.

This is my last hole, Greller said.

So after completing the 11th, Greller left the course to receive medical treatment while Spieths trainer Damon Goddard took up the bag. Spieth eventually finished with a 2-under 68 that leaves him at 4 under for the tournament and tied for eighth. Hell start Sundays final round five shots behind leader Webb Simpson, and he said Greller will be back on the bag for the slightly cooler (mid-80s) day.

Mike said hell be plenty fine by tomorrow, Spieth said. [He] just needed to pack it in, otherwise something really bad could have happened. It was a no-brainer situation.

Temperatures climbed to 96 degrees  with a heat index of 108  Saturday on the hottest day of the PGA TOUR season.

Everybody is talking about it, said Stewart Cink, who had the second best round of the day, a 4-under 66 (Emiliano Grillo shot a 65). Its like Topic No. 1 in the locker room and on the range. Its hot. I think the main thing is its really the first heat of the year weve experienced.

Added Simpson: It's 100 degrees out there. Knowing that caddies are going down, we were just trying to stay upright.

Greller, already feeling ill, knew before Saturdays round that he might not last, so he confidentially told Goddard  who was already planning to be at the course -- to be prepared to take over. Once the round started, Greller made several restroom trips; Spieth thinks it was to find shade and pour water over his head.

At one point, Greller said he had stopped sweating, and realized that was a problem that needed to be solved. But not until the 11th fairway did Spieth realize the full extent of the problem.

I was kind of surprised, Spieth said. I guess he had told Kelly (Kraft, Spieths playing partner) at some point during the round. Kelly asked if he was OK. I thought he was acting a little strange, a little quiet. I guess it just got him early on today.

Said Goddard: I saw [Greller} fading a little bit earlier, even in warmups. Hes a trooper. On 12, I got tapped in and we said lets go.

Its not the first time Goddard has carried Spieths bag in an emergency situation. At the 2014 Shell Houston Open, Greller became ill, and Goddard filled in for the first round  with Spieth shooting a bogey-free 2 under.

The streak didnt continue Saturday, as Spieth three-putted the 14th for a bogey. But he bounced back with two birdies on his last three holes.

We actually had a blast towards the end there, Spieth said. Both of us kind of got a little off for the first few holes in the middle of the back nine there, and then we were able to grind it out and finish strong.

Yeah, its a little awkward, but I ended up setting off stuff and doing everything, so kind of slows the pace down a little bit.

Besides training Spieth, Goddard trains Kraft, who also lives in Dallas. That gave Goddard a chance to see both players up close in the same pairing.

It was actually good timing for Greller to go down, Goddard. Now I can see them in game-time scenarios. It was good. It was fun.

And it was hot.


Ruling out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, BJP president Amit Shah insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

By Press Trust of India: BJP president Amit Shah has ruled out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, but insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends.

Asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat (separatists) too as was done by the previous NDA government, he told PTI, "Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to every one."

advertisement

The Agenda of Alliance sealed by the BJP and the PDP before they formed the government in the state talks about holding dialogue with all internal stakeholders.

"We have said that we will start dialogue once stone- pelting stops. As long as there is stone-pelting, there cannot be dialogue. We cannot give them flower if they pelt stones. They will have to understand it," he said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the performance of the state government, in which the BJP is a junior partner to the PDP, he said it had done very good work on developing infrastructure and succeeded in bringing development to far- flung areas which, he added, had been connected in a strategic way.

For the first time, he has said, Jammu and Ladakh, two other regions in the state besides Kashmir, believe that they have got "justice".

He also played down the current cycle of violence in the valley, saying the region has seen such "hot situation" in stretches of six, eight or 12 months earlier as well, before security forces controlled it.

"You cannot assess the situation in Kashmir by picking one stretch of six months. You will have to see the entire period from 1989 to May 2017. There have been many stretches of six months, eight months or one year when the situation has been hot before our security forces controlled it," he said.

Kashmir has been witnessing frequent clashes between security forces and stone-pelting mobs in the past few months.

ALSO READ | Modi government will find a permanent solution to Kashmir issue, Rajnath Singh tells India Today

ALSO READ | 'Terrorists in Kashmir will not live to see this winter' Army vows to wipe out militancy

ALSO WATCH | Modi government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue: Rajnath Singh to India Today

--- ENDS ---
Jack OByrne, executive director of the Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum, opens the Camden FireWorks, half-a-block up South Broadway from the museum. The FireWorks will house artists studios and gallery. Read more

Wanted: Artists looking for a place to live, a studio in which to labor, and a gallery for showing work to a fledgling community of other creative types.

There's no rent, there are no fees, and for a savvy young (or youthful) urbanite, there should be no problem in the fact that the community, the gallery, the studio, and the residence are in Camden.

"We're only asking each artist to do eight hours of work a week on art projects in the community," says Jack O'Byrne, executive director of the Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum. "They'll help beautify Camden and build their [professional] track record."

Similar to an internship, each Waterfront South Artist Residency will last 10 weeks; applications are being accepted online for the first cohort of four artists, who will begin their residencies Oct. 1.

"They could have a major impact," says O'Byrne, who also is executive director of the Camden County Historical Society. He came up with the residency program as a way to bring fresh talent into the neighborhood, and to the charming work-in-progress that is the Shipyard & Maritime Museum.

Featuring interactive exhibits, maritime memorabilia, and a boat-building shop, the museum opened last year in a former Episcopal church. It sits diagonally across Broadway from the Camden FireWorks, where galleries, studios, and educational programs debuted last year in a handsomely restored Victorian-era firehouse.

FireWorks will offer free studio and gallery space to the resident artists, who will live in the century-old former rectory adjacent to the museum. About $135,000 in renovations to the rectory are getting underway and should be finished in September.

"There's baggage that adheres to the word Camden," observes FireWorks president Cassie MacDonald. "But those of us who live and work here know what a great place this neighborhood is."

A distinctive section of a city not long ago written off by purported experts in Trenton and elsewhere, Waterfront South is home to a growing number of arts and culture organizations, including the South Camden Theatre Company and a soon-to-open writer's center named for the late Nick Virgilio, the city's renowned master of haiku.

"This residency program," MacDonald adds, "is an incentive for people to at least come and look around."

They may be surprised to discover what she calls "little islands of interesting energy" scattered throughout the neighborhood, including a retreat center and urban agriculture program run by the Center for Environmental Transformation, and the Michael J. Doyle Fieldhouse, a recreation complex honoring the longtime pastor of the Catholic parish of Sacred Heart Church, a Waterfront South anchor.

It's worth noting that these programs and facilities have arisen not from mega-projects of the sort underway in many other parts of Camden, but from within Waterfront South itself.

For decades, scrappy nonprofit organizations, most of them, such as Heart of Camden, nurtured by Sacred Heart, have helped renovate houses and other buildings, create pleasant public spaces, and otherwise improve the physical and social infrastructure.

"There's so much going on," notes Robin Palley, a board member of the Nick Virgilio Writers House, which is expected to open this summer in a meticulously renovated corner property at Broadway and Ferry.

"We're finally approaching critical mass," Palley says, adding that the residency program will bring "more creative energy to an area that's beginning to come back." Adds fellow board member Henry Brann: "Artists are the weather vane."

Genevieve Coutroubis agrees. The director of artist programs at Philadelphia's Center for Emerging Visual Artists, she says talented young creative types seeking inexpensive places to live and work often are attracted to neighborhoods such as Waterfront South  even in the absence of baristas, brewpubs, or bike lanes.

I point out to her that even a Waterfront South fan and old Camden hand like me can be unsettled by the abrasiveness of streets where drug-dealing and prostitution are so often visible.

"If there's anybody who's tough enough [for such a neighborhood]," she says, "it's artists."

While Coutroubis is correct, I don't expect Waterfront South to become the next Fishtown, much less the next Brooklyn or any other urban neighborhood where an influx of newcomers leads to difficulties or even displacement for longtime residents.

O'Byrne and MacDonald say the residencies and other programs offered by their nonprofit institutions aim to engage not only visiting, but local, talent. Gentrification, they add, is not the goal.

"We want to create an artists' community that is really integrated into the neighborhood, and making it a more beautiful, livable, equitable place," MacDonald says. "Change that's going to help everyone is not going to happen overnight."

Things do tend to take time in Waterfront South, where the Shipyard & Maritime Museum, the South Camden Theatre Company, Camden FireWorks, Nick Virgilio Writers House, and other projects took years to reach fruition.

Locals also hope that at least two of the city's mega-redevelopment projects will have a positive effect on Waterfront South: The "world's largest indoor farm" has been announced for a site a few blocks north of the museum, and the enormous Holtec Technology Campus is nearing completion just south along Broadway.

O'Byrne sees the residency program as helping boost not only Waterfront South, but other neighborhoods.

"I want this to be the basis of a citywide mural arts program," he says. "It's my dream. But it's totally possible."

For more information about the Waterfront South Artist Residency program, email camdenshipyardmuseum@gmail.com
Welcome home, Mr. President. Happy Memorial Day weekend, and congratulations on an international trip free of major faux pas. Almost forgotten is that within minutes of your wheels-up departure from the United States more than a week ago came yet another revelation pertaining to Russia and the election. It remains to be seen whether you can keep some positive momentum going from your recent voyage. Let me help by giving you some unsolicited advice, pro bono. I don't know if you're not getting good counsel, or are ignoring the good counsel you are receiving, but I'm going to assume it's the former.

First, Robert Mueller's appointment is the official statement of official Washington that if you broke the law, you're out, one way or another: impeachment, indictment, or cabinet removal under the 25th Amendment.

I don't know if you have broken the law, meaning whether you have impeded official investigations, but I don't agree with you that this is a "witch hunt." Not when former CIA chief John Brennan last week testified to the House intelligence committee: "I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals. It raised questions in my mind about whether Russia was able to gain the cooperation of those individuals."

Brennan aside, there was already enough evidence relating to Michael Flynn and the Russians to warrant the extraordinary act of the appointment of Mueller as special counsel. After all:

You fired the person who was investigating Flynn (and maybe yourself) after you allegedly first asked that investigator (former FBI Director James Comey) for a loyalty pledge over a Jan. 27 one-on-one dinner at the White House, according to the New York Times.

Then two weeks later, on Feb. 14, according to the Times, and allegedly supported by a contemporaneous memo Comey wrote, you dismissed Vice President Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions from the Oval Office before asking Comey to stop investigating Flynn by saying, "I hope you can let this go."

And despite your initial contention that you'd relied on a May 9 memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that discussed Comey's handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton, we know from your Comey termination letter of the same date that you very much had Russia on your mind ("While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation").

Then in March, according to the Washington Post, you urged Adm. Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, and Daniel Coats, the director of National Intelligence, to "push back" against an FBI inquiry into possible coordination between Russia and your presidential campaign. The Post said that both refused and at least one of them, Rogers, had his version recorded in a contemporaneous memo. Further, according to the Post, "senior White House officials sounded out top intelligence officials about the possibility of intervening directly with Comey to encourage the FBI to drop its probe of Michael Flynn."

That sounds awfully like President Richard Nixon conspiring with chief of staff H.R. Haldeman to get the CIA to persuade the FBI to stop its probe of Watergate.

And of course, just as you departed for Saudi Arabia, the New York Times reported that you told the Russian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States on May 10 in the Oval Office that Comey was a "nut job," and that his termination would relieve "great pressure," a revelation that your White House did not deny in its written response.

Taken together, that sounds like the behavior of someone impeding an official investigation. And you can't make what has happened go away. Not by tweeting. Not by rallying the base or having your allies in Congress or the conservative media complain.

We're beyond that now. You need to hire a criminal defense lawyer and follow that lawyer's advice, which will no doubt include restraint. You also need to engage a political adviser who will stand up to you  and tell you when you are wrong  and you need to follow that advice.

The road ahead is pretty clear: It is nearly certain that the truth will come out. Mueller is a straight-shooter who will get to the bottom of this, and if you committed crimes, you will be removed. But I'm not prejudging you. It's premature and inappropriate to talk about initiating impeachment.

Even if you get past your legal issues, the way  the only way  to save your presidency is to stop talking about this issue, stop being controlled by impulse and instead be governed by discretion and the law. Assuming you do not become legally entangled, your presidency can be rescued. After all, President Ronald Reagan faced many dark days in his second term in relation to the Iran-contra scandal, but he got through it by focusing on his work, not complaining, and maintaining discipline. And pretty much the same thing happened with President Bill Clinton, though that scandal was different.

You can pull out of the downward spiral. But only if you have it in you to stay focused, stay on message, and follow the rules, the law, and good advice.

Michael Smerconish can be heard 9 a.m. to noon on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124. He hosts Smerconish at 9 a.m. Saturdays on CNN.
Evan Mann has grown considerably since he had surgery in 2014 and began receiving regular infusions of drugs. Now 17 years old, he stands 5-foot-6 and weighs 122 pounds. Read more

Why is he so tired, Jackie Mann wondered, not for the first time, as Evan, the middle of her three children, wandered off to his bedroom to take an after-school nap.

Small for his age, the 12-year-old seemed to fall asleep easily and anywhere.

But his parents noticed that Evan seemed decidedly more energetic on the weekends in the semirural community outside Oakland, Calif., where the family lives. Then he went fishing, hunting and hiking with little difficulty.

"We just kind of thought he was faking it," said Mann.

But Mann's concerns intensified after a trip to Lake Tahoe. Evan, an avid skier, would complete a run or two, complain that he was tired, and go back to the cabin to sleep for several hours.

For 18 months, as Evan's fatigue worsened, his growth stalled and he wrestled with unexplained low-grade fevers and joint pain, a series of doctors sought to figure out what was making him sick.

When Evan was in fifth grade, his mother began asking the pediatrician about his unusually small size. But the doctor pointed out that all of her children were small, her husband is 5-foot-6 and Mann is 5-3.

In the spring of 2011, Mann decided to switch doctors, fearing that her concerns weren't being taken seriously. At the time Evan weighed 63 pounds and was 4-4, seven inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than average for a boy his age.

She also found an allergist to determine whether Evan's frequent sinus infections were the result of allergies that might be impeding his growth and causing his fatigue. As a child, he had taken antibiotics frequently for ear infections, and he was often prescribed the drugs for sinusitis as he got older. But the work-up found no allergies.

A few months later, Evan visited his new pediatrician, who was concerned, particularly after he plotted a growth chart, which showed that Evan hadn't grown in at least two years.

Shortly after that visit, Evan developed a bad case of hives and was prescribed several weeks of prednisone, a corticosteroid used to suppress inflammation. The change was dramatic: His energy level and appetite ticked up.

But when school started and Evan stopped taking steroids, the fatigue returned.

During a hike with relatives, one of whom is an internist, Mann confided her fear that Evan had recurring fevers or Lyme disease. The relative was skeptical, but advised her to keep a record of Evan's temperature, along with a symptom diary.

Mann did, and noticed a pattern. Evan's fatigue seemed to descend every third day or so. On those afternoons, he had a fever of about 101 degrees and often complained of a headache and achy joints. Some days he also had mild diarrhea.

"Saying there was a measurable fever got everyone's attention," Mann recalled. When she showed the temperature and symptom chart to the new pediatrician, he immediately referred Evan to a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases.

Evan's hives, fevers and fatigue seemed to suggest an environmental cause. But extensive testing ruled out many zoonotic exposures (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people) including Lyme and hantavirus, as well as other infections.

The infectious-disease specialist referred Evan to a pediatric gastroenterologist.

Solution

During the initial appointment Jan. 10, 2012, the GI specialist looked at Evan's fingers and at the cold sores that seemed ever-present on the corners of his mouth, and he felt the boy's abdomen. Within 10 minutes, he turned to Evan's parents.

"Your son has Crohn's disease," Mann remembers him announcing. "I'm sure of it."

Mann and her husband were shocked  and skeptical. Crohn's, a serious, chronic and incurable autoimmune disorder characterized by severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea, seemed unlikely to them. Evan had only occasional, mild diarrhea.

"How can you be so sure?" Mann remembers asking. The doctor ticked off the telltale signs: Evan's growth was stunted. He had chronic cold cores on the corners of his mouth, a common Crohn's symptom. The ends of his fingers were clubbed. When he pressed on Evan's lower right abdomen, the boy felt pain. Several tests had indicated unusually high levels of inflammation. Evan had greatly improved while taking steroids, a mainstay treatment for Crohn's.

There was a family history: Evan's great-grandmother and another relative had been diagnosed with Crohn's, and another close relative had a similar disorder, ulcerative colitis. Evan also had taken a lot of antibiotics at a young age, which can raise the risk of Crohn's. And finally, the Manns are Ashkenazi Jews, whose descendants came from Central and Eastern Europe; Crohn's is more common among Ashkenazi Jews than in the general population. Scientists have recently discovered several genetic mutations among Ashkenazi Jews that raise the risk of Crohn's.

The disease, which is believed to result from an interplay between genetics and the environment, can look different in children and adolescents, said Sabina Ali, a pediatric gastroenterologist who has treated Evan since 2013. Pediatric patients sometimes don't have the classic symptoms seen in adults with Crohn's  chiefly, severe cramps and frequent diarrhea  which can mislead doctors.

"Evan had extra-intestinal symptoms," Ali noted, adding that extreme fatigue is not common and may point to a second, as yet unidentified problem. "These kids can get sidetracked into other specialties because no one realizes they have a GI problem." In addition "some of these kids may get frequent illnesses or fevers," the latter of which are regarded as signs of infection but actually are signals of inflammation.

An endoscopy and a colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis. Because of the severity of Evan's disease, doctors recommended surgery to remove sections of his inflamed intestines.

Since his 2014 surgery, Evan has received regular infusions of Remicade, a drug commonly used to manage Crohn's. He takes vitamins to counteract nutritional deficiencies.

Now 17, he has grown significantly and is, his mother says, "the healthiest he has been in years." At 5-6, one inch shorter than his older brother, he weighs 122 pounds. He is in his senior year of high school and hopes to attend a California university to study watershed management.

After Evan was diagnosed with Crohn's, his sister was evaluated for the disease. Although healthy, her parents were concerned that her small size might reflect an underlying digestive problem.

"She doesn't have the disease at this time," Mann said of her daughter, who is now 15. "At 4-9, she's just plain short."
On the boardwalk in Ocean City, husband and wife Kathy and Joe Falco of Sewell NJ had slightly different opinions of the Shore. She love, love loves it, and he hates it on holidays and weekends. Read more

OCEAN CITY, N.J.  Truth be told, Joe Falco was thinking about a few places he would rather have been on Saturday morning than sitting on a bench on a boardwalk that was so crowded by bike riders, joggers, and walkers that those on the wooden way needed to stay in their designated activity lane to avoid getting run over.

"I really hate it when it's like this here," said Falco, 74, a retired school principal from Sewell, on the dawn of the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, the official opening of the Jersey Shore season. He decided to sit out his family's annual sampling of beloved boardwalk treats. "Too many people, too noisy for me. I like to come on a weekday when there's practically no one here. This is way too crazy for me."

But for Falco's wife, Kathy, 75, whom he first met on a nearby beach nearly 60 years ago, there was "nothing but love, love, love," as she strolled along in search of breakfast with grandchildren Jackson and Rory Filinuk, of Mantua, Gloucester County, 14-year-old fraternal twins.

"What's there to hate? The worst thing that can happen is there's no sun," said Kathy Falco, a retired kindergarten teacher. "This is paradise to me. It's so peaceful and quiet here. I love it."

So does Kieran Shea, 51, a novelist from Annapolis, Md., who grew up in Manasquan and is visiting the Jersey Shore with his wife and some friends for the weekend.

"We wait all winter for this.  It's beautiful here," Shea said, on a day where sun was plentiful and the high reached into the mid-70s.

It may have been beautiful  and only Memorial Day weekend  but Ocean City summer resident Michelle Orris, 53, of Chester County's Chester Springs, said she was already over the "day trippers" invading the town.

"I'm tired of the people who come here and seem to have no respect for the place. When you see it this crowded, and all of a sudden you can't find a parking space, it kind of makes you wish for Labor Day," Orris said.

And so goes the love-hate relationship that people, often within the same family, have with the Jersey Shore, a 127-mile-long coastal visitor mecca that draws nearly a billion people a year. The Shore significantly helped add $40 billion in tourism revenue to the state's economy in 2016. Tourism statewide employs more than half a million people and is New Jersey's sixth-largest employer.

But in a state that has long been the butt of stand-up comedians' jokes  and two years ago garnered a minus-10 percent rating when New Jersey came in last in a State of the States Poll conducted by YouGov.org  there may be some hits to be taken.

"New Jersey, and the Shore in particular, is like a naturally occurring experiment in human stress," said Frank Farley, a Temple University behavioral psychologist. "People love it or hate it, have very different perceptions of the same place for different reasons."

"We're funneling a lot of people into a small space under a condition  like vacations and holidays  of high expectation. It can get expensive. And if those expectations aren't met, it can be stressful instead of restorative," Farley said.

Then there's the weather, which can make or break the beach experience. The holiday weekend will be a mixed bag, with more sun and high temperatures in the mid-60s expected Sunday, followed by showers and possible thunderstorms Monday, warming into the 70s.

New Jersey beaches are where trash, hypodermic needles, and other debris washed ashore in the late 1980s from a barge carting trash out of New York City. And where a few years later, large tar balls had to be removed after a freighter in the Delaware Bay leaked oil into the water as it made its way from Philadelphia.

This is the land of $10-a-day beach tags, where the fee to park Saturday at a municipal parking lot near the Ocean City boardwalk was $20, a 16-ounce bottle of water costs $4, and a takeout hamburger, soda, and fries on the boardwalk will set you back nearly $20.

And that's in a visitor-friendly town.

Some beach communities  mostly in areas along the northern part of the coast  seem to limit visitor access by charging more than double that amount for a beach tag, offering limited places to park and few basic amenities like public restrooms.

"The only way to enjoy the Shore is to have a cash register around your neck," said longtime Ocean City visitor Vince Benedict, 76, of Collegeville, Montgomery County.

Benedict said he was particularly bothered by beach-tag fees and was "pained" to see "families of modest means come to the Shore for a day trip and have to shell out large amounts of money to simply sit on the sand and walk in the water."

"Why can't the proprietors add a dime to what they overcharge for a pizza slice or a soda and do away with the beach-tag fee? Say what you will about the crazies in California, at least all the beaches are free," Benedict said.

As they are in Strathmere, which is among the reasons Bob Cordrey, 64, of Wilmington, likes going to Upper Township's hidden-in-plain-sight beachfront, where his family has owned a home for 30 years.

Regulars in Strathmere often eschew notoriety. In the 1990s, residents unsuccessfully petitioned township officials to leave the town's name off a new water tower. Souvenir T-shirts sum up the sentiment with the rhetorical question: Where the hell is Strathmere?

"No beach tags and just a quiet, laid-back atmosphere," Cordrey said. "It's really a different kind of place than the rest of the Shore, but we really don't like to talk too much about that."

That's how Melissa Nyce, 45, of Green Lane, Montgomery County, sees her favorite little patch of sand on the northern end of Sea Isle City.

"This is what we love about the Shore," said Nyce, sweeping her arms out in front of her toward the waterfront. "Everybody is down in the center of town. We like it up here where nobody is."

Love it or hate it, travel experts contend that 2017 is already shaping up to be a banner year at the Shore, said Michael Busler, a professor of business studies at Stockton University in Galloway Township.

"Unemployment is down, wages are up, and gas prices are moderate," said Busler, noting that if the stock market goes up and the weather cooperates, "most of the conditions of [the Shore's] macro-economy are set for tourism dollars to increase" this year.
Seth Williams, center, leaves after being arraigned on additional charges at federal court in Philadelphia, PA on May 11, 2017. Read more

Even before Seth Williams became district attorney, his advisers worried that his frequent use of campaign funds for what appeared to be personal expenses might one day land him in trouble.

Questionable spending on haircuts and hotel stays and sloppy accounting in the use of his mother's American Express card prompted his then-finance director Aubrey Montgomery to confiscate Williams' campaign debit card in 2008. Nearly a year later, she urged other staffers to keep a close watch on his political committee's coffers.

"The candidate should have very limited access to campaign funds," she wrote in a June 2009 memo. "Disbursements to the candidate should  be vetted before submission."

Now, prosecutors are seeking to use that memo, Montgomery's testimony, and other exhibits from Williams' past against him at his trial next month on federal bribery and campaign finance fraud charges.

Outlining their intentions in recent court filings, they painted the embattled district attorney as a hypocrite who, despite previous warnings, continued to commit  and in some cases zealously prosecuted others for  the same crimes that now threaten to send him to prison.

"His wrongful conduct was motivated  as was all of the charged conduct in this case  by his perpetual inability to live within his means and his desire to enhance his income," prosecutor Robert A. Zauzmer wrote in a court filing Friday.

For instance, even while allegedly accepting gifts worth thousands of dollars from wealthy businessmen, Williams rolled out a splashy media campaign in 2014 to excoriate six elected officials whom his office had charged with accepting a lobbyist's bribes.

"They don't deserve elected officials who think it's OK to sell their office," he said at a news conference. "There are no free passes when it comes to corruption and elected officials who break the law." Prosecutors now hope to share that statement with jurors.

Williams, 50, has denied allegations that he accepted bribes. And his lawyer has pushed to dismiss other charges involving his alleged misuse of political donations at the exclusive Union League and the Sporting Club at the Bellevue.

When Williams' use of those funds was questioned in the past, he portrayed himself as a humble public servant, forced only by the demands of politics to rub elbows with the city's moneyed class at such elite venues.

His own tastes, he told the city Ethics Board during a 2009 investigation of campaign expenses, ran more down-market.

"I don't go to Delmonico's on my own to eat. I don't go to Four Seasons. I don't go to the Palm  for the most part," he said, according to a deposition excerpt that prosecutors hope to use at his trial. "On my own, I would normally just go to, like, Taco Bell."

For her part, Montgomery, his former finance director, told federal authorities that Williams frequently bucked her advice on appropriate use of political donations, including after a trip to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, expensing to his campaign in-room movies and meals.

"When [she] confronted Williams about these 'add-ons,' Williams stated his belief that he was entitled to a 'per diem' while traveling," Zauzmer wrote in a motion filed last week.

Later, Montgomery said, she used her personal credit card to book Williams' hotel room for the 2009 Pennsylvania Society, an annual gathering of political elites in New York City.

Although she expected that he would use his own card to check into the room, he charged his entire stay  including about $200 worth of in-room movies and room service  to hers and refused to repay her, she said. He allegedly suggested that she instead cut herself a reimbursement check from his campaign fund to cover the costs.

But Williams' lawyer, Thomas Burke, has pushed back against Montgomery's account and any suggestion that Pennsylvania's loose campaign finance laws would bar the types of personal expenses his client now stands accused of making with campaign cash.

Burke has sought to block Montgomery as a witness, calling her unqualified despite her decade of experience as one of the state Democratic Party's top fund-raisers and financial managers.

"The expenditures were consistent with the well-established practice of elected officials in Pennsylvania," he wrote in a recent filing. "Even a cursory review of the publicly available campaign finance reports for many of Pennsylvania's well-known past and present elected state officials reveals comparable expenditures."

But Zauzmer, the prosecutor, bristled at that argument in a response filed Friday.

Williams, he wrote, "is free to argue to the jury that the allegedly improper expenses such as 'deep pore facials,' birthday massages for Williams, and women's leggings were proper campaign expenditures."

Williams has deployed similar arguments to push back against prosecutors' claims that he violated policies on city car use by treating government vehicles as his own personal fleet to ferry his daughters and friends on personal trips, including a 2014 excursion to a Virginia resort.

As district attorney, his lawyer has argued, Williams was not subject to the policies he imposed on his staff and had full authority to change them at any time.

But prosecutors hope to show jurors that, earlier in his career, Williams relished his role as a chief enforcer of those policies while serving as the city's inspector general between 2005 and 2008.

During that tenure, he investigated and reported city employees on numerous occasions for taking government cars home, often subjecting workers who broke the rules to discipline including suspension without pay.

Even after he had left the job, Williams continued to report offenders.

"I can't stop myself," he wrote in a 2008 email to his former secretary in the office. "It is 8:40 p.m. I am in the Lord & Taylor parking lot in Bala Cynwyd and a city-owned minivan is here."
HARRISBURG  Five times a year, Pennsylvania corrections officials meet inside a white block masonry field house on the grounds of the prison near Penn State, and carry out a mock execution.

They escort the "inmate" to the execution chamber. They strap that person onto the gurney. And then they simulate injecting a lethal dose of drugs into his body.

They perform this drill even though capital punishment in the commonwealth remains indefinitely on hold while government officials await a report, now years in the making, analyzing capital punishment's history, effectiveness and cost in Pennsylvania.

The death sentence imposed last month on Eric Frein, the Poconos survivalist who killed a State Police trooper and injured another in September 2014, has reignited questions  and in some cases, criticism  about why the state has taken so long to decide whether to continue or stop, once and for all, executing criminals.

Troopers say Gov. Wolf should sign Frein's death warrant.

"For us, it's all about justice," said Joe Kovel, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association. "It's time for the moratorium to be lifted."

And state Sen. Scott Wagner, a York County Republican hoping to unseat the governor next year, has signaled it's an issue he'll press on the campaign trail.

And state Sen. Scott Wagner, a York County Republican hoping to unseat the governor next year, has signaled it's an issue he'll press on the campaign trail. "I can assure you, when I'm governor, within the first 48 hours, I'll be up there reversing that moratorium," Wagner said in an interview Friday.

Pennsylvania isn't the only state in limbo over the death penalty, as debate has raged over the probability of an innocent person being executed and the propriety of lethal injection as an execution method. Capital punishment is authorized in 31 states, but only seven have carried out executions  31 of them  since the start of 2016, according to Amber Widgery, a capital punishment policy specialists at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A view from the witness area into the execution chamber for Pennsylvania inmates.

"There are people in the world who think that no one innocent has ever been executed, and others who think it happens all the time," Widgery said. There are also some who don't believe you have to constitutionally execute a criminal painlessly, she said, and others who classify lethal injection as cruel and unusual.

In Pennsylvania, those and other concerns led Wolf, a Democrat, to impose a moratorium on the death penalty after taking office in early 2015. He argued the state should await the results of a long-awaited report by the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Committee on Capital Punishment before putting any more criminals to death.

The report is expected to analyze more than a dozen factors involving the death penalty, such as cost, bias and effectiveness.

Wolf's decision has drawn backlash from organizations like the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, which in 2015 called it "a misuse of [the governor's] power" that ignores the law.

The study itself has also come under fire, particularly for how long it's taking to complete: It was ordered up by the state Senate in 2011 and was supposed to be completed by 2013.

"Based on the makeup of the group and how it's operating to date, we have serious concerns about the product that's going to be produced and it's very likely that it's going to be anti-death penalty," said Richard Long, executive director of the prosecutors' group.

Those involved in the study defend their work.

The initial research, conducted by Penn State's Justice Center for Research, took years because the researchers had to physically travel to county courts and district attorneys' and public defenders' offices to access documents, said the center's Managing Director, Gary Zajac.

The process of obtaining this data was a "long nightmare," Zajac said, requiring permission to access the information then "weeding throughirregularly organized files."

"It's a wonder we got done at all, but we did," he said in an email.

The Justice Center's report awaits a final peer review before it is complete. A scholar who had been scheduled to perform that task died, causing further delay.

"The report is almost like it's been cursed from the beginning," said Glenn Pasewicz, executive director of the Joint State Government Commission, which is tasked with producing it then sending it to legislators for consideration.

Meanwhile, tax dollars still go toward keeping prisoners on death row.

Each of the state's 165 death row inmates  from Frein, who was sentenced last month, to Henry Fahy, who has been awaiting his punishment since November 1983  cost Pennsylvania $10,000 more a year to house than a convict sentenced to life in prison. This does not account for the additional legal fees associated with capital cases: Some estimate prosecuting and litigating a capital murder case can cost up to $3 million more than a non-capital murder case.

The state is also paying to maintain the long-dormant execution facility on the grounds of State Correctional Institution Rockview. The last time it was used was in 1999, when Philadelphia "House of Horrors" murderer Gary Heidnik was executed by lethal injection.

"We have spent billions of dollars having a death penalty  including maintaining a death facility  and we have not executed someone who did not ask to be executed" since 1962, Sen. Daylin Leach, a Montgomery County Democrat and one of four members of a Senate task force awaiting the report, said last week.

Leach is an unapologetic opponent of the death penalty. He has introduced bills to abolish it since 2009, arguing that it is "immoral and barbaric," and calling the cost of capital punishment "troubling"  including the cost of maintaining the execution complex.

The "death house," as the chamber at the Rockview prison is sometimes called, requires tax dollars to be heated, lit and maintained. "It's literally something we are getting zero out of," Leach said.

The Department of Corrections was unable to provide information about the costs of maintaining the execution complex. But officials there say it has to be maintained in case an execution is suddenly scheduled.

Corrections officials declined requests to inspect or photograph the inside of the chamber, citing security reasons. They say it contains three cinderblock holding cells, where inmates are expected to spend their final hours. Approximately 20 feet away, in the execution chamber, a window peers through to a witness room, where media, citizens and victims can watch executions from rows of metal folding chairs.The field house has upstairs offices, currently unused, and an adjacent building with a kitchen to prepare an inmate's final meal.

But that hasn't been necessary since 1999.
The BJP minister at an event in Hingoli town of Marathwada on Saturday evening for no reason hit out at the journalists fraternity, alleging that journalists write anything against anyone when offered money and that he will beat such journalists black and blue with his shoes.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Minister of State for Social Justice in Maharashtra BJP government, Dilip Kamble, has once again made an irresponsible statement that has landed him in serious controversy.

The BJP minister at an event in Hingoli town of Marathwada on Saturday evening for no reason hit out at the journalists fraternity, alleging that journalists write anything against anyone when offered money and that he will beat such journalists black and blue with his shoes.

advertisement

"Those who don't work, those who have illegal activities, such ministers are afraid of public but more than that these elected representatives are petrified of journalists. Neither I am afraid of TV journalists or of print journalists," Kamble said.

"I am a very dangerous person, I am disciple of late Gopinath Munde Saheb. For last 35 years I am doing social work and I am a public figure for the same period. I have not indulged in any illegal activity, never have I duped anyone, never have I taken bribe of a penny from anyone. Through out the day I wear only one dress, I don't have habit of changing four suits in a day like some ministers.

"My parents have imbibed good habits in me and same was done by my party. Do you think that political life is possible on the behest of these journalists, these journalists who today pretend to be on our side, tomorrow they are with the opposition, if they get envelope (money) they will write against you. If you offer them envelope they will write against your opponent.

"If anyone dares, he can confront me. If a simple person like me is targeted then it's very shocking, I will beat any journalist, whoever wants to write anything against me, he/she is free to write," he stated.

This is not the first time that this BJP minister's irresponsible statement has landed him and his BJP party in trouble, earlier in the month of March this year, Kamble had said, "Am I a Brahmin to be scared of those agitating or shouting slogans? I'm a Dalit. If they had raised slogan in front of me, I would have slapped them." The minister for state of social justice had uttered this controversial statement against a particular caste at an event in Nanded on March 15, 2017.

This time Kamble not only targeted the journalist fraternity but in his statement, while trying to prove what a simpleton he is, he also attacked those ministers in his own party who have the habit of putting up four types of different clothes in a day.

Kamble in a statement is now trying to justify that his comments were only against those journalists who take advantage of their profession and write only for money. Here it's clear that Kamble could have clarified in his speech itself that he is talking of journalists who take bribes and not those who are very sincere with their profession.

advertisement

The opposition in the state is demanding Kamble's resignation for his irresponsible comments but will the tight-lipped Devendra Fadnavis government take any action against their minister, is a question that only the CM can answer.

--- ENDS ---
FILE  George Soros speaks during a forum at the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington in 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) Read more

Not so long ago, civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner's platform in the Philadelphia Democratic primary would have seemed an unlikely winner. Stop seeking death sentences? No imprisonment for people who can't make bail? Ignore low-level drug crimes?

But prosecutors have increasingly won election on just such promises of reform across the country in the last couple of years, thanks to a political sea change in voter attitudes toward crime and justice  and big infusions of outside cash from liberal billionaire George Soros.

The hedge-fund tycoon has spent about $10 million since 2015 to back progressive candidates for prosecutor in places as diverse as Chicago, Orlando, Houston, and Shreveport, La., through a network of affiliated super PACs, according to campaign-finance reports.

"Mr. Soros has been a longtime advocate of criminal justice reform and ending mass incarceration," his spokesman, Michael Vachon, said last week. "District attorneys have a tremendous amount of influence and leverage as change agents."

Philadelphia Justice and Safety spent $1.6 million in Soros' money pushing Krasner in the last three weeks of the campaign. A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows independent expenditure groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts if they do not coordinate with candidates or their campaigns.

Big money can have an outsize impact in local down-ballot races for DA, which have tended to be low-key affairs despite the impact the office has on a community, political strategists say.

Soros' efforts, along with some allied labor unions, and racial-justice and progressive organizations, have supercharged campaigns for prosecutor in at least 16 jurisdictions over the last year. The activists are capitalizing on what polls show is increasing skepticism of the death penalty and mandatory minimum prison sentences, as well as outrage over police shootings of unarmed black people.

"The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and people are turning against that chest-beating mentality on crime, and the policies built during the war on drugs," said Joe Dinkin, national spokesman for the Working Families Party, a leftist group that nominates political candidates in states where it has ballot access. "Voters increasingly see the system as expensive, punitive, and a failure."

The Pennsylvania chapter of WFP was with Krasner from the start, before the Soros PAC's independent spending. Dinkin said the group helped Krasner with strategy and organizing, and knocked on 70,000 doors for the Democrat in the last three weeks of the race.

A coalition of liberal groups also got behind Aramis Ayala of Orlando last year, when she knocked off the incumbent state attorney for Orange and Osceola Counties as a reform candidate, stressing, in particular, the need to stop arresting large numbers of juvenile offenders. It did not hurt, of course, that the Florida version of the Justice and Safety political action committee dropped $1.4 million for TV ads in the final weeks of the campaign.

Jeff Ashton, the incumbent, said the money was a "hostile takeover of the criminal-justice system" by Soros. He could not compete.

Stephanie Porta, executive director of Organize Florida, said Ayala's victory was the result of "a lot of pieces coming together," including a broad desire among voters for change. But she acknowledged that the late money, along with smaller independent expenditures by her group and others, such as Color for Change, played a role.

"It really let people know there was an alternative candidate," Porta said. "Most people don't focus as much on down-ballot races. Aramis was able to cut through the noise."

When she took office earlier this year, Ayala announced a moratorium on seeking the death penalty. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, transferred the upcoming trial of a man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and a police officer to another state attorney's jurisdiction, prompting an uproar and a legal battle. Ayala had not explicitly campaigned against the death penalty, leading some to claim she misled voters. She did, however, say before the election that she was skeptical about the effectiveness of the penalty.

Overall in 2016, Soros spent money in 15 races around the country and his favored candidate won 12 of them. In Arizona, $2 million went to defeat county Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the tough-talking lawman famous for harsh tactics against illegal immigrants and for running an austere jail.

In Houston, Soros initially backed Morris Overstreet, an African American judge, in the Democratic primary for Harris County prosecutor. Overstreet lost, and the billionaire promptly funded a PAC that spent $500,000 helping nominee Kim Ogg defeat a GOP incumbent. She has moved to de-emphasize prosecutions of low-level marijuana offenses.

Democratic strategist Ken Snyder worked in the Philadelphia primary for former prosecutor Joe Khan, also a candidate promising criminal-justice reform, and he believes now that the Soros money was insurmountable. "It was like a python. It just suffocated the field," Snyder said, adding that the other campaigns didn't have as much flexibility the waged by Krasner, who knew he was getting air support and could concentrate resources elsewhere.

Joshua Marquis, an Oregon district attorney active in the national association of county prosecutors, said that big outside money drowns out other voices and risks politicizing an office that, while elected, needs to be apolitical in the administration of justice.

"No doubt he's sincere and believes he's doing God's work or some close equivalent, but Soros scares the hell out of me in the same way the Koch brothers scare me," said Marquis, a Democrat who supports the death penalty but has rarely sought it. "Anytime you get that much money coming in from people with no community ties, it distorts democracy."

But Dinkin, of the Working Families Party, said the money was not determinative. "The independent spending only amplified Krasner's platform," he said. "If his vision of transforming the criminal justice system wasn't resonating with voters, it wouldn't have mattered."

Sometimes, outside events drive a campaign and not outside spending, as Snyder discovered in the Cook County, Ill., Democratic primary last year.

Kim Foxx, an African American challenger who talked about cracking down on police abuses and diverting low-level drug offenders into treatment, knocked out two-term incumbent Anita Alvarez amid the furor over the 2014 officer-involved shooting of a black teenager, Laquan McDonald.

Alvarez decided not to prosecute the officers involved, and then a graphic video showing the killing  McDonald was shot 16 times as he walked along a street  was released late in 2015, just months before the vote.

"Anita got the blame, and she just went into freefall," said Snyder, who is based in Chicago and worked for Alvarez.

Another Soros PAC, Illinois Justice and Safety, spent $333,000 on behalf of Foxx, but the two candidates were evenly matched in spending. "There are events beyond your control," Snyder said.
Lincoln County officials say Willie Cory Godbolt shot and killed a sheriff's deputy and seven other people. (Photo: Lincoln County SO)

A Lincoln County (MS) Sheriffs deputy and seven others were killed overnight, according to authorities.

The deputy has been identified as William Durr, 36, the Daily Leader reports.

A suspect is in custody. Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said the suspect is 35-year-old Willie Cory Godbolt of Bogue Chitto. He was captured Sunday morning shortly before 7 a.m, Rushing said.

A 16-year-old male Godbolt had taken as a hostage is safe, the sheriff said.

Rushing said details are still sketchy but it appears the deputy responded to a call at Lee Drive of a resident wanting the suspect removed from the property. Rushing said the deputy and three others were killed there. Two more people were shot and killed at a residence on Coopertown Road, he said. A third crime scene was located near where Godbolt was captured, according to reports.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation says Godbolt, 35, is being charged with one count of capital murder, due to the death the deputy, and seven counts of first degree murder, MSNewsNow reports.

The suspect is being treated at a Jackson hospital for a gunshot wound.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

In a 23 page ruling, DC Appellate Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson put a Benghazi conspiracy theory based lawsuit out of its misery.

The suit, filed by Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, sought damages from Hillary Clinton for claims that resemble the talking points Republicans used to keep the fake Benghazi scandal alive.

1. The suit sought damages for wrongful death, claiming Clintons use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State exposed confidential information about plaintiffs relatives to the terrorists who ultimately took their lives in Benghazi, Libya in September of 2012.

2. Smith and Woods also accused Secretary Clinton of defaming them and placing them in a false light during the 2016 election because she disputed their accounts of conversations she had with them about the circumstances that led to the attack in Benghazi.

3. Smith and Woods claimed emotional distress stemming from Secretary Clintons conduct as Secretary of State and as a Presidential Candidate.

In simple terms, Judge Berman Jackson rejected the plaintiffs attempt to sue Clinton for wrongful death as an individual because she used a private email server, rather than in her capacity as Secretary of State.

The Court finds that Secretary Clinton was acting within the scope of her employment at the relevant time because her actions  communicating with other State Department personnel and advisors about the official business of the department  fall squarely within the scope of her duty to run the Department and conduct the foreign affairs of the nation as Secretary of State.

Judge Berman Jackson rejected the defamation claim with a conclusion that is worth noting in this era of Republican candidates assaulting journalists because they ask questions.

Plaintiffs may find the candidates statements in her own defense to be unpleasant or offensive, but Secretary Clinton did not portray plaintiffs as odious, infamous, or ridiculous. To the contrary, the statements portray plaintiffs as normal parents, grieving over the tragic loss of their loved ones.

It follows that since the court rejected these claims, the claim for emotional stress would also fail. All of us recognize the claims in this suit as the Republican and Trump narrative throughout the 2016 election. No one can fault mourning family members for seeking answers when loss is a consequence of a tragedy like Benghazi.

However, the fact that Republicans continued to fan the flames of a fake conspiracy to win the White House exploited the mourning plaintiffs in this lawsuit. That should be more offensive than blaming Hillary Clintons use of a private email server as a contributing factor to Benghazi. We remember, now with irony, Michael Flynn leading chants of lock her up over this.

As several members of Trumps campaign and transition teams are currently under investigation for actual crimes, vs. the fake ones alleged with Benghazi, Republicans arent crying lock them up. Rather theyre doing all they can to provide cover for acts that, at one time, would have had bi-partisan support for investigation, and evidence permitting, bi-partisan support for legal accountability. Rather, we have Democrats doing everything conceivable to get at the truth, with little support from few Republicans, while other Republicans show the appearance of interest in following the facts, in an effort to Nunes i.e. sabatoge the investigation.

Instead, we have a Republican Party with pundits and others continuing to offer nonsensical claims in defense of Trump and others for acts that could ultimately be proven treasonous.

Its also worth noting that two nights ago, a Republican candidate assaulted a Journalist for asking a question  which doesnt come close to the inaccurate perception that Patricia Smith and Charles Woods had of Hillary Clintons actions and statements.

There is an important difference. Patricia Smith and Charles Woods were mourning and took their grievances, however lacking in legal merit, to court. Gianforte (allegedly) assaulted a journalist for asking a question  and still got a seat in Congress. Let that sink in.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) A Delhi University Students Union member today filed a police complaint alleging someone had written "pro-ISIS" slogans on the walls of north campus, police said.

"We have received a complaint and we are examining it," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Jatin Narwal said.

Ankit Sangwan, DUSU secretary and a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), filed the complaint with the police after he was told by some students that the slogans were written on the walls of the Delhi School of Economics.

advertisement

In his complaint filed at the Maurice Nagar police station, he said that he saw "I am SYN ISIS" written on the wall.

This slogan means an organisation like ISIS should be supported, Sangwan said in his complaint.

He also claimed that other slogans like Justice for Naxals, AFSPA, Azadi, LGBTQ were also written on the walls of the Department of Social Work.

Sangwan demanded action against those who wrote such slogans. PTI SLB SMJ

--- ENDS ---
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, put the pieces together and ripped apart the White Houses defense Jared Kushners secret communications with Russia during an interview on ABCs This Week.

Video:

Transcript:



SCHIFF: No, but I think that anyone within the Trump orbit is at risk of being used. And what the general said here, that may be true in the context where youre trying to arrange secret talks with the Taliban to negotiate a peaceful resolution, or youre trying to achieve the release of hostages.

But for people associated with the campaign after that campaign has ended and where the Russians during that campaign were helping you, to try to establish a backchannel and hide it from your own government, thats

RADDATZ: The New York Times and

SCHIFF:  a serious allegation.

RADDATZ:  ABC News have both reported that the talks were about Syria, about the crisis in Syria and other policy matters.

SCHIFF: Well, that I dont think necessarily mitigates this because, of course, the Russians have their own object in Syria very different than ours. They want to prop up Bashar al-Assad. Our policy, at least at that time, if these allegations are correct, was very much in opposition to the Russian policy.

And if American policy was going to change for the wrong reason, that is, as a thank you to their intervention in the campaign, obviously, thats very problematic, just as problematic as it would have been if the conversation was on relief of the sanctions over Ukraine.

Now, again, this is all in the category of allegation, but it is something that our committee needs to get to the bottom of as well as Bob Mueller.

Schiff got to the heart of the matter. The White Houses defense of Kushner is based on a denial that the Russians meddled in the presidential election, and that they interfered to help Trump.

Rep. Schiff brought up the key point that why would one of the closest people to Trump want to establish a secret communications channel with Russia that couldnt be monitored right after an election that the Russians are suspected of helping them win?

This wasnt innocent communication, and no previous recent administration felt the need to establish secret communications with Russia. The why matters here.

Adam Schiff demonstrated why he has become a nightmare for the Trump White House. The California Democrat is using his skills as a former prosecutor to cut through the White House smokescreens like a hot knife through butter.

The line that the White House is peddling that back channel communications are a good thing is falling flat, and if anything has heightened the suspicion of investigators, which is the absolute last thing that the Trump White House needed.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Merkels warning that the US can no longer be depended on is evidence that Trumps first foreign trip was a complete disaster for the United States.

AFP reported:

The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. Ive experienced that in the last few days, Merkel told a crowd at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany.

We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands, she added.

While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, we have to fight for our own destiny, Merkel went on.

While some Trump supporters will cheer Merkels comments, for the rest of the United States her warning demonstrates how much of the Russian goal of weakening the US that Trump has accomplished in four short months.

Trump has wrecked alliances that have avoided another world war for the past 70 years. Trump is distancing the US from its traditional friends in the West while cozying up to Putin and various authoritarians and dictators.

The United States is losing power and influence in the world under Donald Trump. Instead of making America great again, Trump is carrying out the Russian goals of fracturing the West, weakening democracy, and undermining the worlds only superpower.

Merkels warning is evidence that Germany is quickly replacing the United States as the worlds great democratic power.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Chuck Todd interviewed former DNI James Clapper on Meet The Press, and the picture that was painted did major damage to the Trump White Houses version of the Russia scandal.

Video:

https://youtu.be/MlvsrA6VidM

Chuck Todd began the segment with a timeline of the Trump transitions contacts with Russia.

Todd asked Clapper about Kushners conversations with the Russians, I have to say that, without specifically affirming or confirming these conversations, since, even though theyre in the public realm, theyre still classified, just from a theoretical standpoint, I will tell you that my dashboard warning light was clearly on, and I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community, very concerned about the nature of these approaches to the Russians.

Clapper also stated what it was so dangerous for Kushner to be talking to Kislyak, Given the fact that he oversees the very aggressive intelligence operation in this country, the Russians have more intelligence operatives than any other nation that is represented in this country, still even after we got rid of 35 of them  and so to suggest that he is somehow separate or oblivious to that is a bit much.

The former DNI also reminded Republicans who are supporting Trump that Russia is not a friend to the United States, but the nations greatest adversary.

Meet The Press host Chuck Todd asked all the right questions, and Clapper connected all the dots to explain why the contacts with Russia are so troubling. Clapper did say that while he didnt see any smoking gun evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia, there was enough there to necessitate an FBI investigation.

The Clapper interview was the type of story that is incredibly damaging for the White House because it blows holes through all of the tales that they are trying to spin to justify their actions. What Trump, Kushner, and the campaign did was not part of the normal course of political business.

As the White House tries to normalize the Russia scandal, it is vital that journalists and experts continue to point out the facts and emphasize reality.

If members of the intelligence community are willing to leak information, things must be perilous. The dots are connecting, and the picture that is being painted is of a corrupt president and administration who may have committed crimes against the United States of America.

Interviews like that of James Clapper on Meet The Press help contribute to the public understanding of what the Trump administration has potentially done.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Hes back!

The embattled President of the United States is back in town, and just as angry and resentful as before he lost his phone privileges.

Trumps message early Sunday morning: Forget about Russia! The real issue is the leaks coming from the White House, which are fabricated lies made up by the media.

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

Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

.it is very possible that those sources don't exsist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

Trump deleted that tweet and redid it:

.it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

I think this translates in Trump speak to: Jared will not lose his security clearance today and although Trump issues no actual denials, he offers his usual cloak of smoke, subterfuge and redirection.

Of course, this could change in a moment because Trump rules with the mercurial temperament of many infamously bad leaders, leaving his entourage hanging in desperation and pitted against one another.

Trumps message is any reporting on RussiaGate is fake news, and now that Republicans had a big win in Montana by electing yet another assaulter  specifically someone who assaulted a reporter  you should know that the press is the enemy.

Big win in Montana for Republicans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

The problem for Donald Trump is that while under normal circumstances leaking is frowned upon, the Trump administrations seeming collaboration with Russia, a hostile foreign power, is a national security issue and a matter of protecting democracy.

So the people leaking are probably whistleblowers or think they are. Leaks are coming from Trumps own White House, but the majority are coming from the intelligence community, since they are the only power committed to the USA at this point, as the Republican-led Congress continues to look the other way on RussiaGate.

Trump played dumb by pretending that the closeness of the Montana race was fake news until the Republican won, which ignores that Trump carried the state by 21 points and Republican Greg Gianforte won by 7 after he assaulted a reporter.

Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

When you do the math, especially since so many had voted before Gianforte assaulted the reporter (although Im not sure that wouldnt have been a plus in his column for Trump voters), this was good news for Democrats, not Republicans.

According to Donald Trump, Fake news is the enemy; not his alliance with an adversary to the United States or his son-in-law, who wanted to set up a back channel to talk to the Kremlin.

The real fake news Americans need to be worried about is either coming from the White House or Moscow via Macedonia  and sometimes planted in right wing websites.

Trump needs his followers to keep believing him and keep blaming the press. This hatred for the press is what enabled Gianfortes assault on a reporter, and its a hallmark of the loss of freedom.

Trump is trying to smear the press because he cant answer for the revelations coming out of his own White House.

It was so relaxing when Trump was in a different time zone and not allowed to tweet. But hes back. Buckle up.
Watchdog and Public Service reporter

Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576.
With fall in the air, cyclamen start peeking through the leaf litter, giving the woodland garden a splash of color when most plants have finished blooming. As those pink, white or magenta blooms unfurl and appear, it is a memorable sight to see. Read moreFall charmers and winter wonders
Out of Rs 9000 crore loan amount (with interest) taken from the consortium of 17 banks, the ED has established a money trail of about Rs 4000 crore laundered by Mallya.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: To make a strong water-tight case against liquor baron Vijay Mallya in the money laundering case at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on June 13, the enforcement directorate (ED) is all set to file its chargesheet "hopefully within the next 2-3 days".

The hearing on the issue of Mallya's extradition from the UK had been deferred to June 13, which gave ample time to the investigative agency to file its first prosecution complaint (PC) in Rs 900 crore Kingfisher Airlines IDBI loan case. The hearing was earlier scheduled for May 17.

advertisement

"Our team was continuously working on the preparation of the chargesheet since the last few months. All the papers are ready. It should be in a few thousand pages," said a source.

The chargesheet includes the case details, investigation report, statement copies of officials connected to KFA, IDBI Bank and UB group, money trails of Mallya and annexure of evidences.

"The focus of this chargesheet is on Rs 900 crore IDBI Bank loan given to KFA, which later, got diverted by Mallya for his personal expenditure. The entire loan amount is the proceed of crime (PoC) against Mallya", the official said.

However, till now, out of Rs 9000 crore loan amount (with interest) taken from the consortium of 17 banks, the ED has established a money trail of about Rs 4000 crore laundered by Mallya.

Last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a 2000 page-chargesheet against eleven accused including Mallya. "Now, a chargesheet from both the agencies i.e. ED and CBI would support our request to the UK in the extradition of Mallya, as early as possible", an official said.

As per the rule, in the process of extradition, an agency has to file a chargesheet first and then, notify the counterpart country to send back the fugitive, which is a time taking affair.

"It would be a long legal battle in UK, from lower court to high court. No doubt, Mallya will put his best efforts to fight back. From our sense, it may take at least six months to bring back Mallya back in the country", the official said.

From Indian side, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will be arguing the case at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 13. A month back, a six-member team of CBI, ED and Ministry had visited London to discuss the legal strategy with UK arbitrators, hired by Indian authorities.

Also Read:

Enforcement Directorate to file chargesheet against Vijay Mallya in Rs 900 crore IDBI bank loan case in June

Fresh Interpol letter pushes Vijay Mallya further into corner

advertisement

Also Watch:

Vijay Mallya's extradition from UK: How will the process progress?

--- ENDS ---
IBM's sprawling 60-year-old Rochester campus recently had a modern office makeover to accommodate 300 employees moving from private offices to a new open work area.

More than 30,000 square feet of the main level of IBM's Building 050 has been transformed from a dim maze of individual software and hardware development offices into a brightly colored, open area full of the group work tables. It was re-created using what is called the Agile office design plan that seems more in line with a Silicon Valley start-up instead of a massive, venerable company such as IBM.

Demolition and construction for the project started almost a year ago in July. IBM employees in the finance and cloud computing departments moved into the dramatically revamped space in April.

"People were pretty nervous at first," said Phillipa Hartley, program director of the Hybrid Cloud area, during an open house this week.

But that soon changed, she said, as they settled into the new layout.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It's been pretty exciting. Now it's a lot of fun. People are definitely collaborating a lot more," said Hartley, standing in her team's area as the sun streamed through the building's big windows. "It's fun to feel the energy from everybody as they're coming into the office."

She said a lot of her team's time is spent on conference calls and often they need to track down some answers before the next call starts.

"It's so much easier to reach out to somebody with a question between conference calls. Now you can literally reach over and ask them a question. And walking down the hallway, people are much more available now. You just stop in and say 'hello' and smile."

Tory Johnson, IBM's senior location executive in Rochester, acknowledges this is "a big adjustment" for the employees, but it's a way to link the facility's past to its future.

"This is our investment in 21st century office space," he said. "This leads forward to the future."

While it's a very different layout, the architects also incorporated many of the classic elements from IBM's original design into the new look. That includes using bright 1960s primary colors and "space age" furniture designed by the campus' original Finnish modernist architect, Eero Saarinen.

The designers of the new Agile space also included many elements meant to symbolize the synapses of the brain and the circuits on a computer chip.

One example of the circuits motif came about due to a building requirement that power and network wiring could not come up from below because of a development lab under the 050 Building. Shiny metal conduits running in parallel above the office space that bend and angle like giant circuits are the solution that can be seen above the heads of workers.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I think it was very clever of them to make that an architectural element," said IBM's Real Estate Strategy and Operations Manager Mark Carlson.

The details and touches, such as subtle versions of IBM's "Think" logo posted in various forms, show carefully thought out design. However, it is a real estate deal that is driving the whole project.

This shift is part of Big Blue's move to consolidate its employees into eight of the 34 buildings on the campus as the whole 486-acre property is being marketed to potential buyers.

If a buyer acquires the entire 3.1-million-square-foot site, IBM will lease back the eight East Campus buildings with 900,000 square feet of space for its employees. Another possible option is that someone could buy just the 26 West Campus buildings with 2.2 million square feet of space, including about 350,000 square feet of space leased to third-party tenants.

Both possibilities end with IBM retaining a chunk of its Blue Zoo campus.

However, compressing what was 4,600 employees in 2002 into eight buildings required a new approach. While IBM stopped reporting its employee numbers in 2008, a posted government document dated January 2017 lists the Rochester campus as having 2,427 employees.
A CBS station in Sacramento headlines: Trump threats, minimum wage, overtime hitting California farmers hard. Put this one in the category of inadvertently revealing.

Faced with an urgent shortage of workers, California farmers are desperate to be heard. If we cant change the way were doing business, were at risk, said Brad Goehring, a fourth-generation wine grape grower in Lodi. The state has been struggling with this farm labor shortage issue for years, but its gotten to a point where farmers are fed-up. As harvesting season gets underway, many growers in need of workers fear they may lose their crops, and President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration orders appears to only make matters worse.

President Trumps only crackdownhas been on illegal immigration, which is another way of saying that he is carrying out his constitutional duty to execute the laws. So apparently the growers in question have been using illegal immigrant labor, a fact the reporters never specifically acknowledge.

Goehring is among the growing number of agricultural businessmen in California who have tried a number of strategies to lure workers. From putting ads in the paper to offering benefitssuch as health insurance and 401(k)s, Goehring has even increased pay on certain jobs up to $22 an hour.

So some California growers have gone to the extraordinary lengths of offering benefits, and even higher wages! The horror! Isnt this exactly what we want? Economic growth causes employers to bid up the price of employees who help them to create value. Are liberals nostalgic for the days when poorly-paid workers were desperate for jobs and had no leverage?

Really nothing seems to work. When you raise your wages, the guy next door raises his-just keeps going up, he said.

This is sometimes referred to as a competitive market. Keep bidding!

President Trump opposes illegal immigration largely because it drags down the wages of American workers. (I do, too.) I doubt that these reporters understand that they have just proved Trumps point. When threats lead to a decline in illegal immigration, wages go up. Who could have expected that? Anyone with a nodding acquaintance with the law of supply and demand.

The San Joaquin Farm Bureau says Californias minimum wage going up to $15 an hour and regulations on farmworker overtime are making things even more difficult. The cost for our growers to just simply put that product on your table, is going through the roof, said executive director the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Bruce Blodgett. Blodgett adds, The real frustration is they drive the costs up, the commodities we produce are being produced in other countries a lot cheaper than theyre produced here.

Increasing the minimum wage will always hurt businesses and increase unemployment, if the increase puts the minimum wage above what businesses are actually paying for entry-level labor. Whether that is true in the case of California farm workers is unclear; some, according to this same news report, are turning down $22 an hour.

Something more fundamental seems to be going on:

People from rural Mexico are not going into farm look like they did before, said UC Davis Professor of Agriculture J. Edward Taylor. Taylor says more than 90 percent of our hired farm workers come from Mexico, but were seeing 150,000 fewer farm workers each year. Young people growing up in rural Mexico are getting more education that gives them a ticket to higher paying jobs that demand more skills and provide them with more stable employment than they would get in agriculture. This is a case in which what is good news for Mexico, is bad news for CA farm work, said Taylor.

In other words, it takes more than it formerly did to lure Mexicans to come to California, legally or illegally, to pick grapes. This is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Agricultural labor is, supposedly, among the jobs that Americans wont do:

Goehring says he tried to get Americans to do the work. No ones ever lasted through lunch on the first day. They just walk off the job and we dont hear from them again. It tells us Americans simply dont want the jobs, he said.

Whether Americans want the jobs depends on how much they are being paid. Americans will do anything if the pay is right. Quite a few of them will even practice law.

The ultimate solution is technology that reduces the number of workers required to produce grapes and other commodities. This is, of course, a process that has been going on for a long time. In ancient times, 90% of the worlds population had to engage in agriculture in order to raise enough food to avoid starvation. That percentage has declined drastically, enabling the development of modern civilization. The trend will continue. Innovation is often drivenhappilyby rising labor costs.

Professor Tayloradds thatthe alternative is to find new ways to grow these crops with fewer workers, so its all about technology. Many growers in desperate need of workers are turning to machinery to get the job done like this leaf puller which replaces 25 crew members for a period of 6 weeks.

***

Some farmers in California are now experimenting with other robotic replacements for farm workers to help pick crops that are traditionally only picked by hand. And Goehring says if this is not resolved soon, he may have to reluctantly replace his grape business with almonds because if all his estate was filled with nut trees, it can be managed by three employees.

That could be a good decision. A reader who is not wholly in sympathy with Californias growers writes:

If you are unable to be viable because you cannot economically operate under the resource constraints given in the economy, one of which is the native-born labor pooltough luck. This means that higher value opportunities are available to the labor force. Your business, if this is the model, requiring an external increase in population to remain viable, doesnt get to expand or, if entirely dependent on importation of cheap 3rd world labor, goes out of business. This isnt the economic activity were looking for to provide GDP growth per capita for existing native-born Americans.

If, like our correspondent, you went to Harvard Business School, that is the correct answer. But I might stake out a middle ground: much of the wine our family drinks comes from France, Italy, New Zealand and Australia. None of those countries relies on Mexican labor, yet somehow they have found a way to pick grapes. If paying the wages required to attract laboror, alternatively, investing in technology that reduces the demand for laborraises the price of American wine by $1 per bottle, I think we can all manage.
By Press Trust of India: Pune, May 27 (PTI) The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of retirement fund body EPFO today turned down the proposal to reduce the mandatory contributions from workers and employers to 10 per cent.

Presently, employees and employers contribute 12 per cent of basic wages each towards Employees Provident Fund Scheme (EPF), Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) and Employee Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI).

advertisement

The proposal to reduce the contributions by employers and employees to 10 per cent of basic wages, including basic pay and dearness allowance, was listed on the agenda for meeting of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which was held here today.

"The employer, employees and the government representatives expressed their reservations about it and they feel that it should be continued at 12 per cent.

"It is their view and it has been recorded... now we will see... government will take a view on it," Labour Secretary M Sathiyavathy said.

Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya attended the meeting.

In the meeting, CBT approved hike in investment limit in exchange traded funds (ETFs) from the present 10 per cent to 15 per cent, Dattatreya told reporters.

CBT has decided to continue with SBI Mutual Fund and UTI Mutual Fund as ETF managers. PTI SPK RMT ABM

--- ENDS ---
The number of anonymous leaks that have assailed President Trump since his inauguration is staggering. They have come from the intelligence agencies, the FBI, and all over the executive branch, including the White House. Gateway Pundit enumerates the leaks that liberal media have reported on breathlessly during just the last two and a half weeks: 17 of them, almost exactly one a day.

Most have something to do with Russia, but God only knows what. Each of the last three administrations has sought better relations with Russia. George W. Bush looked into Vladimir Putins eyes and thought he saw his soul. (He was mistaken.) Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton tried to reset relations with Russia, blaming the disillusioned W. for the hostility between the U.S. and Russia that then prevailed. And Donald Trump and his advisers have likewise reached out to Russia in hopes of developing a more constructive relationship.

Why? Because we share several vitally important interests with the Russians, notwithstanding our historic enmity. First, as the worlds leading nuclear powers, we have an interest in avoiding nuclear proliferation and catastrophic war. Second, Islamic terrorism poses a problem for both us and the Russians; it is actually worse for them. In principle, we should be able to work together, to some degree, on this issue. Third, China is aggressive and expansionist in the Far East. Russia shares our interest in containing Chinese ambitions.

So it is entirely appropriate that our leaders should seek common ground with the Russians, where possible, in pursuit of our national interests. George W. Bush did it, Barack Obama did it, and Donald Trump is doing it. The main difference between Obama and Trump is that Obama was a pushover for Putin, and Trump isnt.

All of this is so obvious that I have stopped paying attention to the Lefts coverage of alleged scandals relating to Russia. The Democrats desperately hope that someone on Trumps campaign team may have conspired with the Russians to phish the DNCs email server, as well as the RNCs. (Not sure how that works, but liberal conspiracy theories dont have to make sense.) But we know there is no such evidence. If there were, Democrats in the intelligence agencies, who, it now appears, were violating the law to a massive extent in search of dirt on Donald Trump, would have leaked it before the election.

Absent evidence of collusion, the Lefts hysteria over Russia is going to fizzle out. In the end, it will look silly. Meanwhile, everyone knows that the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, the Associated Press, etc., are using anonymous leaks in an effort to bring down the Trump administration on behalf of their party, the Democrats. I doubt that ten percent of the population could deny that proposition, and pass a lie detector test. So if nothing else, we have achieved clarity.

Trumps triumphant foreign trip is a reminder, as Steve notes, that the antidote to the Lefts torrent of ineffective leaks is simple: govern. Here, the biggest concern, in my opinion, is Congress, not the president. Republican representatives and senators should get out of Washington and observe how little the people who voted for them are impressed by the Lefts assault on our president. Congress needs to pass the legislation the voters wanttax reform, Obamacare repeal, and the rest. And they need to do it soon.
The Trump-related scandal of the day is news that Jared Kushner and Russias ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trumps transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities. Reportedly, this possibility  proposed by Kushner  was discussed at the very beginning of December 2016. Nothing came of it.

There is, of course, nothing unusual about wanting a back channel through which to communicate with a foreign government. As Gen. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, says, we have back channel communications with a number of countries in order to communicate in a discreet manner. Thus, McMaster is not concerned.

What seems unique about the arrangement Kushner apparently contemplated (Ive seen no denial of the Posts report and McMasters comments seem to confirm it) is that this back channel apparently was intended to conceal communications with Russia from the U.S. government. Although I dont think theres anything unlawful about such a move, it does raise the question of why Kushner didnt want the Obama administration and our intelligence agencies to know what Team Trump was communicating to the Russians.

The obvious answer is that Kushner feared the Obama administration and/or enemies of Trump in the intelligence community would use the back channel communications against Trump in some way. They might leak the communications to embarrass Trump or they might use the information obtained to thwart Trumps policy regarding Russia.

This fear does not imply guilt. The Trump transition team might simply have wanted to begin laying the groundwork for some sort of U.S.-Russia initiative, perhaps against ISIS. It might have feared that the Obama administration or, after it ended, enemies in the intel community would undermine these efforts. Such fears would be reasonable, as the Obama administrations behavior and the non-stop leaking of classified information in recent months has demonstrated.

I think this is the most likely reason why Kushner considered a secret channel. However, there are much less innocent explanations one can embrace, if one is so inclined. Improper financial dealing and/or hiding evidence of collusion are among them.

At this time, though, such explanations are pure conjecture. They are grist for the conspiracy mill, but not evidence of a conspiracy or of wrongdoing.

The anti-Trump forces may have a point, though, when they accuse Kushner of gross naivety, or even stupidity. Establishing a back channel at a Russian diplomatic facility would have entailed visiting the facility. A former senior intelligence official points out that the FBI would know that a Trump transition official was going in and out of the embassy, which would cause a great deal of concern.

The same former official asked: How would [Kushner] trust that the Russians wouldnt leak [communications] on their side? He concludes that the back channel idea seems extremely naive or absolutely crazy. This sentiment is echoed in comments by other intelligence agency veterans, including Michael Hayden. Most, if not all of them, are hostile to President Trump, but that doesnt mean they are wrong on this point.

Kushners proposal seems extremely naive, if not crazy, for another reason. By early December, collusion and Russian interference had become the primary excuse for Hillary Clintons defeat and the main club Trumps enemies were beating him with. Kushner should have realized that the chances of his back channel coming to light were significant and that, once it did, this would feed the anti-Trump narrative.

Thus, the report of the proposed back channel may raise legitimate concerns about Kusnhers fitness for the outsized role hes playing in the Trump administration. It does not, however, support claims of collusion and/or financial chicanery on the part of Kushner, other members of the Trump team, or the president himself.
Muda Yusuf, the Director-General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, has called for a review of operation of The Single Treasury Account (TSA) to allow easier access to the funds.

He said decentralisation of the account would allow government agencies to have easier access to the funds and resolve the current dearth of funds in these agencies.

Mr. Yusuf spoke at the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Forum in Lagos on Sunday while reviewing the two-year performance of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

TSA is a public accounting system where all revenues, receipts and incomes of all revenue generating agencies of government are pooled in a single account in the central bank.

It was introduced by the federal government in 2012 to check abuses of revenues generated by some agencies of government.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that more than N7 trillion has accrued into the account since its introduction in 2012.

Mr. Yusuf said that the TSA had its advantages, but the over-centralisation in Nigeria had created bottlenecks in the releases of funds and was hampering activities of MDAs.

A structure that is over-centralised will have bottlenecks and when you have bottlenecks, you are likely to have all manners of abuses including extortion tendencies.

The bottleneck has slowed down the operation of MDAs, made their system less efficient and lacked planning because the resources might not be made available on time due to bureaucracy.

It is easy for funds to go into the account, but it is often difficult for it to come out because of the excessive centralisation, he said.

Mr. Yusuf said that there was the need for the Federal Government to evolve a model in the TSA structure that would eliminate bottlenecks, boost operation and productivity of the MDAs.

He said that an efficient public finance structure would stimulate economic growth through governments spending and improve participation and confidence of the private sector.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


By AllAfrica

The top leadership of South Africas ruling African National Congress is this weekend debating a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

The news was first broken by the South African news site, News24.com, and confirmed to Bloomberg by five separate sources. The partys National Executive Committee began a meeting outside Pretoria on Saturday and it was scheduled to continue on Sunday.

Responding to speculation ahead of the meeting, the partys secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, said the issue of Mr. Zumas removal was not on the agenda but refused to rule out the possibility of members of the committeewhich comprises top ANC leaderstabling a motion.

News24 reported that the motion was tabled by Joel Netshitenzhe, one of the partys leading intellectuals and strategic thinkers, who served as head of government communications in the administration of former President Thabo Mbeki.

As the news of the move broke, Johannesburgs City Press newspaper published what it said were emails revealing the indebtedness of Mr. Zuma and his allies to the controversial Gupta family of Johannesburg.

The emails, allegedly leaked from inside the Guptas business organisation, showed how the family seduced Cabinet ministers and CEOs of state-owned companies with opulent hotel stays and chauffeur-driven trips in luxury cars to their home in the exclusive Dubai suburb of Emirates Hills, News24 reported.

Mr. Zuma had been South African president since 2009 and won re-election in 2014.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and his predecessor, Namadi Sambo, on Saturday disagreed over the role played by present and past Kaduna governors in a water project in Zaria, commissioned by Mr. Osinbajo.

Represented at the event by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Oyegun, the acting president had claimed the project had lingered for 16 years but was speedily completed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai in two years.

But the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the 150 million liters per day multi-billion water project was initiated by Mr. Sambo in 2008 when he was governor of the north western state.

Mr. Osinbajos representative described Mr. El-Rufai as one of the most visionary governors the party has produced.

I am glad on behalf of the party, it took an APC governor just two years to complete a project that has been in slumber for over 16 solid years, he was quoted by NAN as saying.

I want to specially thank our host, the governor of Kaduna State, this is one of the showcase examples of what an APC government is all about, he said.

He described the invitation of Mr. Sambo to witness the inauguration as a demonstration of good will of the state government.

But Mr. Sambo struck back in his speech, telling the audience that while Mr. E-Rufais effort was commendable, the project had not gone beyond where he left it seven years ago.

The former vice president however said the event would bring an end to water scarcity in Zaria which had been on for over 40 years.

He urged the benefiting communities to make judicious use of the project and to protect it against vandalism.

The first part of the project inaugurated by Mr. Osinbajo would supply water to Zaria and Sabongari Local Government Areas.

NAN reports that, when fully completed, the Zaria water supply project would also be extended to Giwa, Kudan, Makarfi, Soba and Kubau local government areas.

To facilitate the project, the Federal Government constructed the Galma dam which has 186.1 million cubic metres of water to provide raw water to Zaria water treatment plant.

The state government also secured funding from the African Development Bank and the other financial institutions.

Gov. El-Rufai described the inauguration of the project as a fulfilment of one his major promises during electioneering campaign.

This water treatment plant is an important component of the Zaria water supply expansion project that Kaduna State Government is executing with the support of Federal Government, AFDB, IDB, he said.

The governor explained that the state government funded the construction of the new water plant, transmission mains and service reservoirs, and also rehabilitated and extended the distribution network.

According to him, the project will improve public health and standard of living, enhance investment and commercial activities, as well as create jobs, improve livelihood and reduce poverty.

The ADB approved a credit facility of $101 million in 2012 for the rehabilitation and extension of distribution network of the project. (NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The immediate past Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, who was removed from his post allegedly on the orders of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode breached church protocols and had a longstanding disciplinary problems with the church, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES have shown.

Femi Taiwo, who was removed on May 15, was also ordered out of his official quarters within 24 hours of receiving the letter.

Media reports suggested Mr. Taiwos removal came after his actions during an anointing service on May 14 angered the Lagos State governors wife, Bolanle Ambode, who was in attendance.

The reports said Mrs. Ambode waited endlessly as she joined a queue to be anointed without any preference accorded her; and that she left the church in anger after being anointed.

But a series of letters and correspondences reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Mr. Taiwos problems with the church predated the event of May 14.

The point is that he (Mr. Taiwo) disregarded rules to go and meet the First Lady without authorisation, out of selfish interest, a source at the church told PREMIUM TIMES.

In late February this year, Mr. Taiwo had paid an authorised visit to Mrs. Ambode without the knowledge of the churchs Governing Council; but he allegedly lied to the governors wife that he was sent by the Council.

At the meeting, Mr. Taiwo, those familiar with the matter said, schooled the First Lady on why he should be the alpha and omega on anything spiritual concerning Governor Ambode and his family.

He also reportedly cited the churchs constitution repeatedly to convince the First Lady to always respect his office and powers.

He told the First Lady that the small church inside the State House should be reporting to him. And that he would withdraw some of the staff if his demands were not granted, almost threatening the First Lady, one official said.

Mrs. Ambode, one of our sources said, was shocked by the clergymans attitude, and she promptly contacted the churchs Governing Council to complain.

The Council was shocked that Mr. Taiwo, a supposed man of God, could lie and misrepresent himself to the First Lady, and immediately queried the clergyman, demanding explanation.

It came to the notice of the Governing Council of Chapel of Christ the Light that you requested and held a meeting with Her Excellency on 27th February, 2017, claiming that the Governing Council mandated you to do so, read the query signed by Gbenga Solomon, a Reverend Canon and the Governing Council Chairman.

Please, note that your action was at your behest and not the Governing Council. We learnt that you went with a copy of the constitution, explaining the content to her.

Kindly recall that an emergency meeting was summoned on Wednesday, 1st March 2017, where you claimed that you never mentioned to Her Excellency that Governing Council mandated you. In order not to put the Governing Council in disrepute, respond in writing your position on same.

Following the Councils query to him, Mr. Taiwo wrote a letter of apology, dated March 10, and addressed to Mrs. Ambode stating that the purpose of his visit was not to undermine the First Lady or her office.

I write to tender a sincere apology to you on the matter surrounding our visit to Your Excellency recently, the chaplain wrote.

In honesty, I have high regard for you and see you as mother to all. Your effort in building the Chapel and the State in general is highly appreciated and we pray God to continue to strengthen you the more.

I am very sorry for any embarrassment our visit might have caused you and I plead you find a place in your heart to forgive.

Although Mr. Taiwo apologized to Mrs. Ambode concerning the February 14 incident, he remained consistently hostile and disrespectful of the First Lady, culminating in the May 14 incident that may have quickened his removal, one of our sources said.

The truth is that as a continuation of his hostility towards the woman, he was openly disrespectful to the First Lady at the anointing service. Yet, the First Lady waited through it and never left in anger.

Another official said the pastor remained perpetually angry because another person was made a Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Matters and assumed wrongly that as the chaplain, it was his duty to play such roles and to act as the spiritual father to the First Family.

He was consistently pestering the First Lady with a litany of requests, and was repeatedly advised by the Governing Council. But he does not appear to have any respect for constituted authorities as advised by the Bible.

The source added that the Governing Council was also crossed with the pastor for allegedly converting the churchs bus to his personal use.

The chaplain failed to make amends, an official said.

Repeated telephone calls to Mr. Taiwo on Saturday night were not answered.

But The Punch, which first reported the matter, quoted the former chaplain as saying, I have tried as a pastor to live above board. It will not be right engaging the church or the government on the pages of a newspaper.

An email to Ayo Oyadotun, the new chaplain at the church, was not replied either.

Contacted, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, declined to comment on the pastors removal, saying, We dont want to engage anyone on this matter.

But Mr. Ayorinde had told The Punch that the former chaplain was queried a number of times in the past for conduct unbecoming of his office.

The culmination of various indiscretions led to the Governing Council of the church issuing yet another query that led to his being relieved of his post.

This has got nothing to do with the First Lady. The chaplain is looking for an excuse to cover his insouciance. Its nothing but cheap blackmail.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


There was an air of excitement among the children as the bell rang signalling the period for their recess. Neatly dressed uniformed women, with aprons gathered around large plastic warmers, dished out food in small bowls in fulfilment of a daily ritual of feeding school children for whom billions of naira have been provided as part of a federal government programme to provide a meal for children in primary schools from classes 1-3.

The days menu had rice and stew with banana to go with it. The children, pupils of the Ansarudeen Elementary School in Osogbo, Osun State, stayed quiet as the plates hit the top of their desks. They would not eat until they prayed in chorus, thanking God for providing the meal and praying for those who have nothing to eat.

For most of the children, eating what they consider a good meal every day in school free of charge is fun, compelling them every school day to a place they hitherto considered boring and tiring.

Although school feeding is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, its revival by the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been highly commended. Its main philosophy is developing the childs total mental and physical wellbeing through the provision of one rich meal a day. This was part of the campaign promise made by the president and his team while canvassing votes ahead of the 2015 elections.

Despite an initial pussyfooting on the part of the federal government towards fulfilling the promise, the programme eventually got underway in January this year. It commenced in three pilot states  Osun, Anambra and Kaduna  under the supervision of the federal government.

However, Osun had been executing the programme for several years, while Kaduna State started the programme one year earlier than the kick-off by the federal government.

The initiative, known as the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, NHGSF, is projected to provide 1.14 million jobs across the country, with the engagement of community women as cooks. It is also expected to boost food production and stimulate an investment worth N980 million, annually.

Tagged the Buhari food for the children, the programme, when fully operational, is expected to cover no fewer than 10 million primary school pupils from classes 1-3, while another five million pupils in primaries 4-6 would be covered by state governments through a counterpart funding arrangement.

Figures from the states however revealed that the number of pupils is on the increase due to enrolments and might double in the next two sessions with the current rate of increase.

For instance, Kaduna State witnessed an increase of 400,000 pupils just after one session of operating school feeding.

Although in 2016, the Office of the Vice President announced that N93.1 billion from the budget had been set aside to take care of the feeding programme, actual disbursement commenced in earnest in January 2017.

Earlier in the year, the government said it had released N375,434, 870 to pay 7,909 cooks in five states for the feeding of a total of 677,476 primary school pupils. The states were Anambra, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ebonyi.

However, by the end of April 2017, Zamfara and Enugu commenced the programme, therefore bringing the number of states to seven. Altogether, about 8,587 schools are currently involved in the programme while 11,847 cooks have been employed.

The federal government has so far disbursed about N2 billion to participating states for the programme and other states like Delta are gearing to join the initiative.

However, PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed that besides Osun and Kaduna states, other states involved only satisfied themselves with the federal provisions made for feeding primaries 1-3, while the pupils in other classes were left unattended to.

The federal governments feeding rate per child is N70. The cooks have grappled with the amount since the recession set in. Findings from three states  Osun, Anambra and Kaduna  showed that the general quality and quantity of the food served have been affected by the current economic downturn.

The food vendors contracted to feed the children are calling for an increase in the amount earmarked for each child to at least N100, to enable them provide enough and quality food for the children.

The vision of the programme is to reach all primary school pupils, but at the moment only about 50 per cent of the target population is benefiting from it. Many states are currently facing low revenues resulting in the backlog of unpaid workers salaries. As a result, the federal government risks going it all alone.

Also, the head teachers in schools operating nurseries are grappling with the problem of weeping children who think they were wrongly excluded from the scheme. A good number of them are noticed at every break time hanging by the windows of their older colleagues, seeking to be part of the eating party.

With the programme now stimulating increased enrolments in public schools and the hiking of food prices, including the call to include other categories of children, the funding profile is expected to double in months ahead as the government works to keep the programme afloat.

OSUN FOOD VENDORS ASK FOR MORE

The Osun School Feeding Programme stands out as the forerunner to the federal governments intervention. The state first introduced the scheme in 2006 with about 2,500 pupils. The Programme Officer, Olubunmi Ayoola, said that at the time, the rate was N30 per pupil.

Then the menu was not as rich as what we have now, she told PREMIUM TIMES in Osogbo.

The programme was relaunched on April 30, 2012, with an increase in the funding. At the moment, a total of 3,007 food vendors are involved in cooking and serving food at the elementary schools in the state. The state began with the feeding of pupils from primaries 1-3, however those in grade 4 have now been included.

What it means is that while the federal government programme covers pupils from primary 1-3, Osun provides for one additional class, which was part of its arrangement before the intervention.

Before the intervention of the federal government, the programme was funded by the local and state governments on a 60-40 basis. The local governments were paying more because primary education constitutionally falls within their purview.

The food items approved by the Osun government for the menu list include rice, beans, bread, corn food, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs vegetables and fruits.

Mrs. Ayoola confirmed that before the advent of the Buhari school feeding scheme, Osun paid N65 per pupil, but with the intervention of the federal government, the amount has risen to N70. As at March 2017, the state government was yet to begin the implementation of N70 approved by the federal government.

PREMIUM TIMES findings showed that what gets to the caterers is N41 per pupil.

According to Mrs. Ayoola, the balance goes to the contractors who supply the beef, chicken and fish used by the food vendors. With the N70 per pupil fee, the food vendors are expected to have a slight increase to N42.5k per pupil.

As part of its contribution to the scheme, the government trained the food vendors on hygiene, gave them aprons, assisted them in acquiring decent cooking materials and supports them with N4,000 each as transport allowance.

Our investigation also showed that Osun started receiving funds on the scheme from the federal government on January 23 and had received N466.3 million in four tranches by April.

The funds are paid fortnightly and directly to the accounts of the food vendors and the contractors by the federal government.

The first payment for the first week was N92,425,450; the second tranche was N98,474,700; the third payment was N78,464,884 and the fourth was N98,474,400.

OSUN SCHOOLS FEEDING

PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the primary (elementary) schools to observe the feeding process. The head teachers expressed satisfaction with the quality of food served by the vendors and lauded their compliance with the standards set by the state government. But a common refrain was the complaints by the vendors of the need for an increase in the rate per child from N70 to about N100.

Inspectors were appointed to check the food quality before they are served, while the vendors were provided with a uniform set of plates for serving the children.

The Head Mistress at the Ansarudeen Elementary School, Osogbo, Faloni Sola, told this newspaper that some of the food vendors had laid complaints of the price of food stuff in the market, which is affecting their ability to deliver the quality of food required.

The leader of the caterers at the school, Ganiyat Salau, said an increase in the amount given for each pupil, which is N41, would be appreciated to enable her and her colleagues do better.

Vendors at the African Church Elementary School, Oke-Ila, Irepodun Local Government Area and Union Baptist Government Elementary School, all in Osogbo, also expressed dissatisfaction with the amount given to them. They said they would prefer an increase in the amount received and the right to purchase their fish and beef directly rather than receiving them from suppliers.

That was also the situation at A.U.D Erin Elementary School, Osun, Irepodun LGA, where the vendors revealed that they had not received fish and beef or chicken from the suppliers for a while because of the difficulties posed by the channels of receiving the items.

They were supposed to give us chicken and fish, but we have not received it for some time now, and the last time the one they brought was very bad, we could not use it for our cooking, one of the vendors told PREMIUM TIMES.

They also said complaints had been lodged at the appropriate quarters to rectify the problems, although it was taking too much time to rectify the problem.

Omowumi Fakayode, head of the vendors at the African Church Elementary School, said chicken and fish were no longer regularly supplied by the contractors because of the state of things.

We need the money increased to N100. We need enough fish. We have complained to the Head of Planning and she promised to do something about it, she said.

Sometimes pupils eat without meat on their food. Eggs are no longer served. It has been stopped.

She also revealed that some parents bring their pupils without given them breakfast, hoping the children would eat in school.

We often hear them saying they have stomach pain and when asked what was the matter, they would say their parents did not give them breakfast, Ms. Fakayode said.

A grade 4 pupil of the school, Sadiat, who spoke to this newspaper after a meal, said she would want the government to continue the programme because it had relieved her parents and improved their health. She said the food served to them was nutritionally balanced.

We hope that this will continue because we are happy about it. We feed well and we dont have to spend money to buy food and we dont have to bring food from home to school, she said.

But Mrs. Ayoola, the program officer, believes that N70 was good enough at the start of the feeding programme, noting that it was better than what obtained hitherto. She said it was the reason the food vendors were linked with cooperatives so they could buy food items in bulk and at cheaper rates.

The programme is popular among parents and vendors alike. Some of the vendors and farmers are graduates without jobs before they were hired and now they have something doing, she said.

The children are also enthusiastic, we even hear it being said jokingly that some pupils dont want to be promoted from the elementary schools just to keep eating the meals.

But a parent criticised the programme, saying although food was provided for the children, the management of the programme did not give room for transparency.

Emmanuel Ogunyemi, who is also a teacher, suggested that the school feeding programme should be managed by a separate agency populated by private individuals, rather than a department of government.

A situation where the government says it spent N1billion and you dont have any way of verifying that claim is a serious problem of the feeding programme which can be resolved by have a separate agency run by private individuals who would be supervised by the government, he said.

We have a problem where most vendors were selected based on political consideration rather than competence.

NURSERY PUPILS CRY FOR FOOD IN ANAMBRA

The Anambra school feeding programme started in December 2016. Although the federal government envisaged the participation of 937 cooks to feed 96,489 pupils, the state government has, at the moment, 1,065 caterers handling a far more number than earlier envisaged by the government.

Officials say the figure is steadily on the increase and they were yet to ascertain the current figure.

Included in the feeding menu are rice, beans, yam porridge, plantain, Okpa, moi moi with eggs, and vegetables. Although beef and chicken are not added in the menu, it was gathered that dried fish were used to cook the meals to enrich the quality and pieces of iced fish are served only with rice.

The vendors received training on hygiene and the standard requirements in executing the programme before the commencement.

Nearly all the schools visited had identical problem of the exclusion of the nursery classes from the feeding programme.

At Igodima, St. Marys, Amamife and St. Peters Primary Schools in Awka, head teachers complained that children from the nursery classes insist they partake of the feeding, joining the benefitting classes during break time.

Sometimes they come to me and start crying that they were hungry and should be given food when they see the other benefiting children being served food, Edith, one of the head teachers, told PREMIUM TIMES.

I sometimes had to appeal to the other pupils to share with them so they can stop crying.

So, the real issue is that the government should include the lower categories and nursery children to make it more inclusive.

Some of the kids said they were happy to have to be fed in school daily. They also said they liked the food.

A primary three pupil, Chinyelo Okafor of the Amamife Primary School, said she would want the government to continue with programme and include other classes in the feeding.

The food is good and our parents are not spending money again to buy us food in the school, she said.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the schools as the second term drew to a close, the feeding had stopped two weeks to vacation.

The vendors who spoke to our reporter, said payments did not come as expected and so there was no way feeding could take place.

One of the vendors, who gave her name simply as Blessing, said payments to the caterers had been faltering toward the end of the second term. She lamented the development, saying it was worrisome.

She also said there was a need to scale up the pricing of a meal for the children, as the N70 cost was unrealistic.

You know the situation of things in the market right now. When the programme started, we did not know that the price from food in the market will become so high, Blessing said.

If they can increase it, we will be able to provide the kind of food that will be enough for the children.

Chinwe Iwuchukwu, the coordinator of the programme in the state and the Focal Person for the Anambra School Feeding Programme, said the home-grown school feeding programme had stimulated increase in enrolment in the primary schools and this has in turn stretched logistics, putting more pressure on school facilities currently available.

This means that we will need more teachers, more classrooms and more seats and desks for use in the schools and this is going to cost a lot of money, she said.

Ms. Iwuchukwu, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Donor Agencies, stated that with the increase in the number of the pupils, whose current figure is yet to be officially ascertained, more caterers would need to be hired and this would also mean an increase in the funding from the federal government.

By the end of March, 2017, Anambra state had received over N200 million from the federal government in the prosecution of the scheme. Ms. Iwuchukwu said the funds were paid directly to the caterers through their respective bank accounts.

However, the coordinator explained that there were issues of BVN with some of the caterers which made it impossible for their accounts to be credited, noting that the issues would be rectified before resumption for third term in May.

On the inclusion of the nursery classes, she said the government was thinking about it, and would do so once funding issues were straightened out.

It is our pan to include all the children, we are making plans and once we have the backup we will include all others, she added.

On the complaints by vendors and their call for an increase in the amount for feeding a child, Ms. Iwuchukwu said the state has no power to change the price.

For now, we cannot change the amount, this is because it is a federal government programme, she said.

Ignatius Onuora, a parent, lauded the federal governments feeding programme. His concern however is the need to include all the school children, rather than feeding only a few of them.

If they (government) really want to do this thing, they should bring every child on board, that is when the impact will be much felt, he said.

They cannot say they dont have the money, if you consider what is happening in the country today and the amount of money available to be stolen, you will know that if these children are well fed in schools, it will be a way of contributing to the development of their future.

EARLY START, QUICK ENDING IN KADUNA

The All School Feeding Programme of Kaduna State, as its name implies, includes all children from the Early Years category or what is normally called the Nursery, as well as pupils in Primaries 1-6.

After running the programme for 36 weeks, the Kaduna State Government suspended it, blaming the federal government for failing to meet its own part of the bargain, which is to provide part of the funds for the programme.

The state government claimed it spent a total of N9.5 billion in running its school feeding programme, with a monthly cost of N1.1 billion during the period.

After reconciliation with the Office of the Vice President, which coordinates the programme, a total sum of N6.8 billion was arrived at as what was spent by the state government on feeding primaries 1-3, the categories covered by the federal governments initiative.

While announcing the suspension of the feeding programme in January, Governor Nasir El-Rufai said his government was feeding 1.8 million pupils daily, but had to stop the programme because the Office of the Vice President was yet to reimburse the state with the sum spent so far.

He also said that the programme would not commence until a review was done and the reimbursement was made.

However, during enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES, state officials confirmed that a part of the money had been paid.

We have received half of that amount as refund from the federal government, that is N3.4billion, we are expecting that the rest will be paid soon before the programme is restarted in the state, the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Adamu Mohammed Mansur, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Findings showed that the state is gearing for even an increased number of children in the coming session, having witnessed about 400,000 more registered children in the beginning of the current session after the school feeding programme started.

It was gathered that at the start of the session, the nursery and primary schools had a total of 1.4 million children. Before the programme was suspended in January this year, the number had risen to 1.8 million from about 4,284 schools.

With the expected increase, the state government made a budget of N14 billion provision for the programme in its N215 billion 2017 Budget.

The state also had a total of 13,600 caterers, who helped to execute the cooking and feeding of the pupils, but has now increased that number of the food vendors to 20,000 ahead of the plans to restart the exercise. This is even as their training has also been scheduled.

The focal person in the states food programme, John Gora, said the vendors were currently undergoing screening at the bank in charge, FCMB Plc., while the process of verifying their BVN was also ongoing.

Once all that is concluded and with the expected payments made, we should be ready to resume the exercise, maybe in a week or two, Mr. Gora said.

KADUNA VENDORS AND FEEDING COST

The vendors were initially enthusiastic about their participation in the programme. They saw it as a rare privilege to be gainfully employed at a time when the nation was facing hard times. The government then fixed the sum of N50 for feeding a pupil per day.

This newspaper learnt that the payments were made through cooperatives to the vendors who collect the money in cash. They received the payments every Thursday or Friday to enable them prepare for the following week. They soon realised that the amount was insufficient to provide the quality of food demanded by the government. The price of goods in the market had skyrocketed; a mild agitation ensued leading to an upward review by the state government. Shortly before the exercise was put on hold, food vendors got N70 as fee per pupil.

A vendor, who would not want to be named because of fear of reprimand, said the N50 was grossly inadequate at the time for a meal per child.

To say the fact, how can you give N50 for a meal in the present hardship and the cost of food in the market? We are happy that they saw reasons to increase it especially now that the federal government has intervened, she said.

And you know we are still facing high cost of food in the market and what we get is even something we are managing, at least it is better than nothing.

The vendors will now key into the federal governments plan of receiving the monies directly from the Office of the Vice President through their personal accounts.

Mr. Mansur, however, noted that Kaduna State would prefer that the federal government pays the funds through the state government rather than paying directly to the vendors.

The federal government should have confidence in the states, because they are the ones who will monitor the effectiveness of the programme, he said.

According to Mr. Mansur, the states would certainly be responsible in ensuring that their pupils are well fed and provided for, knowing that Kaduna State has its own programme to feed the school children.

Despite the initial excitement, the pupils have waited in vain for six months for the return of the meals. They now go to school every school day with an uncertain expectation, as no one is telling them when the government will make good its promise to provide the food that it believes would develop their brains and make them grow well.

I dont know when they will start bringing food to us again, a female pupil encountered by our correspondent at LEA Primary School, Maiduguri Road, said. I believe it will return, but I dont know when.

She also explained that they (pupils) have returned to the old ways of taking money from their parents to buy snacks in school and in some cases, bringing their meals from home.

A parent, who gave his name as Ibrahim, told PREMIUM TIMES that there was a need to resume the school feeding if the government has the money to do so.

Feeding children in school every day is a very good thing for us and we hope it will continue because the relief we get as parents of children in public schools, Ibrahim said.

He, however, advised the government to stop the programme completely if it has no money to fund it instead of ridiculing itself.

But there is really no need to start what you cannot finish. If the government realises that it cannot do it, then it should focus on other things that matter to the people that it can effectively execute.

VICE PRESIDENTS OFFICE CLARIFIES

The Office of the Vice President which coordinates the school feeding expressed its preparedness to tackle the funding challenges arising from the implementation of the programmers.

It said it was aware of the huge financial burden involved and was making plans to address other difficulties noticed during the initial roll out.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media, Laolu Akande, told PREMIUM TIMES that it was a remarkable achievement on the part of the federal government to have been able to provide the funding for the programme in spite of the current recession.

He, however, ruled out any immediate expansion of the coverage of the programme, saying the government would stick to funding the feeding of pupils from primaries 1-3 because of the huge cost involved in including other classes.

Resources are limited. That we are able to come up with this kind of money is really commendable, but it is because we are really committed to executing this programme, Mr. Akande said.

We will meet the challenges in terms of keeping the programme going, but what we are able to do for now is primary 1-3.

On the delay in reimbursing Kaduna State, he said arrangements were underway to fully reimburse the state. He commended the state for starting the programme much earlier before the official roll out. He assured that whatever states had expended would be refunded to them.

Mr. Akande also said there is no possibility of increasing the price of feeding each child, which currently stands at N70 per pupil, saying it took the collaboration and inputs from all stakeholders before reaching the pricing of the meals. He said to change that now would not be possible.

According to him, the vendors were not supposed to go to the open market to purchase the food items, but were expected to be linked up with local food producers who would sell to them directly in bulk at cheaper rates to enable them deliver on the price agreed.

The vice presidents spokesperson, however, admitted that the increased enrolment in schools following the start of the school feeding exercise would raise the expenses of government.

The increased school enrolment is a good thing, we expected that. We expect that the federal, state and local governments will rise to the challenge, he said. Expenses will rise certainly, but we will meet the challenge.

This article is a product of a partnership between PREMIUM TIMES and #Buharimeter to fact-check the federal governments school feeding programme.

#Buharimeter is an initiative of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and the Department for International Department (DFID).

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Federal Government on Saturday assured Nigerians of its commitment to take proactive steps towards controlling the spread of Hepatitis in the country.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, stated this during the 24th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors, GMD, in Abuja.

The News Agency pf Nigeria reports that the minister was represented at the occasion by the Director, Hospital Services, Joseph Amedu.

The theme of 2017 conference is Let Make Nigeria Hepatitis Free.

According to the minister, Hepatitis is important as it affects the liver, without presentation with any weighty symptoms until it has caused severe damage and chronic liver disease, liver cancer and untimely death.

He said the conference was appropriate, as it would create the necessary awareness on the menace of viral Hepatitis.

This will in no small measure reduce the dangers associated with lack of knowledge of the disease and prevent it from reaching epidemic levels like meningitis and the Ebola virus.

Mr. Adewole said as operators of private hospitals in country, the guild was an indispensable partner in contributing 60 to 70 per cent stake in achieving the healthcare delivery in the country.

I therefore urge you all to reciprocate governments gesture of Public Private Partnership with dedication and commitment to your duty of care and shun situation that will make you abandon your responsibilities.



Let us work together in peace and harmony to give the health sector the change the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration intends for the health sector

In a keynote address, Chukwuma Anyaike, a Consultant Public Health Physician, called for increased awareness of hepatitis and provision of safe and effective vaccines in the country.

The key intervention to make the country free from hepatitis is to prevent mother to child transmission of the disease.

Others are safe injection practices and safe blood as well as safer sex which include the use of condoms to prevent the disease, he said.

Mr. Anyaike called for partnership with government, Civil Society Organisations and the private sector to reduce the menace of the disease.

He said that such partnership must be tailored with concrete action and national plan.

In his remarks, the President of the Guild, Tony Philips, said Nigerians should ensure they know their status and also go for routine medical checks.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


A Nigerian model based in the United States of America, Nneoma Anosike, has filed an action against Wema Bank PLC before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court for allegedly using her photos for commercial purposes without authorization.

Ms. Anosike, 22, sued the bank through her father, Frank Anosike, who doubles as her lawyer, claiming N97 million as damages.

According to the plaintiff, the bank on April 11, 2016, used her photo for a commercial on social network platform, Instagram, without her consent or authorization from Ford Models Inc, her American management company.

Among her prayers, the plaintiff is seeking an order directing the defendant to pay N75 million for allegedly passing off her services.

She is also seeking an injunction restraining the defendant from passing off or causing others to pass off her professional services and a declaration that she is entitled to her privacy of her correspondence under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.

The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing the bank to pay her N20 million for the breach of her privacy by advertising her private correspondence; an order to publish a written apology in two national dailies in Nigeria and in the U.S.; and N2 million as cost of filing the suit.

According to the statement of claims attached to the suit, the plaintiff claimed that she is a reputable international model who had won many laurels within and outside the country, including the Elite Model Look 2013 in Nigeria.

Ms. Anosike said based on her reputation, Pepsi-Cola Nigeria made her its brand ambassador for Aquafina water.

The plaintiff further averred that her contract with Ford Models Inc took her to the U.S. and that prior to the defendants advert of her, she was in negotiations with the company for a renewal of her contract.

But on April 11 last year, according to Ms. Anosike, the management of Ford Models summoned her to a meeting on April 12 wherein she was presented with her photo advert procured from the Instagram account of the defendant.

She alleged that the defendant mutilated and edited her professional photo for the said advert uploaded on the internet, adding that based on that action, her contract renewal with the American company has been jeopardized.

But in its statement of defence, the defendant averred that the bank was not a party to the alleged modelling contract between the plaintiff and the American company and was not privy to it.

The bank also stated that the photo in question was sourced from social media for its weekly online motivational and educational series, intended to inspire going online users.

The bank denied using the plaintiffs photo for any advertisement purposes or for any commercial gain but for purely free educational purpose under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Justice Ibrahim Buba adjourned the matter till June 15 for further hearing.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


A Catholic Bishop, Kayode Odetoyinbo, has kicked against calls for the restructuring of Nigeria as the only way to solve the myriad problems confronting the country.

Mr. Odetoyinbo of the Abeokuta Diocese made this known on Sunday at the 51st World Communications Day held at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Cathedral, Itesi, Adatan, Abeokuta.

He posited that, rather, the only solution to the nations problem is attitudinal change by all and sundry irrespective of religious, ethnic and political affiliations.

The cleric said if there is attitudinal change by all Nigerians, the present structure is capable of solving the nations challenges, saying that the nations leaders should be truly committed to good governance.

Mr. Odetoyinbo said if Nigeria is restructured the same leaders would be in charge of governance and then we would be back to square one.

The restructuring is borne out of agitation, political, economic emancipation not religious. If restructuring will be good, what will come out of it, if the present restructure is not good, what have we experienced from it. If we restructure, my question is, who will govern those areas we restructured? he stated

Is it not the same people governing us now that will put themselves to govern and direct and control the affairs of the restructured nation?

Are we not back to square one? Why not let us face what is needed to be faced now, treat ourselves well. Free ourselves from all that is battling against Nigeria, then restructuring will come. Change of mentality, change of mind, change of approach to many things, then when the restructure comes, it will bear good fruit, he added.

Speaking on the anti-graft war of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, Mr. Odetoyinbo said if Nigerians really want corruption to be totally eradicated, they would do it.

End to corruption will come if all Christians in the country today, decide that there is no more corruption. Corruption will stop if all teachers decide today that it is an end to corruption. Likewise parents. We are in one way or the other part of the system. So, my take is that as far as Christians in this country say no more corruption, there will be no more corruption. All of us if we want corruption to stop, it will stop, he declared

The cleric also pointed out that there was need for recovered funds from corrupt public officers who are undergoing trial to be included in the nations budget.

He posited that such step would boost the peoples confidence in the current administrations drive in the fight against corruption.

My suggestion is that such recovered money should be included in the nations budget. People will feel okay to realise that our recovered money is what is being spent appropriately and make them to have confidence in the fight against corruption.

On the recent coup rumour, the bishop said  Why are they suspecting each other, they are suspecting themselves at the top, let them resolve it among themselves, let them sit down and re-evaluate themselves and do the needful.

Mr. Odetoyinbo commended media practitioners in the country for remaining the hope of the masses in exposing the wrongs in the society, saying, only God can reward you. But, dont relent as we are relying on you to say the truth and expose the evil in the society, we shall continue to pray for you.

He, however, commended the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun led administration for the work done in the state, saying No one can do everything, he is doing what he knows how to do best.

He appealed to him to fulfil his promise to return the mission schools to the original owner before the expiration of his tenure in 2019.

In his speech, the Director of Social Communications of the Diocese, Charles Soyombo, urged media practitioners to be truthful and make objectivity the hallmark of their profession, saying the world had been fed with bad and sensational news.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


By Press Trust of India: Shimla, May 27 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh Assembly today unanimously passed the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Services Bill 2017 envisaging one country one cess and paving the way for the roll out of GST regime from July 1.

The Bill introduced by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh received unequivocal support from both sides of the House.

advertisement

Singh said the Bill would help in improving the Gross National Domestic Product (GSDP) by 1.5 to 2 per cent and also benefit the people as well the industry.

Crediting the Congress governments for initiating tax reforms, that started in 1986 and culminated in passage of GST, the senior party leader said a Tax Reform Committee was constituted in 1991, followed by a Committee of Chief Minister in 1999. And the recommendations made by the Chief Ministers committee were implemented in 2003 in the form of VAT (Value Added Tax).

Singh also mentioned that former Union finance minister P Chidambaram had first introduced the GST in his budget speech of 2006-07. He said the UPA-II government had tried hard to get the GST implemented and then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had introduced the GST Bill for the first time in the Parliament in 2010-10, but the bill was sent to the Standing Committee of Parliament after a consensus could not be reached.

He said the bill was finally brought by the NDA and it got the parliamentary approval as opposition parties, including Congress, were already in support of the idea of One Nation-One Tax.

Supporting the bill, Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal said GST was the greatest tax reform since independence.

He said India had joined the league of 150 countries, where such revolutionary tax reforms had been introduced.

He said more than 7 per cent daily use items were kept out of the GST, while only 5 per cent GST would be levied on 14 per cent items.

"Out of the remaining items, 17 per cent of these would attract GST at a rate of 12 per cent and 18 per cent GST would be charged on 43 per cent items. In order to augment the tax revenue, 19 per cent items were brought under GST slap of 28 per cent but these items are not used by common people," Dhumal said.

He said the transparent structure of GST would help improve the overall tax base of the country and curb the menace of corruption. He also said that people with an annual turnover of less than Rs 10 lakh would not be required to get registered under GST.

advertisement

Transport Minister G S Bali said the NDA government must appreciate the cooperation extended by Congress for passage of the GST Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The two-day special session of the state assembly was adjourned sine die after passing the GST Bill. PTI PCL SRY

--- ENDS ---
At least three people have been left with gunshot injuries after an altercation between youth of Oria community in Delta State and police officers suspected to be members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

A 59-minute video of the incident posted on social media, showed some youth arguing loudly with three policemen carrying AK-47 assault rifles and dressed in the black T-shirts SARs operatives are known for wearing.

The police officers were standing beside a black police pick-up van with No 2 SARs Special Anti-Robbery Squad printed on its side. Soon, the video captured an argument between a police officer and some youth behind the van. One of the youth could be heard shouting: e no fit shot in pidgin repeatedly.

Another youth stepped between the police officer, who had half-raised his gun to a shooting position at the time, and the young man. The intervener seemed to try to stop the police officer from shooting the screaming youth. As the police officer moved backwards, some youth moved towards him.

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard and smoke, apparently from the gun could be seen. Four gunshots followed the first one.

E shoot am, e shoot am? said the screaming youth. As the youth and the other police officers rushed towards were the gunshot was heard, the same youth added, hold am, hold am.

Other gunshots soon followed and the video went black, but loud confused voices could still be heard as the shooting continued.

Ezekiel Egboge, who was involved in the incident, told PREMIUM TIMES that trouble started when he was flagged down by the police officers as he drove to the funeral in his friends Honda Crosstour saloon car

They (the police) stopped us at the road. I was in the car with my brother. As we were trying to park out of the road. They saw that we were young boys and they wanted to claim money from us. They started cracking their guns to put fear in us. We said why are you cracking guns. We are not armed robbers. Suddenly one of them left the front of the car and started dragging my door. I told him to stop dragging the door because if he broke anything in the car he will pay for it. As I was coming down, he gave me a slap, he said during a telephone chat.

He said after he was slapped, he alighted from the vehicle and accosted the police officer for slapping him. An argument then ensued, which attracted passers-by. He said some of the passers-by rushed to their community to inform youth that they were being harassed by the police.

The youth from the town came and one of the SARS officers was asking why the youth came and we told him that they are our people and while we were arguing with them they shot one of the boys that came on his leg.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG6WBjL7DFE&w=560&h=315]

Mr. Egboge said another youth who confronted the police officers on why he shot the first youth was also shot. He said a third youth was also hit by pellet from a pump-action handgun.

Mr. Egboge said after the incident they went to the nearby Ebu police station to lodge a complaint. But to his surprise, the SARS operatives followed them there, shot into the air and dispensed tear gas on a crowd that gathered at the police station.

He said the police officers at the station told them the SARS operatives were not from the station and they cannot say where they came from.

Eric Adede, who claimed to have recorded the video, told PREMIUM TIMES that he received a car from his brother who was in the car pulled over by SARS operatives who demanded a bribe of N500,000.

He said after the video was posted on social media the State commissioner of police had invited them to a meeting on Monday in the state capital, Asaba. He said the commissioner also asked those who suffered gunshot injuries to be at the meeting as they learnt that the SARS operatives claimed they did not shoot anyone.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, Andrew Aniamaka told PREMIUM TIMES during a telephone chat that he was unaware of the incident.

No such information has come to me, he said.

A mother that has so many children does not say never. But having said that, the conduct you describe as having come from members of our own SARS cannot be the SARS that I know. But it suffices to say that Im not aware, he added.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


A rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Sunday warned members of the political class not to provoke Nigerian soldiers.

Mr. Falana said this while speaking at the 50th birthday celebration of human rights lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

Mr. Falana was reacting to news of alleged coup plot by some Nigerian soldiers, in collaboration with a group of yet-to-be-known politicians.

The lawyer noted that a gang of potential dictators are planning to take over from the ruling class.

Commenting on threats by some politicians to resist military intervention, Mr. Falana warned that they (politicians) should not provoke the soldiers.

The lawyer specifically made reference to the ostentatious lifestyles of the politicians, citing the example of a wedding occasion in Minna, Niger State, which politicians reportedly attended with fleets of jets.

He said, If somebody has to keep $9.7 million in a dump site, I am sure you all know that is provocative.

Or somebody steals $43 milliona government official; I am sure these are all provocative actions that can even incite, you know, violence.

But I think we are in a dangerous situation and we have to move fast; all those who believe in genuine change in our country, he said.

Right now, the young people are engaged in terrorist attacks, kidnapping, armed robbery and the rest and even now governors and legislators are being stoned by the ordinary people.

So if we are in this mess, that the state has lost the monopoly of violence to all manners of criminal gangs, we need to speed up, and move fast, he said.

On his part, foremost Nigerian poet and literary scholar, Niyi Osundare, called on Nigerian revolutionary fighters not to give up, saying revolution is not chronological.

Revolution do come and they fail, he explained, and they lead to further revolution.

Mr. Osundare noted that the nation is not doomed, but it only has criminal rulers as leaders.

He urged the Nigerian revolutionary movement to soldier on, noting that revolutions contradict themselves and sometimes, produce negative results.

In his address, Omotoye Olorode, the guest lecturer, noted that revolutions are not tied to individual or group lifetimes, or the duration of a particular generation.

Speaking on the topic Will the (Nigerian) Socialist Revolution elude us in our lifetime?, he explained that a revolutionary process is a relay race  a race to be carried out by overlapping generations of revolutionaries.

The trajectories of revolutions, revolutionary movements and activities is very rarely lineal; there will be ups and downs; the specific moments depend on commitment and faith, creativity, scientific analysis of, and responses to situations, organisational preparedness, flexibility, long views, appropriate synergies among allies.

Warning that victory is not guaranteed for any generation in a revolutionary movement, Mr. Olorode, a professor, noted that the movement must nevertheless carry on with its struggle.

Our task then is to carry on with our revolutionary duty for our country, with and for our peoples and the world, he said.

The essence of duty is not even about winning. Clearly the essence is not about seeking iron-clad , or any, guarantee as to when victory will come, he added.

In his address, Mr. Ogunye, the celebrant, echoed the thoughts of the guest speaker, urging generations of Nigerian revolutionaries to move on in the struggle until the task is accomplished.

Among those present at the event were Dapo Olorunyomi, PREMIUM TIMES publisher; Omoyele Sowore, Sahara Reporters publisher; Richard Akinnola, veteran journalist and rights activist; Afolabi Oladimeji, Olu of Igbokoda; Malachy Ugummadu, former student leader; Debo Adeleke, among others.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it has commenced its Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, in five local government areas, LGAs, of Borno, where it had initial challenge of deploying personnel and materials for the exercise.

The INEC National Commissioner, Ahmed Muazu, on Sunday in Abuja, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the exercise was going on smoothly in all the 27 LGAs of the state.

INEC had sought the assistance of the Nigerian Air Force in the deployment of personnel and materials required for the conduct of the CVR in Damboa, Chibok, Goza, Bama, and Kala-Balge LGAs of Borno.

The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the request when he led the commissions management to a courtesy visit on the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, on April 27 in Abuja.

Mr. Muazu said the exercise was now ongoing in all the 774 LGAs across the country, following the intervention of the Air Force in the air lift of INEC staff and materials to affected five LGAs of Borno.

The continuous voter registration in Borno commenced the same day with other states except in five local governments where we had challenge of deployment of staff and materials to INEC offices in affected LGAs.

This made the INEC Chairman, however, visited the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to solicit the Air Force assistant in the air light of materials and personnel to the five LGAs.

The request was graciously given instant approval by the Chief of Air Staff.

The Air Force has tremendously assisted us to commence the exercise in Borno just few days after the nationwide commence of the exercise on April 27, Mr. Muazu said.

He added that the force had also been assisting INEC in monitoring the exercise in the state.

He commended the Air Force for its kind gesture demonstrated to the commission towards the development of the countrys electoral process and its democracy.

Asked for the update on the exercise nationwide, Mr. Muazu said that the exercise has been peaceful and encouraging.

The commission has been addressing the identified challenges and we also have a plan for mid-term review of exercise to proffer solutions to the identified problems as the exercise continues.

NAN recalled that INEC had commenced the CVR exercise in all its 774 LGAs office on April 27.

Mr. Yakubu said that while peace had been restored to the north-east states and many people had returned to their towns and villages, INEC had challenges in deploying its personnel and materials in five LGAs in Borno.

According to Mr. Yakubu, the challenge of deployment was not in the local government headquarters but the road leading to the local government headquarters.

We appeal to the Air Force, in the interest of our democracy and father land, to deploy our national assets at your disposal to enable us achieve this great responsibility, Mr. Yakubu said.

Responding, Mr. Abubakar pledged the readiness of the force to partner with INEC for safe deployment of INECs staff and materials.

He also promised the forces readiness to assist INEC in future elections not only in Borno but in any part of the country.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The World Health Organisation, WHO, said on Sunday that it would partner with the media to address the humanitarian crisis in the north-east, ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency.

Solomon Woldetsadik, the WHO Incident Manager, Health Emergency Programme for the north-east, announced the plan at an advocacy meeting with Media Executives in Maiduguri.

Mr. Woldetsadik said that the action was based on the role of the media in setting agenda in the society.

The role of the media in setting agenda for the public and policy makers cannot be more appropriate in the ongoing crisis in the North East, in which more than 20,000 people have been killed with thousands more injured.

This has triggered humanitarian crisis across the region, he said.

The incident manager said that WHO believed that having a strong partnership with the media would help build trust between the organisation and the communities in the North East.

We are trying to have a strong partnership with the media towards saving lives by addressing the humanitarian crisis in the north-east and Borno in particular.

To us, the media is a very important platform to use in effective behavioural and attitudinal changes in the community, he said.

Mr. Woldetsadik said the partnership was aimed at averting diseases outbreak through timely dissemination of vital information to the public.

The community has lots of trust in the media and if the information is coming from the media, like radio for instance, they will say it is true.

If we can use the media to inform communities about diseases outbreaks and preventive measures, then we will have achieved a lot in saving lives.

Mr. Woldetsadik said that the partnership would also help in changing the attitudes of the people towards accessing modern health care services.

The media has influence on the people.

So, we want you to help to influence the way people do things by making sure that they practice what health officials tell them on healthy living.

The WHO manager assured that the organisation would strive hard to empower the media by building the capacity of its personnel for better productivity.

Awareness creation is very important and the media has the key to that.

We will want to help you with information to build your capacity, so that it becomes easier to create awareness on the mode of disease spread and so on, to the public, Mr. Woldetsadik said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, has warned shylock market men and women to shun profiteering by arbitrarily increasing the prices of their commodities during and after the Ramadan periods.

He said the special month of Ramadan provides ample opportunity for people to seek closer ties and blessings of God through sacrifice and piety, and not by exploiting fellow beings through unjust and ungodly price increases.

While felicitating with the Muslim ummah across the state for witnessing yet another Ramadan, Mr. Bello described the period as a period of spiritual intimacy with Allah and urged all Muslims to renew their faith and loyalty to their Creator.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Jibrin Ndace, Mr. Bello urged Muslims to seek maximum benefits from the month of Ramadan by imbibing the teachings and exemplary lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad.

Fasting period provides that moment where Allah grants the wishes of his servants, as such, we must rededicate ourselves in prayers and asked God to intervene in our quest for a better life here on earth and hereafter.

The governor called on the citizens to pray for greater strength and economic prosperity of the state and country stressing that, despite passing through difficult moments, government is working relentlessly to proffer answers to the nations numerous challenges.

Governor Sani Bello also called on well-to-do in the society to extend their goodwill to the less privileged during this Holy Month and thereafter.

He also urged the Muslim Ummah to pray for quick recovery and safe return of President Buhari.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, addressed a crowd of supporters, numbering more than 10, in his fathers compound in Abia State.

The address, whose video has since gone viral on social media, appeared a violation of conditions set by Justice Binta Nyako when she granted Mr. Kanu bail in April.

Mr. Kanu, who is facing charges of treasonable felony at the Federal High Court in Abuja has been at the vanguard of the call for an independent Biafra republic from the Nigerian state.

In granting him bail in April, Justice Nyako listed 12 conditions, including an order for Mr. Kanu to avoid being seen in a crowd of more than ten people.

The court also instructed that Mr. Kanu desist from granting interviews or engaging in any form of rallies as part of his conditions for bail.

However, in the 14 minutes, 22 seconds video seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Mr. Kanu is seen speaking to a congregation of Biafran supporters on the occasion of the Shabbat, a Jewish religious programme.

Not minding what is happening, we remain IPOB, is that correct? (Crowd respond in chants of affirmation for Mr. Kanus question). We are unstoppable. This congregation here is very special to me. This is the very first observance of Shabbat in this very family. My joy knows no bounds because in prison I used to dream about this; I used to dream about keeping the Shabbat, he said.

The IPOB leader also made reference to the call by his organisation for Ibos and supporters of Biafra to shut down their business operations on May 30, a call that has been condemned by the police.

On the 30th of May, we will shut this very place down and prepare for Biafra. The choice is theirs, if they will give us a date for the referendum. And if they fail to do that there will be no election in the south east forever and ever, he said.

Mr. Kanu had applied for the bail alongside his co- defendants, David Nwawuisi, Benjamin Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe. He was granted bail, alone, on health grounds, with the judge granting orders for Mr. Kanus medical report to be delivered to the court on a monthly basis.

Reacting to the implication of the video on Mr. Kanus bail condition, his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said Mr. Kanus appearance in a crowd of more than 10 people cannot be regarded as a negation of court orders.

I have not seen the video, you are referring to, but that cannot be seen in the context you are taking it. The court itself recognised the fact that Kanu is a religious man and that is why one of his sureties was required to be a religious leader from his Jewish religion.

Remember that Kanu is a Jew. The court, for example, cannot say that Kanu should not go to church, or to a supermarket or any such similar places. That condition and a few others are part of what we are seeking to get the court to interpret, the counsel said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Nigerias Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday night said the quest to evolve a greater and more prosperous Nigeria lies in the prosperity of Lagos State, describing the state as the foremost migrant community in Nigeria aggregating talents from everywhere and the undisputable commercial capital accounting for over 70 per cent of business in the country.

Mr. Osinbajo spoke at the Lagos@50 Anniversary Gala Nite held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, which was well attended by top dignitaries including Governors of Ogun, Oyo, Gombe, Ekiti, Imo, Edo; first civilian governor of Lagos, Lateef Jakande; former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu; former military governors of Lagos  Mobolaji Johnson, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Buba Marwa, and Ndubuisi Kanu; CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; CEO of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola; Olabode George; Jimi Agbaje, among others.

The acting president alluded to a recent statistic released by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, to the effect that Lagos accounts for 912 out of 914 individual businessmen who pay self-assessed tax of over N10million, saying that the strategic contribution of the state to the countrys economy could not be overemphasised.

While recalling his time as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Mr. Osinbajo eulogised the leadership virtues of the then governor of the state, Bola Tinubu, who he said took cognisance of the diversity of the state while forming his cabinet in 1999.

He said: I did not and I had never met Bola Tinubu before I was appointed commissioner and that says a lot about the kind of individual that he is. This is the kind of thinking that makes nations great; that is the kind of thinking that would make Nigeria great.

A type of thinking that considers all of our diverse talents; a kind of thinking that does not allow parochialism; a kind of thinking that does not allow us to say anywhere belongs to only a set of people. That is when our country would be truly great.

Mr. Osinbajo said although he was sympathetic to the course of those craving for a Lagos for only its indigene, but it was now evident that the momentum of history could no longer hold down the elemental force of the state.

This Lagos is going to be a leader; it would be a leader in expressing the worlds view that the black man is capable of governing not just himself but in leading the world, Mr. Osinbajo said.

Besides, the acting president commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for his giant strides in the state, saying that the new vistas being opened in the state by the governor were capable of making Nigeria great.

And every day that we see the giant strides that Akinwunmi Ambode is making here in Lagos; everyday that we watch television and see the new vistas that he is opening up, it is evident of the fact that surely in this Lagos State lies the seed of the great Nigeria of our dreams, Mr. Osinbajo said.

Earlier, Mr. Ambode in his address said his administration was fully committed to take on the huge responsibility to make the next 50 years even more productive and memorable, worthy of bigger celebrations by the next generation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Lagosians, the vision for the future is clear. We foresee a smart city much more in line with the other great cities of the world, where clean and decent living, seamless and efficient transportation as well as sustainable environmental practices are the norm rather than the exception, he said.

Describing the celebration as historic, Mr. Ambode saluted the contributions of the founding fathers of the state as well as the 13 former governors of the state, saying that their selfless service has placed the state on a pedestal of greatness.

Governor Ambode alluded to a paragraph of the inaugural speech of the first governor of the state, Mobolaji Johnson, a retired brigadier general, on the undoubted talents and rich cultural heritage of the Lagos people, saying it was apparent of where the Lagos success story took flight.

That entitlement and devotion to use our God-given talents and heritage to develop Lagos is the main reason for our success story. Fifty years after, we look back with gratitude to all our founding fathers and mothers; both living and past heroes and we all say a big thank you to all of you. God bless you always, he said.

Mr. Ambode while noting that he was humbled to be at the helm of affairs at a historic threshold for the State, thanked Yakubu Gowon, the then Head of State, who signed the decree that established Lagos as part of the twelve states created from the regions and Lagos Colony.

It is with the greatest pride that I stand here before you on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of our dear State. I was only 4 years old when the state was created and little did I know that I would be standing, fifty years later, as governor of Gods greatest gift to Nigeria and Africa.

Some years back, I wrote a newspaper article exalting the qualities of our state and its rich history on its 47th anniversary without knowing what laid ahead. It is therefore with the greatest sense of gratitude that I thank God for making it possible for me to partake significantly in this historic celebration of Lagos at 50, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Moshood Salvador faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos on Sunday commended the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration for his achievements in infrastructure development in the last two years.

The Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that no one could shut his eyes to the achievements of the governor in the area of road construction and rehabilitation in the last two years, as Lagosians were better for it.

Mr. Gani also scored the governor high in area of traffic management, saying sanity was returning to some flashpoints through the deployment of some solutions.

He said the deployment of Close Circuit TV cameras in strategic areas and the provision of other security infrastructure by the administration to check crime were also commendable.

The Publicity Secretary, however, said the PDP would have achieved more than Mr. Ambode within the same period if its governorship aspirant in the 2015 elections, Jimi Agbaje, had been elected.

Based on the assessment of the PDP of the administration of Gov. Ambode in the last two years, we will say he has performed above average in the area road construction and traffic management.

Politics apart, Ambode has probably built more roads than his predecessors within the same period.

Look at Abule Egba, he did a yeomans job there. He also did well with the roads in Aboru linking Abesan and all of that.

Even, our leader, Chief Olabode George, acknowledged that he did wonderfully well in the construction of roads in Epe Area.

And we give him kudos for effective traffic management, especially for freeing up areas like Third Mainland Bridge to Iyana -Oworo which used to be a traffic nightmare.

And the provision of CCTV cameras in some areas and the provision of security equipment to police is another area we will commend him.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


When the school year ends next month, so will a major source of meals for children from low-income families  free breakfast and lunch programs at schools.

Now, efforts are gearing up throughout South Jersey to reduce the number of child-ren who might go hungry over the summer.

Nonprofit groups are working with the state Department of Agriculture to recruit new sponsors and meal sites for this summer by making the process as easy as possible. The meals are subsidized by the National Free Lunch Program.

Among the largest sponsors in South Jersey is the Community Food Bank of New Jerseys Southern Branch in Egg Harbor Township, which already has registered at least 24 feeding sites in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties and is still accepting applications.

Any place where kids will be and dont have access to summer meals, we can be there, said food bank Vice President Richard Uniacke. If you have a location, and you have kids, we want to talk to you.

The statewide effort to provide free breakfast and lunch during June, July and August has been gaining momentum; it served almost 84,000 children per day in July last summer. This was a 6 percent increase over the previous summer. But that represents a less than 20 percent of the almost 430,000 eligible children statewide, including more than 25,000 in Atlantic County alone.

The summer program is different from those offered in schools. Targeted towns with large numbers of low-income families automatically qualify to feed all children. Parents do not have to register.

The Community Food Bank has contracted with Wheat Road Cold Cuts in Vineland to provide the meals, which must meet federal standards. Uniacke said they have been using the company for after-school meals and also used them part of last summer.

Uniacke said the Food Bank will arrange for delivery of the free meals. The participating site just has to provide a place where children can eat and keep track of how many meals are served. The meals cannot be takeout, and sites are inspected for compliance.

Nancy Parello of Advocates for Children of New Jersey is working with the statewide Food for Thought Campaign to raise awareness of the program to parents, with special efforts targeting Atlantic City and Trenton.

The number of sites that offered the meals grew last year to 1,351, which is a 21 percent increase from the prior year.

People have to know about the locations, she said.

Parello said they are especially concerned this year that immigrant families may be afraid to participate, especially if they are undocumented and fear deportation.

We are going to work hard to get the message out, she said.

The state Department of Agriculture is working with the sponsors to spotlight towns with high need.

Rose Tricario, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition, said kickoff events are being encouraged to introduce families to the program and meal sites. Sponsors are getting special training, and a farm to summer program will promote connecting farms or produce distributors to sponsors to add fresh produce to the meals.

The state will also post a list of available meal sites on its web site. The 2016 list is still posted and Tricario said it includes most sites also approved for 2017.

While it is late for new sponsors, Tricario said they can still connect feeding sites with approved sponsors.

We want to serve as many children as we can, she said.
The WHO on Saturday released a statement confirming three Zika-positive cases in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. The state health minister said there were no current cases and that there was no need to be worried.

The WHO confirmed three Zika-positive cases in Gujarat (Reuters photo for representation)

By India Today Web Desk: Gujarat Health Minister Shankar Chaudhary said there was no need to be worried after the World Health Organisation confirmed three cases of the deadly Zika virus in India.

"A few Zika cases were reported earlier; we took action in accordance with guidelines of WHO and government of India," the health minister said, adding, "Presently there are no cases of Zika virus in Gujarat. There is no need to worry."

advertisement

The WHO on Saturday released a statement confirming three Zika-positive cases, including in a pregnant woman, in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. These were India's first-ever cases of Zika, a deadly mosquito borne that is known to cause birth defects and for which there is no medicine or vaccine yet.

In its statement, WHO said, "The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Government of India (MoHFW) reported three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District, Gujarat, State, India."

The Zika cases were confirmed earlier this year and the Indian government reported them to the World Health Organisation in March.

The world body did not recommend any travel restrictions to India but noted that the country may see more cases of Zika in the future.

"These findings suggest low level transmission of Zika virus and new cases may occur in the future," the WHO said and stressed on the need to strengthening surveillance to better monitor Zika virus-related complications.

Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. People with Zika virus can have symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. These symptoms normally last for 2-7 days.

ALSO READ | A new treatment for Zika virus to be developed soon

ALSO WATCH | What is Zika virus?

--- ENDS ---
For many, Memorial Day weekend is about barbecues and going to the shore  or just a day off from work.

But for veterans, its a time to honor those lost in service to their country. Some attend multiple events over the weekend honoring the dead.

I lost a lot of friends as a result of their activities with the military, said Johnnie Walker, 71, of the Villas section of Lower Township, who spent 17 months in Korea during the Vietnam War. Its a very somber weekend. Its a weekend of memories. Its a weekend of not forgetting.

The holiday arose after the Civil War. It was originally called Decoration Day, because people would put flowers on the graves of fallen servicemen.

It is a time for remembering deceased veterans, not only those who died in war but those who died since their service, said Vietnam veteran Bill Davenport, 70, of the Cape May Court House section of Middle Township.

Memorial Day is about the deceased veterans, he added. Veterans Day is for those who are living.

One of the things that disturbs me is (when) people walk up and say, Happy Memorial Day, Walker said. Well, to me its not a happy day. Its a somber day.

Walker will attend a number of events Monday, including a veterans service at a nursing home and an afternoon ceremony at the Cape May County Veterans Cemetery. Its a schedule he has kept for the past several years.

They look forward to seeing us, he said of the folks living at the nursing home.

Davenport plans to attend a ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday at the American Legion Post in Wildwood and includes members of the citys beach patrol dropping wreaths into the ocean.

But he doesnt mind people who treat the three-day weekend as a time to throw parties or hit the Boardwalk.

Its also not a time to be overly sad, Davenport said.

We should do all the things we want to do and should do, so go and do them, he added. Thats why we joined the service.

Everyone should just stop for a second and think about those veterans who have died, Davenport said.
WILDWOOD  At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, only a few kites dotted the overcast sky. By midday, strollers on the Boardwalk couldnt take their eyes off the array of kites.

A duck and a six-sided Japanese rokkaku were among the kites that kicked off Memorial Day weekend, as they have for the past 32 years.

It is the Wildwoods official event to unlock the beach for the summer season, said Beatrix Pelton, producer of the International Kite Festival in Wildwood and owner of Sky Festivals.

From around the globe, kite flyers travel to dazzle visitors with their handmade, flying creations.

Its a big deal for professional kite flyers, too.

Believe it or not, this kind of kicks off the East Coast (kite) festivals. This is the big one everyone comes to for Memorial Day, said Thomas McAdams, of Horsham, Pennsylvania. There are a lot of festivals leading up to this, but its the big one.

McAdams, who has been participating in the festival for 20 years, is a member of the South Jersey Kite Flyers Club, which has more than 70 members in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In the early 1990s, he got the itch for kite flying after parasailing and then visiting a kite store.

About $400 later, I walked out of that kite store. I still have those kites, he said. Ive been bitten ever since.

McAdams is down for the day, so he brought only a few kites, but others had trailers full.

Jeff King, of the Wings over Washington Kite Club in Washington, D.C., is the kind of professional kite flyer who has a trailer full of kites.

I dont know the count. We havent actually sat back and tried to estimate whats in there, King said.

King has been coming to the Wildwood festival for about eight years and flies kites with his wife, Joyce.

King was like other festivalgoers on the beach midmorning waiting for the winds to pick up.

Well put some banners and ground displays up, he said. I brought out some light wind kites that might actually fly in these light, light winds like this and see if we cant get something up in the air.

Ideal winds, said Pelton, are 9 to 11 mph.

What they can put up in the sky is dependent on a couple of factors: wind, the speed of the wind, the direction of the wind, Pelton said. Often times in the morning, the wind is slower than as the day progresses.

Once the day is in full swing, McAdams said, many of the kite flyers will show off a particular style or theme they like. For him, its flying clown fish kites.

Everything I fly accents that, he said. As time goes on during the day, youll see the different themes people have.

President of South Jersey Kite Flyers Mike Dallmer seems to have a flair for rubber ducks, which also decorate the side of his hat.

With his wife, son and grandson, the Dallmers travel to different kite festivals with their own well-stocked trailer. But perhaps one of their most impressive kites, is the giant inflatable rubber duck that is handmade and took about 300 hours to make.

We make most of our stuff ourselves, he said, who has been the president of the club for the 13 years. Theres about $100,000 worth of kites in the trailer.

His advice to newcomers?

Just come down and look at this stuff. Youd be surprised to see how far kiting has cp,e since the little diamonds made out of paper and wood sticks, Dallmer said. If the winds are right, youll be totally blown away by what you see.

For those who might be interested in getting started, the festival has a kite shop and a space where newcomers can learn to fly for free.

Whether youre one or 100, it doesnt matter how old you are. Theres a kite you can fly, Pelton said.
Its no secret that the media have been scrutinized and criticized quite a bit in the past year. National media have been blamed for promoting various, sometimes competing agendas, individual journalists have been called out during White House briefings, others have been accused of pedaling false conspiracy theories. Last week, a newspaper reporter from The Guardian said he was body slammed by House of Representatives Republican candidate Greg Gianforte in Montana, who then won anyway.

Trust in all media is at an all-time low.

Part of the responsibility for this mistrust belongs with the media themselves. As an industry, we have not done a good job of explaining our mission, ethics or procedures to the public. Our attitude, traditionally, has been to let the work speak for itself.

While we still believe that our work is our best effort, we recognize the need to have more transparency and deeper conversations regarding the role we play as newsgatherers in our communities.

To that end, we are launching a new column called The Inside Story, which will address news operation issues on both a local and larger scale.

The column, to be published weekly on the Sunday Opinion and Commentary pages, will be written by Publisher Mark Blum, Managing Editor W.F. Keough and me, alternately.

Some topics we plan to cover going forward include the rise of fake news, the migration of audience from print to digital, and the challenges of succeeding as a business while also serving the public good.

And wed like to invite you to join our conversation. Is there something you dont understand about how we work or what our obligations are as journalists? Is there a topic youd like us to explore? Perhaps you have ideas about things we could do to make the newspaper or digital platforms stronger and more engaging.

Lets hear them. Well consider your comments and possibly respond in a future column.

One caveat: If you are only interested in calling us names, you are in luck. There are plenty of folks who already handle that duty, so no need to spend your time there. While we dont mind criticism at all, were looking for constructive conversations. In my opinion, modern life features far too much name-calling already, and not nearly enough listening.

So why do we want to add another task to our collective to-do list?

Because understanding our readers, and having them understand us, is crucial. We take our jobs  and the responsibility that goes with them  very seriously, and we want to be part of the solution to making our communities better places to live.

If youve read this far, Im guessing you do too. We are looking forward to talking with you.

Kris Worrell is executive editor and vice president, news. Reach her at 609-272-7277 or KWorrell@pressofac.com.
N.J. business groups support S2872 in Senate

The economy of Atlantic County continues to struggle. County unemployment ranks among the highest in the state and residential foreclosures remain the highest nationally. Casino competition from neighboring states has revealed the stark nature of our plight. The recent voter referendum to expand gambling outside Atlantic City shows us how precarious staking our future on one industry is.

Senate Bill S2872 was introduced in January and expands the N.J. Economic Development Authority-based Grow NJ incentive program to include the area around the FAA Tech Center and Atlantic City International Airport in Atlantic County. The passage of this bill would augment and complement the countys business attraction efforts and provide another inducement for companies to locate near the Stockton Aviation Research and Technology Park and the underutilized Atlantic City International Airport.

Independent economic studies indicate that Atlantic Countys existing aviation-related industries should be encouraged and development could occur at these facilities. Aviation-related assets at the William Hughes FAA Tech Center and Atlantic City International Airport can foster training, technology and service-related growth industries. Higher education technology programs coupled with EDA incentives would create incubators for growth here in Atlantic County. The Greater Atlantic City Chamber, Atlantic County Economic Alliance, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, and the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce urge people to contact their state representatives and ask them to support Senate Bill S2872.

Bob Marshall

Linwood

Director of advocacy and legislative affairs

Greater Atlantic City Chamber

Easy school lunch option

The latest Trump whine, the May 16 letter Ivanka let her father keep sodium in lunches, blew this school janitors uneducated mind.

President Obama just had eight years to work on school lunches! My mother used to get up early and make us kids sandwiches, etc., to take to school. If the lunches are so terrible, why not get up 15 minutes earlier and pack your children a great lunch instead of complaining about what the school serves?

Common sense and responsibility are just about completely gone today. Did I mention eight years? Ive gained a few pounds lately. My next letter will be to President Trump. Its all his fault!

Frank Murphine 3rd

Millville
What should ordinarily have passed off as just another judicial decree suddenly had the entire civil bureaucracy on its feet.

On May 22, the Central Bureau of Investigation's special court in Delhi sentenced former coal secretary H.C. Gupta and two other serving government officials - K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samaria - to a two-year prison term. Earlier pronounced "guilty" of wrongdoing in the allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm, Kamal Sponge Steel & Power Limited (KSSPL), in 2008, the three were also ordered to pay individual fines of Rs 1 lakh each. Besides the bureaucrats, the court imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on the company and a personal fine of Rs 30 lakh and three-year jail term for its MD, Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia.

What should ordinarily have passed off as just another judicial decree suddenly had the entire civil bureaucracy on its feet. The convictions, in particular that of the former coal secretary, have left many aghast. Gupta, a 1971 batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is widely respected for his personal integrity. When the CBI first charged him, Gupta, who is known to live frugally, caused some consternation by refusing to apply for bail, asking the court to send him to jail instead. His colleagues said, "He simply didn't have the means to hire expensive advocates to fight his case."

advertisement

Gupta, coal secretary from December 31, 2005, to November 2008, then joint secretary Kropha and then director Samaria in the coal ministry were held guilty by the court for irregularities in allocation of the Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in MP to KSSPL. The court held the bureaucrats guilty of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and for corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

The CBI alleged the firm had misrepresented its net worth and existing capacity. While framing charges against the bureaucrats last October, the court said Gupta had kept former prime minister Manmohan Singh (who held additional charge of the coal ministry) "in the dark" on the coal block allocation.

Gupta's court-ordered incarceration marks the first of what could be a string of similar convictions resulting from the successive scams during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's second tenure (2009 to 2014).

The coal scam or 'Coalgate' surfaced in 2012 after the Comptroller and Auditor General's report alleged that inefficient allocation of coal blocks had resulted in windfall gains to private companies, amounting to Rs 1.86 lakh crore. Subsequently, the CBI registered 53 cases wherein coal blocks had been allotted in violation of government policy. Some 33 of these pertained to allocations made to 168 firms from 2006 to 2009. Several officers, then at the helm of the coal ministry, were charged. Besides the MP allocation in which he was convicted, Gupta is facing seven other chargesheets in Coalgate, one of which includes another former coal secretary, P.C. Parakh.

Photo: Shekhar Yadav, Sipra Das, Arijit Sen Photo: Shekhar Yadav, Sipra Das, Arijit Sen

Another case which could see many babus cooling their heels in jail is the six-year-old 2G spectrum allocation scam, in which former telecom minister, A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's aide R.K. Chandolia and a whole retinue of corporate executives stands chargesheeted. Final hearings in the case were concluded in the last week of April in the CBI special court in Delhi.

Former chief election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, of the same IAS batch as Gupta, says the conviction was "very unfortunate". Quraishi insists the former coal secretary got entangled in a technicality of the anti-corruption law that serves to criminalise even routine administrative decisions taken in good faith. "Such verdicts," he says, "will discourage bureaucrats from taking decisions."

advertisement

The conviction of Gupta and the others has set off a clamour of protest among the civil bureaucracy demanding urgent amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988. Former bureaucrats like Quraishi insist that in its current form, the Act "is opaque and must be replaced by a more specific law that prevents corruption, but doesn't trap innocents".

The crux of these complaints is the highly contentious Section 13(1)(d), which mandates that a public servant stands guilty of corruption "if he, by corrupt or illegal means, obtains for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage", or "by abusing his position as a public servant, obtain for himself... any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage", or "while holding office as a public servant, obtain for any person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage without any public interest".

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant is emphatic in his support for Gupta. "The Act needs to be amended quickly," he says. "Gupta is a man of impeccable integrity. This is a sad story of an upright, honest man handling a file. There is no penalty in the government for not taking decisions. Every decision you take will cause pecuniary advantage to someone and we take thousands of decisions."

advertisement

Former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra too holds that Gupta may have been convicted on a "pernicious principle". He says the court appears to have no conception of the government's working and seems to have relied entirely on the presentation of the investigating officer. "The court ought to have had an amicus to brief it on governmental functioning," he says.

Chandra says a secretary-level officer heading a committee cannot be expected to check every document before him. "Gupta couldn't have seen each and every paper. Can a judge check whether all the affidavits (in a case) are correct?" he asks. He warns that if the law, in its present form, is more widely applied, "many more secretaries will go to jail. Or worse, governments could use it to fix officers (they see) as loyal to previous governments".

The indictment of Gupta and the others raises a very pertinent question: how effective has an anti-corruption law framed in pre-liberalisation times been?

advertisement

Not much, in the view of most serving and former civil servants. Corrupt officers, capable of manipulating the system, never leave a paper trail. Only honest people working by the rulebook get trapped. Officers say rather than attributing criminality to what could well have been an error of judgement or administrative lapse causing public loss, the government ought to deal with such cases administratively-by withholding promotions or increments.

Former bureaucrats suggest departmental inquiries to penalise administrative lapses. "In case of negligence, departmental inquiries would be more appropriate than criminal action," says former Gujarat chief secretary Sudhir Mankad. "Criminal action is justified only when there is quid pro quo or connivance between officers and beneficiaries, which would prove the officer has gone the extra mile to favour a competing party, setting aside rules."

Quraishi goes further. "There was a scam and someone must have benefitted from it. Who are those persons? It is sad that all the big fish are out and honest bureaucrats become scapegoats," he told india today in Delhi.

There is no evidence to suggest that Gupta made money; it is either an issue of oversight or error of judgement," says a senior bureaucrat who is hopeful that key amendments to the PCA would be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament, slated to commence on July 18. "To attribute criminality is far-fetched and this will further aggravate fear. This provision (Section 13(1)(d) needs to go if India has to become a major economy," he adds.

Bureaucrats argue that the mere existence of a law does not curb corruption; what's needed are systemic measures, internal checks and controls. A retired bureaucrat suggests bringing in more lateral hires-of domain experts-for a duration of three to five years.

"Such a move does shake up the system. But beyond a level, one cannot have a high level of protection for civil servants," says a serving civil servant in Delhi. "Even if there is private gain, the rule of reason should apply, not presumption of guilt."

With the pressure to amend PCA - more specifically expunge the 'offending' Section 13(1)(d) - mounting, it will be quite a tightrope walk for the Narendra Modi government to balance its anti-corruption stance and pacify bureaucrats gripped with fear after the Coalgate convictions.

The government is in the throes of a war against corruption and can perhaps be credited with reducing corruption in the highest echelons - middlemen are out of work and kickbacks are no more the news. But keeping the civil bureaucracy motivated and productive, particularly after Gupta's incarceration, will be a big challenge for PM Modi and his colleagues.

As part of its many promises, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government had reiterated the need to amend the Act. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has been emphatically advocating this. At a public event in Delhi in March, Jaitley made a strong case for amending the Act, saying the distinction between erroneous and corrupt decisions is very thin in the law.

An attempt to fix the anti-corruption law was made in the latter half of UPA-II. But the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, introduced by the UPA, could not be passed in Parliament. It sought to redefine criminal misconduct to include misappropriation of property and possession of disproportionate assets. The bill, which remained a draft, also included the offence of giving bribe to a public servant, including bribes by a commercial organisation.

Draft amendments to the Act, proposed in May 2015, replaced "valuable thing or pecuniary advantage" with "undue advantage". Undue advantage was defined as any gratification other than legal remuneration. The amendment also includes the requirement of prior sanction to prosecute any serving public or retired official (in cases pertaining to the officer's service).

Referred to the parliamentary standing committee (Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha), which gave its recommendations on August 12, 2016, the bill is yet to be tabled in Parliament. But in the wake of the uproar over the conviction of Gupta, Kropha and Samaria, there are indications that the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament.

But even as the din amid the civil bureaucracy grows and the Modi government seems to be caving in to their demand to expunge Section 13(1)(d), a significant number of contrary voices within the IAS community have spoken out. Known to take tough positions, former cabinet secretary T.S.R. Subramanian believes diluting the law to protect honest bureaucrats would mean opening a convenient window for scores of corrupt officers to slip through. "Gupta was honest but he had certainly erred in being negligent. He kept his eyes closed when the loot happened. It was his duty to protect national interest. You have to be not just financially honest but intellectually honest too," Subramanian told india today. Diluting the law, he says, would be a big blunder that would significantly blunt the Modi government's campaign against corruption.

Subramanian bridles at the suggestion that decision-making and delivery of governance will slacken in the wake of Gupta's conviction. "That's humbug!" he exclaims.

While this is clearly a minority opinion in bureaucratic circles, Subramanian is not alone. On May 22, Ashok Khemka, the Haryana cadre IAS officer who hit the headlines in 2012 after he set aside a lucrative land deal between a firm owned by Robert Vadra and realty major DLF, tweeted his response to Gupta's conviction: "Inaction abetting public corruption is a societal crime. Public servants are public trustees."

Widely known, and even frowned upon by some of his own ilk, for the great lengths he is willing to go to serve what he perceives as 'public interest', Khemka vehemently disagrees with suggestions that the Act needs to be tinkered with. "They (bureaucrats demanding amendments to the law) all want Section 13(1)(d), which holds 'wilful inaction leading to a crime', to be scrapped. I simply don't buy that argument," says Khemka. Citing a hypothetical instance of government premises that are in the care of an officer, he asks: "Should (the officer) be absolved and acquitted of any responsibility if the place is used for some criminal activity, if he chooses to look the other way?"

Khemka also questions how the 'personal integrity' and 'honesty' of specific officers (Gupta in this case) was being held up to suggest that a travesty of justice had occurred. "What's this concept of personal integrity? What value does such integrity have for the public?" he asks.

Similarly, many police officials are voicing support for the Coalgate convictions. Rejecting contentions that Gupta was 'innocent' since he did not personally or unlawfully benefit from the wrongful coal block allocation, senior IPS officers in Maharashtra point out that the law does not require a quid pro quo to be established.

"The law clearly says that if a government official's action benefits someone at the cost of public interest, he is liable," a senior police officer in Mumbai says. "Whether Gupta made money or not is not the issue. His action led to loss of public money. That's a crime."

But in the wake of jail terms for Gupta and others on May 22, top government sources say cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha will shortly convene a meeting with PMO officials to deliberate on the imminent amendments. The blocks for an amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act may finally be falling in place.

With Uday Mahurkar, Kiran D. Tare, Kaushik Deka, Sandeep Unnithan and Amarnath K. Menon

--- ENDS ---
MONTREAL, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ALGOLD RESOURCES LTD. (TSXV: ALG - "Algold" or the "Corporation") today announced more assay results from its Phase III 20,000-meter drilling campaign carried out on its Tijirit property ("Tijirit") in Mauritania. The results continue to demonstrate the high-grade nature of the Eleonore zone and extend the mineralized horizons in the South and North areas.

Highlights

Hole T17RC084 ( Eleonore North ) - 21 m @ 3.05 g/t Au, approximately 100 meters below surface. (Figure 1)

) - 21 m @ 3.05 g/t Au, approximately 100 meters below surface. (Figure 1) Hole T17RC075 (Eleonore South) - 2 m @ 10.79 g/t Au, including 1 m @ 20.8 g/t Au, situated on section E7780, was a 50 m infill along strike from T17DD001 to the north (1.75m @ 1.69 g/t Au) and T16RC134 to the south (2 m @ 3.20 g/t Au). (Figure 2)

Hole T17RC055 ( Eleonore North ) - 4 m @ 2.74 g/t Au

These new results further increase the strike and down dip extensions of both Eleonore North and Eleonore South. These two areas, along with Eleonore Central, remain open along strike and at depth.

In hole T17RC084, the structure hosting the mineralization appears open down dip. Thirteen meters of plus-1g/t Au mineralization were intersected with significant gold grades, up to 23.7 g/t Au, occurring in an area of increasing quartz veining. The shear zone assemblage hosting the gold mineralization, as per the other Eleonore areas, is dominated by high-strain biotite alteration and disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite (locally up to 1%). Further drilling is planned to test the potential down-dip continuity within the actual Phase III Drilling Program.

Hole T17RC075 demonstrates the continuity of mineralization along the major north-south trending structures at Eleonore South as well as the variability in mineralized grades along structures.

Algold is also in receipt of drilling results from the Nour Vein, discovered in the fall of 2016, situated seven kilometers north of the Eleonore mineralized zone. Three provisional drill holes were carried out testing the mineralization at depths of up to 50 meters below surface. The results returned low gold anomalies associated with quartz veining at an ultramafic/mafic contact. While the initial drill holes did not return values comparable to the rock chip sampling carried out at surface, Algold is optimistic that the structure has been intersected, which further reinforces the theory that Eleonore represents a portion of a 20-kilometer-long structure extending throughout the permitted area.

The Phase III 20,000-meter reverse-circulation ("RC") and 5,000-meter diamond-drill ("DDH") drilling program was initiated on February 1, 2017 with the objective to further delineate the high-grade gold deposit. As of May 21, 2017, 108 RC holes, 15 DDH and 16 RC pre-collar/diamond tails were completed for 13,658 meters of RC and 3,669.9 meters of diamond drilling.

As of May 21, 2017, 6,945 samples (excluding QA/QC and re-assays) from the Phase III drilling program had been sent to the SGS Bamako lab facility for analysis. To date, the Corporation is in receipt of 5,683 RC and 439 DDH results, with assays still pending for 417 RC and 406 DDH samples. The Phase III drilling program remains ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter 2017.

Table 1: New Assay Results Highlights - Phase III Drilling Program

Vertical East North From To Depth* Grade** Width*** Hole ID Prospect Local Local (m) (m) (m) (g/t Au) (m) Comments Eleonore T17RC055 North 9596 9762 68 72 53 2.74 4 Eleonore T17RC056 North 9658 9801 112 116 85 0.75 4 Depth extension Eleonore T17RC059 North 910 1246 63 65 49 3.36 2 Strike extension east Eleonore T17RC079 North 993 1204 119 120 92 2.69 1 Depth extension Eleonore T17RC082 North 9619 9972 165 166 130 3.19 1 Depth extension 46 48 35 1.10 2 105 108 80 1.66 3 9712 9841 Eleonore T17RC084 North 117 138 96 3.05 21 Depth extension Including 130 136 8.36 6 Including 133 136 14.12 3 Eleonore T17RC074 South 9945 8084 30 31 23 5.70 1 Eleonore T17RC075 South 9957 7779 66 68 53 10.79 2

* Vertical depth of intersection below RL collar. ** Weighted average grade, composite based on a minimum grade of 0.3 g/t Au with an internal dilution of 0.005 g/t Au over 2 m and an edge grade of 0.25 g/t Au permitted. *** Down-hole length (believed to be close to true width) No capping of higher values has been applied.

Note: Complete assay results are available on Algold's website ( www.algold.com )

Detailed geological descriptions of all mineralized zones can be found on Algold's website (www.algold.com) and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) in the report entitled "Algold 43-101 Technical Report: Tijirit Maiden Mineral Resources Estimates for the Tijirit Gold Project in Mauritania, dated August 4, 2016".

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC)

Analytical work for drill core and chips, geochemical samples and rock chip samples is being carried out at the independent SGS Laboratories Ltd. in Bamako, Mali. The 50 g fire assay with ASS finish analytical services are accredited by SANAS and are carried out with a quality assurance protocol in line with ISO 17025:2005. Samples are stored at the Corporation's field camps and put into sealed bags until delivered by a geologist on behalf of Algold to the laboratory in Bamako, Mali, where samples are prepared and analyzed. Until the end of 2016, samples were analyzed at ALS's facility in Loughrea, Ireland. Beginning in 2017, samples are analyzed at SGS Laboratory, Bamako. Samples are logged in the tracking system, weighed, dried and finely crushed to better than 70%, passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, US Std. No.10) screen. A split of up to 1,000 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85%, passing a 75-micron (Tyler 200 mesh) screen, and a 50-gram split is analyzed by fire assay with an AA finish. Anomalous samples greater than 5 g/t Au are re-analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish. Selected samples may be re-analyzed using a 1 kg cyanide leach (Bottle Roll) using "LeachWELL" or the 1 kg screen fire assay method. Blanks, duplicates and certified reference material (standards) are inserted to monitor laboratory performance during the analysis.

This press release has been reviewed for accuracy and compliance under National Instrument 43-101 by Andre Ciesielski, DSc., PGeo., Algold Resources Ltd. Lead Consulting Geologist and Qualified Person, and Alastair Gallaugher, C.Geo. (Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London), BSc. Geology, Algold's Exploration Manager in Mauritania, Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Andre Ciesielski has further approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release.

ABOUT ALGOLD

Algold Resources Ltd. is focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in West Africa. The board of directors and management team are seasoned resource industry professionals with extensive experience in the exploration and development of world-class gold projects in Africa.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains and refers to forward-looking information based on current expectations. All other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements (or forward-looking information). The Corporation's plans involve various estimates and assumptions and its business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. For more details on these estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, see the Corporation's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements that are included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Algold Resources Ltd. 1320, boul. Graham, bureau 132, Mont-Royal, Quebec, H3P 3C8, www.algold.com ; Francois Auclair M.Sc., PGeo, President & Chief Executive Officer, f.auclair@algold.com, +1(514) 889 5089; Alex Ball, Executive VP, Finance and Corporate Development, a.ball@algold,com, +1(647) 919 2227
WASHINGTON, May 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Later today, representatives of the Oregon Ad Hoc Committee of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Oregon) will take part in a candlelight vigil for two men who were stabbed to death yesterday as they sought to defend Muslim train passengers from an attacker shouting Islamophobic and racist slurs, and for a third man injured in that incident. [NOTE: CAIR is in the process of forming a chapter in Oregon.] #PortlandHeroes

Video: CAIR Rep Ibrahim Hooper Interviewed on CNN About Killing of Men Who Defended Muslim Women

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8u1zQLlZ_E

CAIR: Anti-Muslim Hate Turns Fatal in Oregon (Huffington Post)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/portland-attack-commuter-train_us_5929362ce4b053f2d2acaf56

CAIR Calls on Trump to Denounce Growing Bigotry After Two People Stabbed to Death in Oregon While Defending Muslim Train Passengers

https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/posts/10154820359322695

The vigil, with the theme "In Solidarity We are United," is being hosted by Portland Indivisible Oregon D-3.

SEE: In Solidarity We are United Vigil

https://www.facebook.com/events/1677996529174006

WHAT: Vigil for Victims of Hate Attack

WHEN: Saturday, May 27, 6:30  8:30 p.m. PDT

WHERE: Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue Transit Center MAX Station, 1410 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, Oregon 97213

CONTACT: CAIR-Oregon Ad Hoc Committee Members Zakir Khan, [email protected], 626-419-0243; Seemab Hussaini, [email protected], 310-948-2040; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

Later in the evening (8:30 p.m.), there will be another prayer and vigil for the victims, followed by an interfaith Ramadan fast-breaking meal at: Muslim Educational Trust Community Center, 10330 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97223

A suspect apprehended following the attack is reportedly a white supremacist who has been photographed giving the Nazi salute.

SEE: Suspect in Portland Hate Crime Murders is a Known White Supremacist

http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2017/05/27/19041594/suspect-in-portland-hate-crime-murders-is-a-known-white-supremacist

Several GoFundMe pages have been established for the victims and their families. Bilal Mosque in Beaverton, Ore., has set up a fund to help the victims' families. Select the category "Portland Heroes - Families of the MAX incident" at: https://us.mohid.co/or/portland/bma/masjid/online/donation

SEE ALSO: https://www.gofundme.com/tri-met-heroes and https://www.gofundme.com/tri-met-hero-recovery

Yesterday, CAIR's national headquarters called on President Trump to speak out personally against rising bigotry and acts of racial violence in America targeting Muslims and other minority groups.

Video: CAIR Calls on Trump to Speak Out Against Deadly Hate Attack in Oregon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdKguM0BmUQ

CAIR also urged local Muslim communities to step up security measures during the month-long fast of Ramadan.

CAIR is offering Muslim community leaders free copies of its booklet, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety." The booklet may be requested through CAIR's website: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html

Earlier this week, CAIR condemned the murder of an African-American Bowie State University student by a suspect who is a member of a white supremacist group on Facebook called "Alt-Reich Nation."

SEE: CAIR Condemns Murder of Maryland College Student by Suspect with White Supremacist Links

https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14341-cair-condemns-murder-of-maryland-college-student-by-suspect-with-white-supremacist-links.html

CAIR recently released a report showing a 57 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents in 2016 over the previous year. This spike in anti-Muslim incidents was accompanied by a 44 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes during the same period.

SEE: New CAIR Report Shows More than 50 Percent Spike in Anti-Muslim Incidents

https://www.cair.com/press-center/14322-new-cair-report-shows-more-than-50-percent-spike-in-anti-muslim-incidents.html

Last week, CAIR released an updated report indicating that the most prevalent trigger of anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2017 has been the victim's ethnicity or national origin. Eleven percent of incidents have occurred as a result of an individual being perceived as Muslim. A Muslim woman's headscarf has been a trigger in 8 percent of incidents.

SEE: CAIR's First-Quarter Civil Rights Update Shows Bias Incidents Related to 'Muslim Ban,' Federal Agencies

https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14336-cair-s-first-quarter-civil-rights-update-shows-bias-incidents-related-to-muslim-ban-federal-agencies.html

The Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La mision de CAIR es mejorar la comprension del Islam, fomentar el dialogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprension mutua.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational

Subscribe to CAIR's Email List

http://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe

Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feed

http://twitter.com/cairnational

Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/cairtv

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

http://www.cair.com


ANNVILLE, Pa., May 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While attending the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's Annual 28th Infantry Division Memorial Service in Boalsburg May 21, Governor Tom Wolf thanked the more than 100 Gold Star Family members in attendance. They represented 12 of the 39 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard killed in action during the global war on terror.

"There is no way we can ever repay the debt we owe you or the debt we owe them," stated Governor Wolf. "But through ceremonies and services like this we can at least show our appreciation for what they have done and for what all these brave women and men do for us, often without expectation of reward or recognition."

One set of Gold Star parents attending this year were Chuck and Diane Ruffner of Cherry Tree, Pa. They stopped to have their photo taken next to the 28th Infantry Division Global War on Terror Memorial, erected in 2016 in honor of the 42 division soldiers killed in action since 9-11. One of those soldiers is their son, Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Ruffner, killed in Afghanistan April 9, 2013.

"We've been coming to Boalsburg every year since we lost Matt," Diane said.

Another of the names on the GWOT monument is that of Staff Sgt. Keith Bennett, killed in Iraq Dec. 11, 2005. His step-father, Tom Miller, and his mother, Carolyn Miller, of Drewmore, Pa. also stopped by the monument prior to the start of the official ceremony. The Millers have attended Boalsburg both as supportive parents and as those in the Gold Star ranks. They say the event is bittersweet for them now.

"The first time we were here we came to see him (Bennett) in the parade. That was 12 years ago," Carolyn Miller said.

"It's hard to come here now knowing it's 'in memory of' instead of 'in attendance with.' But it's good to be here with the other families," said Tom Miller.

While addressing the Gold Star families, soldiers and friends of the division who gathered at the memorial, the governor added, "Words can never express the sacrifice that you have made as family members. We mourn with you. All of Pennsylvania mourns with you."

Photos from the memorial service can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the28idpao/albums/72157684149807855

MEDIA CONTACT: Joan Z. Nissley, 717-861-8720

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

FIRST AUTO COLLISION

Profile America  Sunday, May 28th. The first recorded automobile accident in the U.S. involving two vehicles occurred on this date in 1896 in New York City. Henry Wells of Springfield, Massachusetts, was driving a new Duryea Motor Wagon, the first automobile model to be made and sold in the U.S. Unfortunately, he collided with Evelyn Thomas of New York, riding a bicycle. Thomas went to the hospital with a broken leg, and Wells spent the night in jail. Now, there are close to 6.3 million motor vehicle accidents reported to police per year, with over 35,000 of them fatal crashes. There are nearly 33,000 insurance carriers in the U.S., with auto insurance premiums adding to the industry's $1.7 trillion of annual business. You can find current data on the country's economy by downloading the 'America's Economy' mobile application at www.census.gov/mobile.

Sources:

Duryea Motor Wagon/accessed 2/23/2017: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-06-16/travel/9606180315_1_auto-industry-tailpipe-emissions-duryea-motor-wagon

Accident/accessed 2/23/2017: https://wanderingbrooklyn.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/strange-but-true-the-first-car-accident-in-u-s-was-in-nyc-and-it-involved-a-bicycle/

Fatal crashes/page 6/accessed 2/19/2016: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812318

Accidents and cyclist deaths/accessed 2/19/2016: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812234.pdf

Insurance carriers /County Business Patterns/NAICS 5241: https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2014/00A1//naics~5241

Insurance revenues/Economic Census/NAICS 5241:

https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/00CCOMP1//naics~5241

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotion of the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics and accounts drawn from cited non-Census sources are employed for illustrative or narrative purposes, and are not attested to by the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Audio" in the "Library" pull-down menu).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Related Links

http://www.census.gov


The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Hall of Fame was introduced in 2016 by Phil Baily, owner of Baily Winery and member of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association (TVWA) Board of Directors. The first inductees into the Hall of Fame were Vince & Audrey Cilurzo and John Moramarco. At the time, Baily noted The recent passing of wine country pioneer Vince Cilurzo prompted the TVWA Board of Directors to consider ways we could honor his memory. In discussing this, we realized that other pioneers should be recognized, most notably Audrey Cilurzo, because Vince and Audrey partnered in their accomplishments. John Moramarco was unquestionably the key leader of our rise in the 1960s and for the following thirty-plus years.

Vincenzo and Audrey Cilurzo planted the first commercial wine grape vineyard in the Temecula Valley. They established Cilurzo Vineyard and Winery as one of the first wineries in the Temecula Valley. As husband and wife, they championed the growing of red wine grapes, most notably Petite Sirah. They offered help, encouragement and support to all the wineries that followed them.

John Moramarco planted one of the first commercial wine grape vineyards in the Temecula Valley in 1968 while working for Brookside Winery. In the late 1980s his efforts helped Riverside County create the citrus/vineyard zone which preserved agriculture and laid the foundation for the remarkable growth of wineries over the ensuing years. Moramarco also worked to mobilize Riverside County, the City of Temecula, State and Federal efforts to successfully combat the spread of Pierces Disease in Temecula Valley vineyards.

This years Hall of Fame inductees, John Poole and Peter Poole, were similarly accomplished and well respected within Temecula Valleys wine community and were very appreciative of their efforts on behalf of all of us", stated Phil Baily.

John Poole purchased vineyard land in the Temecula Valley in 1969, establishing Long Valley Vineyards, which eventually grew to 165 planted acres. Additionally, he planted one of Californias earliest Syrah vineyards in 1974. John founded Mt. Palomar Winery in 1975; this was Temeculas second winery. In 1978, he opened the first permanent tasting room and was the first to begin advertising the Temecula Valley as a tourist destination.

Peter Poole, Johns son, was a founding member of the South Coast Vintners Association, a predecessor of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. He served many years as the President and Board Member of the Vintners Association and its successor. Peter took over operation of Mt. Palomar Winery in 1985, making it the first winery in the Temecula Valley under second-generation leadership. For many years, he worked to improve viticulture and winemaking practices in the Valley. He was instrumental in the effort to change the official name of the American Viticulture Area (AVA) from Temecula to Temecula Valley. He pioneered the planting of Italian varieties in California, being the first to plant Cortese in California and Sangiovese in the Temecula Valley. When the area was under siege from the vine destroying Glassy-winged sharpshooter, Peter helped lead the successful fight against the pest and the spread of Pierces Disease in the Temecula Valley.

ABOUT THE TEMECULA VALLEY WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION

Temecula Valley is the largest and most commercially successful winegrowing region in the South Coast AVA, the viticultural zone spanning more than 2 million acres from Riverside County to the San Diego border. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association has long served as a steward of the Southern California wine community. Comprising 36 wineries and more than 60 winegrowers, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association is a nonprofit regional organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the quality wines and wine grapes grown in the Temecula Valley and South Coast Appellations. Established in 1984, the Temecula Valley AVA consists of 33,000 acres, of which approximately 1,300 acres are currently planted to commercial vineyards. Known as Southern California's wine country, the Temecula Valley is located in Riverside County just one hour from San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs and 90 minutes from Los Angeles. For more information on the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, visit http://www.temeculawines.org.

###
Rohit Sharma, who was allowed by the BCCI to attend a family wedding on Saturday, will join the ICC Champions Trophy Indian team on Sunday.

By India Today Web Desk: After Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma will also miss India's first warm-up game at the ICC Champions Trophy, against New Zealand at the Oval today.

While Yuvraj is suffering from a viral fever and has "no major health concerns", Rohit will join the team in England today. He was allowed by the BCCI to attend a family wedding on Saturday, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.

advertisement

However, both players are expected to play the second warm-up, against Bangladesh on Tuesday before the team takes on arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 4.

Rohit is expected to bat at the top of the order with Shikhar Dhawan despite not opening the innings for Mumbai Indians during the entire Indian Premier League.

While it's a different format, Rohit will certainly need to make some mental adjustments of facing the new ball first-up.

He had played a couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Mumbai after recuperating from a hamstring surgery but that was also more than two and half months back.

Rohit, who batted at No. 4 throughout the IPL season 10, had earlier insisted that he would be having no issues when he would open the batting for India in the Champions Trophy, beginning June 1 in England and Wales.

Rohit was out of action since October 2016 after suffering a thigh injury which required surgery.

The 30-year-old has so far represented India in 21 Tests, 153 ODIs and 62 T20Is in which he has scored 1184, 5131 and 1364 runs respectively.

He is also the only batsman to have scored two double hundreds and a 250 in ODIs. His on field records keep everyone stunned, be it his stunning 209 in an ODI against Australia at Bangalore where he scored 209 runs or his record knock of 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Kolkata.

--- ENDS ---
Jorge Fernandez-Silva, MD

Florida Pain Relief Group, a division of Physician Partners of America (PPOA), is proud to announce that Jorge Fernandez-Silva, M.D., has joined its new Melbourne pain clinic.

Dr. Fernandez-Silvas practice focuses on comprehensive interventional pain management, a specialty that concentrates on minimally invasive techniques to treat and manage many types of pain.

Dr. Fernandez-Silva is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology with subspecialty certification in pain medicine.

A native of Miami, he attained his undergraduate degree from Florida International University and his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. After his internship in general surgery, he completed training in anesthesia and pain medicine at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Department of Anesthesia. There, he served as chief resident.

Dr. Fernandez-Silva spent 20 years in private practice in South Florida before coming to FPRG. Fluent in English and Spanish, he is passionate about offering all forms of pain care, and looks forward to serving the needs of patients in the Brevard County area. He joins a group of pain management specialists who rank among the most experienced in Florida.

For an appointment with Dr. Fernandez-Silva at Florida Pain Relief Group - Melbourne, 109 Silver Palm Ave., call (321) 735-6218. The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Same-day appointments are often available.

Dr. Fernandez-Silva will also see patients in Florida Pain Relief Group's clinic in Merritt Island, Fla.

About PPOA:

Started in 2013 and headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Physician Partners of America (PPOA), is a national healthcare organization focused on strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and improving patient outcomes. PPOA, and its affiliates  Florida Pain Relief Group, Texas Pain Relief Group, Texas Foot and Ankle Group, Urgent Care of Texas and National Medical Practices  share a common vision of ensuring the wellbeing of patients and providing their physician partners the opportunity to focus on the practice of medicine. This model allows physicians to be physicians, caring about patients and their needs in the face of ever more complex administrative requirements. For more information about Physician Partners of America, visit http://www.physicianpartnersofamerica.com.
Advanced investment and wealth professionals will learn how to navigate the dynamics of a new generation of clients and explore how technology can help them stay ahead of rapid changes in the industry at the Investment Management Consultants Associations (IMCA) Focus on Next Generation Clients, Advisors, and Technology live program, June 5, 8:30 a.m.3:45 p.m., at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.

As the baby-boom generation nears retirement, millennials will take over the workforce, bringing with them vastly diverse ideas that will impact how money is managed and financial advice is delivered. Financial advisors must adapt to the evolving financial landscape or run the risk of their business becoming obsolete. IMCAs Focus on NextGen Clients, Advisors and Technology, offered initially as a one-day seminar and later in June as an online program, will help advisors and consultants learn the latest on how best to serve this new generation of clients. Speakers and topics include:



Alexandra Douwes , Purpose Generation, on how advisors can adapt their communication style, team formation, and service to better engage next generation clients.

Brian Gaister, CPWA, CIMA, Pennington Partners & Co., and Noel Pacarro Brown, CIMA, CPWA, Morgan Stanley, sharing the latest on the market segment opportunities, how technology plays a role in practice development, and what the practice of the future will look like.

Julie Littlechild, AbsoluteEngagement.com, exploring how advisors can uncover the strategies to keep pace with change and move proactively ahead of trends.

John Anderson and Raef Lee, directors, SEI Advisor Network, showcasing the technological tools that can help advisors deliver greater levels of service through robo-advice, emerging platforms, and more.

Anthony Davidow, CIMA, Schwab Center for Financial Research, Brian Sharpes, CIMA, UBS Institutional Consulting, and Heather Pelant, Baker Street Advisors, examining how advisors can embrace change to successfully transition their practice through the integration of technology, planning, and team development.

Registration is open for the Focus on Next Generation Clients, Advisors, and Technology program. For additional information or for journalists interested in receiving press credentials, please contact Greta Gloven at ggloven(at)imca(dot)org or (303) 850- 3079.

About IMCA

Established in 1985, IMCA is a nonprofit professional association and credentialing organization with more than 11,500 individual members and certificants in 37 countries around the world. IMCA members collectively manage more than $2.5 trillion, providing investment consulting and wealth management services to individual and institutional clients. Since 1988, IMCA has offered the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), which is the only financial services certification in the U.S. to meet international accreditation standards (ANSI/ISO 17024). The CIMA certification consistently distinguishes those who meet a global standard of competency and skills in investment management from those who do not. IMCAs Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) certification is suited for wealth management professionals working with high-net-worth clients. In 2016, IMCA conferences and education hosted more than 5,000 attendees.

IMCA and Investment Management Consultants Association are registered trademarks of Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. CIMA, Certified Investment Management Analyst, CIMC, CPWA, and Certified Private Wealth Advisor are registered certification marks of Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. does not discriminate in educational opportunities or any other characteristic protected by law.
Maria Contreras-Sweet speaks at the University of La Verne's 2017 Commencement Remember the mission of service. Be generous and kind and bring others along.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, who led the U.S. Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama, urged more than 1,500 new University of La Verne graduates on Saturday to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship and lead lives of service.

Contreras-Sweet addressed the graduates during the universitys two 125th anniversary spring commencement ceremonies at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. More than 10,000 relatives and friends gathered in the arena to see the graduates receive their masters, bachelors, and doctoral degrees.

Contreras-Sweet told the graduates to believe in the power of the underdog, and to use every bit of grit to reach their goals and improve the lives of those around them.

Its not enough to have a good idea and a diploma, she said. You have to act on the challenges.

Contreras-Sweet believes in the power of entrepreneurship because she has lived it.

She was born in Mexico and came to the United States with her mother and five siblings at age five. When they arrived in Southern California, nobody in the family spoke English, and her mother took a job in a poultry processing plant to provide for the family.

Contreras-Sweet forged her own path into the worlds of business and government, breaking barriers for herself and others along the way.

As secretary of Californias Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, she was the states first Latina cabinet official. In that role, she oversaw 44,000 employees, a $14 billion budget, and 14 state departments.

As an entrepreneur, she launched three businesses of her own, including a community bank in downtown Los Angeles that aimed to assist underserved communities. Her work with the bank caught the attention of President Barack Obama, who appointed her in 2014 to serve as a member of his cabinet and lead the U.S. Small Business Administration.

On Saturday, Contreras-Sweet told graduates that entrepreneurial vision is necessary to solve the major issues facing the world, such as health care, security, and food scarcity. But part of embracing entrepreneurship is recognizing its limits, she said. She asked graduates to also respect diversity, be global citizens, and support marginalized communities.

Remember the mission of service, she said. Be generous and kind and bring others along.

Only four percent of venture capital in the United States goes to women, she said. One percent goes to African Americans and another one percent goes to Hispanic Americans. And the glass ceiling continues to keep women from reaching many top jobs, she said.

In corporate America today, there are more CEOs named John than women named anything, she said. So our work is still cut out for us.

Prior to her commencement address, the university presented Contreras-Sweet with an honorary degree in recognition of her achievements.

University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman called Contreras-Sweet the embodiment of the American dream.

About the University of La Verne

Founded in 1891 and located 35 miles east of Los Angeles, the University of La Verne is a private, nonprofit, comprehensive institution founded on four core values: lifelong learning, ethical reasoning, civic and community engagement, and diversity and inclusivity. The University of La Verne serves nearly 8,400 students on the historic La Verne location as well as across nine Southern California regional campuses.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Farooq Abdullah said PM Narendra Modi wanted a "peaceful end" to the situation in the state, reeling under unrest for months.

By Press Trust of India: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah today called for the immediate imposition of governor's rule in the state, stressing that it was the only way to control tension in the country.

"We have never been promoters of governor's rule; we have always opposed it. But there is no other way," Abdullah, the newly elected MP from Srinagar, told PTI here.

advertisement

The National Conference chief, who was recently called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a discussion on Kashmir, said Modi wanted a "peaceful end" to the situation in the state, reeling under unrest for months.

"I can't tell you what I discussed with the prime minister. All I can say is that he is concerned about the situation in the state and wants an end to it, a peaceful end to it," he said.

PDP GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED

The former chief minister, accusing the Mehbooba Mufti government of "failing on all fronts", said not just south Kashmir, the entire Valley was in the grip of "tragedies". "These tragedies are adding to communal tension in the rest of the nation. So the quicker we settle this problem, (the quicker) would we be able to control the fire which is coming to a boiling stage," Abdullah said.

He also appealed to fringe elements in the BJP to not make "any provocative statements" on Kashmir.

"Let there be one voice. When the prime minister himself wants peace, others should listen to that," he said.

MUFTI SHOULD RESIGN

He stressed the CM should have resigned on the day the Centre gave in writing to the Supreme Court that it would not talk to separatists. Mehbooba Mufti had repeatedly asked for talks with "all stakeholders" in Kashmir.

"That completely baffles me because the PDP-BJPs agenda says they will talk to all. So if that agenda is gone, what is Madam Mufti doing on the chair? Should she not say goodbye and walk out if she has any honour left?"

He pointed out he had resigned as CM when the V P Singh government posted Jagmohan as Kashmir's governor in 1990. "It is not the chair I love, it is the people," he said.

Asked why there was no end to Kashmir's unrest, he said the militancy of the nineties was different from that now.

"Today the movement is different, because of the false promise of PDP leader Mufti (Mohammed Sayed) Saheb when he went for the elections with the promise to keep BJP and the RSS out. Unfortunately, at the end of the day he brought in the very people he had promised to keep away," he said.

advertisement

"Part of this struggle is because of that vishwasghat (betrayal) -- the trust that you betrayed - has raised its head," he said. He pointed out that most of the unrest was in the south, which was Muftis stronghold.

RSS HAS ADDED TO UNREST

He said the RSS's hold over the state government had added fuel to the unrest.

"The only way forward today, if they want to save the state and its future with the nation, is to bring in Governors rule so that the functioning of the government can be impartial and steps are taken to win the hearts and minds of the people," he said.

"Keep the Assembly in suspended animation, and when things are brought round and people see a better, forward looking government, let the Assembly be restored," he said.

He added that in the two months of Governors rule in January last year, Kashmiris had seen "good" governance.

"It was during the short period of governors rule that flood relief money was disbursed to the poorest of the poor without any political favours," he said.

advertisement

SEPARATISTS CANNOT BE IGNORED

Abdullah reacted angrily when asked why his statements were seen as pro-separatist whenever he was out of power.

"I have never wanted power. At least I never ran after power. If that was the case, wouldn't we have joined the BJP to form a coalition government when they asked us to?"

Further, he said, separatists could not be ignored.

"Are separatists not a part of the state? Are stone pelters not a part of the state? So if they are a part of the state, how can we ignore them and find justice for them?"

Abdullah reiterated that the states troubles would disappear once Governors rule was announced.

"Today they (PDP-BJP) is grabbing anyone and everyone who does not belong to their party, who have never picked up a stone in their hands; even their parents are pulled in and put into the lock up," he said.

"It is a witch-hunt, a total witch-hunt. That is why this unrest is not stopping," Abdullah said.

Also read: Army chief Bipin Rawat on stone pelting: Can't tell my men to wait and die

advertisement

Also read: Sabzar Bhat killing: Won't allow repeat of post-Burhan Wani violence in Kashmir, says top CRPF official

--- ENDS ---
The easiest way to write a column is to have someone else do it for you. The next best alternative is to use extensive quotes. If I had my druthers, as we Southerners say, I would simply use this space to reprint a recent speech by New Orleans Mitch Landrieu.

However, since there are linage limits, I will content myself with a few pertinent paragraphs and some explanatory comments. You might be better served by looking up the speech on the internet and reading it in its entirety. It is one of the most eloquent statements of modern times.

Landrieus remarks were occasioned by the removal of four prominent Confederate statutes in the city: memorials to Gen. Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, and the Crescent City White League, a white supremacy organization.

Lees was removed last week, the final one to go, and Mayor Landrieu spoke on the same day. He explained that it was the culmination of a long process, coming after public hearings and approvals from three separate community led commissions. After two robust public hearings and a 61 vote by the duly elected New Orleans City Council. After review by 13 different federal and state judges.

There were objections of course, from those who claimed that these were monuments to the citys history. But the mayor spoke the truth: the statues were not erected just to honor these men, but as part of the movement which became known as The Cult of the Lost Cause. This cult had one goal -- through monuments and through other means -- to rewrite history, to hide the truth, which is that the Confederacy was on the wrong side of humanity.

It is self-evident that these men did not fight for the United States of America. They fought against it. They may have been warriors, but in this cause they were not patriots. These statues are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history. These monuments purposefully celebrate a fictional, sanitized Confederacy, ignoring the death, ignoring the enslavement and the terror that it actually stood for.

And for those who still romanticize the Confederacy, Landrieu quoted that rebellions vice-president, Alexander Weeks, who claimed the Confederacys cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery -- subordination to the superior race -- is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first in the history of the world based upon this great physical, philosophical and moral truth.

Of course, that statement, offered as truth, is physically, philosophically and morally false, even though there are still people who cling to it; as do our home-grown terrorists, the white nationalist movements which have only recently crept from the shadows into public view.

Landrieu began his speech by acknowledging the citys diversity: New Orleans is truly a city of many nations, a melting pot, a bubbling cauldron of many cultures. There is no other place quite like it in the world that so eloquently exemplifies the uniquely American motto: e pluribus unum: out of many we are one.

But there are also other truths about our city that we must confront. New Orleans was Americas largest slave market, a port where hundreds of thousands of souls were bought, sold and shipped up the Mississippi River to lives of forced labor, of misery, of rape, of torture.

America was the place where nearly 4,000 of our fellow citizens were lynched, 540 alone in Louisiana; where the courts enshrined separate but equal; where Freedom riders coming to New Orleans were beaten to a bloody pulp. So when people say to me that the monuments in question are history, well, what I just described is real history as well, and it is the searing truth.

And there are no monuments to these truths.

Dont get the wrong impression from these quotes. Landrieus speech was not an indictment, but a necessary exercise in truth-telling which led to a deeply inspirational step from the past to the future.

Nothing has stained the American character more than racism, and nowhere was it more cruelly, blatantly and subtly expressed than in the South.

It is a great gift to have these healing words and actions coming from the heart of Dixie.
By Press Trust of India: (EDS: Recasting intro and adding a quote in sixth para)

By Sumir Kaul

Srinagar, May 28 (PTI) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah today called for the immediate imposition of Governors rule in the state, stressing that it was the only way to arrest the growing unrest in the Valley, fast slipping into anarchy.

advertisement

"We have never been promoters of Governors rule; we have always opposed it. But there is no other way," Abdullah, the newly elected MP from Srinagar, told PTI here.

The National Conference chief, who was recently called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a discussion on Kashmir, said Modi wanted a "peaceful end" to the situation in the state, reeling under unrest for months.

"I cant tell you what I discussed with the Prime Minister. All I can say is that he is concerned about the situation in the state and wants to an end to it. A peaceful end to it," he said.

The former chief minister, accusing the Mehbooba Mufti government of "failing on all fronts", said not just south Kashmir, the entire Valley was in the grip of "tragedies".

"These tragedies are adding to communal tension in the rest of the nation. So the quicker we settle this problem, (the quicker) would we be able to control the fire which is coming to a boiling stage," Abdullah said, adding that "the continued lawlessness is leading the Kashmir Valley into a state of anarchy".

He also appealed to fringe elements in the BJP to not make "any provocative statements" on Kashmir.

"Let there be one voice. When the Prime Minister himself wants peace, others should listen to that," he said.

He stressed the CM should have resigned on the day the Centre gave in writing to the Supreme Court that it would not talk to separatists. Mehbooba Mufti had repeatedly asked for talks with "all stakeholders" in Kashmir.

"That completely baffles me because the PDP-BJPs agenda says they will talk to all. So if that agenda is gone, what is Madam Mufti doing on the chair? Should she not say goodbye and walk out if she has any honour left?"

He pointed out he had resigned as CM when the V P Singh government posted Jagmohan as Kashmirs governor in 1990. "It is not the chair I love, it is the people," he said.

advertisement

Asked why there was no end to Kashmirs unrest, he said the militancy of the nineties was different from that now.

"Today the movement is different, because of the false promise of PDP leader Mufti (Mohammed Sayed) Saheb when he went for the elections with the promise to keep BJP and the RSS out. Unfortunately, at the end of the day he brought in the very people he had promised to keep away," he said.

"Part of this struggle is because of that vishwasghat (betrayal) -- the trust that you betrayed - has raised its head," he said. He pointed out that most of the unrest was in the south, which was Muftis stronghold.

He said the RSS hold over the state government had added fuel to the unrest.

"The only way forward today, if they want to save the state and its future with the nation, is to bring in Governors rule so that the functioning of the government can be impartial and steps are taken to win the hearts and minds of the people," he said.

"Keep the Assembly in suspended animation, and when things are brought round and people see a better, forward looking government, let the Assembly be restored," he said.

advertisement

He added that in the two months of Governors rule in January last year, Kashmiris had seen "good" governance.

"It was during the short period of governors rule that flood relief money was disbursed to the poorest of the poor without any political favours," he said.

Abdullah reacted angrily when asked why his statements were seen as pro-separatist whenever he was out of power.

"I have never wanted power. At least I never ran after power. If that was the case, wouldnt we have joined the BJP to form a coalition government when they asked us to?"

Further, he said, separatists could not be ignored.

"Are separatists not a part of the state? Are stone pelters not a part of the state? So if they are a part of the state, how can we ignore them and find justice for them?"

Abdullah reiterated that the states troubles would disappear once Governors rule was announced.

"Today they (PDP-BJP) are grabbing anyone and everyone who does not belong to their party, who have never picked up a stone in their hands; even their parents are pulled in and put into the lock up," he said.

advertisement

"It is a witch-hunt, a total witch-hunt. That is why this unrest is not stopping," Abdullah said. PTI SKL BDS ASK

--- ENDS ---
NEW YORK  Donald Trump continued to distance himself from fellow leaders over climate change at the Group of Seven summit, and said hell determine next week whether to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement.

I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week, the president said in a Twitter post Saturday.

Trump, who for months has delayed a decision on the climate agreement, made his announcement at the conclusion of the G-7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

The U.S. broke from the other six nations in a joint statement issued at the summits conclusion, saying America is reviewing its climate policies while the other G-7 members remain committed to the Paris agreement.

Climate was among the most disputed issues separating Trump from other leaders at the two-day meeting on the Sicilian coast. Trump wasnt swayed by arguments from Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Frances President Emmanuel Macron and others to honor the Paris agreement, agreed upon in 2015 by almost 200 nations to cut fossil fuel emissions and boost funding to ease the effects of global warming.

The whole discussion about climate has been difficult, or rather very unsatisfactory, Merkel said after the summit. Here we have the situation that six members, or even seven if you want to add the EU, stand against one.

Trump, who once said the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive, repeatedly said during his election campaign that he would he would pull out of the Paris, but has sidestepped the issue since taking office.

Members of his administration are deadlocked about whether the U.S. should uphold the agreement. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is among those advocating for the U.S. to stay with the deal, said this past week that Trump wouldnt decide on the issue until he returns to the U.S. The delay provided opportunity for G-7 leaders and Pope Francis to press Trump to honor the U.S.s environmental commitments.

He stands in stark isolation, said Alden Meyer, who has followed climate talks for two decades as director of policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. The leaders from Europe, Canada, and Japan have made it crystal clear that they intend to fully implement their national commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Trump has criticized efforts to cut emissions, saying they hurt U.S. economic competitiveness. Trump may be willing to stay in the agreement, Cohn said, if the U.S. can scale back commitments made by President Barack Obama.

His views are evolving, and he came here to learn, Cohn said. His basis for decision is ultimately going to be whats best for the United States.

The Paris agreement is broader than any previous climate deal. It calls for reducing pollution in hopes of limiting global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above temperatures at the outset of the industrial revolution.

The decision whether the leave the Paris deal accord has been among the most fractious of the Trump administration. Environmental chief Scott Pruitt and top strategist Steve Bannon are pushing for a pullout. White House adviser Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the presidents son-in-law and daughter, have joined Tillerson in advocating staying.

Pressure has come from outside the White House, too. Hundreds of corporations and investors have endorsed the Paris agreement pact, including oil companies Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil, which was previously led by Tillerson. Twenty-two Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, sent a letter to Trump urging him to withdraw from the deal.
Special report on dispute between IKEA and SAE and state involvement allegations

A new round of a legal dispute between businessman Konstantin Ponomarev and IKEA demonstrates how a big international company may mislead governmental institutions for years by discrediting legal mechanisms developed in Russia for protection of investors and businessmen.

Seven years ago, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development (MED) started dealing with foreign investors who faced problems in the framework of a program aimed at attracting foreign direct investments in Russia and promoting implementation of private investment projects.

IKEA lawyers attempted to take advantage of the situation and secure their own interests. They claimed for several years without providing any evidence that dispute settlement between IKEA and Sistemy Avtonomnogo Energosnabzheniya (SAE) that had been reached on November 22, 2010, was the first significant project on behalf of the MED for the protection of investors. The settlement agreement was allegedly signed with the assistance of the MED which was supposed to be represented in negotiations between the parties by Sergey Belyakov, then director of the MED Department for investment policy and development of private-public partnership who later became deputy minister of the MED.

The agreement allegedly enabled IKEA to settle the dispute and fulfill all the requirements under the rental contracts for SAE generators. IKEA representatives later told mass media that the disputes with Ponomarev in 2011 through 2016 were a fraudulent attempt to recover the money that had been already paid which undermined investment environment in Russia.

RAPSI filed an official request with the MED in order to clarify the situation. The MED answered that it had nothing to do with the dispute between Ponomarev and IKEA as well as any other dispute between commercial entities. Moreover, the MED claimed that it could not act as a mediator in any dispute as it was restricted by the law.

Unfortunately, Russian courts were misled along with a number of high-ranking officials.

The role of the MED in negotiations between Ponomarev and IKEA

Belyakov, former deputy minister of the MED, initially testified that Igor Shuvalov, then commissioner on investor rights, was approached in 2010 by IKEA The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia opted to take part in the negotiations to settle the dispute between the parties The MED that was represented by Belyakov acted as a mediator Belyakov participated in the negotiations between the parties in September-November 2010 At the beginning of each meeting K. A. Ponomarev claimed that he did not assign IKEA debts held by SAE to anybody During the meeting with Belyakov in August 2011 Ponomarev confessed that he deliberately concealed debt assignment from IKEA and the mediator  in order to receive additional payments from IKEA.

This testimony is fully in line with the position of IKEA that blamed Ponomarev for alleged fraudulent activities, such as an alleged concealment of debt assignment, and an alleged attempt to recover the money that had been already paid. Let us take a closer look at the testimony provided by Belyakov and IKEA arguments and try to verify the allegations.

Federal Law 193-FZ On alternative procedure of dispute resolution with the assistance of a mediator (mediation procedure) was signed on July 27, 2010. The law entered into force on January 1, 2011, after the settlement between Ponomarev and IKEA had been reached with participation of Belyakov. Therefore, Belyakov could not be engaged as a mediator in the dispute due to the fact that the law on mediation was not in force in Russia at that time.

Besides, according to provision 2 of Article 2 of the law, mediation procedure is a means of dispute resolution with the assistance of a mediator on the basis of voluntary consent of the parties aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable decision. However, no document presented to courts or made public contained Ponomarevs consent to attract a mediator in the dispute.

Provision 6 of Article 15 of the law on mediation reads that a mediator may not act as a representative of a party [to the dispute - RAPSI]. However, on November 5, 2010, John Rasmussen, then chairman of IKEA MOS Supervisory Board, in his letter (RAPSI has a copy of the letter at its disposal) directly asked Belyakov to side with IKEA in the dispute: I would like to ask if you wish to attend the meeting [for signing of the dispute resolution agreement  RAPSI] and provide us additional support, as well as to prepare for the next meeting with Konstantin Ponomarev [after the dispute resolution agreement is signed  RAPSI]  Notably, Ponomarev was not aware of cooperation between Belyakov and IKEA. Konstantin Ponomarev has not been notified about this yet, John Rasmussen told Belyakov.

The cooperation between Belyakov and IKEA started on September 26, 2010, when John Rasmussen wrote Belyakov that concerning your meeting and conversation with Ambassador Sven Hirdman in Moscow last week, I would like to say that we are eager to accept your offer. In the meantime, Ponomarev knew nothing about it until mid-November.

In the meantime, a mediator cannot act as a witness in court proceedings. Provision 5.1 of Article 56 of the Russian Arbitration Procedural Code reads that those who provide assistance to the parties in dispute resolution, including mediators, cannot be questioned as witnesses. Nevertheless, Belyakov testified before a court on March 5, 2012, in the capacity of the defendants witness.

Since the Ministry of Economic Development could not be in any way involved in the dispute between Ponomarev and IKEA, Belyakov being an official of the MED also could not be involved in the dispute as a mediator.

Therefore, statements about participation of the MED as an assistant, mediator or guarantor of the dispute resolution agreement between IKEA and SAE signed on November 22, 2010, are not true.

I took part in the negotiations from September through November 2010, Belyakov claimed. Prior to our participation, the parties could not come to an agreement. Thus Belyakov turns out to be allegedly authorized to take part in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE on behalf of Russia.

However, it is possible to verify the information thanks to the correspondence between Belyakov and IKEA representatives (screenshots of the correspondence are contained in court records).

The letter Rasmussen sent to Belyakov shows that Belyakov himself offered assistance to Sweden in September 2010, and the ambassador informed IKEA management thereof. IKEA accepted Belyakovs cooperation offer on September 26, and in September through November 2010 Belyakov assisted IKEA while Ponomarev was still unaware of it.

Belyakov could not participate in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE without revealing himself. That is why he was kept informed about the ongoing negotiations by IKEA.

Thus, Chairman of the IKEAs Board of Directors informed Belyakov in a letter on November 9, 2010: Yesterday we had a meeting with Konstantin Ponomarev that went on until late. We still have an unresolved issue (hampering the deal) that we cannot settle. This issue concerns the signing procedure and how KP is guaranteed receiving the money

It turns out that by November 9, 2010, the negotiations were practically completed without Belyakovs participation. Moreover, until November 9, 2010, there was not a single joint meeting of IKEA, SAE, and Belyakov. Nevertheless, all issues had been agreed upon except for the signing procedure and payment.

Belyakov took part in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE for the first time on November 16, 2010, in order to discuss these remaining issues. The signing procedure and payment were discussed while the 20-page agreement was left aside. Belyakov even did not know its terms.

In this case what shall we do with Belyakovs initial allegations that he participated in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE from the very beginning in September 2010 and his alleged acknowledgment of the terms of the agreement signed on November 22, 2010, and alleged fraud by Ponomarev?

When cross-examined in court, Belyakov changed his mind and claimed that he participated in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE only once on November 16, 2010. I was not familiar with the text of the agreement and there was no task to get familiar with it, I do not know the terms, I am legally competent, but since I have no competence as concerns disputes between economic entities due to my functional duties, just on principle I have not read about [how to regulate] some relations subject to regulation by the agreements, Belyakov said.

The agreement between IKEA and SAE signed on November 22, 2010

It should be reminded that according to IKEA an end was put to all disputes between IKEA and entities under control of Ponomarev after the dispute resolution agreement was signed on November 22, 2010, whereas the claims by RUCON were said to be unlawful. Let us try to sort out this issue taking into account the documents contained in court records.

The initial rental contracts for 112 generators to be used at two St. Petersburg MEGA shopping malls until December 31, 2008 were made in October 2006.

In July 2008, IKEA restricted access to generators for SAE employees keeping generators in use and declining to make rental payments.

On September 23, 2009, IKEA and SAE concluded an agreement on an action plan to resolve the dispute. On October 26, 2009, an additional rental agreement for generators was made covering 2009 through 2010 and the subsequent purchase of generators.

In 2008 through 2010, numerous court proceedings concerning rental payments in 2007 and 2008 take place. IKEA returned generators in summer 2010.

The rental payments for 2009 and 2010 in accordance with the additional agreement signed on October 26, 2010, were not made. Finally, IKEA refused to purchase generators.

Russian Interior Ministrys experts carried out an expert evaluation in 2012, according to which by autumn 2010 IKEA owed SAE under rental agreements for 112 generators 44,716,289,264 rubles (about $795 million at the present exchange rate). 24,994,970,000 rubles ($444 million) were the rental payments for 2007 through 2008, as well as interest, penalties, and other payments. 19,721,319,264 rubles ($351 million) were the rental payments for 2009  2010, including interest, penalties, and other payments.

IKEA transferred 24,994,970,000 rubles by installments to the SAE account under the Agreement signed on November 22, 2010. Each payment is clearly defined as rental payment for 2007, rental payment for 2008, interest, penalties, legal costs, etc. No payment mentions in any way the rental payments for 2009 and 2010.

IKEA has not paid SAE a single ruble for the generators rented in 2009 through 2010 as envisaged by the Agreement signed on November 22, 2010. The Agreement clearly states that at the moment it was made SAE had no claims against IKEA for 2009 and 2010.

In the meantime, on October 21, 2010, SAE assigned these claims to RUCON with the consent of IKEA MOS. IKEA was notified about the assignment agreement seven times: on September 17, 2010, October 21, 2010, October 25, 2010, October 28, 2010, November 1, 2010, November 15, 2010, November 22, 2010. The assignment was agreed upon in 2009, as the consent was reflected in provision 7 of the Agreement signed on September 23, 2009.

Taking into account the assignment made in October 2010 with IKEAs consent, RUCONs claims against IKEA for 2009 and 2010 could not be settled in November 2010 without participation of RUCON, which was not a party to the settlement.

In the course of the actual negotiations between SAE and IKEA, not the mythical ones purported to involve Belyakovs mediation on behalf of the MED, the parties never made a secret of the assignment of the SAE claims for 2009 and 2010 to RUCON. Everything was absolutely transparent.

For example, in a letter sent on November 21, 2010, by Konstantin Ponomarev, CEO and sole participant of SAE, to Per Wendschlag, IKEA MOS CEO, all the claims SAE assigned to RUCON under the agreement of November 21, 2010 were listed. The letter also read that in accordance with an agreement between Ponomarev and John Rasumssen, the Chairman of the IKEA MOS Board of Directors, within 6 months since the date of signing of the Dispute Resolution Agreement IKEA MOS will have an opportunity to voluntarily repay the debt to RUCON as it is defined in the IKEA MOS Debt Estimation as on October 21, 2010, as well as to pay interest until the date of actual repayment of the debt to RUCON In case the said debt is not repaid in full by the time indicated above, RUCON will seek its legal recovery not later than July 14, 2011.

On November 15, 2010, RUCON sent a debt recovery claim to IKEA having indicated its banking details and given notice that its claims were not subject to the Agreement of November 22, 2010, which had been made without RUCON participation.

At the same time, the correspondence said in plain text that After the Dispute Resolution Agreement is signed and the amounts indicated therein are paid, IKEA may announce the complete settlement of disputes with SAE. SAE will not make any explanations and / or statements concerning the assignment to RUCON.

The fact that the assignment was made with IKEA knowledge and consent is so apparent that even Belyakov does not attempt to deny it in the course of court examination: I know, there is some story relating to the fact that, as it turns out, before the agreement was signed, notifications about the assignment of the rights had been sent to the company; however, I have no function, nor competence to evaluate the status of these documents and tell if they are legitimate or not. Thus, Belyakov involuntary admitted that it was quite difficult to ignore seven notifications about the assignment and make an attempt to conceal it.

Having in mind the documents mentioned above, the fact that the agreement on the assignment of the claims for 2009 and 2010 between SAE and RUCON was made on October 21, 2010, with the knowledge and consent of IKEA and was a part of the arrangements SAE and IKEA could make in the course of the negotiations carried out in 2010 seems quite obvious.

Ponomarev did not conceal the assignment from IKEA during negotiations. On the contrary, the assignment of the claims for 2009 and 2010 amounting to 19,721,319,264 rubles ($351 million) was just the first step aimed to implement a dispute resolution plan that had been agreed by SAE and IKEA. The second step was the repayment of the debt in the amount of 24,994,970,000 rubles ($444 million) IKEA accumulated in 2007 through 2008 under the Dispute Resolution Agreement of November 22, 2010, between IKEA and SAE.

The main difference between the claims for 2007 through 2008 and those for 2009 through 2010 was the fact that by the autumn 2010 the legitimate nature of the 2007  2008 claims arising from the initial contracts with rental terms expiring on December 31, 2008, had been confirmed by numerous court decisions, which were of the prejudicial nature for next SAE claims against IKEA as concerned additional recovery for years 2007 through 2008.

The claims for 2009 through 2010 are quite a different story as no court procedures have been initiated yet and there is no prejudice. Courts have not examined the additional agreement of October 26, 2009, under which the issue of the lease of generators in 2009 through 2010 and their subsequent purchase was arranged. Both parties understand this quite clearly. Therefore, yet in the summer 2010 SAE and IKEA agreed to repay all the debts arising over four years with a deduction at the expense of the discounting of the debts pertaining to the period not yet litigated in courts.

The total amount of payments as on August 1, 2010, should have made $885 million. Besides, IKEA should have compensated to SAE legal expenses. By November 22, 2010, when the Agreement between SAE and IKEA was signed, the amount of additional interest at 0.1 per cent a day rate agreed by the parties made $150 million. Probably, at that moment IKEA decided to try luck and totally refrain from paying any sum due for 2009 through 2010 thus reducing the total amount instead of increasing it. It is possible that IKEA took the final decision at the last minute.

Otherwise, how it can be explained that the founders transferred 31 billion rubles (about $1 billion at the exchange rate at that time) into IKEA MOS additional capital aimed to make payments associated with generators, but only 24,994,970,000 rubles were paid to SAE. We can only guess where 6,005,030,000 rubles (about $107 million at the current exchange rate) disappeared. In case IKEA management planned to dispute the legitimacy of the claims for 2009 through 2010, it is quite a logical step on their part. Instead of allocating additional $150 million they could save $77 million from the previously transferred amounts! The total sum to be saved is $227 million.

The IKEA motives to save the money and to decline repaying of the claims for 2009 through 2010 even at a discount, become clear from the testimony given by Joakim Virtanen, former manager at IKEAs Russian division: IKEA claimed that all these claims (RUCONs generator-rent related claims for 2009 through 2010) were settled under the Dispute Resolution Agreement of November 22, 2010, although as concerns this agreement IKEA has repaid SAE only the claims pertaining to 2007  2008. Yet before it was signed, Ponomarev had informed IKEA about the assignment of rent-related claims for 2009 and 2010, which IKEA refused to recognize and repay, by SAE to RUCON. IKEA lawyers, who are fully responsible for the drawing of the Dispute Resolution Agreement of November 22, 2010, have on purpose omitted direct references to the preliminary assignment of SAE claims for 2009 through 2010 to RUCON replacing them with ambiguous conditions in order to later accuse Ponomarev of deceiving and double-dipping IKEA.

IKEA management does not make an effort to hide the fact that IKEA attempted to deceive Ponomarev by reducing and breaking down the amount of payment prior to the signing of the Agreement. This allegation is supported by Franco Tollardo, former IKEA MOS top manager, who worked for the company for about 6 years. He directly participated in the negotiations between Ponomarev and IKEA yet in 2007 having earlier checked the terms, on which Ponomarevs generators were rented, and making sure they were competitive. Tollardo also participated in the negotiations between Ponomarev and John Rasmussen, the Chairman of the IKEA Board of Directors, in March through September 2010.

I realized that a next deception of Ponomarev on the part of IKEA was under way as concerned both the founding of a joint venture, or purchase of the generators; I warned him about this and did not take part in the negotiations anymore, Tollardo told investigators.

Joakim Virtanen sides with Tollardo: IKEA is obsessed with an idea of haunting Ponomarev, while for IKEA lawyers, who are the main beneficiaries of the dispute between Ponomarev and IKEA which has been pending for 8 years already, it has become a profitable business.

If I had not personally observed how the decisions aimed to retain DES SAE were being taken within IKEA in 2009, and how Director Ponomarev was trying to get them returned, I would have reached the conclusion that IKEA management on the whole and all the lawyers worked for Ponomarev, not for IKEA. As a matter of fact, the reason is that in Russia IKEA has turned into a totalitarian sect, where the truth and facts do not matter anything at all. Every shopping mall IKEA built in Russia is built unlawfully revealing massive infringements and bribes. Dozens of lawyers and fixers, who need to create and settle for years as many legal problems as possible, live on these corruption schemes, Virtanen wrote in his testimony.

In his testimony, IKEA ex-top manager Franco Tollardo, a participant in the negotiations between IKEA and SAE in 2010, could better than anyone else describe the gist of the years-long corporate conflict between IKEA and Russian businessman Konstantin Ponomarev: The problems in relationship between Ponomarev and IKEA are not of financial or legal, but of cultural nature. Ponomarev tries to be on an equal footing with IKEA, does not make one-sided concessions, and does not succumb to intimidation. IKEA knows well that Ponomarevs claims are legitimate, but hopes to be able to crush him and wishes that on principle.

RAPSI will continue to keep a close watch on the dispute between Ponomarev and IKEA, which is a landmark issue for the Russian legal framework. In the next article we will tell about tricky legal stances the courts took when examining the dispute. We invite IKEA to take part in the discussion and present its arguments.
President Trump and Pope Francis have little in common, Time observed in anticipation of the first meeting between the two leaders last week. While this may be true superficially, the president and the pope have something very important in common: They understand their markets.

From an economic perspective, these two men are both supplying something  call it a message  based on real demand. Love them or hate them, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of the Free World are men of their time in ways that, say, Pope Emeritus Benedict and former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney are not. They get that the market has shifted, and they are offering something accordingly.

Cardinal Charles Chaputs latest book, Strangers in a Strange Land, speaks to a cultural crisis brought on by what his subtitle calls a post-Christian World. The essential point is that a growing number of people simply have no faith. This means the market for the faithful has shifted; and, until recently, few were speaking directly to this market.

Without a buyer, theres no product. What a marketer does is go out and find and attract the buyer.

A marketer identifies the market and tries to hit on the message that will most resonate with the largest pool of potential buyers. If a market shifts, the message needs to adapt accordingly. Good marketers will not overwhelm buyers with too much information up front. Instead, they disseminate bits of appealing and digestible information through different channels in an effort to draw prospective buyers in. Once a buyer is in  in your establishment, on your website, etc.  the marketer can provide more detailed information, but still wont reveal the whole picture.

Only after a prospect converts  this is the business term  to become a customer does a company reveal more about its products complexities and issues. At that point, a competent marketer will keep tabs on customers (as well as the market of future potential buyers) in order to ensure they remain loyal. In addition to messaging, this means knowing product weaknesses and working with those internally to convey customer frustrations  and being strong enough to encourage change when it is needed.

If a company has good marketing and a good product, it will more easily increase its buyer base as well as retain existing customers.

Considered in this light, what Pope Francis has done is not water down Catholic doctrine, much less change it. On the contrary, he has taken a survey of the current market for souls, as it were, and, finding that it has shifted, adjusted the message to meet current market demand. If you cant get people through the door, what good does it do to fret over the finer points of the message sent out to draw them in? As Christian apologist C.S. Lewis often argued, you dont quibble over the nuances of Christianity with outsiders.

Yes, Pope Francis is the Roman Catholic Churchs Chief Marketing Officer. He is out to recruit souls, and hes less worried about watering down the messaging a bit than with getting prospective buyers through the door. He wants the message to go viral.

Sometimes an organization needs better execution; sometimes it needs better operations. Pope Francis  and the cardinals who elected him  are betting the Church needs better marketing. It needs a way to reach a larger pool of potential buyers while understanding the frustrations of the faithful and offering strong enough leadership to catalyze change.

During the 1970s, the Vatican relied on then Bishop Bergoglio for a very different task, to maintain the independence of the Jesuit order in Argentina when Liberation Theology was on the rise. Now, as Pope, he is performing the necessary task at hand: Marketing the message of the Church to a broader base of prospective Christians.

The name he chose is significant here. In St. Francis time, the Church was deeply suffering. Francis and his followers wandered from town to town singing joyfully and infusing the suffering Church with what it needed: a sense of wonder and beauty. Their songs went viral (we still sing them today).

Today, using Twitter and other modern forms of communication  and by gently ignoring the many simplistic interpretations (or even falsifications) of his teachings in the popular media  Pope Francis is following in the footsteps of his namesake. He is infusing the Church with a palpable message of love and forgiveness. And by allowing that message to go viral, hes encouraging a new market to buy as well as investing in a future, larger market.

Pope Francis approach might frustrate his more dedicated flock  those who preferred the analytical prose of Ratzinger or the deep theological teachings of Pope Saint John Paul II. And there is always the danger that by trying to invigorate a broader base, the pontiff will alienate this demographic, who worry that the medium is becoming the message. Like all good marketers, the pope must find a way to broadcast the message widely without misrepresenting (much less transforming) the product, while still attending to the Churchs loyal customers.

Trump has taken an analogous approach to American politics by speaking to a demographic left behind by a shifting political landscape. During the campaign, he tailored his message to voters who felt alienated from the political process. Love him or hate him, Trump succeeded in doing something none of his competitors could: he got these prospective buyers in the door.

From this perspective, while the two have many differences, President Trump and Pope Francis  these two men of our times  should have had much to discuss.
India is re-imagining its ancient past, and reinvigorating the spirit of its rich culture through books and movies.

By Abhijit Majumder: This is not the demure, suffering Sita we know. Amish's new book re-imagines the heroine of our mythology as an abandoned wildling protected by a vulture, adopted by the ruler of Mithila, and then going on to become the lethal warrior, defender and Prime Minister of the once-ignored kingdom.

In the spectacular and expansive Baahubali 2, the ancient India comes out of its colonial cliche of delicate lovemaking and clever Brahmins and assumes a robustly Kshatriya, warrior avatar with muscular armies and loads of scientific innovation. India is re-imagining its ancient past, unshackled from colonial denial or communist cynicism. It is re-inventing its own superheroes and superheroines thousands of miles away from the pantheons of Marvel or DC Comics. The women are strong and martial, the men are no sissies either.

advertisement

Superheroes are born out of a certain cultural confidence. The stories are of hope and glory, reflective of a nation proud of its past and extremely optimistic of its future. They are also reflective of the new, assertive nationalism which has been the biggest subject of our conversations and debates both online and offline. Political stability, a shining GDP and bold some reforms add to the spunk.

Also Read: The name's Bond, Ruskin Bond: 5 life lessons you should learn from the prolific write

Scores of books and movies are rolling out of the printing presses and the studios, and some of them are instant mega-hits. The rush for myth-mining is unprecedented.

After Baahubali 2, there is talk that SS Rajamouli is planning to make Mahabharata. One can imagine the scale. Actor Mohanlal has already planned his version of the epic, which would cost `1,000 crore. Directors Vineet Sinha, Sean Graham and creative director Ronnie Allman are reportedly making Ramayana in English with a $50 million (around `325 crore) budget and special effects which would rival Lord of the Rings or Planet of the Apes.

A slew of books delving into Indian mythology and ancient culture has already been released or are on their way. Vamsee Juluri's Saraswati's Intelligence (first part of the Kishkindha Chronicles), The Flaming Tresses of Draupadi by former minister M Veerappa Moily, Komal Bhanver's The Mauryan: The Legend of Ashoka, Madhavi Madhavan's The Kaunteyas, Kavita Kane's Lanka's Princess are among the many that are already on the bookshelves alongside the Chitra Banerjee Divakarunis, Devdutt Pattanaiks and Ashok Bankers.

Also Read: What has Alia Bhatt got to do with Amish Tripathi's upcoming, Sita: Warrior of Mithila?

Penguin is coming up with Vyasa by Sankha Banerjee and Sibaji Bandyopadhyay. Rupa has lined up Ravana-Leela by Radha Viswanath, Women Warriors in Indian History by Yugal Joshi and the Indus Challenge by R Durgadoss.

The motif of powerful women comes up in Aleph's forthcoming Heroines: Powerful Indian Women of Myth and History.

All this could just be a speck in what is coming. A goldmine of mythologies and stories from our past - from Rajataringini of Kashmir to the Tamil epic Cilappatikaram depicting the life of Kannagi - are waiting to be dusted, refashioned and adopted in today's popular culture.

A globally asserting nation is ensuring that it never runs out of its own superheroines and superheroes.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Normally, it is China, not Russia, that acts as a negotiator with the North Koreans. But lately, Moscow appears to be stepping up its efforts to mediate talks with Pyongyang relating to its nuclear weapons program. These efforts, however, are unlikely to effect any real change since Russia lacks the means to persuade North Korea to change its course. They are, in reality, an attempt by the Kremlin to appear more influential than it actually is.
Normally, it is China, not Russia, that acts as a negotiator with the North Koreans. But lately, Moscow appears to be stepping up its efforts to mediate talks with Pyongyang relating to its nuclear weapons program. These efforts, however, are unlikely to effect any real change since Russia lacks the means to persuade North Korea to change its course. They are, in reality, an attempt by the Kremlin to appear more influential than it actually is.

Mediating Talks

In a recent call with South Koreas special envoy, Song Young-gil, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would be willing to send a team to mediate talks between South and North Korea. Referencing the recent U.S. deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in South Korea, Putin said the North Korean nuclear issue cant be solved through military conflict and instead must be approached from a diplomatic angle. Putin took the opportunity to challenge THAADs effectiveness, noting that North Korea possesses long-range artillery that the system cant protect South Korea from.

But Moscow and Pyongyang seemed to be getting closer even before Putin made this offer. In late April, Russias ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, and North Koreas vice foreign minister of U.S. affairs, Han Song Ryol, met to discuss cooperation between the two countries. Although Russian media claimed that the ambassador urged restraint on Pyongyangs part, North Korean state media claimed that the Russians expressed understanding for North Koreas position.

There have also been moves to make travel between the two countries easier. In mid-May, a new ferry service between Vladivostok, Russia, and Rajin, North Korea, began operating. The two countries also agreed in March to increase the number of North Korean labor migrants in Russia, where approximately 50,000 North Korean workers already reside. By all appearances, Russia is beginning to take a more active role on the Korean Peninsula.

But just because Russia wants to play a greater role on the peninsula doesnt mean it can. These recent Russian moves actually show how limited Moscows influence in North Korea really is. Theres not much Russia can do to actually influence North Koreas behavior, so instead it volunteers to act as a mediator, which costs Russia nothing. And if its offer is accepted, it would at least raise the Kremlins profile in the region and make the high-risk situation more difficult for the U.S. to manage.

Russias Options

There are two ways Russia could really exert influence over North Korea. The first is through military force. But using military means to stop North Korea from developing a nuclear weapon is unrealistic for Russia since its already preoccupied with Ukraine and the Middle East. Russia, moreover, sits within range of many of North Koreas ballistic missiles, and should Pyongyang actually develop the ability to attach a nuclear warhead to one of them, Russia would be exposed.

Russias second option is to use economic measures to persuade North Korea to stop its nuclear program. Since this option appears more viable, it deserves some scrutiny. Though economic data for North Korea are scarce, some estimates indicate its gross domestic product is between $20 billion and $30 billion, with exports accounting for roughly $3 billion to $3.5 billion. That means that exports could account for roughly 20 percent of North Koreas GDP. China is by far North Koreas largest trading partner, accounting for roughly $2.3 billion (or 65-75 percent) of North Koreas total exports and roughly $3 billion (or 85 percent) of its total imports.

Russia, on the other hand, imports less than $6 million worth of goods from North Korea. Its exports to North Korea total roughly $80 million, which is still a very small amount. To exercise a credible economic threat, a state must first have a degree of leverage. Russia entirely lacks this pull over North Korea and therefore cannot credibly claim to have any substantial influence over its behavior.

North Korea is unlikely to respond to economic threats unless they would have a substantial impact on its economy. Take, for example, sanctions against North Koreas largest trade product, coal briquettes, which account for nearly 35 percent of North Koreas total exports. In November 2016, the United Nations imposed sanctions that limited North Koreas aggregate coal exports to $400 million or 7.5 million tons. This move restricted the countrys trade with Beijing, since nearly all of North Koreas coal is exported to China. Despite questions about Chinas willingness to adhere to this sanction  out of fear that the economic impact on Kim Jong Uns government could destabilize North Korea, which China wants to avoid  China appears to be complying with the sanctions so far. On April 7, China ordered a number of North Korean ships full of coal cargo sitting in Chinese ports to return to North Korea. Thomson Reuters Eikon, which tracks international ship movements, appeared to confirm that about a dozen North Korean ships full of coal subsequently returned to North Korea.

North Korea has lost roughly $550 million worth of export revenue because of these sanctions, 92 times the size of North Koreas exports to Russia. But even this move has failed to stop North Korea from conducting more ballistic missile tests. Any economic pressure Russia could put on North Korea is unlikely to achieve a better result. Economically, Russia has little leverage over North Korea, and increasing the trade relationship to even a fraction of its current levels with China would take years.

Whats in It for Russia

Russia has good reason to want to appear influential in North Korea. If it could appear capable of managing Pyongyang, Russia would improve its negotiating position against the U.S. over issues like Ukraine and the Middle East. Negotiations are all about give and take, and appearing to have influence over North Korea would provide Russia with something to trade in exchange for U.S. concessions elsewhere. North Korea is a relatively low-risk area for Russia but a high-risk one for the U.S., so the U.S. couldnt afford to completely ignore any interference by Russia. North Korea would have no problem with maintaining the perception that its close to Russia since it would give Pyongyang an additional partner to work with and increase its diplomatic maneuverability. Since the U.S. was hoping to have Chinas help in resolving the North Korea issue, if Russia inserted itself into the mix it would further complicate that plan.

Russia also shares a small border with North Korea, roughly 11 miles (18 kilometers) long. Sending a mediation team creates the appearance  at little cost  that Moscow is being proactive in protecting Russias interests in its periphery. This plays well for Putin, who wants to appear to be a strong leader who protects Russias interests abroad despite the growing challenges at home.

But North Korea is not actually willing to sacrifice aspects of its nuclear program since it believes this would endanger its security interests, and therefore these attempts to play mediator and influence the Kim government are nothing more than a charade. Russia knows this, and the West knows Russia knows this, which means these recent diplomatic moves are little more than a low-cost gamble that, if they were to pay off, would give Russia only a slightly better position in negotiations elsewhere.
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
By Press Trust of India: raids

(With pix)

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered "more precious" than humans.

A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in the worlds youngest nation, made up largely of pastoral communities, the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.

advertisement

Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the countrys capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, the officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.

Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the "second most dangerous" posting after Syria, where fighting is "relentless", in the absence of any ceasefire.

"The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex," Brar said.

Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians -- one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others -- Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.

"These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle," Shekatkar said.

Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.

South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.

The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a "massive humanitarian response".

advertisement

The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

"The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal," Shekatkar said.

Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.

"The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying Ram, Ram. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)," Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.

Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. "It will also take care of food security."

advertisement

The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.

"I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected Indias borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country," Havildar Suresh Patil said.

India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

May 29 is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. PTI SBR IKA

--- ENDS ---
An Army porter was killed while another sustained injuries in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Kashmir.

An Army official said on Sunday that, "Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Keran sector yesterday (Saturday) by resorting to unprovoked firing, resulting in death of one

army porter and injuries to another".

The body of the slain porter was retrieved and handed over to his kin for last rites while the injured was evacuated to a medical facility, the official said.

Meanwhile in Poonch, the body of one intruder was recovered as the Army foiled another infiltration attempt.

'One intruder from PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) successfully killed in a Ambush at about 0230 hours (2.30 am) yesterday (Saturday) night on LoC in KG Sector, body of intruder recovered,' said Lt Col Manish Mehta, defence spokesperson, in a statement.

Based on intelligence inputs, an ambush was laid down in the early morning by the troops of the same Sikh Battalion whose jawans were mutilated by Pakistan operatives recently.

A search operation is currently in progress.

IMAGE: Army personnel involved in a counter-terrorism operation in Keran Sector in Kashmir on Sunday. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Officials of the Kushinagar district administration allegedly gave soap and shampoo to Dalits and asked them to take a shower before meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in the district on Friday to inaugurate an immunisation programme for encephalitis.

The CM launched encephalitis vaccination campaign in the state from Mainpur village in Kushinagar.

The officials asked the residents to take a bath before attending a meeting with the CM so that they smell good.

To ensure the instructions were followed, soaps, shampoo and perfumes were distributed among the villagers.

The members of the Mushahar community were called to attend a vaccination program for the eradication of encephalitis, a campaign started by the chief minister in Kushinagar's Kasiya division.

Five children from the community were to be vaccinated under the campaign from the area.

Ahead of the event, local officials distributed the soaps and shampoos to those attending the event, in order to make them look clean and smell good.

Also, roads were paved, toilets were fixed overnight and streets were cleaned up in the village ahead of the CMs visit.

Tearing into Adityanath over the incident, the Congress on Sunday demanded an unconditional apology from the CM and also demanded a case be registered against the officials and the CM.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, The incident has depicted the true face of the Baharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and, in particular, of their CM. The true face, thought process, thinking, actions are reflected in the way soaps were distributed to the Dalit community by the officials on the instructions of Yogi Adityanath.

Singhvi asserted that Aditynath directly practiced untouchability in the way in which he gave instructions to the Dalits that they must smell good before their meeting.

They have insulted the entire community in that village but more importantly they have most importantly insulted the very concept of Dalit in this country, Singhvi said.

Appropriate case must be registered under the very specific and powerful and wide provisions of ST/ SC act against this brazen and shocking form of untouchability and the CM and the officials must immediately unconditionally, comprehensively apologize to the entire community, he added.

Earlier, the administration in Deoria had received much flak for placing air conditioners, sofas and carpets at the house of a Border Security Force martyr when Adityanath went to his place to give the compensation cheque.
The situation in Kashmir remained tense but under control with authorities imposing curfew-like restrictions in most parts of the Valley on Sunday, fearing that the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat would spark trouble in the state.

Barring a few incidents of stone pelting in Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Sopore, the situation across the valley remained peaceful, a police spokesman said.

In Pulwama, the spokesman said a group of miscreants threw stones at a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Tahab.

800 Kashmiri youths appear for Army exam amid unrest Defying the separatists bandh call, nearly 800 Kashmiri youths appeared in the Armys common entrance exam in the Valley. An Army official said 799 candidates appeared on Sunday in the common entrance examination for selection of junior commissioned officers and other ranks held at Pattan and Srinagar. "It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls for choosing a brighter future," the official said. He said 16 of the 815 candidates, who had passed the physical and medicals tests held earlier, did not turn up for the written exam.

Police and security forces used 'maximum restraint' while dealing with the situation at these places and stone pelters were dispersed, he said.

He said restrictions were imposed to maintain law and order in view of protests following the killing of Bhat and another terrorist in an encounter with security forces in Soimoh area of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday.

In Srinagar, restrictions were imposed in seven police station areas -- Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma -- as a precautionary measure.

Restrictions were also been imposed in Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Sopore town in north Kashmir, officials said.

They said restrictions on the assembly and movement of more than four people, under CrPC Section 144, were imposed in Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir.

At least 30 people were injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in various parts of the valley following the killing of the two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists.

A civilian was also killed allegedly in cross-firing between terrorists and security forces during the encounter on Sunday.

Bhat was buried this morning at his native Ratsuna area in Tral where hundreds of people had gathered.

The funeral remained peaceful, the officials said.

Meanwhile, normal life elsewhere in the valley remained affected due to a two-day strike called by separatists to protest the killing of the two terrorists and the alleged use of 'brute force' against protesters.

The separatist trio -- chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik -- also called for a march to Tral on Tuesday in protest against the killing.

Malik was arrested from his residence here today, while Geelani and Mirwaiz were under house detention.

The authorities suspended mobile internet services in the valley, while the outgoing call facility on prepaid numbers has been snapped as a precautionary measure.

Farooq demands Governor's Rule

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah called for the immediate imposition of Governor's rule in the state, stressing that it was the only way to control communal tension in the country.

We have never been promoters of Governor's rule; we have always opposed it. But there is no other way, Abdullah, the newly elected MP from Srinagar, said.

The National Conference chief, who was recently called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a discussion on Kashmir, said Modi wanted a peaceful end to the situation in the state, reeling under unrest for months.

I can't tell you what I discussed with the prime minister. All I can say is that he is concerned about the situation in the state and wants to an end to it. A peaceful end to it, he said.

The former chief minister, accusing the Mehbooba Mufti government of failing on all fronts, said not just south Kashmir, the entire Valley was in the grip of tragedies.

These tragedies are adding to communal tension in the rest of the nation. So the quicker we settle this problem, (the quicker) would we be able to control the fire which is coming to a boiling stage, Abdullah said.

He also appealed to fringe elements in the Bharatiya Janata Party to not make any provocative statements on Kashmir.

Let there be one voice. When the Prime Minister himself wants peace, others should listen to that, he said.

IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard during a curfew imposed in Srinagar on Sunday. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Police on Sunday booked some Youth Congress activists who allegedly publicly butchered a calf to protest the Centre's ban on sale of cattle for slaughtering, as the incident drew flak from various quarters.

Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who posted the video of the the gory incident on twitter, called it 'cruelty at it peak' and said no normal person can behave in this manner.

Communist Party of India-Marxist MP M B Rajesh said the illogical form of protest should have been avoided and it would only help the Sangh Parivar.

An embarrassed Congress sought to distance itself, saying the party will not support anyone who has violated the law, but a Youth Congress activist who led the protest said he had no regrets.

The brazen act was committed in front of a huge crowd in Kannur on Saturday during the 'Beef Fest' held by the Left and Congress in Kerala to protest against the Centre's ban.

On the basis of a complaint from Yuva Morcha district general secretary C C Ratheesh, police today registered a case against Rijil Makulti, a Youth Congress worker, and others under Section 120 A of the Kerala Police Act, police sources said.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to five thousand rupees or with both.

"If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not," said Congress

Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

However, Rijil Makulti told a television channel today, "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest."

The 18-month-old animal was butchered in an open vehicle as Youth Congress workers raised slogans against the Centre's decision to ban sale of cattle for slaughter. The meat was then distributed free to onlookers.

Congress leader Pandalam Sudhakaran said the manner in which the calf was dragged for being slaughtered left a pain in the heart. It is difficult to accept such mode of protests, he said.

Congress leader M Lijju, a former Youth Congress president, said there were certain rules with regard to slaughtering of animals which they should have kept in mind.

They might have carried it out considering the serious consequence of the government notification, he, however, added.

CPI-M MP Rajesh said the youth workers should have exhibited civilised behaviour.

Condemning the incident, Rajasekharan said the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Youth Congress, youth outfits of the CPI-M and the Congress respectively, were turning 'butchers' and people should be careful.

In the name of protests against the cattle sale ban, animals are being slaughtered and protests staged with blood stained head of the butchered animal.

'Is it something a normal person does?', Kummanam asked in a press release.

The Centre has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is expected to hit export and trade of meat and leather.

IMAGE: Youth Congress organised Beef Festival in front of Ernakulam BJP office in Kochi on Saturday. Photograph: PTI Photo
A petition has been filed in Pakistans Supreme Court seeking immediate execution of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned.

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition on Saturday through Advocate Farooq Naek -- a leader of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and former Senate chairman.

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the Indian spy if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and subversive activities.

However, the International Court of Justice, through an interim ruling, stayed Jadhavs execution till the time the case pending with it reached its logical end.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhavs trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and that he had had consular access as was demanded by India.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition mentioned that Jadhav's mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, can submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country, and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the International Court of Justice constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the VCCR, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention.
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined to host a Ramazan reception, apparently breaking a nearly two-decade long bipartisan tradition.

According to two administration officials familiar with the decision, Tillerson rejected a request by the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host the reception marking the Eid ul-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramazan, which begins Saturday in many countries.

Since 1999, Tillerson's five Republican and Democratic predecessors have hosted either an Iftar dinner to break the fast during Ramazan, or an Eid ul-Fitr reception at the end of the month-long holiday, the CNN reported.

Many diplomatic posts overseas also host events during Ramazan's month of fasting and prayer.

The White House and State Department commemorate other religious traditions, including a Jewish Passover Seder, as well as Christmas and Easter holidays.

But the Ramazan event, usually attended by members of Congress, diplomats from Muslim countries, Muslim community leaders and top US officials has become a symbol of US efforts to engage with the Muslim world.

"We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramazan," a State Department spokesman said.

"US ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramazan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world," the spokesman said.

It is unclear whether Tillerson's decision not to plan an event -- which is usually put on the calendar weeks, if not months, in advance -- was related to his ongoing streamlining of the agency, which includes massive budget cuts and shedding as many of 2,000 jobs.

Offices like the one dealing with religious outreach are widely expected to be scrapped as part of the restructuring, although no final decisions have been made.

On Friday, Tillerson had issued a statement marking the start of Ramazan, calling the holiday 'a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection'.

"Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate. This time reminds us all of the common values of harmony and empathy we hold dear," he added.

The statement starkly contrasted with one issued by President Donald Trump. While wishing Muslims a joyful Ramazan, the President referenced this week's terrorist attack in Manchester, England, calling the bombing at a concert 'directly contrary to the spirit' of the holiday.

'At its core, the spirit of Ramazan strengthens awareness of our shared obligation to reject violence, to pursue peace, and to give to those in need who are suffering from poverty or conflict,' Trump's statement had said.

IMAGE: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks to reporters en route with President Donald Trump to a NATO summit in Brussels aboard Air Force One May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
By Press Trust of India: raids

(Eds: Repeating with byline)

(With pix)

By Sourav Roy Barman

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) At the centre of the raging South Sudan conflict is not oil or territory but cattle, which, Indian UN peacekeepers posted to the African nation say, are considered "more precious" than humans.

A young Indian commanding officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in the worlds youngest nation, made up largely of pastoral communities, the centrality of cattle is such that justice, even for a murder, may be served in terms of cows.

advertisement

Speaking over video conference from Bor, around 190 km from the countrys capital Juba, Mayur Shekatkar, the officer, explained how cattle also happen to be a form of dowry. The size of a cattle herd, with the benchmark being at least 200 animals, often determines if a young man is eligible for marriage or not, he said.

Brigadier K S Brar, the National Senior for the Indian Contingent, described the UNMISS as the "second most dangerous" posting after Syria, where fighting is "relentless", in the absence of any ceasefire.

"The clashes are not over usual resources like territory or land. They (tribes) fight over cattle, which are considered more precious than human beings. And with the proliferation of weapons, the situation has become more complex," Brar said.

Till now, the UNMISS has claimed the lives of seven Indians -- one officer, three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and three others -- Brar said.

For the pastoral tribes, in the absence of farming and other forms of occupation, cattle are a source of wealth and prestige and consequently lie at the heart of their enmity, which has plunged the country into a state of extraordinary crisis, marked by ceaseless violence, famines, hunger and deaths.

"These tribes migrate with their cattle in the dry season towards the Nile river. Clashes are intense during this period. On top of that, they are mostly governed by their traditional justice system. You may commit a murder, but the justice may be in terms of cattle," Shekatkar said.

Lieutenant Colonel Anand Shelke, a medical officer with the Indian team, shared statistics that reflect the enormity of the situation. Shelke said he has treated around 10,000 cattle as against 2,000 human beings over the last few months.

South Sudan came into being in 2011, following independence from Sudan, after a two-decade long war. But hostilities broke out in 2013 again after President Salva Kiir Mayardiit sacked the cabinet, accusing then Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a failed coup.

The ensuing violence has sparked a crisis, that has nearly spiralled out of control, prompting the UN to launch a "massive humanitarian response".

advertisement

The fissures among the various ethnic groups of the country, with Dinkas being the majority, run deep and a constant sense of insecurity only precipitates the crisis, with millions displaced and starving.

"The victims include women and children. Several UN reports have laid bare alarming facts on sexual violence. There is a presence of child soldiers to some extent. Nearly every youth has a weapon to himself. The moment you step out, you may face firing. Overall, the conflict is brutal," Shekatkar said.

Under the circumstances, the troops, who have the mandate to protect the civilians and create conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, have to get into combat situations at times, Brar said, adding that since Indians have been here for long, they enjoy somewhat good relations with the locals.

"The occupational hazards are slightly different. But many greet us saying Ram, Ram. There are queries on Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and movies like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)," Major Kartik Manral, a part of the mission, said.

Using the goodwill they enjoy among the locals, the Indian team has been trying to teach them the value of cattle in farming, which is nearly absent despite the presence of vast tracts of land, Brar said. "It will also take care of food security."

advertisement

The intensity of the situation they find themselves in takes a toll on the Indian personnel, drawn from various army battalions, but they are not complaining.

"I want to assure my family back home that I am doing fine. We have protected Indias borders a lot, now it is my duty to restore peace in this country," Havildar Suresh Patil said.

India is the second-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping missions and it has currently over 7,600 military and police personnel deployed to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

May 29 is the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. PTI SBR IKA KIS

--- ENDS ---
By Indo-Asian News Service: Actor Barun Sobti, who is returning to the small screen after five years with the third season of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, says unlike his on-screen avatar in the forthcoming show, he is a very calm person in real life.

Barun became a popular name after his portrayal of Arnav Singh Raizada alongside actress Sanaya Irani in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. While he will be seen having the same angry young man image in the upcoming third season of the show, he says there are no similarities that the third season has with the first one.

advertisement

Also read: Exclusive: Barun Sobti says his character in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3 is unapologetically dark

"I really don't get angry most of the time. I am a patient person. But if I don't display anger, that doesn't mean I am not angry," Barun said.

"He (Advay) is definitely angry. But there are no similarities between the character I played earlier to this one. The new show has an entirely different story, backdrop and new characters. It has nothing to do with the one I played earlier. It's not a continuation of that show," he added.

So, why have the makers called it a third season?

"When I was approached by the makers, at that time I really liked the story. So, eventually we decided that it should be called a third installment. It's not my call to call it a third installment. The channel decided to call it Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon," Barun said.

Barun has been paired with actress Shivani Tomar in the show, which will soon be aired on Star Plus.

--- ENDS ---
The infiltration comes a day after security forces gunned down top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in Tral area.

By Manjeet Negi: In an unprovoked assault today, Pakistan Army fired at unarmed Indian civilian porters working in south Kashmir's Keran sector, killing one and injuring another.

Body of the porter has been retrieved and sent to his family for final rites, while the injured has been admitted in a medical facility.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch area, killing the intruder.

advertisement

Defence spokesperson, Lt Col Manish Mehta confirmed that an intruder was killed in Jammu along the Line of Control (LoC) at about 2.30 am on Sunday. He added that no arms and ammunition were recovered from the person.

Some unconfirmed reports say the intruder was an unarmed guide (civilian).

The ceasefire and infiltration comes a day after security forces gunned down top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and at least eight other militants in Kashmir.

Also read: 'Terrorists in Kashmir will not live to see this winter' Army vows to wipe out militancy

Also read: Sabzar Bhat killing: Won't allow repeat of post-Burhan Wani violence in Kashmir, says top CRPF official

Also watch: Hizbul Mujahideen head Sayeed Salahudeen supervises training at terror camps in PoK

--- ENDS ---
An exotic vacation  say, renting a castle or private island for a family or friends reunion  is more affordable than you might think.

Check home-sharing sites such as Airbnb, HomeAway or TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals, as well as the Landmark Trust (www.landmarktrust.org.uk) for historical buildings in Europe.

On HomeAway, we found a 16th-century castle in northern France that sleeps 12. Rentals start at $1,066 per night; if you split the cost 12 ways, youd pay $89 apiece per night (taxes and fees are extra).

Or kick back at your own private island off the coast of Belize, starting at $1,500 per night on HomeAway. The 1.5-acre island with a five-bedroom house accommodates 14 and comes with a staff, and you can arrange pickup for diving or fishing excursions.

You can cruise through canals and explore riverside villages on a houseboat in India. It sleeps eight; book it through Trip Advisor Vacation Rentals and each guest will pay as little as $64 per night.

TripAdvisor also lists a multi-tiered treehouse in Kenya for six that overlooks baobab trees and has a view of the Indian Ocean. Rates start at $360 per night.

***

Use these strategies to lower the price of your next plane ticket.

Time it right: For domestic travel, watch for steep sales between Labor Day and Dec. 15 (except over the long Thanksgiving weekend) and then after the holidays until Feb. 15. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are typically the cheapest days to fly domestically.

Check fares from other airports: For international flights, watch for airfare sales at hubs near you.

You could drive or take a bus there or book airfare on a separate flight, making sure to leave plenty of time to catch the international flight (if the tickets are separate, youre on your own if you miss your second flight).

However, smaller airports sometimes have international bargains that larger ones dont, says George Hobica, of Airfarewatchdog.com. He recently spotted flights to Paris from Flint, Mich., with one stop, that cost half the price of nonstop flights from Detroit.

Use local transportation: A similar trick works for far-flung destinations that would be outrageously expensive to book with a single airline.

Say you want to go to the Greek Islands. Flights from the U.S. to one of the islands typically cost at least $1,400 round-trip. Instead, grab a sale round-trip fare to Athens (often less than $600), plan to stay a night or two there, and then fly to the island of your choice on a budget airline such as Ryanair (less than $100), says Scott Keyes, of ScottsCheapFlights.com.
Special Agent Michael T. Walter, who was shot and killed Friday night in Mosby Court, was a father of three and an 18-year Virginia State Police veteran who founded with his wife a nonprofit organization that served disadvantaged youths in their home community of Powhatan County.

Walter, 45, a native of Philadelphia, joined state police in 1998 after serving stints as a security officer for VCU Medical Center and the Capitol Police in Richmond. Before entering law enforcement, he served his country proudly as a member of the U.S. Marines from 1989 to 1994, Col. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of Virginia State Police, said at a news conference Saturday morning near the spot where Walter was shot.

Mike was well-known throughout Powhatan County not only for his passion for criminal justice and his passion for public safety and public service, but he was also known for his commitment to bettering the lives of the local youth, Flaherty said. And we saw a great outpouring from those folks last night that came to the hospital to be with the family.

Flaherty said Walter and his wife, Jaime, founded and operated Powhatan Youth Wrestling and Community Development Corp., a nonprofit based at Blackhawk Gym in Powhatan.

He and Jaime built that from the ground up, Flaherty said. But it wasnt about profit for him; it was all about making a difference to disadvantaged youth  mentoring them and fostering them, fostering their talents through physical fitness and sportsmanship. A lot of what he was doing here last night, here for (the Mosby Court) community as well.

Walter graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy 18 years and six days ago, Flaherty said, and his first patrol assignment as a trooper was in Fairfax County.

He was transferred to the Chesterfield-Powhatan field office in 2005, and later joined the police academy staff as a K-9 officer, Flaherty said. He was promoted to the rank of special agent in 2010 and had been assigned ever since to the drug enforcement section of the departments Bureau of Criminal Investigations in Richmond, the colonel said.

Michael is the 63rd member of the Virginia State Police to be killed in the line of duty since 1928, Flaherty said. And he is the 11th in the last 11 years.

In addition to his wife, he leaves behind three children: Austin, 14; Mason, 9; and Addie, 6.

Flaherty said Walter was especially close to the Richmond police officer who was with him Thursday night when he was shot.

Ill tell you that theres no one else that Special Agent Mike Walter would have rather been with than the Richmond officer he was with last night, Flaherty said. They were extremely close and they worked together for quite some time. And we thank that officer for his immediate response and the aid that he rendered right here.

Added Flaherty: State police thanks the public for your support and your tips and all the information that you shared as we were working and searching for this shooting suspect. Were also grateful for the outpouring of sympathy for Michael and his family. It has been incredible.

Jessie Harris, a Powhatan resident who worked six years with Walter at Powhatan Youth Wrestling, said she was shocked to hear of his death because of the strength and goodness he projected.

He seemed like an invincible person, Harris said. He always kind of inspired other people with strength because of his.

Harris said Walter was a man of many titles: dad of three, devoted husband, youth club leader, former Marine.

He was able to help any kind of kid who was coming from a bad situation, or even a kid who was in a great situation and just needed some sort of guidance or acceptance, she said. He really didnt turn a kid away. He was a protector. You really couldnt have found a better guy. He literally devoted his life to bettering communities and peoples lives. The world is a sadder place without him in it.

Walter took no money from the wrestling club he founded and operated. All he took was just the success of the kids, and that was enough for him.
Meagan Adams pleaded with her boyfriend to bring her heroin while she was being treated in the hospital. So he went out and got the drugs that killed her.

Now, Zachary Schwartz will spend the next two years in prison.

At his sentencing in May, a Henrico County Circuit Court judge addressed Adams family members.

The court is under a firm belief that everyone, if they could, would like to have Meagan back, and I cant do that for anybody, Judge Richard S. Wallerstein said at a May 10 court hearing. And for that, the court feels inadequate, and you have the courts condolences.

Adams was 23 when she died of a heroin overdose in May 2016.

Schwartz, a 24-year-old Chester man, was convicted in February for providing heroin as an accommodation. He admitted to police that he brought Adams the heroin she used in her bathroom at St. Marys Hospital before her death four days later from heroin toxicity. The state medical examiner ruled her death was an accident.

Schwartz said Adams had been using heroin to self-medicate while suffering from a series of chronic ailments including liver disease, mitochondrial disease  a disorder characterized by gastrointestinal problems  and muscle weakness, among other symptoms.

He said he loved and missed Adams and regretted giving her the heroin.

I felt like if I hadnt done it, she would have gotten it from somebody else anyway, like she had said, Schwartz said at his sentencing.

Schwartz said Adams had previously overdosed in a hospital a year before her death. In that case, Schwartz said he didnt give her any heroin.

But in the days before her death, Schwartz did indeed bring her the heroin that killed her, said David R. Giroux, an assistant Henrico commonwealths attorney.

But for Mr. Schwartzs actions on that day, she would still be alive, Giroux said.

The prosecutor was incredulous at Schwartzs testimony that he was aware of Adams previous overdose while in the hospital.

Despite that, Giroux said, Schwartz still went ahead and provided Adams with drugs, putting her in danger of overdosing yet again.

There are plenty of alternatives that could have been sought that would not have resulted in Meagans death, Giroux said.

The prosecutor said Adams was in the hospital, where she could have received increased doses of legal medicine to cope with her pain.

Adams was even scheduled to be released from the hospital that day, Giroux said. Her mother and sister noted in statements to the court how excited she was to get out of the hospital, the prosecutor said.

Schwartzs attorney, John Goots, said he couldnt condone what his client did. But he said his client loved Adams very much and was trying to help her with her pain.

Is it a sad set of facts? Terrible set of facts, Judge, terrible set of facts, Goots said.

Goots submitted to the court a printout of a GoFundMe page Adams set up in 2015, where she said she had been told by a specialist that she had two to three years before she would start suffering multiple organ failures. The fundraising page also said she had suffered from sepsis.

The Adams family could not be reached for comment. But her obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch said, Meagan was a strong girl, with big plans and dreams before she was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease. She was a loving, gentle person who loved her family dearly and her faithful dog, Dixie, the obituary says.

The family thanked the staff at St. Marys in the obituary and asked that donations be made in her memory to the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine.

Overdose deaths from heroin and other opioids have been on the rise in Henrico, where the countys drug court temporarily stopped taking new participants for its addiction recovery services earlier this year because the program had taken in more people than it was designed to treat.

There were 45 fatal opioid overdoses in Henrico in 2016, according to preliminary figures from the Virginia Department of Health. Back in 2010, there were 15 fatal opioid overdoses in Henrico, according to the state health department.

Giroux said that Adams certainly had a progressively degenerative disease but that it wasnt going to be fatal the day she was released, adding that the 23-year-old Henrico woman had years to live.

After Schwartz brought her the drugs, he left the hospital room having every indication of what was going to happen, Giroux said.

Adams father told police he found a text message exchange on his daughters cellphone in which the patient asked Schwartz for heroin, according to a police investigators notes.

Goots said Schwartz cooperated with investigators. The defendant said under questioning from the defense attorney that he even offered to wear a wire to undertake a drug buy from the dealer who sold him the heroin.

The judge said Schwartz could serve his prison term under a work-release arrangement if he meets the requirements for doing so.

David Schwartz, Zacharys father, said the death devastated his son.

I know he was at her gravesite, driving there almost every day, crying, David Schwartz said.
J Jayalalithaa's Kodanad estate used to be Tamil Nadu's 'pseudo-secretariat' after she came to power. Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Madhavan says the estate wasn't the former CM's ancestral property, and it's still unclear who owns it.

By Pramod Madhav: Just 10 km away from Kodanad view point, begins the famed Kodanad estate of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Surrounded by hills and tea plantations that have been around for two centuries, Kodanad became Tamil Nadu's 'pseudo-secretariat' after Jayalalithaa came to power.

As chief minister, Jayalalithaa took great care of this hillside heaven, a fortress that was guarded 24/7 by both state police and private security. She liked to take boat trips on the lake situated within the estate, and spend time in the bungalow. Like in the Secretariat, Jayalalitha used a separate path to enter her bungalow.

advertisement

Jayalalitha's niece Deepa Madhavan, who has visited the estate with her aunt, said the bungalow was a treat for anyone who stayed there.

"The bungalow looked entirely different every time I visited it because - (with Jayalalithaa) having so much faith in 'vasthu shastra' - it was pulled down and redecorated many times", she claimed.

It's still unclear who owns the property, but Deepa said Kodanad estate wasn'tJayalalitha's ancestral property. "It was in her name at some point but I don't know who its current owner is now", she claimed.

OM BAHADUR'S MURDER

With the murder of Om Bahadur, a security guard at Kodanad, the estate once again became the talk of the town.

Bahadur was found dead on April 23, and his colleague Krishna Bahadur was deeply wounded. Police said 11 men travelling in an Innova, an Endeavour and a Santro had attempted to break intob the estate.

Stationed at Gate 10, Om Bahadur confronted the dacoits. who attacked him. They accidentally strangulated him to death when tried to shut him up using a towel.

The gang left the bungalow by 2pm, according to police records. The vehicles ran into police personnel near a checkpost, and while the Endeavour was stopped, the Innova escaped. The men were questioned at the checkpost.

Police noticed that they had four watches and a crystal rhinoceros figurine. But thinking that the men weren't harmful, they let them go.

Nilagiri SP Murali Rambha later identified the accused based on suspicion, and the fact that their phones were switched off - and his hunch was right.

11 men were accused, and two of them - Kanagaraj and Sayan - were suspiciously involved in an accident. Kanagaraj died.

Thanks to Sayan, Kanagaraj - a former driver from Kodanadu - was identified as the mastermind.

Sayan claimed that only Kanagaraj knew what was taken from the bungalow, so cops hit a dead end.

WHO OWNS THE KODANADU ESTATE?

"Incidentally, a day before (the) Kodanad murder, a fire breaks out at another property of Jayalalithaa's at Siridhavur. Also, within a week's period Deepak claims that he has Jayalalitha's will and that all her property belongs to him. Don't you see a mystery behind it?", asked Deepa Madhavan.

advertisement

"A lot of trespassers and a lot of outsiders and people who were not directly employed by my aunt are all living here and in other estates", she claimed, pointing out the vulnerability of Jayalalitha's properties, which could fall into the wrong hands.

Incidentally, Aarumugasamy, the person who allegedly used to took care of the estate, is accused of having acquired massive sand mining deals before 'Sekar Reddy' got involved in the occupation.

Aarumugasamy explained that he was taking care of the property on behalf of Jayalalitha, and had a manager called Dakshinamurthy.

"Many are claiming ownership of the estate after Jayalalitha's death. But as far as I know, the previous owner sold it to Udayar (Ramchandra Udayar of Ramachandra Hospitals) and then the shares moved to Jayalalitha, Sasikala and some of her relatives' hands", he explained.

Another person who was involved in Kodanad business said the current manager's name was Natrajan, and that Aarumugasamy ended his involvement with the estate once Jayalalithaa went to the Parapanna Agrahara prison in Bengaluru.

"They used to move in and out money from there (before demonetisation). I think these men got greedy thinking of that factor. Bur nothing is there now. Everything was moved (a) long time back", he explained.

advertisement

With no one coming forward to claim the property after Jayalalitha's death, it's still unclear who the current owner of this 'little piece of Heaven on Earth' is.

ALSO READ | Kodanad estate: Original owner speaks up, says was forced to sell estate to Amma, VK Sasikala

ALSO READ | Kodanad estate murder case: Stolen artefacts from Jaya's estate recovered

ALSO WATCH | Was harassed by Sasikala, threatened by gundas to sell property: Former owner of Kodanad estate

--- ENDS ---
SPCAs eagle incident leads to suspension

VIRGINIA BEACH  The Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wildlife rehabilitation program has been temporarily suspended for allegedly violating reporting guidelines related to bald eagles.

According to the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, SPCA employee Cara Stutzman didnt immediately tell the state that a bald eagle was shot when it was found in Chesapeake earlier this month, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Its also alleged that Stutzman didnt notify the state and federal government within 24 hours that she had a bald eagle in her possession.

As a result, the state wildlife rehabilitation permits of Stutzman and other staff have been suspended.

Virginia Beach SPCA President Dia DuVernet said there is no excuse for the mistakes, but she said the SPCA plans to appeal the decision.

Emancipation statue site mulled in Fluvanna

FLUVANNA  The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors is considering whether to put the forthcoming Emancipation Proclamation Monument next to a monument dedicated to a confederate memorial monument.

The 18-foot-tall obelisk stands in the middle of Civil War Park, which was known as Confederate Park until supervisors renamed it in 2015. Featuring a marble cannonball on top, the monument was erected in 1901 to honor the countys Confederate soldiers, according to Tricia Johnson, director of the Fluvanna County Historical Society.

Vice Chairman Mozell Booker, the boards only African-American member, supports putting it in Civil War Park near the Confederate monument. Chairman Mike Sheridan calls for putting it in Pleasant Grove Park, where he said the monument would receive more visibility.

Liberty finalizes

research park purchase

BEDFORD  Liberty University has finalized the purchase of a research complex it plans to use to increase its engineering program.

The school announced its purchase Tuesday of the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research after months of negotiating.

The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, a state panel, approved the $4 million sale in January.

The center, which opened in 2011, originally was paid for in large part through a tobacco commission grant, and approval was a necessary step toward a final sale.

Liberty plans to increase its engineering program to 800-plus students and add new undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Stolen Jesus statue recovered in Norfolk

NORFOLK  A bronze statue of Jesus Christ that hung on a cross outside a Norfolk church has been recovered after being stolen.

Tony Calcagni is the owner of Gutterman Iron and Metal Corp. He said two men arrived earlier this week with a statue of Jesus and a copper cross. The statue had one arm missing.

Calcagni says he paid the men $100 for the metal.

After seeing news reports about the stolen statue and cross, he learned the items, valued at $2,000, had been stolen from a park near Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Ocean View section of the city.

Calcagni called police, and the cross and statue were returned to the church.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
EDUCATION

Tom Tillar, special assistant to Pamplin College of Business Dean Robert Sumichrast and former vice president for alumni relations at Virginia Tech, will be recognized with the Frank L. Ashmore Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Robin Panneton, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech, has been named associate dean for undergraduate programs in the College of Science.

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has conferred the title of emeritus on the following: Larry Freeman, associate professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine; Michael Jahncke, professor of food science and technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and former director of the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center; Conrad Heatwole, associate professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Engineering and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Gregory Boardman, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Taubman Museum of Art has added two members to its board of trustees: Dr. Evelyn Garcia and Jackie Archer.

OTHER

Tamea Franco, president of Global Metal Finishings, was elected chairman of the board of GENEDGE Alliance, Virginias Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Glenn Ramsey Jr., president of Southeastern Skate Supply Inc., was elected chairman of the Roller Skate Manufacturers Association.

Scott Marcle has been appointed to the newly created position of corporate trainer at Disaster One Inc.
By Press Trust of India: Lucknow, May 28 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police along with police of neighbouring states is conducting search operations at different locations in connection with the Jewar robbery and alleged gangrape case.

"The Uttar Pradesh Police has formed a number of teams to crack the case. On need basis, information from neighbouring states is also being taken. The Special Task Force of the UP Police is also actively involved, and we will soon crack the case," ADG, Meerut, Anand Kumar told PTI.

advertisement

The UP Police along with the respective state police is conducting search operations in different locations of all possible suspects in the neighbouring states.

Armed robbers had on May 25 struck a group of eight persons travelling to Bulandshahr in a vehicle on the Yamuna Expressway, shooting dead a man and looting cash and jewellery.

Four women, who were travelling in the car along with as many men, alleged that they were raped at gunpoint after they tried to resist the robbery bid.

On May 26, four persons were detained for questioning over the robbery and alleged gangrape incident on the Yamuna Expressway.

"Once we confirm the involvement of the suspects, we will arrest them. More suspects are also being questioned," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jewar, Dileep Singh. PTI NAV DV

--- ENDS ---
National development company Verdad Real Estate purchased the property at 526 Orange Ave. with the intention of putting a Starbucks at the site, according to a news release from Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, which handled the sale of the property. Property records show that spot was constructed in 2011 and is about 1,350 square feet.

The location, which has access to Williamson Road and Orange Avenue, is next door to the Rodeway Inn and is close to the Berglund Center. It was previously used for auto sales and was home to Thelma's Chicken and Waffles before that. There are currently four Starbucks locations in Roanoke. It is unclear when this location will open.
John Mays isnt superstitious.

Which is good, since Mays is beginning his 13th season with Twin River Outfitters, the Buchanan-based business that rents canoes, kayaks, rafts and river tubes. He owns the business with his twin brother, Dan.

While the number 13 is considered unlucky to some, John Mays predicted, this year will, hopefully, be like the others.

Like the others means pretty darn successful.

In 2005, when the Mays launched their business, they had 2,000 customers. In 2016, 12,000 people visited Twin River Outfitters. Its pretty good growth, said Mays, 46.

Twin River Outfitters managed to draw that many river runners last year even with the business closing for five weeks during peak season because the water in the James River rose too much to run safely.

We were still able to almost be flat from the previous year, so we thought that was a pretty good outcome given how much high water we had, Mays said.

The Mays brothers are confident business will continue to be swift  so much so they expanded this spring to a storefront across the street from their headquarters just off Buchanans main drag, at the end of Lowe Street near the towns famed suspension footbridge. Customers check in at the new shop and can also browse for paddling gear in the retail store there.

Mays said he hopes Twin River Outfitters will receive an additional boon from the Virginia General Assembly electing to extend the Virginia Scenic River designation from 14 miles of the Upper James River to 59 miles in Botetourt and Rockbridge counties this year. The Virginia Scenic Rivers program recognizes rivers and creeks with significant scenic, historic, recreational and natural values, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Earning the designation was no small task. The different local governments had to agree to have the river considered for the honor. Last year, Mays organized five floats for teams that included state and local representatives as well as members of the James River Association so they could evaluate the river.

The designation, Mays said, was worth the effort, because it offers another tool for selling adventure on the water. The New River, which Mays considers the James biggest competition for paddlers and tubers, isnt a Virginia Scenic River and neither is the Roanoke.

It really helps your river stand out among other rivers in the state, he said.

Even after 13 years in business, Mays says he still hears from Roanokers whove never heard of Twin River Outfitters, even though it is located only 20 miles to the north. Folks in the Star City, he complained, often head to the New River.

Thats an hour to the south, and they just ignore the river thats in their back yard, he said.

The Mays brothers grew up in Chesapeake, but tended to gravitate to this part of the state in their free time.

You have the beach down there; you get overdosed on that, John Mays said. For vacations, we came up to the mountains and fell in love with the area.

The pair went to college at Old Dominion University. John earned a degree in accounting and Dan got one in business management. They dreamed of one day opening an outfitter store together somewhere in the mountains.

Instead, John Mays found himself working in insurance. Dan Mays had a corporate accounting position. Neither one of us wanted to do that for the rest of our lives, John Mays said. We decided to make a change.

In 2004, they purchased the James River Canoe Livery near Lexington, which had provided rental canoes and kayaks for the James and Maury rivers since the late 1970s. They operated out of a building in Glasgow two miles off the Maury River for three seasons.

It wasnt easy.

There was no good boat landing in Rockbridge County, so the public-access points were kind of a challenge, John Mays said.

Not having their headquarters on the river meant the brothers had to shuttle river runners to the start of the trip and pick them up when they finished. It was very labor intensive, he said.

Officials with Botetourt County suggested relocating Twin River Outfitters, according to Mays. They said, come up here weve got lots of good boat landings, John Mays recalled.

In 2007, the Mays purchased the land in Buchanan. Having their headquarters on the river has helped Twin River improve its bottom line. Ive cut my shuttles in half, he said. We take everybody up river and they float back and end up on our property.

For river runners who want to extend the fun into multi-day treks, the owners manage three campgrounds off the James River. They also offer a vacation rental in Buchanan that was booked 120 days in 2016.

Daniel Bowman of Moneta usually employs Twin River to float down the James River with friends about once a year. He owns his own tubes, but Bowman, 40, appreciates the ease of riding the Twin River bus to the start of the trip before enjoying a leisurely float down to headquarters. That way, his friends dont have to hassle with driving multiple cars and shuttling so that a vehicle is at the take-out point. That can be a pain, he said.
This year, Sharon Coxs grandson came just a few points shy of passing his English SOL test. Not satisfied, the Read Mountain Middle School seventh-grader took it again.

The second time, he passed, clearing the threshold by about 50 points. For the 14-year-old, it was a relief.

He feels good about it, and hes glad hes done it, she said.

Hundreds of Southwest Virginia students like Darian are getting a do-over on state tests this spring, a second chance that schools can count on to raise the scores that decide accreditation.

The boost is new  its only in the past two years that elementary and middle school students who came close to passing Standards of Learning tests could try again with whats known as an expedited retake.

Administrators say the option gives students another opportunity to prove themselves, something many requested in the past, while also helping relieve testing pressure felt by schools. Statewide last year, retesting accounted for an average increase in pass rates by 4 percentage points in reading and 5 points in math.

Five is huge in the SOL world, said Ben Williams, Roanoke County schools director of testing and remediation. For schools on the bubble, thats the difference between accreditation or not.

Retakes were one of the first changes implemented in a wave of bipartisan SOL reform that began a few years back. Those reform efforts were driven by concerns about an overemphasis on testing, a casualty of the increasing difficulty of earning state and federal accreditation.

A statewide committee recommended allowing retakes in its 2014 report, and they were approved by the General Assembly in 2015. Virginias Board of Education gave its approval shortly after.

Reform efforts havent eliminated the tests and accreditation still hinges on how well students perform. But the opportunity for a retake gives schools a little needed flexibility, said Gabriel Reich, an education professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whose past research has examined high-stakes testing.

Reich would like to see more changes, but the retakes act as a kind of Band-Aid for now, he said.

Its an acknowledgement that it is probably not really fair to schools or to kids to base this giant decision off of one day out of an entire school year, he said.

Most take the retest

Standards of Learning tests are graded on a scale of 600, and students need 400 points to pass.

The difference between a failing 399 and a passing 400 could come down to missing half a question on a multiple-answer question, said Roanoke Superintendent Rita Bishop, who favors the retakes.

I mean, come on. A 399 versus 400? Bishop said. This allows students to go ahead and demonstrate what they know, and I find it helpful.

With a parents permission, students can retest if they score between a 375 or a 399. Under extenuating circumstances, a superintendent can allow a student who scores below a 375 to retest.

Before retakes, students who fell in the 375 to 399 range were often upset they couldnt try again, Williams said.

We heard over and over again particularly from principals  Johnny got a 399 and he was so close and he was begging us to be able to take it again,  he said. There were enough of those students who really did want to take it again, students who didnt want that label of I failed an SOL test. 

Students who retake a test have to do so within 15 school days of the initial attempt. In between the two tests, schools offer remediation targeted to the types of questions the student missed.

Sometimes, a student failed just because of having a bad testing day. Other times, a student needs another week or two to master the material, educators said. And sometimes, students miss questions because their classroom lessons didnt align with how a question was asked on a test.

Statewide, about half of students who retook a test last year passed the second time, according to data from the Department of Education that shows schools raw pass rates before and after retakes. In reading, 47 percent of students passed a retest, compared to 48 percent in math.

Williams said they dont pressure parents to agree to a retake. Most, about 90 percent, decide in favor of a retest.

Elizabeth McCormick said she agreed immediately last year when an administrator at Prices Fork Elementary School called to ask whether her third-grader could retake a math SOL. After she thought about it more, she isnt sure she would again.

Just knowing that there was this big test coming up was pretty stressful for her, McCormick said.

Her daughter passed on the retest, but McCormick said and her husband dont like the emphasis on testing. Next year, theyve decided to let her daughter opt-out of tests entirely so long as she keeps her grades above an 80.

New tests issued this year shortened the reading and math tests which should make it easier on students who decide to retest, Williams hopes. Fourth- and fifth-grade math tests, for example, dropped from 60 items to 39.

It makes the burden of a second attempt a little lighter when the test is significantly shorter, he said.

Parents should consider how their child reacts to SOL tests before making a decision, Williams said. Parents also should prepare their child for the possibility of missing 400  again.

The other side of this is that there are kids who become double failures, he said. Thats hard.

Relieving pressure

High school students are allowed to retake SOL tests because passing is a graduation requirement.

At the elementary and middle school level, the scores dont carry those kinds of stakes for students. Scores might be used for class placements but a student need not pass a test to move on to the next grade level.

Instead, the pressure falls primarily on the adults in schools, who need high scores to avoid sanctions.

It was low-stakes for students but it was high-stakes for teachers and administrators, Williams said. Thats never a good combination because one group cares a whole lot more than the other group.

The 4- to 5-point boost that can come from retakes takes some of that pressure away.

Schools can use a three-year average to earn accreditation but need passing rates of 75 percent in reading and 70 percent in math, science and social studies. Last year, several area schools relied on retakes to hit the benchmarks outright, according to retake passing data kept by the states education department.

Lincoln Terrace Elementary in Roanoke had a 61 percent reading pass rate before retakes; after, almost 76 percent. W.E. Cundiff Elementary in Roanoke County had a 71 percent pass rate initially and 77 percent after.

When it comes to individual grades, the difference in scores before and after retakes can be even more dramatic.

In Roanoke, fourth- and fifth-grade reading scores at Roanoke Academy jumped by almost 20 percentage points after retakes. In Montgomery County, eighth grade math scores at Shawsville Middle rose by 17 points.

Every test matters, Williams said. Schools have missed accreditation by tenths of a percentage, the equivalent of one student. That was the case for two years at Morningside Elementary, Bishop said.

The thing to remember, statistically, is the larger the school, the more students it takes to go over, obviously, Bishop said. With a small school, it can hinge on a kid.

Students pick up on that stress to varying degrees. McCormick, the Blacksburg mom, said her daughter has noticed that some of her teachers are more nervous about the tests than others. That makes her daughter anxious, too.

I think a lot of how the kids react comes from how the adults in their lives react, she said.

Teachers often cant help being nervous but they set the tone, Williams said.

Our job sometimes is to act calm even when were not, he said. And thats a struggle that I think all teachers have at times when were dealing with this.

Federal rules in flux

Theres less pressure on schools right now than in the past, in part because the federal rules on testing are in transition. Schools just have to meet the states benchmarks, not post improvements.

Thats a change from the height of No Child Left Behind. Passed in 2001, the original idea was that by 2014, every single student would be able to pass reading and math tests. In addition to schoolwide targets, schools were given yearly goals for various subgroups of students that they had to hit or face sanctions.

That lofty goal, 100 percent proficiency for all students, was never met.

A new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, was approved in late 2015 to replace it. The new law doesnt change the testing landscape much  its still required yearly in reading and math in grades three through eight  but test scores wont be the only thing by which schools are judged. States must pick at least one non-academic measure, like absenteeism or discipline, as part of their accreditation plans.

The specifics of the new system still are being ironed out. Some Obama-era guidance to schools was paused after President Donald Trumps administration took office in January.

Were in the eye of the hurricane right now, Williams said. The hurricane is coming back, but  we really dont know what that hurricanes going to look like. It could be a cat one or it could be a cat five. Were not sure.

The first draft of Virginias plans will be presented in June, with board approval coming in July. By September, the state plans to submit its plans to the federal education department for approval.

Local administrators are watching those plans closely, Williams said.

The accreditation plans are going to be huge, because theyre going to determine how much stress there is in schools, he said. There is a direct relationship between stress we have over accountability and the amount of stress that filters down to children. I hate to say it, but its true.

Theres a lot to be happy with about the direction that testing and accountability has gone in the past few years, said Reich, the VCU professor.

Retakes took pressure off, as did the elimination of some tests, which were replaced by locally assessed projects. New accreditation labels, introduced in 2015, recognize schools that have made improvements or are close to meeting benchmarks, even if they fall short.

Reich said he hopes the state continues in that direction to give the changes time to take effect.

I just hope that they can stick with it for a decade like we stuck with that other stuff, he said. Then, a lot of good things will happen.
UNION HALL  Trey Seneff knows all the tricks familiar to skateboarders. He can do an ollie or a kickflip, and grind on the rails. But he does it all on water.

Seneff has been wakeskating for about 10 years. The water sport is similar to wakeboarding, except the rider is not bound to the board.

Starting this weekend, others will have the opportunity to experience the sport at the Black Water Junction Wake Park in Union Hall. The park will have a soft opening Saturday, which will feature demonstrations by Seneff and other riders.

The wake park is located on a 50-acre property that sits along a Blackwater River channel owned by Seneffs parents. Theres also a wedding venue on site, known as the Pavilion at Black Water Junction.

Seneffs mother, Melba, said that as wedding guests started to arrive last weekend, a crowd formed along the fence at the wake parks edge to watch the riders.

Everybody who watches it loves it  I want to do that, I want to do that [they say], Melba Seneff said.

Riders at the park are pulled by a cable system, rather than a boat. Melba Seneff said the cable system provides consistency and is also more economical and environmentally friendly than a boat would be.

The cable system makes it a lot easier than a boat would, having an upward pull. Its just a really different experience. Its really quiet. Theres no boat wakes and stuff like that, Trey Seneff said. Its a really good spot for learning how to wakeboard and wakeskate.

It was easy for Seneff to get his mother on board with the wake park; it meant her son would be moving back to Virginia. He was living in Florida, where wakeskating is more prevalent.

The Seneffs had to obtain a special-use permit for the wake park from the county board of supervisors.

I stood up in front of the board of supervisors and I said, You know, the No. 1 export of Franklin County used to be moonshine, but ... now its young people,  Melba Seneff said.

The business opportunity gave Trey Seneff, 24, reason to return.

Seneff, who spent much of his childhood on Smith Mountain Lake, got interested in wakeskating after seeing a picture in a magazine.

But getting started in the sport wasnt easy. I fell, for years, he said.

As Seneff demonstrated on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, even the experienced riders still fall sometimes. His laughter could be heard from the bank of the pond when he hit the water.

But more often, he would glide on the water and grind on the rails gracefully, making it look easy.

The wake park at Black Water Junction is the first cable park in Virginia, Seneff said, and he hopes it will help wakeskating grow.

The park will offer lessons and equipment rentals. Riders can come out for an hour, a half-day or a full day. Week and annual passes also will be available.

Though the park was built with wakeskating in mind, Seneff said, its also good for wakeboarding, particularly for people who want to learn how to hit rails.

Seneff and his friends have been wakeskating at the cable park since last summer, but Saturday will mark the first time the park is open to the public.

Melba Seneff said she knows that once people see her son wakeskating, theyll be ready to suit up and give it a try.
By India Today Web Desk: Following the blockbuster success of Kabali, superstar Rajinikanth is collaborating with director Pa Ranjith for Kaala, which is tipped to be a gangster drama. On Thursday, the makers released the first look posters of Kaala Karikaalan, which went viral on the internet. Sporting a casual look, Thalaivar Rajinikanth was the talk of the town.

As per the latest report, the Enthiran star has finally joined the sets of Kaala, which will be predominantly shot in Mumbai and Chennai. If reports are anything to go by, Rajinikanth plays a gangster who fights for the rights of Tamils in Dharavi area of Mumbai. While it was earlier speculated that the film was based on gangster Haji Mastan, the makers quashed the baseless rumours.

advertisement

Kaala is produced by Dhanush under his home production Wunderbar Films. Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi has been roped in to play the female lead, while actors Samuthirakani and Anjali Patil will play important roles. After Kabali, Kaala has music by Santhosh Narayanan and is expected to release in the second half of 2018.

ALSO READ: Rajini's next titled Kaala Karikaalan

ALSO READ: Rajini's Kaala: 5 things the poster reveals to us

WATCH HERE: Thalaivar speaks to India Today about fan greet and meet, politics

--- ENDS ---
UPDATE 9:20 PM: There have been several reports of large hail both in central Virginia -- even in the Richmond metro area -- and in far southwest Virginia west of Interstate 77. But it appears that for this round, the Roanoke and New River valleys are going to escape severe storms tonight and early Sunday. There are a few more storms upstream in northern West Virginia that might slide our way overnight, but the loss of daytime heating and the westerly downslope flow may be too much for them to overcome to maintain intensity. Meanwhile, an extensive area of storms extends from far southwest Virginia westward into northeast Oklahoma, with several short line segments and clusters. Earlier forecast models suggesting a large severe storm complex moving southeast across Tennessee appear to be correct, and this will mostly stay west and southwest of us. .. The chances for severe storms reset on Sunday, with some increased winds aloft, a closer approach of a cold front and upper-level trough, some shifting of low-level winds to the south and the renewal of daytime heating. END UPDATE

---

UPDATE 7:10 PM, 5/27/17: A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued until 2 a.m. for Bland, Pulaski, Floyd, Carroll, and Patrick counties and localities to the southwest. There have been severe thunderstorms near the I-81/I-77 corridors from Bluefield and Wytheville south toward Marion and Chilhowie. Storms have been sliding a little south of east out of West Virginia into Southwest Virginia, with hail and high winds in the strongest storms. Roanoke and the Blacksburg/Christiansburg part of the New River Valley are not included in the watch, but still have a chance of locally strong to severe storms through the evening and overnight. If there is a caveat to storm potential near Roanoke, it is the westerly breeze blowing down the mountain slopes, which often helps dry out showers and storms moving in from the west or northwest. (Western Virginia including Roanoke is now the only break in continuous severe weather watches from central Oklahoma to Hampton Roads.)There are other storms in West Virginia that could slide in during the night, perhaps strong enough to overcome this factor. Much model data takes the larger complexes of storms in central/western Kentucky and southeastern Missouri more to the southeast later tonight, into Tennessee. I'll continue to monitor the situation through the evening to see how it unfolds for local storm potential. END UPDATE

----

UPDATE 4:30 PM, 5/27/17: So far, so good in getting the daytime hours in storm-free in the Roanoke and New River valleys. There are storms popping up to the east in Southside Virginia northward into central Virginia and parts of the Shenandoah Valley -- some of these may become severe soon, but they are moving eastward, away from our region. Upstream, however, there are at least 3 different storm clusters that could affect us this evening into early Sunday, shown in the radar composite above. The most ferocious storms are in Missouri, but those will probably lose some momentum in the cooler morning hours and following behind the other two storm clusters. The storms in Kentucky are of the most concern, as this cluster could organize further and move through our region during the evening with heavy rain and gusty winds possible. END UPDATE

----

The sun is bright and the temperatures are climbing on this Saturday. For quite a while, it will be a great day for Memorial Day weekend outdoor activities (but be cautious of activities near rain-swollen streams and rivers) -- maybe even the entirety of daytime hours in some spots. Maybe. But the warmth the sun is building and the increased humidity you'll feel today are part of the ingredients feeding into a volatile weather setup that holds the potential for severe storms from the Southern Plains to the East Coast.

This is not a situation where, hours in advance, it will be possible to say storms will move over X location at Z time. Instead, the ingredients for strong to severe storms will be present for the next 48-72 hours, with the potential for storms developing in or moving across our region through several different avenues. Any storm that develops has the potential to produce damaging winds and large hail, and many of them will contain lightning and heavy rain that will force you to get inside quickly from outdoor activities. Isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out, though that threat is much greater where you'd expect it, in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.

* Storms may pop up with afternoon heating and humidity plus terrain effects, as they often do when it warms above 80 here. Influenced by a frontal boundary to the north and upper-level impulses creating some spin aloft, these storms could become severe very quickly, and may develop into a cluster that heads eastward toward Richmond and Tidewater.

* Clusters of storm may develop to our west and move through this afternoon and evening. Some of these may become "bow-echo" squall lines with damaging wind gusts. The Storm Prediction Center is even using the language "potential derecho" for a storm cluster that may form in Kentucky and Tennessee and head southeast toward the Great Smoky Mountains -- likely missing our region to the south, but that cannot be perfectly discerned ahead of time.

* A squall line or large storm cluster affecting a wider part of the region MAY move through during the evening or overnight.

Sunday will hold a fresh threat of severe storms with renewed daytime heating and the cold front and low-pressure trough that will erupt storms in the central U.S moving closer, but just how great Sunday's storm risk becomes depends largely on how the dominoes fall on this Saturday. Outflow boundaries, debris clouds and other leftovers of Saturday storms that increase or decrease instability and lift locally or regionally will determine much of how Sunday storms will evolve. It appears that coverage over the area is likely to be greater on Sunday than on Saturday, but intensity and timing are uncertain, pending Saturday's events.

And Memorial Day itself could have storms, too, though coverage is likely to be less than Sunday, and the severe risk may shift east of our region. That's getting ahead of ourselves.

Though continuous rain over many hours is not expected this weekend, let's keep in mind how saturated we are from repeated recent rainfall, and that any locally heavy rain in storms could quickly flood ditches or roads or send a small stream out of its banks.

The best course of action today is to continue whatever you have planned outside as long but to remain aware of the potential for storms developing or moving into the region later, and have a plan to get inside should threatening weather move in. Keep an eye to the sky and radar. Monitor the National Weather Service web site and trusted local media and social media sources. I update my Twitter feed as I can ... you can link to it here even if you are not signed up to Twitter (and if you are, follow me at @kevinmyattwx.) NOAA weather radio with automatic warning alerts is recommended.

On this blog post I will make updates as the situation develops, but I do not attempt to post for individual severe storm warnings on the blog.

My caution about severe storms is that the nature of them is for streaky and spotty effects, with widespread impacts fairly uncommon in our region. Just because you don't see toppled trees or hail out your window doesn't mean it hasn't affected someone else miles or even blocks away from you. There is some potential for more widespread damaging wind effects with clusters or squall lines this afternoon and evening, but that remains uncertain. There is also some chance your particular location dodges all the storms today. In any case, stay aware, but don't panic.
By India Today Web Desk: Superstar Rajinikanth's upcoming film with Pa Ranjith has gone on the floors on Sunday. Thalaivar, who made headlines for his political statements, started shooting for his Kaala Karikaalan in Mumbai. Now, Rajinikanth's picture on the sets of Kaala has made it online and is going viral.

advertisement

If rumours are anything to go by, Rajinikanth plays a gangster who fights for the rights of Tamils in Dharavi area of Mumbai. While it was earlier speculated that the film was based on gangster Haji Mastan, the makers quashed the baseless rumours.

His Kabali opened to mixed response from critics and fans. However, the film grossed more than Rs 300 crore and became the highest grossing Tamil film last year. Kaala is produced by Dhanush under his home production Wunderbar Films. Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi has been roped in to play the female lead, while actors Samuthirakani and Anjali Patil will play important roles. After Kabali, Kaala has music by Santhosh Narayanan and is expected to release in the second half of 2018.

ALSO READ: Rajini's next titled Kaala Karikaalan

ALSO READ: Rajini's Kaala: 5 things the poster reveals to us

WATCH HERE: Thalaivar speaks to India Today about fan greet and meet, politics

--- ENDS ---
I know some of you enjoy reading about birding and migration in other places so heres a blog about my recent birding trip and of some of the fantastic birds that we saw. The blogs a bit of a monster blog but the trip was so enjoyable there was just so much to fit in and even now Ive probably only touched the surface of what we saw, so here goes.

This spring I organised a trip over to Cyprus with my partner and my brother, having been there a few years ago in June I already knew that it was a relatively easy place to find your way around and booking a Villa and hire car and flight from Leeds-Bradford was very easy. But would the island of Aphrodite's deliver the goods bird wise or would it be a long two weeks topping up our tans?

Not a bad view from the Villa that was out in the middle of the countryside! All for the bargin price of 360 a week (March special price  just what a Yorkshire man likes to hear!)

The trip was booked for the end of March and just into April to try and catch some of the late winter birds as well as some of the migrants, early spring is not always billed as the best time to go so I was a bit apprehensive as to what we would find, I knew we would be hard put to get some of the later migrants such as roller and black headed bunting but then sometimes you just have to go somewhere and see what you see! You can always go back another time in Late April..

As it happened things couldnt have been better allowing us to rack up a fantastic total of 150 species with some memorable birds and some thoroughly exhilarating birding on an island that is situated on one of the main Africa - Asian/European flyways, in many ways the whole area that we covered from Pollis to Limassol was like a gigantic Spurn point (on a very good day) with migrants continually streaming through the countryside!

You judge for yourself from my summary below of what we found, for me though what really was one of the great things about Cyprus was that you could go to so many different places and find your own birds. Of course you had to work a little to find them but then thats what birding is like and for me thats what makes it so enjoyable.

We arrived on the island to find that there had been a good fall of winter birds with literally thousands of chiffchaffs and blackcaps everywhere, also a good number of stonechats and amazing to see flocks of song thrushes dropping out of the sky! But also mixed in with these birds were plenty of superb male Ruppells warblers, hoopoes galore and sub-alpine warblers of the eastern race no doubt bound for Turkey.

Male Ruppell's warbler

Hoopoe

Of course two of our target species were the endemics Cyprus warbler and Cyprus wheatear. On the first day we were lucky enough to find a nice little colony of the warblers near to our Villa at Pano Aqaudillia, it was a good job too as they were almost impossible to see anywhere else! The wheatears however were much easier to find with many birds in many places giving some fantastic views and photographic opportunities.

Cyprus wheatear

Cyprus warbler

And a nice shot of one from Titch

Looking at places to visit and the target birds some of us wanted to see an early trip to the Akrotiri peninsula was in order and so on the second day we set off, soon after arrival we got some good information from two friendly British birders who knew the area and who told us about the crakes that were showing at Zakaki marsh. Although there was only a small area of water left as the pool was a little overgrown there were still two spotted, little and Ballions crake all showing well! In the end we visited this area three times, each time the Peninsula and its varied habitats gave us some great birds.

Female little crake

The range of species was fantastic from superb red throated pipits, 1500 greater flamingos, Kentish plovers, bittern, marsh sandpiper, slender billed gulls, penduline tits, great reed and moustached warblers and then on Bishops pools plenty of water-birds including one day 17 ferruginous ducks and lots of roosting herons and egrets.

Greater flamingo

Night herons in flight

Red-throated pipits were in excellent summer plumage

Akrotiri was also the only place where I managed to get a photograph of the elusive black francolin which obligingly decided to sing on top of a pile of concrete!

Black francolin

Along the coast there were plenty of other rather pleasant surprises in the form of good numbers of spur-winged plovers, stone curlews and at the well-known wintering site on Paphos headland a most excellent greater sand plover just acquiring its summer plumage, one of my target birds!

Spur winged plovers

Greater sand plover (I always imagined finding them on sand but here this bird preferred the rocky coastline)

And on the coastal headlands we started to find a few tawny pipits, greater short toed larks, flocks of black and grey headed wagtails and endless numbers of both northern and particularly fine looking black-eared wheatears that were sporting their infinite plumage variations. It was also nice to find a desert wheatear among all these out on one of the headlands and which reminded me of our time in Morocco in the autumn.

Tawny pipit

Short-toed lark

Black-headed wagtail

Desert wheatear

Isabeline wheatear

And here's a link to a video my partner took of a couple of wing waving cetti's warblers - well worth a look!

https://youtu.be/_dL9VlOPosI

After reading reports from other birders before we left and the initial lack of Cretzschmars buntings I was a bit worried about if we would get to see this lovely species, however by the second week numbers were flooding through giving plenty of opportunities to enjoy this lovely bunting, ortholan buntings were a bit scarcer but eventually we found our first ones on Phaphos headland.

Cretzchmars bunting

Ortholan bunting.

Its always good to know people even though you many have never met them face to face! Bumping into a guided tour I got talking to Cliff Waller who had worked for the RSPB and he pointed us in the direction of a wallcreeper that was on the rocks directly above Aphrodites Baths! Luckily we got there just in time before too many tourists and got crippling views although unfortunately my photos werent quite as good!

A memorable trip to the Asprokremnos dam and to the abandoned village of Phinikas was very enjoyable and one of the lasting memories of the trip purely for its surrounding ambience of isolation  not a single other birder. We got our first encounters with great-spotted cuckoos and their insane calls but the main highlights were both blue rock thrush and then a stunning rufous-tailed rock thrush plus a bird I thought wed be too late to see an immaculate male Finschs wheatear.

Rufous tailed rock thrush

As Bill Oddie says when you see a Finschs you know what it is! The white down the back was very distinctive.

Birds of prey were more abundant than I thought they may be and we had excellent views of several pairs of Bonellis eagles plenty of long-legged buzzards, steppe buzzards, hen harriers, marsh harriers and a few pallid harriers including superb views of a male hunting no more than 60m in front of the car at the mouth of the Akamas gorge!

Bonelli's eagle with prey

Long legged buzzard were quite plentiful

A trip to the Paphos forest area made for a lovely day out although birds were in short supply but we did manage to pick up our main targets of the endemic sub-species of short-toed treecreeper, Jay and about a million coal tits!

There were also a few lovely endemic Troodos orchid's out to look at (the superb plant life is another blog at least!)

As we were well into the second week we had all been thinking that we hadnt seen many shrikes or flycatchers. Then one day there was an almighty lightning and rain storm and as soon as we got out of the car there were miraculously collared flycatchers along with a couple of wood warbler! After that collared flies along with single pied and possibly a female semi-collared (talk about id conundrums!) were just about everywhere. Also flooding in were nightingales and tree pipits along with a few cryptic wrynecks.

Male collard flycatcher

We also started to bump into more masked shrikes that gave excellent views and as the start of April came along a few stunning male woodchat shrikes appeared.

Male masked shrike

Woodchat shrike and corn buntings (enlarge this picture to get best effect by double clicking if on the computer)

Herons too started to pour along the coast in numbers and we found our first cattle egrets and squacco herons among the many purple and night herons.

Purple herons are just superb!

Squacco herons were just starting to appear in full breeding plumage

On the final day we had a morning to use up before our flight and so plumped for another trip to the Evretou dam which had been a very productive birding spot for us over the last two weeks and was near to the Villa. Before we left the villa though we had a pair of stunning red-rumped swallows gathering nesting material only a few metres away, we added lapwing and crag martin to the list and then finally there were a pair of great spotted cuckoos on the ground that allowed us to stop the car, wind down the windows and watch them not more than 20 yards away picking up caterpillars, the male was feeding the female and then amazingly the pair mated!

Red-rumped swallow collecting nest material - just simply superb!

Great spotted cuckoo - what a way to end the trip!

And the male feeding the female

The male perched in nice light

Of course none of us wanted to leave after what has been a pretty crazy two weeks migrant fest of top quality birding but when the holidays over its over, a last fantastic meal at a local tavern and we were on our way home.

I know Cyprus has a reputation for hunting migrants as well as selling them in restaurants (although we didnt see any direct evidence of this apart from two dead birds of prey which had probably being shot), but the only way to help stop this is for birders to go to the island and support the work of Birdlife Cyprus by joining as a member and supporting their difficult work on an island where hunting birds is engrained in the culture.

The more birders though who visit and spend money means that locals and government will start to appreciate that people enjoying wildlife can bring more money than people eating and shooting birds.

And a last comment  I wish I could create a reserve like Blacktoft on Cyprus now that would be a real birding hotspot! However, many of Cypruss wetlands are in dire need of management particularly access to water and practical management!

Unfortunately though like so many places around the world we neglect our wetlands (UK included), this will only in the future affect both our welfare as well as the birds, somewhere we really need to change this around before its too late. Good wetlands for birds = good places for our environment and future well-being.



I'll finish with a couple of flower picture's and of course a final shot of Cyprus wheatear!

The very aptly named naked man orchid!

Cyclamen grow wild all over the hillsides

Cyprus pied wheatear
ConnDOT

The Central Connecticut Rail Study (CCRS) has been completed and found investment in the rail corridor for freight use would be viable, while passenger rail investment would be cost prohibitive.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) conducted the study in order to identify necessary improvements to the freight rail line between Berlin and Waterbury, Conn., and review improved transit service, including the potential for passenger rail.

Pam Am Railways uses the single-track, 24-mile corridor, which is currently classified as Class 2 track with a maximum track speed of 25 mph. However, many locations are speed limited to 10 mph due to track conditions and track curvature. The CCRS found an estimated investment of $140 million would bring the line to a state of good repair and would be the most viable use of the corridor in the near term. The study found that if repairs were made, annual carloads could grow to 2,800 to 3,100 as compared to the current range of 1,500-1,800 annual carloads.

This action supports existing businesses on the line and would allow for freight service expansion in the near term. Moreover, it would preserve the option for passenger rail in the long term, the study states.

The study concluded that passenger rail at this time would not be viable based on estimated low ridership levels and the estimated $410 million to $530 million needed to upgrade the line for passenger use.

The CCRS said to reach a state of good repair the line would need to see surfacing work, crosstie replacement, grade-crossing surface improvements, improved drainage and joint bar testing. A large part of the estimated improvement cost, more than $25 million, is tagged for the Terryville Tunnel. The tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in Connecticut at more than 3,600 feet and was built in 1911. It has not received significant upgrades since its construction and the study found the tunnel requires repairs to the lining and improved drainage to enhance freight operations. Should the tunnel be repaired to accommodate future passenger service, additional lighting, ventilation and safe emergency egress improvements would be required that bring the estimated cost up to more than $38 million.
Kannur Police today booked Youth Congress district president and other Congress workers in connection with the slaughter of a calf in public.

Kannur Police booked district president of Youth Congress in connection with the slaughter of a calf in public. (Picture for representation, photo: ANI)

By India Today Web Desk: Kannur Police today booked district president of Youth Congress and other Congress workers in connection with the slaughter of a calf in public.

Youth Congress members and several other student bodies on Saturday held a beef festival in protest of the Centre's decision to ban sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter.

Incidentally, a video of the Youth Congress workers slaughtering a buffalo in public went viral. The Kerala police filed a complaint following the circulation of the video. Sources said that the slaughtering and protests were led by Kannur Youth Congress leader Rijil Makkutty.

advertisement

The viral video reportedly showed the young leaders sloganeering and slaughtering a buffalo in front of a large group including children.

The incident comes amid huge hue and cry over Centre's new rule prohibiting sale of animals for slaughter or religious sacrifice at livestock markets and animal fairs.

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident.

What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless,barbaric& completely unacceptable to me &the Congress Party.I strongly condemn the incident- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) 28 May 2017

Similar fest was also organised at different locations across Kerala. The Centre's move also drew flak from various political leaders.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) earlier stated that by issuing this order, the government is imposing greater burdens on farmers.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Centre's decision was surprising which was unsuitable for a democratic nation.

ALSO READ | Modi government inches closer to national beef ban with Ramzan just few days away

ALSO READ | Kerala BJP chief slams cow slaughter 'in broad daylight'

ALSO WATCH | VHP seeks apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for Kerala beef fest

--- ENDS ---
Only recently, Pakistan had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an early hearing in the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav case.

By Hamza Ameer: As Pakistan gears up to take up Kulbhushan Jadhav's case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on June 8, 2017, a Pakistani lawyer has taken the matter of ICJ's jurisdiction to Pakistan's Supreme Court, seeking legal endorsement of death sentence, awarded to Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan's military courts.

Pakistan is in process of formulating on what it calls, a forceful response to India.

advertisement

The petitioner, Advocate Muzamil Ali has also asked the Supreme Court of Pakistan to give a declaration that the order of ICJ, staying the execution of Kulbhushan, does not hold any binding on Pakistan and that it does not affect the case under the country's domestic law.

The petition has been filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, making the Ministry of Law and Justice, Federal Government and the court of appeal constituted under Army Act 1952, as respondents.

ICJ DECISION NOT BINDING ON PAKISTAN

The death sentence of Jadhav has been given by the military courts, who have been established by the Pakistan Parliament through a constitutional amendment. The parliament recently gave the courts a two-year extension and has primarily focused on dealing with cases of terrorism.

The case, filed in the Supreme Court, seems to be an attempt to endorse Jadhav's case under the country's legal system also as the petitioner has asked the Supreme Court to declare that Jadhav's trial and verdict was given in accordance with the law in Pakistan.

"In the light of the settled principles of local and international laws, the ICJ's decision does not constitute a binding direction upon Pakistan which is a sovereign state and entitled to take due measures to protect its sovereignty, territory and integrity" read the petition.

The petitioner also seeks declaration to confirm that no prejudice has resulted from withholding the consular access demanded by India, adding that Vienna Convention does not apply on state-sponsored terrorism.

"Vienna Convention on Consular Relations cannot be applied to instances of state-sponsored terrorism. Jadhav was admittedly a RAW agent and conducting anti-state activities at the behest of the Indian government. He was acting as an agent of the state of India and not as a national of India" read the petition.

The petitioner has also questioned Pakistan government's "dualist" approach to the case and shared objections on the ICJ order.

Referring to the March 2017 declaration, stating that ICJ cannot enforce its jurisdiction on Pakistan in cases related to Pakistan's national security, the petitioner questioned on how could ICJ maintain that it had jurisdiction, terming the treatment of ICJ as "discriminatory".

advertisement

As per the petitioner, an International Law cannot or does not become part of the domestic law until it is sanctioned through the domestic legislation system.

AFTER ICJ EPISODE, HANG JADHAV

The petitioner has also stated that Pakistan has already asked for a re-hearing of Jadhav's case and is expected to take up the matter of jurisdiction and early hearing with the ICJ on the June 8, 2017 in the Hague. And for this reason, Pakistan should not take more time in executing Jadhav, if the case is rejected by the ICJ over jurisdiction constraints.

"The people of Pakistan have the right to retribution against those who carry out subversive activities against their beloved country and this right far outweighs a fanciful requirement to provide method of disseminating information to convicted terrorists," said the petition.

LEGAL COVER TO A MILITARY COURT DECISION

The petition seems to be in line with the statements from Pakistan's official outlets, who have maintained that Jadhav's fate will be decided as per the law in Pakistan and that ICJ verdict does not impact or change the position of Jadhav's case.

advertisement

However, it also seems that as Jadhav's case has been treated under the Military Act and tried under the military courts, who have been established by the parliament and not by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, attempt is being made to give legal cover to the case through orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

These orders will write-off any reservation that might prevail or any discrepancy, in relation to the March 2017 declaration.

It should be noted that ICJ is the highest court of justice and Pakistan's Supreme Court, comes under the authority of the ICJ. While military courts carry with them, a parliamentary protection, achieved through a constitutional amendment, which does not fall under the ICJ.

Which is why, the question on ICJ jurisdiction with reference to the March 2017 declaration, and Jadhav's death sentence, coming through a military court, can weaken Pakistan's case as military courts and the Supreme Court walk parallel lines with different protective shelters.

With the current petition seeking Supreme Court declaration on Jadhav's case in focus, a Supreme Court order will endorse the military court verdict and bring it under the constitutional ambit along with the already existent parliamentary entitlement.

advertisement

The Supreme Court order will also enforce the direct application of March 2017 declaration on the ICJ hearing, where Pakistan will be raising the issue of jurisdiction and seeking ICJ's rejection of India's contention under the same reference.

Also Read:

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan asks ICJ for early hearing after losing Round One to India

Big blow for Pakistan: Ex-ISI official admits Kulbhushan Jadhav was captured from Iran

Also Watch:

India's full argument of Kulbhushan Jadhav's case in ICJ

--- ENDS ---
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley met the Defence Acquisition Council last week to decide who to approach for air missile systems, and decided to go with Akash surface, keeping in mind PM Modi's Make in India campaign.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction to promote Make in India in the defence sector and avoid imports, the defence ministry has decided to award an army missile contract worth around Rs 18,000 crore to the DRDO over a foreign vendor.

The decision was taken by defence minister Arun Jaitley in the crucial meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council held last week, top government sources told Mail Today.

advertisement

The case for acquiring Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (SRSAMs) was taken up for discussion during the DAC meeting where the government had to decide whether to go for a foreign missile system or the Akash surface to air missile systems. Jaitley went on for the indigenous option, sources said.

Top army sources confirmed that the force would be utilising the Akash missiles for protection against the incoming aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles of the adversaries as the system would be deployed on both the Pakistan and China border. Sources said there were a few specific systems and equipment available on the foreign system that were asked for by the army for the missile system which DRDO assured would be provided.

AKASH MISSILE SYSTEMS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Akash missile systems are proving their worth in the recent times as they have been chosen by the IAF for its requirement.

The DRDO may have lagged behind in the indigenous development of aircraft and land warfare systems but it has helped India to become self-reliant in the strategic missile systems helping in giving advance capability to the armed forces while saving in precious foreign currency for the government.

It is learnt that three foreign vendors - Israel, Sweden and Russia - were in the race for bagging the contract for which the process was initiated in 2011, and trials were held in 2014.

One of the three contenders had to be chosen for the contract as the force wanted the two regiments of the missile system to be provided to the army air defence. The army air defence has been operating with obsolete equipment for a long time with the government recently saying around 98 per cent of it was outdated.

However, under the Modi regime, the force recently received a boost when the cabinet committee on security cleared the Rs 17,000 crore Medium Range Surface to Air Missile project with Israel.

Also Read

US reviews Iran nuke programme, implements missile sanctions

advertisement

Indian Army has domination over LoC and IB in J-K: Jaitley

Army officers in war-like zones free to act, don't need to consult Members of Parliament: Jaitley

--- ENDS ---
Dear Editor,

Re: Talanoa Lakapi on TV1

This program has not done anything good to the development of rugby but only diminishing the image of our team who won the Sevens series in 2010.

Sioeli, you need to respect these boys and youll need NOT to include these type of talks in the program. Sure its funny to the public but you need to respect them. This is where common sense and media ethics comes in (if you know what those things are).

Using this as a tool to promote your program is totally absurd and unethical.

They put Samoa on top of the Sevens World and here you are mocking them? Who do you think you are? What have you done for Samoa? NOTHING!!!

They deserve to be respected for the service they did for our country.

Have you ever considered the impact of what youre doing to their wives, children and families? How would you feel if someone else mocks your English? In case you didnt know, your English is very poor. Aua ete toe faapalagi mai i luga o le leitio o lena e leo sao lou faaaogaina o upu palagi. Uuumm, you starting to feel what Im talking about? Mockery is not a good thing and I condemn it.

Tuu le fia tama mamafa ae faatino lelei le galuega i faavae ma taiala o loo lima taitaina ai le faatinoga o le galuega faatusitala.

TV1, shame on you for allowing this program to go on air without due respect to these boys and their families. Ua faamuamua le tou mananao i tupe ae le silasila lelei ile auivi o le polokalame poo talafeagai.

Samoa Rugby Union, you should put a stop to this. This is ridiculous.

Apelu Faaiuga, you should have known better. You are also putting yourself down with what youre saying on TV. You should be ashamed of yourself.

The program should focus more on promoting drills and less of the mockery.

Faafetai.

F.O.A

Faanoanoa tele ile ola aamu.
The Samoa Medical Council (S.M.C.) has revoked the medical license of a Chinese Neurologist who has been working at the hospital for 19 years claiming he is not a certified physician but a traditional healer.

The Chairman of S.M.A, Lealiifano Dr. Iopu Tanielu, confirmed the decision in response to questions from the Sunday Samoan.

Dr. Lee is disappointed about the decision. He said it was unfair and it did not go through due process.

But even more disappointed are some of Dr. Lees patients. One in particular who had a stroke 10 years ago said it is a matter of life and death for him.

I have been going to the hospital three times already to try and get another prescription for my medication but I was turned away because Dr. Lee is no longer working, he said.

Hes the only Neurologist thats currently working at the hospital and its disturbing because this deals directly with my health."

Life is health and health is life, so what about other patients who suffered strokes and have worse conditions than me... how are they coping with it?

But Lealiifano stands by S.M.Cs decision.

We have concrete evidence, he said adding that it was the legal opinion from the Attorney General which led to the decision.

According to Dr. Lee, his services were terminated without an explanation.

I feel sorry for my patients, he said.

Dr. Lee started at the hospital in 1995 as an Aid for the Chinese government.

It was in 1998 when I started working in the Medical Ward and over the years I was the only Neurologist left. Even when I was terminated from the hospital, there was no other Neurologist, he said.

But I don't know why I was let go.

According to Dr. Lee, the General Manager wanted to hire him as one of the management team.

But I dont know, all these Samoan doctors ganged up against me.

He added that there have been a lot of unfounded allegations against him.

I have been accused of malpractice and investigations were underway but that was it, nothing more.

He said one particular board member wrote to him regarding a wrong diagnosis.

But who is this doctor? Hes just a regular doctor and I dont answer to him, hes not my boss. Dr. Lee did not name this board member.

He confirmed his termination letter was received about three weeks ago.

I threw it in the trash when I got it, but then its ok, he said. Before I couldn't sleep because all I can think of are my patients but today, I can sleep peacefully. I still haven't received my full pay since they terminated my services.

Asked for a comment, Lealiifano told Sunday Samoan that Dr. Lee cannot register to be a medical doctor anymore.

He is now registered under the allied profession. With the allied profession, he can prescribe traditional medicine. Because some of the medicine we are talking about is not our usual medication, its medicine from China."

Its traditional medicine. Thats why he cant register with the Medical Council as a practical physician anymore along with other significant reasons.

Lealiifano added that Dr. Lees practicing license qualifies him as a traditional healer.

But not as a certified physician. His Medical license has been revoked and this is in accordance with the current laws and the new reforms by the Ministry of Health. [Dr] Lee is not a certified physician.

The Medical Council Chairman did not explain what reforms and which law he was referring to.

The certified documents we have is evidence that Lee is not a certified physician. The Medical Council has not stopped Lee from doing what hes certified to do. That goes for his patients as well, they can go and see him, but at their own risk."

Theyre at their own risk, just as the same for me.... Im a private doctor, the people are at their own risk if they come to see me.

He also made it clear the Medical Council has not stopped any patient from seeing Dr. Lee.

The Chairman was asked why it has taken so long time for the Council to revoke Dr. Lees Medical license.

Yes, its true Lee has been working for a very long time but he was registered by the previous Medical Council. There were some problems that arose which led to the Council to investigate. We also sought the legal opinion of the Attorney General on this matter.

Samoa Observer requested for a copy of this legal opinion, however Lealiifano said to make a formal request through to the Councils Registrar.

The Sunday Samoan visited the hospital this week in an attempt to get a comment from the National Health Services General Manager, Palanitina Tupuimatagi Toelupe. She was on leave.

Acting General Manager Sala Maa Tasesa declined to comment.

I dont know enough to comment about that case, and I have an important meeting to attend, so Im sorry but I cant comment on that, she said.

Samoa Observer also reached out to Attorney Generals office for a copy of the legal opinion.

Assistant Attorney General Galumalemana Noumea L. Teueli denied the request.

The legal advice is confidential information and cannot be disclosed, nor can we comment on anything else pertaining to the said advice as that would breach our duty of confidentiality to our client.
Sauia Louise M. Mataia-Milo, a history lecturer at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S) graduated last week from Victoria University, New Zealand, with a Doctor of Philosophy in History.

Her thesis is titled: Subtle Invasions: Samoan Womens Wartime Experiences.

Sauias research is based on the oral histories of women and a few men she conducted in Manua, Tutuila, Manono, Upolu and Savaii and in Auckland and Wellington in 2014.

Sauia posits that during World War Two the peaceful occupation of the Samoa Islands by US Forces combined with existing colonial conditions to transform the lives of Samoans in important yet also subtle ways.

Drawing on thirty oral history interviews and the papers of the colonial administrations Sauias thesis examines the wartime lives of Samoan women.

Their accounts of their experiences reveal how they understood the war at the time and after years of life experience.

Using approaches from social history and womens history her thesis illustrates womens agency in finding ways to manage the new social contexts and situations created by the war.

Sauias central argument is that it was the ordinary business of negotiating daily life during the war that engaged and normalised social changes.

These mundane everyday acts were significant historical moments that wove new and unique motifs into the tapestry of Samoan womens history.

The war brought to Samoa a multitude of American servicemen who saw Samoa through a romantic lens as an arcadia of unrestrained social mores. In contrast, through this research Samoan women reveal their wartime experiences in their own words.

The womens narratives indicate that the war interrupted lives in many ways causing them to rethink their roles in response to the changes.

The four areas of Samoan womens lives that Sauia examined are their roles in their families and communities, their involvement with the churches, their engagement with wartime popular culture and lastly their wartime sexual encounters.

She gave a portrait of Samoan society during the 1920s and 1930s, depicting the social and political forces that shaped womens lives and influenced their understandings of their wartime experiences.

She highlights how colonial entanglements had a bearing on the different trajectories that womens lives took during the war.

Her thesis then turns to explore the arrival of the war, examining the womens initial experiences and reactions with a particular focus on what they learnt from their experiences and how they adapted to change in the context of their communities and families.

Sauia study finds that social transformation was a response to the wars disruption of physical and cultural space and the critical structures and ideologies that are central to Samoans way of life.

The second part of Sauias research examines how wartime circumstances affected Samoan womens sometimes tense relations with the Christian churches.

The churches occupied a central place in Samoan society as a provider of both spiritual nurture and secular education for women during the war years, so they deserve specific attention. Wartime conditions created opportunities that expanded and rejuvenated the scope of Samoan womens agency which had been marginalised and narrowed by Christian influence before the war.

At the same time, the war heightened the pre-war tensions between Samoan womens agency and the power of the churches. She pointed out that despite the clergys reluctance, the churches provided spaces in which American troops socialised with the Samoan population, creating social situations that were difficult to control.

The third area of Sauias reseach analyses Samoan womens engagement with wartime popular culture and how the consumption of introduced material culture galvanised their autonomy and enabled them to tailor social transformation to suit their personal perceptions.

Wartime popular culture in its many forms, such as music, dance, reading material, chocolate and other foodstuff, contributed to the rapid absorption of new ideas and the adaptation of cultural practices.

Womens engagement with this popular culture resulted in on the ground changes that stimulated social transformation and which should be appreciated as significant historical moments in their own right.

The final area of Sauias research closely investigates Samoan womens wartime sexual encounters.

The perception that Samoan womens sexual encounters with American servicemen were characterised by an unrestrained morality on their part ignores other factors that shaped these encounters, including sexual violence and their own bodily knowledge and preparedness.

Sauias study shows that Samoan women had a variety of sexual encounters during the war and their narratives speak volumes about the pains of such life-changing moments.

From Sauias research we find that there was no single or archetypal wartime experience.

The thirty interviewees experienced the war in different parts of the Samoa islands and their social and political alignment has influenced their perceptions and understanding of their wartime lives.

The social transformation brought by the war involved considered responses from the women who sought to balance personal and family interests and Samoan values.

Exploring the womens wartime lives reveals their resilience and their ability to overcome difficulties and effect change for the better of their community.

Sauia acknowledges her familys support, the scholarship award under the Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) between the National University of Samoa and Victoria University that enabled her to pursue this important research.

She is from Lepea and she lives with her husband at Gataiala, Solosolo. She has ancestry connections in the villages of Leauvaa, Lefagaoalii and Satoolepai.
Up until this day, I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that my husband has passed away in the hands of the defendants."

Whatever sentencing handed down by the Court, it will not bring back my husband, the father of my children.

This was tearful plea from the wife of the late Misa Vailigi Rarotoga of Vaimea who died last year as a result of a brutal attack.

The wifes statement was read in open court as part of the Victims Impact Report for the sentencing hearing of PJ Tupuola Puni and Max Alefosio who were found guilty of manslaughter.

They were initially charged with murder.

However following a lengthy murder trial last month, the assessors found the defendants not guilty of murder but guilty for manslaughter.

Presiding in the matter was Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke.

Puni was represented by lawyer Diana Roma while Alefosio was represented by Leiataua Jerry Brunt. The prosecutor was Leone Sua-Mailo.

According to the victims impact report, the deceased suffered severe injuries to his head.

This led to internal bleeding into his brain and eventually led to his death.

The deceaseds face was bashed and he had some scratches on his legs and bruises on his side.

The wife noted in the report, the impact of her husbands death has made life complicated for their family.

He was the breadwinner of the family and he was solely depended upon for the raising of my children."

Sometimes my children forget that he has passed away. They would ask me when he would return home."

Those are some of the moments where it hits me hard and it makes it difficult to accept the fact hes gone.

The report says that Misa was a loving and a great father and always prioritised his children.

The court also heard from the impact report that there was an ifoga conducted by the defendants family and they presented $8,000+ and it was dully accepted.

The deceased family spent $30,000 for the funeral arrangements.

The prosecution submitted that 12 years in jail is a good starting point for sentencing.

Both defense counsels informed the court that 12-years sentencing proposed by Prosecution as starting point was too high. They both left it to the Courts discretion as to what the sentencing starting point should be.

Justice Leiataulesa ordered for sentencing to be postponed until next month, while he considers the submissions by all parties.

The defendants are remanded in custody until 12 June 2017.
New Zealands Prime Minister, Bill English, is heading to Samoa for the first time as the leader of his country.

The Sunday Samoan also understands that he is to be bestowed a chiefly title at Faleula this week.

Mr. English and his Samoan wife, Mary English, are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

They are coming for the celebration of Samoas 55 years of Independence which will be celebrated on Thursday and Friday.

During his weekly media programme, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said he is looking forward to hosting Mr. English in Samoa.

He confirmed that Mr. and Mrs. English are part of the dignitaries here for the Independence Day celebrations.

The New Zealand High Commission will be hosting a reception for Mr. English on Friday evening.

Mr. English has taken over from former New Zealand P.M., Toosavili John Key.
Thirty six new Leaupepe chiefly title holders celebrated a new chapter of their lives at Fasitoo-uta early yesterday morning.

The bestowal ceremony was conducted by Reverend Uta Muaulu of the Fasitoo Congregational Christian Church of Samoa at the Maota o Tapulaaia.

The new chiefs were urged to consider the important role they were taking on and that being a Chief is a calling.

He pointed to other villages and families who are disconnected because of Chiefly titles.

Being a chief is a calling and it plays a very important role in our daily lives, said Rev. Muaulu.

The women and men of all ages were part of the bestowal.

The family will add more chiefs today, this time orator titleholders.

Leaupepe Laauli Talauta told the Samoa Observer there are two ceremonies.

One for the Leaupepe titles and the second one today for more than 20 orators.

They will be officially introduced during a feasty.

The last time the family bestowed the title Leaupepe was 2005.
The Bank of South Pacific has presented their sponsorship with the value of $5000 to contribute to the LIFE-CON Event 2017.

The presentation was held yesterday at the Main Branch in Apia, with the presence of Life-Con Ambassadors, former Miss Samoa/Miss South Pacific Maryjane Mckibbin Schwenke (1997-1998) and Miss Jenine Tuivaiti (2012-2013), EMD Director, Kevin Schuster and BSP Business Manager, Michelle Lemisio.

Life-Con is a platform for creative and innovative small business development in the Samoa Fashion Industry advancing new marketing trends and distribution opportunities.

LIFE-Con is a 3 x days Fashion Expo / Convention featuring 30 plus small businesses in the Fashion Industry in Samoa, Fashion Houses & Labels, Hair Salons, Make-up Artists, Multimedia businesses and individuals that are participants for this years event.

Day 1 & Day 2 (June 1st & 2) - INDEPENDENCE SALE at TATTE Building 9am - 4pm. Shop & SAVE with the 50% DISCOUNT from all 30 plus businesses. Enjoy Independence with Fashion Shows going on, music and grab lunch from our cafe & bar!

Day 3 (June 3) - PREMIUM SHOWCASE: 6pm at Taumeasina Island Resort. Key features of the premium showcase include Red carpet session, pre-drinks, premium showcase on 9 themes, Think Pink initiative with 11 x Former Miss Samoas, and help us honor 10 x Iconic Women of Fashion in Samoa since Independence!

Tickets are available at Eveni Carruthers, Business Systems Limited, Tulela Boutique Vaitele & EMD office Lotemau Centre.
As part of the Bank South Pacifics commitment to Samoa to deliver convenient, innovative and affordable banking, the bank has an addition to their business account suite.

It comes in the form of a Business Visa Credit card designed to cater for the business community of Samoa.

The product will be available to any businesses starting tomorrow, Monday 29 May 2017.

This is a great product offering from B.S.P. We hope that with this product on offer it will help businesses of Samoa to make banking more convenient for them, said B.S.Ps General Manager, Taituuga Maryann Lameko-Vaai.

The product is designed to give businesses the flexibility and security they need, to manage their expenses and daily cash flow.

Not only that but it gives the business convenience banking when travelling anywhere in the world, shop online as Visa is accepted globally.

It is the future of Banking that is right here, right now, added Taituuga.

Anyone can call in to any of our three branches to discuss this new product with any of our BSPs Business Banker experts.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be hosting the New Zealand Samoa Trade and Investment Commission (N.Z.S.T.I.C) Business Mission to Samoa on the 5th  6th of June 2017.

Talking about the mission, Chairman of N.Z.S.T.I.C, Frank Po Ching, said it is all about building strong relationships between Samoa and New Zealand.

N.Z.S.T.I.Cs mission is to facilitate and promote business and investment activities between Samoa and New Zealand, by building strong relationships between private and public sectors in both countries, he said.

These business missions therefore are fundamental in encouraging collaboration and strategic alliance. There is an exchange of business expertise and knowledge that goes both ways.

The Business mission will kick off with a Business Forum on Monday 5th June at Tanoa Conference Room with Business Matching and one on one meetings on Tuesday 6th June.

The business delegation this year although a smaller number than last years mission, has a slightly broader industry representation.

Of the nine NZ companies represented, three of which have capacity-building focus in different industries.

Whilst we would like to see more investment representation on these missions, it really comes down to building strategic and robust relationships.
What is good for Apia town should also be good for Leauvaa.

Thats the reminder from Sala Tautiaga Tauiliili of Leauvaa and Neiafu to the government. He is unhappy about the state of their villages roads.

This is a long road and as you can see, its full of potholes and its a real hazard for cars and people, he said. Sala said the problem has been around for a long time.

This has been happening for five years. Weve been asking for help to no avail. This is why I am hoping I will be able to get the message through on your newspaper. Sala said they have met about the issue numerous times. We have held village meetings so many times with regards to our roads. We informed the government and yet nothing has been done. I am very disappointed.

The 70-year-old father of twelve raised the issue because he feels sorry for some people who care about their cars.

Sometime I dont want to walk or come here anymore because of the road, he said

Even buses and taxi avoid the area. So they just drop off people and they have to walk all the way to wherever they have to go. Its not easy.

Roads are very important but if the situation like our road is left alone, then whats the point.

There are more than 30 families living in the area. That should be enough people for our road to be fixed. Sala believes that there are many other villages facing the same difficulty. But he is hoping that one day their request will be answered.

We want it fixed real soon please, he said. Our government should prioritise issues like water, electricity and roads. These roads are putting peoples lives at risk.
During his radio programme today, PM Narendra Modi greeted people on Ramzan and showered lavish praise on Dubai-based Indian painter Akbar Saheb.

By Prabhash K Dutta: In his Mann Ki Baat radio programme today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation especially Muslims on Ramzan. He said, "Prayer, spirituality and charity are accorded the highest priority during Ramzan."

"This holy month of Ramzan will definitely be helpful in further strengthening these values of peace, unity and goodwill," Modi said in his message.

During his radio programme, PM Modi showered lavish praise not only on Afroz Shah of Mumbai, who led a commendable cleanliness drive in Versova, but also appreciated the work of Dubai-based Indian painter Akbar Saheb, who recently drew sketches for 'analytical book on Mann Ki Baat'.

advertisement

But, this is not the first time that PM Narendra Modi has tried to project Muslims as examples for the society.

IMRAN KHAN

Imran Khan of Alwar may again have slipped into oblivion as public memory tends to be short. But, in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly propelled him into popularity when he made a special mention of Imran Khan during his speech at Wembley in London.

Imran Khan is a Sanskrit teacher from Alwar district of Rajasthan. PM Narendra Modi announced to the roaring applause in the London stadium: My India is in that Imran Khan from Alwar.

"In Rajasthan's Alwar there is a man called Imran Khan. He has made 50 mobile apps and he has dedicated those apps to the students for free," Narendra Modi had said.

Imran has made 52 educational apps which help students in learning. His name was apparently brought to Narendra Modi's notice by the then Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. Imran was said to have given a presentation of his work before the Union Minister.

Recognising Imran Khan's efforts, Narendra Modi said, "India is beyond headlines in newspapers and is much more than what you see on television."

Later reports suggest that following Narendra Modi's praise of Imran Khan, Rajasthan government offered him a job under its science and technology department.

JAVED AHMED TAK

Photo: YouTube

In one of the Mann Ki Baat programmes in 2015, Narendra Modi talked about Javed Ahmed Dak of Bijbehara in Anantnag district in south Kashmir. Narendra Modi mentioned how Javed Ahmed Tak refused to take a backseat in the face of increasing incidents of terrorism.

In 1996, Javed Ahmed Tak was attacked by militants and the incident which left him paralysed for life. But, Javed did not resign to his fate in the midst of adversity. He fought for a meaningful life.

Javed Ahmed Tak started a school for differently-abled children at Bijbehara, which is incidentally the ancestral home of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

advertisement

For past over 20 years, Javed is running that school despite his own handicap restricting free movement.

NOOR JAHAN

Photo: ANI

In yet another Mann Ki Baat, PM Narendra Modi talked about Noor Jahan of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. Narendra Modi praised Noor Jahan for her exemplary work in the field of solar energy.

Noor Jahan has been supplying solar lamps to villagers in Kanpur's Beri Dariyawan. Her efforts have ensured power supply in more than 50 families in the village, where electricity was non-existent. Noor Jahan charges Rs 3.30 for every lamp or alternatively Rs 100 per family per month. Narendra Modi praised Noor Jahan for her determination and right cause.

Before coming into the vocation of solar lamp supply, Noor Jahan was a daily wage labourer. But a chance meeting with an NGO opened a whole new world of opportunities to her.

KARIMUL HAQ

Photo: YouTube

Karimul Haq is another Muslim man picked up by Narendra Modi government to make an example. Karimul Haq was honoured with Padmashri during the Republic Day celebrations.

He was given the honour for his social service. Karimul Haq is known as Ambulance Dada in his locality in Jalpiaguri district of West Bengal as he takes anyone needing urgent medical attention to nearby hospital on his bike. He is doing this for few years now after his mother died waiting for medical help.

advertisement

Participating in India Today's Editors' RoundTable discussion programme, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad narrated the story as to how PM Modi got in touch with Karimul Haq.

When PMO got to know Karimul Haq has saved nearly 2,000 lives by ferrying ill people to hospitals on his bike, it got in touch with him immediately, Prasad said, adding, "The Prime Minister spoke to him and told him that he was being given Padmashri."

AKBAR SAHEB

Photo: @vikingthakkar

Akbar Sahed is a Duba-based Indian painter of international fame. Recently he made sketches for a book on Mann Ki Baat - launched on Friday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Besides President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also attended the book launch.

Mentioning the book launch, Modi said, "I was pleasantly surprised when this book was in the news again because Akbar Sahab an artist living in Abu Dhabi, proposed that he wishes to sketch the topics on which various episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat' were based, and without taking a single rupee Akbar sahab transformed 'Mann Ki Baat' into art as a gesture of his love. I am grateful to Akbar Sahab."

advertisement

Akbar Saheb had gifted a series of his paintings when PM Narendra Modi visited UAE in 2015.

Also read: Narendra Modi on Mann Ki Baat: Constructive criticism strengthens our democracy

Also read: Muslim body to PM Modi: Focus on education and other basic issues, not triple talaq

PM MODI'S MANN KI BAAT

--- ENDS ---
Kirisimasi Silivelio has a simple plea.

He wants members of the public who have been dumping their rubbish at Leauvaa to use their brains.

They should know that there are people living here, he said.

We are all human and we cannot live with the smell.

The 49-year-old is concerned about his familys health.

Since last year, people from all over the country dump their rubbish in an isolated area near Kirisimasis home. More than ten families live in the area.

The smell is getting really bad and strong especially we are facing different kinds of weather patterns everyday, he said.

Sometimes we cannot go to sleep because of the smell.

Kirisimasi said people should be considerate.

We are all human, he said.

How would these people feel if someone drops rubbish next to their home?

Our village is trying to stop this.

We have finalised penalties for people who are usually doing this.

Obviously they just dont care. They just think that there are no people living in this area.

Kirisimasi said people should take responsibility for the environment.

We all know the importance of the environment. Its our surrounding and yet its our own people who destroy it.

Kirisimasi said he hopes the relevant government authorities can see what is happening and do something about it.

We are not the only family that complains, he said.

These actions are people from different villages not our people. I want them to stop.
Betham Brothers Enterprises celebrated their 25th birthday at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel and Bungalows on Friday night.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Member of the Council of Deputies, Le Mamea Ropati, Betham Brothers family, friends, business partners all gathered to celebrate the milestone.

Managing Director, Fanene Mark Betham, said the success of the company is all about the family unit.

Our Betham family is a very close knit family and this is reflected in the story of how Betham Brothers Enterprises was born twenty five years ago, he said.

It all started back in 1992 when Burns Philp South Seas Company decided to close all their locations in the Pacific including Samoa."

At that time, our eldest brother Masoe Henry Betham was the Shipping Manager for Burns Philp, a position he held for a very long time until he was retired in 1992."

On his retirement, Masoe still thought very seriously about doing something very similar in the area of shipping"

So Masoe called upon us; his brothers, if we were all interested in pulling all of our resources together to purchase the Burns Philp Shipping Division. The sale was done and Betham Brothers Enterprises was established in 1992."

Masoe Henry at the time was still in very good health and had so much experience with his shipping work, so the brothers agreed and appointed him to be the Managing Director of B.B.E."

He held that position from 1992 until March 2001 when he passed on.

But it hasnt always been smooth sailing.

We have had our ups and downs to try and make B.B.E. work. We started off with only a staff of five and worked our way to where we are today with a total combined staff of 38.

We have extended our head offices both here in town and at Matautu and our relationships with our local and overseas partners and principals continue to grow."

Of course we did not get to where we are now without the help and support of our families and friends, our business partners, our advisors, our principals and customers."

At this time, I want to also acknowledge and pay tribute to two of our founding directors who are no longer with us, our brothers Masoe Henry Betham and Afamasaga Daniel Betham."

Both were keys to B.B.Es success and although they are not here with us in body, I know that they are looking proudly on us and the company that they helped build.

Fanene acknowledged Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi for his great help along the way as well as Member of the Council of Deputies Le Mamea Ropati and their long time business partner, Yazaki Samoa.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa congratulated Betham Brothers for its contribution to the development of Samoa, especially creating much needed employment opportunities.

A word for the Managing Director and his management team, I hope you will continue to develop more and more in the future with your operations, not only for our country but also for our local businesses that depend on your services for the betterment of their businesses, Tuilaepa said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Preparing for North Korea's growing threat, the Pentagon will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test next week. The goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland, officials said Friday

The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles of less-than-intercontinental range since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but that followed three straight failures. The system has evolved from the multibillion-dollar effort triggered by President Ronald Reagan's 1983 push for a "Star Wars" solution to ballistic missile threats during the Cold War  when the Soviet Union was the only major worry.

North Korea is now the focus of U.S. efforts because its leader, Kim Jong Un, has vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory. He has yet to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, but Pentagon officials believe he is speeding in that direction.

Marine Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said this week that "left unchecked," Kim will eventually succeed.

The Pentagon has a variety of missile defense systems, but the one designed with a potential North Korean ICBM in mind is perhaps the most technologically challenging. Critics say it also is the least reliable.

The basic defensive idea is to fire a rocket into space upon warning of a hostile missile launch. The rocket releases a 5-foot-long device called a "kill vehicle" that uses internal guidance systems to steer into the path of the oncoming missile's warhead, destroying it by force of impact. Officially known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, the Pentagon likens it to hitting a bullet with a bullet.

The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, which is responsible for developing and testing the system, has scheduled the intercept test for Tuesday.

An interceptor is to be launched from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and soar toward the target, which will be fired from a test range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. If all goes as planned, the "kill vehicle" will slam into the ICBM-like target's mock warhead high over the Pacific Ocean.

The target will be a custom-made missile meant to simulate an ICBM, meaning it will fly faster than missiles used in previous intercept tests, according to Christopher Johnson, spokesman for the Missile Defense Agency. The target is not a mock-up of an actual North Korean ICBM.

"We conduct increasingly complex test scenarios as the program matures and advances," Johnson said Friday. "Testing against an ICBM-type threat is the next step in that process."

Officials say this is not a make-or-break test.

While it wasn't scheduled with the expectation of an imminent North Korean missile threat, the military will closely watch whether it shows progress toward the stated goal of being able to reliably shoot down a small number of ICBMs targeting the United States. The Pentagon is thirsting for a success story amid growing fears about North Korea's escalating capability.

"I can't imagine what they're going to say if it fails," said Philip Coyle, senior science fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. He headed the Pentagon's office of operational test and evaluation from 1994 to 2001 and has closely studied the missile defense system.

"These tests are scripted for success, and what's been astonishing to me is that so many of them have failed," Coyle said.

The interceptor system has been in place since 2004, but it has never been used in combat or fully tested. There currently are 32 interceptors in silos at Fort Greely in Alaska and four at Vandenberg, north of Los Angeles. The Pentagon says it will have eight more, for a total of 44, by the end of this year.

In its 2018 budget presented to Congress this week, the Pentagon proposed spending $7.9 billion on missile defense, including $1.5 billion for the ground-based midcourse defense program. Other elements of that effort include the Patriot designed to shoot down short-range ballistic missiles and the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, which the U.S. has installed in South Korea as defense against medium-range North Korean missiles.

The Trump administration has yet to announce its intentions on missile defense.

President Donald Trump recently ordered the Pentagon to undertake a ballistic missile defense review. Some experts argue the current strategy for shooting down ICBM-range missiles, focused on the silo-based interceptors, is overly expensive and inadequate. They say a more fruitful approach would be to destroy or disable such missiles before they can be launched, possibly by cyberattack.
San Diegos future changed forever 150 years ago this month when Alonzo E. Horton came to town.

The San Francisco merchant (1813-1909) attended a lecture early in 1867 on the potential of West Coast ports.

The speaker said San Diego was one of the healthiest places in the world and had one of the best harbors in the world, wrote Elizabeth MacPhail in The Story of New San Diego and of its Founder Alonzo E. Horton.

Advertisement

Within three days, he sold his merchandise, booked passage on the steamer Pacific and arrived in town April 15.

I thought San Diego must be a Heaven on Earth, if it was all as fine as that, Horton later wrote.

By May 10, 1867, he had paid city trustees to hold an election and schedule an auction of city-owned land on the waterfront.

By the time bidding was done, he had bought 800 acres for $265  33 cents an acre  which the locals thought was overpriced.

Together with 160 acres bought in 1869 for $4,000, he owned all the land generally bounded by Front, Upas and 15th streets, and the land from Upas Street south to Harbor Drive-Imperial Avenue.

Horton, born in Union, Conn., had already been elected constable at 21 in Oswego, N.Y., founded Hortonville, Wisc., at 33 and joined the Gold Rush in 1851 (and rescued fellow passengers from a mob at the Isthmus of Panama). He worked in mines, traded in salt blocks and, in 1862, opened a furniture store at Sixth and Market Street in San Francisco. His first wife died, and he remarried at least twice more.

San Diego was ripe for rebooting, Horton told the locals, because its center should be on the bay and there should be docks and factories and bustling industry to take advantage of the natural harbor.

The same idea had ended in failure before the Civil War, when another San Francisco merchant, William Heath Davis, and his partners bought 160 acres west of Front Street, built a $60,000 wharf at the foot of what is Market Street today, enticed the army to build a government store, supply house and barracks by the wharf and imported prefabricated houses from Portland, Maine, for the first residents to buy. Financial reversals scuttled the plan, and all thats left are Pantoja Park, the William Heath Davis House, relocated to 410 Island Ave., and an odd street system that locates First Avenue 10 blocks east of the bay, because thats where Hortons Addition began.

By the time Horton died in 1909, he had figured in all of San Diegos major initiatives, from moving the county seat from Old Town in the 1870s, enticing a railroad to town in the 1880s and selling Horton Plaza Park to the city in the 1890s. His image is one of three seen around the base of the Broadway Fountain.

He was a founder of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and helped convince the city to set aside what became Balboa Park  which fronted his land holdings on the east and north. His Horton House hotel, opened in 1870, was his first major investment and he lived to see it gladly demolished to make way for the much grander U.S. Grant Hotel.

His last wife, Lydia, successfully won a $60,000 grant in 1899 from Andrew Carnegie to build San Diegos first public library  and the industrialists first such grant west of the Mississippi.

George W. Marston was Hortons first clerk at the Horton House and later became San Diegos most prominent citizen in both business and philanthropy. He saw to it that a plaque in Hortons honor was placed at the County Administration Building in 1940. Now located at Horton Plaza Park, the plaque reads:

Memorial to Alonzo E. Horton, 1813-1909. Founder of the modern city of San Diego, 1867; first in civic vision; first in heroic adventure; first in courage and determination. Here he founded the city of his dreams. Therefore we call him Father Horton.

Business

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
CITY COUNCILS

CARLSBAD

The city of Carlsbad will hold the first of two public hearings on the upcoming change to by district council elections at 6 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. A second hearing will be at 6 p.m. June 13. Public input will be provided to a professional demographer, who will create maps with proposed district boundaries. Once these maps are ready for public review, the city will hold more hearings to get input on the maps. Visit www.carlsbadca.gov/districts.

Advertisement

Carlsbad city staff will answer questions and take input on the proposed spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 during a public budget workshop at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The meeting will be in council chambers at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, and broadcast live on the citys website and cable channel (Spectrum channel 24 and AT&T channel 99). Questions and feedback will go to the City Council for consideration before the budget is adopted, scheduled for June 13.

DEL MAR

The Del Mar City Council recently formed the Measure Q Citizen Oversight Committee to review the revenue and expenditures related to the 1 percent transaction and use tax (sales tax) passed by Del Mar voters in 2016. The committee will monitor and report on the use of Measure Q funds. The council is looking for five resident volunteers to serve on the committee, which will consist of two members of the Finance Committee, two at-large members, and one member of the business community. Visit https://www.delmar.ca.us/611/Measure-Q-Citizen-Oversight-Committee.

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas City Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers, 505 S. Vulcan Ave.

VISTA

The Vista City Council has scheduled the second of two public hearings at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Vista Civic Center to review possible district boundary maps for the citys new by-district elections.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

POWAY

The Poway Unified School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session to discuss litigation at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the district office, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, and in open session at 6 p.m.

VISTA

The Vista Unified School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Morris Vance Community Room, 200 Civic Center Drive, and in regular session at 7 p.m. to discuss proposals from superintendent search firms. The board is also scheduled to hear a budget update.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
CITY COUNCILS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad City Council met in closed session Tuesday to discuss labor negotiations. In open session at 6 p.m., the council held a hearing and approved permits for a four-story building with 17 multifamily residential condo units at 2501 State St. An agenda item on rescinding the Drought Response Level 2  Drought Alert Condition was returned to staff. The council approved the proposed scope and schedule for the comprehensive Carlsbad Municipal Code update. A public hearing on the preliminary budget was set for June 13. Laurie Boone was reappointed to the Historic Preservation Commission.

Advertisement

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas City Council met Wednesday and agreed to negotiate with Habitat For Humanity to lease city-owned property at 750 Leucadia Blvd., to build two affordable homes. Priority was requested for clients who lived and worked in the city, and a request was also made to add accessory units if possible. A hearing was held on solid waste collection rates, which were approved and will increase 29 cents monthly per 35-gallon cart and 44 cents per 95-gallon cart, and $2.37 per 3-yard commercial bin. The council also approved a loan agreement with the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority for the authoritys 2017 revenue bonds for clean water projects.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss litigation and labor negotiations. In regular session, the council approved changes to its sign ordinance. It approved creation of a very high multifamily residential rezoning category, and then rezoned 186 parcels of land between Sixth and 15th avenues and South Escondido Boulevard and Centre City Parkway into that category. The council also held a hearing and approved a short-form rent increase application submitted by Westwinds Mobilehome Park.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos City Council met in special session Tuesday for evaluation and employment negotiations for the city manager and city attorney. In regular session, the council approved an ordinance revising and reconciling regulations and license fees for massage establishments in the city. It also approved an ordinance amending and updating the citys water-efficient landscape standards. James Knowlton, Neil Kramer and Michael Roop were appointed to the Budget Review Committee, with Charlotte Rice as alternate. Israel Hernandez, Alexa Jennings and Kylie S. Williams were appointed to the Youth Commission, with DAndre Silva Jorge and Sanjay Narayanan Kaushik as alternates. The council directed staff to apply a $5 million general fund surplus to make a partial payoff payment to CalPERS. Other budget actions on the agenda were tabled.

SOLANA BEACH

The Solana Beach City Council met in special session at 5 p.m. Wednesday to discuss litigation and labor negotiations. In regular session, the council held a hearing and introduced an ordinance to prohibit all commercial marijuana activities, including cultivation, processing, delivery and dispensary activities in the city. The council also approved authorizing the city manager to contract with TEA and Calpine to provide consulting services to the city on its Community Choice Aggregation energy program.

VISTA

The Vista City Council met Tuesday to recognize its Adopt-a-Block volunteers and its Youth Commission members. Scheduled discussions on the citys General Plan 2030 and business license fees were removed from the agenda.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas Union School District board met in special session Tuesday to hear and discuss reports on district facilities, upcoming construction and related budgets. The board reviewed the Spring 2017 facility walk-through lists and identified four categories for projects: safety, learning environments, maintenance and aesthetics. The board also heard an update on the Farm Lab educational program, facility, budget and potential partnerships.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido Union School District board held a special joint meeting on Monday with the Escondido Union High School District board to discuss declining enrollment.

The Escondido Union School District board met in closed session Thursday and afterward appointed Timothy Biland as principal and Christine Harris as assistant principal of Rincon Middle School for 2017-18. The board heard an update on the Local Control Accountability Plan, and approved an independent contractor agreement with Lifestyles In Focus for the GOT HEALTH annual wellness event Aug. 11 at Grape Day Park for no more than $1,700. The board agreed to cancel the July 14 workshop. You Make Escondido Shine awards were presented to Mekayla Andrea Narino, Mckayla David, Andrew Phan Nguyen and Bryan Briceno Rivera from Rincon Middle School, and to Aylin Perez Flores, Felix Moreno Albrecht, Ethan Sanchez and Joey Pablo from the preschool program.

SOLANA BEACH

The Solana Beach School District board met Tuesday for a workshop on facilities and attendance.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
The 2017 Escondido Youth Media Festival will be showcasing entries and naming winners at its own Oscars-style celebration on Wednesday at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

Now in its seventh year, the festival celebrates the creativity and technological skills of elementary and middle school students from the Escondido Union School District.

Developing these skills in information, communications and technological literacy has a dramatic effect on students academic achievement, according to the district. Creating these works in various media helps EUSD students develop skills and master educational content.

Advertisement

The Escondido Union School District is proud to support the creative talents of our students at the Escondido Youth Media Festival, said Superintendent Luis Ibarra in a statement. Whether its audio, video, or photographic media, the creativity of our students not only supports their long-term academic achievement, but it also reminds us that we have extraordinary students in our schools who have the potential to inspire us every day.

We welcome the community to the festival to experience it for themselves.

Students from grades K-8 have entered their video, audio storytelling and photographic works in three groups (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) for the competition. The schedule at the CCAE Concert Hall (big theater):

5:45-6:45 p.m., Showcase: Visit lobby displays of innovative and interesting happenings going on within EUSD.

5:45-7 p.m., Screening: All nominated video and audio entries will be presented in their entirety. All nominated photography entries will be on display in the lobby.

7 p.m., Awards Ceremony: Winners of four media categories for three different age ranges will be awarded (12 total).

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Few philanthropists in San Diegos history have had the impact of Ellen Browning Scripps. Money she made from her familys string of newspapers helped fund schools, museums, parks, hospitals, oceanographic research, the zoo. She died in 1932.

Shes clearly the Great Lady of San Diego, said Molly McClain, a University of San Diego history professor who has written a new biography of Scripps.

McClain will discuss the book on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the La Jolla-Riford Library in conjunction with Warwicks.

Advertisement

Q: Why did you want to write about Ellen Browning Scripps?

A: It came about rather by accident. Id been asked to write a history of the Bishops School for its centennial. The development director there asked if I would mind going up to Scripps College and looking at the archives, Ellen Browning Scripps papers, to see if she had anything about the school in them.

I thought, what a fun project. Id be thrilled to read her personal papers. Historians love that kind of thing. So I went up there and I just stumbled into a treasure trove. There were nearly 20 file cabinets that were filled with her account books, her letters, her diaries, her travel accounts. For a historian, it was sort of like a bubble bath of material.

I thought someone must have written a biography of Ellen Browning Scripps and yet when I looked into it there hadnt been anything published about her since 1966. That was the last biography. I thought somebody really needs to do this.

Im a British historian. I started asking friends of mine, Do you know anybody who would do this? And it was no. Finally my friend said, Molly, if you think this is so interesting, why dont you do it?

I was between projects and I thought this would be fun. And I got myself into what turned out to be a very long project because there is all this material. I felt duty-bound to go through it. Thats what historians do. We read everything.

Q: What were the challenges in dealing with all that material?

A: The challenging part is she had really terrible handwriting. I could understand why somebody didnt dive right into it. When I first went, almost a decade ago for Bishops, I looked at her diary from 1909. It was tiny. I opened it up and thought, Oh, my God, I cant read any of this. Its all scribble scribble. She was a journalist and had a shorthand that was peculiar to her.

I studied 17th century British history. I know paleography, and Im skilled at reading old and bad handwriting. But this took me about a month of reading her most legible letters before I could even touch the diaries. And then everything had to be double- and triple-checked to make sure my transcriptions were accurate.

As it turned out, she was a subject well worth my time.

Q: What did you find most fascinating about her life?

A: She was a woman from a very working-class, educated background who managed to make her way in a mans world. She became a journalist in Detroit, head of the copy room, an important editor. This was right smack in the middle of the Victorian era when women are not supposed to be able to do these things, and when they did it, they didnt get much credit.

For most of her life, she lived with her family members, with her brothers, as a spinster, taking care of the kids at night and working during the day. It wasnt until she came to California that she suddenly blossomed. She had retired from active work in journalism but started investing in Scripps papers. She and her brother E.W. Scripps essentially make a fortune on this new group of papers that are going to become the Scripps-Howard papers. Then having created all this money, she decides to give it all away. She really made San Diego the kind of cultured place that it is today.

Q: When she came to San Diego, she wasnt that impressed. What made her stay?

A: She found in La Jolla this really interesting community of women, many of them college-educated, a little avant garde. They were writers and artists, kind of Bohemian, and she really took to them. She was rather a free-spirit herself and had very different opinions about religion, about politics, and she found a group of like-minded people.

And can you imagine what La Jolla must have looked like without all the buildings? It must have been a paradise. She described the natural beauty as extraordinary, and she was a very keen observer of nature.

Q: What do you think her greatest legacy is in San Diego?

A: I think it has to be the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Clearly thats one of the greatest scientific research institutions in this country and perhaps the world, making really important progress on issues like climate change. Of her investments, that was definitely the most important.

Q: Why did she stop working as a journalist?

A: She turned about 50 and her brothers found that they had no more need of her on the newspapers. Her brother James said, Ive got these competent young men. You can take it easy, Ellen. Her other brother, E.W., said, Id love to find some work for you, Ellen, but I cant find a place. She was edged out of the family business. She got the gold watch. And that was very hurtful to her because she had been one of the reasons the Detroit Evening News was a success.

Q: Why is it important for us today to reflect on the life of someone who made her mark roughly 100 years ago?

A: We live in an age much like the Gilded Age. These extraordinary fortunes are being created and being passed down. You have people who have more money than they ever imagined. And the question is, what do you do with that? Do you create an American aristocracy, passing it down through family hands, or do you spread the wealth and recognize that there is a large community of people who could be helped by philanthropy?

Sometimes its easier to understand the present when we look at the past. Its easier to ask ourselves questions about the present when we look at history and say, What did other people do in a similar situation? Who founded these institutions and why did they do it?

Q: As you note in the book, the Childrens Pool was her last major gift to San Diego. What would she have made of the ongoing controversy about the seals there?

A: On the one hand, she gave the pool for children. That was its intended use. I imagine that she would want it continued to be used that way. But on the other hand, she was also a naturalist. She was someone who deeply cared about the environment, loved nature, and would not want to see any harm come to the seals.

So I think she herself would be in a sticky spot on that question.

Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money & American Philanthropy, by Molly McClain, University of Nebraska Press, 366 pages.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-2236
Fairytales have never been as grim as they are in Shockheaded Peter, a cleverly fiendish mash-up of morality play and the macabre. In Cygnet Theatres enormously creative venture into the bizarro world, a string of naughty children gets whats coming to them.

Do they ever: A petulant thumb sucker gets his appendages snipped off. A fussy eater wastes away to skull and bones. A precocious tot who plays with matches gets burned  to death.

Yet in this musical adaptation of German psychiatrist Heinrich Hoffmanns childrens book Der Struwwelpeter, its all in diabolical fun.

Advertisement

Unlike in Hoffmanns original fables, the tykes of Shockheaded Peter, be they Cruel Frederick, Johnny Head-in-Air or the Bully Boys, always meet with fatal consequences. The authors of this 1998 transmogrification are Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott of Londons Improbable Theatre, along with the British musical trio The Tiger Lillies, progenitors of whats come to be known as Brechtian punk cabaret.

Shockheaded Peter is all that and more, a theatrical carnival of garish face paint, animal heads and masks, puppetry and acrobatics. What must be a daunting challenge to bring off in one 90-minute show is met with ingenuity at Cygnet under the direction of Rob Lutfy, along with a gifted production team that includes costume and puppet designer Shirley Pierson and choreographer Michael Mizerany.

Shockheaded Peters nightmare-before-bedtime stories are played out for horrified laughter by a versatile ensemble frequently manipulating props and puppets. The two characters out front are the mustached Emcee (Sarah Errington, in a knowing role thats a little too cool for school) and Siren (Steve Gouveia), the proceedings frightening balladeer. With his evil-clown fright wig and painted face, and wearing a tutu, stockings and lace-up boots, he is Shockheaded Peters creepiest and funniest figure. Hes also the one wholl be in your anxious thoughts as you walk to your car. A veteran of Cygnets campy The Rocky Horror Show last year, Gouveia is an even bigger scream here.

Less inspired is Shockheaded Peters side story about two Victorian-age parents (Adrian Alita and Kevane LaMarr Coleman) who banish their orange-haired, prolifically fingernailed infant beneath the floorboards, only to be deservedly haunted into madness later on.

Their appearances on stage, particularly early in the going, unfold slowly and lack the frenetic mischief of the fables. On the other hand, an acrobatic departure near shows end, the engrossing tale of Flying Robert, finds Danielle Airey, clad in an ice blue body suit, climbing a ribbony rope from the rafters, entwining herself and swinging high above the stage. Throughout, Gouveia and Errington gently croon a Tiger Lillies ballad in what is Shockheaded Peters awe sequence amid all its shocks.

Its tempting to intellectualize the lessons Shockheaded Peter would seem to proffer about misguided parenting and misbehaving children, lessons that no doubt Heinrich Hoffmann implied in his 19th-century book of verse. But why? This is a show to be savored for its thrills and chills and, like a dream, for its sheer incongruity.

Shockheaded Peter

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through June 18.

Where: Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town.

Tickets: $42 and up (PG-13 for violence and mature themes)

Phone: (619) 337-1525

Online: cygnettheatre.com

Coddon is a freelance writer.
By Press Trust of India: scams

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra will hold an "exhibition" of documents pertaining to the "scams" in the AAP-led Delhi government and the party on June 3.

Stating this in his blog, Mishra also questioned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals "silence" over the alleged irregularities in the AAP and the Delhi government.

advertisement

"Kejriwal sacked (Delhis Food and Civil Supplies Minister) Asim Ahmed Khan just on the basis of an audio. We were happy that a strict action was taken against him. Today, there are enough documents indicting Kejriwal, but it appears that there are different set of rules for Asim and Kejriwal and (Health Minister) Satyendar Jain," he said.

Khan was sacked from Kejriwals cabinet over graft charges.

Mishra also called upon those who participated in the India Against Corruption movement, which was a precursor to the formation of AAP, to attend the exhibition on June 3 at the Constitution Club here.

"A decision will be taken on the next course of action i.e. a no-confidence motion against the Kejriwal government, a referendum or Right to Recall," he said.

During their anti-corruption movement days, Kejriwal and social activist Anna Hazare used to invoke the concept of Right to Recall a government or any elected representative in case they were found to be not performing.

The sacked minister had accused Jain of giving Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal. PTI PR SRY

--- ENDS ---
Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas and other officials interfered in multiple investigations and covered up criminal conduct by police, according to claims filed Friday by two investigators with the district attorneys office.

In their filings, Tom Conklin and Abraham Santos cited three high-profile cases that they said officials had suppressed.

One involved a former Cypress Police Department investigator accused of committing perjury during a capital murder trial. Another case revolved around the alleged cover-up by Fullerton police of a former city managers drunk driving. Conklin and Santos said they were removed from the investigation into a third case, involving a man who they believed was planning a Sandy Hook-level mass shooting.

Advertisement

The whistle-blower claims are precursors to a lawsuit. Conklin, who has worked at the district attorneys office since 2008, and Santos, who has been there since 2015, assert that they have been targeted for termination because they spoke out about Rackauckas and his office. Santos said he also became the subject of false rumors that he had sexually harassed another employee.

The culture in the OCDA office is one of punishing disloyalty, Conklins claim stated. DA Rackauckas transparently rewards his friends and punishes his enemies.

The district attorneys office did not respond to a request for comment Saturday. Spokeswoman Michelle Van Der Linden declined to comment Friday to the Orange County Register and the Voice of OC, saying the claims were personnel matters.

The claims by Conklin and Santos represent the second time in two weeks that Rackauckas has been accused by one of his investigators of using his position to help political allies and retaliating against employees who express opposition.

Craig Hunter, former chief investigator for the office, filed a claim alleging that Rackauckas had interfered in political corruption investigations involving his supporters. Hunter also is one of the officials Conklin and Santos accused of misconduct.

The investigators named 14 members of the district attorneys office in their claims, including Rackauckas and several of his assistants, as well as other investigators.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

@andreamcastillo
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that accused former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of causing the 2012 deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, by mishandling confidential information through the use of a private email server.

The lawsuit was filed in August by Patricia Smith of San Diego and Charles Woods of Portland, Ore. Each had a son who was killed when an anti-American militia group targeted a U.S. diplomatic compound on Sept. 11, 2012.

What role, if any, Clintons use of the private server had in the attack has been a source of contentious debate for years, particularly during Clintons failed run for president.

Advertisement

In her 29-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson stressed that she had focused on whether Clinton acted within the scope of her employment when she used the private server to communicate with State Department personnel, not whether her actions were legal.

Nothing about this decision should be construed as making any determination or expressing any opinion about the propriety of the use of the private email server , the judge wrote in the opinion filed Friday in Washington, D.C.

The judge found that Clinton did not defame the parents or hold them in a false light when she disputed public claims that she had lied to them in 2012 about the cause of the attack.

Reached by phone Saturday afternoon, Smith declined to comment about the judges decision. She told a reporter she had spoken her attorney that morning.

Her lawyer Larry Klayman did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The judge granted a motion to substitute the United States government as the defendant in the lawsuit for any actions Clinton took in her role as secretary of state, and then dismissed claims alleging wrongful death and negligence, as well as other claims premised on Clintons actions while working in her official capacity.

Berman Jackson also granted a motion to dismiss other claims against Clinton, including defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, that had to do with her actions after she left office.

Smith and Woods contended in their lawsuit that Clinton lied to them and the public by saying the attack was the result of a reaction to an anti-Muslim YouTube video posted on the internet rather than the result of Islamic terrorism.

The two parents have also said Clinton called them liars, either directly or indirectly, in at least three interviews after she announced she was running in the 2016 presidential election, when she denied telling the parents that the YouTube video was the cause of the attack.

In the complaint, they cite a moment from a March 2016 presidential debate, when the Democratic candidate was asked about Smiths claims that Clinton had lied to her.

I feel a great deal of sympathy for the families of the four brave Americans that we lost at Benghazi, and I certainly cant even imagine the grief that she has for losing her son, but shes wrong. Shes absolutely wrong.

According to the ruling, the judge found that Clintons statement was a firm denial of Smiths accusation, but it did not suggest Smith was lying intentionally, nor did it impugn her character.

The untimely death of (Smiths and Woods) sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that (they) have suffered in any way, the judge wrote. But when one applies the appropriate legal standards, it is clear that (Smith and Woods) have not alleged sufficient facts to rebut the presumption that Secretary Clinton was acting in her official capacity when she used her private email server to communicate with State Department personnel about State Department business...

Sean Smith, a San Diego native who attended Mission Bay High School, was a U.S. State Department technology officer working at the compound when he was killed. He was 34.

Tyrone Woods, 41, was a CIA security contractor. He lived in Imperial Beach.

Smith and Ambassador Christopher Stevens were fatally injured at the main U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. Woods and fellow CIA security contractor Glen Doherty of Encinitas, both former Navy SEALS, died after the attack on the compound when mortars hit a separate annex run by the agency.

Family members for the other victims, including Stevens, have said they do not blame Clinton for the attacks. Some have said they prefer to stay silent on political issues related to the incident.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
While the number of minors arrested trying to enter the U.S. illegally continues to climb each year, a little-known program that grants some of the children legal immigration status and a path to a green card has also grown rapidly.

But that growth might be slowed, as Congress considers making changes to whats known as the Special Immigrant Juvenile program. Legislation that would tighten eligibility is pending in the House of Representatives.

That legislation comes as figures from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services show the number of petitions for this special status has skyrocketed in the past five years.

Advertisement

In 2011, the government granted 1,869 of the petitions. Last year, the number reached 15,101, which was nearly double the 8,739 granted in 2015.

The sharp increases are a reflection of the unprecedented surge in children  known under immigration laws as unaccompanied minors  who have flooded to the nations Southwest border since 2011.

The children come from the strife-torn Central American countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, as well as Mexico. Once arrested, the children are put in a legal process to be removed from the U.S. via immigration courts.

But that can take time, so the U.S. Health and Human Services Department takes custody of the children. They are then placed with a parent, relative or guardian, though some wind up in foster care.

Many of the children, however, can qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile status, which involves state juvenile courts and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

To get this status, the children first go to a state juvenile or probate court, where they have to persuade a judge they are in need of protection because they have been abused, neglected or abandoned in their home country, and cant be safely returned there.

If the judge makes that legal finding, the minors can then file a petition with the federal government seeking an adjustment in their legal status that allows them to stay in the U.S. They also can then apply for permanent legal residency.

Its difficult to determine how many of these findings California judges have made, because the state does not track that data. San Diego Superior Court Judge Carolyn Caietti, who presides over the juvenile court, said the court has braced for an expected surge in applications from juveniles for the past couple of years but has not yet seen a noticeable increase.

Supporters of the program say it is a lifesaver for children fleeing abuse and neglect or who have been abandoned. They say the number of petitions federal immigration authorities have granted has increased not only because of the surge of minors arrested at the border but also because a growing network of legal advocates are taking on the cases.

The increase, in turn, has led to greater scrutiny by the federal government of the petitions, said Rachel Prandini, a lawyer at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

Weve definitely seen USCIS take a much harder line in these cases, Prandini said. The agency now often requests more evidence from the state courts, which can delay the process and lead to larger backlogs, she said. Currently, 8,500 petitions are pending review.

Two bills pending in Congress address the Special Immigrant Juvenile process. One would change the definition of an unaccompanied minor to exclude juveniles who have one parent, close relative or sibling in the U.S.

A second bill would say minors can only seek the status if a court finds they were abandoned by both parents. A 2008 change in the law said judges can find minors have been abandoned if they cant safely be reunited with one or both of their parents.

The 2008 change was meant to protect children from being sent back to a parent in their home country who had abused them. Critics said it was a loophole, allowing children who had a parent in the U.S. to gain legal status.

Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for tougher immigration laws, said the Special Immigrant Juvenile program is overdue for reform.

This is an example of a poorly crafted law, one that failed to anticipate how it would be used, Vaughan said. She noted the program is the only one where a state court judge makes the key decision that essentially determines the immigration status of a person. Determining immigration status in all other cases is a decision federal authorities make.

The programs supporters counter that judges are making a determination only on what is in the best interest of a child, a long-standing legal benchmark used by courts in child welfare cases.

They are not making a status determination. They are not granting a green card, said Lenni Benson, a professor at New York Law School and executive director of the Safe Passage Project. They are doing what Congress told them to do.

Data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services show that most applications are approved. Last year, for example, the agency denied 594 petitions compared to the 15,101 that were granted.

Even so, Benson said it is erroneous to think the program is a magnet for youths.

To argue that children are coming here because of that, I dont believe is true, she said. We have done literally thousands of interviews of these children, and not one has said, I came here because I heard you could get a Special Immigrant Juvenile visa.

Meanwhile, apprehensions of unaccompanied minors continue to rise, with most occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border. Apprehensions rose each year from 2011 to 2014, peaking at 68,000 in 2014, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. The next year the numbers dropped to 39,000, but then shot back up to 59,000 at the end of fiscal 2016.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
Two defense contractors were sentenced in San Diego federal court to prison for conspiring to steal more than $3 million worth of medical equipment from Camp Pendleton that had been earmarked to help wounded Marines abroad.

Warehouse clerk Henry Bonilla of Pomona received 15 months in prison and coworker Richard Navarro of Oceanside got one year, prosecutors said.

This isnt the theft of pencils and pens, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo told the defendants during Fridays sentencing hearing, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. This medical equipment was meant for U.S. troops. This type of theft is outrageous and puts our troops at risk. I hope this sentence will send a message to people in government in positions of trust.

Advertisement

The pair, along with other co-conspirators who have pleaded guilty, worked for 1st Medical Logistics Company on the military base and were responsible for maintaining and shipping medical equipment to troops. The scheme involved stealing sophisticated equipment  including ventilators, ultrasound machines, defibrillators and anesthesia machines  and selling the items to medical equipment resellers.

Prosecutors said the men used their own vehicles to cart away the equipment and negotiated with the resellers in parking lots and other spots across Southern California.

Bonilla, 29, was ordered to forfeit two vehicles and more than $172,000 in illegal profits from the scheme, and Navarro, 44, was ordered to give up more than $49,000, prosecutors said. They were also ordered to pay $3 million in restitution to the Marines.

Prosecutors encouraged anyone with information about defense contractor corruption to contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at (800) 264-6485 or ncis.navy.mil.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
Five graduating seniors from Ramona, Julian, and Warner high schools received scholarships totaling $2,500 from Intermountain Republican Women Federated. The students participated in the prestigious Charlotte Mousel Scholarship Awards.

The Charlotte Mousel annual scholarship recognizes students through an essay contest using the U.S. Constitution as the subject matter. It also evaluates scholastic achievement and school and community activities. Students have three opportunities for awards  the local level, the county level, and the Seven Southern Counties Division.

Intermountain local awards went to:

Advertisement

Justin Rodi, Mountain Valley Academy, $1,000

Shannon Stanley, Julian High, $500

Sarah Drown, Ramona High, $500

Ocean Laidlaw, Warner High, $250

Jennifer Salinas, Warner High, $250

Rodis first place in Ramonas contest moved him to the county level. He placed first in San Diego County and will receive an additional $2,000 scholarship. He is eligible to move on to the Seven Southern Counties Division to receive a $1,000 to $1,500 scholarship. Results will be announced in June.

Charlotte Mousel loved America and the youth of our country, said Donna Myers, chair of Intermountain Republican Women Federateds Scholarship Committee.

Mousel promoted the California Advocacy Program through which hundreds of students learned firsthand how state government operates. Under her guidance, the program became a model for other states programs.
Rep. Darrell Issa is planning to appeal a judges ruling that says the congressman infringed on his opponents free speech rights when he filed a defamation lawsuit about attack ads last year.

The ruling puts Issa on the hook to pay more than $140,000 in legal costs for Democrat Doug Applegate, who narrowly lost the November election to the incumbent.

In March, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss ruled against Issa in a $10 million defamation lawsuit the Vista Republican filed against Applegate as well as Applegates committee and campaign manager. The court found that Issas lawsuit stepped on Applegates free speech rights, and that Applegate could recover from Issa some of his expenses.

Advertisement

Issas attorneys filed the notice of appeal on May 11, disputing the ruling and potentially eliminating Applegates ability to get paid back for just over $141,000 in legal services and court costs. Issas attorney was out of the country and could not immediately comment. Applegates campaign manager, also a defendant in the suit, did not return a request for comment.

The case has its roots in a 2011 New York Times article that Applegate used in an attack ad that was broadcast in Orange and San Diego counties and online last fall. The article, which Issa has long contested, says that Issa has used his position as a legislator, helped get federal money to road work and public projects near some of his real estate holdings, increasing their value.

Issa said Applegates commercial used a line that did not appear in the New York Times article, and would give people the false impression that he used his official position to enrich himself.

Issa disputes another attack ad that he said made misleading statements about this voting record, and used a doctored newspaper quote to make him appear calloused toward the victims, first-responders and others harmed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The judge determined that Issas lawyers failed to prove that the claims made in Applegates commercials were false.

...there is no substantial evidence that this article is not reliable, Strauss wrote, referring to the New York Times report. He said that the quotes in the 9/11 commercial were substantially true.

The judge ruled against Issa on Applegates anti-SLAPP motion, a provision that is designed to stop lawsuits that are filed not in search of some sort of legal remedy as much as they are filed to intimidate people from speaking critically on public issues. When cases are dismissed on anti-SLAPP grounds, the defendants can recover their legal expenses.

Shortly after their legal victory, Applegates lawyers entered a motion to try and recover $2,824 in costs and $138,188 fees. The lawsuit could have bankrupted Applegate, the lawyers said.

While a judge called into question Issas claims that the commercials are untrue, the congressman is still contesting them. On his campaign website, a banner that scrolls across the screen says Seen the false and misleading ads?

The message links to a page that talks about his career running a successful consumer electronics empire. It does not, however, dispute the claim from the New York Times article and Applegates commercial that he used his official office to advance his business.

Issa defeated Applegate last year by 1,621 votes, the closest race in the country. Applegate is running against Issa again in 2018, while Democrat Mike Levin has also entered the race.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
A suspected drunken driver caught after crashing during a police pursuit in Vista early Saturday may have been involved in an earlier crash in Carlsbad, authorities said.

The 30-year-old Vista man was jailed on charges of drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.08 percent, having a prior DUI, driving with a suspended license and evading police.

A Carlsbad police officer saw a red Toyota pickup hit the center median of eastbound Palomar Airport Road east of Interstate 5 about 1:50 a.m. The officer tried to catch up to stop the driver, but lost sight of the truck as it sped away, police Lt. Jeffrey Smith said.

Advertisement

Another officer who helped search for the pickup saw it, or a similar one, heading north on Melrose Drive from Faraday Avenue. That officer tried to pull over the driver, but he didnt stop, and a pursuit started, Smith said.

The pursuit lasted only about half a mile until the pickup crashed into a large pole at Sycamore Avenue and La Mirada Drive, Jefferson said. The driver was taken to a hospital for evaluation, then booked into jail.
A U.S. Navy SEAL fell to his death Sunday after his parachute malfunctioned during a skydiving demonstration over the Hudson River for the annual Fleet Week New York festival, Navy officials said.

The parachutist was a member of the Leap Frogs, an elite Navy parachute team based in San Diego. He was not identified.

The accident occurred shortly after noon when the Navy SEALs parachute failed to open properly and he plummeted into the water near Liberty State Park in New Jersey, a Navy official said. U.S. Coast Guard members and firefighters who were in nearby boats pulled him from the harbor.

Advertisement

He was rushed to a hospital where he died soon after.

Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, and I ask for all of your prayers for the Navy SEAL community who lost a true patriot today, said Rear Adm. Jack Scorby, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic in a statement.

The cause of the malfunction is under investigation.

Fleet Week New York, which is in its 29th year, is a week-long educational celebration of the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. Attendees can learn about those military branches by touring docked ships, participating in activities, and taking in performances.

The Leap Frogs demontration was a main attraction. The team  made up of Navy SEAL parachutists and support personnel  travels around the country performing daring stunts.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A car crashed into a utility box, knocking out power to about 1,600 homes and businesses around Rancho Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo Saturday afternoon.

The 22-year-old driver started to walk away, but was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving before he got very far, San Diego police said.

The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. at Carmel Mountain Road and Paseo Cardiel in Rancho Penasquitos. Police said the drivers Honda sedan veered off the road and hit a San Diego Gas & Electric Co. electrical box next to the sidewalk.

Advertisement

At first, power was knocked out to a few dozen customers. But over the next hour, the SDG&E website showed 1,613 customers without electricity from around the crash scene to Rancho Bernardo and San Pasqual.

Repairs initially were expected to be completed by 9 p.m. and most customers had power back on by then. But the repair time estimate was revised to 3 a.m. for restoring power to a final 41 customers, according to the SDG&E website.
El Cajon has for years been home to a large Chaldean Christian population that came from Iraq. But 60,000 immigrants?

The number appeared in a story on A4 last Sunday by Union-Tribune reporter David Garrick. The day before, he covered the annual America on Main Street festival, which celebrates the citys diversity.

The third paragraph included this: El Cajon is home to an estimated 60,000 recent immigrants from Iraq ...

Advertisement

That number struck reader Jack Stanton as odd.

When I moved from Tierrasanta to El Cajon two decades ago, the population was roughly 95,000, Stanton wrote in an email. Additionally, your newspapers recently published almanac shows 102,383 residents, of which 30 percent are foreign-born.

If 60,000 immigrants recently flooded El Cajon, it is certainly news to us who live here.

Garrick said he got the number from a Feb. 18 Los Angeles Times article on Syrians coming to El Cajon. The story added some context with a figure on other immigrants settling in the city.

Iraqis have immigrated to San Diego for the last 30 years, many of them fleeing war and religious persecution in their motherland, the story read. More than 60,000 Chaldeans, or Iraqi Christians, live in El Cajon.

Stanton is correct that 60,000 in El Cajon doesnt add up. U-T data specialist Lauryn Schroeder crunched the population numbers for the Almanac using U.S. Census figures updated in 2015. She also found 60,000 didnt compute. That number would show that El Cajon has a foreign-born population of at least 58 percent, and that wouldnt factor in people from other ethnic groups who immigrated to area.

Monica Zech, spokeswoman for El Cajon, said she thinks she has an explanation for the high number. When people say El Cajon, they might actually be referring to East County. Not all Chaldean immigrants live within the city. They also live in neighboring cities or unincorporated areas. She uses the figure of 15,000 to 20,000 Chaldeans living in El Cajon. Considering other immigrants, those numbers would be more in line with a foreign-born population of 30 percent.

Based on that, reporters and editors should use the 15,000 to 20,000 figure when referring to Chaldeans living in El Cajon.

Errors come from a variety of sources

Its U-T policy for corrections to not get into details of how the mistake happened or who made the error. The thinking is it doesnt matter. Whats important is correcting the error. Sometimes that doesnt sit well with reporters, whose names are on the stories. Readers tend to think the reporter made the error. But thats not always the case.

For instance, reporters and their editors write headlines for online stories, but they dont write them for print. Copy editors handle that. So if you see a factual error in a print headline thats not reflected in the story itself, its not the reporters fault.

Or a source could give a reporter inaccurate information. Also editors can insert mistakes. For example, if a sentence is unclear to them and they try to clarify it, they can misinterpret the wording and create an error.

A decision I made led to a reader blaming U-T staff writer John Wilkens for an error. Wilkens wrote a story that ran in print April 23 on documentary filmmaker Ken Burns visiting San Diego. Burns scheduled an appearance at the Balboa Theatre for May 16 to show excerpts from his film on the Vietnam War. The event would be free but registration would be required. Understandably the venue filled up fast.

I hung on to the story so I could rerun it later if space opened in print that needed to be plugged on deadline  and that happened. I reran the item May 5. There was big problem, though. The event was already at capacity. A reader then contacted Wilkens, telling him he shouldnt have run the story. But it wasnt his doing. In fact, he was surprised the story appeared again.

Associated Press and they

The AP Stylebook, the most widely used word guide for journalists, announced in March that its now OK to use they as a singular pronoun. Its suggesting to use it sparingly, however. The entry already appears in the online Stylebook and will appear in the 2017 Stylebook print edition, which will be released Wednesday.

Paula Froke, lead editor for the Stylebook, said the AP made the move because of recognition that the spoken language uses they as singular and we also recognize the need for a pronoun for people who dont identify as a he or a she.

The U-T will take the traditional, and some readers would say proper, route of using they only as a plural pronoun.
A male suspect was arrested today after eight people were shot dead at three separate homes overnight in rural Lincoln County in Mississippi.

At least eight people, including a deputy sheriff, died in a shooting in Lincoln County in Mississippi. (Picture for representation)

By India Today Web Desk: At least eight people, including a deputy sheriff, died in a shooting in Lincoln County in Mississippi.

A male suspect, who holds a long criminal history, has been arrested.

The 35-year-old suspect, identified as Willie Cory Godbolt, was taken into custody after the shooting, and may have had a 16-year-old hostage for a time, Xinhua reported.

advertisement

The names of the victims, including the London County sheriff's deputy, have not yet been released.

According to Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain, the shootings occurred at three separate homes on Saturday night in rural Lincoln County.

Godbolt has a long criminal history, said the report. He was arrested in 2015 for disorderly conduct and failure to comply with request by local police.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said no charges have been filed and it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

-With inputs from AP and IANS

ALSO READ | Ohio shooting: 1 killed, 15 injured at Cincinnati nightclub

--- ENDS ---
Policemen throw stones at Kashmiri protesters in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. On Tuesday, shops, businesses and government offices were shut in Indian Kashmir as thousands of troops in riot gear patrolled the main city warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said Afaq Wani, a Srinagar resident. At least eight people have been killed allegedly by government forces during protests over the past two weeks. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) ( / AP)

Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard on a deserted street during a strike in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. On Tuesday, shops, businesses and government offices were shut in Indian Kashmir as thousands of troops in riot gear patrolled the main city warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said Afaq Wani, a Srinagar resident. At least eight people have been killed allegedly by government forces during protests over the past two weeks. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) ( / AP)

A Kashmiri throws a brick at policemen during a protest in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. On Tuesday, shops, businesses and government offices were shut in Indian Kashmir as thousands of troops in riot gear patrolled the main city warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said Afaq Wani, a Srinagar resident. At least eight people have been killed allegedly by government forces during protests over the past two weeks. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) ( / AP)

Advertisement

Kashmiri protestors run for cover as a teargas shell fired by police explodes near them during a protest in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. On Tuesday, shops, businesses and government offices were shut in Indian Kashmir as thousands of troops in riot gear patrolled the main city warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said a Srinagar resident. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) ( / AP)

A Kashmiri protestor throws a stone at police during a protest in Srinagar, India, Tuesday, June 29, 2010. On Tuesday, shops, businesses and government offices were shut in Indian Kashmir as thousands of troops in riot gear patrolled the main city warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said a Srinagar resident. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) ( / AP)

Police and paramilitary troops fired on thousands of anti-India protesters in Kashmir, killing at least three people in the worst street violence in a year, police said.

Faced with more than two weeks of increasingly strident protests in the divided Himalayan region, government forces have been accused of killing a total of 11 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Protesters demanding independence have attacked troops with rocks and sticks, and government forces have responded by launching tear gas, charging with batons and opening fire.

Muslim militants have fought in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir since 1989 for independence or merger with Pakistan.

While anti-India demonstrations are frequent in the region, the latest round of street protests was triggered by a police investigation earlier this month that found Indian army soldiers had killed three Kashmiri civilians in May. The investigation said the soldiers staged a gunbattle in order to claim the dead were militants. The army responded by suspending two officers.

Clashes broke out across the region again Tuesday, and three civilians were killed the town of Anantnag, 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of the main city of Srinagar, police said. Local residents said that one of the dead, Ishtiyaq Ahmed Khanday, 15, was not part of any protests and was killed in the compound of his home.

Meanwhile, thousands of police in riot gear patrolled the city of Srinagar, where shops, businesses and government offices were shut.

Police and paramilitary soldiers drove through neighborhoods warning people to stay indoors and not participate in pro-independence protests, said Afaq Wani, a Srinagar resident. He said police were imposing a de facto curfew.

Sajad Ahmed, a local police officer, said that no curfew has been imposed but that the state government has banned the assembly in public of more than five people. Troops also erected steel barricades and laid razor wire across main roads to prevent public gatherings.

Were imposing restrictions to avoid clashes, Ahmed said.

Similar restrictions were also imposed in several other towns in the region. In the violence-torn town of Sopore, 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Srinagar, an indefinite curfew was in force for the fifth consecutive day.

A separate gunbattle near the India-Pakistan frontier broke out on Monday when a group of suspected militants infiltrated into Indian territory in the Nowgam sector, sparking a gunbattle that killed five of the suspected insurgents and three Indian soldiers, said Col. Vineet Sood, an army spokesman.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought two wars over Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of funding and training militants in the Pakistani-held portion of Kashmir and helping them slip over to the Indian side to fight. Islamabad denies the charge.

More than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict since 1989.
The recent capture of a Filipino terror suspect long sought by American and Philippine security officials has crippled his violent al-Qaida-linked group believed to be responsible for one of Southeast Asias deadliest terror attacks, police said Tuesday.

Dinno-Amor Rosalejos Pareja, also known as Khalil Pareja, allegedly headed the Rajah Solaiman Movement  a group of Christian converts to Islam  that officials say was behind the 2004 Manila ferry bombing that killed 116 people in the countrys worst terror attack.

U.S. and Philippine authorities say the group is allied with two al-Qaida-linked organizations  the Southeast Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group based in the southern Philippines.

Advertisement

Converts to Islam in this predominantly Roman Catholic country  who often hail from the north  are valuable because their familiarity with that region, which includes Manila, could be exploited by southern-based Muslim separatist rebels for launching fresh attacks on the capital, police say. In contrast, many members of the Abu Sayyaf come from traditionally Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.

Police intelligence agents, backed by army troops, captured Pareja in southern Marawi city on Friday. Held without bail on rebellion charges, he was flown to Manila and photographed by reporters while being escorted to a detention center.

Police intelligence chief Rolando Anonuevo said Pareja was the last senior commander of his group and his capture practically, totally diminished the capability of his radical movement.

But national police chief Jesus Verzosa said a successor to Pareja could still emerge and plot new attacks in the country.

Police officials on Tuesday rewarded a masked informant with 500,000 pesos ($10,400) for providing information that led to Parejas capture. The U.S. Department of Defense separately offered a $90,000 reward for Pareja.

The U.S. Embassy lauded Philippine authorities for Parejas arrest. The U.S. Department of Defense will now start to determine who should get the bounty for the terror suspects capture, embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said.

Pareja, who is allegedly a bomb-making expert, is believed to have taken over his groups leadership following the 2005 arrest of Hilarion Santos, the movements former leader, Verzosa said.

Authorities have accused Pareja of involvement in a Muslim rebel attack that killed 10 soldiers in 2005.

Parejas group and Abu Sayyaf militants were believed to be behind the 2004 ferry bombing in Manila Bay. It was the second most deadly terrorist attack in Southeast Asia after the 2002 bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali that killed 202 people.

In June last year, Washington froze bank accounts and other financial assets in the United States that belong to the group or its members.

The Treasury Department said the group has received training, money and operational assistance from Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf group and from private Saudi sources that channeled funds through private charitable organizations in the Philippines.
Rajnath Singh said that while the government cannot provide a definite time frame on the Kashmir issue, a problem that has remained unresolved since 1947, it is working towards a permanent solution on the issue.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government will not let Kashmir burn.

By India Today Web Desk: Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Narendra Modi government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Rajnath Singh said that while the government cannot provide a definite time frame on the Kashmir issue, a problem that has remained unresolved since 1947, it is working towards a permanent solution on the issue.

advertisement

The Home Minister however refused to divulge the government's strategy on the Kashmir issue.

UNCONDITIONAL TALKS WITH STAKEHOLDERS

On India Today's expose on Hurriyat, Rajnath Singh said that the investigation in the case has already been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

He said the expose has shown the grave truth that Pakistan is creating trouble in Kashmir.

The Home Minister refused to comment on Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh's remark that Hurriyat should be banned.

Rajnath Singh, however, assured that Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat will not suffer, and the government will not let Kashmir burn.

He said that the Narendra Modi government wants to speak to all stakeholders vis-a-vis the Kashmir issue but asserted that "talks will be unconditional".

HUGE INCREASE IN NAXAL SURRENDERS

On the Naxal menace, the Home Minister said the Narendra Modi government has been successful in building pressure on Naxals and as a result there has been a 400 per cent increase in Naxal surrenders than previous years.

"We are winning the war against Naxals and we will not lose the fight," said Rajnath Singh, adding that there cannot be an exact time frame to solve the Naxal problem.

ON SAHARANPUR AND GAU RAKSHAKS

Calling the Saharanpur violence unfortunate, Rajnath Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath has acted promptly and strictly on the issue.

On incidents of cow vigilantism, the Home Minister said that no one is allowed to take the law in their hands.

The Home Minister said that the Islamic State (ISIS), which has been growing globally, has not been able to gain a foothold in the country.

Terrorism is a global challenge, Rajnath Singh said, and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for getting the world's attention to this menace.

The Home Minister said the security situation in the country has improved in the last three years, and the government is working towards further strengthening the internal security apparatus.

advertisement

ALSO READ:

India Today impact: NIA launches probe after sting exposes Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders took money from Pakistan

Saharanpur riots: Yogi's new outreach team uses humour to lighten tense nerves

From Dantewada 2010 to Sukma 2017: How the Naxal attack narrative has not changed in 7 years

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the 32nd edition of Mann Ki Baat and spoke about Ramzan, cleanliness, yoga and the importance of constructive criticism in a democracy.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addresses the nation in the 32nd episode of his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat.

This is the first Mann Ki Baat address since the release of 'Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio', a book that compiles all of Modi's radio addresses.

The book was released earlier this week and the first copies were given to President Pranab Mukherjee.

advertisement

In the previous edition of Mann Ki Baat, Narendra Modi focused on digital transactions and ending VIP culture.

Here is what PM Modi said:

The art work for the book was done by a UAE based artist, Akbar Saheb. He did not charge any money for his artwork. This was a great gesture: PM

Ends with talking about the recent Mann Ki Baat book that was released at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mann Ki Baat has connected me with every Indian, in a very special way: Modi

Constructive criticism strengthens our democracy, PM Modi adds.

Constructive criticism strengthens our democracy. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/TEOYwdMI1u- PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 28, 2017 I am very happy people are evaluating our work in great detail. I welcome this: PM

For the past few days, media has been covering the three years of my government, Modi says, adding, I appreciate all the analytical pieces, surveys and polls.

I congratulate Afroz Shah (who kick started the Versova beach cleanup) and the Versova residents' movement: Modi

This was made possible by Versova Residents' Volunteer group, which took it upon itself to clean the beach, PM says, adding, the group made it a people's movement.

You must have heard the news about Mumbai's Versova beach, known for littered with waste, is now spotless and clean: Modi

On June 5, various districts across India will get special garbage bins to segregate liquid and solid waste and waste that can be used for agriculture compost.

Modi goes on to talk about cleanliness, says garbage should not be treated like waste. Waste management must be taken up in the country, the PM says.

I request you to join me in this effort: PM

From June 1, I will post Yoga-related updates on Twitter ever day until June 21: Modi

I urge people to send me picture of three generations of the same family practising yoga together: Modi

I received an interesting suggestion - this is the 3rd International Yoga Day, so on that day three generations of the same family should practise yoga today and that photo must be uploaded on social media: Modi.

Two days ago, I wrote to leaders of all countries on the topic of Yoga: Modi

Yoga is a great gift from India to the world: Modi

Yoga guarantees both wellness and fitness. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/ddwAggiJtT- PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 28, 2017 In a short time, the International Yoga Day has spread all across the globe: PM.

My countrymen, June 21 has become known the world over as Yoga Day: Modi.

Love for nature is an essential part of our society: PM Modi

Our forefathers protecting the nature, we are benefiting because of that. If we keep protecting nature, our coming generations will benefit: Modi

June 5 is the World Environment Day and this time the theme set by the UN is connecting people to nature: Modi

Savarkarji's book gave me the inspiration to visit the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar.

Today we remember Veer Savarkar on his Jayanti. He spent time at the 'Kaala Pani' and there he wrote a lot: PM

India's diversity is our strength: PM Modi

We are proud that people from all faiths live in India in a harmonious manner: Modi

I said that during the holidays get out of your comfort zone, do something new. I am glad lot of people shared their experiences with me: PM

Last time I exhorted our youth to do something new, to come out of the comfort zone, experience new things:Modi

Any religion, faith, ideology or tradition- gives us message of peace, unity and goodwill: Modi

I am happy to see youngsters are taking interest in lives of our freedom fighters, who spent their lives in jail: PM

Ramzan focuses on prayers and spirituality: Modi

On the start of Ramzan, I convey my greetings to people across the world: PM

Modi begins by talking about Ramzan.

ALSO WATCH | PM Modi's 3-year NDA govt report card: Full speech

--- ENDS ---
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. C.P Thakur said that the Bihar CM was welcome to return to the NDA if he dumped RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the alliance partner in the Mahagathbandhan government in the state.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: As Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday, speculations are doing the rounds on whether the chief minister of Bihar is warming up to the BJP and looking for his way back into the NDA fold, especially after he snubbed Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday and skipped the meeting convened by her to discuss the issue of presidential candidate.

advertisement

Amid this high-voltage political drama, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. C.P Thakur has said that the Bihar CM was welcome to return to the NDA if he dumped RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the alliance partner in the Mahagathbandhan government in the state. Thakur is the first leader from Bihar BJP to have openly come out to get Nitish back into the NDA.

"Nitish Kumar is an old friend of the BJP. There were some issues for a while because of which he moved out of the alliance but now we want him to return to the NDA", said C.P Thakur.

JD-U IN ALLIANCE WITH BJP FOR 17 YEARS

Nitish, who was in an alliance with the BJP for 17 years, is also in a discreet manner over the last few months making political signals of getting closer to the BJP.

Surgical strikes on Pakistan and demonetisation have been a few instances where Nitish has been the lone opposition face to come out and openly extend his support to PM Modi, much to the discomfort of the Opposition, especially RJD chief Lalu Prasad with whose support he is running a coalition government in Bihar.

"Nitish is not able to work freely with Lalu Prasad. This was not the case when he was in alliance with the BJP. In politics, anything and everything is possible and keeping that in mind, he should come back", said the BJP Rajya Sabha MP.

On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav has tried to downplay the meeting of Nitish with PM and blamed the media for sensationalising the meeting for TRPs.

Also read | After skipping lunch with Sonia Gandhi, Nitish Kumar meets PM Modi, says don't read too much into it

Also read | Nitish meets PM Modi: How political flavour changed between cancelled dinner and lunch over 7 years

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
FLORENCE, S.C.  Forty-five students graduated from Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School on Saturday at the Performing Arts Center.

Graduates received $2.9 million in scholarship money, and all plan to attend college.

Elizabeth Roach was valedictorian. Roach encouraged students to slow down and enjoy little moments in life.

As we begin our 45 individual journeys that will take us around the globe, we know we will always remain as one, the Trinity-Byrnes Class of 2017, she said. We are made up of a plethora of personalities with many interests, but yet we remain as one. We are a small group, and yet we represent a global perspective.

Trinity-Byrnes has several students each year who participate in exchange programs. On Saturday, seven international students from five different countries graduated.

Sydney Hill and Carson McMillan were named salutatorians.

Hills advice to her classmates was to forgive quickly, be understanding and seek happiness.

We have to care about others amidst our busy lives, Hill said. Taking the time to understand others widens not only our perspectives but our hearts.

McMillan said that Trinity-Byrnes was like a second home to him. He told his classmates that to continue toward success they should step outside their comfort zones and work diligently.

Connor Francis, who attended the school through middle school and high school, was named the Trinity-Byrnes Honor Graduate.

It was honestly amazing going to this school from 7th to 12th because it allowed you to have more of a sense of family, Francis said.

After students received their diplomas and turned their tassels to the left, they walked to the lawn for a final celebration as the Trinity-Byrnes Class of 2017. As they stood in a close circle, graduates threw their caps in the air as family and friends cheered, snapped pictures and captured video.
Saying that Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was 'martyred extra-judicially', Pakistan condemned the killing of militants by Indian security forces and said world powers must get New Delhi to stop targeting 'defenceless Kashmiris'.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan has commented upon the killing of militant leader Sabzar Ahmad, terming the incident as one in which those shot dead were "martyred extra-judicially", Dawn reported.

A statement released by the Pakistan Foreign Office said, "Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz strongly condemned killing of 12 people in held Kashmir since yesterday by the Indian forces in Pulwama and Baramulla."

advertisement

Pakistan once again called upon the world community to get India to stop killing 'defenceless Kashmiris', the Pakistani English daily further reported.

The foreign office's statement added that information about India's plan to change the demography of Kashmir with the aim of converting the majority to a minority has been brought to the attention of the United Nations Security Council.

The statement went on to blame India for "heightening tension" along the Line of Control to "hide these crimes against the innocent Kashmiris being perpetrated with impunity".

"In their desperation to hide the reality of the indigenous uprising of young Kashmiris, including by tens of thousands of girls and boys, India is trying to equate it with terrorism," the statement added.

TENSION IN KASHMIR

Meanwhile, parts of the Kashmir Valley are under curfew after incidents of stone pelting that followed Bhat's killing yesterday.

After security forces took down Bhat and another militant in Tral, civilians started protesting in various areas of south Kashmir. One person was killed when a group of protestors attempted breaching the security cordon at Saimoh village, where the operation that killed Sabzar Bhat took place.

In clashes at other places, 40 people including 28 protesters and 12 security men were injured, and there were reports that pellet guns were used by policemen in some areas to quell the unrest.

Internet services, restored for a brief period before Bhat's killing, remain suspended in the Valley as do train services between Baramulla and Bannihal.

WANI'S SUCCESSOR

Sabzar Bhat was a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander who was promoted after the killing of Burhan Wani last year. Bhat was among a number of militants killed in Kashmir over the last two days. Apart from Tral, the Indian Army also shot dead six militants in Baramulla while thwarting an infiltration attempt.

Bhat's killing has sparked concern that the Valley may a see a repeat of last year's prolonged, violent protests that ultimately killed scores of people.

The 2016 unrest followed the killing of Burhan Wani, who was popular in Kashmir.

advertisement

ALSO READ | Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat's killing: Civilian killed in protests as Hurriyat calls for 2-day shutdown

ALSO READ | Sabzar Ahmad Bhat: Burhan Wani's successor joined Hizbul after a failed love affair

--- ENDS ---
Four candidates will be standing for the Scunthorpe constituency in the General Election on Thursday, June 8.

Nic Dakin is standing as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate, while the Liberal Democrats have nominated Ryk Downes, Holly Mumby-Croft is the Conservative candidate and Andrew Talliss is standing for the UK Independence Party.

Nic Dakin - Labour

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Scunthorpe General Hospital?

When Labour left office in 2010 patient satisfaction with the health service was at an all-time high. Since then things have got steadily worse under the Conservatives. Sadly, our hospital has twice been found wanting and put into special measures. I've met many of the fantastic people who work in our hospital doing amazing things day in and day out. But they've not been given the resources or leadership they deserve to do the job they want to do on our behalf. It is an absolute priority for me to get the resources and leadership needed to put things right.

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Humberside Police?

As Home Secretary Theresa May cut police funding and numbers by 20 per cent. It's not surprising then to find concern about the levels of crime now rising. Humberside Police will soon have a new Chief Constable and, if re-elected, I will be one of the first people they meet to demand they get back to local policing in our communities alongside all the other important stuff that the police do. But if we have a Conservative PM who continues to cut police funding it will be very difficult for the police to perform to the level we all want to see.

What kind of deal would you want to see for Scunthorpe from Brexit negotiations?

I don't want our area to be left behind. I want a fair deal for local people and local businesses. I don't want to see special deals for the automotive industry and the City of London with no deal for foundation industries like steel. Because that already looks like the way a Conservative Government would go. In 2015 when we had the steel crisis they weren't going to take any action until steel MPs like myself forced them to wake up to the issue. I am determined to ensure the Government doesn't forget the needs of our area.

What would you do to support the steel industry in Scunthorpe?

The steel industry knows it has a great ambassador and advocate in myself. I will build on that record and continue to argue that the Government acts to provide a level playing field for steel. That means doing something about high energy costs and high business taxes, stopping Chinese dumping and investing in skills. It also means much better procurement practice. We should ensure that not only the rail but the gantries, the tunnels and the bridges for HS2 have British Steel in them. I believe in our steel industry. I won't accept second best from Government for our steelworkers and steelmakers.

What three things would you do if elected to make things better for people in Scunthorpe?

1. Continue to fight for our steel industry, using my knowledge and networks to help shape the best possible future.

2. Redouble my efforts to work with local healthcare professionals and Government to ensure local people get the healthcare they are entitled to expect.

3. Support all those working in nurseries, schools and colleges to get the resources and expertise necessary to provide the high quality education that our young people deserve and demand dignified care and support for our senior citizens who deserve a well-earned retirement without fears about their homes or their care.

Ryk Downes - Liberal Democrat

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Scunthorpe General Hospital?

I owe my life to the NHS after collapsing and dying last year, I was lucky to be revived and had a triple bypass. Funding for the NHS is critical and is a key issue in this election. As a party we would raise income tax by 1 per cent to cover the finance required by the NHS and social care. The NHS should remain in public hands where it can be properly scrutinised, but crucially needs to more locally accountable. I have concerns over waiting times and missed referrals and would look to work with the trust to resolve these.

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Humberside Police?

Crime and disorder seems to be the forgotten subject in this election. Yet is still remains a high priority over recent years with too many cuts in the police service that have left it perilously short of resources and that includes uniformed officers. The police do a great job with their limited budget, but I believe more money needs to be put in place as a greater uniformed presence is required to tackle crime, solve crime and reduce crime. Residents feel crime is on the increase in Scunthorpe and only proper funding of resources can help make a significant change.

What kind of deal would you want to see for Scunthorpe from the Brexit negotiations?

I make no secret of the fact I opposed Brexit. However, I accept that we are moving on and what we need are the best trade deals for our local industry. I believe we have the right to travel freely for business and pleasure. Europe is a huge market and right on our doorstep. We need to get the best deal out of Europe and I'm not convinced that we are going to get that. I would rather the people have a veto on the deal. If it is not good enough for Scunthorpe, why should we accept it?

What would you do to support the steel industry in Scunthorpe?

I have always supported the rail industry and have campaigned elsewhere for it to be revitalised and we should focus on building more railways. Building HS2 will free up the classic network for more movement of freight, helping to ease traffic congestion and pollution. Scunthorpe can play a vital role in this providing the necessary steel. Getting the town behind the steel industry is critical for jobs and the vibrancy of the town. Scunthorpe can and must win the contract to supply the steel for HS2 and I would be at the forefront of the campaign to ensure this happens.

What three things would you do if elected to make things better for people in Scunthorpe?

There have been too many austerity cuts that have made places like Scunthorpe suffer. Too little money has come from the Government to support local authorities to maintain local services. This needs to stop and people in Scunthorpe need to be treated fairly by Westminster and not forgotten about. More investment is needed. The education of our young people is in danger. From free schools to grammar schools, selective education that is not available to all. The Government is also seeking to remove our policy of free school meals. I would stand up against the cuts that ruin our society.

Holly Mumby-Croft - Conservative

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Scunthorpe General Hospital?

Both me and my daughter were born in Scunthorpe hospital and I know that our NHS is precious and must be protected. The hospital needs effective stable leadership to support hard-working staff and give patients the care that they deserve. The Conservatives have committed that per head funding for the NHS will go up every year in the next parliament to ensure our NHS has the resources it needs with additional funding also promised for mental health.

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Humberside Police?

There are lots of committed front line police officers and PCSOs that put their lives on the line to protect our residents on a daily basis, only with strong leadership and a stable economy will we be able to afford to protect the level of funding required to give our police the resources they need to protect our communities and make our residents feel safe.

What kind of deal would you want to see for Scunthorpe from the Brexit negotiations?

The bureaucracy of the EU has resulted in local businesses and local workers losing out to overseas competitors, our steel industry is a prime example. We should remember that the Scunthorpe constituency is part of a large rural area which provides food for families across North Lincolnshire, so food sustainability is important to me. It's important that Britain is a strong trading nation with all of the world not just the EU. I know that many residents fear the level of immigration is putting pressure on local services, we must take back control of our borders, our laws and our immigration system.

What would you do to support the steel industry in Scunthorpe?

Coming from a steel working family I understand the importance of the steel works to our local area. I would be speaking to Government at the highest level to see how we could secure major public sector contracts. I'd work with the business, its owners and its staff to support raising the profile of British Steel on the world stage and I would fight to protect jobs. The site will save over 4 million in business rates and this is a major step forward.

What three things would you do if elected to make things better for people in Scunthorpe?

I would fight to secure better paid jobs through employment. I would support the continued development of the town centre, two hours free parking introduced by my party has made a major difference but there is more to be done. I'd continue my strong record of holding to account the bosses at Scunthorpe Hospital to ensure the standard of care is improved for patients.

Andrew Tallis - UKIP

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Scunthorpe General Hospital?

It has to be a management problem which leads to a failing hospital; they need to be held accountable. The front line staff, nurses, assistants, health care workers and professionals should expect better. They work with care, dedication and compassion, but the leadership and administration needs improving. Patients expect to be kept informed and have adequate referrals with suitable care. There are several areas which need improvement such as pain management, dermatology, ophthalmology, physiotherapy and rheumatology. It's not just funding. A proven management team with vision is required, with a track record to improve efficiency, training, leadership and quality.

What do you think should be done to improve standards at Humberside Police?

Humberside Police should firstly allocate resources fairly between the north and south banks of the Humber. There is a belief that the south bank is disadvantaged by current practice. The police should also concentrate on those crimes that are of practical concern to the public and concentrate less on social media in favour of beat officers. Make the priority engagement with the public on the streets. Currently the police are invisible. They should remove the culture of political correctness and allow officers to do their job without having to look over their shoulders for the PC brigade.

What kind of deal would you want to see for Scunthorpe from the Brexit negotiations?

Ensure that the steel industry is fully supported throughout the process and does not remain labelled as a low priority. Scunthorpe is surrounded by large rural areas with a great number of farmers and agricultural land. This land should be left available for food production not development. Subsidies should continue for vital UK foodstuffs and exports.

What would you do to support the steel industry in Scunthorpe?

Insist that all Government contracts use, where viable, British Steel and not foreign imports. It's a new company, so a break in business rates, environmental tax breaks & lower energy costs should be given. Make funds available for help with research and development. Put pressure on other British organizations to use British Steel, backed up by incentives for these firms. Use local steel for major construction projects. Ensure all other local companies, using steel or derivatives are given adequate help with future projects. Continue to support companies with training for the future and create jobs.

What three things would you do if elected to make things better for people in Scunthorpe?

Support local education and put students first. Prioritise social housing for local people and service veterans. Listen and be sympathetic to local people and their problems, endeavour to be available for consultation seven days a week.
We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to FREE email alerts from scunthorpetelegraph - Daily

For the third successive year, officials at Foxhills Institute, Scunthope, reported a trading loss at the annual general meeting.

The 2016 deficit was 3,000 which secretary Jacqui Burton said was spent on maintaining the 61-year-old building on Foxhills Road.

To add to the business worries, thieves have twice broken into the premises since last month, causing 3,000 worth of damage.

The 300-plus members at Foxhills pay 3 a year subs to enjoy beer at between 2.35 and 2.55 a pint.

The club will be packed to the rafters on June 24 when Jam tribute act All Mod Cons take the stage.
By Press Trust of India: charges

Chandigarh, May 27 (PTI) Punjab minister Rana Gurjit Singh has been accused by opposition parties of acquiring sand and gravel mines through benaami transactions in the name of his companys cook and staff, a charge denied by him.

The AAP demanded sacking of the state irrigation and power minister while the SAD and the BJP demanded a probe into the matter.

advertisement

However, Rana Gurjit denied the charges saying neither he nor his company - Rana Sugars Limited - has any direct or indirect stakes in sand mining business.

Notably, a week back, a two-day e-auction of sand mines in Punjab culminated with bids worth Rs 1,026 crore secured for 89 mines, the highest ever earnings for the state from sand mining sector.

Senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said the minister, who had allegedly openly abused his authority to indulge in "naked illegality", should be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Income Tax Act.

"The case should also be handed over to the Enforcement Directorate for probe as someone who was making paranthas till last night has outbid 32 other bigwigs to acquire a Rs 26.51 crore mining site," the SAD MP alleged in a statement.

Informing that his party would raise the issue in parliament, he said the state government should answer why it was "letting cooks and employees of Rana Gurjit, who were paid a couple of thousand as salary, to participate and win auctions by submitting bids of Rs 50 crore".

"This amounts to encouraging benaami bids through hawala transactions which are even a threat to national security," Chandumajra said.

Citing media reports, Tarun Chugh, the national secretary of the BJP said, "Rana Gurjit Singhs cook and other employees getting mining contracts worth crores is a classic example of what the Congressmen are up to."

"His cook Amit Bahadur got sand mines worth Rs 26.51 crore in Saidpur Khurd of Nawanshahr. It is surprising as to how a person, cooking meals in Ranas Sugar Mill could participate in an auction and strike a deal worth over Rs 26 crore," he said.

Alleging that the entire auction was an eyewash and reminiscent of the Congress "deceit and doubles standards of saying one thing and doing the other", Chandumajra said it was condemnable that the state apparatus was used to further the business interests of the Congress minister.

Asserting that the Congress government in the state was to blame for it, he said, "Action should also be taken against officials responsible for these lapses. It should also be ascertained as to what pressure was put on these officials to facilitate these bids."

advertisement

However, Rana Gurjit claimed that neither his family members or employees have any links with sand mining business and termed as "incorrect" the reports in a section of the media which claimed that two of his company employees had successfully bid for sand mines.

He said the employees in question had left their jobs a long time ago, which can be verified from the companys records.

"Though I am personally not involved in the day-to-day functioning of my companies for the last two decades, I can say with command and confidence that neither any person working in these companies nor any of my family members has any interest or stake in sand mining business in Punjab," the minister said.

"The fact that some of my former employees reportedly bid for the mines does not in any way imply that I have interests or stakes in the business," Rana Gurjit said.

"There are thousands of employees who have worked with me and left from time to time and I cannot be held accountable for what they do after leaving my companies," he said.

advertisement

Claiming that his businesses has an annual turnover of more than Rs 1,000 crore, Rana Gurjit asked, "With business already running in hundreds of crores of rupees, does it make any sense to indulge in a business of a few crore rupees?"

Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha H S Phoolka demanded Chief Minister Amarinder Singh immediately remove Rana Gurjit for allegedly indulging in wrong practices and "acquiring benami contracts from the state government".

"Amarinder is keeping his eyes closed. He should explain his silence that what is stopping him from taking action against Rana Gurjeet Singh?" he said.

Meanwhile, H C Arora, local lawyer, wrote to the Enforcement Directorate seeking investigation into the matter.

He said as the money invested in these mining contracts is "benami" property, it attracts action under The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016.

"The amount invested into these mining contracts may involve hawala transactions also. This is a serious matter which requires investigation by Enforcement Directorate," Arora said in his letter. PTI VJ SUN NSD

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
De Lima on Duterte's martial law proclamation

Dispatch from Crame No. 93

5 / 27 / 17

That's what Duterte wanted all along. That's what he's been salivating about since he held the reins of power, as an ultimate expression of his adulation for the late dictator. Martial law, finally.

Pwede nating sabihin--hindi na nakakagulat ang mga pangyayari ngayon at ang mga susunod pang mga pangyayari. Ganunpaman, lubos na nakakabahala ang kalagayan ng bansa natin ngayon.

Ordinarily, we can always give a duly elected President the benefit of a doubt and trust his judgments on matters of supreme import. But we're dealing here with no ordinary or normal human being, a strongman with a dark, unstable psyche.

If, as a civilian Chief Executive, Duterte has already demonstrated, in absolute terms, a capacity for violence, irrational behavior and vengeful persecution, one can only imagine the boundless potentials for terror that this President may bear in wielding extraordinary powers as Commander-in-Chief and foremost overseer of martial law.

For me, the prospects of a more awesome and fearsome martial law are almost a certainty now. All it takes would be some incident within the NCR or any other urban area/s and we'll wake up, one morning in the very near future, to a new declaration of martial law, expanded in both geographical scope and duration.

So, what do we do to avert such an impending catastrophe?

Prayers may not be enough. Pero manalangin pa rin po tayo ng taimtim. May awa po ang Mahal na Panginoon....
Press Release

May 27, 2017 Legarda: Improve Productivity, Build Competitiveness Thru Innovation Senator Loren Legarda today said that the government could improve the country's productivity and increase competitiveness by adopting innovation as a vital component of development policies. Legarda made the statement as the Senate has passed on third reading the proposed Philippine Innovation Act, which she principally authored. "This measure aims to promote a culture of innovation to encourage creative thinking and knowledge creation and dissemination towards expanding and maintaining economic competitiveness; improve innovation governance in the country and to compel the adoption of a long-term vision and focused priorities for innovation as driver for sustainable and inclusive growth; and ensure effective coordination and eliminate fragmentation of innovation policies and programs at all levels," she explained. The Senator said that the Philippines used to have the enviable status of being the second most progressive nation in Asia during the 1950s and early 1960s. It was a model of development, second only to Japan, and was envied as an industrial powerhouse and served as a manufacturing hub for many products - from consumer goods to medical products; cement; textile and fertilizers; automobiles, televisions, and home appliances; as well as steel, for shipbuilding. Today, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation classifies the Philippines as an "innovation follower", which means it does not contribute significantly to the global innovation system. "It also means we underinvest in scientific research, and are not willing to embrace needed reforms that could bolster our innovation potential. Being a mere follower is simply unacceptable, especially that the Filipino talent has contributed a number of game changing solutions to the world," said Legarda. She cited Dado Banatao who invented the first graphics accelerator chip for personal computers, which allowed data processing to happen at the speed of light; Dr. Fe del Mundo who invented an improved medical incubator in 1941, which continues to save millions of infant lives everyday; and Dr. Rodolfo Aquino, who developed nine rice breeds in 1966 which helped prevent famine in much of Asia and helped make Thailand and Vietnam the world's leading rice producers, a spot once solely occupied by the Philippines. "These outstanding achievements, long delivered before other economies achieved their economic status today, show that if we put in place a firm and explicit commitment to innovation, we can turn things around. The Philippines has 32 different laws related to science, technology and innovation. At least 15 agencies pursue their respective innovation programs with very weak coordination," Legarda said. "Innovation efforts can no longer be directed at broad national development outcomes. We need a well-defined, explicit vision for the country that places innovation in the context of where we want to be in the mid- to long-term. Our innovation agenda needs to transcend the term of political administrations. The proposed Philippine Innovation Act will help fulfill that, together with improving innovation governance. It will help create an ecosystem that facilitates and supports innovation and entrepreneurial growth," she stressed. Under the proposed measure, the National Innovation Council (NIC) will be created to prepare a long-term roadmap based on innovation and coordination of such efforts in both the private and public sector through a National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document. The NIC, which will be headed by the President as chair and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general as vice-chair, would be tasked to strengthen partnerships among different actors - from the public and private sectors, to the academe, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), research and development institutions, and local communities towards improving the quality of life through innovation.
Press Release

May 28, 2017 Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on President Duterte's latest rape joke

Dispatch from Crame No. 94

(5/28/17) My fellow Filipinos, why do we allow him to get away with so much? He brags about all the people he killed and had killed. He goes on television and tells cops to commit more killings. He curses at and disrespects people and institutions just because they ask him to respect the law and deliver justice, and not respond to every problem with even more heinous criminal acts. He promises to defend our sovereignty, but willingly surrenders more and more of our rights, territories and even the future of our children to foreign powers. Now, he jokes about allowing soldiers to get away with raping women. The more, the better. In the middle of a crisis that he himself has characterized as being of such gravity that it necessitated the declaration of Martial Law over the whole of Mindanao, he insults women, soldiers and our entire nation with a sick "joke" that once again draws back the curtain and allows us to see the beast that lurks behind. I am dismayed. I am furious. I am at a loss. My fury is impotent because there is one question I have no answer to: Why do my fellow Filipinos allow him to get away with so much? We who are a nation proud of our culture of dignity, civility and respect for one another--why are we now so willing to allow this sick mind to continue infecting our nation, including the minds of our children, with its perversity. Kailan pa pumapayag ang mga Pilipino sa ganitong klase ng pambabastos at pambababoy sa ating kapwa tao? And our brave men and women of the armed forces-- why allow them to be painted like beasts, instead of the selfless, courageous and honorable public servants that they are? Who says they want a pass for committing sexual assaults and other animal-like behavior? The commander-in-chief is obviously not a gentleman, but why allow them to be brought down to his level by his words? People choose to be passive, perhaps because they feel responsible for voting for him--but no. You are not responsible for what he does after you vote for him. You are, however, responsible for letting him get away with things like this with your silence. By electing him, he has not bought your souls and conscience--on the contrary, he now owes you his accountability. Speak up. Do not allow this to continue. This is not right. Say so. For the sake of all that we hold as sacred and deserving of respect, do not be passive in the face of monstrosity. Otherwise, in the end, we might find that his sickness has become ours and our children's.
Press Release

May 28, 2017 Villar says creation of hatcheries to boost aquaculture, secure source of food in the provinces With the Senate set to approve on third reading 14 bills creating multi-species marine hatcheries, Sen. Cynthia Villar said aquaculture will now have a needed boost in the provinces. "It is not surprising that aquaculture now has an uptrend globally given the dwindling catch from the wild. With the creation of these hatcheries and more in the future, our people are now assured of a source of food," Villar said. After hurdling the second reading last week, the Senate is set to vote on 14 bills seeking the creation of marine hatcheries in various municipalities in Quezon, Surigao del Sur and Albay on third reading. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food and principal sponsor of the measures, said marine hatcheries will contribute to the growth and development of the fisheries sector and allied industries in the respective cities and municipalities. "This also presents an opportunity for our fisherfolks to undergo training and improve present practices to improve productivity," she added. Aquaculture is defined as the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish for human consumption or commercial purposes. It is also used to restore threatened and endangered marine species. Under the bills, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will construct the hatcheries. Within two years, management will be transferred to the local government concerned after implementing a training and phasing-in program. Villar cited the study of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization saying 20 years ago, 70% of our fish production came from the ocean and 30% from aquaculture. At present, fish production is 50% wild catch and 50% aquaculture. "Overfishing is a major concern globally, with experts issuing warnings that if sustainable fishing is not practiced and oceans are not given time to recover, they could become 'virtual deserts' by 2050 or barely 33 years from now," Villar said. Villar noted that the Philippines, being the sixth biggest fish producer in the world, has an aquaculture production of over US$1.58 billion. The fisheries sector also provides direct and indirect employment to over one million people, or about 12 percent of the agriculture sector of the labor force.
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, May 28 (PTI) A petition has been filed in Pakistans Supreme Court seeking immediate execution of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned.

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition yesterday through Advocate Farooq Naek ? a leader of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and former Senate chairman.

advertisement

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the Indian spy if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported today.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and subversive activities.

However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), through an interim ruling, stayed Jadhavs execution till the time the case pending with it reached its logical end.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhav?s trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and that he had had consular access as was demanded by India.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition mentioned that Jadhavs mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, can submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country, and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the ICJ constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the VCCR, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention. PTI SH ZH AKJ ZH

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
With a few textbooks dotting a near-empty bookshelf, a PlayStation in the living room and a dismantled hookah resting on his kitchen counter, Arab Barghoutis Belmont home has the trappings of a typical college student preoccupied with finals instead of finery.

But when more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners started a hunger strike on April 17 to protest conditions of Israeli prisons, the St. Marys College business student felt a visceral need to support the main instigator  his father, Marwan Barghouti, a former Palestinian parliament member arrested in 2002 and given five life sentences for murder.

Barghoutis sparsely furnished home became a launchpad for a viral video campaign that swept the Arab world, boosting both support for the hunger-striking prisoners and scorn from Israeli officials who deem Barghoutis father a terrorist. Along with six friends, the 26-year-old Barghouti spread a red cloth over his kitchen table and kicked off the Saltwater Challenge, in reference to the prisoners determination to sustain themselves with saltwater until change or death came.

Change came before death about 4 a.m. Saturday. As many of the prisoners health had deteriorated to the point of alarm, a settlement was reached and the strike was ended on its 40th day  the first day of Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic calendar.

The last 40 days were maybe the hardest 40 days of my life, Arab Barghouti said. It was honestly a mix of happiness, because finally, I know my father is healthy again, and a mix of sadness because at the same time, hes not released yet.

His 57-year-old father said in a statement released Saturday that the strike was an important step towards full respect of the rights of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel prison service spokeswoman Nicole Englander said the end of the strike came after a deal was reached with the Palestinian Authority and the Red Cross for prisoners to receive a second family visit each month.

We are hopeful that this will be carried out by Israeli officials, the Jewish Voice for Peace, an activist organization focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said in a statement to The Chronicle.

Arab Barghouti said Saturday that he thinks his Saltwater Challenge contributed significantly to getting word out about his father and the prisoners efforts to make change.

Posted on YouTube, the video shows Barghouti sitting in his house in Belmont  where he splits the rent with two roommates  and calling on Palestinians worldwide to drink a glass of saltwater as a symbol of solidarity with the protesting prisoners.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

A lot of people knew about the hunger strike itself through the Saltwater Challenge and that, for me, means success because that was the whole point of the challenge, Arab Barghouti said.

He remembers the day his father was arrested. He was 11 years old and at his uncles house in Ramallah in the West Bank with his mother and other relatives when an image of Marwan Barghouti surrounded by Israeli police came on the TV screen.

I saw all my relatives nervous, Arab Barghouti said. I knew something bad was going to happen. I started crying without even knowing what exactly is going on.

He was raised in Ramallah, and moved to Belmont seven months ago to start graduate school in financial analysis at St. Marys in Moraga.

Unlike his father, he chose to steer clear of politics.

My mother used to always tell me, You should stay away from politics because politics, most probably, in our country means prison. It means suffering,  Arab Barghouti said.

Instead, he followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers and a sister whose studies were focused on business administration, accounting and finance. They have all at one time or another felt the need to escape their fathers shadow, which looms so large in the Palestinian territories that hes been touted as the would-be successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That is, if he ever gets out of prison.

Marwan Barghouti, a member of Fatah, a political faction led by Abbas, gained international attention in 2000 when he led the second intifada, an uprising against Israel that resulted in several thousand deaths and injuries on both sides, many of them civilians. Fatah was formerly designated a terrorist organization in Israel and the United States, but shed that designation during the Oslo process in 1994.

Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported in 2002 that Marwan Barghouti was arrested for organizing and arranging a number of terrorist attacks in Hadera, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv during the second intifada  though he may not have pulled any triggers himself.

Marwan Barghouti refused to offer a defense in his 2002 trial, saying the Israeli justice system was illegitimate. Palestinians compare him to South African antiapartheid leader Nelson Mandela, militant in some ways and moderate in some ways, said Gershon Shafir, a sociology professor at UC San Diego.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Many Palestinians had hoped the hunger strike would prompt Marwan Barghoutis freedom and help catapult him to the presidency, a position the 82-year-old Abbas has held since January 2005, Shafir said.

In April, Marwan Barghouti penned an opinion piece in the New York Times from Hadarim Prison in Israel, announcing the hunger strike.

Decades of experience have proved that Israels inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation, he wrote.

The hunger strikers had fairly common demands, Shafir said. Their 27 demands included increasing their visitation time with family, which had been limited to a total of 45 minutes every two weeks. The prisoners also requested Israel abolish its use of administrative detention, which allows them to hold people without letting them know what their charges are, Shafir said.

Besides getting family visits increased to twice a month, it remained unclear on Saturday if any of their other demands were met.

The 50-second video of Arab Barghouti swigging a glass of saltwater in his kitchen was posted on YouTube nine days after the strike started, and quickly garnered attention from Arab celebrities like Mohammed Assaf, winner of the second season of Arab Idol, a spin-off of American Idol.

Assaf, a Palestinian, posted his own Saltwater Challenge video just hours after the one featuring Arab Barghouti. Videos from other supporters were posted from all over the world, including South Africa, Europe, South America and the United States.

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.

During the strike, Israeli officials attempted to discredit the prisoner protest by releasing videos that show a man they claim is Marwan Barghouti secretly eating food in his jail cell, said Nathan Brown, a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. The mans face is not visible in the videos.

Gilad Erdan, Israels minister of public security and strategic affairs, released a statement portraying Marwan Barghouti as a fraud.

He lied to the world when he wrote in the New York Times that he was striking because of the ill treatment of Palestinian prisoners and he lied to the Palestinians when he claimed he was refusing food, Erdan said. This strike was never about the conditions of the convicted terrorists. Their conditions meet international standards and law.

President Trump met with Abbas last week in Bethlehem where the two were reported to have discussed the strike, but its unclear if the meeting had any effect on the settlement.

The hunger strike was largely ignored by pro-Israel organizations in the United States.

I anticipate what youll find in most pro-Israel organizations is that theyre barely even aware of the prisoner strike, said Jessica Rosenblum, a spokeswoman for J Street, a pro-Israel group in Washington, D.C.

The last time Arab Barghouti saw his father was in 2015, when he told his dad he was accepted to St. Marys College. He said he chose the school based on a friends recommendation of the program and because it prepares students to take the Certified Financial Analyst exam for investment management professionals.

He was like, I know you had to live your whole life under the shadow of being the son of Marwan Barghouti. But its time for you to go explore life, make mistakes and build your own personality and get educated, Arab Barghouti said of the advice he got from his father.

It gave me a lot of relief and freedom to know that (he) is supportive and that he isnt expecting me to be perfect, (which is) what people expect from me because Im his son.

He is to graduate Sunday, but before the strike ended he wasnt planning to attend the ceremony. But now thats changed, and he said he will put on his cap and gown and be at Saint Marys Stadium to accept his degree.

Though Arab Barghouti has a job lined up in Ramallah to work as a business development manager for a construction company, he said that the success of the Saltwater Challenge and the end of the strike has emboldened him to defer his career and focus on getting his father out of prison.

Ive been escaping from being bold in anything that has to do with politics, Arab Barghouti said. But, when I was involved, I felt passionate for it because what more passion could I have for anything other than my fathers release?

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects.

By Reuters: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law, and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and intended the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island. He has, however, said he will not tolerate abuses.

advertisement

"If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job, I will take care of the rest," Duterte said on Friday, according to a president's office transcript.

"I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city.

COMMENT SPARKS CRITICISM

The comment sparked criticism on social media and Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, called Duterte "a murderous thug with no regard for human rights."

"It's important to keep pointing that out and that rape is never a joke," Clinton tweeted.

It was not the first time Duterte has made a joke about rape. He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

In what was intended as a joke, Duterte said the victim was beautiful and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologised and said he did not intend disrespect to women or rape victims.

Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos.

He also joked on Friday that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte was assuring troops of his full support and his comments had included "exaggeratedly describing crimes". Abella did not mention rape specifically.

In a statement he said Duterte "is decisively acting, speaking with heightened bravado, that law and order would be brought back in these areas of rebellion".

advertisement

Human rights groups and some lawmakers have criticised his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces.

Duterte urged rebels to disarm and hold talks and said anyone not authorised to carry guns would be killed."My order to the troops is (that) all people who are not authorised by government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said.

Also Read:

Thousands flee Philippine city after rebel rampage claimed by IS

Can eat terrorist's liver with salt and vinegar: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte claims he is 50 times more brutal

--- ENDS ---
President Trumps seven days in May will go down as one of the worst-ever trips abroad ever undertaken by a purported leader of the free world.

Every step was a misstep. From declaring to a group in Israel that we just got back from the Middle East, to his NATO speech that had our allies looking at their shoes, to pushing the prime minister of Montenegro off to the side on his way to the front of a photo op, our president was a wall-to-wall embarrassment. Even his wife wouldnt hold his hand.

Trump wasnt exactly the most stable person on the planet before he left, and now hes coming home to find his son-in-law being looked at by the FBI in the Russia probe. Thats not going to do anything for his mental state.

Im just sorry Im not in the head-shrinking business.

The national media are all abuzz over GOP Rep.-elect Greg Gianforte body-slamming a reporter on the eve of the Montana election. But the real slam was the amount of money Republicans put into the race.

The GOP spent upward of $7 million to keep the seat. The Democrats spent something like $3 million to try to elect Rob Quist.

I suspect the GOP will be rolling out those kinds of dollars in the high-profile congressional special election in Georgia next month. Democrats are putting a lot of hope in Jon Ossoff being able to pull off an upset over Republican Karen Handel to win whats been a solid GOP seat.

The Democrats had better put up some money as well.

We can thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield for the $647 million that the feds came up with to pay for electrifying Caltrain.

Back in January, McCarthy and his fellow California Republican representatives wrote a letter to newly installed Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, calling for the funding to be put on hold. The Republicans saw the electrification of Caltrain as a vital link in Gov. Jerry Browns high-speed rail line line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, which they oppose.

But, thanks to lobbying by the tech industry and the Bay Area Council business group, both of which have been steady contributors to McCarthy over the years, the electrification money was never officially pulled from the budget. That allowed Chao, who was also being lobbied, to let the money be released  without comment or objection from McCarthy.

Steve Kawa, whos retiring after 20-plus years at San Francisco City Hall, may be the longest-serving mayoral aide the city has ever seen. Before he was Ed Lees chief of staff, he was Gavin Newsoms chief of staff. And before that, he was my deputy chief of staff.

Funny to think it all started because I mispronounced his name.

In January 1996, when I walked into City Hall, Kawa was the chief of staff for Supervisor Tom Hsieh. I had never met Kawa, but Id heard he was the best legislative aide in the building.

I hired him sight unseen. Besides his reputation for uber-competence, I figured hiring someone named Kawa would give me a boost in the Japanese American community.

When I met him, I realized the guy whose name I thought was Kah-wa was actually Kah-va. He wasnt Japanese  he was Polish. So unless I ran for mayor of Chicago, he wasnt going to do me much good with a voting bloc.

But boy, did he live up to his reputation. His first test came early, over some inconsequential but irritating piece of legislation that the Board of Supervisors had passed on a 10-1 vote against me.

I told Steve that I was going to veto the law and that I wanted him to work the board so that the override vote would go 10-1 in my favor. Off he went.

Now, I only needed three supervisors to flip to have the veto upheld. A few days later, Kawa came back to me and said, Mr. Mayor, Ive got it 6 to 5 in your favor. Your veto will stand.

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.

I said, I wanted 10 to 1, I replied.

He didnt blink. He didnt move. And he didnt reach for my throat, which considering my rude response would have been justified.

But he did stick around, from then until now. With his departure, the city is the loser.

Movie time: Paris Can Wait. Diane Lane plays a woman who finds herself being driven to Paris by a business associate of her perpetually preoccupied husband, played by Alec Baldwin. For the price of one admission, you get an adult movie, a travelogue through southern France and a food channel array of great meals.

I was in a coffee shop the other day seated across from a group of Millennials. The check came. It couldnt have been more than $25 for the whole lot.

One guy took the check, typed the total into his phone and bingo  everyones phone pinged, showing their share. They all looked down, hit a button and, ping, immediately transferred their share of the bill.

There was a time when the lead guy would have just reached over and said, Ive got this. And he certainly looked like he could have afforded the gesture.

But, thanks to tech, those days are gone. Welcome to the split check generation.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
San Francisco police officers, who were required in the aftermath of a disputed shooting in the Bayview neighborhood to document every time they point their guns, reported doing so 3,130 times in the first 15 months, or about seven times a day, records show.

In nearly half of those cases, the person at whom the officer pointed a gun was African American, though black people make up less than 6 percent of the citys population.

The gun-pointings made up nearly 70 percent of all incidents of force between January 2016 and the end of March, dwarfing such actions as restraining or punching a suspect or using a baton. They are stirring debate in a city where the police force is in the midst of reforms and under pressure to explain racial disparities in enforcement.

Police officials say officers are following California law and department policy, which states they may point a firearm when they believe it may be necessary for the safety of others or for (their) own safety. Police say the racial breakdown for uses of force has been consistent with arrest rates in the city.

Critics and some law enforcement experts, though, are raising alarm at the initial numbers  even as they praise the new form of transparency, which has set San Francisco apart from most police agencies around the country.

The statistics show that police go for their guns, and thats a big problem, and its a problem that results in the loss of life, said San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Chesa Boudin. This is not just one officer going rogue. These statistics show that their first instinct is to grab their gun, when that should be the last resort.

If the statistics are revealing, they are difficult to assess, as there are no historic data to compare them to. While many police departments consider the pointing of a firearm to be a reportable use of force, few release the figures publicly.

Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, a national organization, said officers arent drawing their weapons lightly, but tactically.

We are trained from day one that if you clear your holster, it is perhaps the most serious thing you do, he said. From an officers perspective, being ready and being prepared is much better than being administered CPR.

Scrutiny of gun-pointing by officers is beginning to generate debate in many cities, including New Orleans and Washington. In some places, including San Francisco, police unions have objected to the requirement that it be documented as a use of force.

The issue came to the fore in Oakland in 2011, when a court-appointed monitor said police were often too quick to draw their guns, especially when confronting black suspects. Officers frequently presumed  often, with no basis  that whomever they were contacting was armed, the monitor said.

In San Francisco, officers began documenting the pointing of guns soon after the December 2015 death of Mario Woods, a stabbing suspect who was shot by several officers as he shuffled along a Bayview sidewalk. Woods had a knife, police say, but video footage suggested that he wasnt directly threatening the officers when they fired.

Police officials said the reporting requirement was prompted by court decisions, not the Woods shooting, which remains under investigation.

Last year, records show, city officers used force 3,738 times in about 1,400 total incidents. A gun was pointed at a person 2,599 times. In the first quarter of this year, though, gun-pointing decreased to 531 cases  a 19 percent drop compared with the same period in 2016.

Police Chief Bill Scott, who took command in January, said the departments efforts to train our officers on tactics such as de-escalation are paying off. Others noted that the decrease came after officers started wearing body cameras  and after they began documenting their pointing of firearms.

The departments figures show that 45 percent of the gun-pointing incidents from January through March involved black subjects and 24 percent involved Latinos. The figures were similar in 2016. According to the U.S. census, African Americans made up 5.7 percent of the citys population in 2015, while Latino residents made up 15.3 percent.

Records show that San Francisco officers pointed guns after responding to a variety of calls, including reports of violent crimes and thefts, reports of people with guns or knives, and reports of people acting suspiciously. Other calls that frequently prompted the action included the serving of warrants and the recovery of stolen vehicles.

My instinct is that it sounds like a lot, said Eugene ODonnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and a former New York police officer, when shown San Franciscos numbers. You shouldnt be pointing a gun unless theres a reasonable chance youre going to use it.

Tony Ribera, a former San Francisco police chief who teaches law enforcement leadership at the University of San Francisco, said he recalls pointing a gun four or five times over his 28-year police career.

The reality is, when you pull out your gun, the immediate alternative is to use that deadly force, he said. It is a very, very serious thing.

Sgt. Steven Pomatto, who teaches use-of-force policy at the citys police academy, advised caution when viewing the statistics. He said there are a thousand different scenarios you can put an officer in where they will feel like their lives are in jeopardy.

It could be as simple as I come upon a (suspect in a crime) who is standing on a sidewalk who has their hands behind their back, he said. At the highest level of threat, he could have a firearm in his hand. At the lowest level, he could have nothing. You dont react with the lowest level, you react with the highest level. It would not be uncommon for me to unholster my firearm, point it at the subject and tell him to show me his hands.

One factor contributing to San Franciscos numbers, Pomatto said, is that under state standards, officers are trained to treat felony stops of vehicles with utmost caution. There are countless places in a vehicle where a firearm could be hidden, and its not uncommon for several officers to approach with guns at the ready if a person in a car  or the car itself  is linked to a felony.

During a felony stop of a vehicle, you might get five, maybe six officers that are pointing a firearm at a subject, Pomatto said. That is six uses of force, even though its only one incident. During the course of a day in San Francisco, five, maybe six felony stops for occupied stolen vehicles could result in 30 uses of force.

Attorneys in the public defenders office, though, say such an approach can heighten the risk of a shooting and traumatize members of the public.

Boudin, the deputy public defender, described a 2015 case in the San Mateo County community of Broadmoor, where police pulled over his client and his pregnant girlfriend and trained guns on them  not because the man had a warrant out for his arrest, Boudin said, but because the cars license plate had been linked to an illegal sideshow car rally.

The client, who was cleared in the case and asked not to be identified, told The Chronicle that to this day, the mother of his child shakes with anxiety when they pass a police car.

Pomatto said some analysis of the gun-pointing cases has already begun, along with retraining  with felony stops a particular point of emphasis. Instead of having all officers approaching a car with firearms drawn, Pomatto said, the department is looking to set up responses in which two officers have guns out and another carries a less-lethal weapon that shoots beanbags, all while a sergeant on scene provides tactical commands.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said it is probably too early to draw conclusions about the numbers in San Francisco, but that all departments should be studying the factors behind why officers point guns in some situations and not others.

Race is one factor, he said, but age, location in the city, the kind of stops, the information that the officer is perceiving  what is it about the officer perceiving that is making them fearful and, consequentially, aiming their gun?

Police policy and training, he said, are undergoing a revolution in this country, and what was accepted even six months ago is being questioned today.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
SACRAMENTO  Sandra Lowe reminisced about the good old days as she addressed a roomful of Democratic activists at the California partys annual convention.

It used to be, the teachers union leader told the crowd, that it didnt take much to win a school board race: a short statement in the election handbook, a little money for some mail, and the shoe leather to knock on doors and talk to voters. Now, Lowe said, things are different.

Wealthy donors have put big money into shaking up public education by backing candidates willing to challenge union orthodoxy. And the impact they had this month on a school board race in Los Angeles  ousting a union-backed incumbent and electing a new majority that favors charter schools  is expected to reverberate across California.

Its not just an L.A. situation, Lowe, a California Teachers Association consultant, told the crowd this month. This is going to happen everywhere.

The future of public education in California has become a tug-of-war between camps within the Democratic Party. Democrats aligned with organized labor  who dominated local and legislative races for many years  are now facing formidable challenges from Democrats who see overhauling some union rules as a key to improving education.

The Democrat vs. Democrat split that played out in the Los Angeles school board election also emerged in several legislative races last year. Now, as California looks toward the election of a new governor and a new school superintendent next year, the fight over public education is bound to get hotter.

California has made major changes in schools during Jerry Browns final two terms as governor  putting a new Common Core curriculum in place and revamping the funding formula to send more money to schools serving needy children. Yet academic achievement remains dismal. Slightly more than half of the states students cannot read and write at their grade level, results from last years testing show, and 63 percent arent meeting standards in math.

Each camp has its own view of the solution. Teachers unions generally argue that society should address socioeconomic problems that can make learning difficult. Groups that want to change the system say families should have more choice about which schools their kids attend.

How schools hire and fire teachers is another flash point, with unions favoring rules that benefit teachers with seniority, and their adversaries saying teacher assignments should be based on students needs.

Its easy to boil the argument down to a conflict between traditional schools, which employ union teachers, and charters, which are publicly funded but governed independently and often employ nonunion teachers. In reality, though, it is a larger, more nuanced battle over how to mold a system that educates more than 6 million children, most of whom live in poverty.

Advocates for change include Netflix founder Reed Hastings and developer Eli Broad, who have poured millions of dollars into pro-charter groups that fund political campaigns. Their recent win in Los Angeles portends a massive investment in the superintendents race and the governors race, said Mike Trujillo, a Democratic consultant who worked on campaigns for Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin, the newly elected Los Angeles school board members.

There is not a better motivator than the nectar of victory to push along the issue that you care about, and thats improving public education and ensuring that every child in every school has a high-quality teacher, Trujillo said.

Trujillo worked closely with Antonio Villaraigosa when, as mayor of Los Angeles, he bucked the teachers union and took control of several low-performing schools. Now running for governor, Villaraigosa has signaled that education will be a focus of his campaign. In his speech at the Democratic convention, Villaraigosa called the education split the most important civil rights battle of our generation.

Another Democrat running for governor, former state schools Superintendent Delaine Eastin, is also making education a cornerstone of her campaign. She used her convention speech to argue that the state needs to spend more on schools, saying, Educating the next generation is our most sacred mission.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race, highlighted his work as San Francisco mayor to expand preschool access and contrasted his approach with that of the Trump administration. Unlike (Education Secretary) Betsy DeVos, he said, we will attract teachers, not attack teachers.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

The teachers union has not yet endorsed anyone in the governors contest or in the race to succeed Tom Torlakson as state schools superintendent, and both races may still attract more candidates. So far, the superintendent lineup is a Democrat vs. Democrat competition between former charter school administrator Marshall Tuck and Assemblyman Tony Thurmond of Richmond.

Thurmond is a former school board member who is carrying a bill to tax companies that contract with prisons to pay for expanded preschool. He typically votes with the education establishment  teachers and school boards  and recently helped kill a bill that would have made it easier for parents to send their children to a school in a neighboring district rather than their own.

Campaigning at a booth at the recent party convention, Thurmond said that addressing socioeconomic disparities is key to improving schools.

How do kids learn when theyve been impacted by trauma or theyre homeless or theyre hungry or they have a dental issue? Thurmond asked. Weve got to remove the barriers that get in the way of our kids.

Tuck is running for a second time after mounting a surprisingly close challenge to Torlakson in 2014, helped by roughly $12 million from charter school groups. He said Californians have become numb to the large number of children who are not getting a good education. He added that California Democrats have tackled some huge issues, such as climate change and health care, but have not done enough to make sure children in public schools are learning.

Weve learned to live with failing schools, Tuck said. Our party has not prioritized education the way we need to.

Laurel Rosenhall is a reporter with CALmatters, a nonprofit journalism venture dedicated to exploring state policies and politics. For more stories by Laurel Rosenhall, go to www.calmatters.org/newsanalysis.
San Francisco has a problem with its elderly citizens. There are too many of them. More than 37,000 homes in the city are owned or rented by people 65 or older. And about a quarter of our seniors are considered poor and need public assistance of some kind. Meanwhile, we have a growing housing crisis, with thousands of young, productive tech workers  who frankly are the future of our city  forced to pay exorbitant rents and to stuff themselves into veal-pen-like apartments. Something does not compute here.

It might not be politically correct, but there is a solution. Call it, if you will, an immodest proposal, with no apologies to Jonathan Swift. Put the old onto the streets, and nature will soon take its course. Even the mere threat of eviction is enough to get rid of some of these frail souls, who could succumb from worry and stress and the other challenges of life that the more hardy can endure. In fact, in recent months, three ancient mariners  ages 82, 93, and 100  passed away in San Francisco while entangled in eviction battles. And while some might find it indelicate to say aloud, lets be honest, most of us were secretly thinking, What took you so long? And When can I move in?

I know, I know  the housing market can be a cruel god when it comes to survival of the fittest. But it beats death panels. Much less bureaucracy. The invisible hand and all that.

And yet many of these old-timers keep putting up a fight, trying to hold onto the homes to which they claim deep sentimental attachments.

Last week, I visited with one such stubborn obstacle to progress, an 82-year-old gentleman named Ramon Garcia, who is fighting eviction from the small backyard cottage in Noe Valley where he has lived for 16 years. His landlord did not respond to my requests for comment  and frankly the ins and outs of these eviction stories are always so tedious and have such a grim finality that Im happy not to get into all of that legal stuff. But I did find myself charmed and intrigued by Garcias life story as he unspooled it for me, which I share herewith.

Garcia was born in Spain and moved to Florida with his parents when he was a boy. His father had aristocratic blood but found himself working as a high school handyman in America, while Ramons mother worked as a high school cook. Garcia arrived in San Francisco as a young man on the heels of the Summer of Love after reading Jack Kerouac. He was a happy participant in the queer bacchanalia of the late 1960s and 70s  a word he prefers to gay. Queer is hip; gay is societys stereotype, he told me, sitting in an orthopedic chair due to various maladies from which he suffers.

His cottage was cluttered and dimly lit because bright light hurts his eyes. But the decor was a whimsically artful melange, including thumbnail quilts masquerading as tapestries, a Tiffany lamp, Chinese lanterns, a Buddha statue and tropical ferns that recalled the Sunshine State of his boyhood.

A photo of Garcia taken in 1973 showed a handsome disco blade, with a Fu Manchu mustache and tinted aviator glasses. But this was just one of many looks Garcia used to try on.

I hated that gay clone look, with the military gear. Id go running to the Castro wearing a pink and white caftan and a matching train and hood, just to stand out.

Garcia has also lived a life of the mind, earning a doctorate in fine arts and briefly teaching art before his genetic sensitivities to paints and turpentine forced him to change careers and become a registered nurse. It was one of the voracious readers more elaborate costumes that attracted the eye of his literary hero, playwright Tennessee Williams, one day in fall 1980. While dashing to a Polk Street disco, Garcia spotted the diminutive Williams in a liquor store reaching for a bottle of gin on a shelf beyond his wingspan.

No need to thank the kindness of this stranger, Garcia told the famed author of A Streetcar Named Desire, as he handed him the bottle.

It was a corny line, Garcia now admits, but Williams nonetheless found the younger man dazzling, in his Greek mariner disco getup, including a wig of golden curls. The two men ended up in bed at the cottage where Garcia lived at the time, engaging in some kissing and fondling, but mostly just pillow talk.

Garcia recalled that the playwright seemed nostalgically transported as he reclined in his new friends German handcrafted bed and inhaled the scent of blooming orchids I cultivated on a portable fountain. We could hear the blues from a nearby cafe floating through my windows. He was in Elysian Fields. He stayed until 3 or so in the morning.

San Francisco lacks the same spirit of enchantment these days, Garcia told me.

Humanity is dwindling at a fast rate. You know all these zombie movies that young people find so entertaining? Its because they themselves are so lifeless. Listen to the way they talk. Everything is huge and amazing and awesome. But the truth is theres nothing remarkable at all about their lives. I was educated by Jesuits  they taught me to be correct in my speech.

Garcia is terribly melancholy these days. Im grumpy and angst-ridden, but please dont take it personally. I just cant bear my existence anymore. Old movies are my only distraction now. I dont even have a doggy anymore. My last one was a blond Labrador named Garbo, he said, choking back tears.

I find it ironic to have to fight to stay in a neighborhood that I dont even like anymore, said the old man, whose neighbors are young tech industry workers.

The battle over my house is the last straw, said Garcia, sounding resigned and overwhelmed. They have the money, so they have the power. Therefore they can be cruel.

Ramon Garcia knows that the city where he has lived for a half century has passed him by and that his days are numbered. Being old and poor is a double stigma. They can see I need a cane now  they sense your weakness.

The gods of the housing market dont see another twinkling city light growing dim. They see a shining opportunity.
An officer shot and killed an ax-wielding assailant inside a burning apartment Sunday morning in downtown San Jose  the sixth police shooting this year involving a suspect with mental illness, officials said.

The episode began to unfold when security guards called police about a disturbance inside an apartment complex on the 100 block of East St. John Street around 12:35 a.m., San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said.

Several officers got to the scene and tried to speak with two men inside an apartment, but they refused to open the door, Garcia said.

The officers, who are trained in crisis intervention tactics, tried to negotiate with the men, but soon noticed smoke billowing from underneath the door, police said.

Fearing for the lives of occupants inside the apartment, they forced the door open, Garcia said.

Once inside, the officers said they were confronted by two men. One was taken into custody, but the other, police said, stood armed with an ax.

The man tossed the ax aside, but he refused to comply with orders, police said. The officers then hit him with a shock from a stun gun, which had no effect, Garcia said.

The suspect then rearmed himself with the ax, and it was not until he began to threaten the officers with the ax and began to advance on the officers that the officer was given no other choice but to discharge his firearm, Garcia said.

The man was shot at least once and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators determined the fire inside the apartment had been intentionally set. Officials at the scene squelched the fire before it spread to other units.

Authorities did not immediately identify the man, but they said he had a history of violence, along with weapons and drug charges. They said he also had a history of mental illness and had been committed to mental institutions.

Some of these situations are almost impossible, Garcia said. Its very difficult when an individual is armed with an ax to try to defuse the situation.

The episode is San Joses sixth police shooting and third deadly police shooting this year. All six shootings had to do with mental illness, Garcia said. That is concerning to me, I will tell you that.

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.

Earlier in the month, officers shot and killed a man who broke into his ex-girlfriends home in San Joses upscale Willow Glen neighborhood and killed her parents, police said.

The man, 24-year-old Mirza Tatlic, shot and killed Naren Prabhu, 54, and Raynah Prabhu, 53, on May 3 before a tactical officer shot him during a standoff at the home on the 1000 block of Laura Ville Lane.

Tatlic had a history of domestic violence and mental illness, police said.

That same week, police fatally shot 28-year-old Joseph Tourino when he charged at officers while holding two knives. Tourino had been in a family disturbance with his father and had a history of mental-health issues, Garcia said.

The Santa Clara County district attorneys office and the San Jose Police Departments homicide unit are conducting separate criminal investigations into all of the police shootings.

The officer in Sundays incident, who was not immediately identified, was placed on routine paid administrative leave.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Since 2011, California has engaged in a comprehensive reform process for the state prison system. These badly needed reforms, which include significant changes to rehabilitative programs and prison and jail crowding, have improved the states justice system, while overall crime rates continue trending downward.

Thats why a new study from the Stanford Justice Advocacy Project is so alarming. It suggests that Californias mentally ill prisoners the very population for whom these reforms were partly initiated  arent benefiting from them.

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a court order stating California must reduce its prison population, to improve psychiatric and medical treatment for the inmates.

But while the prison population has been reduced, mental illness appears to be getting worse, not better, in Californias prisons.

More than 30 percent of California prisoners are receiving treatment for a serious mental disorder  thats a 150 percent increase since 2000.

The severity of prisoners psychiatric symptoms has increased dramatically over the past five years.

Theres also evidence that the mentally ill prison population is being left behind by many of the recent reforms.

For example, California is trying to ease prison overcrowding by offering early release or parole consideration for certain prisoners who exhibit good behavior and dont violate prison rules.

On paper, thats an excellent idea.

But many mentally ill inmates deteriorate in prison, leading them to violate prison rules.

State prison regulations also sanction behaviors  like suicide attempts  that would be better handled with psychiatric treatment.

The prison systems mental health crisis carries enormous social and economic costs for the inmates, the prison staff and society at large.

A prison population with a greater prevalence of mental health issues creates obvious difficulties and dangers, both for prison staff and the inmate population.

Many inmates would have better outcomes in community-based mental health treatment, which is both more effective and less expensive than incarceration.

The average state prisoner costs California more than $70,000 per year, without mental health care costs. The average cost of treating a mentally ill person in community-based care is about $22,000.

Unfortunately, California has a severe shortage of community-based mental health treatment facilities. The states total number of short-term, acute, psychiatric-care beds, for example, has decreased 30 percent since 1995.

Until California takes its investments in mental health seriously, the states mentally ill will have to settle for the housing and treatment they can get. The fact that this housing and treatment is increasingly in the state prison system shames all of us.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

TAORMINA, Sicily  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 on Paris this 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.

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.

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 difficult, if not to say, very unsatisfactory.

The G-7 leaders had better luck finding agreement on the other problematic topic at the summit, trade.

They restored a vow to fight protectionism  the use of import taxes and skewed regulations that favor domestic producers over their foreign competitors. The no-protectionism pledge had been a part of previous G-7 statements but was omitted after a meeting of the groups finance ministers earlier this month in Bari, Italy. This time the G-7 leaders reiterated a commitment to keep our markets open and to fight protectionism.

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 Trump administration has argued that trade must be balanced and fair as well as free. Trumps position appeared to be addressed by new language that said the member countries would be standing firm against all unfair trade practices.

The leaders also agreed on two other topics: closer cooperation against terrorism in the wake of the concert bombing in Manchester that killed 22 people, and on the possibility of putting more sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine if Russian behavior requires that.

The G-7 is an informal gathering that meets every year under a rotating chairmanship.

Colleen Barry, Sylvie Corbet and David McHugh are Associated Press writers.
By Sneha Agrawal: Liquor baron Ponty Chadha's brother Raju has been summoned by a Delhi court over accusations of rape filed against him by a model who alleged he sexually exploited her on the pretext of getting her roles in movies.

Although the complainant retracted, the court on Thursday took cognisance on the closure report submitted by police and directed Chadha to appear before it on June 28.

advertisement

Despite several attempts, Mail Today could not reach Chadha as he is reportedly out of the country. This reporter also tried contacting his advocates through the spokesperson of the Wave Group of which he is the chairman, but received no response.

The complainant, in her new affidavit, had told the court that she filed the false complaint as she was upset over the fact that despite being in a long association with the Chadha family, her career was going nowhere.

She said, "I had filed the complaint as per the advice of a social worker, while being in a fit of anger, depression and stress. Being an aspiring actress, I came in contact with Raju Chadha wanting to make a career in the film industry. However, despite adequate opportunities, nothing materialised. Acting on the advice of a social worker I met, I levelled serious allegations on the Chadha family. However, after filing the complaint, my conscience did not permit me to live with it."

Chadha, who is currently on anticipatory bail, denied the charges in his statement during investigation and said that being the chairman of Wave Group, one of the businesses of the group is to financially support movies. However, the cast is decided only by producers and directors.

"Sometimes struggling models approach me in parties and functions seeking opportunities in movies and I tell them to speak directly to the director or producer. I had met the complainant at a family function and was familiar with her elder brother. After his death, she got in touch with me and requested to get her a role in a movie for which I advised her to get in touch with the director." The Mumbai-based model had earlier also alleged that Chadha not only raped her, but also shot a video and threatened her.

Also Read

The saga of Ponty Chadha

FROM THE MAGAZINE: Blood and Billions

--- ENDS ---
Thursday

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.

Friday

Gun violence: For National Gun Violence Awareness Day, activists are asking people to wear orange to stand against gun violence. For more information: https://wearorange.org.

Saturday

Gun violence march: A march across the Golden Gate Bridge to stand against gun violence. Participants are asked to wear orange. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Golden Gate Bridge plaza. For information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1324576680972179.

LGBT rally: As part of Sonoma County Pride weekend, a rally to support LGBT rights, womens rights, immigrant rights and other causes. The rally is from 1 to 4 p.m. at Guerneville Lodge, 15905 River Road in Guerneville. For information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420477121307743/.

Peace and Freedom: The Peace and Freedom Party is hosting a forum, Peace and Freedom: Fifty Years of Struggle, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the party. The free event will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Starry Plough Pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. For information, contact (510) 332-3865 or cuyleruyle@mac.com.

Anti-Trump marches: Marchers are demanding an independent investigation into Trumps Russia connections in a March for Truth. In San Jose, the march will begin at 11 a.m. at City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St. For information: www.indivisibleeastsanjose.org/march-for-truth. In San Francisco, a march will begin at 2 p.m. at Justin Herman Plaza. For information: www.facebook.com/events/1978572495762727.

June 11

Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is seeking volunteers to recruit new members and educate people on environmental issues at Sunday Streets, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Golden Gate Park. The exact location is to be determined. For information, contact Katherine Howard at sfoceanedge@earthlink.net.
Ken Ackerman, whose classic, stentorian radio announcers voice graced Bay Area airwaves for more than five decades, has died. He was 95 and died at his home in Terra Linda early Sunday of natural causes.

Mr. Ackerman is best remembered as the soothing announcer on the overnight music program, Music Til Dawn, on KCBS. He joined the station in 1942, at age 20, when it was still KQW. He retired in 1982 but continued to work on KCBS on a part-time basis until 1995.

Stan Bunger, co-anchor of KCBS morning news, noted, When I joined KCBS in 1982, Ken Ackerman had already been there for 40 years! He was truly a link to a completely different era of radio.

Mr. Ackerman, who was born in 1922 and raised in Sacramento, got into radio while attending Grant Union High School, announcing a student program that aired on KROY. Graduating in 1940, he landed a part-time announcing job on KFBK there after a brief audition. He decided to give San Francisco a shot in 1942 and, after a brief audition for KQW, they hired me on the spot. He seemed to have been born with a radio voice. (In a 2009 column about KCBS, The Chronicles Carl Nolte wrote that Mr. Ackerman sounded like polished wood.)

KQW became KCBS in 1949, and in 1953, the CBS network began Music Til Dawn, offering beautiful music and light classics, and featuring a local announcer for each of its owned and operated stations. Mr. Ackerman began around 1958, following the original announcer, Dave McElhatton. He hosted the program from 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. five days a week, and followed by reading the farm report and a newscast.

One of his fans was film director Alfred Hitchcock, who had a home in the Santa Cruz mountains. As Mr. Ackerman recalled in an interview in 2010 with the California Historical Radio Society, he was a stickler for details, so in 1963, when he was making The Birds in Bodega Bay, he cast him as a radio announcer. Later, he recalled, Hitchcock recorded a shout-on for him. He said, I go to bed with Mr. Ackerman; I sleep with Mr. Ackermanhe went on and on.

By the time Music Til Dawn ended in 1970, KCBS had switched from a variety format to all-news during daytimes. Mr. Ackerman, almost overnight, became one of the stations news anchors.

Mr. Ackerman helped found the social organization the Broadcast Legends in 1992. The first meeting, he recalled, drew 14 attendees; the group now has 300 members. Mr. Ackerman was voted into the first class of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, in 2006.

His story and his work can be heard online at the California Historical Radio Society and the Bay Area Radio Museum. Also, Stanford Universitys library is home to a donation he made, of recordings of live jazz broadcasts from the 1950s and 60s in various San Francisco clubs. Mr. Ackerman, Bunger said, also gave memorabilia to colleagues. One gift: teletype copy from President Kennedys assassination in 1963. It always touched me that he waited 40 years to give it away, and then gave it to me.

Mr. Ackerman is survived by two daughters, Barbara and Marie. At his request, no service is planned.

Ben Fong-Torres is a Bay Area freelancer.
In 2014, Ivanka Trump shared an innocent tweet about her husband Jared Kushner that now has the internet amused thanks to irony.

Trump's 2014 tweet read, "I called home & my daughter told me she was having a donut w/ pink sprinkles for breakfast but that it was a secret. Jared is so busted!" Over three years later, the internet dug up the tweet to apply it to current events. Story continues below.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

This article has been updated to show that the fundraising event has earned $873,000 to date.

If you missed the Mr. Marina competition this year, heres your chance to relive the annual male beauty pageant in its full glory.

Weve gathered images from the May 17 event that showcase a variety of performances and enthusiastic attendees.

Judging the event were ABCs "The Bachelor" reality star Ben Flajnik, Mr. Marina 2016 winner Mark Vallee, founder and CEO of The League Amanda Bradford, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society senior director of special events Allison Stark.

ALSO: Why Mr. Marina, a pageant for the young, white and wealthy, is OK

The show hosted 10 bros with an array of professions that ranged from fitness to tech. Each participant displayed their talents during the talent show and also engaged in a Q&A portion for the event.

This year, contestant JP Carroll took the crown as the 2017 Mr. Marina winner. The Apple procurement business manager is described as a "competitively philanthropic bro destined for man pageant greatness."

All jokes aside, the soiree had a bigger goal in mind.

Mr. Marina is a fundraising event that started back in 2012 and raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. To date, they have the raised $873,000 dollars towards the blood cancer research organization, Mr. Marina reports.

To see more images of the event, take a look at Drew Altizer Photography.

Click on the slideshow above to see the 2017 Mr. Marina Competition.
The battle of the Bay versus Atlanta resulted in the weirdest yet coolest event at BottleRock Napa on Saturday, May 27, when Peninsula electronic dance music heavy-hitters went head-to-head with Big Boi for what was billed as the largest silent disco in the country.

The masked duo known as the White Panda, both natives of the Bay Area, spun remixed bangers like Twenty One Pilots Ride and Eurythmics Sweet Dreams against live raps by Big Boi (OutKast, Big Grams) who spit bars off B.O.B. and his other hits during the second night of the Napa outdoor music festival for more than 4,000 fans wearing headphones at the Miners Family Winery Stage.

Its just cool because if you take your headphones off, its silent. I mean, I dont know whats happening but this is cool as hell, said Maya Magee of Memphis, Tenn., who attended the silent disco with her friend Maura Crook of Mobile, Ala. Theyre fusing two concerts into one. She can be listening to them and I can be listening to Big Boi, but no matter what were both having a great time.

The set also paid homage to Friday night acts like Fitz & the Tantrums (HandClap) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Cant Hold Us), with the entire crowd dancing, while those without headphones stood in awe of the acapella sing-alongs that went strong throughout the night  even over headliner Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who was performing at the Jam Cellars Stage.

Bay Areas own HUSHconcerts and New York-based Silent Storm Sound System collaborated to provide the headphones for the Libratone-sponsored silent disco, which provided two channels for fans to choose from  Big Boi or the White Panda.

They have something here for everybody, it doesnt matter what you like. Were from the South so we like these Dirty South jams, said Crook, referring to the tunes Big Boi was streaming over her headphones.

Samuel Espinosa of Napa, instead, chose to stay Bay Area true, proclaiming: This is fing amazing. I feel like Im in the Castro. The White Panda are killing it.

The BottleRock event, which lastest nearly two hours, boasted the biggest silent disco ever held in the U.S. and the biggest dance party that Napa has ever had. By the thousands of headphone-wearing festivalgoers crowding the field  and in a line that snaked at least a block around the stage waiting to take part in the party  the festival was definitely on track to breaking records. The previous American record, according to BottleRock officials, was 3,500 headphoone-wearing silent disco fans.

We are always looking for unique and fun ways to enhance the BottleRock experience, said Jason Scoggins of BottleRock Presents. Having Libratone, HUSHconcerts and Silent Storm together with Big Boi and the White Panda lead nearly 4,500 guests at this special silent disco created another only at BottleRock moment.

By the end of the night, the two DJ crews (Big Boi brought an entourage) were neck-and-neck. And the winners of the night: Music lovers.

This is unbelievable, said Scott Kunihiro of Napa, who was taking a break from school at USC in Los Angeles. I cant even say whose losing because all of em are winners to me.

Mariecar Mendoza is The San Francisco Chronicle arts content editor. Email: mmendoza@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SFMarMendoza Instagram: @sfchronicle_scene

Keep the fun flowing with updates from BottleRock 2017 at www.sfchronicle.com/bottlerock
BROOKHAVEN, Miss.  A man who got into an argument with his estranged wife over their children was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that killed eight people, including his mother-in-law and a sheriffs deputy.

I aint fit to live, not after what I done, a handcuffed Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, told the Clarion-Ledger.

The gunfire erupted Saturday night at a home in Bogue Chitto after the deputy arrived in response to a domestic disturbance call, and spread to two houses in nearby Brookhaven, about 70 miles south of Jackson.

The dead included two boys, investigators said. Godbolt was hospitalized in good condition with a gunshot wound, though it wasnt clear who shot him.

No immediate charges were filed, and authorities gave no details on the relationship between Godbolt and the victims.

But a witness and Godbolt himself shed some light on what happened, with Godbolt giving an interview to the newspaper as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and in-laws when somebody called authorities.

I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home, he said. Somebody called the officer, people that didnt even live at the house.

They cost him his life, he said, apparently referring to the deputy. Im sorry.

The stepfather-in-law, Vincent Mitchell, said Godbolts wife and their two children had been staying at his Bogue Chitto home for about three weeks after she left her husband.

After the sheriffs deputy arrived at the house, Godbolt looked as if he was about to leave, then reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and opened fire, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said he escaped along with Godbolts wife. But he said three family members were killed in his home: his wife, her sister and one of the wifes daughters.

The slain deputy was identified as William Durr, 36.

After fleeing his in-laws house, Godbolt killed four more people at two other homes, authorities said. At least seven hours elapsed between the first shootings and Godbolts arrest near the third and final crime scene, Strain said.

Godbolt said he did not intend for police to capture him alive. Suicide by cop was my intention, he said.

Kevin McGill is an Associated Press writer.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, 27 May (PTI) Food for malnourished children is not grub, but a medicine which should be served not in a plate, but in a sachet as a nutritious meal, Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi said today.

She was speaking at the launch World Hunger Day organised by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-profit orghanisation which delivers fresh cooked meals to around 1.6 million children everyday under the mid-day meal scheme.

advertisement

The minister said that the focus of all stakeholders should not be on just feeding the children, but providing a nutritious meal.

Maneka said that she had received a suggestion from Uttarakhand whereby severely malnourished children had been fed sachets containing crushed peanuts, millets and sugar along with other ingredients comprising around 600-1000 calories and nutrients and in three months, it had shown results.

"I have tried repeatedly to talk to the state governments to replicate this, but havent succeeded so far. This food will not be food, but a medicine," said the minister.

Stating that she wants the contents of the sachets - like salt and pepper sachets available in the market - to be water soluble and fed to children between the ages of 0-2 years and pregnant and lactating mothers.

"These sachets should not be sent to any community centre or anganwadis. A packet of 30 such sachets should be sent directly to the families who can consume them with say fortified biscuits. There should be a not for sale signage on the sachet to ensure its illegal sale. In this way we can monitor its consumption and also its effects," said Gandhi.

Rights activists, however, say that the ministrys move to push for packaged food is in clear violation of successive Supreme Court orders since 2004 where it has advocated the use of self-help groups and village communities to provide hot, cooked meals to children under six.

Food rights activists fear that the ministers proposal to provide packaged food would only benefit private players.

"This is a disgusting approach. You cannot medicalise malnourshment by converting or treating food as a medicine. This will leave the entire rural market open for global conglomerates who will see this as a huge market for baby food," said Kavita Srivastava, a convener of the Right to food campaign.

Vandana Prasad, a right to food activist said that the SC had made it clear that it was the local community that should be the government?s partners in delivering food under the integrated child protection scheme and not the private players.

advertisement

"The food is supposed to be freshly cooked by village communities, self-help groups and mahila mandals," she said. PTI ASG SMJ

--- ENDS ---
1 Uber CEOs mother dies: Bonnie Kalanick, 71, the mother of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, has died in a boating accident. Kalanicks father, Donald, 78, was injured. The ride-hailing company said Saturday that the accident took place Friday when they hit a rock in Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County. The couple have been longtime boaters. Liane Hornsey, the chief human resources officer, called the incident an unthinkable tragedy. Everyone in the Uber family knows how incredibly close Travis is to his parents, she said. Travis Kalanick, 40, founded Uber in 2009.

2 Presley plane: A private jet once owned by Elvis Presley has been auctioned after sitting on a runway in Roswell, N.M., for 30 years. The plane sold for $430,000 on Saturday at an Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County) event featuring celebrity memorabilia, GWS Auctions Inc. said. The buyer was not disclosed. The auction house said Elvis designed the interior, which has gold-tone woodwork, red velvet seats and red shag carpet. But the red 1962 Lockheed Jetstar has no engine and needs a restoration of its cockpit. The aircraft was owned by Elvis and his father, Vernon Presley. It has been privately owned for 35 years and sitting on a tarmac in Roswell.
PORTLAND, Ore.  Muslims in Portland thanked the community for its support and said they were raising money for the families of two men who were killed when they came to the defense of two young women  one wearing a hijab  who were targeted by an anti-Muslim rant.

I am very thankful as a Muslim, I am very thankful as a Portlander ... that we stand together here as one, said Muhammad Najieb, an imam at the Muslim Community Center.

He said the two young women could have been the victims, but three heroes jumped in and supported them.

Najieb said a fundraising page launched by his group for the families of the dead men, the surviving victim and the two young women had raised more than $300,000 by Sunday evening.

Police said theyll examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of suspect Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, who is accused of killing the two men Friday. Christians social media postings show an affinity for Nazis and political violence.

Christian was being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arrested a short time after the attack on a light-rail train when he was confronted by other men.

Alvin Hall said had just stepped off the train on Friday when he saw a man bleeding from the neck, KATU-TV reported. Hall said his instincts kicked in and he went after the suspect.

My first process was, What can I do? Where did he go? and someone said, He ran over to the bridge, Hall said.

He said he met Chase Robinson and Larry Blackwell, and the three men confronted the suspect, who turned on them with a knife.

The minute he saw me he started coming after me. Hes like, You want some of me, youre a snitch, Hall said.

Police arrived and took the suspect into custody.

The men killed were identified as Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Portland.

Police say Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, of Portland, was also stabbed and is in serious condition at a hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Christian will make his first court appearance in the case Tuesday. The FBI said its too early to say whether the slayings qualify as a federal hate crime. However, Christian faces intimidation charges, the state equivalent of a hate crime.

Gillian Flaccus is an Associated Press writer.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) State-owned power trading solutions company PTC India today posted an over two-fold rise in standalone net profit at Rs 78.7 crore for the quarter ended March 31.

The company had posted standalone net profit at Rs 35.5 crore in the same quarter of financial year 2015-16, PTC India said in a BSE filing.

advertisement

The standalone total revenue from operations increased to Rs 3,269 crore, over Rs 2,982.5 crore in the same quarter of 2015-16.

PTC is the leading provider of power trading solutions in India whose primary focus is to develop a commercially vibrant power market in the country. PTI SID SBT

--- ENDS ---
The ministers, agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini and transport minister Yunus Khan, after a series of allegations levelled by Tiwari against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, allegedly accused Tiwari of wanting to finish the party like a termite and asked him to explain how did he acquire vast areas of land.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Internal wranglings in the BJP in Rajasthan are once again out in the open as senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari, once again hit out at Vasundhara Raje and two ministers who are considered her close confidants in the state dispensation.

The ministers, agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini and transport minister Yunus Khan, after a series of allegations levelled by Tiwari against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, allegedly accused Tiwari of wanting to finish the party like a termite and asked him to explain how did he acquire vast areas of land.

advertisement

Tiwari, in response, issued a release, mentioning the CM is perturbed as members of Deendayal Vahini, an organization he founded, gave a memorandum to the Lokayukta on May 25 against the CM's attempt to usurp for life a government bungalow worth more than Rs 2000 crore and is getting such statements issued by her ministers.

Tiwari stated he has sworn to protect the property of Rajasthan's people and that he will not let it be robbed at any cost.

Tiwari had, on previous occasions, challenged the state leadership claiming that there was dissatisfaction in the BJP cadre owing to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and even demanded her removal from the CM's position. The party had issued a show cause notice to Tiwari.

Also Read:

Congress asks Vasundhara Raje government to respond to BJP leader's corruption allegations

--- ENDS ---
Police arrested a suspect in a deadly shooting outside a bar early Sunday along Mission Street in San Franciscos Excelsior neighborhood, officials said.

Officers got to the scene outside La Oficina bar on the 4200 block of Mission Street around 12:30 a.m. and discovered a man with a gunshot wound, said Officer Robert Rueca, a San Francisco police spokesman.

The victim, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers said the gunman was still lingering around and armed.

Police arrested the suspect at the scene. He was not immediately identified.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
The main accused in the molestation case, in which 14 men were seen harassing two women in a video that went viral on social media, has been arrested while a hunt is on for others.

The main accused in the Rampur molestation case has been arrested.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The main accused in the Rampur molestation case, in which a group of men were seen heckling and harassing two women in a video that went viral on social media, has been arrested while a hunt is on for other accused who have all been identified, officials said on Sunday.

Shah Nawaz was among the 14 who molested two girls on a city road, filmed the incident and then posted it on social media networks. A Home Department official also said that all the accused have been identified and an FIR has been lodged against them. The others are, however, still at large.

advertisement

Police officials also said that while no complaint has been filed by the victims, police has taken suo moto cognisance of the matter and lodged the FIR against Farman, Jahan-e-Alam, Saddam and others, all residents of Kuva Kheda village of Rampur.

Rampur SSP Vipin Tanda told IANS that the Rampur police, after noticing two women being harassed by a dozen men in a video uploaded on social media, lodged the complaint.

The incident occurred on May 22.

"We have formed five teams to arrest the other culprits," he added.

Meanwhile, former Urban Development Minister Azam Khan, who is also the local legislator, drew outrage after he suggested that to avoid such crimes against them, women should sit at home and remain protected.

He also targeted the media and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by saying that he was "thankful to them as because of their making light of such crimes, criminals were getting emboldened".

"After the Bulandshahr incident, everyone should try to keep women of the family indoors. Girls should not go to places where there is a brazen dance of shamelessness," said Azam Khan while referring to the July 2016 gang rape of a minor and her mother in Bulandshahr.

Flaying the Yogi Adityanath government for the alleged rising crime graph in the state, he said the Rampur molestation was not surprising as "so many cases of rape, murder and loot have taken place under the present government".

Khan has a penchant for making controversial statements. He was made to apologise by the Supreme Court for calling the Bulandshahr case a "political conspiracy".

ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh horror: 14 boys grope, molest 2 women in broad daylight, upload video

ALSO READ | Azam Khan on Rampur incident: UP girls should stay indoors to avoid molestation

WATCH | How 14 men ganged up to molest 2 women in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Bharuch, May 28 (PTI) Police today arrested four persons and seized scrapped currency notes in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations with a face value of over Rs 1 crore.

Bharuch Special Operations Group (SOG) made the seizure and arrest after intercepting an SUV which was coming here from Surat in Sheetal Chowk area, a police official said.

advertisement

As many as 11,322 demonetised currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500, having a face value of Rs 1,01,98,000, were found in a travel bag kept in the vehicle, he said.

Four persons travelling in the SUV were arrested and an FIR was registered at Bharuch C Division police station after they failed to provide satisfactory reply about the source of the defunct bills, the official said.

The police gave the names of the arrested persons as Chatur Singh Sodha, a resident of Barmer in Rajasthan, Denis Gangani, from Bhavnagar, Himanshu Megdani and Viral Ranpariya, both hailing from Surat.

"We seized their mobile phones and documents they were carrying and launched an investigation," the official said.

They did not reveal the source of the scrapped notes, but said they wanted to exchange them for a commission, the police said.

An SOG team has left for Surat to further probe the matter, he said.

The seizure comes a day after Rajkot police seized Rs 1 crore in scrapped notes and held two persons. PTI KA RSY

--- ENDS ---
The Sangh has thrashed out a new paradigm for penning India's growth story. It has coined the term 'Sumangalam' to describe it, the connotations of which are primarily cultural.

By Siddhartha Rai: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling BJP's ideological mentor, has unequivocally rejected the current form of globalisation and the related concepts of development measured in terms of the GDP.

The Sangh has thrashed out a new paradigm for penning India's growth story. It has coined the term 'Sumangalam' to describe it, the connotations of which are primarily cultural.

advertisement

Dr Bajrang Lal Gupta, RSS ideologue and the government's Man Friday when it comes to reconciling the Sangh's views with the dynamic realities of world economics, told Mail Today in an exclusive interview that India needs a new model of development to fire its engines of growth, one in line with the cultural fabric of the nation.

ALL ABOUT SUMANGALAM

"All attempts to define development so far in the world have failed due to inconsistency. Initially it was called 'progress', but it fell short and became 'growth'. When it fell flat, they started calling it 'development'. Subsequent shortcomings of terms led to the rise of 'human development', then 'quality of life'. None could define what was meant to be defined. So I gave the concept of 'Sumangalam'," said Gupta, a former teacher of economics at a college of the Delhi University.

"As all conceptualisation failed, we have started thinking in terms of the view of 'Mangal' in India. It is multidimensional. Apart from the economic, it has connotations that are political, social and cultural. I call it a model based on the eternal Indian values and in view of them on the evaluation of our nature, characteristics, culture, problems, resources and questions. In this context, it is an attempt at striking a balanced and holistic development with a view to our pool of talent, skill, resources and capabilities."

"The sub aims here are: to provide all for their basic needs. Ensure physical, mental and sentimental health of people. Here allopathy alone will not work; it also needs ayurveda, naturopathy, yoga in a holistic health system. Next is ensuring education that is socially useful and imparts culture and tradition. Fourth goal is to ensure employment to all. In today's world it is shrinking. The last one is security: internal, external."

He rejected Capitalism as well as Marxism for having failed in lifting the world.

"Capitalism believes in individual interest; it talks about individual ownership of resources. The result was increased social divide in Western world that led to conflict between 'haves' and 'have nots' and to wars. Then came Communism that advocated nationalisation of resources. People will have to do what the government will decide, from employment to what they can eat or wear," he said. "We are advocating 'social entrepreneurship'."

advertisement

Gupta pointed at the shortcomings of the current system of evaluating the progress of a country in terms of the GDP. "This Western idea evolved according to the situations obtaining in the Western countries. Other countries just accepted it as such. The very system of calculating the GDP is wrong. While calculating the GDP here, we don't consider the values and goods produced by women at homes. This production is not included in the GDP figures. India produces several services at home at the level of the family. In the West all this is done in the market."

Also read

NITI Aayog furthering corporate agenda, says RSS-affiliate BMS

BJP, RSS unleashing casteist violence: Mayawati on Saharanpur

--- ENDS ---
By Ajit Kumar Dubey: The Indian Army killed 10 terrorists including Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat in 36 hours, adopting an aggressive counter strategy on both the Line of Control and Kashmir Valley against Pakistan-backed jihadis.

The most important of the kills made by the Army in concert with state police and Special Operations Group was that of Sabzar, who was believed to be the successor of Burhan Wani- the slain Hizbul commander who had a large social media following and was credited with reviving militancy in Kashmir. Burhan was eliminated by the Army in a similar encounter last year.

advertisement

Sabzar was seen as the brain behind the rising influence of local Hizbul men in the Valley and was considered a Category A terrorist by security forces.

THE OPERATION

The Army started the operations in Tral area of south Kashmir as it had gathered specific intelligence about the presence of two to three militants hiding inside a village house there. Sources said the mechanism of gathering both technical and human intelligence has improved significantly in the past few months with the increased involvement of central agencies such as the NTRO.

According to sources, an extensive cordon was laid down by the security forces from late Friday evening. "The terrorists kept themselves hidden inside a house and contact could be established only at 8.15 am on Saturday. Within a couple of hours, both the terrorists were eliminated by the men of 42 Rashtriya Rifles (Assam Regiment)," they added.

Another accomplice of Sabzar, Faizan Muzaffar Bhat, was also killed in the encounter. Faizan too was a Category A terrorist and was high on the list of security forces. However, to prevent Sabzar from becoming another "martyr" like Burhan, authorities snapped internet services as terrorist sympathisers had started gathering on the streets.

"We have adopted a policy in the hinterland to eliminate the existing terrorists and stop their recruitment to make it difficult for Pakistan to sustain terrorism in the Valley," Army sources said. "On the LoC, we have adopted an aggressive policy to proactively stop infiltration and are launching attacks on any suspicious activity close to our territory."

With this policy, the Army reaped success in the Rampur operations as based on intelligence inputs, personnel from the 4 Garhwal Rifles laid an ambush against a terrorist infiltration party 500 metres inside Indian territory on Friday evening. "They were shot down in close to three hours. Six bodies have been recovered along with four AK-47 rifles, two UBGLs and heavy ammunition," the sources said.

The Udhampur-based Northern Command said it was carrying out "relentless operations to thwart Pakistan's attempts to boost terror activities across the LoC" as its troops eliminated two members of Pak Army's Border Action Team in Uri sector.

advertisement

Army troops also eliminated four infiltrators in the Naugam sector. The force has intensified its presence in the violence-racked Valley.

Top Army sources said after killing Sabzar and Faizan, the force would continue its aggressive operational tempo against other terrorist leaders and won't let them see the coming winter.

Also read

Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat's killing: Hurriyat calls for 2-day shutdown against 'use of force' on protesters

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat: Burhan Wani's successor joined Hizbul after a failed love affair

--- ENDS ---
The Kashmir valley wakes up to curfew in several areas today following violent clashes between civilians and security forces on Saturday after the encounter of terrorist and top Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat.

The Kashmir valley found itself gripped in unrest on Saturday following the encounter of top Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his aide Faizan.

By India Today Web Desk: In Burhan Wani killing aftermath redux, the Kashmir valley is yet again in turmoil over the encounter of top Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat by security forces leading to restrictions and curfew in several areas today.

After a prolonged gun-battle on Saturday, the Army on Saturday gunned down Bhat and eight other militants in the Valley, soon after which unrest followed in old city areas.

advertisement

Though the authorities said curfew would be imposed only in seven police station areas of Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma in Srinagar on Sunday, the city was virtually sealed in the morning to prevent all kinds of vehicular movement.

Heavy deployment of security forces has been made in the old city areas of Srinagar to prevent violence.

A person was killed and 40 others were injured in violent clashes between the stone-pelters and security forces on Saturday.

PROTESTOR TRIED TO BREACH CORDON

One person was killed when some protestors tried to breach the cordon of security forces in Saimoh village on Saturday where Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhatand his accomplice were trapped.

In clashes at other places, 40 people including 28 protesters and 12 security men were injured.

PELLET INJURIES

Out of the injured protesters eight are being treated for bullet injuries while seven have suffered pellet injuries and are admitted to different hospitals in Srinagar.

Section 144 CrPc has been imposed in Ganderbal, Badgam, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir while in south Kashmir, the districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian have massive security arrangements in place to ensure minimum attendance at Bhat's funeral prayers.

Bhat was buried late Saturday evening in his ancestral graveyard in Rathsun, a village in Pulwama's Tral area. People in hundreds attended the burial of slain Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his aide Faizan.

The funeral prayers or Fateha are scheduled for today.

INTERNET SUSPENDED

Internet services remain suspended in the Valley since Saturday in addition to clampdown on outgoing, incoming call facility on all mobile phones. Only BSNL mobile phones are working at the moment.

NO TRAINS TO PLY

Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns have been suspended.

Civil service (judicial) exam scheduled for today has been cancelled. All educational institutions in Kashmir have been ordered to remain closed on Monday.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat have appealed the people to march to Tral town on May 30 to offer funeral prayers and show solidarity with the slain Hizbul commander and his accomplice, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and Faizan, both of whom belonged to Rathsuna village of Tral tehsil.

advertisement

The Hurriyat has also called for a two-day shutdown in the Valley in protest against the use of force against civilians by security forces during clashes on Saturday.

With inputs from IANS

Also read: Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat's killing: Civilian killed in protests as Hurriyat calls for 2-day shutdown

Also read: Sabzar Ahmad Bhat: Burhan Wani's successor joined Hizbul after a failed love affair

Also read: Kashmir: Burhan Wani successor Sabzar Bhat gunned down in Tral, 8 other militants killed

Also watch: Audio shows Burhan Wani sought Hafiz Saeed's blessings for jihad struggle against India

--- ENDS ---
Yosemite is undeniably beautiful and crowded these days  but it's always been that way.

Back in June of 1866, a Chronicle headline read: "Yosemite Getting Popular." According to the story, "There seems to be a mania for visiting the Yosemite this year, and already there has been about as many there as the average of any of the past five seasons."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A study conducted by the American Association of Advertising Agencies found that most Americans don't like it when companies get political in their advertisements.

According to the study, 58 percent of the consumers polled had a negative response to advertisements with political messages, regardless of whether the message was liberal or conservative.

The study also found that "consumers are more likely to avoid brands that take a negative position (e.g., those that are perceived to be racist, anti-LGBTQ or sexist) than to support those that take a positive position (e.g., those that are perceived to be inclusive, pro-LGBTQ and feminist)."

A number of companies including Pepsi, Audi and 84 Lumber have stirred up controversy over the past few months after making political statements in their advertisements.

The Pepsi ad never even made it onto television; it was pulled from the air following accusations of "trivializing" the Black Lives Matter movement.

Related Video: Kendall Jenner is 'traumatized' over Pepsi ad backlash

So why are advertisers feeling the sudden urge to get political?

The study found that "two-thirds of agency professionals (67 percent) believe that changing American values are causing brands to become more interested in corporate responsibility and values-based marketing."

"Changing American values" could refer to a number of developments, including the election of Donald Trump as president as well as a surge of social activism around the country.

Regardless of whether American values are changing, the American Association of Advertising Agencies is warning companies against getting political.

"Consumers are not looking to brands to take a position on political or social issues. In fact, there's typically more risk than benefit," marketing officer Alison Fahey said. "Brands taking a negative approach risk backlash, and only a small percentage of consumers are moved to buy from positive messaging."
San Francisco International Airport reported 357 delayed flights and 21 canceled flights on Sunday, as airport officials continued repair work on a runway that is scheduled to last through Memorial Day weekend.

The scheduled maintenance work is part of a $35 million project to repave the second-longest runway at SFO, known as Runway 28L. Airport officials had planned to pause the work this weekend to accommodate holiday travel. But delays in the project, caused by rain and other weather problems, prompted officials to continue working through the weekend so the runway could be ready for peak summer travel.
Maremagnum / Getty Images

Getting to the Big Easy from the Bay Area will become a little easier in June, with more flights coming this fall. The new service to New Orleans marks the citys rebound from both 2005s Hurricane Katrina and the more recent economic recession that depressed tourism.

After taking summers off in recent years, United will offer year-round nonstop flights between San Francisco and New Orleans starting June 8. Flights will depart SFO at 10:45 a.m. and arrive at Louis Armstrong International Airport at 4:53 p.m. (Central time). Theres plenty of time for a last fling in the French Quarter  return flights leave at 11:40 p.m. and land at 5:47 a.m.
MARAWI, Philippines  National forces found corpses in the streets of a besieged southern city Sunday, including at least eight civilians who appeared to have been executed, as soldiers battled a weakened but still potent group of militants linked to the Islamic State group.

The death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.

The crisis in Marawi, home to 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the militants show unexpected strength, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armored vehicles and scores of soldiers.

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades. But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with the Islamic State group.

Much of the city is a no-go zone, but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clearer.

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi, and more than 2,000 are still trapped inside the city. Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, said Zia Alonto Adiong, an official in Lanao del Sur, one of the countrys poorest provinces.

Have mercy on us, we dont have any more water to drink, read one of the messages, sent to a hotline set up for trapped residents.

The Associated Press was shown the messages by relief workers at a provincial government complex in Marawi. Another message asked authorities to retrieve three bodies that were rotting near a residents home.

Speaking at the evacuation center on Sunday, Saddat Liong said his house was hit by mortar fire and burned to the ground. Liong, his wife and eight children lost everything. I feel that weve lost our city, he said.

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said combat operations were still ongoing, but that the militants were weakening.

We believe theyre now low on ammunition and food, he said, speaking by phone from Manila, the capital. Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi.

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown into a shallow ravine early Sunday in Marawis Emi village, said police officer Jamail Mangadang. A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated that the victims had betrayed their faith, he said, identifying the men as civilians.

Marawi is a mostly Muslim city.

In addition to the civilian deaths, Padilla said 61 militants, 11 soldiers and four police were among the dead.

The violence erupted Tuesday night when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washingtons list of most-wanted terrorists. But the operation went awry and militants rampaged through the city, torching buildings and battling government forces in the streets.

Hapilon was once a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014.

Jim Gomez is an Associated Press writer.
JERUSALEM  Hundreds of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners ended their 40-day fast on the first day of the month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan, after reaching a compromise with Israel for additional family visits, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

Israel prison service spokeswoman Nicole Englander said the inmates declared an end to the strike Saturday morning. She said it came after Israel reached a deal with the Palestinian Authority and the Red Cross for prisoners to receive a second family visit each per month.

Hundreds of prisoners observed the strike they said was aimed at improving prison conditions. The strike evolved into one of the longest such protests with this many participants since Israels 1967 capture of territories Palestinian seek for their state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Englander said 1,578 prisoners participated in the hunger strike overall and 834 ended their fast Saturday. She said 18 were being treated in hospitals.

Many Israelis view the prisoners as terrorists and have little sympathy for their demands. More than 6,000 Palestinians are currently in prison for offenses linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for charges ranging from stone-throwing to weapons possession and attacks that killed or wounded Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Palestinians rallied behind the hunger strikers as national heroes, relishing a rare break from deep divisions between two rival political groups  the Islamic militant group Hamas, which runs Gaza, and Fatah, the movement of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that administers autonomous enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinians hoped the protest would draw the attention of a seemingly distracted international community as the Israeli occupation hits the 50-year mark in early June.

Israels public security minister, Gilad Erdan, alleged the hunger strike was motivated by a power struggle in Abbas Fatah movement. He claimed that imprisoned strike organizer Marwan Barghouti cynically exploited his fellow prisoners to boost his standing in Fatah and secure his position as a possible successor to Abbas. Barghoutis family has denied such claims.

Ian Deitch is an Associated Press writer.
1 Flights canceled: British Airways canceled all flights from Londons Heathrow and Gatwick airports Saturday as a global computer failure upended the travel plans of tens of thousands of people on a busy holiday weekend. The airline said it was suffering a major IT systems failure tied to a power supply problem. It said there was no evidence of a cyberattack. British Airways operates hundreds of flights from the two London airports on a typical day. Several hours after problems began cropping up Saturday morning, it suspended flights up to 6 p.m. because the two airports had become severely congested. The airline later scrapped flights from Heathrow and Gatwick for the full day. The airline said it was working to restore services beginning Sunday, although there will still be disruptions. It said it expected that London-bound long-haul flights would land on schedule Sunday.

2 Syria fighting: Government troops and allied militia have pushed back Islamic State militants and U.S-backed opposition fighters, gaining control of a large swath of territory in the countrys strategic southern desert, the government-controlled media and a war monitor said Saturday. With the advances, the government and allied troops secured an area nearly half the size of neighboring Lebanon. The strategic juncture in the Syrian desert also restores government control over mineral and oil resources. The gains aid government plans to go after Islamic State fighters in Deir el-Zour, one of the militants last major strongholds in Syria.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying Europe really must take our fate into our own hands.

It was the toughest review yet of Trumps trip to Europe, which inflamed tensions rather than healing them after the U.S. president sparred with the leaders of Washingtons closest and oldest allies on trade, defense and climate change.

Merkel, Europes de facto leader, told a packed beer hall rally in Munich that the days when her continent could rely on others was over to a certain extent. This is what I have experienced in the last few days.

The comments came as Europe watches Britain preparing to leave the European Union and now faces antagonism from Washington.

Merkel said that Europes move toward self-reliance should be carried out of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever that works.

It was an unusually stark declaration from the normally cautious head of Europes most powerful economy and a grim take on the trans-Atlantic ties that have underpinned Western security in the generations since World War II. Although relations between Washington and Europe have been strained at times since 1945, before Trump there has rarely been such a strong feeling from European leaders that they must turn away from Washington and prepare to face the world alone.

The German leader received an ovation for her comments, which came as she seeks voter support for September elections. Although her message was partly directed at her own electorate, it was a measure of how badly relations have deteriorated with Trumps U.S. that hitting Washington now wins votes while working with it could be perilous.

The remarks were a clear repudiation of Trumps troubled few days with European leaders, even as Merkel did not mention the U.S. president by name. On Thursday, Trump had harsh words for German trade behind closed doors. Hours later, he blasted European leaders at NATO for failing to spend enough on defense, while holding back from offering an unconditional guarantee for European security. Then, at the Group of Seven summit on Friday and Saturday, he refused to endorse the Paris agreement on combatting climate change, punting a decision until this week.

Merkels comments were similar to some she made shortly before Trumps inauguration in January. But they carry extra heft now that Trump is in office  and after Trump had a days-long opportunity to reset relations. Instead, by most European accounts, he strained them even more.

The belief in shared values has been shattered by the Trump administration, said Stephan Bierling, an expert on trans-Atlantic relations at Germanys University of Regensburg.

Michael Birnbaum and Rick Noack are Washington Post writers.
Having suffered heavy losses in recent days, militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen may make one of its oldest surviving militants and tech savvy Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo as its local commander. Naikoo is known for his ability to attract youths through social media.

By India Today Web Desk: The Hizbul Mujahideen is likely to make Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo as its local militant commander following the killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat yesterday in an encounter with security forces at Tral.

According to reports appearing in a section of media, the Jammu and Kashmir police see Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo as new Hizbul commander in the Kahsmir Valley.

advertisement

Riyaz Naikoo is said to be one the oldest militants of Hizbul Mujahideen. Unlike Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, Riyaz Naikoo is tech savvy. The terror outfit may appoint him as commander to use his abilities to galvanise support for militancy through social media campaigns.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT RIYAZ AHMAD NAIKOO Along with Altaf Kachroo and Saddam Padder, Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo is among the oldest members of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Riyaz Naikoo is said to be a top rated - A++ category - terrorist and carries a reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head. Riyaz Naikoo is a native of Durbug in Awantipora district. He is said to have escaped from the trap laid down by the security forces a couple of times over past three years. As late as the previous week, Riyaz Naikoo was cornered by the security forces in Pulwama district. But he escaped. Riyaz Naikoo is considered a moderate among the hardline Hizbul Mujahideen militants. Naikoo released a video last year saying that he would welcome the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. Naikoo said that militants were not enemies of Kashmir Pandits. Riyaz Naikoo is wanted in several incidents of killing of security forces including police officials. He was seen in some photographs with Burhan Wani, who was killed last year. Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo came to limelight January last year, when he arrived during the funeral procession of Shariq Ahmad Bhat, who had been killed in a night-long encounter with security forces. Mixing with the crowd Naikoo made his way towards Bhat's body along with Lateef Ahmad Dar and Ishfaq Ahmad Dar. Reports say that all were carrying Kalashnikov rifles. Riyaz Naikoo fired several shots in the air. This was a revival of an earlier tradition of paying tributes to slain militants in Kashmir. The video was shot and widely circulated on social media. Many believe that this tactic adopted by Riyaz Naikoo brought many youths to terrorism in the Valley since then. Riyaz Naikoo's close associates Altaf Kachroo and Saddam Padder are also the local men, who joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. But unlike Naikoo, who has completed his higher studies, the other two are said to have studied till high school only. Altaf Kachroo is a resident of Kulgam while Saddam Padder is from Heff in Shopian district. Altaf Kachroo had been arrested in the past for his association with militancy. He was released from detention under the Public Safety Act in 2014, following which he rejoined militancy. Saddam Padder is said to have been a close associate of Burhan Wani. Saddam is active in Shopian. His family is said to be dependent on agriculture.

ALSO READ |

Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat's killing: Civilian killed in protests as Hurriyat calls for 2-day shutdown

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat killing: Internet services suspended in Kashmir, combing operation underway

ALSO WATCH | Hurriyat calls for 2-day shutdown in Kashmir Valley after Hizbul commander Sabzar Bhat's killing

--- ENDS ---
Property For Industry's management contract is worth more than the $42 million the industrial property investor will pay to bring the contract in-house, which should pave the way to higher dividends, says an independent appraisal of the deal.

Shareholders will vote on the proposal to buy the contract from PFIM Ltd, which in turn subcontracts it to McDougall Reidy & Co, at their annual meeting on June 22 in Auckland. The deal would see PFI expand its banking facilities to pay the $42 million fee, and keep the existing management team made up of Greg Reidy, Simon Woodhams and Craig Peirce as managing director, general manager and chief financial officer respectively.

Independent adviser Northington Partners valued the contract at between $48 million and $56 million and anticipates internalising it will increase distributable earnings 5-to-6 percent due to cheaper management fees, which should allow for higher dividends.

"The consideration and terms and conditions of the proposed internalisation are fair to shareholders of PFI not associated with PFIM and that the proposed internalisation is in the best interests of PFI," the Northington Partners report said. "This earnings increase should have a positive impact on PFIs share price to the extent that it has not already been factored into the current share price."

The shares last traded at $1.61 and have increased 1.9 percent so far this year. The stock is rated an average 'hold' based on five analyst recommendations compiled by Reuters, with a median price target of $1.58.

The management contract with PFIM is an open-ended term, which differs from most other property investment companies in that PFI "effectively (has) no ability to remove or terminate PFIM as manager unless PFIM fails to perform its duties or becomes insolvent". The contract also ignores changes of control, and PFIM can assign the management agreement to a third party and PFI can't unreasonably withhold its consent.

"These two provisions combined mean that any party wishing to acquire control of PFI (via a takeover offer or another similar transaction) would effectively need to negotiate the purchase of PFIs management agreement directly with PFIM if it wished to change or remove PFIM as manager," the report said. "PFIMs position as manager is therefore very well entrenched and, all else being equal, is likely to act as a deterrent to potential acquirers of PFI."

If the deal isn't approved, Northington Partners said the existing arrangement could stay in place, meaning shareholders' "extremely limited rights to terminate the management agreement" would remain and they would have "limited leverage to exert pressure on PFIM to reduce management fees over time".

Alternatively, PFIM could choose to sell the contract to a third party, leaving PFI shareholders with limited control over the appointment. "Under this scenario, it would be highly unlikely that PFI would have the opportunity to reconsider internalisation for the foreseeable future at a value close to the internalisation payment, as the new manager would have a strong financial incentive to recover the full value paid for the management agreement," the report said.

PFI chairman Peter Masfen said the internalisation would remove concerns about controlling the contract and provide cheaper management fees.

"PFIs independent directors also believe that internalisation will be of benefit to shareholders and unanimously recommend that PFI shareholders approve the resolution," he said in the notice to shareholders.

Other resolutions to be voted on at the meeting are the re-election of directors Humphrey Rolleston and Anthony Beverley.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

GMT - Customer demand supports strong first-half operating result

EVO - Embark Education announces Special Dividend

BLT - Strategy reset and revenue growth

Mainfreight Half Year Financial Results 30 September 2022

ATM - Organisational announcement: Chief Supply Chain Officer

November 10th Morning Report

Blis Technologies: FY23 Half Year Results

TEM - Market Abuse Regulation, Article 19, Paragraph 11

NZME updates FY22 guidance & announces new dividend policy

November 9th Morning Report


By Press Trust of India: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, May 28 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs son Hussain Nawaz was today interrogated by a Supreme Court-appointed joint investigation team probing his familys business dealings abroad, in the high-profile Panama Papers case.

Hussain was accompanied by his lawyer for the proceedings but the JIT objected to his presence and said Hussain can get help from the lawyer after securing permission from the Supreme Court.

advertisement

According to officials, Hussain later faced the JIT alone and his questioning went on for about two hours.

Hussain visited the JIT office at National Judicial Academy in Islamabad after he was yesterday summoned for questioning.

He appeared before the JIT despite his petition in the Supreme Court in which he raised objection about two members of the JIT whom he termed as biased.

According to a source, one of the JIT members is considered a close friend of former president Gen Pervez Musharraf. The other is said to be a relative of former Punjab governor Mian Azhar, a founding member of the Pakistan Muslim League and currently aligned with the Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf.

The court would hear the petition tomorrow and Hussain will personally appear before the three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

The JIT had submitted an initial report before the Supreme Court on May 22 and was asked to complete its probe in 60 days.

The JIT was set up following a decision by the Supreme Court on April 20 regarding Panama Paper case. The JIT has to submit fortnightly progress reports to the court.

Sharif had got a temporary breather from the Supreme Court which said there was "insufficient evidence" to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a JIT to probe the graft allegations against his family.

The high-profile graft case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as the Prime Minister to purchase assets in London.

Information about the assets surfaced when Panama Papers last year showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharifs children.

Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced. PTI SH UZM

--- ENDS ---
Around 4,42,299 people belonging to 1,14,124 families were affected in 15 districts due to the flood situation, the Disaster Management Centre said on Sunday.

Sri Lankan army soldiers walk past the debris of houses at a landslide site during a rescue mission in Athwelthota village, in Kalutara in Sri Lanka on May 28, 2017. Photo: Reuters

By Press Trust of India: The death toll from devastating floods in Sri Lanka today rose to 151 as rescuers pulled out more bodies from mudslides triggered by the country's worst torrential rains since 2003 that displaced nearly half a million people.

Sri Lanka has sought international assistance. India, the first country to respond, dispatched three Navy ships with emergency supplies to help Sri Lanka. The first Indian ship reached here yesterday.

advertisement

A second Indian vessel -- INS Shardul -- arrived in Colombo today, with a third expected tomorrow. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake received the vessel.

People walk through a flooded road to cross the Bulathsinhala village, in Kalutara in Sri Lanka on May 27, 2017. Photo: Reuters

The adverse weather conditions have caused flooding and landslides in Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Matara, Mulaitivu, Ratnapura, Trincomalee and Vavuniya.

"The worst hit is the southern district of Galle," a UN statement said.

The Nilawala River faces the possibility of a dam burst which can put the entire Matara town under water, officials said.

Around 4,42,299 people belonging to 1,14,124 families have been affected in 15 districts due to the flood situation, the Disaster Management Centre said today.

The death toll has reached 151 with 111 still unaccounted for, it said.

"Although the heavy rainy condition has reduced temporary, showery conditions are likely to enhance again over south-western part of the island from 29th May 2017," the Meteorological Department said.

People gather during a rescue mission at the site of a landslide in Bellana village in Kalutara, Sri Lanka on May 26, 2017. Photo: Reuters

Windy condition is expected to continue over the sea areas. These winds can be strengthened during the showers, it said.

The fishing community in the country have been alerted about the condition.

Sri Lanka's tri-forces personnel including more than 1,000 Army troops were engaged in the rescue and relief operations.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful Southwest monsoon, officials had said.

Sri Lanka, which has been heavily deforested for cash crops, often witnesses landslides during the monsoon season.

--- ENDS ---
The black box was recovered by the search party from the crash site, further search operation is underway.

By India Today Web Desk: Black box of IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet that went missing in Assam's Tezpur on May 26 was recovered today by search team.

The black box was recovered by the search party from the crash site, further search operation is underway.

The aircraft with two pilots on board was found in a dense forest near Tezpur on May 26 three days after it went missing.

advertisement

The Indian Air Force had ordered a court of inquiry into the crash, hours after the debris of the fighter plane was sighted in an area 60 km from Tezpur airbase with which it lost radar and radio contact on May 23.

The Su-30 MKI jet had gone missing shortly after taking off from Tezpur Air Force station on a routine training sortie.

More details awaited

Also read:

Two days and yet no trace of IAF's Sukhoi 30 which went missing near China border with two pilots on board

China says no information on missing Sukhoi, warns India on 'disturbing peace'

Search for Sukhoi: Air Force deploys C-130 aircraft, Chetak helicopters to locate missing jet

WATCH | Wreckage of missing Sukhoi-30 found, no information on pilots

--- ENDS ---
The actor might be seen as a judge on the upcoming season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

By India Today Web Desk: Khiladi Kumar aka Akshay Kumar might soon be seen judging a stand-up comedy show.

Yes, you read that right.

Also read: Naagin actress Mouni Roy to debut in Bollywood opposite Akshay Kumar?

According to a report in The Times of India, the actor has been roped in to judge an upcoming season of the reality show, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

advertisement

"Akshay will be the main judge and he will be called Super Boss on the show," The Times of India quoted a source as saying.

Akshay has previously been a part of shows like Dare 2 Dance, and Khatron Ke Khiladi.

The actor has also been seen as a celebrity guest on a number of reality shows over the years.

--- ENDS ---
After tweeting that he would take a call on Paris climate deal next week, reports suggest that US President Donald Trump may back out of the agreement.

By Reuters: US President Donald Trump has told "confidants," including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt, that he plans to leave a landmark international agreement on climate change, Axios news outlet reported on Saturday, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

On Saturday, Trump said in a Twitter post he would make a decision on whether to support the Paris climate deal next week.

I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017

advertisement

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

A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision told Reuters a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Trump's expected announcement later in the week. It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.

"I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" he tweeted on the final day of a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy at which he refused to bow to pressure from allies to back the landmark 2015 agreement.

The summit of G7 wealthy nations pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.

Although he tweeted that he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate deal that was signed by 195 countries clearly annoyed German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying," she told reporters. "There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not."

Also Read

In a first under Donald Trump, US warship challenges Beijing's claims in South China Sea

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner sought back channel with Putin to bypass diplomats: Sources

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: girls

London, May 28 (PTI) A ban on shoulder-baring strappy tops at a UK girls school has sparked a row, with the students accusing the institution of "sexualising young girls" over uniform rules.

Simon Langton Girls Grammar School in Kent is facing criticism from students after sixth form pupils, who are allowed to wear their own clothes, were banned from wearing strappy or sleeveless tops or revealing their shoulders.

advertisement

Frustrated pupils at the secondary school have started a petition to "abolish" the rule, Kent Live reported.

The appeal explains how many of the students have "disagreed" with the dress code ruling and feel it should be amended.

"This rule encourages the disturbing sexualisation of young girls bodies, most of which are underage," the petition says.

"The argument that shoulders shouldnt be seen in a workplace is irrelevant, as our generation is the future workforce. It is our job to change the oppressive and demeaning standards that women are forced to abide by, or nothing will change in the future," it says.

Headteacher Matthew Baxter was quoted as saying that, "The subject was discussed with the deputy heads and it has been decided that both Langton schools will ensure that the same dress code applies to all students within their sixth form."

The students want the school, founded in 1881, to reconsider their policy arguing they should be able to feel "comfortable" in a school environment. PTI ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
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
Freezing and below zero.

That's what we have to get used to waking up to this week Canberra as chilly weather starts to bite.

After morning frost Monday is set to reach a top temperature of 11 degrees. Minimum temperatures are forecast to reach -2 on Tuesday, -1 on Wednesday and dip even lower later in the week.

Daily maximum temperatures are forecast to skirt between 12 to 15 degrees all week, so rug up Canberra!

Let's see what's making news.
Australians are paying $31 billion in superannuation fees every year, with half that money going to funds that manage just 30 per cent of all accounts, according to a report commissioned by Industry Super Australia.

And banks are raking in about $8.7 billion of those fees, making super "a honey pot for Australia's scandal-prone banks", according to Industry Super Australia chief executive David Whiteley.

Meanwhile, not-for-profit funds collected $13 billion worth of fees while managing 42 per cent of Australia's $2.2 trillion worth of super savings. But the retail sector, which includes banks, collected $15.5 billion for managing just 29 per cent of funds, according to a quantitative assessment of fee revenue by the Rainmaker group.

The big difference is in retail funds spending $5.4 billion on advisors and $3.9 billion on trustee offices and administration, while the not-for-profit funds spend $5.2 billion on investment managers, and $1 billion less on trustee offices and administration.
A full press of media company chief executives will descend on Canberra this Wednesday in a rare display of pan-industry support for media reform laws.

Chief executives from commercial television, subscription television, commercial radio and print media will be walking the corridors of Parliament House encouraging politicians to vote in favour of the reforms.

Seven's David Koch will MC a media industry summit in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit:Grant Turner

An event hosted by Seven's Sunrise presenter David Koch will be held on Wednesday evening with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield.

The coordinated effort is unusual because Australia's commercial television networks and Foxtel usually lobby against each other ever since pay TV was introduced and the anti-siphoning list was drawn up in 1992.
Two earlier processes, a year-long expert panel that consulted Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and a lengthy cross-party parliamentary inquiry, came up with a different set of proposals. These found that the constitution should be changed to include words of acknowledgement of Aboriginal people and to remove provisions that permit people to be discriminated against on the basis of their race.

They also call for the creation of a Makarrata Commission to oversee the making of treaties between governments and first nations. It would act as a truth and reconciliation commission at which Aboriginal people could tell their stories.

The delegates at Uluru have shocked many people in setting out a different set of priorities to those that had dominated the debate. The delegates want the constitution changed to create a new body of Indigenous people to advise the Federal Parliament. They see this as a means of ensuring their voice is heard in the making of laws.

The Uluru statement is a landmark moment in the reshaping of our system of government to reflect the aspirations of Australia's first peoples. It is the first time in over a decade of discussion about constitutional recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have had the opportunity to speak with one voice. Their claims have come late in the debate, but must be accorded great weight and respect.

It falls now to the Referendum Council, an apolitical body that advises the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, to reconcile these processes with the Uluru statement. The council must settle on a model for reform that is legally sound and capable of winning broad support across the nation.

I am doubtful that an Indigenous advisory body by itself can win over the hearts and minds of the millions of people who must vote Yes. Some Australians will be sceptical about the idea, and others will wonder whether it needs to be put in the constitution given that the body can be created by Parliament without the need for a referendum.

The treaty proposal is a different proposition. It again does not require constitutional change, and is already being pursued by states and territories. Australia's first treaty, between the WA government and the Noongar people, has been reached, and other processes are under way in Victoria and South Australia, and may soon begin in the Northern Territory. It may be better to leave these to run, rather than pushing for a national treaty body that will attract strong opposition from coalition MPs.

The Referendum Council may decide on a package that includes an Indigenous advisory body and new words in the Constitution that acknowledge the history and culture of our first Australians. Aboriginal people do not see such words as a priority, and indeed many have concerns with the idea. However, this form of recognition is of central importance to others, and has been promoted by former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott. Leaving out symbolic acknowledgement may alienate many people who would otherwise support the referendum.

It is also not possible to ignore provisions in the constitution that permit racial discrimination. These clauses recognise that the states can deny people the vote on the basis of race, and grant the Federal Parliament a power to make laws that discriminate against racial groups. It is hard to see a campaign to change the constitution succeeding with a narrative that Aboriginal people will have a voice in the making of laws that may still treat them as second-class citizens. This would continue a foundation of inequality that many people are motivated to change.
By Press Trust of India: Washington, May 28 (PTI) The White House has amended a caption on an official photo of US First Lady Melania Trump posing with NATO leaders spouses after the name of the gay husband of Luxembourgs Prime Minister was originally omitted.

The photo caption listed Melania and eight other first ladies in attendance but failed to name Gauthier Destenay, the husband of Luxembourgs gay Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel.

advertisement

Destenay married Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel in 2015.

After drawing condemnation across social media for the "embarrassing" and "disrespectful" omission, the caption was updated to include Destenay, 10 hours after it was originally posted, the ABC reported.

In the official photograph Destenay appears dressed in a black suit and blue tie, standing behind Emine Erdogan, the wife of Turkeys president, and Melania.

When the photograph, taken by Andrea Hanks, was initially posted on the White House Facebook page Destenays name was missing from the caption.

While some suggested the omission was innocent, many slammed it on social media as "embarrassing" and "disrespectful", the report said.

The photo was taken at the last weeks summit in Brussels and was posted on Facebook in a collection of images from President Donald Trumps nine-day international tour.

There was no indication from the White House why Destenays name had initially been left out of the caption.

The marriage between Destenay and Bettel is not the first same-sex political union - Icelands Johanna Sigurdardottir was the first serving leader to marry her same-sex partner.

She married writer Jonina Leosdottir in 2010.

Trump had previously stated he is "fine" with the legislation passed during the Obama administration which allowed couples of the same sex to marry, however Vice- President Mike Pence is known to have strong views in opposition to same-sex marriage.

In a 2006 speech as head of the Republican Study Committee, Pence drew links between marriage law reform and "societal collapse" and claimed refusing to allow gays to marry was not discrimination but an upholding of an idea "ordained by God". PTI KJ

--- ENDS ---
A Liberal-leaning think tank has written to all MPs urging them to oppose the Turnbull government's bank levy, saying it amounts to "quasi nationalisation" of the major banks and will impede economic growth.

The Institute of Public Affairs, often considered a breeding ground for conservative MPs, says the levy will discourage investment in Australia and its costs will inevitably be borne by investors and customers of the big banks.

"The government's proposed changes will undermine the free enterprise system by effectively turning banks into an arm of the bureaucracy," a briefing note on the levy says.

The institute argues the levy will be passed onto customers and shareholders of the banks.
Drug users in Australia have a one in four chance of having a run-in with police, but only a tiny proportion copped an arrest, the world's largest drug survey suggests.

The researchers behind the 2016 Global Drug Survey say the huge investment in policing illicit drugs in some Western countries including Australia was misguided, had little impact, and put drug uses at risk of immediate and long-term harms.

Close to 50,000 people globally completed the policing section of the online survey  created by an independent hub of international experts across a range of specialties including medicine, toxicology, public health, policy, criminology, harm reduction and addiction.

Fairfax Media was one of dozens of media organisations who partnered with the GDS to distribute the survey.
And it's not everyone on the NDIS that Mr Stone is concerned about. For people with relatively straightforward needs it has been a boon, particularly those who weren't getting any disability support before, he says. But for the people he supports who have an intellectual disability, autism and "challenging behaviours", the NDIS has ushered in a period of greater bureaucracy and neglect, he says. Challenging behaviours mean the person can harm themselves, injure others or damage property when they are distressed, often because they have been traumatised in their early lives. Planning their support takes time, and requires great patience and expertise.

But Pascoe Vale residents Peter and Paula Curotte say these have not been evident in the treatment of their 31-year-old son, Alexander. They entrusted Alexander to the care of the Department of Human Services at age 11, after they found it was impossible to manage his behaviour at home. They made the "least worst decision" to protect his brothers and sisters, and it's one they now regret, says Ms Curotte. Alexander suffered sexual and physical assault and neglect while in care. Years of trauma saw his behaviour deteriorate to the point he was moribund  strapped to a bed during stints in hospital and heavily medicated. His parents were present on Friday when Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would lobby the Turnbull government to establish a commission on violence and neglect in the disability services sector, and make it a priority if elected.

Two years ago Alexander got a boost in his disability funding  from $20,000 to $143,000 a year  and his parents organised specialist care, such as art and music therapy, physio and occupational therapy. Gradually, he became more engaged, calmer. He laughed. He was able to have outings, visit his parents' country holiday home and meet volunteers with service animals. But the switch to the NDIS has shattered this fragile calm "like a piece of space junk falling through the ceiling", says Paul Curotte. Alexander's parents weren't given the opportunity to review his plan. "We took the rhetoric seriously. The NDIS was supposed to be a new world. But they've never met Alexander. Never sighted him, never been out to see him," says Mr Curotte.

He and his wife are satisfied with the amount of funding (more than $400,000 including accommodation costs), but say red tape means it is far less flexible than before. Without consulting, the NDIS planner decided funding should be spent on staff to come each day and take Alexander into the community. A fine idea in theory, says Ms Curotte, but recruiting and training these employees to understand Alexander's needs would take months. In the meantime that funding has sat there, almost untouched. Ms Curotte has been unable to use it for specialist therapies, and so Alexander's programs have abruptly stopped. He has become withdrawn and depressed again. Victorian Disability Minister Martin Foley says the federal government should fund a proper price for services to meet the need of Victorians with complex cases.
Allan Ezekiela, 24, is sweeping dark hair off his garage floor in a rental unit in Blacktown and he couldn't be happier.

Ezekiela has been running a modest barbershop out of his white-walled garage for two years. He's self-taught, having picked up skills from YouTube videos. He lives with his partner, two brothers, sister and sister-in-law. "They're my guinea pigs", he laughs. "Free cuts to practice my skills."

The backyard barber of Blacktown, Allan Ezekiela. Credit:Steven Siewert

Word of mouth quickly spread and, while employed part time as a disability support worker, Ezekiela now manages about 15 clients a week charging about $20 for his services.

"Being a barber has been my dream ever since I was a little kid," Ezekiela says. "I come from a big family. My mum and dad used to cut our hair. I hated it  I thought, one day, I'll be cutting my own hair and helping people look the way they want to look."
Sydney's largest council has launched an offensive against the local impact of the NSW government's $20 billion metro rail project, arguing the government's plans are "impractical and unsafe".

Under the government's City and South West metro rail line plan, the existing Bankstown Line will be closed for up to a year while stations are upgraded with lifts and platform doors.

An artist's impression of the new Bankstown town square, which could be built where the station entry is currently located.

But Canterbury-Bankstown Council has released its own alternative plans for Bankstown Station, the major urban centre at the end of the metro project, after it described the government's plans as short-sighted.

Canterbury-Bankstown administrator Richard Colley criticised the plans for prioritising parking places for rail staff, while doing little to address major access problems to the town centre, which is segregated by the rail line.
The young woman was on her back in long grass and asked the man if she could go home.

"Just one more hour," the stranger in the grey hooded jumper replied.

Alan Simmons was found guilty of raping a woman in Bathurst in 2015. Credit:Western Advocate

The woman cried. She had already been held captive by Alan Simmons for almost an hour, repeatedly raped, beaten and taunted near the banks of the Macquarie River in Bathurst, in central western NSW.

The woman had stayed late at work that afternoon in August 2015 to help her boss through a busy Saturday shift and walked home carrying a box of chocolates given to her in thanks.
A 55-year-old man is in hospital in a critical condition after he was allegedly assaulted at a wedding at the University of Sydney.

Police say the man was assaulted by a fellow guest, a 40-year-old man, shortly after 7pm on Saturday.

Emergency services arrived to find him unconscious on the ground. He was treated for head and facial injuries before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Witnesses said the victim had been punched in the head by his alleged assailant, causing him to fall to the ground, according to police.
The NSW government is under pressure to amend race hate laws to crack down on violent extremists, as prominent community and religious leaders join forces to push for change.

World-first laws criminalising serious racial vilification involving a threat of violence, or inciting others to threaten violence, were introduced by the Greiner Liberal government in 1989 but have not resulted in a single prosecution.

From left: International Coptic Union vice-president Hany Gayed, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff, the Chinese Australian Forum's Tony Pang and Imam Wessam Charkawi of the Australian National Imams Council are members of the Keep NSW Safe coalition. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The 2005 Cronulla race riots led to charges against its ringleaders but police relied on other offences such as encouraging riot and affray, which are procedurally less complex and have higher maximum sentences.

An alliance of 31 community groups and leaders called the Keep NSW Safe coalition, including the Australian National Imams Council, Hindu Council of Australia and Chinese Australian Forum, is urging the government to amend the laws to increase the maximum penalty and make it easier to bring prosecutions.
Former Newman minister David Crisafulli has won pre-selection over sitting LNP member Verity Barton for the seat of Broadwater.

Mr Crisafulli was the Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience Minister in Campbell Newman's government, but lost hist seat of Mundingburra at the 2015 election.

He reportedly won the vote 90 to 24 at the Runaway Bay Community Centre on Saturday night.

It is uncertain what Ms Barton's future will be with the LNP after the next state election.
The asylum seeker told the court in a victim impact statement that she became afraid of most of the guards after the assault. She stayed in her room most of the time, sleeping only two to three hours each night.

"It has made me feel very unsafe and that rules and laws in Australia can't protect me. I feel I have no power, I have nothing to support myself, no one can make me feel safer," she said.

The woman, who has been living in the community since December, said she still had nightmares and was afraid of anyone who resembled Panchalingham.

Ms Keogh also said that Serco guards sent a clear message to detainees about what was acceptable in Australia through their actions, and he had undermined the woman's respect for the law.

She told Panchalingham that detainees were "fleeing all sorts of situations in their home countries and they're coming to another country where they hope they'll be allowed to live freely and with the protection of the law and that is something that you yourself have experienced," she said.
While the Gujarat Health Minister has said that there was no need to be worried as actions have been taken in accordance to the guidelines of WHO, the world body has noted that the country may see more cases of Zika in the future.

By Reuters: The World Health Organisation on Saturday released a statement confirming India's first Zika virus cases in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. While Gujarat Health Minister Shankar Chaudhary has said that there was no need to be worried as actions have been taken in accordance to the guidelines of WHO and government of India, the world body has noted that the country may see more cases of Zika in the future.

advertisement

Global health officials and experts have been compiling information and studying Zika virus to better understand how it became a major outbreak that began in Brazil in 2015 and spread rapidly to dozens of countries.

The following are some questions and answers about the Zika virus and the outbreak:

How do people become infected?

Zika is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same type that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile. Zika virus can also be transmitted through sex, from either a male or female partner who has been infected, and a few cases of apparent infection via blood transfusion have been reported.

How do you treat Zika?

There is no treatment for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine, but a preventative shot is not expected to be ready for widespread use for at least two or three years.

How dangerous is it?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that Zika virus infection in pregnant women can cause the birth defect microcephaly. The condition is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems and other severe brain abnormalities in babies.

The World Health Organization has said the "most likely explanation" is that Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of congenital brain abnormalities including microcephaly. In addition, the agency said that Zika infection in children and adults can trigger Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis.

Brazil had confirmed more than 2,000 cases of microcephaly believed to be linked to Zika infections in pregnant women and was investigating several thousand more suspected cases.

Current research indicates the greatest microcephaly risk is associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy, but health officials have warned an impact could be seen in later weeks. Recent studies have shown evidence of Zika in amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal brain tissue.

advertisement

What are the symptoms of Zika infection?

People infected with Zika may have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for two to seven days. As many as 80 percent of people infected never develop symptoms.

How can Zika be contained?

Controlling Zika's spread requires eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. US and international health officials had advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries, sections of Miami, Florida in the United States and Singapore where they may be exposed to Zika.

They are also advising that men and women who have traveled to Zika outbreak areas use condoms or abstain from sex for six months to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.

How widespread is the outbreak?

Active Zika outbreaks have been reported in several countries in the Americas, Africa and Asia, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What is the history of Zika?

The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations. Outbreaks of Zika have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to the WHO.

advertisement

What other complications are associated with Zika?

Zika has also been associated with other neurological disorders, including serious brain and spinal cord infections. The long-term health consequences of Zika infection are unclear. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue.

ALSO READ:

Gujarat health minister says no need to worry after WHO confirms India's 1st Zika virus cases in Ahmedabad

ALSO WATCH:

What is Zika virus?

--- ENDS ---
Victims of the Manchester bombing have been remembered at an Anglican church service in Melbourne's CBD.

St Paul's Cathedral held a solemn choral evensong with prayers for the people of Manchester on Sunday night in the wake of the May 22 terrorist attack at Manchester Arena.

Melbourne children's book author Andy White, and his father, the Right Reverend Paul White, light a candle for the victims of the Manchester bombing at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday. Credit:Nicole Cleary

British consul general Christopher Holtby and members of the consular corps joined in the service, reading prayers to remember those killed in Manchester and for those affected.

Reverend Len Firth said Manchester reminded Melburnians of the terror experienced following Melbourne's Bourke Street rampage in January, and the killing of Coptic Christians in Egypt.
London: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in US-European relations after contentious meetings with President Donald Trump last week, saying that Europe "really must take our fate into our own hands."

Offering a tough review in the wake of Mr Trump's trip to visit EU, NATO and Group of Seven leaders last week, Ms Merkel told a packed Bavarian beer hall rally that the days when Europe could rely on others was "over to a certain extent".

"This is what I have experienced in the last few days," she said.

It was a stark declaration from the leader of Europe's most powerful economy, and a grim take on the trans-Atlantic ties that have underpinned Western security in the generations since World War II.
Beijing: China has rebuked the powerful G7 group of nations for issuing a communique expressing concern at developments in the South China Sea.

China accused the G7, comprised of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, of "interfering" in South China Sea and East China Sea issues.

The G7's communique - similar to a statement it issued last year - came days after the US Navy conducted its first freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea under the Trump presidency, when the USS Dewey on Wednesday came within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, which is claimed by China. The patrol prompted an angry response from China.

On Sunday, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the G7 and "countries outside" should fully respect the efforts made by countries in the region to handle disputes, and stop making irresponsible remarks.
The 36-year-old Kushner, a real estate developer with no previous government experience, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former US officials told Reuters.

Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, had contacts with Moscow in December about opening a secret back channel of communications, according to news reports published while Trump was away on his trip.

White House officials defended the concept of secret communications channels without commenting specifically on the Kushner case. National security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters on Saturday that so-called back-channeling was not unusual.

Contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials during the campaign coincided with what US intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump's chances of winning the White House.

"It's both normal, in my opinion, and acceptable," he said on ABC's This Week program. "Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organisations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing."

Kelly told Fox News Sunday there was nothing wrong with the Trump transition team trying to build relationships with the Russians as they prepared to take over the White House.

US Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said such secret channels may be used in situations including peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan or for the release of American hostages.

"But for people associated with the campaign after that campaign has ended and where the Russians during that campaign were helping you, to try to establish a back channel and hide it from your own government, that's a serious allegation," he said.

Schiff was particularly concerned about a Washington Post report that the back channel would have been conducted at a Russian diplomatic facility to avoid monitoring in US communications systems. "You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversation from?" he said on ABC.
Donald Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as President - a nine-day excursion from Saudi Arabia to Sicily  without once holding a news conference.

That made the US President the only one of the Group of Seven leaders who declined to face the press. The other six all took questions from reporters while in Sicily for the 43rd summit of major advanced economies.

But Mr Trump, breaking with tradition, avoided getting pinned down by a question-and-answer format in which he would face questions either about investigations at home or the nuances of US foreign policy positions.

While the recent firing of FBI Director James Comey and an ongoing inquiry into ties between his campaign and Russia were subjects Mr Trump wanted to avoid discussing, that imperative was only heightened by revelations in the closing days of the trip about the FBI's growing interest in engagement with Russia by Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Jess Spence hurried in from the rain having just finished yoga class.

Looking at her, you wouldn't guess that the 32-year-old's body is riddled with incurable cancerous tumours.

Jess Spence was misdiagnosed with bowel cancer and underwent 19 rounds of chemotherapy before it was discovered she had neuroendocrine cancer. Credit:Lawrence Smith

Ms Spence has neuroendocrine (NET) cancer, and her best option for treatment is not available in New Zealand.

This week she is off to Melbourne to see if she needs another round of PRRT treatment  the third time she's taken the trip since September.
Seoul: North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile from the region of Wonsan on its east coast in an easterly direction, South Korea's military says, coming after a series of test-launches of missiles in recent weeks.

The launch was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, who has called a meeting of the National Security Council, the South Korean office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The South Korean military said it was believed to have been a Scud-type missile that flew 450 km (280 miles) and landed in the sea, the latest in a series of North Korean test launches in recent weeks.

US authorities tracked the six-minute flight of what was believed to be a North Korean short-range ballistic missile until it crashed into the Sea of Japan, the US Pacific Command said on Sunday.
Tel Aviv: Hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israeli prisons ended a six-week-old hunger strike on Saturday that marked the re-emergence of a popular Palestinian politician serving multiple life terms for murder.

Led by Marwan Barghouti, a militant from the ruling Fatah party and a political rival to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, the strike included nearly 1600 prisoners during the last month, making it the largest such prisoner demonstration in recent memory.

Palestinians help an injured woman during clashes with Israeli troops after a protest in solidarity with prisoners in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Credit:AP

The hunger strike stirred grassroots solidarity demonstrations throughout the Israeli-occupied West Bank and even garnered expressions of support from Fatah's main political rival, the Islamist movement Hamas. It ratcheted up popular pressure on Abbas during the visit of US President Donald Trump to the West Bank city of Bethlehem on May 23.

The end of the hunger strike comes on the eve of the Muslim observance of the holy month of Ramadan, a period of daily fasting which could have further endangered the health of the participants.
Mumbai: Stone-throwing protesters clashed with security forces across the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir on Saturday after Indian soldiers killed eight suspected militants as part of a months-long crackdown in the disputed Himalayan territory.

At least one civilian was killed as police forces tried to subdue the protesters, and dozens of others were injured, according to medical officials.

Kashmiri villagers shout freedom slogans as they display the body of rebel leader Sabzar Ahmed Bhat in Tral, 45 kilometres south of Srinagar. Credit:AP

Anti-Indian protests in Kashmir have grown in size and intensity in the year since the Indian army killed a charismatic young militant, Burhan Wani, in a targeted operation in July.

Scores of civilians have been killed and thousands injured, many blinded by pellets fired by Indian police and paramilitary forces struggling to maintain order in a territory that India and Pakistan have fought over for 70 years.
Five Things to Do: A Vonnegut suite, music of the sea and 'Willy Wonka'
Space station astronaut Thomas Pesquet received a saxophone surprise for his birthday. It arrived on the SpaceX Dragon on Feb. 23 and was hidden by Pesquet's crewmates until his birthday on Feb. 27.

There aren't many sounds to hear in space, but there has certainly been no shortage of music at the International Space Station (ISS) ever since French astronaut Thomas Pesquet arrived.

A first-time space traveler, Pesquet is getting ready to wrap up his six-month stay aboard the space station. Whenever he wasn't working on science experiments or spacewalks, Pesquet spent much of his spare time listening to music, playing his saxophone, and even recording a music video.

Pesquet also created a soundtrack for his life in orbit by regularly tweeting songs with the hashtag #songs4space. Whether he's getting ready for a spacewalk, looking at the moon or eating home-grown lettuce, Pesquet has a song for everything. [Gallery: French Astronaut Thomas Pesquet's Amazing Photos from Space]

"The terminator is not only a movie: its the line between night and day. We cross it up to 16 times in 24 hours. So it keeps coming back," astronaut Thomas Pesquet wrote on social media when he shared this photo from the International Space Station. (Image credit: Thomas Pesquet/ESA/NASA/ Flickr

One of the first songs Pesquet shared in space was inspired by a photo he took of Earth through the window of the ISS. Behind one of the station's solar panels is the line between day and night, which is known as the terminator.

See more

The terminator passes over people on Earth twice a day during the sunrise and sunset. But the ISS crosses the terminator 16 times a day, orbiting at a speed of about 17,500 mph (28,000 kph). In a tweet, Pesquet said that the constant nightfall often reminds him of a song called "Nightcall" by Kavinsky, a French electronic house music artist.

See more

Pesquet, who turned 39 years old on Feb. 27, is the youngest person of the Expedition 50/51 crew as well as the European Space Agency's astronaut corps. In his second month of life at the ISS, Pesquet claimed that this made him more playful and competitive than his crewmates. Accordingly, he attached the song "Disparate Youth" by Santigold.

There's nothing like home-grown veggies, especially at the International Space Station. "TGIF! Like every Friday evening, we all gather in the Russian segment and share our best food items," astronaut Thomas Pesquet wrote on his Flickr page. "This time, we were very fortunate to eat fresh onboard-grown lettuce, with lobster in wasabi mayonnaise (courtesy of our three-star chef NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson)." (Image credit: Thomas Pesquet/ESA/NASA/ Flickr

When you're orbiting the Earth about 248 miles (400 kilometers) above the ground, growing your own food isn't easy. So when it's time harvest lettuce from the space station's veggie farm, the astronauts get a bit more excited about mealtime  or at least Pesquet does.

See more

After harvesting some red romaine lettuce in December, Pesquet and his crewmates had a space food feast, topping their fresh leaves with lobster and wasabi mayonnaise. Then he tweeted, "When in space, fresh lettuce feels like a Banquet" with the song "Banquet" by Bloc Party, the English indie-rock band.

A waxing, gibbous moon peeks out from behind Canadarm2, one of the robotic arms outside the International Space Station, in this photo taken by astronaut Thomas Pesquet. "The moon was playing hide and seek with us today but I spotted it!" Pesquet tweeted when he shared the photo. (Image credit: Thomas Pesquet/ESA/NASA/ Flickr

See more

While watching a spacewalk in-person for the first time, Pesquet was so impressed with the work of NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough that he basically called them ninjas. As the two spacewalkers performed a power upgrade outside the ISS, Pesquet tweeted the song "Enter the Ninja" by Die Antwoord.

See more

Before Pesquet did his own spacewalk on March 24, he scheduled a #songs4space tweet reminding himself to not get distracted by all the scenery in space; attaching the song "Pay No Mind" by Madeon and Passion Pit. (Of course, spacewalking astronauts don't have access to Twitter while they're outside in their EVA suits. But it's the thought that counts, right?)

See more

Pesquet's first space adventure is coming to an end, but hopefully he won't stop tweeting his #songs4space anytime soon.

See more

You can check out the rest of Pesquet's #songs4space on Twitter.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Relations between Iran and Pakistan have been at a low ebb since 10 Iranian border guards were killed by militants last month, the report said.

Earlier this month the head of the Iranian armed forces warned Islamabad that Iran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government did not confront Sunni militants who carry out cross-border attacks.

Abdul Jabbar, deputy commissioner of the Panjgur district in Baluchistan, said Iranian border security forces had fired many mortar shells and rockets over the last two days.

A Pakistani man was killed when a mortar shell hit his pickup while passing through the area, said Jabbar.

He added that Pakistani officials had lodged a protest with Iranian authorities and asked for a meeting on Sunday.
It is the first time Tehran has announced the death of a senior commander during the operations launched in October to drive the Islamic State militants out of Mosul, Reuters reported.

Commander Shaaban Nassiri was martyred in operations to free the area west of Mosul, the Tasnim news agency quoted the Revolutionary Guards as saying.

The IRGC is the main backer of the Iraqi Shiite paramilitary force known as Popular Mobilisation, fighting Islamic State west of Mosul.

Nassiri was killed near Baaj, one of the last cities which remain under Islamic State control, near the Syrian border, according to Mashregh, an Iranian news website.

Nassiri fought in the Iran-Iran war of 1980-1988 and has been involved in the six-year war in Syria, backing President Bashar al-Assad, according to Mashregh.

A general from the IRGC assumed the post of Irans ambassador to Iraq in April, in a sign of the key role the military force is playing in its neighbouring country.
Havana, May 28, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Brahim Ghali, and his Cuban Counterpart, Raul Castro, have discussed in Havana cooperation between the two nations.

Cuban President Raul Castro received Friday the President of the Republic, Brahim Ghali, who is on an official visit in Cuba.

During the fraternal meeting, both leaders agreed on the will to continue developing the historic bonds of solidarity, cooperation and brotherhood that unite the two nations. They also exchanged views on issues on the international agenda.

President Castro reaffirmed that the question of Western Sahara requires an effort to implement the relevant United Nations resolutions so as to ensure the self-determination of the Saharawi people and the exercise of their legitimate right to live in peace on their territory.

Meanwhile, President Ghali thanked Cuba's support for the just struggle of the Saharawi people. (SPS)

062/090/TRA




By Tyler Durden on 28 May 2017 for Zero Hedge -

Image above: German Chancellor Merkel speaking at Christian Social Union meeting in Bavaria. From ( https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article165008816/Merkel-sieht-in-den-USA-keinen-verlaesslichen-Partner-mehr.html ).

Observers noted that he neglected to publicly endorse the pact's Article Five, which guarantees that member countries will aid the others they are attacked. The omission was especially striking as he unveiled a memorial to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the US, the only time the mutual defense clause has been triggered.

SUBHEAD: Germany's Merkel says Trump and Brexit have left Europe with an unsteady alliance.After the recent G7 meeting in Itlay and faced with a western alliance divided by Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency, Germany's Merkel said "die zeiten, in denen wir uns auf andere vollig verlassen konnten, sind ein Stuck vorbei", or loosely translatedand added that "I've experienced that in the last few days."Merkel then said that while Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, "" and she also said that special emphasis was needed on warm relations between Berlin and newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.Her comments came after Trump said during the G-7 meeting he needed more time to decide if the US would continue backing the Paris climate deal, which has frustrated European diplomats . A subseqent report by Axios , Trump privately told multiple people, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, that "he plans to leave the Paris agreement on climate change" which will likely further infurate his European allies.During his trip, Trump also echoed his past criticism of NATO allies for failing to meet the defensive alliance's military spending commitment of two percent of GDP.On Friday, Trump also described German trade practices as "bad, very bad," in Brussels talks last week, complaining that Europe's largest economy sells too many cars to the US.Reactions to Merkel's striking comment came pouring in from the likes of Edward Snowden who called her speech an "era-defining moment".
A man has been arrested after a car was stolen with a 6-year-old girl in the back seat from Waltham Forest.

The Met Police launched an urgent appeal after Beatrice Felicia went missing when a man met up with her father in Leyton High Road allegedly wanting to buy his car.

The man sped in the vehicle with Beatrice in the back seat, with the 6-year-old found unharmed by detectives about two hours after she went missing on Tuesday, May 16.

She had been found by her grandmother after the family desperately searched for the Romanian-born youngster.

Moazzam Ali, 32, of no fixed address, was arrested on Friday, and charged the following day with theft of a motor vehicle.

He was also charged with a further seven counts of theft of a motor vehicle on various dates in London.

Mr Ali appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on a later date.
T wo men were arrested and a large knife was seized following a police chase involving a Mercedes in north London.

Officers traced the reportedly stolen car before the suspects made off on foot in Belfast Road, near Stoke Newington station, on Sunday.

The driver was spotted entering a building on the street and he and another man was arrested at the scene.

Dramatic pictures from the incident show a smashed up dark blue Mercedes with a punctured tyre.

Police released an image of the weapon seized, which they say is a 13-inch blade.

Hackney Police said on Twitter that the knife was recovered following a vehicle pursuit and foot chase.

Stoke Newington: Police at the scene / @999London

The pair were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, criminal damage, failing to stop and possession of an offensive weapon.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: They were taken to an east London police station where they remain in custody.

Enquiries continue.
A London NHS trust will be forced to pay compensation to a whistleblowing doctor who was sacked for raising safety concerns following a patients death.

Croydon Health Services has already racked up a 440,000 legal bill in a five-year battle with Dr Kevin Beatt, who was dismissed as a consultant cardiologist after sounding the alarm over staffing shortages, run-down equipment and workplace bullying.

The trusts final costs could stretch to a seven-figure sum after a High Court judge said an employment tribunal had correctly ruled the experienced medic had been unfairly fired for whistleblowing.

Dr Beatt led Croydon University Hospitals department for interventional heart procedures from 2007 until he was fired in September 2012.

His sacking came after he spoke out at the inquest into the 2011 death of a 63-year-old patient who suffered cardiac arrest amid complications in a routine operation.

Dr Beatt was unaware bosses had suspended his most senior nurse hours before he performed the surgery, leaving him without a nurse with even basic understanding of the procedure for 20 minutes.

He told a coroner the ward sisters removal from work was the most overtly reckless act he had seen in his career.

Dr Beatt had also previously flagged concerns with directors about inadequate equipment, bullying of junior staff, nursing shortages and the failure to properly investigate serious incidents.

He should have been afforded protected status as a whistleblower, but the NHS trust dismissed his claims as vexatious.

It fired him for what it described as unsubstantiated and unproven allegations of an unsafe service" amounting to gross misconduct.

But a tribunal in 2014 found no evidence of wrongdoing by Dr Beatt and said the trust had failed to follow a fair process. It added the trust had issued calculated statements that would destroy the doctors reputation.

The trusts appeal against the ruling was upheld in 2015, but this week a Court of Appeal judge overturned that decision and said the protracted legal fight should finally come to an end.

Dr Beatt, 65, from Fulham, has been unable to work in the NHS while fighting his case.

He described it as unbelievable that the trust spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in public money pursuing the case in the High Court.

The trusts legal bill could pay for the salaries of 17 nurses on the average NHS pay.

Dr Beatt told the Standard: "They are still defending what went on in 2011 rather than saying, 'we need to move on and put this behind us and get on with improving the situation'.

The cardiologist, who was only able to fight the court battle because legal firm Linklaters agreed to work pro bono, said cases such as his would make whistleblowers more wary about raising concerns.

He said: "A lot of whistleblowers have lost their case because management have said, like they tried to do with me, youre a difficult person or you've rolled up late for work and that's why we're going to dismiss you.

Really the true reason is they're whistleblowers.

"To battle means, for a lot of people, if they lose the case they lose their house or their mortgage. You are battling against a big institution."

In his Court of Appeal judgment, Lord Justice Underhill said the NHS trust had classed Dr Beatt as a troublemaker for raising genuine concerns.

He added: It is all too easy for an employer to allow its view of a whistleblower as a difficult colleague or an awkward personality to cloud its judgement about whether the disclosures in question do in fact have a reasonable basis.

A further hearing will now be held to establish a compensation settlement.

A spokesman for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said: As the Court of Appeal acknowledged, this has been a difficult, challenging and complex case for all involved.

We are disappointed that the Court of Appeal has overturned the earlier ruling of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

We have and always will take any concerns about patient safety very seriously and encourage our staff to raise any concerns they have through our whistleblowing policy.

Our Speak Up Guardians, including a doctor, nurse, therapist and manager, are also always available for people to turn to for support.

He added: Our cardiology department has just undergone a 1m refurbishment. We hope now to draw a line under this case so we can continue to provide high-quality cardiac care for people in Croydon.
F urious holidaymakers have told of being left stranded in London after a British Airways computer crash caused chaos at airports and grounded flights worldwide.

Travellers have reported being charged extortionate sums to stay at nearby hotels, while many passengers took to sleeping on the floor at Heathrow Airport following the crash on Saturday.

British Airways cancelled all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick following the systems failure, which was believed to have been caused by a power supply issue.

But despite the airline promising a near-normal service at the airports this morning, numerous holidaymakers are still being delayed.

BA aiming to resume most flights after IT crash chaos

Pictures have emerged on social media of queues outside hotels, with numerous people also saying their bags had been lost in the chaos.

Neal Clements, 65, travelled from Birmingham with his family for week-long holiday to Jordan.

He ended up staying Wokingham after being unable to book a hotel room near Heathrow, having queued for hours outside the nearby Hotel Mecure.

Prices rocketed on the online booking.com site after the crash, with hotels charging hundreds more for rooms, he claimed.

Passnegers stranded at Heathrow Airport / Jeremy Selwyn

Mr Clements told the Standard: We got there joined the queue and sort of worked our way to the front. They said if youve booked today theres no room, but they didnt tell you that until you were almost at the desk.

The staff werent doing anything, they just sort of let the queue build up. The indifference is palpable.

Its been depressing to think that such a large organisation can have so little crisis management.

Passengers lucky enough to be aboard one of the few flights taking off on Saturday claimed they found their hold luggage had not made it onto the plane with them.

Musician Charles Trippy, bassist with US rock band We The Kings, complained to BA via Twitter that his instrument was missing.

The band are on the bill at the Slam Dunk Music Festival, which has shows in Leeds on Sunday and Hatfield on Monday.

British Airways: Passenger chaos as IT system fails worldwide 1 /13 British Airways: Passenger chaos as IT system fails worldwide Furious holidaymakers have been left stranded in London after a British Airways computer crash Many passengers took to sleeping on the floor at Heathrow Airport British Airways cancelled all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick following an IT failure Despite the airline promising a near-normal service at the airports on Sunday, numerous holidaymakers were still being delayed British Airways has apologised for the "huge disruption" The airline is also expected to have to pay out huge sums in compensation A Heathrow spokeswoman said: "Following a worldwide British Airways' IT system issue yesterday, delays and cancellations of British Airways flights are expected" Experts warned the IT crash could cause disruption for several days Air industry consultant John Strickland said there would be a massive knock-on effect. Passengers were told not to travel to the airports because of "extreme congestion"

Trippy tweeted: "Dear @British-Airways please find my bass. It's getting frustrating that you don't know where it is. I kinda need it for work. No big deal".

Terry Page, 28, from London, flew from Heathrow to Fort Worth, Texas, where he and "about 50" others were told they would have to wait until Monday before being reunited with their bags.

Experts predict the disruption could continue for several days and the airline is facing huge compensation costs after all its flights from the two airports were cancelled on Saturday.

British Airways has apologised for the "huge disruption" the computer failure caused and said that engineers were continuing to work hard to restore its services.

The airline is also expected to have to pay out huge sums in compensation, including the cost of hotels, transport and meal expenses for stranded passengers.

Passengers try to sleep at Heathrow Airport on Saturday in check-out lines / Jeremy Selwyn

A Heathrow spokeswoman said: "Following a worldwide British Airways' IT system issue yesterday, delays and cancellations of British Airways flights are expected today.

"Prior to travelling to the airport, all British Airways passengers who are due to fly today should check the status of their flight.

A Gatwick spokesman said: "We would advise customers travelling with British Airways over the bank holiday weekend to continue to check the status of their flight with British Airways before travelling to the airport.

"Customers affected by Saturday's flight cancellations should not travel to the airport today unless they have already rebooked onto another flight.
A young man is fighting for life after being ploughed into by a van in Ealing.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Whitton Avenue East, Greenford, shortly after 4pm on Saturday.

They arrived to find the pedestrian, believed to be aged in his 20s, injured in the street.

He was rushed to a north London hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.

The driver of the white Volkswagen van stopped at the scene and was not arrested.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) based at Alperton Traffic Garage are investigating.

Enquiries continue into the full circumstances of the collision.

Anyone with any information, who witnessed the collision or who stopped to assist should contact the SCIU on 020 8991 9555.

To remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
A motorcyclist has died after being ploughed into by a car in Edmonton.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Great Cambridge Road on Saturday afternoon.

They arrived to find the young man, believed to be in his 20s, suffering head injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His next of kin have been informed.

Emergency services were called to reports of a crash between a motorcycle and a car at about 2pm.

The driver of the car stopped at the scene. He has not been arrested, police said.

Any witnesses or anyone with any information are urged to contact witness line on 020 8597 4874, or contact police via 101 or via Twitter @MetCC.

To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
A motorcyclist is fighting for life in hospital after a crash with a car in west London.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Old Brompton Road in Kensington at about 2.30pm on Sunday.

The man, aged in his 30s, was rushed to hospital with injuries police described as life-threatening.

Dramatic pictures from the scene show pieces of the smashed up motorbike strewn across the roads Junction with Gloucester Road.

Police were called shortly after 2.30pm on Sunday / KensingtonChelseaMPS

A silver Nissan car can also been seen in the images, with a large dent in the front.

Police taped off the road following the serious collision while officers investigated.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: The rider of the motorcycle was taken by the LAS to a central London hospital.

He later added: He is aged in his 30s, and is in life-threatening condition.
A motorcyclist has been rushed to hospital after crashing with a car in west London.

Police were called to the junction of Old Brompton Road with Gloucester Road, in Kensington, shortly after 2.30pm on Sunday.

Paramedics rushed a motorcyclist, whose details are not yet known, to a central London hospital, police said.

The motorcyclists condition is currently unknown.

The road has been cordoned off while officers attend to the scene, with a picture emerging on Twitter showing a silver SUV having crashed at the junction.

A Met Police spokeswoman said: Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service (LAS).

The rider of the motorcycle - no further details - was taken by the LAS to a central London hospital. We await an update on his condition.

Officers remain on scene and enquiries are ongoing.
P aul Nuttall has said he would execute people himself as he backed the return of the death penalty for terrorists and child killers.

The Ukip leader called for a referendum on the issue, claiming that the public would back him if the policy was taken to the polls.

He made the comments in the wake of the deadly blast at the Manchester Arena on Monday, during which suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he set off a bomb after an Ariana Grande concert.

In an interview at a Westminster pub with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Nuttall said: I would like to see the death penalty for terrorists and child killers.

For people who kill a [British] soldier and harm children, I would not have a problem doing it. I believe in capital punishment for treason. Opinion polls show the vast majority of people agree with me.

Asked if he would support tagging terror suspects, Mr Nuttall said: "Yes, why not? Until they have denounced this evil ideology."

He said he would force new immigrants to sign a 'contract' and sit an 'attitude test' to prove they backed 'British values' and kick them out if they failed.

Mr Nuttall stressed his support of capital punishment was a personal view and not official Ukip policy.

The politician was also forced to defend some of the partys controversial manifesto policies during an interview with Robert Peston on Sunday morning, including a ban on Muslim women wearing a burka.

He was challenged by Peston on a claim in the Ukip manifesto that wearing full face coverings prevented the essential vitamin D from sunlight.

Mr Nuttall said: There is a myriad of medical research which shows that if you don't show your face and the rest of your body to the sun there will be vitamin D deficiency - but that's peripheral."

"What we're talking about is banning face coverings, whether that's the niqab or the burqa or indeed whether that's someone turning up at an EDL march."


A nother armed raid is underway in Moss Side following the Manchester terror attack.

The property is being searched as Greater Manchester Police attempt to close in on a suspected terror network linked to bomber Salman Abedi.

Locals described hearing an explosion as police closed off surrounding roads in the residential area.

And others told of the large presence of armed officers and police dogs near Selworthy Road on Sunday afternoon.

Dramatic pictures from the scene show police cars lining the street as officers guard the area while the raid is carried out.

One person wrote: Just heard a huge explosion in Manc, then 4 coppers have just screamed past with sirens blaring. Hope its not what Im thinking #Manchester.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: Officers investigating the attack at the Manchester Arena have executed a warrant at an address in Moss Side. A search is currently on-going.

Three miles away, officers arrested a 25-year-old man in the Old Trafford area on suspicion of terrorism offences.

As it stands, 14 people in total have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of which two people have since been released without charge.

A total of 12 men remain in custody for questioning.

On Saturday, another raid was carried out in Moss Side.
A former high-ranking Met Police officer has called for extremists to be locked away at internment camps to protect the country.

Tarique Ghaffur said taking up to 3,000 extremists off the streets would keep stop attacks and allow detainees to undergo de-radicalisation programmes.

Mr Ghaffur, a former assistant commissioner, was widely praised for engaging with the Muslim community after the 7/7 terror attacks.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he claimed the number of people plotting attacks against the UK was too high for security services to monitor them effectively.

Manchester Update: Terror threat level reduced as police unravel attacker's bomb-making methods

He wrote: I know many will oppose these centres as oppressive. But the threat we face from terrorism is unprecedented and if we do not take bold steps now we will not be able to prevent future attacks.

In the wake of the Manchester bombing, it emerged this week that as many as 23,000 people have appeared on the radar of counter-terror agencies.

Authorities are handling 500 investigations into 3,000 individuals currently, while it was disclosed on Friday that around 20,000 people are considered former "subjects of interest".

Mr Ghaffur said: We face an unprecedented terrorist threat in Britain  about 3,000 extremists are subjects of interest to MI5 and police, and about 500 plots are being monitored.

Add more than 400 jihadis who have returned from Syria and you realise the numbers are way too many for the security services and police to monitor. The atrocities of Manchester and Westminster have shown that ordinary surveillance, monitoring and tagging are not working.

The time has come to set up special centres to detain these 3,000 extremists.

These would be community-based centres where they would be risk-assessed and theologically examined.

Speaking last week, former Scotland Yard commissioner Lord Blair claimed such a move would be counter-productive.

He said: We must not move to a situation where we are just sweeping up people.

I mean, it reminds one of the events in Northern Ireland which led to the hunger strikes where you started to sweep up whole sets of a community, you angered that community enormously.

The internment was not effective. The absolute thing we need now is the co-operation of the communities of Britain, particularly, Im afraid its clear, the Muslim community.
A hero surgeon who battled to help the Manchester terror victims for 48 hours was racially abused and branded a terrorist on his drive back to work.

Naveed Yasin told the Sunday Times a white middle-aged van driver wound down his window and hurled the racist slurs as he drove to Salford Royal Hospital to continue treating the victims.

The man screamed: "You brown, P*** b******.

"Go back to your country, you terrorist. We don't want you people here. F*** off."

Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Victims 1 /21 Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Victims Nell Jones, 14, who died in the Manchester attack PA Jane Tweddle, 50 of Blackpool, was also killed 'Inseperable couple' Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19 Scottish teenager Eilidh MacLeod, 14, was confirmed to have been killed in the blast PA Michelle Kiss died in the blast. Her family have said they are "absolutely devastated" PA Saffie-Rose Roussos eight, from Lancashire, had been at the concert with her mother and sister when she was killed in the blast Wendy Fawell died in the attack Collect Olivia Campbell, 15, is also confirmed among the dead after a desperate search to find her Ariana Grande superfan Georgina Callander, 18, was one of the first victims to be named Lisa Lees and Alison Howe were killed while waiting in the foyer to collect their children Facebook Kelly Brewster died shielding her niece from the blast John Atkinson, 26, was also killed in the suicide blast Polish couple Angelika and Marcin Klis are confirmed among the dead in the Manchester attack Credit: Family photograph Victim: Martyn Hett has been confirmed as one of those killed in the attack Confirmed dead: 14-year-old Sorrell Leczowski Facebook Victim: Elaine McIver, an off-duty police officer Greater Manchester Police

A shocked Mr Yasin said his own daughter could have been caught up in the Manchester Arena concert bombing that killed 22, as she had wanted to see Ariana Grande.

He spent a hectic first 48-hours after the blast treating the injured but was hit with the torrent of abuse as he drove back to work the next day.

Bomber Salman Abedi pictured moments before Manchester Arena massacre

The surgeon, who grew up just 30 miles away in Keighley, West Yorkshire, said he was taken aback by the hatred.

But he told the paper: "Manchester is better than this.

"We Mancunians will rebuild the fallen buildings, the broken lives and the shattered social cohesion we once had."

The 37-year-old explained staff had found the horrific nature of the injuries they had to treat extremely distressing and the impact on the families was "soul-destroying".

He told the paper: "Many of my colleagues and I had never experienced injuries from a bomb blast and the effect it has, seeing these, is extremely profound and traumatising."

Greater Manchester Police said last week there had been a spike in hate crimes after the bombing.
A n off-duty police officer killed in the Manchester suicide blast was "the glue that held us all together", her family said.

Elaine McIver, 43, was standing in the foyer of Manchester Arena with partner Paul when she was caught up in the terror attack.

They had been waiting to collect his 13-year-old daughter and her friend at the time. Her partner was seriously injured.

On Sunday, Ms McIver's grief-stricken relatives fondly remembered her vivacious nature and sense of humour, saying: "She would have wanted us all to continue to laugh, despite the tears in our eyes and pain in our hearts."

"Glue": Elaine McIver (left) with her mother and father at a family wedding / PA

They released a trove of family photos showing the detective constable beaming alongside loved ones and from her passing out ceremony with Cheshire Police.

In a statement released through Greater Manchester Police, they said: "She had a huge heart, was thoughtful beyond belief and would do anything for anyone."

Her death came at the start of what should of been a fresh chapter in her life.

Elaine McIver: She worked for Cheshire Police / PA

Ms McIver had been due to move to a new home with "the love her life" in Widnes, Cheshire, with her current property up for sale.

On the night of the attack, the music-loving couple, who regularly attended concerts at the Manchester Arena, had dropped the schoolgirls at the venue, before spending the evening in the city.

Terror victim: Elaine McIver (right) with her mother and father on a family holiday in the Lake District / PA

As they waited to collect the pair later on, the explosion tore through the building, leaving the youngsters, who were still inside, alone and terrified.

According to Ms McIver's family, the children were "kindly" driven home by a taxi driver, having been unable to locate the adults.

Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Victims 1 /21 Manchester Arena Terror Attack: Victims Nell Jones, 14, who died in the Manchester attack PA Jane Tweddle, 50 of Blackpool, was also killed 'Inseperable couple' Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19 Scottish teenager Eilidh MacLeod, 14, was confirmed to have been killed in the blast PA Michelle Kiss died in the blast. Her family have said they are "absolutely devastated" PA Saffie-Rose Roussos eight, from Lancashire, had been at the concert with her mother and sister when she was killed in the blast Wendy Fawell died in the attack Collect Olivia Campbell, 15, is also confirmed among the dead after a desperate search to find her Ariana Grande superfan Georgina Callander, 18, was one of the first victims to be named Lisa Lees and Alison Howe were killed while waiting in the foyer to collect their children Facebook Kelly Brewster died shielding her niece from the blast John Atkinson, 26, was also killed in the suicide blast Polish couple Angelika and Marcin Klis are confirmed among the dead in the Manchester attack Credit: Family photograph Victim: Martyn Hett has been confirmed as one of those killed in the attack Confirmed dead: 14-year-old Sorrell Leczowski Facebook Victim: Elaine McIver, an off-duty police officer Greater Manchester Police

In their long statement, the relatives painted a picture of a compassionate woman, capable of talking to anyone and not afraid to hide her views.

Three weeks before her death, she had a final outing with her parents, when she drove them to Harrogate, north Yorkshire, having arranged a surprise trip to a Leo Sayer concert.

"Elaine was one of a kind and had an impact on so many lives," the statement continued.

Bomber Salman Abedi pictured moments before Manchester Arena massacre

"She was a friend to so many and an amazing daughter, sister and aunt.

"Her love for all was immense and she was like the glue that held us all together.

"Our lives have been enriched by the time that we have had with her, but they will never now be the same again.

"We try to take comfort from how fortunate we have been to have had her in our lives, rather than think how much of a void there will be now that she has gone."

Tributes poured in for the serving officer in the wake of Monday's atrocity, including from her chief constable Simon Byrne and Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

Ms McIver worked in the regional organised crime unit for Cheshire Police.

Ms Rudd previously said: "Elaine was off-duty at the time of this brutal, cowardly attack, going about her normal daily life.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to everyone who has been affected by this horrendous act."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
P olice are investigating after pub drinkers heard a man shouting from a van that he had been attacked and was trapped in the back.

Astonished punters at the Inn on the Pond in Nutfield, Surrey, heard the apparent cries for help as the vehicle sped by at around 9.30pm on Saturday.

Police are now investigating whether the man had indeed been kidnapped or if it was simply bank holiday high jinks.

Surrey Police said the man had sounded panicky and desperate as he cried out that he had been attacked and was in the back.

The van is described as a light-coloured VW transporter van with swirly sign writing down the sides.

Detective Constable Leigh Wall, who is investigating, said: We are trying to establish whether this was a genuine incident or whether it was just high jinks which have been misinterpreted.

We would like to speak to anyone with any information which can shed some light on what happened.

If you can help call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy in Mississippi, American officials have said.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes on Saturday night in rural Lincoln County.

Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto.

The area is about 68 miles south of Jackson, the capital.

It has been reported that 35-year-old Willie Cory Godbolt, 35, is being held in custody.

Mr Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Mr Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

It was not clear whether the suspect knew his victims before allegedly killing them.
A man has been shot dead in a busy supermarket car park.

The 35-year-old was shot several times in the gun attack outside a Sainsburys on the outskirts of Bangor, Northern Ireland.

More than 100 witnesses may have witnessed the shooting on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the man was with a child when he was gunned down in front of shoppers.

Paramedics and police were scrambled to the scene where the victim was found in the superstores car park.

One eyewitness said medics worked on him for 45 minutes before he was transferred to an ambulance and driven slowly from the scene under a police escort.

There were other unconfirmed reports that a child had been with the man when he was shot.

Sainsbury's confirmed the store had been shut following the shooting.

Four to six bullets were fired after a confrontation involving the man broke out, it has been reported.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire said on Twitter: "Deeply disturbed by news of the shooting in the Sainsbury's car park in Bangor. Brutal act of violence that has no place in Northern Ireland."

Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes of the Police Service of Northern Ireland appealed for anyone with information to make contact.

"Detectives have now launched a murder investigation and I would ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who has any information to contact detectives," he said.

It is understood the incident occurred at about 3pm in the packed car park of the supermarket just off the Balloo Link road.
A man who was stabbed to death trying to protect two women from anti-Muslim abuse has been hailed as a hero.

Police are examining the alleged extremist views of the man accused of fatally stabbing Ricky Best, 53, and Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23, after a row on a train in Portland, Oregon.

According to police, the men stepped in to help after the assailant started ranting at the two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

The attack happened on Friday, the first day of Ramadan and the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and sent shockwaves through a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal views.

Mr Meche's mother, Asha Deliverance of Ashland, Oregon, confirmed on Facebook that her son had been killed.

"He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever," she wrote.

Mr Meche graduated last year from Reed College in Portland with a bachelor's degree in economics, the college said.

Accused: Jeremy Christian / AFP/Getty Images

Mayor Ted Wheeler said Mr Best was an Army veteran and a city employee.

"These two men died heroes as a result of a horrific act of racist violence," he said.

Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was also stabbed in the attack and is in a serious condition in hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

A memorial where the stabbing occurred grew steadily on Saturday, and a vigil was planned.

Jeremy Christian, 35, was being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon.

He was arrested a short time after the attack.

The FBI are working with Portland police, and say it is too early to decide whether the killings qualify as a hate crime.
The brig Cyprus was hijacked by convicts bound from Hobart to Macquarie Harbour in 1829, in a mutiny that took them all the way to China.

Its maverick skipper was William Swallow, a onetime British cargo ship apprentice and naval conscript in the Napoleonic wars, who in a piracy trial in London the following year told of a samurai cannonball in Japan knocking a telescope from his hand.

Swallows fellow mutineers, two of whom were the last men hanged for piracy in Britain, backed his account of having been to Japan.

Western researchers, citing the lack of any Japanese record of the Cyprus, had since ruled the convicts story a fabrication.

But that conclusion has been shattered by Nick Russell, a Japan-based English teacher and history buff, in a remarkable piece of sleuthing that has won the endorsement of Australian diplomatic officials and Japanese and Australian archival experts.

Russell, after almost three years of puzzling over an obscure but meticulous record of an early samurai encounter with western interlopers, finally joined the dots with the Cyprus through a speculative Google search last month.

The British expatriate all but solved what was for the Japanese a 187-year mystery, while likely uncovering vivid new detail of an epic chapter of colonial Australian history.

I just stumbled on it. Boom. There it was on the screen in front of me



Nick Russell

If youd said I was going to go hunt and find a new pirate ship, Id have gone, youre crazy, Russell told Guardian Australia. I just stumbled on it. Boom. There it was on the screen in front of me.

I immediately knew and as soon as I started checking, everything just fitted so perfectly.

The ship anchored on 16 January 1830 off the town of Mugi, on Shikoku island, where Makita Hamaguchi, a samurai sent disguised as a fisherman to check the ship for weapons, noted an unbearable stench in the vicinity of the ship.



With the help of a local volunteer manuscript reading group, Russell has since worked at translating written accounts of the ships arrival by Hamaguchi and another samurai, Hirota, now held by the Tokushima prefectural archive. Hamaguchis is called Illustrated Account of the Arrival of a Foreign Ship, while Hirotas is A Foreign Ship Arrives Off Mugi Cove.It was Hamaguchis watercolour sketch of an unnamed ship with a British flag that first intrigued Russell when he saw it on the website of the Tokushima prefectural archive in 2014.

Russell first thought it may be a whaling ship, but the manuscript readers were skeptical. Having learned mutinies were common among whalers, Russell last month Googled the words mutiny 1829.

This stumbling upon a link between a samurai record and the story of the Cyprus was the research equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack, according to Warwick Hirst, the former curator of manuscripts at the State Library of New South Wales.

It was a fantastic find, Hirst, author of The Man Who Stole the Cyprus, told Guardian Australia. I have no doubt that the Japanese account describes the visit of the Cyprus.

What emerges is a picture of a desperate band of travellers, low on water and firewood, who provoked curiosity and suspicion among local warlords vexed by their appearance.

Samurai: armour of a warrior  review An exhibition at the Musee du Quai Branly, Paris, celebrates the terrifying and tender carapace of Japanese heroes

Read more

Bound to violently repel them by order of Japans ruling shogun, the samurai commanders showed some restraint, giving the foreigners advice on wind direction after raining down cannon balls and musket shot on their ship.

Hamaguchi wrote of sailors with long pointed noses who were not hostile, but asked in sign language for water and firewood. One had burst into tears and begun praying when an official rejected an earlier plea.

A skipper who looked 25 or 26 placed tobacco in a suspicious looking object, sucked and then breathed out smoke.

He had a scarlet woollen coat with cuffs embroidered with gold thread and the buttons were silver-plated, which was a thing of great beauty, but as clothing it was gaudy.
Deb Cottier has been named the 2017 Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) Professional of the Year in the category of local/county organization. The award was presented by NEDA, the largest association of economic development professionals in Nebraska, at the Annual Conference in Nebraska City on May 4.

Cottier is the Executive Director of the Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation in Chadron. She has a Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications, emphasis in Public Relations Degree from the University of South Dakota. She is a graduate of the US Chamber Institute for Organizational Management, attended Heartland Basic Economic Development and Year 1 of Economic Development Institute.

In addition to working at her present position for 8 years, she was formerly the executive director of the Chadron Chamber of Commerce, Western Representative for Governor Ben Nelson, then for US Senator Ben Nelson and advertising Manager for Nebraska Life Magazine.

Cottier is the Co-Chair of the NEDA Legislative Committee, serves on the Board of the Heartland Expressway Association and representative of 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska Board.

Jason Esser CEcD, President of NEDA said over the last several years NEDAs legislative committee has experienced a resurgence of engagement from the membership. Speaking from experience, as a former co-chair, I attribute much of the resurgence to Debs professionalism, commitment and passion for the legislative process. Deb may represent Northwest Nebraska but, she genuinely cares about all of Nebraskas communities.

Successful projects Cottier has championed for Chadron and the area are a $7.3 million 60-room motel recruitment, $7 million combined city infrastructure (storm sewer improvement), NDOR Highway 20 reconstruction and Downtown Revitalization Project, implementing a Business Retention Program making 200 visits in 3 years, innovation/new programs and approaches, organizational effectiveness within the region and mentoring new economic development professionals.

Deb has worked tirelessly to develop Chadron, but she has also worked tirelessly for western Nebraska and on the federal level. She understands the overall picture and the vision of the community. Her connection to people and businesses across the state and nation are invaluable assets quoted Starr Lehl, Business Development Consultant for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

NEDA was founded in 1972 with the mission of supporting Nebraskas economic growth and those professionals that work on a daily basis to promote that growth. NEDAs mission remains the same today with 320 members utilizing their expertise to continue to grow Nebraskas economy.
At noon Monday, staff and visitors will gather at the historic flagpole as park personnel dressed in period military uniforms raise the flag to full staff. An artillery salute will be fired and taps will be played by the Chief Musician. At 3 p.m., staff and visitors will gather again, on the parade ground to observe the national moment of silence.
Today, Jochen Fuss and colleagues have published a new description of the morphology of a mandible of Graecopithecus freybergi, from Pyrgos Vassilissis Amalia, Greece: Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the Late Miocene of Europe. They carried out microCT imaging of the mandible and another fourth premolar attributed to Graecopithecus from Bulgaria.

Fuss and colleagues show that the fourth premolar root configuration has some similarities with Ardipithecus, Sahelanthropus and Australopithecus. On this basis, they argue that Graecopithecus should be accepted as a member of the human clade, a hominin, closer to humans than chimpanzees and bonobos.

They go further. These Graecopithecus specimens are both older than 7 million years, making them earlier than any known hominin in Africa. So Fuss and colleagues claim that the origin of the hominin clade may itself have been in Europe.

More fossils are needed but at this point it seems likely that the Eastern Mediterranean needs to be considered as just as likely a place of hominine diversification and hominin origins as tropical Africa.

Is it going too far to say that this fossil jaw is the earliest hominin?

Heres what I think: Paleoanthropology must move past the point where a mandibular fragment is accepted as sufficient evidence.

As blog readers are my witnesses, if I ever describe an unassociated mandibular fragment, I will never claim it is the earliest hominin, the earliest Homo, or the earliest modern human. Again and again, discoveries of relatively complete skeletal evidence have shown that different hominin (and ape) lineages had mosaic morphological patterns across the skeleton. Parallelism and convergence among lineages have been widespread in our evolutionary tree, and no single feature or fragment can accurately indicate relationships.

Whats worse, when we look at the earliest hominins, very few scientists have actually examined the evidence. Ann Gibbons wrote in 2006 that only one scientist at that time had seen all the key fossils, and for all anyone knows that may still be the case  since one of the most important specimens remains unpublished fifteen years after its discovery. Most scientists have been mere spectators, forced to look at cartoon images of skull and pelvis reconstructions that have never to my knowledge been examined by any independent scientist.

I dont want to take away from the value of the study of Graecopithecus here. Its pretty cool that Fuss and colleagues were able to find some hidden morphological clues in these very fragmentary specimens. That mandible has only one good tooth in it!

Figure 1a and 1b from Fuss et al. 2017, showing Graecopithecus specimens. Original caption: a, Type mandible of G. freybergi from Pyrgos, Greece. b, RIM 438/387 Left P4 of cf. Graecopithecus sp. from Azmaka, Bulgaria. From left to right: distal, mesial, lingual, buccal, occlusal and apical.

With very little to go on, they have done an admirable job of focusing on some interesting dental features that have been seen as important in the early evolution of hominins. I think the study is valuable and I do not question any of the morphological findings.

But consider the example of Ardipithecus. It has a partial skeleton with impressive cranial, dental, and postcranial morphology, and reasonable scientists still cannot decide if it is a hominin. If anyone actually thought we could trust the premolar roots, we wouldnt be arguing over Ardi.

I think we should take seriously that Graecopithecus premolar root morphology may be yet another demonstration that supposed hominin characters actually evolved in other branches of apes during the Miocene. This feature is far from alone. Many other features that supposedly link Ardipithecus or Sahelanthropus with hominins are also found in other Miocene fossils. My colleagues and I documented some of these Miocene ape-like features in Sahelanthropus in 2006.

We need to look with a more critical eye at the fossil evidence for the earliest hominins. They really share very few features with later hominins like Australopithecus. I think we should consider that they might instead be part of a diversity of apes that are continuous across parts of Africa and Europe. Our real ancestry during this earliest phase of our evolution may still be undiscovered.

Reference

Fuss J, Spassov N, Begun DR, Bohme M (2017) Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the Late Miocene of Europe. PLoS ONE 12(5): e0177127. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0177127

Wolpoff, M. H., Hawks, J., Senut, B., Pickford, M., & Ahern, J. (2006). An ape or the ape: is the Toumai cranium TM 266 a hominid. PaleoAnthropology, 2006, 36-50.
Jean-Nicolas Corvisart first discovered mitral regurgitation in 1808, which he found associated with heart failure. Mitral regurgitation was later associated with rheumatic heart disease by Graham Steell. Mitral valve replacements were introduced in 1948.1 The epidemiology and risk factors for the two types of chronic mitral regurgitationprimary and secondaryare quite different, but their presentation, diagnosis, and treatment are essentially the same.2 Acute mitral regurgitation, however, is unique in its epidemiology, presentation, and treatment, and will be discussed later.

Primary, or degenerative, mitral regurgitation is most commonly caused by mitral valve prolapse.3 Other causes include rheumatic heart disease, radiation, chronic annular calcification, and congenital causes such as a valve cleft.3

Secondary mitral regurgitation also is known as functional mitral regurgitation, and is caused by ischemic heart disease or heart failure. Whether mitral disease is primary or secondary, all of these underlying conditions can lead to increased intracardiac pressure, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and the inability for the mitral valve leaflets to coapt.2

As the most common valvular disorder in the United States, mitral regurgitation increases in prevalence with age: fewer than 1% of patients under age 55 years are affected, compared with 9% of patients age 75 years and older.4 Of those who are younger (under age 55 years), most are women, and their disease is a result of mitral valve prolapse. Other factors or characteristics highly associated with the condition are older men, lower body mass index, renal dysfunction, previous myocardial infarction, and previous mitral stenosis. Mitral regurgitation is not related to other cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia or diabetes.5

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Most patients with chronic mitral regurgitation are asymptomatic but may exhibit fatigue, exercise intolerance, and dyspnea upon exertion as the disease progresses (Table 1).2 Dyspnea and fatigue are early signs; pulmonary hypertension indicates disease progression and leads to LV failure, orthopnea, and peripheral edema.3

TABLE 1.: 2 Classification and symptoms of primary and secondary mitral regurgitation

In patients with acute mitral regurgitation, sudden onset of dyspnea as a result of increased regurgitation is commonly caused by a myocardial infarction and/or ruptured chordae tendineae.6 Proper assessment of these patients is critical because acute mitral regurgitation is a medical emergency. Patients also may present with signs and symptoms of shock such as hypotension, tachycardia, weakness, dizziness, and altered mental status.7

ASSESSMENT AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES

Mitral regurgitation is initially diagnosed based on careful auscultation. Often, the regurgitation is detected as a murmur, most typically heard at the apex as systolic, blowing, high pitched, and radiating toward the axilla; however, the intensity of this murmur does not indicate the severity of the disorder.8,9

Mitral regurgitation sometimes is difficult to distinguish from aortic stenosis on auscultation, as both are systolic, but aortic stenosis has a crescendo-decrescendo sound, radiates to the neck, is more commonly associated with an S 4 , and is heard better at the base.9 In mild mitral regurgitation, an S 1 may be diminished due to failed leaflet closure; however, a holosystolic murmur that radiates in the direction of the regurgitant jet indicates a flail leafleta condition in which one of the leaflets becomes detached from the chordae tendineae.6 Associated pulmonary hypertension produces a split S 2 and more attenuated P 2 on chest auscultation.8

In patients with severe mitral regurgitation, regurgitant blood flowing back into the left ventricle produces an S 3 , indicative of LV failure, with a brisk dropoff of arterial pulse palpation, lateral placement of the apical pulse, and a palpable thrill.3

DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES

Once the clinical presentation and examination findings lead to a suspicion of mitral regurgitation, other diagnostic tools are used to confirm the diagnosis. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is diagnostic in quality and also provides information about the size and function of the left and right ventricles, as well as pulmonary artery pressure.2 TTE also evaluates the mechanism and severity of mitral regurgitation. If the patient's symptoms are not consistent with the severity of his or her mitral regurgitation, exercise hemodynamics are warranted, either with Doppler echocardiography or cardiac catheterization, and treadmill testing can determine symptoms and exercise tolerance. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) also may be used to provide a more detailed picture of the severity and mechanism of mitral regurgitation but is not typically done diagnostically, unless TTE is nondiagnostic or endocarditis is suspected.2

TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP

The treatment of both types of mitral regurgitation is patient-specific, with pharmacologic and surgical options. Patients with an LV ejection fraction of less than 60% should be prescribed beta-blockers and drugs that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). In particular, carvedilol, which is primarily a beta-blocker, has been shown to not only preserve LV function and decrease LV remodeling but also decrease the amount of regurgitant volume.10,11 Bisoprolol or sustained-release metoprolol also are specifically indicated for patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II or greater heart failure, which correlates to a slight limitation in activities and symptoms with activity.12 In addition to reducing the risk of death and hospitalization in patients with heart failure, one clinical review showed that ACE inhibitors and ARBs modestly decreased the regurgitant volume and LV size in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation.12,13 Patients with symptoms of volume overload should also have a loop diuretic as part of their medication regimen. Other potential add-on therapies for patients with NYHA Class II heart failure and reduced ejection fraction include a combination of hydralazine/nitrates for black patients and an aldosterone antagonist such as spironolactone for patients with adequate renal function and normal serum potassium concentrations.12

Patients with primary mitral regurgitation who are symptomatic with an LV ejection fraction less than 30% should be considered for valve repair or replacement.2 Those who are asymptomatic with an LV ejection fraction of 30% to 60% and an LV end systolic diameter of more than 40 mm also are good candidates for surgery. Although surgery is not curative in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation, it can be considered in patients with severe heart failure, especially when other cardiac surgeries, such as coronary artery bypass grafting or aortic valve repair, also are being performed.2 The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend valve repair over replacement in most cases.2 This is supported by a recent literature review that reported no difference in mortality between the two procedures, but increased rates of mitral regurgitation recurrence after replacement.14

Patients with sudden exacerbations of mitral regurgitation and symptoms of heart failure need rapid evaluation and a cardiology consultation. Acute, symptomatic mitral regurgitation is a medical emergency, usually necessitating surgical intervention. The specific surgical treatment depends upon hemodynamic changes and the underlying cause.7 Pharmacologic treatment should always include the addition of an IV loop diuretic to decrease afterload and regurgitant volume.2,12 Once the patient is stabilized, the cause of the acute episode should be investigated and treated promptly. If the underlying cause of the acute regurgitation is an event that damages the valve, such as chordal or papillary muscle rupture or endocarditis, surgical repair or replacement is necessary.7 However, if the cause is functional (for example, myocardial ischemia or infarction), coronary artery bypass grafting is warranted. Valve repair also may be needed, and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

PROGNOSIS AND COMPLICATIONS

Because mitral regurgitation is strongly associated with eventual heart failure regardless of initial LV function, patients must be carefully monitored for this outcome. A 2011 study of patients with secondary mitral regurgitation showed that severity and other comorbidities highly influence prognosis and possible complications.15 Patients with low-to-moderate asymptomatic mitral regurgitation have a very good prognosis, although outcomes vary with severity and patient-specific factors such as increased LV or atrial dimensions, or the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), pulmonary hypertension, or LV dysfunction.3,16 Patients who underwent treatment, whether pharmacologic or surgical, were shown to have much better prognoses, especially in the case of severe disease. AF and stroke are common complications of worsening mitral regurgitation but happen less frequently in patients undergoing treatment.3 (Note that patients who had AF before surgery or who have other risk factors for postoperative dysrhythmia, such as ischemia, hemodynamic shifts, and electrolyte disorders, are more at risk for continued AF after repair or replacement procedures.17)

Endocarditis is a potential complication of valve repair or replacement. The indication for antibiotic prophylaxis has been greatly reduced according to appropriate guidelines, but remains essential in patients with mitral valve repair or replacement. Proper dental hygiene in conjunction with sterile technique during invasive procedures remains imperative in the prevention of endocarditis.2

PREVENTION AND PATIENT EDUCATION

In general, primary mitral regurgitation is not considered preventable, as it is most often associated with aging. However, appropriate treatment of ischemic heart disease and heart failure can help prevent the advancement of secondary mitral regurgitation due to these causes; prevention of heart disease can prevent secondary mitral regurgitation completely. Providers should treat patients with sore throats quickly, especially patients who test positive for Streptococcus species and need antibiotics to prevent rheumatic fever, a rare cause of mitral regurgitation.2

Because patients with primary mitral regurgitation often are asymptomatic until the disease is severe, they should be told to seek immediate medical attention if they develop sudden onset of new symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid weight gain, or palpitations.6

Tell patients that they may need anticoagulant therapy after valve repair or replacement to prevent formation of dangerous thrombi.2 The necessity, type, and extent of anticoagulation following valve surgery varies depending on the type of valve received. Educate patients about the risks, benefits, and appropriate monitoring of anticoagulation therapy.

The provider also can reassure patients after surgery. At 10 years postoperatively from valve repair, the requirement for reoperation falls below a 5% chance; therefore, fear of recurrence is usually unfounded.

CONCLUSION

Mitral regurgitation is a moderately prevalent disorder within our population, specifically in older adults, and when left untreated, typically leads to heart failure.18 Many patients would be shocked to hear that their 5-year survival rate is greater with stage 3 colon cancer than with heart failure.19 This knowledge should greatly motivate providers to educate their patients about mitral regurgitation as they would any other serious condition. This can be challenging because most of the early symptoms are largely considered benign. Sometimes the murmur is difficult to auscultate, and unfortunately once heart failure ensues, the survival rate rapidly declines to 50% at 5 years.18

A study by Lindekleiv and colleagues found no benefit in echocardiogram screening the general population.20 Outcomes between the control group and the screening group showed no differences in all-cause mortality, mortality from heart disease, nor incidence of stroke or myocardial infarction. Therefore, early recognition of symptoms is key to improving morbidity and mortality. Further development of repair and replacement devices also should be encouraged; current procedures and treatment decrease complications significantly, but are far from facilitating optimal outcomes at this time.
If you believe Jim Chanos, the health care axis of evil runs directly through north St. Louis County.

Chanos is a short-seller, meaning that he bets on stocks he thinks will go down. His firm, Kynikos Associates, is named after the Greek word for cynic.

Because Chanos famously predicted the fall of Enron back in 2001, the rest of Wall Street pays attention when he announces new short positions. Recently, he gave a scathing appraisal of two North County companies, Mallinckrodt and Express Scripts.

Chanos presentation, which he made May 18 in Las Vegas, is heavy on St. Louis references. His slide about the companies murky alliance shows a darkened Gateway Arch, and his allegation of performance-enhancing drug prices is illustrated by Mark McGwire in a Cardinals uniform.

Many of Chanos points are not new. He accuses Mallinckrodt of aggressively raising prices on its best-selling drug, Acthar, an issue that led to a $100 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in January. He notes that several U.S. attorneys are investigating Express Scripts and that the company may lose its biggest customer, Anthem.

Those matters are widely known and should be priced into the stocks. Whats new in Chanos rant are two things: He says Mallinckrodt shares will be rendered worthless by the Acthar issue, and he alleges that three Express Scripts subsidiaries helped Mallinckrodt push Acthars price up to $35,000 per dose.

Mallinckrodt claims that Chanos math, which shows Acthar accounting for all of the companys operating profit this year, is wrong. The suggestion that there is and will be no operating income contribution from other company products is patently untrue, a company statement says. Mallinckrodt also says Chanos overstated its debt.

Express Scripts spokesman Brian Henry denies any nefarious ties between his company and its North County neighbor. He says United Bioscience, one of the subsidiaries that Chanos criticized, helps some needy patients get free doses of Acthar, which is mainly prescribed for infantile paralysis.

This does not cost the payers, and it does not circumvent anything, Henry said. We make sure it is focused on people who really have a need.

Express Scripts mail-order and specialty-drug units, both of which Chanos also mentioned, distribute Acthar the same way they handle many other medications, Henry said.

They say they are connecting dots, but we would say they are connecting the dots all wrong, Henry said of Chanos.

Chanos isnt the first to accuse Express Scripts of being partly responsible for higher drug prices. In January, short-seller Andrew Left of Citron Research called the company the Gotti of pharma, a reference to a former New York crime boss.

Express Scripts insists that its whole business is based on obtaining lower, not higher, drug prices for its clients. Its opaque discounts are difficult to decode, but so far no investigation has found that the company doesnt act in clients interest.

In a way, Chanos has chosen easy targets. Policy uncertainty in Washington has cast a shadow over the entire health care sector, and these companies have well-known problems. Each companys shares are down 13 percent this year.

Both companies shares have risen slightly, though, since Chanos presentation; Mallinckrodt jumped 5.6 percent Friday after it heralded the start of a trial for Acthar with multiple sclerosis patients.

That short-term result probably makes little difference to Chanos, who has a reputation as a patient investor. This cynic is likely to be a thorn in the side of two St. Louis companies for a very long time.
Recent floods and a government report that many Mississippi River levees exceed their authorized height have drawn increased attention to the structures and their effect on the regions more frequent and more severe flooding.

But despite the increased scrutiny, Illinois is weighing amendments that critics say would effectively strip the state of its ability to police the height of major levees and the impact they have on areas where they divert floodwater  which includes riverside communities in Missouri.

If adopted, proposed changes from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources would eliminate oversight of levee modifications and impacts beyond a 100-year level of protection. In other words, a levees profile could be raised from 100-year to 500-year levels without triggering any review process from the state.

Critics have blasted the proposed amendments, worrying that they could legitimize or essentially forgive controversial levees already believed to violate their permitted height. And they say the changes would open the door to an arms race of levee-raising that worsens flooding for communities with less protection.

This is a return to a model of flood plain management that Illinois moved away from decades ago and that other states have moved away from, said Rob Moore, a policy analyst focused on water issues for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Whoever can raise their levees highest fastest is protected at the expense of everybody else.

This basically shifts the regulatory focus onto smaller structures, added Olivia Dorothy, who tracks Mississippi River management for the organization, American Rivers. Thats going in the completely wrong direction.

Enforcing proper levee height is already a major challenge with potentially significant flood risk implications for communities in the region.

A recent study by the Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District found that about 40 percent of the districts levees along the Mississippi River exceeded their authorized elevations. A similar review within the corps St. Louis District is ongoing.

Concern about Illinois possible shift on levee policy extends across the river, into Missouri.

The changes potentially could increase our risk here but could also cause more harm to the Illinois side, said Mark Harvey, a school administrator in Pike County, Mo., who serves as chairman of Neighbors of the Mississippi, a local group advocating for fair and equitable flood relief policy.

The Missouri organization, whose membership is spread across Pike, Lincoln and St. Charles counties, has engaged in disputes about the impact of Illinois levees before  most notably with the Sny Island Levee and Drainage District, which operates an approximately 60-mile-long levee system that, for years, has been cited by the corps and others as being improperly high. Flood elevations in the vicinity have increased between 3 and 3.75 feet from the levee districts action, Dorothy says.

The district denies the claims, with superintendent Mike Reed insisting that data does not show that the Sny is causing any induced flooding.

Now, part of the concern with Illinois possible changes is that the proper impact studies have not been completed for policymakers to take into account.

That was one point of emphasis from Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican, during the now-closed public comment period for the measures.

In a strongly worded letter, Hawley urged IDNR officials not to adopt the rules and to delay any decision until at least September, when the corps is expected to have completed its Upper Mississippi Regional Flood Risk Management Hydrologic Model.

That study will help the state make a better informed and responsible decision on levee regulation, Loree Anne Paradise, Hawleys deputy chief of staff, said in a statement.

Overall, Hawley wrote that such regulatory changes would reward past misconduct, hamper efforts to bring overbuilt levees into compliance, and threaten Missouri and Illinois communities.

Others blame rain, not levees, for local floods, and support the amendments before IDNR.

Were dealing with much more rainfall now than we have in the past, said Mike Klingner, president of an engineering firm that does work with the Sny and the head of the Upper Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri River Association, a regional flood control organization.

He points to an article published by the American Geophysical Union that identified the area as the only region in the continental U.S. to experience increased frequency, peak magnitude, duration and volume of flooding from 1940 to 2013.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources did not respond to requests for comment. It is unclear when the next action regarding the proposed amendments will take place.

But those following the issue say there are strong interests backing both sides of the politically charged debate over levees.

At its core, said Dorothy, is a question about whos going to get protection and whos not going to get protection  a decision that often pits farmland against areas with more towns and infrastructure.

I think there is a sort of dynamic here of farmers versus cities, Dorothy said. Its a significant debate that goes on anywhere in the Midwest there are levees.
GENOA, Italy  Pope Francis highlighted the struggles that workers face in a globalized economy with a visit Saturday to a troubled steel factory in Genoa, where he stressed how jobs give people a sense of human dignity and denounced those who exploit workers.

The visit put a focus on the plight of those whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis, including in Italy where a high jobless rate, especially among young adults, has driven many to leave the country.

Speaking to 3,500 industrial workers, many in uniforms or hard hats, Francis distinguished what he called the "real entrepreneur," a person who "shares the labors of workers and shares the joys of work" to create something together, from speculators who are not bothered when they fire workers in search of profits.

"One sickness of the economy is the gradual transformation of entrepreneurs into speculators," the pontiff said. "The speculator doesn't love his business, doesn't love the workers, but only sees the business and workers as the means to make profit."

He decried a political system that "sometimes seems to encourage" speculators, "not those who invest and believe in work."

Francis also denounced those who claim that workers do their jobs only for the money, saying that "denies the dignity of work."

It is by working that "our humanity flourishes," he argued.

He listened to workers express their fears, including about technological transformations that threaten to leave many more without work in the future. He told them people must not resign themselves to "an ideology taking root everywhere that images a world where only half or maybe two-thirds of the workers will work and the others will be maintained by a social check."

"Without work for everyone, there will not be dignity for everyone," Francis said.

Francis, an Argentine whose parents left Italy in the early 20th century, also referred to his personal feelings aroused by visiting the port city, the departure point in the past for Italians seeking new lives in North and South America.

"It's the first time I come to Genoa. And being so close to the port reminds me of where my father departed from," he said. "This gives me a great emotion."

The pontiff's day also include lunch with homeless people, refugees and prisoners and a Mass before a crowd estimated at 80,000 people.

Gera reported from Rome.
President Donald Trumps fiscal year 2018 budget cuts to STEM education would gut the nations ability to train high-quality science teachers, thereby limiting young Americans opportunities in STEM careers and putting the nations global competitiveness at risk.

STEM-related disciplines are expected to be some of the best-paid and fastest-growing jobs during the next decades. Companies such as Bayer and Boeing are just a couple of the businesses that rely on employees with technical talent to provide world-class products and services.

Therefore, I urge U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, to make the right decision and fully fund Titles II and IV in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Last year, the Senate passed the legislation in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion  and rightly so. Ensuring that our children receive the best education possible is a goal we all should strive for. That is why I am requesting that Sen. Blunt and his colleagues again show their support for STEM education as Congress begins to make decisions about the presidents budget.

Why are Titles II and IV important? States can use Title II funds for programs to train and prepare high-quality STEM teachers. Title IV funds can be used for STEM-related afterschool programs to go beyond the classroom. The ESSA legislation is critical in helping the nation strengthen its global competitiveness at a time when few American students are completing STEM degrees. One possible reason: exposure to STEM disciplines is limited during high school.

In the introductory physics courses I teach at the University of Missouri, the value of effective high school preparation is clear. Our future engineers, doctors, pharmacists, architects, physical therapists and scientists need to succeed in these physics courses to earn their degrees; a strong secondary physics background prepares them for success in their university courses.

In European and Asian countries, high school students often take four or five years of physics. But in the United States, only about 40 percent of students take as much as one year. Missouri is faring better, with more than 50 percent of students enrolled in physics. From 2007 to 2011, high school physics enrollment increased by 49 percent in the state, and in the 2014-15 school year, Missouri ranked sixth out of 29 states for number of students enrolled in physics.

Yet, with 35 percent of school districts in Missouri offering no physics course, there is still a lot of progress to be made. Finding well-prepared teachers to lead these classes is challenging. Fewer than half of physics courses across the country will be taught by a teacher who majored or minored in physics. In Missouri, secondary physics has been on the list of teacher shortage areas for two decades.

To address the growing demand, physics faculty at the University of Missouri have led multiple efforts to prepare and recruit teachers. For example, A TIME for Physics First, directed by Meera Chandrasekhar, provided professional development to 123 ninth-grade physics teachers from 53 school districts from 2006 to 2015. This effort was initially supported by state funds and later by the National Science Foundation.

In 2012, we launched a recruiting and training effort supported by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition, a project of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers. The program dramatically increased the number of new teachers who earn physics degrees. After five years of recruiting efforts, we are now graduating nine times more physics teachers per year than we did before the program was started. Similar programs like this one could be funded in Missouri and other states as teacher preparation academies through ESSA Title II.

Missouri can only continue its good work with the support of Congress. Our state and others across the nation need Sen. Blunt and his congressional colleagues to do their part to ensure that students are ready to compete in a highly technical workforce. And that means fully funding Titles II and IV in ESSA. Their success depends upon them being taught by highly qualified teachers who have degrees in physical science. Posterity is depending on us to make the prudent decision. Lets not let them down.

Karen King is an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri and a former high school physics teacher; she has worked on several projects to improve and expand K-12 physics education.
The authors call this a "disembodied scientific realism" where nature is considered separate from humans rather than inseparable. Instead, the researchers push for a shift towards what they call an embodied scientific realism where the connections between mind, body and environment are acknowledged and considered to change over time.



One cannot understand aspects of any ecosystem without also understanding aspects of the intertwined social-cultural system, and vice-versa, Matteo Giusti explains.

In their paper, the authors believe an embodied scientific realism can help us to better understand how we humans use, enjoy and obtain different kinds of benefits from ecosystems.

Link to publication

Request publication



Time for a shift in discussions



The authors encourage a shift in scholarly discussions from the co-production of cultural ecosystem services to embodied ecosystems to acknowledge how culture is deeply nested in how humans perceive and act towards the environment.



This embodied approach makes it easier to reveal opportunities and perceptions of the landscape that would otherwise remain hidden, the authors argue.



We believe it can change them way people see and interact in landscapes which in turn can result in establishing new values, revitalising hidden ones or simply reinforcing existing relations, co-author Stephan Barthel says. One example of new values is the diversity of experiences and recreational assets connected to mountain biking, an activity unheard of in the 1950s.
The Foreign Office has strongly condemned the Indian state terrorism in occupied territories of Kashmir, adding that the freedom struggle within could not be suppressed by force.

During his media briefing in Islamabad on Saturday, the Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria revealed that Pakistan couldnt remain tight-lipped over Indian atrocities in occupied territories of Kashmir.

Also Read: Indian troops martyred 11, including Burhan Wani's successor, in IOK

He declared Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir as a big challenge for world powers.

The spokesperson also urged the international community to stop India from committing human rights violations in Kashmir.

On the other hand, Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz strongly condemned the martyrdom of twelve Kashmiri youths in occupied Kashmir.

Also Read:Indian violations in IOK: Sartaj Aziz writes letter to UN

He let it be known that India has banned the social, media to prevent reports of brutalities against Kashmiris from reaching the outside world.

Sartaj Aziz professed that in order to hide the reality of the indigenous uprising of Kashmiri youths, India is purposely trying to equate it with terrorism.
In his message on Yaum-e-Takbeer, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said the nation is showing unity to make Pakistan Asian Tiger in economic terms as it had shown unity in 1998.

He said nineteen years ago, we made the countrys defense impregnable. Today, with same dedication and passion, the countrys economy is also being made strong and stable.

The Prime Minister said the journey of national economic development is going on with a fast pace and just like nuclear explosion.

He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a mix of various projects, which will usher in a new era of prosperity.

He said Pakistans economic stability is also a symbol of regional prosperity. Pakistan wants other states from not only South Asia but others also to join the race to collectively bring prosperity in the region.

Nawaz Sharif said Yaum-e-Takbeer is a strong message to the enemies that aggressors against Pakistan will meet an exemplary fate.

He said Pakistans nuclear programme created balance of power in South Asia.
The first session of the 105th Legislature was known as much for what didnt move forward as what did.

Senators had some successes.

They passed a budget that would raise spending only .6 percent in the next two years. They increased penalties for human trafficking, added a juvenile judge in Omaha to help relieve a backlog of cases, and created a state Department of Transportation by merging the Department of Roads with the Department of Aeronautics.

But they also had significant priorities that were notably labeled to be continued. Tax cuts, medical cannabis, job discrimination based on sexual orientation, confidentiality for sources of lethal injection drugs, tax collection on out-of-state internet retail sales, repeal of the state's motorcycle helmet law.

Speaker Jim Scheer enacted his own change to filibusters by allowing three hours of debate on controversial bills, then requiring senators to show they had the votes to advance the bill before getting more debate. A number of bills were stopped at three hours.

While Scheer said it saved the Legislature time this session in long debates that went nowhere, some senators said the method inhibited compromises that can get worked out during those extended debates.

Out of 86 working days, about 30 were spent squabbling over procedural rules. Senators finally adopted their permanent rules for the session on the 49th day.

These are some highlights of 2017 around the Rotunda.

* One third of the Legislature turned over as 18 new senators were sworn in. The 18 included Sen. Bill Kintners replacement after he resigned over an offensive retweet making fun of women participating in this year's Womens March, and after other senators joined Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers' criticism of Kintner's 2016 cybersex scandal.

* Election of committee chairs took an unexpected turn and ended in a major victory for Republican and conservative senators and three first-year members. Several Democratic committee chairs were ousted. That prompted newly elected Speaker Scheer to say he saw great challenges and great opportunities in the session.

* The Legislature celebrated the 150th birthday of the state with a reading by Nebraska State Poet Twyla Hansen of her sesquicentennial poem and songs by "The Voice" finalist and Lincolnite Hannah Huston.

* Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers was seated conditionally while a special committee sorted out a challenge made by his opponent, alleging he doesnt live in his district. He finally was officially seated on the 68th day.

* Fountains were finally installed in the Capitol courtyards after 85 years, and 18 months or more of wooden walkways and orange caution flags and cones on the Capitol's main level.

* Senators adjourned sine die four days early and saved the state $40,000.

Here is a summary of major issues senators took on in 2017.

2017-19 budget

Senators passed an $8.9 billion budget for the next two years. Gov. Pete Ricketts proposed his budget in January with significant cuts to state government, then the Legislature's Appropriations Committee took its turn and established its own priorities.

The budget passed with dissension from a number of conservative senators. The governor then made line-item vetoes that totaled $56.5 million.

It was a clean sweep for Ricketts on vetoes senators attempted to override of Supreme Court funding for the Probation Administration, and Health and Human Services' aid for child welfare, developmental disabilities and behavioral health.

Several rural senators, who have seen close up the struggles that farmers and ranchers are having in the state, have predicted recovery will take awhile, and a special session this year to cut more out of the budget is inevitable. Other senators, especially those from eastern Nebraska, are not so pessimistic about tax collections in the remainder of this fiscal year and next.

Tax reform

The subject of much discussion preceding and during the legislative session -- tax reform -- never happened in 2017. A proposed package of property and income tax cuts (LB461), amassed by Ricketts and members of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, ultimately failed on the legislative floor.

Revenue Chairman Jim Smith of Papillion says he'll work with the governor "to see if there is a path forward" for next year.

Medical cannabis

A bill (LB622), introduced by Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, that would legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska got a couple of hours of debate this session, but supporters will have to wait until next session to find out if it will advance past first round.

The bill maps out how medical cannabis would be produced and dispensed, including a patient registry. It could not be smoked, but only dispensed as liquid, pill, vapor from liquid or oil, topical creams or lotions, or suppositories. And it could be prescribed for only qualifying conditions or illnesses, including cancer with severe pain, nausea and vomiting, or wasting; glaucoma; AIDS; seizure disorders; ALS; Crohn's disease and others.

Wishart says she will take the summer to educate senators on the importance of the bill in giving Nebraskans an option for treatment.

Hanging over the lawmaking aspect of medical cannabis is a petition drive that could put the legalization of marijuana on the ballot as soon as 2018. Supporters have said they believe they can gather the needed signatures and that the measure would pass.

Ex-felon voting rights

Senators passed a bill (LB75) introduced by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne that would have restored ex-felons' right to vote as soon as they completed their sentences or probations. The bill was vetoed by Ricketts and senators did not have sufficient votes to override the veto.

Wayne said after the vote he will continue to fight for the rights of ex-felons who have completed their sentences to vote without the current two-year waiting period.

Workplace discrimination

A bill (LB173) that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes in the workplace got three hours of debate this session but no vote was taken on Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld's bill.

The bill could get more time next session if Morfeld can get the votes needed. He said he will work with opponents to clarify points in the legislation and get the needed votes to pass.

Elections

Voter photo ID requirement proposal (LR1CA) was filibustered and remains on the legislative floor.

A winner-take-all presidential elector proposal (LB25) is still waiting to conclude the first stage of consideration.

School choice

While no school choice legislation was passed in 2017, the Revenue Committee advanced a measure (LB295) that would provide tax credits for privately funded scholarships for low- and middle-income students to attend private schools. The bill will be eligible for debate by the full Legislature next year.

Political process

A redistricting reform proposal (LB653) that would create a new citizens commission to help propose reapportionment plans for congressional, legislative and other governing districts awaits action on the floor.

A proposal to summon a convention of the states (LR6) to put forward constitutional amendments to rein in the power of the federal government stalled on the floor by a filibuster.

Gun regulation

A measure to end local gun regulation (LB68), with exceptions for Omaha and proposed exceptions for Lincoln, was held over at second-stage consideration.

Motorcycle helmets

A bill (LB368) that would scrap a requirement that all motorcycle riders wear helmets was trapped on the floor by a filibuster.

Gambling

Senators rejected a bill (LB470) that would authorize keno gambling in Nebraska by smartphones.

Specialty plates

Specialized motor vehicle license plates with a "Choose Life" message (LB46) was approved after extended debate at several stages.
Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

On the last night of his earthly life, Silas Haifley's parents brought his baby brother to the hospital to meet him.

They brought his older brother, too.

They posed for their first and last family photo in the room where the toddler with sick lungs had spent the last 65 days struggling to breathe. At Childrens Hospital in Omaha, where his big sister, Isabel, had done the same.

The chaplain came. He helped 9-year-old Roman make molds of his brothers hands and feet.

Roman and his dad cut locks of Silas fine blond curls.

Roman held him and petted him until the brothers fell asleep in the reclining chair.

His dad held Silas then and read stories to him.

His favorite book, over and over.

I'd know you anywhere, my love. There are things about you quite like no other. Things always known by your father and mother...

The little boys breathing slowed.

His mother and father and brother told Silas how much they loved him. They covered him in kisses.

They were letting him go, his mother says.

But hell be with them forever.

* * *

Kendra and Damon Haifley are at home in a house with pale yellow walls and dark wood floors and childrens artwork on the walls, the house that welcomed their babies home.

Stone Charles Daniel is wearing a blue sleeper, resting in the crook of his mothers arm as she makes coffee.

He was their biggest baby, she says. Their only baby who arrived early.

His parents know why. Because he needed to meet his brother.

Kendra went into labor on the morning of May 16 and Stone was born at 9:18 that Tuesday night.

On his second-ever Thursday, baby Stone stretches and softly hiccups.

New to the world, he opens his eyes and shuts them again, as if pondering this place.

His parents move from the kitchen to the living room, passing him back and forth, kissing his face as they tell their story.

How they met at Docs, a bar in the Haymarket, when Kendra was working as a cocktail waitress, one of three jobs she juggled to put herself through college.

Damon was a friend of a friend and one night he came in and they had a glass of wine and sat and talked. And before he got up to leave, she asked if he wanted her number.

He pulled out the notebook and pen he always carried in his pocket.

A notebook?

He was just different, Kendra says. I liked that.

But still, she picked up his phone and punched in her number.

And Damon liked that. It made total sense.

And they made total sense.

It turned out they liked each other and pretty soon they loved each other. They loved being parents, too.

Roman Robert Lee Haifley was born April 21, 2008.

An amazing boy, his parents say. Smart and curious and loving. Wise beyond his years.

Kendra is a stay-at-home mom and yoga instructor, who lives what she teaches: Be grateful. Find the good in everything. Love.

Damon travels the world as a seismic engineer, studying the geology of ocean floors, then writing reports for gas and oil company clients.

The downside of his job is being away from home for six weeks at a time, but there is a wonderful corollary. He is home for six weeks at a time.

When Im here, our kids have two stay-at-home parents.

When Roman was 4, Isabel Meagan Mae arrived. Isabel was tiny -- a full-term newborn just shy of 5 pounds -- and she remained petite.

A smiling baby who turned into a funny and feisty toddler who loved to dress up.

Once on an outing to Target, she clamored for gold gladiator sandals and hot pink sunglasses, and the little purse she had to have.

She was a purse diva, her dad says.

They have a photo of her, smiling in her get-up.

You couldnt get mad at her because she was so adorable, Kendra says.

They figured shed have 10 kids one day, she loved her baby dolls so much. When Damon held her she mimicked him, cuddling her doll the way he cuddled her. If he kissed her on the head, her doll got a kiss on the head, too.

When she got sick, she stuck EKG leads on her baby dolls face and called them ouchies.

Isabel was 18 months old when she got pneumonia for the first time. More bouts followed and doctors diagnosed her with neuroendocrine hyperplasia of infancy, a condition babies eventually outgrew.

Damon was working in Australia when Kendra called with the news. I nearly bawled on the phone, I was so relieved.

This they could do.

They brought Isabel home from the hospital with an oxygen tank and 50 feet of tubing that they flung over the railing from her upstairs bedroom so she could roam the main floor.

But she tired easily. She napped twice a day and often theyd find her on the floor with her blankie an hour before bedtime.

The next three months were filled with hospital stays. Her parents learned a new vocabulary. Blood gases. Oxygen saturation. Viral panel. Oscillating ventilator. ECMO machine.

Isabel had every test imaginable and then some more. Everything came back normal.

But they learned Isabel wouldnt outgrow her weakened lungs after all. Eventually, her doctors agreed she needed a lung transplant.

They had just arrived at Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston full of hope, when her heart stopped.

Isabel is truly an angel who walked upon this earth teaching us what true love is, her parents wrote in the 2-year-olds obituary. She is a warrior of light and love and all things beautiful and good in this world!

They asked mourners to honor her spirit. The world truly is a better place because she was in it. Take a deep breath, be grateful, and love fully!

Two-and-a-half years later, a week after losing their second child, they are still grateful.

Their grief is vast. Unfathomable.

People say we are strong, Damon says. Were not.

But they know they dont get to chose. They believe in Gods faithfulness.

They love deeply. They love hard.

One thing I would never go back and do is not love Isabel and Silas as much as I did, Kendra says, because they knew how much they were loved from the moment they were born.

All they knew was love.

* * *

When Silas was born, his parents gave him a piece of his sister to carry -- the last two syllables of her first name.

And Silas Thelonious Abel was Isabels mirror image -- small and fine-featured.

But her opposite in temperament.

He was so observant, Damon says. He just wanted to see what the world was like.

He adored his mommy. No matter who was holding him, when Kendra came into the room he held out his arms.

Hed give a look, like These other people have been so terrible to me, she says.

A cuddle bear, his dad says.

They didnt worry about baby Silas. Damon and Kendra met with Isabels doctors after her death.

Wed love to have more kids, they told them. Should we adopt?

The answer was, if you have 100,000 more children, the odds are against them having this, Damon says. We were devastated losing Isabel, but we had the joy of knowing we could have more kids.

Silas turned 1 in October. A party with his family and a cake. He wasnt walking yet, but he was healthy and he played with his favorite present -- a push toy.

Then in November, he contracted bronchiolitis and in December, pneumonia. Thinking of Isabel, Kendra and Damon took him to a specialist in Denver. If Silas had what his sister did, maybe they could catch it early, fix it before it got worse.

Doctors found his lungs inflamed from the respiratory virus RSV but nothing else.

Silas came home trailing an oxygen tank.

He got sicker and spent his last 65 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Childrens, diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.

His parents never left him.

They were approved by their insurance company for a lung transplant evaluation at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

And several times, their sick son rallied, and they had hope he could come home.

They learned how to care for his trach and his feeding tube.

Then Silas began to fail.

Doctors increased his oxygen levels until his ventilator began pushing pure oxygen into his lungs.

They met with their care team. Silas wouldnt get well.

You do everything you can to save your child, Kendra says. And you come to this place of is this in his best interest? Or is this just prolonging his life because you dont want to live without him?

Kendra went into labor sitting at her sons bedside. She waited for her mom to arrive and went home to pack a bag. She had a video connection set up so she could watch Silas from her hospital bed in Lincoln.

Sixteen hours after her C-section, they returned to Silas with the gift of his baby brother.

At his bedside, the nurses began unhooking him from the machines that kept him alive.

Kendra shared the news the next day on Facebook.

His time on Earth was short but it reminds us how precious life is and how blessed we are with every breath, how lucky we are to feel every high and low of life ... 

* * *

On the Saturday after Silas died, members of Good Life Fitness walked to raise money for the Haifley family.

Friends set up a YouCaring account to help ease the burden of uncovered medical bills.

All the sign-up slots on the Haifley Family Meal Train are taken until August.

Friends show up to fold laundry.

When Silas was sick, Kendras best friend and her family cared for Roman. Her parents took care of their dogs. Friends and neighbors took care of their house and brought Roman to visit.

I could live anywhere in the world for my job, Damon says. But I chose to live in Lincoln, Nebraska, because this community is so amazing.

After Isabel died, the Haifleys started the Warrior Princess Foundation in her memory, raising money to help other families. They hosted a blood drive.

They believe in more than themselves, says Olena Martin, a close friend. As a family, they have this deep love for one another and it bleeds out to everyone they meet.

DNA from Kendra and Damon and their four children has been sent to Harvard and Yale, where scientists will study it, looking for a genetic link, clues to connect Isabel and Silas and to help Roman and Stone.

In the house that welcomed their babies, they planned a service at First-Plymouth Church. They asked guests to honor Silas by bringing books to donate to the families in the PICU at Childrens Hospital.

They wrote another obituary.

To celebrate the life of love lived by Silas Thelonious Abel Haifley ... 
The lives of rural New Zealanders are at risk every day because of poor connectivity and inequitable health services, according to a rural health leader.

Dr Martin London, chair of the Rural Health Alliance of Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ), says the government needs to help remove barriers so rural peoples health be considered just as important as those who live in cities.

RHAANZ has 47 national member organisations encompassing rural health providers, agribusiness groups, universities, rural community groups and local government. This week it held a series of national rural conferences and meetings in Wellington.

Later, Martin met Health Minister Jonathan Coleman outlining RHAANZs priorities for improving health services in rural areas: rural wellbeing, rural connectivity, rural research and policy, rural health services and the rural health workforce.

We reminded him that with at least 600,000 people living in rural regions, effectively New Zealands second largest city, we are an important constituency from an economic and political perspective, says Martin.

Overseas evidence links health and wellbeing to economic productivity. Intuitively this will apply in NZ so it is an imperative rural people receive their fair share of publicly funded health services and have equitable access to health services.

We asked him to reinstate rural proofing across all government departments and we want to fast track a new definition of rurality as it pertains to health services in New Zealand. These are two of the most important ways we can hold policy makers to account for equitable health outcomes for rural people.

Mobile blackspots remain a serious issue across rural New Zealand, especially in case of emergencies. Poor broadband connectivity is a barrier to education and the slow pace of UFB and RBI2 roll-outs are dampening progress, production and innovation.

He says there are simply unrealistic expectations placed on the rural health workforce, particularly in regard to emergency and after-hours services.

Our rural health workforce is ageing, tired and burnt-out and we need better retention and recruitment. We need greater workforce flexibility, nurse practitioners and pharmacists for example, as a key way to improve access to health services for rural people.

We also need to make our small towns liveable so that people want to come and to stay. If we can make our rural communities vibrant again many of our issues will be solved.

We want a national virtual health care service for rural New Zealanders, bringing services closer to rural people and helping rural people to age in their own homes. The technology and expertise is there. We need, in an election year, evidence of the political will to see it happen.

He says agriculture and tourism are the powerhouses of the New Zealand economy.

Each year, more than two and a half million tourists visit rural New Zealand. In 2011-2012, $40 billion, or 19 percent of GDP, was generated directly or indirectly by the agri-food sector.

The government needs to work with our ideas on rural health and social services if it wants the sector to thrive.

Martin and his colleagues intend to meet Minister Coleman again at the inaugural Health Hub at the annual Mystery Creek Fieldays in the Waikato next month.
When Captain Cook visited Niue in 1774, says Iata Peautolu, he tried to land three times, and three times he failed. Its recorded that these fierce brutal savages didnt allow him access so he carried on his journey and decided to name the island Savage Island.

A karakia and taonga puoro by Joel Komene, followed by a waiata from award-winning Tauria Mai Tawhiti, and opening welcome and remarks by Nick Eggleston and Iata Peautolu launched Iatas first solo exhibition.

Titled A Noble Savage, the opening launch was held at The Incubator at Taurangas Historic Village on Friday evening.

Niue is the island of my father who was born and raised there, says Iata. A simple island, simple lifestyle, living off the land. Thats my savage heritage I suppose. Niue means coconut, so my father is a savage coconut I guess and so am I  a savage coconut.

The combination of Maori and Niuean culture and Iatas own upbringing is reflected in the imagery in his works. He draws on the motifs and symbols of his heritage and surroundings, expressing contemporary Polynesian style.

Studying art at secondary school, Iata went on to pursue an art and design career, eventually steering towards performing arts. He joined Island Breeze, a Polynesian dance troupe in Australia that performed globally, and utilised his artist ability in designing costumes, brochures and websites through to choreographing some of the Polynesian island dances the group performed.

This chapter in my life was fundamental in the forming of my ideas, beliefs and creativity, says Iata.

Completing art school in Hawaii, he returned to Island Breeze and then moved back to New Zealand to strengthen family ties and to pursue a career in Maori and Pacific art.

In 2014, his remarkable piece Mana Tu, Mana Toa, Mana Ake Ake was an entrant into the adults division of the Battles of Gate Pa/Te Ranga Art Competition. This year, Iata is the first beneficiary of an emerging artist programme sponsored by the Tauranga City Council Community Match Fund.

His solo exhibition is one of the events organised for Matariki, which celebrates the Maori New Year. Matariki is a special time in the Maori calendar where kai  food  is plentiful, with time spent singing, dancing and feasting.

Each year, the winter stars of Matariki signal the arrival of the Maori New Year, and is a time of new beginnings when karakia  prayers  are offered. Its linked to the growing seasons with the belief that the coming seasons crops were planted based on the Matariki star cluster.

The exhibition will run from May 26 to June 15, with The Incubator gallery open 9am-3pm weekdays and on Sunday June 4 from 8am-1pm during the Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Market held at the Tauranga Historic Village.

Nick Eggleston and Tanya Trass.

Riini McLeod and Angie Warren-Clark.
The Waikato/Bay of Plenty first team secured a win against some tough competition at the annual North Island Target Shooting Teams of Ten competition held in Napier recently.

Waikato/BOP scored a total of 3891.173, with the Manawatu team, who had secured the trophy for the past five years, placing second in a keenly contested finish with a score of 3885.168.

The annual competition, which has been held for the past for 56 years, sees the top ten ranked shooters from each of the ten North Island Target Shooting Associations compete against each other for the coveted Rees Scroll.

The Waikato/BOP team was made up of shooters from Tauranga, Te Puke, Rotorua, Putaruru, Cambridge and Hamilton.

While the second teams, ranked 11-20, competed for the Jim Hart Trophy and the Waikato/BOP second team placed 4th out in their competition. Five associations entered teams this year

Tauranga shooter Roy Herbison was the overall highest scorer on the day posting an exceptional 400.25 out of 400.40. Rory McLeod of Te Puke was placed second with a score of 398.24 out of 400.40.

The 2018 event will be hosted by the Waikato/BOP Association and will be held in Tauranga and will see about 200 shooters, managers and supporters in town for the weekend.

Any potential sponsors who would like to support the event can contact the Association at waikatosmallbore@gmail.com
The small, white eagle plume that will be affixed to Elainna Robles cap as she walks across the stage to get her high school diploma Sunday symbolizes many things: family and tradition, achievement and honor.

Shes always known eagle feathers are a revered symbol in her Native American culture; a gift from elders honoring lifes achievements.

Its a symbol of strength, power, unity and honor, said the young woman who will graduate from Lincoln Southeast High School.

Until recently, she figured her great-grandpa, a medicine man in the Rosebud Sioux tribe, would conduct the ceremony and present her with a plume, which is traditionally given to young women.

But she had to get her feather early  before he came from Alliance to see her graduate  because the small, white plume represents something else this year: a first for Lincoln Public Schools graduates.

Robles is among 18 LPS seniors who will be allowed for the first time to wear their eagle feathers and plumes during graduation ceremonies. A total of 41 Native students will graduate, but under federal law, only those enrolled in a tribe are eligible to receive the feathers.

For years, Native families have asked LPS to allow their children to wear eagle feathers at graduation to no avail.

It was always 'No,'" said Rose Springer, youth program director at the Lincoln Indian Center.

District officials were concerned that letting Native students wear the feathers would be unfair to others students not allowed to wear cultural symbols, Springer said.

But during a meeting last August between the Indian Center and LPS officials about supporting Native students academically, the subject of eagle feathers came up, Springer said.

The result: A three-year academic support pilot with the Indian Center that uses eagle feathers as an incentive to encourage students to graduate.

The graduation rate of Native students lags far behind other groups nationally and locally. Last year, the LPS graduation rate was 85.6 percent overall; for Native students it was 52.9 percent.

Being able to wear something culturally important  and that symbolizes the achievement of graduating  is important, Springer said.

Its a high achievement to graduate. If kids arent feeling that theyre getting support or being recognized, its harder for them, she said. It gives them a sense of belonging, of pride.

The pilot program was approved in April so it would be open to this year's graduates, but will get underway in earnest next year.

Native students will be able to apply online to be a part of the Eagle Feather Program, setting specific academic goals. The Indian Center will help them reach those goals, work with them to complete homework and, ultimately, to graduate.

The Indian Center will bring in more tutors to help, and if necessary students also can use existing academic support programs at their schools, Springer said.

High-achieving students can also apply, setting their own goals or offering support to fellow students, Springer said.

While LPS sees this largely as an incentive program, it means much more to Native families, whose history is clouded by boarding schools aimed at eradicating Native students' tradition and culture.

Its a Native space within this institution which has traditionally stripped us of our culture and used education as a tool against us to institutionalize us into the European mindset, said Joseph Rousseau, chairman of the Indian Center board of directors.

This is the opposite of that mindset, he said.

So that adds to the significance of a public school system creating this recognition for Native students, he said. Its a great step to ... building bridges with the Native community and the education system.

Alfred White Eyes, a member of the Omaha tribe who performed the ceremony and presented the eagle feathers to the LPS graduates, said some other Nebraska schools allow students to wear the feathers at graduation, as do Native boarding schools and colleges.

But generations have been denied that opportunity, he said.

So today were lucky to come by this for our children, he said.

The feathers are an integral part of family, an acknowledgement by young people of their responsibility to their elders.

Its a part of our culture, our heritage, White Eyes said. The reason the eagle feathers are so dear to us is that they fly the highest in the sky. The prayers we say to them are carried to the heavens to give us blessing for what we are trying to do in our life  for doing the right thing.

For Robles, the feather symbolizes her determination to graduate  to overcome struggles that trace to the ninth grade when she began running with the wrong crowd.

She started running away, she got in fights, and got kicked out of school  but she came back, despite students who tried to pick fights with her, caught up and finished. Now, she plans to attend Southeast Community College to begin work on a nursing degree.

I realized thats not the type of life I wanted to lead, she said. "That's not how I was raised."

The eagle plume she'll wear as she crosses the graduation stage Sunday is a connection to the family she loves and a culture that has sometimes been hard to hang onto in a white culture, away from extended family.

White Eyes hopes the districts eagle feathers program will help remedy that.

I hope it will bring them back to the powwows and cultural activities we are trying to keep alive, he said.
Don Walton Political reporter/columnist Don Walton covers politics and the Legislature along with writing a weekly column. Follow Don Walton Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Start the countdown.

Yeah, it's still a little early, but the clock is ticking and the calendar has moved within a year of the 2018 primary election.

Time to begin to wrap up some personal and strategic decisions that need to be made by potential candidates, especially if they are preparing to challenge incumbent officeholders.

Is there support, measured not only in a potential cadre of active supporters and campaign volunteers with a high enthusiasm level, but also in terms of vital financial resources?

Is the family all-in?

Is the incumbent vulnerable?

This could be a bigger election year for Nebraska than it might appear at first glance.

The governorship is at stake as Gov. Pete Ricketts seeks re-election.

And, yes, a U.S. Senate seat is on the ballot, along with all three U.S. House slots.

Those are the glamour races that will be in the media spotlight, but it might be true that the critical election contests that have the most direct impact on the state's near-term future are the contests for seats in the nonpartisan Legislature.

So, stack those up there alongside the governor's race.

The Legislature tipped more conservative after the 2016 election, far more inclined to follow Ricketts' lead, especially in constructing a spartan state budget, supporting his vetoes and virtually slamming the door on the growth of state government spending for the next two years.

Some conservative senators would like to make that permanent.

This austere budget came in direct response to sagging state revenue that largely resulted from a downturn in Nebraska's agricultural sector due to plunging commodity prices.

But the decision to slash away at the state budget  without any attempt to access some additional revenue to help meet the challenge by revisiting any of the tax breaks, incentives, credits or exemptions granted in the past  also happened to fit into a conservative comfort zone.

Will that lost potential level of funding support ever be recovered or restored?

Will the University of Nebraska and the community colleges be viewed as catalysts to help build the state's future  along with its quality of life and culture  by educating and training a talented workforce, both white collar and blue collar, and attracting growth to the state? Or are they to be viewed more as funding liabilities?

Will there be adequate services for Nebraskans who are not as fortunate as most of us?

OK, stop there, maybe there are now.

Maybe the 2017-2019 spending levels established in the budget for state activities, including the university, the community colleges, and health and human services and every other activity, are sufficient. That's the conservative counter-argument.

Voters will help determine the answer to that question next year when they choose state senators.

Some heavy-hitters will leave the Legislature after the 2018 session, bounced by term limits. Jim Smith, Bob Krist, Burke Harr, Paul Schumacher among them.

In that short list are two moderate Republicans  Krist and Schumacher  and another moderate Republican, Roy Baker, just announced he will not be a candidate for a second term.

Meanwhile, it is abundantly clear that some moderate-minded members of this nonpartisan Legislature will face strong challenges in 2018 when the fiercely independent freshman class of 2014 makes an encore appearance on the ballot with partisan snipers waiting for them.

Without painting a target on any of them, you can easily identify at least three or four senators who are (or were) Republicans who might face challenges from staunchly conservative Republican candidates  perhaps with the active assistance of the governor  next year. Maybe even more.

Next year's ballot will be a legislative battleground.

And the results of the 2018 legislative elections may have far more impact on Nebraska than the high-profile congressional contests.

* * *

Downer.

That would be my response to Zach Pluhacek's survey of senators seeking a one-word description of the 2017 legislative session on its final day.

Far too gloomy and pessimistic.

No bright, sunshiny days.

Almost singularly focused on today's challenges without regard to tomorrow's opportunities.

Not much interest in looking ahead or making investments in the future.

* * *

The proposed initiative petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the 2018 general election ballot to reduce and limit property taxes is a reminder that tax-specific proposals have had a hard time historically winning approval from the voters.

The reason is simple: there always are winners and losers.

When somebody benefits, somebody else loses.

A 1996 initiative to impose property tax levy limits, a 1998 constitutional amendment to limit increases in state and local tax revenue, a 2006 amendment to impose a state spending limit, all were rejected.

The big exception was 1966, when voters simultaneously wiped out a new state income tax law that never took effect and eliminated the state property tax, leaving state government with no visible means of support until newly-elected Gov. Norbert Tiemann and the Legislature responded with a new state sales-income tax system.

Finishing up

* A big new Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam War is coming to PBS in September. Ten segments, 18 hours, history and a lesson.

* And now comes June and summertime.
The European Unions leadership on the issue of climate change has been one of its greatest accomplishments: by setting ambitious targets for the worlds largest single market, the European Union has provided benchmarks for other nations around the world. However, recent scandals, in which the onboard computers in a variety of European companys diesel cars were programmed to cheat on emissions tests, have cast doubts on the European Unions commitment to emissions enforcement and have undercut its role as a global clean power leader . The EU Competitiveness Councils meeting on May 29 is an important opportunity to reiterate the European Unions support for clean power and environmental protection and to demonstrate its commitment to robust enforcement.

The European Unions clean power leadership has helped define its moral compass globally since its formation 24 years ago: from Denmarks role in establishing wind power, to Germanys efforts to put solar power on the map, to EU actions to secure the 2015 Paris Agreement. The European Union also has led the world in reducing vehicles negative impact on the climate. Its 2013 world-leading emissions standards for cars - 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer - helped other countries set their own ambitious goals. By 2025, similar regulations adopted by the United States, Japan, and China will harmonize with these European standards, creating promising international coordination to reduce carbon emissions.

The EU leadership in environment came into doubt

In recent years, unfortunately, EU environmental leadership has been called into question. Starting in the 1990s, the European Union promoted clean diesel technology for high-efficiency, low-emission vehicles. Heavy subsidies and other inducements were very successful, and many Europeans chose diesel cars. Today, about 50 percent of cars on European roads are diesel, compared with just about 3 percent in the United States. Then, in 2015, Dieselgate blew up in the European Unions face. The problems started in the United States, where it was discovered that half a million Volkswagen (VW) diesel cars were engineered to cheat on diesel emissions tests. The cars onboard computers produced testing data that allowed them to pass emissions tests with engines that, in the real world, exceeded national standards up to 40 times over. It soon came out that VW had been cheating in Europe, and globally as well. The damage further expanded when later studies showed that virtually every European automaker had been cheating on the diesel emissions requirements.

Every year 38.000 people in the EU die prematurely because of air pollution

This cheating is not just a matter of flaunting regulations; it has devastating real-world consequences. Lax enforcement allowed well over 30 million high-polluting diesel cars onto European roads, where they constitute a major contributor to the severe air pollution that kills nearly half a million people in the European Union annually. A recent study showed higher-than-permitted diesel vehicle emissions caused 38,000 premature deaths worldwide in 2015, of which 11,400 occurred in the European Union. Mayors of cities such as London, Madrid, and Paris have called for a ban on diesel cars to protect residents. Aware of the popular and regulatory backlash, manufacturers including Renault and Volvo have discussed moving away from diesel cars altogether.

European car testing authorities might have thought they were helping manufacturers through lax enforcement, but in reality they allowed manufacturers to pour billions of euros into technology that no longer can be marketed abroad and that has waning prospects at home.

A chance to reinstate the leadership role

In the shadow of Dieselgate, EU leaders have an opportunity to reassert their leadership. So far, however, this has been a wasted opportunity. Although both American and European regulators were fooled for years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal agency responsible for testing, auditing, and certifying cars, took fast and effective steps following the diesel scandal. VW has agreed to pay up to $25 billion in penalties from U.S. federal and state environmental regulators as well as claims from owners and dealers, and the company also has agreed to buy back 500,000 high-polluting vehicles. Multiple senior VW officials have been charged for criminal actions.

By contrast, the European Unions response to Dieselgate has been sluggish. This shortcoming is, in large part, because of its weak enforcement framework. The U.S. EPA has a muscular enforcement mechanism: noncompliance can cost a manufacturer up to $36,000 per engine per day. However, the European Union has no similar organization or laws.

It was not good for the car industry to be lax on the rules

Dieselgate could be a rallying cry for more far-reaching action to protect EU citizens health. Instead, some member nations appear to be drawing battle lines over basic health protections. Among those seeking to retain the status quo are Germany and Italy, not coincidentally nations with large manufacturers of diesel technologies.

German manufacturers have historically pushed back on tighter emissions regulations, both in Europe and United States. But, following Dieselgate, there may be an opportunity to change this narrative. Despite official German resistance at the national level, individual manufacturers seem to be pivoting toward a new investment trajectory. VW, whose brand was severely damaged by Dieselgate, committed to electrifying 25 percent of the vehicles it sells by 2025. Mercedes is moving in a similar direction, announcing 13 new electric models. BMW, a pioneer in electrification, now has six models with electrified powertrains.

The manufacturers can produce clean cars - they are electric

In the aftermath of Dieselgate, the European Union has a chance to restore its environmental leadership. This road begins with EU ministers opening their eyes to the risks of protecting what has become a subprime technology. Dieselgate laid bare how negligence by both manufacturers and policymakers can lead a whole industry to invest in a stranded asset and damage its international reputation.

With its environmental credibility on the line, the EU Commission has taken one step in the right directionproposing reforms to the legal framework governing the approval and testing of cars in the European Union. These reforms would strengthen health benefits and environmental outcomes, and would authorize strict penalties for noncompliance. The proposal is now in front of the Competitiveness Council, which must approve the terms before the final deal is struck with the EU Parliament in autumn 2017.

Margo Oge worked 18 years as head of the Office of Transportation & Air Quality at the US Environmental Protection Agency.  Steve Jennings/AFP

EU ministers should recognize what the auto industry already knows: clean power technology, such as mass-market electric powertrains, will define the industry in future decades, and policymakers will need to need to provide a supportive but rigorous regulatory environment for this technology. EU policies to support clean power technology not only will improve the health of EU citizens but also could be a cornerstone of the European Unions relevance to an environmentally conscious younger generation. We hope that the Competitiveness Council on May 29 will support reforms that will point the EU car industry back in the right direction.

Margo Oge has worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency for 32 years, 18 of the she was the head of the Office of Transportation and Air quality.

Margo Oge

Zur Startseite
Cybersecurity expert Eugene Kaspersky has volunteered to turn over his companys software source code to allay fears about possible ties with the Russian government, The Australian reported last week. Kaspersky made the offer public at CeBIT Australia.

Some U.S. officials have expressed concerns that Kaspersky Lab might have a close working relationship with the Russian government.

Kaspersky five years ago replaced a number of high-level managers with people who had ties to Russias military or intelligence services, Bloomberg reported in 2015.

Some of them reportedly have provided data from the 400 million customers using Kasperskys software to Russias intelligence agency, the FSB.

Also, Kaspersky himself reportedly visits saunas with Russian officials on a regular basis.

Kaspersky studied at a university backed by the KGB  the precursor of the FSB  in the 1980s, according to reports, and he served as a software engineer with Soviet military intelligence before leaving for the private sector.

The heads of five U.S. intelligence agencies recently expressed suspicions regarding Kaspersky Lab to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, but they dont have an option due to political reasons, Kaspersky suggested on Reddit.

Recently, inaccurate statement and claims about Kaspersky Lab have circulated in public, the company said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by corporate communications manager Denise Bertrand.

Eugene never worked for the Russian government, Kapersky Lab contended. He grew up in the Soviet Union era when almost every education opportunity was sponsored by the government in some manner.

The university Kaspersky studied at was sponsored by four state institutions, one of which was the KGB, Kaspersky Lab said. He was placed at a Russian Ministry of Defense scientific institute as a software engineer upon graduating, because it was routine for university faculty to determine students post-graduate positions.

Stirring a Hornets Nest

Kaspersky did itself no favors with its all-out pursuit of hackers and malware authors linked to the U.S.

It has uncovered sophisticated malware or spyware connected to U.S. intelligence sources, including Stuxnet, Flame, Shamoon, and The Equation Group.

Kaspersky didnt seem to look equally hard for state-sponsored malware released by Russia, an acknowledged haven for cybercriminals.

Possibly because of that, and also because of the controversy surrounding Russias possible meddling in the U.S. presidential elections, Kaspersky now is under the microscope.

The FBI is looking into Kasperskys ties with the Russian government, as is the Senate.

Separately, the NSA and the UKs GCHQ reportedly have been trying to hack into Kaspersky for years.

Is Kaspersky Targeted Unfairly?

The NSA could be behind the latest scrutiny of Kaspersky Lab and its CEO.

Its always dangerous to piss off three-letter agencies, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Doing so while operating out of Russia would be even more problematic, he told TechNewsWorld.

However, the likelihood of Kaspersky maintaining a wall between its work with the FSB and Russian government, and its work with other clients is effectively zero, said Michael Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

Like a John LeCarre Novel

The situation is like a John LeCarre novel come to life, said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC.

Youre not going to be able to prove absolutely whether or not Kaspersky has ties to the Russian government, she told TechNewsWorld.

He has done all he can do  offer to give the U.S. government his source code, she pointed out.

The problem isnt whether Russia built a back door into the Kaspersky code, but that Russia may have copies of the source code, Jude told TechNewsWorld.

Regardless of whom Kaspersky turns his code over to, his reputation is shot, Jude said. If its Russia, the U.S. market is dead; if its the U.S., then just about every non-U.S. market is dead.
The World Health Organization (WHO) just announced that three cases of Zika virus have been recorded in India. Because of this, authorities are working closely together to prevent an outbreak of the disease.

Three Separate Cases Of Zika

On May 15, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) informed WHO of three separate, laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in the Bapunagar area, Ahmedabad District. The cases were detected and confirmed by a routine laboratory surveillance via RT-PCR test at the B.J. Medical College (BJMC) in Ahmedabad. These cases were further confirmed by another RT-PCR test at the country's National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The three cases were recorded between February of 2016 and January of 2017. The first case was detected during a routine Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) surveillance at BJMC. Among the 93 samples gathered during the surveillance, one sample from a 64-year-old male who had been sick for 8 days tested negative for Dengue fever but tested positive for Zika virus disease. This is the first case of Zika virus disease at BJMC in Gujarat State.

The second case of Zika virus came months later in November of 2016 after a woman gave birth to a healthy baby. She had no history of any fever during her pregnancy, nor did she have any travel history during the preceding months but had developed a low-grade fever during her stay at the hospital. A sample of her blood was sent to be tested for dengue fever, but she instead tested positive for Zika virus disease. The sample's positive result was re-confirmed at the NIV.

In January of 2017, 111 blood samples were gathered and tested during an Antenatal Clinic surveillance at BJMC. Among them, one sample from a 22-year-old female turned out positive for Zika virus disease. she was 37-weeks pregnant at the time.

Public Health Response

National guidelines have already been shared across the states of India to prevent an outbreak of Zika virus disease. Further, an inter-ministerial task force was created in order to monitor emerging cases in the country, as well as to review the global situation on Zika virus disease.

Among the many institutions taking control of the situation, the Indian Council of Medical Research, NIV, Pune, National Center For Disease Control in Delhi, and 25 other laboratories are continuously testing both human and mosquito samples for the presence of Zika virus.

WHO is consistently monitoring the situation in India, and advises people in high-risk areas or those traveling to such places to take the necessary precautions to prevent contracting the disease. This includes spraying pesticides and wearing insect repellents, long-sleeved shirts, and pants. Rooms are also advised to be protected with screens to prevent carrier mosquitoes from entering the premises.

No travel or trade restrictions are currently placed on India based on the assessment of current information.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
If you dont recognize the woman in the purple hat on the new Black Heritage postage stamp, the 125 members of the Ann Arbor Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta are happy to explain: Dorothy Height (1912-2010) was a civil rights icon, the president of the National Council of Negro Women, an organizer of the 1963 March on Washingtonand a Delta.

Founded at Howard University in 1913 to promote academic excellence and provide assistance to those in need, the sorority has more than half a million living alumnae. Local physician Dorian Moore recalls how inspiring it was to be recognized by the group as a senior at Pioneer in 1983; she joined the sorority at Spelman College, returned to Ann Arbor for med school, and, like many Deltas, remains active as an alumna.

The local chapter raises funds to give ten $1,000 scholarships annually. The Deltas Solid Gold in Education award ceremony on May 19 will also recognize eighth-grade girls with certificates and gift cards. Many of them must navigate through many difficult circumstances, Moore writes, and the Deltas want them thinking ahead to college as they are on the cusp of exploring their independence and making decisions about their future. Dorothy Height would approve.
Allison Hendrix puts a lot of thought but not much money into the care packages she sends her children at summer camp.

She looks for items that will help them engage with cabin mates, and skips things that they would worry about breaking or losing. She seeks out items to make them laugh, and avoids anything that could induce homesickness.

I want to let them know Im thinking of them and I love them, but I dont want to make them miss home, says Hendrix, of Orlando, Florida.

She has sent costumes and wigs, yarn for making friendship bracelets, games and balls. Less is more, she says.

Other tips for creating a good care package for summer campers?

Tailor it to a childs personality, says Gay Gasser, owner of Mirth in a Box, a company in Fairfield, Connecticut, that specializes in sending camp care packages. Sending a shy kid a game might serve as an icebreaker in the cabin, she said. An outgoing kid might want stickers or other small, inexpensive items to share with friends.

Be sure to follow camp guidelines about packages, says Malcom Petty, owner of Sealed With A Kiss Camp Services in Kansas City. Most camps have rules about what parents can and cant send. Many dont allow food or electronics. Others only accept packages of a certain size.

They dont want anything that will create a mess, like water balloons or confetti. Nothing that in any way looks like a weapon, Petty says. You want things that are going to add value to the experience.

Done right, packages are a sweet and lovely touchstone to home, says Paul Sheridan, director at Four Winds Camp on Orcas Island in Washington.

And dont go overboard. Parents who try to outdo each other with lavish and frequent gifts, or who ignore camp rules, can create difficult situations for camps and campers, he says. Constant reminders of home can distract from the purpose of camp.

And packages also can cause hurt feelings when not everyone in the cabin receives them, said Lindsay Matteson, director at Camp Winacka in San Diego, California. It can be really hard, she said. At our camp, the girls share space and there arent very many ways to be discreet about handing out packages.

She suggests sending playing cards, the group word game Madlibs, party favors and decorations, or other things that can be enjoyed by the entire cabin.

More tips for sending care packages to camp:

Plan an extra day or two for delivery.

Double check that camp address; make sure its the camps summer address.

Include your daytime phone number if you order from an online care package company. The sooner the company can reach you to correct any errors, the sooner it can ship out your childs package.

Find out if the camp will let you leave a package with them at drop-off to give your child a day or two later. This saves shipping costs and ensures that your camper will receive the package.
Brazil: Lula Meets With the Presidents of the House and Senate
With the last day of school just around the corner, thoughts are turning to fun in the sun for children throughout Racine County. And the many summer playground programs available in the area offer lots of opportunity to find such fun.

One of the areas newest summer playground offerings is the Drop-In Parks program, offered by the Village of Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation Committee. Launched last year, the drop-in playgrounds are offered at three parks on the east end of Mount Pleasant  Polzin Park, in the 2200 block of Mead Street; Sheridan Woods Park, in the 3200 block of Phillips Avenue; and Lake Park, in the 3800 block of Sheridan Road.

They are aimed at children ages 6 through 12 living in those neighborhoods, and are offered free of charge to the public, thanks to a grant awarded to the program by SC Johnson both this year and last, according to Brittany Bodnar, Mount Pleasant recreation director.

Bodnar said that SC Johnson is a great partner in this program, and that the grants are a huge blessing.

The Drop-In Parks program not only provides opportunities for kids to get outside, run around and get involved in a variety of activities, but to enjoy the public space in these parks, which are otherwise not be used to their full potential, she said.

Playful afternoons

Starting June 13 and running through Aug. 3, Mount Pleasants Drop-In Parks will be offered four afternoons a week at Polzin Park, and two afternoons a week at both Lake Park and Sheridan Woods. Programs are scheduled from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Polzin Park; and at the same time on Monday and Wednesday at Sheridan Woods; and on Tuesday and Thursday at Lake Park. No registration is required.

Last year, the Lake Park and Sheridan Woods programs were scheduled in the morning, and turnout at those locations was lower than expected, Bodnar said.

We found out that many of the kids in those areas were in summer school in the morning, she said.

Meanwhile, the Polzin Park program, which was held in the afternoon last year, was drawing 20 to 30 kids every day. Thats why all the programs have been scheduled in the afternoon this year, Bodnar said.

Games, crafts and more

Programming for the Drop-In Parks includes age-appropriate playground games  from capture the flag and jump the brook to kickball  as well as a variety of craft projects and free time to play on the playground. Each week has a different theme, ranging from topics such as super heroes to water week, and, at the end of the summer, each playground celebrates with a big, group birthday party.

Its like the last hurrah for the summer, Bodnar said.

New this year at the Drop-In Parks, and some of Mount Pleasants other summer playgrounds, will be presentations given by members of the villages fire and police departments. The departments will bring some of their equipment to the parks and talk with the kids about things such as fireworks safety, Bodnar said.

We are hoping they will be able to come to all of the parks, she said. It should be really cool.

Fourth of July

Also new this year is the opportunity for playground participants (throughout Mount Pleasants summer programs) to march in this years Fourth Fest parade in Racine. The Parks and Recreation Committee is planning to build a float for the parade and hopes that playground participants will want to walk with the float, Bodnar said.

We have a lot of fun things planned, she said.

Like the rest of Mount Pleasants summer playgrounds, the Drop-In Parks are staffed by trained, young-adult playground leaders, most of whom are college age, Bodnar said.

We always make sure we have more than enough staff at every park, she said. And our playground leaders know that, outside of it being a lot of fun, their job is a very serious one, she said. They realize that people have entrusted their children to us.

Lunch program

Children at the Polzin Park Drop-In program will also have the opportunity to participate in the free, summer lunch program offered there from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., through the Racine Unified School District.

Polzin Park is one of a number of sites throughout the city where a nutritious, free lunch is served as part of the Summer Food Service Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This program is available to children ages 1 to 18 and more information about it is available by calling RUSDs Food Service Department at 262-631-7082.

Bodnar said that her department plans to coordinate with lunch program organizers in offering some joint activities and craft projects for participating children.

I think it will be a great partnership, Bodnar said.

For more about Mount Pleasants Drop-In Parks and other summer playgrounds, go to www.mtpleasantwi.gov/2394/Summer-Playground-Programs or call 262-995-3120.
RACINE  The year 2009 was a tumultuous one for the City of Racine. In 2008, the worlds economy collapsed, and Racine was hit particularly hard. Those effects lingered into 2009, and the city, as former City Attorney Rob Weber put it, was hurting.

But nothing could have prepared Racine for the events of 2009. On Jan. 13, Mayor Gary Becker, first elected in 2003, was arrested after he attempted to solicit sex from an underage girl who turned out to be an agent from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation. The arrest sent shock waves through the city, drew national attention and created a chaotic period of transition at City Hall.

On May 20, John Dickert became the fourth person to serve as Racines mayor in 2009 after winning a special election, and hes been in charge ever since. Dickert announced this spring that he would resign, effective this summer, to take a job with a water-conservation coalition, which will likely lead to another special election in late 2017 or early 2018.

In this three-part series, The Journal Times will look back on the last special election in Racine by talking to many of the key figures during that tumultuous time. Besides recounting a wild five months for city government, those interviewed reflect on what they learned from the election process and how it can help Racine as a similar election draws near.

Beckers downfall began on Dec. 23, 2008, when a city employee found child pornography on his city computer. That discovery began a Department of Criminal Investigation inquiry that would eventually result in Beckers arrest at Brookfield Mall in Waukesha County.

Then Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen, who was made aware of the ongoing investigation of his boss by DCI, was the first city official notified of Beckers arrest.

Wahlen: We had an investigation going on, and because it was the mayor and it was brought to my attention, I turned it over to DCI. DCI kept me up to date on what they were doing. There came a time when DCI arrested Mayor Becker. Once we did that, we did a search warrant on his house. About the time we did the search warrant on his house, there were very few people in the loop on that. The city attorney, Rob Weber, worked with me closely on the whole thing.

Weber: The police chief stopped at my house late at night. I lived two doors from Gary. Chief Wahlen knew that I was city attorney, so he stopped with me and told me what the situation was. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement.

Around midnight on Jan. 14, Wahlen called then 5th District Alderman David Maack, the council president at the time, to give him the news.

Maack: I called all the aldermen sometime after midnight to let them know that I had received a call from the police chief indicating that the mayor had been arrested. I felt it was my obligation as City Council president to let everyone know immediately.

Tom Friedel, then the 10th District alderman: Its hard to get back to sleep after that. I dont think I was able to get back to sleep, because it was totally shocking. You could have thought a lot of things mightve happened; that certainly wasnt one of them. Then your head starts spinning about whats going to happen.

The news of Beckers arrest started to trickle out that morning.

Janice Johnson-Martin, city clerk: I was pulling into the parking lot. Sometimes I get here early. Commissioner (of Public Works) Rick Jones was pulling in early and he said You got called in to be here early too? I said, No, why? And he said, Well, our mayor was arrested and hes in Kenosha jail. So thats how I first found out, and then I went into the office and turned on the radio and it was all over the radio.

John Dickert, then a local Realtor: I got a call right away that morning. Ill never forget it because it was snowing. There was heavy snow on the ground. I was in real estate. I thought it was bizarre that someone was calling me so early in the morning, because when I was in real estate I slept in until around 7:30, 8 oclock.

Then state Rep. Bob Turner, D-Racine: Someone had called my office in Madison and said the mayor had been arrested. At first, I just kind of wondered, Was it really true?

The mayors arrest shocked many in the community, especially due to the nature of the crime he committed.

Weber: Gary was a very popular mayor. People tend to forget that, but he was. There in fact had been several positive articles about him and the city in The New York Times. This was a shock in more ways than one.

Friedel: At this point in time, all we know is that hes got an allegation that this happened. You dont know anything more than that. Youre hoping maybe that, OK, theres another answer for this. It isnt really what happened.

Maack: I had one alderman call me back and ask, Were you joking? No. Im not going to wake you up at 12:30 in the morning and joke around about something. It just kind of stunned everybody that it had happened and what it involved.

With Becker in a Kenosha jail cell, Maack assumed the role of acting mayor.

Maack: The next day was just a flurry of activity. There were a number of news media contacts throughout the day, telephone calls and meeting with various people, because of the uncertainty of everything that had taken place.

In the midst of the chaos, Maack led a previously scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m. The council voted 8-4 to amend a nuisance property ordinance at the meeting.

Maack: I chose to have that meeting instead of cancelling it because I didnt want this situation to lend the appearance that the city government came to halt, because it didnt.

Friedel: I told him I thought he should have canceled it. I think if you go back and look at the record, I think I did not attend (he did not). I couldnt understand why he wouldnt cancel that meeting, because no one could focus on the issue at hand.

Even though he had been arrested, Becker didnt immediately resign. With questions swirling about whether he even intended to resign, the possibility of initiating a due-process hearing to force his resignation loomed large.

Wahlen: Gary Becker was not going to step down as mayor. He was going to hang on. We needed a citizen from the City of Racine to file an affidavit concerning the mayor and it had to display the facts of the case and that he should be taken out of office. Since I was the police chief and a resident of the City of Racine, I filed the affidavit.

Weber: He had the right to have a due process hearing and that could have been lengthy and just painful for the city.

Friedel: They were getting ready to do that. I think David (Maack) as president had decided that if there was not resignation, the council was going to have to take action.

Weber called Friedel asking him to meet with Becker and Beckers attorney Patrick Cafferty. Cafferty, Becker and Friedel met that Saturday, Jan. 17, to discuss Beckers resignation.

Friedel: It was a pretty tough conversation. I said, its going to make this worse on your family, the councils going to take it out, theyre going to have to bring evidence, theyre going to have to drag this through. Youll get your day in court, but why would you add this burden on your family? is basically what I tried to explain to him. And he said Ill think it over. Ill discuss it and Ill think about it.

Three days later, Tuesday, Jan. 20, was Barack Obamas presidential inauguration.

Meg Andreitsch of the Racine County Democratic Party: There were a lot of people going (to Washington). With the mayor not going, suddenly a lot of peoples plans had to change.

Friedel: He had planned to go. He was a big Obama supporter. We had all attended the big Obama campaign rally at Memorial Hall a couple of weeks before the election. He was going to Washington for the Conference of Mayors. He was going to stay an extended period of time.

That morning, Friedel was at work at Twin Disc listening to the inauguration on the radio when Becker called him.
MOUNT PLEASANT  An Illinois couple who bought a lakeside home on Sheridan Road here are having to accommodate another family already living there: two adult bald eagles and their two chicks.

The Illinois buyers plan to demolish the existing home and build a new one, possibly starting by the end of this month. And the neighbors on each side of the property, between Chicory Road and Highway KR, want to see the birds given a fair chance to finish raising their young.

The two adult eagles built their large nest, or aerie, in 2011, the year Nancy Eggert moved in next door, she said. Theyve had at least one chick every year, high up in the large pine tree.

Tim and Gloria Smith moved in on the other side of that property three years ago, and Gloria was delighted to learn there was an aerie, with eagles, in plain sight from her kitchen window.

It was kind of amazing, she said. We love living near them.

Eagles are no longer classified as endangered but are still protected under the Eagle Protection Act.

Smith said she has concerns about the coming demolition and construction and the effects those could have on the eagle family next door. Because if they really disturb (the adults), they may not come back, she said.

Last year the young, fledged eagle left about the end of July, Smith said.

We dont have problems with people building or doing anything, she said. It would just be nice if they waited.

Disturbance permit

The new property owners did not respond to requests for comment. But Eggert, a retired federal government lawyer and retired Lutheran pastor, said she doesnt think the new owners dont want to harm the birds. They definitely dont want to disturb the eagles, Eggert said.

Mags Rheude, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the property owners have applied for a voluntary disturbance permit for the construction work to come, and the agency has recommended granting one.

Eagles take up a good chunk of the year in breeding, usually from February through July, she said. That does not leave a lot of time for most construction projects.

A disturbance permit sets out certain measures that the holder is required to follow to minimize the impact of a project on eagles, Rheude explained. If followed, the permit protects the holder from being fined if the adult eagles abandon the aerie.

For example, (The property owners) agreed to start later in the year, Rheude said. The further the eagles get along in the nesting cycle, the less likely (the adults) will be to leave the nest.

The permit also limits how close to the root zone of the nest tree digging can be performed, in an attempt to protect the nesting site, Rheude continued.

And there are noise restrictions  especially very early in the reproduction cycle and during the week or two just before the chicks start to fly. When theyre hopping around outside the nest, theyre vulnerable to falls that could injure or kill them, Rheude said.

When they can fly, we dont worry about them too much.

Despite all precautions taken around eagle nests, occasionally there will be a failure, Rheude said. But she added, The eagle population is doing really, really well.
A new program will help Louisiana veterans make a smoother transition from military and National Guard service to entrepreneurship.

The Louisiana Veteran Entrepreneurship Program will train about 108 veterans in its first year. The programs goals include helping at least 30 percent of the participants launch a business and collectively raise at least $5 million in startup capital. Long term, the goal is to create 100 new jobs through companies operated by veterans trained through the program.

The program was developed through a partnership of Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, the Louisiana National Guard, the Louisiana Business & Technology Center and LSU Executive Education. Participants must first go through an application and screening process.

What were going to do is work with Executive Education, which has a lot of expertise in delivering these programs, to conduct an online program initially, said Charles DAgostino, executive director of the Louisiana Business & Technology Center. That way we can get veterans down the road a little bit where theyve kind of thought about their project and business ideas, work with my counselors on a business plan, and see if this is something that they feasibly can do.

The online portion of the program will take three weeks and will include lots of one-on-one feedback. Once that work is complete, the business center will hold a face-to-face boot camp for a day and a half, DAgostino said. The pilot program will take place in Baton Rouge, with three sessions of about 30 participants.

The boot camp will provide veterans with the tools and training to help make their ideas a reality. The training will include business planning, marketing, financing, capital formation, securing a franchise and other aspects of business development.

When they return to their home communities, the program will hand off the newly minted entrepreneurs to their local business incubators, he said. The veterans can still consult with the Louisiana Business & Technology Center, but this way, they wont have to return to Baton Rouge to get advice.

DAgostino said the plan is to eventually hold boot camps at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, at Fort Polk and at Barksdale Air Force Base.

For the past five years, the LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute has been part of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. The program brings in veterans from all over the country but has drawn few from Louisiana.

The Louisiana Business & Technology Center wanted to do something for Louisiana veterans, DAgostino said. The center took the idea to Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson, both West Point grads and military men. They loved the idea.

The Louisiana National Guard is heading recruitment efforts, both among the exiting members of its 11,500 personnel and among veterans of the U.S. military branches.

Veterans who would like to participate in the Louisiana Veteran Entrepreneurship Program can contact the Louisiana Business & Technology Center at (225) 578-7555.
Jeff Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, where he teaches Louisiana government. He is author of a blog about Louisiana politics, www.between-lines.com, where links to information in this column may be found. When the Louisiana Legislature is in session, he writes about legislation in it at www.laleglog.com. Follow him on Twitter, @jsadowadvocate or email jeffsadowtheadvocate@yahoo.com. His views do not necessarily express those of his employer.
BURLINGTON  Thousands of ChocolateFest-goers savored a taste of summer Saturday with plenty of sun and temperatures in the mid-70s for the annual chocolate-focused festival in Chocolate City, U.S.A.

The chocolate is the best part, said Wyatt Bennett, 7.

Wyatt and his family, from Beloit, were some of the nearly 35,000 people expected this holiday weekend on the festival grounds at 681 Maryland Ave., Burlington.

Wyatt jumped into the chocolate-eating contest held at the Chocolate Experience Tent on Saturday. With his dad away, Wyatt threw out the table manners as a strategy to win.

You chew as fast as you can, he said. I used my bad chewing habit because my dads not here and hes mainly the one who gets at me for chewing with my mouth open.

It worked: Wyatt shared first place with Ryan Gilbert of Des Plaines, Ill. They and the other contestants had to eat as many of the 15 Nestle Crunch bars as possible in three minutes.

The idea of dressing up in chocolate wrappers for the annual Project Yum Way never occurred to Bianca Trevisan, 17, a foreign exchange student from Brazil who attends Waunakee High School near Madison.

I never would have had that thought in my mind before coming here, so it is quite exciting. Everyone should wrap themselves in candy wrappers. Its an uplifting thing to do, Trevisan said. Its a fun experience.

When it comes to chocolate, shes not exclusive to her countrys offerings; she said Nestle is just fine.

I love chocolate. I like all kinds of chocolate, Trevisan said.

She ended up in a second-place tie with Abby Nie, 6, from Burlington from Team Funsize. The winner, Boden Schultz, 5, from Sheboygan represented Team Maddie-cakes with a buckaroo costume, complete with a rolled wrapper lasso, which was perfect for this years theme for the festival: ChocolateFest Country!

Digging in

ChocolateFest volunteer Karen Oldenburg of Burlington and her son Evan, 10, decided to take a break and enjoy the Chocolate Chunk Dig where the boy used a hammer and chisel to bust his way through an over-sized structure of hard chocolate.

He just loves digging, Karen Oldenburg said. We do dinosaur digs at home, so whats better than chocolate? Its the best of both worlds. You can lick your fingers when youre done.

Artist Neal Bogt from Pewaukee tried his hand with his first attempt at a chocolate sculpture. He crafted a miniature clay model  a rattlesnake coiling up on a prairie dog  prior to the event to re-create on a 300-pound block of chocolate.

I havent had the desire to eat any of it. Yet, Bogt said.

Bogt said he started on it at 10 a.m. and would be at it until 9 p.m. Saturday.

Can I lick the floor? was the strangest thing someone has said to me this morning, Bogt said, referring to the chocolate shavings beneath his sculpture.

Looking for more

For Tammy Maytum of Burlington, coming to ChocolateFest was more about the special carnival food than the chocolate.

No chocolate. Its going to melt all over. You can get chocolate anytime, Maytum said. Im here for the cheese curds.

Maytum watched her grandkids do the carnival rides as she popped freshly deep-fried curds from John Andersons stand. He sells baskets for $7; he said he has been coming down from Chippewa Falls to work ChocolateFest for the past two decades.

I started putting out ranch dressing for my deep-fried vegetables and people started using it for cheese curds; now, everybody uses it, Anderson said.

The cheese curds come from Wisconsin cows from LaGranders Hillside Dairy in Stanley. When asked about deep-frying chocolate; Anderson said he was thinking about it.

You can deep-fry anything. Its just a matter of the type of batter you put together. It would have to be a sweet batter like a funnel cake, Anderson said.

Weekend offerings

The festivals Main Stage and Wanasek Stage will offer live music, by regional acts, throughout the holiday weekend.

On the Familyland Stage, festival-goers can find puppet shows and childrens musical performers.

ChocolateFest continues through Monday, offering a variety of chocolate-focused opportunities and fun on the carnival midway.

More information about ChocolateFest is available online at www.chocolatefest.com.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to midnight today and noon to 7 p.m. on Monday. Admission is $8 at the gate, for adults (13 and older); and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Children ages 4 and younger are admitted free.

Monday is a special Pack the Pantry for Love, Inc. day, when adult festival admission costs $5 or five nonperishable food items.

On-grounds parking is $5. Unlimited-ride wristbands for carnival rides cost $30.
A week today the world will note the 50th anniversary of the start of the most enduring conflict of the modern era, and one which has caused untold misery for those living with the consequences.

On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against surrounding Arab states in retaliation for an Egyptian blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Israel rounds up Arab troops after the Six Day War.

In a matter of hours, Israel had destroyed 90 per cent of Egypt's Soviet-supplied air force, and over succeeding days, in what became known as the Six Day War, it seized the Sinai Desert and Gaza Strip from the Egyptians, Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria.

Overnight, the Jewish state trebled the size of territory under its control.


For more than a decade Schapelle Corby has been a regular fixture in our lounge rooms, whether it be her face on the television or in a magazine, or her name being mentioned on the radio.

She, along with her extended family, have become fully fledged celebrities and Schapelle is now a name we instantly recognise.

Over the past few weeks Australians have become equally familiar with another young woman, Cassandra Sainsbury. Just like Schapelle, we had a young Australian woman behind bars in a foreign prison accused of smuggling drugs.
Raising a child these days doesn't come cheap  nappies, food, childcare, school and hopefully in the distant future, university.

Apart from a Kardashian, few newborns have the ability to fund their own futures, unless they have a unique selling point  like the first Bachelor Australia baby.

Following the hype surrounding the announcement that Sam Wood and Snezana Markoski, possibly the public's favourite pairing from the Channel Ten reality love show, were expecting their first child together, there was scope to turn the news into a business arrangement.

Wood and Markoski, an entrepreneurial personal trainer and a scientist respectively, reached out to a number of publications seeking the highest bidder for "a media partnership surrounding the baby news  pre- and post-pregnancy".
Publicly declaring accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury as a sex worker is "unethical," according to Sydney's best-known escort, Amanda Goff, aka Samantha X.

"The worst crime you can commit as a sex worker is to out another woman. It's such a personal decision to go public, like I have done," she told Fairfax Media.

"Any madam who outs a worker lacks integrity and class. It's disgraceful. What price was on Cassie's head? Who will she out next? What happened to the sisterhood?"

Nine's 60 Minutes claimed Sainsbury, 22, worked at Club 220, a brothel near Penrith in western Sydney last year, before she was arrested in Colombia on April 12 when she was pictured with with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine worth $1.7 million in 18 bundles in her luggage.
Experts have warned that Schapelle Corby could breach proceeds-of-crime laws should she profit from the media frenzy surrounding her return home.

Australian media outlets are reportedly competing to secure the first post-parole interview with the convicted drug smuggler.

Television networks and women's magazines regularly offer large sums for their exclusives. But this time, there's a catch: Corby cannot profit from her "criminal notoriety". Nor can she benefit from remuneration given to family or friends.

Barrister Christian Juebner, an expert in proceeds of crime, told Fairfax Media, "The Proceeds of Crime Act does not distinguish between payments for books, public appearances [or anything else]."
The marriage of a man and his medico wife was already under strain when the husband discovered "sexts" on the wife's mobile phone.

The doctor was in the shower getting ready for her shift in May 2015 when her husband found a series of sexually explicit text messages between her and a man in London.

The pair got into a heated argument, then a physical scuffle and the husband threw the wife's mobile phone out the front door of their Sydney home, smashing the screen.
Forty years ago Gary Scott sat by his father's hospital bed in the small Victorian country town of St Arnaud and watched helplessly as he died slowly of bowel cancer.

Over an agonising period, Dr Scott's father, Herb, struggled against the pain with liberal doses of morphine but without food, the consequence of a side effect of his cancer which meant he was unable to eat.

"It was a small room  subdued lighting," the 77-year-old recalls, tears welling in his eyes despite the decades that have passed.

"When Dad was lucid he would say, 'Please do something'. He was losing his dignity. He was losing his confidence. His fighting spirit had been broken. And he lasted six months like that."
When Georgina returned home from dinner with her mother on Saturday night, she didn't expect to be locked out due to the Vivid road closures near her apartment in Circular Quay. And she certainly didn't expect to cop a mouthful of abuse from a traffic controller.

But that's exactly what happened, Georgina says.

Driving down Macquarie Street about 5.30pm, Georgina hoped to turn left into Albert Street and then in to the Quay Apartments complex.

She encountered a woman blocking the road, and produced her vehicle access pass, issued by Vivid Sydney. The pass provides "access to pre-allocated residential and hotel parking within the closure area".
The Australian Veterinary Association has reignited calls for horses to be vaccinated against the Hendra virus, after an infected pony was euthanised on the Gold Coast hinterland.

Biosecurity Queensland has quarantined the property and are monitoring another unvaccinated horse following the diagnosis of the disease, which has killed almost 80 horses and four people since it made headlines in 1994.

Bio-security has quarantined the Gold Coast property where a pony was euthanised. Credit:File pic

An AVA spokesman said it is critical that horses located in high risk areas are vaccinated against the "insidious disease".

"Vaccination is the only way to ensure high standards of horse health and welfare while also protecting veterinarians, horse handlers and owners from contracting this deadly virus," Dr Ben Poole said in a statement on Sunday.
President Donald Trump has not hid his low regard for journalists and journalism  we say failing, you respond with whatever publication recently wrote something about him he didnt like  so it stands to reason that such contempt would be embraced by his supporters and possibly some other members of the Republican Party.

We just didnt think it would take the form of a congressional candidate physically assaulting a reporter.

That, however, is what is alleged to have happened on Wednesday night, the night before a special election for Montanas lone congressional seat. Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, attempted to ask the Republican nominee, Greg Gianforte, a question about the GOP-backed American Health Care Act before he was to be interviewed by a Fox News television crew.

Jacobs tone of voice was polite but persistent; that seemed to not matter to Gianforte, as he yelled at Jacobs to get the hell out of here and then, allegedly, physically assaulted Jacobs. One of the Fox News staffers present, Alicia Acuna, reported that Gianforte grabbed Jacobs the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. (Field producer Faith Mangan, photographer Keith Railey) and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching Jacobs. After the incident, the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office, in a news release, stated that sheriffs detectives had determined probable cause existed to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault. This is, to say the least, highly unusual election-eve activity by a congressional candidate.

In the news release, Gallatin County Sheriff Brian M. Gootkin stated that the victim did not sustain serious bodily injury, which in Montana is the legal threshold for a felony assault charge.

We suspect that Gianfortes alleged assault has something to do with Jacobs having reported on April 28 that Gianforte owns $242,400 in shares in two index funds that are invested in the Russian economy to match its overall performance. Both are indexed to the Russian equities market and have significant holdings in companies, such as Gazprom and Rosneft, that came under U.S. sanctions in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of the Crimea.

That doesnt, however, come close to excusing the alleged assault. Jacobs was asking a congressional candidate about current activity in Congress. Even if Jacobs werent a credentialed reporter, thats a fair question, and Montanans deserved to know the answer.

If you find yourself not too bothered by Gianfortes alleged assault  if youve ever found yourself saying that you dont trust the liberal media  let us ask you this question: Would it be acceptable for New York Mayor Bill De Blasio  His Honor stands 6-foot-5, by the way  to physically assault a Fox News reporter for asking a question De Blasio didnt like?

The answer youre looking for is no.

The incident did not cost Gianforte the election: He defeated his Democratic opponent, Rob Quist, by a 7-percentage-point margin. Meanwhile, its estimated that 65 to 70 percent of Montanans who voted cast their ballots early, meaning the Wednesday night confrontation had no bearing on those votes.

At his victory party on Thursday night, Gianforte seemed genuinely contrite: Last night I learned a lesson ... last night I made a mistake. I took an action that I couldnt take back ... for that I am sorry. I should not have treated that reporter that way. And for that I am sorry, Mr. Ben Jacobs. Thats not the person I am. The Billings Gazette reported that he also apologized to Montanans, saying When you make a mistake you have to own up to it. Thats the Montana way.

At its best, a free press is the unofficial fourth branch of government, acting as a watchdog on the three official branches. Countless misdoings by elected officials or governmental employees  whether in Washington, D.C., or small towns throughout this great nation  have come to light because a reporter asked questions.

It is far easier to reject a candidate for public office than to unseat someone already elected to that office. Therefore, a candidates answers to a reporters questions matter a great deal. As does an unwillingness to answer.

If such a high percentage of Montanans had not voted early, maybe Gianforte would not have won. Maybe he would have won anyway.

But those who support Gianfortes action should know what, we suspect, Gianforte already knows:

When he arrives in Washington as a member of Congress, there will be many more reporters asking many more questions. Some of them may take a more confrontational tone than Jacobs did on Wednesday night.

All of those reporters, we suspect, will know what Gianforte is alleged to have done Wednesday night. We suspect all of them will have some kind of recording device activated when they pose their questions to Congressman-elect Gianforte.

We hope the congressman-elect will have determined its easier to simply answer the questions.
A distinctive Korean boy-band T-shirt has become a key clue in a homicide investigation after a body was found stuffed inside a bin on Saturday.

Homicide detectives are hoping the T-shirt will help identify the body of a man that was discovered inside the abandoned wheelie bin by a Darebin Council rubbish collector in Preston.

Despite a number of inquiries, police have been unable to determine the identity of the victim and are now appealing for public assistance.

A unique T-shirt featuring Korean boy band Big Bang could now hold the clue to the man's identity.
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.

Anthony Foster, the tireless advocate for victims of child sexual abuse, is to receive a state funeral.

Chrissie and Anthony Foster campaigned for abuse survivors after their own family was torn apart. Credit:Eamon Gallagher

Mr Foster, who ran a high-profile campaign accusing the Catholic Church of covering up abuse, died on Friday evening at the age of 64 after suffering a stroke.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he offered Mr Foster's family a state funeral on Sunday afternoon, and his wife Chrissie had accepted.
An elderly pedestrian has been hospitalised after he was struck by a car in Melbourne's north.

Emergency services were called to High Street in Preston about 9.45pm on Saturday.

The man, aged in his 70s, suffered cuts and abrasions, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said.

He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.

The driver of the car, a man in his 40s, stopped at the scene and spoke with authorities.
A woman is believed to have been stabbed in the neck and another was shot in the hand during an incident in Tarneit in Melbourne's west on Sunday.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident after emergency services were called to a house in Knightsbridge Drive about 3.15pm.

Police are investigating after a suspected shooting and stabbing in Tarneit on Sunday. Credit:Georgia Matts

On arrival they found a woman, believed to be in her 20s, with a suspected gunshot wound to the hand.

A woman in her 50s was also located on the property with a laceration to her neck.
Alfred John Impicciatore, accused of being a member of the so-called "Evil 8", will reappear before a NSW court after being refused bail on Saturday.

He failed to show up to a Perth court on Monday and was found by NSW police at Merriwa, in the state's Hunter region on Friday afternoon.

Alfred John Impicciatore fled to NSW.

He is accused of sexually abusing a girl who was aged between 11 and 13 when she was pimped out by her father, and has pleaded not guilty to offences including sexually penetrating a child in 2015.

The matter appeared at Newcastle Local Court on Saturday, where Impicciatore did not apply for bail and bail was formally refused.
A woman has been left with serious neck injuries after she flipped her car in an attempt to avoid a vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the road near Kununurra on Wednesday evening.

The crash occurred heading west on Victoria Highway at around 8pm, when the driver of a white Suzuki Alta sedan spotted a vehicle with a single dim light travelling towards her.

Police are appealing for help from witnesses. Credit:Mike Bowers

She noticed the car was driving on the wrong side of the road, and as they approached she was forced to attempt evasive action.

"She turned into the gravel shoulder to avoid a collision, however this caused her vehicle to skid sideways, rolling once and landing back on its wheels," WA police spokesman Adam Brouwer said.
Authorities in Mississippi say a suspect is in custody after eight people, including a sheriff's deputy, were killed in a shooting spree late on Saturday night.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes in rural Lincoln County.

Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto, about 110 kilometres south of Jackson, the capital.

Strain said charges had not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.
Bangkok: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has joked with troops imposing martial law across his country's violence-hit south that they could rape up to three women, provoking online outrage.

"Not funny. Ever," Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton, wrote on Twitter.

In a second post Ms Clinton wrote: "Duterte is a murderous thug with no regard for human rights. It's important to keep pointing that out & that rape is never a joke."
As he gets ready to leave his home in the central India city of Nagpur to study at UW-Madison, incoming freshman Akshat Raika says he has heard from friends who are being treated differently in the United States since Donald Trump became president.

Raika also suspects it will be harder for international students to get a visa to work in America after graduation.

Things have changed a bit, he said.

Those are among the factors that many college admissions officers are concerned could make studying in the United States less appealing to international students  the Trump effect of a growing sense of hostility toward outsiders and tighter restrictions on a popular visa program for foreign workers.

But while nearly 40 percent of colleges across the country received fewer applications from international students this year compared to last, UW-Madison isnt one of them.

The university received about 900 more applications to join its fall 2017 freshman class from overseas, an increase of 14 percent over the prior year, campus officials say. Enrollment deposits  money students put down when they accept admission to a school  are up as well, by 5 percent.

Officials attribute the increases to UW-Madison joining the Common Application, which they say makes it easier for students to discover and apply to the university, and to the strong reputation of Wisconsins flagship public institution abroad. Those factors, experts say, make UW-Madison appealing to students such as Raika regardless of who is in the White House.

After visiting UW and talking to people in Madison, my worries are very less, Raika said. People were very friendly and helpful.

Growing interest from China and India

The higher international application figures at UW-Madison  7,186 for this years freshman class, from 6,300 the year before  were driven by growing interest from China and India, two countries that already make up a large share of the foreign students on campus.

While international students might wonder about the political climate in the United States, the quality of American universities and their prices have meant that the United States is still a popular place to study, said Kris Olds, a geography professor at UW-Madison who studies global higher education.

Applications from Chinese students for this years freshman class at UW-Madison were up by 460, and by 194 from Indian students.

We are a strong campus with a really good reputation, said Steve Hahn, vice provost for UW-Madisons Division of Enrollment Management.

Applications from some Muslim countries

Concern that Trumps election was turning off international students spiked earlier this year, when a survey from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers found 39 percent of colleges reported receiving fewer applications from abroad. The sharpest declines came from Middle Eastern nations, the survey found.

Its authors warned the drop could be due in part to a perception that the climate in the U.S. is now less welcoming to individuals from other countries.

Trump called during his campaign for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. As president, he has sought to bar citizens of six predominantly Muslim nations from coming into the country, and has called for changes to the H-1B visa program, which many international students use to get jobs once they have their degrees.

The largest drop in applications to UW-Madison this year was from Malaysia, a majority-Muslim nation, from 91 for fall 2016 to 50 this year.

Olds said the travel ban could explain some of the decline from Malaysia, though he also noted the countrys currency has been weakening, which means an American education would be more expensive.

Applications rose from other predominantly Muslim nations, such as Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Colleges relying on international students

Like other public universities, UW-Madison has grown increasingly dependent on international students in recent years because the higher tuition they pay helps make up for declining state funding and a freeze on tuition for Wisconsin residents.

The campus won approval from the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents in 2015 to lift a limit on the number of international and out-of-state students it could enroll, while committing to have at least 3,600 Wisconsin residents in each freshman class.

Tuition and fees for a full-time international undergraduate was $33,838 at UW-Madison for the 2016-17 school year, compared to $10,488 for those from in-state.

They do pay significant amounts of tuition, Olds said. Theres a fiscal concern.

If Trump does wind up affecting UW-Madisons applications, next years prospective students could be the ones to watch. The university accepts applications from August through early February, so many students would have applied before Trump was elected or took office.

When you get down to the details, there might be some minor effect from Trump, Hahn said, though he added, We feel were in a strong position.


Jeremy Hook, TMS Capital

BUY RECOMMENDATIONS

AP Eagers (APE)



Chart: Share price over the year

APE is a leading motor vehicle dealership group thats 104 years old. Organic growth and acquisitions have delivered an impressive track record of earnings growth. Vehicle sales and service is a consistent business across Australia. Recently, trading on a forecast 2018 price/earnings multiple of 14 times, and a 4.4 per cent fully franked dividend yield, we believe APE offers upside in the medium term.

Elanor Investors Group (ENN)



Chart: Share price over the year

A funds management and investment group involving former Macquarie Group property guru Bill Moss. ENN owns hotel assets, including the Cradle Mountain Lodge in Tasmania, and other eclectic property holdings, such as Featherdale Wildlife Park and John Cootes Furniture. Growth from development prospects suggest upside.

HOLD RECOMMENDATIONS

Woodside Petroleum (WPL)



Chart: Share price over the year

The energy giant has made a solid start to 2017. WPL is a quality LNG producer with a top management team. Without any substantial production growth, it appears more of a yield play. A recent grossed up dividend yield of 4.8 per cent is a good reason to hold. Also, we expect the stock to provide trading opportunities.

CSL (CSL)



Chart: Share price over the year

This blood products group has been one of our best performers for many years. But we think its time to move to a hold given a strong share price performance since its profit upgrade in January. Were still positive about the long term outlook, but expect the price to consolidate. Its a premium stock, but is now trading on full multiples.

SELL RECOMMENDATIONS

Flight Centre (FLT)



Chart: Share price over the year

This travel agency giant has rallied strongly in the past two months, and we feel this can be a good trading stock. The company continues to expand, effectively buying revenue growth in what we believe is a rare growth environment. We think the stock is fully valued. Take a short term profit and look to buy below $28. The stock was trading at $37.16 on May 25.

Mirvac Group (MGR)



Chart: Share price over the year

A potential housing sector slowdown leaves this property group looking fully valued, in our view. Despite a recent upbeat investor presentation, we view it as trading on stretched multiples and a below average yield.



Peter Moran, Wilsons

BUY RECOMMENDATIONS

Link Administration Holdings (LNK)



Chart: Share price over the year

Link is Australias biggest funds administration business and the second largest share registry provider. Were particularly attracted to the funds administration business in anticipation of stronger earnings. Links most recent trading update showed it tracking ahead of expectations, with cost outs driving growth in the 2017 first half. Our price target is $8.70. The shares were trading at $7.85 on May 25.

Telstra (TLS)



Chart: Share price over the year

Telstras share price was punished in recent months over concerns about the impact of TPGs new mobile network. While we expect the new network to impact average revenue per user, we believe it will be mostly offset by Telstras superior network, loyal customers and generally different target market. We now see the share price as attractive and have upgraded to a buy. The shares were trading at $4.465 on May 25.

HOLD RECOMMENDATIONS

Macquarie Group (MQG)



Chart: Share price over the year

Delivered another good result, with fiscal year 2017 net profit after tax up 7.5 per cent to $2.217 billion, 5 per cent above our estimate and well ahead of its own guidance on fiscal year 2016. We have increased our earnings per share forecasts by 5 per cent for fiscal year 2018 and 1 per cent for fiscal year 2019.

Orora (ORA)



Chart: Share price over the year

Although the packaging company retained its full year guidance for higher underlying earnings  subject to global economic conditions  ORA faces potential headwinds, such as higher power and recycled cardboard costs in fiscal year 2018. We see the shares as fairly priced.

SELL RECOMMEMNDATIONS

Newcrest Mining (NCM)



Chart: Share price over the year

The gold miner confirmed its Cadia operation, recently impacted by a seismic event, would recommence operations in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. However, we still have concerns about costs and the delay to production. On our forecasts, the shares were recently trading on a 2019 price/earnings multiple above 30 times. In our view, other gold producers offer better value.

DuluxGroup (DLX)



Chart: Share price over the year

The first half 2017 result was above expectations. But were concerned about the risk of rising input costs, the impact of plant commissioning costs and a potential slowdown in the housing market. On our numbers, the recent share price implies a 2018 price/earnings multiple above 20 times, which is too high in our view, when weighed against the risks.



Darren Jackson, Sanlam Private Wealth

BUY RECOMMENDATIONS

Australian Agricultural Company (AAC)



Chart: Share price over the year



Recently, we noticed a large spike in US live cattle futures, while Australias Eastern Young Cattle Indicator continues to trend higher. This paints a bright outlook for this premium Australian beef producer. Earlier this month, AAC reported strongly, with prices up and costs down resulting in a much healthier margin.

Galaxy Resources (GXY)



GXY is one of our preferred larger cap lithium stocks. We expect the overhang from its $61 million capital raising in February to have subsided. The company should benefit if demand for lithium stays strong and pushes up prices.

HOLD RECOMMENDATIONS

Primary Health Care (PRY)



Chart: Share price over the year

Shanghai listed Jangho Group holds almost a 16 per cent stake in Primary Health Care and has an acquisitive nature after taking over Vision Eye Institute. Operating synergies exist between Primary Health Care and Vision Eye Institute.

Northern Star Resources (NST)



Chart: Share price over the year

Northern Star is one of Australias pre-eminent gold producers. The shares rose during 2014 and 2015 when the price of gold was going down. Changes to the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF means NST is a potential candidate to be included. If included, NST could benefit from significant share buying.

SELL RECOMMENDATIONS

Genworth Mortgage Insurance (GMA)



Chart: Share price over the year

In a recent outlook, Genworth warned that increasing mortgage stress in certain regional economies was likely to drive elevated mortgage delinquencies in 2017. Were concerned about the impact a possible widespread housing downturn would have on GMA.

Carsales.com (CAR)



Chart: Share price over the year

In our view, this company is now a mature business. Global automotive solutions provider Cox Automotive, which owns CarsGuide and Sell My Car, is a growing force in Australia. Going forward, stronger competition across the board has the potential to eat away at the healthy margins enjoyed by Carsales.

>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter

Please note that TheBull.com.au simply publishes broker recommendations on this page. The publication of these recommendations does not in any way constitute a recommendation on the part of TheBull.com.au. You should seek professional advice before making any investment decisions.
The market is currently assuming that the Conservatives will win a large majority and eventually deliver a relatively hard Brexit, but that the election will make it easier for them to agree to a transitional arrangement, prolonging single market access for two or three more years after March 2019. This assumption has driven the rally in the pound since the election was announced. However, even if the Conservatives do win a large majority, it is not certain that this will lead to a transitional deal. Nevertheless, the initial market reaction would likely be muted given this scenario is already mostly priced in. But its worth considering what it would mean for markets if the election produces a surprise outcome that doesnt involve a larger Conservative majority.

A small Conservative majority

If the Conservatives win the election, but fail to meaningfully increase their majority, then markets would likely price a reduced probability of a transitional deal and a higher probability of a no deal outcome, as well as a more uncertain outlook. In this scenario, the gain in the pound since the election was announced would probably be reversed. The lower pound would probably support companies who get most of their sales from abroad, helping the FTSE 100. Mid- and small-cap equities might underperform though, as the potential for a no deal Brexit increased. Based on the same logic, UK corporate credit spreads could widen. The outlook for gilts would be hard to predict, given that they have been driven more by the outlook for global government bonds recently, than by UK specific factors. A similar outcome could play out, over time, even if the Conservatives win a large majority, but it later becomes clear that the newly elected MPs are willing to contemplate a no deal Brexit in 2019, rather than supporting a transitional deal.

A Labour majority

If Labour wins a majority, markets would have to digest Corbyns plan for higher corporate tax, higher government spending and the nationalisation of various companies. Those companies that he wants to nationalise would most likely fall in value-perhaps quite sharply-due to uncertainty over the price shareholders would get from the government. Higher corporate tax would also clearly be negative for all equities after tax profits. Those companies who pay the highest percentage of their tax in the UK are most exposed to this risk. Government bond yields would likely rise, on the assumption that Labours plans will lead to higher government borrowing. Markets would be concerned by Labours Fiscal Credibility Rule focusing only on current expenditures; they would also be sceptical of the partys ability to raise as much tax as hoped from its proposed tax measures. Credit spreads would probably widen too.

When it comes to Brexit, Labours position is unclear, as its manifesto states that it will have a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the Single Market (soft Brexit), while also claiming that Freedom of movement will end when we leave the European Union (hard Brexit). It is the incompatibility between these two statements that is at the very heart of the Brexit debate. As such, the pound would probably be torn between a slightly higher probability of a soft Brexit and concerns over higher borrowing and a government perceived as less business-friendly. Under this uncertain outlook for sterling, the pound would probably fall, although that could later be reversed.

What happens to the pound would be key for equities. If the pound were flat, equities would be expected to fall, with domestic-focused companies underperforming more internationally exposed companies. A fall in the pound would exacerbate that relative performance, but could support internationally exposed companies and even cause them to rise in value, as we saw after the Brexit referendum. However, if sterling rallied sharply on hopes for a soft Brexit, large-cap equities with international exposure could come under pressure.

A coalition involving the Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have said they wont go into another coalition with either Labour or the Conservatives, but any coalition government that involved the Lib Dems would likely see sterling rally, at least initially, on the assumption that they would demand a softer Brexit in return for their support. A higher sterling could weigh on international earners and domestic stocks should outperform. Gilt yields would probably trade higher on expectations of a less dovish Bank of England.

Uncertainty to remain high whatever the outcome

Overall, even a large majority win by the Conservative Party would not dramatically reduce the uncertainty over the type of deal the UK will eventually get, although the market reaction on the day would likely be limited. While we have examined the most likely outcomes if the election delivers a surprise result, the markets reaction to unexpected outcomes could easily be unexpected too, given the large uncertainties involved. We therefore continue to think that this election is just one more reason- on top of the many that were already created by the Brexit vote-for investors to consider reducing the size of their active positions among the UK portion of their portfolios.

Originally published by J.P.Morgan Asset Management

Author: Michael J. Bell, CFA. Global Market Strategist

>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter

The Market Insights programme provides comprehensive data and commentary on global markets without reference to products. Designed as a tool to help clients understand the markets and support investment decision?making, the programme explores the implications of current economic data and changing market conditions.

This document is a general communication being provided for informational purposes only. It is educational in nature and not designed to be as advice or a recommendation for any specific investment product, strategy, plan feature or other purpose in any jurisdiction, nor is it a commitment from J.P. Morgan Asset Management or any of its subsidiaries to participate in any of the transactions mentioned herein. Any examples used are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision and it should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in any securities or products. In addition, users should make an independent assessment of the legal, regulatory, tax, credit, and accounting implications and determine, together with their own professional advisers, if any investment mentioned herein is believed to be suitable to their personal goals. Investors should ensure that they obtain all available relevant information before making any investment. Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies set out are for information purposes only, based on certain assumptions and current market conditions and are subject to change without prior notice. All information presented herein is considered to be accurate at the time of production, but no warranty of accuracy is given and no liability in respect of any error or omission is accepted. It should be noted that investment involves risks, the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Both past performance and yield are not a reliable indicator of current and future results.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the brand for the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide. This communication is issued by the following entities: in the United Kingdom by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; in other EEA jurisdictions by JPMorgan Asset Management (Europe) S.a r.l.; in Hong Kong by JF Asset Management Limited, or JPMorgan Funds (Asia) Limited, or JPMorgan Asset Management Real Assets (Asia) Limited; in Singapore by JPMorgan Asset Management (Singapore) Limited (Co. Reg. No. 197601586K), or JPMorgan Asset Management Real Assets (Singapore) Pte Ltd (Co. Reg. No. 201120355E); in Taiwan by JPMorgan Asset Management (Taiwan) Limited; in Japan by JPMorgan Asset Management (Japan) Limited which is a member of the Investment Trusts Association, Japan, the Japan Investment Advisers Association, Type II Financial Instruments Firms Association and the Japan Securities Dealers Association and is regulated by the Financial Services Agency (registration number Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Financial Instruments Firm) No. 330); in Korea by JPMorgan Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited; in Australia to wholesale clients only as defined in section 761A and 761G of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) by JPMorgan Asset Management (Australia) Limited (ABN 55143832080) (AFSL 376919); in Brazil by Banco J.P. Morgan S.A.; in Canada for institutional clients use only by JPMorgan Asset Management (Canada) Inc., and in the United States by JPMorgan Distribution Services Inc. and J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments, Inc., both members of FINRA/SIPC.; and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

In APAC, distribution is for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. For all other countries in APAC, to intended recipients only. Copyright 2017 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.
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.
The big news out of President Trumps visit to the Vatican this week had nothing to do with international policy. Instead people were bemused and entertained by the attire of First Lady, Melania, and First Daughter, Ivanka, who appeared dressed in black long sleeved dresses topped with black veils. As more than one online commentator inappropriately remarked, Melania looked like she was dressing for the job she wants. A Widow.

The truth of the matter is that Melania and Ivanka were following established Vatican diplomatic protocol. Women usually wear black clothing, closed-toe shoes, and head coverings. These protocols, while traditional, are often ignored by those visiting the Pontiff, but were followed by Michelle Obama when she visited the Vatican in July 2009.

But the attention that the First Family received does raise the question: why does the Catholic Church require that women cover their heads at all?

The specific kind of veil worn by Melania Trump, a Mantilla, originated in Spain in the 16 th century. While you might see women covering their heads in churches today, they would ordinarily be brides or older women. Head coverings dropped out of everyday practice from the 1950s onwards.

As you might expect, though, the custom is much older than the 16 th century and goes all the way back to the Bible. In his First Letter to the Corinthians Paul writes that, unlike men, women should veil themselves when they pray or prophesy. If they dont, he says, should cut off [their] hair. He then continues by saying that men do not have to veil themselves because they are the image and reflection of God, whereas women was made out of man. (This is a reference to the Adam and Eve story in which Eve is made out of one of Adams ribs). Having grounded his argument for male superiority in Genesis, Paul For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Clear? Not so far, eh?

The key is Pauls reference to angels. Some scholars think that Paul is referring to a different story in Genesis, the events that precipitated the Flood. In Genesis 6:1-4 a group known as the sons of God see the daughters of men and notice how attractive they are. They decide to take wives for themselves and these women gave birth to the Nephilim. And this is where tall people came from. This story, which unsurprisingly has dropped out of Sunday School renditions of the Bible, inspired its own ancient fan fiction. Later traditions refer to the sons of God as the Watchers and ascribes to them as a kind of angel that, having disobeyed God, has been chained up for all eternity at the edge of the world.

What has this to do with veiling? Well when the sons of God were in heaven eyeing up the good-looking human women, they were looking at the tops of their heads. It only makes sense, therefore that angels are attracted to pretty hair (which is, incidentally, one explanation for why Paul thinks that women dont have to veil themselves if they cut their hair). So if youre female and doing something that might get the attention of beings in heaven, like, say, praying, Paul thinks you should veil yourself to prevent yourself from attracting the wrong kind of supernatural attention.

All of which would mean that Paul is holding women accountable for mens sexual responses even when those men are divine beings.

Even if the idea of veiling oneself to avoid drawing unwarranted attention from angels is all Paul, veiling was a common practice in the ancient world.. As classical archeologist Dr. Mary Jane Cuyler told the The Daily Beast that veils were a crucial part of ritual costume; brides wore a veil called a flammeum (the color of flames) and the priested of Jupiter wore the same kind of veil where she made sacrifices. Although, as Cuyler told me, we do not know whether the ritual veiling of women had any influence on Paul.

Ancient Jewish women also veiled themselves but the practice was not gender specific. As Dr. Steven Fine, Churgin Professor at Yeshiva University, told me, Modesty in dress, action and thought have been essential elements of the Jewish ethos since biblical times. Head covering for pious men and women has often been an important sign of a life of modesty. Jewish practice, however, shifted with time and space. Where other kinds of hats have been common, Fine added, married Jewish women often wore (and wear) whatever is fashionable. To this day among many married Orthodox women, head coverings are a sign of parity, with both husband and wife covering their heads

The particular significance and religious explanation of veiling aside, we might wonder why do so many groups require head coverings at all. Jon Marks, Professor anthropology at UNC-Charlotte, suggested to me that while covering ones head and face can communicate piety and modesty, in a patriarchal society it might communicate anonymity. In many societies it might signal a liminal social status as well as membership in a particular class. The point is, said Marks, the human body is always a semiotic object, which is to say that social expectations about dress shape it in a very particular way. In a Western World in which veiling is no longer expected of Catholic women in churches, black dresses and veils scan more as the garb of mourning. All of which explains why some people looked at Melania Trump and were able to make the joke widow.

If there was something inappropriate about the Trump familys attire it was that Francis cares less for finery than he does actions. But if you want to criticize the Trumps for wearing head coverings, then we also have to reconsider bridal veils.
Excerpted from Spies in the Family by Eva Dillon. Copyright  2017. Reprinted by permission of Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Sp ecial Agent Moodys job was to know everything he could about Colonel Dmitri Polyakov. One way of doing that was to use access agents, or informers, people Polyakov interacted with on a regular basis who would pass on to Moody what the Russian did and said.

One of Moodys most valuable access agents was Polyakovs American counterpart at the United Nations, Lt. Col. Paul Fahey, a military attache to the American Mission. Fahey and Polyakov had gotten to know each other in the normal course of their UN activities. Each was an artillery officer, and this helped them develop something of a personal rapport. Fahey agreed to pass on details of his conversations with the Russianhe and Polyakov attended UN functions together and occasionally went out for dinner.

Fahey and Polyakov would sometimes discuss the state of relations between their two countries, and over time Polyakov began to trust Fahey enough to confide that he was not a fan of First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. Fahey was surprised. Even considering their developing friendship, it was rare for a Soviet representative to offer any kind of criticism of his top leader to his American counterpart. Yet Polyakov was downplaying his real feelings about the Soviet leader: in truth, he was disgusted by Khrushchev.

Khrushchev, Polyakov believed, was responsible for the USSRs food crises, which were due, he thought, to unworkable agricultural planning and plain incompetence. In Polyakovs opinion, Khrushchev was an uncouth boor, prone to emotional outbursts and loudmouthed statements that threatened diplomatic relations and even the uneasy peace between the two Cold War powers. We will bury you, Khrushchev had told a meeting of Western ambassadors. We are turning out missiles like sausages, he bragged after the launch of Sputnik. Polyakov had been mortified.

In late July 1961, Col. Dmitri Fedorovich Polyakov made an unexpected request to Paul Fahey, one that would prove fateful. Lt. Gen. Edward ONeill was commander of the American First Army based in New York and also the senior American military representative to the United Nations. Protocol did not allow someone of Polyakovs rank to approach such a person directly, so he discreetly asked Fahey if a private meeting could be arranged with ONeill.

Fahey brought this intriguing information to Ed Moody, who in turn went to General ONeill. At the United Nations, it was common for countries to host cocktail parties or dinners to interact socially with other countries delegations. As chance would have it, ONeill was hosting just such a party a few days later, and he sent an invitation to Colonel Polyakov and his wife, Nina. All invitations to diplomatic occasions were scrutinized by Polyakovs superiors, and a last-minute one like this would ordinarily have drawn suspicion. It wasnt questioned.

On August 9, Dmitri and Nina arrived along with the other guests at General ONeills official residence on Governors Island, off the southern tip of Manhattan. Hours earlier, two other guests had arrived: Ed Moody and an FBI technician, bringing boxes full of recording equipment and tools. Setting themselves up in the basement, the two FBI men ran a wire to the generals study and installed a hidden microphone. It was there that ONeill planned to meet privately with Polyakov.

With the party under way, Special Agent Moody and his colleague listened intently on their earphones from the basement. For a while there was only silence. Then people came into the study. The agents heard three voices: Paul Faheys, General ONeills, and Dmitri Polyakovs.

I was pleased that you would have enough confidence in me to talk with me, said ONeill, as soldier to soldier. I was pleased, and I hope you will feel entirely free to talk with just the three of us here.

Polyakov replied in his thick accented, limited English. The mike picked up only part of the conversation: I talked to Paul [Fahey] . . . I would like to . . . confidentially . . . my support for the cause . . . you know what would happen to me if this talk were to be known.

ONEILL: Dmitri, this is just the three of us.

POLYAKOV: We can talk . . . two of us. One to one.

PAUL FAHEY: Want me to go?

The FBI men in the basement heard the door close. Fahey was out of the room.

POLYAKOV: I want to talk to General . . .

ONEILL: Im pleased you think Im the right man, Dmitri.

POLYAKOV: I have thought of it . . . much what Ive come here about is to give information . . . like maybe you will talk to some officials. Maybe you organize it.

ONEILL: What do you mean by officials, Dmitri?

POLYAKOV: Men.

ONEILL: Im a little puzzled as to who? Im puzzled as to who you want to talk to.

POLYAKOV: CIA.

ONEILL: What?

POLYAKOV: CIA. I talk to you in your office because I know that there are, maybe theres some trouble for me if I talk . . .

ONEILL: In other words, you would like for me to arrange for you to talk to a CIA man. Is that right? Where could it be done?

POLYAKOV: Maybe you have some party.

ONEILL: Alright, alright . . . So suppose, in order to make it appear completely official I would ask the French secretary, how about that?

POLYAKOV: Fine.

ONEILL: The English one doesnt stay here all the time, he comes up from Washington. . . I could ask Paul, of course. Do you want the Chinese here?

POLYAKOV: Da, that would be okay.

ONEILL: I will work up a party of our foreign friends.

POLYAKOV: Alright.

ONEILL: Alright. Let me see what I can do.

Listening in the basement, Ed Moody fought to suppress his excitement. He had been following the Russian for years, knew his movements, and had intuited his thoughts, but he hadnt had any idea what Polyakov wanted to talk to General ONeill about, and he had been burning with curiosity to find out. Now it appeared that Polyakov had made a major decision. Meeting with a CIA officer would be a momentous move for Polyakov, a giant risk. If he followed through, such an action would be irrevocable.

As Moody strained to hear the conversation upstairs, Polyakov abruptly changed the subject. What would happen, he asked ONeill, if the Soviet Union were to invade West Berlin and take it by force?

General ONeill responded instantly. War, he said. It would mean all-out war.

Moody now had on tape something more momentous than the Russians request to meet with a CIA officer. It was obvious his superiors had ordered him to ask ONeill about Berlin.

Three years earlier, Nikita Khrushchev had given the United States six months to evacuate its forces from West Berlin. President Eisenhower had rejected the ultimatum out of hand, and nothing had happened. Recently, Khrushchev had given John F. Kennedy the same message, at their summit in Vienna, trying to intimidate the young, newly elected president. Clearly the Russians wanted the Western nations out of Berlin and were planning something , and Polyakovs question to ONeill was in all likelihood one of many attempts to get an answer. It also explained, Moody thought, why Polyakovs bosses had so readily approved the last-minute invitation to General ONeills: the Soviets needed information quickly.

After Polyakov and the other guests left ONeills party, Moody sent the tape to Washington, DC, where it first went to J. Edgar Hoovers office, then to the White House. Four days later, on the night of August 13, 1961, East German guards and workers started installing barbed-wire entanglements all along the boundary line between East and West Berlin. A week after that, concrete emplacements went in, the beginning of what would soon be a twenty-seven-mile-long wall separating the citys two sides.

In the years to follow, Moody would often wonder if the interchange he heard between Polyakov and ONeill might have played a role in persuading Nikita Khrushchev to build a barrier rather than attempt to take West Berlin by force. Building a wall would solve the problem of the massive flight of East Germans to the West. It would frustrate and anger the Americans, but they werent likely to go to war over it.
When presidential candidate Donald Trump in late 2016 announced his plan to grow the U.S. Navy from today's 275 front-line warships to a whopping 350 ships, Trump's supporters applauded. Unsurprisingly, Navy officials were also pleased.

But professional naval analysts rolled their eyes. They knew what Trump apparently didn't know  or at least refused to admit in public. Building ships is expensive and time-consuming. A 350-ship Navy isn't impossible. It's just really, really hard.

Now half a year later, the Trump administration has proposed its first full budget, for the 2018 fiscal year. The budget proposal includes $603 billion for the Defense Department  an $18-billion increase over what President Barack Obama's administration had projected for 2018.

But there's no trace of candidate Trump's plan to expand the fleet. Instead, Trump is asking for just eight new ships, locking the Navy  at least for the next couple of years with this build rate  into a much more modest expansion to no more than 308 vessels. An expansion begun by Obama nearly a decade ago.

That's right. Unless something dramatic happens soon, Trump's navy will end looking a lot like Obama's navy. And while Democrats, small-government libertarians, and peace-advocates might be pleased with such an outcome, hawkish Republicans and Navy leaders are already noisily protesting.

"This budget request fails to provide the necessary resources to restore military readiness, rebuild military capacity and renew our military advantage with investments in modern capabilities," stated Arizona senator John McCain, a Republican.

"The Navy must get to work now to both build more ships, and to think forwardinnovateas we go," Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, wrote in a May 2017 studyemphasis his. "To remain competitive, we must start today and we must improve faster."

A bigger Navy would mark a major reversal of long-term trends. At the end of the Cold War, the then-600-strong U.S. combat fleet  including aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, destroyers and other "surface combatants" plus submarines  rapidly declined as successive administrations cut the Pentagon's budget.

The decline continued even when defense budgets climbed back to Cold War levels in the aftermath of 9/11. Pres. George W. Bush's military priorities were in Iraq and Afghanistan, not on the high seas. By the end of Bush's second term, the fleet had bottomed out at around 280 frontline vessels.

Under Bush the Navy built an average of between six and seven new warships annually. As most ships serve for 30 or 40 years before wearing out or becoming obsolete, Bush's $12-billion yearly shipbuilding budgets sustained a long-term fleet of no more than 230 ships.

Obama and his long-serving Navy secretary Ray Mabus significantly boosted shipbuilding accounts to an average of $15 billion annually. During the Obama years the Navy acquired an average of nearly nine new ships per year for a long-term fleet of some 310 vessels  two more than Obama's official goal of building a 308-ship Navy by the mid-2020s.

308 ships might have seemed adequate nearly a decade ago. But with both Russia and China growing and modernizing their own fleets, by 2016 the Navy had decided it needed more ships. Lots more. One of Mabus' final acts before stepping down in January 2017 was to officially endorse a so-called "Force Structure Assessment," or FSA, calling for a 355-ship Navy -- five more ships than Trump was calling for at the same time.

But the Navy acknowledged that adding nearly 50 vessels to Obama's 308-ship plan would be expensive -- and could even exceed the spending caps Congress imposed on itself as part of the 2011 Budget Control Act. "The 2016 FSA was not constrained by Budget Control Act funding levels," the Navy stated.

Under Obama the Navy spent $15 billion annually on new ships. Trump's 2018 budget proposal actually cuts shipbuilding funds by a billion dollars compared to 2017. To grow the fleet to at least 350 ships within 30 years could cost the Navy $27 billion annually, according to an April 2017 report from the Congressional Budget Office.

That extra funding would likely put the Pentagon over its spending capunless the military finds savings elsewhere. "Achieving and maintaining a 355-ship fleet could require reducing funding levels for other [Defense Department] programs," Ronald O'Rourke, an analyst with the Congressional Research Service, noted in a May 2017 report.

And the spending caps aren't the only obstacle. After two decades of building between six and nine warships per year, the United States' industrial base has sized itself for building ... well, between six and nine warships per year. Getting to 350 or 355 ships requires an annual production rate of between 12 and 15 vessels.

America's seven naval shipyards probably possess enough physical infrastructurefactories, cranes, slipways, drydocks, etc.to build up to 15 ships a year, according to Eric Wertheim, an independent naval analyst and the author of Combat Fleets of the World. "I do think that the U.S. industrial base can handle additional warship and submarine construction, especially if it's allowed to ramp up over time," Wertheim told The Daily Beast.

However, people could be the biggest problem. "The 355-ship fleet could create thousands of additional manufacturing (and other) jobs at shipyards, associated supplier firms and elsewhere in the U.S. economy," O'Rourke wrote.

But it could take years, or even decades, to train up thousands of new shipyard workers. The two U.S. shipyards that build submarines Electric Boat in Connecticut and Newport News Shipyard in Virginia learned this the hard way more than 20 years ago.

"Only two submarines were procured from 1991 to 1998," Lt. Seth Clarke, a Navy spokesperson, told The Daily Beast. "The expertise for submarine construction was dismantled." Around 2005, the Navy decided to begin buying two submarines annually. It took seven years of hiring and training for the shipyards to get ready. It wasn't until 2012 that the Navy could actually begin ordering the extra subs.

Trump wants to grow the attack sub fleet from 52 to 66. The Navy would have to start ordering more than two submarines per year. And that means Newport News and Electric Boat might have to go on another hiring spree.

But it can take up to seven years to train a welder qualified to work on nuclear-powered subs, Will Lennon, an Electric Boat vice president, told Reuters. "In reality, it will likely take even longer than 16 years to get to 66 [submarines] even if all the money in the world is forthcoming," one naval expert who works closely with Congress told The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The shipbuilding industry simply isn't ready today to build Trump's bigger fleet  and might not be ready for many years. That lack of readiness, combined with the eye-watering high cost of quickly building scores of extra ships, is the reason why experts never took Trump's plan for a bigger Navy very seriously.

Trump would have to add tens of billions of dollars to Navy accounts every year of his first administration -- and plan for hundreds of billions of dollars in extra funding in the decades following his first term. He'd have to convince Congress that the country can afford all that extra spending and he'd have to rally lawmakers to repeal or amend the Budget Control Act.

Absent all that, the fleet scheme is "more than unrealistic, it would be impossible," the Congressional source said. So it should come as no surprise that, in his first budget proposal, Trump seems to have forgotten about his campaign promise for a huge new U.S. Navy.
CPN-UMLs Bidya Sundar Shakya elected Kathmandu Metro City mayor

CPN-UMLs Bidya Sundar Shakya has been elected as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Sunday. Shakya will head the Kathmandu metropolis for the next five years.
'Failing to win won't stop our work'

Ranju Darsana Neupane, widely celebrated youth leader from Bibeksheel Nepali Party, secured third position in the race for Mayoral post for Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
For the past three years, the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce has sponsored a luncheon to support and celebrate the work of Read By 3rd, a local volunteer-driven initiative that began in Bryan's Ben Milam and Anson Jones elementary schools in 2013. This school year, Read By 3rd added its third school, Fannin Elementary. Jane Long and Rayburn intermediate schools will be added this coming fall.

The premise of Read By 3rd is that parental engagement in children's education is essential to their academic, emotional and social success. This notion is established by the Annie E. Casey Foundation research and common sense. Notwithstanding curriculum changes and special efforts the schools make to assist students, unless the parents are part of the process, the academic, emotional and social success will continue to be of limited success. The schools cannot achieve their mission if they are not supported intentionally by the parents. Students spend more than 70 percent of their time at home and with their parents. Given this reality, the home environment provided by parents regarding reading, studying, safety, nutrition and structure of the child are integral to a child's success.

Read By 3rd focuses on the parent's role and how they can become the support and inspiration at home and school. This is accomplished by creating a learning home environment and encouraging the child with the proper structure and discipline that convinces the student their educational development is a priority to their parents. Parental engagement at home includes reading, listening, telling stories, as well as structured schedules for nutritious meals, studying, sleeping and jointly spending time together while visiting community events and places.

Read By 3rd has impacted more than 240 parents and 500 children in the past four years. In relative terms, it is a small number, but it is huge in its influence. The program's goal is to have at minimum 15 percent of families in each school to be Read By 3rd participants. Our belief is that this critical number of parents and children will transform an entire school's culture as other parents see and experience the change in results, attitudes, school environment and academic success.

Unfortunately, in schools across our nation, including locally, there is a deficit in parental engagement. The solution is simple: Let's get parents back into being partners with the school. Though simple, the task is complicated by the reality that parents often are disconnected from the school and consequently students fall through the cracks. Parents are products of their own failed ability to read, fractured family relationships, crime and poverty.

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, two-thirds of the students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. In a 2015 report produced by Kids Count Data for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 69 percent of Texas children could not proficiently read at grade level by third grade. This means 69 percent of Texas children were not ready to "read to learn." The result of not reading at grade level proficiently creates lower academic scores, high drop outs rates, and increased juvenile and adult crime statistics. Reading is the X-factor.

Parental engagement is non-negotiable. We will continue to spend money with the same results, unless the missing link -- parents -- is brought into the mix. Read By 3rd's commitment and vision is to create the model and momentum necessary to transform families and schools that produce emotionally and socially responsible adults that are academically successful.

Read By 3rd goals include:

 Transforming a parent's vision and role in the education of their children.

 Providing training regarding strategies to achieve academic, emotional and social success.

 Providing access to parents, students and teachers to community resources, activities, events and relationships.

 Creating an academically, emotionally and socially learning community that transforms the school culture.

Read By 3rd appreciates the Chamber of Commerce's acknowledgment of the role of parental engagement to achieve higher-achieving students. The future social, cultural and economic development of the Bryan-College Station community is at stake. The recognition by the business community is essential to establishing the Read by 3rd model across our schools. Eventually, our children either will become contributors to our economic well-being or drain our social, cultural, legal and economic resources. Read By 3rd thanks community-based organizations that have joined us in this initiative. These include Clara B. Mounce Public Library, Brazos Valley Food Bank, First United Methodist Bryan- Adult Bible Study and Wesley Class, OPAS, CAMAC, Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M, The Texas A&M University System, Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Bush School, city of Bryan, Brazos County, Fiestas Patrias, as well as many other businesses across the community.

Through our program, families become engaged with the community resources and opportunities that otherwise they never would have encountered. Families often live marginal lives that result in children not benefiting from relationships and resources that will add value to their educational, emotional and social development.

Our families meet monthly from October through May and experience relationship-building programs and presentations by community experts in reading, math, nutrition, health and safety. Further, teachers and volunteers undergo a unique training designed to prepare them to become "facilitators of relationships" between and among students, parents and teachers.

All parents are facing challenges that seem insurmountable. Read By 3rd introduces them to supportive, value-added relationships and opportunities with teachers and volunteers.

Our agreements with the parents, teachers and volunteers include:

 Do not judge

 Do not attack

 Seek to understand

 Add value to each other.

These simple agreements resonate with the parents and all concerned because we are creating a "safe place" designed ultimately to result in academic, emotional and social success for our students.

Read By 3rd and the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce invite you to its annual luncheon to be held Tuesday at the College Station Hilton from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information please go to www.bcschamber.org or call 979-260-5200.

 Daniel Haernandez is a Bryan native and former city councilman. He is a founder of Read by 3rd.
This is a weekend to remember: Remember the ultimate sacrifice of more than 1.2 million men and women who gave their lives for this country, from the bridge at Concord, to the fields at Gettysburg, from the cities of Europe and the islands of the Pacific, to the mountains of Afghanistan. Because of them we are free this weekend to enjoy the first full weekend of summer.

There will be barbecues, pools are open, stores will have giant sales. For some there will be parades, picnics and fireworks.

For others, there will be memories -- memories of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who signed up to defend this nation and the freedoms it embraces. Of course, they knew there always was a possibility they would not return home alive. Still, though, they put on the uniform of this nation and paid with their life.

Why did they sign up? More than 50 years ago, for many, it was not an option. When your country called, you went, willing or not. Now, we no longer have the draft and all our soldiers, sailors, Marines and Air Force personnel are volunteers. Some joined out of a sense of duty and patriotism. Others are fleeing a bad life, while still others are avoiding legal difficulties. It doesn't matter why they serve, only that they serve. We are all the better for that service.

This weekend, we should think about their service and remember, especially, those who did not come home alive. There will be several opportunities to do so throughout the Brazos Valley.

Today, at 2 p.m., the Vietnam Veterans of American will hold services at the Vietnam Memorial in front of the Clara B. Mounce Public Library in Downtown Bryan.

Already, some 1,100 American flags have been placed at veterans' graves in Bryan cemeteries by veterans' organizations and Wells Fargo employees. About 8 a.m. Monday, Memorial Day, volunteers from several veterans' organizations and student groups will place flags in the College Station Cemetery and the Aggie Field of Honor.

Texas A&M University, which produced so many members of our armed forces over the past 140 years, will lay a wreath at 10 a.m. Monday at the plaza near the Corps Arches on campus. The event will be conducted by the Brazos County World War I Centennial Committee in honor of the 60 Aggies who died 100 years ago in World War I. Of course, in a larger sense, it will honor all Americans who died for their country.

Also on Monday, at 11 a.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4692 will join with American Legion Post 159 for ceremony honoring our war dead. The ceremony, at the VFW Hall at 794 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan, will feature a 21-gun volley by the American Legion Post 159 Honor Guard.

The public is invited to all these events.

While Americans have been fighting and some dying for this country since 1775, the official remembrance traces its roots to 1868, when Union veterans of the Civil War created Decoration Day. Southerners held their own observances for their war dead. As the bitterness of the Civil War faded, veterans South and North began to meet together to remember jointly the Americans on both sides who died in war.

The name Memorial Day began to be used in some places in the 1880s, but it wasn't until after World War II that it became common throughout the country. It wasn't until 1967 that it became the official designation of the observance, held the last Monday in May each year.

In recent decades, America has become redivided North and South, East and West, liberal and conservative. Those divisions have caused great problems for this country and have prevented solutions to many of our shared problems.

This weekend, though, let us be united in our reverence and respect for those brave Americans who gave their life that we might continue to be free. Young Americans still are signing up to defend this nation and some of them, unfortunately, will die in that service. The very least we can do is honor those sacrifices and remember those who made them.

To those who died serving America and to the families they left behind, we say thank you.

And may God bless.
Brynn Casady makes most of her volleyball season at Spoon River College

Casady played defensive specialist, libero and outside hitter at various times during the season
House resumes after 3-party agreement

The ruling Nepali Congress-Maoist Centre alliance on Saturday agreed to withdraw an impeachment motion its lawmakers had filed against Chief Justice Sushila Karki, paving the way for House resumption and discussions on government policies and programmes presented by the President on Thursday.
Prepare those American flag-themed shirts, shorts, banners, mugs and all the patriotic swag you can get your mitts on, because the annual Memorial Day celebration is headed your way.

The annual Memorial Day parade will kick off this year at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29, starting from Veterans Memorial Park at 10 a.m., down Van Zant Street and East Avenue to the Norwalk Green.

Bands participating in past years include the Norwalk Fire Department Pipe Band, the Norwalk High School Marching Bears, the Brien McMahon High School Marching Senators, bands from West Rocks, Roton, Ponus Ridge, Nathan Hale Middle Schools.

The parade will honor all the men and women who have served in this countrys armed forces who have passed away.

Henry A. Simon, a Navy veteran who served as a pharmacists mate aboard LST-469 during World War II, will lead the parade as grand marshal.

The parade is organized by the Norwalk Veterans Memorial Committee, which is comprised of representatives of all local and active veterans service organizations, JROTC detachments and members of different departments around the city. The committee is chartered by the city to organize and manage major patriotic events within the local community, including the Memorial Day Parade, the Veterans Day Ceremony and the annual ceremony at Shea-Magrath Memorial.

ROWAYTON

Rowaytons Memorial Day festivities wont end with their community parade this year.

Following the parade, the Rowayton Arts Center will host its Art in the Park at Pinkney Park on Sunday, May 28.

New to the event this year is the Paint Out wet paint exhibit and competition for artists interested in participating.

Artists will be allowed to sell their artwork in the park that day or if not, include your work in the Portside Gallery exhibit Paint Rowayton.

The Arts Center will also have a Memorial Day parade float with its Junior Members aboard inviting families along the route to come to Pinkney Park after the parade to enjoy music by Two for the Road and browse through art displays while checking out the work by Paint Out artists. The center will also have organized art activities and refreshments for the kids.

The Rowayton Historical Society will open their summer show and will have the antique tool barn and maritime barn open for the public as well.

Artists are asked to bring their own supports, supplies and to handle their own sales.

If your artwork does not sell in the park, enter it into Paint Rowayton exhibit by dropping it off at the center on Friday, June 2 between noon and 5 p.m., and it will be included in the Portside Gallery Exhibit from June 4 to June 25.

The Glitterfairy will return to the Norwalk Historical Society next week for another lively workshop to jazz up your week.

Laurie Davis, the Glitterfairy, will teach the fine art of origami as well as other paper art techniques on Thursday, June 1, at 6:45 p.m. at the Norwalk Historical Society Museum.

Daviss course including a tutorial on how to handcraft a 3-D flower greeting card, monogrammed notes, lined envelopes and a fabulous origami folder in which to hold everything. Davis will immerse attendees in rubber stamping and embossing techniques, and teach students how to create crepe paper flowers for the card.

Bring a friend and a bottle of wine and learn how to create a beautiful floral themed stationary set to take home. The workshop is $40 and includes all materials. Registration and pre-payment required by May 30 at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

For more information, visit www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, email info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, or call 203-846-0525.

EAST NORWALK

Looking to boost your health and the coffers of a local charity in one fell swoop?

If so, check out the Connecticut Food Bank Miles for Meals 5K when it returns to Norwalk on Sunday, June 4.

Enjoy a flat 5k course that weaves through Veterans Park and the scenic East Norwalk waterfront as the race kicks off at 8:30 a.m.

All participants will receive complimentary cotton T-shirts. Runners will also be treated to live music, food, refreshments, awards and more after the run.

For registration and more information: www.ctfoodbank.org/5k. Citizens Bank is once again presenting sponsor of Miles for Meals.

Event sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Michael Davidow at 203-741-9211 or by email at mdavidow@ctfoodbank.org.

Share your neighborhood news

To share your community and neighborhood news with The Hour, contact Pat Tomlinson at 203-354-1046, or at ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com.
(Interview) "I plan to build Kathmandu as cultural hub"

CPN-UMLs Bidhya Sundar Shakya has been elected as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) on Sunday.
President Jackie Pollock welcomed 17 members of the Trinity Lutheran Womens Missionary League to the May 12 meeting in the church chapel.

Marlene Behm had the opening prayer. Lynn Wood from AseraCare Hospice presented the program. She shared that AseraCare has 59 offices in the United States and is a 100 percent paid benefit of Medicare. She also said there will be a butterfly release at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at First Presbyterian Church to honor patients who have passed.

Hostesses were Stephanie Karsten, Margaret Keene and Irene Klein. Kathy Aufdemberge gave the mites devotion based on Proverbs 31 and Mark 12.

The Sewing Committee reported that 21 quilts were tied for Trinitys graduating seniors.

Six people worked at the Orphan Grain Train. The next work day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 12.

The Altar Guild will meet at 9:30 a.m. May 30 in the chapel at Trinity.

The next LWML meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. June 9 at Trinity and the mission project will be monetary donations for the Trinity Youth Group servant event trip to Idaho this summer.
Are internet retail sales the new catalog sales of years past?

As Michael Niemira, principal of the Retail Economist, explains, some communities are losing stores that are not profitable, and the online distribution is filling the gap.

He opines that zero-inventory, high-experience stores, in which customers enter an amazing space, get a brand experience and buy items that are then shipped to them from a distribution center, could become the new model for retail stores, replacing high-inventory stores.

Others remain hopeful that retailers will continue to improve their in-store experience and provide customers with instant gratification. We hope so as well.

Retail is an important staple of Grand Islands economy. Our retail stores  national chains and independent boutiques  offer options, variety, convenience and value, drawing shoppers from Central Nebraska and beyond.

Grand Island is Nebraskas third-largest retail center and serves as a regional trade center for a 10-county area with a population of more than 150,000. Generally, the total market area encompasses all or portions of 33 counties.

For area residents and visitors alike, Grand Island offers a diverse array of shopping experiences and more than 700 retail stores. The shopping options range from national brand stores to locally owned boutique shops. Together, shopping in Grand Island offers variety, convenience and value.

Drawing customers from outside of our community is known as a pull factor. If a pull factor is greater than 1.0, then the retail sales activity of that area has exceeded its own population (retail capture). A pull factor of less than 1.0 means that area is losing potential retail activity to other places (trade leakage).

The University of Nebraskas agricultural economics department recently released figures for 2015. In 2015, Grand Island enjoyed a pull factor of 1.66, indicating that, on a per capita basis, Grand Island is capturing retail activity from other areas and retail sales in Grand Island were approximately 60 percent greater than the states average per capita sales.

Cindy Johnson is president of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce.
Impeachment motion against Karki still not withdrawn

Ruling coalition Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) have not withdrawn the impeachment motion registered at the Parliament against Chief Justice Sushila Karki.
Jung Bahadur desires a beautiful girl

Mannu Singh was dozing off as usual when the screams roused him. Annoyed, he pushed himself off the armchair and headed downstairs.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 10:06 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2bbb99 4 Lifestyle ramadhan,jazz,#Ramadhan,festival,#festival,Cut-Meutia-Mosque,mosque Free

The fifth installment of Ramadhan Jazz Festival is set to return to Cut Meutia Mosque Plaza in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on June 9 to 10.

Prior to the festival, a series of events dubbed Youth Creative Exhibition are set to be held in Menteng Park on June 3, including a band audition, saman dance audition, art exhibition and social activity alongside the 1,000 Guru (1,000 Teachers) community, which focuses on education issues.

Read also: Nyadran, a unique tradition of welcoming Ramadhan

The festival's project officer, M. Derisman Nugraha, told Antara that money collected from visitors would be donated to students in Tangerang in the form of stationary and uniforms.

Last year's festival reportedly gathered up to 68 blood supplies and infaq (donations) of up to Rp 32 million (US$2,407) from entrance tickets.

The festival is a collaboration effort between Cut Meutia Mosque Islamic Youth (RICMA) and Indonesian jazz ecosystem WartaJazz. (vod/kes)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Sun, May 28, 2017 13:25 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2bff5d 1 National IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,idul-fitri-exodus Free

According to the Central Java administration, the number of homebound travelers entering the province during this years Idul Fitri festivities is expected to grow around 30 percent.

We will see 8.14 million homebound travelers entering Central Java for Idul Fitri in 2017, up by 1.86 million from 6.28 million the previous year, said Central Java administration regional secretary Sri Puryono in Semarang recently.

The number of travelers riding motorcycles is expected to reach 1.94 million while those traveling in private cars is predicted to reach 4.12 million. Meanwhile, 1.59 million people are expected to travel by bus; 332,225 by train; 118,164 by plane; 30,080 by vessels; and 1,400 by ferry.

The Idul Fitri holiday travel will peak on June 23 and 24. The high traffic density on those dates will be triggered by quite a long Idul Fitri holiday period this year, Puryono said.

The Central Java administration is ready to anticipate a jump in homebound travelers entering the province during the upcoming holiday exodus, he said.

Citing data, Puryono said 11,648 buses, 100 planes, 92 trains and 12 vessels would enter Central Java during the exodus.

The Central Java administration, he said, planned to set up 92 integrated posts with a first aid team stationed at each one. Police and military personnel as well as volunteers from the Indonesian Red Cross, Pramuka [Indonesian Scouts Movement] and other organizations are ready to help, he said. (ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 10:56 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2bc9fc 4 National schapelle-corby,marijuana,bali Free

Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Leigh Corby of Australia departed from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali late on Saturday evening, returning home to Australia on Sunday morning after nearly 13 years since her trip to the resort island.

The 39-year-old, along with her sister Mercedes Corby, took a Malindo Air flight, not Virgin Australia as originally expected by Australian media. Her plane landed in Brisbane at 5:09 local time.

Local media in Australia reported that she took less than 30 minutes to disembark and clear security before she left the airport with a large security convoy in tow, avoiding the media contingent that had gathered.

Corby had received special precautions since her departure from Denpasar with the departure gate having changed twice without notification. Upon landing, all passengers were forced to remain in their seats with an announcement saying "the special guest has to get off first," stuff.co.nz reported.

In a statement from Corby, which was read by a member of her security team soon after she landed, she thanked her supporters in Bali and Australia and asked for privacy.

Corby completed her sentence for the 2004 importation of 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into Bali. The arrest, trial and later conviction of Corby, who local media dubbed the Marijuana Queen, was a high-profile saga for the two neighboring countries. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Rendi A. Witular (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 12:38 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2be8f8 1 National BIN,terrorism,#JakartaAttack,#KampungMelayubombings Free

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chairman Budi Gunawan said on Sunday that Indonesia would need to put in place extraordinary measures to clamp down on radicalism and terrorism in light of recent suicide bombings that killed three police officers in East Jakarta.

Aside from forging closer cooperation with the global community, Budi said, the government has strengthened the capacity of the BIN, the police, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and related government agencies to thwart the spread of the Islamic State (IS) movement in Southeast Asia.

In terms of regulations, BIN will push for the immediate passing of Terrorism Law revisions that will strengthen preventive measures.

"There should also be a legal basis for materials collected by intelligence authorities to be used as evidence in the court of law during prosecutions of a terror suspect," Budi said, adding that his proposal was not intended for abuse to target certain groups.



"Let us not allow this destructive virus to turn Indonesia into a breeding ground [for terrorism] as what has been happening in Iraq and Syria."

The two suicide bombers, identified by the police as Akhmad Sukri and Ichwan Nurul Salam on Wednesday, were members of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a group that supports the IS movement.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 14:38 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c1aa1 4 City West-Jakarta,Facebook Free

Amelia Deva Puspita, 17, a resident of Pejompongan, Tanah Abang, in Central Jakarta, was allegedly locked up for nearly two days by Hendra Kurniawan, 22, an unemployed man she recently met on Facebook, the police have said.

Amelias mother, Suharmi, 51, said her daughter asked her permission to go out on Tuesday afternoon but did not return home that evening. Family members attempted to locate Amelia but she was not contactable by phone.

Suharmi then directly filed a report to the Jakarta Police after being informed by Lia, 17, that she received a message from Amelia on Thursday saying that Hendra had locked her up, tribunnews.com reported.

(Read also: Pedophiles find haven on Facebook)

In the message, Amelia was asking for help because a man she had just met locked him up, Palmerah Police chief Comr. Armunanto Hutahean said.

The police quickly followed up on the report and discovered that Amelia was locked up in a rented house in the Kemanggisan area in West Jakarta, where Hendra was arrested, he said.

Hendra and Amelia only knew each other via Facebook. They made an appointment to meet up and Hendra picked her up at her house, Armunanto said, adding that Hendra then locked her up at his rented house because Amelia refused to give him money. (fac/dmr)
Masses on the move

I am at the Doha International Airport beginning this piece during my 10-hour transit. Qatar Airways brought me here from Chicago after a direct flight that was 13 hours long.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 13:59 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c0ddc 4 City ramadhan,takjil,commuter-line Free

Commuter railway operator PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) starting June 12 will provide passengers of Jakarta commuter trains with takjil (light iftar snacks).

The operator will provide some takjil, but only at several big train stations, said KCJ spokesperson Eva Chairunisa on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The stations to provide the light snacks are Tanah Abang, Juanda, Gondangdia, Cikini and Manggarai stations, she said. Light snacks and drinks will only be provided on weekdays.

(Read also: Benhil takjil market still vibrant amid renovation )

Eva said that the operator would also allow the passengers to consume food and drinks on board the trains for one hour at dusk, during the breaking-of-the-fast period. (kuk/dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 21:46 1991 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c835d 4 National Tito-Karnavian,Jakarta-police,fake-news Free

The police have apprehended a man who had allegedly published the text of a fake phone chat between National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono.

The suspect, identified only as HP, spread the fake conversation through the Instagram account @muslim_cyber1, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said on Sunday.

The account often spread pictures and hate speech that could incite religious and racial hatred, Setyo said as quoted by kompas.com.

The police arrested HP in his house in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. The police confiscated a smartphone, three SIM cards, a screenshot of a fake conversation between Tito and Argo and several screenshots of hate-filled religious chats in his Instagram account.

HP could be charged under either the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law or Law No. 40/2008 on the abolition of ethnic and racial discrimination. The ITE Law carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison and Rp 1 billion (US$75,100) in fines, while the discrimination law carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail and Rp 500 million in fines. (kuk/dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 21:41 1991 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c7cbf 4 City #JakartaAttack,East-Jakarta,#KampungMelayubombings,Densus-88 Free

The National Police's counterterrorism squad Densus 88 have arrested a man in Cibubur, East Jakarta, on suspicion that he is linked to the bombing at Kampung Melayu bus station in East Jakarta on Wednesday night, which killed three police officers and injured dozen others.

The man, only identified by the initial R, although he may also go by an alias beginning with the letter B, was in contact with one of the suicide bombers, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said Sunday.

"He [R or B] met with one of the suicide bombers [Ahmad Sukri] a day before the attack," Setyo said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He also handed something to Sukri, Setyo added, saying that police investigators were looking into what the man had given to Ahmad.

The man is currently being detained at the National Police Mobile Brigade Detention Center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, for questioning. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Sun, May 28, 2017 21:39 1991 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c754d 1 National Medan,traffic-accident Free

An out-of-control truck rammed into five motorcycles stopped at a traffic light on Jl. Ring Road in Medan on Sunday. Three people were killed in the accident and six injured, with several children among the casualties.

The deceased were identified as Indra Subhan Purba, 44, Arisa Salwa, 13, and Anas Majid, 8. Meanwhile, the injured have been named as Aldon Sinambela, 47, M. Safikri, 14, Afia Zahro Purba, 11, Alexander, 17, Dini Ananda, 12, and M. Agli, 13.

Medan Sunggal subprecinct Police chief Comr. Daniel Marunduri said the accident took place at 6:30 a.m. The truck ran at high speed and could not stop at the traffic light.

Five motorcycles were struck; one of them was dragged for a few meters. Three people died instantly at the scene," Daniel said.

Daniel said police had arrested the truck driver, Saiful Fadli, for further questioning.

Preliminary questioning concludes that the truck experienced brake failure," Medan Traffic Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Indra Warman said. (dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Sun, May 28, 2017 13:45 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c0571 1 National IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,idul-fitri-exodus,jasa-marga,JasaMarga,toll-road,TollRoadOperator Free

Construction projects of two Central Java toll roadsthe Pemalang-Batang and Batang-Grising toll roadshave been sped up to accommodate Idul Fitri homebound travelers.

A predicted eight million travelers will enter the province to celebrate Idul Fitri in their hometowns next month.

State toll road operator PT Jasa Marga said a 36.3 kilometer-long toll road connecting Batang and Grising was being constructed with a lean concrete (LC) layer 10 centimeters thick and seven meters wide.

Thats why only light vehicles are allowed to use this toll road. It will be operated one way. For homebound travel, the toll road will only serve vehicles traveling from cities in the western part of the island to eastern areas. During the counter exodus, it will only serve vehicles bound for Jakarta and its surrounding areas from Central and East Java, said Saut Simatupang, Jasa Marga president director for Semarang and Batang, recently.

(Read also: C. Java to see 30% jump in Idul Fitri homebound travelers)

The LC construction is to accommodate Idul Fitri travelers. It is being built to ensure smooth holiday travel. This toll road is temporary and has not yet been connected to Semarang because several land acquisition problems have not yet been resolved, Saut said.

Construction of the Semarang-Batang toll road is 83.59 percent complete.

This year during Idul Fitri, the number of homebound travelers entering Central Java from Jakarta and its surrounding areas is expected to reach 8.14 million. Its far higher than last years [number of] travelers, amounting to 6.28 million people only, said Central Java regional secretary Sri Puryono. (ebf)

Heavy vehicles operate day and night to speed up construction of the Semarang-Batang toll road. (JP/Suherdjoko)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 29 2017

The Industry Ministry has tightened its control over the importation of alloy steel, which it claims has made a negative impact on the domestic metal industry.

Alloy steel imports jumped by 38.8 percent to 1.3 million tons in 2016, according to data from Indonesias largest steelmaker, PT Krakatau Steel.

The influx of foreign alloy steel caused the domestic metal industry to expand by only 1.94 percent last year, much less than the 9.96 percent in 2015, according to the ministry.

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  Sun, May 28, 2017 11:06 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2bd334 1 News Tourism-Ministry,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,aceh,Ramadhan-2017,ramadan,ramadhan Free

Aceh province offers plenty of religious activities during the holy month of Ramadhan including the Meugang tradition held two days before Ramadhan and two days before Idul Fitri. For the occasion, Achenese slaughter cows, then cook and consume the meat together with their families.

The Ramadhan festival in Aceh also features numerous competitions such as an adzan (a call to prayer) competition, Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (Quran reading competition) and hafiz Al Quran competition.

Visitors looking to buy breaking-the-fast meals can go to Ramadhan village located on the riverbanks where an array of culinary goods are sold.

Read also: Wait for 'iftar' at these places in Jakarta

A dzikir akbar (mass chants in praise of God) event will be held at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque as well as a Qiyamul Lail (night prayer) event that invites various participants, including ustadz (Islamic teacher) from Saudi Arabia.

In the afternoon people can go to museums or tourist spots. The culinary adventure starts in the evening at 4:00 p.m. Theres also an iftar (breaking-the-fast meal) gathering, tarawih and tadarrus, dzikir, Khanduri Khatam Al-Quran and Nuzulul Quran night, said the head of the Aceh tourism department, Reza Pahlevi. (asw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 15:44 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c4fb0 1 News Tourism-Ministry,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,bali-blues-festival,bali Free

The Tourism Ministry and the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) are working together to promote tourism in Bali through international events, such as the recent Bali Blues Festival (BBF) 2017 held from May 26 to 27.

ITDC president director Abdulbar Mansoer is optimistic that after BBF 2017, Nusa Dua Bali will be ready to host much bigger festivals in the future. [Bali] has been trusted to become the host for IMF  World Bank Annual Meeting 208. The ITDC and the Tourism Ministry will be holding more world-class festivals in Nusa Dua, Bali, and monthly music festivals to maintain our accessibility, accommodations and attractiveness, said Mansoer.

Read also: Bali to host Blues Festival this weekend

Bali is set to be a place that can accommodate any kind of event. This festival [BBF 2017] is perfect because music is a universal language. After the event, visitors are going to associate Bali with music and will return to Bali, said I Gde Pitana, the Tourism Ministry's deputy for overseas promotion.

The BBF 2017 had the nations best musicians perform in the two-day festival such as Gugun Blues Shelter, Indra Lesmana, Balawan The Magic Finger, Gilang Ramadhan and the Krakatau Reunion music group.

Forty percent of foreign tourists coming to Indonesia travel to Bali.

Bali's special tourism portfolio consists of three elements: culture (50 percent), nature (30 percent) and man-made (20 percent). The culture element is then divided into three categories: culinary arts, art and tradition (50 percent), city and village tourism (30 percent) and religious and heritage tourism (20 percent). (asw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 28, 2017 14:21 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2c16f2 1 News Tourism-Ministry,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,ramadhan,ramadan,Ramadan-2017,Ramadhan-2017 Free

The tourism industry is facing a decline in the number of tourists during the fasting period.

Local tourists choose to stay at home to preserve their energy, as do tourists from Singapore and Malaysia. The number of tourists from the Middle East is also decreasing, said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

But the polar opposite happens during the Lebaran holiday, when millions of local tourists travel. This is the second peak season for tourism. The first one is the end-of-the-year holiday, Yahya said.

During the holy month of Ramadhan, the Tourism Ministry shifts its focus, promoting destinations and activities that are popular among overseas tourists such as Bali and cross-border tourism in eastern regions, such as Atambua, which separates Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Merauke and Papua.

Read also: Ramadhan Jazz Festival to return to Menteng mosque

For local tourists, we also have religious tourism such as the Ziarah Wali Songo [pilgrimage] in the northern coastal area from Cirebon, Demak, Kudus and Tuban to Surabaya. There are many places in East Java that have become tourist destinations for religious tourism, said Yahya.

In trying to make the best of the low holiday season, the ministry has encouraged a sharing economy concept, which tourist village homestays have adapted by renting unused rooms to travelers at an affordable price.

The ministry also created a digital marketplace called Indonesia Tourism Xchange (ITX) that provides a platform for buyers and sellers to conduct exchanges.

Both the homestays and ITX are suitable for millennials who are tech-savvy and eager to experience new cultures. (asw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Wonogiri, Central Java  Sun, May 28, 2017 08:45 1992 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a2bb642 1 News art,#art,art-and-culture,#ArtsandCulture,anniversary,traditional-arts,dance,#dance,culture,#culture,#cultural-identity,Wonogiri Free

Wonogiri regency in Central Java celebrated its 276th anniversary last week by presenting the kethek ogling colossal dance and cultural carnival.

Kethek ogling is the regencys traditional dance, which tells the story of Raden Gunung Sari from the kingdom of Jenggala-Kediri. The prince is said to pretend to be a white monkey while searching for Dewi Sekartaji. He opens the forests and departs the village to look for his sister. One of the forests he enters then becomes known as Wonogiri.

Meanwhile, the carnival, dubbed Karnaval Budaya Nusantara (Archipelago Cultural Carnival), was said to involve around 500 participants, showcasing cultural performances, namely reog (traditional masked dance), kirab keris (traditional dagger parade), kirab semar (a parade of the character in Javanese puppet show) and Gita Dirgantara marching band from the Yogyakartas Aviation Academy (AAU).

Read also: The return of Semarangs Old Town

The starting points were at two locations, namely at Alun-alun in Sukorejo village and Pringgodani Stadium.

Around 500 people participated in the carnival, showcasing the different cultural attractions. This type of carnival is important to be a reminder of history. Though we develop Wonogiri together, we must not forget our origins, said Wonogiri Regent Joko Jekek Sutopo.

Through the carnival, we are promoting [Wonogiris] arts and cultures, they are our main tourist attractions, said Siswanto, the regencys culture and education agency head. (jes/kes)
Menstrual hygiene day

Education is a powerful tool in raising awareness, smashing taboos and debunking myths surrounding menstruation
John Haidar gives the impression of a busy, but fulfilled, man.

As we settle down to discuss Haidars latest work, a return of Enda Walshs Disco Pigs, the scale of Haidars life in theatre is clear to see.

Im currently in rehearsal at The National Theatre for a different play and we go into rehearsal for Disco Pigs on the 19th June, so we have just over three weeks to put things together, Haidar says.

Haidars production of Enda Walshs Disco Pigs opens at Londons Trafalgar Studios for the show's 20th anniversary run this July.

The original play won the George Devine Award and the Stewart Parker Prize when it made its premiere in 1997, cementing its place in British theatre folklore.

It was a play that had always affected me, ever since I first read it," Haidar says.

I worked on Walshs play, The New Electric Ballroom, while I was in drama school. I wrote to him, saying (that) I would love to know why you wrote it!

He wrote back and said, well if you really want to know we should meet up! We met for coffee and talked about the play; it was really inspiring and encouraging.

Disco Pigs tells the tale of two disillusioned teenagers growing up in Cork. It is a play that symbolises the raw emotions of being a teenager and the struggles young people face as they grow up, something Haidar thinks is more relevant today than ever before.

It was a world in which young people would feel very disenfranchised," he says. "Even a generation later, things havent moved on that much.

A lot of the people of that age are still asking themselves the same question, having to wrestle with living in an environment that can feel quite hostile at times."

Enda Walshs breathtaking original received acclaim from the national press, with the Guardian referring to Disco Pigs as a play that "didnt so much debut at the 1997 Edinburgh Fringe as erupt there."

Despite Haidar prompting an impressive theatrical CV - Assistant Director on the West Ends latest masterpiece, Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Staff Director of The National Theatres Common - Haidar is still cherishing the prospect of leading a play that means a lot to him.

Get to spend ALL day hanging out with this genius (& brilliant human!), director John Haidar, preppin' and plottin' for our #summershow #secret #comingsoon #eyespeeled #theatre #excited A post shared by Tara Finney Productions (@tarafinneyproductions) on Apr 13, 2017 at 1:49am PDT

Im hugely, hugely excited and I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to work on it," he says.

Im always saying (that) if I pick up the play and I read it and it punches me in the face, then I want to do it. Thats always a positive for me - to feel really moved, to feel shaken by something.

Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch stars as Runt in Haidars production, partnering with Dublin By Lamplights Colin Campbell, who plays close friend Pig.

According to Haidar, Lynchs passion and dedication to Disco Pigs stood out, and was a key piece of the puzzle that his team were looking to fill.

I think we were very lucky finding someone who, in the case of Evanna, (is) as passionate about the play as I am.

I think you need to be fully immersed in that world, and want to be fully immersed in that world, to do it justice.

Haidar is quickly growing into a force to be reckoned with in British theatre. Its this determination he believes is essential for young people to get their foot into the door of a dream job in the arts.

I think you have to love it and you have to not want to do anything else," he says. "You must be prepared to work incredibly hard, and you have to be prepared to receive more rejections than you thought humanly possible.

If you can do all of those things and have the stamina, the endurance and the will to keep with it, then I think you're half way there.

For tickets and more information, click here.
By Forrest Dunbar, student at University of Bedfordshire

Forrest Dunbar has Aspergers syndromebut didnt look back once while he was a student at the University of Bedfordshire.

Here he takes a look at what students with mental health conditions should bear in mind when considering and choosing universities  from what support might be available, to specialist equipment and mentoring opportunities.

1. Visiting the university

Theres nothing better than visiting a university in person. You just get such a good sense of the feel of the place, which can be difficult to grasp from websites, videos and paper prospectuses.

Meeting lecturers from the course can be inspiring and gives you a chance to ask questions about the course and what to expect  it can really help to put your mind at ease.

Its also a good chance to have a chat with the student support team to find out how they approach supporting students with mental health conditions  a quick face-to-face conversation can tell you a lot more than what you might read online, plus you get a ready and hopefully comprehensive answer to any particular questions that you might have.

2. Research the support that is available

Before you confirm your place at university you absolutely should be fully aware what support will be available.

Some individuals might not feel comfortable putting themselves forward to ask what they are entitled to, but everybody I spoke with was so friendly that I would encourage everybody to overcome this and just ask.

Many universities run specific initiatives to support students with mental health conditions  for example, at the University of Bedfordshire, there was a special programme of events during freshers week for those like me with autism spectrum disorders, which was really helpful when settling in. Knowing what specific help is already in place shows a lot about how the university approaches mental health generally  it is always a good sign if your university can talk confidently about what support programmes they run and how you might benefit.

3. See if you can get a mentor

When I started at university I found it really helpful to be paired up with a couple of mentors, both to cover academic study and life at university itself.

Starting at university can be quite overwhelming, as there is a lot of information to take in and plenty of new people to meet. Having a dedicated person to go to with questions or concerns, who is really knowledgeable about the university, can be really beneficial.

This support can be formal or informal,whichever might work best for you. In my case the student support team arranged for me to meet with my mentor once a week for an hour, though she was also always on hand in the week if I wanted to talk about anything urgent. All I had to do was send a text, and she was there at my door!

4. Ask about specialist equipment

Mental health is a broad field and its very important for universities not to take a one-size-fits-all approach to the support and equipment that is provided to students. Students will have varying needs and so a bespoke offering works well.

It might be that specialist software is available for your laptop to assist with reading for essays and exam preparation. Small adjustments to your accommodation might be provided, to make things easier for you at home.

Be proactive about talking to your universitys student support team about what might benefit you  in my experience staff were more than happy to help with any requests; if you dont ask you may not get!

5. Check about extra support to help with exams

For many students, success in exams is a very important, not to mention stressful, factor of life at university.

Mental health conditions shouldnt unduly affect your grades and there is no shame about asking for extra support for exams and coursework. Universities are used to handling requests and will be able to discuss your needs in close detail in the hope of finding solutions to help you.

For me, it was about having a little bit of extra time in exams to read carefully around the questions, so that I could understand these fully. Others will have different needs, of course, but the main thing to remember is that the university wants all of its students to do well. They will be only too pleased to discuss any solution that has the potential to help you succeed.
Nepal needs new policies to boost economy: Experts

The country needs to devise a policy that strikes a balance between economic self-sufficiency and economic liberalisation, economists have said.
There are many things associated with Manchester, not least of them its vibrant music scene.

So as the city vows to stand united in the wake of the deadly concert terror attack on Monday, here are 11 songs  either written about the city or by people from it  that go some way to symbolising its spirit.

1. The Smiths  There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

The lyrics from this archetypal Mancunian band seem particularly relatable to the resilience the people of the city have shown in the aftermath.

2. Oasis  Dont Look Back In Anger

This song appears to have become the unofficial tribute to the city after mourners gathered in St Anns Square for the minutes silence joined together in a moving rendition of a quintessential Oasis track.

3. Elbow  Station Approach

The lyrics touch upon that fond feeling you get when you return to the place you call home  something many people have said they feel about Manchester, whether actually residents or not.

4. Doves  Winter Hill

This Cheshire band sing about a familiar sight seen just north of Manchester and open with the poignant words Wherever you go, you will be with me.

5. The Beautiful South  Manchester

This record recognises something else Manchester is great at doing  raining.

6. Gomez  Whippin Piccadilly

With a large amount of Manchesters sport and music scene continuing to carry on, the fun-filled day described in this song is far from a distant memory.

7. Stone Roses  Waterfall

This striking song can either be interpreted to be about a resolute woman or a resolute country  but the theme of defiance is clear and fitting.

8. Oasis  Let There Be Love

Oasis couldnt not make a second entrance onto the playlist, this time with a song that spreads the sentiment of peace.

9. The Times  Manchester

This song is filled with cultural references for the city, from the Hacienda to the Happy Mondays. And it finishes with the line Manchester, Ill always love you.

10. The Courteeners  Not Nineteen Forever

This track was named as Manchester Uniteds official song of celebration when they won the Premier League in 2013 and with a line like  Asked me would I like to go for tea and toast  it couldnt really get more Manc.

11. The Hollies  He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother

The band, who were formed from Manchester, sing about showing strength and carrying on with whatever lies ahead  a message the people of the city, and around the world, really want to embrace.
By Gareth Gartside, student at Lancaster University Management School.

Last year , alongside 12 other Lancaster University students, I attended the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Chennai. Founded in 1992, it allows businesses to take positive action in order to combat real problems that are destroying our world currently.

Chennai, India

Several months later the experience has still not fully sunk in. Before I attended the conference I had a range of questions about what the Council could achieve, and afterwards I am still thinking this over.

Attending the conference was insightful but it was so much more - it was a life lesson in awareness. Attending was definitely thought provoking and opened many more questions in which I am eager to explore; many of which will prompt even more questions. Here are just a few of them:

How can one person make a difference?

We are in a unique situation right now, amidst global turmoil  Trumps presidency, Brexit - in which our voice matters. Although it is not the easiest path it is important that we take those first steps amidst uncertainty by shouting our views and take a vested interest in our community.

We hear the term Liberal Democracy often used - Libera is the Latin Translation for freedom and that holds a significant meaning. To be able to have the ability to voice opinions is a powerful thing.

This is so important when we see those who dont have the rights to do this without fear or persecution. Even in the United States, we hear of the hotly debated Presidency of Donald Trump and the limitations he has set on rights and oppression.

What difference can I make for a sustainable future?

Today, students have the world at their fingertips. I have the experience of youth and ironically the inexperience of life and am just beginning my journey. Since I came back, I am more aware of the little things we can do - switch off the light when we dont need it on, and recycle the waste we have. But I find myself questioning what difference this makes? One person can only do so much.

However we have to consider the matter of time. I am just starting my journey and I will continue to learn as I walk the road ahead. It is important that we all walk our own path as every single person has the ability to make a difference! At times our paths will surely cross but I believe this will enable us the chance to come together to make a change for a sustainable future; one we can embrace and respect. Chennai was just the beginning for me.

Is there more to business than just finance?

Initially I was sceptical about why businesses attended this annual conference. After all, Businesses just want to make money, right? Yet being in the room with so many like-minded people who are actively pushing for a sustainable future reinforced the point - we are all in this together. Chennai allowed me to develop my voice and initiate change. It is more important than ever that we speak out our beliefs in order to drive forward new changes. There is more to Business and certainly more to life than finance and money.

We see of business and leading figures such as the WBCSD fighting for the injustice of the world in such poverty-stricken countries such as India and I had the opportunity of seeing first hand these incredibly passionate people rallying to face international concerns. Together we can drive change; we can add our voice to the fight in such global uncertainty and one voice may make all the difference.

Will we ever be happy with what we have?

My most memorable experience of Chennai was volunteering with the local mens shelter and this was the real eye opener for me. These men have very little, no close family and few friends and yet they are happy. It really got me thinking - when will we be happy with what we have?

Chennai humbled me beyond anything else, seeing those who walk a different life from me really opened my eyes to reality. From the slums of the poorest to the hotels of the rich, Chennai welcomed me with open arms and curiosity.

Chennai has taught me that its okay to be passionate; it is okay to be different. No two of us are the same and that is what makes diversity so special. The sharing of beliefs, culture and language often is where the unexpected happens.

The most important thing is important to find a voice. I was inspired by the frank conversations that were taking place at the meeting. Attending the World Business Council has made it abundantly clear that speaking out your beliefs is one way we can drive change. Stand up for your beliefs, voice your opinions in the face of global uncertainty and embrace diversity.

Sometimes the single voice that stands firm is often far more powerful than the majority who shout to be heard. Whilst many may disagree with my views, they are first and foremost my own and I have every right to voice them. Whilst they maybe different from other peoples opinions they are mine and I will be proud of my voice.

Ultimately, it is me who must make my voice heard.
Whether politics is something you actively engage in or something that passes you by, its a fairly inescapable topic at the moment with the General Election looming.

As the campaign heats up, so do the debates about whos best to be running the country  and those conversations become all the more uncomfortable and problematic when someone close, whether that be a partner or parent, announces that theyre backing an opposing side.

Heres what psychotherapist and couples counsellor Hilda Burke and emotional health and relationship expert David James Lees have to say on how to deal with relationship conflict caused by different political stances.

Make sure your views are actually yours

(Jonathan Brady/PA)

Parents can be guilty of assuming their children will follow their political views but people, in general, can also be guilty of soaking up the views of others and calling them their own, says Lees.

So start by researching policies, not regurgitating headlines. Take the time to do your own self-inquiry work and ensure that your political views are in fact yours and not something that you have inherited from your family, your environment or peers, he advises.

Dont shy away from discussing the topic

(Peter Byrne/PA)

If you think its for the best to avoid talking to your boyfriend or girlfriend about political differences in case it leads to an argument, you should really be thinking the opposite, says Lees.

He says: Perhaps their partners opinion is correct, and so they can take this opportunity to learn something new. Or perhaps their partners view is misguided, in which case the partner can learn and benefit too. I see this as a win-win situation, which will strengthen both the individuals and the relationship.

And you never know, as Burke says, you might actually realise you share the same ideals but just see them being achieved in a different way.

She adds: In some ways politics reminds me of parenting. Certain parents feel the best way for their children to develop and prosper is to allow them a lot of space, not to interfere too much, whereas for others, they feel they should be with their children every step of the way  playing a more directional role.

And so it is with politics. Two people could have the same goal  that everyone in society thrives  but the way they see that being achieved is different. In short, there may be many points of commonality in terms of values even though theyre expressed through supporting very different parties.

Dont say youre wrong

(Stefan Rousseau/PA)

As much as you might be tempted to yell at someone that they dont know what theyre talking about, itll probably come as little surprise that thats not the right way to respond to differing opinions.

Criticising your partners views isnt only unhelpful, says Burke, its not what the focus should really be on, which is listening. Try to maintain a curious attitude towards your partner and give them the space to express themselves rather than trying to convert them to your way of thinking, she says.

When dealing with parents, ask them to explain their beliefs rather than just shutting them down. Lees says: This simple technique will change an argument into a genuinely interesting inquiry and conversation about your parents, their history, and background, which demonstrates that although you may have a different view you still respect and value them.

Switch up your social media

(Isabel Togoh/PA)

Resisting the tendency to turn your social media accounts into an echo chamber of your own points of view can help you deal with conflicts in the real world.

Social media offers an input of information that has the potential to strengthen, diversify or dilute your politics and its rationale, depending on how you use it.

Social media can be valuable in presenting conflicting discussion and debate so you can become more aware of other peoples opinions, beliefs, backgrounds and history, says Lees.

Learn to accept and negotiate your differences

(Jane Barlow/PA)

Even though it might seem impossible at times, you can actually live in harmony with someone who doesnt agree with your politics.

Points of difference will inevitably begin to show the deeper into a relationship a couple gets, says Burke. The challenge for each individual in a relationship is to be able to accept their partners points of difference. Thats not to say that you dont debate that difference, or even get annoyed about it on occasion, but whether you can tolerate that they have different views to you but that ultimately you love them for the entirety of who they are.

Similarly, living under the same roof as your liberal or conservative mum and dad doesnt have to be tense  establishing mutual respect and acceptance are the best way forward, says Lees. And at least it never gets boring.

Realise that accepting their beliefs isnt necessarily letting yours down

(Andrew Milligan/PA)

Some people might feel so passionately about their politics that they think they have to question, dismiss or even end relationships if they cant get others on their side.

But Lees says: You will never change anyones point of view, the best you will ever achieve is to help broaden their personal perception.

And when it comes to perception, its time people became aware that they are  generally speaking  a bag of contradictions, according to Burke.

Ultimately, conservative, liberal, socialist, green are just labels. Most people, if they pause long enough to put their party persuasions to the side, will acknowledge (even if its just privately) that they dont go along with 100% of their partys manifestos, she adds.

Lees warns that refusing to embrace change is actually what should disappoint people.

A political party is not a cult and their policies should be open for discussion, debate and evolution. I would remind them that they would be letting down themselves and their party if they discovered a superior or better point of view and refused to examine, learn from or adopt it, he says.
Following Monday's attack at Manchester Arena, 22 people were killed, including an eight-year-old girl, and 59 others injured.

We spoke to University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University to find out what help they are offering their students:

What support is the university offering students who might have been affected?

UoM: For those staff and students affected by these events, support is on offer from our Counselling Service.

If you are concerned about the whereabouts of a loved one you can contact the emergency phone line set up by the Police on 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.

MMU: Monday evenings tragic events at the Manchester Arena have caused understandable shock and distress across our city and our campus.



The University has been in regular contact with its staff and students since the incident and our counselling services are ready to support anyone who needs assistance.

We will support and re-assure our students as much as possible through this difficult period.

Do you have advise as to where students should go if they have been affected in any way?

UoM: It is only to be expected that you may be feel unsettled, and talking with those around you, and with friends and family, is one of the best things you can do. If you would like additional support, then our teams in the Atrium in University Place, and our Counselling service, are ready and able to speak with you.

Are the status of students affected in terms of exams?

UoM: We advise our students to attend exams at the scheduled time and location.

Exams may be disrupted due to travel delays preventing invigilators from getting to the university as planned.

The exams teams at the university will do everything possible to minimise disruption, and the majority of exams will take place at the scheduled time and location. You are advised to attend your exams as they appear on your exam timetable.

If you are unable to attend your exam for any reason you must contact your academic School office as soon as possible. You can find contact details for your School office on the student support website.

MMU: We believe it is important to try, as far as possible, to maintain business as usual, including examinations and other academic activities.

However, we recognise the potential impact on examinations, both in terms of the travel situation and the effect of the actual incident.

We have put in place a specific streamlined exceptional factors process and made sure students are fully aware.
Eurostar confirmed that the inaugural St Pancras International to Amsterdam service will depart by the end of the year, with an initial two trains leaving for the Dutch capital each day.

The journey will take just under four hours and a company spokesman said their prices are set to compete with budget airlines.

(Gareth Fuller/PA)

(Chris Radburn/PA)

Currently easyJet is offering summer flights from London to Amsterdam for as little as 23. We are committed to encouraging more travellers to choose high-speed rail, and we intend to offer a range of competitive, affordable fares as we do on our other routes. We will compete with the low-cost airlines on price, speed, ease and convenience and of course the quality of our service, a Eurostar spokesman said. The launch is expected to come just before Christmas and, with three million people travelling between London and Amsterdam by air each year, Eurostar can expect to be busy. Passengers can currently travel to Amsterdam by rail, but have to change in Brussels.The train operator manages to compete with airlines on its Paris and Brussels routes, with one-way fares sometimes as low as 29.
#Australia it's time to gain #MarriageEquality. Sign the petition to support everyones right to say I dough. https://t.co/aH6teL07lT  Ben & Jerry's Oz (@BenAndJerrysOz) May 25, 2017

(Ben & Jerrys)

(andipantz/Getty Images)

Shouldn't they be encouraging people to order two of the same in this pathetic attempt to monetise a cause in as trivial a way possible? https://t.co/sFnGtEccy7  Tom (@SydneyTom_) May 24, 2017

truly this is what will save our young people's lives https://t.co/wiUrSwyl9U  Cassie Tongue (@cassietongue) May 24, 2017

Millions of straight Australians demanding gay marriage now because they can't get their salted caramel and chocolate fudge on the same cone  Rob Stott (@Rob_Stott) May 24, 2017

Ben & Jerrys has introduced a new rule meaning that Australians wont be able to order two of the same flavoured scoops, which the ice cream company says is to encourage people to think about marriage equality and show their support.Same-sex marriage has not yet been legalised in Australia, and parliamentary action on the matter has slowed down significantly recently. A plebiscite on same-sex marriage was proposed last year, but it was blocked in the Senate. As things currently stand, Australia is in the second tier of countries when it comes to LGBTQ rights, along with the likes of Hungary, Ecuador and Israel. Ben & Jerrys has also set up its own in-store postal system to address the issue. This will let people go into one of their 26 stores and write a message about marriage equality that will be sent directly to the local MP. The effort is done in partnership with The Equality Campaign, and hopes to lobby the Government for change. It comes in the lead-up to the next parliamentary sitting on June 13, and hopes to influence decision-makers.Ben & Jerrys said that: Despite close to three quarters of Australians being supportive of marriage equality, the number of politicians committed to making it a reality still falls short. Executive director of The Equality Campaign Tiernan Brady said: Our message to MPs is that this issue is not going away until parliament respects the will of the Australian people and passes marriage equality.This isnt the first time Ben & Jerrys has weighed in on the issue. In 2013 it launched a flavour called I dough, I dough (geddit?) The flavour will be available again in Aussie stores this month so marriage equality supporters can enjoy the delicious taste of action when they send their postcard to their MP.Ben & Jerrys efforts to encourage conversation about marriage equality have vastly divided opinion. Some think its a great effort from the company to bring awareness to the issue.Whereas others arent so keen, thinking that it trivialises an important issue with a marketing stunt.Who knew that activism and ice cream were so closely linked?
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.
NTA to bar Ncell from launching 4G service

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the telecom sector regulator, has said it would abide by the fresh directive issued by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and bar Ncell from launching the 4G service.
Pashmina exports down 6.8 percent due to lower demand in Europe

Exports of pashmina products, one of the major trading items of the country, dropped by 6.8 percent in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2016-17 with the fall in demand for the goods in Europe.
Book looks into 52 cases unsolved murders with ties to South Dakota

Christine Wevik started researching cold cases in South Dakota thinking there were about 30. She found 155.
Goma Air crash: Co-pilot succumbs to injury (Update)

A co-pilot injured in the crash of Goma Air cargo flight while trying to land at Lukla Airport on Saturday noon succumbed to his injuries.
Three Chandigarh students figured among the top four performers in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12, the result of which was declared on Sunday.

The topper, Raksha Gopal of Noida, was followed by Bhumi Sawant De, Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra from Chandigarh.

Raksha Gopal of Amity International School from Noida secured 99.6 per cent marks, and Bhumi Sawant De from DAV, Chandigarh, scored 99.4 per cent to stand second.

Aditya Jain and Mannat Luthra, both from Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, shared the third spot by securing 99.2 per cent marks each.

A total of 6,38,865 boys and 4,60,026 girls appeared in the Class 12 examinations held between March 9 and April 29 this year.

The pass percentage this year came down to 82 per cent compared with 83.05 per cent last year.

The results can be checked at boards website cbseresults.nic.in.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar congratulated all the students and interacted with the toppers over phone.

"I want to congratulate all the students who scored wellsuccess gives you strength and confidence. Also congrats to students of all boards, Javadekar said in a video message to students.

The Minister advised students who could not perform well that the defeat is not final unless we keep trying.

He said he was happy that toppers came from arts, science and commerce streams, and added that one topper aspires to become an economist, another an IAS officer, whereas two others aim to pursue engineering and political science.

He said the credit for their success goes to their hard work, dedication, parents, and teachers.

(With agency inputs)
A $500-million line of credit (LoC) from India to Mauritius is among four agreements signed by the two countries following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth here on 27 May.

"#IndiaMauritius-New Vistas for a Futuristic Partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, listing out the agreements.

The LOC agreement was signed between SBM Mauritius Infrastructure Development Co. Ltd and Export-Import Bank of India.

Another agreement was signed on cooperation on maritime security between the two countries.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two sides for setting up of a civil services college in Mauritius.

Another MoU was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India and Mauritius Oceanography Institute for research and education in marine sciences and technology.

Mauritius also submitted its instrument of ratification of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA).

The ISA, launched at the UN Conference of Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on 30 November, 2015, by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande, is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

Earlier on 27 May, Jugnauth was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here following which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on him.

Jugnauth arrived here on 26 May on a three-day state visit to India. This is Jugnauth's first visit abroad since assuming office this January
Dubbing the Central government's amended rule forbidding cattle trade for slaughter as a "death certificate" to the leather industry, leather exporters on Sunday threatened to move court and hit the streets if the ban was not repealed or modified.

Senior members of Council of Leather Exports, CLA Tanners Association and Indian Leather Products Association claimed that the decision was "legally null and void" as live cattle belonged to the powers bracketed under the state list according to the Indian Constitution.

"The centre should have discussed the matter with the state governments first. How can they come up with a unilateral notification on a state subject? We demand the centre immediately withdraw or amend the notification," CLA Tanners Association General Secretary Imran Ahmed Khan told the media here.

"If the centre does not, we will approach the court, and also hit the streets as the centre has handed a death certificate to the industry, which will be hugely hit," said Council of Leather Exports' Eegional Chairman (East) Ramesh Kumar Juneja.

Khan alleged that the centre's decision was a fresh effort to finish off small industries and instead give a boost to multi-nationals and big companies.

"The small sector will be the hardest hit. The big companies and multi-national will only gain," he said.

The industry leaders said the ban will rob 35 million people involved with the industry of their livelihood in the country, while exports would be halved from $7 billion to $3.5 billion.

Complaining that the industry was yet to overcome the crisis it faced after the demonetisation, the exporters said the latest decision would "finish our industry entirely".

"After demonetisation, our business declined by 15-20 per cent. We did badly during Christmas. And the latest decision will finish our industry entirely," said finished leather exporter Mohammed Zia Nafis.

Charging the centre with "intentionally targeting" the leather industry, Khan said hides of animals like cows and buffaloes are used in large scale by the sector. "And these animals have been kept under the ambit of the notification. The centre now claims that the decision was meant to stop cruelty to animals. Then why have they not mentioned animals like goats in the notification?"

Nafis alleged that the centre's decision would only help Bangladesh, which has already eroded India's grip over the sector.

"After demonetisation, Bangladesh gained considerably at our cost. The latest decision would further strengthen Bangladesh's position," he said.

Turning to West Bengal, the industry leaders said 200 tanneries in the state would be shut down because of the ban.

"We will seek (West Bengal) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention," said Juneja.

The Union Environment Ministry on Friday modified the animal cruelty rules, making it mandatory to ensure cattle are not bought or sold for slaughtering.
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

T

I

P

S

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
Poetic imagining

Folklore will unite and help show a creatively shared South Asia by reliving the radicalism of imaginings, love and creativity
Amid separatist leaders call for bandh, 1,293 Kashmiri youths turned up to take the written test for a job in the army. Only 24 youths who had qualified for the written test failed to turn up.

According to an army spokesman, the candidates turned up in Srinagar and Pattan for the common entrance written examination for selection as soldier, technician and tradesman. They were allowed to appear in the written exam after clearing the physical and medical tests.

Defying the call of separatists for complete shutdown for two days, 800 candidates turned up for the test at Pattan and 493 at Srinagar.

The separatists and other Kashmir-centric political parties have been criticising the army for rewarding Major Leetul Gogoi who resorted to the human shield to save the polling staff of election commission from the wrath of stone-pelters. However, enthusiasm has been witnessed among the local youth at army recruitment rallies.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday urged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to take quick steps to introduce a daily AC express train service between Mumbai and Puri/Khurda Road via Sambalpur and increase the frequency of the existing weekly trains so as to cover all days of the week.

In a letter to the Railway Minister, the chief minister also referred to an earlier communication, in which he had sought a Humsafar type AC Express train from Khurda Road to Mumbai in the name of 'Buxi Jagabandhu' as a tribute to the legendary freedom fighter who had led the Paika rebellion of 1817.

Stating that Mumbai is not well connected by trains with Odisha, the chief minister said, "as you know, Odisha is famous as epicentre of cultural heritage with Puri being one of the celebrated pilgrimage centres, whereas Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country."

There are enough reasons for both the places to connect with each other socially, economically and spiritually, Patnaik said.

While scores of people from Odisha who work in different sectors in Mumbai depend on the railways for their journey, a large number of visitors from Maharashtra visit Odisha regularly, he said.

"Hence, there is need for improving the train connectivity between the two states to ameliorate the hardship and inconvenience being faced by the public," Patnaik said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised environmentalist Afroz Shah and his efforts towards cleaning Mumbai's dirtiest Versova's beach.

"I heartily congratulate Afroz Shah and his entire team for their efforts in cleaning Mumbai's Versova beach," Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

He lauded the effort of Shah, saying that he started cleaning Versova in October 2015 and later it turned into a people's movement.

Versova beach has now been transformed into a clean and beautiful beach, he said.

UN Environment Programme awarded Shah with the "Champion of the Earth" Award. He is the first Indian to receive this honour.

The Prime Minister also lauded the people as well as local administration of Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district for making it free from open defecation under the Swachch Bharat Campaign.


Researchers have developed an underwater computer touchscreen exclusively for dolphins to play games.

With the smartphone built just for them and a little bit of training, dolphins can play games like Whack-a-Mole, the researchers found.

As the eight-feet underwater touchpad allows dolphins to interact and make choices, it could be used to investigate dolphin intelligence and communication by providing them choice and control over a number of activities.

The touchscreen features specialised dolphin-friendly "apps" and a symbolic keyboard to provide the dolphins with opportunities to interact with the system, Rockefeller University said in a news release this week.

To make the system safe for the dolphins, the touchscreen has been installed outside an underwater viewing window, so that no parts of the device are in the pool. The animals' touch is detected optically.

"It was surprisingly difficult to find an elegant solution that was absolutely safe for the dolphins, but it has been incredibly rewarding to work with these amazing creatures and see their reactions to our system," said Marcelo Magnasco, Professor at Rockefeller University in New York.

"It has always been hard to keep up with dolphins, they are so smart; a fully interactive and programmable system will help us follow them in any direction they take us," Magnasco said.

While the research is still in its early stages, the team has embarked on studies aimed at understanding dolphin vocal learning and communication, their capacity for symbolic communication, and what patterns of behaviour may emerge when the animals have the ability to request items, videos, interactions and images.

In addition to the touchscreen itself, the dolphins habitat at the National Aquarium has been outfitted with equipment to record their behaviour and vocalisations as they encounter and begin to use the technology.

"We hope this technologically-sophisticated touchscreen will be enriching for the dolphins and also enrich our science by opening a window into the dolphin mind," Diana Reiss, Professor at Hunter College in New York, said.

"Giving dolphins increased choice and control allows them to show us reflections of their way of thinking and may help us decode their vocal communication," Reiss added.
A seventh-grader in a US school was bestowed a "most likely to become a terrorist" award from her teacher, prompting angry reaction from parents forcing the school to apologise for the event.

The event was supposed to be a joke, part of a mock end-of-the-year awards ceremony at Anthony Aguirre Junior High in Channelview, Texas, near Houston, where a group of teachers hand certificates to students.

Lizeth Villanueva, 13, said her teacher "just laughed" when she handed her the certificate during class on Tuesday, just one day after the deadly terror attack at a pop concert in Manchester, Britain.

"When she said my name I turned around like what, what did she just say? I was very upset. I was mad but didn't show it," Villanueva was quoted as saying by Fox 26 Houston.

Her mother Ena Hernandez didn't find the award funny at all.

"I was upset and very mad when I saw the award," The Washington Post quoted her as saying. "I was surprised because my daughter has been doing well in the honors program."

My daughter was not laughing either. Her emotion was one of shock, she said.
The Libyan jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia, which is linked to Al-Qaeda and deemed a terrorist organisation by the UN and United States, has announced its "dissolution" in a communique published online.

Washington accuses the group of being behind the September 11, 2012 attack on the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi in which ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

Ansar al-Sharia is one of the jihadist groups that sprung up in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, in the chaos following the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. They overran the city in 2014.

East Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar earlier this month launched an offensive to oust jihadist fighters from their two remaining strongholds in Benghazi.

In its communique Ansar al-Shariaon Saturday said it had been "weakened" by the fighting.

The group lost its leader, Mohammed Azahawi, in clashes with Haftar's forces in Benghazi at the end of 2014.

Most of its members then defected to the so-called Islamic State group. Ansar al-Sharia later joined the Revolutionary Shura Council of Benghazi, a local alliance of Islamist militias.

At its zenith, Ansar al-Sharia was present in Benghazi and Derna in eastern Syria, with offshoots in Sirte and Sabratha, western Libya.

The organisation took over barracks and other sites abandoned by the ousted Kadhafi forces and transformed them into training grounds for hundreds of jihadists seeking to head to Iraq or Syria.
US President Donald Trump has returned to the White House after his first international trip, during which he visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium over a period of nine days.

The Air Force One presidential aircraft landed at the Andrew Air Force Base on the outskirts of the capital at 8.54 p.m. on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The President and First Lady Melania were then taken by helicopter to the White House, where they arrived at 9.22 p.m.

Trump's overseas trip began on May 19 when he departed from Washington, D.C., for Riyadh, where he signed multimillion-dollar agreements on defence with Saudi Arabia and gave a speech on Islam and the fight against terrorism.

He also visited Israel and the West Bank in the Middle East, where he held meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In Europe, Trump made a stop at the Vatican, where he was received by Pope Francis, travelled on to Brussels to participate in a NATO leaders summit, and then headed to the Sicilian city of Taormina for the G7 meeting.

On the flight back, a senior White House official told reporters that Trump's first overseas trip as President was "historic" and "unprecedented", according to The Hill magazine.

The official, who requested anonymity, added that the trip had "left no one with any doubt about who America's friends are".

Trump has tried to ban the entry of refugees and immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries, as he links them with an increased terrorist threat.

However, the US courts have blocked this veto and it has not been allowed to come into effect.

Now that he has returned to the White House, Trump will have to deal with the growing concern over possible links between his inner circle, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Russia, which has generated scores of headlines in the country while he was abroad.
Salt, rice top voters demands in remote Bajhang villages

Locals of remote villages in Bajhang district have demanded political parties and their leaders help ease in supply of salt and rice.
Port aux Basques woman feels as though her 'future is in somebody else's hands' as she waits for answers on Fiona compensation

Patty Munden has faced her share of loss and frustration over the past seven, almost eight, weeks, but the Port aux Basques woman is not letting it get her down. She has found an outlet to express her feelings about whats been happening, or not ...
Victory and loss natural in democracy: NC mayoral candidate Joshi

Nepali Congress (NC) mayoral candidate for Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Raju Raj Joshi has said that he will work together with the newly elected mayor to live up to the promises he made with the voters.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took umbrage when BJP president Amit Shah accused him and his government of not keeping their promises to the people even after three years. He took more offence when Shah said that the Centre had been sending a huge amount of funds, which the chief minister denied outrightly. Despite the war of words between KCR and the BJP chief, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is in a spirited mood as the party is all set to celebrate the state foundation day on June 2 in Hyderabad.

At a two-hour long combined session of the TRS legislature party and the TRS parliamentary party, KCR announced that the party would sweep the assembly elections in 2019. Apparently, it hopes to win 111 of the 119 seats, leaving the MIM with six and the Congress with two seats.

Since the mood was upbeat, KCR also praised some of his legislators for their performance while leaving a slight warning note to the others who did not fare so well in the survey. He did not reveal the ratings of all, but mentioned the top four which, not surprisingly, had his name on the top with 98%, followed by his son and Minister for IT, Industries and Urban development K.T. Rama Rao with 91%, and his nephew, the Minister for Irrigation T. Harish Rao with 88% and one outsider, former Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah, with 81%. There were other eight MLAs with 80% but their names were not revealed. Among those not performing, he mentioned a few including M. Babu Mohan (Medak), Chennamaneni Ramesh (Karimnagar) and Madhavaram Krishna Rao (Ranga Reddy).

They were not given a dressing down but the chief minister asked them to work harder and improve their performance, stay in their constituencies and apprise people about the state sponsored welfare schemes. Keeping the elections in mind, he told the legislators and MPs to hold meetings every ten days and review their work frequently. But those in the know say that there will a little reshuffle in the party and that is keeping them on their toes.

The state formation day celebrations will be held on June 2 at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. The celebrations will go on for three days, with the government expected to launch several welfare schemes. An amount of Rs 15 lakh have been given to the 31 districts to organise the celebrations.

The welfare schemes to be launched on June 3 will include KCR kits, a scheme to encourage deliveries in government hospital. The kit will have 15 essential items to the pregnant women and the new born babies. An amount of Rs 12,000 will be credited to the bank account of every pregnant woman in rural area, while a pregnant urban woman will get Rs 15,000 in her bank account.
Stating that Pakistan's interference in India's internal matters is unacceptable, the Congress on Sunday said the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre should be more careful and look into the matter seriously.

"It is sad and tragic that Pakistan is interfering in our internal matters. It's unfortunate that nothing can be done except to respond in the same way as people who live by the gun has to die by the gun. Pakistan interfering is completely unacceptable but in the same time we must be careful and guard our interest to ensure that they cannot take advantage," senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid told ANI.

Khurshid further stated that the BJP government should be alert and vigilant towards the security of the country. "It should be the responsibility of the government to be alert and vigilant towards the security of the country as these matters are crucial and should be looked into soon," he added.

Resonating similar views, another Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the government has become very lenient with all the happenings in the country. "The current government has become very lenient with all the happenings that the terrorists are creating in the country. Only when anything serious happens, the government comes to action or else is calm and inactive," Tiwari said.

The Indian Army on Saturday said the search operation is underway to root out remaining terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rampur area.

The slain terrorists are of foreign origin, however, the Army refused to identify the infiltrators as the search operation is underway.

"We have carried out a successful anti-infiltration operation in Rampur Sector. For last three days, we observed suspicious movement across the LoC towards the PoK. We eliminated six terrorists who were of foreign origin. Lot of war like tools, food and medicine was recovered. However the search operation is still in progress," Rampur commanding officer Samarjeet Ray said.

Ray said the forces have been keeping track of their movements though surveillance devices, adding that the ambush was delayed because of the operation.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police said one AK-47assault rifle and one INSAS rifle was also recovered from the encounter site.

Besides that, large quantity of arms, ammunition and other warlike stores were also recovered by the Indian Army.

The Tral operation was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his four-nation tour of Germany, Spain, Russia and France on Monday, aiming at boosting India's economic engagement with these nations and inviting more investment. Here is quick peek into his itinerary and what India can expect from these visits.

Germany

In Germany, Modi will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel under the framework of India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). He will also call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Modi and Merkel are expected to chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science and technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine.

Modi and Merkel will also interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen the trade and investment ties.

"German competencies fit well with my vision for India's transformation," said Modi ahead of his visit.

Spain

As Modi lands in Spain on Tuesday, it will be the first visit to that country by an Indian prime minister in almost three decades.

He will call on King Felipe VI and will also hold talks with President Mariano Rajoy. Leaders of both the countries are expected to discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism.

Modi will meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner in the 'Make in India' initiative. "We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism," said the prime minister.

Russia

The prime minister will travel to St. Petersburg from May 31 to June 2 for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

He will start his Russian visit by paying homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad, at Piskarovskoye Cemetery. Modi's visit comes at a time when both India and Russia celebrate the 70th Anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Modi said he would be conducting detailed discussions with President Vladimir Putin to take forward the dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016. The two leaders will also be interacting with CEOs from the two countries.

Both Modi and Putin will address the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 2. India is the 'guest country' at the forum. The Indian prime minister will also have an opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders.

Modi will also visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.

France

Modi will visit France from June 2 to 3 and hold discussion with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron on issues of mutual interest.

Both Modi and Macron are expected to talk on UN Security Council reforms, India's bid for permanent membership at the UN Security Council, India's membership of the various multilateral export control regimes, counter-terrorism cooperation, collaboration on climate change and International Solar Alliance.

France is India's 9th largest investment partner and a key partner in its development initiatives in the area of defence, space, nuclear and renewable energy, urban development and railways.

(With inputs from PTI)
Berating two dastardly incidents of the Uttar Pradesh's Rampur and Kushinagar districts, women activists on Sunday attacked the newly formed BJP Government in the state, saying Uttar Pradesh has become an epitome of lawlessness where criminals roam free.

Brinda Adige, a woman activist told ANI, "It is very shameful and unfortunate that such incidents are occurring pan India frequently. On one hand all the politicians, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, talks about 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and on other hand, such hideous episodes take place. There's no 'Beti Bachao', only 'police, kursi or suspension bachao.' I fail to fathom on what premises has the rape accused been granted bail? On what grounds can the police give directions and free the culprit. Is the torture and torment by a man on a rape victim and her family just a small issue for the law enforcement?"

Endorsing similar views another woman activist Shamina Shafiq blamed it on the judicial mechanism of the country.

Shafiq said, "Perpetrators are emboldened. The procedure after filing a chargesheet is so time consuming and lenient that rapists know they stand a chance to go scot free on bails. No protection is provided to the victims. Uttar Pradesh is epitome of lawlessness, where, criminals roam free. I have seen the video myself. How can boys summon so much of nerves to molest women publicly and pass lewd comments on them? Where is the state's 'Mahila Ayog'? I doubt if it really is existent."

She urged the Centre to hold the Uttar Pradesh Government accountable.

These remarks came in the light of the Rampur incident where, a video of two girls being molested openly by a group of young men, has taken social media by storm.

Around 12 to 14 boys can be seen in the video, molesting the women, even while they pleaded to let them go. Besides manhandling and molesting the girls, the boys were laughing and making jokes the whole time, while the distraught girls kept on begging to be spared.

Adding to the wrath is the Kushinagar incident where a rape-accused, who was bailed from his prison term for his dastardly crime, went straight to his victim's house after his release and threatened her with dire consequences. The accused was arrested in 2016 and was granted bail by a court in March this year.

Reportedly, the police are also not enquiring into the matter and the family is now requesting the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh Government to do the needful.

However, the police have claimed to have made the required proceedings in this matter and have assured they will take necessary steps regarding the threatening of victim and her family.
As many as 23,000 jihadist extremists currently living in the U.K. have been identified by intelligence agencies as potential terrorists.

The figures by the counter-terror agencies laid bare the scale of the potential threat in Britain.

In the wake of the Manchester suicide bombing, it emerged that British authorities were grappling with 500 investigations into 3,000 individuals considered as possible threats, The Independent reported.

Security sources has confirmed a further 20,000 individuals were said to have been considered "subjects of interest" in the past.

Anti-terror efforts came under fresh scrutiny following revelations that attacker Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people and injured over a hundred at a pop concert, had been a "former subject of interest" to MI5 who was "subject to review" and was not regarded as an imminent threat.

The Independent quoted a senior Whitehall source as saying, that 18 terror plots had been foiled since 2013 in Britain, including five since the Westminster atrocity in March this year.

The terror threat level in United Kingdom has been reduced from "critical" to "severe" after temporarily raising the level in response to Manchester Arena attack in which 22 people were killed and several others injured. The change means that an attack is highly likely and not imminently expected.

Meanwhile, pictures of the Manchester bomber on his way to the arena where he carried out Britain's worst terrorist attack in 12 years, have been released by police.

The police believe he assembled his deadly bomb in a rented Airbnb flat in a mansion block on Granby Row in the city centre, near Canal Street.

The police said thirteen people have so far been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, with 14 locations still being searched on Saturday night.

A thousand people are involved in the investigation to Abedi's network.
Iran's hardline Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday Saudi Arabia's rulers faced "certain downfall" for aligning themselves with the United States, hours after the country's pragmatist president called for improved ties with Gulf states.

"They (Saudi leaders) act cordially towards the enemies of Islam while having the opposite behaviour towards the Muslim people of Bahrain and Yemen," Khamenei told a religious gathering, according to his Twitter account.

"They will face certain downfall," he told a Koran reading event marking the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Iran and the Gulf Arab states are backing opposing sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen, and the unrest in Bahrain. Relations were further hit last weekend when U.S. President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia and accused Tehran of supporting terrorism in the Middle East.

Iran denies such accusations and says Saudi Arabia, its arch-foe, is the real source of funding for Islamist militants.

Meanwhile President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who has significantly less power than the supreme leader, earlier called for improved relations with Gulf Arab states during a telephone call with the emir of Qatar, which has come under fire from its Gulf neighbours over its relationship with Tehran.

"We want the rule of moderation and rationality in the relations between countries and we believe that a political solution should be a priority," the state news agency IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

"The countries of the region need more cooperation and consultations to resolve the crisis in the region and we are ready to cooperate in this field," Rouhani told Sheikh Tamim, IRNA added.

Rouhani earlier responded to Trump's criticism by saying stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Iran's help.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates expressed exasperation this week after official Qatar media published remarks purported to have been made by Sheikh Tamim which were critical of Trump's foreign policy and of renewed tensions with Tehran.

Qatar said the remarks, published late on Tuesday, were fake and that the news agency that ran them had been hacked.
Federal authorities say an airline passenger tried to bite a flight attendant, then jumped out of the aircraft and onto the tarmac at a North Carolina airport.

Local media outlets report 22-year-old Tu Lon Sein appeared in federal court Friday on a charge of assaulting/intimidating a flight crew member.

Court documents say the man was aboard American Airlines flight 5242 on Thursday. As it was backing away from the gate at Charlotte Douglas International Airport for the trip to New Bern, a man got out of his seat and tried to open the main door. When the flight attendant and two passengers tried to intervene, the man attempted to bite the attendants hand.

The man then made his way to the galley, pried open the door and jumped.

(AP)
President Donald Trumps son-in-law and now top White House adviser Jared Kushner proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with a leading Russian diplomat.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administrations options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke with The Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Trumps chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, said this person, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushners attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Kushners involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by The Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post wrote that Kislyak was reportedly taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state, and decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels. Tillerson was sworn in on Feb. 1.

Flynn served briefly as Trumps national security adviser before being fired in February after officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month that that deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties and was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak.

The disclosure of the back channel put White House advisers on the defensive Saturday, as Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as president, and led lawyers for Kushner to say he is willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

Meeting with reporters in Sicily, two Trump advisers refused to address the contents of Kushners December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Speaking generally, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said we have back channel communications with a number of countries. He added: It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner.

In response to repeated questions from reporters, Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn said, Were not going to comment on Jared. Were just not going to comment.

Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaigns digital strategy, and remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

On Saturday, the AP confirmed that the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russias meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trumps campaign.

The request from the committee arrived last week at campaign headquarters in New York, according to person familiar with the request who wasnt authorized to discuss the developments publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was said to be the first time any investigators have made inquiries with Trumps campaign officials.

The Post first reported the request, which covers materials such as emails, phone records and documents dating to Trumps first days as a candidate in July 2015.

Those inquiries now include scrutiny of Kushner, according to the newspaper.

Obama administration officials have previously told the AP that the frequency of Flynns discussions with Kislyak raised enough red flags that aides discussed the possibility Trump was trying to establish a one-to-one line of communication  a back channel  with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In addition, Reuters reported that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November. Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner has no recollection of the calls as described.

Defense attorneys and former FBI agents say that one likely area of interest for investigators would be Kushners own meetings with Russians, given that such encounters with a variety of Trump associates are at the root of the sprawling probe, now overseen by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Regarding Kushner, former FBI agent Jim Treacy said Friday: If there is an investigation on anybody, would other folks around that person be of interest to the FBI as far as being interviewed? The answer to that is a big yes. If the FBI wants to speak with someone, its not necessarily an indication of involvement or complicity, said Treacy, who did two tours in Moscow as the FBIs legal attache.

Really, being spoken to, does not confer a target status on the individual, he said.

Investigators are also interested in a meeting Kushner had with the Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, according to reports from The Post and NBC News.

Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings, Gorelick said in a statement Thursday. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

So how should we celebrate a Bas Mitzvah? The stores on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst and Lawrence may really like this one. But read on.

The Gemara (Niddah 45b) tells us that a girl becomes an adult at the age of 12. This tradition was handed down to us by Moshe from Har Sinai as were all the other figures, weights, and amounts.

A girl enters into adulthood a full year earlier than does a boy. The reason for this, as explained by the Gemara, is that Hashem placed more wisdom and understanding into women than into men.

Rav Shlomo Volbe ztl takes this a step further. When Dovid HaMlech ordained that people should recite 100 blessings a day, he did so because he detected a lacunae in Klal Yisroels fear of heaven. To increase that spirituality, Dovid HaMelech ordained that we recite 100 blessings a day. Women, writes Rav Volbe ztl are exempt  they have a higher level of yiras shamayim and didnt need the boost.

The extra bina is derived from the pasuk (Bereishis 2:22), Vayiven Hashem Elokim es hatzeilahAnd Hashem built the rib. The word Vayiven has a double meaningit refers to both building and understanding.



Origins of Bas Mitzvah Celebration

Some mistakenly say that the bas mitzvah celebration was invented by the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, Mordecai Kaplan, in 1922. This is not correct. A celebration for a bas mitzvah is mentioned in the Ben Ish Chai by Rabbi Yosef Chaim (18831909), where he writes that the bas mitzvah should be a day of celebration. The bas mitzvah girl should wear a new outfit and recite a Shehecheyanu to celebrate her entrance into the ol mitzvos, the responsibility of observing mitzvos.

So this is where the Central Avenue stores come in. The prents should buy the young lady a new outfit that will make her happy so that she can recite the shehecheyanu. Alternatively, for those who wish to save money  a trip to Gourmet Glatt for an exotic fruit might do the trick as well.

Kaplan took it from the basmitzvah celebration of the Italian Jewish communities of Milan and Torrino. There, the girls would stand before the AronKodesh and recite special prayers that ended with a Shehecheyanu. The rav of these communities then spoke and gave them a berachah. A seudah followed in the home of the basmitzvah girl.

Seudas Bas Mitzvah

There are many opinions about whether a seudas basmitzvah is considered a seudas mitzvah. This question was posed to Rav Moshe Feinstein, ztl, a number of times. In a letter to Rabbi Boruch Poupko dated 11 Shevat 5716, Rav Moshe states that it is not considered a seudas mitzvah whatsoever, and if he had the capacity he would abolish the custom of celebrations for basmitzvos and barmitzvos as they do not increase anyones commitment to Torah and often lead to chillulShabbos.

In a letter written to Rabbi Meir Kahane, Hyd, when he was the rabbi of a Howard Beach congregation, Rav Moshe Feinstein writes that a basmitzvah celebration should not be held in a synagogueeven if the synagogue was built with a condition, and even if the event is held in the evening. He did write, however, that the rabbi should only take a stand against it if it would not lead to any embarrassment of the parents and if taking the stand would not cause machlokes. Rav Feinstein suggested that a kiddush be sponsored instead, which would be no different than sponsoring a kiddush for any simcha. In order to avoid conflict, it is preferable to ensure that words of Torah be recited at the meal. The meal should not be held in a synagogue if possible. However, using a room adjacent to the sanctuary would be permitted.

On the other hand, Rabbi Yaakov Yechiel Weinberg has written that in our times, it is very appropriate to strengthen the religious faith of our daughters through the bas mitzvah ceremony.

Some schools have stopped the individual celebration of bas mitzvahs where friends are invited. Instead, they make one collective bas Mitzvah for all the girls in the grade, They do allow each girl to celebrate her own individual one with family at home. This has been catching on, although some parents are upset at the new trend. Some girls have a bas Mitzvah project where they take on and adopt a special Mitzvah to celebrate their bas Mitzvah. One young lady in the neighborhood did just that and raised money for a kallah to hold her wedding.

The Blessing of Baruch ShePtarani

The blessing of BaruchShePtarani is not recited for a basmitzvah. There are four reasons for this:

1. Since a daughter remains in her fathers home until marriage, the obligations involved in raising a child continue further until the point of marriage.

2. There is also an opinion that since the daughters obligation in Torah knowledge is action-based and not knowledge-based, a father is exempt from teaching her and therefore does not recite the blessing.

3. Rav Moshe Feinstein, ztl, explains (in a letter to Rabbi Zalman Uri of California dated 9 Iyar 5719) that the blessing is not recited because it is not readily identifiable that a change in halachic status has taken place. In regard to boys, the change is readily identifiable by virtue of his being included in minyanim.

4. There is a view found in the Levush that the actual intent of the blessing ShePtaranimeOnsho shel zeh is the opposite understanding of the one that we have. In other words, Blessed be Hashem, who has exempted me from having my punishment meted out upon my children. Girls, however, would never have been included in it in the first place, since they would be affecting a third partytheir future husbands. It would be wrong to affect a third party and therefore Hashem would not exact punishment on them. This then would remove the need to recite the Baruch ShePtarani.

After the Bas Mitzvah

Although one is exempt from doing teshuvah in regard to aveiros that one did as a child, the Rema (343:1) writes that one should accept something upon oneself as teshuvah and atonement for these aveiros. The pasuk in Mishlei (19:2) Even without knowledge it is not good applies to this case.

  

We should keep in mind that the main idea of a basmitzvah and its celebration is that KlalYisrael should be brought ever closer to Avinu SheBaShamayim.

The author can be reached at [email protected] and wishes a special mazel tov to his youngest daughter Shira on her bas Mitzvah.
The hundreds of convicted terrorists imprisoned in Israel have called off their hunger-strike after 40 days. The hunger strikers explain that they achieved their goal, and they can thereby, halt the strike.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan explains that they called off the strike amid the realization they were accomplishing nothing and would receive nothing. He adds that they used to have two monthly family visits, with one financed by the International Red Cross. When the latter halted the financing, they only had one visit monthly and this was among their demands in the hunger strike. However, Israel was not about to pay for it.

When the PA (Palestinian Authority) over the weekend announced it would finance the visit, the hunger striker announced they are calling it off after achieving their goals.

Erdan explained they received nothing and they were aware they would receive nothing and the PA announcing its willingness to pay for the visit gave them a way off their high horse.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Members of the Eida Chareidi tzibur were out in protest on Shabbos afternoon against chilul Shabbos in Jerusalem, as is often the case, especially on daylight savings time Shabbos afternoons.

There were shouts of a death penalty for those ignoring the Torah HaKadosha. The Jerusalem police spokesmans report states protestors bothered passersby as they tried closing streets and stores.

The illegal protests moved to city center and confronted bar and store owners. Only then did police arrive. They returned to HaNeviim Street and while most adults headed home, the children and youths threw items at passing vehicles. There are no reports of arrests.





(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Persian Jewish refugees began streaming into the United States 40 years ago. Although Persian Jews had historically been very traditional religiously, some observers predicted that within a generation, these immigrants would assimilate almost completely into the broader American culture.

Instead, the Persian Jewish community has grown in vibrancy and religious commitment. In the greater Los Angeles area, there are now more than 25 Persian shuls  all Orthodox.

In recognition of the communitys successes and challenges, the Persian Rabbinical Council (PRC) based in California is hosting a conference of Persian Rabbis and educators from across the country, including greater New York, Atlanta, Baltimore and Dallas. The Persian American Rabbinical Conference (PARC) will meet for two days of workshops and discussions organized with the assistance of Agudath Israel of America. The central theme will be the preservation of Persian Jewish religious customs, building a sense of shared community among all Persian Jewish hubs, and combatting intermarriage. The conference will culminate with a community-wide banquet on Wednesday June 7, at Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills, estimated to draw 300 people.

This is a historic first, said Rabbi Michael Segankohanim, Rabbinic Administrator of the PRC. Never before have leaders of Persian American Jewry gathered together to discuss the issues that are particular to us. We look forward to learning from one another about ways to preserve our 2,600-year-old Persian Jewish customs, reaffirm our connection to the Land of Israel, and best practices for outreach to the younger generation. We cannot escape the challenges of assimilation and other issues that affect any immigrant community.

He continued, When young Persians first arrived here, they saw all the different flavors of Judaism and asked themselves, Who should I be? Not surprisingly, more and more are choosing to remain loyal to our traditions. This conference will energize us with creative ideas to continue strengthening our remarkably dynamic Persian Jewish community.

(YWN Headquarters  NYC)
'Why don't you change your name by deed poll?' My husband uttered these words through gritted teeth last Sunday.

This was after 25 minutes of patiently waiting at the easyJet check-in desk at Copenhagen airport returning to the UK after a brief visit to Denmark.

The counter staff had spotted that the name on my ticket did not fully match the one printed on my passport.

Named by my parents 'Sara', I have always been known as 'Sally' instead  which on this occasion appeared on my boarding pass.

Life imitating TV: Sally Hamilton admits that her name has become a hindrance

The clerk clicked and clacked on the keyboard and phoned a supervisor before eventually agreeing to delete 'lly' and insert 'ra'  and presenting me with a 50 bill for their efforts.

I admit the names should have matched. But the airline's website says you are allowed to change mistakes of up to three letters written incorrectly  for free.

But when I queried this with the press office later, I was told this is only in obvious cases like Rebecca to Rebeka.

More significant changes (like they claimed mine was) mean a charge of up to 20 if made more than 60 days before departure, or 50 if left to the last minute at the airport.

For the record, BA would have let me do it for free at the counter and Flybe says it makes small changes for free as long as they consider it to be a clearly shortened nickname. I'm just thankful I wasn't travelling with Ryanair.

They would have slapped me with a 160 charge  nearly double the price of my flight.

My name has become a hindrance in the financial world, too. Just last month I was unable to pay in a cheque made out to 'Sally Hamilton' at the bank I have been with for 30 years as it did not match the moniker on their files.

Back in the day, banks would have accepted a cheque made out to 'Mickey Mouse Hamilton' without the bat of an eye. But tough anti-money laundering rules do not allow for such larks these days.

Should I opt for a deed poll change? A quick internet search reveals certain pitfalls.

The first is having to navigate a sea of official-looking websites offering to do the work for a charge of 10 to 30 upwards.

That might not sound a lot but I discovered that this is an unnecessary expense. Anyone can create their own document for free.

Simply use the correct wording  see gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll  and have it witnessed by a friend.

Name changers might like to consider websites such as freedeedpoll.org.uk and freedeedpoll.co.uk or alternatively follow guidance at gorge.org where there is no charge.

If you want to use a new name for documents such as a passport this may involve first informing the Royal Courts of Justice and paying a 35 fee.

But for significantly less than the admin charge from easyJet I could make 'Sally' official. I could even opt for 'Lady Hamilton' instead.

Alarming pensions trend

An alarming report crossed my desk this week concerning the over-55s and their pension saving. Just when this group should arguably be redoubling efforts to build a pension pot, significant numbers are giving up free cash that could make them better off in retirement.

The survey, by provider NOW:Pensions, found that more than one in five over-55s are opting out of auto-enrolment, the national programme to encourage millions more workers to save for retirement through a workplace pension scheme.

The rules of auto-enrolment mean employers must contribute to an employee's pot through a workplace pension.

By opting out, workers are not only throwing away these contributions but also tax relief from the Government.

It seems many over-55s opt out because they think it is not worth having another pension scheme at this stage or consider they have saved enough  or indeed say they cannot afford it.

NOW: Pensions policy director Adrian Boulding says that the new pension freedoms that allow people to access their pots from age 55 makes pension saving even more compelling.

For example, someone aged 57 on the average wage of 27,000 might save 169 a year by opting out of contributions.

Yet by putting this amount in an auto-enrolment scheme it would be worth 422 after a year. Under the pension freedom rules  which allow people to tap in to their pension pot from age 55  they could then choose to withdraw that money.

A basic rate taxpayer, who is also eligible for a quarter of the pension tax free, could withdraw 359 after tax from the pension  almost double the original contribution. No savings account offers that kind of return.

Banks would have once accepted a cheque for 'Mickey Mouse Hamilton'
Companies behind internet search engines are being urged to do more to end the misery of holidaymakers duped into paying thousands of pounds to bogus travel booking firms  but there are steps you can take yourself to spot and avoid a scam.

Fake websites are sprouting up almost daily and appear on search engines like Google when unwary travellers tap in popular destinations in their hunt for a summer getaway.

Families looking for the perfect villa in the sun assume their search has produced listings of authentic lettings companies and often follow instructions to book directly with the owner of their chosen property.

Duped: Mark High, above, was taken in by a bogus website and lost 4,500

But on closer inspection an increasing number of these websites are fake.

Many are convincing copies of genuine websites, often put together by scammers using images and adapted wording culled from genuine travel firms' web pages.

These can be combined with photos of professional people from random websites around the world who are presented as holiday property owners or agents.

HOOKING HOLIDAYMAKERS

One way fraudsters can achieve immediate high positions on search engine listings is by taking part in 'pay per click' campaigns where the engine company makes a small charge to show adverts above the natural website searches.

Tap in 'villa holidays', for example, and many legitimate companies appear. But in among these lurk bogus websites that have also signed up.

Nick Cooper, co-founder of long-established villa rental firm VillaPlus, has made it his mission to unmask fraudsters.

He says: 'Fake villa holiday websites are being given a helping hand by multi-billion pound companies who should be doing more to help tackle fraud.'

He adds: 'Web hosting companies also refuse to close down fake websites, without an expensive court order or police intervention, despite being shown clear evidence of fraud.

'Meanwhile, these fake companies can run major ad campaigns, appearing high up on Google searches for months before finally being stopped.'

In a statement Google said: 'We have a set of policies which govern what ads we do and do not allow.

'These policies make it clear that we do not allow fraudulent or misrepresentative websites. If we discover websites that are breaking this policy, we quickly take appropriate action.'

Travellers also need to be wary that fake websites often hook them in with worthless booking guarantees promising refunds in the event someone chooses to cancel.

Feeling reassured, bookers pay the rental by bank transfer. But the cash is usually withdrawn as soon as it has landed in the fraudster's account  which is usually based abroad.

HUNT FOR CLUES

The Mail on Sunday carried out a reverse image search on a picture of apparent property agent Alexios Panagakos featured on bogus website greekvillaescapes.com.

This is the website that tricked readers Julie and David (not their real names) out of 6,000 in a case featured last month.

The photo is in fact that of an executive from an insurance firm in the US, which appears on his LinkedIn profile.

To do a reverse image search, first click on the photo and then right click on the option 'search Google for image'.

Results will appear showing pictures that are visually similar as well as listings for pages that include the exact same photo.

Some fake websites flip the stolen photos of properties in a bid to prevent internet image searches exposing the fraud.

As this paper reported earlier this month the scourge of bogus websites is increasing as the summer holiday season looms closer.

A report by the City of London Police revealed a 20 per cent leap in reported holiday frauds in 2016 with more than 100 people a week losing on average in excess of 1,200 each.

The figure is likely to be far higher as victims are often too embarrassed to report they have been tricked.

After reading our reports, reader Mark High feared the worst for a booking he and his wife Kerry had made less than 36 hours previously.

Mark discovered to his horror that they had been scammed out of 4,532 after booking a villa in Tenerife through sham website Canaries Holiday Villas  a website Nick Cooper warned Google about more than a month earlier.

The couple have arranged villas previously online without a problem  and always paid by bank transfer rather than credit card so did not suspect crooks were at work.

He says: 'We discovered the villa was real but is only available through genuine agency James Villas that had already rented it for our dates. We realised then we had been conned.'

The Highs, from Lincolnshire, contacted their bank HSBC immediately. But the call centre told them there was nothing that could be done.

The Mail on Sunday intervened and HSBC took a fresh look. After contacting the receiving bank in Dublin the bank managed to retrieve the couple's money.

Gas engineer Mark says: 'We were disappointed with HSBC for fobbing us off and are sorry that it took The Mail on Sunday to make them act.

'But we are overjoyed they did the right thing and we can now take our children on holiday as planned.

'It was supposed to be a treat for us all after my wife's mother died and left us some money.

'The children were so upset when they thought it wouldn't happen.'

The couple came forward because they 'do not want this to happen to other families'.

MORE ACTION NEEDED

Critics believe both internet search engines and banks need to take more comprehensive action to protect customers.

Martyn James, of consumer complaints website Resolver, says: 'Fraud works because the fraudsters are clever, manipulative and convincing.'

Fight: Martyn James says banks must take action

He adds: 'While banks aren't responsible for the actions of fraudsters, they do have an obligation to their customers to do all they can to get their cash back the moment they are told there is a problem.

'Suspicious transfers should not take place immediately and warnings about transferring money to strangers could easily be given in person or online.'

Meanwhile, payments firms are debating how to combat bank transfer fraud and industry group The Payment Strategy Forum is proposing a 'confirmation of payee' system.

This aims to help people avoid sending payments to the wrong account, either by accident or being tricked into doing so  by ensuring confirmation of the recipient is sent to the payer before funds leave the original account.

A spokesperson for Lloyds Bank says it will always try to retrieve the funds if asked in a process that can take 28 days.

She adds: 'Where customers are delayed in reporting, the chances of obtaining a full recovery are low.'

Julie and David heard last week that their quick action following reading our warnings meant the bank has managed to retrieve the majority of their lost 6,000.

HOW THE POLICE TARGET RIP-OFF SCHEMES

With fraudsters often based abroad to better evade detection it can be hard for police to track them down and take action.

So police tactics involve attempting to undermine the scammers' operations instead.

The City of London Police runs Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for all types of internet fraud.

Vigilant: City of London Police have a 'disruptions team' for fraud

It has a 'disruptions team' where officers work with banks, internet services and technology companies to tackle rip-off schemes.

A spokesman says: 'Last year, we requested 160,000 phone lines, websites (including travel websites) and bank accounts be closed in order to disrupt these fraudsters.'

Since hoaxers often set up new websites as quickly as the old ones are closed, detectives instead put emphasis on warning holidaymakers and making suggestions on how they can protect themselves.
You do not have to be a Wolf of Wall Street to play the stock market.

Investment clubs are a great way to pool resources and knowledge and run a portfolio of shares.

Although no guarantee against share price falls, such clubs can be both rewarding and fun.

Friends: The ladies of Sunnyside plan theatre trips once they finish talking about shares

It is Friday afternoon in a leafy Hertfordshire cul-de-sac. In a bright, homely living room, over peppermint tea and sultana cookies, a heated discussion is erupting.

The share price of engineering group Costain is up 77 per cent since the Sunnyside Ladies Investment Club invested in March 2015, but Mary Mitchell, one of nine club members, is digging in her heels.

She says: 'We sold shares in funeral group Dignity because we thought they had gone up enough, and now they have tripled. I do not want to make that mistake again.'

Sunnyside is one of thousands of investment clubs across the country. The group meets once a month to discuss ideas and invest money collectively.

The club was formed when founding member Karen's husband was starting his own club and invited her to get involved.

Retired university lecturer Karen says: 'I said no thank you, I will start one of my own. I liked the idea of an all-ladies group. Now, there is a friendly rivalry between the two clubs.'

An investment club is any group of two or more people who pool their money to invest.

This can be done in the same way that an individual would invest through a broker such as Hargreaves Lansdown or The Share Centre.

Every group needs a chairman or chairwoman to oversee proceedings and to trade shares chosen by the group. A treasurer handles the money and oversees the progress of the investment portfolio.

There is also usually a secretary, who will write the minutes of each meeting and deal with any administration.

More than 2,000 clubs are registered with The Share Centre. The typical group has 14 members with an average age of 56 and each person invests 25 a month.

While the bursting of the dotcom bubble in 2000 saw many clubs disband, 42 per cent of the clubs now registered with The Share Centre were started since the 2008 financial crisis. The potential to make money is a bonus of this type of hobby, but such groups offer the chance to make long-term friendships too.

SUNNYSIDE SHARES

There are 21 shares in the Sunnyside investment portfolio and the ladies have seen their money grow 13 per cent since they last took profits.

Their best ever performer was a biotech company called Protherics whose shares they bought at just 16p.

It went on to be acquired by pharmaceutical giant BTG at 60p a share. But not all investments are so successful. Two of the shares have fallen around 90 per cent.

Hunger: Leonardo DiCaprio starring as an ambitious stockbroker

'We don't even bother looking at those now  it would cost more in fees to sell the shares than they are worth so we just keep hold of them,' says Stella Mehew, who is taking minutes.

Some groups have something called a stop-loss in place, which means that if any share falls more than an agreed amount, say 20 per cent, it is automatically sold.

Others discuss each investment on a case-by-case basis.

Members get information and share tips from newspapers, magazines, online forums and specialist websites.

Many take newspaper cuttings to show the group while others send emails about possible investments between meetings.

But these groups are not just about investing. The ladies of Sunnyside plan meals out and theatre trips once the business part of the meeting is over.

A challenge for any group is to agree on what to do with the portfolio when it builds up. Most agree to take a slice of any profits.

One club registered with The Share Centre empties its account every few years to fund a trip to Las Vegas  the group has been three times in its 12-year history.

Some clubs have had the same members since they started, others see individuals come and go.

The youngest member of Sunnyside is 63, while they are planning celebrations for the oldest member, who turns 90 next month.

Darren Cornish, head of customer experience at The Share Centre, says: 'There used to be a perception that investment clubs were just for retirees, but the average age of group members is coming down.

'We see groups of friends, mums and daughters, dads and sons, all getting together to do this. For most people it is social. It is a way to meet up once a month, have a drink and kick some investment ideas around.'
Petrol prices are at their lowest since last autumn, with experts predicting that oil cartel Opec's campaign to drive up the price of oil could fail.

Government figures show petrol is now on average 115.6p per litre, while diesel is 117.7p.

The last time prices were this low was in October, just before an Opec meeting at which it agreed to cut the oil supply by 1.8 million barrels a day in an attempt to bump up prices. Its members produce about 32.4 million barrels a day.

Tanking: Petrol has fallen to October's price which is, on average, 115.6p per litre

Opec, a group of mainly Middle Eastern countries led by Saudi Arabia, was joined last week by Russia  one of the biggest producers  when it agreed to continue supply cuts into next year to try to end a three-year glut.

This has seen crude oil prices more than halve in the past three years. However, the oil price fell nearly 4 per cent after last week's meeting to $51.30 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark.

Opec's aim is to counter the growth of US oil production, in particular shale oil, which is produced through 'fracking', when fluid is pumped into oil-bearing shale rock.

Opec originally increased production to lower the oil price, making fracking less cost-effective, so forcing shale oil producers out of business.

Now however, oil stockpiles of 3 billion barrels  300 million above the five-year average are keeping prices low, even as production is cut.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs said Opec and Russia needed to cut production until stockpiles returned to normal.

Opec said the cuts could be extended at the next meeting.
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
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 79F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Two thousand fearful civilians were trapped on Sunday inside a southern Philippine city where troops are battling Islamist militants, authorities said, as the death toll from almost a week of fighting neared 100.

The military intensified a bombing campaign on parts of Marawi on Mindanao island, one of the biggest Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic nation, as it accused the gunmen of atrocities including murdering women and a child.

The initial fighting prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat from terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Most of the city\s 200,000 residents have fled because of the fighting, but 2,000 remain trapped in areas controlled by the militants, according to Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesman for the provincial crisis management committee.

"They have been sending us text messages, calling our hotline, requesting us to send rescue teams but we cannot simply go to areas which are inaccessible to us," Adiong told AFP.

"They want to leave. They are afraid for their safety. Some are running out of food to eat. They fear they will be hit by bullets, by airstrikes," he said.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would step up the bombing.

"In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

"Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end."

The militants have killed at least 19 civilians, including three women and a child who were found dead near a university, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.

"These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people," Herrera said.

An AFP photographer saw eight bodies dumped off a bridge on the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

It was unclear whether those eight were included in the military\s count of civilian deaths.

Fifteen soldiers, two policemen and 61 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 97.

The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world\s most dangerous terrorists and has offered a bounty of $5 million for his capture.

The gunmen on Tuesday planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings. Authorities said Saturday the fate of those hostages remained unknown.

Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which has declared allegiance to IS and which the government estimates has about 260 armed followers.

Duterte has said local criminals are also backing the Maute in Marawi.

Cooperation between Islamist militants, criminals and corrupt politicians is common across Mindanao, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has claimed more than 120,000 lives since the 1970s.

The main Muslim rebel groups have signed accords with the government aimed at forging a final peace, giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

The Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other small hardline groups are not interested in negotiating and have in recent years looked to IS to help them.

Duterte said Saturday he was prepared to enforce martial law for as long as was necessary to end the terrorist threat, and even ignore constitutionally mandated safeguards such as Supreme Court and congressional oversight.

SOURCE: AFP
Emergency teams rushed to distribute aid Sunday to half a million Sri Lankans displaced after the island\s worst flooding in more than a decade, as authorities upgraded the death toll to 146.

The official Disaster Management Centre said 112 people were still missing, with 50 injured in hospital, since torrential rain and landslides swept away entire villages.

Floodwaters were receding in some areas after a break in the rain, giving authorities a chance to deliver much-needed supplies to victims who lost everything in the deluge.

Heavy rains on Friday triggered the worst flooding and landslides in 14 years in the southern and western parts of the island.

Many villages were still underwater Sunday, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 houses were damaged or completely destroyed. Almost half a million Sri Lankans had been forced from their homes, with most moving into temporary shelters.

The charity Save the Children said about a tenth of those displaced were children below the age of five years.

It said raised fears of stagnant flood waters becoming breeding grounds for dengue spreading mosquitos and noted that young children were more vulnerable.

Medical teams were dispatched to the worst-affected areas to help prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases.

"We have the expertise to deal with this situation," Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said, adding cholera and diarrhoea had been successfully prevented in past floods.

The government withdrew an evacuation order for thousands of residents in the southern district of Matara as water levels subsided.

"The threat of floods around the (river) Nilvala has subsided," irrigation department director M. Thuraisingham said.

"The flood levels near Colombo have also gone down because we did not have rain in the past 24 hours."

Water levels in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka\s gem district east of Colombo, subsided but many villages in Kalutara, south of the capital, were still under water, officials said.

The military has deployed helicopters, boats as well as amphibious vehicles to distribute aid pouring in from residents in areas unaffected by the floods.

The government appealed for bottled water, new clothes and dry rations for those displaced.

Sri Lanka has also sought international assistance, with India rushing a naval ship equipped with a medical team and other supplies Saturday.

A second Indian vessel was due to arrive in Colombo on Sunday, with a third expected Monday, the government said.

The United Nations said it will give water containers, water purification tablets and tarpaulin sheets while the World Health Organization will support medical teams in affected areas.

Pakistan said it was in talks with Colombo to send relief supplies. Islamabad recently gave 10,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka to help drought victims.

The meteorological department said the rains ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.

Monsoon rains last year caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.

SOURCE: AFP
On Saturday, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump returned to Washington, D.C. after a nine-day international tour.

For the majority of the tour, First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, White House Advisor Jared Kushner joined the president and the first lady in Saudi Arabia, Isreal, Italy, and Belgium.

IN THE DETAILS: Ivanka Trump's eyes change colors between brown, green and blue

With every new country they arrived in, the Trump women stunned in designer frocks with sky-high stilettos - turning every political appearance into a runway show. Story continues below.

The most notable outfits were the dresses and veils Ivanka and Melania wore to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. Both women donned black, long-sleeved dresses with veil coverings over their heads while in the presence of the pope. Their outfits followed requirements for women meeting the pope set by the Vatican.

To see all of the women's outfits during their international meetings together, click through the gallery above.

After the meeting at the Vatican on Wednesday, Ivanka and her husband broke off from the president and enjoyed Italy on their own. Meanwhile, Melania went on with the tour with the president. They went to Brussels, Belgium to meet with NATO leaders on Thursday, then returned to Italy for the G7 Summit in Sicily, Italy on Friday.

BIG SPENDER: Melania Trump wears $51,000 Dolce & Gabbana jacket in Sicily

On Saturday, the last stop on the trip was at the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily, Italy. Both the first lady and the president spoke to the welcoming military men and women and their families.

Melania took to the stage first to speak about her experience during the trip saying in part, "This trip for me has been very special and I will never forget the women and children I met." She also thanked the military personnel and their families for their service before introducing her husband to the stage.

Following the speeches by Melania and the president, the couple loaded up on Air Force One and flew back to the United States.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Glenville

A large asphalt company based in Albany will pay a reduced penalty for violations cited after the death of two workers in an explosion last fall  $8,873 for each man's death.

Gorman Bros. Inc. and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, agreed on the settlement earlier this month and closed the case Wednesday, according to details of the case posted with the incident's fatality inspection record.

Gorman, which owns the company Mohawk Asphalt Emulsions on Freemans Bridge Road in the town of Glenville where the accident occurred, was penalized in April $12,675 each for what OSHA called "serious" violations related to the deaths of Joseph Nichols and Alfred Crowter.

On Oct. 17, Nichols, Crowter and another employee were transferring liquid asphalt from a storage tank to a tanker trailer when they used a propane torch to heat a line to make the asphalt flow easier. The torch ignited kerosene vapors and caused a flash fire, according to OSHA's fatality report. The fire set off a series of blasts, sending black smoke into the air. Nichols, 56, of Amsterdam, was burned over 95 percent of his body and died two days later at Westchester Medical Center. Crowter, 42, of Mayfield, Fulton County, was burned over 65 percent of his body and died on Nov. 3. The third employee, Brian Jones, suffered minor burns and survived.

At the time, Thomas Corners Fire Chief Gregg Petricca said the men were off-loading a kerosene-diesel-fuel--tar mix  essentially tar cut with kerosene.

The penalty was reduced to $8,873 for each man after about two weeks of negotiation, according to settlement dates contained in the inspection record. OSHA listed the total fine as $17,745.

Gorman says it's the largest deep-water asphalt terminal on the East Coast, with its base of operations at Port of Albany. The Mohawk Asphalt facility is on the bank of the Mohawk River and has 38 tanks storing various liquids.

lstanforth@timesunion.com  518-454-5697
Hoosick Falls

It was a big moment for a little village. It would also be very costly.

David Borge, then-mayor of Hoosick Falls, was among a long list of public officials, attorneys, scientists and environmental experts lined up to testify at the state Capitol last September. The legislative hearing to examine New York's drinking-water problems was prompted, mostly, by the state Health Department's controversial response to the 2014 discovery of a toxic manufacturing chemical in the water supplies of Hoosick Falls.

"This finger-pointing, this confusion, can't be allowed to happen again," Borge told the panel, reading from a statement that outlined his community's two-year struggle following the discovery of PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, in the village's well system.

For 80 minutes, Borge sat before the legislative panel with leaders from three other upstate communities afflicted by similar water-contamination problems, including Petersburgh Supervisor Alan Webster and Newburgh City Manager Michael G. Ciaravino. They each read prepared remarks  Borge's speech took about 12 minutes  and answered questions from Senate and Assembly members on topics ranging from conflicting health regulations to alternate water sources.

But Borge's appearance that day  and at another state hearing a week earlier in Hoosick Falls  came at a hefty price. Records indicate his four-page statement and preparation for what turned out to be gentle questions from the state panel was the result of meticulous guidance from private attorneys and a public relations firm at a cost to the village of about $22,000.

Details of the help the public relations firm, Behan Communications, gave Borge are found in monthly invoices from the firm turned over to the Times Union recently under a Freedom of Information Law request. The invoices were released a month after the village provided the newspaper with similar invoices from the Glens Falls law firm that secretly hired Behan Communications to work for the village in December 2015.

The village board ended its contract with the law firm, FitzGerald Morris Baker Firth, after the invoices were made public. That decision followed another vote in which the board indefinitely tabled a $1.04 million draft settlement with the two companies blamed for the water pollution, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International. The agreement, which was widely criticized by village residents and others, would have covered more than $570,000 in fees still owed for the work of FitzGerald Morris Baker Firth and Behan Communications, which billed the village for $121,000 of that amount.

For now, negotiations between the companies and the village are on hold while the village board looks for a new law firm.

The invoices show a large amount of work was done for the mayor without board knowledge. At a rate of up to $275 per hour, the firm's work included drafting the mayor's responses to reporters' questions, vetting requests for public records, summarizing news reports and radio talk shows, attending and monitoring public meetings and coordinating the village's dissemination of information to residents.

"We were asked for help and we agreed to help," said Mark Behan, company founder and president. "In good faith we provided the law firm and the village with all of the advice and assistance that they asked us for. We provided it at our customary rates that were made known to them at the beginning of the engagement."

Behan said his firm did more than 500 hours of work and is patiently waiting for its payment.

Village Trustee Robert Ryan said Behan Communications invoices were never shared with the board until recently, about four months after the Times Union filed a request to see them. Ryan said he still stands by Borge, whom he considers a "class act," but said the board was never aware Behan Communications was submitting its bills directly to the Glens Falls law firm rather than the village. That arrangement initially cloaked the public relations' firm's work by classifying the public relations assistance as "attorney-client communication work product."

Last year, the Times Union, citing internal village communications obtained under another Freedom of Information Law request, reported the village and the law firm took steps to conceal the hiring of the public relations firm.

Ryan said he was not pleased with the breadth of the work done by Behan Communications  he did not think they should be involved in processing FOIL requests or monitoring news reports and radio talk shows  and that they should have provided more frequent bulletins to residents.

He questioned why it was necessary for a $275-an-hour company vice president, Joan Gerhardt, who served as Borge's primary adviser, to monitor the mayor's testimony at the legislative hearings. Borge was also accompanied to the hearing by an attorney from FitzGerald Morris Baker Firth at a cost of more than $8,715 for two days. The lawyer, Thomas Ulasewicz, did not speak at the hearing or sit next to Borge when he spoke to the panel.

"To me there was a lot of duplication of efforts and it could have been one but not both," Ryan said. "We knew there was a P.R. firm but as far as all the details we didn't know everything. The one thing I didn't know was they were actually employed by (the law firm). We were unaware of that. I assumed we were getting bills."

Behan insists it was appropriate for his firm to label its billing statements and communications as "attorney-client" documents, which he believes left them outside the reach of the Freedom of Information Law until the village waived the privilege. He said they were hired "because of the potential for litigation to be initiated by or against the village."

"Our advice was rendered to the lawyers and their clients under attorney-client privilege, and documents we sent to the lawyers and their clients were properly labeled as privileged communications," Behan said in an email. "The Times Union has mischaracterized this as an effort at concealment. It is, in fact, the customary approach when non-lawyer consultants furnish confidential advice to lawyers and their clients during or in anticipation of litigation."

The company also billed the village for analyzing stories about its own work. On May 8, 2016, the Times Union published a story about the close relationship between the village's team  the Glens Falls attorneys, P.R. consultants and Borge  and the companies blamed for the pollution.

The story, citing internal communications, noted Saint-Gobain officials had provided the village with private advice in some instances, including how to "change the dynamic" at one of the first community meetings when village and state officials were still telling residents the contaminated water was safe to drink. The story also disclosed that an official with Behan Communications was concerned she would be "outed" if she attended another public meeting and tried to "blend in, as if I'm a resident or uninvolved person interested in the issue."

The day after the story was published, Behan Communications billed the village for 15 minutes of work for "internal consultation regarding communications strategy on Times Union article," according to the invoice.

After reviewing some of the company's billing documents and communications, Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the Committee on Open Government, challenged Behan's assertion that the firm's work for the village qualified as attorney-client work product.

"There's nothing that comes close to legal strategy of any sort," Freeman said.

Webster, Petersburgh's supervisor, said when he appeared with Borge before the legislative panel in September he wrote his own speech "for better or worse" and without assistance. Petersburgh is also grappling with PFOA pollution in its well supplies that state officials say is believed to have come from the smokestacks of Taconic, a plastics company off Route 22.

"We do not have any P.R. firms, nothing like that," Webster said. "We have just tried to stay on top of it. I understand and appreciate that Hoosick Falls is breaking ground ... and I fully understand what they were encountering and the difficulties they were facing."

Rob Allen, who was elected mayor last month and ran unopposed when Borge decided not to seek re-election, said he's still researching work the law firm and Behan Communications did for the village.

"I don't understand why a public relations firm would be going through FOIL requests and having an opinion or a say on that," Allen said. "When you look at some of the things they were involved in, it makes me wonder how many of the decisions being made on behalf of the village were related to their involvement. If they were involved in P.R. that makes sense. If it was in the day-to-day decision-making, that may not be a legitimate use of the P.R. firm."

Borge did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
Washington

Well before he went to the White House in 1977, Jimmy Carter was impressed by the views of foreign policy expert Zbigniew Brzezinski. That Carter immediately liked the Polish-born academic advising his campaign was a plus.

"He was inquisitive, innovative and a natural choice as my national security adviser when I became president," Carter said in a statement following Brzezinski's death Friday.

"He helped me set vital foreign policy goals, was a source of stimulation for the departments of defense and state, and everyone valued his opinion," Carter said. "He played an essential role in all the key foreign policy events of my administration."

Earnest and ambitious, Brzezinski helped Carter bridge wide gaps between the rigid Egyptian and Israeli leaders, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, leading to the Camp David accords in September 1978. Three months later, U.S.-China relations were normalized, a priority for Brzezinski.

He also had a hand in two other controversial agreements: the SALT II nuclear weapons treaty with the Soviet Union and the Panama Canal treaties ceding U.S. control of the waterway.

"He was brilliant, dedicated and loyal," said Carter, who awarded Brzezinski the Presidential Medal of Freedom days before leaving office in 1981.

Brzezinski's death at age 89 was announced on social media Friday night by his daughter, MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski. Also surviving Brzezinski were his wife, Emilie, and their sons Ian and Mark.

"His influence spanned several decades," former President Barack Obama said in a statement Saturday, "and I was one of several presidents who benefited from his wisdom and counsel. You always knew where Zbig stood, and his ideas and advocacy helped shape decades of American national security policy."

To former President George H.W. Bush, Brzezinski's "command of foreign affairs made him both an instrumental architect of key policies  and an influential voice in key policy debates."

In Poland, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said the world "has lost an outstanding intellectual, an experienced and effective diplomat who was also a noble person and a proud Pole." He credited Brzezinski's "unyielding stance toward the Soviet Union" with playing a central role in "the demise of the totalitarian communist system."

Born in Warsaw and educated in Canada and the United States, Brzezinski was an acknowledged expert in Communism when he attracted the attention of U.S. policymakers. In the 1960s he was an adviser to John F. Kennedy, served in the Johnson administration and advised Hubert Humphrey's presidential campaign. He was the first director of the Trilateral Commission, an international discussion group.

In December 1976, Carter offered Brzezinski the position of national security adviser. Brzezinski often found himself in clashes with colleagues such as Secretary of State Cyrus Vance. For the White House, the differences between Vance and Brzezinski became a major headache, fueling a decline in confidence that Carter could keep his foreign policy team working in tandem.

The Iranian hostage crisis came to dramatize America's waning global power and influence and to symbolize the failures and frustrations of the Carter administration. Brzezinski, during the early months of 1980, became convinced that negotiations to free the kidnapped Americans were going nowhere. Supported by the Pentagon, he pushed for military action.

Carter was desperate to end the standoff and, over Vance's objections, agreed to a long-shot plan to rescue the hostages. The mission was a military and political humiliation and precipitated Vance's resignation.

The oldest son of Polish diplomat Tadeus Brzezinski, Zbigniew was born on March 28, 1928. He attended Catholic schools during the time his father was posted in France and Germany.

The family went to Montreal in 1938 when the elder Brzezinski was appointed Polish consul general. When Communists took power in Poland six years later, he retired and moved his family to a farm in the Canadian countryside.

Brzezinski's climb to the top of the foreign policy community began at Canada's McGill University, where he earned degrees in economics and political science. Later at Harvard, he received a doctorate in government, a fellowship and a publishing contract.

He made frequent trips to Eastern Europe and wrote several books and articles on Communism in the 1950s.

Brzezinski emerged in the mid-1960s as a defender of the American presence in Vietnam. Unless the United States put up an effective resistance there, he argued, communist nations such as China would be emboldened to engage the West by fomenting trouble in politically unstable regions.

Still, Brzezinski characterized himself as a "dawk," suggesting that he might have had reservations about other aspects of American policy in Southeast Asia.

Impressed nonetheless, the Johnson administration appointed him to the State Department's Policy Planning Council in 1966.

After Carter left office, Brzezinski returned to lecturing, writing and serving on commissions, boards and task forces.

He remained engaged and opinionated, tweeting for the last time early this month: "Sophisticated US leadership is the sine qua non of a stable world order. However, we lack the former while the latter is getting worse."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Jim Bunning, the Hall of Fame pitcher who threw a perfect game and later forged a second career as a fervently conservative and often cantankerous Republican congressman and senator from Kentucky, died Friday in the Fort Thomas, Ky., area. He was 85.

His death was confirmed by his son David, a U.S. District Court judge in Kentucky. Bunning had a stroke in October.

Pitching for 17 seasons, mostly with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, Bunning dominated batters with his sidearm right-handed deliveries.

He was the second pitcher, after Cy Young, to win at least 100 games, record at least 1,000 strikeouts and throw no-hitters in both the American and National leagues. When he retired after the 1971 season, his 2,855 strikeouts were second only to Walter Johnson's 3,509.

Bunning threw fastballs, curves and sliders out of a 6-foot-3-inch frame, overpowering batters and seeking to intimidate them with a gruffness that would be a hallmark of his time in Congress.

After serving as majority leader in the Kentucky Senate, Bunning was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986. He served six terms in the House, then was elected to the Senate in 1998 and re-elected in 2004. He spoke out against spending and taxes and showed a contrarian streak in the Senate while receiving national attention for some strange remarks.

While running for a second Senate term, Bunning said that his Democratic opponent, Daniel Mongiardo, resembled one of Saddam Hussein's sons. And Bunning complained that he and his wife had been roughed up by supporters of Mongiardo at a political event, telling of "little green doctors pounding on my back."

Although President George W. Bush easily carried Kentucky in the 2004 presidential election, Bunning barely survived the Democratic challenge to his seat.

While discussing the need for conservative judges at a dinner in Kentucky in February 2009, Bunning noted that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a member of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer a few weeks earlier. "Even though she was operated on, usually, nine months is the longest that anybody would live" with the disease, he said.

He apologized for his remarks about Mongiardo and Ginsburg.

A critic of Federal Reserve Board policies, Bunning was the only member of the Senate to vote against the confirmation of Ben S. Bernanke as chairman of the Fed in 2006.

He was a staunch opponent of President Barack Obama's health care legislation, but he was the only senator to miss the final roll call on the bill, which passed 60-39 on a party-line vote.
This year's 53rd annual WR Shaw Queen of the Land festival will take centre-stage in the Bridge House Hotel, in Tullamore Co. Offaly from the 10th-12th of November 2017 with the return of WR Shaw as the main sponsor for a third time.

Following the WR Shaw Queen of the Land AGM, a new committee was elected earlier this year, with preparations now well underway.

Incoming re-elected chairperson Gerard Mahon, said I'm absolutely delighted to have been re-appointed chairperson for this year and I would like to extend a warm welcome and best wishes to the new committee, especially the newly elected members. This year is going to be very exciting and action-packed, with new and fresh ideas set in motion for this year's festival.

Speaking on WR Shaws return as main sponsor Gerard Mahon commented, In addition, the Queen of the Land festival committee is pleased to welcome WR Shaw back for this year's festival. We are very grateful to WR Shaw for their continued support to this festival and very much look forward to working with them during the year. WR Shaw has been in the tractor & farm machinery business for the past 30 years with their dedicated farm machinery team taking care of their New Holland tractor customer base throughout Ireland with New Holland Tractor Sales, Farm Machinery, Spare Parts and Service. WR Shaw has been very supportive to Macra na Feirme for many years and we welcome their continued support and commitment for a third year to the festival.

Further information for this year's festival can be found on the official website www.queenofthelandfestival.com or by visiting the WR Shaw Queen of the Land Festival social media Facebook/Twitter/Instagram pages. Or you can contact Gerard Mahon on 085-2471416 or email queenofthelandfestival@gmail.com
Titusvilles Memorial Day events will include the placing of the wreath at the War Memorial, in Scheide Park, by all VFW commanders.
[May 27, 2017] Tech Revolution: Youth Trumps Experience - TechGig Reports

NEW DELHI, May 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 69% of top scorers in Round 1 of India's Biggest Coding Arena have less than 2 years of experience Out of 2 lakh coders who tried their best to win prizes worth Rs. 3 crores, only the top 10K+ have made it to the Semi-finals of TechGig Code Gladiators 2017, and only the top 200 will make it to the Grand Finale Hackathon to be held in Bangalore on June 09. That's a pass percentage of less than 0.1%, which makes this a selection 7X tougher than the Joint Entrance Examination of the IITs*. Interestingly, while working professionals constituted 72% of the participants, clearly the youth overtook experience in the qualifying round with a whopping 69% of top scorers with less than 2 years of experience. "We are delighted to see such massive participation and such a successful first round. These truly exceptional results prove our purpose - being able to give these young talented coders a chance to super-accelerate their career growth, is an integral part of our mission. TechGig Code Gladiators is all about identifying and showcasing the new wave of tech talent that emerges every year, and revealing their coding chops to top corporates across the country." says Ramathreya Krishnamurthi, Business Head, TechGig.com. Top Shots are Discovering Potential Talent Rakesh Barik, Partner, Deloitte India says, "We believe in constantly creating change to stay ahead in the markets. Innovative solutions drive our strategy in everything that we do. Our depth of technology capabilities and innovation mindset provide user-centric solutions t solve some of our client's most complex problems. TechGig Code Gladiators provides not just the right platform for us to explore and discover some of our best coders but also brings in opportunities to find potential talent that helps us succeed in our endeavors."



Amarinder Dhaliwal, CPO, IndiaMART says, "We have built a culture where our employees are provided with an opportunity to not only develop their professional skills but also the critical personal skills. We found TechGig Code Gladiators a great platform for rockstar coders to come together, compete and learn. Code Gladiators not only builds a healthy competitive culture in our organization but also boosts performance and motivation. Through this association, I expect to uncover some top tech talent, which might have been hidden otherwise." Key Takeaways from Round One -

Working professionals constituted 72% of the total participants

Almost 70% of the top scorers had less than 2 years of experience. Bangalore Leads Participations but Delhi Tops The IT Hubs of Bangalore , Delhi , Hyderabad , Pune , Chennai and Mumbai accounted for 64% of participating coders.

, , , , and accounted for 64% of participating coders. Interestingly, while Bangalore coders led the pack in terms of participations, Delhi NCR had the best results with the most top scorers. Java and C are the Languages of Choice Over 42% of coders preferred coding in C, while 35% preferred coding in Java.

Top scorers in round one used Java, C, C++, Python, C# and PHP as their top languages of choice.

Interestingly, coders from Bangalore , Mumbai and Delhi prefer coding in Java, while those in Delhi , Hyderabad and Chennai prefer C Language. With such massive participations, TechGig has once again consolidated its position as presenting India's Biggest Coding Arena, 'TechGig Code Gladiators' - the undisputed leader in coding contests, which won the Limca Book National Record for the same in 2015 and 2016. About TechGig.com: TechGig.com is a culmination of everything related to technology, a platform exclusively for IT professionals to synergize, share, exchange ideas, facts and information as well as showcase their work and express their views on the vast repertoire that the IT industry encompasses. Garnering cutting edge views, reviews and news, jobs as well as providing a podium for connecting with your colleagues, peers are the mainstay of TechGig.com. The TechGig network is operated by Times Business Solutions - a Division of Times Internet Ltd. *Studies show that IITs have a pass percentage of 0.7%. Media Contact -

Aseem Seth

Head of Corporate Communications

Times Business Solutions - A Division of Times Internet Ltd.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @aseems

Tel: +91-120-663-6338, +91-9910-273367





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
November 2022 is Subscriber Appreciation Month

We're launching a full month of surprises to say thank you to our most loyal subscribers!
Police are investigating after one person was assaulted and killed. At about 9:30 p.m., police were called to 22nd and Denver on an assault, where they found one person deceased. Police are searching for two black males in their 20s. If you have any information about this incident, call police.
Iran expects around $50 billion worth of oil contracts to launch their operational phases next year, the director of investment at the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) was quoted as saying in an Iran Daily report.



The Islamic Republic is inviting local and foreign companies to take part in oilfield development projects that Iran wants to launch soon, said Fardad Daliri, the report said, citing Trend News Agency.



"We are hopeful about signing huge oil deals on the development of joint oilfields  both on and offshore," Daliri said.



Iran is finalizing talks and expects to sign the deals shortly with major international companies, including France's Total, Denmark's Maersk, Malaysia's Petronas, Indonesia's Pertamina, and Russia's Lukoil, the official said.
MK Bhadrakumar

BENDING protocol, without waiting for formal announcement in Tehran on the magnificent election victory of Hassan Rouhani as Irans President for another four-year term, PM Narendra Modi expressed heartiest congratulations to my friend. Modi added, India remains committed to strengthening our special relationship with Iran. Indeed, the ABC of doing business with Iran begins with a good personal rapport with the Iranian interlocutor, and upswing in ties with Iran is one of the few foreign policy successes under the present government.

The Iranians are a highly cultured people and taarof (Iranian politeness) is a system of politeness that includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. They may protest compliments but do secretly enjoy them. While dealing with Iran, networking is important and what you know is far less important than who you know. It is pertinent to recapitulate these pre-Islamic Persian cultural traits because Iranians are deliberate negotiators. Some Indian envoys did well in their diplomatic assignment in Tehran while many faded into oblivion.

Modi seems to be familiar with taarof. But then, caveats must be added. For a start, incredible as it may seem, Rouhani never visited India in his first term as President. During the four-year period, he visited Islamabad (twice) and Kabul, and probably even overflew India en route to Vietnam or Thailand and Indonesia. This is a startling fact, Modis description of Indias special relationship notwithstanding.

Yet, undoubtedly, the Modi government has salvaged the moribund India-Iran relationship and tried to breathe fresh life into it. The point is, through the past decade, whereas Washington might have asked us to bend, we apparently chose to crawl to cozy up to the US containment strategy against Iran. Therefore, the alacrity with which the Modi government went about resuscitating the relationship  once the American interference began waning  is commendable.

On the other hand, clouds of uncertainty are gathering on the horizon due to a misperception that President Donald Trump is preparing for a historic confrontation with Iran. It is important that we accurately gauge the dissimulating US-Iranian rhetoric. Simply put, the time is past for the US and Iran to cross swords. Neither is spoiling for a fight. A military attack on Iran will be prohibitively expensive for the US in human lives, apart from collateral damage on its key allies in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia in particular. Iran will not roll back its missile programme, which is its deterrent, and Irans axis of resistance remains proactive. Hezbollah has over 1 lakh missiles targeting Israel.

However, Irans strategic asset is its extraordinary acumen in diplomacy, its seamless capacity to turn unhelpful narratives to advantage. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 is a case in point. In the downstream of the invasion, Washington settled for a modus vivendi with Tehran based on common interests in Iraqs stability and unity, riveted on Shiite empowerment. The most lethal weapon in Irans diplomatic armoury is engagement. Iran doesnt shy away from engagement. The US has historical experience of it in Iraq and earlier on in Afghanistan and Lebanon. The US has realised that without engagement with Iran, its Middle East strategies will remain ineffectual. Thus, at present there is growing evidence that Russia could be mediating for the US (and Israel) with the Iranians regarding the security arrangements for southern Syria (near the Golan Heights)  the so-called deconfliction zones. Again, in the fight for the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State in Iraq, the US military and Iran-supported militia are having common cause.

In his first remarks after election victory on May 20, Rouhani said the elections message for the world is clear: The Iranian nation has chosen interaction with the world, free from violence and extremism. Iran has decided to live with the world in peace and friendship, but is not ready to accept humiliation, imposition, or threat. Make no mistake, Rouhani intends to step up Irans diplomatic outreach, especially with the West, including the US. Iran will leverage its economic diplomacy to constructively engage with the West. Therefore, our policy makers need not lose sleep that Trump might feel upset if India deepened its engagement with Iran. As the saying goes, early bird catches worms, and India should intensify its engagement with Iran before its market gets overcrowded with Western companies.

Another simplistic notion in the Indian discourses is as regards Irans potential to be a third front vis-a-vis Pakistan. This notion stems from a zero-sum mindset. The point is, although Iran-Pakistan relations remain complicated for a variety of reasons, the two countries also observe red lines. Besides, Iran is Indias natural ally on issues of terrorism and extremism and there is really no need for India to cash in on Iran-Pakistan tensions. If the Indian policy makers could take a more relaxed view of the bilateral ties with Iran instead of frontloading them with geopolitics, and build solid content into the relationship, the regional balance inevitably works to our advantage.

Energy cooperation is Gods gift to India-Iran ties. There is perfect complementarity in terms of market conditions, geography and the political economies of the two countries. However, there are distressing signals in regard of Farzad-B gasfields, a potential game changer. Last Thursday, Irans petroleum minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said India had failed to make an appropriate offer to finalise the development, financial and commercial terms for the gasfield, which might prompt Tehran to tie up with Russian companies instead of ONGC Videsh. Clearly, the Iranian energy market is becoming very competitive.

Given emergent market conditions, Iran cannot be expected to sell gas at discount. The unpalatable truth is that we dragged our feet on the Farhan-B gasfields, which Iranians had offered on a platter before the sanctions. Equally, the proposed undersea gas pipeline connecting Chabahar with Porbandar in Gujarat needs to be expedited. After all, the expected landed price of gas at Porbandar will be much less than current LNG import prices. It makes far greater sense to negotiate a reasonable price for gas from Farzad-B and transport it through a pipeline to Porbandar than import shale gas from the US.

Quite obviously, Modis congratulatory message to Rouhani suggests that he may have outstripped the Indian bureaucracy in his enthusiasm for the special relationship with Iran. Just look at the abysmal performance after Modi and Rouhani discussed at their path-breaking meeting in Ufa two years ago to usher in a brave new world of Indian projects in and around Chabahar. Things are moving at a snails pace.

The writer is a former ambassador
IN less than 24 hours after the ban on social media was lifted in Kashmir, the government felt constrained to reimpose it on Saturday, following the killing of Sabzar Bhat, the closest aide of the much-talked about militant commander Burhan Wani, whose death in an encounter last year rocked the Valley for almost five months. Fresh violence, protests and clashes swept parts of the Valley on Saturday. The killing of Sabzar and one other militant in Tral over-shadowed the killing of six infiltrating terrorists at the Line of Control. There is no visible respite from the cycle of violence.

And the mood has soured up again, despite a realisation that another spell of prolonged agitation would not alter the basic parameters. The 2016 unrest crippled Kashmirs economy and education system; and the Kashmiris stare at nothingness after having lost more than 90 lives and so many working days. This time, it may not be as long and intense phase of clashes as in 2016 because the restraint and effectiveness mantra is at play. But the instantaneous protests on Saturday should discourage all those who were hoping for or advocating a Ramzan ceasefire.

These violent interruptions have dealt a blow to an incipient dialogue process. Two sets of dialogue-makers  one led by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer and another by former BJP minister Yashwant Sinha  have cracked the walls as they met separatist leaders apart from other stakeholders. Their outreach sent a message that civil society groups in the country were concerned over Kashmir and cared for the people in the Valley. That, however, did not change the mind of militants and radical Islamists who remain firm in their anti-India ideology. The situation in the streets remains volatile. No one seems to be having a clue how to break out of this logjam. The state government has run out of imagination  and, perhaps, also out of political will. The Centre alone can step in with a bold and positive initiative. But, unfortunately, that for now seems to be a forlorn hope.
Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 28

With there being no end to the bickering between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Sukwinder Singh Sukhu, the Congress high command has summoned the two leaders to iron out their differences which are demoralizing the party cadres.

It is reliably learnt that the Central leadership has summoned the Chief Minister and party chief to Delhi on May 29 to put an end to the feud between the two. With barely six months left for the Assembly elections, it is being felt that the differences between the two need to be ironed out as it was adversely impacting the party prospects. The two are likely to hold a meeting with All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ambika Soni, who is also in-charge of Himachal Congress along with other leaders.

Virbhadra Singh today left for Delhi. There have been hectic political parleys during the last two days with loyalists of the Chief Minister getting signature of the entire Congress legislators, expressing faith in his leadership. It is reliably learnt that Virbhadra camp has also got the signatures of some of the Congress office bearers to give an impression that he enjoys not just the support of party MLAs but even party leaders.

With virtual battle lines drawn between the two, an endeavour is being made by both the camps to muster the support of party MLAs as well as party leaders. Sources said that about two dozen MLAs had signed even in favour of Sukhu which he too will present before the high command to show that they are not against him.

The feud between Virbhadra and Sukhu has been escalating over the past one month with the Chief Minister even demanding change of the party chief. He has expressed his displeasure over the functioning of the organization and has suggested that steps need to be taken to make the party strong. He has suggested the name of Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary and Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma. He has said that an OBC or a person from the Brahmin community must be made the party head.

Sukhu, on the other hand, has geared up the party cadres and toured the entire state. He has activated various party cells with an eye on the Assembly elections due later this year. He has had some differences with the Chief Minister over the appointment of party office bearers. Though the two have met to discuss the irritants but their relation are far from over. Now it remains to be seen whether the intervention of the party high command will finally put an end to the tussle between the two.

CM demanded change in party chief
New Delhi, May 28

The Indian Army is facing a dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir which has to be fought with innovative ways, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has said, stoutly defending the use of a Kashmiri as a human shield by a young officer.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Rawat said the main objective of awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy-infested state.

Read more

Officer who tied man to jeep in Kashmir awarded for counter-insurgency ops

Comment: A signal that the Army means business?

This is a proxy war, and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations, Rawat said.

The Army Chiefs Commendation medal to Gogoi, who had tied a man to an Army jeep and used him as a human shield from stone throwers last month was criticised by human rights activists, Kashmiri groups and by a few retired Army generals.

A video of the incident had triggered a row with many condemning it.

Gogoi was awarded for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

People are throwing stones at us; people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a National Flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as a Chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there, Gen Rawat said.

Talking about the complexity of the security challenge in the state, he suggested it would have been easier for the armed forces if the protesters were firing weapons instead of throwing stones.

In fact, I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I (want to do), he said.

Gen Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the Army, then the country is doomed.

Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly Army, but when we are called in to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us, he said.

At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

Gen Rawat said that as the Army Chief, it was his duty to lift the morale of the Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and he did it by awarding Major Gogoi.

As Army Chief my concern is morale of the Army. That is my job. I am far away from the battle field. I cannot influence the situation there. I can only tell the boys that I am with you. I always tell my people, things will go wrong, but if things have gone wrong and you did not have malafide intent, I am there, he said.

Gen Rawat said there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and Major Gogoi could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

Tomorrow elections have to be held in Anantnag and similar things may happen. If the Army does not respond to call for assistance, then the trust between the people whom we are protecting, the police and Army will break.

That is something I cannot allow to happen. This is what the militants want. It can create a divide between the Army and other security forces, he said.

The Army Chief said he had a broad idea about what was going on in the Court of Inquiry into the Gogoi incident, and that is why he went ahead with awarding the Major. I know what is happening in the COI. It is being finalised. What do we punish him for?

He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd, but he chose not to resort to it.

Farooq Dar, who was allegedly tied to the jeep, says he is not a militant or a stone thrower, and was only returning home after casting his vote in the by-election when he was hauled away.

He says he still suffers from physical and mental trauma after being paraded on the jeeps bonnet with a sign slung around his neck, warning stone pelters of the consequences.

The Army Chief said just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control.

It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Armys role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected, he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

He also emphasised on the need for taking harsh measures to stop infiltration and counter-terrorism.

The Army Chief also wondered why not much noise was made when young Army officer Lt Umar Fayaz was killed by militants when he was on leave.

Asked whether there should be a political initiative to reach out to the Kashmiri people, the Army Chief said it was for the government to decide, adding such initiatives were taken in the past as well.

Has political initiative not been taken in the past?

What was the result, you had Kargil..., he said.

To another question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a limited war with Pakistan. PTI
Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 28

Students of the state excelled with a pass percentage of 90 per cent in the Class XII examination-2017, the results of which were declared by the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) today.

However, it witnessed a slight decline of 2 per cent in the pass percentage this year as compared to last year (92 per cent).

The Jammu region also fared well in the board exams. Mustan Tyagi of Jodhamal Public School, Sainik Colony, topped the science stream (medical and non-medical) in the Jammu region with 98 per cent marks while Shivani Matyal of JK Public School, Kunjwani, and Prajwal Brawl of Army Public School, Akhnoor, managed to score 96.6 per cent and 96 per cent marks, respectively. Meanwhile, Prateek Labroo of KC International School secured full marks in physics.

In commerce, Ayush Kohli of Jodhamal Public School topped with secured 96.7 per cent marks while Mahima Sharma of JK Public School and Mohit of Army Public School, Akhnoor, scored 96.4 per cent and 95 per cent marks, respectively.

Meanwhile, in arts stream, Bhanu Pratap Singh of APS, Akhnoor, emerged as the topper with 88.6 per cent marks.

KCS Mehta, principal of Army Public School, Akhnoor, and former president of Jammu Sahodaya School Complex (JSSC), an apex body of CBSE schools in J&K, told The Tribune: In all, 14 students of Army Public School, Akhnoor, have scored 100 per cent marks in fine arts while 14 students secured above 90 per cent marks.

Principal of JK Public School, Kunjwani, SK Singh was all praise for the teaching fraternity of the school. A total of 36 students of the school scored above 90 per cent marks.

Our students are making strides with improvement in results every year. In fact, this years result is much better than the last year and all credit for this goes to the school staff, SK Singh told The Tribune on phone.

The overall pass percentage at the national level is 82 per cent. Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country have topped with the pass percentage of 85 per cent followed by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) with 82 per cent. As far as private CBSE schools are concerned, the pass percentage is 75.9 per cent, he said.

Similarly, KVs and Navodaya Vidyalayas in Jammu have also done well as their students managed to secure high ranks. Meanwhile, the private CBSE schools in the winter capital have also reasonably done well as compared to other states, SK Singh added.

Meanwhile, the results got delayed after the Delhi High Court directive on the moderation policy, which the school board struck down this year. The CBSE was directedby the High Court to continue with it for at least this year. The moderation policy refers to a practice where students are given extra marks in subjects regarded as unusually difficult, or when there are variations in question paper sets.
Jammu, May 28

The Army killed a Pakistani intruder on Sunday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence official said.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel, Manish Mehta said: "Alert troops of the Army noticed suspicious movement on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector around 2.30 am." "The intruder was killed in ambush. His identity is yet to be ascertained," Mehta added.  TNS
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 28

The controversy over rewarding Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi by the Army and the decision of the PDP-BJP government not to withdraw the FIR against him in the much-publicised human shield case is getting bigger as the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, on Saturday came out in support of the officer.

Jammu-based political and social groups have already launched a campaign in support of Major Gogoi and the BJP, which is an equal partner in the government, is facing intense pressure to withdraw the FIR in the case.

Despite pressure, BJP ministers in the coalition have maintained a guarded silence although the central leadership of the party has openly came in support of Major Gogoi. Despite repeated attempts, none of the BJP ministers in the government are ready to come on record on the issue.

Meanwhile, president of the High Court Bar Association, BS Slathia today asked the government to immediately withdraw the FIR against Major Gogoi as, according to him, registering a case against a brave officer would demoralise the forces.

General secretary of the Bar Association, Prem Sadhotra said, We will not remain a mute spectator to the decision of the state government to not to withdraw the FIR against Major Gogoi.

Meanwhile, activists of the Panthers Party today asked the state government to immediate withdraw the FIR against the officer.

Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh expressed his shock over the way the officer was treated by the BJP-PDP government.

Even the most logical and convincing explanation given by the Army officer for his action went unheard and the BJP-partnered government announced to proceed with the investigation and trial of the national hero, Harsh Dev Singh said.
Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 28

Despite facing a threat of elimination from radical militants, the separatist camp made a show of strength by making it to the funeral of Sabzar Bhat, whose killing in a gunfight has sparked off protests and shutdown in the region.

At least two separatist leaders visited Rathsuna village of Tral sub-district in south Kashmir despite facing a threat from Zakir Musa, who also operates in the same area.

The two separatists who visited Bhats funeral ceremonies included Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik and Mehraj Kalwal, a close associate of Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Geelani. While Yasin visited Bhats house last evening, Kalwal led Bhats funeral, attended by several thousand people.

Sabzar has sacrificed his life, now we have to fulfil our promise that we will continue our struggle, Kalwal said addressing the gathering at Rathsuna. We will not change the path, he said. The separatist activists had also wrapped Pakistani flag over the militants body.

The visit of the two separatist leaders to a militants funeral and their call for shutdown is rare and is an attempt by the separatist camp to reassert its writ, which has come under challenge from radical Islamist militants.

The separatists had faced a threat from Zakir Musa, a militant commander who operates in Tral sub-district, and who had warned that he would behead them if they tried to become a thorn in the path of establishment of Islamic rule in the state.

Bhat, who was killed in a gunfight yesterday in Soimoh village of Tral, had been operating under Musa for almost a year, since the latter took over command of the Hizbul Mujahideen unit in this south Kashmir sub-district. Musa left his parent organisation, Hizbul Mujahideen, earlier this month after the militant outfit objected to his threatening of the separatist leaders.
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani will not be making a film on Operation Blue Star, as intended earlier, because he feels the subject matter could be too controversial.

"Operation Blue Star is something I had thought of doing but every single person I know from Punjab told me you'll never be able to live in this country again, you can't do that film, don't even think about it," Advani said.

The D Day director said he had bounced the idea to his upcoming Lucknow Central actor Gippy Grewal, who was too scared to even listen to it.

"We are very close to Gippy, who is in Lucknow Central, when we told him about the idea, he said 'I am leaving from here.' It's an event that should be documented. When I went to Amritsar, I couldn't believe this was the place which was under siege. But it's very controversial." The filmmaker denied that he had discussed the project with Akshay Kumar and said the project couldn't even reach that stage. Advani, meanwhile, is gearing up for a film on the Batla House encounter case.

"I am doing a film on Batla House next, it's a very controversial subject. Were the five boys inside the building really terrorists or were they students? Was the encounter real or fake? We are hoping to answer these questions in the movie. We want to make films that are very relevant and topical," he said. The Batla House encounter took place in the national capital in September 2008, in which two suspected terrorists were gunned down. PTI
Mumbai, May 28

The thin and cripsy papad is part and parcel of every Indian meal. But does it require some makeover to beat the challenge from the influx of its international variants like nachos and tacos?

Some celebrated chefs feel innovation is justified to make papad more appealing to the changing taste demands, while retaining its variety and traditional flavour.

From the Sindhi plate to Rajasthani thali and the Malayali Sadhya, no Indian meal is complete without papad  the most visible ingredient in cuisines of all states and communities.

Be it young or old, rich or poor, people across all sections relish papad or papadum for many.

However, with the new competitors coming in and finding their way to the taste buds of modern food lovers, this traditional snack surely needs more creativity and innovation for a new gastronomic experience, feel experts.

Nachos is a dish from Mexico consisting of tortilla chips served with various toppings. Taco is also a Mexican dish composed of corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.

For majority of us papad is just an accompaniment which goes along with the main course. But if you see papad as a main ingredient there can be many different dishes made out of it. Instead, papad can be used in place of nachos and tacos, feels celebrity chef Ajay Chopra.

For us papad has just become a part of our meal but if you see, India has a huge variety of papad, Chopra, a widely-travelled food expert who hosts cookery show Northern Flavours on Living Foodz television channel, told PTI.

As the cooking techniques and the ways of presenting food have changed, the papad is used but in a more modernised way while retaining its traditional flavour and texture, says the restaurant and food service consultant.

Rohan Ghotage, the owner of North Goas restaurant Habanero which specialises in Tex-Mex cuisine, says papad has a great potential and can carve a niche for itself as a snack.

Unfortunately there has been very little creativity with papad over decades other than the Masala Papad that is served, he says.

On where does the traditional Indian papadmade with varied ingredients like lentils, rice, potato, chickpeas and tapiocastand today, he says, Papad is seen as an accompaniment to Indian food and not a separate snack by itself.

However, he adds that the ingredients and spice content in papad make it acidic in nature due to which customers restrict to one or two pieces.

While nacho and tacos can be served in multiple ways and with multiple fillings making them a great wholesome snack or even a meal, the nachos and tacos are basically neutral in taste and the flavour is usually added with salsa and fillings, Rohan says.

Among the diverse range of Indian papads, the one very popular and readily available in the market is the Lijjat Papad, manufactured by a womens cooperative.

Lijjat papad has become the traditional food item of most Indians. Its taste is well received by every Indian since generations. We have met the needs of the consumers since 58 years and our increased sales figures speak about the growing demand for papads by the consumers, says Swati Paradkar, the president of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad.

She says there is a growing demand for Lijjat papad even in the international food market.

This is evident from the growth in our export sales which has reached Rs 67 crore during the last year. This reflects the growing popularity of Lijjat papad in the international food market, says Paradkar.

Asked about the demand for Indian papad abroad, she says Lijjat papad is exported to many countries like the UK, USA, Middle East countries, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Holland, Japan, Australia.

The response from the international community has matched our expectations and at times we have to prioritise export over local sales in order to fulfil the demand of foreign countries, she says.  PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday began his Mann Ki Baat radio programme by reaching out to the nation and greeting people on the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan.

The prime minister said this is a country with people from all religions and communities.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

It has people who believe in God and those who dont. People from all walks of life live here harmoniously, Modi said as he reached out to people across the country.

Modi remembered Veer Savarkar on his jayanti and recalled fondly his visit to the Andaman Islands where he visited the Cellular jail where so many of Indias freedom fighters had been lodged.

He expressed his happiness over the fact that todays youth is taking an interest in learning about the freedom struggle of the country.

The prime minister said that 5th June is observed as World Environment Day.

This year the UN have chosen Connecting People to Nature theme, he said and urged people to plant saplings in the coming monsoon season.

Referring to 21 June which is now celebrated as World Yoga Day, the PM said that yoga is Indias gift to the world and it is now connecting the world also.

 I got a very interesting suggestion, since its 3rd International Yoga Day on June 21, why not three generations of a family come together and practice yoga, Modi said and asked people to share their experience on his Narendra Modi app.



Swachhata has become a mass movement today. It has generated a spirit of competitiveness between the cities. Media too has played a vital role in furthering the message of cleanliness, he said.

He said that the government soon plans to install blue and green coloured waste baskets around the country so that liquid and solid waste can be discarded separately.



Modi said that he is happy to see people evaluating the work of the government as it completes three years. He welcomed constructive criticism and said it strengthens our democracy.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28

Claiming that only the BJP-led NDA governments offered a corruption-free regime, the saffron party on Sunday expanded the charge of corruption right to the doorstep of the first Congress government in Independent India  the one led by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Interacting with mediapersons as a part of celebrations of three years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, BJP leader GVL Narsimha Rao said only two Prime Ministers gave corruption-fee and scam-free governance in modern India  first was Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now Narendra Modi, both saffron leaders.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

While the BJP has, as a matter of routine, levelled corruption charges against majority of Congress Prime Ministers, including Manmohan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, it is for the first time perhaps it has tried to remind the nation of the Jeep scandal of 1948 in the regime of Nehru.

Who can forget the Jeep scandal in 1948 when Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister, Rao said as he went on to enlist other Congress Prime Ministers under whose regimes "corruption cases came into light". The rest is history, he said.

As per archives, the Jeep scandal of 1948 was the first major corruption case in Independent India. VK Krishna Menon, the then Indian high commissioner to Britain, ignored protocols and signed a Rs 80-lakh contract for the purchase of Army jeeps with a foreign firm. While most of the money was paid upfront only 155 jeeps arrived which the then Prime Minister Nehru made the government accept, say the archives.

Rao said curbing corruption with citizen collaboration were among the topmost priorities of Prime Minister Modi. No one can deny that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely eradicated cronyism and corruption from the country, he said.
New Delhi, May 28

The compulsion of using a magnifying glass for reading did not deter Dharshana M V form putting in her best efforts, as she scored 96.6 per cent and secured the third rank in CBSE class XII examination in the differently-abled category.

Aditya R Raj from Trivandrum, Lakshmi PV from Palakkad, (both in Kerala) and Dharshana M V from Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu are top three scorers in CBSE class XII examinations in the category, results of which were announced today.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

"I am very happy," Dharshana, from Nalanda International Public School in Krishnagiri, told PTI over the phone.

Dharshana suffers from microcornea which has rendered her right eye almost a 'nil vision' and the left one a partial vision.

Dharshana said despite the physical challenge she was motivated to put in her best and expressed gratitude to her parents and teachers for not putting pressure on her.

"My general principle is that I like to do my best in whatever I do. So when I started preparing for class XII examination, I decided I should do my best, whatever I could.

Keeping that in my mind I started preparing.

"For reading, I used magnifying glass. I got good support from my school and my parents. They did not create any fear in my mind about the exam and motivated me and instilled confidence that I could do well," she said.

Dharshana, a commerce stream student who scored 483 marks out of 500, said she needs to use magnifying glass to read small texts.

She now wants to study commerce and become an entrepreneur, while also developing her music skills.

"I want to purse B. Com in Chennai and after that become an entrepreneur. I also want to develop my music talent," said Dharshana who is honing her skills in Carnatic music.  PTI
Simran Sodhi

The scars of wars fought between nations and peoples can resonate for generations to come. One such battle was fought in 1944 between the Japanese armies and the Allied Forces in the areas around Imphal, the present-day capital of the north-eastern state of Manipur. The Japanese armies suffered their worst defeat in Imphal and also in the Battle of Kohima in World War II, and were pushed back to Burma.

The Commemoration of the 73rd Anniversary of the Battle of Imphal saw the Japanese ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, make his second visit to Imphal a few days back. His mission was simple and direct: to reach out in a reaffirmation of the Japanese values of reconciliation and peace.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Hiramatsu was accompanied by 38 delegates from Japanese companies and organisations based in Delhi. The delegates paid a floral tribute at the India Peace Memorial at Maibam Lotpa Ching before participating in an evening function attended by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Parliamentary Secretary of Nagaland C Apok Jamir, among others.

It was also a unique outreach by the Japanese embassy and the ambassador in his address emphasised the importance of commemorating all those who perished in the war, renewed Japans pledge to never repeat the devastation of war, and reaffirmed the value of reconciliation.

A beautiful linkage was also made by the Japanese ambassador between Japan and Imphal. He recalled that just last month, the North East Institute of Science and Technology announced that one species of iris that grows around Loktak Lake and is commonly used in the Chieiraoba Festival in Manipur is a new species in India. This species is known as the Japanese iris and is called Kakitsubata in Japanese. Kakitsubata was an indigenous species of Japan for more than 1,000 years. He expressed his surprise that he had no idea as to how this Japanese Kakitsubata was passed on to Manipur, and has been loved there as Yaralpat ki Kombirei.

The linkage, while remaining scientifically unexplained, proved to be just one more factor that binds Japan to the North-East.

The ambassador used the opportunity to articulate the potential of cooperation between Japan and Manipur, Nagaland and other north-eastern states, and also announced new initiatives for the enhancement of youth exchanges.

After the devastation of World War II, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission set up cemeteries in Imphal and Kohima to commemorate the British and the Indian soldiers who died during the war.
Islamabad, May 28

A petition has been filed in Pakistans Supreme Court seeking immediate execution of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Muzamil Ali, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition on Saturday through advocate Farooq Naek, a leader of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and former Senate chairman.

The petition asked the apex court to order the federal government to ensure an early decision under the domestic laws on any pending appeal by 46-year-old Jadhav.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the immediate execution of the Indian spy if he failed to get his capital punishment overturned, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had awarded the death sentence to Jadhav for espionage and subversive activities.

However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), through an interim ruling, stayed Jadhavs execution till the time the case pending with it reached its logical end.

The petitioner also requested the court to declare that Jadhavs trial had been conducted in accordance with the law, that due process had been observed and that he had had consular access as was demanded by India.

The federal government, through the secretaries of interior and law, and the court of appeal constituted under the Pakistan Army Act (PPA) 1952, General Headquarters Rawalpindi, were named the respondents in the case.

The petition mentioned that Jadhavs mother had moved an appeal on April 26 under Sections 131 and 133(b) of the PPA.

According to Section 131, any person who considers himself aggrieved by the sentence of a court martial may submit a petition to the federal government or the chief of the army staff.

Section 133(b) says that any person to whom a court martial has awarded a sentence of death or imprisonment for life may, within 40 days from the date of announcement of the sentence, can submit an appeal.

The petitioner argued that the people of Pakistan had a right of retribution against those who carried out subversive activities against their country, and that this right far outweighed the requirement to provide an information dissemination method to a convicted terrorist.

It also said that the conduct of India, its arguments and representation in the ICJ constituted a repudiatory breach of the 2008 agreement as well as the VCCR, and as such, Pakistan was not bound by the terms of the convention. PTI
Yash Goyal

Jaipur, May 28

Rajasthan Police have so far arrested six men, including the sarpanch of Chainpura village in Ajmer district, for allegedly thrashing and assaulting four Sikh sewadars last month.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities has summoned the victims, the accused and the Ajmer SP on June 2 in Jaipur.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

One of the victims Harpal Singh of Khairtal in Alwar district filed an FIR on Saturday with the Nasirabad Sadar police station against at least six persons under various Sections of the IPC, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) N Ravindra Kumar Reddy told The Tribune on Sunday.

The accused, including sarpanch Ramdev Singh, were booked under the Sections 295 A and 298 (hurting religious sentiments), 143, 341, 323, the ADG said.

A few other persons of Chainpura village were also being interrogated.

Five other arrested are Shravan Singh Rawat, Raju Singh Rawat, Bhanwar Singh Rawat, Manna Singh Rawat, and Vijay Singh Rawat.

Four sewadars  Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Harpal Singh, and Malkiat Singh (two from Khairtal in Alwar, and two from Haridwar)  were thrashed by residents of Chainpura on April 24 when they had gone to collect donations.

Allegedly mistaken as thief or kidnappers, they were beaten up and a video of the incident went viral on social media on May 25.

State Minority Commission Chairman Jasbeer Singh said he has summoned all parties; victims, accused and a senior cop from Ajmer district for personal appearance on June 2.

The commission would probe the case independently and submit its report to the Centre and the chief minister at the earliest, Singh said.

Deploring the incident, state Congress vice president Dr Archna Sharma alleged that the minority people were not safe and protected in BJP-ruled states.

Cops seen in this video were doing nothing but acted as mute spectators when the sewadars were beaten up by upper caste people, she said.

On Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had spoken to his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje demanding strict action against those who assaulted the Sikhs.

In response Raje has assured all necessary action against those found guilty. Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee has also expressed its serious concern on the matter urging the state Minority Commission to probe the case.
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, May 28

In spite of temperature hovering around 45 degree Celsius, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (89) toured his home constituency Lambi today.

He visited 18 families in four villages to express condolences at the death of their relatives.

He visited two houses at Lohara village, one at Warring Khera, five at Ghumiara and 10 at Vanwala village. Most of the houses he visited were of poor and Dalit families.

Badal said, I am not doing any favour to these people. This is the duty of every elected representative to meet people of his area. I spend three hours every day to meet people, poor or rich. A politician sometimes is unable to attend weddings because of his busy schedule, but it is his duty to visit everyone in times of grief.

He criticised Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for being unapproachable. He doesnt meet anyone.

On Shiromani Akali Dals policy to target the Congress government, Badal said, Everyone knows the Congress will not fulfil the promises announced in its election manifesto. But we are giving the government time to perform. When it fails to fulfil the promises, we will target them.

The former Chief Minister sought the resignation of Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, whose cook Amit Bahadur bagged a Rs 26-crore sand mining contract.

The minister should have resigned. The question is from where he got such a big amount. Even the rich dont have such a big amount, Badal added.
Tribune Reporters

New Delhi/Chandigarh, May 27

The Ajmer police in Rajasthan have arrested four persons for the assault on four Sikh sewadars at Chainpura village of the district last month.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said an FIR had been registered at Naziraband police station against seven persons.

Sirsa said the information was conveyed to him by Ajmer SSP Rajinder Singh, who had also assured him that the other accused would be arrested soon.

A video showing Nirmal Singh, Kuldip Singh, Harpal Singh and Malkeet Singh being thrashed had gone viral recently.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today spoke to his Rajasthan counterpart, Vasundhara Raje, seeking her intervention in the case. The CM sought a thorough probe into the incident and stringent action against the constable who allegedly instigated people to attack the Sikhs.

He added that even though the Rajasthan State Minorities Commission had taken cognisance of the video clip and sought a police report, a "strong signal" needed to be sent by the state government to the perpetrators of the violence. The CM said the incident was highly condemnable as the victims were 'sewadars' who had stopped at Rajgarh village in Ajmer district to collect alms. Such intolerance has no place in a civilised society and any attempt to create communal strife should be nipped in the bud, he added.
Muktsar, May 28

The police today booked SADs Gidderbaha constituency incharge Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, his personal assistant and four others for allegedly snatching a motorcycle from a farmer a few days ago.

Parminder Singh, a resident of Kuraiwala village, had complained to the police that he, along with another farmer Jai Singh, had gone on his motorcycle to Hardeeps finance company at Gidderbaha on May 23. There, Hardeeps personal assistant Jagtar Singh and 3-4 other persons took away his motorcycle.

Jai Singh had taken loan from Dimpys company for his motorcycle. The employees of the finance company said that they would return my motorcycle when he pays back the loan. Though we requested them, they pushed us out. The employees of the finance company said that they had informed Dimpy about it. He reportedly told them that the motorcycle would be returned only when Jai Singh pays back his loan, alleged the complainant.

ASI Harnek Singh, investigating officer, said, A case under Section 382 of the IPC has been registered against Dimpy, his personal assistant and some others for illegally taking the motorcycle into their possession.

But Rajpal Singh, DSP, Gidderbaha, said, The SHO has told me that the case has been registered against the finance company and not against the owner or employees.  TNS
Yash Goyal

Jaipur, May 28

The Rajasthan Police have so far arrested six persons, including the sarpanch of Chainpura village in Ajmer district, for allegedly thrashing and assaulting four Sikh sewadars last month.

The Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities has summoned the victims, accused and the Ajmer SP on June 2.

On the complaint of a victim, Harpal Singh of Khairtal in Alwar district, an FIR has been lodged at Nasirabad Sadar police station against six persons, ADGP (Law and Order) N Ravindra Kumar Reddy told The Tribune today.

The accused, including sarpanch Ramdev Singh, were booked under Sections 295 A and 298 (hurting religious sentiments), 143, 341, 323, the ADGP said.

Besides the sarpanch, others who have been arrested are Shravan Singh Rawat, Raju Singh Rawat, Bhanwar Singh Rawat, Manna Singh Rawat, and Vijay Singh Rawat.

State Minorities Commission Chairman Jasbeer Singh said he had summoned all parties for personal appearance on June 2. The commission would probe the case independently and submit its report to the Centre and the Chief Minister at the earliest, Singh said.

Flaying the incident, state Congress vice-president Dr Archna Sharma alleged that the minorities were not safe in BJP-ruled states. In the video, the police were seen standing as mute spectators when the sewadars were being beaten up by upper caste people, she alleged. Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh yesterday spoke to his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje demanding strict action against those involved in the incident.
London, May 28

A cheeky 11-year-old girl in the UK accused her teacher of a war crime under Geneva Conventions for punishing the whole class for the actions of a few in a school feedback form that has gone viral online.

Ava Bell was asked to fill out a form for school with questions for students about their teachers. One asked how teachers can do better.

Her father, Gavin Bell, who is based in Glasgow and is also known as author Mason Cross, revealed on Twitter that in the feedback form she criticised the policy of punishing a whole class for one person's bad behaviour -- by citing the Geneva Conventions.

Asked what her teacher could do better, Bell wrote, "Not use collective punishment as it is not fair on the many people who did nothing and under the 1949 Genva [sic] Conventions it is a war crime."

"Not sure if I should ground her or buy her ice cream," Gavin tweeted.

The picture showing the suggestion, handwritten in pencil, has been "liked" more than 500,000 times on Twitter.

"I should clarify that she thinks her teacher is awesome.

It's just this aspect of the educational justice system she has an issue with," Gavin said.

He told the BBC that he came across the form at a parents' evening, where folders of the children's work are displayed for their guardians to read.

He said it was entirely characteristic, "She will never let an argument go at home!"

Various fellow parents joked that the young Bell was precocious, and this could be just the start for her.

A more cynical observer also accused writer Gavin of making it up.

The father replied, "Dude, if I'd made it up I would have got her to fix the spelling of 'Geneva.'"

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war.  PTI
Ottawa, May 28

Canadas official Opposition Conservatives have chosen a little-known, 38-year-old leader to fight a 2019 election against Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but only after a fierce contest that revealed internal divisions.

On the 13th and final round of balloting, many more than political observers predicted, former House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer edged out ex-foreign minister and favorite Maxime Bernier by 51 to 49 per cent.

Scheer is younger and much less well-known than the 45-year-old Trudeau, an avowed feminist who took power in November 2015 promising a more inclusive kind of politics. Polls show the Liberals are still well ahead of Opposition parties.

Scheer must now try to heal a rift between the socially conservative wing he represents and others who prefer a more centrist approach.

We all know what it looks like when Conservatives are divided. We will not let that happen again, Scheer told a televised news conference after the final results were announced in a Toronto convention centre. Imagine what we will do when we are all working together. We cant go through another four years of Justin Trudeau.

The race had moments of Trump-like populism with a reality TV star and a candidate critical of immigration getting early attention. But Scheer and Bernier were more mainstream politicians, suggesting the wave of populism that swept Donald Trump to the US presidency will not extend to Canada.

The right-of-centre Conservatives held power for nearly a decade under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper before the centre-left Liberals won in 2015.

Scheer, who like Harper is based in western Canada, attacked Trudeau for running up large budget deficits and accused him of being soft on what he called radical Islamic terrorism.

According to a Nanos Research poll, Trudeau is the preferred choice as PM for 46 per cent of Canadians.  Reuters

Andrew Scheer  A young social conservative
Caracas, May 28

Demonstrators clashed with Venezuelan police again as they descended on the offices of the state media regulator, the latest in nearly two months of often-violent protests demanding the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

Youth with their faces covered on Saturday blocked the main motorway running through Caracas, cutting it off with trucks that they then set on fire. They also erected barricades of rubble.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the rally, and demonstrators fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails and stones.

Demonstrations that kicked off in late March have claimed the lives of 58 people, as opposition leaders seek to ramp up pressure on Venezuelas leftist president, whose already-low popularity has cratered amid shortages of food and medicines, among other economic woes.

Yesterdays protest in Caracas was held to mark 10 years since the government shuttered a popular television station.

The network, RCTV, was shut down by Maduros predecessor, the late populist leader Hugo Chavez, after more than a half- century on the air, for its outspoken criticism of his government.

The move was an atrocious act against freedom of expression, Julio Borges, leader of the opposition-led legislature, said at the protest.

At the time, officials said the move to close RCTV aimed to democratize the airwaves in Venezuela.

Since its demise, a state television broadcaster, TVES, was founded and has been operating in its stead.

The government also ordered the Spanish version of CNN off the air in February, accusing it of broadcasting war propaganda.

You never find out about anything. We have to get information from Facebook and social media on the internet, through international TV channels, said Matilde Quintero, a retiree marching through Caracas wearing a cap with the yellow, blue and red colors of the national flag.

In a speech, Maduro praised staff at TVES, saying for 10 years they have been broadcasting humanist television. Maduro also stood by his plan to elect a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution and do so without input from opposition parties. Opposition leaders call this a ploy to avoid early elections and cling to power.

On Friday, riot police greeted throngs of protesters who rallied at a complex of buildings housing the defense ministry in Caracas.

Demonstrators had hoped to sway the support of the armed forces against Maduro, who has been resisting opposition calls for early elections.

Organizers said more protests are planned for Monday.  AFP
Brookhaven (US), May 28

Authorities in Mississippi said today a suspect was in custody after eight persons were killed in a shooting, including a sheriffs deputy.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three homes last night in Lincoln County.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidenceand charges had not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be premature to discuss a motive.

However, the suspect himself gave some insight into the events that led to the shootings. I aint fit to live, not after what I done, Cory Godbolt told The Clarion-Ledger after his arrest.  AP
Washington, May 28

US President Donald Trump has told confidants, including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt, that he plans to quit a landmark international agreement on climate change, Axios news outlet reported on Saturday, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

On Saturday, Trump said in a Twitter post he would make a decision on whether to support the Paris climate deal next week.

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

A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision told Reuters a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Trumps expected announcement later in the week. It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.

I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week! he tweeted on the final day of a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy at which he refused to bow to pressure from allies to back the landmark 2015 agreement.

The summit of G7 wealthy nations pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honour the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.

Although he tweeted that he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate deal that was signed by 195 countries clearly annoyed German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying, she told reporters. There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not. Reuters
London, May 28

Nearly 23,000 terror suspects may be at large across Britain, the countrys intelligence community say after the deadly Manchester attack by a Libyan-origin man who was on the radar of the UKs spy agencies.

The scale of the challenge has emerged in the aftermath of the Manchester suicide bombing that claimed 22 lives and injured 119 others.

Reports that Libyan-origin Salman Abedi had been on the radar of intelligence services had added pressure on MI5 to reveal what they knew.

Now government sources have told sections of the UK media that they believe 23,000 people with extremist tendencies are living in the UK.

About 3,000 people from the total group are judged to pose a threat and are under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations being run by police and intelligence services.

The 20,000 others have featured in previous inquiries and are categorised as posing a residual risk.

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police have released CCTV images showing suicide bomber Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

The images are the first to show what the 22-year-old looked like when he carried out the deadly terror attack.

Fourteen locations are still being searched in connection with the attack and 11 men remain in custody on suspicion of terror offences.

A Greater Manchester Police statement said: We have made significant progress in this fast moving and complex investigation, working with the national counter terrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners and securing the arrests of 11 people who remain in custody.

The level of resources we have available to us remains the same as we continue to take positive action so you will notice additional officers, including armed officers, on patrol especially at a number of events this weekend to ensure the security and safety of everyone but its important that people remain alert and vigilant.

They have made an appeal to the public for information about the bombers movements since 18 May, when he returned to the UK from Libya.

A joint statement from Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Neil Basu, Scotland Yards senior national co-ordinator from UK Counter Terrorism Policing, added: This is still a live investigation which is not slowing down.

Our priorities are to understand the run up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack.

The UKs terror threat level had been lowered to severe from critical on Saturday as a result of the arrests, which means an attack is still highly likely if not imminent.  PTI
Its pretty impressive when an Oklahoma startup (Linear Health Sciences) is hand-picked to be the first company to qualify for a new national accelerator program that was specifically created to bring new medical devices to market.

It is even more impressive when that accelerator program is located in a major market like Atlanta.

To those who read this column regularly, that last sentence might sound a little like Im stepping back from my normal stance  given how much I stress that Oklahoma has all the components to help a startup in bioscience or medical devices scale up and achieve a fantastic exit.

But thats not the case.

That the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), a comprehensive medical device innovation center located in Atlanta, has awarded Linear Health Sciences a substantial grant to work with GCMIs Atlanta accelerator is a further endorsement of the quality of the technologies and solutions in the medical field that we are creating in this state.

The GMCI accelerator is sponsored by large companies that are in our industry space, said Ryan Dennis, MD and founder of Linear Health Sciences. They provide grant funding to accelerate commercialization. We will have access to a large pool of resources that we might not otherwise have access to as such a small company.

The non-dilutive funding that comes with the GCMI grant leverages the $1.2 million seed round investment led by i2E last year with participation from SeedStep Angels, the Oklahoma Angel Fund I and other Oklahoma angel investors.

Linear Healths work with the accelerator will further testing and regulatory requirements leading to third-quarter FDA approval for Linear Healths first product, the Orchid Safety Release Valve (SRV).

The Orchid is a breakaway valve that separates when the medical tubing in peripheral IVs, central lines, or peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCS) are caught or pulled too far. The Orchid valve creates a sterile seal and prevents the tubing from being pulled out. It will be especially valuable in pediatrics, where the most significant rates of dislodgement from tension occur.

Now that we have the final product in hand and have a wealth of resources to complete the technical development, we are getting ready to gather letters of intent from hospitals that want to be early adopter sites, Dennis said. We are eager to work with hospitals in Oklahoma to further validate our solution.

The uniquely Oklahoma story of Linear Health Sciences began years ago when Dennis left his familys farm to enroll in Oklahomas School of Science and Math. He became a doctor, returned to Oklahoma, and invented a solution that will have a significant impact on patient care.

Dennis leveraged early seed capital from Oklahoma funds and angels by gaining grant funding and expertise from a noted medical device accelerator in Georgia. Linear Health is creating jobs in Oklahoma and is further giving back by sponsoring a new biomedical engineering program at OU involving student interns.

When we talk about the virtuous cycle of entrepreneurship and innovation. This is what we mean.

Scott Meacham is president and CEO of i2E Inc. i2E receives appropriations from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Reach him at i2E_Comments@i2E.org.
OWASSO  Leroy Petrys heroes werent the type found in movie theatres.

Petry looked up to his two grandfathers who fought for our country. He respected his cousin, who was a former Army Ranger. He honored many of those dedicated to Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, which protected freedom while he was a youngster.

Petrys family paved the way for the future Army Ranger and recipient of the Medal of Honor, which is the U.S. Militarys highest decoration.

The 37-year-old will be an honored guest at the Folds of Honor National Gala, which will be held Sunday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The event is a centerpiece of the Patriot Cup Invitational weekend, which spans the Memorial Day holiday.

On May 26, 2008, Petrys heroism saved lives during a battle in Afghanistan. During a battle and while he was wounded in both legs, a grenade landed between him and two other soldiers. He grabbed it and tried to throw it away, which saved lives, but his right hand was severed in the process.

Memorial Day weekend is usually reserved for his family. Only one other time  during a speaking engagement at a national cemetery in his home state  had he been away from home.

Im honored that they thought of me to come in and share the time with them, Petry said on Friday, eight years to the day of his near-death battle incident. I hope its a great turnout and really brings more support and awareness for the organization.

Major Dan Rooney, the Folds of Honor founder, said he is excited for Petry visit the National Gala.

Its humbling anytime an American hero is going to spend the most patriotic holiday in this country with us in Owasso, Oklahoma, Rooney said. Hes a guy who could be a whole lot of places on Memorial Day and is probably in very high demand. But he chose to be here and be part of the Patriot Cup, which we think is the greatest celebration of patriotism in the country on Memorial Day and what it stands for.

There arent a lot of Medal of Honor winners running around the state of Oklahoma. Its really special for him to come and share his story and drive patriotism.

The Folds of Honor mission is to fund educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen and service members disabled while serving the nation.

Petry was introduced to the Folds of Honor when his son, Austin, was searching for financial help.

My son had started college and didnt have a lot of money. I told him to start applying for scholarships. We heard about the Folds of Honor and he received a scholarship which tremendously helped him out in getting into school and helped our family out, said Petry, whose son is scheduled to graduate at Central Washington this fall.

Petry said he is thankful for the Folds of Honor and its mission.

Major Rooney is still working and took it on as an additional role, Petry said. To see how much it has grown and how many people its helped. From my experience and my familys experience with it, we know how that relieves a huge burden for a lot of families.

While Petry will be remembered for his heroic efforts on that 2008 day in Afghanistan, he still has his own heroes.

My heroes today are the young men and women who are actively serving and enlisting as well as those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, Petry said. My thoughts, prayers and hearts go out to those surviving family members, the Gold Star family members who have lost somebody.
When youths took charge of the health departments last monthly Teen Zone meeting, attendance more than doubled, and it was all sex talk.

The Youth Leadership Council of the Tulsa Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy planned this particular event, from the advertising to the workshops. About 50 teens showed up, compared to the usual 10 to 12.

Of course, there was pizza and music. There were also sessions on what sexual consent means, how to obtain and use contraception, and what conflict in a healthy, nonviolent relationship looks like.

Sometimes, kids are never going to talk to their parents or dont want to tell their mom they are thinking of having sex, said Olivia Patton, 17, a member of the youth council and recent graduate of Booker T. Washington High School.

Its good for parents to have that kind of relationship where kids feel like telling them that. But if kids are not able to talk to their parents, they shouldnt suffer because of it. Teens should have the resources they need to be safe.

Oklahoma is No. 2 in the rate of teen births and has lingered near the top of that list for decades. Its time to listen to youths on what will work to finally reduce this statistic.

Just because information is easily found online doesnt mean kids are getting the right information. Plus, the sexualized culture in music videos, songs and television may give a warped view.

The biggest myth among teens? That the pull-out method works, the council members say.

Thats followed by kids thinking pregnancy cant happen the first time. Teens will also shun birth control thinking it will make them gain weight, get acne or somehow lessen the sexual experience.

Kids dont like to talk to their parents about this. They listen to their friends or the person theyre with, said 16-year-old Alayah Jones, a council member from Union High School. The Youth Leadership Council is working to let kids know its OK to talk about it.

If you talk about it, youre going to be more open to other information. Teens need to have appropriate resources and know where to go to get information.

Education on sex and relationships provided in schools is up to the district, and it varies widely.

The Tulsa Health Department offers school districts an evidence-based curriculum appropriate for different age levels. Districts including Union and Tulsa have adopted the program. But in Tulsa schools, the course is an opt-in choice and not in a designated class.

Oklahoma does not have mandated health class. The required AIDS education law has not been updated in 30 years, and lawmakers declined to address it this session after a debate that was frustrating to hear.

Quite a few districts continue to rely on abstinence-only education, which has been debunked by many scholarly studies.

Youth council members  who come from Owasso, Booker T., Edison and Union high schools  say no school provides adequate information.

Kids need to know it can happen to anyone, said Lyric Mann, a 16-year-old council member from Booker T. Washington. Sex ed helps with some part of it, but its not enough. Its just a small part and not like a whole semester or course.

Because parents and other adults  such as school officials  avoid the issue, so will students, Mann said.

Im open to talking about it, but some people will back away, Mann said. For me, they need to hear about it. Some will say they dont want to talk about sex but say they want to have sex. But I say you have to know about sex to have sex.

Its not all about biology. Its about what it means to be in a healthy relationship.

Judging by the problems that colleges are having with students regarding consent, its clear teens need to get the message before going to university. An Association of American Universities report found 23 percent of female college students experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact. The modern, evidence-based sex ed programs deal with these issues as much as birth control and abstinence.

Members of the Youth Leadership Council created a quiz about relationships in partnership with Domestic Violence Intervention Services. Teens also made videos about different topics, including red flags for unhealthy relationships and how parents can talk to kids about sex.

Council members wrote the scripts, provided the actors and shared it through their social media networks. The group meets twice a month for about two hours.

The members are chosen based on their desire to have community involvement, and their resumes range from having few to several extracurricular activities.

Marcia Bruno-Todd, education coordinator with the Tulsa Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, said youth council members provide feedback to help local nonprofits be more effective in their youth outreach programs.

Their work guides what we do. Their work informs what we do, Bruno-Todd said. Theyre talking for their fellow teens, and its empowering for young people. Theyre not ambassadors, theyre advocates. This is bigger than I ever thought it would be. Theyre not leaders of tomorrow, theyre world changers of today.

Of all their work, council members believe their Teen Zone event was the most beneficial. It was a loosely structured evening of workshops that ended with a Jeopardy! type game to test what the kids remembered.

The most common questions were about how to get affordable birth control.

Social media is fine, but face-to-face has the greatest effect, said Carolina Rubio, a 17-year-old Booker T. Washington student. You see the difference this makes. You see it make positive change, and people are getting information they need. We need to go back to the old-school ways of face-to-face talks and conversations. Were getting information young people need and a safe place to talk to them about it. ... Its OK to talk about it.
Aaron Jeffery (Wentworth, McLeods Daughters) will return to the Underbelly franchise for the lead role of Mark Chopper Read in Nines miniseries, Underbelly: Chopper.

Jeffery has previously featured in both Underbelly: Badness and Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away.

He will be joined by Michael Caton as Choppers father, Keith.

The drama will be produced by Screentime, directed by Peter Andrikidis and written by Justin Monjo. But it will be a tough call to coax audiences to forget Eric Banas performance in Andrew Dominks 2000 Chopper feature -it put him on the international stage. Read died 13 years later, leaving new material open for dramatising.

Underbelly redefined Australian drama when it first exploded onto our screens in 2008, Nines co-heads of drama Andy Ryan and Jo Rooney said in a statement.

Now after a four-year break, its back with the riveting untold story of Australias most notorious and audacious gangster. This is Chopper as youve never seen him before, and who better to portray this larger-than-life criminal than multiple Logie and AACTA-award-winner Aaron Jeffery, with the outstanding Michael Caton as his father, Keith.

Production starts in Melbourne in July with the miniseries due later this year.
Next month SBS screens 2015 documentary Scientology: Going Clear.

This went on to win 3 Emmys including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

The Church of Scientology took out full-page advertisements in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times to denounce the film, which the producers dubbed massive publicity.

From Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Enron, The Smartest Guy in the Room, Taxi to the Darkside) comes this provocative documentary based on the book Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright  a tale of ego, exploitation and lust for power.

Featuring eight former members of the Church of Scientology, whose most prominent adherents include A-list Hollywood celebrities, this inside look shines a light on the way the church cultivates true believers, detailing their experiences and what theyre willing to do in the name of religion.

Update: SBS has pulled this from schedule for The Putin Interviews so it will need to be rescheduled.
AUBURN  Nicholas C. Valenti remembers the names as much as the numbers.

Valenti, of Auburn, is the central district director of the Vietnam Veterans of America's New York State Council and one of the organizers of an upcoming Port Byron visit by The Wall That Heals. A traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the wall and an education center will come to Dana L. West Jr.-Sr. High School Thursday, June 1, through Sunday, June 4.

As the memorial's visit approached, one number was foremost on Valenti's mind: seven. That's how many Cayuga County men died in Vietnam whose picture the memorial still lacks.

Thanks to public outreach over the past several weeks, however, that number has fallen. As of May 19, Valenti had leads on four of the seven servicemen's pictures.

Any pictures Valenti secures will be added to The Wall That Heals, which will display them in Port Byron along with the visages of 100-plus fallen veterans from the greater six-county area on three 60-inch screens. They'll also be added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial itself.

"It's OK for us to be missing them, but Washington is missing them," Valenti said.

A total of 27 servicemen from Cayuga County died in Vietnam. Valenti and Lou Patti, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 704, have honored them every Memorial Day weekend for 17 years by passing out poppies with their dates of death, branches of service and locations on the memorial wall. Lately, they've done it outside the Auburn Wal-Mart.

Valenti said almost every year, he or his fellow veterans end up handing a poppy to one of the servicemen's descendants.

"They look at you and ask, 'Where did you get this?" he said. "You're giving it to family members and you don't even know it. Some of them break down right then."

Vietnam memorial organizers seek photos of Cayuga County servicemen lost during war Photos of seven Cayuga County servicemen who died in the Vietnam War are sought for inclusio

The Wall That Heals last came to Cayuga County in 1999, Valenti said, when it spent four days at Deauville Island at Emerson Park. He and Patti bivouacked during the memorial's visit but, he joked, "we were a lot younger then, so we could sleep on the hard ground and not get up limping."

Just like when they hand out the poppies, every night at the memorial the veterans witnessed the lingering pain of losses half a century old.

"That's when people try to cope. What you do is you just give them the space to cope," Valenti said. "A lot of times you just see guys sit there and stare at the wall or cry."

About 2,500 from Cayuga County served in Vietnam, Valenti said, and he and Patti expect several area schools to come to Port Byron to learn about their service and sacrifice. The veterans even petitioned for the memorial to travel by schools in Moravia and Auburn along Route 38  the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor  en route to its stop.

Valenti and Patti hope The Wall That Heals helps its young visitors understand the war, why they served in it and why that service still matters today.

"We don't get into the political part. We just need them to understand that the society they live in now was evolved from the sacrifices of our military," Valenti said. "Regardless of your feelings, you can't deny a quarter of a million graves at Arlington (National Cemetery)."

Valenti joined the Marines in February 1969, and his service included about six months in an amphibious landing unit stationed on the USS Tripoli off the Vietnamese coast. Patti enlisted in October 1962 and "stepped into the oven" in April the next year. For about a year, he worked support on the rocket systems of Huey helicopters brought in as the war escalated.

Honoring those who didn't come back with them is why Valenti and Patti do much of what they do today, they said.

And that's why, when they were asked by Port Byron teacher Dr. Linda Townsend to sponsor The Wall That Heals' visit there, they sprang into action.

"It only visits 40 sites a year, so we were lucky to get it," Valenti said.

Cayuga County servicemen killed in Vietnam

 Army Spc. John Stephen Alling Jr. (Aug. 20, 1948-Nov. 26-1968)

 Army Spc. Gary Alan Barnes (Nov. 14, 1947-Aug. 19, 1968)

 Army Pfc. Robert Sewell Barnes (May 10, 1946-Sept. 7, 1967)

 Army Capt. Larry Richard Dewey (Feb. 18, 1946-May 24, 1971)

 Army Spc. David Allen Dixon (Feb. 3, 1948-May 15, 1967)

 Marines Lance Cpl. Joseph Michael Donovan (May 25, 1947-March 5, 1967)

 Army Staff Sgt. Johnston Dunlop (Oct. 19, 1938-April 16, 1968)

 Marines Lance Cpl. Ferdinand W. Glessing Jr. (Sept. 23, 1947-Jan. 3, 1968)

 Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary William Emmett (May 1, 1936-March 5, 1966)

 Marines Lance Cpl. Jesse George Eastman (Jan. 24, 1944-March 22, 1966)

 Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Claude Arthur Hodge* (June 13, 1942-May 17, 1967)

 Marines Lance Cpl. Lawrence William Hoyt (March 22, 1949-May 21, 1970)

 Army Sgt. Starrett John Ingleston (Feb. 25, 1950-March 29, 1970)

 Navy Builder 2nd Class Francis David Lupo (Dec. 11, 1942-March 6, 1971)

 Army Cpl. Merritt Lewis Murray (Jan. 21, 1947-Oct. 30, 1968)

 Marines Pfc. Frank Theodore Nevidomsky* (Nov. 27, 1948-May 27, 1968)

 Army Spc. Joseph A. Puryear* (May 9, 1948-April 10, 1968)

 Army Pfc. Thomas York Reynolds* (Jan. 16, 1950-March 23, 1968)

 Marines Lance Cpl. John Joseph Rhodes (Sept. 27, 1947-Oct. 22, 1967)

 Army Sgt. Brian Patrick Russell (Sept. 8, 1949-Jan. 15, 1971)

 Marines Cpl. Donald James Ryan* (Jan. 27, 1948-Oct. 10, 1967)

 Air Force Master Sgt. Edward Dewilton Smith Jr. (Nov. 29, 1944-Sept. 23, 1975)

 Army Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Kenneth Stannard* (Oct. 9, 1939-May 14, 1966)

 Army Spc. Robert Francis Stryker (Nov. 9, 1944-Nov. 7, 1967)

 Army Cpl. Terry Edward Toole* (March 7, 1947-June 8, 1969)

 Army Pfc. Charles F. Whitfield Jr. (Sept. 26, 1947-Aug. 26, 1966)

 Army Spc. Marc Alan Woodworth (Oct. 31, 1948-Feb. 14, 1969)
By: Chau Pham

Viet Nam is rising in its popularity as a tourist destination in South East Asia. In 2016, the number of international guests which visited the country reached over 10 million people, representing an increase of 26 percent. Home to diverse attractions and delicious food, Vietnam provides appeal for a wide range of travelers. As interest continues to mount, so too do opportunities for investors catering to the hospitality industry. The demand for leisure activities and accommodation, especially four to five-star hotels remains particularly high and government support programs are also increasingly playing an important role by providing incentives to investors.

Luxury hotel market in Vietnam

According to the latest information provided by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), international tourist arrivals and receipts show steady growth. In 2015, Vietnams tourism receipts reached up to 338 trillion VND (approximately 14.86 billion dollars). In recent years, the hotel segment has performed particularly well with significant movement in terms of occupancy and price. It is reported that the average room rates increased 21 percent quarter over quarter and 41 percent year over year. The annual occupancy rate of four to five-star hotels was also up to 61.5 percent and 62.7 percent respectively in 2015. On top of this, the divergence in pricing between four and five-star accommodation shows a maturing of the hotel market and increased opportunity for those specializing in particular tiers of accommodation.

While national trends are encouraging, certain cities are likely to fair particularly well in the coming years. On the horizon, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet or Da Nang are quickly becoming a new trend for traveling in Vietnam, however, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi City still remain the most popular cities to visit with 4.4 million and 3.0 million international arrivals recorded in 2014 respectively. According to research by CBRE Hotels, Hanoi has kept up with Bangkok in regional occupancy rates. The two cities also ranked 6th and 7th, after tourism hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

The supply of luxury hotels in Vietnams top cities has been rising. Ho Chi Minh City is expected to start construction on a number of five- star hotels in 2017 while Hanoi is expected to add nearly1000 five-star hotel rooms within the year. Despite this growth, the demand for luxury hotels is still surprisingly greater than the supply. It is also expected to increase in the following years as the government has put more focus on the tourism industry, offering more opportunities for FDI to step in.

Opportunities for investment

The Tourism and hospitality industry plays a key role in national economic development, thus the Vietnamese government has provided a lot of incentives and policies to encourage and attract investment. With recent improvements to the law on enterprise and investment, the country is now more open for foreign direct investment than ever before. Foreign companies are permitted to open a company with 100 percent foreign-owned capital. In addition, government investment in infrastructure will improve overall connectivity which provides a better condition for investors to start building up hotels. In the next two years, Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is planning to increase its capacity to welcome 38 million passengers coming from all around the world. More direct flights from Russia, HongKong, Korea and even the United States of America are going to be organized to keep up with the rising demand of travelers.

As the number of people coming to Vietnam for business purpose keeps increasing on the heels of strong investment inflows, the demand for four to five-star hotels is expected to grow even stronger in the upcoming years, especially as Vietnam diverts more investors fromChina, where foreign companies are struggling with increasing costs.

Challenges

In order to develop and effectively run a five-star hotel in Vietnam, investors will be required to navigate a variety of challenges prior to the commencement of operations and during the lifetime of the investment. During the pre-opening process, a lot of documents and paper works are required by Vietnamese Government. For example, Investment projects of any type must be registered with the Department of Planning and Investment. The process is quite complex and will take longer time than other countries in the region as a result of Vietnams emerging regulatory infrastructure. As such, having a good knowledge of all applicable taxes and legal hurdles is an important factor for investors to do business in Vietnam.

Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure

Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam. Compiled by Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, this guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, payroll, and social insurance in this dynamic country.

Managing Contracts and Severance in Vietnam

In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we discuss the prevailing state of labor pools in Vietnam and outline key considerations for those seeking to staff and retain workers in the country. We highlight the increasing demand for skilled labor, provide in depth coverage of existing contract options, and showcase severance liabilities that may arise if workers or employers choose to terminate their contracts.
Fighting between Islamist militants and Philippine security forces in the southern city of Marawi has entered its sixth day, with most of the city's residents forced to flee. (Photo: AFP)

The military intensified a bombing campaign on parts of Marawi on Mindanao island, one of the biggest Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic nation, as it accused the gunmen of atrocities including murdering women and a child.

The initial fighting prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law on Tuesday across the southern third of the Philippines to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat from terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Most of the city's 200,000 residents have fled because of the fighting, but 2,000 remain trapped in areas controlled by the militants, according to Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesman for the provincial crisis management committee.

"They have been sending us text messages, calling our hotline, requesting us to send rescue teams but we cannot simply go to areas which are inaccessible to us," Adiong told AFP.

"They want to leave. They are afraid for their safety. Some are running out of food to eat. They fear they will be hit by bullets, by airstrikes," he said.

The military announced on Saturday, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that it would step up the bombing.

"In as much as we would like to avoid collateral damage, these rebels are forcing the hand of government by hiding and holding out inside private homes, government buildings and other facilities," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

"Their refusal to surrender is holding the city captive. Hence, it is now increasingly becoming necessary to use more surgical airstrikes to clear the city and to bring this rebellion to a quicker end."

The militants have

Militants kill 19 in south Philippines: Army

Islamist militants locked in street-to-street battles with security forces in a southern Philippine city have killed 19 civilians, the military ...

, including three women and a child who were found dead near a university, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.

"These are civilians, women. These terrorists are anti-people," Herrera said.

An AFP photographer saw eight bodies dumped off a bridge on the outskirts of Marawi on Sunday, with local residents identifying them as employees of a rice mill and a medical college.

It was unclear whether those eight were included in the military's count of civilian deaths.

Fifteen soldiers, two policemen and 61 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities. This brings the combined official death toll to at least 97.

ISLAMIC STATE FLAGS

The violence began when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists and has offered a bounty of US$5 million for his capture.

The gunmen on Tuesday planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings. Authorities said Saturday the fate of those hostages remained unknown.

Duterte and military chiefs have said most of the militants belong to the local Maute group, which has declared allegiance to IS and which the government estimates has about 260 armed followers.

Duterte has said local criminals are also backing the Maute in Marawi.

Cooperation between Islamist militants, criminals and corrupt politicians is common across Mindanao, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has claimed more than 120,000 lives since the 1970s.

The main Muslim rebel groups have signed accords with the government aimed at forging a final peace, giving up their separatist ambitions in return for autonomy.

The Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other small hardline groups are not interested in negotiating and have in recent years looked to IS to help them.

Duterte said Saturday he was prepared to enforce martial law for as long as was necessary to end the terrorist threat, and even ignore constitutionally mandated safeguards such as Supreme Court and congressional oversight.
British Airways aircraft at London's Heathrow Airport. (File photo: AFP/Carl De Souza)

"We have experienced a major IT system failure that is causing very severe disruption to our flight operations worldwide," BA said in a statement.

It had earlier cancelled flights before 6pm UK time (1700 GMT) but later extended the cancellations to the rest of Saturday.

The airline said most long-haul flights due to come to the airports on Sunday would arrive as expected but there would be further delays and disruption to its services.

BA added that it has found "no evidence that it's a cyberattack," with Britain still recovering from a ransomware attack that crippled key infrastructure earlier this month.

Passengers reported massive hold-ups at airports and planes being held on runways.

The problems, which passengers said were affecting flights across the country, came on a particularly busy weekend in Britain with a public holiday on Monday and many children starting their school half-term breaks.

"We apologise to customers who are facing some delays following an IT outage this morning," a BA spokeswoman said. "We are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."

Passengers on social media reported long delays and flights by the IAG-owned airline being held on runways, at the start of a long holiday weekend in Britain.

Passenger Roshni Burt, who was flying from Heathrow to Bahrain with her young son, said there was no news about when her flight would depart.

"When we left the check-in area there were angry people, people getting frustrated that their flights were coming up or near to departure, people getting turned away ... with BA staff basically saying 'if you've not checked in online, you've missed your flight'," she told Sky News.

Delays were also reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga, with the airline unable to say when flights would resume during the busy bank holiday weekend.

Alma Saffari told the BBC that her flight from Marseille to London had been grounded.

"When we finally boarded the captain came out and told us their computer systems were down worldwide," she said.

"Eventually after sitting on the tarmac for one and a half hours we disembarked the plane.

"Now we are sitting in the departure area outside the gate."

BA is the latest airline to be hit by computer problems. Last month Lufthansa and Air France suffered a global system outage which prevented them from boarding passengers.
Bartenders show their skills at a ceremony held to introduce the Southern Fruit Festival 2017

The program will be implemented at about 40 hotels of four to five stars with more than 8,800 rooms in the city to promote Vietnams fruits.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Tourism, said the program was being held by the department and funded by hotels.

Khanh told the Daily that the total amount of fruits to be consumed on this occasion depends on the number of guests at hotels. Three-star hotels in the city are also encouraged to participate in the program due to high potential for fruit promotion.

The Vietnam Fruit Week is part of the Southern Fruit Festival 2017 which is being jointly organized by HCMCs tourism and trade and industry departments and Suoi Tien Cultural Tourism JSC.

The festival will take place during three summer months at Suoi Tien Park with many activities such as a fruit fair, a fruit floating market, a contest on delicious and safe fruit, fruit plastic art and fruit-based drinks making contest, and other food and music festivals.

The program with over 1,000 tons of fruits, mainly from southern provinces, is expected to welcome 1.1 million visitors, up 10% against last year. The organizers pledge to sell fruits at a discount of 20-30%.

According the Saigontourist Holding Company, many of its restaurants and hotels will offer fruit dishes to introduce Vietnamese fruits. Travel companies have also introduced the Southern Fruit Festival 2017 as part of the city tour program to local and international visitors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told "confidants," including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, that he plans to leave a landmark international agreement on climate change, the Axios news website reported Saturday, citing three sources with direct knowledge.

On Saturday, Trump said in a Twitter post he would decide whether to support the Paris climate deal next week.

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

A source who has been in contact with people involved in the decision told Reuters that a couple of meetings were planned with chief executives of energy companies and big corporations and others about the climate agreement ahead of Trump's expected announcement later in the week. It was unclear whether those meetings would still take place.

"I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" Trump tweeted on the final day of a Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Italy at which he refused to bow to pressure from allies to back the 2015 agreement.

Six against one

The summit of G-7 wealthy nations pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled.

Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, came under concerted pressure from the other leaders to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions.

Although he tweeted that he would make a decision next week, his apparent reluctance to embrace the first legally binding global climate deal, signed by 195 countries, clearly annoyed German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying," she told reporters. "There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not."
Authorities in Bangladesh reinstalled a Lady Justice statue near the countrys Supreme Court, two days after its removal following complaints by Islamist hard-liners.



Sculptor Mrinal Haque said Sunday workers put the statue back in place a few hundred meters (yards) from its original location.



Haque, who took care of the reinstallation work overnight, said he was shocked at the statues removal Thursday night. He said it would be less visible in its new place.



Security was tight, and officials did not allow anybody inside the court area when the statue was re-erected. A dozen people nearby chanted anti-government slogans and demanded the work be stopped.

Islamists vow new protests



The removal was to appease hard-liners who said the statue was erected last year in front of a ground used for prayers during two Islamic festivals. But it also sparked criticism and protests among liberals, cultural groups and left-wing activists.



Many have accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of siding with the Islamists who are traditionally close to her rival Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader and a former prime minister. Hefazat-e-Islam, a platform of the Islamists, had welcomed the removal and vowed to wage new protests to press for removal of other sculptures on university campuses and intersections across the country.





The statue of a woman holding a scale and sword in her hands was installed in December. The statue is wrapped in a sari, a Bangladeshi revision of the usual representation, the Greek goddess Themis blindfolded and clad in a gown. Islamists oppose idol worship and consider the Lady Justice statue anti-Islamic.

A blow to hard-liners



The reinstallation of the statue can be seen as a blow to the hard-liners who are trying to get some political mileage ahead of next general elections expected to be held in December next year.



Hefazat-e-Islam supporters have protested in front of the main mosque in Dhaka several times after the statue was erected. The group, which has a network of students from thousands of Islamic schools across the country, had threatened to launch a mass movement if the government failed to remove the statue.



In 2008, protests led to the removal of a statue of a Bangladeshi mystic poet at a road crossing near Dhakas airport.



The country of 160 million people is ruled by secular laws, but radical Islam has been rising.



In recent years dozens of atheists, liberal writers, bloggers and publishers and members of minority communities and foreigners have been targeted and killed.
The Swedish satire The Square has taken the top honors at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival.

The art world satire by Swedish writer-director Ruben Ostlund won the Palme d'Or in Cannes, France, Sunday. Dominic West, Elisabeth Moss and Claes Bang star in the movie. Bang plays the curator of an art museum, who sets up "The Square,'' an installation inviting passers-by to acts of altruism. But after he reacts foolishly to the theft of his phone, the father of two finds himself dragged into shameful situations.

Sofia Coppola became only the second woman to win the prize for best director for her film The Beguiled, starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Soviet director Yuliya Ippolitovna Solntseva was the first woman to win the prize in 1961.

Diane Kruger was named best actress for her performance in Fatih Akin's In the Fade. In the drama, she plays a German woman whose son and Turkish husband are killed in a bomb attack.

Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for his role in Lynne Ramsay's thriller You Were Never Really Here, in which he played a tormented war veteran trying to save a teenage girl from a sex trafficking ring.

The French AIDS drama 120 Beats Per Minute won the Grand Prize from the jury. The award recognizes a strong film that missed out on the top prize.

Kidman was awarded a special prize to celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary. She wasn't at the French Rivera ceremony, but sent a video message from Nashville, saying she was "absolutely devastated'' to miss the show.

Jury member Will Smith made the best of the situation, pretending to be Kidman. He fake cried and said in halting French, "merci beaucoup, madames et monsieurs.''

Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar presided over the competition jury that included Smith, German director Maren Ade, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, American actress Jessica Chastain and South Korean director Park Chan-wook.
China's planned modern version of its ancient "silk road" may bring more than one trillion dollars of infrastructure investment along trading routes that wind through emerging markets in dozens of countries throughout Asia, Africa and Europe. "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) trade routes, which stretch from China to London and to Africa, are intended to boost the economies of China and the many nations along the routes by making trading easier and cheaper.

But so far, these road, rail, pipeline, port, power grid, telecom, and other projects offer major opportunities for Chinese companies and not so many for outside firms.

The Chinese will take most of the highest-profile projects," said Researcher Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute.

The author of China's Asian Dream: Empire Building Along The New Silk Road, Tom Miller, said Chinese banks are financing much of the work with the goal of exporting Chinese technology and creating new demand for Chinese products. Miller said nations that use Chinese technology are more likely to buy Chinese products in the future and will work to boost Beijing's political influence abroad.

Cornell University's Lourdes Casanova, an expert on emerging markets, said China is using these investments to "gain strategic power."

Five of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world [measured by revenue] are Chinese, said Casanova, as well as four of the five largest banks [by assets]. The Cornell University researcher and senior lecturer said Chinese companies gained experience building huge infrastructure projects at home that will help them handle major projects elsewhere.

Chinese engineering firms perform better in difficult environments than any other firms in the world, said Scissors, adding "they dont necessarily have to show profits, and have accumulated experience in Pakistan, Nigeria, Ecuador, and elsewhere."

It may be difficult to operate in some OBOR nations, Cornell's Casanova said, but they will still attract investment because they need a "huge" amount of infrastructure.

New opportunities

Some foreign companies tell researchers the business climate in China is deteriorating, and they are rethinking investments, which might affect new projects like OBOR. A survey by AMCHAM (the American Chamber of Commerce in China) finds some firms slowing investment in China or moving some operations to other nations. Members complain that "inconsistent" enforcement of regulations puts foreign companies at a disadvantage while slowing economic growth is hampering opportunity.

But major U.S. firms - GE, Honeywell, and Caterpillar - already do a lot of business in China and see opportunities in the new silk road/OBOR projects.

Caterpillar's revenues have been boosted by improving sales in China, and the firm says it has been "deeply involved" in the new silk road initiative which it sees as a "long-term opportunity."

Caterpillar officials said the company uses global resources to focus on solving problems for customers in China and 20 other nations along the new silk road. In the 40 years, it has been in China, Caterpillar has evolved from importing machines to China, to sharing technology with local partners, to now operating factories and other facilities within China.

Honeywell employs 13,000 people in China and earned billions of dollars in revenue there in 2016. Company spokesmen say their workforce includes a couple of thousand Chinese scientists and engineers, who are helping establish Honeywell as a local Chinese company that can address the needs of local business and consumers. The company offers a wide range of China-made products that support oil & gas operations, airports, healthcare, and other activities

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt said in a recent speech that his firm competes successfully in China and elsewhere with "local capability inside a global context." He says GE has 20,000 employees in China with "multiple factories and research centers." He said his company partners partnership with Chinese construction companies, and his firm leads in power, healthcare, avation, and petroleum.

Human rights

Human rights experts say another concern grows from the need to move some people out of the way of large infrastructure projects. Human Rights Watch China Director Sophie Richardson told VOA it is unclear what impact these large and ambitious projects will have on human rights, but she said there is reason for concern because some nations along the silk road routes "preside over widespread abuses."

Richardson said China has "heightened surveillance and repression" to prevent unrest that might impede OBOR plans in that nation's Xinjiang province. The far-western region of China is a key part of the silk road, and home to 10 million Muslim Uighurs, who differ in culture, language, and faith from China's majority population. Xinjiang has long been the scene of ethnic and political tensions and is heavily patrolled by Chinese police and military units.

Richardson said private companies have a responsibility to respect human rights, and must take steps to mitigate or avoid risks. She said these obligations are spelled out by United Nations guidelines that have been embraced by key Chinese business organizations, and firms should be judged on how they handle peaceful protests of their activities.
Australia has opened a so-called rescued food supermarket that operates on a take what you need, give what you can model.

The market, known as Oz Harvest, was founded by a South African-born entrepreneur and is part of international efforts to curb global food waste.

Millions of meals

Ronni Kahn founded the Oz Harvest charity in 2004 because she was appalled by the amount of food wasted by Australias hospitality services.

In the past 13 years, Oz Harvest has received unwanted food from hundreds of restaurants and businesses, and has delivered more than 60 million meals to the needy across Australia.

It has now opened the countrys first rescued food supermarket in Sydney.

The food that you are seeing in this supermarket today has come from everywhere in the food supply chain.  We have over 2,500 donors that give us food either on a daily (or) a weekly basis, Kahn said.

Food waste

She said the project is helping to raise awareness of food waste around the world.

A third of all food globally goes to waste, she said. That is unconscionable. People do not actually have a notion of what that could look like. Yes, that they know they walk into a supermarket and reject an apple but do not actually think what that means, and here in this free supermarket where you can take what you need and give if you can, it is to put out into the public that opportunity to come in and learn, come in and engage and it is a great collaboration.

Australia is a throw-away society. It is estimated that food waste costs the economy about $15 billion a year.

About a third of all discarded produce is thrown away by businesses, sometimes because vegetables and fruit have blemishes or an irregular shape.

Business model creates waste

Food waste campaigner Katie Barfield says corporate Australia is very wasteful.

Business models are set up to have waste, she said. So if you imagine you go into a bakery at the end of the day and there was just one loaf of bread  now that would be really good for the environment but really bad for the business, because no one wants to buy that loaf of bread and plus no one is really wanted to go in there for the last half-hour because there is nothing in there that looks particularly appetizing.

So the way that industry works is that it will just fill the shelves, and it has to have a certain amount of product available at the close of trading and so it deliberately produces waste, Barfield added.

Australias minister for the environment and energy, Josh Frydenberg, says wasted food depletes other precious resources.

The excesses in the agricultural production, the land and the water that is wasted producing that surplus food that we do not eat, as well as the landfill and the environmental cost that we incur, he said, listing the resources. We need to improve our supply chains.

And then there is the issue of feeding the hungry.

With more than 600,000 Australians seeking food relief every month, we also have a moral imperative to ensure we reduce our food waste and that the surplus food goes to those most in need, Frydenberg said.

Under the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goals, food waste is to be reduced globally by 50 percent by 2030. The Australian government has adopted a similar target.
Government forces enforced a strict curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, a day after the killing of a prominent rebel commander by Indian soldiers sparked massive anti-India protests in the disputed region.



Armed police and paramilitary soldiers patrolled deserted streets and ordered residents indoors in the region's main city of Srinagar and other towns to stop the demonstrations.



Still, thousands of people assembled in the southern Tral area to take part in the funeral of the rebel leader, Sabzar Ahmed Bhat, chanting slogans calling for Kashmir's freedom from Indian rule.

There were no reports of any protests on Sunday, which marked the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.



After Bhat and another militant were killed in a gunbattle with soldiers on Saturday, large-scale protests and clashes erupted across the region, leaving one civilian dead and dozens of others injured.



Anti-India sentiment runs deep among Kashmir's mostly Muslim population, and most people there support the rebels' cause against Indian rule despite a decades-long military crackdown to fight the armed rebellion.



Separatist leaders who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.



India and Pakistan administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.



Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting and the ensuing Indian crackdown. India has accused Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.



Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years. However, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and is now principally expressed through street protests marked by youths hurling stones at government forces.
Italy chose to host a Group of Seven summit of wealthy nations on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean, looking to draw attention to the migrant crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of people set sail from Africa in search of a better life in Europe.

But world leaders on Saturday said little that will help Italy manage the steady flow of migrants to its shores or enable it to cope with the growing number of new arrivals.

"Even though this summit took place in Sicily, a stone's throw from where so many migrants have died, it produced no concrete steps to protect vulnerable migrants or to address the root causes of displacement and migration," said Roberto Barbieri, the local director of humanitarian group Oxfam.

Food security

Rome had hoped to persuade other major industrialized nations to open more legal channels for migration and to focus attention on food security -- policies which were meant to lower the number of people who set off for Europe.

But the plan was scrapped before the two-day summit even started, with the United States, Britain and Japan unwilling to commit to major new immigration initiatives.

The final communique outlined medium-term commitments to bolster African economies and promote sustainable agriculture, but it focused more on the need for each country to guarantee national security than on how to limit migration.

Countries "reaffirm the sovereign rights of states to control their own borders and set clear limits on net migration levels," said the communique.

'Desperate measures'

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said the language was decided "weeks ago" by diplomats from G7 nations -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and the United States.

"It wasn't an issue that was the focus of debate, other than recognising the humanitarian importance of taking people in as this region has done," Gentiloni said of Sicily, which has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants arrive since 2014.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there had been "excellent" discussion on the need boost economic opportunity, in particular during outreach sessions with five African leaders on Saturday, so that people "are not driven to take desperate measures to improve their lot".

Both the United States and Britain opposed the Italian pre-summit initiative to draft a stand-alone G-7 statement entitled "G7 Vision on Human Mobility", an Italian official said.

Open, safe, legal paths

That document included language on the need for open, safe and legal paths for migrants and refugees, according to excerpts seen by Reuters.

Italy has been put under increasing pressure as EU partners have refused to relocate large numbers of asylum seekers, and some have closed their southern borders to keep migrants out of their own countries, effectively sealing them in Italy.

More than 175,000 asylum seekers live in Italian shelters. With sea arrivals at a record pace this year, the issue is hotly debated by politicians facing a general election within a year.

Over the past 10 days, almost 10,000 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya, where people smugglers cram them onto unsafe boats. Dozens died, including many children.

"We know that the deadliest season is upon us. It starts pretty much now, at least it has for the last few years," Joel Millman, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, said on Friday. "We expect these coming weeks to be much worse."
A federal judge threw out a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed in the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling the former secretary of state didnt defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied.



The lawsuit also alleged the former Democratic presidential candidates use of a private email server caused the death of their sons, Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, because it exposed terrorists to sensitive information. They claimed Clinton lied when she allegedly told them it was a YouTube video that prompted the consulate attack.



The untimely death of plaintiffs sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion released Friday. But Berman said legal standards required the case to be dismissed.



Berman ruled the parents didnt sufficiently challenge that Clinton wasnt acting in her official capacity when she used the private server, and that the families didnt put forward appropriate claims that Clinton defamed them or put them in a false light.



One of the parents, Patricia Smith, gave an emotional speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention against Clinton. Her son and Woods were killed in the September 2012 attack, along with CIA operative Glen Doherty and the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.



Clintons server bedeviled her campaign before it officially began, when The Associated Press first discovered its use. Emails later released under the Freedom of Information Act showed some contained classified information, although they were not marked as such at the time.



The lawsuits dismissal was first reported by Politico.
The Libya connection in the May 22 Manchester concert suicide bombing and Friday's attack on Christians in Egypt has shone a light on the threat posed by militant Islamic groups that have taken advantage of lawlessness in the troubled North African nation to put down roots, recruit fighters and export jihadists to cause death and carnage elsewhere.

Libya has been embroiled in violence since a 2011 uprising toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi. Vast and oil-rich, Libya currently has rival administrations, an army led by a Gadhafi-era general as well as powerful Islamist militias that compete for territory, resources and political leverage.

At the peak of its power in Libya, the Islamic State group controlled a 160-kilometer (100-mile) stretch of Libyan coastline and boasted between 2,000 and 5,000 fighters, many of them from Egypt and Tunisia.

It is that Libya that the alleged Manchester bomber, 22-year-old British citizen Salman Abedi, found when he and his family moved back from Britain after Gadhafi's ouster in 2011.

Monday's bombing left 22 dead, including an 8-year-old girl, and was claimed by IS. Abedi's brother Hashim has been taken into custody in Tripoli and, according to Libyan authorities, has confessed that he and Salman were IS members.

In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi sent his fighter-jets to bomb militant positions in eastern Libya just hours after IS fighters shot dead 29 Christians on their way to a remote desert monastery. The military said the attackers were trained in Libya.

Egypt also has long complained that weapons smuggled across the porous desert border with Libya have reached militants operating on its soil. It also has claimed that militants who bombed three Christian churches since December received military training in IS bases in Libya.

Genesis of Libya's militancy:

Hundreds of Libyan youths answered the call to Jihad in the 1980s, traveling to Afghanistan to fight against the Russians. When they returned home after the war, Many of them wanted Islamic Sharia laws implemented in their country. They formed underground cells to escape the regime's watchful eyes and unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Gadhafi.

After Gadhafi's fall, veteran jihadists, al-Qaida sympathizers and Islamists of all shades formed militias that filled the post-Gadhafi power vacuum. Libya's present woes are rooted in the failure of the very first transitional government to dismantle those militias and integrate them into a national army. Instead, they carved up Libya into fiefdoms.

Where are the militants now?

Darna: The eastern Libyan city, where militant positions were targeted by Egyptian warplanes on Friday, has historically been a bastion of radical Islamic groups as well as highly respected Islamic scholars. Extremists made the city their stronghold in the 1980s and 1990s, protected by the rugged terrain of the surrounding Green Mountain range. It was the main source of Libyan jihadists for the insurgency in Iraq. Entire brigades of Darna natives are known to be fighting in Syria's civil war.

During the 2011 uprising, residents formed the "Abusaleem Martyrs" brigade to fight Gadhafi loyalists. It proved to be one of the most effective rebel outfits. Its ranks soon later swelled and its fighters seized the city, setting up the Darna Mujahideen Shura Council to replace the local government.

The Islamic State group's Libyan affiliate had a robust presence in Darna, but the IS faction eventually fell out with the council and was driven out. The IS fighters relocated to the coastal city of Sirte and Darna remains to this day under the control of the Mujahideen Shura Council.

Benghazi: Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, was the first to fall under the influence of extremist Islamic militias. Many of those militias were formed to fight the Gadhafi regime in 2011 and were led by radicals, widely viewed as experienced and motivated.

Perhaps the most notorious of the Benghazi militias is Ansar Al-Sharia, blamed for the killings of hundreds of former Libyan soldiers and for the death of the U.S. ambassador in 2012.

For more than two years, the so-called Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter has battled an alliance of Benghazi's militias. His forces have managed to secure most of the city, except for pockets of a seaside neighborhood, heavily fortified and surrounded by fields of land mines.

Sirte: Sirte was where Gadhafi and his loyalists made a last stand in the 2011 civil war. The city, Gadhafi's hometown, was almost completely destroyed in the fighting. Furious over the city's loyalty to Gadhafi, anti-government rebels punished the city's residents with extrajudicial killings and revenge attacks.

In 2013, Sirte fell under the control of Ansar Al-Sharia, which made alliances with local tribes and an uneasy truce with other militias and the small number of remaining army troops. The group took over a sprawling former Gadhafi compound and boasted its own TV and radio station. IS also slowly infiltrated the city as fighters from countries like Mali, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria moved in and later declared Sirte an IS emirate.

Last year, militiamen from Misrata and other localities in western Libya, acting with the support of a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, waged a protracted and bloody campaign to drive IS militants from Sirte. When fighting stalled, the government sought support from the United States, which responded with airstrikes that sped up the collapse of IS in the city.

IS was finally defeated in Sirte and the fighters who survived the carnage fled to the vast deserts to the south.

Sebratha: Sebratha has earned a reputation as a small but tenacious stronghold of Islamic radicals, something that made it easier for IS militants to find a foothold there and spawned a lucrative business in human trafficking to Europe. The city is the main IS gateway due to its location near the Tunisian border. The jumble of various militias have helped IS keep a low profile in the city, but a 2016 U.S. airstrike that killed about 40 of the group's operatives highlighted their presence in Sebratha.
Since 1971, when the U.S. Congress declared Memorial Day a national federal holiday, Americans have spent the final Monday in May honoring all who died during military service throughout U.S. history.

Photo gallery



But it all began in 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, when a group of freed American slaves held what came to be seen as the first commemoration of the nation's war dead.

According to historical accounts, in an expression of gratitude to those who died fighting against slavery, the freed slaves exhumed the bodies of more than 250 Union soldiers from a mass grave at a Confederate prison camp in Charleston, South Carolina, and gave them a proper burial. A few weeks later, about 10,000 people marched on May 1 to commemorate the war dead.

Historian and author David Blight, writing in The New York Times about the events in Charleston in 1865, cited a newspaper account the New York Tribune that described a procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before.

Decoration Day



In 1868, the commemoration become known officially as Decoration Day, a day to clean up and place flowers on the graves of the war dead.

Two decades later, U.S. states had adopted it as an official holiday. But for more than 50 years, the holiday only remembered those killed in the Civil War, not in any other American conflict.

It wasnt until Americas entry into World War One that the tradition was expanded to include those killed in all wars.

What is now celebrated as Memorial Day was not officially recognized nationwide until that act of Congress in 1971.

Nearly, thirty years later, in 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, encouraging all citizens to pause for a minute of silence each year on Memorial Day to remember those who sacrificed their lives in all American military conflicts.


German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging European Union nations to stick together in the face of new uncertainty over the United States and other challenges.

Merkel said Sunday at a campaign event in Bavaria that "the times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."



The comments follow President Donald Trump saying he needed more time to decide if the U.S. would continue backing a key climate accord.



Trump's stance had led Merkel to describe the just-ended G-7 talks on climate change as "unsatisfactory."



The dpa news agency reports that in her campaign remarks, the German leader emphasized the need for friendly relations with the U.S., Britain and Russia, but added: "We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands."
Maritime rescues of migrants adrift in the Mediterranean continued unabated on Saturday, with Spanish officials assisting more than 150 refugees in small boats and Tunisian security forces pulling more than 100 others to safety, including seven pregnant women and three children.

The latest tally of rescued African migrants seeking a better life in Europe came as Libyan and Italian officials said about 10,000 migrants had been rescued off the coast of Libya this week. The French news agency AFP quoted authorities as saying at least 54 people had drowned.

Migrants in need of assistance often are brought to Sicily, but that process was halted this week ahead of the Group of Seven summit. Leaders of the world's seven biggest industrialized nations met in the eastern Sicilian seaside town of Taormina.

Heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, heard an impassioned plea from the host nation. Italy called on the G-7 nations to massively increase investment in large parts of Africa, to help make residents' lives more attractive and prosperous.

However, there were no reports from the summit of any specific progress on that issue.

Rome had hoped to persuade the industrialized nations to develop legal procedures for additional migration. Analysts say that effort was scrapped before the two-day summit opened, when the United States, Britain and Japan voiced opposition to new immigration initiatives in their respective countries.
A Mississippi deputy killed in a shooting rampage had worked in Christian ministry before going into law enforcement, and liked doing puppet shows to deliver uplifting messages to children.



William Durr, 36, was responding to a domestic-violence call late Saturday when he was shot to death in Brookhaven, a south Mississippi city surrounded by pine trees and rolling green pastures. He was one of eight people killed in a shooting rampage at three different homes  an outbreak of violence that has shaken the county of 34,500 residents.



Investigators said Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, will be charged with one count of capital murder and seven counts of first degree murder. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the charges could change as the investigation continues.



Authorities on Monday said Godbolt was related to or acquainted with all the victims except Durr.

Some of those killed are identified

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation identified some of those killed as: Barbara Mitchell, 55; Brenda May, 53; Tocarra May, 35; Ferral Burage, 45; and Shelia Burage, 46. The parents of Austin Edwards, 11, and Jordan Blackwell, 18, identified their sons as the other people killed.



Godbolt remained hospitalized in good condition for a gunshot wound Monday in Jackson, and could make a court appearance Tuesday in Brookhaven. It wasn't clear who shot him.



The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department has about 75 employees and is like a close-knit family, said Zach Harveston, who has worked as a dispatcher there for two years. Harveston said he was shaken by Durr's death.



He loved to lead children to the good Lord, Harveston said. He was just a natural-born servant of the good Lord here at the department and even in the church he served in.



Durr was married and had an 11-year-old son. His mother spoke briefly with the AP on Monday, saying that the family is still in distress.

'A good Christian man'



He was a good Christian man, Debbie Durr said at her rural home near Brookhaven. He was a youth minister and a pastor before going into law enforcement.



Off duty, Durr also was a ventriloquist who took his puppets to schools and churches. Two weeks ago, Durr entertained preschoolers at Brookhaven Academy, a Christian school in town. The message he shared was that  like fireflies  people can use their inner light to help those around them.



His character: top-notch, said Page Nelson, the school's elementary principal.



On Sunday, Vincent Mitchell sat outside his little, yellow home and tried to make sense of how a family dispute led to a rampage that killed eight people, including the deputy who tried to keep them safe.

'It doesn't seem like it's real'

I'm devastated. It don't seem like it's real, Mitchell said shortly after the arrest of Godbolt, his stepson-in-law. Him and my stepdaughter, they've been going back and forth for a couple of years with that domestic violence.



Godbolt showed up at Mitchell's home in the southern Mississippi town of Bogue Chitto shortly before midnight Saturday to demand that his estranged wife give up their two children. She and the kids had been staying with them for about three weeks, Mitchell told AP.



He'd come to get his kids. The deputy was called, and asked him to leave, and it seemed like Godbolt would comply at first, Mitchell said.



He acted like, motioned like, he was fixing to go. Then he reached in his back pocket and grabbed a gun, Mitchell said. He just started shooting everything.



Mitchell said he escaped along with Godbolt's wife, but Mitchell's wife, her sister and one of the wife's daughters were killed. Authorities said Godbolt fled and killed four more people at two other homes.

An account of what happened

Godbolt gave his own account of what happened in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger as he sat with his hands cuffed behind his back on the side of a road in Brookhaven, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Jackson.



I was having a conversation with her stepdaddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home, he said. Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene.



They cost him his life, he said, apparently referring to Durr. I'm sorry.



My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there, Godbolt said. I ain't fit to live, not after what I done.



At least seven hours elapsed between the first shootings and Godbolt's arrest near the final crime scene, in a subdivision of ranch houses.



Godbolt said he hadn't planned to be captured alive.



My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets, he said. Suicide by cop was my intention.
A Taliban infiltrator has gunned down six government forces in southern Afghanistan, raising the number of army and police personnel killed by insurgents in the past week to nearly 100.

Afghan and insurgent officials said Sunday the overnight "insider attack" incident took place at a security outpost in Zabul province where a police guard turned his gun on colleagues.

He shot dead six police, including the commander of the post. Afghan media quoted local officials as saying the shooter later rejoined the Taliban and handed the post over to insurgent control.

The Taliban in the last week has assaulted several Afghan military bases and installations, particularly in volatile southern provinces, killing and wounding scores of security forces.

On Saturday, the first day of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, a Taliban suicide car bomber in the eastern city of Khost struck a convoy of an Afghan elite force providing security to American forces. The blast killed at least 18 personnel and wounded many others.

Afghan Defense Ministry officials say government forces have also inflicted heavy battlefield casualties on the Taliban in retaliation.

The Islamist insurgency on Saturday rejected as "ignorance of religion" U.N.-led calls for halting hostilities during Ramadan to respect the religious obligation.

Hours after staging the suicide car bombing in Khost, a Taliban spokesman insisted it is fighting "jihad" (holy war) and is a religious obligation.

"Our fight is Jihad and an obligatory worship. And every obligatory act of worship has 70 times more reward in Ramadan," a statement quoted spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as claiming.

Afghan security forces lost more than 150 personnel in a single Taliban attack last month on a military base outside the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The uptick in hostilities has also killed and wounded record numbers of civilians, particularly women and children, since the start of the year.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has convened an international peace conference in Kabul in the first week of June where delegates from Afghanistan's immediate neighbors, along with other regional countries, will discuss ways to end the increasingly deadly conflict.
When Meridian Energy Group set out to develop the cleanest refinery on the planet, it chose a spot in western North Dakotas oil patch near highways, railroads and a picturesque national park named for a former president revered for his conservation advocacy.

Now the longtime former leader of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the states top tourist attraction drawing a record 760,000 visitors last year, is among those urging officials to deny a permit for the 700-acre refinery because of pollution concerns.

To put an oil refinery within view of the park would be a betrayal of the conservation values of the parks namesake, said retired longtime Park Superintendent Valerie Naylor, an outspoken opponent of the project. An oil refinery has no business at the doorstep of a national park. We wouldnt allow an oil refinery to be built within view of Yellowstone or Yosemite, and it should be no different for Theodore Roosevelt.

$900 million project

Meridian, formed by a partnership with agricultural interests in North Dakota to develop the refinery, plans to push forward on the $900 million project, which it says will be a model for environmentally friendly technology.

The proposed Davis Refinery would process up to 55,000 barrels of Bakken crude per day into a variety of fuels while creating 500 construction jobs and permanent jobs for 200 people in the area, and generating millions of dollars in property taxes for the county each year. Because of its proximity to the national park, it must meet more stringent air quality standards, which the company says it will achieve through the most modern emissions control technology.

Refineries are not pleasant things. Most in this country are 40, 50 years or older. Theyre not the kind of thing youd want to see in your neighborhood, if there was a park there or not, Meridian CEO William Prentice said. Weve taken all these concerns into consideration. This will be the cleanest refinery on the planet when its done.

Many people, including National Park Service officials, arent so sure, and worry the refinery will add to haze from coal-fired power plants in the region and other sources such as vehicles on nearby Interstate 94.

Adding to the haze

Our concern is when you go to viewpoints in the park, youd get a view thats clear and would capture the colors and features, things its famous for, said Park Service environmental engineer Don Shepherd. One of the neat things about Theodore Roosevelt is all the colors you see in the rock strata. On a bad (haze) day you might notice the color not as vivid or clear to the eye.

Roosevelt ranched in the region in the 1880s and is known for his advocacy of land and wildlife conservation. His namesake park is in the heart of the North Dakota Badlands, a rugged and breathtaking area of hills, ridges, buttes and bluffs where millions of years of erosion have exposed colorful sedimentary rock layers. The park is home to spectacular scenery and a wide variety of wildlife, from prairie dog towns to wild horses and bison. Besides taking in the scenery, visitors can hike, bike, camp and fish.

Park Superintendent Wendy Ross said a study of the refinerys initial design concluded that parts of the plant would be visible from about 2 percent of the 30,000-acre park.

Designed to blend in

Prentice said lighting will be subdued, the refinery will have color schemes designed to blend into the terrain and there will be limited flaring of excess natural gas. The company also is working with North Dakota State University on natural buffers such as native trees to help hide the refinery from tourists coming to the park on the interstate.

Were trying to do everything so that from the park perspective, you cant hear it, see it, smell it or anything else, Prentice said.

Questions, opposition

The project has still drawn opposition from national groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association and The Coalition to Protect Americas National Parks, and questions from local residents. Linda Weiss, a longtime resident of the nearby small town of Belfield, said there are a lot of unknowns in the community about the refinery.

Its going to be visible, she said. They may put up tree barriers, but it takes a while for those to grow.

Zachary Kreps, a Moorhead, Minnesota, resident and park enthusiast, started a refinery opposition petition online.

During my childhood, we used to go out for summer vacations practically every summer out to (the park). To hear theyre going to be putting a refinery three miles away from it just kind of struck a chord, he said.

The Health Departments decision on an air quality permit for the refinery could take up to a year. The analysis could delay the planned summer groundbreaking, but that isnt deterring Meridian.

Were going to essentially be raising the bar for every other refinery in the country, Prentice said.

Opponents hope that doesnt come at the expense of the park.

An oil refinery and associated industrial development would fundamentally threaten the pristine air and other conservation values that our nation committed to protect when we created Theodore Roosevelt National Park, said Bart Melton, regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association.
Bodies of what appeared to be executed civilians were found in a ravine outside a besieged Philippine city Sunday as a six-day occupation by Islamist rebels resisting a military onslaught took a more sinister turn.

The eight dead men, most of them shot in the head and some with hands tied behind their backs, were laborers who were stopped by Islamic State-linked militants on the outskirts of Marawi City while trying to flee clashes, according to police.

Nine spent bullet casings were found on a blood-stained patch of road at the top of the ravine. Attached to one of the bodies was a sign that said Munafik (traitor).

Rebels suspected

The discovery confirms days of speculation that Maute rebels had killed civilians during a bloody takeover of Marawi City, that the military believes is aimed at winning the Maute recognition from the Islamic State group in the Middle East as a Southeast Asian affiliate.

The army deployed additional ground troops over the weekend and dispatched helicopters to carry out rocket strikes on Maute positions as fighters held buildings and a bridge deep inside a predominantly Muslim city where few civilians remained.

At least 41 militants were killed and 13 military as of Saturday, according to the army. The number of civilian dead was unknown.

Determined to stay

The fierce resistance of the Maute gunmen and the apparent executions of civilians will add to growing fears that subscribers to Islamic States radical ideology are determined to establish a presence in the southern Philippines, with the support of extremists from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Marawi police officer Jamail C Mangadang told Reuters the eight men found dead were carpenters who were part of an evacuation convoy stopped by rebels late Saturday.

Recalling information provided by their manager, Mangadang said the victims were pulled off a truck because they were unable to cite verses of the Koran, the Islamic Holy text.

Days-long battle

Fierce battles restarted Sunday as ground troops engaged Maute fighters with heavy gunfire. Plumes of smoke were seen on the horizon and helicopters fired at least eight rockets on rebel positions.

A surveillance drone circled the sky above Marawi City. Some civilians left on foot, others were seen tying white cloths to poles to distinguish themselves from militants as soldiers huddled behind armored vehicles slowly advanced.

An ambulance was seen speeding away from the fighting, and soldiers said a captured militant was inside.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Marawi since Tuesday, when militants went on the rampage seizing a school, a hospital, and a cathedral.

Christians were taken hostage, according to church leaders, and more than 100 inmates, among them militants, were freed when rebels took over two jails.

Zia Alonto Adiong, a local politician who is coordinating efforts to get people out of the city, said there were bodies of civilians in Marawi. He criticized the military for conducting air strikes and for hampering efforts to evacuate civilians.

Some have no food at all. Some fear for their lives, he said. This is a conflict that has gone beyond proportion. The magnitude of the degree of the damage and the people that are affected ... its really massive.

Abu Sayyaf leader escapes

The violence erupted in the moments after a failed attempt by security forces to capture Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of a radical faction of another extremist group, who the government believes is Islamic States point-man in the Philippines.

The military is certain the Maute are protecting Hapilon and had narrowed down his location. Hapilon leads a radical faction of another Mindanao-based group, the Abu Sayyaf.

The little-known Maute group has staged similar, days-long sieges on Mindanao island but none on the scale of Marawi, where witnesses said flags resembling those of Islamic State had been flown and some men were wearing black headbands.

Another concern for the government was the discovery of foreign fighters with the Maute, among them Indonesians and Malaysians, suggesting what was once a domestic problem could mushroom into a larger regional security threat.
Philippine forces found the bodies of what appeared to be eight executed civilians as authorities launched fresh airstrikes Sunday to drive militants linked to the Islamic State group out of a besieged southern city. The death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.

The crisis in Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the militants show unexpected tenacity, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armored vehicles and scores of soldiers.

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades. But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with the Islamic State group.

Much of the city is a no-go zone, but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clear.

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi and more than 2,000 were still trapped inside the city. Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, said Zia Alonto Adiong, an official in Lanao del Sur, one of the country's poorest provinces.

"Have mercy on us, we don't have any more water to drink,'' read one of the messages, sent to a hotline set up for trapped residents.

The Associated Press was shown the messages by relief workers at a provincial government complex in Marawi. Another message asked authorities to retrieve three bodies that were rotting near a resident's home.

Speaking at the evacuation center on Sunday, Saddat Liong said his house was hit by mortar fire and burned to the ground. Liong, his wife and eight children lost everything, he said - even their cooking pots.

"I feel that we've lost our city,'' he said.

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said that combat operations were still going on, but that the militants were weakening.

"We believe they're now low on ammunition and food,'' he said, speaking by phone from Manila, the capital. "Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi.''

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown into a shallow ravine early Sunday in Marawi's Emi village, said police officer Jamail Mangadang. A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated that the victims had "betrayed their faith,'' he said, identifying the men as civilians.

Marawi is a mostly Muslim city.

Mangadang said the eight men were bakers and carpenters who were evacuating to Iligan, a city near Marawi, but were intercepted by the militants. When they couldn't recite verses of the Quran because they were Christians, they were brought to the top of a ravine and shot to death, Mangadang said, citing the chief of a village where the victims lived.

In addition to the civilian deaths, Padilla said 61 militants, 11 soldiers and four police were among the dead.

The violence erupted Tuesday night when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists. But the operation went awry and militants rampaged through the city, torching buildings and battling government forces in the streets.

A priest and several worshippers were taken hostage. There was no word on their condition.

Hapilon, an Islamic preacher, is a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014. He also heads an alliance of at least 10 smaller militant groups, including the Maute, which has a heavy presence in Marawi and has been instrumental in fighting off government forces in the current battles.

All of the groups are inspired by the Islamic State group. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that Hapilon has received funds from the Islamic State group.

Washington has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Hapilon's capture.
A man fatally stabbed two passengers aboard a Portland, Oregon, commuter train after they tried to stop him from harassing two young women who appeared to be Muslim, police said Saturday.

Police identified the assailant, who was arrested soon after the Friday afternoon attack, as Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland, a 35-year-old convicted felon.

A senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a blog post, said Christians Facebook page showed he held some racist and other extremist beliefs.

FBI joins investigation

The attack unfolded hours before the start of Ramadan, Islams holy month, when most of the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims observe a daily religious fast.

Its too early to say whether last nights violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime, Loren Cannon, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oregon told a news conference Saturday, adding the bureau had joined the investigation.

Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs, apparently at the two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim head-covering, the Portland Police Department said in a statement.

Three men who intervened were stabbed. Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, Oregon, died at the scene, while Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Southeast Portland died at a hospital, police said. A third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher of 21, Southeast Portland, remained in a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Christian was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and was ordered held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

Teen says man screamed at them

The women, who left the train before officers arrived, were later in contact with authorities, according to police, who have not released their identities.

Dyjuana Hudson, the mother of one of them, told The Oregonian newspaper her 16-year-old daughter, who is black, boarded the train with a Muslim friend, also a teenager, who was wearing a hijab.

The attacker approached the girls while screaming at them, Hudson told the newspaper, relaying an account her daughter had given her.

He was saying that Muslims should die, Hudson said.

On Friday, police said detectives wanted to speak to the two women. A detective later took a statement from her family, Hudson told the paper. She could not be reached for comment.

Police declined to release details of Christians criminal history, but the newspaper reported he had been convicted of robbery, kidnapping and weapon charges, citing court records. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.

The suspect had no known affiliation with a criminal gang member nor any mental health history, police said.

'Too much hatred' mayor says

In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations blamed an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in part on President Donald Trumps focus on militant Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The administration has said that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam.

A Facebook page that appears to belong to Christian mentions Jihadi Muslims among people he disliked. The image on the page matches a photo of Christian released by police.

There is too much hatred in the world right now and far too much violence. Our current political climate allows far too much room for those who spread bigotry, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told a news conference.
A 44-year-old man has been stoned to death by the al-Shabab militant group in Rama Addey town in southern Somalia's Bay region, reports say.

The al-Shabab militant group on its official website said the man was convicted for adultery in Ufurow town, 60 kilometers west of Baidoa. Al-Shabab said the relatives of the woman involved reported the case on May 20.

In an audio posted on the website Sunday, an al-Shabab judge says the man identified as Dhayow Mohamed Hassan confessed to adultery while being married to two women. The militant judge accused the man of impregnating a woman outside of marriage. The judge proclaimed his sentence was stoning to death upon confession. There is no independent confirmation of the confession and al-Shabab has not published any evidence.

Al-Shabab courts are not public and its hard to verify confessions and other allegations against the defendants. It's not the first time the group has carried out this kind of punishment.

Scholar condemnation

Somali religious scholar Sheikh Abdirahman Sharif says the stoning is unlawful and says the group has no authority to carry out such punishment.

First of all, who gave them the authority to carry out this [stoning]? Are they legitimate? They do not have legitimacy, he said. They were born out of aggression, they are unjust group and did not come through the right path. How can an illegal entity claim to be implementing laws? Its contradicting.

Sharif who is the Imam of Darul Hijra mosque in Minneapolis dismissed al-Shababs claim the victim had confessed to the adultery allegations.

If you threaten someone, torture them, that is not a confession; there has to be a transparency. The evidence that shows this man has confessed without intimidation has to be made public, he said.

Only al-Shabab is reporting that he confessed, only they have passed the judgement and only they have executed the punishment ... they have done all that while they are not legitimate. These are religious bandits.

Sharif said those subjected to al-Shabab sentences and punishments do not have the right to contest or argue against accusations made against them.

Shooting at food distribution point

Meanwhile, two people were shot dead and 15 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire on internally displaced people waiting for food distribution at a feeding center in Abudwaq town, Central Somalia. Witnesses said the gunman had an argument with the guards at the feeding center before the shooting.

Community leader Muse Mohamed Ahmed described the incident to VOA Somali.

This morning an Islamic organization brought food for the displaced, they registered the people and have started to distribute the food when a man approached the gate and attempted to get in."

Ahmed said the man was refused entry by the guards because he did not have a registration card. After an argument the man returned to a car, pulled out a gun and started shooting, witnesses said.

VOA Somali reporter in Abudwaq, Abdikafi Yusuf Aden, says most of the wounded are elderly, including women. Children are also among the wounded, he said.

The gunman escaped from the scene after the shooting, witnesses said.

The town is hosting a large number of people displaced by droughts. Some of the displaced crossed the border from Ethiopia in search of food and water.

The director of the towns hospital said those badly wounded in the incident were sent to Mogadishu and Galkayo for treatment.

Mohamed Abdi Hassan contributed to this report.
The Syrian government has asked Iran to take over the supervision and payroll of thousands of Shi'ite militiamen fighting alongside Russian and Syrian troops in support of President Bashar al-Assad, according to a government source and a news report.



The pro-opposition Syrian news website Zaman Al Wasel reported that it obtained a Syrian defense ministry document saying the Assad regime has approved a plan to give Iran responsibility for paying foreign fighters  mostly Shi'ites of varying nationalities. Shi'ite fighters mostly are paid in cash from Iran, the Syrian government and coffers of the Lebanese-based, pro-Iranian Hezbollah, according to analysts.



Iran would foot the bill alone in the future, a Syrian official told VOA on the condition of anonymity, confirming the Al Wasel report.



The number of Shia militia has increased dramatically during the last two months, the official said. While a big part of these militia were recruited by Iran, a relatively big part was recruited by the Syrian government directly. We are speaking about more than 50,000 militants from different nationalities. The Syrian government requested that Iran provide for all of the mentioned militias.



The document from Al Wasel put the number of fighters to be paid at 88,733  a figure analysts say is exaggerated. They estimate that about 10,000 Iranian combat troops are in Syria fighting alongside thousands of fighters from Lebanon's Tehran-affiliated Shiite militia Hezbollah and assorted Shiite militia made up of renegade Pakistanis, central Asians and other nationalities. Since January 2013, more than 1,000 members of Irans elite Quds Force or other elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units have been killed fighting in Syria.



Tehran says its forces are in Syria to protect the Zeinab Shrine in Damascus, a Shi'ite holy site. But since 2011, Iran has been a major backer of the Syrian regime in its war with rebel groups across the country, at first sending advisers, then forces from the IRGC and expanding far beyond the shrine area.



Iran has long expressed a desire to command a unified army in the region, particularly in Syria, and its growing power in Syria and Iraq is causing unease in Western capitals. In an interview with the Mashregh news agency last August, Mohammad Ali Falaki, an IRGC leader, announced formation of a unified army in Syria which appears to have come to loose fruition.



It would hardly be abnormal for Iran's IRGC to be controlling yet more Shia jihadists, said Talha Abdulrazaq, a researcher at the University of Exeter's Strategy and Security Institute.



In the long run, the formation of a unified army in Syria under Tehran supervision appears very practical, analysts say.



It seems plausible that the Syrian government shift the responsibility for management and organization of the militias, especially where financial burden is concerned, said Rasool Nafisi, a Middle East affairs expert in Washington.



Asserting its military prowess would help Iran push its political agenda in the region, some analysts believe.



The bigger and more advanced army you control, the stronger voice you have, said Daryoush Babak, a Washington-based retired Iranian military adviser.



But unifying Assad supporters under Tehrans umbrella could worsen sectarian conflict in the region between Shi'ites and Sunni, analysts say.



Iran is looking for any chance to increase its influence and gain an upper hand against Saudi Arabia, its strongest rival in the war of minds and hearts, analysts say. Saudi Arabia and Iran support rival groups in Syria's civil war. And In a speech in Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump accused Tehran of contributing to instability in the region.



"Tehran and Riyadh  keep contradicting each other to prove whose ideology leads the region," said Nafisi.



While Syria has relied on Iran militarily in the fight against rebels and Islamic State, its unlikely to grant Tehran a controlling foothold in the country, analysts say.



In Syria, it is not likely to happen as long as the Assad regime harbors ambitions of regaining sovereignty rather than being reduced to an Iranian protectorate, said Alfoneh.



VOAs Noor Zahid contributed to this report.
Monitors said hundreds of Syrian civilians were fleeing two jihadist-occupied towns near the Iraqi border on Saturday, after a series of airstrikes targeted buildings sheltering extremist fighters and their families.

Accounts from witnesses said airstrikes on the Euphrates River towns of Mayadeen and Abu Kamal began earlier Friday and forced large numbers of residents into the countryside. The Islamic State group controls most of the oil-rich border region, and reports from the scene said the families of many IS fighters were among the civilians fleeing for their lives.

Multiple reports from witnesses said the airstrikes were carried out by warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition that has been targeting IS positions in Syria and Iraq since 2014.

Pentagon 'assessing' reports

Monitors from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 relatives of IS fighters were killed Friday, including 33 children. That report could not be independently verified, however.

The Pentagon has acknowledged there were coalition airstrikes in the region on Thursday and Friday. A spokesman said U.S. analysts were "still assessing the results of those strikes."

"We take all allegations of civilian casualties seriously," said Captain Jeff Davis.

Coalition airstrikes increasing

Earlier this month, at least 62 people, including more than 40 civilians, were killed in similar airstrikes at Albu Kamal, a border city once home to more than 40,000 people.

Apart from the latest incidents involving possible civilian casualties, the Pentagon said coalition airstrikes in Syria and neighboring Iraq have unintentionally killed 352 civilians since September 2014.

Analysts have reported an uptick in coalition airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq since the extremist group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people Monday and wounded more than 100 others.

U.N. plea: Protect civilians

In a related development Friday, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein implored commanders on all sides of the long-running Syrian war to take greater precautions when attempting to distinguish between military targets and those that also may contain civilians.

"Unfortunately, scant attention is being paid by the outside world to the appalling predicament of the civilians trapped" in eastern Syria, Zeid said.

"Civilians should always be protected," he said, "whether they are in areas controlled by [Islamic State] or by any other party."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined a request to host an event to mark Islam's holy month of Ramadan, two U.S. officials said, apparently breaking with a bipartisan tradition in place with few exceptions for nearly 20 years.

Since 1999, Republican and Democratic secretaries of state have nearly always hosted either an iftar dinner to break the day's fast during Ramadan or a reception marking the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the month, at the State Department.

Tillerson turned down a request from the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host an Eid al-Fitr reception as part of Ramadan celebrations, said two U.S. officials who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

According to an April 6 memo seen by Reuters, the office -- which typically initiates such events -- recommended that Tillerson hold an Eid al-Fitr reception.

Ramadan event

His rejection of the request suggests there are no plans this year for any high-profile Ramadan function at the State Department. The month of fasting and prayer for Muslims gets under way in many countries on Saturday.

When asked by Reuters to comment on Tillerson declining a request to host an Eid al-Fitr event in July for Ramadan, a State Department spokesperson said:

"We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan. U.S. ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world."

Muslim activists have accused President Donald Trump's administration of having an unfriendly attitude toward Islam, encapsulated by its attempts to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

The administration says that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam. Aides point to Trump's visit this month to Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam where he addressed the leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, as evidence of that.

Members of Congress, Muslim civil society and community leaders, diplomats from Muslim countries and senior U.S. officials usually attend the State Department Ramadan event, a symbol of the U.S. government's diplomatic efforts with Muslim countries and people.

If Tillerson avoids hosting one this year, that could send a message "that it is not as important to this administration to engage with Muslims," said former U.S. diplomat Farah Pandith, who served in the Bush and Obama administrations and helped plan Ramadan events at the White House and State Department.

Tillerson issued a statement on Friday to mark the start of Ramadan, which he called "a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection."

"Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate," he said.

Past events

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright started the tradition 18 years ago of America's top diplomat hosting a public event for Ramadan, a lunar month.

The secretary of state of the time usually gives remarks there on the meaning of Ramadan.

In April, the State Department's Office of Religion and Global Affairs made a request to Tillerson's office that he deliver remarks at an Eid al-Fitr reception this year, and suggested a two-week range of dates in July. The event would serve to "highlight State Department initiatives and the importance of Muslim engagement," the memo said.

It noted that by hosting a reception just after Ramadan, rather than an iftar - an often sumptuous dinner at sunset - a State Department event could be held any time of the day, thus preventing "a very late evening for the Secretary."

Several weeks later, that office and other offices at the State Department were alerted that Tillerson declined the request, the officials said.

Reuters was told of the request being declined but did not see Tillerson's reply. An official with the Office of Religion and Global Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.

Several prominent Muslim-American groups in the Washington area who are normally invited to the Ramadan event told Reuters this week that they had yet to receive an invitation from the State Department, which they said was unusual.

Also In Politics

"If they're having one, we haven't been invited," said Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington. A representative for her group has been invited to the State Department event in the past, she said.

Fraught relationship

Trump's administration has had a fraught relationship with Muslims. As a presidential candidate, the Republican urged a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, called for more surveillance of mosques and warned that radical Muslims were "trying to take over our children."

Trump has since toned down his rhetoric and courts have halted his temporary travel ban on people from six mostly Muslim countries.

White House officials did not respond to a request for comment on whether they would continue the tradition this year of hosting a Ramadan-related event at the White House.

The State Department celebrates other religious traditions though some of those commemorations are not as well-established as the State Department's Ramadan event. In 2014, then-secretary of state John Kerry hosted the first ever celebration at the State Department marking Diwali, the Hindu festival.

The White House also traditionally hosts annual Christmas and Easter events as well as a Seder dinner to mark the Jewish Passover.

The top U.S. diplomat has personally hosted a Ramadan event every year since 1999, often in the State Department's grand Benjamin Franklin room, apart from three years.

In 2006 and 2015, deputies of the secretary of state at the time hosted either an iftar dinner or an Eid al-Fitr reception. In 2014, Kerry hosted a reception for Eid al-Adha, another important Muslim holiday.
President Donald Trump returned to the life he is accustomed to in Washington Sunday, assailing news media reports on White House turmoil linked to investigations of his aides and their ties to Russia.

On his first morning back from a 9-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump declared on Twitter that his "trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!"

Then, he quickly turned to long-standing grievances against the media.

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," Trump said. "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names, it is very possible that those sources don't exist, but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!"

He later added a defense of his use of Twitter, saying the media "works hard at disparaging [and] demeaning my use of social media because they don't want America to hear the real story!"

Trump and White House aides face months of investigations into their alleged ties to Russia officials during the presidential campaign and afterwards. There also are accusations from opposition Democrats that Trump has tried to obstruct justice and curtail the probes.

A special prosecutor is investigating whether Trump aides colluded illegally with Russian officials to help him win the November election, while congressional committees have called on numerous current and former Trump aides to testify.

The White House is bracing for the upcoming congressional testimony of former FBI chief James Comey. Trump fired Comey after allegedly asking him to drop the probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and his close ties to the Kremlin.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, one of the president's closest advisors, is a new focus of the investigation. While Trump was overseas, The Washington Post reported that Kushner met with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak and tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow. Kushner allegedly met with the ambassador after Trump was elected, but while Barack Obama was still president.



Watch related video by VOA's Michael Bowman:

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly did not confirm the story when he appeared on Fox News Sunday. But he said, I think that any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing. It doesn't bother me.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN's State of the Union that he does not trust the Post story "as far as I can throw it."

"It makes no sense the ambassador would report back to Moscow on a line he knows we're monitoring," Graham said.

But Congressmen Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on ABC's This Week that the country has to get to the bottom of the Kushner matter.

"If these allegations are true and he had discussions with the Russians about establishing a back channel and didn't reveal that, that's a real problem in terms of whether he should maintain that kind of security clearance."

Kushner's lawyers say he would be willing to talk with investigators.

Some U.S. news reports, citing Trump aides, say the president could soon establish a White House "war room" to deal with the burgeoning number of questions about his administration's links to Russia. The reports say Trump has hired a New York lawyer to advise him in handling the various investigations.

Trump has frequently dismissed his campaign's connection with Moscow as an excuse by Democrats to explain his stunning upset win over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

But Democrats want to know whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians in hacking into unflattering Democratic Party emails and leaking them to the media to embarrass Clinton.
The mother of the CEO of the ride-hailing company Uber died in a boat accident Friday evening in Fresno County, the company said.

Bonnie Kalanick, 71, died after the boat she and her husband, Donald, 78, were riding hit a rock in Pine Flat Lake in the eastern part of the county, authorities said.

They are the parents of Travis Kalanick, 40, who founded Uber in 2009. The company has since grown to become an international operation with a market value of nearly $70 billion.

The couple have been longtime boaters. In a memo to Uber staff, Liane Hornsey, the chief human resources officer, called the incident an "unthinkable tragedy." She wrote that "everyone in the Uber family knows how incredibly close Travis is to his parents."

About 5 p.m. Friday, officers were called to the scene of the accident and found a man and woman on a shore of the lake, the Fresno County Sheriff's office said in a statement.

The woman died at the scene, and the man suffered moderate injuries, the sheriff's office said. He told officers the boat had sunk.

An autopsy of the woman is planned, the office said.

Uber identified the couple as the Kalanicks. Donald Kalanick is being treated at a hospital and is in stable condition, the company said.

Crews will try to remove the boat from the lake Saturday, the sheriff's office said.
The U.S. Homeland Security chief says he's considering banning laptop computers from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States.

John Kelly says there are signs of a "real threat" against civilian aviation from carry-on electronic devices.

Speaking on the Fox News Sunday television program, Kelly said terrorists are "obsessed" with the idea of "knocking down an airplane in flight."

The ban would expand a March order that affects about 50 flights per day to the United States from 10 cities, in the Middle East and North Africa. The ban requires all electronics larger than a smartphone to be checked in.

About 3,250 flights a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the United States, according to aviation industry figures.

Britain has taken similar measures targeting flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

In Europe last week, during President Donald Trump's nine-day foreign trip, Kelly met with European Commission officials in Brussels to discuss a possible laptop ban in airplane cabins.
President Donald Trump returned to the life he is accustomed to in Washington on Sunday, assailing the news media reporting the turmoil inside his White House, and the investigation of his aides and their links to Russia.

On his first morning back from a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump tapped out a string of comments on his Twitter account, declaring that his "trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!"

Yet, he quickly pivoted to long-standing grievances against the mainstream U.S. media.

"It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," Trump said. "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names, it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!"

He complained that a special election last week for a House of Representatives seat in the western state of Montana was "such a big deal" for Democrats and news media "until the Republican won."

Trump said the victory, which came a day after Republican Greg Gianforte was accused of misdemeanor assault for allegedly body-slamming a reporter to the ground, "was poorly covered." Trump described the Gianforte victory as a "big win in Montana for Republicans!"

As they return to the U.S. after days on the international stage, Trump and White House aides face the prospect of weeks and months of investigations into their alleged ties to Russian officials during the real estate mogul's long run for the presidency and accusations from opposition Democrats that he has tried to obstruct justice and curtail the probes.

A special prosecutor is investigating whether Trump aides colluded illegally with Russian officials to help him win the November election, while congressional committees have called on numerous current and former Trump aides to testify.

The White House is bracing for the testimony soon of James Comey, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief Trump fired even as he was heading the probe into the Trump campaign connection with Russia. Trump said he was thinking of "this Russia thing" as he ousted Comey, who was in the fourth year of a 10-year term as head of the country's top criminal investigative agency.

Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, a key White House adviser, is a new focus of the investigation. While Trump was overseas, U.S. news media accounts said that Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, another of his White advisers, tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow officials in the weeks before Trump took office in late January.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, while not confirming the Kushner report, told Fox News on Sunday, I think that any channel of communication back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing. It doesnt bother me.

Trump aides, according to several U.S. news accounts in recent days, say that he could soon establish a "war room" inside the White House to deal with the burgeoning number of questions about his aides' links to Russia and that he has hired a New York lawyer to advise him in handling the various investigations.

Trump also could shake up his top White House staff, to present a better face to the public and advance his stalled legislative agenda in Congress.

Trump has frequently dismissed his campaign's connection with Moscow as an excuse made up by Democrats to explain his stunning upset win for the White House over Democrat Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state.

But the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Moscow directed hacking into the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, and the subsequent release by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks of thousands of his emails in the weeks leading up to the election. All of that served to cast an embarrassing behind-the-scenes look at efforts by Democratic operatives to help Clinton win her party's presidential nomination.
1. We, the Leaders of the G7, stand united in expressing our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal terrorist act in Manchester in the United Kingdom. We condemn in the strongest possible terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

2. Countering terrorism and violent extremism, acts of which have struck G7 Members, as well as all regions of the world, regardless of country, nationality or belief, remains a major priority for the G7. We stand united in our joint endeavour to make sure that our citizens are safe and secure, and their values and way of life fully preserved, and will take the strongest action possible to find, identify, remove, and punish, as appropriate, terrorists and those who abet their activities.

3. We will bring the fight against terrorism to a higher level by relentlessly preventing, investigating and prosecuting terrorist acts, their perpetrators and supporters. Our shared system of values and norms, respect for human rights and cultural diversity, the promotion of fundamental freedoms and the principles on which our societies are built will remain a beacon for our common action and the first and best defence against this common threat. To this end, we remain committed to the full implementation of the G7 Action Plan adopted in Ise-Shima.

4. But the brutal attack in Manchester demonstrates that we must now redouble our efforts to turn these commitments into action. We agree to task our Interior Ministers to meet, as soon as possible, to focus on implementation of the following commitments and to work collectively with the private sector and civil society to defeat terrorism.

5. First, we will combat the misuse of the Internet by terrorists. While being one of the most important technological achievements in the last decades, the Internet has also proven to be a powerful tool for terrorist purposes. The G7 calls for Communication Service Providers and social media companies to substantially increase their efforts to address terrorist content. We encourage industry to act urgently in developing and sharing new technology and tools to improve the automatic detection of content promoting incitement to violence, and we commit to supporting industry efforts in this vein including the proposed industry-led forum for combatting online extremism. We will support the promotion of alternative and positive narratives rooted in our common values and with due respect to the principle of freedom of expression. We will counter propaganda supporting terrorism and violent extremism, online recruitment by extremists, radicalization and incitement to violence. To this end, we will increase our engagement with civil society, youth and religious leaders, detention facilities, and educational institutions.

6. Second, we will pursue a collective approach to managing the risk posed by foreign fighters as they disperse from theatres of conflict. We will pool resources to build capacity in transit and destination countries to manage the threat of travelling and returning foreign fighters, focusing in particular on upstream development where greatest effect can be achieved. We will offer our expertise and resources to develop legal pathways in order to return foreign fighters to their country of origin. We will commit to greater knowledge-sharing of known individuals who have travelled to Daesh/al-Qaeda territory. We will cooperate on the upstream collection of battlefield evidence to enable prosecution of returning foreign fighters. We will put measures in place for those, such as vulnerable women and children, who cannot be prosecuted, ensuring compliance with international human rights standards.

7. Third, we will refocus our efforts and take action to cut off sources and channels of terrorist financing and the financing of violent extremism. Because funds are the lifeblood of violent extremists and terrorists, countering the financing of violent extremists who radicalize youth around the globe and threaten our national interests. We will, therefore, maintain our support for the work carried out by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and recognize the importance of improved information sharing between G7 financial intelligence units as well as better cooperation between other competent authorities and with the private sector. We will employ targeted financial sanctions to disrupt their support networks, and we will strengthen G7 cooperation on these sanctions. We unequivocally reiterate our resolve not to pay ransoms to terrorists.

8. Beyond this, we remain committed to strengthening cooperation among our border agenciesand those of our partnersand to supporting the expansion of the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) and Advance Passenger Information (API) in traveler screening. We reiterate the importance of filling gaps in API use at international level, and note the critical importance of API as an effective instrument in the fight against terrorism and in stemming the flow of foreign fighters and in monitoring their return.

9. We will also continue to play a key role in countering terrorist facilitation ; the diversion of weapons into the hands of terrorists, preventing and countering radicalization to violence ; facilitating information sharing ; dismantling connections between terrorism and transnational organized crime ; and promoting better implementation of effective, proportionate and risk-based aviation security measures. We will strongly encourage and support third countries to improve their protective security. We will reinforce cooperation among ourselves and intensify partnership with third countries, as an essential element of the global action to counter terrorism, in order to implement all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and international instruments, including the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). We will continue to support the UN Secretary Generals Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and the UNs Global Counterterrorism Strategy.

10. We are also committed to supporting INTERPOL in its information-sharing functions. We will further enhance connectivity of priority partner countries to its Database System and continue to assess how we can jointly accelerate this endeavor.

11. We are convinced of the distinctive role of culture as an instrument to fight terrorism. Cultivating culture is a way to foster tolerance and dialogue among peoples, mutual understanding, religious pluralism, and recognition and respect for diversity. Culture contributes to the preservation of identity and the memory of mankind, encourages dialogue and exchanges among nations, and, ultimately, can be an extraordinary instrument to prevent radicalization and violent extremism, especially among youth.

12. We also affirm our strong determination to cooperate in protecting cultural heritage and countering the looting and trafficking of cultural property. Such property is a source of financing for activities of terrorist groups and organizations, but also as a heinous means to eradicate cultural diversity from the territories under their control.

13. We commit ourselves to steering international and regional organizations and entities towards implementing effective, efficient, and focused capacity-building and technical assistance programs in areas such as countering violent extremism, combating the financing of terrorism, enhancing border and aviation security, and strengthening cyber-related capacities.

14. Since the lack of social and economic inclusiveness and opportunities may contribute to the rise of terrorism and violent extremism, we commit to address these issues through a comprehensive approach linking together security, social inclusion, and development. G7 efforts to promote pluralism, tolerance, and gender equality such as cross- cultural and interfaith dialogue will boost the effectiveness of our action against terrorism and violent extremism.

15. Our action against terrorism and violent extremism is rooted in a common system of values, which will continue to provide a solid foundation for our concerted and coordinated action. We emphasize that all counterterrorism efforts must be based on the common principles of democracy, respect of human rights, and the rule of law. As we tackle the major challenges of disrupting terrorist financing and the financing of violent extremism, managing the return of foreign terrorist fighters from conflict areas and addressing the associated risks for regional stability, countering the widespread use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, and addressing the root causes of radicalization to violence, we will continue to rely on the heritage established by the G7 within the wider international community.
Preamble

1. We, the Leaders of the G7, met in Taormina on May 26-27, 2017 to address, in a spirit of cooperation, the global challenges we face today and to respond collectively to the greatest concerns of our citizens. Our common endeavor is to build the foundations of renewed trust, both towards our governments and among our countries.

2. We are bound together by our shared values of freedom and democracy, peace, security, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. We are determined to coordinate our efforts in promoting the rules-based international order and global sustainable development. We are also convinced of the distinctive role of culture as an instrument to promote dialogue among peoples.

3. Technological change and globalization have made a fundamental contribution to raising living standards across the world over recent decades. However, their benefits have not been shared widely enough, contributing to inequalities in many countries. Despite progress in recent decades, we are still far from making poverty history, from reaching the zero hunger objective and from ensuring that future generations will enjoy justice and peace, as well as a cleaner and safer environment, as envisaged, for example, by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

4. Our citizens rightly demand quality education, decent jobs, greater access to economic opportunities, gender equality, and a cleaner environment. They expect us to deal with increasing numbers of refugees and migrants, also through stronger international cooperation. Furthermore, they ask for more secure lives and, in particular, to halt the rise of terrorism and violent extremism, including its manifestation online.

5. Against this backdrop, we want to send a message of confidence in the future, ensuring that citizens needs are at the center of our policies. As G7 Leaders, we intend to do so by engaging in a joint effort to seize all the opportunities offered by an era of extraordinary change. We will strive to highlight the transformative power of culture, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, education, science, technology and innovation in a collective endeavor involving governments, civil society, the private sector, and ordinary citizens. To achieve this we must improve knowledge and competences across all sectors and regions of our countries, by fostering innovation and new skills, by investing in fields such as education and training, as well as health, with a view to boosting economic growth and to improving peoples quality of life. We therefore pledge to take concrete actions to manage todays risks and to transform challenges into opportunities.

Foreign Policy Issues

6. We share the same interest in strengthening a rules-based international order that promotes peace among nations, safeguards sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states and ensures the protection of human rights. Our world needs our genuine commitment to the solution of conflicts that are affecting millions of innocent people and disrupting development and the healthy growth of future generations.

7. We endorsed the Joint Communique, the Declaration on Responsible States Behavior in Cyberspace, and the Statement on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament of the Foreign Ministers meeting in Lucca, and further discussed issues and crises that are most seriously threatening the security and well-being of our citizens and global stability.

8. Six years into the Syrian war, the Syrian people have endured the most tremendous suffering. We believe that there is an opportunity to bring this tragic crisis to an end. No effort should be spared to bring an end to the conflict through an inclusive Syrian-led political process under the auspices of the UN to implement a genuine credible transition in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Geneva Communique. We are determined to increase our efforts to defeat international terrorism in Syria, in particular ISIS/ISIL/Daesh and al Qaeda. Indeed, it will be impossible to defeat terrorism without a political settlement. All major stakeholders must live up to their international responsibilities. Those with influence over the Syrian regime, in particular Russia and Iran, must do their utmost to use that influence to stop this tragedy, beginning with the enforcement of a real ceasefire, stopping the use of chemical weapons, ensuring safe, immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to all people in need, and releasing any arbitrarily detained persons, as well as allowing free access to its prisons. To this end, we hope that the Astana agreement can contribute effectively to de-escalating violence. If Russia is prepared to use its influence positively, then we are prepared to work with it in resolving the conflict in Syria, pursuing a political settlement. We are prepared to contribute to the costs of reconstruction, once a credible political transition is firmly underway. We will not engage in stabilization efforts that will support social and demographic engineering.

9. We reiterate our deepest concerns regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria and reaffirm our strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstances. Those individuals, entities, groups or governments responsible for such use must be held accountable.

10. In Libya, it is urgent to advance on the path of inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation. We welcome the recent meetings between key Libyan players. All Libyans must engage with a spirit of compromise and desist from actions that would fuel further conflict. While warning against the temptation of military settlements of the situation, we reiterate our full support for the institutional framework laid out in the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) as the framework within which political solutions can be found, including possible adjustments to the LPA that may advance reconciliation. We support the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) mediation effort. We also support the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord in their effort to consolidate State institutions, alleviate human suffering, protect and expand infrastructure, strengthen and diversify the economy, manage migration flows and eradicate the terrorist threat.

11. We have made significant progress in reducing the presence of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh in Syria and Iraq, and in diminishing its appeal. We commit to continuing these efforts in order to complete the liberation of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh- held territories, in particular Mosul and Raqqa, in the pursuit of ISIS/ISIL/Daeshs final destruction and the end of associated violence, widespread abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law. Those who have perpetrated crimes in the name of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, including the use of chemical weapons, must be held to account. We welcome progress in countering ISIS/ISIL/Daesh in Libya. We call upon all countries of the region to play a constructive role by contributing to efforts to achieve inclusive political solutions, reconciliation, and peace, which are the only way to eradicate ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, other terrorist groups and violent extremism in the long-term in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and beyond.

12. We reiterate our commitment on non-proliferation and disarmament. North Korea, a top priority in the international agenda, increasingly poses new levels of threat of a grave nature to international peace and stability and the non-proliferation regime through its repeated and ongoing breaches of international law. North Korea must immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) and abandon all nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Condemning in the strongest terms North Koreas nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, we stand ready to strengthen measures aimed at achieving these objectives and strongly call on the international community to redouble its efforts to ensure the sustained, comprehensive and thorough implementation of relevant UNSCRs. We urge North Korea to address humanitarian and human rights concerns, including the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.

13. A sustainable solution to the crisis in Ukraine can only be reached with the full implementation by all sides of their commitments under the Minsk Agreements. We support the endeavors of the Normandy group and commend the multifaceted commitment of the OSCE in order to de-escalate the crisis. We stress the responsibility of the Russian Federation for the conflict and underline the role it needs to play to restore peace and stability. We reiterate our condemnation of the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, reaffirm our policy of non-recognition, and fully support Ukraines independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. We recall that the duration of sanctions is clearly linked to Russias complete implementation of its commitments in the Minsk Agreements and respect for Ukraines sovereignty. Sanctions can be rolled back when Russia meets its commitments. However, we also stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase costs on Russia should its actions so require. We maintain our commitment to assisting Ukraine in implementing its ambitious and yet necessary reform agenda and commend Kiev for its progress to date. Despite our differences with Russia, we are willing to engage with Russia to address regional crises and common challenges when it is in our interest.

14. We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a rules-based order in the maritime domain based on the principles of international law, including as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes through diplomatic and legal means, including arbitration. We remain concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly opposed to any unilateral actions that could increase tensions. We urge all parties to pursue demilitarization of disputed features.

15. The recent cyber attacks hitting critical infrastructures worldwide reinforce our commitment to increased international cooperation to protect an accessible, open, interoperable, reliable and secure cyberspace and its vast benefits for economic growth and prosperity. We will work together and with other partners to tackle cyber attacks and mitigate their impact on our critical infrastructures and the well-being of our societies.

Global Economy

16. Global recovery is gaining momentum, yet growth remains moderate and GDP is still below potential in many countries, with the balance of risks tilted to the downside. Our top priority is to raise global growth to deliver higher living standards and quality jobs. To this end, we reaffirm our commitment to use all policy tools  monetary, fiscal and structural  individually and collectively to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. In particular, monetary policy should continue to support economic activity and ensure price stability, consistently with central banks mandate. We concur that fiscal policy should be used flexibly to strengthen growth and job creation, while also enhancing inclusiveness and ensuring that debt as a share of GDP is on a sustainable path. In doing so, we agree on the importance of improving the quality of public finances, including by prioritizing high-quality investment, such as in infrastructures. We remain committed to advancing structural reforms to boost productivity and potential output, while ensuring these are appropriately coordinated with macroeconomic policies. We reaffirm our existing G7 exchange rate commitments, as agreed upon by Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at their meeting in Bari. We will strive to reduce excessive global imbalances and in a way that supports global growth. We commit to tackling all forms of corruption and tax evasion, as a means of reinforcing public trust in governments and fostering sustainable global growth.

Inequalities

17. We welcome the Bari Policy Agenda on Growth and Inequalities adopted by G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors as a framework to foster inclusive growth through a broad menu of policy options. We acknowledge that inequalities  not just in income, but in all their forms  represent a major source of concern. In fact, excessive inequality, also at the global level, undermines confidence and limits future growth potential. Furthermore, inequality may contribute to regional disparities within countries and undermine intergenerational mobility, while jeopardizing social cohesion and putting stress on institutions. In this respect, we will strive to strengthen the capabilities and resilience of our economies and communities to adjust to the pace of change, so that the global economy works for everyone.

Gender Equality

18. Gender equality is fundamental for the fulfillment of human rights and a top priority for us, as women and girls are powerful agents for change. Promoting their empowerment and closing the gender gap is not only right, but also smart for our economies, and a crucial contribution to progress towards sustainable development. Women and girls face high rates of discrimination, harassment, and violence and other human rights violations and abuses. Although girls and women today are better educated than ever before, they are still more likely to be employed in low-skilled and low-paying jobs, carry most of the burden of unpaid care and domestic work, and their participation and leadership in private and public life as well as their access to economic opportunities remains uneven. Increasing womens involvement in the economy  such as by closing the gender gaps in credit and entrepreneurship and by enhancing womens access to capital, networks and markets  can have dramatically positive economic impacts. We, as the G7, have undertaken significant measures to tackle gender inequality, but more needs to be done. We therefore remain committed to mainstreaming gender equality into all our policies. We welcome the important 4 contribution provided by the W7. To foster the economic empowerment of women and girls, we have furthermore adopted the first G7 Roadmap for a Gender-Responsive Economic Environment.

Trade

19. We acknowledge that free, fair and mutually beneficial trade and investment, while creating reciprocal benefits, are key engines for growth and job creation. Therefore, we reiterate our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight protectionism, while standing firm against all unfair trade practices. At the same time, we acknowledge that trade has not always worked to the benefit of everyone. For this reason, we commit to adopting appropriate policies so that all firms and citizens can make the most of opportunities offered by the global economy.

20. We push for the removal of all trade-distorting practices  including dumping, discriminatory non-tariff barriers, forced technology transfers, subsidies and other support by governments and related institutions that distort markets  so as to foster a truly level playing field. We commit to further strengthening our cooperation and to working with our partners in order to address global excess capacity in the steel, aluminum and other key industrial sectors and to avoid its emergence in other areas. In this sense, we view with concern market-distorting measures targeted at promoting key technologies. To this end, we welcome the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, established by the G20 and facilitated by the OECD, and urge all Members to promptly deliver on effective policy solutions that enhance market function and adjustment in order to address the root causes of global steel excess capacity. We also call on the International Working Group on Export Credits to develop new guidelines for publicly supported export finance.

21. We recognize the importance of the rules-based international trading system. We commit to working together to improve the functioning of the WTO, to ensure full and transparent implementation and effective and timely enforcement of all WTO rules by all Members and to achieve a successful 11th WTO Ministerial Conference.

22. We commit to striving for better application and promotion of internationally recognized social, labor, safety, tax cooperation and environmental standards throughout the global economy and its supply chains.

23. Finally, we recognize that international investment too can play an important role in sustaining growth and job creation, and therefore strive to foster a predictable environment so as to facilitate foreign direct investment.

Human Mobility

24. The ongoing large-scale movement of migrants and refugees is a global trend that, given its implications for security and human rights, calls for coordinated efforts at the national and international level. We recognize that the management and control of migrant flows  while taking into account the distinction between refugees and migrants  requires both an emergency approach and a long-term one. We also recognize the need to support refugees as close to their home countries as possible, and enable them to return safely to and help rebuild their home communities. At the same time, while upholding the human rights of all migrants and refugees, we reaffirm the sovereign rights of states, individually and collectively, to control their own borders and to establish policies in their own national interest and national security.

25. We agree to establish partnerships to help countries create the conditions within their own borders that address the drivers of migration, as this is the best long-term solution to these challenges. We also acknowledge that states share a responsibility in managing the flows ; in protecting refugees and migrants, and safeguarding the most vulnerable of them, such as women at risk, adolescents, children and unaccompanied minors ; and in enforcing border control, establishing returns schemes and enhancing law enforcement cooperation. These are essential instruments to reduce irregular or illegal migration and to fight migrant smuggling, human trafficking and exploitation, and all forms of slavery, including modern slavery. In this manner, we will safeguard the value of the positive aspects of a safe, orderly and regular migration, since properly managed flows can bring economic and social benefits to countries of both origin and destination as well as to migrants and refugees themselves.

Africa

26. Africas security, stability and sustainable development are high priorities for us. Our goal is indeed to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with African countries and regional organizations to develop African capacity in order to better prevent, respond to and manage crises and conflicts, as regards the relevant goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A stable Africa means a stable environment for investment. In this regard, we note the forthcoming launch by the EU of the External Investment Plan (EIP) as an important tool to boost investment in the continent, as well as the envisaged G20 Partnership Initiative with Africa and the investment pledge made at the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICADVI). It is also important to continue our efforts to expand reliable access to energy in Africa. Unlocking Africas potential requires empowering millions of people through innovation, education, promoting gender equality and human capital development. Decent employment, better health services, and food security will also contribute to building a more resilient society in a rapidly changing world. We aim to work in partnership with the African continent, supporting the African Union Agenda 2063, in order to provide the young generation in particular with adequate skills, quality infrastructures, financial resources, and access to a sustainable, prosperous and safe future. Such advances also promise to help reduce migratory pressure, relieve humanitarian emergencies and create socio-economic opportunities for all.

Food Security and Nutrition

27. Ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture is a crucial goal for the G7. We reaffirm our collective aim to lift 500 million people in developing countries out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, as part of a broader effort involving our partners and international actors.

28. We are deeply concerned about the devastating levels of food insecurity, fueled by conflicts and instability, already resulting in famine in parts of South Sudan and in the serious risk of famine in Somalia, Yemen and northeastern Nigeria and critically affecting more than 20 million people. We strongly support the UNSG call for urgent action. We are rapidly mobilizing humanitarian assistance, we will continue to support political processes addressing the underlying causes of the crises and we are committed to strengthening the international humanitarian system to prevent, mitigate and better prepare for future crises, while strengthening engagement to build resilience.

29. While stressing the global dimension of the food insecurity and malnutrition challenge, we recognize that urgent action is needed in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest percentage of undernourished people, deep rural and urban poverty and particularly large movements of people, and where more than two-thirds of the Least Developed Countries are located.

30. We have therefore decided to raise our collective support for food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa through an array of possible actions, such as increasing Official Development Assistance, better targeting and measuring our respective interventions in line with the food security and nutrition-related recommendations defined at Elmau and Ise-Shima, and ensuring they reach women and girls, backing efforts to attract responsible private investments and additional resources from other development stakeholders. We will encourage blended finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs). We will act in line with African countries priorities and consistently with the African Union Agenda 2063, aiming to reach also the most neglected areas and the most vulnerable people.

Climate and Energy

31. We commit to strengthening our collective energy security and to ensuring open, transparent, liquid and secure global markets for energy resources and technologies. We reaffirm that all countries that opt to use nuclear power must ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation. We are determined to harness the significant economic opportunities, in terms of growth and job creation, offered by the transformation of the energy sector and clean technology.

32. The United States of America 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. Understanding this process, the Heads of State and of Government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom and the Presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, as previously stated at the Ise-Shima Summit.

33. In this context, we all agree on the importance of supporting developing countries.

Innovation, Skills and Labor

34. The Next Production Revolution (NPR) offers an extraordinary opportunity to increase competitiveness and to boost an innovation-driven growth. By reshaping our existing production systems, the NPR can indeed allow all firms  including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)  and help people across all sectors and regions to reap the benefits of innovation and digitalization and enhance womens opportunities to pursue STEM careers.

35. At the same time, the advance of automation and of emerging technologies, while they contribute to innovation and economic growth, presents us with challenges and significantly changes the future of work. We have a responsibility to face these challenges by managing the related risks of the NPR and of the ongoing transition, and to rethink the future of work and of education  also through strong collaboration with stakeholders  so as to ensure a transition that works for all. Our education systems and working styles must be adapted, based on national circumstances. Companies and social partners should be closely involved and commit to new engagement in both initial and lifelong education and training. We also need to address new forms of work and improve working conditions by implementing sound labor market policies and by making adjustments to our welfare systems, when necessary, in a multi-stakeholder approach, so as to provide stability for our labor force.

36. For these reasons, we have adopted a G7 People-Centered Action Plan on Innovation, Skills and Labor. Elaborated with the support of the OECD and the ILO, it outlines a set of potential policy recommendations to maximize the benefits of the NPR, to be further developed by our relevant Ministers during their upcoming Ministerial Meetings.

37. In addition, in order to facilitate dialogue with key stakeholders and to provide the G7 with first-hand insights on innovation issues, we have set up a Strategic Advisory Board to G7 Leaders on People-Centered Innovation (I-7). The groups first meeting is to take place during the G7 Innovation Week in Turin.

Health

38. We are committed to advancing global health security and pursuing policies that advance physical and mental health improvements across the globe. Healthy lives and well-being are important to broader economic, social and security gains. We recognize that womens and adolescents health and healthcare must be promoted. We acknowledge the role of environmental factors in affecting human health. We remain committed to strengthening health systems, preparedness for, and a prompt, effective and coordinated response to public health emergencies and long-term challenges. On this basis, we have asked our Health Ministers to follow up on these issues during their November meeting.

Conclusion

39. We look forward to meeting under the Presidency of Canada in 2018.
Thank you very much, Secretary General Stoltenberg. Chancellor Merkel, thank you very much. Other heads of state and government, I am honored to be here with members of an alliance that has promoted safety and peace across the world.

Prime Minister May, all of the nations here today grieve with you and stand with you. I would like to ask that we now observe a moment of silence for the victims and families of the savage attack which took place in Manchester. (A moment of silence is observed.) Thank you. Terrible thing.

This ceremony is a day for both remembrance and resolve. We remember and mourn those nearly 3,000 innocent people who were brutally murdered by terrorists on September 11th, 2001. Our NATO allies responded swiftly and decisively, invoking for the first time in its history the Article 5 collective defense commitments.

The recent attack on Manchester in the United Kingdom demonstrates the depths of the evil we face with terrorism. Innocent little girls and so many others were horribly murdered and badly injured while attending a concert  beautiful lives with so much great potential torn from their families forever and ever. It was a barbaric and vicious attack upon our civilization.

All people who cherish life must unite in finding, exposing, and removing these killers and extremists  and, yes, losers. They are losers. Wherever they exist in our societies, we must drive them out and never, ever let them back in.

This call for driving out terrorism is a message I took to a historic gathering of Arab and Muslim leaders across the region, hosted by Saudi Arabia. There, I spent much time with King Salman, a wise man who wants to see things get much better rapidly. The leaders of the Middle East have agreed at this unprecedented meeting to stop funding the radical ideology that leads to this horrible terrorism all over the globe.

My travels and meetings have given me renewed hope that nations of many faiths can unite to defeat terrorism, a common threat to all of humanity. Terrorism must be stopped in its tracks, or the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever. You have thousands and thousands of people pouring into our various countries and spreading throughout, and in many cases, we have no idea who they are. We must be tough. We must be strong. And we must be vigilant.

The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia and on NATOs eastern and southern borders. These grave security concerns are the same reason that I have been very, very direct with Secretary Stoltenberg and members of the Alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what theyre supposed to be paying for their defense.

This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. And many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years. Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defense than all other NATO countries combined. If all NATO members had spent just 2 percent of their GDP on defense last year, we would have had another $119 billion for our collective defense and for the financing of additional NATO reserves.

We should recognize that with these chronic underpayments and growing threats, even 2 percent of GDP is insufficient to close the gaps in modernizing, readiness, and the size of forces. We have to make up for the many years lost. Two percent is the bare minimum for confronting todays very real and very vicious threats. If NATO countries made their full and complete contributions, then NATO would be even stronger than it is today, especially from the threat of terrorism.

I want to extend my appreciation to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York for contributing this remnant of the North Tower, as well as to Chancellor Merkel and the German people for donating this portion of the Berlin Wall. It is truly fitting that these two artifacts now reside here so close together at the new NATO Headquarters. And I never asked once what the new NATO Headquarters cost. I refuse to do that. But it is beautiful.

Each one marks a pivotal event in the history of this Alliance and in the eternal battle between good and evil. On one side, a testament to the triumph of our ideals over a totalitarian Communist ideology bent on the oppression of millions and millions of people; on the other, a painful reminder of the barbaric evil that still exists in the world and that we must confront and defeat together as a group, as a world.

This twisted mass of metal reminds us not only of what we have lost, but also what forever endures  the courage of our people, the strength of our resolve, and the commitments that bind us together as one.

We will never forget the lives that were lost. We will never forsake the friends who stood by our side. And we will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and to achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace.

Thank you very much. Its a great honor to be here. Thank you.
Bloodline becomes a courtroom drama this episode, complete with the jury-selection process, opening arguments, and cross-examinations. Meanwhile, we can finally see what may be the endgame of John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler) as his lies are directly confronted by Chelsea OBannon (Chloe Sevigny). In the final moments, Chelsea throws Meg Rayburn (Linda Cardellini) under the bus, raising the question: Will John have to sacrifice Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz) to save his sister? And could he possibly pull that off?

To start, John is ignoring collect calls from Eric OBannon (Jamie McShane), in prison awaiting trial. Eric meets with his attorney as a completely broken man. Hes screaming that he just wants to call the Rayburns out for the liars that they are, but his counsel advises against that approach. Accusing a good cop of killing his partner is a strategy that wont work, and they need only to prove that Eric didnt do it, not that anyone else did. This is interesting given how much Erics attorney changes approach in the actual courtroom, opening by immediately throwing suspicion on the Rayburns, but well get there.

Before then, John and Kevin are still fighting. John catches him practicing his testimony and orders him to put away the script before it becomes evidence. Yes, John can be a conceited prick, but Kevin is SUCH an asshole. John keeps protecting him and Kevin keeps not only doing stupid shit but insulting his brother. Will he go too far for John to keep up the ruse? Especially when Meg gets thrown into the fire?

Another family tie returns this episode to potentially strangle the Rayburns: Dannys son Nolan (Owen Teague), spotted briefly at the end of the last hour. Why is he back? He has the money that Danny left him and he wants to give it to Chelsea to help with Erics defense. This is one of the most fascinating twists this season  that Danny Rayburns money could help put his brothers in jail. Sadly, it doesnt appear to go anywhere as Chelsea refuses. Even Sally (Sissy Spacek) wont take Nolans money later in the same episode. I hope Nolan hasnt returned merely as a red herring and that he has an impact that, by extension, gives Danny one this season as well.

John will be the first witness and Kevin will follow him (as he has through his whole life). The next act cuts back and forth between the early trial process and a few other things happening in the Florida Keys. We see the jury selection and opening arguments as we also learn that Chelsea is being harassed at work and put on probation. We also get a good scene between Sally and John, reminding us that she now knows about Danny and they havent really talked about it. Even if they survive the Marco/Eric trial, theyll never be the same.

As the opening arguments contrast in the courtroom, Kevin learns from his dentist that hell need a root canal. In my favorite moment this season, the dentist tells him that this kind of nerve damage comes from excess stress and cocaine use, which could be the name of Kevin Rayburns biography. Importantly, Kevin will either be in total pain when he speaks on the stand or loopy on painkillers. Either way, it should be fun. His stress level rises even higher when Kevin gets a visit from Ozzy (John Leguizamo), reminding us of the odd fact that they have never met before. Ozzy says he just wants to help both Eric and Kevin find the truth. Uh oh.

As Erics attorney focuses a surprising amount on the Rayburns in her opening argument (something I dont completely buy, given that neither John or Kevin are on trial), John goes to see Chelsea. She tells him that her brother is falling apart and shows him a photo of Danny and Eric from when they were younger. Its a man John killed and another hes framing back in happier times. John claims not to remember the photo, even if it looks like its very existence is tearing him up. We soon learn that the photo is something of a trap: Chelsea shows it to Eric in prison, revealing that she ripped off a third person in the shot, a young John Rayburn. Of course, he remembered it. Of course, hes a liar. Theyre all lying.

John is flashing back to the biggest lie hell ever have to tell  that he didnt kill his brother  when its his time to be on the stand. Hes been a clean police officer for 27 years. There have been no signs of problems in his career, and hes won several awards. The defense attorney immediately jumps on John, asking where he was that night and about Erics accusations that he pulled a gun on him.

Hes washing up in the bathroom when someone who knows him well comes in: Lenny Potts (Frank Hoyt Taylor), the family friend and retired detective who knows about many of the skeletons in the Rayburn closet. He takes an interesting approach, appealing to Johns decency, suggesting that this is his last chance to do something right. John Rayburn has no remaining decency.

That becomes clear in the testimony that follows. After facing a few interesting questions and the holes in his story become clear, John Rayburn tells the BIG lie: Marco said he was going to rescind Erics immunity deal because he thought Eric might have killed Danny. This lie gives Eric motive. John has no shame. Eric flips out in the courtroom, likely sealing his fate, and we flash to Dannys body in the surf, the crime that really led to all of these other crimes.

As Sally confesses to her priest, Chelsea makes the only move she has left. She gives a deposition about where she was the night of Marcos murder, saying that she was with Meg, who was spouting things like, Im gonna fix this shit. She was gonna fix Marco. And then Chelsea drove her to Marcos house. She didnt say anything earlier because she was terrified. Of what? The Rayburns, and what theyd do to me.

A shattered John, after ignoring another collect call from Eric, comes home to his empty apartment, smoking a cigarette before he even turns on the light.

Other Notes

 Watching on Netflix means nobody sticks around for the closing credits, this episode included the great Cat Powers Dark End of the Street. Everybody should listen to more Cat Power.

 Mikael Hafstrom returns to the directors seat and does a good job keeping a fast pace, but the episode felt like another wheel-spinner at times.

 On that note, Bloodline has long been a show about the slow burn  the whole first season was one  but its starting to frustrate more as we get closer to the end. Im still curious to see if this all pays off, but Im starting to worry it wont.

 Most of all, I cant wait to see Kevins testimony. No way that goes well, right? It could be historically awful.
Photo: Epsilon/Getty Images

Spoilers ahead.

How do you follow up The Handmaids Tale if youre Elisabeth Moss? Apparently by joining the Swedish fine-arts community, living with a monkey, and engaging in some very sweaty sex, complete with a condom tug-of-war.

Moss doesnt have a ton of screen time in her new Palme dOrwinning Cannes movie The Square  Swedish director Ruben Ostlunds followup to 2014s brilliant dark comedy Force Majeure  but boy, oh boy is that screen time weird. For one, her American journalist character, Anne, totally randomly has a monkey roommate. Why? Why not? Moss told me recently. Thats literally been my answer. I cant think of a reason why not.

Anything can happen in a movie when suddenly a monkey appears in an apartment, Ostlund explained (sort of) at a press conference earlier in the festival. Every film should have a monkey in it in some way.

To be fair, the movie is already pretty insane by the time we meet the monkey. Ostlund loves trafficking in the discomfort of human fallibility, and in this case, has crafted a meditation on trust and morality wrapped in the story of a handsome, if vain, museum curator named Christian (Claes Bang), whose bourgeois life begins to unravel when he falls for an elaborate pick-pocket scheme and is stripped of his phone and wallet. Liberal worldview shattered, he sets out on the worlds weakest vigilante mission to retrieve his stuff, so he really needs a win by the time he and Mosss Anne drunkenly stumble back to her place to get naked. And then  monkey. (According to Bang, Ostlunds motto for the film was, Nobody is going to leave the set with any dignity today.)

You can practically see the thoughts crossing Christians mind as he waits alone in Annes bedroom: Do I ask her about the monkey? Or will talking about the monkey hurt my chances of getting laid? Also, how drunk am I? Anne comes back in lingerie. He lets the monkey thing go.

I love that we never actually refer to the monkey, which begs the question of, Is it even real? says Moss. Like, we never refer to it. I never speak to it. No one ever speaks to it. Its never mentioned. So weird. Mosss character can later be seen leaving a phone message for Christian while the monkey (who in real life is French, half Bonobo, and named Pippu) casually applies lipstick to its own nose. But according to Moss, her friendship with the primate was all an illusion. She never worked with the monkey, Moss says. The monkey had a high list of demands and requirements. Like, you couldnt look her in the eye. You couldnt speak to her, you couldnt run, you couldnt sing, you couldnt do anything around this monkey, and I think the insurance company was like, Lets maybe not have them in the same room.



What makes the sex scene so special, besides the monkey  who we assume is hanging out in the next room and could burst in at any moment  is just how uncomfortably real it looks. Ostlund insisted it be very sweaty and shot from each characters POV, mid-coitus. Moss tells me she actually had to straddle her director of photographer, Fredrik Wenzel, and gyrate as he held the camera to get the right effect. Bang had to do the same thing, only with Fredrik straddling him.

And then, if that werent awkward enough, Ostlund threw in a condom tug-of-war.

Meaning that, after Christian orgasms, Anne offers to throw away the condom and Christian  who, if youll remember, had recently been robbed and lost his faith in humanity  clutches the sperm-filled latex to his chest and refuses to let it go. She insists again. He refuses. She grabs on and pulls, then lets it go so it snaps back in his face. Does she have a turkey baster ready to go? Its clear Christian suspects just that. Its unclear if Anne is just fucking with him. That was so fun and we have so many different versions of it that you dont see, Moss told me. There was a version where he eats it. Ruben was like, Put it in your mouth, and made me try to go get it out of his mouth. I think that Anne thinks that this is really fun. I think that she thinks that this is them connecting and having a really good time.

Also a good time for Anne, though maybe not Christian, is the great scene where she stops by the museum to confront him about why he hasnt called. Ruben wanted me to keep repeating the words, You were inside of me, because they make someone so uncomfortable. There were a lot of gestures, too, of being inside someone, that arent in the film. The whole idea was just to make him so uncomfortable, especially as a man.

And to think, so many other directors and actors would have just stopped with the monkey.
This piece originally ran during the Cannes Film Festival, and were running it again ahead of Double Lovers theatrical release this weekend. Spoilers ahead.

Whats your sexual preference? Loving and slow? Fast and brutal? A little dangerous? Autoerotic? Do you like to have a cat looking at you while in the act? Is that cats name Milo? And how do you feel about twins? At the same time? What if they looked like Jeremie Renier? What if Jeremie Renier made out with himself? Now were talking.

My colleague Kyle Buchanan has already written in detail about the hilarious, audacious shot of a pulsating vulva (which match-cuts to an eye) that starts things off in French director Francois Ozons psycho-sexual cornucopia, LAmant Double  by far the trashiest fun to debut here at Cannes. But as a possessor of said anatomy, who found that shot less shocking than, it seems, every male in the room did, Id like to report that theres plenty more kink to go around for everyone, whatever your predilections. (Well, almost everyone. A female friend sat next to me, muttering I hate this movie, I hate this movie, while I sat on the edge of my seat, clapping with delight every few minutes.)

Based on the 1987 novel Lives of Twins by Joyce Carol Oates, who was herself living something of a double life and writing under the pseudonym of Rosamond Smith, the story centers on Chloe (Marine Vacth, star of Ozons 2013 Young & Beautiful), a beautiful, anxious ex-model who cant hold a job, never has sex, lives alone with her cat, Milo, and has constant stomach pains. Ozon (Swimming Pool) has transferred the action from suburban Connecticut to Paris, which immediately signals that this film was not made to help repressed American housewives get off  though I hope many of them watch it and do. That aforementioned vagina shot is part of a gynecological exam, which determines theres nothing wrong with her; it must be psychological. Or rather, psycho-sexual. You dont open your movie with a vagina turning into an eye for nothing.

She decides to try therapy, though the sexual tension is so obvious the second she sits down with her gorgeous therapist, Paul (Renier), that they quickly decide to end their professional relationship. Too quickly, of course, and we as viewers feel an immediate unease watching Chloe carry her boxes, and Milo, up to the apartment in a foreboding high-rise that she and Paul will now share. She has revealed all to him, but he is a mystery, a taciturn listener who knows everything about her frigid nature, her feeling that she has never been loved, and about whom she knows nothing. His declaration of Chloe as sane seems as dangerously misguided as her decision to move in with him. Indeed, while unpacking, she finds a passport of Pauls with a different last name. And when she asks him about it, he spins a tale about needing to change it when he opened his own practice, which makes no sense.

Who is this man and what are his secrets? Chloe begins to spiral in doubt and suspicion. At night, they make hot, steamy, conventional love, and as Paul thrusts into her, she glances over to see Milo staring at them, perhaps in judgment, perhaps as a warning, and the rising anxiety; the thought that her perfect lover suddenly feels like a stranger makes the sex even hotter. In the brief moments when he is home, she tries to get more out of him, but he bristles. The name, the name, she cant stop thinking about the name. Is he leading a double life? Having an affair? Her paranoid detective work leads her to making an appointment under an assumed name at the offices of another psychotherapist, Louis, who bears the last name Paul once had, and who she is shocked to discover looks exactly like Paul, but sharper, edgier, plus dangereux. Ho boy.

Ah, that classic twin psychologists story. Louis immediately sees through Chloes made-up identity  though not before revealing what shed come there to discover, that he has a twin brother named Paul who cut him out of his life. Lying is a common practice among women, especially the pretty ones, Louis says, showing Chloe the door after minutes, while still demanding his full session fee and telling her to come back when shes ready to dig into the truth. Oh, will she be back. That night, in a sequence that feels steamily, deliciously real, a second, naked Paul  or is it Louis?  enters their bedroom as theyre mid-missionary-coitus. Paul looks up, still in the act, and beckons the other him over to join in. He begins to make out with himself, first tentatively, then aggressively, and soon the two hims fall forward onto Chloes breasts to devour them. Her arousal is so piqued, her desire so strong, her mind so addled that she begins to split at the chest, like a cell dividing, a second head forming so she can equally engage with both her lovers.

Louis may be the more aggressive, dominant twin, but its Chloe who keeps coming to him for unconventional therapy sessions that take place in a luxuriously appointed bedroom adjoining his office. Their affair is one of cat and mouse, made rougher, juicier by Louiss knowledge of Chloes relationship with his brother  which hed sniffed out the moment shed walked into his office  and his deep, and soon obsessive, desire to give her what hes sure his brother is too weak to provide. And as the psychological warfare progresses, so does the sex, with one twin or another, to rape fantasies, period cunnilingus, pegging, and things involving wombs that you wish you could un-see. The obvious comparison is to Dead Ringers, David Cronenbergs 1988 creepy surrealist thriller featuring Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists in sexual competition with one another, though the central mystery of LAmant Double is far less twisted, with far less body horror  which it makes up for with way, way more sex.

And really, what else did you come for other than kink steamier than anything that has come from the mind of E.L. James and shot in the way only a European can? This film never could have been made in America, and it certainly benefits from that lack of puritanism. Is it sometimes silly and overwrought? Of course. Can you see the twist ending coming a mile away? Definitely. But unlike that stateside supermarket erotica that shall not be named, this isnt about a virgin who takes up BDSM to please a man and then tries to tame his base desires. Its about the opening up of a woman who finds unorthodox means to live out her every sexual desire  cat observer, mirrors, giant dildo, aggressive fingering, twins, twins, twins  and then discovers that she wants more. Maybe it doesnt all go well. Maybe the twins are more diabolical than they first appear to be. But the vagina-to-eye prophecy of the opening scenes, in the end, has real meaning. Stimulate that organ enough and perhaps you will learn to see.
Photo: Focus Features

After two weeks of frenzied speculation about what might win the Palme dOr at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the jury led by Pedro Almodovar handed its top prize to a surprise pick: The Square, a Swedish art-world comedy directed by Ruben Ostlund and starring Claes Bang and Elisabeth Moss. Funny films rarely take the top prize here and several other critical standouts had been given better odds, including the French AIDS drama 120 Beats Per Minute, awarded the Grand Prix prize for second place, and the Russian film Loveless, which scored the third-place Jury Prize.

After a 56-year run of the Best Director prize going to men, Sofia Coppola broke through this year, taking that prize for her well-received Southern thriller The Beguiled. She was one of many Hollywood figures to put in a good showing this year, as the Best Actor prize went to Joaquin Phoenix for the kidnap thriller You Were Never Really Here, Diane Kruger took Best Actress for the terrorism drama In the Fade, and Nicole Kidman, who had four projects at Cannes, won a special prize awarded for the festivals 70th anniversary. Two English-language films tied for the screenplay award, too: The darkly comic The Killing of a Sacred Deer, starring Kidman and Colin Farrell, and You Were Never Really Here. Read the list of winners below.



Palme dOr: The Square, Ruben Ostlund

Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here

Actress: Diane Kruger, In the Fade

Director: Sofia Coppola, The Beguiled

Special Prize: Nicole Kidman

Jury Prize: Loveless, Andrey Zvyagintsev

Screenplay: The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou; You Were Never Really Here, Lynne Ramsay
Spoilers ahead for Part Three and Part Four of Twin Peaks, now streaming on Showtime Anytime.

Watching the opening sequence of Twin Peaks: The Return is always a little bit strange. The gentle, atmospheric theme song and the long shots of forests and waterfalls are a nostalgic trip unto themselves, one that almost lulls you into thinking that youre watching the original series. That is until the show begins and it becomes very clear that this series has no interest in going back to normal  even the fantastically twisted version of normal that was as much about conventional soap-opera storytelling as it was about strange men eating creamed corn in dream rooms.

Thus we open on an uncompromisingly long, weird scene where Good Dale Cooper finds himself stranded in a giant metal structure that is both in outer space and also by the ocean, because dreams. Theres some sort of monster trapped there as well, pounding furiously on the other side of a locked door. The other inhabitant of the space house is a glitch-y woman with no eyes  they are missing from her face entirely, not removed  who cant speak beyond a mumbled whisper. Much like the code-loving FBI deputy director Gordon Cole and Twin Peaks itself, the woman communicates through gestures rather than words.

She holds a finger to her lips and points toward the door while making the same gruesome shredding sounds we heard when the cube monster tore those two kids apart. The eyeless woman then climbs to the top of the space house and pulls a lever that apparently releases the monster, making it seem even more like this was the indeed the cube monster that escaped and perhaps how it escaped. Dale sees the giant floating head of Colonel Briggs drift through the stars below him saying, blue rose, and just in case we missed that, theres a blue rose sitting on the table when he goes back inside the cube.

Ah yes, the enigmatic blue rose. A term used by Gordon Cole to describe a specific category of FBI cases, its precise meaning has never been revealed. But the long-running theory is that the blue rose, which does not exist in nature, refers to cases that deal with the supernatural  the X-Files of Twin Peaks, if you will. The ghostly appearance of Colonel Briggs is another clue that something otherworldly is at work. We learn that Briggs, an Air Force officer with access to classified intelligence about UFOs and knowledge of places like the Black Lodge, met up with Bad Cooper only the day before dying in a suspicious fire. What did Bad Coop want from him  or want to know?

Twin Peaks has offered many hints over the years that the strange forces at work are not just supernatural but extraterrestrial; we are, after all, watching Cooper as he sits in the middle of outer space while the disembodied head of a man who knows an awful lot about aliens floats by, whispering about the Twin Peaks version of the X-Files.

Once he returns to the space house, Dale finally  finally!  makes his way back to reality, after hearing that when you get there you will already be there. His return to Earth means that both Good Dale and Bad Dale now exist on the same plane, a paradox made possible by a schlubby real-estate developer (and Dale lookalike) named Dougie Jones who gets pulled into the Red Room in their place. The harsh vibes of Good Dales return to the mortal world also send Bad Dale careening off the road into a ditch, where he vomits a frankly unreasonable amount of creamed corn  a.k.a. garmonbozia, the manifestation of pain and suffering that serves as a food source for the inhabitants of the Black Lodge.

Turns out that 25 years spent talking to an electric tree has not been kind to Good Dales mind. He appears catatonic on reentry, a blank slate who can repeat what he hears but has no words of his own. He wanders into a casino and wins jackpot after jackpot by popping quarters into all the slot machines that he sees marked by floating images of the Red Room. One of the other patrons starts calling him Mr. Jackpots, which is a spectacular David S. Pumpkins sort of name, and soon hes getting dropped off at Dougies home with a giant sack of cash.

The next morning, Mr. Jackpots wakes up in Dougies bedroom, which starts fading in and out of the Red Room for a special message from Mike, the backwards-talking, one-armed man. You were tricked, he says, holding up the golden bead that was once Dougie Jones. Now one of you must die. Whatever deception allowed Dougie to take their place in the Red Room, it cant hold. Reality isnt big enough for the both of them, which means that theres a high-noon showdown in our future between the good and evil Coopers.

Maybe the funniest Twin Peaks scene ever follows: As the jazzy strains of Take Five play in the background, the catatonic Mr. Jackpots sits at the breakfast table with Dougies family, his tie wrapped around his head, trying to relearn how to eat pancakes with help from his fake son. His fake wife (Naomi Watts) hands him a cup of coffee  a minor obsession of Coopers in the past  in a mug that reads I am Dougies Cup of Coffee, a delightful bit of literalism in a show where nothing is what it seems. He takes one sip of joe and immediately spits it out, wild-eyed, like he has finally woken up. Hi!!! he says to Dougies wife, grinning maniacally like Jack Nicholson sticking his head through a hole in a door. Right back at you, Coop.

Cooper, you may recall, discovered who killed Laura Palmer in the third episode of the original series courtesy of the Red Room  and subsequently forgot the identity of the killer. Now, his return from a dramatically longer stay in the Red Room has caused him to forget something even more important: himself. Maybe the coffee was all he needed to get his shit together  who among us hasnt felt that way, after all? I miss Dale Cooper pretty fiercely and watching his half-assed doppelgangers dick around for hours while the genuine article floats endlessly in various limbos is getting a little old.

Back at the Twin Peaks Sheriffs Department, former bad boy Bobby Briggs is now a grey-haired police officer, but dont worry  hes still incredibly melodramatic. Although 25 years have passed, he bursts into tears at the mere sight of Laura Palmers photo, while the Twin Peaks theme swells in the background. The moment is an odd little artifact of the show Twin Peaks used to be, the soapy small-town murder-mystery that the new series seems determined to subvert. If anything, the contrast highlights what the show has become: a phantasmagoria of long, dazed shots; extended silences devoid of music; and bizarre dialogue almost uniformly spoken with the slow, weighty cadence of someone trying to hint at something else. Every line feels like a clue, a gesture, a finger silently pointing in another direction.

Shortly afterwards, we meet Andy and Lucys son, Wally Brando, who is seriously just Michael Cera on a motorcycle doing a Marlon Brando impression. My dharma is the road, he lisps slightly. He came to let his parents know that they can do what they want with his childhood bedroom  that it is time to move on from the past, to put something new in the space it once occupied. Despite its occasional flashes of nostalgia, the show has done much the same.

Finally, we see the return of Gordon Cole, played as ever by David Lynch, who is busy investigating a murder whose culprit can be ascertained through a series of random clues: a pin-up picture, a pair of pliers, a photo of two women in swimsuits and another of a little boy, a gun, and a jar of  I dont know  pumpkin seeds? The congressmans dilemma, says Cole somberly. Its a moment so flush with non sequiturs that it seems almost like Twin Peaks is making fun of itself  unless of course its Twin Peaks being so Twin Peaks that theres no difference, like a surrealist demonstration of Poes Law.

The meeting is interrupted when Cole gets a call from a prison in South Dakota letting him know that (Bad) Cooper is back! And currently locked up because of the machine gun, drugs, and severed dog leg the local cops found in his trunk. When Gordon, Albert Rosenfield, and newcomer Tamara Preston arrive at the prison, Bad Cooper says its all just a misunderstanding and that hes been working undercover with Philip Jeffries (a.k.a. the FBI agent played by David Bowie in Fire Walk With Me), but its pretty obvious to everyone that something is very wrong.

I hate to admit this, but I dont understand this situation at all, Cole later says. Welcome to the party, man. Blue Rose? asks Albert, in a scene that is literally shaded blue. It doesnt get any bluer, Cole responds.
I find I spend the most time on Netflix scanning the menu for choices rather than actually watching, the streaming version of Springsteen's "57 channels and nothin' on."

It's a consequence of a single account profile that lumps my preferences in with those of my wife and three daughters plus Netflix's gradual shift away from the foreign and independent films I like to watch to original programming aiming to hook you into a series rather than a single viewing.

One recent offering, however, caught my eye and subsequently tipped me into a rabbit hole of memory. The three-part "Five Came Back" looked at Hollywood directors who served in the military during World War II. The directors  Frank Capra, John Ford, George Stevens, William Wyler and John Huston  employed their film-making skills in supporting the war through movies and shorts meant to prop up morale and inform the effort on the home front.

All five came back changed by their experience of war, particularly Stevens, who filmed the Allied liberation of Nazi death camps. That change is seen in the dark or realistic strands found in such films as Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," Wyler's "The Best Years Of Our Lives," Ford's "They Were Expendable," Huston's "The Treasure Of Sierra Madre" and Stevens' "The Diary Of Anne Frank."

As a bonus, Netflix features the war documentaries made by those directors, including Huston's "San Pietro" (also called "The Battle Of San Pietro"). It's an account of the tough fighting by American soldiers to take the Italian village of San Pietro from well-entrenched German defenders.

Huston's film captured the essence of the Italian theater for American and British forces, a slow, bloody slog up the boot of the Italian peninsula, with cold, wet weather and mountainous terrain precluding the dramatic breakouts or victories seen at D-Day and the campaign in France.

"San Pietro" was known for ground-breaking realism, with images of American soldiers killed in the fighting and battle footage of troops under German fire  except that the later didn't happen.

Baylor English professor Greg Garrett, whose academic background includes a healthy dose of film study, found in research at the National Archives in the 1990s that "San Pietro's" film footage had been shot after the actual battle, a recreation of the fighting done with the participation of the Army.

So when I saw "San Pietro" as a Netflix offering, rabbit hole stop No. 1, I had to watch it  and discovered a further Waco connection.

It turned out that the main American force in the December 1943 battle was the 143rd Regiment of the 36th Division, a regiment with a substantial Waco and Central Texas contingent in a division made up largely of Texas and Oklahoma recruits and draftees.

The 143rd took heavy losses in the fight for San Pietro, its central attack stymied until success on the flanks turned the German position and forced its withdrawal. It reminded me of a story I had done years ago on a book about the battle five months later to cross the Gari River, misidentified later as the Rapido River. There, an ill-advised attack across a flooding river on a fortified German line turned into a bloodbath, decimating the 141st and 143rd Regiments.

Nearly one-fourth of the 6,000 Allied soldiers in the attack were killed or wounded; fewer than 200 Germans were. Some 50 years after the battle, I found survivors were still bitter at the command failure, one compounded months later when American Fifth Army Lt. General Mark Clark chose to sideline an Allied advance that might have surrounded a retreating German army. Instead, he sent troops on to Rome, some said to beat British ones from liberating the famous city.

Americans did enter Rome first, but the retreating Germans were able to continue the war in Italy for months more. Clark was later formally cleared of those charges  but not in the minds of many of those Texans who fought in Italy.

As the Greatest Generation, the one that fought World War II, dies out, I've noticed so much of our commemoration of that war focuses on D-Day, the massive, bloody invasion of Europe that led nearly a year later to the defeat of Hitler's Germany. Less attention gets paid to the war in the Pacific, even less to the Italian campaign.

It's easier to celebrate the sacrifice of those who died in a dramatic victory than those who died because of poor leadership, a formidable enemy, miserable weather or disease.

Those deaths, though, are just as much a sacrifice, their families wounded just as much. I suspect the Memorial Days that "Five Came Back's" directors celebrated were far more sober and serious than those of people like me, touched only peripherally by war.

One final stop in this rabbit hole. Waco has a monument to the 143rd Regiment, a stone marker with the unit's coat of arms and motto "Arms Secure Peace." It's located between the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and the Interstate 35 frontage road, with the Brazos River as backdrop.

It had higher visibility when there was a turn-around under the I-35 bridge, but the widening and improvement of the bridge in recent years have changed access to the memorial.

It now takes a specific visit to see rather than a drive-by reminder. Like the scores of service identifiers on gravestone markers in Waco and McLennan County cemeteries visited this Memorial Day, is there for a purpose.
Once again, the great downtown tax debate is heating up just in time for summer.

When values in the downtown Tax Increment Finance Zone increase by 34 percent  and in many cases, more than double last years values  is it reflecting a bull market for downtown Waco real estate, as McLennan County Appraisal District officials say, or will soaring taxes kill the goose that laid the golden egg?

Downtown property owners and advocates argue the latter, saying that a too-sudden escalation of tax values could slow the momentum of downtown and even drive out some businesses.

The thing that is driving values up is successful businesses, said Megan Henderson, executive director of City Center Waco. If appraisals rise so steeply as to shock the system and make it unsustainable to do business downtown, the potential to erase a lot of significant gains weve made is very real.

Values for about 30 properties, including the Magnolia Market at the Silos, have not yet been released. Of the 879 preliminary appraisals that have been made public, 185 of them had increases of more than 100 percent.

The biggest increases are concentrated south of Franklin Avenue  especially around RiverSquare Center, the silos and the former residential district around Cleveland Avenue that Shane and Cody Turner are redeveloping commercially as West Village. Some businesses along Austin Avenue also saw major increases, though not across the board as they did last year, when the appraisal district raised land values in that area.

Only about 40 downtown property owners so far have signed up to protest their values in hearings this summer, but most have until Wednesday to do so.

MCAD created an uproar in downtown a year ago when it released preliminary appraisals showing property in the TIF Zone had increased by 46 percent on average. The zone includes downtown from the river to 11th Street, with extensions along the Brazos River corridor and Elm Avenue.

Many property owners succeeded in lowering those values, and the 2016 tax rolls ended up at $413.4 million, about $90.5 million  or 28 percent  above the 2015 values.

Now some property owners who were successful in last years protest process are girding for battle again. For example, the value of the Insurors of Texas building at 225 S. Fifth St. increased by 110 percent this year, from $3.8 million to $8 million.

We protested last year and lowered it down to pretty much what it had been previously, said Insurors president George Chase, who plans to protest his value again. That would seem to me to be an agreement that it was appropriate a year ago. Its hard to see in one year how it could have gone up that much. . . . Values have gone up, and I cant pretend otherwise, but doubling in 12 months is hard to imagine.

A sample of other properties with major increases include:

Liberty Building, 601 Austin Ave., from $428,679 to $1.48 million (245 percent).

Courtyard by Marriott, 101 Washington Ave., from $11.2 million to $21.6 million (land and improvements, 93 percent).

Stratton Building, 800 Austin Ave., from $65,630 to $514,060 (683 percent).

Parking lot near Magnolia Market, 325 S. Sixth St., from $172,500 to $653,400 (279 percent). The property is being marketed online for $1.3 million.

Some of the largest increases were on undeveloped property in the West Village area, where two hotels and retail areas are planned, as well as in the Magnolia Market Silo District and in East Waco around Taylor Avenue and Bridge Street. New developments, such as the Altura Lofts and Mary Avenue Market, also showed huge increases.

New growth, new info

Don Whitney, MCADs director for commercial appraisals, said the large increases are partly a result of new growth since last year, and partly the result of new information that indicates some properties have been undervalued for years. He said the district purchases proprietary information on rental rates, which can be used to set the income-producing value of a commercial property.

We have a lot of rental information we didnt have last year, he said. We learned last year that office buildings were worth more than we thought.

In addition, he said land values were adjusted for the areas along both sides of the river, especially East Waco.

We had overlooked that area, he said.

Whitney said hotel values also have increased because of soaring occupancy rates and income in the past couple of years, as documented in state lodging tax reports. But he said retail data are not as easily attainable, making it difficult to appraise one-of-a-kind projects such as Magnolia Market, which drew more than a million visitors last year. At any rate, he said, Magnolia is only one factor in the downtown real estate boom and corresponding value increases.

You keep seeing market activity and redevelopment and construction activity all the way down to 11th Street, he said. Its not Magnolia Silos driving this.

Randy Reid of Reid-Peevey Commercial Real Estate said the downtown real estate boom is real, and Magnolia is a part of it. He said Fixer Upper fever will eventually subside, but downtown Waco will likely continue to draw tourists as well as businesses and urban dwellers as it develops.

But he said rising rents, along with the prospect of big tax increases, are likely to drive out some businesses with smaller profit margins.

Youve just essentially had an atomic bomb, and it takes a few years for the fallout to come, he said. Whats going to happen is that people are going to go out of business. . . . Youve going to have winners and losers. Theres going to be lots of winners, and also people disappointed with their sales and overhead, and thats going to put them out of business.

Reid said the problem with the tax appraisal process is that it assumes highest and best use for every property, but not every owner can find a buyer willing to pay top dollar.

Current use ought to trump highest and best use if an owner doesnt want to sell their property, he said.

Brian Ginsburg, a retailer who also owns three buildings in the 800 block of Austin Avenue, said increased taxes could tip the scale in the survival of some small businesses. He leases one building to the Hey Sugar! candy store, has one under renovation for a home decor boutique and has one for lease.

Together, the appraised value of the buildings went up this year from $272,990 to $408,080, a 49 percent increase. He said hell have to eat the tax increase for Hey Sugar!, but pass along the tax costs to the other future tenants through what is known as a triple net contract.

Ginsburg has been downtown for decades, and he said a lot of property was undervalued for a long time. But he said this seems like too much, too soon.

It hurts everybody

I cant protest it on the grounds that its not worth it, he said. Its just the sharp increase that hurts. . . . In the long run, it hurts everybody.

Henderson, the downtown official, said her central concern is that properties are appraised accurately. But she said the values should reflect the long-term, intrinsic value of a given property, not just match the highest rent in the market.

For example, she said the new Mary Avenue Market at South Sixth Street and Mary Avenue is set to charge high rents to high-end businesses, such as a pie bakery.

I like pie as much as the next person, but weve got 111 blocks of downtown, she said. Theyre not all going to be Mary Avenue Market. Theyre not all going to get a lot more in rent than theyre getting right now.

Henderson said she is urging property owners to challenge their values and to request comps from the appraisal district to use as evidence.

Chase, the Insurors of Texas president, said his company isnt going anywhere, even if taxes double. But he said it cuts into the companys bottom line and creates a less certain business environment.

Still, he said hes glad to see downtown real estate becoming more valuable.

Chases father, Tom Chase, bought the five-story Southwest Drug factory-warehouse in 2003 for a few hundred thousand dollars and announced plans to spend about $3 million renovating it for the insurance firm, according to news stories from the time.

I thought (my dad) had lost his mind, George Chase recalls. I said, Youre going to do what? It was an old, run-down building that had been vacant more than 20 years. But it did strike me that downtown was ripe for development.

George Chase said moving downtown was a good bet, and he thinks downtowns redevelopment wont slow down anytime soon.

I think it will continue for at least the next few years, he said. Weve got great momentum. We love being downtown. Having more people down here makes it more exciting. . . . When you get more people, you get more places to go. When you get more places to go, you get more people.
As work on the future Waco High School is proceeding, some of its history  in the form of many trees on the campus  is receding.
On Panel 42E, Row 13 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, theres a name of importance to retired Air Force Master Sgt. Charles E. Bass, 86, of Woodway. Its his brother, Budrow Bass Jr., who was killed in action shortly after he arrived in Vietnam.

Charles Bass and Little Bud, as he was known, were born into a Louisiana family with seven other siblings; Charles was the oldest, and Little Bud was the sixth child. They were born years apart.

Bass grew up in Jonesville, and went to work when he graduated high school. He couldnt see any reason to go to college, so he didnt

I come from a farm where wages were a dollar a day, and all the sudden, I was being paid some big wages to primarily supervise meat packaging and display, Bass said. I couldnt believe you could make money that easy. He skipped going to LSU, because he didnt think he could make more money by going to college.

When he joined the Air Force in October 1950 to avoid being drafted into the Army, Little Bud was a young boy and Bass wasnt as close with him and the younger children as he was with his older siblings. Bass joined the Air Force assuming it would involve flying.

I thought then that everyone in the Air Force flew and came back home after resting a while. I didnt realize only 20 percent of the people flew and the rest served on the ground, he said.

Air Force on the ground

Bass military career began at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and it took him all over the United States and abroad. His specialty was electronics and it wasnt too long before he was teaching new cadets.

In 1951, he went to England with the 59th Air Wing to Burtonwood, a former World War II air depot. He taught radar, electronics and fire control systems in the B-29 and B-50 aircraft and attended school on base through Warrington and the University of Maryland.

Back in the U.S., he was assigned to James Connally AFB in Waco, where he met his future wife, Retha Joe Furlow, a nurse with the 3565th Medical group. They married in 1954.

Bass continued his military career. He served at many bases throughout the U.S., including Lowry in Denver; Columbus, Ohio with the SAC unit at Lockbourne AFB; Bergstrom AFB; Glasgow AFB in Montana; and Castle AFB in California. He retired after 20 years and 28 days as a master sergeant in November 1970.

Little Bud was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 while Charles was at Castle. He saw his brother for the last time when Little Bud took a 30-day leave and came home. Just finished with Tiger training in preparation for Vietnam, Little Bud told his brother he had the choice to go elsewhere but turned it down. Bass urged him to reconsider, but Little Bud refused to leave his brothers who were going to Vietnam.

Less than two months later, he was dead. On March 1, 1968, Budrow Bass Jr., 20, was killed by an improvised explosive device planted in the ground, leaving behind an expecting wife.

It was near Chu Chi in Vietnam and the Army unit was marching in single file, when at the front of the line someone fired a gun or some similar device. It was a decoy to get soldiers, as the enemy knew, to hit the ground instinctively. There were many $2 personnel mines planted and Little Bud landed on one. He died instantly.

No news is usually bad news

Bass got a call from his father at Castle, who told him Little Bud was missing. Bass told his father to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. He knew from experience that many families are first informed their loved one is missing to give them time to process the information. A couple of days later, they usually inform the family that he is deceased and his body recovered.

Bass escorted his brothers body home from Oakland Army Base. It was one of the most difficult jobs in my life, he said. Arriving home in the middle of the night, there were about 500 people there to honor Little Bud. I never saw anything like it in my life, he said.

Today, Bass is retired and still married to Retha. They have four children, four granddaughters and three great-grandsons. He volunteers in the community, and he and Retha have spent years sponsoring Baylor girls to provide support while they are away from home.

He thinks about his brother, especially on Little Buds birthday and on the day he died. He gets emotional when he talks about it. But, he feels God has a plan in mind.

Regarding his own service, Bass said, It was a job I volunteered to do. I feel honored to have served. I felt like a part in it by preparing the men to carry out the mission.
George A. Holland

1931 - 2017

The Reverend George Alfred Holland, age 85, passed away Monday, May 22, 2017, after a short illness from metastasized melanoma.Services will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 27, at the First Presbyterian Church, Homer, Louisiana, and at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 3, at Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th Street, Austin, TX.

George was preceded in death by his parents, George and Fola Holland; and his brother, William Lloyd Holland of San Antonio, Texas.

George is survived by his wife of almost fifty years, Rev. Patricia Gladney Holland; four children, Laurel Holland and husband, Greg Freed, Scott Holland, and Grace Holland, all of Austin, and Kirk Holland and wife, Stephanie, of Bryan, Texas. They have enjoyed seven grandchildren, Taylor Gladney Holland, Margaret Gladney Holland, James Charles Gladney Holland, all of Bryan, Sofia Holland Freed, Zachary Holland Freed, Alexandria Holland Washington, and George Carver Washington V., all of Austin. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Jeanne Holland of San Antonio, Texas; five nephews, Bill Holland, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas, Bob Holland and wife, Jeannine, Brad Holland, Sr., Brian Holland and wife, Shelly, Blake Holland and wife, Mary Jane; eight great-nieces and nephews, all of the Dallas area; and a host of former parishioners and friends.

George was born July 11, 1931 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when his father was Superintendent of Schools and pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Craig, Nebraska. The family moved to Dallas in 1938 when his father became an executive with the Boy Scouts.

George graduated from Sunset High School, attended North Texas University in Denton, Texas and graduated from SMU in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army as a Counter Intelligence Agent in Japan and Korea. After being honorably discharged from the army in Korea, he and a friend toured Asia and Europe. He worked as a radio announcer in Dallas before attending Teacher's College at Columbia, New York, and teaching English, Drama and Speech at MacArthur High School in San Antonio for four years.

He entered Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1964 where he met and married his wife Trish. After graduation in 1968 he served four years as pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, twenty-four years as pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Waco, Texas, and two years as Interim Pastor at the Church of the Eternal Hills in Frazier and Winter Park, Colorado.

George was best remembered in Waco for using his gifts to bring people together through service at a time when the city, as well as the nation, was at a crossroads. The civil rights movement had shifted into high gear and many churches were moving out to the suburbs. George was instrumental in reviving the Waco Ministerial Alliance by planning joint projects with other churches and synagogues. He initiated a historic annual event to bring black and white churches together in a community-wide Easter Sunrise Service at the new Indian Springs Park. During the Branch Davidian Crisis, George organized an ecumenical service of prayer at Central Presbyterian Church, attended by a broad spectrum of religious leaders from all ethnic and gender groups, as well as by elected officials, including Gov. Ann Richards and more than 70 media outlets. He was a regular guest columnist for the Waco Tribune Herald, served on the board of Waco Compassion Ministries, and hosted the first Habitat for Humanity office at Central Presbyterian Church.

George had a keen and insightful understanding of the world and the diverse experiences of people in it. He was outraged by injustice but instilled a sense of hopefulness through the power of reconciliation.

George delighted in his children and grandchildren, celebrating each milestone of their lives, slow to judge and quick to encourage their gifts. He loved his wife Trish with his whole heart. They made an incredible team, in ministry and in life.

He was a wise and humble man with a generous smile that could light up a room. He had a wonderful, dry sense of humor, a perfect radio voice, and an unforgettable laugh.

George demonstrated the grace and kindness of the heart of God in a way that left an indelible mark on everyone he met. He was a remarkable man, now at peace in a glorious place, and the Lord surely welcomed him home, saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Memorials may be given to Breakthrough Central Texas, 1050 E. 11th St. ste 350, Austin TX 78702, or Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104.
Darvin Louis Little

Jan. 20, 1943 - May 24, 2017

Darvin Louis Little, age 74, of Waco, passed away Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at Providence Hospice Place at St. Catherine Center in Waco. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 30, at Lake Shore Drive Church of Christ with Minister Ernie Christie officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 29, at OakCrest Funeral Home.

Darvin was born on January 20, 1943 to Albert Louis and Ludie Mae Little in Wareham, Massachusetts. He was a long time resident of Waco. Darvin was a graduate of University High School and attended Baylor University.

After serving his country for 6 years, he was honorably discharged from the Army in 1970. Consequently, after returning from the Army, he was employed by the Southland Corporation with the 7-11 stores. This is where he met the love of his life, Gaye Lynn Dale. This past April they celebrated 50 years of marriage.

While employed at 7-11, he joined the Waco Junior Chamber of Commerce where he was involved with numerous community projects. He also served as president of the Waco Jaycee's from 1972-73 where he made many lifelong friends.

Other community organizations he was involved in include the USO, and American Red Cross and Carter Blood Care Center, having donated 17 gallons of blood. In addition, he was a member of the Waco Lions Club and was a faithful member of Lake Shore Drive Church of Christ.

After leaving Southland Corporation, he worked for Guy King Tire Company and Goodyear. Next, he was employed by Mr. Gilford Fred at Morris Jewelers in Waco, which led him to a very passionate career in the jewelry business as he served Waco and surrounding areas.

After many successful years as manager of both the Lake Air and Richland Mall stores, Darvin opened Darvin's Fine Jewelers in 1983, at the Lake Air location and also, operated a lease department at Cox's Department Store in the Westview Shopping Center. Several years later, Lake Air Mall was sold to make room for the current Target store. Consequently, Darvin relocated across the street at the Lake Air East location. In June of 2016, after a combination of 43 years in the jewelry business, Darvin retired leaving behind a legacy of integrity and a strong work ethic.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Carol Little Torres; brother, Charles Marshall Little; and father and mother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Dale.

Darvin leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife, Gaye Lynn; sister, Angie and husband, Calvin Baker, Jr.; brother-in-law, Gary C. Dale and wife, Cindy; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to the Alzheimer's Association for their support and kindness. In addition, the family would like to express our total gratitude to Providence ER, ICU staff, and the 4 North nurses and doctors for the excellent and compassionate care given to Darvin. Special thanks, recognition and gratitude to the dedicated staff at Providence Hospice Place at St. Catherine Center. They showed remarkable love and compassion to Darvin, as well as to our family during this difficult time.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Alpha Delta Kappa-Beta Phi, Carter Bloodcare, Providence Hospice Place at St. Catherine Center, Lake Shore Drive Church of Christ, or the charity of your choice.

You may sign the online guestbook at www.oakcrestwaco.com.
Last week multimillionaire and GOP candidate for Montanas at-large congressional seat Greg Gianforte hurled the Guardians Ben Jacobs to the ground after Jacobs asked a question about the austere American Health Care Act. You dont have to like Jacobs (I sure as hell dont) to think that a political candidate assaulting a journalist for asking questions is bad news and, in the aftermath of Jacobs account, people almost uniformly agreed with that.

But predictably, there were outliers in the conservative media. (Id say these people debased themselves as journalists, but modern conservative media started with Bill Buckley defending segregation and presently consists of psychotic bathroom warriors and amoral kiss-ups defending Donald Trumps demented flailing as Machiavellian genius, so its not like theyve gotten much worse.)

What kind of a wuss files charges over broken glasses? wondered the Daily Callers Derek Hunter; in reply to audio of Jacobs assault, Town Halls Kurt Schlichter tweeted: Ill go find a breeding kennel if I want to listen to bitches. Longtime conservative know-nothing Laura Ingraham asked: What would most Montana men do if body slammed for no reason by another man?

Maybe all this right-wing bravado stands to reason. As a nation, were into violence that looks awesome and puts us at pitifully minimal risk, like murdering foreigners with remote-controlled high-tech weaponry and arming ordinary street cops with machine guns. Americans in general dont have that much experience fighting, after all. We lionize fighting in movies and TV, but watch any video of antifa beanpoles and gelatinous irredentists flailing at one another at Berkeley and you have to face it: Most people in this country cannot fight their way out of a wet paper bag and have no clue what theyre talking about when they opine on it. Despite having a politics built entirely on symbolic grievances about statues and gay couples, the reactionary view is that everyone in the world is a wuss except you and anything one of your enemies does is proof of what a crybaby they are. I cant imagine a rich media barnacle or a Daily Caller oaf has too much experience fighting, but that doesnt stop them from declaring Jacobs the biggest wuss ever for calling the cops after getting assaulted.

Truth: Fighting is absolutely exhausting and losing is worse. Ive had my fair share of fights , both winning and losing efforts. In my first fight at age 16, I got torched by a more experienced friend. In my most recent one (3 years ago, when I was a bar bouncer), I tossed a guy out of a bar by his neck after he bit me on the chest. Both in victory and defeat, I felt completely depleted afterward. If you win, youre high off adrenaline that quickly wears off and you barely recall what you did. You have someones fluids on you and you feel every conflicting feeling of violent triumph and regret at once. If you lost, your bell is most likely rung, your lungs are burning (most people have only about 30 seconds of gas in them), youre confused and deeply ashamed.

Though he is not a fistic, combat-averse American, Jacobs probably didnt have all that much experience with the discombobulation one experiences after a fight. Its more than understandable he felt distraught and called the cops. He was thrown and punched for asking questions, after all.

Physical fights arent choreographed performances; theyre painful and bizarre and usually unexpected, and anybody whos ever genuinely been thrown down could hardly blame Jacobs for being stunned and contacting the authorities. That Jacobs did isnt everything wrong with America; that a bunch of middle-aged pundits logged onto Twitter to strut their toughness in 140 characters or less isnt either, but its closer to the problem than Jacobs ever has been.
The Tribune-Heralds recent editorial supporting the elimination of straight-party voting is a well-intended effort to promote election reform and encourage a more engaged electorate. However, stripping away an option Texas voters regularly choose by the millions is neither reform nor encouraging. It is another election change by state leaders dressed up in the veneer of reform that will likely discourage voters and further suppress participation in elections.

The straight-party option has been available to Texas voters for decades, and Texans like it. Last year in McLennan County, 62 percent of all voters chose the straight-party option. In large urban counties like Dallas and Harris, over two-thirds of the voters chose the straight-party option.

Until the current legislative session, straight-party voting had not been made a priority by Republican leaders. The current effort to eliminate the option is more likely an acknowledgment by Republican leaders that straight-ticket voting is being used effectively by minority voters to elect their candidates of choice, especially in large urban county elections.

In Texas, we elect nearly every county and state official on a partisan basis. Candidates run and campaign as Republicans, Democrats or some third party. Serious candidates are asked to wear a party brand. The result is that our ballots are long and tedious and party choice matters.

In some Texas counties, there are more than 60 individual races on a ballot featuring more than 150 candidates. Even in McLennan County, in 2014, there were over 30 races on the ballot with nearly 100 candidates. Many voters who have detailed knowledge about the dozens of races and candidates choose the straight-party option because of convenience or because party preference is the controlling factor in their decision.

Under current law, any Texas voter can individually choose a candidate in each race. No law nor election official can compel a Texas voter to cast a straight-party ballot. It is an individual voters choice to do so or not.

The politicians in Austin pushing elimination of straight-party voting dont have any substantive justification for further limiting voter choices. Instead, they rely on the vague notion that those who cast straight-party ballots are less informed, less engaged and less serious about their choices. It is a cynical, disrespectful and patronizing point of view.

Surely, Austin politicos dont think that 62 percent of the voters in McLennan County, two-thirds of the voters in Harris County and millions of other Texans who regularly cast straight-party ballots are irresponsible and uninformed. The politicians do know, however, that long, tedious ballots without the straight-party option means longer lines and longer waits at the polling place. Voters with full-time jobs, kids to pick up and drop off or senior citizens who dont see well or cant stand in long times will be less likely to vote at all.

So why take away such a popular voting option without any substantive justification or any broad call from the public to do so?

Sadly, the answer is the same one that drove Austin leaders to adopt other restrictive voting laws  many of them ruled by federal courts to be illegal. Making voting harder discourages participation in elections and helps the current power structure in Austin stay in power. And it further erodes public trust in the democratic process.
For one moment

Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates those military men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so we may continue to enjoy our freedom as citizens of the United States of America. Monday is our chance as Americans to unite in this opportunity to honor the men and women who died while serving our country. This Memorial Day, the Texas Veterans Commission is asking that you take part in a national moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. Monday for one minute.

During this Moment of Remembrance, we come together to honor and commemorate their deeds and give thanks for their valor. We celebrate the excellence of the ordinary men and women who rose to perform extraordinary feats. Their courage and sacrifice serve to remind us of the values for which our nation stands  duty, honor and country.

On Memorial Day in 1982, President Ronald Reagan  referring to those who gave their lives willingly for their country  stated: Yet we must try to honor them  not for their sakes alone but for our own. And if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.

It is our sacred responsibility to preserve the legacy of our nations patriots. We are bound by honor to do so. For without the courage and valor of our nations veterans, the values and principles that have made it possible for Americans to meet new challenges and move forward as a nation would have been lost.

Their courage and sacrifice will always be remembered and honored across this great state, this great nation and most importantly, in our hearts.

Eliseo Al Cantu, Chairman, Texas Veterans Commission

Climate threat

In his May newsletter for Military Appreciation Month, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn discusses the need for a strong military in the future. If Sen. Cornyn cares about our troops and national security, why isnt he fighting to address climate change?

The Pentagon lists climate change as one of the biggest threats they face. High-ranking officials agree. Adm. Frank Skip Bowman, Rear Adm. David Titley, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (Colin Powells chief of staff), Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former secretaries of state George Shultz and James Baker and countless others are concerned. Our military leaders tell us sea-level rise will put bases underwater. They tell us climate change will multiply threats in vulnerable countries. They tell us clean energy will make us more independent.

If Cornyn truly wants to protect our military in a changing world, he must listen to them. I urge our senator to join the growing bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives and start fighting for our safety.

Sasha West , Austin
TeJun the Texas Cajun has taken its popular food truck business in Robinson to a brick-and-mortar building where its loyal customers can still enjoy blue crab from Lake Pontchartrain, snow crab from the Bering Sea, shrimp from the Texas Gulf, lobster from the North Atlantic and Louisiana farm-raised crawfish.

Owners Joe and Tammy Reid have been in the mobile food truck business for more than 20 years, making fans of their food with their specialty seasonings and sauces and the freshest seafood they can buy.

The couple also is part owners of radio station KNES in Fairfield where they started their food truck business on a seasonal basis. With roots down at the Texas coast, they also own an RV park at Crystal Beach.

Joe Reid says he was inspired to take the business to the next level.

My grandson became ill at 4 years old and through that God instructed me to build a restaurant in Robinson, Texas. Theres a lot more to that story, Reid said. When you come into the restaurant, youre going to see a lot of Scripture on the walls because thats who we are. He told me to build it, and I built it. Its doing very well, and were very happy with whats happening so far and were just getting started.

The restaurant at 711 N. Robinson Drive offers dine-in seating and a drive-through window for to-go orders. Tejun the Texas Cajun still offers mobile food truck services, rotating weekends among Corsicana, Mexia, Fairfield and Hillsboro. The schedule is posted at www.tejunthetexascajun.com.

We have a cooking trailer, a serving trailer and a product trailer, Reid said.

Getting the Name

Reid came up with the name himself when he first opened the food truck.

Years ago, when we first started, we were trying to come up with a name, he said. I have family who live in Louisiana, but Im not really a Cajun. Im a Texas Cajun, so I was looking at the name and said what if we just took the Te in Texas and the jun in Cajun. Youre a Tejun if you love Cajun cuisine, but youre a Texan.

From there, he carried on the tradition of Cajun cuisine with his own personal touch.

All of the products we cook, they are not manufactured in a can or by man, he said. All of our products, God made em, and right now 95 percent of our products are cooked with nothing but water.

To offer a diverse menu to customers who might not be open to seafood, the restaurant will offer a chicken platter, so Reid is adding fryers to the facility.

Our model is very different, he said. We have people who come in and ask for various things, but we specialize in just a few items and we do them very quickly. I dont think theres a faster-serving restaurant in the country. We do a three-plate average in 60 seconds.

Drive-through Option

Customers also like to be able to pick up their meal and take it home.

We are one of the only fast casual restaurants in the United States that offers a drive-through. Its the smartest thing I think Ive done, he said. Tejun has always been a take-it-home business if thats what you want to do. Theres a large group of people who do not dine in. The way our society is today is everybody wants it fast.

He takes pride in giving his customers the highest-quality food without a long wait.

Impatience is probably the worst thing our culture has come up with, Reid said. We strive to be very fast in the drive through. Were down to about two minutes a car. Weve got a line buster now, which is a handheld point-of-sale system so we can go out and get the line down. We added a second board, which really speeded us up. Were really different. Were kind of breaking the mold.

Since the new location is in its early stages, Reid is working out some of the logistics to make his customers comfortable and get they to come back.

When we fill up, our parking is somewhat limited. On Friday and Saturday, its very busy, he said.

Knowing what his customers like is what keeps the restaurant bustling, and the menu at Tejun the Texas Cajun responds accordingly.

Our customers have always been our gauge, he said. If they like it, we like it. It stays or it goes. The most popular item we have is peeled shrimp. We have peeled shrimp and a regular shrimp with the peel on.

Staying Fresh

My uncle was a shrimper and I worked a couple of summers on a shrimp boat, he said. My grandfather had a marina on Crystal Beach, Texas. As a child, it was kind of entrenched in me.

Learning the shrimp business gave Reid a first-hand glimpse of why fresh is always best when it comes to seafood.

We focus on buying the best seafood we can find, he said. We mix all of our own seasonings. We make a couple of different sauces right now. We have become very, very picky about where we buy our crawfish and where our shrimp comes from. All of our energy is focused on buying the best seafood we can find at the best prices.

That also means knowing how and when nature best serves up the delicacies from the sea.

In seafood, there is a natural cycle, Reid said. The snow crab comes from the Bering Sea, the lobster comes from Maine. Our blue crab comes from Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, our Jonah crab comes from the Northeast.

Sourcing is important, but so is packaging to retain the natural flavor of the products he serves every day.

You can take a great crab or lobster, and the way you package it can deteriorate it, he said.

The lobster we buy is done a very specific way that saves the flavor and the quality of the lobster, the texture of the lobster. If you dont use a lobster wholesaler that uses those techniques, its going to taste differently. There are a lot of things weve learned in 20 years that matter.

The Reids are wholesalers for crab and shrimp, giving them an edge in the market.

You probably would not find another mom-and-pop seafood business in the country that has a wholesale business on the side, he said. We buy our stuff straight. Truthfully, its what catapulted our business.

Excellent pricing strategies, the freshest seafood and a secret sauce have been the perfect ingredients for pleasing customers.

We make our own seasonings, Reid said. We make a butter sauce that has about 16 different seasonings in that butter. We have a technique we use thats a secret. We make that ourselves fresh every day. We have a red sauce. Its not hot, its just a sauce we make daily that goes into our plates. Its a routine we do no matter where you go, the mobile unit, the catering rig or the restaurant, youll find it.

Favorite Choices

As for menu favorites, Reid has a few of his own.

Me personally, Im kind of a crab guy, he said. I like the Jonah crab. Im kind of a picker and thats the rock crab. Its not a hamburger. Youre actually going to pick the meat out of it and eat it.

Youll hear people say they dont eat crawfish because its too much work. Theres probably a sermon in that.

Each crab has its own characteristics that seafood lovers savor.

Snow crab is a favorite crab because its flavorful, and its fairly easy to get the meat out of the crab, he said. The same is true for rock crab. It would take you probably an hour to do. You pick meat and you talk. Its a social crab.

As a crab connoisseur, Reid specializes in finding the best for his customers.

One of my favorite crabs is the Pontchartrain blue crab, he said. We have a company there that actually peels the knuckle meat for us. You just pick it and eat. Its a real crab claw that has been hand-peeled in Louisiana. It is so good. It is as expensive wholesale as lobster because each knuckle is taken off by a human being,

The Jonah crab is great. We call it a mallet crab because the best way to eat it is to lay it on the table and whack it with a mallet. If youre not getting crab on your neighbor, youre not eating crab.

Trust in God

Reid credits his faith in God for his continued success.

A lot of people wont understand that statement if theyre not Christians, he said. All things move by his hand. He can cause business to come to you, and they dont even know why theyre there. The Bible says he owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

I purchased the land after this supernatural event that happened with my grandson; basically, the Lord delivered my grandson back to us when he should have died. I was a fence-wobbler. I was Gods biggest critic. Through this event, He showed us that He is. I said Im going to have to see to believe and I was shown. He took me, the most logical and sensible man on the planet, and He said, I am that I am.

That experience gave Reid another role as a part-time, fill-in preacher. He also sees his restaurant as a testimony to his faith.

We are a customer-centered business. What our customers want, need and desire, thats what we do, Reid said. This is a mom and pop. This is Joe and Tammy Reid, who have never inherited a dime from anybody. Everything we have is on the line at that place. Faith is not faith if its not tested. I believe people need to hear what the Father does. Everything we do there is to glorify the Father.

The Reids plan to open up their property beyond the restaurant for special events.

We have a deck on the back, and theres a pond there, he said. A couple of times a year, were going to have an event where the kids can come fish and take pictures. There are lot of kids who live in the city and they dont get to fish. Catching a fish can change a childs life. We also want to have live music out there.

The new permanent location of Tejun is a culmination of years of hard work and experience and finally, the right timing, he added.

Weve always had people encourage us to build a place, he said. For lack of anything else, I had always been afraid I was going to mess it up. Then our son-in-law came into the picture, and he had a degree in electronics. We said, lets see what this thing will do if we take it year-round. Lets just take a leap. So he ran it full time for about three or four years and then we decided to take it to even more towns, and the next thing we know we are in Robinson, Texas.

Tejun the Texas Cajun

711 N. Robinson Drive

235-1300

Wed-Thu, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fri, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sat, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Also on Facebook
Beulah Barksdale has spent her adult life teaching others, whether during her career as a librarian or talking about her extensive doll collection. Born during the Great Depression, the 85-year-old serves as a resource for local black history and continues to share her knowledge with others.

Ive seen a lot of changes, Barksdale said while sitting among several of her favorite dolls. Ive always been very proud, extremely proud of my ancestors and black history.

Among her many community activities, the Waco native is a charter member of both the Central Texas Storytelling Guild and the Central Texas Doll Club. She has been a part of the Waco History Project, sharing stories of Wacos past, and with the Waco Cultural Arts Fest, where her collection of African artifacts annually is on display.

The collections started during her childhood. Growing up in a tight-knit family with two brothers, Barksdale said her mother  a school teacher  saved money to purchase black dolls for her only daughter.

As a little girl, she was more interested in keeping up with the boys and playing outside. But my mother insisted we have tea parties, Barksdale added with a chuckle.

It wasnt until her mother died that Barksdale reconnected with her stored dolls and realized her love and appreciation for these childhood relics.

The oldest dolls I have are even older than I am, she said.

When she married educator Ralph Barksdale Jr., she said she traveled with him for work and often passed time visiting doll shops. She said this fed and expanded her interest in collecting items of historic value.

Dolls make you branch out to other things, she said, adding that people naturally are drawn to smaller versions of themselves.

All people and nations have dolls; every culture has dolls, Barksdale explained, drawing reference to ancient Egyptians who were buried with theirs. (People) just want their own babies that represent themselves.

Vast Collection

Among some of her more valuable and favorite dolls are bride, glamour and character dolls.

Her mantel is home to a boxed version of renowned ballerina Misty Copeland, who made history as the first African-American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.

Seated on his own cushioned rocking chair in her living room is Moses  called Mo in the doll world  a curly-haired, 10-month-old baby doll. I like dolls that are smiling, Barksdale said with her own broad smile while tousling Mos thick curls.

Theres also Nana, a prize-winning character doll made in San Antonio. Dressed partly in a robe and house clothes, partly in jewelry, the grandma doll was called to the school in the middle of the day, Barksdale explained with a chuckle.

There is a miniature American Girl doll, a tiny doll made with a red pinto bean, African women twin figurines, and dolls that come with Bibles or their own stuffed animals. Barksdale said her collection once was upwards of 2,000 pieces. Today, she has closer to 1,000.

Teacher, Librarian

Barksdale is a third-generation college graduate, beginning her own career as an instructor at Paul Quinn College. Soon after, she attended library school and ended her more than 37-year career as a librarian with the Waco Independent School District.

In June 2016, she lost her husband after 60 years of marriage. Ralph Barksdale Jr. also worked just over 37 years in education, serving as principal for various Waco ISD schools.

While discussing her different collections, including some artifacts that are in transit to and from various museums and exhibits, Barksdale said her dolls have taken a backseat for now.

Im still dealing with my husbands death, she said. Theyre just not my priority right now.

Historical resource

Locally, Barksdale is known as a knowledgeable historian and great resource for the black community.

According to Jo Welter, board of directors chair with the Community Race Relations Coalition, Barksdale knows about everything.

She is like a walking encyclopedia, Welter said. She knows more than probably anyone else living in Waco about local African-American history.

Welter met Barksdale a few years ago when coordinating an artifacts display during the African Film Festival, part of the Cultural Arts Fest. Welter said she was amazed at both her knowledge and willingness to share with others.

Beulah was there every minute. It was a Friday night and all day Saturday, Welter said. People loved it when she was there explaining the history behind these items.

Although Barksdale currently is not fully focused on her vast doll collection and cherished artifacts, she said her desire to teach and share history with others is a long-standing part of her life.

I just had a wonderful childhood, Barksdale said about her early life experiences. We were a small, tight family and I was very sheltered. We spent summers in various other cities in Texas with my aunt and her husband, who was a minister.

As an adult, she continued exploring the globe while traveling with her husband. She has visited many parts of the United States and numerous countries like England, France, Mexico, Canada, and different areas of Africa.

Various sections of the doll collection have been on display at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Austin, Barksdale said. Ive told stories internationally, including a history of dolls from way back.

And with a new Honda parked in her driveway, and a few errands to run on any given afternoon, Barksdale shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Car insurer AAMI promises to "make life simpler", but for the Wotton family of Sydney's northern beaches, this did not turn out to be.

For the past year, Lauren Wotton searched for the cause of an "unbearable" stench in her bright blue Mazda. The mother-of-three eventually discovered that water had been sloshing around in the spare tyre well the whole time.

Alarmed, she contacted her car insurer of 10 years, AAMI, which swiftly arranged for a repairer to remedy the issue.

The repairer found that a previous AAMI-preferred mechanic had stuffed two drain pipes from the sunroof into the boot, instead of attaching them to the back bumper, causing the pool of water to be formed.
The private health insurance rebate would be abolished, consumers would be charged more for extras cover and the states would be forced to find more money for public hospitals under radical funding changes being considered by top government officials.

Documents obtained by Fairfax Media reveal the nation's most senior health bureaucrats are part of a secret taskforce developing a proposal for a 'Commonwealth Hospital Benefit'  a new funding formula for public and private hospitals that would have widespread ramifications for patients and the medical industry.

However Health Minister Greg Hunt has now ruled out adopting the plan: "It will not be government policy. It will never be government policy."
Nearly one third of the 545 Australians currently imprisoned or facing charges overseas were convicted or arrested for drug-related crimes, according to the latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Many are in countries where conviction on drug charges may attract the death penalty.

Antonio Bagnato, now on death row, after his arrest in Cambodia in December. Credit:Kampuchea Thmey Daily

DFAT figures on open consular cases show that as of May 24, 102 (or 41 per cent) of the 246 Australians languishing in overseas jails were convicted on drug charges, and 68 (or 23 per cent) of the 299 Australians arrested overseas were arrested on drugs charges. They come as convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby returns to Australia, having completed her sentence in an Indonesian jail.

While Corby's is perhaps the most high-profile case of an Australian facing the death penalty, a Fairfax Media analysis shows that since 1980 at least 92 Australians have been charged with crimes that attract the death penalty.
Passengers on board her flight were reportedly warned against taking photographs and said Ms Corby was hiding her face and appeared nervous. Schapelle Corby leaves the parole offices in Denpasar after signing papers before being deported today from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, back to Australia. Credit:James Brickwood Others said she was spotted laughing with her security guard and ate a vegan meal during the flight. Jane Szach and Kerry Webb, who were visiting Ms Szach's daughter in Bali, said the departure gate at Denpasar International Airport was changed twice without notification.

Indonesian police escort the car which Schapelle Corby is in as she prepares for deportation from Indonesia on May 27. Credit:Getty On the flight itself, Ms Szach and Ms Webb said, they briefly saw Ms Corby with her sister and a bodyguard referred to as John. "We were quite shocked that she was on our flight," they said. "But she looked amazing. She seemed fine and very relaxed." Lynne Bellinger and Gabrielle Amies, who were on the same flight into Brisbane as Schapelle Corby. Credit:Scott Beveridge Gabrielle Amies and Lynne Bellinger, holidaying in Bail, said it was "business as usual" on the flight and that without seeing Ms Corby they wouldn't have known anything was different prior to take-off.

However, this changed in the air, with toilets blocked off towards the end of the flight to ensure a hasty exit for Ms Corby. Schapelle Corby at At Ngurah Rai airport, Denpasar, Indonesia. Ms Amies and Ms Bellinger said that on landing in Brisbane, all passengers were forced to remain in their seats, with an announcement saying, "The special guest has to get off first". Ms Corby said in a statement that her focus had turned to "healing and moving forward" "It is with gratefulness and relief that we mark Schapelle Corby's return to Australia," the statement, read by a member of the security team, said.

"We would like to say thank you to Schapelle's supporters for all the faith, love and support they have shown over the years. "To all those in Australia and to all of those in Bali, who were there throughout the difficult journey, your support has not gone unnoticed. "To each and every one of you, you are appreciated." The family called for privacy as the convicted drug smuggler tries to settle back into life in Queensland. "Priority of focus will now be on healing and moving forward," the statement said.

Corby was arrested at Bali's international airport on October 8, 2004, with 4.2 kilograms of marijuana stuffed in her boogie board bag. After almost a decade in jail and three years on parole, she is finally a free woman. A media circus swarmed Ms Corby as she departed from Bali. Wearing sunglasses and a white shawl around her head, Ms Corby carried a handbag showing a picture of missing NSW boy William Tyrrell as she got into a corrections vehicle under the glare of flashing cameras. The William Tyrrell charity said on Sunday it was not associated with the convicted drug smuggler and was "not happy" Ms Corby had used the image.

As media outlets compete to secure the first post-parole interview, legal experts have warned that Ms Corby could breach proceeds-of-crime laws should she profit from the media frenzy. Barrister Christian Juebner, an expert in proceeds of crime, said Ms Corby could not profit from her "criminal notoriety". Nor could she benefit from remuneration given to family or friends. The Australian Federal Police are likely to scrutinise Ms Corby, given that she has already fallen foul of the Proceeds of Crime Act. In 2009, Australia's Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions recovered $128,000 received by Ms Corby's family from the sale of her book My Story. While the Corby family has asked for privacy, Schapelle created an Instagram account from Bali and a Snapchat account to share her homecoming with the world.

Her debut 'gram', a photo of her two dogs, Luna and May, was posted from her Kuta home only hours before she was picked up by a police convoy to begin her trip home to Australia. It has already gathered more than 7000 likes. "Going to miss these two. My puppies #Luna&May," Ms Corby, who was convicted in 2005 of smuggling more than four kilograms of marijuana into Bali in a bodyboard bag, posted. Her second post, which appeared after she was whisked away by police, shows her "Bali family", including Mercedes and brother Michael Corby. "Big thank you to my Bali family, neighbours and my brother-in-law Wayan," she wrote. She then posted a series of pictures, including one of her parole papers.

By Sunday evening, the account had 125,000 followers. Ms Corby also thanked her supporters via Snapchat. "Thank you for all the love and support everybody x", she wrote. Some members of the public were quick to throw support behind her. "Good job girls. Stay strong ignore the haters. Welcome back to the Gold Coast Shappelle," one supporter said on Instagram.
A Baldivis man has been arrested after leading WA Police on a chase through Perth's southern suburbs.

Officers first attempted to stop the Hyundai sedan on Phoenix Road in Spearwood. It is understood when police activated their lights and sirens, the vehicle attempted to speed away.

The man has been charged with assaulting a public officer. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

Police gave chase through Spearwood, Hamilton Hill, Munster, Wattleup, Kwinana and Parmelia, and the driver eventually lost control in Pitt Lane, Bertram.

"The Hyundai collided with a parked vehicle at low speed and the driver attempted to run but was apprehended by officers at the scene," police spokesman Adam Brouwer said.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 27, 2017 | 10:16 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

A traffic stop early Saturday morning in McCracken County led to the arrest of a Paducah man on drug charges.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Office, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a car for traffic violations on Hovekamp Road. During the course of the investigation, deputies determined that the driver, 43-year-old Kevin Peck of Paducah, was in possession of illicit drugs.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies found suspected marijuana along with a glass smoking pipe and a set of digital scales, which both contained suspected methamphetamine. Other items of drug paraphernalia were also found in the vehicle.

Peck was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and multiple traffic violations. He was taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 27, 2017 | 11:02 PM | LIVINGSTON COUNTY, KY

A Livingston County man has been arrested on rape and other charges.

According to Kentucky State Police, 72-year-old Lester Carender of Grand Rivers was arrested after a four month investigation into numerous sex offenses. The investigation, which began in January, showed that between 2014 and 2017, Carender engaged in a continuous course of sexual conduct with a person who was incapable of consent due to age.

Last month, a search warrant was served at Carenders home, where troopers found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and numerous firearms. Carender was arrested just before 5 pm Friday at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

He's charged with first degree rape (victim under 12 years old), two counts of second degree rape, first degree sodomy (victim under 12 years old), first degree sexual abuse (victim under 12 years old), first degree sexual abuse, possession of marijuana (firearm enhanced) and possession of drug paraphernalia (firearm enhanced).

Carender was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 27, 2017 | 09:48 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

A west Tennessee woman was injured in a single-vehicle wreck Friday morning in Graves County.

Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said the crash happened around 6:30 am at the 11 mile marker of KY 94 East. According to deputies, a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Regan Palazola of Martin, TN attempted to pass a semi when her wheels dropped off the roadway.

The vehicle went into a ditch, overturned several times and struck a utility pole before coming to a rest on its top. Palazola had to be extricated from the vehicle by Mayfield EMS.

She was transported to Baptist Health Paducah for treatment of her injuries.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 27, 2017 | 05:08 PM | PADUCAH, KY





The National Weather Service has issued a rarely issued "Particularly Dangerous Situation" alert for our region this evening.Damaging wind gusts of 70 to 100 mph are possible with line of storms moving at about 65 to 85 miles per hour crossing into western Kentucky.At 6:30 pm, radar indicated wind gusts of 80 mph in eastern McCracken County. A number of trees are reported down in McCracken County.In Dexter, MO, there are reports that a roof was blown off of a movie theater and car wash, and several homes had damaged roofs.Extensive tree damage has been reported in Pulaski County near Ullin in southern Illinois, with estimated 80 mph winds.Power outages are reported to number over 15,000 customers in southeast Missouri, and more than 4,000 out across southern Illinois.Persons who are considering travel on Interstate 55 and 57 in southeast Missouri, as well as Highway 60, are urged to delay travel from now until after 7 pm.A third line of very strong storms are yet to arrive from southern and central Missouri.Storms ahead of this line will also be capable of strong winds, large hail, and an isolated tornado.
Advertisement

By Richard Heath

May. 24, 2017 | FRANKFORT, KY

By Richard Heath May. 24, 2017 | 03:15 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, it is important that we take some time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives for this great nation. The brave men and women who took the fall for our freedom are owed far more than we could ever repay.



While we use this holiday for many purposes, including visiting with family, grilling out in the backyard, or maybe just a day off work or school, we must not cease to remember that this special day carries far greater value. Over a million heroes lost their lives for a higher purpose during this nations history, all to protect the cause of freedom.



The courageous Americans who rushed the beaches of Normandy, occupied the trenches in Vietnam, and reported for duty after the 9/11 attacks, all felt a noble calling: service to the country they love. Even further, they served a country that provides fundamental rights to all people and was founded on the premise that these basic freedoms are non-negotiable.



We owe a promise to our fallen heroes that is fundamentally American at its core, that we shall never forget those who have died for our rights. We shall never forget their contributions to the furthering of American society, as their actions made this nation a beacon of light across the globe. Their valiance made America a nation for others to model, thanks to our thriving democracy, free way of lifeand status as a nation which is the freest, most prosperous in the history of civilization.



We always have, and certainly will continue to face, difficulties and challenges as all great countries do. But thanks to the sacrifice of those we stand to honor this week, America will always stand on a pedestal. Our great nation will continue to chart a path forward for the noble causes of freedom, honor, and democracy, thanks to the sacrifices of so many



I always keep the sacrifices of our troops in mind, not just on Memorial Day, but throughout the year. When working in my capacity as a State Representative, I am constantly reminded that the privilege of serving as the peoples elected representative would not be possible without our military. This is something for all of us to keep in mind, as our freedoms as a people to speak out when necessary, and to participate in democracy are solely because of the resolve of our armed forces, including the many who made the ultimate sacrifice.



Representative Richard Heath can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or you can contact him via e-mail at Richard.Heath@lrc.ky.gov. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at www.lrc.ky.gov.
AUBURN  A sea of closed eyes and heads bowed in respect could be seen at the annual Harriet Tubman Pilgrimage Celebration in Auburn Saturday.

Gatherers congregated tightly by all four sides of the perimeter of a tape surrounding the famous abolitionist and former Auburn resident's gravestone at Fort Hill Cemetery.

To the left of the tombstone were various figures with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church  which Tubman was a part of  who spoke, and to the right were Tubman's great-great-grandnieces, Geraldine Daniels and Pauline Copes Johnson.

AME Zion Church Bishop Dennis V. Proctor of the North Eastern Episcopal District spoke about Tubman's impact on modern-day America.

"As we stand on this ground today as we'll be on the homestead of Harriet Tubman, we are reminded in a very real sense of one who through her poverty made us the rest of us rich," garnering several cries of agreement and "Amen!"

"One who from her incarceration, helped all of us to seek humanity, and I was reminded this morning that in this city that I've been in so many times and Auburn prison, that I have visited more times than I care to remember, that the driving force, the economic force of this area is part of the prison-industrial complex. And I wonder, what Harriet Tubman would say today. So we still have a mission. We still have a co-mission. And God help us if we remain guilty of no mission," Proctor said.

A wreath was placed in front of the stone and Johnson placed an American flag by the site as well.

After the service, The Rev. Chan-Tell King-Beckwith of AME Zion Church said she is happy that Tubman has been a part of the cultural conversation in recent years, including the fact she is set to be the face of the $20 bill and the establishment of a national park in her honor.

"The story was silence was a long time, we only understood that the underground railroad was just like a story or myth so we really didn't know how she did it. And knowing that she was able to buy land and then dedicate it and give it to our denomination, so we come here to pay homage and also to remember what she's done, and so we can continue to fight," King-Beckwith said.
Wexford photographer Declan Roche is back among the best with stunning shot of hare on Curracloe Beach
FY 17-18 CITY BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVAL ON THE AGENDA FOR CITY COUNCIL THURSDAY NIGHT

WILL RAISE CITY PROPERTY TAXES ONE CENT

WILL RAISE WATER RATES 1.5% FOR CITY WATER CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE CITY; 2% FOR WATER CUSTOMERS INSIDE THE CITY

OTHER ITEMS ON THIS THURSDAY NIGHT'S AGENDA:

Consideration and approval of a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Belmont Sayer LLC to develop the old Grey's Hosiery Building and property

Other major items on Thursday night's agenda:

Consideration of Consent Agenda: These items are considered routine,

noncontroversial in nature and are considered and approved by a single motion and

vote.

A. Consideration of Minutes:

i. May 4, 2017 Regular Meeting

ii. May 5, 2017 Special Meeting

B. Consideration of Budget Amendments (7)

i. General Fund - End of Year Adjustment; no change in bottom line

ii. Water/Sewer Fund - End of Year Adjustment; no change in bottom line

iii. Environmental Services Fund - End of Year Adjustment and Establish

Stormwater Fund Balance, Increase of $80,300

Stormwater Fund - Establish Fund Balance; Increase of $100,000

iv. Main St. Fund - End of Year Adjustment; Increase of $23,650

7th Ave. Fund - End of Year Adjustment; Increase of $5,475

v. Walk of Fame Fund - Revenues Increase of $4,651

vi. Fire Engine Fund - Increase for Final Cost of $14,379

General Fund Transfer to cover any small equipment for new fire engine; no

change in bottom line

vii. Capital Project Funds - Adjust budgets to match financing strategy

Eastside Fund 402 - Increase of $5,100,000

Gravity Filter Fund 425 - Increase of $2,465,000

French Broad Fund 426 - Increase of $184,867

WWTP Generator Fund 445 - Increase of $1,750,000

C. Consideration of a Resolution to Amend the Makeup of the Business Advisory

Committee

2

D. Consideration of Petitions for Annexation and Certificates of Sufficiency for:

i. Satellite Annexation of 12.77 acres at 1630 Old Spartanburg Highway by Mr.

Robbie Allison

ii. Contiguous Annexation of a 1.0-acre parcel located off Chimney Rock Road

by the Trustees of the Hendersonville Church of God

E. Consideration of Installment Financing Agreement with Entegra in the Amount of

$655,000 for a Pierce Fire Truck

F. Consideration of Capital Project Ordinance and Reimbursement Resolutions for the

Grounds and Buildings Maintenance Facility Project

G. Consideration of Capital Project Ordinance and Reimbursement Resolutions for the

Police Headquarters Project

H. Consideration of the Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision for the

Hendersonville High School Special Use Permit

I. Consideration of Waterline Extension Agreement for a proposed single family

subdivision located off Old Haywood Road / NC191 serving nine homes

J. Consideration of a Property Purchase in South Fletcher for a Pumping Station

K. Consideration of Adoption of Personnel Policy

L. Consideration of the Purchase of Trucks for the Water/Sewer Department

M. Consideration of Special Event Permit for the Henderson County July 4 Celebration

N. Consideration of Memorandum of Agreement with Hendersonville Rescue Mission

for the provision of extreme cold weather shelter for our homeless population

6. Recognitions:

A. Presentation of Hendersonville Pollinator Month and Bee City USA Proclamation

B. Recognition of John Buchanan being named a Certified Government Finance Officer

C. Recognition of Service Excellence Quarterly MVPs

D. Assistant Chief of Police Doug Jones 28 years of Service and Consideration of a

Resolution to Recognize Distinguished Service to the City of Hendersonville and

Awarding of Service Side Arm

7. Report on Compassionate Cities

Presenter: Ms. Pam Rogers

8. Presentation by Medical Loan Closet (per Mayor Pro Tem Caraker)

Presenter:

H:\Clerk\Agendas\01 2017\06 June 1\20170601_CC_Agenda.doc 3

9. Public Hearing - Consideration of Ordinance Adopting the Budget for Fiscal Year

2017-18

Presenter: Assistant to the Manager Brian Pahle

10. Public Hearing  Consideration of Petition for the Contiguous Annexation from Mr. Kyle

Edney for Property located at 101 and 103 Beverly Avenue

Presenter: Development Assistance Director Susan Frady

11. Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing  Consideration of an Application for a Special Use

Permit for the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County

Presenter: Senior Planner Matt Champion

12. Consideration of a Memorandum of Understanding with Belmont Sayre, LLC to develop

the Grey Hosiery Mill Project

Presenter: City Manager John Connet

13. Consideration of a Request from Mr. Scott Bolyard to Remove 3.43 acres from the City's

Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction (ETJ)

Presenter: Development Assistance Director Susan Frady

14. Consideration of Request to Reimburse Housing Assistance Corporation for the

Installation of Water/Sewer Infrastructure for a Project off North Main Street and

Associated Budget Amendment

Presenter: City Manager John Connet

15. Consideration of Stream Trash Collection Project on Mud Creek

Presenter: Michael Huffman/GreenWorks

16. Comments from Mayor and City Council Members

17. Reports from Staff

18. Boards and Commissions: Consideration of (Re)Appointments, Announcement of

Upcoming Vacancies

Presenter: City Clerk Tammie Drake

19. New Business

20. Closed Session

21. Adjourn
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 28/05/2017 (1992 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Saturday, Ken Loney celebrated the grand re-opening of his independent grocery store, Local Meats & Frozen Treats, which moved from its longtime home on St. Marys Road to a newly renovated space at 593B St. Annes Rd. during the last week of April.

PHOTOS BY BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Owner Ken Loney sits on a freezer in the stores new location on St. Annes Road.

A few days before the festivities got underway, a man carrying a satellite dish entered the brightly lit shop, which, as the local in its name suggests, focuses primarily on ethically sourced, made-in-Manitoba products.

This is probably going to sound like a stupid question, he blurted out as he paused to survey a line of standup freezers labelled beef, pork, lamb and elk, but do you fix satellite dishes?

Used to, but the Internet is a funny thing, Loney said, explaining that although he left the electronics repair biz years ago, an outdated online profile still causes people to pop in from time to time with a television or DVD player under their arm, thinking theyve arrived at K&W TV Service, the name of his old business.

Its been a while since I repaired anything, so unfortunately, I cant help you with your dish, he informed his visitor. But if youre in the mood for a steak, Ive got some great bison rib-eyes that just arrived.

  

Loney, 60, graduated from high school in 1973. After successfully completing a 10-month television repair course at Red River College, he caught on at a repair depot on Marjorie Street, where he worked until he made the decision to move west in 1977.

Those were the days when TV repair guys were highly sought after, and since we had no ties or anything holding us back, a few of us literally flipped a coin between Calgary and Edmonton and ended up living and working in Edmonton for the next few years, he says, sporting cuffed-up jeans, a red-and-white polo shirt and a faded grey ball cap stamped Heritage Lane Farms.

In 1983, Loney and his wife Wendy, whom he met in Alberta, were expecting their second child. Because mortgage rates were hovering above 20 per cent at the time, they discussed moving back to Winnipeg, where the price of homes was more affordable.

Some of the meats available at the store.

A few days after Loney mentioned that bit of news to one of his parts suppliers in Winnipeg, he received a call from an electronics retailer in St. Vital.

The owner of Emile Electronic said hed heard I might be coming back, and he wanted to know what I was thinking about in terms of pay, Loney says. I told him I was making $24,000 in Edmonton, and he said hed match it, no problem. When I said I probably wouldnt be able to start until spring because of the move and stuff, he said that didnt matter, hed wait.

In 1985, Loneys boss offered to sell him the service portion of the operation  an opportunity Loney jumped at immediately; so quickly, in fact, he neglected to discuss the deal with his better half. The father of three boys laughingly recalls coming home one evening and telling Wendy, Guess what? I bought a business, and her response being something along the lines of, You bought a what?

K&W (for Ken and Wendy) TV Service was busy from the get-go. Loney was able to pay his business loan off within three years, and because he kept outgrowing his surroundings, he moved three times within 10 years, all the while remaining in the same strip mall at 1604 St. Marys Rd.

When I was a kid growing up in Windsor Park in the early 60s, my older brother and I used to hike to almost this exact spot and pitch a tent for the night, back when none of these homes or businesses existed  Ken Loney on his stores new location

By the early 2000s, however, the TV repair biz wasnt as lucrative as it had once been. Televisions and DVD players had become practically disposable, Loney says, to the point it was almost cheaper to buy a new unit than get an older model tuned up. After three consecutive years of losing $10,000 a year, with no income whatsoever, Loney realized he was either going to have to sell his baby and work for somebody else or figure out a way to improve his bottom line.

One weekend about 10 or 11 years ago, Wendy and I went camping with good friends of ours who owned Moms Pantry, the fundraising company, he said. While I was going on around the campfire about how business sucked and how my store was slowly dying the death, they were telling us how run off their feet they were and how they couldnt keep up with demand. That was when a little light went on in my brain.

After revealing his plan to his friends a short while later, they agreed to help convert K&W into a Moms Pantry outlet. While he continued working on TVs and turntables in the rear half of the space  The health inspector didnt know what to make of it, but we eventually got things figured out, Loney says with a chuckle  a curtained-off area in the front of the store was stocked with various foodstuffs. (Insert your own TV dinner jokes here.)

About a month into his new venture, Loney was approached by a representative of Bison Spirit Ranch in Oak Lake. The next thing he knew, he was providing bison meat alongside his Moms Pantry croissants and cinnamon buns. Soon, a farmer from Stonewall asked Loney if hed be interested in carrying elk steaks too. By 2011, he had retired his tool box for good and changed the sign on the door to Local Meats & Frozen Treats.

  

Loney, whose clipped-on name tag reads Grandpa Ken, a nod to his three-year-old granddaughter Clara, is a member of the Manitoba Food Processors Association, a non-profit organization that promotes items generated by Manitobans.

Store exterior.

As much as possible, his shelves and freezers are stocked with goods and meat produced in the province; things such as saskatoon perogies from Winkler, Bon Vivant! barbecue sauces from Selkirk, La Cocina tortilla chips from Ste. Anne and tourtieres from St. Pierre-Jolys.

A bit of both, he says when asked whether he approaches his suppliers or they reach out to him. Early on, it was primarily me searching around to see was what out there, but now that word has gotten around that this is what were committed to, more and more people are coming through the door asking me to carry their stuff, too.

Loney grins from ear to ear when he remembers the afternoon Colleen Dyck, the brains behind Niverville-based GORP energy bars, came bouncing into his old location to tempt him with some free samples.

She introduced herself and said she had these energy bars she wanted me to try. I stopped her in her tracks and said, I have one question: are they made in Manitoba?

When Dyck said yes, Loney instructed her to fetch a few cases from her vehicle, which he would find room for immediately.

The fish freezer carries Manitoba Pickerel and other fish products.

She asked him, Dont you want to take a bite of one first? to which he replied, Heck, youre selling energy bars, and you come flying into my store like that? Thats as much reason as I need to know they work.

If you take a moment to glance around Loneys store, youll notice a few remnants from his former career. A weathered Electrohome console stereo is situated to the right of the front door, and a floor model radio, circa 1930, is steps away from the glass service counter where people line up to pay for their honey, jam or chicken fingers.

This was my dads, he says, running his hand over the radios scratched, wood surface. He passed on 23 years ago, but about 30 years ago he refinished it, and Ive since rebuilt the inside.

Made-in-Manitoba jams and syrup are easy to find.

Loney  whose customers range from young families wanting to avoid chemical-laden food to older folks whove had a health scare and are trying to eat healthy to members of the Winnipeg Jets and Winnipeg Blue Bombers  saves the best for last. Telling a customer hell back in a jiffy, he beckons a scribe to follow him out his locales back door and down a 30-metre-long gravel path that leads to the Seine River.

Get a load of this, he says, whistling to a pair of ducks sunning their selves on the bank of the river. When I was a kid growing up in Windsor Park in the early 60s, my older brother and I used to hike to almost this exact spot and pitch a tent for the night, back when none of these homes or businesses existed.

Its kind of amusing how here I am again, and how life goes in circles sometimes.

David Sanderson writes about Winnipeg-centric businesses and restaurants.

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca

An array of products line the shelves.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/05/2017 (1993 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Goodwill could be found among the tables of donated books and baked treats for sale Saturday morning at the Daniel McIntyre/St. Matthews Community Association.

The event in support of the Manitoba Library Associations prison libraries committee and the Bar None ridesharing program featured pay-what-you-want pricing, and business was brisk.

It gives people, especially since we are in a low-income neighbourhood, the chance to pay whatever they feel comfortable with We want everyone to have access to books, said Jacquie Nicholson, one of the sales organizers. It all balances out. Once people learn what we are doing this for, they tend to be generous with their money.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Book hunters browse through the piles of potential reading material at the Daniel McIntyre/St. Matthews Community Association on Saturday.

Contrary to many popular-culture depictions of what the general public thinks of people in jail, most people know someone in jail or has been in jail or has committed a crime and know that people in jail are human. They are our neighbours and community members we care about, and they want to support this.

So it is very encouraging.

Proceeds from the Saturday sale will be split equally between the prison libraries committee and the rideshare program that connects unpaid volunteer drivers with low-income people seeking to visit their friends and loved ones in jail, Nicholson said.

People very generously gave thousands of books. We do two things with them: we make money (through the sale), and we use them to stock prison libraries (in four Manitoba remand centres), she said.

The committee also supports prison library programming and works to acquire high-demand literature that tends not to be donated, such as educational and parenting books and books by indigenous authors.

The first edition of the sale made about $2,000 last year, and organizers were expecting a similar tally Saturday, Nicholson said.

scott.emmerson@freepress.mb.ca
The long weekend ahead is one for remembering.

Cities throughout Winona County are ready to honor the veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country with Memorial Day programs, services, and an unveiling of additions to one citys park.

Houston, Minn., will unveil the final installment of a series of additions to their Veterans Memorial Park thanks to a group of Eagle Scouts.

Arlyn Frauenkron, head scout master, said the project took a combined labor 700 hours by a number of scouts.

The project included raising the platform at the park, adding 15 new flagpoles, and laying concrete with enough space for 750 Veterans to have their service memorialized. They add bricks to the park every Memorial and Veterans Day Frauenkron said.

It was a team effort of 30 different scouts, he said. But the idea stemmed from Dakota Stampka, who used it as his final service project.

Stampka said when he talked with Frauenkron about his service project, completing the final installment at Houstons Veterans Memorial came up and he quickly jumped on the opportunity.

I come from a heavy military background, Stampka said. When Im older and see the flagpoles standing tall I can say, I did that!

He said its important to remember the veterans who fought for our country. Whenever Memorial Day and Veterans Day come around he thinks about what it means to them that we show our appreciation for their sacrifice.

Maintaining and upgrading the park has been the Eagle Scouts project from the beginning, Frauenkron said. Every time they raise enough money, they put it toward the park to enhance and maintain the memorial space.

Elsewhere in the area:

The city of Winona will have its traditionall Memorial Day program at the Lake Park band shell beginning with the raising of the flag at 10:30 a.m.

Rushford has a fairly new Veterans Park where Memorial Day celebrations will take place, including a breakfast at 8 a.m., a memorial program at 10 a.m., and lunch after.

St. Charles Memorial Day celebration begins with a short parade at 10:30 a.m. down Whitewater Lane. A program follows at 11 a.m. at the elementary school with a speaker and wreath laying.
Twenty years ago a group of Columbus and Fall River community members joined together to support the American Cancer Society in the fight against cancer by participating in an event called the Relay for Life. The event involved people young and old walking through the night, raising funds, remembering those they had lost and honoring those who survived.

On June 2, the Columbus Fall River Relay for Life Committee is going platinum, as the event celebrates 20 years of fighting for a brighter tomorrow during the annual walk through Firemans Park.

Community members of all ages are invited to join the fight from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Columbus Firemans Park Pavilion. Music, food, bingo, a bouncy house, carriage rides, and more will be available. No registration is necessary to participate.

Each year an honorary survivor is selected to lead the survivor ceremony. This year, the committee invites all past honorary survivors to celebrate their journey at 6 p.m. during the survivor ceremony. In addition, those past honorary survivors who have passed away will be remembered by all.

A luminaria ceremony will take place at 9:30 p.m. Luminaria forms are available at Columbus Community Hospital, F&M Bank and Sharrows Downtown.

Proceeds from the event are donated to the American Cancer Society who use the funds for cancer research, Hope Lodge, Road to Recovery, Look Good ... Feel Better, Reach to Recovery and advocacy. Participants and teams also conduct fundraising efforts prior to the event.

Registration to attend the event is not necessary. If you would like to join an existing team or log on as an individual to fundraise prior to the event, please visit www.RelayForLife.org/columbusfallriverwi. To volunteer at the event, become a sponsor, or donate a silent auction item call Erica at 608-662-7549.

2017 Relay For Life of Columbus and Fall River.
Dolly Norris, Wisconsin Dells, has been promoted to vice president of operations at Cost Cutter of Madison, Inc. She is responsible for the 38 Cost Cutters salons in Central and Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, owned by Bill Kaminski, Madison. She oversees a team of 175 consisting of 10 corporate staff members and 165 salon team members.

Previously Norris was district manager for 12 Cost Cutters salons in the Sauk, Columbia and Rock Counties and portions of Dane County. She was named top District Manager of the Year the last two years at the companys annual awards ceremony in Madison. She also earned the Operations Manager of the Year award from the Minneapolis-based Regis Corp., the largest hair salon company in the world, overseeing more than 10,000 salons.

Norris started as a stylist at Cost Cutters in Lake Delton in 2002 and was promoted to salon manager in Baraboo. She moved on to become an area supervisor for the Regis Corp. and taught cosmetology courses before returning to Cost Cutters to become regional district manager four years ago. During her career, Norris has also worked with state board examining companies to oversee the Madison, Wisconsin Rapids and Onalaska sites that administer cosmetology state exams.

In addition to her management skills, Norris has been active in developing and working with community service projects within the Cost Cutters salons, including stylists donating their time and talents to raise funds for Passages, a womens shelter in Richland Center, the Baraboo Police Officers Association fundraisers, cancer research, Wigs for Kids, WHA Telebid Auction and more. In addition, she oversees volunteer programs at the VA Hospital in Madison and Agrace HospiceCare where Cost Cutters stylists donate their time and talent to provide free haircuts to patients.




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
ST. CHARLES COUNTY (KMOV.com) - A parent's love knows no bounds. But what happens when you truly believe your child is going to kill someone?

One family said they made a heartbreaking decision about their autistic son, they say, because they ran out of options.

Norval Wallen says around the age of one, their son was diagnosed with autism.

He started losing words, he didn't walk until 22 months, said Wallen.

Along with developmental challenges though, they also noticed aggressive behaviors towards himself and others.

By the age of 3 or 4 he would take a TV remote and crack it over his sister's head, Wallen said.

Now, their son is 14 years old.

KMOV has chosen not to identify him by name or show pictures of what he currently looks like.

Although he's been in treatment in and outside the home and has medications, in the past year, Norval says their son's aggression at home has gotten much worse.

We've had broken bones, fingers, head concussions, tore eye retinas and this is almost a daily occurrence, Norval said.

Police have been called on a regular basis.

The Wallens have reinforced their walls. They say each household item is a potential hazard.

No help, no hope, not knowing what the next day is going to bring, Norval said.

In-home services, the Wallens say, weren't viable options. They claim the state was not offering enough help.

The state wants us to wait until he's age 18 to place him outside the home. But one of us will be dead before then, Norval said.

I think the worst part is my sense is they think there is no other avenue to travel, said Denise Gould.

Denise Gould is with the Advocacy Group F.A.C.T.

She says the Wallens are far from alone.

Do you think we could see more problems like this in the future? asked Investigative Reporter Lauren Trager. 

"I am afraid that we will. It has been increasing in the last five years, it's been increasing at a rapid rate, Gould said.

The CDC says that autism is the fastest growing development disability, the prevalence of which has increased almost 120 percent since 2000. Though some studies show autism rates may be plateauing in most recent years.

Many children with autism do not have the same aggressive tendencies.

Studies vary widely on how prevalent aggressive behavior problems are in children with autism. But the National Institute Health cites one study that says those behavior problems are present in 8 to 23 % of children on the autism spectrum.

Anecdotally, experts says they're concerned they're going to see more families in the Wallen's shoes.

Childrens brains with autism are not functioning as other children's are, they need intervention and they need services, Gould said.

But recent cuts in funding, Gould say, has made providing those services challenging.

Youre left with bills that are extraordinarily high and it can be a financial and emotional dilemma for a family, very challenging, Gould said.

Its a problem that took KMOV's I-Team to Jefferson City, where officials, too, say they're seeing more children with aggressive autism behaviors--and not enough providers to help them.

I think we need more providers and to do those services, yes, said Marcy Volmer said.

Volmer with the Department of Mental Health says by law, they cannot discuss the Wallens case specifically.

But generally, they're doing what they can to increase the number of providers.

They want to exhaust all options of in-home treatment before considering removing a child from the home.

Children grow up and do very well in a family environment, not some artificial program, where you have staff rotating through, so we are very motivated to keep families together, Volmer said.

But in cases of extreme danger?

"Can the state act quickly enough? asked Trager.

I believe we can, Volmer said. I believe we can respond to those urgencies and look to see where we can go to provide resources for this family.

Some families, though, do fall through the cracks.

Unfortunately, yes there are families we can't reach and I think sometimes it's because they waited too long and they are so deep in crisis, they are so exhausted that they've lost hope. They can't hear hope that's being offered, Volmer said.

The Wallens say, in their case, the state failed them.

I think more could be done, I know more could be done, Norval said.

We love our son dearly, he's 14, we don't want to turn him over, but we are concerned with our survival," she continued.

Since they spoke to KMOV, the Wallens made a drastic decision. They called the state and voluntarily gave up custody of their son. Now they could be facing charges for doing it.

Thats something that experts say is a real possibility in the state of Missouri.

The Department of Mental Health says the move to give up custody of a child is extremely rare.

The Wallens say they felt they had no other choice, but they're trying to stay in their son's life as much as possible.

If you know a family struggling in this position, you can go to a Regional Office for the Department of Mental Health .

You can also find some more resources here.

You can also contact F.A.C.T. here.

Copyright 2017 KMOV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved
US President Donald Trumps visit to Israel was historic in many senses, mostly symbolic. In a practical sense, the non-Israeli part of the Mideast trip was actually the significant part, while the visit to Israel was a sort of preparationforeplay if you likefor a process of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which President Trump plans to launch in the near future.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



All these things were noticeable in the American presidents speech at the Israel Museum, shortly before he left the country. This speech included three messages: First of all, Israel is the closest ally the US has in the Middle East. Second, Israel is not the problem but, in many senses, the solution to the Middle Easts problems. And third, under no circumstances does the US intend on treating the parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict equallyit explicitly favors the State of Israel.

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is not the problem but the solution to the Middle Easts problems (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Another clear message was stated on Tuesday: The US will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. That is much more than former President Barack Obamas formula that all options are on the tablewhile it was clear that that was not the case.

Trump showed that he still wont let the facts bother him. He said there was a big, beautiful difference between his administration and the previous one, and then brought up American military aid for the Iron Dome project and the purchase of F-35 stealth fighters as an example. Unfortunately, both deals were signed and largely initiated by President Obama and his administration, which proves that President Trump sees fake news as a legitimate weapon, as long as it is in his hands and not in other peoples hands.

Trump's Israel Museum speech

X

As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Trump avoided publicly laying down the path in which he wants to establish peace between the parties. He only said two things: One, that he had found a firm commitment to the process both in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; and two, that a change must come from both sides and from the inside.

In other words, Trump said, the parties must make the mutual concessions, and we wont impose anything on them, although we will definitely help themperhaps by exerting a little pressure sometimesreach decisions. Nevertheless, Trump is clearly sticking to the policy adopted by the Obama administration and former Secretary of State John Kerry, who kept saying that the parties must make peace between them, and that the US should not force them into it.

Trump speaking at the Israel Museum. Still wont let the facts bother him (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

The American president didnt present any practical or concrete move through which he plans to launch the process of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He made no announcement on an international summit in the summer, as inside sources had predicted, or on the duration of the negotiations, which would be limitedaccording to those same sourcesto 12 or 18 months.

Trump didnt say anything that would serve as an indication of how he plans to turn the words and the promises into action on the ground, even if this ground is the diplomatic arena. But people who have heard him or received reports on his conversations with Middle East leaders are under the impression that the president is very determined to strike the big, ultimate deal.

Those same people got the impression that the Israeli-Palestinian deal is, at the moment, the main foreign relations legacy Trump plans to leave behind. Like every American president, Trump is already working on his legacy on the first year of his term.

So how does this information fit in with the allegedly insignificant things that Trump said in his speech? A possible answer is that Trump has yet to form a real outline, and that his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority was aimed at preparing public opinion. We should pay attention to the fact that Trump showered his hosts with as many compliments as they showered him with, likely as a way to soften the sidesforeplay, if you likeahead of the purposeful action that will follow.

Trumps target audience: US public opinion

The things Trump didnt say were actually more meaningful. He didnt talk about the settlements, neither favorably nor negatively, and he didnt mention the two-state solution at all. Trump understands that these two issues could get Netanyahu in trouble with the Bayit Yehudi party and with people in the prime minister's own Likud party, and he doesnt want those people to restrict Netanyahu before he decides with his advisors which path to take.

In short, the Mideast visits main purpose was to strengthen Trumps standing in American public opinion through the deal with the Saudis and through uncompromising sympathy towards the State of Israel and the alliance with the Jewish state.

With Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Without a concession on Israels part, there will be no peace (Photo: EPA)

American public opinion was also his target audience when he repositioned the US as a key player in the Middle East, and when he put himself at the lead of the moderate Sunni coalitionin which Israel is a silent partneragainst the Shiite radical axis led by Iran.

All this works in favor of the State of Israel. Netanyahus right-wing government, however, probably wont like the fact Trump learned during his journey to the Middle East, and mainly in the time he spent in Saudi Arabia, that there is no chance of normalizing relations between the Arab states and Israel before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is solved.

That is why he said in Bethlehem that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a condition for peace in the Middle East. In other words, Israel is not responsible for the fact that there is no peace in the Middle East, but without an Israeli concessionthere will be no peace in the Middle East. And that, if you like, is the whole point according to Donald J. Trump.
WASHINGTON -- Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance plane over the South China Sea on Wednesday, with one coming within 200 yards (180 meters) of the American aircraft, U.S. officials told Reuters.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports showed that the U.S. P-3 Orion surveillance plane was 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Hong Kong in international airspace when the Chinese aircraft carried out the unsafe intercept. One Chinese aircraft flew in front of the American plane, restricting its ability to maneuver.

The Pentagon confirmed that two Chinese jets had carried out the intercept, saying it was "unsafe and unprofessional."

"We continue to review the facts of this incident and will convey our concerns through appropriate channels with the Chinese government," Pentagon spokesman Navy Commander Gary Ross said in a statement.
CAIRO -- Libyan Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, a group linked to Al-Qaeda, is formally dissolving itself, it said in a statement on Saturday.

The group, which Washington says was behind the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens, had been at war with Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army.

The group said its decision came on the back of heavy losses that have wiped out its leadership and decimated its fighters, according to the statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed minister without portfolio Ayoob Kara as the new minister of communications, the Prime Minister's Office said Sunday morning.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The appointment will be brought for the approval of the cabinet at a special session to take place in the Western Wall Tunnels on Sunday in honor of Jerusalem Day.

Netanyahu and Kara (Photo: Elad Gershgoren)

Last February, Netanyahu appointed Minister Tzachi Hanegbi as acting minister of communications for three months following a High Court ruling that forced Netanyahu to abandon the additional portfolio.

Hanegbi's temporary appointment ended last week, prompting Netanyahu to initially offer the position to Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, who turned the appointment down despite pressure to accept.

With his acceptance of the position, Kara becomes the second Druze minister of the State of Israel. Kara previously was a minister without portfolio as well as deputy minister for the development of the Negev and Galilee.
On April 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow issued a statement which should have led to extensive Israeli diplomatic efforts all over the world. The sensational part of the announcement is that Russia is the first country in the world to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital in an official statement, signed by the president.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Granted, its only a recognition of the western part of the city, alongside a statement that the eastern part of the city will be the capital of the Palestinian state when that state is established, but still, the statement as is stands as a significant development, and also a surprising one, in light of the identity of the country making the statement (Russia) and a rare diplomatic opportunity to receive similar recognition from many other countries. In a normal country, the Israeli Foreign Ministry would have turned this statement into a major PR campaign.

The actual recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, even without physically moving the diplomatic corpus real estate, could be a tremendous achievement for Israel (Photo: Shutterstock)

How was the statement born? Yaakov Kedmi (Yasha Kazakov), the first aliyah activist who had no family in Israel and received a permit to immigrate from the USSR after a stubborn battle, served in the army (in Ehud Baraks tank in the October 1973 war) and joined the Nativ Secret Liaison Bureauthe Israeli intelligence agency which worked for the Jews of the Soviet blocbefore becoming its chief.

Kedmi was later accused by the Russian intelligence of operating agents in Moscow. He was declared persona non-grata until December 2015, when the Russian ambassador to Israel called him and informed him that the ban had been lifted. Since then, he has been a welcome guest in Moscow, and a series of conversations I held with him in recent months left me with the impression that he has a lot of appreciation for President Vladimir Putin and for the change he has led in Russia. Today, Kedmi is a regular commentator on Russian television and has an influence in the government corridors. He used his ties in the Russian foreign ministry to lead the Jerusalem recognition move.

The international recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital has been very limited. After the 1948 War of Independence, and because the city was supposed to be placed under international regime (corpus separatum) according to the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan, not a single country recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital (despite recognizing Israel itself).

The United States, for example, has a consulate in Jerusalem, but it is not subject to the embassy operating from Tel Aviv. A law passed by Congress in 1995 states that the US must recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move its embassy there, but that has not been done. All US presidents have claimed the presidential waiver every six months, and President Donald Trump is about to do the same at the end of this month.

After the victory of the Six-Day War, following the enthusiasm over the State of Israel, and as importantly, thanks to the arms supply and military guidance they received from Israel, several embassiesmostly embassies belonging to African, Asian and some South American countriesrelocated to Jerusalem, only to return to Tel Aviv a few years later (the last ones left Jerusalem in 2006).

Kedmi presented a rhetorical question to senior foreign ministry officials in Moscow: If Russia insists that Palestines capital should be in east Jerusalem, why should it have a problem recognizing west Jerusalem as Israels capital? The simple argument left Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs assistants surprised and with claims that its very complicated. Kedmi insisted, and the issue was eventually brought to the attention of Lavrov himself, who presented it to President Putin, who signed the declaration.

Its premature, of course, to talk about moving the Russian embassy to Jerusalem, especially in the absence of a similar embassy in the capital of Palestine, a state which does not exist, for now at least. On the other hand, if Russia, which is not the closest country to Israel, has recognized Jerusalem as its capital, why wont other countries do it? The actual recognition, actually putting it on paper, even without physically moving the diplomatic corpus real estate, could be a tremendous achievement for Israel.

But instead of enthusiasm, the Foreign Ministry was struck with paralysis. Why? Because any preoccupation with Jerusalem, which includes the fear of the actual thought of a Palestinian state, is so sensitive that it petrifies every Israeli government worker. And so, like in many other cases, like in the undemocratic fight the Israeli government is conducting against human rights organizations, like in the crawling implementation of the Israeli law in the occupied territories, and like the Rights attempt to fight for its values in an aggressive manner, it leads to the opposite outcome and inflicts heavy international damage on Israel.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Brge Brende has strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority for using Norwegian aid money to establish a women's center in Burqa named in honor of terrorist Dalal Mughrabi.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



In an unprecedented move, Brende demanded that the Palestinian Authority immediately remove the Norwegian Foreign Ministry's logo from the building and return the aid money used to fund the construction.

Dalal Mughrabi was the head of a terrorist cell that carried out the 1978 Coastal Road Massacre, in which 35 Israeli civilians were killed, including 12 children. Mughrabi herself was killed in the ensuing battle between the terrorists and security forces.

Dalal Mughrabi (R) and the aftermath of the attack (L)

The new women's center had received funding from Norway through the Palestinian Election Commission and an organization called "UN Women in Palestine," which promotes the participation of Palestinian women in elections.

"The glorification of terror attacks is completely unacceptable and I condemn this decision in the strongest possible terms," said Brende. "Norway will not allow itself to be identified with institutions that are named after terrorists in such a way, and we will not accept the use of Norwegian aid for such purposes."

The incident occurred when the center was officially opened last week. Organizers of the event did not consult with officials from Norway nor the UN and did not invite them to the opening ceremony. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry immediately responded after learning of the matter.

Brende further noted that "Norway will not enter into any new aid agreements with the Palestinian Election Commission or UN Women in Palestine until procedures are put in place to ensure actions such as these don't happen again in the future."

In response to the incident, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, "Norway took the right step. A firm stance against the commemoration of terrorists is an integral part of the international effort to eradicate terrorism. We recommend that the international community thoroughly check where their money is invested in the Palestinian Authority and we expect all project partners to act as Norway did."

Spokesman for the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric issued a statement, also disassociating itself from the decision to name the center after the terrorist.

"The United Nations disassociated itself from the Centre once it learned the offensive name chosen for it and will take measures to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future. The glorification of terrorism, or the perpetrators of heinous terrorist acts, is unacceptable under any circumstances," Dujarric said. "The UN has repeatedly called for an end to incitement to violence and hatred as they present one of the obstacles to peace. The United Nations support to this community ended last year and it has asked for the logo of UN Women to be removed immediately. Furthermore, the inauguration of the Centre took place after the UNs association with it."

(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
A damning report released Sunday by the Commissioner for Prosecutorial Oversight pointed to serious misconduct by the State Prosecution.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The report by Judge David Rosen examined the working relationship between the National Center of Forensic Medicinealso known Abu Kabir Forensic Instituteand the State Prosecution.

During the years examined in the report, the institute provided the prosecution with expert medical opinions for thousands of trials for murder, manslaughter, rape and other serious offenses.

Photo: Yaron Brener

In some of the cases, the commissioner found that prosecutors knowingly violated court orders, withheld significant information from the defense that could have led to acquittal, and unlawfully mounted difficulties on the defense in obtaining important evidence that might have benefitted the defendants.

The harsh criticism by the commissioner raises the concern there might be innocent people who are serving or have served prison sentences.

Changes in medical opinion to defendant's detriment

The report points to a series of cases in which the expert opinion by the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute was changed throughout the investigationalways to the defendant's detriment.

In one case, when a body was found, the institute initially determined that "the cause of death cannot be determined with the necessary level of certainty."

The initial line of inquiry was suicide. At a later stage of the investigation, however, a suspect was found who confessed to the murder of the deceased.

In court, the pathologist repeated his initial expert opinion that "one cannot rule out the possibility the deceased committed suicide by inhaling gas in his home." But after the prosecution pressed him time and again, the pathologist wrote an additional, entirely different opinion, which determined that "one can rule out the possibility the death was caused by inhaling cooking gas."

The defendant was subsequently convicted of murder.

Judge David Rosen (Photo: Shaul Golan)

In another case, a man spent two years in custody for aggravated assault even though the prosecution knew there were doctors at the institute who thought the plaintiff might have intentionally wounded himself to frame the suspect.

The prosecution withheld this information, and a senior prosecutor has even instructed to remove a record of a meeting between the prosecutor in the case and the institute's doctors from the investigative material, which could have helped the defendant.

Eventually, however, the prosecution had to withdraw the indictment.

The report found that during the tenure of Chief Pathologist Yehuda Hiss as the head of the institute, the State Prosecution and the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute worked together to mount difficulties on defense representatives and experts on the defense's behalf.

Former chief pathologist Yehuda Hiss (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

They refused to provide the defense with some of the investigative materials and withheld access to autopsies and other findings, to the point of "deviating from a judicial order," as Rosen defined it.

The commissioner stressed that the prosecution must make all investigation materials accessible to the defense and implied that in cases this was not done, indictments might have been filed unlawfully and could be dismissed.

The report also noted that the prosecution routinely failed to ask the institute for materials. As a result, the prosecutor in the case did not have all investigative material when determining whether to file an indictment.

In his report, Rosen presents the testimony of a senior official in the Health Ministry who noted that "the impression was that the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute was a 'sword for hire.' There was a great war being fought to keep the State Prosecution away at all cost. The chief pathologist (Hiss) led the fight. I had to fight to allow the defense to use the library, a microscope, to examine photos from the autopsies."

Fight for the report's release

The investigation into the State Prosecution's conduct vis-a-vis the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute began after a series of investigative articles by Dr. Ronen Bergman published in Ynet's print edition Yedioth Ahronoth beginning December 2000.

The expose and the subsequent series of inquiry commissions, a police investigation, and an inquiry by the Health Ministry, may have led to the dismissal of Chief Pathologist Yehuda Hiss, but did nothing to address the misconduct of the State Prosecution.

Rosen's predecessor, retired Judge Hila Gerstel, launched an extensive investigation into the State Prosecution's conduct, which concluded with a scathing report a year and a half ago.

Former commissioner retired judge Hila Gerstel (Photo: Ono Academic College)

In response, the State Prosecution decided to wage war against the very existence of the Commission for Prosecutorial Oversight and against Gerstel herself. Eleven prosecutors criticized in the report petitioned the High Court of Justice against its public release.

Gerstel, who felt she did not have support, resigned and was replaced by Judge David Rosen.

Rosen continued Gerstel's work and the result was what was defined by one government minister as a report that "raises doubts concerning the 'purity of arms' in the State Prosecution."

There were, however, differences between Rosen and Gerstel's reports. Gerstel claimed the State Prosecution must not come in contact with the institute's doctors and try to influence their medical opinions. Rosen disagreed: "The prosecutor is obligated to confront the expert with findings (evidence) he believes were not taken into account or were rejected because of other findings."

Rosen noted, however, that while the prosecutor has a right to request changes to be made to the medical opinion, the meetings between the prosecution and the institute must be fully documented by both sides and the records must be provided to the defense.

Responses to the report

In his report, Rosen noted the shortcomings found at the institute have been rectified since Dr. Chen Kugel has been appointed to replace Hiss as the chief pathologist. However, Rosen stated the State Prosecution has yet to rectify in full its shortcomings in its work vis-a-vis the institute.

Newly appointed institute head Dr. Chen Kugel (Photo: Israel Bar Association)

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has said she would work to implement the conclusions of the report. "In that, we will ensure defendants' rights are protected and improve transparency in criminal proceedings in Israel," she said.

State Attorney Shai Nitzan said in response that "the commissioner accepted the State Prosecution's position on the necessity of having dialogue between the Israel Police and State Prosecution and the experts of the institute, which rejects the main claim against the prosecution. In addition, the commissioner rejected the claims that prosecutors allegedly interfered in the medical opinions of the institute's doctors."

The Israel State Attorney Association said in response, "Many expected and even hoped the report would serve as an 'earthquake,' but the commissioner reached the unequivocal conclusion there was no improper interference by the prosecutors. The commissioner even believes that prosecutors' requests to the institute actually led to defendants' acquittal."

The Health Ministry said in response, "The ministry, headed by Minister Yaakov Litzman, conducted an extensive re-organization of the institute, including, among other things, the replacement of Chief Pathologist Prof. Hiss. The ministry proposes to establish an additional judicial institute to provide services to defense attorneys."
A military judge on Sunday questioned why IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was found guilty of manslaughter after shooting dead a neutralized terrorist , was appealing his conviction and 18-month sentence, calling on both Azaria and the military prosecution to withdraw their appeals.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Azaria's lawyer, Yoram Sheftel, was quick to accept the proposal and offered a two-week mediation process instead, but prosecutor Lt. Col. (res.) Nadav Weisman refused and insisted the court rules on the case.

Despite this, the judges called on the two sides to consider the request and asked the prosecution to raise the issue with the Military Advocate General. The court gave the two sides a week to reach a decision.

Azaria with his parents and his attorney, left (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The military court at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv held what is supposed to be the final hearing in Azaria's appeal, during which the judges posed hard questions to Azaria's lawyer.

"None of the soldiers, officers or armed civilians at the scene, despite having felt danger, drew their weapon and shot the terrorist," Judge Zvi Segal told Sheftel.

Judge Brig. Gen. (res.) Avi Peled followed up, telling Sheftel, "What I'm not hearing from you is why the appellant, unlike everyone else at the scene, felt danger and opened fire?"

Sheftel claimed that "in the Jilani case only one police officer opened fire as well," referring to a 2010 incident in which a Border Policeman shot dead Ziad Jilani, a Palestinian terrorist who rammed his car into Border Policemen in east Jerusalem. The policeman shot Jilani at close range while the latter was lying on the ground. Some six months later, the Police Investigation Unit decided to close the investigation citing lack of sufficient evidence.

This isn't the first time Sheftel brings up the Jilani case. In a previous hearing, Judge Segal reprimanded Sheftel, telling him that "in the Jilani case, the soldier acted according to the rules of engagement."

Judge Segal also inquired whether "there is an explanation as to why Azaria handed his helmet over to his friend before shooting? After all, he was afraid (the terrorist carried) a bomb."

"I don't remember. He wasn't asked about that," Sheftel responded, adding "Is anyone examining such nuances? Why is Azaria being picked on with nuances?"

To this, Segal responded, "You claim in your appeal that Azaria made a professional error and nothing more. I can't find a single sentence in his testimony (to indicate that)... Azaria even explained in his testimony that everyone else was negligent, and he was right."

Azaria shooting dead the neutralized terrorist (:   .   )

X

Sheftler later did address the issue of Azaria's helmet, saying "when the shooting is not planned in advance, (soldiers) remove their helmet to shoot." Judge Peled, who once served as the commander of the Golani Brigade, rejected Sheftel's response, saying "this isn't a professional answer. You don't remove the helmet for close range shooting." Judge Peled, who once served as the commander of the Golani Brigade, rejected Sheftel's response, saying "this isn't a professional answer. You don't remove the helmet for close range shooting."

Company Commander Maj. Tom Na'aman , changed their version of events.

"The company commander had nine versions, while Cpl. M. had 14 versions," Sheftel said, adding that "The only way to neutralize the terrorist in this situation was to shoot him in the head."

Sheftel went on to claim that the company commander's testimony was fabricated to Azaria's detriment.

Judge Segal questioned Sheftel about this claim, asking "How is it possible (company commander Na'aman) was not questioned (by the defense) on that? This is a critical key point the defense is basing its appeal on."

Sheftel insisted the company commander's testimony "was fabricated in the most disgraceful manner possible. His did a 180 with his version. It's a serious oversight that the previous defense attorneys didn't question the company commander on that. The fact there was no cross-examination on the matter is not enough to remove all doubts from his intolerable testimony."

Sheftel joined Azaria's defense team at a later stage and remained the sole lawyer after Eyal Besserglick, Ilan Katz and Karmit Scheiber decided to resign from the legal team over disagreements on whether to appeal the verdict.

Sheftel also rejected a claim made by the previous defense team that Azaria shot the terrorist after he had already died of the wounds he suffered when soldiers shot and neutralized him when he stabbed one of them. "I don't have to adopt every nonsense," Sheftel said.
On June 11, 1967, Israels citizens woke up to a different reality that would shape the course of their history up to at least the present day. Following the stunning victory over the regions armies, the young states territory grew fourfold in one military sweep, incorporating into its jurisdiction an Arab population of about one million people.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



When the battles ended and the euphoria subsided, Israel was required to form its stance on the future of the territories it had conquered and the Palestinian residents living there, ahead of United Nations sessions on the issue. Every sentence uttered in those secret discussions reflects the dilemmas and disputes that have remained at the heart of Israels political discourse to this very day.

A view of Jerusalem (Photo: Amos Zuker, courtesy of IDF Archive in the Defense Ministry and Bamahane)

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War, the Israel State Archives released the transcripts of cabinet meetings and discussions of the ministerial committee on security affairs since the beginning of the tensions with Egypt and Syria, through the actual days of battle, to the months after the war, when Israel was forced to deal with the new reality.

June 10, 1967: What should be done with population in occupied territories?

In the cabinet meeting held Saturday evening, the ministers decided to halt the fighting on the northern front and bring the war to an end. After Education and Culture Minister Zalman Aran concluded that this is the most legendary war in the history of the Jews wars and it will sustain the Jewish people for generations, the ministers stood up to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers and raised a toast Lchayim (to life).

 

X

June 14, 1967: Discussing evacuation of Arabs from Jewish Quarter

At the end of the Shavuot holiday, the cabinet convened for a five-hour discussion, which began with a diplomatic briefing by Israels Ambassador to the UN, Gideon Rafael, who updated the ministers: The United States said to us, Help us. If you act modestly and talk less about territorial ambitions, but talk about security needs, the freedom of navigation and rights that you are entitled to, it will be much easier to enlist support at the UN.

 

X

Minister Yosef Sapir spoke about the difficulty in presenting a stance arguing that Israels right to security allows it to hold onto the territories incorporated into its ranks after the war: If this is about security, I dont know what is left of the West Bank, strictly between ourselves. Well go back to ruined Qalqilya and keep it, and the result will be that we wont achieve peace.

Minister Menachem Begin, the soon-to-be prime minister who staunchly advocated holding onto the new territories, replied: Heaven forbid, we must not be tempted to chase moderation by saying that we have no territorial claims. We sat where we are sitting today 4,000 years ago. We should electrify the Jews of America and hold mass protests, not just of Jews, but of Christians too.

The first issue the ministers discussed was Jerusalems future. They agreed that the two parts of the city must be united and that the Old Citys Jewish Quarter must be rebuilt, especially the synagogues in it. At that point, however, there were Arabs living in the Jewish Quarter, and the cabinet members were at odds over the way they should be handled.

There was an idea to perhaps clear the Jewish Quarter of houses and move the Arab population elsewhere, Eshkol said. There are 2,000 Arab families living there. There was thought to perhaps start rebuilding the synagogues first, and its also dozens of families, and these homes are destroyed with bulldozers. Perhaps if they see that all hope is lost, they will move on their own.

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan at the Western Wall (Photo: David Rubinger)

Development and Tourism Minister Moshe Kol opposed the move. I am against removing the Arabs from the Old Citys Jewish Quarter at this time, so as not to spark a dispute before the UN General Assembly session, he said, before Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon demurred. I am in favor of clearing the Jewish Quarter of Arabs. If it isn't done in the next couple of days, it will never be done. In addition, we should encircle the Old City with beautiful Jewish neighborhoods.

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan stressed, We must decide to do that, and if we do, it has to be now. Within two-three days well move them to empty houses around Jerusalem, from Sur Baher to Ramallah. We wont throw them out on the street. The houses that are standing empty wont be empty in a week from now. Bethlehem was nearly empty, and in the meantime, they started coming back. If we dont do it now, there wont be houses to transfer them to.

Eshkol clarified his position on the matter. If these families are moved to other homes, I wont object. And if the owners of that house arrive, well evacuate them from this neighborhood to another neighborhood, but not in the Old City. It might be possible to find an empty compound in the Arab quarter and settle Jews there, but its clear that we must first settle Jews in the Jewish Quarter.

At the end of the war it was decided to do everything in the governments power to evacuate the Arabs living in the Jewish Quarter to other places in and around Jerusalem. If the reconstruction of the quarter required home demolitions, the cabinet would decide on the timing.

10 am, June 15, 1967: An autonomic region vs. martial law

After deciding in the previous meeting that Jerusalem would not be divided again, the cabinet held a short meeting, the first in a series of discussions aimed at forming an Israeli stance on the future of the additional territories, focusing on the issue of the West Bank and its residents.

Foreign Minister Abba Eban briefed the ministers on the American stance: Their feeling is yes to Jerusalem, but no to the territories. They are stressing that it would be very bad if the world gets the impression that we really intend to hold onto the entire territory.

 

X

Allon: Lets annex Mount Hebron till the Dead Sea, the Judea Desert plus greater Jerusalem to the State of Israel, with its Arab population. There will be one more Galilee. Allon suggested turning the West Bank into an autonomic Arab region. In this case, he said, they dont get a voting right. I dont care if the autonomic region is called Palestine, if they find it convenient.

Eshkol: I accept that Jordan is the border. We cant take in 1 million or 1.2 million refugees and additional Arabs, because then were lost. We wont be able to keep up with them in terms of birthrate, and in a few years they will ask why they dont have a voting right, and then well have terrible international problems.

Begin: As for the eastern Land of Israel, we must not return an inch of land, because returning means handing it over to foreign rule. We liberated part of the Land of Israel. The concept of the Land of Israel includes Gaza as well. There are historical rights. Now the question is what will happen with the Arabs. I see a very great danger in declaring an autonomic region, because we may be calling for pressure for a Palestinian state. I suggest that we consider the following arrangement: For seven years, they will be residents rather than citizens. At the end of the seven years, we will be able to ask each and every one of them if he wishes to be a loyal citizen or perhaps wants to go to a different state.

Dayan: The Israeli border is eastern Jordan. The West Bank is not Hussein, and Gaza isnt Nasser. Its Israel. Internally I say, dont take in another million Arabs. In the West Bank, we must stick to a military rule for a long period of time. We wont make any move which will drag us into a situation in which they will be able to vote for the Knesset.

Damascus Gate, after the war (Photo: David Rubinger)

Eban: I suggest that it be an independent region to all intents and purposes, that there will be an autonomous region and that they will be independent in every area, apart from foreign and security affairs which are reserved for the central government.

Allon: Since we view the Jordan River as Israels border, I suggest that we create a settlement strip in the Jordan Valley.

Dayan: In my opinion, there is no need to do that. If there is a need from a security perspective, we can station tanks somewhere, but I wouldnt recommend something that would mean settling in the area. I wouldnt want to start now with a settlement of the past.

Begin: Nevertheless, we must speed up one processcreating a mixed population in the big cities like Hebron, Bethlehem, etc.

Eshkol: Perhaps we can move doctors, teachers and professionals. Perhaps we can open a yeshiva in Hebron again.

Dayan: If we say we dont want the Arabs of Nablus to go to Haifa, we cant demand that Jews settle in Hebron. We must decide if everyone is entitled to travel anywhere or if its a separate area.

Begin: In military rule there isnt always free movement.

Dayan: Apart from Jerusalem, I wouldnt engage in any settlement now, neither in Gush Etzion nor in the Arava or in Hebron. I want to look into a possibility of a geographic line, so that they will be there and we will be here. I dont want us to declare an autonomy, because for me this issue of preventing a million Arabs from joining Israel is as important as the West Bank.

5 pm. June 15, 1967: Were going to get into trouble with the West Bank

Dayan: I suggest that the West Bank regime will be a military rule, in which Arabs from there wont cross into the Israeli territory, and vice versa. There is a geographic division here, and we are not starting a carnival in which we travel freely to the Cave of the Patriarchs and to Gush Etzion and they have Israeli relatives and travel here. Apart from Jerusalem, the border that existed will remainthey will be there and we will be here.

As to Hebron and Bethlehem, we will make arrangements. Jews will want to travel to the Cave of the Patriarchs, tourists will want to go to Bethlehemwe will make arrangements for them. The only exception is Jerusalem, which moves to Israel. Jerusalem will be treated like Nazareth. We have received another 100,000 Arabs, however.

 

X

Allon:

In Hebron, Bethlehem and the surrounding villages, there are about 60,000 Arabsnot such a terrible number, until we give up this important enclave, both for historical and religious reasons and for strategic reasons. For an addition of a few tens of thousands, I wouldnt give up Hebron. At the same time, we must create settlement facts on Mount Hebron and in that same area. We must also establish 12 communities, kibbutzim and others, in the Hebron and Bethlehem area. We must not even wait a month, and must immediately start building a chain of communities. We will build this strip precisely during the period of shock. We must start getting the West Banks Arabs used to the fact that they cannot move eastward or westward from their place of residence within todays State of Israel.

Eshkol:

Every intelligent gentile with a conscience will want things to be cleared. If you tell him, give me six months to study the issue and in the meantime there will be a military rulefine. But will they let us keep them that way for many years?

Minister Yisrael Barzilai:

I think we are going to get into trouble with this whole thing called the West Bank. We want a new territory without the residents living there. You take a territory without resident, you dont give the residents civil rights. They are not citizens for all intents and purposes and wont be citizens for all intents and purposes. I dont know why we are afraid to think about a possibility of a dialogue with Hussein and with Jordan. If it turned out that he was able to accept some of Nablus with something else, its possible that we would then receive both a minimum number of residents that remain with us and most of the territory. It may be a fantasy in any case. Why are we afraid to talk to him and look into the issue?

Begin:

It doesnt ring like a fantasy, but like a catastrophe. Namely, handing part of the western Land of Israel to Hussein.

Eshkol:

One thing is clear to me: I dont want more land and I dont want more Arabs. The question is when will we become a minority in the state.

Begin:

I want all the cabinet ministers to know that when we build the expanded Jerusalem, this citys Arab residents wont immediately become citizens of the state according to international law, unless we give each and every one of them the citizenship. Citizenship is not granted en mass, but each person receives the citizenship.

Kol:

These Arabs were born in the Land of Israel and you wont treat them the way immigrants who came from other countries are treated. Logic will lead to the Land of Israels transformation into a binational state, according to the path you are taking. You in Israel will have to treat the Arab resident like the finest nations of the world. We do not wish to persecute monitories. Someone approached me yesterday and said, The states name should be changed. It should be called the Land of Israel. People are having many thoughts right now.

Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir:

We can win a war and then be in a constant battle which is worse than a war.

Eban:

Minister Begins proposal to include the entire area in Israel without granting citizenship has a vision of geographic integrity, historical integrity, the homelands integrity. But when I analyze it, I reach the conclusion that its a powder keg. We are sitting with two populations, one which has all civil rights and the other which is denied of any rights. In other words, this seemingly splendid sight at first glance becomes very gloomy.

Aran:

Its an illusion to think that we will hold Arabs in Israel and wont give them any rights. I would like to say that to the State of Israels patriots. With my simple mind I say, we could reach Israels defeatHeaven forbidthrough victory, because it wont be the State of Israel with everything that it implies. Why do we need that? The way of thinking about the West Bank should be, in my opinion, what not to do. Its perfectly clear to me that we are taking upon ourselves a strangling rope from different aspects without any benefit apart from historical sentimental satisfaction. The people of Israel have lived for 4,000 years, and will keep on living.
The Civil Administration approved jurisdiction over the designated area that will be settled by former residents of Amona in the first concrete indication that the government is making good on its promise to resettle them in a new community.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The plan was approved by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, following the government's decision.

However, before a temporary settlement can be constructeda necessary precursor to a permanent communityhopeful residents still need a special injunction from the GOC Central Command.

Amona following the evacuation (Photo: Topview)

The permit in question applies to the jurisdiction over land belonging to the state in the Shilo Valley region of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council and would represent significant advancement in terms of a timetable for the establishment of the settlement.

Amona residents have been asking GOC Central Command Roni Numa for the injunction for several weeks, to no avail.

The leader of the Amona settlers, Avichai Buaron, said in light of the development, "Unfortunately, it is still too early to be happy. This decision is but another stage in a long and tedious bureaucratic planning process that could take many years. We repeat: Only a GOC Central Command injunction for the establishment of a temporary residential site can take us out of our desperation.

"The new school year will begin in a few months and we and our children don't know what awaits us in the next year. We have been stuck in a youth hostel for four months in difficult conditions and a murky future.

"We are calling on the prime minister to honor himself and us and allow us to establish a new community as he promised. According to the agreement, the construction of the new settlement was supposed to begin by the end of March. Two months after that deadline, there is no start in sight. We expect the prime minister to immediately have the attorney general issue the proper injunction so that construction can begin immediately. Only then will we know that the prime minister is not violating the agreement with us, and that the new settlement will be built immediately."

Amona evacuees living in Ofra youth hostels (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The next stage in the process is devising a construction plan for the community itself, including electrical infrastructure, water and the residential buildings. This will be done in cooperation with the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.

More than 30 families evacuated from Amona are currently living in a youth hostel in Ofra. The families claim they will only leave the hostel for their new community.

In recent weeks, Amona activists have been aggressively lobbying politicians such as Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely to speed the process along.
VATICAN CITY -- For the second day in a row, Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with Egypt's Coptic Christians following an attack on a bus carrying Coptic pilgrims to a remote desert monastery.

Francis led thousands of people in prayer Sunday for the victims, who Francis said were killed in "another act of ferocious violence" after having refused to renounce their Christian faith.

Speaking from his studio window over St. Peter's Square, Francis said: "May the Lord welcome these courageous witnesses, these martyrs, in his peace and convert the hearts of the violent ones."
A group of experts on genetics and Halacha (Jewish religious law), who are studying the so-called "Jewish gene," are claiming that the gene can help prove one's "Jewishness" in line with Jewish religious law.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"This could be a significant breakthrough," explained Rabbi Yosef Carmel, head of the Gazit rabbinical court and the Eretz Hemdah Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies. According to Carmel, "Using a simple sample of saliva can save a long and difficult conversion process."

Any person who wishes to be recognized as a Jewfor example, in order to get married in the State of Israel, which can only be done through the Chief Rabbinateis required to prove their Jewish roots. In Jewish religious law, only those born to Jewish mothers are considered Jewish. Those who wish to be recognized as Jews have to provide proof of Judaism several generations back in the form of documentssuch as birth and marriage certificates.

Emigrants from the former Soviet Union have to present documents to prove their Jewish roots (File photo: Tali Farkash)

This can be a problem for over 400,000 people, particularly immigrants and especially those from the former Soviet Union, who don't have the necessary documents.

People who cannot prove their Jewish roots are considered as "undefined," with applicants having to undergo a long and tedious conversion process that quite a few wish to avoid and many do not complete.

Currently, the Eretz Hemdah institute is preparing an article to be submitted to the Chief Rabbinate detailing a Halachic-scientific breakthrough that claims anyone whose Judaism can be proven genetically is legally (in the Jewish legal sense, that is) Jewish.

"In recent years, (researchers) in Israel and in the world have been studying mitochondrial DNAstructures within the cellsthat a person receives only from his or her mother," explained Rabbi Dov Popper, an adviser at the Puah Institute, an Israel-based international organization that helps Jewish couples with fertility problems.

"We can find the gene with a simple blood or saliva test. As soon as you find the mitochondrial gene in a person, this serves as a considerable piece of evidence in proving his Jewish roots," Rabbi Popper went on to say.

"If the gene research is accepted by the Chief Rabbinate, this would be a significant change" for the hundreds of thousands who are considered "undefined," Rabbi Carmel said.

The breakthrough will be presented at a special conference held by the Puah Institute in Jerusalem on June 6.

"We began researching this because of the issue of egg donation and the ramifications that would have on the Jewishness of the newborn baby," explained Rabbi Menachem Burstein, the head of the Puah Institute.

"However, it's important to note this (discovery) would not have practical use until it's approved by the Chief Rabbinate," he added.
A cookbook composed by Holocaust survivors won two prestigious awards in the Gourmand International contest Sunday.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Grandma Cooks Gourmet, a project in which elderly Holocaust survivors collaborated with 24 leading chefs in Israel, won the third place in the prestigious category of the best cookbook in the world.

The book, a project undertaken by the Shorashim organization, also won third place in the category of The Best Non-Profit Cookbook and the Best in the World stamp by Gourmand, the world's leading cookbook competition.

Holocaust survivors' cookbook wins prizes

X

In the project, each elderly person created a classic dish inspired by the senior's country of origin as the accompanying chef prepared an updated and modern variation of it. The book documented the exciting encounters between the elderly and the chefs, the recipes and dishes created during meeting, as well as the personal story of the participants.

During the competition held in Yantai, China, Chairperson of the Shorashim group Tami Shachnai garnered applause when she took to the stage and raised the Israeli flag. "When people heard about the concept of the book, they shed a tear. This book has its own life," Shachnai said.

Grandma Cooks Gourmet (Photo: PR)

"It started as a small project that grew more like a snowball, when more and more people were exposed to it and asked to help sell, buy and distribute it in every way possible," she added.

Esther Russak and Chef Eyal Lavi (Photo: Etiel Zion)

So far, the book has sold 11,000 copies in Israel and all proceeds are allocated to finance enrichment activities for Holocaust survivors and the elderly.

The book, which was also translated into English, will soon be published in a new edition with the same prestigious stamp Best in the World awarded in the competition.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the US, Britain's decision to leave the bloc and other challenges.

Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Merkel suggested that the G-7 summit in Italy that ended Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call. G-7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after US President Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key climate accord.

"The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days," Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500 that gathered to hear her and Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer.

"And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," she said, according to the dpa news agency.

Merkel emphasized the need for continued friendly relations with the US and Britain and also stressed the importance of being good neighbors "wherever that is possible, including with Russia, but also with others."

"But we need to know we must fight for our own future, as Europeans, for our destiny," she said.
The government approved on Jerusalem Day a NIS177 million plan to connect the Arab neighborhood of east Jerusalem to orderly infrastructures, including sewage and garbage collection.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Within the plan, which was formulated by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Jerusalem Affairs Ze'ev Elkin (Likud), more east Jerusalem residents will be connected to the municipal sewage system, 33 kilometers of sewage infrastructure will be built, the existing sewage system will be upgraded, garbage cans and garbage trucks will be purchased and set up to collect waste.

The plan was discussed at a special cabinet meeting held Sunday at the Western Wall tunnels.

(Photo: Yaron Brenner)

Large parts of the neighborhoods of east Jerusalem lack infrastructure, and houses are often built without a plan or a building permit, making it difficult to deal with and regulate environmental issues such as waste and sewage. The difficulties are accompanied by the topographical conditions of the area, and the fact that the neighborhoods were built on top of villages with poor infrastructure, which remained essentially the same as when they were annexed to the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem in 1967.

The Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem have a population of 321,113. The Arab population below the poverty line reaches 75%, with the child population below this threshold reaching 84%. More than 37% of all households in the eastern part of the city are handled by the Social Services Ministry, with the average monthly income per capita estimated at NIS 1,900. Residents of Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods suffer from severe housing shortages and, with it, overcrowding.

The plan references the needs of all Arab neighborhoods, inside and outside the security fence, but at this stage, it will be only be implemented in the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem inside the security fence. The Arab neighborhoods outside the fence, which belong to the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, will be dealt with in a separate program.

According to the plan, the Ministry of Finance will allocate funds to the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage for the evacuation of the waste transit station, which is located in the Sheep Market area adjacent to the walls of the Old City, and is a source of environmental hazards.

"It is inconceivable for our capital to have a medieval sewage system," Elkin told Yedioth Ahronoth. "Those who truly believe in a united Jerusalemit is high time they take the entire issue of east Jerusalem as a national project. I am happy that I managed to lead this natural and worthy step, which will lead to a dramatic change in sewage and waste."
LONDONBritish police made two more arrests and stormed three more locations Sunday as they hunted for suspects in the Manchester bombing, while a government minister said members of attacker Salman Abedi's network may still be at large.

Greater Manchester Police said two menone 25 years old and the other 19were arrested in the city on suspicion of terrorist offenses. Eleven other men between the ages of 18 and 44 also were in custody.
New York: U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a barrage of challenges including Jared Kushner's role in the ongoing Russian probe, after coming back to the White House after his first international trip, during which he visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, the Vatican and Belgium over a period of nine days.

At home, Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel is likely to alleviate pressure on the White House to respond to every development in the Russian probe involving President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, which has grabbed headlines.

Reports have emerged that Trump's son-in-law and trusted aide Kushner proposed the idea of creating a secret communications channel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin in a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower in December, which was also attended by former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Reports are very damaging as Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States were used for the communications.

Ambassador Sergei Kislak told his superiors in Moscow that he and Kushner discussed ways to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, the Washington Post said, citing officials briefed on intelligence reports.

The second issue will be Kushner's relationship with former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The third matter of concern for the President is about the memo in which Trump asked Former FBI Director James Comey to end the FBI probe into ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Robert Mueller, the former FBI director now overseeing the Department of Justice's investigation into the Trump team's connections with Russia in the 2016 elections has been briefed on the contents of the memos related to former FBI Director James Comey's conversations with President Donald Trump.Ex-FBI Director James Comey has shown his willingness to speak to the special counsel Mueller before testifying publicly.

Mueller's investigation is expected to focus on obstruction of justice and he is likely to question Comey as a witness in the probe. Now President Trump faces an unprecedented test in the form of a special counsel investigation. Mueller can prosecute anyone who lies to him.
Dhaka: Bangladesh on Sunday reinstalled the statue of a Greek Goddess clad in a saree, taken down from the front of the Supreme Court after religious hardliners deemed it "un-Islamic", to a different location within the premises.

The sculpture of Themis - the goddess of justice - had been in place for less than six months when it was removed on Friday after Islamist groups claimed it hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Sculptor Mrinal Haque, who engraved the statue, supervised the reinstallation process. The reinstallation work began yesterday and was completed today with the help of around 30 workers.

Hifazat-e Islam, Olama League and several other Islamist organisations have been demanding the removal of the statue.

Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam had targeted the statue since its erection in December, saying it did not reflect the Islamic culture of the Muslims in Bangladesh, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

Just a day after being removed from in front of the Supreme Court, the statue of Lady Justice was reinstalled today before the annex building of the apex court, Haque said.

"I wasn't given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it," he had said.

The statue was erected in December 2016, holding a sword and the scales of justice in her hands.

The statue, which is not of the Greek goddess but a Bengali woman, has ruffled feathers in the Muslim-majority nation, with hardliners staging massive protests in recent months.

According to the hardliners, the statue, a variation on the Greek goddess Themis, goes against Islam, the report had said.

Police had used tear gas and water cannons as protests mounted after authorities removed the statue from the Supreme Court premises.

Scores of slogan chanting protestors rallied near the apex court complex where police hurled tear gas canisters and coloured water from water cannons to disperse them the report said.

In April, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the secular Awami League party, apparently backed the Islamists by expressing her dislike for the statue and approved its removal.

In reaction to criticism over her approval, Hasina said she had asked Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha why the statue of a Greek goddess had been distorted by having it clad in a saree, the report said.

"Why shouldn't it be removed? Don't they see that it is no more Greek. It's half Greek, half Bengali. It's Greek- Bengali now. Don't they see it?" she had inquired.

Bangladesh has experienced increasing tensions between hardliners and secularists in recent years, suffering a spate of killings of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreign.
Lahore: A 19-year-old woman has been sentenced to death by village elders in Pakistan's Punjab province for allegedly having an illicit relationship with her cousin after she accused him of raping her at gunpoint.

The incident happened on Friday in Rajanpur, a rural district about 400 kilometres from provincial capital Lahore.

Shumaila escaped from the village after she came to know of the panchayat's decision and reported the matter to police.

She has denied having any illicit relationship with her cousin Khalil Ahmed and alleged that he raped her at gunpoint when she was sleeping at her house.

"I could not raise an alarm as Ahmed was holding a gun. But the panchayat refused to accept my statement and declared that I wilfully slept with him," she told the police.

She said the panchayat did not take action against Ahmed.

Fearing for her life, she approached the police yesterday.

"We have registered an FIR against the panchayat members and will take them into custody for declaring her kaari (liable to death either by stoning or else)," Hasnain said.

The SHO of Fazilpur Police Station, Qaisar Hasnain, said Shumaila's father said in a statement that he was forced to accept the panchayat's decision.

"Since the panchayat declared her liabale to be killed he had to accept the decision as it was the tradition of his village," he said.

The police has sent Shumaila to a government safe house for women in Rajanpur.

"Honour" killings and death sentences are usually sanctioned through the panchayat system in Pakistani villages, but they have no legal standing.
Lahore: A 19-year-old woman has been sentenced to death by village elders in Pakistan's Punjab province for allegedly having an illicit relationship with her cousin after she accused him of raping her at gunpoint.

The incident happened on Friday in Rajanpur, a rural district about 400 kilometres from provincial capital Lahore.

Shumaila escaped from the village after she came to know of the panchayat's decision and reported the matter to police.

She has denied having any illicit relationship with her cousin Khalil Ahmed and alleged that he raped her at gunpoint when she was sleeping at her house.

"I could not raise an alarm as Ahmed was holding a gun. But the panchayat refused to accept my statement and declared that I wilfully slept with him," she told the police.

She said the panchayat did not take action against Ahmed.

Fearing for her life, she approached the police yesterday.

"We have registered an FIR against the panchayat members and will take them into custody for declaring her kaari (liable to death either by stoning or else)," Hasnain said.

The SHO of Fazilpur Police Station, Qaisar Hasnain, said Shumaila's father said in a statement that he was forced to accept the panchayat's decision.

"Since the panchayat declared her liabale to be killed he had to accept the decision as it was the tradition of his village," he said.

The police has sent Shumaila to a government safe house for women in Rajanpur.

"Honour" killings and death sentences are usually sanctioned through the panchayat system in Pakistani villages, but they have no legal standing. PTI MZ ABH NSA ABH

CBSE results: Tamil girl beats visual disability, scores 96.6%

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) The compulsion of using a magnifying glass for reading did not deter Dharshana M V form putting in her best efforts, as she scored 96.6 per cent and secured the third rank in CBSE class XII examination in the differently-abled category.

Aditya R Raj from Trivandrum, Lakshmi PV from Palakkad, (both in Kerala) and Dharshana M V from Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu are top three scorers in CBSE class XII examinations in the category, results of which were announced today.

"I am very happy," Dharshana, from Nalanda International Public School in Krishnagiri, told PTI over the phone.

Dharshana suffers from microcornea which has rendered her right eye almost a 'nil vision' and the left one a partial vision.

Dharshana said despite the physical challenge she was motivated to put in her best and expressed gratitude to her parents and teachers for not putting pressure on her.

"My general principle is that I like to do my best in whatever I do. So when I started preparing for class XII examination, I decided I should do my best, whatever I could. Keeping that in my mind I started preparing.

"For reading, I used magnifying glass. I got good support from my school and my parents. They did not create any fear in my mind about the exam and motivated me and instilled confidence that I could do well," she said.

Dharshana, a commerce stream student who scored 483 marks out of 500, said she needs to use magnifying glass to read small texts.

She now wants to study commerce and become an entrepreneur, while also developing her music skills.

"I want to purse B. Com in Chennai and after that become an entrepreneur. I also want to develop my music talent," Dharshana, who is honing her skills in Carnatic music, told PTI.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has again raised the demand for granting Bihar a 'special category status and special assistance' for its rapid growth.

"Even after achieving double digit growth rate during the last many years, we are still behind the national average on major developmental parameters viz Poverty line, per capita income, industrialisation, and social and physical infrastructure," Kumar said in a letter to the prime minister on Sunday.

"A new policy framework is needed to uplift Bihar from backwardness and bringing it to the national mainstream," he said.

Kumar said the grant of special category status to Bihar would spur further growth as it would not only ensure greater availability of resources due to increased central share in the centrally sponsored schemes but also incentivise private investments.

He said the grant of special category would give concessions in direct and indirect taxes, thus generating greater employment opportunities for the people of Bihar, specially its young population.

"We have raised this issue through numerous letters and also placing it in the meetings of the NITI Aayog and Inter State Council," he said.

Stating that Bihar is extremely backward in all physical and social infrastructure parameters and the per capita income of the state is well below the national average, he said it was essential to consider the special needs of Bihar.

The recommendations of Raghuram Rajan Committee and provisions of Bihar State Reorganisation Act 2000 talked about giving Bihar a 'special financial assistance' to increase the pace of development, he said.

He said the Rajan Committee had identified Bihar as among the 10 least developed states recommending the Central government to provide these states 'assistance through other means', but the Central government had not initiated any action on these recommendations.

Similarly, in the last few years the fund flow under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) had not been as per demand which had adversely affected the implementation of schemes, forcing the state to commit funds from its own resources.

He also said that the states with per capita income less than the national average should be provided 90 per cent central share for the proper implementation of schemes so that their objectives were met within the stipulated time frame.

He said the 14th Finance Commission, in its recommendations, had also suggested that "specific states, to the extent of their needs not being fulfilled by formula based transfers, should be provided supplementary grant based on a fixed and equity based parameter."

"In the light of this suggestion and owing to its special needs, the state of Bihar ought to be provided a supplementary grant by the union government," he said.
Mumbai: Chinese actress Zhu Zhu will be visiting India for the promotions of her Bollywood debut film "Tubelight".

Directed by Kabir Khan, the film features Zhu Zhu opposite Salman Khan.

"Heroines have always played strong roles in my films. Zhu Zhu plays an important role in the film but we can't talk about it. Also, she will be coming to India for promotions. But we are yet to chalk out a proper plan," Kabir told PTI.

With films like "PK" and "Dangal" doing good business in China, "Tubelight" makers are also planning to release the film in the country.

"China market is different when it comes to releasing Indian films. The film has to be presented to them, they have to like it and then pass it. They have certain guidelines to release a film," Kabir says.

"Tubelight" is an adaptation of 2015 "Little Boy", but the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" director says it has been made according to Indian sensibilities.

"Our film is an adaptation of 'Little Boy'. We have taken the germ of idea and made it according to our sensibilities. We have made it in context of our history."

Also starring Sohail Khan, Om Puri, Shah Rukh Khan in cameo, "Tubelight" releases this Eid.
New Delhi: Recent layoffs in Indian IT companies are not different from the past and the sector will remain a net recruiter, but the numbers will be "calibrated" and automation impact will be crucial, says a report.

"We believe that these adjustments in staff strength are not materially different from earlier years. The IT industry will continue to be a net recruiter with numbers prudently and continuously calibrated by industry revenue growth," Kotak Institutional Equities said in a research note.

Indian IT companies generally let go of 1-3 per cent employees after annual performance measurement and this year, there could be a slightly higher proportion of layoffs -- around 2-4 per cent -- it added.

Some of the key factors slamming brakes on IT hiring include slowdown in company growth, decline in attrition rates, acceleration in localisation programme, employee reskilling and changes in the market place.

"Industry headcount addition in 2017-18 would be similar to 2016-17 figures or marginally higher, assuming 8 per cent revenue growth," the report said, adding that this positive will be partly offset by higher local hiring in the US.

The engineering and R&D services are expected to see 7-9 per cent headcount addition while domestic IT and BPO would log a 5-7 per cent rise. In IT services, there is likely to be 6-8 per cent growth and headcount increase will be 2-3 per cent lower than revenue growth.

However, BPO is where the real challenge is, as nearly 38 per cent of BPO export revenues are from customer interaction services, something that will be automated and taken over by chatbots over time.

"The industry will continue to be a net recruiter. However, it will continue to witness supply of talent and this might have negative implications for the engineering," the report said, adding "we expect automation to have significant bearing on headcount addition in the medium term".
New Delhi: An E-rickshaw driver was allegedly beaten to death on Saturday evening in GTB Nagar, after he opposed two students from urinating near the Metro station.

As per the locals, two boys were drinking alcohol and were urinating near the Metro station which was opposed by the E-rickshaw driver.

In order to take revenge, the boys later returned in the night to carry out the shocking act.

"14-15 men came together and started beating the man. Nobody came to help him. The man was beaten to death as the boys filled towels with stones and brutally thrashed him. They even started beating me. Somehow I was able to run away from here to ask for help," said one of the E-rickshaw drivers who was an eye witness.

According to another witness, the boys were possibly from Delhi University's Kirori Mal College, as one of the E-rickshaw drivers, Pramod dropped them in front of that college in the evening.

"The boys who did this, later in the evening went to Kirori Mal College, we can identify them. We even asked the police to search the CCTV footage, but they are not even ready to do so," said Pramod.
New Delhi: Classification of different items under various tax slabs of GST has created an environment of anxiety and concern among the trading community across the country, Confederation of All India Traders said on Sunday.

Various verticals of retail trade are demanding lower tax on items being dealt by them since they have been categorised under higher tax slab in comparison to tax slab of current VAT tax regime, CAIT said.

As per an analysis, 1,211 goods and 36 services have been so far classified under GST out of which nearly 50 percent goods have been placed under 18 percent rate; 14 percent under 5 percent rate; 17 percent under 12 percent rate and 19 percent under 28 percent rate, CAIT said in a statement.

In view of growing discontent about proposed GST rates, CAIT has urged the government to revisit the rate schedule.

"The wider impact of the classification of items under different tax slabs needs to be gauged very cautiously since under GST not only the taxes paid on goods but even the taxes paid on the services will be eligible for input tax credit," CAIT said.

Besides, taxes paid on inter-state purchases of goods or availing services will also be eligible for input tax credit, it added.

"Hitherto, both these advantages were not available under VAT tax regime. Therefore, impact on the prices of commodities will have to be drawn after calculating advantages of input tax credit," CAIT said.
New Delhi: Conservation of the environment, especially in the present times of climate change, has become a matter of extreme importance.

Speaking to the nation through Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the importance of nature and the environment as a whole.

He spoke about conservation and said that we have to connect with nature to nurture a better planet. Connecting with nature is nothing but connecting with ourselves. Nature always refreshes us. Our ancestors conserved nature, we must show the same compassion towards future generations, Modi said.

This is in accordance with World Environment Day (WED) that will be observed on June 5. Initiated by the United Nations in 1974, WED is the principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.

This year's theme for WED is 'Connecting People to Nature'.

Our ancestors conserved nature to build a better world for us, we must show the same compassion towards future generations, Modi concluded.
London: British Airways GMB union has blamed the airline's 2016 decision of outsourcing IT jobs to India as the reason behind cancelling all Saturday flights from London's two biggest airports: Heathrow and Gatwick.

The GMB union said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the problems, the Guardian reported. GMB union said the airline's decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the problems, the Guardian reported.

The GMB union said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff last year and outsourced the work to India and blamed cost cutting for the travel chaos.

"This could have all been avoided," said Mick Rix, national officer for aviation at the GMB union. According to the GMB website, the union had on February on February 29, 2016 warned against BA outsourcing IT jobs.

British Airways has cancelled all flights from Heathow and Gatwick on Saturday due to a major IT failure causing severe disruption to its global operations that is expected to run into Sunday.

The airline said its terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick became "extremely congested" due to the computer problems.

Initially the major IT failure was being speculated as that BA's IT systems had been hacked as recently WannaCry ransomware attack affected 150 countries. But Chief executive Alex Cruz said "we believe the root cause was a power-supply issue and we have no evidence of any cyber attack.

The computer crash affected BA's booking system, baggage handling, mobile phone apps and check-in desks, leaving passengers facing long queues and confusion in airports or delays while planes were held on runways.

More than 1,000 flights were affected. At Heathrow alone, BA had 406 flights scheduled to depart after 9am and a further 71 at Gatwick, according to flightstats.com on Saturday.
New Delhi: After Uzma's return, a couple from Hyderabad has urged the External Affairs Minister (EAM) to bring back their daughter, who is stuck in Pakistan from nine years.

Parents of Mohammadi Begum, who is being tortured by her husband, hailed Swaraj`s efforts in Uzma`s return and said that they will be grateful to the union minister if she expedites the process of their daughter`s return.

"My daughter is stuck in Pakistan, she has not yet come. I have been waiting for years. Uzma returned to India after efforts of the government. I really want my daughter to return.

This is the month of Ramadan and I want to celebrate it with her. I urge you all to bring my daughter back. My daughter is being tortured; she is being treated like a servant there. Sushma Swaraj ji I will bless you, please bring my daughter back. It`s been 9 years," said Begum`s mother.

"My daughter is in Pakistan from past nine years. She keeps on calling me and asks me to bring her back. Sushma Swaraj ji after a lot of efforts brought Uzma back, we will be glad if she brings our daughter back too. If my daughter returns I will be grateful. She keeps on complaining of torture and keeps on pleading us to call her back," said Mohammed Akbar, Begum`s father.

According to Akbar, he had spoken to the officials of Indian Embassy in Islamabad and they have assured that they are working continuously on their daughter`s case.

According to the couple, a Pakistani national, Mohammed Younus, had cheated their daughter and married her while working in Oman.She was fraudulently taken to Pakistan on the pretext of shifting to Saudi Arabia.
Delhi: Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat on Sunday defended the human shield incident and said that the troops needed innovative ways to fight against the "dirty war" in Kashmir.

"People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," he said.

"This is a proxy war and proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. The rules of engagements are there when the adversary comes face-to-face and fights with you. It is a dirty war.... That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," the Army Chief further said.

The Army Chief added, "I would have been happy if the protesters were firing weapons at the Armed forces instead of throwing stones. Then I could do what I (want to do)."

Major Leetul Gogoi belonging to the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters, has been honoured with the Army Chief's 'Commendation Card' for his 'sustained efforts' in counter- insurgency operations.

The Army Chief's 'Commendation Card' is considered a prestigious award and is given for distinguished services and devotion to duty.

General Rawat pointed out that the main objective of awarding him when a Court of Inquiry was finalising its probe into the incident, was to boost the morale of young officers of the force who are operating in a very difficult environment in the militancy- infested state.

He said armed forces have the right of self defence and Major Gogoi could have opted for firing at the crowd but he chose not to resort to it

The Army Chief maintained there was a ploy to break the trust between various security forces, and the Major could not have refused to provide security when polling agents had sought security assistance.

On the situation in J&K he said, in an interview to PTI, "Kashmir needs a composite solution, everybody will have to get involved."

The Army Chief emphasised that just four districts of South Kashmir were disturbed and it was incorrect to say that entire Kashmir has gone out of control.

"It will have to be a composite solution. Everybody will have to get involved. Army's role is to ensure that violence does not take place and the common man who is not indulging in this (violence) is protected," he said, when asked about the solution to the Kashmir issue.

General Rawat, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir extensively, said if people in any country lose fear of the Army, then the country is doomed.

"Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you. We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us," he said.

At the same time, he asserted that maximum restraint is being maintained while handling the situation in the Valley.

To a separate question, the Army Chief said he does not anticipate a "limited war" with Pakistan.

A video, showing the man tied to the Army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, had triggered a public outcry.

However, Major Gogoi had said later that his idea had saved lives of many people.

Recalling the circumstances in which he had ordered Farooq Ahmed Dar to be tied to the bonnet of the vehicle, Gogoi had said that about 1200 stone-pelters had surrounded a small group of security personnel at a polling booth in Utligam village of Budgam district on April 9 and if he had ordered firing, there could have been at least 12 casualties.

In the mob, the Major had said that he saw a man who appeared to be the "ring leader" as he was "instigating" the stone-pelters on the day of bypoll to Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

"...When we were unable to move out, I announced from my mega-mic to tie the captured man on the bonnet, after which the stone pelting stopped for sometime and we got time to come out and get into our vehicles. I did this (tie Farooq Dar on the bonnet of my jeep) to save more lives of the local people," Gogoi had maintained.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat today left for Myanmar on a four-day visit during which he will hold talks with top military leaders there to further ramp up defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

Army sources said Gen Rawat will hold talks with top military brass of Myanmar and will explore ways to further broaden security and defence engagements, particularly between the two armies.

Myanmar?s President Htin Kyaw had visited India in August last year during which the two countries had agreed to step up bilateral coordination between border guarding forces to ensure security in the areas along the border.

India has been concerned over some militant groups from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.

The issue of cross border activities by certain insurgent groups might figure during talks between Rawat and Myanmar's military leadership.

In June, 2015 the Indian Army had carried out an operation in areas near the Indo-Myanmar against the NSCN (K) militants, days after militants had killed 18 Army men in Manipur.
London: British Airways (BA) warned of further delays and cancellations as it resumed flights on Sunday following a major IT failure that saw most services cancelled from London`s Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Saturday. The unions blamed the airline`s decision last year of outsourcing IT jobs to India as causing the disruptions.

Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., 91 British Airways flights were scheduled to depart from both the airports, the BBC reported. So far, 42 flights have left Heathrow and 29 have been cancelled. At Gatwick, 19 planes have departed and one flight to Amsterdam was cancelled.

More than 1,000 flights were affected.

The IT failure affected check-in and operational systems, including customer service phone lines.

BA said although some of its IT systems were back on line, "there will be some knock-on disruption to our schedules as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world".

Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper reported here that British Airways GMB union has said the airline`s decision to outsource hundreds of IT jobs to India last year was behind the flight disruptions.

The GMB union, which had cautioned last year against outsourcing jobs, said BA laid off hundreds of IT staff outsourcing the work to India, and blamed cost cutting for the travel chaos.

"We are repositioning some aircraft during the night to enable us to operate as much of our schedule as possible throughout Sunday," the BBC quoted the airlines as saying.

A BA spokesman said: "We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers throughout Saturday and understand how frustrating their experiences will have been."

"We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies for anyone due to travel on Sunday and Monday who no longer wishes to fly to or from Heathrow or Gatwick," he added.

The airline also said that most long-haul flights due to land in London on Sunday were expected to arrive as normal.

Delays were also reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga due to the system failure, which coincided with a bank holiday weekend and the start of the half-term holiday for many people in the UK.

Customers have been advised to continue checking the status of their flight on the airline`s website www.ba.com before leaving for the airport.
New Delhi: Admitting that the Kashmir issue was a challenge for the Narendra Modi government, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asserted that the Centre will come out with a "permanent solution" keeping in mind "Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat".



In an interview to IndiaToday news channel, Rajnath Singh refused to give a time frame for a solution and insisted that the Government was open for "unconditional" talks with all stakeholders.



"Kashmir issue is a challenge for us, there are no two ways about it. But we want to assure the country that we will come out with a permanent solution. And we will arrive at this permanent solution taking into consideration, Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat," said Rajnath Singh.



"We cannot allow repeated recurrence of unrest in Kashmir. We cannot allow Kashmir to burn. We cannot give a time frame, that in one month or two months we will solve this. You don't have instant solution to such issues. Efforts are on and we are trying with our full might to come out with a permanent solution," he said.



He repeatedly refused to reveal anything about the government's strategy for a "permanent solution", but said they were open to talks with all stakeholders, including the separatist Hurriyat.



"We want to talk to stakeholders, whoever wants to talk, we are open to discuss with them. But then talks will have to be unconditional. Talks cannot and will not happen on any kind of preconditions," he said.



Asked to comment on a recent expose, revealing the Hurriyat's links with Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said: "There are no two ways about the fact that Pakistan is actively pursuing destabilising Kashmir, and through Kashmir it wants to destabilise India. Pakistan is the only country in the world which promotes terrorism."



On the expose on Hurriyat and the subsequent call for a ban on them by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh, Rajnath Singh refused to comment.



"I don't want to comment (on banning Hurriyat). We have taken cognisance of whatever they have said and we will do whatever is justified. We have already handed over the probe to the NIA (National Investigation Agency), let the probe report come," he said.



Asked why the separatist leaders were put under house arrest and not jailed and provided with security, Rajnath Singh put the onus on the state government.



"It is the state government which provides the security and not the Centre," he said.



When reminded that it was a BJP-PDP alliance at the helm in the state, Rajnath Singh said the move to provide security to the separatists was being done from earlier.



He also said the government was taking many initiatives, including inducting the youth into the security forces, to bring the people of Kashmir into the mainstream and discourage the youth from taking to militancy.


New Delhi: The coming together of 17 opposition parties does not bother the BJP even a bit and they do not pose any threat to the NDA government either now or in the 2109 Lok Sabha polls, says Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.



He says they are full of contradictions and have come together only because of the fear of PM Modi who has "wiped out" the three Cs - the corrupt, the casteists and the communal elements.



"We have one leader, cohesive ideology and a clear-cut policy. There is contradiction in the opposition. There is no ideological cohesion. There is no leader of the stature of Narendra Modi," Naidu told IANS in an interview.



"I wish them best of luck. Let them come together. They are very bitter and agitated because PM Modi has wiped out the corrupt, the casteists and the communal elements. They are very much aggrieved. The Communists and the Congress are sympathising with these elements."



The Information and Broadcasting Minister said the Congress and the Communists are at each other's throat in Kerala and the Congress, the Left and the Trinamool Congress are fighting each other in West Bengal.



"Cooperation in Delhi, operation in West Bengal. Separation in between and a joint photo opportunity in Delhi," he said, referring to the grouping of opposition parties on Friday in Delhi to discuss a candidate for the Presidential poll and a possible anti-BJP grand alliance for the 2019 polls.



"We are confident and they are diffident. We are united, they are divided."



He recalled the experiments of the United Front government in 1996 and the Third Front coalition and observed "the United Front became a disunited front and the Third Front became a distant third".



Naidu, a former BJP President, attacked the opposition parties for floating names even before talking to the government on a possible consensus candidate for the President's post.



"They should not have dragged in President Pranab Mukherjee's name. Then they floated Sharad Pawar's name, followed by Gopalakrishna Gandhi. They should have talked to us first," Naidu told IANS.



He said the government would talk to the opposition on a consensus candidate. "There will be a good President. We do not want to discuss names in public," he said, refusing to give any indication of the ruling dispensation's thinking on the issue.



To a question on the BJP President Amit Shah having ruled out the possibility of nominating RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat as the Presidential candidate, he said: "The question does not arise at all. The RSS is a social organisation and is never after power and posts."




Kupwara : Pakistan Army today shot dead a civilian and injured another in Keran sector of Kupwara district near Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to reports, the victim was working as a porter with the Army.

Earlier in the day, the body of one intruder was recovered as the Indian Army foiled another infiltration attempt by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch area.

"One intruder from PoK successfully killed in an Ambush at about 0230 hours yesterday night on LoC in KG Sector, body of intruder recovered," said Lt Col Manish Mehta Defense Spokesperson in a statement.

Based on intelligence inputs, an ambush was laid down in the early morning by the troops of the same Sikh Battalion whose jawans were mutilated by Pakistan operatives recently.

Yesterday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders including Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Sabzar Bhat and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pak-sponsored agents to spread terror in the Jammu and Kashmir in the run-up to the holy month of Ramadan.

The Northern Command of Indian Army said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have mounted relentless operations to thwart attempts by Pakistan to boost terror activities from across the Line of Control.

"In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the people of the nation to connect with nature, saying that the process connects us with ourselves.

Addressing the nation in the 32nd episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, the Prime Minister said, "Connecting with nature is nothing but connecting with ourselves. People should connect with nature to nurture a better planet."

Asserting that our ancestor's conserved nature, Prime Minister Modi appealed that we must also show the same compassion towards future generations.

As 5th June is World Environment Day, Prime Minister Modi informed that this year the UN has chosen 'Connecting People to Nature' theme.

"Sprinkling a glass of water on your face, refreshes you. Fresh air makes you feel relaxed. As soon as an individual comes in contact with nature, he feels more alive and full of energy," he added.
Lahore: Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz has condemned the killing of top Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and other terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian forces, and called upon the international community and the United Nations to bring an end to the bloodshed.

Accusing India of carrying out "extra-judicial killings," Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said "12 people in Kashmir were killed by the Indian forces in Pulwama and Barmulla," Dawn reported.

The adviser urged the global community, particularly the UN, Conference of Islamic Countries, P-5 members and human rights organisations to call upon India to immediately stop the killings.

Sabzar Ahmad Bhat who replaced Burhan Wani as the Hizbul Mujahideen's operational chief in Kashmir was killed by the security forces on Saturday morning in an encounter in Saimu sector of Tral.

The Tral operation was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

On Saturday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pakistan sponsored agents to spread terror in the Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the holy month of Ramazan.

"In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command.

Reports emanating from Kashmir Valley said that violence has been erupted in many parts following the killing of Bhat. Similar violence was reported after Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8, 2016.

In order to stop spread of false propaganda, the Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended the Internet services in the Kashmir Valley.
Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-nation tour on Sunday to Germany, Spain, Russia and France.

"My visits to these nations are aimed at boosting Indias economic engagement with them and to invite more investment to India," PM Modi posted on Twitter.

My visits to these nations are aimed at boosting Indias economic engagement with them & to invite more investment to India.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 28, 2017

He also posted a detailed programme on Facebook about his engagements during the trip.

Following is what PM Modi wrote:

Germany:

I will visit Germany on 29-30 May 2017 on the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the Fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).

India and Germany are large democracies, major economies and important players in regional and global affairs. Our strategic partnership is based on democratic values and commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based global order. Germany is a valuable partner in our development initiatives and German competencies fit well with my vision for Indias transformation.

I would begin my visit from Meseberg near Berlin in Germany, where Chancellor Merkel has very graciously invited me to hold discussions on issues of regional and global importance.

On 30 May, Chancellor Merkel and I will hold the 4th IGC to review the state of our bilateral relationship. We will also chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, security and counter-terrorism, innovation and science & technology, skill development, urban infrastructure, railways and civil aviation, clean energy, development cooperation, health and alternative medicine.

I would also call on HE Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Germany is our leading partner in trade, technology and investment. In Berlin, Chancellor Merkel and I will interact with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen our trade and investment ties.

I am confident that this visit will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation with Germany and further deepen our Strategic Partnership.

Spain:

I will pay an official visit to Spain from 30  31 May 2017. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Spain in almost three decades.

I will have the honour of calling on His Majesty King Felipe VI during this visit.

I look forward to my meeting with President Mariano Rajoy on 31 May. We will discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism.

There is significant potential for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties. We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism.

I will also meet top CEOs of Spanish industry and encourage them to partner with us in our 'Make in India' Initiative.

The first meeting of the India-Spain CEOs Forum will be held on the sidelines of my visit. I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership.

Russia:

I will be visiting St Petersburg, Russia from 31st May to 2nd June for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit.

On 1st June, I will be conducting detailed discussions with President Putin to take forward our dialogue from the last Summit in Goa in October 2016. With a spotlight on economic ties, both President Putin and I will also be interacting with CEOs from both countries.

On the next day, I will be addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) together with President Putin. I appreciate the invitation to be the Guest of Honour at this years Forum. India is the Guest Country at the SPIEF this year.

In a first meeting of its kind, I will also have the opportunity to engage with Governors from various Russian regions to further broad base bilateral cooperation and more actively involve States/Regions and other diversified stakeholders.

At the beginning of my visit, I will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad. I will also have occasion to visit the world famous State Hermitage Museum and the Institute of Oriental manuscripts.

I greatly look forward to my visit to St Petersburg in this special year for the bilateral relationship as both countries celebrate the 70th Anniversary of our diplomatic relations.
New Delhi: Remembering freedom fighter Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on the nation especially the youth to make a trip to the cellular jails, also called ' kaala paani' in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"Today is the birth Anniversary of Veer Savarkarji, who wrote a book in jail named 'Manjhi Janmathe'.

An immeasurable misery a freedom fighter has faced," he said in his 32nd 'Mann Ki Baat' address.

He also said that he is happy to see that the young generation is taking an interest in reading and knowing about the history of the nation.

"I am happy that our young generation is keen to know about our history and about our freedom fighters that made sacrifices for us. Many freedom fighters went to the gallows for our Mother India. It is because of their sacrifices only that we are able to breathe in the free India today. Their writings have become the strength of our independence movement," Prime Minister added.

Prime Minister Modi suggested that youngsters must visit the Cellular Jail or Kaala Paani to see that how India's freedom fighters scarified their lives for the nation.

"Many years ago, I visited Andaman and Nicobar's Kaala Paani. I would suggest every youngster and others to visit their once to see how our freedom fighters spent their whole life in jail for our nation," he added.
New Delhi: Urging the nation to make Yoga an essential part of their lives to remain ANI): Urging the nation to make Yoga an essential part of their lives to remain stress-free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Yoga is the only thing that is uniting the world.

"21st June has become one of the known dates across the world. The entire world celebrates International Yoga day. In very short span of time the message of yoga has spread in every corner of the world," the Prime Minister said in his 32nd ' Mann Ki Baat' address.

He further emphasised that Yoga has come forth as a gift from India to the world, at a time when disruptive forces are tearing the world apart, adding that Yoga helps to unite the body, mind, soul and now is similarly uniting the world.

Prime Minister Modi also appealed the nation to take part in the International Yoga day and to post their pictures on social media.

"I got a very interesting suggestion- since its 3rd Yoga Day, why not 3 generations of a family come together & practice Yoga. This will give new dimension to yoga," he said.

The world will celebrate the third International Yoga Day on June 21.

It is celebrated annually since its inception in 2015.

An International day for Yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 11 December 2014.
Baramulla (J&K): Asserting that the Kashmir youth need employment, a top army officer on Sunday said that defying separatist shutdown call, hundreds of students participated in the army recruitment examination in the Valley.

Despite the valley-wide shutdown on Sunday and Monday against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sabzar Ahmad Bhatt, 799 candidates out of 815 appeared for common entrance written examination for selection of Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks at Pattan in north Kashmir's Baramulla district while only seven candidates out of 500 missed the exam at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Srinagar.

Talking to media here, Major General A.K. Singh, the Kilo Force General Officer Commanding (GOC), said, "The Kashmir youth need employment. You have seen how hundreds of Kashmiri youth participated in the army recruitment examination on Sunday despite shutdown called by the separatists."

"If we continue to take appropriate measures in this direction, we will bring Kashmiri youth on the right path," he added.

The Major General further informed that 200 to 250 militants are currently present in the Kashmir Valley.

"I think, presently there are around 200 to 250 militants in Kashmir. Pakistan is trying to get them infiltrated on this side. But various measures have been taken to strengthen the robust counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control (LoC), so that militants will be eliminated on the LC only," he added.
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Curfew has been announced following the killing of Hijbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral area on Saturday.

Unrest stirred again in the Valley after Bhat's killing, as locals took to the streets and clashed with the security forces to express their anger over the killings.

The curfew has been announced in parts of Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of eight police stations including Kralkhud, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safa kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Maisuma, Batamaloo and Nowhatta.

The district administrations announced strict restrictions which will be continued till the further orders.

The authorities also ordered closure of schools and colleges in Srinagar district in the wake of protests and clashes witnessed in various city schools and colleges.

Yesterday, the mobile internet services were also suspended a day after authorities lifted a month-long ban on the social media.

The outgoing calls on prepaid mobiles were also broke out after protests in several parts of the Valley.

The death of Sabazar Bhat, who succeeded Burhan Wani has triggered protests, shutdown and curfew like situation.

The Tral operation was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

On Saturday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pakistan sponsored agents to spread terror in the Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the holy month of Ramazan.

"In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command.
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency has ordered separatist leaders Farooq Ahmad Dar and Javed Ahmed Baba to appear before its court in New Delhi after its initial probe into allegations of Pakistan funding.

Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and Baba alias 'Gazi' of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat will reach the national capital on Monday for further questioning.

They have been asked to carry bank and property documents by the NIA.

Both of them were questioned for four consecutive days earlier this month as part of the ongoing investigation.

The summons came after the probe agency named Pakistan-based LeT chief Hafeez Saeed, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE), PTI reported.

Khan has been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference.

The probe was launched after Khan was allegedly shown in a sting operation confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels. The sting was aired by a news channel.

Both Dar and Baba will be questioned again in Delhi for their alleged role in collecting and transferring funds for terror and fuelling unrest in the Valley.

The agency has also collected details of 13 accused charge-sheeted in the Valley for causing damage to public property as part of a "larger conspiracy".

The NIA's Preliminary Enquiry alleged that the separatists were receiving funds from the LeT chief to carry out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting on security forces and damaging public property.
Kannur/Alappuzha (Kerala): The Kerala government on Sunday suggested it could bring in a law to counter the central ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, as the political slugfest over the issue intensified fuelled by a row over a Youth Congress activist butchering a calf in full public view.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had yesterday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister to protest the Centre's decision, hit out at the BJP-led government at the centre and the RSS, saying there was no need for the people of the state to draw lessons from New Delhi or Nagpur on their food habits.

Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel said the government would consider formulating a new legislation to overcome the Centre's cattle ban.

Opposition Congress led UDF, meanwhile, decided to observe tomorrow as a 'black day' against the ban.

Amid the raging debate over the issue, police today registered a case against a Youth Congress worker Rijil Makulti and his accomplices for slaughtering a calf in public in Kannur during 'Beef fest' organised across the state by the Congress and the Left yesterday to protest the Centre's ban.

Latching onto the issue, the NDA in Kerala decided to observe Tuesday as a day of protest against the incident.

Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan posted the video of the the gory Kannur incident on twitter, calling it "cruelty at it peak" and said no normal person can behave in this manner.

"A case has been registered under Sect 120 A of the Kerala Police Act on the basis of a complaint of Yuva Morcha activist", Kannur SP Siva Vikram, told PTI.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or with both.

An embarrassed Congress sought to distance itself, saying the party will not support anyone who has violated the law, but the Youth Congress activist who led the protest said he had no regrets.

"If anyone has violated the law then he should be dealt with accordingly and the Congress party will not support him. However, we need to first establish whether the person in the video is related to the party or not," said Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi at a press briefing in Delhi.

However, Makulti told a television channel today, "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest."

Speaking at a function at Alapuzha, Vijayan said Keralites have a traditional food habit pattern, which was healthy and nutritious, and nobody need change it.

"The state government will provide all facilities to people to partake food of their choice. There is no need for Keralites to learn it from anybody in New Delhi or Nagpur" (headquarters of RSS), Vijayan said.

Minister for Local Administration K T Jaleel said?the cabinet would discuss the issue and the state government would consider formulating a new legislation to overcome the Centre's cattle ban.

Condemning yesterday's beef fests and butchering of the calf, BJP state President Rajasekharan said DYFI and Youth Congress, youth outfits of CPI(M) and Congress, were turning 'butchers' and people should be careful, he cautioned.

NDA will observe a 'protest day' on Tuesday against the slaughter of the calf and against CPI(M) State Secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, for his alleged remarks against the Indian Army, Kummanam, who is the Chairman of Kerala NDA, said.

Balakrishnan has stoked a controversy alleging that women belonging to minority communities were subjected to atrocities by army personnel in states where the AFSPA was implemented.

Protest marches and meetings will be held, he said.
New Delhi: Foreign investors have pumped in nearly USD 4 billion in the country's capital market so far this month due to finalisation of GST rates for bulk of the items and stable outlook for the rupee.

Interestingly, most of the funds have been invested in the debt markets by the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).

According to latest depository data, FPIs invested a net Rs 9,007 crore in equities during May 2-26, while they poured Rs 15,769 crore in the debt markets during the period under review, translating into a net inflow of Rs 24,776 crore (USD 3.85 billion).

This comes following a net inflow of close to Rs 94,900 crore in the last three months (February-April) on several factors, including expectations that BJP's victory in recently held assembly polls will accelerate the pace of reforms.

Prior to that, such investors had pulled out over Rs 3,496 crore from debt markets in January.

Market experts said the huge inflow could be attributed to a slew of factors including finalisation of GST rates for bulk of the items by the GST Council. The move has cleared the decks for the rollout of the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1.

The investors' sentiment got a further boost after the US Federal Reserve signalled that it will wait for more data for a rate hike.

"FPI flows into Indian equities are low as the market has run up in the past four months and valuations are no longer cheap. Having said this, we are seeing some flows coming back to equity market for past few days," Sharekhan Head Advisory Hemang Jani said.

"The differential spread between 10-year bond yields in the US and India is still around 4.5-5 per cent, this, coupled with stable outlook for the Indian currency bodes well for FPI flows into debt market," Jani added.

With the latest inflow, total investment in capital markets (equity and debt) has reached over Rs 1.16 lakh crore this year.
New Delhi: Investments in domestic capital markets through participatory notes fell to a four-month low of Rs 1.68 lakh crore at the end of April amid stringent norms put in place by Sebi to curb the inflow of illicit funds.

P-notes are issued by registered foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly. They, however, need to go through a proper due diligence process.

According to Sebi, the total value of P-note investments in Indian markets equity, debt and derivatives ? declined to Rs 1,68,545 crore at April-end, from Rs 1,78,437 crore at the end of March.

This was the lowest level of investment through the route since December, when the cumulative value of such investment stood at Rs 1.57 lakh crore.

At the end of February, the total investment value through P-notes was at Rs 1.70 lakh crore and Rs 1.75 lakh crore in January.

Of the total, P-note holdings in equities were at Rs 1.09 lakh crore at April-end and the remaining were in debt and derivatives markets.

The quantum of FPI investments via P-notes plunged to 6 per cent at the end of last month from 6.6 per cent in March.

Last month, the board of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had tightened the norm by barring resident Indians, NRIs and entities owned by them from making investment through P-notes.

The decision was part of efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for P-notes, which have been long seen as being possibly misused for routing of black money from abroad.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money, set up by the Supreme Court, had recommended a slew of measures, including the need for Sebi to come up with stricter regulations on P-notes.
Chennai: Tamil 'superstar' Rajinikanth today left for Mumbai to shoot for his upcoming film 'Kaala Karikalan' (Kaala) scheduled to begin tomorrow.

The film considered to be a sequel to 'Kabali,' which released last year, would be produced by Wunderbar Films promoted by Rajinikanth's son-in-law and actor Dhanush.

"The shooting for Kaala begins tomorrow.. I am leaving for Mumbai.. You are doing your job, please allow me to do my job," Rajinikanth told reporters before leaving to Mumbai.

The actor also dodged a question on the reported comments made by his brother on his possible entry into politics.

Last week, the 67-year-old 'Kabali' star met his fans after a gap of eight years and had hinted of taking the political plunge when he asked them to carry on with their daily responsibilities, but "face the war when it comes."

Pa Ranjith, who had directed 'Kabali' would be weilding the megaphone this time too.

Ranjith's favourite musician Santhosh Narayanan is onboard 'Kaala' also and the film is being made in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.

The film had earlier courted controversy with the adopted son of Mumbai don late Haji Mastan alleging the plot was based on his father's life.

The makers had, however, denied it.

Recently, Dhanush had released the title and the first look of the movie in social networking sites.
Jaipur: Six persons, including a village head, have been arrested for allegedly assaulting four Sikh men in Chainpura village of Nasirabad town in Ajmer in April, a matter that evoked outrage from across the country.

A police constable named Budhha Ram has also been line attached in this connection, police said on Sunday.

The Sikh men, working as sewadars at a gurudwara were thrashed by a mob in Chainpura on April 24, however the incident came into light after a 51-second video of the incident being thrashed and abused went viral on Thursday.

"We arrested six accused yesterday, including Rajgarh panchayat sarpanch Ramdev Rawat of which Chainpura village is a part, Shrawan Singh, Raju Singh, Vijendra Singh and others for hurting religious sentiments and beating the sewadars," Nasirabad SHO Sadar Laxman Ram said, adding few more persons are likely to be arrested.

The Sikhs -- Niramal Singh, Malkeet Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Harpal Singh, all sewadars of a gurudwara in Alwar's Khairthal were thrashed by a mob over a rumour.

They had gone to the village to collect donation when the incident happened.

The matter attracted national outrage with the Sikh community including Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh demanding the Rajasthan government to take strict action against the culprits.

Amarinder also spoke to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje yesterday and sought her intervention to ensure a probe into the alleged assault.
Balrampur (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday showered praises on Rajput warrior king Maharana Pratap and Maratha warrior king Shivaji.

"The people of the country will never show respect to someone like Jaichand, who had displayed his lust for power. Rather, they would embrace Maharana Pratap and Shivaji as role models," he said while participating in the birth anniversary (according to the Vikram Samvat, the traditional Hindu calendar) celebrations of Maharana Pratap at the India-Nepal border area here.

Adityanath offered floral tributes to the statue of the Rajput king and recalled his contributions.

He also saw an exhibition put up by members of the Tharu tribe.

Lauding the Tharu tribe, Adityanath said, "Members of the Tharu community are working as the defenders of the nation at the porous India-Nepal border region."

He announced an intermediate school for the Tharu children and an auditorium for the community.

On the occasion, Adityanath said India was gradually becoming a superpower under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"In the last three years, India has been able to assert itself on the global stage," he said.

The BJP leader said both the Centre and the state government were working for the betterment of all sections of the society. "No discrimination will be done on the basis of caste, creed and religion," he added.

On May 9, during the birth anniversary celebrations of Maharana Pratap in Lucknow, Adityanath had described the Rajput warrior king as a "role model for the society".

"Maharana Pratap, Guru Gobind Singh and Chhatrapati Shivaji are our role models and we must follow the path shown by them. Youngsters must learn a lesson from Maharana Pratap's self-respect and strength of character. Akbar, Aurangzeb and Babar were invaders. The sooner we accept the truth, all the problems of our country will disappear," he had said.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minority affairs minister Mohsin Raza has exuded confidence that the functioning of the Shia and Sunni Waqf boards would be made "transparent".

Raza said the state government would soon be digitising records of Waqf properties. "We will bring transparency and honesty to the system under our government," he said.

"I hope that soon the functioning of the Shia Waqf Board and the Sunni Waqf Board will be made transparent. If we are able to achieve it, then it will be the real Eid gift to scores of poor Muslims. I'm hopeful that we will be able to give this gift," Raza told PTI.

"We are planning to link the process of filing of the Haj application with the Aadhaar number, so as to check whether the applicant had undertaken Haj earlier or not. This would ensure greater transparency. It will help the government identify genuine applicants. Soon some concrete mechanism would be put in place," Raza said.

On a question, whether he would sip cow milk as part of Iftar meal (for breaking the day-long fast during Ramzan), Raza said, "How I practice my religion is my personal domain. It is a relationship which I share directly with my God."

He said that fasting during the month of Ramzan would not affect his performance as a minister, but would only improve it.

Referring to the out of court settlement option for the Ayodhya dispute, Raza said, "It was an option given by the Supreme Court which should have been adhered to."

On the question of triple talaq issue, the minister said, "It (triple talaq) is not a part of Shariyat."
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police along with police of neighbouring states is conducting search operations at different locations in connection with the Jewar robbery and alleged gangrape case.

"The Uttar Pradesh Police has formed a number of teams to crack the case. On the need basis, information from neighbouring states is also being taken. The Special Task Force of the UP Police is also actively involved, and we will soon crack the case," ADG, Meerut, Anand Kumar told PTI.

The UP Police along with the respective state police is conducting search operations in different locations of all possible suspects in the neighbouring states.

Armed robbers had on May 25 struck a group of eight persons travelling to Bulandshahr in a vehicle on the Yamuna Expressway, shooting dead a man and looting cash and jewellery.

Four women, who were travelling in the car along with as many men, alleged that they were raped at gunpoint after they tried to resist the robbery bid.

On May 26, four persons were detained for questioning over the robbery and alleged gangrape incident on the Yamuna Expressway.

"Once we confirm the involvement of the suspects, we will arrest them. More suspects are also being questioned," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jewar, Dileep Singh.
Manila: Government troops have found eight bodies of civilians who were allegedly executed by militants in Marawi city in southern Philippines, bringing the death toll in the six-day clashes between army and militants to 95, a military spokesman said on Sunday.



Brig Gen Restituto Padilla said the eight bodies, including women and a child, were found on Saturday night and Sunday morning in Marawi city, which has been under siege by Maute militants since Tuesday, Xinhua reported.



"The bodies (found) consist of four males, three females and a child," Padilla said, adding that the discovery of the eight bodies "validates" reports that militants have indeed killed civilians.



"We are still validating other reports of atrocities by militants," Padilla said. To date, he said, 19 civilians have been confirmed to have been executed by militants.



Padilla said so far, 61 militants have been killed in the firefight and that 11 soldiers and four policemen have also been killed.



Padilla said in a statement that the troops will continue "precision" air strikes and artillery fire at specific targets in the city where the Maute militants are hiding.



Padilla said the ongoing military air strikes and military actions focus on freeing a still undetermined number of civilians trapped in the city's interiors.



"Precision airstrikes and artillery fire will likewise continue at specific targets to hasten the clearing," Padilla said.



The Philippine media reported on Sunday that heavy fighting, explosions and airstrikes continued as troops sealed the city of Maute militants.



Hundreds of Marawi city residents have fled as the military operations to flush out the militants intensified.



"Our forces are working overtime to hasten the restoration of the rule of law and Marawi's return to normalcy," Padilla said.



President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared martial law on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Tuesday night, vowed to crack down on local militants who have alleged links with ISIS and seek to carve out a caliphate out of Mindanao.



"Until the police and armed forces say the Philippines is safe, this martial law will continue," he told soldiers in Iligan City on Saturday.



The violence that broke out on Tuesday afternoon on the southern island left 95 people dead, the military said. The military has earlier said that some of the dead militants are foreigners from neighbouring countries.



Mindanao is home to a number of Muslim insurgent groups seeking more autonomy. The insurgents have been fighting the government for decades.


Brookhaven: Authorities in Mississippi said on Sunday that a suspect is in custody after eight people were killed in a shooting, including a sheriff's deputy.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said the shootings occurred at three separate homes last night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven and one is in Bogue Chitto.

The area is about 109 kilometres south of Jackson, the capital.

Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

Strain said charges have not yet been filed against the suspect, who was arrested in Brookhaven, and that it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

However, the suspect himself gave some insight into the events that led to the shootings in an interview with a newspaper.

"I ain't fit to live, not after what I done," Cory Godbolt told The Clarion-Ledger after his arrest. The newspaper recorded video of the suspect talking as he sat with hands cuffed behind his back on a roadside surrounded by law enforcement officers.

Godbolt said he was talking with his wife and members of her family when somebody called authorities.

"I was having a conversation with her step-daddy and her mama and her, my wife, about me taking my children home," the suspect says on the video.

"Somebody called the officer, people that didn't even live at the house. That's what they do. They intervene. They cost him his life. I'm sorry," the suspect said, apparently in reference to the slain deputy.

The suspect also said he did not intend for police to capture him alive.

"My intentions was to have God kill me. I ran out of bullets," he said. "Suicide by cop was my intention.""

Gov Phil Bryant issued a statement asking state residents to pray for the victims. He also noted the "sacrifice" made by law enforcement officers to protect and serve their communities.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities. Too often, we lose one of our finest. I thank the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work," Bryant said.
Baghdad: The advance of government troops slowed on Sunday in the last push to drive Islamic State group militants from remaining pockets of Mosul, two Iraqi military officers said.

Yesterday, US-backed Iraqi forces began a new offencive to recapture the Old City from three directions. Hours after announcing the push, the government said two military officers were killed in clashes in the Shafaa neighborhood on the Tigris River.

IS militants have deployed snipers, suicide car bombers and suicide attackers on foot, the officers said. They described the advance on Mosul's Old City as "cautious" and the clashes today as "sporadic" without giving details on casualty figures from either side.

The troops captured Ibn Sina hospital, part of the sprawling medical complex in the Shafaa neighbourhood, the officers added. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Mosul's wide-scale military operation was launched in October and its eastern half was declared liberated in January. The push for the city's west began the following month.

The IS hold on Mosul has shrunk to just a handful of neighbourhoods in and around the Old City district where narrow streets and a dense civilian population are expected to complicate the fight there.

On Friday, Iraqi planes dropped leaflets over the area, encouraging the civilians to flee "immediately" to "safe passages" where they will be greeted by "guides, protectors and (transportation) to reach safe places," according to a government statement.

The UN estimated that as many as 200,000 people may try to leave in the coming days, while Save the Children warned that fleeing civilians could be caught in the crossfire, leading to "deadly chaos."
Pyongyang: North Korea has urged South Korea to cancel the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system by the US, the media reported on Sunday.



People from all walks of life in South Korea were increasingly demanding the cancellation of THAAD deployment, Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of Korea as saying on Saturday.



"To deploy THAAD or to withdraw it would serve as a cornerstone discerning the acts of sycophancy towards outsiders from the stand of prioritising the nation, and there should be no compromise here," he said.



The committee slammed South Korean conservatives for defending the deployment and criticised the new government for adopting "an ambivalent approach to the public demand for the withdrawal of THAAD".



Some South Korean politicians have recently hinted at a freeze of the THAAD deployment in exchange for North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests.



The former South Korean government agreed to let the US deploy THAAD last year.
Dubai: A teddy bear hospital has been launched in the UAE where children can check-in with their 'sick' teddies, the first of its kind facility in the UAE to help minors overcome anxiety while seeing a doctor.

In the opening session, teddy bears underwent a 'CT scan', and were led into the surgery ward to get anaesthetics before their operation.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) here houses the hospital which is a part of a programme designed to teach school children hands-on about medical procedures and to decrease any preconceived fears of doctor visits, Khaleej Times reported.

Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the first session of the hospital along with four children.

The Teddy Bear Hospital session kicked off with the children changing into their personalised scrubs.

Then they were led to the Simulation Centre by the team and a number of MBRU medical students where they checked-in their teddy bears into the hospital.

Upon admission, the children met the doctors to discuss their bear's medical situation. They awaited their respective teddy bear at the observation room where they were brought out with an intravenous (IV) drip and bandages.

They discussed with doctors their teddy's medical results after getting medical reports and the image from the CT scan.

The Teddy Bear Hospital merely began as an idea submitted to Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Majlis titled "Create a class in school to treat sick toys", the report said.

The idea was then directed to Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for review. After studying the initial idea, the KHDA directed it to the MBRU in order to study its feasibility.

The MBRU's simulation team re-engineered the initial idea and Teddy Bear Hospital came to life.

Helen Henderson, lead simulation educator at MBRU said: "Teddy Bear Hospital creates a unique educational opportunity for children across the UAE. It's a great initiative, and one of its kind in the country. The programme introduces children to the basics of healthcare through firsthand experiences where we aim to downplay the fear children experience when they go to hospitals".

"We want to diminish any negative feelings of anxiety the children experience when visiting a doctor. In the future we hope to tie this programme with the school curriculum, and make it a part of the overall education experience in the UAE," Henderson added.
While we dont believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal . (Emphasis added.)

Now a video on the NYT website produced by its Jerusalem-based journalists Ian Fisher and Camilla Schick, narrated by Fisher, left out the words in boldface which means that they were significantly altering the meaning of Trump's statement. Instead of what Trump said Fisher and Schick give us this truncated and therefore distorted and misleading version:

The White House had this to say back in February. "While we do not believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements [ the missing words belong here ] may not be helpful in achieving that goal." Trump publicly asked Mr. Netanyahu to exercise restraint on settlement building. . .

Tamar Sternthal of CAMERA explains the problems of distortion, done for what I see as clearly political partisan reasons [ here ]. That is, the Jerusalem-based journalists and the NY Times itself on the whole are partisans in favor of the PLO.





Basically, what Trump's actual statement said that it would be all right for Israel to expand the existing settlements, in terms of numbers of housing units, if that expansion did not go beyond the current boundaries of these settlements. Serious politically motivated distortion.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Also see the links below for more on NYTimes hatred of Jews and Israel:

1-- defense of Nazi sympathizer, Linda Sarsour [ here

2-- five NYT anti-Israel op eds -- hatred of Israel intensifies at the NYT [ here

We at Emet m'Tsiyon have already covered several cases where the overrated New York Times distorted facts. We showed how once the NYT changed the meaning of what Pope Francis said to Mahmoud Abbas [= Abu Mazen]. That was a serious falsification because it had the Pope declaring that Abbas was "an angel of peace." What the Pope actually said was that Abu Mazen "could be an angel of peace" [].That is, he could be one if he made peace with Israel.The present case of falsifying a quote does not involve false translation but rather deliberately leaving out several words from a statement by President Trump. Here I thank CAMERA, the media monitor, for bringing this notable NYT falsehood to light.Trump made a statement on 2 February of this year about Israeli settlements in Judea-Samaria:

Labels: " Settlements", Abu Mazen, fake news, New York Times, Pope Francis, press/media
YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. The exclusive project of ARMENPRESS entitled Yerevan Bestseller brings the top ten bestselling books of Yerevan every week.

Mark Arens Where Wild Roses Bloom is this weeks top bestselling book in the city.

The story describes the inner world of an Armenophobic Turkish former serviceman, when he, already an old man, suddenly hears a lullaby song that reminds him of his mother and later finds out that the song is in Armenian: realizing his parents were Armenians. He spends his remaining life searching the graves of his parents, without knowing that it was a misunderstanding.

Edgar Harutyunyans Unfound Chamomiles collection comes next. This is the second book of the author. Unfound Chamomiles is about human relationship, love, friendship and betrayal.

Spencer Johnsons Who Moved My Cheese is third. Published on September 8, 1998, Who Moved My Cheese is a motivational business fable. The text describes change in one's work and life, and four typical reactions to those changes by two mice and two "little people," during their hunt for cheese. A New York Times business bestseller upon release, Who Moved My Cheese? remained on the list for almost five years and spent over 200 weeks on Publishers Weekly's hardcover nonfiction list. It has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide in 37 languages and remains one of the best-selling business books.

The Kite Runner by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini comes next, after it debuted in the list recently. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father's young Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is ranked 5th in the list. It is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Unlike the months of planning Boyne devoted to his other books, he said that he wrote the entire first draft of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in two and a half days, barely sleeping until he got to the end.

The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho comes next. Originally written in Portuguese, it has been translated into at least 69 languages as of December 2016. An allegorical novel, The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there.

Francis Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby is ranked 7th. It was first published in 1925, and is considered one of the typical works of American literature of the "jazz era".

Milan Kunderas The Unbearable Lightness of Being has returned to the list. It was published in 1984. The book chronicles the fragile nature of an individual's fate, theorizing that a single lifetime is insignificant in the scope of Nietzsche's concept of eternal return. In an infinite universe, everything is guaranteed to recur infinitely. In 1988, American director Philip Kaufman released a film adaptation.

Oscar Wildes The Picture Of Dorian Gray comes next in the bestselling list of the week. Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length portrait in oil by Basil Hallward, an artist who is impressed and infatuated by Dorian's beauty; he believes that Dorian's beauty is responsible for the new mode in his art as a painter. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, and he soon is enthralled by the aristocrat's hedonistic worldview: that beauty and sensual fulfillment are the only things worth pursuing in life.

Stefan Zweigs Collected Stories concludes the list. Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most popular writers in the world. The book was translated by Ara Arakelyan and Margarit Arakelyan.

YEREVAN BESTSELLER presented by Angela Hambardzumyan

Bookinist, Hay Girk, Edit Print and Zangak book stores were surveyed for the project.
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. Iraqi armed forces launched an operation on Saturday to capture the last Islamic State-held enclave in Mosul, according to a military statement, Reuters reports.

The fall of the city would effectively mark the end of Iraqi half of the "caliphate" declared nearly three years ago by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which also covers parts of Syria.

The Iraqi air force dropped leaflets on Friday urging residents in the enclave to flee, although humanitarian groups fear for the safety of civilians trying to escape.

The enclave covers mainly the Old City center and three adjacent districts alongside the western bank of the Tigris river.

The U.S.-backed offensive on Mosul, now in its eighth month, has taken longer than planned as the militants are dug in among civilians, fighting back with booby traps, suicide cars and motor-bikes, snipers and mortar fire.

"The joint forces have began liberating the remaining districts," said an Iraqi military statement.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. On May 28 Armenians worldwide celebrate the 99th anniversary of establishment of the First Republic of Armenia and the historical victory in the battle of Sardarapat.

On May 28, 1918, with the victory in the battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa, the Armenian peoples independence was restored which was lost over 9 centuries ago. 99 years ago, this day, the Armenian people, who survived the Genocide, entered into fight with the enemy not far from Yerevan for the sake of protecting the last inch of land of the Fatherland.

The battle of Sardarapat was decisive for the Armenian people. The entire people stood up for the defense of the Fatherland. Together with soldiers, families, elderly people, children, women were in the battlefield. Defeating the Turkish army in Sardarapat the Armenian forces managed to prevent the Turkish invasion in South Caucasus and save Armenia from total elimination.

On May 28, 1918, the Armenian National Council declared in Tbilisi the First Republic of Armenia.

Hovhannes Kajaznuni was the first Prime Minister of Independent Armenia.

On May 28, traditional ceremonies are being held across Armenia and Artsakh in memory of fallen Armenian heroes.

The Armenian high-ranking leadership visits Sardarapat memorial to pay tribute to the memory of fallen heroes.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. In the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Gharakilisa and Bash-Aparan the ancestors of Armenian people gained the right to live, President Serzh Sargsyan said at the event in Sardarapat Memorial dedicated to the Republic Day on May 28, reports Armenpress.

"These battles were the last and fatal efforts of people standing on the brink of annihilation to defend the last land pieces of our historical Fatherland and save the last remnants of our people. This seemingly impossible heroic deed was carried out by all circles of our people. The acted with unique unity and organization, selfless courage and persistent will. They acted with high level of national consciousness and historical responsibility", the President said.

He added that the newly-independent Armenia was born under the torrent of the World War I volleys.

"Every year we repeat as a loyalty oath a simple truth: if there was no May 28, 1918, there would be no Soviet Armenia and the present-day Republic of Armenia", the President stated.

After his speech the Armenian high-ranking leadership led by President Sargsyan laid flowers at the memorial of fallen heroes.

A solemn march was held in Sardarapat dedicated to Republic Day.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on May 28 participated in the ceremony dedicated to the Republic Day in Sardarapat Memorial, press service of the Presidents Office told Armenpress.

Accompanied by His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the high-ranking leadership and guests, the President laid a wreath at the memorial by paying a tribute to the memory of fallen heroes of the battle of Sardarapat.

After welcoming the participants of military parade the President watched the exhibition entitled Syrian-Armenian school of Galemkearin coppersmith masters: cultural values saved and donated to Fatherland in the Sardarapat Museum.

The President addressed a congratulatory message in Sardarapart.

Dear compatriots,

I congratulate all of us on the Republic Day.

The May victories of 1918 opened new and glorious page in the centuries-old history of the Armenian people. In the battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa our ancestors gained the right to live.

These battles were the last and fatal efforts of people standing on the brink of annihilation to defend the last land pieces of our historical Fatherland and save the last remnants of our people. This seemingly impossible heroic deed was carried out by all circles of our people. The acted with unique unity and organization, selfless courage and persistent will. They acted with high level of national consciousness and historical responsibility.

The newly-independent Armenia was born under the torrent of the World War I volleys. Every year we repeat as a loyalty oath a simple truth: without the May 28, 1918, there would be no Soviet Armenia and the present-day Republic of Armenia.

During the entire history of the Armenian people, we perhaps have not had a longer period of statehood deprivation than this stage which immediately preceded May 28. And we undoubtedly have not had graver and tragic fate than during any previous era. Thats why the restoration of statehood 99 years ago was twice precious, and today as well it is sacred to each Armenian.

The Republic of Armenia brought to its citizens not only independent statehood, but also human rights and freedoms which are already enshrined by laws. Present Armenia was also born under the fire of war, but this time in the Artsakh front. We, the citizens of current Armenia, are committed to the commandments of the First Republic.

Dear compatriots,

I once again congratulate all of us on this greatest holiday. I wish you peace and creative work for the sake of our countrys progress and welfare.

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

Glory to Armenian people!






YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. Newly-appointed Minister of Justice of Armenia Davit Harutyunyan considers it early to speak about personnel changes in the Ministry, reports Armenpress.

Asked about the priorities in the justice field, the Minister told reporters in Sardarapat Memorial that he can identify them, however, he promised to speak about them several days later.

Davit Harutyunyan also recalled that the post of Minister-Chief of the Government staff will no longer exist, there will be the post of Chief of the Government staff instead.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. Olympic Champion Artur Alexanyan and World and Europe Champion Nazik Avdalyan celebrated the Republic Day with soldiers who undergo rehabilitation treatment, reports Armenpress.

Artur Alexanyan, Nazik Avdalyan, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hrachya Rostomyan, Rector of the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) Armen Muradyan had a meeting with soldiers in Heratsi N1 hospital, congratulated each other and wished peace.

YSMU Rector Armen Muradyan said such events almost every day are being held with students, soldiers and distinguished public representatives. Today is a unique day, and it is very important for all of us that we congratulate each other on May 28 together with our soldiers, Muradyan said.

We ought to stand together with our soldiers since we stand on our land thanks to them. They are our heroes, and we should be proud of them, Artur Alexanyan told reporters.

Let our soldiers be healthy, it is thanks to them that we are here. And let they know that every evening we remember them in our prayers, Nazik Avdalyan said.

The athletes were introduced to the renovated part of the medical complex where in near future there is going to be a special rehabilitation center for soldiers.
YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiatives guests were introduced on the biography of Armenian renowned composer, conductor and teacher Komitas, reports Armenpress.

The co-founders of the Initiative  Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan, Robert Bosch Foundation representatives and a group of other guests visited Komitas Museum-Institute to take part in the event entitled Heritage of Komitas.

Director of the Museum-Institute Nikolai Kostandyan delivered a welcoming speech and presented to the guests the biography of Komitas and his role in the formation of the Armenian culture.

I am happy that the Komitas Museum-Institute joins the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. It is an honor to welcome the guests, especially our German friends since the Komitas house is also the house of our German friends, the evidence of which is Komitas biography, the Museum Director said.

Noubar Afeyan said it is important to understand that the Armenians worldwide would not be in Lebanon, Moscow, France and elsewhere if foreign people didnt save them during the years of the Armenian Genocide.

He presented to the guests the Initiatives features, stating that by implementing it they want to enable Armenians to express their gratitude.

Noubar Afeyan announced that it is expected to make a donation for the restoration of the church of Potsdam, the capital of the German federal state of Brandenburg.

Matthias Kiesler, German Ambassador to Armenia, also delivered speech at the event by attaching importance to the Initiative in terms of highlighting the Armenian-German relations. The Ambassador stated that this is a very emotional event and its an honor for him to attend it. He also emphasized his satisfaction that last year the German Bundestag adopted the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution.

He also informed that during the recent visit of Minister of Science, Research and Culture of the federal state of Brandenburg, Dr. Martina Munch to Armenia, numerous proposals were made to celebrate Komitas 150th anniversary with a solemn event next year.

As for the overall picture of the Armenian-German relations, the Ambassador said despite Armenias difficulties and challenges, he realized encouraging changes over the last two years.

IT sector development, TUMO center where robots are made, promote thousands of teenagers, as well as the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative: all these programs are directed towards the future. If in line with this the countrys political field is improved, Armenia will completely have a chance to prosper and develop, he said.

After listening to Komitas works the guests toured the Museum-Institute.
CYBERSPACEMen.com is getting into the Memorial Day weekend spirit with the release of the first scene from its parody of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which just returned to theater screens for the fifth time with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

While Men.com cant compete with Disneys estimated $230,000,000 budget, the gay adult studio did pull out the stops by shooting Pirates: A Gay XXX Parody on location in Ibiza, Spain and Florida. Check out some of the scenery in the trailer on YouTube.com.

Featuring Diego Sans and Johnny Rapid, the first scene of Pirates: A Gay XXX Parody is live now on Men.com.

Already, Men.com has gotten a lot of mainstream traction following the release of the trailer on Thursday. Among the sites writing about the parody were Instinct.com and UnicornBooty.com, the latter of which uses the opportunity to talk about the progressive sexual politics in the pirate community.

The Men.com project was directed by Marc MacNamara and Alter Sin. MacNamara is quoted on UnicornBooty.com: As crew, we had to be fearless ourselves to capture the primitive style of the movie. As I was struggling to stay afloat in the ice-cold waters, miles offshore with an underwater camera tied to my waist, I knew we were capturing something specialor that I was going to be shark bait.

The second scene, featuring Colton Grey and Paddy OBrian, will go live June 3. Other cast members include Gabriel Cross, Teddy Torres and Jimmy Durano.

To help fans further get into the Pirates spirit, Fleshjack and Men.com are collaborating on a Twitter promo to give away a Fleshjack Turbo, a Trenton Ducati dildo and other pirate booty. To find out more, check this post on Twitter. The contest ends May 28.
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.
Although Memorial Day is celebrated by most with cookouts, a flag flying, a day off work, and maybe a vacation, there is a deep meaning behind this federal holiday. The "Memorial" in Memorial Day is due to its being a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice. No one knows the true meaning of Memorial Day more than those who have lost friends and loved ones to a war, and veterans who were wounded, disabled or not. There are several things that you can do to observe Memorial Day: Visit cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes, visit memorials, fly the U.S. Flag and POW/MIA flag at half-staff until noon, participate in a National Moment ofTaps to be played, renew a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen and to aid the disabled veterans.Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three-day-weekend for federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:We cherish too, the Poppy redThat grows on fields where valor led,It seems to signal to the skiesThat blood of heroes never dies.She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war-orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.
A 34-year-old Roma businessman was shot dead by a racist in the northern Czech city of Chomutov

28. 5. 2017

cas cteni < 1 minuta





A 34-year-old Roma businessman who normally lived in Holland was shot dead by a racist in the city of Chomutov in the north of the Czech Republic.



The man had a noisy argument with another Roma person in front of a block of flats in Chomutov at 3 am in the morning of 27th May. A white man came out of the building with a pistol, shouted "Shut finally you black mouth up, you Gipsy fucker" and shot him dead. Local witnesses say that the assassin was a former prison warden, "so he knew how to use a gun and how to aim".



Source in Czech HERE







0
Soldiers at CFB Gagetown will once again be driving over a bridge named after the first Canadian to die serving during the United Nation's peacekeeping operation in Croatia.

The Sergeant Ralph Bridge reopened Saturday during a ceremony at the New Brunswick base's training area. The structure honours Sgt. Cornelius Michael Ralph, a combat engineer who died in 1992 while serving during the civil war in former Yugoslavia.

His widow, Lorraine Ralph, known to friends as "Charlie," said the bridge will teach a lesson to future combat engineers.

"It shows them that they mean something. To the community, to everyone. Knowing that they put this up out of love, it just fills my heart right up."

Way to remember, honour solider

Ralph said the bridge would have meant a lot to her husband, who she was married to for nine years.

"Even though he would've been embarrassed because Mike wasn't somebody that put himself forward and had to have attention. He would've done this for the boys but he'd never expected it to be done to him," she said.

The monument will serve as something tangible that will always be there to remember him, she said.

Cornelius Michael Ralph was part of Operation Harmony, which ensured the demilitarisation of protected areas in Croatia. He was killed while clearing a United Nations patrol route.

"Somebody else was supposed to move the truck but Mike told them to stay where they were. As he moved it forward, there were several mines underneath the ground they didn't see. It blew his truck and killed Mike." said B.J. Carrigan, a captain with the 37 Combat Engineer Regiment.

Ralph worked in 'most professional way'

Carrigan served with Ralph for almost 20 years and described him as a kind, gentle man.

"He loved being an engineer, he loved being a soldier and serving his country. And he did it in the most professional way that anybody could ever do it."

Story continues

Carrigan said it is important to honour Ralph and others who die as a result of violence in the world.

"It's important for his family, for his grandkids to know that their grandfather and their father and Charlie's husband was an outstanding soldier. And that we should never forget him," he said.

Bridge reconstructed

Initially the bridge was built in 1994 but it recently underwent major renovations.

The 60-metre-long, 10-metre wide bridge was reconstructed to support the weight of heavy armoured vehicles as they cross the Nerepis River in a training area at Gagetown. The reconstruction project cost $3.5 million.

The bridge isn't the only monument to Ralph. A 1.5-metre-high concrete cairn in Daruvar, Croatia bears a bronze plaque explaining his death.
An unmarried couple were stoned to death in public in northeast Mali by "Islamists", local officials revealed, the first such incident since jihadist groups were driven out of the region.





Jihadists seized key northern cities in March 2012, and though they were driven out by a French-led military intervention in 2013 , Islamist groups continue to make their presence felt with frequent attacks on domestic and foreign forces.





"The Islamists dug two holes where they put the man and the woman who lived maritally without being married," said a local official. "They were stoned to death."





The stoning happened in Taghlit on Tuesday, close to Aguelhok in the Kidal region, and the same source told AFP that members of the public were invited to take part.





"Four people threw stones at them until they died," they said.





Another local official said the Islamists had accused the unmarried couple of violating "Islamic law", which requires punishment by stoning.









In July 2012, the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine group stoned a couple in public in Aguelhok who they accused of having children outside marriage.





The Malian Association for the Defence of Human Rights (AMDH) described the stoning as "cowardly murder".





"This is barbaric. The people who did this should be arrested and put on trial," said Oumar Diakite, an AMDH official.





A 2015 peace deal signed by Tuareg-led rebels, the government and pro-Bamako militias aimed to quell separatist uprisings in the north and isolate jihadist groups.





But its implementation has been piecemeal and the jihadists, who did not sign up to the accord, continue to mount attacks on civilians and the army, as well as French and UN forces.





The new UN peacekeeping chief said a rapid intervention force of Senegalese troops would soon be deployed in central Mali, which has seen an increase in attacks and communal violence since 2015.





Jean-Pierre Lacroix, on his first visit to Mali since becoming under secretary-general for UN peacekeeping operations, said the UN mission lacked capacity.





"We are hopeful that, soon, a number of reinforcements will arrive, which will make up for these shortcomings," he said.





The UN mission, known by its acronym MINUSMA, has been stationed in the west African country since 2013 and is considered the world body's most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment.





The opposition Parena party meanwhile noted that 309 people had been killed since the beginning of the year by armed groups, describing "alarm at the deterioration of the security situation" two years after the signing of the peace deal.





Source: The Telegraph , Agence France-Presse, May 18, 2017

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!
Last Friday, as President Trump left Washington for his first trip abroad, an editorial in Der Spiegel, one of the largest and most influential magazines in Europe, made it clear just how monumental a task the new president had ahead of him in convincing European leaders to trust their new ally.

The magazine didnt just call for Trump to moderate some of his more controversial policies. Instead, the editorial demanded, Trump has to be removed from the White House. Quickly. He is a danger to the world.

Related: 5 Ways Trumps Big Talk About Supporting Our Troops Falls Short

The authors complaints about the new US president went on at length, but for the purposes of this article, they can be boiled down to this:

He does not possess the requisite intellect and does not understand the significance of the office he holds nor the tasks associated with it. He doesn't read. He doesn't bother to peruse important files and intelligence reports and knows little about the issues that he has identified as his priorities.

The trip was a chance to prove his critics wrong -- to demonstrate to the world the gravitas expected of the most powerful person on the planet; to show foreign allies the respect that countries that have fought and bled beside the US deserve; and to show doubters, like the editorialists at Der Spiegel, that he could grow into the job.

But instead of gravitas, the world was treated to goofiness. Instead of respect, foreign leaders were met with rudeness; and rather than growth, Trump demonstrated something like arrested development.

Related: Trump Budget Finds $0 in Wasteful Pentagon Programs. Are They Kidding?

SAUDI ARABIA

Trumps first stop was the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he and his family were greeted like visiting royalty themselves. The stop provided two of the strangest moments of the week-long trip.

Sword Dance -- After agreeing to the largest arms deal in history, Trumps team somehow allowed him to be filmed celebrating with a traditional sword dance. Not there is anything wrong with participating in a hosts customs, but the visual of the 70-year-old Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson awkwardly clutching scimitars and bouncing along to the music probably wasnt the visual the White House was hoping for.

Story continues

Glowing Orb -- Still more bizarre was the posed picture that made the rounds the following day showing Trump, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and King Salman of Saudi Arabia laying hands on a glowing orb, surrounded by rank upon rank of reverent onlookers. Commenters variously compared them to a trio of second-rate James Bond villains, participants in some weird religious ceremony, or extras from The Lord of the Rings.

Trump was there to celebrate the opening of a global anti-terrorism center. The irony was that during his entire time in Saudi Arabia, Trump made no mention of the fact that international terror organizations receive copious funding from within that country, or that the Kingdom has one of the worlds worst records when it comes to human rights.

Related: Treasury Secretary Gets Grilled on Trump's Budget 'Draft'

ISRAEL

Trumps stop in Israel wasnt without some odd moments, either.

Where Are We Again? -- Sitting down to a public meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, the president announced to the crowd that he and his entourage had just got back from the Middle East. At those words, Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer -- who likely knows that Israel is in the Middle East -- seemed to react involuntarily:

Oh man, watch Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer (on right couch) react when Trump saysin Israel"We just got back from the Middle East." pic.twitter.com/x7nb4uvqpR  (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) May 22, 2017

Yad Vashem -- After visiting Yad Vashem, Israels memorial to the Holocaust, Trump left a note in the visitors book that struck many as more appropriate for a teenage girl visiting the White House. It is a great honor to be here with all of my friends -- so amazing + will never forget!

Related: The Navys $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Faces Its Next Big Test

VATICAN CITY

Much of the coverage of Trumps trip to Rome focused on the fevered debate over whether quick video clips showed First Lady Melania Trump refusing to hold her husbands hand. But most of the awkwardness on that leg of the trip was generated by people other than Trump.

Pope Shade -- After greeting Trump, Pope Francis turned to the First Lady, and through an interpreter appeared to comment on Trumps weight. He asked, through an interpreter, what she was feeding her husband, suggesting to the Slovenian-born first lady that perhaps it was a traditional chocolate-covered strudel common to her native country.

Sorry Spicey -- Trumps White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, a practicing Catholic, was reportedly not allowed to attend the private audience with the Pope that Trump and his family enjoyed, something widely viewed as a snub.

BRUSSELS

In Belgium to meet with members of NATO, Trump failed to endear himself to the other heads of state in attendance.

Macron -- Meeting newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time, Trump engaged in not one but two extremely uncomfortable looking handshakes with the young leader. At one point, the two men, sitting across from one another, grabbed each others hands in a knuckle-whitening death grip that seemed as though it would never end. At another point, meeting while standing up, Trump did his patented pull-and-grab handshake, during which he jerked the French president toward him with one hand while grabbing him by the shoulder with his other hand.

Related: Does NATO Really Owe the US Money?

Excuse Me, America First -- In another widely shared video, Trump appeared to shove the prime minister of Montenegro, Dusko Markovic, out of his way as he moved to the front row for a planned group photo.

You Deadbeats Are on Your Own -- Trump capped off his time with the United States NATO allies by accusing virtually all of them of failing to pull their weight, and of owing massive sums of money to the alliance. He also failed to affirm US support for Article 5, the mutual defense element of NATOs founding treaty. The leaders assembled to listen to him stood stone-faced as he spoke. Later, they had representatives explain that they do not, in fact, owe NATO anything.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Although the main part of earnings season has passed there are still some major companies reporting, and there have been a few standouts, helping the broad markets hit new highs this past week. Perhaps one of the biggest winners was Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), which hit a new all-time high. However, we have has put together a list of the other major winners from earnings that took place this past week.

24/7 Wall St. has included some of the highlights from these earnings reports as well as the consensus price target and a recent trading history of the stock.

ALSO READ: Merrill Lynch Loves These 4 Buy-Rated Blue Chip Dividend Sector Leaders

Best Buy

Best Buy reported its fiscal first-quarter financial results early Thursday. The company said that it had $0.60 in earnings per share (EPS) and $8.53 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.40 in EPS and revenue of $8.28 billion. In the same period of last year, the retailer posted EPS of $0.44 and $8.44 billion in revenue.

Total revenues rose by 1% in the quarter, with comparable sales rising 1.6%. Domestic revenue of $7.9 billion increased 1.1% from last year, driven by comparable sales growth of 1.4%, partially offset by the loss of revenue from 12 large format and 40 Best Buy Mobile store closures. International revenue of $616 million increased 0.3%, driven primarily by comparable sales growth of 4.0% due to growth in both Canada and Mexico.

ALSO READ: Big Pharma Has Big Catalysts Coming for the Rest of 2017

In terms of guidance for the coming quarter, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $0.57 to $0.62 and revenues between $8.6 billion and $8.7 billion, with comparable sales rising 1.5% to 2.5%. The consensus estimates are $0.59 in EPS and $8.48 billion in revenue.

Shares of Best Buy closed the week at $58.97, with a consensus analyst price target of $55.15 and a 52-week trading range of $28.76 to $61.95. Over the course of the week, the stock rose 15%.

Story continues

Pure Storage

On Wednesday, Pure Storage Inc. (PSTG) released its fiscal first-quarter financial results. The company posted a net loss of $0.14 per share and $182.6 million in revenue. Consensus estimates had called for a net loss of $0.23 per share on revenue of $176.4 million. The same period of last year reportedly had a net loss of $0.21 per share and $139.9 million in revenue.

ALSO READ: 4 High-Yielding Diversified Energy MLPs to Buy With Big Summer Potential

The company issued guidance for the second quarter with revenues in the range of $214 million to $222 million, versus consensus estimates of a net loss of $0.14 per share and $220.4 million in revenue. At the same time, Pure Storage expects full year revenues in the range of $975 million to $1.025 billion, compared with consensus estimates of a net loss of $0.28 per share and $997.12 million in revenue.

Tim Riitters, Pure Storage chief financial officer, commented:

Q1 was a strong quarter for Pure, with our results notably exceeding both top line and bottom line guidance. We continue to drive strong year over year improvement in operating leverage as we drive to our $1 billion full year revenue target.

ALSO READ: 50 Least Powerful People in the World

Shares of Pure Storage closed Friday at $12.74, with a consensus price target of $14.98 and a 52-week range of $9.12 to $15.14. Over the course of the week, the stock rose 28%.

Container Store

When Container Store Group Inc. (TCS) posted its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results late on Tuesday, the company said that it had $0.17 in EPS and $221.0 million in revenue. That compared with consensus estimates of $0.09 in EPS on revenue of $214.73 million. In the year-ago period, the retailer posted EPS of $0.07 and $209.9 million in revenue.

Comparable store sales were down 0.2%. The Easter timing shift benefited the quarters comparable store sales by approximately 0.6%.

The company expects to see EPS in the range of $0.25 to $0.35 and net sales between $830 million and $850 million for the 2017 fiscal year. The consensus estimates are $0.24 in EPS and $839.59 million in revenue.

ALSO READ: The Most (and Least) Valuable States

Container Store shares closed Friday at $5.68, with a consensus price target of $5.35 and a 52-week range of $3.75 to $8.34. Last week, the stock rose 41%.

Related Articles




George Bush and CIA chief Michael Hayden

Michael Hayden, the former director of the NSA and the CIA, told CNN on Saturday that the reported content of Jared Kushner's conversations with Russia's ambassador in December may have motivated former national security adviser Susan Rice to request his name to be unmasked in intelligence reports.

Most of the controversy surrounding Rice's reported attempts to "unmask" Trump officials has centered on former national security adviser Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

But Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, floated the possibility of setting up a secure line of communication between the Trump transition team and Russia when he met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak late last year, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Those talks would take place in Russian diplomatic facilities in the US, the Post said, creating a secure line that would essentially conceal the administration's interactions with Russian officials from US government scrutiny.

Kislyak reportedly passed along that request to Moscow, in a phone call that was promptly intercepted by US intelligence agencies during their routine eavesdropping of foreign agents on US soil. Kislyak's call, which apparently described an attempt to bypass the US' national security and intelligence apparatus, would have gone into an intelligence report and been distributed among top government officials like Rice.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

It also would have raised a big red flag, experts say. And it could have led Rice  who obtained reports containing summaries of monitored communications between foreign officials discussing the Trump transition, according to Bloomberg  to try to identify who on Trump's transition team was trying to set up this kind of backchannel.

Story continues

The names of the US persons mentioned in the conversations would have been redacted in those reports. But high-level government officials like Rice can request from the appropriate agency  in this case, the National Security Agency  that the US person's identity be revealed.

Susan Rice

Hayden told CNN that it makes sense that Rice would have tried to determine who Kislyak and his superiors in Moscow were talking about when they said someone on the Trump transition team wanted to set up a secret backchannel line of communication.

"This is off the map," Hayden said. "I know of no other experience like this in our history, and certainly not within my life experience."

Hayden told Business Insider in March that the NSA "is notoriously conservative in revealing US identities in its reporting."

"Obviously, a request from the national security adviser to unmask an identity would be given great weight," Hayden said. "That said, it is not automatic and goes through a carefully documented process at the NSA before an identity is unmasked."

There is another reason why Rice may have wanted to unmask Kushner, said Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the CIA and former executive assistant to the CIA's deputy director for intelligence.

"If Ms. Rice was communicating with members of Trump's team regarding transition matters and she learns from intelligence that some such members also are communicating with the Russians, she would want to know exactly who is doing that so she can be extra careful in her own talks, lest something she says gets relayed to Moscow," Pillar told Business Insider in March.

At least one other member of Trump's transition team had his conversations picked up incidentally during routine surveillance of Kislyak last year: Flynn. He was forced to resign in February after reports surfaced that said he spoke with Kislyak about US sanctions on Russia, despite telling Vice President Mike Pence that he hadn't.

NOW WATCH: WATCH: Putin reacts to Trump firing FBI Director James Comey





More From Business Insider
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans and Democrats found cause for optimism Friday even as the GOP candidate, facing last-minute assault charges, held onto Montana's sole House seat.

The final unofficial tally in Thursday's election showed wealthy Republican businessman Greg Gianforte with 50.2 percent of the vote, compared to Democratic musician Rob Quist with 44.1 percent.

"Great win in Montana," President Donald Trump said Friday as he attended the G-7 summit in Italy.

Democrats, who hope to harness the energy of liberal voters outraged at Trump to take control of the House in next year's midterms, said that forcing Republicans to spend millions to get a narrow win in conservative Montana amounted to a victory itself. Party strategists argued that Gianforte's margin in a state where Trump swamped Hillary Clinton by 20 points bodes well for dozens of other districts where the parties are more evenly matched.

"From the beginning this race was going to be very difficult, particularly for an oddly timed special election still in Trump's 'honeymoon,'" said Meredith Kelly, communications director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Kelly said there are 114 other Republican-held districts with more favorable partisan makeups for Democrats than the Montana seat. Democrats would have to pick up 24 seats in next year's elections to retake the House majority.

Republicans disputed that analysis, arguing they employed a successful strategy in defining the Democratic candidate early and staying focused through Election Day.

And instead of Trump, who was embraced by Gianforte and rarely mentioned by Quist in a state where the president remains popular, Republicans said the key national figure in the race was House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Polls show the California Democrat is strongly disliked by GOP base voters and she was mentioned in much of the advertising seen by voters ahead of the election.

"Greg Gianforte will be the next congressman from Montana, and Nancy Pelosi and liberals in Washington were rejected again," Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, said after the GOP win.

Story continues

Republicans said the outcome lifts their hopes approaching two other special elections next month in Georgia and South Carolina. The Georgia election was another race where Democrats hoped to pull off a surprise victory, but their candidate fell short of 50 percent in the April primary, forcing a runoff in June.

For Democrats, there is frustration that despite the energy and activism from their base voters, they have yet to score a special election upset this cycle. Both candidates in the Montana contest were seen as flawed, but Quist in particular was a weak recruit for Democrats. The cowboy-hat-wearing musician making his first run for Congress had some financial problems in his past that Republicans jumped on.

That raises the question of whether Democrats are going to be able find convincing candidates to put up against GOP incumbents, who in some cases will be defending districts Trump won. The Democratic political bench is thin, due in part to the loss of more than 1,030 seats in state legislatures, governor's mansions and Congress during Barack Obama's presidency.

Pelosi herself, in a recent interview with The Associated Press, insisted that regardless of the outcome of any individual special election, Democrats would be well-positioned for the midterms because the opposition party historically picks up seats during the president's first term.

"We like to win, don't get me wrong. But I'm just saying, history is on our side," Pelosi said. "We'll keep up the enthusiasm, no question about that. We have one of the greatest organizers ever  Donald Trump."

Republicans were also reluctant to put too much meaning into the Montana outcome, given the particular circumstances of that race.

"These are always little stress tests," said Matt Gorman, communications director for the House GOP campaign committee.

Since around two-thirds of votes were cast before Election Day, the effect of the assault charge against Gianforte was unclear. The incident took place Wednesday, the day before the election, when witnesses said Gianforte slammed to the ground a reporter who was asking him questions about the Republican health care bill. Gianforte could be heard on an audio tape yelling at the reporter, Ben Jacobs of The Guardian.

Gianforte was later charged with misdemeanor assault, which will not prevent him from being seated in the House even if he is convicted.

After the altercation, Gianforte's campaign issued a statement blaming the reporter and the candidate stayed out of sight.

But after he was declared the winner, Gianforte apologized for the attack.

"When you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. That's the Montana way," he said. "Last night, I made a mistake. I took an action I can't take back and I am not proud of what happened."

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called the apology "a good first step toward redemption and I hope Gianforte continues to work toward righting his wrong."

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor in Washington, Bobby Caina Calvan in Bozeman, Montana, and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
White House national security advisor H.R. McMaster speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room in Washington, U.S., May 16, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

National security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters on Saturday that he was not bothered by news of President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's reported attempt to set up a secret backchannel between the US and Russia.

"We have back-channel communications with a number of countries. So, generally speaking, about back-channel communications, what that allows you to do is to communicate in a discreet manner," McMaster said.

His comments came a day after the Washington Post reported that Kushner spoke to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December about setting up a backchannel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin in an effort to bypass monitoring of their communications.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was also present at the meeting, the Post reported.

Initially on Saturday, McMaster referred the first question about Kushner to White House press secretary Sean Spicer. "I'll ask Sean to cover that later," McMaster said.

Spicer, who was sitting in the corner of the room, replied, "We have nothing."

These latest revelations came as Trump rounded out his first foreign trip since taking office. Trump's senior economic adviser Gary Cohn also took questions from reporters, but he refused to comment on the Kushner news.

"We're not going to comment on Jared," Cohn said. "We're just not going to comment."

Cohn added that Trump has been focused entirely on jobs, trade, and economic growth since he embarked on his trip. "His agenda has been overflowing. He's been fully consumed with what's going on here."

As the Trump administration continues to be rocked by controversy, McMaster has come under fire in recent days for his defense of the administration's actions, and some believe his role may be too politicized, potentially at the cost of national security.

When The Washington Post broke an explosive report in which intelligence officials alleged that Trump shared highly-classified information with Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting, McMaster went in front of cameras to call the story false as reported and to defend the president's actions as "wholly appropriate."

Story continues

In that case, McMaster's "going before the press didn't do anything to limit" fallout from revelations that Trump disclosed code-word information to the Russians, said Jon Michaels, a professor and expert on national security at UCLA Law.

"At the end of the day, are we now all saying, 'Oh, OK, everything's all hunky-dory because McMaster stood up there'? Did it assuage concerns our allies may have had about sharing intelligence? Probably not."

It's likely McMaster's latest claim that he would not be concerned over news of Kushner's attempt to set up a line of communication between the US and Russia will diminish his credibility as national security adviser.

"Almost everything right now feels new and different," Michaels said. "The fact that McMaster has to go out and talk about what the president may or may not have said about [former FBI director] Comey ... all of this stuff feels weird and unusual, and I doubt many national security advisers have been called in to do this particular type of rebuttal or contextualization."

NOW WATCH: Trump approved the largest weapons deal in US history  here's what Saudi Arabia is buying





More From Business Insider


German chancellor Angela Merkel distanced herself from the US and the UK during a campaign event in Munich on Sunday.

"The times in which [Germany] could fully rely on others are partly over. I have experienced this in the last few days," Merkel said during the event. "We Europeans really have to take our destiny into our own hands," she said.

Though she did not mention them by name, Merkel was most likely referring to the fractured relationship Germany now shares with the US, as well as with the UK post-Brexit.

Merkel's comments came on the heels of what she called a "difficult" and "unsatisfactory" G7 summit. The summit included leaders of the US, UK, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, and Italy, and Merkel characterized the discussions as "six against one."

Trump backed a pledge to fight protectionism at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, but refused to endorse the climate pact, saying he needed more time to decide.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

However, Axios reported that Trump had already made his decision. Trump reportedly told multiple people, including Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, that he would be pulling out of the deal, according to three sources with knowledge of the conversations.

Despite his pledge to fight protectionism, Trump has favored a more protectionist stance on trade, while other G7 members favor free trade. In April, Trump was said to be considering an executive order which would pull the US out of NAFTA. After a phone call with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican president Pena Nieto, Trump changed his mind and said that he would be open to renegotiating the terms of NAFTA.

Trudeau Trump

Story continues

Trump also ran on a platform of cracking down on immigration into the US, both through legal and illegal channels, and including refugee admission. Shortly after taking office, he signed an executive order imposing a travel ban on people coming from 7 Muslim-majority countries.

After that ban was repeatedly struck down by the courts, Trump signed a second executive order targeting travelers from 6 Muslim-majority countries and relaxing some stipulations of the first travel ban. The second executive order was struck down by a number of courts as well and is currently being weighed by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

Merkel, in a decision that was slammed by nationalists like Trump and France's Marine Le Pen, allowed hundreds of thousands of refugees to enter Germany. Trudeau has also signaled that he will open Canada's borders to those fleeing war and terrorism in their own countries.

Trump also criticized key NATO allies at a summit on Thursday and said they were not spending enough on defense. He also warned of more attacks similar to the Manchester bombing unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

Merkel's differences with Trump stand in stark contrast to the close relationship she shared with former president Barack Obama. Merkel has repeatedly characterized Obama as a friend and a strong German ally, and Obama called Merkel "one of my favorite partners throughout my presidency" during a visit to Germany's Brandenburg Gate on Thursday. Obama and Merkel met on the same day Merkel was set to meet with Trump during the NATO summit in Brussels.

During her campaign event on Sunday, Merkel emphasized a close Franco-German alliance. She wished Macron success in his presidency and said, "Where Germany can help, Germany will help, because Germany can only do well if Europe is doing well."

Her comments mark a potentially radical shift in US-German relations, as well as the US' relationship with Western Europe as a whole.

But EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Sunday he was more optimistic now than after the US election last November after EU leaders held talks with Trump in Brussels.

"What I am absolutely sure after this meeting is that despite some extraordinary ... expressions, behaviors, etc, etc, our partners in the G7 are much more responsible than the first impression after the election in the United States," Tusk said in the Slovak capital.

NOW WATCH: 15 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do





More From Business Insider
Greg Gianforte campaigning with Donald Trump Jr.

Robert O'Neill, the former Navy SEAL who has said he fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden, called the reporter who said he was "body-slammed" by the Republican House candidate in Montana a "snowflake."

Speaking during an appearance on Fox News' "The Specialists," O'Neill, who is from Montana, also said the incident seemed "kind of funny based on my history."

The incident in question happened Wednesday night before a campaign event for Republican candidate Greg Gianforte. Approached by Ben Jacobs of The Guardian and pressed about the Congressional Budget Office score for the American Health Care Act, Gianforte is accused of grabbing Jacobs by the throat and slamming him to the ground, breaking his glasses. Fox News reporters on the scene said Gianforte also punched Jacobs, who later tweeted that he was "body slammed" by Gianforte.

Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault for the incident.

"All of a sudden, what happened there in Montana, apparently this snowflake reporter invaded Gianforte's safe space," O'Neill said. "And we have a saying up there you know if you mess around, you mess around and you might not be around."

O'Neill went into his own history dealing with the news media, which he said was intense after he first claimed to have fired the shots that killed bin Laden.

"These guys kind of bum-rushed my father  they got him to say some stuff," he said. "He didn't know the difference between on the record and off the record."

He criticized "ambush tactics" he said were deployed by those reporters and Jacobs.

"Granted, I'm not condoning the body slam," he said. "I think it's kind of funny based on my history. But you know, you try to mess with it sometimes, you'll get the bull's horns in Montana."

The special election for Montana's lone House seat is Thursday. Before the violent incident, the race between Gianforte and Democratic candidate Rob Quist appeared to be tightening. The candidates are vying to replace Ryan Zinke, whom President Donald Trump selected to be interior secretary.

Story continues

Watch the comments below:

NOW WATCH: China built a $350 million bridge that ends in a dirt field in North Korea





More From Business Insider


Austrian police officers and journalists wait outside the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

By Dmitry Zhdannikov, Rania El Gamal and Ernest Scheyder

VIENNA (Reuters) - As OPEC's latest meeting wrapped up in Vienna on Thursday night, ministers congratulated each other on its rare spirit of amity and consensus. The talks were, without a doubt, a success.

But two hours later, one veteran delegate was staring in despair at the numbers flashing red on his smartphone showing crude down some 5 percent to $51 a barrel.

"That is a disaster," he said.

While OPEC has worked hard in recent years on improving communication to ensure the right message is delivered to financial markets, Thursday's experience showed the 14-member group and its non-OPEC allies still have a long way to go.

The problem was not what was delivered, but what appeared to have been promised beforehand, industry analysts said.

OPEC agreed on Thursday to extend its existing production cuts by nine months - more than the initially suggested six months - in tandem with non-OPEC producers, including Russia.

But hints from the group that it could deepen supply cuts, extend them by as long as 12 months, curtail exports and tell the market how exactly it would terminate supply curbs in 2018 had raised market expectations much higher.

"OPEC oversold the meeting to the market way too early," Amrita Sen, from the consultancy Energy Aspects, told Reuters in Vienna.

The market reaction was all the more disappointing given that from OPEC's perspective, the meeting went very well.

"I have been in OPEC close to 20 years. It's the first time that I witness 100 percent compliance (with cuts) from OPEC and close to 100 percent from non-OPEC," Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told Reuters afterward.

OPEC's No.3 producer, Iran has repeatedly clashed in past meetings with OPEC's de-facto leader, its political arch-rival Saudi Arabia.

Russia, which effectively is fighting a proxy war with Saudi Arabia in Syria, said on Thursday its energy cooperation with Riyadh would last well into the future.

Story continues

In its statement, OPEC said it could extend curbs further or cut more.

Normally, all this would be more than enough to trigger a bull rally.

"It's strange. I don't know why (the market crashed)" Zanganeh said.

WHATEVER IT TAKES

OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers first agreed to cut output in December 2016 - the first joint deal in 15 years - and said the curbs could be extended by a further six months.

The extraordinary move was aimed at battling a global glut of crude that halved prices from 2014, forcing Russia and Saudi Arabia to tighten their belts and leading to unrest in Venezuela and Nigeria.

The cuts helped push oil prices back above $50 per barrel but also spurred growth in the U.S. shale industry, which does not participate in the output deal. That slowed a rebalancing of supply and demand, with global inventories still near record highs.

As the price fell back towards $47 in early May, near a six-month low, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said OPEC would do "whatever it takes" to rebalance the market, including a longer extension for the output cuts.

"If you declare nine months in advance, people are bound to expect more," Sen said. Russia also added to the expectations by saying this week that cuts could be prolonged by 12 months.

The market was also disappointed OPEC did not mention its previously stated plan to bring stocks down from a record high of 3 billion barrels to their five-year average of 2.7 billion, said Olivier Jakob from the Petromatrix consultancy.

"The December meeting was a breakthrough," he said. "The meeting yesterday gives us, however, a feeling that OPEC is fatigued by the lack of results so far and does not have a consensus anymore to have the five-year average in stocks as a policy target."

The fact that Iran, Libya and Nigeria remain exempt from cuts suggested OPEC was not yet ready to take additional measures, Jakob added.

Dave Pursell, managing director at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, a Houston-based bank working with U.S. shale producers, predicted markets would rebalance within six months.

"The market was hoping for deeper cuts," he said. "But I do think oil prices, three months from now, will be higher than they are now."

(Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson and Sonya Hepinstall)




Jared Kushner

The FBI is examining whether Russian officials suggested to President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, that Russian banks could finance Trump associates' business ventures if US sanctions were lifted or relaxed, Reuters reported on Friday, citing a current US law enforcement official.

The possibility first came under scrutiny after Kushner met with the CEO of Russia's state-owned Vnesheconombank in December 2016. The meeting came on the heels of Kushner's meeting with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, at Trump Tower, in which he reportedly floated the possibilityof setting up a secure line of communication between the Trump transition team and Russia.

Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the US to communicate, which would essentially conceal the Trump team's interactions with Russian officials from US government scrutiny, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Kislyak reportedly orchestrated the meeting between Kushner and Vnesheconombank CEO Sergey N. Gorkov, The New York Times reported earlier this year. Gorkov was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in January 2016 as part of a restructuring of the bank's management team, Bloomberg reported last year.

Between 2012 and 2014, Vnesheconombank was used as cover for Russian spy Evgeny Buryakov as he attempted to recruit New York City residents as intelligence sources for Moscow, according to the Department of Justice. Before that, Buryakov used Vnesheconombank as a cover to spy and recruit assets in South Africa.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Gorkov would have had good reason to push for the US to lift sanctions: Vnesheconombank had huge success between 2007 and 2014, but came crashing down when oil prices tanked and President Barack Obama levied sanctions on Kremlin officials and entities over Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Story continues

By February 2016, the bank  whose stated official mission is to "take efforts to make the Russian economy more competitive, diversify it, and foster investment"  was struggling to find enough cash to stay afloat. Its bailout needs had increased to $16 billion between 2016 and 2020, Reuters reported.

Kushner's meeting with Gorkov, the struggling bank's CEO, came as Kushner was trying to find investors for a Fifth Avenue office building in Manhattan that is set to be heavily financed by Anbang Insurance Group, a firm with ties to the Chinese government.

That deal ultimately fell through, but the Kremlin and the White House have provided conflicting explanations for why Kushner met privately with Gorkov in the first place.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has told reporters that Kushner's meeting with Vnesheconombank CEO Sergey Gorkov in late December "was ordinary business," echoing the bank's previous claim that it had met with Kushner in his capacity as "the head of Kushner companies."

"As part of the preparation of the new strategy, executives of Vnesheconombank met with representatives of leading financial institutes in Europe, Asia, and America multiple times during 2016," the bank told Reuters in March.

"During the talks, the existing practices of foreign development banks and promising trends were discussed," it added. It also said the meetings took place "with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies."

That appears to conflict with the White House's version of events  that Kushner met with Gorkov as a representative of Trump's transition team.

"Jared attended the meeting in his capacity as a transition official," a senior White House official told Business Insider in late March. "Nothing of substance was discussed. There was no follow-up."

The official added that Kushner took the meetings as part of his role as "the official primary point of contact with foreign governments and officials."

"Given this role, [Kushner] has volunteered to speak with Chairman Burr's committee but has not yet received confirmation," the official added, referring to Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The seemingly conflicting characterizations of the meeting  which was not disclosed publicly until The New York Times reported on it at the end of March  raise more questions about what kind of contact Trump's associates had with Russian officials through the latter half of 2016, as Russia was attempting to sway the outcome of the election in Trump's favor.

NOW WATCH: 'Melania needs to get with the program: Ian Bremmer explains the biggest takeaways from Trumps first foreign trip





More From Business Insider
The state of the hedge fund industry has improved from a year ago. But this is not to say things are great.

Thats the assessment of Anthony Scaramucci shared with Yahoo Finance at the SALT Conference, a marquee industry event in Las Vegas that brings together politicians, financiers, and celebrities.

If we were having this conversation last year, Id say, Wow, the state of the industry really sucks. But it sucks slightly less than last year, said Scaramucci, the founder of fund-of-funds SkyBridge Capital.

And the reason why it sucks slightly less is that performance is better, assets are up a little bit, and the real question, though, is are we in a secular decline for the industry or is this a protracted cyclical downturn?

Across strategies, hedge funds have returned 3.71% through the end of April, trailing the S&P 500s 6.5% rise, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index. The same period a year ago, hedge funds, in aggregate, had gained only 0.45%, the index shows.

REUTERS/Richard Brian

While performance has been lackluster, hedge fund industry assets have soared to a record high, with the total industry now above $3 trillion.

Scaramucci, who sold his stake in SkyBridge to Chinese conglomerate HNA earlier this year, believes that the industry is in a cyclical downturn. He also thinks that the industry has already bottomed and is on its way back up.

During the conference, Scaramucci asked hedge fund titan Bill Ackman, the CEO of $11 billion Pershing Square Capital, whether he thought the industry was in a secular or a cyclical decline.

I think the hedge fund industry is a little like the mall industry, Ackman said. What I mean by that is I dont think you can charge 1.5% or 2% and 20% of the profits and make people 8% or worse 5% or 2%. Because if you look what share of the profits is going to the manager, its a vastly disproportionate share.

Ackman got his start in the hedge fund business back in 1992 when it was a much lesser known industry. Now, there are more than 10,000 different hedge funds. In recent years, hedge funds, in aggregate, have lagged the S&P 500, a commonly used benchmark to compare performance.

Story continues

This was a place where you made high returns, Ackman said. This was a boutique industry where people would deploy their capital to earn 20% type of returns. My view is the hedge fund industry should be a place where you earn high returns. If its not a high return strategy, well then you have to really compromise on your fees.

At the conference, the consensus was that better days are ahead for the industry.



Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

Read more:
Sergey Brin

More details are leaking about Google co-founder Sergey Brin's secret quest to build a giant airship.

Bloomberg broke the news last month that Brin was working on a secret blimp project at Moffett Field. Business Insider subsequently reported that Brin's company was called LTA Research & Exploration and that it has been leasing space from Google parent company Alphabet.

Now anonymous sources tell The Guardian that the ship is being personally funded by Brin at an estimated cost of over $100 million. The blimp is expected to be massive in both scale and grandeur  something like 200 meters long. That's not as big as the famously unfortunate Hindenburg, which was 245 meters. But some say it would be among the biggest aircraft flying the skies today, and possibly the biggest.

These sources expect that Brin plans to use it to bring humanitarian food and supplies to the far corners of the world. And they also expect him to use it as luxurious "air yacht" for the billionaire and his family and friends to enjoy, according to the report.

Brin declined common on the original Bloomberg story, nor did he comment on the Guardian story and Alphabet declined comment to Business Insider as well.

raytheon jlens blimp security

Brin is said to be fascinated with air travel. The unit he oversees at Google's parent company Alphabet is working on all kinds of aircraft, including balloon type crafts. Brin is the executive champion of the unit formerly called Google X, now calling itself simply X.

Earlier this week, the unit gave updates on several of its projects including Project Loon, which delivers internet connectivity to remote regions using balloons. Loon is being used by tens of thousands of people in flood-affected zones in Peru, X says. That's the first time that balloon-powered internet has been used to connect so many people.

X also has a project called Makani that's trying to generate electricity from an energy kite. Earlier this month, it had a successful prototype test of the kite, which X says is the largest ever of its kind at 600 kilowatts.

Story continues

And then there's Project Wing, the unit's drone delivery project. Although we've reported on this project's troubles and set-backs, it was also called out as a project to watch by Alphabet CEO Larry Page in his annual letter to shareholders in April.

As we previously reported, Brin is actively involved at X and even has his own desk installed in some of the projects, like Wing. So, when it comes to objects that fly, Brin just can't seem to get enough.

NOW WATCH: HENRY BLODGET: Bitcoin could go to $1 million (or fall to $0)





More From Business Insider


Starbucks Seattle Shareholders

Starbucks is facing backlash from its baristas who say they're overworked, understaffed, and underpaid.

While the coffee giant has recently launched an initiative to improve customer service and better support in-store staff, many baristas say Starbucks has refused to address underlying issues. They say they're more strained than ever because of an uptick in orders coming from the mobile app and drive-thru, as well as an ever-changing menu of hard-to-make drinks.

Business Insider spoke with a dozen current and former Starbucks workers on condition of anonymity in an attempt to get to the bottom of what in-store employees think Starbucks needs to fix. Starbucks says it's talking with partners, the company's term for retail employees, to improve work conditions.

"Over the years, one of the strengths of our business has continued to be the connection we have with our partners," a Starbucks representative told Business Insider. "We know we are not perfect, but we are regularly engaged in discussions with the over 160,000 partners who wear the green apron in the US and continuously work to make their experience even better and more valuable. We know when we exceed the expectations of our people, they, in turn, exceed the expectations of our customers. To us, every voice matters."

Here's what Starbucks workers say the company needs to fix, in their words.

'It's frowned upon if I stop to have a conversation with a regular.'

Starbucks

"They'd rather us be machines. They are, whether they like it or not, a fast-food chain with lousy food that I am required to push on people.

"When I started in 2010, we had partners who had been there for eight-plus years. The customers were like family. We had seen their children grow. Now it's frowned upon if I stop to have a conversation with a regular I haven't seen in a while. ...

"It has kept me alive, to be perfectly honest, to know that so many people have been touched by conversations with me. And it has sapped just about every last ounce of my energy to know that I am now a hindrance to the Starbucks (corporate America) agenda."  A current Starbucks employee of seven years

Story continues

("I think a key differentiator for Starbucks is that emotional connection our partners have to what we stand for, and the fact that we are in the business of human connection," CEO Kevin Johnson told Business Insider in an interview in March.)

'We're running around like crazy.'

"I don't know how many times I've heard that we're the most important part of the company. ... I almost wish they would read that same letter they read to us, to the board, so they could know why they need to change the pay scale. If we're the most important part of the company, and our connection is that important, [they shouldn't be] paying as little as they can get away with paying. ...

"Managers say ... we need to do a better job at connecting. Obviously, we're not connecting, because we have mobile here and we have drive-thru here, and we're running around like crazy."  A current Starbucks employee of more than five years working in Florida

(Starbucks has said the company is working to provide better solutions for mobile ordering and that mobile should not prevent workers from establishing an "emotional connection" with customers.)

'It's a cult that pays $9 per hour.'

Starbucks barista

"At first, you watch all these videos about how wonderfully you're treated and all the great benefits, your manager will tell you that your store is like another home, your partners are your family, and you should always feel comfortable there. First Taste, the initial coffee tasting, definitely makes you feel like you're valued and welcomed. It all also feels genuine and unique when you're going through it.

"The problem is that it's not unique. Managers literally have a guide on how to onboard new hires in such a way that they learn to love the brand and feel valued. The First Taste experience is not a unique experience between you and your store manager  it is a carefully detailed and structured activity with a checklist and steps the manager follows, given to them by corporate.

"Every single thing you experience that makes you love the company is designed to manipulate you into doing so. It's not a company; it's a cult that pays $9 per hour."  A former Starbucks employee who recently left the company after working in Florida for about a year

'My team wants to be able to afford rent and groceries.'

"The company tries to sell the total pay package to partners, but that does not speak to the younger generation, which is what most of our teams primarily consist of. My team wants to be able to afford rent and groceries.

"The company offers free college, which, at a base level, is an amazing benefit, but I can guaran-damn-tee you that if you had asked partners if they could have the option for higher pay or the college-achievement program, somewhere around 90% of all partners would have asked for increased pay."  A current Starbucks employee

(According to Glassdoor data, baristas are paid $9.50 an hour on average. Starbucks emphasizes that the chain offers benefits beyond hourly pay, including college tuition assistance, 401(k) matching, and the ability to purchase Starbucks stock through the Bean Stock program.)

'The stress is overwhelming.'

starbucks barista

"It's exhausting being the only one on the floor and having to do register and hot bar and customer support while you've got a medium-volume drive-thru and your [drive-thru] person is taking orders, paying people out, and running cold bar.

"Nothing gets cleaned. Nothing gets stocked. We're getting screamed at by customers for not being fast enough, so we try to go fast, and we mess up the money, or we mess up the drinks, and then we get yelled at for messing up the money and messing up the drinks. It's all incredibly tiresome. Just one more person on the floor in the afternoons and evenings would be incredible. ...

"There is no customer connection when we're as busy and understaffed as we are. Again, put another person on the floor, and we can talk. I've had people call the store to complain that we seemed rushed and upset. The stress is overwhelming. A four-hour shift is too exhausting at this point, because there's nobody to help us."  A current Starbucks employee

(Starbucks leaves most staffing decisions in the hands of store managers. According to the company, regional leaders didn't see major issues last summer, and haven't seen the need for changes beyond the regular course of business over the last year.)

'Starbucks demands that we do several tasks at once.'

"Most stores are understaffed, and I believe that's the way corporate wants it. Store managers would rather be shorthanded rather than pay a penny of overtime. ...

"As far as connecting with customers, what do they want? Do they want to ring as many customers through as fast as possible (yes!) or do they want us to chat (yes!). Impossible to do both at the same time.

"[Customers] want their latte 30 seconds ago, and they're irate when they have to wait or wait while we're making small talk. The glares we get are not friendly ones.

"Starbucks demands that we do several tasks at once, so how can it be expected to 'connect with customers'? When I'm making drinks, I barely make eye contact with customers when handing off drinks; I'm just calling names out."  A current Starbucks employee from Illinois

'It's just hard to tell the truth.'

Starbucks cup barista

"Starbucks has this website called 'partner perspectives.' It's basically a website where they survey their partners about their experiences.

"I and so many other baristas don't feel secure in our [roles] enough to tell them how we actually feel, because it is not anonymous. You have to log in with your partner numbers and name, and it's just hard to tell the truth when you don't know how they could retaliate."  A current Starbucks employee

(Starbucks executives say they encourage in-store workers' feedback through several platforms.)

'Starbucks has a tendency to use people up and spit them out.'

"Even four years ago, the corporate mantra at Starbucks was heading in the path your recent article was touching on: 'The customer is always right, even when they are obviously wrong.' ...

"Stores were being slowly, carefully destaffed, creating real problems during peak business hours. Customers would comment on the hurried, frantic pace behind the counter, and managers were instructed to respond with a cheery retort and then berate the staff to work faster with less space, more products, and smaller time windows. Timing devices were added to the drive-thru lanes so that everybody could see how long it was taking orders to move out of the window. ...

"For all the bluster and braggadocio, Starbucks has a tendency to use people up and spit them out. Fair compensation, appropriate staffing, and true cooperate support would be wise problems to fix before attacking other problems that have been solely created by those three shortcomings."  A former Starbucks employee who worked for the company for three and a half years in Kansas

If you're a Starbucks barista with a story to share, email retail@businessinsider.com.

NOW WATCH: Here's why Dairy Queen Blizzards are served upside down





More From Business Insider


It almost the end of May, and that means one thing for biotech investors. The king of biotech and pharma events is about to take place. The 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is set to run from June 2 to June 6 in Chicago. This conference has the potential to make or break companies, with winners walking away from this event with a nice gain and losers trying to pick up the pieces.

The abstracts for ASCO were released about a week ago, and stocks are already moving in anticipation. Many more companies have yet to release their presentation information for ASCO as well.

ALSO READ: Big Pharma Has Big Catalysts Coming for the Rest of 2017

24/7 Wall St. wanted to make a brief list of companies that have already signaled that they will be presenting data, or that data will be presented on their behalf, at the 2017 ASCO annual meeting.

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is expected to present incremental new insights on Ibrance and talazoparib. At the same time, data for dacomitinib in first-line EGFR+NSCLC remains under embargo until June 5. Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating for the shares with a $38 price target. The stock closed Friday at $32.14 a share, with a consensus analyst price target of $37.53 and a 52-week trading range of $29.83 to $37.39.

ALSO READ: How ASCO Could Make or Break These 5 Cancer Drug Trials

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) is reporting more data on executing on I-O/chemo, and an update on the progress with Keytruda+IDO. Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating with a $72 price target. Shares closed the week at $64.92, with a 52-week range of $55.10 to $66.80 and a consensus price target of $69.30.

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) focused on ABT-414 in its abstract, and according to analysts early data looks promising, but they are curious for the update that concerns side effects. Credit Suisse has a Neutral rating with a $65 price target. Shares of AbbVie ended the week at $66.06, with a consensus price target of $72.28 and a 52-week range of $55.06 to $68.12.

Story continues

ALSO READ: JPMorgans Favorite Biotechs to Buy With Massive Upside Potential

Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) will be presenting further details on abemaciclib with the MONARCH-2 data in abstract 1000. This study looked at abemaciclib in combination with fulvestrant in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who had progressed on prior endocrine therapy. Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating for Eli Lilly, with an $87 price target. Shares were last seen at $78.05, with a consensus price target of $89.10 and a 52-week range of $64.18 to $86.72.

BlueBird Bio Inc. (BLUE) will present updated data from its Phase 1 study of bb2121. Shares of BlueBird last traded at $78.70, with a consensus price target of $98.17 and a 52-week range of $36.62 to $100.40.

ALSO READ: Countries With the Fastest Growing and Shrinking Militaries

Epizyme Inc. (EPZM) is presenting updated data at ASCO from its Phase 2 trial of tazemetostat in INI-1 negative solid tumors. Shares of Epizyme closed Friday at $15.60, with a consensus price target of $24.38 and a 52-week range of $7.02 to $18.50.

Juno Therapeutics Inc. (JUNO) will report an update from its Transcend study of JCAR017. Shares of Juno closed at $23.30. The 52-week range is $17.52 to $49.72, and the consensus price target is $30.50.

Kite Pharma Inc. (KITE) is presenting an update from its Zuma-3 study, as well as additional data from the ZUMA-1 study. Its shares closed at $73.11, with a consensus price target of $84.92 and a 52-week range of $39.82 to $88.58.

ALSO READ: Most (and Least) Tax-Friendly States for Business

Merus B.V. (MRUS) will report the full dataset from the Phase 1 study of HER2  HER3 MCLA-128. Shares of Merus closed the week at $19.17, within a 52-week range of $7.26 to $33.63. The consensus price target is $31.23.

Related Articles
ENCINITAS, Calif., May 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lund Chiropractic has recently announced an upcoming chiropractic mission trip to Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Medical mission trips provide care to residents of the destination area who could not otherwise receive it due to poverty, location, transportation, or other factors. Since chiropractic care can help maintain health as well as heal injuries, it is believed that this service will be especially useful. Dr. Scott Lund will be on this mission trip from June 7th-14th.



Impoverished areas are greatly helped by medical and wellness mission trips of various sorts. They allow people who ordinarily could not access the services of licensed doctors and chiropractors to do so for the duration of the visiting doctor's stay. In turn, the people are able to live in better health and with less pain than otherwise possible.

A chiropractic mission trip involves one or more chiropractors visiting such an area to provide treatment. Uniquely, chiropractic care isn't only for the sick and injured. It helps healthy people avoid problems that would have arisen later had treatment not been given. Chiropractors perform adjustments on the local residents and their children in order to boost their immune systems, allow their bodies to better absorb nutrients, and help them to heal faster from injury or illness by adjusting subluxations in the spine. This is very important in areas where it may be a long time before another doctor comes around.

"The first thing I'll be doing is seeing people who have existing injuries and other problems that can be helped with chiropractic treatment. Then, I'll treat the healthier residents to assist them with avoiding pain in the future. Many people who seem healthy now actually have 'silent' subluxations in their spines, and these can flare up without warning if they are not treated," explained Dr. Scott M. Lund, owner of Lund Chiropractic.

Punta Abreojos is a small Mexican fishing village with only 500 houses. Its main land-based features are a fish processing plant, a hardware store, several lighthouses, a hardware store, and a single medical clinic. A 300-foot-tall hill is its major natural landmark and is easy to see from out in the water. Offshore, pods of gray whales are frequently observed. The word "Abreojos" means "open your eyes," which is a warning to sailors about the many treacherous rocks and reefs that surround the area.

About Lund Chiropractic

Lund Chiropractic is home to Dr. Scott M. Lund, a chiropractor who has been licensed for over 20 years. The clinic is located in Encinitas, California and offers chiropractic care, corrective exercises, nutritional counseling, and spine and postural screenings.

Visit http://lundchiropractic.com/ for additional information.
- Video of girl begging her father to pay for her treatment goes viral

- The medics had told her she was not going to survive for long

- The father allegedly refused to pay for his daughters treatment

- Girls mom claims her ex-husband also misbehaved with their daughter

- And now, the girl has reportedly lost her battle with cancer

A 13-year-old girl who begged her father to to pay for her cancer treatment has passed away.

Sai Sri from Andhra Pradesh reportedly died on 14th May after excruciating battle with cancer. She stayed with her mom in Vijayawada after the parents separated.

The mother couldnt afford her daughters treatment, which is why the girl was begging her father, who stayed in Bengaluru, to come to her rescue.

Daddy. You say that you don't have money. At least we have this house. Please sell this house and pay for my treatment daddy. Or else, they say that I won't survive for long. Please do something and save me," Sai Sri can be heard saying in the heartbreaking footage.

READ ALSO: Missing boy found alone in Ondo state on Childrens Day (photos)

Sai Sri from Andhra Pradesh reportedly died on 14th May after battle with cancer.

The video, posted on social media just before her demise, has sparked outrage as people scold the seemingly heartless father for failing to foot the medical bills for his daughter.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is reportedly looking into the matter and has filed a case against the negligent father.

READ ALSO: YPF, YIAGA hosts colloquim on youths and the future of democracy in Nigeria

Sai Sri.

The girls mother has also accused Sais dad for misbehaving with her. She reported the case to police but nothing has been done yet.

Everyone is hoping that justice will prevail for the diseased girl and her loving mom.

Watch video of Sai pleading with her father to pay for her cancer treatment:

Watch the video below with Seyi Shay :

Source: Legit.ng
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
The DA has filed an affidavit in response to Eskoms argument that Brian Molefe never resigned as Eskom CEO, according to a report in the City Press.

Eskom argued that Molefe should return to the company as CEO in order to correct the R30-million pension payout he received when he left the company in 2016.

Eskom said the R30-million payout was a mistake, as Molefe was too young to receive the retirement payout.

The DA said Eskoms decision to allow Molefe to return to the company is an exercise of public power and could be challenged on the basis of rationality.

Statements released by Eskom board chairman Ben Ngubane and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown provided conflicting reports on Molefes departure from the company.

Eskoms claims of Molefe being on unpaid leave conflict with public documents, including statements published by Brown and Molefe.

Both the DA and EFF recently expressed their opposition to the reinstatement of Molefe and said they would take urgent action against the decision.

The ANC has also condemned the recent statements by Brown and Ngubane, saying their representations amounted to perjury.
The Presidency is unimpressed that the ANC is failing to get President Jacob Zuma to trend on Twitter.

According to a report by the Sunday Times, the Presidency has accused the ANC communications team of not giving Zumas events coverage on social media.

The ANC communications team is headed up by Gauteng ANC executive committee member Khusela Sangoni, who has been accused of acting factionally.

This comes after Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa received extensive live Twitter coverage at recent events.

The report stated that a similar spat among ANC and government officials took place when the ANCs Twitter account did not tweet from Zumas recent birthday party.

Sangoni said the Presidency has appointed an official to keep Zuma in the public eye and she should not be held responsible for that person failing to do their job.

The friction between the Presidency and the ANC comes at a time when opposition parties and members of the ruling party are openly campaigning for Zuma to be removed as president.

Now read: Gupta plan to resettle Zuma and his family in Dubai
Deputy: Russian side is informed about importance of withdrawal of Azerbaijani units from the territory of Armenia

State Duma deputy: We can't imagine Russia without Armenia

Georgian PM and Armenian Ambassador discuss cooperation issues

FLYONE ARMENIA to start flights between Yerevan, Dubai

Kyodo: Emperor of Japan revealed to have prostate hyperplasia

Iranian intelligence urges Saudi Arabia not to test Tehran's strategic patience

Kazakhstan intends to ship 1.5 mln tons of oil via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline

Former Ombudsman: 2,700 ha of Kapan community of Armenia's Syunik Province are under occupation by Baku

Japan and the US begin major joint exercise

Armenia soldier sustains gunshot wound from Azerbaijan shooting

PM: If anyone thinks peace agenda is peaceful annihilation of Armenia or Karabakh Armenians, they are sorely mistaken

Armenia Premier: We have 16 missing persons since September 13 military aggression by Azerbaijan

Bitcoin is trading just above $16,000

Armenias Pashinyan: Spreading of fake news by Azerbaijan becomes prelude to new aggression

Armenia PM: Azerbaijan, with its practices, reminds of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, which discredit Islam

PM: Armenia, Karabakh propose Azerbaijan to create demilitarized zone

Pashinyan: There is no Armenia army in Karabakh

Pashinyan: Armenia is going to present new proposal to Azerbaijan

Biden says he will discuss Ukraine conflict at G20 summit

Pashinyan: Armenia has no obligation to construct new roads

Erdogan tells what relations between Turkey and Armenia depend on

Iran says it has developed first hypersonic ballistic missile

Armenias Pashinyan: Russia peacekeepers are deployed in Karabakh indefinitely

FM Lavrov to head Russia delegation at G20 summit

Erdogan: Ankara continues mediation efforts to resolve Ukrainian crisis

IAEA head: Talks on Iran's nuclear program ended inconclusively

Armenia PM: Aliyev grossly violated tripartite written agreement of Sochi

This year 320 people seek asylum in Armenia, 213 are from Ukraine

Erdogan speaks on trusting relationship with Putin

Gold prices remain stable

Ombudsperson in Brussels, reflects on top Azerbaijan leaderships policy of Armenophobia

Indonesian authorities: Putin won't come to G20 summit in Bali

World oil prices falling

Washington demands part of Israeli Arrow 3 for sale to Germany, be produced in the U.S.

Armenia Security Council chief meets with Lithuania officials

Armenia FM heading for Paris

Egypt launches Tax Free system for foreign tourists

Washington, Brussels don't approve German plan to resume transatlantic trade talks

Newspaper: Armenias Mirzoyan makes it clear to Blinken that wording Artsakh should be included

Newspaper: Armenia parliamentary opposition decides to return to legislative body

Volkswagen releases office chair with electric motor and klaxon

Israel reveals Pulcinella secret, admitting that it used drones not only for surveillance

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

France National Assembly speaker reaffirms solidarity with Armenia, Armenians

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
Tillerson says US won't be rushed on climate change policies (Citizen, 5/11/17) highlights anxiety about U.S. leadership on climate change. In the past, Tillerson supported a carbon tax as the CEO of Exxon. He needs support from congressional representatives like Rep. Katko who has spoken out on climate.

A revenue neutral carbon fee on fossil fuels, is widely accepted among economists, politicians, climate scientists and businesses as the best solution for climate change. By attaching a dividend to return all funds to taxpayers, the fee could both protect the environment, grow the economy and adhere to market principles in a shift to a clean economy.

A border adjustment ensures no disadvantages to American businesses, and encourages other countries to install their own carbon fee. A similar fee has resulted in lower corporate taxes from British Columbia's conservative government in Canada.

Rep. Katko, please sponsor a revenue neutral carbon fee to protect our climate and expand our economy.

Sunny Aslam

Jamesville
Had there not been 28 May 1918, the present-day Republic of Armenia would not have existed (PHOTOS).

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said the aforementioned in his address delivered at Sardarapat Memorial Complex on Sunday.

In particular, the president noted the following:

I congratulate all of us on the Republic Day.

The May victories of 1918 opened a new and glorious page in the centuries-old history of our people. In the battles of Sardarapat, Bas-Aparan and Gharakilisa, our ancestors gained the right to live.

These battles were the last and fatal efforts of the Armenian people standing on the brink of extermination. They were to defend the last land parcels of our historical homeland and save the last remnants of our people. This seemingly impossible feat was carried out by all the strata of our people. They acted through exclusive unity and organization, personal courage and persistent will. They acted on a high level of national recognition and historical responsibility.

The newly-independent Armenia was born under the torrent of the WWI volleys. Every year we repeat as an oath of allegiance one simple truth: Had there not been 28 May 1918, Soviet Armenia and the present-day Republic of Armenia would not have existed

During the entire history of the Armenian people, we have perhaps not had a longer period of statehood deprivation than the stage which immediately preceded May 28. And we certainly have had no graver and more tragic fate than during any previous era. That is why the restoration of statehood 99 years ago was twice precious, being sacred to each Armenian even now.

The Republic of Armenia brought not only independent statehood to its citizens, but also human rights and freedoms, which had already been enshrined by laws.

Present Armenia was also born in the fire of war, but this time in Artsakh front. We, the citizens of present-day Armenia, are committed to the commandments of the First Republic.

Dear compatriots,

I once again congratulate all of us on this great holiday. I wish peace and creative work for the sake of the progress and wellbeing of our country.

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

Glory to our people!
A red and white tent shakes back and forth as a gust of wind hits volunteers backs. Glancing out at the heavy rainfall, walk manager Susan Schoenmarklin shares her personal journey as a caregiver for her son, who struggled with a mental health condition.

"I felt isolated. Really, there was little to no support. It was a 'no casserole issue.'  No one is going to show up to your house offering a casserole when youre really in need. Thats just the reality," said Schoenmarklin.

On the eastern edge of Veterans Park, hundreds of participants and volunteers stand and chat, waiting for the 5K fundraiser for NAMI Greater Milwaukee to begin.

NAMI Greater Milwaukee is part of the national nonprofit organization National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which works to support, educate and improve the lives of those who live with mental illness, as well as their families and caregivers, and to reduce societal stigma.

To provide free services such as peer support groups and 12-week classes, NAMI relies on help from sponsors and fundraising events. NAMI Greater Milwaukee enlisted Schoenmarklin, once a board member, to take charge of the 15th annual NAMIWalks 5K, which raises funds for the organization.

Schoenmarklin said she felt people were judging her as her son struggled with severe depression at a young age.

"He was 5 years old when he was diagnosed, and I didnt know what to do or how to help him. I felt like a failure as a parent," said Schoenmarklin.

Another gust of wind rolls off Lake Michigan, as heavy rain pours down on the walkers. Zipping up her pink jacket, Schoenmarklin adjusts her cold-weather headband.

Schoenmarklin said she was working at Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin when someone told her about NAMI. "I looked into it and decided to take a 12-week course intended to educate caregivers about mental illnesses. It was such a phenomenal resource. I decided to volunteer and teach the class. Ever since then, my heart has been in it for NAMI," she said.

While the bad weather decreased attendance, Schoenmarklin is one of 2,000 people who registered for the Milwaukee NAMIWalks. NAMIWalks, which take place in 80 cities throughout the country, is the largest and most successful mental health fundraising event in the country, according to the NAMI website.

Participants pass signs stating "One in four adults experiences mental illness" and "One in 20 lives with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder."

"A lot of people here are walking for those in need, those they love and those they lost to suicide," said NAMI Executive Director Peter Hoeffel, speaking to the crowd congregating at the gazebo before the walk began.

"They are our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and our soldiers," said Hoeffel.

For 22-year-old walk participant Amanda Smith, NAMI offers more than support. The organization has encouraged her to be open about her mental health.

"I heard about NAMI when I was volunteering for a suicide walk," said Smith, surrounded by a group of women wearing neon green shirts with the words "Mandas Pandas."

Sitting in a wheelchair with her legs in two boots, Smith said she brought her support group and caregivers to her first NAMI walk.

"These are the people who have supported me and help me take care of myself. In the beginning of my mental wellness journey, I felt that I couldnt be open. I wish I had known about the resources available to me," said Smith.

"It takes months and months to get doctors to understand and listen to you. Its even worse when you dont know where to go or who to turn to. I felt like no one wanted to listen to me and what I was going through," Smith added.

Edward Wingard, 20, said he understands the stigma associated with mental illness.

"The black community  has made mental illness either a butt of a joke or something you can pray away: nothing you can really openly discuss," he said. "And as a man, if you are showing any kind of emotion, its automatically considered weak. No wonder people dont want to share; theyre too afraid of what society will say."

Wingard said he changed his thoughts and dialogue concerning mental health after receiving educational training at Public Allies.

NAMI helps people living with mental illness to create a wellness recovery action plan and operates a crisis intervention team. The group also visits high schools to perform a play, "Pieces, In My Own Voices," to humanize those with mental illnesses.

"While it is better now than when I was a kid, we are still not where we need to be," said Smith. "I work hard every day to live a normal life." She volunteers with high school peer groups to offer support.

"The support groups help everyone recognize that everyones journey and mental health is different. My personality disorder is not the same as your personality disorder; my bad days are not the same as yours," said Smith.

Schoenmarklin, whose son is now a junior in college, added, "My story had a happy ending, but so many dont, especially because society refuses to talk about it and quite frankly we are all hiding."

An hour earlier at the start of the 5K, Hoeffel stood on a three-foot platform and stated, "My name is Peter Hoeffel. Im the executive director at NAMI Greater Milwaukee. I suffer from an anxiety disorder and diabetes, and I should be able to talk about that in the same sentence."
- A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Kolawole Babatunde says it is possible to win elections in Nigeria without spending millions of naira

- Babatunde made the comment at a colloquim on youths and the future of democracy in Nigeria

- The colloquim was hosted by the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) in partnership with the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA)

A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Kolawole Babatunde has said it is possible to win elections in Nigeria without spending millions of naira.

Babatunde who represents Akoko South East/South West in Ondo state, made the comment at a colloquim on youths and the future of democracy in Nigeria.

The colloquim was hosted by the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) in partnership with the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) on Friday, May 26.

From right to left: Honourable Babatunde, CEO Nigerian Women Trust Fund; Funke Baruwa Legislative aide; Aminu Murtala Nyako and Program manager YIAGA; Cynthia Mbamalu

Babatunde, 42, admitted that young people in Nigeria face economic limitations when trying to participate in the political process.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

He however stated that Nigeria has made progress in practicing democracy, even as he noted that there is still a lot of work to do.

Our leaders haven't created a space for full youth participation in politics. Young people in Nigeria face economic limitations when trying to participate in the political process," Babatunde said.

Speaking on the place of money in Nigerian politics, Babatunde informed the gathering that he spent only N5 million during the electioneering period.

His words: I do reach out to the youths in my community a lot. I'm a grassroot person. That was why during the elections, while my colleagues from the east spent N200 million for election in their constituencies, I spent only N5 million from primaries till the end of the election.

We cannot take away the issue of godfatherism from Nigerian politics but if you can prove that you have the capacity to deliver, you will gain the support of your people.

I have served two terms now, and I promised my people that when Im leaving, I will be handing over to another young person.

Cross section of participants at the event. Photo credit: YIAGA

On his part, the chairman of YPF, Honourable Ralph Igbokwe said the forum serves as a platform for bringing youth issues in Nigeria to the fore.

The efforts of the YPF in working to reduce the age for running for elective office is beginning to pay off.

Young people must be active participants in this democracy not just on social media. Together we can make young people relevant and create space for their active participation in democracy, Igbokwe said.

On her part, YIAGA's program manager; Cynthia Mbamalu bemoaned the fact that money in is a major problem in politics, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world.

Globally, a lot of efforts are been put in place to regulate election financing, she said.

The event also had a panel discussion titled: 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend in Youth Through Civic & Political Engagement' where issues that affects youths participation in politics and governance were discussed.

READ ALSO: Osinbajo makes 9 new appointments as acting president

Meanwhile, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu has called for the total removal of age as a criterion for holding political offices in Nigeria.

He instead called for a situation where the electorates were allowed to make their choices based on their assessment of the competence of those who presented themselves for elections.

Ekweremadu made the call when YIAGA paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday, May 25.

Watch the Legit.ng TV vox pop asking Nigerians if a youth can lead Nigeria below:

Source: Legit.ng
Casting for local director Jack Neos upcoming movie Ah Boys To Men 4 is currently underway, but one actor has spoken out against the production team for their racial stereotyping and insensitivity during auditions.

Local actor Shrey Bhargava took to his personal Facebook page on Saturday night (May 27) to express his disgust at requests made by the casting director to portray a caricature of his own race.

The casting director had asked Shrey to be more Indian by imitating an accent and to make it funny, even after he protested that Indian Singaporeans do not possess such exaggerated accents.

Shreys post has been shared over 1,300 times as of Saturday evening.

The auditions will enter a second day on Sunday (May 28).

Popspoken has reached out to J Team Productions for comment.

Read Shreys full Facebook post, reproduced with permission, below.

So, I just finished my audition for Ah Boys to Men 4, and this is what happened inside the casting room:

After completing one full take of the audition script, playing a soldier with a Singaporean accent who spoke in colloquial Singlish, I was asked by the casting director to make it a full blown Indian man.

Now, I get it, casting directors give directions to see if actors can follow them, but really, asking me to be more Indian even after I performed the scene in a completely Singaporean way and talked as most Singaporeans would (even Indian Singaporeans)?

I said but not all Indians in Singapore speak with a thick Indian accent.

And she just responded with but thats what we want. And make it funny.

So I was told to portray a caricature of my race. I was reduced to my accent, because thats what made it funny. Thats what they wanted for the film. Diversity in Singaporean film, I guess comes down to playing stereotypes so the majority race can find it amusing.

And also it seemed as though I was just not Indian enough.

Story continues

I wanted to decline to perform and say that they had the power to choose not to force an Indian accent on their Indian character, because thatd make them more authentically Singaporean, but I didnt. I did it. I put on a fake Indian accent and performed and it felt horrible.

I left the room feeling disgusted. That I was seen by my country as nothing more than the colour of my skin and the way they think I ought to speak. Most Singaporean Indians I know do not speak with a full blown Indian accent, so I dont see why, a film, part of a franchise now known to be inseparably part of our national culture, needs to have an Indian character only if he is a stereotype.

I dont know if Ill be cast or not. And right now, thats besides the point. I hope that whoever they cast will choose to stick to the natural Singaporean accent they have (which may lean towards Indian but doesnt have to be full blown) instead of adopt a fake one just to feed the racist humour our country thrives on.

A post shared by s (@shreybhargava) on May 27, 2017 at 2:46am PDT

Films play a very important role in shaping our ideas, perceptions and feelings towards social issues, our country and each other. Its 2017 and its time for us to change. We cannot keep perpetuating stereotypes. We must begin to recognise that Singapore is NOT a Chinese country. We are multiracial, and multilingual.

We must recognise that and make films that reflect our reality. Films that discourage stereotypes and reinforce our one Singaporean identity. If films are made that have Indian characters that speak with normal Singaporean accents, then people will not be given a chance to believe that all Singaporean Indians speak in a certain stereotypical way.

I do not deserve to feel like a foreigner in my own country.

Anyway, I hope speaking out about this leads to some much needed discussions about what is right and acceptable in the media we consume and whether its time to re-evaluate what diversity means to us.

Whatever happened today reminded me of an episode from Aziz Ansaris Master of None called Indians on TV, where Azizs character, Dev, faced the exact same situation. I wonder if I too should have been more adamant in not wanting to perform with an accent. Maybe I should have, and I chickened out. I have internalised the racism I have faced against me and it shows. But Im working hard to reverse its effects. Hopefully this post is a step towards it.

Also, I was asked if I was local the moment I stepped into the audition room  I assume because I am a North Indian (and so not as stereotypically dark as South Indians, who are the majority within the Indian community here in Singapore) and also because of my regular international accent.

But mind you, I was wearing my Smart 4 all along

==

Stay updated and social with Popspoken: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

This article Ah Boys To Men 4 Casting Directors Accused Of Racial Stereotyping and Insensitivity appeared first on Popspoken.
Bangladesh detectives hit the jackpot when they stopped Mohammad Belal at Chittagong airport carrying some surprising excess baggage. Under questioning, the 37-year-old admitted he had a dozen chunks of gold weighing 1.4 kilograms, or three pounds, stashed in his rectum. Gold smuggling in Bangladesh is at a record high, officials say, with the country emerging as a major route into neighbouring India, which has slapped high taxes on gold imports. Authorities have seized 1.1 tonnes of the precious metal at airports in the past three years -- an unprecedented haul. Investigators believe it is the tip of a golden iceberg. They say it is bought by jewellers or smuggled into India, the world's biggest buyer of gold, and is also bankrolling a booming trade in drugs and illegal cattle. As monitoring has been stepped up, barely a day passes without another seizure. Detectives on Wednesday discovered 13 stone-sized gold tablets hidden in the wig of a 45-year-man as he passed through Dhaka's international airport. Smugglers are increasingly resorting to more drastic methods to evade detection, officials say. "Hiding gold bars in electronic appliances, wheelchairs or in toys has become old tactics. Now they are increasingly using their rectum to carry gold," Moinul Khan, Bangladesh's customs intelligence chief, told AFP. "We give them a lungi (cloth worn by men around the waist) and a polythene bag, ask them to defecate and there comes gold from the anus. Some women were even found having carried gold in their vaginas." More than 100 people -- mostly Bangladeshi migrant workers -- have been arrested since 2014 for gold smuggling at the country's three international airports, police say. Khan said smuggling networks often included air hostesses, airport ground staff and cleaners and corrupt security personnel. "They have a huge network involving a lot of people," he said. - Gold mafia - Despite heightened vigilance plenty of gold is finding its way onto the black market, Khan said. An aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year told the Bangladesh Jewellers Samitee (BJS), a lobby group representing local jewellery shops, that authorities could only expect to detect 10 percent of the gold smuggled through its porous borders. Bangladesh -- a low-lying nation on the Bay of Bengal -- does not have any gold mines of its own and relies on imports to fashion rings and other treasures for its booming middle class. The country has imposed strict quotas and huge customs duties on gold, effectively choking off legal bullion imports for flourishing jewellery outlets. The BJS has repeatedly called on the government to allow the bulk import of bullion at reasonable rates. Khan said a "sizeable amount" of smuggled gold was sold to local jewellers. Detectives and customs agents recently seized nearly half a tonne of gold from outlets of one of Bangladesh's biggest jewellers after the company failed to provide import documents. The jewellers' association said it sources its gold from individuals pawning personal items, an explanation detectives reject. "We don't buy gold from the black market," the association's president Gangacharan Malakar told AFP. "The raids are conspiracies to destroy a vital industry which employs 2.2 million people." Malakar pointed the finger at India -- the world's largest buyer of gold -- saying most of the bullion smuggled into Bangladesh, mostly from the Gulf, was destined for the Indian market. Huge taxes on gold imports into India have fuelled a smuggling industry at the leaky border, said Mustofa K. Mujeri, former chief economist of Bangladesh's central bank. "This is a dangerous, powerful and politically-backed gold mafia. They don't leave any evidence, and play with blood money," he said. Khan said gold was financing other illicit trade near the border, including livestock smuggled illegally from India. "Bangladesh is an obvious transit point of many illicit transactions, such as drug trade, human trafficking and cattle smuggling," Mujeri said.
Bangladesh on Sunday reinstalled a controversial statue deemed un-Islamic by religious hardliners on the grounds of the Supreme Court, just days after its removal had sparked angry protests by secular groups. The sculpture of a blindfolded, sari-clad woman holding scales had been in place for less than six months when authorities removed it early Friday under pressure from hardliners, who said it was based on the Greek goddess of justice. Its removal from the front plaza of Bangladesh's top court triggered violent clashes between police and secular groups, who saw the move as further evidence of creeping Islamisation in the officially secular country. But the sculpture's creator Mrinal Haque, who had accused authorities of bowing to hardline groups, said he was asked to reinstall the statue at a different location on the court grounds. "We have just placed the sculpture in front of the Annex Building of the Supreme Court," Haque told AFP on Sunday. "I wasn't given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it," he said, adding the new location was at the back of the court where hardly anyone could see it. Opponents of the statue -- who have been demanding for months that it be destroyed and replaced with a Koran -- gathered outside the courthouse Sunday to protest against its return. Several were arrested by police, Islamist groups said, drawing hundreds of protesters to Dhaka's main mosque to demand their release. "Police arrested nine of our peaceful activists. If they are not released immediately, we will call for a stronger countrywide movement," said Hasibul Islam, spokesman for the student-based Islamist party Islami Shasantantra Chhatra Andolan. The government risked "falling into danger" by trying to balance the interests of Islamist and secularist groups, he added. Islamist groupsheld months of mass protests demanding the statue be removed. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the secular Awami League party, initially kept her distance from the affair. But she broke her silence last month to describe the statue as "ridiculous" after inviting top Islamist leaders to her residence. Analysts say Hasina's stand was intended to woo Islamists and conservative rural voters, before a general election expected next year. Bangladesh has seen increasing tensions between hardliners and secularists in recent years, with a number of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners murdered by extremists.
By Diego Ore CARACAS (Reuters) - Courier services have told customers that the Venezuelan customs authority has banned them from importing items such as gas masks, slingshots and bulletproof vests used by some demonstrators in anti-government protests. Other prohibited items include first aid supplies such as burn cream and gauze, according to emailed messages sent to clients this week by the package delivery companies. These goods have been used to treat injured protestors. Courier services sending the advisories included local service Zoom and the Venezuela office of Mail Boxes Etc., known as MBE. Another company, BVA Export, told clients in an email, "It is not allowed to send gas masks and items that can be used for defense and/or attack in the Venezuelan protests." It included a detailed list of the products that it said had been banned. There was no immediate response by the companies to requests for comment. Government officials have publicly accused the opposition of using courier services to equip demonstrators in nearly two months of near-daily clashes with security forces. Referring to unidentified courier services, Jose Cabello, head of Venezuela's tax and customs agency Seniat, said in a statement early this week that, "(The opposition) will not use the ports of our country as a bridge to arm their terrorist groups." The Seniat and the Information Ministry on Saturday did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the courier services' notifications of the banned imports. President Nicolas Maduro calls the protests a violent effort to overthrow his government, and he insists the country victim of an "economic war" led by adversaries with the help of Washington. The demonstrations have killed at least 58 people so far. Protesters routinely spend hours in clashes with National Guard troops and police, who disperse them and break up improvised barricades with a combination of tear gas, rubber bullets and armored vehicles. Most protesters do not have gas masks and instead seek to abate the effects of tear gas with improvised solutions such as rubbing anti-acid liquid on their faces. Courier services are primarily used by Venezuelans to buy goods such as food and medicine that are not available due to the chronic product shortages that now characterize the OPEC nation's once-prosperous economy. Members of Venezuela's growing diaspora in countries such as the United States and Panama also use courier services to ship supplies to family back home. (Additional reporting by Brian Ellsworth Editing by W Simon)
2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #21

Posted on 28 May 2017 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

So much water pulsed through a melting glacier that it warped the Earths crust

Rink Glacier on Greenlands west coast. (NASA/John Sonntag)

NASA scientists detected a pulse of melting ice and water travelling through a major glacier in Greenland that was so big that it warped the solid Earth  a surge equivalent in mass to 18,000 Empire State Buildings.

The wave  which occurred during the 2012 record melt year  traveled nearly 15 miles through the Rink glacier in western Greenland over four months before reaching the sea, the researchers said.

Its a gigantic mass, said Eric Larour, one of the studys authors and a researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is able to bend the bedrock around it.

Such a wave has never before been detected in a Greenland or Antarctic glacier. The total amount of mass carried in the wave  in the form of either water, ice, or some combination of both  was 1.67 billion tons per month, or 6.68 billion tons overall over four months., the study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found.

So much water pulsed through a melting glacier that it warped the Earths crust by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, May 25, 2017

Editorial of the Week...

Trump: the biggest threat to Earths climate balance (commentary)

The Arc de Triomphe illuminated in green to celebrate the Paris Climate Agreements Entry into Force. While Trump has still not decided whether to withdraw the United States from the Paris pact, his policies are already undermining its goals. Photo by the U.S. Dep of State.

The backward climate policies of Donald Trump, including his climate change denier agency appointments, and abandonment of the U.S. Clean Power Plan, are detrimental to the U.S. economy, the international community, and the fight against climate change, says this commentary written by two members* of the Network of Specialists in Nature Conservation, the WRI Brasil executive director and a senior Brazilian climate scientist.

As the rest of the world moves toward a sustainable future  developing clean, cutting edge energy technologies and reducing fossil fuel emissions  the new president goes backward, embracing the dirty energy technologies of the 19th century.

At a time when the world needs to urgently focus all its efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, instead the global community  including the G7, G20, banks and multilateral agencies  must divert their attention to U.S. attempts to subvert the Paris Agreement.

To counter this lack of leadership, nations like Brazil, India and Indonesia, along with civil society leaders, must fill the void created by the United States, attracting investment for low-carbon economies, and eliminating the inefficiencies of out-dated regulatory and governance models.

As Arctic sea ice shows record decline, scientists prepare to go blind by Gloria Dickie, Mongabay, May 25, 2017

*Rachel Biderman: executive director for World Resource Institute (WRI) Brasil.



*Carlos Nobre: climate scientist, member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences, in the United States, and senior fellow of WRI Brasil. They are both members of the Network of Specialists in Nature Conservation.

Toon of the Week...

Quote of the Week...

Donald Trump has resisted pressure from Europe, Canada and Japan to declare his support for the UNs landmark climate change treaty signed in Paris in 2015, marking a defiant end to his first international trip as US president.

The deadlock at the end of the G7 summit in Italy left other world leaders frustrated. The German chancellor Angela Merkel said the discussions had been very difficult and not to say very unsatisfactory.

Here we have a situation of six against one, meaning there is still no sign of whether the US will remain in the Paris accord or not, she added.

Instead, six of the seven nations used a communique at the end of the meetings to assert their commitment to implement the Paris plan, leaving Trump to tweet that he will decide next week whether the US will join them in their pledge.

Donald Trump will make 'final decision' on Paris climate deal next week by Patrick Wintour, Guardian, May27, 2017

Graphic of the Week...

The Greenland Ice Sheet's mass has rapidly declined in the last several years due to surface melting and iceberg calving. Research based on observations from the NASA/German Aerospace Centers twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites indicates that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year.

These images, created from GRACE data, show changes in Greenland ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002. In general, higher-elevation areas near the center of Greenland experienced little to no change, while lower-elevation and coastal areas experienced up to 13.1 feet (4 meters) of ice mass loss (expressed in equivalent-water-height; dark red) over a 14-year period. The largest mass decreases of up to 11.8 inches (30 centimeters (equivalent-water-height) per year occurred along the West Greenland coast. The average flow lines (grey; created from satellite radar interferometry) of Greenlands ice converge into the locations of prominent outlet glaciers, and coincide with areas of high mass loss. Download the video: https://sealevel.nasa.gov/re//greenland-ice-loss-2002-2016

More multimedia: https://sealevel.nasa.gov/multimedia

SkS in the News...

SkS is the focus of James Brugger's USA Today article, Find out what is true and false about climate change. He begins the article with:

Skeptical Science is a science education group run by a global team of volunteers. It's based on scientific literature that's gone through the peer-review process, meaning the research has been subjected to scrutiny by other experts in the same field.

followed by:

On its website, skepticalscience.com debunks many of the most common climate change myths, including these:

The first paragraph of Faye Flam's Opinion article, Why Scientific Consensus Is Worth Taking Seriously (Bloomberg View) cites and links to: Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming, John Cook et al, Environmental Research Letters, Apr 13, 2017

In his Fututrism article, There Are No Legitimate Arguments Against Human-Caused Climate Change, Tom Ward cites and links to the SkS rebuttal article, How do we know more CO2 is causing warming?. He also states that SkS is "a website that is highly worth looking through on other climate change related topics."

A new textbook, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change, published by the Paleontological Research Institution includes both the SkS website and the Debunking Handbook in its listing of Online Resources. The is the answer to a question in its Q&A section contains a reference to: Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming, J. Cook et al, Environmental Research Letters, Volume 11, Number 4, 048002 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/048002.

SkS Spotlights...

Undark is a non-profit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society. It is underwritten by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program, through a generous endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The name Undark arises from a murky, century-old mingling of science and commerce  one that resulted in an industrial and consumer product that was both awe-inspiring and, as scientists would later prove, toxic and deadly. We appropriate the name as a signal to readers that our magazine will explore science not just as a gee-whiz phenomenon, but as a frequently wondrous, sometimes contentious, and occasionally troubling byproduct of human culture.

As such, the intersection of science and society  the place where science is articulated in our politics and our economics; or where it is made potent and real in our everyday lives  is a fundamental part of our mission at Undark. As journalists, we recognize that science can often be politically, economically and ethically fraught, even as it captures the imagination and showcases the astonishing scope of human endeavor. Undark will therefore aim to explore science in both light and shadow, and to bring that exploration to a broad, international audience.

Undark is not interested in science communication or related euphemisms, but in true journalistic coverage of the sciences.

Video of the Week...

Tipping the Scales on Climate Change

At a panel discussion co-hosted by Undark, thinkers from numerous disciplines gathered to consider an unwieldy issue. Heres what they said.

The Editors, Undark, May 15, 2017

In its physical, political, and ethical dimensions, the climate change problem is mind-boggling  and perhaps more complex than any other humanity has ever faced. With that reality in mind, the Knight Science Journalism Program and Undark Magazine teamed up at the 2017 Cambridge Science Festival to present a short film and panel discussion aimed at bringing the problem down to size.

Panelists included Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Ian Cheney, whose yearlong Measure of a Fog series for Undark took a unique look at climate change as a scale problem. A 10-minute overview of that film series launched the event. He was joined by Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; climate activist Nicole Hernandez Hammer; and former Obama climate policy adviser Bina Venkataraman. The panel was moderated by climate journalist Andrew C. Revkin.

Belief that climate change is happening is at an all-time high, at 70 percent of Americans, noted Leiserowitz, and that shift upwards that weve seen in just the past couple years? Thats not happened among Democrats, it hasnt happened among independents, its happened among Republicans. And not just liberal-moderate Republicans. The real shift has happened among conservative Republicans.

And that, the panel agreed, is reason for hope, given that the political dimensions to the problem have proven far more difficult to overcome than the technological ones.

The full panel discussion  along with the debut of Cheneys visually stunning short film, Measure of a Fog, can be viewed above.

Coming Soon on SkS...

2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) SkS Analogy 06 - Speakers, tuning forks, and global warming (Evan)

(Evan) The Republican Partys intellectual rot is threatening the whole planet (Dana)

(Dana) Logic of Science: Anti-vaccers, climate change deniers, and anti-GMO activists are all the same (Fallacy Man)

(Fallacy Man) Guest Post (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Explainer: Dealing with the loss and damage caused by climate change (Carbon Brief staff)

(Carbon Brief staff) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #22 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #22 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week...

Climate Feedback Reviews...

Climate Feedback asked its network of scientists to review the article, The ancient carbon of Alaskas tundras is being released, starting a vicious warming cycle by Joe Romm, Think Progress, May 16, 2017

Three scientists analyzed the article and estimated its overall scientific credibility to be neutral.

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Accurate.

Click here to access the entire review.

SkS Week in Review...

97 Hours of Consensus...

Inez Fung's bio page and quote source.

High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)
NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies.

The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources.

Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities.

The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy.

NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market.

Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world.
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.
The current mandatory insurance does not guarantee that clients receive their money back.

Font size: A - | A +

Though clients pay for holidays via travel agencies, which need to be insured, people often do not see compensation in case their trip is cancelled. The gap in rules should be filled by implementing an EU directive obliging countries to secure effective protection, but it is up to the member states how they will do so, the Hospodarske Noviny daily reported in mid-April.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

The current mandatory insurance does not guarantee that clients receive their money back, said head of the Slovak Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents (SACKA) Stanislav Macko. He offered several examples to prove it.

The travel agency Fantravel, for example, signed an agreement on bankruptcy with insurance company Kooperativa. Despite the deal, the insurer refused to compensate the clients, with its spokesperson Silvia Noskova Illasova explaining that the travel agency had failed to prove the bankruptcy.

The validity of insurance agreement expired last December, Noskova Illasova said, as quoted by Hospodarske Noviny, adding the insurance company was obliged by law to submit a proposal to start the bankruptcy proceeding. But it is obvious it has not done so yet.

If clients want their money back, they need to turn to the travel agency, the spokesperson added.

Macko says that similar cases did not occur last year, but in 2015 another two travel agencies went into bankruptcy, but they were not even insured.

The Slovak Economy Ministry has already said it will submit the respective proposal for interdepartmental review in May, but failed to specify the details.

The ministry is currently evaluating various alternatives of how to harmonise the system of business-making in tourism with new European legislation, said its spokesperson Maros Stano, as quoted by Hospodarske Noviny, adding they still discuss the proposals.

The travel agencies addressed by the daily are careful in their comments. Head of Koala Tours Oliver Kluch considers the current rules sufficient. The clients can choose and check whether the travel agencies use fair practices, he opines.

I dont see a reason for changes, Kluch told Hospodarske Noviny, adding that currently there is too much legislation regulating the travel agencies. But we are first of all business entities which similar freedom as the companies in other sectors should apply to.

In the neighbouring Czech Republic, the governmental proposal suggests to create a guarantee fund to which travel agencies would pay 0.25 percent of the price of the trip. Such a proposal would also result in functional protection in Slovakia, said lawyer with HMG Legal law firm Peter Uhrinovsky.

Hana Ivanova, spokesperson for the travel agency Firo Tour, however, warns that such a proposal would increase the price of trips.

The government should rather secure that all travel agencies observe the valid rules, she told Hospodarske Noviny.
A British holidaymaker died in a freak accident on an inflatable sofa being pulled by a speedboat as his partner looked on in horror.

Father-of-three Simon Crewe was on the last day of a holiday of a lifetime on the Greek island of Kefalonia when the accident happened.

The 57-year-old had been on the ride with brother David, 62, and a friend while partner Vicki Hewitt, 49, watched from the speedboat when a massive bang was heard.

Accident  Simon died after he unexpectedly stopped breathing on an inflatable sofa while on holiday in Greece (Pictures: SWNS)

Simons friend was thrown off the ride and the group realised Simon had stopped breathing.

Vicki looked on in horror as the driver carried out emergency first aid to try to revive him but, despite being rushed to hospital, he passed away.

MORE: Police called after dead goldfish covered in cheese posted through a letterbox

MORE: Daddy, I cant move my legs: Teens harrowing phone call to dad from scene of Manchester bomb attack

Vicki said: Simon wanted us all to go on the sofa but I had a bad back so myself and another woman went in the boat.

We didnt have life jackets but the three men who went on the sofa did. Then there was this massive bang. We had no idea what had happened, as we were looking the other way.

Heartbroken  Vicki Hewitt screamed for help but said nobody on the beach could hear her

David, who was hit by something during the incident, also described a massive bang and seeing their friend thrown into the sea.

I turned to Simon and  I dont know what had happened, but I watched him die, he said.

Vicki said she screamed at the top of my lungs for help as soon as she realised what had happened and looked on as the driver of the speedboat tried to perform CPR.

We were 20 metres out at sea and no-one on the beach could hear me screaming for help.

Tragedy  Simon was on the final day of a holiday of a lifetime to the Greek island of Kefalonia

Simon, who was due to become a grandfather in August, was taken to hospital but sadly died. His death, which happened at the beach resort of Lassi, has been described as unexplained. An inquest is due to take place in Greece.

It was the worst day of my life, said Vicki. The only comfort I can find is that everyone including Simon had been having the best holiday ever, filled with fun and laughter, which we will never forget, before tragedy struck.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said staff have offered advice to the partner of a British man who had died in Greece and are in contact with Greek authorities.
What went though the mind of the suicide bomber Salman Abedi just before he blew himself up in Manchester this week, killing 22 people? We often dismiss terrorists as non-humans, monsters, at first. But when we learn that they were seemingly normal individuals with families and jobs, its hard not to wonder about how their minds really work.

The search for a terrorist personality or mindset dominated psychological research in the 1970s and 1980s and remains a significant area for research today. A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour, which assessed the cognitive and psychological profiles of 66 Colombian paramilitaries imprisoned for committing terrorist acts, now argues that poor moral reasoning is what defines terrorists.

The idea behind such research is obvious  its to identify stable, predictive traits or markers of terrorist personalities. If we could do that, we may be able to predict who will become a terrorist  and perhaps prevent it. But this type of research is viewed by many psychologists, myself included, with extreme caution. Researchers carrying out such studies typically use a myriad of psychometric measures, personality and IQ tests in various contexts. But theres no consensus on how useful these tests are.

And even if we did manage to pin down terrorist markers, what would we do with this knowledge? Would we all be tested across our lifespan? What would happen if we had a marker?

LISE AASERUD/EPA

The term terrorist mindset is also problematic because it fuels the notion that terrorists are abnormal, resulting in knee-jerk endeavours to uncover the abnormality. For psychologists, abnormal suggests presence of a disorder, deficit or illness which makes terrorists sick or different. This idea seems plausible because it helps us come to terms with extreme behaviour.

But terrorist atrocities are undoubtedly the end of a chain of events which only achieve significance with the benefit of hindsight. By focusing on the event itself, how the terrorist was behaving at that time or how he/she may have been thinking in the immediate run up, our understanding becomes distorted. This is because the process of becoming a terrorist has been overlooked.

Story continues

Study on Colombian paramilitaries

Of course its not easy to get hold of terrorists prior to an attack. Most research therefore concerns terrorists that have been caught or are suspected terrorists. The new study did just this. Imprisoned Columbian paramilitaries completed a battery of social-cognitive tests, creating individual profiles  including assessments of moral cognition, IQ, executive functioning, aggressive behaviour and emotion recognition. They were then compared with 66 non-criminals.

The researchers found terrorists had higher levels of aggression and lower levels of emotion recognition than non-criminals. However, no differences were found between the groups for IQ or executive functioning. The biggest difference between the terrorists and the other group was seen in moral cognition  they found that terrorists are guided by an abnormal over-reliance on outcomes. The authors argue that this distorted moral reasoning  that the ends justify the means  is the hallmark of a terrorist mindset. They assessed moral judgement by asking participants to rate various stories according to levels of unjustified aggression.

EPA/Luis Eduardo Noriega

The results are intriguing and seem intuitive. But we cannot be sure that this profile wasnt a result of their incarceration  we know that prison distorts cognition. If not, was it present from birth or did it develop in the run up to becoming part of a terrorist group?

These questions cannot be answered, yet they are fundamental. Headline statements from high-profile research of this nature can be misleading and counter-productive. Despite its appeal, there is no scientific support for the idea that terrorists are psychopaths or have a personality disorder. Often research is contradictory  some researchers argue that their findings show terrorists to be suicidal while others claim they are extrovert, unstable, uninhibited, aggressive, defensive or narcissistic.

In fact, psycho-pathological behaviours are more likely to conflict with a terrorist agenda than aid it  it after all relies on commitment, motivation and discipline.

The psychology of radicalisation

Many psychologists believe that the events which occur in the years before a terrorist attack, referred to as radicalisation, offer most in terms of trying to answer why a person might turn to political violence. However, the psychology of terrorism is not well advanced. There is little empirical evidence to support existing conceptual models  and they are often limited to particular extremist groups and ideologies.

More and more psychologists are now beginning to believe that a number of key psychological components are fundamental to the radicalisation process. These include motivation, group ideologies and social processes that encourage progressive distancing from former friends, for example. Rather than measuring to predict, we might be better off devoting resources to improve understanding of what motivates individuals to join the ranks of violent extremists. Is it the fundamental human need to matter that makes people seek out others who share their reality? Psychological evidence indicates the quest for significance may indeed be an important driver of extremist behaviour.

However, it is clear that a number of complicated factors are directly and indirectly related to radicalisation. Personality and cognitive performance may change over time and therefore seem irrelevant for prediction purposes. But it is important to note that many in society are vulnerable to being manipulated and managed by terrorist groups to perform terrorist acts because of a cognitive impairment, disability or mental illness.

Accepting that prediction may never be possible because of the complex, evolving nature of terrorism might improve the nature of research in this domain. Quality psychological research aimed at searching for markers of the radicalisation process, such as changes in dress, behaviour and social circles  which appear to have been present in the case of Abedi and others  may be fruitful. Indeed de-radicalisation schemes are increasingly important in the fight against terrorism.

Luckily, the more we find out about terrorists quest for significance the better we can understand the identity and social issues that are fundamental to radicalisation. So theres every reason to be optimistic that psychology can be a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Coral Dando does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
Dennis Cicak started getting a nasty cough a few months ago, right around the time the wind started picking up again. Cicak, a 68-year-old man who lives in the Nava Ade neighborhood on Santa Fes south side, believes the ailment is the result of dust blowing from the nearby 550-acre Las Soleras development.

I came down with this really dry, hacking cough in February, Cicak said. I felt like there was something deep in my lungs. It was really irritating, and I could not cough it up.

He said he was diagnosed with asthma in November, which he found strange, because no one in his family had ever been diagnosed with the condition. Im your chief victim in this whole thing, Cicak said. As far as I know, Im the one thats complaining the most about health difficulties.

Cicak is just one of a few Nava Ade residents that have been complaining about massive dust storms arising from the Las Soleras project, which will include a new Presbyterian hospital and about 300 homes in the barren area of town near Interstate 25 and Cerrillos Road. Some homeowners say the dust is causing respiratory issues and sometimes prevents them from going outside. They also say the insides of their homes and cars are constantly covered in dirt.

Cicak said the problem started in October or November, cooled in the winter months and started again in February.

City Land Use Director Lisa Martinez said she has received some complaints from homeowners, but they are few and far between. She said her department is working with Jaynes Corporation on a dust mitigation plan and said Presbyterian is using a strong tackifier  a chemical agent that binds dirt together to keep it from blowing  to help keep the dust down as much as possible. She also said citations will be issued to anyone who is not adequately watering down the ground theyre working on.

Martinez told the Journal on Wednesday that there will be a full report at the next Public Safety Committee meeting at City Hall on everything thats being done about dust control.

Homeowners in Nava Ade, which borders the north end of Las Soleras, recently wrote a letter to Mayor Javier Gonzales and the City Council, asking them to protect residents from damage and health impacts due to avoidable airborne construction dust.

Cicak said a doctor recommended that he and his wife install a home air filter after his wife also started experiencing respiratory distress. He said it has helped, but hes still not happy about not being able to breathe in his own home.

The idea that we had to go buy an air filter just to breathe the air at home because dirt was seeping in through the windows is wrong to me, Cicak said. I think everybody has the right to clean air.

Judi Ewert, 68, lives right next to where Pulte Homes is developing 302 homes sites and said she has to put towels under her window sills to keep dust from coming in. Even so, dirt still manages to get on every surface in her house and she said she has to have it professionally cleaned now because she is no longer able to clean it on her own.

When this dust storm hits, I cant see the house across the street, she said. I just cant keep up with the dust. Ive got dust everywhere. Ive got dust on the dining room table, Ive got dust on the floor. And Im up coughing every night, too. Everything is covered. Its just so discouraging. Ill get the house clean, and two hours later the dust storm hits. Its just awful.

Ewert said conditions have gotten so bad in the neighborhood that some people have started to leave. We had a neighbor across the street from me who had to move because her daughter was asthmatic, and as soon as it started she had to leave, she said.

Ewert and Cicak say they have complained to the Nava Ade Homeowners Association  the day-to-day operations of which are handled by HOAMCO  and to Pulte Homes, but she said nothing has been done to address the problem.

Ive sent pictures to Pulte, Ive sent pictures to the association, to HOAMCO, Ewert said. Theres nothing from anybody. Theres no support from our association.

Maggie Ragle, the community manager of HOAMCO, said she has forwarded the complaints to the construction companies and said theres not much else the association can do. We dont know what to do other than address the concerns to the company, Ragle said. I sympathize with the homeowners. Its disappointing that theyve had to go all the way to City Council. Weve complained to Pulte just as much as they have.

Land Uses Martinez said code enforcement officers are on site every day to make sure water trucks are there and that the ground is being watered. She said in some instances construction was shut down because no water trucks were on site. She said she sent an email to all the construction companies Wednesday saying that citations will be issued from now on.

Because thats been done, there arent going to be any more verbal warnings; there will be citations, Martinez said. We will continue to enforce our ordinance to mitigate neighborhood concerns.

Jim Siebert, an independent planner who goes to the city for approval for the different companies building on the development, said he has heard the concerns and is doing his best to address them.

They have to do a better job of controlling the dust, Siebert said. Not only is it a nuisance, but its also a health hazard, and we have to do something about it.

Siebert provided a letter he sent to the companies May 5 and wrote that the dust pollution at Las Soleras has gotten to the point that it may soon become a political issue with local or state government interceding, directing mandatory courses of action. He said he would like to hear how Presbyterian Healthcare Services, the Pulte Group of New Mexico and Las Soleras management are developing a comprehensive plan for dust management.

If complaints still continue, then at least there is evidence that a dust control management plan is in place and the group is doing everything possible to actively address the problem, the letter stated.

Siebert then sent a letter to Land Use neighborhood planner Noah Berke on May 18, saying that the Pulte Group is applying tackifier to exposed parcels under development and that the grading contractor will stop operations when wind speeds get too high.

Although city officials say harsher punishment will come to those who dont do enough to control the dust, Ewert said she is thinking about getting a lawyer if conditions dont improve.

If theyre telling us at the meeting that theyre going to mitigate some of these issues and we dont see any difference, were going to have to do something like that, she said.
After a performance of Not My Revolution, now playing at Fusion Theatre, writer/actor Elizabeth Huffman poignantly expressed her sense of frustration and helplessness regarding the refugee crisis in Syria and elsewhere. I didnt know what to do, but I had to do something  I have family over there  and so I created this play.

Huffman captures brilliantly the awful experience of being trapped in a country where the language is unfamiliar before the play proper even begins. She wanders disheveled and dirty into the theater from outside, pushing her cart and pleading for help. As it happened, she came right up to me speaking French. The desperation was unmistakable, but I had no idea what she was saying. Many in the audience assumed a homeless person had entered the theater and were shocked and appalled.

Not My Revolution is a one-woman show chronicling the rise and fall of a once wealthy Syrian woman now stranded without resources in a refugee camp in Istanbul. The first 10 minutes of the play are silent, as we watch the homeless woman prepare her makeshift shelter and clean herself up as best she can.

The play eventually veers back and we see the unnamed woman in happier times, as she marries into a powerful and wealthy Syrian family, runs a fashionable art gallery, and in every way is seen living the good life. But things take a turn when she and her husband get caught in the Arab Spring in 2011. Before long, her husband is dead and she is separated from her children, penniless in a squat in Istanbul.

The play is mutifocused in that it shifts back and forth between Syria and Turkey in 2011 and revolutionary France in 1793. Huffman plays not only the Syrian refugee but also Marie Antoinette. Just as the Austrian Archduchess received a cold welcome in France after her marital alliance with the future King Louis XVI, so the Syrian protagonist is not accepted by her powerful in-laws who rebuff her totally after their sons death. Clearly, the playwright sees a parallel between the two privileged women destroyed in the cataclysm of a particular historical moment.

Six large paintings cover the entire rear of the stage and are gradually undraped as the play proceeds, each one communicating something different about where we are in this journey through Dantes inferno. The paintings also serve as a fragmented screen for occasional video projections  sometimes of a refugee camp and at other times of the 18th century French court in all its ostentatious splendor.

Huffman is completely believable as a Syrian refugee utterly devastated by events. Her dialect is impeccable, but even more important, she communicates the terror of a victim caught up in events beyond her control with complete conviction and verisimilitude.

The show is intelligently directed by Laurie Thomas, who keeps Huffmans character busy with little tasks throughout: an image of pure nervous energy. An accomplished actress, Huffman will be performing this moving and powerful play all over the world. Albuquerque is fortunate to host the national premiere.

Not My Revolution is playing at The Cell, 700 First NW, Albuquerque, through today. Go to fusionnm.org or call 766-9412 to make reservations.
One of New Mexicos many calling cards, apart from green chile and hot air balloons, is its diversity. Its one of only four states with a non-Hispanic white population of less than 50 percent.

But the history of the black community in New Mexico is still largely untold. A new exhibit at the African American Performing Arts Center aims to change that.

Annette Caine, executive director of the African American Performing Arts Center, said the exhibit  African Heritage From Benin to Juneteenth  will have a local touch as well.

We have added the black artists guild, and they have their work that is also combined, she said. That is why we call it From Benin to Juneteenth, because it allows them to (contribute) their work, and these are all African-American artists.

The artists from the guild are all local.

The exhibit explores the history of the black community, its origins and the path African-Americans took to get to the U.S. It also displays artifacts contributed by the African American Artists Guild, such as pottery and quilts, whose creation is inspired by that heritage and history.

Despite New Mexicos diversity, the black population is small  3.4 percent in 2015 for Bernalillo County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Two members of the state Legislature  Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales, and Democratic Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque  are its only African-American members.

Other than that, we dont really have any other voice up in Santa Fe, Caine said.

While the exhibit allows non-blacks in Albuquerque to learn about a different culture and demographic history, Caine said, there is even more importance in its potential to unite the black community around its complex history in the state.

That history includes the story of Blackdom, a small town near Roswell that was the first African-American community in the New Mexico Territory, and Cathay Williams, a black woman who made herself resemble a man to serve in the military in the 1800s.

Its little-known stories like these  as much a part of the states fabric as its pueblos, Route 66 and nuclear experiments  that Caine hopes attendees take stock of.

Those are stories that we didnt know about, she said. Even for some of us that are living here, were still learning some of the history.

Its something thats not really taught in schools. If we at the Performing Arts Center dont continue it in our galleries, then our own kids will not understand it.

On July 26, there will be a John Lewis Youth Jazz Piano Competition  named for the jazz pianist and composer who grew up in Albuquerque  open to all middle and high school students. There will be cash prizes for the first- and second-place winners, and the victor will perform at the annual John Lewis Celebration the next day.

If you go

WHAT: African Heritage from Benin to Juneteenth

WHEN: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday through July 28

WHERE: African American Performing Arts Center, 310 San Pedro NE

HOW MUCH: Free
One of the great disappointments that remains since the 2017 legislative session ended is Gov. Susana Martinezs veto of bipartisan legislation to protect Medicaid health providers who stand falsely accused of fraud by the state. Known as the Medicaid due process bill, Senate Bill 217 was killed with a pocket veto by the governor. Thats a fancy way of saying she never needed to offer an explanation why she chose to veto it  and she didnt. The results may be with us long after the session is forgotten.

Medicaid due process was common-sense legislation. It simply would have guaranteed that in the future, any health care provider to Medicaid patients who stands accused of wrongdoing would receive the opportunity to review the allegations made against them and the chance to respond in an administrative hearing or in district court.

Recent history proves that New Mexico needs those protections: They did not exist in 2013 when 15 nonprofits and other behavioral health firms were accused and mostly put out of business by the governors administration. All were later cleared of any wrongdoing by the attorney general, however.

Four years later we still witness the tragic consequences affecting countless at-risk children and adults in serious need of mental health treatment but who are not receiving care. In many communities, these crucial health services for residents are withering away. Nearly all of the Arizona behavioral providers the governor brought to New Mexico in the aftermath now have left. It is a terrible situation, and her veto has compounded it.

As citizens, we all have the right to due process if we are accused of wrongdoing. My legislation sought to ensure transparency and independent analysis in those situations when it is needed. What has happened to behavioral health in New Mexico must never occur again  not in behavioral health nor other areas of health care.

More than 30 percent of our residents today are eligible for Medicaid. Yet many health care professionals  primary care, general practitioners, nursing homes, dentists and behavioral health  are reluctant to provide or expand services based on the states behavioral health experience in the absence of ordinary due process protections. It raises the important question of whether residents will have access to health care. And there already are large gaps in access and coverage across our state. Many providers are understandably afraid to speak out about the situation for fear of being punished in some way by the state.

Also, even though the accused behavioral health providers were cleared by the attorney general, the governors administration has never returned millions of dollars owed to them for services they performed. It is not something one would expect in the United States of America.

How many people with mental health disorders are going without treatment for their conditions today because of the disruption of services caused by the 2013 takeover? We dont really know, but you can bet its a lot. Many of them are turning up in our jails. That is morally wrong.

Five years into the states mental health care crisis, there is no interest from the Governors Office to resolve it. All we got was a pocket veto and no explanation for it.

New Mexicans still deserve to know why the states entire network of treatment for individuals struggling with mental illness was upended without any reasonable basis. We also need to know why the governor vetoed due process protections that would have ensured it could not happen in the future. Most importantly, we still face the challenge of getting the states behavioral health system back on its feet, delivering treatment to vulnerable children and adults.
When the White House released President Donald Trumps first full federal budget proposal last week, disgust among Democrats in New Mexicos congressional delegation was palpable.

Dangerous and cruel, declared Sen. Tom Udall. Filled with broken promises, Sen. Martin Heinrich pronounced. Hardly a vision for America First, Rep. Michelle Lujan complained. Devastating cuts, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan lamented.

While New Mexicos Democrats trashed the spending plan as a whole and fumed about its cuts to programs for the poor, they were silent about Trumps proposed budget for nuclear weapons, which would funnel $4.3 billion to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories in New Mexico.

The White House spending plan for the labs  and for nuclear weapons programs throughout the National Nuclear Security Administration complex  calls for robust growth, including for the weapons life-extension programs carried out at Sandia and Los Alamos. Under Trumps budget, the NNSA would pocket $13.9 billion, a whopping $1 billion increase over current-year spending.

The president proposed $2.1 billion for Sandia in Albuquerque, up from $1.8 billion this year. The White House also suggested $2.2 billion for Los Alamos, compared with $2.1 billion budgeted for the current year. The spending blueprint even includes $98 million for a new NNSA facility on property in Albuquerque next to Kirtland Air Force Base.

Thats huge money, and if you support the labs and their important role in New Mexico  as the states entire congressional delegation does  the windfall is great news. After all, Sandia and Los Alamos provide for more than 20,000 good-paying jobs combined, and that income helps sustain the states overall economy. But is it hypocritical to condemn massive cuts in social programs for the poorest among us while staying silent about  and then likely voting to support  $14 billion for nuclear weapons programs? After all, even a small chunk of the $4.3 billion proposed for New Mexicos labs would go a long way toward paying for school lunches or heating assistance or job training programs for the staggering number of poor people in the state.

When the military and nuclear budgets go up, New Mexicos prospects go down, said Greg Mello, director of the Los Alamos Study Group, a watchdog organization that has been highly critical of the massive spending at New Mexicos labs. This budget is the opposite of what New Mexico needs. New Mexico, more than almost any other state, needs federal priorities that support our children and our vulnerable population and lays a foundation for the future.

Jay Coghlan, of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, another group opposed to the sizeable budgets for nuclear weapons, put it this way: Fattening up our already bloated nuclear weapons stockpile is not going to improve our national security. New Mexicans desperately need better-funded schools and health care, not expanded plutonium pit production (at Los Alamos) that will cause more pollution and threaten our scarce water resources.

It should be noted that Trumps budget proposal is just that  a proposal. Many members of Congress, including some Republicans, have called it dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. But as it relates to the NNSA, the budget does reflect the agencys wish list, and a Democratic staffer told me last week the proposed nuke numbers are likely to be largely adopted by Congress. I asked Udall, who sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, if he supports the presidents budget request for Sandia and Los Alamos. He declined to say, noting that the details will be worked out in the appropriations process.

In his role as an appropriator, Udall generally advocates strongly for the poor. He also routinely goes to bat for the nuclear weapons labs. He told me Trumps budget presents a false choice.

Overall, President Trumps budget sets up a false choice by drastically cutting funding for programs that help hundreds of thousands of working and low-income families meet their basic needs in order to fund massive tax cuts and a border wall that even Republicans oppose, Udall said. We can take care of the most vulnerable; invest in infrastructure, science, research and development and scientific breakthroughs; and maintain a strong national defense.

I continue to talk to senators in both parties about the need for strong funding for the labs and bases, he added. There is bipartisan support for both.

E-mail: mcoleman@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (May 27, 2017)  Juan Medinas classy fastest-qualifier Eagle Jazz and his trainer Judd Kearl stepped up during the second of two days of trials to the Grade 1, $1-million (est.) Ruidoso Futurity on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The horses with the five-fastest times from the 13 trials advance to the 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity on June 11. They join the horses with the five-fastest times on Friday afternoon to complete the field. The horses with the next five-fastest times on each day gain preference to the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile, also held on June 11.

The 2016 national champion trainer, Kearl also qualified Aeropodium for the finals on Saturday afternoon.

Eagle Jazz came into the Ruidoso Futurity trials with futurity experience and that class showed when he ran in the 13th and final trial, the deepest trial of the day. He was the was the horse to beat within the first 100 yards. He went to the lead and then drew away to an easy two-length win in :17.874 for 350 yards under jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo.

The gelded son of One Dashing Eagle earned his 7-10 favoritism by finishing a head-bobbing second in the $1-million Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity on April 22. He then came to Ruidoso Downs and joined the Kearl barn.

Prior to his runner-up finish in Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity, Eagle Jazz won a maiden race and his Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity trial at the Oklahoma City track.

Hes a half-brother brother to (2016 Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity) Teller Baja and just like her, said Kearl. He sleeps 23 hours a day and you wouldnt know hes in the barn. Hes also damn sound.

Bobby Coxs homebred Aeropodium, a son of One Famous Eagle, came through with third-fastest qualifying time. The colt was second in a Sam Houston Race Park maiden race in his only other start.

John Buchanan broke him and we just gave him an out in Houston, said Kearl. Hes moving forward with each race.

Terry and Irene Stennetts U R My Queen gained the days second-fastest qualifying time after battling to a neck win over fifth-fastest qualifier Brown Test Seis.

U R My Queen, a $57,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, showed her promise in her training race. The Walk Thru Fire daughter raced to the quickest time on the third day of training races at Ruidoso Downs in early May.

She just doesnt do anything wrong and is a professional, said trainer Trey Wood.

Pete Scarmardos homebred This Is A Deal Too raced in the first trial and put a :17.951 mark up for everyone to shoot at. Im nervous, said trainer Jackie Riddle before then time was surpassed and ended up as the afternoons third-fastest mark. I was nervous when I was a groom and had $2,500 claiming horses.

This Is A Deal Too qualified for the Sam Houston Futurity, but lost all chance after a bumpy start.

We thought today he would do well, but anything can happen in a horse race, said Riddle.

A son of Dealagame, This Is A Deal Too is produced by Lady Lilia. She also produced this years Sam Houston Futurity winner This Is An Eagle, sired by One Famous Eagle.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Well, at least nobody was on board.

The worlds largest amateur rocket, built by University of New Mexico engineering students as part of a rocket science class, broke into pieces shortly after liftoff on Saturday morning near Rio Rancho. The fractured craft left a corkscrew-shaped plume of smoke in its wake as it flew into the sky before parachutes deployed and brought what was left of the student project back to earth.

Catastrophic failure, it was called by Fernando Doc Aguilar, the adjunct professor in the mechanical engineering department who teaches the 400-level course. Somehow, we had a structural failure. It looked great for the first 200 feet. And then it looked like the motor went straight through the rocket.

Despite how the flight ended, Avery Lopez, who just graduated from UNM and has accepted a job at Northrop Grumman Corp., said the project was a learning experience.

It wasnt what we anticipated, but the fact is, we launched, Lopez said. Thats a feat in and of itself for UNM.

She said that, to complete the rocket, the students had to create lines of communication to share ideas with one another, which required more communication and people skills than the class was used to.

All of us, we are all kind of hobbyists, she said. Were all hands-on people. Some people work on their cars, others work on electronics. Myself, Im into sewing. Were tinkerers.

The rocket fell apart during the second attempted launch at around 8:30 a.m. The rocket didnt lift off after the first countdown, so the students performed more system checks. A crowd of dozens gathered to watch the flight dubbed the Lobo Launch at the Albuquerque Rocket Society launch site outside of Rio Rancho.

As the launch continued to be delayed, many wondered aloud if the increasing winds would be a problem. Others pointed out that the rocket looked slightly slanted.

After the second countdown, the craft looked good at liftoff, but then it veered off course and disintegrated over the shrubby desert landscape.

Aguilar said wind may have been a contributing factor in the crash.

It was the first year the two-semester course titled Rocket Engineering was offered at UNM. Aguilars fulltime job is with the National Assessment Group, a defense and space company at Kirtland Air Force Base. During the first semester, students learned the skills necessary to design and build the rocket. Then they spent a semester putting it together.

The students were broken up into propulsion, structures, recovery and systems groups. There were 27 students in the fall and 19 in the spring, he said. They had to work and network with outside contractors and vendors to get the parts for the project.

In addition to a semester of work, the launch took hours of prep time. The black, silver and cherry colored rocket wearing a UNM logo had to be put together on the launch pad. Much of the work was done Friday and some students camped out at the launch site and got started putting the 200-pound, 47-foot-tall rocket together well before dawn Saturday.

The rocket was expected to go more than 200 mph and soar 3,000 feet into the sky before releasing a UNM-developed satellite, then return safely to earth, according to UNMs website.

Aguilar said the course has proved popular. Next years class is already full, he said.

He said hell analyze the debris to try to determine what happened to help the next class.

Its kind of disappointing. ($25,000) down the drain, Aguilar said. But NASA has blown up more rockets than we have. It happens.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Thousands of New Mexicans share a genetic mutation that can cause some people to develop severe brain illnesses, while others with the same defect never show symptoms.

A new study suggests that a type of bacteria that lives in the gut may trigger disease among people with the mutation, which is more common in New Mexico than anywhere else in the world.

The mutation, brought to New Mexico centuries ago by an early Hispanic settler, can lead to an illness called cavernous cranial malformation, or CCM. It can cause bleeding in the brain and lead to strokes and seizures.

A study published this month in the journal Nature offers strong evidence that the microbiome  the trillions of bacteria that live in the intestines  plays a role in triggering the illness.

They all have exactly the same gene mutation, said Dr. Leslie Morrison, a University of New Mexico physician who has treated people with CCM for 25 years. Something triggers severe problems in some people, while others never develop symptoms. Its not the mutation itself that changes their severity; its something else.

Morrison said physicians had long suspected that the mutation alone doesnt cause illness without a second hit from some other source. But the microbiome wasnt on anyones suspect list, she said.

I was surprised, because it wasnt something we had thought of before, said Morrison, a coauthor of the study.

The discovery followed a stroke of serendipity at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where researchers developed a cohort of genetically altered mice that readily acquired CCM disease.

Researchers there built a new laboratory and moved their mice into it, only to discover that many of the mice developed a resistance to the disease, possibly because of more sterile conditions, said Dr. Alan Tang, a University of Pennsylvania researcher and lead author of the study.

This confused us for a long time, he said. Eventually, Tang noticed that a few of the disease-resistant mice developed a bacterial infection and again became vulnerable to CCM disease.

These mice were no longer resistant to the disease, and in fact, developed a lot of disease, Tang said. In those mice, a bowel puncture led to infection of Gram-negative bacteria, he said.

Some developed a bacterial abscess, and these animals were associated with a lot of disease, Tang said. Researchers took the next step and infected resistant mice with Gram-negative bacteria on purpose, which caused the mice to develop CCM illness, he said.

Gram-negative bacteria release a substance into the bloodstream that prompts a strong immune response in animals, Tang said. That response appears to trigger disease in mice, and possibly in humans, who are genetically susceptible to CCM, he said.

Next, the researchers wanted know if their work with mice had relevance to humans with the CCM mutation, which led them to reach out to Morrison at UNM.

Morrisons work with CCM patients led her to compile a registry of some 350 New Mexicans who share what is the common Hispanic mutation, ranging from people with severe disease to those with no symptoms.

Leslie has been gathering large cohorts of CCM patients in New Mexico who all share the same genetic mutation, Tang said.

Genetic studies performed on patients from Morrisons registry showed an association between disease severity and a factor that intensifies the response to Gram-negative bacteria, possibly accelerating the formation of CCM malformations in the brain.

For now, there are no cures for the disease, and the only treatment is to surgically remove CCM lesions from the brain. If the research pans out, possible therapies could involve using antibiotics and fecal transplants (bacteriotherapy), Morrison said.

Its an avenue of potential treatment, she said.

The next step involves collecting fecal samples from CCM patients and learning more about the role of the microbiome and bacteria in human disease, but much more work lies ahead.

We really dont know enough about the gut microbiome to responsibly recommend any course of action for CCM patients, Tang said. Now we need to do fecal sequencing, gathering samples from hundreds of patients, seeing if theres anything there. Thats where were going next.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

First Moonflash broke four world records, winning more than $969,000 as a champion quarterhorse. In retirement, he has generated as much as $1 million a year in stud fees. His offspring have so far racked up $9 million winning races across the country.

But while First Moonflash is living the good life at Double LL Farms in Valencia County, a recent court case in Albuquerque showed how the fortunes of two of his former owners  Ramon Gonzalez Sr. and Homero Varela  have taken a dramatic turn for the worse.

Both were swept up in a massive federal drug investigation authorities tied to the Sinaloa cartel and Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Both were sentenced to federal prison. And Gonzalez, a Mexican who was living in the U.S. legally, was later deported.

Meanwhile, their wives have been locked in a legal battle over the ownership interest they say passed to them from their husbands. A state district court jury in Albuquerque ruled May 18 that the two women each have 25 percent of the ownership of First Moonflash. Varelas wife, Blanca Villegas Varela, was also awarded more than $836,000 in damages for failing to receive her fair share of the stud fees from Maria Gonzalez.

The evolution of the story from the racetrack to the courtroom is filled with twists and turns.

Pierre Amestoy, a successful Albuquerque drywall businessman and the horses manager, bought First Moonflash as a yearling in 2006 for $55,000. Two years later, he sold a 50 percent interest to Gonzalez, a veteran horse trainer in New Mexico. Gonzalez, in turn, sold half of his interest (or one quarter) to Varela for $25,000 in cash, the jury found.

On his way to stardom, First Moonflash flourished under Gonzalez, who spent about 13 months training the horse and helping him gain his confidence, Amestoy said.

Fast forward nearly two years. No longer the horses trainer, but still part-owner, Gonzalez in November 2011 was caught near El Paso carrying 26 kilos of cocaine and 550 pounds of marijuana  in a horse trailer.

Gonzalez was indicted on charges of participating from May 2011 to January 2012 in a major drug trafficking organization led by Homero Varela, a friend of Gonzalezs and a fellow horse aficionado. Court records state that the men jointly owned six other racehorses before their convictions for their roles in what federal authorities described as a massive drug organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel.

One of the allegations in the 29-count federal indictment, in which 15 people were charged, was that Varela used racehorse operations to launder drug money.

Varela is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence. Gonzalez resisted attempts to take his deposition in the ownership case while incarcerated and facing charges. He was deported to Mexico in 2016. Neither man testified in the four-day trial.

Wives join the fray

With their husbands out of the picture, the wives both claimed an ownership interest in First Moonflash. Neither woman has ever been charged or implicated by authorities in the drug trafficking investigation.

A jury took about an hour before ruling May 18 in favor of Varelas wife, awarding her $627,000 in direct damages and $209,000 in punitive damages against Maria Gonzalez, the horse trainers wife. The jury validated Varelas 25 percent interest in the horse, which means she can cash in on First Moonflashs good genes in the future.

Its unclear whether Gonzalez will appeal.

But another legal battle is still ahead.

Amestoy and his wife, Leslie, have filed claims against Maria Gonzalez for malicious abuse of process and interference with business relations.

Amestoy, who says he owned as many as 100 horses, including racehorses, in Kentucky in the 1990s, told the Journal last week that he never knew anything about Gonzalezs illegal activities.

When I knew him, he was a trainer at the racetrack. I had no idea he was doing anything illicit. I had no knowledge of it, Amestoy said in an interview.

I manage the horse, and Im not going to let them tarnish the horses reputation, image and his ability for future breedings and future racehorses.

Amestoy was called to testify in the recent trial in which Varelas wife argued that she had proof her husband had an oral purchase agreement with Gonzalez in 2008.

Varela produced IRS 1099 tax forms she contended they received from Gonzalez reporting profits related to the horse. She noted that her husband took out an insurance policy in 2010 for their partnership interest in the horse. She also contended that from 2010 to 2014, Maria Gonzalez split her share of the breeding profits with her. Varela filed suit in 2015 after the payments stopped.

Maria Gonzalez fought back, insisting in court filings that was there was no such purchase agreement with the Varelas. She stated that she had worked very hard and honestly her entire life.

In court filings, she accused Blanca Villegas-Varela of threatening to turn her in to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration if she didnt continue splitting the proceeds. In one pretrial hearing, Gonzalez noted that Blanca Varela visited her home in the past, and perhaps pilfered the IRS forms.

Varela denied the allegations in court filings.

Amestoy testified at a pretrial hearing that Gonzalez never mentioned that anyone else had an ownership stake in First Moonflash.

The only thing that was a little weird to me was when she (Maria Gonzalez) started wanting two checks for the same amount of money.

Great racehorse

Amestoy declined to discuss the recent ownership case or the pending legal claims against Maria Gonzalez.

He said he prefers to focus on First Moonflash, who he describes as one of the greatest racehorses ever.

He calls Ramon Gonzalez a former friend but does give him credit for helping a three-year old First Moonflash get the confidence to get out of the gate. The horse could run well, but was hesitant initially getting out of the gate onto the track.

Just before retiring, First Moonflash broke the world record for the distance of 440 yards in April 2009 at Sunland Park Race Track and still holds that world record, Amestoy said.

Amestoy said he regrets his decision to sell an ownership interest to Gonzalez. He said he hasnt had any business dealings with Gonzalez since early 2010.

Once the stallion was retired, Amestoy sold half of his 50 percent share to a leading breeder of quarterhorses, Mike Abraham. The horses stud fees, meanwhile, in recent years climbed from $5,000 to $12,500.

Of the first crop of offspring, one of First Moonflashs colts won the All-American Futurity, and another won the All-American Derby, Amestoy said.

So successful were First Moonflashs progeny, Amestoy testified at trial, that he had the opportunity two years ago to syndicate the horse for $8 million  in a multiple ownership arrangement. But another of First Moonflashs owners nixed the idea, he said, but wouldnt elaborate.

Amestoy believes First Moonflash, now 12, has many great years of breeding ahead.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime horse, said Amestoy. We love him. Hes massive and muscular. But we can still pet him like a puppy. Hes got a great attitude.
Google has reportedly joined a list of more than 30 companies and advocacy groups in signing a letter to Congress requesting reforms of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In short, FISA allows the U.S. government to target communications  including communications on web-based platforms and phone calls  of non-citizens for surveillance. It is important to note that the companies are not lobbying to halt a renewal of the terms set by Section 702 of FISA  which is set to expire this year. Instead, they are asking for changes to be made in order to account for privacy concerns both of foreign companies whose data passes through stateside servers and for the privacy of those who have not engaged in any suspicious behavior  whether citizens or not.

The U.S. House of Representatives correctly asserts that FISA has played an important role in stopping terror attacks. The body of representatives cites at least one incident, in particular, in which the act allowed an attack to be halted because it allowed surveillance on an email account belonging to a non-U.S. citizen. FISA also requires a court to approve targeting procedures' as a way to make certain that only non-citizens are targetted and that procedures are undergone to remove any information about Americans that may have been inadvertently collected. Meanwhile, Congress has also expressed concerns about who can or is being targetted under Section 702 of FISA. The companies  which include other big names in technology such as Amazon, Facebook, Snap, and Microsoft  are asking for two big changes to the way the government can conduct surveillance. First, they say that more oversight is needed for parts of the surveillance itself. They also request that more allowance is given for reporting on the requests for data that the government has made. Google, for its part, has been disclosing many such requests in its annual Transparency Report, though the company would obviously love to be able to provide more details to ease the minds of all concerned. Theyd also like to change the language of FISA, adding more specificity and limiting things so that only those who are suspected of wrong-doing can be surveilled

Any debate weighing the benefits of targeted surveillance against the concerns associated with misuse is guaranteed to be a complex issue. With the current direction of other government agencies, in terms of rules regarding similar concerns with net neutrality, that debate will also stir up more than its fair share of controversy. However, both sides of the argument contain many valid points and, with Section 702 of FISA set to expire by the end of 2017, now is certainly a good time to start the discussion.
Ford started the ute trend in Australia with the 1932 Ford Type 302 and Type 304, then the body style took off in North America with the advent of the 1957 Ranchero. General Motors followed suit in 1959 with the El Camino, and thus, the segments masterpiece was born.The third-generation El Camino (1968 to 1972) is the one that takes top honors from classic car enthusiasts, and its easy to understand why. The looks, the grunt, the pop culture iconography, there are a whole lot of things that helped the El Camino ascend to classic car status. On that note, Steve McQueen had an orange-painted Z25.The blue-and-white painted example of the breed pictured above is even better than what The King of Cool had, for it is an LS5. A pretty rare option even then, LS5 translates to 454 cu.in. (7.4 l) of big-block V8. Rated at 360 horsepower and a tire-shredding 500 pound-feet of torque, this retro workhorse packs some serious punch for what it is.Slated to cross the block at the Portland 2017 sale, Mecum Auctions didnt give an estimate for the Astro Blue-painted LS5 454. Bearing in mind a similarly specced model usually goes for roughly $30k, its not a lot of money when you think about what you get in return.Under the timeless bodywork, the SS454 features a matching-numbers LS5 and a heavy-duty 12-bolt posi with 3.31:1 gearing. Riding on 14x7-inch Super Sport wheels wrapped in period correct Goodyear Polyglas F70 tires, the utilitarian machine is backed by a 400 Turbo 3-speed tranny.Recently restored from the ground up, the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful SS454 boasts a certificate of registration from the LS5 Registry.
After spending time with President Trump at the G7, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has concluded that the United States can no longer be relied upon as a security blanket for Europe. Merkel's comments foreshadow a transformation of the U.S.-European alliances that have underwritten post-WWII stability. Her comments, Sunday, per the AFP:

Europe "must take its fate into its own hands" faced with a western alliance divided by Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency, Merkel told a crowd Sunday at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany.

While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, "we have to fight for our own destiny", Merkel went on. Special emphasis was needed on warm relations between Berlin and newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, she said.

"We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands."

"The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days."

What's behind this: Trump publicly lectured NATO allies that they must stop shirking their financial commitments and begin paying for their own defense rather than relying on the U.S. While the White House publicly refutes this, Trump's unmistakable message to Europe on his first foreign trip was that the days of unquestioning protection from the U.S. are over.

Side note: As the NYT's Maggie Haberman points out, the place where Merkel's comments will be best received is Russia. Putin is constantly looking for ways to sow discord between European countries and the United States. (Though, it's also worth noting that if NATO countries respond to Trump's pressure by meeting their defense spending commitments, this is bad news for Putin.)

What's next: Trump unsettled Merkel by making the U.S. the only G7 nation to refusing to reaffirm the Paris Accord on climate change. (We scooped yesterday that Trump has told confidants he's planning to exit the Paris deal. With Trump there's always the caveat that he could change his mind...But based on my conversations over the past 24 hours, I expect EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will present a detailed withdrawal plan to Trump and Trump will act on it.)
German chancellor Angela Merkel issued a call for unity within the E.U. at a campaign event Sunday, stating that she learned over "the past few days" that "the times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over."

Merkel's comments came after President Trump scolded NATO members over defense spending and was at odds with the rest of the G7 over climate change.

"We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands."

Why it matters: These are extraordinary words from Merkel, revealing fractures within the transatlantic alliance  long underpinned by close cooperation between the U.S., U.K., France and Germany  after the seismic events of Trump's election and Brexit. Times have changed  just a few months ago, Merkel was Barack Obama's closest foreign partner.

Symbolism alert: It was no accident that France's Emmanuel Macron embraced Merkel before shaking hands with Trump at the NATO summit last week. European alliances are being strengthened, and the U.S. is increasingly on the outside looking in.
28 May 2017 12:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The fifth season of Azerbaijan Fashion Week is underway in Baku.

Pet Fashion Show by NELYA took place in the ancient part of Baku  Icherisheher as part of the project, Trend Life reported.

The show of the talented designer, Naila Alieva, aroused great interest among the guests of the event. And it's obvious because such a show in Azerbaijan was held for the first time! Many fans came at the unique fashion show with their pets.

Dogs of different breeds from Yorkshire terrier to Pekingese appeared on the runway.

Celebrities, including artist Elza Seyidjahan, Almaz Alakparli, Miri Yusif, Nura Suri Nadir Gafarzade, Ilgar, Sail, filmmaker Jalal Kengerli proudly showed their beloved pets to the audience.

Dresses, jackets, vests, sweaters, hats - now your pets can pick up any wardrobe and dress in accordance with the latest fashion trends.

Positive emotions, celebrity guests and their favorite pets, catchy music, bright sun  so, it was the most memorable show in the framework of Azerbaijan's Fashion Week.

In conclusion, Nailya Aliyeva expressed gratitude to all guests of the show and celebrities and handed them gifts for their pets.

Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az, Azernews.az

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 May 2017 13:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Azertag

Head of Azerbaijan`s delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly, first deputy chair of the Milli Majlis Ziyafat Asgarov has highlighted Armenia`s aggression against Azerbaijan at a meeting of the organization`s Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security as part of NATO PA Spring Session in Tbilisi, Georgia.

He said Armenia occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territories, expelling more than a million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Asgarov urged international pressure on Yerevan to make it comply with resolutions of international organizations.

State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said his country supports peaceful resolution of conflicts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
28 May 2017 12:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan's newly constructed semi-submersible drilling rig named after Heydar Aliyev is being tested, a source in the oil and gas market of Azerbaijan told Trend.

Tests are being conducted in the open sea, 70 km from the shore. The results obtained during the tests are very good, the source said.

He added that it will take five days to test the anchors, distillers and hydrophores. The tests are expected to be completed within a week, after which the preparation of a contract for the use of the drilling rig will start.

Construction of the first new generation drilling rig for SOCAR began in 2013. The installation can operate at sea depths up to thousands of meters, while its drilling depth is 12,000 meters. The funds invested both by the State Oil Fund and the State Oil Company in this project amount to approximately $1 billion.

This installation is the first and the only drilling rig in the world with 1,400 atmospheres system technology. Its carrying capacity is 5,600, and displacement - 47,500 tons. Modern equipment allows to carry out drilling operations 4 times faster. Around 160 people can work on the rig. About 2,400 people worked on its construction, 80 percent of which were citizens of Azerbaijan.

SOCAR is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, as well as, supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.

SOCAR is 100 percent owned by the government of Azerbaijan. SOCAR participates in joint ventures (including ventures in Georgia and Turkey), consortia, and operating companies established with SOCARs participation. The company has represantatives in Iran, Romania, Ukraine and Germany.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The following companies are subsidiares of InterContinental Hotels Group: 2250 Blake Street Hotel LLC, 24th Street Operator Sub LLC, 36th Street IHG Sub LLC, 426 Main Ave LLC, 46 Nevins Street Associates LLC, Allegro Management LLC, Alpha Kimball Hotel LLC, American Commonwealth Assurance Co. Ltd., Asia Pacific Holdings Limited, BHMC Canada Inc., BHR Holdings B.V., BHR Luxembourg SARL, BHR Pacific Holdings Inc., BHTC Canada Inc., BOC Barclay Sub LLC, Barclay Operating Corp., Bristol Oakbrook Tenant Company, Cafe Biarritz, Cambridge Lodging LLC, Capital Lodging LLC, Compania Inter-Continental De Hoteles El Salvador SA, Crowne Plaza Amsterdam (Management) B.V., Crowne Plaza LLC, Cumberland Akers Hotel LLC, Dunwoody Operations Inc., EVEN Real Estate Holding LLC, Edinburgh IC Limited, General Innkeeping Acceptance Corporation, Guangzhou SC Hotels Services Ltd., H.I. (Ireland) Limited, H.I. Soaltee Management Company Ltd, HC International Holdings Inc., HH France Holdings SAS, HH Hotels (EMEA) B.V., HH Hotels (Romania) SRL, HI Sugarloaf LLC, HIM (Aruba) NV, Hale International Ltd., Hoft Properties LLC, Holiday Hospitality Franchising LLC, Holiday Inn Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Holiday Inns (China) Ltd, Holiday Inns (Chongqing) Inc., Holiday Inns (Courtalin) Holdings SAS, Holiday Inns (Courtalin) SAS, Holiday Inns (England) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Germany) LLC, Holiday Inns (Guangzhou) Inc., Holiday Inns (Jamaica) Inc., Holiday Inns (Malaysia) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Middle East) Ltd., Holiday Inns (Philippines) Inc., Holiday Inns (Saudi Arabia) Inc., Holiday Inns (South East Asia) Inc., Holiday Inns (Thailand) Ltd., Holiday Inns (UK) Inc., Holiday Inns Crowne Plaza (Hong Kong) Inc., Holiday Inns Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Holiday Inns Inc., Holiday Inns Investment (Nepal) Ltd., Holiday Inns of America (UK) Ltd., Holiday Inns of Belgium N.V., Holiday Pacific Equity Corporation, Holiday Pacific LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners LP, Hotel Inter-Continental London Limited, Hotel InterContinental London (Holdings) Limited, Hoteles Y Turismo HIH SRL, IC Hotelbetriebsfuhrungs GmbH, IC Hotels Management (Portugal) Unipessoal Lda, IC International Hotels Limited Liability Company, IHC (Thailand) Limited, IHC Buckhead LLC, IHC Edinburgh (Holdings), IHC Hopkins (Holdings) Corp., IHC Hotel Limited, IHC Inter-Continental (Holdings) Corp., IHC London (Holdings), IHC M-H (Holdings) Corp., IHC May Fair (Holdings) Limited, IHC May Fair Hotel Limited, IHC Overseas (U.K.) Limited, IHC UK (Holdings) Limited, IHC United States (Holdings) Corp., IHC Willard (Holdings) Corp., IHG (Australasia) Limited, IHG (Marseille) SAS, IHG (Thailand) Limited, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan LLC, IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd., IHG Bangkok Ltd, IHG Brasil Administracao de Hoteis e Servicos Ltda, IHG Commission Services SRL, IHG Community Development LLC, IHG Cyprus Limited, IHG ECS (Barbados) SRL, IHG Franchising Brasil Ltda, IHG Franchising DR Corporation, IHG Franchising LLC, IHG Hotels (New Zealand) Limited, IHG Hotels Limited, IHG Hotels Management (Australia) Pty Limited, IHG Hotels Nigeria Limited, IHG Hotels South Africa (Pty) Ltd, IHG International Partnership, IHG Istanbul Otel Yonetim Limited Sirketi, IHG Japan (Management) LLC, IHG Japan (Osaka) LLC, IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, IHG Management (Netherlands) B.V., IHG Management MD Barclay Sub LLC, IHG Management SL d.o.o, IHG Management d.o.o. Beograd, IHG Orchard Street Member LLC, IHG PS Nominees Limited, IHG Systems Pty Ltd, IHG Szalloda Budapest Szolgaltato Kft., IHG de Argentina SA, IND East Village SD Holdings LLC, Inter-Continental D.C. Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Investment Corp., Inter-Continental Florida Partner Corp., Inter-Continental Hospitality Corporation, Inter-Continental Hoteleira Limitada, Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Operating Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Montreal) Owning Corp., Inter-Continental Hotels (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation, Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation de Venezuela C.A., Inter-Continental Hotels of San Francisco Inc., Inter-Continental IOHC (Mauritius) Limited, Inter-Continental Management (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental (Branston) 1 Limited, InterContinental (PB) 1, InterContinental (PB) 2, InterContinental (PB) 3 Limited, InterContinental Berlin Service Company GmbH, InterContinental Brasil Administracao de Hoteis Ltda, InterContinental Gestion Hotelera S.L., InterContinental Hotel Berlin GmbH, InterContinental Hotel Dusseldorf GmbH (Germany), InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Australia) Pty Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (Espana) SA, InterContinental Hotels Group (Greater China) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (India) Pvt. Ltd, InterContinental Hotels Group (Japan) Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group (New Zealand) Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group (Shanghai) Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Customer Services Ltd., InterContinental Hotels Group Healthcare Trustee Limited, InterContinental Hotels Group Operating Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group Services Company, InterContinental Hotels Group do Brasil Limitada, InterContinental Hotels Italia S.r.L., InterContinental Hotels Limited, InterContinental Hotels Management GmbH, InterContinental Hotels Nevada Corporation, InterContinental Management AM LLC, InterContinental Management Bulgaria EOOD, InterContinental Management France SAS, InterContinental Management Poland sp. z.o.o, InterContinental Overseas Holding Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited, KG Benefits LLC, KG Gift Card Inc., KG Liability LLC, KG Technology LLC, KHP Washington Operator LLC, KHRG 11th Avenue Hotel LLC, KHRG 851 LLC, KHRG Aertson LLC, KHRG Alexandria LLC, KHRG Alexis LLC, KHRG Allegro LLC, KHRG Argyle LLC, KHRG Austin Beverage Company LLC, KHRG Baltimore LLC, KHRG Born LLC, KHRG Boston Hotel LLC, KHRG Canary LLC, KHRG Cayman Employer Ltd., KHRG Cayman LLC, KHRG DC 1731 LLC, KHRG DC 2505 LLC, KHRG Donovan LLC, KHRG Employer LLC, KHRG Goleta LLC, KHRG Gray LLC, KHRG Gray U2 LLC, KHRG Hillcrest LLC, KHRG Huntington Beach LLC, KHRG King Street LLC, KHRG La Peer LLC, KHRG Miami Beach LLC, KHRG Muse LLC, KHRG NPC LLC, KHRG Onyx LLC, KHRG Palladian LLC, KHRG Palomar Phoenix LLC, KHRG Philly Monaco LLC, KHRG Pittsburgh LLC, KHRG Reynolds LLC, KHRG Riverplace LLC, KHRG SFD LLC, KHRG Sacramento LLC, KHRG Savannah LLC, KHRG Schofield LLC, KHRG Sedona LLC, KHRG State Street LLC, KHRG Sutter LLC, KHRG Sutter Union LLC, KHRG Taconic LLC, KHRG Tariff LLC, KHRG Texas Hospitality LLC, KHRG Texas Operations LLC, KHRG Tryon LLC, KHRG VZ Austin LLC, KHRG Vero Beach LLC, KHRG Vintage Park LLC, KHRG WPB LLC, KHRG Wabash LLC, KHRG Westwood LLC, KHRG Wilshire LLC, KHRG Zamora LLC, Kimpton Hollywood Licenses LLC, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC, Kimpton Phoenix Licenses Holdings LLC, Kimpton Sedona Licenses LLC, Louisiana Acquisitions Corp., MH Lodging LLC, Mercer Fairview Holdings LLC, PML Services LLC, PT SC Hotels & Resorts Indonesia, Pollstrong Limited, Powell Pine Inc., Priscilla Holiday of Texas Inc., RM Lodging LLC, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Resort Services International (Cayo Largo) L.P., SBS Maryland Beverage Company LLC, SC Cellars Limited, SC Hotels International Services Inc., SC Leisure Group Limited, SC NAS 2 Limited, SC Quest Limited, SC Reservations (Philippines) Inc., SCH Insurance Company, SCIH Branston 3, SF MH Acquisition LLC, SPHC Group Pty Ltd., SPHC Management Ltd., Semiramis for training of Hotel Personnel and Hotel Management SAE, Six Continents Corporate Services, Six Continents Holdings Limited, Six Continents Hotels Inc., Six Continents Hotels International Limited, Six Continents Hotels de Colombia SA, Six Continents International Holdings B.V., Six Continents Investments Limited, Six Continents Limited, Six Continents Overseas Holdings Limited, Six Continents Restaurants Limited, SixCo North America Inc., Solamar Lodging LLC, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation (BVI) Ltd., Southern Pacific Hotels Properties Limited, Universal de Hoteles SA, White Shield Insurance Company Limited, and World Trade Centre Montreal Hotel Corporation.

Read More
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an S&P 500<sup></sup> urban office real estate investment trust ("REIT"), is the first, longest-tenured, and pioneering owner, operator, and developer uniquely focused on collaborative life science, technology, and agtech campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $31.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, and an asset base in North America of 49.7 million square feet ("SF"). The asset base in North America includes 31.9 million RSF of operating properties and 3.3 million RSF of Class A properties undergoing construction, 7.1 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 7.4 million SF of future development projects. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science, technology, and agtech campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, technology, and agtech companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value.
The Flagstaff running community mightily celebrated the marriage of the ultimate ultrarunning dynamic duo Ian Torrence and Emily Harrison.

To kick off the festivities last weekend, Northern Arizona Trail Runners Association (NATRA) hosted the Ian and Emily Happily Forever After Run on the Fort Valley Trail System.

Not surprisingly, a record 70 runners turned out for the Saturday group run, with only a handful aware they were keeping pace with Ians groomsmen that included the legendary Scott Jurek (seven-time Western States 100-Mile winner and featured in Chris McDougals best-seller "Born to Run"), Hal Koerner (Hardrock and Western States 100-Mile winner), and Karl Metzler (Fastest Known Time for traversing the Appalachian Trail).

While the groomsmen came with many accolades, none of them has ever competed at Flagstaffs wildly popular Soulstice Mountain Trail Run, where Ian and Emily have both left everlasting impressions.

In the days leading up to the third edition of the Soulstice Mountain Trail Run in 2002, many were excited by rumors that ultra-legend Ian Torrence (then living in Moab, Utah) had thrown his name into the list of entrants. Ian had just completed the 2002 Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (four iconic races in one summer: Vermont 100, Western States 100, Leadville Trail 100, and Wasatch Front 100) in 78 hours 22 minutes, setting a record for the fastest Grand Slam (since broken by Jurek).

When race day arrived, we were all eager to glimpse the ultrarunner phenom. We figured he would look like a pretty serious athlete, yet turned out to be just another face in the crowd. At the halfway point trailhead aid station, I took out my camera hoping to catch a snapshot of Soulstices famed participant. When he rounded the corner, I was speechless. Ian donned the most colorful polka dot tights, putting my beloved purple ones to shame. In the flash of a second, I knew I was going to have a longtime friend.

That day, local triathlete Michael Olson edged out Ian. At the fledgling and now legendary post-race party, Ian was thrilled -- not about his outstanding finish, but that he and his dad, Paul, were the fastest father-son duo at the race.

They were bookends, Ian chuckled. Ian was second overall, while Dad came in second to last. At last Saturdays wedding, Pops Torrence and I enjoyed a deep belly laugh in recalling it.

Many moons later, Ians sweetheart Emily, an outstanding collegiate runner from the University of Virginia, arrived in Flagstaff and quickly acclimated to the local trails. Emily skyrocketed to being one of the top ultrarunners in the country, and Soulstice made her bucket list. In 2014, in their first head-to-head Soulstice, Emily beat Ian by nearly five minutes, setting the new womens course record while taking third overall! Emily remains undefeated.

A few hours after last Saturdays group run, Ian and Emily hosted their wedding ceremony at the bucolic Kendrick Watchable Wildlife Trail. Dashing Ian and a stunningly beautiful Emily shared their vows with family, friends and our enormous running community. Everyone shared their vows, in promising to help guide and support Ian and Emily for the rest of their trail-running lives.

We look forward to the day Ian catches up to his wife and they cross the Soulstice finish line together. Happy trails to Ian and Emily!
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
Impinj, Inc. operates a cloud connectivity platform in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Its platform, which comprises multiple product families, wirelessly connects individual items and delivers data about the connected items to business and consumer applications. The company's platform comprises endpoint ICs, a miniature radios-on-a-chip that attaches to a host item and includes a number to identify the item. Its platform also consists of systems products that comprise reader ICs, readers, and gateways to wirelessly provide power to and communicate bidirectionally with endpoint ICs on host items, as well as to read, write, authenticate, and engage the endpoint ICs on those items; and software and algorithms that enables its partners to deliver use cases, such as retail self-checkout and loss prevention, and warehouse pallet and carton tracking to end-users. The company primarily serves retail, supply chain and logistics, aviation, automotive, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, sports, food, datacenter, travel, banking, and linen and uniform tracking sectors through distributors, system integrators, value-added resellers, and software solution partners. Impinj, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc..

Read More
No

Yes, a light case

Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

Vote

View Results
Josh Duggar facing $25k lawsuit over photo used in Ashley Madison profile

Josh Duggar is gearing up for a court battle stemming from the Ashley Madison scandal that the "19 Kids and Counting" star was engulfed in two years ago.

In 2015, Duggar came under fire when he admitted to committing adultery by using the Ashley Madison website. Duggar reportedly used someone else's picture on his profile, a DJ named Matt McCarthy, who filed a lawsuit against the reality TV star in August 2016.

According to Radar Online, Duggar will be back in court next month to face McCarthy who says he's suffered irreparable damage to his career as a DJ in California.

"McCarthy claimed that his high school teacher called him and informed him that Josh had used his photos, and that the teacher then inquired if McCarthy had engaged in a sexual relationship with Josh," Radar Online reported. "After that, McCarthy says he was flooded with calls, emails, and other communications from family, friends, professional partners, and even strangers asking about his connection to Josh's scandal. Making matters worse for the working DJ, McCarthy said in court documents that he had been called Duggar's Boy Toy and DJ Duggar, among other epithets."

McCarthy is reportedly seeking $25,000 for damages to his career. The next court date is scheduled for June 22.

News broke about the Ashley Madison scandal after hackers released the business' client list where Duggar's email was discovered in 2015. Duggar previously released a confession of adultery, admitting that he had been a hypocrite after showcasing staunch Christian values publicly.

"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have been unfaithful to my wife," Duggar said in the statement. "I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him."

Aside from the Ashley Madison fiasco, a police report surfaced around the same time stating that Duggar reportedly molested five girls when he was 14 years old. Media outlets reported that the victims included Josh's sisters.

Duggar also issued a public statement about those allegations, publicly admitting his wrongdoing.

"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation," Josh told People magazine.

"We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life."

Last year, the Duggar family released a statement to announce that Josh had completed a counseling at a faith-based rehabilitation center.

"Josh has completed his residential rehabilitation program. It was a crucial first step in recovery and healing for Josh," the statement said. "Josh has now returned to Arkansas, where he will continue professional counseling and focus on rebuilding relationships with his family. We look to God for help and guidance and place all of our trust in Him."

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
The two Bible verses North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is terrified of, according to one US senator

The Kim regime in North Korea, which has imprisoned, tortured and even killed thousands of Christians, is terrified of the Gospel, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told North Korean freedom activists gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

As North Korea continues to rank as the top persecutor of Christians in the world, Lankford and other GOP congressmen spoke during International Christian Concern's 2017 Capitol Hill advocacy day, which this year focused solely on the human rights abuses that have occurred under the Kim regime.

Lankford, the co-chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, approached the podium carrying his Congress members' Bible study Bible.

"It's amazing to me that ... I walked up holding this [Bible]," Lankford said. "If I did the same thing speaking in North Korea, this would give me a hard time. It would be longer if I handed it to you."

Although North Korea has some state-run front churches designed to have people think that religion is allowed in the communist country, the practice and worship of real Christianity and other real religions is illegal in North Korea.

The thousands of Christians who participate in the underground house church movement and Christians who evangelize run the risk of being arrested and thrown into labor camps and tortured along with other people of faith, political enemies of the Kim regime and those who advocate for freedom. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners have died since the Kim regime came to power in 1948.

"I'm astounded by that. I am astounded by that as a Christian myself. But I am astounded by that because [sharing the Gospel] attracts the fear of Kim Jong Un and that regime," Lankford said. "I think about the words that are in this book and how terrified they are of this book. I think about some of the things that it says."

Lankford continued by citing the passage of Matthew 22:37-40.

"The regime is terrified of statements like this, where Jesus said to them all, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets,'" Lankford said. "The Kim regime is terrified of that statement. It's just a simple statement but here is what [God] demands  to be able to love God and to be able to love your neighbor."

He also cited 1 Timothy 2: "Paul writes to Timothy and he says to him, 'I encourage that prayers, entreaties, petitions and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all men  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and in dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.'"

Lankford summarized that "our first calling" of the Gospel is to be able to love our neighbor," and "to love God." He added that the calling from Paul tells people to "show respect and live quiet and dignified lives."

"That is the subversive text that the regime is terrified of and that is astounding to me," he added.

In a panel discussion later in the day, Greg Scarlatoiu, an expert on the human rights abuses in North Korea who has led in the publication of at least 24 reports and books on the subject, offered his explanation for why the Kim regime fears Christianity.

Scarlatoiu, who is also the executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said that one of the largest reasons why the Kim regime has a disdain for Christianity is because of its threat to the regime's ability to control information.

"North Korea today is a post-communist, post industrial, kleptocratic dynasty that holds an absolute monopoly over political power at home. This is not a criminal kleptocratic cartel, this is an absolute monopoly. There are no competitors inside the country," he said. "The only competitor is, on the one hand, Christianity. And on the other hand, free, prosperous, democratic Republic of Korea [South Korea]."

"[Christianity] offers an alternative set of beliefs, an alternative way of life, a way of life that does not tolerate tyranny," he continued. "The North Korean regime fears Christianity because it offers a venue for the exchange of ideas. Remember, this regime has maintained its power through information control, through an absolute overwhelming level of coercion, control, surveillance and punishment that is executed by 270,000 agents in three eternal security agencies  a vast network of informers."

Open Doors USA has ranked North Korea as the No. 1 worst country in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians for 16 years in a row on its World Watch List.

"For those of us in government, it is our responsibility to press everywhere we can," Lankford said.

He suggested that Western governments should place travel restrictions on North Korean officials. He added that banks should be threatened with loss of U.S. business if they do business with North Korea. Additionally, he thinks there should be a ban on the sale of luxury goods to North Korean officials.

"While we are limited in the things that we can do, we should do all that we can do to be able to apply pressure to the leadership of North Korea until they have opened up one of the most basic human dignities  the right to be able to believe in your heart and to be able to pursue God," Lankford stated.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
Trump in Israel pays tribute to victims of Holocaust, 'history's darkest hour'

Donald Trump has paid his respects to the victims of the Holocaust at Israel's Yad Vashem memorial museum.

Speaking at the site's Hall of Remembrance, the US President said: 'We are here at Yad Vashem to honour the memory of six million Jews who were sent to their deaths. Words can never describe the bottomless depth of that evil.'

Trump referred to the genocide as 'history's darkest hour', and said 'millions of beautiful lives' were taken.

The Holocaust, he said, was 'the most savage crime against God and His children and it is our solemn duty to mourn every life that was so viciously taken'.

Trump praised the Jewish people for their perseverance after the tragedy, saying: 'They have thrived. They have become so successful in so many places. The State of Israel is a strong, a soaring monument to the solemn pledge we repeat and affirm: Never again.'

He added: 'As long as we refuse to become bystanders to the barbaric then we know peace and justice will ultimately prevail.'

Trump was accompanied by his wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law and Middle East adviser Jared Kushner as well as the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

The President laid a wreath, carried by two US Marines in formal dress, in honour of the dead, lit a remembrance flame and listened to a cantor sing the El Maleh Rahamim ('God Full of Mercy') prayer.

A children's choir sang the ballad 'My God, my God,' written by the young World War II parachutist Hannah Szenes not long before she died attempting to infiltrate Nazi-occupied Europe.

Speaking immediately after Trump, Netanyahu said the Holocaust offered the lesson that 'Israel must always be able to defend itself'.

Netanyahu added: 'We remember the hatred toward Jews that consumed a defenseless people. We pledge never to be defenseless against that hatred again.'

The Israeli PM then turned to the deadly terror attack in Manchester overnight, saying: 'I want to say something about the bloody horror in Manchester last night. The slaughter of innocents must be unconditionally condemned and unflinchingly confronted no matter where it occurs  in Manchester, San Bernardino or Jerusalem: Terror is terror is terror. We must all unite to defeat it.'

Referring to Trump's speech in Bethlehem earlier today in which the President called terrorists 'losers,' Netanyahu said to Trump: 'I know you agree with me, that it is our job to make sure they continue to lose. We will defeat them.'

During his relatively brief, half-hour visit to the haunting museum, Trump was presented with a replica of a personal album that belonged to German Jewish girl, Ester Goldstein, who was murdered by the Nazis.

In the guest-book, the President wrote: 'It is a great honor to be here with all of my friends  so amazing + will Never Forget!'

Later this afternoon, Trump gave a separate speech at the Israel Museum in which he said both sides of the conflict in the region are ready for peace.

'I had a meeting this morning with President Abbas and can tell you that the Palestinians are ready to reach for peace,' Trump said.

'In my meeting with my very good friend Benjamin, I can tell you also, that he is reaching for peace. He wants peace,' he added. 'Making peace, however, will not be easy. We all know that. Both sides will face tough decisions. But with determination, compromise, and the belief that peace is possible, Israelis and Palestinians can make a deal.'
The first soldier to give his life in service to America was Isaac Davis, a gunsmith shot through the heart at the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775. The most recent was Kyle Milliken, a Navy senior chief petty officer killed May 5 by Islamist irregulars near Mogadishu, Somalia. Overall, some 1.2 million young Americans have died while under arms, more than one-half of them during the Civil War.

Monday is their dayMemorial Day, when Americans traditionally take a moment to hold in their hearts a thought, a prayer, for those who, as Abraham Lincoln noted, gave the last full measure of devotion to the ideals expressed so profoundly in the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. And so it goesa statement of fundamental purpose, a potential death warrant for those who signed it, and, above all, a unique distillation of centuries of moral evolution, philosophical disputation, and political conflict.

A document worth dying for, in other words.

But original purposes fade over time, obscured by shifting understandings of history and by a failure to grasp that whats obvious today was not necessarily so clear at the beginning. This seems especially true in America today, where an escalating loss of faith in the animating principles of what Lincoln also termed the last great hope of earth is well under way.

The erosion of trust in the values of our forebears is obvious in academia, which exerts a malign influence on American culture generally. Partisan advantage-taking and information-age attention deficits also contribute to the notion that since so many of the Founders were flawed by contemporary standardsmost especially because their ideals found room for slaverythen the entire American enterprise was illegitimate, or even evil.

But men are not angels. The adaptation of revolutionary principles often demands the application of evolutionary politics, and so it was for America, which accepted the contradictions of its founding, tried dutifully to work around them, and soon found that to be impossible. The Civil War, sanguinary beyond contemporary comprehension, followed.

At least 620,000 combatants died during the four-year struggle; recent estimates put the total closer to 750,000, or more than 2 percent of the nations population at that time. More soldiers died in prison camps alone than America lost during the entire Vietnam War. Perhaps more to the point, some 350,000 Union soldiers died during the conflict, abolitionists in effect if not always in intent. Adjusted for population, that would amount to almost 5 million service deaths today, amounting to a blood sacrifice more than sufficient to redeem whatever moral or intellectual inconsistencies there are to be found in Americas founding documents.

And if thats not sufficient? Well, then, nothing will be. But for most Americansand for much of the rest of the worldit is more than enough. From the outset those documents have been far more than just words on parchmentthey were a symbol, a beacon, and a standard to be applied to all nations; that most dont begin to measure up is in itself a powerful argument for American exceptionalism.

All of this is distant in time and experience, of course. Technology and the nature of modern conflict have rendered industrial wars and their endless casualty lists obsolete. The legacy of the old way resides in the nations 147 national cemeteries, in the 26 permanent military cemeteries America maintains overseas, and in the uncountable informal war graves around the worldsunken warships and shattered aircraft containing what remains of men for the most part counted as missing in action.

Today, the fallen largely are numbered in single digits, and that is a blessed thing. But it also means that Memorial Day has become an abstraction to many, and thats problematic. Its not that the nation is growing disrespectful of its war dead; if anything, the opposite is true. But it does seem as if combat casualties are now viewed solely as tragedies to be mourned individually, with scant recognition of the collective sacrifices involvedwhich, after all, is what gives death in service to ones country true meaning.

Sixteen years of unbroken low-intensity warfare doubtless fuels such dislocations, and it certainly contributes to the ennui to be found on campuses and in the popular culture. Sooner or later, this must be addressed. But Memorial Day is not the day for that. Memorial Day is the day to mourn the individual losses, for sure, but also to commemorate the sacrifices in the aggregatehumbly, quietly, respectfully, as a great nation must. Some debts never can be repaid. But honor demands that they be recognized.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.7bn (British Land share: 10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.
Poseidon Expeditions Sea Spirit has re-positioned to Nuuk, Greenland, to begin her 2017 Arctic season following a $2.5 million-plus refurbishment of all 54 guest suites during a recent dry dock in Vigo, Spain.

This was the final phase of a full-ship refurbishment that began two years ago with restoration of the ships public areas.

Nedge Louis-Jacques of Tomas Tillberg Design & Associates of Weston, FL, oversaw the last stage of the project.

According to a statement, each suite now features completely new bath modules including new tile throughout, stone vanity top with integrated mirror, sink and fixtures, towel bars and mirrors. A glass divider panel separates each shower and sink unit.

"While the focus of our guests and expedition team is on the wildlife and unique landscapes found in the Arctic and Antarctica, providing them with spacious, beautifully appointed accommodations goes a long way to complement and enhance the overall experience. The staterooms now afford an elegant retreat, a place to relax and recharge following active days exploring these remote environments," said Nikolay Saveliev, president of Poseidon Expeditions.

Sea Spirit sailed originally as the Renaissance IV, then worldwide and in Alaska as the popular Spirit of Oceanus. She underwent technical improvements for polar cruising in 2010.

Poseidon Expeditions will again this season offer a wide range of Arctic cruises aboard the Sea Spirit, including a first-ever Voyage to The Arctic expedition, June 17-29, 2017, that explores Icelands northern fjords and travels along the Arctic Circle to the Norwegian coast where a number of stops are planned before proceeding north to Bear Island and the Spitsbergen Archipelago. Remote Franz Josef Land in the Russian High Arctic will also be explored on an Aug. 14-29, 2017, voyage.

Arctic rates in 2017 for the all-suite Sea Spirit begin at $8,395 per person.

Following the last Arctic voyage to East Greenland in mid-September of 2017, the vessel will position to South America to commence a series of expedition cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands during the 2017-18 austral summer season. The new Antarctic season also will include the popular Antarctic Circle cruise, which travels below the most southerly of the earths five major circles of latitude, approximately 66 south.

Antarctic rates for the 2017-18 season begin at just $7,995 per person.
Greenhill & Co., Inc., an independent investment bank, provides financial and strategic advisory services to corporations, partnerships, institutional investors, and governments worldwide. The company offers advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, private capital raising, and other similar transactions. It also advises clients on strategic matters, including activist shareholder defense, special committee projects, licensing deals, and joint ventures; and valuation, negotiation tactics, industry dynamics, structuring alternatives, and timing and pricing of transactions, as well as financing alternatives. In addition, the company provides restructuring advisory services to debtors, creditors, governments, and other stakeholders, and acquirers of distressed companies and assets; and advice on restructuring alternatives, capital structures, and sales or recapitalizations. Further, it assists clients in identifying and capitalizing on incremental sources of value; and on court-assisted reorganizations by developing and seeking approval for plans of reorganization, as well as the implementation of such plans. Additionally, the company advises on private placements of debt and structured equity, refinancing of existing debt facilities, negotiating the modification, and amendment of covenants, as well as acts as an independent advisor. It also offers financial advisory services to pension funds, endowments, and other institutional investors on transactions involving alternative assets; and advice to alternative asset fund sponsors for private capital raising, financing, restructuring, liquidity options, valuation, and related services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Donors can help patients in need from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, and from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at Eagles Club, 228 Fifth Ave. S. La Crosse, and from 1-6 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 1215 Redwood St., Onalaska.
La Crosse is set for its traditional Memorial Day parade, and surrounding communities are planning observances, too.

The parade, on La Crosses South Side, begins at 9 a.m. Monday at Fifth Avenue and King Street downtown and makes its way east and north, ending with a ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery.

La Crescent

The Memorial Day parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at Heths Hardware, 32 S. Walnut St. and ends at Veterans Park, where a program begins at noon. After the Memorial Day events, there will be a chickencue at the La Crescent American Legion Club, 509 N. Chestnut St.

Bangor

Bangors service to honor those who have fallen in combat begins at 9 a.m. Monday in the Bangor Middle/High School gymnasium, 700 10th Ave. S. Sgt. 1st Class Robert W. Hankins, a logistics officer in the 181st Multi-Functional Training Brigade at Fort McCoy, will give the keynote address at the ceremony.

After the service, a procession led by Bangor American Legion Post 40 will travel through Bangor cemeteries with senior choir students performing the national anthem.

Onalaska

Onalaskas parade will leave at 9:30 a.m. from American Legion Post 336, 731 Sand Lake Road, and conclude with a ceremony at 10 a.m. at Onalaska Cemetery, 1200 Main St. 10 a.m. Speaker will be U.S. Air Force Col. Doug Stoli Nicolai.

Holmen

Holmens parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. by Holmen Middle School, 502 N. Main St., and end at Halfway Creek Park, 300 W. Roberts St. A ceremony at the park will begin at 10 a.m.

West Salem

In West Salem, the program  put on by West Salem American Legion Post 51  is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Village Park at the intersection of West Hamilton and South Mill streets. La Crosse County Veterans Service Officer Adam Flood will be the keynote speaker.

After the program, there will be a potluck open to the public at the West Salem American Legion hall, 148 S.Leonard St. In the event of rain, the service will take place at the legion hall.
OSSIAN, Iowa  Arthur R. Hemesath, 93, of Ossian died Friday, May 26, 2017, at Ossian Senior Hospice. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, with interment to follow with military honors in the church cemetery in Ossian. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with Knights of Columbus rosary at 4 p.m. and scripture service at 8 p.m., and one hour prior to Mass on Wednesday at the church. Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Ossian, is helping the family.
Disruption from a major British Airways IT failure that affected more than 1,000 flights on Saturday has continued into a second day, leaving more passengers stranded. After all the airlines flights from Heathrow and Gatwick were grounded on Saturday, services resumed but with cancellations and delays. By 11am, 36 flights from Heathrow had been cancelled and 36 had departed, the BBC reported. There were no cancellations at Gatwick but passengers experienced delays of about 30 minutes. - Observer

Hundreds of thousands of BT pensioners are in line to have their retirement pots capped as the telecoms giant battles the massive black hole in its 50bn fund. The company is appealing to the funds trustees and telecoms unions to agree to end accruals in its defined-benefits pension scheme. It has more than 300,000 members and is the UKs largest private-sector retirement fund. - Sunday Telegraph

Sterlings Brexit-fuelled decline over the past year has been Britains least successful currency devaluation in history, an analysis of the latest growth figures has revealed. The UKs trade balance has worsened by 1.8% of GDP since the final quarter of 2015  before worries over the EU referendum began to hurt the pound. Rising exports have been outstripped by an even faster rise in imports, according to Samuel Tombs of consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics. - The Sunday Times

EE and Vodafone have been named as the UKs two worst mobile phone providers by the consumer group Which? In its sixth annual survey of members, EE and Vodafone, which together account for more than half the market, recorded the worst scores for customer satisfaction. Giffgaff was named as the firm with the happiest mobile customers. - Guardian

The group behind The Edinburgh Woollen Mill has opened a new department store in Carmarthen in Wales, in an effort to revitalise the traditional high street fixture and turn around a trend which has seen retailers such as BHS close their doors. Days, the concept store named after entrepreneur founder Philip Day, stocks goods from other brands in the group such as Jaeger, Peacocks and Austin Reed. - Sunday Telegraph

Acacia Mining is preparing to close a loss-making mine after a row over exports with the Tanzanian government escalated. Shares in the FTSE 250 gold miner plunged nearly 40pc last week after a report by the Tanzanian government accused it of under-representing the amount of gold in the concentrate it exports, potentially depriving the country of millions in royalties. - Sunday Telegraph

The Serious Fraud Office has further delayed its decision on whether to bring any criminal charges against Barclays and former executives at the bank over a 2008 fundraising. A decision is now expected in mid-June, despite the SFO setting an end-of-May deadline earlier in the year  itself a delay from an end of March deadline. - Guardian

Royal Bank of Scotland should be forced to sell off 20 billion of loans to rivals at a discount price to increase competition in the market, according to challenger banks. They have written to Brussels competition officials to lay out their concerns about moves to allow RBS to ditch its sale of Williams & Glyn. That sell-off, which would have included the current accounts and loans issued to thousands of businesses, had been ordered by Brussels following RBS's bail-out. - Mail on Sunday

A scandal over a multibillion-pound alleged fraud at Ukraines biggest bank has embroiled the accountancy giant PwC. Ukraines central bank claims that some 4.2bn was siphoned out of Privat bank by two of Ukraines most powerful offshore oligarchs, Gennady Bogolyubov, who now lives in London in a 60m 10-bedroom home in Belgrave Square, and Swiss-based Igor Kolomoisky. PwC had audited and approved the accounts without any mention of the missing money, according to Katerina Rozhkova, deputy governor of the Ukraine central bank. - The Sunday Times

Energy prices will be thrown back into the political spotlight this week when more than 100,000 households across the UK face a sudden hike in bills of up to 430 a year as their fixed rate deals come to an end. More than a dozen key fixed price deals from seven leading suppliers are set to end on Wednesday. Customers who fail to switch to other deals in time face being moved on to expensive standard variable tariffs. - Mail on Sunday

Hoovers British and European arm is poised to ditch its battered pension fund in a deal that will cost its owner tens of millions of pounds. The appliance retailer has reached an agreement with its trustees and the Pensions Regulator to send its retirement scheme into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The move, likely to be announced this week, will see Hoovers 7,800 pension fund members transferred to the industry lifeboat. - The Sunday Times

It sounds like heresy but Steve Rowe, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, has one critical question for the world. 'Why is everyone so besotted with womenswear?' The 49-year-old boss of Britain's iconic high street store chain appears to be playing with fire. For millions of customers, womenswear is M&S. The style and the quality of every new range is the talk of the fashion pages and the financial performance of womenswear is the critical measure of the company's performance. - Mail on Sunday
Artists are taking the climate crisis into frame and the results are emotional, beautiful and stirring.

So youve seen the best climate change cartoons and shared them with your friends. Youve showed your family the infographics on climate change and health, infographics on how the grid works and infographics about clean, renewable energy. Youve even forwarded these official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration graphs that explain the 10 clear indicators of climate change to your colleagues at the office.

But sometimes, you need more than just the facts and data to really bring home the reality of the climate crisis. You need to make an emotional connectionand what better way to do it than through the power of art?

Read on for five outstanding examples of art that reaches beyond facts and figures to capture the crisis in ways numbers alone cant touch:

1. Jill Peltos Glaciogenic Art

Scientist and artist Jill Pelto was inspired by charts and data to create unique new artwork that adds an element of emotion that can be lacking in scientific circles.

As a scientist I make and read a lot of graphs, yet I forgot that many people do not, Pelto told Creators. Using actual information  provided an intellectual context to my work while my illustrations around the graphs created an emotional story that can inspire people to promote environmental justice  My hope is that my artwork can share this message of change yet also ignite a passion to help prevent further environmental damage.

2. Diane Tufts the Arctic Melt

Were sadly getting used to hearing news about sea ice nearing record lows at both poles. For most people, however, the Arctic is a place they will never see in person. After years documenting the impacts of climate crisis, photographer Diane Tuft journeyed to the north to show how the Arctic is both beautiful and changing. The result: her new book, The Arctic Melt: Images of a Disappearing Landscape,

By sharing these images, I hope to provoke discussion on the fragile environment that we are experiencing and stimulate dialogue on how to preserve the beauty of our planet, she wrote.

3. Lorenzo Quinns Support

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUEeO8kl1-Z/

I have three children, and Im thinking about their generation and what world were going to pass on to them. Im worried, Im very worried.

Artist Lorenzo Quinn created Support for the 57th International Art Exhibition of the La Biennale di Venezia. Venice, for all its canals and rich history, is highly susceptible to sea level rise, with the famed Piazza San Marco experiencing acqua altahigh waterup to 60 times per year.

Regarding his work, Quinn said that he wants to speak to the people in a clear, simple and direct way through the innocent hands of a child and it evokes a powerful message, which is that united we can make a stand to curb the climate change that affects us all.

4. Murray Fredricks Vanity

https://www.instagram.com/p/BS23a3mDSHp/

Call it the anti-selfie. Now on display as part of Australias ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2017 festivalan exhibition centered on climate change artAustralian photographer Murray Fredricks placed mirrors in the Lake Eyre salt flats. But rather than reflecting himself or any humans, they point outwards, to the fragile and beautiful environment being altered by climate change. The results are stunning.

5. Brian Foos Climate Change Coloring Book

For your next adult coloring book, shade in data on climate change https://t.co/p3sX0SUK1K pic.twitter.com/z0uLtutErF  Fast Company (@FastCompany) April 21, 2017

Feeling inspired and want to express your passion for climate change through art? Artists of any skill level can enjoy this adult coloring book featuring climate data.

Brian Foo, the designer, told Fast Company, the hope is that if you spent 30 minutes or an hour actively coloring data related to climate change, the information would be more likely to stick and youd have time to reflect on the underlying issue.

Stand With Reality

Alternative facts wont halt rising global temperatures. Fake news wont make polluted air safe to breathe. And burning more fossil fuels sure wont protect our planet.

But clean energy and science will.

With renewable technologies like wind and solar in our hands today, we can solve the climate crisis. But only if our leaders insist on truth, accept reality and listen to science.

Together, well make them. Add your name now to Stand With Reality.
Copenhagen, Denmark: New genomic tools are enabling researchers to overturn long-held beliefs about the origins of populations, a researcher will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday). Dr Eran Elhaik, Assistant Professor of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, will say that new technologies are enabling scientists to track the origins and migrations of populations with increasing accuracy.

Until recently, assumptions about origins were based on where people were buried. "However, this does not take into account the migrations which we now know took place thousands of years ago," says Dr Elhaik, who carried out the research with colleagues including Dr Umberto Esposito.

Using a recently-developed technology, the ancient Geographic Population Structure (aGPS) tool, the researchers were able to find the geographical origins of ancient DNA, with the only limitation being the availability of DNA data. This in turn enabled them to combine hundreds of snap shots from the past into a reconstruction of modern history from 12,000 BC to the modern era. "This is by far the most comprehensive reconstruction of our genetic history. Our work reveals the colonisation of Europe, step by step, and answers many questions concerning the origins and migrations of Europeans," says Dr Elhaik.

Applied to a dataset of over 300 ancient Eurasians and Near-Easterners during the Ice Age to Late Iron Age period, aGPS localised around 50% of the samples at up to 200km from their burial site, about 32% at between 200 and 1000km, and the remainder at between 1000 and 3,175km. "The migration patterns revealed by our work were remarkably complex and dynamic, and the difficulties in interpreting them correctly are significant.

"The challenge for us now is to understand why these migrations took place. What caused a particular group of people to make a journey of over 3000km at a time when travel was complicated and dangerous? When we combine our results with archaeological and climate data, we can begin to see why," says Dr Elhaik. "For example, we can identify areas where the land became exhausted from over-farming, and thus caused the movement of populations. We can also pinpoint the formation of city states and 'biodiversity centres', corresponding to ancient empires that drew immigrants from other countries."

The results allow the researchers to confirm the theory of the massive migration of populations from the steppes of the Caucasus (the Yamnaya) to Central Europe during the Late Neolithic period (3500 to 2300 BC). "We discovered that Central Europeans were always on the move, continuously mixing with other populations and forming ancient cities in Germany, Denmark and Hungary, for example close to modern-day Hamburg and Berlin, and Budapest. In contrast, Near Eastern peoples tended to stay close to home," says Dr Elhaik.

"Genetic data can answer many questions that archaeology alone cannot. For example, is a specific decoration indicative of an alien culture, or simply an import? These new insights are fascinating, not just in a historical context, but because they provide additional proof of the unlikelihood of a 'day zero' of ethnic homogeneity, except perhaps in a very few isolated places. Even if it had existed, there must be practically no-one alive on earth who could trace all their ancestors to one ethnically homogenous population".

There are endless challenges in this research. "Imagine working with a very short DNA sequences with more holes than bases - not only can we not align this with other ancient sequences, but we also do not know where it is from. And this is before we get to the question of "when?" which is, again, linked to "where?" because different regions entered developmental periods, like the Iron Age, at different times.

"However, our findings to date have already brought about a far greater understanding of the identity of Old World residents, and our goal is now to reconstruct the full "Human Atlas" showing ancient migration patterns worldwide," he will conclude.

Chair of the ESHG conference, Professor Joris Veltman, Director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine at Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, said: "This fascinating work illustrates the power of modern genetic approaches to study human history and migration. The scientists demonstrate that information in ancient DNA samples, even of low quality, can be used to provide a very precise geographical localisation of the origin of a person."

###

Abstract no: C14.6
Place Your Advert

Register or sign in to advertise your job
An Oxfordshire farmer has been fined more than 1,200 after five dead sheep were found rotting on his land.

54 year-old James Edward Hedges from Bletchingdon had been investigated by the Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards Service.

Mr Hedges was ordered to pay 1,200 following a hearing at Oxford Magistrates' Court on May 16.

"This result acts as a reminder of the importance of maintaining good farming standards and should reassure the public that action will be taken, when necessary, to protect consumers," said councillor Judith Heathcoat.

Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards' operation manager, Jody Kerman, said: "Uncontrolled animal by-products can present a risk to both human and animal health and the legislation is there to safeguard the food chain and to prevent the spread of animal diseases.

"Fallen stock should be safely and suitably handled, with measures taken, without undue delay, to stop other animals and wild birds having access to it.

"Equally, whilst the use of veterinary medicines can be essential in preventing and treating disease, livestock owners have a duty to record such usage details, to ensure that animal products, such as meat and milk, are free from medicine residue, at the time it enters the food chain.

"Without appropriate record keeping, it is impossible to evidence when this is safe to do so."

For one count of failing to dispose of the sheep carcasses he was fined 500 and ordered to pay a 50 victim surcharge.

For failing to keep records or documents he was given a conditional discharge of 12 months.

Last week, a Northern Irish farmer was fined 1,400 for failing to dispose of animal carcasses on his farm and for animal neglect.
Hamilton now trails Vettel by 25 points in the standings, but the two-time Monaco winner insisted he was more than satisfied with Sundays result, given the struggles he experienced on Saturday.

It was what we calculated as the optimum result without any incidents and this is where he came in, said team boss Toto Wolff, who conceded that their car simply wasnt fast enough this weekend.

Hamilton got ahead of McLarens Stoffel Vandoorne at the start and Mercedes then used a long first stint to help move him up the order. With other driver retirements coming to his aid, it meant he came away with six points, limiting the damage in his title race with Ferraris Sebastian Vettel.

Mercedes believe Lewis Hamiltons seventh place in Sundays Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2017 was the best result the former champion could have hoped for after a poor qualifying consigned him to 13th on the grid.

I came in this morning feeling terrible - I didn't get a lot of sleep last night - so to come away with the points I've come away with, I can happily take this and move forwards, said the Briton.

I might not have won the race - it was kind of boring at the start and at the end when you can't overtake - but the middle part where I was in clear air I really enjoyed.

Mercedes overall lack of speed in Monaco was highlighted by Valtteri Bottass failure to make the podium, despite starting third on the grid in front of two Red Bulls, with the Finn eventually coming home fourth as he was unable to find an answer to Daniel Ricciardos mid-race pace.

It was particularly difficult because we were stuck between a rock and a hard place, added Wolff. We had to cover Max (Verstappen) who was posting some really quick sectors and at the same time Valtteri was going slower and slower.

He lost half a second in the middle sector and he said the tyres were gone. Unfortunately Daniel pulled out some amazing laps afterwards - 16's dead - and so that was it.

Our car was not quick enough this weekend. We were caught on the back foot on Thursday and we never really recovered. The tyres were in the window, then they were out of it - there were moments where Lewis was really fast - so lots to understand.

The result means Mercedes are now second in the constructors standings, with 179 points to Ferraris 196.
With such low average speeds  around 130 km/h  generating downforce around the tight and twisting Circuit de Monaco is a big challenge for F1 engineers, hence even the smallest detail counts on the cars they bring to the famous Monte Carlo street race

McLaren MCL32 - updated front wing McLarens latest front wing, as tested on one car only last time out in Spain, was already pretty intricate. For Monaco  where both cars are using it  they have added even more detailing, notably the three black winglets you can see on the inside rear edge of the endplate. Its hard to know how much it helped, but the team did see both drivers make Q3 for the first time this year.

Mercedes F1 W08 - front brake ducts Mercedes introduced a B-spec version of their car at the last round in Spain, modified in all areas including the brake ducts, which are very different to the ones raced previously. In Monaco you can see the cut in the big fin ahead of the inside of the front wheel, as well as an additional fin to create just a little more downforce and help clean up the airflow in this area.

Force India VJM10 - T-wing In Monaco Force India became the latest team to add a T-wing to their cars engine cover, this one featuring a distinctive three-plain design not unlike that seen on the Renault. Note also the hoop-shaped monkey-seat wing below.
Q: Our 18-year-old daughter is a month away from high school graduation, and she is failing nearly every class! About six months ago, she took up with a group of young adults who are less than desirable, to say the least. Some of them are dropouts. I suspect drugs and alcohol. The more we tried to prevent her from running with this lowly bunch, the more rebellious she became. Finally, in desperation, we took her car and her smartphone away and told her she cant have them back until she possesses a high school diploma. If she fails to graduate, she can go to summer school or get a G.E.D. from our community college. She says shes not even going to go to school at all until we give her the car and phone back. And she adamantly refuses counseling. Help!

A: A principle that every parent needs to commit to memory: If a child does the wrong thing, and parents respond with a right and proper thing, the child may keep right on doing the wrong thing anyway. I call it the Jeremiah Principle because in the eponymous book of Scripture, the Lord of Israel laments that no matter what he does, His chosen people keep right on misbehaving. Fact or myth (I simply report, you decide), the story illustrates that proper consequences do not necessarily produce proper behavior.

In my view, youve done the right thing by stripping two of her most coveted privileges from her. In so doing, youve done your best to illustrate to her that freedom and personal responsibility are the yin and yang of life (my attempt to honor diversity). You cant enjoy the former without the latter. And when I say, youve done your best, I mean theres really nothing else you can do. Im sure you already know that. You may simply be looking for a straw to grasp. Youve no doubt tried grounding her, lecturing her  the usual approaches  and things have only gotten worse. So, stop trying to find the magic straw and stay the course.

Do not give her the car and phone back until she has possession of a high school diploma with her name on it. Do not waver. Do not cave in the face of her blatant attempt to blackmail you. Stop trying to talk reason into her thick little head. Just love her and know that loving a child often involves heartache and even heartbreak. Know also, however, that far more often than not, things eventually come around and the sun comes up again in the parent-child relationship. In the meantime, the two of you should focus on enjoying the later years of your lives together.

If your daughter doesnt graduate with her class, so be it. Youve done your job. Its time for her to take over. Furthermore, she is letting you know that she is going to take over and theres nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do about it. She is doing so in a self-defeating manner, but her self-righteousness blinds her to that, and theres nothing but time and real life experience thats going to instill that insight and understanding.

By the way, the next likely ploy on her part is to promise to go to counseling if you give her car and phone back. Dont fall for that. She may be doing stupid things, but shes still capable of being as clever as the proverbial fox.




Haiti - Politics : Follow-up visit of the Hospital's work for the police





Friday morning, Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant undertook an assessment visit to the redevelopment and modernization of the Hospital Center located in Bon Repos, which will be used to provide care to agents of the Haitian National Police (PNH).



This facility will offer, among other things, trauma services and will be equipped with medical and surgical emergencies. The Prime Minister announced a substantial envelope dedicated to the acquisition of medical equipment to meet the health care needs of the police.



The Bon-Repos Hospital, whose work is 80% complete, will begin its partial operations by the end of this year, confirmed Prime Minister Lafontant during his visit.







See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20500-haiti-health-moise-on-tour-in-several-hospitals.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20492-haiti-security-moise-to-the-27th-pnh-promotion.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Geneva : The state of health of the Haitian population remains worrying





Marie Greta Roy Clement, Minister of Public Health, representing Haiti in Geneva https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21013-icihaiti-geneva-haiti-at-the-70th-session-of-the-who-general-assembly.html during the 70th session of the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) (22 to 31 May 2017) on the theme "Building Better Systems for Health in the Age of Sustainable" intervened this week in the context of the general debates, underlining that "[...] despite the great advances in technology, the good faith and the manifest desire of the different actors to change the health situation, the results remain below expectations. The state of health of the Haitian population remains worrying [...]"



Extract from the statement by the Minister of Health :



"[...] I pay tribute to the contribution of the technical and financial partners of Haiti for their presence alongside us in the implementation of national health policies.



However, despite the great technological advances, good faith and the obvious desire of the various actors to change the health situation, the results obtained are still below expectations. The state of health of the Haitian population remains worrying and challenges us all. There will need to be greater involvement in the harmonization of interventions and the use of all available resources for genuine reform of our health system.



[...]



It is also important to remember that health systems in all countries need to be strong and resilient to ensure international health security. The situation in Haiti is far from being mastered, because with the rainy season of cholera outbreaks are revived all over the country. The unfulfilled promises of some partners put us under the obligation to deal with them but with limited means. Our country will not be able to stem this scourge if the promises are not honored.



The Republic of Haiti, with the establishment of a legitimate Government, is resolutely committed to sustainable human development. This civic commitment will be made with the contribution of everyone, but also with the support of the friendly countries that are members of WHO who have always supported us in this relentless quest for 'physical, mental, economic and social well-being' as the slogan of the WHO says so well. This is a challenge that must be within our reach and we will surely succeed in raising it thanks to your support [...]"



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Economy : Laying the foundation stone of the extension of the Free Zone Lafito





Friday, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by Pierre Marie Du Meny, Minister of Trade and Industry, took part in the ceremony of laying of the foundation stone of the extension works of the Lafito Industrial Free Zone, Located in Cabaret, in the presence of, among others, the President of the Senate, Youri Latortue, representatives of the Bigio Group, representatives of the Reliable Source Industrial Company, Limited, a sportswear company based in Taipei (Taiwan), which finalizes the construction of 6 buildings of 10,000 m2 each which will create 8,000 jobs by the end of this year.



"I am here, because the State alone can not hire the millions of unemployed in the cities and rural sections of the country. The path to better living conditions for our people requires a combination of public and private sector efforts," said President Jovenel Moise. "I am here because I believe the private sector has an important role to play in the production of goods, services and above all in the creation of jobs."



Reuven Bigio, Executive Director of Bigio Group (GB Group), welcomed the willingness and determination of the Head of State to facilitate investment in Haiti. He also took the opportunity to recall that the Lafito Platform is open to all, entrepreneurs and institutions that have the will to invest and contribute to the sustainable development of Haiti.



Recall that the Lafito project which has been in operation for 2 years now, besides its world class port https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16612-icihaiti-economy-1-boat-arrives-every-2-days-in-port-lafito.html , the site of more than 400 hectares includes its own power station, a free zone and will include in the extension phase a commercial space, a medical clinic and a residential area. The Lafito project provides for the creation of 25,000 jobs during its first five years of operation.



Learn more about GB Group :

GB Group is a leading, diversified group of industrial and trading companies in the Caribbean, with operations concentrated in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and St. Maarten and offices in the United States. Comprised of 21 companies from seven different divisions including agriculture, construction, consumer goods, infrastructure, energy, logistics and trading, GB Group collaborates with more than 4,000 employees and embraces managers from more than 15 countries companywide. GB Group and its operating companies have strategic alliances and/or partnerships with some the worlds top business organizations. The companys current endeavors include the $80 million Lafito Global project, which includes Port Lafito, Haitis first Panamax port.



Located in Haiti since 1896, the GB Group is one of the largest private industrial groups in the Caribbean, with

concentrated operations in Haiti and offices in Miami, Santo Domingo and Port au Prince. With over 2,000 employees, the GB Group includes many companies [Acierie d'Haiti (ADH), les Huileries Haitiennes (HUHSA), Sodigaz, Gentel, Metalec Prometal etc...], divisions and affiliates and joint ventures operating in the 9 following industries: Agriculture (Soon) Building Materials, Consumer, Energy / Fuel Distribution, Environmental Services, Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Trade, Transport.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20810-haiti-economy-creation-of-8-000-new-jobs-in-the-textile-sector.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16317-haiti-economy-seaboard-marine-a-prestigious-client-for-port-lafito.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14398-haiti-economy-inauguration-of-the-new-world-class-port-lafito.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13535-haiti-economy-lafito-industrial-free-zone-and-port-lafito-joined-adih.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-13310-haiti-news-some-news-here-and-there.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13242-haiti-economy-port-lafito-a-historic-first.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11066-haiti-economy-port-lafito-sa-announces-strategic-alliance-with-ssa-marine.html



HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre


















It has been over 70 years since Katherine Martell sat at a desk in the Wilson Schoolhouse, and though the wooden seats have since been replaced by armchairs and sofas, the memories remain strong and clear as ever.

Every day the teacher would pick the student who did the best work that morning and let them eat lunch with her at her desk, Martell, 80, recalled. We would sneak things into her drawer sometimes, like a pickle. And she always knew who it was.

The pickle prank was just one of the many anecdotes Martell and sister Joyce Wuske, 77, shared with a group of Southern Bluffs second-graders who took a field trip to the century old building Friday afternoon. The sisters attended the school, a mix of grades one through eight presided over by a single teacher, for eight years each in the 1940s. In operation from 1917 to 1965, the Wilson Schoolhouse, now an inn, was designated as a City of La Crosse Historic Site in 1996 after being restored by owners Dick and Lisbeth Reynertson, the latter of whom volunteers in the Southern Bluffs classroom each Tuesday.

Lisbeth is always so passionate talking about the schoolhouse, said Southern Bluffs second-grade teacher Derek Fuglsang. (Visiting) just fit really well in our curriculum of studying La Crosse history. I think were not always in touch about how things were back then, and I hope (the students) see how lucky they are.

Indeed, the schoolhouse boasted few of the amenities offered in todays schools, most notably indoor plumbing, though the outdoor toilets did have their advantages, especially for the picky eaters.

There was one boy who didnt like the food and he stuffed it in his pockets, Wuske shared. We followed him out and watched him go into the (outhouse) and toss it. When he come out, his pockets were all covered in red. It was Spanish rice. The motto was, Try it, and if you dont like it, put it in the toilet.

Students had little choice for their noonday meal, as the class would prepare one large hot dish using pantry items provided by the government. Each child was responsible for bringing a slice of bread, and once a week a parent would send along lunch for everyone, usually 12 to 15 students total, often made from dried beans.

I liked hearing about the lunches, said Brenna Weeks, 8. I like how they made the food for everyone.

Weeks was also envious of the sisters close proximity to the school, which allowed them to walk each day. Back then, one student was designated as safety patroller and donned a sash while leading his classmates home. On days of inclement weather, the police would give them a lift home.

Several duties were doled out each day, from clapping erasers to washing dishes, and Wuske frequently had phone duty. With no phone on the premise, Wuske would trek to a neighboring farm house if someone was sick, and while she loved the responsibility, she recalls an unfortunate run-in with the neighbor dog. Wearing a new coat, a rare break from hand-me-downs, Wuskes energetic traipsing alarmed the canine, who proceeded to rip the coat off her back. Luckily, the neighbor mended it for Wuske before sending her back to school.

The books in the classroom were also well-worn. Every month, the teacher filled a brown suitcase with books from the public library and was able to keep the retired paperbacks. Students placed a tag on the wall for each book they read, striving to have the tallest column. Lisbeth found the reading records in the basement of the school and has it on display.

Crafts were a popular activity for students who finished their reading and lessons early. Dolls and scarves were created from the buttons and scraps found in the junk box, and Wuske still has a sock doll created by a classmate, which she showed the second graders.

Recess was another favorite free time endeavor, though in poor weather they were forced to recreate in the basement, then a dismal room with only concrete floors and a large coal furnace, nicknamed The Octopus. The furnace connected to a heat register in the center of the main floor.

We would stand over it and let our dresses billow, Martell said. We felt like we were princesses.

While Addy Roesler, 8, was intrigued by The Octopus, she said she preferred the air-conditioned comfort of her classroom at Southern Bluffs, and appreciated having a classroom just for her grade. For Martell and Wuske, however, the blend of ages was a blessing, inspiring them to become teachers themselves. The sisters took pride in helping the younger children with their schoolwork, and if they ever found themselves a bit distracted, the repetition was a life saver.

Youd hear the same lesson two, three times, Wuske said. If you didnt get it the first time, you sure got it the second time. No child left behind. Thats really how it was back then.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





4 prisoners escape

In the night from Wednesday to Thursday 25 May, 4 prisoners escaped from the custody at the Miragoane police station (Nippes department). A police operation allowed to caught 3 of them. According to the police authorities, this escape is due to the oxidation of the gates that are in front of the sea. The officials call the Nippes population to collaborate, if someone discovers an unknown in his zone, he must call the police at 509 38 04 1010.



Bosses of the textile sector go on the offensive

Bosses of the textile companies are on the offensive. Several employees were dismissed and 42 members of the GOSSTTRA-CTSP trade union were banned from entering the workplace. Union officials and employees affected by these measures announce that mobilization will continue until their demands have been met, including a daily minimum wage of 800 Gourdes.



"Haiti the land of opportunities" dixit Moise

On Friday, President Jovenel Moses, during the laying of the foundation stone for the extension of the Lafito Free Zone, said "I encourage and applaud all investors for this act of faith in Haiti, thee land of opportunities, the diamond in its raw state. This investment will create thousands of jobs for young people."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21063-haiti-economy-laying-the-foundation-stone-of-the-extension-of-the-free-zone-lafito.html



Diaspora : "Konsila Mobil" schedules

The Consulate of the Republic of Haiti in Orlando informs the Haitian Community of Central Florida that the next "Konsila Mobil" will take place on Wednesday June 7, 2017 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Haitian Evangelical Church in Jacksonville located at 507 Cassat Ave Jacksonville, FL 32254.



A second "Konsila Mobil" will be held at Fort Pierce on Thursday, June 15, 2017 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Philadelphia Church of the Nazarene at 820 Soltman Ave Fort Pierce, Florida 34950.



For further information, contact the Consular Office at : (407) 897-1262



Security : Ronsard St Cyr action plan

On Thursday, Ronsard St Cyr, Secretary of State for Public Security, unveiled at a press conference, the main lines of his action plan which he intends to implement within his mandate among others : the fight against banditry, the strengthening of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), better management of public transport, strict control of night clubs, discotheques and the sale of alcohol, and respect for human rights...



The Lamothe Foundation with farmers

The Louis G. Lamothe Foundation has distributed sweet potato cuttings, cassava and agricultural tools to several farmers in the locality of Kotdefe, in the commune of Bonbon, in the department of Grand'Anse.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Seven years ago, airlines  one in particular  were coming to blows with the OTAs. American pulled out of Orbitz and Expedia rallied behind its competitor and booted the carrier. I wrote our take on what was going on and where it was headed: Airlines vs. the World.

Now here we are in 2017 and hotels continue to ratchet up the pressure on online intermediaries, from direct booking campaigns and member-only rates to concerted lobbying efforts by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). We get asked all the time: Why now? What does it mean? And how will it play out? So here it goes:

Why now?

2015 was a watershed year. Expedia acquired Travelocity and Orbitz, effectively turning the U.S. market into a two-horse race. Between a hot mix of M&A and organic growth, Expedia Inc. and The Priceline Group (really Booking.com) combined accounted for nearly two thirds of OTA global gross bookings. Their combined share of the U.S. OTA market is well north of 90%.

Expedia acquired Travelocity and Orbitz, effectively turning the U.S. market into a two-horse race. Between a hot mix of M&A and organic growth, Expedia Inc. and The Priceline Group (really Booking.com) combined accounted for nearly two thirds of OTA global gross bookings. Their combined share of the U.S. OTA market is well north of 90%. The OTAs are crushing it. They are growing much faster than the U.S. hotel market. In fact, 2016 was the first year when OTA lodging bookings in the U.S. exceeded total hotel website gross bookings. And they're growing even faster overseas in the more fragmented hotel markets of Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Such aggregation of demand among two major players means enormous leverage at the negotiating table.

Dive Deep in the Hotel Distribution Debate with Europe's Biggest Names in Online Accommodation at Phocuswright Europe

We've assembled an unmatched collection of influential industry executives and innovators. Hear from the leaders in online accommodation and how they are transforming travel across Europe, only at Phocuswright Europe starting tomorrow.

Hotels vs. the (OTA) World | By Douglas Quinby Photo by Phocuswright

The Seeds of Discontent. Hotels serve several masters, but chief among them are owners. All owners ask a fundamental question: Why affiliate with a brand? The answer, of course, is obvious: to bring in more demand and more revenue. The rapid growth of OTAs has many hotels rethinking those calculations. Why pay fees to the brands and still pay more commission to OTAs as their contribution grows? We think that's the wrong way to think. Calculating the total cost of customer acquisition  and retention  is no simple task for hotels. But it needs to be done. OTA costs cannot be viewed in isolation. Is paying Google, TripAdvisor and other meta sites to drive customers to brand websites so much cheaper when all other costs are factored in? Is that even possible in today's increasingly costly search marketplace? Hence why some brands are betting the farm on loyalty and apps. Will it work? Well 

Hotels serve several masters, but chief among them are owners. All owners ask a fundamental question: Why affiliate with a brand? The answer, of course, is obvious: to bring in more demand and more revenue. The rapid growth of OTAs has many hotels rethinking those calculations. Why pay fees to the brands and still pay more commission to OTAs as their contribution grows? Are the direct booking campaigns working? Well, sort of. There appears to be some positive lift for the big brands that have implemented them. But they don't seem to have slowed OTA growth either. This may not be a zero-sum game, except 

Well, sort of. There appears to be some positive lift for the big brands that have implemented them. But they don't seem to have slowed OTA growth either. This may not be a zero-sum game, except  The cost of those campaigns is high. Owners as well as brands are footing the bill, and not all is quiet on the Western front. In addition, these programs will not fundamentally drive those coveted but less brand-loyal millennials into the loyalty fold. Millennials are price sensitive, favor choice and have a penchant for boutique and alternative accommodation experiences. In addition, the extreme price focus of these campaigns risks reducing the value of the loyalty program to price. We wonder what it changes in the hotel website vs. OTA competitive dynamic.

Owners as well as brands are footing the bill, and not all is quiet on the Western front. In addition, these programs will not fundamentally drive those coveted but less brand-loyal millennials into the loyalty fold. Millennials are price sensitive, favor choice and have a penchant for boutique and alternative accommodation experiences. In addition, the extreme price focus of these campaigns risks reducing the value of the loyalty program to price. We wonder what it changes in the hotel website vs. OTA competitive dynamic. OTAs are channels, but they are also marketplaces. The hotel market is fragmented. Hotels that do not compete aggressively on price risk being out done by competing hotels.

What about the monopoly-duopoly assertion by the hotel lobby?

It depends on how you define the marketplace. We at Phocuswright talk about OTAs as a marketplace from a strategic perspective, but not a legal one in terms of consumer choice. In the U.S., OTAs account for just 22% of hotel gross bookings, and even less if the lodging market is expansive enough to include rentals and the likes of Airbnb. (Hint: consumers already do.) Travelers have many options, online and off, besides Expedia and Priceline.

We at Phocuswright talk about OTAs as a marketplace from a strategic perspective, but not a legal one in terms of consumer choice. In the U.S., OTAs account for just 22% of hotel gross bookings, and even less if the lodging market is expansive enough to include rentals and the likes of Airbnb. (Hint: consumers already do.) Travelers have many options, online and off, besides Expedia and Priceline. OTAs don't set retail prices. A central tenet of a monopoly is the ability of the monopoly entity to set pricing. But it is the hotels that set pricing, based on their revenue management practices, competitive pricing strategies, forecasted demand, etc. OTAs may set commission and contracting terms, but not pricing.

How will this all play out?

Hotel direct booking will grow, but so will OTAs , and independents and boutiques will continue to benefit. The key question is how long the chains and owners will hold out  and whether they can convert those new program members into long-term, higher-yielding brand loyalists.

, and independents and boutiques will continue to benefit. The key question is how long the chains and owners will hold out  and whether they can convert those new program members into long-term, higher-yielding brand loyalists. The big brands face a bigger threat  the fundamental shift in consumer accommodation choice.You've heard it all before: private accommodation, boutique hotels, authentic local experiences. Today's and tomorrow's travelers want something more, and the big brands of the future need to reinvent their portfolio today. Some are further along with this than others.

And one more thing. In case you missed the latest earnings call from IAC/British Airways, the gauntlet has been thrown on distribution costs in the world of flights too. Lufthansa's bold experiment in distribution fees is taking hold, and it's likely other airlines will join. There have also been rumblings of U.S. carriers rethinking their distribution approaches as well.

So buckle in. This is going to get interesting.

View source
Engaged Employees: How Diversity Improves Workplace Morale

Posted by Rachelle Wilber on Wednesday, 07-29-2015 3:58 pm

Currently 3.1/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 3.1 from 47 votes

According to recent research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), diversity training can improve not only workplace morale, but also creativity and productivity. Below explains five ways that diversity improves workplace morale. Individual Validation The essence of diversity is about openly recognizing and accepting others. Therefore, when employees are aware and sensitive to each others background, people will feel validated and accepted. In addition to this, they will feel comfortable with being able to express themselves and share their opinions and life experiences. As a result, employees morale will improve. Productivity Increase A workforce that is positively engaged with each other will increase business productivity. A diverse workforce is not only able to efficiently work together, they are able to more effectively meet the needs of their customers. As a result of diversity, employees offer improved benefits to customers, such as language skills, cross-cult...

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
Naples Institute is First in U.S. to Offer Certification Programs for New International Standard for Collaboration

Posted by Press Releases on Sunday, 05-28-2017 11:37 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

ICLI will be global center of excellence for trust-based leaders leveraging the new ISO 44001 standard for Collaborative Business Management.The International Collaborative Leadership Institute (ICLI) based in Naples, Fla. announced today it has become the first educational entity in the U.S. to develop a complete range of programs and assessments for organizations who want to attain World Class certification in Collaborative Business Management. ICLIs programs in Collaborative Excellence are designed to support organizations seeking to meet standard 44001 recently announced March 27, 2017 by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland. This standard marks the first time there has been a common global framework which can be used to facilitate joint strategies and coordinated operations across and within organizations.The ISOs standard 44001 provides universal frameworks, standardized terminology, and assessments for collaborative engagement. The standard e...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Burma Govt: Peace Conference to End Without Good Result

State counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi leaves the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee meeting in Naypyidaw on Sunday, May 28, 2017. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYIDAW  The second session of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference is likely to end without major agreement after the issue of non-secession from the Union caused a deadlock, according to a government spokesperson.

The State Counselors office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told reporters on Sunday that the issue of committing to remaining in the Union had been heatedly debated at the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) meeting between the government, the military, and nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)-signatory ethnic armed groups.

The ethnic armed groups do not want to include the commitment of non-secession [among the basic principals] said U Zaw Htay.

State Counselor and UPDJC chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi headed negotiations on the 41 basic federal principlesencompassing political, economic, social, security, and land and environment sectorsyet to be agreed by the three parties at the most recent Union Peace Conference in Naypyidaw.

Due to the impasse, the conference has been extended until Monday. It was originally planned for just five days from May 24 to28.

The UPDJC will present the basic principles which have been agreed upon during the tripartite talks to the 700 delegates of conferenceincluding ethnic armed group, civil society, parliament, military, government, and international representativeson Monday.

Despite the State Counselor holding a closed door meeting with the Tatmadaw on Saturday afternoon as well as Sundays tripartite talks, the impasse was not overcome.

U Zaw Htay said: Some groups could not pledge non-secession from the Union, thus, we could not agree to principles of groups having their own state constitution nor self-determination.

As we could not agree upon on this issue, we decided not to continue discussion [on this issue] during this conference, he added.

Khun Myint Tun, chairman of NCA-signatory the PaO Nationalities Liberation Organization, said everyone has the attitude of non-secession from the Union, but all, including the Tatmadaws generals, were raised with the idea that the federal principles include the freedom to leave.

We, the ethnic people, never said that we would or will separate from the union, thus the term does not need to be added in the basic principles.

Instead of urging separation, we need to think of a more positive term for further collaboration, Khun Myint Tun said.

Discussion about building a federal state and proposing an amendment to Burmas 1947 constitution to ensure the equality and implementation of the 1947 Panglong Agreementthat ensures secession from the state if ethnic groups so wantedwere widely conducted in 1961-1962, before Burma fell under a military coup in March 1962.

The term federal was effectively banned for almost half a century under the military regime. The term has become widely used again since Burmas transition from military to civilian rule over the last six years ago.

The term non-secession from the state was added to the principles to prevent the concerns of the public, the Tatmadaw and the government said U Zaw Htay on Sunday, referring that the term secession being frequently used at peace conferences.

He said, what [we] want is commitment on non-secession. This commitment on non-secession has been added to put away these concerns.

Lt-Col Sai Ngern of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S), told The Irrawaddy on Friday that by signing the NCA text, the signatory groups had demonstrated trust in what are referred to as the statesand previously the military regimesThree Main (National) Causes: non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty.

Therefore, the lieutenant colonel argued that there is no more need to include the term non-secession from the Union.

On Thursday, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy party also expressed concern in its statement that the term seems to represent worry on the part of the state, rather than a pragmatic solution.

The party said in its statement that inclusion of the term is also the opposite of the first Panglong agreement in 1947, to which the late Gen Aung San and ethnic Chin, Kachin and Shan leaders had agreed.

Dr. Aye Maung of the Arakan National Party echoed these sentiments and said that all negotiators must be ready to compromise.

This 21st Century Panglong must not trample the 20th Century Panglong [in 1947], he said.

U Zaw Htay said the government, the Tatmadaw and parliament representatives have a common perspective on the issue. But, we are not succeeding, and we sadly have to leave this issue behind.

But the spokesman said 12 out of the 21 basic principles for the political sector had been agreed upon.
Reddit Email 211 Shares

Special Correspondent | (Mosul) | (Niqash.org) |  

NIQASHs Mosul correspondent left the city shortly after the extremist Islamic State group took over. But most of his family remained. After 34 months, he returned home. This is what he found.

When I left Mosul on July 1, 2014  fearing for my life because I was a journalist  I never imagined that I wouldnt be able to return until this month. Shortly before I left I wrote another story in June of that year, about taking a stroll around the city a week after the Islamic State group took it over. I never thought it would take this long to come back and take another walk.

For more than two and a half years Mosul has been isolated from the rest of Iraq, as the extremists from the Islamic State drew the borders of their so-called Caliphate around my city in blood. But now, almost all of the city has been liberated from their brutal presence.

Through the windows of the taxi I am taking from Baghdad, I notice there are many more checkpoints all along the 400-kilometre road home. It is no longer enough to slow the car for the speed bumps and nod or salute the soldiers, then just continue your journey. Instead, the cars are stopped and many questions are asked. People returning to Mosul have to answer them all before being allowed back into their city. We saw long queues of people waiting for the soldiers to check their names.

Also around us as we walk, are the corpses of the extremist fighters. Nobody seems to care about them. Sometimes I see passersby curse these dead men.

At our usual roadside stop in Baiji, around 200 kilometres north of Baghdad, I got my first real shock. The area was so badly damaged. There was nothing there anymore. All the people had left and Iraqs largest oil refinery was almost destroyed.

We kept driving and as we neared Mosul, old fears of the Islamic State group started to come back to me. I kept thinking of the way the extremists used to attack military convoys and civilian vehicles in the desert areas outside of the city and outside of the control of the Iraqi army, even before the group took control of the city.

Our driver began to navigate more cautiously here, avoiding the holes caused by explosions and burnt out scraps of vehicles and tires.

Finally, we get to the outskirts of Mosul. The taxi driver changes his route in order to avoid the ongoing fighting in certain parts of the city and we join a long queue of cars waiting in front of the floating bridge, one of the only ways to get across the Tigris river.

As we crossed that bridge, south of the city, I began to feel dizzy. The whole time I had been forced to live outside of my hometown and away from my family, who had remained in Mosul and who had been in danger for over two years, I had tried to be patient. I had hoped that one day I would return, that I would be the winner. Now here I am, so close.

As I get out of the taxi I just spent seven hours in, I can still hear the sounds of fighting. I am still standing next to war. Nothing separates me from this but the river. And I was not just here because I was curious. My mother and father and my brothers had miraculously survived and this is where they are staying.

I cried when I saw them again. Just as I had lived, hanging onto my patience, for 34 months I had also lived with the fear of losing them  like so many others have lost their families. I can see the impact of this war etched on their faces and their bodies. You hear about the humanitarian disaster that Daesh [the colloquial name used for the Islamic State group] caused but you can see it so much more clearly if you look at the faces of the survivors.

When I looked at one of my relatives, I didnt even recognize him at first. Nothing was the same about his face except his nose and his teeth. He had lost at least 20 kilos and he was as pale as a corpse. He was scaring me.

What is wrong with you?, I asked him. Why are you laughing?

And he laughed more and almost shouted: We survived a war! There is no more Daesh. Is this actually true? Look at my children. Theyre eating chocolate!

We gather around the dinner table to eat. One of the kids starts shouting: Chicken. Chicken. He seems surprised to see it. The other child points at a plate of salad and asks me what it is. He had not seen anything like this while the city was under the control of Daesh and he seems to think it is some kind of miracle.

I didnt want to leave Mosul without seeing our family house. I had grown up there, and spent 30 years of my life in those rooms. So five days after we heard that Daesh had been forced out of our old neighbourhood, I went there. It is risky and it takes me three hours to make a journey that used to take 15 minutes.

I pass through a number of checkpoints and cross the floating bridge again. I travelled in civilian cars and also hitched a ride with some military vehicles but at a certain stage I had to walk, because no vehicles were allowed further into the area. Our old neighbourhood is still classified as a battle zone because its still very close to ongoing fighting.

There was a lot of black smoke and I can hear the sound of gunfire and mortars. Planes and helicopters are flying overhead and I keep ducking involuntarily. But I am determined to continue.

One man who is going in the opposite direction warns me that there are still a lot of improvised explosive devices in this area, deliberately set by Daesh to kill or wound the military and returning civilians.

I keep going but I walk very carefully following in the paths of others. When I get to our neighbourhood and see the devastation I feel a renewed sense of shock. So much is gone. I am with a friend and three houses next to his were levelled. Others are beyond repair. Most of the private cars owned here have been crushed by military bulldozers  Daesh had forced locals to put their cars in the middle of the street in order to block the Iraqi armys advance.

My neighbourhood is like a patient who has just come out of surgery for the removal of a malignant tumour and is still hallucinating from the drugs they were given. Everything is sad. Everything makes me feel like crying.

Also around us as we walk, are the corpses of the extremist fighters. Nobody seems to care about them though. Pedestrians just block their noses as they go by. Sometimes I see them curse these dead men: They deceived you and promised you heaven and virgins but now youre just lying here, dead, and soon you will be thrown into the garbage.

Nearer my own familys house, a policeman checks my ID and then comes with me to the building. You should be careful because the house might still have bombs inside, he says. Yesterday a civilian was killed when he opened the front door. Daesh have put booby traps everywhere.

Feeling extremely anxious, I enter the house. I knew security forces had searched the building but every time I open a door, I panic that something is going to explode. One of the most unforgettable things I see is under the concrete stairs: It was here that my parents and brothers had been hiding, living in the safest place they could find during the fighting.

Under the stairs were dirty dishes from the last meal they ate before deciding to flee in the direction of the Iraqi military. I wonder if they will ever want to return here. Again, it makes me sad.

I hear so many terrible stories while I am in Mosul. And on the way back to safer parts of the city, it becomes clear to me that the ghost of Daesh wont leave my city for a long time. We are in a car and there is music playing. Stop, my friend cries out, trembling with fear. Turn off the music, quickly. They are coming!

Then he stopped, he blushed. He had seen a car that looked like the cars that Daesh used when they were patrolling the city enforcing their rules, such as the one that forbids music. That was so painful for me to see. I wont forget that.

Via Niqash.org



Related video added by Juan Cole:

CGTN:  Iraqi forces launch operation to retake final ISIL enclave in Mosul
Reddit Email 156 Shares

Simon Mabon | (The Conversation) |  

The bombing of Manchester Arena on May 22 struck the very heart of British society. It was a horrific, direct assault on the innocent and the vulnerable. Many of the victims were children and young people, with their whole lives ahead of them, who had gone to listen to the music of Ariana Grande, an event that many had spent months looking forward to. Such gigs are a daily occurrence across the UK and the West and music plays an important role in everyday lives.

But what of those young people whose lives do not include access to music, or education? What of those directly affected by war or political turmoil? In Syria, 11m people have been displaced from their homes and a whole generation have had their lives destroyed by the conflict.

Similar stories can be found in neighbouring Iraq and Lebanon, in Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and Bahrain. Under these conditions, it is increasingly difficult for people to live lives shaped by the structures those in the West recognise. Ensuring that basic human rights are met is nigh on impossible. The right to education, for instance, is one of the first casualties of war and with the destruction of state infrastructure, schools are lost, too  along with the opportunities and hope they offer.

The 14th-century Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldoun said this:

Politics is concerned with the administration of home or city in accordance with ethical and philosophical requirements, for the purpose of directing the mass toward a behaviour that will result in the preservation and permanence of the (human) species.

His words still ring true today. Writing before such luminaries as Thomas Hobbes, Khalduns vision of politics and political organisation retains contemporary relevance  and it is easy to see why. To suggest that politics is driven by existential concerns about the preservation and permanence of the species appears intuitive. Yet what are the ramifications if politics fails?

Failed states

States, by their very nature, are projects of exclusion. They define who is a citizen and, conversely, who is not. Such divisions are constructed then performed on a regular basis, in a range of different ways, from voting to singing national anthems. Of course, other identities exist which can be equally exclusionary, be they based around ethnicity, religion, gender, class, location or a number of other factors. When such identities are subject to change there are undeniably serious repercussions.

A lack of confidence in state structures is certainly one such source of frustration. Across the Middle East, states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia have traditionally sought to address unemployment by creating jobs within the public sector. Yet with huge demographic growth across the Middle East where populations have increased by 53% between 1991 and 2010  and challenging economic situations  their ability to bring people into the public sector was reduced.

Additionally, drought and other environmental factors have resulted in widespread migration from rural communities to urban centres, itself posing further challenges. Across the region, a relatively young population  15- to 29-year-olds make up 28% of the Middle Easts population and in Arab countries, 60% of people are under 25  is facing a challenging and deeply uncertain future.

Rapid demographic change in the region means that by 2020 it is estimated that more than 350m people will be living in countries deemed vulnerable to conflict. By 2050, it is estimated that this number will reach 700m. If so, the ability to regulate and protect life will be increasingly challenged. Moreover, changing demographics put additional pressure on state structures to meet basic needs, to provide education and health care across a number of different states.

An Arab Human Development Report from 2016 correctly stressed that the events of 2011 and their ramifications are the outcome of public policies over many decades that gradually led to the exclusion of large sectors of the population from economic, political and social life.

Many have bemoaned the failure of academics and policy makers to predict the Arab Uprisings, but the data was there. The warning signs were clear. Demographics were changing, people were increasingly angry, and a catalyst  the self immolation of Mohammad Bouazizzi  was the trigger that caused many to take to the streets in protest.

The rise of anger

Anger is not the sole reason for individuals to resort to violence. Nor is it the sole factor in causing radicalisation. But it is an important factor. Anger is an understandable consequence of states failure to meet basic needs. In the Middle East, tens of millions of youths have been left without opportunities and are facing grim futures. This disillusioned demographic is fertile ground for radicals.

But anger can also be triggered by the interference in the region by external states and we should not ignore the role of our own foreign policy in this, whether it is in Afghanistan, Syria or Libya. The legacy of colonialism in the Middle East is not restricted to academic or historical debates. People continue to feel aggrieved by it.

Of course, we can still see the terrible effects of the 2003 Iraq war, but the escalation of events in Libya, Syria and Yemen, resulting in humanitarian crises not seen since World War II has, in part, been brought about by Western (in)action. The absence of any sound plan following the toppling of the Ghaddafi regime created space for militias to gain power and commit violence across Libya.

Meanwhile, Western flip-flopping in Syria empowered the Assad regime, which facilitated the deaths, displacement and torture of millions. Anger created by these factors is not the sole cause of the Manchester attack, but it can help to explain why Islamic State narratives find traction.

The French political theorist Michel Foucault once spoke of the boomerang effects between coloniser and colony  and it is easy to see how, in todays global world, what happens in the Middle East can have implications for us elsewhere.

Simon Mabon, Lecturer in International Relations, Lancaster University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

TRT: terrorism & economic growth
For months, pundits and political advisers have tried to figure out what Trumponomics really stands for. Even President Trump himself struggled to characterize it, saying, It really has to do with self-respect as a nation.

Now that we have the presidents budget in hand, we have a more definitive answer: Trumponomics  like Ryanonomics  is based on the principle that living in poverty doesnt suck quite enough. That is, more people would be motivated to become rich if only being poor werent so much fun.

Presidential budgets should be read as statements of political ideology, not determinations for what will ultimately become law. (Congress, after all, does the appropriating.) In this case, the political ideology is reflected in major cuts to anti-poverty programs and the social safety net, all in the name of not discourag[ing] able-bodied adults from working. And so, with the compassionate goal of making the poor a little less comfortable and a little more motivated, this budget savages nearly every anti-poverty program you can imagine.

Were no longer going to measure compassion by the number of programs or the number of people on those programs, but by the number of people we help get off of those programs, said Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, describing massive safety-net program cuts that would not help people get off safety net programs so much as eject them violently and immediately, regardless of where they land.

Under the proposed budget, Medicaid loses $610 billion during the next decade, which the administration suggests is on top of the $839 billion expected to be cut from Medicaid by the American Health Care Act. That means Medicaid funding would be cut nearly in half by 2028.

The budget not only slashes funding for food stamps by $191 billion during the next decade  that is, by more than a quarter  but also proposes charging retailers a new fee if they want to accept food stamps from customers. Seems like a good way to discourage grocers from even participating in the program, so food stamp recipients lives can get a little less convenient.

Trump proposes to eliminate funding for lots of other programs. These include before- and after-school programs for poor students; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps poor people pay for heat; Community Development Block Grants (which help fund Meals on Wheels, homeless services, blight removal and other initiatives); and the Energy Departments Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps low-income families increase the energy efficiency of their homes.

The administration would hobble if not zero out lots of other programs too, such as rental assistance programs that help 4.5 million very low-income, disabled and elderly Americans afford housing, in order to encourage work and self-sufficiency.

Note that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has similarly argued that subsidized housing should not provide a comfortable setting that would make somebody want to say: Ill just stay here. They will take care of me. Apparently one way to achieve this goal is to throw people out of affordable housing altogether.

Perversely, this budget also includes lots of cuts to job-training and other programs that help people acquire human capital and improve their employment prospects  again, in the name of encouraging people to become self-sufficient and find jobs on their own.

Funding for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act job training and employment service programs, for example, would fall 39 percent next year. The federal work-study program gets slashed in half. So much for the Republican fetishization of working ones way through college.

Or compassionate conservatism, for that matter.
Reddit Email 1K Shares

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Trump bombed at the G7 summit in Italy. Despite an intense discussion with Germany, France and the others, who made it clear as sunshine that they wanted the US to meet its Paris Climate obligations, Trump refused to join in the issuance of a joint statement on the issue.

The communique on climate change said,

Understanding this process, the heads of state and of government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission reaffirm their strong commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement.

The US, obviously, is missing.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is quoted as saying, The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying.

Worse, Axios is reporting that close associates of Trump are saying that he has decided to pull out of the Paris Agreement.

This move would open the US to punitive tariffs, and possibly lawsuits, as well as boycotts (affecting tourism and investment). Worse, it will make it impossible for the world to keep global warming to 2 degrees C./ 3.6 degrees F.

Trump managed to infuriate India by blaming it for inaction on climate. Actually India just cancelled a big batch of planned coal plants and is implementing solar and wind like crazy, with carbon emissions reductions far more ambitious than those of the US.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, a citizens lawsuit against Exxon-Mobil for for violations at its Baytown facility just prevailed.

-

Related video:

AP: After G7, Trump Views on Climate Evolving
Highlights: The drill program has been extended to 6,100 meters which will be complete by mid-October Drilling to date has focused on targets within the Shenkman, ZamZam, Mystery and 1010 Zones. The Shenkman Zone has the potential to deliver high-metal factor intercepts as seen in 2012... Read More
President Moon Jae-in pets his dog, Maru, during his visit to his private home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on a day off, May 22. Maru was brought to Cheong Wa Dae Thursday to become the "first dog." / Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae



By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in with his cat, Jjingjjingi, at Cheong Wa Dae / Courtesy of Moon Jae-in's Twitter

President Moon Jae-in's dog and cat have come to Cheong Wa Dae, becoming the "first pets."

Moon announced the arrival of his dog Maru at his residence within the presidential office compound via Twitter, Saturday. His cat, Jjingjjingi, had come earlier.

"After Jjingjjingi, I brought Maru from my private home in Yangsan. The separated family members have been reunited," he said.

Maru, eight, is a Pungsan dog, a native Korean breed, which Moon has kept at his private home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. When Moon moved into Cheong Wa Dae after his election victory, the family worried about whether the old dog could adapt to the new environment. They brought the dog to Seoul Thursday after having him undergo a checkup.

While most former presidents had dogs at Cheong Wa Dae, Jjingjjingi is the first "first cat."

"Jjingjjingi does not go out as she is unfamiliar with the new environment. She clings to me and does not let go when I watch TV," Moon wrote on Twitter along with photos.

Moon's aides said he likes the two animals very much and has a habit of talking to them for a long time when he is drunk.

The family will have one more member as Moon is going through a process to adopt an abandoned dog named Tory. During the election campaign, he promised to adopt the black dog, which had been rescued from an abusive owner by an animal rights group two years ago but had not been adopted because of prejudice against black dogs.

Cheong Wa Dae plans to make a social media account for the first pets soon to let people know how they are doing.
A group of nine senior high school students from the Kinlani Boardertown Dorm are hoping to bring their solution to the possible 2019 closure of the Navajo Generating Station to the public at the National Energy Education Development Youth Energy Conference in Washington, D.C. in June. But they need help getting to the conference.

The students learned about the possible early closure of NGS from the news. They decided to use the issue as topic for their NEED Native American Energy Advocates Project.

Its a problem for Page and the Navajo nation, said Shayla Naswood, one of the students.

The closure of the plant represents the loss of around 800 jobs at the plant and the nearby coal mine that supplies the plant with fuel. Most of those jobs are held by people who live in the Navajo or Hopi nations.

Naswood said the students focused on solutions that would provide both jobs and energy for the nations on a longer-term basis and would be more environmentally friendly.

The students worked on their project in their free time after school and on early release Wednesdays, said Anderson. Seniors at the dorm always try to find a project that they can work on during their senior year, a kind of capstone project to polish off their high school years. Students who live at Kinlani Dorm come from tribes all over Northern Arizona. Free time is very rare at the dorm. Students who live there have a schedule of chores and study time they have to follow during the week and many make the trip back to their homes on the weekend.

The students had to submit a detailed plan about how they would research the project, teach others and find the best solution environmentally, economically and politically for the problem.

Finding the political part of the solution was the hardest part, said Rachel Yazzie.

A mix of solar, wind and coal seemed to be the best, said Aleesha Begay. The plant could use wind and solar to generate power during the day and coal at night. The construction and operation of the wind and solar part of the plant would protect some jobs that might be lost with the closure of the plant. Theyre still working on their solution for the closure of NGS, because the situation keeps changing, she said.

They also wanted to learn about energy and become energy advocates for Native American people because a number of Native American lands have rich energy resources, like the coal and uranium found on the Navajo and Hopi lands. Theres about 250 years of coal left on Navajo and Hopi lands, Shania Atene said.

Our dream was to learn about energy and how to use it wisely, she said. We believe energy education can benefit all of our lives.

The students used the information they learned about energy sources and renewable energy to teach elementary school students and their high school peers. They made a model wind turbine and held a debate over which energy sources were best.

They collected information on NGS and other power plants and put together a binder listing the trends in the use of energy sources, costs and environmental problems caused by energy sources. They talked with county, state and federal level experts and politicians about NGS and what its closure might mean.

Their project ended up being selected as NEEDs National Special Project of the Year, earning the team a $3,000 stipend to the NEED Youth Energy Conference and Awards in Washington, D.C.

But $3,000 doesnt go far in planning a trip for nine students to Washington, D.C. said student advisor Vicki Anderson. The students are trying to raise additional funds to get themselves to the conference. People wanting to donate to the students can call Theresa Boone-Schuler at Kinlani Dorm at (928) 774-5279, ext. 202.
There is a noteworthy project going on right now to celebrate and, more importantly, learn from the 14-year term of Gov. Tommy G. Thompson. The project called Tommy@30 includes an academic conference that was held on May 23 in Madison, a gala on September 18 in Milwaukee and a 90-minute documentary.

There is, of course, a lot of nostalgia and walks down memory lane that are a part of this effort, but there is also a tremendous amount of learning that can come from studying the term of the longest-serving governor in Wisconsins history. Thirty years after Gov. Thompson was first elected seems like an appropriate amount of time to be able to assess the effects of some of his signature policies. The academic portion of this effort should not be undersold.

As a person who advocates for sound transportation planning and policy, I was excited to hear about this project. Providing a transportation vision for Wisconsin was certainly one of the hallmarks of the Thompson administration.

Mobility 2000 was an ambitious plan for every mode of transportation in Wisconsin that a tremendously popular governor, beginning his second term, threw his energy and political capital behind. At the official unveiling of Mobility 2000 on April 20, 1991, Gov. Thompson laid out his vision: Today I am pleased to unveil a comprehensive initiative that addresses the transportation needs and challenges critical to Wisconsins continued economic success.

A key component of Mobility 2000 was Thompsons plan to improve the highway connections under what he called Corridors 2020. The governor went on, This comprehensive approach to transportation began in 1988 when I proposed the Corridors 2020 initiative  the plan for a 3,400-mile network of upgraded quality highways connecting our economic center to global markets. This program also created the Local Road Improvement Program to assist local governments struggling to upgrade their roads.

Gov. Thompson ultimately got his vision passed and implemented along with the funding to pay for it. The results of this incredible undertaking are well documented.

The Tommy@30 project is specifically concentrating on three signature issues: welfare reform, school choice reform and job creation. While transportation isnt specifically broken out, it is obvious an effective transportation plan is a building block for job creation.

Between 1990-2001, 88 percent of all new and expanded manufacturing facilities chose to locate within five miles of a Corridors 2020 highway.

Businesses knew what the plan was and under what schedule it was going to be implemented, and they responded. They located where they could efficiently move their products. They created jobs. And economies across Wisconsin flourished.

Today, Wisconsin desperately needs a transportation vision for the next 30 years. The level of uncertainty as a result of lurching from one transportation budget to the next is eroding gains made in other areas.

Gov. Thompson was able to sell his vision to a Legislature controlled by Democrats. Today, we have the same party controlling all three branches of government, and we cant seem to come to any agreement on a long-term vision for transportation. That needs to change.

It is time to set politics aside. The untapped opportunities a coherent transportation plan can unleash are just as great as they were in 1991. As Gov. Thompson always declared, Wisconsin is still the place where eagles soar and Harleys roar.

Thank you, Gov. Thompson. Lets take a page from this project and come together on a vision for Wisconsins transportation network.
Los Angeles, CA Caregivers who have been denied Caregivers who have been denied California overtime for years may finally have their rights upheld, thanks to an overtime lawsuit filed by the LA City Attorney. And birth tourism workers are following suit.

Last September, Senate Bill 105 gave domestic workers, including caregivers, permanent overtime protections in the state of California. This bill enforces minimum wage and protect immigrant workers from wage theft. Some employers, however, are still exploiting workers, as evidenced by new overtime claims such as a lawsuit filed by birth tourism workers. But this recent overtime lawsuit involving about 200 caregivers, mainly Filipinos, might put such employers on notice.The overtime lawsuit, filed by LA City Attorney Mike Feuer against homecare provider Emelyn Nishi and her companies Health Alliance Nurses Corp. and Hand Homecare Provider, Inc., alleges wage theft over the past four years. The caregivers claim they were paid from $100 to $125 per shift (24-hour in-home care services), or about $5.50 per hour. But the companies were charging up to $250 per day to their clientspatients and families. Nishi likely has deep pockets, which will be required to pay overtime violations.The lawsuit also alleges that Nishi and other defendants instructed caregivers to falsify their time records to avoid paying overtime and constantly threatened to fire them; the caregivers were prohibited from discussing rates with clients; and they were misclassified as independent contractors to avoid paying federal and state payroll taxes.Today, with this [caregiver overtime lawsuit] case, we are seeing our rights becoming a reality. Today we see the dignity of home care workers being upheld and uplifted, PWC Executive Director Aquilina Versoza said at a press conference, as reported by the(May 10, 2016). Feuer said that stealing wages from hardworking men and women is reprehensible. No worker should be forced into poverty because an employer denies them their basic rights to a minimum wage and overtime. My office will aggressively combat wage theft and fight to ensure all workers are paid what the law demands.Birth Tourism is big business in California. Mostly pregnant Chinese women travel here to give birth so their babies will instantly have US citizenship, as per the 14th Amendment. Dubbed Maternity Hotel California bythere are up to 60,000 tourist births from China alone. And many of these women come to the Xin Xi Du Month Center.According to(May 5, 2017), a lawsuit filed by caretakers employed by the alleged birth tourism center cites unfair wages and working conditions. The caretakers provided all of the services and care necessary to support the pregnant women before and after the birth of the children, according to the lawsuit. Services included cooking and cleaning, providing rides to medical providers and shopping malls, and attending to other emergency and special needs. The caretakers have filed for unpaid overtime, claiming they worked seven days a week for at least 10 hours each day without breaks.Perhaps this lawsuit will expose illegal birth tourism and send a message to China: not only are Fiona Chan and Jeff Zhang, Xin Xi Du Month Center owners, in trouble. Pregnant women can face federal charges if they use fraud or deception to obtain a visa so that their child can be born on American soil.
Ameriprise Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services to individual and institutional clients in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Advice & Wealth Management, Asset Management, Retirement & Protection Solutions, and Corporate & Other. The Advice & Wealth Management segment provides financial planning and advice; brokerage products and services for retail and institutional clients; discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory accounts; mutual funds; insurance and annuities products; cash management and banking products; and face-amount certificates. The Asset Management segment offers investment management and advice, and investment products to retail, high net worth, and institutional clients through unaffiliated third-party financial institutions and institutional sales force. This segment products also include U.S. mutual funds and their non-U.S. equivalents, exchange-traded funds, variable product funds underlying insurance, and annuity separate accounts; and institutional asset management products, such as traditional asset classes, separately managed accounts, individually managed accounts, collateralized loan obligations, hedge funds, collective funds, and property and infrastructure funds. The Retirement & Protection Solutions segment provides variable annuity products to individual clients, as well as life and DI insurance products to retail clients. The company was formerly known as American Express Financial Corporation and changed its name to Ameriprise Financial, Inc. in September 2005. Ameriprise Financial, Inc. was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sadly, shamefully, disgustingly, it has come to this: A Montana candidate for Congress was charged Wednesday evening with assaulting a reporter who was asking him a question about the American Health Care Act.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported Thursday morning that U.S. House candidate Greg Gianforte, a Republican, was charged with misdemeanor assault for what witnesses and the reporter involved said was an unwarranted attack.

Ben Jacobs of The Guardian, who has reported for weeks on the states close race for its only House seat, tweeted that Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses.

Gianfortes campaign issued its own statement, claiming Jacobs had entered an office where a TV taping was being set up, aggressively shoved a recorder in Gregs face, and began asking badgering questions. The statement claimed that both men fell to the floor in a struggle over Jacobs cellphone, and that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene.

Too bad for that set of alternative facts that several witnesses  including a Fox News television crew  were on hand to dispute them.

A Fox News reporter wrote that Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him ... I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top of the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of Im sick and tired of this!

(Gianforte was elected Thursday, and during his victory speech, issued an apology for his actions.)

Three of Montanas major newspapers, The Billings Gazette, The Missoulian and The Helena Independent Record (sister papers of the La Crosse Tribune), quickly got sick and tired of Gianforte: By Thursday morning, on the day of the states special congressional election, all three rescinded their endorsements of the GOP candidate.

We all should be sick and tired of attacks on journalists in recent weeks, from this Montana mess to a manhandling of a reporter by security guards after an FCC hearing, to the arrest of a public radio reporter in the West Virginia statehouse.

The incidents have much in common: The journalists were asking questions of public officials or candidates for office, outside the staged, controlled environments of news conferences. In each case, the journalists were labeled aggressors by those they were attempting to question.

Many defenders of a free press see all three incidents flowing from the stridently anti-press tone set by President Trump, both in office and on the campaign trail. He has called journalists enemies of the people, and on occasion verbally abused specific reporters at rallies and news conferences. The Gianforte spokesperson took pains to label Jacobs as a liberal journalist, continuing the candidates anti-press stance through a campaign that has drawn comparisons to Trumps. In an effort to give Gianforte a boost in Montanas close congressional race, Trump recorded a robocall in which he calls Gianforte my good friend.

For those who are more inclined to view politics as an opportunity for mud-slinging and chest-beating, rather than a spirited exchange of ideas, the Montana attack no doubt will produce appreciative chuckles and nods of endorsement.

Do not be fooled. Its democracy that got body slammed Wednesday night. Its respect for the rule of law that was dealt a blow. Its the First Amendment that was insulted by Gianfortes attempt to justify what he did: attacking a reporter for asking a reasonable question, on a matter of great public interest, to a political candidate on the eve of an important election.

This recent spate of attacks is not the first time journalists have been hassled by thugs and bully-boys, or by security forces. Multiple attacks and beatings occurred as reporters and television correspondents covered the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. Reporters covering the Occupy movement in recent years were hustled aside or held by police looking to prevent news coverage of protesters being forcibly removed from parks in New York City and elsewhere.

At national political conventions journalist arrests have become so common that national press organizations regularly set up phone banks and offices to help individual reporters who have been taken into custody without cause.

Dangers to a free press have deep roots in this country. Just seven years after the 1791 ratification of the Bill of Rights, Congress passed the Sedition Act allowing for the arrest and jailing of journalists for publishing political criticism. About 20 editors were thrown into jail.

In the Newseum in Washington, D.C., where I work, there is the starkly tragic exhibit of a lone Datsun sedan  notable because the floorboards at the drivers seat are peeled up, the result of an explosion that fatally injured Phoenix newspaper reporter Don Bolles in 1976. A remotely detonated bomb had been planted by mobsters seeking to stop Bolles from reporting on organized crime in Arizona. The attack had the opposite effect, as reporters nationwide flocked to Phoenix to complete Bolles work, proclaiming that you can kill a journalist but not journalism.

The fear is now real that  as we saw after fake reports of a child sex ring in a Washington, D.C., restaurant prompted an armed man to appear on the premises  some disturbed person will decide to counter reporters with more than a body slam.

Lets say again, for the sake of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical 45 words of the First Amendment, that this pattern of verbal abuse and physical attacks on journalists is an attack on all Americans, and that that these attacks must stop.
28.05.2017 LISTEN

Meets Media is a monthly interactive dinner and networking circle for Media Professionals mainly from Nigeria. The platform creates an enabling environment for communication and marketing professionals to interact with leading media organizations on how their respective companies/organizations work.

Also gives opportunity for Brands, Politicians, Actors, Musicians others to interact and share information with the media on their respective projects, achievements, ambitions and other topical issues.

Activities to feature on the three hour interactive dinner will include overview of Banky W and his recently released musical video.

Love Meets Media This February Edition!

The 9th edition of Nigerian Media Professionals monthly interactive dinner celebrates Love this Valentine season. We are focusing on Love, Relationships and Sex with the theme No Money, No Love

Let's Talk: Love, Relationships, Sex

For the month of February, lets discuss one of the most talked about and thought about subjects throughout history. We are going to talk about love, relationships and sex.

This edition is open to single, dating and married individuals. Were not going to shy away from anything and we will help you to:

 Establish boundaries

 Develop a realistic view of love

 Deal with shame and forgiveness

 Effective interpersonal communication and conflict resolution

Come meet the media, lets talk about it!

***Raffle Prizes*** will be available.

The monthly media hangout recognizes persons demonstrating entrepreneurial aptitude, commercial acumen, vision, ambition and drive to build successful enterprises.

This February, the psychologist and relationship expert, Joro Olumofin will take centre stage! The celebration of outstanding media personality of the month.

February edition is scheduled to happen Sunday 26th, 2017 from 6PM to 9PM at the The Bridge, 8 Oluwole street, off Admiralty way besides Lekki-Ikoyi bridge, Lagos Nigeria.
The day after Easter, the city of Onalaska apparently spent seven hours washing off sidewalk chalk messages that were written on Easter Sunday afternoon by my 16-year old biracial daughter and me and a few fellow members of our local racial justice group, La Crosse Area Showing Up for Racial Justice.

We were joined by a couple of children and their grandma who happened to be at the new Great River Landing. Messages that were written were, Black Lives Matter, You Are Standing On Ho-Chunk Land, I Stand For Love, Peace Be Unto You: As-Salaam-Alaikum, You Are Welcome Here, The Time For Racial Justice is Now and There is Enough For Everyone.

In total, we chalked for less than an hour.

We did not realize we were doing anything other than spreading messages of love and inclusion to people of all cultures, races, religions and sexual orientation. The next day, a police officer came to our home, explained a city employee was dispatched to power wash away the chalk messages and issued two citations, $187 each, for Crimes Against Property: Graffiti to my daughter and me.

For most of my life, I have felt good about the social justice work I have been involved in. I help organize a teen clothing closet at my church, donate to important causes and volunteer in a variety of community settings.

When Philando Castile was shot and killed by a police officer last August in a suburb of St. Paul and the video was shared on social media, I knew I needed to do everything I could to partner with black and brown voices to change our countrys flawed criminal justice policies.

Maybe it was the way Philando Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, told the officer her boyfriend had done everything he was instructed to do after he was pulled over. Or perhaps it was the way her four-year-old daughter tried to comfort her mother after the shooting, and me knowing that that little girls life was forever changed by what happened. Whatever the reason, I knew I needed to speak out about the number of black people dying on city streets.

Profiling has made it unsafe for people of color to drive down the street with a broken tail light. Profiling has made it unsafe for immigrants to leave their homes. Since Philando Castile was shot and killed, Ive listened to people of color talk about the ways they are marginalized in our society. They are fearful of contact with the police.

I talked personally with the chief of police, the director of parks and recreation, an alderman of Onalaska and the mayor. All of these men were in full agreement that the citations totaling $374 for sidewalk chalking were warranted. Additionally, several weeks later, we received an invoice for restitution totaling $579.60 payable within 30 days for hours related to clean up of sidewalk areas and administrative fees. The sidewalk chalk we used was bought at Target and was labeled washable. It is also noteworthy that since the time we were cited, I have noticed sidewalk chalking in various places in Onalaska that has not been sprayed off.

I dont believe these citations were about chalking. Onalaska alderman Bob Muth stated to me that he didnt want to have to explain to his eight-year-old grandson what these messages meant. I dream of a time when he can have that conversation. Because of my beliefs in our messages, I will go to court June 5 to answer to the city. I do hope this begins a new level of conversation in Onalaska about human rights and racial equality.
Nigerian Model, Ezeh Justina Chinecherem is all shades of beauty in new shoot after emerging as the winner of Miss UK Nigeria World 2017.

Miss Justina,19,was crowned at the second edition of the Mr and Miss UK Nigeria annual pageant held in Calabar on 26th March. The young pretty model who doubles as an actress shared the new shoots on her page looking all glamorous and chic in different outfits with sheer bodice matched with simple accessories and makeup.

The Abia state model whose greatest dream is to become a pilot has an ethereal look which gives her the needed courage as she hopes to attain greater height in the modelling and entrainment industry.
I have an inkling of how His Excellency the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, expects his wife, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, to play a dynamic, dedicated, honest and supportive role to help him succeed as the President of Ghana that the current generation and posterity will be thankful to, and mention his name with pride and in association with the abundant good things he did. If it were not so, the President would not have said that in his focused drive and determination to not only resolutely clamp the wings of institutional corruption but also, rid Ghana of it, not even his wife, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, could dissuade him from prosecuting officials found to have involved in corruption.

The President has publicly asserted that any public official discovered to have committed an abhorrent corrupt practice against the nation, if they or their relatives approached his wife to persuade him to have mercy upon them without causing their prosecution, he would not listen to the wife. This goes to confirm the incorruptibility, absolute resolve to serve Ghana and Ghanaians with dedication and honesty by the stringent application of the rule of law, by the Akyem kwaa a 3nnom Birim, who I glowingly and proudly describe as the biblical Joseph, Moses or David, of our times, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He is not stupid. He knows the adverse roles wives could intentionally diabolically or inadvertently play to culminate in the downfall of their better-halves hence this advance public warning to those intending to approach his wife for assistance when caught at variance with the law.

As it is a known and proven fact that behind any successful man there is a woman, I have been compelled to put out this advisory publication for the attention of our First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, for her to be aware of the positive role she is expected to play in support of her husband to succeed and to live up to the admirable expectations of the majority of Ghanaians, if not all Ghanaians.

Your husband by his historic maternal origin is an Akyem kwaa a 3nnom Birim meaning, a proud son of Akyem State who drinks from river Birim. However, he can no longer avail himself of that pride why because some selfish, myopic and wicked persons doing or are supportive of legal or illegal surface mining popularly called as galamsey in Ghana, have spoiled the river by their criminal activities. Therefore, he can no longer drink the water of river Birim hence artificially temporarily ceasing to be an Akyem kwaa a 3nnom Birim because the river is no more potable.

Your husband wants to stop not only river Birim but also, all the other water bodies in Ghana from getting spoiled by these selfish and insatiably greedy short-sighted individuals supported by some highly-placed government appointees or officials taking bribes from the galamseyers or bonking the Chinese ladies who are the kingpins of the galamsey to give them the unlimited operational licence to ravage the nations ecosystem.

If such perpetrators of this crime or those intentionally criminally embezzling public funds were caught and came to you to help them secure their freedom from the grips of the relevant laws of the land, will you do it? If you do it, then you would have corrupted yourself and knowingly or unknowingly dented the integrity of your so far renowned incorruptible husband.

A few greedy individuals who have completely no compassion on the suffering masses have appropriated to themselves the taxpayers money to the detriment of the taxpayers. Your husband is determined to punish them to serve as a deterrence to other would-be perpetrators of same or similar crimes to stop Ghana from becoming poor and to stop Ghanaian ladies and men from going to the Arab countries to be treated worse than their employers pet and/or killed as is happening to some people in Saudi Arabia. Will you support him achieve this golden goal for the people of Ghana or you will sabotage him by pleading on behalf of these criminals to allow them continue to devastate Ghana for others to be attracted to same irresponsible behaviours?

I shall not continue any further as it is said, it does not take long for the good ear to assimilate what is told. However, may I seize this opportunity to ask whether or not you want to be like the biblical Esther or Delilah in the life of your husband as the President of Ghana; a man appointed by God to liberate Ghanaians from the ruinous corruption masterminded, perpetrated and perpetuated by former President John Dramani Mahama and his bunch of the Ghanaian version of the Arabian Alibaba and his forty thieves?

The actions of former President Mahama, his family, cronies, and most of his Government Ministers and appointees of all sorts were detrimental to the survival and the prosperity of the entire country and the majority of the people therein.

Nonetheless, I shall refer you to the bible, and request you to familiarise yourself with the stories of both Esther and Delilah. Read the book of Esther and Judges 16 as in the Holy Bible to choose among the two characters or persons which one you desire to adopt as your role model, Esther or Delilah, to becoming faithful to ones husband and in serving humanity to the expectations of God.

Mordecai, a Jew, had revealed a plot to assassinate the King. He was rewarded for his honesty and care about the King. Subsequently, he was hated by Haman, a top ranking official in the Kings palace who doubled as his confidante. Haman had come to see his position as threatened by the elevation of Mordecai hence he schemed to kill not only him but also, all the Jews in the Kingdom. However, Mordecai was a cousin of Esther who had become the wife of the King, King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of the Persian Empire.

Mordecai said to Esther, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14.

In Esther 4:16 she answered Mordecai by saying, "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." Esther by the action she took, saved the Jews from execution.

However, in Judges 16, we see a wife plotting against her husband. She succeeded in getting the husband overpowered by his enemies, gorged out his eyes, taken into slavery, and finally killed. This wife in discussion is Delilah, the wife of the biblical Jewish strongman Samson.

She had said to Samson, in Judges 16:15, How can you say, I love you, when you wont confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and havent told me the secret of your great strength. 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. 17 So he told her everything. No razor has ever been used on my head, he said, because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mothers womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man. 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, Come back once more; he has told me everything.

First Lady, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours to assist Ghanaians achieve much from the services your husband is determined to render to mother Ghana and his fellow Ghanaians who have entrusted him with their care, safety and protection against anything that may make them sub-humans in their own land; against anything that destroys their self-esteem as Ghanaians.

I pray you take my advice very seriously as I shall soon be quitting the internet for some time to attend to other matters of major private concern to me but not until I have seen to the successful end of the nagging ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute, a classic example of official corruption in perpetration and perpetuation by an Ashanti Overlord, some judges and politicians.

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Saturday, 27 May 2017)
The National Youth Authority is set to establish key industrial hubs across the country to provide jobs to the youth who take part in the skills training programme under the Authority's youth training modules.

In the Ashanti Region, the Authority will set up the shoe making industrial hub, whilst an ICT hub will be established in Accra. Several other hubs in other regions will be created according to the resource potential and competitive advantage of the region.

These were revealed to Myjoyonline.com by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority Richard Obeng shortly after a youth rally in Kumasi.

Mr Obeng noted the industrial hub concept is a new addition to the training modules to provide ready jobs to the youth who have been trained by the Authority.

He explained that whilst some of the youth trained under the various modules are willing to establish their own businesses after the training, others, due to various reasons would still want to stay on.

Such category of persons will be sent to the industrial hubs, Mr Obeng stated, adding, for those who are willing to set themselves up will be given some logistical and financial support to do so.

Mr. Richard Obeng

Asked if these industrial hubs have anything to do with government's one district, one factory project, the Deputy CEO of the Youth Authority said their industrial hubs are just to complement government's efforts but are to be executed separately from the flagship policy of government.

The Authority last week registered hundreds of unemployed young people in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi to begin the skills training programme.

It was preceded by a Livelihood skills and business fair organized in collaboration with the Federation of Professional Trades Association of Ghana (FEPTAG).

The wife of the Vice President Samira Bawumia later addressed a mammoth youth rally attended youth groups in the Ashanti region, entrepreneurs, Members of Parliament, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister Elizabeth Agyeman and the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Osei Asibe Antwi.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
28.05.2017 LISTEN

Nigeria is truly at a cross roads because the usual enemies of Nigeria are again in the forefront making suggestions that can only lead to further strive. The indisputable fact is that the only part of the country that are truly treated unjustly are the oil producing areas of Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom. They contribute over 90% of the oil and gas derived revenue shared by the entire country. Lagos state is similarly short changed as she contributes over 65% of the total non oil revenue shared by the entire country and the non-oil derived revenue now makes up close to 50% of the total revenue accrued to the Federation accounts. The oil producing areas suffer ecological damage and receive significantly less than they contribute. It is time that the Federal government produce a breakdown of the amounts that is contributed to the federation account by each state and the amounts received from the Federation account by each state.

The national conference failed to make a decision on that critical part of the equation that dealt with fiscal federalism. It however went on to suggest more states. One from the Igbo South East under the present laws and thereafter made provision for 18 more under the most stringent rules as to make them practically impossible to create. That resolution amounts to diversion of revenue from the already ecologically damaged oil producing areas of the Coastal mid west and eastern states to the small slither of land that is the South East of Nigeria. It also meant that indigenes of the oil producing states will therefore have even less places in the federal bureaucracy (civil service and national educational institutions) and the igbo areas of the South East will take up more places in such Federal government institutions. This monetary and bureaucratic disadvantage is not just suffered by the oil producing areas but by all areas around the country.

The igbo have for a while now propagated the false narrative that it is discriminated against in the area of state creation. It points to the position where it has 5 states in its geo-political region whilst other geo-political regions have between 6 and 7 states. This is false. The constitution and the law does not recognize geo-policital zones. It does not exist. All current 36 states were already in existence BEFORE Ekwueme (in another national conference of the 1990s) suggested dividing the already existing 36 states into Geo-political zones for political purposes. There are no laws currently existing that provides any benefits to any geo-political zones that benefits or discriminates against a zone based on the number of states deemed to be within it.

Secondly, in terms of state creation, the former large Northern region now has 19 states. The former Eastern region now has 9 states and the former Western region now has 8 states. The former Eastern region was not larger in land or population than the former Western region yet it currently has more states. If an injustice can be discerned, it is very clear which part of the country can justly sing that song.

An extra state for the depleted population of the South East will increase the number of senators and representatives representing the South East in the National Assembly. At the current time, each senator and house of representative member represents a significantly smaller number of people than every where else. The people of the South East therefore has more electoral weighted voting strength than any other part of the country.

In terms of revenue obtained from the federation account, the states of the South East gets per state the highest of the second group of states outside of the oil or VAT producing states of Nigeria. That means each state of the South East gets more money per kilometer of road that can be tarred compared to the much larger states with more land to make road and bridge worthy.

If the South East, despite these advantages are given even more voice is the senate, would that also require changes to constitution to limit representatives of people in NASS to indigenes of the states to which they represent? Otherwise, I fail to see how the area least accommodating to non indigenes and therefore attractive to less non indigene settler populations from other parts of Nigeria should have the advantage of extra seats in NASS from the South East whilst simultaneously being allowed to stand for elections in other parts of the country. How is that fair and just to other people?

Olusegun Obasanjo now comes into the mix. He has been a rather interesting character. An above average former president from an economic standpoint. A critical focul point in the sustenance of Nigerias longest democratic experiment due to his wholesale sacking of Nigerias erstwhile coup prone military officers during the early part of his first term.

He is also a destabilizing factor in that he has imposed two incompetent leaders and one terminally sick leader on Nigeria during his time (Shagari, GEJ and Yar Adua). Whenever the opportunity presents itself for him to sabotage the Yoruba nation or an individual of Yoruba origin with the smarts and potential to take Nigeria forward be rest assured that this immensely insecure and jealous man will rear his head to put a spanner in the works.

I predict Obasanjo will come up with some national suggestion that will aim to deprive a clearly competent acting president from properly leading Nigeria in the unlikely event of Buhari proving unable to continue. Wait for him to suggest a ticket of two more incompetent persons that will take Nigeria further down the road to non-performance whilst appearing to appease the current agitators. Now he is suggesting negotiation with Biafran racists now called IPOB. Any listener to Radio Biafra when manned by Nnamdi Kanu will be surprised by the language of racism directed at Northerners and the Yoruba in particular. There is a reason why America is not negotiating with Al queda or ISIS. Nigeria has rightly not negotiated on matters of substance with its most lethal rebel organization to date (Boko Haram). An organization with repugnant racist or religious ideas should not be countenanced nor should it be negotiated with.

Additionally an organization fighting for the liberation of its people whilst aiming to colonize other people with Oil , Gas , land and Sea advantages (without their consent) is not an organization that should ever be taken seriously as spokespeople for anyone other than themselves.

Nigeria is a democratic society with an ever increasing representative democratic government. It is time to tell the Igbo nation that they ARE being treated fairly and equally but they would not be treated SPECIALLY. They should be encouraged to vote for representatives into NASS that represent the prevalent views of their igbo people. If that means voting in IPOB members so be it. It is for those members to take their demands to the floor of NASS and once brought to the floor it must be fully debated by the National assembly provided that they represent more than 50% of the elected officials from the South East zone of Nigeria.

That said, fiscal federalism must be addressed. The existing 36 states are viable and are reflective of the needs of the 370 ethnic groups to have sufficient breathing spaces within existing states. Currently, certain ethnic groups in Rivers, Kogi, Benue, Niger, Adamawa, Nassarawa, Cross River and Delta still feel somewhat suffocated in their existing states and crave further state creation. Movement back to 6 regions can never be a wise long term move when only 2 of the suggested 6 regions are homogenous. That means the other 4 regions will contain so many different ethnic groups and very large populations and landmass that may benefit from some bureaucratic savings but such savings will not make those regions viable.

The key must be to devolve more power back to the states especially vis a vis exploitation of mineral assets (including silver, gold, oil, gas, Bitumen etc), VAT and port revenue. The Federal government may need to concentrate on fiscal, monetary policy, customs, armed forces, infrastructure that links states (as opposed to infrastructure within states) and may be health (especially as it concerns managing outbreaks of contagious diseases). Individual states should be free to regulate and provide its own electricity needs as well as its own roads and bridge requirements. Critically, elections must be kept nationally so as to ensure that the people can change non performing state actors. It is a must that politicians must be accountable to their people as only then can true democratic benefits can accrue to its people.

Dele Awogbeoba

Twitter- DeleAwogbeoba

Gmail- [email protected]
Apart from the status quo of African leadership quality and style of government, Paul Kagame of Rwanda is among the few whose names beckon in the horizon when we talk about leaders who are making difference in terms of good governance on the continent. But one cannot recount the track records of "few" African leaders with good governance without that of John Mangufuli of Tanzania. President Mangufuli's leadership quality and style of government has attracted international attention and generated debates all over the world, especially Africa.

His manner of government yielded several positive results and left trail on political terrain. Mr. Mangufuli is known for his no-nonsense attitude, as the story goes, he sacked the head of state main hospital after finding patients sleeping on the floor after Mr Mangufuli paid surprise visit to the facility. Mr. Mangufuli is on the record of breaking up the 'board of managenment' of another hospital when he found out the scanning and diagnostic manchines were not functioning

The current president of Tanzania is known for several extraordinary actions, orders and measures. Such orders and actions taken by Mr. Mangufuli, among others aimed at fostering judiciuos use of state resources and to curb corruption with the sole purpose of bring about the desired change that the people of Tanzania yearned for several years and for which he was voted for-- l must say he hasn't disappointed them. His unparralleled and unanticipated move to suspend indefinitely celebrations of national independence day surprised most people including myself. Instead, himself and his cabinet members together with Tanzanian people devoted themselves to clean the city on the independence day

There is a survey of large number growing dissent among the youth in many African countries as they can't get jobs and/or the economic atmosphere generated by African leadership is not enabling for businesses to thrive in a continent, which can't provide for its people despite the vast human and natural resources. Well, l believe this kind of leadership quality of president Mangufuli is inspiration to many African countries including Ghana. It was in the light of this when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo then-candidate of NPP, of the largest opposition political party campaigned on economic progress, efficiency, pragmatism, probity, accountability, judicious use of public resources and above all else incorruptibility, majority of Ghanaian electorate voted massively for him hoping that now-president Akufo-Addo would live by his words

I must admit that it will sound naive if l should use the six month period since NPP government has been ushered in power as benchmark of terminal measurement of its performance. Nevertheless, the question majority of Ghanaians, especially the working class, are asking is, with the current approach whether Nana Addo will be able to deliver on his promises? So far, the president appears completely distracted and strangely unconcerned about the plights ordinary Ghanaians with his numerous trips to African countries. As of the time of this writing, there are different types of demonstrations going on across the country under 'placard' good governance. Also the presidency seems to be epitome of jokes and cradle of controversies. With Delta Force 8 incident in mind, is just one such several controversies which has rocked NPP government led by Nana Addo. And the fact that Ghanaians are temporally quiet over such scandals shouldn't be taken as endorsement. Much less should the current government officials interprete our silence and willingness to let off the hook such controversies as approval of his 110 ministers

Subsequently, though the president subtly tried to down-play the concomitant concerns raised by Ghanaian public about the humongous ministerial appointment as brouhaha and that his success will diminish and put things rightful perspective. Well, Mr. President, the experts have suggested that huge numbers of appointees will eventually bring about inefficiency and corruption, and statements as such do not not change the fact that large sum of public purse is needed to run rather large government. So far, Ghana's debt stock pile under this government has ballooned to staggering height. And government has not hidden its intention to continue borrowing amid concern that high debt is having negative effect on the economy and the earlier we started saving money the better

Money saving or cost effective strategy would have being in line with not to celebrate Ghana @60, it doesn't make any sense celebrating the 60th Independence anniversary in time we are supposed to be saving money. For me Ghana @60 celebration was mere conduit to embezzle money. What at all are we celebrating when as a nation, due to incompetence, we are not allowed by those powerful countries to take decisions as sovereign country? It goes without saying that most of the national decisions are taken on our behalf by neo-colonialist countries. I think Mr. Mangufuli's decision to suspend his country's independence day celebrations was drawn from this stark reality. Hence the show of opulence that came with @60 celebration was preposterous. I wouldn't have made such strong worded condemnation had it been Diamond Jubilee (75 years) at least

The Nana Addo, currently, addressing Ghanaian community in Guinea Conakry reiterated his commitment to tackle and fight corruption, of which he cracked a joke with effect that not even his wife could dissuade him from his resolve. He would fight corruption by prosecuting officials past or present found liable of corruptible activities. I think this assurance should be taken with pinch of salt! How is he going to successfully prosecute officials with best resources at their disposal to defend themselves when he couldn't prosecute mere 'defendless' members of vigilante group Delta Force 8 despite having 'cut and dry' case?

Ironically, African countries who are supposed to be taking cue from us ( Kwame Nkrumah Ghana ), instead we are the ones that are chasing these countries. In any case, what is the benefits (socio-economic, geopolitical and cultural) of the president of the republic of Ghana recent visits to Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cape Verde, even Ivory Coast? Don't get me twisted, am against frosty relationship between Ghana and any other country, not to talk our sisterly African countries but what is the driving force behind or relevance of these current several unremitting officials trips to these countries, or rather what exactly is the job of our Diplomats?

Agobodzo, Richard

You can contact me via; [email protected]

www.facebook.com/Agobodzo Richard
As the auspicious month of Ramadan starts, the All Africa Students Union (AASU) urges all Muslims to adhere to the tenets and the purpose of this blessed month. Indeed Ramadan is not, only, abstaining from eating and drinking but also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice and empathy for those who are less fortunate. Ramadan, a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship, is intended, equally, to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities.

AASU calls on all Muslims to unite, defend and promote the laudable spirit of Ramadan, a month during which the evil is non-functional. The spirit of Ramadan is to guide the practitioners to push peace to transcend the earth. It is, therefore, incumbent on Muslims to initiate world peace and fight terrorists and violence against any human being anywhere.

May Allahs immaculate grace and exceptional wisdom conquer your life as you celebrate this holy month of Ramadan!

Have a blessed and peaceful Ramadan!

Signed:

Peter Kwasi KODJIE

Secretary General

All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

Email: [email protected]
28.05.2017 LISTEN

"Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defile" [Genesis 34:25-27] NIV Bible

Dinah the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob on her visit to the Hivite women was defiled by Shechem, son of Hamor, the Hivite. Shechem was the ruler of Hivite.

When the news of defilement got to Jacob and the entire family, it angered the brothers of Dinah. The third invisible giant which ought to be slain is anger as far as this publication is concerned.

While Jacob's family was in shock and pain, plans were far advanced on the part of Hamor and his son, Shechem to marry Dinah.

Conspicuously, the two sons (Simeon and Levi) of Jacob, were waging a vendetta against not only Hamor and his son, Shechem, but the entire city too. And they succeeded from the main text. Thus how far the power of anger can go.

Folks anger is one of the invisible giants Satan uses to cause destructions. Anger is part and parcel of humans. But it can be controlled to avoid serious blunders. One of the main causes of anger is temptation.

On the face of this, no matter how disrespectful or painful the offence might be, just be slow to anger and never follow your heart of vengeance or retaliation.

For anger does not only breed trouble but can cause one to take someone's else life or destroy something beautiful.

Anytime you are angry think twice before you act. When you do that it doesn't make you a loser but a victor over the temptation of anger.

Prayer

O Lord, strengthen me to overcome the temptation of anger in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Confession

Master Jesus, you are my shield and buckler.

God bless you for reading and sharing.

Whatsapp #:+233246646694

[email protected]
Pope Francis once said, "reject every form of corruption that diverts resources from the poor". Pope Francis said this with the knowledge that corruption is a serious canker that has eaten so deep into the fabrics of our societies.

Corruption is at the heart of most of our current problems in Ghana and the world at large. In fact, it destroys jobs as well as holds back growth, costing the country millions of hard-earned cedis/dollars, day in day out. It steals and denies the hard-working people and poor persons from getting resources that are rightfully theirs. Corruption adversely affect every aspect of our lives ranging from spiritual, educational, social to our economy.

It is quite obvious that tackling corruption is not a one man affair and that explains why the president, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has always called on all Ghanaians to be active citizens and not mere spectators. The president has also called on all of us to work collaboratively with the government of the day to help eradicate it. It is also in this same light that the president is setting up the office of the independent prosecutor.

Renowned Journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Manasseh Awuni Azure have also tried their best by exposing some corrupt practices in the Judiciary, Ports and Harbours, GYEEDA and SADA. Nevertheless, some individuals and agencies still perpetuate this evil act despite their tireless efforts to get it halted or minimised to the barest minimum.

Some few days ago, we heard the strange news of the disappearance of some 4,100 bags of government subsidised fertilizers meant for poor farmers in the Sissala East and West Districts of the upper West Region. Various news portals also said that over 10,000 government subsidised fertilisers were missing from the Upper West Region. We were fortunate to have this exposure through the Upper West Deputy Regional Minister, Mr.Amidu Chinnia Issahaku. Unequivocally, the minister stated that out of 4,700 bags of subsidised fertilizers supplied by companies on behalf of government to an agent in Tumu to be distributed to farmers, only 600 bags were confirmed sold to the farmers. This created shortages of fertilisers in the system making the poor farmers to suffer.

Apparently, one can attest to the fact that these individuals are thwarting government's efforts despite government's good intention of reducing the cost of production for the ordinary people who are poor. Indeed, this act could have gone unnoticeable if not for the minister's timely exposure. Interestingly, the questions some might be asking are: who are the perpetrators? What has been done to them? what measures have been taken to avoid some of these acts in the region? As much as we sought answers to some of these pressing questions, let's bear in mind that fighting corruption in the region and our country at large is a shared responsibility. One person can't fight it alone. The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister can't be a lone wolf in this fight. Every citizen in the region should become patriotic in the true sense and should be ready to expose some of these acts. We should give preference to the development of our region. We should sympathise with our poor farmers and help them when government supports them with poverty alleviation programmes.

The media should also dedicate their service and cooperate with individuals to eradicate some these corrupt acts that has been slowing down the growth of this region. Since the Upper West region shares boundaries with Burkina Faso, it will be very prudent if the government send security forces to beef up the already existing ones who seems to be incapable in handling the current situation. Sending in the army will be very good. The security agencies in and around the borders should always be on high alert to prevent this corrupt practices and smuggling of subsidised fertilisers to the neighboring country.

Let me once again use this opportunity to thank Mr. Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, and all those who supported him in exhibiting such a dedicated, patriotic and diligent service to the good people of the region. We shall continue to support them in every move they take.

I would like to also use this podium to admonish my fellow citizens in the region and our country as well to always support the government in dealing with such evil acts.

We often blame the government for their failure in checking corruption. But it is time to realize that it is more a question of public morality, of individual conscience and initiative than efficient administration to eradicate all such vices.

Abass Musah Tonduogu

0208377521
28.05.2017 LISTEN

You can use war to break your adversaries but it would not leave you where you will be pleased- Niccolo Machiavelli.

The US President Donald Trump together with some major European leaders converged in Brussels on the 25th of May 2017 to open a magnificent edifice as the new headquarters for their military alliance  NATO.

Inside that new building stands two important artifacts which marks an epoch in the history of the world: a portion of the Berlin Wall and a metallic piece taken from the World Trade Centre.

NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The treaty to establish it was signed in 1949 in Belgium with the membership of 28 states. With the accession of Montenegro, its membership would swell to 29. Its objective principally was to deal with Soviet aggression. The treaty commits the members to treat an attack on of them as an attack on all of them and for all to assist the country attacked by such actions as deemed necessary. Troops are contributed from the member countries. On the other hand, the Soviet Union in 1955 moved to create the Warsaw Pact as a response to that of the West forming NATO. At the signing of the treaty to establish the Warsaw Pact were Albania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland Romania and the USSR. The bloc also had a political purpose of installing communism in other parts of the world.

Taking some steps back to examine the significance of the two relics in the new NATO headquarters, the Berlin Wall denotes the end of the Cold War and a thaw in tensions between the West( US and its allies) and the East( Soviet Union and allies). Also, the portion of the World Trade Centre which is one of the epicenters of the September the 11th attacks on the USA on display signifies a new threat to global peace- terrorism. The latter threat requires cooperation and collaboration from all states in the world to effectively combat.

The paradox is that NATO has formally applied to join the war in Syria, an action that many scholars have pointed out that it is an attempt to rally a some what multinational force to oppose Russia in the fight against ISIL and the Assad government. The USs unilateralism is becoming problematic in the world stage hence the need to take an obscure strategy.

Many political science scholars and security analysts have all argued that with the coming to an end of the Cold War, inter-state warfare are over because the ideological differences which are the sources of conflicts no longer exists. That cultural communities are now replacing Cold War blocs and that the faultlines between civilizations are the central lines of conflict in global politics. Furthermore, they warned that terrorism which has now assumed global reach should be the headache of the global community. They contended that the world population should learn to co-exist by respecting and honouring the civilization of others.  the need for people everywhere to learn to co-exist in a complex, multipolar, multicivilisational world (Huntington, 1996).

Islamic civilization often referred to as challenger civilization to Western civilization(one built on the values of the Papacy), is struggling for recognition and to attain this in a world so dominated by US hegemony and unilateralism, they found solace in politics of other means or the weapon of the weak(terrorism).

Besides, if the warnings given by the scholars are anything to by, then NATO must embrace Russia in the fight against terrorist organizations and the search for world peace. It is time the USA and its allies trade off their Cold War soldier uniforms that it had found so hard to shed after 1991. In addition, the West need to be told that standing against the forces of communism is different from standing against the forces of terrorism. Furthermore, the global population must avoid the negative effects of crash of civilisations. World leaders must co-operate and to maintain multicivilisational character of world politics rather than the imposition of one culture on the rest of the world. The Cold War mentality of the West to further alienate and contain Russia, a super power would always prove counter productive in the collective fight against global terrorism. The latter should not be perceived as a pariah and a misfit state in the conduct of international politics by the West.

Felix Ahadzi

Police Public Relations Department

Koforidua

f [email protected]
Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah, the Communications Director of the National Democratic Party (NDP) who has recently been appointed the Communications Director of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is trying his hardest to slander or mudsling Mr Godsbrain Blessed Smart, alias Captain Smart, of Adom FM for masterminding and orchestrating the Ye regye ye sika demonstration held in Accra on Friday, 26 May 2017.

According to Owusu Bempah, Captain Smart has no moral grounds to stand on when it comes to tagging people as corrupt in Ghana for he, Captain Smart, accepted a Toyota Land cruiser Prado from former President Mahama with further taking of GHS1.2 million from Ibrahim Mahama, the Presidents brother, two weeks to Election 2016, to do some dirty work on radio for the then NDC ruling government.

Yes, "He who comes into equity must come with clean hands." However, as it stands now as according to Ernest Owusu Bempah, alias Aboa Apapo, Captain Smart lacks the integrity to call for the retrieval of public money and properties allegedly stolen by some politicians and top Civil servant officials.

In order not to spend my precious time for nothing, thus, going in circles, let me hit the nail right in the head. Ernest Owusu Bempah for all his reasons and concerns is being utterly mischievous or malicious and at best, envious of Captain Smart. He is exhibiting that typical Ghanaian mindedness of it should have been me but not him or her to bring out such and such noble idea. As long as it has not come from me, let me do whatever is possible to bring the originator of that noble idea down. This is what I currently see Ernest Owusu Bempah doing.

Yes, sometime past I had to put out a publication on Ghanaweb and Modernghana to lambast Captain Smart for depicting his ignorance about an issue pertaining to electric bulbs and their efficacy in driving away mosquitoes. He could be seen to be siding with the dubious intent to acquire wealth by a clearly NDC woman at the expense of public health. After my publication, whether or not he read it, he never revisited his intended support for that woman.

However, it does not mean that I should not support him if he came up with good intentions in future as it is now the case. Yes, he could have taken offers from former President Mahama and Ibrahim Mahama, both being renowned experts when it comes to perpetration of corruption. Nonetheless, the allegation against him as is vociferously viciously being propagated by Owusu Bempah in his vain attempts to put brakes on the good job started by Captain Smart will not wash.

If he has any credible evidence of commitment of corruption, bribery or extortion against Captain Smart, he had better present it to Economic of Organised Crime Office (EOCO) or the police or any recognised crime-fighting body in Ghana. This is the best suggestion and advice I can give to Ernest Owusu Bempah. His determination to rubbish Captain Smart with intent to derail the awareness he, Captain Smart, has created in the ordinary Ghanaian citizens giving them the courage to rise up to fight against official corruption, will not stick for the die is already cast.

When the die is cast, there is no turning back. Regardless of Captain Smart being tainted or not, Ghanaians will press ahead to hold the corrupt public office holders accountable. What has started will dissuade the current government appointees with Ernest Owusu Bempah included from involving themselves in corruption, for if they do, the ordinary citizens will confront them head-on to retrieve the money and/or cause their prosecution. Is it what has scared Owusu Bempah shitless to come up with his accusations no sooner than the demo has started?

The last time I checked, Captain Smart had not held any government or public service position. How could he then have embezzled public money unless he had done so by extension of President Mahama and Ibrahim Mahama stealing the taxpayers money and passing some to Captain Smart as being alleged by Aboa Apapo in which case Captain Smart becomes an accomplice?

Would Ernest Owusu Bempah please report Captain Smart to EOCO or cease forthwith his attempts to kill the peoples resolve to collect the taxpayers money from the discovered corrupt government appointees and public service officials dating from 1992 until present?

For the attention of Owusu Bempah, please go and read about the French revolution of 1789 and how it all started by some commoners in Marseille; gathered momentum with increase in their number as they walked right from Marseille to Versailles in Paris to decapitate the royals. This ended the French Monarchy to give rise to France as a Republic.

This will tell Owusu Bempah how serious what has started in Ghana is which he is taking it lightly with his spurious counter accusation against Captain Smart. I am not here to support or defend Captain Smart but I am annoyed at the path embarked upon by Owusu Bempah to deliberately render the Ye regye ye sika less effective.

If Captain Smart was corrupt, I shall be happy to see him arrested and whatever he has stolen from the republic retrieved from him, prosecuted, fined and/or jailed. Period!

Lest I forget, may I recommend to the public readers to check the underlying web links on the corruption allegations against Captain Smart by Owusu Bempah as found on Ghanaweb.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Captain-Smart-is-also-corrupt-Owusu-Bempah-541775

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/John-Mahama-gave-Captain-Smart-a-Toyota-land-cruiser-Owusu-Bempah-541873

My questions to Ernest Owusu Bempah:

Do you support the retrieval of the stolen taxpayers money and properties from any government or public service officials found to have illegally or criminally availed themselves of the opportunity to quickly enrich themselves? YES or NO without any ifs or buts?

Would you have wholeheartedly supported the citizens agitation for retrieving any public funds and properties stolen by government appointees and public service officials through a demo initiated by a genuine or an honest person without blemish other than Captain Smart? If yes, why. If no, why?

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Saturday, 27 May 2017)
Thirty years ago I attended a guest lecture by Allan Bloom, a philosophy professor and author of The Closing of the American Mind, a dense, convoluted and controversial critique of liberal trends in higher education that, surprisingly, spent several weeks on The New York Times best sellers list.

Bloom was at the time the darling of conservative pundits for advocating a return to the great books model of education. As universities across the country were jettisoning requirements to read dead, white, European males in favor of multicultural, feminist, deconstructionist alternatives, he was arguing for the benefits of reading Plato and Rousseau and of listening to Mozart rather than the Rolling Stones. Yet, when he appeared before the very audiences he was criticizing, nobody organized protests of his lectures. His opponents did not want to stop him from speaking; they wanted to refute him.

How times have changed.

Since January, there have been nine major protests of speakers on campuses nationwide. The common theme is liberal students seeking to silence conservative speakers.

It began in January at the University of California, Davis with students objecting to Milo Yiannopoulos and also the pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli. More protests followed when Yiannopoulos was invited to speak at the University of Washington and Berkeley. In the ensuing months, students at various universities protested the speaking engagements of Corey Lewandowski, Charles Murray, Ann Coulter, Heather Mac Donald and Richard Spencer. Most recently, students at Bethune-Cookman turned their backs to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as she delivered a commencement address.

The trend on American campuses is worrisome, because it is indicative a significant shift in attitude taking place before our eyes.

According to a Pew Center report, 40 percent of U.S. millennials think the government should be able to prevent people from making statements that are offensive to minority groups, compared with 27 percent of those in Generation X, 24 percent of Baby Boomers, and just 12 percent of Silent Generation Americans.

I think there are a couple of things going on that help to explain the changing attitudes toward speech.

One of the problems is the tendency in recent years to invite demagogues to campus, rather than people who have a real argument to present and defend. When one looks at the speakers who have been protested this year, none of them  with the exception of Charles Murray  have much in the way of reasoned discourse to offer their audiences. Their usual role in speaking is not to change minds but either to provoke a reaction (and thereby boost their media profile) or else rally the troops on their side of the culture wars. And, to be fair to the speakers, that is the purpose for which they are invited. The people who invite them dont want to learn something; they want to make an impact.

It is the responsibility of speakers to understand the context in which they are speaking. If they are making no attempt at reasoned persuasion, but merely uttering slogans designed to elicit emotional reactions from an audience, then they should not feign indignation when the reaction to their words is similarly unreasoned.

But there is something else going on  something Bloom warned about 30 years ago: Most students no longer understand the basic principles upon which Western democracies depend, such as freedom of expression, and that is because they are not reading the authors who first gave voice to those principles. Bloom observed: Students now arrive at the university ignorant and cynical about our political heritage, lacking the wherewithal to be either inspired by it or seriously critical of it.

The students Bloom was writing about then now comprise the majority of teachers in high schools, colleges and universities today. Thus it is no surprise that even though young people are told that free speech is important they are quick to give it up when it conflicts with something else they hold dear. They fail to see that to either boo or cheer when someone is making a reasoned argument is not only rude, it is to miss the point. The proper response  according to traditional understandings of liberalism  is to agree or disagree. There is always something to be learned, even from the most dogmatic blowhard.

That, at any rate, is what John Stuart Mill argued in his classic defense of free expression, On Liberty. He said that there are three chief reasons one ought not only to allow, but listen carefully to, opposing opinions.

First, one can never be absolutely sure that an opposing opinion is false. Truth and falsity are best determined through the process of public debate.

Second, listening to opposing views helps a person understand his or her own view better: He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.

Third, even false opinions often contain some kernel of truth. This is especially so in morality and politics, where the issues are complex and most people have only partial familiarity with the relevant facts.

I came away from Blooms speech unpersuaded by many of his arguments, but I am still grateful that even my professors who disagreed with him urged me to attend. I am grateful to have been taught by a generation of teachers whose generosity of spirit accommodated dissent.

And because of those teachers, Blooms words seem even more relevant today: Freedom of the mind requires not only, or not even specially, the absence of legal constraints but the presence of alternative thoughts. The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities.
We the youth and people of canteen in Damongo in the northern region of Ghana wish to by this waiver or quitclaim state categorically for the records that Tofic who is currently on the run following the infamous leaked Sex scandal involving him and one Humu from Daboya is not from Canteen.

Indeed,in a ghanaweb publication of Friday,26th May,2017,and sourced to mynewsgh.com , it was stated that the said boy is from Canteen a suburb in Damongo.Find the specific quote below:

" The video was first posted on Facebook by one Kasenyi Mubarik Kojah on Thursday May 25, 2017 and according to him; he did that because the girl involved is damaging the reputation of Ndewura Jakpa Senior High School.

It is gathered that that the boy is from a suburb in Damongo called Canteen and the girl from Daboya but an immediate past student of Ndewura."(see: http://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Leaked-sex-tape-involving-two-SHS-students-goes-viral-541369 for details).

The above so stated is overly inaccurate as the boy is not from Canteen nor Damongo.The boy in question is a native of Kusawgu or from Kusawgu our reports have gathered.Infact,the boy only sought for some refuge for free in Canteen,Brigade Line in wander,but is not from the area nor Damongo.

As a matter of fact,I was born and bread in Canteen,Brigade line and don't know the said boy beyond one of his pictures I downloaded from Facebook after the leak.

Even though,we join the good people of Damongo and Ghana to condemn the act,we wish to reiterate the need to paint an accurate picture of the situation on the ground.The burden of a story is lost if facts about the story are widely misrepresented as in this case.

This disclaimer has become necessary following series of requests from well meaning people of canteen,both home and away to save the image of the area.

We have had enough of such bad misrepresented reports about the town in time past due to the past records of the area,which could be attributed to the wind of Westenization of our culture blowing across Africa in ages .The effects of which,were not peculiar to Canteen at the time.

Things have changed,and the moral fiber of Canteen is now build bold and strong.

Thank you, and may God bless us all.

ISSUED AND SIGNED:

ANANPANSAH,B ABRAHAM (AB)

(FOR AND ON BEHALF OF YOUTH AND PEOPLE OF CANTEEN)

0241129910/0200704844
Paris (AFP) - Fifty years ago, the Igbo people of southeast Nigeria seceded, declaring an independent Republic of Biafra and sparking a brutal civil war that left about one million people dead.

Coups and secession

On May 30, 1967, the military head of Nigeria's eastern region, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declares "the independent Republic of Biafra".

His move comes two days after the head of Nigeria's military government, General Yakubu Gowon, divided the federation into 12 states, including three in the east.

Biafra, accounting for less than 10 percent of Nigerian territory, at the time had a population of 14 million out of 55 million nationwide.

Its mainly Christian population was two-thirds Igbo.

Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria had managed to stay a single entity despite historic enmity between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south.

But the Igbos felt discriminated against by the two other main ethnic groupings, the northern Hausa-Fulani and the Yoruba in the southwest.

In January 1966, Nigeria suffered its first military coup, led by the Igbo General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi. A counter-coup launched in the north in July kills Ironsi and many of his senior Igbo officers.

Thousands of Igbo civilians are killed in reprisals, especially in the north, and millions of survivors flee back to the southeast.

The government rejects the secession of the southeast, which is rich in agricultural and mineral resources, especially oil.

Bombardments and blockade

Gowon announces a general mobilisation and denounces the independence declaration as "an act of rebellion", saying it will be "crushed". The military imposes a blockade on eastern Nigeria.

On July 6 the army unleashes a general offensive with its first air bombardments.

In October federal troops take Biafra's capital, Enugu, then the port of Calabar. Onitsha and Port Harcourt are recaptured in the first months of 1968.

Britain, the Soviet Union and the Organisation of African Unity (the forerunner to the African Union) side with the federal government.

Only a few African countries and France back Biafra.

Humanitarian drama

On July 3, 1968 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that eight to 12 million people are affected by the conflict and that 200 people a day are dying of starvation in Biafra.

"One would think we were seeing ghosts marching past, thin and silent, wrapped in grey rags," an AFP special correspondent reports in August.

"Nearly all are women of all ages and old people... there are no longer many children in Biafra.

"The refugees travel, their stomachs empty, fleeing the noise of federal cannon. The noose is tightening."

In late August he writes of a million new refugees in 15 days as the army advances.

"One person dies every 15 minutes... refugees are dying from starvation and exhaustion," he reports.

The Biafra famine caused by the blockade makes headlines around the world, with heartrending photographs of children, stomachs bloated by malnutrition, their legs bent with rickets.

A handful of French doctors working for the ICRC, including the future French government minister Bernard Kouchner, brush aside convention and political borders to launch an aid effort.

In 1971, they go on to found Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

'No victor, no vanquished'

From August to September 1968 the army retakes several towns after a major offensive.

In March-April 1969, the new Biafran capital, Umuahia, falls.

After raids by secessionists on oil wells, Nigerian troops reinforce their blockade, and in June start preventing international Red Cross aid flights.

Only Christian churches and the French Red Cross continue their aid flights in ever more dangerous conditions.

In early January 1970 the army begins its final assault, and on January 15, Biafra ceases to exist.

Ojukwu flees on January 11 to Ivory Coast, leaving his deputy, Philip Effiong, to officially surrender to Gowon in Lagos, the federal government's capital at the time.

The east resumes its place in a united Nigeria. Gowon vows "No victor, no vanquished", and pledges to work for national reconciliation.

But resentment lingers and deepens over the decades, as the Igbo complain of a lack of investment in the southeast, which many view as a punishment for Biafra.

The war invests considerable power in the army, with military coups becoming a feature of Nigerian political life for decades.
Umuahia (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigeria on Tuesday marks 50 years since the declaration of an independent Republic of Biafra plunged the country into a civil war, amid renewed tensions and fresh calls for a separate state.

The main pro-independence groups -- the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) -- have called for a day of reflection.

People in the southeast have been urged to stay at home to commemorate the secession, which happened on May 30, 1967.

But many fear an eruption of violence and Nigeria's security forces have said they are on red alert in hotspots in the former republic, such as Aba and Onitsha, where protests last year turned bloody.

In 1970, after nearly three years of fighting, Biafran soldiers who were outnumbered 10 to one by federal troops and under-equipped, laid down their arms.

Half a century after the civil war, Biafra remains an extremely sensitive subject in Nigeria

The conflict caused an estimated million deaths, many of them caused by starvation after the secessionist region was blockaded.

With surrender went their dreams of a separate state for the Igbo people, who are the majority in the southeast.

Half a century later, Biafra remains an extremely sensitive subject in Nigeria.

"Nigeria did nothing for us since the end of the war. We have no roads, no infrastructures, no jobs. It's time to achieve what our fathers started," John Ahaneku, 48, told AFP.

Turning point

Igbo frustrations have grown over the decades.

During the long years of military government after the end of the war, they felt excluded from economic and political power.

Both have been dominated by the two other main ethnic groups in the country, the northern Hausa-Fulani and the Yoruba from the southwest.

Veterans of the Nigerian civil war -- many Igbo complain that they were excluded from economic and political power during the long years of military government

But it was only after the return to democracy in 1999 that secessionist aspirations began to slowly resurface.

The current main pro-independence groups want a referendum on self-determination.

They accuse the former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari -- a northern Muslim who was elected civilian president in 2015 -- of violently repressing their freedom of expression.

The arrest and incarceration towards the end of 2015 of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu on treason charges has been seen as a turning point.

Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian security forces of killing at least 150 IPOB supporters in 2016, a claim Abuja flatly denies.

At least 60 were killed during commemorations for the civil war on May 30 last year, the human rights group alleged.

Separatist solidarity

On Thursday, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo -- standing in for the absent Buhari, who is on indefinite medical leave -- warned against the eruption of violence.

Nigeria is made up of some 250 ethnic groups and broadly divided between a largely Muslim north and mainly Christian south.

The 50th anniversary of Biafra was "an opportunity for individual and collective introspection", Osinbajo told a conference on the civil war in Abuja.

"Today some are suggesting that we must go back to the ethnic nationalities from which Nigeria was formed.

"Clearly our strength is in our diversity, that we are greater together than apart."

Abuja currently faces a number of sometimes violent separatist claims that threaten the country's unity, not least Boko Haram's insurgency to create a hardline Islamic state in the northeast.

In the oil-producing Niger delta, some of which was part of independent Biafra at the start of the war, sabotage by armed rebel groups in 2016 led to a slump in production, hitting Nigeria's economy.

Despite their diverging interests, pro-Biafra groups and Niger Delta rebels have publicly expressed mutual solidarity.

Wrong approach

On Friday, the federal police denounced "planned protests and order of market closures" on May 30 and said it was "deeply concerned with the security implications".

Police "will not hesitate to deal decisively with any group(s) and their sponsors that attempt to cause disturbance of the peace or carry out any unlawful demonstration", spokesman Jimoh O. Moshood warned.

According to analysts, the suppression of pro-Biafra protests is the wrong response and has only hardened more young people's attitudes in favour of independence.

A study this month by London-based SBM Intelligence suggested there was "rising support for a Biafra" in Nigeria's southeast and south.

"A total of 42.5 percent of all respondents believe that both regions should make up a future Biafran state," it said.

"However, just under half, 49.3 percent, of the total respondents still believe that the way forward for the Nigerian state is as one country, but with 'true federalism' being practised."

Security consultant Don Okereke said: "You can't kill an ideology with a gun."
The sixth year of oil production in Ghana ended last December, 2016 and with the publication of the 4th Quarter Petroleum Receipt and Distribution Report, we present to our fellow Ghanaians at home and abroad and the whole world our independent analysis of amounts as reported from the publications of the Ministry of Finance over the six years.

Our analysis is limited to the operational results in respect of volume of oil and gas produced and distributed between Ghana and the foreign oil companies (FOCs) for export and corporate taxes paid so far by the FOCs. Other incomes such as surface rentals and interests on Petroleum Holding Funds (PHF) in the reports have not been taken because they are insignificant. They account for only 0.01% of total revenue declared.

Below is a table of summary of the analysis of the Petroleum Receipts and Distribution Reports for the past six years.

Summary of Analysis of Six Years of Oil and Gas Production in Ghana

Barrels US$ US$ % Total Vol. lifted 198,483,054 Moving Average Price of US$87.857 17,438,125,675 Due Ghana: Royalty Carried & Participating interests 32,942,181 2,894,213,645 16.50% Corporate taxes 471,076,138 Sub Total 3,365,209,783 3,365,209,783 19.29% Gas Proceeds 9,856,621 Total 3,375,066,404 Gross Net due FOCs 165,540,873 14,072,915,892 80.71%

In 2016 a total of 28,947,968 barrel of oil were produced from Jubilee Field and TEN field which came on stream in the last quarter of 2016. Of this amount 2,850,000 barrels came from the TEN fields of which Ghana had no allocation. Out of the balance of 26,097,968 barrels from the Jubilee Field Ghana had 4,824,417 barrels representing 16.60% of total production of the 4th Quarter of 2016.

The 2016 total of 28,947,968 barrels brought the cumulative six years total production to 198,483,054 barrels valued US$17,438,125,675 at the Moving Average Price of US$87.857 per barrel. Ghanaians, the sovereign owners of the oil resources, had a total of 32,942,181 barrels valued US$2,894,213,645 representing 16.50% of total Production Revenue and with Corporate Taxes of US$471,076,138 added brought the total cumulative earnings from oil excluding gas to US$3,365,209,783 representing 19.29% of total production revenue from oil far below the 42% Minimum Government Take set and recommended by the US (GAO). Gas proceeds amounted to US$9,856,621 over the period which added up to US$3,375,066,404 as total proceeds from oil and gas in the six years.

The foreign oil companies on the other hand had a net gross of 165,540,873 barrels valued US$ 14,972,915,892 representing 80.71% of total production revenue from oil. Information on gas lifting by FOCs are not available to the public therefore we are unable to compute their earnings on gas.

Note: The capital development cost and daily operating and technical costs of Jubilee Fields for 26 year is about US$10 billion. Ghana is contributing US$2 billion of this amount in 15 years.

This is the fraudulent and robbery situation in the name of investment the new Petroleum Exploration and Production Law Act 919 (2016) has come to protect and consolidate.

And yet, Ghanaians are being told at roof tops that their interests as sovereign owners are well protected by the Act 919 by past and current Ministers of Mines and Energy, Petroleum Commission, Energy Commission, GNPC and supported by ACEP, IMANI Ghana, IEA, PIAC, CEPA, ISODEC, CSO Platform on Oil and Gas and other NGOs well-funded and resourced by the World Bank, DFID, Star Ghana, NRGI (formerly Revenue Watch Institute), OXFAM America and the oil companies through the so called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). What is the motive behind the almost US$900 million spent by these foreign agencies and the oil companies as free gifts to some Ghanaians, NGOs and governmental bodies?

If Ghana had adopted the world standard norm, the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), which PNDC Laws 64 and 84 support and without participating in the project with no cost to incur and depending upon the terms of the agreement, Ghana could have earned one of the following: Note: Participation is optional under PSA.

Profit Oil only

If under the PSA Ghana opts to take Profit Oil only without Royalty and Taxes which is an incentive to investment, Ghana could have earned as much as US$8,317,985,985,947 representing 47.70% of total production revenue during the period of 6 years.

Royalty + Profit Oil

Under the second option whereby Ghana opts for Royalty and Profit Oil without payment of Corporate Taxes, Ghana could have earned US$8,666,748,480 representing 49.70% of total production revenue over the period.

Though Options 1 and 2 would have seriously breached PNDC Law 84, Ghana is better placed under the PSA than under the Hybrid System.

Royalty +Profit Oil + Corporate Taxes

Under the third option which conforms and falls in line with the terms in PNDC Law 84, Ghana could have earned US$10,462,875,405 representing 60% of total production revenue.

The above expected earnings under the PSA fall within the Minimum Government Take range of 42%-60% of total production revenue that a host government is entitled to, set by the US Government Accountability office (GAO), for allowing its oil resources to be exploited under any oil contract.

The cumulative total losses to Ghana as at the end of 2016 is US$7,097,665,662 for not adopting PSA.

The above benefits of adopting PSA, we have demonstrated at our three meetings with

Petroleum Commission, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Energy Commission, Select Committee of Parliament for Mines and Energy and other stakeholders, but our advice was ignored.

Before the Appointment Vetting Committee of Parliament, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam (Anta) while being interviewed for the post of Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy told the whole world that there is now a convergence between the Royalty Tax System and the Production Sharing Agreement, and the Hybrid System which Ghana has adopted is superior to the PSA, because the fiscal terms cut across each other without any scientific and empirical evidence yet Parliamentarians believed him.

We have serious integrity problem with the Parliament of Ghana over the years. Parliament of Ghana, we have discovered, is part of an international conspiracy to deny Ghanaians a fair share of their sovereign property in the name of attracting investment for the oil lobby money that undoubtedly comes their way.

With the above analysis, Ghanaians should now judge for themselves whether the Ghana Hybrid System is a superior and better fiscal regime than PSA to adopt and whether the Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy has been truthful and honest with Ghanaians all this time.

Equally, are the officials of the Petroleum Commission, Energy Commission, GNPC, Ministry of Mines and Energy and our political leaders truthful and honest in their handling of the Upstream Oil Industry? We have no hesitation in answering with a resounding BIG NO! What about you, fellow Ghanaians?

We challenge the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Petroleum Commission, Energy Commission and their supporters to name countries in Africa that have adopted the Hybrid System and they are doing better than countries that have adopted Production Sharing Agreement. We also challenge them to prove us wrong.

In the meantime, we have brought this bizarre situation to the notice of the present government of President Nana Akufo Addo and the members of the Council of State - the Wise Counselors of Ghana, and other Stakeholders. We are yet to receive any response from the President, however we had the opportunity to make a presentation to the Council of State on 22nd March, 2017. We are awaiting further concrete response from them.

Meanwhile, we are preparing to take our case to the Supreme Court for arbitration, since we have no doubt that the Executive and Parliament have conspired to breach existing laws and acted irresponsibly to bring colossal financial loss to the people of Ghana. We plead with all well-meaning patriots to join us in this quest to reclaim our birth right from the clutches of our exploiters posing as benevolent investors, with the active support of traitors posing as our leaders.

Solomon Kwawukume

Senior Research Officer  GIGS

National Coordinator FTOS-GH PSA Campaign
Governments have come and gone, presidents and heads of state have come and gone, ministers responsible for lands and mineral resources have come and gone but none of these were able to stop galamsey or relegate it to the abyss of forgetfulness. Indeed Nana Addo has done what all the others could not do. The reason why this illegal mining could gain roots, thus becoming untouchable and unstoppable was that, influential people including top executives, politicians, chiefs and even top police and military officers, all had a stake in the galamsey by condoning, and conniving with young boys to do illegal mining for them.

Galamsey which was a crude form of the statement, "gather them and sell," is an illegal mining activity by both young and old with the full support and connivance of big and influential men in the society. This illegal activity started long before Ghana gained its independence. Ghana happens to be the 10th leading producer of gold in the entire world and 2nd in Africa. This illegal mining activity became a blessing and a curse and this will be explained in detail in the article. The curse far outweighed the blessings due to health hazards, environmental degradation, the destruction of farm lands and the indiscriminate pollution of water bodies.

Mining itself is a major economic activity in many developing countries. In Ghana, small-scale mining was once a respected traditional vocation. In the late 80s, the government officially legalized small-scale mining. This decision brought to the fore some challenges, including the mechanism by which the government granted concession to peasants. The process was very cumbersome and slow, thus compelling many to mine illicitly. Galamsey began in earnest and boomed from regime to regime, only to intensify during Mahama's regime. Since then galamsey became a source of livelihood for those who live near the legal mining communities. They were motivated to enter the illegal mining due to unemployment, poverty and increase in price of gold in the world market. As a result many people including the jobless have swarmed the mining areas to engage in galamsey. Even those whose cocoa trees could not yield much, have abandoned farming and joined the galamsey business.

Ghana is naturally well endowed with fresh water sources. The abundance of water sources was an envy of most countries that have no such water sources. Sadly enough, these illegal miners are busy polluting and destroying our enviable, fresh and drinkable water sources right under the very noses of governments, local authorities and concerned Ghanaians. Environmentalists and climate scientists have consistently warned the local population that if the destruction and pollution of the water sources persist, within the next 20 to 30 years, water will have to be imported from other countries. These shameless and illegal miners do not think or are even conscious of any precautionary measures to be taken to abate the nuisance. The mighty river Supong which runs in Asiakwa in the Eastern region is a pathetic example of continuous pollution. Supong River which once provided cool, clean and extremely refreshing water to drink has now turned smelly and yellowish. The river is now filled with mud, algae and weeds.

The situation became worse when the Chinese travelled to Ghana in their numbers and directed their journeys towards the gold mining areas in the Ashanti, Western and Eastern regions. Their presence was much felt during the rule of former president Mahama. Majority of them joined the illegal mining. Some of them were fronted and aided by Ghanaians to register small scale mining companies. Since they had a lot of money, they were able to pay the local chiefs for land to be released for their mining activities to begin. Even cocoa farms were sold to them to be destroyed for gold mining purposes. Heavy machines including excavators and tipper trucks were brought from China to help in their search for gold. Soon they began to destroy more farms and water bodies with cyanide and other dangerous products used to fish for the gold.

Concerned Ghanaians protested against the Chinese involvement in galamsey and small scale mining. The Chinese met the anger and protest of Ghanaians with force. So far not less than ten Ghanaians have been shot dead by the Chinese and not even a single Chinese was put before court. The gaping holes created by illegal mining have trapped and killed many children, women and farmers. Yet they are heavily protected by police and retired soldiers in military uniforms.

Small scale mining and not galamsey could have been an important source of livelihood for relatively low-income Ghanaians, as well as highly significant for the economy as a whole. Sadly enough, this area has been taking over by Chinese in contravention of the Mineral and Mining Act 206 and Act 703. These Acts outline clearly that small scale mining is strictly reserved for Ghanaians. If the law says so, why then do we allow Chinese citizens to enter and completely take over small-scale mining? The Chinese is smarter. They put Ghanaians in the fore-front to register the companies on their behalf.

The situation in the mining areas had gotten out of hand. Cocoa trees and other crops were being uprooted and destroyed by the Chinese to give way to galamsey and small-scale mining. The environment was being destroyed, water bodies were being polluted, gaping holes were being abandoned in the forest, abandoned holes have ensnared and killed many and the Chinese are gunning down and hacking people down at random. Several complaints and protests were launched by concerned Ghanaians for an effective leader and government to emerge to save the mining areas from illegal miners.

Happily in January 2017, a courageous leader, a visionary, a disciplined and an incorrupt man, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo was sworn in as the fifth president of Ghana. One Friday in Kumasi, few months after assuming power as a deputy Minister for lands and mineral resources, Madam Barbara Oteng Gyasi disclosed one Friday in Kumasi that the NPP government would soon apply force and technology to fight illegal miners and warned those involved to refrain from the practice.

Her message fell on deaf ears. Military men and police officers were deployed to the mining areas and with the help of detective devices they were able to drive illegal miners away and all their excavators and other equipment were seized. A die-hard, stubborn Chinese woman named Aisha was arrested three times for illegal mining despite the government's ban. She was released three times because she blackmailed the powers that be with tapes and videos she commissioned Chinese women to have sexual encounter with Ghanaian power brokers. After her startling revelations, she was arrested for the fourth and this arrest may probably be the last and she may either be imprisoned or repatriated to China.

Already majority of Ghanaians are applauding Nana Addo for his determination to relegate illegal mining into the abyss of forgetfulness and to ensure that small scale miners conform to the laws. The government has a great job on its hand to clean the polluted water bodies and to fill all the gaping holes to prevent further accidents.

Columnist: Stephen Atta Owusu

Author: Dark Faces at Crossroads

Email: [email protected]
Konkomba Youth Association,United States of America Branch calls on the Government of Ghana to come to the aid of the residence and the affected families of the armed robbery case in Tatale.The Communities like Nyojado who lost 3 of their members because of cross fire with the armed robbers should be help and treated as heroes for rising to defend mother Ghana.

Tatale-Sangul district is located in the eastern corridor of Ghana and shares border with Togo. Residents and Ghanaians in other localities transact international business with their Togolese counterparts.

Due to these business transactions, the district is prone to open armed robbery. Such was the case in the report of a fatal armed robbery in Tatale and Sangul townships and their environs on Sunday, May-21st, 2017.

Reports say the armed men riding motorbikes first attacked and robbed business men and women in Tatale town and proceeded to Kpaributaab town for same operations targeting the Credit Union leading to loss of many lives and several properties mainly cash.

On their way to escape, residents of Nyojado and surrounding communities intercepted them by blocking the road to delay their travel and ease their arrest. Unfortunately, the armed robbers opened fire on these residents killing reportedly 3 people. The indefatigable District Police arrived at the scene in Nyojado and retrieved some of the items abandoned by the fleeing robbers including motorbike and cash amounts. Currently, residents of Nyojado and other communities in the district are under attack and need protection from security agencies.

The armed robbers are dispersed into the neighboring bushes and lunch sporadic ambush attacks on the surrounding communities. Many more lives have been lost as a result of these attacks and all the community members are living under constant fear of being attacked by the armed robbers. We wish to call the attention of the Ghana Police Service and the National Security Service to come to the aid of these communities especially Nyojado and many other riverine communities around Sabare areas.

Many lives are lost and the people are helpless against the armed robbers. We anticipate that help may be on the way but we just want to highlight the need to expedite action, and the nature of assistance needed as well as the affected areas in this situation.

Finally, in order to curtail the amount of damage in the unfortunate occurrence of future incidences of this nature, we wish to appeal to the Ghana Police Service to consider beefing up the Tatale-Sangul District Police Department in numbers and also in arsenal to enable them crack down these evil minded robbers effectively.

With many thanks in advance, we anticipate that this plea will receive the needed attention.

William Ntebe, President, KOYA-USA.
First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, is whipping up support ahead of the much-anticipated fund raising ceremony to build a new mother and baby unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Sunday.

The fundraiser follows an earlier event in Accra to raise funds for the project.

The KATH Mother and Baby Unit was the spotlight of the recent Joy News Special Assignment which revealed how hundreds of babies and mothers are dying each year at the facility.

The new unit is expected to reduce the mortality rate of mother and baby at the hospital by up to 60 percent.

The First Lady will be there to spearhead the fundraiser and has called on residents of Kumasi to contribute towards the project.

Seth Kwame Boateng, who worked the report to bring the troubling situation at the hospital to light, revealed that the First Lady, as well as the wife of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia, and other dignitaries, are already in the Ashanti Region capital, Kumasi, for the event.

They paid a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace to formally invite him to the event, he said.

At the Manhyia Palace, the First said she was looking forward to a successful event.

She called on the Asante King and his elders to throw their weights behind the programme in order to raise enough funds to construct the Mother and Baby Unit.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Paris (AFP) - A Frenchman who was abducted nearly two months ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been freed, the office of President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday.

A French diplomat said the freed hostage was among five gold mine workers who were seized on March 1 in the east of the troubled country.

The hostages worked for Banro, a Canadian gold mining corporation that runs two mines in DR Congo and is exploring for the mineral elsewhere in the vast, resource-rich country.

Macron praised the DR Congo authorities "for their mobilisation and the effectiveness of their action" in obtaining the French hostage's release, his office said in a statement.

The DR Congo interior ministry said a Tanzanian worker who was among the four other hostages was freed in April, but three Congolese workers remain in captivity.

"Very advanced efforts" are under way to secure their release, a ministry source said.

The French foreign ministry said it had no information on the identity of the attackers.

Kidnappings are frequent in DR Congo's east, which has suffered nearly two decades of brutal conflict, with neighbouring states backing rebel groups in a civil war against Kinshasa's authority, and roaming armed militia triggering the mass flight of terrorised civilians.

The United Nations has 19,000 soldiers, police and military observers deployed in the DR Congo, its biggest and costliest peacekeeping mission, with an annual budget of $1.2 billion.
Ashaiman (GAR), May 27, GNA - The Ashaiman Police Command has targeted a 30 per cent reduction in robbery cases this year.

Chief Superintendent Fleance Senam Adikah, Ashaiman Divisional Commander said: 'Indications are that we are on target.'

Chief Supt Adikah gave the assurance at the annual West African Security Service Association (WASSA) celebrations at Ashaiman.

WASSA is an occasion, during which the security services relax their regimental structures for senior officers and their men to interact under recreational conditions.

It is also used by the security personnel to take stock of their performance and to plan ahead as well as create a forum to offer stakeholders the opportunity to have some insight into what they do.

Chief Supt Adikah said the crime situation in Ashaiman was kept under control with the overall figures showing marginal decrease in all major offences except robbery.

Robbery recorded in 2017 so far are 21 cases from 67 in 2015 to 88 in 2016.

The Divisional Commander said the achievement of the apparent modest success in crime control and management in the year under review, was not without a struggle due to certain factors that militated against general effective policing in the area.

Chief Supt Adikah said some of the factors were inadequate personnel and logistical support such as vehicles and fuel for patrols, the illegal use of motorbikes for commercial purposes popularly called 'Okada' and the fallen interest in neighbourhood watch committees.

He gave the assurance that the Police would continue with its activities such as swooping, intensification of foot patrols, community outreach programmes and engagement of community members and local authorities to clamp down on crime.

GNA
28.05.2017 LISTEN

Accra, May 28, GNA - It is risky and unsafe to fill a Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder to the brim as it can easily explode at the slightest spark of fire or leakage in the cylinder, Mr Tizard Ansah, Risk Management Officer of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies has said.

He said ideally, and by international standards, Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders are not allowed to be filled beyond 80 per cent and customers who call for top-ups at the pumps were endangering their lives and property.

Mr Ansah said this when he conducted Journalists round some selected filling stations at Accra as part of the week-long celebrations of the AOMC safety week on the theme: 'Petroleum Safety, It's your right.'

As part of their week's celebrations, the AOMC launched a number of activities; including a comprehensive media interaction, video shows on safety measures and a tour to climax their activities in the capital.

Mr Ansah therefore cautioned the Gas station Attendants against filling the cylinders of their customers to the brim as that could also be detrimental to their stations during the filling.

'Although you may be making money, it is wrong to allow customers to dictate to you. You are supposed to educate them against the practice and not to allow them to engage in activities that could be disastrous them and your stations.'

On the recent gas explosions in various parts of the country, Mr Ansah said none of them was caused by the workers of the stations, saying 'most of the explosions were caused by drivers discharging the commodity.'

He said apart from safety measures such as; construction of water hydrants, procurement of effective fire extinguishers, technological alarm systems among others, the AOMCs had also trained their workers on safety measures and called on the public to feel comfortable to transact business with their outlets.

He appealed to stakeholders such as Tanker Drivers Association among others to educate their members on loading and discharging of the commodity.

The AOMC is the umbrella body for various Oli Marketing Companies in the country, speak for and on behalf of their members among others.

GNA

By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA
28.05.2017 LISTEN

Wife of Asantehene, Lady Julia, has commended efforts by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Multimedia Group and other organisations to give a facelift to the struggling Mother and Baby Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

Speaking at a fundraising event in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region capital Sunday, she said she was happy that years of pleas by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and other interest groups to improve conditions at the maternity block at the health facility has received attention.

We have found not just a listening year, but an inspired act to save our mothers and children from needless deaths. We are grateful to the Multimedia Group for the powerful documentary which shook the conscience of the nation she said.

The Kumasi fundraiser follows an earlier event in Accra to raise funds for the project.

The KATH Mother and Baby Unit was the spotlight of the recent Joy News Special Assignment by Joy News Seth Kwame Boateng which revealed how hundreds of babies and mothers are dying at the facility.

The new Mother and Baby Unit, when completed will reduce the mortality rate of mother and baby at the hospital by up to 60 percent.

The First Lady, through her Rebecca Foundation, has been spearheading the fundraiser and has called on residents of Kumasi and well-meaning Ghanaians to contribute towards the project.

Lady Julia said she was hopeful that the event will meet its target.

We are grateful also to all those who combine expertise to help provide the emergency unit to help reduce the acute congestion while government prepares for the completion of the abandoned block.

But above all our utmost gratitude goes to the First Lady of the Republic, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, for her inspiration and initiative that has galvanised the nation to support this noble humanitarian venture, she said.

Santokh Singh

Multimedia Group's Managing Director for Television, Santokh Singh, who also spoke at the event, said the media conglomerate will continue to seek the good of the country.

He said the despite the negative criticism from detractors about some of Joy News' reports, the station will remain committed to improving the society through the power of the media.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]
28.05.2017 LISTEN

Nsawam (E/R), May 28, GNA - Boy-Child Initiative Ghana (BCIG), an Accra-based humanitarian non-governmental organisation (NGO), has presented assorted items for the upkeep of female inmates of the Nsawam Medium Prisons, at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

The items included; soft drinks, boxes of biscuits, used clothing, sanitary wares, toiletries, slippers and other consumables.

Ms Akosua Offeibea Boakye, the Director of BCIG said the donation was to show love, give hope to the inmates and help relieve them of insufficient logistics that they had.

She said the visit was also to support street boys mothers serving jail terms.

Ms Boakye said the BCIG established in 2014, sought to bridge the gap between the attentions being given to the girl-child to that of the boy-child.

She said the organisation offered educational and scholarship supports to brilliant but needy, especially the boy-child in deprived communities.

She said BCIG promotes empowerment, rehabilitation, welfare and social justice of every boy child.

Ms Boakye said the organisation was committed to supporting the less privileged children in the society.

Superintendent Esi Gomado, the Head of Industries of the Prison who received the items on behalf of the inmates, said the timely donation would solve some of the socio-economic challenges facing the prisoners.

She said the prison equipped the inmates with employable skills through effective trade training programmes to enhance their livelihood after their release.

She commended the NGO for the gesture and called on other benevolent institutions to come to their aid to help reform the inmates to contribute to national development.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
- IPOB has lashed out at Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, over comments alleged to be anti-Biafra

- The pro-Biafra group says Obasanjo cannot ask it to jettison its secessionist ideologies

- IPOB says plots by Obj and his cohorts to silence their movement, will not work

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo's call, urging the group to jettison its secessionist struggle.

Obasanjo has in a recent statement urged pro-Biafra agitators to bury their agitation and fight for the national cake.

In a press statement signed by its media and publicity secretary, Mr Emma Powerful, IPOB said it was not interested in the so called national cake.

The group said it wondered why elders in the mold of Obasanjo could not tell the truth about the injustices faced by Igbos in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Pro- Biafran group accuses Ebonyi government of intimidating their members with thugs

Obasanjo asked pro-Biafra agitators to shun their agitation and fight for the national cake

According to This Day, the group stressed that it was a shame to hear such statements proceed from the mouth of leaders like Obasanjo.

Adding that Obasanjo would have been in a position to tell Nigerians the simple truth about the resolve of IPOB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to restore Biafra.

The group noted that no ploy by Obasanjo and his "cohorts" will stop them from their mission.

Stressing that the Biafra awareness keeps gaining audience by the day, making their resolve stronger.

In a similar vein, former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has faulted statement credited to ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo, that the way to stop the Biafran agitation is to offer the Igbo cake.

Obasanjo had on Thursday, May 25, in Abuja at a Colloquim on 50 years of Biafra organised by the YarAdua Foundation appealed to those agitating for a Biafra state to shelve such request.

There is enough cake for each of us.

And, if what you are asking for is more of the cake, then ask in a way that is pleasant, not in a way that can make others feel that you are not entitled to what you are asking for, Obasanjo said.

In reaction however, Fani-Kayode in a tweet described Obasanjos comments as insulting to the Igbo.

The former minister warned that Obasanjos statement is reminiscent of the words of Queen Marie Antoinette of France before the revolution.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Meanwhile, the seat-at-home order for May 30 by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is gaining momentum as Maxi Okwu, a top Igbo elder, says he would take part in it.

Okwu, a former national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), also thanked Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for speaking out the truth at a recent celebration in Abuja to mark the 50th anniversary of the Biafran war.

The Igbo elder further condemned the way former President Olusegun Obasanjo spoke at the event stressing that the retired military general is one of the major problems plaguing Nigeria.

Watch this video to see how prepared IPOB and its loyalists are for the May 30 celebration.

Source: Legit.ng
- Acting President Osinbajo and former Vice President Namadi Sambo are at variance over the recently commissioned Zaria water project

- The leaders are in disagreement over the role of past and present government in executing the water project in Zaria

- Sambo says the project has remained the same as it was 7 years ago

Nigeria's Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday, May 27, inaugurated the long awaited 150 million liters per day multi-billion Naira Zaria water project in Kaduna state

Legit.ng gathered that Osinbajo and his predecessor, Namadi Sambo, on Saturday disagreed over the role played by present and past Kaduna governors in the Zaria water project.

Represented at the event by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Oyegun, the acting president had claimed the project had lingered for 16 years but was speedily completed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai in two years.

But the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the 150 million liters per day multi-billion water project was initiated by Mr Sambo in 2008 when he was governor of the north western state.

Namadi Sambo has said that the Zaria water project has not had any modification in the past 7 years

READ ALSO: Biafra agitation: IPOB attacks Obasanjo over anti-Biafra statement

Osinbajos representative described El-Rufai as one of the most visionary governors the party has produced.

He described the invitation of Mr Sambo to witness the inauguration as a demonstration of good will of the state government.

But Mr Sambo struck back in his speech, telling the audience that while E-Rufais effort was commendable, the project had not gone beyond where he left it seven years ago.

The former vice president however said the event would bring an end to water scarcity in Zaria which had been on for over 40 years.

He urged the benefiting communities to make judicious use of the project and to protect it against vandalism.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

The first part of the project inaugurated by Mr. Osinbajo would supply water to Zaria and Sabongari Local Government Areas.

NAN reports that, when fully completed, the Zaria water supply project would also be extended to Giwa, Kudan, Makarfi, Soba and Kubau local government areas.

To facilitate the project, the Federal Government constructed the Galma dam which has 186.1 million cubic metres of water to provide raw water to Zaria water treatment plant.

Below is a video in which Acting President Yemi Osinbajo speaks on Biafra war, 50 years after the tragic event.

Source: Legit.ng
Emerging report suggests that a sculptor is erecting a statue in honour of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Sources disclose that the statue is to be erected somewhere in Owerri, Imo state.

Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), tends to have become very powerful following his release from Kuje prison.

READ ALSO: Biafra agitation: IPOB attacks Obasanjo over anti-Biafra statement

Biafra Remembrance: Nnamdi Kanu gets heroic treatment, as statue of IPOB leader is erected

Buhari aided Kanu's popularity

Reno Omokri, the former media aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of making Nnamdi Kanu popular.

Omokri, in a tweet he made on Friday, May 26, claimed that if the president had not order the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, he wouldn't have become one of the most popular men in Nigeria at the moment.

"The worst thing PMB could have done was jailing Nnamdi Kanu. He is responsible for making him one of the most popular men in Nigeria today!"

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Biafra Remembrance: Nnamdi Kanu gets heroic treatment, as statue of IPOB leader is erected

Recall that Legit.ng reported that Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on October 14, 2015 in a Lagos hotel.

The order to arrest Nnamdi Kanu came from president Buhari, and Kanu who was incarcerated for almost two years become more famous among pro-Biafra agitators during his stay in prison.

Popular Nigerian politicians, leaders have visited Kanu in his Abia home since he was released on bail from the Nigerian prison.

Biafra Remembrance: Nnamdi Kanu gets heroic treatment, as statue of IPOB leader is erected

Biafra Remembrance: Nnamdi Kanu gets heroic treatment, as statue of IPOB leader is erected

Below is a Legit.ng video in which IPOB announces its programme for May 30 celebrations.

Source: Legit.ng
Saturday, May 27 marked another exciting Children's day celebration!

Like many Nigerians, several notable personalities took to their social media accounts to celebrate their children and children all over the world.

Check out how your favourite celebrity celebrated the beautiful day as gathered by Legit.ng below:

Mercy Johnson celebrated Childrens Day with her three kids at their school.

Tiwa Savage shared an adorable photo of her son Jamil singing her latest jam, all over.

D'banj shared the first photo of his son Daniel to mark his first celebration of the day as a father.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Anna Banner shared a cute video of her daughter hugging and kissing a baby.

Peter Okoye shared a cute photo of his kids Cameron and Aliona.

Mercy Aigbe shared a video of her son dressed as a pilot.

Actress Omoni Oboli and Omotola Jalade celebrated the big day with children at the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Ahmedabad.

READ ALSO: Despite his absence, Presidency releases photos of Buhari with children

Actress Tonto Dikeh shared a photo of her cute little son.

Watch Nigerians tell Who should be held responsible for exam malpractice? Student, teacher or parents below:

Source: Legit.ng
- A woman in Lagos has been arrested for allegedly selling her children

- The housewife known as Vicky reportedly sold four of her five children and lied to her husband

- She was exposed after she sold the last child for N400,000 and her husband was tipped by a neighbour

Mrs Vicky, a housewife in Lagos has been arrested by policemen attached to Area M Command, Idimu, Lagos for allegedly selling four out of her five children to different buyers without the knowledge of her husband.

Her husband petitioned Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Austines Akika and he ordered the policemen to make the arrest.

According to PM Express, she was selling the children one after the other and successfully sold four of them.

The police were petitioned by the husband

Apparently, she lied to her husband that she took the kids to their relation until the husband later discovered she has sold them.

She had sold the last child for N400,000 and her husband was tipped by a neighbour who then reported to the police and she was arrested and detained at the command cell.

She was said to have already confessed to the police while efforts were already being made to rescue the children and arrest the buyers.

READ ALSO: Pregnant 20-year-old girl sets boyfriend's house ablaze

Her husband rented an apartment in Idimu area of Alimosho local government, works outside Lagos, where he stays during the week and returns home weekend or monthly, so she was able to carry out the illegal sales without his knowledge.

The woman is still in detention while the police are carrying out investigations to locate the whereabouts of the children.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the woman, Idongesit Ese, stormed into the church while a service was going on and accused her husband of allegedly impregnating a member if the church.

Mrs Ese allegedly accused a church member identified as, Evelyn Etim, of having an affair with the pastor.

PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV

Legit.ng gathered that the sad incident occurred on Wednesday, May 24, around 12:00pm, in the church premises at Bassey, Esau street in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

Watch a Legit.ng video on abusive relationships below:

Source: Legit.ng
- (Dr) Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, an Islamic scholar says the president has failed Nigerians

- He also urged Nigerians to reject both the APC and PDP

- Gumi argued that in the administration of President Buhari, senior officials were getting away with stealing and corruption

An Islamic scholar, Sheikh (Dr) Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has insisted that the President Muhammadu Buhari APC-led administration has failed woefully.

Sheikh Gumi said this while assessing the administration of President Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last two years.

READ ALSO: Acting President Osinbajo, former VP Sambo, disagree over Zaria water project

According to the cleric, the president and the party performed below expectations.

Gumi argued that in the administration of President Buhari, senior officials were getting away with stealing and corruption

Going further, the cleric urged Nigerians to reject the ruling party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well.

He said: The problem is that no matter how good you are as a leader, you should have a team. If you put Maradona in a bad team, no one will pass the ball to him in order to score a goal. The APC government has failed for lack of a team.

Every failure has reasons. When a patient dies in the hospital, there is usually a post mortem examination to determine the direct cause of death. We have symptoms but they may not be the cause of death.

The widespread suffering in the country is a symptom of an underlying disease afflicting the nation that needs to be tackled. But if the government has been listening all along, it could have alleviated the problem or it could have done more than it is doing.

I can imagine somebody who has nothing. How is he surviving? How is he paying his childrens school fees? How can he treat his children when they are sick? How can he feed? So, when you look at all these indices, you will know that it is a miracle that we are still existing.

So, if we want to do a post mortem on this government, you have to look far beyond the inception of the administration. Like I said, they inherited some of the defects and the solution would have been to manage Nigeria as a critically ill patient.

Sheikh Gumi lso faulted the leadership qualities of the ruling party.

Now, there is too much hostility and bad blood in the country. All I know is that all Nigerians are one. What we need was someone to correct us, he told New Telegraph.

This is the time to bring people together, the kind of leader that Nigeria needs at this critical time is the one that can pacify. Not one that will show that he is clean and the other person is dirty. No. He should show that we are all dirty, let us all come and clean ourselves.

So, the so-called clean party which has the broom, who is it trying to sweep? It is so antagonistic. It is so provocative that it has divided the country. If your house is also dirty, you cannot clean someones house. People thought that change is coming when it was not possible to effect that change," he said.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Speaking on corruption, Gumi reflected that even in the administration of President Buhari, senior officials were getting away with stealing and corruption.

The allegations of corruption are already been made against the (suspended) Secretary to the Government of the Federation, of a government that is fighting corruption. And the government cannot do anything besides suspension.

The present administration came to rule Nigeria using the slogan of war against corruption and this is disrupting the unity of the country. The unity of the country is more important than the money that people stole; more important than the current underdevelopment that we are witnessing, he said.

Meanwhile, acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday, May 27, appointed a new Director General for the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

Legit.ng gathered that Funso Doherty the new appointee whose appointment is subject to senate confirmation replaces Mal. Dikko Aliyu AbdulRahman.

Osinbajo has also approved the following appointments for some Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.

Source: Legit.ng
- The civil war which saw the Nigerian federal troops opposing Biafra secessionist fighting for independence is estimated to have killed between one and two milllion people

- Most of the dead are said to have died from hunger and disease, from 1967 to 1970 in south-eastern Nigeria

Legit.ng in the photos below brings you images from the 30 months fratricidal war that engulfed Nigeria some 50 years ago.

READ ALSO: Buhari, you are a failure  Islamic scholar surprisingly says, urges Nigerians to reject PDP, APC

Moise, 14 (L) and Ferdinand, 16 (R), two children soldiers of the Biafran army during a discussion in Umuahia on August 31, 1968.

Moise, 14 (L) and Ferdinand, 16 (R), two children soldiers of the Biafran army during a discussion in Umuahia on August 31, 1968. AFP PHOTO/Francois Mazure

During the Biafran war, civilians unload a ferry that carries relief between Calabar and Oron on September 09, 1968.

During the Biafran war, civilians unload a ferry that carries relief between Calabar and Oron on September 09, 1968 / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

In the photo, Biafran children can be seen sitting in a plane chartered by the International Red Cross (ICRC) and humanitarian organisation Terre des Hommes. The plane transported them to Libreville, Gabon, on October 02, 1968 after their evacuation from Biafra.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

In the photo, Biafran children can be seen sitting in a plane chartered by the International Red Cross (ICRC) and humanitarian organisation Terre des Hommes AFP PHOTO / Francois Mazure.

Photo of a wounded Nigerian army soldier being carried by his comrades on the pannier rack of a bicycle on December 07, 1968 in the bush at Ekim near Itu, during the war.

A Nigerian solider wounded in the neck being carried by his comrades / AFP PHOTO / Philippe CARVALLO

Below is a picture of wounded soldiers of the Nigerian Federal Army while waiting for a plane that will transport them to Port Harcourt for treatment on December 11, 1968 in Urua Inyang, during the war.

Here is a picture of wounded soldiers of the Nigerian Federal Army while waiting for a plane that will transport them to Port Harcourt for treatment. / AFP PHOTO / Philippe CARVALLO

On July 24, 1967, European families prepare to be evacuated by boat from Port Harcourt during the war.

On July 24, 1967, European families prepare to be evacuated by boat from Port Harcourt. / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

A photo of young militia women of the civil defence during a parade at a military training on August 17, 1967, in Enugu

A parade of young militia women of the civil defence during a military training on August 17, 1967, in Enugu. / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

The photo below shows Biafran prisoners and civilians wait at the federal camp of Nakurdi on November 01, 1967 in Enugu after fightings during the Biafran war.

Biafran prisoners and civilians wait at the federal camp of Nakurdi on November 01, 1967 in Enugu

The photo below shows a view of the destroyed prison of Calabar on November 13, 1967 after the federal troops took the city from the Biafran rebellion.

The photo below shows a view of the destroyed prison of Calabar on November 13, 1967. / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

Two Nigerian federal army officers after their execution by the Biafran army, on July 02, 1968 during the war. / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

Two Nigerian federal army officers after their execution by the Biafran army, on July 02, 1968 during the war. / AFP PHOTO / Colin HAYNES

Starving children pose in a refugee camp near Aba, on August 06, 1968 during the Biafran war. / AFP PHOTO.

Starving children pose in a refugee camp near Aba, on August 06, 1968 during the Biafran war. / AFP PHOTO

In the photo below, Nigerian federal army soldiers (R), prisoners of the Biafran army, wait to be questioned, on August 08, 1968 near Ikot Ekpene during the war. / AFP PHOTO /

In the photo below, Nigerian federal army soldiers (R), prisoners of the Biafran army, wait to be questioned / AFP PHOTO

Photo of civilians fleeing Aba to go to Umuahia on August 28, 1968 as the Nigerian federal troops advance toward the city during the Biafran war.

Photo of civilians fleeing Aba to go to Umuahia on August 28, 1968 as the Nigerian federal troops advance toward the city during the Biafran war. / AFP PHOTO / Francois Mazure

Legit.ng reported that in recent times, there has been a renewed agitation for the Republic of Biafra by members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

Nearly 50 years after the Biafran War (July 6, 1967  January 15, 1970) which almost destroyed the unity of Nigeria, its agitators have refused to give up the struggle.

This struggle by some Igbo people to secede from Nigeria started when on May 30, 1967, late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a military officer and politician announced a breakaway of the Eastern Region under the new name Republic of Biafra.

This subsequently sparked the Nigerian civil war also known as the Biafran war. The war was between the then Eastern Region of Nigeria and the rest of the country.

The war was fought to reunify the country.

Source: Legit.ng
- Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, speaks on the state of the nation in this interview obtained by Legit.ng

- He said the South-East has not had their fair share since after the civil war

- He also asked for the reconciliation of Nigerians

It is May 29, another Democracy Day? What is your take on the state of the nation?

May 29 has nothing to do with democracy, it is just a day in Nigerias history when the military handed over power to a civilian government. So that does not amount to the day being called Democracy Day. Democracy means more than that. Democracy means the absolute will and supremacy of the will of the people. This administration is not fit to be called democratic, its mere political manipulation to cover the reality. The reality is that there is civilian dictatorship in Nigeria! But it is being presented as the will of the people.

Are you saying that what we have is far from the will of the people?

It is absolutely far from the will of the people! With the level of disunity in the country and dictatorship, do you call that democracy? How do you call what we have democracy when there is this high level of poverty and anger in the land? How can you tag this as democracy when there is the leading role of the private sector in the economy? The disabling level of corruption cannot be such a thing that would happen in a democratic setting! Let us stop deceiving ourselves that we have democracy by calling May 29 Democracy Day.

With the fight against corruption by this administration being hailed, do you see this as an achievement?

Government is divided into the legislative arm, the executive arm and the judiciary arm. The two heads of one of the three arms of government, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, have made it quite clear that the anti-corruption campaign is not realistic and has been affected by a number of negative factors such as political marginalization, revenge and selective punishment. These factors have taken over the anti-corruption campaign!

Some groups have been calling for the restructuring of Nigeria. What is your stand?

Some people are actually agitating for legislative restructuring in Nigeria is very necessary. Since the amalgamation of the Southern and the Northern protectorates in 1914 by our colonial masters, we ought to have realized that there are many things we ought to look into, like reviewing some of our policies, and in the process dropping the insignificant once that are not moving us forward as a nation and deepening the ones that would better the lives of citizenry. For instance, the dividing of the nation into 36 units has not favorable us as a nation. We ought to go back to when we were running four regions.

READ ALSO: Pictures of Nigerian civil war - From starving children to execution of Nigerian soldiers

Every country worldwide has a system that work for it. But in Nigeria self interest comes first while public interest is secondary. We should take that out if our system so that public interest comes first and self comes last. From the colonial rule up till the military took over in 1956, the system controlling development in Nigeria was based on public interest.

That was the reason we did not have at that time this disabling level of corruption back then. Nobody could steal public fund unlike what you have today. People are agitated about the issue of poor power supply but this can be taken care of when we put public interest first and we are selfless.

But it is believed in many quarters that the 2014 National Conference report, if implemented by the Buhari administration, is what we require to take us out of our structural challenges. You dont share that view?

Former President Jonathans National Conference is nonsense! It doesnt represent the will of Nigerians. Jonathan brought about that conference in order to facilitate his second term bid! So why should Nigerians be boxed into accepting the report? One of the challenges we have as a people in Nigeria is the gap in education between the North and the South. It is 40 years gap. It means the North is 40 years behind the South in educational development. With such gap, how do you expect unity and who do you think would be at the forefront forever? As long as the gap is not bridged, the North would feel threatened. That is the problem. And it has been like this since the inception of Nigeria. For instance, in 1951, there was only one secondary school in the North, while there were about 100 in the South and nothing was done to bridge the gap. For as long as this continues, we may not have peace and progress in this country.

Do you think the South-East has had a fair share in the affairs of Nigeria since after the civil war?

Sincerely, the South-East has not had their fair share since after the civil war. Their marginalization is quite obvious. If the policy of reconstruction, reintegration and reconciliation of Gen.Gowon and the late Gen.Murtala Muhammed had continued, the agitation by the few Igbo for the Biafra state would have been a thing of the past. It is the marginalization that is making a small section of the Igbo to agitate for Biafra. If the reconstruction and reconciliation policy had been continued, there wouldnt have been any need for Biafra because the number of the Igbo asking for Biafra is not more than 10 percent.

The majority of the Igbo crave for a better Nigeria particularly because of their civil war experience and they are prepared to fight for the unity of Nigeria. The majority of Igbo leaders have said in clear terms that they want a better Nigeria where they can expand because their people are enterprising in nature. And as you are aware, people that are enterprising would prefer a big community to a small community. Some of them desire a better Nigeria because they dont want the previous experience of war to repeat itself. But the agitation for Biafra is a ticking time  bomb just as the level of poverty in Nigeria.

Like I said earlier, the system of development in Nigeria tends to divide the people. There was a time in history when the Igbo were targeted and isolated because they were enterprising all because of the system that operates in Nigeria. And it is possible the system continues to marginalise some people until there is a brutal revolution.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

What would be your advice to this administration in that regard?

There is no point advising them. What you can do is to compete for power and change the situation. Because how do you advise somebody whose position is always negative. The Chairman of the APC, Chief Odigie  Oyegun said recently that the situation in Nigeria will not change for the next eight years. Oyegun is the Chairman of the party controlling the government. So should we allow them to continue when they cannot bring about any obvious and qualitative change. What Oyegun said is an evidence of the complete failure of the APC government. Mathematically its means if we rely on APC we will never get out of our predicament forever.

How do Nigerians go about the actual change they envisage as a people?

The first step is to reconcile Nigerians. Secondly the system controlling the country is based on self-interest first and public interest secondary. This system should be changed in favor of public interest first. And we can begin this by taking leadership role in the states to ensure peace, equality and justice and we take it up to the development of the whole country.

Meanwhile, Igbo for Nigerian Movement, INM, a South east youths movement has asked the people of the region to forget leaving Nigeria for a separate country.

According to the group, secession will bring about more troubles than gains.

Source: Legit.ng
- No fewer than 400 passengers of a British Airways flight from Nigeria have been stranded in Lagos

- Some passengers, however, were flown out of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Saturday May 27 by KLM Airlines

- The IT problems were said to have led to thousands of passengers of the airline having their flights disrupted and canceled

No fewer than 400 passengers of a British Airways flight from Nigeria have been stranded in Lagos since Friday May 26 due to information technology (IT) problems the airline is experiencing.

Sahara Reporters reports that some passengers, however, were flown out of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Saturday May 27 by KLM Airlines, while others were flown to Heathrow-London by Virgin Atlantic on Sunday morning.

READ ALSO: I never met Tinubu before he made me Commissioner  Osinbajo

Legit.ng gathered that the British Airways passengers who were not flown out on either of the flights were provided with complimentary hotel bookings.

400 British Airways passengers stranded in Nigeria over IT problems

The IT problems have led to thousands of passengers of the airline having their flights disrupted and canceled.

Some of the passengers described the situation as chaotic, with some criticizing British Airlines for poor communication with passengers.

The airline has, however, apologized to its passengers and advised them not to come to the airport until the issue is resolved.

Speaking on Sunday, a source close to the airline disclosed that the Heathrow-Lagos British Airways flight had departed London and would land in Lagos at any moment from now, but as at the time of filing this report at the airport, the aircraft was yet to land.

It was also learnt that British Airways counter staff were present at the airport attending to passengers.

The source said that those who were booked in hotels requested for the service, stressing that the moment operations are stabilized, they would be the first to be considered by the airline.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Our passengers have always been our priority. Some of them who insisted on going as scheduled were put in other airlines that are available to London. In this area, Virgin and KLM have been helpful. Some of the passengers were booked into hotels, he explained.

This set of passengers would be given priority when we operate. However, the flight from Heathrow to Lagos for today has departed and it is scheduled to land in Lagos in the evening. We hope to airlift passengers from Lagos Airport to London at night.

In the Legit.ng video below watch Minister of Transportation giving a summary of Buhari's two years in office:

Source: Legit.ng
The odds of China and the USA fighting a major war are very remote. There is the possibility over the next few decades of some small skirmish results from massive incompetence and miscalculation.

There would be no benefit for a war for either side.

The US decided not to fight Russia and China during the Korean War. Historical records from the Senate hearings on the Korean war show that the US decided against a wider Korean war because of 500,000 Russian troops, 85 Russian Submarines and Chinese military of that time.

Omar Bradley, the chairman of the joint chiefs, flatly rejected MacArthurs call for a wider war. In the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this strategy would involve us in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time and with the wrong enemy, he said.

Other excised testimony revealed a fundamental reason for the administrations reluctance to escalate in northeast Asia: There was precious little for the United States to escalate with. American air power, in particular, was stretched very thin. Hoyt Vandenberg, the Air Force chief of staff, told the committee that Korea was already claiming a large part of Americas available air strength. The Air Force part that is engaged in Korea is roughly 85 percent80 to 85 percentof the tactical capacity of the United States, he said. The strategic portion, which is used tactically, is roughly between one-fourth and one-fifth. The air defense forces are, I would judge, about 20 percent.

Many Americans, and much of the world, imagined the United States had boundless military capacity. MacArthur had suggested as much, regarding air power, when he had told the committee that the U.S. Air Force could take on China without diminishing Americas capacity to check the Soviets.

Vandenberg wasnt going to disabuse Americas enemies of such notions, but he needed for the senators to hear, behind closed doors, that this was far from the case. I am sure Admiral Davis will take this off the record, Vandenberg said, referring to the officer overseeing the excisions, who did indeed take his remarks off the record. The air force of the United States, as I have said, is really a shoestring air force. Vandenberg had used the phrase in open testimony; now he provided details. One small, intrinsically insignificant countryKoreawas absorbing an alarming portion of Americas air resources. These groups that we have over there now doing this tactical job are really about a fourth of our total effort that we could muster today. To escalate against China, even if only from the air, would be reckless in the extreme. Four times that amount of groups in that area over that vast expanse of China would be a drop in the bucket.

China with a backward military after WW2 and a China still fighting a civil war was deemed to be too much of a problem.



Now China has hundreds of nuclear weapons and will rapidly have clearly the second strongest military in the world.

China can shoot down American satellites and make it difficult for the US to wage precision war.

It would also be the wrong type of war.

The USA and China should be focused on efforts and investments to strengthen their own economies and advancing key technologies for the future like Artificial Intelligence.

The USA and China should be cooperating to advanced the world economy and technology.

An Assistant professor received a grant six times larger in China than what he might have gotten in Europe or America. That enabled him to set up a full artificial intelligence lab, with an assistant, a technician and a group of Ph.D. students.

Its almost impossible for assistant professors to get this much money, he said. The research funding is shrinking in the U.S. and Europe. But it is definitely expanding in China.

Mr. Schwertfegers lab, which is part of ShanghaiTech University, works on ways for machines, without any aid from humans, to avoid obstacles. Decked out with wheeled robots, drones and sensors, the lab works on ways for computers to make their own maps and to improve the performance of robots with tasks like finding objects  specifically, people  during search-and-rescue operations.

The US Defense Department found that Chinese money has been pouring into American artificial intelligence companies  some of the same ones it had been looking to for future weapons systems.

The relatively unknown city of Xiangtan, in Chinas Hunan province, has pledged $2 billion toward developing robots and artificial intelligence. Other places have direct incentives for the A.I. industry. In Suzhou, leading artificial intelligence companies can get about $800,000 in subsidies for setting up shop locally, while Shenzhen, in southern China, is offering $1 million to support any A.I. project established there.

Chinese tech giants like Baidu, Tencent and Didi Chuxing have opened artificial intelligence labs in America, as have some Chinese start-ups. Over the past six years, Chinese investors helped finance 51 American artificial intelligence companies, contributing to the $700 million raised, according to the recent Pentagon report.
SUNDAY PUZZLE  We have an excellent database of recipes and cooking advice at New York Times Cooking, but I dont recall Sam Sifton ever offering us a recipe like the one in todays puzzle by Andrew Zhou.

Who among us hasnt accidentally prepared a meal that wound up being a disaster? Today, Mr. Zhou provides us with an exact recipe that does that deliberately.

Todays Theme

Everyone have their aprons on? Washed your hands? Great, time to get started. Mr. Zhou asks us to follow a total of six steps to produce what ultimately becomes A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, which is the revealer at 106A.

The steps take the form of fairly common phrases where the first word is one that might also be an action taken when cooking: STIR, MIX, BEAT, POUR, CUT and finally SERVES (TWO). These phrases, however, are less recipe steps and more negative things, hence the DISASTER.
He is the son of Eddie Ann Goldberg of Wynnewood, Pa., and the late Charles Goldberg. The grooms father was the president and owner of I. Goldberg Army Navy, a Philadelphia retailer of clothing and accessories.

The grooms first marriage ended in divorce.

Ms. Cohen and Mr. Goldberg, who met in February 2013, were smiled upon by the algorithm gods, as they were deemed perfect matches on two websites: HowAboutWe and Nerve.

Despite the blessings of the internet, Ms. Cohen and Mr. Goldberg each contacted the one mutual friend they had on Facebook for a scouting report, and each got word the other was worth pursuing.

I was told that Carl was a very funny guy, a little crazy, but very funny, Ms. Cohen said.

They exchanged text messages for five days before meeting in person at a Manhattan restaurant. Earlier that day, Ms. Cohen had attended a dinner party in New York, where a close friend attempted to set her up with a potential suitor who turned out to be a dud, as she put it. Wasting no time, she sent a text to Mr. Goldberg to see if he wanted to grab a quick drink, and he accepted her invitation.

From the moment he walked in the door to the moment they walked out together, Ms. Cohen knew that Mr. Goldberg was no dud.
ARTS & LEISURE

An article last Sunday about the Marciano Art Foundation, one of several new Los Angeles institutions making use of existing buildings, described incorrectly the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which gave its name to the foundations home on Wilshire Boulevard. The Scottish Rite is a series of degrees awarded by Masonic groups; it is not the Scottish branch of the Masons.



The art entry in the Week Ahead column last Sunday misidentified the choreographer and company responsible for a 1945 production of Firebird for which Marc Chagall designed sets and costumes. That version was choreographed by Adolph Bolm for Ballet Theater, the predecessor of American Ballet Theater  not by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins for New York City Ballet. (Chagalls designs were later incorporated into ballets choreographed by Balanchine and Robbins.)



An article last Sunday about Robert Rauschenberg described incorrectly the role that he filled for a decade with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He was its resident designer, not its artistic director.

BOOK REVIEW

Because of an editing error, a review on May 14 about Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz, by Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, misidentified the country in which Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, was serving when he issued thousands of transit visas for Jews to flee to Japan during World War II. It was Lithuania, not Poland.
Why is Brazil once again mired in political chaos?

Less than a year ago, President Dilma Rousseff was impeached and forced out of office in a swirl of claims about financial impropriety. Now her successor, Michel Temer, finds his presidency in peril as well.

Tapes that recently surfaced appear to capture Mr. Temer, who was already under investigation for corruption, approving of bribes paid to a lawmaker who has been jailed for corruption. Many now believe he will also face impeachment.

On Wednesday, Mr. Temer deployed the military in the streets of the capital, Brasilia, after thousands of protesters clashed with the police. Although the defense minister said the troops had been sent merely to restore order, many saw the move as a sign of profound insecurity from an already weak government.

Political science suggests this is an example of how the islands of honesty in corrupt systems  like independent prosecutors and courts with the willingness and authority to enforce the rule of law  can clash with networks of entrenched corruption, both provoking and spoiling efforts by political elites to protect themselves.
Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people and wounded 116 more when he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday, was born in Britain to a family with deep ties to Libya.

His father, Ramadan, had fled Libya in 1991 after supporting Islamists seeking to overthrow Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, and the family sought asylum in Britain. When the fight to unseat Colonel Qaddafi began in 2011, the father returned to North Africa to help the cause, and his teenage sons would join him there on school holidays.

Almost certainly, the events there helped set Salman Abedi on his path from a quiet boy in a strict Islamic household to a troubled young man to, eventually, a suicide bomber.

Here is a timeline that highlights the familys connections to both countries.

December 1965: Salman Abedis father, Ramadan Belgasem al-Obaidi (or Abedi), is born in Libya.
AMSTERDAM  It was 1937, Vienna, when a Jewish couple named Heinrich and Anna Maria Graf bought a vibrant 18th-century oil painting of the Grand Canal in Venice with the Punta Della Dogana in the background. The work held pride of place in their living room, the highlight of their small but treasured art collection.

One year later, Germany annexed Austria, and the Grafs and their twin 6-year-old daughters, Erika and Eva, had to flee the country. They put their art into storage and left for Italy, then France  where Heinrich was held for more than a year in an internment camp for Jews  then Spain and Portugal and ultimately New York. By the time they settled in Forest Hills, Queens, it was 1942, and all their possessions had been looted by the Nazis.

The prized painting became the focus of a 70-year recovery effort by the Graf family and its heirs  and one that is now ending on an ambivalent note. Sothebys in London is preparing to sell the work, by the artist Michele Marieschi, at an old masters auction in July, following a restitution settlement between the heirs and a trust on behalf of the now-deceased owner, whose identity has not been released. The auction house has estimated the paintings value at $650,000 to $905,000.

This painful and circuitous history reflects how looted artworks that have been in private hands for decades are coming to market after settlement agreements with the rightful owners, in a way that tries to address their tainted past. These agreements may not result in the return of the paintings to the heirs, but the compromise does provide at least a form of resolution and some compensation to the heirs, and brings the artworks out of hiding.
Jared Martin, who portrayed the charming cowboy Dusty Farlow on the prime-time soap opera Dallas, a character that proved so popular, he was revived after his death in a plane crash, died on Wednesday at his home in Philadelphia. He was 75.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Yu Wei.

On Dallas, broadcast from 1978 to 1991, Mr. Martin played a rancher who was the lover of Sue Ellen Ewing, played by Linda Gray.

His character was also a suspect in the 1980 series cliffhanger that left the world wondering who shot the oilman J. R. Ewing. The gunman was revealed to be J. R.s vengeful mistress and sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard, in an episode, broadcast on Nov. 21, 1980, that was seen by more people than any show in television history until that time.

Dusty Farlow was scheduled to be in three episodes, but after his death, the producers had a change of heart.
Idris Elba  who made breaking the rules a very good thing in Luther  goes rogue as a C.I.A. officer in The Take. And Laurence Fishburne joins Joe Mantegna as host of the National Memorial Day Concert.

Whats on TV

THE TAKE (2016) 8 p.m. on Cinemax. A maverick C.I.A. officer (Idris Elba) goes after a pickpocket (Richard Madden) who has unwittingly snatched a bag containing a bomb. But soon the two are allies, working to pull the plug on a terrorist plot and tripping across the rooftops of Paris. James Watkinss film is a tasty thriller, Neil Genzlinger wrote in The New York Times.

Make it a double bill with LUTHER, on iTunes and Netflix, starring Mr. Elba as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, for which he has earned four Emmy nominations. His beard is flecked with gray now, his soul bedeviled by the ghost of Alice Morgan. And you cant help wondering whats lurking in his head. But when he regains his senses, more than a year after abandoning us on Southwark Bridge, and swaggers  as only Mr. Elba can  into London, youll swear you feel the world right itself.
Coral Misaki Davenport and David Butler Higgins were married May 26 at the District of Columbia War Memorial in Washington. The Rev. Clare R. Palace, who was ordained through the Universal Brotherhood Movement, officiated.

Ms. Davenport, 41, is a correspondent for The New York Times, covering energy and climate change policy from the newspapers Washington bureau. She graduated from Smith College.

She is the daughter of Amy Montgomery Osborne Davenport of Vienna, Va., and the late Francis M. Davenport III. The brides father retired from the State Department in 2001 after serving 37 years as a Foreign Service Officer, with postings in Korea, Japan and Greece. His last post was in Washington, where he worked in the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 2000 to 2001.

The bride is the great-great-great maternal granddaughter of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the astronomer, meteorologist and oceanographer who is known as the Pathfinder of the Seas.
Jessica Yu Ho and Arun Shivakumar Hendi are to be married May 28. Pandit Manikandan Chandrasekaran, a Hindu priest, is to officiate at Tyler Arboretum in Media, Pa.

The couple met at the University of Pennsylvania, from which both graduated, she summa cum laude and he magna cum laude. Both also received doctoral degrees in demography and sociology from the university, and the groom received a masters degree in economics there.

Dr. Ho, 29, is a research scientist in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, studying why the life expectancy of Americans lags behind that of citizens of other high-income countries, and is to become an assistant professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California in July.

She is a daughter of Yu Tieh Lin and Teh Yuan Ho of East Brunswick, N.J. The brides father is a research associate in the animal sciences department at Rutgers.
Nicole Akhtarzad and Alex Jacob Eshaghpour are to be married May 28 at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Rabbi Yamin Levy is to officiate.

The bride, 24, works in New York as an editor at the fashion website Who What Wear. She graduated from the University of Southern California.

She is a daughter of Shirin Akhtarzad and Kourosh Akhtarzad of Beverly Hills, Calif. Her father is a partner in the NASA Group, a real estate development company in Los Angeles.

The groom, 29, is a global product manager at Wego Chemical Group, a specialty chemical company in Great Neck, N.Y. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, and received a masters degree in real estate finance from N.Y.U.
Samara Alexandra Nichols, the daughter of Linda Jones Nichols of Rockville, Md., and Elvin C. Nichols Jr. of Silver Spring, Md., was married May 27 to Dr. Samuel Ross Birer, the son of Kathryn L. Littlepage of San Rafael, Calif., and Steven S. Birer of Mill Valley, Calif. Pastor John Tyson, a United Methodist minister, led the ceremony at the Soundside Chapel, which is part of Duck United Methodist Church in Duck, N.C.

The couple, both 27, met in 2009 at Stanford, from which they both graduated, she with honors.

Mrs. Birer, a speech language pathologist, worked until May 18 with acute care patients at Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C. She received a masters degree in speech language pathology from Vanderbilt.

The brides father retired as a senior lawyer from the Federal Labor Relations Authority, an agency that promotes collective bargaining in the federal sector, in Washington. Her mother, a mathematician, works in Reston, Va., as a senior principal in operations research at Noblis, a nonprofit science, technology and strategy organization that provides support to a wide range of government clients.

Dr. Birer received a medical degree on May 12 from Duke. In July, he is to begin a one-year internship at the Queens Medical Center at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. In July 2018, he is to begin a four-year residency at California Pacific Medical Centers department of radiation oncology in San Francisco.
Dr. Shira Sivan Simon and Oliver Craig Bevan are to be married May 28 in Cambridge, Mass. Rabbi Michael Cohen is to officiate at Leverett House, a Harvard campus residence.

The bride and groom met at Harvard, from which she graduated cum laude and from which she also received a medical degree and an M.B.A., and from which he received a doctoral degree in government.

The bride, 34, is a fellow in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. She is a daughter of Ronit Simon and Dr. Dana L. Simon of West Des Moines, Iowa. The brides father, an anesthesiologist, is the founder and director of the Center for Pain Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Her mother retired as a psychologist in Chicago.

The groom, 32, is an associate partner, in Chicago, of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He graduated with first-class honors from the University of Warwick in England. He is a son of Dr. Gillian C. Forrest and Gwyn Bevan of Oxford, England. The grooms mother is a founder and the chairwoman of the trustees of SeeSaw, a charity for bereaved children. She retired as a child psychiatrist at the Oxford N.H.S. Trust. His father is a professor of policy analysis at the London School of Economics and the former chairman of the department of management there.
Tess Koman and Dr. Michael Todd Dolinger are to be married May 28 at the Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn. Rabbi Barry Dolinger, the grooms brother, is to officiate.

The couple met in Schenectady, N.Y., at Union College, from which they graduated, the bride cum laude and the groom magna cum laude. The groom also received an M.B.A. in health care management from the school.

The bride, 25, works in Manhattan as the associate editor of news for Cosmopolitan.com, the website of Cosmopolitan magazine.

She is the daughter of Elizabeth A. Koman and Roger F. Koman of Short Hills, N.J. The brides father is the vice president for media and marketing at Egglands Best, an egg distributor in Cedar Knolls, N.J. Her mother is a media consultant for Sony Television in Manhattan.
Its common for stars to obscure their looks, pop on a fake nose and fright wig, of course; its less common for actors to wholly embrace the irredeemable and risk the audiences love. Anyone can look ugly, Mr. Pattinson said. It doesnt take much.

In Good Time, the ugliness he taps into goes beyond Connies greasy hair and torrents of flop sweat, and seems to exude from his very pores. Mr. Pattinson, who conveys a warmth and openness in person, conceded that it could be a problem when audiences confuse actor and character. But that hasnt happened to him, which is why he is, he said, pretty blase about it. If anything, he seemed happy at all the revolting parts he has coming up.

Looking further ahead, he would love to work with the German director Maren Ade, whose Toni Erdmann played big at Cannes last year. During this years festival, it was announced that Mr. Pattinson would star in The Souvenir, an ambitious movie from the British director Joanna Hogg that Martin Scorsese will executive produce. Mr. Pattinson also hopes that this summer he can start on a project (High Life) that he and the French director Claire Denis  he counts her film White Material among his favorites  have been working on for three years. (That, to me, thats kind of the biggest thing Ive got. I literally still cant really believe it.)

I think one of the best things, basically, about being a bit of a sellout, Mr. Pattinson said, is if youve done five movies in a series, youve had to accept some responsibility for playing the same character. He didnt sound regretful, just matter-of-fact. Working on the Twilight movies, he said, was an amazing luxury and it was amazing luck, as well, to just have fallen into it with the group of people I worked with on it. They were kids in it together, kids who rebelled or tried to, and felt emboldened to act out. He even came close, he said, to being fired on the first movie, until his agents flew in to straighten him out. I didnt have to kiss anybodys rear end the entire time, he said. I dont think I did, anyway.

Mr. Pattinson seems entirely at peace with Twilight and has clearly found a way to harness its legacy, which includes going dark and making the kinds of art films that find love at Cannes. He says he always thinks hes terrible in every take. I cant say that about anyone I work with, he added. Ive never seen anyone give themselves such a hard time. Im beating myself up afterward. And I think theres some weird perverted energy that comes out of when people criticize previous work or think you represent this certain thing; it gives you this energy.

Maybe that sounds disingenuous, but I believed him. He was on a roll, though, and soon added that he was almost scared of anyone saying anything I do is good. He then laughed, perhaps a touch self-consciously.
The cause of the malfunction is being investigated, Admiral Scorby said.

The Leap Frogs were a main attraction of a Fleet Week event billed as an educational celebration in which the public, especially families with children, could learn more about the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Marine Corps by exploring military vehicles and participating in activities.

With the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, the team of parachutists descended from a helicopter around noon. Onlookers described a typical Leap Frogs demonstration, in which the parachutists join hands and twist and turn in the sky. Their yellow and blue parachutes were emblazoned with NAVY, and one parachutist carried a giant American flag that whipped in the wind.

But one parachutist peeled off from the others and slipped out of view.

His parachute, which never fully opened, fluttered to the ground in a nearby parking lot.

Maria Ashley, 49, a spectator, said few people around her realized anything had happened because several tall glass towers on the New Jersey side of the water blocked a view of the parachutist as he went into the river.

But Ms. Ashley said she had thought something had gone awry. I knew it wasnt right because the parachute should be in an arch, she said.
A shocking rise in vigilante violence is threatening the rule of law in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party is partly to blame for encouraging Hindu furor over the slaughter of cows. Underlying the problem is a lack of faith by many Indians in the ability of the police and the judicial system to deliver justice.

Mob killings of Muslims and Dalits, members of Indias lowest caste, suspected of killing cows or eating beef have occurred with alarming frequency. Seven people were killed recently in two separate episodes. In both cases, the attacks were blamed on a message circulated on WhatsApp warning of child abductors in the state of Jharkand.

Yet, in one case, local strongmen intent on preventing the victims from buying land may have helped stoked the crowds anger. Even worse, one survivor said police officers egged the crowd on. In the other case, the three victims were Muslim cattle traders, casting doubt on that theory as the only motive.
A man in Mississippi killed eight people, including a police officer, in a shooting spree that spanned three locations on Saturday and Sunday, the local authorities said.

The police said Willie C. Godbolt, 35, of Bogue Chitto, Miss., was in custody on Sunday for the shootings. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said in a statement that he would be charged with one count of capital murder and seven counts of first-degree murder.

While handcuffed on the side of a road, a man whom The Clarion-Ledger identified as Mr. Godbolt said he had been having a conversation at a home in Bogue Chitto about me taking my children home when a police officer arrived, apparently having been called by a neighbor.
BROOKHAVEN, Miss.  A suspect is in custody after eight people were killed this weekend in shootings in Mississippi, including a sheriffs deputy, the authorities in the state said.

Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the shootings occurred at three locations on Saturday night in rural Lincoln County. Two of the homes are in Brookhaven, and one is in Bogue Chitto. The area is about 68 miles south of Jackson, the state capital.

Mr. Strain said investigators were gathering evidence at all three locations.

He said that charges had not yet been filed against the suspect, and that it would be premature to discuss a motive.

It was not clear whether the suspect knew the victims.
The Guard Recruiting Assistance Program was created in 2005 at a time when the National Guard was short 20,000 troops for its operational goals. A small Alabama contractor, Docupak, which for years had printed the Guards promotional fliers, said it could create a finders-fee program to fill the hole. The program encouraged the Guards citizen-soldiers, who hold civilian jobs while performing part-time military service, to refer potential recruits they met at work, church, county fairs  anywhere their sphere of influence might extend. Soldiers whose referral resulted in a successful recruitment were paid between $2,000 and $7,500.

The Guard rushed out the program with minimal training, under a no-bid contract that the Army later deemed to be illegal. Soldiers said commanders pushed hard for everyone to participate. Over the next seven years, more than 130,000 successful referrals came in.

Under program rules, interaction between a soldier and a potential recruit could be as fleeting as a phone conversation and still count as a legitimate referral, the president of Docupak, Philip Crane, later said in court testimony. Docupak was supposed to police fraud by confirming that recruits knew the soldier who referred them before a payout was made. But it is unclear how carefully the company, which got paid only when soldiers got paid, verified the relationships.

Mr. Crane, through his lawyer, declined to be interviewed.

The National Guard initially hailed the program as a success that bolstered its ranks. But in 2012, an Army audit warned that the program appeared to be rife with fraud  perhaps as much as $100 million worth. The audit was leaked to the media. Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, and other exasperated members of Congress demanded accountability.

The Army created Task Force Raptor, composed of 200 investigators. Its motto: Do what has to be done.

According to affidavits submitted in court proceedings by the task force, investigators believed the fraud worked the same way all over the country: Professional recruiters whose job was to find potential recruits would illegally feed names and Social Security numbers to other soldiers, who would then collect referral payments for recruits they had never met. Soldiers and recruiters would then split the money.
_____

 Rod Dreher in The American Conservative:

A lot of us conservatives have made hay out of illiberalism on campus, but now we have an egregious, high-profile example of brutal behavior on our side.

In addition to the spread of lock them up rhetoric across parties, this week Mr. Dreher saw another troubling trend in the coarsening of American politics. Beginning with an explanation for why he decided to turn down a speaking invitation from Middlebury College, Mr. Dreher writes that hed rather go to a school where the students will engage within the bounds of civil discourse. He then condemns those on the right who fail to rebuke Greg Gianfortes violence. Read more 

_____

 Ben Domenech in The Federalist:

What would that pivot look like? It begins with doing the same thing that he did all the time during the presidential campaign: running against Washington and refusing to even pretend to be a traditional Republican.

For President Trump to reverse his slipping approval ratings, Mr. Domenech argues, he must change course in his leadership style. The key? Bringing Democrats in on the process to enact a populist and bipartisan reform on taxes, infrastructure and health care. Read more 
It was a familiar morning for Mr. Trump on his favored medium  and for a nation that had, for a little more than a week, gone without the presidents stream-of-consciousness missives.

The president had largely avoided provocative Twitter posts during his journey through the Middle East and Europe, but he quickly returned to form after arriving at the White House late on Saturday, pushing back on Sunday morning against the flurry of news reports about Mr. Kushner.

Whenever you see the words sources say in the fake news media, and they dont mention names, Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter, it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!

The president woke up to find headlines and television talk shows focused on the latest turns in inquiries that he had been able to put aside for much of his trip. The freshest developments brought the matter into his own family.

News articles also focused on efforts by administration aides to develop a damage control plan to handle the controversies. That plan would potentially seek to wall off questions involving the investigations from day-to-day governing by creating a separate war room in the White House, assembling a high-powered legal team outside the White House and shaking up the presidents communications team.

Aides expected Mr. Trump to begin meeting with lawyers as early as Sunday to talk about a way forward, but one consensus among administration lawyers and private lawyers consulted by the White House in recent days was that Mr. Trump needed to restrain himself on Twitter, rather than create new problems with impulsive or unfiltered messages.

Mr. Trump demonstrated during his travels to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy that he could be disciplined about his use of social media. Over the nine-day trip, he or his aides used the presidents Twitter account to promote his foreign and domestic policies, thank his hosts and otherwise stay on message.
An Army veteran, a recent college graduate and a student who once won a poetry contest by condemning prejudice stirred up by the Sept. 11 attacks intervened as a man screamed anti-Muslim insults at two women in Portland, Ore., on Friday.

In the days that followed, the three men were hailed as heroes.

Two of the men  Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Rick Best, 53  died in the attack, which occurred on a commuter train. The third, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was treated on Saturday for injuries that the police said were serious but not life-threatening.

Jeremy Christian, 35, of North Portland, Ore., was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in the attack and could face additional charges when he is arraigned on Tuesday. Mr. Christian, who the authorities said had a history of making extremist statements on social media, was ranting at, and talking disparagingly about, the two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

One of the women, Destinee Mangum, 16, spoke to a Fox affiliate in Oregon on Saturday. She said she is not a Muslim.
OTTAWA  Canadas Conservative Party on Saturday chose a 38-year-old social conservative and opponent of carbon taxes to lead its campaign against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the next election.

Andrew Scheer, an Ottawa native, was narrowly elected the partys leader at its convention in suburban Toronto, winning 50.95 percent of the available points under the Conservatives complex voting system. He defeated Maxime Bernier, a free-market conservative from Quebec, after 13 rounds of ballot counting.

Mr. Scheer, who was first elected to Parliament at age 25, presented himself as a compromise candidate during his leadership campaign, which was mostly light on policy proposals. He suggested that under Stephen Harper, the former prime minister who stepped down as the partys leader after Mr. Trudeaus Liberals won the 2015 election, the Conservatives had been too negative in their approach to voters.

I dont like the fact Conservatives have that negative connotation  that were always against things, always tackling something, cracking down on something, or getting tough on something else, he told The National Post, a Toronto newspaper. We have to have something positive to say on the flip side.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  Two days after the authorities in Bangladesh gave in to pressure from Islamist groups and ordered the removal of a statue from the countrys Supreme Court, they flip-flopped on Sunday, ordering that the statue be put back up, albeit in a less prominent location.

The governments vacillation over the statue of a blindfolded woman holding the scales of justice shows the pressure it faces from the Islamist group, Hefazat-e-Islam, which has become bolder and more demanding.

Though Bangladeshs Constitution, adopted in 1972, declares it a secular country, more than 90 percent of its population is Muslim. Large areas of rural Bangladesh are embracing conservative Islam, and the countrys secular intellectual class is receding from public prominence.

Hefazat had demanded the removal of the stainless-steel statue, which was erected five months ago in Dhaka, the capital, on the grounds that representations of the human form are forbidden by Islam. Around midnight on Thursday, workers arrived to take it down, apparently hoping to avoid public scrutiny.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Monday that flew 280 miles and appears to have landed inside Japans economic zone where fishing and cargo ships are active, the South Korean military and the Japanese government said.

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea called a meeting of his top security officials for later Monday morning to discuss the missile launch, coming a week after the North last tested a ballistic missile, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan condemned the launch as a provocation.

We absolutely cannot accept North Koreas repeated provocations despite repeated warnings by the international community, Mr. Abe said Monday morning. He added that leaders at the recent Group of 7 meeting in Taormina, Sicily, had confirmed that deterring North Koreas nuclear ambitions was a top priority and that Japan would work closely with the United States and South Korea to make the utmost efforts to ensure peoples safety.
MANILA  The Philippine military said on Sunday that troops had found the bodies of 16 people believed to have been killed by Islamist militants, as fighting continued for a sixth day for control of Marawi City in the southern part of the country.

The discovery of the bodies underlined the civilian toll from the siege, with tens of thousands of residents fleeing the city and the military using aerial bombing and ground troops in an effort to drive the militants from their strongholds.

On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a 60-day period of martial law in the south to expand his authority to fight the militants. Late Friday, he expressed support for the troops by joking that they could each rape three women without suffering any consequences. His comment ignited outrage around the world.

The authorities put the death toll from the six days of fighting at 95, including 61 militants, 19 civilians and 15 soldiers and police officers.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  The government of Sri Lanka assessed the damage on Sunday from widespread flooding and devastating mudslides, as the death toll from the twin disasters rose and nearly half a million people were displaced from their homes.

The state-run Disaster Management Center on Sunday announced that 151 people had been killed and 112 others were missing. It said the flooding was the worst since torrential rains soaked the island nation in 2003. The authorities estimate that more than 1,800 homes have been damaged and 442,000 people affected.

Some towns were under 18 feet of water, and the navy sent boats and armored vehicles to search for survivors. They moved about 2,000 residents to safer locations over the weekend.

The authorities have ordered residents to evacuate the banks of three major rivers  the Nilwala in the south, the Gin in the west and the Kelani, which runs through the capital, Colombo  fearing that they will overflow. Even though water levels were receding by Sunday night, disaster management officials were wary as more rain was expected in the southwestern parts of the island in the next few days.
On the morning of May 9, as he sat down with about three dozen students, a bomb that had been planted under his cushion went off. His brother, Mawlawi Jawed Hanafi, succeeded him as head of the seminary at Togh-Bairdi. He said that the young man who had planted the bomb  and who was later arrested  was a student from the class, and that he had been seen peeking through the window to make sure his instructor had taken his seat. He then walked away and detonated the bomb.

The book in front of Mawlawi Hanafi was ripped and covered in blood. The scholar did not make it to a hospital.

I saw the Mawlawi lying on his back  when he saw me, he moved his lips to say something, but he couldnt, said Aziz Agha, his bodyguard, who rushed into the room after the explosion. His turban wasnt on his head. His clothes were torn. I held him to help him stand up, but I saw pieces of flesh dropping from his back.

The room where the bombing happened remains sealed.

Mawlawi Hanafis fellow scholars say they find peace in the fact that this is nothing new  that their leader was among the latest killed in the long history of the fight over whose beliefs are true. That fight dates back to the early days of Islam.

These are not new enemies, said Mawlawi Abdul Hafiz Mowahed, one of Mawlawi Hanafis former students and an instructor now. Who killed Caliph Osman? Who killed Caliph Ali? Who killed Caliph Omar? The killers were people in the garb of Islam. He noted that Caliph Osman had also been assassinated after dawn prayer, hunched over as he was reading from the Quran.

The Prophet Muhammad predicted that once the sword bleeds innocent blood, this blood will run until the Day of Judgment, he said.
The wide-scale travel disruption that British Airways blamed on a global I.T. failure continued for a second day on Sunday.

Thousands of passengers faced long lines and some were still stranded as hundreds of flights were considerably delayed out of Heathrow and Gatwick airports, even as the airline said that some of its systems had been restored.
Mrs. Trump was not the star of this first trip; that role could be played only by Mr. Trump. But she was one of its most intriguing figures, at times sphinx-like, at times expressive, and always fashionable, with a glamorous wardrobe that rotated between Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana. She was the supporting player who occasionally stole the spotlight.

Historically, first ladies have made a difference on a trip like this, said Michael Beschloss, the presidential historian.

Kennedy, he noted, worried that Jacqueline would be a political liability because Americans would view her as elitist. But she was a sensation in France in 1961, charming Charles de Gaulle with her grasp of the French language and the countrys history. She helped smooth the relationship between de Gaulle and Kennedy, and later, between Kennedy and the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev. In doing so, she became a cult figure in the United States.

Given that Mrs. Trump has been a spectral presence in her husbands White House  mostly staying in New York City with the couples son, Barron  this trip was a coming-out party for her. It may also offer a clue as to what kind of first lady she is likely to become: neither the independent-minded equal partner that Hillary Clinton was to Bill Clinton, nor the devoted, long-suffering spouse that Patricia Nixon was to Richard M. Nixon.

By the end of the trip, Mr. Trump seemed to recognize her subdued star power. Speaking to American service members at the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily, he said the United States could not have a better emissary than our magnificent and wonderful person, our first lady, Melania.
With that in mind, the 13-nation OPEC cartel had little choice but to work with Russia, despite the Kremlins long history of trying to jawbone up global oil prices while doing as little as possible  or nothing at all  to actually curb output.

Complicating the agreement, Russia and Saudi Arabia remain deeply divided over Middle Eastern politics and are backing opposite sides in Syrias civil war.

Russia is always interested in higher prices, and the higher the better, Igor H. Yusufov, the Russian minister of energy during the 2001 agreement with OPEC, said in an interview. But Russia will never become a member of OPEC.

This time, OPEC, Russia and the other smaller producers agreed in December to a six-month reduction of 1.8 million barrels a day from Jan. 1 until June 30, with the goal of reducing currently bulging global stockpiles to their average level over the past five years. The agreement on Thursday extended those cuts.

OPECs share is 1.2 million barrels per day, while the non-OPEC nations agreed to cut back by 600,000 barrels a day. Russia agreed to the largest cut among non-cartel countries, pledging to lower output by 300,000 barrels per day. The other, smaller non-OPEC producers include Mexico, Kazakhstan and Equatorial Guinea.

Russia has been dragging its feet. By March, the International Energy Agency said, Russia had cut about 170,000 barrels a day in output. The Saudi oil minister, Khalid al-Falih, grumbled that the non-OPEC producers were in a learning process on the need to actually follow through with cuts. Aleksandr Novak, the Russian energy minister, said on May 2 that Russia had reached the targeted reduction.

It was not the first time. During the 2008 oil price crash, the deputy prime minister at the time, Igor I. Sechin, spoke of creating a national oil reserve, to squirrel away Russian oil and help lift global prices. His government, meanwhile, lowered two key taxes  the mineral extraction tax and export tariff  creating an incentive for Russian oil companies to export more oil.
"I am pleased that I did it, for even today I cannot find a single note in it that I could remove, nor can I find anything to add. This gives me strength and satisfaction. The fourth symphony represents a very important and great part of me. Yes, I'm glad to have written it."

---Jean Sibelius in the 1940s

After completing the fourth symphony Sibelius stood on a borderland behind which lay either "madness or chaos", as he later explained to his friend, Walter Legge. "A symphony is not just a composition in the ordinary sense of the word," Sibelius wrote in 1910. "It is more a confession of faith at different stages of one's life."

In his diary: "No one, no one at all discusses me. I'm completely out of the picture. I am intentionally burning my boats," and "I am holding high the banner of real art."

By spring his optimism had waned. "Again in the deepest depression," reads a diary entry of April 21.

In a much later letter to his friend (and biographer) Rosa Newmarch about the symphony: "It stands as a protest against present-day music. It has absolutely nothing of the circus about it."

Later, when asked about the symphony, he quoted August Strindberg: "Det ar synd om manniskorna" (One feels pity for human beings).

Noting the completion of the symphony in his diary on April 2, 1911, Sibelius commented: "It calls for much courage to look at life straight in the eye."

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Completed in 1911, with first performance in Helsinki on 3rd April 1911 (Orchestra of Helsinki Philharmonic Society conducted by Jean Sibelius).

The fourth symphony was once considered to be the strangest of Sibelius's symphonies, but today it is regarded as one of his greatest works.

From the first moment I heard the opening notes of the cello, I have always been deeply moved by this music.

It is a statement of profound thought that goes far beyond the cinematic interpretations of gloomy northern forests and fjords and mountains and fog, all of the programmatic stereotypical geographic interpretations of much of Sibelius' works. It has a density of expression, and a mastery of counterpoint that make it one of the most impressive manifestations of modern thinking from the time of its creations. At times when I listen to this and other Sibelius compositions, that I am sitting at the feet of some great existential master lecturing from the Great Beyond, like listening to Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, T.S. Eliot, or Dmitri Shostakovich.

The 4th Symphony was written in 1910/11, a period of darkness for the composer, after undergoing an operation to remove a malignant tumor from his throat, and he was convinced that the cancer had spread. The operation also meant that for two years he had to do without his indispensable friends: alcohol and tobacco. It was further a wretched time in Sibelius's personal life, because the world was rushing towards World War I, and Finland was recovering from the prior century's famine in which Scandinavians had had to eat the bark of trees to keep from starving.

Sibelius thought deeply about changing his composition style while he was in Berlin in 1909, and this was his overall state of mind when he joined the artist Eero Jarnefelt for a trip to Koli, the emblematic "Finnish mountain" in Karelia. The landscape of Koli was an endless source of inspiration, and Sibelius said that he was going to listen to the "sighing of the winds and the roar of the storms," and Sibelius composer considered his Koli visit as one of the greatest experiences of his life.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


Trump supporter yells at anti-Trump protesters

(Image by Fibonacci Blue) Details DMCA



Reprinted from robertreich.org

Last Wednesday, on the eve of his election to the House of Representatives, Montana Republican Greg Gianforte beat up Ben Jacobs, a reporter for the "Guardian" newspaper.

What prompted the violence? Jacobs had asked Gianforte for his reaction to the Congressional Budget Office's report showing that the House Republican substitute for the Affordable Care Act would result in 23 million Americans losing their health insurance.

Then, in the words of a Fox News team who witnessed the brutal attack: "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. " Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, 'I'm sick and tired of this!' Jacobs scrambled to his knees and said something about his glasses being broken". To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies."

After the attack, Jacobs was evaluated in an ambulance at the scene and taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital. Several hours later he left the hospital wearing a sling around his arm. Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault.

Donald Trump's reaction? In Sicily for the G-7 summit, he praised Greg Gianforte's election as a "great win in Montana."

For years, conservatives warned that liberals were "defining deviancy down" by tolerating bad social behavior.

Donald Trump is actively defining deviancy down in American politics. He's also making America meaner.

Last year, Trump said of a protester at one of his campaign rallies: "I'd like to punch him in the face." He added "in the old days, protesters would be carried out on stretchers."

In a different era, when decency was the norm, the members of the U.S. House of Representatives would not seat a thug like Gianforte in the chamber. In the age of Trump, it's okay to beat up a reporter.

Charlie Sykes, a conservative former talk-show host in Wisconsin,says"every time something like Montana happens, Republicans adjust their standards and put an emphasis on team loyalty. They normalize and accept previously unacceptable behavior."

Gianforte's attack on Jacobs was shameful enough. Almost as shameful was Gianforte's press release about what occurred, written immediately afterward by his campaign spokesman, Shane Scanlon:

"After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ."

This was all a blatant lie, as confirmed by the Fox News crew that watched the whole thing. But under Trump, blatant lying is the new normal. And a "liberal journalist" is the enemy.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication,says that Donald Trump "has contributed to a climate of discourse consistent with assaulting a reporter for asking an inconvenient question."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Eager to step off in a different direction, Donald Trump "did not bow to the Gulf leader" as he stepped off of the plane in his first trip outside a Trump property since taking his oath of office. Instead, he waited until later to present a move that started as a bow and then transitioned into a curtsy. "Fox News' foreign policy 'expert' Rebeccah Heinrichs" points out that Melania Trump "didn't cover her head", providing a "metaphor that this President is not ashamed of the United States, we do care about human rights, we do care about the women in Saudi Arabia." Replacing the snub that Obama received, Trump received a hero's welcome that played to his hyperextended ego. His face was "plastered on billboards around the city", they fed him "lavish meals" and "a five-story image of [his] face was projected on the exterior of the Ritz Carlton hotel where he'll stay". Giving the low-energy President a break, the Saudi people voluntarily spared him the inconvenience of having to deal with protesters. All Trump had to do to regain the respect of the Kingdom and out-maneuver his predecessor was to pay the small price of selling out American values.

For decades, "American officials [have] complained about the shameful state of human rights in the kingdom, where women are restricted, critics are lashed and beheadings are common." But while "Obama made human rights part of his message when he visited Saudi Arabia" and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, "helped seek the release of an activist, Manal al-Sharif, who helped start a women's right-to-drive campaign", Trump took another tact stating that "we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship." Like the despotic leaders of the Philippines, China, Turkey, and Egypt, Saudi leaders have been shown by the Trump administration that "topics like democracy, political reform and gender equality" have been taken off the table. Trump knows that they "push gays off...buildings...kill women and treat women horribly", but they are free to do so as long as they keep buying our weapons.

Also missing from Trump's pronouncements in Saudi Arabia was his 2014 demand that they provide us with "free oil". While Obama was willing to take on Saudi Arabia's status as a "free rider", Trump reserved that kind of talk for our democratic allies in NATO. Months into his presidency and he still has not figured out that this is not a dues-paying organization and embarrassed himself, and our country, by insisting that "many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years." He then compounded this embarrassment by not mentioning "any clear statement of support for Article 5, the NATO mutual-defense pledge -- something other leaders had been hoping to hear", even as he presented a remnant of the North Tower of the World Trade Center - a symbol not only of a great national tragedy but the only time in history that the Article has been invoked. Trump then proceeded to push past the Prime Minister of Montenegro to get in place for a photo shoot of the assembled heads of state. #AmericaFirst.

Back at home, Trump's fans are too busy continuing to litigate the last election to notice that their leader is quickly abandoning his promise that "the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer." With Trumpcare, he jettisoned the promise to "keep pre-existing conditions." Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that "the bill would cause 23 million fewer people to have health insurance by 2026." While they congratulated themselves on the stroking of Trump's ego, their President released a budget that cut "Medicaid effectively in half by 2026" and "up to $64 billion over a decade from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program". So much for the promise that there would "be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid." And if American Workers thought that the arms-sale agreement with Saudi Arabia was going to bring more jobs, they had better like the heat of the Saudi desert; "the agreement includes a pledge to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Black Hawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia, a $6 billion deal that will create new 450 jobs in Saudi Arabia." How will that make America great again?

____________________________________________

Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. He was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com.

RT @BuzzFeedNews: Remember when conservatives slammed Obama for bowing in front of the Saudi king? Did Trump just bow too? https://t.co/Ff at https://t.co/Ff  J. Craft (@JoAnneCraft) May 23, 2017

(Article changed on May 29, 2017 at 00:04)
When Annette Avery and Lisa Lamberson wanted to start a business downtown they wanted a place that could bring balance and community to the area. They decided the best way to do that was to buy a bookshop.

Now as proud owners of Bright Side Bookshop on 18 N. San Francisco St., Avery and Lamberson are ready to join Bookmans as the only independent bookseller in downtown Flagstaff.

Another bar or restaurant downtown was not something we were excited about because you need a good mix of food and retail, Avery said. An independent bookstore really rounds out the downtown area.

The two women bought the shop formerly known as Barefoot Cowgirl Books in a moment of temporary insanity, according to Lamberson, after former owner Nancy Nelson planned to close the bookstore if she could not find a seller.

We were excited about having a bookstore downtown and when we heard if Nancy wasnt able to sell she was going to close the business, we decided to buy her shop," Lamberson said.

Lamberson and Avery see a bright future on the horizon for Bright Side Bookshop as they prepare for their all-day grand reopening celebration on June 3. They view their independent bookstore as a niche that the Flagstaff community has been asking for, a place where people can get away from reading and buying books electronically.

Bookstores can be more than just bookstores, Avery said. An independent bookstore is a community resource and a chance for people to take a moment and sit down with a book.

Bright Side also features a large selection of local authors, and the owners urge anyone to come by and promote their books.

We have a wonderful curation of local authors writing about everything from the Grand Canyon to Sedona, Lamberson said. We have hosted a number of local authors and we are always looking to host more.

How can a local author promote their book in Bright Side?

Just go inside and introduce yourself because we would love to find a way to promote your book, Lamberson said. We have a vested interest in the community and the way we see it, we are giving them exposure and they are giving us exposure.

Lamberson and Avery have loved every second of running Bright Side books and it shows as they walk around the store smiling at customers and working on their new sign.

When asked why they were so enthusiastic, We get to own a bookstore and I love books, Avery said, smiling. There is a magic and mystique to books and we all get a chance to experience that.
Our state spends a great deal of money on economic development. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is responsible for overseeing much of the taxpayer money that goes to job creation.

A recently released audit by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found that WEDC cannot be certain about the number of jobs actually created or retained as a result of any awards that ended.

By law, WEDC is required to report jobs created or retained. The agency meets the requirement through reports posted on its website. However, auditors found these data inaccurate.

We found that the on-line data in January of 2017 included 183 jobs created and 1,082 jobs retained by recipients that had sold their operations in Wisconsin, ceased their operations in Wisconsin, or had withdrawn from their contracts before the contractually specified completion dates.

For example, WEDC claimed credit for retaining 340 jobs for a company that ceased operations in Wisconsin, claimed credit for creating 68 jobs for another company that sold its operations in Wisconsin and claimed 485 jobs retained for a third company that withdrew from its contract years before it was to deliver the created and retained jobs.

In addition, auditors found WEDC double-counted jobs created and retained. For example, one company received awards in both June 2012 and September 2012 for the same 305 jobs created and 284 jobs retained. Another company signed two different contracts in July of 2011 but the company claimed they would retain the same 110 jobs for both awards.

Auditors also looked at 192 contract awards made since July 2011 through the end of September 2016. Presumably, at the end of a contract one would know if the promised results were achieved. Upon review of the 192 awards, LAB found only 12.5 percent (24) even had an expected result of job creation or retention.

Of those 24 with expected results, three of the contracts did not actually require the company to create or retain jobs; 13 contracts ended before their completion date (meaning the requirements were not fulfilled). Of the eight contracts completed, WEDC did not collect sufficient information to verify that promised jobs were created.

Without accurate information about WEDC program results, lawmakers and taxpayers cannot know if the investment in job creation and retention was money well spent.

WEDC authorized hundreds of millions in tax credits, grants and loans since its 2011 inception. The most recent audit is the third report that raises ongoing concerns about the lack of independent verification of jobs created or retained.

Some WEDC problems were corrected, such as establishing accounting policies and procedures for the agency (the lack of which was a finding in 2013). But other problems identified in prior audits continue. For example, in 2015 auditors found WEDC kept a reserve of state money larger than necessary. In the most recent audit, auditors found WEDCs cash and investment reserves more than doubled over four years.

Prior problems with administering its loan program caused legislators to phase out any further loan activity by WEDC. In this most recent audit, the potentially uncollectable loan balance nearly tripled and auditors found a substantial rise in the loan delinquency rate.

Just days before the release of the audit, the Legislatures budget writing committee voted, along partisan lines, to restart WEDCs troubled loan program. The committee also voted along partisan lines to increase state taxpayer dollars going to WEDC.

Both of these actions should be stopped.

For nearly six years, Wisconsinites asked whether WEDC lived up to the promises made at its inception. The Legislative Audit Bureau continues to tell us that WEDC does not collect adequate information to provide lawmakers and citizens with accurate information on whether promises of job creation and retention were delivered

Most of WEDCs money is state taxpayer dollars, a precious resource that is used to fund many other programs. A dollar spent on unverified job creation/retention programs means a dollar is not available for critical investments like transportation infrastructure, public schools or local government.

It is time for all of us to demand that the governor and the WEDC board step up and correct the ongoing problems documented in three separate audits of WEDC over the last six years. Job creation is important, but so is the most effective and efficient investment of state taxpayer dollars.


Image From Article

(Image by Unknown) Details DMCA



Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli soldiers and border police yesterday in Hebron, as Palestinians demonstrated in solidarity with the prisoners' hunger strike. The clash lasted for five hours, with Israeli forces using tear gas, sound bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live ammunition to disperse the protesters. A 15-year old and a 20-year old were shot, with many others arrested.



Israeli soldiers began the assault by advancing on Bab al-Zawiya from Shuhuda street

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



The clashes began soon after midday, as Israeli soldiers emerged from Shuhuda street checkpoint in order to disperse Palestinian youths, who had been throwing stones at the checkpoint's gates.

Soldiers were unusually quick to begin firing rubber-coated steel bullets, with a 15-year old boy being hit in the head outside the market entrance at 1pm. The boy was rushed to hospital in a nearby car.



Palestinian youths avoid rubber bullets with a smoke screen and wooden barrier

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA





Soldiers were watched over by several snipers on surrounding rooftops.

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



Despite the use of tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition, it took 5 hours for Israeli forces to clear the area of Palestinian youths, who had only rocks.



Palestinian teenagers throw rocks at soldiers as they assault Bab al-Zawiya

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



Soldiers repeatedly harassed journalists covering the clash. One boasted that they had begun firing rubber-coated steel bullets and hadn't 'even eaten lunch yet'.



Journalists harassed by Israeli border police

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



At 2.30pm, a 20-year old Palestinian man was shot in the leg with live ammunition and subsequently rushed to hospital.



Border police fire live ammunition at protesters

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



After a short break, soldiers resumed their assault at 3.30pm, moving through the Bab al-Zawiya gas station to fire tear gas, sound bombs and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.



Israeli army assault protesters in central Hebron

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA





Israeli soldier throws sound bomb from Bab al-Zawiya gas station

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



Many teenagers were detained during the clashes, and some afterwards as soldiers appeared to target particular children.



Israeli soldiers chase child down street in central Hebron

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



One teenager was filmed being beaten in the street by Israeli soldiers as they dragged him towards Shuhuda street.

The clashes occurred following a demonstration in solidarity with the prisoners' hunger strike. 1,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails, having refused food since the 17 th of April. In the last few days around 70 prisoners have been moved to civilian hospitals due to 'seriously deteriorating' health conditions. The number of prisoners at serious risk of death is expected to increase sharply soon, with many now refusing to even drink water.

The demonstrations occurred on the same day that the Palestinians held a general strike in support of the prisoners. According to the organisers of the strike, it was the first general strike since the first intifada to be observed by Palestinians living both at home and in the diaspora.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall has been the center of a vast, decentralized conversation for years, letting us hear in interviewees' own words the power of connection in every realm. His new book brings it all together, showing us that the old order is broken and fast being replaced from the bottom up. The old power elite may not know it yet, but millions of us -- organizers, artists, thinkers and doers -- have gotten the message. So should you, by reading Bottom-Up."



Arlene Goldbard, author of The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & The Future
Quicklink Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them.



To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Progressive Content Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing.



To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here.


(Image by Ann Wright) Details DMCA



Trump's appearance at the NATO summit in his first trip outside the United States generated many themes for the march. Greenpeace used a variation of Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again" for its massive banners: "Make Peace Great Again" and another banner hanging from a crane near the NATO headquarters with the motto "#RESIST."

Trump's misogynist statements compelled the Pink p*ssy Hats to return to the streets of Brussels with two large groups of women and men challenging his rebuke to women. Peace groups from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Belgium challenged the NATO war machine

Photo by Ann Wright

125 persons were arrested for blocking a highway leading to the NATO ministerial meeting.

After calling NATO "obsolete" during his presidential campaign, Trump faced the other 27 nations in NATO by saying that "NATO is no longer obsolete" and "You owe us a lot of money." The media has widely reported that the NATO meeting schedule was dramatically shortened to accommodate Trump's short attention span. Presentations by country representatives were mandated to four minutes or less.

Only five of 28 members (US, UK, Poland, Estonia and Greece) have 2 percent of their national budgets dedicated to military expenditures and Trump railed at member countries for not budgeting more. The overall spending on defense by NATO countries will be more than $921 billion http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/2 5/news/nato-funding-explained- trump/

while $1.4 billion goes to NATO to funds some NATO operations, training and research and the NATO strategic command center.

Trump's proposed increase of 5,000 U.S. military into Afghanistan will increase by one-third the NATO presence in Afghanistan and he is urging other NATO countries to increase their presence. Currently, there are 13,000 NATO forces including 8,500 U.S. in Afghanistan.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Rick Best, one of two men killed in a brutal attack Friday aboard a MAX train, was a city of Portland employee, Army veteran and onetime candidate for Clackamas County commissioner.

Rick Best

Best, 53, worked as a technician for the city Bureau of Development Services, said David Austin, a spokesman for Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

He was headed to his home in Happy Valley when he and two others intervened as a man began hurling epithets at two teenagers aboard a MAX Green Line train, witnesses said. The man then pulled a knife and stabbed the three men, killing two and injuring one.

Best had three teenage sons and a 12-year-old daughter, Austin said.

Best grew up in Oregon, mostly in Salem, and attended Vocational Village High School in Portland.

He met his wife at Portland Community College, and then joined the Army. He said in a voter pamphlet statement that he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Best retired from the Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after 23 years in the military. He joined his family in Happy Valley and quickly became frustrated with the county board, in 2014 launching an unsuccessful campaign in which he said he would not accept donations.

In January 2015, he began working for the city as a technician.

His supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services, Kareen Perkins, said Best was a dedicated employee who was well-liked by his tight-knit team.

"He was always the first person you would go to for help," she said. "I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out."

He worked hard to find his way in civilian life, Perkins said. In his job, he worked with about 30 coworkers and hundreds of customers seeking permits from the city.

"He was just really good at his job, and just great to work with," she said.

He also spoke frequently and fondly of his wife and four children, Perkins said.

City commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who until recently oversaw the bureau, released a statement memorializing Best:

"My heart goes out to the family of Rick Best. They have lost a husband and a father, and we have lost a treasured employee.

"Rick worked for the city for a little more than two years and was a valued member of our Bureau of Development Services team. And as a veteran, he served our country with honor and distinction. He stood up for two young women and others he didn't even know  all because he wanted to help.

"Losing a colleague is hard. Losing someone under these circumstances makes it even worse. We are very saddened at the loss of Rick and we will remember him fondly as we move forward.''

Eudaly has asked city human resources to make sure there are counselors available to bureau staff when staff return to work on Tuesday.

-- Elliot Njus

Maxine Bernstein and Molly Harbarger contributed to this report.
Christopher Franco Claims First-Ever PokerStars Chile Main Event Title

May 27, 2017 Aleeyah Jadavji

After 112 hands at the final table, and just 10 hands of heads-up play, Chile's own Christopher Franco took down the PokerStars Festival Chile Main Event for $97,360. Franco made his way past 328 players over four days of play at the beautiful Casino Enjoy Vina del Mar in Vina del Mar, Chile to win his first major title.

Franco has had success in live tournament play, with multiple cashes over the last four years, including a win last year in Las Vegas. His tournament win came from a Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza Bounty Event that netted him $11,517. His previous best cash was in 2013, when he finished in 20th place in the Latin America Poker Tour Main Event in Lima, Peru for $4,780.

Saturday's victory surpassed all of his previous results and now puts him into six-figures for his career live earnings. Franco also has impressive online stats where he has amassed $843,979 in online career earnings. His PokerStars handle is 'KhrizPkR23' and his largest cash was for just over $11,400.

The runner-up of the PokerStars Festival Chile Main Event was Colombia's Juan Sebastian Gomez after getting his remaining stack in the middle with ace-seven against the ace-eight of Franco. The board ran out clean and low, sending Gomez to the rail in second place for $61,900. Gomez booked his best cash in this event, adding an impressive milestone to his professional poker career.

PokerStars Festival Chile Main Event Results

Place Player Name Country Prize (USD) 1 Christopher Franco Chile $97,360 2 Juan Sebastian Gomez Colombia $61,900 3 Sergio Dario Tello Argentina $46,400 4 Andres Vega Chile $37,560 5 Amos Ben Chile $29,600 6 Rodrigo Zambra Chile $22,600 7 Oscar Toloso Argentina $16,600 8 Diego Lizana Chile $12,200

Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez finished on the money bubble on Day 2 after getting his stack in the middle with pocket fives against Andres Vega's pocket jacks. He won't be going home empty-handed though, as he took down the $3,300 High Roller event for $20,360 earlier in the week. Fernandez added to his impressive resume that now includes more than $2 million in lifetime earnings in the live arena.

Final Table Action

The final table of eight began with just five minutes remaining in Level 23. Chile's Diego Lizana was the player who got involved the most early on, and won a big pot against Franco before proceeding to lose three in a row, folding aces along the way. He was eventually the first player to be eliminated in eighth place ($12,200) at the hands of Vega in a double-elimination hand. Oscar Toloso, a recreational player from Argentina, was the other player involved. He had more chips than Lizana and finished in seventh place for $16,600. Vega held pocket tens while his two opponents held the same hand with ace-queen. The board ran out clean and Lizana and Toloso headed for the rail. Vega soared towards the top of the counts and was just a few big blinds behind chip leader Ben.

A short while later, Sergio Dario Tello doubled his short stack through Vega with aces. It was then Gomez's turn to double up after chopping a lucky pot with Franco. Franco also won a big pot from Ben and took over the chip lead, dropping Ben down to the middle of the pack.

In the midst of that action, Rodrigo Zambra was the next to go in sixth place for a payout of $22,600. The Chilean dwindled down to just six big blinds and got it in with jack-high. He was unable to improve against Gomez's ace-high and was sent to the rail.

Next to go was Ben, after he got his remaining 25 big blinds in the middle with ace-king of diamonds, racing against Franco's two black jacks. The board ran out dry, and the two-time LAPT High Roller champion settled for fifth place, pocketing $29,600 for his deep run. In the very next hand, Franco five-bet shoved with two red jacks and Vega called off his stack of 2,100,000 with ace-king offsuit. The board ran out dry for him also, and Vega hit the rail in fourth place for an impressive $37,560.

Three-handed play did not last long, with Tello going out in third place for $46,400. Franco defended his big blind and flopped trips, and was lucky enough to get Tello to shove his stack into the middle with pocket jacks, sending him home and leaving just two players to battle it out. Heads-up play lasted just ten hands, and Franco won with a better ace-high than Gomez to secure the win.

As expected, Chile has turned out to be a popular poker destination for South Americans, but plenty of players from other countries around the world have joined in on the action.

Of the 224 unique entries in the Main Event, Chile made up 133 of these, with Argentina having the second-best showing with 63. Brazil had six entries, and Mexico attracted five. There were 17 players from other countries, including one a piece from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

Some of the notable players who made the money included Martin Pineiro (12th place - $7,400), Tomas Carvallo (15th place - $6,660), Roberto Andres Finkelberg (21st place - $4,660), Joaquin Barcena (23rd place - $4,660), Nicolas Malandre (26th place - $4,160), Richard Dubini (29th place - $3,660), and Javier Swett (35th place - $3,200).

The next PokerStars Festival will be happening from June 19 through the 25 in Marbella, Spain at the beautiful Casino Marbella. More information is available on the PokerStars Live website.
Kaarel Lepik Engineers Huge Comeback to Win Unibet Open Copenhagen

May 28, 2017 Yori Epskamp Senior Content Manager

Estonian Kaarel Lepik went into Copenhagen as part of a group of six players, all trying to qualify for the Main Event. Lepik was the only one out of six to actually qualify, and eventually he went all the way.

Lepik overcame Sigurd Carlsson after a fiercely contested heads-up battle in which Lapik was trailing heads-up.

2011 Unibet Open Riga winner Peter Harkes saw his bid at a second title end in third place. Start-of-the-day chipleader Monica Vaka, who had a chance to become the first ever female Unibet Open champion, fell in seventh place.

2017 Unibet Open Copenhagen Final Results

Position Player Country Prize in DKK Prize in  1 Kaarel Lepik Estonia DKK 562,300 75,996 2 Sigurd Carlsson Faroe Islands DKK 362,100 48,938 3 Peter Harkes Netherlands DKK 249,900 33,774 4 Mikael Johansson Sweden DKK 185,000 25,003 5 Deivis Rinkevicius Lithuania DKK 142,200 19,197 6 Martin Wendt Denmark DKK 109,400 14,769 7 Monica Vaka Norway DKK 87,600 11,826 8 Florian Lanz Switzerland DKK 70,100 9,463 9 Soren Hansen Denmark DKK 56,100 7,573

Thirteen players returned to Casino Copenhagen at noon local time on Sunday to try and capture the coveted Unibet Open title. For Mateusz Krzyzewksi, the day ended after mere minutes after shoving ace-six in ace-jack. Thomas Ardai was the next to go: he lost the classic ace-king versus the pocket queens of Carlssen. It was a pivotal pot to Carlsson, who grabbed a big chip lead after the hand.

Tomasz Kozub started the day second in chips. After losing a few pots in the early stages, Kozub four-bet shoved pocket jacks into Vaka's pocket queens, didn't improve and finished in 11th place. Jes Bondo became the final table bubble by shoving pocket queens into Lepik's pocket aces.

The nine remaining players were seated as follows:

Seat Player Country Chip Count 1 Deivis Rinkevicius Lithuania 1,070,000 2 Monica Vaka Norway 2,875,000 3 Mikael Johansson Sweden 750,000 4 Soren Hansen Denmark 1,020,000 5 Martin Wendt Denmark 480,000 6 Peter Harkes Netherlands 1,100,000 7 Florian Lanz Switzerland 525,000 8 Kaarel Lepik Estonia 1,600,000 9 SIgurd Carlsson Faroe Islands 2,830,000

A triple-barrel bluff with ten high spelt the end for Soren Hansen in ninth place. Harkes had flopped two pair and called every street to send Hansen home. Florian Lanz was the next to go. Short stacked, he shoved eight-trey into jack-eight and didn't improve.

The next one to go was start-of-the-day chipleader Monica Vaka. An unfortunate series of events spelt the end for the last female standing. Vaka lost pocket kings against Harkes' pocket aces and never gained any traction after that. Down to around ten big blinds, Vaka open-shoved pocket fives from the small blind but Mikael Johansson picked up pocket kings in the big blinds to send Vaka to the rail.

Martin Wendt finished in sixth place after getting pocket nines in against Carlsson's pocket tens. Deivis Rinkevicius quickly succumbed to Carlsson as well by losing king-queen to ten-nine. Lepik then eliminated Johansson with pocket fours against jack-eight to get play three-handed.

2011 Unibet Open Riga winner Harkes was in contention for a second title for a long time. Being short against the two big stacks Carlsson and Lepik, Harkes tried to start his comeback with pocket sixes against Carlsson's ace-trey. An ace on the flop spelt the exit for Harkes, who recorded his third lifetime Unibet Open final table.

Holding a 2-to-1 chiplead, Carlsson started the heads-up running over Lepik. The Estonian found himself below the dreaded 20 big blind mark multiple times, but he was able to hold on each time. Lepik was behind for hours before finally grinding back up to nearly even stacks.

Then, in one hand, Lepik dealt the decisive blow with ace-five against Carlsson's nine-seven. In a three-bet pot, the flop came down seven-four-trey and both players checked. The turn was a deuce, completing Lepik's straight, and Carlsson check-called a big bet. The seven on the river gave Carlsson trip sevens and he check-called all in for nearly all his chips. In the next hand, Lepik finished it off with king-nine against king-trey to become the 40th Unibet Open champion!

That's all from Casino Copenhagen in the stunning Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel. The Unibet Open will be back in September for a special stop at a still to be announced location. PokerNews will once again be on hand again to provide you all the live updates from the floor as it happens.

Sharelines Lepik trailed heads-up for several hours before going on to win the Unibet Open Copenhagen Main Event.
Monica Vaka Leads Final 13 Players of 2017 Unibet Open Copenhagen

May 27, 2017 Yori Epskamp Senior Content Manager

After 11 full hours of play on Day 2 of the 2017 Unibet Open Copenhagen DDK 8,250 Main Event, a field of 112 hopefuls had whittled down to the final 13. The chip leader heading into the final day is Norway's Monica Vaka, who used her big stack to her advantage and aggressively made her way to 1,881,000 in chips. Even more impressive is the fact that Vaka is thriving during these long days while being seven months pregnant!

Vaka is closely followed by Tomasz Kozub (1,754,000), Kaarel Lepik (1,632,000) and Sigurd Carlsson (1,469,000). Kozub, an experienced Unibet Open regular with over $200,000 in lifetime winnings, already clashed big with Vaka on Saturday. The Pole is seated to Vaka's direct left and has the position, stack and experience to potentially hurt the chip leader.

Lepik continued his good run from Day 1 and Carlsson is holding the honor of the small Faroe Islands high. The four will be joined by nine others and will return in the following order:

Day 3 Seating and Chip Counts

Table Seat Player Country Chip Count 9 1 Sigurd Carlsson Faroe Islands 1,469,000 9 2 Mikael Johansson Sweden 328,000 9 3 Deivis Rinkevicius Lithuania 459,000 9 4 Florian Lanz Switzerland 500,000 9 6 Soren Hansen Denmark 978,000 9 7 Monica Vaka Norway 1,881,000 9 8 Tomasz Kozub Poland 1,754,000 10 2 Kaarel Lepik Estonia 1,632,000 10 3 Thomas Ardai Romania 431,000 10 5 Martin Wendt Denmark 558,000 10 6 Mateusz Krzyzewksi Poland 333,000 10 7 Peter Harkes Netherlands 747,000 10 8 Jes Bondo Denmark 584,000

The day started off with 112 players, of which 53 would finish in the money. Among the early bustouts were 2017 Unibet Open London winner [Removed:158], Unibet Poker eSports PlayerAlan "Hotted89" Widmann, Unibet Poker Ambassador Dara O'Kearney and Johnny Hansen.

EPT13 Prague winner Jasper Meijer van Putten suffered one of the most brutal beats of his career at the hands of Lepik. Holding pocket aces, Meijer van Putten called a four-bet from Lepik and called an all-in check-raise on a king-high flop. Lepik had ace-king and was drawing very slim but a miracle runner-runner flush sent the pot to the Estonian and left the EPT champion without chips just before the money.

The dubious honor of bubble boy went to Karsten Johansen, who lost pocket jacks against pocket eights to bust. After the bubble burst, Ioana Silvana, Sidsel Nebel and 2016 Unibet Open Malta winner Martin Soukup busted as well. Two-time Unibet Open London final tablelist Bhavin Khatri also missed out on Day 3.

During the last hour of the day, a few more players busted to bring the field down to 13. Uni Gilston was the final player to bust and he did so in the last hand of the day. After being crippled in the penultimate hand with pocket jacks against ace-king, Gilston shoved seven-five into pocket eights and couldn't catch up. With Gilston's bustout, all remaining players are guaranteed at least DDK 44,500 - roughly 6,007.

Besides the aforementioned players, Peter Harkes also made his way to Day 3. Harkes is a former Unibet Open champion and a fixture on the circuit. A win would put the Dutchman on the same level as his good friend Mateusz Moolhuizen and Dan Murariu as a two-time Unibet Open winner.

Play on the final day will resume at noon local time in Level 22 with blinds at 15,000/30,000 and a running ante of 5,000. The live stream will be shown with hole cards and will be on a delay. The PokerNews live reporting team will provide updates of the Main Event until a winner is crowned. Follow us throughout day to see who will lift the trophy in the 40th Unibet Open event!
Tollerene, Sontheimer, Christner Chop Aria $100K for $1 Million Each

May 28, 2017 Brett Collson Chief Editor

On the eve of the Super High Roller Bowl, 13 players returned for Day 2 of the $100,000 buy-in tournament hosted by Aria Poker in Las Vegas. The high roller event was the fourth at Aria this week, following up $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 tournaments. All four events served as lead-ups to the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl, which kicks off Sunday afternoon and runs though Thursday, June 1.

A total of 54 entries generated a prize pool of $5,292,000 at Aria on Friday. A slew of German pros were in the field and, to nobody's surprise, a few made deep runs to the final table. Ultimately, two of them  Christian Christner and Steffen Sontheimer  agreed to a three-handed deal with American pro Ben Tollerene that secured more than $1 million to each.

Aria $100K Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Christian Christner Germany $1,450,000* 2 Steffen Sontheimer Germany $1,220,000* 3 Ben Tollerene United States $1,020,000* 4 David Peters United States $432,360 5 Christoph Vogelsang Germany $370,440 6 Erik Seidel United States $317,520 7 Adrian Mateos Spain $264,600 8 Daniel Negreanu United States $211,680

*Reflects three-handed deal

Poker Central's Paul Oresteen was providing Twitter updates from the floor of the Aria poker room when the final table got underway.

The eight-handed final table of the $100K @ARIAPoker. @dpeterspoker17 and Vogelsang look to have the big stacks. https://t.co/17AvNPxfdI  Paul Oresteen (@PaulOresteen)

According to Oresteen, a short-stacked Daniel Negreanu was the first to exit the final table after he shoved in to Sontheimer's and failed to improve. The next to go was Adrian Mateos, who was fresh off a victory in a 50,000 High Roller in Monaco for 908,000. The Spaniard ran pocket fives into the pocket aces of David Peters and walked away with $264,600. Unlike the rest of his final tablemates, Mateos wasn't selected to play in Sunday's Super High Roller Bowl and will have to watch from the sidelines.

Peters held a massive lead with six left but lost a huge pot to Tollerene with against on a board of . As Oresteen reported, Peters shoved the river and Tollerene called with his full house to drag the pot.

From there, Erik Seidel busted in sixth, followed by German Christoph Vogelsang in fifth, and then Peters in fourth. The three remaining players then began deal negotiations. All three are in the field for the Super High Roller Bowl, so as Oresteen stated, "rest was a motivating factor" in opting to not play it down to a champion.

Follow the Super High Roller Bowl

The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be at Aria all week providing coverage of the Super High Roller Bowl. A field of 56 players  pros, celebrities, and businessmen  will compete for millions of dollars and one of poker's most prestigious titles. For a complete look at the field and past history of the event, be sure to check out the overview written by Frank op de Woerd.

You can also follow the event on PokerGo, the new video subscription service launched by Poker Central. The premium service, which will air the event live from Aria every day, costs $99 annually or $10 monthly. The first day of the Super High Roller Bowl on PokerGo is free, but you'll need to sign up for a premium account to watch the remainder of the event.

Sharelines On the eve of the Super High Roller Bowl, three players chopped the Aria $100K for more than $1M each.
"All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind." A snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family.

This description, provided in the notes given to festival goers at Cannes, tells one nothing of Michael Haneke's latest project, "Happy End." Instead, Haneke's history will give a person more of a clue as to what they will be walking into when they prepare to watch the film, set in the northern French city of Calais with the European refugee crisis in the background  way in the background. More prevalent to audiences will the story of the Laurent family and their many issues, staring familiar Haneke talent Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

The film showcases the many levels of dysfunction occurring at each level of the Laurent family, from the business that brought the family wealth suffering from issues after an accident causes death on one of their construction sites, to the heirs to the family fortune engaging in unorthodox relationships  Anne (Huppert) is engaged to a lawyer serving the family business's legal needs, and her brother, Thomas (Mattieu Kassovitz) is cheating on his second-wife with yet another woman. The topic of suicide also haunts the family. It is the attempted death of Thomas's daughter, Eve's (Fantine Harduin), mother that leads to the young girl coming to live in the Laurent house in the first third of the film.

COURTESY OF THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Trintignant's role as the patriarch of the Laurent family, Georges, shines brightest in the cast. His anger toward the way his life has played out as well as the actions of his family feel the most warranted of all the concerns in the film. His interactions with Harduin's Eve also allow for some of the best scenes in the film. When the pair discusses the mysterious death of Georges's wife and reflect on the benefits of suicide together, audiences will take some comfort, and feel weird immediately afterward in reflecting on why that is happening to them at that moment. The final scene of the film also involve these characters in one of the most fitting finales for all of the Cannes competition films, one that should make audiences cringe but will instead manage to make them feel calmed.

While it is still up in the air as to whether or not this film will make its way stateside, the odds of its being popular with an American audience are slim. "Happy End" does not deliver what its title suggests, and instead relies on viewers' fascination with the intricate relationships formed between the characters to stay engaged. I doubt that Americans will find these bourgeois members as interesting as they did generations ago.

COURTESY OF THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The problem with "Happy End" is not its resistance to connect dots for the audience. A viewer who is attuned enough will quickly begin to understand who is sleeping with who, who feels as though they don't belong, and who wants to die. It is the way in which it seems to weigh these problems against each other and make a viewer question which character's issue (if any) is the most sympathetic. In reality, it is hard to feel anything toward any of these characters because of the great deal of privilege they are faced with, and the ways in which they still seem to make a mess of their lives.

This lack of ability to bond with the characters therefore creates a great feeling of distance from the overall narrative. This distance is heightened in Haneke's attempts to incorporate new technology in the way that he once used VHS tapes and security cameras to induce a feeling of perpetual surveillance of his characters. He uses shots of what looks like a version of Snapchat to portray Eve's mother in the hours before her suicide attempt, gives us insight into Thomas's Facebook messages, and has Eve videotape her grandfather's suicide attempt at the end of the film.

COURTESY OF THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Its usage improves overtime, but the technology's placement at the beginning, end, and almost exact middle of the film draw an unnecessary amount of attention to it, pointing out clearly that it is a device rather than annoying it to feel like a natural direction for the plot to take.

In short: this film is loved by many critics, but the average moviegoer is unlikely to show as much love.

Haneke already has two Palme d'Or's under his belt for his last two appearances at the Cannes Film Festival ("The White Ribbon" in 2009, and "Amour" in 2012). Creating French films for a French festival has greatly benefitted him in the past. Should he find himself taking home another golden prize, it's because the jury finds comfort in seeing familiarity. It will not be because this is the best film in the bunch, or even the best attempt Haneke has made at this particular subject matter.

A complete list of films in competition for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or, is available on the festival's website, as is a press conference with the team behind "Happy End."

Rachel A.G. Gilman is a writer, a radio producer, and probably the girl wearing the Kinks shirt. Follow her on Twitter.
Speaker Benjamin Cruz's Bill 79-34 moved on without suggested amendments by the vice speaker, establishing the Guam Council on Climate Change Preparedness and Resiliency, or Guam C3PR.

Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje's suggested amendments were an attempt to strengthen Cruz's bill by allowing the council to review all federal activities that concern the natural environment of Guam including: testing, detonations and the removal of 1,000 acres of limestone forest for the live-fire training range complex at Northwest Field on Andersen Air Force Base.

'Our island is extremely vulnerable'

"These are concrete environmental impacts that we can actually address and hopefully prevent today, including the removal of forests and direct destruction of coral reef, which promote sea level rise, coastal erosion and contamination of water resources," Terlaje said. "Our island is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and I think the more we attention we can bring to this issue the better."

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

The council, without the amendments, is tasked with developing policy direction and recommendations relative to ensuring that the government of Guam focuses its vast resources on preparing, planning for and mitigating the potential adverse impacts of climate change in Guam, according to the bill.

One of the amendments directly reference the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT), which allows the Navy to continue training and testing activities, including "the use of sonar and explosives," which pose cumulative impacts to coral reef, marine life and an already susceptible natural environment weakened by climate change.

"No one can afford to say this is someone else's job," Terlaje said. "The Legislature plays a crucial role in bringing attention to these issues. I voted for the bill and the bill passed unanimously. We all support this."
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.




I am a sucker for lists.

A few weeks ago, sparked by reading yet another claim that Donald Trump is the most fill in the blank in American history, I Googled the worst American in history. I thought there was a list for everything some where in Googleland, but there was no decent list for this.

So I decided to construct a respectable ranking of the five worst Americans in history. I surveyed a group of about 30 academic and popular American historians, political scientists and law professors, asking them to nominate five figures from American history. Contemporaries were eligible, but had to earn their place against over 200 years of stiff competition.

I purposefully sketched only loose criteria for being the worst. I asked that nominations include only people who held positions of public responsibility or power  elected officials, business magnates, judges, polemicists, generals and so forth. I was not looking for the most evil people such as serial killers and sex criminals.

Lists are fun but also edifying. They reflect both the times in which they are made and the stories, not always the truths, that endure. You can be the judge of what this list suggests.

The list is not mine. It reflects the results of my little highly unscientific survey.

Richard M. Nixon: Nixon was the clear winner (or loser). His nominations often included remarks such as obvious or of course. However, several people noted they didnt include Nixon because he had many redeeming accomplishments (opening relations with China, domestic initiatives that are now considered liberal). Still, Vietnam, Watergate and a legacy of mistrust in government that lingers trumped the positive, as it were.

Nathan Bedford Forrest (tie for second): Forrest, a planter and slave trader, was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army. He was accused of war crimes after his troops massacred a garrison of black Union troops after they surrendered in April 1864. Forrest made this list, however, because he was an early and famous founder of the Ku Klux Klan and is thought to be its first Grand Wizard.

Joseph McCarthy (tie for second): The word McCarthyism is synonymous with political persecution, paranoia and slander because of the man who served as a Republican senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957. Ironically, the legal and political brain behind McCarthy was Roy Cohn, an early mentor to the next man on the list.

Donald J. Trump (tie for second): I tried and failed to steer the survey panel away from contemporary figures. As one historian wrote, No, it is not too early to tell. Well see.

J. Edgar Hoover: History has had ample time to judge the first director of the FBI. Hoover held on to that job from 1935 until his death in 1972 using blackmail, secret files and illegal spying. His record of harassing dissenters and abusing power makes him one of the greatest enemies of the Constitution ever, according to our nominators.

Runner-up:

Benedict Arnold: The Revolutionary War traitor symbolizes all traitors for Americans.

(Dis)honorable Mention:

Father Charles Coughlin: Coughlin, a Catholic priest who had a popular radio show in the 1930s that promoted fascism and anti-Semitism, may have been Americas first mass propagandist. Though he garnered as many mentions as Hoover, he doesnt qualify for the final five because several people nominated him only in a group with demagogues as one entry: for example, Charles Coughlin, Jimmy Swaggart, other televangelists and As one, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Father Charles Coughlin.

If groups of similar worsts counted, several would have made the top five.

There were many nominations for individuals that undermined Reconstruction or supported white supremacy after the Civil War, including: John Wilkes Booth, Lincolns murderer; Andrew Johnson, Lincolns nearly impeached successor; Ben Pitchfork Tillman, a South Carolina politician who was an infamous white supremacist from the 1880s until his death in 1918; Henry Billings Brown, the Supreme Court justice who wrote the decision in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson that legitimized state-sponsored segregation using the doctrine of separate but equal.

There were multiple nominations for the enemies of desegregation in the mid-20th century: George Wallace, the Alabama governor and 1968 presidential candidate; Eugene Bull Connor, the sheriff of Birmingham, Ala., who fought civil rights with beatings and police dogs (a symbol for many white Southern sheriffs, one historian wrote).

Several nominees symbolized atrocities against Native Americans, including Andrew Jackson and Daniel F. Royer (the agent who spurred on the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890). Slavery in America doesnt seem to have iconic anti-heroes; if it did, I think one would have topped the list.

Others receiving multiple nominations include: Aaron Burr, for killing Alexander Hamilton; Dick Cheney, for leading the charge into the second Iraq war; Bernie Madoff, for the greatest Ponzi scheme ever.

The name on the top five that will spark the most argument, of course, is Donald Trump. Whether his spot on the list is deserved, it speaks volumes about his status today, in just the early months of his presidency.
A policeman has shot and killed six of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the southern Afghan province of Zabul, local officials say.

One police officer was also injured in the attack, which took place in Zabuls Shinkay district late on May 27, said Haji Asadullah Kakar, a provincial council member.

After the shootings, the attacker handed over the outpost and weapons to Taliban militants, but the security forces retook the checkpoint within hours, Zabul police official Ghulam Gailani Farahi said on May 28.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault.

The Taliban has recruited or wielded influence over members of Afghan security forces to carry out insider attacks against both Afghan and foreign troops.

In March, eight police officers were killed by fellow officers in the same district of Zabul. A similar insider attack left five policemen dead in eastern Nangarhar Province on May 19.

Based on reporting by dpa and tolonews.com




Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered Russian troops to withdraw from the west bank of the Dnieper River in the partially occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, another retreat amid a number of setbacks for Moscow on battlefields in Ukraine's east and southeast.

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.

"Begin to pull out troops," Shoigu said at a televised meeting with the commander of Russian troops in Ukraine, Army General Sergei Surovikin, on November 9, adding that the withdrawal must be implemented in "the nearest future."



"The lives of the Russian military personnel are always a priority for us. We must also take into account threats imposed on the civilian population and make sure that all civilians who chose to leave can do so," Shoigu said. "We also need to start withdrawing the troops and undertake all necessary measures to secure the move of military personnel, arms, and equipment to the other side of the Dnieper."



Kherson was the first city fully captured by Russia during what Moscow calls a "special military operation" and the only regional capital controlled by the Russians since the offensive began on February 24.



Ukraine's forces for weeks have been capturing villages as they advance toward the city, and Kremlin-installed leaders in Kherson have been evacuating civilians.

Earlier on November 9, the Moscow-installed deputy head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, died in a car crash.



Shoigu's order came after Surovikin said it was impossible to deliver supplies to the city of Kherson and other areas on the western bank of the Dnieper River.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were strengthening their positions "step by step" in the south.



"There is a lot of joy in the information space today, and it is clear why, but...the enemy will make no gifts to us," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.



Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelenskiy, said earlier on Twitter that the Ukrainian side sees "no signs that Russia is leaving Kherson without a fight."



Part of the Russian group remains in Kherson city, he said, adding that additional reserves are being sent to the region. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, are "liberating territories based on intelligence data, not staged TV statements," he said.



Zelenskiy has suggested that the Russians could fake a retreat in order to lure the Ukrainian Army into an entrenched battle in Kherson city.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said Moscow's order to withdraw from Kherson was "evidence of the fact that they have some real problems with the Russian military."

Moscow and Russian-installed officials in Kherson have said for weeks that they are evacuating residents of Kherson -- both the city and the region -- to "other parts of the Russian Federation" for their safety. Ukraine has said the Russian move amounted to their forced deportation.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the withdrawal announced by Shoigu is "part of an overall pattern or picture we have seen over the last month that Russia has absolutely lost the momentum."



But Stoltenberg also cautioned against underestimating Russia.



"They still have capabilities," he said in an interview with Sky News during a visit to London. "We have seen the drones. We have seen the missile attacks. It shows that Russia can still inflict a lot of damage."

Kherson is considered by many military analysts as the most important of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russia announced as annexed in September.



It controls both the only land route to Ukraine's Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper River that bisects Ukraine.



Earlier on November 9, Russia 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 were 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.



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 people were not injured.



Zelenskiy vowed Ukraine will not surrender a single centimeter of our land in Donetsk, where heavy fighting has been under way, and he thanked Ukrainian troops who are holding positions in the Donbas region.



The epicenter of the battle for the industrial region of Donetsk is around the towns of Bakhmut, Soledar, and Avdiyivka.



"The activity of the occupiers remains at an extremely high level -- dozens of attacks every day," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address late on November 8.



"They are suffering extraordinarily high losses. But the order remains the same -- to advance on the administrative boundary of the 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 deemed as sham by Kyiv and its Western allies.



Fighting had been going on there between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatist forces since 2014, the same year Russia illegally annexed Crimea.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CNN
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.
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces launched a broad attack on the final districts held by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in west Mosul, military officials say.

The Joint Operations Command on May 27 said security forces are attacking "what remains of the unliberated areas" on the west bank of the Tigris River in the city, the last significant IS stronghold in Iraq.

The move came a day after the Iraqi Air Force dropped leaflets telling residents to flee crowded neighborhoods just north of the Old City, where most of the militant forces are clinging on as Iraqi forces encircle the district.

"Army forces attacked Al-Shifaa neighborhood and the Republican Hospital, federal police forces Al-Zinjili neighborhood, and counterterrorism forces attacked Al-Saha al-Oula neighborhood," military officials said.

The statement did not specify if an attack was being carried out on the Old City itself.

The Associated Press quoted two Iraqi military officers as saying the advancement of government troops had been slowed by snipers and suicide bombers with clashes on Sunday described as being "sporadic." They gave no figures on casualties for either side.

Should Mosul fall to the Iraqi forces, it would represent a massive blow to the IS extremists. Mosul was the city where leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his so-called "caliphate" nearly three years.

Iraqi military officials said they hoped to capture the Al-Nuri mosque, where Baghdadi announced the caliphate, in the next few days.

Residents in the Old City told Reuters news agency by phone that the situation there was becoming desperate.

"We're waiting for death at any moment, either by bombing or starving," one said. "Adults eat one meal a day, either flour or lentil soup."

United Nations and humanitarian officials estimate that 700,000 people -- one-third of the city's prewar population -- have already fled the fighting, with some 200,000 still thought to be trapped.

Iraqi forces backed by U.S. and coalition air support in October began the battle to liberate Mosul.



The eastern half of Mosul was retaken earlier this year, and troops are facing fierce IS resistance in more heavily populated west Mosul.

IS fighters captured Mosul in 2014 as they gained wide swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in battles against government troops.

However, U.S.-led coalition forces have made major gains against the group, both in Mosul and in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the last major IS stronghold in that country.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
BROOKLYN, New York -- Standing in an office cluttered with papers, old photographs, and ledger books, Marion Sedorowitz sorts through the week's mail sent to her mosque in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood.

Behind her hangs a portrait of an imam, sitting stoically with his hands crossed, flanked by illustrations of the U.S. flag and a green flag bearing the Islamic crescent moon and star -- with the Polish coat of arms wedged in between. At the bottom, in dark gothic letters, is written: "Dr. J. Szynkiewicz, Mufti of Poland Republic."

A Lipka Tatar -- a Muslim ethnic group native to the Baltic region -- Jakub Szynkiewicz was selected to be Poland's first mufti in 1925, around the time that his community's U.S. diaspora was moving into the very mosque in Brooklyn where his portrait still hangs. Contact, exchange, and travel between the Lipka Tatar communities and their American cousins -- the norm since American Lipka Tatars formally organized in 1907 -- came to a screeching halt in 1938 when Germany invaded Poland. Then the Iron Curtain fell between them for decades more. For Brooklyn's Lipka Tatars, this meant being isolated from the communities that had sustained their culture for centuries.

Now, things are changing. As another generation of American Lipka Tatars ages, the dwindling community's younger leaders are reaching out to Europe for the first time in generations. Thanks to the Internet, their European kin are finally able to reach back.

"The people I've spoken to in Poland and Belarus, they're seeing a lot of the same things that we're seeing as far as decreased membership, as well as a general fascination with our history," says Alyssa Haughwout, the 32-year-old caretaker of the Brooklyn mosque and a third-generation American of Lipka Tatar descent. "It's happening in Brooklyn and it's happening in Lithuania. That's something. If we can learn anything about how they're doing, how they're being successful about bringing people to the mosque, and sustaining this cultural touchstone, that would be valuable."

While Lipka Tatar congregations are dwindling, general interest in their history is increasing. When U.S. reports suggested Islamophobic incidents were multiplying in 2016, the Brooklyn mosque's profile grew as an example of Islam's deep roots in the United States. In Europe, "I observe more and more visitors every year," Polish historian and guide Anna Krasnicka wrote in an e-mail from Poland's Podlaskie region, home to two historic, wooden Lipka Tatar mosques. "They are more interested in multicultural face of [Podlaskie], which means not only Tatars but also Orthodox community and Jewish heritage."

Krasnicka added: "Also people are attracted by Tatars' cuisine, which is really interesting, tasty, and unusual."

Lipka Tatars are descendants of 14th-century Turkic settlers to the Baltic region whose practice of Islam has taken on a local flavor. Mosques are traditionally constructed out of wood, sometimes shaped like churches. Historically, the community spoke Belarusian but wrote the language in Arabic script -- a practice that lasted until World War II. Haughwout has heard stories of Lipka Tatars covering their mirrors with blankets during Ramadan, reminiscent of the Jewish practice of sitting Shiva. Lipka Tatars' meaty, hearty cuisine has a growing profile in Poland, which is nearly 95 percent Roman Catholic.

Like most religious institutions, the Lipka Tatars' Muslim centers suffered under decades of secular communist rule in the Soviet Union. The Iron Curtain also cut them off from the American diaspora, which was able to practice its faith freely.

"It was a very difficult time," recalls Marion Sedorowitz, a lifelong member of Brooklyn's historic Lipka Tatar mosque. "I do recall we would try to send things over there during the Cold War, but a lot of stuff didn't make it there."

But the tables are turning.

Lipka Tatars in Europe have enjoyed a cultural and religious renaissance in the decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cultural centers and mosques have been built in several villages and towns. In the Polish city of Bialystok, where the mufti of Poland is based, Lipka Tatars have also started to relearn the Tatar language.

Haughwout and Sedorowitz hope that their American congregation can tap into Europe's Tatar renaissance to revitalize their mosque. While the membership of the U.S. mosque represents around 100 families, an average of around a dozen people attend the few religious services held there. Most of the time, the mosque is closed. It has been decades since a Lipka Tatar imam served the congregation.

"All of that has to change," Marion Sedorowitz says of the mosque's dwindling congregation. "In order for us to be anywhere successful, we have to put ourselves out there."

Marion's husband, Jack Sedorowitz, adds: "If we had some of our relatives or community from the European countries come here, I think we would embrace them. I think that would be the ideal of what could happen."

Marion, who comes from a long line of imams, answers: "Or even having an imam come here, and we could sponsor them. But we need to have a congregation. We have to really move it."

In 2015, the communities took a momentous step toward renewing ties. The modern mufti of Poland -- Tomasz Miskiewicz -- visited the Brooklyn mosque and the Sedorowitzes for the first time.

"It was interesting," Marion Sedorowitz recalls. "We did have a language barrier, but you could see from him, and his features, that he would fit in our mosque. He was one of us. And that in itself is a really strong bond."

In an interview in his office in April 2015, Miskiewicz spoke briefly of his visit with the Sedorowitzes and to the Brooklyn mosque, where relatives of his were once members. "I want to cooperate with the American Tatars," he said.

What that cooperation looks like remains to be seen, but it is a relationship that both parties are eager to explore.

Haughwout and the Sedorowitzes are in the process of planning a group trip to Europe to meet the European Lipka Tatars and visit their ancestral villages. Dzenneta Bogdanowicz, a Lipka Tatar restauranteur in the Polish village of Kruszyniany, said the Americans would be enthusiastically welcomed.

"It's just baby steps right now," Marion Sedorowitz says. "I just think the connection of family -- maybe renewing ties that have long been lost. And I don't know what can go from there, but I think it's a step towards making these connections and seeing where it can go."

She adds: "There's so many steps in between, but I guess [the goal] would ultimately be to have somebody here, being sponsored, and have all this reactivated, but for all Muslims, not just for Tatars."

"Renewed contacts probably means more events, more traveling between countries, but for sure it can open a new chapter for some families," Krasnicka wrote.

In the meantime, Haughwout, who is the youngest member of the mosque's governing board, has tapped into digital Tatar spaces. Not just for Lipka Tatars, but networks that encompass Tatar communities in Crimea, Russia, and beyond -- communities once on the other side of the Iron Curtain, now just a Facebook message away.

"It seems like the right thing to do," Haughwout says. "It seems like there's something to be gained."
ULYANOVSK, Russia -- Earlier this month, several hundred schoolchildren in the central Russian city of Ulyanovsk were gathered in a municipal cultural center for an assembly marking the sixth anniversary of a unique Russian Orthodox Church youth-outreach program.



"It's easier to live with God," Olga Solntseva, director of the department of supplemental information of the Ulyanovsk Oblast's Ministry of Education and Science, told the children. "I hope that all of you will understand this. And the earlier you understand it, the better."

The event to celebrate the Father-Online project, a website and social-media initiative in which Orthodox priests answer questions submitted by youths, was just the latest in a spate of developments that has many Russians questioning the proper relationship between the church and the state in contemporary Russia.

Also this month, a blogger in Yekaterinburg was given a 3 1/2-year suspended prison sentence for playing Pokemon Go in an Orthodox church and for Internet posts that allegedly offended believers by denying the divinity of Jesus.



Since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than a quarter-century ago, Russians have wrestled with the role of religion and the Orthodox Church. Under the constitution, Russia is a secular state with a strict separation of church and state. However, President Vladimir Putin has emphasized what he describes as traditional Russian values and has identified the church as a central pillar of Russian national identity. He and other officials in his government maintain close personal and public relations with representatives of the church.



A solid majority of Russians identify themselves as Orthodox Christians, but only a small fraction -- particularly among younger Russians -- attend church regularly or observe Orthodox rituals.

According to a 2016 poll by the independent Levada Center research agency, 34 percent of Russians said religion plays an important or very important role in their lives. Twenty-one percent of respondents agreed that Orthodox believers should have "legal advantages" over other people in society.



Only 17 percent said they believe the church has too much influence on government policy. Nineteen percent said there is no place for religion in the schools (up from 10 percent in 1991), while 13 percent said schools should teach "God's law" in schools to "everyone who wishes it" (down from 20 percent in 1991).

The Father-Online project is an attempt by the church to engage with Russian youth. Over the last six years, organizers say, priests have used the program to respond to over 200,000 queries on topics from the quotidian to the existential. The responses, however, tend to boil down to a narrow set of recommendations: go to church, observe the sacraments, obey the commandments, pray, and submit to the will of God. Patriarch Kirill has endorsed the project and urged more priests to participate in it.

About two years ago, the online initiative launched a real-world version. Through the program, priests have visited dozens of schools throughout Ulyanovsk Oblast. Father-Online is actively promoted by both the Ulyanovsk regional and municipal governments and boasts joint projects with the culture and education departments of both levels.



It is believed to be a pet project of former Ulyanovsk city Education Director Lyudmila Solomenko, who, before she stepped down in 2012, was noted for her devotion to the church and for decorating her office with Orthodox icons. During her time in office, schools were regularly ordered to take students to Orthodox exhibitions or on field trips to local churches. She also ordered some schools to display copies of a particular icon associated with learning.

In 2015 and 2016, the project has received 370,000 rubles in direct grants from the government. Its advertisements are also prominently displayed on government billboards and laudatory videos about the program appear on the local administration's YouTube channel:





The May 20 assembly to mark the project's sixth birthday was hosted by 30-year-old Nadezhda Zemskova in the slick style of a DJ, peppering her presentation with fashionable neologisms and urging participants to take selfies with the priests and to "check in" on social media.

The questions posed at the event were sent by audience members to the priests onstage by SMS.



One girl said she had recently broken up with her boyfriend and asked, "Why do boys say they love you and then leave you?" In response, Zemskova called up a video in which Moscow priest Pavel Ostrovsky discusses the sin of fornication, stressing that it is a "mortal" sin.

"That's a very good answer," Zemskova said as the video ended.

Supporters of the project dismiss questions about whether the government's support and the appearances of the project in Ulyanovsk schools are a violation of the constitution.



"A secular education separate from the church only means that there cannot be calls directly for prayers during lessons," said Vasily Dronov, who is a representative of the local eparchy and a teacher of religious culture.

Archbishop Dmitry Savelyov told RFE/RL that as long as there are no religious services at the Father-Online events, there are no violations.



"Service are forbidden in schools," he said. "But a priest or a mullah or an activist with some political party espousing an ideology can come to class. This is not forbidden. The children study the foundations of Orthodox culture and world religious culture, so I sometimes attend parents' meetings and explain the course. There is no legal problem here."

Ulyanovsk lawyer Nadezhda Semyonova, however, argued that the project itself does not violate the constitution but that the "action of the teachers of the schools -- acting in the name of the state -- in bringing someone from Father-Online into the educational process or taking their students to some event featuring the priests" is a violation.



"Making the Orthodox Church 'more equal' than other religions violates Article 14 of the constitution," Semyonova said.



One of the teachers attending the May 20 assembly who asked not to be identified expressed doubt that the program will have the desired results in the long run.



"My children are baptized," he said. "They know the symbols of faith. But I would not allow them to attend such an event as this."

"It is as if someone made a signal and they began acting zealously," the teacher added. "But all this has the opposite effect on me. The project is just bureaucratism. ... If we continue in this direction, I can't imagine what people are going to think of the church."



"To be honest," he confessed, "at one point I was ready to take my children out of this event. But I understood that I would just be disciplined for doing it, since all our managers were sitting there. ... As an employee, I have to obey the orders I get. One person is not an army."

RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson contributed to this report


WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump arrived back in Washington after his nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, with media reports saying he is considering a major personnel shake-up at the White House.

His plane landed late on May 27 after a flight from Sicily, where he met with leaders of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrial powers to discuss trade, terrorism, and climate change.

Walking with first lady Melania, Trump waved to reporters as he went into the White House but made no comment.

The Washington Post, The New York Times, Reuters, and other media outlets reported that Trump is considering creating a so-called "war room" to deal with the growing number of questions about his presidential campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

Corey Lewandowski, who was fired as campaign manager nearly a year ago; David Bossie, who was deputy campaign manager; and chief strategist Stephen Bannon could lead the "war room," the reports said.

Other White House personnel changes are being considered as well, the reports said.

The potential moves come after media reports said the investigation into Russia's role in the election and influence afterward has moved to Trump's inner circle at the White House.

The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that Trump's son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, had sought a secret communications line with Moscow before Trump's January 20 inauguration.

In a press conference in Sicily on May 26, White House advisers H.R. McMaster and Gary Cohn declined to comment directly on the reports. "We're not going to comment on Jared. We're just not going to comment," Cohn said.

The White House chose to focus on the president's first foreign trip and what Trump called a "truly historic week."

G7 leaders announced that they had come to an agreement on establishing further steps to fight terrorism.

The leaders also said they had narrowed their differences on trade, with Trump tweeting that the G7 countries were looking to end all trade-distorting practices."

"Just left the #G7Summit. Had great meetings on everything, especially on trade where... we push for the removal of all trade-distorting practices....to foster a truly level playing field," he wrote.



However, the U.S. president refused to commit to whether the United States would remain a part of the 2015 Paris climate-change agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

A final communique issued on May 27 said Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan reaffirmed their "strong commitment" to the implementation of the accord.

The United States "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," it added.

Trump on May 27 said in a tweet he will make a final decision in the upcoming week.

Trump concluded his first trip abroad with an address to U.S. military personnel and families at the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily.

In his speech, Trump said the trip had been "a home run." He later added that he'd had "a truly historic week."

Regarding the earlier NATO meeting in Brussels, he said that "money is actually starting to pour into NATO from countries that would not have been doing what they're doing now had I not been elected."

It is not clear what money Trump was referring to, but Germany has pledged to increase defense spending with the target of reaching 2 percent of GDP.

Trump also said the United States was "behind NATO all the way."

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Latvia, like the other two Baltic States, is not just spending more money on defense but also implementing many reforms in an effort to deal with return of the Russian military threat and the fact that the three Baltic States are tiny compared to Russia and in need of some new thinking on how to keep the Russians out.

In light of this most Latvians accept the new total mobilization policy which provides more opportunities for all citizens to participate. The voters would not revive conscription but so far there has been sufficient willingness by military age men (and many women) to join or otherwise support the largely part-time military. There are now voluntary programs in high schools where students can receive basic military training. Other countries have found that programs like this enable many potential recruits to see if they have any aptitude and interest in this sort of thing. Many find that they do and those who are not really good at it discover that as well. The military is also establishing a Summer Training program in which students can volunteer for several weeks (or more) of full time training. There is now money for National Guard units to conduct training that can get expensive (like how to obtain lumber and other materials locally to build roadblocks and other obstacles). There is also more money for part time soldiers to practice their marksmanship and using other weapons (grenades, mortars, anti-tank rockets, explosives in general).

Like the other two Baltic States Latvia is tiny (population two million) and 0nly 61 percent of that is ethnic Latvian while 25 percent is ethnic Russian. Defense spending is only half a billion dollars a year (1.7 percent of GDP). Latvia, like the other Baltic States plans to increase defense spending to two percent of GDP by the end of the decade but even then that is not a lot.

The current Latvian armed forces are quite small. There are 4,600 active duty troops and 8,400 in the National Guard. Many of the troops who complete a term of active service join the 12,000 strong reserve force and many also join the National Guard. The Latvian military is very similar to what Sweden, Switzerland and Israel have used. The small number of full time troops are there mainly to train and support the 20,000 part time personnel.

The Latvian National Guard is more like the American National Guard in that it devotes a lot of its training and organization to dealing with natural or other emergencies in a specific part of the country. But the Latvian personnel are armed and improving their military skills enthusiastically and often on their own time. Its all about the Russian threat, which has been around for a long time.

Since Latvia joined NATO in 2004 they have had ample opportunity to test their system by mobilizing reserve and National Guard units more frequently for training, often with other NATO troops. Because Latvia went all-volunteer in 2005 they have no problem getting troops to go overseas on peacekeeping duty. Meanwhile Estonia and Lithuania have revived conscription and Latvia will monitor how that goes and that will influence future efforts to revive it in Latvia.

There is also more sharing of ideas with the other Baltic States. For example in late 2016 neighbor Lithuania issued a 75 page how to survive another Russian occupation manual for its citizens called; "Prepare to survive emergencies and war." All three Baltic States have plenty of experience with being invaded and occupied by Russia and wants to remind its citizens what works, especially now that the Baltic States have a mutual defense treaty with the United States and all other NATO members. Latvia has a Mobilization Law which covers all this and the bit of legislation is in a constant state of upgrade and revision.

The prepare to survive guide provides tips that resonate with most Russian neighbors. Thus the guide tells how to behave when dealing with the invader while also spying on the occupation force. The manual provides illustrations and description of most Russian weapons and details of how the Russians use secret police, local informants and special operations troops to try and control an occupied population. The manual also points out that Russia will send in agents (or activate ones it has already recruited) before an invasion and provides tips on how to detect the presence of these agents, especially in preparation for an imminent invasion.

Latvia is not alone in doing this sort of thing. Since the Soviet Union fell apart many Russian neighbors have feared a revival of the traditional Russian aggression. Thus in 2004 Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia joined NATO, putting parts of the former Soviet Union (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) within NATO and on Russias border. Many Russians do not like this, for Russian policy since 1945 has been to establish a "buffer" of subservient countries between Russian territory and the rest of Western Europe (especially Germany). This attitude is obsolete in a practical sense but old habits die hard.

The Russian government said it was willing to work with NATO in areas of mutual benefit but that did not work out. Now there is a state of undeclared war between Russia and NATO. These new NATO members are more worried about the renewed Russian aggression than the original NATO members (the U.S. and Western Europe). The nations of east NATO are asking for more presence by troops from west NATO. Some of the eastern members (especially Poland and the Baltic States) have called for the permanent basing of U.S. troops on their territory. The smaller states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania believe Russia could overrun them in two days and senior NATO military commanders openly agree. Russia considers such talk more evidence of NATO aggression against Russia. Lithuanians have heard this kind of talk from Russia before and want to avoid the usual outcome.
Aircraft from the 23rd Wing conducted a surge exercise May 22, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The exercise demonstrated the wing's ability to rapidly deploy combat ready forces across the globe. The 23rd Wing maintains and operates A-10C Thunderbolt IIs, HH-60G Pave Hawks, and HC-130J Combat King II aircraft for precision attack, personnel recovery and combat support worldwide. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ryan Callaghan)

X

0 20

Help Keep Us Soaring





We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:
Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.
First Data Corporation provides commerce enabled technology and solutions for merchants, financial institutions, and card issuers in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through three segments: Global Business Solutions, Global Financial Solutions, and Network & Security Solutions. The Global Business Solutions segment provides solutions to merchants, such as retail point of sale merchant acquiring, e-commerce, and mobile payment services, as well as cloud based point of sale operating system that include a marketplace for proprietary and third party applications. The Global Finance Solutions segment provides technology solutions for bank and non-bank issuers, such as credit, retail private label, commercial card, and loan processing, as well as licensed financial software systems; suite of account services that include card personalization and embossing, customer communications, and professional services; and call center solutions and back office processing. The Network & Security Solutions segment offers EFT network, stored value network, and security and fraud solutions, as well as other value added solutions to its clients in GBS and GFS segments, smaller financial institutions, and other enterprise clients. First Data Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC is a publicly owned hedge fund sponsor. The firm provides investment advisory services for its clients. It primarily caters to institutional investors which include pension funds, fund-of-funds, foundations and endowments, corporations and other institutions, private banks and family offices. The firm invests in equity and alternative markets across the world. It employs quantitative and qualitative analysis to make its investments. For its multi-strategy portfolios, the firm employs strategies like convertible and derivative arbitrage, corporate credit, long/short equity special situations, buyout investments, merger arbitrage, private investments, and structured credit. It also invests in real estate and traditional real estate assets including multifamily, office, hotel and retail, loans, portfolio acquisitions, loan pools, operating companies, structured debt products, public securities, and non-traditional real estate assets including gaming, distressed land and residential, cell towers, parking, golf, debt and senior housing. For private equity investments, it considers investments in a variety of special situations that seek to realize value through strategic sales or initial public offerings. The firm typically invests in the energy investments. It prefers to invest in United States. It also manages a buyout fund, Och-Ziff Energy Fund. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC was founded in 1994 and is based New York City with additional offices in Houston, Texas, London, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, Bangalore, India, Singapore, and Beijing, China.
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.
The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries.

Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet.

The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range.

The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines.

The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers.

Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles.
EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. It also provides motive power products that are used to provide power for electric industrial forklifts used in manufacturing, warehousing, and other material handling applications. In addition, the company offers mining equipment, diesel locomotive starting, and other rail equipment. Further, it provides specialty batteries for starting, lighting, and ignition applications in transportation; and energy solutions for satellites, military aircraft, submarines, ships, and other tactical vehicles, as well as medical and security systems. Additionally, the company offers battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories, and outdoor cabinet enclosures, as well as related after-market and customer-support services for industrial batteries. The company sells its products through a network of distributors, independent representatives, and internal sales forces. The company was formerly known as Yuasa, Inc. and changed its name to EnerSys in January 2001. EnerSys was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Milacron Holdings Corp. manufactures, distributes, and services engineered and customized systems within the plastic technology and processing industry in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Advanced Plastic Processing Technologies (APPT), Melt Delivery and Control Systems (MDCS), and Fluid Technologies (Fluids). The APPT segment designs, manufactures, and sells plastic processing equipment and systems, which include injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion equipment; and auxiliary systems and related parts and services. This segment serves companies who serve in the consumer goods, packaging, electronics, medical, automotive, and construction end markets. The MDCS segment designs, manufactures, and sells hot runner systems, process control systems, mold bases and components, and aftermarket parts and related technologies and services for injection molding, as well as maintenance, repair, and operating supplies for plastic processing operations. This segment serves customers in the plastic processing value chain and manufacturing spectrum, including OEMs, molders, and mold makers in the consumer goods, electronics, automotive, packaging, and medical end markets. The Fluids segment manufactures and markets coolants, lubricants, process cleaners, and corrosion inhibitors that are used in metalworking processes, such as cutting, grinding, stamping, forming, and high speed machining. This segment's products are used in various markets, such as aerospace, medical, automotive, industrial components and machinery, bearings, munitions, packaging, job shops, and glass and mirror production. The company was formerly known as Milacron LLC and changed its name to Milacron Holdings Corp. in May 2012. The company was founded in 1860 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Summit Midstream Partners, LP focuses on owning, developing, and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets primarily shale formations in the continental United States. The company provides natural gas gathering, compression, treating, and processing services, as well as crude oil and produced water gathering services. Its unconventional resource basins include the Utica and Point Pleasant shale formations in southeastern Ohio; the Williston Basin that consists of the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in northwestern North Dakota; the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which include the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado; the Permian Basin that comprise the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp shale formations in New Mexico; the Piceance Basin, which include the Mesaverde formation, and the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in western Colorado; the Barnett Shale formation in north-central Texas; and the Marcellus Shale formation in northern West Virginia. The company also owns an ownership interest in Ohio Gathering, which owns and operates natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization facility in the Utica Shale in southeastern Ohio. It serves natural gas and crude oil producers. Summit Midstream GP, LLC operates as a general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides government-sponsored managed care services. The company operates in three segments: Medicaid Health Plans, Medicare Health Plans, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). The Medicaid Health Plans segment offers plans for beneficiaries of temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and aged blind and disabled residents; and other state-based programs, such as children's health insurance programs and long-term services and supports programs for qualifying families who are not eligible for Medicaid. The Medicare Health Plans segment provides Medicare, a federal program that provides eligible persons aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled persons with a range of hospital, medical, and prescription drug benefits; Medicare Advantage, a Medicare's managed care alternative to the original Medicare program, which offers individuals standard Medicare benefits directly through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and coordinated care plans that are administered through health maintenance organizations and require members to seek health care services and select a primary care physician from a network of health care providers. The Medicare PDPs segment provides Medicare part D PDP plans to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Its PDP plans offer national in-network prescription drug coverage, including a preferred pharmacy network. As of December 31, 2018, the company served approximately 5.5 million members in the United States. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
The massacre in Manchester is a horrific event born out of the violence raging in a vast area stretching from Pakistan to Nigeria and Syria to South Sudan. Britain is on the outer periphery of this cauldron of war, but it would be surprising if we were not hit by sparks thrown up by these savage conflicts. They have been going on so long that they are scarcely reported, and the rest of the world behaves as if perpetual warfare was the natural state of Libya, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, North-east Nigeria and Afghanistan.





It is inevitable that, in the wake of the slaughter in Manchester, popular attention in Britain should be focussed on the circumstances of the mass killing and on what can be done to stop it happening again. But explanations for what happened and plans to detect and neutralise a very small number of Salafi-jihadi fanatics in UK, will always lack realism unless they are devised and implemented with a broad understanding of the context in which they occur.





It is necessary at this point to emphasise once again that explanation is not justification. It is, on the contrary, an acknowledgement that no battle  certainly not a battle to defeat al-Qaeda and Isis  can be fought and won without knowing the political, religious and military ingredients that come together to produce Salman Abedi and the shadowy Salafi-jihadi network around him.





The anarchic violence in the Middle East and North Africa is underreported and often never mentioned at all in the Western media. Butchery of civilians in Baghdad and Mogadishu has come to seem as normal and inevitable as hurricanes in the Caribbean or avalanches in the Himalayas. Over the last week, for instance, an attack by one of the militias in the Libyan capital Tripoli killed at least 28 people and wounded 130. The number is more than died in Manchester, but there were very few accounts of it. The Libyan warlords, who pay their fighters from the countrys diminished oil revenues, are thoroughly criminalised and heavily engaged in racket from kidnapping to sending sub-Saharan migrants to sea in sinking boats. But their activities are commonly ignored, as if they were operating on a separate planet.

Manchester explosion in pictures

Britain played a central role in overthrowing Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 without considering that there was nothing but such warlords remaining to replace his regime. I was in Benghazi and Tripoli at that time and could see that the rebel bands, financed by Gulf oil states and victorious only because of Nato airstrikes, would be incapable of filling the vacuum. It was also clear from an early stage that among those taking advantage of this void would be al-Qaeda and its clones.

But it is only since last Monday that people in Britain have come to realise that what happened in Libya in 2011 dramatically affects life in Britain today.









British Libyans and Libyan exiles in Britain, who saw their control orders lifted and their passports returned by MI5 six years ago so they could go and fight Gaddafi were never going to turn into sober citizens the day after his fall. Just as the link is undeniable between the perpetrators of 9/11 and the US and Saudi backing for Jihadis fighting the Communists in Afghanistan in the 1980s, so too is the connection between the Manchester bombing and the British Government using Salafi-jihadis from the UK to get rid of Gaddafi.





The British Government pretends that anybody making this obvious point is seeking to limit the responsibility of the killers of 9/11 and the Manchester attack. The Conservative response to Jeremy Corbyns common sense statement that there is an obvious link between a British foreign policy that has sought regime change in Iraq, Syria and Libya and the empowerment of al-Qaeda and Isis in these places has been dismissive and demagogic. The venom and hysteria with which Mr Corbyn is accused of letting the bombers morally off the hook has much to do with the General Election, but may also suggest a well-concealed suspicion that what he says is true.





The Manchester bombing is part of the legacy of failed British military interventions abroad, but is this history useful in preventing such calamities as Manchester happening again? Analysis of these past mistakes is important to explain that terrorists cannot be fought and defeated while they have safe havens in countries that have no governments or central authority. Everything should be done to fill these vacuums, which means that effective counter-terrorism requires a sane foreign policy devoted to that end.





There should be nothing mysterious about the cause and effect which led to the Manchester bombing. Yet the same mistakes have been made by Britain in Iraq in 2003, Afghanistan in 2006, Libya in 2011 and in Syria over the same period.





It is no advertisement for President Bashar al-Assad to say that any well-informed assessment of the balance of forces in Syria from 2012 onwards  and the powerful foreign allies supporting each side  showed that Assad was likely to stay in power. Fuelling the war with the expectation that he would go was unrealistic and much to the advantage of al-Qaeda, Isis and those who might target Britain.

Eliminating the bombers' safe havens is a necessity if the threat of further attacks is to be lifted. Security measures within Britain are never going to be enough because the al-Qaeda or Isis targets are the entire British population. They cannot all be protected, particularly as the means of murdering them may be car or a kitchen knife. In this sense, the bomber will always get through, though it can be made more difficult for him or her to do so.





Better news is that the number of Salafi-jihadi networks is probably pretty small, though Isis and al-Qaeda will want to give the impression that their tentacles are everywhere. The purpose of terrorism is, after all, to create pervasive fear.

Experience in Europe over the last three years suggests that the number of cells are limited but that committed Jihadis can be sent from Libya, Iraq or Syria to energise and organise local sympathisers to commit outrages.





Another purpose of terrorism is to provoke an overreaction, in this case the communal persecution or punishment of all Muslims in Britain. The trap here is that the state becomes the recruiting sergeant for the very organisations it is trying to suppress, The Prevent programme may be doing just this. Such an approach is also counter-effective because so many people are regarded as suspicious that there are too little resources to focus on the far smaller number who are really dangerous.





Atrocities such as Manchester will inevitably lead to friction between Muslims and non-Muslims and, if there are more attacks, sectarian and ethnic antipathies will increase. Downplaying the religious motivation and saying the killers have nothing to do with real Islam may have benign intentions, but has the disadvantage of being glaringly untrue. All the killers have been Muslim religious fanatics.





It might be more useful to say that their vicious beliefs have their roots in Wahhabism, a very small portion of the Muslim world population living in Saudi Arabia. Of course, this would have the disadvantage of annoying Saudi Arabia, whose rulers Britain and much of the rest of the world are so keen to cultivate.
PHOENIX (AP)  State officials report traffic delays on northbound Interstate 17 as drivers heading for northern Arizona depart the Phoenix area for the Memorial Day weekend.

The Department of Transportation reported delays midday Saturday on about 15 miles of I-17 north of Anthem on the metro area's northern outskirts and lighter slowing near Sunset Point.

Clear conditions are reported the rest of the way to Flagstaff.

9 p.m. Friday: Backup on I-17 northbound out of the Valley has largely cleared

PHOENIX  A backup on Interstate 17 northbound that persisted for much of the afternoon has largely cleared, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

A vehicle fire that briefly closed the freeway near Sunset Point Rest Area, combined with holiday traffic heading north from the Valley, resulted in heavy slowing that at its height extended 20 miles to Anthem.

5 p.m. Friday: Vehicle fire causes northbound I-17 backup at Sunset Point

Northbound drivers on I-17 heading out of Phoenix for the holiday weekend didnt have to worry about exceeding the reduced 55 mph speed limits on the switchbacks below Sunset Point.

Thats because traffic was slowed to a crawl Friday after a vehicle fire temporarily closed the roadway near the rest area, causing a 15-mile northbound backup as of 4:15 p.m. all the way down to New River.

The Arizona Department of Transportation had just installed temporary signs and message boards earlier in the day reducing the speed limit on that stretch of northbound I-17 by 10 mph.

The same will be done Monday for southbound lanes between Sunset Point and New River.

An ADOT study found that law enforcement officers cited speed too fast for conditions in more than 40 percent of I-17 crashes that occurred in the Black Canyon City region between 2011 and 2015.

A $1.1 million safety project underway in this stretch of I-17 is adding overhead message boards alerting drivers to traffic conditions ahead and electronic signs alerting drivers to their speed. The sign installations will be completed later this summer.
OTTAWAA Progressive Conservative MPP made crude and vulgar comments to a woman who is his federal Liberal counterpart in an Ottawa Valley riding, embarrassing her and many in the audience at a mens night cancer fundraising event attended by 350 people.

Jack MacLaren cracked a coarse joke about MP Karen McCrimmon, a former air force squadron commander and parliamentary secretary for Veterans Affairs in Justin Trudeaus cabinet, and her husband, Robert McCrimmon.

MacLaren, the MPP for Carleton-Mississippi Mills, had been among guests at the head table onstage. He was invited to read off greetings as the ridings representative at Queens Park when he took the mic. McCrimmon was among a number of women volunteers serving at the event in Carp.

According to people at the March 24 event who later spoke to the Star, MacLaren three times tried to summon McCrimmon to the stage. When she eventually joined him, he put his arm around her shoulder.

He put her on the spot over the impact on farmers of federal Liberal capital gains tax policy. He made a comment about her body, then shifted to stand behind the MP, saying, Im not getting behind you. He then read off a joke about McCrimmon and her husband that referenced their sexual relationship, according to several who attended the fundraiser at the Carp Agricultural Hall.

It appeared to be an attempt to play off a raunchy Irish joke that tells of a husband who raises a beer to spending the rest of his life between the legs of his wife, later telling her however that he toasted spending the rest of his life sitting in church with his wife. The punchline has the wife saying she was surprised at his winning toast since hes only been down there twice. Once he fell asleep, and the other time I had to pull him by the ears to make him come. MacLaren used Robert and Karen McCrimmons names in his rendition of the joke.

It fell flat in the room, according to several people in the audience.

MacLaren sat down to zero applause, said Ron Bidgood, a longtime Carp Fair volunteer and this years president who organized the event. Seated at the head table, Bidgood said he was focused on his own speaking notes and didnt hear MacLarens exact words but knew something had gone awry.

Not one person clapped. Everyone was just looking at each other, like what the hell just happened there? he said.

In an interview, McCrimmon would not repeat MacLarens comments when asked to confirm the remarks as reported to the Star. She said they were very crude and vulgar and totally inappropriate.

McCrimmon said that as she faced the audience she could tell they were horrified.

I saw it in their faces, first of all that he brought up politics at something that was a volunteer thank-you. And then he insults not only the Member of Parliament but also my husband. So after that happened I had 30, 40 people come up to me and apologize afterwards.

McCrimmon took the microphone after MacLaren spoke and said she suggested her husband be invited back to the event for equal time, and quickly left the stage. Her office has since received several emails from people in the riding critical of MacLarens behaviour.

She reluctantly answered the Stars questions, saying she did not want the event to be remembered for that moment.

MacLaren did not apologize at the time, McCrimmon told the Star Monday night, nor did he apologize two days later when she ran into him at the Carp farmers market where she says she called him on it face-to-face.

McCrimmon, a retired air navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force and first woman to command an air squadron, said she told him what he said was completely inappropriate for that event. She said he seemed as if he didnt expect she would say that, and then she just walked away from him.

Bidgood, the president of the Carp fair, has received many complaints about MacLarens remarks, with several asking MacLaren not be invited back. He said he does not condone such comments and doesnt want the comments and actions of one of the speakers to cast a shadow on what is a popular annual fundraiser to honour the sponsors and volunteers of the Carp Fair, attended by local politicos each year.

Women volunteer to serve dinner and drinks to the men during the mens night to be followed later this month by a ladies night fundraiser where the roles are reversed. The mens event raised $14,000 for cancer, and featured what many described as a moving speech by Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray who spoke of his personal battle with colorectal cancer.

The Star began making inquiries Monday after a community newspaper reported on Murrays speech and separately criticized misogynist comments made by a well-known person that many found offensive. But the newspaper didnt identify the speaker.

It said the Carp mens night is a night for a few drinks and laughs and not for the overly sensitive and politically correct, but this year went further than any other.

We are not going to single out the individual  indeed a couple of others were, charitably, close to the line  who offended many with misogynistic jokes, the newspaper reported. But what came out of the mouth of this well-known person cannot go unchallenged. It was offensive  full stop. (. . . ) In one fell swoop churchgoers, a husband, and a woman were humiliated. It was no joke. It was a shameful speech that needs to be condemned.

It was a bad scene you know, said Stephen Lewis, former head of the PC riding association for Carleton-Mississippi Mills, saying he was too embarrassed to repeat it.

Oh it was like it was very rude, like (a) rude sexual joke. I wont even say it, like it was bad. I heard what he said. It was just terribly rude, about ladies body parts and stuff like that. Totally inappropriate. He said while the event is a mens night out, theres lots of dirty jokes and stuff like that, but not vindictive. Those two people even though theyre different parties theyve gotta work together, right? So if Jack needs something at that level, whats going to happen now? I wouldnt take his calls if I was her.

Carp resident Fred Caldwell said McCrimmon impressed people with the way she handled an awkward situation, he said. He looked like an ass. And she looked good. I bet she got more votes out of the whole thing than he did, and its not a Liberal hall typically to begin with. Anyway, she did a helluva lot better handling Jack than Jack did.

At Queens Park Tuesday afternoon a visibly unhappy MacLaren was tight-lipped when the allegations were put to him by a Star reporter.

I have got no comment, said MacLaren, as he emerged from a Progressive Conservative caucus meeting.

A couple of hours later, MacLarens office emailed a statement on his behalf to the Star: It was certainly not my intention to cause offence with my comments at the Carp Fair Mens Night. Clearly they were inappropriate in nature. I apologize to those who were offended. I have always been appreciative of the opportunity to attend this function and support a great cause.

Asked her reaction Tuesday to MacLarens comment, McCrimmon said it was not much of an apology adding she hadnt received it personally.

She said however she was heartened by the reaction of the audience in the room that night to MacLarens comments.

They were all unhappy, they were desperately unhappy. And they all made it perfectly clear to me one by one, coming up and telling me that. I thought it was a huge step forward.

With a file from Robert Benzie, Queens Park bureau chief

SHARE:
Isabelle Boulanger still counts herself among the haunted nearly four years after the deadly 2013 rail disaster in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic.

Four years since her son, Frederic Boutin, was among the 47 people killed in the fiery crash; since the 19-year-old, who had been at a popular local bar, the Musi-Cafe, with friends the night of July 5, 2013, crossed the street to his second-floor apartment on the towns main strip, where the crash occurred at about 1:15 a.m. the next morning.

It appears he tried to escape his residence when the burning oil slick washed out from the site of the derailment toward the lake, setting the downtown alight as it passed, the Quebec coroners report concluded.

They recovered the young mans remains in an alley behind the building and identified him through dental records and a tattoo.

Boulanger, who lives one town over in Frontenac, still cant bring herself to cross through the rebuilt downtown section of Lac-Megantic. She is still traumatized, still remembers searching for him, checking hospitals, asking strangers in vain.

My skin crawls every time I hear a siren, whether it be the fire department, police, an ambulance or the train, she said.

Now, the thing she has been avoiding is coming at her head-on. A plan to build a bypass track around Lac-Megantic rather than through its raw and still-recovering heart would likely result in it rumbling less than 500-metres from Boulangers home.

It probably comes as no surprise that we dont want to see the train passing by our place every day. That is a given, she said.

The chorus of calls to reroute the railway has been loud and consistent ever since the unattended 72-car train hauling 7.7-million litres of crude oil mixed with volatile chemicals barrelled into town at 105-kilometres-an-hour on July 6, 2013 and skipped the track at the north end of the towns main strip.

Ever since the 7th of July there has never been a single day where the position of the town of Lac-Megantic has been to not demand a bypass, said Marie-Claude Arguin, the towns director general.

Lac-Megantic has the support of the neighbouring municipalities of Nantes and Frontenac, which are also affected by the potential changes. The Quebec government is on board and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised earlier this year to fast-track the obligatory period of study and evaluation, possibly leading to construction by 2019.

A key regulatory hurdle gets underway this week when a provincial environmental panel holds a public hearing into the proposed project.

The city says the bypass is critical to attract new businesses to town and grow the economy, but also to help its people heal, Arguin said.

Health officials say there has been a reduction in the number of cases of post-traumatic stress, but a recent spike in cases of anxiety and depression among those considered to have had strong exposure to the disaster.

Among other indicators, the use of tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication among the most exposed population has jumped to 29 per cent in 2016 from 16 per cent a year before, according to a January 2017 report, which noted that lingering problems are normal after such a trauma.

This is even more true when a community that is affected by a catastrophe is then exposed to diverse stresses that have resulted from the catastrophe. In (the region) we have seen many sources of stress related to the lawsuit, to the demolition and reconstruction of the downtown, as well as the issue of the rail bypass, the report noted.

But in submitting the population health studies along with the engineering plans for the new railway tracks, proponents are making the not-so-subtle point that moving the railway is as much an investment in collective healing as it is a question of infrastructure dollars and cents.

The option that has emerged as the favourite and the most likely to be endorsed is a 12-kilometre route that wraps around the towns residential area at a projected cost of $112 million. The other two proposed diversions, at estimated costs of $139 million and $220 million, would continue to serve Lac-Megantics industrial zone, but take long meandering turns into the countryside before reconnecting with the existing tracks.

Gaynor Ryan, chief administrative officer of the Central Maine & Quebec Railway, which owns and operates the tracks, said the company has no preferred route.

We support whatever solution is best for the community.

But the closer the community gets to a decision, the more those who will be affected are expressing their displeasure.

Renee Lacombe, who operates a traditional Quebecois sugar shack located next to a highway at the northern entrance into town, is among them. She has already had her stand of maple trees divided into two lots with the construction of a ring-road in 2011 to divert cars and trucks around Lac-Megantic rather than through the town.

That nuisance proved to be a business blessing, exposing passing drivers to the sweet offerings she has been producing for 33 years. Now, Lacombes family jokes that perhaps customers might one day come by train. The new tracks are slated to run through what is currently her parking lot.

I dont see it as a good solution, she said. I would have gone a lot further, away from all the farm land and not near any residence, because there is a house not very far from it either.

Many houses, in fact. Lac-Megantics newspaper, lEcho de Frontenac, reported in March that residents opposed to the rail bypass launched a petition that was sent to the federal and provincial officials elected to represent the region. They are asking for the project to be suspended and for rail-safety regulations to instead be improved and properly enforced.

Among the signatories are those property owners facing expropriation and those who are facing the prospect of train tracks carving a line through their land. One person had their property expropriated when the province built the ring-road for cars and trucks around Lac-Megantic and is now staring down the train, the newspaper reported.

Arguin, Lac-Megantics director general, said the town is sympathetic, but faces an impossible task of trying to please everyone.

If there was an option where there wasnt any citizen affected of course that would be the one chosen, but its not that easy.

But Boulanger sees a more appropriate and enduring solution to the predicament in more stringent rail safety rules enforced by inspectors who have public safety rather than the efficacy of railroad company operations at heart.

Rules like those regarding the safety and maintenance of tracks, which resulted in drastic speed limits being in place at the time of the crash.

It took a tragic accident like what happened on July 6 for people to begin to fear the train, but the danger was always there, she said.

I understand they are traumatized. Even I still have difficulty with sirens and the noise of the train, so I understand them, except that even if they move the tracks  theyre just moving the problem into someone elses yard.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Newly-minted Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is a well-known commodity among those paying attention to Ottawa, but is very likely a fresh face to many Canadians. So you might be wondering just who is this longtime Saskatchewan MP who will take on Justin Trudeaus Liberals in 2019?

Well, who is he then?

Scheer is one of the longest-serving Conservative MPs in Ottawa, first elected in his Regina riding in 2004. While never rising to prominence as a cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper era, Scheer became Speaker of the House of Commons in 2011  the impartial referee during Commons debate.

Scheer made some controversial rulings as Speaker, but was generally known as a friendly and collegial MP. He was also the chair of the powerful and secretive Board of Internal Economy, which has jurisdiction over the operations of Parliament.

OK, thats the politics. But who is he really?

A 38-year old father of five who grew up in Ottawa, but hes lived in Saskatchewan for much of his life.

Scheer spent most of his adult life in politics. In the partisan grind of Ottawa, Scheer was known as a nice guy, approachable even during the tensest moments in the Harper years.

Hes also deeply committed to the conservative movement in Canada, and a religious man. Hes also a big Roughriders fan.

Why didnt I hear much about him during the leadership race?

Scheer didnt exactly set the race on fire with his policy proposals, but to be fair there were 14 candidates the media coverage was dominated by a guy who dropped out.

But Scheer consistently fundraised and performed well in public polling  behind erstwhile candidate Kevin OLeary and Quebec libertarian Maxime Bernier, but ahead of the rest of the pack heading in the final months of the campaign.

Unlike some candidates, his leadership team was focused less on headlines or eye-grabbing policy and more on data and organizing.

So youre saying you didnt see this coming.

Sure, fine, we didnt see it coming. But thats what makes politics interesting! Thats why they play the game, etc. etc.

Early reports call him a social conservative. What does that mean?

Well, thats a bit complicated. Scheer didnt run as an explicit social conservative. Brad Trost and Pierre Lemieux did, wanting to re-open the abortion debate and opposing same-sex marriage.

While hes thought to personally oppose abortion and recent legislation granting human rights protections to transgender Canadians, he says he wont be re-opening those debates if he becomes prime minister.

Still, social conservative support seemed to be the clincher on Saturday night, allowing Scheer to upset frontrunner Maxime Bernier. And you can expect the Liberals to attack him on this front.

So what DOES he stand for?

Essentially the same approach to conservatism that Stephen Harper brought to Ottawa. Scheer has repeatedly said he wants to focus on the common ground that all conservatives share. Things like balanced budgets, low taxes, free speech and the like.

He campaigned on balancing the budget within two years if elected in 2019, axing the Liberal plan to price carbon to reduce GHG emissions, and to re-commit Canadian warplanes to the coalition bombing campaign in Iraq.

He opposed Motion M-103, condemning Islamophobia, because he felt it limited free speech, which it does not. He also would ban federal funding to universities that limit free speech, although how hed determine that remains to be seen.

Scheers policy webpage was wiped off the Internet Saturday night, but is still available through Internet archive tools. Expect it to get a lot more scrutiny in the coming days, weeks, and months leading up to the 2019 election.

Read more:

The Conservatives have a new leader, but not the bigger tent they need: Hebert

Read more about:

SHARE:
Talk about deja vu all over again; 41 years after Canada asked Joe Who? of a then-unknown Joe Clark, Andrew Scheer has stepped up to the plate as not only the new Conservative Party leader, but undoubtedly also the new star of this weeks Google search results.

If youre wondering Who on earth is Andrew Scheer? youre not alone. And this isnt the first time Canadians have been baffled by a party leaders triumph.

On Feb. 22, 1976, when Clark was elected leader of the Progressive Conservatives, most of the country had no idea who he was. The headline in the Toronto Star the next day declared: Joe Who? 6 Feet, 145 Pounds of Politics. The nickname stuck for years.

Saturday night, Canadians took to Twitter to express a familiar confusion. When it was revealed that Scheer, 38, had won, a user named @chieffatguy tweeted Andrew who?

 Who in the holy hell is Andrew Scheer? Said the entire collective Canadian population. User @michpottier tweeted.

Another user, @PolitiSquirrel, confessed I have no idea who Andrew Scheer is  Is that a good thing?

The Beaverton, Canadas answer to The Daily Show, proposed a solution for Scheer, tweeting: Andrew Scheer: In my first move as Official Opposition Leader, I will wear a name tag.

So who is Andrew Scheer?

Those who do recognize the name remember him for his role as Speaker of the House of Commons. He assumed the position in 2011, becoming the youngest person to hold the post.

Scheer announced in 2016 that he was making a bid for Conservative Party leadership. He represents a mostly rural riding in Saskatchewan, and his policies emphasize balanced budgets, free trade and stopping the Liberals carbon tax.

The confusion over his identity may sound laughable, but Clark  despite being an unknown 36-year-old Alberta MP when he became party leader  was elected prime minister just three years later.

Canadians will have to wait and see if the similarity between Clarks story and Scheers will continue, or stop here.

Read more:

Andrew Scheer wins Conservative leadership in major upset

OLeary disputes claim he didnt want the leadership

Voter breakdown will reveal the direction of the Conservative Party as members elect their new leader: Hebert

With files from Alex Boutilier

Read more about:

SHARE:
VANCOUVERDiane Lilley waited nearly two decades for a suspect to be arrested in her sisters murder, only to sit through a trial where she says her beloved sibling Tina Washpan was often referred to as simply the hooker.

The dismissive treatment of her sister in death mirrored the way she was treated in life, said Lilley. The siblings from Carmacks, Yukon, were separated in the 60s Scoop, when Indigenous children were taken from their parents and placed in nonindigenous homes.

Washpan, whose adopted name was Cindy Burk, became involved in the sex trade. Her body was found near the Alaska Highway in 1990 and in 2009, a British Columbia man was found guilty of second-degree murder in her death.

Read more:

Families of missing, murdered Indigenous women urge critics to support inquiry

Murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls inquiry haphazard and falling apart, groups say

Today, Lilley still has questions.

Why did it take 20 years for my sisters killer to be found? What was the reason? she asked. There are a lot of family members who are missing their loved ones and they need answers.

Lilley is among the dozens of relatives of missing and murdered Indigenous women who are expected to share their stories with a national inquiry in Whitehorse where a ceremony will be held Monday before community hearings start Tuesday. The hearings begin as the inquiry faces intense criticism from families and Indigenous groups across Canada about poor communications and delays.

In Whitehorse, families and advocates feel a mixture of hope and anxiety. People whove lost loved ones are eager to finally share their experiences but have questions about how their stories will be used, advocates say, while the short timeline is prompting fears that families outside the city will be left out.

Im excited about it, that were the first one in Canada, but I feel like sometimes were being rushed, said Lilley. We get last minute notice. Theres not very much planning.

Doris Anderson, president of the Yukon Aboriginal Womens Council, recently lost her cousin Sarah MacIntosh to a suspected homicide. Anderson expressed fears that not enough after care would be provided to families who are set to relive their trauma.

Its really hard when a family member comes up and says to me, OK, now what? Im going home but theres nothing in my little community to help me,  she said.

Inquiry spokeswoman Bernee Bolton said a health team has met with families and survivors across the territory to make sure they have the help they need and have been offered a support person to be with them when they speak.

The inquirys legal team has also explained the process and offered a range of options for participation, including speaking publicly at the hearings, talking privately to a statement-taker or providing art or a self-recorded video, she said.

About 40 people are expected to share stories in a range of formats, Bolton said, adding that the commission could return to Yukon in the future.

Chief commissioner Marion Buller stressed the importance of mental-health supports in an interview.

It is not just as straightforward as picking up a phone for example and talking to a statement-taker. The health team has to get involved in there, too, she said. This is traumatic for a lot of people.

A sacred fire lighting at sunrise was scheduled for Monday before a traditional feast and cultural program in the evening. On Tuesday, hearings begin inside an outdoor tent at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre and conclude Thursday with a closing ceremony.

Other community meetings have been delayed until fall, but the first hearings are going ahead in Whitehorse because of the willingness on the part of the people there, said Buller.

We wanted to honour the North because so often the North gets left out, she added.

Yukon has also formed an advisory committee that aims to ensure that families, First Nations and Aboriginal womens groups are meaningfully included in the inquiry. It potentially helped pave the way for Whitehorse to be the first stop, said advisory committee co-chair Jeanie Dendys, who is also the minister responsible for the womens directorate in Yukon.

Forty-one Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered in the territory over several decades, said Dendys.

The impact is profound, she said. We have a really small population in Yukon, so there are a lot of really strong personal connections and when someone is lost to violence, it impacts our entire community.

Committee interim co-chair Krista Reid, president of the Whitehorse Aboriginal Womens Circle, said the inquiry has been a bit rushed and communications have been flawed, but the commission has been responsive to concerns.

Reid said her group has begun to call the commissioners grandmothers, who will hopefully comfort, nurture and listen to families.

Im not saying thats what will happen, but thats what were hoping for, she said. We definitely dont want to see some report on the shelf.

But if we dont have that evidence-based data that theyre here to find, its just going to be another violent case, another dead Indian. We dont want that anymore.

Read more about:

SHARE:
A 30-year-old man is in police custody after a woman was allegedly drop-kicked near the Eaton Centre about two weeks ago.

On May 19, Toronto police responded to a call that a man ran up behind a woman, jumped into the air and drop-kicked her at Trinity Square around the Eaton Centre.

The woman suffered minor injuries and the man fled the scene. Police believe it was a random attack.

On Friday Oshae Geddes of Toronto was charged with assault. He was arrested near Queen St. E and Goreway Ave. in Brampton.

Read more about:

SHARE:
The former head of Halton Regions police drug squad, who once boasted of major busts and encouraged residents to drop off their unused prescription painkillers so police could properly dispose of them, has been arrested and accused of using his position to steal drug exhibits stored in an evidence vault.

Brad Murray, a staff sergeant with 16 years on the Halton force, was charged Sunday with obstruction of justice and two counts each of theft under $5,000 and breach of trust following a seven-month internal probe and external investigation by Toronto police.

The probe revealed that more than 30 exhibits from a series of court cases had been tampered with. In all instances, the affected exhibits were prescription painkillers such as OxyContin.

In all likelihood, all of these cases will have to be stayed or withdrawn, which is a shame, Halton police Chief Stephen Tanner said in an interview Sunday. But thats the cost of what this person did.

Murray has been suspended with pay. The allegations against him have not been proven in court. The veteran officer was already facing internal discipline for an incident in which he allegedly obtained prescription painkillers from an officer under his command, Tanner said.

Murray has not responded to numerous requests for comment from the Star.

A Star investigation previously revealed that an internal Halton police audit in November found at least 36 exhibits whose packaging had been compromised, throwing prosecutions into jeopardy. A summary of the findings indicated the contents of the exhibits may have been compromised as well.

Tanner asked Toronto police to conduct an independent criminal probe into the tampered exhibits.

We recognize the impact such news brings to you, the people we serve, and to the reputation of our service, Tanner said in a release on Sunday. It violates public trust in the work we do and is an affront to the Canadian justice system as a whole. As such we are committed to dealing with this issue transparently and thoroughly.

Murray was a member and supervisor of Haltons drug and morality unit from January 2013 to May 2016, during which time the criminal offences are alleged to have occurred, the release stated.

As staff sergeant, Murray would have had a swipe card that allowed him access to the drug vault, Tanner told the Star. While it was preferred that two officers go into the vault together, this might not always have been the case, he said. According to sources with knowledge of the investigation who spoke to the Star, Murray was transferred in mid-2016 to a supervisory role in Milton, where he oversaw a platoon of officers. Tanner said Murray had previously requested the transfer.

He remained in that role until fall 2016, when he went on leave, sources said.

While commanding that platoon, Murray allegedly received prescription painkillers from a junior officer, Tanner said. Halton police asked nearby Waterloo police to investigate the incident to determine whether there were grounds for a drug trafficking charge. Tanner said Waterloo detectives and a Crown prosecutor determined it did not warrant charges and it became an internal police discipline matter.

Murray will also face internal charges related to the alleged stealing of drugs from the evidence vault, and Tanner said dismissal is definitely one possible outcome.

Last year, Murray earned $140,000, according to Ontario salary disclosures.

Murrays arrest also raises questions about a program he ran encouraging the public to drop off unwanted medications  including prescription painkillers  at local police stations and pharmacies.

In 2013, as a detective on the newly formed integrated drug, gun and gang unit, he was the forces public face announcing the squads first arrests, in which officers seized three pounds of marijuana and some cocaine.

It wont affect the supply and demand. What it will do is put the word out that were here, he said.

Murray later became the head of the drug and gang unit. He warned the public of the black markets increasing thirst for opiate-based prescription painkillers, and championed a program encouraging the public to dispose of their unwanted and potentially harmful medications at local pharmacies or police stations.

Each month, the program collected roughly 80 pounds of medicine  everything from narcotics to blood pressure pills to herbal remedies  preventing the drugs from being flushed down the toilet or ending up on the street.

Most harmful drugs are found at home. Essentially, the (inadvertent drug) trafficker is living at home, Murray told the Burlington Post in 2015.

Pharmacist Samir Patel worked with Murray in the program, collecting customers unwanted drugs at his pharmacies.

He would call me or text me, say, Hey, how much do you have? Do you have a lot of stuff there? Id say, Yup, we have this much. If you want to come by its a good amount, Patel said in an interview.

Patel said he would occasionally call Murray if someone had dropped off a large supply of prescription painkillers or something I was worried about.

When the drugs were ready for pickup, Patels pharmacy staff would seal them with a tamper-proof lid.

As far as I was concerned, there was nothing unbecoming, Patel said. At the end of the day, the whole point was lets get this off the street as much as possible.

The program with Halton police ended once Murray moved from the drug squad, said Patel, though the pharmacist continues to dispose of unwanted medications through another program.

Tanner said there is no current evidence suggesting any of the pharmaceutical drugs collected by Murray or Halton police through the program have been misused or stolen.

In hindsight, I have concern that it is certainly possible, he told the Star.

In a press release, Halton police said it has implemented additional measures to preserve the integrity of all seized drug exhibits.

Murray is scheduled to appear in a Milton court June 27.

SHARE:
Longtime head shop owner Luke Reynolds sees recreational marijuana in Canada eventually rolling out like Tim Hortons and Starbucks on every corner.

It will be government run and I think theyre going to crush all the little guys like us who started this movement in the first place, said Reynolds, owner of PipeDreamz in Ajax, while selling his vaporizers and pipes for pot smokers at Lift, Canadas biggest cannabis convention, Saturday in Toronto.

With legalization of recreational weed in Canada slated for July 2018, there was a lot of uncertainty in the air  among other distinct aromas  at the massive expo of all things herbal that runs through Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

A new study released at the convention backs up some of the pot paranoia out there, with support clearly sliding for legalization of recreational marijuana since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced the July, 2018 launch date.

The latest Hill+Knowlton Strategies survey shows approval has dropped to 43 per cent from polling done this time last year, which found 60 per cent of Canadians support pot sales.

Recent recommendations put forward by the federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization, coupled with the announcement that recreational marijuana will be legal sometime on or near July 1, 2018, is making this whole issue real for people, said Ivan Ross Vrana, senior director, Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

People were excited at first. But today the flavour of public opinion has shifted, he said, noting the public is more guarded and uneasy about the issue.

The report found 41 per cent of Canadians feel Ottawa is rushing legalization, while 53 per cent said they feel the federal government is underestimating the overall impact it will have on society.

H+Ks vice-president of public affairs Omar Khan, former chief of staff to Ontarios health minister Eric Hoskins, also told the convention crowd that Ontarians will not see co-location of alcohol and cannabis once it becomes legal, even though the LCBO is very interested in selling it.

The federal task force strongly recommended against it from a public health perspective. Also the provinces wont want to further normalize the use of cannabis; selling it next to beverage alcohol can lead to normalization, he said in an interview.

You dont see cigarettes sold with alcohol either, he said. Alcohol and tobacco are both government-regulated products.

The poll says among those who support a completely government-run sales network, 46 per cent prefer to see dedicated marijuana-only stores (which Reynolds of PipeDreamz predicts), while 41 per cent would like to see it operate out of a separate entrance and area in provincially-run booze stores and 18 per cent would like to see it sold alongside alcohol.

Meanwhile among those who support a mixed public-private system, 52 per cent favour dedicated marijuana dispensaries and 43 per cent would like to see it in pharmacies like Shoppers Drug Mart.

Reynolds said he found the Lift expo had a decidedly more corporate feel to it this year, with the emphasis on the business and supply side as legalization nears.

Too many suits, not as much fun, he said.

He echoed the sentiments of many in attendance who were bummed to find the conventions vape lounge, which hosted a steady flow of people using vapourizers, were not given free product samples as was the case last year.

We were handing out samples earlier today then we got in trouble, said a young woman dressed as a stewardess at a booth flogging Flyte-branded pens and carts that vapourize oil, along with Flyte snack gummy bears.

The convention has nearly double the booths and exhibits this year, with attendance expected to reach 15,000, up from 10,000 last year.

SHARE:
In family photographs, the innocent victims of the Manchester bombing look so young and happy. Each of them stares back at us, a moment frozen in time, with the exuberant look of someone who feels their life is a joy and is certain that it will never end.

But it did last Monday evening, in a horrific way, and we need get past our grief to understand why. That is what those precious faces are demanding of us.

The suicide bombing of young children, teenagers and their parents outside a pop concert in Britain this week killed more than 20 people, most of them young. But it didnt just happen, as if simply falling from the sky.

There were reasons, there were root causes and there was a context. And all of these we desperately need to confront  or this type of tragedy will happen again and again and again. That is the lesson from Manchester, England.

Police have identified the suspected suicide bomber as Salman Abedi, born 22 years ago in a working class area of Manchester. Coming from a struggling immigrant family of Libyan origin, Abedi is described by friends as a highly impressionable loner, attracted to the aura of terrorism, who recently travelled to the killing fields of Syria and Libya.

The origins of this massacre lie well beyond the streets of Manchester, caught up in the turbulent, often hysterical political winds currently sweeping across Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

Terror groups thrive when Western leaders overreact to their provocations. They desperately hope their actions will frighten people, and prompt political leaders to respond with overwhelming force that serves only to undermine personal freedoms and sow division within their communities. That is their goal.

That instinct for melodrama was on full display this week on a variety of political levels. In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May  in the middle of an election campaign  called the military out onto the streets and warned that another terrorist attack is expected imminently. In the Middle East, Donald Trump, the visiting U.S. president, enthusiastically sided with Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab neighbours against its regional rival, Iran.

Trumps efforts to isolate Iran and stoke anti-Shia divisions within the Muslim world reversed Americas historic balancing role in the Middle East  and their impact is certain to increase violence within the region.

More than 85 per cent of the worlds 1.5 billion Muslims are with the Sunni sect of Islam. Only 10 per cent of Muslims are Shia, most living in Iran, Iraq and Bahrain.

An irony is that it is not Iran that has been responsible for most recent terrorist violence in the Middle East, or elsewhere. Groups such as Daesh (also known as ISIS) and Al Qaeda are Sunni and funded by interests from Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab states. These groups target Shia Iran as much as they do Americans.

So what can be done to prevent other Manchesters from happening? The answers are daunting.

In the short-term, the challenge in Europe and North America is to achieve better policing in a way that balances security and liberty. In the long-term, societies need to figure out ways for their immigrant Muslim populations to integrate more successfully.

In the Middle East as a whole, Saudi Arabia and Iran need to learn how to share the neighbourhood, as Barack Obama once phrased it. It is only with that starting point that the many proxy wars in the region can be gradually wound down.

But ultimately, of course, it is the people of the Middle East who need to be heard from, and this is never easy. However, in an otherwise depressing seven days, there was more than a glimmer of hope in Irans presidential election.

Contrary to expectation, centrist president Hassan Rouhani was re-elected to a second term by a landslide. By defeating his hardline conservative rival, Rouhani received a dramatic endorsement of his plans to end Irans pariah status.

It is worth noting that such an election, however imperfect, would not be possible in most of the Arab and Muslim states that Donald Trump celebrated last Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

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:


VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States.

He was the third in a series of unsuccessful presidents. Millard Fillmore and Franklin Pierce had failed to resolve the countrys increasing division over slavery.

Democratic Party officials hoped Buchanan could do better.

After all, he was a gifted lawyer and had been a member of the U.S. Congress, a secretary of state, and a diplomat.

But Buchanan was not so sure he could resolve the countrys problems. He was right. He was the last president before the American Civil War.

Early life

James Buchanan was born in the northern state of Pennsylvania.

His father was a businessman, and his family was financially successful.

Buchanan  the oldest son in a family with 11 children  received a good education. He attended Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and soon began working as a lawyer.

His abilities earned him a good deal of money and a place in the states legislature. But they were not able to win him a wife.

As a young man, Buchanan fell in love with and proposed marriage to a young woman from a wealthy family. She accepted. But her father opposed the union.

One day, his fiancee wrote Buchanan a letter saying she had reconsidered and decided not to marry him after all. Three days later, she unexpectedly died.

Buchanan was heartbroken. He promised never to marry anyone else. And he did not.

To date, James Buchanan is the only U.S. president who never married. When he entered the White House, his niece served as his first lady.

Election of 1856

Even with problems in his personal life, Buchanan went on to have a strong career as a national politician. He hoped his party would nominate him as its candidate for president.

But in the 1840s and early 1850s, the Democrats nominated other candidates. Finally, in 1856, the party chose Buchanan. But by then, he was no longer sure he wanted to be president. He believed the country would soon be at war.

Violence had already broken out in the western territory of Kansas. White settlers there had clashed over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a slave or free state.

In one dramatic event, an anti-slavery activist named John Brown had murdered several pro-slavery settlers.

President Buchanan had clear ideas about slavery. He said in his inaugural speech that voters in the territories  a group made up of white men  should be able to decide the issue for themselves.

In the same speech, Buchanan urged Americans to support an important Supreme Court ruling that became known as the Dred Scott decision.

Two days later, the courts justices announced the majority opinion in that case. The opinion said the federal government did not have the power to control slavery in the territories.

In addition, the court declared that enslaved people were not U.S. citizens. They were property, it said. Enslaved people did not have any more rights than a horse or a chair.

Buchanan hoped the decision would stop the countrys debate over slavery. Instead, it made the debate more intense.

Presidency

During his presidency, Buchanan took two other actions that increased tensions and damaged his public image.

First, he tried to persuade Congress to accept a state constitution for Kansas. The constitution permitted slavery, although a majority of Kansas voters had not agreed to it.

The U.S. House of Representatives decided not to follow President Buchanans wishes. They permitted Kansans to vote again on the constitution.

This time, Kansas voters rejected it. A majority agreed instead to seek admission into the Union as a free state.

Buchanans image also suffered because of an event known as the raid on Harpers Ferry.

The raid was led by John Brown, the anti-slavery activist who had murdered pro-slavery settlers in Kansas. This time, Brown hoped to create an armed rebellion of anti-slavery activists and freed slaves.

To get weapons, Brown and his men attacked a federal arsenal about 110 kilometers northwest of Washington, D.C. The armory was in the town of Harpers Ferry, in todays state of West Virginia.

President Buchanan answered the raid by permitting federal troops to use force. The U.S. Marines surrounded Brown and his forces. They killed some and captured others, including Brown.

A few weeks later, Brown was brought to trial, found guilty, and hanged.

The event further divided Americans. Anti-slavery Northerners believed Brown was a hero. Pro-slavery Southerners believed he was a traitor.

In general, Buchanan agreed with the Southerners. He said in a speech that Northerners should not tell Southerners what they could do in their states.

But his words did not satisfy either side. For one thing, a main issue was whether slavery should be permitted in any new states. Buchanan did not comment on that point.

Election of 1860

At the end of his single term, Buchanan kept an earlier promise not to seek re-election. His party did not urge him to. Instead, Northern Democrats and Southern Democrats split. They nominated two different candidates.

The Democrats lack of unity provided an opening for a candidate from a new party. The Republican Party was comprised of northerners who were against slavery. Their candidate was a lawyer without much experience in government. His name was Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860.

In answer, the Southern state of South Carolina withdrew from the Union.

Buchanan  who was in the last weeks of his presidency  did not support the move. But he did not act to stop South Carolina, either. He said the Constitution did not give him the power to force a state to stay in the Union.

Following Buchanans inaction, six other slave-holding Southern states also seceded.

Legacy

Today many historians agree James Buchanan was one of the worst American presidents.

Buchanan had many good personal qualities, and he did not want to harm the country. Instead, a common belief is that he did not have the right skills to unite a divided nation.

His behavior appeared to be guided by conflicting ideas. Buchanan said he opposed slavery and supported the Union. But he often took actions to protect slavery and help the South.

Buchanan largely blamed anti-slavery activists and opposition politicians for the problems during his administration.

But the public did not accept Buchanans position. He was not respected after he left office, and he did not appear in public very often.

Instead, the former president withdrew to his home in Pennsylvania until his death in 1868.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Listening Quiz

See how well you understand the story by taking a listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer.

Quiz - America's Presidents: James Buchanan Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dramatic - adj. greatly affecting people's emotions

inaugural - adj. happening as part of an official ceremony or celebration when someone (such as a newly elected official) begins an important job

secede - v. to separate from a nation or state and become independent
LA ESPERANZA, ARGENTINAThe southernmost continental province of Argentine Patagonia has done everything in its power to knock me off my saddle: powerful 120-km/h winds blowing days at a time. Desert nights in below-zero weather. Riding for 10 days straight without showering. I fought my way south  swaddled in longjohns, jeans, knee-high rubber boots, T-shirt, a button-up shirt, a hoodie, a windbreaker, a thick outback jacket, scarf, tuque, facemask, sunglasses, gloves topped by a black plastic rain poncho.

Some days, the wind was so strong, I was forced to lean forward and hug my horses neck, the wind making Sapo and Picasso stumble with every third stride. Even Toti, my support driver suffered through the cold, stark terrain.

One hundred kilometres south of the small town of Governador Gregores, we were rescued from this neverending desert by a ranch called Estancia la Verde. We had passed many empty ranches so the thought of being with a real family lifted our spirits. Jorge Villalba, the manager of the ranch, invited us to a lamb barbecue and chance to hunt guanacos, the hardy llama of Argentina. Sitting down for dinner with this gracious gaucho and his lovely family, he explained why we were crossing hundreds of kilometres of ranchland without seeing a single family in the homes or animal in the pastures.

Today these lands are plagued with government-protected guanacos, who overgraze the pastures. With the hard winters, finding people to work is nearly impossible. Most families picked up and left. Its simply too difficult to ranch in Santa Cruz.

One of the most important parts of Jorges job is tracking and killing pumas. These large grey felines prey on the more than 2,000 sheep on the ranch and they can kill up to 20 sheep in a night. Judging by the remarkable number of puma pelts in his barn, Jorge was an even match for the predator.

The next morning Jorge took us hunting! After he cleaned his rifle, we jumped into his silver pickup truck and drove through the ranchs long pastures. He slammed on the brakes on a steep hill, turned off the truck and pointed the barrel of the rifle out the window. With a loud explosion, a guanaco about 50 metres to our left dropped to the ground. In a heartbeat we drove up to the wounded animal and, carefully grabbing its left ear, Jorge jabbed the sharp blade of his knife into the animals soft neck.

The animal twitched for a few seconds while it bled out. Jorge butchered the animal on the spot and we drove back to the ranch with the meat. As we packed up to move on Jorge handed us the dressed meat. You guys take this for the road. With these cold temperatures you need to eat a lot of protein.

From Estancia La Verde we continued trekking through this desolate, cold and windy province eating guanaco meat every day.

In between El Chalten and El Calafate we found a pasture to rest the horses and went to play tourist for a few days. First we visited the Perito Moreno Glacier. Standing 70 metres high and 30 kilometres in length, the colossal icefield left me in awe. I sat in front of the glacier for more than two hours in silence. The sound of the calving ice plates that broke off and crashed onto the icy, light-green water beneath echoed like deep thunder.

The next morning we drove to the trekking capital of Argentina, El Chalten, a town surrounded by mountains that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world to climb the nearby peaks.

On a cold and cloudy Sunday morning, I put on my cowboy boots and decided to take on Fitz Roy, the peak that inspired the Patagonia logo, one of the most famous mountains in the world. And boy is it hard to climb! After four hours trekking up the steep mountain in rain, ice and thick snow, we finally reached Lagoon de los Tres. I was frozen numb and extremely fatigued, but the turquoise lagoon we discovered at the top left me feeling lucky to be a witness. Lucky to be alive.

Unfortunately, from the lagoon jewel in the clouds I was thrown back to earth with one phone call. On Tuesday, May 9 at 6 p.m., my horse, my boy, my Dude, the mighty Mustang who helped me cross the Americas on my first journey from Canada to Brazil, contracted a virus that attacked his nervous system. There was nothing that could be done.

My dad held the cellphone up to Dudes ear as the vet gave him an injection to stop his heart. Hey Dude, I love you so much buddy. I whispered to him, Thank you for everything. Youre the best horse I could have asked for. You rest now OK?  I love you so, so much.

Heavy tears strangled my voice, Images of my little surfer Dude with his bleach-blond mane flowing wild in the wind filled my mind. With only 150 kilometres of Argentinas mainland left to cross and 300 kilometres in Tierra del Fuego, I dedicated this journey to the mightiest horse I have ever met.

I will never forget you Dude.

Filipe Masetti Leite is a filmmaker, Ryerson University journalism graduate and cowboy en route to Tierra del Fuego. He is filing monthly reports to the Star from the trail. Dispatches from both this yearlong trip and his 2012 journey from Calgary to Brazil can be found at http://www.outwildtv.com/expeditions/journey-america-part-2/ outwildtv.com/expeditions END .

SHARE:
Pressure is mounting on Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown to discipline Jack MacLaren after the controversial MPP was forced to remove fake testimonials from his official website.

MacLaren, who had to apologize last week after the Star revealed he humiliated a female Liberal MP with a sexist joke at a cancer fundraising dinner in Carp, Ont., is in trouble again.

The Ottawa Citizen discovered the Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP had adorned his official website with praise from phoney constituents.

Thanks for everything you did to help me resolve my problem with the Ministry of Transportation, said Darren, from Mississippi Mills, Ont., beside his alleged photograph.

But the Citizen found Darren is actually Sam Muirhead, a New Zealand-born software developer who lives in Berlin, Germany.

Muirhead told the newspaper unless I have a secret evil Canadian twin, Darren does not exist.

There was also a discrepancy over Scott from Almonte, Ont.

Thank you for getting my OHIP card. After trying myself, for a year and a half, I was ready to give up, he said on MacLarens website.

However, the photo of Scott was taken by a photographer in the Netherlands and has been swirling around the Internet for almost a decade.

After the embarrassing story was published Tuesday night, a new message popped up on the Tory MPPs website.

Disclaimer: In order to maintain the privacy of constituents, stock photos and generic names have been used, it said beneath the six testimonials from constituents represented by a telegenic, multicultural group of headshots.

Hours later the offending page was removed and MacLaren issued a terse apology.

Measures were taken to protect the privacy of individuals who provided positive feedback to my office, the MPP said in a statement Wednesday.

While this was not intended to be misleading, I recognize that it was improper. I apologize and have asked for the content to be removed immediately.

He then huddled in the foyer of the legislature with Browns advisers for 70 minutes after the morning question period, hoping to duck the media.

I apologize and we have removed it from my website and were sorry it happened. Thank you very much, MacLaren eventually told a large throng of reporters, before hightailing it for his office two floors above with cameras in chase on the marble staircase.

His entire MPPs website was then taken offline.

Surprisingly, Brown  who was stuck answering for MacLarens transgressions for the second time in a week  had yet to discuss the newest problem with the gaffe-prone member.

Internal party discipline matters are private, but I will weigh my options once I gather all the details. This has come out rather quickly and Im going to do my due diligence, said the Tory leader.

Brown refused to discuss the punishment options available, which could include ejecting MacLaren from caucus.

Sources said late Wednesday the troublesome MPP had been demoted from his ceremonial role as chair of the Tories Eastern Ontario caucus, a symbolic body that has never held a meeting with him at the helm. It will now be chaired by Jim McDonell (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry).

While some PC activists are alarmed at the damage MacLarens antics are causing, Brown insisted he isnt worried about the partys reputation taking a hit as he tries to rebuild the Conservative brand after four consecutive election losses to the Liberals.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath pointed out everybodys real on my website.

Theres an expectation that youre truthful with the public and anything that looks as if youre not being truthful really doesnt go over very well, she said.

Conservatives at Queens Park were abuzz over MacLaren.

Patrick needs to do something. This hurts us all, said one senior PC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

This is a problem, admitted another Tory insider.

Michele Austin, a prominent Ottawa Conservative who lives in MacLarens riding, said enough is enough.

His sign wont be going on my lawn next time, thats for sure. Frankly, I think he should consider retirement. He has clearly lost touch with his constituents, said Austin, who was chief of staff to two ministers in former prime minister Stephen Harpers government.

There are absolutely no reasonable explanations for his actions, she said.

The website fiasco is the most recent setback triggered by the maverick MPP.

On March 24, he told a vulgar joke about Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon (Kanata-Carleton) at a March 24 charity event that both were attending.

MacLaren urged a reluctant McCrimmon to the stage in Carp, put his arm around her shoulder then made a comment about her body.

Im not getting behind you, the MPP said, as he shifted on stage before reading the prepared text of an oral sex joke about McCrimmon and her husband.

Two weeks later  after the Star revealed the story and Brown called him on the carpet  MacLaren finally emailed McCrimmon to apologize.

He has embarrassed the entire group by making such crude comments at their event. These are wonderful people who work so hard for their community. They deserve better than that, the Liberal MP said at the time.

SHARE:
It was an ejection or a rejection.

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown has finally turfed controversial MPP Jack MacLaren from caucus after a fourth incident embarrassing to the party.

But MacLaren claimed Sunday he quit the Tories to join the fledgling right-wing Trillium party after months of deliberation and discussion with my constituents.

The Trillium party will give me the opportunity to speak freely on my constituents behalf, to vote freely on their behalf, and to have input into all policy-making on their behalf, he said in a statement on Twitter.

Earlier on Sunday, MacLaren, who did not return messages from the Star, was removed from the Tory caucus after CFRA Radio in Ottawa posted video of him from 2012 disparaging bilingualism in Eastern Ontario.

You dont have to convince me whats wrong with French-language education in Ontario, the CarletonMississippi Mills MPP told people lamenting French-language requirements for many jobs in the Ottawa area.

Youre right, but you wont hear it because were trying to get elected. We have lots of things that were going to do that we wont say before the election because we wont get elected, he continued in the 23-minute video.

While MacLaren was a key player in Browns successful 2015 leadership campaign, that fourth transgression was the tipping point.

I am building a modern, inclusive Ontario PC Party, one where it doesnt matter where youre from, who you love, where you worship, what language you speak or how much money you make, said Brown.

Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that Jack MacLaren does not share these values. Once again, Jack MacLaren has been caught making comments that are unacceptable. This video is the final straw. I have expelled Jack MacLaren from the PC caucus. The expulsion is indefinite. He will not be a PC candidate in the next provincial election, said the Tory leader.

Brown, who speaks French and recently hosted a Franco-Ontarian day at Queens Park to showcase his partys new focus on bilingualism, had defended MacLaren after his three past gaffes.

Each time Jack MacLaren is caught making disparaging or insensitive remarks about others, he asks for forgiveness and a second chance. And a third chance. And a fourth. And each and every time, he has disappointed those who have put their trust in him, the PC chief said.

This video is part of a pattern with Jack MacLaren. Clearly the real Jack MacLaren is the one we heard making derogatory comments towards women at the Carp Fair Mens Night, who published fake testimonials praising himself from fake constituents on his website, and who came out against a zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse.

Thats a reference to the Star revealing last spring that MacLaren made sexist remarks about his federal counterpart, Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon, at a Carp Fair cancer fundraiser in front of 350 people.

Afterward, Brown ordered MacLaren to stay away from the legislature until he completed sensitivity training.

The Ottawa Citizen then found the MPPs official website contained six fake testimonials from satisfied constituents accompanied by photos lifted from the Internet.

And MacLaren was forced to apologize for declaring that it was dangerous to have a zero-tolerance policy for doctors accused of sexually abusing their patients.

His former Conservative caucus mates praised Brown for taking action, saying MacLaren was a liability who could have jeopardized the Tories chances of toppling Premier Kathleen Wynnes Liberals next year.

Not a team player. Bye bye, tweeted popular Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton).

MacLeod was among several MPPs helping rival candidates challenging MacLaren for the nomination in the newly redistributed riding of Kanata-Carleton, just west of Ottawa.

He will now run as a Trillium candidate, which could hurt the Tories chances in the riding if there is vote-splitting among conservatives.

Against that backdrop, some PC activists are questioning Browns timing.

One insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal party machinations, wondered if Brown kicked MacLaren out because he might have won the Kanata-Carleton nomination over preferred candidate Merrilee Fullerton, a doctor who has been touted as a future health minister in a Brown government.

This video has been around for years  it was well known that Jack had publicly said this kind of stuff. So why now? the insider said.

MacLarens expulsion is the latest setback for Brown in his efforts to brand the party as modern and inclusive.

Last year, he ordered MPP Rick Nicholls (Chatham-Kent-Essex) to retract his comments after telling a group of Christian supporters that social issues are very important to the party and once they form government, Watch us go. Nicholls was also mocked in the legislature after saying he doesnt believe in evolution.

Brown himself publicly split from social conservatives last August after reversing his stance and endorsing the Liberal sex education curriculum.

With files from The Canadian Press

Read more about:

SHARE:
JERUSALEMThe death of an Eritrean migrant who was shot and beaten by a mob that mistakenly believed he was a Palestinian attacker set off a round of soul-searching Monday amid the jittery atmosphere sweeping Israel in a wave of unrest.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the vigilantism. Some critics accused Israels leaders of fostering the charged climate, while others called for the swift prosecution of the crazed mob.

It is a disgrace to Israeli society, and those that carried out this lynching need to be found and brought to justice, said Yaakov Amidror, Netanyahus former national security adviser.

Even if it was the terrorist himself, by the way, after he was shot, after he was neutralized and lying on the floor, you need to be an animal to torment him, he told Israel Radio.

Nine Israelis have been killed in the past month in the attacks, mostly stabbings, on city streets. At least 43 Palestinians have been killed, including 20 identified by Israeli authorities as attackers; the rest were slain in clashes with Israeli forces.

Amid the seemingly random attacks, Israelis have stocked up on mace and pepper spray, and some public officials are openly carrying personal weapons and encouraging the public to do the same. Security has been increased, and especially in Jerusalem.

The violence has led to fear and sometimes outright panic.

Following an attack at Jerusalems central bus station last week, a swarm of security forces and armed civilians ran along a central road in search of a second assailant following a false alarm. Elsewhere, an Israeli man stabbed a dark-skinned fellow Jew after mistaking him for a Palestinian. Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are afraid of being shot if perceived to be a threat.

But Sunday nights mob scene at the bus station in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba took the conflict to a new level.

The violence began when a Palestinian with a knife and gun killed a soldier, stole his weapon and opened fire, wounding nine people before being killed by police.

In the mayhem, Habtom Zerhom, an Eritrean migrant in his late 20s, ran into the station to seek cover, police said. A security guard, mistaking Zerhom for an attacker, shot him.

As the young man lay on the floor, a mob cursed him, kicked him and hit him with objects. Security camera video showed Zerhom in a pool of blood as he was rammed with a bench and kicked in the head by passers-by, while an Israeli officer and a few other bystanders tried to protect him. Zerhom later died at a hospital.

It doesnt matter if it was a terrorist or not. It was a man lying on the ground that couldnt move. I couldnt sleep at night from seeing him, his blood, Meir Saka, a passer-by who tried to protect the Eritrean, tearfully told Channel 10 TV.

An Israeli identified only by the first name Dudu told Israeli Army Radio that he regretted participating in the attack.

If I would have known he wasnt a terrorist, believe me, I would have protected him like I protect myself, he said. I didnt sleep well at night. I feel disgusted.

Meeting lawmakers from his Likud Party, Netanyahu condemned the vigilante violence and sent his condolences to Zerhoms family.

We are a law-abiding country, he said. No one should take the law into their own hands.

Police said they were reviewing the security video to identify the mob. As of late Monday, no arrests had been announced.

Critics said the shooting was the result of the charged atmosphere. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, for instance, has openly called on all licensed gun owners such as himself to carry their weapons, in order to help back up overstretched security forces.

The death of an asylum seeker at the hands of security guards and an angry mob is a tragic but foreseeable outgrowth of a climate in which some Israeli politicians encourage citizens to take the law into their own hands, said Sari Bashi, director for Israel and the Palestinian areas of Human Rights Watch.

Hanan Ashrawi, a top Palestinian official, accused Israeli leaders of whipping up the public.

They are creating a mentality of lynch mobs and, of course, feeding the culture of hate and racism, she said.

Others questioned whether Zerhoms ethnicity had been a factor. Just because of his skin colour, said a headline in the Yediot Ahronot daily.

About 34,000 Eritrean migrants live in Israel. They say they are fleeing persecution and conflict in their homeland, one of the worlds worst violators of human rights.

Israel says they are merely economic migrants looking for work, and it refuses to give them refugee status. But it does not deport them because of the danger they face at home.

Many Israelis fear the influx threatens the countrys Jewish majority, with one right-wing lawmaker famously calling migrants a cancer. Africans frequently complain of racial discrimination in Israel.

The young Eritrean man is clear testimony to foreignness. He sustained critical injuries in a war not his own. Alone, Danny Adino Ababa, an Israeli journalist of Ethiopian origin, wrote in Yediot daily newspaper.

Zerhom worked at a plant nursery in southern Israel and had been in Beersheba to renew a work visa, said his employer, Sagi Malachi.

He was a modest man, quiet, and he tried to do his job as best as he could, Malachi told The Associated Press. It is heartbreaking. All in all, I think that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A friend, Goitom Haile, said Zerhom had worked in various farming jobs for four years. He had saved his money and dreamed of returning to Eritrea to reunite with his family in the next few months, Haile said.

He was a good man, like a brother, he said.

The current unrest began last month with clashes at Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, a hilltop compound revered by both Jews and Muslims. The spot is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, home to the biblical Temples, and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. It is the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islams third-holiest site and an important symbol for Muslim Palestinians in particular.

The clashes were fueled by charges among Palestinians that Israel is trying to change a longstanding status quo that allows Jews to visit but not pray on the mount. Israel denies the allegations, and has accused Palestinian leaders and social media of incitement.

Palestinians say the violence stems from anger over the Jerusalem holy site, as well as nearly 50 years of military occupation of and control over the Palestinian Territories, with little hope for the future.

Jibril Rajoub, a top Palestinian official, praised the Palestinian attackers.

These are individual heroic acts. I appreciate them. I salute everyone that has done this. We bow in front of them, he told Palestine TV.

At the same time, he called for passive resistance. Do you know what the meaning of having tens of thousands sitting in the streets without throwing a stone? We want the world to hear our voice, Rajoub said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trumps son-in-law and now top White House adviser Jared Kushner proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with a leading Russian diplomat.

Kushner spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about creating that line of communication to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administrations options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke with The Associated Press.

The intent was to connect Trumps chief national security adviser at the time, Michael Flynn, with Russian military leaders, said this person, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more:

Trump damages first trip with refusal to make NATO guarantee: Analysis

G7 leaders agree to fight protectionism, but U.S. still out on Paris Agreement

Trump adviser Jared Kushners ties to Israel raise questions of bias

Russia, a pivotal player in Syria, has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, often at the expense of civilians during a long civil war.

The White House did not acknowledge the meeting or Kushners attendance until March. At the time, a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.

Kushners involvement in the proposed back channel was first reported by the Washington Post, which said he proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for the discussions, apparently to make them more difficult to monitor.

The newspaper cited anonymous U.S. officials who were briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications.

The Post wrote that Kislyak was reportedly taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate  a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team.

According to the person familiar with the Kushner meeting, the Trump team eventually felt there was no need for a back channel once Rex Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state, and decided to communicate with Moscow through more official channels. Tillerson was sworn in on Feb. 1.

Flynn served briefly as Trumps national security adviser before being fired in February after officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, told Congress this month that deception left Flynn vulnerable to being blackmailed by the Russians. Flynn remains under federal investigation in Virginia over his foreign business ties and was interviewed by the FBI in January about his contacts with Kislyak.

The disclosure of the back channel put White House advisers on the defensive Saturday, as Trump wrapped up his first foreign trip as president, and led lawyers for Kushner to say he is willing to talk with federal and congressional investigators about his foreign contacts and his work on the Trump campaign.

Meeting with reporters in Sicily, two Trump advisers refused to address the contents of Kushners December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Speaking generally, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said we have back channel communications with a number of countries. He added: It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner.

In response to repeated questions from reporters, Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn said, Were not going to comment on Jared. Were just not going to comment.

Kushner was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaigns digital strategy, and remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Kushner, who organized the presidents Middle East stops at the start of the recent foreign trip, chose to return to Washington with several days yet to go and has been unusually subdued since then.

Ivanka Trump and Kushner have complained privately about what Kushner views as an unfair level of scrutiny of his actions. Kushner has dismissed the attention on him as a reflection of his father-in-laws unconventional approach to diplomacy and inexperience in government, rather than anything nefarious he has done. People close to Kushner were adamant Saturday that he was preparing for a long fight and not an exit from the White House.

Still, there are signs that Kushner is tiring of the nonstop combat and the damage to his reputation. He has told friends that he and his wife have made no long-term commitment to remain by Trumps side, saying they would review every six months whether to return to private life in New York.

Federal investigators and several congressional committees are looking into any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, including allegations that there may have been collaboration to help Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

On Saturday, The Associated Press confirmed that the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russias meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has requested information and documents from Trumps campaign.

The request from the committee arrived last week at campaign headquarters in New York, according to a person familiar with the request who wasnt authorized to discuss the developments publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was said to be the first time any investigators have made inquiries with Trumps campaign officials.

The Post first reported the request, which covers materials such as emails, phone records and documents dating to Trumps first days as a candidate in July 2015.

Those inquiries now include scrutiny of Kushner, according to the newspaper.

Obama administration officials have previously told the AP that the frequency of Flynns discussions with Kislyak raised enough red flags that aides discussed the possibility Trump was trying to establish a one-to-one line of communication  a back channel  with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In addition, Reuters reported that Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Kislyak last year, including two phone calls between April and November. Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that Kushner has no recollection of the calls as described.

Defence attorneys and former FBI agents say that one likely area of interest for investigators would be Kushners own meetings with Russians, given that such encounters with a variety of Trump associates are at the root of the sprawling probe, now overseen by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Regarding Kushner, former FBI agent Jim Treacy said Friday: If there is an investigation on anybody, would other folks around that person be of interest to the FBI as far as being interviewed? The answer to that is a big yes.

If the FBI wants to speak with someone, its not necessarily an indication of involvement or complicity, said Treacy, who did two tours in Moscow as the FBIs legal attache.

Really, being spoken to, does not confer a target status on the individual, he said.

Investigators are also interested in a meeting Kushner had with the Russian banker, Sergey Gorkov, according to reports from The Post and NBC News.

Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings, Gorelick said in a statement Thursday. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.

With files from The New York Times

Read more about:

SHARE:
PORTLAND, ORE.A man who police say fatally stabbed two people who tried to stop him from yelling anti-Islamic slurs on a Portland light-rail train spent time in prison for robbery and kidnapping charges years ago, according to court records and a defence attorney.

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was being held in the Multnomah County Jail on Saturday on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon.

He will make a first court appearance Monday, and it wasnt immediately clear if he had an attorney. A phone at his home in Portland rang unanswered early Saturday.

Two people died Friday night and another was hurt in the stabbing after police say Christian yelled racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was wearing a hijab. The assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using hate speech or biased language, according to a statement from police.

Friday was the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and the attack prompted soul-searching in Portland, a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal views. A memorial of flowers and signs quickly grew at the scene by a transit station.

There is too much hatred in our world right now, and far too much violence. Too much of it has arrived here in Portland, Mayor Ted Wheeler said in Facebook post.

Wheeler was on the inaugural direct flight from the Oregon city to London when the attack occurred. He said he boarded the first flight back and was due to arrive Saturday afternoon.

Dyjuana Hudson, a mother of one of the girls, told the Oregonian that the man began a racial tirade as soon as he spotted the girls. Her daughter is African-American and was with a friend who was wearing a hijab, she said.

He was saying that Muslims should die, Hudson said. That theyve been killing Christians for years.

The attack happened on a train as it headed east. A train remained stopped on the tracks at a transit centre which was closed while police investigated.

Autopsies on the victims were being done Saturday. Their names have not been made public.

Police say the victims were trying to stop Christian from confronting the girls.

In the midst of his ranting and raving, some people approached him and appeared to try to intervene with his behaviour, and some of the people that he was yelling at, police Sgt. Pete Simpson told the Portland newspaper. They were attacked viciously.

Christian has had several encounters with the law.

In 2002, Christian, then 20, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping after he rode to a convenience store on his bike and held up employees there with a gun, according to court records and his court-appointed defence attorney at the time, Matthew Kaplan.

When police caught up with him, Christian aimed the gun at himself in a suicide attempt before he was shot and injured by police, Kaplan said.

Christian was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after striking a plea deal that eliminated coercion and weapons charges.

Kaplan said he remembers the case vividly because Christian was so young, so earnest and had never been in trouble before. At the time, the attorney suspected the onset of mental illness to explain his actions and worried about how he would deal with a long prison sentence.

It was so random, the event in his life. It made no sense that he did this at his age. He had no background like this, no history of violence and then he goes and gets a gun and robs a store, Kaplan told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Christian had another brush with the law in 2010, when he was arrested on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft. Those charges were dismissed, according to court records, which do not explain why.

SHARE:
MARAWI, PHILIPPINESPhilippine forces found corpses in the streets of a besieged southern city on Sunday, including at least eight civilians who appeared to have been executed, as soldiers battled a weakened but still forceful group of militants linked to Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

The death toll from six days of fighting neared 100.

The crisis in Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has grown increasingly dire as the militants show unexpected strength, fending off a military that has unleashed attack helicopters, armoured vehicles and scores of soldiers.

Read more:

Philippine troops attack Daesh-linked extremists in besieged city of Marawi

Duterte threatens to expand martial law as militants lay siege to Philippine city

The violence prompted President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to declare 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades. But the recent bloodshed in Marawi has raised fears that extremism is growing as smaller militant groups unify and align themselves with Daesh.

Much of the city is a no-go zone, but as the military advances and more civilians escape, the scope of the battle is becoming clear.

Thousands of civilians have streamed out of Marawi and more than 2,000 were still trapped inside the city. Many sent desperate text messages begging to be rescued and reporting that their homes had been destroyed, said Zia Alonto Adiong, an official in Lanao del Sur, one of the country's poorest provinces.

"Have mercy on us, we don't have any more water to drink," read one of the messages, sent to a hotline set up for trapped residents.

The Associated Press was shown the messages by relief workers at a provincial government complex in Marawi. Another message asked authorities to retrieve three bodies that were rotting near a resident's home.

Speaking at the evacuation centre on Sunday, Saddat Liong said his house was hit by mortar fire and burned to the ground. Liong, his wife and eight children lost everything, he said  even their cooking pots.

"I feel that we've lost our city," he said.

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said that combat operations were still going on, but that the militants were weakening.

"We believe they're now low on ammunition and food," he said, speaking by phone from Manila, the capital. "Compared to the initial days, there has been increasingly less resistance from the militants within Marawi."

Padilla said the bodies of four men, three women and a child were found near a road close to Mindanao State University in Marawi.

Eight other men were found gunned down and thrown into a shallow ravine early Sunday in Marawi's Emi village, said police officer Jamail Mangadang. A paper sign attached to one of the men indicated that the victims had "betrayed their faith," he said, identifying the men as civilians.

Marawi is a mostly Muslim city.

In addition to the civilian deaths, Padilla said 61 militants, 11 soldiers and four police were among the dead.

The violence erupted Tuesday night when the government launched a raid to capture Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists. But the operation went awry and militants rampaged through the city, torching buildings and battling government forces in the streets.

A priest and several worshippers were taken hostage. There was no word on their condition.

Hapilon, an Islamic preacher, was once a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2014. He now heads an alliance of at least 10 smaller militant groups, including the Maute, which has a heavy presence in Marawi and has been instrumental in fighting off government forces in the current battles.

All of the groups are inspired by Daesh. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that Hapilon has received funds from the Daesh.

Washington has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Hapilon's capture.

Read more about:

SHARE:
KINSHASA, CONGOA French man and three Congolese men have been released after being kidnapped in March from a Canadian mining company in eastern Congo in March, Congos government said Sunday.

They were among five workers, including a Tanzanian who had been kidnapped from the Namoya gold mine operated by Canadian company Banro Mining Corp. in Salamabila.

The four hostages, three Congolese and one French, were freed yesterday at 1800 (6 p.m. local time) in the Tengetenge locality, about 50 kilometres from Salamabila, according to the Maniema Provincial Interior Minister Bonaventure Saleh Zakuani. Their release came after several days of negotiations with the abductors.

The five were taken by people living in Salamabila who felt Banro Mining Corp. was not looking out for the community, Zakuani said.

The Tanzanian hostage was released more than a month ago, he confirmed.

The four released Saturday are on their way to Kindu, the capital of the Maniema province, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated those involved in the release, in particular Congo authorities for their mobilization and the effectiveness of their action, according to a brief statement from his office.

Mine administrator Balthazar Hemedi Kabemba at the time of the kidnapping had said members of the rebel group Rahiya Mutomboki left leaflets around the mines threatening its workers.

The captors had asked the Canadian mining company for $1 million in ransom, he had said.

The rebel group has criticized the mining company for not giving access or jobs to young miners who had been working on the site before it took over. Its members were also seeking a guarantee that the company will carry out basic contractual agreements to build infrastructure in the area, including schools, roads and a health centre, Kabemba had said.

SHARE:
WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump is considering overhauling his White House staff and bringing back top campaign strategists, frustrated by what he views as his teams inability to contain the burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Expanding teams of lawyers and experienced public relations hands are being recruited to deal with the drumbeat of new revelations about Moscows interference and possible improper dealings with the Trump campaign and associates. The disclosures dogged the president during his first trip abroad since taking office and threaten to overwhelm and stall the agenda for his young administration.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

As he mulls outside reinforcements to his operation, Trump returned late Saturday from his nine-day journey to a White House seemingly in crisis mode, with a barrage of reports hitting close to the Oval Office and involving Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and influential adviser.

A rally planned Thursday in Iowa was postponed due to an unforeseen change in Trumps schedule.

After maintaining a limited social media presence throughout his trip, Trump on Sunday unleashed a furious flurry of tweets, lashing out at what he called the fake news media. He focused heavily on leaks  both those coming out of the White House and an intelligence leak blamed on Americans about this weeks deadly bombing at a concert in England.

On the bombing investigation Trump said: British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!

Read more:

Jared Kushner considered secret back channel to talk to Russia, reports say

Trump damages first trip with refusal to make NATO guarantee: Analysis

Trump didnt let Sean Spicer meet Pope out of sheer meanness

Trump also said that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies. He added that it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers.

Even when authorized, however, top officials in the Trump White House frequently request anonymity to brief reporters on background, meaning their names will not be disclosed.

The latest reports in the Russia matter said Kushner spoke with Russias ambassador to the United States about setting up secret communications with Moscow during the presidential transition.

While overseas, Trumps longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, joined a still-forming legal team to help the president shoulder the intensifying investigations into Russian interference in the election and his associates potential involvement. More attorneys with deep experience in Washington investigations are expected to be added, along with crisis communication experts, to help the White House in the weeks ahead.

They need to quarantine this stuff and put the investigations in a separate communications operation, said Jack Quinn, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton.

During the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the Clinton White House brought on a dedicated group of lawyers and a created a separate media operation to handle investigation-related inquiries so they didnt completely subsume the presidents agenda.

Trump, according to one person familiar with his thinking, believed he was facing more of a communications problem than a legal one, despite the intensifying inquiries. The person, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

As he mulls changes, Trump has entertained bringing his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, formally back into the fold. Both Lewandowski and Bossie discussed the prospect with the president before his trip, according to one person told of the conversations.

Lewandowskis return would be a particularly notable development, given the fact that he was fired by Trump after clashing with staff and Trumps adult children. Nonetheless, Lewandowski has the trust of the president  an advantage that many of Trumps aides lack.

Trump called his maiden trip abroad a home run, but while the White House had hoped it would serve as a reset, attention on the Russia probe has only increased.

Recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is starting off an investigation with a broad mandate that will allow him to probe both the possible Russian influence and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Comey is expected to testify before Congress after Memorial Day about memos he kept on conversations with the president that pertained to the investigation.

The White House also grappled with reports that Kushner proposed setting up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting. Kushner spoke with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about creating the secret line to make it easier to hold sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The back channel was meant to connect Michael Flynn, who later became Trumps first national security adviser, with Russian military leaders, said the person, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss private policy considerations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Flynn was fired in February, officials saying he misled Vice-President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call.

Before departing Italy for the U.S., White House officials refused to address the reports about Kushner. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal U.S. government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Other major issues await Trump at home. He has signalled he will make a decision on whether to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. And the search continues for an FBI director to replace Comey.

On the policy front, he must defend his budget plan, and the Republican health care bill that narrowly passed the House faces an uncertain future in the Senate. On that topic, Trump tweeted Sunday night: I suggest that we add more dollars to Healthcare and make it the best anywhere. ObamaCare is dead  the Republicans will do much better!

Trump also has to decide soon on a Pentagon recommendation to add more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as boosting reinforcement for the beleaguered Afghan military.

While taxes have taken a back seat in recent weeks, Trump tweeted Sunday: The massive TAX CUTS/REFORM that I have submitted is moving along in the process very well, actually ahead of schedule. Big benefits to all!

Read more about:

SHARE:
Absurd as it is, the 2019 election campaign began on Saturday night.

The Tories new leader, followed by the NDPs in a few months time, will end the improbable period through which the Liberals have been sailing. Justin Trudeau has yet to face a popularly mandated opposition leader. That happy interlude will soon end. All parties will be revving their pre-election engines and testing campaign lines come September.

Oh, for the days when Canadians could look down their noses at the 18-month U.S. presidential campaigns as so excessively American  Stephen Harper is to blame. Having bought the nonsense about the democratic nature of a fixed election date, in a parliamentary system never designed to accommodate one, he lengthened the precampaign period to Oct. 21, 2019.

Then he created the permanent campaign garrison politics on which he built his fundraising and electoral war machine. Until someone has the courage to rollback this foolishness we are stuck with it, one more of his unfortunate legacies to Canadian politics.

What will this mean?

A greater distemper in our times, to misquote Peter Newman. More bellowing, less thinking, and greater hostility. The new NDP leader will be forced to outshout the new Tory leader in their denunciations of the Trudeau government, on issues great and trivial. The Trudeau Liberals, more ferociously partisan in practice than their brand messaging would have you believe, will respond in kind.

The first flashpoint and battleground will be the House of Commons. The Liberals have installed one incompetent house leader after another, inflicting serious wounds on their own credibility. Perhaps a seasoned veteran will remind the newbies that exceptionally deft and silk smooth house management was always part of the Liberal DNA. From Alan MacEachern, through Herb Gray, to Ralph Goodale, and Don Boudria, Liberal house leaders were the gold standard.

Those veterans must wince at the mess Bardish Chagger has made for this government of parliamentary reform, let alone any cross-bench goodwill. The new leaders will grind the Liberals parliamentary agenda into paralysis until this is fixed.

The next collision will be Canada/U.S. relations. The opposition parties will see great potential to whack the government from each side on the challenge of managing relations with a bozo in White House. The Tories are likely to attack from the you cant manage a peanut stand side as the Trudeau government struggles to keep any NAFTA process on track with such a chaotic negotiating partner. Theyll blame any setback on softwood, supply management, and autos on a trade team not ready for prime time.

The Liberals have done a superlative job in managing relations with the lunatic asylum that is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. today. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, deserves an honorary psychology degrees for her skill in smoothly dancing such an foot-stomping partner.

The harder part will be when negotiations begin, and the erratic president shifts his demands daily. The NDP is likely to polish the selling out Canada chestnut once more time  for which there is always a large America-phobic Canadian audience.

How the Liberals stay above the fray, how well they actually deliver on legislation, how much they are seen to still be in charge, matters. If the opposition leaders can push the Liberals off their policy and message agendas by the fall of next year, it will set up a dangerous frame for the Liberals seeking re-election on their record of achievement.

The NDP leader needs to go to bed, and wake up repeating this soothing mantra: The path to the PMO, runs only through Justin Trudeau, and studiously avoid Tory taunts, and their likely early lead in the polls. Reminding voters that Liberals have one again broken progressive hearts has always worked, and can again.

The Tory leader needs to devote his summer to rebuilding and reuniting a fractured party. If they come into the fall squabbling, without a tested ballot question to fire at Trudeau, his more seasoned parliamentary team will slowly force open the divisions that lie just under the surface in the still fragile Conservative party.

For the prime minister the path to re-election is both simple  and hard.

Just deliver.

Deliver six big popular legislative wins before next summer and the Liberals will enter their pre-election year blooded, confident and with the popular legitimacy to ask for a chance to finish the job.

If history is any guide, intervening events will push each leader off these safer paths. Then it becomes anyones game  one few Canadians will be watching until Labour Day more than two years from now.

Sigh.

Robin V. Sears, a principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group and a Broadbent Institute leadership fellow, was an NDP strategist for 20 years.

SHARE:
The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, says around 130,000 undocumented Afghan refugees have left Iran since the beginning of 2017.

Irans government is forcing many refugees without a visa to return to Afghanistan. Others have not been forced, but are deciding to return on their own.

The Afghans are not sure what to expect in their homeland. Taliban forces now control more than 40 percent of rural territory in the country.

Voluntary and involuntary returns

Hundreds of Afghan refugees are expelled from Iran each day. Iran plans to send 600,000 people back to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Hafiz Ahmad Miakhel is with Afghanistans Ministry of Refugees and Returnees. He noted that "Last week, 7,695 Afghan refugees returned from Iran, 60-65 percent of whom were deported involuntarily. The majority of them were young individuals, but some were families, including women and children."

The Afghan government estimates that more than two million Afghans live in Iran. Many settled there after fleeing conflict in their homeland. Some Afghans went to Iran seeking jobs.

About 950,000 are considered refugees.

Of the 440,000 Afghan refugees who returned to Afghanistan from Iran last year, over 157,000 were deported, the majority of whom were young individuals who were residing illegally in Iran, Miakhel told VOA. The involuntary deportation is a clear violation of bilateral and trilateral agreements.

Afghanistan and Iran: A complex issue

Many Afghans have received permission to go to Iran for jobs that Iranians do not want. Yet pressure has been rising for most of them to be sent home.

In November 2012, the Iranian government announced rules to govern treatment of undocumented foreigners  those lacking a proper visa. Those rules enabled police and custom officials to expel about 1.6 million undocumented foreigners by the end of 2015.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have returned to Afghanistan -- or were deported from Iran.

Rights groups have accused the Iranian government of treating Afghans poorly. They say that while in Iran, the Afghans lack basic rights and access to economic opportunities.



Some refugees have reported being arrested for no reason, especially in Tehran. Police say that most of the arrests are for involvement in the drug trade.

Large influx from Pakistan

The Afghan government says it and refugee agencies have had difficulty dealing with all of the returnees.

Pakistan is also sending Afghan refugees back to the country.

The IOM reports that over 55,000 Afghan refugees have returned from Pakistan since the beginning of 2017. The group notes that "most of those returning have lived outside Afghanistan for decades."

Another group, Human Rights Watch, reports that over a million Afghans have lived in Pakistan for most of the past 40 years. "In response to several deadly security incidents and deteriorating political relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistani authorities have mounted a concerted campaign to drive Afghans out of the country," the report added.

The Afghan government says it is trying to help with voluntary repatriation of refugees from Iran and Pakistan as the refugee issue is sometimes used as a leverage against Afghanistan.

I'm John Russell.

Noor Zahid and Mehdi Jedinia wrote this story for VOANews.com. John Russell adapted their report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________

Words in the Story

involuntarily  adv. not done by choice

deport  v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

residing  v. to exist or be present in; to live in a place

bilateral  adj. affecting or having two sides

proper  adj. correct; of or related to being right

access  n. permission or ability to enter a place; freedom to make sure of something

deteriorating  adj. to make or become worse

mounted - v. rising or increasing

concerted  adj. agreed on; common or collective

leverage  n. power; effectiveness
No political leadership contest is ever just a competition among substantive policy visions. Context, character and charisma, strategy, caucus support, cross-regional appeal, luck  all of these inevitably play. The variables at work in the crowded Conservative leadership contest, which will conclude on Saturday, are particularly complex.

The partys convoluted system for picking a leader, involving points per riding and a preferential ballot, plus the multitude of contenders, makes the recipe for success especially difficult to identify and the result perilous to predict.

But while vision may not ultimately decide the victor, it could hardly matter more for a party that has lost its way and for a democracy that relies on strong opposition.

The choice made by Conservatives, more of whom have voted this time around than in any previous Canadian leadership contest, will shape public discourse in the years to come and influence, if not eventually steer, the direction of government.

The outcome will determine whether we have much-needed debates about the role of the state, about the right balance between public and private, individual and collective, Ottawa and the provinces - or whether we are distracted from these pivotal issues by dangerous faux nationalism and scapegoating.

There is no doubt plenty of cause for concern. Too often in this campaign it has been hard to see the substance beyond the kind of nativist pandering that contributed to the partys undoing in the last election. Kellie Leitch, of course, was the most cartoonish purveyor of this politics of exclusion. Her explicitly Trumpist array of rights-violating solutions to largely non-existent problems garnered a disproportionate number of headlines, though by most indications, thankfully, not a great deal of support.

But while Leitch has been the emblem, she was by no means alone among the 13 candidates in experimenting with dog whistles.

Asked in March what to do about the recent influx of asylum seekers in Canada, Maxime Bernier and Kevin OLeary, who eventually dropped out of the race to back Bernier, competed to propose the most draconian means of expulsion.

At around the same time, not wanting to be excluded from all the excluding, Brad Trost announced through a spokesperson, apropos of nothing, that he is not entirely comfortable with the gay thing.

Steven Blaney has promised to restore the Harper governments ban on niqabs at citizenship ceremonies, which the courts overturned as unconstitutional; while Brad Trost peddled a Trump-like immigration ban on people from countries that harbour terrorists or Islamic extremism.

Perhaps most troubling, all candidates but one (Michael Chong) opposed an anodyne Liberal anti-Islamophobia motion on such blatantly spurious grounds that it was hard not to imagine more problematic motives, political cowardice least bad among them.

One truly wonders what busted political calculus underlies all this. The Harper Tories turn toward fear and division in the dying days of the last election campaign proved politically disastrous, just as Pauline Marois nativist values-charter gambit did for the Parti Quebecois in the 2014 Quebec election. It is not clear that the audience for fear and hate in this country is sufficiently large for that kind of politics to succeed. No politician should be working to change that.

The Tories  and especially whoever becomes their next leader  ought to cut it out. After all, it has nothing to do with  indeed, is a betrayal of - the long, rich tradition of principled, rights-preserving Canadian conservatism.

That tradition can be restored. The current leadership campaign, despite its distractions, has displayed glimmers of hope for those who want to see a real debate about how to tackle the problems we face.

Bernier, concerned about the cost to consumers of government protectionism, has proposed to kill the supply-management system for dairy and poultry and open the airline industry to foreign ownership.

Chong, the Red Tory to Berniers libertarian, has advocated a set of democratic reforms to rehabilitate our coarsened politics and outlined a conservative plan to fight climate change.

Erin OToole wants to use the tax system to improve the economic lot of struggling millennials, while Lisa Raitt and Andrew Scheer have proposed traditionally conservative low-tax, small-government alternatives to the Liberal governments more activist promises.

Are these good ideas? With a few exceptions, as we have repeatedly argued, not at all! But these candidates have offered legitimate policy options that seek to address real challenges. If this seems a low bar for praise, let that be a testament to the sad state of our political discourse.

The Trudeau government has yet to face an opposition party with a permanent leader pushing a well-articulated counter-agenda. Who the Tories choose on Saturday, and thus what their agenda will look like, matters a great deal for both party and country. Let us hope they put divisive distractions aside. Democracy benefits from clear choices and governments are sharpened by real tests.

We reserve the right not to do so in future, but on Saturday, we wish the Tories well.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Re: Tortured by the soldiers we call allies, May 26

Tortured by the soldiers we call allies, May 26

Your front-page photo filled me with utter disgust and revulsion. Thanks to the noble job done in Abu Ghraib and the training provided by Americans to reduce themselves to the lowest of the low, we see a sickening face of humanity  and the inevitable PTSD in the returning soldiers.

Mimi Khan, Toronto

I must express my horror at your decision to run the devastating picture on your front page. I am traumatized. I am well aware that this is a reality in sectors of our world. And I despise this fact.

However this graphic display does nothing whatsoever to make it stop. And this is now seared into my minds eye and I am unable to unsee it. And I feel even more helpless.

Maureen Roy, Welland, Ont.

There are many very troubling things happening in the world right now, including the Manchester bombing, wars, famine, climate change and many other horrors.

I find it reprehensible that the Star would find it appropriate to put a large picture on the front page of a captured Iraqi being tortured. Has descriptive writing gone completely out of style? Can your three journalists who gave us this story not adequately describe how the victim was hung with his arms behind him? Can we not imagine the pain and suffering sufficiently based on a well-written story, without having to see this picture with our breakfast?

Tasteless, sensationalist and more gutter press than what one would expect from Canadas leading newspaper.

Maurice Parker, North York

SHARE:
The following companies are subsidiares of Harsco: 21st Century Environmental Management of NV LLC, 21st Century Environmental Management of RI LLC, AERC Acquisition Corporation, AES Asset Acquisition Corporation, Accelerated Remediation Kinetics LLC, Advanced Remediation & Disposal Technologies of Delaware LLC, Allied Environmental Group LLC, Allworth LLC, Altek, Altek Europe Holdings Ltd., Altek Europe Limited, Altek LLC, Altek Melting Solutions Limited, AluServ Middle East W.L.L., Alusalt Limited, Assessment & Remedial Design Technologies Inc, Ballagio S.a.r.l., Burlington Environmental LLC, CEHI Acquisition LLC, CEI Holding LLC, Calrissian Holdings LLC, Carteret Asphalt Corporation, Chemical Pollution Control of Florida LLC, Chemical Pollution Control of New York LLC, Chemical Reclamation Services LLC, Clean Earth Dredging Technologies LLC, Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Solutions Inc., Clean Earth Holdings LLC, Clean Earth Inc., Clean Earth LLC, Clean Earth Mobile Services LLC, Clean Earth Specialty Waste Solutions Inc., Clean Earth of Carteret LLC, Clean Earth of Georgia LLC, Clean Earth of Greater Washington LLC, Clean Earth of Maryland LLC, Clean Earth of Michigan LLC, Clean Earth of New Castle LLC, Clean Earth of North Jersey Inc., Clean Earth of Philadelphia LLC, Clean Earth of Puerto Rico LLC, Clean Earth of Southeast Pennsylvania LLC, Clean Earth of Southern Florida LLC, Clean Earth of West Virginia LLC, Clean Earth of Williamsport LLC, Clean Rock Properties Ltd, Czech Slag- Nova Hut s.r.o., ESOL TOPCO LLC, Environmental Soil Management Inc, Environmental Soil Management of New York LLC, Environmental Solutions (ESOL) Business, Excell Africa Holdings Ltd., Excell Americas Holdings Ltd S.a.r.L., Faber Prest Limited, Gardner Road Oil LLC, GasServ (Netherlands) VII B.V., General Environmental Management of Rancho Cordova LLC, HLWKH 517 Limited, Harsco (Australia) Pty. Limited, Harsco (Beijing) Fertiliser Co. Ltd, Harsco (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Harsco (Mexico) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Peru) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - GuYe Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - Leting Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Renewable Resources Development Co. Ltd, Harsco (U.K.) Limited, Harsco (UK) Group Ltd, Harsco (York Place) Limited, Harsco APAC Rail Machinery (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Harsco Americas Investments S.a.r.l., Harsco Belgium SRL, Harsco Brazil Investments SRL, Harsco Canada Corporation Societe Harsco Canada, Harsco Canada General Partner Limited, Harsco Canada Limited Partnership, Harsco Chile Investments SRL, Harsco China Holding Company Limited, Harsco Defense Holding LLC, Harsco Environmental S.R.L., Harsco Europa B.V., Harsco Fairways Partnership, Harsco Finance B.V., Harsco Financial Holdings Inc., Harsco France S.A.S., Harsco Holdings Inc., Harsco India Metals Private Limited, Harsco India Private Ltd., Harsco India Services Private Ltd., Harsco Industrial Grating China Holding Co. Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure B.V., Harsco Infrastructure CZ s.r.o, Harsco Infrastructure Construction Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Group Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure Holdings Inc., Harsco Infrastructure Hong Kong Ltd, Harsco Infrastructure Industrial Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Services Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco International Finance S.a.r.l., Harsco Investment Ltd., Harsco Investments Europe B.V., Harsco Leatherhead Limited, Harsco Luxembourg S.a.r.l, Harsco Metals (Ningbo) Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals (Thailand) Company Ltd., Harsco Metals 373 Ltd, Harsco Metals 385 Ltd, Harsco Metals Argentina S.A., Harsco Metals Australia Holding Investment Co. Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Australia Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Belgium S.A., Harsco Metals CTS Prestacao de Servicos Tecnicos e Aluguer de Equipamentos LDA Unipessoal, Harsco Metals CZ s.r.o, Harsco Metals Chile S.A., Harsco Metals D.O.O. Smederevo, Harsco Metals Egypt L.L.C., Harsco Metals Emirates Partnership, Harsco Metals Germany GmbH, Harsco Metals Gesmafesa S.A., Harsco Metals Group Limited, Harsco Metals Guatemala S.A., Harsco Metals Holding LLC, Harsco Metals Holdings Limited, Harsco Metals Holland B.V., Harsco Metals Ilanga Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Intermetal LLC, Harsco Metals Investment LLC, Harsco Metals Limitada, Harsco Metals Luxembourg S.A., Harsco Metals Luxequip S.A., Harsco Metals Lycrete S.A., Harsco Metals Middle East FZE, Harsco Metals Norway A.S., Harsco Metals Oostelijk Staal International B.V., Harsco Metals Operations LLC, Harsco Metals Peru S.A., Harsco Metals Polska SP Z.O.O., Harsco Metals RSA Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Reclamet S.A., Harsco Metals SRH Mill Services (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SRI LLC, Harsco Metals Saudi Arabia Ltd., Harsco Metals Slovensko s.r.o., Harsco Metals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SteelServ (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Sweden A.B., Harsco Metals Transport B.V., Harsco Metals Turkey Celik Limited Sirkety, Harsco Metals VB LLC, Harsco Metals Zhejiang Co. Ltd., Harsco Metals and Minerals France S.A.S., Harsco Metals de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harsco Metro Rail LLC, Harsco Mexico Holdings S.A. de C.V., Harsco Minerais Limitada, Harsco Minerali d.o.o., Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC (FZC), Harsco Minerals Deutschland GmbH, Harsco Minerals Europe B.V., Harsco Minerals Technologies LLC, Harsco Minnesota Finance Inc., Harsco Minnesota LLC, Harsco Mole Valley Limited, Harsco Nederland Slag B.V., Harsco Nova Scotia Holding Corporation, Harsco Rail Emirates Maatschap/Societe de Droit Commun, Harsco Rail Europe GmbH, Harsco Rail LLC, Harsco Rail Limited, Harsco Rail Ltda, Harsco Rail Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harsco Rail Pty. Ltd., Harsco Rail Switzerland GMBH, Harsco Steel Mill Trading Arabia LLC, Harsco Sun Demiryolu Ekipmanlari Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Harsco Switzerland Holding GmbH, Harsco Technologies LLC, Harsco Technology China Co. Ltd., Harsco Track Machines and Services Private Limited, Heckett Bahna Co. For Industrial Operations S.A.E., Heckett Comercio de Rejeitos Industriais Importacao e Exportacao Ltda, Heckett MultiServ (FS) Pty Ltd, Heckett MultiServ Bahna S.A.E., Heckett MultiServ China B.V., Heckett MultiServ Far East B.V., Heckett Multiserv MV & MS CA, Hunnebeck Group GmbH, Iductelec Limited, Ilserv S.R.L., Luntz Acquisition (Delaware) LLC, MKC Acquisition Corporation, Mastclimbers Ltd, Metal Reclamation SPV (Pty.) Ltd., Minerval Metallurgic Additives B.V., MultiServ (Sweden) AB, MultiServ Finance B.V., MultiServ International B.V., MultiServ Limited, MultiServ Logistics Limited, MultiServ Oy, MultiServ Technologies (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Nortal Limited, Northland Environmental LLC, Nortru LLC, PSC Environmental Services LLC, PSC Recovery Systems LLC, Phillip Reclamation Services Houston LLC, Protran Technology LLC, Real Property Acquisition LLC, Republic Environmental Recycling (New Jersey) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (PA) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (Transportation Group) LLC, Rho-Chem LLC, SGB Holdings Limited, SGB Investments Ltd., SGB Scafform Limited, Shanxi TISCO-Harsco Technology Co. Ltd., Short Brothers (Plant) Ltd., Slag Processing Company Egypt (SLAR) S.A.E., Slag Reductie (Pacific) B.V., Slag Reductie Nederland B.V., Solvent Recovery LLC, Tosyali Harsco Geri Kazanim Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi, and United Retek of Connecticut LLC.

Read More


People across the United States are observing Memorial Day on Monday.

The holiday is a time for remembering the men and women who died while serving the U.S. armed forces.

Those who fought in the Vietnam War often get special attention on Memorial Day.

American soldiers fought with South Vietnamese forces against the Communist forces of North Vietnam. The Vietnam War claimed 58,000 American lives.

Former U.S. Air Force Captain Guy Gruters says he volunteered for the war. He told VOA he wanted to prevent communism from spreading.

In early 1967, Gruters was sent to Vietnam. During his time there, he flew 400 combat missions against the enemy. His airplane was shot down two times.

Gruters said that American helicopters came and rescued him the first time. But the second time, he was captured by North Vietnamese forces.

The North Vietnamese first took him to a village and then to a detention center in Hanoi.

One week later, he was taken with about 12 other servicemen to a prisoner of war camp known as the Hanoi Hilton.

Gruters described the notorious camp this way: Thats where they had all the torture to get the interrogations for the military information.

The fighter pilot was moved to six different camps in five years. He was released in March 1973, after the U.S. and North Vietnamese officials signed a peace agreement.

Gruters remembers intense bombing before the agreement was signed.

In December of 1972, the U.S. Air Force and Navy bombed heavily military targets in the Hanoi area. It was called the Christmas Bombing of 1972. In those 11 days, they dropped 40,000 tons of bombs, he said.

In the early 1970s, many Americans opposed U.S. involvement in the war. But Gruters says the justification for the conflict is clear today.

By the president of Indonesia, the president of Thailand and Malaysia, the president of the Philippines, that because of the U.S. fighting in Vietnam, they had the courage to fight the communist insurgents in their countries successfully, Gruters said.

He added that because of those efforts, communism did not spread. He estimates that there are 450 million people free today in Southeast Asia because of American involvement in Vietnam.

Guy Gruters now works as a motivational speaker. He tells the people he meets We should forget, forgive and love our enemies.

Im Mario Ritter.

Nikoleta Ilic reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

combat mission  n. military raids against enemy forces

notorious  adj. famous, especially for something bad

interrogations  n. the process of getting information from a person often in a forceful way

courage  adj. bravery

insurgents  n. someone who rebels against those in power or an established government

motivational  adj. a kind of speaking meant to give people reasons and energy to do something

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.


Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery. In addition, it provides internet banking, mobile banking, trust and wealth management, retail brokerage, mortgage services, and treasury management, as well as debit and credit cards. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 273 full-service banking locations comprising 65 in the Houston area, including The Woodlands; 30 in the South Texas area including Corpus Christi and Victoria; 63 in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area; 22 in the East Texas area; 29 in the Central Texas area, including Austin and San Antonio; 34 in the West Texas area, including Lubbock, Midland-Odessa and Abilene; 16 in the Bryan/College Station area; 6 in the Central Oklahoma area; and 8 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area doing business as LegacyTexas Bank. Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Public Storage is a REIT focused on acquiring, developing, owning, and operating self-storage facilities in the US and Europe. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and the FT Global 500 and is the worlds 4th largest REIT by market cap. Along with its holdings of self-storage facilities, the company owns a 42% stake in business park company PS Business Parks and is also in business selling packing and storage supplies. The company is headquartered in Glendale California.

The company was founded in 1972 by B. Wayne Hughes and Kenneth Polk who used the leverage of investments from RELPs to grow the business. The original plan was to use the storage warehouses as a means of generating income until the properties were more valuable. The surprise is that demand for storage space was high and led to unexpected profitability.

The company has more than 1,000 locations by 1989 and then, in 1995, it transformed itself into a publicly traded REIT. The transformation was spurred by tax changes that made RELPs obsolete. The transformation was done via a merger with Storage Equities which gave up its name in favor of Public Storage. The company grew again with the acquisition of Shurgard in 2006 but it has since been spun off as its own publicly traded company. Public Storage retains 36% ownership in Shurgard.

As of September 2022, the company owned and operated 2,807 self-storage facilities in 39 states. The total area of rental space exceeded 2 million square feet serving nearly 2 million customers and generating close to $3.5 billion in annual revenues. Shurgard lays claim to another 239 facilities in the EU which amounts to another 13 minion square feet of storage space. PS Business Parks, Inc, which trades under the ticker (NYSE: PSB) owns and operates 28 million square feet of commercial space.

Advantages of Public Storage include scale, leverage, and the balance sheet. The companys size and scale mean that more than half the US population lives within driving distance of a Public Storage facility. The company gives leverage through its three-pronged acquisition, development, and redevelopment strategy which are all supported by the balance sheet. The companys balance sheet is set up for growth and is able to self-fund most new projects.
A human hand can find a tool without looking, or put down a glass of water without spilling.

But for robots, these actions are harder than they seem. That is because using a hand requires a sense of touch.

Veronica Santos leads the Biomechatronics Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"So, for example, how hard am I squeezing this object? What forces are required at my fingertips so that I can do these very fine dexterous manipulations of handheld objects?"

Santos and researchers are designing robot hands that do not just hold things. The robot hands can also feel when to let go, says Kenny Gutierrez, a graduate student.

"It's waiting for contact with the table before it decides to let go of the box."

The researchers have created a mechanical finger that senses many of the same things human fingers do. Santos says the device is equipped with a sensor that provides information about what the fingertip is touching. The information can include the objects temperature, internal fluid pressure and movement.

Making robots more gentle and sensitive to touch is a popular research area. Engineers at New Yorks Cornell University, for example, built a robot that can identify when a tomato is fully grown.

Its sense of touch comes from light shining through its clear rubber skin.

Cornell engineering professor Robert Shepherd says this technology costs less than high-tech electronic skin.

Scientists at China's Harbin Institute of Technology have made artificial skin with electronic hairs that feel pressure much like human hairs do. It can feel something as soft as a tissue.

Researchers are now working to add a sense of touch to artificial arms and legs.

Im Jill Robbins.

Arturo Martinez and Steve Baragona reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted their report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Now it's your turn. What do you think about these robots that can sense through touch? Have you ever used a robot at work or school? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

squeezing  v. to force or create pressure, especially on opposite sides

fingertip  n. the end of a finger

dexterous  adj. done with mental or physical skill

manipulation  n. the act of operating skillfully; the act of operating, using or moving something

table  n. a piece of furniture with a flat surface and usually four legs
Eight employees of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services have been referred




Last month, scientists and their supporters marched in the streets to protest President Donald Trumps science policies.

Scientists, known for working quietly in the labs, are protesting loudly because they say science is threatened under the Trump administration. More than 260 groups backed the event, called March for Science.

Working to get scientists elected

Shaughnessy Naughton is founder and president of 314 Action. She started the organization to work for pro-science issues in government. Her group helps STEM professionals run for political office. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and 314 Action wants to increase their numbers in politics.

They might get their wish.

Naughton, a chemist, ran for office in 2014, and lost. She started the organization before Trump was elected. Since January, she says, the administrations position on climate science has been a catalyst to get scientists to step up and get involved.

Weve had over 5,000 scientists across the country reach out to us, put their hand up and say theyre willing to do this. Which is, far exceeds, what we expected.

So far, all the candidates are Democrats. They come from different science-related professions  researchers and doctors, for example. They are men and women of different ages across the U.S. Some are running for Congress, others for local offices and school boards. 314 Action helps them organize campaign teams and volunteers.

Some Trump top advisers have STEM backgrounds

While scientists may question his policies, President Trump has selected people with science and engineering backgrounds to be his top advisers.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson started as an engineer at Exxon Mobil. There are three medical doctors in Trumps cabinet. They are Tom Price at Health and Human Services, Ben Carson, a former presidential candidate, at Housing and Urban Development, and David Shulkin at Veterans Affairs. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue received a doctors degree in veterinary medicine  an animal doctor.

Patrick Madden opposes Trumps science policies. He is a researcher and professor of computer science at Binghamton University in the state of New York. He develops mobile phone technology.

Now he is running for Congress. He got into politics because, he says, science is under attack by the Trump administration.

There was a proposal that would have slashed funding for researchers in the United States, through the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), NIH (National Institutes of Health), many of the government agencies that support academic research. And I think, particularly the EPA with the environmental scientists, has seen their funding cut and a lot of political pressure is being put on, put on people doing this work.

Some say Trump disrespects science

During the campaign, Trump called climate change a hoax, or not true. But since taking office, he has delayed making a decision on his campaign promise to back out of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. While his first budget cut scientific research, Congress later put the money back in for the National Institutes of Health, and even added a little more.

The new U.S. administration is disrespecting science and scientists, says Gretchen Goldman. She works for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C.

Were not just talking about an administration thats taking different policy stances, which of course theyre free to take different policy stances from their predecessor, but here what were seeing is that theyre undermining the very process by which we use science to inform decisions.

Like many of the scientists running for office, this is Patrick Maddens first try at politics.

I enjoy my teaching, I enjoy my research, but when I think about my students and the world that they go into, I feel an obligation to step up. And Im hoping I can do something for them.

Madden adds he has always been patriotic, but now, he will do it in a different way. He says getting elected to the U.S. Congress will be an uphill battle. He will have to beat Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, a lawyer and businesswoman.

Im Anne Ball.

Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with information from VOA News. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer.

Quiz - US Scientists Leaving Labs to Run for Office Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

STEM  adj. stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

catalyst  n. a person or event that quickly causes change or action

cabinet  n. the presidents group of advisors that head administration departments

slash  v. to reduce (something) by a large amount

funding  n. the amount of money provided for something

stance  n. a publicly stated opinion  usually singular

predecessor  n. a person who had a job or position before someone else

select  v. to choose

patriotic  adj. having or showing great love and support for your country : having or showing patriotism

uphill battle  phrase. refers to something that will be very difficult to do
On May 30, many people in southeastern Nigeria will remember those who lost their lives in one of Africas most brutal wars. More than 1 million people died during Nigerias 1967 to 1970 civil war known as the Biafra War The conflict erupted after leaders from southeastern Nigeria declared that the region would secede from Nigeria.

Memories of the war remain strong for those who lived through it.

Have you been walking with somebody and the bomb killed him and all you have to do is look at the corpse and continue walking? Even if its your sister, you just continue walking because youre running for dear life? Or have you been hidden in the roof of a building because you are afraid, because your mother is afraid the soldiers will come and rape you? says Enuma Okoro, who was 21 when the war broke out.

In my compound we saw several skeletons of dead people. My fathers compound was flattened. It was a war front, says Obum Okeke, who was 7 years old when the war started.

Images sifted opinion

The war gained widespread global attention once pictures of starving Biafran children were published in the international media. The Nigerian government had formed a blockade, making it difficult for aid groups to reach Biafra. Many children starved and developed a severe condition that became known as kwashiorkor.

First of all, the first thing you notice is the stomach bloated," says Christopher Ejiofor, a traditional king in his community in the southeastern state of Enugu and the aide to Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, a military officer and leader of the short-lived Republic of Biafra. "The arms to the bones, the legs to the bones, the thigh to the bones, the head, skull. Can you imagine that? That is a starving a child. And that is what happened everywhere in Biafra, he says.

The war ended with the surrender of Biafra in January 1970. Biafrans returned to Nigeria and the country once known as Biafra, ceased to exist. But in recent years, the pro-Biafra movement has resurged. Supporters say the grievances that led to the war have still not been addressed.

Poll: growing support

A survey released this week from a Nigerian research group revealed that the pro-Biafra movement is gaining support, particularly among young people who did not experience the war. The rise could also be a reaction for a region that has received little infrastructural development from the federal government.

I am supporting it [Biafra] because that is who I am, says senior university student Sofuru Afah. Nigeria is an artificial creation by the British. I am not a Nigerian and I have never been and I never will. Buhari hates our people.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari fought against Biafra during the civil war as a young soldier. He says he will not tolerate the Biafra movement. Under Buharis administration, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of one of the more popular pro-Biafra groups, called IPOB, was detained in 2015 on charges of treason, criminal conspiracy and belonging to an illegal society. Kanu was released on bail last month after spending nearly two years in prison in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

IPOBs deputy, Uche Mefor, told VOA the Nigerian government cannot ignore the voice of Biafrans. He says May 30 will be a day for the world to recognize because pro-Biafrans will unite in peaceful resistance. Some pro-Biafrans will stay in their homes while others plan to join street rallies.

The compliance on that day will indeed convince the world that the people of Biafra are actually ready for their self-governance. We have our right to self-existence and it doesnt matter what anybody things about it, he told VOA.

The Nigerian government is determined to preserve Nigeria. Speaking at a Biafra remembrance forum in Abuja this week, acting president Yemi Osinbajo said Nigeria should remain one and all Nigerians should strive to achieve an ideal Nigeria.

We are not there yet, but I believe we have a strong chance to advance in that direction. But that will not happen if we allow our frustrations and grievances to transmute into hatred, Osinbanjo said during the address.

But, the message of one Nigeria is too late for many people like Lawrence Akpu, a former Biafran fighter. During the war, shrapnel cut into his spinal cord. Today, hes confined to a wheelchair. Even though hes poor and begs for handouts, he says he doesnt regret fighting for Biafra and will fight again.

If we join our hands together to seek Biafra, we shall get Biafra. Because we have no place in Nigeria, Akpu says.

Akpu joins a group of other disabled Biafra War veterans on a hot afternoon. They reminisce about the war and soon, they begin to sing the war songs that kept their spirits inspired to keep fighting.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday ended a 40-day hunger strike over conditions in Israeli jails, the Israel Prison Service and a Palestinian official said.

About 1,100 inmates had initially taken part in one of the largest such hunger strikes, which began on April 17. It raised tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with protests in support of the strikers spilling over into clashes in the West Bank and along the Israel-Gaza border.

More than 800 inmates, who had stuck with the hunger strike until Saturday, ended it after talks held with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Authority to change some of the prisoners' conditions, a Prison Service Statement said.

On Wednesday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein urged Israel to improve conditions.

Neither the Prison Service nor the Palestinian Authority divulged the full details of the agreement. However, the Prison Service did say that a second monthly family visit would be reinstated after it had been cut in the past.

Qadoura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, which works on behalf of inmates, said some points of the agreement would be discussed further.

"Issues that had been agreed upon were improving visits and prison conditions," Fares told Reuters.

The strike was called by Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian jailed in Israel, to protest against solitary confinement and detention without trial, which has been applied to thousands of prisoners since the 1980s. Israel says that measure is necessary to prevent attacks and protect security sources.

Barghouti, a leader in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, was convicted of murder over the killing of Israelis during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, and sentenced in 2004 to five life terms. Surveys show many Palestinians want him to be their next president.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has said Barghouti started the strike in order to garner political support.

The Prison Service said that most of the inmates on strike were aligned with Fatah. Eighteen were being treated in hospital.

Hunger strikes are not uncommon among the 6,500 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, many of whom were convicted of attacks or planning attacks against Israelis.


Christopher Plummer, left, as Lear and Barry MacGregor as The Fool in a scene from Lincoln Center Theater's production of King Lear. (Joan Marcus/via Associated Press)

We were wrong: The Trump era is not like George Orwells 1984.

But how striking those echoes sounded at first. Kellyanne Conway, the presidents spirit animal, seemed to borrow phrases directly from Big Brother when she posited the existence of alternative facts. Press secretary Sean Spicer sounded like an official from the Ministry of Truth when he contradicted witnesses and photographs to claim that President Trumps inauguration crowd was record-setting.

Alarming as such dystopian comparisons were, they offered some deep satisfaction in the early days of our dark ages. Playing the Orwell card was not just a handy insult with a dash of literary sophistication, it also exercised a salutary effect on right-thinking people. To connect the days latest outrage to a classic novel suggested that wed seen Trumps behavior before, that literature had anticipated his linguistic abuses, that his appeal could be understood. Having on the breastplate of foreknowledge, we could withstand whatever further assaults might be coming.

[Why Orwells 1984 matters so much now]

By now it should be clear that the Trump administration is nothing like the ruling power of Orwells Oceania or  another common claim  like Margaret Atwoods Gilead in The Handmaids Tale. The repressive governments of those imagined hellscapes are marked, primarily, not by their vast deception but by their absolute order. Flawless message control and meticulous image manipulation are the foundations of their sovereignty. Nothing could be further from the continuous upheaval that DonaldTrump wreaks.

For literary precedent, we should skip over the dystopian novels of the 20th century, which were predicated on terrifyingly invasive management. The most prominent characteristic of our era is not the monolithic power of one party, but the erratic personality of one man. Every morning, all sides of the political establishment  his family and friends, along with the haters and losers  must contend with Trumps zigzagging proclamations, his grandiose promises, his spasmodic attachments.

Consequently, the best literary precedent for what were enduring now is not the static image of Big Brother but the turbulent eruptions of King Lear. In Shakespeares immortal tragedy, composed around 1605, we see a kingdom entirely in thrall to the fitful mentality of its leader with his unconstant starts. As one of Lears daughters says, The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash. Or, as Politico observed 400 years later about our president: Unpredictability . . . is not a quirk but a hallmark.

Once you make the comparison between Lear and Trump, the similarities begin to line up like attendants at court. Most striking, the old king of Britain and the new president of the United States are rulers obsessed with personal devotion. Trump is, as he once noted in his typically Shakespearean way, like, this great loyalty freak.

Trumps language may not pass muster in ninth-grade English, but thats a pretty fair description of King Lear. In fact, the great crisis of Shakespeares tragedy hinges on the fact that Lear is, like, this great loyalty freak, too. How eerily familiar that opening scene must feel to the Cabinet members and advisers currying favor at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.:

Which of you, Lear demands, shall we say doth love us most?

Goneril and Regan dutifully deliver their unctuous praise, but principled Cordelia  played for us with touching poignancy by FBI Director James B. Comey  refuses to take the loyalty pledge and is summarily disinherited. (Lear doesnt even wait for the Earl of Kent to compose a memo justifying the move.)

Now, like Lears subjects, we find ourselves experiencing the chaos that reigns when majesty falls to folly. As the Russian inquiry melds with the Michael Flynn scandal and the Comey investigation, the ludicrous denials and confusing qualifications keep spewing from the White House. Each days revelations are more disturbing than the last. We can take bitter comfort in Edgars gallows humor: The worst is not, so long as we can say, This is the worst. 

How many of the presidents supporters have begged him  as Lears supporters implored him  Check this hideous rashness? But to no avail. Again and again, often at the most ill-timed moments, the president rages into the Twitterstorm on the barren plain of the Web.

Fake news! When does it end? This is a disgrace!

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!

And despite boundless advantages and allowances, Trump echoes Lears whiny complaint: I am a man more sinned against than sinning.

Who doesnt feel a prick of pity for this grandiose character wandering alone in his bathrobe in the dark, early-morning hours?

Too soon, you say.

Well, in the words of Cordelia, Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides.



French actor and director Jean Marais performs as King Lear in 1979 at the Theatre de L'Athenee in Paris. (Jacques Langevin/AP)

Its worth noting that after the Restoration, audiences couldnt stomach the tragedy of King Lear. For almost 200 years, theaters staged a happier Lear, a script substantially altered by Nahum Tate, who became Englands poet laureate in 1692. According to Tates version, Lear survives his foolish decisions and retakes his throne. Cordelia marries Edgar. Peace is restored. #MakeLearGreatAgain.

[Stephen King trolls Trumps wiretapping tweets as only a horror writer could]

Curiously, there was no Fool in Tates improved version, but we need one in ours. Who will speak sharp sense to the president in a way he can hear? Who will quell his Twitter raging? Surely not Vice President Pence; he prefers the part of Goneril, proficient in flattery, that glib and oily art. And Stephen K. Bannon is committed to playing Lady Macbeth in a competing production in the White House basement.

Meanwhile, we dont know how our version of King Lear will end. After all, were still in Act I. We dont even know how many acts this play has, or whether there will be an intermission. And these seats already feel incredibly uncomfortable.

As we settle in, consider that Shakespeare was not above switching moods along the way. Romeo and Juliet starts off as a comedy but ends in tragedy. Measure for Measure gets very dark before its joyful conclusion.

History is even less predictable than the Bard. And so, with Kent, the Kings loyal subject, we may offer up a little prayer for America: Fortune, good-night: smile once more; turn thy wheel!

Ron Charles is the editor of Book World.


Director Francesco Carrozzini with his mother, longtime Italia Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, who died in December. (Courtesy of Franca The Movie LLC)

Many filmmakers roam far afield to find a ripe topic for their next creative endeavor, but Francesco Carrozzini simply turned to his mother, who happened to be one of the most provocative and inspiring women in the international fashion industry  yet one he barely knew. Franca Sozzani was the longtime editor of Vogue Italia, a magazine with a small footprint but far-reaching influence.

Carrozzini has directed a documentary about Sozzanis life and work  a way of learning more about her, not just as a mother, but also as a woman. The result is the compact and unsentimental Franca: Chaos & Creation, which is scheduled to open in the United States later this year. Carrozzinis timing was both wistful and prescient; his mother passed away in December. The film serves as a tribute to her life.

During Sozzanis 28-year tenure at the Italian glossy, she used fashion to address a range of subjects not typically considered alongside designer clothes. Vogue Italia focused on the brutality of domestic violence. It explored plastic surgery and eating disorders in artful, heartbreaking imagery. It used the devastating BP oil spill as a source of inspiration for a fashion shoot that depicted models as fragile, otherworldly creatures choking on petroleum. She confronted the fashion industrys discomfort with racial diversity by dedicating an entire issue to black models, using only black women in the magazines fashion spreads.

In a scene from the film, a reporter challenges Sozzani on her unusual editorial vision. She replies: Why cant a fashion magazine care about what happens in the world?

Carrozzini was in Washington earlier this month, along with his mothers sister Carla Sozzani, whose Milan store 10 Corso Como helped launch the boutique-as-gallery trend, as honorees of the Italian Cultural Society. Carrozzini has the lean physique of a long-distance runner. He has waves of sandy brown hair, groomed stubble and a whirring energy that can burn through the oxygen in a room. Hes engaged to Bee Shaffer, the daughter of American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who was both a colleague and friend of his mothers.



Carrozzini, the director of Franca: Chaos & Creation, was in Washington recently as an honoree of the Italian Cultural Society. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Carrozzini, 34, is as much a character in the documentary as his mother. The two at times engage in a conversational tug-of-war. When he asks her about an early, short-lived marriage, she exhibits a stubborn refusal to dwell on the past.

Why did you get married, Carrozzini asks. Because I was already wearing the dress. I dont know, Sozzani says with a wry laugh. The marriage lasted three months.

The most intimate conversations between the son and his mother occur in the back seat of a car as she is being chauffeured from one appointment to the next. Sozzani was a petite woman who studied philosophy in school. She had long waves of blond hair, blue eyes and a deep trust in herself and herself alone. In the film, she exudes all the glamour one might expect of someone who crisscrosses the globe attending fashion shows, dining with artists and designers, and constantly pursuing the next iteration of beauty.

The work, she loved talking about, Carrozzini says. She didnt like discussing her personal life. She was a creative mind, a journalist. Although I dont think of her as a journalist as much as a revolutionary person.

Fashion was a device to talk about other things, a way to meet people. My mother never came back home and said shed seen an incredible collection. It was, Oh, I met this great person at this dinner.

[Editor of Vogues Italian edition celebrates black and brown women and fat ones, too]

For Carrozzini, Vogue Italias oil spill issue was especially powerful. It was almost like a movie. But the black issue was more impactful than all of them, he says. It was about society.



Franca Sozzani in the Milan offices of Vogue Italia in 2010. (Maria Valentino/For The Washington Post)

That issue especially resonated in the United States. In the film, there is a clip of a young black man clutching a copy of the magazine and enthusing into the social media vortex about how long he has waited for such a historic moment.

She never thought of Italy as her audience, Carrozzini says. In the film, Sozzani explains that because Italian is spoken only in Italy, to expand the magazines reach  its circulation drifted between 120,000 to 150,000  the photography needed to be particularly powerful. The stories had to be visually bold. She cultivated such photographers as Steven Meisel and Paolo Roversi and attracted an international audience to the magazines pages even though many of its consumers werent able to read most of it.

Carrozzini portrays his mother as unapologetically in love with her work. She does not seem like a woman who frets about a work-life balance. Whether a bad photo or a bad marriage, Sozzani believed in turning the page.



A scene from "Franca: Chaos & Creation." (Courtesy of Franca The Movie LLC)

She taught me to be curious. She taught me to look at things from different angles, to look for different perspectives, he says. She was a super, super ambitious woman. . . . Thats a great attitude to teach someone.

She was ambitious because [her work] was never good enough, adds her sister Carla. She wanted to do well. She was 3 and she was like that.

Ambition is often deemed a negative when exhibited by women. And it caused Carrozzini some tension when he was in his 20s. For him. Not her. Now, he takes pride in her striving.

Franca Sozzani was 66 when she died of lung cancer, but shed had a chance to screen her sons film. I always loved you, she told him afterward. Now Im also proud of you.

When Carrozzini looks at the fashion industry, he sees his mothers influence  directly or indirectly  as glossy magazines take on subjects that are roiling the culture, from politics to gender fluidity.

As a filmmaker, the experience of documenting his mothers life taught him that he was more interested in people, in character studies, than in traditional narratives. He also realized that his own mother was one of the most intriguing characters he has ever encountered. And was lucky enough to get to know her.
Jim Beam, Jack Daniel and Johnnie Walker, all mens names, have long been on bottles of whisky. But slowly, women are changing what is inside of the bottles.

It used to be, and still is for the most part, that those whiskies were made by men. They run the distilleries and sell the products.

Andrew Faulkner is with Distiller Magazine, part of the American Distilling Institute.

He believes that about 10 or 20 years ago, the number of women holding important positions in the distilling business was pretty close to zero. With the whisky boom, that has changed.

Just in the Washington, D.C. area, women have key roles at three different distilleries. Two women founded Republic Restoratives. Another woman started Catoctin Creek Distilling Company with her husband. A third is an award-winning master blender at Joseph A. Magnus.

Women in charge

Nancy Fraley is the master blender at Joseph A. Magnus. As master blender, she samples aging whisky and tests out new blends.

Joseph A. Magnus just received a double gold medal at a whisky-tasting event in San Francisco for its straight bourbon whisky. That means the judges decided it was one of the best whiskies they tasted at the event.

I taste all the inventory, all the barrels. I know well in advance how were going to use the stock in order to blend it and I do in fact blend it. I create, formulate new blends, new products. So its keeping consistency, quality and I make really tasty whiskies.

Jos. A. Magnus also makes a Cigar Blend whisky. It has the taste of apricot, smoke and leather. Fraley had the idea while she was smoking a cigar one evening.

Another well-known distillery with a woman in charge of making alcohol is Michters in the state of Kentucky.

Michters whiskies are some of the most expensive in the world. A version of their bourbon called Celebration costs over $5,000 a bottle.

Pamela Heilmann took over as master distiller in late 2016. Before coming to Michters, Heilmann worked at the Booker Noe Distillery to produce bourbon for Jim Beam.

Heilmann said she has received positive comments from bourbon fans since she earned the promotion.

Women starting distilleries

Becky Harris is in charge of the distilling process for Catoctin Creek. The distillery is in a small Virginia town outside of Washington, D.C.

She and her husband, Scott, left their jobs to start their business in 2009. They make rye whisky and fruit brandy in an old automobile dealership on Purcellvilles main street.

Unlike bourbon, which is made from a mixture of corn, rye and barley, rye whisky is made exclusively from rye grain.

Harris worked as a chemical engineer before getting involved in whisky. In her past jobs, she made sure her companys work was done efficiently and correctly. In her current job, she works to refine the whisky production process so the alcohol will taste good every time.

At whisky-tasting events, sometimes she meets people who are surprised that a woman is in charge of distilling the whisky.

They usually dont think Im the chief distiller. Its more typical that I would be the business side of the company, so people are usually surprised to find out I actually make the product.

One of the Harris whiskies recently won an award too. A version of their rye whisky, aged in barrels that previously held wine, won a double gold medal at the same competition in San Francisco.

When Becky and Scott started the distillery, they were worried she might not have a good nose. But it turns out, she does. In distilling, someone with a good nose has a strong sense of taste and smell.

My palate is good, thats great. I mean, that wasnt a guarantee when we got into this, but we kind of, you know, found that as we go through that I was fairly sensitive. I dont know that I could keep up with Nancy [Fraley], but I do pretty well.

Just last year, two other women, Rachel Gardner and Pia Carusone, opened Republic Restoratives to make vodka, bourbon and rye. They recently released Rodham Rye, named in honor of former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Do women have better sense of taste and smell?

Since distilling has long been a job done by men, many of the well-regarded whisky judges are men. If they give something a good review, customers will go to the store and buy it.

Pamela Dalton is a researcher at the Monell Chemical Sciences Center in the city of Philadelphia. She studies the senses of taste and smell.

She said some women and girls are better able to learn and classify smells and tastes than men.

It may be that little girls spend more time in the kitchen with their mother and they learn to smell things associated with, you know, food ingredients, cleaning products, who knows. There does seem to be an experiential component to this.

One theory on why women have better noses than men, Dalton said, is that women need to protect their children. The senses of taste and smell can be important when either predators or spoiled food are nearby.

The research also supports the idea that as more women work in whisky production, the final product will taste better. That is because women may focus on flavors that are pleasing to both genders.

Well, they could be different and they could be better for certain people. Maybe there are female-specific notes in whisky that are more pleasant or more petitive to women than to men.

Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek says her companys research shows both men and women enjoy her liquor.

I make something that tastes good to me. But I train my people, you know, to basically match the process that Ive created And at the end of the day, we're just trying to make whisky that tastes good to us, and we hope that resonates with everyone else.

Nancy Fraley says one reason more women are getting involved in producing whisky is that more women are drinking it.

When I was growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I remember it was impolite for women, women did not drink whisky, at least in the South. Maybe on the sly you did that but it was just not ladylike. I think now the doors have opened to women in whisky.

Women also have more money available to spend on starting a business, and more opportunity in general, Fraley said.

When the Harriss started their business in 2009, Becky Harris does not remember meeting any other women distillers.

It really has gotten much more common since then, whether they be women founders, women owners, or women distillers, I think all of those things have become much more common.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

Will you look to buy some whisky made by women now that youve read this story? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

distillery  n. a place where alcoholic drinks (such as whiskey) are produced

blend  v. to mix (things) thoroughly and usually with good results

medal  n. a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement

inventory  n. a supply of goods that are stored in a place

stock  n. a supply of something that is available for use

formulate  v. to create, invent, or produce (something) by careful thought and effort

consistent  adj. of the same quality

exclusive  adj. full and complete

refine  v. to improve (something) by making small changes

typical  adj. normal for a person, thing, or group : average or usual

palate  n. the sense of taste

review  n. a report that gives someone's opinion about the quality of a book, performance, product, etc.

classify  v. to consider (someone or something) as belonging to a particular group

ingredient  n. one of the things that are used to make a food, product, etc.

theory  n. an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain facts or events

predator  n. an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals : an animal that preys on other animals

petitive  adj. desirable, wanted by many people

liquor  n. a strong alcoholic drink

resonate  v. to have particular meaning or importance for someone : to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way

on the sly  phrase. in a secret way

founder  n. a person who creates or establishes something that is meant to last for a long time (such as a business or school)


Designer Sharon Lombardo is trying to reinvent an iconic American brand for a new generation of professional women. No one is addressing a woman working hard and trying to get s--- done, she says. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

On the first day of her new job as the creative director of Anne Klein two years ago, Sharon Lombardo arrived at the companys midtown offices and was greeted by . . . no one.

There was no receptionist to escort her to a design studio, because there was no studio. There wasnt even an Anne Klein sign confirming that she was in the right place. Where were the office supplies, she wondered? Heck, where was the bathroom?

Lombardo cried that spring day, considering the enormous task  and tantalizing possibilities  that lay ahead: to revive one of Americas once-great fashion brands.

In the 1960s and 70s, Anne Klein set the standard for professional, grown-up style. The company didnt just dress women for the workforce. It epitomized their independence, confidence and multifaceted lives. But since the death of its namesake founder in 1974, the company had churned through a half-dozen designers and multiple owners. By 2015, it had devolved into a morass of bland shift dresses, unflattering cropped pants, and shoes that were gawd-awful dowdy.

Lombardo was recruited by the companys latest owner to transform the look of the clothes and the shoes, the advertising, the logo, the attitude. Everything.

Its the kind of fashion turnaround common in Europe, where lifeless legacy brands  Gucci, Balenciaga, Lanvin  have been resuscitated with jaw-dropping success. But many American brands, including Bill Blass, Halston and Geoffrey Beene, have struggled to reclaim cachet after the deaths of their founders.

For Anne Klein, the goal is modest  not to transform into a prestige brand selling $4,000 dresses but simply to thrive as a purveyor of sophisticated sportswear.

That challenge is complicated by an ironic fact: Unlike other flagging brands, Anne Klein never stopped making money. The clothes and accessories may be frumpy, but they still sell. So as Anne Klein changes, it must find a way to please the various companies that make and sell its watches, scarves, hosiery, jewelry and everything else. For them, gambling on a fashion revolution puts a sure thing at risk.



Designer Anne Klein at a fundraiser in 1973. (Courtesy of Anne Klein)

Tall and lean with long red hair that she twirls like a strand of worry beads, Lombardo, 45, spotted only one sign of activity when she arrived at her new workplace  a handful of people scurrying down a distant hallway. They were the licensing folks.

As brands grow in popularity, they frequently sign licensing deals with outside manufacturers that design and produce everything from jewelry, fragrances and coats to luggage, housewares or even paint. Some brands, especially celebrity ones, are nothing but a collection of licensees. The arrangement can be highly lucrative for fashion houses; the risk is that they also cede a significant amount of control.

It works only if all those products make sense as a whole. And at Anne Klein, with nine licensees in the United States alone, the people who designed the scarves had nothing to do with the ones who created the watches. The watches had nothing to do with ready-to-wear. No one was in charge of a central vision. Anne Klein was just a bunch of stuff.

Yet the shoes alone, Lombardo says, were roughly a $200 million business. And the brand was widely available in department stores. Anne Klein could have survived on name recognition and serviceable products. Certainly, many of its licensees were content to do so, with an attitude of If it aint broke, dont fix it, Lombardo said. But the brands history suggested that it could be much more.

Lombardo, who began her career designing for West Coast surfing and skateboarding brands, dove into the archives. She started compiling a mood board of who and what I thought Anne Klein could be, she said. I had a period of about three weeks of walking around by myself. I didnt have anyone to talk to. I didnt have anyone to show anything to. There was no deadline, because we didnt have a president yet.



Undated photo of designer Anne Klein in her studio. (Courtesy of Anne Klein)

The designer Anne Klein was born Hannah Golofski, in Brooklyn in 1923. She spent the early part of her career creating petite-size clothing, elevating the category from girly frocks with Peter Pan collars to sophisticated sportswear. She founded her company in 1968 with a focus on separates, not suits  an innovation at the time  and it became a go-to label for a suede maxi skirt, a poorboy sweater, a hip-hugger belt. Klein also popularized vanity sizing  a 4 was cut large enough to fit a woman who was a 6. When she died of cancer, her company was a financial success.



Model Gunilla Lindblad wearing a brown-and-white print, white lamb-trimmed maxi coat by Anne Klein, 1970. (J. P. Zachariasen/Conde Nast via Getty Images)

Actress Joanna Shimkus in a houndstooth plaid stable coat and wool trousers, both by Anne Klein, 1969. (Bert Stern/Conde Nast via Getty Images)



Marisa Berenson, riding a donkey in Spain, wearing velvet trousers and a white satin gypsy blouse, both by Anne Klein, 1969. (Henry Clarke/Conde Nast via Getty Images)



Designers Donna Karan and Louis DellOlio in the Anne Klein studio in March 1980. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Donna Karan, who had been Kleins assistant, took over along with Louis DellOlio, and for a decade, they preserved the companys aesthetic voice. But in 1984, Karan set out on her own. By the early 1990s, the companys sales were falling. A series of designers  Richard Tyler, Patrick Robinson, Charles Nolan and Isabel Toledo  attempted to jolt it back to life. The company was sold and sold again, ultimately becoming a division of Nine West Holdings. Its backer, the private equity firm Sycamore Partners, asked Liz Fraser to become the new chief executive of Anne Klein  the business brain to Lombardos creative one.



The Fall 2007 Anne Klein collection by Isabel Toledo. (Maria Valentino/for The Washington Post)

The Fall 2007 Anne Klein collection by Isabel Toledo. (Maria Valentino/for The Washington Post)



The Spring 2003 Anne Klein collection by Charles Nolan. (Maria Valentino/for The Washington Post)

The Fall 1996 Anne Klein Collection by Patrick Robinson. (Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post)

Fraser was eager for a down-to-earth change after 15 years at relentlessly cool Marc Jacobs. But she had doubts about a brand no one talked about anymore. Then she heard Patricia Arquettes passionate women-deserve-equal-pay speech at the 2015 Academy Awards. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was on the cusp of entering the presidential race. Fraser began to sense a moment in which women and their relationship to power would dominate the public dialogue. She accepted the job.

I really want to do something about real clothes, Fraser said. I heard for years from friends, I cant find anything to wear. They wanted more style and less fashion.



Liz Fraser, chief executive of Anne Klein, wearing the brands new satin shirtdress. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

Fraser believed Anne Klein could provide the clothes of their quotidian dreams. More fashion-driven than the no-brainer black dresses from MM.LaFleur. Less expensive than Victoria Beckham, Celine or Akris. More sophisticated than Ann Taylor. Luxury brands, said Lombardo, had left a vacuum by failing to redefine what women wear to work. They are selling a vision of sailing a yacht with a fake tan. No one is addressing a woman working hard and trying to get s--- done.

Rebuilding Anne Klein would not just be about streamlined silhouettes, sleeker heels and a more sophisticated color palette. Anne Klein also needed magic. It needed to get people to feel something upon hearing the name.

Fraser started by romancing her own staff. One of her earliest corporate decisions was to swap out the generic soap in the bathrooms for Diptyques $38 bottles of amber-hued, lavender-scented handwash. She also ordered fresh flowers for the showroom. It was a subtle injection of luxury into a nondescript office, which she hoped would inspire the design.

She and Lombardo also ordered up a new font for the Anne Klein label, the original having gotten so wispy, it was like it was disappearing, Fraser said.

And Lombardo settled on a new bit of signature hardware for handbags and shoes, a logo that suggests both the letter A and a kind of bridge  symbolizing a connection between past and future.

[Jenna Lyons perfectly embodied a fashion moment for J. Crew. Then that moment passed.]

But to establish a new Anne Klein image with consumers, Fraser hired the creative team of Laird and Partners. Trey Laird had launched his career at Donna Karan and gone on to help transform Lane Bryant, a mass-market retailer of plus-sized clothes, into a spokesbrand for female empowerment. And he had translated Tom Fords personal style  sunglasses, stubble, crisp white shirts  into a brand distinguished by a sophisticated sex appeal.

You think about Calvin [Klein]. Im at Lord & Taylor, and I buy a floral shift dress. Even if people cant explain it, it has a modern sexiness, Laird said. The same is true with Ralph [Lauren]. It stands for something. You can like it or not, but you know its Ralph.

His agency created an Anne Klein bible, capturing an idea of a certain kind of woman  her temperament, her tastes, her aspirations  via stock photographs of extremely good-looking working mothers rushing through a morning routine. Laird and his partner, Hans Dorsinville, mocked up shopping bags even though Anne Klein had no stores. They sketched renderings of imaginary stores even though they had no fresh product.

They also obsessed over how to use Kleins traditional mascot, a lion (she was a Leo) on a new series of buttons. Should the lion be more romantic, more abstract? They went with abstract. And they debated where, exactly, to position the label in the back of a dress.

In the center seemed too ordinary, Dorsinville said. Klein was a woman who lived on the edge. So now the label sits off-center.

They bounced ideas off industry insiders and asked the opinion of those far beyond the Hudson River. Yet they didnt turn to focus groups. Fashion still revolves around the belief that a designer is able to see things that others cannot; it involves giving people something they cant articulate. And it often means trying to persuade consumers to buy something that, it turns out, they might not actually want.



Sharon Lombardo, creative director and designer at Anne Klein. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

The watches were the first sign of change. Not long before Kleins death, the company signed a licensing agreement with the New York-based E. Gluck, a 61-year-old family-owned watch manufacturer. Even as the flagship Anne Klein brand floundered, its watch business churned along.

We were guided more by the marketplace . . . and less by an overarching vision of the brand, says Erika Piik, E. Glucks director of marketing. We have an incredibly loyal Anne Klein watch customer. People would send in watches for repair, and its a 20-year-old watch.

The new watches are spare and mod. Caggie Bradford, Anne Kleins vice president of licensing, wanted the bracelet styles to feel like the inside of a stalk of celery  fashion-speak for smooth, ergonomic and inviting.

The watchmaker bought in. To hear the manifesto, if you will, its very empowering of women, Piik says.

In February of this year, Anne Klein unveiled a more refined collection of shoes and handbags  constructed from leather, not PVC, with more discreet embellishments and more modern proportions. Embossed ankle boots and pine-green suede pumps have wood-grain block heels, and lug-sole oxfords feature chunky two-inch heels. Black bucket bags are trimmed in dove gray and pale pink. And the jewelry  cuff bracelets in gold and black, spike necklaces in faux horn  are bold and indeterminately tribal.

Lombardos changes have so far been received most enthusiastically in South Korea, where the brand has maintained a glint of cachet. The new look has also been embraced in Doha, Qatar, where a free-standing Anne Klein store recently opened.

In the United States, Anne Klein is constrained by its previous success. Since a pair of the old Anne Klein shoes would sell for less than $100, doubling that price risks losing current customers, without guaranteeing the gain of new ones  even if the new shoes are twice as appealing.

We thought, in our enthusiasm and ignorance, people would just say, Yeah, come on, lets go,  says Johanna Almstead, vice president of global communications. We have to earn their trust. Its so much more complicated than we thought.

This month, Lombardos ready-to-wear arrived. Officially called Anne Klein Collection to distinguish it from the warmed-over frocks that still fill the racks at department stores, this is Lombardos working-woman philosophy at long last realized in satin and jersey. It only took two years.

She was inspired by the companys archives, but also by Morocco. The palette is warm; the colors, muddy. Satin shirts button asymmetrically, the weight of the fabric substantial enough to hide bra lines. Slightly flared skirts have side pockets and just enough stretch to offer a bit of smoothing support. Ribbed-knit sweaters come in shades of mustard and cantaloupe; Lombardo expects tops will retail from $148 to $198. Loose-fitting trousers, priced around $250, flow around the hips. And a navy cashmere overcoat, for $498, unzips along the sides to offer easy access to pants pockets.

The pieces, manufactured in Poland, are classic but not dull. Sensual without being overtly sexy. Easy-to-wear yet polished.

As Lombardo finessed this collection, she employed a fit model who was a size 8  not the typical 2 or 4  and also happened to be 45 years old. If I can make things look good on an eight, Im closer to making things that are relevant to real women, Lombardo said. She considered some womens obsessive dislike of their arms and offers blessed alternatives to the ubiquitous sheath dress.

The overhaul of Anne Klein Collection will be at least a five-year project, requiring a patience that Seventh Avenue has not typically shown. Its big relaunch, likely by early this summer, will not be at a department store but on its website  the best way, Fraser says, to deliver the brands complete vision to an audience of busy, professional women.

And those are the consumers  not hipsters, influencers or socials  who will ultimately judge whether Anne Klein addresses modern needs in a way that other brands have not. Whether it is a brand with a point of view, magic and a mission  or just a bunch of stuff.



Model Vanessa Moreira wears a knit dress from the pre-Fall 2017 Anne Klein Collection. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

The collection is Lombardos first ready-to-wear for Anne Klein. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)



A poorboy sweater from the pre-Fall 2017 collection. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

A variation on a basic white shirt, in heavy satin and an asymmetrical cut. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)



The collection is highlighted by a palette of muddy colors, inspired by Morocco. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

A jumpsuit with a brass zipper and loafers with an ankle strap. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)



A navy cashmere overcoat unzips along the sides to offer easy access to pants pockets. (Jesse Dittmar/for The Washington Post)

CORRECTION: This report has been updated to correct an inaccurate figure about the Anne Klein shoe business.
Robert A. Levy was a driving force behind the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the Supreme Court struck down the Districts gun laws and recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms. Not only was he one of the lawyers on the case, but he also personally funded the litigation. Levy, who is also chairman of the board of the D.C.-based Cato Institute, spoke with Styles Eva Rodriguez on Thursday. What does the defender of gun rights think of the talk about new gun regulations in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., shootings? You might be surprised. Below are edited excerpts.

On banning high-capacity ammunition magazines:

I can imagine a shop owner in the midst of a riot and he says he needs multiple rounds to protect his store and his family. I can also imagine the multi-victim killings like we had in Newtown, where theres a reasonable argument that innocent lives might have been saved if these magazines had been banned and if the ban had been effective. So I think if government can show . . . the benefits of banning high-capacity magazines, then I have no doubt that such a ban would survive a court challenge.

There are three problems that occur to me. One is that homemade magazines are easy to assemble; its just a box with a spring. The second is there is not any effective way to confiscate maybe 25 million high-capacity magazines that are now in circulation. And third, a significant number of existing firearms are configured for 12- to 19-round magazines. So I think a ban on any size of less than 20 rounds would meet with great, great resistance. All of that said, I dont share the NRAs view that we shouldnt consider a ban on high-capacity magazines. I think a ban on magazines of 20 rounds and above seems to me to be reasonable.

On banning assault weapons:

We had an assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004. The New York Times, after the ban expired, reported that despite dire predictions that the streets would be awash in military-style guns, expiration of the assault weapons ban has not set off a sustained surge in sales or caused any noticeable increase in gun crime. There are, of course, millions of these so-called assault weapons, and theyre used by millions of Americans for all sorts of things, including hunting, self-defense, target shooting, even the Olympics. Criminals use handguns because assault weapons are expensive and theyre difficult to conceal.

Now, [the Supreme Court] said that the Second Amendment would likely pose no barrier to outlawing weapons that are not in common use and are especially dangerous. And we have proof of that because fully automated weapons, like machine guns, have been essentially banned since 1934.

View Graphic Majority sees Connecticut shooting as societal problem

I dont consider myself an expert on the technical features of firearms, and so Im not prepared to say exactly which weapons would go on the list and which shouldnt, but I think experts should be able to come up with a pretty good list  obviously not needed for self-defense, obviously dangerous, not in common use. And that would be the new assault weapons ban.

On the slippery slope:

The NRA and the gun lobby had argued that each new gun regulation was a step down this slippery slope, leading ultimately to confiscation. . . . That clearly is what some radicals among gun controllers had in mind. But this is a new environment now. I think [the Supreme Courts decisions] have taken the slippery slope argument pretty much off the table because [the court] has now established  for the first time ever  some hard-and-fast rules. Theres some wiggle room in those rules, to be sure. But at least we do know now that theres an individual right to defend yourself, and a wholesale ban on a type of weapon that does have self-defense utility and that is in common use is not going to be permitted by the Supreme Court.

On gun registration:

Criminals dont register firearms. I mean, what the heck? Why would a guy whos not deterred by a law against murder be deterred by a law that says he has to register a firearm? Its only law-abiding citizens who register weapons, so Im pretty skeptical about the value of registration.

On the other hand, Im not adamant about resisting it. Again, I think the burden is on government to come up with some evidence [that it improves public safety], and so far they havent met that burden.

On the gun show loophole:

Survey data suggest that less than 2 percent of guns used by criminals are bought at gun shows and flea markets, and that includes the sales through [federally] licensed dealers at gun shows. The public doesnt really realize this, but . . . not all sales at gun shows escape background checks. Its only private sales. If I go to a gun show and sell my weapon to you, then theres no background check. But if a dealer sells a weapon to you at a gun show, then the same background check has to occur that occurs if he sells it out of a store. And any dealers  retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers  have to be federally licensed. . . . If technology facilitated truly speedy background checks  and by that I mean 24 hours max  and if there was some reasonable assurance that privacy rights werent being violated, then Id have no objection to extending [background checks] to cover private sales at gun shows. Its not because Im convinced that they would do any good. But I think it would get us past this particular debate and let us address options that might be more effective, including earlier detection and treatment of mental illness and, frankly, the NRAs proposal, which I think is a good idea, for armed guards at school.

On federal background checks:

The one thing thats pretty clear is that the existing [background information database] is not being provided the information it needs to keep the weapons away from mentally deranged people. Whether that information is so intrusive that it does create civil liberties problems Im not prepared to say, because I dont know enough about the subject. But I add, though, that I do think this is not a legitimate function of the federal government. I think this is part of a states police power, which includes protecting residents against rights-violating activities, such as the criminal use of firearms.


Kaya Henderson was the D.C. schools chancellor for more than five years, until she stepped down in fall 2016. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

By some key measures, public schools in the nations capital look better than they did a decade ago when reformers upended the system.

Enrollment has steadily increased in the past five years, high school graduation rates have improved, and most students are scoring higher on standardized exams. Schools boast state-of-the-art facilities after a rebuilding spree, and the system has invested in rewarding and keeping good teachers.

So why did former D.C. Public C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson feel she needed to boost confidence in the system by giving high-ranking officials special treatment to help their children get into sought-after schools?

All those systemic improvements, it turns out, werent enough.

DCPS still suffers from a crisis in confidence, as Henderson told city investigators in a report The Washington Post disclosed this month detailing her actions to help certain families get around the D.C. school lottery.

Images cant be remade simply by having better test scores or shinier buildings. And Henderson believed that having more VIPs in the schools could matter in turning the systems reputation around.

For decades, DCPS hasnt educated a presidents child. President Trump and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton all opted to send their children to private schools. Thousands of other families in the city do the same. Additionally, nearly half the citys public school students enroll in charter schools.

[Secret report shows special treatment for public officials in D.C. school lottery]

Experts say school leaders in systems with tattered reputations will try everything they can to change the systems image. Some say schools benefit from attracting wealthier families into their schools, as Henderson was trying to do, because research suggests schools benefit academically when they enroll students from a wide spectrum of economic backgrounds, from poor to rich.

Endorsement from parents who are considered peers is probably more powerful than what any principal or superintendent will say about a school system, said Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The the Century Foundation and an expert on school integration.

D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas found that Henderson helped well-connected parents bypass the citys lottery to enroll their children in coveted schools. Lucas found Henderson misused her authority by giving preferential treatment to seven of 10 people who requested special school placements for their children during the 2015 lottery season.

In at least three of those placements, Henderson told investigators that she approved the placements because she wanted to boost the reputation of the school system.

She felt it looks good for the school district when an elected official reaches out about attending a D.C. public school, Lucass report said of one of the placements.

The report does not name the parents who benefited from Hendersons actions. However, a former city official with knowledge of the school placements provided documents identifying four of them as City Administrator Rashad M. Young, D.C. Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, former D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty and Roberto J. Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who served in the White House as an education adviser to Obama. The former official provided the information on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

[Despite D.C.s pledges, hundreds of families a year bypass citys public middle schools]

In three of those placements, Henderson told investigators that she wanted influential city and federal workers to have a seat in D.C. schools.

Asked about the Rodriguez placement, Henderson told investigators that when people in the White House send their children to a DCPS school, it shows high-ranking officials trust in the school system, leading to the theory that it will show others should also trust the DCPS school system.

Henderson declined an interview request, saying in an email that she has been advised by her attorneys not to make public statements until the conclusion of a D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability probe, but she said she appreciates an exploration of this part of the story.

While the Lucas report lays bare how Henderson used her power to place the children of those with political clout in sought-after schools, it also revealed her apparent insecurity about the reputation of a school system that is trying to rebuild its image after a decade of school reform efforts that she helped lead.

Most of the 48,000 students in DCPS come from low-income families: 75 percent qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In some schools, all students qualify. D.C. officials are pushing to take advantage of the citys gentrification and to diversify their enrollment.

Having middle- or upper-middle class families in schools sends a signal to other parents that there is trust in the school system, Kahlenberg said. Research has found that schools with balanced shares of middle- and low-income students do better academically than those with high concentrations of poverty.

Kahlenberg called Hendersons rationale in trying to attract high-powered families into the school system half right. He said he disagrees with Hendersons methods.

If her argument is you are trying to instill confidence in the system, then using means that suggest to the average person that the system is rigged backfires, Kahlenberg said.

Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association and a former superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, said superintendents sometimes rely on quick fixes to repair their reputations. Having influential government leaders with children in schools can help improve the systems image, he said.

You scratch and do the best you can in the short term, as Kaya tried to do, Domenech said. But it comes down to improving the system so the kids are getting the quality education that they need, and that will attract residents to the schools.


Dwight Harris, 16, an 11th-grader at Ballou High School, pictured outside the D.C. school. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Nearly 200 teachers have quit their jobs in D.C. Public Schools since the school year began, forcing principals to scramble to cover their classes with substitutes and depriving many students of quality instruction in critical subjects.

The vacancies hit hardest in schools that already face numerous academic challenges, according to data The Washington Post obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

At Ballou High School in Southeast Washington, more than a quarter of the faculty quit after starting work in August. Many of their classrooms now have long-term substitutes. Dwight Harris, 16, an 11th-grader, said his Algebra 2 class has been chaotic since his first teacher left in January.

No one is teaching. Its been like that for months now, Harris said. We dont do anything, so I leave and go to my biology class or English class and go do other work.

Most teachers wait until summer to call it quits, but in DCPS a rising number are leaving during the school year.

The mid-year resignation rate for DCPS was higher than for some other urban school systems The Post checked. In the D.C. system, 184 of about 4,000 teachers  nearly 5 percent  quit from September to mid-May. That was a 44 percent increase over the 128 teachers who left in the 2013-2014 school year.

In Denver Public Schools, which employs about 4,600 teachers, 115 teachers left in a comparable period this year. In Baltimore City Public Schools, with about 5,150 teachers, the total who quit was 145. In Seattle Public Schools, with about 4,000 teachers, 55 quit.

DCPS spokeswoman Michelle Lerner acknowledged it is a challenge to lose teachers mid-year. School officials try to fill vacancies as quickly as possible with a full-time teacher, but she said the best time to hire is in the summer.

Having a high-quality teacher in front of every classroom is a huge priority for us, she said.

[1 in 4 U.S. teachers are chronically absent, missing more than 10 days of school]

While the number who quit abruptly is small compared with the total workforce, experts say mid-year resignations are particularly disruptive and harmful to student learning because its very difficult to fill sudden vacancies.

Most good teachers are employed during the school year. That means if a teacher leaves mid-year, classrooms are left to a rotation of short-term substitutes or a long-term sub who may not be fully qualified to teach at that grade level or in a specific discipline, such as math or biology.

Every teacher, no matter how successful they are at their job, knows that leaving mid-year is a really unkind thing to do to kids and the school. If they are doing it, its out of anger, or an overwhelming sense that you are not doing anybody any good by staying, said Kate Walsh, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality.

The Post obtained two sets of data on DCPS teacher resignations. One covered the systemwide totals for the past four school years. The other, from the FOIA request, showed in detail how many teachers quit at each campus this school year from August through February. Students started classes on Aug. 22, but teachers reported to work earlier that month. Hiring typically occurs by the end of June.

In most DCPS schools, the faculty is stable. Of 115 schools in the system, 59 had two or fewer resignations after teachers reported to work, the data showed.

But a handful were hit hard.

Columbia Heights Education Campus in Northwest lost 11 teachers, or 10 percent of its faculty. H.D. Woodson High in Northeast lost 10 of its 50 teachers, or 20 percent.

No school has suffered more turnover than Ballou High. It lost 21 teachers from August through February  28 percent of its faculty. Many of the resignations occurred in the math department, current and former teachers say.

Several former Ballou teachers told The Post they did not want to leave mid-year and felt bad about the consequences for students. But they said a number of problems drove them to leave, from student behavior and attendance issues to their own perception of a lack of support from the administration. They also raised questions about evaluations. Some veterans said that in previous years they had received high marks from administrators, but this year they were given what they believe are arbitrarily low evaluation scores.

DCPS officials declined to make the principal of the school, Yetunde Reeves, available for an interview.

Lerner, the spokeswoman, said the school system is looking closely at the Ballou situation.

We are working with the school to make sure that the staff in the building feel supported and to create a long-term vision so we dont continue to see high turnover at Ballou and other schools, she said.

[D.C.s overhauled training program is paying off for some teachers]

Rowan Langford was the Algebra 2 teacher for Harris when the school year began. The 22-year-old was a teaching fellow at Ballou. It was her first teaching job after graduating from Tulane University with a bachelors degree in math.



Former Ballou High math teacher Rowan Langford. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

Langford said she asked administrators for help with behavior problems in her classroom  but didnt get it.

Her classes were large. One had more than 33 students. She said the students were very far behind and lacked the foundation needed to be successful.

A lot of them felt really discouraged about math and used other methods to lash out, Langford said. I couldnt address those problems they were having on my own.

Langford said she threatened to quit two months into the school year but was hopeful she would get support to manage her classroom. She said nothing changed. In January, she decided to quit.

I felt awful about it, she said. Before I started this job, I said I didnt understand why anyone would quit mid-year. But being in it, you realize how long a year is because every single day feels like three.

Ballou has about 930 students, and all qualify for free or reduced-price lunch because they live in poverty. Many come from homes where their parents didnt go to college. The school ranks among the citys lowest-performing high schools on core measures. Its graduation rate in the last school year, 57 percent, was second-lowest among regular high schools in the DCPS system.

In 2016, 3 percent of Ballou students tested met reading standards on citywide exams. Almost none met math standards.

The school was reconstituted in the 2015-2016 school year, its second shakeup in five years. Reconstitution means the teachers and staff all had to reapply for their jobs.

Yetunde Reeves, Ballou principal (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Principal since 2014, Reeves recently said she and her staff were working to change Ballous image by raising expectations for students. In March, the school said all of its seniors had applied to college, a first for Ballou.

[Entire senior class at D.C.s Ballou High School applies to college]

Monica Brokenborough, a music teacher and the schools union representative, sent a letter this month to the D.C. Council, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson raising concerns about the staff vacancies.

Students simply roam the halls because they know that there is no one present in their assigned classroom to provide them with an education, Brokenborough said. Many of them have simply lost hope.

Richard Ingersoll, a professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and expert on the nations teacher workforce, said there is no national data on what portion of teachers leave in the middle of the school year. But he said a quit rate as high as Ballous signals there are some problems in that building.

Ingersolls research shows that teachers who resign abruptly often do so because they do not feel supported by their administration. Some may leave if they do not feel safe in schools where there are fights and other disruptions. Those issues take a greater toll on inexperienced teachers.

High turnover, whenever it happens, suggests there are problems in the workplace, Ingersoll said. If its in the middle of the year, that suggests things are so bad people cant wait until the end of the year.

[High-poverty schools often staffed by rotating cast of substitutes]

Walsh, with the National Council on Teacher Quality, agreed that leadership is everything. Walsh said that when a large group of teachers leaves mid-year, many could be disgruntled and that students may be better off if ineffective teachers leave. Still, she said the school system needs to examine what is driving teachers out.

I imagine behind closed doors, they are questioning leadership, Walsh said. They ought to be using it as a point of discussion with those school leaders.

Harris said that since his teacher left, he hasnt learned much in algebra. Substitutes have told him and his classmate to fill out worksheets, he said, which they answer by Googling the problems.

Many times, Harris said, he stays in the room for 10 minutes, long enough for the sub to mark him present.

I have no idea what my grade is right now, he said, but I think Ill pass the class.

Asked about Harriss class, Lerner said that students in it are still receiving instruction. The school is on a watch for how students do, she said, and if there is any loss of learning officials will add extra time to the next years schedule for math instruction.

In her message to city officials, Brokenborough included handwritten letters from students who described feeling unprepared for their Advanced Placement exams and fearful that their prospects for college will be hampered by not having a teacher in key classes.

Iyonna Jones, an 18-year-old senior, said in one of the letters that security guards tell the students lingering in hallways to go to class, but she has a substitute teacher in her math class and doesnt feel she is getting the instruction she needs.

We should just stay home, because what is the point of coming to school if we are not learning and have no teachers, she wrote.

A previous version of this story cited statistics on teacher resignations at Raymond Education Campus. D.C. school officials subsequently clarified that the school is on a year-round schedule  unlike most others in the system  and that the turnover there was not unusual. This version has been updated.
THE REGION

Memorial Day parade and wreath-laying

The parade along Constitution Avenue NW in the District begins at Seventh Street at 2 p.m. and ends at 17th Street. Police will close Constitution between Seventh and 23rd from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The nearest Metro stations are Archives, Federal Triangle and Smithsonian.

Between about 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., police will close the staging area on Seventh Street between Independence and Pennsylvania avenues and Constitution Avenue between Sixth and Ninth streets.

The annual wreath-laying to honor Americas fallen service members is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. Parking is accessible from Memorial Avenue. The cemetery can be reached on Metros Blue Line.

 Luz Lazo

MARYLAND

Body is pulled from Severn River

An unidentified body was hauled from the Severn River on Sunday after someone jumped from a bridge, authorities said.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police were conducting a death investigation.

 Ashley Halsey III

Man fatally wounded

in hotel parking lot

A man who was staying at a Silver Spring hotel died after being assaulted about 2:30 a.m. Sunday by several people in the parking lot, police said.

After the attack at the Days Inn, the man called Montgomery County police. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, police said. He was not named.

Witnesses told police the man was assaulted by a group of people in the parking lot of the Days Inn, in the 8000 block of 13th Street.

 Ashley Halsey III

Baltimore mayor might try to scrap monuments

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) says she wants to explore removing the citys Confederate monuments.

A commission appointed by former mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) favored removal of the Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Monument in the Wyman Park Dell. But Rawlings-Blake didnt remove the statues, citing cost and logistical concerns.

Pugh said the city might be able to auction off the monuments.

 Associated Press

The District

Man is 5th person shot over the weekend

A man was shot and gravely wounded Sunday in Northeast Washington, police said.

The man, who was shot in the 5200 block of Dix Street, was not breathing when he was taken to a hospital, police spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova said.

He was the fifth person reported shot in separate incidents in the city since late Saturday.

 Martin Weil
NEW MEXICO

Fire raises questions about Los Alamos lab

A recent fire has put a national laboratorys ability to operate safely into question.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board announced Friday that it will hold a hearing next month to discuss the future of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. The board is an independent panel that advises the U.S. Department of Energy and the president.

A fire broke mid-April at the labs PF-4 plutonium building, where the plutonium cores of nuclear weapons are produced. Lab officials said that the fire was put out quickly and caused only minor injuries.

According to the report, the board is unsure whether the lab is fit to continue to operate and handle increasing quantities of plutonium in coming years after a series of problems with management in maintenance and cleanup.

 Associated Press

Uber founders mother killed in boat accident: The mother of the chief executive of the ride-hailing company Uber died in a boat accident Friday evening in Fresno County, Calif., the company said. Bonnie Kalanick, 71, died after the boat in which she and her husband, Donald, 78, were riding hit a rock in Pine Flat Lake in the eastern part of the county, authorities said. Donald was hospitalized with injuries. They are the parents of Travis Kalanick, 40, who founded Uber in 2009.

Blue whale washes ashore: The body of a 79-foot blue whale has washed ashore in Californias Marin County, and experts are trying to determine why it died. The whale was discovered off Agate Beach in Bolinas on Thursday. Marine Mammal Center scientists said she was a sub-adult. They collected skin and blubber samples and planned a necropsy for Saturday. Blue whales are endangered.

Michigan guard to stand trial in inmates suicide: A judge has ordered a prison guard to stand trial in the death of a Michigan inmate who killed herself. Judge J. Cedric Simpson said he has never seen a clearer case of neglect of duty. Dianna Callahan of Flint appeared in court near Ann Arbor on Thursday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and willful neglect of duty. She is accused of failing to properly respond to a suicide threat made by Janika Edmond at a prison for women.

 From news services
Stefanie Joho was 22 when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She has been in remission for more than a year thanks to an immunotherapy treatment aimed at a genetic glitch, rather than aiming at the disease itself like chemotherapy does. (Michelle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

The oncologist was blunt: Stefanie Johos colon cancer was raging out of control and there was nothing more she could do. Flanked by her parents and sister, the 23-year-old felt something wet on her shoulder. She looked up to see her father weeping.

I felt dead inside, utterly demoralized, ready to be done, Joho remembers.

But her younger sister couldnt accept that. When the family got back to Johos apartment in New Yorks Flatiron district, Jess opened her laptop and began searching frantically for clinical trials, using medical words shed heard but not fully understood. An hour later, she came into her sisters room and showed her what shed found. Im not letting you give up, she told Stefanie. This is not the end.

That search led to a contact at Johns Hopkins University, and a few days later, Joho got a call from a cancer geneticist co-leading a study there. Get down here as fast as you can! Luis Diaz said. We are having tremendous success with patients like you.

What followed is an illuminating tale of how one womans intersection with experimental research helped open a new frontier in cancer treatment  with approval of a drug that, for the first time, capitalizes on a genetic feature in a tumor rather than on the diseases location in the body.

(The Parker Foundation)

The breakthrough, made official last week by the Food and Drug Administration, immediately could benefit some patients with certain kinds of advanced cancer that arent responding to chemotherapy. Each should be tested for that genetic signature, scientists stress.

These are people facing death sentences, said Hopkins geneticist Bert Vogelstein. This treatment might keep some of them in remission for a long time.

In August 2014, Joho stumbled into Hopkins for her first infusion of the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. She was in agony from a malignant mass in her midsection, and even with the copious amounts of oxycodone she was swallowing, she needed a new fentanyl patch on her arm every 48 hours. Yet within just days, the excruciating back pain had eased. Then an unfamiliar sensation  hunger  returned. She burst into tears when she realized what it was.

As months went by, her tumor shrank and ultimately disappeared. She stopped treatment this past August, free from all signs of disease.

[Negotiating cancer: Tips from one whos done it ]

The small trial in Baltimore was pivotal, and not only for the young marketing professional. It showed that immunotherapy could attack colon and other cancers thought to be unstoppable. The key was their tumors genetic defect, known as mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency  akin to a missing spell-check on their DNA. As the DNA copies itself, the abnormality prevents any errors from being fixed. In the cancer cells, that means huge numbers of mutations that are good targets for immunotherapy.

The treatment approach isnt a panacea, however. The glitch under scrutiny  which can arise spontaneously or be inherited  is found in just 4 percent of cancers overall. But bore in on a few specific types, and the scenario changes dramatically. The problem occurs in up to 20 percent of colon cancers and about 40 percent of endometrial malignancies  cancer in the lining of the uterus.

Joho, now 27, plays with a childhood friends dogs in suburban Philadelphia. The drug that successfully targeted her colon cancer was approved Tuesday by the FDA for use on malignancies with certain molecular characteristics. (Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post)

In the United States, researchers estimate that initially about 15,000 people with the defect may be helped by this immunotherapy. That number is likely to rise sharply as doctors begin using it earlier on eligible patients.

Joho was among the first.

***

Even before Joho got sick, cancer had cast a long shadow on her family. Her mother has Lynch syndrome, a hereditary disorder that sharply raises the risk of certain cancers, and since 2003, Priscilla Joho has suffered colon cancer, uterine cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Stefanies older sister, Vanessa, had already tested positive for Lynch syndrome, and Stefanie planned to get tested when she turned 25. But at 22, several months after she graduated from New York University, she began feeling unusually tired. She blamed the fatigue on her demanding job. Her primary-care physician, aware of her mothers medical history, ordered a colonoscopy.

When Joho woke up from the procedure, the gastroenterologist looked like a ghost, she said. A subsequent CT scan revealed a very large tumor in her colon. Shed definitely inherited Lynch syndrome.

She underwent surgery in January 2013 at Philadelphias Fox Chase Cancer Center, where her mother had been treated. The news was good: The cancer didnt appear to have spread, so she could skip chemotherapy and follow up with scans every three months.

[More than two-thirds of cancer mutations are due to random DNA copying errors, study says]

By August of that year, though, Joho started having relentless back pain. Tests detected the invasive tumor in her abdomen. Another operation, and now she started chemo. Once again, in spring 2014, the cancer roared back. Her doctors in New York, where she now was living, switched to a more aggressive chemo regimen.

This thing is going to kill me, Joho remembered thinking. It was eating me alive.

She made it to Jesss college graduation in Vermont that May. Midsummer, her oncologist confessed he was out of options. As he left the examining room, he mentioned offhandedly that some interesting work was going on in immunotherapy. But when Joho met with a hospital immunologist, that doctor told her no suitable trials were available.

Joho began planning to move to her parents home in suburban Philadelphia: I thought, Im dying, and Id like to breathe fresh air and be around the green and the trees. 

Her younger sister wasnt ready for her to give up. Jess searched for clinical trials, typing in immunotherapy and other terms shed heard the doctors use. Up popped a trial at Hopkins, where doctors were testing a drug called pembrolizumab.

***

Pembro is part of a class of new medications called checkpoint inhibitors that disable the brakes that keep the immune system from attacking tumors. In September 2014, the treatment was approved by the FDA for advanced melanoma and marketed as Keytruda. The medication made headlines in 2015 when it helped treat former president Jimmy Carter for melanoma that had spread to his brain and liver. It later was cleared for several other malignancies.

Yet researchers still dont know why immunotherapy, once hailed as a game changer, works in only a minority of patients. Figuring that out is important for clinical as well as financial reasons. Keytruda, for example, costs about $150,000 a year.

By the time Joho arrived at Hopkins, the trial had been underway for a year. While an earlier study had shown a similar immunotherapy drug to be effective for a significant proportion of patients with advanced melanoma or lung or kidney cancer, checkpoint inhibitors werent making headway with colon cancer. A single patient out of 20 had responded in a couple of trials.

Why did some tumors shrink and others didnt? What was different about the single colon cancer patient who benefited?

Drew Pardoll, director of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Hopkins, and top researcher Suzanne L. Topalian took the unusual step of consulting with the cancer geneticists who worked one floor up.

This was the first date in what became the marriage of cancer genetics and cancer immunology, Pardoll said.

[A consumers guide to the hottest field in cancer treatments  immunotherapy]

In a brainstorming session, the geneticists were quick to offer their theories. They suggested that the melanoma and lung cancer patients had done best because those cancers have lots of mutations, a consequence of exposure to sunlight and cigarette smoke. The mutations produce proteins recognized by the immune system as foreign and ripe for attack, and the drug boosts the systems response.

And that one colon-cancer patient? As Vogelstein recalls, We all said in unison, He must have MMR deficiency!   because such a genetic glitch would spawn even more mutations. The abnormality was a familiar subject to Vogelstein, who in the 1990s had co-discovered its role in the development of colon cancer. But the immunologists hadnt thought of it.

When the patients tumor tissue was tested, it was indeed positive for the defect.

The researchers decided to run a small trial, led by Hopkins immunologist Dung Le and geneticist Diaz, to determine whether the defect could predict a patients response to immunotherapy. The pharmaceutical company Merck provided its still-experimental drug pembrolizumab. Three groups of volunteers were recruited: 10 colon cancer patients whose tumors had the genetic problem; 18 colon cancer patients without it; and 7 patients with other malignancies with the defect.

The first results, published in 2015 in the New England Journal of Medicine, were striking. Four out of the 10 colon cancer patients with the defect and 5 out of the other 7 cancer patients with the abnormality responded to the drug. In the remaining group, nothing. Since then, updated numbers have reinforced that a high proportion of patients with the genetic feature benefit from the drug, often for a lengthy period. Other trials by pharmaceutical companies have shown similar results.

The Hopkins investigators found that tumors with the defect had, on average, 1,700 mutations, compared with only 70 for tumors without the problem. That confirmed the theory that high numbers of mutations make it more likely the immune system will recognize and attack cancer  if it gets assistance from immunotherapy.

The studies were the foundation of the FDAs decision on Tuesday to green-light Keytruda to treat cancers such as Johos, meaning malignancies with certain molecular characteristics. This first-ever site-agnostic approval by the agency signals an emerging field of precision immunotherapy, Pardoll said, one in which genetic details are used to anticipate who will respond to treatments.

***

For Joho, now 27 and living in suburban Philadelphia, the hard lesson from the past few years is clear: The cancer field is changing so rapidly that patients cant rely on their doctors to find them the best treatments. Oncologists can barely keep up, she said. My sister found a trial I was a perfect candidate for, and my doctors didnt even know it existed.

Her first several weeks on the trial were rough, with an early hospitalization after she cut back too quickly on her fentanyl and went into withdrawal. She still has some lasting side effects today  joint pain in her knees, minor nausea and fatigue  but they are manageable.

I have had to adapt to some new limits, she acknowledged. But I still feel better than I have in five years.

The FDAs decision last week was an emotional moment. Diaz, now at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, immediately texted her. We did it! he exulted.

I got chills all over my body, Joho said. To think that I was at the end of the road, with no options, and then to be part of such a change.

Her experience has prompted her to drop plans to go back into marketing. Now she wants to help patients navigate the new cancer landscape. Become an expert on your cancer is her message. Dont be passive. She encourages patients to try clinical trials.

As a cancer survivor with Lynch syndrome, Joho will be closely watched; if she relapses, she is likely to be treated again with immunotherapy. And if her mother relapses, Keytruda might now be her best chance.

Coming out the other side, I feel really lucky, Joho said. Shes also grateful for something else: A few years ago, her sister Jess was tested for the disorder that has so affected their family. She was negative.
A boy checks himself in a mirror Saturday while shopping for a cap at a stall outside a mosque ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan. (Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)

BURMA

Video purports to show abuse by troops

Human rights advocates called on Burma to investigate the actions of some of its soldiers on Saturday after footage of people being treated violently by uniformed men went viral.

Burmas armed forces have often been accused of abuses by human rights groups and Western governments during decades of conflict with myriad ethnic armed groups.

The footage, which was posted on Facebook early Saturday, surfaced as some of the countrys armed rebel groups gathered in the capital, Naypyidaw, for a new round of peace talks with Burma leader Aung San Suu Kyi after a first year in power that saw the worst fighting in years.

The footage appeared to show several members of Burmas military beating and kicking three men as at least six unidentified men were handcuffed and questioned. The video showed soldiers kicking men in the face on the ground as well as holding a machete to a mans throat.

 Reuters

SPAIN

More than 150 saved from Mediterranean

Spains maritime rescue service saved 157 migrants from five small boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

The service completed five different rescue missions in waters east of the Strait of Gibraltar from late Friday through Saturday.

Each year, tens of thousands of migrants and refugees set off from North Africa across the Mediterranean Sea. Thousands die after setting sail in smugglers overloaded boats or tiny dinghies that are unfit for the open sea.

 Associated Press

IRELAND

Ruling Fine Gael resurges in polls

Support for Irelands governing Fine Gael party surged in a poll on Saturday as it overtook its nearest rivals and amassed an eight percentage point lead days before electing a new leader and prime minister.

Fine Gael support increased to 29 percent from 24 percent a month ago in the Sunday Business Post/Red C poll, while fellow center-right party Fianna Fail fell seven points to 21 percent. The left-wing Sinn Fein, the countrys third biggest party, also saw its support slip to 15 percent from 18 percent.

Irish premier Enda Kenny announced his resignation earlier this month, in part due to the partys opinion poll struggles.

 Reuters

At least 18 die in Taliban-claimed car bomb attack: At least 18 people, mostly civilians, were killed when a suicide car bomber targeted a convoy of provincial security forces in eastern Afghanistan, an Interior Ministry official said. The target of the bomber is believed to have been a group of guards providing security for U.S. forces in Khost province, but most of the victims in the attack were civilians. The Taliban has claimed credit for the attack.

Filipinos wave white flags to try to ward off airstrikes: Philippine fighter aircraft unleashed rocket fire against militants, prompting villagers to hoist white flags to avoid being targeted as the military turned to airstrikes to try to end the siege of a southern city by Islamic State group-allied militants. The predominantly Muslim city of Marawi, home to some 200,000 people, has been under siege since a failed army raid Tuesday on a suspected hideout of terrorist Isnilon Hapilon. He got away and fighters loyal to him took over parts of the city.

Sri Lanka is doubtful in finding mudslide survivors: Sri Lankas military is saying that it is doubtful any missing people will be found alive two days after torrents of mud triggered by heavy rain covered homes in southern and western parts of the country, killing 100 people and leaving 99 others missing. The Disaster Management Center said more than 27,000 people have been displaced by the landslides. Mudslides have become common during the monsoon season in Sri Lanka, a tropical Indian Ocean island nation, as land has been heavily deforested to grow export crops such as tea and rubber.

 From news services
PHILIPPINES

Separatist groups urged to join fight against ISIS

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to Muslim separatists and Maoist-led rebels to join his governments fight against militants linked to the Islamic State.

With fears growing that the Islamic State is seeking a presence in the Philippines, Duterte offered to pay and even house fighters from organizations that have long opposed the state if they would work to defeat a common enemy, known as the Maute group.

Duterte said the idea of militias and soldiers fighting together had come from the leader of one of the separatist groups.

Maute militants have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and have been battling troops since laying siege to a southern city last week.

During a weekend visit to an army base on Jolo island, where security forces are fighting another Islamist group, the Abu Sayyaf, Duterte said he would treat communist and Muslim guerrillas the same as government troops if they join his fight.

He made the unconventional offer to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front. He also asked the communist New Peoples Army to abandon its protracted guerrilla war and work with his government.

The military used attack helicopters, artillery and ground troops on Sunday to try to take back the city of Marawi on Mindanao island, where Maute militants are putting up heavy resistance.

Sixty-one rebels, 15 security personnel and nine civilians have been killed in the violence, while tens of thousands have been displaced.

 Reuters

INDIA

Lockdown imposed to stop Kashmir protests

Government forces enforced a strict curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, a day after the killing of a prominent rebel commander by Indian troops sparked massive protests in the disputed region.

Armed police and paramilitary soldiers patrolled deserted streets and ordered residents indoors in the regions main city of Srinagar and other towns to stop the anti-India demonstrations.

Still, thousands assembled in the southern Tral area for the funeral of the rebel commander, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, chanting slogans calling for Kashmirs freedom from Indian rule.

After Bhat and another militant were killed in a gun battle with soldiers on Saturday, large-scale protests and clashes erupted across the region, leaving one civilian dead and dozens injured.

There were no reports of protests Sunday.

Separatist leaders who challenge Indias sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.

India and Pakistan administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

 Associated Press

First 3 cases of Zika reported in country

India has reported its first three infections of the Zika virus, including in two pregnant women who delivered healthy babies.

Health Ministry officials said Sunday that the three patients in western Gujarat state had recovered. There is no need to panic, Soumya Swaminathan, a top health official, told reporters.

The World Health Organization said the three cases India reported were detected through routine blood surveillance in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarats largest city.

Swaminathan, who heads the Indian Council of Medical Research, said the three patients had not traveled overseas and had acquired the infection locally.

Zika is transmitted by the daytime-active Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Although Zika was first identified in 1947, the virus was not considered a major health threat until an outbreak in Brazil in 2015 revealed that it can lead to severe birth defects when pregnant women are infected.

 Associated Press

Sri Lanka mudslide death toll hits 151: Sri Lankan rescuers pulled out more bodies buried by enormous mudslides, the death toll in the disaster climbing to 151, with 111 missing. The forecast for more rain threatens to bring further misery to the more than 100,000 people displaced in the western and southern regions of the nation that were lashed by two days of torrential rains. Mudslides are common during the monsoon season in Sri Lanka.

Young activist, ex-military man killed in Venezuela: A 20-year-old man from the opposition Popular Will Party is the latest to die in a wave of anti-government demonstrations held almost daily since late March, Venezuelan authorities said. A former military man died in a separate incident when he was attacked by a group in a continuing wave of violence sparked by the protests, which have left at least 60 dead.

 From news services
Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. (Steve Helber/AP)

A substantial majority of the judges who sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond delivered a rather remarkable judgment last week: The president of the United States is not to be believed.

Will the Supreme Court conclude the same thing? And by Supreme Court, we mean Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose name was invoked 23 times in the 205 pages of majority opinions, concurrences and dissents in the appeals courts 10-to-3 rejection of President Trumps revised travel ban.

[Appeals court wont revive Trumps travel ban]

It appears that we will find out  the presidents lawyers are likely to ask the high court this week to overturn the 4th Circuit opinion. Perhaps the administration will find a more receptive audience at 1 First Street than it has to date for the argument that judicial attempts to peer into the chief executives motivations are inappropriate.

But its worth another look at the remarkable rhetoric in Chief Judge Roger L. Gregorys majority opinion, which concludes that Trumps true reason for the travel ban was not protecting the nations security but making good on a campaign promise born of anti-Muslim bias.

As Harvard law professor Noah Feldman put it in an essay for Bloomberg News, Its extraordinary for a federal court to tell the president directly that hes lying; I certainly cant think of any other examples in my lifetime.

Gregorys 79-page opinion, joined in full by six judges, opens with the finding that Trumps executive order drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination. He devotes a large section to recounting Trump campaign rhetoric, tweets and website postings about imposing a ban on Muslims entering the country.

[Trump and his advisers cant keep quiet, and its causing problems for him]

Gregory noted an interview that Trump gave in 2016, when challenged about whether banning Muslims would be constitutional. People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you cant use the word Muslim, Trump said. Remember this. And Im okay with that, because Im talking territory instead of Muslim.

Just as the reasonable observers world is not made brand new every morning,  Gregory wrote, quoting from a Supreme Court precedent, nor are we able to awake without the vivid memory of these statements.

We cannot shut our eyes to such evidence when it stares us in the face, for theres none so blind as they that wont see. 

Trumps first executive order, which Gregory called EO-1, was issued just a week after the president took office. It barred the entry of citizens of seven majority-Muslim nations (Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya), ordered a temporary halt to refugee arrivals and would have eventually given preference to those who were religious minorities in their countries, such as Christians. Several judges and a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit shut it down.

[Appeals court rules against Trump travel ban]

Trump vowed to go to the Supreme Court that time, too, but eventually issued a new order, which Gregory called EO-2. The order removed Iraq from the list, deleted references to religion and added national security rationales for the policy.

Gregory again doubted the presidents motives.

Any national security justification for EO-2 was secondary to its primary religious purpose and was offered as more of a litigating position than as the actual purpose of EO-2, he wrote.

The presidents credibility took other hits in the 4th Circuit ruling in International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump.

Judge Stephanie Thacker said she would not consider Trumps statements during the campaign but that he had said enough in his short time as president to reveal his true intentions. She called the revised order the proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing.

Judge James A. Wynn Jr. seemed to think Gregory had not gone far enough in his rhetoric; Wynn invoked in his concurrence the lessons of slavery and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

We again encounter the affront of invidious discrimination  this time layered under the guise of a Presidents claim of unfettered congressionally delegated authority to control immigration . . . Laid bare, this executive order is no more than what the President promised before and after his election: naked invidious discrimination against Muslims.

The three dissenting judges  all were nominated to the appeals court by Republican presidents, while those in the majority were nominated by Democrats  seemed stunned not just by the boldness of their colleagues but by what has happened to their court, which was once one of the nations most conservative.

Judge Paul V. Niemeyer said the majority breezed past Supreme Court rulings that give the president enormous power to make immigration policy and decide who is allowed to enter the country.

So long as the order is issued for a facially legitimate and bona fide reason, the courts will neither look behind the exercise of that discretion, nor test it by balancing its justification against the [plaintiffs] First Amendment interests, the court has ruled.

The majority compounded its error, Niemeyer wrote, by relying on the campaign statements. He welcomed the next round of review.

The Supreme Court surely will shudder at the majoritys adoption of this new rule that has no limits or bounds  one that transforms the majoritys criticisms of a candidates various campaign statements into a constitutional violation he wrote.

Which brings things back to Kennedy. He is the pivotal member of the court, the justice most often in the majority when the divided court decides a controversial issue. But he is especially important on this issue.

In a 2015 case, Kennedy generally agreed with the rule that courts should not look behind immigration decisions. But, along with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., he said that an affirmative showing of bad faith, plausibly shown, might free courts to probe the rationale of a decision.

It is hardly clear how the Supreme Court will react to a case that mixes profound questions about the presidents power to protect the country, Congresss grant of authority to the executive branch to make immigration decisions and the Constitutions admonition that government not single out one religion for disparagement.

Niemeyer said his colleagues seem to acknowledge that the same directive issued by a different president would be acceptable. Has this president shown he should be treated differently?
For students across the country, the traditional eighth-grade trip to Washington is a chance to join the throngs on the Mall and perhaps spot some of the worlds most powerful people on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.

But a group from South Orange Middle School in New Jersey may remember their trip to the nations capital last week for another reason: It was the occasion for a pointed snub of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).

Dozens of the 218 students on the trip refused to have their photo taken with Ryan when he briefly joined them outside the capitol Thursday, students on the trip said. Those present were unable to provide a precise tally of how many opted out.



Eighth-grader Matthew Malespina, from South Orange Middle School in New Jersey, joined some of his classmates in declining to take a photograph with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) during a visit to the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. (Family photo)

Matthew Malespina, one of the students who stayed away, said in an interview Sunday that he chose not to be photographed with Ryan because he disagreed with the policies the speaker and his party are pushing on health care, among other things. He called Ryan a man who puts his party before his country.

He said he and the others stood across the street while Ryan posed with their peers. Their act of civil disobedience was picked up by a local news website, the Village Green, and drew attention from larger media outlets.

I dont like to take a picture with somebody that I cant associate with, Matthew, 13, told The Washington Post. Lets say somebody is not nice to me at school, for example. I wouldnt take a picture with them, probably.



House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) speaks at a news conference Thursday on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Sophia Kraiker, 14, another student who declined to be in the photo, told The Post that she wanted to distance herself from Ryan because he is shadowing Trumps ideas.

Asked about the incident Sunday, a spokesman for Ryan said the speaker always appreciates the opportunity to welcome students to the Capitol. Ryan posted a picture of himself on Instagram on Friday giving a fist-bump to one of the students in the group who agreed to pose.

Matthews mother, Elissa Malespina, a public-school librarian who was not on the trip, said she was surprised but pleased to hear of the students protest action. She posted about it on her Facebook page.

Im proud of him, and Im proud of the other students that chose to exercise their constitutional rights and did so in a respectful manner, Malespina said Sunday.

Although little blowback has come their way in the liberal suburb of South Orange, N.J., Malespina said some of the online comments on news stories about the students actions have been vitriolic, often focusing on the parents.

She said that while politics are a frequent topic of discussion in their household, criticism that she or other parents indoctrinated the kids involved is unfounded. Teenagers, honestly, do they listen to their parents anyway?
Masami Onishi, 23, with her daughters, Yua, 3, and Sora, 6, on a bicycle. They visit Nishinari Kids Dining Hall for a place to hang out and get a meal. (Shiho Fukada/For The Washington Post )

OSAKA, Japan  The country suffered a lost decade, and then another one, after its bubble burst some 25 years ago. To this day, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abes efforts to reinvigorate it, Japans economy remains in the doldrums.

Now, experts are warning of a lost generation  a whole tier of Japanese children who are growing up in families where the parents  or, often, a single parent  work but do not earn enough to break through the poverty line.

The Japanese economy has been getting worse and worse, and thats hurting poor people, especially single mothers, said Yukiko Tokumaru, who runs Child Poverty Action Osaka, a nongovernmental organizational that helps families in need.

The judgment and stigma that single mothers face in many countries are taken to another level in Japan, a homogeneous society where those who do not conform often try to hide their situations  even from their friends and wider family.

But Japan also has a culture that makes it difficult for women to work after having children  changing this is a key part of Abes solution to the countrys economic problems  and that makes life exponentially harder for single mothers.

We have this culture of shame, Tokumaru said. Womens position is still so much lower than mens in this country, and that affects how we are treated. Women tend to have irregular jobs, so they need several jobs to make ends meet.

[ The Japanese art of making school lunch (and not a PB&J in sight) ]

Japan does have a welfare system, and it provides benefits according to different situations. A 35-year-old mother in Osaka with two elementary school-aged children and no job can expect to receive $2,300 a month.

But the number of families living on an income lower than the public welfare assistance level more than doubled in the 20 years after the asset price bubble popped in 1992, according to a study by Kensaku Tomuro of Yamagata University.

Now 16 percent of Japanese children live below the poverty line, according to Health Ministry statistics, but among single-parent families, the rate hits 55 percent. Poverty rates in Osaka are among the worst.

If parents are working poor, their children are poor as well, and the cycle of poverty is handed down to the next generation, Tomuro said.

Poor children cant get higher education, so they end up with a bad job, he said. The prolonged recession created a layer of second-tier jobs, in which workers do not get the security or benefits that had long been standard  damaging their prospects. They cant start a family as they cant get married or have a child with a low income.

This situation is all the more surprising given that Japan does not have anywhere enough children. The country desperately needs more taxpayers to fund the pensions of its rapidly aging society.

The falling birthrate means that the population, currently 127 million, is set to drop below 100 million by 2060, and one-third of Japanese will be older than 65.

[ Japans Abe wants more women to work. Hes got big plans for day care. ]

Community centers in Osaka provide not only free dinners and playtime for children, but also camaraderie for the mothers.

I feel relieved when I come here with my kids, said Masami Onishi, a 23-year-old single mother who stopped by an Osaka center called Nishinari Kids Dining Hall, which is in a small, two-bedroom apartment in a housing project.

Its a relief to meet fellow mothers and talk about any difficulties we are having. I realize that Im not the only one going through this, she said. Onishi has a job operating a machine at a sheet metal factory, but its a struggle.

And its fun to come here because I get to see my children smiling and other children smiling, too, she said as her daughters, Sora, 6, and Yua, 3, ate octopus dumplings, an Osaka specialty.

I want 20, and Im going to eat them by myself! yelled Masahide, an 8-year-old who came to the center by himself and repeatedly lashed out at other children, hitting them for no reason.

Such behavior is normal among these children, said Yasuko Kawabe, who started the Nishinari center, which relies entirely on donations, after meeting children who were always angry.

I wondered if they were hungry, she said, so she started cooking lessons as a way to feed the children. Ive seen dramatic changes in the kids behavior. Before, they wouldnt even look into my eyes and couldnt communicate. But they become much calmer here.

But its not just about food. Its also about attention.

These kids dont see much of their parents because theyre too busy working, Kawabe said. So when theyre here theyre very clingy. They crave attention.

Local schools, which once tried to hide their problems, now refer children to Kawabes center.

Indeed, for women trying to operate support groups, even finding single mothers to help can be a challenge  because the sense of shame runs so deep.

[ For vulnerable high school girls in Japan, a culture of dates with older men ]

Some women are so embarrassed about a relationship breaking up that they dont tell their friends, or even their parents, said Junko Terauchi, head of the Osaka Social Welfare Promotional Council, a nongovernmental group helping single mothers with advice and emergency food packages.

Single moms in poverty try really hard not to look poor, she said, describing how they buy makeup and nail polish at the Japanese equivalent of a dollar store so they can keep up appearances. Sometimes local government officers, who are often men, say things like, You dont look like you need welfare. 

Children of single or poor parents often are ostracized in their communities, Tokumaru said, noting that other parents do not want their children playing with children from a bad house.

The plight of these children only worsens as they become older and face the question of whether to continue their schooling.

This is a problem all too familiar for Akiko, a 48-year-old who works part-time at a day-care center and also receives public assistance, but struggles to make ends meet.

Her 20-year-old daughter, who skipped school between second and sixth grade because she was bullied for having separated parents, did not pass the exam to enter a public university. So shes now at a private college.

Akiko, who spoke on the condition that her full name not be published because of the stigma, has been challenged by local officials over why shes trying to put her daughter through a private college. I felt hurt by these kinds of comments at the beginning, but now Ive become accustomed to it, she said, noting that a welfare officer, of all people, should not be trying to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Some change is happening slowly at the grass-roots level, with groups such as Kawabes and Tokumarus putting pressure on local authorities to do more to help single mothers. But change at a national level seems a long way off, they say.

Japan is considered an economic power, but the government keeps saying we are in debt, Tokumaru said. I feel like Japan is such a cold country towards children. Its really embarrassing.

Yuki Oda contributed reporting.

Dig Deeper: Gender + Income inequality

Want to explore the ways gender roles encourage income disparity? Check out our curated list of stories below.

Get smart: Understanding gender pay equity

A Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist found out she makes less than her male counterpart. Her lawsuit was the first against an orchestra to test Massachusettss new equal-pay law.

Understanding a different kind of gender gap

Historically, men are more likely to work than women for myriad reasons. But the opposite is true of men and women in poverty.

Context matters: How social stigmas and discrimination hurt Japans single mothers

In Japan, some women are so embarrassed about being single mothers that they dont tell anyone for fear of being ostracized in their communities. But its also a culture that makes it hard for women to work after having children.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying that Europe really must take our fate into our own hands.

It was the toughest review yet of Trumps trip to Europe, which inflamed tensions rather than healed them after the U.S. president sparred with the leaders of Washingtons closest and oldest allies on trade, defense and climate change.

Merkel, Europes de facto leader, told a packed beer hall rally in Munich that the days when her continent could rely on others was over to a certain extent. This is what I have experienced in the last few days.

The comments came as Europe watches Britain preparing to leave the European Union and faces antagonism from Washington.

Merkel said that Europes move toward self-reliance should be carried out of course in friendship with the United States of America, in friendship with Great Britain and as good neighbors wherever that works.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel flanked by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

It was an unusually stark declaration from the normally cautious head of Europes most powerful economy, and a grim take on the transatlantic ties that have underpinned Western security in the generations since World War II. Although relations between Washington and Europe have been strained at times since 1945, before Trump there has rarely been such a strong feeling from European leaders that they must turn away from Washington and prepare to face the world alone.

The German leader received a minute-long ovation for her comments, which came as she seeks to whip up voter support ahead of September elections. Although her message was partly aimed at her electorate, it was a measure of how badly relations have deteriorated with Trumps United States that hitting Washington might win votes, while working with it could be perilous.

The remarks were a clear repudiation of Trumps troubled few days with European leaders, even as Merkel held back from mentioning the U.S. president by name. On Thursday, Trump had harsh words for German trade behind closed doors. Hours later, he blasted European leaders at NATO for failing to spend enough on defense, while holding back from offering an unconditional guarantee for European security. Then, at the Group of Seven summit of leaders of major world economies on Friday and Saturday, he refused to endorse the Paris agreement on combating climate change, punting a decision until this week.

Merkels comments were similar to some she made shortly before Trumps inauguration in January. But they carry extra heft now that Trump is in office  and after Trump had a days-long opportunity to reset relations. Instead, by most European accounts, he strained them even more.

The belief in shared values has been shattered by the Trump administration, said Stephan Bierling, an expert on transatlantic relations at Germanys University of Regensburg. After the inauguration, everyone in Europe was hopeful that Trump would become more moderate and take into account the positions of the G-7 and of NATO. But the opposite has happened. Its as if he is still trying to win a campaign.

Trump, who returned from his nine-day international trip Saturday, had a different take.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trumps first trip overseas as president View Photos The U.S. president traveled to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rome, Belgium and Sicily, Italy. 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.

Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results! Trump wrote on Sunday, reviving a prolific Twitter habit that had slackened during his days on the road.

But many European leaders emerged from their meetings with Trump filled with fresh worry. Trump was far more solicitous toward the autocratic king of Saudi Arabia earlier in the week, telling him and other leaders of Muslim-majority countries  many of them not democratically elected  that he was not here to lecture. Days later in Brussels he offered a scathing assessment of Washingtons closest allies, saying they were being unfair to American taxpayers.

The practical consequences of the rift remain uncertain. The United States remains the largest economy in the world, and its military is indispensable for European security, putting a clear limit on Europes ability to declare independence. American consumers also form an important market for European products  including the German BMWs that Trump complained about in closed-door meetings in Brussels, according to German press accounts.

Nor is Europe united in its approach to Trump: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has cracked down on critics at home, has embraced the U.S. leader. British Prime Minister Theresa May also has tried to maintain ties, though thats in part because she needs partners as she leads her country out of the European Union.

Yet even as Merkel positions herself ahead of the election, the message could be the signal of a shift away from the United States, perhaps even one that could outlast Trumps time in office, and that would weaken U.S. global power over the long term. European leaders are developing plans to deepen military cooperation independently of the United States. They are also reaching out to economic partners in Asia that Trump has spurned. All of those shifts will have consequences that extend years, analysts say.

Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group of analysts, said Trumps performance in Europe left wounds that could come back to haunt the United States.

Trump is creating the biggest transatlantic rift since the Iraq War, perhaps even since WWII, he said in an email. This leaves the U.S. exposed. If the Iran nuclear accord flounders, for example, Europe may well not end up on Trumps side of a dangerous crisis.

Conservative Trump critic William Kristol, who edits the Weekly Standard magazine, wrote on Twitter: Merkel's comments today are a reminder that Trumps failures are, while hes president, also Americas failure, and damage America.

The landslide election in France of President Emmanuel Macron this month has revived hopes for Franco-German cooperation on efforts to bolster European defense initiatives. European leaders want to coordinate defense purchasing and do more to have standing military capabilities that are deployable outside NATO command structures, where the United States is the dominant force.

Germany raised its military spending by $2.2 billion this year, to $41 billion, though it remains far from being able to stand on its own militarily.

Merkel and Macron have vowed to work together to further the pro-globalization agenda that Trump stands against.

Merkels comments were not the only sign Sunday of a Europe determined to hit back. Macron acknowledged that he came prepared for his handshake with Trump, who likes to throw others off balance with a firm yank of the arm. Macron appeared to force Trump to keep shaking hands even after the U.S. leader tried to disengage.

We must show that we will not make small concessions, even symbolic ones, Macron told Frances Journal du Dimanche in remarks published Sunday. He called it a moment of truth.

Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more

Alternately charming and boorish, Trump plays the role of a lifetime overseas

Trump chastises fellow NATO members, demands they meet obligations

Video: Trump scolds world leaders at NATO ceremony

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is said to have rejected a recommendation from the Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host a Ramadan reception. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Saturday, but in a break with almost two decades of tradition, the State Department still has not decided whether to mark it with a reception.

State Department officials said Sunday that they are exploring options to observe Ramadan with an iftar dinner or a reception around Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadans month of day-long fasting. Invitations are usually issued weeks in advance to events at the State Department, the White House and other agencies. Because most guests typically would have received them already, that suggests no Ramadan event will be held at the State Department.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson apparently decided not to host the Eid al-Fitr reception, according to Reuters, which first reported the news. Tillerson is said to have rejected a recommendation from the Office of Religion and Global Affairs, which usually handles the arrangements. The tradition began 18 years ago under Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

U.S. ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world, said a State Department statement that did not offer an explanation on why there may not be an Eid al-Fitr reception this year.

[I think Islam hates us: A timeline of Trumps comments about Islam and Muslims]

Last year, Secretary of State John F. Kerry made an appearance and told attendees that they could be citizen diplomats for Muslim values of charity, compassion, justice and peace.

Tillerson issued a statement Friday just before Ramadan began, calling the holiday a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection.

Most importantly, it is a cherished time for family and friends to gather and give charity to those who are less fortunate, he said. This time reminds us all of the common values of harmony and empathy we hold dear.

In contrast, the White House issued a statement from President Trump, wishing Muslims a blessed month but also going on at some length about terrorism.

America will always stand with our partners against terrorism and the ideology that fuels it, the statement said. During this month of Ramadan, let us be resolved to spare no measure so that we may ensure that future generations will be free of this scourge and able to worship and commune in peace.

Even if the State Department had sent out invitations, however, many Muslims may not have attended because of concern about the administrations rhetoric and policies, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Given all the Islamophobic rhetoric, appointments and anti-Muslim policy proposals, Hooper said, it sends the message American Muslims are not worthy to engage. In Saudi Arabia, President Trump never mentioned the millions of Muslim Americans and their contributions to society. He and his policy people view Islam and Muslims as a foreign issue, or a security issue.
When President Trumps top foreign policy advisers gathered recently at the White House to discuss plans to revamp the administrations Afghanistan strategy, the makeup of those in the room was indicative of a significant turn in U.S. foreign policy.

Seated front and center at the Situation Room table were four current or retired generals who dominate just about every big national security decision Trump makes.

The debate, however, was most notable for the voices that were absent.

Intended as a crucial final debate session before the plan went to the president, the meeting took place on a day in which Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the presidents top diplomat, was in New York. His acting deputy attended in his place.

The generals at the table were Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser; Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and two retired four-star generals, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly. Most of those in attendance emerged believing that the Afghanistan plan was ready to go to the president for final approval, U.S. officials who took part in the session said.

Unbeknown to the White House, Americas top diplomat was not on board: Tillerson, who heads a department that some White House officials described as AWOL during the review process, didnt think the plan did enough to address other countries in the region with a stake in Afghanistan, such as Pakistan, Iran and India, a person familiar with his thinking said. Tillerson also was concerned that the plan called for beefing up the State Departments presence in dangerous locations outside Kabul.

Even though the State Department remains understaffed at its top ranks, department officials said it had been an active participant in the review and insisted that a final decision on the emerging plan was probably weeks away. A State Department spokesman declined to comment on the ongoing discussions until the group arrives at a decision point.

[Trump delights in watching the U.S. military display its strength]

The disconnect over a major policy shift, with big implications for the Pentagon, the State Department and the federal budget, illustrates the sway military officers hold in the Trump administration. Current and retired military officers not only hold positions at the highest ranks of government but also fill senior staff jobs in the White House that have traditionally been the purview of civilians or experienced diplomats.

According to a review by The Washington Post, at least 10 out of 25 senior policy and leadership positions on the National Security Council (NSC) are held by current or retired military officials, up from two at the end of the Obama administration.

The shift in staffing reflects Trumps faith in the nations warriors and his delight in shows of military force. On the campaign trail and in office, he has promised to knock the hell out of the Islamic State and take a harder line against an array of adversaries, including North Korea and Iran.

Since January, that attitude has rippled across U.S. foreign policy and the NSC itself. In the Middle East, Trump has emphasized support for Arab allies, prioritizing a desire to contain Iran and pound extremist groups over the Obama administrations advocacy for human rights and changes designed to improve life in closed and repressive societies. That shift is one that has long been advocated by the U.S. military.





In Yemen and Somalia, the president has given the military greater rein to launch raids and fire missiles, empowering on-the-ground commanders to make decisions that were tightly managed by the previous White House.

In Afghanistan, the administration seems poised to accede to a troop surge, despite resistance from the State Department and some within the White House  including senior adviser Stephen K. Bannon  who fear the costly plan wont work. The request by successive ground commanders for more forces and latitude to strike the Taliban dates back more than a year.

To some analysts, the heavy presence of military officers on the NSC, many of whom helped forge the Bush administrations do-or-die response to a spiraling insurgency in Iraq, is a much-needed corrective inside the White House. They say that a stable and sustainable outcome in such places as Iraq, Yemen and Syria cannot be achieved quickly or on the cheap.

Other experts worry that the officers immersion in the wars of the past 15 years have made it hard for them to take a broad view of U.S. power and influence in the world that extends beyond armed conflict in the Middle East and South Asia.

It would take a remarkable individual to stand back from those experiences and think critically of them, said Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army colonel and history professor at Boston University. It would be hard for them to consider that the path they had taken [in the wars] might have been a wrong one.

The NSC was created after World War II to harmonize national security decision-making amid competing departments with different agendas. It was set inside the White House, and not the Pentagon, to ensure that the military, with its massive resources and personnel, would not dominate foreign policy planning.

There needed to be a civilian mechanism to help guide strategy and decision-making, said Derek Chollet, a top official in the Obama White House and Pentagon. Although there is a long tradition of military personnel serving on the NSC, Chollet said the staff has typically been dominated by career civil servants and experts from outside of government.

[Among Trump aides, Mattis emerges as a key voice on national security issues]

The heavy military component to the current NSC is a product of a cascade of events that began with a presidential election in which much of the Republican foreign policy establishment in Washington actively opposed Trump. The president-elect chose Michael Flynn, a retired three-star general steeped in intelligence and counterterrorism operations, as his first national security adviser.

Flynn resigned after less than a month in office, but before he left he filled top NSC positions with people he knew from his time as a senior intelligence analyst in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those selections included Derek Harvey, a retired colonel who coordinates Middle East policy, and Matthew Pottinger, a former journalist who served as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now senior director for Asia.

McMaster, who succeeded Flynn, has similarly leaned heavily on the military for expertise. He chose Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Ricky Waddell as his deputy national security adviser and, more recently, tapped Rudolph Attalah, a retired lieutenant colonel, as senior director for Africa.

At the same time, the State Department is in talks with the White House to reduce the number of diplomatic staff who serve temporary assignments at the NSC, a move that would cut costs but could intensify the militarization of the White House. The effort is driven by cost-cutting at State and a desire at the White House to pare back an NSC seen as bloated and micromanaging.

One worry among some current and former White House officials is that the heavy military presence might make it harder for the Trump administration to effectively oversee the vast swath of nonmilitary agencies involved in foreign policy. Others fret that the military officers might go easy on the Pentagon. You have a harder time critiquing your own institution to which you owe your future livelihood, said a former White House official. Its a tough balance to strike, but when you have a concentration of military officers, I think they have a tendency to be very deferential to superiors.

The concentration of military officers is highest in the section of the NSC focused on the Middle East and Iran. For many of those officers, the defining experience of their career was service in Iraq, when President George W. Bush ordered a surge of more than 30,000 troops to stave off near-certain defeat.

It was the wars most dramatic period, when a force of more than 160,000 U.S. troops was locked in a deadly battle with both Sunni insurgents and Iranian proxies for control of the country.

The thing that worries me most is that a lot of these officers really forged their view of the world and the Middle East at a particular moment in our occupation of Iraq, said Colin Kahl, a former Pentagon and White House official who focused on the Middle East.

Today the United States faces a vastly different situation in the region. U.S. troop levels are a small fraction of their Iraq War peak, and chaos and civil war have spread throughout the region.

Kahl said the military-heavy White House could overestimate its ability to influence events in the region or needlessly provoke Iran, leading to more conflict and bloodshed.

Its also possible that military officers, chastened by the losses in Iraq, will take a more cautious view.

The conventional wisdom on this is probably wrong, said Peter Feaver, a senior official in George W. Bushs White House and professor at Duke University. Empirically, the military is more reluctant to use force . . . but if force is used, then they want it to be used without restraint.
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
HDFC Bank Limited provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in India, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai. It operates in Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Other Banking Business, and Unallocated segments. The company accepts savings, salary, current, rural, public provident fund, pension, and Demat accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; and safe deposit lockers, as well as offshore accounts and deposits, overdrafts against fixed deposits, and sweep-in facilities. It also provides personal, home, car, two wheeler, business, educational, gold, consumer, and rural loans; loans against properties, securities, rental receivables, and assets; loans for professionals; government sponsored programs; and loans on credit card, as well as working capital and commercial/construction equipment finance, healthcare/medical equipment and commercial vehicle finance, dealer finance, and term and professional loans. The company offers credit, debit, prepaid, and forex cards; payment and collection, export, import, remittance, bank guarantee, letter of credit, trade, hedging, and merchant and cash management services; insurance and investment products. It provides short term finance, bill discounting, structured finance, export credit, loan syndication, and documents collection services; online and wholesale, mobile, and phone banking services; unified payment interface, immediate payment, national electronic funds transfer, and real time gross settlement services; and channel financing, vendor financing, reimbursement account, money market, derivatives, employee trusts, cash surplus corporates, tax payment, and bankers to rights/public issue services, as well as financial solutions for supply chain partners and agricultural customers. The company operates 6,378 branches and 18,620 automated teller machines in 3,203 cities/towns. As of March 31, 2022, it had 21,683 banking outlets. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is based in Mumbai, India.
A group of eight South Carolina moms are celebrating 8 months of pregnancy with their miracle babies  all conceived around the time a hurricane destroyed their area.

Read: Mom-to-Be Takes Sentimental Maternity Photos With Military Husband Who Is Deployed

The concept behind this photo shoot is that there is beauty everywhere, photographer Cassie Clayshulte of Bluffton told InsideEdition.com. Even after the darkest of storms.

She recalled Hurricane Matthew devastating South Carolinas Lowcountry region last October. There were homes that were destroyed, there were businesses that took a hit  everybody had to evacuate, she recalled.

Months after the natural disaster, she said she found many mothers who had become pregnant sometime during the storm, and was inspired to bring them together for a heartwarming photo shoot.

I just put out a quick post on my Facebook page, she explained. I had a lot of people that were very excited. These were moms that are actively trying to start families, so these babies are really special.

The eight moms-to-be lined up at a scenic location at Hilton Head Island, and posed along the beach in flowing gowns.

One mom, Clayshulte explained, had been undergoing IVF treatments up until the storm. When the hurricane hit, she was forced to stop treatment, yet by a miracle, she became pregnant anyway.

Read: Pregnant Teen Banned From Graduation Ceremony at Christian School

Some of the other moms in the group also had fertility troubles or difficult pregnancies, but Clayshulte said she believed it was fate the devastating storm also brought their joy.

When these terrible things happen, we don't always realize what God's plan is, she explained. Everybody seems to be doing great and I'm praying for happy and healthy deliveries for all of these babies.

Watch: 5 Moms-to-Be Dress as Disney Princesses in Dreamy Photo Shoot

Story continues

Related Articles:
By Harry Pearl SYDNEY (Reuters) - Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby arrived in Australia on Sunday after completing a twelve-and-a-half-year sentence for smuggling marijuana to Indonesia, a case which received huge media attention and soured ties between the two countries. Corby landed at Brisbane International Airport with her sister Mercedes Corby and a bodyguard just after 5 a.m., Australian media reported. She did not leave the airport through the usual exit, evading a large media contingent waiting for her, before being whisked away in a black van with tinted windows. Family spokeswoman Eleanor Whitney thanked Corbys supporters and asked for privacy. It is with gratefulness and relief we mark Schapelle Corbys return to Australia, she said, reading from a statement. Corby has always maintained her innocence, saying she was unaware she was carrying more than 4 kg (8.8 lb) of marijuana in a boogie board bag when she arrived in Bali in late 2004. Her story captivated Australia, hogging headlines and prime time television for months, and initially putting strain on diplomatic ties between Australia and Indonesia. Corbys case and that of the so-called Bali Nine, who were arrested in 2005 on charges of smuggling heroin from Indonesia into Australia had enormous resonance as a domestic political issue in Australia. Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in 2015 and, under Indonesia's strict drug laws, Corby could have faced the death penalty for trafficking. Indonesias justice system was vilified in parts of the Australian media, while the Indonesian embassy and officials were sent death threats, including bullets and a white powder in an envelope in 2005. Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono granted Corby's clemency plea in 2012, reducing her sentence by five years because of good behavior. Under her parole conditions, Corby had to keep in close contact with correctional officers while living at the Bali home of her sister Mercedes, trying to stay out of the public eye as the media tracked her every move. She joined Instagram on Saturday, quickly gaining nearly 95,000 followers, and posted photos and video of her final parole meeting and chaotic scenes as she was escorted from her villa in Kuta to Balis Ngurah Rai airport. (Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
A suicide car bomber killed 18 people in the eastern Afghan city of Khost on Saturday, the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the interior ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP a public bus station was hit by the bombing, but local police said the target were Afghan security forces working with American troops in the province.

"A suicide car bomb in Khost province has killed 18 people and wounded six others, including two children," Danish said.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Kandahar attack, but it comes as Taliban insurgents step up their annual spring offensive.

The attack comes a day after at least 15 Afghan soldiers were killed when Taliban fighters attacked their base in Kandahar, in the third major insurgent assault this week on the military in the southern province.

The attacks mark another stinging blow for NATO-backed Afghan forces.

The battlefield losses have raised concerns about the capacity of Afghan forces, beset by unprecedented casualties and blamed for corruption, desertion and "ghost soldiers" who exist on the payroll but whose salaries are usurped by fraudulent commanders.

During another deadly Taliban attack on security outposts in southern Zabul province on Sunday, local officials made desperate calls to Afghan television stations to seek attention because they were unable to contact senior authorities for help.

The pleas for attention, a major embarrassment for the Western-backed government, highlighted the disarray in security ranks.

The Taliban launched their annual "spring offensive" in late April, heralding a surge in fighting as the US tries to craft a new Afghan strategy.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last month warned of "another tough year" for security forces in Afghanistan.

The United States and several NATO allies are considering sending thousands more troops to break the stalemate against the resurgent militants.
A cargo plane crashed Saturday as it was trying to land at a small airport near Mount Everest, killing the pilot and seriously injuring the two other crew members on board, officials said.

All three crew members were pulled alive from the wreckage of the plane, which broke into three pieces when it crashed as it was attempting to land at Lukla airport in heavy fog.

The pilot died shortly after reaching hospital, local police officer Madhav Budhathoki told AFP. The co-pilot and air hostess are currently undergoing treatment and are in a serious condition.

"A cargo plane has crashed in Lukla and we are trying to get more details. It crashed on approach to the airport," said Sagar Acharya of Summit Air, which operates the aircraft.

"We are not yet sure what caused the accident," he added.

Lukla airport -- commonly nicknamed the most dangerous airport in the world -- is the main gateway to the Everest region and sees thousands of trekkers and climbers pass through it each year.

Nepal has a poor air safety record, which is largely blamed on inadequate maintenance, inexperienced pilots and poor management.

Two deadly plane crashes last year claimed at least 25 lives, the first when a passenger plane slammed into a mountainside and the second when a small aircraft crash-landed killing the two pilots.

Despite the risks, air travel is popular in Nepal, which has a limited road network. Many communities, particularly in the mountains and hills, are accessible only by foot or by air.

All Nepal airlines are banned from flying to the European Union because their poor safety standards.
Chicago (AFP) - Chicago on Friday was bracing for the Memorial Day weekend by deploying an extra 1,300 police officers, hoping to prevent a repeat of last year's deadly street violence.

The three-day weekend in the murder-plagued Midwestern city ended with 71 people shot and six killed last year.

It came in a year in which Chicago experienced the highest number of shootings in nearly 20 years, with approximately 4,300 shooting victims and more than 760 people killed, according to statistics compiled by the Chicago Tribune.

This weekend, the Chicago Police Department will deploy additional officers in parks and other outdoor areas where large gatherings are common, Chief Eddie Johnson told a news conference.

"Repeat offenders willing to use illegal guns continue to wreak havoc on some of our communities," he said.

The city's police often go on heightened alert during the summer months, when violence escalates as more people spend time outside in the warm weather.

But, the 1,300 additional officers represents an increase from previous years, "enough to get that visibility that we want out there," Johnson said.

Chicago has appeared to step back from the precipice so far this year. Murders are down six percent and shootings 13 percent compared to the same period last year.

Police are increasingly using technology, including surveillance cameras, predictive analytics tools and gunfire detection equipment.

The federal authorities are also targeting local gang members involved in guns and drugs.

The Justice Department announced Friday that more than 45 members of one gang were arrested in a sweep in Chicago's troubled South Side and surrounding suburbs.

Law enforcers recovered 118 firearms and stores of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and the powerful narcotic fentanyl, one of the drugs responsible for America's heroin epidemic, officials said.
Beijing (AFP) - China on Sunday denied the Pentagon's charge that an encounter between Chinese fighters and a US surveillance plane over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional".

Tensions between the two economic superpowers have risen in recent years over the disputed waterway, which China claims almost in full despite counter-claims from other Asian nations.

Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy P-3 that was operating in international airspace Wednesday, according to Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross.

The US deemed the move "unsafe and unprofessional" and pledged to convey its concerns to the Chinese government.

But the Chinese defence ministry on Sunday said the Pentagon's account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts".

"On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website.

"The Chinese military aircraft carried out identification in accordance with law. The operations were professional and safe."

Beijing also accused Washington of trespassing last week after it sailed a warship near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea -- the "first freedom of navigation" exercise under US President Donald Trump.

These actions "infringed on our sovereignty and security, endangering the safety of front-line personnel of both sides," the defence ministry said in the statement.

"The behaviour is the root cause of the military security problems in maritime and sky areas between US and China.

"China's armed forces will resolutely perform their duties and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and security," it added.

Beijing has rapidly built up reefs in the South China Sea into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The United States has challenged the annexation of these islets and advocated a diplomatic settlement to disputes, arguing that Beijing's actions threaten freedom of navigation and overflight.

The tensions come ahead of a major regional security summit in Singapore this week.
Washington (AFP) - Civilian casualties are inevitable in the war against the Islamic State group but the United states is doing "everything humanly possible" to avoid them, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in an interview aired Sunday.

A US-led international coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the IS group in Iraq and Syria since 2014, and nongovernmental organizations say the attacks are claiming ever more civilian lives.

Interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation" program, Mattis said that "civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation."

But he quickly added that "we do everything humanly possible, consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties -- at all costs."

Some NGOs have blamed the rising civilian death toll on a push by President Donald Trump's administration to accelerate the pace of combat in an effort to "annihilate" the jihadists.

But the Pentagon contests both the NGOs' death counts and the charge that a new sense of urgency under Trump is to blame.

"We have not changed the rules of engagement," Mattis said. "There is no relaxation of our intention to protect the innocent."

The coalition has officially acknowledged responsibility for more than 450 civilian deaths since its bombing campaign began in 2014, including 105 in the Iraqi city of Mosul on March 17.

However, Airwars -- a London-based collective of journalists and researchers that tracks civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria -- reports that coalition strikes have killed at least 3,681 people.

Although the Pentagon on Thursday acknowledged that an American bombing attack in Mosul on March 17 claimed at least 105 civilian lives, it blamed munitions stored by the jihadists in the houses targeted.

That, Mattis said Sunday, showed "once again the callous disregard that is characterized by every operation they have run."
Retired general indicates aggressive turn in Iraq and Syria, saying intention is that foreign fighters do not survive and civilian casualties are a fact of life

Secretary of Defense James Mattis, shown Saturday at the military academy West Point, said Sunday that the US planned to accellerate the campaign against Isis. Photograph: Julie Jacobson/AP

Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Sunday the US had accelerated its tactics against the Islamic State, moving from a policy of attrition to one of annihilation.

The retired Marine Corps general also said civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation, adding: Were not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so were doing what we can.

His remarks came a day after he cited the suicide bombing in Manchester, which has been claimed by Isis, in a speech to graduating cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Manchesters tragic loss underscores the purpose of your years of study and training at this elite school, Mattis said on Saturday. We must never permit murderers to define our time or warp our sense of normal. This is not normal.

The bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena killed 22 people, the youngest an eight-year-old girl, and injured dozens more. Fourteen people have been arrested, with two subsequently released. The bomber, Salman Abedi, had been to Libya and may have traveled to Syria.

Speaking on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday, Mattis said: Our strategy right now is to accelerate the campaign against Isis. It is a threat to all civilized nations. And the bottom line is we are going to move in an accelerated and reinforced manner, throw them on their back foot.

We have already shifted from attrition tactics, where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics where we surround them. Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa. Were not going to allow them to do so. Were going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.

Story continues

Mattis also said efforts against Isis would be a long fight and a fight about ideas.

Were going to shatter their sense of invincibility there in the physical caliphate, he said. Thats only one phase of this. Then we have the virtual caliphate, that they use the internet.

We have got to dry up their recruiting, he said. We have got to dry up their fundraising. The way we intend to do it is to humiliate them, to divorce them from any nation giving them protection, and humiliating their message of hatred, of violence. Anyone who kills women and children is not devout. They  cannot dress themselves up in false religious garb and say that somehow this message has dignity.

Asked if he was concerned by the prospect of civilian casualties caused by such aggressive action, Mattis said: Civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation. We do everything humanly possible consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties at all costs.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Heavy fighting against Isis militants continues in Mosul, Iraq, with local forces supported by a US-led air campaign. In March, a US airstrike in the city triggered a massive explosion, killing more than 100 people.

The American people and the American military will never get used to civilian casualties, Mattis said. And we will  we will fight against that every way we can possibly bring our intelligence and our tactics to bear.

People who have had tried to leave that city were not allowed to by Isis. We are the good guys. Were not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so were doing what we can.

Regarding the civilian deaths in Mosul, Mattis said: We believe we found residue that was not consistent with our bomb. So we believe that what happened there was that Isis had stored munitions in a residential location. Showing, once again, the callous disregard that has characterized every operation they have run.

Mattis, who has been nicknamed Mad Dog due to his preference for aggressive tactics, was also asked: What keeps you awake at night?

Nothing, he said. I keep other people awake at night.

 This article was amended on 29 May 2017 because an earlier version incorrectly referred to Salman Abedi as Libyan.
Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, will end June 24 evening. The end of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar culminates on Eid al-Fitr, which is marked with a big feast, exchanging of gifts and celebrations.

Ramadan is considered very sacred by Muslims as they believe it was during this month Allah revealed the first verses of the Koran to Prophet Muhammad. Observing Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam  faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca. The month typically lasts about 29 to 30 days based on the moon.

Muslims follow the lunar calendar for religious purposes. The calendar is based on the phases of the moon  whose 12 months are approximately 354 days, according to Vox. Due to this, the Islamic lunar calendar moves backward exactly 11 days every year with regards to the widely used Gregorian calendar.

In Islam, fasting is viewed as a cleansing of soul and having control over oneself. Muslims are required to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, as well as sex from sunrise to sunset. During Ramadan, Muslims wake up before sunrise for morning prayers and eat before fasting begins for the day. It is advisable to eat high-protein food to keep going throughout the day. Generally, after eating, many Muslims go back to sleep. The meal before dawn is called sufur and after sunset is iftar.

However, children and people who are ill, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetics or women on their period, are pardoned from fasting.

Muslims are expected to continue with their normal routine during Ramadan and not use fasting as an excuse to skip work. In several Muslim dominated countries however, businesses and schools may reduce their hours during the day or remain shut entirely.

After the evening prayer, Muslims break their fast with the Iftar meal, mostly with their families. Several people go to the mosque before breaking their fast.

While the observance of Ramadan remains the same for Sunni and Shia Muslims, there is a slight difference in the timing of breaking the fast. Sunnis generally break their fast at sunset, when the sun itself is no longer visible in the horizon.

Story continues

Shias however, wait until even the twighlight from the setting sun has disappeared completely, leaving a dark sky, according to Vox.

Shia also celebrate an additional holiday within the month of Ramadan that Sunnis do not. For three days  the 19th, 20th, and 21st days of Ramadan  Shia commemorate the martyrdom of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad who was both the revered fourth caliph of Sunni Islam and the first "legitimate" imam (leader) of Shia Islam, the Vox report said.

Ali was assassinated in the fierce civil wars that erupted following the death of Muhammad over who should lead the Muslim community in his stead. On the 19th day of the month of Ramadan, while Ali was worshipping at a mosque in Kufa, Iraq, an assassin from a group of rebels who opposed his leadership fatally struck him with a poisoned sword. Ali died two days later, it added.

Related Articles
Donald Trump attended the G7 summit in Taormina: Getty

The more things go kaflooey for Donald Trump at home, the trickier and less malleable he becomes for the rest of the world. This equation was surely apparent to anyone in his path in Brussels and Taormina last week  including the Prime Minister of Montenegro, who was physically repositioned by Trump at his most oafish as he barged to the front for a family photo at Nato.

Had anyone been hoping for a less testy Trump they were surely disappointed. At Nato, he might have recognised the sacrifices of nations much smaller than his fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan instead of delivering a scolding to virtually every other member nation allegedly for stiffing the American taxpayer in their contributions to the Alliance. He might also have refrained from calling the Germans very bad for being very good at selling their cars in America.

Euro Trashed, blared the front page of the Daily News in New York the following day: Don shoves a Prime Minister, Insults Germany.

But for Trump to be in a better mood, we need be nicer to him. Melania could start by not snatching her hand away from his. There were moments during his trip when it seemed as if the other leaders had stage-managed events to make him look foolish on tape. I am suspicious of Emmanuel Macron, the President of France; the way he walked straight for Trump at Nato and swerved at the last minute to greet Angela Merkel instead: not subtle.

Donald Trump shoves aside PM of Montenegro--newest NATO country--in bold effort to confirm ugly American stereotype.pic.twitter.com/rBmDKwylHs  John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) May 25, 2017

With his shoulder pads and cockatiel hair, Trump does not look short on confidence. He is the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth. But we all see signs of a man chronically uncertain of how the rest of us perceive him. A confident Trump wouldnt obsess over every cruel joke about him on Saturday Night Live. A confident Trump wouldnt feel compelled to snipe petulantly at his every foe on Twitter. A confident Trump wouldnt Sellotape his tie to his shirt.

Story continues

He wouldnt want our pity  that would negate the very essence of his political brand, Trump the Strong. But he shouldnt worry: if Americans are generally protective of their presidents in rough times, I hazard that may not apply to him. Those who did not vote for him  thats most of them  only get more disdainful. His supporters wont pity him either because they are too busy spitting at those they think are out to hurt him: reporters, especially, and now German car makers too. Now even they may be having second thoughts.

Melania made the headlines last week after swatting her husband's hand away when he reached for hers (AFP/Getty Images)

Nate Silver of the the fivethirtyeight website gives us a clue as to why the Presidents state of mind might be more fragile than ever. He queries the conventional wisdom that, whatever hits the fan in Washington, his core level of support remains unaffected.

To the contrary, Trumps base seems to be eroding, Mr Silver reveals. Theres been a considerable decline in the number of Americans who strongly approve of Trump, from a peak of around 30 per cent in February to just 21 or 22 per cent of the electorate now.

He adds: Far from having unconditional love from his base, Trump has already lost almost a third of his strong support.

The loss stands to reason when you consider the progress Trumps been making on things he promised voters. Everywhere he tries to go, he ends up hitting a wall  and not the one he wanted us to talk about, either. The most recent exhibit: federal judges again blocking his attempts to impose even a watered-down version of his ban on Muslims and Syrian refugees entering the country. The Supreme Court may have to deal with it, but that would be months away.

The pledge to repeal Obamacare is hardly in any less trouble after the Congressional Budget Office declared last week that even the new and improved version of its replacement, passed by the House, would mean 23 million more Americans losing their health insurance over ten years and premiums rising sharply for the elderly and the sick. Now the Senate must pass its own version of the bill: but dont hold your breath. The Republicans have the slimmest majority in the upper chamber and are are deeply divided on the issue.

In the meantime, the White House has just sent a budget blueprint to the Hill that includes draconian cuts to all manner of programmes, including foreign aid, that stand no chance of getting congressional approval. By most accounts, it is a document that was dead on arrival.

To get things done in Washington, presidents need to have political strength, even when their party controls both chambers of Congress. Trump has less and less of that vital commodity. And part of the reason, of course, is the swiftly expanding investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election and what collusion there may have been between Moscow and his campaign. Add to that concern that Trump himself may have crossed a legal line asking heads of investigative agencies, including James Comey, the now sacked FBI director, to slow-march their probes.

We have no idea what either special counsel Robert Mueller or the various investigating committees on the Hill will find when all is said and done. But even if it is nothing of any real legal significance, it will have damaged Trump and his administration by compounding the paralysis of his agenda. Paralysis, not impeachment, may end up being his final downfall.

This is the Trump who came to Belgium and Italy. Were things going better at home, he might not have felt compelled to stand outside Nato and speak not really to the leaders around him or the world at large but rather to his base at home. The verbal beating he gave the allies was for their benefit, never mind statesmanship. If he is still refusing to commit to the Paris Treaty on climate change it is because he has to be more worried about his base than about the planet.

On Friday John Boehner, a former House speaker and once the most powerful Republican in town, averred that Trump had had some success on foreign affairs but that everything else hes done has been a complete disaster. Few would disagree with the second part of that statement.
Mr Trump returned from his first overseas visit as President to fresh problems: AP

Donald Trump has labelled leaks about the interactions of his son-in-law with Russia fabricated lies, as he returned to Washington to confront a mounting political crisis.

As Mr Trump was set to meet his own criminal defence lawyer, and his closest aides were setting up a war room to tackle the latest fallout over his campaigns alleged links to Russia, the President turned his focus to one of his favourite targets  the media.

Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results, he said on Twitter. It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the Fake News media.

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

Mr Trump returned on Saturday night from a nine-day foreign trip, his first as President. Yet while Mr Trump was largely able, while he was overseas, to keep away from the controversy over his campaign's alleged collusion with Moscow to influence the 2016 election, once he set foot back in Washington it was there to engulf him.

The latest developments focus on Jared Kushner, his senior adviser and husband of his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump. Last week, it was confirmed the 36-year-old, who had been at the helm of Mr Trumps campaign, was the focus of the FBIs ongoing investigation.

It was then reported that, in what at least would have been an act of no small naivety, Mr Kushner had last year asked the Russian ambassador to the US to establish a secret backchannel using Russias communication systems to enable the Trump transition team to talk to Moscow.

The request was reportedly made at a meeting at Trump Tower, and the communications were intercepted by US intelligence and then leaked to The Washington Post. There is said to be mounting talk that Mr Kushner may have to step aside from his role.

Story continues

Reports said Mr Kushner, one of the few people Mr Trump appears to trust without question, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University in New York, told The Independent the President was now facing a genuine dilemma. "We've seen in the past how quickly he is to cut people loose when he needs to," she said. "But this situation needs to be much more carefully thought through. This is not someone he just met a few months ago, or a few years ago. This is family."

Democrats and critics of Mr Trump have seized on the revelations and said they are more evidence that the New York tycoon was trampling on democratic traditions.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he wanted Mr Kushner to give evidence before members of Congress. He also said Mr Kushners security clearance ought to be be looked at.

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, Mr Schiff told ABC.

The same channel said there was growing discussion within the White House as to whether Mr Kushner may have to take a leave of absence from his duties, until the controversy is resolved one way or another.

Sec. Kelly calls back-channels "normal...and acceptable": "It's not a bad thing to have multiple communications lines to any government." pic.twitter.com/Gr5bWn5U8a  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 28, 2017

Mr Kushner, through his lawyer, has offered to cooperate with such investigations but has otherwise maintained a low profile since returning from the Presidents trip several days early.

Republicans have hit back. John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said he thought Mr Kushners request to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak was both normal and appropriate.

Anytime you can communicate with people, especially organisations who are not particularly friendly to us, its a good thing, he said. Whatever the communication is, it comes back to the government and is shared.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said he did not trust this story as far as I can throw it.

Were chasing our tails, as a nation, when it comes to the Russians. I dont know who leaked this supposed conversation, he told CNN. But just think about it this way. Youve got the ambassador to Russia reporting back, on an open channel, Hey, Jared Kushners gonna move into the embassy.

I think it makes no sense that the Russian ambassador would report back to Moscow on a channel that he most likely knows were monitoring.

Reports suggest Mr Trump is scheduled to meet soon with a hard-hitting New York lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, whom he has retained to help deal with the FBI investigation. Mr Kasowitz has known Mr Trump for decades and represented him in numerous cases, including his divorce records, and allegations about Trump University.

Mr Kasowitz recently acted on behalf of Bill OReilly, the Fox News anchor who was forced to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment. Mr OReilly denied the claims.
Mr Mattis recently delivered a graduation speech at West Point: AP

Donald Trumps Defence Secretary has said that any military conflict with North Korea would be catastrophic.

The US has stepped up its threats and sabre-rattling against North Korea since Mr Trump assumed the presidency. At the same time, the East Asian nation has stepped up its programme of missile tests. Reports suggest it has attempted seven tests in 2017, including two recent tests in one week alone.

Former general James Mattis claimed North Korea was a threat to the surrounding region, including Japan, China and Russia. He also claimed it was a direct threat to the US.

Sec. Mattis: War with North Korea would be "catastrophic" pic.twitter.com/6tg4pOqkY5  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 28, 2017

A conflict in North Korea, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes, Mr Mattis told CBS News.

The bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if were not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.

He added: They have been very clear in their rhetoric - we dont have to wait until they have an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear weapon on it to say that now its manifested completely,

Preparing for North Korea's growing threat, the Pentagon will attempt to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test this week, the network said.

The American interceptor has succeeded in nine of 17 attempts since 1999. The most recent test in June 2014 was a success, but that was only after three failures.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to possess a missile capable of reaching the US, though he has not done so yet.

Last week, the Defence Intelligence Agency said it was inevitable that a nuclear weapon launched from North Korea would hit the US mainland.

Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the possibility of an attack was very real after a recent missile test conducted by Pyongyang.

He claimed that if the country and its leader were left on the current trajectory the regime will ultimately succeed.
White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump: Reuters

It is a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire for US President Donald Trump having returned to Washington from his first foreign trip - thanks to the latest revelations surrounding his team and Russia.

Following on from a difficult meeting with world leaders at a summit in Italy, Mr Trump and his team face reports that Mr Trumps son-on-law - and top White House adviser - Jared Kushner had looked to set up a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team.

It was meeting in December with Sergei Kislyak the Russian ambassador to the United States where Mr Kushner - who was a private citizen but involved in the transition to the White House -proposed using Russian diplomatic facilities for back-channel discussions.

Mr Kislyak was said to have told his superiors that he was taken aback by the suggestion of using Russian facilities - the aim being making the conversations more difficult to monitor - for the line that was meant to be used to be to discuss Syria and other policy issues.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

The White House did not acknowledge Mr Kushner attending the meeting - which also reportedly included than National security Adviser Michael Flynn - until March and called it a brief courtesy meeting.

The proposal was never acted upon, according to the Washington Post that first reported the story, but the actions of Mr Kusher are coming under increasing scrutiny as part of the FBI investigation into Russias alleged meddling in last years Presidential election.

That investigation, and those in both the House of Representatives and the Senate into the election and potential ties between Mr Trumps team and Moscow, have dogged Mr Trump and his team for months and have led to a number of negative headlines. These only increased after the firing earlier this month of FBI Director James Comey.

It is clear that Mr Trump and his team are looking to control the damage from such revelations and contain the crisis that is threatening to consume his presidency. Mr Trump and his advisers are believed to be looking at ways to change the way the White House communicates with the public - with more campaign-style rallies one of the apparent alterations being considered.

Story continues

There were elements of such a strategy on display during his foreign trip to the Middle East and Europe over the last week - with Mr Trump the only world leader at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy not to give a press conference, while also then heading out to give a campaign-like speech to US soldiers based in the country.

Officials in the White House have also believed to have held discussions about setting up a War Room to shield the day-to-day running of the presidency from the various investigations underway. Those discussions are said to have been led - at least in part - by Mr Trumps chief strategist Stephen Bannon, with Mr Trump also expected to hold discussions with his legal team and other advisers, with the New York Times reporting this could begin as early as Sunday.

One Saturday, Mr Trump also cancelled a rally in Iowa next week due to an unforeseen change in the Presidents schedule, but there was no further elaboration.

It is clear that the Trump team are not looking to add to the reports over the actions of Mr Kushner, with top Trump aides making clear on Saturday that they would not address the contents of Mr Kushner's December meeting with the Russian diplomat. But they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal US government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.

Speaking generally, national security adviser HR McMaster said we have back channel communications with a number of countries It allows you to communicate in a discreet manner.

So it doesn't pre-expose you to any sort of content or any kind of conversation or anything. So we're not concerned about it, he added.

In response to repeated questions from reporters, Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn said, We're not going to comment on Jared. We're just not going to comment.

As for Mr Kushner, he is apparently not looking to reduce his role as part of Mr Trumps team but he is said to have become increasingly weary of the scrutiny he has been placed under.
By Ahmed Aboulenein MINYA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egyptian fighter jets carried out strikes on Friday directed at camps in Libya which Cairo says have been training militants who killed dozens of Christians earlier in the day. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered strikes against what he called terrorist camps, declaring in a televised address that states that sponsored terrorism would be punished. Egyptian military sources said six strikes took place near Derna in eastern Libya at around sundown, hours after masked gunmen attacked a group of Coptic Christians travelling to a monastery in southern Egypt, killing 29 and wounding 24. The Egyptian military said the operation was ongoing and had been undertaken once it had been ascertained that the camps had produced the gunmen behind the attack on the Coptic Christians in Minya, southern Egypt, on Friday morning. "The terrorist incident that took place today will not pass unnoticed," Sisi said. "We are currently targeting the camps where the terrorists are trained." He said Egypt would not hesitate to carry out further strikes against camps that trained people to carry out operations against Egypt, whether those camps were inside or outside the country. Egyptian military footage of pilots being briefed and war planes taking off was shown on state television. East Libyan forces said they participated in the air strikes, which had targeted forces linked to al-Qaeda at a number of sites, and would be followed by a ground operation. A resident in Derna heard four powerful explosions, and told Reuters that the strikes had targeted camps used by fighters belonging to the Majlis al-Shura militant group. Majlis al-Shura spokesman Mohamed al-Mansouri said in a video posted online that the Egyptian air strikes did not hit any of the group's camps, but instead hit civilian areas. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the Christians, which followed a series of church bombings claimed by Islamic State in a campaign of violence against the Copts. Islamic State supporters reposted videos from earlier this year urging violence against the Copts in Egypt. At a nearby village, thousands later attended a funeral service that turned into an angry protest against the authorities' failure to protect Christians. "We will avenge them or die like them," mourners said, while marching with a giant wooden cross. GUNFIRE AND BLOOD Eyewitnesses said masked men opened fire after stopping the Christians, who were in a bus and other vehicles on a desert road. Local TV channels showed a bus apparently raked by gunfire and smeared with blood. Clothes and shoes could be seen lying in and around the bus, while the bodies of some of the victims lay in the sand nearby, covered with black sheets. Eyewitnesses said three vehicles were attacked. First to be hit was a vehicle taking children to the monastery as part of a church-organised trip, and another vehicle taking families there. The gunmen boarded the vehicles and shot all the men and took all the women's gold jewellery. They then shot women and children in the legs. When one of the gunmen's vehicles got a flat tire they stopped a truck carrying Christian workers, shot them, and took the truck. One of the gunmen recorded the attack on the Copts with a video camera, eyewitnesses said. The attack took place on a road leading to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Minya province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority. Security forces launched a hunt for the attackers, setting up dozens of checkpoints and patrols on the desert road. Police armed with assault rifles formed a security perimeter around the attack site while officials from the public prosecutor's office gathered evidence. Heavily armed special forces arrived later wearing face masks and body armour. The injured were taken to local hospitals and some were being transported to Cairo. The Health Ministry said that among those injured were two children aged two. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made a point of improving relations with Cairo, said his country stood with Sisi and the Egyptian people. "This merciless slaughter of Christians in Egypt tears at our hearts and grieves our souls," Trump said. The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Egypt's 1,000-year-old centre of Islamic learning, said the attack was intended to destabilise the country. "I call on Egyptians to unite in the face of this brutal terrorism," Ahmed al-Tayeb said. The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, condemned the perpetrators as traitors. The head of the Coptic Christian church, Pope Tawadros, who spoke with Sisi after the attack, said it was "not directed at the Copts, but at Egypt and the heart of the Egyptians". Pope Francis, who visited Cairo a month ago, described the attack as a "senseless act of hatred". ONGOING PERSECUTION Coptic Christians, whose church dates back nearly 2,000 years, make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million. They say they have long suffered from persecution, but in recent months the frequency of deadly attacks against them has increased. About 70 have been killed since December in bombings claimed by Islamic State at churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta. An Islamic State campaign of murders in North Sinai prompted hundreds of Christians to flee in February and March. Copts fear they will face the same fate as brethren in Iraq and Syria, where Christian communities have been decimated by wars and Islamic State persecution. Egypt's Copts are vocal supporters of Sisi, who has vowed to crush Islamist extremism and protect Christians. He declared a three-month state of emergency in the aftermath of the church bombings in April. But many Christians feel the state either does not take their plight seriously enough or cannot protect them against determined fanatics. The government is fighting insurgents affiliated with Islamic State who have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula, while also carrying out attacks elsewhere in the country. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Additonal reporting by Eric Knecht, Mostafa Hashem, and Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by John Stonestreet, Lisa Shumaker and Andrew Hay)
The Hillary Step, a rocky outcrop at 8,770m, just beneath the summit of Everest (8,850m), has finally succumbed to gravity and partially collapsed. At least it has according to mountaineer Tim Mosedale, who climbed the mountain this year. His claim has been refuted by the chair of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, however, sparking a debate which looks set to rage for some time yet. The definitive answer, after all, is located only a few metres short of the top of the world.

Named after Sir Edmund Hillary  the first to reach the summit of Everest, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, in May 1953  this rocky structure certainly has a noble heritage in mountaineering circles. It is the last major obstacle encountered on the South Col route before reaching the summit.

But it also famed in geological circles. It is, or was, formed of a resistant limestone band along the base of the Qomolangma Formation which dates back to the Upper Cambrian or Lower Ordovician age. These rocks feature tiny remnants of crinoid ossicles (stems of sea lillies) that originally lived in a shallow tropical ocean 450m years ago and can now be found on the summit of Everest.

If the Hillary Step has indeed collapsed, the rockfall will have altered the standard route to the top. And this may result in increasing congestion as parties queue up to get to the summit during the brief period of stable, pre-monsoon climbing conditions in May. As Mosedale told Planet Mountain:

Its easier going up the snow slope and indeed for inexperienced climbers and mountaineers theres less climbing to be done, making it much easier for them. However, its going to form a bottleneck. The Hillary Step often formed a bottleneck but some years ago they fixed an up and a down rope. In the current state it would be difficult to safely negotiate down where the step used to be on account of the huge unstable rocks that are perched on the route.

The end of an era?

Ultimately, however, the demise of the Hillary Step would be but a small blip in the long-term process of Himalayan mountain building. The collision and ongoing convergence of the Indian plate into Asia results in convergence across the Himalaya of about 18-20mm per year and an average uplift rate of the mountains of about 3-4mm per year.

Story continues

As the mountains are driven upwards by these tectonic forces, climatic and geographic forces  such as rain and snowfall, and glacial and river incision  conspire to bring them back down through erosion.

The tectonic forces have been winning this battle for at least 25m years and the highest Himalayan peaks now reach nearly 9km above mean sea-level. The steeper the cliff faces, the more subject they are to rockfall and avalanches, and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles are important factors in making the rocks unstable. The collapse of the Hillary Step would be just one minor event in the broad scheme of uplift and erosion along the Himalaya.

Recent previous examples of large-scale rockfalls include the massive rockfall on the west flank of Annapurna IV (7,525 metres) in spring 2012, which resulted in debris blocking the course of the upper Seti river in Nepal. A lake built up behind the blockage and a few days later, on May 5, 2012, a massive mud-flow cascaded down the valley burying villages and killing 72 people. The flows reached as far as Pokhara, the second city of Nepal.

During the Gorkha earthquake (magnitude 7.9) in Nepal on April 25, 2015, hundreds of rockfalls resulted from the intense ground shaking, sending boulders the size of houses tumbling down to the valleys and villages below. It has been hypothesised that this earthquake might have done for the Hillary Step.

Perhaps the worst example was the massive rockfall that occurred on the south face of Langtang Lirung following the May 12 aftershock. The landslide originated from high on the south face of Langtang Lirung and the resulting rockfall completely buried the village of Langtang, killing at least 300 people.

In 1991, a large rockfall also occurred near the summit of Mount Cook in New Zealand, reducing its height from 3,764 metres to 3,724 metres. During June 2005, a series of major rockfalls caused most of the granite south-west pillar of the Aiguille de Dru in the French Alps (commonly known as the Bonatti Pillar) to collapse, wiping out one of the most famous Alpine rock climbs of all. The scar of this rockfall was more than 500 metres high and 80 metres wide.

All part of the process

But the story of mountains is a very, very long one  and it contains a great many twists and turns. The India-Asia plate collision has been going on for at least 50m years. The tectonic forces push them up and erosion tries to wear them down.

Everest is continually being jacked up by this under-thrusting of the Indian plate and, as long as India continues to push north, indenting into Asia, the Himalaya will continue to rise. As long as the Himalaya continue to rise, the forces of nature will erode them away and attempt to reduce these magnificent mountains back down to sea-level. And as long as that happens, they will keep changing shape. Long may tectonic forces prevail in this battle.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Mike Searle receives funding from Natural Environmet Research Council (UK).
By Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trumps son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. Those contacts included two phone calls between April and November last year, two of the sources said. By early this year, Kushner had become a focus of the FBI investigation into whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, said two other sources - one current and one former law enforcement official. Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynns connections with Russian officials, the two sources said. While the FBI is investigating Kushners contacts with Russia, he is not currently a target of that investigation, the current law enforcement official said. The new information about the two calls as well as other details uncovered by Reuters shed light on when and why Kushner first attracted FBI attention and show that his contacts with Russian envoy Sergei Kislyak were more extensive than the White House has acknowledged. NBC News reported on Thursday that Kushner was under scrutiny by the FBI, in the first sign that the investigation, which began last July, has reached the presidents inner circle. The FBI declined to comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Kushner's attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Kushner did not remember any calls with Kislyak between April and November. "Mr Kushner participated in thousands of calls in this time period. He has no recollection of the calls as described. We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information," she said. In March, the White House said that Kushner and Flynn had met Kislyak at Trump Tower in December to establish a line of communication. Kislyak also attended a Trump campaign speech in Washington in April 2016 that Kushner attended. The White House did not acknowledge any other contacts between Kushner and Russian officials. BACK CHANNEL Before the election, Kislyaks undisclosed discussions with Kushner and Flynn focused on fighting terrorism and improving U.S.-Russian economic relations, six of the sources said. Former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea and started supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. After the Nov. 8 election, Kushner and Flynn also discussed with Kislyak the idea of creating a back channel between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, two of the sources said. Reuters was unable to determine how those discussions were conducted or exactly when they took place. Reuters was first to report last week that a proposal for a back channel was discussed between Flynn and Kislyak as Trump prepared to take office. The Washington Post was first to report on Friday that Kushner participated in that conversation. Separately, there were at least 18 undisclosed calls and emails between Trump associates and Kremlin-linked people in the seven months before the Nov. 8 presidential election, including six calls with Kislyak, sources told Reuters earlier this month. . Two people familiar with those 18 contacts said Flynn and Kushner were among the Trump associates who spoke to the ambassador by telephone. Reuters previously reported only Flynns involvement in those discussions. Six of the sources said there were multiple contacts between Kushner and Kislyak but declined to give details beyond the two phone calls between April and November and the post-election conversation about setting up a back channel. It is also not clear whether Kushner engaged with Kislyak on his own or with other Trump aides. HOW KUSHNER CAME UNDER SCRUTINY FBI scrutiny of Kushner began when intelligence reports of Flynns contacts with Russians included mentions of U.S. citizens, whose names were redacted because of U.S. privacy laws. This prompted investigators to ask U.S. intelligence agencies to reveal the names of the Americans, the current U.S. law enforcement official said. Kushners was one of the names that was revealed, the official said, prompting a closer look at the presidents son-in-laws dealings with Kislyak and other Russians. FBI investigators are examining whether Russians suggested to Kushner or other Trump aides that relaxing economic sanctions would allow Russian banks to offer financing to people with ties to Trump, said the current U.S. law enforcement official. The head of Russian state-owned Vnesheconombank, Sergei Nikolaevich Gorkov, a trained intelligence officer whom Putin appointed, met Kushner at Trump Tower in December. The bank is under U.S. sanctions and was implicated in a 2015 espionage case in which one of its New York executives pleaded guilty to spying and was jailed. The bank said in a statement in March that it had met with Kushner along with other representatives of U.S. banks and business as part of preparing a new corporate strategy. Officials familiar with intelligence on contacts between the Russians and Trump advisers said that so far they have not seen evidence of any wrongdoing or collusion between the Trump camp and the Kremlin. Moreover, they said, nothing found so far indicates that Trump authorized, or was even aware of, the contacts. There may not have been anything improper about the contacts, the current law enforcement official stressed. Kushner offered in March to be interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russias attempts to interfere in last years election. The contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials during the presidential campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trumps chances of winning the White House and damage his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. (Additional reporting by John Walcott, Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart in Washington)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police found on Friday the decapitated bodies of five people with apparent signs of torture in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, which has long been ravaged by drug smugglers and human traffickers. "The investigation shows that the victims are male and our work continues to identify them," the state attorney general's office said in a statement without providing further details. A photo of the crime scene where the bodies were dumped in the township of Juan Rodriguez Clara in southern Veracruz, seen by Reuters, shows the bloodied bodies piled in an empty field. There was a letter next to the bodies, which local media said was authored by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel Home to Mexico's main Atlantic port, Veracruz suffered a surge in violence in 2016, with murders leaping by 123 percent to 1,258 from the previous year, official data showed. Veracruz former Governor Javier Duarte was arrested in Guatemala in April and faces prosecution for embezzlement and organized crime in Mexico. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Tom Allard ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to Islamist militants on Friday to abandon hostilities and start dialogue in an effort to end their bloody occupation of a southern city that experts called a major blow to regional security. Duterte said the presence of foreign fighters in street battles that have raged since Tuesday in Marawi City was proof that Islamic State had gained a foothold on the restive island of Mindanao, but there was still a chance for peace. "You can say that the ISIS is here already," Duterte told soldiers in nearby Iligan City, referring to Islamic State. "My message mainly to the terrorists on the other side is we can still solve this through dialogue. And if you cannot be convinced to stop fighting, so be it. Let's just fight." Special forces commandoes were deployed to drive out the remaining 20 to 30 Maute group rebels holed-up in Marawi but encountered heavy resistance on Friday. The army said 11 soldiers and 31 militants have been killed. Fighting erupted on Tuesday after a bungled raid by security forces on a Maute hideout, which spiraled into chaos, with gunmen seizing bridges, roads and buildings and taking Christians hostage. Duterte responded by declaring martial law throughout his home island of Mindanao. Rohan Gunaratna, a Singapore-based security expert, said the siege was a wake-up call for the Philippines. "Islamic State capturing a major city in the Philippines is a very significant blow to the security and stability of this region," he said. "The Filipinos need to get their act together ... They must understand the truth that IS ideology took hold in their country. The local groups have transformed." Malaysians, Indonesians and other foreigners were among the guerrillas killed on Thursday, which the government said demonstrated how the Philippines could become a haven for overseas militants. The White House on Thursday said it backed the Philippine fight against "cowardly terrorists". Duterte has warned of "contamination" by Islamic State, exploiting the poverty, lawlessness and porous borders of predominantly Muslim areas of Mindanao island to establish a base for radicals from Southeast Asia and beyond. He has pleaded with political and Islamic leaders to keep foreign and local militants at bay. Months of air and ground offensives in Mindanao have not dented their resolve. FOREIGN INVASION "What's happening in Mindanao is no longer a rebellion of Filipino citizens," Solicitor General Jose Calida told reporters in explaining why martial law was imposed. "It has transmogrified into invasion by foreign terrorists, who heeded the call of the ISIS to go to the Philippines if they find difficulty in going to Iraq and Syria." Most of Marawi's 200,000 inhabitants fled after the gunmen ran amok on Tuesday, seizing and torching buildings, freeing militants from jails and taking a priest and churchgoers hostage at the city's cathedral.Duterte has dealt with separatist unrest during his 22 years as a mayor in Mindanao but the Maute's rise and signs that it has ties to another group, the Abu Sayyaf, present one of the biggest challenges of a presidency won on promises to fight drugs and lawlessness. Philippine intelligence indicates the two groups from different parts of Mindanao are connected, through Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of a radical faction of Abu Sayyaf. Abu Sayyaf has a track record of banditry, piracy and violence, while the lesser-known Maute group has proven itself a fierce battlefield opponent for the military, able to sustain air and artillery bombardments and regroup after heavy losses. Hapilon was the target of Tuesday's botched raid and Duterte said Islamic State in the Middle East had anointed him as its man in the Philippines, and Hapilon was revered as its leader. Military chief General Eduardo Ano said the fierce resistance by the Maute in Marawi was to protect Hapilon, who was in poor condition after being wounded in a January air strike. "If we capture him, all the better. But if he fights back we have to do what is necessary," he told reporters. Convoys of vehicles packed with evacuees and protected by soldiers streamed into Iligan. Mark Angelou Siega, a Christian, described how students fled their campus. "We were so scared and so were our Muslim brothers and sisters. We were sure they would get to us," he said. "These terrorists are not real Muslims." Calida said the Maute group and Islamic State were radicalizing young Muslims and the government was not the only target of their aggression. "People they consider as infidels, whether Christians or Muslims, are also targets," he said. (This version of the story corrects references to Mindanao being native island of Duterte and predominantly Muslim, in paragraphs 6 and 12) (Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales in DAVAO CITY, Kanupriya Kapoor in SINGAPORE, Romeo Ranoco in MARAWI CITY and Enrico dela Cruz and Manolo Serapio Jr in MANILA; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing Robert Birsel)
By Bill Trott (Reuters) - Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served as U.S. President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser during the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and drove a normalization of relations with China, has died. He was 89. Brzezinski's daughter Mika, a host on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show, said her father died peacefully on Friday. She did not give the cause of death. "He was known to his friends as Zbig, to his grandchildren as Chief and to his wife as the enduring love of her life. I just knew him as the most inspiring, loving and devoted father any girl could ever have," she said on Instagram. Brzezinski, the hawkish son of a Polish diplomat, was national security adviser for all four years of the 1977-81 Carter presidency. The period saw tumultuous international events, including the Iranian revolution, the taking of 52 Americans as hostages in Tehran and a failed rescue mission, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Brzezinski was plucked by Carter from the academic world and saw many of the Soviet Union's foreign policy moves as evidence it could not be trusted. That placed him at odds with two of Carter's closest advisers: Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who pushed for a Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT-2) with Moscow, and Defense Secretary Harold Brown, who urged a U.S.-Soviet accord to curb conventional forces in Europe. When Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan, Brzezinski strongly backed arming Afghan rebels. His hardline stance led Pravda, the Soviet Communist Party newspaper, to denounce him as a "foe of detente." Carter said Brzezinski was brilliant, dedicated and loyal. "Rosalynn (Carter's wife) and I are saddened," he said in a statement. "He was an important part of our lives for more than four decades and was a superb public servant." Former President Barack Obama called Brzezinski "an accomplished public servant, a powerful intellect, and a passionate advocate for American leadership. "His influence spanned several decades, and I was one of several Presidents who benefited from his wisdom and counsel. You always knew where Zbig stood, and his ideas and advocacy helped shape decades of American national security policy." In a joint statement, former President George H. W. Bush and his national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft, hailed Brzezinski as "a great American ... a good man and a good friend." While he was skeptical of Soviet motives and objectives, Brzezinski nurtured a diplomatic friendship between the United States and China, which culminated in a trip to Beijing in June 1978 that led to re-establishment of diplomatic ties. Brzezinski's view of the Soviet Union may have been colored by his childhood experiences. Born in Warsaw, Poland, on March 28, 1928, he was taken as a youngster to Canada where his father served as a diplomat. When the communists took over Poland at the end of World War Two, the family remained in the West. Brzezinski received a doctorate from Harvard University in 1953 and became an American citizen in 1958. He voiced support for U.S. policy in Vietnam in the mid-1960s, and served on the policy planning staff of President Lyndon Johnson's State Department. Along with David Rockefeller, chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, Brzezinski helped to found the Trilateral Commission, a private group that promoted closer ties between North America, Western Europe and Japan. VAST INFLUENCE Carter had known Brzezinski before his election and asked him to leave Columbia University, where the effects of Soviet communism had been the focus of much of his work. Having regular access to Carter gave Brzezinski vast influence, leading to reports that he and Vance were rivals for the president's ear. The rivalry lasted until Vance resigned after the aborted mission to rescue American hostages in Iran in April 1980. Before the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979, Vance had resisted Brzezinski's proposal that Washington back a military crackdown against Iran's radical Islamic forces. Once the embassy was taken by followers of Islamic leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Vance sought Carter's backing for an attempt to come to terms with Khomeini. Brzezinski characteristically favored military action to free the 52 American hostages and punish Iran. Carter eventually accepted Brzezinski's proposal for the ill-fated mission, in which eight servicemen died. Brzezinski also took part in negotiations toward the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979, which was seen by many as the major achievement of Carter's presidency. Despite his lifelong antipathy to Soviet communism, he joined Defense Secretary Brown in spearheading an unsuccessful drive to win Senate approval for the 1979 SALT-2 arms control accord. Although it never cleared the Senate as a result of the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, SALT-2 remained in unofficially effect beyond its original five-year lifespan. After the Carter years, Brzezinski became a consultant on international affairs and a senior adviser at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. He also taught foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote frequent opinion articles for newspapers and published several books. These included "Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power" in 2012. Then Vice President George H.W. Bush, trying to build an image as a tough foreign policy realist, considered it a coup to secure Brzezinski's support in his 1988 presidential campaign. Brzezinski was at times critical of both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He was sharply critical of Bush's "war on terror" and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After Donald Trump's election in November, he observed that the world was watching U.S. political developments "with some stupefaction." Brzezinski had endorsed Barack Obama in 2007, saying the Democratic presidential candidate recognized the challenge of bringing "a new face, a new sense of direction, a new definition of America's role in the world." Brzezinski had three children with his wife Emilie. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien; additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Tom Brown)
By John Irish TAORMINA, Italy (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk urged Group of Seven leaders on Friday to stick to their sanctions policy on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, a day after a senior U.S. official said Washington had no position on the issue. The 28-nation EU bloc and the United States imposed sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. While EU leaders have so far backed sanctions until a shaky ceasefire agreement signed in February 2015 in Minsk is fully implemented, U.S. President Donald Trump's promise of warmer ties with Moscow has tested the EU's resolve to remain united. "A solution to the conflict can only be reached with the full implementation of the Minsk accords," Tusk said ahead of the summit that gathers the leaders of the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada. "Since our last G7 summit in Japan (in 2016) we haven't seen anything to justify a change in our sanctions policy towards Russia. Therefore I will appeal to the other G7 leaders to reconfirm this policy," Tusk told reporters in Sicily. He warned that this summit would be the most challenging in years, given sharp differences on key issues such as climate change and trade. Tusk was responding to comments by White House economic adviser Gary Cohn on Thursday that appeared to differ to those from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has repeatedly said sanctions must remain until Minsk is put in place. "I think the president is looking at it. Right now, we dont have a position," Cohn said. Speaking on Friday, Cohn appeared to backtrack on his previous comments. "We're not lowering our sanctions on Russia. If anything we would look to get tougher on Russia. The president wants to keep the sanctions in place and I think the president has made it clear how the Russians could have the sanctions lifted." he told reporters. COMMON GROUND Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, said he was optimistic that there would be common ground with Trump on Russia. "My impression is that when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine we are more or less on the same line as President Trump. Of course. I am maybe less optimistic when it comes to President (Vladimir) Putin's plans and intentions. I'm less sentimental." The G7 nations are due to discuss Russia and the Ukraine crisis on Saturday, a senior French diplomat said. Fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government forces first broke out in April 2014 after a pro-European uprising in Kiev ousted Ukraine's Moscow-backed president. About 10,000 people have been killed in the three-year conflict and concerns are growing that the situation could once again rapidly deteriorate. The diplomatic stand-off with Russia has dragged relations between Putin and the West to a post-Cold War low. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Crispian Balmer/Mark Heinrich)
By Ahmed Aboulenein MINYA, Egypt (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a group of Coptic Christians travelling to a monastery in central Egypt on Friday, killing 28 people and wounding 24, with many children among the victims, Health Ministry officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which came on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan. It followed a series of church bombings claimed by Islamic State in a campaign of violence against the Copts. Islamic State supporters reposted videos from earlier this year urging violence against the Copts in Egypt. Eyewitnesses said masked men opened fire after stopping the Christians, who were in a bus and other vehicles. Local TV channels showed a bus apparently raked by gunfire and smeared with blood. Clothes and shoes could be seen lying in and around the bus, while the bodies of some of the victims lay in the sand nearby, covered with black sheets. The attack, which Egypt's Muslim leaders condemned, happened 15 km (10 miles) from the monastery, a security official on the scene told Reuters. Ambulance workers, monks and Muslim clerics were also present but declined to speak. Police armed with assault rifles formed a security perimeter and officials from the public prosecutor's office were gathering evidence and fingerprints. Heavily armed special forces arrived later wearing face masks and body armour. The injured were taken to local hospitals and some were being transported to Cairo. One of the vehicles attacked was taking men to carry out maintenance work at the monastery while another had children on board, officials said. Dozens of people gathered at the emergency area of a local hospital. Some carried a wooden coffin to a hearse. The Health Ministry said that among those injured were two children aged two. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called a meeting of security officials, the state news agency said, and the cabinet said the attackers would not succeed in dividing the nation. The grand imam of al-Azhar, Egypt's 1,000-year-old centre of Islamic learning, said the attack was intended to destabilise the country. "I call on Egyptians to unite in the face of this brutal terrorism," Ahmed al-Tayeb said from Germany, where he was on a visit. The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, condemned the perpetrators as traitors. The Coptic church said it had received news of the killing of its "martyrs" with pain and sorrow. The attack took place on a road leading to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Minya province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority. An Interior Ministry spokesman said the unidentified gunmen had arrived in three four-wheel-drive vehicles. Security forces launched a hunt for the attackers, setting up dozens of checkpoints and patrols on the desert road. PERSECUTION Coptic Christians, whose church dates back nearly 2,000 years, make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 92 million. They say they have long suffered from persecution, but in recent months the frequency of deadly attacks against them has increased. About 70 have been killed since December in bombings claimed by IS at churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta. An Islamic State campaign of murders in North Sinai prompted hundreds of Christians to flee in February and March. Copts fear they will face the same fate as brethren in Iraq and Syria, where Christian communities have been decimated by wars and Islamic State persecution. Egypt's Copts are vocal supporters of Sisi, who has vowed to crush Islamist extremism and protect Christians. He declared a three-month state of emergency in the aftermath of the church bombings in April. But many Christians feel the state either does not take their plight seriously enough or cannot protect them against determined fanatics. The government is fighting insurgents affiliated to Islamic State who have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in the Sinai peninsula, while also carrying out attacks elsewhere in the country. Ishak Ibrahim of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said the state of emergency was failing to prevent attacks. "The state is not addressing the root cause, which is the sectarian climate that encourages terrorism," he said. "There are no serious steps being taken to use culture or education to address this." (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Omar Fahmy and Mohamed Abdellah; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and John Stonestreet)
To wild cheers at her alma mater, where she made a fiery speech nearly 50 years ago, Clinton condemns assault on truth and reason and issues rallying cry: Dont let anyone tell you your voice doesnt matter

Taking the stage nearly 50 years ago at Wellesley, the liberal arts college famed for its activism, student body president Hillary Rodham turned to address roughly 400 of her female peers.

As the first ever student to speak at the schools commencement, or graduation ceremony, she faced a daunting task in addressing the prevailing climate of 1969. In a tumultuous period marked by the Vietnam war and social justice movements, Rodham was poised to discuss how her generation could effect change.

But in a spur-of-the-moment decision, she first took on the influential Republican senator who spoke before her. Her speech introduced the future Hillary Clinton to the national stage.

On Friday, Clinton returned to the place where it all began, six months after her defeat in the 2016 presidential election in what has similarly emerged as a watershed moment in American politics. The presidency of Donald Trump has been marked by scandals, confidence in institutions remains at a low and a steady stream of protests have drawn thousands to the streets of major cities across the country.

And Clinton was keen to draw the two eras together when she made a veiled comparison between Trump and Richard Nixon, who resigned in disgrace after Watergate.

The Wellesley students erupted into cheers at the sight of Clinton walking with the procession in cap and gown. And upon taking her place behind the lectern, Clinton was quick to identify the parallels between the moment of her speech 48 years ago and the environment today. There remained urgent questions, she noted, about discrimination against women, people of color, religious minorities, and immigrants.

She twisted the knife in to Trump, without once mentioning the president by name, by comparing him to Nixon, who had recently won the 1968 election when Clinton made her original Wellesley speech. We were furious about the past presidential election, Clinton said, of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with impeachment for his obstruction of justice.

Story continues

In the years to come, there will be trolls galore  online and in person. They may even call you a nasty woman. Hillary Clinton

The students relished this bold and freewheeling Clinton, who likened Trumps leadership to authoritarian rule, and warned them they were graduating amid a full-fledged assault on truth and reason.

Leaders willing to exploit fears and skepticism have tools at their disposal that were unimaginable when I was graduating, Clinton warned. When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society.

The students hung on her every word, nodding along, some through tears, and meeting Clintons indictment of the Trump era with cheers that rung of defiance.

Nearly five decades have passed since Clinton cemented, on that very same stage, her place as the face of a class dubbed as the rebels in white gloves. Clinton, although a political science major and active in student government, was not seen as a rabble-rouser.

But in 1969 she addressed her peers amid mounting tensions at the height of Vietnam, a war that was roundly unpopular among the younger Americans who filled campuses like Wellesley, then, as now, a womens college, and streets across the country with demonstrations.

Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated against the backdrop of civil rights marches, and the rise of feminism had prompted women to demand equal roles in society.

And so when Senator Edward Brooke, a moderate Republican, devoted much of his speech to discouraging protest in favor of incremental change, Clinton insisted his message be met with a rebuttal.

Wellesley students walk in to see Clinton deliver her address. Photograph: Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Part of the problem with just empathy with professed goals is that empathy doesnt do us anything, she said then. Weve had lots of empathy; weve had lots of sympathy. But we feel that for too long our leaders have viewed politics as the art of the possible. And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible.

What followed was a prolonged standing ovation from Clintons classmates, even as their parents scowled at the brazen young woman who had the audacity to take on a US senator.

To Clintons classmates, there was a poignant symbolism to her speech, which they said spoke for a generation of women unafraid to challenge their leaders. We, many of us who had wiped teargas from our eyes, were appalled by Senator Brookes remarks, Connie Hoenk Shapiro, a graduate of 1969, said. Fortunately, so was Hillary.

Clinton was no radical, said Shapiro, and her speech was not intended to be so. Clintons approach to crafting her prepared remarks was characteristic of the studious and methodical approach to policy she adopted over her political career.

Shapiro, who lived next to Clinton for two years, said Clinton spent the weeks prior to the speech soliciting ideas from her classmates about the issues they wanted her to address. Clinton sat in her room on the eve of commencement crafting a speech while surrounded by the countless pieces of paper she had been handed by her peers.

She was always very much of a consensus-builder, said Suzanne Salomon, another friend of Clintons of the 1969 graduating class. She just captured peoples imagination. We were mildly rebellious at the time. And Hillarys speech symbolized or brought to the fore the longings and desire among many of us to make changes in the world for the better.

Clintons 1969 speech was not simply a clarion call for the youth, but also an exhortation to the women before her to break down the barriers imposed by a male-dominated society.

The Wellesley attended by Clinton and her class was, after all, bound by rules imposed upon women that to the class of 2017 might sound like ancient history. It was only 50 years ago that the women of Wellesley were subject to curfews and required to keep open the doors of their dormitories when men were granted permission to visit.

Our attitudes are easily understood having grown up, having come to consciousness, in the first five years of this decade  years dominated by men with dreams, men in the civil rights movement, the peace corps, the space program, Clinton told her graduating class. So we arrived at Wellesley and we found, as all of us have found, that there was a gap between expectation and realities.

But it wasnt a discouraging gap and it didnt turn us into cynical, bitter old women at the age of 18, she advised. It just inspired us to do something about that gap.

Clintons doomed presidential campaign was, in many respects, a casualty of that very same gap nearly five decades later.

A female president had eluded the United States over its 240-year history, and at the onset of the 2016 election it looked as though Clinton were primed for the moment.

Unlike eight years earlier, when her dream of reaching the White House was quashed by a relatively unknown senator named Barack Obama, this time the roadmap looked far clearer. Clintons popularity soared when she concluded her tenure as secretary of state, and there was no match for the depth of her experience in public office on either side of the aisle in a crowded field of prospective contenders.

But then she officially became a candidate, and the familiar labels were attached to her public persona.

Interactions with voters were dogged by questions of her likeability, and whether or not she was out of touch with the lives of everyday Americans. The rollout of policy proposals, on a steady weekly basis, was often overshadowed by an emphasis on how each move fit into her perception as a calculating politician.

And then there were the emails. Clintons use of a private email server while heading the state department came to light a month before she launched her campaign, but it would go on to loom over her in the form of an oppressively constant fixation with whether she was trustworthy or honest enough to sit in the Oval Office.

Trust, to my recollection, hasnt really come up very much in major political campaigns, said Salomon. And yet I heard so many people say, I just dont trust Hillary. And Im wondering if part of that was that maybe women are not to be trusted as much as men.

Clinton routinely polled low on the question of trustworthiness, even as her opponent Donald Trump made brazenly false statements on a near daily basis.

A report released this week on the role of gender in the 2016 election by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University found a double standard in relation to the notion of honesty and ethics, among other areas.

Clinton said: If you feel powerless, dont. Dont let anyone tell you your voice doesnt matter. You didnt create these circumstances, but you have the power to change them. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Research on gender stereotypes reveals that voters may be less likely to expect honesty and ethical behavior from men than from women, the report stated. As a result, it is entirely possible that women candidates might be held to higher standards than men when it comes to honesty and ethics in their pasts and on the campaign trail.

The report attributed this double standard to seeking to understand how Clintons indiscretions were viewed differently from Trumps, and why Trump honed in on the nickname Crooked Hillary while relishing in lock her up chants at his rallies.

These tactics not only undermined Clintons credibility, the author concluded, but knocked her off the pedestal upon which stereotypes of feminine virtue place women.

Kelly Dittmar, the reports author, said the perceptions of both qualifications and likability uniquely intertwined for women in a way they were not for men. We vote for men we dont like because we view them as qualified, but we are far less likely to view women as qualified if we dont find them likable, Dittmar said. Its hard to say this hasnt been a factor in perceptions of Hillary Clinton  in 2016 and before.

Few moments captured the dissonance as strongly, and as fatefully, as when then-FBI director James Comey wrote in a 28 October letter to Congress that his agency was examining new emails related to the previous investigation into Clintons private server. A media frenzy ensued, even as little was known about the substance of the new emails, which turned out to be either duplicates or personal.

By contrast, three weeks earlier a leaked 2005 Access Hollywood tape revealed Trump bragging about kissing and groping women without their consent. More than a dozen women went on to accuse him of sexual assault. He denied the claims.

In a scathing op-ed, titled If Hillary Clinton Groped Men, Nicholas Kristoff asked readers to imagine if Clinton had been guilty of each one of Trumps offenses.

Sitting with Kristoff for her first public interview since the election in April, Clinton acknowledged to the New York Times columnist that misogyny played a role in her defeat. The quote kicked off a familiar cycle, with critics swiftly concluding she was playing the woman card and absconding blame yet again.

I think there were a lot of people, and surprisingly a number of women, who either were uncomfortable with, or in fact threatened, by the notion of a strong woman becoming president of the United States, said Salomon.

On Friday in Massachusetts, Clinton, was more unencumbered than ever before in assessing her treatment in the election.

She needled Trump, subtly but repeatedly, for perpetuating an environment dominated by alternative facts where even the size of crowds was in dispute. She dwelled for a moment on the fake news phenomenon that disproportionately targeted her candidacy, mocking the conspiracy theory that a pizza parlor was the center of a child sex ring organized by her and her associates.

With a hint of sarcasm, she told the women before her they may too be mocked for their elite education by those seeking to silence them. In the years to come, there will be trolls galore  online and in person, she said, before recalling one of Trumps more infamous attacks against her on the presidential debate stage: They may even call you a nasty woman.

For many of the 2017 graduates, Clintons presence was almost therapeutic.

As a community, we were stunned by the election results, said Caroline Bechtel, who majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies.

I think this moment, Hillary being on campus, was a chance to collectively reflect upon that and to get motivated and energized to move forward and not give up.

Clinton, she added, was a role model for her successes and also for her failures.

Its the way with which shes moved forward after this election that is really inspiring to me, Bechtel said. We need to push for change and reach out to parts of the country that feel left behind.

For all her references to the attacks she encountered as a candidate, at the heart of Clintons message was another rallying cry to the young women embarking on their next chapter. Recalling her address to women and young girls on the morning after the election, Clinton implored them not to be discouraged by her loss but to in fact view it as a source of motivation.

If you feel powerless, dont. Dont let anyone tell you your voice doesnt matter, she said. You didnt create these circumstances, but you have the power to change them.
Impeachment is no longer an unfamiliar term among American people in the 21st Century. The growing sense of divisiveness in the nation, largely initiated by President Donald Trumps rise to power and the string of controversies that he has managed to get entangled in, has led many to call for Trumps removal from office.

Since most of the serious accusations against the Trump administration are still under investigation  reasons behind the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, possible collusions between Trump campaign members and Russia, Trumps alleged interference into FBIs probe of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn  there have been no definite grounds to call for the presidents impeachment.

However, there have been a number of world leaders who were unceremoniously ousted from their presidential posts following various crimes that violated their oath of office.

1. Park-Geun Hye, former president of South Korea

Park Geun-Hye

Photo: Getty Images/South Korean Presidential Blue House

Park, the first female South Korean president, became the latest world leader to get impeached. She was accused of colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and ripping off multinational companies such as Samsung of tens of millions of dollars in bribe in exchange for continuing their business in South Korea, the Guardian reported. People of the country took to the streets to protest against her, which led to Park getting impeached in December 2016, followed by a constitutional court ordering her removal from office in March 2017.

Moon Jae-in, a member of the left-wing party was sworn in as the new president of South Korea on May 10, 2017, BBC reported.

2. Dilma Rousseff, former president of Brazil

Dilma Rousseff

Photo: Getty Images/ uda Mendes

Story continues

Similar to Park, Rousseff was the first female president of Brazil. She was ousted from office following charges that she manipulated the federal budget. Even though she continued to deny the allegations, members of the opponent party called for her impeachment. On Aug. 31, 2016, 61 senators ruled in favor of her dismissal, which put an end to the 13-year undefeated rule of her left-wing Workers' Party, BBC reported.

3. Otto Perez, former president of Guatemala

Otto Perez Molina

Photo: Getty Images/JOHAN ORDONEZ

Perez led Guatemala from 2012 to 2015. During the course of his brief term, he spearheaded a corrupt operation, which allowed companies to import foreign goods into the country without having to pay custom taxes. There were mass protests on the streets of Guatemala that called for Perez to be held accountable for his actions. Finally, on Sept. 1, 2015, the Guatemalan parliament stripped Perez of his diplomatic immunity. Two days later he was presented before court with charges for customs fraud, racketeering and bribery, BBC reported. His trial is currently ongoing.

4. Moshe Katsav, former president of Israel

Moshe Katsav

Photo: Getty Images/David Vaaknin

Katsav was indicting by the Israeli authorities when 3 female employees accused him of sexual harassment and rape. The duration of the accusations spanned from the time that Katsav was the cabinet minister of the country in 1997, through his 2000-2007 term as president, Independent reported. As a way out of getting impeached, Katsav brokered a plea bargain with the authorities in June 2007 that also included him resigning from his presidential post as one of the conditions, Independent reported.

In order to prove his innocence, the plea deal was rejected by him later on. In 2010, he was sentenced to prison for seven years for two counts of rape. In 2016, he was released after serving five of his seven-year jail sentence.

5. Fernando Armindo Lugo Mendez, president of Paraguay

Fernando Lugo

Photo: Getty Images/Luis Vera

On June 22, 2012 Lugo resigned from his post as a president but not before declaring that democracy "has been deeply wounded." Although Lugo became famously known as the first leader in the history of Paraguay to whom the opposition had surrendered power peacefully, after serving almost four years in office, he lost the confidence of his own allies, due to his strident and uncompromising nature.

He was indicted for four charges of malfeasance of governmental office and alleged participation in a confrontation between the police and farmers that left 17 dead, the Guardian reported.

6. Rolandas Paksas, former president of Lithuania

Rolandas Paksas

Photo: Getty Images/PETRAS MALUKAS

Paksas was ousted from presidential office after less than 14 months, after being accused of handing Lithuanian citizenship to Russian campaign donor, New York Times reported. The political scandal ripped through the country for six months before the Lithuanian parliament issued its order, which resulted in Paksas removal from office. The impeachment of their leader came at the same time that the country celebrated becoming NATOs newest member.

7. Abdurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia

Abdurrahman Wahid

Photo: Getty Images/SONNY TUMBELAKA

Wahid, who was fondly called Gus Dur by the people, was credited with bringing democracy and freedom back to Indonesia, but at the same time, criticized for his unruly choices of cabinet and unstable administration that plunged Indonesia into an economic crisis.

The Indonesian parliament ruled in favor of Wahids impeachment on July 2001 on corruption charges that is said to have been tailored by his political opponents, New York Times reported.

8. Alberto Fujimori, former president of Peru

Alberto Fujimori

Photo: Getty Images/RAUL GARCIA PEREIRA

Fujimori, who served as the president from 1990 to 2000, was accused of violating human rights for the killing of 25 people by a military death squad at a time when Peru was going through a conflict with Maoist rebels, the New York Times reported. In order to avoid getting caught, Fujimori fled to Japan, from where he faxed in his resignation. The congress of Peru refused to accept his resignation and Fujimori was extradited to his country after an elaborate legal battle. He was sentenced with 25 years in prison.

Related Articles
India opened its longest bridge close to the border with China in a move seen as bolstering its defences in a sensitive region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the third anniversary of his rule by inaugurating the 9.1 kilometre (5.7 mile) long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra river that will link Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states.

Indian media Friday made much of the fact that the bridge has been built to support the weight of a 60 tonne tank.

Modi has launched a drive to improve infrastructure in the isolated region, which comprises seven states linked to mainland India by a sliver of land that arches over Bangladesh.

"This bridge will not only save time and money, but it will bring about a new economical revolution for the people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh," Modi said.

The structure in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh, he said, will help farmers transport crops and herbs to markets in Assam.

Experts say the $318 million project will consolidate New Delhi's defences in the region.

"The bridge is going to help our troops get to parts that were earlier difficult to reach in times of crises," Ajit Singh, a defence research fellow at New Delhi's Institute for Conflict Management, told AFP.

"It's a step in the right direction, a proactive step by India to counterbalance China."

The government is also constructing a 2,000-kilometre highway to connect the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh to the western side at an estimated $6 billion cost. It is carrying out a study on a possible new railway network in the area.

Earlier governments refused to construct roads near the border, fearing they could be used by Chinese troops in a conflict.

But in 2014, Modi eased rules on building roads and army facilities near the 4,056 kilometre-long (2,520 mile) border in Arunachal Pradesh, signalling a shift in India's strategic policy.

Relations between India and China are dogged by mistrust stemming from a brief border war in 1962 over Arunachal Pradesh which has a large ethnic Tibetan population.

Story continues

The two sides regularly accuse each other of border incursions.

China and India ties soured this month when India boycotted a Beijing summit in opposition to a Chinese-Pakistani economic corridor that runs through disputed Kashmir.

Last month, China protested after India let Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama visit Arunachal Pradesh.
A new study finds 52 genes that are related to intelligence  a rousing success in a field that has often struggled to find correlations between smarts and genes.

The 52 genes, though, account for only about 5 percent of the variation in intelligence scores among different people. That's because intelligence is a complex trait, said study author Danielle Posthuma, a statistical geneticist at Vrije University in Amsterdam.

These genes "are basically a tip of the iceberg," Posthuma told Live Science. "But there are still a lot more genes that are important for intelligence."

Intelligence genes

Precisely because the genetic underpinnings of intelligence are so complex, previous studies on the topic turned out to be underpowered  most did not include enough people to detect the correlations between any given gene and people's scores on intelligence tests.

Those earlier studies were too small because, prior to them, researchers "didn't know what the genetic architecture of intelligence would be," Posthuma said. She added, "If it had been one or two genes, we would have been able to detect them" with the sample sizes that those studies included.

Instead, those early findings suggested that intelligence probably involves thousands of genes. Various studies show that intelligence is highly heritable: Between 40 percent and 80 percent of the variations in intelligence among people are attributable to genes. In the new study, the researchers put the heritability factor at 54 percent.

The researchers pulled together data from 78,308 people, all of European descent, and scanned their DNA for single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. SNPs are variations in the nucleotides that make up the genome. Most, according to the National Library of Medicine, have no effect, but some are crucial to health. [7 Diseases You Can Learn About from a Genetic Test]

Twelve of the 52 genes the researchers ended up pinpointing had been previously associated with intelligence, the researchers reported May 22 in the journal Nature Genetics. One set of genes involved with intelligence, which is also involved in cell development, included three genes already known to be involved with building or maintaining neurons: SHANK3, which is involved in the formation of the synapses, or gaps between neurons; DCC, which is involved in guiding the growth of axons, the spindly projections that neurons use as communication wires; and ZRHX3, which regulates the differentiation of neurons from other cell types during development.

Story continues

What the genes mean

To avoid stumbling on false correlations in the giant data set  there are at least 3 million SNPs in a human genome, Posthuma said  the researchers set their standards high in running their analysis. The result of this was that for each gene they identified, the chance that it is not truly linked to intelligence is about 1 in a million, Posthuma said.

The researchers also replicated their findings on another data set that measured the highest level of education attained instead of looking at general intelligence. IQ is highly correlated with educational attainment, so genes that drive IQ should also be linked to education, they reasoned. The researchers found that almost all of the variations they uncovered were also associated with the participants' education levels.

"This is really important stuff," said Douglas Detterman, a psychologist at Case Western Reserve University and a prominent intelligence researcher.

"What is interesting about this particular article is, it suggests what we have to do to really understand intelligence. It's not going to be easy," Detterman said. "They suggest that the things they are finding are mostly implicated in neural development, so we'll have to understand neural development and what it is about the brain that makes people smart."

Not everyone agrees that studies like these can shed much light on what makes people smart, though. [6 Foods That Are Good For Your Brain]

"The basic premise is that each gene operates to do something in particular, independent of the environment and all the other genes," said Wendy Johnson, a psychologist at The University of Edinburgh. "There is so much evidence that there are many, many problems with this, that I'm not even sure where to start."

Focusing on development and the modeling of the dynamics of the gene-environment system would be more enlightening, Johnson said.

Detterman said the natural next step in this line of work is to push the sample sizes of genome-wide studies into the millions.

"That is what it's going to take to get really good information," he said.

Posthuma and her colleagues are already planning to include more people in their next studies, hoping to find genes with even smaller contributions to general intelligence. They also plan to look more closely at the genes they've already uncovered, to see what they do, and if they really are involved with intelligence  and, hopefully, to discover what makes someone intelligent in the first place. [5 Experts Answer: Can Your IQ Change Over Time?]

"The genes have a certain function, so it will help us get an idea of the underlying biological mechanism," Posthuma said. "Why do people with different intelligence differ from one another? Are the cells behaving different, or is the information processing faster?"

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi forces have launched a broad assault on parts of battleground second city Mosul still held by the Islamic State group, the military announced on Saturday.

The offensive is the latest push in the more than seven-month battle to retake Mosul, a linchpin in IS's now crumbling attempt to establish a cross-border jihadist "state".

Multiple security forces units are attacking "what remains of the unliberated areas" on the west bank of the River Tigris, the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

"Army forces attacked Al-Shifaa neighbourhood and the Republican Hospital, federal police forces Al-Zinjili neighbourhood, and Counter-Terrorism forces attacked Al-Saha al-Oula neighbourhood," it said.

All three neighbourhoods are located north of the Old City, a warren of closely spaced buildings and narrow streets that has posed significant challenges to Iraqi forces seeking to oust IS.

The Joint Operations Command said later on Saturday that two colonels from the Iraqi army's 16th Division were killed in the Mosul area, but did not provide details about when or how they died.

On Friday, the federal police said they had bombarded IS positions with Grad rockets and field artillery in "preparation for attacking the Old City in the coming hours".

But the Joint Operations Command did not mention any attack on IS-held areas of the Old City on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the military said it had dropped "hundreds of thousands of leaflets" on IS-held areas of Mosul, urging "citizens to exit via safe corridors towards security forces".

- Dangers to civilians -

International aid group Save the Children expressed concern that the call for civilians to leave could expose them to additional danger.

"The Iraqi government must ensure all exit corridors are genuinely safe for people to flee," it said.

"The call for civilians to leave their homes is a U-turn on former directives that compelled civilians to stay and wait for the battle to pass" -- instructions that also raised concerns about the risks.

Story continues

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

Iraqi forces launched a major operation to retake Mosul in October last year, fighting their way to the city and retaking its eastern side before setting their sights on its smaller but more densely populated west.

The battle has taken a heavy toll on civilians, pushing hundreds of thousands to flee, while hundreds more have been killed or wounded.

On Thursday, the United States announced the results of an investigation into a deadly coalition air strike earlier this year.

The probe found that at least 105 civilians had been killed and 36 remained unaccounted for, but said most had been killed by the secondary explosion of IS munitions stored in a nearby house.

There have also been reports that members of an Iraqi interior ministry special forces unit tortured and killed detainees during the Mosul operation.

Iraqi photographer Ali Arkady recounted witnessing the abuse, which he also filmed, in an article for German magazine Der Spiegel. US network ABC News also reported on Arkady's footage.

The interior ministry has launched an investigation into the allegations.

Abuses such as those described in the reports could sow the seeds of future conflict even as security forces near the end of the battle for Mosul, IS's most emblematic stronghold.
By Maher Chmaytelli and Isabel Coles BAGHDAD/MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - The Iraqi air force dropped leaflets on Friday urging residents in the Islamic State-held Old City center of Mosul to flee, raising fears among humanitarian groups for the safety of desperate civilians there. The leaflet drop, announced in an Iraqi military statement, signaled that the decisive offensive to dislodge the militants from their remaining enclave in the northern Iraqi city was imminent. The U.S.-backed offensive on Mosul, now in its eighth month, has taken longer than planned as the militants are dug in among civilians, fighting back with booby traps, suicide cars and motor-bikes, snipers and mortar fire. Civilians trapped behind Islamic State lines face a harrowing situation with little food and water, no electricity and limited access to hospitals. "Iraqi air force planes dropped hundreds of thousands of leaflets a short while ago on the non-liberated areas ... urging citizens to exit through safe corridors," an Iraqi military statement said. A resident in Farouq, an Old City neighborhood, sounded desperate in a telephone interview. "We're waiting for death at any moment, either by bombing or starving," he said, asking not to be identified for his safety. "Adults eat one meal a day, either flour or lentil soup." The humanitarian group Oxfam said the leaflets suggested that the Iraqi forces' move on the Old City in Mosul "is imminent ... This could involve an official announcement from the military in the coming days". "Save the Children is deeply concerned that any calls to leave west Mosul will mean that civilians, particularly children, are in significant danger of being caught in the crossfire," another aid organization said in a statement. The militants have laid sheets of corrugated metal over pebbles in the alleys as an early warning system, residents said. The grinding noise produced by treading on it would alert them to any troop movements or civilians trying to escape. The United Nations last week said up to 200,000 more people could flee Mosul as fighting moves to the Old City. Residents said millet, usually used as bird feed, is being baked like rice as food prices increased by ten folds. People were seen collecting wild mallow plants in abandoned lots and also eating mulberry leaves and other types of plants. About 700,000, about a third of the pre-war city's population, have already fled, seeking refuge either with friends and relatives or in camps. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had initially hoped Mosul would be retaken by the end of 2016. The fall of Mosul would mark the end of Iraqi half of the "caliphate" declared nearly three years ago by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which also covers parts of Syria. Iraqi military commanders had expressed hope of taking control of the Old City's Grand al-Nuri mosque, from which Baghdadi declared the caliphate, before the fasting month of Ramadan, which starts on Saturday or Sunday in Iraq. The insurgency is expected to continue in the sparsely populated desert region along the Syrian border even if Mosul is fully captured. Iranian-backed Shi'ite paramilitary forces are fighting Islamic State in that part of the country where Baghdadi is believed to be hiding, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. The Iraqi Shi'ite paramilitary force, known as Popular Mobilisation, is theoretically under Abadi's command. On Friday, it announced it had captured the Sinjar military base, cutting the road between two cities that remain under Islamic State control west of Mosul, Tal Afar and Baaj, and getting closer to the Syrian border. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government is aiming to control the border in coordination with the Iranian-backed army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Linking up the two sides would give Assad a significant advantage in fighting the six-year rebellion against his rule. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Its time to talk about treason.

We now know, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports cited by the Washington Post, that in early December 2016 Jared Kushner and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trumps transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities, in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring.

At any time in the Cold War, what Kushner did would certainly have attracted the stigma of treachery. Should the same standard apply today?

Lets consider Kushners best defense. Backchannels are an accepted part of diplomatic relations. A relationship may be too controversial for public consumption, and it is useful to have fora where diplomats and those entrusted with the leadership of states can speak frankly, without the glare of the media.

But this appears to have been no ordinary proposal for a backchannel. First and foremost, the intent was to avoid monitoring by the United States own intelligence agencies. And second, Trumps team werent in government yet (unless the intent was for the backchannel to continue, or to start, after the inauguration, and thus provide a means to avoid U.S. intelligence monitoring while in office, which would be even more dubious).

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

The charitable interpretation here is that the Trump transition team did not want the Obama administration to know what they were discussing with Moscow. But this is unpersuasive as a defense, because if those conversations were within the realm of legality, what difference would it have made if the Obama administration knew about them? One might retort that it was important that the outreach to the Russians be kept out of the public domain, and that the Obama administration could have frustrated that by leaking to the press. But this argument is inane, given how publicly Trump advertised his desire for rapprochement with Russia during the campaign.

Story continues

A final argument might be that Trumps team was aware that it is illegal for private citizens to conduct diplomacy with a foreign government, so they needed a secret backchannel. Of course, being illegal, the Trump team would never make that argument. They might say, perhaps not unreasonably, that they were not conducting diplomacy, but merely talking to the Russians as an opposition party might do (call it the Marine le Pen argument). But you cant have it both ways: either the enterprise was legal, in which case there would have been no need to hide it from U.S. intelligence, or it was not.

Lets be clear. There would be nothing inherently illegitimate with the Trump transition team pursuing better relations between the United States and Russia. Indeed, it was a major part of the campaign platform Trump used to win the election. Foreign policy debate between Russia doves and hawks has been going back and forth since the deterioration of post-Cold War relations following the Wests intervention in Kosovo 1999, and those who want the West to have warmer relations with Russia have many reasonable arguments.

But its the very legitimacy of wanting better relations with Russia, given Trumps democratic mandate to pursue such a course, that makes Kushners desire to hide the Trump transition teams connections with the Kremlin from U.S. intelligence so dubious, especially if he did intend for the backchannel to continue, or to start, after the inauguration. That is the kernel of the illegitimacy here: not the effort to improve relations through a backchannel, but the extraordinary measures to keep it secret from ones own side.

In the Cold War, Kushners actions would have attracted the stigma of treachery because Russia was an enemy of the United States. But his actions would not have gotten him indicted because there was no ongoing open war in accordance with the legal definition of treason (18 U.S. code  2381): Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason.

Similarly today, what we are talking about is not the legal offense of treason but the stigma of treachery  the broader social meaning of treason.

To understand this broader social meaning it helps to think about the history of the concept. In the Roman Republic, there were two treasonable offenses. One was called perduellio, which basically aligns with our current definition of treason of aiding an enemy in war. The other was called the Crimen majestatis populi romani imminutae, known commonly as maiestas, which was the offense of diminishing the majesty of the Roman people. It was only later, after the Republic collapsed and the emperors took over, that maiestas became the offense against the person of the emperor, given how in this kind of monarchy, there was little difference between the sovereign identity of the state and its ruler. (This is the origin of the offense of lese majeste against monarchs still on the statute books in some states today.)

If Kushners actions should come to attract the stigma of treachery, it would be in the old Roman Republican sense of maiestas, when public values and their expression in state institutions still meant something. Thus, in the Roman Republic, maiestas was about punishing individuals for hijacking their state positions for their personal gain. It could be used, for example, to prosecute official maladministration, like corruption by provincial officials or military officers. An apt modern equivalent would be soliciting personal investments by selling political access or expedited visas to rich Chinese people, which Kushners family business has already independently been accused of.

Well have to wait for the facts to see what Kushner may have been trying to hide from U.S. intelligence. But my hunch is that far from the Manchurian Candidate theories, this will turn out to be a sorry case of operating in the grey areas of the law to enrich oneself whilst in office. Not as bad as aiding the enemy, but still rancid. It is exactly what treachery as maiestas meant in Republican Rome: An offense against the dignity of the state understood as a community bound by its public values.

In Rome, the punishment for maiestas was normally exile. Kushners fate is still to be determined. But the public response to it will tell us much about whether the American people, under their new monarch, still have the dignity to protect their ancient majesty.

Photo credit: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
Caroline Kennedy says a day hasnt gone by without her thinking about her father, the late President John F. Kennedy.

Ive thought about him and miss him every day of my life, Kennedy, 59, said in a video released on the eve of what would have been his 100th birthday. But growing up without him was made easier thanks to all the people who kept him in their hearts, who told me that he inspired them to work and fight and believe in a better world, to give something back to this country that has given so much to so many.

Caroline Kennedy, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan during President Barack Obamas second term, is the only surviving child of President Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. She was just 5 years old when her father was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963.

I remember hiding under my fathers Oval Office desk when I was little and sitting on his lap on the Honey Fitz, she said, referring to the presidential yacht. He would point out the white shark and the purple shark that always followed the boat, although I never could quite see them. He said they especially liked to eat socks and would have his friends throw their socks overboard, which I loved.

Slideshow: JFK at 100: Remembering John F. Kennedy on his 100th birthday >>>

President Kennedy inspired a generation that inspired America, she continued. They marched for justice, they served in the Peace Corps, in the inner cities, in outer space. His brothers carried on that work, fighting against poverty, violence and war, championing human rights, health care and immigration. As my father said in his inaugural address, this work will not be finished in our lifetime. Its up to us to continue to pass these values on to our children and grandchildren.

Caroline Kennedy, Tatiana Kennedy Schlossberg, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg and Jack Kennedy Schlossberg. (JFK Library and Museum)

Caroline Kennedys three children also appear in the video, which was produced by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

One of the defining relationships in my life is with someone Ive never met: my grandfather, President John F. Kennedy, Tatiana Kennedy Schlossberg said. Its a little odd to be connected to someone you dont know, especially when everyone else has access to much of the same information about him that you do.

Story continues

President Kennedy was elected on a platform of challenges, not promises, Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, JFKs only grandson, said. Not for what he would offer the American people as president, but what he would ask of them. My favorite speech is the one President Kennedy gave at Rice University, where he makes the case for sending a man to the moon. He said that challenge was worthwhile not because it would be easy, but because it would be so hard.

My generation will inherit a complicated world with countless unsolved problems, he continued. Climate change is just one of them, but its the type of challenge I think my grandfather would have been energized about and eager to solve.

Im inspired by my grandfathers sense of equality, his courage in naming the injustices in American society and his call for action, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg, JFKs other granddaughter, said. His words and his ideals mean so much to me and to the world we live in today. But we are still faced with tremendous inequality and injustice  from voting rights to our criminal justice system and mass incarceration. My grandfather would be proud how far weve come as a nation since 1963, but he would have been the first to tell us that we have a long way to go.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Federal Judge Raymond Jackson in Norfolk overturned a couple of life sentences for Lee Boyd Malvo, one of the most infamous Washington D.C. snipers in the recent times, Friday. Citing the 2012 Supreme Court ruling that "judges must consider the unique circumstances of each juvenile offender, banning mandatory sentences of life without parole for all juveniles," Jackson stated that Malvos life sentences were unconstitutional and ordered Virginia courts to hold new sentencing hearings for the same.

Malvo has been convicted of murdering 10 people and injuring three others in Maryland, Virginia and the D.C. area. When he was arrested back in 2002, he was 17 years old.

The news that Malvo could potentially walk away with a much reduced sentence was deeply disturbing to Cheryll Shaw, the daughter of Jerry Taylor, who was killed by Malvo in Tucson, Arizona, March 2002, prior to the days of the duo operating in the D.C. area.

I was at peace knowing Muhammad was executed and Malvo was serving life without parole. ... I was able to move on with my life," she said, Chicago Tribune reported. "But if he's going to be let out in my lifetime, I'm not comfortable with that."

Lee Boyd Malvo

Photo: Getty Images/Davis Turner-Pool

However, Bob Meyers, brother of Dean Meyers, another victim of Malvos killing spree, had a more accepting view of the verdict reversal.

"We will trust the people who are making these decisions know what they are doing and are not putting a monster on the street.

Meyers added that he had to find it in his heart to forgive Malvo and his accomplice because that was the only way they could survive, moving forward.

Not because we wanted them not to have consequences but because we wanted to be free of being stuck on that point for the rest of our lives. We wanted to go on with our lives," Meyers told in a phone interview with NBC News.

Story continues

The attorney generals office unsuccessfully argued against the federal judges order, stating that Malvo willingly waived his appeal rights when he struck the plea bargain in Spotsylvania County, after he was given a life sentence.

Rejecting the counter argument, Jackson added that his ruling would stand because Malvo did not have the knowledge of Supreme Courts rule that grants juveniles additional rights at the time that he agreed to waive his appeal rights.

Crucially, neither the plea agreement nor the sentencing judge provided any notification that, by signing the plea agreement, he was waiving his Eighth Amendment right to a sentencing hearing in which the judge must determine whether the juvenile offender before it is a child whose crimes reflect transient immaturity or is one of those rare children whose crimes reflect irreparable corruption, Jackson wrote in a statement.

Malvos accomplice and mentor, John Allen Muhammad, who was the mastermind behind the shootings, was executed in 2009.

Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney Ray Morrogh, who was in the team of prosecutors against Malvo, said the Virginia attorney general can appeal Jacksons ruling. However, if that does not happen, he would seek to pursue yet another life sentence for Malvo, the News Tribune reported.

Related Articles
Washington (AFP) - A judge Friday threw out the life terms for a man sentenced as a teenager for his role in a deadly three-week shooting spree in 2002 that terrorized the Washington area.

US District Judge Raymond Jackson in Virginia ruled that Lee Boyd Malvo deserved another sentencing hearing because the US Supreme Court has ruled that mandatory life sentences for minors are unconstitutional.

Malvo was serving two life sentences on two counts of capital murder in Virginia. They have now been vacated.

The series of sniper shootings in 2002 paralyzed the Washington area. Ten people were killed and three wounded in Virginia, Maryland and the US capital.

Malvo, who was 17 when he was arrested over the killings, was also sentenced to life in prison in Maryland.

Malvo's partner in the shooting spree, John Muhammad, was executed in 2009.

During the October 2-22, 2002 shooting spree, Muhammad, a skilled marksman, and Malvo picked off victims with a high-powered sniper rifle seemingly at will.

The random killings terrified an area still living in dread of a repeat of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and deadly anthrax mailings a year earlier.

People would squat down by their cars as they pumped gas, run from their vehicles into work, or just stay home.

Muhammad, who was a father-like figure to Malvo, killed each of his victims with a single bullet fired from a distance, and was apprehended after an exhaustive manhunt by federal and local police.

Muhammad's motive was unclear, although his second ex-wife alleged he intended to shoot her and reclaim custody of their three children.
TAORMINA, Italy (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said on Saturday that "of course" President Donald Trump backed NATO's mutual defense doctrine, despite not making an explicit reference to it during a visit to Brussels this week. Speaking at NATO headquarters earlier this week, Trump disappointed allies by not mentioning his support for Article 5, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is viewed as an attack on all. During his election campaign, Trump appeared to called Article 5 into question by suggesting that NATO members who did not pay their fair share for the alliance may not deserve to benefit from it. "I think it's extraordinary that there would be an expectation that the president would have to say explicitly that he supports Article 5. Of course he does," McMaster told reporters at the end of a Group of Seven summit in Sicily. "He did not make a decision not to say it," McMaster continued. "It was implicit in the speech. There was no decision to not put it in there. It is a matter of fact that the United States, the president, stands firmly behind our Article 5 commitments under NATO." (Reporting by Noah Barkin; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - Europe "must take its fate into its own hands" faced with a western alliance divided by Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday.

"The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days," Merkel told a crowd at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany.

"We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands," she added.

While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, "we have to fight for our own destiny", Merkel went on.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Special emphasis was needed on warm relations between Berlin and newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, she said.

The chancellor had just returned from a G7 summit which wound up Saturday without a deal between the US and the other six major advanced nations on upholding the 2015 Paris climate accords.

Merkel on Saturday labelled the result of the "six against one" discussion "very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory".

Trump offered a more positive assessment on Twitter Sunday, writing: "Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!"

The US president had earlier tweeted that he would reveal whether or not the US would stick to the global emissions deal -- which he pledged to jettison on the campaign trail -- only next week.

On a previous leg of his first trip abroad as president, Trump had repeated past criticism of NATO allies for failing to meet the defensive alliance's military spending commitment of two percent of GDP.

Observers noted that he neglected to publicly endorse the pact's Article Five, which guarantees that member countries will aid the others they are attacked.

The omission was especially striking as he unveiled a memorial to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the US, the only time the mutual defence clause has been triggered.

Story continues

Trump also reportedly described German trade practices as "bad, very bad," in Brussels talks last week, complaining that Europe's largest economy sells too many cars to the US.

Sunday's event saw Merkel renew bonds with the Christian Social Union (CSU), Bavarian sister party to her own centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), ahead of a parliamentary vote in September.

Polls show the chancellor, in power since 2005, on course to be re-elected for a fourth term.
Flooding and landslides killed at least 92 people and left another 110 missing in Sri Lanka as the monsoon set in Friday, dumping record rainfall in many parts of the island, authorities said.

The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported that over 60,000 people were driven out of their homes in the south and western parts of the country.

"There are some areas where we are unable to reach, but relief operations are under way," deputy minister for disaster management Dunesh Gankanda told reporters in Colombo.

Officials said the toll rose to 92 dead, including a soldier who fell to his death from a helicopter while trying to pull a marooned villager to safety. Another 110 people remain missing.

Sri Lanka issued an international appeal for help as reports came in from areas which had been inaccessible earlier in the day, with neighbouring India sending two shiploads of emergency relief supplies as well as medical teams.

"The first Indian ship will dock at Colombo on Saturday," the Sri Lankan government said in a statement.

The highest number of monsoon-related fatalities were from Ratnapura, the island's gem hub, where the Kalu river burst its banks and inundated the main town which is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Colombo.

Nearly 500 homes were either damaged or destroyed due to flooding as well as landslides, DMC director of operations Rear Admiral A. A. P. Liyanage told AFP.

Most of the deaths were due to mountainsides collapsing on homes after heavy overnight rain, he said.

- Evacuation orders -

The met department said the worst of the rains may be over, but there could be downstream flooding in the next few days and the authorities issued evacuation orders for thousands of people.

"The monsoon has firmly established and we could have evening showers at a lesser intensity", met department chief S. R. Jayasekera told reporters in Colombo.

The government arranged temporary shelters in schools and other public buildings for people in low-lying areas to move in, the DMC said.

Story continues

The military has deployed thousands of troops to reach marooned villagers and the airforce carried out several rescue operations to pluck people from rooftops of flooded homes.

The latest flooding was the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful Southwest monsoon, officials said.

In the early hours of the day a mountainside collapsed on a women's hostel at a tea plantation at Neluwa in the island's south, killing at least seven women, police said.

DMC officials said the monsoon had been expected on Thursday night and ended a prolonged drought that had threatened agriculture as well as hydropower generation.

The rains filled the reservoirs used for hydroelectric projects after low supplies had raised fears of power shortages in June.

But officials said most reservoirs were now so full they were in danger of spilling over and flooding communities living downstream.
In the wake of a Guardian reporter being body-slammed by Greg Gianforte, some people have been emboldened to condone the attack  as emails show

Greg Gianforte celebrates with supporters after being declared the winner in Montanas special House election Thursday in Bozeman, Montana. Photograph: Janie Osborne/Getty Images

The Guardian has received a steady stream of correspondence from across the US in the wake of this weeks news of a Guardian reporter being body-slammed by Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate who then went on to win the states only House seat.

Some of the emails expressed horror and shame over the assault on Ben Jacobs in which he was thrown to the ground and punched. But the digital mailbag to our opinion section also contained comments of a very different nature.

Take the email from Mary from Montana with the subject line: You sissy, Ben Jacobs. In the body of the text, she wrote: I was raised in an orphanage ... and broke other kids glasses; its part of living and surviving with jerks like you in the world.

Then there was the offering from Mark from Pennsylvania, who declared that it was great your reporter got body slammed. Id punch him in the nose. Or Dennis from Dallas, Texas who said that Jacobs was at fault as he shouldnt poke his recorder in the face of someone  a reference to the question he asked Gianforte relating to the CBO score for the repeal of Obamacare.

Dennis went on to say that the Guardians reporter was confrontational and got his (_,_) kicked. There is a reason that the publics opinion of the press ranks lower than that of Congress.

The common denominator of all these emails was that they effectively condoned attacking a working journalist. More striking still was the fact that many of the people expressing such tacit approval of violence did so openly, apparently under their own names, even in some cases disclosing their home addresses and phone numbers.

A similar willingness to go public, openly and shamelessly, with views that stopped one step short of actively advocating physical violence was displayed by several leading right-wing figures including politicians and pundits broadcasting to millions. On Friday Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, brandished a gun during a visit to a shooting range and said: Im going to carry this around in case I see any reporters.

Story continues

Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners earlier in the week that Gianforte was manly and studly in contrast to Pajama boy Jacobs. Conservative provocateur Laura Ingraham likened Jacobs to a bullied school child  denigrating both in the process.

Did anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor?  Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 25, 2017

Rachel Campos-Duffy, wife of a Republican Congressman Sean Duffy, said on Fox News that the Guardian reporter had received a little bit of Montana justice. Over on Fox & Friends, Geraldo Rivera called the incident gigantically overblown and lamented an excessive amount of whining and a woe is me.

Had neither of the Fox contributors read the eye-witness account of their own Fox News colleagues who reported that Gianforte grabbed the reporter by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him?

Montanas NBC affiliate, KECI, made its opinions clear in another fashion: it initially put a black-out on coverage of the assault, its news director reportedly telling central NBC News editors that Jacobs worked for a politically biased publication. That raised speculation that KECI might have been influenced because the stations parent company is in the process of being bought by pro-Republican Sinclair Broadcast Group (a suggestion that KECI denied).

All of this flurry of invective and self-censorship has prompted alarm among groups monitoring the media climate in the US. The New York-headquartered Committee to Protect Journalists, which traditionally focuses most of its efforts on assisting reporters under threat around the world, now finds itself increasingly preoccupied with events closer to home.

CPJs executive director Joel Simon pointed to a series of recent incidents in which American journalists had been harassed or even jailed in the course of doing their jobs. He also pointed to Donald Trumps relentless denigration of fake news outlets and of journalists as enemies of the American people.

You can say that was just rhetoric, just words, Simon said. But now we are seeing rhetoric turned into action  we know that Trump talked to the FBI director James Comey about putting journalists in jail, that was not just talk.

Simon said that the cumulative impact was the creation of an environment in which we have a president disparaging journalists, trying to put them in jail, and reporters being assaulted. I think its time to be worried. Its time to step up.

Lucy Dalglish, dean of the journalism school at the University of Maryland, said she had seen nothing like the Montana assault in almost 40 years in the news business. To have a professional politician beat up on a reporter  this is the kind of thing you would see in a totalitarian state. This is not America.

Dalglish said the most shocking aspect of it was that public commentators and ordinary Americans were willing to argue openly that violence against journalists was acceptable. Thats even more frightening than the horrible event in Montana  we are living in an America in which people are prepared in public to express the view that this was okay.

Experts on cyberbullying equate this weeks outpouring of support for Gianforte to changes in behavior they have detected online in recent years. The Cyberbullying Research Center has studied the bullying behavior largely of adolescents over the past 17 years, and has observed a subtle but important shift.

At first, teenagers were careful to maintain their anonymity, adopting pseudonyms online as they carried out their campaigns of disparagement and denigration. But more recently researchers have found an increased willingness among the bullies to speak out openly in public.

People are becoming emboldened now to say publicly what they want to say under their own names, said Justin Patchin, the centers co-director.

Patchin explained the shift by pointing to the lack of penalties for anyone using aggressive language online, coupled with the powerful rewards. People get clicks and retweets and shares when they make extreme comments, and that is affirmation for someone seeking recognition.

But he warned there were consequences. We are seeing the transition from virtual harassment to physical attack. If the virtual is not taken seriously, whats the next step?
A mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after she allegedly smothered her child while they slept next to each other.

Arissa Ward, 23, called police in Middleton, Pennsylvania, on 30 December last year after finding her infant son unresponsive on the couch next to her where they had been sleeping.

She said she had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before lying on the couch next to her son, who was two months and five days old.

An autopsy carried out a week later found the child had died due to traumatic asphyxia combined with smothering. The coroner also found traces of marijuana in the childs system as Ms Ward had been breastfeeding.

Ms Ward has now been charged with second-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter and a first degree misdemeanour count of endangering the welfare of children.

Ed Marisco, Dauphin County district attorney, defended prosecuting Ward and said the babys death had been caused by a reckless act.

He said it was clear she had not meant to kill her child but "the advice from hospitals and paediatricians is pretty clear - don't sleep with your child" and that if someone is under the influence of drink or drugs "it's much more likely something like this could happen".

But Ms Ward's lawyer, Casey Shore, told Pennlive: There's no question there was never any intention or desire to harm her child by any stretch. It's a horrible tragedy.

He said she had one other child who was still in her custody after an investigation by child services.

Jennifer Gettle, the chief deputy district attorney, said: "I can't imagine a parent going through this.

"We had a 911 call from a mom - she is crying, she is sobbing, she is going through the realisation she has caused the death of her child."

Ms Gettle said the amount of THC  the active ingredient in marijuana  was 0.95 nanograms. She said it could have possibly made the baby more lethargic.

Story continues

Mr Marisco said Ward and the childs father, Arthur Thomas Livering, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and possession of marijuana.

He said the county was launching a task force to combat a rise in parents sleeping with their children in their beds.

Our message today is don't sleep with your kid, especially if you're smoking dope or drinking all night, because you don't know what you're doing, he added.
Noordwijk aan Zee (Netherlands) (AFP) - Peace talks between the Philippine government and communist insurgents broke down on Saturday after a dispute over the rebels' ordering their fighters to step up attacks.

But communist negotiators remained hopeful that the discussions being held at a seaside resort town in the Netherlands would continue, despite the suspension announced by government negotiators.

The two sides had just opened formal talks when chief government negotiator Jesus Dureza objected to the communists' telling guerillas to intensify attacks in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in parts of the country.

"The government panel is now left without any other recourse but to announce... that it will not proceed to participate in the fifth round of peace negotiations," he said.

He added that talks would not resume until there were indications of an "environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace".

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law over the southern third of the country on Tuesday to quell fighting with pro-Islamic State militants in a southern city.

Communists insurgents, who are active in wide areas of the archipelago, including the south, responded to his declaration by ordering their forces to "carry out more tactical offensives".

But communist alliance negotiators blamed government officials, saying their statement resulted from government officials announcing that New People's Army fighters would also be targeted in Manila's crackdown on Islamic extremists.

Senior rebel negotiator Luis Jalandoni said that despite the government's ultimatum, the guerrillas' attacks would continue.

Government negotiator Silvestre Bello said the rebel panel had originally asked for a 10-minute recess to discuss the government's threat but refused to return to the table afterwards.

- 'Talks not closed' -

Story continues

But chief rebel negotiator Fidel Agcaoili told journalists he was hopeful the talks could resume, despite the government's suspension.

"The talks are not closed," Agcaoili said.

"Of course we intend to sit down again, the two panels, and then perhaps find some constructive solution between the two of us to continue the fifth round of talks."

If a solution could be reached, the talks "could resume tomorrow," said Agcaoili, chief negotiator for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, a coalition of several groups, of which the Communist Party of the Philippines is among the most prominent.

The CPP's armed wing is the 4,000-member NPA guerilla unit.

The communist insurgency in the poverty-stricken Asian country which began in 1968 is one of the longest running in the world. It has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the military.

Peace talks have been conducted on and off for 30 years, and were revived after Duterte, a self-declared socialist, was elected president last year.

Norway had coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in August, but little progress has been made since then.

The talks were moved to Noordwijk aan Zee, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Utrecht, where several of the rebel leaders live in exile.

The fiery Duterte has also taken strong positions against the rebels, imposing conditions including that the guerrillas stop extortion and arson activities.

Duterte angrily called off the peace talks in February after the collapse of unilateral ceasefires that saw guerrillas killing several soldiers and police in a series of attacks.

NPA guerrillas continue to attack isolated military and police outposts and extort money from businesses to finance their armed campaign, the military said.
By Tom Allard MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine armed forces helicopters fired guided rockets at Islamist militant positions on Saturday in an attempt to end a siege in the southern city of Marawi that has raged for five days. The use for the first time of the heavy firepower came amid growing confidence that the location of the man believed to be the leader of the Islamic State-inspired fighters, Isnilon Hapilon, has been pinpointed in the city. "We are trying to use our maximum force," said Major General Carlito Galvez, who heads the military command in the Western Mindanao region. "The main purpose of the offensive is to suppress the lawlessness and to maintain normalcy in Marawi so that our people here, our countrymen, can return, especially by Ramadan." Ramadan, Islam's month of fasting and prayer, began on Saturday and has special significance in Marawi, which has a predominantly Muslim population is a largely Catholic country. The Maute rebels' hold of Marawi City and the government's announcement that Indonesians and Malaysians were among the fighters has raised alarm about the prospect of Islamic State's radical ideology gaining traction Southeast Asia. The Maute have emerged from the glut of bandit and separatist groups in the southern Philippines and are a tactically smart, social media savvy group eager to align with Islamic State militants. (For a graphic on Islamic State-linked groups in Philippine south click http://tmsnrt.rs/2rYIHTj) Security experts say Mindanao could become a draw for regional extremists and the Maute's alignment with the Islamic State group and its ability to take on the military could support moves to secure funding and recruit foreign and local fighters. A city of 200,000 people, Marawi is mostly deserted, with officials saying "80-90 percent" of the population has been evacuated. Some resident remain in relatively safe neighbors but others are trapped close to the fighters from the Maute group and other militants from the area. Islamic State's Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for the Marawi unrest, although that came more than a day after it started. The military says Maute has yet to be endorsed by Islamic State, or ISIS, as one of its affiliates. REBEL CONTROL The militants have control of some government buildings, including a jail, which was seized on Tuesday, leading to the escape of more than 100 prisoners, including some Maute members. "I saw them near the highway. I saw ISIS there. I could tell because they wore black headbands with the ISIS signs," said one man fleeing Marawi by foot, who identified himself as Musa. "They were also riding around my area on motorcycles." Jo-Ar Herrera, a military spokesman, said 41 militants had been killed, with 10 more deaths after heavy fighting on Friday. Two more soldiers died, bringing the total of those killed in action to 13. Forty-five military personnel had been wounded. Asked whether the military had located the whereabouts of Hapilon in Marawi, Herrera answered "yes". "They can run but they can't hide," he said, adding that it was only a matter of time before Hapilon is captured or killed." Hapilon, a leader of another Mindanao-based rebel group Abu Sayyaf, pledged allegiance to Islamic State last year and has formed an alliance with Maute. The military says he is still wounded from a January air strike and the fierce Maute resistance is aimed at protecting him. According to Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Hapilon received $2 million from Syria to fund his campaign in Mindanao. Sidney Jones, a regional security expert, said it was not clear that Hapilon was calling the shots in Marawi. Abdullah Maute, one of two brothers that formed Maute, may be setting the overall strategy. "He's smarter, and the fighters are on his territory. So no, Hapilon's death would not cripple the movement," Jones said. (Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Editing by Michael Perry)
Warsaw (AFP) - Poland's defence minister said Friday he was confident about US President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO amid doubts raised by his failure to publicly endorse the alliance's guarantee of collective defence.

Allies who had hoped to hear Trump declare his commitment to NATO's Article 5 were left disappointed as he made no public mention of it at Thursday's summit in Brussels.

But Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz told public broadcaster TVP Friday that he had "heard" Trump at talks held behind closed doors and "had no doubt that the US will absolutely respect Article 5 and the troop commitments they have made" on NATO's eastern flank.

"It was very clearly said that the US is committed to NATO and to security on its eastern flank," Macierewicz added.

The US Army Europe set up a new headquarters in Poland this month to command some 6,000 of its troops deployed in NATO and Pentagon operations across the alliance's eastern flank aimed at deterring nearby Russia.

The move is one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the Cold War and is meant to reassure NATO's easternmost allies spooked by Russia's frequent military exercises near the region and its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

"It was very clearly said: America is in NATO, America wants to be in NATO, America will always support NATO," Macierewicz said of Trump's words at the Brussels summit.

The Polish defence minister said he believed that Trump's doubts were focused on the alliance's finances and "the wealthiest countries that benefit from US protection in NATO... but don't want to contribute in line with their abilities."

Trump accused "23 of the 28" NATO member nations of failing to pay their fair share of the defence bill.

"This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. Many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years," Trump said.

NATO members agreed in 2014 to allocate two percent of GDP to defence, but few have so far met that target.

Just days ahead of the summit, Macierewicz endorsed plans to raise Poland's defence spending from the current two percent of GDP to 2.5 percent by 2030.
More than 2,000 people attended the candlelit vigil: AP

Muslim communities have spearheaded a fundraising effort for the victims and their families who were affected by a stabbing on a train in Portland.

Two men were killed and a third was injured after they tried to protect two women being verbally assaulted on a train by suspect Jeremy Christian.

One of the women was wearing a hijab and Christian was reportedly yelling anti-Muslim remarks at them. When the men intervened, they were attacked.

Donations have poured in from more than 4,000 people, pushing the fundraising goal of $50,000 to $200,000 within hours.

The campaign, led by the Muslim Educational Trust and Celebrate Mercy, a non-profit which aims to counter misinformation about Islam, has raised $1,000 every five minutes and has gathered $165,000 as of Sunday morning.

We wish to respond to hate with love, to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action, the fundraising page reads.

Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: 'Have mercy to those on earth, and the One in Heaven (God) will have mercy upon you.'"

At least two other fundraising efforts have gathered more than $150,000 for the victims and their families.

Ricky Jordan Best, 53, a father of four and army veteran, was killed on the scene, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche later died at hospital.

Micah David Cole Fletcher, 21, is still at hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Mr Fletcher, a Portland State University student, won a 2013 poetry competition with a poem that condemned prejudices against Muslims after the 9/11 attacks.

Fundraisers say the money will be distributed for medical costs, funeral expenses, and for Bests wife and four children.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest advocacy group for Muslims in the US, called on President Donald Trump to condemn the attacks.

More than 2,000 people attended the candlelit vigil at the Hollywood Transit Centre, where the attack took place, on Saturday evening.

Story continues

Christian, who was seen to make Nazi salutes at a free speech rally in April and who posted racist commentary on social media, is expected in court this week.

He faces multiple counts of aggravated and attempted murder as well as two misdemeanours resulting from being a convicted felon and owning a restricted weapon.
Jeremy Christian has been arrested in connection with the attack: Portland Police

A pair of good Samaritans who were murdered as they tried to protect two women from a barrage of racial abuse on a train have been hailed as "heroes".

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, and Rick Best, 53, both had their throats slashed on a train in Portland, Oregon, after they tried to intervene when when they saw a man apparently abusing two young women who appeared to be Muslim. A third person also had their throat slashed but survived.

One of the women was wearing a hijab veil when the suspect Jeremy Christian reportedly said that "Muslims should die".

Mobile phone footage shows the 35-year-old ranting and standing in the street just metres from several police officers before his arrest.

Mr Namkai-Meche, an economics graduate, was on the phone to his aunt when stepped in as the suspect confronted the girls.

His mother, Asha Deliverance, confirmed his death on Facebook.

He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever. she said.

Mr Best, a father of four, was also killed.

He spent 23 years serving in the US Army and retired in 2012, according to the Oregon website, which said he subsequently worked for the city.

One of his former Army colleagues said: Its just like Rick to step in and help somebody out.

Kareen Perkins, his supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services, described Mr Best as a dedicated employee.

"He was always the first person you would go to for help," she told Oregon Live. "I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out."

The third man, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was treated for injuries that police said were not expected to be life-threatening.

Muslim communities have spearheaded a fundraising effort for the victims and their families who were affected by the stabbing.

Donations have poured in from more than 5,000 people, with more than $200,000 raised so far.

We wish to respond to hate with love, to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action, the fundraising page reads.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
The victims of the deadly stabbing attack aboard a light-rail train in Portland, Ore., on Friday are being hailed as heroes for intervening on behalf of two young women who were the apparent targets of the suspects anti-Muslim epithets.

They were attacked because they did the right thing, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said Saturday. Their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all. They are heroes.

Rick Best, a 53-year-old U.S. Army veteran and city of Portland employee, was headed home on the train when a man, later identified as Jeremy Christian, began hurling epithets at two young women, including one wearing a hijab, witnesses said. Best and two other men were stabbed after stepping in to help, witnesses said.

Slideshow: Fatal stabbing on train in Portland, Ore. >>>

Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, died at the scene. Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was transported to a Portland hospital, where he was listed in serious condition Saturday.

Muhammad A. Najieb, an imam at Portlands Muslim Community Center, said Saturday he was very thankful as both a Muslim and a Portlander for their actions.

The two young women could have been the victims, Najieb added, but three heroes jumped in and supported them.

Namkai Meche, a recent graduate of Reed College, was remembered in a statement from a former professor.

I still remember where he sat in conference and the types of probing, intelligent questions I could anticipate him asking, Professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri said in a statement posted to Facebook. He was thoughtful, humble, smart, inquisitive, and compassionate. He was a wonderful human being. As good as they come. And now he is a hero to me.

Story continues

Meches mother, Asha Deliverance, also mourned her son in a Facebook post.

My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland, she said. He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever.

Fletchers mother told CNN she wasnt surprised that her son tried to intervene.

Micahs always done that, she said. Hes always been that way.

According to the Oregonian, Best retired from the Army in 2012 after serving 23 years in the military, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2014, Best launched an unsuccessful bid for Clackamas County commissioner. He began working for the city in 2015.

He was always the first person you would go to for help, Kareen Perkins, his supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services, told the newspaper. Ive talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said its just like Rick to step in and help somebody out.

Rick Best was an Army veteran, father of 4. He died defending teens from a racist tirade. Hero of the highest order. https://t.co/G8YHXxyp5f pic.twitter.com/L8dX0jP7IG  Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 28, 2017

Best is survived by his wife, three teenage sons and a 12-year-old daughter.

My heart goes out to the family of Rick Best. They have lost a husband and a father, and we have lost a treasured employee, city commissioner Chloe Eudaly said in a statement. Rick worked for the city for a little more than two years and was a valued member of our Bureau of Development Services team. And as a veteran, he served our country with honor and distinction. He stood up for two young women and others he didnt even know  all because he wanted to help.

Losing a colleague is hard, she added. Losing someone under these circumstances makes it even worse. We are very saddened at the loss of Rick and we will remember him fondly as we move forward.

Christian, 35, was arrested and is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder and intimidation  the state equivalent of a hate crime. He is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Tuesday.
President Barack Obama moved on from his picture-perfect vacation in Italy for basically the next-best thing: hanging out with Prince Harry.

The president met up with future Mr. Meghan Markle at Kensington Palace in London on Saturday, the palace shared on Twitter and Instagram.

Prince Harry hosted former US President @BarackObama at Kensington Palace today. pic.twitter.com/9SWfSRY4FH  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 27, 2017

Good to see my friend Prince Harry in London to discuss the work of our foundations & offer condolences to victims of the Manchester attack. https://t.co/7azv4BV2Nt  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 27, 2017

The two world leaders discussed "a range of shared interests, including support for veterans, mental health, conservation, empowering young people and the work of their respective foundations," the palace noted.

The pair also talked about Monday's terrorist attack that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. Obama offered his condolences to victims and support to those recovering, the palace said.

Michelle Obama wasn't pictured in the royal family's reports  maybe she's still busy keeping off-the-shoulder tops relevant in Italy?

Thank you, Obama, for strengthening ties between our two nations ahead of our matrimonial union.
Tripoli (AFP) - The holy Muslim month of Ramadan began Saturday with a bitter taste for residents of Libya's capital, as a cash shortage bites, prices rise and deadly clashes returned to Tripoli.

Dawn queues outside banks just to withdraw a few tens of dinars has become routine for most Libyans, whose chaos-plagued North African country faces a persistent liquidity shortfall.

But despite the difficulty of getting by on a daily basis, the small Tomzini grocery store was still crowded on the eve of Ramadan.

However shoppers were cautious and extra-careful about their purchases this year, with cutbacks the order of the day.

During Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn they have a second opportunity to eat and drink during suhur.

"Instead of buying three kilos of almonds, I'm buying three dinars' worth, just for decoration," said young mother Mariem, whose little girl gazed imploringly at large baskets of multi-coloured sweet treats.

Prices have multiplied by three or four times this year in Libya, including at Tomzini which is famed for its fresh spices.

Most Libyans these days are trying to adapt and change their spending habits so they are still solvent by the end of the month.

- 'No cash' -

People no longer buy in the large quantities of the past.

"I have to be careful. I'm not sure I can replace every dinar that leaves my pocket," 59-year-old civil servant Moftah al-Barrani told AFP.

"We haven't been paid for months, and even if I still have money in the bank I can't get at it because there is no cash," he said.

But he also added that people still wanted to do their shopping in case prices rose even further because of high demand during Ramadan.

Retired teacher and mother of three Halima, 54, counts her cash carefully to ensure she does not have to come shopping again during the first week of Ramadan.

Story continues

In a market in Tajoura, an eastern suburb of Tripoli, Sabri al-Bouechi who lives on his salary as an official recognizes that "living conditions are below zero".

"I'm just an ordinary guy like those who queue up outside the bank," he said, adding: "Officials should have pity on people."

Because of the cash shortage, the businesses that do best are those that accept cards and cheques.

"Do you take the Commerce and Development Bank card?" asked one customer in a supermarket.

In addition to economic mayhem, Libyans have also had to cope with a country in chaos after the 2011 revolution that ousted and killed strongman Moamer Kadhafi.

- Subsidised imports -

On Friday, fierce clashes in the capital between forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and rival militias killed at least 28 people and wounded 130, according to the health ministry.

The fighting broke out in the south of the city after several months of relative calm in Tripoli, with even heavy weapons being used in residential areas.

In a statement on Friday, the GNA issued a scathing statement in the wake of the clashes.

"This is their gift to the people for the month of Ramadan", the statement said of the month generally marked by sacrifice and piety.

With such lofty ideals in mind, residents of Tripoli have been helping others to cope with a country in crisis.

For the past two months, throughout the city and on social networks, associations have mobilised to collect food supplies for needy families.

"There's no point in praying and fasting when a neighbour goes hungry," said Samer Fayyadh, who runs a fast-food restaurant in Tripoli.

In an attempt to counter the effects of the economic crisis, the central bank decided to spend more than $550 million (500 million euros) on food imports for Ramadan.

This is despite the constant risk of subsidised products being diverted by unscrupulous traders.
GOP senators are putting together new version of American Health Care Act after the Congressional Budget Office found 23 million people would lose insurance

Paul Ryan has embraced the Congressional Budget Offices analysis of the Republican health bill. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Republicans rushed an updated version of their healthcare plan through the House of Representatives earlier this month without knowing how much it would cost or how many people would lose insurance as a result. This week, the nonpartisan congressional budget office released its assessment  and the accounting was bleak.



The agency forecast that 23 million people would lose insurance over the next decade, people with pre-existing conditions could face substantial increases in out-of-pocket spending on health care and maternity coverage could cost women an extra $1,000 per month.

Now that lawmakers have seen the score, the fate of the US healthcare system shifts to the Senate, where a group of Republicans are hammering away at their own version of the plan. Heres a look at the next steps.

Is this bill going to pass?

The House bill stands virtually no chance of passing the Senate in its current form. The Senate has repeatedly pledged that it would substantially change it.

The House made a stab at it but thats not going to be what the Senate votes on, at least initially, John Cornyn, the second-highest ranking Republican in the senate, said on Thursday. Were going to try to build consensus.

But theyre certainly not there yet. The working group charged with shaping the Senates health care plan has yet to find the common ground to even begin drafting new language. The Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, told Reuters on Wednesday: I dont know how we get to 50 [votes] at the moment. But thats the goal.

Fifty votes are needed for it to pass in the 100-member Senate because in the event of a tie vice-president Mike Pence would have the casting vote.

Why does the CBO score matter?

The CBO score will help set the parameters around the healthcare debate in the Senate, where Republicans are sharply divided over how to reshape the House bill.

Story continues

After weeks of working group meetings, Senate Republicans are expected to put pen to paper and begin drafting the healthcare bill over the upcoming 10-day recess, guided in part by the findings in the CBO score.

Its also important because Republicans are using a process known as budget reconciliation in order to avoid a Democratic filibuster. As such, the health care plan must comply with a series of special rules, including one that says the bill must not increase the federal deficit in a 10-year window. The score found that it would reduce the deficit by $119bn over the next decade.

How did Republicans react?

They sent mixed signals. The White House dismissed the report, saying the agency was totally incapable of accurately predicting how healthcare legislation will impact health insurance coverage. But the House speaker, Paul Ryan, embraced the findings, saying he was comforted that the report showed the plan would lower premiums.

A number of Senate Republicans immediately distanced themselves from the House plan after the score as released.

Congresss focus must be to lower premiums with coverage which passes the Jimmy Kimmel test, said Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, referring to the comedians plea after a health scare involving his newborn son that lawmakers keep the Obamacare rule preventing insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. The ACHA does not. I am working with Senate colleagues to do so.

How long will the bill take?

Senators have been reluctant to commit to a timetable but caution that the bill could take weeks to finalize.

Cornyn told reporters that he thought the Senate would hold a vote on its version of health care overhaul sometime before the August recess.

If Democrats pass a different bill, the legislation will then go to a conference committee. There lawmakers from both chambers would hammer out the differences between the two versions of the bill. When a consensus was reached, the plan would be presented to both chambers for a final vote.
When the congressman-elect assaulted a journalist, the Republican partys response left much to be desired. They can and must do better

This is how toxic our culture of masculinity has become. Photograph: STRINGER/Reuters

Republican Greg Gianforte won a special congressional election in Montana Thursday, the day after assaulting a reporter. In light of his conduct, its incumbent upon Paul Ryan, the most senior Republican in Congress, to show the world that Republicans dont condone the violent behavior of their newest member.

Gianfortes actions violate the first duty of a politician in a democracy, which is to work through policy differences and answer questions about them peacefully. And his conduct Wednesday was not that of an elected official. The Republican party still has the opportunity to say as much.

In the coming weeks, Ryan will preside over the seating of Gianforte, and though our justice system doesnt dictate what he and Republicans in Congress must do, moral imperatives dictate he must do something.

That Gianforte did finally apologize after hed won, declaring that he had made a mistake, is small comfort. Grabbing a reporter and throwing him to the ground is not an accident; the act was done in anger, sure, but it was also done with intent.

So far the Speaker has scolded Gianforte in only the softest terms. Should the gentleman apologize? Ryan said. Yeah, I think he should apologize. With all due respect Mr Speaker, the gentlemen of whom you speak is anything but gentle and he has no business in the halls of Congress.

Now its up to him and Republican leadership to say as much.

The Constitution mandates each chamber of Congress determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member. Such language strongly suggests some action by leadership is warranted.

In 1969, the supreme court ruled to prohibit Speakers from unilaterally barring incoming lawmakers from being seated in the House, but there is no shortage of intermediate actions Ryan might take.

Story continues

He could seat Gianforte and then subsequently move for a vote on expulsion. Alternatively, he could refer him to the House Committee on Ethics, which polices members behavior. More simply, he could use his public platform to censure Gianfortes behavior in stronger terms.

Instead Ryan has signaled he will move to seat Gianforte as smoothly as possible, and do so by appealing to the very democracy that Gianfortes assault deteriorates. If he wins, he has been chosen by the people of Montana, Ryan said.

But many Montanans didnt know this side of the man they voted for.

An estimated two thirds of early voters cast their ballots before he assaulted a reporter, and before they knew his position on the Republican health care bill that the reporter, my colleague Ben Jacobs, was asking about. He still has not taken a public position on the bill.

That Gianfortes violent response to being asked a policy question has actually been rewarded within certain circles of the Republican party is a measure of just how toxic our culture of masculinity has become.

Gianfortes team claims to have raised $100,000 following the attack and the president and vice president have hailed the victory. When the congressman-elect referred to the incident at his victory party, members of the crowd at his victory party sniggered.

That culture was distilled by numerous Fox News commentators defending Gianforte and in a tweet by Laura Ingraham. Did anyone get his lunch money stolen today and then run to tell the recess monitor? she wrote.

Ingraham offered us an unwitting and satisfyingly accurate description of Gianforte as a bully and a thug. This kind of aggressiveness is ascendant in the Republican party and is being fostered by Trump. It deserves the scorn and condemnation of every self-respecting, law-abiding Republican.

If the Republican party loves manliness so much, Paul Ryan should have courage enough to set the record straight with regard to where he and his party stand.
The teachers have been disciplined: PA

Several teachers have been disciplined after a student was given an award that said she was most likely to become a terrorist

Lizeth Villanueva, a 13-year-old from the Anthony Aguirre Junior High school in Texas, was handed the certificate one day after the Manchester attack.

The fake certificate was given to the student in a mock ceremony, in what was intended to be a an attempt at poking fun.

Ena Hernandez, Lizeths mother, said she was upset by prize, especially considering the timing.

I was upset and very mad when I saw the award, Ms Hernandez told The Washington Post.

I was surprised because my daughter has been doing well in the honours program.

Lizeth added that it was not a joke and that she no longer feels comfortable being the same classroom as the teacher, KPRC 2 reported.

Other awards included most likely to be homeless and most likely to cry for every little thing.

There were several teachers in the room during the ceremony and awards were reportedly met with laughter.

The school district released a statement apologising for "the insensitive and offensive fake mock awards that were given to students".

"The teachers involved in this matter have been disciplined according to district policy," it said.
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Senior politicians attending a top meeting of South Africa's ruling ANC tabled a motion of no confidence on Saturday against president Jacob Zuma, News24 reported on its website. Citing four unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), News24 said the motion of no confidence was proposed by a senior NEC member and supported by the current health minister and his deputy, among others. The ANC's spokesman Zizi Kodwa, who earlier in the week denied a Bloomberg report saying Zuma's removal would be discussed, was not immediately available on Saturday evening. Earlier the ANC's secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, told reporters that Zuma's removal was not on the NEC agenda. "We are reading in newspapers that there is going to be blood on the floor. We have not seen that blood on the floor, yet," Mantashe said in comments broadcast live on eNCA television. Zuma has been under increasing pressure to step down from party veterans and members of the African National Congress's communist and union alliance partners, as a series of scandals threaten to erode the ruling party's dominance before the 2019 general vote. The Public Protector, an anti-corruption watchdog, published a report in November that alleged Zuma was influenced by the Guptas, a wealthy South African family with business interests ranging from mining to media, in making government appointments. Zuma resisted calls to resign over those claims, which both he and the Guptas have denied. The ANC stood by Zuma at a similar meeting in November in a debate about whether he should step down, and analysts discounted suggestions that he might be ousted or might quit before his term as party head ends in December. [nL8N1IP4SN] The NEC discussions continue on Sunday. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Saturday it has resumed contact with a distressed fishing vessel that feared it was being followed by a suspected pirate vessel off the waters of Somalia, and that the 3 Koreans and 18 Indonesians on board were safe. The South Korean military had dispatched its anti-piracy naval unit after communication with the Mongolian squid fishing vessel was cut when it requested help after midnight on Friday. The vessel's South Korean captain confirmed the safety of the three South Koreans, the foreign ministry said in the statement. A foreign ministry official told Reuters the vessel was "not hijacked" and that the Indonesians were also safe. The ministry had said earlier that South Korean authorities were working with their counterparts in countries, including the United States, Germany, India and Japan, to trace the vehicle. It added that it will now drop its "request for cooperation to related countries and wrap up the case". On Tuesday, Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel to use as a base to attack bigger, more valuable ships, part of an upsurge in attacks following years of relative calm. This month has seen a new rash of attacks, with two ships captured and a third rescued by Indian and Chinese forces after the crew radioed for help and locked themselves in a safe room. (Reporting by Suyeong Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Michael Perry and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Leading up to Mondays Game 1, Puck Daddy is previewing every facet of the Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators  on the ice and off the ice.

For various and sundry reasons, the Puck Daddy Beard Watch took a breather this postseason. So consider this your official Beard Watch update, as we take a look at the face foliage for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators ahead of their Stanley Cup Final.

PENGUINS

Obviously, there wasnt much turnover from last years Stanley Cup winners, which means there isnt much novelty in the Penguins playoff beards. But there are some formidable follicles here.

Lets start with last seasons most impressive beard for the Penguins:

Nick Boninos beard is Pennsylvania Dutch approved. It looks like a large cloud on a windy day.

Or 1970s porn.

In any case, the HBK Line might be dead, but Beardino lives on.

Sidney Crosbys beard used to be a point of ridicule, but much like Sid worked hard to improve his shot and his defense, he has apparently willed his face into sprouting stubble worthy of a Telenovela.

In fairness to Matt Murray, all he had to do for just over two rounds was rehab his injury and grow a sweet beard. But that time away from the crease was well-spent, as this is a sweet looking face bush on the Penguins goalie.

Much better than last seasons scraggy mess.

Well this is something.

Jake Guentzels beard finally solves the riddle of what would a cherub look like as a lazy stoner?

That said, weve seen plenty of fair-haired players attempt a playoff beard, and this at the very least is not The Perry.

If nothing else, Jake Guentzels beard exists to help contrast it from the sublime shrub on Phil Kessel.

We imagine its soft, like an un-sheared New Zealand sheep. Heh.

PREDATORS

The Penguins won pretty much every aspect of the James Neal for Patric Hornqvist trade  well, except playoff plumage.

Horny hasnt reached full Viking potential, while Neal has a glorious face-hugger. But its not even in the top three on his team!

Story continues

P.K. Subban has one of the sneaky great beards of the 2017 playoffs.

And yes, it is weird to consider anything about P.K. Subban understated.

Another member of the Code Red beard assault by the Predators, this ginger glory would be good enough to put the Predators over the top here.

But then 

BAH GAWD! STOP THE FIGHT! ITS A KNOCK OUT!

Ryan Elliss beard looks like its pulling other beards onto his face through its gravitational pull.

Its like he went for the Joe Thornton before realizing that only Joe Thornton should have the Joe Thornton, and then just didnt care.

This beard is our everything.

ADVANTAGE: Predators



Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS




NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Mississippi man went on a shooting spree overnight, killing a sheriff's deputy and seven other people in three separate locations in rural Lincoln County before the suspect was taken into custody by police, authorities said on Sunday.

Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, was arrested and was being treated in a hospital for a gunshot wound, according to Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The sheriff's deputy, identified as William Durr, was fatally shot after responding to an emergency call regarding a domestic dispute late on Saturday night at a house in Bogue Chitto, a small community about 69 miles south of Jackson, the state capital. Durr, 36, had worked for the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department for two years, Strain said.

Godbolt also killed three females at the house, Strain said, before heading to another residence in the nearby city of Brookhaven and fatally shooting two boys, Strain said. He then headed to a third address to kill a male and a female victim. Except for the deputy, the victims have not been identified.

Video of Godbolt minutes after his arrest posted online by the Clarion-Ledger newspaper showed him in handcuffs sitting in a road, surrounded by officers.

He tells a reporter he had been arguing with relatives about "taking my children home" before they called the police on him. He expresses regret for shooting the sheriff's deputy.

"Suicide by cop was my intention," he says in the video. "I ain't fit to live. Not after what I've done."

Representatives of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office did not respond to requests for comment.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant called the killings a "senseless tragedy" in a statement.

"Every day, the men and women who wear the badge make some measure of sacrifice to protect and serve their communities," his statement said. "Too often, we lose one of our finest."

Lincoln County is a mostly rural area near Mississippi's southern border with Louisiana, about 65 miles south of Jackson, the state's capital.

(Reporting By Frank McGurty and Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Nick Zieminski)
Beirut (AFP) - The Syrian army is in full control of the highway from Damascus to ancient Palmyra for the first time since 2014 after driving out jihadists, a monitor said on Friday.

Since troops recaptured Palmyra from the Islamic State group in March, the UNESCO World Heritage site had been accessible via Syria's third city Homs, about 150 kilometres (95 miles) to the west.

But after major advances on Thursday night, the army now controls the direct road from the capital to Palmyra, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

With the support of Russian air strikes, regime fighters "pushed IS fighters out of desert territory amounting to more than 1,000 square kilometres (390 square miles)," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"The jihadists were withdrawing because of how intense the Russian air strikes were," Abdel Rahman said.

Palmyra's temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs -- some of the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East -- attracted more than 150,000 tourists a year before civil war broke out in Syria in 2011.

IS fighters first overran Palmyra in May 2015, and government troops recaptured it 10 months later.

The jihadist group retook it in late 2016, but Russian-backed Syrian forces wrested back control in March.

A decades-old ally of Damascus, Moscow has been carrying out air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's troops since September 2015.

The Syrian army appears to be conducting a multi-pronged drive towards the oil-rich territory near the country's eastern borders with Iraq and Jordan.

But parts of the frontier are controlled by rebel groups backed by the US-led coalition fighting IS.

Earlier this month, coalition warplanes struck a convoy of pro-government forces headed towards a remote coalition garrison near the Syrian-Jordanian border.

The desert, known as the "Badiya", extends over some 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles) and makes up about half of Syria's territory.

Story continues

Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests demanding Assad's ouster.

But the popular demonstrations have since given way to a full-blown war that has killed 320,000 people and fragmented the country.

According to geography expert Fabrice Balanche, Syria's government is steadily chipping away at IS territory and now controls 46 percent of the country, compared with 36 percent in March.

Kurdish forces and IS each control 21 percent of Syrian territory, with rebels left with just 12 percent, according to Balanche.
Greg Abbott

Texas Governor Greg Abbott joked about shooting journalists while visiting a gun range to sign a bill lowering the cost of a handgun licence, drawing criticism from gun-safety and free-press advocates who called his remarks "dangerous."

Mr Abbott signed the bill at an indoor gun range in Austin, the state capital, then demonstrated his own shooting skills at an upstairs firing gallery before holding up his bullet-pocked target and quipping: "I'm gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters."

A photo of the moment, published by the Texas Tribune, showed the grinning first-term Republican governor pointing to the centre of the paper target, where three rounds had pierced the bull's eye circle.

His comment on Friday drew sharp rebukes from Reporters Without Borders, headquartered in Paris, and the Washington-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Both said the incident was especially troubling as it came amid increasingly hostile rhetoric directed against the news media by Republican President Donald Trump and his supporters.

"This joke was dangerous and out of line. Because it's never just a joke to some," Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said in a statement. "Words matter. In a state and country where dangerous people can still so easily buy guns without a background check, leaders of every political stripe should be careful not to green light violence on their behalf."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (REUTERS)

The two groups also cited the misdemeanour assault charge filed on Wednesday against Republican Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte of Montana, accused of body-slamming a reporter who asked him about healthcare on the eve of his election.

"Politicians must condemn this dangerous rhetoric against reporters as it can quickly escalate to physical violence like we saw in Montana," Reporters Without Borders said in a tweet.

The group's latest annual World Press Freedom Index of 180 countries ranks the United States at 43, one rung below the tiny West African nation of Burkina Faso.

Story continues

"We're really seeing just how much America deserves that ranking right now," said Margaux Ewen, the organisation's US advocacy director.

Mr Abbott's office did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment.

The bill he signed will cut fees for a first-time licence to carry a handgun from $140 to $40, and lower the renewal fee from $70 to $40, starting in September. It also waives the fees for peace officers and members of the military.

"No law-abiding Texan should be priced out of the ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights," Abbott said in signing the measure.

Reuters
Tripoli (AFP) - More than 1,400 migrants seeking to get to Italy were rescued off the coast of Libya on Friday, but other vessels were in distress, according to accounts by Libyan and Italian officials.

"Large rescue and interception operations are under way," navy spokesman General Ayoub Qassem said. "Today is the day of a massive exodus of illegal migrants toward Europe."

The Libyan coastguard, fishing and commercial boats were working in coordination with the Italian authorities, he said.

A Libyan oil tanker picked up 562 migrants, including dozens of women and children, and took them to Tripoli, a Libyan coastguard official said.

Another group of migrants, whose size was not given, were taken to Zawiya, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the west, this source said.

In Rome, the Italian coastguard said it had sent several vessels and rerouted commercial ships to pick up 850 migrants.

However, three other boats laden with migrants were in distress.

More than 50,000 migrants have landed on Italian coasts since the beginning of this year, not counting those rescued in recent days, while more than 1,400 have drowned or are missing, according to UN figures.

Of the 181,000 migrants who entered Italy last year, some 90 percent arrived via Libya.

The North African country has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

Around 6,400 migrants were picked up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, thousands of whom disembarked at ports in southern Italy on Friday.

At least 35 people drowned on Wednesday when a powerful wave struck their vessel, pitching them into the sea, as a rescue ship was distributing life jackets.

Smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed Libya since its 2011 revolution.

Libya has urged Europe, and particularly Italy, to supply its coastguard with the equipment it says it needs to monitor its southern borders, through which migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African, enter the country.
Manila (AFP) - Militants fighting under the black flag of the Islamic State group have turned a southern city into a battleground, and triggered warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte of a potential IS caliphate.

The violence is the latest in four decades of conflict across the southern third of the mostly Catholic Philippines, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has claimed more than 120,000 lives.

Here is what we know about the latest violence, the factors behind it and what will happen next:

- Who are the militants? -

They mostly belong to the Maute group, which the government estimates has about 260 armed followers. It is one of a number of hardline groups that split from the nation's biggest Muslim rebel organisation in anger at a planned peace accord.

The Maute gunmen were protecting Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of a kidnapping-for-ransom gang called the Abu Sayyaf that is also believed to have only a few hundred gunmen but is blamed for the nation's worst terrorist attacks.

The Maute and Hapilon's faction of the Abu Sayyaf have pledged allegiance to IS and want to establish a caliphate for it in the southern Philippines, according to Duterte and security analysts.

IS has named Hapilon, 51, its leader in the Philippines, according to security analysts.

- Why did the fighting erupt? -

After receiving intelligence reports that Hapilon was hiding in Marawi city, security forces went to arrest him on Tuesday but were taken by surprise when they met massive resistance from Maute gunmen protecting him.

The gunmen went on a rampage through Marawi, even though most of its 200,000 residents are Muslim, flying black IS flags partly to distract the troops but also to provide powerful propaganda images to highlight their cause.

- What was the response? -

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a massive assault to kill the militants or drive them out of Marawi. The fighting has claimed the lives of at least 15 security forces and 31 militants, according to the military.

Story continues

At least two civilians have also been killed, while local media have reported the murders of nine other people apparently caught at a militant checkpoint.

Duterte also imposed martial law across the entire southern region of Mindanao, which is home to 20 million people, to stop what he said was the rising threat of an IS caliphate being established.

- What's the background to the fighting? -

The Philippines' Muslim minority regard Mindanao as their ancestral homeland. Muslims arrived in the Philippines well before the Spanish landed in the 16th Century and imported Catholicism, and Islam was most firmly established in the south.

Heavy Catholic migration in recent decades has made Muslims a minority even in most Mindanao cities.

Muslim rebels launched their separatist rebellion in the 1970s. The two main rebel groups have signed peace accords with the government in exchange for autonomy, although this has yet to be finalised.

The Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other small hardline groups are not interested in negotiating peace and have in recent years looked to IS to help them.

Nevertheless, security analysts regard these groups as lacking the fundamentalist ideology of their IS superiors, and say they are more interested in criminal activities than implementing ultra-strict versions of Sharia law.

- What happens next? -

Both sides could emerge with victories from the fighting and martial law, according to Julkipli Wadi, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of the Philippines.

Wadi said he expected the militants to scatter after suffering casualties but then regroup, winning from the experience a "badge of honour" that could draw IS fighters fleeing the Middle East battlefields.

Meanwhile, Duterte could claim an immediate victory in clearing Marawi, while using martial law and the security threat to muster support for some of his other political objectives that have lost some public support, according to Wadi.

He said these included amending the constitution to change the form of government.

There are few expectations that martial law could end the deep-rooted problems that have led to the Muslim conflict in the south.

But Wadi also said he did not believe the vast majority of local Muslims supported an IS caliphate, nor the group's brutal tactics that include mass beheadings of opponents.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Friday decried an attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt that left at least 28 dead, calling on allies to band together to defeat terrorism.

"The bloodletting of Christians must end, and all who aid their killers must be punished," he said in a statement issued by his press office as he attends the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

"Terrorists are engaged in a war against civilization, and it is up to all who value life to confront and defeat this evil."

Hours earlier, masked men in three pick-up trucks had attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians on a visit to a monastery south of Cairo.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack on Copts after the Islamic State jihadist group bombed three churches in December and April, killing dozens of Christians.

"This merciless slaughter of Christians in Egypt tears at our hearts and grieves our souls," said Trump, who met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a summit in Riyadh last week.

"Wherever innocent blood is spilled, a wound is inflicted upon humanity. But this attack also steels our resolve to bring nations together for the righteous purpose of crushing the evil organizations of terror, and exposing their depraved, twisted and thuggish ideology.

Sisi said Egyptian forces had hit a jihadist training camp in an undisclosed location in retaliation for the attack on the Christians' bus. Egyptian state television reported that the air force struck training camps in neighboring Libya.

Christians have been targeted by Islamist militants across the Middle East in recent years, forcing thousands to flee a region which has been home to some of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Trump said the United States "makes clear to its friends, allies and partners that the treasured and historic Christian Communities of the Middle East must be defended and protected.

"Civilization is at a precipice -- and whether we climb or fall will be decided by our ability to join together to protect all faiths, all religions, and all innocent life. No matter what, America will do what it must to protect its people."
By Doina Chiacu and Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the news media and dismissed leaks from the White House as "fake news" on Sunday, following reports his son-in-law tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow before Trump took office. Shortly after Trump's remarks on Twitter, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly made the rounds of Sunday television news shows to praise any so-called back channel communications, especially with Russia, as "a good thing." The Republican president returned to the White House after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe that ended on Saturday to face more questions about alleged communications between Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington. "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," Trump wrote in a series of Twitter posts on Sunday. The White House faces mounting questions about potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, which are also the subject of criminal and congressional investigations. Trump officials were preparing to establish a "war room" to address an issue that has begun to dominate his young presidency. Aides said Trump was expected to meet with lawyers as early as Sunday, the New York Times reported. Two Republican U.S. senators played down the Kushner reports on Sunday, while the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, took a darker view of such contacts with representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "My dashboard warning light was clearly on and I think that was the case with all of us in the intelligence community - very concerned about the nature of these approaches to the Russians," Clapper told NBC's "Meet The Press." Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, had contacts with Moscow in December about opening a secret back channel of communications, according to news reports published while Trump was away on his trip. The 36-year-old Kushner, a real estate developer with no previous government experience, had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, seven current and former U.S. officials told Reuters. "Whenever you see the words 'sources say' in the fake news media, and they don't mention names," Trump wrote, "it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!" Contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials during the campaign coincided with what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded was a Kremlin effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump's chances of winning the White House. 'A GOOD THING' White House officials defended the concept of secret communications channels without commenting specifically on the Kushner case. National security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters on Saturday that so-called back-channeling was not unusual. Kelly, the homeland security secretary, carried the same message on Sunday. "It's both normal, in my opinion, and acceptable," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "Any way that you can communicate with people, particularly organizations that are maybe not particularly friendly to us, is a good thing." Kelly told "Fox News Sunday" there was nothing wrong with the Trump transition team trying to build relationships with the Russians as they prepared to take over the White House. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said such secret channels may be used in situations including peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan or for the release of American hostages. "But for people associated with the campaign after that campaign has ended and where the Russians during that campaign were helping you, to try to establish a back channel and hide it from your own government, that's a serious allegation," he said. Schiff was particularly concerned about a Washington Post report that the back channel would have been conducted at a Russian diplomatic facility to avoid monitoring in U.S. communications systems. "You have to ask, well, who are they hiding the conversation from?" he said on ABC. Schiff said he expected Kushner, who serves as an unpaid adviser to Trump, to appear before his committee and suggested his security clearance be reviewed. Kushner initially had come to the attention of FBI investigators last year as they began scrutinizing former national security adviser Michael Flynns connections with Russian officials, the two sources told Reuters. Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN he doubted the Kushner reports were accurate. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, noted that Kushner has been willing to answer questions. "They reached out to us yesterday to make sure that we knew that was the case and Im sure hes willing to do so, Corker said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Though he had not seen evidence of collusion when he stepped down on Jan. 20, Clapper said all the signs made an FBI investigation not only appropriate but necessary. "Russia, at least for my money, is our primary adversary," he told NBC. "They are not our friends. They are in to do us in." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Toni Clarke; editing by David Clarke and Nick Zieminski)
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump return to the White House on Saturday night. (Olivier Douliery/Getty Images)

President Trump returned from his foreign trip to a role hes much more familiar with: Tweeter in chief.

Just returned from Europe, Trump wrote on Twitter early Sunday. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!

The nine-day tour  which included stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy  was clouded by revelations about the federal investigation into the Trump campaigns ties to Russia. Trump did not hold a single press conference throughout the trip and was relatively restrained in his use of Twitter.

Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

But just as Trumps trip was wrapping up, the Washington Post reported on Friday that Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and a top White House adviser, had proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the United States. The Associated Press reported the same Sunday.

It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media, Trump declared on Twitter, without naming the specific story or scandal with which he took issue.

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

.it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

Whenever you see the words sources say in the fake news media, and they dont mention names, Trump continued, it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!

Story continues

Yet Trump has repeatedly sparred with members of the press over their coverage of the Russia investigation, insisting they ought to be focused on the leaks.

The leaks are absolutely real, Trump said in February. The news is fake.

Find the leakers, Trump tweeted on May 16.

And it was Trump himself who for years routinely cited unnamed sources while questioning the validity of former President Barack Obamas birth certificate.

The president even took the opportunity to chide the media for what he deemed was insufficient coverage of Republican Greg Gianfortes narrow victory in Montanas closely watched special election for the states at-large congressional seat.

Big win in Montana for Republicans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

But the election was, in fact, widely covered after Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly body slamming a reporter at a campaign event on Wednesday, just hours before voters headed to the polls.

Trump also made reference to the apparent leaks of the British police investigation into last weeks bomb attack that killed 22 people outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. British police briefly stopped sharing information with U.S. intelligence agencies on Thursday after details of their investigation spilled out in U.S. media outlets.

At a NATO summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Theresa May raised concerns about the leaks with Trump, who subsequently condemned them.

British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked, Trump tweeted. Gave me full details!

British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017

Earlier this month, Trump came under fire for reportedly revealing top-secret information in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak.

Trumps apparent decision to casually reveal information, reportedly gleaned from an Israeli source, was ripped by lawmakers who feared it would dissuade other U.S. intelligence partners from sharing information.

In response, Israels defense minister said it had changed its intelligence-sharing protocols with the United States after Trumps meeting.

We did a spot repair, Avigdor Liberman said in an interview with Israels Army Radio, declining to discuss specifics. Not everything needs to be discussed in the media; some things need to be talked about in closed rooms.

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan and James Oliphant

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Once U.S. President Donald Trump returns from his overseas trip, the White House plans to launch its most aggressive effort yet to push back against allegations involving Russia and his presidential campaign, tackling head-on a scandal that has threatened to consume his young presidency.

Trump's advisers are planning to establish a "war room" to combat mounting questions about communication between Russia and his presidential campaign before and after November's presidential election, while bringing new aides into the White House, administration officials and persons close to Trump told Reuters.

The strategic shake-up comes as Republicans in Washington increasingly have fretted that the probe, continued chaos in the West Wing and Trump's steady slide in opinion polls will derail the president's drive to reform healthcare, cut taxes and rebuild the nations infrastructure.

Upon Trumps return, the administration will add experienced political professionals, including Trump's former campaign manager, and possibly more lawyers to handle the Russia probe, which has gained new urgency since the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to head the investigation, the sources said.

Beyond pushing back at suggestions that Moscow is unduly influencing Trumps administration, the messaging effort will also focus on advancing Trumps stalled policy agenda and likely involve more trips out of Washington that will feature the kind of raucous rallies that were the hallmark of Trumps campaign.

A person in regular touch with the White House said it needed a different structure to focus on the new reality that there would be continued leaks to the media from the law enforcement and intelligence communities, leaks that have increased in frequency since Trump fired former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey on May 9.

Story continues

Since the firing of Comey, that really exposed the fact that the White House in its current structure ... is not prepared for really a one-front war, let alone a two-front war, the person said. They need to have a structure in place that allows them to stay focused while also truly fighting back on these attacks and these leaks.

The White House declined to comment on plans for a "war room" but said Trump will be looking to expand on momentum it believes it has built up during the presidents trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Europe. A White House official confirmed plans to hold more rallies.

Trump returns to Washington on Saturday from his first trip abroad as president.

The president has had an incredibly successful trip overseas and the White House looks forward to continuing an aggressive messaging strategy to highlight his agenda when we return to D.C., said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

KUSHNER, BANNON INVOLVED IN 'WAR ROOM'

Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Trump, will be involved in the new strategic messaging operation, as will Steve Bannon, another top adviser who specializes in managing Trumps populist appeal and shaping his political image, the sources said. Bannon and Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, have been laying the groundwork for the plan this week, they added.

On Thursday, NBC News and the Washington Post reported that Kushner, who held several meetings with Russian officials following the election, is a focus of the probe, making him the first current White House official to be caught up in it, although Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Corey Lewandowski, Trumps former campaign manager, is also expected to be part of the effort. Lewandowski, who has been seen in the White House recently, could join the administration as early as next week, a source close to him said.

Lewandowski was fired by Trump in June 2016 over concerns that he was not experienced enough to oversee the general election fight against Democrat Hillary Clinton, but has remained a trusted adviser to Trump and a steadfast defender of the president on news programs.

This month, the Justice Department named Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as an independent special counsel in the probe.

REPUBLICANS WORRY ABOUT AGENDA

Trump has been frustrated of late that his communications team hasnt done a more effective job at making the case that he isnt implicated in the Russia probe and highlighting his administration's successes, sources close to the president said.

The White House declined to comment on the president's frustrations.

Another Republican close to the White House said the new team is taking a page out of former President Bill Clintons playbook. When Clinton faced impeachment in the late 1990s, he assembled a crisis-management operation that dealt with fallout from his affair with Monica Lewinsky while allowing the rest of the White House to deal with day-to-day policy matters.

The goal of the White House is to try and contain the crisis and media coverage of the special counsel, the Republican said.

Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media and a Trump friend, said he expects the president will travel more when he returns from overseas and encouraged the White House to focus on issues that pump up his base voters.

From my perspective, I think the president should be doing the stuff that he does best, which is talking about his agenda: jobs, trade and security, Ruddy said.

Trump has scheduled a political rally for next week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The White House said other similar events are in the planning stages.

Republicans in Congress are aching for Trump to leave the distraction of the Russia probe aside and focus on legislation and nominating officials to fill the hundreds of vacant slots across the administration.

What we really want to be able to do is tend to our business, Mike Rounds, a Republican Senator from South Dakota, told Reuters. "We've got a healthcare bill we're working on. We've got tax reform that we think is important.

Some of Trumps donors, too, say they are concerned. Stanley Hubbard, a billionaire radio mogul from Minnesota, said he worries that the White House continues to be distracted by the Russia scandal, but laid some of the blame on Trump himself.

He talks when he shouldnt," he said.

Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said this week that Trump's time in office has been a "complete disaster" aside from foreign affairs. Boehner, a fellow Republican, told an energy conference he supported efforts to "get to the bottom" of any potential interactions between Trump associates and the Russian government but described any calls to impeach Trump as the purview of "the crazy left-wing Democratic colleagues of mine."

(Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson and Roberta Rampton in Washington; Writing by James Oliphant; editing by Jason Szep and James Dalgleish)
By Steve Holland

TAORMINA, Italy (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to expand sanctions against North Korea over its continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the White House said.

Pyongyang has carried out repeated missile tests in the past year, prompting an array of countries to demand tougher economic sanctions to push the isolated country towards dismantling its weapons programmes.

Meeting before a Group of Seven summit, Trump and Abe dedicated much of their discussion to the issue, aides said.

"President Trump and Prime Minister Abe agreed their teams would cooperate to enhance sanctions on North Korea, including by identifying and sanctioning entities that support North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs," the White House said in a statement.

"They also agreed to further strengthen the alliance between the United States and Japan, to further each country's capability to deter and defend against threats from North Korea," it said.

Trump has said he will prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile, a capability experts say Pyongyang could have some time after 2020.

"It is very much on our minds...It's a big problem, it's a world problem and it will be solved. At some point it will be solved. You can bet on that," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside Abe.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this month called on countries all over the world to implement existing U.N. sanctions on North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, adding that the U.S. administration would be willing to use secondary sanctions to target foreign companies that continue to do business with Pyongyang.

Norio Maruyama, a spokesman for Abe, said his prime minister had made clear at the G7 that the international community, including China, must put pressure on North Korea.

Story continues

Abe told leaders that "at this moment, maintaining pressure is necessary," and "China has significant influence and a major role and Prime Minister Abe said China should take an even larger role," Maruyama said.

Most of North Korea's trade is with its ally China, and so any hard-hitting secondary sanctions would likely target Chinese firms. Maruyama did not say exactly what sanctions were being considered.

Speaking in Beijing, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Friday that China realised it has limited time to rein in North Korea through negotiations and that it was open to further sanctions.

Susan Thornton, the acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs told reporters the United States was looking at discussing with China a new U.N. Security Council resolution on measures to reduce delays in any response to further nuclear tests or other provocations from the North.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, additional reporting by Steve Scherer,; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Related:

Watch news, TV and more Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.
While the term black hair might mean anyone who possesses black-colored hair, natural or artificially treated, irrespective of ones, the Black Hair Challenge is strictly meant for people with African American origin. #BlackHairChallenge was trending on Twitter, Saturday 4:18 a.m. EDT, where black people from all over the world proudly posted pictures of their hair.

African American men and women participated in the challenge, which quickly gathered up momentum, becoming one of the top trends on social media, with 44.5K tweets and counting.

People with all kinds of hair  long, short, straight, curly and otherwise  posted selfies, with innovative captions, on Twitter. While some hairstyles were fairly classic such as cornrows, others went a step beyond merely odd.

While most people flaunted their glossy black hair, people who did not sport black hair also participated in the challenge.

Twitter users also used this challenge as a throwback to their good old childhood days when they did not have to worry about the latest hair trend or spend all day browsing the internet for ways to get rid of their frizz.

Speaking of frizz, the unprecedented popularity of African American hair care has led it to become a multi-million dollar industry in the last few years.

In fact, as it turns out, research has shown that black people spend six times more on hair care than white people do, Huffington Post reported. South Africa alone accounts for $450 million worth of profits from selling black hair products, with L'Oreal leading the list of preferred hair car companies.

On the other hand, the movement to go natural and retain their Afro-textured hair is making comeback in the United States, which caused sales of chemical-infused black hair care products to record a 19 percent drop between 2013 and 2015.

"The natural hair movement is part of a rising global wellness consciousness," says Taryn Gill, founder of local hair care product line The Perfect Hair. "We're eating organically [and] are more conscious about the ingredients in our skin and hair care products."

Read: Michelle Obama 'Always Embraced Her Natural Hair' Says Stylist

Many people have rebuked the fact that while the natural hair movement was originally started as a way to normalize hair types that are commonly accepted in the society, it has now grown to become a business.

However, even though the natural hair movement is largely responsible for shaping the black hair care market of U.S., mostly owing to the surge in ethnic consciousness of the African American population of the country, it still remains a pretty significant industry, drawing an around $2.7 billion in sales in 2015.

Also, about 51 percent of the black population of the country is estimated to buy and use styling products on their hair, despite more and more people vowing to follow the natural hair trend.

However, Tonya Roberts, Multicultural Analyst at Mintel, a market research company, has stated that the natural hair movement is on the upward trend and hence will have a strong influence in the coming days on the kind of hair products that people end up buying.

As more and more Black consumers are embracing their natural self and walking away from relaxers, it is presenting opportunities for natural brands to enter the market. Our research indicates that wearing their natural hair makes Black women feel liberated, confident and different from others, giving them a tremendous sense of pride in being Black while displaying their natural beauty, Roberts said.

Related Articles
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers the opening address at the US Chamber of Commerce's US-Saudi CEO Summit in Washington last month: AFP/Getty

Donald Trumps Secretary of State has refused to host an event to mark Islams holy month of Ramadan, seemingly breaking with a long bipartisan tradition.

Rex Tillerson turned down a request to hold a reception to coincide with the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the month of fasting, according to officials.

Since 1999, Republican and Democratic secretaries of state have nearly always hosted either the reception or an iftar dinner to break the days fast during Ramadan.

Mr Tillerson turned down a request from the State Departments Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host the Eid reception, two unnamed US officials said.

The Office of Religion and Global Affairs requested in April that the Secretary of State delivered remarks at an Eid reception this year, and suggested a two-week range of dates in July.

The event would serve to highlight State Department initiatives and the importance of Muslim engagement, its memo said.

Several weeks later, the office was alerted that Mr Tillerson had declined the request. His rejection of the request suggests there are no plans this year for any high-profile Ramadan events at the State Department.

Members of Congress, Muslim community leaders, diplomats from Islamic countries and senior US officials usually attend the State Departments Ramadan event, a symbol of the US governments diplomatic efforts with Muslim countries and people.

Muslim activists have previously accused President Donald Trumps administration of a hostile attitude toward Islam, encapsulated by its attempts to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

Mr Trump referenced terrorism repeatedly in his statement issued this week commemorating Ramadan. The Trump administration has said it opposes only Islamist militants, rather than Islam itself.

Ramadan 2017 began on the evening of Friday 26 May, with the month of fasting and prayer for Muslims truly getting underway on Saturday.

Story continues

Asked to comment on Mr Tillerson declining to host an Eid reception in June, a State Department spokesman said: We are still exploring possible options for observance of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan.

US ambassadors are encouraged to celebrate Ramadan through a variety of activities, which are held annually at missions around the world.

Aides pointed to Mr Trumps visit this month to Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, where he addressed the leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries.

Former US diplomat Farah Pandith, who helped plan Ramadan events at the White House and State Department during the Bush and Obama administrations, said breaking with tradition could send a signal that it is not as important to this administration to engage with Muslims.

Mr Tillerson issued a statement on Friday to mark the start of Ramadan, which he called a month of reverence, generosity, and self-reflection.

Several prominent Muslim-American groups in the Washington area who are normally invited to the Ramadan event told Reuters they had yet to receive an invitation from the State Department, which they said was unusual.

If theyre having one, we havent been invited, said Rabiah Ahmed of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington. A representative for her group has been invited to the State Department event in the past, she added.

Mr Trumps administration has had a fraught relationship with Muslims. As a presidential candidate, the Republican urged a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US, called for more surveillance of mosques and warned that radical Muslims were trying to take over our children.

The President has since toned down his rhetoric and courts have halted his temporary travel ban on people from six Muslim majority countries.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright started the tradition of Americas top diplomat hosting a public event for Ramadan 18 years ago. The sitting secretary of state usually gives remarks on the meaning of the holy month.

White House officials did not respond to a request for comment on whether they would continue the tradition this year of hosting a Ramadan-related event at the White House.
Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe and the daughter of Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter, informed via Instagram post, Friday, that her father had died at the age of 89.

Condolence messages and prayers started to pour in from people on social media for the political scholar who was ranked as one of Carters top aides in the years when the latters administration was facing high levels of criticism for the inability to control the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Zbigniew passed away peacefully at the Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, the New York Times reported.

It is a little known fact that before he was appointed the National Security Advisor in 1977, he was an Associate Professor of Government at the Harvard University till 1960, after he was awarded a Ph.D, according to Biography.

He later moved to Columbia where he continued to pursue his academic career as a professor at the Columbia University.

His first break in the world of presidential politics came when he started serving as a member in the Council on Foreign Relations and an advisor to former President John F. Kennedy.

Zbigniew harbored a deep hatred of the Soviet Union, something that he was not afraid to voice out time and again. He spoke out against former President Dwight D. Eisenhowers political decisions, including his policy of rollback that he believed may cause Europe to build an alliance with Russia instead of the United States.

His stance against Russia came to a forefront during the four years that he served as Carters National Advisor. He backed Chinas decision to support the inhuman reign of Pol Pot in Cambodia for the single reason of not letting the Vietnamese gain control of the region, since the latter was backed by the Soviet Union. He also rallied behind the sanction of massive military aids for Islamic militants who were battling the Soviet troops trying to invade Afghanistan.

Story continues

Among the many books written by Zbigniew, was Soviet Bloc: Unity and Conflict, that detailed the revival of the Soviet Union from the days of the Cold War.

He is survived by his wife, Emilie Benes Brzezinski and three children, Ian Brzezinski, Mark Brzezinski and Mika Brzezinski.

Despite having ties to Czechoslovakias former president Edvard Benes, Emilie chose to pursue a career in fine arts and became a professional sculptor. His children on the other hand, have gone on to establish themselves in various roles in the world of politics.

Ian was appointed the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy under former President George W. Bush, according to Mail Online.

Zbigniew Brzezinski

Photo: Getty Images/TERJE BENDIKSBY

Mark became a political lawyer, former advisor to former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and also served as Ambassador to Sweden from 2011 to 2015.

The most widely recognized among his three children is Mika, Zbigniews youngest child, who works a political journalist and commentator for MSNBC and the co-host of the morning show, Morning Joe.

Zbigniew, a Democrat, has appeared multiple times on his daughters show as a guest, where he frequently criticized President Donald Trumps choice of policies and administrative decisions.

The following is the last post that Zbigniew posted on Twitter:

Related Articles
TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian suspected of involvement in a massive 2014 breach of Yahoo email accounts linked to Russia is appealing a decision to hold him in custody pending an extradition hearing, the man's lawyer said on Friday. A bail appeal hearing for Karim Baratov is scheduled for June 5, attorney Amedeo DiCarlo said. Authorities will meet on June 16 to set a date for his hearing to determine if Baratov will be extradited to the United States. Baratov was arrested in March and denied bail in April by a Canadian judge on grounds he was a flight risk. U.S. prosecutors say Baratov, a Canadian citizen who was born in Kazakhstan, worked with Russian intelligence agents who paid him to break into at least 80 email accounts, including those of specific targets with non-Yahoo accounts. The scheme was part of a theft of some 500 million Yahoo email accounts. DiCarlo said he has not yet received documents from U.S. prosecutors that lay out their case against Baratov. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Bill Trott)
FILER  A round of federally funded grants will help small towns in south-central Idaho remove arsenic from drinking water, repair an aging water system and fix a leaky senior center roof.

Gov. C.L. Butch Otters office awarded Community Development Block Grants last month for projects in Filer, Hazelton and Kimberly. The grant program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money will help make these cities safer for residents, while reducing the financial burden on water users and nonprofits.

One of the greatest assets that we can offer our communities is to partner with them in helping to improve their infrastructure, attract new businesses, and better serve their citizens, Idaho Commerce Director Megan Ronk said in a statement.

In Filer, a $500,000 grant will help pay for the citys arsenic treatment plant. The city has been in and out of compliance for maximum arsenic levels for years, and was able to pass a bond issue in November for $6.3 million, Public Works Director Joe Baratti said.

The whole price of the project was figured into the bond, he said.

One of the least expensive treatment options would be using a sand filtration system similar to whats in Buhl, Baratti said. The grant money will offset what users will be charged through their water bills to pay for the project.

The city is still doing planning and predesign of the treatment system, but has agreed to reach compliance for maximum arsenic levels by Dec. 1, 2020.

We obviously anticipate and hope we can get it done sooner than that, Barratti said.

For the first two quarters of the fiscal year, Filer was at or below maximum arsenic levels  but the arsenic content usually rises during the summer as more water is pumped, Barratti said.

Water pressure and fire protection

Hazeltons water system is also in need of some big improvements. The city received a $412,550 grant to help fund a complete overhaul of its pump house and lines.

Like Filer, Hazelton also got voter approval for a bond issue  up to $2.78 million. But Public Works Director Eugene Brown estimates the city will actually have to spend about $1 million less than that.

The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in September at the 1970s pump house  which is using about 10 times as much electricity as it should, Brown said. The saved electricity costs by upgrading should be passed on to users.

Next, beginning around March 2018, the city will start replacing its distribution lines  a process that could take up to two years. Many water lines are second generation lines installed by the Works Progress Administration in 1934, Brown said.

Hazeltons new water system will go from 6-inch to 8- inch pipes, increasing water pressure for residences and making the city safer. Brown said that years ago, the city was not able to get the water pressure it needed to stop a building from burning down.

The city will also hook in lines to the Lakeview Apartments, a Hazelton Housing Authority project that has been on its own, insufficient, water system.

Currently they dont have fire protection or the pressure to have fire protection, City Clerk Lorna West said.

The 45-unit apartments will upgrade from 2-inch to 8-inch pipes  eliminating the pressure issues currently experienced when residents shower and flush the toilet at the same time, Brown said. The city will also install fire hydrants for protection.

The grant will go a long ways toward helping Hazelton, he said. Monthly base rates for water will be raised by $5  less than expected  and some money will be set aside for future capital expenses.

Were gonna still be reasonable in our rates, Brown said. And, Were not done looking for grants yet.

Roof and kitchen repairs

Kimberlys Ageless Senior Center has to upgrade to stainless steel kitchen equipment in order to comply with new government requirements, Site Manager Bonnie Peter said. Besides that, the center also needs to replace a leaky roof.

An $84,150 grant should take care of the majority of those expenses, Peter estimates. Work will begin this summer.

I think its going to be wonderful, she said.
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 7 proudly announces the selection of the Twin Falls East End County delegate to Idaho Syringa Girls State to be held June 11-16 at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.

Girls who have successfully completed their junior year of high school are considered. They must illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service in their schools and community. This experience provides an outstanding, unique and coveted educational opportunity for young women of our nation that instills the basic ideals and principles of American government.

Eva Gutierrez, 17-year-old daughter of Terese Gutierrez, will represent Kimberly High School as this years Girls State delegate. Eva has participated in Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and Debate. She is a varsity cheerleader, speech and debate national qualifier, honors choir participant, 4-H three-time rabbit grand champion and 2015 Round Robin winner. She volunteers at the animal shelter, church camp and helps provide blankets for Shriners Childrens Hospital and also has done fundraising for Alzheimers Relief and Treatment. Eva is finishing this semester with a 4.0 GPA.
Q: I was stopped at a four-way stop when a group on motorcycles stopped to my left at the intersection. I watched as the rider in front motioned to the rest of the group to continue through which all of them did without even slowing down for the stop sign. Is that legal or did a bunch of riders on motorcycles run the stop sign? -Sandra

A: Yes it is legal if the motorcycle group was comprised of law enforcement officers on motorcycles or being led by a law enforcement officer on a motorcycle. The motorcycle(s) would have to have had the emergency lights going, as well.

From what you described I would say that was not the case. In your situation the only riders who would have not been eligible for a citation would have been the first two at the stop sign. The rest could have easily been cited for not stopping for the stop sign. The fun part though is that unless all the law violators stopped for a law enforcement officer then more than likely only one would have been cited.

Idaho Code 49-807(2) reads: Except when directed to proceed by a peace officer or traffic-control signal, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop: (a) at a clearly marked stop line, or (b) before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or  at the point nearest the intersecting highway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting highway before entering it. After having stopped, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such driver is moving across or within the intersection or junction of highways.

I believe that a person who directs traffic through a stop sign when not a peace officer or empowered by a police officer to direct traffic could be charged with impersonating a police officer. I also find it ironic that some motorcycle riders (1%) dont like the police but then try to act like them with it comes to these-type situations.

I will add that if you were tempted to pull out in front of the motorcycles because you believe you had the right of way you could be cited for failing to drive in a safe manner. The math here is that two unsafe manners of driving/riding equals one incident of somebody getting hurt.

Officer down:

Please put these officers, killed in the line of duty, and their families in your prayers. They fought the good fight, now may they rest in peace. God bless these heroes.

Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, Broadwater County Sheriff, Montana

K9 Diesel, Sebastian Police, Florida

K9 Freckles, Florida Department of Corrections

Have a question for Policemandan? Email your question(s) to policemandan@yahoo.com or look for Ask Policemandan on Facebook and click the like button. Mail to: Box 147, Heyburn, Idaho 83336
Public funding of law enforcement agencies and the courts is meant to promote a fair and publicly accountable justice system. Yet 14 law enforcement agencies in Idaho are undermining public trust as they rake in money from the seizure and forfeiture of private property.

Officially known as civil asset forfeiture, federal law allows local and state police officers to seize your cash, car or other private property on the mere suspicion that it is somehow connected to criminal activity  and without ever convicting or even charging you with a crime. The property is then turned over to the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings under lax federal civil forfeiture laws  not under often more stringent state forfeiture laws. This stacks the deck against private property owners.

In addition, federal equitable sharing rules allow Idaho law enforcement agencies to keep up to 80 percent of the proceeds recovered from the forfeited property.

This federal gravy train is too tempting for some police departments to resist. Idaho state and local law enforcement agencies fattened their budgets in 2016 by more than $574,090 through this practice.

The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office took in $189,508 and the Twin Falls Police Department received $87,153 from forfeited property.

The 2016 raid on private property also included the Nampa police Department, $48,481; Boise Police Department, $6,891; Boise County Sheriffs Office, $2,683; Ada County Sheriffs Office, $71,562; Idaho State Police $33,061; Blaine County Sheriffs Office, $30,186; and the Meridian Police Department, $17,660.

A substantial portion of these amounts are taken from completely innocent Idaho residents who cannot afford the legal representation needed to get their money and property back. The poor are hit the hardest.

Formally adopted municipal budgets are important administrative vehicles allowing locally elected officials to maintain control over their police departments. The federal equitable sharing program undercuts this control mechanism by setting up a backdoor funding scheme not regulated by Idaho civil and criminal asset forfeited laws.

And, by giving police officers a huge financial incentive to aggressively target forfeitable assets, rather than pursue justice, the feds invite property rights abuse.

What to do? According to the Institute for Justice, a Washington-based public-interest law firm, Idaho lawmakers should follow the lead set by New Mexico and end asset forfeiture property seizures.

The 2015 New Mexico Forfeiture Act requires property seized by local and state law enforcement agencies, with few exceptions, to be adjudicated in, and under, New Mexico laws.

Here is how it works:

First, the state of New Mexico acquires provisional title to all property seized by state or local law enforcement agencies at the time the property is used or acquired in connection with an offense that subjects the property to forfeiture. Provisional title authorizes the state to hold and protect the property.

Second, New Mexico law enforcement agencies are not permitted to directly or indirectly transfer seized property to a federal law enforcement authority or other federal agency unless the value of the property exceeds $50,000 or the alleged crime is interstate in nature or sufficiently complex to justify transfer.

Third, a persons property is subject to forfeiture only after he or she is convicted, by clear and convincing evidence, in a state criminal court, of an offense to which forfeiture applies.

Fourth, law enforcement agencies cannot retain forfeited property. Forfeited currency and proceeds of the sale of forfeited property must be deposited in the states general fund.

Placing similar restrictions on Idaho law enforcement agencies would rebuild trust. Property owners in Idaho would no longer wonder if their law enforcement officials are following even-handed, due-process procedures, or padding their agencys budgets at the citizens expense.
City Council has voted 27 to 17 against a motion brought by Councilor John Campbell (Ward 4) to withhold $260,000 in annual funding to Pride Toronto. The motion asked for this defunding unless Pride permitted uniformed police officers to march in the annual parade. The results reveal a Council divided in what some might call logic. Kristin Wong-Tam (Ward 27) argues that the ban on police uniforms is inclusive. Others appear to have followed a political strategy of keeping peace with the LGBTQ community and perhaps Black Lives Matter. Those in favor of defunding consider the Pride ban a rejection of the police as police and an insult to City employees. Locally, Josh Matlow voted to sustain the funding while Jon Burnside, Jaye Robinson and Christin Carmichael Greb voted to suspend it.

Related
Switzerland has taken in a high portion of foreign-borns, yet without losing its identity or sense of order. Over 24 percent of the population is foreign-born, noting that almost half come from France, Germany, Italy, or Portugal. The country recently imposed restrictions on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria.

German as a second language in Switzerland is declining, as the migrant workers in the service sector do not command it with much fluency if at all. In Lugano, for instance, English now seems to be of more value.

In so many parts of the country unemployment is below two percent, with a national average of 3.3 percent. And the Swiss manage this with an overvalued exchange rate, at least by purchasing power parity standards. It is worth pondering how this is possible.

Probably the Swiss have never seen a better time. Their countryside is gorgeous and intact, and their major cities are creative and flourishing, yet many Swiss remain deeply unhappy about inward migration.

The Swiss are no snowflakes; they impose and enforce stiff penalties on those who dont meet the insurance mandate, and they are on the verge of deporting an ethnically Spanish man who was born and raised in Switzerland, and who never has lived in Spain, for his repeated criminal offenses. Furthermore Voters in Bern on Sunday rejected a proposed 105 million franc funding boost to help asylum seekers in the canton, primarily unaccompanied minors.

It is striking how much the theory of comparative advantage has operated on Switzerland over the last thirty years, as the country has moved to a true economic integration with the EU.

I see Swiss cuisine as declining in relative value, as quality ingredients have spread to many other countries, including the United States (and Ireland!), but Swiss cooking has grown only marginally more imaginative. And food prices here can be 2x or more typical developed country levels.

Bern feels much freer and less provincial than it did thirty years ago, the last time I visited. Living here now seems imaginable. And in Bern you still can see a working public phone booth. Nor, from casual observation, do people here seem as cell-phone obsessed as their American demographic contemporaries.

As for Lugano, nothing seems to happen there.

Switzerland, an extreme country, and an extremely successful country, is always worth pondering. And visiting, even at 2x prices for the food.
Some Palestinian prisoners already on hunger strikes in Israeli jails have announced that they will be observing the holy month of Ramadan despite deteriorating health conditions.

Around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jail have been on hunger strikes since mid-April.

The prisoners have only been drinking a mixture of salt and water since 17 April, the Middle East Monitor reports. For the holy month, they will not consume any water from dawn to dusk, the online portal reports, quoting Nasser Abu Srour, one of the hunger strike leaders in Hadarim prison.

Wednesday, 60 of the hunger striking prisoners including movement leader Marwan Barghouthi, a Palestinian lawmaker from the West Bank charged by an Israeli court for murder, were sent hospital because of their deteriorating health condition.

Srour told the online media that some prisoners complained about inhuman treatment from the hospital and doctors.

Srour added that his fellows are determined to continue the strike until their demands are achieved, or until martyrdom.

The Palestinian prisoners are protesting medical negligence, administrative detention and limited family visits.

Israel has attempted to force-feed the prisoners but the move has been slammed by human rights groups.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Friday announced that army shelled training camps in eastern Libya where the gunmen who killed 28 Coptic Christians in Southern Egypt were trained.

The Egyptian President, in a televised address shortly after the attack, indicated that he had ordered quick retaliation on the militants: air raids against terrorist camps which allegedly trained the attackers of the Coptic Christians in Minya province, Southern Egypt.

He vowed to confront terrorist camps in Egypt and abroad while noting that all countries, which finance terrorists must be punished.

Egypt will never hesitate to strike terrorist camps anywhere inside Egypt, of course, or abroad, Sisi said.

After al-Sisis speech, an army official said that Egyptian fighter jets hit terrorist camp positions in Derna, Eastern Libya. The warplanes conducted strikes against the headquarters of the Shura Council in the city of Derna. The group is said to be linked to al Qaeda.

Libyan forces led by Eastern-based army commander Khalifa Haftar indicated that they took part in the airstrikes and that the operation will be followed a ground operation.

Masked gunmen stopped a group of Coptic Christians heading to St Samuels monastery in Upper Egypts Minya province Friday. The gunmen assaulted the vehicles carrying the group, firing at men and shooting at women and children in the legs.

At least 28 were killed including 2 children. Twenty four children were wounded and sent to hospitals near-by and in Cairo, reports say.

The latest attack is part of series of persecution of the minority Christian population. In December and April suicide attacks against Coptic Churches left dozens killed.
BUILDING THE LA RAZA 'The Race' WELFARE STATE ON MIDDLE AMERICAS' BACKS: Months ago, the Biden administration publicly defended their proposal to begin providing federal identification cards to border crossers and illegal aliens who they plan to release into American communities. The goal of the proposal is to make securing public benefits easier.
BUTTE  If Dillon resident Bennett Chomsky had been just a few years older, his life could have gone in an entirely different direction.

Chomsky was a sophomore in college studying business when in 2006 he began thinking of what he wanted his future to look like.

An avid music buff, Chomsky came up with a vision: why not combine his knowledge of business with his love for music by launching his own CD and album store?

But that year the media retailer Tower Records collapsed, which made Chomsky wonder whether getting into the music business was really the best idea.

It was then he decided to forego his initial plan and instead turn to his other passion: cooking.

Today the Maryland native can be seen gallivanting around Dillon in the towns newest food truck  Brunchies!, a Southwestern-inspired mobile food unit that specializes in breakfast food.

I do an elk-sausage and pineapple hash with a charred poblano cream sauce, said Chomsky, describing one of his creations. I like to do a lot of fusion in my breakfast food.

A few of the items on Chomskys menu include chilaquiles  a dish consisting of tortilla strips sauteed in a green-chili sauce and topped with braised chicken  street tacos, paninis, including one with turkey bacon and another fashioned after the Cuban sandwich, burritos and homemade green chili.

One of the newer items on the menu is the Classy-dilla  a quesadilla pocket stuffed with meat and other Southwestern-inspired goodies.

When it comes to the three meals of the day, Chomsky said breakfast deserves chops, or kudos at the very least.

He described breakfast as an underappreciated meal that often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to elevating food in culinary circles.

Im such a big brunch fan. I love breakfast food, said Chomsky. (But) I think its overlooked quite a bit.

Chomsky himself is a culinary arts grad. He attended Scottsdales La Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Arizona, where he cultivated a taste for the Southwest.

Ive always been fascinated with Mexican cuisine just because its so diverse regionally, said Chomsky. Getting to live down in Phoenix, I got to sample quite a few different styles of Mexican cuisine.

But even before Chomsky went to culinary school, he was a veteran of the food industry. In high school and college Chomsky performed in a series of bands and worked in restaurants to help support his music habit.

I was the chef at a wine bar in Scottsdale (and) I worked in a couple of fine-dining restaurants.

In his early 20s, Chomsky served as a chef for the first time in Philadelphia, planning a menu and designing specials. He described the experience as a sink or swim scenario.

I was way too young, said Chomsky.

I had two 40-year-old Serbian line cooks who didnt listen to me at all, he added.

After years of living on the East Coast and Arizona, Chomsky decided he wanted a change of pace  I was tired of cities, I was tired of lines, I was tired of traffic  so he moved to Montana and began working at Healing Waters Lodge of Montana in Twin Bridges. He later moved to Dillon.

Food trucks have gained popularity in recent years, but as Chomsky launched Brunchies! he capitalized on another trend: crowd funding.

To purchase his food truck Chomsky started a campaign on GoFundMe, to which friends, family and Dillon residents donated $3,700.

Brunchies! launched November 2016. The enterprise started off humbly, Chomsky said, serving only about 10 people per day. Six months later, Chomsky says his business is several times that, noting that one of his stops, in front of Beaverhead Brewing Company on Montana Street in Dillon, doesnt hurt.

As for his cooking philosophy, Chomsky said its one based on the primacy of fresh ingredients, adding that he braises his own pork, creates his own aiolies and creamas and doesnt believe in freezer to fryer.

As any restaurateur will tell you, the food-service industry can be tough.

But when you have a passion for what you create, its hard to go wrong  passion, for example, for fried tortilla strips topped with the flavors of the Southwest.

The day I tried chilaquiles for the first time it was like one of those momentous life experiences, said Chomsky, laughing. I was pissed no one had told me about them.

He added that he would eat chilaquiles everyday if he could.(But) I limit myself to just Sundays now because I am an adult.

I try to show restraint, he said.
New associates

Terri Derry has joined Gary Clark Realty as a licensed real estate agent. She recently retired from a 17-year nursing career at St. Patrick Hospital Cancer Clinic (MCC) and Community Hospital Cancer Center; followed by five years as a Home Hospice Nurse with Partners in Home Care. Her extensive experience in customer care and service will be an asset to real estate sellers, buyers and investors. Derry lives in the Mission Valley and serves Missoula, Lake and Sanders counties.

Gregory Schultz has joined Crowley Fleck PLLP in Missoula as senior counsel. Schultz graduated from Yale University, summa cum laude, in 1980, and received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1984. He has practiced law for 33 years and is licensed in the states of Arizona, Kansas, Missouri and Montana. He has administered his own law practice in Montana since 1998, concentrating on commercial and real estate transactions and litigation. He is affiliated with, and an instructor to, the Montana Association of Registered Land Surveyors and the Montana Land Title Association. He holds a Martindale AV rating. Schultz will continue his commercial and real estate practice, with a particular emphasis on land titles and title insurance.

Jeffrey M. Roth has also joined Crowley Fleck PLLP in Missoula as senior counsel. Roth's practice includes commercial litigation, employment law and health care litigation, among other areas. His work as civil litigator has been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the University of Montana School of Law. Following law school, Roth clerked for the Honorable Donald W. Molloy, United States District Court. He was a partner at Garlington, Lohn & Robinson PLLP prior to joining Crowley Fleck. Roth serves as a commissioner for the Missoula County Airport Authority and as a board member for Five Valleys Land Trust.

Alex Irigoin has joined Territorial-Landworks, Inc. (TLI), a Montana-based engineering and surveying firm, as an Engineer Technician for the Land Use Development division. He will work with clients and the team at TLI on various projects to build upon the skills acquired through schooling and his internship at Interstate Engineering in Sidney. Irigoin is a graduate of Montana State University with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.

Kevin Dantic has joined Ink Realty Group as a Realtor. A University of Montana graduate, Dantic possesses knowledge of Missoula neighborhoods. He can be reached at 406-493-9353 or kevin@inkmt.com.

Certification

Karla Schulz, Customer Service Rep for Jerry Anderson & Diane Hellman Insurance Agency, has passed her certifications in Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans and the Marketplace for individuals and groups. Schultz has been with the agency since October 2016 and has more than 13 years of customer service experience. She attended the University of Montana. Schultz can be reached at 406-829-2731.
As ballots were counted Thursday night, many political observers had one key question: Would Democrat Rob Quist make a come-from-behind victory because voters were angry over allegations that Republican Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a reporter the day before?

No, as it turns out. Gianforte secured a clear, if narrow, victory over Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks, with 50.2 percent of the vote.

The events of the last 24 hours really didnt have much of an effect on the people who voted on Election Day, Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said. I was a little surprised by that.

But an analysis of state election figures shows that Quist did receive an apparent boost in some counties from the news that his opponent had been cited for misdemeanor assault. However, it was largely negated by other counties where support for Gianforte actually grew after the incident saturated national news.

The regional differences seem to suggest that Montana voters interpreted the citation differently depending on their existing political views or apathy.

Everybody has an individual filter and assumptions, said Craig Wilson, an emeritus politics professor at Montana State University-Billings.

More than two-thirds of ballots were cast by mail in the month leading up to Election Day. On Wednesday night, a reporter approached Gianforte and asked him about health care reform in a short but testy exchange in which witnesses say the Republican grabbed the writer by or near the throat, threw him to the ground and punched him as he yelled at him.

After investigating, the Gallatin County Sheriff issued a citation for misdemeanor assault to Gianforte, who has until June 7 to appear in Justice Court, where he could face a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

News of the incident exploded on social media and dominated cable news broadcasts that evening and well into election day, with commentators wondering how it would influence decisions at the polls.

Liberal national political organizations poured money into last-minute ads in an attempt to boost Democratic turnout. They shared audio of the incident on social media and texted some potential voters with messages such as, Hi  did you see Greg Gianforte attacked and choked a reporter last night? . This is crazy.

The quick turnaround producing those kinds of attack campaigns is a relatively new phenomenon, said Anthony Johnstone, a campaign finance expert at the School of Law at the University of Montana.

In this case, they were chasing after a relatively small share of the electorate that hadnt already voted and an even smaller share of that electorate that isnt so disgusted by the events that they actually want to show up to the polls on Election Day, he said.

More than $17 million poured into the 85-day contest, largely from national political organizations. Johnstone said it will be weeks before a complete tally is available and before analysts can see exactly how much went into these final campaign attacks on Gianforte.

Montana law does not allow people to change their ballot after it has been cast. Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton suggests only a sliver of Montanans sought to do so, tallying 17 calls to his offices main line. Some county election clerks told reporters they also had received inquiries.

At the polls Thursday, most voters who talked with reporters said the incident did not change their vote, although some said it encouraged them to show up rather than skip the election.

To any extent that Gianforte did worse on Election Day compared to mail ballots sent before his citation, voter outrage apparently was not strong enough that the overall outcome of the race would have been different if all ballots been cast that day, Stapleton said.

He noted that among the people who requested mail ballots for the fall elections, 94 percent cast votes in those races. Yet, among those same voters, only 74 percent mailed in their ballot this time, suggesting lower overall engagement.

Thats significant. Thats a choice. Those ballots sat on their kitchen tables for 30 days and they did not send them in, he said.

Some election volunteers said they talked to voters Thursday who had planned not to vote in the election but changed their mind after the alleged assault by Gianforte.

Because they had already thrown away their mail ballot, they had to cast one in-person at their polling location. It is unclear how many people who received absentee ballots chose to vote in-person instead or dropped off their mail ballot at a polling location because of the incident.

Because of the way votes are tallied, the states top election official could not provide a breakdown that shows which candidate won at the polls versus by mail. Each county election office counts its ballots, some by hand and others by machine, then transmit updates to Stapletons office. Those messages do not include information about whether each new count is based on mail or in-person ballots. But in general, the first results posted at 8 p.m. reflect mail votes only because polls have just closed.

And its those 8 p.m. numbers, along with absentee vote tallies, that Wilson used to answer the question political observers had Thursday: Did the assault shift votes?

Yes, said the pollster and statistician who has long analyzed Montana elections. It varied a whole lot by county.

Wilsons conclusions were supported by an independent Lee Newspapers analysis of the same underlying figures.

In Missoula County, Quist received 61.4 percent of the early votes and 67.5 percent of the Election Day ballots. But the apparent boost for Quist in that urban Democratic stronghold was negated by two reliably Republican counties where nearly 40 percent of the vote was cast on Election Day.

In Ravalli County, 57.8 percent of mail voters and 63.1 percent of in-person voters supported the Republican. In Flathead County, Gianforte secured 54.9 percent of mail and 61.6 percent of in-person votes.

A shift was less obvious in other places.

Democrats used to regularly win Cascade County, but it is now a swing area that Republicans have won in some recent key races. There, figures show no significant difference in the attitudes of voters toward Gianforte. He received 50 percent of the votes before and 48.9 percent after the news of his assault.

Johnstone said the numbers suggest Montana voters fit the broader trend that Americas two major political parties are drifting apart and their supporters are becoming less likely to flip votes.

It is not surprising we would see national polarization reach into Montana, particularly given the way this race was nationalized by parties and outside donors to some extent, he said. Another effect of the Gianforte incident might have been to turn off moderate voters on either side even as it mobilized more engaged voters.

It is difficult to know for sure whether the assault was the only reason for a gap between results among mail and in-person voters. Political analysts said they also might reflect underlying differences between the types of voters who cast absentee ballots and those who choose to vote on Election Day, or demographic characteristics that tend to shape voter perspectives, such as age, race and income.
The morning after Republican Greg Gianforte secured a clear, if narrow, victory to become Montanas next congressman, party leaders and political observers parsed the results for clues about what the 2018 U.S. Senate race might look like.

At 10:33 p.m. Thursday, on the heels of independent and media election observers, the Montana Secretary of State called the race a victory for Gianforte. The final tally showed the Republican with 50.2 percent, Democrat Rob Quist with 44.1 percent and Libertarian Mark Wicks with 5.7 percent of the nearly 380,000 ballots.

Gianfortes 6-point margin of victory is smaller than other Republicans secured in 2016: Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 20 points and Ryan Zinke beat Denise Juneau by 16 points. Both political parties say the results provide favorable insights for the 2018 Senate race between Democrat Sen. Jon Tester and whomever Republicans select to face him in a contest that could start late this year.

Some had speculated that Gianforte himself might seek the seat after gaining a toehold in U.S. Congress as a member of the House. Political analysts say Gianfortes lackluster victory, coupled with continued fallout from his recent citation for misdemeanor assault of a journalist, might hurt his chances of securing the party and donor support necessary for that run, or should he decide to make a second bid to become Montana governor in 2020.

Rob Saldin called it an open question.

If he does run, what kind of support will he get from the party? Do they support him the same way they did this time? asked the University of Montana political scientist. Gianforte personally is more vulnerable. Hes run twice now. He lost the first and won the second one by a much smaller margin than other Republicans.

Even before it was clear Thursday night that Quist had lost, advisers to his campaign and the Montana Democratic Party were arguing Gianfortes assault citation was the beginning of the end of his political career.

But GOP Chairman Jeff Essmann said Thursdays results were hurt little, if at all, by Gianfortes citation. In fact, the incident might have improved his likability among some Republican voters.

Frankly, I think hes showed hes a human, you know. Theres certain voters that dont respond to the engineer, businessman persona and do respond to somebody thats human who, that when hes pushed, hes gonna react, he said.

Regardless of whether Gianforte is the partys pick, Essmann expressed confidence about the 2018 race.

Weve got a strong bench of Republican candidates. A lot of people kicking the tires. Last night, a big win, is going to encourage some people to take a look and think about making the commitment to run for that seat.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, a Republican, suggested the recent election could be a good indicator of voter interest next year.

Well probably expect almost identical turnout, he said. If this was similar to 2014, we will almost look for a 55 percent turnout in 2018, plus a premium for a U.S. Senate race because of the spending. So maybe thats 57 or 58 percent depending on how competitive it is.

***

About half of the states registered voters cast ballots  a near-match of the 2014 midterm election, but fewer than the 2016 general election, when nearly three-quarters voted. Analysts say the figure is impressive given that special elections historically draw fewer people to the polls.

Perhaps, they say, it is not surprising given the more than $17 million poured into the 85-day contest largely by national political organizations. Some wonder if Montana might finally see the same kind of spending on a U.S. Senate races seen in other states, where $20 million to $50 million has become fairly common in recent years.

The tea leaves I see are green, said Lee Banville, a University of Montana professor of journalism and politics. Theres going to be a lot of money in this race.

Constitutional law and campaign finance expert Anthony Johnstone agreed. He said the candidate selection in the special election could be indicative of the 2018 primaries and how both parties recruit their preferred frontrunners.

Gianforte and Quist "were selected, in this case by the parties, for name recognition and donor network more than policy or character issues or experience, he said, noting other leading contenders in the nomination process had years of political service under their belts as legislators or in other positions. Thats going to create an environment where we may see some surprise.

Since the Supreme Court of the United States opened up corporate spending in politics and triggered the formation of dark money groups known as Super PACs, Johnstone said the ability to raise big money has become an issue earlier than ever in campaigns. Rather than simply being a strategy decision in the general election, more and more candidates are deciding whether to even run in the primary because of their depth of ties, or lack thereof, with donors.

Millions was spent by both Democrat- and Republican-leaning groups in the special election, but the sources of that money couldnt have been more different," Johnstone said.

Largely because of outside spending, Greg Gianfortes support came from primarily billionaire-funded super PACs and wealthy donors inside and outside Montana, he said. Quists financial base was primarily small-dollar donors, both directly to his campaign and, to a limited extent, made to outside interest groups.

That make-up matches other recent federal races and could again be the pattern seen in 2018.

***

Despite the big spending in the special election, not all counties saw the same level of voter engagement.

Jeremy Johnson, a political scientist at Carroll College, noted that, at least at first blush, it appeared turnout was depressed somewhat in Missoula and Gallatin counties, possibly because most of the liberal-leaning college students who live there had already left for summer internships and jobs, or had trouble voting because of address changes.

The problem Democrats had wasnt the turnout, he said. In the swing areas, they didnt do that well.

Yellowstone County is the states most populous, accounting for 14 percent of all ballots cast Thursday. To win a statewide election, Democrats have to lose close there, said Saldin, the UM political science professor.

It wasnt successful this time, Saldin said of Democrats ground organizing with volunteers for Quist. How much time did Quist actually spend in Billings? He seemed to spend a lot of time in Missoula.

Those results could be troubling for Democrats after Juneau, the 2016 candidate for the same seat, only brought in 36 percent of the votes, almost the same as Quist. Gov. Steve Bullock, however, secured 48 percent of the ballots in his run for re-election.

Quist also lost Cascade County, an urban area that once reliably voted for Democrats but has become increasing competitive as Republicans have spent time and money building a network there since 2010. The margin was closer with Quist earning 42 percent of the votes, again a figure that almost perfectly matches that of Juneau. Again, Bullock performed bette,r with 54 percent support.

It has to do with how much the votes are about issues and how much they are about politics, Banville suggested. The more that its become a national thing, a referendum on Trump or whatever, the more it didnt help Quist. If were talking about the kind of tactical issues like public lands access, these are things that people think about in slightly more nuanced ways, Banville said, noting that Bullocks advantage could be as simple as the fact state races tend to focus more on issues of local importance and policy decisions than the bigger national tug-o-war between the political parties.

Congress is not making those kinds of decisions, but Tester has been good at sort of peeling off an issue that will help him resonate with more rural voters or ag voters or veterans, and those can really help win counties like Cascade.

Johnson also wondered if Democrats might have pushed potential voters too hard. Theres a fine line, he said, between buying enough fliers, text messages and television ads to motivate potential voters to get to the polls, and having spent so much they instead become annoyed and apathetic.

Some people were probably over-contacted, he said.

***

That balance might be more difficult for national organizations to gauge when advertising is cheaper in Montana than many other places around the country and voters here do not regularly see such big money and sophisticated, personal targeting used in state-level campaigns.

Nonetheless, Johnson said some positives can be found in the Quist results.

Democrats are doing 10 to 15 points better than in Novembers federal races. Certainly, he outperformed some other Democrats, like Hillary Clinton and Denise Juneau, he said. While you can flip certain areas, its not yet enough to flip predominately rural areas.

On their own, rural counties do not make a big impact on the results. But add up 10 counties with 2,000 voters and a candidate can amplify or negate the effect of a larger county like Silver Bow. Places like that, Quist won big, while Gianforte dominated in the rural counties.

We have to see how the Trump administration is doing in 2018. If Trump loses more of his popularity rating, its possible it would make Montana more competitive, Johnson said.

Yet, he noted the state differs significantly from some other areas  such as those surrounding New York or Minneapolis  with a significant number of Trump supporters who tend to be highly educated and suburban. The president did not campaign on some of the social issues of evangelical conservatives that had been a big draw of Republican support in the past, so how his policies affect pocketbooks will be key. Depending on the particular policies Trump pushes and whom they benefit  urban or rural communities, wealthy or working-class families  Montana conservatives either might double down on Trump or start to pull away.

Overall, Saldin said drawing conclusions about the 2018 Senate race from the recent special election is fraught because of one important fact: Tester is an incumbent, which Quist was not.

Tester has been around long enough that I wouldnt say this foreshadows the outcome, he said. But in general Democrats always have to run a little scared in Montana. That even includes Tester.

The Montana Democratic Party is gearing up, having hired Chris Meagher to anchor initial work on Testers campaign until a full team is hired. He suggested Thursdays results wont dictate much about their re-election strategy.

It doesnt change anything hes going to do, Meagher said.
Five years ago, Rev. Paul Armstrong approached Dan Gallagher with a request. Armstrong wanted to recognize Gallaghers service to Missoulas veterans community with an award from the American Legion. He asked for a short resume from Gallagher, and a time and place for the ceremony.

Getting those details proved more difficult than expected. Gallagher, a Vietnam vet who dedicated himself to honoring, supporting, and advocating for veterans, put off choosing a time and place for the ceremony for five years. Last winter, he finally told Armstrong they could hold the ceremony after the holidays. But he wouldnt make it through the winter.

Gallagher died December 26 from heart failure and complications after cardiac surgery. He dealt for years with heart and stomach issues as a result of inhaling Agent Orange during his 1967 tour of duty in Vietnam. He was 69.

Saturday, five months after his death, about 50 friends and family members gathered in front of the Missoula County Courthouse as the Rev. Paul Armstrong posthumously awarded Gallagher the Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award from the Chapel of Four Chaplains.

Attendees noted the warm, sunny weather  a stark difference from the bitter cold Veterans Day memorials Gallagher famously held for decades in front of the Missoula County Courthouse by the Doughboy statue.

Its been very emotional, but also very heartwarming to see that all of his hard work is getting recognized, said Erin Gallagher, his youngest daughter. I wish more than anything that he could have been there to be recognized for everything that he did, but it really is amazing to see people acknowledging it now.

It isnt surprising to Erin Gallagher that her dad put off choosing a time and place for the ceremony, she said. He was often busy working to help other people.

That was very stereotypical Dan Gallagher, to put things off and be like, Yeah, well get to it later, she said. I mean, its very stereotypical Gallagher, we all do it.

Dan Gallagher is known in Missoula as a teacher, lawyer, radio personality, advocate, and film star. After returning from Vietnam with post-traumatic stress disorder, and feeling the contempt of anti-war advocates, Gallagher dedicated himself to educating people on veterans experiences and supporting others who suffered from PTSD.

At the award ceremony, Betsy Mulligan-Dague, executive director of the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, spoke about her friendship with Gallagher, which connected two Missoula communities with different perspectives on peace.

For 40 years Dan struggled to make sense between the disconnect between the pride and honor of him serving his country in Vietnam, and the hatred in the faces and signs of the anti-war protesters that greeted him on his return, Mulligan-Dague said. In his way of thinking, if anyone is for peace, it should be a veteran who serves his country. He needed somebody to help him understand that disconnect, and help him make sense of it. And thats where I came in, because I needed sort of the same thing.

Mulligan-Dague spoke of Gallaghers courage and vulnerability, which allowed him to be open to other peoples ideas while remaining strong in his own beliefs.

Our friendship stands as an example that its possible for our community and our nation to look beyond our differences and see each other as friends, Mulligan-Dague said.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and Gov. Steve Bullock both sent letters to be read at the ceremony, recognizing Gallaghers value to Montanas veteran community. Rev. Armstrong then read the Saga of the Four Chaplains, who in 1943 sacrificed their lives by giving up their lifejackets to fellow comrades as the USAT Dorchester sank after a German torpedo struck.

The four chaplains have come to represent interfaith cooperation, Armstrong said. Two chaplains were Protestants, one was Catholic and the other was Jewish. The humanitarian award recognizes lifetime service to all people regardless of race or faith. Other distinguished recipients of the Legion of Honor Awards include Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Four of Gallaghers five children received the award on their fathers behalf. People mingled after the ceremony, remembering Gallagher, eating cookies, and looking through an album of photos he took in Vietnam.

Erin Gallagher said that after seeing how meaningful the Veterans Day celebrations are to Missoulians, she wants to see them continue, despite her fathers absence. She and her siblings ran last years ceremony while Gallagher was in the hospital.

Ive talked to a couple people who are like, I dont know what Im going to do now that theres not that ceremony, she said. So I think we have to  I think we have to carry on that legacy because it is something that has become such a huge part of so many peoples lives.
CORVALLIS  Men and women placed memorial flags for veterans and Masons, while others cleaned their loved ones' headstones at the Corvallis Cemetery Saturday morning in preparation for Memorial Day.

American Legion Post 91 Commander Scott Turner organized volunteers to place flags and give a salute to all 507 veterans buried at the Corvallis Cemetery.

Working in pairs, one volunteer read off names, while the other knelt to place a flag centered a foot in front of each veteran's headstone. Members of the Ionic No. 38 Masonic lodge also placed memorial flags in front of the graves of former members. More than 50 people participated.

The American Legion members organized the memorial flag event with exacting precision. The event was scheduled for 10 a.m., but by 9:45, many participants had arrived ready, teasing one another about their collective punctuality.

All these guys have some function at the American Legion, Turner said, noting the camaraderie.

Earlier in the week, Turner and another organizer, Doug Mason, divided the cemetery up into sections and rows, then placed a card with the names of each veteran at the end of the row to ease the process of finding each headstone.

Turners three children all participated helping the American Legion members. Its a family affair, Turner said.

In addition to the American Legion and the Masons, others paid their respects at Corvallis Cemetery Saturday.

Darrell and Merle Stanhope drove from Puyallup and Wenatchee, Washington, respectively, to visit the graves of their family members. They grew up south of Hamilton in the early 1940s in a small cabin up Camas Creek.

We moved here from Baker, Montana, when I was three, Darrell Stanhope said. It took us two weeks to get here in an old Buick, five kids and a dog in the car, and pulling a trailer with our belongings behind us.

Today, that ride would only take around nine hours, but Stanhope said the Buick kept breaking down.

We had a couple of chickens with us, but none of them made it to Hamilton. My mother had to keep selling them to fix the car, Darrell Stanhope said.

The Stanhope brothers were visiting their niece, Terri Martensen, who still lives in the area. The three cleaned and swept the gravestones of their family members, all buried in a row in the Corvallis Cemetery.

The Stanhope brothers both served in the military between the Korean and Vietnam wars. Their brother Orville Stanhope was one of the veterans receiving a flag from the American Legion.

On Memorial Day, the names of all the veterans buried at Corvallis Cemetery will be read at noon by members of the American Legion Post 91.
The only thing that changed on Thursday night was that Greg Gianforte went from candidate to congressman-elect.

Not like that's a small feat, especially given the events of this past week, which included the newly minted congressman being cited for assault.

The title notwithstanding, nothing has changed in our view.

By that we mean: The seven-point margin of victory doesn't erase the Bozeman Republican's actions. The apology doesn't square the deal.

Forgiven? Maybe  that's not for us to decide.

Forgotten? It cannot be.

This incident will continue to follow Gianforte as he makes an appearance in court in Bozeman. It will be replayed again and again as he arrives in Washington, D.C., and faces a scrum of eager reporters who will see if what they saw Wednesday was the "real" Gianforte.

Nothing changes for us because the issue is one of trust, as we said Wednesday when the editorial boards of the Missoulian, the Billings Gazette and the Helena Independent Record pulled back their endorsements.

We cannot trust that a man who had such little control over his emotions at a critical point in his public life will have the level-headed, thoughtful response at other critical points when the stakes are even higher. We simply haven't seen anything that would lead us to change our view.

In fact, since the "body slamming," we would note several other disconcerting incidents that make us question whether Wednesday's events were anything more than a high-profile nuisance to Gianforte.

After the incident, Gianforte's campaign issued a statement, which was completely discounted and discredited by both eyewitnesses and the audio of the assault (keep in mind it's been classified that way by the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office).

Here's what his campaign said:

"Tonight, as Greg was giving a separate interview in a private office, The Guardian's Ben Jacobs entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face, and began asking badgering questions. Jacobs was asked to leave. After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ."

Since issuing that statement, Gianforte has done nothing to change his characterization, instead standing by his "alternative facts.''

Gianforte has remained mum on what he meant by issuing a statement that would seem to condone attacking physically a journalist because of perceived political beliefs. Letting such a statement linger is unconscionable as he prepares to take the oath of office, which will include a promise to defend the U.S. Constitution, which has as its crown jewels the freedom of the press, association and speech.

We can only continue to assume he meant what his campaign said, and without denouncing such untruths and dangerous anti-freedom language, his words going forward can only have a limited value to us.

Ironically, what Gianforte didn't say for more than 24 hours is just as important as what was said in the flawed news release.

After the incident, after the audio, after the eyewitness accounts, after the citation, leaders on a state and federal level called on Gianforte to apologize. For nearly 12 hours  an eternity in the non-stop news cycle  Gianforte remained silent.

Even U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and longtime friend U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana called for an apology.

They were met with silence.

Finally, after victory had been declared, after several self-congratulatory remarks had been made, Gianforte apologized. The apology was sandwiched in an otherwise predictable speech in which term-limits, congressional pay and "draining the swamp" were mentioned.

It must have been easy to apologize when victory was certain.

But his silence cannot be overlooked. Not only did it seem too little, too late, it again undercut his trustworthiness going forward.

Here's what we mean: We need our elected officials to become more talkative, more communicative, more thoughtful when it counts the most. In this case, Gianforte said nothing when everything  his very election  was on the line.

What can we expect when our health care, our immigration, our guns, our taxes or our children's education is on the line?

Silence?

We would point out that many people seemed to cheer Gianforte for striking back against the press with all its attendant charges of being fake, liberal or failing.

But we are certain that had this just been a citizen without a press pass, the reaction by the public would have been different. If Gianforte would have knocked a woman down, it would have likely been perceived very differently.

And yet, it wouldn't have been different. That point cannot be made strongly enough.

This wasn't shocking or newsworthy because a candidate roughed up a reporter. It was appalling because a congressional hopeful apparently pummeled another human. That human just happened to be a reporter.

Going forward, we are professionally obligated and take seriously our role in covering soon-to-be Rep. Gianforte. That's going to mean plenty of dialogue, plenty of interviews and assuredly pointed questions.

But there will be an increased level of scrutiny when he responds because he  by his actions which have no analog  has undermined the trust and credibility.
Thank you for sharing "Making the Crown in the Territory section of the Missoulian. So thorough and complete it was!

However, in mentioning Triple Divide Peak was there was an oversight; omitting the flow of the water from the third side, across the Canadian Border, flowing on to Hudson Bay, then the North Atlantic Ocean. Canadian friends may spy the omission!
Hi, Montana. Just thought Id let you know Im canceling my annual fly fishing trip to Montana.

In light of Representative-elect Greg Gianfortes assault on a reporter, its apparent that Montanas values are not worth supporting.

In the interest of truth in advertising, you might consider changing your PR slogans. Instead of Get Lost in Montana try Get Assaulted in Montana. Or how about Montana is For Stranglers instead of Montana is For Lovers.

Regardless of what you do now, it will be a long time before I spend another dollar in Montana.

Paul Oman,

Clarkston, Washington
The obstructionist Democrats finally got what they wanted as Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel. As it stands at present there is no evidence of President Donald Trump's collusion with Russia during his campaign. The only crime that was committed was leaking the name of Michael Flynn. Whatever they find out about Russian involvement the better, so check with the Clinton Foundation.

While they're at it, they should investigate how it is that Hillary Clinton signed off on a deal with Russia to transfer 20 percent of U.S. uranium. This is a national security concern that occurred when she was secretary of state. This is a blatant example of collusion ... with Russia.

During the Clinton email scandal, she admitted that she bleached 33,000 emails that were under subpoena. This is a prime example of obstruction of justice, a felony that others have have gone to prison for.

The real reason James Comey was fired is because he described Clinton as extreme carelessness instead of gross negligence which is the legal standard to prosecute her ... a play on words.

She violated several laws such as these.

18 u.s.c. 1924 - unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material.

18 u.s.c. 2071 - concealment, removal or mutilation generally.

44 u.s.c. 3101 - records management by agency heads.

John Shotwell,

Clinton
Every 23 hours, a person is raped in Montana. Last year, over 800 sexual assaults and 4,000 domestic violence crimes were reported statewide. However, this accounts for only a fraction of the total number of crimes that actually occur, as most go unreported. What these statistics show is clear: We must improve how we address crimes of this nature in Montana. Fortunately, recent changes to state law will go a long way in reducing the frequency of these crimes, as well as provide victims the justice and support they deserve.

The 2017 Montana legislative session will go down in history as a turning point for addressing domestic and sexual violence in our state. With overwhelming support, legislators from both sides of the aisle passed a number of bills this session that significantly change how we address these types of crimes. A few of these bills are:

SB 22  Terminating parental rights of a rapist if a child is born as a result of rape.

SB 29  Revising the definition of consent.

SB 30  Increasing the statute of limitations from 10 years to 20 years for sex crimes involving children.

SB 153  Making strangulation of a partner or family member a felony.

Im honored my office was so closely involved in drafting several of these bills, as well as working to get them passed and signed into law. While each piece of legislation is an important improvement to Montana law, two bills in particular standout as the most significant: Senate Bill 29 and Senate Bill 153.

Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Sen. Diane Sands D-Missoula, was drafted by my office and the Legislative Law and Justice Interim Committee. Prosecutors, law enforcement and victim advocates all largely agree this bill is the most significant update to Montanas sexual assault statutes in decades, removing barriers which frequently prevent prosecutors from charging rape crimes in our state.

Prior to Senate Bill 29 becoming law, Montanas sexual assault laws were antiquated and did not accurately reflect the realities of many instances of rape. Under our old statute, prosecutors had to prove a rapist physically attacked the victim, or threatened to physically attack the victim, and that is what forced submission. Senate Bill 29 defined consent as most people likely believed it was defined before: Consent means words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact.

In addition to improving Montanas sexual assault statutes, the Legislature also passed an important piece of legislation to protect victims of domestic abuse. Senate Bill 153, sponsored by Sen. Margie MacDonald, D-Billings, was drafted by my office and the Yellowstone County Attorneys office, and made the act of strangling a partner or family member a felony.

When a victim is strangled by a partner or family member, the likelihood of future abuse escalating to fatalities increases significantly. Under the old law, an act of strangulation was only a felony if serious bodily injury occurred, which was often very difficult to identify, as the damage is often internal. If serious injury isnt proven, or if the victim didnt testify that she feared for her life, the act of strangulation was only a misdemeanor crime, and wouldnt have become a felony until the third offense.

By making the act of strangulation in the partner and family member context a felony on the first offense, Senate Bill 153 will help interrupt the cycle of violence, preventing further abuse and even death. I firmly believe Senate Bill 153 will save lives.

Reducing the frequency of sexual assault and domestic violence crimes must be a top priority for policymakers at all levels of government. Im very pleased to see the Legislature overwhelmingly support important changes to our states sexual assault and domestic abuse statutes this session, and Im proud my office could be a part of it.
After going three months without an executive director, the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce has filled the position, this time with an Anaconda resident.

Mary Johnston took over the role in late April after previous executive director Lisa Bracco resigned in January.

Although she grew up in Miles City, Johnston said shes lived in Anaconda for 22 years.

She has over 20 years of experience under her belt in the retail industry, Johnston said, having held various positions at Herberger's in the Butte Plaza Mall. Johnston said she also has five years of experience in the hospitality industry in addition to a bachelors degree in business administration.

Johnston has also taken on a few community-oriented roles.

Shes president of The Friends of the Hearst Free Library, an affiliate of the Anaconda Community Foundation that provides support to the library, and for two years has sat on the chambers promotions committee, where she said she heard about the executive director position.

Part of it was I just love Anaconda, said Johnston when asked what she thinks landed her the new gig. She added that shes enthusiastic about living in the Smelter City and already knows a lot of the business owners from her position at Herbergers.

Johnston said some of her short-term goals include recruiting more people to help at the chamber.

We run mostly on volunteers, said Johnston, explaining that the executive director role is the only paid position at the chamber.

Johnston added that she wants to increase member retention and make some of the chambers events bigger and better, including Anacondas annual sidewalk sale, which will have a focus on activities for kids this year.

Johnston is also gearing up for the 100-year anniversary of the Washoe Smelter stack.

A celebration and parade held in honor of the anniversary will be held on Smeltermen's Day in August 2018. She added that Art in the Park will be held July 21 through 23 this year in order to not compete with the Fourth of July and Montana Folk Festival, which runs July 7 through 9 in Butte.

Ongoing services at the chamber include memberships and listings on its website, which is being revamped, Johnston said, as well as information for visitors to the Smelter City.

Johnston noted that the chamber is often the first point of contact for people visiting Anaconda and that she often gets questions from visitors about recreational activities and where the best places to eat in town are.

The Montana Standard inquired about the best places to eat in Anaconda, to which Johnston laughed and said, I will get in a lot of trouble for naming just one. However, she added that shes eaten at just about every restaurant in Anaconda and is well-equipped to answer visitor questions.

Johnston said the best part of her job is getting to know Anacondans. She described herself as gregarious and said that, even before taking on her new role, she liked to stop and visit with business owners to talk shop.

Except now its part of my job, Johnston said.

The Anaconda Chamber phone number is 406-563-2400.
Every 23 hours, a person is raped in Montana. Last year, over 800 sexual assaults and 4,000 domestic violence crimes were reported statewide. However, this accounts for only a fraction of the total number of crimes that actually occur, as most go unreported.

What these statistics show is clear: We must improve how we address crimes of this nature in Montana. Fortunately, recent changes to state law will go a long way in reducing the frequency of these crimes, as well as provide victims the justice and support they deserve.

The 2017 Montana Legislative Session will go down in history as a turning point for addressing domestic and sexual violence in our state. With overwhelming support, legislators from both sides of the aisle passed bills that significantly change how we address these types of crimes:

SB22  Terminating parental rights of a rapist if a child is born as a result of rape.

SB29  Revising the definition of consent.

SB30  Increase the statute of limitations from 10 years to 20 years for sex crimes involving children.

SB153  Making strangulation of a partner or family member a felony.

Im honored my office was so closely involved in drafting several of these bills, as well as working to get them passed and signed into law. While each piece of legislation is an important improvement to Montana law, two bills in particular stand out as the most significant: SB29 and SB153.

Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, was drafted by my office and the Legislative Law and Justice Interim Committee. Prosecutors, law enforcement and victim advocates all largely agree this bill is the most significant update to Montanas sexual assault statutes in decades, removing barriers which frequently prevent prosecutors from charging rape crimes in our state.

Prior to SB29 becoming law, Montanas sexual assault laws were antiquated and did not accurately reflect the realities of many instances of rape. Under our old statute, prosecutors had to prove a rapist physically attacked the victim, or threatened to physically attack the victim, and that is what forced submission. SB29 defined consent as most people likely believed it was defined before: Consent means words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact.

In addition to improving Montanas sexual assault statutes, the Legislature also passed an important piece of legislation to protect victims of domestic abuse. SB153, sponsored by Sen. Margie MacDonald, D-Billings, was drafted by my office and the Yellowstone County Attorneys office, and made the act of strangling a partner or family member a felony.

When a victim is strangled by a partner or family member, the likelihood of future abuse escalating to fatalities increases significantly. Under the old law, an act of strangulation was only a felony if serious bodily injury occurred, which was often very difficult to identify, as the damage is often internal. If serious injury isnt proven, or if the victim didnt testify that she feared for her life, the act of strangulation was only a misdemeanor crime, and wouldnt have become a felony until the third offense.

By making the act of strangulation in the partner and family member context a felony on the first offense, SB153 will help interrupt the cycle of violence, preventing further abuse and even death. I firmly believe this law will save lives.

Reducing the frequency of sexual assault and domestic violence crimes must be a top priority for policymakers at all levels of government. Im very pleased to see the Legislature overwhelmingly support important changes to our states sexual assault and domestic abuse statutes this session, and Im proud my office could be a part of it.
A man described by police as having a mental disorder jumped the fence at Montana Resources and waded into the Berkeley Pit, according to police.

Butte-Silver Bow Police Captain Mark St. Pierre said a man who was mentally ill jumped MR's protective fence around 1 p.m. Sunday, found his way through the active mining operation, and ran down the ramp leading to the Berkeley Pit. Police apprehended the man, but not before he got his pants wet from going into the pit's toxic waters, said St. Pierre.

St. Pierre said that according to the police report, the man's pants got wet and the officer's gloves got wet. The officer on duty requested new gloves. St. Pierre said the man was showered off really well. BSB officer Brandon Robinson told The Montana Standard from the county jail that a person on the viewing stand saw the man and called police. Robinson said MR shut down all internal traffic around the pit and that two officers got to the edge of the pit and coaxed the man to come out of the water.

However, officials with Montana Resources disagree with the report. MR's spokesperson Mike McGivern said an employee eyewitness reported that the man squatted down at the water's edge to wash his hands off and that "his shoes, his pants, he was totally dry."

McGivern said that when the officers led the man back up the ramp, they asked the mine foreman if the man should wash his hands, and the mine foreman reportedly said yes and allowed them to wash the man's hands at MR.

The Berkeley Pit contains sulfuric acid and a host of heavy metals. St. Pierre said the officers charged the man with criminal trespass.
Mr. Greg Gianforte has won the special election for the sole Montana House seat in the U.S. Congress. His 6 percent margin over the Democratic nominee, Rob Quist, earned our congratulations and best wishes.

Our state, because of our population of one million sixty-five thousand people, is limited to only one member in the House of Representatives. Consider the fact that the city of Los Angeles alone has 18 members of the U.S. House and one begins to grasp the challenge facing Montanas single Representative. I was fortunate to serve Western Montana in the U.S. House for seven terms beginning in 1980 and become our lone Congressman for two terms starting in 1992. In that rather lonely position one quickly understands the importance of the old-fashion values of rapport, friendliness, and patience. Neither a hot temper nor tendencies toward violence is considered attributes in the House. Montana has been embarrassed enough.

It is true that most who successfully campaign for political office possess a sense of pride and that is particularly evident in those who arrive in Congress not only victorious in politics but also come there having become recently wealthy from success in business. Hopefully our new Congressman, who will be the wealthiest person in the House, brings to his new legislative task a natural sense of humility.

The Washington, D.C. press corps is comprised of very bright and friendly reporters brimming with talent and curiosity. Each has a deep respect for his or her assigned task of reporting the publics business. This country cannot survive without the press and its well-educated cadre of individuals determined to ferret out the truth. They deserve the respect of as all our citizens and that includes every elected official as well

To my thinking, one of the most valued sentiments for a Representative from here is a sense of satisfaction. Since returning home in 1997, I have earnestly hoped each of our newly elected Montana members of the House would not use the election as simply a stepping-stone to a run for the Senate. Our state needs seniority in the House.

Good luck and best wishes, Mr. Gianforte. You will need it and so will we.

-- Pat Williams served Montana in the U.S. House for 19 years, 19791997.

He lives in Missoula and teaches at the University of Montana.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
In the wake of President Donald Trump firing FBI Director James Comey and the appointment of special counsel, many citizens may feel powerless to comprehend, let alone influence, where this story leads next.

Recently, a small group of Montana citizens committed to calm, thoughtful, nonpartisan engagement joined together to ensure our representatives in Washington, D.C., hear our concerns about Russias meddling in the 2016 presidential race. That is the concept behind a group we formed called Montanans for National Security, and you are invited to join our efforts.

On Jan. 6, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a declassified document that listed a number of troubling conclusions: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 presidential election; that Russias goals included undermining public faith in the U.S. democratic process; and that Moscow is likely to apply lessons learned to future influence efforts worldwide, including those targeting U.S. allies.

Since then, the story has taken many additional unexpected twists and turns, including the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, the recusal of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Russian efforts to influence the French presidential election, President Trumps firing of James Comey, and the appointment of special counsel by the Justice Department. While we support the special counsel appointment, we were deeply disturbed by the findings and events leading to that decision, and struggled to answer a simple question: What can we do about this?

This is where the Montanans for National Security comes into play  because we have a plan.

With two Senators for a population far lower than most states, Montanans have an out-sized voice in what happens next. That means we have a power and also a responsibility to our great nation to engage carefully and forcefully on this issue. U.S. senators have access to the highest level of classified information, and the U.S. Senate has the power to determine where the Russia investigation goes next. Now that it appears the president has taken actions to interfere with the FBIs investigation, Congress response is more important than ever.

Congress must conduct vigorous oversight over the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's collusion with Russia to ensure the White House does not impede the work of FBI investigators. We strongly support the immediate establishment of an independent commission to investigate possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russias efforts to influence the 2016 election, with findings that could be made public.

In order to further Montanans understanding of these issues, we have invited Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines to join us for a town hall style meeting in Montana to discuss their own (unclassified) assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election and exchange ideas with constituents on what Congress should do in response.

When that town hall meeting happens, we need you to be there with us. This historic, massive issue is too important to go without public input.

Take a moment and reflect on the intelligence communitys conclusion that Putins goals included undermining public faith in the U.S. democratic process. Whether Putin accomplishes his goal is largely up to us. The time to act against him is now.

When we come together  not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans  to ensure that Congress conducts a thorough and impartial investigation that follows all leads, regardless of where they go, we will have shown the world how robust and strong American democracy really is.

If you are interested in joining our effort to host both our senators for a public discussion in Montana about Russias interference in the 2016 election, please email mt4america@gmail.com with contact information, and well help you get involved.
YOUNTVILLE  Inside a bedroom scarcely larger than a walk-in closet, souvenirs of a nearly century-long life are within view. Taped to the wall is a snapshot of a Japanese friend from the late 1960s; on a shelf atop the desk is a slightly faded print of three sons sitting by the family pool, and adorning the door is the picture of a Vought F4U Corsair fighter plane that flew during World War II.

And in the corner of Barbra Bregoffs room at the Veterans Home of California, to the right of the window, is a framed display housing her newest  and at the same time her oldest  keepsakes.

Inside a glass-covered wooden frame are a World War II Victory Medal, an American Campaign Medal, an Honorable Service Lapel Pin and an Honorable Discharge Button. These were the honors earned by the woman then known as Barbra Budworth during more than 2  years in the U.S. Marine Corps Womens Reserve, as a staff sergeant assisting wartime pilots in training.

The medals had never been sent to her in the decades since her discharge in 1945. We were told not to expect to get our medals immediately, because so many people were leaving at the same time and in all different directions that the medals couldnt be made fast enough, the 98-year-old Bregoff said Thursday at Kennedy Hall, her home of the last eight years.

But in early March, a package from the Marines brought her past back into the present. Inside were the four medals she had earned seven decades earlier  acknowledgement at last of her service to her nation.

The decorations brought a sense of completion to a journey that had begun in 1943, more than a year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drove America into the Second World War.

The daughter of a Sebastopol apple farmer, Bregoff had turned a pay-the-tuition office job at Santa Rosa Junior College into work at a branch of the 3M company in San Francisco when war arrived. As countless male Americans were drafted into military service, she finally chose a similar path.

Id go downtown and notice there werent any men around anymore, except for men who were 4F (declared physically unfit for military duty), she recalled with a wink. So I said to myself, Why not follow them? It was a good move.

Her enlistment in 1943 led her first to training in New York, and then to stints at the Marine Corps air stations in Cherry Point, North Carolina and later Santa Barbara. At both bases, she worked at the operations desk, keeping track of the takeoff and landing of training runs and approving training and practice flight plans for airmen temporarily home from the front  including men of the Marines Black Sheep fighter-plane squadron that scored numerous kills in the air battles against imperial Japan.

Bregoffs life after the war settled into the anonymity of marriage, divorce, and the raising of three sons, followed by a 1960s stint as a Peace Corps health care worker in a rural Philippine village before settling in suburban Los Angeles. Only last year  while recovering from an accident in which she broke her hip and leg  would a new friend enter her life and help to finally claim the tokens of her war service.

Stacy Price, a volunteer with Collabria Care, began making weekly trips to the Veterans Home to interview Bregoff in a company program to record and publish the life stories of patients in hospice or palliative care. As they recorded 50 hours of reminiscences over several months, interviewer and subject became close friends  and Price discovered what Bregoff was missing.

I saw the piece of paper and I said, I never knew you got those medals! said Price, a Napa resident. And Barbra said, Well, I never actually got them. That just seemed ridiculous to me, so I went home and Googled it and found a form letter, and we filled it out together and faxed it (to the Marine Corps)  and then the medals came in the mail a month later.

While her life and family usually kept Bregoff too preoccupied to think about her missing medals, occasional encounters reminded her of the void that only recently has been filled.

I used to go to San Francisco, to these Iwo Jima (reunion) parties, and I would see these veterans wearing their medals, she said. And Id keep thinking, Gee, I wish I had those medals too.

It makes you feel a little bit important, she added, smiling.
What does wellness mean at BottleRock? It means festival fabulous hair, sparkly eye makeup, relaxing massages, and energizing IV drips.

The Sutter Health Wellness Spa is new to BottleRock this year, and its quite popular. After a slow day on Friday, vendors in the spa area had waiting lists on Saturday leaving patrons on standby for two to three hours. Some people even opted to make appointments for Sunday.

And why not? If you plan on partying, this is the place to rejuvenate and recharge, according to BottleRock promotions.

I feel a little better already but that could be a placebo effect, said Erin Clark after receiving a B12 injection from Rapid Recovery Hydration Solutions. Clark, a registered nurse from Folsom, said she was impressed by the wellness spa and said she may even come back for another injection on Sunday.

Smoking and drinking alcohol depletes people of the vitamin, Clark said, so its a good idea to have shots of it available at the festival. Although she said she hasnt been partying very hard this weekend, Clark said the injections are still a good way to get a boost of energy.

Clark said the nursing staff administering the shots made sure to check peoples vitals, see if they have any allergies and clean everything really well.

A B12 shot costs $25, but for $200, your hangover could be cured. The Afterparty Antidote, which is administered through an IV, is meant to hydrate and replenish vitamins. It also has medicine in it to help with inflammation, nausea and stomach aches.

If you got here and youre like I really overdid it, this will fix you, Clark said. Thats why its called an antidote.

But $200? Clark said if you consider how much people pay to get into BottleRock, the cost is worth it to stop your barfing and get you back to enjoying the shows.

Celebrities do these kinds of things, she said.

For a cheaper solution, BottleRockers can get the Hangover Helper from the Intraceuticals booth. For $25, tired and hung-over BottleRockers can get a 15-minute collagen eye treatment, peppermint flavored oxygen inhalation, and a neck and shoulder massage.

It really does energize, says Intraceuticals Lisa Lee Montes. It puts some pep in your step.

Victor Ortiz of San Francisco, still suffering from a Friday night hangover, decided to give the treatment a try.

I like to relax  take care of myself, he said, a plastic cup of wine in his hand.

Ortiz said he was surprised to see a spa area at the festival.

I thought it was just stage, bands, food, he said. This is hella cool. I like it.

Overseeing the relaxing atmosphere of the indoor spa was the presence of women with intricate braids, flowers in their hair and glitter all over their faces.

This is a good place to get into the spirit, said Kelli Marchbanks of Napa. Marchbanks was planning to get just a little bit of sparkle for around her eyes. I love it, she said. I saw it yesterday, and I couldnt wait to get it done today.

One of the artists providing that sparkle, Cassandra Love Lambert of C-Love, said her booth was staying so busy that next year she will need two.

This is the best ever, she said. Lambert, who specializes in face and body art, is responsible for a lot of the enchanting, wild and sparkly makeup that has become a fashion staple of the weekend.

Lambert said she has been trying to get her business into BottleRock for years and even did makeup from a parking lot outside the event last year.

Festivals always bring out good fashion, good hair, said Christina Litle after getting her hair braided at the Hen House Salon booth. The wellness spa was a great idea for BottleRock, she said. It shows how much Napa is really stepping it up.
In the words of Mark Twain Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

I was surprised with myself that I could not smell it. I recently returned from a trip to South East Asia, making stops and stays in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I went with a group of other travelers my age, all over 60.

Our guide was Lin Ratgan from Thailand and her company, Outdoor Adventure Travel, had us well planned and cared for. Our goal was to see the sacred Hindu and Buddhists temples, to meet and be hosted by local families and to visit Angkor Wat. We would also visit local villages and war memorial sites. It was the latter that most affected me on this trip. I did not anticipate countering the ghosts of the Vietnam War.

I was in my teens during the war that was not a war. In 1964 I lived in Agana Guam, the daughter of a Navy officer living on naval housing, watching planes and men take off for war on a daily basis. As every Navy brat knows you dont voice or act out opinions that could jeopardize your fathers rank. So my feeling about the war remained relegated to the narcissistic hollows of a young girls mind.

Returning to the States in 1968 and entering college, I began the task of learning about life and politics of our times. Many of my friends were drafted, some joined the National Guard, and a dear friend became a conscientious objector. My father was stationed on the USS Proteus, and my job was to start my life.

Those memories were refreshed again when our trip took us to Vietnam. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City with the goal of visiting the French Quarter, the Ben Thanh Market and exploring the many wonderful restaurants and shops.

From there we visited the Cu Chi tunnels in Ben Duoc, about 40 miles from Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels of Cu Chi were built over a period of 25 years that began sometime in the late 1940s. They were the improvised response of a poorly equipped peasant army to its enemys high-tech ordnance, helicopters, artillery, bombers and chemical weapons.

The Viet Minh built the first dugouts and tunnels in the hard, red earth of Cu Chi (ideal for their construction) during the war against the French. The excavations were used mostly for communication between villages and to evade French army sweeps of the area. Within a few years the tunnel system assumed enormous strategic importance, as most of Cu Chi district and the nearby area came under firm VC control.

In addition, Cu Chi was used as a base for infiltrating intelligence agents and sabotage teams into Saigon. The stunning attacks in the South Vietnamese capital during the 1968 Tet Offensive were planned and launched from Cu Chi. These tunnels played havoc with our solders and had a decisive effect on the wars outcome.

I was unprepared for my reactions to this site. During our visit to the tunnels we were hosted by a retired North Vietnamese officer who gave us the history of the tunnels and the part he played in them. He was proud of his service and sacrifice he had endured for his country. He talked about how he lived and worked in the tunnels and how effective they were in the winning of the war. He announced that he would be glad to have his picture taken with us. No one in our group stepped up. I could not stand with him with an all-is-good touristy smile on my face. I did not know him, I did not fight him, but I could not smell the violets. That teenage girl, who thought she was not paying attention, could not forgive.

Upon coming home I started reading more about the tunnels and how our boys were subjected to invisible enemies and unimaginable dangers. How some of our men became tunnel rats and sacrificed their lives trying to quell the attacks. How German shepherds were employed to go into the tunnels with great catastrophic results. Our final assault was with a barrage of all-out bombing raids and the use of Agent Orange.

On most trips I come home with energy and the spirit of adventure. I do have lots of pictures and wonderful food and personal tales of meeting the locals, but this time I also came home with an emotional suitcase of self-reflection. According to David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas, If you travel far enough you will meet yourself. I was surprised that I met up with my latent feelings that carried the ghosts of that war. I was taken aback by my own firm denunciation of this soldiers request to stand with him. After all, I never endorsed the war to begin with.
The NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, will travel to Georgia on Monday, 29 May 2017.

Ms. Gottemoeller will participate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in Tbilisi chaired by the President of the NPA, Mr. Paolo Alli where she will deliver a speech, followed by a Q&A session.

In the margins of the meeting, Ms. Goettemoeller will have meetings with the President, H.E. Mr. Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and separately wih the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Mikheil Janelidze, the Minister of Defence H.E. Mr. Levan Izoria and the State Minister of Euro-Atlantic Integration H.E. Mr. Victor Dolidze.

Media Advisory

(all times local)

29 May 2017



10:00 NATO Parliamentary Assembly session

15:30-15:40 Deputy Secretary General joint press statements with the Minister of Foreign Affair  Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The joint Press Point as well as the Parliamentary Assembly session will be available live on the NATO website.

Follow the Deputy Secretary General on Twitter (@Gottemoeller). Also follow us at (@NATOPress).
BREVARD COUNTY, Florida  Although a majority of survey respondents said that they wanted an earlier spring break in March rather than April, Brevard Public Schools will once again have a late Spring Break next school year.



(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Many teachers and parents complained that the late spring break this year caused students to become over-stressed and burned out. So Brevard Public School Board members asked BPS administration to reevaluate the spring break schedule for next year.

In response, the BPS administration conducted an online poll of staff and the public that drew 2,213 respondents.

The survey found that a majority of the respondents (55.6%) preferred an earlier spring break in March while 44.6% preferred keeping spring break during the first week of April.
MISSOULA  As ballots were counted Thursday night, many political observers had one key question: Would Democrat Rob Quist pull out a come-from-behind victory because voters were angry over allegations that Republican Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a reporter the day before?

No, as it turns out. Gianforte secured a clear, if narrow, victory over Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks, with 50.2 percent of the vote.

The events of the last 24 hours really didnt have much of an effect on the people who voted on Election Day, Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said. I was a little surprised by that.

But an analysis of state election figures shows that Quist did receive an apparent boost in some counties from the news that his opponent had been cited for misdemeanor assault. However, it was largely negated by other counties where support for Gianforte actually grew after the incident saturated national news.

The regional differences seem to suggest that Montana voters interpreted the citation differently depending on their existing political views or apathy.

Everybody has an individual filter and assumptions, said Craig Wilson, an emeritus politics professor at Montana State University-Billings.

More than two-thirds of ballots were cast by mail in the month leading up to Election Day. On Wednesday night, a reporter approached Gianforte and asked him about health care reform in a short but testy exchange in which witnesses say the Republican grabbed the writer by or near the throat, threw him to the ground and punched him as he yelled at him.

After investigating, the Gallatin County Sheriff issued a citation for misdemeanor assault to Gianforte, who has until June 7 to appear in Justice Court, where he could face a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

News of the incident exploded on social media and dominated cable news broadcasts that evening and well into election day, with commentators wondering how it would influence decisions at the polls.

Liberal national political organizations poured money into last-minute ads in an attempt to boost Democratic turnout. They shared audio of the incident on social media and texted some potential voters with messages such as, Hi  did you see Greg Gianforte attacked and choked a reporter last night? . This is crazy.

The quick turnaround producing those kinds of attack campaigns is a relatively new phenomenon, said Anthony Johnstone, a campaign finance expert at the School of Law at the University of Montana.

In this case, they were chasing after a relatively small share of the electorate that hadnt already voted and an even smaller share of that electorate that isnt so disgusted by the events that they actually want to show up to the polls on Election Day, he said.

More than $17 million poured into the 85-day contest, largely from national political organizations. Johnstone said it will be weeks before a complete tally is available and before analysts can see exactly how much went into these final campaign attacks on Gianforte.

Montana law does not allow people to change their ballot after it has been cast. Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton suggests only a sliver of Montanans sought to do so, tallying 17 calls to his offices main line. Some county election clerks told reporters they also had received inquiries.

At the polls Thursday, most voters who talked with reporters said the incident did not change their vote, although some said it encouraged them to show up rather than skip the election.

To any extent that Gianforte did worse on Election Day compared to mail ballots sent before his citation, voter outrage apparently was not strong enough that the overall outcome of the race would have been different if all ballots been cast that day, Stapleton said.

He noted that among the people who requested mail ballots for the fall elections, 94 percent cast votes in those races. Yet, among those same voters, only 74 percent mailed in their ballot this time, suggesting lower overall engagement.

Thats significant. Thats a choice. Those ballots sat on their kitchen tables for 30 days and they did not send them in, he said.

Some election volunteers said they talked to voters Thursday who had planned not to vote in the election but changed their mind after the alleged assault by Gianforte.

Because they had already thrown away their mail ballot, they had to cast one in-person at their polling location. It is unclear how many people who received absentee ballots chose to vote in-person instead or dropped off their mail ballot at a polling location because of the incident.

Because of the way votes are tallied, the states top election official could not provide a breakdown that shows which candidate won at the polls versus by mail. Each county election office counts its ballots, some by hand and others by machine, then transmit updates to Stapletons office. Those messages do not include information about whether each new count is based on mail or in-person ballots. But in general, the first results posted at 8 p.m. reflect mail votes only because polls had just closed.

And its those 8 p.m. numbers, along with absentee vote tallies, that Wilson used to answer the question political observers had Thursday: Did the assault shift votes?

Yes, said the pollster and statistician who has long analyzed Montana elections. It varied a whole lot by county.

Wilsons conclusions were supported by an independent Lee Newspapers analysis of the same underlying figures.

In Missoula County, Quist received 61.4 percent of the early votes and 67.5 percent of the Election Day ballots. But the apparent boost for Quist in that urban Democratic stronghold was negated by two reliably Republican counties where nearly 40 percent of the vote was cast on Election Day.

In Ravalli County, 57.8 percent of mail voters and 63.1 percent of in-person voters supported the Republican. In Flathead County, Gianforte secured 54.9 percent of mail and 61.6 percent of in-person votes.

A shift was less obvious in other places.

Democrats used to regularly win Cascade County, but it is now a swing area that Republicans have won in some recent key races. There, figures show no significant difference in the attitudes of voters toward Gianforte. He received 50 percent of the votes before and 48.9 percent after the news of his assault.

Johnstone said the numbers suggest Montana voters fit the broader trend that Americas two major political parties are drifting apart and their supporters are becoming less likely to flip votes.

It is not surprising we would see national polarization reach into Montana, particularly given the way this race was nationalized by parties and outside donors to some extent, he said. Another effect of the Gianforte incident might have been to turn off moderate voters on either side even as it mobilized more engaged voters.

It is difficult to know for sure whether the assault was the only reason for a gap between results among mail and in-person voters. Political analysts said they also might reflect underlying differences between the types of voters who cast absentee ballots and those who choose to vote on Election Day, or demographic characteristics that tend to shape voter perspectives, such as age, race and income.


 :     ,   ,   

  ,        , -     28         .
LIBBY  A northwestern Montana man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for intentionally hitting a bicyclist with his vehicle.

District Judge Matt Cuffe sentenced 29-year-old Brian Norvell to 30 years in prison, with 5 years suspended.

Norvell pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault on 21-year-old Luca Johnson, who suffered two skull fractures and numerous broken bones in the May 2016 incident.

Prosecutors say Norvell was driving 50 to 60 mph when he struck Johnson from behind and ran him over south of Eureka.

Norvell went through Johnson's backpack and hid his vehicle. Prosecutors say Norvell hitchhiked back to where he ran over the victim, handed Johnson's wallet to a Montana Highway Patrol trooper and confessed to the crime.

Norvell was sentenced on May 15.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday reiterated the state government's demand for introduction of a new train to Mumbai to be named as "Buxi Jagabandhu Express". In a letter to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Patnaik called for quick steps to introduce a daily AC express train service between Mumbai and Puri/Khurda Road via Sambalpur and increase the frequency of the existing weekly trains so as to cover all days of the week. "One new daily AC Express train may be put in operation between Mumbai and Puri/Khurda Road via Sambalpur and the frequency of the existing weekly trains may be increased so as to cover all days of the week in order to facilitate smooth, comfortable and hassle free journey of the passengers," said the Chief Minister. Referring to an earlier communication in which he had sought a Humsafar type AC Express train from Khurda Road to Mumbai in the name of Buxi Jagabandhu, Patnaik said the introduction of the train would be a tribute to the legendary freedom fighter who had led the Paika rebellion of 1817. Odisha is famous as epicentre of cultural heritage with Puri being one of the celebrated pilgrimage centres, whereas Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country. There are enough reasons for both the places to connect with each other socially, economically and spiritually, he further added. While scores of people from Odisha who work in different sectors in Mumbai depend on the railways for their journey, a large number of visitors from Maharashtra visit Odisha regularly, he said. --IANS cd/ahm/dg ( 268 Words) 2017-05-28-20:34:20 (IANS)
While, Anant Dev become the new Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Muzaffarnagar.

Earlier this month, the Uttar Pradesh Government had transferred 84 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers including 37 District Magistrates.

Nine Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officers also have been transferred in Uttar Pradesh.

Among the 12 IPS officers transferred in Uttar Pradesh, state Director General of Police (DGP) Javeed Ahmed's name also surfaced.

Ahmed has been replaced by Sulkhan Singh.

Other IPS officers being transferred include Surya Kumar, Jawahar Lal Tripathi, Alok Prasad, Aditya Mishra, Bhavesh Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Daljeet Singh, Alok Singh, Sanjay Singhal and Navneet Sikera.

Seven IAS officers have also been transferred.

On March 23, Adityanath paid a surprise visit to Lucknow's Hazratganj police station to have an inspection of the place.

Following the inspection, Adityanath opined that the police should be people-friendly, thereby ensuring that appropriate action will be taken to maintain law and order in the state.

The Chief Minister also came up with the idea of 'anti-Romeo squads' to keep a check on eve-teasing.

Certain changes in the police administration are expected since the change of the government in the state. (ANI)
The arrests were made by the police on the basis of the CCTV footage installed at the railway station premises.

The accused have been identified as Sibanand Panda of Unit-1 area and Sudarshan Panda of Chintamaniswar area in the city.

Notably, Sibananda and Sudarshan dragged two persons out of the Kochuveli-Guwahati superfast express and thrashed them brutally being accompanied by around 25 members of Bajrang Dal, Hinduraksha Sangathan and People for Animals organization on Wednesday night branding the duo as cattle traffickers.

The victims were later rushed to the Capital Hospital for treatment.

The attackers seized 20 cows from the possession of the alleged trafficker.

But later on, the station master clarified it saying the cattle were being transported in strict adherence to the rules and regulations.

The 20 Jersey cows that were pulled down by the activist have been sent to Gauhati by Puri-Gauhati Kamakhya Express along with the care taker Bimal Yadab and Pune Singh who were brutally beaten.

Six police force have also been sent for their security. These cows were insured for Rs.12.5 lakh, each cost Rs. 60 to 70 lakh.(ANI)
"Greetings on the start of Ramzan. May this holy month enhance the spirit of togetherness, peace and harmony across the world," the Prime Minister tweeted.

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, ends with Eid ul-Fitr and normally depending on the calendar it lasts either 29 or 30 days, with sighting of the new moon as the indicator.

--IANS rak/ksk

( 94 Words)

2017-05-28-09:46:09 (IANS)
State insurance group increases membership

Independent Insurance Agents of North Dakota received an award for membership growth at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Americas annual gathering.

The state group was recognized for increasing membership by 14.8 percent, starting a new young agents program and gaining 10 new agency members.

Trade office earns export recognition

The North Dakota Trade Office has received the President's "E" Award for Export Service, the highest recognition a U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.

The NDTO, a membership-based, private/public partnership, was congratulated for development of a 12-week export management course in partnership with North Dakota universities. The office's Trade Talks series of seminars and webinars was also particularly notable.

CCU helps with Avenue of Flags

Capital Credit Union donated $750 to the Bismarck Optimist Club for its fifth annual Avenue of Flags. Club members line a section of State Street with 120 American flags on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day.
With an aim to boost India's economic engagements and to invite more investments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be undertaking a four-nation tour from May 29, starting with Germany. Here is a list of the Prime Minister's itinerary, starting with Germany. On May 29, Prime Minister Modi will begin his visit from Meseberg near Berlin, where he would have discussions of regional and global importance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On May 30, Prime Minister Modi and Merkel will hold the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to review the state of both nations' bilateral relationship. Both the leaders will also be interacting with top business leaders of both the countries to further strengthen their trade and investment ties. Later, Prime Minister Modi will call on Germany President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. From May 30, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Spain. This would be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Spain in almost three decades. Among the engagements include Here, Prime Minister Modi will be calling on Spain King Felipe VI during this visit. On May 31, the Prime Minister will meet President Mariano Rajoy to discuss ways to enhance bilateral engagement, especially in the economic sphere, and cooperation on international issues of common concern, particularly in combating terrorism. The Prime Minister will also meet top CEOs of the Spanish industry and encourage them to partner with India in the 'Make in India' Initiative. From May 31 to June 2, Prime Minister will be visiting Russia for the 18th India-Russia Annual Summit at St. Petersburg. Both countries would also celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. At the beginning of his visit, the Prime Minister will go to Piskarovskoye Cemetery to pay homage to those who perished during the siege of Leningrad. On June 1, Prime Minister Modi will hold detailed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take forward the dialogue from the last summit in Goa in October 2016. With a spotlight on economic ties, both leaders will be interacting with CEOs from both countries. On June 2, the Prime Minister will be addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) together with Putin. From June 2 to 3, the Prime Minister will be in Paris where he will hold official talks with the 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron. Here, he will be discussing issues of mutual interest with a view to further strengthen India-France strategic ties. (ANI)
Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat will embark on a four day visit to Myanmar from May 28 to 31. During the visit, General Rawat is scheduled to meet a number of high ranking dignitaries including Union Minister for Foreign Affairs and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Vice Senior General Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief of Army. During the visit, General Rawat will also visit National Defence College, Nay Pyi Taw and Defence Services Academy, Pwin Oo Lwin. General Rawat is likely to address student officers of National Defence College which is a premier institution grooming the future senior leadership of Myanmar Defence Services. This visit is yet another milestone to reach out to our neighbourhood in the field of defence cooperation and build upon existing mutual cooperation and trust between the two nations. Myanmar is an important neighbour with whom we have historical ties and traditional bonds of friendship and cooperation based on mutual trust and understanding.UNI SY SHK 1735 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0093-912154.Xml
A tender to develop Iran's Azadegan oil field will be held before next Friday, National Iranian Oil Company Managing Director Ali Kardor told state-run Press TV on Sunday.Invitation letters to submit proposals will be sent to 29 international companies, including Shell, Total , CNPC, Lukoil, Pertamina and OMV , Press TV reported.The Azadegan field is located in southwest Iran near the border with Iraq. It has 37 billion barrels of oil, Petroleum Engineering and Development Company Managing Director Seyed Noureddin Shahnazizadeh told Mehr News agency this month. Reuters RSA 1807 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0104-912243.Xml
Accepting the decade-old demand of the Tharus living, along the Indo-Nepal borders, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today declared that all the Van grams (forest villages) will be converted into Revenue villages, after making the required amendments in the Act.The Chief Minister made this announcement in Pachpedva block of the district, where he had gone to take part in Maharana Pratap Jyanti, organised by the Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan."There was the long-pending demand of villagers to convert Van Grams into revenue villages because they were missing out on certain government schemes. The BJP government will initiate steps to convert van grams into revenue villages. If need be, we will carry out the required amendments in the Act,'' he added.He also declared that government will set up a museum to preserve the culture of Tharus in India. ''Tharus have a vibrant tribal culture, but people outside this region do not know about this. We will not only preserve that culture, but also showcase it in this proposed museum,'' Mr Adityanath said.The block where the Chief Minister went today, is dominated by Tharus tribals, who consider themselves to be the descendants of Rajpur warrior Maharana Pratap. The Chief Minister also offered floral tributes to the statue of the Rajput king and recalled his contributions.''Maharana Pratap is a role model for the Indian youth. The Tharus are true descendants of Maharana Paratap is gauged by the fact that they are the true defenders of the nation at the porous Indo-Nepal border. Because of you (Tharus) people in other parts of the state can sleep in peace,'' Mr Adityanath added.He also saw an exhibition, put up by the members of Tharu tribe. He declared that scholarship for Tharu students that was closed by the previous Samajwadi Party government will resume soon. ''The region will get an intermediate school and social welfare department will start development projects in this region soon. They will get roads, water, and electricity supply. All the basic facilities will be made available to Tharus,'' he said.''The country cannot progress until all sections of the society are strengthened. No government has ever thought about development of Tharu tribe. BJP will ensure that Tharus are brought in the mainstream of development,'' he assured.The Chief Minister also lauded the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, saying that UP Government will work in tandem with tghe Union Government. We will implement the pro-poor and pro- people policies of the NDA government. If we can do that, we will change the face of Uttar Pradesh,'' he said.He talked about the Mudra Yojana and Ujjawala Yojana, under which free LPG cylinders are distributed among the BPL families. The Jan Dhan Yojana has given economic empowerment to the poor. ''What Modi has achieved in the last three years, no other government can ever dreamt of doing it in the last 70 years,'' he said.UNI MB RJ 2104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-912452.Xml
Gen. Faizullah Ghairat, the police chief of Khost Province, which borders Pakistan, said that members of the Khost Protection Force, a militia trained and paid for by the United States, were returning from a mission and had stopped at a crowded bazaar when a car bomb exploded, the New York Times reported.

There were conflicting reports about the death toll.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry put the number at 18, while another senior security official said 13 people had been killed.

It was not immediately clear how many of the casualties were civilians or members of the militia, known as K.P.F.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which came on the first day of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar.

In a statement to the news media, the group's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the attack had been planned for months and that it had targeted "the strike force that is trained by the American C.I.A." (ANI)
Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz has condemned the killing of top Hizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and other terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian forces, and called upon the international community and the United Nations to bring an end to the bloodshed. Accusing India of carrying out "extra-judicial killings," Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said "12 people in Kashmir were killed by the Indian forces in Pulwama and Barmulla," Dawn reported. The adviser urged the global community, particularly the UN, Conference of Islamic Countries, P-5 members and human rights organisations to call upon India to immediately stop the killings. Sabzar Ahmad Bhat who replaced Burhan Wani as the Hizbul Mujahideen's operational chief in Kashmir was killed by the security forces on Saturday morning in an encounter in Saimu sector of Tral. The Tral operation was a coordinated effort of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the JKP, Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). On Saturday, the Indian Army confirmed killing 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists in last 24 hours. It said that relentless operations by security forces have defeated desperate attempts by Pakistan and Pakistan sponsored agents to spread terror in the Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the holy month of Ramazan. "In the last 24 hours, 10 heavily armed intruders and terrorists have been successfully eliminated. In an ongoing counter-infiltration operation on the Line of Control in the Rampur sector, a group of 6 armed intruders have been intercepted and eliminated. In another counter-terrorist operation based on specific intelligence generated from local sources in Tral, South Kashmir has so far resulted in killing 2 terrorists," said a release by the Northern Command. Reports emanating from Kashmir Valley said that violence has been erupted in many parts following the killing of Bhat. Similar violence was reported after Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8, 2016. In order to stop spread of false propaganda, the Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended the Internet services in the Kashmir Valley. (ANI)
The federal government has stashed away nearly 700 million barrels of oil to shield Americans from a shock that would send gasoline prices spiking.

U.S. shale oil boom has dramatically altered the global energy landscape by drastically reducing U.S. imports in the past decade.

The exact timing of the move is still unknown but Trump's fiscal 2018 budget estimated $16.6 billion to be raised after selling an additional 270million barrels of oil over the next decade.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created in the wake of the 1970s Arab oil embargo, which today is the largest stockpile of government -owned emergency oil on the planet.

Some analysts warn that selling half of Strategic Petroleum Reserve could backfire, especially in today's uncertain world.

"It's a bit concerning. You're reducing the government's budget deficit, but you're putting more risk onto the consumer. That's who is going to pay for it," CNN quoted Carl Evans, senior crude oil analyst at Genscape of an energy market research firm as saying.

Evans pointed to the risk posed by the political strife in Venezuela and Nigeria that has caused production to tumble in those OPEC nations.

If Trump wants to sell 50% of the strategic reserve from current levels or on top of the reductions Congress recently agreed to. Those cuts would already wipe out more than 150 million barrels from the SPR, according to S&P Global Platts.(ANI)
Drivers achieve

Jobbers Moving & Storage interstate drivers Charlene Ormsby, Daniel Barrett, Jarvis Leintz and Chris Loran have achieved Master Mover Status with Allied Van Lines.

To gain the status, drivers must be ranked in the top percentage of all Allied drivers based on claims and performance based on customer surveys.

New on RCU staff

Three people recently were hired at Railway Credit Union.

Michaela Huntington, who has more than three years of experience in the financial services industry, is a member success specialist at the Bismarck location. Huntington has a bachelors degree in business management from Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D.

Kyra Erhardt is a member success specialist at the Mandan branch. She has six months of financial industry experience.

Laiken Aune is the marketing and development officer. A graduate of North Dakota State University, Aune has several years of marketing, graphic design and event planning experience.

Buffington joins

Shelley Buffington has joined The Village Family Service Center in Bismarck as a clinical counselor.

Buffington is a licensed professional counselor, licensed addiction counselor and national certified addiction counselor level II. She earned a masters degree in mental health counseling from the University of Mary and has received specialty training.

Changes at NDSC

Molly Glassheim has been hired as an accounting assistant at the North Dakota Safety Council, which has changed some staff assignments.

Glassheim has a bachelor's degree in finance and business administration from Dickinson State University and five years of accounting experience.

Kathy Zander, formerly the NDSC's traffic safety assistant, is now the home and community coordinator and also will manage the Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas rail safety program.

Kristine Karre has been promoted to accounting manager, Sarah McKenna to office manager and Serena Schmit to marketing manager.

Leaders in closings

John Myers and Shirley Thomas have been named Bianco Realtys Realtors of the month for having the most closed sales in April.

Elected to board

Vicki Kuntz, of Bismarck, and Bruce Dolezal, of Dickinson, are among those elected to three-year terms on the North Dakota Community Foundation board.

Kuntz is an insurance risk manager for MDU Resources Group Inc.

Dolezal is the regional president of American Bank Center in Dickinson.

Tim Ottmar, attorney and partner at Ottmar & Ottmar PC, Jamestown, will serve a one-year term as vice chair of the board.

Kuntz and Scott Swenson, CEO of McKenzie County Bank of Watford City, are joining officers on the executive committee.

Dacar with DCN

Sheldon Dacar recently joined Dakota Carrier Network in Bismarck as an Ethernet/IP technician I. He earned an associates degree in computer information services at North Dakota State College of Science and is CompTIA N+ certified.

Dacar previously was a network technician at West River Telecommunications.

Two hired at HEI

Hope Krumm and Josh Pape are new employees at Houston Engineering Inc. in Bismarck.

Krumm is a surveyor technician. Originally from Hague, she holds an associates degree in land surveying and civil engineering technology from North Dakota State College of Science. She interned for HEI last summer.

Pape is a CAD technician. A Bismarck native, he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Mary and an associates degree in engineering technology from Bismarck State College. He has experience as a staking consultant for Mountain Plains LLC.

Sersha with Sanford

Angie Sersha has joined Sanford Health in Bismarck as the executive director of legal.

Sersha has worked in the legal profession since 2003.

Hintz certified

Lori Hintz is now a board certified flight registered nurse by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing.

Hintz is a flight nurse in the Dickinson AirMed department and has been a Sanford Health employee for two years.
Militiamen have a freed French national and three Congolese who were kidnapped in March during an attack on Banro Corp's Namoya gold mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Interior Ministry said today. "The president of the republic welcomes the news of the liberation of our compatriot kidnapped on March 1 in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo," said a statement from the office of French President Emmanuel Macron.The militiamen had kidnapped five workers, including the French national, a Tanzanian and three Congolese.The Tanzanian had already been freed. The remaining four hostages were all freed on Saturday, the Congolese Interior Ministry said in a statement.New York and Toronto-listed Banro's four gold mines in eastern Congo have faced hazards both from illegal miners squatting on site and by armed groups that are a legacy of a regional conflict which officially ended in 2003.Armed robbers attacked Banro's Twangiza gold mine in neighbouring South Kivu province in February, killing three police officers. Reuters RSA 1702 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0104-912140.Xml
The 35-year-old suspect, identified as Willie Cory Godbolt, was taken into custody after the shooting, and may have had a 16-year-old hostage for a time, Xinhua reported.

The names of the victims, including a London County sheriff's deputy, have not yet been released.

The deputy went to a home for a resident wanting the suspect removed from the property before the shooting, according to a Dailyleader report.

Godbolt has a long criminal history, said the report. He was arrested in 2015 for disorderly conduct and failure to comply with request by local police.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said no charges have been filed and it would be "premature" to discuss a motive.

--IANS ahm/dg

( 157 Words)

2017-05-28-20:22:15 (IANS)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-27 02:04:53|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

TIRANA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Tourist influx increased by 13.4 percent year on year during the first four months of 2017, data published by Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) showed Friday.

In its report on the number of international citizens coming to Albania during January-April period, INSTAT said that the number reached 961,000 during this period, thus growing compared to 848,000 arrivals registered in same period of last year.

About 98.3 percent of the foreign citizens came to Albania for personal reasons, the report showed.

However, experts of the institute of statistics here noted that the group of visitors coming to Albania for holiday purposes increased significantly, although the tourist season has not started yet.

Only in April 2017, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Albania was 126,789 while in April 2016 it was 63,911, they said.

Tourists mostly entered the border mostly by land from Kosovo and Macedonia and by air.

In the meantime, about 1.4 million Albanians traveled abroad during the first four months of 2017, report confirmed.

The Albanian authorities expect a higher number of tourists this summer season which would be translated in higher revenues to the state budget from this sector.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-27 20:17:49|Editor: xuxin

Photo taken on May 27, 2017 shows a scene of rescue operation at the crash site of a cargo plane near Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla near Mount Qomolangma, located in the eastern district Solukhumbu, Nepal. A pilot died and two crew members were injured after a cargo plane of Goma Airlines crashed while landing at the Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla near Mount Qomolangma on Saturday afternoon, authorities confirmed. The 9N-AKY aircraft crashed as it was trying to land at the airport, which is often regarded as the most dangerous airport in the world. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma)

KATHMANDU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A pilot died and two crew members were injured after a cargo plane of Goma Airlines crashed while landing at the Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla near Mount Qomolangma on Saturday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

The 9N-AKY aircraft crashed as it was trying to land at the airport, which is often regarded as the most dangerous airport in the world.

Lukla, located at an elevation of 2,800 meters, is the gateway to the world's highest peak Mount Qomolangma located in the eastern district Solukhumbu.

"The aircraft crashed just a few meters away from the runway at 1:56 p.m. (local time)," Yogendra Kunwar, chief of the Lukla airport, confirmed to Xinhua over phone.

Following the crash, the rescue operation was carried out immediately by the team of the Nepal Army, police, a rescue team of Goma Airlines and the locals.

Dev Kumar Kathayat, a Nepal Army official who joined the rescue operation, told Xinhua: "The aircraft crashed just in front of my eyes after it entered into the clouds near the runway. We rescued all of the three crew members within an hour of the incident."

Captain Paras Rai was pronounced dead at hospital at 3:20 p.m. local time while the co-pilot was reported to be in critical condition.

Though it has been speculated that the crash occurred owing to bad weather, the exact cause is yet to be identified.

Since the spring climbing expedition falls in April and May, the Lukla airport has been receiving up to 105 flights in a single day.

Around 40 expedition teams comprising 371 climbers from various countries have taken the permit to scale the world's highest peak this season.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-27 20:58:12|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The political system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is neither one of separation of powers nor a legislative-led or judiciary-led system, top legislator Zhang Dejiang said Saturday.

It is an executive-led system with the chief executive at its core, said Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, while addressing a high-ranking symposium to commemorate the 20th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law of the HKSAR in Beijing.

The HKSAR team of public officers formed in accordance with the Basic Law must be composed of patriots who respect the Chinese nation, wholeheartedly support the motherland's resumption of exercise of its sovereignty over Hong Kong, and will not do things that undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, Zhang said.

"The chief executive, who is at the core of the political system, must be a person who loves the country and Hong Kong, has the trust of the central government, is capable of exercising governance, and is supported by the Hong Kong people," he said.

The central government has the responsibility of supervision to ensure that HKSAR public officers support the Basic Law and are loyal to the country and HKSAR, Zhang added.

The top legislator stressed that the constitutional order of HKSAR on the basis of the Constitution and the Basic Law should be firmly upheld.

The Constitution which is China's fundamental law, and the HKSAR Basic Law enacted according to the Constitution, form the constitutional basis of the political power structure, political operation and social governance system of the HKSAR.

The interpretation and application of all HKSAR laws, including common law and other laws previously in force in Hong Kong, must be based on the Basic Law and shall not contravene it, Zhang noted.

He pledged efforts to fully leverage the institutional strength of the high degree of autonomy mandated by the Basic Law, saying the practice of one country, two systems represents the biggest strength of Hong Kong.

"Some people have misunderstood the difference between the two systems, and created and exaggerated tension between the two systems out of political motive," said the top legislator.

"What they do runs counter to the Basic Law, and we should expose their true nature and say no to them," Zhang added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 04:25:45|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

TAORMINA, Italy, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Clashes between police and protestors erupted in Italy's Taormina on Saturday, during a rally staged against the ongoing annual summit of Group of Seven (G7) most industrialized countries.

Around 3,000 to 3,500 people were estimated to take part in the rally, which was authorized despite the extremely tight security measures during the two-day meeting.

The town of Taormina was in total lockdown for the summit, but the demonstration was allowed in Giardini Naxos, the major seaside location down the hill where Taormina is located.

Tension began to mount when some of the protestors reportedly tried to deviate from the approved path, and Italian police reacted by deploying tear gas at them.

No injuries were reported, however, and the rally continued pacifically after the confrontation.

Demonstrators wanted to make their voices heard by the leaders of the G7 countries, namely the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Some local politicians also joined the anti-G7 rally.

"This is an extraordinary demonstration, in my opinion, since people have come from all over Italy to say that another world is possible," Renato Accorinti, mayor of Messina, told Xinhua.

"We are not 'against', we just are in favor of a different world," the official explained.

The demonstration drew people and groups of various nature and political beliefs, including anarchists, pro-immigration activists, communists, leftist trade unions, anti-globalization activists, and gay rights groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 04:25:47|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- After the victories the Syrian army in areas surrounding the capital Damascus, the Damascenes said they feel more secure in terms of the overall situation, but not on the economic side, as the prices soar year after year.

In the Bab Srijeh marketplace, in the old part of Damascus, people thronged that ancient, popular souk to do the shopping of the holy month of Ramadan.

Shopkeepers were arranging all kinds of foods and sweets and the fronts of their shops were glamors, but such glamor didn't reflect quite as much on the faces of the passersby.

Most people would come close to the shops' fronts carefully examining the prices, few place an order, while others turn their faces sideways in dismay and move forward.

Tarek, a shopper, was quick to complain about the high prices, saying the prices have doubled since last year.

Still, he chose to look to the positive side, saying that the security in the capital has been largely improved with the successful military operations around the capital.

"As for the prices, it's still high and higher than last year maybe because it's the first day of Ramadan, I don't know, maybe it could change tomorrow, but as for the security situation it's better and much better than previous years. Thank God there is no mortar shelling anymore," he said.

On the other side of the road, Muhammad stood in front of a sweet shop, carefully examining the prices. He also noted that the situation in terms of security is improving, and becoming more stable.

"This year we have more peace and stability and of course in Damascus, the situation is better and people have filled this marketplace as you can see," he told Xinhua.

During the past few months, the Syrian army succeeded to capture areas around Damascus, such as Qaboun and Barzeh, where the rebels agreed to evacuate after feeling completely helpless by the advance of the Syrian army and its allies.

Such victories have positively reverberated on the overall situation of the capital as the rate of attacks and mortar shells sharply declined to almost none.

But despite the progress in the security situation, the economic issues are far from being resolved, as the prices kept hiking year after year.

By observing and comparing the prices before the war, all prices have increased tenfolds since the beginning of the crisis over six years ago, and such increase have negatively impacted the livelihood of the Syrians.

And such increase was also mentioned by shopkeepers, who blamed the prolonged crisis and the lack of actual buyers, as most of those flocking into the souk were window-shoppers.

Samer, a sweet shop owner, said "the turnout of people in Ramadan is fine this year but I feel that last year was better than this year."

He told Xinhua the situation is worst comparing the first day of the Ramadan of last year.

Other shopkeepers were a bit more optimistic, like Abu Nour, who said the people seem more relaxed this year.

"Thank God this year, people seem to be more relaxed than previous years. People feel safer now in the capital and even outside the capital like towns of Ain Khadra and Figeh. I feel that the country is moving to become better and it will return to be as it used to be before the crisis and even better," he said.

Throughout the last six years, the government has tried to cope with the situation and undertake several measures to keep the prices reasonable; but the sharp declines in the value of the Syrian pound against hard currencies and the Western sanctions on Syria largely contributed to the deterioration of the quality of life for the Syrians.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia said in a report last year that over 80 percent of the Syrian people have become under the poverty line.
A combination of file photos show Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) at a news conference in Bishkek on Feb. 28, 2017 and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a televised speech in Tehran on May 20, 2017. (Xinhua/ AFP)

MOSCOW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani vowed to deepen bilateral cooperation by phone on Saturday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two presidents expressed "firm intention" to deepen the multi-faceted cooperation on trade and economy, including the construction of joint oil, gas and nuclear energy projects, said the Kremlin.

As for the Syrian conflicts, the two leaders stressed the importance of joint efforts to facilitate a political and diplomatic settlement, particularly within the framework of the Astana process and through the implementation of the memorandum on the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria.

Tehran, Moscow and Ankara have worked as mediators for the Syrian peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, a parallel engagement to the UN-backed Geneva talks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 05:16:01|Editor: Mengjie

Actor Tom Cruise attends a premiere ceremony of the film "The Mummy" in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, May 25, 2017. (Xinhua)

by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, May 27 (Xinhua) -- American film star Tom Cruise has just confirmed his intention to film "Top Gun 2," the long-awaited sequel to his iconic classic "Top Gun."

He made the announcement while on a recent promotional junket to Australia for his latest movie, The Mummy, co-starring Australian-native Russell Crow and French-Algerian Sophia Boutella.

Plans for the sequel have been years in the making, and Joseph Kosinki, who directed Cruise in his 2013 sci-fi epic "Oblivion," is rumored to be on the short list to direct "Top Gun 2." Kosinski also helmed "Tron: Legacy" reboot and the upcoming heroic firefighting drama "Granite Mountain."

Tom Cruise's starring performance as "Maverick", the rebellious young pilot in "Top Gun", which was filmed in 1986, established him as a major new Hollywood star and helped launch his career into the stratosphere.

Speculation on casting is also running high in Hollywood, including rumors that Val Kilmer might be called upon to reprise his role as Iceman, Maverick's rival for the "Top Gun" spot. Kilmer had a recent, serious bout with cancer, but is purportedly recovering well.

The film will be produced by industry giant, Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison. Ellison is a young, savvy, Hollywood producer and the son of Larry Ellison, Founder and CEO of the computer industry giant, Oracle.

Though the original "Top Gun" movie met with moderate critical press reviews, it went on to become a spectacular financial and popular success around the world. It cost a mere 15 million U.S. dollars to produce, but has grossed over 350 million U.S. dollars worldwide to date, plus raked in hundreds of millions more in video and DVD sales. Not bad for a modestly-budgeted movie whose success took everyone by surprise.

"Top Gun" inspired legions of fans who responded to the universal tale of youth striving to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of the best and to find it in themselves to be all that they could be.

Whether one is a fighter pilot, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a government official, or an Olympian, that irresistible drive to rise to the top and strive to become the best is an essential part of growing up and finding one's place in the world. And "Top Gun" is one of the iconic films that inspire people to do that.

One quote from the film states, "You're not going to be happy unless you're going Mach 2 with your hair on fire!" That sums up what it means for many to feel they have the whole world before them to win or fail on their own terms.

The film has become a timeless classic about the rights of passage from a cocky, irresponsible boy to a young man who has weathered the trials and tribulations that come with maturing enough to learn from one's mistakes. Maverick's rocky journey shows viewers that it takes both individual excellence and excellent teamwork to make the dream a reality.

"Top Gun" enjoys immense popularity in China as well, where it has been viewed by millions online and via video and DVD.

Tom Cruise said: "It's always about the stories for me. I am drawn to great, classic storytelling and want to make the best films possible."

Clearly, this story still resonates with Tom Cruise. As one of the most successful producer-stars in the world, at 54, Cruise is still famous for his boundless energy and boyish smile. He has never stopped challenging himself and questing for new heights to conquer.

Like Jackie Chan, Cruise is one of the few stars in the world that routinely does his own dangerous stunts. Not content to fake it, Cruise's daring escapades have included dangling upside down 1,700 feet up the air from the famed Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai in "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol;" nearly getting beheaded in "The Last Samurai" when a real swordfight went wrong; and cabling himself to one of France's A400 Airbuses in "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" to take a dramatic stroll across its wing while in sub-sonic flight.

It will be interesting to see what nuanced themes an older, more mature Cruise chose to convey in the highly anticipated "Top Gun" sequel.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 05:31:06|Editor: yan

Video Player Close

SAN FRANCISCO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A suspect was booked into jail early Saturday morning for stabbing two people to death and injuring another in Portland, the largest city in the northwestern U.S. state of Oregon.

Portland Police Department acknowledged in a Twitter posting that "lots of questions about last night's horrific attack at the Hollywood TS (transit station). We will provide the updated information as soon as it's available."

Identified as 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of North Portland, the suspect was booked on charges of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of intimidation in the second degree, and one count of felon in possession of a restricted weapon.

Police officers responded at 4:30 p.m. Friday to the report of a disturbance on an eastbound MAX train at the Hollywood Transit Station involving a male who stabbed two other people. While enroute, they learned that the suspect got off the train and was leaving the area on foot. He was located by officers and taken into custody.

At the Hollywood Transit Station, an adult male died at the scene and other two victims were transported by ambulance to a Portland hospital, where one was pronounced dead and the other was treated for injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.

The suspect will be arraigned Tuesday in Multnomah County Court.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 07:26:38|Editor: Liu

Former U.S. national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski (L) speaks with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankaion Nov. 16, 2016 at a screening of a film about late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's U.S. visit in 1979. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. sent condolences to Zbigniew Brzezinski's family on Saturday over the passing of the former U.S. national security adviser.

Brzezinski, former national security adviser to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, died at age 89 on Friday.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy calls the late statesman "an accomplished strategist and diplomat, and a long-time friend of the Chinese people," adding that his passing is "a loss for both China and the U.S."

"He made an important contribution to the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the U.S., and to supporting and promoting China-U.S. relations throughout his career," said the statement.

In May 1978, Brzezinski paid his first visit to China to lay the groundwork for the normalization of the relationship between China and the United States.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in 2009, Brzezinski said that the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and China, of which he was a strong proponent, was "more than just normalizing relations."

"We gave it a strategic significance which I think contributed to greater international stability," he then said.

Maintaining and developing a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the interest of both the Chinese and the American people, and the international community as well, the Chinese embassy said in the statement.

"With the joint efforts of both sides, we hope to honor Dr. Brzezinski through continued cooperation between China and the United States," it added.
Former U.S. national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski (L) speaks with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankaion Nov. 16, 2016 at a screening of a film about late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's U.S. visit in 1979. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. sent condolences to Zbigniew Brzezinski's family on Saturday over the passing of the former U.S. national security adviser.

Brzezinski, former national security adviser to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, died at age 89 on Friday.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy calls the late statesman "an accomplished strategist and diplomat, and a long-time friend of the Chinese people," adding that his passing is "a loss for both China and the U.S."

"He made an important contribution to the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the U.S., and to supporting and promoting China-U.S. relations throughout his career," said the statement.

In May 1978, Brzezinski paid his first visit to China to lay the groundwork for the normalization of the relationship between China and the United States.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in 2009, Brzezinski said that the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and China, of which he was a strong proponent, was "more than just normalizing relations."

"We gave it a strategic significance which I think contributed to greater international stability," he then said.

Maintaining and developing a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the interest of both the Chinese and the American people, and the international community as well, the Chinese embassy said in the statement.

"With the joint efforts of both sides, we hope to honor Dr. Brzezinski through continued cooperation between China and the United States," it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 08:36:51|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

LHASA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- When she was young Dorlma saw Mount Qomolangma (Everest) through her bedroom window every morning when she woke up.

Years later, the world's highest peak brought the 29-year-old her fortune.

At an altitude of 5,200 meters where the concrete road comes to an end, the base camp consists of nearly 60 tents offers tourists accommodation before they set out on their trips to conquer the 8,800-meter-plus mountain.

Dorlma runs an inn in one of the tents.

"Tourists can sleep for a warm night and try Tibetan lifestyle by having Tibetan food and listening to Tibetan songs here," she says.

Monday marks the 64th anniversary of man's first successful expedition to Mt. Qomolangma, with New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal reaching the summit on May 29, 1953.

Decades after the epic climb to the world's peak, Tibetans at the foot of Mount Qomolangma have conquered poverty by receiving professional and amateur mountaineers and tourists.

Like a traditional Tibetan herdsman's home, Dorlma's inn has a wooden floor set on stones, a shared bed for six people, three big Tibetan chairs for sitting and sleeping, and a stove at the center that burns cow manure.

"This is the best living condition we can provide here," she says, while putting alcohol on the stove to start a fire.

Despite it being late May, heating is necessary at the plateau base.

The inn brings her an income of over 100,000 yuan (14,600 U.S. dollars) every year, 100-times the amount she once brought home herding and toiling on farmland. Farming yields are meager at altitudes above 4,000 meters.

Dorlma started her inn in 2008, when only four tent inns were operating.

She has witnessed great change at the infrastructure of the base including a concrete road, electricity, mobile networks and the world's highest post office.

Postal worker Tsomo started working her job here in mid-April, collecting and stamping postcards every day. A set of 10 postcards printed with Mt. Qomolangma is available at the office.

"Sometimes I stamp tens of thousands of times on a busy day," says Tsomo, adding that postal workers from the county post office come once a week, ensuring delivery of postcards within 10 days across China and 20 days around the world.

Party chief Chimed Tsering of Qoizong village in Zhaxizom township, where the base is located, says every tent operator needs to pay 40,000 yuan annual rent, which is distributed to poor villagers as a dividend.

"No household should be left behind on the way to prosperity," he says.

The benefits brought by tourism boom are also shared by other villages.

Deputy head of Zhaxizom township Penlo says that 20 villages in the township are allowed to run inns at the base, with people from a further 10 villages offering delivery services by yak.

"As of last year, the entire township cast off poverty," Penlo says.

Newly-weds Li Dongzhuoyi and his wife from northwest China's Shaanxi Province drove to Tibet for their honeymoon. Mt. Qomolangma was the westernmost stop on their journey.

After mailing the postcards, they enter Dorlma's tent to eat Tibetan food and drink butter tea.

"We did not expect there would be a warm inn at the foot of Qomolangma. The local boss is hospitable to us. We feel like we are at home," he says.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 09:12:01|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Many black holes and neutron stars are thought to be hidden in the Milky Way. Since they don't emit visible light, or are covered by dust, only X-ray telescopes can find them.

China will soon launch its first X-ray space telescope, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), with the aim of surveying the Milky Way to observe celestial sources of X-rays.

"Our space telescope has unique capabilities to observe high-energy celestial bodies such as black holes and neutron stars. We hope to use it to resolve mysteries such as the evolution of black holes and the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars," says Zhang Shuangnan, lead scientist of HXMT and director of the Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

"We are looking forward to discovering new activities of black holes and studying the state of neutron stars under extreme gravity and density conditions, and the physical laws under extreme magnetic fields. These studies are expected to bring new breakthroughs in physics," says Zhang.

Compared with X-ray astronomical satellites of other countries, HXMT has larger detection area, broader energy range and wider field of view. These give it advantages in observing black holes and neutron stars emitting bright X-rays, and it can more efficiently scan the galaxy, Zhang says.

The telescope will work on wide energy range from 1 to 250 keV, enabling it to complete many observation tasks previously requiring several satellites, according to Zhang.

Other satellites have already conducted sky surveys, and found many celestial sources of X-rays. However, the sources are often variable, and occasional intense flares can be missed in just one or two surveys, Zhang says.

New surveys can discover either new X-ray sources or new activities in known sources. So HXMT will repeatedly scan the Milky Way for active and variable celestial bodies emitting X-rays.

Zhang says other countries have launched about 10 X-ray satellites, but they have different advantages and therefore different observation focuses.

"There are so many black holes and neutron stars in the universe, but we don't have a thorough understanding of any of them. So we need new satellites to observe more," Zhang says.

The study of black holes and neutron stars is often conducted through observing X-ray binary systems. The X-ray emissions of these binary systems are the result of the compact object (such as black hole or neutron star) accreting matter from a companion regular star.

By analyzing binary system X-ray radiation, astronomers can study compact objects such as black holes or neutrons stars.

How do the black holes or neutron stars accrete matter from companion stars? What causes X-ray flares? These are questions scientists want to answer, and China's new space telescope might help.

Lu Fangjun, chief designer of the payload of HXMT, says the space telescope will focus on the Galactic plane. If it finds any celestial body in a state of explosion, it will conduct high-precision pointed observation and joint multiband observation with other telescopes either in space or on the ground.
| 2017-05-28 10:13:40|Editor: xuxin

An Iraqi soldier sits in an armored vehicle in the liberated area of western Mosul, Iraq, on May 27, 2017. Living conditions are still quite hard for people in these neighborhoods, but life is returning to normal. Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units on Saturday freed three villages from Islamic State (IS) militants in operation to drive out the militants from areas near Iraqi-Syrian border in west of Mosul, the units said in a statement. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 10:27:29|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NAY PYI TAW, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Seven Northern Alliance non-ceasefire signatory armed groups have left the second meeting of 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference on Saturday for home, one day before the end of the conference in Myanmar, without reaching agreements.

However, the armed groups accepted the idea of going through further dialogue, U Zaw Htay, Director-General of the Office of the State Counselor's Office, told the press late on the day.

U N'Ban La, Vice Chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), who was hosted by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in her residence, also told the press that the KIO will soon hold further talks with the government.

The seven Northern Alliance armed groups, who attended the opening ceremony of the peace conference in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday, refer to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP)-North and Mongla's National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA).

They were received by Aung San Suu Kyi separately on the sidelines of the conference on Friday.

U Zhao Guo An, External Relations Officer of the UWSA, told the press that despite no discussions, the family-like gathering serves as a base for future link, fully believing that if all sides strive for peace, then it can be achieved one day.

General Secretary-2 of the TNLA Tha Ban Hla also said their group's presence in the conference is an initial step for seeking ceasefire and further discussions are expected.

The five-day second meeting of the Panglong Peace Conference, attended by some 1,400 representatives from the government, the parliament, the military, invited political parties, ethnic armed organizations and civil society, is due to close later on Sunday after a meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) on the detailed discussions in the conference, according to the committee's secretariat.

The 15 ethnic armed organizations, present at the event, include eight signatories to the NCA, led by the Kayin National Union (KNU), and seven non-signatories or Northern Alliance, led by the UWSA.
Some civilians inspect the blast site in Khost city, eastern Afghanistan on May 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Zaman Nazari)

KHOST, Afghanistan, May 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 persons were killed Saturday when a suicide car bombing struck a crowded area in Afghanistan's eastern Khost city, a local security official said.

Among the killed were 10 security guards and eight civilians, the source said.

Target of the attack was local off-duty security guards, known as Campaign Forces, the source told Xinhua anonymously.

The blast occurred near a taxi station in southern outskirts where the guards were arriving after a vocation to go to Camp Chapman, a military base run by the United States and NATO forces on the outskirts of the city, he said.

Provincial police chief Gen. Faizullah Ghairat told Xinhua that the police have launched an investigation into the incident which occurred in the morning and details will be shared with the media later on the day.

About six people, including two children, were also injured by the attack in the city, capital of Khost province bordering Pakistan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Late last month, four members of Campaign Forces were killed and six school children wounded in similar attack near the Camp Chapman for which Taliban militant group had claimed responsibility.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 28 when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country, which had claimed hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and civilians.

The attack came on the day as Afghans mark the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month during which the faithful avoid eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.
Photo taken on May 27, 2017 shows a scene of rescue operation at the crash site of a cargo plane near Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla near Mount Qomolangma, located in the eastern district Solukhumbu, Nepal. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma)

KATHMANDU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A pilot died and two crew members were injured after a cargo plane of Goma Airlines crashed while landing at the Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla near Mount Qomolangma on Saturday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

The 9N-AKY aircraft crashed as it was trying to land at the airport, which is often regarded as the most dangerous airport in the world.

Lukla, located at an elevation of 2,800 meters, is the gateway to the world's highest peak Mount Qomolangma located in the eastern district Solukhumbu.

"The aircraft crashed just a few meters away from the runway at 1:56 p.m. (local time)," Yogendra Kunwar, chief of the Lukla airport, confirmed to Xinhua over phone.

Following the crash, the rescue operation was carried out immediately by the team of the Nepal Army, police, a rescue team of Goma Airlines and the locals.

Dev Kumar Kathayat, a Nepal Army official who joined the rescue operation, told Xinhua: "The aircraft crashed just in front of my eyes after it entered into the clouds near the runway. We rescued all of the three crew members within an hour of the incident."

Captain Paras Rai was pronounced dead at hospital at 3:20 p.m. local time while the co-pilot was reported to be in critical condition.

Though it has been speculated that the crash occurred owing to bad weather, the exact cause is yet to be identified.

Since the spring climbing expedition falls in April and May, the Lukla airport has been receiving up to 105 flights in a single day.

Around 40 expedition teams comprising 371 climbers from various countries have taken the permit to scale the world's highest peak this season.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 11:37:39|Editor: Liu

Video Player Close

TORONTO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Andrew Scheer, former speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, was elected on Saturday the new leader of the federal Conservative Party of the country at the Toronto Congress Center.

Scheer, 38, promised to unite the party by bringing together the social and fiscal wings to take on the Liberals in the 2019 election.

"We all know what it looks like when Conservatives are divided. We will not let that happen again," Scheer told a news conference after the announcement of the results.

He edged out ex-foreign minister Maxime Bernier, who was considered a strong frontrunner throughout the year-long race, by less than one percentage point.

The new Conservative leader will take the party into the next electoral battle against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals in 2019.

The Conservatives held power for almost a decade under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper until the Liberals won in 2015.

Scheer was a Canadian Member of Parliament who served as speaker of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015. At 32, he was the youngest to serve in this capacity in the Canadian parliamentary history.

On Sept. 28, 2016, Scheer announced his bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
A North Dakota Republican Party leader says the partys bar for the 2018 election is set extremely high as members approach their state party reorganization meeting slated for Friday and Saturday at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck.

Jim Poolman, vice chairman of the North Dakota GOP, said speakers are slated for Friday, including Bob Paduchik, co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Paduchik was previously state director for President Donald Trumps campaign in Ohio, a role he also held in his home state for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.

Theyll get an update on the national political landscape, an update on the Trump agenda, on the 2018 landscape, Poolman said.

Party reorganization will be begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

As of today, my plan is to run again, Poolman said when asked whether hell seek another term in the No. 2 role.

During the legislative session, Dickinson state Sen. Kelly Armstrong said he plans to run for another two-year term as party chairman.

The party is riding high with its string of electoral success in recent elections, with the major target in 2018 being Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., according to Poolman.

Well be very focused on that. Any time youve been as dominant as the Republicans have been in North Dakota  the bar is set very high, Poolman said.

Heitkamp hasnt announced a re-election campaign but is considered likely to run. More than $1.6 million in funds were raised during the first quarter of 2017 in her most recent Federal Election Commission campaign finance report. Wildlands firefighter Dustin Peyer, of Driscoll, has announced his candidacy to challenge her at the state party convention next year.

No Republicans have announced their intention to run, but the most prominent rumored candidate whos still undecided is third-term Rep. Kevin Cramer.

The Senate seat held by Heitkamp is one of several Democratic-held seats in Republican-dominated states that are expected to be high-profile targets by the GOP next year.

Heitkamp is the lone Democratic member of the three-member congressional delegation and the partys only statewide elected official.

Republicans hold two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers that are their most lopsided in decades. The party also holds every statewide elected office in the Capitol tower.

Poolman said he found it amusing to have received a piece of Heitkamp literature in his mail recently.

She knows shes going to need Republican votes; she just wont be getting this one, Poolman said with a laugh.

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party held its reorganization and leadership elections in April. Chairwoman Kylie Oversen and Vice Chairman Warren Larson were both re-elected.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 12:12:43|Editor: Liu

Video Player Close

PYONGYANG, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has urged South Korea to cancel the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by the United States, official media said Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of Korea as saying on Saturday that people from all walks of life in South Korea are increasingly demanding the cancellation of THAAD deployment.

"To deploy THAAD or to withdraw it would serve as a cornerstone discerning the acts of sycophancy toward outsiders from the stand of prioritizing the nation, and there should be no compromise here," said the committee.

It slammed South Korean conservatives for defending the deployment and criticized the new South Korean government for adopting "an ambivalent approach to the public demand for the withdrawal of THAAD."

Some South Korean politicians have recently hinted at a freeze of the THAAD deployment in exchange for the DPRK to stop its nuclear and missile tests.

The former South Korean government agreed to let the United States deploy THAAD last year. This decision has also met with strong opposition from China and Russia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 12:27:46|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

LONDON, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The British intelligence has identified 23,000 jihadist extremists living in the country as potential terrorist attackers, media reports said on Saturday.

The scale of the challenge facing police and security services was disclosed by sources in Whitehall after criticism that multiple opportunities to stop Monday's suicide bombing attack on the Manchester Arena had been missed, The Times said.

About 3,000 people from the total group of 23,000 are judged to pose a threat, the British daily said.

That group is under investigation or active monitoring in 500 operations conducted by police and intelligence services, the newspaper said, adding that the rest have featured in previous inquiries and are categorized as posing a "residual risk."

The two terrorists who have struck in Britain this year -- Manchester bomber Salman Abedi and Westminster attacker Khalid Masood who killed five people two months ago -- were in the pool of the so-called former subjects of interest and no longer under any surveillance, it added.

Prime Minister Theresa May downgraded the terror threat in Britain from "critical" to "severe" on Saturday morning, but said troops will remain deployed on the streets until Monday.

Britain's top police officer for counter-terrorism said 11 men were being held by police with more arrests expected.

London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said significant arrests meant a large part of the terror network around suicide bomber Abedi had been wound up.

In an update from the Metropolitan Police Service on Saturday afternoon, Rowley confirmed the threat level had been reduced to the next level down.

"The high pace and rapid progress of this investigation is continuing. There were three more arrests overnight and we now have 11 men in custody. There are now 17 searches either concluded or continuing at various addresses largely in the northwest of the country and we are getting a greater understanding of the preparation of the bomb," he said.

"There is still much more to do. There will be more arrests and there will be more searches but this greater clarity and this progress has led the independent body that assess threat levels to come to the judgement that an attack is no longer imminent," he added.

"Once we get past the weekend, we will be looking to step down the extra resources we have had in place over the last week. And the military support we have had in place over the past few days, under Operation Temperer will start to phase out as well. There are detailed plans in place to ensure military personnel will remain at readiness to deploy in support of the police should future security situations require," said Rowley.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 13:32:55|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

by Omar Mendoza

VALPARAISO, Chile, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Latin America's tourism industry has its eye on the growing number of Chinese tourists, business leaders said in recent interviews with Xinhua.

"In just eight years, experts say, we are going to see 220 million Chinese outbound travellers up from the current 135 million, and that is an opportunity we cannot pass up," Julian Guerrero, vice president of the tourism promotion agency ProColombia, told Xinhua at Macro Business Conference.

The business forum held in the port city of Valparaiso in Chile drew industry representatives from the Pacific Alliance, a regional trade bloc that gathers Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

Colombia, like other bloc members, intends to attract Chinese tourists with plans, such as providing information in Mandarin Chinese and catering to Chinese tastes.

"We have an Internet page in Chinese and we have studies underway to better understand the behaviors of the Chinese consumers," Guerrero said.

"The interest among the Chinese in unique experiences, in culture and history, and the importance of being permanently connected via access to the Internet -- we are studying all of this in order to attract the Chinese tourists," Guerrero added.

In 2016, 135 million Chinese travelled abroad, spending 261 million U.S. dollars, according to the World Tourism Organization.

The strategies have paid off, said Maria Soledad Acosta, director of tourism promotion at PromPeru.

"Last year, the Pacific Alliance saw a 20 percent increase in arrivals of Chinese tourists to the four member countries -- Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia -- and in 2017 we expect the arrivals to grow 10 percent on average," Acosta said.

The number of Chinese tourists to Peru, home to the Inca archaeological site of Machu Picchu, grew one third last year compared with the figure of 2015.

"More than 25,000 Chinese tourists visited Peru last year, representing an increase of 33 percent," Acosta said.

One of the key decisions the alliance made to boost tourism from China was to simplify the application procedures for visa.

ProColombia's President Felipe Jaramillo recently traveled to China, Japan and South Korea to promote his country as a vacation destination.

To that end, Guerrero said, Colombia carved out a presence for itself on WeChat, China's instant messaging app.

"They told us we had to be on that (Internet) platform, given the importance of online social media platforms" in China, Guerrero said.

One major hurdle to attract Chinese tourists is the language barrier.

"The subject of language is a critical point. It is of supreme importance and it poses difficulty to attracting tourists," Guerrero said, adding plans are underway to resolve the issue.

"We are making plans for training in the Chinese language, and we are thinking of bringing interns from China to Colombia, so they can become Chinese guides" for visitors "from that important market," Guerrero said.

As in many Latin American countries, tourism in Colombia has become the country's second largest source of foreign revenue, after oil and gas, and ahead of traditional exports such as coffee, flowers and bananas, Guerrero noted.

The Pacific Alliance business forum drew more than 200 industry leaders from member countries this year, and succeeded in topping the 8-million-dollar value in tourism transactions registered in 2016, reaching 9 million dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 14:13:03|Editor: xuxin

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, May 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 16,000 policemen in West Bengal have donated blood in the past one week to alleviate blood crisis in the eastern Indian state, local media reported Sunday.

"Some 16,000 police personnel have donated blood. There will be nearly 50,000 bottles by June 10," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying in state capital Kolkata Saturday.

The Chief Minister has said that her ruling Trinmool Congress party workers and other government employees in the state will also donate blood to overcome the crisis.

India is reportedly facing a blood shortage of three million units, despite being a country of 1.25 billion people. And West Bengal is among some Indian states that faced severe blood crisis.

The crisis is mainly due to the fact that there is a shortage of volunteers as well as stored blood expiring after some time, experts say.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 15:53:19|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

ANKARA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military launched airstrike on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on early Sunday, killing 13 PKK militants, the military said in a statement.

The warplanes struck seven PKK targets in Avasin-Basyan region of northern Iraq, killing at least 13 militants believed to be preparing for an attack, the statement said.

The airstrike also destroyed two caves, two blockhouses, two weapon pits and a shelter used by the PKK, the statement added.

Earlier in a separate airstrike in Turkey's eastern Van province on Saturday night, 10 PKK militants were killed, three weapons depots and a hideout were destroyed.

The PKK, which founded in 1978 and resumed armed campaign in southeast Turkey since July 2015, has camps in the mountains of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border. Turkey, the United States and the Europe Union list the PKK as terrorist organization.

According to data from local media, over 600 Turkish security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards, have died in PKK attacks, while more than 7,000 PKK members have been killed during operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 15:58:21|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

CARACAS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's indigenous communities on Saturday gathered in the capital of Caracas to show their support for the government's bid to draft a new constitution.

Efforts to elect the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) in charge of drafting the new constitution are under way. Representatives of the indigenous peoples will occupy eight of the 545 seats in the ANC.

During the rally held at the city's central Plaza Venezuela, Minister of Indigenous Peoples Aloha Nunez acknowledged the headway the indigenous communities had made under the socialist government.

He said the indigenous communities have gone from "having three constituents" in 1999, when the current constitution was drafted, "to having eight constituents."

Enhancing indigenous rights is one of the policies of the ruling socialist party.

The indigenous communities propose enshrining the right to speak their own language in the new constitution, aiming to give it official status alongside Spanish.

President Nicolas Maduro intends to facilitate political dialogue by amending the constitution in the country, which has seen anti-government protests since the conservatives lost the presidential race in 2013.

Elias Jaua, education minister and head of the presidential commission tasked to form the ANC, said the new constitution will "guarantee peace and coexistence among all Venezuelans."

The government proposed that the 545-member body is composed of 364 constituents representing the country's different regions, 173 for various sectors, and eight voicing concerns of the indigenous.

The leading opposition coalition, known by its Spanish acronym MUD, has refused to take part in the process. Protesters took to the street on Saturday to rally against the government, as they did almost every day since April.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 16:03:26|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday said that one U.S. soldier was killed in a car accident in Syria.

"Specialist Etienne Murphy, 22, of Loganville, Georgia died May 26, in Al-Hasakah, Syria, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover related incident," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The statement did not specify whether Murphy was conducting a military operation, but said it will investigate the incident.

Pentagon said Murphy was assigned to First Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, which according to media reports, was dispatched to Syria in March.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 16:08:32|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A number of Taiwan business people based on the Chinese mainland said they felt warmth and were inspired by Xi Jinping's recent remarks on cross-Strait relations.

They have pledged to be more courageous in maintaining the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties and to promote integrated economic and social development on both sides of the Strait.

Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has said that both sides across the Taiwan Strait are "community of shared destiny that cannot be prised apart."

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter, made public Wednesday, to the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland (ATIEM) on its 10th anniversary.

Economy on either side is an integral part of economy of the Chinese nation, he said in the letter.

"We are willing to share the mainland's development opportunities with Taiwan compatriots first, and welcome Taiwan compatriots to invest here," Xi said.

ATIEM Chairman Wang Ping-Sheng said the remarks were an inspiration and encouragement for Taiwan business people, noting that the hard-won peaceful development of cross-Strait ties was precious for compatriots on both sides and was closely related to Taiwan businesses.

He said the ATIEM would be more vigorous in acting as a bridge in cross-Strait economic and trade exchanges.

Lin Mingtian, a Taiwan businessman and chairman of a Nanjing-based company, said he had achieved his career goals on the mainland and suggested that other Taiwanese entrepreneurs grasp opportunities on the mainland.

He also said that Xi's letter had reassured the Taiwan business people on the mainland.

Ye Huide, executive vice chairman of ATIEM, said the economy across the Strait could only make progress with cross-Strait peace and that it mattered not only to businesses but all Taiwan people.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 16:23:35|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

BAQUBA, Iraq, May 28 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 16 others wounded on Sunday in a suicide bomb attack in the city of Baquba, the capital city of Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

The attack took place in the morning, when a suicide bomber wearing explosive vest tried to enter a street leading to the government compound and the nearby court building, but was stopped by policemen at a checkpoint at the entrance of the street and detonated himself, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The blast occurred around 300 meters away from the government compound in central Baquba, some 65 km northeast of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source said.

The three killed were civilians, and among the 16 wounded were three policemen and the others mostly government employees heading to their work, the source added.

The attack 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| 2017-05-28 16:23:37|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

COLOMBO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Sri Lanka's devastating floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains reached 146 by Sunday noon, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) said.

According to the latest DMC statistics, 112 people were missing while 442,000 people were affected.

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered immediate relief to the victims of the disaster and ordered the treasury secretary to provide funds for relief measures and reimburse the damages.

Hundreds of teams consisting of the Tri Forces, police and relief organizsations were on the ground continuing search and rescue missions while those injured were being treated in state hospitals.

The Health Ministry said that it was providing all the necessary facilities to those injured while thousands of people continued to be evacuated to the 304 safe centers set up across the country.

Hundreds of people residing near lakes and rivers in southern Sri Lanka continue to be evacuated to safer locations due to rising water levels, with the Meteorology Department forecasting on Sunday of more rains in south western Sri Lanka.

Severe rains and strong winds have caused major floods and landslides in many parts of Sri Lanka since Friday, with rescue teams fearing a rise in the death toll.
The 2017 Memorial Day Ceremony will begin at noon Monday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, 6.5 miles south of Mandan on North Dakota Highway 1806.

This annual event, hosted by the North Dakota National Guard, honors all deceased American servicemen and women and is free to the public. This year's theme is "75 years of Honor - the 164th Infantry Regiment." The theme commemorates 75 years since this famed North Dakota National Guard unit made history in 1942 when it became the first U.S. Army unit to take offensive action in World War II supporting U.S. Marines on the island of Guadalcanal.

This year's keynote speaker is Staff Sgt. Louis Hanson, a veteran of the 164th Infantry Regiment during World War II. The emcee is Col. Thomas "Britt" Hatley, commander of the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Wing in Fargo.

Scheduled to render welcoming remarks are Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and Maj. Gen. Alan S. Dohrmann, N.D. National Guard adjutant general.

Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters will open the ceremony with a flyover. This aerial display, flown by soldiers of the North Dakota National Guard, is a formal salute to the fallen military members at the cemetery.

The North Dakota Army National Guard's Fargo-based 188th Army Band's Brass Quintet will perform "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Also participating are local veteran organizations and the Bismarck Mounted Police, who will feature a caparisoned riderless horse with boots reversed in the stirrups to symbolize a fallen warrior who can no longer ride into battle.

The national anthem will be performed by Clyde Bauman and Taps by Harrison Fuller. AMVETs Post 9 will render a rifle salute volley and the North Dakota National Guard Military Funeral Honors Team will execute a 21-gun cannon salute with a World War I-era French 75-millimeter cannon. The most reverent David D. Kagan, Bishop of Bismarck and Chaplain (Col.) John Flowers, North Dakota National Guard, will render Memorial Day prayers.

Also in conjunction with the holiday, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is hosting a Military Appreciation Day by offering free admission to military members, veterans and their families. Fort Abraham Lincoln is located adjacent to the N.D. Veterans Cemetery. For additional information, call 701-667-6340.

In support of the Memorial Day ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, the Viet Nam Vets/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club is organizing a Memorial Day Veterans Honor Run at The Shop, 131 Airport Road, in Bismarck. Assemble between 10 and 10:45 a.m.

If you have an ear for poetry, the Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site is where you'll want to spend your Memorial Day afternoon. A program, featuring music and poetry from the World War I era, will begin at 1 p.m. Monday. Refreshments will be served at this free event, which is open to the public.
Source:Xinhua| 2017-05-28 16:30:37|Editor: Mengjie

Staff workers unload goods at Alataw Pass Station in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2017. The Alataw Pass is one of the busiest land ports on the modern Silk Road. In 2017, the average daily volume of freight train passing through the port and heading for Europe or Central Asia reached three. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
A medical helicopter, from the US-led coalition, flies over the site of Turkish airstrikes near northeastern Syrian Kurdish town of Derik, known as al-Malikiyah in Arabic, on April 25, 2017. Turkish warplanes killed more than 20 Kurdish fighters in strikes in Syria and Iraq, where the Kurds are key players in the battle against the Islamic State group. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

ANKARA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military launched airstrike on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on early Sunday, killing 13 PKK militants, the military said in a statement.

The warplanes struck seven PKK targets in Avasin-Basyan region of northern Iraq, killing at least 13 militants believed to be preparing for an attack, the statement said.

The airstrike also destroyed two caves, two blockhouses, two weapon pits and a shelter used by the PKK, the statement added.

Earlier in a separate airstrike in Turkey's eastern Van province on Saturday night, 10 PKK militants were killed, three weapons depots and a hideout were destroyed.

The PKK, which founded in 1978 and resumed armed campaign in southeast Turkey since July 2015, has camps in the mountains of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border. Turkey, the United States and the Europe Union list the PKK as terrorist organization.

According to data from local media, over 600 Turkish security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards, have died in PKK attacks, while more than 7,000 PKK members have been killed during operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 16:53:42|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Two Iranian border guards were killed and five others injured in an armed clash with the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK) militants in northwest of Iran, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

The clash erupted on Saturday evening as the Iranian forces were on their mission along the Urmieh border regiment.

Over the past years, Iran's western borders have faced security threats from the PJAK, an anti-Iranian Kurdish group linked to Turkey's outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 17:02:53|Editor: MJ

Evacuees line up to receive relief goods as clashes between the government troops and militant Maute group continue in Lanao Del Sur Province, the Philippines, May 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Stringer)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 17:13:50|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Egypt, which resulted in the loss of numerous precious lives and injuries to many others.

At least 29 people were killed and 23 others injured when gunmen on Friday attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Egypt's southern province of Minya, officials in Egypt has said.

The attack followed a series of church bombings claimed by Islamic State in a campaign of violence against Copts.

"The people and the government of Pakistan extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and pray for early recovery of the injured. Pakistani nation stands in solidarity with the people and the government of Egypt in their struggle against the scourge of terrorism," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," the statement added.
A military personnel stands guard on top of the roof during the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit ceremony at the NATO headquarters, in Brussels, on May 25, 2017. (AFP Photo)

TBILISI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- President of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly Paolo Alli reaffirmed support for the aspiration of Georgia to move closer to the West here on Saturday.

At the meeting with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Tbilisi, Alli reiterated NATO's strong supports for Georgia's aspiration to integrate with the Euro-Atlantic structure, according to local Interpress News Agency.

Meanwhile, he noted that it is a rare case that the parliamentary assembly session is held in a non-NATO member state, which in his words means "not only a gesture but a significant political step by NATO."

During the meeting, Margvelashvili asked Alli to engage NATO experts in the preparation of recommendations in order to improve Georgia's national security architecture.

On Friday, at the opening ceremony of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi, Alli insisted that stability in the Caucasus and around the Black Sea is inextricably linked to Western security.

"We think Georgia will become a member of NATO", said Alli. "This was the decision the allies made in Bucharest, and this decision remains" effective, he stressed.

The four-day Spring Session of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly opened in Tbilisi on Friday.

This is the fifth time in its six-decade history that NATO Parliamentary Assembly has held a session in a country outside the NATO countries.
Local patients queuing for Chinese medicine treatment. (Xinhua)

ADDIS ABABA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Mekonnen Tsega, a 46-year-old patient, has suffered from nerve problem for years in Ethiopia's small town of Bishoftu, about 50 km south of the capital Addis Ababa.

Mekonnen is one of the many Bishoftu town dwellers, who were apparently suffering from varied types of illness, who have recently received free curative medical treatment by the 19th Chinese medical team.

Mekonnen said that he had been fighting the disease for almost 4 years now.

"I could hardly walk due to the health problem that I had. I tried to get treatment but it was expensive and I couldn't afford, given my poor financial background," he said.

The 19th batch of the Chinese medical team, which constitutes 16 medical professionals, is based at Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital, also known as the Ethio-China Friendship Hospital, located in Akaki at the outskirt of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The team, deployed at Tirunesh-Beijing Hospita which was built and equipped with the support of the Chinese government, is the continuation of China's medical mission to Ethiopia that has been serving the people of the east African country since 1974.

Team leader and Chief Physician Zhang Xiao Yang said that the medical team, during its nine months of free medical curative healthcare service, has treated a great number of patients in its hosting Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital.

According to Yang, the team also traveled to various other hospitals, such as Bishoftu Hospital outside the capital, to provide free healthcare treatment by applying both traditional Chinese and modern medical treatment methods.

"The feedback from the local community has been very good, and we are very happy to provide the service and to see them healthy," he said.

Chinese doctor Qiao Min is attending a patient. (Xinhua)

Mekonnen, who has received a free physiotherapeutic treatment by the visiting Chinese medical personnel in his home town, also commended their service saying that "I am very thankful for their kind support."

Amelework Fetene is another beneficiary. She has traveled close to 100km from her home town Wolega, south of the capital Addis Ababa, to get the treatment at the Bishoftu hospital.

"My health condition has improved now, after the treatment that I received here by the Chinese physicians," said 60-year-old Amelework.

Along with the provision of free medical service, the medical team also donated medical equipment and consumables to the hospital. According to team leader Yang, the donation of medical equipment will help the hospital in its quest towards quality healthcare service.

Dadhi Wodajo, Mayor of Bishoftu town and hospital board member, has lauded the support that has been given by the 19th batch of the Chinese medical team saying that such donations and free services "will reduce limitations in the provision of better curative healthcare service at the hospital."

Liu Yu, Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, also commended the great effort and enthusiasm members of the medical have shown over the years.

According to Yu, their dedication and service manifests the growing people to people relations among the two brotherly countries.

Notably among the previous Chinese medical personnel in Ethiopia is the deceased doctor Mei Gengnian, who leads the first Chinese medical mission to Ethiopia some 40 years ago.

Mei Gengnian passed away in 1975 in a car accident while he was serving local communities in Jimma town of Oromia regional state, where he was still remembered and received homage by local community members.
Minister Counsellor in the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania Gou Haodong handing over certificate and first prize award in the 16th Chinese proficiency competition to Steven Emmanuel Paul during the finalist competition held at University of Dar es Salaam on May 27, 2017. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A civil engineering freshman on Saturday emerged as the overall winner of the 16th Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition for foreign college students in Tanzania.

Steven Emmanuel Paul, 20, from the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), beat 11 other contestants in Mandarin fluency.

The civil engineering major said his Mandarin proficiency would help him secure employment with Chinese construction companies in the east African nation.

Twenty-two-year-old Tewele Ayubu, an education major at the UDSM, also wore a broad smile as the second-place winner.

"My burning ambition is to become a Chinese language teacher," Ayubu said. "My desire is to teach Chinese to as many Tanzanians as possible so that they could go to China to learn technology and science and come back to develop our country."

Two other students from the UDSM Confucius Institute and four each from the University of Dodoma, and the Zanzibar Journalism and Mass Media College also participated in the contest.

"Language is a bridge to bring people together," said Minister Counsellor in the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania Gou Haodong.

Yan Liu, director of the UDSM Confucius Institute, said Paul, the overall winner, will go to China to participate in the second round of competition and if possible the final round.

The second-place winner, Ayubu, will also go to China to watch the competition, with all expenses covered by the Office of Chinese Language Council International, Yan said.

He said the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, co-founded by the UDSM and Zhejiang Normal University, was launched in 2013.

"Through language and cultural interaction the Confucius Institute at the UDSM has bridged minds of the people from Tanzania and China, and become a platform on which more Tanzanians come to know more about China," he said.

Rose Uppor, principal of the College of Humanities at the UDSM, said the Confucius Institute has contributed to creating a cultural understanding of the world's largest population and their heritage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 18:44:20|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Immediately after the dusk on Saturday, Tariq Ahmad Mir along with his family of five gathered inside the premises of their house in uptown area of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, and began to scan the horizon towards west.

The family including their children were eagerly searching for the crescent in the sky upwards. Minutes after, as darkness began to cover the city, Mir noticed the crescent that was becoming conspicuously visible. Murmuring some Arabic verses, followed by prayers, Mir announced to his family about the beginning of the Islamic holy month of fasting -- Ramadan.

"Tonight, I will go to offer special night prayers in the neighbourhood mosque and then all of us have to get up and take pre-dawn meals, for this moon marks the beginning of our holy month of fasting," Mir explains to his grown up children. "From Sunday we will be observing fast for a month."

The beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar was announced Saturday evening across India on state-run broadcasters with the sighting of new crescent.

"We witnessed the crescent ourselves, besides the Ruyat-e-Hilal (crescent sighting) committee also announced the sighting of moon last evening and with this Sunday will be the first day of Ramadan," an official affiliated Srinagar's Jamia Masjid (grand mosque) told Xinhua. "One hour after the announcement, worshipers gathered in mosques to offer special night prayers."

Mosques across India especially in major cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, besides other parts witnessed a huge rush of devotees.

"During this month, Muslims should read the holy Quran and try to imbibe the instructions in it, so as to live their lives as per its teachings," Tufail Ahmad, a Muslim scholar said. "That will be the best tribute to this month."

Muslims follow the lunar calendar, according to which months are either of 29 or 30 day in duration. The Muslim lunar calendar advances by 10 days every year in comparison to the Christian (solar) calendar which remains unchanged.

Muslims, including women and youngsters, woke up early on Sunday to eat a pre-dawn meal called "saher".

For one month devout Muslims all over the world, abstain from eating, drinking and engaging in their marital obligation from dawn until sunset. After dusk, Muslims break their fast by drinking water and sharing meal, often with family and friends.

During Ramadan, Muslims seek forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance on straight path and ask for help in refraining from everyday "evils".

Muslims scholars say fasting is aimed at achieving spirituality.

"Abstaining from food and drinks is just an outward appearance of this worshiping exercise," explains Muslim scholar Mufti Ghulam Nabi. "The underlying aim of fasting is Muslims should actually stay away from falsehood, deceit, corruption and others sins."

Muslims are expected to start observing the fasting ritual once they reach puberty, as long as they are healthy.

Fasting is fourth of the five Pillars of Islam, which also include belief in God, daily prayers, giving to the poor, and a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in a lifetime.

It is also during Ramadan that Muslim communities engage in acts of charity. Mosques receive most of its funding during this month.

The month of Ramadan would end with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

In Muslim majority areas and localities all the eateries, including restaurants, tea-stalls and ice-cream shops, remain closed during the daytime in the month of Ramadan. However, the restaurants and eateries open after dusk.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 18:49:22|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

PARIS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A French hostage kidnapped in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been released, the French Presidency said Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the release and congratulates all the parties concerned that worked for the release, especially the authorities of the DRC, for their mobilization and the effectiveness of their actions, Elysee said in a statement.

As an employee of the Canadian mining company Banro, the French national was taken hostage on March 1 by a local armed group along with four other people, including one Tanzanian and three Congolese.
Drastic budget cuts are coming at North Dakota State University. The schools new president said in a campus-wide email Tuesday that significant reductions will be necessary due to decreasing enrollments over the past several years. David Cook describes the cuts as incredibly difficult. The north Fargo campus is facing a $10.5 budget shortfall for the next biennium. Cook says he has asked the school's deans to help with rightsizing and reorganizing the academic enterprise and creating new programs to meet workforce needs. The email does not mention layoffs. Cook says most of the NDSUs money comes from tuition and state revenue, both of which are dependent on student numbers. Enrollment at the university is at a 15-year low.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 18:59:27|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

COLOMBO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- An International non-governmental organization that promotes Children's rights warned on Sunday that the devastating floods in Sri Lanka could exacerbate the dengue crisis in the island country.

In a statement, Save the Children said that the stagnant flood waters, providing the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, could exacerbate the dengue crisis that has seen an almost 150 percent increase in cases compared to the same period last year.

"The humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka right now is alarming. The impact of these early monsoon season downpours has been far more devastating than what we'd normally expect this time of the year," Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka Chris McIvor said.

"We're particularly worried we could start seeing a further increase in the number of dengue cases because of the stagnant waters that the floods will leave in their wake, which is the last thing needed by families and communities that have already lost so much."

The organisation said its teams were on the ground assessing the humanitarian needs and were ready to respond, including by distributing hygiene items to prevent the spread of disease and illness, supporting damaged schools to re-open, distributing safe drinking water and household items to affected families and providing psychosocial support to distressed children.

"Aid agencies and government authorities are working around the clock to help those most in need, however one thing that is out of our control is the weather. If we see more heavy rains sweep across the country, not only will it increase the humanitarian needs but it will also make accessing communities even more difficult," McIvor said.

According to Save the Children, Sri Lanka has recorded almost 53,000 dengue fever cases across the country since the start of the year.

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said Saturday that the health sector and state hospitals are geared to treat the injured and were prepared with the necessary facilities if any outbreak of diseases are reported.

Days of severe rains and strong winds, triggered by the yearly monsoons, have killed at least 146 people and affected nearly 500,000 people in Sri Lanka.

Rescue and search operations continued into Sunday as thousands had to leave their homes due to rising water levels.

The local meteorology department has warned of more rains in the coming days.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 19:04:29|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

DAMASCUS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 civilians were killed when a US-led airstrike struck their convoy near the northern city of Raqqa, state news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the ancient Greek theatre of Taormina before the opening ceremony of aG7 Summit, Italy, on May 26, 2017. A two-day summit of leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations kicked off Friday in the Italian town of Taormina. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)

By Eric J. Lyman

TAORMINA, Italy, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) summit in Sicilian town of Taormina ended up with an unusual note of discord, as the leaders of the world's biggest industrialized countries failed to come to terms on a common stance on climate change or trade.

The lack of agreement on key issues is unusual for the G7 context, where the final communique is written to reflect only areas where leaders had a shared consensus.

In part the talks were shorter than usual (two days instead of three) and in part because of the long efforts to find common ground on contentious areas, the communique was much less ambitious than in past years, totalling just six pages, compared with 36 for the communique from last year's summit in Japan.

U.S. President Donald Trump was reportedly the main factor behind the disagreements. In response to the antagonistic role Trump played in Taormina, the Italian media coined the phrase "G6 plus 1," in lieu of "G7."

On climate, Trump refused to give his OK to language supporting the Paris Agreement on climate change. As a result, the final agreement read that the U.S. was "in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement," while Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Britain -- the other six countries at the summit -- affirmed a "strong commitment" to the Paris deal.

On trade, Trump claimed other countries were engaged in unfair trade practices that put the U.S. at a disadvantage. Without reaching an agreement, much of the language on trade was left out.

"This was the most challenging G7 summit in years," European Council President Donald Tusk said when the meetings concluded.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the talks as "very unsatisfactory."

"We had a situation of six members, or seven if you want to add in the European Union, standing against one," Merkel said. The European Union (EU) has a permanent observer status in the G7.

Trump was the only G7 leader who did not address the media in Taormina, choosing instead to visit with U.S. military personnel at the U.S. naval Air Station at Sigonella, around 65 km south of Taormina. The president's flight to Washington departed from the airbase instead of from the nearby airport at Catania, as with the other leaders.

There was agreement in some areas, most notably the efforts to confront terrorism, where leaders were galvanized by the deadly attacks in Manchester, Britain just before the start of the G7 talks. In his remarks from Sigonella, Trump said terrorism was a "bad threat to all humanity."

Leaders also agreed on the need to help find a resolution to the problems in war-torn Syria, to confront the rising threat from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and to provide aid to countries in need.

Host Italy pushed for a strong common stance on the issue of migration, an area where Italy suffers more than the other G7 nations because of the tide of migrants landing on the country's shores from conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. But again, the leaders failed to agree on what to say.

In response to a lack of action on migration, Oxfam International, an umbrella organization linking non-governmental groups, issued a statement reading, "Consensus crumbles at the expense of the world's poorest people."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 19:29:37|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

DUBAI, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ruler of the Emirate of Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered on Sunday, the second day of the Islamic month of fasting Ramadan, the release of 53 inmates held in the emirate, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

By pardoning the 53 inmates, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of the UAE's north-eastern emirate of Fujairah, said the move aims to grant them "a new lease of life, and ease the suffering of their families," said the report.

The released inmates are of different nationalities and had a proven track of good behavior, it added. Ruling Sheikhs in the UAE traditionally release scores of inmates in the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Earlier last week, the country's President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan ordered the release of 977 inmates ahead of Ramadan, so that the inmates could return to their families at the beginning of the spiritual months which started on Saturday and will last for 29 days.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 19:29:39|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

DAMASCUS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 civilians were killed when a U.S.-led airstrike struck their convoy near the northern city of Syria's Raqqa, state news agency reported on Sunday.

The warplanes of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition targeted cars transporting civilians out of Raqqa between the towns of Ratleh and Kasrah on Saturday, said SANA.

The rate of civilian causalities by U.S.-led airstrikes has increased recently as a result of the intensification of U.S. airstrikes on Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, and other IS strongholds in northern and eastern Syria.

Last Thursday, 35 civilians were killed by U.S. strikes on IS-held city of Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

The Syrian government repeatedly denounced the attacks that target civilians, branding the operation of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition in Syria as "illegitimate."

Last week, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the U.S. targeting of civilians is part of a series of attacks carried out by the "illegal international coalition against Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity under the pretext of combating terrorism, while the actions of this alliance only contribute to spreading chaos and destruction which benefits the extremist terrorist organizations, particularly IS and other terrorist organizations."

The ministry said that Syria condemns the U.S.-led attacks which target civilians and cause massive material damage to the infrastructure, facilities, and properties in Syria, calling on the UN Security Council to implement its resolutions on preserving the integrity of Syria's territory and people and stop the attacks of the illegal coalition.

It concluded by saying that Syria reiterates the importance of halting the illegal U.S.-led coalition's actions and implementing Security Council resolutions related to counter-terrorism, including resolution no. 2253.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 19:34:41|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

JERUSALEM, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new "five-year development plan" for Jerusalem on Sunday.

Netayahu announced initiatives to attract more tourists to Jerusalem. "We will establish a special new cable car tourism project starting from The First Station Complex to Dung Gate," he said, "we will approve building an elevator to the Western Wall making it handicapped accessible."

The announcement was made on Sunday morning's cabinet meeting. Usually it was held in the prime minister's office. This time, Israeli cabinet members gathered at the Western Wall to honor the 50th annual Jerusalem Day celebration which occurred last week.

Jerusalem Day is an Israeli annual holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem.

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War, along with the rest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

It later annexed East Jerusalem and declared it as part of its "eternal and indivisible capital," a move that has never been recognized by the international community.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 19:49:46|Editor: Song Lifang

Video Player Close

MOGADISHU, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The EU's Director General for International Development Cooperation Stefano Manservisi on Sunday signed a 53.7 million U.S. dollars agreement with Somalia to strengthen governance, promote resilience and support vocational training.

Manservisi who held talks in Mogadishu with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and met with federal and regional leaders said the new support package comes in addition to the new support announced on May 9, on Europe Day, when the EU pledged to expand support to the education sector.

During his visit, Manservisi confirmed the EU's commitment to supporting Somalia in consolidating achievements in security, governance, productive sectors and technical cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 20:04:52|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

BERLIN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's political union stays strong against its major rivalries months ahead of the federal election, according to a latest poll released on Sunday.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany, led by Merkel, got 38 percent of the voter support while the Social Democratic Party(SPD), headed by ex-President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, fell to 25 percent, according to the opinion poll designed by research institute Emnid and local media Bild am Sonntag.

The supporting rate for the Free Democratic Party(FDP), the Green Party, the Left and right-wing Alternative for Germany (AFD) were equally at 8 percent.

The poll also showed that if German chancellor were directly elected, 52 percent would opt for Merkel and 29 percent would choose Schulz.

German Federal elections will be held in Germany on Sept. 24. Many local media noted the focus would be on Merkel's re-election bid facing Schulz's powerful challenge.

Earlier in February, some opinion polls have constantly showed Schulz will have the edge over Merkel in the coming election. Some local media even dubbed it as "Schulz effect," and speculated Schulz might substitute Merkel since she lost momentum due to the migrant crisis.

In a similar questionnaire in February, Schulz won 46 percent over Merkel's 40 percent.

But the recent SPD setbacks in state elections, in Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia have dimmed the hope of Schulz since he failed to transform his popularity into votes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 20:09:54|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

OSLO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Twelve schools in Norway's capital city Oslo have filmed students with surveillance cameras during school hours, but no one can say what the recordings are used for, newspaper Aftenposten reported Sunday.

According to Tone Tellevik Dahl, Oslo's city councillor and vice mayor for education, strict regulatory framework of Oslo municipality states that camera surveillance can only take place outside school hours.

However, Oslo department of education has found out that 12 Oslo schools have, despite the regulations, monitored their students during school hours. A total of 33 schools have surveillance cameras, Aftenposten wrote.

Dag Hovdhaugen, assistant director of Oslo department of education, could not rule out that the recordings had been used for some cause, but he said that the schools "now comply with the guidelines."

"The recordings have been kept safe and there is nothing that went astray. The schools have guidelines and have handled the camera tools themselves. Thus I can not comment on this in detail," Hovdhaugen said.

"The schools where aberration was detected were contacted and we have ensured that they now use surveillance cameras in accordance with the regulations and do not have camera surveillance during school hours," he said.

According to Aftenposten, the department did not want to provide information on the schools that had violated the regulations, nor said which schools have surveillance cameras today.

"I think it is serious that 12 schools have had camera surveillance during school hours. Many students may have been filmed and we do not know what the recordings have been used for," Bjorn Erik Thon, director of the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, told Aftenposten.

He added that it is good that Oslo municipality had corrected this.

According to Hovdhaugen, the reason why many schools in Oslo have surveillance cameras are problems with theft and vandalism.

"There is a significant expense for us, which also influences teaching process. Cases of burglary will easily cost hundreds of thousands kroner only in damages," he said.
Source:Xinhua| 2017-05-28 20:20:02|Editor: Mengjie

A woman hangs mugwort leaves on the wall in Zigui County of central China's Hubei Province, May 27, 2017. People in Zigui, hometown of Qu Yuan, celebrate the upcoming Chinese traditional Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on May 30 this year. Duanwu Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States Period in the Chinese history, who drowned himself before his state fell to the invasion of the enemy. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
FARGO -- The recently concluded North Dakota legislative session brought a mixed bag of results for homeless shelters and advocates in the state.

Legislators allocated $300,000 to the North Dakota Homeless Grant for the next two-year budget cycle, down from the $1.5 to $2 million in one-time funding earmarked for the previous two bienniums.

However, lawmakers turned it into a budget line item, making future funding for homeless advocacy programs more secure.

Its victorious and horrible at the same time, said Cody Schuler, executive director of the FM Coalition for Homeless Persons.

With the state facing lean times due to lower oil and commodity prices, Schuler said homeless advocates knew their funding would take a hit.

Fargo agencies such as the YWCA Emergency Shelter, the New Life Center and Southeast North Dakota Community Action Agency, or SENDCAA, will fall short on some of their operational dollars, but no shelter will close as a result, Schuler said.

Erin Prochnow, YWCA of Cass Clay CEO, said she feels fortunate to still have the homeless grant, appropriated through the state Department of Commerce. She credits Sen. Karen Krebsbach, R-Minot, vice chair of the appropriations committee, for pushing to make it a line item in the budget.

But she said its still tough to swallow what amounts to an 80 percent reduction from what was appropriated in earlier bienniums.

When you have record-breaking numbers (of women and children needing shelter) year in and year out, it has an impact, Prochnow said.

Prochnow said some of the supportive housing programming the agency provides may be diminished. At the same time, federal resources pertaining to homeless advocacy and housing are probably going to see cuts as well.

The focus now, she said, will be to work with newly appointed Commerce Commissioner Jay Schuler prior to the next legislative session, to show how much of an impact the reduction in funding has on people trying to escape homelessness.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 20:19:56|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message of condolences to his Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena over the devastating floods and landslides in the country in which 146 people have been killed.

In the message, Xi expressed deep condolences over the victims and showed sincere sympathy to those stricken by the disasters and the families of the victims.

China and Sri Lanka are traditional friendly neighbors, and the Chinese people feel the same as the Sri Lankan people when they suffer in the disasters, Xi said.

The Chinese government is willing to exert all efforts to support the Sri Lankan government in its disaster relief work, and offer support and assistance to the Sri Lankan side, Xi said.

He believes the Sri Lankan government and people will definitely be able to overcome the disasters and rebuilding their homeland.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 20:19:57|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

QINGDAO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A Haier Group refrigerator factory in Russia has rolled out its 100,000th product, one year after the plant was launched.

Haier, the leading household appliance maker in China, opened a 24,000 square meter plant in the Tatarstan Republic in April 2016 with an investment of 50 million U. S. dollars.

The factory mainly produces air-cooled frost-free refrigerators, and has 500 staff.

The group has adapted the design of its products in accordance to local demand, including energy-efficient high-capacity refrigerators, which are around two-meters-tall.

The plant has also lowered the shipping time and cost to central Asian countries. Previously, it would take a month to transport the products from China to Uzbekistan. Currently, it takes around a week to send the products from the Russian plant.

In 2017, 10 percent of the plant's output will enter the central Asian market. Haier aims to export 100,000 home appliance units to central Asia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 21:19:50|Editor: MJ

Cosplay fans attend the Animation Comic Games (ACG) Culture Festival in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 28, 2017. The festival kicked off on Saturday, attracting lots of cosplay fans. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 21:20:13|Editor: Mengjie

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to Europe from May 31 to June 2 is expected to further deepen and enrich China's relations with the European Union (EU) at a time of increasing global uncertainty.

During the three-day visit, Li will travel to Germany and Belgium, where he will meet with European leaders in an effort to enhance mutual political trust and expand pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, to inject fresh impetus into China's relations with the two countries.

ROOT FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD

This will be Li's ninth visit to Europe and third to Germany since he took office as the premier in 2013. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a frequent visitor to China. Both European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel visited China last year.

Such frequent high-level exchanges between China and the EU testify the common grounds and interests shared by the two sides despite an ever-changing international landscape, and showcase their common desire for cooperation and development.

One of the most prominent features of China-EU interaction is their regular meetings, which have served as an important platform for Chinese and European leaders to work together and steadily promote the China-EU ties, noted Mei Zhaorong, former Chinese ambassador to Germany.

In Berlin, Li is scheduled to attend an annual meeting between the Chinese premier and the German chancellor, a mechanism that has been in place since 2004. In Brussels, the Chinese premier will attend the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting.

"These regular meetings have played a very positive role in strengthening mutual political trust and deepening practical cooperation between the two sides, and have kept pushing forward the China-EU relationship," said Mei.

Currently, Europe is facing a multitude of challenges such as the debt crisis, terror threats and the refugee crisis. With the isolationism signaled by U.S President Donald Trump, the United States has yet been clear on its policy towards Europe.

Despite these challenges, China has been pursuing a consistent and positive policy towards the EU, and has remained confident in its cooperation with the bloc, noted Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of China Institute of International Studies.

China is a supporter of European integration -- the basis for a united, prosperous and stable EU and a strong euro -- which is conducive to the development of a multipolar world featuring economic globalization and cultural diversification.

CHAMPIONING FREE TRADE

Against the backdrop of a rising anti-globalization wave, the need for China and the EU to join hands in opposing trade protectionism and safeguarding an open world economy is more urgent now than ever, experts say.

China and the EU share broad common interests and a similar stand on free trade, investment and global economic governance, according to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao.

With Premier Li's visit, said Ruan, China will strive to work with the EU and send a positive signal to the world that the two large economies are committed to free trade and economic globalization. With such efforts, China and the EU could serve as stabilizers of world economy.

However, the development of China-EU economic ties has not always been a smooth sail. The EU has yet implemented its obligations under Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), seen as a "stumbling block" in their economic cooperation, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put it.

In accordance with Article 15, WTO members should cease the surrogate country approach in anti-dumping investigations on China after Dec. 11, 2016, which expires exactly 15 years after China's admission.

The surrogate country approach allows an importing WTO member state to refer to prices or costs of the like product in a third country to calculate the value of Chinese products and determine whether it constitutes an act of dumping.

"As a member of the WTO, the EU has been refraining from fulfilling its international obligations, which is in fact a form of protectionism, and which goes against the notion of free trade advocated by the bloc," said Mei.

"Cooperation and competition coexist in the China-EU relations, yet cooperation and win-win is the theme," said Ruan, calling on the EU to abandon trade protectionism and fulfill its due obligations, so as to join hands with China in advancing free trade and globalization.

UNLEASH POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION

Economic and trade ties between China and the EU, deemed as the cornerstone of their relations, are expected to top the agenda of Li's Europe tour.

In Brussels, the Chinese premier will attend a China-EU business summit and a signing ceremony of cooperation documents between small and medium-sized enterprises.

The EU is China's largest trading partner and China is the EU's second largest. In 2016, China overtook the United States and became Germany's largest trading partner, according to Germany's Federal Statistics Office.

With Li's visit, China and the EU seek to further unleash their potential for cooperation, with innovation cooperation being a new highlight, according to Ruan.

As the powerhouse of European economy, Germany is one of the most innovative countries in the world. Though being a small country, Belgium has unique advantages in fields such as the chemical industry, nuclear energy and biological medicine. By cooperating with the EU, China is poised to enhance its capacity for innovation.

"China needs Europe's advanced technology, while Europe needs China's vast market," said Ruan, adding that innovation cooperation would broaden the areas and enhance the level of the China-EU cooperation.

In Europe, Li will attend several innovation-themed activities and witness the signing of a series of cooperative deals covering areas such as new energy, inter-connectivity, banking, tourism and education.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 21:23:44|Editor: MJ

Visitors attend the Xi'an International Robot Carnival in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 28, 2017. The carnival was held at Xi'an Qujiang International Conference and Exhibition Center, attracting many young visitors. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-28 22:10:43|Editor: MJ

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) announced Sunday that it will hold an international tender for the development of major oil field in southwest of the country, Press TV reported.

By Friday, the tender will be held for the much-awaited development project of Azadegan oil field in the southwestern province of Khouzestan, Ali Kardor, the managing director of the NIOC, was quoted as saying.

Invitation letters have been sent to 29 international companies to submit their proposals, Kardor said, adding that the Shell, Total, CNPC, Sinioc, Lukoil, Pertamina, and OMV are among the companies to attend the tender.

According to the Iranian officials, the Azadegan field has oil-in-situ reserves of about 33.2 billion barrels and recoverable resources are estimated at about 5.2 billion barrels. It is one of the biggest oil field found in Iran in 1999.
DHAKA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh Muslims on Sunday began fasting for the holy month of Ramadan.

Following the previous day announcement, Muslims in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country rushed to mosques on Saturday night to conduct special prayers for 1st Ramadan on Sunday.

Muslims here received the arrival of Ramadan gladly by offering tarawih prayer and then eating Sheri meal before fajr prayer early on Sunday.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims conduct special prayers each night, called tarawih prayers, during which long portions of the Qur'an are recited.

Since Sunday afternoon, however, Muslims in Bangladesh capital Dhaka have been seen to throng traditional markets for purchasing Iftar, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast.

During Ramadan, the month of self-certification through fasting and abstinence, Muslims in Dhaka usually buy their Iftar from a century old traditional market in the old part of Dhaka.

There was no exception this time.

There was a festive atmosphere before sundown in old Dhaka's traditional market where makeshift stall owners and itinerant vendors sell food items to thousand of customers.

Sellers of scores of makeshift shops in the market were seen Sunday busy selling the unique and traditional items for Iftar.

Many in the country believe that the traditional Iftar items in this market have a distinct appeal to the food connoisseurs after daylong fasting during this month.

People were seen to buy food items for Iftar including several types of fruits, delicious kebab, custard and curd.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar and a moonlighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart.

Traditionally, Muslim countries announce Ramadan if their moonlighting councils spot the Ramadan crescent in the evening before fasting begins.

Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid, one of the largest Muslim religious festivals.
ADDIS ABABA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Two Ethiopians have been charged in the Ethiopian Federal High Court with inciting violence during the Oct. 2, 2016, Irrecha religious festival, which witnessed a stampede that killed at least 55 people.

State affiliated media outlet Radio Fana reported on Sunday that the two, identified as Tufa Melka and Kedir Bedasso, were in particular accused of snatching microphones from elders during the festival and broadcasting inflammatory statements that led a crowd to initiate violence.

Irrecha is an annual religious festival where Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromos, congregate on Bishoftu city, 45 kms south of Addis Ababa, in their thousands.

The Ethiopian Federal High Court adjourned the case to June 1, 2017 to hear from defense and prosecution opening statements.

Months of deadly protests by Oromos against alleged economic and political discrimination by the central government culminated in a protest on Oct. 2, 2016 at the Irrecha ceremony, which prompted security forces to respond with tear gas and warning shots, creating a panic.

The panic resulted in a stampede that led to the death of at least 55 people. The victims died mainly from suffocation or falling into nearby ditches.
KHARTOUM, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations expressed appreciation on Sunday for the Sudanese government's efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, according to a statement by Sudan's Foreign Ministry.

"Sudan's Foreign Minister on Sunday received a message from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in which he expressed UN's appreciation for Sudanese government's efforts in easing the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan," said the statement.

The UN secretary general also praised Sudan's efforts in mobilizing the support of national organizations concerned to assist the needy in South Sudan, according to the statement.

He also hailed Sudan for opening humanitarian corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to South Sudan and welcoming the South Sudanese refugees.

Moreover, Guterres urged UN members to muster more funding to support the refugees in Sudan and other countries neighboring South Sudan.

So far, Khartoum has opened three humanitarian corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to South Sudan as international efforts are increasing to lessen the famine in the new-born state.

The first land corridor extends from Sudan's El Obied in North Kordofan to Heglig in South Kordofan, and then to Rubkona town in South Sudan's Unity State and Bentiu in Bahr el Ghazal State which is the area most affected by the famine.

The second corridor extends from Sudan's White Nile State to the northeastern areas of South Sudan, while the third corridor links El Obied in Sudan's North Kordofan with Aweil town in South Sudan's Bahr el Ghazal.

In addition to the land corridors, Khartoum has also promised to open a river corridor linking Kosti town in central Sudan with South Sudanese ports.

South Sudan announced earlier that nearly five million people are at risk of famine which has already hit areas in Unity State and is threatening Bahr el Ghazal State.

The famine is attributed to many reasons including the civil war and collapse of the economy in the new-born state.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago has banned street food vendors following a fresh outbreak of cholera.

Acting Minister of Health and Social Welfare in Zanzibar Riziki Pemba Juma blamed poor sanitation on floods caused by heavy rains hitting the archipelago for the last month.

She said apart from banning street food vendors, the Zanzibar government has also restricted people from inviting and sharing the iftar -- the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.

During the holy month, it is common for people to invite and share food with those less fortunate.

Riziki said that the ban came after the discovery of 23 new cases of cholera in Muslim-majority Zanzibar.

The new cholera outbreak has compelled the Zanzibar government to establish special camps to deal with cholera victims, the minister said.

"We are encouraging people in their localities to observe hygiene and take precautions on the disease as well as ensuring that once they diagnose someone with symptoms of cholera to take him/her to the nearby health facility for treatment," she said, adding that the government has all the medication needed to cope with a possible epidemic.

Mohammed Dahoma, director of hospital services in Zanzibar, said among the 23 patients, there is a three-month-old infant.

In 2016, at least 68 people died out of 4,330 who were infected with the disease.
A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Zhu Longchuan)

WASHINGTON, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A conflict on the Korean Peninsula would be "the worst kind of fighting" in most people's lifetimes, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in an interview aired on Sunday.

"We are working with the international community to deal with this issue," said Mattis in the interview with CBS News. "But the bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means."

Calling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) a threat to Asian region, Mattis said the DPRK is also "a direct threat to the United States."

However, Mattis said that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump does not draw red lines on the DPRK nuclear issue "unless we intend to carry them out."

"The President needs political maneuver room on this issue," said Mattis.

Tension has remained high on the Korean Peninsula over the past months between the United States and the DPRK over the U.S. threat to stage military attacks against Pyongyang in response to its nuclear and missile programs.

The United States and South Korea also held their largest-ever joint military exercises in the past two months. At the end of April, the USS Carl Vinson nuclear aircraft carrier task group arrived in the waters off the Korean Peninsula for a separate joint naval exercise with South Korea.

However, a joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said last month that Trump 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 peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while staying "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies."
Tripoli, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed prime minister, Fayez Serraj, said the implementation of political agreement is delayed because the parliament is abducted by its presidency.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Serraj said:"The parliament does not fulfill its obligations and does not implement the outputs of the political agreement that extends its legitimacy, especially since the majority of deputies support the agreement. The parliament is abducted by its presidency."

The UN-sponsored political agreement was signed by the Libyan parties in December 2015 in the Morocco's town of Skhirat.

It aims to end the state of political division by establishing a unity government between Libyan rival factions. The rival governments agreed to form the government of national accord.

Backed by the United Nations, the government of national accord in Tripoli, headed by Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, started its work in March 2016. But the Tobruk parliament did not support it.

Aqila Saleh, the speaker of Tobruk parliament, announced his rejection of the unity government on several occasions.

During his interview with Xinhua, Serraj said "We hope that parliament members who obstruct the agreement could understand that they bear the responsibility of the suffering of the Libyans due to the political division of the country. They put their own personal interests above the interest of the nation."

Serraj also spoke about the talks with rival army chief General Khalifa Haftar under Arab and international mediation in Abu Dhabi earlier in May.

"It is a sign of optimism," he said.

"It is a step in the right direction to get our country out of the current crisis. The only solution is dialogue. I have met with all parties to join everyone in the process of reconciliation and consensus in order to achieve stability and economic recovery," the prime minister said.

"We support the solution that the Libyans are willing to accept through dialogue. The role of Mr. Hafter is linked to the military establishment, which we have agreed to unify and develop, and to be under the political leadership. We hope to hold a dialogue at the level of experts and advisers to come up with a comprehensive realistic solution," Serraj said when asked about the possible role of General Khalifa Haftar and the government.

Regarding the security tensions in Tripoli, Serraj told Xinhua:" There are armed formations outside the legitimacy of the government of national accord. We repeatedly warned them to stop intimidation of citizens, but they continued in their criminal practices. They have been firmly and strongly confronted. I hope they have learned the lesson, as we will not be lenient regarding our duty to protect the country," Serraj added.

Southern Tripoli on Friday witnessed violent clashes between militias allied with the deposed government of Khalifa Gwell and militias loyal to the unity government. The fighting killed more than 55 and wounded more than 150.

The militias of the former government are stationed in the south of the capital. They control a number of camps and sites, including areas around Tripoli international airport, which was destroyed the during the clashes of July 2014.

On anti-terrorism efforts, Serraj said "We mobilized every possible means to counter terrorism. We have worked and are still working with neighboring and relevant countries to secure the borders."

"As a result of the improving security situation, some embassies have returned to the capital. Some international companies and institutions have returned and the rest are on their way to return," Serraj added.

Regarding illegal immigration, Serraj said "We have signed a memorandum of understanding to support monitoring illegal immigration, fighting human trafficking and smuggling, and control southern border. It is activation of previous agreements first signed in 2008, and the second agreement was signed in 2012."

Prime minister Fayez Serraj and his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentolini in February signed a memorandum of understanding to stop illegal immigration.

The memorandum raised debate as it was not in the jurisdiction of the government to sign such memorandums before presenting a draft to the parliament.

A number of jurists have appealed to local courts to decide on the legality of the memorandum with Italy, fearing it would turn Libya into the largest refugee shelter in the world.

Libya suffers a large flow of illegal immigrants crossing from the south, especially from neighboring Chad, Sudan and Niger. International organizations have estimated that more than a million Africans in Libya are trying to cross into Europe through the Mediterranean this year.

At the end of the interview, the prime minister said China plays an important role in helping Libya overcome chaos. He also expressed his hope that China will continue its political and economic support to Libya and the two countries will cooperate further in various fields.
ALGIERS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan crisis will be on the agenda of a meeting in Algeria in June, with the participation of foreign ministers of Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, spokesperson of Algerian Foreign Ministry, Abdelaziz Benali Cherif, said in a statement on Sunday.

"The upcoming meeting is part of continuous consultations between Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt over the crisis hitting Libya since 2011. Foreign ministers of the three nations are due to meet in Algiers to assess the political and security developments there," noted Benali Cherif.

He added that the ministers will also assess "peace efforts being made by Libyan warring parties, neighboring countries and the international community, in a bid to help the Libyan parties reach sustainable settlement of the crisis."

Algeria held earlier on May the 11th ministerial meeting of Libya's neighboring nations, as the participants reiterated their support for a political settlement of the crisis.

The meeting gathered representatives of the six neighboring nations of Libya, including Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Egypt, in addition to representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and the European Union.

Libya has been suffering political division, insecurity and chaos since the uprising of 2011 that toppled the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
JODA, SUDAN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Like thousands of other children displaced by the civil war in South Sudan, Madeen Micheal Shoul, a South Sudanese child, fears that living in refugee camps in Sudan would prevent him from continuing his education to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.

Shoul, 14, has been living in Al-Alagaiya refugee camp in Sudan's White Nile State, after he fled with his family from South Sudan's Upper Nile State in March 2014.

The boy has been out of school for about a whole year as he had been moving from a place to another along the Sudanese border before settling at Al-Alagaiya camp.

In 2015, Shoul attended a school that was established by Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission for the South Sudanese children inside the camp.

"It is a good attempt to bring us back to school, but it lacks basic requirements," Shoul told Xinhua.

"The school is built of local materials and with the start of the rainy season, the students' suffering will aggravate. We are also suffering from deficiency in teachers," he said.

"We appreciate the efforts by the Sudanese authorities to host us and provide us with basic needs, but we also urge the international organizations to support us in field of education," Shoul added.

He expressed concerns about his future.

"I still dream of completing my education and becoming a doctor," he noted.

The South Sudanese children in Al-Alagaiya camp are mainly complaining of deficiency in teachers of English, the official language in South Sudan.

In an effort to overcome the problem, the parents' council of the South Sudanese children in the camp opened an evening class for English language.

Moses Shown Ban, a South Sudanese refugee and English teacher inside Al-Alagaiya refugee camp, told Xinhua that he is "teaching more than 700 students in the evening class."

"Many students and many people have seen what we are doing is good, it just gives the qualification of English to the students. They send their children to us here. The number has been increasing," Ban said.

But he stressed additional efforts to complete basic needs of the evening English class.

"As you can see we lack basic educational requirements and materials. We hope international and local organizations would help us by providing those materials," he noted.

Charles Moleg, a South Sudanese student at the evening English class, expressed satisfaction with the class.

"When I started this course, I felt very well. Now I know English well. I know it and I passed my grade eight last year during the final examination because I know English," he said proudly.

Earlier, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said in a report that about 1.8 million children in South Sudan could not attend schools since the fighting erupted the new-born state in 2013.

The report indicated that 43 percent of basic school students and 93 percent of high school students have been affected, not only by the conflict, but also the poverty.

According to the report, South Sudan has the worst education indicators in the world, where only one child in ten completes basic school education.

South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013, when fighting broke out between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and defectors led by his former deputy Riek Machar.

The United Nations estimates that clashes have killed thousands of South Sudanese and displaced around 2.3 million others, with about 3.9 million are facing severe food shortage.

Sudan hosts around 600,000 South Sudanese refugees in camps distributed in four states: the White Nile, South Kordofan, East Darfur and Khartoum states.

Due to the security crisis in South Sudan and the famine which is affecting large areas in the new-born state, around 180,000 more South Sudanese are expected to flee to Sudan.

On Aug. 15, 2016, Sudan officially decided to treat the South Sudanese fleeing the war as refugees, which opens the door for the UN to provide them with aid and fund aid programs.

The South Sudanese government and the UN said 100,000 Sudanese people are suffering starvation, with one million others on the brink of famine.

The famine was attributed to many reasons including the civil war and collapse of the economy in the new-born state.
TIRANA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Some 76 people were sent to Albania's capital hospitals in early hours of Sunday for medical care due to eye and skin irritation, the Albanian Ministry of Health confirmed.

All these people, some of whom were hospitalized while others sent back home after receiving medical care, felt the first symptoms few hours after attending the opening campaign rally of Albania's main opposition Democratic Party on Saturday night.

Patients showed signs such as eye rashes, eye burns, irritation of the skin in exposed areas of the face and neck, as well as in special cases, even light breathing difficulties, the ministry confirmed in its press release on Sunday.

Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha was also among those seeking medical attention on Sunday morning, the ministry added.

Although no life-threatening injuries have been reported, the Ministry of Health here said that nine persons were under observation of specialists due to their complications.

Such incident was also confirmed by the police who said in a press release that they had already started the full investigation of the event.

According to sources from Tirana police, people said at the hospital that they had been unable to see clearly following "a white powder" being thrown in the air near the opposition leader during the rally.

The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Police Directorate are making a full investigation into the event, the Health Ministry said.

Albania is scheduled to hold general elections on June 25 and on Saturday, main political parties organized events to mark the official opening of campaign.
MOSCOW, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday spoke highly of the "dynamic progress" in the Russia-Azerbaijan relations in the spirit of strategic partnership, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin sent a message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and congratulated him on the Republic Day, a national holiday in the Caucasian country for its independence.

"Putin expressed confidence in the further broadening of the complete range of bilateral relations in the interest of the two countries' friendly peoples and in the spirit of improving regional stability and security," said the Kremlin statement.

Azerbaijan was a republic of the former Soviet Union and it established relations with Russia in April 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the previous year.
TCL brand stands

The assurance was given to shareholders last Friday during TCLs 2017 annual general meeting (AGM) at Hilton Trinidad, St Anns.

The re-branding question came from shareholder, Peter Permell, who said he recalled reading about it somewhere.

While he gave no specifics, there was a March article, published in another local newspaper, which reported on TCLs alleged intent to change its name to Cemex.

Is (re-branding) a possibility? If so, I suppose there may be some advantages, in terms of brand equity, going that particular route as opposed to staying with TCL.

What is the likelihood of that happening, in terms of a time frame? Permell asked.

TCL chairman Wilfred Espinet, speaking from the head table, was the first to respond.

Declaring that, in todays news cycle I dont know what is real news and what isnt, Espinet made it clear however that, from my perspective, certainly theres no intent to change the brand, anywhere on the table, as we speak today (May 26). More importantly, Espinet added, weve been spending on fullpage ads in all of the newspapers.

Not only here (Trinidad and Tobago) but also in Barbados, the Lesser Antilles and the Windward Islands, where we have been attacked with (imported) Turkish cement. Espinet reminded that in all of these ads, which warned against using cement more than 120 days old and which encouraged consumers to keep it fresh and to keep it local, TCL highlighted its brand of products.

So it would be, to me, not a very sensible thing to spend that kind of money (on ads). So if we were doing that (re-branding), it would be very unlikely. TCLs managing director Jos? Luis Seijo Gonz?lez also shared his thoughts on re-branding the company.

It would be wrong. It would be a big mistake, if we change our commercial brands. We have a very high brand equity. However Seijo did say that there are other instances where we could use our new partners (when dealing with) some suppliers in Germany and so on. CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V. (Cemex) is a multinational building materials company head-quartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Mexico.

As stated in Espinets group chairmans review in TCLs Annual Report 2016, Cemex now owns 69.83 percent of TCL. He noted that this is subject to final approval by the TT Stock Exchange.

Espinet stated that on January 9, through its wholly-owned direct subsidiary, Sierra Trading, Cemex revised its offer price from TT$4.50 per ordinary share to TT$5.07 per share with the option for shareholders to be paid in US dollars at US$0.76 per share. Despite another recommendation to reject the offer by a special committee of the TCL board, again based on an Ernst & Young Fairness Opinion, the revised offer received overwhelming response, taking the Cemex shareholding in TCL from 39.5 percent to 69.83 percent, just short of its initial target of 74.9 percent, Espinet stated in the report.

Speaking with Sunday Newsday following the AGM, Espinet said, I know, as a director of the company, we are unaware of any attempt to change (re-brand). As I explained, the amount of money were spending on our existing brand, it is just nonsense for us to spend that and then after rebrand. Sunday Newsday also spoke with Seijo, who reiterated, We dont have any intention to change commercial brands. We do have a very high brand equity, so we dont want to lose that. So we intend to keep all our commercial brands. Regarding the use of Cemexs name with overseas suppliers, he said, When we speak with some suppliers, for example on the purchasing side, its useful to use the Cemex name. So we try to leverage that into a bigger purchasing power. Thats why were trying to combine both things (TCL and Cemex brand usage). He explained that where Cemex has a global agreement, we take advantage of that now. Cement equipment is mainly produced in the US and Europe, so thats where we take advantage of it (Cemex name), Seijo said.
Grocer, woman murdered

According to police reports, Richardo Francis, owner of Chans Mini Mart on the corner of Back Street and Crown Street, was at the grocery at about 12 pm when a group of men entered and announced a hold-up.

Neighbours said they heard one gunshot before the men escaped in a white car. Francis was rushed to the Arima Health Facility but was pronounced dead on arrival.

When Sunday Newsday visited the scene, Francis wife was seen being comforted by relatives.

Many in the area expressed shock over the incident. A woman described Francis as a sweet sweet man who did not deserve to die the way he did.

They always say the good ones go first but we werent ready for him to go, not like this, she said.

In an unrelated incident, a woman was discovered dead by her relatives at about 4.30 yesterday afternoon.

According to police reports, the woman was found with chop wounds at her home on Boyie Trace, Cunupia. Relatives said she was last seen alive on Friday night with a close male relative.

Police are continuing their investigations into both incidents.
Arrest soon mob beating

On Thursday, a group of villagers held Nottingham, 28, at Hermitage Road, Macaulay near Rs Hardware and severely beat him. They pulled down Nottinghams trousers, tied both his hands and feet and beat him for allegedly attempting to stealing a truck. Onlookers recorded the incident which went viral on social media. Cpl Brian Singh and other investigators at St Margarets Police Station later discovered Nottingham did not steal the truck as the villagers had assumed,

Police said the original owner sold the truck to two different men, one at Barrackpore and the other at Claxton Bay. Last year, the Barrackpore owner reported the truck missing,

Thursdays commotion started when Nottingham, of Chaguanas, and a friend went Claxton Bay to collect a truck for the owner at Barrackpore,

On arrival, Nottingham and his friend asked to test drive the truck. But his friend drove off with the truck and villagers cornered and beat him,

The incident caused a traffic pile-up and when police arrived, they had to disburse the crowd,

Police took him to the Couva Health Facility and doctors transferred him to San Fernando General Hospital. He was treated and discharged,

Police said once arrested and positively identified, the villagers would be charged with assault,

Cpl Singh is investigating,
PARMELEE  A 23-year-old South Dakota man will spend 20 years in prison for wounding a tribal officer in a shootout on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in southern South Dakota last year while on a six-day methamphetamine binge.

Linn Jacob Cross Dog III was sentenced Monday in federal court for the incident on May 11, 2016, when he fired his handgun and hit a Rosebud Sioux tribal police officer in the forearm causing a life-threatening injury while in a struggle after a traffic stop.

The incident started about 1 a.m. when after a traffic stop near Parmelee, a drug-detecting dog alerted two officers to the a rear passenger door on the vehicle.

Cross Dog, who had been seated in the passenger seat, climbed into the drivers seat and told two women and two children who were also in the vehicle that they were coming with him.

While he was driving, Cross Dog pulled out his handgun, brandished it at the passengers and put the gun in his mouth, said the South Dakota U.S. attorneys office in a report on the conviction.

The two Rosebud officers pursued Cross Dog at speeds of up to 90 mph before he pulled over on a gravel road and fled on foot with his handgun.

One of the officers gave chase and eventually caught up with him, striking Cross Dog with his baton.

Cross Dog then turned and fired his handgun, which is when the officer was wounded in the forearm, said the report.

The officer returned fire, but couldnt find Cross Dog in the thick brush where he was hiding. Instead, the officers withdrew from the scene and sought medical attention for the wounded policeman, who was taken to the Cherry County Hospital in Valentine, Neb., and then by air ambulance to Rapid City Regional Hospital.

In the shooting, the officer, who wasnt named, suffered life-threatening blood loss and a shattered ulna  the thinner and longer of the two bones in the forearm.

A warrant was issued for Cross Dogs arrest and two days after the incident he was found at a house in Parmelee. FBI and U.S. Marshals Service agents, who used a ballistic shield, found him sleeping in a bedroom with his hand on a loaded gun.

He ignored commands to show his hands, but turned over on the bed and the agents rushed him and pinned him to the bed, said the report.

The report said Cross Dog had been awake and injecting meth for six days prior to the shooting the police officer.

Numerous agencies were involved in the search for Cross Dog during the two-day period, including police departments, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota National Guard and the state Game, Fish and Parks Department.
MORE COURT FOR CJ

Attorney Gerald Ramdeen issued this warning yesterday as he condemned moves by the Archie- led body for a restart of the 53 part-heard matters left pending by Ayers-Caesar following her elevation to the High Court bench on March 12.

Ayers-Caesar subsequently resigned from the position after it was revealed that the matters over which she presided in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates Court were still pending.

The decision has since triggered upheaval among some of the 53 accused and their families as well as stakeholders within and outside of legal circles.

But during a news conference at his Cornelio Street office, Woodbrook, Ramdeen said the move was unlawful.

Every step will be taken to ensure that the 53 people affected by this decision get what they are entitled to, which is due process and protection of law and if this decision that is made by this body of persons is not reversed by Monday, then it will go to court, he told reporters, adding the move will be unprecedented.

Claiming the summit, which met on Wednesday at the CJs conference room, Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, was clandestinely configured to include three Appeal Court judges and three High Court judges, Ramdeen said: I hope that the six judges, including the Chief Justice, understand that they cannot partake. It is not a body that is set up under statute and it may well be because of what happened on the 25th (May), you will have a court action where the defendant would be the Chief Justice, three judges of Appeal, three judges of the High Court, the Director of Public Prosecutions, four members of the Law Association, the Chief Magistrate and the Registrar of the Supreme Court. He added: That should tell you the mess we find ourselves in and where we are as a people and where the administration of justice is today. Ramdeen, who is representing one of the 53 accused, Akili Charles, said the decision constituted a stain on the Judiciary.

From where I sit and from where many other people sit, what transpired on May 24, 2017, between the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chief Justice, the Law Association, members off the Criminal Bar, the Acting Chief Magistrate, the Registrar of the Supreme Court and the six judges who participated is entirely unlawful, he said.

If they have any regard for the Constitution, the law and the rights, most important, of the 53 people who are affected by this decision, they will all do what is right and let the Chief Justice know that what happened there should not have happened. Ramdeen, who is also a UNC senator, reiterated that a special general meeting of the Law Association will be held on Thursday to determine whether there should be a vote of no-confidence in Archie as CJ.

He said on Friday, the JLSC also will go to court to answer an application for judicial review as to why they did not comply with the law regarding the manner in which Ayers-Caesar, Magistrate Avason Quinlan-Williams and Kevin Ramcharan were appointed as judges.

The JLSC is responsible for the mess we have found ourselves in, Ramdeen insisted. We cannot solve this problem unless those who are responsible for it man-up and take responsibility for what they have done. It is the only way we can move forward. Ramdeen, at the start of the news conference, expressed grave concerns about the press releases which were issued by the Chief Justices Chambers and the Judiciary, on May 18 and 25, respectively, in relation to the convening of a meeting of key stakeholders to discuss the administration of justice in the magistracy.

He regarded both letters as misleading.

Ramdeen noted that while the letter from the CJs Chambers said the meeting would have comprised the DPP, the Acting Chief Magistrate, Registrar and a member of the Law Association and Criminal Bar, it made no mention of the fact that six other judges, also were to attend and that a decision on the part-heard matters would have been taken.

How could the Chief Justice invite persons to convene a summit of key stakeholders to engage in constructive discussion on the administration of justice in the magistracy and then say that bearing in mind that the discussion will focus on criminal justice and then publish this where the CJ is saying that it was convened to determine the way forward for 53 partheard matters left unresolved by former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar? He further claimed Archie had no such powers.

Where does the Chief Justice get the power to convene a meeting between six judges, three of the Appeal Court, three of the High Court, the Registrar, the magistracy, the Law Association to determine the way forward of matters that are before the court?... The Chief Justice has come up with this idea that you can convene a meeting of persons who he chooses to invite and that body will determine how these matters are going to be dealt with.

This has never been done before. Where does the Chief Justice get the power to do this.

Where does this body of persons get the power to do this? Ramdeen also claimed one of the judges, after hearing complaints that putting the 53 matters back into the Judiciary was likely to cause chaos, told Archie: Let me do it Chief. I could clear it up in one week. The administration of justice is at a point that we have never reached before. That a High Court judge will say in a meeting that determines the rights and obligations of 53 people who are presumed innocent - a judge of the High Court would say, Give it to me Chief, I will clear it up in a week. Ramdeen insisted the 53 accused must have some say in the future of their matters.

Ayers-Caesar is yet to speak publicly on the matter.
Suenath: Criminals may walk free

There is going to be legal challenges,. perhaps in all Ayers-Caesars. unfinished 53 cases, he said,. and the result could be that criminals. could walk free due to a. technicality which attorneys at the. criminal bar can use to seek their. freedom. The senior counsel said. there are accused, as well as victims. in each of these 53 unfinished. criminal cases, and the Chief Justice. has decided these cases would. be restarted before other magistrates,. following a meeting on. Wednesday with Director of Public. Prosecutions Roger Gaspard; Vice. President of the Law Association,. the acting chief magistrate, senior. magistrates, Registrar of the Supreme. Court and members of the. Criminal Bar Association.

Suenaths view is that the issue. over Ayers-Caesars appointment. as a judge whilst she had these unfinished. business as a magistrate,. and subsequent revocation of her. appointment from the bench, is. a situation that will get worse, before. it is cured. The effect of the. decision of the JLSC which Archie. heads, Suenath told the Sunday. Newsday, is spiralling out of hand.

He joined with his senior counsel. colleague Martin Daly in calling. for Archie and the JLSC members. to do the honourable thing.

A senior magistrate and a judge. of the High Court, also shared their. thoughts yesterday on the ongoing. issue and whilst they were outspoken. in their condemnation of the. JLSC, recommended a cure of how. the magistracy should mend the. crisis regarding the 53 cases without. incurring any constitutional. challenges.

The judge suggested government. revisit the infamous Administration. of Justice (Indictable Proceedings). Act which was branded. Section 34, and re-enact the section. which abolished preliminary. inquiries, and place the burden of. reviewing criminal case files for. High Court trial before a Master of. the High Court.

The Peoples Partnership government. in 2011, had initiated the legislation,. and after it was passed by. Parliament, the act was assented to. by former president George Maxwell. Richards.

However, government had to. repeal Section 34 when several. persons filed for discontinuance. of their cases in the magistrates. court, such as UNC financiers Ish. Galbaransingh, Ameer Edoo and. Steve Ferguson. Section 34 in the. act prescribed a limitation period. of ten years for cases being held up. in the magistrates court or it becomes. statute-barred in respect of. certain offences, excluding treason,. murder, kidnapping, rape, assault,. drug trafficking and arms and ammunition. possession.

Another section of the law, however,. would have seen all preliminary. inquiries in the magistrates. courts being abolished and replaced. by what the law had proposed. as sufficiency hearings.

Masters of the High Court were. to be appointed to examine the. evidence of persons charged with. murder, robbery, drug trafficking,. rape, and determine whether there. was sufficient evidence to go before. a jury for trial.

Speaking anonymously, the. magistrate said all that is required. to cure the issue of the part-heard. matters, is for the Government. to go back to the Parliament and. re-enact the particular section that. deals with abolishing preliminary. inquiries and replacing it with sufficiency. hearings. A retired judge,. in agreeing with that view said,. constitutional motions would not. arise on behalf of the accused who. may want to claim abuse of the. process by having to go through. another preliminary inquiry by another. magistrate.

Seunath, who once chaired the. Disciplinary Committee of the Law. Association for over ten years, commented,. There is no doubt this is. going to get worse. If these 53 cases. have to go before other magistrates,. there is no doubt lawyers are going. to challenge the move. What is of. concern is that people who are culpable. of very serious crimes, may. walk free on a technicality. Men. who commit murder and caught. by the police, walking free and the. persons who would have been responsible. for this would be who?. Ask the Chief Justice and the members. of the JLSC who did not do. their job. At the end of the day, it. was their responsibility and I am. saying, they should all go. Start. with a clean slate.. Seunath went on to say that it. seems that those who are administering. justice, were least concerned. about the consequences of making. a judicial appointment in the person. of Ayers-Caesar, but who they. ought to have known had unfinished. business in the magistrates. court, but which runs the risk of. persons walking free for murder. and robbery.

I say, the Chief Justice is responsible. for this blunder and he must. go. The country is yet to witness. the biggest evidence of this blunder;. wait when persons start walking. f.
Caribbean brokers in terrorism

Criminologist Prof Ramesh Deosaran said this was one of the salient issues raised at the recently-concluded Caribbean Commissioners of Police Meeting in Aruba.

Noting the situation had the potential to obstruct the fight against crime, Deosaran said in order for law enforcement personnel to effectively carry out its functions, there must be no corruption or accomplices within local security agencies, such as in the Customs and Excise Division, Immigration Department, Police Service and even the political arena.

This is a serious deficit because while you are trying to deal with the external threat, you find inside your locality, these accomplices helping the traffickers, terrorists and money- launderers, he told Sunday Newsday.

It is really fighting a twopronged battle at the same time and your approach to dealing with national security and the intrusion of these criminal activities will be diminished by having localised brokers along the way. So that was a clear message. A former chairman of the Police Service Commission, Deosaran said at the five-day conference, concern also was raised about border security which is growing in both seriousness and danger. He said: The porosity of these borders require special treatment in terms of manpower and technology and regular coastal surveillance which add to the drainage of available resources across Caricom countries. Deosaran said the situation was of particular importance given the ongoing socio-economic crisis in neighbouring Venezuela.

The Venezuelan phenomenon of unexpected migration has put increasingly severe strain on each Caricom country for expenditures as part of national security, he said.

So, that is going to be a troubling situation for the years to come as was explained during the conference. The criminologist, who addressed commissioners of police, said the conference also heard about the modern technologies available in producing field against illegal traffic, both internal and external.

So, electronically, you could have a system that the police could not only detect illegal activities but also respond quickly in a centralised way. That produced some help for strategic planning. Deosaran said the locally- based National Operations Centre should have been developed with greater precision and supported by modern technology for more coverage across the country.

That is the way that this country and other Caricom countries have to go in not only knowing what to do but how to do it well, he said.

I think there is s serious gap across the Caribbean in filling up that gap, both in terms of manpower and technology. Deosaran said the commissioners were grateful for the shared experiences in this regard and vowed to return to their respective jurisdictions to improve their response to increasing crime.

The crime today is not only internally It is coming in from abroad. That is why the focus was on transnational organised crime. Deosaran said his papers on the subject have pointed out that the illegal transfer of money from one country to another also was linked intrinsically to drug trafficking and terrorism.

So, when police tried to respond to money laundering in terms of the banks and the financial intelligence units, it has to be broadened now because you are fixing a three-headed monster. So your approach has to be strategic in the sense that you have to involve experts in money- laundering and anti-terrorism..

That is another pressure for the resources of national security both internally and externally. There is no time to waste in this regard. The former independent senator said the country should also take the message in relation to the expeditiousness and focus with which these emerging threats have to be approached.

Deosaran said he also made an appeal for police and law enforcement agencies to work more closely with researchers because the policies now have to be driven, not by opinions or impressions, but by deep-seated research so that the policy will be sustainable and properly targeted.

He added that the conference, which will be held in Jamaica next year, allowed commissioners to generate their own indigenous analysis and response to crime.

At the event, head of the Northern Division, Snr Supt Mc Donald Jacob won the Top Caribbean Crime Fighter award.

(See page 12)
Unfair to judge Marcia

I dont think it is fair for anybody to pass judgement on Marcia Ayers-Caesar without hearing what her side is, Ramdeen said during a news conference at his Cornelio Street office, Woodbrook.

The very least that she is entitled to is to give us her side of the story as well. Ramdeen said there were differing views on whether she should be reinstated as Chief Magistrate.

The difficulty with that is that we have only heard one side of the story. So, one cannot fairly say what conclusion you can come to because the Judiciary and the JLSC (Judicial and Legal Services Commission) have given us their side.

But, we need to hear from Mrs Marcia Ayers-Caesar because the entire complexion to his story might change when you hear her side. In another development, Ramdeen claimed that mermbers of the JLSC are expected to bring a motion at the meeting of the Law Association on Thursday to allow law officers who work in the office of the Attorney General and other government offices,, who are not financial members of the association, to vote at this meeting.

You will see another debacle there on Thursday, he told reporters.

We are not getting any better and all of that is stemming from the fact that tose that are responsible for where we are will not manup and take responsibility for what they have done.
Registrar: No collusion with AGs office

I wish to emphasise that the actions related to the fixing of an appointment for the said matter before the Court of Appeal outlined above did not depart from the established practice and protocol of the Court in dealing with urgent applications, Rodriguez wrote in a letter.

On May 19, Justice Frank Seepersad 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.

Seepersad ruled the stay would remain in effect until May 31, until further notice.

The Appeal Court met on the issue on Monday and put it off to June 6.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused Government of claiming to appeal the judgment in Parliament before they had filed the action and threatened a motion that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert be brought before the Privileges Committee for wilfully misleading the Lower House. Al-Rawi responded, however, that Government had received confirmation that the appeal would be heard on May 22.

Persad-Bissessar reported they had received confirmation from Rodriguez that no appeal had been filed and no emergency session had been convened for May 22.

Rodriguez spoke on the issue in a letter dated May 26, in response to one dated May 21 from attorney Anand Ramlogan, SC, who is representing former Peoples Partnership minister Devant Maharaj as the party challenges the implementation of the act, specifically the submission of valuation return forms.

In her letter, she said Maharajs decision to publicise Ramlogans communication and without giving her a chance to respond would lead the fair minded observer to assume the intent of his letter was to impute collusion between the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney General which is an imputation I categorically reject. Further the allegation has had the unfortunate consequence of besmirching the reputation of the holder of the Office of Registrar of the Supreme Court. Rodriguez provided a chronology of the events:  May 19: Rodriguez received a call at 6.53 pm from Deborah Peake, counsel for the Commissioner of Valuations, who wished to move the Appeal Court on an urgent matter concerning Seepersads judgement.

 Peake specified a notice of appeal was being prepared, but in order to be heard that night, she was willing to address the court via oral application.

 At 6.56 pm Rodriguez consulted with the most senior Appeal Court judge - Justice Mendonca - who indicated insufficient reasons were presented to have the court that night.

He instructed that if an appeal notice was filed/forwarded, the appeal would be listed for May 22 at 9 am.

 Rodriguez communicated this to Peake at 7.16 pm.

 On May 20, Rodriguez was contacted at 9.36 am by Ramlogan, who enquired if notice of appeal on the matter was filed.

She said it had not.

 At 5.29 pm that day, Rodriguez received draft notice of appeal via email from Zelica Haynes-Soo Hon (Attorney Generals office). She communicated with Soo Hon and Ramlogans attorney (Ms Lutchmedial) confirming the Appeal Courts date on Monday.

 At 6.59 pm that day, Rodriguez forwarded the notice of appeal to Ramlogan.

She informed Ramlogan that it was settled practice in hearing of urgent appeals for the appellant to notify the respondent of the date and time for hearing but it was never the duty to notify the intended respondent of same. She also reported that on May 22 there were 10 matters listed for the West Court and only two for the East Court and she was instructed by Mendonca on May 20 to list the appeal for the East Court.
AG: Criminal backlog will fall

He added, The Criminal Proceedings Rules coming in 2017 is very much like the Civil Proceedings Rules. Government MPs thumped their desks as Al-Rawi said these new rules constitute a landmark decision of operational improvement by the Government, the Judiciary and other key stakeholders. Noting the rules were signed off by the criminal justice committee which had representation from his ministry, Al-Rawi said the new rules were, subject to the scrutiny of criminal attorneys for almost one year. He said the Law Association continued to play a vital role in this exercise by offering training to attorneys with respect to the rules over the next two months.

Earlier in the sitting, Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly said Government was willing to consider assistance with security for the Temple in the Sea in Waterloo. However she said because the temple is listed as a place of worship under the National Trust, this is where the request should be made.

Acting Planning Minister Colm Imbert said he was advised that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is doing all it can to treat with reports of pollution off the north and north west coastline of Trinidad. He said he would ensure the EMA does what is required to inform the public about this matter. Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said water restrictions in Tobago remain firmly in force because of below average rainfall in Tobago. He added the TT Meteorological Service is projecting there will be below average rainfall in May, June and July.

Hinds said amendments will be made, once the situation has improved. He reminded citizens to exercise water conservation practices
Dillon, Moonilal square off

However, Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal countered that terrorism was in the country long before the Peoples Partnership (PP) government took office and there were two attempts to overthrow a government. He said, and if you do not get your act together and deal seriously with these matters there may be another attempt. Dillon and Moonilal faced off in the House of Representatives during the debate on a motion brought by Opposition MP Rodney Charles on the exponential growth in the crime rate as manifested in murders, disappearance of persons among other crimes.

According to Dillon, Charles was not aware that Life Sport has Trinidad and Tobago on the world map right now. It is the genesis of where we are in terms of the ratings we receive right now. Quoting a newspaper article in which a previous PP government minister is reported to have said millions of dollars was paid to the Jamaat al Muslimeen group, which had among its members criminals and ghost gangs, Dillon repeatedly asked, to loud desk thumping, Did you fund the Cadet Force during that period? In his contribution, Moonilal said on demitting office, I warned this Government that we had persons going to foreign lands to be radicalised and it posed the single most critical element of a threat to this country.

We warned you about that. Terrorism is the single biggest threat to TT, he said, and he thought Dillon would have announced that Government had established a unit to deal with returning nationals who would pose a security threat.

A similar terrorist attack as happened in Manchester, he said, could happen here, but instead Government members were burying their heads in the sand while the rest of their anatomy remained outside.

Earlier, Dillon claimed Government was continuing to bring a sense of security on the nations borders through successful patrols by the Coast Guard in terms of illicit drugs, illegal weapons and trafficking of persons.

He said recent patrols led to two major drug seizures with one being the largest haul since 1999.

As recent as Thursday, he said, the Coast Guard made another $2 million drug bust.

Moonilal said while Dillon boasted about the seizures, he did not say the Coast Guard used high speed vessels bought under the last government that could chase down drug-runners in shallow waters and not offshore patrol vessels that move at two miles an hour in deep sea.

Those vessels, he said, could not have been bought by Government which cannot buy a boat to carry two trucks to Tobago. Admitting crime detection is not where it should be, Dillon said in addition to training crime scene investigators, the DNA custodian Government hired has completed the review of the software that is required. He said Government was in the process of procuring the necessary software to develop the DNA data base.
Virginia State Police(RICHMOND, Va.) -- A Virginia State Police special agent was shot and killed after conducting a traffic stop in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday night, officials said.

Special Agent Michael T. Walter, 45, was riding with a police officer from Richmond when they pulled up behind a silver Chevrolet Cobalt around 7:25 p.m. on Friday in the 1900 block of Redd Street, according to the Richmond Police Department. The police officer began a conversation with the driver, while Walter approached the passenger side, police said.

A single shot rang out and Travis Ball, a 27-year-old from Richmond who was seated in the passenger side of the car, allegedly ran away on foot, Richmond Police said. He is now in custody after an overnight search by officials. The driver remained at the scene and was detained by police.

The special agent was transported to VCU Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries after 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Ball was charged with one count of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond.

According to ABC affiliate WRIC-TV, Mosby Court, the neighborhood where the shooting occurred is considered one of the most violent and dangerous neighborhoods in Richmond. WRIC-TV reports that six of the 19 homicides that have occurred in the city this year have been in Mosby Court.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
New post, The Adversarial System and the Torah Ethic of Justice on Nishma Policy
The Daily News publishes death notices and obituaries on a daily basis for Norfolkans, area residents and former residents.

Death notices, which include information about when and where a person died, funeral services, burial and visitation for the deceased and memorial information, are published free of charge.

If families of the deceased desire to have an obituary printed, there is a fee charged for doing so. Because of that, families of the deceased can decide what information they want included in the obituary, as well as if they desire to have a photograph of the deceased published along with it. The Daily News reserves the right to edit.

Norfolk and area funeral homes have detailed information about placing an obituary in the Daily News. If individuals want to submit obituary information themselves, it can be emailed to funerals@norfolkdailynews.com or faxed to (402) 644-2080.

People needing additional information about death notices and obituaries can call the Daily News at 371-1020 or (877) 371-1020 and ask for the newsroom.
The Moroccan police is on a manhunt to arrest Nasser Zefzafi, the leader of the popular protests in the northern town of Al Hoceima, following his interruption of a Friday sermon at a local mosque.

The general prosecutor ordered the arrest of Zefzafi and the opening of an investigation in line with Article 222 of the penal code, which stipulates that those who hinder religious rites may face prison terms ranging from 6 months to 3 years.

Zefzafi burst out in the mosque criticizing the Imam for his sermon in which he likened the popular protests to sedation (Fitna). Zefzafi, who was surrounded by protesters, spoke with an ultra-conservative religious rhetoric against the Imam and the establishment and vowed to continue protests.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments condemned Zefzafs vile act, saying that he hindered the sermon through creating enormous disorder.

Zefzafi insulted the imam and fomented disturbances that undermined the calm and sacredness of the place of worship, said the statement.

After leaving the mosque, Zefzafi addressed a crowd in his neighborhood from the roof of his house ahead of an intervention of the Police to arrest him. Clashes erupted as the police tried to arrest Zefzafi causing several injuries among law enforcement officials. One policeman suffered a permanent handicap due a stone or hard object thrown by protesters causing a serious injury in his brain.

No injuries have been reported yet among Zefzafis supporters. However, upon orders from the General prosecutor 20 people close to Zefzafi were arrested on grounds of receiving funds from abroad to undermine Moroccos public order and territorial integrity.

Zefzafi managed to escape and his whereabouts remain unknown. He addressed his supporters from an unknown location on a video relayed by local media urging for protests to continue and calling for a closure of shops and restaurants.

Tensions have been simmering in Al Hoceima since the death of Mohsin Fkri who was crushed in a garbage truck in an attempt to retrieve fish that was confiscated by the police last October.

Since then, protests have been building up in the city characterized by peacefulness.

But the core of the protests has a social and economic character. Chanting slogans and carrying banners and local protest flags, protesters called for more jobs, hospitals, a university and social justice.

Upon directives from King Mohammed VI, a Ministerial delegation visited the city last week and inspected the progress made in a set of projects in fields including infrastructure, health, education, fisheries and agriculture. In this regards, 20 billion dirhams have been allocated to carry out social and economic projects within the upcoming five years in the city and its region.
Amazigh militant and human rights activist Kamal Eddine Fekhar staged a hunger strike in protest over the unfair trial he received from a local court in Medea, Algeria, which handed him a 5 years prison sentence for writing articles slamming the Algerian regimes atrocities in Ghardaia, critical Algerian media said.

Kamal Eddine Fekhar, a doctor by profession, has been in prison for almost a year and a half pending trial on charges of undermining state security and national unity. His lawyer claims that his client has suffered torture in prison.

He is known for his leadership of protests demanding social justice in Ghardaia and denouncing the atrocities by the Algerian regime and the involvement and impartiality of Algerian security forces in the inter-ethnic clashes that devastated the ancient city of Ghardaia.

Ghardaia is situated in the Mzab valley, a UNESCO world heritage site on the edge of the Sahara that has seen mounting tensions between the Amazigh Mozabite community and Arab tribes.

There have been sporadic confrontations between the two communities since December 2013 over property and land ownership after a local Mozabite shrine was vandalized.

Tensions between the Mozabite and Arab communities flare up periodically with at least 22 reported dead in violence that erupted in July 2015.

Besides linguistic and cultural differences, the Mozabites are Ibadit Muslims while their Arab neighbors follow Maliki Islam.
Egyptian fighter jets have stricken bases of the Islamic State (Daesh) in eastern Libya after the latter claimed the attack south of Cairo on a bus carrying Copts that left 29 dead.

The Copts had been travelling to the monastery of St Samuel the Confessor, 85 miles south of Cairo, when their small convoy was halted on a desert road by up to 10 gunmen dressed as soldiers, who then opened fire. The Islamic state claimed responsibility for this attack.

The Egyptian airstrikes came after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi vowed in a televized address to take revenge for the attack on Copts by bombing the bases of the Islamic State in Libya, where militants are trained and stationed.

Yet the Egyptian six airstrikes did not hit the Islamic State sanctuaries but rather targeted Derna, which Egyptian officials believe, hosts terrorist training camps of the Shura Council, aligned with al-Qaida.

We cannot allow the terrorists to stay safe and benefit from a failure of the Libyan governments loss of control over the countrys territories, which have now turned into a safe haven and a training ground for foreign fighters and other elements, who infiltrate through the Egypt-Libyan border and attack innocent Egyptian civilians, Egypts Foreign Minister told the press.

The Egyptian airstrikes received the green light of the Tobruk-based government that supports General Khalifa Haftar.

For sure, we support these airstrikes and it is not for the first time. They are carried out in coordination with the Libyan armed forces and it is known that the town of Derna [where airstrikes took place] has been under siege of the Libyan armed forces for two years, Abdallah Bilhaq, the spokesman of the Libyan parliament, told Sputnik on Sunday.

Egypt has been in a state of emergency since two suicide bombings killed 45 people at Coptic churches last month, following Decembers slaughter of 29 Copts in a Cairo cathedral.

The attacks highlight Libyas position as a haven for terrorist groups, with the civil war leaving much of the country in chaos and jihadi groups proliferating.

Chaos in Libya bears significant risks for Egypt and beyond. In Tunisia, the surge of terrorist activities is largely a fallout of the turmoil and instability in Libya. Seifeddine Rezgui, who killed 38 tourists, 30 of them British, on a beach in Sousse two years ago, was trained by Isis in the western Libyan town of Sabratha.
Japan sees in Morocco a partner that can facilitate its cooperation efforts in Africa. An agreement was signed in this regards between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Moroccos Equipment and Transport Ministry to develop human resources in the field of transport in African countries.

Under the agreement, Japan and Morocco will cooperate through the exchange of experience and know-how to build on Moroccos network in Africa with a view to developing human resources in the transport sector.

The project is part of the tripartite cooperation between Morocco, Japan and African countries. It aims to improve training for human resources operating in road management and high ways as well as ports.

The agreement is also meant to strengthen the capacities of training centers in terms of management of road, high way and port infrastructures in Morocco and in the targeted African countries.

Last August during the Japan-Africa economic summit (TICAD V) in Nairobi, Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that his country would invest $30 billion in support of Africas economic growth and infrastructure over the next three years.

The pledged amount includes $10bn in infrastructure growth, while an extra $20bn will be invested by Japans private sector. In this respect, Tokyo will cooperate with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to boost private sector investment on the continent struggling with intermittent power outages, dilapidated infrastructure, poor sanitation and grinding poverty.
DICKINSON, N.D.  The North Dakota Department of Health, in collaboration with Family HealthCare, held a public education session in Dickinson on Thursday afternoon, May 25, to promote HIV awareness by providing information about the transmission and prevention of HIV, and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

The sessions are being conducted across the state.

HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, slowly breaks down the bodys immune system, leading to an advanced stage of HIV disease known as AIDS -- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is diagnosed when a person has a CD-4 count of fewer than 200 or an opportunistic infection, which is a specific type of illness as a result of HIV infection. There is no vaccine or cure for AIDS.

In 2016, there were 88 new to North Dakota cases of HIV, meaning someone was either diagnosed in the state or moved into North Dakota from another country or state, according to data from the Health Department. Overall, there were 390 people with HIV/AIDS known to be living in North Dakota as of Dec. 31. Of these, 207 were at the stage of HIV infection and 183 had progressed to the AIDS stage. The group is made up of 262 males and 128 females.

The goal is for people to attend the public forums so they can get the most factual and up to date information about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, said Gordana Cokrlic, Ryan White Part B Program Coordinator.

Its important to be aware of HIV so that you can protect yourself and you can protect your sexual partners, she said.

She said it was also important for them to be able to address the stigma that surrounds HIV.

One of the misconceptions about HIV is its sort of a death sentence and thats not the case anymore, Cokrlic said. HIV is a chronic condition, its highly treatable. If youre on treatment, you can expect a near-normal lifespan and you are also unable to transmit it to your sexual partner.

HIV can be transmitted through four body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk, Cokrlic said.

The virus is not passed from person to person through casual contact such as hugging, shaking hands, sharing eating utensils or touching toilet seats. The virus also is not transmitted through mosquito bites.

Christopher Wegner with Family HealthCare, based in Fargo, is joining Cokrlic across the state for the presentations. Family HealthCare was given a grant to carry out HIV, STD and Hepatitis C testing, education and counseling throughout the state.

A lot of times were going into a community and working with (entities like) Southwest District Health Unit to do testing events, help their staff with any type of training needs or just information needs, he said.

One of the best things people can do is get tested for HIV, Cokrlic said.

The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once in their life. Women who are pregnant should also be tested.

The CDC also recommends that someone should be tested at least once a year if:

Theyre a sexually active gay or bisexual man.

Theyve had sex with an HIV-positive partner.

Theyve had more than one partner since their last HIV test.

Theyve shared needles to inject drugs.

Theyve exchanged sex for drugs or money.

Theyve had another STD.

There are counseling, testing and referral sites throughout the state that may do testing for free if someone is deemed at-risk.

The presentations will begin at 3 p.m. local time and will follow with a question-and-answer opportunity until 5 p.m. Attendees are welcome to join at any time. Remaining sessions are:

Friday, June 2  Staybridge Suites, 1175 42nd St S, Grand Forks.

Saturday, June 3  Family HealthCare, 301 NP Ave. Fargo.

For more information, go online to www.ndhealth.gov/hiv.

For questions, contact Lindsey VanderBusch, NDDoH, at 701-328-4555.
Merkel, speaking at a political rally in Munich on Sunday. Photo: Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images

German chancellor Angela Merkel told a crowd of supporters on Sunday that Europe can no longer count on the U.S. or U.K. to be reliable allies. Clearly referencing her experience negotiating with President Trump at the G7 summit, Merkel said that the times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out, and so we Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands.

This is what I experienced in the last few days, she explained.

Chancellor Merkel is clearly frustrated by her recent dealings with the new American president and, in particular, Trumps seeming indecision regarding whether or not the U.S. will continue to honor the Paris Agreement, which 195 countries signed in a combined effort to tackle climate change. On Saturday, a report indicated that Trump will in fact pull the U.S. out of the deal, but the president was apparently unwilling to officially make that decision during what seems to have been a very contentious G7.

Speaking at the Sunday campaign rally in Munich, Merkel maintained that Of course we need to have friendly relations with the U.S. and with the U.K. and with other neighbors, including Russia, but added, We need to know we must fight for our own future as Europeans for our destiny. Merkel also remarked that building a good relationship with newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron must be emphasized. As for Trump, working around him and America while hes president now seems to have been elevated to a central part of the messaging strategy for Merkels reelection campaign.
One of the vigils held in Portland on Saturday. Photo: Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA via AP

Two men were fatally stabbed and another wounded after being attacked by a man whom they confronted once he began yelling racist comments at two teenagers on a light-rail train in Portland, Oregon, on Friday. One of the teenagers was Muslim and wearing a hijab, while the other was black. Fifty-three-year-old Army veteran Ricky John Best, a father of four, died at the scene, while 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, a recent college graduate, died after being transported to a local hospital. A third man, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher is recovering from serious wounds he received during the attack. All three men are being hailed as heroes.

Jeremy Joseph Christian Photo: Handout

The attacker, 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian, fled the scene but was later arrested and is currently being held without bail on counts of aggravated murder, attempted murder, and other charges. Christian has previous convictions for felony robbery and felony kidnapping and seems to have been a white supremacist. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Christians social-media profile suggests he was all over the political spectrum but indicates that he holds some racist and other extremist beliefs. Christian was also recently seen using the N-word, shouting Die Muslims!, and giving Nazi salutes at a free-speech rally in Portland late last month.

Suspect in brutal Portland hate crime murders is known white supremacist. I photo'd him giving Nazi salute in April https://t.co/oZJvre8oL5 pic.twitter.com/wHuylG5C2f  doug brown (@dougbrown8) May 27, 2017

Christian may now face federal hate-crime charges, though FBI special agent Renn Cannon told reporters on Saturday that it was too early to say whether the attack was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime.

Portland authorities and witnesses say that Christian had been acting up the whole ride while on a MAX light-rail train late Friday afternoon. Apparently, when Christian saw the two teenage girls, he approached them and launched into a diatribe of what would best be characterized as hate speech toward a variety of ethnicities and religions at the girls and others, according to police. The mother of one of the teenagers told reporters that one of the comments Christian made was that Muslims should die.

The three samaritans, Best, Namkai-Meche, and Fletcher, then tried to intervene in defense of the teens and calm Christian down, but he responded by attacking the men with a large knife, slashing their throats. Christian fled following the attack, and when confronted by police, tried to convince them to shoot him. He was taken into custody instead.

The two teenage girls, along with other passengers, ran from the train during the attack but were later identified and gave statements to police. The attack happened hours before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began in the city, and Portland police have contacted Muslim leaders in the area to let them know there would be extra patrols to ensure they are protected. The local Muslim community has already raised nearly $200,000 to support the families of the victims, and additional online fundraising efforts are also underway.

#RIP Ricky Best, 53, and Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23, the heroes of Portland, Oregon. https://t.co/FG4HABeWZG  Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 28, 2017

Rick Best, 53, was a 23-year Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and had been working as a technician for the Portland Bureau of Development Services following his retirement from the military. The Oregon native leaves behind a wife and four teenage children.

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, had decided to remain in Portland after earning an economics degree from Reed College last year and getting a job at a local consulting firm. His family said in a statement that his enthusiasm was infectious and he had lived a joyous and full life:

We lost him in a senseless act that brought close to home the insidious rift of prejudice and intolerance that is too familiar, too common. He was resolute in his conduct (and) respect of all people. In his final act of bravery, he held true to what he believed is the way forward.

While in high school, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher, whose injuries are not life threatening, won a poetry slam in 2013 in which he recited a poem speaking out against prejudice toward Muslims in America. Fletcher, who was traveling in between work and college classes at the time of the attack, has become a committed activist. I was shocked it was him, but I wasnt surprised it was him  I cant see him not standing up, a friend told Buzzfeed News regarding Fletchers involvement in the intervention.

The mother of 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin is surrounded by hundreds during a vigil at the Hollywood Transit Center in Portland on May 27. Photo: Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA via AP

More than a thousand people attended two vigils for the victims on Saturday night in Portland. The men are being widely honored as heroes for confronting Christian and trying to protect the teenagers. Portland mayor Ted Wheeler told an assembled crowd on Saturday that the victims gave him hope and demonstrated that there are still people in Oregon who will stand up for the right thing no matter what the consequences.
The atmosphere doesnt. Photo: Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump has told multiple people, including EPA head Scott Pruitt, that he intends to pull the U.S. out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a new Axios report based on information from three anonymous sources with direct knowledge of the conversations. Earlier Saturday, Trump announced on Twitter that he would make a decision on the accord next week. Over the past three days, European leaders and even Pope Francis have lobbied Trump to support the agreement, but while leaders from the six other nations in the G7 signed a statement reaffirming their commitment to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions on Saturday, Trump abstained. The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very unsatisfying, announced German chancellor Angela Merkel, clearly frustrated with Trumps indecision during the talks.

Axios adds that its possible Trump will impulsively change his mind, as Trump has done after telling people he would do something in the past; Axios also points out that all of Trumps options for withdrawing from the deal would require as much as a year to carry through on, allowing for some additional uncertainty.

Speaking of uncertainty, in a Face the Nation interview set to air on CBS Sunday, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said that he was quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord. Speaking with the New York Times, Trumps chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, also made it sound as if Trump was still making up his mind after a lot of give-and-take between the different countries at the G7 summit. But according to Axioss sources, Trump has already made his decision to ditch the pact, and that would definitely be consistent with his numerous past statements as one of the worlds most notorious deniers of the consensus scientific conclusion that human activity is the primary driver of global climate change. He also said during his presidential campaign that he would cancel the deal and has infamously and repeatedly called global warming a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese (and scientists)  but Trump says a lot of things and has, at least a few times, also hinted that he understood the threat of climate change.

President Obama helped negotiate the historic Paris Agreement in 2015, and it was officially ratified by the U.S. and 194 other signatories last year. Should Trump leave the pact, the U.S. would be the first country to exit, which would also be the second time that America has signed onto a global climate deal under a Democratic president only to walk away from the same agreement under a Republican predecessor, as President George W. Bush ultimately reneged on the Kyoto Protocol agreed to by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Americas exit from the Paris Agreement wouldnt invalidate the accord, which still has the support of most of the world, including China, and is likely to proceed without U.S. participation. But the failure of the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions, being the worlds second-highest producer of such pollution, will worsen and likely accelerate an already dangerous problem. If other countries follow the U.S. out of the agreement, which remains a risk, that danger only multiplies.
What the ever loving fuck is wrong with people??

Reply

Thread

Link

i literally say this at least once every day. wth?



-He claims to have stabbed JDF in a seperate altercation in the past though the two have never met.



Did he use a Saba sword, tho?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

SRSLY WHAT IN THE FUCK

Reply

Thread

Link

holy shit

Reply

Thread

Link

What the fuck

Reply

Thread

Link

Good lord O_O

Reply

Thread

Link

The world is going to fucking hell. Nowhere is safe.

Reply

Thread

Link

good lord

Reply

Thread

Link

It's sad but in todays world, I feel like cons need to have metal detectors and check the weapon props just to make sure they are fake/harmless.

Reply

Thread

Link

The ones I have gone too are pretty strict about weapon props and every weapon prop is checked, but no metal detectors or even like...checking purses or something. Overall, it feels like it would be pretty easy to sneak a weapon in.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Agreed, the ones I've been to had only people checking badges at the door. Not a single one had metal detectors or anyone checking props.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The cons here do weapons checks and without a tag your weapon wil not enter. But they explicitly decided against extensive bag searches and metal detectors, because that would increase the lines to get in and after Brussels and all the truck related attacks they decided that lines were a bigger and easier target than the con itself.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

that's actually a pretty fair point.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I've been to a few of them and only 1 of them had metal detectors, smh.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

The few cons I've been to, there was a whole separate area for prop check when you picked up your badges. If it wasn't checked, it wasn't allowed on the floor.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ITA, however, PCC has always been a shitbole and their security is so relaxed. You can walk in without a badge and no one would care

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

throwing stars?? bish u know u can't throw



Edited at 2017-05-28 04:22 am (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

That was my second thought after "da fuq"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Why deal with logic when you can inflate your ego?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What in the actual fuck

Reply

Thread

Link

That's so scary :/ my brother had an opportunity to meet him after his happened and he said he was still a really cool dude and super nice to fans.





Reply

Thread

Link

Jason is extra at times but that man will go out to meet his fans. He even invited me to come to a private fan gathering and takes pics with you without you needing to pay.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

"private" ummhmm

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

+1 on increasing interest in hermit lifestyle

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
billionaire at 21? jfc

Reply

Thread

Link

I wish that was me - I deserve it more than him and wouldn't make anything as dumb as Snapchat.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

RIGHT?!?! what is this fuckery. gimme some of dat, basic white boy frat

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

congrats!

but was orlando there? there was pics of him , his son and mirandas dad hanging out over the weekend

Reply

Thread

Link

I rolled my eyes at "we are traditional..saving it for marriage"

Reply

Thread

Link

leave the poor girl alone. she's working up to that fateful night.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I can't handle that she fucked Bieber but gave us this line about being traditional with this other douchebag.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

like this dude who talked about peeing on women waited three years to fuck someone... ooookay, miranda.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

who is that in your icon?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

lol me too. my friend hooked up with him once and said he was horrid in bed, so it makes me laugh especially hard

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Lmao right? Hopefully they DID wait only for her to pull down his pants and see a shriveled up 3 inch, pencil thin, ashy ass pink dick, with an untamed bush and smelled like ricotta cheese. :)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Well, he sounds swell. Congrats to them

Reply

Thread

Link

how old are you? i'm 26 and only now see guys my own age as adults.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yeah i am 27 and just last year finally started feeling like many guys my age were adult human beings worth having conversations with

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

At 26, their brains have probably only just then fully developed.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My bf also slowly turned into a man after getting 27. But some of them behave like children because they can't let go of their easy peasy life as the baby of the family.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





"omg but what about me" "omg but what about me"

Reply

Thread

Link

also isn't instagram stories making snapchat obsolete

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

lol instagram wishes

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

only thing sc is good for is the filters imo





Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Instagram wishes that budget Snapchat would.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

they literally got married so they'd keep their promise of having sex after getting married lmao this will end well

Reply

Thread

Link

they started dating in 2014 though. i'm not buying this lmao



esp with the "he's more of a traditionalist than i am" narrative.. idk what kind of evangelical shit they're into

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

maybe they did everything but the coitus lmfao





or they kept themselves busy with other stuff lool

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It doesn't count if it's in the butt.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Liarsssss. No way they didn't have sex before the wedding please.

Reply

Thread

Link

I know. Especially if they were living together.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yea I cannot imagine a guy like that ever agreeing to waiting but maybe shes one of those "anal sex isnt sex" people so he didnt care



Edited at 2017-05-28 01:12 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Doing it in the butt or mouth doesn't count

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

God doesn't check for the ass, didn't you know

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

not even just them as a couple, there's no way HE didn't have sex for three years.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i think this age difference is a significant tbh! i know 8 years is not much but, when they started dating, she'd been in the industry for nearly 20 years, married once, and he was in his early 20s. like they were in totally different life stages. get money bitch!

Reply

Thread

Link

I can't tell of this is sarcasm or what

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

now that Instagram added face filters to the stories, i can finally delete Snapchat

Reply

Thread

Link

the instagram ones suck though

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

but snapchat has better ones :/

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

They look so fucking bad and extra fake

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I never go through anyone's Instagram story.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I haaaate instagram right now. Give me chronological feeds or give me death, honestly. Who wants to see something from two weeks ago?!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I still mostly only look at Snapchat. I always forget to look at everyone's stories. I follow way to many people on insta.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol good luck to him with her messy ass



they're both messy tho so they're made for each other. she just wants his $ and he just wants to get to say that he married a model.

Reply

Thread

Link

of course a misogynist fatphobic piece of trash white frat dude would end up with a supermodel. doesnt she realise he likely just views her as a feminine ideal and has no care for her as a human being? itll hurt when she does

Reply

Thread

Link

i'm $ure $he ha$ no idea and will be $hocked and deve$tated when $he doe$

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Maybe she married him for equally shallow reasons? (money) Marrying for other reasons aside love isnt just a male thing.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

doesnt she have her own money??? she works for victoria secret ffs

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I think it's fair that guys marry women for their appearance and women guys for their money. If it works for them.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Miranda is vapid and shallow enough not to care.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Oh and she fucked Bieber so I guess her bar has always been low

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
EMERY, S.D.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation into a trench collapse in southeast South Dakota that left a man hospitalized.

On Thursday, a crew from OSHA was on scene of the incident in the small town of Emery that occurred Tuesday, marking the beginning of the investigation, according to OSHA Area Director Sheila Stanley, based in Sioux Falls.

I can tell you OSHA is investigating and the inspection is currently open, Stanley said.

The trench collapse left a man nearly completely covered in dirt and debris.

The man was part of a construction crew working on a city-wide water line and sewer replacement project.

It took crews approximately five minutes to uncover the mans head and about 30 minutes to remove him from the debris.

The man, who has not been identified by authorities, was transported by helicopter to Sioux Falls and has since been released, according to Hanson County Sheriff Brandon Wingert.

Wingert believes the man sustained minor injuries, but was unsure of what exactly the injuries were.

OSHAs investigation can take up to six months to complete, Stanley said, but a report could be filed sooner. The investigation will likely include what caused the trench collapse and could result in citations to the Fort Pierre-based construction company involved, First Dakota Enterprises, if safety deficiencies are found, Stanley said.

In trenching investigations, OSHA is looking to ensure the proper safety equipment is used, the trenches are inspected daily by a competent person, safe access and egress and other general safety standards are met, according to the organizations website.

Stanley added that OSHA investigates every incident that involves a trench collapse, as the organization has a national emphasis program on trenching and excavation safety.

According to OSHAs website, excavating is recognized as one of the most hazardous construction operations.

If its an issue in regards to trenches, we respond, Stanley said. Its pretty serious where people lose their lives every year, so it is one of our top priorities.
lol @ the prime sticker

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

"baby u got beep beep beep"? did i hear that right? i can't believe i just listened to this

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

What is this slimmed down megan trainer bullshit song. Surprised that trash user doesn't stan her.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao i listened to this like a year ago



isn't it iconic?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

..is that an absurd amount of autotune that I'm hearing? I mean I can handle some autotune but this sounds as fake as her father's tan ._.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I love Tim Heidecker's obsession with her. Also, his jokes about how Trump named his kids...









Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol I love him. His Mar-a-lago song was great.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

oh my god it gets truly awful at the chorus

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Nothing about the Mississippi shooting?

Reply

Thread

Link

TMZ needs to be launched into the sun

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I've heard more about the train stabbing than I have about the shootings so far..though I was also paying more attention to the news yesterday than I have so far today, which might have something to do with it

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I know, I noticed that. I got like 5 freaking alerts from TMZ before I went to look and saw who the suspect was. I see you Harvey you POS.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

really? even here in Portugal they talked about it for like a minute on the news

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I honestly just heard about it. I'm reading up on it now.



Edited at 2017-05-28 08:41 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I just read about this...oh shit

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

just looked it up and



A man who got into an argument with his estranged wife over their children was arrested in a house-to-house shooting rampage in rural Mississippi that left eight people dead, including his mother-in-law and a sheriff's deputy.



this is infuriating

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Same. All news outlets I have encountered have been strange. This morning it was breaking on one site then got pushed further down on the web page and some don't have it at all.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

president trumpster fire doesn't let anyone rest huh? good for leader of the free world angela merkel saying out loud what all world leaders are thinking

Reply

Thread

Link

lol it's something i've chosen to call him and now want to make it happen because i feel it's so fitting

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

We can always trust Merkel to give no fucks about fake niceties

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Trump's tweets today...



4 About Fake News

1 Congratulating a man who assaulted a reporter

1 About Europe trip



0 Denouncing Portland attack  Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 28, 2017



Reply

Thread

Link

He's such fucking trash. I can't even.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

surprise, surprise

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i'm not surprised but still pissed as hell. piece of garbage

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My sister lives in Portland and she's been extremely shaken by the stabbing.



I am so sickened by this country, day in and day out. We've always been a complete mess, but lately it's like...jfc. Get it together.

Reply

Thread

Link

+ Paul Ryan was rejected by 100 8th graders from a New Jersey middle school during their D.C. trip. The kids said that they did not want to be associated with him.



smart kids!

Reply

Thread

Link

this generation gives me so much faith

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

love those kids

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm ctfu at the wording of "they did not want to be associated with him" lmao.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

they would like to be excluded from this narrative

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I mean dying laughing about this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the future generation gives me hope. they are so much more socially aware than we were as kids imo.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmfao good kids

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Holy crap that's amazing XD

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm so proud.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

AMAZING

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Our future is in good hands

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm laughing and applauding at the same time. XD Great kids, man.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

These kids have more integrity than every Republican in Congress pic.twitter.com/h6qGIarG3O  jordan  (@JordanUhl) May 28, 2017





the interviews with these kids...they really hate him.



Eighth-graders visiting D.C. from N.J. refused to be photographed with House Speaker Paul Ryan https://t.co/NgjQbKXAfx  Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 28, 2017





Edited at 2017-05-28 08:28 pm (UTC) the interviews with these kids...they really hate him.

Reply

Thread

Link

god he has a punchable mug

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

His nose is seriously begging to be broken, multiple times.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

If I were those kids parents, I'd be so proud of them. lol. I'd buy them ice cream when they got home.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

can't blame them for not wanting to be photographed with a guy who wants to fuck up their generation for gain.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Out of the mouths of babes.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm thinking back to when I was 13/14, and I wouldn't have wanted to be photographed with Bush back then to be fair. (My 8th grade class trip to DC was the same month the Iraq War started..though I didn't end up going because of a) Cost and b) My mom was still paranoid after 9/11 >.> <.<)



Glad to see these kids are being raised right <3

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

If that was my child they'd be getting a trip to Disney after that. I'd be so proud.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

THE FUTURE

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Lmaoooooo I have faith in the future with kids like this.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Matthew Malespina, one of the students who stayed away, said in an interview Sunday that he chose not to be photographed with Ryan because he disagreed with the policies the speaker and his party are pushing on health care, among other things. He called Ryan a man who puts his party before his country.



I dont like to take a picture with somebody that I cant associate with, Matthew, 13, told The Washington Post. Lets say somebody is not nice to me at school, for example. I wouldnt take a picture with them, probably.



Sophia Kraiker, 14, another student who declined to be in the photo, told The Post that she wanted to distance herself from Ryan because he is shadowing Trumps ideas.



How do we elect these children to congress?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

We are seeing Rome fall once again. What a time to be alive.

Reply

Thread

Link

Honestly we've been watching since Bush stole the election. The beginning of the end.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Tr*mp fucking up even worse than I could have imagined in four months time. This Russia shit needs to knock him the fuck out soon.

Reply

Thread

Link

I miss The Oprah Show :(

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I don't have any, but that archiving project sounds amazing. There are so many old episodes I wish I could see again.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I have a VHS of Oprah Winfrey Presents movies, I'd love to be apart of that. I remember the made for TV movies she use to show on Channel 7.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

this portland story is so awful. scum of the earth nazi terrorist deserves to spend the rest of his miserable life behind bars (and his head kicked in tbh)

Reply

Thread

Link

i hope this won't discourage people from standing up to these kind of assholes tho

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

How are Merkel's reelection chances going? I have German family who strongly dislike her government, but you can't really deny she's the de facto "leader of the free world". It was apparently all people could talk about at the NATO meeting.



Edited at 2017-05-28 08:33 pm (UTC)

Reply

Thread

Link

Guaranteed re-election. Unfortunately.



Edited at 2017-05-28 08:37 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yup

especially after the NRW election

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I'm sorry. I know people are freaking out about the far-right in Europe, but they completely ignore how many conservative parties control government across the continent.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I understand why you wouldn't want another Merkel term, but as a fellow European, I really don't want to think about an EU without her. As conservative as she is, she stands her ground against idiots like Trump and Erdogan in a way I dont see my MP ever doing

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

she's gonna win. her main rival is falling behind in the polls and her party won an importanat state election this month. so i'm preparing myself for a fourth term merkel rule (uuuuuggghhhh!!!12 years was more than enough, woman. give it a rest). the question is which party she will form a coalition with. i hope and pray it won't be the liberals.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Man, I know that Merkel is a conservative but like... I WISH the American right wing looked like Merkel/CDU. At least they seem to occupy the same reality that I do (you know, the one where global warming is real, immigrants aren't evil, Putin isn't trustworthy, etc.) whereas I don't know what reality Republicans are living in.



I know that there are other parties like AfD that are to the right of the CDU but the craziest crazies don't seem to have nearly the same amount of influence that they do here :(

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

While I'd rather someone to the left over Merkel, it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that Trump hates her. However, I'm sure he'll do just like he did with Macron and say she was his choice.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

American liberals' boner for Macron is so embarrassing.



Meanwhile we're bracing ourselves for the upcoming legislative elections mess!

Reply

Thread

Link

American liberals' boner for Macron is so embarrassing.



well duh, hes a technocrat

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

u aint even a little bit wrong sis

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Oop 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

not just macron, but merkel and trudeau



they're less interested in holding them accountable for anything than in building dumb cults of personality because they manage the low bar of not being nazis

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

well hes better than our piece of shit prez. like ive come to the notion that legit all presidents and prime ministers have horrible policies. but macron, merkel, trudea whoever are better than our shit prez so we cling to anything more democratic

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lbr Americans know nothing about domestic policies in other countries

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

And the French have a boner for Obama, it's just a grass is greener thing.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

3 Americans died this week because of white supremacists. Like, what a disgraceful country.

Reply

Thread

Link

They're just mentally ill! The Alt-Right are so much better than Liberals!!!!!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Mte

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
At its conference in Vienna, OPEC announced a nine-month extension of its November 2016 deal to cut production. Markets were singularly unimpressed with the decision, which had been baked into prices for at least week, following considerable speculation and positive rhetoric from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major OPEC and non-OPEC producers.

Rather than boost prices, the OPEC announcement precipitated a fall in the WTI back below $50. The general consensus is that the organization delivered what it had promised, agreeing to keep production cuts in place until March 2018 rather than mandating additional cuts or pushing the end of cuts to May 2018.

Price fluctuations in the wake of the meeting dont mean much in absolute terms, as the real impact of OPEC and non-OPEC cuts, totaling 1.8 million bpd, will be felt later in the year. Both Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih and Russian minister Alexander Novak dismissed the immediate drop as momentary changes, assuring reporters that prices would recover in time. Novak later hinted that deeper cuts could be on the table, depending on how the supply situation changed in the immediate future.

Projecting confidence in the future and assurance that things will improve is part and parcel of the organizations strategy, which rests as much on rhetoric as it does on results. Whether the production deal delivers will depend on whether OPEC and non-OPEC members continue to comply with production cuts. But there are other long-term factors that have to be considered, beyond the long-expected decision by OPEC to keep production cuts in place.

Related : Private Equity Is Jumping Into This Reemerging Oil Hotspot

Oil bear Goldman Sachs has warned that ending cuts will bring back a supply glut, pushing inventories up and effectively erasing the impact of cuts, just as increased U.S. production in January-February 2017 reduced the initial impact of the OPEC cuts to nil.

That impact could be exacerbated if some OPEC members, particularly those gunning for more revenue, increase production before March 2018. Iran has already said that it does not wish to reduce production below its current level of 3.8 million bpd, while Iraq has generated considerable speculation regarding its potential for sinking the whole deal by ignoring quotas.

Both have come out in favor of the cuts, but rhetoric may not align with realities. Important caveats come with each countrys cooperation. The Iraqi oil minister has noted that Kurdistan, Iraqs oil-rich northern region which enjoys semi-independence, will not be included in the cut extension. Bijan Zanganeh, Irans combative oil minister, is secure in his position within the Rouhani government which was re-elected by a considerable majority of Iranian voters last week. Yet he will be under more pressure to deliver on the governments promise of new oil contracts, increased investment in infrastructure by foreign companies, and production reaching 5 million bpd by 2021.

As Daniel Yergin explained to CNBC, OPEC is attempting to not just re-calibrate markets, but is itself adapting to a changing environment, one in which lower costs, increasing production from the US and new competition over demand will define the organizations place much more than relative levels of production. Its a whole new world, one in which OPECs ability to produce cheap crude isnt as pivotal as it once was.

Its common to discuss OPEC and U.S. shale producers as directly competing with one another, though Saudi oil minister al-Falih likes to claim that they could coexist. Representatives from the U.S. shale sector attended the Vienna conference, indicating that cooperation between American producers and OPEC could be a possibility in the future. But thats unlikely, given how hostile some OPEC producers are to the new challenge from the U.S., as well as the interest American companies now have in raising production.

With improving technology and efficiency, break-evens in the Permian Basin and elsewhere have plummeted, allowing US producers to compete at cost with OPEC. The EIA has had to raise its projections for US production. The agency now estimates American output will grow by 800,000 bpd in 2017, with annual production reaching 9.3 million bpd and exceeding 10 million bpd in 2018. Its possible that by 2020, the United States could have enough spare capacity to rival Saudi Arabia and Russia. Related: Is The U.S. Getting Left Behind In The Renewable Race?

Lowering costs in the United States, and consequent rising production, is probably the most important long-term trend to consider in the wake of the OPEC announcement. American companies can turn a profit at $45-50, a point which continues to inflict pain on OPEC. Venezuela faces near total economic and political collapse as the result of the post-2014 drop in prices. Saudi Arabia struggles to balance its budget, Nigeria handles violence in is oil fields, Libya continues to slowly pull itself back into political cohesion, while Iraq looks to its post-ISIS reconstruction.

All these factors, which will continue to influence markets in the long-term, may explain why the reception to OPECs pomp and circumstance this week amounted to a collective shrug. After several years of rhetoric and a production cut agreement that budged markets for only a few months before being negated by changes elsewhere, the OPEC playbook seems to lack new moves.

By Gregory Brew for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
All three Morrell brothers joined the Marine Corps after high school, because, recently asked why, Roger and Ray responded, "Why not?"

Roger, Tom and Ray Morrell, graduates of Mandan High School, enlisted one after the other. Roger was the first to join just six months after graduation in 1980. Tom enlisted in 1983, and Ray in 1985.

The Morrell name is "synonymous with Mandan," Ray says of the family with seven Morrell children, four girls and three boys.

"We're related to everyone," Roger says, and then laughs.

Roger, now 55, joined the Marine Corps because his life was quickly spiraling out of control, he said.

"Let's just say I had a problem with authority," Roger said.

Ray, now 49, graduated high school in 1985 and planned to ship out to Marine Corps boot camp, but a car accident put a small dent in his plans.

On graduation night in 1985, his '64 Chevrolet Impala with crushed velvet interior  as he so fondly remembers  was totaled after he crashed into a light pole trying to avoid a rear-end collision. He suffered a head injury, but, six months later, he signed a waiver and went to boot camp.

Since a young age, Ray knew he wanted to be a Marine.

"My mom can attest to this: I was 13 years old, filling out Marine Corps recruiting cards  so they were calling my home and mom would answer the phone (and say), 'You know hes only 13, right?'" he said.

A deceased brother

Their late brother, Tom, died June 14, 1987, while working as a military policeman. Tom, who was 21 at the time, died from injuries he sustained after falling from a four-story jet engine test cell at a Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

"He wanted to be a cop, and he became an MP," Ray said of his brother whose name is enshrined in a memorial for fallen law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C.

Roger and Ray did 13 weeks of Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego. From there, Roger did additional logistics training for three months and Ray did aviation ordnance training for six months.

"You do nothing without being told," Roger said of boot camp.

Despite his self-described problem with authority, Roger conceded it was a shock, but he learned quickly.

After job training, Ray was first stationed in Hawaii, but he traveled to 32 states and five countries during his six years in the Marine Corps.

"My first year I had over 150,000 air miles," he said. "I truly enjoyed it."

As an aviation ordnance technician, it was Ray's job to load the bombs, rockets and explosives onto aircraft and maintain the weapons systems.

Roger was first stationed in El Toro, Calif., and he was part of a Marine group that did ground supply. His experience in the Marine Corps includes other jobs, including air supply, motor transport and Marine security guard.

"I've been around the world twice," said Roger, who has seen 10 countries and spent 10 years in California. Most recently, he lived in Quantico, Va., before recently moving back to North Dakota.

Action in Beirut

Roger was a Marine security guard in Beirut, Lebanon, during significant bombing on Oct. 23, 1983, when more than 225 Marines died. Roger was off-duty on the day of the attack, playing softball with other soldiers on the American University of Beirut campus. He remembers immediately going into lockdown.

Ray, a sophomore in high school at the time, remembers that day, and being "glued to CNN trying to find any glimpse" of Ray's status "because I've got mom and the rest of the family."

It was two days before Roger got the opportunity to call home.

They were concerned from the get-go," Roger said. "But its where I wanted to go, its exactly what I wanted to do, because its different. I had purpose.

Roger then went to Helsinki, Finland, as a Marine security guard working as part of the entourage with President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. After that, he came back to the United States and did logistics.

Civilian life

After six years as a Marine, Ray returned home and later became heavily involved in his community. His first job when he got home was as a carpet layer  the first thing he could get. He thought it was important to start working right away and get back on his feet making money.

Ray is the commandant of the Dakota Leathernecks Detachment #1419 of the Marine Corps League, which was chartered in 2014. His current largest undertaking is the renovation of a more than 100-year-old Price Consolidated School building west of Mandan. Marines are fixing it up to become a clubhouse for the group.

Ray said there's a real need for a place where Marines can come together.

"We are our own breed of people. We have our own language. We have our own way of doing things," he said. "And to understand that, first off, you have to be a Marine."

The group also is developing a plan of action to address veteran suicides, according to Ray, who said,lLast year, through social media, he was approached five times in regards to suicides and attempted suicides of Marines.

"They're coming home and they don't know what to do," Ray said. "They're sitting there spinning around trying to figure out where their life is."

When Roger left the Marine Corps in 1999, after 19 years of service, he decided he need some R&R.

"I just sat back and relaxed for a little bit, because it was just necessary," said Roger, who was married and resided with his wife in Quantico.

He found a job as a buyer for a local company, buying machines and tearing them apart to sell the parts. After that, he worked for General Dynamics, as part of the information technology team that renovated the Pentagon post-9/11.

Roger recently moved back home to be closer to family and lives just south of Tappen.
Civilian death futher accerelated clashes in IHK

SRINAGAR: A civilian lost his life and dozens of others were injured on Saturday after massive anti-India protests and clashes erupted in India-held Kashmir following the death of a top militant commander and his associate in a gun battle with Indian troops.



Militant commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat and one of his comrades were killed after troops cordoned off the southern Tral area overnight following a tip that militants were hiding there, police said.



The gun battle ended on Saturday and soldiers recovered the bodies of two militants. However, they were searching the area for at least one more body, police said.



The two were not the only militants to be slain on Saturday. At least six other militants were also killed in the disputed Himalayan region.



Two others had been slain on Friday, taking the total number of militants killed in held Kashmir on Friday and Saturday to at least 10.



As the gun battle raged in southern Tral area between Indian troops on the one hand and Bhat and his comrade on the other, hundreds of angry residents chanting anti-India slogans mounted a march in an attempt to help the trapped pair escape, according to sources.



Clashes between rock-throwing protesters and government forces erupted in different places in the area, with police and paramilitary soldiers firing shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the protests.



Witnesses said a young man was killed and several other people were injured after Indian forces fired on the protesters near the site of the gun battle. Police chief of the disputed region S.P. Vaid claimed the man was killed in a crossfire.



As the news of the militant leaders killing spread in the region, thousands of people, including students, took to the streets shouting Go India, go back and We want freedom.



Traders shuttered shops and businesses across the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar. Officials said clashes were reported in more than four dozen places in the disputed region.



Dozens of civilians were reportedly injured in the clashes. Police claimed at least 25 police officers and paramilitary soldiers were also injured.



In an effort to quell the protests, authorities declared an indefinite security lockdown in parts of Srinagar and other major cities and towns across the valley starting on Sunday, which marks the beginning of Ramazan.



They also suspended most internet services in the region a day after they had lifted a month-long ban on 22 social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter.



Kashmiri leaders who challenge Indias sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.



Earlier on Saturday, soldiers killed six militants near the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army claimed.



A gun battle erupted after the group of heavily armed militants crossed over from Azad Kashmir to the western Rampur sector of held Kashmir, said army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia.



On Friday, the army said soldiers had killed two suspected militants in the same area.



There was no independent confirmation of the incidents, however.



In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz condemned the killing of 12 Kashmiri youths by Indian forces since Friday and said three of them had been slain extra-judicially.



Highlighting the gravity of the situation in the disputed region, he urged the international community  particularly the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and human rights organisations  to call upon India to immediately stop the ruthless killings of defenceless Kashmiris.



He pointed out that India had placed restrictions on social and other media in an effort to stop them from covering the brutalities being perpetrated in the disputed region. Despite the blackout, however, the atrocities were being reported by the Indian and international media, he said.



India has been heightening tensions along the LoC in order to hide the crimes it has been committing against innocent Kashmiris with impunity, Mr Aziz said.



He expressed grave concerns over the frequent ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the LoC and the targeting of innocent Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir.
Taliban to gear up for attacks,as reward is highest in Ramdan

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban on Saturday ruled out cessation of fighting in Ramazan, saying they would instead step up attacks, as the reward is "highest" in the holy Muslim month.



On the first day of Ramazan, a suicide bomber killed and injured scores of people in Khost, bordering Pakistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility. Afghanistan's Tolo TV reported that a suicide car bomber targeted vehicles belonging to members of the local police force campaign in Khost. But officials were quoted as saying that the attack caused mostly civilian casualties. Calls have been made for a halt to fighting as Ramazan begins; however, the Taliban rejected any truce.



"Our fighting is jihad and an obligation. Every obligatory act has 70 times more reward in Ramazan," a Taliban spokesman said. "Those who advise us to stop jihad in this sacred month are unaware of the religion," the spokesman claimed in a statement, issued hours after the deadly attack in Khost.



President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah condemned the Taliban attack and said that terrorist groups show no "respect for religious values and sacred days". "Terrorists have once again committed war crime[s] and unforgivable act[s] and have proved they are merciless," President Ghani said in a statement. The Taliban have stepped up attacks since they have launched their annual "spring offensive". Nearly 60 soldiers were killed in a series of attacks in Kandahar, the Taliban birthplace, this week. In April, a group of Taliban bombers attacked a major military centre in the relatively peaceful northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing around 150 security personnel. The UN mission in Afghanistan, Afghan leaders and the High Peace Council routinely launch Ramazan truce appeals to the Taliban to respect the holy month.



Meanwhile, the first round of China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Practical Cooperation Dialogue was held in Beijing on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said in Islamabad. The three sides exchanged in-depth views on trilateral cooperation in a friendly atmosphere and agreed to promote practical measures for cooperation, a statement said.



The three sides noted that trilateral cooperation among Pakistan, Afghanistan and China was conducive to peace, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region. The three countries appreciated the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and its benefits for promoting regional connectivity. They agreed to advance practical cooperation in various areas so as to promote mutual benefit and regional economic integration under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative. The three sides agreed to organise workshops, seminars and different forums. China and Pakistan will explore trilateral cooperation in areas of infrastructure, energy, education, health, agriculture, human resource training and capacity building, based on the needs of Afghanistan and according to China's and Pakistan's respective assistance programmes for Afghanistan. The three sides highly appreciated the outcome of discussions and agreed to make the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Practical Cooperation Dialogue a regular forum. The dialogue was co-chaired by Director General Mansoor Ahmad Khan of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director General Xiao Qian from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director General Khalid Payenda of Afghan Ministry of Finance.
WARRENSBURG  The Pizza Shop in Warrensburg mixes up about 180 quarts of dough a day in the summer. Thats 4,320 cups a week. And in the first year the Main Street shop was open, Giovanni Canepa alone made 42,000 pizzas, not counting stromboli and calzone.

He wont let anyone else make the pizza, said Giovannis wife and Pizza Shop co-owner Maggie Canepa.

Theres a real science to making sure the pizza is delicious from the first bite to the last, Giovanni said.

Someone else might make it with the same dough, sauce and cheese and it doesnt come out as good. Its not that they dont know how, said Giovanni, 31, who started making pizzas with his family in Sicily. I have a special ladle and its the way you distribute the cheese. Theres a science to it.

The recipe Giovanni uses comes from his grandpa, who created it more than 40 years ago. It has been passed on from one generation of pizza maker to another.

He started a pizza revolution in my family, Giovanni said, laughing. We are all running pizza places.

Giovannis family independently runs about a dozen pizza establishments in the Northeast. In New York, there are shops in Lake George, Glens Falls, Burnt Hills and Ballston Spa; and in Vermont, they are located in Montpelier, Plainfield and Stowe.

Only in business for a little more than two years, The Pizza Shop has already earned several Readers Choice Awards in The Post-Stars 2017 Best of the Region rankings: Best Pizza, No. 1; Best Wings, No. 2; and Best Business Lunch, No. 3.

Its a little bit of a dream come true, Giovanni said. And we have a really amazing staff. We trained them well, but we would not be here without them.

What makes The Pizza Shops pizza so good?

Love, Giovanni said. We have customers who say, Ill have a large cheese with lots of love. 

That same kind of love drew Giovanni and Maggie together while Maggie was still a student at Lake George High School.

And it was love that led them on their pizza-making adventure.

Its been a crazy, crazy journey, Giovanni said.

A real love story

The couple first met when Maggie was about 14. Giovanni did not speak English at the time and their connection was brief. We met for a split second. I thought she was super pretty, Giovanni said. But she was so young.

Then in 2009, Maggie traveled with her friend, Giovannis cousin, Miranda Rovetto, to Italy for a visit. Maggie was 17 and a junior at Lake George High School.

Then she shows up in my town, Giovanni said. After that, it was history.

But its about 4,350 miles across the North Atlantic Ocean, over Portugal, Spain and the Tyrrhenian Sea before arriving in San Guiseppe Jato, a long way for two people in love.

We lived over Skype, they both said, adding that they arranged their daily schedules around their Skype time together.

They are six hours ahead, Maggie said. His work break was from 2 to 4 p.m. Thats 8 a.m. here.

For her senior year, instead of attending Lake George, Maggie simultaneously finished her senior year and freshman year at SUNY Plattsburgh. I then took as many online classes through Plattsburgh as I could so that I could finish my degree while living with Giovanni in Sicily.

But as love stories often go, there are naysayers.

I come from an old-school town. A lot of people doubted us because she was so young, he said. They thought it would never work out.

But their love only grew stronger.

Spend even a few minutes with Maggie and Giovanni and their deep soul connection will be evident.

People love our story and seeing us here every day, he said. They like seeing my face and seeing my wifes face, seeing us here together.

After living together for two years in San Guiseppe Jato, the couple moved to New Jersey because there were so many visa issues for Maggie, who had to keep renewing her visa every few months. While in New Jersey, she finished her English degree at Montclair State and graduated in the summer of 2013.

I interned at a property management company when needed, but mainly focused on my studies, while Giovanni financially supported us, Maggie said.

Giovanni interrupted. My wife is brilliant, he said. Shes an amazing writer and she graduated with a 3.9  I want her to be able to go back and have a masters degree.

Maggie smiled and said that she wanted to work with Giovanni at The Pizza Shop. And maybe someday she would write their story.

Taking a huge risk

In San Guiseppe Jato, Giovanni owned Jhonny & D Pizza Ristorante.

In New Jersey, he worked for other restaurant owners making pizza.

I had two jobs in three years and then I got laid off, he said. I was like, I cannot do this for other people. I thought, I know what Im doing, I want to open our own place. 

So the couple began scraping together money. They sold all their furniture. We got all the money we could, Giovanni said.

They found a place they were going to lease in Warrensburg. There were too many pizza places in New Jersey, Maggie said, adding that a pizza restaurant had just closed in Warrensburg.

I thought we could fill a void, she said.

Then Giovanni did something that propelled their path forward. He bought the big-ticket restaurant equipment they needed, like the oven and refrigerator.

I was so scared, Maggie said. We moved out of our apartment in New Jersey on Oct. 1 and thought we were moving to the location of the old Ginos, but it fell through.

Maggie continued.

I tried to get the money back from the credit card company for the equipment deposit when we realized we didnt have a space.

But a quick scramble got them a Main Street lease.

I found the listing on Craigslist almost immediately, and we secured the space in mid-October and started renting on Nov. 1, she said, adding that it was a dress shop.

As they shopped for restaurant furniture, they realized how much everything cost and money was dwindling. I found the idea on Pinterest, she said about the tables they would buy and refinish.

We found these at Lowes, she said about the heavy, unfinished picnic tables with attached benches. Giovanni sanded, stained and polyurethaned them.

She points to the black wire napkin holders in the middle of the table. I got these for $1, she said. They were $30 in the restaurant supply.

But even with finding innovative ways to pull their dream together, by December 2014, they did not have the rent money for January.

The day we opened (Dec. 29), we had no money for rent. We had $274 and some change and we had all these debts to our food supplier, Giovanni said. From our very first day, we were able to pay the rent.

At 11:15 a.m. opening day, their first customer walked in: Matt, two slices and a soda.

I said, Fifteen minutes from opening and we already have a customer,  Giovanni said. We laugh about it now and Matt still gets the same thing.

Being able to pay the rent and the food vendors was just the beginning. For the first nine months they worked 16-hour days, seven days a week. And then summer arrived and they didnt feel like they could take off then.

Our first day off was Labor Day, Maggie said. We didnt realize the potential of Warrensburg.

Maggie said she has met the nicest people since they opened. I feel really, really grateful, we have the best customers, she said. Watching the little kids grow  customers come in and tell me about work. Its like family.

Because of their success, Maggie and Giovanni were able to buy a permanent home for The Pizza Shop at 3918 Main St.

We bought the building last month. We do have a substantial amount of renovating to do, but likely wont begin until after the summer busy season dies down, Maggie said. At first Giovanni was going to try to do what he could in terms of renovations on Mondays. But we dont have the time, so we will be hiring a contractor to complete the work. We hope everything will be done in early 2018 to make the big move.

Nonetheless, even with all their success, Giovanni said he tries to focus on the present.

I take life as it comes, take it as it is, he said. So far, its been a funny ride. I am looking forward to the surprises of the future.
GLENS FALLS  Steven Dean is hoping to celebrate Memorial Day next year with the installation of the long-awaited Global War On Terrorism monument in Crandall Park.

We really dont set goals anymore, Dean said, because we realize that setting goals is a letdown if you dont meet the goals.

Established in December 2012, the Global War On Terrorism Monument Organization was created by Dean, a retired Navy officer, in a partnership with the Adirondack Veterans House and VFW Post 2475 of Glens Falls.

Dean was stationed in Afghanistan in 2007, where he supported the army by tracking improvised explosive devices.

I saw a lot and I was exposed to a lot, he said.

When he came home, he heard about the local men and women killed in action over there and felt moved to honor their sacrifice and commitment with a monument.

Glens Falls is really a city of monuments, Dean said, and I think its about time that we bring one to date that reflects the current wars that are going on and give honor and pay memorial to some of our local fellas.

The monument will honor veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as family members who supported military personnel while deployed.

The group has raised about $40,000, but needs at least $10,000 more just to buy the marble and another $50,000 to erect the monument and complete the installation process. The structure, already designed by Loiselle Monuments, would go on a vacant grassy triangle in Crandall Park near the Henry Crandall Monument.

Isnt that a beautiful, peaceful spot? said Suzanne Appleyard, the marketing manager for the monument committee, while standing in Crandall Park last week.

The black granite monument would have a stainless steel sword running through it, and military and patriotic images depicted on the front. The new monument would be surrounded by a circular path.

People need a place other than a cemetery to pay homage to loved ones who fought and fell during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dean said he knows of one mother of a deceased veteran who has trouble visiting her sons grave.

In order to reach their goal, the committee needs someone to join their group who knows how to commandeer an online presence and bring more exposure to the groups website through Facebook. There is currently a hard-to-find Go Fund Me account accepting donations.

We all have gifts, but we also have lives, Appleyard said. Its sometimes tough to put as much time into it as you want.

Appleyard wants people to remember what the military men and women did for their country.

It ensures that I can lead the life that I want, she said, in the comfort that Im accustomed to.

The committee is looking for anyone who would like to join, even non-veterans. For more information, go to www.gwotmonument.org or find the group on Facebook.

The GWOT committee is planning a pub crawl in downtown Glens Falls for Saturday, said committee member John LaBelle, who noted that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan differ from other war veterans.

LaBelle noted that Vietnam veterans often wear their hats and other veterans of Korea and World War II get together to talk about the war, yet this generation of veterans is a bit standoffish and tries to blend in.

I think we need to not forget about them, he said.
Keene State shares its spring Deans List

KEENE, N.H.  Local students have been named to the spring 2017 deans list at Keene State College, including:

Emma Francett of Queensbury;

Katharine Lynch of Cambridge; and

Benjamin Taylor of Gansevoort.

Chestertown native makes Emerson list

BOSTON  Sofia Robbins of Chestertown, a marketing communications major, has been named to Emerson Colleges Deans List for the spring 2017 semester. The requirement to make the Deans List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.

Queensbury native earns a law degree

LEXINGTON, Va.  Justin C. Wodicka of Queensbury received a juris doctor degree on May 6 from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Wodicka was among 99 students who received their J.D. degree during commencement ceremonies held on Washington and Lee Universitys historic Front Lawn.

Gansevoort native makes honor society

ALBANY  Kelsey Briddell of Gansevoort earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the nations oldest academic honor society, founded in 1776. It celebrates and advocates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. The Alpha Alpha Chapter of New York at the University at Albany invites seniors who have a high grade point average and who have taken courses across the arts and sciences to become members of this prestigious honor society.

Queensbury native makes honor society

CANTON  Gregory C. Wetmore of Queensbury, a member of the Class of 2017 majoring in neuroscience, has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the national honor society for liberal arts and sciences undergraduates, at St. Lawrence University. Wetmore attended Queensbury High School.

The St. Lawrence chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, sponsored by Harvard University, will celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2019. With three elections each year in August, March and May, the faculty and staff who comprise the permanent chapter membership elect the top 10 percent of the members of the senior class.

Local students earn degrees at Fredonia

FREDONIA  Fredonia President Virginia S. Horvath announced the following students who are May 2017 candidates for degrees. Local students include:

Rachel K. Wentworth of South Glens Falls, Bachelor of Arts in English;

Katelyn J. White of Fort Ann, Bachelor of Arts in EnglishAdolescence Education; and

Stephanie L. Hamilton of Salem, Master of Science, speech-language pathology.

North Creek native on Presidents List

BURLINGTON, Vt.  Kayla Williford of North Creek has been named to the Champlain College Presidents List for achieving a grade point average of 4.0 or higher in the spring 2017 semester.

Schuylerville native makes Trustees List

BURLINGTON, Vt.  Kelsey Ward of Schuylerville was named to the Champlain College Trustees List for the spring 2017 semester. Students on the Trustees List have achieved a 4.0 grade point average for two or more consecutive semesters.

Champlain College sends off Class of 17

BURLINGTON, Vt.  Champlain Colleges 139th Commencement was held May 13 at Edmunds Field in Burlington, Vermont. A total of 516 undergraduates received their associates and bachelors degrees during the ceremony led by President Donald J. Laackman. Al Roker of The Today Show received an honorary degree and was the commencement speaker.

Local students include:

Caitlyn Kenney of Chestertown;

Gabrielle Kenney of Chestertown;

Amanda Rawson of Queensbury; and

Kayla Williford of North Creek.

Champlain shares spring Deans List

BURLINGTON, Vt.  The following students have been named to the Champlain College Deans List for achieving a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the spring 2017 semester.

Caitlyn Kenney of Chestertown;

Gabrielle Kenney of Chestertown;

Samantha Knight of Queensbury;

Duncan Persons of Queensbury;

Hannah Keenan of Queensbury; and

Owen Wright of Queensbury.

Local students earn degrees from Alfred

ALFRED  Mikaela R. Suders of Queensbury received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Cum Laude in art and design from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University during commencement exercises May 13. Suders is the daughter of Matthew and Diana Suders of Queensbury. She is a graduate of Queensbury High School.

Caleb D. Lawrence of South Glens Falls received a Bachelor of Science degree in renewable energy engineering from the Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University. Lawrence is the son of Dawn Schwenk of Lake George and Tim Lawrence of South Glens Falls. He is a graduate of South Glens Falls Central High School.

Nazareth College announces grads

ROCHESTER  Nazareth College undergraduate students earned their bachelors degrees at the 90th annual commencement ceremony that took place at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on May 14. Local students include:

Sarah McMahon of Queensbury;

Melissa Wilkinson of Argyle;

Christopher Redmond of Queensbury;

Margaret Norton of Queensbury; and

Sarah Godnick of Fort Edward.

Graduate degree earned at Nazareth

ROCHESTER  Alexandra Smith of Gansevoort graduated from Nazareth College with a masters degree in art education during the 90th commencement ceremony at the Blue Cross Arena on May 14.

Nazareth Colleges academic strengths cross an unusually broad spectrum of 60 majors, including education, health and human services, management, the fine arts, music, theater, math and science, foreign languages and the liberal arts. The co-educational, religiously independent, classic campus in a charming suburb of Rochester challenges and supports 2,000 undergrads and 800 graduate students.

Corinth native is on Lawrence honor roll

SOUTHFIELD, Mich.  Tanner Flint of Corinth has been named to the Deans Honor Roll for the spring 2017 semester at Lawrence Technological University.

To be named to the honor roll, a student must maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average for the term.

Area student is now a graduate of Siena

ALBANY  Carli Varmette, daughter of John Varmette and Sharon West of Ticonderoga, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College on May 14. In addition to graduating Cum Laude, Varmette also co-authored Addiction Through Three Different Perspectives, which was published online through The National Conferences on Undergraduate Research. Varmette plans to go on to pursue a masters degree in occupational therapy.

WPI announces its spring Deans List

WORCESTER, Mass.  The following local residents were among 1,319 students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute named to the universitys Deans List for academic excellence for the spring 2017 semester. The criteria for the WPI Deans List differ from most other universities, as WPI does not compute a grade point average. Instead, WPI defines the Deans List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

Local students include:

James Doty of Queensbury, a member of the Class of 2018 majoring in mechanical engineering; and

Zachary Ahrens of Fort Edward, a member of the Class of 2020 majoring in mechanical engineering.
GLENS FALLS  Artist Bruce Wilder Saville was in his mid-30s when he designed and sculpted the Victory and Peace Monument at Crandall Park in Glens Falls, dedicated on Memorial Day 1927.

Savilles career ended prematurely when he died of influenza on Feb. 27, 1939, at age 46.

But dozens of monuments he sculpted around the United States and Canada are lasting tributes to his artistic skill.

Savilles military service during World War I gave him artistic insight into the emotions of war, H. Hobart Holly wrote in an article published in the Spring 1986 newsletter of the Quincy Historical Society.

His art career was then interrupted by service in World War I, an experience which undoubtedly gave him true feeling for the war memorials he would create, Holly wrote.

Saville was studying art in Paris at the beginning of World War I, and he enlisted in the French Ambulance Corps, The Post-Star reported on Nov. 11, 1926.

When the United States entered the war in 1917, he enlisted in the American forces.

Saville was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1893 and graduated from Quincy High School, Holly wrote.

He studied with sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin at Boston Normal Art School and with Quincy sculptor Theo A. Kitson.

His early work included designing and sculpting the American trophy for the James Gordon Bennett hot air balloon race.

In 1921, Saville was appointed head of the art department at Ohio State University at Columbus, Ohio.

In 1925, he returned to Boston to sculpt full time, and later moved on to New York City.

His works include monuments in Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, Kansas, New York, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and elsewhere.

Saville moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1932 to study American Indian crafts and culture.

He had planned to eventually return to sculpting, Holly wrote.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS  On Sunday afternoon an unidentified person crashed into the side of the Rite-Aid on Main Street in South Glens Falls, destroying an entire section of the store.

At about 5 p.m., patrons were still shopping in the store, despite the cosmetics section to the left of the entrance being buckled and pushed into the next aisle and a two-parking space wide shattered plate glass window.

The destroyed section  mostly plate glass and metal  is situated next to brick sections of the store to its left and the entrance to its right. The visible damage was to the plate glass and metal.

Sections of insulation were hanging from the debris, much of the metal casing was bent or crushed and the glass was shattered, even though some of the glass was cracked but still intact.

Joe Girgenti, the owner of Girgenti Companies, LLC, a commercial property maintenance company in Schnectady, was on the scene clearing away the shattered plate glass and metal window casings that he said he will place behind the store temporarily.

Girgenti said he was called to the scene at about 4 p.m.

While he did not know what happened, he was told that no one was injured in the crash.

We get called for these types of things all the time, he said, adding that he has not seen one with this much damage from a car in a parking lot.

Once the debris is removed, Girgenti will frame the large opening in wood and cover it with plywood as a temporary measure. After insurance adjusters examine the damage, the permanent structure will be replaced.

The stores manager declined comment, suggesting that the Rite Aid Corporate offices were in charge of public information.

South Glens Falls police were contacted, but there was no reply. A New York State Police dispatcher said they had not been informed of the crash.
As the Trump administration prepares to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is calling for modifications affecting the United State and Canada to be limited to amendments allowed under the original 1994 agreement.

There are fairly liberal amendment terms of the original NAFTA agreement, Stefanik said in a telephone interview on Friday. And I think that if we keep enhancements within those allowed amendments that do not require congressional approval, I think thats the right way to initially approach this.

Stefanik said its important to differentiate between trade across the northern border and trade across the southern border.

President Trump formally notified Congress on May 18 his administration plans to renogitate NAFTA, a tri-national trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

That sets the stage for renegotiation to begin as early as August, once a 90-day waiting period from the notification has passed.

Stefanik said the renegotiation is important in the 12-county 21st Congressional District, where the economy is heavily dependent on cross border trade in manufacturing, agriculture and wood products, and on Canadian tourism.

In Clinton County, in particular, 15 percent of the workforce is employed by Canadian or cross-border companies, she said.

One of the key principals as we discuss NAFTA is, doing no harm  making sure that we are not harming the overwhelmingly positive economic partnership between U.S. and Canada by seeking new protections, she said.

Stefanik said she is reorganizing the House Northern Border Caucus, a bipartisan panel of House members, so that there is a unified voice on the renegotiation process.

I hope to have a significant role and that is to highlight how the U.S./Canadian relationship and economic partnership is a model, she said.

The renegotiation process provides an opportunity to address issues, such as Canadian duties on imports from the United States of filtered milk protein, a product used in cheese making.

Stefanik said she and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., were among a bipartisan group of House and Senate members that wrote a letter asking the Trump administration to include the filtered milk protein issues in NAFTA renegotiaiton discussions.

Stefanik said she also hopes the Trump administration will negotiate an easing of restrictions on the amount of wine and craft beer Canadian tourists can purchase in the United States and take back over the border.

I think that if we are easing potential access to markets on both sides of the border that would be a help, and it would help grow our New York wineries and breweries, she said.

Maintaining provisions in general that allow Canadian tourists to purchase a certain amount of retail goods in the U.S. to take home with them is important, Stefanik said.

I think we should continue promoting duty free shopping to make sure we are facilitating that cross border flow, she said.
MOREAU  A Fort Edward woman was arrested on grand larceny and identity theft charges late Saturday at White Birch Estates on 3rd Street in the Town of Moreau, according to New York State Police.

Lisa M. Barbone, 27, was apprehended at 11:20 p.m., following an incident reported two hours earlier, police said.

Charged with fourth-degree grand larceny related to a credit card, Barbone, if convicted, could serve up to four years in state prison, according to New York law.

Additionally, the Fort Edward woman was charged with two misdemeanor counts of identity theft and one misdemeanor count of falsely entering a building, police reported.

Barbone is slated to appear in court regarding the charges at a later date.
GLENS FALLS  A larger than typical attendance was expected for the American Legion post meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 3, 1927 at the Glens Falls Armory on Warren Street.

Post members were getting fitted for new caps to wear at the Memorial Day unveiling and dedication ceremony of the new Victory and Peace Monument in Crandall Park.

Commander Michael C. Linehan warns the members that they should come and secure a fit, and thus avoid an Army handout,  The Post-Star reported the day before.

It was an exciting time for American Legion members who had worked with city government and business leaders to plan and raise $20,000  the equivalent of $280,000 in 2017 dollars  to construct the unique monument emblematic of the communitys devotion to art and patriotism.

The city is finally to have a war memorial  nine years after the end of the World War, The Post-Star reported on Nov. 11, 1926, about six months earlier.

A one-third-size scale model of the monument that world-renowned sculptor Bruce Wilder Saville designed was to be exhibited that evening at the American Legion Armistice Day Dinner at The Queensbury Hotel.

It will not be the ordinary soldiers monument, with the figure of a doughboy in full kit, The Post-Star reported. Instead of that, the sculptor will cast the bronze in the form of two women, one Peace, the other Victory.

Peace, in some mythological tales, joined with the male god of agriculture to give birth to Plutus, the god of Plenty.

When Peace prevails, the harvest is plentiful.

Victory, also known as Nike, is the goddess who speedily flies to the battlefield to reward the victors with glory and fame.

The local American Legion monument had given Saville strict orders about the nature of the design.

The one thing the members of the Legion do not want is a representation of the horrors of war, said Dr. Edward C. Gow, a local physician who was chairman of the three-member American Legion monument committee.

Other members were Linenhan, the local American Legion commander, and Nelson A. Moss.

It is to the everlasting credit of the members of the Glens Falls Post, American Legion, that when they came to erect a statue to their fallen comrades and to their comrades of other wars, they determined not to hand down to the posterity an image of martial frightfulness in any of its forms, The Post-Star editorialized.

Saville consulted on the design with Charles Platt, who designed Glens Falls City Park, was an architectural consultant to First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls and later designed the Crandall Public Library building.

The contract with Saville stipulated the monument design could not be replicated anywhere else in the United States.

Three days before the design was unveiled, a fundraising committee of 19 business and civic leaders was formed, with John R. Loomis as chairman and Louis M. Brown as treasurer.

Progress continued, and on Jan. 25, 1927, The Post-Star published the first of what would be several last calls for names to be inscribed on the monument, asking readers to notify the committee of any names missing from a published list of local men killed in wars.

On May 25, the last parts of the monument arrived in Glens Falls, shipped by special truck from New York City, to be in place for the unveiling and dedication.

It was announced on May 26 that all indications point to the (Memorial Day) program being one of the best to be presented in a number of years.

The monument was dedicated on May 30, 1927  Memorial Day.

John H. Barber was in charge of a parade that kicked off from Warren Street at 10:05 a.m. and featured veterans of the Spanish American War and World War I, along with numerous civic, youth and veterans organizations and musical marching units.

The parade ended at Crandall Park, where the monument dedication ceremony was held.

Capt. Arthur Caperton and Lt. A.J. Shakespeare flew planes over Crandall Park during the dedication ceremony and dropped flowers on the monument.

The military aviators were in the area taking aerial photographs of the Conklingville Reservoir for the Hudson River Regulating District.

Oscar Seagle, the world-renowned baritone who founded Seagle Music Colony in Schroon Lake, sang The Star Spangled Banner and led the audience in singing America.

Members of Company K of the New York Army National Guard fired three volleys of rifle shots and a bugler played Taps as Mary Johnson, mother of Sgt. Arthur H. Johnson, who died in France during World War I, unveiled the monument.

Johnson, a member of Company K, died from influenza and pneumonia at a hospital in France on Nov. 5, 1918.

Gen. Merch B. Stewart, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was keynote speaker.

These men who we honor today are immortal. No words of mine can add to the honor and glory that is already theirs, said Stewart, who lived in Glens Falls as a child and teen.

Information for this report came from historical issues of The Post-Star and the Glens Falls Times on file at Crandall Public Library or on the New York State Historical Newspaper website, a project of public libraries.
If David Decker, former director of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, did what he is charged with doing, he fooled a lot of people.

The long list includes at least two former supervisors of Queensbury, Dan Stec and Ron Montesi; the current supervisor, John Strough; the longtime mayor of Lake George, Robert Blais; the supervisor of Lake George, Dennis Dickinson; the supervisor of Bolton, Ron Conover; and numerous other town supervisors and assorted politicians and municipal officials.

Most of the people on that list are Republicans, because more Republicans than Democrats hold local political office. At least one, John Strough, is a Democrat. In every case, the political party of the people who thought Decker was a good guy who was doing a good job is entirely irrelevant.

Those folks who are now trying to hang Decker like an albatross around Stroughs neck are heading down a misguided and unfair partisan path. The case they are attempting to build out of thin air, that Strough should have known what Decker was up to, only has merit if it is also applied to all those other officials.

Decker has been charged with fraud. Police say he diverted tens of thousands of dollars from a federal grant to his personal bank account. But problems with grants Decker was overseeing date back as far as 2007.

As administrator of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, Decker worked collaboratively on water quality projects with Queensbury, Bolton, the town and village of Lake George, Lake George Park Commission and private environmental groups.

You could argue that the leaders of those municipalities and those organizations should have noticed inconsistencies in the paperwork Decker was handling. You could say that, once they had seen the smoke of problems with grant payouts, they should have guessed at the presence of fire in the coalitions administration.

But it makes no sense to push the case, as Queensbury Town Board members Doug Irish and Brian Clements have been, that Strough should have known, while ignoring all the others who should have known, too.

Strough didnt take office until 2014, when the Watershed Coalition, with Decker at its head, was already long established. Strough can hardly be blamed for failing to question an arrangement that a broad coalition of local officials had accepted and, indeed, embraced for years.

Irish and Clements are both on the campaign committee of Rachel Seeber, a Republican Queensbury at-large supervisor to the Warren County board who will run against Strough in November. Irish is also the head of the town Republican Committee.

So when Irish raises the issue of Deckers involvement with the town in a way that steers blame toward Strough, you have to wonder what hat Irish is wearing. Is he trying to help Seeber by chipping away at Stroughs reputation? Or is he acting in the best interests of all his constituents, Democrats and Republicans, as a Town Board member should?

Mr. Strough does his share of partisan grandstanding at meetings, too, perhaps for the benefit of the TV-8 cameras.

Its all a bit discouraging, because we have always viewed the local municipal boards as places where politics works the way it should, not for partisan advantage but to get things done. Most of the issues our municipal boards consider are practical ones, involving infrastructure and services like road-plowing and leaf pickup. There is no Republican or Democratic position on road-plowing.

Decker has been charged, and the criminal case is proceeding. When its all over, it would be valuable for the members of the coalition, including the town of Queensbury, to evaluate what went wrong and how they can better monitor the grant process.

In the meantime, and even with an election approaching, we urge the Queensbury Town Board to steer away from the partisanship that afflicts our national politics and get back to getting things done.
It is high time to end the partisan politics

Frank Oct. 16, 2013 In Canada

--- Partisan parties is the dirty ladder in providing chance for some mental defectives climbing up the throne of controlling the State Apparatus, then use of the power of the state to exert their animal instinct in harming the world. ---

The political fight of the U.S. Democratic Donkey and Republican Elephant has caused the government to be shutdown again in Oct, 1 2013, the victims are American people, and the people worldwide from the harm for the world economy. I felt that I have some thing to say today, and I reproduced some articles here to see that what Americans and the people worldwide have complained.

Great many facts have proved that, the parties or people grouping, no matter political or nonpolitical, mostly are the hazards for human society, because that they easily controlled by the people who have no normal brain with limited harming ability originally to get more power by the support of group people.

The partisan parties are more harmful for human society, due to it has been playing the role of the dirty ladder for those mental defectives climbing up the throne of controlling the state apparatus, then use of the power of the state to do whatever they want in harming the world.

In Oct. 4, 2009, the Winner of 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, and the professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University, Paul Krugman who published The Politics of Spite on New York Times to have pointed out the ugly picture of American politics:

An essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nations two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, theyre against it  whether or not its good for America.

The result has been a cynical, ends-justify-the-means approach. Hastening the day when the rightful governing party returns to power is all that matters, so the G.O.P. will seize any club at hand with which to beat the current administration.

The Government shutdown again has provided a strong new proof that American politicians are acting as the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old in dealing with the issue that related with the vital interest of all U.S. citizens and even the people worldwide.

Also, the more important is that, the shutdown again of U.S. Gov. has clearly proved those politicians are too mental immaturity to do anything rationally.

October 15, 2013, NOAM SCHEIBER published John Boehner's Shutdown Endgame: "The Final Spasm of a Corpse" to have showed his antipathy to politicians prank in the Government shutdown. There are many similar articles and readers' comments have showed the resented toward irrational battle of the U.S. two parties.

This time, the shutdown of the U.S. government was because of lack of money, we all knew that, in fact, it is not the lack of money, but the money has been wasted, it was used in the place that should not be used. For example, a huge troop with huge fleet is going everywhere to stir up trouble to push the world into chaos. This mindless behavior is by the interests of hundreds of millions of Americans as exchange to meet the certain individual beasts desire.

Those beasts are use of the dirty partisan ladder to climb up the throne of controlling the state apparatus, then use of the power of the state to do whatever they want in harming the world.

In consideration of the ugly playing of the great many governments, no matter multi-parties Democratic or one-party Dictatorship, we may say that partisan politics has been sentenced to death by the players themselves.

Our world has come to the high time to end the partisan politics. If the partisan politics do not finish, the world will be finished.

It is said that the atomic bomb worldwide can destroy humanity many times. As mental health people, we must ask that, it is who has been stimulating this kind beast's behavior of humankind. The answer is clear: it is those mental immature politicians who are in nature of more animal less culture.

Regarding the nature of the parties, Vasily Grossman, who experienced the period of the Soviet Union during Stalin's reigning, gave incisive commentary in his book :

"Human groupings have one main purpose: to assert everyones right to be different, to be special, to think, feel and live in his or her own way. People join together in order to win or defend this right. But this is where a terrible, fateful error is born: the belief that these groupings in the name of a race, a God, a party or a State are the very purpose of life and not simply a means to an end. No! The only true and lasting meaning of the struggle for life lies in the individual, in his modest peculiarities and in his right to these peculiarities."

MRI - Magnetic resonance imaging dynamic scans of the human brain have shown that human behavior is determined by the brain's working state. Because that human brain development varies greatly, so, people's behaviors are also a great difference. Those psychosis sufferers, depression sufferers, antisocial violence attackers, their brains all have partial atrophy from innate or latter acquired, and therefore, their brains can not exercise properly, so that, they can not do some thing rationally.

Apr. 01, 2011, report Scans reveal differences in brain structure of antisocial teens said with that:

The neuroscientists used magnetic resonance imaging to measure the size of particular regions in the brains of 65 teenage boys with conduct disorder (CD) compared with 27 teenage boys who did not display symptoms of behavioural disorder. Their findings revealed that the amygdala and insula  regions of the brain that contribute to emotion perception, empathy and recognising were strikingly smaller in teenagers with antisocial behaviour.

Even if people no significant behavioral problem as above mentioned, but, the character of each individual is also a big difference. Some people can do anything rationally, some people are impulse and radical. Those are also due to the differences in brain development.

In view of this, we must choose those people who are knowledgeable and healthy in brain to make decisions for the future of mankind.

As a rational way, the national and international decision-making bodies should be formed by those people who have obtained high rank academic qualifications, such as, the professional experts, professors, and the Nobel Prize winners, and so on.

Whatever, we must get rid of populist dominated democracy by non-partisan politics.

There is a teaching class is widely welcomed by young people, no matter in North America, in Europe, in China, or even in Japan, it is the Harvard course Justice: A Journey in Moral Reasoning. The Lecturer is Michael J. Sandel, the American political philosopher and a professor at Harvard University.

In the article If I ruled the world the professor Michael Sandel said with that: "If I ruled the world, I would rewrite the economics textbooks. This may seem a small ambition, unworthy of my sovereign office. But it would actually be a big step toward a better civic life."
LONDON  Theresa May risks being ousted from Downing Street after a shock new poll suggests Labour could be on course to cut her majority down to just two seats.

The YouGov poll for the Times found that the Conservatives are on 43%, just five points ahead of Labour on 38%.

At the start of the election campaign, some polls had the Tories with leads of more than 20 points.

The prime minister called the snap election last month in order to "strengthen my mandate" in Brexit negotiations.

However, if Friday's poll were repeated on election day, May would face the ignominy of having gone to the country, only to see her government's majority cut down to wafer-thin proportions.

New YouGov/Times poll:

Conservatives: 43%

Labour: 38%

Liberal Democrats: 10%

UKIP: 4%

Greens: 1%

If repeated on a universal swing on June 8th, today's poll would see Labour take eight seats from the Conservatives with May's party failing to gain any from Labour.

By contrast, Theresa May's ratings have plummeted since the launch of her party's manifesto and the row over the so-called "dementia tax." The prime minister now has a net favourability of minus 8 just a few points higher than Corbyn's.

YouGov found May's ratings improved in the days following the terrorist attack in Manchester, while Corbyn's have dipped.

Electioneering resumes

Jeremy Corbyn will this morning give a speech in central London responding to the events of the past week.

In comments that have already caused controversy, Corbyn will suggest that the government's foreign policy carries some responsibility for terror attacks at home. You can read a full preview of his speech here.

"No government can prevent every terrorist attack. If an individual is determined enough and callous enough sometimes they will get through," he will say. "But the responsibility of government is to minimise that chance - to ensure the police have the resources they need, that our foreign policy reduces rather than increases the threat to this country and that at home we never surrender the freedoms we have won and that terrorists are so determined to take away."

The Liberal Democrats accused Corbyn of trying to seek political advantage from the attack in Manchester.

"Some political leaders have sought to politicise the events of the week, but now is not the time, and this is not the event, to seek political advantage," former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown said.

"The families of victims in Manchester have a right to expect political parties to respond with restraint and sensitivity to these unpardonable crimes.

"There will be a moment when we will want to look at the policy implications of what has happened, but that should not be in the shadow of these terrible events when the nation should stand together."
"They pulled that ship out of their asses," said Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, in a CNN report.

"I've never seen anything like it," Sen. John McCain also said.

Navy officials were also taken aback, delivering contradictory statements while justifying their budget request.

Acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley asserted their need for one LCS on Wednesday morning; however, by afternoon, a Navy acquisition official testified at a House panel that the White House's Office of Management and Budget "endorsed" another LCS, according to CNN's report.

"It was just an unorthodox process," one source familiar with the situation told CNN. "Ultimately the decision to include two ships was made after the budget went to print so it had to be announced outside the normal budget document."

Nearly a month before the budget's debut, Mick Mulvaney, head of the Office of Management and Budget, implied that discussions for an additional LCS had ended: "The Navy doesn't want them," Mulvaney said in an interview.

The additional LCS would mean that the Navy would have to reconfigure its budget to account for its $500 million cost. The Pentagon currently has plans to build a fleet of as many as 30 LCSs.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
In a statement issued by Mr Tevie, he described the allegations as untrue and baseless.

I have never, at any time, whether privately, before the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) or any state investigating agency, admitted that I, William Tevie, Former Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), accepted any money or monies, and which I have agreed to refund.

He said he was invited and questioned by the BNI over some financial malpractices but he categorically denied knowledge of such an incident.

If the alleged monies were given or received by anybody or group of persons, I am not aware and I was definitely not a party to it.

I hesitate to irresponsibly go into specifics because the transaction in question was handled by the National Security Council Secretariat because of its very sensitive nature, he added.

The BNI is investigating some former officials on the NCA Board who withdrew some $4 Million from the NCAs account purportedly for the purchase of a listening device.

These people include the Chairman of NCA, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie; the Chief Executive Officer, William Tevie; a former Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Osman, a former member Dr Nana Owusu-Ensaw, and a private businessman, George Oppong of Infraloks Development Limited.

The NCA paid $4 million for a listening device which was requested for by the National Security. Only $1 million got to the Israeli company with the rest shared among some board members.

The $3 million left in the account was then split into two, with less than half going into the pockets of board members and the chairman allegedly taking the lions share of $200,000.

Reports say William Mathew Tevie, who was the Director General, had $150,000; the local agent, George Oppong got $1,000,000; Alhaji Salifu Osman, a Deputy National Security Coordinator who represented the outfit on the NCA Board, was allegedly given $70,000 and Dr Nana Owusu-Ensaw, another board member, allegedly took home $500,000 to be shared with other unnamed persons.

The local representative of the Israeli company, a certain Penny, was also paid $100,000.

The cover of the transaction was blown by the Israeli company which was persistent in demanding the payment of the service rendered, having shipped the phone tapping equipment to Ghana and cleared them from the port.

Mr Tevie is not the only accused person who has denied thus allegation. A former board member, Dr Nana Owusu-Ensaw has also indicated that he did not take part in this act as being carried by the media and some government officials.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Mustapha Hamid has indicated that government will ensure the truth comes to light and also deal with all those found guilty.

Below is the full text of the rejoinder

Rejoinder: NCA Boss To Refund $1.5m Cash

The banner headline of your May 16, 2017 publication, NCA boss to refund $1.5m cash is not only false but diabolically concocted to mislead the reading public and tarnish my reputation.

I have never, at any time, whether privately, before the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) or any state investigating agency, admitted that I, William Tevie, Former Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), accepted any money or monies, and which I have agreed to refund. I was invited by the BNI and questioned about an allegation that some former Board Members of the NCA and I were given an amount of money to share.

I categorically denied the allegation. If the alleged monies were given or received by anybody or group of persons, I am not aware and I was definitely not a party to it. I hesitate to irresponsibly go into specifics because the transaction in question was handled by the National Security Council Secretariat because of its very sensitive nature.

Your reportage on the issue was not only mischievous but also smacked of ill motive. I am therefore demanding an immediate retraction and an unqualified apology to me failing which I will advise myself accordingly.

William Tevie

Former Director General
As such, the district would be lobbying the government to help them set up two factories, a tomato processing factory and a cashew processing factory, instead of the one factory that is expected to be implemented as part of the industrialisation programme.

READ ALSO: Anthony Baffoe named Sports Writers Personality of the Year

According to him, the district had also set a target of becoming the largest cashew growing area in Ghana within the next decade under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, another government scheme to increase agriculture production in the country.
After Venerable Femi Taiwo, was sacked by the Lagos State Government for allegedly disrespecting the first lady of the governor, Bolanle Ambode, Rt. Rev. Adeyemi has expresses dissatisfaction in the entire decision by the Lagos State government.

In an interview with Punch, Adeyemi said: "I was here (in my office) when he (Venerable Taiwo) called me that they asked him to pack out within 24 hours and that he was even told that the governors wife would not like to hear that he was still being seen around. Then we started wondering what could have happened? Somebody that has a wife and kids, and you asked him to go within 24 hours? Where do you expect him to go?"

Continuing, he said: "This is very ungodly! It is a sacrilege for someone who happens to be a Christian. Even when Fashola (former Lagos State Governor) was there, despite being a Muslim, he never took such a decision. Now that the governor (Ambode) is a Christian, which we all fought for, he is the one taking ungodly decisions. We have written letters to CAN and CCN, including the Methodist Church where the Venerable Taiwos assistant came from, that if Mrs. Ambode, is trying to cause divide and rule among the Christians, she should go ahead. We are not afraid of anything.

We understand that Mrs. Ambode is also a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, let her go and ask the RCCG Pastor, , whether what she did was the right thing to do to a minister of God. It is ungodly and very sad," the clergy said.

ALSO READ: Governor reportedly sacks pastor for allegedly embarrassing Lagos First Lady
"The New World is a disaster."

"And the old one, an achievement?"

1992 was the year of Christopher Columbus - or at least Hollywood thought it was. To coincide with the 500th anniversary of Columbus getting lost and discovering the Americas, the race was on to get competing Columbus biopic projects greenlit, shot, edited, and in movie screens in time to celebrate the auspicious moment. One of those projects was Ridley Scott's 1492 Conquest of Paradise starring Gerard Depardieu as the famed navigator. While arguably the better of two Columbus films to come out that year, the film is a lavish, impeccably produced venture with a terrific performance from its lead actor. However, the film struggles to pack in over a decade of history in a relatively short runtime making the final result feel ungainly while glossing over the central character's treatment of native peoples.

Some men have dreams, other men have destinies. Explorer Christopher Columbus (Gerard Depardieu) is a man with a destiny. Deep within his bones, within his spirit, he knows he's destined to chart a course west across the Atlantic Ocean to the Asian continent. To scholars and the religious magistrates, this path across the infinite ocean is an impossibility. For Columbus, it's merely an inevitability. All he needs to do is convince the right people to fund his voyage and riches will flow into Spain. With the magistrate Sanchez (Armand Assante) on his side, Columbus is granted an audience with Queen Isabel (Sigourney Weaver). With his expedition funded, Columbus must leave his wife Beatrix (Angela Molina) and his family to fulfill his destiny. Little does he know that his discovery will change the course of human history.

Considering the size and scale of the undertaking, one must tip their hat to Ridley Scott for giving it the college try. 1492 Conquest of Paradise often feels like a film that is about to spiral out of control. With so much story to work through, it's difficult to know when and where things are happening. Little time is given to introduce many of the major players or the distinct tribes of native peoples Columbus encountered to fully know and wholly appreciate their relationship to the man. 1492 Conquest of Paradise feels like a six-hour miniseries event compressed into the space of a two and a half hour film. That lack of breathing room often undercuts the thematic importance of certain moments and also forces a glossed-over approach to the numerous genocidal acts and the enslavement of native people committed under Columbus' command.

Because the film tries to do so much in such a short amount of time, 1492 Conquest of Paradise is a Cliffs Notes version of Columbus' discovery of the Americas and his following voyages. The first act allows plenty of time for Columbus to try, fail, and try again at gaining funding for his expedition west to discover a new shorter route to the Asian continent. In this time we get to know his family, wife, sons, and the players within the church and court of Spain who oppose and support his voyage. It's the front end that works best allowing Gerard Depardieu time to portray his Columbus as a man who has numerous motivations to make the voyage and who knows how to turn people over to his cause. It's in these moments that Depardieu along with Weaver as Queen Isabel and Armand Assante's Sanchez where the film finds the most satisfying moments culminating in the beautifully executed sequence of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria setting sail.

What follows are such compressed pieces of historical moments and events that they're covered in quick narration before we're speedily tossed into the second act that covers the building of colonies, his antagonistic relationship with Don Moxica (Michael Wincott) over the treatment of native people, and culminates in a native uprising and hurricane that destroys his colony. Simply put, everything happens just too damn fast to be comfortable. We're given plenty of time to see Depardieu command the screen and deliver a passionate performance as Columbus, but few of the side characters are given any true depth beyond surface motivations. Simply because he wears black and has a gravely voice, we know Wincott's Moxica is the duly appointed bad guy of the film, but his reasons for being aren't fully explained or explored.

At the same time, most of Columbus' own actions are explained away as a man powerless under the heels of necessity. The natives are enslaved because they need a workforce. The film gives him plenty of wiggle room to convey his displeasure of the moment but never condemns him putting the film in a sort of moral quagmire. How do you show all the dirt about your lead character and still have him come off as a hero? Suggestions and allusions are made to acts committed by Columbus, but like everything else within this film, his worst qualities are barely scratched at.

Ever since I was a kid and saw that impressively cryptic teaser trailer that juxtaposes Columbus's landfall with the moon landing, I've been fascinated by 1492 Conquest of Paradise. As one of the most expensive independent productions made, the film was a disastrous flop taking in barely $7,000,000 against a $47,000,000 budget being soundly beaten on opening weekend by Under Siege of all films. Considering the pedigree involved, I can see how critics weren't exactly won over by the final product.

Far from being a terrible film, it's hardly the epic masterpiece Scott envisioned. The flaring of greatness peppered throughout the film only makes its shortfalls that much more painful. While many fall on the sword that the film is too long, I suggest the opposite that it isn't nearly long enough for what it sets out to achieve. More time is needed to fill those gaps and help the themes resonate. Scott's penchant for beautiful visuals and action sequences are fully on display, but they're not enough to salvage his mission to produce the definitive Christopher Columbus film.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

1492 Conquest of Paradise makes its Blu-ray debut courtesy of Kino Lorber and their Studio Classics label. Pressed onto a Region A BD-50 disc. The disc is housed in a standard sturdy Blu-ray case and comes with a booklet featuring the Studio Classics library of titles. The disc loads directly to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options while the Vangelis score plays in the background.
He is by no means a newcomer to the music industry, having started off as a member of the short-lived Lagos based Afro-pop group, Spice.

The band released numerous nominal singles, and were able to garner enough buzz to get signed to Awesome Music.

However, Mista Eshin left for the UK but never abandoned his passion for singing and his dream of making it big in the music business.

This led him to work with producers and artistes such as Eegun, Mr Spriks, Samp and Ghanaian based Cobby Dollar, who produced 'Right mentality'.

His strong output has seen him get compared to the likes of 9ice, Isolate Arafada, Terry Apala and Oritse Femi.

Mista Eshin has displayed a determination to leave his footprints in the sands of the music industry just like those aforementioned before him.

The track has all the required components to kickstart his journey up the musical ladder as it packs a punch with a well produced beat and meaningful lyrics.

He is quite committed to his promise to release more scintillating songs aimed at shooting him into the big league.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, he said if the said allegations are found to be true, that will be a great disservice to the country.

It is the highest form of stupidity. I am using these expressions because I couldnt understand how someone could actually be part of a deal to pay millions to some spy agency and then be given some gadgets he believes is actually a listening and then he hands over the gadget and dumps it away in the garage. Thats the stupidity.

To think that you spent millions to procure a gadget that the person who eventually handed over that gadget into a reclusive area like a garage probably didnt understand what he was getting into. You cant make this stuff up, Mr Cudjoe added.

His comment is a response to claims made by George Oppong, a Ghanaian whose company Infraloks Development Limited (IDL) has been indicted in the scandal.

George Oppong earlier indicated that the eavesdropping equipment supposed to have been procured and installed are lying unused in the garage of some former officials of NCA.

George Oppong had been accused of conniving with three former officials in the Mahama administration, to drain the state of $4 million through the purchase of the equipment for national security.

But Mr. Oppong in the statement denied conniving with the said officials to syphon state money, maintaining that his contract was genuine.

However, the NCA officials allegedly withdrew $4 million from the accounts of the NCA which they failed to account for.

Meanwhile, Franklin Cudjoe said this scandal means that boards must also be checked so they do not commit such major financial malfeasances.
According to the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, even though they are keeping the situation under control, they also needed to find the perpetrators and deal with them according to the law.

A 43-year-old man was killed on Friday around 3 pm at Alavanyo after he had stepped out to attend to a project.

His death adds to three the number of persons who have been killed in May 2017 despite the tight security in the area.

It will be recalled that earlier this month, a 15-year-old boy Prince Ankutse was shot dead. A middle-aged woman was also killed by some unknown persons.

Many have attributed the recent deaths in the area to the conflict between the Alavanyo and Nkonya communities over land.

READ ALSO: Man shot in Wa

Residents of Nkoya and Alavanyo have been fighting for years over a piece of land. The fighting has led to several deaths and destruction of properties.

The government is threatening to take over the piece of land but some of the chiefs at the centre of the feud have rejected the proposal.
He said these principles even though they are enshrined in the practice of Islam are also critical to the development of Ghana.

I pray that in this month and beyond, we strive to live by these values, so that, even beyond Ramadan, we continue to commit ourselves to the good of humankind and our fellow Ghanaians. We have an opportunity to realise our potential as the Black Star of Africa, and it is my belief that the principles that Ramadan seeks to inculcate in Muslims are important for realising this objective.

Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. Find below President Akufo-Addos full message

PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDOS RAMADAN MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS

I send fraternal greetings to Muslims in Ghana and around the world on the occasion of the Ramadan fast.

The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed and which has been instituted for Muslims to dedicate themselves to God and to the service of humankind. It is a month of intense devotion and commitment to the principles of love, sacrifice and dedication to duty.

I pray that in this month and beyond, we strive to live by these values, so that, even beyond Ramadan, we continue to commit ourselves to the good of humankind and our fellow Ghanaians. We have an opportunity to realize our potential as the Black Star of Africa, and it is my belief that the principles that Ramadan seeks to inculcate in Muslims are important for realizing this objective.

Once again, I wish all Muslims the best of the month. May the Almighty Allah bless us all, and make our nation great and strong.

signed

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
This comes as Ghana inches closer to adopting nuclear energy as part of efforts to increase power generation sources for industrial and domestic use.

The global body responsible for overseeing the safe use of nuclear energy, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has very strict guidelines for that countries looking to use nuclear materials should follow. This has made many countries especially in the developing world disinterested in adopting nuclear energy to augment power shortages.

However, according to the the Director General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Benjamin Nyarko, Ghana is every ready to comply.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM that "Nuclear power plants have inbuilt safety systems already. After the Fukushima [nuclear accident in Japan] they studied it and put in different safety measures and it is always like that for all the accidents. We in Ghana have operated a research reactor for the past 22 years...
In a widely circulated audio on social media, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso is heard criticising a journalist for asking him if he was incompetent as purported by former MP for the Kwadaso Constituency, Madam Hilda Addo.

The voice in the audio which many have ascribed to be that of the 59-year-old farmer interjected the journalist in his quest to get the Ministers response to the accusations being hailed on him.

Thats very disrespectful the word incompetence and I dont want you to use that word on me. If shes crazy to use those words I dont want you to repeat it on me, you know that is very offensive the minister advised.

According to Hilda Addo, members of the constituency had contacted her to lament over the Ministers inefficiency as their Member of Parliament.

I dont want you to talk to me in these times Do you know who I am, do you know what I have created in this life of mine for a journalist like you to tell me that I am incompetent. If youre repeating somebodys words its your words as well. You shouldnt be that insubordinate he said.

A very peeved Dr Afriyie Akoto continues to rebuke the journalist in the audio by adding that I dont know how old you are but my son will be older than you, you understand, even the owner of your station does not come anywhere near my standard in terms of life achievement so you have to learn to be respectful, dont use those words on me

A son of the late Bafuor Osei Akoto, the Chief Linguist to the Asantehene and founder of the National Liberation Movement during the 1950s, Dr Afriyie Akoto first contested the Kwadaso seat in 2000 when it was still part of the Bantama constituency but lost his partys parliamentary primaries.

In 2004, after Bantama constituency (Florida) was divided into three  Nhyiaeso, Kwadaso and Bantama he attempted to enter into parliament via the Kwadaso Constituency but lost to Hilda Josephine Addo. He, however, won on his third attempt in 2008 beating his fiercest rival Hilda Addo and again in 2012 as well as 2016.
The primary goal of the "war room" will be to more aggressively fire back at fallout in the wake of Trump's abrupt firing of FBI director James Comey on May 9.

Following Comey's firing, the White House was besieged by a slew of negative news stories that raised further questions about the president's and his associates' ties to Russia.

That included Trump's statement that "this Russia thing" had been a factor in his decision to fire Comey, who was spearheading the FBI's investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign; reports that Trump shared highly-classified intelligence with Russian officials; and reports that Trump asked Comey to drop the FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn back in Feburary.

Recently, it emerged that Trump reportedly asked top intelligence officials to publicly push back against the Russia probe, and that senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak to discuss the creation of a secret "backchannel" between the US and Russia through Russian facilities in an attempt to bypass US surveillance.

The proposed war room, Axios reported, will be filled with "experienced veterans

Kushner, the Post noted, has advocated a proposal to have more Trump surrogates speak out on his behalf and to create a group within the White House whose goal is to push back against continuing Trump-Russia revelations.

"
TBoss was pictured with Senator Melaye at the lawmakers  book launch in Abuja.

The picture got tongues wagging.

But speaking at a breakfast buffet at Shirleys Confectionery, Abuja on Saturday, May 27, 2017, TBoss denied having any relationship with Senator Melaye

It was a book launch and the people I work with also work with him, TBoss said.

So we got an invitation for the book launch, I was in Abuja and I went there with my company. End of story.

Senator Dino Melaye is a bit funny (you know). Buts thats all. End of story, she added.

Reacting to the question on why she was yet to visit her state (Edo) like other housemates, TBoss said: They have reached out to me several times but my schedule is actually very tight. Sometimes, when they are ready, I am not  and when Im ready, they are not. But I will surely visit my state soon.

The reality star said she has remained connected to other housemates despite the fact that they stay in different cities.

She also said that her absence at Efe's 'Based on Logistics' video shoot was not intentional.

The breakfast buffet which coincided with this years Childrens Day celebration saw the reality star interacting with kids at the facility.

Excited fans also took turns to take quick selfies with the reality star.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this during the 24th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) in Abuja.

The News Agency pf Nigeria reports that the minister was represented at the occasion by the Director, Hospital Services , Dr Joseph Amedu.

The theme of 2017 conference is  Let Make Nigeria Hepatitis Free.

According to the minister,Hepatitis is important as it affects the liver, without presentation with any weighty symptoms until it has caused severe damage and chronic liver disease, liver cancer and untimely death.

He said the conference was appropriate, as it would create the necessary awareness on the menace of viral Hepatitis.

This will in no small measure reduce the dangers associated with lack of knowledge of the disease and prevent it from reaching epidemic levels like meningitis and the Ebola virus.

Adewole said as operators of private hospitals in country, the guild was an indispensable partner in contributing 60 to 70 per cent stake in achieving the healthcare delivery in the country.

I therefore urge you all to reciprocate governments gesture of Public Private Partnership with dedication and commitment to your duty of care and shun situation that will make you abandon your responsibilities.

Let us work together in peace and harmony to give the health sector the change the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration intends for the health sector.

In a keynote address, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, a Consultant Public Health Physician , called for increased awareness of hepatitis and provision of safe and effective vaccines in the country.

The key intervention to make the country free from hepatitis is to prevent mother to child transmission of the disease.

Others are safe injection practices and safe blood as well as safer sex which include the use of condoms to prevent the disease, he said.

Anyaike called for partnership with government, Civil Society Organisations and the private sector to reduce the menace of the disease.

He said that such partnership must be tailored with concrete action and national plan.
Genres : Action

Starring : Henry Douthwaite, Lara Lemon, Yvonne O Grady, Jack Gover

Director : Glen Kirby

Plot Synopsis

An ex-SAS (Special Air Service of the British Army) recluse, living in the mountains of France to escape a traumatic past, is hunted down by those who's lives he has destroyed.
Ahmed said this in Ilorin on Sunday during an interactive session with journalists at the Government House as part of the 50 anniversary of the creation of Kwara.

The challenge is to reform the local governments so that their capacities to generate revenue are improved.

Our local councils were created along political lines. Presently, they lack the capacity to generate revenue because their economic base is weak.

States cannot reform the local governments; it requires Federal Government and constitution amendment to effect such reform.

The reform of the local governments will broaden their revenue base to meet their obligations to the people at the grassroots, the governor added.

The governor said the Joint Allocation Committee does not join Kwara government with the local governments in the state, adding that it is a joint committee among the 16 local governments in Kwara.

It is difficult for the state government to always augment the local governments salaries because such intervention is not included in the budget.

Ahmed declared that Kwara had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country due to governments intervention in youth empowerment, adding,  we want to build on that.

He said that the ongoing water reticulation will soon be completed to alleviate the problem.

The governor assured the people that, they will see increase in human capital development and support for tertiary institutions in the next two years.

In the coming months, more roads will be rehabilitated and new ones constructed.

In the health sector, we will see additional general hospitals rehabilitated, equipped and staffed.

Kwara will become a major agric hub. Our creation of the Agro Mall is to supply input to farmers and act as a link between farmers, markets and resources, Ahmed added.

The governor declared that education was free in public schools in the state because tuition is free.
The presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, disclosed this when he featured on an interactive radio programme, Hannu Da Yawa on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN Kaduna.

The programme was part of activities to commemorate the second anniversary of the Buhari administration.

He also revealed that the Buhari administration had further directed that regular monthly remittances be made into the Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund (RBBRF) with the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure the continuity of timely payment of benefits to retirees.

According to him, under the Buhari administration, the PTAD has saved N5.7 billion through the efficient administration of the pensions of parastatals and universities.

In addition, pension assets increased from N4.96 trillion in June 2015 to N6.42 trillion as at March, 2017, indicating a growth of over 29 percent.

The government of President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to ensure the strengthening and accountability of PTAD, the presidential spokesman assured.

Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said the Buhari administration had brought to an end the series of fraud and scandals around the issue of pensions in Nigeria.

He said that this feat was achieved by strengthening the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), which had introduced a number of innovative measures over the past two years.

According to him, one of the measures is the automation of pension payment processes.

Shehu noted that the Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy had also been implemented in the pension scheme, with over 103,000 civil service pensioners verified.

Pensioner records have also been digitalised for secure archiving, with thousands of thousands of old, physical pension folders converted to e-files.

In addition, the government of President Buhari has enforced a new level of commitment to the welfare of pensioners and retirees, with the PTAD creating an automated and centrally administered complaints management process with a dedicated call centre that receives and treats over 200 calls on a daily basis, he said.

He stated that in contrast to the past when a record number of pensioners died on queues trying to get their rights, the new arrangement ensure that the pensioners are attended to with utmost care.

He added that the arrangement had also provided conducive atmosphere for verification, food and water as well as wheelchairs for those that have mobility challenges, adding that infirmed pensioners were verified at their home or hospital.

The Senior Special Assistant also claimed in the programme that the reform carried out by the administration in the National Drug Law Environment Agency (NDLEA), had brought respect to Nigerian international travelers who now face less harassment at airports in other lands.

He revealed that under the present administration, the NDLEA had seized more than one million kilogrammes of various drugs, destroyed about 110,000 hectares of drug farms and arrested 17,000 suspected drugs dealers.
The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra had called on citizens of South-East to stay at home on May 30 to observe their anniversary.

Ekweremmadu gave the advice on Sunday at an Inter-denominational church service at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Abakaliki, to commemorate 2017 Democracy Day and Gov. David Umahis second year in office.

Individuals who operate private businesses and want to stay-at-home on that day should stay, while those who want to operate their businesses should be allowed to do so.

I believe that civil and public workers should be ready to go to work on that day as I appeal that no group should force people to stay at home against their wishes, he added.

The deputy senate president called on the agitators to embrace dialogue and constructive engagement in pursuing their agitation; not coercion or other forms of armed struggle.

The struggles and concerns are genuine but with the collaboration of all and constructive engagement, we will surely get to our destination no matter how long it takes.

Black Americans agitated for a long time before Barack Obama became president in 2008, likewise in India, it took constructive engagement for the people to actualise their agitation.

South Africa despite racial disturbances and black oppression, employed constructive engagement and intervention of the western world and African interests such as Nigerias, to dismantle apartheid, he said.

Ekweremadu congratulated the people of Ebonyi on the second year in office of their governor.

He noted that the state had matured politically and socially, adding that any indigene could aspire for any political office in the state.

In his remark, Umahi noted that no individual or group would force the citizens of the state to stay-at-home on May 30.

I have met the leadership of these groups on various occasions and discovered that most of their agitations are correct but the ways they seek to actualise them can be faulted.

I have also met the leadership of market unions in the state and we resolved that markets would be open on that day and no trader or any other individual will be molested, he said.

The governor said that the case of Ebonyi was different as the state had suffered untold marginalisation right from its days in old Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Abia states.

The deputy senate president is fighting marginalisation of the Igbos at the federal level; when this is addressed, we will start our own agitation of marginalisation as a state.

Ebonyi does not believe in regional government because we will continue suffering deprivation but believe in the restructuring of the country to address all imbalances, he said.

In his homily, Rev. Fr Abraham Nwali urged political and economic leaders in the state to build industries instead of embarking on non-direct-impact projects such as hotels.

The governor should be supported in his desire to ensure that sachet water companies are constructed in the three senatorial zones of the state, he said.
Prof. Osinbajo spoke today at the G7 Summit special outreach forum on Africa with selected African nations and leaders including Nigeria, Guinea, Tunisia, Niger, Ethiopia and Kenya.

According to him, "Africa is confident of the future because we have learnt,...we are investing more in education, insisting on good governance and holding ourselves to account."

"But the greatest reason for our optimism is in the incredible energy, talent and creativity of our young people, male and female who are completely undeterred by the failures of the past and are daily taking advantage of innovation and technology bringing about the Africa of our dreams," the Acting President stated.

While assuring the G7 countries of Africa's increasing collaboration as never before in trade, counter terrorism and strengthening democracy, Prof Osinbajo commended the seven most industrialized nations of world for their support in the fight against Boko Haram terrorism, especially the US, France and the United Kingdom as effective partners in the Lake Chad basin, citing the successes of "our joint intelligent unit which has provided useful and timely intelligence in the war against terrorism."

On the progress made so far in the country, Prof Osinbajo highlighted that there is massive increase in rice yield over the past two years, distribution of fertilizer subsidies to farmers, who have also benefited from an e-wallet system which guaranteed that the subsidies actually gets to the farmers.

Continuing, he said the N-Power programme which has started engaging some of the up to five hundred thousand young previously unemployed graduates instalmentally as teachers, agricultural extension workers and public health professionals "is a breakthrough in mass post-tertiary education."

He said the participants were recruited online in all states in the nation mostly using mobile phones, adding that participants were soon to receive their electronic tablet devices and can access an N-Power portal that contain required training materials for acquisition of more skills to carry out their duties.

Other world leaders including from the African Union, Chairman of the African Union, United Nations, OECD, IMF, AfDB and World Bank were at the summit, besides leaders of the G7 countries.

On the entourage,of the Acting President were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, Special Adviser to the on Economic Matters, Dr. Yemi Dipeolu, the Nigeria Charge d' Affairs in Italy, Mrs Bisi Meshioye.
"Tinubu and others were responsible for my travails during the Nigeria Ports Authority crisis when I was sent to prison for doing nothing. I can only wish Obanikoro the best of luck," George said.

In a recent interview, the former military governor of Ondo State denies being a sworn enemy to Tinubu as it is widely spread.

He said: "Bola (Tinubu) and I are not sworn enemies. Bola and I met during the burial of Alao Arisekola in Ibadan. That was the first time I saw him physically after I left the military. I was seated in the front row at the stadium. As I was going out, I saw him but refused to greet him. Then Governor Abiola Ajimobi jumped up and said, Egbon, you did not greet Bola Tinubu? I said, why would I greet him? Did you know what he did against me where he got the court to convict me for an offence I never committed?

Continuing, he said: "But Oba Otudeko advised that we should use Arisekolas death to settle the disagreement. I asked Ajimobi to go and call Bola (Tinubu). He (Tinubu) came to where I was and we shook hands. He said, Egbon, e mabinu (Dont be offended). I am not God. So, since then, we settled our disagreement. The prison experience was a period of learning for me."

ALSO READ:

George also pointed out that though he has forgiven Tinubu, he needs to tell the younger ones about what caused their rift.
Fanwo Kingsley, the DG Media and Publicity to the Governor denied the claims which was reportedly circulated by Safiya Musa.

"Our attention has been drawn to an unsolicited and derogatory publication doing the round and allegedly circulated by one to the effect that the Executive Governor of Kogi State has admitted committing double PVC registration.

"We crave the understanding of the public to the fact that the said Safiya Musa was not speaking on behalf of the Governor of Kogi State," the statement reads.

Continuing, the DG Media and Publicity to the Governor said: "Safiya Musa is not a spokesperson to the Governor, not an appointee of the New Direction Government, not a friend of the Governor and therefore lacks any locus standi to speak for or on behalf of the Governor.

"We therefore urge the public to disregard any message which emanates from her on any issue which has to do with the government and office of the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji .
INEC National Commissioner, retired Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Muazu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the exercise was going on smoothly in all the 27 LGAs of the state.

INEC had sought the assistance of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the deployment of personnel and materials required for the conduct of the CVR in Damboa, Chibok, Goza, Bama, and Gala/Balge LGAs of Borno.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mamood Yakubu, made the request when he led the commissions management on a courtesy visit on the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on April 27 in Abuja.

Muazu said the exercise was now ongoing in all the 774 LGAs across the country, following the intervention of the Air Force in the airlift of INEC staff and materials to affected five LGAs of Borno.

The continuous voter registration in Borno commenced the same day with other states except in five local governments where we had challenge of deployment of staff and materials to INEC offices in affected LGAs.

This made the INEC Chairman to visit the Chief of Air Staff, , to solicit the assistance of the Air Force in the airlift of materials and personnel to the five LGAs.

The request was graciously given instant approval by the Chief of Air Staff.

The Air Force has tremendously assisted us to commence the exercise in Borno just few days after the nationwide commencement of the exercise on April 27, Muazu said.

He added that the air force had also been assisting INEC in monitoring the exercise in the state.

Asked for update on the exercise nationwide, Muazu noted that it had been peaceful and encouraging.

The commission has been addressing the identified challenges and we also have a plan for mid-term review of the exercise to proffer solutions to the identified problems as the exercise continues.

NAN recalled that INEC commenced the nationwide CVR on April 27.

INEC chairman had stated that with peace being restored in the North-East and several people had returned to their towns and villages, the commission had challenges in deploying its personnel and materials in five LGAs in Borno.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat called for a review of Jared Kushner's security clearance over questions of whether he was truthful about his contacts with Russia.



Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) spoke to ABC News' Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview on This Week Sunday in the wake of revelations that Kushner, the son-in-law and senior adviser to President Trump, talked to the Russian ambassador about establishing a backchannel for communications in December, before Trump took office.



If these allegations are true and he had discussions with the Russians about establishing a backchannel and didn't reveal that, that's a real problem in terms of whether he should maintain that kind of a security clearance, Schiff said.



"There ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid" about his Russia contacts, Schiff added in an apparent reference to what Kushner may have submitted in the security clearance application process. "If not, then there's no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance."



Kushner, who met with the Russian ambassador in December along with Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, asked for backchannel communications to discuss Syria and other policy matters, sources told ABC News.



The Democratic National Committee is calling for Kushner's security clearance to be suspended until the federal investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties to Trump associates is completed.



"The FBI's Russia investigation reached Trump's backyard, and now it's in his house," the DNC Deputy Communications Director Adrienne Watson said in a statement Thursday. "Kushner's security clearance should be suspended until the FBI's findings are complete."



U.S. intelligence operatives reportedly learned about Kushner's interest in backchannel talks through communications that Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak had with Moscow. Raddatz said Kislyak must know "hes being monitored all the time" and asked Schiff if it was possible the Russians wanted U.S. intelligence to hear what the Russian ambassador said about Kushner.



"Could it be a ruse" by Russia to get Americans to suspect Kushner? Raddatz asked.



Schiff responded, "Certainly in dealings with the Russians, they're very sophisticated. You always have to take into consideration that the Russians may be doing things that are designed to throw you off the track or provoke discord."



He added that it's "hard to understand" why this would be a ruse. "Why would they want to undermine the very government that they hope to have a good relationship with?"

Schiff said he expects Kushner to be asked to testify before the House Intelligence Committee.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Genres : Action, Crime, Thriller

Starring : Hsiao-chuan Chang, Amber Kuo, Leon Lai

Director : Ringo Lam

Plot Synopsis

In this driving, non-stop action thriller, the chief security officer at a top-secret medical facility finds himself caught in an explosive battle when a young thief and his accomplices steal a groundbreaking curative medicine. After discovering the true origins of the medicine, the officer must decide whom he can trust to protect the cure from falling into the wrong hands and prevent an all-out war from bringing the city to its knees.




In a recent interview with Punch, George explained that he kicked against Obanikoro's governorship ambition because he wanted all the coveted positions that other party members aspire to hold in PDP.

He said: "During the last administration, I led a delegation from the South-West to Jonathan. I complained that there was no indigenous minister from Lagos State in his government. Jonathan said he would satisfy us. He then asked us to bring three names from Lagos, that he would consider one of them as a minister. I called a meeting of all the leaders from the senatorial districts in my compound to nominate names from each district.

Obanikoros name was last in the Lagos-Central senatorial district. They didnt vote for him. I gave them free hand to nominate and vote. After voting, they gave me three names which I took to Jonathan.

Continuing, George said: "Jonathan wanted a woman as a minister. He rejected the initial names we submitted and asked us to nominate three qualified women for the job. I took the message back to Lagos. They nominated the women and I took the paper back to the president, to choose any of the three women we suggested. Then I travelled (out of the country). When I came back, Obanikoro came to my house and prostrated before me.

ALSO READ: Bode George says PDP will perform better than Lagos Gov

"I asked him what the problem was. I said, I hope you have not committed any crime? He said no. He said Jonathan had chosen him to be a minister and that he had got his appointment letter. He said he was asked to come and seek my support. I said the final decision on who would represent Lagos could only be taken by the President. I said there was no way I would challenge Jonathans decision. Obanikoro went to the Senate for confirmation and the likes of Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu and other APC senators opposed his nomination. But David Mark was able to manouvre for him and he was confirmed. Obanikoro left there and came straight to my house to come and thank me. He thought I would oppose him. I said, Obanikoro, listen, I am a Christian. If you want to be minister, go and be. God must have said you will be a minister.
According to a report by Punch, the PDP senators' caucus aren't happy with Uba, who defected to the All Progressive Congress on February 21, 2017 after winning the seat under the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.

It was further reported that the minority lawmakers are planning to take their protests to President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki to demand Uba's sack as the committee chairman.

Earlier, the PDP caucus had demanded that Uba be removed as chairman of the committee a day after he formally announced his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress on the floor of the Senate chamber.

The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had said, That position belongs to the PDP and it was the party that contested the election in Anambra.

The Public Accounts Committee, which exists in the Senate and House of Representatives, is the only committee in the National Assembly recognised by the Constitution and is traditionally headed by a member of the opposition.

ALSO READ: Supreme court removes Andy Uba from Senate
The pair, who exchanged marital vows in front of few family members, friends and colleagues, already have two kids together.

Moses has a five-year-old son Brentley and a two-year-old daughter Nyah.

Having managed to keep this family very private, not much is known about his wife but it is reported that Moses' bride is an English woman of Nigerian descent.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the rally, and demonstrators fought back by hurling Molotov cocktails and stones.

Demonstrations that kicked off in late March have claimed the lives of 58 people, as opposition leaders seek to ramp up pressure on Venezuela's leftist president, whose already-low popularity has cratered amid shortages of food and medicines, among other economic woes.

Saturday's protest in Caracas was held to mark 10 years since the government shuttered a popular television station.

The network, RCTV, was shut down by Maduro's predecessor, the late populist leader Hugo Chavez, after more than a half-century on the air, for its outspoken criticism of his government.

The move "was an atrocious act against freedom of expression," Julio Borges, leader of the opposition-led legislature, said at the protest.

At the time, officials said the move to close RCTV aimed to "democratize" the airwaves in Venezuela.

Since its demise, a state television broadcaster, TVES, was founded and has been operating in its stead.

The government also ordered the Spanish version of CNN off the air in February, accusing it of broadcasting "war propaganda."

"You never find out about anything. We have to get information from Facebook and social media on the internet, through international TV channels," said Matilde Quintero, a retiree marching through Caracas wearing a cap with the yellow, blue and red colors of the national flag.

In a speech, Maduro praised staff at TVES, saying "for 10 years they have been broadcasting humanist television."

Maduro also stood by his plan to elect a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution and do so without input from opposition parties. Opposition leaders call this a ploy to avoid early elections and cling to power.

On Friday, riot police greeted throngs of protesters who rallied at a complex of buildings housing the defense ministry in Caracas.

Demonstrators had hoped to sway the support of the armed forces against Maduro, who has been resisting opposition calls for early elections.
The 34-year-old retired National Guard lieutenant, who has yet to be identified, was beaten and shot to death by attackers Saturday night in the town of Cabudare in the western state of Lara, prosecutors said.

They did not link the man's death to the wave of sometimes violent anti-government protests that have raged for 58 straight days, with a death toll that now stands at 59.

"It is a hate crime," Maduro said on his weekly program on state-run VTV.

"He was attacked by a group of criminals, killers, violent demonstrators who beat him and then finished him off. Is this political opposition? It is criminal terrorism," the president said.

The nationwide demonstrations kicked off in late March, with opposition leaders seeking the removal of Venezuela's leftist president, whose already-low popularity has cratered amid severe shortages of food and medicines, among other economic woes.

The government also announced the death of a 20-year-old man injured in the abdomen during a protest Saturday in the city of Lecheria in the eastern state of Anzoategui. He belonged to a party led by a jailed opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez.

News reports said the slain officer was taking photos during a memorial ceremony for someone who died during the protest wave. People interpreted this as spying and began attacking him.

Maduro said opposition leaders were complicit in the attack because they did not condemn it.

But opposition leaders on Saturday did in fact come out against the attack.

Freddy Guevara, deputy speaker of the National Assembly, the only government body in Venezuela that is controlled by the opposition, called it a lynching.
Trump told service members at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, that they are the greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever seen, the U.S. Department of State said.

Trump spoke to service members and their families at the end of his first overseas trip as president, and he detailed the trip to them, according to the Department.

Our travels took us to some of the holiest sites in the three Abrahamic religions, and to gatherings of both Americas oldest and newest friends.

We traveled the world to strengthen longstanding alliances, and to form a new partnership among nations devoted to the task of eradicating the terrorism that plagues our planet, Trump said.

The President said he was more confident than ever that the will existed for nations to work together against the terrorists that launched recent attacks in Manchester, England, and in Egypt.

Together, civilized nations will crush the terrorists, block their funding, strip them of their territory, and drive them out of this Earth, Trump told the service members.

Trumps first stop on the trip was in Saudi Arabia, where he spoke at a summit of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim and Arab nations.

His second stop was in Israel and Palestine, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The U.S. leader said he believes both Netanyahu and Abbas sincerely wanted peace in the troubled region.

The president then stopped in Rome and met with Pope Francis: It was truly an honour to meet the Pope and to pray for peace on those hallowed grounds, he said.

Trump then moved on to Brussels for a NATO summit, saying he got a commitment from allies to increase their defense spending, and the alliance itself committed to joining the coalition against terror.

Finally, he attended the G-7 Summit in Taormina, Italy. I called for much greater security and cooperation on matters of both terrorism and immigration migration to protect our citizens, he said.

The president believes he has paved the way for a new era of cooperation among the nations of the world to defeat the common enemy of terrorism and provide our children with a much more hopeful future.

And American service members provide much of the security and strength that will be needed against the terrorists.

I want you to know that you have a commander in chief who will never, ever forget, he said. Never, ever.
"The Forgotten Few" will be forgotten no more.

During a special ceremony Saturday at City Cemetery in Davenport, 20 headstones were dedicated honoring 19 Civil War veterans and one veteran from the Spanish-American War.

The event was called The Forgotten Few: A Veterans Remembrance Ceremony.

For generations to come, people will know that these men served their country, said Jason Morin, a historian with the Army Sustainment Command at the Rock Island Arsenal, and the keynote speaker.

The event came about after Kory Darnall, of Davenport, who has volunteered at the cemetery for years, was researching burials and helping to make improvements.

But he soon discovered that not all veterans buried in the cemetery have headstones. He was aware of a Veterans Administration gravestone program that funds new headstones for vets. So, he contacted Coky Powers of Davenport, a retired school librarian, to help in track down documentation.

Eventually, they were able to identify names and get backgrounds on all 20 soldiers buried there in need of headstones.

Most of the soldiers were from Germany, she said.

The program was arranged by Natalie Woodhurst, coordinator of veterans recruitment and services at St. Ambrose University, Davenport.

"It was very exciting, Woodhurst said. It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. And it was very exciting to finally give them their recognition.

The event included the Honor Guard from the Rock Island Arsenal, taps being played; the Blackhawk Pipes and Drums of the Quad-Cities played the drums and bagpipes; local artist Don Mitchem sang, and there also was a 21-gun salute and 1862 cannon fire.

A crowd of about 100 attended.

I just wanted to be part of this, said B.J. Wilson of Galesburg, Mich., who was visiting her sister who lives in the area.

Karen Crum of East Moline is doing research on her family history and has come across a Heinrich Gerdts, one of the names on the new headstones.

I am curious about one marker, but I do not know if he is connected to this or not, saying she does not know if the Gerdts on the headstone is her relative.

A family reunion of sorts took place after the event when several distant relatives of Carl Wendt gathered to take pictures of his new marker. He was a Civil War veteran who was killed while fishing in 1901.

Sheila Schafer and Sherry Murphy, both of Rock Island, said they were distance cousins to Carl Wendt.

But suddenly Mike Wendt of East Moline came over to the marker on display and they asked if he was a Wendt. He told them he is the great, great-grandson of Carl Wendt. They all had never met.

He is finally getting the honor he deserves, Mike Wendt said of Carl. The family is happy he is being recognized. He was captured at the Battle of Bull Run and sent to Fort Sumter in Andersonville, Ga. He escaped and came all the way back to Cordova, where he lived.

I think this event is cool, Murphy said. I am finding so much more about my family history after all these years.
Aaron Weeg, known in the music scene as DJ Guilty Sparkk, sees Rapid City as an untapped market for electronic dance music, or EDM.

"Nobody has really considered looking at Rapid City just because it is all top 40 and country music," says Weeg. "But that was everywhere a couple years ago. I am talking to bigger labels now. With them seeing that there are actually talented individuals here, maybe then that will open their eyes to Rapid City. The market here is genuine.

Weeg may be on to something: Just last weekend, hundreds of people attended an EDM concert featuring local DJs called Under the Lights at the Central State Fairgrounds.

Weeg hopes the success of the event will show big labels that there is a market for EDM music in the Black Hills. The Rapid City native moved to Salt Lake City two years ago to pursue his music career, and now he wants to bring the EDM scene to his hometown.

The concert on May 20 included an opening performance by Tristan Picotte, 21, an electrical engineering student at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Picotte said DJing allows him to combine his passion for music and electrical engineering by making lighting control systems, power systems and sound systems.

He plans on minoring in computer science, since it will help him learn more about programming DJ control systems. Picotte began researching and working with LED systems so he can improve lighting at local shows.

I would like to do a really large screen for a few of the shows in Rapid to have something cool to use, he said as he showed off a small panel of LEDs he has been tinkering with.

While music has always been a part of his identity, Picotte only started DJing two years ago after getting involved with the local EDM scene.

Picotte, who is from Eagle Butte, describes the EDM scene in Rapid City as kind of hidden, kind of very hidden. Only two clubs  Kol and Teddy's SportsBar & NightClub  play the music regularly, and because it's a small community most of the DJs know each other.

For Picotte, DJing is more than just playing music. It about understanding how to mix music based on how the crowd is reacting.

I mix music together in a way that is pleasurable to the ear," he said. "There's kind of a small ebb and flow when DJing that you have to pay attention to. It has to do with playing highs and lows, amping up a crowd or chilling things out a bit.

Under the Lights was a sign that Rapid City is warming up to the genre, he said.

Under the Lights is actually one of the first big EDM events in Rapid for as long as I can remember. You wouldnt hear about something like this in Rapid five years ago.
PIERRE | Five years ago, when the Legislature established the Building South Dakota program, the economic development effort gushed with cash.

Much more, in fact, than could be spent for its intent to expand to create jobs and boost the economy of the state. The program sought to: create workforce housing and workforce education opportunities; pay for local infrastructure improvements to assist labor projects; offer economic development partnership grants for nonprofits and local governments; and extend business grants for projects costing less than $20 million.

Since then, amid a recent major drop in state tax revenues, the funding stream that once looked so vibrant faces the prospect of getting choked down to a trickle, according to some current and former legislators, including a few who want to end the program or change how it spends state money.

And yet, top officials including the governor say the program is stable and successful, despite any criticisms.

The financial status report from the state Bureau of Finance and Management  also known as the governors budget office  suggests the program remains awash in cash for at least another year.

Numbers provided Friday by Liza Clark, commissioner for the bureau, showed cash balances totaling $17.1 million as of April 30.

Clark cautioned that some of the money might be obligated but hasnt been spent yet.

Nonetheless, thats a lot of money for a program that normally runs on $8 million or less per year.

She also provided numbers showing the programs revenues totaled nearly $39.5 million through April 30.

The revenues included a 2013 appropriation of $7 million; a 2014 appropriation of $30 million; interest earnings through April 2017 of $447,252; and $2,041,900 from the states 2 percent contractor excise tax on projects costing more than $20 million.

Even so, reducing the flow might be what Gov. Dennis Daugaard and his Cabinet members want, especially given the current condition of South Dakotas economy.

Since mid-2016, state sales-tax receipts have come into the treasury millions of dollars behind the Legislatures estimates.

Daugaard, a Republican, disliked some features that legislators put into the program in 2013. He signed the bill into law anyway.

His original position  that he preferred the program be less sweeping, if it was necessary at all  hasnt substantially changed.

So are there parts of Building South Dakota I like better than others? Yes, Daugaard said in a recent interview.

The governor said some legislators have a misunderstanding that Building South Dakota doesnt have revenue adequate for its ongoing needs. He said it does.

Its important for the Legislature to understand the current income streams that are available for funding, Daugaard said.

Republican Corey Brown of Gettysburg signed the original legislation for the Building South Dakota Fund as the prime sponsor in 2013.

Now the former senator says he is concerned about the programs future.

Without a stable, ongoing revenue stream it is going to be very difficult to build on the progress that's already been accomplished. Brown said.

For example, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in terms of housing, in both rural and urban areas, he said.

In addition, Brown continued, there are still numerous examples of infrastructure projects that would help leverage large investments that would benefit the entire state.

Lending capacity for local development corporations remains a concern, too, for Brown, although he acknowledged he was pleased to see the Governors Office of Economic Development making a renewed effort to engage smaller communities.

Brown retired from the Legislature in 2016 after serving four two-year terms in the Senate, including terms as president pro tem, the chambers top member. He spent his last year in the more contentious role of Senate Republican majority leader.

Brown left because he was term-limited in the Senate. Rather than run for a first term in the state House of Representatives, he took a larger role in the familys insurance business at Gettysburg.

Voters in 1992 put term limits into the South Dakota Constitution for legislators and most executive officials. Legislators are limited to election to four consecutive terms in the same chamber.

A term-limited legislator can run for the other chamber or do something else for a term before seeking election to the same chamber again.

That has caused turnover among legislators. So have retirements and election defeats. Turnover might be a reason why legislation this year seeking a permanent funding stream for Building South Dakota couldnt get out of a House committee.

That dead end came just five years after the original legislation for Building South Dakota won final approval by giant margins of 31-2 in the Senate and 60-6 in the House.

How much turnover? Of the 105 lawmakers who served in the 2013 session, only 52 remained in the 2017 session, according to a comparison of the official rosters for those years.

Sen. Stace Nelson, who voted against the programs creation in 2013 as a House member, now thinks Building South Dakota should be disbanded.

Yes, I am concerned that it remains in South Dakota's future, Nelson, R-Fulton, said. The record of this type of crony capitalism in South Dakota is highlighted with repeated cases of corruption which people have yet to answer for."

He added, I would support gutting it and the Governor's Office of Economic Development completely and returning the oversight of such expenditures of South Dakota taxpayer monies to the public legislative process.

Building South Dakotas creation came in the months after voters rejected the governors large-projects tax refund program in the November 2012 election, and just as Wells Fargo, a nationwide bank system, relocated its charter to South Dakota.

Wells Fargos arrival meant many additional millions of dollars streamed into state governments unclaimed-property account. The account is intended for safekeeping, until the owners can be found.

Building South Dakota was built on state governments track record regarding unclaimed property. Year after year, less than half of the money and valuables were returned to the owners or heirs.

Under the 2013 legislation, Building South Dakota would receive one-half of the value that remained. But with Wells Fargo suddenly sending millions of dollars more into the treasury as unclaimed, there was more money than legislators knew what to do with.

For the 2014 session, Daugaard made an offer to the Legislature: He promised to appropriate $30 million, at a rate of $10 million annually.

Building South Dakota had been in line for about $7.5 million annually under the 2013 legislation. The governors offer was that much plus an increase of about one-third.

Lawmakers took the $30 million deal, voting for it 31-4 in the Senate and 52-18 in the House.

Said Brown, I believe the reason that many of us agreed to the lump-sum proposal for three years was that it was clear that without that change, the state would have had very dramatic shortfalls in terms of funding things like education and health care."

Tony Venhuizen, the governors chief of staff, said Friday there was a longer horizon possible.

One thing to remember, said Venhuizen, when the governor proposed the $30 million funding, he said it would last at least three years. Currently it appears that it will last at least four.

If that proves true, it would help explain why the Republican governor and his administration opposed a funding proposal this year from Rep. Spencer Hawley of Brookings, the House Democratic leader.

Hawley said the legislation was meant as a signal that Daugaard would have calendar 2017 to find $8 million to propose in December for the fiscal 2019 budget.

The hammer Hawley proposed  he said the Legislative Research Council suggested it  was that $8 million come from the REDI fund, as part of state governments 2019 budget that starts July 1, 2018.

But the House Appropriations Committees members instead voted 7-1, along party lines, to kill Hawleys bill.

Some political timing might have been part of the governors $30 million offer. Daugaard wraps up his second term, and likely his political career, come January 2019, when South Dakotas next chief executive takes office.

The 2013 legislation also somewhat eroded the governors control. It put four legislators  two Democrats and two Republicans  as nonvoting members on the state Board of Economic Development and gave the board authority over several of the new grant programs.

The legislation also gave the Senate confirmation power over the boards voting members, who are appointees of the governor.

Daugaard said in the interview he didnt agree with Hawley, or the four other Democrats and five Republicans who co-sponsored 1172, that Building South Dakota is headed toward oblivion.

Was it an essential element of the (fiscal 2018) budget? No, Daugaard said. He added: And the money lasted longer than three years.
Why should I vote for someone because they have cute grandchildren or a nice family  and when did these become criteria for elective public 
Oglala Sioux Tribe officials are confident that a landmark mutual-aid agreement between the tribe and outside authorities will materialize this year and could include a groundbreaking extradition agreement.

Such an agreement would break a longstanding barrier in which tribal and nontribal authorities did not take law enforcement action on one another's lands, sometimes allowing suspects to avoid prosecution.

Criminal behavior and illegal drug trafficking and illegal drug use do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris said. The jurisdictional complications that exist actually give an advantage to criminal behavior. Were behind the curve.

Local police cannot arrest people on reservation land because those areas are considered sovereign territories under federal law. Tribal police face the same restrictions once offenders have left their jurisdictions. (Federal law enforcement can arrest suspects on reservation land who are facing federal charges.)

The proposed extradition agreement is intended to specifically go after people involved in three types of state offenses: violent crimes, such as homicides and aggravated assaults; illegal drug activity; and domestic violence situations or those involving protection orders.

Authorities are hoping that extending the laws reach would help bring justice to victims, as well as curb violent crimes tied to the rise in methamphetamine use throughout South Dakota.

I think itll happen, said Stanley Little Whiteman, head of the tribal councils law and order committee. I dont think there are any real roadblocks.

Discussions underway

Tribal leaders have met with officials of the Pennington County Sheriffs Office and Rapid City Police Department to begin discussing a formal agreement that would allow them to share emergency and police resources.

Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation are separated by only 80 miles, and they are closely intertwined due to frequent travel back and forth by many Native Americans. An agreement would enable the parties to officially work together on services for which theyve already collaborated, such as fire department calls and search and rescue operations.

But it would also allow them to assist each other on police calls, which might involve use of force and open such questions as liability and workers' compensation, said Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom.

And yet, officials on both sides are hopeful an extradition agreement could curb some of the most serious crimes and hold more people accountable for violent acts.

In 2015, the Pine Ridge reservation saw nine homicides, a number that spiked to 17 last year. In Rapid City, there were nine homicides in 2015, two in 2016 and four so far this year.

The initial, informal discussions about a mutual-aid agreement took place in April, during a meeting of the tribes law and order committee on Pine Ridge. Participants included Thom, Jegeris and Pennington County States Attorney Mark Vargo. The group planned to meet again in 90 days, but in the meantime, representatives would discuss their recommendations.

Little Whiteman, a former law enforcement officer on Pine Ridge, said an extradition agreement with outside authorities is an idea the tribe has considered numerous times in the past 30 years. But the idea didnt get much traction then, he said, because tribal leaders believed their communities were better off when offenders left the reservation.

Its only now, years later, that we see the people that were victims have really (become) the prisoners of their own reservation, their own jurisdiction, Little Whiteman, who represents Medicine Root District, said in an interview at a tribal economic summit in Rapid City this month.

Victims are afraid, for instance, of going to Rapid City to visit family and friends, shop or dine out since they might bump into the people who have hurt them. The same goes for victims in Rapid City who fear people who reside on Pine Ridge.

Hundreds of outstanding warrants

According to the Pennington County Sheriffs Office, as of May 5, it had 104 felony arrest warrants for people believed to be on any of South Dakotas nine reservations. The figure represents almost a fifth of the countys 547 outstanding felony warrants that day.

And of Pennington's 111 misdemeanor warrants on domestic violence cases, 73 were for those believed to be on reservation land.

The Oglala Sioux Tribes warrant numbers for people believed to have left Pine Ridge were not immediately available.

The people whom Pennington County authorities are seeking right now include Clarence Yellow Hawk Jr., charged with robbing a Rapid City casino in August 2015 and, during the robbery, assaulting a woman with a knife. He is believed to be on Pine Ridge.

Yellow Hawk, 27, was initially arrested in April 2016. The following month, he pleaded guilty in the case and, while waiting to be sentenced, was released from jail after his bond was lowered to $5,000 cash or surety. He did not show up for his sentencing hearing in June 2016 and has not been found.

Before he got out of county jail, Yellow Hawk signed a waiver of extradition. On it, he agrees to be brought back to Pennington County without the need for an extradition hearing or extradition warrant should he flee South Dakota or the United States.

The U.S. has bilateral extradition treaties with around 110 nations, including those as far away as Australia, Indonesia and Zimbabwe, according to State Department data. Fugitives found in these countries, just as in other U.S. states, can be extradited to face trial.

Its time to work through and past those jurisdictional boundaries, Thom said. We want to recognize the tribes sovereignty and establish a process like we do with the other states so we have a mechanism to extradite people.

The FBI, one of the law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over reservations, believes that collaboration between policing groups is generally a good thing.

When law enforcement agencies cooperate to reach the common goal of public safety, everybody wins, said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Perry, who supervises the FBI offices in South Dakota and North Dakota. As far as impacting our work on Pine Ridge, it certainly would not be detrimental to our efforts.

Perry declined to comment specifically on the Oglala Sioux Tribes plans for a mutual-aid agreement, saying it wasnt appropriate for the FBI to issue a public opinion on the political decisions of government agencies.

Input from leaders, community

Little Whiteman said there is wide support for a mutual-aid agreement within the 20-member tribal council. The council has to vote on the proposed agreement to receive the tribe's official approval.

Tribal president Troy Weston referred Journal questions to Little Whiteman.

As the tribe works out the details of an agreement, council representatives will also meet with their constituents to discuss any misgivings, Little Whiteman said. Some people, he said, mistakenly think that working with outside police means the tribe will be ceding some of its power.

The rumors have been that Penningtons gonna patrol the reservation, but thats not true, he said. Were just all kind of expanding our areas to assist each other.

The only people he expects to be against the plan would be offenders and their family members.

Little Whiteman said an extradition agreement would help not just victims but also Native American defendants locked up at the Pennington County Jail.

When recommending and setting bond, among the factors that prosecutors and judges consider is whether a defendant might flee and abandon court hearings.

Little Whiteman said Native inmates' chances of getting a low bond amount are hurt by the fact that they have ties to reservations, where local law enforcement cannot touch them. If Pennington County authorities knew their reach extended to Pine Ridge, Little Whiteman is hopeful more Native inmates would get pre-trial release.

The tribes police chief, Mark Mesteth, said he is looking forward to working with the Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Sheriffs Office. He expects a mutual-aid agreement to pass and is not worried about any jurisdictional overlaps, saying such issues will be ironed out in writing.

Some type of memorandum of understanding would be drafted by the tribes attorney general, together with the Pennington County States Attorney and the attorney for Rapid City, said Thom.

Once an extradition agreement with Pennington is reached, Little Whiteman said the Oglala Sioux Tribe is also interested in creating a similar accord with Pine Ridge's neighbor, Bennett County.

Jegeris and Thom, meanwhile, would like to also form partnerships with the Rosebud Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, whose reservations are the two next closest to Rapid City.

Right now, officials of Rapid City, Pennington County and the Oglala Sioux Tribe are preparing for another meeting slated to happen by early July.
Business / Economy

by Staff Reporter

Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has been sent to Russia to beg President Vladmir Putin for elusive economic investment.Mphoko is travelling with several ministers.He has an appointment with Putin on the sidelines of the 21st St Petersburg International Economic Forum which is running from June 1 to 3.Minister of State (Office of the Vice-President) Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga told The Sunday Mail:"The conference will give us an opportunity to establish relations with participating companies/organisations. We are looking at opportunities in mining, agriculture, health, industry and commerce, with the aforementioned ministers expected to extend co-operation with our Russian counterparts."We will be strengthening the economic and investment ties between Zimbabwe and Russia, and we want to show our level of commitment and hope to come back with tangible deals".In 2014, Zimbabwe and Russia signed a US$3 billion mining deal which will create 8 000-plus jobs and increase the African nations' platinum output.
PIERRE | South Dakotas laws presume that private property is private property. Landowners can ask law enforcement to charge criminal-trespass against people caught on the wrong side of the fence.

But that standard hasnt applied to water and ice. Recreational users have enjoyed largely free access, unless the water or ice didnt touch a public road.

The South Dakota Supreme Court exposed the conflicting standards, yet again, in the Duerre v. Hepler decision, released March 15.

The five justices declared neither landowners nor recreational users have a superior right to use water and ice over flooded private land in Day County.

The resolution could come in the next few weeks, with a special session of the Legislature scheduled June 12.

What happens that day is partially up to groups such as South Dakota Wildlife Federation and South Dakota Farmers Union.

Their thousands of members have sway, in very big ways, among many of the 105 legislators.

The state Game, Fish & Parks Department responded to the Supreme Court by pulling docks, and cabling-off ramps, at 25 lakes and sloughs in April.

GFP consulted first with Gov. Dennis Daugaard and top staff members.

The GFP action triggered the Legislature to get a task force working on possible regulations. The 15 lawmakers plan a final meeting Friday at the Capitol.

There doesnt seem to be a question of keeping established lakes open to the public, if the water is meandered.

Meandered means government surveyors, during the Dakota Territorial era, more than a century ago, established boundaries around the waters.

The issue at hand is non-meandered waters. Territorial surveyors didnt set the boundaries. The waters werent permanent. Instead the waters came and went, and came and went.

The waters came again in the 1980s and 1990s throughout much of eastern South Dakota. In many places the waters havent left.

Landowners still pay taxes on the private property beneath those waters. Many landowners are frustrated.

Here is a key piece from the South Dakota Supreme Court decision of March 15. Justice Lori Wilbur wrote:

But the Legislature has not yet said that public purposes includes a right to use this states non-meandered waters for recreational purposes.

So until the Legislature acts, neither the public nor the landowners have a superior right to use the waters and ice overlying the landowners private property.

Similarly, until the Legislature acts, the GF&P and other state defendants cannot facilitate access for members of the public to enter or use the waters and ice overlying the landowners private property for recreational purposes.

Matt McCaulley, a Sioux Falls lawyer and former legislator, testified Wednesday. He said he represents the Duerre and Herr families involved in the decision.

He explained, with credit given to Aberdeen lawyer Jack Hieb, who represented the families in court, that property owners could get two crops from their land.

One is production, whether crop or pasture. The second comes in fall and winter through hunters and other users.

McCaulley said water and ice over private property deny both if left open to unrestricted public use.
I've wrestled with this my entire career: What do journalists do immediately after we're attacked while lawfully doing our jobs? It takes place on occasion. In this age of Donald Trump, it's happening more.

Our president has turned long-simmering bad feelings about media into boiling hatred. We can consider the reasons in a moment, but the reality is that the nutcases are emboldened as never before to physically attack those who cover news in ways they don't like.

I am pondering the dilemma again thanks to the attack by Greg Gianforte, who ran in a Montana special election to fill the state's lone House of Representatives seat in Congress.

The short version, according to several witnesses, is that he didn't like the persistent questioning he got from someone covering his campaign, and assaulted the newsman, physically body-slamming him while screaming at him. The journalist notified police, and the sheriff, a contributor to Gianforte's campaign, faced with overwhelming evidence, reluctantly charged candidate Gianforte with misdemeanor assault.

Let's face it, Gianforte is not going to be found guilty of a thing. He's in super-red, friendly GOP territory. Did I mention that a couple of days after the assault, he won his election? So, turning to the police accomplishes very little. No more than the charges against then Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski resulted in a guilty finding, even after Lewandowski was legally charged in Florida for grabbing a reporter so hard he left bruises on her arm from shoving her aside. That's right, "her." However, the state attorneys decided not to proceed on the battery charges.

What would I have done in that situation? Would the satisfaction from doing serious harm to Lewandowski be worth the hassle? Notice, I'm not asking myself whether it would be the moral thing to do, but I've never believed in turning the other cheek. It really comes down to practical considerations.

After the 2014 State of the Union, Congressman Michael Grimm from Staten Island was caught on tape threatening a TV reporter that he'd "throw you off this (expletive) balcony" in the U.S. Capitol complex if he again asked a question Grimm didn't like.

What if I was that reporter? Would I provoke the congressman by asking the same question, then defend myself? Duking it out might provide some personal satisfaction, but the legal consequence attached to hitting a member of Congress probably outweighs the instant gratification.

That's also the reason not to fight back when an abusive law-enforcement officer takes out his fury on a journalist, particularly while under siege in a violent situation. It's happened to most news reporters. The smart ones remember that the overly aggressive policeman is armed and dangerous, assaulting him is a crime and self-defense is tough to prove.

So this is nothing new. But it's becoming more common, thanks in large part to politicians to who try to deflect unfavorable reporting or embarrassing questions by demonizing those asking and exposing their shortcomings.

Those of us who attempt journalism should know that what we do is never going to endear us to newsmakers, who would prefer groupies instead of reporters. Sadly, all too many of us, in fact, do become shills just to get favored treatment. Those who don't go along get ostracized. But that should be considered a badge of honor.

Short of a violent response from us, we need to come up with some way to get people to accept that the messy job of reporting is one of the ways to prevent abuse and stop corruption by our leaders.
Most of us know that Memorial Day is a time to honor those who lost their lives in service to our nation and in protection of the freedoms we all hold so dear.

That is just, and right, and we should all take a moment when not attending a high school graduation, dining on hot dogs or just spending time outside this holiday weekend to reflect on what those who are lost or away from home on deployment have done and are doing for us. The Journal ran an article yesterday laying out a schedule of all the activities taking place today and Monday to remember those lost souls with reverence; we encourage all to attend one or more of those solemn ceremonies.

And yet, the patriotic holiday should present a reminder to also honor those who support those servicemen and women the most  their families.

Whether at war or in peacetime, the family members of soldiers, sailors and airmen make daily sacrifices to support their loved one in the service, but also to keep their stateside family in tact, and also to uphold their own individual well-being.

According to militaryfamilies.com, the family members of deployed personnel face a raft of challenges while their loved one is away, but also upon return. Those challenges are real and have existed since America took on its first military missions as a nation.

The site urges those still at home to take small steps to maintain physical and mental health. For some, it may come down to basics like getting enough sleep, eating properly and remaining active in their neighborhood and communities. And asking for help when they need it.

Those seem like small steps to remain sane during a family member's deployment. But like most important things in life, nothing worth working for comes easily, so we shouldn't underestimate the challenges these families endure. And we shouldn't forget that any and all struggles are heightened when a family member in the military is injured  physically or mentally  upon return, or in the most dreaded of circumstances, does not return home at all.

Other groups have risen up to aid these military families, such as the Corporate for National and Community Service, which provides financial and emotional support to military families. The National Military Family Association is another group that aids veterans and their families, with support hotlines and scholarship programs for veterans and their kin.

But what can the rest of us do to help?

It's simple, especially in a region like the Black Hills where there are so many military personnel, military families and military retirees.

You can just say thanks.

That's right. When you see someone from Ellsworth Air Force Base in uniform, or with an Air Force sticker on their car, give them a friendly wave and maybe just say, "Hello, thank you for your service."

If you encounter the family member of a lost serviceman or woman at a Memorial Day event, just shoot them a warm glance, and find a gentle way to thank them for their sacrifice.

If you pop into the VFW or other military clubs for lunch or a cold drink, be kind to the patrons. Let them know you respect what they gave up to help keep us free.

Being thankful, and saying thanks, are free, easy and welcome ways to show that on Memorial Day, or any day for that matter, that we appreciate those people who face off the foes of liberty and democracy.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!
In the 1950s, when Brian Hagg was just a young boy, his relatives would gather for family reunions in Algona, Iowa, a small town on the northern side of the state.

One story always seemed to come up  the tale of the three brothers who fought together in World War I. They were Brian's grandfather, Arthur Hagg, and great-uncles Gustav and Carl.

Arthur never liked to talk about the war, and for good reason: Carl was gunned down on a battlefield in France and died in his arms.

"It's a proud family story," said Brian, a partner at the Rapid City law firm of Whiting, Hagg, Hagg, Dorsey & Hagg. "And it's also very tragic."

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entering World War I. Although the conflict altered the world map and claimed the lives of more than 115,000 U.S. soldiers, for some Americans it has become a forgotten war.

But in the Hagg family, on Memorial Day tomorrow and throughout the year, the memories remain alive. "The story of Carl Hagg has impacted us right up to the present," Brian said.

It begins in early 1917, nearly three years into the global conflict. The U.S., which had remained neutral in the fight between the Allies and Central Powers, declared war on Germany in April, and President Woodrow Wilson called for volunteers to enter the Army.

With the blessing of their mother, Hulda, the brothers Arthur, Gustav and Carl signed up to leave the family farm in Algona and fight in Europe. Hulda, whose husband died before the war, had three other boys, but they were too young to enlist.

Ultimately, more than 2 million Americans would serve on the battlefields of Western Europe by war's end.

The first wave of U.S. troops landed in France in June 1917, and after months of training began fighting in October. Brian said the Hagg brothers were immediately sent to the front lines in Belgium and France.

During one battle, Gustav was exposed to poisonous gas in an attack by the Germans. The damage to his lungs were so severe that the military sent him home.

Arthur and Carl stayed and spent months in the trenches. "It's a pretty brutal place," said Kurt Hackemer, chairman of the department of history at the University of South Dakota.

Hackemer, a military historian who teaches about World War I, said because there was a lot of standing water in the trenches, some soldiers developed trench foot from prolonged exposure to unsanitary and damp conditions. Left untreated, it could lead to gangrene and require amputation.

There were also lots of rats in the trenches, Hackemer said, another enemy to contend with as soldiers kept their heads down to avoid being picked off by snipers.

Between late September and early October of 1918, Arthur and Carl were part of a major offensive in France. Given the time frame, Hackemer said it was most likely the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the war's largest military campaign involving more than 1 million U.S. soldiers.

"The Americans are very aggressive," Hackemer said. "They're going to be going against these phenomenally fortified German positions and take heavy losses."

On Oct. 26, Carl was hit by machine-gun fire. Arthur carried him at least a mile to a field hospital, but there was nothing medical staff could do.

Carl died in Arthur's arms. Word of his death wouldn't reach Algona until February of the following year.

With one of his brothers injured and another dead, Arthur kept fighting. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive eventually overwhelmed the Germans, and an armistice was reached on Nov. 11, 1918.

Not having heard any news from the front, the Hagg family celebrated Christmas and the new year as normal in Algona and waited for Arthur and Carl to return home.

In February 1919, Hulda received a knock at the door and was handed a Western Union telegram. It read: "Deeply regret to inform you that Private Carl T Hagg infantry is officially killed in action Oct twenty sixth."

Carl's body wasn't returned home until 1921. "Hulda never got over it," Brian said. "She never recovered."

After the war, Arthur became a farmer and started a family. He died in 1945, at the age of 52, while working on the farm.

Gustav got married and had two children. But his life was cut short because of exposure to chemical weapons during the war, and he died in his mid-30s, Brian said.

Their service inspired Brian and others in his family to join the military. "We're a patriotic family," Brian said. "We love our nation. As tragic as it is, it's a story that we need to keep alive because we can't take our democracy for granted."

Sometimes Brian thinks about how easily his grandfather Arthur could have been killed instead of Carl. His brothers, his children, his law firm, his own existence; none of that would ever have come to be.

He also thinks about Carl and what he might have done with his life. He was single and around 21 when he died.

But, Brian mused, "That's just how fate goes."
Counting and marking mealy worms, conducting interviews, creating clean river displays and drawing ticks were a few of the hands-on and minds-on activities about careers presented by role models from Bitterroot businesses and organizations Friday.

Careers in science, conservation, graphic arts and journalism were presented to 115 fourth grade students from Daly Elementary at the Bitterroot College.

The Career Exploration Day was organized by the University of Montanas We Are Montana in the Classroom initiative and co-created with a Bitterroot community advisory group.

Fridays event was the conclusion to a year-long interaction with role models engaging students with science, technology, entrepreneurship and mathematics.

The initiative, funded by the Martin Family Foundation, placed 21 role models from the university and local community with 1,463 school children in Hamilton and Corvallis.

Fridays role models prepared to present by attending a We Are Montana in the classrooms Role Models Matter workshop, then shared their educational and career experiences.

Presenters were Lea Guthrie, Bitterroot Land Trust; Patrick Hanley, Robert Fischer, Brandi Williamson, Austin Athman and Anita Mora, Rocky Mountain Labs; Claire Martens, GlaxoSmithKline; Michelle McConnaha, Ravalli Republic; and Marisa Sowles, Geum Environmental Consulting

Holly Truitt, director of the UM Broader Impacts Group, said the event was an opportunity for students to learn about local career opportunities in sectors ranging from journalism to biomedical research.

Whether students are drawn to an apprenticeship in a trade, a two- or four-year college degree or graduate school, were here to share with them the many fulfilling career pathways that await them beyond high school, Truitt said.

Nathalie Wolfram, associate director of the UM Broader Impacts Group, said, The University of Montana is excited to get students in Montana interested in the different things they can study in college and also the careers they might be interested in when they grow up.

Wolfram said her group worked all year to get kids excited about different career options.

We brought the most interesting professionals from around the valley together to talk about their careers and what they do, she said. We think it is important for students to be thinking early on about what is out there. They dont need to make up their mind, but this gives them possibilities to think about.

Mora explained that scientists come to her graphics department to receive help in presenting their research and discoveries.

I had a volunteer draw a key and someone drew a skeleton key, Mora said. Austin drew a musical key and I drew the Florida Keys. Everybody thinks of words differently and illustration helps you better understand exactly what you want to learn.

Mora discussed the creative team processes and challenges. She presented graphics, posters, and moving 3-D animation of research by scientists at Rocky Mountain Labs. Students drew ticks either magnified or on animals at some stage of the tick life cycle.

Fischer, Hanley and Williamson presented animal medicine and taught students the importance of animals in science. The students guessed how many mealy worms were in each tray, then counted and marked them with paint. Students also operated two types of traps used to capture animals to see if they have ticks before they are released.

Sowles discussed the importance of river and wetland restoration and guided students to make models of healthy rivers.

Guthrie shared the importance of being a stewardship coordinator of land, wildlife and water.

Martens discussed medical research and how scientists create medical supplies such as drugs and vaccines.

Student Tessa Lewanski said she enjoyed the presentations and was a thorough interviewer in the journalism class.

I found it very interesting to see what people do in high school, college and for careers, she said. When youre little you want to do something, but as time passes you have different interests. It is interesting to see how it turns out. This was fun.
Dhading, Nepal: at least four persons killed and dozens injured when a passenger bus met with a accident at Bhakare, Golbhanjhang of Dhading district on Sunday evening.

According to the reports, the ill-fated bus with registration number Na. 2 Kha. 1805 met with the accident. Details about the accident are yet to come.
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)
News / Africa

by Tshidi Madia and Mahlatse Gallens, News24

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma is fighting for political survival after another motion of no confidence was tabled against him at a meeting of the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) in Pretoria.According to News24 , at least four sources with direct knowledge of events inside the closed NEC meeting confirmed to News24 that African National Congress policy guru and NEC member Joel Netshitenzhe tabled a motion for Zuma to step down.Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, his deputy Joe Phaahla and axed tourism minister Derek Hanekom spoke out in support of Netshitenzhe's motion.An inside source told News24 Netshitenzhe argued that the case against Zuma had "worsened" since Hanekom's call in November 2016 for him to go."He mentioned all the things we read about in the news: The Cabinet reshuffle, the downgrade [to junk status], the reports on state capture... the litany of problems all linked to him [Zuma]."Zuma scandalsNetshitenzhe is a former head of the government's communications department, the GCIS.The meeting which adjourned on Saturday early evening was expected to continue on Sunday.Netshitenzhe's motion came in spite of ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe telling journalists earlier that the motion was not on the agenda.According to News24 sources, there are long lists of speakers for and against the motion.In November, a similar motion put forward by Hanekom at the NEC failed. He was supported by several Cabinet ministers.Those who want Zuma to go fear the party is losing credibility by the many scandals linked to the president.Zuma's supporters who have always dominated the NEC have argued the structure does not have constitutional powers to recall Zuma. They have also added that the power is vested in the branches which elected him to the position.Former president Thabo Mbeki was recalled by the ANC NEC as state president in 2008 after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court ruled he had interfered in the prosecution of Zuma on charges of corruption.The judgment was later overruled by the Supreme Court of Appeal.The ANC's alliance partners have previously supported the motion for Zuma's removal, citing that it would be dangerous for the ANC to keep him on as president ahead of the policy conference which takes place at the end of June.An NEC member told News24 it would be irresponsible for the party not to discuss Zuma's recall, while the SACP's deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila urged the party to deal with the matter or accept the demise of the 105 year old liberation movement.
Dhaka Tribune - May 26, 2017

Editorial: A slippery slope

Indeed, it is likely that this will be seen as a great victory by the fundamentalists

So it has finally happened: The statue of Lady Justice has been removed from the Supreme Court premises.

The statue has been laden with controversy of late, as Hefazat-e-Islam declared that structure was against Islamic values, and have been agitating for its removal for some time.

Taking into account that the holy month of Ramadan is just around the corner, and the looming threat of violence surrounding this issue, we can appreciate how this was an extraordinarily thorny dilemma for the government.

Neither can we forget the horrific terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery last year a that also happened during Ramadan. Given the apparent uptick in terrorist activity that recent militant arrests and busts suggest, the governmentas caution on hot button issues is understandable.

Thus, if the authorities have determined that the wisest course of action for the sake of public safety and harmony is to remove the statue from the Supreme Court premises, we cannot simply condemn them out of hand.

This was undoubtedly a tough decision, and we have no doubt it was made in good conscience with the best of intentions.

However, be that as it may, we fear that it might be the first step on a slippery slope to cave in to demands such as these.

While the governmentas motives can be sympathised with, and their actions understood, on balance, we feel this was a mistake, with the nation standing to lose more in the long run than we can possibly gain in the short from the decision.

The concern is that giving in to pressure from fundamentalists will only embolden them further.

Not only that, if the government is to make concessions, then it must receive something in return. That is elementary statecraft.

It is unclear what, if anything, the government will get in return for this concession.

Indeed, it is likely that this will be seen as a great victory by the fundamentalists, who will now only demand more and more, and continue to put further pressure on the government for anything and everything they do not agree with.

Appeasing groups that use fear rather than reason is a dangerous road to take.

Where do we go from here?

o o o

New Age (Bangladesh) 28 May 2017

Editorial: Removal of statue is capitulation to communalism

THE removal of Lady Justice, a Roman allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems, blind-folded, with a set of scales suspended from her left hand and a sword in the right hand, from in front of the Supreme Court and, especially, the context of the removal, are gravely concerning. This is so irrespective of the debate whether it was a statue or an idol, whether it was Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, or an acculturised Bengali woman in sari and whether it was art par excellence or not. What matters is all the three distinctive features of the moral force in judicial systems a a set of scales, blind-folding and a sword a which have always been variously represented across the world and down the ages. What also matters is that after it had been installed on the Supreme Court premises on December 18, 2016, Islamic groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote and Islamic Constitution Movement demanded its removal, it was removed early Thursday after the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, had assured Hefazat leaders of its removal. Hefazat later duly expressed its thankfulness for the government. All this amounts to the government giving in to pressure of some Islamists, breaking away from non-communal promises of the spirit of the independence war that created Bangladesh in 1971.

The argument that Islamists had put forth is that a Muslim state cannot erect idols, and on the same ground, they have already demanded that all the idols, read statues, have to be dismantled from public places. But when the war of independence was fought in 1971, people of all faiths joined in, which makes Bangladesh a land of people of all faiths and non-communal. The removal of the statue is, therefore, not in synch with the aspirations that people had during Bangladeshas war. It is true that more than 90 per cent of the people here are Muslims but people of other faiths, but the Islamists in question politically represent a small section of Muslim population of the country. The governmentas now bowing to these Islamist groups only appears to be a cultural manifestation of Islam being constitutionally recognised as the state religion, which then-president HM Ershad effected in 1988 to hypocritically win popular support. The removal of the statue has created such a furore among non-communal sections of people that even the Workers Party of Bangladesh, a component of the ruling coalition, has denounced it as the governmentas ashameful surrendera to demands of the Islamists. On the other front, the government appears to be playing cheap politics by saying that it was the Supreme Court authorities that decided on the removal, which seems implausible, particularly when the head of the government had clearly supported the Hefazat demand a few weeks ago. Such ploys to befool people will in all likelihood court the worse for the Awami League and for people at large.

The government must, under the circumstances, stop entertaining such demands of the Islamist group as the Islamist groups would be demanding more communalisation of the state. Hefazat-e-Islam already on Friday demanded that all statues of the country should be pulled down. The government must consider that thousands of Muslims of the country do not subscribe to the Hefazat ideas and that most Muslims of the country want a non-communal state in Bangladesh.

o o o

The Dhaka Tribune - May 28, 2017

Lady Justice statue re-erected on Supreme Court premises

http://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/editorial/2017/05/26/a-slippery-slope/

o o o

New Age - 29 May 2017

REINSTALLATION OF STATUE OF JUSTICE: Islamist groups threaten tough movement

http://www.newagebd.net/article/16566/islamist-groups-threaten-tough-movement

o o o

The Dhaka Tribune - May 29, 2017

Civil society members still unhappy

http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/05/29/civil-society-members-still-unhappy/
News / Africa

by Nicki Gules and Sipho Masondo

An email trail between the controversial Gupta family and their employees has blown the lid off how they have managed to do business with government, ingratiate themselves with senior officials, and go so far as to help move President Jacob Zuma and his family to Dubai.The emails, obtained by City Press this week, also reveal how the Guptas seduced many senior government role players in their bid to capture departments and state-owned entities.One of the most astonishing emails is from Gupta-owned Sahara Computers' chief executive officer (CEO), Ashu Chawla, to Zuma's son Duduzane. It contains a draft letter from the president to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and shows how close Zuma is to the Guptas.In the letter, Zuma writes: "I fondly remember our meeting in the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and the gracious hospitality and warmth extended to me during my visit. It is with this sentiment that I am happy to inform you that my family has decided to make the UAE a second home. It will be a great honour for me and my family to gain your patronage during our proposed residency in the UAE."Last night, Zuma strongly denied any plans to leave the country, saying through his spokesperson Bongani Nqulunga: "I have my home in Nkandla and I have no intention of living anywhere else. When I retire I will go home to Nkandla. This is a pure fabrication. Duduzane has never spoken to me about living in any other country. He has never shown me any letter. It's shocking in the extreme. It's absolute mischief aimed at sowing confusion".The emails also show how the Guptas seduced Cabinet ministers and CEOs of state-owned companies with opulent hotel stays and chauffeur-driven trips in luxury cars to their home in the exclusive Dubai suburb of Emirates Hills, where they bought a R445m mansion.One was Eskom executive Matshela Koko, whom they flew to Dubai in January last year, putting him up at the posh Oberoi Hotel. Others included Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, new Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, Denel chairperson Dan Mantsha, businessman and arms deal protagonist Fana Hlongwane, Duduzane Zuma and two of Free State Premier Ace Magashule's sons, Thato and Tshepiso.The Gupta's gripThe emails are the latest indication of the grip that the Guptas have on the South African government and state-owned entities. They come in the week in which the SA Council of Churches and a collective of academics from top South African universities released reports showing the extent of state capture in South Africa. They come as pressure mounts on Zuma, inside and outside the ANC, in relation to his close association with the Guptas.For Koko's trip in 2016, an email, from employee Reya Pomar, confirms Koko's reservation and the arrangement of transfers to the hotel from the airport. He also asks for billing instructions.Chawla responds: "Sahara will pay the entire bill. Please do not ask any credit card guarantee from the guest at the time of check-in". The hotel concierge informs Chawla: "Please note the chauffeur details mentioned below for the drop towards Emirates Hill (sic)."At the time, Koko was Eskom's group executive for power generation and the Guptas were busy buying the Optimum Coal Mine from Glencore.The Oberoi Hotel was a favourite of the Guptas, and Duduzane Zuma also stayed there the month before Koko arrived.The email trail also shows that, on the day Chawla booked Koko's trip to Dubai, he also made Mantsha's travel arrangements. An email shows that Mantsha, who swiftly axed Denel CEO Riaz Saloojee and replaced him before engineering the joint venture between Denel and Gupta-owned company VR Laser Asia, was booked to arrive by chauffeur from the Oberoi at the Guptas' mansion at 07:00.In the December of that year, the Guptas booked Zwane into the Oberoi and hired him a BMW 7-Series to chauffeur him to and from the Dubai airport and the Guptas' house in Emirates Hills.The emails also show that the Guptas appear to regard Zwane  the man they took with them to Switzerland to persuade Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg to sell the Optimum mine to them  as their personal property.An email from JP Arora  CEO of Gupta-owned JIC Mining Services  to the Gupta brothers' nephew, Kamal Singhala, and Oakbay CEO Ronica Ragavan, is included in the tranche. In it, Arora invites them and their partners to a "private  by invitation only  dinner with ... Zwane during the Mining Indaba 2016 in Cape Town".Another email from Chawla confirms the passenger manifest for the December 2015 trip on the Guptas' private business jet, ZSOAK. The seven passengers, which included Zwane, and three crew members travelled to Zurich, Switzerland, via Delhi, India. Also on the plane were Rajesh Gupta, business partner Salim Essa and Maleatlana Joel Raphela, the deputy director-general of mineral regulations in the department of mineral resources.The email tranche also indicates the level of involvement of the Guptas in the appointment of Zwane to his ministerial position. Included is an email to Gupta brother Tony on July 31 2015  two months before he was appointed. The email was sent by Oupa Mokoena of Koena Consulting and Property Developers, which is situated in Zwane's home town of Vrede, Free State, and reads: "Please find attached the CV of Mr Mosebenzi Zwane for your attention."The email tranche also contains one written in February 2016 from former Oakbay CEO Nazeem Howa in which he anticipates a question from the media about Zwane's involvement in the landing of a chartered Boeing containing Gupta wedding guests at Air Force Base Waterkloof in 2013. In it, Howa writes to Duduzane Zuma and Tony Gupta: "I need some help on some of the answers. I think we should also prepare for a question of his role around the Waterkloof landing." Zwane invited an Indian provincial minister to the Free State, which became the ruse by which the Guptas could land their wedding guests at Waterkloof.Other revelations in the email trail include that:- In March last year, British public relations firm Bell Pottinger, whom the Guptas had hired to clean up their image, had prepared a press release which would have implicated former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas in receiving bribes and other benefits such as flights upgrades and luxury hotel rooms from a South African businessman;- The Guptas, Bell Pottinger and Black First Land First's leader Andile Mgxitama cooperated to mount a campaign to discredit state capture allegations, including that the Gupta family had offered Jonas a R600 million bribe and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor a ministerial position- The Guptas lobbied Zuma to arrange that the June 2015 departure of their guest, for Mauritius, should be through Fireblade Aviation, a luxury terminal at OR Tambo International Airport, owned by the Oppenheimer family.Another controversial deal involving a state-owned entity and the Gupta family also appears in the email tranche: that of the Denel and VR Laser Asia joint venture. An email from the department of public enterprises to minister Lynne Brown, also sent in December 2015, was of an internal confidential memorandum to which the Guptas appeared to have easy access.The memorandum shows that public enterprises was uneasy about the joint venture for which Denel was trying to obtain permission from Brown or then finance minister Pravin Gordhan.The memorandum says: "The two companies estimate that the new [company] will require a R100 million cash injection over a five-year period for operational costs."At face value, the proposal is attractive; however, there are numerous fundamental gaps that need to be clarified by Denel in terms of the Public Finance Management Act before comprehensive advice can be given to the minister with regards to the merits of the application."The department is not comfortable with the impression that project funding will be provided by the shareholders ... It is also not clear whether the R100 million investment by VR Laser in the establishment of Denel Asia is a loan and what the repayment terms are."
Fareed Zakaria said Saturday that though many liberals think they are tolerant, often they aren't.
You have permission to edit this html.

Edit Close
News / National

by Staff reporter

FORMER liberation movements in Southern Africa have identified factionalism as their biggest enemy and are proposing that they should all establish radio stations and newspapers that will inculcate a revolutionary ideology among the populace.The liberation movements are also proposing tough disciplinary actions against those perpetrating factionalism.In addition, the liberation movements are proposing robust ideological schooling for their members and fully exploiting new technologies to engender social cohesion and responsible information sharing.These proposals were adopted by secretaries-general of former liberation movements at their annual indaba in Angola last week, and now await ratification.The meeting identified factionalism as "the Number One threat" to revolutionary parties, and resolved to counteract the scourge with stringent disciplinary action and ideological schooling.The ruling former liberation movements in Southern Africa include Zanu-PF, the African National Congress (South Africa), Frelimo (Mozambique), Swapo (Namibia), MPLA (Angola) and Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania).Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo who was part of the interface told this paper that the secretaries-general would table the proposals before their superiors.He said, "The secretaries-general made the following recommendations:'1. That former liberation movements institute tough disciplinary measures along with strong ideological grounding under the auspices of political party ideological schools and national youth service.'2. That former liberation movements should apply innovative media and information strategies which make full use of available technological advancements.'3. That former liberation movements should institute measures to eliminate the use of money or other material enticements in influencing outcomes of internal electoral processes.'4. That former liberation movements carry out focused political orientation programmes targeting youths  both members and non-members  to inculcate correct ideologies and a sense of belonging.'5. That former liberation movements create ways and mechanisms to share ideas with each other.'"The meeting also recommended:"6. That former liberation movements establish daily newspapers, radio stations and establish a meaningful presence on the Internet."7. That former liberation movements should study new weather patterns in order to align with agricultural seasons."8. That former liberation movements should institute joint and individual measures to eliminate corruption."9. That former liberation movements should hold workshops to share experiences, strategies on sustainable economic growth and improve our countries."Dr Chombo said the proposals were informed by similar workshops held in Mozambique in November 2015 and Victoria Falls in May 2016.The Victoria Falls gathering resolved to address factionalism, lack of patriotism, foreign-backed organisations that work with opposition parties, external interference in electoral processes and "foreign interference using hard and soft power for regime change".Dr Chombo said, "We met in Victoria Falls in order to deliberate, and Zanu-PF presided over proceedings. The workshop agreed that regime change is primarily the most urgent and common threat governing former liberation movements face for now and the foreseeable future."The Victoria Falls report captured the salient points of the deliberations and recommendations of the meeting. The workshop also agreed with the Russian and Chinese characterisation of regime change as the tool of choice for overthrowing legitimate political authority by provoking internal instability and conflict against governments that are considered inconvenient to their interests, replacing them with pliant puppets regimes that then pander to their interests."According to research and intelligence analysis that informed presentations of former liberation movements, Western interests in Southern africa seek to establish military domination, including military bases within the region as an option for rapid escalation to hard power where soft power would have failed in pursuit of regime change."He went on: "The West want unfettered access and control to Southern Africa's 200 million-strong population, 10 million square-metre land, strategic east-west route, vastly diverse and unique mineral resources and vast natural resource endowment, agricultural potential that is second to none in the world, high quality human capital and unparralleled friendly climatic and weather conditions."This puts them at variance and on a collision course with the resource nationalisation being pursued by Zanu-PF through the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme; the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Progamme and other social models that are being pursued by other former liberation movements."
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 83F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Opinion / Columnist

If democracy in Africa, South Africa, as an example, is to succeed, then leaders should be denied political asylum after ruining their countries as a matter of international criminal justice. African leaders should rule their countries with the full knowledge that they will face the justice system of their own countries once they are done with their reign of blunder or terror. In this regard China and other Asian countries should be held accountable for giving asylum to African dictators or what I term the "Fugitive King."The arrest of Fugitive Kings should be done under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which states that any country, and without a warrant, can arrest a person known to have committed high crimes as long as they have jurisdiction over the person's body. Perhaps, in hindsight the withdrawal of African countries en masse form the International Criminal Court (ICC) was not such a good idea as this has opened the back door for the implementation of the doctrine of universal jurisdiction. This is a classic case of what is known in Xhosa as Isikuni sinyuka nomkwezeli, a brand burns he who stirs it: by running away from the protection of the ICC African dictators have put a bounty on their heads after they live office. To avoid someone collecting on this "bounty," they have to die in office. It would have been better to merely put up a defense at the ICC.African leaders were misled to think indictments for war crimes or human rights abuses were inherently racist without examining the facts on the ground or their own governance. Africa and the West are incomparable: politics in the West and Europe has checks and balances that ditter crimes against citizens or subjects, whilst in Africa the political systems are fragile and seldom survive one incumbent leader ( e.g. Mandela). Non-African leaders are not brought before the ICC because the citizens of those countries do not make such petitions, it has nothing to do with race. The ICC is a citizen / subject driven criminal complaint system. Only victims (through their survivors) have a standing at the ICC, no political party can bring a case against a leader, its the victims (through their families).In addition, the Fugitive King has no where to run in the West and Europe thus creating a system of restraint for any sitting Western / European head of state. This was the dilemma faced by Adolf Hitler at the end of the Second World War. Another example is the arrest of Chilean General Agusto Pinochet in 1988, when he was in the United Kingdom, this continues to be good law in the international system making it legal to arrest a Fugitive King who is accused of high crimes, without a warrant, in Pinochet's case it was human rights violations.Where a segment of a country's population have been killed, unless amnesty was given as a condition of transfer of power, there is a presumption that you are dealing with a Fugitive King. As a strong believer of Amnesty, I also believe the person receiving it should be appreciative and not use it as a moment to regroup forces to amount a comeback.It is amazing when one looks at the way African leaders, or those who are dictators treat their countries - like a blank bank account to write as many checks as possible; even if the funds are not in the bank. I still support the principle that an elected president should not be protested out off office, but I draw the line when it is clear that one's rule of a country is tied in with an elaborate plan to remove his family to Singapore or Dubai on high noon. If you have done nothing wrong, and you say you are a hero then why are you running away?African leaders should learn that there is life after elected office in their own countries as respected citizens. They is retirement from politics in a dignified and sober manner, in the manner of Nelson Mandela. One does not need to be kicked out of office and to flea like a fly from one place to another. Even if you flea, what about your family back home?On hindsight, when I look at the dictator's memo if such a thing ever existed. I see that most dictators end up running or fleeing their countries at the eleventh hour. Bokassa fled to France; Mobutu fled to Morocco; Amin fled to Saudi Arabia; Mengistu Haile Mariam to Harare - South Africa is home to several shady characters fleeing their own misdeeds as Head of States. African leaders use bilateral relations to pick and chose the destination of the country they will eventually run to; an abuse of office and trust bestowed on them during their term of office.It is high time that countries implement their universal jurisdiction obligations to arrest and return fleeing Fugitive Kings, in this case heads of state accused of crimes against humanity. A case is being made that the absence of an indictment should not preclude return of the fugitive, the same way that a person does not need to see a warrant to call the police when a murderder fleeing from their actions asks to stay at the home . This same muderer should be reported to the police immediately and a citizen's arrest should occur.I am of the opinion that some African leaders have in mind to ruin their countries and then flea to either Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong or where ever they will be allowed to stay. Ignoring the governance of these Fugitive Kings is essentially to turn a blind eye to human suffering, an affront to the United Nations Charter and an affront to human brotherhood at the most fundamental or basic level. We exist as Nations to reinforce a general moral code whether it is domestic or international. The international system should not negate general principles of domestic law and criminality.Ken Sibanda is a South African born, (Transkei) American Constitutional attorney. Porpulary known as Tecumseh, Sibanda has written for numerous world publications and given advise to numerous United Nations agencies. His book, International Law: Peace Accords, Tovakare Press, (2016) deals with transitional justice.
The carcass of a 79-foot blue whale washed ashore on Agate Beach in Bolinas on Friday morning, and marine scientists from the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center have determined that it was killed by a boat strike. The sub-adult female had been identified in a database as one that was first spotted off the California coast in 1999, and has been seen at least 11 times since then, as the Chronicle reports.

Blue whales are endangered, and an estimated 2,800 live off the California coast. This is only the eight instance of a dead blue whale washing ashore in the 42-year history of the Marine Mammal Center.





According to NBC Bay Area, following a necropsy Saturday, the whale suffered wounds that are "indicative of significant blunt force trauma that is consistent with ship strikes," including broken ribs, a fractured spine, and skull trauma.

"It is a tragedy that this whales story ended due to vessel collision, said Barbie Halaska, a research scientist at the Marine Mammal Center, in a statement to NBC Bay Area. "These types of examinations have enabled the scientific community to make recommendations for slower shipping speeds and route changes, and hopefully that will help future whales."
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
DAKOTA DUNES  At age 50, Mike Cranny walked away from an executive position to start a food management company that catered to small school districts.

Some thought it was a gamble, but two decades later the CEO and founder of Lunchtime Solutions Inc. has proven that his idea wasn't half-baked.

The privately-owned company, which has about 600 employees, contracts with 48 school districts in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota.

It also entered into Food Managment magazine's annual Top 50 Contract Managment Companies for the first time this year.

Additionally, Lunchtime Solutions moved from a leased office in North Sioux City into a custom-built corporate headquarters in neighboring Dakota Dunes in November.

Its quite the turnaround for a business Cranny said wasnt profitable until its fourth year of operation.

Once we hit that fourth year, we started making a little money and as we gained experience in the business we were able to refine our recipes, consolidate our purchasing, manage the operations better to avoid food waste, he said.

In the districts where Lunchtime Solutions operates, the company tries to keep it as local as possible with staffing and ingredients. All students have access to unlimited fruit and vegetable bars, all meals include multiple entree options, which continue to increase as students progress through school, and at some high schools, on occasion, a company chef will pop up and make individual lunches for students.

For Cranny, whose first job was washing dishes in his elementary school cafeteria to earn lunch money, Lunchtime Solutions success is akin to following a recipe he developed many years ago.

The statistics I was looking at, at that time, 20 years ago, were showing that food management companies were growing at about 15 percent annually and these big companies were targeting big school districts, he said.

As Cranny further examined the data, he saw plenty of potential for his business model to thrive not only in Siouxland but all over the Midwest since the overlapping regions are stocked with smaller school districts.

They had the same needs that the big schools did, but the big companies were not interested in pursuing that and that was the niche, Cranny said. The challenge was to first find the customer, and then find out how to make that work for the customer and for us and we were able to do that.

Starting with the Dakota Valley School District, Cranny expanded the business by constantly recruiting new clientele and doing every job imaginable to ensure things went smoothly.

For the business to grow, you had to have new schools, Cranny said. During that time when we would add new schools  when I would add new schools  I would work as a cook, I worked as a line server, I worked as a dishwasher in the schools; I did just about anything I could to make the operations run.

Outside of providing quality meals and word-of-mouth from satisfied customers, Cranny gives credit to good hiring practices for the company's growth and success.

Other members of the company's senior leadership team share Cranny's beliefs, values and commitment to the business, which has allowed them to prosper alongside the company.

Seventeen years ago, Lunchtime Solutions President/Co-owner Amy Lundgren was firmly entrenched in her position as a food service director in the Yankton, South Dakota area. She only applied to work at the then startup after her husband convinced her it would give her a less hectic work schedule than the always-on-call job she had at a local care facility.

After she met Cranny in person, Lundgren was convinced Lunchtime Solutions could be a good fit for and offered plenty of opportunity for advancement.

Listening to Mike when he interviewed me talk with such passion and the vision he had for the company, Its not just school lunch. Were doing fresh fruits and vegetable; its unlimited. Kids are going to get full, they are going to have nutritional options, they are going to enjoy school lunch. Lundgren recalled.

Although she knew it was risk joining a new and still not profitable business, Lundgren accepted a role as a group food service director at Lunchtime Solutions. She held that position for six years and was promoted four more times until she became company president, a title she inherited from Cranny, three years ago.

Lundgren joked that Cranny always told her he wasnt a mentor, but she attributes a lot of her professional development and that of the business to him.

Whats funny to me now is that Mike has been a wise and trusted supporter all of these years and hes really greatly influenced where Im at with my career, but hes not a mentor, Lundgren said in a tongue in cheek manner. His leadership for the past 17 years has provided me with a new and different perspective that naturally fit my own values and beliefs; he set the foundation for our companys culture and core values.

Another Cranny disciple who is a member of Lunchtime Solutions leadership team is Chris Goeb, a company executive vice president who has worked there for 12 years.

They intially met in 1995 when Cranny hired Goeb to work at the now-shuttered Harkers Distribution Center in Le Mars  Crannys last place of employment before becoming an entrepreneur  and they kept in touch over the years.

As Lunchtime Solutions started to grow, Cranny reached out to Goeb, who joined the staff in 2005 as a resource manager, to help alleviate some of the operational duties he could no longer directly handle.

Like Lundgren, Goeb worked his way up in the leadership structure and is a firm believer in the companys product and message, but he also recognized that Cranny was onto something with this business model.

Its an industry, a market that you could see for quite a few years back was going to be a growing industry," he said. "Its harder and harder for school districts, especially smaller to medium-sized school districts, to operate food service on their own.

"Knowing that, you know thats its a good place to be  strategically for a business  because the whole market is going to be growing over time," he continued. "You can grow two ways: You can grow by doing things better than your competitor and taking on their business and you can grow from all the new users in the marketplace.

According to company data, 93 percent of Lunchtime Solutions of new customers renew their contracts and a survey of students showed that 94 percent of them reported increased satisfaction with the new meals.

Although he managed to build a successful school lunch company from scratch, Cranny still remains particularly proud of the food they serve and its purpose in feeding children.

"They're usually pretty good; it's not your old school lunches where you had two choices: Take it or leave it," Cranny joked. "Things have changed over the years and choices for people are important. For us, it drives student satisfaction and participation and the two go hand in hand."
Marsh graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting in 2013. She began working with Williams & Company, P.C. in the Spencer, Iowa, office as an intern in May 2012. She joined the company full-time in January 2013.
Opinion / Columnist

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) spokesperson Dumisani Nkomo said the greatest fear was that unless key reforms are delivered, the 2018 elections will be a replica of the 2013 disputed election."We fear that unless these reforms are implemented, the elections will be a mere farce with the script and actor being the same as the 2013 one whose plot will be distinctly familiar and the outcomes being a de javous moment," said Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) spokesperson Dumisani Nkomo.We should be grateful for the little mercy that the little men and women in CiZC have even got as far as recognising the futility of contesting another election without reforms. They did not do so last time; they cheered and applauded Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, like most of the country's civic society, all the way to the 2013 elections convinced the MDC would win.Sadly, CiZC's awakening is not ready for action, fight or flight, one would expect but more the blink, blink awakening of a sloth after someone has just fired a shotgun right into it face.This clearly shows that CiZC members still have no clue what the democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) by Zanu PF, the two MDC factions and SA's President Thambo Mbeki on behave of SADC were about. The reforms were to sever the undemocratic controls Zanu PF has over state institutions like ZEC, Police, Judiciary, Public Media, etc. which have made it impossible for these institutions to fulfil their respective duty of delivering free, fair and credible elections, keeping law and order, etc.It is very sad that CiZC should, even now with the benefit of hindsight, continue to put any faith in the BVR process as, on its own, it could ever make even one bit of difference to our quest for free and faith elections."BVR (Biometric Voter Registration) should be speeded up and the process should be spread out over a year to give people a chance to understand the process and to check whether the system works," continued Nkomo.Nkomo said space must be opened for civil society organisations and Zec to carry out civic education to ensure that people have all the necessary information to participate in elections.As long as nothing is done to reform ZEC and it continues to function as if it is nothing more than just another department in Zanu PF committed to deliver the party's principle objective of no regime change then ZEC will continue to rig the vote to the benefit of the party. Anyone who thinks that giving ZEC the new BVR equipment will stop ZEC rig the elections is being naive.SADC leaders have spelt out what we need to do  implement the democratic reforms  if we want free, fair and credible elections. At the Maputo June 2013 SADC summit the regional leaders warned Zimbabwe's opposition not to contest the elections with no reforms in place. Tsvangirai & co. would not listen. We know why the opposition did not listen."The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious  withdraw from the elections," admitted Senator Coltart in his book."The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."The best SADC can do for Zimbabwe is repeat the same warning at the upcoming August 2017 summit in SA. As things stand, it is clear that Zimbabwe's opposition is determined to contest the elections regardless the certainty that Zanu PF will rig the vote for the same reason they contested the 2013 elections - greed.If we are ever going to force through our demands for the implementation of democratic reforms and have free and fair elections then it is not so much Zanu PF we must pressure here but the corrupt and incompetent opposition. It was the opposition's failure to implement the reforms during the GNU that allowed Zanu PF to stage a comeback after the GNU. And it is the participation in flawed elections that is giving rigged elections the modicum of acceptance.The greatest fear is not so much that Zanu PF will rig the 2018 election as it did the 2013 elections for that is a certainty as long as the opposition agree to contest the elections knowing the process will be rigged. The greatest fear here is therefore that the nation will be conned into believing the elections will not be rigged because the opposition have agreed to for a grand coalition, voter education on BVR was allowed or some such trivial matter.The only guarantee for free and fair July 2013 elections was implementing the reforms and it is still the same for 2018. It is a great national tragedy that key civic organisations like CiZC did not understand this key requirement for change and, it seems, still do not understand this to this day!
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa | Charles "Chuck" Hedges took a break from work on Wednesday, stopping his duty scrubbing walls to sit in the shade along the north shore of West Lake Okoboji, a front-lawn for him the past 60 years.

Hedges, 93, represents the second generation of ownership at the Hedge-Row Resort, a small family collection of cabins and RV lots nestled along the Triboji Beach area on West Lake.

Chuck's son, Tom Hedges, a retired city administrator who served Eagan, Minnesota, in that capacity for 37 years, informed me that Triboji Beach's origins can be traced to the Sioux City Tribune, which decades ago merged with the Sioux City Journal. Hedges authored a 50-page book on the resort, and included in it a copy of a 1929 advertisement in the Sioux City Tribune detailing the sale of parcels that measured 25 feet wide by either 80 or 100 feet in depth. The cost for those tracts: $94, plus a $5 subscription to the Tribune.

"The Tribune is not selling Triboji lots for monetary gain, but as a goodwill builder," the advertisement stated. "Triboji Beach is a monument to the benevolence and prestige of our great newspaper."

Terms included $30 down and $10 per month without interest.

The Tribune hosted a rodeo called the Triboji Beach Roundup from July 4-7, 1929 as a way to promote the newspaper's new development. "You'll never regret it," the advertisement continued. "You'll never miss the money. You'll not only make money on the investment, but you'll have a place to take the family over weekends."

Leo and Sue Hedges, parents of Charles Hedges, approached retirement in 1956. The couple had farmed, raised four children and kept busy as Leo served as a mail carrier in Spirit Lake for more than 30 years. They purchased this site, at the time called the Heins Resort, from Alvina Hein, who had built cabins on the property in the 1940s.

"With a small pension from the post office, Social Security, and the sale of their home in Spirit Lake, they were able to buy the five-cabin resort without debt," Tom Hedges wrote.

They named the property Hedges Row Cabins, but the sign maker left off the letter "s." Rather than redo the sign, the couple accepted the moniker and, thus, the Hedge-Row Resort was born. In the 1960s, you could rent a cabin in May and June for $2.25 per day. The cost rose to $2.75 if you wanted electricity.

Through the years, they added a handful of cabins (bringing the total to eight), and 25 RV spaces, becoming among a number of small family-owned resorts on West Lake Okoboji.

Chuck and his wife, Rosemary Hedges, who died in 2002, purchased the property in the early 1960s. Chuck retired from his position with the power plant in Spirit Lake in the 1980s.

Interestingly, no member of the Hedges family used a lakeshore cabin for themselves until 1987, some 30 years after the resort was founded.

"My parents added two cabins here in 1962, and they didn't stay here until 1987," Tom Hedges said, noting that his parents sold their home in Spirit Lake that year and remodeled a cabin, making it their year-round home and Hedge-Row Resort office.

It's where Chuck worked scrubbing walls on Wednesday, two days after moving south for the summer with Tom and Tom's wife, Debbie, who now operate the resort, the third generation of the family to do so. (The family's fourth generation has already made working contributions to the effort, and a fifth generation began its involvement as Kyle Hedges, then 5, painted two picnic tables a few years ago.)

Chuck Hedges spent three years aboard the USS Tennessee in World War II as the battle raged in the Pacific. An electrician aboard the ship, Chuck, who sported a Pearl Harbor cap on this sun-drenched afternoon, talked about his service. "In 1944, we had to get 14 islands from the Japanese and we got them all," he said.

The waters of West Lake Okoboji and the speed of life here offer great contrast for a man who came of age looking for Japanese destroyers and battleships on the Pacific horizon some 73 years ago.

"What you look for now is Milford," Chuck Hedges said with a wide smile. "Look south and you can see it; that's Milford, 6 1/2 miles away."

Tom Hedges kept busy putting bumpers on the docks while Debbie planted flowers to help usher in the summer season which begins in earnest on Memorial Day weekend. The family will welcome back many of the Hedge-Row "regulars" who seem fired up about returning to an idyllic piece of Dickinson County real estate year after year after year.

"We have a family from the Sioux Falls and Inwood (Iowa) area that has come back to the same cabin for 40 straight years," Tom said.

Not only are those vacationers the reliable customer base at the Hedge-Row Resort, they're very much like extended family for the Hedges.

"The people in the cabins and in the RV park, their unconditional help to us is phenomenal," Tom said. "We do a spring clean-up day and a fall close-up day (traditions since 1998) and we get all kinds of help from our guests. We top it off by having a potluck."

And while many modern-day resorts boast of whirlpools, water parks, spa treatments and more, Tom Hedges admits the Hedge-Row Resort can't make such claims. Rather, he said, he's got four generations of help, all kinds of satisfied customers, and, not to be forgotten, "a 4,000-acre swimming pool in our front yard."
SIOUX CITY | A 21-year-old Macy man was arrested after leading authorities on a chase through multiple Siouxland communities while a reportedly driving a stolen vehicle.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., Saturday, officials at the Dakota County Law Enforcement Center received a call alerting them that a vehicle reported stolen from Sioux City was spotted near Wal-Mart in South Sioux City, Nebraska, according to a release from the department.

Dakota County deputies located the vehicle, which was being driven by Eagleboy Freemont, and attempted to stop it near Highway 77 and 21st Street. Freemont refused to stop and a pursuit involving the Dakota County Sheriffs Office, Nebraska State Patrol and South Sioux City Police Department commenced.

Near Highway 77 and 35th Street, authorities deployed tire deflation devices and the vehicle Freemont was driving lost several tires, but continued traveling southbound on Highway 77 and intentionally rammed sheriffs office vehicles.

As Freemont entered Thurston County, members of the state patrol performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT maneuver, on the vehicle he was driving to bring it to a stop.

Freemont was taken into custody by deputies, turned over to the state patrol and eventually booked into the Thurston County Jail in Pender.

Once an investigation is complete, a request for a warrant will be filed in Dakota County.
WASHINGTON -- President Trump's budget demonstrates the costs of accepting lies as a normal currency in politics, broken promises as a customary way of doing business, false claims of being "populist" as the equivalent of the real thing, and sloppiness as what we should expect from government.

Trump's fiscal plan was described as dead before arrival, but approaching it this way is a mistake. Many of the steep cuts in programs for low-income Americans mimic reductions passed before by Republicans in the House of Representatives. There's more life in this document than the easy dismissals would suggest.

Particularly astounding from a president who promised better health care for Americans who can't afford it is the $1.85 trillion reduction over a decade from Medicaid and subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. But didn't Trump promise not to cut Medicaid? Never mind, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told CNBC's John Harwood. That pledge, Mulvaney explained, had been overridden by his promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Right, and my commitment to losing weight was overridden by my insistence on eating anything I want. We demean ourselves if we cynically normalize the reality that every Trump promise is meaningless claptrap aimed at closing a deal -- and that the vows will be forgotten even before the ink on the agreement is dry. Many who did business with Trump learned the hard way not to trust anything he said. His supporters are being forced to earn the same dreary wisdom.

Trump lies so often that journalists tied themselves up in an extended discussion of when it was appropriate to use "lie," and when it was better to deploy such euphemisms as "misstatement" or "fabrication." We should stick to the short and simple word. Allowing Trump any slack only encourages more lying.

Although fibbing with numbers is an old trick, the etiquette of budget discussions leans toward references to "rosy scenarios" and the like. But how can you explain a budget that counts $2 trillion in claimed economic growth twice? It's used once to "pay for" massive tax cuts for the wealthy, and another time to paint Trump's budget as reaching balance in a decade.

This can't just be careless math.

Companies that make comparable errors in their prospectuses for public offerings can face legal action. No wonder former Obama administration economic adviser Seth Hanlon called this plan "the Bernie Madoff Budget."

Another sign of fiscal fraud: the budget's blithe assumption that we will hit 3 percent annual GDP growth over an extended period. That would be nice. But no respectable economic forecaster thinks this is credible. Trump is asking us to bank our country's fiscal future on his signature catchphrase, "Believe me." We should know by now that we can't.

But there are also philosophical lies, and these may be even more offensive. Trump and Mulvaney are selling this budget as good for hardworking taxpayers by leading us to believe that it would really only hurt moochers and layabouts. Thus did Mulvaney claim that a $192 billion reduction in food stamp spending over a decade was directed at "the folks who are on there who don't want to work."

Well, as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported, it turns out that in food stamp households with at least one working-age, nondisabled adult, more than 80 percent work in the year before or after receiving benefits, and more than half work while getting them. This is a program aimed primarily at easing the lives of the working poor.

And it is worth noting, as Ron Brownstein did in The Atlantic, that in the five Midwestern states that swung from Barack Obama to Trump, whites without a four-year college degree -- the heart of the Trump constituency -- "constitute most of those receiving assistance" from food stamps and the parts of Social Security that Trump would also slash. If Trump really wants people to go to work, how does he think taking money away from job training and college assistance will ease their path to self-sufficiency?

Martin Wolf, the Financial Times columnist, captured Trump's ideology with precision when he called it "pluto-populism." It involves "policies that benefit plutocrats, justified by populist rhetoric."

Trump's seriousness about the details of governing can be measured by his decision to be abroad when his budget was released. This is a man who sees his job as little more than spectacle, his word as negotiable and all numbers as fungible. The scandal of his presidency extends far beyond the Russia story.
Unlike most other holidays, Memorial Day is a day of commemoration, not celebration. To commemorate is to serve as a memorial or reminder of or to honor the memory of by some observance. How can we best honor the memory of those who gave their lives in service to our country?

Those who made the ultimate sacrifice joined the military like many others. In the past, many found their way into service through a draft. Now that decision is made through free choice. Generally, those who served did so to uphold a way of life or to serve others.

Legally, they served to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The oath taken by commissioned officers is basically no different than the oath taken by elected and judicial officials. The oath obligates the individual to support and defend the Constitution  all of it.

Too often, citizens and elected officials seem to take an a la carte approach to the foundational document. It is common to find those who extol the First or Second Amendment. It seems less common to find those who fervently defend both, let alone the Fourth, Tenth and Fourteenth. Yet, that is the obligation of all those taking the oath, whether elected or not.

Perhaps we can appropriately honor the fallen by asking ourselves if we are acting in a way that honors that sacrifice. The fallen put service to comrades and country above all else. How about the rest of us? How about our leaders?

It is common to hear political leaders speaking of themselves as being in the trenches, or taking fire from their political opponents, as if they were in actual hostilities. Frequently, these claims are made by those who passed up the opportunity to serve and face actual combat. Provoking fellow Americans while claiming undeserved victimhood or suffering gains notoriety and personal financial gain, but is selfish, not selfless.

Those who passed in war fought to live while protecting their comrades. They paid the full measure of devotion to the country. They embodied the same spirit of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, who pledged our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. How many leaders today can say the same? Were they to, would they be taken seriously?

In a recent interview, Secretary of Defense James Mattis was asked what worried him most in his new position. His response dealt not with threats from abroad, but the alienation of individuals from institutions within, whether local or national. He concluded, If you lose any sense of being part of something bigger, then why should you care about your fellow man?

Service members who gave their lives cared about others, giving all they had for the rest of us. They have given us a gift. They have also bestowed an opportunity and an obligation  to leave the country as strong or stronger. If it was worth their lives, is it too much to ask to give of our time to others? Or perhaps to reflect on the benefits we enjoy because of the burdens borne by others?

Every day, in ways large and small, we have the chance to make our country worth the sacrifice of those who gave their lives. It is our choice to build or to tear down. We can choose for small inconveniences that benefit all or opt for immediate selfish gratification. On Monday, Im hoping people can pause and give gratitude. Beyond that, perhaps we could exhibit a sense of purpose of building up and demand the same from our leaders.

Next week: Charese Yanney

A Sioux City resident, Steve Warnstadt is government affairs coordinator for Western Iowa Tech Community College and a former Democratic state senator. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of one son and one daughter.
As we celebrate the end of another school calendar, graduations and the traditional beginning of summer, we urge all Americans again this year to spend some of their long holiday weekend embracing the deeper meaning of Memorial Day.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a reverential day of remembrance for those who have died in service to our nation; its origin stretches to the Civil War.

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the leader of an organization of Union veterans  the Grand Army of the Republic  established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of war dead with flowers, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Major Gen. John A. Logan declared Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed, according to the DVA website, the date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

After World War I, the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress and was placed on the last Monday in May.

The total number of Americans killed in all wars, including the Civil War when nearly 500,000 soldiers died, is more than 1.1 million.

In a broader sense, we view Memorial Day as a day of honor in recognition of the responsibilities and burdens borne by the roughly 2.1 million men and women who today wear America's uniform as active-duty service members and reserve members and the families who support them and share their sacrifices.

Here at home, on the seas, and at hundreds of bases in dozens of foreign countries, including danger zones like Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and on the other side of the demilitarized zone from Kim Jong-un and North Korea in South Korea, our nation's armed forces stand guard in protection of U.S. security and interests and those of its friends. Simply put, they stand in harm's way for the rest of us.

A sense of duty should compel all Americans to, in some way at some point, pause in reflection during the profound, national observance that is Memorial Day - not only to honor and respect those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the fruits and freedoms with which we are blessed, but to say a prayer for those who serve to protect them today.
With interest, I read The Journal's recent article about the children flown to Sioux City for medical care after surviving a terrible bus accident in Tanzania. How wonderful that hundred of thousands of dollars were donated to pay for the flight and the care that these innocent children needed.

Even though Rep. Steve King helped with contacts and arrangements, I do not see him as a health care hero. In this case he helped out people he knew (the good people at STEMM) and basked in the positive press coverage.

Meanwhile, in King's home country that is America, he voted in support of the American Health Care Act, legislation passed by the U.S. House on May 4 now awaiting action in the Senate. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this act would have disturbing effects on health care coverage in the United States:

- older people would pay more for coverage;

- states would not be required to cover everything they do now such as maternity care and prescription drugs;

- persons who are less healthy would have a harder time accessing insurance;

- fewer people would qualify for Medicaid;

- approximately 14 million fewer people would be covered with insurance.

Representative King should care for the health of Americans at least as much as he does for people overseas. Good health care should be a human right available to all, starting here at home. - Nancy Dykstra, Hull, Iowa
I Tested Out Harry's For A Month - The Results Are In

Is Harry's Really The Best Shaving Subscription Out There? We Tried It

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

This article was written in collaboration with Harry's.

What razor sits in your bathroom cabinet? Yea, its a pretty open-ended question to ask since most of us have our favorites. Then again, were talking about a demographic where the majority are clueless to what makes for a great shave.

Truth be told, I was once like you. A young adult completely misinformed on the art of shaving. Advertisements and commercials sold me on all the wrongs, therefore any experiences I had in my early days involved digging through a dresser for a Gillette disposable and some foamy shaving cream in a tin can.

Long as I could save a few bucks and sport a kissable moneymaker, even if it was at the cost of irritating it with several pass-throughs of a blade, while nicking the hell out of my face mind you, life was good. Amateur hour! But I aint the first, nor the last guy whos failed to appreciate the value of a virtuous shave.

Probably wasnt until I ventured into the male grooming sector as a lifestyle journalist and experimented with numerous shaving products when the light bulb finally went off. The market just started to welcome tons of options, better razors, and at better rates to where I didnt feel forced into compromising my appearance or facial skin just to pocket a few extra singles.

And just when I thought the grooming task couldnt become more practical, along came shaving subscription boxes like Harrys, which simplified the shopping experience delivering all shaving essentials right to my front door step on a monthly basis.

All the train ads and word of mouth sold me on testing it. Well, that and its competitive pricing. But prior to Harrys I had already gone through the gamut of competitors. Yet despite owning some top performers, none delivered the comfort or convenience that came with being a Harrys customer.

Youre saying $15 gets me a starter set of one razor handle, three cartridges, one blade cover, and a shave gel? No way. One Schick razor alone goes for nearly the same amount at my local pharmacy. Do the math there. Winning!

Still, even with a business model that defies the tradition of overcharging for blades, co-founder Jeff Raider has made it known that Harrys is all about giving men what they want without going for broke: We respect your face and your wallet!

And this mantra is best exhibited through the aesthetics of their razor lineup, mainly their flagship product: The Truman. The shaver is quite the looker with a design inspired by fine pens and knives that comes available in three bold, attractive colors (Nautilus Blue, Olive 107, Total Orange).

Compared to the flimsiness of other razors, the Truman was a pleasure to hold thanks to its ergonomic handle and rubberized exterior, which optimized shave control when navigating across my grill. One of my biggest pet peeves is having a razor that cant reach the hair trapped in between my cleft chin (aka the Michael Douglas). So it was relieving and surprising to see how flexible the Truman was, hitting such hard-to-reach spots, even certain areas of the chest. Much props go to the flex hinge.

But let me not do Harrys blade engineering a disservice by only gloating over the Trumans handle. In factuality, the five-blade cartridge system is the real signature feature here. Each cutter is formed in the Gothic Arch shape which maintains a strong base and sharpness at the tip for an incredibly effective shave. Im a stubble wearer and require a good clean-up almost every other day. The Truman definitely took care of those prickly threads without pulling or irritating my skin.

Much of that comfort can be attributed to two things. The first being its Aloe vera-infused lubrication strip. Such an underlying detail in todays razors, it helped soothe my face with every stroke, even if for a few seconds. More surprising is how it doesnt wear down as quickly as on other models, giving the razor longer shelf life and preserving performance for many shaves.

Then we have the evenly spaced blades that present enough room to guide hairs straight into each cutter. Rarely did I find myself having to pass through the same area twice, which if youre a seasoned shaver is a complete no-no in Shaving 101. A huge plus for the Truman.

RELATED: Harry's Review

What caught me more off guard was how well it shaved through thicker hairs that I grew after a week of facial sprouting. A nice long stroke from the tip of my sideburns to the neck picked up a huge chunk of fur. Quite impressive I must say. On the other hand, the sensation was a bittersweet one since hairs were much harder to rinse off the blade.

Speaking of rinsability, this brings us to the Foaming Shaving Gel, which reacts great to water and instantly wipes the blades of any stubble.

Dispensing is simple with basic press-down action releasing the gel from the top of can. It isnt until mixed where the formula develops into a cream, forming a rich lather and creating a velvety effect thats super-comforting to apply. This is vital for razor glide, as the blades effortlessly slid across facial real estate for what turns out to be a nice, close shave. Scent was pleasant as well, leaving my face and towel with a welcoming aroma that screams grown man.

Once finished, my face felt ridiculously hydrated  something most foam creams fail to achieve. Harrys goes the more organic route and loads its gel with aloe and cucumber, two additives with moisturizing properties that keep skin refreshed. It convinced me enough to run out the door on my date without using any aftershave. Thats another major grooming no-no depending on your skin sensitivity, but its a testament to how good the product is.

Ordering on the site is just as much a rewarding experience as using the shaving bundle. The website design is attractive and streamlined to where navigating around is effortless, especially when re-upping on previous purchases. Signing up for a plan only takes a few minutes, plus earns you a Free Trial set. All youll pay is the $3 shipping charge.

The Verdict:

Harrys is by far the best auto-pilot grooming subscription service

The Truman Set is a must-own for facial styling

Whats not to love about $2 cartridge refills?

Competition is stiff out there, but the New York-based brand makes shopping for EDC grooming items so basic and enjoyable to where you cant help but feel accomplished after finishing each cartridge. Pricing is on-point, especially if youre an endless shaver such as myself. The scene-stealer is the Truman razor.

Performance-wise, Harrys supersedes expectations and does a far better job than most of the markets renowned razors. Im still in awe over how moisturized both the razor and shaving gel left my face after each shave. Im curious to know how good some of Harrys other grooming supplies are. Targets locked in on the Daily Face Wash and Face Lotion.

Harrys does make shaving a hassle-free chore, while saving you money and unnecessary trips to the nearby Walgreens every 30 days. Case in point, this is the razor (and shaving gel) to keep stocked in your toiletry bag. Just sayin!

Get yourself started with the Truman Set and subscribe Here to start your Free Trial Set.

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
Polynesian Airlines is negotiating with Fiji Airways as the government proceeds with its plan to revive Polynesians international operations.

This was confirmed by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in an interview with the Sunday Samoan.

Earlier this month, the government informed the Virgin Australia Group that it has decided not to re-new the Joint Venture (JV).

The governments decision doesnt surprise members of the industry.

It is public knowledge that Prime Minister Tuilaepas government has been unhappy with Virgin Samoas performance for some time now.

Concerns have been raised since Virgin Australia went into partnership with Air New Zealand.

Both Airlines have repeatedly downplayed the concerns.

Responding to questions about Polynesian Airlines next move, Tuilaepa said they are considering a partnership with Fiji Airways.

For every airline, they have partnerships with other airlines," he said. "It's important to consider the routes that is not covered by our flights, yet are being covered by Fiji Airways."

He said nothing has been finalised.

The negotiations is ongoing for the next five to six months for the changes to follow through.

Tuilaepa did not go into details.

According to an official from Polynesian Airlines, who does not wish to be named, the wet lease price from Fiji Airways is between "$100,000-$200,000 to lease one airplane a month".

The official said this amount is nothing compared to what was paid to Virgin Australia ever year.

According to the 2016 Scoping and Feasibility Study for International Jets Services, in 2005 Polynesian Airline lost its flag carrier status once the JV entered into force and that has reduced it to operating a small turbo prop service to outlying islands such as American Samoa.

It has lost some of its specialists skills in it workforce for jet operations and if it is to be reborn it will take some time to up-skill its workers and to recruit new staff, the study reads.

The study further notes that as long as the JV is in place, Polynesian cannot operate into Samoas major inbound markets such as Australia and New Zealand mainly because it would not be able to complete with Virgin Australia's access to the Virgin distribution channels and economics of scale.
By Associated Press  28 May 2017, 12:00AM

By Associated Press  28 May 2017, 12:00AM

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  A Guatemalan judge has ruled the brother and son of President Jimmy Morales must stand trial in a case of alleged corruption.

The judge ruled late Friday the president's son Jose Manuel Morales Marroquin and brother Samuel will stand trial for fraud.

They allegedly submitted about $23,000 worth of false receipts in an alleged tax fraud scheme that occurred in 2013, before Morales took office.

The two have said they are innocent. Both spent about a month in jail before being released on a form of bail while the trial continues.

Guatemalan prosecutors backed by the U.N. commission have brought a string of anti-corruption cases, most notably against former President Otto Perez Molina.
Mickael Gilles Lemarchand, driving Be Cash Money, a son of Ready Cash, won the first of two legs of the French-American Friendship Trot over the 1,200-metre inner track at Hippodromo Argentan in Normany on Sunday, May 28.

Alan Schwartz led Team America to a second-place finish driving the Ready Cash filly Bety Du Goutier. Schwartz generously survived a judge's inquiry as the first try at a start resulted in a wild and crazy array of horses that caused a recall. Bob Davis' horse was scratched for not having his paperwork in order which negated all of two days of studying the program and viewing videos.

Jean Phillipe Bazire, cousin of the French very accomplished driver of the same name, did not disappoint the family name garnering a third-place finish.

Peter Kleinhans recovered from an early break to finish fourth, and Tony Ciuffetelli took the nickel. Joe Faraldo, also badly affected by the recall, was placed seventh with four horses of the 12 being disqualified.

The North American amateur drivers have the distinct honour of being the very first amateurs ever invited to France to compete against their counterparts.

The French Le Trot placed us in the hands of three great hosts, Damien, Marie-Anh and Emmanuelle, who chauffeured us around, Faraldo explained. We were shown every hospitality from a brasserie in Trouville to restaurants in Arromanches and Caen.

Monday is a free day in the City of Lights with a scheduled dinner cruise on the Siene under the watchful eye of the Tower Eiffel.

Tuesday's menu includes a visit to the famed training centre at Grosbois followed by an evening race, the Prix Iphigenia.

The French had much more to celebrate than their amateur victory, as the 10-year-old French-bred Timoko, who was barely bested in the return of the International Trot at Yonkers Raceway two years ago, won the Elitlopp on Sunday in Sweden. This is the last year that Timoko can race in France and hopefully the $1 million International at Yonkers on October14 will temp his connections to return for revenge.

(NAADA)
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Sheehan R. Grant Defendant - Appellant No. 16-2687 Decided: May 26, 2017

Before SMITH,1GRUENDER, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

Sheehan Grant was charged with interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual acts, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2423(b). Two days before trial, Grant waived his right to a jury trial. On the morning of trial, Grant withdrew his not-guilty plea and entered a plea of nolo contendere. Grant's presentence investigation report recommended that he not receive credit for acceptance of responsibility, noting that Grant continued to deny that he committed the offense at his change-of-plea hearing. At sentencing, the district court denied Grant credit for acceptance of responsibility, recalling the events leading up to the entry of the nolo contendere plea. The court then imposed a mid-Guidelines range sentence of 156 months' imprisonment, followed by 10 years' supervised release. Grant argues that the district court erred in declining to grant an offense-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility. For the reasons explained below, we affirm.

Grant claims that he was entitled to the reduction because he waived his right to a jury, admitted that the government could adduce sufficient evidence to prove him guilty, and changed his plea from not guilty to nolo contendere. But, [d]eterminations as to acceptance of responsibility  are factual findings that we review only for clear error. United States v. Jones, 539 F.3d 895, 897 (8th Cir. 2008); see also United States v. Winters, 416 F.3d 856, 860 (8th Cir. 2005) (A district court's factual determination on whether a defendant has demonstrated acceptance of responsibility is entitled to great deference and should be reversed only if it is so clearly erroneous as to be without foundation.). We do not substitute our judgment for that of the district court because the district court is in a better position to assess whether a defendant has accepted responsibility and to assess the credibility of witnesses. Jones, 539 F.3d at 897; see also United States v. Quintana, 340 F.3d 700, 702 (8th Cir. 2003) (It is  well established that in sentencing matters a district court's assessment of witness credibility is quintessentially a judgment call and virtually unassailable on appeal. (ellipsis in original) (quotations omitted)).

In declining to grant a reduction for acceptance of responsibility, the district court heard argument from both parties, considered the circumstances and timing of Grant's change of plea, and stated:

THE COURT: All right. Well, I want to do everything I can to encourage people who are guilty of these crimes to admit them so that victims don't have to testify. In this case there was no actual victim so the benefit of him pleading is somewhat less to a victim. Am I allowed to give half credit? Is it two or nothing?

[Prosecutor]: I believe it's two or nothing, Your Honor. I think in imposing sentence you can consider his waiver of jury trial and things along those lines but I think as a legal matter it's two or nothing.

THE COURT: Well, I'm not inclined to do that anyway. I don't think he's entitled toI remember the plea hearing and I also know that we were in the morning of trial. The Court is going to finddeny the acceptance of responsibility credit. I'm going to find the correct offense level is 151 to 188.

In other words, the district court determined that Grant's last-minute plea change was inconsistent with finding that he had accepted responsibility for his offense. Upon review of the transcript from the change-of-plea hearing, we note that Grant never expressly accepted responsibility for the offense and indicated that his mother could testify to his innocence. Thus, we find no clear error in the district court's denial of the reduction for acceptance of responsibility.

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable M. Douglas Harpool, United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri.

. Grant also argues that his nolo contendere plea was not voluntary because the plea was in his best interest only if he were afforded a reduction for acceptance of responsibility, which he did not receive. However, this argument is not properly before us because Grant did not move to withdraw his plea in the district court. See United States v. Foy, 617 F.3d 1029, 103334 (8th Cir. 2010).Further, Grant argues that the district court violated Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 by failing to establish a factual basis for Grant's nolo contendere plea and failing to consider the public interest in the administration of justice. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(a)(3). However, Rule 11's factual-basis requirement does not apply to pleas of nolo contendere. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(b)(3) (Before entering judgment on a guilty plea, the court must determine that there is a factual basis for the plea. (emphasis added)). And to the extent that the court failed to consider the public interest in accepting Grant's plea, such error was harmless because it did not affect Grant's substantial rights. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(a).

PER CURIAM.
It is one of the most famous images from World War II: a woman with a red, polka-dot bandanna flexing her bicep underneath the words We Can Do It! The image  now plastered on magnets, coffee mugs and socks  is a feminist symbol, a cultural icon that has inspired millions of women.

Who was the determined woman behind the iconic poster by J. Howard Miller? For decades, the world believed it was Geraldine Hoff Doyle of Michigan. But research suggests the claim may belong to a different woman, Naomi Parker-Fraley, a Longview resident who died on January 20, 2018, at 96.

Millers muse for the poster still is a mystery. But researchers have confirmed Parker-Fraley is the subject in a photo thought to have inspired him to draw the poster, which is often erroneously called Rosie the Riveter.

Parker-Fraleys story has been featured in People magazine, an episode of the Travel Channels Mysteries at the Museum and in an article in Harpers Bazaar that called her the Real-Life Rosie the Riveter. In 2017, Parker-Fraley was suffering from terminal cancer and under Hospice care, but her family was determined to help her reclaim her spot in history as the misidentified woman in the photo.

Its only fair. It was her, and still is, said her sister Ada Wyn Parker Loy of Longview.

Led World War II surge in women workers

Just months after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Naval Air Station in Alameda, Calif., put a call out for civilian workers, regardless of gender. Hoping to contribute to the war effort, Joseph Parker walked two of his daughters, 20-year old Naomi and 18-year-old Ada Wyn, down to the base to apply.

We wouldnt have done it, except our daddy told us to get down there and get a job, said Loy, laughing. They asked me what a differential was, and I said, Its a rear-end of a car. And they said, Youre hired. 

Around March 1942, the Parker girls were among the first females hired on the base as full-time mechanics. Eventually, the base hired another 400 women in the machine shop and an additional 3,000 throughout the campus, according to research published in a 2016 article in Rhetoric and Public Affairs by James J. Kimble.

Parker-Fraley repaired damaged naval airplanes. She did fabrication, riveting and drilling, among other tasks.

The sisters didnt have drivers licenses, so they caught rides with a male co-worker, Loy said. Women made good money on the base, she added. According to Kimble, the starting salary for woman was 50 cents an hour.

While many women workers faced discrimination or harassment on the job, Parker-Fraley said she had a positive experience.

They treated us very good, she recalled.

Before starting work at 7 a.m., they put on coveralls, low heels and bandannas to tie back their hair. Parker-Fraley bought her red polka-dot bandanna from a five-and-dime store, said her daughter-in-law, Marnie Blankenship, 66, of Kelso.

Shortly after Parker-Fraley started the job, a news photographer from United Press International visited the base to capture the early women workers. He snapped a few shots of her peering over a turret lathe. A local newspaper featured one of the lathe photos with a caption observing the de-glamorized navy uniform hasnt made Miss Naomi Parker any less attractive. The sisters clipped out the photo, which appeared across newspapers and magazines nationwide. Parker-Fraley even received fan mail.

Loy kept a clipping of her sisters photo after Parker-Fraley moved on from her Navy job in 1943 and the war ended in 1945.

They didnt know Parker-Fraleys possible connection to the We Can Do It! poster until 2009, when they attended a reunion of Rosie the Riveters at Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif.

The park museum featured the picture of Parker-Fraley leaning over the lathe and noted it likely was the inspiration behind the We Can Do It! poster. However, the exhibit identified the woman in the photo as Geraldine Hoff Doyle, not Parker-Fraley.

When she saw that, she got real upset, she thought, That is me! Thats not the other girl!  Loy said.

I was overwhelmed just thinking about somebody else ... taking my identity, added Parker-Fraley, eyes wide.

Loy wrote a letter to the National Park Service and attached three newspaper clippings of the lathe photo with her sisters name. In 2011, the Park Service thanked Loy for the donation of the clippings. The agency declined to change the exhibit, but it wrote to Loy: If you can help us identify the true identity of the woman in the photograph, please help us.

Defeated, the sister dropped the complaint.

There was nothing we could do, Marnie Blankenship said.

How the photo was misidentified for decades

So how was the woman at the lathe photo misidentified for so long? And what was its connection to the Miller poster?

In 1984, a Michigan woman, Geraldine Hoff Doyle, stumbled on the woman at the lathe photograph in a copy of Modern Maturity magazine. The caption said, Rosie the Riveters played a major part in winning the war. It offered no context or name of the woman in the photo, but Hoff Doyle said she recognized the woman as herself. She, indeed, had looked like the photos subject when she was younger: She had similar dark hair and arched eyebrows.

As a 17-year-old in 1942, Hoff Doyle worked for one week in a Michigan metal factory where she recalled a United Press International photographer took her picture.

Yet Hoff Doyle wouldnt see herself in the We Can Do It! poster for years. Millers piece, which was commissioned by Westinghouse Co. for internal use in its own factories, didnt gain national notoriety until the mid-1980s.

In 1994, Hoff Doyle first saw the Miller poster printed on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine, which incorrectly touted the image as Rosie the Riveter. Hoff Doyle immediately saw her own likeness in the Westinghouse poster and linked the poster to the lathe photo. I know what I looked like, she told Michigan History Magazine in 1994.

The Michigan magazine then repeated her claim that the photo inspired the poster  without evidence to support it other than a tenuous quote from a Smithsonian historian noting if the photo had appeared recently, he (the artist) might have drawn from it.

After that article, her story was repeated in countless news articles and blogs  with little evidence to back up Hoff Doyles claim other than her own conviction and memory.

At the time Geraldine Hoff Doyle was incredibly self-promotion minded. She really launched a campaign to dub her the model, said Penny Colman, historian and author of Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II.

In an interview with The Daily News, Colman said Hoff Doyle and her family tried to get her, an expert on the subject, to confirm the Michigan woman as the subject of the poster. She resisted because there wasnt enough evidence, Colman said.

Yet even as her story was unverified, through sheer repetition and reporting by seemingly authoritative news outlets, her story gradually became accepted as fact, said James J. Kimble, a professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, who studied the poster extensively.

The Michigan Womens Historical Center and Hall of Fame, and the Michigan Senate, all honored Hoff Doyle in 2002, Kimble noted.

When she died in 2010, obituaries in The New York Times, the Washington Post and several international news outlets mourned the loss of the face behind the We Can Do It! poster.

Naomis identify discovered

From early on, Hoff Doyles story struck professor Kimble as odd. How did she know she was the inspiration?, he wondered. So, after co-authoring a 2006 study on the myths behind the Westinghouse poster, he turned his attention to verifying Hoff Doyles story. Because the original caption on the lathe woman photo had been cut off, there was no way to prove or disprove her claims. For years he pored over hundreds of archival photographs from old magazines, newspapers and books, but the mysterious woman remained nameless in countless iterations.

After five years, he hit a breakthrough. Kimble stumbled on a similar, but different, photo of the same woman in a 1942 Time article about the emerging trend of women wearing pants. Through a reverse image search, he found a Memphis company selling an original copy of the Time photo, plus an original of the famous woman at the lathe photo.

When he finally got the old snapshots, the photos caption identified the woman as Miss Naomi Parker in Alameda, Calif.  not Geraldine Hoff Doyle in Michigan. Armed with her name, Kimble found other archival prints with Parkers name in captions.

He hired the California Genealogical Society and Library to find her family, thinking he could interview her descendants. To his shock, she was still alive, living with her sister in Redding, Calif., in 2014. He called, and they arranged to meet.

I was surprised because he said, Ive been looking for you for seven years!  Parker-Fraley recalled.

Who is the woman behind the photo?

Although Parker-Fraley was confirmed to be the woman in the lathe photo, there still is no way to prove that the lathe photo actually inspired J. Howard Miller, who Kimble said died before the poster became historically notable. (Several online articles mistakenly say the graphic artist died much later, because he shares the same name as a news photographer who died in 2005.)

It is not clear whether anyone ever asked the graphic artist about his inspiration for the poster, Colman said.

Miller kept a file of old magazine and newspaper clippings for inspiration, but he also used live models for his work, too, Colman said. The woman at the lathe photo was published in newspapers around the country, including one in Pittsburgh, where Miller lived at the time.

Yet Kimble said he has reviewed some of Millers personal files  and he did not find Parkers image. It is possible he could have been inspired by someone else, Kimble said. Actress Hedy Lamarr looked similar to the woman in Millers poster. Her face appeared on the Life magazine cover in June 1942, seven months before Millers poster first made its appearance.

Instead Colman speculates the photo was a composite image of many women.

There were millions and millions of images of women war workers circulating at the time, and several could have inspired Miller, Colman said.

For Parker-Fraleys family, the source of the Westinghouse poster isnt the main focus.

Her daughter-in-law Marnie Blankenship explained: She said it was all of us, there were many of us that went to the factories and worked, and helped out with the effort, not just me. Thats where she goes in her head. We all did, we all jumped in, we all deserve the same recognition.

Life after factory work

In 1943, Parker-Fraley did what many female workers did after leaving their factory war jobs: She married and raised a child. Her husband, Joe Wilson Blankenship Sr., and his father ran a business searching for iron shavings in sand on military contracts. When work dried up after the war, he turned to brick masonry and the family bounced around the western United States following work. They settled in Palm Springs in 1955. Over her career, Parker-Fraley served celebrities at the famous Dollhouse restaurant in Palm Springs, worked at several nightclubs and then became an ordained minister in the late 1970s.

Born in Oklahoma, Parker-Fraley was from a family of eight children who eventually settled in California. Her only brother, Clyde, was a U.S. Army guard stationed in Germany. The war destroyed him and though the term post-traumatic stress disorder hadnt been invented, Clyde was in and out of institutions for the rest of his life, Marnie Blankenship said. He became a chain smoker and died of emphysema in the late 1970s.

Parker-Frlaey divorced Joe Blankenship Sr. around 1958 and was widowed twice. Her second husband, John Muhlig, died in 1971 and her third husband, Charles Fraley, died in 1998.

In the fall of 2016, a string of flu viruses and pneumonia sent her in and out of the hospital. Her body grew weak.

She lost 30 pounds. In February 2017, her son Joe Blankenship Jr., 73, of Kelso moved his mother and aunt from Redding, Calif., to Longview to better support them.

In April 2017, a doctor diagnosed Parker-Fraley with colon cancer and found it had spread to her liver.

During her final year, she spent most of her days in bed, too weak to do most daily tasks unassisted. She was nearly deaf and struggled to speak, so her family often used notes scribbled on a portable whiteboard to communicate. Loy lived in the same facility, and she visited daily with her little white dog named Toughy.

A glamour shot of Parker-Fraley at age 95 was taped to the outside of her door. In it, the photographers at People magazine dressed her to look like the Westinghouse poster, even leaving her hairline peeking out from under the red polka-dotted bandanna. She wears red lipstick and a satisfied smile.

Parker-Fraley may never know if she was truly Millers muse. And as Kimble wrote in his article, perhaps his research didnt find the Rosie the Riveter, but she certainly was a Rosie the Riveter.

At the very least, Parker-Fraley knows her place in history has finally come to light.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung has accidentally announced the fact that Galaxy J5 (2017) and J7 (2017) smartphones are coming this year. The announcement appeared on a Samsung website dedicated to Samsungs Kid mode app. The yet-to-be-launched devices were mentioned as devices that supported the app.

The listing was first reported by SamMobile, which points out that the 2017 variants of the J5 and J7 have been expected for a while now.

The Samsung Galaxy J series of smartphones make up the companys affordable smartphone line-up. A leaked video of the J7 has also appeared.

The video shows off a phone with a unique arrangement for the antennas, a curvy, almost ovoid shape, a single rear camera and flash on the rear and a physical home button on the front. The device also appears to support USB-C. The rear camera is supposed to be a 13 MP unit with an f/1.9 aperture.

The display is said to be a 5.5-inch, Full HD panel (1920x1080).

The video, which is in Korean, explains that the phone is powered by a 1.6 GHz, Exynos 7870 processor thats supported by a Mali-T830 graphics processor and 3 GB of RAM. A 3,600 mAh battery provides the juice.

Internal storage is said to be limited to 16 GB, though this is expandable by up to 256 GB via a microSD card.

As with the Samsung Galaxy A5, the speaker has, for whatever reason, moved to the right side and is placed above the power button.

The specifications of the J5 are yet to be revealed.